#S&B Chapter 22

[stromuprisahat]

Can you help me to understand the tether between Alina and Aleksander? I've seen people say that it was formed when he collared her but if that's true then why not use it when she's on the run from him? I always thought that's why he got his nichevo'ya to wound her and why he thanked her, because it allowed that connection to form. Am I wrong here?

Okay, well, I'm still re-reading, but...

They're written as two halves of the same whole. They're supposed to be complimentary opposites, that's why Aleksander's waiting for the Sun Summoner instead of settling for just any immortal, why he believes they're meant to be even after encountering other immortals' different worldviews and Alina's refusal to accept her own greatness. She won't only live long, they're bound by the Making, so she's predisposed to ~understand~ (And there are moments, when she does. Only her upbringing, issues and moral police companions prevent her from embracing what's between them.).

The first clear sign of their interconnection's showed during Winter Fete, although from the wording, I've missed at least two earlier ones:

The moment his lips met mine, the connection between us opened and I felt his power flood through me. I could feel how much he wanted me—but behind that desire, I could feel something else, something that felt like anger. I drew back, startled. “You don’t want to be doing this.” “This is the only thing I want to be doing,” he growled, and I could hear the bitterness and desire all tangled up in his voice. “And you hate that,” I said with a sudden flash of comprehension. He sighed and leaned against me, brushing my hair back from my neck. “Maybe I do,” he murmured, his lips grazing my ear, my throat, my collarbone.

Shadow and Bone- Chapter 14

"... the connection between us ..." suggests it's something Alina figured out exists before this time, so she didn't experience it only once.

Then there's the Collar that gives Aleksander access to Alina's powers, although it's not exactly clear how it works.

I had spared the stag’s life. The power of that life belonged to me as surely as it belonged to the man who had taken it. ... The Darkling looked momentarily confused. He narrowed his eyes, and I felt his will descend on me again, felt that invisible hand grasping. I shrugged it off. It was nothing. He was nothing.

Shadow and Bone- Chapter 22

Like: Sorry honey, either the power belongs to you both, or you have the upper hand.

I would kill for Aleksander's LOGICAL explanation.

The nichevo'ya bite deepened the Bond, that's why Sasha did it. My guess is it might be something about merzost affecting the Making, therefore the connection formed by it, AND the tiny little detail the creatures might be created with use of said force, but from his own being. He's basically running around donating his body fluids essence to his closest "enemies"... *wink wink*

We don't know more than what he tells Alina, so perhaps he could feel her presence before that. Perhaps Alina's youth and inexperience played bigger part in her use of their connection, than we think. Perhaps her many issues did. (I hate repeating this phrase, but THE WASTED POTENTIAL!) Why tell your stubbornly uncooperating soulmate you have an in-build compass to help you track them, if they left a trail of more profane kind?

[animusrox]

TOP 10

Past Lives

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Poor Things

Oppenheimer

Barbie

BlackBerry

The Holdovers

The Iron Claw

Killers of the Flower Moon

MY LETTERBOXD Grade A 11.    The Killer 12.    Beau Is Afraid 13.    Dream Scenario 14.    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 15.    Godzilla Minus One 16.    American Fiction 17.    They Cloned Tyrone 18.     Evil Dead Rise 19.    Eileen 20.    The Artifice Girl 21.   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 22.    Talk to Me 23.    Reality 24.    Leave the World Behind 25.    A Thousand and One 26.    Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One 27.    Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. 28.    Theater Camp 29.   Carmen 30.    Merry Little Batman 31.    Priscilla 32.    Society of the Snow 33.    Infinity Pool 34.    Enys Men 35.    Sanctuary 36.    Rye Lane 37.    Skinamarink 38.    Monster 39.    Anatomy of a Fall 40.    Landscape with Invisible Hand 41.    Reptile 42.    Sisu 43.    Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game 44.    No One Will Save You 45.    Tetris 46.    May December 47.    The Zone of Interest 48.    V/H/S/85 49.    Dumb Money 50.    El Conde 51.    Arnold 52.    Maestro 53.    Napoleon 54.    20 Days in Mariupol 55.    Influencer 56.    The Creator 57.    Origin 58.    Thanksgiving 59.    Next Goal Wins 60.    The Boy and the Heron 61.    Bottoms 62.    Wonka

[Press Keep Reading For The Full Graded List]

Grade B

63.   God Is a Bullet 64.    No Hard Feelings 65.    Joy Ride 66.    Fair Play 67.     Cocaine Bear 68.    NYAD 69.    Asteroid City 70.    Nowhere 71.    The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster 72.    Divinity 73.    The Equalizer 3 74.    The Last Voyage of the Demeter 75.    Venus 76.    Butcher’s Crossing 77.    Somewhere in Queens 78.    The Persian Version 79.    Boston Strangler 80.    Polite Society 81.    Miguel Wants to Fight 82.    The Color Purple 83.    The Royal Hotel 84.    Saw X 85.    All of Us Strangers 86.    Fallen Leaves 87.    Ferrari 88.    Elemental 89.    Peter Pan & Wendy 90.    Renfield 91.    Cat Person 92.    Scream VI 93.    The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes 94.    BS High 95.    Blue Beetle 96.    Huesera: The Bone Woman 97.    When Evil Lurks 98.    Dark Harvest 99.    A Good Person 100.    Final Cut 101.    Knock at the Cabin 102.    Quiz Lady 103.    Leo 104.    Air 105.    The Super Mario Bros. Movie 106.    Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham 107.    John Wick: Chapter 4 108.    Beaten to Death 109.    The Wrath of Becky 110.    Passages 111.    Transformers: Rise of the Beasts 112.    Gran Turismo 113.    65 114.    Sick 115.    Sister Death 116.    The Blackening 117.    Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain 118.    Flamin’ Hot 119.    Nimona 120.    Cobweb 121.    Totally Killer 122.    What’s Love Got to Do with It? 123.     Sharper 124.    Unseen 125.    Dunki 126.    Bird Box Barcelona 127.    The Marvels 128.    Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Grade C

129.   Wildflower 130.    Freelance 131.    M3GAN 132.    Strays 133.    Sympathy for the Devil 134.    Creed III 135.    Chevalier 136.    The Marsh King’s Daughter 137.    A Haunting in Venice 138.    The Little Mermaid 139.    Silent Night 140.    Master Gardener 141.    The Flash 142.    Fast X 143.    The Pope’s Exorcist 144.    Saltburn 145.    Kandahar 146.    Stand 147.    Plane 148.   Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 149.    Fingernails 150.    Quicksand 151.    Fool’s Paradise 152.    Migration 153.    Rustin 154.    The Covenant 155.    Good Burger 2 156.    The Pod Generation 157.    Alice, Darling 158.    Insidious: The Red Door 159.    Missing 160.    Shotgun Wedding 161.    You Hurt My Feelings 162.    The Boogeyman 163.    Showing Up 164.    Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom 165.    Champions 166.    Consecration 167.    The Nun II 168.    Biosphere 169.    House Party 170.    The Exorcist: Believer 171.    Big George Foreman 172.    Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 173.    Children of the Corn 174.    The Beanie Bubble 175.    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Grade F

176.    Anyone But You 177.    Marlowe 178.    Paint 179.    Extraction 2 180.    It Lives Inside 181.    Deliver Us 182.    Trolls Band Together 183.    Finestkind 184.    Corner Office 185.    Wish 186.    Prisoner’s Daughter 187.    Pain Hustlers 188.    Foe 189.    The Mother 190.    Old Dads 191.    Ghosted 192.    Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken 193.    Haunted Mansion 194.    Mafia Mamma 195.    Five Nights at Freddy’s 196.    The Machine 197.    Justice League: Warworld 198.    We Have a Ghost 199.    What Comes Around 200.    Legion of Super-Heroes 201.    The Boys in the Boat 202.    Attachment 203.    Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre 204.    About My Father 205.    You People 206.    Meg 2: The Trench 207.    Pathaan 208.    Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire 209.    Assassin 210.    Dalíland 211.    Vacation Friends 2

Bottom 10

212.    Sound of Freedom 213.    Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 214.    When You Finish Saving The World 215.    Heart of Stone 216.    Family Switch 217.    Expend4bles 218.    Sweetwater 219.    Hypnotic 220.    80 for Brady 221.    Spinning Gold

[bueckersstrap]

THROW AWAY

intro + masterlist + authors note

— playlist here !

paige b. x reader

AUTHORS NOTE (S) !

haiii, it’s cel! to preface this i wanna give creds to @chachachannah for the banners ; continuing on, i woke up today (5/22) and discussed writing a fic based on futures, ‘throw away’ and we got devious nd decided on me making this! shoutout to kia aswell bc she put my thoughts into a whole blurb and it basically mapped it all out in my mind so love u both!!! anyways, chapters will be posted either once or twice a week so ya girl doesn’t burn out and can get out decent length chaps!! so, hope you enjoy, kisses - celeste 💋

INTRODUCTION !

summary : reader (referred to as ‘y/n’) and paige have had a rocky history ever since their freshmen year of highschool. with y/n and paige now going to the university of connecticut, they are bound to be interact. what happens when paige never let go of the bond they created as ninth graders? or a toxic paige that’ll never let reader let go.

MATURE THEMES DISCUSSED, such as:

sexual innuendos, smut, angst, drug & alcohol use, etc.

(warnings will be clarified at the start of each chapter).

MASTERLIST !

0. told her i would call her back, and i forgot to text her

I. it ain’t really cheating if she don’t see.

II. monster.

III. ball without you

IV. thinking about you ; party’s finished & i want you to know, (1/2)

V. i always want you when im coming down. (2/2)

VI. look at what you’ve done.

VII. texts go green

that + more coming soon !

[spencereidluver]

Spencer Reid A-Z Masterlist

these are written as a story with each letter being a new chapter. I recommend reading in chronological order for story purposes, but these could also work as one shots.

unless explicitly stated, all my fics ignore anything related to jeid, and in my universe, maeve simply does not exist. i do like the idea that spencer and ethan may have had a romance in college

the following events are removed from canon: anything related to a jeid romance, maeve (i just can't have reader and spencer break up for her character to have her moment)

the following events are what i believe to have happened before this timeline began: spencer and ethan had a small (non-sexual) romance in college which is the real reason why they hadn't spoken in years, spencer is a virgin, lila archer events did occur, however i do not believe he had real feelings for her, he was just doing his job (i do think he enjoyed the kiss though, because who wouldn't)

I’ve put them in a timeline and they are further categorized by emojis

Have recommendations? Visit my Spencer Reid A-Z Recommendations to submit your ideas!

key:

🧸- fluff

🔥- smut

❤️‍🩹- angst

🕰️- coming soon

2008

january

03: you join the BAU (age 24)

july

07: a is for About Time 🧸

23: b is for Boy Genius? 🧸

august

09: c is for Case by Case 🧸

25: d is for Diana🧸

september

12: e is for Even Guys Like Me? 🧸❤️‍🩹

15: f is for First Date 🧸

october

03: g is for Girlfriend 🧸

12: Spencer’s 27th Birthday

31: h is for Hold my Hand 🧸

november

07: i is for I knew it! 🧸

12: Henry LaMontagne is born

17: j is for Just So You Know… 🧸

december

05: k is for Kissing Isn’t Enough 🔥

14: l is for Lover Boy 🧸

22: m is for Merry Christmas 🧸

2009

january

01: n is for New Years 🕰️

26: o is for🕰️

february

02: p is for Pretty Boy 🕰️

11: jj returns from maternity leave

18: q is for Quiet 🕰️

march

09: r is for Reid? 🕰️

26: s is for Sitter 🕰️

april

10: t is for Two Time 🕰️

19: u is for

may

07: v is for

26: w is for

june

5: x is for

29: y is for

july

16: z is for

[harrysfolklore]

this picture i need it in a bubba blurb ASAPPPPP -🫶

OKAY HEREEEEE

MASTERLIST | MY PATREON

“Daddy?”

A soft voice calling for him made its way to Harry’s ears, a voice that belonged to his three year old son, who was curiously peeking his head inside his home studio.

Ever since his little boy was born, Harry made the decision to switch everything up regarding his career, taking longer breaks between albums and tours and building a full equipped music studio in his home. He just didn’t want to be away from his wife and son, specially during his first years of life.

“Hey buddy, what are you doing over there?” Harry said as he moved his hands away from the piano tiles and looked over at the little boy who was just a replica of him: same green eyes, dimples and brown curls. It blew anyone’s mind when they saw how alike they looked.

He had been working on the same melody all day, he was in the process of writing his 5th studio album, the first one as a father, and he wanted everything to be perfect. The album was all about fatherhood, falling in love with his wife all over again and overall this new chapter of his life, he was happier than ever and that’s what the songs he had been writing told.

“Come here, baby,” Harry opened his arms, motioning the little boy to join him “I’ve missed you, would you like a cuddle?” his son curiously dragged his small feet across the room, Harry had noticed how much he liked his studio, and how fond of music his son was, always asking his mummy to play his favorite songs around the house and his daddy to sing for him. It warmed Harry’s heart every single time.

“Cuddle daddy.” the little boy mumbled as he climbed on the piano’s bench -with Harry’s help, of course- and placed himself on his lap. If there was something that Harry wouldn’t change for anything was cuddling his son, so when his baby adjusted himself on his lap and buried his face on his ribs, putting his little arms around his broad frame, he could feel his heart growing twice is size.

Harry kissed the little mop of curls and lingered his lips on the crown of his baby’s head, sometimes he couldn’t quite understand how he got so lucky to have the perfect little family. He found his soulmate when he was 22 and knew he wanted to marry her, he put a ring on her finger at 29 and now, at 31, he had a little bundle of joy that was a mixture of him and the love of his life.

Life couldn’t get any better.

So with a full heart and a sudden burst of inspiration, he went back to playing melodies on the piano, careful not to disturb the little boy in his arms.

“Music?” the boy beamed as he moved his little face from its position on his dad’s ribs, and Harry couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm over hearing him play “That’s right bubba, daddy’s playing music, you like when daddy does that, don’t you?” Harry cooed, he was man enough to admit that his little boy made him melt with every single thing he did.

“Play daddy” his son said as he sat up straight on his lap, his gaze fixed on the piano in front of him, and since his wish is Harry's command, he continued playing soft melodies for him.

Harry wanted to take that moment in and save it forever, he was unaware at that moment, but his wife was standing at the door frame, capturing the both of them in a picture that would be part of his album's booklet in the future.

taglist: @cucciolafaerie @eleanordaisy @sunflowersndpeaches @golden-hoax @alienorknight @daydreamingofmatilda @ivyproblems @ayeshathestyles s @stylesmygucci @gimsaysay @rosaliedepp @dontworrysunflower @milfrrynation @manifestrry @iceebabies @harrystylesrecs @pleasingrryyy @harianaswhore @noitsmebecky @abeanontoast @grapejuice-rry @vrittivsanghavi @msolbesg @tati813 @sad1esgf @itsgabbysblog @theekyliepage @watermelonsugacry @be-with-me-so-happily @a-strange-familiar @reveriehs @musicforcinemas @harrybabyyyyyyy @tinydeskwriter @noooovaaaaa @tenaciousperfectionunknown @mxltifxnd0m @rach2602 @balletdancerry @b-reads-things @juiceboxrry @lomlolivia @itsgigikay @goldensstateofgrace @missmielyhoran @fdl305 @lightsoutstyles

[nevernonline]

✧.* grow as we go; smau masterlist

synopsis: over the past ten years you've fallen in love many times. one day someone happens to stumble across your journal sitting out on your nightstand and started posting your entries online. after all of your secrets are leaked it's clear things would ever be the same again.

𐦍 paring: svt members x afab! reader.

𐦍 feat: non-idol! svt, (g)-idle minnie&soyeon, oc's

𐦍 genre/s: reader is super angsty low-key, fluffy, sexual themes.

𐦍 content: swearing, bullying, crazy ex's, mentions of sexual relations, some drinking& mary jane 🍃

𐦍 start date: october 2nd 2023

𐦍 updates: mainly mondays or thursdays.

𐦍 tag list - open

𐦍 note/s: a lot of what will be written is mainly as journal entries from the readers perspective!! in the beginning every other chapter or so will have a written entry. I'm mainly using ulzzang pictures for our main character. I'll be posting the profiles and introduction sometime tomorrow probably. the girlies love indie musicians & harry styles,srry.. I hope u enjoy, hehe. ily!

𐦍 chapters under the cut.

𐦍 profiles:

001 | 002 | 003

𐦍 journal entries:

part one;

00. introduction.

#1. super sleuths.

#2. the case of the cyberbullies.

#3. two robots fell in love.

#4 the fall of the empire.

#4.5 plan b?

#5. chronic memory keeper.

#6. quit!

#7 snake in the grass.

#8 not the bath mat.

#9 seeing red

#10 nerd heard?

#11 devil in disguise.

#12 stolen heart.

#13 gut feelings and emotional dealings.

#14 dressing for revenge.

#15 leave it to the cullens. (part 1)

#15 leave it to the cullens. (part 2)

#16 the part we play.

#17 happy trails

#18 damage control.

#19 anywhere you go.

#20 lost and found.

#21 we're so back.

#22 end it all.

#23 signing off for now.

#24 epilogue.

part 2; (coming soon)

[sepublic]

What if we had episodes on the other four coven heads who were never properly introduced; Vitimir, Osran, Mason, and Hettie Cutburn? Plus some other storylines, dynamics, and ideas I'd have liked to see.

What follows is a canon-compliant set of four scripts, each comprising a hypothetical episode of its own. These are set between O Titan, Where Art Thou and Clouds on the Horizon. Luz, Eda, and King find themselves on an usual road trip in the final days before the Day of Unity, helping the CATTs' and other people's objectives along the way; It begins and ends in Latissa.

I didn't just want to write fanfics; I wanted to draft hypothetical 'lost episodes', I wanted to play with the idea of the show getting four specials to introduce the remaining four coven heads, and elaborate on other ideas that didn't get to be explored. So I wrote scripts, and I designed them to feel as much like TOH episodes as possible.

I realized there are 'rules' to TOH episodes; If there are separate A and B-plots, they must be connected in some way. They usually stem from a common premise, diverging and eventually converging; Sometimes in the next episode, as seen into late Season 2B! These episodes want to convey ideas, themes, lessons, etc. And perhaps most importantly, Luz is the main character; She has to have some sort of presence and involvement. Labyrinth Runners stands out as the exception, and so I tried to maintain it as the one and only exception.

The original plan was to write out these scripts, and then keep cutting them down until I fit within the 22-minute format; Because these definitely go past that length, especially if you want these Lost Hoots to have a breathable pace. But I decided to just show all my ideas as is, because it's not as if these scripts will ever become actual episodes.

Perhaps in the future I'll do TV-length versions of these, but my point is: I already had a lot of respect and consideration for how difficult it must've been for the writers to fit in as much as possible, while operating by their standard rules, and still having the episodes themselves be good and not at a breakneck pace where it's more quantity than quality; That respect has grown even more. I haven't even taken into account when the cut to the commercial break happens!

Not only are these Lost Hoots meant to fit into canon, but they even have titles and codes meant to fit into Season 2's hidden message! These are by no means hidden, but it's a fun treat to consider; What if I made these episodes in such a way that if they were produced, a new viewer wouldn't be able to tell the difference unless a veteran explained it to them? I wanted these episodes to feel seamless; They cap off prior ideas, while leading into future, canon events, who in turn feel like the payoff to the setup within these hypothetical Lost Hoots.

With all that in mind, I thank anyone who clicks on this, and I hope you enjoy!

[stromuprisahat]

Shadow and Bone- Chapters 3, 4, 14 & 22

Siege and Storm- Chapters 4, 22 & 23

We might not know what do Shadow Summoners summon, since it doesn't have anything to do with light, but apparently it has its own sound effects.

Or someone does them just for the show.

But hey- it certainly runs in the family- mommy dearest does it too:

Ruin and Rising- Chapter 11

[matttgirlies]

Matt & Me🎀

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

a story heavily based on Priscilla Presley’s Book “Elvis & Me” based in the 1950’s - 1970’s.

fem! reader x singer! matt

disclaimer!! - in no way am i saying matt would ever support or do these kind of things, for the sake of the book certain unethical things do happen at times.

warnings - suicide attempt,, arguing

y/nn = your nickname for any confusion🩷

Chapter 15

By the mid-sixties he was holding Bible readings in the den of our Bel Air home. I sat next to him one evening as he read passages with great force. Facing us were several of his young female admirers wearing the lowest-cut blouses and the shortest miniskirts. They all listened attentively, disciples enraptured in the presence of “their” lord. The sermon stretched to hours, followed by a question-and-answer period during which they vied for his attention.

Sitting at his feet was an attractive, wellendowed young girl wearing a blouse unbuttoned to her navel. Leaning over seductively, she asked in honeyed tones, “Matt, do you think the woman at the well was a virgin?” With me right beside him, he avoided taking in the fleshy spectacle obviously exposed for his benefit.

“Well, honey,” he said, “that’s somethin’ you’ll have to come to a conclusion on yourself. As for me, I personally think Jesus was attracted to her, but that’s my opinion. I’m not sayin’ it’s fact.”

I watched Matt and the girl talking, feeling undermined and angry. How stupid, I thought. Can’t he see what she’s doing? It’s so obvious.

He drew in a deep breath and said, “I like your perfume, honey. What’s it called?”

“Chanel Number Five,” she answered.

Chanel Number Five? That’s what I was wearing! Why didn’t he notice it on me? I slowly rose and walked into my dressing room adjacent to the den. Determined to snare his attention, I changed into his favorite outfit—a tight-fitting black sheath he had picked out himself.

Returning a few minutes later, I took my place beside him, but he was wrapped up in preaching to his devotees and had totally overlooked my absence. To make matters worse, he didn’t even notice my change of costume. I managed to conceal my distress behind a fake smile and an attentive gaze, but I couldn’t help noticing that he was responding to them with an occasional wink or smile.

I asked questions like they did, but my heart wasn’t in it; I knew they all wanted to take my place. “That’s it,” I thought. “If I’m not appreciated, loved, or wanted, I’ll end it. That will make it easier for everyone.”

I got up and went back to our room. Picking up a half-full bottle of Placidyls, I devised a plan to create a dramatic effect that, in my mind, would win his attention. I stared at them, thinking, What if I choke to death? I decided to take two pills to start. That way I could take a quick shower, redo my makeup, put on my prettiest camisole, and still have time to position myself dramatically on the bed before I consumed the rest of the bottle.

I swallowed the pills and started to prepare myself for the end. In tears, I thought of leaving him a note, writing down everything I’d never been able to say. I’d tell him how I wished that it could have been just the two of us again, as it had been during the long hours we’d spent together in his room in Germany. I’d confess that I was jealous of any woman who caught his attention and that I hated the times when there was only silence between us, even though he’d said he had things on his mind. I’d tell him how I feared his violent temper, which robbed me of my freedom of expression; and how I wished that he’d have tried to understand me as I’d desperately tried to understand him.

Maybe he’s missed me by now, I thought. I ran to the door and pressed my ear against it. I heard him laughing. He was having a great time. They all were. I found that I was disgusted with all of it. I wouldn’t go in there now if he begged me, I told myself. I was too tired anyway.

But I wasn’t too tired to remember how I wanted to be found. I lay down on the bed with my long jet black hair spread over the white pillows, my lips moist with gloss. In my naive fantasy he’d take my listless body in his arms and tell me how much he loved me, kissing me passionately back to life.

I forced down one more pill, lay perfectly still in the position I wanted to be discovered, and waited for what seemed like hours for sleep to overtake me. But the longer I lay there, the less sleepy I became. The more I heard Matt’s laughter, the angrier I got. My adrenaline-charged fury was overriding the effect of the pills. Soon I began to feel foolish.

Then I heard Matt say good night to everyone as he approached the room. I grabbed the nearest book and lay it at my side, as though I’d been reading and had fallen asleep. I heard him come in, quietly walk over to the bed, and pick up the book. He whispered the title, The Listener. I could imagine him smiling, pleased as always when I read philosophical books. He stood over me for a second, probably thinking how sweet I looked and how tired I must have been to retire so early.

Then he covered me snugly with blankets and bent down to kiss my carefully-parted lips. All my anger and jealously vanished. I realized how even a little of his attention could make me happy.

In April of 1964, Larry Geller was hired to replace Matt’s barber, Sal Orfice. Little did we know that their relationship would not only cause a drastic change in Matt, but it would create tension, jealousy, and fear within the group.

I was in Boston when he first met Larry, but I learned all about him through our nightly phone conversations. Matt’s enthusiasm over his newfound friend was infectious.

“You’re not going to believe this guy, Sattnin,” he said. “Larry knows more about the spiritual world than all the preachers and Catholic priests and religious fanatics put together. We have discussions that last hours, just talkin’ and talkin’ about the great masters and my purpose for being here. I’m invitin’ him to Graceland. He’ll enlighten your spiritual development.”

When Larry and his wife, Stevie Geller, joined us, I was surprised to find them both young and attractive. He was kind and mellow. She was sweet and quiet and kept to herself.

However, many in the group, myself included, were suspicious of them. We were all threatened by Matt’s involvement with Larry. It was keeping him from us. It seemed as if Matt was always off alone reading esoteric books or deep in discussion with Larry about God’s master plan for the universe.

Matt discovered there were many great masters besides Jesus. There were Buddha, Muhammad, Moses, and others, each “chosen by God to serve a purpose.” What I was now witnessing in Matt was the emergence of that part of his nature that was thirsting for answers to all the fundamental questions of life.

He asked Larry why, out of all the people in the universe, he had been chosen to influence so many millions of souls. Granted this unique position, how could he contribute to save a world burdened with hunger, disease, and poverty? Why was there so much human suffering in the first place? And why wasn’t he happy, when he had more than anyone could want? He felt he was missing something in life. Through Larry’s insight, he hoped to find the path that would lead him to the answers.

He was eager for all of us—especially me—to absorb all the knowledge he was consuming. Happy to share everything, just as he had with his Bible discussions in L.A., he read to us for hours and handed out books he thought would interest us. He announced that in order for us to be perfect soul mates, I’d have to join him in his search for the answers to the universe. To help me, he gave me several large books, including Vera Stanley Adler’s The Initiation of the World.

He suggested I attend the lectures of the metaphysical philosopher and author Manley P. Hall. I did. I found the lectures difficult to understand and painful to endure, but I managed to survive with the hope that “this too shall pass.”

Then he became interested in Cheiro’s Book of Numbers, which defined people’s personality traits and characteristics according to the day of the month on which they were born. To find out who was compatible with whom, Matt added up the numbers in the birthdays of everyone within the group. I waited in terror, praying that my number would be a six, seven, or eight, so I would be compatible with Matt, who was an eight. Fortunately, my number linked with his.

Although I was striving to be his soul mate and subtly becoming more aware of myself as a spiritual being, my heart longed for the very temptations he was fighting to conquer.

While I patiently waited at home at Graceland for his returns, planning romantic interludes, he was attempting to overcome worldly temptations and believed he was going through a cleansing period, physically and spiritually. Any sexual temptations were against everything he was striving for, and he did not wish to betray me, the girl waiting for him at home who was preparing to be his wife.

He felt guilty and confused about his natural reaction to female advances and I believe that this was his greatest fear when it came to marriage. He loved me and deeply wanted to be faithful to me but never felt certain that he could resist temptation. It was a persistent battle, and it even got to the point where he felt he had to resist me.

“y/nn,” he said one night before we went to bed, “you’re going to have to be pretty understanding these next few weeks, or however long it takes. I feel that I have to withdraw myself from the temptations of sex.”

“But why? And why with me?”

He was quite solemn. “We have to control our desires so they don’t control us. If we can control sex, then we can master all other desires.”

When we were in bed, he took his usual dose of sleeping pills, handed me mine, and then, fighting off drowsiness from the pills, pored over his metaphysical books.

As his soul mate I was expected to search for answers as fervently as he did, but I just couldn’t bear reading the ponderous tracts that surrounded us in bed every night. Usually within five minutes of opening one, I’d be sound asleep. Annoyed at my obvious disinterest, he woke me to share an insightful passage. If I voiced the slightest protest, he’d say, “Things will never work out between us, y/nn, because you don’t show any interest in me or my philosophies.” Then, pointedly: “There are a lot of women out there who would share these things with me.”

Faced with this threat, I forced myself to sit up and try to read the passage. The print swam before my eyes in one big blur.

I wanted to share romantic, not religious, inspirations with him. I tried to cuddle as close to him as I could, feeling the warmth of his body. He told me to sit up and listen, and he read yet another passage, repeating it several times to make sure I grasped its significance. I could bear it no longer. I lost control and started screaming.

“I can’t stand it! I don’t want to hear any more! I’m sick and tired of your voice going on and on! It’s—driving—me—crazy!” I was hysterical, pulling at my hair like a wild woman.

“What do you see?” I demanded. “Tell me, what do you see?”

He stared up at me, his eyes half-closed. “A madwoman, a goddamn raving madwoman,” he answered, slurring his words because of the sleeping pills.

I fell on my knees beside him, crying, “No, Matt, not a madwoman, a woman who needs to make love to and to feel desired by her man. Matt, you can have your books and me too. Please don’t make me beg,” I cried. “I really need you and want you.”

By the time I’d finished my tirade, all I could hear was the faint sound of religious music playing on the radio. I looked up at him. He had fallen into a deep sleep.

Excerpt from: "Elvis and Me" by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley. Scribd. This material may be protected by copyright.

a/n - i feel like you guys are going to want to kill me when i get to the last chapter..🎀

[scribblesbyb]

WIP Intro Alert!

B is excited to share her WIP intro finally!

Spill the deets, Sis!

Title: The White Pearl: Book I: The Origin

Genre: Fantasy, Action, Drama, Adventure, (dash of) Romance

No. of chapters: 28 (approx. 22-23 pages/chapter)

POV: 1st pov

Setting: Earth, 21st Century

MC(s): Ivory (Eve), Theodore II (E.T.), Ulysses (Baldie), Spike (Spikey, Old Man)

Secondary MCs: Ludo (Lu, Rapunzel), Vada (Bitch-face), Gabrielle (Gabbie, Gab)

Supportive MCs: Orson (Sonnie), Raven (Vee), Adelyn (Lyn), Carl (Boss), Kevin (Kev, Saggy Ass), Castro (Cass)

P.S. This isn't the actual book cover! I'm working on a much better one with a close artist friend 😉

Cool! What's the WIP about?

Here's what I'm putting on the back of the book when I publish it hehe

Ivory has fought to be normal her entire life. After humanity shunned her and labeled her abnormality as the work of the devil, Eve's purpose became to hide behind fallacies that'd protect her from another world of hurt.

But what happens when the facade falls apart? When her fate comes to strike her in the face, yet again, forcing her to face a reality she's run from for too long?

And this time….she's doing it all alone.

Love it already?

I mean, duh, it's a pretty awesome book. There's a whole new fantasy language to learn too. But, hey, I'm tooting my own horn 🙊

The good news is I'm publishing it soon. Looking into a few online options first (Wattpad, Amazon Kindle...etc.) but trust, the second I do, I'm boasting all about it on here!

In the meantime, expect the following:

Character Intros: I can't wait for those! I get to spill the tea on my beloved creations and have fun while at it. So look forward to that 😄

Book Cover Drafts: Will have to ask my friend permission to share those first, though 🙈

Sneak Peeks: Provided I come across fun Tumblr tag games, I will use them to share more of my book 💃🏼

Chapter Title List: Particularly proud of it and think it's kinda funny + intriguing so yes, I might share it soon 📃

Thank you for reading this far!

Author's Note

Honestly, TWP (The White Pearl) has taken much of my creative energy these past few years - both the first and the second book (Spoilers: it's three books! #why did i do this to myself lol) but I honestly love the characters and the world I created so much that I wouldn't have it any other way!

[astralscrivener]

✨ fic directory ✨

i’ve created a post to keep all of my fics in one place. all fics can be found on ao3. (last updated may 4th, 2024)

major ongoing works

STEALING OUR OWN PLACE IN THE SUN

- voltron: legendary defender: a rewrite of vld seasons 4-8. - team focus, broganes, klance, adashi, romellura - rated M, graphic depictions of violence + other warnings in author notes - 22/45 chapters, 251k words (december 25th, 2022) - last posted: chapter 22: season 7, episode 3: elliptical orbit

AT SKYFALL

- voltron: legendary defender: canon-divergent au in which keith and shiro are captured by the galra at a coalition gala. things become more complicated when the team’s search for shiro turns up someone else: adam, shiro’s fiancé.  - broganes, klance, adashi - rated M, graphic depictions of violence + other warnings in author notes - 8/? chapters, 25k words (september 2nd, 2023) - last posted: chapter 8: division and discord

ABCS OF KLANCE

- voltron: legendary defender: oneshots, one prompt for each letter of the alphabet, focused on keith and lance’s relationship - variety of aus, some overlap with squad up (2017-19 modern au), mostly established relationship klance - 18 works, 87k words (may 4th, 2024) - a: artistry • b: brutality • c: comfort • d: defeat • e: elegance • f: faithfulness • g: grief • h: homelessness • i: information • j: jealousy • k: knell • l: loyalty • m: mercy • n: need • o: opportunity • p: pain • q: quest • r: rumor • s: sleep • t: trust • u: uncertainty • v: victory • w: worry • x: xenon • y: yearning • z: zero - last posted: lightning in a bottle (y: yearning)

other ongoing works

THESE 20S ARE RAWRING AND THESE DUNGEONS ARE DRAGONING

- voltron: legendary defender: modern au + d&d series started in 2020 as a stress response to quarantine - team focus, klance, adashi, romellua, hunay

• main work: the rawring 20s XD - chatfic that only updates if i think it will be funny - rated M, no archive warnings apply + other warnings in author notes - 5/5 chapters, 17k words - last posted: chapter 5: there is no easter bunny, there is no tooth fairy, (september 8th, 2022)

- other works include klance-centric oneshots + snippets of the group’s ongoing d&d campaign - 5 works, 37k words - last posted: midnight into morning coffee (february 7th, 2024)

VLD FIC REQUESTS

- voltron: legendary defender: oneshots across a variety of aus written in response to prompts from friends and followers - variety of ships, but mainly klance and adashi - some overlap with squad up  - 15 works, 92k words (july 8th, 2023) - last posted: distraction

major completed works

DECEIT SO NATURAL

- voltron: legendary defender: canon-divergent trilogy in which lance and keith fool their way behind enemy lines and onto lotor’s ship to steal vital information on the galra empire—only for lotor to become far more dangerous than anyone anticipated. - mainly klance, extremely one-sided lancelot - written before gay shiro reveal + age discourse, contains side shallura - 3 works, 315k words - completed june 15th, 2018

• WHERE PEOPLE GO TO DIE - lotor mistakenly believes that lance is a galra soldier spying on the paladins, and invites him to return home. keith follows him undercover as a prisoner, and quickly draws lotor’s ire as things spiral rapidly out of control. - rated M, graphic depictions of violence - 14/14 chapters, 49k words - completed july 9th, 2017

• DYNASTY DECAPITATED - lotor becomes vindictive after having been played for a fool by team voltron, and the team struggles to hold the voltron alliance together while fending off his rapid advances. meanwhile, keith and lance explore a new stage of their relationship and learn exactly what the other means to them. - rated M, graphic depictions of violence - 18/18 chapters, 67k words - completed august 7th, 2017

• STARS GO DOWN - lotor has captured lance and sentenced keith to death halfway across the universe. lance struggles to hold onto himself as he plays the role of an amnesiac, while keith attempts to fight his way back to the team, alone. meanwhile, the team, down two lions and two paladins, scrambles to bring keith and lance home amidst betrayals and tumult in the voltron alliance. - rated M, graphic depictions of violence, temporary major character death + other warnings in author notes - 37/37 chapters, 198k words - completed june 15th, 2018

SQUAD UP

- voltron: legendary defender: modern au written from 2017-19 to cope with the horrors of being in high school and the transition into college - written before gay shiro reveal + age discourse, contains side shallura and shiro/allura/matt - 25 works, 561k words - completed may 10th, 2019

• main work: squad up - chatfic chronicling the gang’s last year of high school - rated M, no archive warnings apply + other warnings in author note - 140/140 chapters, 327k words - completed june 15th, 2018

• main work: a midsummer night’s meme - chatfic chronicling the gang’s last summer before college - rated M, no archive warnings apply + other warnings in author note - 27/27 chapters, 79k words - completed august 31st, 2018

• main work: because guys like us are cool in college - series of oneshots/snippets following keith and lance’s freshman year of college - rated M, no archive warnings apply + other warnings in author note - 84/84 chapters, 83k words - completed may 10th, 2019

LIGHT UP THE PATH (THROUGH A SKY FULL OF STARS)

- voltron: legendary defender: 28 oneshots completed for klance au month february 2019. - klance - variety of aus, including but not limited to modern au, canon-divergent/other paladinsverse, fantasy au, and more - rated M, creator chose not to use archive warnings + other warnings in author note - 28/28 chapters, 49k words - completed february 28th, 2019

additional oneshots not mentioned here can be found on archive of our own ✨ other writing (including drabbles, snippets, and prompts from tumblr ask games) can be found in my writing tag ✨

happy reading!

[phantomdoofer]

Tower Town, Chapter 22 - The Final Slice

Part 2

Peppino cautiously crept down the hallway they had chosen to explore. The old gateway was crumbled and distorted, but he was fairly certain it was the first area he'd explored - the gutter where Pizzahead had tossed his failed clones of John. He was doing his best to maintain a calm face. But the sights, the smells, the sounds…

In his head, he was screaming as loudly as he had at the top of the Tower.

Gustavo gently reached up and touched Peppino's arm. “Amico?”

Peppino laughed, his nervousness present in every breath. “S-sorry. This-a place is… b-bringing back memories.”

Gustavo nodded. He could feel the man's arm trembling. “I understand, Pep.” He looked around, the dim light turning the purple-stoned walls almost black. He reached out and put his other hand in Brick's fur, and she turned, nuzzling his hand, as much for her own comfort as his. “It's giving me the creeps, too. And Brick's nervous, as well.”

Behind them, Brando was obviously trying to stay collected. “Madre di Dio, if this is what it was like, I'm amazed you managed to stay here, signori. This place is… haunting.”

Peppino managed a chuckle. “It was a bit-a less… ominous, then. Though… it is-a essentially a graveyard. This is where the dead clones of Pillar John were… disposed of.”

Brando paled. “Why?"

“I don't-a know,” Peppino said. He paused, looking through a doorway. Only blackness waited. Not taking chances. He moved on. “Maybe he was-a trying to make more levels. As-a for why they didn't survivie…” he shrugged.

Gustavo spoke up. “Think about those weird clones of you in the later levels, Pep. Fake was unique, but… the other ones were falling apart, unstable. I don't think Pizzahead knew how to clone things right.” He shivered. “You were probably doing them a favor.”

Peppino looked down at his open hand. What if they hadn't gotten the cloning process right with me? Would I have fallen apart? Coming apart at the seams, dissolving like dough in a pot of water?

His hand started shaking, and he clenched his fist to stop it. No use wondering about what-ifs and maybes. “Maybe so. Perhaps it was a mercy.”

~~~~

Anita crept forward, scanning the area. Her scope eye was on full display, twitching from spot to spot. She had a wicked-looking sidearm out, held loosely beside her head. Her face was even more deadly-looking than normal. She gestured them forward.

Giuseppe had instinctively taken the rearguard, holding a similar-looking pistol at his own side. He glanced over at Anita. “Didn't know you snuck one of those out, Nita,” he whispered.

She snorted gently. “I didn't. I built this one from scratch.”

Paolo, in between, did his best to move like them - the two moved like cats. Must be all that military training. He was especially surprised at the big Italian's silence; he hadn't expected a man that bulky to be that quiet. But he wasn't used to being quiet - his muscle memory was to make as much noise as possible.

Giuseppe gently poked him in the arm. “Hey. Loosen up. You're trying to hard.”

Paolo blinked. “How'd you know?”

The man grinned. “Took me a long time to learn how to move quietly,” he whispered.

Ahead, Anita chuckled quietly. “When we first started training, Sepp was like a bull in a china shop. Then our trainer, Major Burne -” she paused. “Hey, Sepp, is he still alive?”

Giuseppe nodded, grinning. “And kicking. He's General Burne now. Took the old man's job.”

Anita grinned. “Bet he hates every second of it.”

Giuseppe nodded, grinning just as wide. “He complains like the old man he is. But he's a lot more trustworthy than old Grey.”

“Not that that would take much,” Anita quipped. “Anyway, he told us, ‘the trick isn't to be silent, but to to not stand out.’” She stopped at a corner, glanced around for a few seconds, then waved them forward. “No security. Strange. Now, thing is, people are always listening for odd empty spaces in the noise. That's usually a predator. But if you don't sound out of place…”

“They don't notice,” Giuseppe finished. “Listen. You hear that dripping?”

Paolo paused - there was a faint drip, drip now that he paid attention. He nodded.

“Time your steps with that,” Giuseppe said.

Paolo nodded, listening and doing his best to catch the rhythm. Finally, he stepped forward…

His steps were almost inaudible.

He grinned. “Hey, it's work-” he started, in full voice.

Anita quickly turned and clapped a hand over his mouth. “Yes, wonderful. But if you start yelling, we'll give ourselves away. Understood?”

Paolo nodded, and Anita took her hand away. “A whisper tends to fade away in an open space like this, but full voice and yelling won't.” She held a finger to her lips. “Remember, don't be silent, just don't be noticeable, OK?”

Paolo nodded. “Sorry,” he whispered.

She nodded. “You're not trained in this. Can't expect you to be a virtuoso right off the bat. Just watch us and try to imitate us, all right?”

Paolo nodded.

~~~~

Noise stalked along, his hands in the pockets of his suit. He was growling, his fangs showing. Even though he supposedly didn't have many powers, whenever he got really irritated, his teeth would do that. His hands, too.

“Maybe you have a power the docs can't see, hun!” Noisette head told him, one day. “That does happen, y'know!”

The woman in question skipped alongside him. He looked at her and felt his hackles fall, just a little. It felt like everybody in the world got on his damn nerves… except her. And he couldn't figure out why. Anybody else acted like she does, I'd probably blow ‘em up.

One day, he'd brought it up to one of his producers, an old, old man who'd helped him really make NTV what it was. He'd laughed. “It's because you love an’ trust her, Noise,” he'd chuckled. “People will do stuff around their loves they wouldn't do in front of everyone else. You let ‘em see your true face!”

Noise snorted. Old fart’s got a point.

Ahead, the cheese sat on top of the pepper's head, scanning everything with his eye. The pepper was waxing poetic about his own greatness, as usual.

Behind, Fake ambled along, scanning the area, each eye moving independently of the other. When did I start callin’ it by name? The thing wasn't really like it had been in the Tower. More controlled.

That just made it scarier, really.

Noisette was lalalaing alongside. She didn't seem to have a care in the world.

Noise growled again. How'd I end up the leader here? He yelled up. “Ey! Cheese-brain! You see anything?”

Vigi growled and shook his head. “Same damn thing as last time. It's distortin’ my vision. But…” he stopped. “It's… diffr’nt, this time.”

Pepperman stopped yapping and looked upwards. “Oh? How so?”

“It's… like it's tryin’ t’ lead me somewhere,” he said. “An’ now everywhere I look it's like a big loop.”

Noise looked around. The path they'd taken was through the backrooms - it had been how they got around the Tower without being seen… or having to deal with the monsters inside. Before, it had been full of debris, props, even the occasional body. But now it's like somebody cleaned the whole place out. Not even dust. “Dunno why it'd lead us here,” he said, kicking at the floor. “There ain't a here t’ be here!”

Noisette spun on her toe. “Aw, there's gotta be a reason, hun. Stuff like that don't just happen for-”

A hole opened in the floor beneath her.

“NOTHIIIIIIINNNnnnnn….!”

“SETTE!!” Noise cried, and leapt down the hole after her.

He could just hear Vigi's voice as he fell. “Wait, Noise, don't…!”

He didn't care.

He couldn't see, it was too dark. He could tell the hole was opening up, though. He popped his Noise-chute, drifting down.

He felt stone beneath his feet, and quickly pressed the button to rewind the chute. He spun, yelling. “Sette! SETTE!”

“OW, Noisey, pipe down!” Noisette's voice said, right next to him.

He groped around until he felt her, then he crushed her in a hug. “Yer OK?”

She laughed. “Aw, hon, you know I just bounce when I fall!”

He paused. He had forgotten that. He hugged her again. “Don't matter. Thought I'd lost ya.” He felt his eyes start to well up, and quickly wiped them. “Damn dust is makin’ my eyes water.”

Noisette laughed. “Sure, Noisey. It's just me an’ you here, you ain't gotta front.”

Noise reached into his bottomless bag, pulled out a brace of flashlights, and flicked one on, handing the other to Noisette. He looked around. “Where th’ hell are we?”

“Oh my!” Pepperman's voice said from above.

Noise and Noisette both pointed their lights up at the hole. Fake was crawling down, sticking to the wall, holding Pepperman in one arm, Vigi on their back.

“Goddamn it, don't do shit like that!” Noise said irritably. He hated showing weakness.

“Well! Pardon us for being worried!” Pepperman huffed. “You two seem to be all right.”

“Yeah, we're fine,” Noise grumbled.

Vigi was looking around again. “No distortion here. Strange…” Then his eyes grew wide. “What in the hell is all this??”

The undercurrent of fear in the normally unflappable cheeseslime’s voice made Noise's blood run cold. He pulled out a few more flashlights and handed them to the others.

The flashing beams illuminated a nightmare.

As far as the eye could see, tubes bubbled, filled with monstrosities. Huge, horrible mixtures of flesh, metal, and bone, food and trash, floating gently, waiting to be released.

And every single one of them bore a vague resemblance to the four Bosses.

“Oh… oh my god,” Pepperman whispered. How many are there?”

“Hold me up,” Vigi said quietly. Fake stretched to their highest, giving the sheriff the best view possible. Finally, he called down. “I'm… I'm countin’ a couple thousand so far. I'm havin’ trouble countin’ ‘em as they get too far away, they're fadin’ into the mist…”

Noisette had her hands over her mouth. “Th-thousands?” She squeaked, terrified. “It t-takes so much to stop even one! And there's-”

“He's built hisself an army, is what he's done,” Noise said gravely. The sight had stunned even him into being serious.

“Maybe… maybe we can destroy them here,” Pepperman said. Per-perhaps-”

“I ain't got nowhere near enough bombs, big guy,” Noise growled. “An’ unless you want to spend the next couple of weeks poundin’ on that glass, we don't got a way to do it. Besides,” he said, “those tubes are probably not glass, some sort of metal or somethin’, knowin’ how that Old Tech stuff works.”

Fake looked around. “Perhaps we can find some sort of contrrrrol device?”

Noise looked oddly formal, for him, anyway. He put his finger under his nose. “Maybe.” He looked around. “Nothin’ we can do here. Let's keep lookin’. An’ I know this is weird comin’ from me, but be quiet.”

The others looked more scared than ever - Noise calling for quiet was practically a sign of the end of the world. Which this might actually be, Noise thought to himself.

The quintet quietly walked on.

~~~~

As the group walked, the area opened up into the familiar almost-city Peppino remembered from before. There was an important difference, though. All the dead faces are gone.

The stones, still the purple that dominated the Tower, were blank and smooth.

Gustavo, riding on Brick, was scratching frequently at his head, like a dog trying to rid itself of a flea. “Something wrong, amico?” Peppino asked.

“I'm not… sure,” Gus responded. “It feels like… something's trying to talk to me. In my head.” He reached down and gently ruffled Brick's fur. She brrred in response. “Like with Brick. But it's… it's different, somehow. Feels like an itch in my brain.”

Brando glanced up at him. “That sounds exceptionally uncomfortable, Signore.”

Gustavo nodded. “Something's here, Pep. I know it.”

But what does it want? Peppino thought. He couldn't decide if the silence was a bad or good thing.

I stopped having a panic attack, at least.

He felt something wrap around his foot.

“Ehi!” Peppino yelped, wrenching his foot away.

The others turned, their eyes wide. “What happened?” Gus said.

“S-something - something-a wrapped around-a my foot! Like a hand!” Peppino stammered.

Suddenly Brick squealed, leaping up into the air. She landed on all fours, her fur bristling, baring her teeth.

Brando pointed. “There! I saw it! A hand, made of stone!” Then he yelped himself as he felt something wrapping around his own foot.

Suddenly every stone object was alive - hands, eyes, faces manifesting from every surface.

“Fuggire!” Peppino yelled - he scooped up Brando in his arms, taking off as fast as he could without leaving Brick behind. The ratto is fast, but not that fast!

A deep, unearthly moaning filled the air, voices reverberating through the very rock. Peppino couldn't make out what they were saying - it was in some tongue he didn't recognize. “It's-a like John! The whole-a place is living rock!”

Peppino tripped as a hand tried to grasp his foot, managing to do a flip and land on his feet without dropping his charge. “Shouldn't we retreat?” Brando yelled.

Gus looked behind them. “The tunnels and walls are closing behind us! It's like we're-”

Come to me

“-being… herded,” Gus finished. “Did anyone else hear that?”

“Hear-a… what?” Peppino gasped.

A faint tingle tickled Gustavo's mind…

“Peppino! That way!” Gustavo said, pointing.

“That's-a the old Pillar Room! It's a dead end!” Peppino gasped at the gnome. “We'll-a be trapped!”

“Trust me!”

Brick looked back at him, looking dubious. Then she squeaked affirmatively, and turned, hopping up the ledges that led to the Pillar Room.

Peppino shifted Brando around. “Hold on to my neck, ragazzo,” he said. “This-a could get bumpy.”

Peppino charged, leaping up and kicking off the wall. He knew the route - he'd run it before. Last time the walls weren't trying to grasp at me, though. He bounced past a small alcove, where he'd first met Gerome. Somehow, he missed the dour little Litha. No matter how bizarre it got in here, he was always… well, a rock!

Brick and Gustavo were ahead, at the entrance to the tunnel. Gus was waving him in. “Come on, Pep! Sbrigare!”

Peppino skidded past the gnome… and was immediately taken aback at the quiet in the room beyond. “Cosa diavolo?”

Brando let go. “It's so still here. Like a different place entirely.”

A deep, ominous rumble echoed from the back of the dark chamber.

All three men immediately hunched down, eyes wide, looking terrified. Brick's eyes bulged, and her fur stood on end.

“Of course, there could be other problems,” Brando whispered.

Despite his fear, Gustavo found himself drawn into the darkness. He ambled forward…

“Amico, w-what-a are you-a doing?” Peppino quivered.

Gus turned. “There's something here for us, Pep. We have to go in.”

Brando, shivering but resolute, stepped forward. “I'll take the lead. I can block anything that might attack.”

Peppino nodded. “Be careful, ragazzo.”

As they ventured in, the darkness grew deeper. “Too… too bad none of us thought to bring flashlights,” Peppino said.

Immediately the walls began to glow, a faint purple glow that just barely illuminated the area.

All four paused. “Ah, good. Spooky-a lighting. Just-a what we needed,” Peppino said weakly.

The deep rumble echoed again… and this time it was understandable.

“Come… to me…”

The four trudged forward, and finally something came into view…

“Another pillar?” Peppino whispered.

“A pillar?” Brando asked.

“Pizzahead cloned John and cursed him to hold up each level in the Tower,” Gustavo said. “We had to… had to break the pillars to bring the place down.”

“So… in order to save your pizzeria… you had to…” Brando whispered.

“Repeatedly-a murder John, yes,” Peppino finished for him. “At-a first, it didn't-a bother me too much. But the longer it-a went on… it-a started to bring back bad memories.”

“Mio Dio,” Brando said. “And John is helping us… after you murdered him?”

“He told me-a later it was the only way to-a break the curse,” Peppino said, hanging his head. “Gerome spent his time finding things in-a the Tower to bring him back afterwards.”

“The Treasures,” Gus said.

“Sì. He had to-a hide them from Pizzahead.” Peppino looked at the younger man. “If I hadn't-a listened to Gerome, we wouldn't-a have this chance. Remember that, ragazzo.” He threw back his shoulders, trying to steady his nerves. “I should remember that.”

Brando nodded.

As they approached, the light seemed to coalesce around the pillar. It was cracked, crumbling. “It's… it's dying,” Peppino said. “John was damaged, but strong. This… this-a is-”

“Yes. We are dying,” the pillar said.

The deep rumbling voice made all of them jump.

“Where's your face?” Peppino demanded.

“We… no longer have… the strength… to manifest it,” the pillar said.

“‘We’?” Gus said.

“John… did not… have time… to explain to you,” the pillar rumbled. “We are Litha. The Pizzamancer… cursed us all… to create his Tower.”

Their eyes all grew wide. “The entire Tower is alive?” Brando said.

“Yes,” came the response. “But we are dying, broken. The Pizzamancer… knows how to recreate us. He is doing so… now.” A pause. “But the clones… he makes… he changes them. He has… had time… to discover how to… make the clones… biddable. We… resist him. Soon… he will replace us all. And we will… no longer be able… to slow him down.” Another pause. “Many… centuries ago… he tricked us. Duped us. There are few of us left. The world… this world will begin… to falter.”

“What-a do you mean, falter?” Peppino said.

“We… are… the guardians,” the pillar said. “Long… long ago… the war… the war… broke something… in the basis of the world. We… used our power… to hold it together. We were weak… and we were fooled by the… Pizzamancer's promise to fix it.” A deep, rueful laugh echoed. “What fools… we were. He was the cause. He destabilized… the whole world… just to have us.”

Gus hopped down from Brick's back, approaching the pillar.

Peppino hissed. “Careful, Gus…”

“It's OK, Pep,” he said, putting a hand on the pillar. “I can feel them, now. They're… they're confused. Heartbroken.”

“They grieve the ones lost,” the pillar said. “They seek a way to… save the world. But they are broken… almost gone. They flail, in grief and pain.” The pillar sighed. “I am… the last.” Another pause. “Intruders. You seek to stop the Pizzamancer… yes?”

All four stood up straight. “Sì,” Peppino said, with more conviction than he felt.

“Then you must… do more. I will… entrust to you… the future.” The world suddenly changed - as if the entire universe had coughed. In the air floated…

“An… an egg?” Peppino murmured.

The small purple ovoid gently floated down into Gustavo's hands. “That… is the future. Our hope. Give it to… the brothers. They will… know what to do.” Pause. “Intruders. Our time… is at an end. You cannot… go back… the way you came. The others… will destroy you, in their confusion.” Pause. Your friends… are waiting for you. I will… send you back. It will be… my last act… of defiance. Soon, we will all be replaced with his… slaves. We will no longer… be here to resist him.”

Peppino felt the world begin to warp around him. “Wait-a! We can- we can-”

The air filled with a sense of amusement. “Our time is done, Italian. Do what… you came here to do. Let nothing. Stop you. The world… is in… your… hands…”

In a blink, the four were gone.

The Pillar sighed. “John… thank you… for listening to us. Perhaps… the world… will have a future now…”

The light faded, casting the hall into total darkness.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

This is a Norman Rockwell painting called Murder in Mississippi. It depicts the final moments in the lives of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, three civil rights workers killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan 58 years ago this June for registering people to vote. That's not ancient history. It's current events.

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

June 21, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUN 22, 2024

Sixty years ago today, on June 21, 1964, twenty-year-old Andrew Goodman mailed a postcard to his parents in New York City. He had arrived in Meridian, Mississippi, the day before to work with Michael Schwerner, a 24-year-old former New York social worker, and James Chaney, a 21-year-old Black man from Meridian, to register Black voters in what became known as Freedom Summer. 

“Dear Mom and Dad,” Goodman wrote. “I have arrived safely in Meridian Mississippi. This is a wonderful town and the weather is fine. I wish you were here. The people in this city are wonderful and our reception was very good. All my love, Andy.” 

Mississippi had become a focal point for voter registration because fewer than 7% of Black Mississippians were registered, but members of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, dedicated to preserving segregation and to keeping Black people from voting, intended to stop the people challenging their power. They had come to loathe Schwerner— like Goodman, a Jewish man— who along with his wife, Rita, had taken over the field office of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in Meridian and had begun grassroots organizing. 

At meetings, Ku Klux Klan members routinely talked about killing Schwerner, but without authorization from the Klan’s state leader, Sam Bowers, they held off. Several weeks before Goodman arrived in Mississippi, they got that authorization. 

On June 21, Schwerner, Chaney, and Goodman set out to investigate the recent burning of a church whose leaders had agreed to participate in voter registration, an arson that, unbeknownst to them, was committed by the same Klan members who had received authorization to kill Schwerner. 

After the three men left the burned church, Deputy Sheriff Cecil Ray Price stopped their car, arrested Schwerner for speeding, and held Chaney and Goodman under suspicion that they were the ones who had burned the church. Once night had dropped, after they paid the speeding ticket and left the Philadelphia, Mississippi, jail, Price followed them, stopped them, ordered them into his car, and then took them down a deserted road and turned them over to two carloads of his fellow terrorists. They beat the men, murdered them, and buried them in an earthen dam that was under construction.

Aside from the murderers, no one knew where the three men had gone. Their fellow CORE workers had begun calling jails and police stations as soon as they didn’t turn up according to schedule, but no one told them where the men were. By June 22 the men’s friends had gotten FBI agents from New Orleans to join the search. On June 23 the agents found the station wagon the men had been driving, still smoldering from an attempt to burn it.

As the agents searched—turning up 8 murdered Black men, but not the three they were looking for— President Lyndon B. Johnson, who as Senate majority leader had wrestled the Civil Rights Act of 1957 through Congress and who had pushed hard for a stronger civil rights law since becoming president in November 1963, harnessed the growing outrage over the missing men. 

The House had passed a civil rights bill in February 1964, but southern segregationist Democrats in the Senate filibustered it from March until June 18, when news stations covered the story of hotel owner James Brock pouring acid into a whites-only swimming pool at the Monson Motor Lodge in St. Augustine, Florida, after Black and white people jumped into the water together. The water diluted the acid and the swimmers were not injured, but law enforcement arrested them. Seeing a white man pour acid into a swimming pool to drive out Black people created such outrage that senators abandoned their opposition to the measure.

On June 19, Republican Everett Dirksen (R-IL), the Senate minority leader, managed to deliver enough Republican votes to Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-MT) to break the filibuster. The Senate passed the bill and sent their version back to the House. Johnson used the popular rage over the three missing voting rights workers to pressure the House to pass the bill, and it did.

Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law on July 2.

Just before he wrote his name, Johnson addressed the American people on television. Tying the new law to the upcoming anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, he noted that “those who founded our country knew that freedom would be secure only if each generation fought to renew and enlarge its meaning…. Americans of every race and color have died in battle to protect our freedom. Americans of every race and color have worked to build a nation of widening opportunities. Now our generation of Americans has been called on to continue the unending search for justice within our own borders.”

Johnson celebrated that the bill had bipartisan support of more than two thirds of the lawmakers in Congress and that it enjoyed the support of “the great majority of the American people.” “[M]ost Americans are law-abiding citizens who want to do what is right,” he said. “My fellow citizens, we have come now to a time of testing. We must not fail.”

Those opposed to Black equality saw the passage of the Civil Rights Act as a call to arms. On July 16, two weeks after Johnson signed the bill and a little more than three weeks after Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner disappeared and while they were still missing, Arizona senator Barry Goldwater strode across the stage at the Republican National Convention to accept the party’s nomination for president. To thunderous applause, he told delegates that “extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And…moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” The votes of the delegates from South Carolina, the state that launched the Civil War in defense of American slavery, were the ones that put his nomination over the top.

On August 4 the bodies of the missing men were found in the dam near Philadelphia, Mississippi.

It turned out that Deputy Sheriff Price, who had arrested Schwerner, Chaney, and Goodman, and his boss, Sheriff Lawrence A. Rainey, were members of the Ku Klux Klan. Price had alerted his fellow Klansman Edgar Ray Killen that he had the three men in custody, and Killen called the local Klan together to attack the men when they got out of jail. Then Price dropped the three civil rights workers into their hands. 

While the state of Mississippi would not prosecute, claiming insufficient evidence, in January 1965 a federal grand jury indicted 18 men for their participation in the murders. The Ku Klux Klan members, who were accustomed to running their states as they saw fit, did not believe they would be punished. An infamous photograph caught Price and Rainey laughing during a hearing after their federal arraignment on charges of conspiracy and violating the civil rights of the murdered men. 

Ultimately, a jury found seven of the defendants guilty. Killen walked free because in addition to being a Klan leader, he was also a Baptist minister, and a member of the jury would not convict a minister. Price was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison (he served four). Rainey, who was not at the murder scene, was found not guilty, but he lost his job and his marriage and blamed the FBI and the media for ruining his life.

Voters in the 1964 election backed Johnson’s vision of the country, rejecting Goldwater by a landslide. Ominously, though, Goldwater won his own state of Arizona and five states of the Deep South—Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. The Republican Party had begun to court the segregationist southern Democrats.

In 1980, Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan spoke in Philadelphia, Mississippi, on August 3, sixteen years almost to the day after the bodies of the three men had been found.

“I believe in states' rights,” he said. “I believe in people doing as much as they can for themselves at the community level and at the private level. And I believe that we've distorted the balance of our government today by giving powers that were never intended in the constitution to that federal establishment. And if I do get the job I'm looking for, I'm going to devote myself to trying to reorder those priorities and to restore to the states and local communities those functions which properly belong there.”

In January 2004 a multiracial group of citizens who wanted justice for the 1964 murders met with Mississippi state attorney general Jim Hood and local district attorney Mark Duncan, as well as with Andrew Goodman's mother Carolyn Goodman and brother David Goodman, to ask Hood to reopen the case. In January 2005 a grand jury indicted Killen, who had organized the Klan to go after Chaney, Schwerner, and Goodman, for their murder. 

On June 21, 2005, a jury found the 80-year-old Killen guilty of manslaughter. 

He died in prison six years ago.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Monday, July 22 - Tuesday, July 23

BUFFY: Thanks for side-kicking. I didn't want to trouble Willow. Figure she's got enough to do. First day back and all. XANDER: Are you kidding? We're doing vent work at the site. Anything's better than breathing freon for eight hours. (beat) So, did she say what this thing is? BUFFY: Some sort of spider demony thingy. She had to go pretty quickly. I think she had to sign up for classes or something. XANDER: Ah, yes, there is little that can distract the Willow when she's on the hunt for the mighty syllabi. BUFFY: I don't know. I guess she was a little more nervous than she was letting on.

~~Buffy Season 7 Episode #127: "Selfless"~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

I Trusted You (Buffy/Giles, E) by The_Crazy_Knight

Awakening the angel of death (Angel, unrated, Bones xover) by Fidelio_cascadilio

La réserve des monstres. (Cordelia, Xander, Willow, T, French) by AngelicaR2

Bedtime Story (Xander/Angel/Spike, M) by witchway

Grilled cheese and kisses (Buffy/Spike, G) by Lilacsandorangeblossoms

Number one fan (Buffy/Spike, T) by Lilacsandorangeblossoms

He brought flowers (Buffy/Spike, T) by Lilacsandorangeblossoms

Cherish the day (Buffy/Spike, T) by Lilacsandorangeblossoms

[Chaptered Fiction]

Prison of Misery Ch. 1/2 (Buffy, unrated, Harry Potter xover) by Buffyworldbuilder

The Call Ch. 4 (Giles, unrated) by pbjellius

Families Ch. 2/15 (Ensemble, unrated) by 19BBY

Shenanigans Ch. 1/5 (Buffy/Spike, T) by flootzavut

The Right Swipe Ch. 1 (Buffy/Giles, E) by DancingAngel0013

Aegis Ch. 11 (Xander, T, multiple xovers) by dogbertcarroll, Narsil

Dead Man's Afterparty Ch. 2 (COMPLETE) (Ensemble, G) by Greensword101

In the Company of Witches and Slayers: Ch. 109 (Willow/Tara, E) by VladimirHarkonnen (TheLightdancer)

Task Mistress, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, E) by HappyWhenItRains

Life with Buffy, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Joan963z

Stygian Nights, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, T) by JamesMFan

East of Nevada, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Blissymbolics

Stab in the back, Chapter 23 (Buffy/Spike, E) by MelG_2005

The Degradation of Duality [Series Part 2], Chapter 34 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Ragini

Buffy Summers and the Major Case of the Wiggins, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Soulburnt

I’ll Get You, My Pretty!, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, M) by CheekyKitten

A Second Chance- Their Story, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Loup Noir

Birds of a Feather, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Maxine Eden

The Watcher, Chapter 20 (Buffy/Spike, E) by In Mortal

Something Borrowed, Chapter 1-3 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Geliot99

Unicorn , Chapter 8-10 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Desicat

Over the Hills and Far Away, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Rea

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Tara () by samof1994

Artwork:F E A R L E S S (Cordelia) by notbraveenoughforpolitics

Artwork:Scoobies () by tubesock86

Custom Figures: Drusilla () by thegothicalice

[Reviews & Recaps]

PODCAST: Bonus Episode - Season 2 Recap by The Sunnydale Diaries

PODCAST: Episode 124: Wrecked by Mythtaken

PODCAST: BTVS 520 - Spiral by Another Buffy Podcast

[Community Announcements]

Tuesday's Prompts are Purple-y by comment-fic

Fanged Four Family Kink Bingo by Runs in the Blood Discord Server

[Fandom Discussions]

Something abt Willow defying the narrative itself to bring Buffy back. by duckwnoeyes

Becoming a puppet in “Smile Time” by lindseymcdonaldseyelashes

Wait, if Sahjhan was hoping Holtz would kill Angel and/or Darla before Connor could be born... by nicnacsnonsense

one of the things that bothers me most about late seasons btvs by greensaplinggrace

Most Shocking Moments of BTVS/AtS by hoponlilmama

SoS: A Darker Giles by Multiple Authors

What are things characters don't get enough credit for? by The Whirlwind

What's your favorite season? by The Whirlwind

Which episode do you prefer and why? by Priceless

Did they bring Angel back too soon? by Stoney

NOTHING hit like Buffy season 2,3 and 5 by Cailly_Brard7

Accents by DanTrueCrimeFan87

Lullaby/Connor’s birth by Circus1701

Mixed Feelings On Season 5 by BigBoss2203

Giles in Band Candy by Omfgjustpickaname

Pangs v Hush: Angel and the vision about Buffy by penderies

What if Buffy was transported to an alternate universe during 'The Gift' by MattanzaMafiaFedora

I appreciate these two more as an adult than I did as a teen. by illegallysmolkate

Evil Willow by thedemonglitch

Why do the writers hurt me so?! by ElephantWorldly5010

Faith Appearances/Comics? by HopingForCynics

Anyone else disappointed by Faith’s arc on Buffy? by ElephantWorldly5010

Once More with Feeling by ElephantWorldly5010

Is the Angel series any good? by DragonfruitHot9889

Buffyverse watch Order by Mat1711

Doyle Appreciation by ElephantWorldly5010

lorne reading fred in 3x03? by nellyxbear

How many schools did Buffy burn down? by MonsterTournament

Would Kate get the same Hate as Justine? by Potter1612

a hot take by brwitch

The Wish questions by Tsole96

I actually totally understand Buffy now by lokeyvigilante

Did anyone else just realize this is Pedro Pascal in S4?! by ElephantWorldly5010

For those of us who walk in worlds the others cannot begin to imagine by Stracharys

Dead Man’s Party Episode by user294859382

Giles by user294859382

Tucker's brother didn't need the trio (part 3 of the trio going solo) by drawandpaintbyfire

the order of episodes in the watchers guide by lilalphabetxboy

Rewatching for the 100th time by ConsiderationEasy967

Angel's greatest acting performances by Cailly_Brard7

Buffy The Vampire Slayer's greatest acting performances by Cailly_Brard7

Looking for a rewatch podcast, any recommendations? by ThisPaige

Which moments best capture how the show manages to balance drama and comedy by InfiniteMehdiLove

Angel was 9th. Agree? Disagree? Fight about it in the comments… by DanTrueCrimeFan87

Totally Underrated Pair. I wish we got to see more of them together. by GoblinQueenForever

I just started watching buffy and OMG okay by Substantial_Tax5577

Dushku emancipation — when and why by mig_mit

Worst Episode Title by Consistent_Crew_924

Why don’t they all train? by EnvironmentalBreath4

Do you have a favorite Angel villain? by hatcherry

Spike by Mat1711

Does anyone has download links for R2 dvdrips? by Technical-Emu3217

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AtS Season 5 feels like a different show by Ok_Frame_4117

Podcast recommendations? by ceecee1909

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[apex-academy]

Chapter 6: The Decay of Our Lives (#22)

After our very enlightening tour of the girls’ side, we meet up with the boys. Apparently they wrapped up in Aidan’s room, because he’s still apologizing for its state of uncleanliness. 

“Oh, just ZIP it!”

He heaves an unreasonably long sigh before turning to the rest of us. 

“Are we DONE here? I’ve had about ENOUGH of this CLOWN CREW.”

Kanagi points at our trio with both thumbs. “You can totally join this clown crew!”

“UGH. Don’t REMIND me.”

“How about we move on.”

No objections this time.

“Does anyone believe another particular area would be a good idea to investigate, given what we have or haven’t found thus far?”

“Maybe the laundry room long after everything’s said and done. Otherwise, no.”

Before the others can offer suggestions—helpful or otherwise—another figure careens into the hall. Or maybe traipses. Some unholy medium between the two.

“O-okay, everyone...!”

“Both lab rooms are now open!”

��And the Headmaster’s Office?”

“What about the ART ROOM?”

“Or even your personal chambers or what-have-you beneath the trapdoor in the gym.”

“Wh-what about them?”

“Do they have any evidence relevant to the case?”

“U-um, none of the victims died anywhere near there...!”

Tsunyasha sighs wearily. “O that one’s impact should be so small as to fill but a single room...”

“She has a point.” Or at least one way to interpret that does. “This case concerns the identity of the young master who killed those people.”

Mahavir nods, not missing a beat this time.

“And any room containing relevant evidence must be accessible during the investigation.”

“...”

“That is the rule, isn’t it? Hmm...”

“Well, the Art Room should be easy enough, eheh.”

“Uhhh, ‘s, like, just as boarded up as the rest of them, isn’t it?”

“There’s also a giant hole through the wall.”

“......”

“Oh, I can just go ahead and declare the Art Room no longer off-limits, then...!”

“The rest... I-I’ll have to see how the young master feels about it.”

“But the rules are the rules.”

“Eheh, it’s kind of an odd case, though...”

“By all means, check in with the young master all you need.”

“We’ll keep investigating in the meantime.”

I can keep an eye out for anyone checking their tablets too much. Or should we allow a little privacy, just to make sure Monochap isn’t left with some default setting to keep things clammed up?

I’ll just be observant and do what I can. Same thing every investigation, I guess.

Aidan nods.

“Lab Room B is almost certain to form the basis of our entire investigation from this point, so everyone please scope it out thoroughly!”

“NO, I was ABSOLUTELY planning to just IGNORE it COMPLETELY.”

“What kind of MORON do you think I AM?”

“Don’t answer that.”

At least, not if we all want to make it to the lab room.

And we do.

Besides the nail holes and a few stray scraps of wood, it looks like any other unlocked door here.

“Open, says me!”

Instead of using the perfectly intact handle, Kanagi slams a kick into the door. Several people flinch at the sound. Better than just me? 

Thankfully, the latch isn’t much of an obstacle, so the door bounces open normally, if way too fast. Aidan flips the light switch without comment, though he’s clearly trying to keep an extra eye out as he does. We move inside, where it still smells stagnant and chemical.

Don’t know what to make of all this. Better get investigating.

TALK

[Aidan Doppler]

INVESTIGATE

[Cots] [Machinery] [Side door]

[BACK] [NEXT]

[stromuprisahat]

Never take your Sun Summoner into the Shadow Fold sans previous announcement

Siege and Storm- Chapter 8

Nichevo'ya's bite?

Or the second amplifier too?

Once in her life, Alina makes a decent deduction, and immediately brushes it aside...

Meanwhile Sasha: "Oh babe, you're touching me from the inside?!"

Yeah, there's the age-old question how does the Fold feel to Aleksander?

If nichevo'ya are torn away from his very being, and the Fold was made through the same force, but with different intent, how well is he aware of the thing? And how aware of it he was to begin with? Did he have to "die" also because when the Fold was fresh, it had been too overhelming to function? I have SO many questions only Sasha can answer!

Alina doesn't want to participate in Sturmhond's experiments, because she doesn't think it's a good idea.

Why?

Because doesn't ~like~ it, and last time Maaal got hurt...

Why not offer stronger arguments?

The first time she entered the Fold, it was swarming with volcra even though they're supposed to move in small flocks, the Darkling literally told her he's like a beacon to them and "Like calls to like" right?!

"Hey dickhead, I'm not supporting your hunting expedition, because you wouldn't have the firepower necessary even if they weren't fucking starving. Do you want a living Sun Summoner, or to stroke your ego over our corpses once we'll crash?"

For a person, who likes to mouth off, Alina can't stand up for herself even if it would be prudent.

I know I'm fucking annoying, but shouldn't this lead to some kind of awakening?

Isn't this a moment a heroine should realize war is a terrible business, turning living bodies into mincemeat, so it should be stopped?!

Shouldn't this be a turning point, after which peace becomes her priority?

Oh yeah, babe! Panic attack!

... triggered by the slaughter…

... and when we're at it:

... broken in half?!

I raised my hand and brought it down in a blazing arc, slashing through the air. An earth-shaking crack echoed through the Fold as the sandskiff split in half. Raw screams filled the air and the volcra shrieked in their frenzy.

One of its masts had snapped in two... ?

The one you'd Cut, Alina?!

I felt the weight of the collar around my neck, the steady rhythm of the stag’s ancient heart beating in time with mine. My power rose up in me, solid and without hesitation, a sword in my hand. I lifted my arm and slashed. With an ear-splitting crack, one of the skiff ’s masts split in two. People bleated in panic and scattered as the broken mast fell to the deck, the thick wood gleaming with burning light. Shock registered on the Darkling’s face.

Shadow and Bone- Chapter 22

It's nice Alina doesn't feel fine, even looks for the bodies, but it somehow falls flat after avoiding to voice (even to herself) this didn't just happen to the skiff. She DID it.

... and we're back at "Feeling ashamed for even thinking about the Darkling", aren't we?!

Alina and the Darkling's little mental rendezvous will get its own post.