#Fly Ash Database

[chemanalystdata]

Fly Ash Prices | Pricing | Trend | News | Database | Chart | Forecast

 Fly Ash Prices is a byproduct of coal combustion in power plants, primarily used in construction and other industries. It has become a critical component in the production of cement and concrete, replacing a portion of Portland cement, which is more costly and energy-intensive to produce. As the global demand for sustainable and cost-effective building materials grows, the pricing of fly ash is increasingly significant for construction projects, real estate development, and infrastructure expansion.

The pricing of fly ash depends on several factors, including supply chain dynamics, regional availability, and quality variations. One of the most important elements affecting fly ash prices is its availability, which is closely tied to coal-fired power plants. In regions where coal power is prevalent, fly ash is more readily available, leading to lower prices. Conversely, in areas with limited coal power generation or where the shift to cleaner energy sources is more rapid, the supply of fly ash can be constrained, leading to higher prices. As coal plants continue to phase out in favor of renewable energy sources, the availability of fly ash may become more restricted, potentially driving prices upward in the long term.

Another key factor influencing fly ash prices is transportation costs. Fly ash must be transported from power plants to cement manufacturers or construction sites, which can add significant costs depending on the distance between the source and the point of use. Regions closer to major coal power plants tend to have lower transportation costs, while more remote areas experience higher expenses, which, in turn, increases the overall price of fly ash. The type of transportation, whether by road, rail, or sea, also plays a role in determining transportation costs. In some cases, long-distance transport via rail or sea may be more cost-effective than road transport, though the final price to the end-user remains sensitive to distance and logistical considerations.

Get Real Time Prices for Fly Ash: https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/fly-ash-1459

The quality of fly ash also plays a significant role in determining its price. Fly ash is categorized into different classes based on its chemical and physical properties, with Class F and Class C being the most common. Class F fly ash, typically produced from burning harder, older anthracite or bituminous coal, tends to have a higher price due to its higher durability and pozzolanic properties, making it more desirable for high-performance concrete. In contrast, Class C fly ash, derived from sub-bituminous or lignite coal, tends to have a lower price due to its differing chemical composition and reduced performance in certain applications. The purity and consistency of the fly ash also contribute to pricing variations, as higher-quality fly ash with fewer impurities commands a premium in the market.

Market demand for fly ash is another crucial factor influencing its pricing. As construction and infrastructure projects grow, the demand for fly ash increases. In countries with a booming construction sector, such as India, China, and the United States, fly ash prices have seen significant fluctuations based on market demand. During periods of high construction activity, fly ash prices tend to rise as manufacturers and contractors seek larger quantities to meet project deadlines. Conversely, when construction activity slows, such as during economic downturns or periods of reduced government infrastructure spending, the demand for fly ash decreases, often leading to lower prices.

In addition to these demand-driven factors, government regulations and environmental policies also impact fly ash prices. Many governments have implemented regulations requiring the disposal of fly ash in an environmentally responsible manner, which can affect both the cost and availability of fly ash for commercial use. In some regions, the use of fly ash in construction is incentivized through tax breaks or subsidies, encouraging its adoption as a more sustainable alternative to traditional cement. These incentives can help keep fly ash prices more competitive, particularly in markets where environmental sustainability is a key consideration.

The shift toward cleaner energy sources is another long-term trend that may influence fly ash prices. As more countries move away from coal-fired power plants to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, the availability of fly ash may decrease, leading to potential price increases. This shift is already occurring in many developed nations, where renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydroelectric power are rapidly replacing coal. In the long run, this could create supply shortages in regions that have historically relied on coal power for their fly ash supply. However, innovations in fly ash recycling and the use of alternative materials could mitigate some of these price pressures in the future.

Global supply chain disruptions also have the potential to impact fly ash prices. Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and trade restrictions can all contribute to fluctuations in the cost and availability of fly ash. During the pandemic, for instance, many industries experienced delays and higher transportation costs, which affected the overall pricing of fly ash. Supply chain disruptions can cause temporary price spikes, particularly in regions heavily reliant on imports. As global markets stabilize post-pandemic, the fly ash market may experience more predictable pricing trends, though the risk of future disruptions remains a factor.

In summary, fly ash prices are influenced by a complex interplay of factors including availability, transportation costs, quality, market demand, government regulations, environmental policies, and global supply chain conditions. As the construction industry continues to evolve and prioritize sustainable building practices, the importance of fly ash as an affordable and eco-friendly material will only increase. While fluctuations in price are inevitable due to the ongoing energy transition and other economic factors, fly ash will remain a critical component in the production of cement and concrete for years to come. Contractors, developers, and manufacturers must closely monitor these price trends to make informed decisions about sourcing and utilizing fly ash in their projects.

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[edutainer2022]

This turned out sadder, than I expected. Oh well... Virgil gets to contemplate Renaissance art as Scott finds a baby in the earthquake debris. John makes a brief, bit meaningful appearance. There be angst and melancholy, and lots of Earth and Sky love.

CW: mention of earthquake and destruction; mention of a minor character death in an earthquake

BABY BLUES

Their tech would undoubtedly blur the image for security purposes, but Virgil made a point to commit the sight to memory. It didn't get more awe-inspiring or symbolic than a figure in blue, ascending into the air from the smoking pile of rubble and ashes, a small bundle cradled in a sure arm, against the backdrop of a cloudless sky, the blazing sun providing a natural halo around the stunning visage. It made Virgil think back to the stained glass windows and frescoes he got see for the first time in Rome, dragging his grumpy brothers around and pulling every favor and blackmail chip to see more of what Renaissance had to offer to an aspiring artist.

Scott landed next to Virgil, killing the jetpack, and the bundle in his arms made its presence known with a wail, breaking the spell. A baby! The sole survivor, apparently, of that building collapse in an earthquake. A baby boy, to be precise. He made it, thanks to his mother throwing herself over the crib. The crashed ceiling didn't leave her any chance. Rendered quiet in the face of an abject tragedy, that hit them all close to home, Virgil concentrated on assessing the baby for possible injuries and smoke inhalation. That was a bit of a problem as Scott was yet to relinquish the hold of the child. Parallel to Virgil's ministrations he knew John or Eos would be already running the database checks for any relatives, hopefully a father or grandparents. The first sweep came up empty fairly quickly - the owner of the demolished house was never married nor had any close relatives listed. The baby boy's birth certificate registered no information on the father, but did give them a name - Jeffrey. Jeff. Talk about symbolism.

Miraculously, the medscan flashed nothing more aggravating than yellow - baby Jeffrey escaped the ordeal relatively unscathed. Still, they had to get the child to Two's infirmary and then to a nearest hospital STAT. Babies were extremely fragile, especially in a danger zone like this. Virgil reached to transfer the now somewhat quietened baby to his hold, but, to his surprise Scott wouldn't let go. He shifted the small weight to one arm and with a flick of one hand slaved One to TB2 controls to fly in formation, turning on his heel and marching to the green bird, a baffled Virgil in tow.

Virgil busied himself with fixing a tiniest oxygen cannula on the fussing boy, as Scott materialized once again with a blanket and a bottle of formula, picking the baby up. They kept all kinds of supplies in Two, for all kinds of rescuees, of course, still Virgil found himself pausing in surprise again. Scott waved him away to pilot, his focus completely on the now happily munching little Jeffrey. Virgil turned one more time before leaving for the cockpit, catching Scott features soften and glow the way he only remembered the biggest brother look at a much younger Alan.

Virgil's heart constricted at the weight of everything their brother gave up, was still giving up every minute of every day, to be what they all and the whole world around needed of him. Part of his mind wandered into the forbidden territory of calculating if they could successfully baby-proof the villa. Or maybe not so forbidden? They had the resources and the manpower of responsible adults (well, almost) at home now, right? It takes a village, they say. Well, they did have a small taskforce of people completely dedicated to making sure Scott got every ounce of happiness and fulfillment he deserved, regardless of his take on the matter. It could work. Safely in the cockpit, Virgil pinged John over an isolated channel.

Baby Jeffrey was placed in the pediatric ward for an overnight quarantine and observation. Virgil hung out nearby, as Scott stayed, transfixed, by the huge bay window, overlooking the rows of tiny beds. Two would need to leave soon to pick up Gordon and Alan in their pods - the earthquake mission was almost wrapped up - but there was still time. He certainly didn't want to startle or hurry Scott away. Not now.

A cry down the hospital hallway disrupted the quiet reverie. Both Virgil and Scott turned their heads in the direction of the sound as a young man, not much older than Scott, practically flung himself at the IR Commander and sobbed. Virgil's first instinct was to regroup for danger, but there was no menace in the stranger's fierce hug - only relief, gratitude and sadness. The man couldn't seem to stop weeping on Scott's shoulder, a jumble of frantic thankyous and I'msorries muffled by the IR uniform. The man was baby Jeffrey's father. John was exceptionally good at data analytics and cross-reference. A part of Virgil, he wasn't particularly proud of in that moment, wished he weren't. But it was just as well. They had a huge spat with a then fiancée and broke up - she never got to tell him they were expecting. John examined the data through the late mother's social media and financial records, ran the numbers and identified the man in the neighborhood, thankfully, unaffected by the earthquake. The guy was shaken by the grave news, but extatic to meet his son and adamant to step up. Which he did immediately, rushing to the hospital and pouring out all the emotional turmoil to the leader of IR who saved his baby. Virgil nudged Scott away by the elbow, gently, as Jeffrey's Dad took over the vigil by the ward. Where he belonged.

Gordon reported they were ready for the pick-up, and generally ready to leave that particular disaster behind them, but Virgil still lingered where Two and One were parked in the field. Scott was yet to say anything after they left the hospital and was staring up at the sky. It was the kind of wistful gaze that usually filled Virgil with dread - as if Scott was not all there, missing something up, amidst the endless blue, as opposed to staying on sturdy earth with them. Virgil summoned all the courage he could and ventured to speak first:

- You can have that, you know? - he nodded in the general direction of the hospital, the baby they left behind. Virgil found his conviction strengthen, as he spoke. - You CAN. If you want to, you can start a family. We'll all help!

Any adoption agency would fall over themselves if Scott Tracy as much as blinked their way. And any child could not be luckier to have Scott Tracy for a father. If Virgil ever believed in anything, that was their biggest brother was born to be a Dad. He only wished the biggest brother in question shared that faith.

Scott shook his head slightly, in cadence with some unvoiced thoughts, his eyes not leaving the skies:

- I shouldn't. I should've known better.

Virgil took a sharp breath for a vehement contradiction, but the wrist-com blinked blue - John was inquiring their ETA to the original danger zone.

Scott looked back down on him with a rueful smile, that threw all Virgil's panic stations into red alert:

- Go, pick up the Tinies, Virgie. Go!

For the second time that day he was reminded of the art in Rome, when looking at his brother - the serene bliss and detachment of martyrs and saints, captured in marble.

- Aren't you coming, Scotty? Let's go home. Please! Please!

Virgil found his voice cracking into a plea, small and scared, as his hands moved to clasp, almost spasm, around his brother's. He wasn't above adding the biggest, teary puppy eyes to a litany of begging, in an irrational hope of compelling Scott to follow the cue. If they could just go home now, it would be alright. It will all be alright from there.

Scott returned the gentle squeeze of the hands and shifted his eyes back to the sky:

- It's okay, Virgil. I'll stay at Gran Roca tonight. I need to talk to Mom.

***

Fifty two thousand miles above John mused, not for the first time, that Open Comms was, by far, the best of their protocols - that, and the compatibility of all their crafts with all their properties - as he gave Eos instructions to reposition Five over the family estate and to prepare the space elevator for a trip down. Noone was wallowing and mourning a self-professed lost chance at fatherhood alone tonight.

[sciencespies]

Air pollution linked to trajectory of stroke

https://sciencespies.com/environment/air-pollution-linked-to-trajectory-of-stroke/

Air pollution linked to trajectory of stroke

Air pollution has been widely associated with an increased risk of stroke. A new study looks at the role of air pollution on the trajectory of stroke, including cardiovascular events after first stroke and death. The study is published in the September 28, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

“We found that high levels of air pollution were associated with increased risks of transitions from being healthy to a first stroke, cardiovascular events after stroke and death, but with a stronger effect on the transition from being healthy to having a stroke,” said study author Hualiang Lin, PhD, of Sun Yat-sen University School of Public Health in Guangzhou, China. “These results indicate that understanding and reducing the effects of air pollutants on different transition stages in stroke will be beneficial in managing people’s health and preventing the occurrence and progression of stroke.”

The study involved 318,752 people in the UK biobank database with an average age of 56. The participants did not have a history of stroke or heart disease at the start of the study. Researchers looked at people’s exposure to air pollution based on where they lived at the start of the study. The participants were followed for an average of 12 years.

During that time, 5,967 people had a stroke. Of those, 2,985 people developed cardiovascular diseases and 1,020 people later died.

People exposed to high levels of air pollution were more likely to have a first stroke, post-stroke cardiovascular disease or death than people not exposed to high levels of pollution.

After adjusting for other factors that could play a role, such as smoking and physical activity level, researchers found that for each 5 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) increase of fine particulate matter, for example, the risk of transitioning from being healthy to having a first stroke increased by 24% and from being healthy to dying the risk increased by30%. Particulate matter consists of liquids or solids suspended in air. Fine particulate matter, PM2.5, is less than 2.5 microns in diameter and includes fly ash from coal combustion. Those who had a stroke during the study had an average exposure of 10.03 µg/m3 of PM2.5, compared to 9.97 µg/m3 for those who did not have a stroke.

The researchers also found that the pollutants nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide were associated with an increased risk of stroke and death.

“More research is needed, but it’s possible that decreasing exposure to heavy levels of air pollution could play a role in reducing the progression of stroke,” Lin said. “People can reduce their exposure by staying indoors on heavy pollution days, reducing their outdoor exercise, wearing masks to filter out particulate matter and using air purifiers.”

Lin noted that the results do not prove that air pollution causes stroke, cardiovascular disease or death, they only show an association.

A limitation of the study was that air pollution exposure was assessed only at the beginning of the study and only based on where participants lived.

Story Source:

Materials provided by American Academy of Neurology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

#Environment

[johannstutt413]

(requested by anonymous)

When Lappland woke up that morning, the first thing she noticed was how cold her bed was; the second thing was the Doctor-shaped hole in it; and the third was that it was, in fact, her bed and not his. This series of observations confused her - she’d definitely fallen asleep in his bed last night and had been for the past four months - and so she did what any rational person would do: yell.

“Doctoooor!” The Lupo roamed around her apartment, finding neither hide nor hair of her captive darling...darling captive? He was hers, that was what mattered. “Dooooctooooor! You there, my guy?...No?...Well, shit, where’d he go? I’ll try texting him.”

A rigorous search of her phone told her nothing - or, rather, it told her ALL information related to the Doctor she’d kept on there (contact info, some pictures both safe for work and otherwise, conversations, anything related to him) had been precision-stripped from her device while leaving everything else intact. It was like he’d never existed according to her phone. “Well, fuck. Weird bug, but maybe someone can help me find him. Or fix my phone. One of the two. Seriously, what the fuck happened?”

“Lappland?” A voice at her front door. Since she was wearing pajamas (for some reason), there wasn’t anything to stop her from answering.

“Yeah? Oh, hey, Pipsqueak.” Her ‘affectionate’ name for Sussurro. “What’s up?”

The Vulpo simply gave her a look - not offended, at least not at this hour of the day. “You were calling for a doctor.”

“Huh? No, I was calling for Doctor.”

“The only difference is a definite article in there.” She walked around the Lupo in a tight circle. “Feeling alright?”

Lappland...well, she might as well tell someone what was happening, and Pipsqueak seemed to know something. “You know where The Doctor is?”

“Who are you referring to? Dr. Kal’tsit?” Now Sussurro’s tone was drifting into confusion.

“No, The Doctor.” The Lupo shook her head. “Company hoodie, runs strategy and personal relations, been shacking up with him for the past four months?”

More, deeper confusion. “I’m sorry, Lappland, I don’t know who you’re talking about. Four months, you say?”

“Yeah. Look, he gave me thi- what the fuck?!” There should’ve been a bite mark from the other night on one of her shoulders, but it, too, was gone.

“Calm down, Lappland,” the Vulpo advised. “Would you mind coming with me to my office so we can get this down in writing?”

She certainly did...but she needed her Doctor and she needed him NOW, damnit. At least Pipsqueak wanted to help. “Yeah, sure, whatever brings him back, take me with you.”

“Alright. If you wouldn’t mind stepping in front of me? I’ll tell you when to turn.” With that, the Lupo took the lead, following Sussurro’s directions to Medical, then to a small office near the front.

“Good morning, Dr. Sussurro,” Ptilopsis chirped as they entered the office. “How may we help you?”

The Vulpo gestured to the door. “Close that for us; I’ll be writing a transcript for an exam with Lappland here.”

“An exam? You think I’m lying?”

“Lying, no,” the Medic replied, “but there’s a reason you remember this Doctor person and I don’t- Ptilopsis? Something wrong?”

At the mention of ‘Doctor,’ Tilly had stutter-stepped. “Corrupted database entry found: one file labeled ‘The Doctor.’ Peripheral contamination detected; quarantining affected data...This unit needs to record this infraction.”

“Close the door and record it for the transcript; this is more serious than I thought. Perhaps some kind of cognition hazard...” Sussurro hopped over to where she kept her medical journal, flipped to a fresh page, and began writing furiously.

“You remember him, too, then?” Lappland grabbed the Liberi’s shoulder as she turned away from the now-closed door. “Do you know what happened?! Tell me if you do!”

Ptilopsis shuddered. “This unit apologizes, User Lappland, but this unit’s memory bank has been corrupted. This unit cannot determine the veracity of their data-”

“To hell with that! What. Do. You. Know.” The frenzy was starting to kick in.

“Lappland, control yourself or I will be forced to control you,” Sussurro called from her desk, eyeing her patient with a frown. “Please give us time. We’re working through this together.”

The Lupo growled. “I could throw you across the room and make sure you wouldn’t bounce.”

“I believe that. Ptilopsis, how are you doing?”

“Data recovery complete,” Tilly replied as her eyes changed color. “Assuming direct control.”

Both Vulpo and Vulpo-chucker looked at the Liberi. “Ptilopsis?”

“She realized I was the only one who knew what happened to him, so I’m gonna take over for a minute. Nice to see the outside after all that time cooped up in her head.” She giggled.

“...Ah.” Sussorro reached for her tranquilizer setup. “What happened, then?”

The Other Voice grinned at Lappland. “This is all a dream, lil’ Lappy. Alllll a dream.”

“Then get me the fuck out of it.”

“Oh, I can’t.” ‘Ptilopsis’ opened the door. “Go find Dusk. She’ll get you out.”

The Lupo was gone before the tranq dart landed in the analyst’s neck.

Locating Dusk was actually rather simple: find Saga. “Hey! Saga! Where’s Dusk?”

“Oh! Hail and well met, Miss Lappland!” The Perro gestured to a nearby wall that was curled in on itself - attempted camouflage? Hard to say. “Surely you shall come upon her in here, although she has most graciously asked for a warning-”

“I’ll give her a warning, alright. Thanks.” No further questions; the Lupo charged across the painting’s threshold.

The monk looked on for a moment. “If only I’d spoken more precisely. I meant to give her a warning, not ask her to give one in turn...”

“Ashes to SilverAsh, dust to Dusk!” Lappland called into the inky blackness she’d found waiting for her. “I don’t know why I’m here, but you’d better take me back quickly!”

“Even a facsimile of Saga can’t help but be helpful, it seems. Will you stop shouting so much if I send you back?” The Dusk addressed her without revealing herself.

Her visitor, though, knew exactly where she was. “You’re my world’s Dusk?”

“Obviously.” The artist waited. “So?”

“Take me back, or my shouting will be the least of your problems.” Lappland’s hand was pressed against the back of her neck.

Dusk sighed. “A thousand rivers will dry before a drop of my blood meets the earth. You really think-”

“I don’t.” The Lupo struck the Dusk’s back with her other hand in three very specific places, and her victim fell forward. “I also found the exit while you were replying. You’ll be back on your feet in an hour. The next time you do this, you’re dead.”

“Ah...So this is where she took her?” The Doctor was standing in front of a conspicuous, swirling void made of paint.

Saga nodded. “Verily, I witnessed her in the midst of crossing the threshold. Doctor, thine anger burns brighter than I hath seen.”

“Don’t worry, Saga, I’m not angry.” He cracked his neck. “I’m furious. When I see her-”

“Doctor!!!” Lappland, like a streak of white lightning, bolted across the threshold and sent them both flying into the opposite wall.

Their Perro witness clapped. “Lappland! Thou hast spared Dusk the wrath of thine beloved!”

“Why?” Said beloved’s face was covering her with kisses and secondhand tears at the moment. “Why the fuck did she take you?”

She didn’t have an answer for that, and she didn’t care; much more important was the fact that she was home.

“If I might interject? Lady Dusk oft spoke of Lappland’s cackling having a powerfully distracting effect on her. Mayhaps she found herself incapable of restraining herself and acted out in anger?”

“...Sounds like what she said,” the Lupo muttered in the Doctor’s ear. “Can we go home?”

He squeezed her tightly to his chest before letting her rise to her feet and following suit. “Let’s go home...Saga? Let Dusk know I’ll need to speak with her tomorrow. I see a lot of Orirock in her future, and I’m not talking about her painting a fucking mountain.”

“Um, yes, I shall inform her of thine will post-haste.” Saga took her leave into the ink dimension.

“She’s got another fifty minutes of time-out,” Lappland noted, her entire demeanor muted by relief, both hers and her dearest’s. “Some god...same weak points as a Lung...”

The Doctor squeezed her hand. “Let’s forget about her for the rest of the day, hmm? All that matters right now is that you’re here, and I’m here, and that’s not changing any time soon.”

“Mmm...Yeah. You have my phone on you?”

“Sure do.” He handed it to her, and she opened her photo album. “Everything there?”

The Perro nodded, scrolling until she was satisfactorily reassured that this was the right reality she was in, before putting it away in her pajama pants pocket. Everything was back to the way it should be.

Everything, that is, except for Dusk’s locomotive capabilities, but they’d sort themselves out eventually.

[readinginthereadyroom]

I am very aware of my dean-centric tendencies, but I do have various and sundry headcanons for our boy sam winchester:

sam’s an addict. that doesn’t just go away because he stops drinking demon blood. he craves it all. the. time.

and there’s no 12-step program for this. but he does pop into various anonymous meetings while on the road. sometimes it’s alcoholics, sometimes it’s narcotics—doesn’t really matter, since he can’t tell the whole truth anyway. but being around other people who struggle. who fall off the wagon or don’t. it helps.

it’s also where sam’s healthy habits stem from. running is a natural high and his cravings are always worst first thing in the morning. right after dreaming and before coffee.

he’s not a vegetarian, but if he’s honest with himself he knows he’s headed in that direction. he gave up red meat pretty early on. because the thing about demon blood is it’s, well, blood. smokier. with a hint of sulpher. and all it’s mystical, addictive properties. but still blood.

not that he wants to drink human blood. ew, no. he’s not a vampire. but it is a trigger. esp a rare steak with it’s pan-fried sear... that wisp of ash and smoke and... and he doesn’t eat it anymore. no red meats. no bacon. nothing with that awful artificial smoke flavoring. and oddly, hard-boiled eggs.

also he still has psychic powers. nothing big, like telekinesis or prophetic dreams. nothing really even noticable. dean doesn’t notice. just thinks he has good instincts. knows how to dig a case out of a few headlines and some googling. which, yes. that’s just good research. but it’s also a gut feeling. a knowing. that there’s something there before he backs it up with lore.

he’s pretty sure cas knows. will give him one of those head tilt stares when sam’s not paying attention and his fingers fly over the keyboard. just a little too fast. when his first guess is always right. when he complains about having a bad feeling about a case—and then it goes bad.

cas never says anything tho. sam chalks it up to friendship. but also. it’s kinda cas’ way of acknowledging that sam’s powers, slight as they are, are not a problem. are in their own way normal. well, normal for them. for him. just another facet, like his hair, that makes sam sam.

eileen knows, too. he told her, pretty early on, when things started to become serious between them. told her his whole bloody history. terrified she’d look at him in disgust and walk out the bunker door. and never come back.

he should’ve known better.

she took it in stride. then told him her own secrets. things were amazing after that. they had some hunting wins, sam finished an online certification in database infrastructure he’d been working on, eileen and cas were spending more time in the bunker, and dean had found a vintage part for the impala he’d been searching for since they were teenagers. life was good.

until it wasn’t.

sam had gone out so dean and cas could have a date night in. he’d spent some time at the sports shop buying new running shoes and then popped into the used bookstore to pick up the books he’d ordered. he got back to the bunker late and cas and dean were (thankfully) no where to be found.

but the remnants of their dinner was still on the table. smiling, sam blew out the candles and picked up the dishes to take them to kitchen. he noticed the smell immediately. steak. rare. the kitchen reeked of smoke. he beat a hasty retreat, took a few deep breaths, and went to his room. let dean clean up his own mess in the morning.

it was about 3am when eileen got in. she’d been on a demon hunt with jody and sam had been expecting her. so he just rolled over and let her climb into bed. she threw a bandaged arm over his side, tracing OK onto his back to let him know she was fine, before promptly falling asleep. sam did too.

he woke with a shout. eileen’s side of the bed was empty. his throat felt like he’d swallowed ashes and his nose was clogged with sulpher. he’d been dreaming of ruby. his skin felt two sizes too small. he felt like screaming. or maybe crying. he needed coffee so bad.

wandering to the kitchen he found dean making bacon and eggs, humming under his breath. cas was at the table, reading a book, a giant glass of V8 in his hand.

are you kidding me. sam ran his hands thru his hair a couple of times. tried to center himself before grabbing his favorite mug from the cabinet. the air had a burnt smell to it. his mouth watered.

he almost fell out of his chair when eileen came up behind him for a hug. she was freshly showered. her wet hair smelled faintly like vanilla. it was the dark hair that had startled him. his eyes fixed on the too-red of cas’ drink. smoke and blood and sulpher clawing at his nose.

eileen kept a gentle hand on his bicep, but took a step out of his personal space. dean stopped humming. cas stopped reading. they all stared. his knee started bouncing under the table. he beat a hasty retreat.

eileen found him in the library, staring at his open laptop. she sat in the chair next to him. a silent, calm presense. she knew him too well. knew she could wait him out while he got his thoughts in order. and eventually, he did. just started talking. about the smoky kitchen last night. the way her hair had smelled of sulpher when she returned from her hunt. the dream. then the stupid juice and stupid bacon and how stupid it made him feel. how out of control.

with a nod at all the right places, eileen just sat quietly and let him talk. get it all off his chest. when it was clear he was done she called him a dumbass. scolded him for thinking he could this all his own. you’re problems are my problems, sam. you can’t just tell them to me and think I won’t lift a finger to share them.

and share them she did. hauling sam up from bis chair, eileen dragged him to the kitchen where she proceeded to rip dean and cas new ones for being so insensitive. pointing at the fridge, she made dean clean out all the red meat. upended cas’ drink in the sink and sent him to get some air freshner from the store. then she tossed sam in the shower, while she stripped the sheets of their bed and did the laundry.

he felt better after. still on edge, but better. eileen was sitting on the freshly made bed with his laptop open. she signed while talking. she’d found a narcotics anonymous one town over. I think you need a sponsor. for the bad days. like today.

as usual she was right. sam had been thinking the same for a while. eileen was the shove he needed tho. her love and intensity and fierce protectiveness the balm he needed.

it was still a bad day. but it was a little less bad because he had her at his side. sam leaned over to shut the laptop and snuck a kiss to the side of her lips. then he scooped up her hand to kiss her knuckles. a move guaranteed to make her blush.

she shoved him off the bed. now go for your run sam winchester. he laughed and did as he was told.

[coldkryptonitecupcake]

“Abomination”, Ch. 17

  Narvuk ran his hand over the crystalline monolith, watching as soulfire danced under its surface. "Zivath, can you scan these? Perhaps there's something about them that makes them... special." She nodded her shell and a blue cone of light shone out, encompassing the statues one after the other.

  "Looks like standard molecular structure, only real difference is a small amount of... wait, that can't be right." Zivath shook her shell and re-scanned one of the statues as Narvuk cocked his head at her. "I'm getting trace amounts of sterile neutrinos in these!" She flitted over to her Guardian, who looked puzzled. "Right, sorry. Sterile neutrinos are normally found near sites of Taken activity."

  The implications dawned on Narvuk, and he stepped closer to the statue, laying his hand against the cold idol. "I feel nnothing. But these" - he gestured to the faces carved into the top of each statue - "look familiar. There mmust be something that gives names to themm."

  "The soulfire inside, it sounds like words. Eir, Ur--"

  "-- Xol, Yul." Zivath looked over inquisitively as Narvuk finished with her. "How do you know those?"

  "Thosse are the names of the four Worms. They gave our king the Logic, and it is the pact with them that compels us to fight and kill. If our own worms are not fed, they consume us from inside. We kill to survive, not simply to kill," Narvuk explained without looking away from the statue. "None of us asked to be thrust into a life of wwar, as no Guardian asked for a second life. But my people have chosen their path. Now, can we return to the task at hhand?"

  Zivath's shell drooped for a few moments as she turned away to a different statue. "Um, well, there's runes carved in the base of this one. They read 'Visage... of the... Disliked'? No, hold on... Unfavored! 'Visage of the Unfavored'. Aaaaaand this one" - she flew to the third statue - "has runes as well! It says 'Visage of the Scheme-Mother'. Those titles aren't in the database, which is odd. We accessed the World's Grave years ago, so we shouldn't be missing anything."

  She glided back to Narvuk, maneuvering under his arm to get a closer look. "The titles are not familiar to mme. Little Light, I amm sorry for being... terse. My people... they are lost, and none can see it." Zivath half-turned to him, then returned her gaze to the stone. "Zivath, please. I did not mean to dismiss you. I--"

  "Look, I'm trying to translate what may very well be a viral language here, so maybe hold on a minute," she snapped. After a moment of tense silence, the Ghost spoke up. "Final runes translated. 'Visage of the Warpriest', it says."

  "That one, I know. The Warpriest was one of Oryx's champions, and fed the king's worm through conquest and slaughter. He conquered five hundred and eighty-five worlds, salting them with ash and painting the void with fire. According to the Vanguard's own rrecords, he died shortly before the king."

  "If you don't wanna join them, bug, I'd recommend you drop the sword," a familiar voice called form behind the two. They turned as one, and before stood DeMarcus. On either side of him were the six Guardians Narvuk had seen in the hangar. The Knight noted the Warlock on the left as the same one who had questioned DeMarcus' plan. "I gotta thank you, bug. An accident in the patrol zones, that's one thing. But here on the Shore, ain't no rules but Spider's. And he doesn't much care for meddling in Lightbearer business, unless it messes with his," DeMarcus mocked, drawing a hand cannon from the back of his waist and aiming not at Narvuk, but at Zivath. His companions unholstered their weapons as well, though they pointed at Narvuk.

  "Let's be honest, bug. You were never gonna be one of us. Just 'cause you got a Ghost, doesn't make you a Guardian, just makes you lucky. Deep down, you're just another Knight in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, drop. The sword," he finished. Narvuk extended his arm to the side and let go, the Cleaver thudding to the ground.

  "DeMarcus, just get it over with already. We're not here for you to monologue," the Warlock scolded, glaring at his friend from the corner of his eye. "We've been here too long already."

  "I'll do it when I'm ready, Edal, got it? Just keep your gun on him," DeMarcus barked, turning his attention back to Narvuk. "Now, bug. Sienna and Poppy" - he spit at the ground, and Narvuk clenched his jaw - "may think you're alright, but me and the boys here? Well, general opinion is you're a walking time bomb. Probably a trap from your great-aunt, in fact." DeMarcus' face lifted in a smug grin. "Bet you thought no one would find out, huh?"

  Narvuk was puzzled for a moment, then the meaning became clear. "Hhow did you... Sienna." The Titan nodded. "Hrnn... well, you sseem to be holding all the... corpses?"

  "I think you mean cards. 'Hold all the cards'," Edal interjected. DeMarcus shot a glare at him as Narvuk nodded thanks.

  "Cards, then. Hhow are you going to pplay them, is the question," Narvuk half-mocked, gesturing invitingly to the group. "Yyou clearly aren't scared to face me wwith allies, but can you stand on your own?"

  DeMarcus stormed forward, stowing his cannon. "Titan's need only the strength of the Light! You're nothing without the girls behind you!" He balled his fists and shifted into a fighting stance. "Bet they didn't teach you how to fight without your fancy magic sword in those tunnels you bugs love so much, huh? C'mon, you ugly son of a--"

  DeMarcus' inevitable stream of insults was over before it began as Narvuk's rock-hard fist crashed into his chest, caving it in instantly and sending the Titan flying back. One of the Hunters ran to where he landed and crouched. After a moment or two, he looked back to Edal and shook his head. A Ghost materialized above the body and pulsed with Light, and DeMarcus shot up with a gasp. The Hunter offered him a helping hand, but he batted it away and stood shakily. "Cheap shot, bug," he spat, advancing once more. "This time, I'll--"

  "Do nothing, Lightmonger," a raspy voice finished form above the Guardians. Their gazes snapped to the cliffs in unison and were met by at least four bright eyes for every Guardian. Narvuk hid a small grin as he recognized the speaker: the Vandal that had spoken to him earlier. As he looked around, he noticed that the rest of the Fallen from before had returned as well, all armed with shock pistols or wire rifles. "Drop weapons, or we shoot-fire." The demand was followed by the sound of charging wire rifles.

  Edal and the others hesitated for a moment, glancing at DeMarcus before slowly placing their guns on the rocks. DeMarcus stood, fuming with clenched fists, in front of Narvuk. The Knight simply stared down at him, neither willing to back down. Edal came up behind his friend and laid a hand on his shoulder. "DeMarcus, let's go. We can't start a fight with the House of Spider, and you're not in a good state of mind right now anyway. Let's go home." The Titan glowered at Narvuk for a moment before turning, marching past his companions, and transmatting away.

  The rest followed one by one until only Edal was left. "Narvuk? I- look, DeMarcus doesn't speak for anything close to a majority of Guardians. If he tries something else, shoot me a feed, alright? I've got practice reining him in," the Awoken said, more than a hint of apology in his melodic voice. Narvuk merely nodded, and Edal vanished.

  A Vandal wearing the red and gold of the House of Light dropped down next to Narvuk and said something in Eliksni. It stared at Narvuk for a few seconds, awaiting a response, then realized its mistake. "You save-rescue us. Much thanks-gratitude, Hive," it rasped in broken English. "Mithrax Light-Kell will hear-learn of this, that we may help-aid you."

"Think nothing of it, ffriend. I did what hhad to be done."

  "I am called Vytkos. I am in your life-debt. You will always-breathe have an ally in House Light. For now, we must return-go to our Kell." With that, Vytkos and her fellow Fallen disappeared, along with those from the House of Dusk. Spider's Vandals simply began walking away, leaving Narvuk and Zivath alone once more.

A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry this chapter took so dang long! School has been a bit hectic, and I've been slacking! But here we are, at the end of chapter 17! Only a few (relatively) more to go, and then it's on to the sequel (yes, there's gonna be a sequel)!

[moonchildsaurora]

The Racer who chased supernovas

»»—— Crew Member #7 of Space Pirates ATEEZ ——««

all aboard The Perihelion, welcome to the co-pilot’s log system! here you’ll be able to access the crew’s profiles should you wish to read about their journeys: (no nsfw content)

[CAPTAIN] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

“your wings have always existed, all you have to do is fly and fly high for the winds will be at your command”  

the other individual that you could pick out from a crowd, especially by his high-pitched laughter

full of charisma and a youthful soul, he attracts all kinds of attention and has trouble reigning in his recklessness at times

Wooyoung is an Alxil-Rolgrie mix who survived on his own in the lower district of Liyutania, the other member of The Perihelion who didn’t really know the meaning of family until his path crossed with the others

[database file: Rolgries are very much human-like beings, only distinguishing features are their strikingly light-coloured hair (that comes in shades of ivory, lilac, silver and/or coral), heterochromatic eyes and slightly translucent pale skin. This is due to their inherent ability to camouflage with their surroundings, like a chameleon, if they so wish to. Alxils are a nomadic sub-group of Dark Elves, preferring to keep to themselves. Having darker hair along with a more ash-grey skin, glowing red eyes and defined elongated ears]

Wooyoung seemingly took on more of his Rolgrie heritage in terms of physical appearance & ability. His hair is of a lilac-coral mix (that resembles the hues of sunset as Yeosang once said), an indigo-coloured left eye & violet-coloured right eye, slight translucent ash skin and the Alxil elongated ears

his camouflaging ability came to him since his youngling years though he didn’t really master it until his adolescence. Used to need all the concentration he could muster just to hold a full blend or to make sure it was the correct blend in the first place but now he could hide his entire self easily with his eyes closed

this has proven to be extremely beneficial for him to make his way around town undetected and a free-‘get-me-out-of-this-mess’-pass

though Yeosang made him pinky promise not to use that during their childhood games of hide-and-seek because he knows Woo would cheat to win

“I would never!”

“…you literally have been standing there all this time and I’ve just walked past you at least 10 rounds making me look like an idiot”

“gotta admit that was pretty fun-OW OK OK!!”

the lower district community did look out for Wooyoung, knowing that the cheeky kid meant well and he was just trying to get through each day at a time

sometimes one of the more empathetic merchants would allow Wooyoung to sleep on a spare rug under their tents, other times young Wooyoung would be lucky enough to find unoccupied shelter on his own to stay the night. Elderly food vendors would drop off extra scraps to make sure he wasn’t going to bed on an empty stomach at least

has had a few rough run-ins with the Uppers that caused him to be defensive by instinct and personally biased towards their aloof, ignorant nature although his view significantly changed after meeting Yeosang

initially he thought the young half-Suva was an oddball because why would an Upper remotely be interested in knowing his name, least of all saving him from face-planting on the ground too?

the warmth he felt on that day was by far something foreign for him to feel especially after how Yeosang complimented his appearance and shared his oshiadilla bun. With the meekest “thank you” Wooyoung marked that day as friendship achievement unlocked

when Yeosang spontaneously invited him over for dinner Wooyoung spent majority of his time just gawking and taking in the sight of the Kangs’ residence, too afraid to touch anything in case he’d accidentally broke it, “is that really a golden fountain in the middle of your courtyard?!”

young Wooyoung got terribly confused as to why there were so many forks, spoons and knives for one person to use at the dining table too

he became a constant around the residence so much so that the Kangs adopted him and it took him a good whole month just to process the fact that he was now a part of a family, he belonged somewhere – Wooyoung would never trade anything in the galaxy for this

the first time Yeosang ever saw Wooyoung cry was when his parents surprised them with their new school uniforms and supplies. His mother helped fitted their uniforms, embracing both her sons closely afterwards and all Wooyoung could think in that moment was damn did it feel good to have a mother’s embrace

it also felt really good to receive Yeosang hugs too, not really knowing just how touch starved he was

academic studies wasn’t really his thing but he did try his best, being street smart was more up his alley, “no matter! Education is important and everyone should have an opportunity for it, so long as you come home knowing something you didn’t know the day before,” were the encouraging words his adoptive parents would give

he holds high respect for Yeosang’s intellect and wouldn’t shy from proclaiming loudly & proudly, “THAT’S MY BEST FRIEND AND OLDER BROTHER!” whenever Yeosang did his thing in the classroom even though he’d earn a forehead flick from a flustered Yeo most of the time afterwards

Yeosang may not be as openly affectionate as Wooyoung is nor show that he actually cares in an obvious manner, but he did make it crystal clear just how important Wooyoung is to him after punching a classmate who had nothing better to do than rudely reiterate the differences between Wooyoung’s ‘kind’ and the rest of them

from that day on Wooyoung swore to have Yeosang’s back, just as much as he had his. He almost cried out of fright that Yeosang had put himself and his reputation on the line to protect him. Ended up crying in bed at the overwhelming gratitude that he felt from receiving the amount of love that he himself still wasn’t sure if he deserved

“don’t you dare think otherwise, and besides the only one who’s allowed to roast you as per sibling’s obligations is me”

before Wooyoung joined The Perihelion as Hongjoong’s fighter/main gunner, he was the up and coming Drifters Arena’s rookie champion in podracing

as a youngling he’s snuck into the Arena a couple of times to watch the races and it wasn’t till years later, for a birthday treat did he return to the Arena (this time purchasing a ticket properly, courtesy of his family). Wooyoung not only found his passion in flying but seem to have a natural flow for it too

he learnt the basics and started practising with the other rookies by having casual races. Effectively catching the attention of a previous retired champion, Redline, who saw potential in Wooyoung albeit his messy improvised manoeuvres and technique solely based on instinct when in race mode

Wooyoung had to get Yeosang to slap him just so he could tell that he wasn’t dreaming when Redline asked if he’d be interested to train under his guidance

“IS THIS THE REAL LIFE OR IS THIS JUST FANTASY?”

“stop being such a drama queen! He’s right there you know?”

more yelling ensued when Redline set Wooyoung up with his very own podracer, a second-hand from the mechanics but reliable enough to still function decently. Over time with his winnings Wooyoung was able to spend it on extra parts and resources to spruce up his beloved baby; Aurora (yes he was very proud of the name he came up with for his podracer)

‘Little Speedstar’ was the nickname that Redline gave him but Wooyoung wouldn’t have it because, “I’M NOT THAT LITTLE”

“no you’re just vertically challenged that or gravity is just against you” Yeosang would snicker in lowkey

to say that it’s stressful watching a podrace would be an understatement according to Yeosang (anything goes in a podrace and racers aren’t conservatives when it comes to playing dirty at times), but it gave him nothing short of pride and joy watching Wooyoung effortlessly dance through the skies and be the first racer to cross the finish line

Wooyoung loved and appreciated seeing Yeosang amongst the crowd, it was a grounding factor for him before every race. What wasn’t a normal occurrence for him though was seeing his best friend being manhandled by an odd bunch of strangers

with post-race adrenaline kicking in and the need to protect strong he didn’t think twice about yelling at the group and power stomping towards them, not stopping even when he thought, “well damn, hello gorgeous” as San stepped defensively in front of Mingi to shield Wooyoung’s attempted swipe at him to get Yeosang back

fortunately over time more trust was established and their bonds were less of a rocky road, if anything Mingi empathised the most with Wooyoung for having similar backgrounds and lack of family in their early years of their lives

the other combo package deal that Hongjoong got with Wooyoung and Yeosang officially joining the crew

Wooyoung adapted fairly well to his new nomadic lifestyle and just when he thought his world couldn’t have grown any bigger, it did; now his family extending to that of the crew (he still dislikes being sent to Hongjoong’s room and will always complain to Seonghwa because, “I’m your favourite son right?”)  

San became his go-to whenever he needed to fill his daily quota of affection  

the party don’t start till him and Mingi walks in, drinking buddies along with Jongho (Wooyoung has a very soft spot for the youngest) & Yunho. Is openly smug about the fact that he’s got one of the best alcohol tolerance on board

when Jongho installed blasters onto Aurora, Wooyoung had dubbed it the glo-up of the century. Not only could he fly to scout/retrieve/act as a distraction but he could f i g h t now – he could make things explode (chaos levels have increased)

accidentally became the other half of the reason as to why Hongjoong banned any sexytimes on the ship and a sensitive content blocker feature was added in the Yunhogizers after Wooyoung sent a spicy photo to the group chat instead of his private fling

“Mother did NOT raise you this way”

major pouting over having bro privileges revoked but he’s been cooped up making a dozen new starcatchers for Yeosang and also has hijacked Seonghwa’s kitchen to surprise cook dinner for the crew as an apology literally wrestled a Grandu [database file: equivalent to a giant crab, a food delicacy] into the pot to boil and learnt that cutting onions truly is the demise of every being

all in all never forget (1) Wooyoung loves his family, very much (2) anyone who messes with them is sure to become target practice for him                                         

(moodboard made with love, by @s1ardusk​ ♡)

[jcnuaries-blog]

what’s up you absolute cursed heathens, it’s ya boi kael (he/him, 22, gmt+8:00) and i’m bringing you the lovely miss january st. james who doesn’t have that many gifs so i might b reusing a lot of these so bear with me—below the cut is the sparknotes version of her story and whole deal!

THE STORY—

remember euripedes’ play of medea? well it goes something like that lmao; basically january was born to a line of sorcerers from a demigod who was cursed by the gods to suffer for her power, and january was basically isolated to her family because they diluted their powers enough so they could practice some magic and keep their bloodline afloat

enter: love! love sucks, and january can testify to that! a hero flattered her (w the help of a goddess) and promised her a lot of things so that he could have a sorceress on his arsenal; her power, while it was okay wasn’t good enuf which was a total drag so the only logical thing to do was to activate her curse and at least grow more powerful to help her #onetruluv !!

spoiler alert it doesn’t go well !!

he leaves her after his series of quests, and goes off to get married to some beautiful demigod who the gods have promised to him or he rescued, she really doesn’t care about all that tbf

what she does care about? vengeance! and bc the gods didn’t really care about karmic retribution except for nemesis and she didn’t answer her, she went “fuck it!” and concocted a plan of her own. taking the heart of a freshly dead thing and a sacrificial dagger, she killed his bride at their wedding

she also killed the one after that, but that’s neither here nor there. what’s there is that the guy died in the end. from grief? from anger? who knows, who cares! not january!

this is supposed to be the part of the play where medea gets to fly an awesome golden dragon chariot to her grandfather helios’ place, but like lmao no helios, no dragons only bullshit gods and what happens for her retribution? she gets her family killed!

the place where she lived is now scorched earth and has the faint smell of ozone! the ashes are kept in an urn, where she takes with her and honestly she’s just miserable in the end. the gods also called on her to stay in this city

she hates the city. and the gods. but she doesn’t know what tf to do at this point and just sits in her apartment and goes 2 the database !!

THE CURSE— 

her curse basically works to isolate her as long as she has her power. this works by creating a roadblock of sorts? like fuzzy memories if she’s around! like she’s there, but... like what did u do what did u see. u had a time w her but u can remember the details of it all u know !!

she needs to have a ritual done in order to create deep lasting bonds which sucks because a.) it’s hard and b.) it hurts !! the double whammy of this is that her power dilutes every time she makes this choice, and if the opposite choice is made to isolate herself she gets her power back !! yay !! but also she will sever contact from the person and no more deep bonds in the end !! boo !!

currently, she’s powerful as all hell, but lonely so u know... yikes? also fuck the gods tbh

THE EXTRA—

she’s got a black cat familiar named the grand duchess aveline du bois who absolutely hates when people come over. that said she’s also a little gremlin who tries to eat potion reagents and january has to spray her with the bottle

she likes sorcery! big shock i know, but she’s made it her main thing after the jackass hero cut her off from her family lmaooo !! she likes doing it, and it’s not uncommon to see things levitating in her house. 

january loves winter and autumn but hates the fact that she can’t sleep in !! let her live !!

bill and ted’s excellent adventure was amazing and january dares u to say otherwise. she loves her comedies shush !!

breaking promises is a no-no !! if u break a promise to january, a real serious one you’re on her shit list and she will not interact with you whatsoever. that said, she will keep to her word 99% of the time, except for the 1% where she needs to lie to make a plan work

she used to design buildings !! it was a good job and kept her comfy !!

her home smells faintly of jasmine bc of the air fresheners she keeps buying every day !! if out she’ll get either lavander or just a clean air one tbh

[fortunei]

log #417

I want them, again. Give more love to Rhinebirbs

Also on ao3

-

She never wanted to be a killer, a destroyer. Or to be exact, the catalyst of destruction.

She just wanted to do her job right.

She just wanted to be useful.

She just wanted to save people.

The sea of fire is still present in the back of her mind; people in white coat are screaming, the center of the fire is also screaming. The one who shielded the remaining of the blast stood before her, along with the ones who’s able to stand despite the heat. The calcium – the calcification, the specks of calcium carbonate, flying around and about, slowly turning into an ash alike the research papers that’s burned clean from the table.

She could still call her drone to tend the injured around her, but the fire spiked up like a volcano, like a hell’s scorching alive on the Earth.

There, she witnessed something worse than the Catastrophe itself; a wild-eating fire, her proud creation, her patient—

.

Her eyes jolted open in dimly-lit room. Unlike all the fire and scalding hot air in her dream, the table she slept on was comfortably cold. Quickly, she raised her head up, ignoring the mess of book stacks that she made upon her wake.

It was dark out, or maybe she has yet to open the vertical blinds from the baring sun. As much as she wanted to pull the curtain, she found the task to spend more energy than checking the owl-shaped wall clock on the wall. She adjusted her glasses to see well: it is indeed morning, though it’s 2 AM in the morning, a not-so-normal waking hour.

She was still on her table working, despite it should be a day off, technically. Her shift on medic quarter should have ended two hours ago and she could retire somewhere else, but then it seems her sleep cycle preceded her judgment (again, as if she didn’t see it coming). She didn’t remember which paragraph she was in with her report before her episode of narcolepsy kicked.

Should have prepared some stick notes, though she peered the expanse of her table to find that her to-go office equipment was void of it.

“Ptilopsis has detected an increase on your pulse, Dr. Silence.”

Silence blinked. She straightened up on her chair as the lamp to the medic quarter is lit. Ptilopsis was standing behind her, the door was ajar. She has her signature sickle moon cane tied on her back. The ends of her jacket were dirty; she was clearly just freshly arrived from field duty. On her hand was a duty report card, another card that needs to be refilled by the Medic Operator in-duty for any operation. Her orange-colored eyes skimmed on the content before she signed at the available box.

“Did someone need a medical attention?”

“Ptilopsis have taken care of it earlier.” She said. Silence has been used to her monotonous tone, yet she couldn’t help to think it has grown a little, melodious. A soothing sound. A bit similar of what Silence ever remembered of her.

“They only needed a half roll of bandage and a minuscule amount of disinfectant spray, three sprays; about 0,12 ml. If you have done the inventory report earlier, Dr. Silence, I can add it up to the list of ‘emergency action’.”

Silence nodded, she sought the today’s—actually yesterday’s—inventory card. Of course, she has yet to fill it in because of her sleep episodes.

“About the increase on your pulse, it is still persist. Do you require any medical assistance about the problem?”

The brown owl held her gaze. Ptilopsis didn’t check her pulse, or touched her, though she always somehow knows. Ptilopsis is a fast-learner, perceptive, work-oriented, though at times she is too focused on one point that she would ignore everything else. She also changed fast, though – she is now starting to be more aware to her surroundings, and-

Ptilopsis cocked her head to the side, “Dr. Silence? Do I need to repeat on my latest query?”

-yes, just like this. She will try to help. And she won’t back down. No Medic Operators will ever back down on a presence of patient. Never. It is Rhodes Island, not Rhine Lab environment. Ptilopsis is no longer a data scientist. They are but the same Medic Operator.

“What option would you recommend to me?” Silence tapped on her chin.

Ptilopsis pursed her lips, all the while Silence fought an urge to smile. This is no test, or even a tease. Or maybe it is a tease. Wait, who’s bad habit is this; did she happen to hang around other merry Medic Operators too much?

“Of the 100 options that came to my database, I would recommend for you to take a ‘fresh air’,” Ptilopsis said. “Taking ‘fresh air’ perhaps unadvisable outside the perimeter of Rhodes Island right now, as it might alert the security. But I believe the route to canteen is open …”

There was a visible shift to her ear-tufts, Silence waited patiently as Ptilopsis finished the rest of her mumbling, partly amused, partly used to it, and partly found her passive jiggles were fascinating.

“Or, if you wanted to hear the other 99 options, I would be happy to iterate.”

“I’ll take on the first offer, then.”

-

Even though the alleys and emergency quarters are open 24/7, the canteen is not. Both of them knew about this fact, yet the two birds kept on walking. Ptilopsis waited until Silence finished on packing her equipment and discharged her Drones before they departed for the closed-but-not-gated canteen.

The hall was empty as expected, but Ptilopsis urged Silence to sit at one of the long bench there, the one located between the vending machine to purchase lunch tickets and the one with cold beverages. Silence didn’t speak of anything else, or hinted her wants to drink something, Ptilopsis was the one who checked out the beverage machine and came back bearing two cans of the strongest black coffee available there.

Caffeine is a harmless joke to their narcolepsy, they agreed to it. It might keep them alert for a bit but that’s that. It might be counter-effective to her spiking pulse, but Silence didn’t mind either way.

Not like the ‘calming’ tea is free from that particular alkaloid substances.

“Weren’t you tired from all the mission?” Silence asked as she cracked her can open. She gave the white owl a sidelong glance as Ptilopsis was the one to sip the bitterness.

“Ifrit said to me,” Ptilopsis began. “That I should spend more time with you when you need it.”

“She did?”

Ptilopsis looked away, “Ifrit also said that Dr. Silence enjoyed our alone time together—umm, Dr. Silence, are you okay? Ptilopsis detected a sudden intake of breath.”

“I’m, I’m good. Please continue.”

Ptilopsis looked over, searching her eyes behind the glasses. Silence lowered her coffee can to the space between them. Following the orange contemplative gaze, Silence closed her lips. When Ptilopsis is like this—brows furrowed, face’s a controlled mask—it became even harder to predict.

She might be her patient, Oripathy might have robbed her to her most ability to express herself, and then again Silence knows personally when the sky is unpredictable.

“Ifrit said that you’re not alone,” She continued. “You have Ifrit, Saria, Doctor, other Oripathy researchers,” their gaze unbroken. Silence didn’t recall when their fingers laced there, beside the coffee cans.

“And you have Ptilopsis.”

It is as though the nightmares she had ended a long time ago. Everything suddenly felt right, just for that moment. The scars from that day won’t disappear, but everyone is still here, they can do something, they can put an end to the things that they started.

 You have no longer need to suffer alone, Dr. Silence.

Silence couldn’t hide her smile. Ptilopsis tried to return it, it seems, but it was only forming as a small curve. Not to mention, her usually pale cheeks are darkening with red blush.

Oh.

“I see that you have calmed down, Dr. Silence. Shall we go back to rest?”

“I would love that, but …” Silence gestured to their joined hands. “I want to stay a bit longer to your company today.”

“Request accepted.”

[thecomicsnexus]

GREEN ARROW #1-10 APRIL 2001 - JANUARY 2002 BY KEVIN SMITH, PHIL HESTER, ANDE PARKS AND GUY MAJOR

SYNOPSIS (FROM DC DATABASE)

Flashback to several months ago: Superman and Batman are standing on a Metropolis city rooftop during The Final Night event. As the two talk about the fact that Earth's sun has been extinguished, Superman feels as if something had been removed from him. Miles away in Seattle, Parallax stands over the grave of his best friend Oliver Queen. It is clear that Parallax's involvement will be integral to events that are to come.

The present: Many of the heroes whose lives had been affected by the first Green Arrow carry on with their regular activities. Connor Hawke continues praying for the soul of his father at the ashram. Arsenal takes down a room full of heroin dealers and Black Canary rescues the battered wife of a Russian mobster.

In Star City, an old man named Stanley Dover is walking down the street when a group of thugs attempt to accost him. A homemade arrow with a bleach bottle arrow tip strikes one down while another with a 40 oz. beer bottle affixed to the shaft takes another down. As Stanley turns to see whom his rescuer is, we find Oliver Queen, apparently back from the dead, dressed in tattered rags with long hair and a makeshift bow.

Star City councilman Freddy Dreyfus has a street pimp named Richard send a fifteen-year-old prostitute named Mia Dearden to his house for an evening of fun. Dreyfus proves to be creepy and abusive with the intent of hurting Mia save for the appearance of Green Arrow. Green Arrow beats up all of Dreyfus' goons and rescues Mia. He also exposes the fact that Dreyfus has been dipping into the local drug trade. Mia returns to her pimp. Richard has learned about what has happened and decides that he must kill Mia before Green Arrow comes gunning for him. But Mia evades Richard's attack and slices a tendon in his hand.

Later we find that Ollie has moved in with Stanley Dover, an elderly man he recently rescued from some street thugs. Stanley is independently wealthy and has elected to become Ollie's financial benefactor as he resumes his career as Green Arrow.

In Gotham City, Batman monitors reports of the Dreyfus incident. Analyzing the data, he begins to suspect that Oliver Queen may still be alive.

Back in Star City, a serial child killer known as the Star City Slayer begins feeding a vial of blood to a creature that lies contained within a subterranean glass cage.

Green Arrow breaks into the office of Star City comptroller, Harold Leeds. He demands to know why Leeds authorized the closure of the Star City Youth Center. Leeds tells him that it was closed in order to safeguard orphans from the recent Star Slayer murders. Ollie demands to talk to Commissioner Elmer Durgin. Leeds tells Ollie that Durgin died years ago. Ollie now begins to realize that not everything in Star City is exactly how he remembers it.

Later, Stanley Dover buys the Star City Youth Center. One of the first new employees is former prostitute Mia Dearden. Mia tells Ollie that she knows he is Green Arrow. She asks Ollie for a place to stay and he agrees to let her stay on with Stanley and he. Later, Stanley explains to Mia that Ollie is 'missing time'. He acts as if the last ten years of his life never even happened. He has no knowledge of his own death. To help Ollie's emotional state, Stanley has refitted his home with outdated appliances and conveniences.

While the two enjoy dinner together, Green Arrow hits the streets. He busts up a crime ring over near the riverside docks. Suddenly, Black Manta and his submersible ship rises out of the river. Trailing directly behind him is Manta's arch-foe, Aquaman.

Aquaman and Green Arrow are preparing to face off with Black Manta on the docks of Star City. Ollie tackles Manta, but Manta repels him with a haymaker. Arthur leaps on Manta's back prepared to kill him. But Ollie gets back up and sinks an arrow into Manta's helmet. Arthur removes the helmet revealing a very disfigured looking Black Manta. As the criminal is taken away, Arthur and Ollie finally get the chance to reunite with one another. Ollie doesn't understand the radical changes in Arthur's appearance.

Excited about Ollie's return, he brings him back to the JLA watchtower. Everyone is so surprised to see him, but quickly notice that he appears to be about ten years younger, and has no knowledge of things that have happened recently (Ollie can't understand why Hal Jordan isn't there to greet him). Batman arrives and punches the irate Ollie, knocking him out. He tells the League that he is taking him back to the Batcave for intense examination. Everyone is interested to learn how Ollie has returned from the dead. A little later, Oracle breaks the news to Black Canary.

Jason Blood is leaving Gotham City for Star City. But he changes his flight plans at the last minute as a premonition indicates to him that the Star City flight will explode in mid-air. Meanwhile in the Batcave, Batman gives Oliver Queen a full physical examination while Spoiler observes his techniques. Batman notices that Ollie does not suffer any of the scars or burns that Batman knows Ollie should have. This observation casts Ollie's entire identity into question. Ollie wakes up and decks Batman. After picking himself up, Batman explains that Ollie may not actually be the true Oliver Queen. He decides to help him with Ollie's failing memory. Batman tells Ollie everything that happened during the Zero Hour and The Final Night incidents.

Batman takes Ollie to the remains of Queen manor in the hopes that it may jog Ollie's memory. But before they take two steps onto the estate, Etrigan the Demon appears and attacks them.

Meanwhile, Black Canary and Arsenal arrive in Star City to search for Ollie. Instead, what they find is Mia Dearden practicing archery on the roof of Stanley Dover's home.

Batman and Green Arrow begin fighting against the Demon. As the Demon blasts them with Hellfire, he makes reference to the fact that Oliver Queen is a "quiver". Ollie shoots a fire extinguisher arrow into the Demon's mouth, which causes him to fall over. Batman convinces Etrigan to revert to his true form, Jason Blood. Blood elaborates on Etrigan's cryptic comment. Green Arrow is what is known in occult circles as a "hollow", which means he is a body bereft of a soul.

Arsenal and Black Canary arrive, and Ollie and Dinah are reunited for the first since long before he had even died. They hop in the Titans jet and head back towards Star City. They go to one of Jason Blood's safe houses where Blood has Ollie stand in the middle of a pentagram while the others wait outside. He tells Ollie that a soulless body is too tempting for a demon that might wish to possess him. The only alternative is to kill Green Arrow. Blood turns into Etrigan and roasts Green Arrow with a blast of Hellfire. As Batman and the others burst into the room, they find nothing but a pile of ash.

Right before the Demon is ready to turn Green Arrow into a pile of ash, the Spectre intervenes and teleports him out of Jason Blood's pentagram. Ollie now sees that Hal Jordan is the Spectre. Hal explains how he cloned Ollie from leftover DNA found on Superman's cape during the The Final Night incident. He pledges to take Ollie to someone who can help explain the loss of memory that Ollie has been suffering from. The Spectre takes Green Arrow to the gates of Heaven and blusters past the gates' guardian, the Phantom Stranger. Beyond the gates of Paradise are the souls of various individuals who have died including, the Flash, Robin (Jason Todd), Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. But none of these are the ones that Ollie is to meet. The Spectre takes Ollie across a field to meet the soul of the man who can best explain Ollie's situation to him – Oliver Queen himself!

Batman, Black Canary and Arsenal attack the Demon en masse for they believe he is responsible for the death of Green Arrow. But Deadman arrives and takes possession of Etrigan's body, forcing him to change back into Jason Blood. He informs the group that Ollie is alive and well and taking a tour of Heaven.

In Heaven, Ollie is speaking to his older spirit self. The older Ollie explains that he had Hal recreate him with memories leading up to the best years of his life – the time that Ollie and Hal spent on the road. He goes on to say how his life for the past few years had been a shambles and he didn't want that aspect of his personality back on Earth – hence the ten year gap in Ollie's memory.

Before soulless Ollie can get anymore answers, he finds himself booted out of Heaven and sent back to Stanley Dover's house. He tells Stanley that he is a hollow and that he has no soul. Stanley Dover then clubs him over the back of the head and brings him down into the basement. It is now revealed that Stanley Dover is the Star City Slayer! He gestures towards a glass enclosed pit containing a young blond-haired boy dressed up in a mock costume of a hairy purple monster.

Meanwhile, back at the Ashram, Connor Hawke, Oliver Queen's, son has a vision in which he knows his father is alive and in danger.

Batman, Arsenal, Black Canary and Jason Blood fly the Titans T-Jet back towards Gotham City. Arsenal mentions that Ollie has been staying with an old man named Stanley Dover. Jason Blood recognizes the name and frantically tells them to turn the jet around and go back towards Star City.

In Star City, Stanley Dover has Ollie and Mia tied down to altars in his basement. He is the Star City Slayer and has been keeping his own grandson (Stanley) trapped in his basement in a plan to gain eternal life. Stanley Sr. explains that in the 1950s, his wife and he had joined a Satanic cult. But while his wife did so only for the orgies, Stanley became a serious student of the occult. Years later, he found a tome called the Magdalene Grimoire which told of a Beast With No Name, a low-level demon that Stanley felt he could summon and control. As he grew older, he had children and ultimately a grandchild also named Stanley. Stanley Sr. would bring the infant Stanley to his demonic invocations in an effort to summon and bind the demon to Earth, but with no avail. What he never realized was, was that the Monster did appear on Earth, but was bonded to the younger Stanley, not the older one. It was only a year ago, that Dover learned that his grandson had bonded with the Monster and so he abducted him and began committing horrible child murders in the hopes of luring the Monster out of hiding. Recently, he recognized that Oliver Queen was a man without a soul and now seeks to enact a ritual that will place his soul into the body of Oliver Queen. From there, he will be able to commit more time and effort towards finding a way to control the Monster.

Ollie tells Stanley that his friends will arrive soon to rescue them. But Stanley informs him that a Blood Seal has been placed on the premises. Only someone who is biologically related to either Ollie, Mia or himself can enter. As luck would have it, Connor Hawke (having received a convenient vision of his father's resurrection) has arrived at the Dover estate along with Eddie Fyers.

Stanley is ready to sacrifice Ollie and take command of his body when an arrow comes from above and pierces Stanley's hand. Connor, being Ollie's biological son can pierce the Blood Seal keeping everyone outside of Stanley's house. In response, Stanley summons a horde of monsters to stop Connor. Ollie doesn't have the strength to break free on his own – so he mentally beckons with his soul in heaven to re-enter his body. Ollie's soul though reluctant, recognizes that Connor will die if he doesn't intervene. He rejoins with Queen's body back on Earth and Green Arrow now has his complete memories. He breaks free and takes Stanley down with a classic boxing glove arrow.

Connor calls for a nuclear strike from the JLA Watchtower but the strike is aborted thanks to the efforts of a new player in the arena. Ollie and Connor look around in shock as all of the demons suddenly disappear – all but one; Spot, young Stanley's demonic childhood Monster friend. Spot had sent the demons back to Hell and now reunites with little Stanley. He sends him outside pledging to wipe his mind of all memory associated with his captivity. He then grabs older Stanley and eats him. The Monster informs Ollie that Stanley left his entire estate to him as he had intended on subverting Ollie's identity anyway. With that, the Monster turns and leaves. Green Arrow is back for good!

REVIEW

I feel like this may have been one of the earliest signs of chaos for DC. Most the “dead” characters in this story would eventually come back to life in just a few years (Barry a bit longer). There was this need to go back to basics. This may have helped in sales, but I don’t think the quality was always there with these “rebirths”.

In any case, Quiver is a very popular story but it’s a bit hard to explain to people not familiarized with Zero Hour, Final Night, Connor Hawke and Judgment Day.

My main concern with resurrections is “was it worth it?”. I found Connor Hawke to be a very different Green Arrow and he added diversity to whatever team he joined. The main issue with his diversity is how often artists forgot about it and just made him look like Oliver (like in this story).

The story is fun to read (sometimes too much fan service in it), and brings a very unique Green Arrow, younger and less troubled (not sure if this changes after the last episode), I think it works. And father and son finally meeting is a plus. It’s also a very long story but has defined “episodes”. It could have lasted less than ten episodes, but I think the pacing is right, mostly to assimilate all the things that happened (in ten months you will accept all these things).

Phil Hester is not my favorite artist, this art team sometimes do a nice job, but other times looks a bit messy. I don’t think it looks bad, but I don’t know, it doesn’t look like the perfect fit for this story. I imagine that the reason they went for this team is to move away from the grim and gritty Green Arrow we were used to.

I give this story a score of 7.

[aweebwrites]

Move on Dragons Ch27

The day was a rare one. Everyone was present just outside the Bounty, the elders, their dragon selves, the ninja, Morro and the twins all present. A massive space was being taken up by the dark dragon elder who was flat on his back, taking in the sunny day. The temperatures were rather warm for winter due to the location but they were still noticeably low, lower still at the top of the tower. So with no immediate need for them, all nine dragons came down to soak up some sun. Wu was more reserved, laying on his stomach with Morro tucked into his side, their eyes closed in a light doze while his brother was determined to get as much sun as possible.

And well, his adopted sons were weak to such an opportunity. Which was why he had Lloydie and Kai at his sides, on his wings on their backs as well but they kept their wings closed so they could press against his sides, both dragons purring in content as Lloyd laid sprawled out on the massive black dragon’s head, one of his famous Horns of Destruction pressing against his side and preventing him from falling off. The rest of the dragons were piled together with the rest of the ninja team in various positions on their bodies, Shard blowing snowflakes to keep the energy filled twins busy, chasing the shimmering white carvings of ice as they fell, chirping and roaring in glee as they hit their scales as cool water drops.

All and all, it was a good day. A great one even. No-one had thought much of the approaching sound of quick wing beats, as the dragons liked to race across the sky. That was, until-

‘Elders! Elders help!’ Garmadad was on his feet in seconds, his large wings curling around both of his larger sons and the upward tilt of his snout he kept being the only things keeping his sons from flying off him.

Both he and Wu who were now on their feet looked to where the metal dragon was flying in fast, almost crash landing in her rush.

‘Silver. What has happened?’ Wu asked the silver coloured dragon as she panted heavily.

‘Torch!’ She huffed out before drawing in a deep breath. ‘We were through the forests close to the city and we got separated! When I found her, she was- she sleeping in some strange looking bushes along with a lot of other creatures but she wouldn’t wake up! I tried getting to her but when I tried to get closer, I started feeling sleepy! I figured that must have been what happened to Torch so I didn’t get any closer- so I tried calling out to her instead but she won’t wake up! No matter how loudly I call her nor how much I throw rocks!’ She told them woefully and the brothers were immediately troubled by this.

‘I’ve read of this world’s flora and one comes to mind.’ Wu says to his brother as the others gathered around, curious about the commotion.

‘Their Charming Flowers.’ Garmadad agrees, puzzling over how they could save their fallen dragon. ‘We must go. Perhaps my powers will be able to destroy the plants.’ He says, turning to Wu.

‘Do not be quick to rely on your destructive powers brother. You have yet to hone them. It is too great of a risk.’ Wu admonishes and Garmadad grumbles but he knew that was true.

There hasn’t been a moment to tame these abilities of his, what with all that happened after the fight against the Oni of their world.

‘We can’t sit around here and do nothing though.’ Lloydie protests, walking up to his father and uncle, Kai by his side.

‘Yeah. It’s obvious if we don’t wake them up somehow then they’ll stay asleep forever.’ Kai rumbled, looking up at the two.

“We have to get to the location to gauge the situation.” Zane pointed out. “My database tells me those who fall asleep under the flower’s influence will not wake so we are running out of time. We don’t know if removing Torch from the flowers will have her wake up naturally or if we need to do more to wake her up afterwards. Point is, we have a little less than three days to wake her up before she passes from dehydration.” He told them, watching the horrified looks that crossed the dragon’s face, save for Silver who didn’t understand human language.

“Then we haven’t a moment to spare.” Wu says, spreading his wing. ‘Silver, take us to the location.’ He requests and she nodded, flying off, both brothers taking off as well.

“We’ll follow with the Bounty.” Pixal says as she climbed up the ladder to the ship’s deck.

“You guys go. I’ll stay back at the tower. With both Uncle and my dad gone, someone has to keep an eye on things here.” Lloydie told the others.

“I’ll stay too. Two eyes are better than one.” Morro says as he walked over and Lloyd nodded, watching as the rest flew off as well.

“We’ll look after these two too.” Lloyd says, walking over to where Nix and Rux were looking at them in confusion but were cautious enough with the sudden change in atmosphere to stick close to Cole.

“Are you sure? I can stay if you need.” Cole offered.

“Yes, we’re sure. Our fathers will need your help. We may have been here for some time but this world is not ours. We are unused to it still.” Morro told them before he leaned down and picked Rux up by the back of his neck, the latter tucking his feet and wings close as he did.

“Go on. We’ll wait for you to get back.” Lloyd told them, doing the same to Nix before they spread their wings and flew off, back to the tower.

“We better hurry.” Nya says and they quickly spread their wings and flew up to the ship as Pixal began taking off.

____ The trip to the Forest of Tranquility was a short one, the group catching up with the dragons just at the outskirts of the forest. Already they faced a problem. As large as the Forest of Tranquility and its trees were, the elders were finding it impossible to fly through the thicket of trees, their bodies too large. Luckily, they could track Silver from above and fit through the trees by walking with their wings close.

‘She’s over there.’ Silver pointed out with her snout to the orange-red dragon fast asleep amidst a large bed of Charming flowers, animals and even people asleep around her. ‘I left this log here so I remember not to go any further.’ She rumbled, nudging said log blocking the path ahead.

“This is the largest gathering of Charming Flowers ever recorded.” Pixal says as she and the others came over as well. “They’re known to sprout in groups but this is several times larger than their standard patches.” She told them with a frown.

“But signs show that volcanic ash from the Temple of Fire seemed to have blown this way and greatly enriched the soil…” Zane murmured, scanning the faint patches of gray on the ground. “That combined with their abnormal grouping must have strengthened the flower’s influence.” He murmured in thought then lifted his head.

“Nevertheless, Pixal and I should be able to cut and kill the plants so everyone else can get to her.” He says as he turned to the elders who nodded.

“Be careful however. While we are unfamiliar with this world still, we are familiar with the magic that runs untamed in this world… And those plants have a lot of it.” Garmadad told them and they nodded before walking forward, Zane pulling out a kunai to cut the plants if needed while Pixal prepared her in arm saw.

They walked around the log, Zane leading the way- before he froze just two steps ahead, the wings he hadn’t bothered putting away flaring open wide to stop Pixal.

“Zane, what’s-”

“We can’t get to the plants.” Zane interrupted Cole’s call of concern.

“I’m afraid Zane is correct.” Pixal says as they backed away from the plants, Pixal holding her head. “The plant’s magic seems to be able to work on us as well. My sleep protocol was being activated on it’s own.” She told them as they retreated safely behind the log.

“Then-! How are we gonna save Torch and those other animals?!” Jay sputtered.

“We have to think.” Shard spoke up, sitting on his haunches to place a curled paw under his chin while the other supported his arm- a very human pose. “None of us can get close enough to the plants without falling under their influence but we still need to get close enough to destroy the plants. And I suppose none of you have any tools or means to reach from a distance?” He asked, looking to the ninja.

“Sadly, no.” Nya told them. “They’re way too far out for any tools we have and even if we did have something that long, it’ll be easier said than done moving it around through the trees, not to mention the fact that it would be time consuming. That and the weight of it would also become a problem.” She explained.

“Kai and I could try burning them but we aren’t certain if those other creatures are even alive.” Blaze says with a frown, glancing across at his doppelganger next to him.

“That and we’d cause a massive forest fire and endanger a lot of people.” Kai pointed out.

“Ice won’t be very helpful. We’d only end up freezing everyone and in order to get anyone out, we need to break the ice around them- and the plants will be in that ice around them.” Zane ruled out.

“Water’s a no go here too. There’s nothing we can do that wouldn’t risk Silver drowning.” Mist says and Nya nodded her agreement.

“Lightning’s a bust too. We’d either start a forest fire or electrocute Silver.” Jay shrugged, Wisp nodding his agreement.

“Earth won’t be able to do much either. We might crush someone- or worse.” Rocky spoke up and Cole nodded his agreement as well.

“My energy won’t do much. My powers kind of evolved out of shields.” Lloyd reported with a shake of his head, beady red eyes watching them from his hair.

“... Perhaps I could create a means to remove the flowers- or at the very least, it’s captors. But what?” Wu questioned in thought.

“That’s what we have to figure out, and soon.” Garmadad rumbled then draped a wing low, over Silver’s back as she watched Torch with pain in her eyes. ‘We will free her.’ He promised her, intent on keeping his word and she looked up at him hopefully before she nodded and looked back to her partner.

________

Thinking of something was easy. Thinking of something effective- and something that would actually work? Not so much. But this? This was their best idea yet. A means of transport that was air tight, that was small enough to get by the large trees with ease while having tools and equipment to extract and remove the flowers from the area. They had no time to build it manually so they took an emergency visit to Borg Tower for some supplied Cyrus gladly offered to them while eyeing the winged ninja curiously, and returned to the forest.

“Ok. Let’s do this.” Cole says, cracking his knuckles as all six of them stood around the pile of parts and equipment.

“Right.” Kai nodded in his more humane form before he activated his Spinjitzu, the others doing so shortly after before they began to converge, the dragons watching them as they did to create the Tornado of Creation.

In seconds, the parts and tools they sucked in became a small four wheeled vehicle with a glass capping at the top for easy viewing.

“Alright, I’ll go and see how fast we can cut this puppy down.” Nya says as she walked towards it, opening the glass hatch to slide inside.

“Be careful sis.” Kai told her, watching as she situated herself with the controls.

“Don’t worry, I will.” She reassured, flashing him a grin before she slid the hatch back into place and started it up.

The group watched hopefully as she drove ahead, passing the log and slowly driving closer. They watched with breaths held as she inched closer- then deflated once she came to a stop, reversing almost immediately after.

“The plant’s magic is too strong.” Garmadad rumbled, clearly as displeased as the rest of them.

Night was already falling and they just took a step back from any chances of rescuing Torch.

“Any chance of you guys having magic dragons?” Jay asked dryly, flopping down to sit with a frown on his face.

“Magic isn’t an element.” Shard pointed out.

“And metal is?” Jay pointed out with an arched brow. “Uh, no offense.” He added, looking to Silver who wasn’t even paying attention, being unable to understand them as she was.

“So sayeth the master of lightning.” Garmadad says dryly and Jay looked up at him insulted to have two Garmadons having used that quip on him now as Cole laughed.

“Snap, he got you again!” He chuckled and Jay stuck his tongue out at him.

Cole’s amusement didn’t last long though, watching the others help Nya out. No-one could get close without the threat of falling prey as well. He couldn’t help but think that he could have rescued Torch ages ago… If he was still a ghost.

______

Attempts came and went, all failing, all falling short. They were running out of time. It’s been roughly two days since they’ve arrived and they were all growing desperate. Nothing Wu created could help, nothing they thought of would work and Silver had tried twice already to throw herself into harm's way. They understood. She was watching her partner die right in front of her and they could do nothing to help. They had a few hours at best. They had to think of something. Had to keep trying. Cole was helpless to watch as his friends spent hours trying to solve this, running on as little as no sleep to just a few hours since they arrived.

The solution was simple yet so out of grasp. They needed an entity that wouldn’t be swayed by sleep magic, an entity that didn’t need to sleep. They needed a ghost. A ghost that could become solid at will, a ghost that would destroy and remove the plants so they could work on waking Torch up. He glanced at the rest of the team as they pitched ideas back and forth in the bridge, looking a bit worse for wear then headed down on the deck, finding the dragons in a similar huddle. If only he was a ghost still. Then, he could have saved them all the trouble.

He gave a dry huff then looked to the sky. He never thought there’d be a day where he actually wanted to be a ghost. Cole blinked then, a frown tugging his lips downwards as he felt his hands starting to go… Numb, the feeling spreading all over. He stepped back from the railings, bewildered as his sense of bodily awareness went… Mute. The last time he felt like this he was- Cole’s head snapped up as he gasped, realising what was happening now. No way… Was he actually… The low green glow that washed over him confirmed it as he watched himself becoming more transparent. This was almost exactly what they needed! He just needed to make himself solid! But could he even control it? He didn’t know how…

He thought back to all the times he did become solid. How did he do it? He didn’t put a lot of thought into it, he knows. When he had strong, positive emotions, he became solid in their room that first time. Afterwards, he wanted to do something that required him to be solid and when he went to do it, he just was. That made him think. It surely was worth the try.

“Wh- Cole?! Why are you a ghost again?!” Kai yelled down at him and Cole shot him a grin.

“We’ll figure that out later! Right now, I have a dragon to save!” Cole yelled back before he floated up to the bridge and towards the weapons closet as the others exclaimed behind him.

He flexed his fingers before he reached out for the handle, grinning once he became solid to grip it then opened it.

“It’s been a while.” He says fondly, pulling out his scythe and looked it over. “Time to kill a plant.” He grinned before he headed out the others following after him.

“Wait! We don’t know how the plant affects ghosts! This is magic, remember?!” Zane called after him.

“Sleeping magic. Ghosts don’t need to sleep so I should be good.” Cole dismissed, hopping over the railings.

“Should?!” Jay sputtered as they hopped over too. “Should isn’t secure enough! You’re somehow a ghost right now Cole! If you fall asleep, you might sink into the planet! How will we save you then?!” He yelled, jogging to catch up.

“That won’t happen though.” Cole shrugged, striding forward with purpose still.

“You don’t know that for sure!” Pixal protests.

“Well, we’re about to find out anyway.” Cole grinned, hopping over the log before charging forward with a run.

He just hopes this thing really doesn’t affect him… He was closing the distance between him and the slumbering dragon quickly, already reaching much farther than any of their attempts did. It was working! He’s so close! He swung his scythe back as he approached the massive bed of plants with their circular flowers hung low and immediately began slicing into them from the root, careful to not hurt the large dragon sleeping there.

“Oh my gosh! He’s actually doing it!” Jay grinned from a safe distance.

“But there’s a problem.” Zane warns, his eyes glowing brighter as he used his zoom feature to get a better look. “Torch is sleeping on a large amount of the flowers. In order to make the area safe enough for us to approach, he needs to get rid of 85% of the plants- 50% of which is located under Torch.” He told them and the team pondered on what to do.

“If only my powers were better honed. I coil destroy the plants without the need to move Torch.” Garmadad says with visible frustration and Wu lifted his head, getting an idea.

He sat on his haunches, bringing his front paws together and focusing his energy there, gaining Garmadad’s attention.

“You have an idea?” He asked his brother who only nods once, focusing.

The smokey gold orb of light focused, taking the shape of two circles. When the light finally vanished, there were two gold rings in his paws, confusing everyone.

"What are those supposed to do?" Wisp asked curiously as Wu gestured for Garm to lower his head.

“They are meant to focus and better control my brother’s powers so he may use them without worry they may go awry.” Wu explained as he slipped them onto his older brother’s prominent horns of destruction, the bands stopping mid way.

“Of course! The solution is so obvious now!” Blaze yelled as he face-winged.

“Now is as good as a time as ever to test how well they work.” Garmadad says, rolling his wings before gathering his destructive powers, the black/purple energy gathering between his horns and flickering lightly over his body. “Stand aside Cole.” He called and Cole’s head jolted up at his voice before he quickly backed up out of the way.

He shot a streamlined blast of his destructive energy ahead, keeping his intentions on destroying the flowers- and to his amazement, it impacted- and immediately began turning all the Charming Flowers in the large gathering of it to ash. Seeing the cursed flowers that threatened to take her partner away from her finally starting to fade to ash, Silver couldn’t stay away another moment. She charged ahead for the third time- this time breaking away successfully as the group hadn’t expected her to suddenly take off. The air didn’t have that warm, hazy air to it anymore and it only pushed her to run faster.

‘Torch! Torch wake up!’ She roared as she finally crossed the space between them, nudging her insistently. ‘Come on Torch! This isn’t the time to nap!’ She insists, tugging at her wing with her snout.

“The others?” Garm asked Cole in a low tone once he and the others walked over, the rest focusing on Torch.

Cole sighed as he stood from where a middle aged man laid and shook his head.

“Just Torch.” He told him and Garmadon gave a mournful nod.

“We will give them all a proper burial.” He told him and Cole nodded then turned to where Wu had immediately began instructing Mist to feed Torch some water, holding her head at a certain angle to avoid water in her lungs.

‘Why isn’t she waking up?’ Silver asked the white scaled elder with watery eyes, keeping close to her partner.

‘It might be the plant’s effect taking some time to leave her body.’ Wu told her. ‘But the sooner she awakens, the better. Perhaps this will help...’ He added, taking out a very small- by his standards- bag attached to a rope and passed it by her nose.

Torch jolted awake then on her feet and bewildered.

‘Huh? What?’ She asked, blinking quickly a few times before she lifted a paw to rub her eyes. ‘What happened?’ She asked then froze when she caught sight of Silver as tears slid down her scales.

‘Silver?’ Torch whispered softly, brushing her wing against the side of her face.

‘Torch… You…’ Silver’s voice wavered. ‘You… You idiot!’ The group startles once Silver smacked Torch over the head with a suddenly solid metal wing.

‘Ow!’

‘I told you to be careful flying in here! You almost died!’ Silver yelled at her as Torch rubbed her throbbing head, pouting.

“Well. Looks like Torch is alright. Save for a nasty bump on the head I’m sure she’ll have.” Wisp says dryly as Silver continued to scold Torch.

“But what about you, Cole? How did you become a ghost again?” Lloyd asked, looking towards their friendly ninja ghost.

“I’m not too sure to be honest. I mean, this time I actually wanted to be a ghost since ghosts don’t sleep and I could have cut those weeds to size. But I guess I didn’t consider the parts Torch was laying on.” He shrugged then looked at his hand. “I’d love to be human again though.” He mumbled then had a feeling of sudden heaviness- and he was!

“Woah!”

“You can become a ghost at will now?” Blaze asked, looking him over curiously as Cole flexed his fingers.

“Looks like it.” He grinned up at him and his friends. “Now this, I can get used to.” He says, flicking back and forth between ghost and human once more to test it.

“We’ll have to get used to that later.” Pixal told them, Zane agreeing.

“It appears that the plant’s magical energy has been keeping them perfectly preserved. But now that it’s gone…” Zane trailed off, looking towards the people and animals that still looked peacefully asleep.

“Right. Let’s put them to rest.” Cole whispered softly.

______

They returned back to the Labyrinth once the short burial was over and a check of the entire forest was done to eradicate large blooms of the Charming Flowers and those that managed to lull victims into their beds, they headed back to the Labyrinth. Torch and Silver were immediately greeted by friends once they arrived, all glad that they were both safe and laughing at the visible bump on Torch’s head.

“Welcome back. I’m glad you guys managed to save her.” Lloydie says as he and Morro greeted them, purring happily under their fathers’ greeting nuzzles.

“It was not an easy feat but it was one of opportunities.” Wu murmured, nuzzling Morro, the smaller dragon tilting up for more.

“You’ve both done well looking after the dragons in our absence. You will both be great leaders one day.” Garmadad praised them both.

“Nix! I missed you too!” Jay laughed as Nix tackled him over, nuzzling him fervently as he gave happy chirps and coos.

“Were you good for Morro and Lloyd?” Kai asked Rux as he stroked his head Cole holding him up in his arms.

Rux only gave them large eyes and a coo both ninja immediately took as a no.

“Of course.” Cole huffed at him.

“Well, another successful mission. It was touch and go but hey! Cole’s leveled up on powers!” Kai grinned, patting Cole on his back.

“Again.” Pixal added, recalling his lava arms.

“Honestly, after becoming a ghost twice in a pretty traumatic way, I think he deserves it.” Nya shrugged and the others had to agree.

“Now if only we could hear a word from Sensei Wu…”

_____________ (Loooong chapter update, yes but only because I'm taking the next 5 days to finish up a fic for Loving Cryptor Day on the 25th. I doubt it'll take that long to finish but It will actually be a pretty long fic so I'll take these five days just in case. After wards- or on the same day- I'll post the start of the finale and get down into business to wrap things up! That aside I really liked the idea of Cole also getting to keep his ghost powers so yea! Downside is that water in that form can still kill him so He won't always be keen to using it. Next chapter will begin with a time skip! Thanks for reading!)

[chemanalystdata]

Fly Ash Prices Trend | Pricing | Database | Index | News | Chart

 North America

In the first quarter, Fly Ash prices initially decreased in January due to a range of influencing factors. The Arctic Blast of January caused extreme cold temperatures and significant disruptions across industries in the US, including a temporary closure of the Port of Houston—a key shipping hub for Fly Ash. This disruption led to increased demand and limited supply, driving prices up.

As the quarter progressed, prices declined due to a return to normal weather conditions and a decrease in freight charges. Despite this, the US market benefited from cheaper imports and some merchants stocked up on Fly Ash due to disruptions in ocean routes, leading to scarcity.

The normalization of supply chains and sufficient stock levels at vendors contributed to quicker deliveries and market stability. Additionally, increased confidence from construction companies in recent industry developments helped support the market.

Get Real Time Prices for Fly Ash: https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/fly-ash-1459

APAC

In Q1 2024, Fly Ash prices in the APAC region, particularly in China, experienced fluctuations with a downward trend. The market in China was bearish, primarily due to weakened demand from the downstream construction sector. Although there was an increase in thermal power generation, overall market demand showed seasonal weakening, leading to a gradual decline in Fly Ash prices. Oversupply in the market exacerbated this price decrease.

The Fly Ash industry struggled to address the demand gap created by the downturn in the real estate sector, despite some increases in investment and major construction projects. Local funding conditions in China were average, further impacting market demand. The final price for Fly Ash FOB Shanghai in China for the quarter was USD 16/MT, reflecting the overall bearish trend and market dynamics.

Europe

In the first quarter of 2024, Fly Ash pricing dynamics in Europe were influenced by various factors, with a generally bearish trend. The market in Germany experienced notable fluctuations, driven by a decline and uncertainty in the construction sector. The construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) remained below the threshold, indicating a sluggish trend.

The global economic environment, inflation, and project postponements further dampened demand in the construction and cement sectors. At the end of the quarter, new orders continued to decline sharply, hindered by stringent financial conditions, high prices, and market ambiguity. Employment and purchasing activity among constructors also showed a faster decline in March compared to February. The housing sector saw a significant and accelerated decline in output, while commercial project work decreased at the slowest rate in five months. Civil engineering activity also showed renewed weakness.

Overall, the subdued sector conditions led to stagnant demand for Fly Ash.

Get Real Time Prices for Fly Ash: https://www.chemanalyst.com/Pricing-data/fly-ash-1459

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[liloelsagranger]

Viridian Love Story - Chapter 2: I never asked for a rose (new fanfiction update)

Dear friends, I finally completed the second chapter of “Viridian Love Story”. Enjoy! Like, share, reblog and feel free to leave a review. Thanks to all my supportive readers. @jessicarocket @rocketshippingassbutt @masterstarpikachu @estrelarabyss @teamrocketshipping @teamrocketfanart @ndbernarts @thelovelyjessie @webelieveinlovepower @cat-0301 @chaosandhope @james-team-rocket @danadiversity @krazy-holly @keksrocket @tothestarsabove and everyone who keeps encouraging me to write down my thoughts and headcanons ;) Chapter 2: I never asked for a rose Misty looked up. He could read the uncertainty in her gaze. „Ash, is it you?“ she asked suspiciously, cleaving her way through the school desks. He nodded, a smile scurrying over his face. „Ash!“ Misty hastened her step, her heart beating faster. She fell happily around his neck. „It’s been so long,“ Ash wrapped an arm around her waist, carefully caressing her fiery red mane. Pikachu jumped on her shoulder, squeaking with joy. Ash held her tight, recollecting all the wonderful memories he owed her. „I missed you,“ she whispered so close to his ear, giving him goosebumps. He didn’t want to let go of her. Misty was alive and well, all his worries faded. There had been times when he couldn’t sleep at night, the uncertainty about his best friend’s whereabouts keeping him wide awake. „Where have you been?“ he asked her, loosening the embrace. She stared into his eyes, a wave of sadness overcoming her. She let go of him, taking a step back as if she tried to go a safe distance. „Ash, there’s something I need to tell you,“ she wanted to shape a long overdue statement. „I was worried sick,“ he didn’t want it to sound so reproachful, but his feelings overpowered him. „I know and I’m really sorry that I have broken off any contact. Believe me, it was anything but easy for me“, she replied agitatedly. „When the three of us said goodbye after a long adventurous journey, I turned home and...“ Misty couldn’t finish her sentence, from the corner of her eye she noticed someone observing them. „Ash!“ Serena, a grim and skeptical expression on her face, approached the two of them. The distance between Ash and Misty increased by one more piece. „Who’s that girl?“ Serena pointed at Misty, feeling a whiff of jealousy. Ash shielded his best friend. „Serena, this is Misty. We were inseparable. She and Brock joined me on my very first journey to become a Pokémon master. Misty, this is my girlfriend Serena, an aspiring showcase performer“, Ash tried to calm the waves, Serena was obviously out of sorts with Misty. Reluctantly, the two shook hands. Serena wrapped an arm around Ash in order to mark her territory. A kiss sealed their relationship, putting Misty in her place. Ash noticed Misty’s disappointment. She made herself smile, but her gaze spoke volumes. For the first time in his life, Ash felt a pulling in his chest at the sight of her. She was all grown up, beautiful, but something afflicted her and he wanted to find out what caused her so much distress. „Ehm,“ he searched desperatley for words. „Serena, I’ll see you later, okay?“ he playfully nudged her nose. „For all I care,“ she looked at them distrustfully and disappeared from the classroom without saying another word. Misty cocked an eyebrow. „Wow, nice choice, Ash! I didn’t know you had a girlfriend. I think there’s a lot to talk about,“ she winked at him, briefly squeezing his hand. More and more students entered the classroom, Ash and Misty also took a seat and welcomed their new teacher. Meanwhile, Team Rocket worked on an ingenious plan to infiltrate the university. „That’s impossible, Meowth!“ James vent his discomfort. „We’re no trained teachers, we’re going to embarrass us in front of the class.“ Jessie rolled her eyes at Meowth’s idea to fool the whole school. „Listen to me, you two dimwits! No need to worry. A seminar on poison type Pokémon is the best opportunity to creep in, looking for casual robberies and keep Giovanni up to date. All you have to do is standing in front of the class and talk about Arbok and Weezing. That shouldn’t be so hard, even two dorks like you should be able to entertain some freshmen for 45 minutes. Leave the rest to me,“ Meowth’s brain was working at full blast. „But what if they’re going to ask questions? Should we just stand there like two clueless question marks, counting the second until we’re saved by the bell?“ Jessie discovered more and more weak spots in this plan. Meowth rummaged around a bag. „Here“, he presented his team members with two tiny microphones. „I’ll whisper the answers in your ears“, proud of himself, he waited for appreciative praise. „No way! Déjà vu, Meowth. The last time you tried to help us out with answers, we made complete fools of ourselves. Even the smalles children laughed at us,“ Meowth flashed his eyes at James. The cat Pokémon was annoyed by their suspicion. „Times are changing, lavender lock! In a time of digital progress, I’ve adapted our equipment. Now, we’re online. It’s very easy: the kids ask you guys a question that will be transmitted directly to my headphones and I’m able to look up the answer in my huge database within a split second!“ Jessie and James were both wide-eyed. „So, you think it could actually work out?“ Jessie wondered. „We will possibly be successful?“ James added. „Trust me,“ Meowth grinned mischieviously. „All you have to do is to evaluate the position. Listen to the freshmen’s chats, find out if there is going to be a major event, an event where all Pokémon come together. Everything clear so far?“ His friends nodded approvingly. Their bags already packed, Jessie and James headed towards university. „Oh and before I forget, folks,“ an impish smile crossed Meowth’s face, „don’t get distracted by too many flirtations, haha“. Jessie blushed to the roots of her hair. Did Meowth smell the rat? After the first lesson, Misty and Ash decided to spend lunch time underneath an imposing oak in the middle of the university campus. It was good to spend some time in the shadows of the large branches above their heads, for the summer heat was unbearable. Only a few moments later, Brock joined his old friends, providing them with homemade rice balls. Misty felt completely contented. The food, the atmosphere and the company of the two boys reminded her of the good old times, when she was carefree and with a clear goal in mind. „I’m glad you’re back, Misty,“ Brock hugged her tight. They shared ideas and plans, compared their time tables and discovered that they would work together on multiple projects this year. Still, Ash had the feeling that something was bothering the once so though girl. He turned around, facing her directly. „Tell me, Misty. Where have you been all these years? What happened?“ he didn’t want to crowd her, but he missed her reckless attitude. This intimidated young lady was not the Misty he once knew. Misty sighed out loud. Ash noticed how uncomfortable she felt. Brock laid a hand on her shoulder. „It’s okay, we’re here to listen,“ he encouraged her to come out with the truth. „Well,“ it cost her a lot of effort, „at the time I turned home, I was eager to tell my parents and sisters all about my adventures, the fights, the friends I made and about my dream to become an expert for water type Pokémon, but as I entered our house, there was no one there. They had left. To this day, I don’t know where they are, why they abandoned me and why they didn’t even leave a message. I was all alone, left all to my own devices. I tried to search them out, I contacted Officer Jenny, they launched a giant search operation, but it did not yield. Neither the neighbours, nor the people in the nearby village who knew them very well, could help me out. Officer Jenny was then forced to turn to the Youth Welfare Office and they put me in an orphanage not far from home. It was terrible. At the age of sixteen, I bunked out of the orphanage, I made it through with odd jobs and lived hand to mouth. You can’t trust anyone these days, I made shady acquaintances, got into trouble until I decided to pull myself together and sign up for evening classes to catch up on my graduation. Luckily, my grades were excellent and I passed every single test with flying colors and now, I’m here“, a crooked grin graced her face. Ash and Brock’s jaws dropped. They’d have expected anything, an unfortunate romance, a change of residence, an exchange year, but this story hit them hard. What horrors did she suffer? How could she possibly survive all on her own with no helping hand and no friends? „Misty,“ Ash’s eyes shone dangerously. „I’m so sorry to hear that. Come here,“ he embraced her in his arms, pulled her tight and placed a kiss on her forehead. „Don’t you worry anymore. We’re here to support you, you’re not alone.“ He could hear her sob into his shirt, finally releasing her pent-up emotions. She pressed him even tighter. He had always been her safe haven. It broke Brock’s heart to see his friends so distraught and upset. Pulling an arm around each one of them, he asked them to make a pledge. „From this day on, we’ll avouch for each other, no matter what. We will care and support each other like we used to do when we were kids. We’ll stick together, through thick and thin and we’ll never let go of each other again. We used to fight for our rights, we used to stand up for our Pokémon and friends and Ash and I will do everything in our power to make you forget about your gruesome past.“ Ash nodded. „I second every single word!“ He wiped a tear from her cheek. That was strange, he wanted to hold her and protect her from the world. He wanted to erase the dire memories. Jessie was nervous. Not only because she wasn’t used to give lectures on various school subjects, but because James seemed to evade her. He was wearing a white chemise, a necktie and matching trousers. He looked absolutely breathtaking and she couldn’t deny that some naughty thoughts had crossed her mind. „You look good,“ she adjusted his tie. He smiled shyly, avoiding any eye contact. Jessie brushed his arm while reaching for her notes. A bunch of books piled up on the desk and Meowth had already sent them their teaching materials. The students entered the class room, were loud and noisy and Jessie became more and more queasy with every moment. They tried to snatch up fragments of conversations and found out that prom night would take place in a couple of weeks. There was enough time for preparations like fiddling with traps, inviting the Rocket grunts and explore the best locations to catch them all. „James,“ she whispered shortly before the lesson started. „What if we volunteer to organise prom night? It would be the perfect occasion to capture some Pokémon and deliver them to our boss,“ she suggested. „Absolutely, great idea, Jess!“ he winked at her. Jessie never had the chance to attend prom night, but maybe fate would give her a second chance. In her fantasy, she was dancing with James, spending the night underneath an illuminated pavilion, just like newly enamored teenagers. „Put those thoughts out of your mind, Jess! He’s not interested in you. It was a one-time slip!“ she scolded herself. James distributed the work orders and was astonishingly good with the students. He responded to their questions and concerns, dealt with the class clown, promised them exciting lessons and easy exams and had soon made himself a darling who reaped languishing glances from the young girls. He was what Jessie called a crush-teacher. He was handsome, good-looking and charming. The female students would lie at his feet. She was overcome by a slight wave of jealousy. The 45 minutes flew by and both had made a great first impression, even if Jessie had already reproved two ruffians, threatening to chop off their fingers if they would ever again pointing the loser hand gesture at James. After the class had left the room, Jessie let herself sink onto the desk. She was completely exhausted, it was more tiring than expected. James stood in front of her, gathering some paper shreds and pencils. Jessie wrapped her arms around his neck. „I’m so tired. Meowth got us into a pretty mess“, she rested her head on his chest. James recoiled, laughing mousy. „It was a good start, don’t you think?“ He turned around, staring into two demanding eyes. „What’s wrong, Jess?“ he asked her. „James, why are you constantly avoiding me? Did you forget about that night? About your words and kisses? About this special moment between us? Didn’t it mean anything to you? Were you just too drunk to think clearly? Was ist just a joke? Look, I never asked for something, but let’s get things straight“ she wanted answers. James sighed deeply. „No, Jess, I didn’t forget about that night. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life“, he looked at the floor with embarrassment. She stood up walking towards him. „Then why are you acting so strange? Why are you fending off every single pass?“ He didn’t dare to look at her. „Because I don’t want to fall in love with you.“ To be continued...

[effectsdatabase]

Last week's top 20 videos (2020, week 09)

Top 15 videos last week (February 23-29)

THIS PEDAL IS GAME CHANGING! | Sound like any guitar - SIM1 XT-1 Pedal Demo | TOM QUAYLE (by Tom Quayle)

Slö vs. Fathom | Which Reverb Does your Pedalboard Need? | Walrus Audio (by Pedal Partners)

OFFICE HOURS with andy: let's learn about BLOOPER from chase bliss audio (by Andy Othling)

Sampler mode // better bloops (by Chase Bliss Audio)

Tips Using Delay Pedals with Synthesizers (by Sweetwater Sound)

Farm Pedals - Fly Agaric (by collector//emitter)

Keeley Electronics Eccos Delay/Looper (by Distortion LTD)

Origin Effects Compressors - Cali76 Stacked Edition & Sliderig Compact Deluxe (by Pedalicious)

VALCO BloodBuzz Drive Section demo. A modern take on the Lovetone Brown Source pedal. (by myrareguitars)

Strymon Volante - live looping (sound on sound mode) (by Delay Dude)

E.W.S Little Fuzzy Drive (by Sam Vilo)

[SundayGearTimes 364?] Toms Line ??? SLOW HAND ASH-3 (by BuzzbeeTV)

?Kevin?s Guitar Gear? NOBELS ODR-1 Overdrive Pedal - Lead Tones w Marshall (by Hats & Guitars)

Harley Benton Custom Line CH-5 Chorus Demo (by Poor Man Pedals)

J. Rockett Lemon Aid Pedal Quickview - Cosmo Music (by Cosmo Music)

Overviews of the previous weeks: http://www.effectsdatabase.com/video/weekly

from Effects Database http://bit.ly/2Iq6Mvx

[theaceace]

Soooooooo that alternate ending to the final resting place? I wrote a tiny snippet. Oops. I’m not putting it on AO3 since I don’t think I’ll be finishing it, but here we are. Feel free to enjoy (or not!)

Juno comes to slowly. He's sat propped against a wall, just starting to slump to one side - he thinks that maybe that's what woke him. His head throbs in time with his roaring pulse, and when he grimaces, the side of his face feels tight. Like there's something crusted there, flaking away like dried paint with every minute twitch of his face. He tries not to think about it, fails, tries a little harder, and only succeeds in making the throbbing in his mind worse.

Cracking his eye open feels like the worst mistake he's made so far today, which is honestly a pretty impressive achievement considering how the rest of the day had gone down. Pain shoots through his skull, takes a detour around the nape of his neck, and comes shooting right back up again. It hurts; more than getting shot, more than losing his - well. Still trying not to think about it. 

It takes him a long time to push himself into a position that resembles standing, if standing has come to mean 'hunched over with both hands braced on the wall trying not to vomit' in the time he'd been unconscious. Hey; stranger things have happened.

By the time the heaving in his stomach has settled, Juno's managed to take stock of his own condition, and yeah, it's not great; but, more importantly, that condition seems to be, as far as he can tell... Alive. Which is better than he'd honestly expected. So, with his own condition assessed and subsequently dismissed as unimportant, he turns to give the room the same treatment.

The panel is just a few steps away, but they're steps Juno doesn't really feel up to taking right now. The room is silent enough that even his breaths seem to echo through the chamber. There's no hum of machinery, no rasp in the back of his mind, no thready whine from the control panel, a few feet away that might as well be half a planet. No way he'll be making that journey anytime soon. 

"Nureyev?" Juno calls, and immediately chokes on the dry click of his throat. He hacks up what feels like half a lung, until he can breathe well enough to try again. "Nureyev?"

Nothing. Juno can't breathe, can’t think, this time around the panic curling through his chest. The bomb had gone off, sure, but the point of this room was to contain it, and besides, he'd survived, right?

Right?

But. But what if something had gone wrong? Miasma is gone, not even a pile of ash or stain on the floor to show she had ever existed. What if he gets outside and that's it, just more nothing, an entire planet of just nothing, stretching out across burnt red sand, and he's all that's left because of some screw up or accident, or -

He doesn’t know how much time passes before he manages to drag his mind out of the spiral it's got caught up in. There's no way of measuring time in here - he doesn't have his coms, and he doesn't trust his body clock as far as he could metaphorically throw it right now. He doesn't know what's going on outside of this room, and he isn't going to know until he can haul himself over to the door and let himself out. So, that's exactly what he does.

If pressed, he couldn't say exactly what he was expecting to see on the other side. But he's pretty sure it wasn't - nothing.

The hall is empty. Behind him, the door slides shut, hissing softly against the wall. He turns to look at it; like it might have an explanation to what's going on, but all it has is smears of blood, dried and dark. They start at face height, and drag down, with more along the edges of the door, around the frame. Like someone had tried to beat the door down, and pry it open when that failed. Like Nureyev had tried.

But there's no sign of him now. The blood is old, the compound silent. 

Juno takes a breath, shivers, drags a hand through his hair. He doesn't know where he's going, but he knows he can't stay here. Maybe - maybe Nureyev is trying to find another way in, or maybe he's looking for a first aid kit, or - 

Or. Yeah.

Still not thinking about it - Juno has got this repression thing down to an art, he's a goddamn modern day Michaelangelo, if Michaelangelo’s thing was squashing down thoughts instead of painting ceilings. Poets could write epic sagas dedicated to his mastery of repression, so he can definitely focus on walking to the end of the corridor, then turning, then walking down the next. He picks the corridors with floors that slope upward - if he keeps climbing, then he's bound to reach the surface eventually, right? That's just logic. Simple, linear progression, step A leads to step B leads to result C, and before he knows it, Juno's standing in the entrance of what looks a little like a garage, and a little like a dumping ground.

There are vehicles that had clearly been run into the ground, and then pushed a few miles further just for the hell of it; so beat up and twisted that Juno thinks it'll be a miracle if they don't just straight up explode as soon as they’re switched on. That would be a trick, huh? Survive the ancient Martian super-weapon only to perish in a slightly-less ancient car. 

Juno doesn't know what Miasma was doing with them, or why she didn't just scrap the older models, but he isn't about to complain - there are at least five bikes and cars still in serviceable condition. Maybe they'd belonged to some of her goons before she got all murder-happy. Maybe she just had the collector’s bug. Either way, he picks the nearest car that looks like it'll still lift off the ground and tumbles into the driver's seat.

He's lucky - the car is old, and so are the security measures it's fitted with. Juno’s under no illusions about his affinity for technology - or rather, his affinity for destroying it with a flair that would make Nureyev envious. Rita could hack any vehicle she so chose in a matter of seconds with sharp eyes and nimble fingers flying over the coms she kept permanently half in one ear and half in her pocket. Juno, on the other hand? He's a touch more old-fashioned.

The main control panel is loose, easy to pull away – there’s a tangled nest behind it, and he has to blink a few times before his vision clears enough to pick out the individual wires. He'd spent enough years watching Benten do this - vibrating with nerves in the passenger seat, because even though it was his idea, he'd still been convinced the HCPD would give a shit about two teenagers jacking a car in the depths of Oldtown - that his fingers connect wires without need for conscious thought. Which is lucky, because he doesn't reckon he could muster a conscious thought if he tried. He’s exhausted.

The car wheezes to life around him, and the door to the garage creaks open automatically on sensing a moving vehicle. The radiation shield of his new ride is weak, flickering, but he doesn't need it to last long. The GPS on the car is threaded with static, but it's enough to tell him where the nearest hospital is; Olympus Mons is a short drive, short enough that he can probably make it without swooning over the wheel.

It isn't until he's tearing across the desert that he realises he hadn't seen the RUBY7 anywhere.

They can’t save his eye. The thought should hurt more than it does – Juno vaguely considers words like ‘shock’, and ‘compartmentalising’, and then promptly decides that the more he thinks about it, the more likely it is to start hurting, so he compartmentalises his compartmentalising.

Maybe he was onto something with the shock idea. Or maybe he’s just so relieved that he isn’t the last human alive on Mars that everything else has faded into insignificance in his bomb-addled brain. Juno isn’t sure, and the nurse just gives him a wary look from the corner of their eye when he tries asking, before having a very heated whisper-argument with the doctor. Ordinarily, Juno would be eavesdropping for all he’s worth, especially since they’re talking about him, but he’s just too tired. He can barely keep his eye open, despite his instinctive mistrust of any kind of medical professional.

By the time he signs himself out – against the doctor’s advice, but the doctor was both drunk and inexperienced in the effects of Martian superweapons on the body, so Juno feels justified in ignoring him – he’s a few thousand creds lighter, and has nothing but a new stamp on his health card to show for it. Oh, and a sticky eyepatch that he plans on peeling off as soon as he’s found something to replace it; medical blue really isn’t his colour.

At the very least, though, he’d managed to get his hands on one of the hospital-issued coms that were supposed to be a 10-cred-a-minute charge, but that he, Mick, and Sasha had discovered worked for free if you hit it on the table at just the right angle before dialling. They’d spent enough time in and out of hospitals as teenagers, after all.

It wasn’t until he’d had the comms in his hand, though, that Juno realised the fatal flaw in his plan – he’d had no way of contacting Nureyev. Not like he could just look the man up, even if he knew more than two of his hundreds of aliases; Nureyev burnt names like people in Oldtown burnt cop cars. That was to say; frequently, thoughtlessly, and to the immense irritation of local law enforcement. So, calling Nureyev was out. Juno had thought, briefly, about calling Rita, before he realised that he’d never managed to memorise her coms number, and she’d scrubbed herself off every database after the salesman case four years ago. He had it saved on his own coms, of course, and it was pretty rare that he had to call when she wasn’t already in the office anyway.

Which meant he’d had to call the office.

“Hiiiiiiiii,” Rita’s voice had mocked him. The same message he’d got at the Oasis, repeated over and over each time he tried. She never picked up; he’d left a message for her, but he had no way of knowing how soon she’d hear it, and there had been no point taking the coms with him – they were designed to only work in a ten-foot radius of the hospital building.

Rita could hook one up to work anywhere she so pleased, Juno knows; he’s watched her do it. Twice.

So here he is, back in the beat up little car that won’t hold a shield together long enough to get him back to Hyperion City, with nothing but a handful of creds in his pocket, a raging headache that he hadn’t wanted to pay extra to fix, and the barest hint of a plan starting to form in his mind. He starts the car, listens to the engine shriek for a minute, and turns out onto the freeway heading towards Hyperion.

[crashdevlin]

Marion- 11: Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now

Marion Masterlist

Author’s Note: Originally posted to ao3 (This is an edited and improved version). This started as an excuse to write some Castiel/OFC loving, but it blossomed into an epic-length fic and even an AU where Marion was with them the whole time.

Summary: Marion doesn’t like how Cas is acting and she’s preparing for the letdown Chuck warned her about.

Pairing(s): Castiel/Marion

Word Count: 3403

Chapter Warnings: Other side of Frontierland, Cas being a shitty boyfriend, angsty-angst-angst

Marion sat at Bobby’s kitchen table. She stared down at the locket she’d found in her pocket when she returned to the present time. It had to be from Castiel, some sort of apology for the fact that she’d barely been able to speak to him lately. It’d been months, actually. She’d gotten more conversation from his doppleganger in that other universe than she’d gotten from her beau. Misha had been very talkative. She’d been sad to see him die. Dean and Sam didn’t seem as affected by it. She listened to her twin cursing the amount of ash Colt had sent them as she tried once again to pry the locket open. There didn’t seem to be any glue holding it closed but she couldn’t get it open, no matter how hard she tried. As she heard Bobby’s front door open, she put the necklace in her pocket. She couldn’t feel bad for her failed relationship, right now. She smiled curtly and nodded slightly at Sam and Bobby as they headed for the basement where Dean was working.

“Hey.” Sam started. “How you doing?”

“Five shells.” Dean growled. “That’s how I’m doing.”

Sam sighed. “Well, you know, it’s a hell of a lot more than what we had last week.”

“Maybe.” Dean said, as Marion walked up.

“Meaning?” She asked.

“Meaning… I just had myself a little mishap a few minutes ago, and… uh, well, here, look.” Dean said, grabbing some of the ash and rubbing it on his arm. Nothing happens.

“Whoa.” Sam whispered.

“I mean, this stuff is supposed to burn the bejeezus out of Eve, doesn’t even give me a sunburn.”

“Lore says it works.” Bobby responded.

“That’s always reliable.” Dean said, cynically.

“Maybe that’s not how it works. You are human.” Marion chimed in.

“Yeah, you know what? Maybe it’s like, uh- maybe it’s like iron or silver. You know? Hurts them, not us.”

“Maybe, but a fat lot of good it does us ‘til we find the bitch.”

“I’m lookin’, but I’m thinkin’ maybe it’s time you made a call.” Bobby said, looking pointedly at Dean.

“Why me? He’s not my-”

Marion shook her head and started back up the stairs. She was exhausted on calling out to Castiel and him not answering her. She wasn’t sure she could take it again.

Dean turned back to the guys, knowing not to push it any further with his sister. “Why has it always got to be me that makes the call, huh? It’s not like Cas lives in my ass. The dude’s busy.”

Marion stopped at the top of the stairs as she heard the telltale sound of wings. She debated whether or not to turn back around for a minute, before settling to sit on the top step and look down on the scene.

Dean quickly moved away and spun around. “Cas, get out of my ass!”

“I was never in your-” Castiel started, but gave a confused look as he stopped. “Have you made any progress in locating Eve?”

“Well, we were gonna ask you about that.” Bobby said.

“No. I’ve looked, but she’s hidden from me. She’s hidden from all angels.” Castiel answered, casting a quick glance up to Marion.

“Awesome.”

“You know, what we really need is an inside man.” Sam said.

“What do you mean?”

“Something with claws and sympathy.”

“Like a friendly monster?” Dean asked. Sam shrugged. “Those are in short supply these days, don’t you think?”

“Sure, but we’ve met one or two, right?” Sam said.

“Maybe.” Dean responded sourly.

“So we can find one.”

“Anybody you can think of, somebody still alive?” Bobby asked.

A moment of silence passes as Sam and Dean rack their minds for allies who hadn’t been killed in the Apocalypse or the lead-up to the Apocalypse. Marion cleared her throat and stood from her spot at the top of the stairs. She stepped down 3 steps and avoided Castiel’s gaze as she leaned over the railing to look at her brothers. “Lenore. You need to find Lenore.”

“Vampire Lenore. Thank God you’ve got my memories, cause I forgot about her.” Dean said, before turning to Cas. “Lenore. She’s a vegetarian vampire. You find her, we might have a lead.”

Castiel nodded and disappeared.

~~~~~~~~~~##########~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^~~~~~~~~~~**********

Marion sat upstairs in the kitchen by herself. She was staring down at the locket again. It reminded her of the other gifts he’d left behind without a word. They used to make her happy. They had been proof of his love. But now she felt like they were just things, things he threw her way so she wouldn’t get in his way.

“Marion!” She heard Dean call from the basement.

She pushed the locket deep into her pocket and stood. When she gets to the basement, she sees Lenore dead and knows that Castiel killed her.

“Grants Pass, Oregon.” Bobby said.

“And Lenore?” She asked.

Dean and Sam both gave a quick glance at Castiel, but then looked away. “She asked to be killed, so that she wouldn’t kill anymore. I acquiesced.” Castiel responded.

Marion nodded. “I’m ready when you boys are.”

~~~~~~~~~~##########~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^~~~~~~~~~~**********

Marion sat in a chair pulled up to the booth in the diner, a plate of fries in front of her that she had taken to playing with instead of eating.

“Alright. I finally got the police database, no thanks to this.” Bobby said, gesturing to the iPad in his hands. “I asked for a computer.”

“It is a computer.” Sam defended.

“No, a computer has buttons.” Bobby responded, as the waitress walked up.

“Can I get you anything else?”

“No, we’re good. Thanks.” Dean dismissed her.

“Anything?” Sam asked.

“Oh, nickel and dime stuff, nothing weird. Basically, a dead end. You think Vampira was lying?” Bobby asked.

“I’ll search the town. Give me a moment.” Castiel volunteered.

Everyone around the table looked at Castiel, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did.

“Cas, we can still see you.” Dean piped up.

Castiel looked around, confused. “Yeah. I’m still here.”

“Okay, well you don’t have to wait on us, you-” Dean said, trying to understand what was going on. Castiel cleared his throat and seemed to strain to fly. “Well, now it just looks like you’re pooping.”

“Something’s wrong.” Castiel said, plainly.

“What, are you stuck?” Marion asked.

“I’m blocked. I’m powerless.”

“You’re joking?” Dean asked incredulously.

“Something in this town is, uh, it’s affecting me. I assume it’s Eve.”

Marion rolled her eyes. *Of course it’s Eve.*

“So, wait, Mom’s making you limp?” Dean asked.

“Figuratively, yes.”

“How?”

“I don’t know, but she is.”

“Well, that’s great, because without your power, you’re basically just a baby in a trench coat.” Dean snapped.

Marion would have felt offended for her boyfriend if it weren’t so true.

“I think you hurt his feelings.” Sam said.

Bobby cleared his throat to get their attention back. “I got something here, maybe. Had to go federal to get it. Call went out from the local office to the CDC last night.”

“About what?” Sam asked.

“A Dr. Silver called in an illness he couldn’t identify. Patient’s a 25 year old, African-American, name- Ed Bright.”

“Well, that’s not much to go on.”

“Well, its our only lead, so-”

Dean interrupted Bobby’s thought with a nod. “So beggars can’t be choosers, right? I get it. Alright, let’s finish up.”

~~~~~~~~~~##########~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^~~~~~~~~~~**********

Marion stood at the doorway of the frat house. Dean and Castiel had insisted that she not go into the infection zone, but she couldn’t stand out there next to a powerless Castiel, knowing that if he could disappear, he would. Marion was in the perfect position, though, to hear everything her brothers were saying.

“Hey, Ed. Ed, what’s going on?” Dean asked.

“Uh, nothing. You’re ok. You’re okay, alright? We’re gonna get you help.” Sam responded.

“What? No, no. No, no, no, no, no, of course not. You, uh, you have a fever. You’re hallucinating.”

“Marshall, Marshall. Hey, what happened here?” Sam pushed. “No, you’re not gonna die, okay? Now you need to talk to us. It’s important.”

“And before you got sick, before Ed got sick, did you do anything? Did you go anywhere? Hey, I need you to focus for me.” Sam asked. “A bar? What bar? 8th street, um, did anything happen at the bar? Did you- did you see anything? Did you meet anyone? Look, an ambulance is on the way, okay?”

“A girl? Okay, and?” Dean urged. Marion could hear the desperation in her brother’s voice and knew the boy was on the edge. “Good, okay. What did the girl in white do? Marshall? Wh-wh-what did she do to Ed? Marshall?”

Marion genuflected for the poor dead boy as her brothers walked over to join her. “I don’t get it. What, a bunch of regular Joes wake up shifters? What the hell?”

“Shifters usually run in families. This looks like an infection. Nobody touched nothing?” Bobby seemed to direct the question to Marion.

“Didn’t even go in.” She mumbled.

“Well, I am bathing in Purell tonight.” Dean said.

“So, he said they met a girl.” Sam informed the others.

“It’s gotta be Eve.”

“But why would she do this?” Castiel questioned.

“Mommy monster- make more.”

“No, no, no, no. Cas has got a good point. I mean if she’s gonna make a shifter army, why make one that’s sick, gooey and dying?” Dean asked.

Bobby shrugged. “Add that to the pile of Crap That Don’t Make Sense.”

“So should we hit the bar?” Marion asked.

~~~~~~~~~~##########~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^~~~~~~~~~~**********

Marion looked around the bar. She was a bit disgusted by the amount of dead people-monsters.

“Well, the sheriff’s a mook, but still.” Bobby started to say as he walked around the bar.

“You’d think he’d notice this many missing people.” Marion agreed.

“We got a vamp over here. Nope. Scratch that. We got a wraith. What the hell? What has teeth and a spike?” Dean asked.

“Nothing.” Marion said.

“Never seen that in my life.” Bobby confirmed.

“Oh, great. So Eve’s making hybrids now?” Dean asked.

“Looks like.”

“Yeah, the question is why. I mean what does she want with the… what do you call these?” Dean asked.

“Well, congrats.” Bobby droned. “You discovered it. You get to name it.”

Marion rolled her eyes, knowing a rock reference was coming. Dean looked around, before matter-of-factly saying, “Jefferson Starships.”

“Oh, god.”

“Huh, because they’re horrible- and hard to kill.” Dean finished, looking very proud of himself.

“I like Starship.” Marion muttered, leaning down close to the wood floor to examine a dead Starship.

“You would.” Dean quipped.

Sam chose to ignore it and move on. “Looks like the whole bar has been turned into these-”

“Jefferson Starships.” Dean interjected.

“Fine. But why are all the… Starships dead?” Sam finished.

“Can’t say, but looks like they all burned up.” Bobby said, examining the monsters.

“Burned up, like?” Dean asked.

“Like a high fever, like the flu.” Marion answered.

“What the hell’s going on here? Does every monster in this town have the damn motaba virus?” Dean asked as the sheriff and two deputies showed up at the door to the bar.

“Hands where I can see ‘em!” The sheriff yelled.

Marion dropped completely to the floor, hoping they wouldn’t notice her in the sea of bodies.

“Now this is not what it looks like.” Castiel said.

“Look, we’re the Feds.” Bobby insured.

“Yeah? Well, Feds are not allowed to do this. Cuff ‘em. Turn around.” Marion watched from the ground as Castiel, Bobby, and Sam were led out the door. She was ecstatic that she hadn’t seen Dean’s boots walking out the door. Once she was sure the locals were gone, she stood up, careful not to touch any of the Starships. She looked over to the bar and breathed a heavy sigh. Dean was standing up from behind the bar.

“When did you get smart enough to hide in bad situations?” Marion quipped. “Come on, we gotta follow ‘em.”

~~~~~~~~~~##########~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^~~~~~~~~~~**********

Marion watched from the doorway as Bobby questioned the sheriff, slashing him with a silver knife. Castiel stood off from the side, just staring. He seemed cold, upset and not just at the situation with Eve or the fact that he was powerless. She didn’t know how to approach it. She knew that she should talk to him. He was her boyfriend, after all, even if he wasn’t a very attentive one.

“Got a couple of hungry human boys here.” Dean said, leading two boys in from the cells. “C’mon guys.”

“So, you two never heard ‘em talk… about a mother, or someone named Eve?” Sam asked.

Marion looked at the group. The two sets of brothers. Something… wasn’t quite right. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something was wrong.

The older boy shook his head. “It was just me and Ryan in there.”

“And your folks?” Dean asked, knowing the answer.

“Cops said we were next. He said we were food.”

“You have any other family?”

“An uncle, in Merritt.”

“Merritt, what’s that, like 15 miles outside of town? Okay. We’ll get you there.” Dean promised.

“Dean, can I have a word?” Castiel’s gravel voice prompted Dean to get up and walk away. Marion kept her eyes on the boys, but focused in on the angel’s words to her brother.

“We need to find Eve now.”

“Yeah. Go. Me and Sam just need to make a milk run.”

“We need your help here.” Castiel insisted.

“Hold your water. We’ll be back in a few.”

“Dean. Dean. Millions of lives are at stake, not just two. Stay focused.” Marion cringed a bit at the reaction she knew was coming because of the angel’s words.

“Are you kidding?”

“There’s a greater purpose here.”

“You know what, I-I’m getting a little sick and tired of the greater purpose, okay? I think what I’d like to do now is save a couple kids. If you don’t mind. We’ll catch up. Okay, guys, let’s go. C’mon.” Dean said, walking out the door.

“Damn it!” Marion cursed under her breath before rushing out the door and behind them. She grabbed Dean as he was getting in the driver’s seat and pulled him back out.

Ignoring that her twin looked ready to punch her, she shut the car door and whispered, “Something isn’t right, Dean. These kids shouldn’t have been here. These creatures, the Starships, have you seen any of the others saving food? No, they feed, they worship Eve and then they die. Why would they keep these boys for later?”

Dean shook his head and rested his hand on the door handle to show he was leaving as soon as he was done speaking. “Look, I’m gonna brush this off as you trying to agree with your boyfriend. We tested them. They’re human. You wanna stay here with Bobby and Cas, fine, but Sam and me, we’re takin’ them to their uncle’s place. We’re getting them out of this town. Now.”

Marion stepped back from the car, conceding defeat. “You go right ahead and ignore us, Dean. Ignore your twin sister and the only friend you’ve ever fucking had. Glad I’m not the only one you do that to.”

She didn’t look back as the door slammed and the tires squealed, but she turned when she got to the station door, just in time to see the taillights disappear over a hill. She looked up, wishing she hadn’t burned ties with Chuck, wishing she could call on God to tell her how this one ended. And for a few minutes, she considered taking a nap in the middle of this war zone, just to get a little reassurance from Lucifer. Lucifer, who was old enough to have probably met Eve before.

~~~~~~~~~~##########~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^~~~~~~~~~~**********

Marion walked inside about 20 minutes later, still sort of wanting a nap. As she walked past the sheriff’s office, she heard Castiel speaking in a hushed voice.

“I can’t go myself because Eve has… clipped my wings, so to speak. I would have to walk outside the area of her influence in order to fly there and take care of them. It would take far too long and Marion would notice my absence, even if Bobby did not. You must do this… I am certain… Even if they were not Children of Eve, you should have no qualms about killing them… I wouldn’t have asked you if I were not okay with the possible consequence… I will contact you after.”

Marion wasn’t sure what she had just heard but she knew it was something she wasn’t supposed to hear. “Hey. Who was that?” She asked, pretending she hadn’t heard anything.

Castiel put the phone back in his coat and walked out of the room. “It was Dean. They’ve left the boys in Merritt and will be on their way soon.”

Marion tilted her head a bit and followed him with her eyes as he walked toward the interrogation room. Castiel had just lied to her. No confusion, no misunderstanding, just a flat-out lie. She hadn’t even thought Castiel knew how to lie. “Oh. Okay.” was all she managed.

A few minutes later, Bobby was handing Marion a drink as Castiel came out of the interrogation room with his hands covered in blood. This wasn’t right. His actions were wrong. He was more distant, even darker than normal and that was bad.

“Eve’s at 25 Buckley Street. You can call Sam and Dean.” Castiel said, before walking off toward the restroom.

Bobby gave a pointed look to Marion, who tried to not show her discomfort. “How should I know, Bobby? The guy barely talks to me, anymore. We haven’t even kissed since right after Balthazar sent us to Bizarro-land. I have no idea what’s going on in his head, anymore.”

Marion pulled the locket out of her pocket and showed it to Bobby. “The only way I know we are still in a relationship, at all, is these little gifts he leaves for me. I’ve got a box full of them now.”

“Way he acts toward you, you sure he’s the one leavin’ ‘em?” Bobby asked, pulling out his phone to call Sam.

Marion stared at the drink in her hand and fought the uneasy feeling rising up in her stomach. “I need a nap.” she told herself.

~~~~~~~~~~##########~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^~~~~~~~~~~**********

They walked up to the diner they’d eaten at earlier.

“You gotta be kidding me. She’s been in there the whole time?” Dean griped.

“Why’d she ever let us in?” Sam asked.

“Or out?” Marion added.

“Well, there’s one way to find out.”

“What, just stroll in? We don’t know who human or who’s her.” Bobby said.

“Well, there’s one way to draw her out. Me and Sam will go in.”

“Dean.” Bobby started.

“Look. If we don’t get a shot off, you three better.” Dean said.

“I’m going with you, Dean.” Marion said, pulling her brother’s arm toward her. “We both know that there is no ash in my shell. I’d rather be in there if shit goes down, then out here useless.” She whispered.

Dean nodded. “Didn’t mean for you to get that one.” He whispered back, walking forward.

She followed her brothers and sat down at the bar next to Sam. “Now what?” She and Dean asked in unison.

Sam pulled out his phone and used the camera to look around the diner for eye-flash. “Crap. Crap, crap.” He whispered.

“Starships?”

“Yeah.”

“Is there anybody in this diner that is not a flesh-eating monster?” Dean asked.

“Uh, me and Marion and you.”

“Okay, well, let’s get the hell out of here.” Dean said.

“Shall we?” Sam offered to Marion.

“Three specials, right?” The waitress asks, putting two plates down and then grabbing a third from behind her.

“Uh, no, that’s not for us. We were just headed out.” Sam said.

“Now that would be rude, Sam.” The waitress said, squaring off in front of them.

The siblings looked up at the woman for the first time. Her brunette hair was loose but pulled back. She seemed like a nice young woman. Except the coldness. Sam looked at both of his siblings before readjusting himself on the stool. “Let me guess. Eve.”

“Pleasure.” She said, curtly.

“Why don’t we step outside. Chat?” Dean asked.

“Why? This is private.” Eve said. She looked up and the Starships around the diner close the blinds. One of the monsters grabbed Dean’s bag and opened it, revealing the shotguns. Eve reached into the bag and grabbed Dean’s gun, she sniffed the end. “Phoenix ash. I’m impressed. I bet you had to go a long way for that.”

“You have no idea.” Dean mumbled. Sam scoffed.

Eve handed the bag off to a Starship. “Destroy these. Thank you.” She smiled curtly at the Winchesters. “Relax. I’m not here to fight.”

“No? Just to rally every freak on the planet, bring in Khan Worms and-and half-assed spider-men… and dragons. Really, sister? Dragons?” Dean goaded.

“So I dusted off some of the old classics. I needed help.”

“With what?” Sam scoffed. “Tearing apart the planet?”

“You misunderstand me. I never wanted that. Not at first. I liked our arrangement.”

“What arrangement?” Marion asked, the words coming out a little more meek than she wanted.

“The natural order. My children turned a few of you, you hunted a few of them. I was happy.” Eve replied.

“Okay, so what changed?” Dean demanded.

“My children, no thanks to you, started getting kidnapped and tortured. Even my first borns.” Marion threw a quick glare at her brothers as Eve continued. “I was pushed into this. After all, a mother defends her children.”

“Really?” Dean asked, incredulously. “You’re gonna use the Mother of the Year defense? You?”

“It happens to be true. Know what? Maybe you’ll believe it if I look a little more like this.” Marion had to force herself not to look away as Eve changed her visage to look like her mother.

“Oh, you bitch.” Dean growled.

“She died to protect you, didn’t she? See. You understand a mother’s love. I’m no different.” Marion gave a shuddering sigh at the sound of her mother’s voice. Dean looked over, seeing the enamored look on his sister’s face, got angry.

“Alright, you know what? This conversation’s over. If you’re gonna kill us, kill us.”

“You? No. It’s Crowley I want dead.” Eve said.

“Well, you’re too late there- that little limey mook roasted months ago.” Dean snapped.

“Crowley’s alive.” Eve said, matter-of-factly.

“That’s impossible.” Sam said.

But Marion knew it wasn’t impossible. As soon as Eve had spoken the words, she knew it was true. It had never made sense, she realized, but she’d been so desperate to rejoin her brothers, to stop hiding, that she’d made herself believe it.

“Your sister knows it’s not impossible.”

Sam and Dean were soon staring at her expectantly. Marion looked down. “It never made sense. It was too easy. The King of Hell brought down by a single pawn of Heaven’s army? No way that happens. That’s not even how it works in actual chess.”

“If you didn’t think it was true, why didn’t you say something?” Sam asked.

“If Crowley was at least pretending to be dead, then you guys weren’t working for him, anymore. If he was not around, then I wasn’t in danger and I could come back. I just… ignored that it seemed wrong.”

“He’s alive. I see his face through the eyes of every child he strings up and skins. Any idea why he’s hurting my babies?” Eve asked, walking around the counter to stand between Marion and Sam.

“He wants Purgatory, right? Location, location, location.” Dean said.

Eve laughed. “Is that what he told you? It’s about the souls.”

“What about ‘em?” Sam asked.

“Their power, you simple little monkey. Fuel. Each soul a beautiful little nuclear reactor. Put ‘em together, you have the sun. Now think what the King of Hell could do with that vast, untapped oil well. How powerful he’d be. Now Crowley wants to siphon off my supply, and torture my children to do it? Okay, fine. I’ll quit playing nice. I’ll turn you all. Every soul, mine. Let’s see how hot his hell burns when everyone comes to me. He asked for it.”

“You know, last I checked, there were a few billion of us. That plan might take a while.”

“What exactly do you think I’m doing here? I’m building the perfect beast.” Eve said.

“Wait a second, all those- all those things we’ve been finding.” Sam said.

“Call it beta testing.” Eve quipped.

“Well, I think your formula might be a little off. They’re imploding all over town.” Dean said.

“Oh, there were a few unfortunate failures. But I eventually got it right. Quiet, smart, inconspicuous.”

As her brothers went back and forth with Eve about the Starships, Marion’s stomach twisted. *Quiet. Inconspicuous.* She gasped a little, and at the same moment Eve smiled and said, “Little Ryan.”, Marion whispered, “The boy.”

Eve threw a little smile her way, before turning to the brothers. “You look upset. If it makes you feel any better, Ryan was bound to work on you. Little wayward orphan, like yourselves. I almost thought Marion was gonna ruin it when she ran out to the car, but there’s nothing you can do about it now. So, let’s talk.”

“Nothing to say.” Sam answered.

“Well, that’s where you’re wrong. I have an offer to propose. Crowley. As you know, not so easy to find. So, here’s the deal. You find him, bring him to me- I let you live.” Eve offered.

“Pass.” Dean answered, quickly.

“Dean.” Sam urged.

“Sam, no.” Dean turned to Eve. “The answer is no.”

“You say that like you have another option.”

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.” Dean tossed back.

“You think?” A side door to the diner opened and Marion closed her eyes in silent futility as Castiel and Bobby were pushed in. “Well, so much for your plan B.” Eve said before turning to Cas. “And you, wondering why so flaccid? I’m older than you, Castiel. I know what makes angels tick. Long as I’m around, consider yourself unplugged.”

Eve turned away from the angel and came over to wrap her left arm around Marion. “Work for me. It’s a good deal. Bonus, I won’t kill your friends. This little princess would probably hate to lose her angel.”

“Alright, look. The last few months we’ve been working for an evil dick. We’re not about to sign up for an evil bitch. I’m gonna take my sister’s advice on this. We don’t work with demons. We don’t work with monsters. And if that means you gotta kill us, then kill us!” Dean said.

*Now, he listens to me?!*

Eve let go of Marion and walked around to behind the counter. “Or, I turn you. And you do what I want, anyway.”

“Beat me with a wire hanger, answer’s still no.” Dean said.

Marion and Sam jumped up as Eve suddenly appeared behind Dean, grabbing his shoulders. She felt two hands grasp her arms firmly at the elbow, holding her in place.

“Don’t. Test me.” Eve said, her head right next to Dean’s ear.

Dean turned his head a little and glared at her as best he could. “Bite me.”

Marion closed her eyes as her brother’s blood spurted across the diner and the shouting began.

“No!” from her little brother.

“Dean!” from her sometimes lover.

And then, the sound of coughing with an other-worldly rumble behind it. She opened her eyes to see Dean standing. “Phoenix ash.” He pulled out an empty shotgun shell from his pocket. “One shell, one ounce of whisky. Down the hatch. Little musty on the afterburn. Call you later, Mom.” Dean said.

Marion was sad to see Eve turn back into her brunette visage. Sad that she couldn’t see her mother’s face anymore. But when the black liquid began to pour out of her facial orifices, Marion knew that Eve was dead, and that she should focus on the Starship holding her arms. Apparently, everyone else had the same idea, because all the Starships started to attack.

“Shut your eyes!” Castiel yelled.

Marion threw her arm over her eyes, but the white light still made it through. She spent a moment blinking away stars from her eyes as Bobby stepped over a few bodies toward Dean. “We gotta take you on more monster hunts.”

“Hey, Cas, um… Dean’s bleeding pretty good.” Sam said, looking over at Dean pressing a rag to his neck.

“Yeah, I think she turned me into a Jefferson Starship. Could you clear that up, too?” Dean groaned.

Castiel touched Dean’s shoulder, lightly, and the wound healed. Dean rolled his shoulders and sighed. “Alright, we’re good. We got to go. Now.”

“Where?” Castiel asked, confused.

“The kid. The little kid. He’s one of ‘em.” Dean admitted.

“Unbelievable.”

“Yeah. I know, Cas. You told me, alright. Let’s just go.” Dean said, prompting Castiel to shake his head. Dean placed the empty shell on the counter and walked over to Castiel. Castiel shook his head again as he flew them to the uncle’s house in Merritt.

They all looked down at the dead uncle on the floor in the living room. “So, we kill the wicked witch and she still wins. I mean, they could’ve turned half the town by now.” Dean shook his head as Cas started to say something. “Don’t say it.”

Marion genuflected and turned away from the uncle as Bobby opened a door. “Found ‘em.” Bobby said, swinging the door open wider.

Marion followed her brothers and Castiel over to the door, which led to a cellar. “Well, who ganked them?” Dean asked.

Sam and Marion both bent down to investigate a yellow powder. Marion’s breath caught in her throat as Sam looked up and said, “Demons.”

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