#Persephone station review

[ghostreviewer]

Persephone Station by Stina Leicht

5/5⭐️

CW: Fantasy violence mention, character death, spoilers

Omg this book was awesome! I’ve been on a sci-fi kick for a while(as of posting, which I actually read this book before Gothikana but my ability to do things in order seems to not be very high, anyway) and this was so much fun! The world was so cool, and on each chapter there were dates/times/locations and that was so cool? Like, I could tell how much time passed and where in the world the characters were if I hadn’t read in a while. Definitely something I wish more books did.

There were switching POV a little bit, but it was mainly Angel’s POV and it was pretty easy to tell when it switched because the location of things would be different(!! Definitely something cool for books with one or two POV switches here and there that don’t want to title the chapters the characters names)

Also Rosie, I love them! Working a bar as a cover for working in crime? Amazing, 10/10, I need more books like this. Also, nonbinary rep! There was a lot of cool represention in the book, multiple queer characters, POC characters, disability rep(one of the characters towards the end had a prosthetic leg, and he still fought! We love disabled characters still participating in things over here) and probably more I’m missing!

The way I got so attached to all of the main characters (Enid, Lou, Sukyi, and Angel) was insane! Like, they were all so awesome and I loved them all and I was so sad at the end because I new Sukyi wasn’t going to make it but I didn’t know about Lou and than she showed up again! It was so heart wrenching but done so well. When Angel finds out in the middle of the fight on Ogenth that Sukyi has a child? That was a twist I wasn’t suspecting and it made her death hit even harder. Because she knew she was dying and that this would be her last mission, and she made sure her daughter had somebody to take care of her.

Ogenth also brought forth mech fights and back in Brynner there was a really cool fight with Rosie and a bunch of the crime families. On Ogenth there were dogfights between Lou and the pilot sent by Vissa. It was a lot of action in this book and it was awesome!

I really liked this book(if you couldn’t tell) and it pretty much being an all female cast with only random side characters being men was cool. This adventure was on the girls and the really accomplished that! I’d honestly recommend this book to a lot of people, but especially if you’re looking for more women, POC, or LGBT characters in sci-fi.

[untitteddocument]

Alright y’all voted and I read! Now for a quick, relatively spoiler-free review!

Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova

This is the sequel to Incendiary, and the final installment in the Hollow Crown duology. I read Incendiary sometime in 2020, so I didn’t remember much of it, but Illusionary does a good job of bringing people back up to speed without feeling like a big recap.

Of course, since Illusionary is a sequel, it’s hard not to compare it to the first book. While Illusionary was still pretty good, it didn’t feel quite as gripping as Incendiary until the last fifty pages or so when there were some nice twists. I think that Illusionary focused more on romance than the first book, so whether or not that’s your thing may affect your thoughts on the book too.

One thing I particularly enjoyed was how Córdova developed the relationships between all the characters. The book has a great cast of interesting characters, and their friendships felt very genuine. The romance is a continuation of the enemies-to-lovers arc from the first book that unfortunately fell a little flat for me, but that might just be because I couldn’t remember much of how the relationship developed in the first book.

So overall, could have been a bit more intense for my tastes but definitely not a bad read! Also there’s a pirate ship commune and what’s not to love about that?

[sakuramidnight15]

I posted 1,822 times in 2022

That's 532 more posts than 2021!

595 posts created (33%)

1,227 posts reblogged (67%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@fumikomiyasaki

@sakuramidnight15

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I tagged 311 of my posts in 2022

#oc - 103 posts

#mc - 102 posts

#disney twisted wonderland - 101 posts

#twisted wonderland - 101 posts

#gacha club - 100 posts

#gacha games - 99 posts

#character information - 54 posts

#bio - 54 posts

#hourglass station academy - 47 posts

#hsa - 46 posts

Longest Tag: 65 characters

#though im still in training when it comes to writing like this xd

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Tag Game!

(Link)

_____________________________________

See the full post

36 notes - Posted June 15, 2022

#4

-RSA OC Information-

[Gacha Club Ver. Below]

Character Bio

Name: Harper Persephone

(Japanese: ハーパーペルセポネ)

Romaji: Hāpā Perusepone

Quote: "Powerful like red roses, they can grow through anything despite difficulties."

V/A: Azumi Asakura (Japanese)

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Birthday: September 3

Star Sign: Virgo

Eye Color: Amaranth Red

Hair Color: Chiffon White

Height: 166 cm

Race: Human

Homeland: Springfield Village (The first country of the island of enchantment)

Family: Adelio Clifford (Father)

Eleanor Persephone (Mother)

Hadrian Clifford (Older Twin Brother)

_____________________________________

School Status and Fun Facts

Dorm: TBA (If There's RSA Canon Dorms in the game)

School Year: Second

Class: 2-A

Student no. 3

Occupation: Student

Florist Expert

Drug Maker

Club: N/A

See the full post

39 notes - Posted February 20, 2022

#3

Tag Game

(Picrew Link- Here)

Rule: Post Two of your OCs Past and Present Appearances

__________________________________

-Mireille- (Before Trauma and After Trauma)

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87 notes - Posted August 1, 2022

#2

Tag Game! (Link)

Chizuko, Lynette, Freya and Yaeko

See the full post

89 notes - Posted January 28, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Tag Game! (Link)

Rules: Make your oc's past appearance and current appearance.

Note: A long post XD

_____________________________

-Main trio: Past Appearances-

Lynette: "Mom... Dad... Everyone... I've decided, I'll join the SIDC as an official investigator!"

----------------------------------------------

See the full post

92 notes - Posted February 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[oracleofmadness]

A Quick Review and Thank You Netgalley For This ARC!

This is such a cool book. I loved how the main cast of characters were pretty much all female with a great showing of diversity. Also, this world Stina Leicht creates is very interesting and unique. I did think it had a slow beginning for me, but when it picked up, it was very exciting. The ending feels a little quick, just feel like I was left hanging. However, this is definitely worth a read, especially if your in the mood for a badass space opera!

[smokefalls]

Title: Persephone Station Author: Stina Leicht Publication Date: January 2021 Publisher: Saga Press Genre: fiction, science fiction

The first word that came to mind after I finished Persephone Station was ambitious. With more candor, I’d say overambitious. There was a lot packed into five hundred or so pages that, at multiple points, it was somewhat difficult to process everything. The content and universe themselves were interesting, and it was clear that Leicht put a lot of care into worldbuilding. The issue was there was a little too much for one book. (A little more on this in a moment.)

However, this isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy the novel. In fact, there was a lot that I liked. With all frankness, we can agree that it’s rare to find space opera that feature a diverse cast of characters. Well, look no further, because Leicht goes above and beyond to place nonwhite, queer, women, and/or nonbinary characters at the forefront. In addition, Leicht did an impressive job with worldbuilding, really taking the time to set the stage at the start of the novel. The details that went into Persephone Station is deserving of recognition, to say the least. (And just a side thing, but Leicht does a pretty great job writing fight/battle scenes, which I would say is something a lot of authors struggle with.)

Leicht’s worldbuilding and characters are a bit of a double-edged sword, though. While impressive, as I mentioned earlier, there was just too much. Leicht did well on the details, but she fell short on further developing them that it was harder to appreciate everything. In addition, with such a large cast of characters, it often got confusing to follow who was talking. While most of the characters had their unique quirks, it wasn’t enough to fully parse out who was speaking or develop any kind of attachment to these characters.

Plot-wise, it was very slow at the start. On one hand, I understood this was for worldbuilding purposes; on the other hand and, as I mentioned earlier, all the details started getting much. This, in turn, affected the plot (or, rather, plots). For the most part, you were able to follow the two plots, but it’s very clear that the book would have been far stronger if Leicht stuck with one of the two. At least to me, it seemed more apparent that she was interested in the colonialism plotline, but was reluctant to let go of the plotline about AI development.

There was a lot of promise in Persephone Station that I think fell short. For those who really enjoy worldbuilding, this book might be of interest to you. However, for those who are looking for a strong plotline and/or character development, you’ll be sorely disappointed. On a final note, I do think that this would have made for a better television adaptation as a limited series. It would certainly give a lot of room for Leicht to further develop her characters and plot as much of the describing wouldn’t be needed due to audiovisuals.

Content Warning: death/dying, gun violence, mention of trafficking, suicide, chronic illness, xenophobic sentiment

Note: I received an ARC of Persephone Station from a Goodreads giveaway.

[elliepassmore]

Persephone Station ARC Review

4/5 stars Recommended for people who like: sci-fi, crime rings, soft-hearted mercenaries, multiple POVs, kickass women, aliens, AI, space operas, LGBTQ+ Review of the NetGalley ARC This book has such a good premise and it does, by and large, deliver. You've got a hostile planet, mercenaries, honor, aliens (and the question of who is actually an alien), and the powerful antagonist. It does come across a bit differently than I'd been expecting, but I found myself enjoying it and was sucked into the world and the characters. The book isn't predictable, though there are a few moments where it is, but again, by and large, the twists were well projected without being predictable. Somethings I will say is that the beginning is a bit messy, the ending was kind of 'eh,' and I would've liked a bit more of an explanation for some things. For the beginning, Leicht introduces a bunch of characters and narrators within the first few chapters and it was difficult to get a feel for who everyone was and which narrator was talking. It got better after the first 5-6 chapters, but that beginning did make it difficult to attach to any of the characters due to skipping heads. Also, on a related note, the book is kind of slow for the first 30% or so. The ending was decent enough, I do think that it was a little too easy to get one over on a certain AI, but my main problem with the ending is the deus ex machina bit we had with the ship at the end. *SPOILER* Like, how in the world did Lou manage to wake up from her edge-of-death coma and wake up well enough to fly a goddamn space ship? It just didn't make sense to me, especially since we didn't get any explanation, not even a quick like about the Emissaries healing her. I was also confused by why Rosie wanted Kennedy to tell the authorities that Angel, Lou, and Enid had killed Archady, it didn't seem to serve the plot at all. *SPOILER END* Other than those things, I thought the book was pretty good. Like another reviewer, I did think there would be a sequel, which I think would be awesome, but it did wrap up in a way that doesn't really require one. Angel de la Reza is the main character and the captain of the mercenary team. She has a bit of an interesting tug-and-pull between honor and duty, where she was raised with a rather strict sense of honor but also works as a mercenary for hire, which doesn't always align with those senses. Regardless, she does her job well and is loyal to her boss, Rosie, and to her friends, Lou and Enid. She's relatively no-nonsense while still being funny, which turned out to be a nice combination, particularly when paired with the rest of her crew and the general weirdness of their mission. I definitely liked her narrative chapters the most, which is probably good since she is the main narrator. Rosie is one of the other narrators, though even seeing into their head it's hard to get a read on them. For the most part they seem to be going for the humane, 'right side' of things, though they are (potentially) a crime boss, so they do veer into questionable territory a couple of times. I also liked Rosie as a character, except for that one scene I already referenced in the second spoiler above, and was intrigued about their story. I also liked their cat, I thought that was a nice, cute touch. I think it could be interesting to get a prequel story focusing on Rosie (and, okay, fine, maybe also Vissinia, but I found her a good deal less interesting). Kennedy is the last narrator and is another one I'd be happy to see a book about, prequel or sequel. Kennedy Liu is the daughter of the famed Dr. Liu, who worked in AI and xenobiology. Kennedy makes an interesting character because she's an AI in a lab-made human body (not a spoiler), and thus is constantly connected to the rest of the internet and her AI sisters (with whom I believe she trades body time with). She and her sisters are the first (?) AIs with emotion and so she has this interesting balance of straight analytical logic and deep-seated empathy. One of my favorite combinations of this is her running numbers in her head as a self-soothing technique; it's definitely something a computer would do, but the motivation behind it is so entirely human, I though Leicht did a fantastic job balancing the two. Lou is a non-narrating main character and pilot with Angel's crew. She definitely acts as comedic relief while still being sensible and useful. I think Lou was definitely the funniest of the characters, she's got such a 'fuck-all' attitude about things, but is rather hard core about the things she does want to care about. She's supportive of her friends, but still willing to call them out on their BS. Enid is sort of a member of Angel's crew as well. She has her own ship and the two of them work together on occasion, though she's not officially a member of Angel's team on Persephone. Enid is the kind of character who is largely grumpy, but in a way that comes across as light and humorous rather than annoying. Very much like the friend who is Not A Morning Person. Her main running plot is that she has a secret that she is, at first, unwilling to share but then the group keeps getting into situations where it's rather inconvenient to be doing any kind of non-topic-related sharing. I liked her a lot and though Leicht did a good job subtly showing her contamination-based OCD without falling into typical tropes. The Emissaries were interesting, even if their tactics were sometimes frustrating. I, of course, am a sucker for hidden cities and people. Blame The City of Ember , it was a formative influence. While it seemed like they could've circumvented their problem re: Vissinia sooner by simply doing what they ended up doing at the end of the book, I also understand why they chose not to and think Leicht did an okay job integrating that 'but logic says...' with the Emissaries' reasoning. I will say, though, that this part of the plot did feel kind of messy, but perhaps since Angel and co. are mercenaries, it isn't meant to feel too personal/informative and that stuff was all supposed to come from Rosie, which it did for the most part. Overall I think Persephone Station is a good book, particularly once you get past those first several head-hopping chapters. The characters were all well-rounded and there are a couple I'd like to see more of in Leicht ever decides to write another book in this universe.

[plexxable-reads]

REVIEW: Persephone Station by Stina Leicht

✪✪✪

Read: 8/6/20-8/17/20

*UPDATE* It’s come to my attention that I was mistaken— this is meant to be a standalone, and to that I say to Stina Leicht, “whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy 😩” Ugh, why go through all of that world building for one book with these lush characters?? I guess i should’ve taken the hint with the epilogue, but for some reason I was convinced that its goodreads page indicated it was a series. Super disappointing. Unfortunately, that does effect my rating, and I will be recanting my curve. Should this error turn out to be a premonition, I will adjust it back. 💔 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Actual rating is like 3.25 Stars, but I honestly very much liked the writing style, prose, and characters, so gave it a round up— it was just the overarching plot, its stakes specifically, that I couldn’t get into. However, I did not DNF because of the aforementioned. We have our entire cast of characters consisting of both womxn and non-binary folx. Helllll yes The dialogue and character dynamics rule and kept me interested. There was just something lacking in the expository sections— and this happens with Book 1s in a series— it all felt very exhaustive, such an info-dump. And that’s okay!— but it lead me to start another book at about 40%, that was almost twice its size in length, finished it, and came back to Persephone. Because the positives really do outweigh my struggle with the stakes and overly-vast world-building, I was determined to finish it, and I’m so glad I did! Genuinely, I will pick up Book 2–The author is very talented and I grew a fondness for the characters. I have a feeling the next installment is really going to hook me in. Thank you to NetGalley, Galley/Saga Press, and Stina Leicht for granting me a very early eARC for my honest review✨

[sawreadreviewed]

Interesting possibilities, underwhelming execution.

[tinynavajoreads]

Tiny Navajo Reads: Persephone Station

Tiny Navajo Reads: Persephone Station

Persephone Station by Stina Leicht ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ *Published January 5, 2021 by Gallery/Saga Press* An epic space opera to save a planet’s indigenous population from exploitation? A cast of characters as diverse and real and funny as can be? Sign me up for this flight because I want to meet at Persephone Station. Just look at this gorgeous cover and tell me you don’t want to fly to space. Persephone…

[maggielindemanns]

🎶 last christmas, i gave you my heart… but the very next day, i forgot to check tumblr anons again 🎶

dyamond dearest, hello! ✨ i hope this week has been a little nicer to you than the last one was, and that you’ve found a little time for leisure amongst the busier bits. this season is always more go go go than ho ho ho, i find. i have so much shopping to do and so little time to entertain it, so know that i feel your pain & am cheering you on from the sidelines. 🥲🫶 i have been mulling over my answers to this week’s questions for the past few hours and i am still not 100% settled on what i’d ask each of the boys… but since you were lovely enough to ask for my responses, i shall do my very best to come up with ~ something ~! 🤍

1. asking for harry’s hand in platonic crime is a super smart way to go, for sure! kinda like asking a genie for more wishes… except with the promise of nights spent leisurely watching movies together and gossiping about everything and nothing 😌 as somebody who compares their entire life to incredibly niche lyrics, i think i’d ask both the boys “if your life was a movie, what three songs would make up the soundtrack to it so far?” and see how their answers compared. there’s something so charming about hearing artists gush about other artists, you know? it’s a reminder that they’re just as dorky as we are. harry’s music taste is so eclectic that i imagine his would be wild dhfgf!

2. i can totally understand why you’d find your home show a more soothing experience than msg – though i’m equally glad you got to live through a moment in spitstory (i groaned at that, too 😌🫶). i actually saw harry for the first (and eighth 🥲) time this summer! i was supposed to see him during his first solo tour but my circumstances got a bit messy and i couldn’t make it. so, this time around i had a bit of a silly spending spree and took myself on a tour of the uk, amsterdam and paris! i also found some of my smaller shows to be my favourites. wembley was immense, but dublin stands out as one of the most magical. i have a really distinct memory of blubbering to sott from the stalls and enjoying all of the lights. it was nice to experience it from further afield for a change, to see everybody dancing and the sun setting. seeing louis in may sounds like a dream come true! i look forward to checking in and seeing your reactions! he’s great live, you’ll have a BLAST. 🕺🎶

3. well, it seems we are very similar! 😌 i studied english literature at university, so reading is one of my greatest hobbies too. bunny has been on my tbr for yonks, though i’m yet to pick it up! did you enjoy it? i just picked up persephone station by stina leicht which was a shameless cover buy… but book riot’s review says “feminist and full of dynamic characters you’ll love” and there’s a badass looking android on the front of it, so i have high hopes! 📖 some other hobbies of mine include: writing poetry, reading copious amounts of fanfic, frequenting the cinema & starting but not finishing more projects than i can count dgdgff. ✨

i must admit that it has taken everything (e v e r y t h i n g) in me not to cheat the system and ask google for help answering your riddle dhdgf. 🥲 i am stumped and need the answer pronto! my initial thought was that it may be a play on words, but iiiiii am no closer to solving it! i’m going to kick myself, aren’t i?

this week’s questions are simply follow up ones from today’s chit chat, if you’d like to answer them! if not, feel free to just ramble to me about your day. there’s never any obligation for an answer as long and laborious as the asks i’ve been sending dhdgf. 🥲

1. if your life was a movie, what song/s would be on the soundtrack?

2. what was your favourite harry fit of love on tour ‘22?

3. is there a louis song that you’re particularly excited to hear live for the first time? (barring holding on to heartache, because i know that’s one of your favourites of all time 😌)

– until next time, your festive friend. 🎄🤍

HELLOOOOOO holiday bestie!!!

this week has definitely been so much nicer, leisure is another story but i am feeling much better than last time. also — i have to do some last minute gifts today after work so i am sooooo stressed about it but honestly it’s my own fault agsjdhsj. i’m cheering for you as well! always <3

literally thats the main goal of hanging out w harry, i just literally wanna be his best friend and that’s all :’) i just know they both would have the best answers and they’d be so fitting for each of them 🥹

EIGHT TIMESSSS SO JELLY but that sounds so amazing omg!!! i always wanted to go to a european show, and all those places sound so lovely! sott w all the lights I AM JEALOUSSSS that sounds like magic. i am so excited to see louis i just know it’ll be LIFE CHANGINGGG

bunny was interesting! it was …. complicated, but very interesting agsjdhsj i feel like that’s not selling it very well 😭. that book sounds bangin tho !! FELT THAT ABOUT STARTING SO MANY PROJECTS SGSJDHSJ I AM SUCH A MESS ABOUT IT. i havent read fanfic in EONS i need some good recs

the answer was — a ton! it is kinda a play on words, at least i think? hope you’re not kicking yourself agsjdhsjs

now to answer your questions!

1. I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS SO MUCH. well kinda. since i was/am an avid lover of skam, i used to think about what songs would be on my skam season, and i’ll give 5 to narrow it down. have you found what you’re looking for? by ashton irwin, just like you by annika rose, buzzkill by baby queen, unlovable by delacey, and pretty lips by winehouse! hard to narrow it but hey sgskdhd i tried

2. OOOOOOO EXCELLENT QUESTION. also so very hard tbh, anything w the hiddies™️ out is a fave afsjdhdjs BUT. i will say mex city night 2, austin 10/3, and manchester night two, super honorable mentions to new york night 6 and 7 (seven was mine so it’s gotta get chosen!), toronto night one, and london night one. what are yourssss !!

3. CHICAGOOOOOO. it just gives me a vision of everyone having their lights up and singing along i hope there are fan projects or somethin bc i can just . i have a vision for it

hmmm i should ask you some questions, like an uno reverse kind of move.

1. what is a show/movie you wish you could experience for the first time again?

2. what is, in your opinion, one of the best albums of all time?

3. if you were an animal, what animal would you want to be?

until next time indeed! 🤍 missing you already

[dragonsanddustjackets]

i had a long car ride today and was very productive!!!

1) read all systems red (murderbot diaries #1) by martha wells in one sitting and. this has altered my brain chemistry i will be getting the second installment immediately. will likely make a full review in days to come.

2) started persephone station by stina leicht since i was in the mood for more sci-fi. am around 100 pages in and i’m really feeling mercenary gays vibes and loving the diversity. i’ve never really read a space opera but so far it hasn’t been hard to keep up so i am excited to see where it takes me!

[somelovearelegendary]

Welcome back 😁 my spectacular people,

Shall we begin?😆☺️

Chapter/ Episode 41

Return of the Princess

🤯🤯oh my wasn’t that just 🥰 wonderful! I usually always have a point where I want to start after reading but currently I’m like oh my oh my I’m still fan girling where should I start? HAHAHAH 🤪😋🥳 anyways 😁

🔅One ☝🏼 let’s start with how much of a gentleman hades is. He truly is a gem. 😍💎 he truly is concern of Persephone and gives her his coat to keep her warm. How precious is that 😩 oh mannn love it.

🔅Two let’s talk about hade putting Persephone heel 👠back on. HOT DAMN WAS THAT not the sexiest panels yet? (Beside hades half naked)😈���. The way he looks at her once again is like my queen at your wish I’ll follow you anywhere. 🤤😍

🔅Three Awuh look at our poor girl 😢she is so distraught and just exhausted 😩 at this point. You can see it and honestly I don’t blame her. She has been putting up a god damn good fight to keep it together with everything that’s been happening to her. From Apollo and unspeakable act to also him stalking her.. to her feeling like she doesn’t fit in and people treating her like she some kid when just wants to be treated like an adult and respect. 🤓Like she said “I’m might be naive but I’m smart” and I have another point to go with this but I’ll come back to it in a bit, it will make sense I promise 🙏

🔅Four LETS ALL GIVE A BIG 🙌🏼👏🏼 round of applauses to our lovely Hecate. I knew I was going to love this character when she come into the story line and each time she appears she does not disappoint. We all knew that live feed was still playing and our girl read the scene and shut it off. Hahaha she is the ultimate wingman. 😼💁🏽‍♀️ she is the ride or die 🏍☠️

🔅five we finally get a glimpse into Persephone background. We get to know that the six children of Cronos are called 6 traitors dynasty.. very interesting (once again in this retelling the author made a point they are not related) it’s great to see her version. Also her mother is a huge Produce empire... badass!

🔅six oh Thanos you dun messed up 😂 but like you could avoid the deeper shit ur going into if you just 1 did ur job and 2 used your wings instead of cutting her off. 😂😂 Hecate strikes again 🤣🤣her sas is amazing! “And you cut her at the station... good luck with that” with a smile on her face 😄😁😆boy is Thanos SCARED😱

🔅seven minthe was definitely scared in her boots 👢 as well especially after finding out who she really is... not for long we end the chapter with her looking out the window and catching eyes with Persephone as hades is PRINCESS carrying her off into the night lmfao day but you know what I mean. Can someone say jealously at its finest? Minthe might as well been painted green with envy.

💭💬Theory time💬💭

💡one okay lets go back to point three & seven. Seee I told you I was going come back to it ☺️ okay anyways. To this point Persephone has been through so much crap and after being attack I really think she just at her limit and why she freaks out losing her broach and paperwork. She a very sentimental gal like myself but I also think she can’t handle losing anymore the she already has. You can see it on her face while trying walk to the door she losing that fight in her. I don’t blame her it’s a lot to take in and bare all on your own. Then at the end she locks eyes with minthe and looks away she see how angry she is but I don’t think it’s out of fear. I think it’s out of I don’t care anymore. She in the arms of hades where I have no doubt she feels the safest so she not worried.

💡second I am praying with how weak Persephone she FINALLY spills exactly what’s going on with her. I hope she finds that strength to confine in hades. Just spills all her fears and what’s wrong. It will be long she losing her v-card to a prick, him stalking her, her losing her scholarship if they find out, her losing her way, and most importantly her losing pieces of her self. Who sent her down to Tartarus and Thanos cutting her off.

💡third If they have that long conversation I think she going to cry it all out and release all that stress out and hopefully just fall into a pieceful sleep.. I think he might take her home so he can lay her in a comfortable bed and take care of her.

💡fourth but they are in the rain lmfao so does hades have extra clothes in his office? Or they might have to go to his place 😂 will he order someone to get them clothes??? Mhm I wonder!

💡fifth oh boy obviously minthe Is going to raise hell about this but I don’t think it’s going to go her way.. I still think she going to get fired. Like I said last review from this point on he will protect her over anything. So I predict that they will have a heated conversation, she going to get fired and leave us for a while but not with out a plan of revenge and we will see her once again and with this I point hades and Persephone relationship have developed more and whelp I hope she gets turned into a mint plant 🌱😂 I hope it happens.

Until next Sunday, 🤣Minth please...

& I couldn’t help myself with just one gif this Sunday 😂

Anyways thank you for reading! Feel free to comment! Also I’m not the best in spelling and grammar so if you see any mistakes, just let me know what’s wrong and I’ll fix them as soon as possible! All I ask is be nice about it 😄

Till next time have a fantastic day 🌸

[fathersonholygore]

HBO’s Sharp Objects Episode 8: “Milk” Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée Written by Gillian Flynn & Marti Noxon

* For a recap & review of the penultimate episode, “Falling” – click here Here we are at the end of the line. Nice opening to “The Dance” by Franz Waxman from the soundtrack for A Place in the Sun. Listen here. At her mother’s house, Camille (Amy Adams) returns to find the family at the table. Adora (Patricia Clarkson) even set her a place. She’s happy for a return to safety after John’s (Taylor John Smith) arrest. Our reporter doesn’t consider the young man “a killer.” All of a sudden, Alan (Henry Czerny) has lots to say at dinner, being a bit of an asshole. Meanwhile the oldest daughter cannot stop staring her mother down, after all Camille’s uncovered about Adora. Amma’s (Eliza Scanlen) dressed up fittingly as Persephone. The family’s done with “too much death” in Wind Gap, hoping to turn a corner. Well, some of them, anyway. Camille tries convincing her mom to let Amma come with her to Seattle for a while. Neither Adora nor Alan like the idea. It’s a plea— Camille doesn’t want to see her sister damaged any further than she’s been damaged already. Soon, she collapses herself. She calls for “mommy.” Perhaps it’s real. Perhaps she’s trying to reel her mother in close. Adora takes her eldest upstairs. Then, out come the pills and the medications! All over again. Camille allows herself to “be looked after,” the favourite pastime of her mama. It gives the older woman a sense of purpose. At the station, Chief Bill Vickery (Matt Craven) and Dt. Richard Willis (Chris Messina) interrogate John together. Ashley (Madison Davenport) gave information on him. John says it isn’t true. He says he didn’t kill his sister, but that his girlfriend’s lashing out at him. Not too far fetched, considering Ashley’s only seeking fame. But what about the blood they found belonging to Natalie? In bed and sick, Camille can’t help remember the past. She sees her sister speak to her: “Get it out.” So, she vomits. She and Amma are like two ghouls, deteriorated by their mother, shuffling around the top floor of the house. She urges her little sister to go find Dt. Willis. It’s clear even if Camille originally intended to distract Adora, she’s not doing well now, and it’ll only get worse. Problem is, Alan’s continually a roadblock to his own daughter. He knows what his wife’s done, he knows she continues doing it. He’s totally spineless, evident by how he passive-aggressively deals with Chief Vickery’s relationship to Adora. Having a bath, Camille confronts her mother about Marian (Lulu Wilson) dying. Mom won’t admit to anything, only cremating her after she died because she couldn’t bear the thought of her girl being eaten by insects. We do hear more of Adora’s harrowing upbringing— her own mother was a rough woman. Then, at the house, Dt. Willis shows up wanting to talk with Camille. So our reporter, frail and sick, crawls from the bath trying to reach him. The snake-like Alan sends Richard off claiming his step-daughter isn’t there. Greasy.

“Mom, am I gonna die?” “Oh, we’re all gonna die, Camille.”

On the floor, Camille lies dazed, almost near death. She can’t move. It’s then she sees the flashing lights of the cop car. Willis rushes upstairs, alongside Frank Curry (Miguel Sandoval). This is the moment Richard sees what the woman’s been hiding so long, all those scars across her body. Frank only wants to get his reporter and dear friend home. Now, an investigation is about to begin, and even Chief Vickery can’t stop it. Adora’s busy telling everyone her daughter is “mentally ill.” However, the cops come across a questionable pair of pliers in their search— y’know, like one that could be used to take out teeth. The whole house is a wild, intense scene, as Adora is cuffed, and the sisters are checked by EMTs. Even Alan’s a suspect as a possible accomplice to his wife. In the aftermath, Amma goes back to live with Camille, and the two give it a shot at existing normally outside of the dominance and control of their mother. There’s still the court trial, where Adora pleads “not guilty,” to everyone’s shock. Plus, she “never explained the teeth.” At least Alan isn’t also a murderer, just a weak willed man who couldn’t protect his own flesh and blood. Outside of Wind Gap, Amma thrives, making friends, trying out new hobbies. She goes to visit her mom in jail now and then, not fully letting go despite the crimes the woman’s committed, and against young girls she knew, no less. The final article from Camille is a heavy one about winning the “fucked up family Olympics.” We hear Frank read it, which rocks him. He loves it and he’s proud of her work. Her struggle’s not over yet, it’s never over. At least she’s headed in the right direction. She can begin healing. One of Amma’s new pals even idolises her, right down to marking on her skin just to look like Camille. Weird, but kinda sweet. In the end, Camille looks through the model house in Amma’s room. There, under one of the beds, she finds a single tooth. She further sees the floor of the room itself in the model house is made of teeth. All her little sister has to say? “Don‘t tell mama.” What an ending! It becomes about the experience of trauma, not redemption. Adora’s sickness was, in a way, passed on to her youngest daughter. It has stained the family. Camille managed to find a sense of redemption, whereas Amma inherited a deep seated illness. A terrifying few edits during the credits is a fantastic, chilling touch on Sharp Objects— a damn fine series.

Sharp Objects – Episode 8: “Milk” HBO's Sharp Objects Episode 8: "Milk" Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée Written by Gillian Flynn & Marti Noxon…

[sakuramidnight15]

I posted 1,761 times in 2022

That's 471 more posts than 2021!

577 posts created (33%)

1,184 posts reblogged (67%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@fumikomiyasaki

@sakuramidnight15

@crazyyanderefangirlfan

@forbiddensaintessandsinner

I tagged 287 of my posts in 2022

#oc - 99 posts

#mc - 98 posts

#disney twisted wonderland - 98 posts

#twisted wonderland - 98 posts

#gacha club - 96 posts

#gacha games - 95 posts

#bio - 54 posts

#character information - 54 posts

#hourglass station academy - 48 posts

#hsa - 47 posts

Longest Tag: 65 characters

#though im still in training when it comes to writing like this xd

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Tag Game!

(Link)

_____________________________________

See the full post

36 notes - Posted June 15, 2022

#4

-RSA OC Information-

[Gacha Club Ver. Below]

Character Bio

Name: Harper Persephone

(Japanese: ハーパーペルセポネ)

Romaji: Hāpā Perusepone

Quote: "Powerful like red roses, they can grow through anything despite difficulties."

V/A: Azumi Asakura (Japanese)

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Birthday: September 3

Star Sign: Virgo

Eye Color: Amaranth Red

Hair Color: Chiffon White

Height: 166 cm

Race: Human

Homeland: Springfield Village (The first country of the island of enchantment)

Family: Adelio Clifford (Father)

Eleanor Persephone (Mother)

Hadrian Clifford (Older Twin Brother)

_____________________________________

School Status and Fun Facts

Dorm: TBA (If There's RSA Canon Dorms in the game)

School Year: Second

Class: 2-A

Student no. 3

Occupation: Student

Florist Expert

Drug Maker

Club: N/A

See the full post

39 notes - Posted February 20, 2022

#3

Tag Game

(Picrew Link- Here)

Rule: Post Two of your OCs Past and Present Appearances

__________________________________

-Mireille- (Before Trauma and After Trauma)

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87 notes - Posted August 1, 2022

#2

Tag Game! (Link)

Chizuko, Lynette, Freya and Yaeko

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89 notes - Posted January 28, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Tag Game! (Link)

Rules: Make your oc's past appearance and current appearance.

Note: A long post XD

_____________________________

-Main trio: Past Appearances-

Lynette: "Mom... Dad... Everyone... I've decided, I'll join the SIDC as an official investigator!"

----------------------------------------------

See the full post

92 notes - Posted February 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[hour13]

Fishbowl

Fishbowl

By Tim Carroll

I

           “Wanna know a secret?”  Persephone asked in a voice that was too loud for anyone but her to call it whispering.

           Margaret shrugged.  She felt that Persephone’s secrets were invariably either things that everyone already knew or things that she had just made up to feel special.  She looked over to see that Persephone was still staring at her expectantly.  

           “Fine,” Margaret whispered back, using actual whispers.  

           “Last night my grandma told me that the sky wasn’t always cracked.”

           Margaret looked up at the jagged web of fractures that stretched across the western plate-glass horizon of Dome 58.  Margaret shook her head, “Your grandma doesn’t know your name half the time.  I think she might have—”

           “No!” Persephone squealed, before remembering she was supposed to be whispering. “She said that one day a long time ago there was a loud bang.  She said that when she first saw the cracks they looked like a spider web and she was scared that there would be a giant spider who lived there and wanted to eat her!”

           Margaret shrugged, but Persephone continued in her non-whispery whisper, “She said everyone was scared, but then they weren’t allowed to talk about it.  The people at her school said that it was all normal and they whacked kids for discussing it.  And eventually everyone forgot that it wasn’t always there.”

           Margaret smiled at Persephone.  She had stopped scowling at her a long time ago-- it was too likely to make her cry. “That’s quite a story Pers.” Margaret replied causing Persephone to beam, “Now come on, we’re late to pick up our rations.”  

II

           It seemed like every aspect of the office of the director, from the old world paintings that covered the walls to the tapestry behind the desk, had been designed to awe visitors into a state of submission.  Simply walking through the door, Surveyor Peter Card felt like he had left behind the administrative offices of Dome 58’s town hall and stepped into another world.  A world that was run by the man sitting behind the desk, casually thumbing through an old world book – Director Edward Thornton.

           Peter approached the desk slowly, taking the time to admire the room’s centerpiece: A man-sized scale replica of Dome 58.  

           Peter figured that several years’ worth of art budget had gone into making the model.  Every detail had been perfectly attended to: tiny mothers walking to the birthing center, tiny children marching in double file lines behind the schools, and even a gaggle of people gathered outside the ration stations.  Somehow, the sculptors had even chiseled a perfect replica of the jagged crack across the western sky.

           Peter felt a shiver run down his spine as he looked at the crack.  If it were only a few millimeters deeper.

           Director Thornton flashed a grin at Peter as he approached, not breaking eye contact, the director grabbed the book off his desk and put it away on a small mahogany bookshelf.   Peter had never seen so many paper books outside of a museum or a picture of the old world.  Then the director got out of his chair and walked over to the surveyor.

            “Pete, how’re you doing?” he chuckled, clapping Peter on the back, “Take a seat.”

           Peter tried not to flinch.  He wondered if Director Thornton was this liberal with back pats and nicknames to everyone he called into his office.  He must be. Or maybe Peter truly was as special as Director Thornton claimed.  

           “Sir,” Peter began, as he pulled out the seat in front of the desk “Have you—”

           “Slow down,” Thornton smiled, “Would you like a drink first?  Some water?  Tea?”

           Peter gulped, “No, sir.  Thank you, sir.  If it’s all the same to you--”

           “Enough with this ‘sir,’” Director Thornton interrupted, as he sat down on the imposing chair behind the desk, “I get enough of sir.  Call me Ed.”

           Peter swallowed again. “Okay… Ed.” Peter paused and, sensing no impending interruption, continued, “Have you had the time to review my report?”

           The director tapped the black top of his desk, revealing it to be one massive touchscreen.  Almost instantly, every chart, figure, and equation detailed in Peter’s 30-odd page report appeared on the surface.  “Very impressive work, Pete.” Thornton mused, “I knew you were the right man for the job. That said, are you positive of your conclusions?”

           Peter nodded. “I would bet my life on them.  The cracks are not as stable as they appear and are growing at a rate of roughly 2 centimeters a year.  You told me that decontamination was causing the Earth’s atmosphere to rise in temperature. If this is true, and assuming that the temperature will continue to increase at a constant rate, additional thermal stress will be placed upon the dome, causing the rate of fracture to increase exponentially.   There’s too many unknowns for an exact prediction, especially since perfect measurement of the conditions outside the dome is impossible, but you’re looking at a 60% chance that the dome will be breached in the next forty years.”

           Director Thornton nodded, his smile drifting away, “Your report also says that there is roughly a twelve percent chance of no breach occurring in the next hundred years.”

           “Yes, but considering the low probability of that scenario, I think we would be far safer ignoring it.  I was hoping we could use this meeting to discuss exactly how repair would be implemented.  I would be more than happy assisting whatever team you choose for the job.  Seeing as the rate of fracture is unpredictable, I think we should try and start as soon as possible.”

           “Let me stop you there, Pete.” Director Thornton said, as he jabbed his finger at the section labeled Repair Costs.   “Pete, don’t take this the wrong way.  I consider you a friend, and you’re obviously the best engineer we have here, but it’s clear you’re not a budgeter.  And that’s not your fault.”

           “Sir…, I mean, Ed.  I don’t understand.  This is the dome we’re talking about, I don’t think we can take half measures. ”

           “Pete, looking at your report you seem to suggest we should use close to the entirety of Dome 59’s stock of formaldehyde in order to synthesize this Cy… Cyano…”  Director Thornton fumbled on the word,

           “Cyanoacryllate,” Pete finished, “It’s a type of glue. One that should be able to hold the dome together until decontamination is done.”

           “Pete, your heart, and much more importantly, your brain, are both in the right place here.  But I can’t authorize using the entirety of our formaldehyde supplies.  We need that for several other construction projects as well as producing a variety of medications.  You’re going to need to bring these costs down.”

           “Director, I have brought those costs down.  Frankly, our stores are insufficient for the type of more permanent repairs we should be doing.  The Cyanoacryllate we have will be sufficient for only repairs of the most major cracks. There’s still going to be a non-negligible rate of fracture.”  

           The Director shook his head, “I don’t know what to tell you Pete, you’re going to have to find a way to make it work.”

           Before Peter could protest, there was a loud knock on the door and a woman poked her head in. “Director Thornton, your next meeting is here.”

           “Give me a minute, Martha.”  Director Thornton shouted, before turning his gaze back to Peter. “Pete, I want to be on your side here, but I just can’t authorize that kind of expenditure, you’re going to have to make do with what we have. I have complete faith in you.”

III

           The doctors called it Constrained Habitat Induced Insanity.  Those who were less sensitive called it “Domentia.”

           Due to structural constraints, it had been much easier for the failing governments of Earth to construct hundreds of smaller domes before the Great Contamination instead of a few larger ones.   As a result, dome residents would spend their lives surrounded by the same 2,000 or so people in the same 10 or so mile radius.  For most domers, that was good enough.  But for some, the monotony was maddening.

           Allison’s birth mother had had Domentia.  Her mother had stayed up late at night, rocking herself to sleep, and staring at the horizon as though a creature might come out of the inky blackness and take her far away.  Even now, years after she’d been taken to the sanitarium, Allison could still hear the screaming rants in the back of her mind.  

           It was those same screaming rants that had driven Allison to pursue a job in the office of communications.  In this office, Allison knew she was never truly alone.  Everywhere else in Dome 58, interdome communication was strictly forbidden. But from her desk, Allison could send text-based messages to communicators in over a dozen other domes, brokering trade deals and discussing what life was like over a hundred miles of radioactive desert away.

           Allison smiled as she reflected on an interesting tidbit she had learned this morning. Apparently, the director of Dome 42 was trying to legalize bigamous family units so that he could take his mistress as a second wife.  Allison was typing a reply to her friend in Dome 42, when she heard a knock on the steel door behind her.  

           “Come in,” she shouted, without turning away from her desk. Reflected on her computer screen, Allison could see a blond-haired boyish face poking through the doorway.  

           “Hey, Ally,” the man said, “was wondering if you’d had your lunch yet.”  

           “Hey, John.” Allison replied, “I’m busy today.  Decided I would save my midday rations for a bigger dinner. You peacekeepers haven’t made that illegal have you?”

           “Not yet,” John replied, sauntering into the room, “But it could be argued that you working yourself to death is a seditious act against the office of communications, seeing as they’d never get on without you.”

           “Wow,” Allison whistled, “You give a peacekeeper a gun and suddenly he’ll look for any excuse to arrest someone.”  She gestured to the conspicuous holster on John’s hip, a sign that he’d graduated the academy with flying colors.  

           “Hey,” John chuckled, “First of all it’s not a gun…”

           “Really?” Allison asked, eyeing the pistol-shaped device, “It looks like a gun from here.”

           “It’s a dart launcher.” John clarified, “Bullets cause too much collateral damage and are too inconsistent.  A touch of one of these neurotoxin darts and a criminal will be dead in a few seconds.”

           “Doesn’t that strike you as a little risky?” Allison asked, “Isn’t a few seconds long enough for someone to pull a trigger of their own?”

           “That’s why they only give dart launchers to peacekeepers and not to every person who wants to steal some rations.  Speaking of which, you sure you don’t have time for a bite?”

           Allison shook her head, “Sorry, babe.  I’m going to be communicating with Dome 78 in a few minutes.  Their communicator is a friend actually, and I’m negotiating an important trade deal with him.”

           “Oh really, what are they sending to us?”  

           “Fertilizer,” Allison replied, turning back to her keyboard, “and if you want there to be a steady supply of vegetables in your rations for years to come, chances are you’re going to want me to have this conversation.”

           “Shame,” John said, as he walked out of the room, “Maybe next time.”  

           “Maybe,” Allison replied, as she flexed her fingers and got back to work.

IV

           Director Thornton whistled a soft tune to himself as he walked out of the town controller office for the evening.

           Without warning, he heard the sound of someone charging at him from behind. With a practiced casual air, he reached into his jacket and fingered the remote he kept inside it.  With a single button press, a team of security officers would be at his location within two minutes.  

           A second before he squeezed the remote, he turned to see that his would-be attacker was none other than Peter Card, the surveyor.  

           “Pete!” He said, forcing a smile as he moved his hand out of his jacket pocket, “What are you doing here so late?”

           “Sir…” Pete panted, “I had… an idea for the situation.”

           Director Thornton checked for anyone who might be listening before leaning in. “I think this is a very serious matter to discuss in a public place.”  

           Pete turned his head to the left and right before craning his head in for a whisper, “I think I know a solution, and I just need you to set me up with someone discreet from the office of communications.”

           Ed swallowed hard. “And why would you need that?”

           “We may have finite formaldehyde stores, but there certainly are other domes with their own.  Or possibly even the means of producing more.  I’m not sure what we have to trade but if you give me—”

           “Pete. Pete. Pete.” Director Thornton interrupted, “We’re supposed to be a self-sufficient community.  We can’t be asking other domes for their crucial supplies.”

           “Sir, we already participate in goods exchanges with at least a half-dozen other domes.  Certainly there are some luxuries we could offer them in exchange for formaldehyde. Even a 20% increase in our stores would vastly improve our long term structural integrity.”

           “Pete.” Director Thornton said sternly, “I told you to find a way to make it work.  You’re going to need to find a way to repair the breach with the stores you have.”

           “But sir…”

           “I’m sorry, Pete. I have to go.” The director said as he walked towards the waiting car, “If you wish to have another meeting, schedule it with my secretary.”

V

           Margaret stared at the half-written report on her desk and sighed.  It was supposed to be two written pages about why Dome 58 – with its job of maintaining the human population after the Great Contamination - was critically important, and what she as a citizen could do to help ensure that that mission was completed.  Personally, she’d always wished she had been born into one of the decontamination domes so she could actually help make the Earth livable again, but instead she was stuck here waiting for… nothing.  

           She heard the sound of footsteps behind her and turned to see her mom carrying a plate of beef-flavor rations over.  Her mom flashed a smile, “How’s the report coming, pearl?”

           “Not too well.”  Margaret replied, “I just think there’s only so much I can do to help Dome 58.”

           “Well there’s a lot you can do, hon.” Her mother replied, “Did you mention that you could volunteer as a birthmother,” she said gesturing to her growing belly.  

           Margaret nodded, though the idea of carrying a tiny baby inside her tummy always somewhat scared her. What if it bit on something important?  

           Margaret shook her head, and looked at her mother, “Hey, mom, can I ask you a weird question.”

           “What is it, baby?”

           Margaret turned to look at her mother, “Did the sky always have a big crack in it?”

           “Of course, pearl, why would you ask such a silly question?”

           “It’s just, Persephone said something today—”

           “That girl says all kinds of silly things.  Between you and me, I don’t think the teachers are doing a very good job with her.  Radical ideas like hers are what got Earth into this mess.”

           “Yeah…” Margaret said, “I thought so…”

           “Anyway, let me know if you need any more help.” Her mother smiled, “You’re a smart girl.  I’m sure you’ll figure everything out.”

VI

           John awoke to the sound of faint tapping beside him. His eyes peeked open, and he looked over at Allison, the curve of her back silhouetted by the light of the tablet on her lap.  

           “Ally,” he mumbled, as he moved closer to her.

           “Go back to sleep,” she said patting him on the head,

           “You first,” he teased.

           Allison smiled, and resumed scrolling on her tablet.  

           “If you have so much work you’re doing it past midnight, you can probably tell your superiors. You’d at least qualify for more rations.”

           “Not work,” she shook her head, “Not exactly.”

           John yawned loudly.  “And it can’t wait for the morning?”

           “I was talking to Claude from Dome 42 this morning.”

           “Your friend?” John asked.

           “I thought he was, but I referenced some of our old jokes today and he acted like he had no idea what I was talking about.”

           “Sorry, babe.” John yawned, leaning back on his pillow. “I don’t think everyone has your memory.”  

           “I think it’s more than him being forgetful.  I’m looking back at our chat logs. Sometimes he seems like a completely different person.”

           “Babe, I… respect you… a lot.” John replied, “but maybe we can discuss this in the morning?”

           Allison sighed, set down her tablet, and rested her head on John’s chest. “Fine, we’ll talk in the morning.”

           John opened his mouth to reply, but he was asleep before any words came out.

VII

           Allison – Dome 58 Communicator has signed on. [12:58:14]

           Rebecca – Dome 46 Communicator has signed on.  [1:01:15]

Allison 58: This is Allison Dome 58. Do you read me? [1:02:36]

Rebecca 46: This is Rebecca Dome 46. I read you Allison. [1:02:52]

Allison 58: Security Check, what is your favorite color? [1:03:36]

Rebecca 46: What? [1:05:02]

Allison 58: We have had a problem with security recently.  [1:05:13]

Allison 58: Asking personal questions to confirm identity [1:05:23]

Allison 58: What is your favorite color? [1:05:58]

Allison 58: Did you not tell me this during our communication two weeks ago? [1:06:44]

Rebecca 46: Oh, right. [1:06:56]

Rebecca 46:  Rebecca Purple.  Like my name. [1:10:11]

Allison 58: Why the delay? [1:10:31]

Rebecca 46: Apologies. My boss walked in and had a question for me. [1:11:52]

Rebecca 46: She does not remember approving a security check. [1:12:08]

Rebecca 46:  So can we please talk about the trade? [1:12:33]

Allison 58: Sure, just one more question.  Where did you meet your husband? [1:12:59]

Allison 58:  Rebecca? [1:15:04]

Rebecca 46: My apologies. Boss came in again. There’s been an incident.  Will get back to you about my husband soon.  [1:17:03]

           Allison reclined back in her chair, massaging her temples.  Eight months ago, Rebecca from Dome 46 had adamantly insisted that she had not and would never marry.

VIII

           Director Thornton reclined back in his bathtub, scrolling through a briefing on his tablet. Bathtubs were technically a luxury that was only afforded to families of five or greater. But then again, if the position of Director didn’t have any benefits, Edward seriously doubted that anyone would apply for it.  

           Suddenly there was a pounding at the bathroom door. Director Thornton’s head jerked back, and nearly collided with the tile wall.  Steadying himself, he reached for his bathrobe.  

           “Martha?” He asked.  It wasn’t truly a question.  His secretary was the only other person with a key, and Thornton sincerely doubted anyone would be foolish enough to rob the home of the director. Clad in his royal blue bathrobe, Thornton opened the door.  Martha was standing on the other side, holding a pair of caffeine pills in one hand and a hanger with a suit dangling from it on the other.

           She looked at him sternly.  “We have a situation.”

 X

           Clad in black, Allison snuck through the bushes outside the office of the communicator.  She’d spent the past week-and-a-half staking out the building and watching the patterns of the guards’ movements.  Granted, the term ‘guards’ might have been a little generous.  Half of the night watch were asleep, and a third more spent the night either reading or playing games on their tablets.  

           Before she had left work six hours ago, Allison had left one of the first floor bathroom windows open a crack.  Resting her back against the wall, she wormed her fingers into that small crack and lifted the window to create an Allison-sized opening.  Once she was satisfied, she slid into that egress and closed the window behind her.

           Allison crept to the bathroom door and opened it a fraction of an inch. She saw the lone night watchman walking about twenty meters in front of her. Gritting her teeth, she closed the door and counted to thirty.  When she reopened it, he was gone.

           With each step she reminded herself not to sprint. Her heart was pounding and she could feel the sweat pooling under her black gloves.  This was her last chance to turn back. No, she told herself, I need to be here. I need to KNOW.  

           Allison made her way to the staircase and began descending until she reached the steel door to sub-level four.    She pulled out an ID card she had swiped from her boss’s desk when he hadn’t been looking and waved it in front of the scanner.  A half-second later, the red light turned to green.  With a beep and a mechanical hiss, the door swung open.  

           Allison crept inside and let out a long exhale, there wouldn’t be any guards in this room, so she could take her time.

           This room was supposed to be empty.  It was meant as an unloading dock for the ships that came in from other domes.    Dome 58 hadn’t received a trade in over a week, and yet the room was stacked floor to ceiling with crates.  Allison ran to a stack of crates labeled “Dome 75” and lifted the lid.  It was filled to the brim with medical supplies that she had negotiated a trade for on that very morning.  

           Allison dragged her gloved forefinger across the top box.  There was a thin layer of dust.  

           Allison spent the next half hour searching the room. All of the mechanisms for opening the docking bay to the outside air had been disabled and were covered in dust.  Even if there had been space for a trading ship to dock, there was no way for it to get in.

           Not that Dome 58 needed any supplies. All the trade goods she had negotiated for in the past month were already here.

           Had always been here, she realized.   All of the seemingly random things her supervisors had told her to ask for, hadn’t been random at all. They were planned out to create the illusion of trade with other domes.  Other domes that might not even exist.

           Allison shivered.  For the first time in her life, she felt alone.  

XI

           Margaret walked to the education center in a sleep-deprived daze.  She and her mother had been up two hours past curfew the previous night writing a list of ways she could benefit Dome 58 by stepping up as a birth mother.  Her mother had insisted that it wasn’t really lying; Margaret would feel that way eventually.  She just didn’t yet.

           Half-asleep, Margaret nearly walked directly into Persephone, stopping a second before she smashed into her classmate.  

           “Sorry,” Margaret mumbled, “I didn’t—” Margaret gasped. One of Persephone’s teeth was chipped, and there was a large cut under her right eye.

           “What happened to you?”

           “I…” Persephone stuttered. “I tripped.”

           “Are you okay? Should you even—”

           “I’m fine,” Persephone nearly shouted, “It’s just I need you to know something.”

           “What?”

           “All that stuff about the Dome yesterday…”

           Margaret nodded, “About how the sky wasn’t always cracked?”

           Persephone seemed to flinch at the words.  “I made it all up.” Persephone whispered, really whispered “It’s always been cracked.”  A tear rolled down her cheek. “Don’t tell anyone anything else. You might get in trouble.”

            “Sure, Pers.” Margaret nodded, as she rested a hand on her classmate’s back, “It’s fine. I never really believed you anyway.”

XII

           John sat on the bench in Pleasant Park and stared up at the dome.  The bench used to be his and Allison’s bench.  But John was beginning to doubt whether he and Allison were even a… well whatever they had been.  The two of them hadn’t shared a meal, much less spent a night together, in the past couple weeks.  

           John sighed and kicked a rations wrapper absentmindedly.  He’d been considering talking to her about filing for cohabitation, but now…  

           John crushed the empty paper cup in his hand and threw it at the nearby trashcan, missing the rim by nearly a foot. He considered getting up to pick up the trash when the radio on his hip sprang to life.

           “Attention all units!” The metallic voice squeaked, “This is a code 4.  Is anyone in Rim Sector 6!”  

           John pushed away thoughts of Allison and grabbed the receiver.   “This is Peacekeeper Mulligan, I’m in Pleasant Park. What’s the trouble?”

           “Roger Peacekeeper Mulligan.   An unknown figure has been spotted walking along the dome catwalks.” The voice barked, “Unclear what he is doing up there.  Investigate and report immediately.  This is a priority one objective.”

           “Copy.” John replied, as he pushed himself to his feet and began jogging to the cast-iron catwalks that butted up against the glass dome that surrounded the community.

           In theory, no one was supposed to go up there without passing a pair of guards, and the presence of a man on those catwalks represented a massive threat to the community.  In practice.  John was willing to bet several weeks’ worth of extra rations that a guard – equal parts bored and stupid – wanted to see the view during his coffee break and forgot to clear it with a supervisor.  

           Ten minutes later, John arrived at the catwalk access station.  John knocked twice on the steel door before electing to let himself in.  

           “Hello, my name is Peacekeeper Mullig---“ John stopped midsentence, and swore as he reached for his radio.

           “This is Peacekeeper Mulligan!” John barked into his radio, as he fumbled to check the two unconscious guards for a pulse,  “I’m at catwalk access station R,  both guards have sustained head injuries.  Both unconscious.  Requesting immediate medical support.  Requesting immediate backup!”

           For ten seconds that stretched into an eternity there was only silence.  

           “This is Peacekeeper Mulligan!” John repeated, “I am at catwalk access station R—“

           “We hear you Peacekeeper Mulligan!”  The voice on the other end of the line interrupted, “Backup and medical are on route!  Apprehend the figure on the catwalk.  Deadly force authorized.  Do you copy?”

           John swallowed a mouthful of air down his suddenly dry throat. “Deadly force authorized,” wasn’t a phrase he had ever actually expected to hear on the job.  Let alone directed at him.

           “Peacekeeper Mulligan.  Do you—“

           “I copy,” John replied as grabbed the dartgun from the holster on his waist and began climbing the uncomfortably titled steel stairs that led up to the side of the Dome.   After going up three stories, John saw a figure.   “Mystery man spotted.” John panted into his radio, “Engaging now.”

           “Roger, Peacekeeper Mulligan!”

           With the dartgun clutched in his sweat-slick hands, John approached the dark figure.  His boots clacked on the metal catwalk with each step, but the suspect didn’t seem to notice until John was only about a half a dozen meters away. The man appeared to be fiddling with a device that was affixed to the glass wall of the dome.  John was no expert, but it looked uncomfortably like an explosive.  

           “Suspect!” John shouted, “You are in violation of Dome 58 code.  Step away from the device and surrender yourself!”  

           The man turned and looked at John.  

           John gasped.  “Allison?”

           “John…” Allison replied, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you…”

           “What the hell are you doing, Ally.  This isn’t like you.  What is that machine.”

           “It’s not a machine, John.” Allison said, holding up a detonator, “It’s a bomb.”

           “Good lord, Ally.” John replied, “What the hell will this accomplish?”

           “There aren’t any other domes, John.”

           John tilted his head to the side, “What?”

           “The other domes, they’re all lies.  They don’t exist.  All the ‘clean-up domes’ we learned about in school were made up.”

           “Then why blow up this dome?” John shouted, “This one is real!”  John took a step forward.

           “Don’t come any closer,” Allison shouted, holding up the detonator. “Don’t you get it, John? Everything is a lie. There aren’t any heroes out there cleaning the earth.  All the sacrifices we make, all the rationing, all the forced families. It’s all for nothing!  There will never be a clean earth!  We are just living to die!”

           “Allison, please, come home!” John pleaded, “We can go home!”            “We’re not people, John…” Allison replied, tightening her grip, “We’re… guppies… guppies in a fishbowl!  Living for nothing!”

           “Allison…” John pleaded

           “I can’t live like this!” Allison sobbed, “I can’t live knowing that it’s all pointless!”

           “But I can, John replied, “Other people can.

           “They’ve…” Allison sobbed, “They’ve broken you. All of us. They’ve made us think it’s okay to live in submission.  They’ve played god with our lives.  We’re not even people John!  My mother was right!”

           “Your mother was nuts!” John shouted,

           “NO, John…” Allison said, suddenly quiet. “She was sane.  And now I am too…”

           “Allison, please!” John said, lifting his gun, “Don’t make me do this.”

           “I need to do this, John.” Allison sobbed, as she held up the detonator.

           “NO!” John screamed, as he squeezed down on the trigger.  A sharp hiss of air brushed against his hand as a trio of darts sped into Allison’s stomach.   Allison stumbled backward, her face twisting as the neurotoxin coursed through her system.

           And then, with a final breath, she pushed the button.  

XIII

           Even now, through the swelling and blood in his eyes, the office of the director still looked dazzling to Peter.  The two men, practically towers of muscle, standing beside him each held one of his arms in a stranglehold.  The two of them nodded reverentially as Director Thornton entered the room.    

           “Pete, Pete, Pete…” The director tsked, “I thought we were friends.”

           “Do you lie to the faces of all your friends?” Pete asked, spitting equal parts saliva and blood onto the carpet.

           “I do, in fact.”  Director Thornton responded, “It’s the price I pay for being director.”

           “Yeah, you sound real broken up about it.”

           “I have learned to cope,” Director Thornton responded as he poured himself a drink. “With the lies, the secrets.  And speaking of secrets.” The director took a long sip, “We let you in on a major secret when we told you the truth about the crack in the dome.  And now my men are telling me that you broke into the office of communications.  We trusted you, Pete.  And to abuse that trust…”

           “You didn’t trust me.”  Peter snapped, “You lied to me – to everyone – from birth.  You think telling me one truth makes up for that?”  Peter paused to catch his breath, “Was it even one truth? How did the dome really break?”

           Director Thornton sighed, “I supposed there’s no point in secrets, now.  Roughly seventy-five years ago, a terrorist named Allison Graham detonated a bomb while standing on the catwalks only a few meters away from the glass.  The dome held, obviously.  If it hadn’t, I doubt any of us would be here now.”

           “Why’d she do it?”

           “According to the officer at the scene, she’d leaned the truth about all the other domes that we had been in contact with.  The truth that I have been tasked with keeping from both you and the rest of the citizens of my dome.”

           “So, what is the truth?”  Peter asked, “Why aren’t they talking to us?’

           Director Thornton shook his head, “One hundred and forty years ago – roughly a quarter of a century after the great contamination - we actually were in contact with all the other domes.  And we truly did trade supplies with them.  However, for reasons unknown, the domes around us starting going dark, stopped sending supplies and communications.  Over the course of about two weeks, we lost contact with every other dome.”

           If the two men holding Peter’s arms were surprised by this information in any way, they didn’t show it.  Peter looked at their impassive faces, and then back to the director.  “What happened to the other domes?”  

           Director Thornton took another long sip of his brandy and shook his head. “We have no idea.  The domes went dark so suddenly that we didn’t have any time to do anything other than speculate. The last few domes we were in contact with didn’t seem to know any more than we did.”  

           “We have ships though.”  Peter responded, “Why didn’t we send them out to investigate?            “Why do you assume we didn’t?”  The director asked, “We sent out two ships.  One to Dome 75, one to Dome 46.  Those vessels never came back.  Seeing as are last few ships are irreplaceable assets, my predecessors decided to call off the search instead of risking more of them.  For the sake of preventing mass panic, we’ve kept this information from the general public.  However, the leaders of Dome 58 have spent the last century under the assumption that we are the single last surviving dome.”  

           Peter resisted the urge to vomit.  “But Dome 58’s not a decontamination dome.  We have none of the tools to purify the planet’s air or water.  That means…”

           “Yes,” Director Thornton responded, “If we truly are the last surviving Dome, then there is no one else who has the tools or knowledge necessary to restore the Earth to its previous state..”

           “But if that’s the case… if we’re all that’s left… then you need to fix the cracks”  Pete pleaded, “You need my plan.”  

           “You are correct, your plan for fixing the dome is absolutely necessary. More than you could have ever known.”  The director sighed and finished off his drink,  “However, you are not necessary.  Quite the opposite in fact.”  Director Thornton slid open a nearly invisible compartment in a bookshelf and withdrew a peacekeeper dartgun. “Thank you for your designs, Mr. Card. Rest assured, they will be put to good use.”  

           “Wait!” Peter shouted, as Thornton pulled the trigger. Peter continued to protest, his words slurring together as his body slumped to the ground like a ragdoll.  

           “Get him out of here,” Director Thornton told the two guards, as he returned to his desk.  

           The director waited until the two men were out of sight before pouring himself another tall drink.

 XIV

           Consciousness came back to John far too quickly.  One second he was lying on the catwalk, watching the spider web of cracks spread out over him. The next second, he was… well certainly not on the catwalk. He was in a bed, staring up at a featureless white tile ceiling.

           As his mind replayed the memories of the explosion- as if on cue – the aches spread down his body. With a grunt of exertion, John propped himself up on the bed and began to look around. It wasn’t heaven. Either that or Heaven looked exactly like the inside of Dome 58’s hospital.  And the man in the corner looked a lot like Director Sanders.

           “Director…” John grunted?

           “You can call me Jim if you want.”  The Director said, as he poured a glass of water from a plastic pitcher and handed it to John “Take this, the doctors said to get water in your as soon as you were awake.”

           “Thanks…” John panted, “Jim…”

           The Director – Jim – pulled up a chair and sat down next to John. “Peacekeeper Mulligan – may I call you John?”

           John nodded.

           “The doctors also told me that I should get them as soon as you were awake.  But unfortunately there’s a conversation that truly cannot wait.  Do you understand?”

           John nodded again, as he downed the glass of water. Jim reached for the pitcher, but John shook his head. “I’m good…” he muttered.

           “You’re far more than good, John.”  The director replied, “If the accounts I’ve heard are to be believed, you are truly extraordinary.”  

           “Is the dome…?” John began

           “The glass barrier is fine.” The director answered, “There’s a few more cracks in it than there used to be.  But it’s still holding.”

           John let out a sigh of relief. “And… Allison?” John asked, but in his gut he already knew the answer.

           Jim shook his head. “I’m sorry, John.  She… she passed in the explosion.  You have my condolences, I understand the two of you were somewhat close.  

           “We…” John began, “I guess we were...  I don’t know…”

           The director raised his hand.  “I won’t pry if you don’t want me to.  I know it’s always a shock to friends and family when these things happen.  However, there is something we do need to discuss about it.”

           “Don’t worry,” John said, lying back down, “You’ll have your full incident report once I’m out of this bed.”  

           “Actually, John, there’s no need for that.”

           With a groan, John pushed himself into an upright position. “I beg your pardon, sir?”

           “Peacekeepers have recovered a detailed suicide note from Allison’s residence, which I now have in my custody. The things Allison wrote down…” Jim shook his head, “There would be pandemonium if people knew.”    

           John lifted his eyebrows. “Knew what?”

            The director titled his head. “I don’t understand…”

           “What things don’t you want the people to know?” John asked, “Do you not want them to know that a woman with a bomb nearly shattered the dome? Or do you not want them to know that that woman believed… believed there weren’t any other domes.”

           “Peacekeeper Mulligan,” The director began, “You have an exemplary record of service. And taking a wound in the line of duty is something that we notice at the office of the director.  It’s the type of thing that lets us know who we can trust.  Who we can put on the fast track for promotion. Do you understand my meaning?”

           John looked at the director as though through a haze, “Just tell me two things. “

           “I’ll do my best.”

           “No, don’t do your best.” John replied, “Just tell me the truth.”  John looked the director in the eyes. “Was my girlfriend – was Allison – ever truly in contact with any other domes?”

           The director shook his head. “No, she only talked to actors.  People within the circle of trust.”

           John nodded. “The second thing.  If I don’t cooperate, are you going to kill me?”

           The director sighed. “You must understand, John, there are realities here that can’t be ignored.  You’ve seen yourself what this knowledge can do to people.  To good people, like Ms Graham.  It’s not pleasant, but it’s what we have to do.  You do understand, don’t you, John.”  

           John closed his eyes and lay back down against the pillow, “I understand perfectly.”

           The director smiled, “I’m glad, John.”

           “So… Jim,” John said, not bothering to open his eyes, “Could you do me a favor?”  

           “Certainly, John.” The director replied, “What do you need?”

           “Can you make it quick?”

           “Make what qui… oh… I understand.”  Director Sanders rose from the chair and withdrew a dartgun from the inner pocket of his suit.  “Thank you for your service, Peacekeeper Mulligan.”

           It was quick.    

XV

           It was 3:00, and the shouts of the hordes of children leaving the education centers reverberated against the glass windows of Director Thornton’s office.  Ed sighed and stared at the mountain of paperwork on his desk.  If he hunkered down, he estimated he would be able to get it done before 7:00.  The director reached for the next reacquisition form and sighed.  Finishing the last of his brandy, the director pushed himself away from his desk and headed to the door.  

           Martha eyed him as he was leaving, “Taking an early night?” she asked.

           “Just something I need to see.”  The Director responded, as he headed out onto the streets of Dome 58.  

           Ed’s driver, a redheaded woman in her thirties, stood up as he approached, but Ed gestured to signal that her services wouldn’t be needed.  “I need a walk anyway,” he muttered, not sure if she could hear. She had already returned to playing a card game on her tablet.

           It was a two mile walk to Pleasant Park, but Director Thornton was out of breath when he arrived.  Perhaps he truly did need the exercise.  Director Thornton walked to his favorite bench, the one that had the letters “AG & JM” etched into the side inside of a heart.  Director Thornton sat down on the bench and stared up at the crack in the dome.  From this vantage point it was so large it nearly dominated the crimson sky.  

           Before he even knew what he was doing, the director grabbed his tablet and opened up Surveyor Card’s – Pete’s – project.  He scrolled down to the conclusion section. The tables and graphs were crystal clear, so easy even a pencil pusher like him could understand them.

           With the entirety of the available stores of cyanoacrylate, used in exactly the right places, they could reduce the chance of the dome breaking in the next hundred years to just thirty-two percent.

           The director sighed.  Thirty-two percent.  

           It would have to do.  

Author’s Notes

·        It’s good to be back.  Life has made writing a bit more difficult this year, but I’m still very pleased with how this story turned out.

·        I believe this is my first story to completely unambiguously pass the Bechdel Test.  

·        The fact that Margaret’s mother calls her pearl is a pun.  Margaret is Greek for “pearl.”

·        This story was inspired by the idea of a tryptich.  Which is usually three stories or poems centered around one topic.  I planned to do a triple tryptich, nine chapters, alternating between the three plotlines. Once it became clear that the story was too big for that, I turned it into the fifteen chapter mess that it is now.  Margaret and Persephone’s arc however still works as a tryptich.

·        Ed Thornton was an interesting character, one who I wish I could have done more with.  It’s not a coincidence that he and his predecessor, Jim Sanders, both use pretty much the same manipulation tactics on John and Peter.  I’d imagine that each director has been groomed by the one before into being a master manipulator who doesn’t question the status quo.

·        I don’t think Ed’s a sympathetic character, but I do sympathize with him to an extent.  Not many of the options he’s presented with are good ones. I don’t believe he was lying to Peter during their final confrontation and I do think he saw the killing as absolutely necessary. I think lying and manipulation are things that have become so normalized to him that he legitimately doesn’t see another way out.

[nfinitefreetime]

#REVIEW: Persephone Station, by Stina Leicht

#REVIEW: Persephone Station, by Stina Leicht

Let me start with the tl;dr of this review: I really enjoyed the story of this book, but there are certain aspects of it that are going to make it flat-out unreadable for certain people, including my wife, so that’s kind of tempering my reaction to it and it’ll be really interesting to see how much of it sticks with me in a month or two. One of the pull quotes on the back of this book describes…