#and the absolute joy in her heart when somebody makes a comeback :' )))

[tvrningout-a]

i will not lie: i read the new chapters for j.jk while i was eating, and now i'm Thinking

[miasswier]

miasswier’s ultimate glee ranking: no 14

14: Original Song

Written by: Ryan Murphy Directed by: Bradley Buecker

Overall Thoughts: I feel like not putting this episode in my top ten is probably an unpopular opinion. Honestly, I love this episode, but the amount of Finn/Rachel/Quinn that I’m forced to sit through is exhausting. Literally everything else is awesome, though. It’s funny, it’s serious, and it’s a great ensemble episode. Also, Klaine.

What I Like:

I love all the original songs! I love the shitty ones, I love the good ones… I wish they’d done more original songs instead of just forgetting about them after “New York”

Klaine is basically the main plot of this episode, and I love that. I really, really, love that.

The Brittana scene at their lockers is awesome and cute, and then turns to hilarious so quickly as soon as Sue gets involved.

Sue literally throwing sticks at Mercedes head is so immature and ridiculous.

I really like that the episode opened with a musical number! This is actually one of the few episodes where there’s just a shit ton of musical numbers and I actually think it works. I can’t think of any song I would remove from this episode (usually I can think of at least two). It just works.

Fuck “Trouty Mouth” makes me laugh so goddamn hard. I also love how after, when Puck starts singing his song, Santana turns to Sam like “what the fuck” and he just throws it back in her face. God, they could have been the absolute best frenemies. It’s too bad Glee didn’t give them that much to work with.

“Hell to the No” is amazing as a song, as a performance, and also because it gives us the first hints of Samcedes (YES I KNOW I’M REACHING HERE LEAVE ME ALONE)

I LOVE the “Blackbird” performance. Kurt is so gorgeous in his mourning outfit, and the way he is genuinely upset about losing Pavoratti is so sweet. The fact that Blaine is the first one to jump in with the back-up has always made me happy, especially since it’s the first time we actually see Blaine doing back-up vocals. And then, Blaine’s face as he realizes that he actually wants to be with Kurt, that he wants to give it a shot, that screw just being friends and screw worrying about screwing it up, being with Kurt is worth it. UGH. I LOVE THIS SCENE.

The Klaine kiss scene, which I can still literally recite from memory that’s how many fucking times I’ve watched it.

Considering how much Kurt was about “the touch of the fingertips is as sexy as it gets” one episode ago, he sure as fuck dives in fast for that second kiss.

I do really like the scene where Rachel is writing “Get It Right”. Breaks my heart.

Rachel getting MVP. I wish they had kept this tradition up, but I’m also fully aware that Rachel and Finn would have literally won every single one of those awards, so I’m also kind of glad they didn’t.

“We got each other out of all this. That means a lot more than some lousy trophy, don’t you think?” JUST STAB ME RIGHT IN THE HEART.

The short scene before the Warblers go out between Kurt and Blaine.

What I Don’t Like:

Look, I don’t want to get too into details about this, because I feel like I have fully expressed my frustration with the Quinn/Finn/Rachel love triangle over the past 106 reviews, so all I will say is this: the fact that they took Kurt and Blaine’s first duet as a couple and made it about the Quinn/Finn/Rachel drama makes my blood boil to this very fucking day.

Also, this is more a frustration about Rachel than it is about the whole Fuinchel shit, but why is it that Rachel literally cannot feel good about herself unless she is putting somebody else down? It’s not enough for her to be a good singer, she has to be better than Mercedes, Kurt, and Santana. It’s not enough that Finn loves her, she has to go out of her way to remind everyone that Finn chose her over Quinn. It’s like it matters more that she beat Quinn than it does that Finn wanted to be with her. It’s SO annoying. And Quinn is right: it’s a sign of immaturity, and it’s too bad they didn’t really let her mature from this until like, season six.

The fact that Finn acted like he spoke for the entire Glee club when he said that they should do original songs, implying that everyone agreed because Finn agreed to it, not because Quinn agreed to it, which is really why they were all down for it. It’s particularly annoying considering he acted like nobody would agree with him if he’d stood up for Rachel on this back in “Comeback”.

It does suck that they’re back to their formula of Finn and Rachel being the only ones to sing at a competition. I don’t mind “Get It Right” as a Rachel solo, but I really wish “Loser Like Me” had been an actual group number instead of a Finn and Rachel duet masquerading as a group number.

Songs:

Misery: I really like this performance. I think it’s hilarious, and it really sets the tone for the episode (especially the Klaine story). As a song, well, it’s one of those ones that I listened to on a constant loop and now can’t hear outside of the context of the episode because I just overplayed it way too much.

Only Child: Hilarious. It’s too bad we only got to hear two of Rachel’s terrible original songs. I know there were at least a dozen more that were so terrible even she scrapped them without even showing Finn.

Blackbird: I’ve already talked about this one above, but seriously. Such a good performance. Amazing vocals, too. Why did Kurt barely get solos again?

Trouty Mouth: The height of comedy. Will anything ever be as iconic as this?

Big Ass Heart I mean, it’s hilarious, and Will’s faces are so fucking funny throughout, but he is still calling Lauren fat through this song.

Hell to the No: Again, iconic. I love it.

Candles: I actually don’t mind it as a song, but it has always sat wrong with me that the first song Klaine sing as a couple is a break-up song, and that it actually mirrors the Quinn/Finn/Rachel stuff more than their own relationship. Ugh, Glee.

Raise Your Glass: Love this one! An amazing performance and an amazing song!

Get It Right: I also really like this one. It’s one of the few moments on Glee where they actually let Rachel be genuine in her pain, her guilt, her anger, and her sadness. So often all of the emotions Rachel displays are born from a sense of injustice towards herself, most of the time unwarranted, and then when she actually is in her right to be angry they underplay it. It’s nice, for once, to see her react accordingly to a situation. Plus, it made for an amazing song.

Loser Like Me: I’ll be honest, I prefer the acustic version from “New Directions” to this version. I do still like it, but it does also feel like we’re stepping back into season one, where Finn and Rachel are the only ones allowed to sing.

Final Thoughts: This is really a fantastic episode. It’s hilarious, it’s emotional, it’s real. Aside from the nonsense still being forced down our throats regarding Finn/Quinn/Rachel, it’s really well-rounded and just plain good. Like, really good. Plus, the beginning of Klaine! I don’t think I’ll ever forget the sheer joy I felt the first time I saw this episode. I was totally spoiler free, and genuinely didn’t expect that they would get together so soon. I still feel that same joy watching it now, even after a million re-watches. It just never gets old.

[thesinglesjukebox]

SELENA GOMEZ - LOOK AT HER NOW

[5.82]

The single at least one of you requested...

Ian Mathers: I say, I am beginning to get an inkling that this song intends us to think that it is subtextually referring to one Justin Bieber! [3]

Michael Hong: Proof that a breakup track doesn't have to be forced and predictable to demonstrate confidence. Chopped background vocals, a chorus that creates euphoria through its blurred loop, and Selena Gomez twirling the production around her voice like a loose strand of hair -- it's an amalgamation of Gomez's excellent 2017 singles, and an absolute earworm. [7]

Joshua Lu: Selena Gomez's comeback singles are like a display of Julia Michaels's range as a songwriter, a dichotomy that brings to mind Revival's "Perfect" and "Hands to Myself" -- or Nervous System's "Worst In Me" and "Pink." Julia's entire mainstream career beginning in the interim does affect the song's present-day freshness. But "Look At Her Now" paves new ground as much as it retreads old styles. Flattening synths push those "Issues"-esque string plucks into the backdrop, and Selena's stutters are more rapid and more nonsensical, and thus more captivating. It's quirky, catchy, and when those background vocals come in during the second chorus, surprisingly transcendent. Sure, Julia and Selena work an awful lot together, but can you fault them when their output is still this good? [7]

Thomas Inskeep: Sleek minimalist synth-pop fits Gomez better than more traditional top 40 pop/EDM; this sounds like the next logical step after her Talking Heads-sampling critical triumph/commercial flop from a couple years ago. Then you realize that Ian Kirkpatrick produced both this and "Bad Liar," along with Dua Lipa's superb new single, and it makes more sense. Now, how do we keep Gomez in this lane and away from losers like Kygo? [7]

William John: There's an explosive song hiding in here, and you can glimpse it occasionally -- in the flash of spidery synth during the first chorus, or at the very end where it all suddenly coalesces, as if a river has turned a bend and unexpectedly encountered the ocean. But it's shielded by muffles and hums, the curse of the anti-chorus, and the kind of frustrating restraint that, for me at least, plagued "Bad Liar". [5]

Katherine St Asaph: Selena Gomez's musical style, primarily Julia Michaels-written wallflowercore, hasn't much resembled a brash, confident kiss-off since "Come and Get It," let alone a song about a relationship between two people "a little too wild for each other." So how does she pull off one of those songs when her recent tabloid narrative breakup calls for it? By removing herself as much as possible. Most obviously, "Look At Her Now" is in third person, creating the same distancing effect as "This Is What You Came For": a song less about getting over someone than gazing, awed, at a girl who has. (So make of that what you will.) Michaels' lyric skims over the drama and past the infidelities -- the second verse, in its "an incident happened, neither good nor bad"-ness, sounds kind of like carefully phrased PR from a politician caught in an affair. Gomez's vocal does the same, emoting only intermittently and swallowing lines you might expect not to be swallowed, like "oh God, when she found out!" (To be fair, the cause may be the vocal comping being... noticeable.) The confidence is delivered by other voices, literally: samples of a child's bratty taunts, some chopped, wordless (and uncredited, obviously) toasting. Gomez is trying to have it both ways: writing a confessional, singer-songwriterly track that's still EDM- and R&B-adjacent, even if it means smothering a conversational vocal in so much processing and embellishment it no longer sounds conversational, or turning over the whole chorus to anonymous somebodies-else. Still, if dreary piano ballads have a low ceiling, wistful pop songs have a high floor. [6]

Oliver Maier: The third-person narration and Gomez's hushed, reverential delivery on the verses imply some kind of profundity that the mindless, irritating anti-chorus seems hell-bent on rebuffing. Maybe that's the point, by some galaxy-brain rationale. [3]

Natasha Genet Avery: I've always staunchly defended Selena Gomez, insisting that what she lacks in talent, she makes up for with excellent taste. After hearing these "mm-mms," I guess I'll see myself out. [3]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: God bless Selena Gomez for taking words thrown together in a blender and singing them with such bluster and joy that you don't have time to think about how ridiculous they are: "Once again, I'm yours in fractions," "You and me bleed the same light," "I'm slipping down a chain reaction,""Just like the Battle of Troy, there's nothing subtle here," "I've been running through the jungle, I've been running with the wolves," "Syncopate my skin to your heart beating," "Metaphorical gin and juice," "Bowery/Whiskey neat," "You are the thunder and I am the lightning," "Your lies are bullets, your mouth's a gun," "Let the chemicals do its stuff til the energy is too much," "Taki taki," pretty much every word of "Fetish." When Selena released a new dance track, I had my fingers crossed that I might get a shiny new toy, and boy, oh boy, did she not disappoint. "MM-MM-MM-MM-MM-MM-MM-MM...WOW" is everything I could have wanted it to be and more. She's gone post-verbal, folks! [9]

Alex Clifton: I thought the "mm-mm-mm" chorus was a cop-out the first time I heard it, but it fulfills the same function as the "ba-de-yas" of "September" -- words aren't necessary when you've got a song like this. It's deservedly smug and dismissive, perfect for deflecting any shards of bad memories from the past from her current happiness. If "Lose You to Love Me" was Selena at her most vulnerable, then "Look At Her Now" builds her back up into being the dance-queen badass that I always knew she was, but with the confidence to match. [7]

Jackie Powell: Ian Kirkpatrick's Jackson Pollock-style overdubbing of Gomez's and Michaels' vocalizations during the chorus places the listener dancing in the club rather than crying, and the heavy bass synth loop on the bridge adds color that complements the vocal brightness of "she knows she'll find love." The subject matter is a blatant follow-up to the introspective "Lose You to Love Me," but the wise writing from Julia Michaels and Tranter adds substance. This is the next stage of grief. Is it acceptance? I'm not sure. But the emotional snapshot is realistic and relatable. The couplet I'm drawn to the most is in verse two, when Gomez chants "What a thing to be human/Made her more of a woman" with the utmost conviction. The way she talk-sings the word "woman" is alluring but also so sanguine. In the Sophie Muller-directed visual, it's almost as if Gomez is channeling her inner Diana Prince in the1984 Wonder Woman poster; a blast of color coupled with a metallic outfit screams Amazonian energy. Apparently this is a track for her "ride-or-dies," which I assume would include Michaels. I mean, who wouldn't want to see them as Amazon goddesses? You must be related to Ares if you don't. [7]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[collidinggalaxiesofstars]

The Princess, The Sorceress, and The Pixie (Vixya)

A/N: This is for the Christmas Fic Exchange by the @rpdrficexchange and was made  for the lovey @czarina-chachki that includes Season 7 faves- Violet, Trixie, and Katya (Fame and Adore wanted to make appearances as well). This story is a Peter Pan, Wizard of Oz, Narnia, and Harry Potter inspired world that all overlap to create a new one! I’m sorry this is is a bit long, but I hope you enjoy it babe!

And Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

--

Once upon a time not so near as yesterday, but not so long ago lived a princess in a kingdom far…

“Really bitch? That’s how you want to tell this story?”

It’s tradition!

“Tradition can kiss my ass. This is my story and I’m going to tell it my way.”

Suit yourself, don’t come crying to me when you break Tumblr’s word count  with your run on mouth.

“Whatever. I’m the modern day ‘People’s Princess,’ and before you ask, no, not Diana, no one else could ever be that tragic. I’m Violet Chachki, and this is my story full of deceit, betrayal, and lies, and that’s just my mother, never mind the rest of my royally fucked up family, we’ll get to them later. My father, the King died when I was 17, and my mother claimed the title of Queen of Hybridonia, a pretty common name for a kingdom where the rulers are people and the subjects are half animals and the other half dimwitted human twats.. Just for the record, I was supposed to take over at 18, but those ridiculous hybrids thought I was too much of a bitch, I don’t know where they got that idea from. Anyway, before I run the risk of droning on like my cousin Fame, I’ll take you back to where it all began, the fateful day of my 18th birthday.”

—-

“Mother, do I really have to stay here?”

“It’s your 18th birthday Violet, of course you have to. Look at your cousin Fame over there, socializing with the avian hybrids. Why can’t you be more like her?”

I’m about to make one of my usual retorts when I’m interrupted by a creature with a male face and a lower goat half.

“Hello Prime Minister Satyr,” my mother moves her gloved hand forward for him to kiss.

“My dear, have you told your daughter of our arrangement?”

“It’s her 18th birthday, I wouldn’t want to spoil it for her.”

“Hello, I’m right here!” I was forced to interrupt.

“It’s nothing to worry about dear,” my mother said with a thick sweetness in her voice.

“Bullshit, what’s going on?”

“Your mother and I are getting married,” Prime Minister Satyr explains.

“So?”

“You won’t be Queen.”

“WHAT?”

“With our marriage, it will allow us to rule together as absolute monarchs. You’re out, I’m terribly sorry.”

I felt shocked, even a witty comeback wasn’t in order then, my heart sank to the pit of my stomach, as if I was going to cry, but none shed. I was too strong to break in front of the likes of them.

“Is there any other way?” my voice comes out shakily from the shock.

“Only if you can prove you are pure and good,” the Prime Minister replied.

“Like that'll ever happen,” my mother and the Prime Minister cackle sinsterly at me, I should have thought twice before I asked my next question, but I was young and foolish then.

“What about in the fairy tales? They’re must be a quest I can take. I need to be Queen, I have to be Queen!” I demand, stomping my heel so far into the floor it leaves a crack in its marble.

“There’s nothing I can do, unless you can find a sorceress who will make you pure. I doubt anyone would be so foolish to disobey the law,” the harsh laugh of the Prime Minister and my mother follows.

“Then that’s what I’ll do!”

They laugh harder, walking away from me, their hands tightly clasped together to keep each other from toppling over in laughter.

I kick off my stilettos, running up the long stairs of the palace from the entryway, taking them two by two, the last thing I remember before reaching my room is looking down from the very top- the glittering dresses, shined hooves, combed manes, and top hats. My heart pounded as I ran through the hall, slamming the heavy door to my room which left behind a resounding bang.

I opened my window, a single for my best friend, Trixie, a mortal pink pixie who’d been living in the tree across from my bedroom window for as long as I can remember. Despite the occasional argument and slammed windows, we’ve remained the best of friends.

“Hello!” Trixie flew in, pink pixie dust littering the room.

I remember the shock on her face when I filled her in on the details, as I threw everything into a bag, ready to leave.

“Oh honey, I’m coming with you,” Trixie says excitedly.

“You are?” I could feel my heart fill with joy that someone still had faith in me, at least that somebody still loved me.

“Of course, what would I do without my best friend?”

“We’re going to do it Trix! We’re going to get our kingdom back and I’ll be Queen!”

“Shit,” I mumbled, hearing the footsteps and my name being called out through the halls.

“The window!” Trixie quickly sprinkles pixie dust onto my back which lifted me up and straight out the window.

“Where are we going?” I yelled out to Trixie.

“You’ll last till the beach, face your legs downwards when you’re ready to land.”

Flying up in the air for the first time was incredible, as if the blue skies and sunshine would never end, the world below looked small and insignificant. For  the first time I felt free, and there was no one I trusted more to help me than Trixie. I remember a warm and fuzzy feeling rush over me that I’d never experienced before, maybe it’s true what they say, the heart of a Grinch can grow three sizes in one day.

“Vi, we’re going down now, get ready to land,” Trixie screams into the wind, thankfully waking me from my thoughts and back into concentration.

Holy Shit I was flying.

I stumbled as we landed on a white pebbled beach, all was calm, as mermaids and mermen casually swam in the ocean waters.

I collapsed into the sand by the ocean, trying to catch my breath from the flight.

Trixie swooped down behind me, “you got to work on that landing girl,” she says, perching on my shoulder as she so often did.

“I…” I’m interrupted by a beautiful vocal riff, coming from somewhere in the distance.

“Must be a Mermaid,” Trixie theorizes, “you were saying?”

I didn’t  remember what I was saying, the voice entranced me as I looked deep into the ocean waters.

“Earth to Violet,” Trixie waved a hand in front of my face.

A blue haired mermaid appeared with a long black scaled tale.

I carefully approached the ripples of the tide, staring into the beautiful smoky eyes of the mermaid before her.

“I’m Adore. You guys really shouldn’t be in these parts, it’s not exactly the safest area to be.”

“Crash landing,” I smiled, “I’m Violet and this is my friend Trixie.”

“Hi,” Trixie waves.

“Party,” Adore smiles at us, “where are you off to?”

“It’s difficult to explain.”

“Looking for a sorceress, right?”

“How…”

“A mermaid knows all,” she winks.

“Do you know where we can find one?” Trixie pipes up from behind me.

“Yeah, there’s one down a few miles where the land changes. You know, beach to forest.”

“Yeah, we do, thanks,” I smiled.

“Lovely to meet you Princess,” Adore bows her head, before giving me a wink goodbye and swam back into the blue.

“C’mon Girl, we’ve got magic to do,” Trixie pulls me away from the edge of the water, “I don’t have anymore dust left for you.”

“It’s okay, let’s just walk,” I turn to the direction that Adore had pointed out, walking the miles ahead with determination, and silence, letting the beautiful scenery pass them by.

I remember the moment when we arrived at the fateful point where the neverending ocean and the beach met with the forest.

“Here we are,” I took a deep breath, opening the gate that separates the two worlds.

A tall blonde woman appeared before us, “come, come, I’ve been expecting you,” her words echo through the trees, as she led us to a little hut, at the border between the two lands.

We found out her name was Katya, a sorceress with five generations of sorcery lineage behind her. I found her fast way of speaking and constant movements totally insane, but I knew by the smile on Trixie’s face that she was charmed with infatuation, little did I know, I would soon be too.

“I hear you are the only one who can make me Queen again.”

Katya’s eyes rake over me, before saying, “you are a sorceress at heart.”

“Whatever, I want to be queen.”

“You have the power inside you you to make that happen, you don’t need me,” Katya informed us, using her hand to shoo us away.

“You don’t get off that easily, we came all this way to see you!” I stomp my feet, feeling on the verge of tears as Trixie tries to comfort me.

“Perhaps I was wrong,” Katya says witnessing the scene, “you have three days of observation, I’ll know how to help you by then.”

Those three days passed by quickly, in the mornings Katya would serve tea, and read my palms, by lunch she had read my tarot cards, and by dinner she had guided us in a crystal meditation. More often than not, I’d find her with her notepad observing my every motion, or huddled in a corner whispering with Trixie, who she’d affectionately named Tracey over the last few days. We were all close, and happy, really fucking happy.

By the second night, cold wind began to blow into the hut, forcing the three of us to huddle together under the sheets of Katya’s small rickety bed. Despite the confined space we all shared, I felt as though there was more than I ever had in the palace.

On the third day, Katya made tea for us early in the morning, and left us to our own devices for the day, I knew Katya’s final verdict on my Queendom would come soon, and I could feel myself one edge in great anticipation of her decision.

Katya arrives late in the evening, a glass bottle of a milky white potion in her hand.

“I can make you pure,” Katya informed me matter of factly, I could see the sadness behind her eyes as she does so, “if you take this, you leave all this behind and become Queen. No one will ever look at you with displeasure or remember who you were before.” She hands the potion over to me coldly.

I can recall the internal debate with myself, the hesitation and connotations behind taking the potion. A queen would never stoop so low to change herself, all the signs in the universe were telling me no. If I’m to be queen, fate will control it, as destiny controls us all.

“I’m not taking it,” I announce firmly, handing it back to a softly smiling Katya and a shocked Trixie.

Suddenly, white and gold glow hazes and radiates around me, angelic wings sprout out my back, I couldn’t believe this venture has been in utter vanity, Katya was right!

“Told you so,” Katya smiles smugly.

“She was pure this whole time?” Trixie questions, as I flutter about in my new wings, trying to maintain my balance much to Katya’s amusement.

“Of course, she was the one who didn’t believe me at the start.”

Trixie laughs, “she is quite stubborn.”

“Just one more thing to love about her,” Katya winks, sensing a new founded relationship between the three of us.

“So what’s next Vi?” Trixie asked me, shifting gears to my new transformation.

“I don’t know guys. I’m perfectly content to never be Queen, I think.”

Trixie raises an eyebrow in question.

“I want to dedicate my life to all that is good, to you two, to love and friendship and helping others. Afterall, I look like a fucking Christmas angel.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Katya laughs, and Trixie and I laugh right along with her.

Everything was going to be good from here on in.

[galaxyghost4081]

Stairway to the Stars

Also on Weasyl and AO3! 

~

       The world was always the same. Everything was a boring old grayscale, everybody did the same old stuff everyday, and Sylvia despised all of it. It didn’t help that she was a natural-born rebel - The Empire was in charge of everything, from the tiniest speck of dirt to the murky clouds up above. Sylvia hated every single detail about the emotionless land, especially since she already knew she wasn’t born to fit in.

       The young girl was on the run, having just escaped her father’s wrath and escaping to the safety of her room. As she dashed down the pewter-colored hall, booming footsteps hunted after her, accompanied by the crazed yells of the approaching predator.

       “Sylvia Hart, you get back here right now! Somebody has to teach you a lesson, young lady!”

       The sound of her father’s voice was irritation to her ears, but Sylvia didn’t care about her dad. She didn’t care about his “undying loyalty to the Empire” or his constantly aggravated attitude toward his own daughter. She didn’t care if she got caught, berated, and beaten by him again. Sylvia disagreed with the godforsaken way her world ran, and she knew the world itself disapproved. As Sylvia ran down the hall, nearly tripping over her footsteps, she heard the enraged screams close in on her.

       “Sylvia, if you give up now, maybe I won’t get the stick out again!”

       The girl froze, remembering the sheer pain she felt when her father beat her with that devastating weapon, but she couldn’t waste any time. One step lost meant less time gained, and she refused to allow another one of her nightmares to come to life. Bringing herself back to dreadful reality, Sylvia returned to her run. The boring gray doors camouflaged with the just as boring walls, but her mood perked when she caught sight of her sliver of hope: A sole golden doorknob protruding out of an endless wall of nothingness.

       Bingo! Sylvia felt her heart beat with joy when her escape entered her view, but her father’s thundering footsteps reminded her of her true mission. Shoot! I didn’t expect him to catch up this quickly… I just need to go a little farther, then I’ll be able to lock him out of my safe zone. That should be able to deal with him for now… Anxiety and energy flowed through the young girl’s veins as she raced to the knob.

       It’s either make it or get punished, Sylvie, she thought to herself, and I sure as heck know which choice I want to get.

       With her beast of a father getting closer and closer, Sylvia lunged toward the gold knob and rushed to turn it. She then shoved herself inside, slammed the door shut, and locked it with a small click!

       Safety at last… She gave out a slight sigh as she allowed her emotions to finally calm down. She propped herself against the door, taking deep breaths in an attempt to pull herself together, but the sudden pounding on it caused her to flinch. Sylvia kept her full attention on it, as if the monster on the other side would break through at any moment. She made sure to keep her senses honed and her guard up as her father spouted threats from the other side.

       “Open this door and get out of that room right now, young lady!” He continued to bash on the door with as much force as he could muster, screaming his fury to his trapped prey at the top of his lungs. “Sylvia, I swear by the Empire, I will beat you to death if you don’t face me right now! If you won’t change that goddamn stubborn personality of yours, then I’ll do it for you!”

       He might as well beat the door to death too if he wants to hurt me so much. Heck, why not let the Empire get me themselves? If he praises and adores them so much, he might as well rely on them for the rest of his life. Sylvia kept her thoughts to herself, knowing all too well revealing them would only result in even greater trouble, but she knew how her father was. She knew everything about his violent, savage, and outright abusive nature, and she refused to keep her mouth shut and silent under his tyrannical, iron-fisted rule.

       “I don’t care if the whole stupid military comes after me! Nobody’s in control of myself, and I’m not going to give in to the fucking Empire no matter what!” Sylvia snapped at her father with a screech, rage rushing through every part of her veins. “When will you understand I wasn't meant to be a part of this crazy world?"

       The girl's anger soon turned into frustration, which ultimately subsided into a strange disappointment. In that moment, she didn't care about her father contemptuous comebacks or the cruel, vile punishment she would definitely receive - The only thing on Sylvia's mind was the saddening fact that she was different. There was no escape from this monster.

       Ignoring her father's infinite complaints, Sylvia left the door and slouched to her pastel blue bed. A tiny sliver of glee ignited within her as she appreciated the only splash of color in her dull old room, but gloom was quick to douse it. Her mood turned grim, and she plopped herself right on the bed. She then shifted her position to lay on her back, lifted her arms toward the ceiling, then looked at her palms against the dimmed yellow lights.

       That was when the symbols reappeared. After waiting for just a few seconds, Sylvia recognized the ever so mysterious icons on her hands. Glowing a dark blue, they resembled an oddly-styled lowercase M ending with an arrow of sorts. The girl sighed with displeasure as she spoke her thoughts out loud.

       "Hello again, you two," she said with a tired tone. "Mind telling me what you want from me this time?"

       An empty moment would pass before Sylvia would speak again. "Of course you won't tell me anything," she huffed. "You enter my life for some weird reason, completely endanger it without my permission, cause me to be a social oddity in this barren hell of a world, and not once give me a single clue about why everything ended up this way. At this point in my life, I should pretty much be used to all the trouble you've put me through, but…" She retracted her arms and turned to her side, preparing for a well-needed rest.

       "I guess some troubles just never go away."

       Upon reopening her eyes, Sylvia jumped after being greeted with an entirely different sight. There were no boring walls or the annoying sound of her father's shouting. Instead, she was surrounded by space, her bed acting as the only raft she had in all of the cosmos.

       Where am I? Where the heck did everything go? Thoughts swirled around Sylvia's head as she frantically looked around her strange environment, but her attention was caught by nothing but a simple cough. Upon turning her head to the noise, a very strange being appeared before her: Clad in a flowing white dress and equipped with large, feathery wings, the being looked like an exact duplicate of Sylvia, details and all.

       "Who the heck are you?" The girl blurted out. " Did I die or someth-"

       To Sylvia's annoyance, she was silenced when her strange doppelgänger stopped her words with the lift of her palm. She yearned for all the answers, the only remedies to the poison her crazed concoction of questions tainted her with, but her eyes became transfixed on an unbelievable sight: Sylvia's angelic twin wore the same exact cobalt M on her palm. Confused as ever, the young girl switched between looking at her own decorated hands and her duplicate's hand, only focusing her attention to her other self when she began to speak.

       "I will answer all of your questions, Sylvia," the angel spoke in a calm, serene voice. "I can understand if you are confused and have a vast plethora of questions to ask."

       Of course I'm confused, you dummy! I literally go to sleep for a minute, and the next thing I know, I'm in space talking to a weird version of myself! Sylvia struggled from ranting about the obvious to the angel, but she did so for a good cause: She was in an unfamiliar place with a definitely unfamiliar person - If she wanted answers, she needed to pay attention, not speak her mind.

       "Allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Serena, an alternate universe self of, well, yourself. However, unlike you, my life was not a constant struggle to survive in a cruel, unfit, and horrendously corrupt society. Instead, I was praised as a savior, using my unique powers to protect and defend my world." Serena then revealed her other palm, emblazoned with the same blue sigil, to emphasize her point. Afterward, she brought her hands back to herself and became silent, giving Sylvia the perfect opening to say a few words of her own.

       "So… You're an alternate universe version of me who lived a better life than I did. That sounds like absolute nonsense, but considering your weird getup, I guess that… sort of makes sense."

       "That is correct, although I should make it clear that I did not die, and neither did you."

       "Huh?"

       "You see, Sylvia, despite my angelic appearance, I am still alive, flesh, blood, and all. I have simply harnessed my powers to stretch beyond the boundaries of my universe to arrive in yours and assist you in achieving your special destiny."

       "’Special destiny?’ Didn't I - Well, the both of us, really - already have my own special destiny? I mean, just look at the glowing blue symbol things on our hands! If your 'special destiny' was to be a hero or something, then I'm fated to be a complete outcast in mine.”

       “Oh, Sylvia,” Sylvia whispered as if she had one more hidden secret to reveal,” that is not your fate at all.”

       Before Sylvia was able to respond, magic appeared before her very eyes. A staircase comprised of shimmering starlight manifested right next to Serena. The glittering stars embedded within them led each step upward toward the heavens until ultimately ending at a just as magical platform.

       Entranced by the sheer amazement of it all, Sylvia found herself staring at the stairs until eventually shifting her attention to Serena, who seemed prepared to provide her counterpart with all the answers she oh-so-desired.

       “Sylvia, upon unlocking the unique powers you and I both share, I was dawned upon with vital information: The symbol we carry is the sign of the Scorpion, Scorpio.” A wide grin stretched across Serena’s face as she displayed the effervescent cerulean symbol atop her palm. “We were born to defy the law, Sylvia, to shatter the shackles attempting to encage us. Our souls are blessed with the unstoppable urge to bring justice, to make the world a better place no matter what comes our way, and to, in essence, rebel. The best part about carrying a sign, however…” She lowered her voice to a whisper again, a slight hint of excitement seeping through her tone.

       “Is that we’re not alone.”

       Serena brought her hand upward toward the platform in the stars, beckoning Sylvia to turn her eyes to it. It was in that moment the young girl was exposed to true one-of-a-kind wonders: An older-looking girl peered at Sylvia, a red sign resembling a curved V stamped on her forehead. A young pair of twins played with each other as yellow icons bearing resemblance to the Roman numeral 2 appeared atop their cheeks. A boy wearing a white tank top watched Sylvia from up above as his purple dual zigzag symbol glowed on his abdomen.

       They’re all like me, she realized about her unbelievable discovery. All of them have the same weird quirk as I do, and I never knew.

       Questions after questions were popping up in Sylvia’s mind, but all of their answers seemed to arrive when Serena spoke. “Every single one of them, including you, were destined for greatness. There are still more of them - We are awaiting about eight more signs - but together, they are able to change the world into something better. The wretched universe you live in could become a utopia, but only if the Scorpion joins their cause.” The angel paused to give the girl a meek yet firm smile. “What do you say, Sylvia the Scorpio? Do you want to be a hero and have your legacy written in the stars?”

       Sylvia knew this was definitely an impassable once-in-a-lifetime offer she just couldn’t refuse, but she found herself hesitating. An alternate universe version of myself is recruiting me to join a ragtag team of people who somehow have the same colorful symbol thing going on with them too. All of it honestly sounds unbelievable and too mindblowing to be true, but… She looked down at her palms, the sign of the Scorpion pulsing a bright azure. I won’t have to deal with Dad anymore. I won’t be threatened by his abusive ways and the Empire’s constant tyranny and I can finally be… free.

       The young girl brought her head back up to shoot a confident look at Serena. She then bounced off her bed, standing on the flat cosmos beneath her, and strode over to the angel with an aura of determination.

       “Well,” Sylvia began to answer, “somebody’s gotta be the rebel to rewrite all the rules.”

       With an affirming nod, Serena flapped her feathery wings and took to their air, making her way to the platform above. As she watched the angel fly, Sylvia made her own way to the stairs, clenching her hands and feeling the natural rebelliousness of the Scorpio flow through her veins when she took her first step on the stairway to the stars.