#Taj West End

[sgiandubh]

Hitting a nerve, again

Dear @outlanderfandomfollies,

You took an extraordinary amount of time to lecture me on your blog with regard to one of my comments about the (in)famous funeral pictures. This deserves a reply and I hope you will understand it is done in good faith, although I cannot guarantee you that my answer will be devoid of irony. I am who I am, even if my opinions clearly vex you: I am sorry, but there is little I can do to accommodate you in that respect.

Fair enough, then. I took a stroll on your two blogs yesterday and I have to say I am underwhelmed. The thousands of words, the hundreds of pages, all that Taj Mahal of wisdom so liberally, relentlessly bestowed upon us, ignoramuses, was not enough to shake my beliefs. And pardon me the approximation: trying to make sense of what you wrote left such a strange aftertaste, that I did not pay enough attention to such details. Stupid me.

I have to say I was just starting to enjoy your very interesting interpretation of Jungian archetypes as applied to JAMMF. It did also remind me of Richard Campbell's Hero With A Thousand Faces, to be completely honest. I wanted more of that: a non-biased and personal interpretation of a beloved literary character. So, I am asking you in all honesty: why do your approach and your tone change, from professional to patronizing, when you deal with this side of the fandom, including me?

You present yourself as an independent blogger within the OL fandom. That, in my humble opinion, is a bias and a lie. There can be no independence in the current context of cold war, with the "truthers"' side bucketing out insults on a daily basis, with no prompting and no provocation from the shippers. You probably know as well as I do how the spiel works, via multiple spy sock accounts, anonymous submissions often sent to oneself and yes, rivers of "stupid shippers, idiot shippers". You also know and yet keep complete silence about it, that sensitive information is always exchanged in DMs and private groups, primarily out of respect for the people concerned (and also because that is none of your business, Antis).

Your very peculiar orientation is also something that ethically nags me. Independent, yet aligned. I find this fascinating, truly: it reminds me of an Eastern European tyrant's game of promoting himself for years to the West as aligned with the Soviets, yet independent from them. True story.

In the side note at the end of your long (loooooong) intervention about a mere comment expressing an opinion, you write:

I am asking you and I would appreciate a serious, well-researched answer (a girl can dream): exactly which boundaries did I (and I really mean I, Sgiandubh, not "shippers": that is very cheap rhetoric and I expected better from you) cross by simply expressing an opinion that disagreed with your POV?

For comparison purposes, an example of a very recent, supremely suave comment on one of the major Anti players' blogs. We never read any well-articulated protestations from you on those, ever: it is as if they do not exist. Heh. Talking about bias, when it's all about hiding the Antis' garbage under a skillfully woven carpet of scientific jargon:

And since you love side notes and caveats and all the critical apparatus paraphernalia, let me be very clear: I blurred the blogger's name on purpose, and not by cowardice. I blurred it because it is perfectly irrelevant, in this context and at the same time, very representative of a certain dominating vibe, in your camp, about OL's male lead. Something I believe you, as an independent (let's not forget aligned) blogger, should have no trouble taking a strong stance about.

Oh, the stench of intolerance, from the same person who wrote this, in 2016, on her blog:

Yes, yes. I know you also wrote your opinions changed with time and adventures along this long-winding, twisted road. Yet, I cannot help but thinking that a walk down this particular memory lane could bring more serenity and more clarity to your fandom endeavors.

I have no wish to attack you and I am not the insulting type, unlike some of your fellows. But I also do not need a laissez-passer sealed, stamped and delivered by you (with which authority?), in order to continue my journey. I would be very happy to settle on a non-aggression 'we agree to disagree' , keep calm and carry on common ground. At the very worst, I will simply ignore you and would be very grateful if you did the same. I simply feel I owe you absolutely nothing, including my time and attention.

Cordially yours,

Sgian-dubh, stupid shipper

[writingfish]

Why did this end up being 1k+ words? It's just Stephen trying to talk to the Ancient One and noting all the differences between his Kamar-Taj and this Kamar-Taj. This is getting long enough that I should stick it on AO3, but I have neither title nor summary.

They took a portal to Kamar-Taj. He only hesitated slightly. It wasn't like The Ancient One could strand him on Everest midway through. Stepping through a portal only took a second. Though to be fair to her, it had worked. He had learned how to surrender, was still learning that lesson.

One of the temple's courtyards could clearly be seen through the orange glow. It was empty of people, but the deepening dark of the sky explained why. The Ancient One-he'd have to remember to get her name this time or at least something to call her by- stepped through the portal without glancing back. Mordo pushed him forward and he nearly tumbled through. Reality rearranged itself so he didn't.

The smell of spice hit him first. He'd nearly forgotten what it smelled like. Chili, cumin, and other spices whose names he'd long forgotten. Someone had told him once, naming each spice as they handed it to him so he could sprinkle it in the pot. Wong perhaps?

His breath caught and he forcibly exhaled and inhaled. The air was crisp and chilly, settling into his lungs. The bite of winter was not yet gone. It was quiet too, though he could hear the faint sound of bells ringing in the wind, the faint flapping of flags hung between roofs.

The portal closed behind them and The Ancient One turned, walking inside. She didn't look back. He followed before Mordo could push him again.

The hallways had less color in them now. Their latest crop of initiates had started to put up whatever artworks they could find on the walls after they had finally finished rebuilding. There had been an entire wall full of graffiti-style art in one of the west hallways, thankfully on canvas. Master Yama would have made them all scrub it off the walls otherwise, no matter who was or wasn't involved.

Their footsteps were very loud; he missed the rugs. America had loved them, stating that she hadn't really gotten to see many rugs in her travels. She'd enjoyed beating them on the line to shake out the dust, dirt, and other debris on cleaning day.

He swallowed, footsteps faltering. America was gone. She had been pulled into one of the chasms. Her hand reaching for him before the multiverse had taken her. He had no way of knowing where she was or even if she was safe.

Grief threatened to rise, sharp and sticky. Fog covered it, pushing it beneath a blanket of calm.

Ahead of them, The Ancient One stepped into a room. He followed her in.

It looked remarkably similar to the room he'd first met her in. The balcony was where he remembered it, with the snowcapped mountains beyond. The bookshelves were against the same walls, the low table in the same place, and Master Hamir sipping tea in the very same spot. Why was Master Hamir here?

The Ancient One gestured to an empty seat. He sat.

Mordo stepped close, towered over him. His hands ached, deeper, near the tendons. He wanted to rub them, warm them. The cold wasn't helping. But Mordo was still there. He wouldn't show weakness.

Power nudged him, an offering. He pushed it away gently. This Mordo wasn't his Mordo. But he would probably try to kill him all the same at some point. The Mordo from universe 838 had tried too.

"Mordo," The Ancient One said and held an entire conversation with her gaze when Mordo looked at her. Her eyes flicked to the doorway again and Mordo sighed. He gave Stephen a long look before leaving. He couldn't interpret it. He had long lost familiarity with any of Mordo's expressions. Hate being the exception.

Silently, Master Hamir pushed a cup of tea towards him. It was filled just enough so it wouldn't splash when his hands inadvertently jerked. He picked it up and immediately curled his hands around it. Warmth seeped into his fingers, the ache turning gentler. It wouldn't ease, not for a long time yet.

The Ancient One closed the door, sat across them, and stared at Stephen intently. What did she see? He probably looked the same as in her visions. His hands weren't strong enough for shaving yet and Soul had said not to use any power. He had only ignored it the once.

Master Hamir handed her a cup. She took it, still keeping her eyes on him, and took a sip. The same blanket calm was on her face.

"You are different than I expected," she said.

He frowned at her. She'd never introduced herself nor had anyone introduced her this time.

"And you are?"

"They call me The Ancient One," she said and offered nothing further. Cryptic as always.

"That's a mouthful. Can I get a name?" Time laughed in his head.

The Ancient One laughed too, the blanket calm breaking out into amusement. Incredibly, Master Hamir laughed as well. He'd never laughed when Stephen had been at Kamar-Taj, though he did remember some of the initiates trying to make him.

"You can call me Morgan," The Ancient One said. Morgan, like Morgan le Fay, like Tony Stark's daughter. Grief welled in him again, hot and sharp as it had been during Stark's funeral. The memory of Morgan crying in her mother's arms rose, sour. He cut it before it could form fully and took another sip of tea.

"Well, Morgan, " he said. "Why am I here?"

"To learn magic of course."

She'd rejected him the first time, had made him wait five hours on the doorstep before letting him back in. Why had she changed her mind now? The stones laughed at him. Right, he was changing things by just being himself. Should he tell her?

Time wouldn't have. It loved its surprises.

But, she could help him. Thanos was coming. It seemed to be a fixed event in every universe he'd visited. You've only visited three properly, Reality said. It sounded amused.

He opened the connection and let the stones' presence come forward. They were always with him now, though they were kind enough to stick to the background.

We don't want to fracture your sanity any further, Mind said, ominous. The world chilled, sharpened. Familiar unease twisted in his stomach. The hole in him gaped, a muted horror starting to fill it. Yellow-orange threads dulled the emotions before they could fully sharpen. His mind went a little fuzzy, artificial calm taking over him. Why were they doing this?

It's not safe yet, Soul said gently. It was always gentle, warming him down to his core.

"You are thinking very hard," Morgan said, drawing him back into the room. She was observing him as if he was a fascinating relic that she had come across. He could be, he definitely wasn't human anymore. Maybe they'd store him like an object, locked away in a glass container until he chose a sorcerer to bond with.

That's the Cloak of Levitation, Space said, helpfully. Not you.

Should he trust her?

Your choice, the stones offered, unhelpful.

Why couldn't they make the choice for him? They owned him. He had offered them everything had, everything he was, in an effort to draw them back together so they could be the universal anchors once more. It hadn't worked. It was too late and reality had shattered around them.

The Ancient One, Morgan, was still waiting for an answer. She was patient, but how long would that last?

He took another sip. The cup was empty.

"I already know magic," he started slowly. Morgan leaned forward, folding her hands underneath her chin.

"There was an incident."

Grief surged through him before it was quickly blunted and pushed away. The anger that would have come at that wasn't there. He suspected it was suppressed too.

"An incident?" Still the same blankness, though Master Hamir was starting to look apprehensive.

He nodded, reaching into his pocket to draw out the time stone, and put it on the table between them. Master Hamir gasped, immediately standing up. He and The Ancient One exchanged a look before he was striding out the door. He'd go to check on the time stone in the library. It would still be there.

"I ended up here from the future," he said. Morgan started to ask a question before they were interrupted by Master Hamir stepping out of a portal with the Eye of Agamotto held in his hands. It was open and the stone inside was glowing.

Master Hamir placed it on the table, very nearly dropping it, and backed away quickly. The Ancient One seemed to be speechless.

He was too. He hadn't really believed the stones when they had explained. He'd been trying to push himself out of his mind. He'd been so sure he was dreamwalking, that there was another him trapped with him. Was that why they had decided to blunt his emotions?

"Explain," The Ancient One demanded, "now."

[aloneatpeace]

In Another Universe

chapter 17

PLAN A : mercy

the sound of muffled giggles wake you up as you shift you felt arms tightening around your waist, legs tangled a soft delicate press of soft lips on your cheek make you smile unknowingly.

ocean green eyes greet you a , his hair unruly sticking in different places, sleepy eyes yet a pretty smile on his face. you fully turn to him lifting your hand to touch the soft flesh of his cheeks. he close his eyes at the touch

Alex

"hi lovie " his voice sent fire on your soul, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

suddenly a two bodies lay on top of both of you.

" MOM"

the enthusiastic voice of your boys, you turn to them.

Charlie and Oliver , your boys.

" up up, mom and dad . they are playing dads songs on TV " oliver exclaim

a chuckle from Alex fill the room as he sit up kissing the boys head as you watch them eyes full of love, sitting slowly you cares the boys hair, their eyes shining as they start to jump in excitement.

Alex stand behind them with a smile on his face.the boys start to pull you towards the living room .

" careful don't hurt your mother or yourself " Alex remind them.

" we won't, hurry it's going to start now " Charlie state

" after that uncle jack will come to take grandpas house" Oliver exclaim.

" i can't wait to eat grandma's cookies " the boys squeal at thoughts.

the smiling face of your loves make you feel over the moon . one hand in Oliver small hands and another in Charlie's hands as they guide you.

with a smile on your face you wake up. looking around the reality settled in , you sit up in your bed without your love, without your boys.

outside dean get out of his baby, turning he see the Mikelson's brother. " Why am I not surprised? "

" Well, we couldn't pass the opportunity of visiting the infamous witch."

understanding there they won't leave. dean walks towards the cabin. looking around that's when his phone ping in message that the they are in some place called Kamar - Taj where the kid knows whatever the thing is after the kid will not be able to reach .

"She is not inside, her heartbeat is out in the filed " the youngest brother pointed out.

dean and the mikaelson brothers walk towards where you stand tending the apple trees .

feeling the presence you pause for a moment,

"hello love "

"i knew sooner or later you guys would show up to discuss about what happened in Westview"

" there is nothing wrong with a little mischief love " before dean can say something Klaus said making dean growl at him .

you looked at dean " i made mistake and people where hurt "

"but you made things right at the end " its was the noble vampire that voiced when dean stood silent.

Kol picked a branch smelling it " apples?"

"eventually " you nodded

kol looked skeptical you took the branch from him start to walk and they follow .

" we need your help " dean finally speak

" with what ?"

" what do you know about the multiverse ?" dean ask getting straight to the matter

“Well What, I believe it’s real and dangerous “you nonchalantly answer

“well you’re right about both darling “ Kol speed up beside you as you continued to walk unbothered

Dean heave a sigh he has been doing that a lot recently “we found a girl who somehow can travel the across it, but she is pursued “

“Pursued by who?” you raise a eyebrow in confusion

“Some kind of demons .one that coverts her power for itself “dean think “Sam with the other are in place called karmar-Taj. the girl she knows the people in there”

“Your assistance could help us all” Elijah added

“You already have the people that could clearly help with, why come along way for this?”

Dean scoff “well certain someone was planning to reach out you without telling anyone “ you thought of the youngest Winchester 

Klaus’s grin stretchered on his face “beside it would be delight full to have you with us “

“are you going to join us darling “ kol await with a smile on his face edger to know what you can do beside than what they saw in Westview.

You think about the as they as you continue to walk “what If you brought America here “

They have puzzled look on their face as dean ask “here?”

“Yeah. I know what it’s like to be on your own, hunted for ability you never wanted “as you still walk they halt in their steps registering your words . noticing that they aren’t following you. you turn back to look at to see dean shake his head in disbelief as other share the same emotion.

Still back behind them you ask in clam soft voice “you never told me her name, did you? “

“no “dean snapped “no I didn’t “.you node your head

“you know, the hex was the easy part “you sigh” the lying,not so much “

You raised your one hand in the air and flicked your wrist, red mist coming out from it covering the filed massively the entire place reveling the real state of the cabin and dried land. the normal clothing changing into reveling the true foam of the scarlet witch, stand Infront of them..

Kol notice the book floating around few feet beside you remembering the witch that was after your power having it in her clenches “the darkhold “the other take the notice of the book too.

“Your familiar with the darkhold?” you question him

“I know it’s the book of The Damned, and its corrupts everything and everyone that touches it and I wonder  what it done to you “

“The Darkhold only show me the truth. Everything that I lose will be mine again “ you sate with a firm voice .

“What do you want with America?” Elijah ask “what do you want with the multiverse?”

“I’m going to leave this reality and go to one where I can be with my children, be with my family “ you confess .

Dean say your name “your children aren’t real, you created them with magic “

“that’s what every mother does “you smirk and take a step closer to dean as the others watch “if you knew there was a universe where you could be happy, won’t you want to go there?”

Dean looked down at you “I’m happy “

“I know better than the most what self -deception looks like “you smile at him it’s a sinister smile

“What you’re doing is a flagrant violation of every natural law, and if you take that child’s power she won’t survive “Elijah speaks up making you turn to him

“I don’t relish hurting anyone Elijah “you look up to him.” But America, she is not a child. she is a supernatural being, such a raw could wreak havoc on this and other worlds. her sacrifice would be for greater good “you glance at Klaus “you should know that right ?”

Klaus clench his jaw at jab. you might right there but he wasn’t going to admit it out loud

“You know that’s kind justification our enemies use?” dean ask

You tilt you head to side “is it the one you used when you and your brother brings apocalypse on earth?”

“that’s was war, and I did what I had to do “he defended

You lean towards him “you break the rules and become a hero. I do it and I become the enemy “you shake “that doesn’t seem fair “

“So, what happen now? “Klaus ask

“Return to Kamar – Taj and prepare to hand over America Chavez by sundown peacefully “you said with a clam demeanor. you give them last smile “after that ……you’ll never see me again”

 You begin to walk away from them and flick your wrist to make the dakhold disappear .

“And if we don’t?” dean asked.

You paused and turn to look back t them “then it won’t be y/n who coming for her, it would be the scarlet witch”

They stood there for some time to think what just happened. Before walking out. Dean lean against the hood of the car.

“Well that ended pretty well doesn’t it. I can’t wait to tell Sammy who is after the kid “

“Right now, there in this Kamar- Taj place?”  Elijah asks

“Yeah. Sam said everyone is safe there “dean exhale. Feeling the phone vibrate dean pull it out

“Dean did you find her? How did it go?” Sam asks hastily

“it was great along the way she told us that no demanded that we give up the kid for her to sacrifice” the sarcasm dipped every word with anger and irritation laced in it .

On the other side Sam try to comprehend what he just heard. at Sam’s pale face and wide eyes bonnie and America who was near him cast a questioned glance.

“What nothing else to say? “dean ask from other side and Sam gulps at his brothers angered voice  

“Where are you guys now? “

Dean tell him his location when a glow orange color circle appears right Infront them.

“yeah there is a lot going on “Sam said upon seeing the dump struck look on their faces .

Masterpost

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

NATHAN STRANGE/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Explore the winners and nominations for the 2024 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises and BAFTA Television Craft Awards, celebrating the very best in television broadcast in 2023.

Scroll down to view the full list, and images below to reveal category nominations and winners.

The BAFTA Television Awards, hosted by Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan, took place on Sunday 12 May. The BAFTA Television Craft Awards, were hosted by Stacey Dooley, took place on Sunday 28 April.

Happy Valley and Top Boy were among the ceremony’s major winners, with the latter taking home Best Drama and Best Supporting Actress, and Happy Valley’s Sarah Lancashire winning Leading Actress.

Timothy Spall collected Leading Actor for The Sixth Commandment, while Matthew Macfadyen was awarded Best Supporting Actor for Succession, though was not in attendance to collect the trophy himself. Lorraine Kelly and Baroness Floella Benjamin also pocketed special awards.

Leading Actress

Anjana Vasan, Black Mirror: Demon 79 – Netflix

Anne Reid, The Sixth Commandment – BBC One

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us – Sky Atlantic

Helena Bonham Carter, Nolly – ITVX

Sarah Lancashire, Happy Valley – BBC One WINNER

Sharon Horgan, Best Interests – BBC One

Sarah Lancashire with her Best Actress Bafta for ‘Happy Valley’ (BBC) © Provided by The Independent

Leading Actor

Brian Cox, Succession – Sky Atlantic

Dominic West, The Crown – Netflix

Kane Robinson, Top Boy – Netflix

Paapa Essiedu, The Lazarus Project – Sky Max

Steve Coogan, The Reckoning – BBC One

Timothy Spall, The Sixth Commandment – BBC One WINNER

Timothy Spall with his Best Actor Bafta (BBC) © Provided by The Independent

Supporting Actress

Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown – Netflix

Harriet Walter, Succession – Sky Atlantic

Jasmine Jobson, Top Boy – Netflix WINNER

Lesley Manville, The Crown – Netflix

Nico Parker, The Last of Us – Sky Atlantic

Siobhan Finneran, Happy Valley – BBC One

Actor Jasmine Jobson collects her Supporting Actress Bafta (BBC) © Provided by The Independent

Supporting Actor

Amit Shah, Happy Valley – BBC One

Éanna Hardwicke, The Sixth Commandment – BBC One

Harris Dickinson, A Murder at the End of the World – Disney+

Jack Lowden, Slow Horses – Apple TV+

Matthew Macfadyen, Succession – Sky Atlantic WINNER

Salim Daw, The Crown – Netflix

Matthew Macfadyen in 'Succession' (Graeme Hunter/HBO) © Provided by The Independent

Female Performance in a Comedy

Bridget Christie, The Change – Channel 4

Gbemisola Ikumelo, Black Ops – BBC One WINNER

Máiréad Tyers, Extraordinary – Disney+

Roisin Gallagher, The Lovers – Sky Atlantic

Sofia Oxenham, Extraordinary – Disney+

Taj Atwal, Hullraisers – Channel 4

Gbemisola Ikumelo with her Female Performance in a Comedy Bafta for ‘Black Ops’ (BBC) © Provided by The Independent

Male Performance in a Comedy

Adjani Salmon, Dreaming Whilst Black – BBC Three

David Tennant, Good Omens – Prime Video

Hammed Animashaun, Black Ops – BBC One

Jamie Demetriou, A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou – Netflix

Joseph Gilgun, Brassic – Sky Max

Mawaan Rizwan, Juice – BBC Three WINNER

Mawaan Rizwan with his Bafta for Male Performance in a Comedy (BBC) © Provided by The Independent

Drama Series

The Gold – BBC One

Happy Valley – BBC One

Slow Horses – Apple TV+

Top Boy – Netflix WINNER

Limited Drama

Best Interests – BBC One

Black Mirror: Demon 79 – Netflix

The Long Shadow – ITV1

The Sixth Commandment – BBC One WINNER

Ben Field in ‘The Sixth Commandment’ (BBC) © Provided by The Independent

Scripted Comedy

Big Boys – Channel 4

Dreaming Whilst Black – BBC Three

Extraordinary – Disney+

Such Brave Girls – BBC Three WINNER

Soap

Casualty – BBC One WINNER

EastEnders – BBC One

Emmerdale – ITV1

Entertainment Programme

Hannah Waddingham: Home For Christmas – Apple TV+

Later… With Jools Holland – BBC Two

Michael McIntyre’s Big Show – BBC One

Strictly Come Dancing – BBC One WINNER

Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly collect their Entertainment Programme Bafta for ‘Strictly Come Dancing' (BBC) © Provided by The Independent

Entertainment Performance

Anthony McPartlin & Declan Donnelly, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! – ITV1

Big Zuu, Big Zuu’s Big Eats – Dave

Graham Norton, The Graham Norton Show – BBC One

Hannah Waddingham, Eurovision Song Contest 2023 – BBC One

Joe Lycett, Late Night Lycett – Channel 4 WINNER

Rob Beckett & Romesh Ranganathan, Rob & Romesh Vs – Sky Max

Joe Lycett, dressed as Queen Elizabeth, is surprised by his Bafta win for 'Late Night Lycett’ (BBC) © Provided by The Independent

Comedy Entertainment Programme

The Graham Norton Show – BBC One

Late Night Lycett – Channel 4

Rob & Romesh Vs – Sky Max WINNER

Would I Lie To You? – BBC One

Factual Entertainment

Celebrity Race Across the World – BBC One WINNER

The Dog House – Channel 4

Endurance: Race To The Pole – Channel 5

Portrait Artist of the Year – Sky Arts

Reality

Banged Up – Channel 4

Married at First Sight UK– E4

My Mum, Your Dad– ITV1

Squid Game: The Challenge– Netflix WINNER

Daytime

Loose Women and Men – ITV1

Lorraine – ITV1

Make It at Market – BBC One

Scam Interceptors – BBC One WINNER

International

The Bear – Disney+

Beef – Netflix

Class Act – Netflix WINNER

The Last of Us – Sky Atlantic

Love & Death – ITVX

Succession – Sky Atlantic

Live Event Coverage

The Coronation Concert – BBC One

Eurovision Song Contest 2023 – BBC One WINNER

Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance – BBC One

Current Affairs

Storyville: Inside Russia: Traitors And Heroes – BBC Four

Putin vs the West – BBC Two

Dispatches: Russell Brand: In Plain Sight – Channel 4

This World: The Shamima Begum Story – BBC Two WINNER

Single Documentary

David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived – Sky Documentaries

Ellie Simmonds: Finding My Secret Family – ITV1 WINNER

Hatton – Sky Crime

Vjeran Tomic: The Spider-Man of Paris – Netflix

Factual Series

Dublin Narcos – Sky Documentaries

Evacuation – Channel 4

Lockerbie – Sky Documentaries WINNER

Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland – BBC Two

Specialist Factual

Chimp Empire – Netflix

The Enfield Poltergeist – Apple TV+

Forced Out – Sky Documentaries

White Nanny, Black Child – Channel 5 WINNER

News Coverage

Inside Gaza: Israel And Hamas At War – Channel 4 News WINNER

Inside Myanmar – The Hidden War – Sky News

Israel-Hamas War – Sky News

Sports Coverage

Cheltenham Festival Day One – ITV1 WINNER

MOTD Live: Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023 – BBC One

Wimbledon 2023 Men’s Final – BBC One

Memorable Moment

Beckham, David teases Victoria about her ‘working class’ upbringing – Netflix

Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa revealed as the 15th Doctor – BBC One

Happy Valley, Catherine Cawood and Tommy Lee Royce’s final kitchen showdown – BBC One WINNER

The Last of Us, Bill and Frank’s Story – Sky Atlantic

The Piano, 13-year-old Lucy stuns commuters with jaw dropping piano performance – Channel 4

Succession, Logan Roy’s death – Sky Atlantic

Short Form

Mobility – BBC Three WINNER

The Skewer: Three Twisted Years – BBC iPlayer

Stealing Ukraine’s Children: Inside Russia’s Camps – Vice News

Where It Ends – BBC Three

Writer: Comedy

Jack Rooke, Big Boys – Channel 4 WINNER

Jamie Demetriou, A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou – Netflix

Kat Sadler, Such Brave Girls – BBC Three

Mawaan Rizwan, Juice – BBC Three

Writer: Drama

Charlie Brooker & Bisha K Ali, Black Mirror: Demon 79 – Netflix WINNER

Jesse Armstrong, Succession – Sky Atlantic

Sally Wainwright, Happy Valley – BBC One

Sarah Phelps, The Sixth Commandment – BBC One

Bafta Special Award

Lorraine Kelly

Bafta Fellowship

Baroness Floella Benjamin

#2024BAFTA #TelevisionAwards #P&OCruises #BAFTA #TelevisionCraftAwards, #television #broadcast

Posted 12th May 2024

[sunblonderealtors]

Top Up-and-Coming Neighborhoods in Mumbai

As We Know South Mumbai Is Know For The Epitome of Posh Living, Neighbourhoods Like Central Of Mumbai i.e Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Kurla & Chembur are gaining popularity, with Thane and Mulund emerging as a prime spot for affordable property sales. Here We are Sorted Key Factors For Upcoming Emerging Zones Of Mumbai.

Areas that are expected to see significant growth in the coming years

Ghatkopar emerges as a thriving location, primarily due to the introduction of metro lines.

Santacruz West is a suburban neighborhood in the heart of Mumbai that offers great investment opportunities in real estate. It's close to important commercial hubs like Bandra-Kurla Complex & Andheri and has easy access to the Western Express Highway.

superior connectivity and sound infrastructure, the properties in Thane & Mulund have also shown a steady increase in the past few years.

Why these areas are becoming popular

Malabar Hill Nestled atop Mumbai’s southern tip, Malabar Hill reigns supreme as India’s most exclusive residential address. With sprawling mansions, opulent condos, and panoramic sea views, this enclave exudes sophistication at every turn.

Cuffe Parade Home to Mumbai’s elite, this waterfront enclave boasts upscale boutiques, gourmet restaurants, and stunning waterfront promenades. Stroll along the historic Colaba Causeway, unwind at the iconic Taj Mahal Palace, and experience the pulse of Mumbai’s cultural heart.

Worli Worli offers a seamless blend of luxury living and urban convenience. Indulge in world-class shopping at Palladium Mall, dine at acclaimed restaurants overlooking the Arabian Sea, and experience the cosmopolitan vibe of this vibrant enclave.

The types of properties available in these areas

Residential Properties Primarily designed as living spaces, In Mumbai We Can See Luxury To Affordable Segments Of Residential Projects With Convenience to Carpet area as We Wish.

Commercial Properties Used For Businesses To Investments Purpose, Mumai Commercial Property's Demand Touching Sky Level For Current Time.

The potential for investment in these areas

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Stephen Strange Meta-Fic Sequel Chapter 9: Silly Witch…

Okay, people! The latest plotline is underway! Our heroes need to get their friend back and there’s no time to lose! Thank you to our lovely Trix, Prettywitch, and Tear for sticking around still!

SPOILERS AHOY: Loki

TRIGGER WARNING: Torture, kidnapping, mentions of death

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*We arrive at Avengers Campus and notice Scott walking by.*

Me (quickly):  Scott, we need to call a meeting.  It’s urgent.

Scott: Sure. What’s up?

Stephen (grim):  Agatha Harkness has kidnapped Trix.

Scott: *He stares at Stephen quizzically.* Wait…the crazy witch lady that Stark was talking about?

Stephen: Yes.  She took Trix hostage as retaliation for the girls’ informing us about Wanda.  We attempted to protect them, but Harkness somehow managed to get past the wards and grabbed her.

Me:  It seemed like she manipulated Trix somehow.  It was like Trix was her usual self at first, but then she suddenly went into some kind of spiral and yanked open the door.  Then, she passed out and when Tear and I tried to catch her, she vanished in a puff of purple smoke.

Stephen (disturbed at what I just said):  …Mental manipulation.  Agatha must have used Trix’s magical signature as a conduit since you four have different energy signatures than the wards and other spells in our universe.

Scott: I have no idea what any of that means.

*Prettywitch snickers, unable to keep herself from finding Lang adorable in a moment of crisis.*

Stephen (snippy):  So, are you going to call the meeting or not?  *He’s getting agitated due to being worried about Trix.  If Scott won’t call the meeting, then he will.*

Scott: Hey, take it easy, Stephen. I never said I wouldn’t. Besides, I still owe you one for showing up at Cassie’s birthday party. *He pulls out his communicator and hits the emergency meeting button installed on it.* Alright, see you guys in an hour. 

*He goes to find the remaining Avengers currently present on the campus.*

*Stephen doesn’t leave our side.  Though he does end up pacing agitatedly after a while as we wait.  After an hour, we enter the conference room with Scott and Peter.  Tony and Steve have already come in.  They had switched places with Rhodey and Sam a few days back to rest while other heroes tend to stabilizing our universe.*

*Fury is sitting at the head of the table with a deadpan look on his face and glances at Stephen and the girls.*

Fury (sarcastically): So, how did magical protective custody turn out? I see you’re down a person.

Stephen (coldly, trying not to lose his temper):  Still better than your option.  There would have been more of them missing and sooner without the wards.

Scott: Yeah, about that. You lost one of them?

Peter: “Lost one of them?” You can really lose people inside Kamar-Taj? *He looks between Scott and Stephen, slightly anxious as he’s been inside the temple before*

Tony: *He sighs tiredly* I don’t think he means Stephen misplaced them, kid. The Purple Witch of the West clearly got her claws on her.

Peter: *His eyes widen and he stiffens in his panic, too concerned to worry about being embarrassed* What? She did? Who did she take? Are they okay?

Steve (stern and concerned):  How did this happen?  

Stephen (trying to be patient):  Agatha bypassed our magic by using the girls’ energy as a conduit.  It’s similar to…Hmm…What Stark would say a VPN is on a computer.  She used it to manipulate Trix into opening the door and breaking the wards.  Then, Agatha abducted her before anyone could do anything to stop her.  From what we saw, Agatha is holding Trix hostage within an enchanted crystal and has threatened to kill her if any of our trained sorcerers follow her.

*Steve listens.  He doesn’t really understand it, but he lets Stephen talk.*

Scott: So, it’s basically a firewall breach but with magic.

Tony: Goddammit… *He rubs a hand down his face and shifts in agitation* And how certain are we that she’s actually crazy enough to go through with that threat? Could it be a simple bluff?

*Stephen nods at Scott affirmatively.  He then looks grimly at Tony.*

Me (tense):  She DID try to bump Tear, Prettywitch, and me off in the tunnels.  Said something about “hopefully your corpses will contain enough useful residual energy.”

Stephen:  Agatha carrying through on her threat is very possible.  She appears to want information and to…experiment on one of the girls…It is highly likely that once she gets what she wants, she…*He cuts off, clearly dreading what could happen.*

Peter: *He rushes to interject, eager to pull the adults from such dark endings* But we can still find Trix then, right? If Agatha did, then so could you and Mr. Wong. And we can plan an extraction together. Not to be mean or anything but…*He winces at Stephen*...sorcerers don’t tend to expect tech to be used against them. The Stark tech only continues to work because you’ve helped improve it with magic and…stuff.

Stephen (at this point, he’s willing to take any help he can get):  We COULD locate them, but Wong and I cannot follow…Peter does raise a good point in that regard, I suppose.  *He appears to be silently mulling something over.*

Fury: So we’re dealing with yet another magic user who loves to mess around in people’s heads and doesn’t hesitate to retaliate? This is the third one in a decade. You better have solutions for this breach in defenses for us mere mortals. *He’s still annoyed at being snubbed at the last meeting* Let alone that woman was the one who shared the most information and I doubt she’s had training to not share information through torture. If she knows this much about everything and has been captured, she’s a liability at this point.

Stephen (irritated):  Just like SHIELD is doing with the Ten Rings?  How is the current situation with HYDRA, by the way? 

*Fury looks unimpressed but doesn’t push more on the issue for now*

Me:  Tear, Prettywitch, and I are still novices.  Our signatures are still rather weak and Agatha bragged about finding us by sensing a “dead zone”.  So, since she probably isn’t in one of those areas, our signatures are more easily concealed.  We want in on this rescue mission.  *I’m firm*

Steve:  Well…Do you girls have any non-magical skills that could help?

Me (coolly):  We’ve been receiving martial arts training, as well as with some melee weapons.  Before coming here, I had advanced fencing training and some mixed martial arts from my dad since he’s a Marine.  Prettywitch has some prior training too.  Also, I can pick locks, make small explosive rigs, wire some objects to shock people, tie several strong knots, and a few other things.

*Stephen looks back at me and raises an eyebrow.  I hadn’t mentioned any of that before.  Despite this, he isn’t reassured and hates having to essentially sit back while all of this is happening.  The Sorcerer Supreme is also highly aware of Wong’s own agitation.  Neither of them like where this is going.*

*Steve is taken aback by this and more than a little suspicious of me after I admit to these things.*

Tony: *He waves a hand at Steward, palm facing up* Sounds like the basic Avenger skill set to me. Any of you know how to shoot a gun?

Me:  I don’t, unfortunately.  Can use a recurve bow and crossbow.  That’s it.

Prettywitch: *I shy my gaze away.* I don’t have any melee training, sadly. I am a pretty good swimmer, though.

Tear: *I meekly raise a hand* I can. Dad kept a shotgun in the house in case of intruders when I was younger…and I’ve had some weird boyfriends who thought shooting ranges made for cool dates… *I cross my arms and look away, clearly embarrassed*

Tony: Right, I don’t know why I’m surprised anymore. I can help equip them with a few things, for protection mainly. Maybe Rhodey can be convinced to do so as well. I don’t have any full suits, custom or otherwise. I don’t exactly run a leasing program.

Scott: I can probably help modify goggles for night vision.

Fury (grimacing): So what happens if more of you get captured then?

Stephen:  I was thinking the same thing, honestly.  However, I also know that these three won’t sit quietly either…Seeing as they’re hell-bent on participating in this rescue, we think it’s best that they do so while we can keep an eye on them to prevent more of them being captured.  *He still has an intense expression on his face.*

Scott: *Raises his hand to volunteer.* I can go with them.

Stephen:  Okay.  *He’s still not as familiar with Scott as the others, but his skills seem appropriate and Scott did help them defeat Thanos.  So, Stephen agrees to this as he continues to ponder.*

Prettywitch: So…does that mean we shrink down?

Scott: Yeah, but the problem is trying to convince Hank to let me use the Pym particles on a bunch of kids. He’s still pretty mad about me and Hope joining the Avengers. 

Fury (deadpan): You don’t think a multiversal threat that can manipulate and destroy anyone she comes across isn’t a compelling enough argument? 

Me:  We’re all in our 20’s and 30’s.  So, that might help a bit if he’s aware that we can understand the risks.

Scott: Okay. You have met Hank, right? Quick to anger, made a Hydra agent eat a table? He’s not exactly known for being chill under pressure. Believe me, I know!

*Fury just stares at him and then sighs.*

Fury (resigned): Strange, I would say to send one of your…apprentices along with Lang to convince Pym with the sob story but I have the feeling you’ll go feral if I even attempted to suggest that.

*Stephen turns to Fury with a look that all but confirms that fact.*

Prettywitch: Don’t worry, Fury. Stephen won't have a problem with it…because he’ll be coming with us. Won’t you, Stephen?

Stephen (displeased, but reluctantly agreeing to it):  Fine.  Though Wong will be keeping an eye on the rest of you.  None of you are to leave our sight.  Understood?  *He’s firm*

Me:  Yes, sir.

Tear: Promise we’ll behave. We don’t want to cause you or Wong any more trouble.

Prettywitch: Ditto.

Fury: Keep us updated on your progress and next steps. This witch has the potential to do a hell of a lot of harm if she gets the bright idea to step out of the shadows for once.

Tony: Pete and I will touch base with Rhodey and Wong, see what kind of equipment we can provide for you all. We’ll strategize and form a plan with Cap once you return. It’ll be easier if we know what we’ll have to our disposal.

Steve:  We’ll hold the fort over here and alert you if there are any additional developments in the meantime.

Scott: I’ll let Hank know you guys are coming.

Stephen:  Okay, so which one of you is coming with me to speak with Hank Pym?

Me:  I’ll go.  I can be diplomatic if needed.

Prettywitch: Tear and I can stay here in case they need an extra hand.

Stephen:  Okay.  Tear, PrettyWitch, stay with Wong and the Avengers.  Scott, Steward, and I will be back shortly.  *He opens a portal and sends the two girls back to Wong at Kamar-Taj alongside Tony and Peter.  Then, he opens a new portal to Hank Pym’s office once Scott finishes his notification.*

~~~~~

*Agatha is happily bustling about her lair as she starts getting preparations together for her  guest of honor. She has taken off the crystal necklace and it is floating above the onyx slab table in the center of the room. Compared to how it looked back at Kamar-Taj as a dark eggplant color, now it is cycling between a light violet and a bright orange.*

Agatha: Now my dear, you truly are something interesting. Completely different kind of magic just popping up like a weed out of nowhere. That and you and your friends seem to know way more than you let on… *she stops moving and turns to the necklace* Let’s start off easy… *she whispers a spell and purple smoke blows out of her lips and circles the necklace before it seems to be pulling something out of it. Finally, a violet and orange orb emerges from the crystal and begins to shape into a translucent form…*

Agatha: Alrighty, we never got formally introduced. My name is Agatha Harkness and you ruined my plans. Who are you supposed to be?

*Trix is floating about a foot above the necklace, seemingly tethered the crystal like a ball and chain. She is groggy and confused but takes a moment to realize where she is and just who is in front of her.*

Trix (out of it): Oh! It’s you! I love you, you’re one of my favorites! I was supposed to know something about you right now…damn I’m still useless… *she seems to shrink into herself for a bit*

Agatha: I’m glad that you could finally meet me then! Tell me- what’s been your favorite thing you know me from. *She’s slightly confused but isn’t going to let a chance like this go to waste*

*Trix is looking like she would fall over to the ground if she had a body at the moment but tries to focus on Agatha.*

Trix: You were in Wandavision. You had a catchy theme song and everything and almost won… *She starts to piecing together in her mind what’s going on and physically recoils when she looks down to find the situation she’s found herself in* Oh. We’re in that part now, huh.

Agatha (puzzled): I’m rather curious about you. Like how exactly you knew about my plans. Is it that seer friend of yours? It’s written all over her magic that she’s clairvoyant, same for the medium. It was you and that other one that were trickier to whittle down. But you’re still aware of details without your little group around as well. *She frowns and brings her hand up to her mouth in thought*

Trix: Listen, I just like to keep up with some of the more important magic users! It’s why I’m such a fan of you! *She’s trying not to get nervous but she has no idea what sort of spells that Agatha has going on. It’s better for her to tell the truth than get caught in a lie*

Agatha *She begins circling the table, looking up at Trix*: So, are you a witch then? Is this the Sorcerer Supreme’s attempts at an experiment? Combining witchcraft and the mystic arts to make up for the loss of their infinity stone? *She frowns to herself*

Trix: I mean, I don’t know what his plans are- they kinda just grabbed us from our home and suddenly we were being trained! 

Agatha *She hums*: So, why the different magical signatures then? I know what their goody-two-shoes ‘mystic arts’ looks like and I have seen nearly every form of witchcraft on this earth and yet four women show up out of nowhere with an entirely new one. 

Trix: I don’t kn- *She hisses in pain as her form begins to glitch out with magical sparks. Agatha smiles*

Agatha (cheerfully): You know, props to you for making it this long without lying to me. I was looking forward to a light show but you’ve only given me some $5 sparklers. *She laughs* Not that I’m complaining but I thought you’d make this more fun.  *She comes closer to the crystal and stares up intently at her* Now that you are starting to learn the consequences, why don’t we try that again?

Trix (nervous): Okay! Okay, I’ll tell you everything I know about what’s going on. But I want to know some things too. For every question I answer, you teach me something new about witchcraft. Where I’m from we didn’t have witchcraft like yours and when I found out about you, I was fascinated! Please? *She’s trying to be as convincing as possible*

*Agatha stares at her seriously for a moment before letting out a laugh and backing off and Trix lets out a small silent sigh of relief*

Agatha: I respect the hustle, kid. I really do. You’re lucky I want to learn your secrets today because lessons with Auntie Agatha don't normally come cheap. Fine, I’ll play this game so long as you tell me everything you know about what’s going on. Otherwise, I might get a bit clumsy and drop that crystal on the ground and Humpty Dumpty isn’t going to get put back together again…

*Agatha gives her a sharp grin and Trix smiles weakly back in response. She’s going to have to think on her feet to get out of this and honestly, she might have just made a deal with the devil.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Stephen, Scott, and I arrive in Hank Pym’s office and wait for the man to come in.*

Hank (coming into his office briskly): Stephen! It’s been awhile; good to see you. I take it this is one of the girls you mentioned, Scott?

Scott: Yup.

*Stephen greets Hank politely.*

Stephen:  Hello, Hank.  

*I watch the conversation start and give a meek wave, a bit shy around the older man.*

Me (polite):  Hello, Dr. Pym.  I’m Steward.  

Hank: It’s nice to meet you, Steward. I’ve heard a little about your situation from Scott and I’m eager to learn more. (He holds his hand out to Steward for her to shake it and, noticing she’s hesitant, smiles.) It’s okay, I don’t bite.

Scott: Isn’t that what you said to Peter the other day before you chewed him out for…(He sees Hank slowly turning to give him the death glare.) You know, you’re right. I’m shutting up now.

Hank: Thank you. (Turns back to Steward.) Anyway, I look forward to helping you.

*Stephen gives me a gentle nudge to snap me out of the shyness.  I’m slightly startled, but look back at Hank.*

Me:  Thank you.  *I reach out to shake his hand, keeping it professional with a small smile of my own before getting serious.*  Erm…Unfortunately, one of us, Trix, has been abducted by a witch and we need some non-magical means to slip past her detection.  We were hoping that we could borrow some of your equipment for the rescue mission if that’s okay.  *I’m still slightly cautious, but figure that Hank would appreciate a direct and honest approach.*  I also figured that maybe if things work out, then you might be curious about interdimensional energy and travel.  So…Maybe if we can get the mess sorted out, you could visit our universe.  The differences in quantum energy between universes could be interesting.  *I offer this, speaking from scientist to scientist.*

Hank: Well that depends…(Turns to Scott) Will you be there with them?

Scott: Yeah, of course.

Hank: (Turns back to Steward) Then you’ve got yourself a deal. (He motions for the trio to follow him and they do.)

Scott: Wow. I actually thought it would take awhile to convince you.

Hank: If you’re with them, there’s less of a chance of something going wrong. Just…try to keep it under the radar. I don’t need the FBI on my ass…again.

Scott: (Sigh) You’re just never gonna let go, are you?

Hank: You had me on the run for the Government for two years!

Scott: Oh, right! Cause you were living so uncomfortably!

Hank: And you weren’t?

Scott: (He’s realizing he has no argument for them.) Point taken.

*Stephen watches everything unfold quietly, slightly amused by the bickering.*

(They step into Hank’s lab.)

*I’m intrigued, glancing around curiously.  Though I’m also being careful not to touch anything.*

Hank: So, tell me a little bit about this witch.

Stephen:  Her name is Agatha Harkness and she practices Dark Magic.  Her original goal was to corrupt Wanda Maximoff with the Darkhold, but the girls informed us about it and we managed to stop her.  As retaliation, Harkness went after the girls.  Wong and I attempted to keep them in protective custody until she could be captured, however something went wrong.

Me:  Agatha essentially used our different magical signatures as a conduit to get past Stephen and Wong’s wards and manipulated Trix into opening the door.  She basically forced Trix into a mental breakdown.  Tear, PrettyWitch, and I tried to stop her, but it happened so quickly…As soon as the door was opened, it broke Stephen and Wong’s wards and Trix disappeared in a puff of smoke.  *I speak grimly.*

*Stephen looks at me empathetically, the truth of the matter on how Agatha got to us finally starting to sink in.*

Hank: A magical bypass…Well, I’ve got something that should work. Although it is experimental. (He pulls out what looks like a regular old press-on tattoo.) This is the Achilles Tendon; it’s meant to neutralize incoming frequencies and disruptions without your opponent knowing.

Me:  So, it’s effectively a wearable signal jammer so she can’t interfere with any of us during the rescue?

Hank: Exactly. I’m not exactly sure how powerful it will be against magic, but I’m sure that’s something you can help with, Stephen.

Stephen:  I can.  Do you have an extra one for me to reverse-engineer?

Hank: I do. (He tosses it Stephen’s way.)

*Stephen catches it.  As he does, his expression lightens.  It appears he has multiple ideas.*

Stephen:  Great.  *He nods at Hank gratefully*  I’ll get to work on it.  

Hank: Good. I’ll set you up with some more discs, Scott can show you how to use them when you get back to the compound.

Me: Thank you, Sir.

Hank: Don’t mention it. Good luck.

Me (slight smile):  Heh…If the lab is still reasonably intact and my boss lets me, maybe I can let you and Tony check it out.  I’m in biomedical science, but it still could be interesting.  *I’m showing gratitude*

Hank: (Chuckles) I’d like that.

Stephen:  We’ll report back to the compound for now.  Thanks, Hank.  We’ll keep you updated.  *His trademark smirk is beginning to reappear.*

Hank: You’re welcome.

Scott: Oh yeah, Hank? Would you mind texting Hope and let her know I’m gonna be running late tonight?

Hank: Text her yourself, she and Janet are out having a spa day.

Scott: Oh yeah…Hope mentioned something out that…now that I remember.

*After he texts Hope, we accept the tech from Hank and portal back to the Avengers Compound.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Trix is beaten and battered as she hisses in pain, landing hard on unfamiliar ground. As she looks around, she seems startled as she finds a landscape made up of orange and purple, the colors swirling together like a lava lamp. She has no idea how she got there, as the last thing she remembered was Agatha’s crazed eyes. Trix hadn’t given up any important information (in her eyes) yet, but had dragged the conversation along until the witch grew tired of waiting for a relevant answer and went straight to torture instead.*

Unknown Voice: I don’t know why you think that trying to outsmart a centuries old magic user is a good idea. Especially when trapped like this.

*Trix whips around to look behind her and it almost seems like halfway through the dreamscape, someone painted a line down between the halves and smothered it in green. The most surprising thing is the black haired person sitting casually on the ground, looking up at her unamused.*

Trix: I can’t tell her something important but I have to keep her distracted long enough for the rescue team to show up. Wait- *she frowns* can I not lie in here as well?

*The man sighs and stands up, revealing a very tall figure. He wanders up to the split and just stares at her. Trix merely stares back at him as she begins to recognize him*

Man: We’re in the astral plains. We’re essentially spirits here with no physical body so that leads to being unable to lie. Unfortunately the witch has extra compulsions on the crystals…

Trix: You-you’re Loki! *she is absolutely starstruck and Loki looks confused*

Loki: You know of me? I’m not even in my usual manner of dress. *He frowns and looks down at himself. He is wearing khakis and a white button up shirt. The tie is almost shredded and there’s no jacket to be found.*

Trix: You’re the one who had to deal with the TVA! Fuck, how did you end up in here? *She’s exhausted but realizing who’s there with her is giving Trix a second wind*

Loki (frowning): How…how do you know about the TVA?

Trix: Long story short, I know about what the sacred timeline is and how the multiverse was broken open by Sylvie killing the One Who Remained. *She glances around* Agatha can’t hear us here, can she?

Loki: No. We would have to be pulled out in order for us to be spied on. The one saving grace of this spell to be honest. *He stares at Trix closer* You’re not another version of me, are you? Because the female presenting ones seem to be a bit more successful in their murdering plans.

Trix (smiles weakly): No, I’m not a Loki however my nickname is based off of you. Well, it’s a nickname of a username…Trickstress turned into Trix and…y’know- *She can’t help but ramble and her body begins to tremble with both nerves and exhaustion*

Loki (gently): A pleasure to meet you then, Trix. Apologies for the terrible living conditions. Clearly you were important enough to be trapped in this torture session. *He smiles at her gently, seemingly aware she’s at her limit*

Trix: Oh no, I’m no one special. My friends are amazing and can do incredible things! I’m just the expendable one who faints whenever I come across something in a different language. *She wanders over to the border and knocks on the invisible wall before plopping down on the ground.* I just had to promise Agatha that I would tell her everything I know about what’s going on…

Loki (deep in thought): No, you’re clearly important enough to render this *he gestures wildly at their surroundings* punishment.

Trix: You mentioned we were in the astral plains…how exactly are we here?

Loki: *He sits down again, staring at Trix* This is typically used by mages to their particularly tricky or uncooperative opponents. The body is transformed and crystallized, revealing the deepest parts of one’s soul. In your case it’s the violet and orange around you. Mine matches my magic. *He gestures at his surroundings* In the same way that our body would normally house our spirit, the crystal prison that our body becomes gives others almost complete power over our souls. Such as being unable to lie. *He looks annoyed at that.*

*Trix looks around at their surroundings with a bit more hesitancy*

Trix: So you’re saying it’s pointless to try and escape?

Loki (shrugs): You mentioned having assistance so you’ve already started to stall. The only way you’re getting out of here is by outside help, a good opportunity, and luck.

Trix *confused*: Why do you say that like you’re not getting out?

Loki: I’m not a good person. I am acutely aware of that fact, especially after everything that happened after New York. No one knows that I’m here and they likely wouldn’t save me otherwise. *He isn’t upset at any of this, but states it as fact*

Trix: I would absolutely help you and the others would as well, especially after they know what’s going on. *She attempts to scoot closer to the barrier* Don’t give up on yourself yet!

Loki (smirking): I could say the same for you. You don’t seem to have a high opinion of yourself at all.

*Trix frowns and curls into herself*

Trix: So, the long story short is that my friends and I are from a universe where everything about your universe, from the ‘Sacred Timeline’ is media. Stories that were fictional and we bonded over our love of those stories. Then Stephen *she blinks a moment* Doctor Strange is what he’s formally known as and now is Sorcerer Supreme here, accidentally ended up in our universe. Our universe kinda broke and now magic is becoming real, we all got new powers but mine keeps being overwhelming, and we were brought here to try and train so we can survive and thrive at home. *Trix is rambling at this point but Loki is listening intently* The others are all able to fight, even at a beginner level, have amazing abilities like being able to talk to spirits, or advanced healing, and even foresight! I’m only able to read and understand languages but it’s just so frustrating because my brain can’t handle it! I am horrible at fighting too and injuries freak me out. I honestly shouldn’t have come, I don’t contribute much…

Loki (frowning): No, you will. You might not be able to now but you will eventually. In Asgard, you weren’t highly regarded if you weren’t a warrior. I decided to learn how to be a politician and a scholar. You don’t need everyone on the same path and same skills. *He crouches down next to me on his side of the barrier* I’m guessing I’m a character in these stories you talked about, yes?

Trix: Yeah… *finally starting to pull slightly out of the depression*

Loki (slightly frustrated but trying to be motivational): You likely know my whole story then. Even the parts from my ‘true path’ and know more than I. Yes?

*Trix nods*

Trix: Yeah, you’ve always been one of my absolute favorites. You’ve always somehow been able to get through any situation even when it’s seemed impossible.

Loki (grinning): Ah, good. Then let me become your instructor in the School of Loki. You shall be my first disciple. 

*He’s trying to goad her into a smile and is pleased when she lightly giggles in response*

Loki: Consider this an early repayment of gratitude for your dedication to both getting me out of here as well as your dedication to my story, as it were. *He sits down next to me on his side of the barrier*  First, we’re going to get you prepared to be summoned back to Agatha as I am fairly sure you haven’t been trained in how to withstand torture and interrogation, yes?

Trix: Yeah, not part of my curriculum when going to school.

Loki: Honestly, it should be. Anyway: you promised her that you would tell her everything that you know. In this, you will not lie. We are unable to at the moment.

Trix (realizing): I completely forgot about that-

Loki (slightly exasperated): Which is why I believe you about your origins and why I can’t train you as I’d like. Anyways: let’s begin-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Stephen returns with Scott, me, and the tech in tow.*

Stephen:  Okay.  I’ll let Wong and the others know how it went.  Also, I have another idea.  We’ll discuss it once everyone is back.

*Stephen messages the Avengers to update them and then communicates with Wong.  As soon as the older sorcerer knows that things are okay, he portals Tear, Prettywitch, and the two Avengers back to the Compound to join me and the others.  A few minutes later, the rest of the Avengers assemble to begin formulating their strategy to deal with Agatha.* 

Me (small smile):  It worked out.  We have the tech.  Also, Hank wants to visit our world later on when stuff calms down.  If stuff calms down, anyway…

Tear: I’m sure it will. Tony managed to get in touch with Rhodey. He said Matt and Jen had finally made some progress in giving SHIELD and the Avengers proper authority over disaster zones.

Me:  That’s great news!  *I brighten up slightly.  Though still worried about Trix.*

Prettywitch: It’s about damn time. *She says this with a smile.*

Steve (giving a small congratulation before getting down to business):  That’s some excellent work over there.  Now to the problem at hand.  How do we locate and capture Agatha Harkness?  Also, how do we make sure she doesn’t have Trix on her?  We need to make sure we get her out safely as quickly as possible. 

Stephen:  Wong and I have already traced her location to a remote cabin in the middle of the October Mountain wilderness near Salem, Massachusetts.  That part wasn’t difficult.  Hank gave the team some wearable signal jammers and I’m going to attempt to modify them so that Harkness’ spells won’t work on anyone wearing them.  Also, I think I found a workaround for the witch’s defenses so that Wong and I can provide additional aid.

Tony: *He sends Stephen a look, genuinely impressed* So you’ll give us the Sorcerer Supreme’s version of protective charms? Sounds like we got lucky with our cereal box.

Stephen:  Technically speaking.  *He gives Tony a wry look.*

Steve:  Okay.  That’ll work as an effective defense.  What else do we need to be on the lookout for when confronting this witch?

Stephen:  She’ll most likely have several traps and wards up.  Judging by the fact that she uses Dark Magic, those wards and magical triggers for the traps will be in the form of runes.  Not all of them are visible to non-magic users.  However, the girls will be able to see them.  We did get them to that stage of their training before it was interrupted.  Anyway, most trap spells are triggered by anything larger than an insect.  As for the wards, all of the runes have to be taken out at once or they stay up.  Beyond that, be careful of any potential entities or brainwashed mortals that she might use as pawns.  

Tony: Alright, so we’ll do extensive recon. We had already determined we cannot go in, guns blazing, while Trix is still a hostage, so our strategy cannot change. *He types away at a holographic keyboard being projected from his wristwatch and finally flips his hand forward, tossing the resulting hologram to hover where everyone can easily see it. It is a terrain map of the mountain Stephen mentioned.* This is where Atom Ant and his tiny army come in. With the Pym Tech, I can equip you with scanners and beacons to help us locate these runes.

Scott: *Raises an eyebrow at Tony’s nickname.* Atom Ant?

Stephen (stepping forward quickly):  Our first priority should be to locate Agatha within her lair and confirm that Trix’s crystal is present and undamaged.  *He’s still quite livid about the situation and worried sick about Trix, but containing himself as best he can.*  Once we do, the crystal needs to be secured and taken out of Harkness’ reach.  Then, the runes must be destroyed to break the wards.  Wong and I should be able to portal to the ensuing battle as soon as Trix’s crystal is secured and the wards are down.  *The sorcerer seethes with determination.*

Scott: Hey, don’t worry, Doc. We’ll get her back. 

Steve (reassuring the sorcerer): Precisely, Stephen.  We’ll ensure that Trix gets freed safely and help the other girls through this mission.  Scott, could you please brief the team on how to use the discs Dr. Pym provided?

Scott: Sure. *He holds up two discs for everyone to see.* Alright, so there’s two different discs. Red shrinks, blue grows. Now, the way you use them is pretty simple; all you gotta do is throw them at the object or person you wanna shrink or enlarge and…bam! *He throws a red disc at Fury’s coffee cup, which shrinks.*

*The entire group listens intently to him, asking questions to be sure that everyone has the facts straight.  Scott has each person do a dry run of what to do so the risk of anything going wrong from misuse is minimized.  I’m nervous, but hiding it well.  I’ve never been in this kind of fight before.  However, my main priority is getting Trix back.  So, I listen well, answer the questions, do the drills, and stay composed.  Steve watches all of us intently.*

Steve:  If we feel confident in these drills, then we need to address how to properly disable and capture Agatha.  Stephen, any advice?

Stephen:  Magic takes focus and concentration.  If she’s too preoccupied with defending herself, then she won’t be able to hit back as effectively.  Also, most incantations have to be spoken and the proper gestures need to be made.  If you can somehow silence her and prevent her from using her hands, she can’t cast.

Me:  Tony, if you have some spare supplies, I can make some small charges and connect the detonators so they all go off at once to take down the runes.  Do you mind?  Oh!  Also, maybe some clamps, a couple of wires, and the power supply from a taser.  I’ve got an idea…*I have a slightly nasty-looking smirk at the last bit, but notice his look.*  Don’t worry.  It’s nothing lethal.  Basically, if she tries to open her door, she’ll get shocked.  It could provide an opening for a second or two while she’s stunned.

Tony: *He lifts his eyebrows at Stephen, slightly amused.* She’s devious. *He turns back to Steward and gives his consent with a small flick of his fingers.* You can grab what you need from any of the shared labs in the Compound. And I may not have any extra suits just waiting for grabs, but I do have plenty of explosives. FRIDAY can easily time the detonations. So if Mother Goose doesn’t object, you can be responsible for setting them up.

Stephen (looking at me):  Are you sure you know what you’re doing?

Me:  I do. 

*He sighs.* 

Stephen:  Please be careful and don’t blow yourself or anyone else up.

Me:  I won’t.  I’ve worked with explosive charges before.  *I have a toothy grin.  The small chips and slight cracks on my teeth are not reassuring.*

Stephen (resigned):  Do I want to know?

Me (chipper):  Probably not!

*Stephen reluctantly allows me to perform my tasks.  Though he IS hovering nearby as he works on enchanting Hank’s devices.* 

Steve:  When we have Trix’s crystal located, we’ll have to secure it quickly before Agatha can damage it.  If we can disable her quickly, then we should be able to go in and recover it without too many complications.  However, if she’s wearing or holding it, we’ll have to make sure we incapacitate her carefully without giving her an opening to make a move on the crystal.

Peter: *He sits up eagerly and lifts a hand as if they are in class.* Oh! I could easily steal it back from her if I get a clear shot at it. *He turns and shrugs at PrettyWitch, who is standing closest.* It worked when I once stole Cap’s shield.

Steve:  Admittedly, that was an effective move.

Tony: *He frowns, unsure.* I don’t think I want you anywhere near the witch, Underoos.

Steve: *Approaching the subject gently, but firmly.  He’s trying to be tactful.  Though he understands why Tony is so protective of Peter.  Even then, he also sees how much Peter has grown.*  Tony, as young as Peter is, he did help us save the universe.  Maybe it’s time that he helps more on missions if he’s willing.

Tony: *His eyes flash dangerously as he whips around to face Steve with a scandalized look.* Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware his guardianship had passed from May Parker to Steve Rogers.

*Steve puts his hands up and steps back, letting Tony speak his part.  He’s not looking for a fight.*

Stephen (stepping in):  I’ve finished my modifications on the “Achilles Tendon” devices that Hank provided.  They should ensure that everyone on this rescue mission is well-protected.  *He emphasizes the last part while looking at Tony, who looks about to explode at Steve.*

Tony: *He drags his eyes away from Steve to meet the sorcerer’s. His angry glare remains if only to hide the sheer fear in his eyes.* Can you promise me that?

Peter (meekly): I trust Doctor Strange…

Stephen (solemn):  I promise.  Everyone there will be wearing the devices, including my apprentices.  They will provide the best protection I can possibly give while unable to be there myself.  *He’s deadly serious*

Scott: *He notices the tension in the room and decides to do something about it.* Ah, great! Hank’s gonna be thrilled. *He takes the devices from Stephen and looks at Steve & Tony.* Well, come on. Let’s go. *He makes his way towards the door.* 

Tony: *He sighs and turns to Peter, pointing a scolding finger at him.* You stick close to the girls and listen to your Spidey Sense, no matter how little a tingle you feel. Got it?

Peter: *He grins, happy he got his way in the end* Got it. Just stop saying tingle.

Tony: *He pivots to point that same finger at the three women.* And that goes for you three as well. Out there, you all listen to Cap or you listen to me. No questions asked. The last thing I need is Mother Supreme haunting my ass if anything happens to any of you.

Me:  Aye, sir.  *I give Tony a serious nod.*

Tear: *She links elbows with Peter and gives both Tony and Stephen a nod.* We’ll keep each other safe.

Prettywitch:  Exactly! You two’ve got nothing to worry about.

Steve:  Okay, any more questions?  If not, then suit up.  We’re moving out in T minus 5 minutes.  Make sure everyone has everything they need. 

*Within 5 minutes, Steve, Peter, Tony, Scott, and the three women are suited up and ready for action, each person donning a modified Achilles Tendon device to block Agatha’s spells.  They use a Quinjet to get close to the location.*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*There’s no way to track the passage of time while in the astral plains, however Trix has been summoned by Agatha four times so far. Each has been harder than the last and she comes back wounded each time. This was one of the longer sessions so far.*

Loki (looking concerned at Trix): That one seemed to be a harsh session, are you alright?

Trix (laying on the ground and spasming in pain): I asked too many questions that time and I think she was getting less forgiving of my stalling. *She groans in pain and lays there for a while. Despite being in her astral form, she looks beaten and bloody.*

*Loki does a spell and a large leather bound book appears before him, floating in place right around his chest*

Loki: Let’s not waste your sacrifices then. Show me what she taught you. 

*Much to Trix’s initial surprise when he first did so, Loki is able to use magic in the astral plains and has been slowly teaching Trix to do so as well when she isn’t too burnt out. He has been collecting all of the knowledge she’s been drawing out of Agatha in a grimoire he had summoned. He slowly taught her to cast spells to show what the runes looked like in light. While Loki’s was green, Trix’s was orange.*

Trix: It was warding this time. It looked like the runes she has up in her lair. I know a little bit about runes from my world but hers are different, unsurprisingly. They looked like these-

*She casts from where she’s laying on the ground and six orange runes float above her. Loki makes a noise of acknowledgement and begins to write them down. Trix begins to explain how Agatha described each one and what each one meant and how they interact with each other.*

Trix: I recognize them from the show. She went more in depth in them here of course versus the show but they’re meant to keep people from performing magic. ‘In a given space, only the witch that cast the runes can perform her magic’ she had said in the show. Agatha didn’t say that here, only explaining the details of each one. I’m doubtful she would have taught me this if she knew that I know what they do. *She pauses a moment before looking over at Loki* I think this may be what we need to stop her.

Loki (nodding): I think you’re right. I recognize some of these but covens are notoriously picky about who they share their knowledge with. Even the names of them weren’t recorded, at least until now. They’re a superstitious lot. They believe names have power but that simply isn’t true. An old wives’ tale. 

*Trix cranes her head back at him and smiles briefly*

Trix: I’m glad we have it now. I’m running out of things to tell her before I get to the parts I do not want her to know. I already shared that we know what we do from stories that were passed down over decades. Agatha is convinced we live in some sort of coven that has the ability to determine prophecies and she seems way too interested. She keeps asking about where I came from and giving my exact city name isn’t working anymore. I think she went to investigate our city in this universe but didn’t find anything. She’s going to ask even more clarifying questions soon and I’m going to run out of ways I can stall without revealing what’s actually going on. *She starts pacing and it’s incredibly easy to slip into the beginnings of an anxiety attack due to Agatha’s manipulations*

Loki: *closes the book and makes it disappear. He looks at me with a gentle smile* You’re doing very well, Trix. The wounds on your soul are starting to pile up but you are being incredibly strong. We’ll get out of this soon. For now, rest and heal as I tell you more stories about my oaf of a brother and how I got him out of another stupid situation when we were younger. Then we can worry about appeasing the witch.

*Trix just lets out a small smile as she closes her eyes and just listens to him weave a tale meant to calm her down and make her laugh*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*As Trix endures her captivity and befriends Loki, the team proceeds to close in on Agatha’s lair.*

***To be continued***

[purplefeathersandblackleather]

Writing prompt? Hmmmmmm - how about Stephen & Cloak getting adjusted to one another's quirks after they settle down in their place at the NYC Sanctum?

We Are Who We Are

Characters: Doctor Strange & Cloak of Leviation (Levi) Rating: PG Warnings: Mentions of death & violence. Mental dystopia. Words: 2,605 Genre: Humor, fluff, hurt/comfort Plot: Stephen has taken over the Sanctum Sanctorum as its Master and now he's learning how to live in the city again. More so, he's learning to live with someone again. Cloak has made it very apparent that he's got his own quirks that he's going to have to get used to. But he's already aware of the growing bond between himself and the sentient artifact. Song Inspiration: Conversation by LP A/N: I'm so sorry that it took so long to get to this one, dear. I hope that you like it, though! I really enjoyed writing this and showing my AU's take on Stephen and Cloak's relationship. This takes place in the Dragon Soul AU, where Stephen is "Bonded" with Cloak from birth.

All writings belong to @purplefeathersandblackleather. Do not steal, repost as your own or take credit for my work. If you have a request, put it in my inbox!

"Let's have a conversation, I know you really care and so do I."

The end of the battle had finally brought him to the point where he knew what the Ancient One had wanted him to be. He had decided after coming back from the Dark Dimension and putting the Eye of Agamotto in its resting place for now, Stephen took on the role of Master Of the New York Sanctum. He bid goodbye to Wong, who went to help Hong Kong with the damage that the Sanctum there had sustained even after he reversed time on it using the Infinity Stone. He also said farewell to Damon, who went to help London - the city of his mother's heritage - to help them begin rebuilding their Sanctum as well. He was disappointed that he couldn't help them, but he knew that it was best if he went back to his own Sanctum to keep an eye on it. He also had to familiarize himself with the beautiful building that he would now be calling his home. It was a little overwhelming, if he was perfectly honest, to go from that small room in Kamar-Taj to this gorgeous, antique building that predated even the oldest streets around it. He walked through the many halls, taking in the different and distinct themes of each one as he did: The east wing seemed to be dedicated to artifacts, where the study was - he took note of the huge floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that ran along the entire room except where the fireplace resided on the north wall - as well as where the meditation room. The west wing was more of the "house" part of the building, consisting of the den, the kitchen and a grand dining room. Stephen noted the scuff marks on the floor where the chairs had been slid in and out from the table so many times, concluding that this was also probably where meetings between Masters would take place. He would have to ask Wong or Damon about that next time that he saw them. As he passed by the changing windows, he was suddenly tugged to a stop, making him grunt and stumble to catch his balance. He looked at the artifact that was still resting on his shoulders which, up until this point, had been silently about him looking around.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked the sentient artifact. Ever since Cloak - who he was now sure he was Bonding to - had been released from that case and saved him from dying, he had noticed that the artifact was quite quirky about things. "Is there something down that hallway you don't like?"

The artifact rippled against his back and tried to pull him away from the entrance of the hall, but Stephen pushed back against him and told him to cut it out. He could almost feel the whine echo in his throat even though he wasn't the one who made that made it. They had only been together for a couple of days, yet here he was already channeling his partner's emotions through his own body. He sighed and made the artifact let go of his shoulders by gently pulling the clasps from the front of his robes. He watched as his partner hovered off of the floor, the uneven pleats swayed as it did and it shook its collar at the man, making him tilt his head in question before looking down the hallway. He could see there were at least two doors on each side of the hall as well as another hallway that split off at the end of it, so whatever it was that his partner didn't want to go near must be in one of the rooms. He looked back at the cloak and just held his hand up for it to stay where it was.

"Okay, you stay there then, and I'll go look down this hallway without you," he told it. The shorter corner of the fabric wrapped around his hand like a small child holding onto its parent and it shook its collar again. "Levi, I have to go down there so that I know what I'm doing in this place. You wouldn't want The Ancient One to be upset with me, would you? Tell you what, just tell me what room you're so nervous about and I won't look in that one. How does that sound?"

This seemed to calm his partner down and it - albeit begrudged he sensed - let go of his hand, pointing to the one on the right, so Stephen looked. It was a set of bamboo wooden doors that closed in the center of the doorway where they met to form a blockade to whatever was behind them. He looked back to his partner, pointing at it to make sure that was the one that Cloak didn't want him to look in, to which the artifact nodded. He returned it and headed down the hallway, looking at the paintings on the walls as he did. A couple of them were scenic; large mountains like the Alps with a flowing river at the base through a field of poppies and others were dense forests with god rays shining through the gaps in the branches or with deer standing in a clearing. When he got to the first set of rooms, he looked at the right room and then over his shoulder to where his partner was watching him closely and seemed to have puffed up in anxiety. He swallowed thickly as he felt the artifact's emotions in his own chest, making his heart race so he looked back at the doors for a moment before deciding that his partner's trust was more important than his own curiosity. He turned away from the doors and opted to search the rest of the rooms which turned out to be a pantry since the kitchen was just around the corner, a large linen closet and a storage room. As he got to the end of the hallway, he looked to the left and noticed it went towards a single, large wood and metal door. The right hallway had a hand count of more rooms on it, so he went that way first and opened each door to find bedrooms that were furnished in rococo sets ranging from rosewood to deep mahogany. He guessed these were guest rooms for when the other Masters came over for meetings, so he headed back to the T junction to see Cloak still patiently waiting for him where he had told him to. He smiled to himself, but he knew somehow that the artifact could feel the pleasant sensation of thankfulness in his chest. He went down the other hallway, noting the decorative shelves on the walls here and that there seemed to be a key rack next to this door. He looked confused at it, with its four different rings full of keys on it, then to the large door in front of him. It didn't have a lock on it, so whatever the keys were for must have been behind it, which made his curiosity grow. He opened the door and peeked in, seeing that there was a large stone staircase going downwards, bringing him to the conclusion that there was some kind of sublevel to the Sanctum that he would have to explore later. He closed the door for now and turned, heading back to the main hallway to find that Cloak had seemed to have fluttered off somewhere. He couldn't help himself when he saw that his partner wasn't in view but to very carefully open one of the bamboo doors to see what was behind it. He damn near busted out laughing as he did. Whatever he had been expecting to see - an interrogation room, a room for destroying out of control artifacts, whatever - was completely blasted from his mind at the sight of the clean, large room with a large marble top table on the left side next to a counter with a sink under a decorative window directly across from him. On the righthand side of the room was a very modern - and very out of place with everything else - washer and dryer set. He could understand why Cloak would hate this room and he laughed to himself as he closed the door, though it was a laugh not of humor, but of endearment. However, when he looked at the end of the hallway, he noticed his partner hovering there and its shoulders were sagging, and he felt a pang of sadness in his chest from his partner. He immediately was overcome with guilt at the feeling and tears filled his eyes from his partner's emotions. Did the cloak think that he had been laughing at him because he thought it was funny?

"Levi-" he called out, jumping when the cloak flew off. "Levi, wait!"

He rushed after his partner, heading back through the hallways and barely keeping track of him. As he got back out to large foyer of the Sanctum, he lost track of where his partner went and looked around, still feeling guilt but now there was a bit of panic. He knew that Cloak couldn't open doors, but he also was realizing just how huge this place was and it would be hard to find his partner since it clearly knew all of the individual rooms better than he did. Rather than panic, he tamed himself down for a moment and reached out to his partner's energy to sense where it was coming from. Though they were just starting to Bond, he could already sense the being's energy, so he followed it to its source and found the cloak curled up in what was left of its case. For a moment, Stephen got a flash of a man with long black hair wearing burgundy and gold Master's robes sitting in his partner's place, hugging his knees to his body with his head down. He blinked the vision away, shaking his head before looking at the cloak and frowned as he sensed its sorrow. Rather than open his mouth and risk making it worse, Stephen left his partner alone for a moment and went back to the pantry to grab the broom and dustpan that he had seen there. He returned, setting the dustpan aside and began to sweep up the shattered glass, the sound letting Cloak know that his partner was still there even if he wasn't ready to talk. Sure, he could have cleaned up the mess with his magic, but this was about spending time with his partner, even if he wasn't ready for him to talk yet. As he swept the glass up into the dustpan, he winced very softly as his fingers popped because he had them clenched so tightly around the handle of the broom. The noise made Cloak look up slowly to make sure that his partner was okay, which drew Stephen's attention over to him and he paused what he was doing, setting the broom against another case. He went over and sat down carefully beside the case, looking at the cloak who looked back to him and he could still sense the sadness in his chest as the entity looked down at his pleats.

"Levi, I wasn't laughing at you, I promise," he whispered softly, getting his partner's attention. He thought about the image that he had seen when he approached the casing of the man sitting in his partner's place and he began to understand. "I wasn't laughing because I thought it was funny, I was laughing because I thought it was endearing that you are a cloak who has the sentience to be scared of the laundry room. But you're much more than that, aren't you?"

The artifact raised its collar a little and turned to face him as it did. Stephen could sense it wondering what he had seen.

"Ever since you saved me from breaking my neck when Kaecillius knocked me over the banister, I could tell you were different. But I didn't realize that you weren't created by magic, that you're actually a spirit woven into the threads you're made from." The artifact rose up from its sitting position, so Stephen did too, and they faced each other properly. "I can now understand why you're scared of the washing machine; you still see the world as a person, even though you're a cloak. That must have been torture for you, being pushed under water and thrown around without regard for what you really are. Not…unlike how Dormammu suffocated me with the water wisps."

The artifact came out of its case and reached up to his face, wiping at it and the man realized he had been crying without realizing it. He took Cloak's corner and held it to his chest, bowing his head as he closed his eyes and trembled, the unseen wounds under his robes from the many deaths he had suffered burning fiercely. He felt his partner wrap around him, but where he was expecting soft fabric, he felt warm, strong arms and a shoulder where he rests his head against it as he let himself cry for what he had gone through finally. He grabbed onto the man who shushed him gently, a hand resting on the back of his head as he gripped the soft red fabric in his aching fingers.

"I'm so sorry," Stephen choked out. "For what I've put you through…for being so ignorant to your feelings like I have everyone else's."

You are too hard on yourself, Stephen, he heard a voice speak in his mind, warm like a desert and soft like a brush of wings against the wind. I chose you because you needed me, and I will always forgive you for whatever we go through together. But you must also forgive yourself for being human.

Stephen raised his head from the man's shoulder, and he expected the vision to fade, only to be pleasantly surprised when it remained. The man looking back at him had handsome, strong features with tan skin and a well-kept goatee similar to his own with high cheekbones haloed by long black waves of silken hair. His brown eyes were like deep forests, hiding stories that were just waiting to be explored which drew Stephen it. The man smiled at him, and he felt himself relax, closing his eyes once again as the man's forehead pressed against his own before fading into a soft feeling of fabric against his skin. When they parted, the sorcerer looked at the cloak and gave him a half smile as the artifact lowered itself from his shoulders.

"Okay, I'll do my best, but only on one condition," he replied finally, making Cloak tilt his collar. "Whenever you get dirty, you let me wash you in the shower where you'll be more comfortable. What do you say?"

He could sense the artifact smile in his heart and Cloak nodded his collar before moving to wrap itself around his shoulders again.

"Good. Now, let's go finish our look around. I'm getting tired and I'd like to sleep soon."

The man proceeded around the railing of the grand staircase and down one of the hallways to his right to look around. He knew now that their Bond was much more important than just a Master of the Mystic Arts and his sentient cloak, he just wasn't sure how. As time would progress, maybe those brown eyes he had seen that now were so vividly imprinted on his mind would reveal their secrets, just like his new home would tell him all its stories.

@sobeautifullyobsessed @fanartka @harlekin6 @icytrickster17 @sinisterstrange616 @stewardofningishzida @bechnokid @sirleafheart @strangelockd @bakerstreethound @darsynia @withalittlehoney @sassenach-on-the-rocks @kate-kaned @deepbatched @geeky-politics-46 @asherloki @multificwriterslibrary

[multiversemusings]

We Are Who We Are

Requested originally by @sobeautifullyobsessed Characters: Doctor Strange & Cloak of Leviation (Levi) Rating: PG Warnings: Mentions of death & violence. Mental dystopia. Words: 2,605 Genre: Humor, fluff, hurt/comfort Plot: Stephen has taken over the Sanctum Sanctorum as its Master and now he's learning how to live in the city again. More so, he's learning to live with someone again. Cloak has made it very apparent that he's got his own quirks that he's going to have to get used to. But he's already aware of the growing bond between himself and the sentient artifact. Song Inspiration: Conversation by LP

A/N: I'm so sorry that it took so long to get to this one, dear. I hope that you like it, though! I really enjoyed writing this and showing my AU's take on Stephen and Cloak's relationship. This takes place in the Dragon Soul AU, where Stephen is "Bonded" with Cloak from birth.

All writings belong to @multiversemusings. Do not steal, repost as your own or take credit for my work. If you have a request, please put it in my inbox!

"Let's have a conversation, I know you really care and so do I."

The end of the battle had finally brought him to the point where he knew what the Ancient One had wanted him to be. He had decided after coming back from the Dark Dimension and putting the Eye of Agamotto in its resting place for now, Stephen took on the role of Master Of the New York Sanctum. He bid goodbye to Wong, who went to help Hong Kong with the damage that the Sanctum there had sustained even after he reversed time on it using the Infinity Stone. He also said farewell to Damon, who went to help London - the city of his mother's heritage - to help them begin rebuilding their Sanctum as well. He was disappointed that he couldn't help them, but he knew that it was best if he went back to his own Sanctum to keep an eye on it. He also had to familiarize himself with the beautiful building that he would now be calling his home. It was a little overwhelming, if he was perfectly honest, to go from that small room in Kamar-Taj to this gorgeous, antique building that predated even the oldest streets around it. He walked through the many halls, taking in the different and distinct themes of each one as he did: The east wing seemed to be dedicated to artifacts, where the study was as well through a large set of oak doors. He took note of the huge floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that ran along the entire room except where the fireplace resided on the north wall, before proceeding down the hall to find that this was where the meditation room was situated as well. The west wing was more of the "house" part of the building, consisting of the den, the kitchen and a grand dining room. Stephen noted the scuff marks on the floor where the chairs had been slid in and out from the table so many times, concluding that this was also probably where meetings between Masters would take place. He would have to ask Wong or Damon about that next time that he saw them. As he passed by the changing windows, he was suddenly tugged to a stop, making him grunt and stumble to catch his balance. He looked at the artifact that was still resting on his shoulders which, up until this point, had been silently about him looking around.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked the sentient artifact. Ever since Cloak - who he was now sure he was Bonding to - had been released from that case and saved him from dying, he had noticed that the artifact was quite quirky about things. "Is there something down that hallway you don't like?"

The artifact rippled against his back and tried to pull him away from the entrance of the hall, but Stephen pushed back against him and told him to cut it out. He could almost feel the whine echo in his throat even though he wasn't the one who made that made it. They had only been together for a couple of days, yet here he was already channeling his partner's emotions through his own body. He sighed and made the artifact let go of his shoulders by gently pulling the clasps from the front of his robes. He watched as his partner hovered off of the floor, the uneven pleats swayed as it did and it shook its collar at the man, making him tilt his head in question before looking down the hallway. He could see there were at least two doors on each side of the hall as well as another hallway that split off at the end of it, so whatever it was that his partner didn't want to go near must be in one of the rooms. He looked back at the cloak and just held his hand up for it to stay where it was.

"Okay, you stay there then, and I'll go look down this hallway without you," he told it. The shorter corner of the fabric wrapped around his hand like a small child holding onto its parent and it shook its collar again. "Levi, I have to go down there so that I know what I'm doing in this place. You wouldn't want The Ancient One to be upset with me, would you? Tell you what, just tell me what room you're so nervous about and I won't look in that one. How does that sound?"

This seemed to calm his partner down and it - albeit begrudged he sensed - let go of his hand, pointing to the one on the right, so Stephen looked. It was a set of bamboo wooden doors that closed in the center of the doorway where they met to form a blockade to whatever was behind them. He looked back to his partner, pointing at it to make sure that was the one that Cloak didn't want him to look in, to which the artifact nodded. He returned it and headed down the hallway, looking at the paintings on the walls as he did. A couple of them were scenic; large mountains like the Alps with a flowing river at the base through a field of poppies and others were dense forests with god rays shining through the gaps in the branches or with deer standing in a clearing. When he got to the first set of rooms, he looked at the right room and then over his shoulder to where his partner was watching him closely and seemed to have puffed up in anxiety. He swallowed thickly as he felt the artifact's emotions in his own chest, making his heart race so he looked back at the doors for a moment before deciding that his partner's trust was more important than his own curiosity. He turned away from the doors and opted to search the rest of the rooms which turned out to be a pantry since the kitchen was just around the corner, a large linen closet and a storage room. As he got to the end of the hallway, he looked to the left and noticed it went towards a single, large wood and metal door. The right hallway had a hand count of more rooms on it, so he went that way first and opened each door to find bedrooms that were furnished in rococo sets ranging from rosewood to deep mahogany. He guessed these were guest rooms for when the other Masters came over for meetings, so he headed back to the T junction to see Cloak still patiently waiting for him where he had told him to. He smiled to himself, but he knew somehow that the artifact could feel the pleasant sensation of thankfulness in his chest. He went down the other hallway, noting the decorative shelves on the walls here and that there seemed to be a key rack next to this door. He looked confused at it, with its four different rings full of keys on it, then to the large door in front of him. It didn't have a lock on it, so whatever the keys were for must have been behind it, which made his curiosity grow. He opened the door and peeked in, seeing that there was a large stone staircase going downwards, bringing him to the conclusion that there was some kind of sublevel to the Sanctum that he would have to explore later. He closed the door for now and turned, heading back to the main hallway to find that Cloak had seemed to have fluttered off somewhere. He couldn't help himself when he saw that his partner wasn't in view but to very carefully open one of the bamboo doors to see what was behind it. He damn near busted out laughing as he did. Whatever he had been expecting to see - an interrogation room, a room for destroying out of control artifacts, whatever - was completely blasted from his mind at the sight of the clean, large room with a large marble top table on the left side next to a counter with a sink under a decorative window directly across from him. On the righthand side of the room was a very modern - and very out of place with everything else - washer and dryer set. He could understand why Cloak would hate this room and he laughed to himself as he closed the door, though it was a laugh not of humor, but of endearment. However, when he looked at the end of the hallway, he noticed his partner hovering there and its shoulders were sagging, and he felt a pang of sadness in his chest from his partner. He immediately was overcome with guilt at the feeling and tears filled his eyes from his partner's emotions. Did the cloak think that he had been laughing at him because he thought it was funny?

"Levi-" he called out, jumping when the cloak flew off. "Levi, wait!"

He rushed after his partner, heading back through the hallways and barely keeping track of him. As he got back out to large foyer of the Sanctum, he lost track of where his partner went and looked around, still feeling guilt but now there was a bit of panic. He knew that Cloak couldn't open doors, but he also was realizing just how huge this place was and it would be hard to find his partner since it clearly knew all of the individual rooms better than he did. Rather than panic, he tamed himself down for a moment and reached out to his partner's energy to sense where it was coming from. Though they were just starting to Bond, he could already sense the being's energy, so he followed it to its source and found the cloak curled up in what was left of its case. For a moment, Stephen got a flash of a man with long black hair wearing burgundy and gold Master's robes sitting in his partner's place, hugging his knees to his body with his head down. He blinked the vision away, shaking his head before looking at the cloak and frowned as he sensed its sorrow. Rather than open his mouth and risk making it worse, Stephen left his partner alone for a moment and went back to the pantry to grab the broom and dustpan that he had seen there. He returned, setting the dustpan aside and began to sweep up the shattered glass, the sound letting Cloak know that his partner was still there even if he wasn't ready to talk. Sure, he could have cleaned up the mess with his magic, but this was about spending time with his partner, even if he wasn't ready for him to talk yet. As he swept the glass up into the dustpan, he winced very softly as his fingers popped because he had them clenched so tightly around the handle of the broom. The noise made Cloak look up slowly to make sure that his partner was okay, which drew Stephen's attention over to him and he paused what he was doing, setting the broom against another case. He went over and sat down carefully beside the case, looking at the cloak who looked back to him and he could still sense the sadness in his chest as the entity looked down at his pleats.

"Levi, I wasn't laughing at you, I promise," he whispered softly, getting his partner's attention. He thought about the image that he had seen when he approached the casing of the man sitting in his partner's place and he began to understand. "I wasn't laughing because I thought it was funny, I was laughing because I thought it was endearing that you are a cloak who has the sentience to be scared of the laundry room. But you're much more than that, aren't you?"

The artifact raised its collar a little and turned to face him as it did. Stephen could sense it wondering what he had seen.

"Ever since you saved me from breaking my neck when Kaecillius knocked me over the banister, I could tell you were different. But I didn't realize that you weren't created by magic, that you're actually a spirit woven into the threads you're made from." The artifact rose up from its sitting position, so Stephen did too, and they faced each other properly. "I can now understand why you're scared of the washing machine; you still see the world as a person, even though you're a cloak. That must have been torture for you, being pushed under water and thrown around without regard for what you really are. Not…unlike how Dormammu suffocated me with the water wisps."

The artifact came out of its case and reached up to his face, wiping at it and the man realized he had been crying without realizing it. He took Cloak's corner and held it to his chest, bowing his head as he closed his eyes and trembled, the unseen wounds under his robes from the many deaths he had suffered burning fiercely. He felt his partner wrap around him, but where he was expecting soft fabric, he felt warm, strong arms and a shoulder where he rests his head against it as he let himself cry for what he had gone through finally. He grabbed onto the man who shushed him gently, a hand resting on the back of his head as he gripped the soft red fabric in his aching fingers.

"I'm so sorry," Stephen choked out. "For what I've put you through…for being so ignorant to your feelings like I have everyone else's."

You are too hard on yourself, Stephen, he heard a voice speak in his mind, warm like a desert and soft like a brush of wings against the wind. I chose you because you needed me, and I will always forgive you for whatever we go through together. But you must also forgive yourself for being human.

Stephen raised his head from the man's shoulder, and he expected the vision to fade, only to be pleasantly surprised when it remained. The man looking back at him had handsome, strong features with tan skin and a well-kept goatee similar to his own with high cheekbones haloed by long black waves of silken hair. His brown eyes were like deep forests, hiding stories that were just waiting to be explored which drew Stephen it. The man smiled at him, and he felt himself relax, closing his eyes once again as the man's forehead pressed against his own before fading into a soft feeling of fabric against his skin. When they parted, the sorcerer looked at the cloak and gave him a half smile as the artifact lowered itself from his shoulders.

"Okay, I'll do my best, but only on one condition," he replied finally, making Cloak tilt his collar. "Whenever you get dirty, you let me wash you in the shower where you'll be more comfortable. What do you say?"

He could sense the artifact smile in his heart and Cloak nodded his collar before moving to wrap itself around his shoulders again.

"Good. Now, let's go finish our look around. I'm getting tired and I'd like to sleep soon."

The man proceeded around the railing of the grand staircase and down one of the hallways to his right to look around. He knew now that their Bond was much more important than just a Master of the Mystic Arts and his sentient cloak, he just wasn't sure how. As time would progress, maybe those brown eyes he had seen that now were so vividly imprinted on his mind would reveal their secrets, just like his new home would tell him all its stories.

@sobeautifullyobsessed @fanartka @harlekin6 @icytrickster17 @greg-house-gay-diagnostician @stewardofningishzida @bechnokid @sirleafheart @strangelockd @bakerstreethound @darsynia @withalittlehoney @sassenach-on-the-rocks @kate-kaned @deepbatched @geeky-politics-46 @asherloki

[shruthisingh]

Taj west end Bangalore

[weneverlearn]

My Favorite Record Store

Ah, the things you find on old laptops...

While recently seeing if my previous laptop could still breath, I found some old writings. This one, below, is a piece I did about 10 years ago when asked to write about my favorite records store for a compendium the now defunct Get Bent website was putting together. My particular fave rave store didn't just rest on a good used selection, but ended with an appearance from the FBI!

Then last week, Record Revolution in the Coventry section of Cleveland, closed - I frequented that place a few times over the years; then I tripped across the Other Music documentary last weekend on Night Flight, and that seemed like another cosmic nudge to post this.

So check it out if you care, and go visit your local record store today!

If memory serves, the first album I bought at Wax Stax...

************************************************

Wax Stax, Parma, Ohio, 1985 – Eric Davidson

My hometown of Parma, Ohio, was a suburb (the largest in the nation in the later 1970s; not anymore), on the west side, about 15 minutes from Cleveland proper. That’s where the great record stores were, on the far east side of Cleveland specifically; or in Lakewood, the slowly hip-morphing near west side suburb that had cool things like neat old homes, vintage stores, dusty dives, rusting diners, even gay people. But that was still about 15 minutes away from no-drivers license me.

         So I made do with the weak mall chain store (yeesh); and a surprisingly worthy shop, Record Revolution, that sat on the far, old, outdoor strip of that mall (my first lesson in learning how most of the things I appreciate in this world will be shoved to the margins). I got my first Velvet Underground record there (White Light, White Heat). There was a huge Peaches Records & Tapes (one of many of the disappearing non-mall, self-standing chain stores, though this one oddly survived under different names until just a few years ago). And then a good used joint, Record Exchange, opened in a small retail strip within walking distance. (It moved a few years later, after adding racks of video games, an ocean of used VHS tapes, and metal tees, and changed its name to “The Exchange,” no doubt to divorce itself from the dying music market.)

And before that even, there was always The Shoppe, a quirky, incense-stunk, flared pants-era cobble of curiosity shops in a big old house in kind of nearby Berea. They always touted that their new vinyl was only $5. Like I wanted a new copy of The Nylon Curtain! It was only worth bothering a friend to drive me there for the selection of “imports,” which at that time in the ‘burbs meant anything not on a major label; or even lame-lier, a German Red Lorry Yellow Lorry 12” single. But I did find some of my early favorites there. I remember, in 1983, sitting in the car outside The Shoppe, the heater on, snowy outside, waiting for my friend to finish his purchase, looking over the Murmur liner notes, thinking “Man, I can’t believe they had a copy of this!”

         So all things considered, I guess I didn’t have it that bad. But the Parma-approachable record stores always had that patina of “west side” to them, which if you lived in Cleveland then, you’d understand. No cool fliers on a board near the door. (“Baby sitter Needed!” doesn’t count.) No piles of weekly newspapers and more fliers flopped around the windowsill near the door. No endless racks of dirty plastic-sleeve 7’ singles. And no crotchety “old” 29-year old at the counter making fun of/informing my purchasing habits. Not that the local stores didn’t have their charms, but let’s put it this way – in 1985, you don’t want Scorpions and Heart posters on the walls of your indie record shop. You want Cramps and Smiths.

         So oh the joy when Wax Stax opened! Tucked away in an even more remote, crumbling, and weird little strip, behind another nearly as old strip, next to a barber shop and nothing else, to me it was the Taj Mahal. With Cramps posters. On the way to/from Wax Stax, I had to pass the Catholic church I was weekly hauled to. And pondering the contradictions between the church rooftop cross and the Stooges, Ramones, Prince, and Rodney Dangerfield albums in my hand did more to form my morality than 1,000 confirmation classes. At least it felt like 1,000!

         But back to the real place of worship…Wax Stax was great! Smaller than any of the previously mentioned stores in town, it was packed with a much higher percentage of cool shit. The thing is, there was a Wax Stax on the east side, and this was an attempt to expand into white flight-ville. So when they opened, the place was already packed with lots of great used and new goodies sent over from the other store on the cool east side. They had actual imports, bootlegs, fanzines, and the #1 sign of any great with-it record store of that era – promo copies. Lots and lots of promo copies.

         See, back then record labels did not just email out, via publicists, a mp3 to blog writers who won’t even take the time to download them. No, record labels sent out finished copies of their albums. (While I wrote for the Cleveland Scene magazine in the late-80s/early-90s, I probably accumulated 33% of my collection via the “freebie box” in their offices, or trade-ins of said freebies.) And labels sent promo copies to record stores too, often more than one. Made sense, right? You want to make sure the employees can hear the new shit, talk it up to the customers, and hopefully order more. Ha, right! What the hell do the employees care? They would’ve ripped open a new one to hear it. But whatever, it was a wealthier time. (Or is that wasteful-er?)

         Bad Moon Rising, Zen Arcade, Tim – probably paid no more than $4 for each of them. Promos all! (Not to mention all their used records rarely rose above $5; new, $8.) The lone female clerk/manager was not only from the east side too – and hence knew what “Pere Ubu” meant – but was not surly and condescending in the traditional indie record shop sense, and pretty cute, too-boot! And she gave great trade. So I was bringing in Bobby Brown and Guadalcanal Diary promos, and a few of these fledgling “CDs” I was getting from the Scene, and trading them in for cheap-ass copies of Death of Samantha, Buzzcocks, and the Volcano Suns. It was as close to mafia accidental back of truck falling off shenanigans as I was likely to get in my life. Or so I thought.

         One day, a little less than two years after Wax Stax opened, I was sifting through the “B” section (“Well, “All That I Wanted” is a good song, but a whole Belfegore album?!” Nah…), and in walked two guys wearing – and I am not embellishing here – long trench coats and fedoras. They flashed a badge at the manager, said a few things to her, then looked over: “Hey buddy, yer gonna have to take off for awhile.”

         Yup, fucking FBI guys, I shit you not. It was one of those mini-moments at the end of the ‘80s where major labels decided to throw a bone to “Cracking down on unlawful sale of promotional copies.” Read the stamps on those old things. It says some nonsense about those being the property of the label. (The labels never tell you that they write those promos off on their taxes, right after subtracting them from the artists’ future royalties.) The preponderance of bootlegs might’ve had something to do with the flat-foots storming the gates too, and maybe some grass passing through the back door. But who knows.

         Wax Stax only closed for about two weeks. Once reopened, it didn’t seem much different, though the scare worked, as there were never again as many promos or bootlegs in the racks. But the two new managers were really nice guys – one a tall, skinny, bespectacled collector geek; the other a black guy in tattoos and dreadlocks who was into Ministry – in Parma! Cool. (Yes, for about a month in my life I thought Ministry fans were sort of cool. Especially black ones. Hey, it was 1987!) Then about a year and a half after that, some really odd older drunk guy (or maybe a hop head – my inebriation radar wasn’t as well-calibrated back then) bought the place, added more t-shirts, posters, video games, cassingles, and those expensive CD things, and, well, you can see where this is going. The place sucked…and closed about a year later.

         But by then I was going back and forth to school at Ohio State University in Columbus, soon to move there permanently. And for my purposes, Wax Stax had done its job exceptionally well. My standards for a cool used record store had been diamond-cut, and as I toured the world with the New Bomb Turks, stopping first at every town’s indie record store, I could make like General Patton surveying the far hills.

         The other day I was scanning down my iTunes list. I didn’t feel like Patton.

         Come to think of it, Used Kids Records in Columbus, Ohio was probably the most important record store in my life. But that’s another story…which you can read about in my book, We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001 (Backbeat Books).

[digiayush]

Adventure Resorts In and Near Bangalore

Bangalore is the capital city of Karnataka state in southern India. Lately Bangalore has procured its standing as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ for facilitating a huge IT industry. Not at all like numerous other Indian urban communities, Bangalore partakes in a gentle environment even in the mid year months, making it an extraordinary objective to visit. While it’s rare respected on the traveler radar, there are parts to see and investigate in and around this city. Visit the Maha Bodhi Society Sanctuary and walk its all around kept grounds. Take in a few grand perspectives from ISKCON Rabbit Krishna Sanctuary and the close by Maruthi Mandir sanctuary while getting familiar with India’s bunch mystic gatherings and social orders. Bangalore is likewise a hotbed for outside exercises with traveling, rock climbing, kayaking, and canyoning valuable open doors. Investigate this remarkable objective with the entire family while remaining in one of the most outstanding family-accommodating hotels in Bangalore, India, recorded underneath.

Regal Orchid Resort and Conference hall, Yelahanka Bangalore

Found 12 kilometers (around 7.5 miles) from Bangalore downtown area, this retreat is a simple 30-minute drive from Bangalore Global Air terminal. Treat the entire family and pick the cabin for all out security. The cabin has its own walled yard, a full kitchen, and a lot of parlor spaces to unwind and loosen up. The hotel has two phenomenal cafés, an outside pool, a children’s jungle gym, and offers keeping an eye on. Air terminal exchanges can be set up in addition to WIFI and on location stopping are free.

Taj West End

Experience the VIP treatment while remaining in this rich retreat, which flaunts perfectly finished gardens, an outside pool, a children’s pool, tennis courts, a wellbeing spa, and a 24-hour steward administration. This resorts in bangalore for family is situated close to Bangalore Turf Club and Bangalore Golf Club. There is little need to wander off the hotel when there are phenomenal eateries on location — Machan serves worldwide cooking styles, Blue Ginger has present day Asian dishes and Blue Bar serves heavenly mixed drinks and beverages. Taj West End likewise has a choice of flawless visitor rooms, including family-sized rooms. It offers keeping an eye on, a children’s play region, air terminal exchanges, and Complimentary wireless internet. This eco-resort is great for those looking for quality family time and a re-visitation of nature. The retreat grounds are wonderfully kept, offering vast open doors for outside unwinding and getting a charge out of family-accommodating exercises like toxophilism, climbing, cycling and strolling visits, cooking classes, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. There is a devoted children’s play region (both inside and outside), tabletop games, and riddles for quite a long time of family fun. The hotel has an outside pool, a wellbeing spa, family-sized visitor rooms, grill offices, and a café that serves astounding South and North Indian cooking. This property is around 45 kilometers (roughly 28 miles) from Bengaluru Worldwide Air terminal.

Frequently alluded to as ‘Scotland of India’, Coorg or Kodagu, is a shelter and a comfortable spot cuddled in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. With its dim slopes, lavish vegetation, lovely environment, stunning cascades, extraordinary natural life, espresso, and flavors estates, Coorg is one of the most sought-after vacationer places in India with a ton to propose from simply picturesque substance to a huge number of exercises to enjoy. While in Coorg, explorers should upgrade their outing by picking the best Coog Resorts to spoil themselves with richness in the midst of pleasant vistas. Known for overflowing conveniences, these retreats render the visitors solace alongside the novel country life conveniences including contemplation, Ayurvedic focuses, understanding parlor, an action room, and so on. Here are the 5 best retreats in Coorg that explorers can decide to make their Coorg Outing worth the effort! Trawell.in offers Coorg Occasion Bundles with your selection of resorts and lodgings. These hotels are shortlisted in light of their conveniences, area, and an incentive for cash advertised. Investigate our Coorg Travel Guide for additional subtleties on arranging your best outing to Coorg. Paddington Resort and Spa

Paddington Resort and Spa is a 4-star property helpfully situated at Kushalnagara in Coorg. Settled amidst a thick wilderness, this retreat is an optimal stay for all nature sweethearts to invest energy in the lap of Mother earth. The property highlights 29 topical cabins furnished with television, tea/espresso producer, Wi-Fi, and in-room safe. The hotel additionally includes an in-house café, pool, best in class wellness focus, and spa. Additionally, the Paddington Resort offers exercises like ranch visits, cycling, outside games like rifle firing, bows and arrows, rope exercises, zip line, and so on for the visitors. The hotel additionally makes unique plans like candlelight supper for honeymooners. Chikliholle Falls (2.5 km), and Dubare Elephant Camp (12 km), among the top spots to visit in Coorg, are found near the property.

Coorg Precipices Resort and Spa

Situated at an elevation of around 3398 feet, This Resorts in coorg for family viewed as one of the most pursued retreats in Coorg, one of the well known spots to visit in Karnataka. The hotel is covering more than 9 sections of land and is intended for both business and relaxation travel. Set on a slope, the retreat is encircled by lavish plant life, bright gardens, and calming normal excellence. Espresso and flavors estate that twirling around the retreat offers a treat that must be depicted stupendous. The retreat is home to 30 rooms that are elegantly outfitted and give all conveniences. The retreat has an open air pool, wellness focus, eatery, evening diversion, and a 24-hour front work area. One can likewise appreciate exercises like cycling, fishing, nature walk, and ranch trail here.

Java Downpour, Chikmagalur

Western Ghats have a secret and magnificence joined to them, which draws in and entrances individuals even right up ’til now, be it for its folklore, other worldliness or regular variety and properly deserves it the situation with World Legacy Site. Lavish Lodgings

Rumors from far and wide suggest, defeat by regret, subsequent to navigating the globe multiple times avenging the passing of his dad by the hands of the Kshatriyas, Parashurama gifted away all that he had to the Brahmins and needed to accomplish more. He swung his celebrated hatchet and cut out the western Ghats out of the ocean and populated it with Brahmins and established new types of trees like coconut, banana and jackfruit. Strangely western Ghats is prominent by its nonappearance in the early Vedas. This may be a result of the invulnerable woods that can be capable even right up ’til now along the Western Ghats java downpour resort Chikmagalur.

Into this rich embroidered artwork of legends is wound around another theme that characterizes the Luxury Stay in chikmagalur, the espresso capital of India. Baba Budan when on his journey to Mecca ran over the dim plush refreshment in Mocha, Yemen and carried a modest bunch of beans back home and established it here. In this way started the espresso story of India, solidifying Baba Budan’s place in history as the supporter holy person of the district.

The endless espresso homes have changed the face and fortune of homestay near chikmagalur. One such verdant paradise, ignoring the powerful Mullayanagiri, is the stage for the marriage of the old world fascinate with the cutting edge, optimistic plan of a fretful India. A beautiful source of both pain and joy, Java Downpour was imagined as a nature retreat in this cheery country by the energetic yet prepared neighborliness pioneers, Shubha and Shiv. Working intimately with a top structural firm, Rhythm in Bangalore formed this wonder of design.

The plan and components of this manor retreat is propelled by the many goes of the important advertisers in cooperative energy with the nature around. The uncovered substantial walls, calculated to seem to be the mountains they are supported in, combines them into the encompassing. The open to sky restroom with downpour showers copy the quintessential storm experience lasting through the year. The insides and canvases have been brought from Indonesia providing the whole stay with the vibe of a tropical timberland.

[thevillagecounty]

Resorts Near Bangalore With Outdoor Activities for Fun and Relaxation

When it comes to team outings, Bangalore offers a plethora of options for fun, relaxation, and bonding. Resorts near Bangalore with outdoor activities provide the perfect environment for corporate teams, families, and couples to escape the city’s hustle and bustle and rejuvenate in nature. Whether you are planning a corporate team outing or a family getaway, these resorts cater to a wide array of preferences, ensuring memorable experiences for everyone.

Resorts Near Bangalore for Team Outings

Corporate team outings are an excellent way to foster collaboration, enhance communication, and strengthen team bonds. Some of the best resorts for team outings in Bangalore provide extensive outdoor activities, including ziplining, trekking, and obstacle courses. These activities not only promote teamwork but also offer a refreshing break from the office routine. For instance, resorts like Eagleton Golf Resort and The Village County Resort are renowned corporate team outing places in Bangalore, offering unique setups that cater to large groups.

Outdoor Activities for Fun and Relaxation

Outdoor activities form the heart of many resorts near Bangalore. From adventure sports like rock climbing and rappelling to more leisurely options like nature walks and bird watching, there is something for everyone. For teams looking for action-packed outings, resorts like Discovery Village and Clarks Exotica stand out as some of the best resorts near Bangalore for weekend adventures. These venues provide well-planned activities that encourage collaboration and fun, ensuring a balanced mix of relaxation and excitement.

Resorts for Families and Couples

For those seeking a family outing or a romantic getaway, resorts near Bangalore offer serene and picturesque settings. Many resorts cater specifically to families and couples, providing private villas, spa treatments, and kid-friendly activities. Our Native Village is a great choice for families, featuring eco-friendly amenities and outdoor games that children love. On the other hand, The Windflower Prakruthi and Golden Palms are among the best resorts near Bangalore for couples, offering luxurious amenities and tranquil environments for a peaceful retreat.

Luxury Resorts in Bangalore

For those who prefer opulence, luxury resorts in Bangalore provide world-class facilities and outdoor activities that match their grandeur. Resorts like Taj West End and The Leela Palace blend luxury with nature, offering meticulously landscaped gardens, infinity pools, and curated outdoor experiences. These high-end resorts are also perfect for corporate events, making them the best resorts near Bangalore for team outings that demand sophistication and exclusivity.

Choosing the Right Resort

Selecting the right resort depends on the purpose of your outing. If you’re planning a corporate event, opt for resorts that specialize in team-building activities and offer large conference spaces. For families, choose resorts with a mix of kid-friendly amenities and leisure activities. Couples can explore romantic resorts with spa packages and private dining experiences.

In conclusion, resorts near Bangalore with outdoor activities cater to a variety of needs, making them ideal for team outings, family vacations, and romantic getaways. Whether you seek adventure, relaxation, or a blend of both, Bangalore’s resorts offer diverse experiences that leave lasting impressions. From eco-friendly retreats to luxury escapes, the options are endless, ensuring there is a perfect resort for every occasion.

[tomboyjessie13]

Jojo incorrect quotes feat. my OC - Timeline (Ver. 8.0)

(The quotes that are not included on here are either for DA or just one off gags, I would also like to apologize if there’s any inconsistencies with the plot, either I forgot or I’m still developing my OCs)

Before the Crusades ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- The Agents of DIO(and Eris) kill the members of the SPW Foundation's spies: Link

- Medea's first arrival to Cairo and DIO's Mansion a la Dracula: Link

- Medea gets caught by a sexist cop while trying to escape DIO's Mansion: Link (NEW)

- Medea’s reaction to T. D’Arby’s doll collection: Link

- Medea attempts(and fails) to kill DIO with garlic: Link

- Part 1: Jean Pierre Polnareff

- Medea accompanies Rubber Soul to the Mall: Link

- Medea tells off DIO about the state of Islamic Cairo: Link

- Medea deals with DIO’s vampirism: Link

- Medea throws a fit over the baseball game getting canceled: Link

- Vanilla Ice kicks Medea out for being too loud: Link

- T. D'Arby brings Medea back to the mansion after saving her from his brother: Link

- Medea sees the Letterman jacket she always wanted, but was dismayed by the price: Link (NEW)

- Medea begs DIO to let her work with an agent to make money: Link (NEW)

- Medea meets up with Eris for the job: Link (NEW)

- DIO exposes Joseph’s affair to Medea: Link

- Part 2: Enrico Pucci

- Medea denies a date with Steely Dan: Link

- Medea gets shot by the arrow and gains new powers: Link

- Medea gets sick after being shot by the Arrow: Link

- Medea and the other servants discover that Eris committed murder out of jealousy: Link

- DIO seducing Medea into “spending the night” with him: Link

- Part 3: Hol Horse

- Medea tells Eris of her affair with DIO, ends very badly: Link (NEW)

- Medea gets possessed by Anubis: Link

- Medea loses at "Dragon's Lair": Link

- Medea gets dragged into Cairo's old entertainment district for errands: Link

- Medea rants about Jason drunkenly to Mariah and Midler: Link

- Medea realizes she's fallen for DIO after talking about wedding dresses with Mariah and Midler: Link (NEW)

- Eris tells Boingo a crappy bedtime story: Link

- Medea tells Steely Dan to fuck off: Link

- DIO busts Medea and the Oingo Boingo brothers out of prison during the 4th of July: Link (NEW)

- Part 4: Muhammad Avdol

- Medea threatens to kick Nukesaku's ass: Link

- Medea takes in a kitty despite DIO's anti-cats and dogs rule: Link

- Mariah and Midler help Medea pick out a swimsuit for their beach trip: Link

- The Agents of DIO have a private party at Danial's Cafe: Link

- Medea messes with Nukesaku alongside T. D'Arby and Kenny G: Link

- Part 5: Noriaki Kakyoin

- Midler drunk dials Medea: Link

- Medea gets one hell of a Birthday present from DIO: Link

- Medea and T. D’Arby goes shopping + Kakyoin’s walkman: Link

- Part 6: Finale

Part 3 - Stardust Crusaders ~ East and West Asia ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Narrator explains the Greek tragedy of Medea and Jason: Link

- Medea’s reaction to Jotaro being 17, not an adult: Link

- Jotaro kicks Medea’s ass during their first meeting: Link

- Medea discovers that J. Geil is dead: Link

- Medea visits the Taj Mahal while waiting for the Crusaders: Link

- Medea chews out Jotaro during their stay in New Delhi: Link

- The Crusaders hide out in an Indian Theater while Medea stalks them: Link

- Medea reluctantly rides with the Crusaders after Enyaba's defeat in Pakistan: Link

- Medea gets confronted by DIO for failing her mission before being seduced: Link

- Medea fights the Crusaders before Avdol showed up alive and well, scaring her off: Link

- DIO finds out that Avdol is alive, and Medea failed to kill the Crusaders: Link

Part 3 - Stardust Crusaders ~ Battle in Egypt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Medea tries(and fails) to assassinate the Crusaders at the hospital and gets carried off by Jotaro: Link

- Medea brags about the 9 Glory Gods to Joseph: Link

- Crusaders takes Medea captive after arriving in Aswan: Link

- Polnareff confuses Medea's Irish for Chinese: Link

- Joseph using Medea’s Irish heritage to mess with her: Link

- The Crusaders discovers that DIO pays Medea peanuts while counting their money: Link

- Medea tries framing the Crusaders for possessing drugs: Link

- Iggy raids Medea’s items and pushed her into the Nile: Link

- Medea makes herself and the Crusaders breakfast: Link

- Joseph makes Medea wear his Hamon mask: Link

- Medea and Polnareff dancing to "Footloose": Link

- Medea has a nightmare of DIO threatening her: Link

- Medea and Polnareff uluate much to Jotaro's annoyance and Avdol's joy: Link (NEW)

- [Flogging Molly] causing a morning mishap with Medea and Polnareff: Link

- Medea’s reaction to Joseph becoming young again via Sethan: Link

- Mariah and Alessi fight aftermath + Medea’s humiliation: Link

- DIO finds out that Medea failed her mission and activates his “fail safe” on her: Link

- Kakyoin and Medea saved Oingo from being consumed by [Nephthys]: Link(feat. Eris Raitt)

- Kakyoin tells Medea about Morioh when she worries about becoming homeless and jobless upon DIO's defeat: Link

- Kakyoin reunites with the Crusaders and Medea returns to Cairo, alive and well: Link

- The Crusaders’ last dinner together before facing DIO + Plot twist: Link(I’m keeping the dinner scene, not sure about the plot twist however)

- Joseph and Medea break the fourth wall to talk about Islamic Cairo and how DIO fucked one of the districts up: Link

- Joseph tells Medea about the Stone mask: Link

- Medea explains who Kenny G and [Tenore Sax] are to Polnareff and Avdol: Link

- Medea and Polnareff after the events of “The Miasma of the Void, Vanilla Ice”: Link

- Medea and DIO’s confrontation before “DIO’s World”: Link

- Last Train Home ~Medea’s Lullaby~ : Link

Part 4 - Diamond is Unbreakable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Medea’s first appearance of the arc: Link(feat. Noriko and Keiji)

- Medea hears school bathroom singing: Link

- Medea and Jotaro witnessing Josuke playing “Pepsi Man”: Link

- Medea at Rohan’s house: Link

- Medea’s dealing with Okuyasu and Noriko crying over a Chao dying: Link(feat. Noriko)

- Medea threatens to kick Rohan's ass for using [Heaven's Door] on her: Link

- Medea badmouths Joseph to Josuke: Link

- Medea tells Okuyasu why pancakes are banned from school grounds: Link (NEW)

- Medea meets Yoshikage Kira for the first time: Link

- Keiji defends Medea from his racist ex-girlfriend: Link

- Medea visits the Higashikatas for school grades and video games: Link

- Josuke finds that his copy of Mario 64 might be cursed, with Medea and Yuna performing a Shinto ritual with it: Link (NEW)

- Josuke visits Medea’s home: Link(feat. Noriko)

- Jotaro, Medea, and Josuke have a serious discussion during their drive to S-City: Link

- Medea meets Kira once again by accident and her students try drawing him: Link

- Medea is shocked to find that her mother-in-law invited Kira for breakfast: Link

- Medea finds out that Kira is the serial killer: Link

- Medea watches the kids at school playing funny games on school grounds: Link

Part 6 - Stone Ocean ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Noriko gets her idol concert ruined by Pucci: Link

[skanda06]

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