#blaming all of you for making me look at snail body horror on this New Year’s Day

[bestanimal]

Round 2.5 - Platyhelminthes - Trematoda

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Trematoda is a class of flatworms commonly known as “flukes.”

Trematodes are obligate internal parasites with a complex life cycle requiring at least two hosts. The intermediate host, in which asexual reproduction occurs, is usually a snail. The definitive host, where the flukes sexually reproduce, is a vertebrate. Trematodes are flattened oval or worm-like animals, usually no more than a few centimeters in length, although species as small as 1 millimetre are known. Their most distinctive external feature is the presence of two suckers, one close to the mouth, and the other on the underside of the animal. The body surface of trematodes comprises a tough syncytial tegument, which helps protect against digestive enzymes in species that inhabit the gut of larger animals. It is also the surface of gas exchange, as there are no respiratory organs. The mouth is located at the forward end of the animal, and opens into a muscular, pumping pharynx. The pharynx connects, via a short oesophagus, to one or two blind-ending caeca, which occupy most of the length of the body. In some species, the caeca are branched. As in other flatworms, there is no anus, and waste material must be egested through the mouth. The brain consists of a pair of ganglia in the head region, from which two or three pairs of nerve cords run down the length of the body. Trematodes generally lack any specialized sense organs, although some ectoparasitic species do possess one or two pairs of simple ocelli (eyes). Most trematodes are hermaphrodites, as are many internal parasites. Blood flukes (Schistosoma) are the only form of trematodes that are dioecious (have both a male and female sex). In the fluke’s definitive host, in which sexual reproduction occurs, eggs are commonly shed along with the host’s feces. Eggs which shed into water release free-swimming larval forms (Miracidia) that are infective to the intermediate host, in which asexual reproduction occurs.

Trematodes have a large variation of forms throughout their life cycles. An example of the diverse life history of trematodes is in the Bird Fluke, Leucochloridium paradoxum. The definitive hosts (in which the parasite reproduces) are various woodland birds, while the intermediate hosts (in which the parasite multiplies) are various species of snail. The adult parasite in the bird's gut produces eggs and these eventually end up on the ground in the bird's feces. Some eggs may be swallowed by a snail and hatch into larvae (miracidia). These larvae grow and take on a sac-like appearance. This stage is known as the sporocyst and it forms a central body in the snail's digestive gland that extends into a brood sac in the snail's head, foot and eye-stalks. It is in the central body of the sporocyst where the parasite replicates itself, producing many tiny embryos (redia). These embryos move to the brood sac and mature into cercaria. The snail’s eyestalk is swollen and the pulsating, colourful, banded broodsac visible inside mimics the appearance of an insect larva like a caterpillar (see gif below). This encourages their consumption by insectivorous birds. Observations in captivity indicated that birds tore the broodsac out of the snail before eating it so the snail may still survive this. Birds may also become infected by eating broodsacs that have spontaneously burst from the eyestalk, surviving for an hour whilst they continue to pulsate.

Trematodes have no fossil record.

(snail body horror incoming)

(source)

Propaganda under the cut:

Humans can be infected by trematodes by immersion in or ingestion of contaminated water, or by consuming raw or undercooked contaminated animals or plants.

Flukes that cause disease in humans are often classified based on the organ system they infect.

Blood Flukes inhabit human blood in some stages of their life cycle. Blood flukes that cause disease in humans include Trichobilharzia regenti, which causes swimmer's itch, and seven species of genus Schistosoma which cause schistosomiasis: S. guineensis, S.haematobium, S. intercalatum, S. japonicum, S. malayensis, S. mansoni, S. mekongi. As a definitive host, humans are infected when the cercariae (the larval forms) penetrate the skin. Any contact with water containing these cercariae can potentially result in infection. Adult blood flukes can live for years in human or animal reservoir hosts. S. haematobium and S. japonicum are of particular importance, as these are carcinogenic parasites. S. haematobium, which infects the urinary bladder, is among the most important causes of bladder cancer in humans.

Liver Flukes are commonly found within the bile ducts, liver, and gallbladder in certain mammalian and avian species. They include Clonorchis sinensis, Dicrocoelium dendriticum, Dicrocoelium hospes, Fasciola gigantica, Fasciola hepatica, Opisthorchis felineus, and Opisthorchis viverrini. Clonorchis and Opisthorchis are carcinogenic parasites that are strongly associated with the development of cancer of the bile ducts.

There are ten species of Lung Flukes that infect humans, causing paragonimiasis. Of these, the most common cause of human paragonimiasis is Paragonimus westermani, the Oriental Lung Fluke. Lung flukes require three different hosts in order to complete their life cycle. The first intermediate host is a snail, the second intermediate host is a crab or crayfish, and the definitive host for lung flukes is an animal or human host.

Intestinal Flukes inhabit the epithelium of the small intestine. These include Fasciolopsis buski (which causes fasciolopsiasis), Metagonimus miyatai, Metagonimus takahashii, Metagonimus yokogawai (which cause metagonimiasis), and Heterophyes heterophyes and Heterophyes nocens (which cause heterophyiasis).

[zuffer-weird-girl]

So uh angst/sad writing prompt of Chisaki and his partner dealing with a loss of pregnancy? (I know this is a tough subject so if you don’t want to write with it that’s fine!)

Okay. In sorry but this was way too personal for me. My aunt wanted badly to have a child... and she indeed got pregnant with not two or three, but 4... then this happened.

It was a very dark time for my family...

The moment you two discovered of your pregnancy, was certainly a huge surprise but not a unpleasant one in the slightest.

Pops was over the clouds while you were the joy itself. He knew how badly you wanted to have a kid, so the moment he noticed you were starting to have the symptoms he got hopeful. His angel would be overjoyed if his suspicions were true.

The moment you screamed right after he had given you a pregnancy test and went to the bathroom it was the most beautiful thing he saw on his world. You had that beautiful smile he had come to fall in love with on your feautures as you shouted that you were indeed carrying his child.

He smiled serenely at that, waiting for you to wash your hands to bring you to a hug as he subsconciously placed his gloved hand on the region of where stayed your uterus.

He swore he even saw a halo on you, at how happy and joyful you looked.

Some months passed and he almost fainted that it was not only one you were carrying... but two. Two little defiants.

He got teased for that? A lot would be little. Pops joked a lot and he felt himself emerging on his chair with embarrassments at some... but he was pleased no less. Two in one attack.

Although you both were slightly anxious. Double the trouble after all.

Never on his life he would expect to have this. Have someone on his life, love them so much that he even got intimate enough to not show each other vulnerabilities; although he still struggled with that; but to... share a bed with, know each other better than your own hands.

Become one.

It was a struggle to get the names for those brats but somehow, thank the gods, you both got on a agreement.

If it was going to be two girls it, they would be named Elizabeth and Akemi. While if it was going to be two boys Davi and Kano... if the kids ended up being borned as a couple it was already decided that Kano and Elizabeth were the remaining ones.

Everthing on his life seemed to get brighter. Happier. Normal.

... but he learned from a very young age that everthing that is good... doesn't last forever on life. It got ripped out of your hands cruely as they left you on the dirt to pick the pieced of your shatered heart on the filthy ground.

That it was when life was kind enough...

Some things went terribly wrong on one of his business. Causing the atmosphere of the Shie Hassaikai to becime darker. The rival gang attacked on the following day without warjing and he was lucky enough to pin the bastard down and end things quickly.

Although... stress and pregnancy didn't got well together. And he widen his eyes in horror when he say you struggling to even breath after the huge scare.

It didn't helped ease his fears when he saw that you were attached as well, bruises all over you as he scooped you up on his arms and made his way to the hospital, curing your cuts and injuries on the way, hesitantly since he despised using his quirk on you out of all people.

He didn't prevent the doctors to take you out of his arms. Glaring daggers at them when they had taken you to examinate.

You got out and meet him for a moment with a ffow on your forehead, sitting besides him as you two waited for being called.

He hated yhat they took so long, breathing in on that place was absolutely torture for him as he coughed and bringed his mask closer, taking one out of his jacket pocket to place it on you.

You smiled at the gesture, quickly returning to that gloomy and worried state as you played with your fingers and bounced your knee repeatedly.

He knew that anxiety tick way too well, and with a glived hand he placed on your knee, pressing, gripping slightly to ease down your nervousness.

"Is going to be fine. They have your and my blood combined. Chisakis are know to be pests after all." He said nonchalantly but smiled a bit at your giggled and protest of his words.

His brats were okay. They have to be.

Although when he looked up at the face of the doctor calling you both, his whole body turned cold... the hives were slowly appearing but he controlled his wish to scrub his arm or face while he helped you up, trying to not spot his true feelings.

The doctor was bold yet showed a bit of sympathy... something that he despised to just hear.

Miscarriage... neither of them had survived.

Your eyes teared up but you didn't dared to make a sound... only opting to nod numbly at the doctor and got up from your chair, making your way out of the office without Chisaki's company.

"I am sorry mister." The doctor spoked with a frow, flinching a bit at the brute way Chisaki had lifted up... gaze pierced on the ground as he muttered the words.

"Why you're apologizing in the first place?" He asked with venom, storming his way out to find you.

His wife was hugging her self with a mortified and broken look, right besides their car. The moment she saw him, she entered the passenger seat withiut a word.

He entered the car and without a care he hitted the door and breath in slowly ti try to calm himself while having a death grip on the driving wheel.

He didn't even got to call for you or hold your arm the moment you both reached home, you immediately running out of the car and slamming shut the door of your bedroom.

Pops looked at the scene, one yebrow lifted up at seing that his daughter in law had passed through him like a thunder, without greeting him before slowly putting the pieces together when he saw his usual confident, arrogant and stubborn Chisaki with a numb and broken look, his movements slow as a snail when he opened and closed the door while taking his shoes off.

He told Pops and didn't even acknowledge the conforting pat on his shoulder or the quick hug the elder gave it to him, only dragging his feet to his bedroom... only to noticed you had locked it.

He didn't had the strength to call or scold you... merely using his quirk to get through the door and returned like it was after.

You were there... in the edge of the bed, crying your eyes out on the pillow, muffling your horror and broken hearted screams... he slowy made his way to your side and placed it carefully his hand on your back, carresing slightly witj worry and understanding.

You took your face out from the cushion to look at him, brokened and depressed at receiving the news that you not only had lost one kid but the two of them.

Nornally if anyone looked at him in such a way he wouldn't feel absolutely anything, not pity, nor sympathy.... nothing.

But this was his wife... crying over what could be his brats running around the house... calling him father and you mother.

He felt the warm liquid sliding through his eye to his chin... the drop of tear falling into his knee as he brought you ti cry on his shoulder instead.

"I couldn't do- i didn't did anything!" You hoarsely cried... your throat aching but not the same horrific pain you felt on your chest "is my faul Kai.... all my-"

"Shut your damn mouth, if anyone is the one to blame would be those bastards and myself." He hissed, squezzing you even more to his chest as his breath got caught on his throat.

You only sobbed harder on him and gripped onto his shirt for dear life as you let out a miserable yet painful cry out, as his own tears falled silently...

No one dared to talk with neither of you except Pops, Kurono and Irinaka. And the conversations were short and avoided of any emotions.

Chisaki if not working he was on his room, while he refused to let go of his wife who seemed just as broken as him.

Two unborn lifes were lost... and the shie Haassaikai quarters were emerged on pure sadness and darkness by only seing the pain on their leader's eyes....

The pain on his chest and soul were almost unbearable... but he needed to be swallow it up and remain strong not only fir get the Yakusa working... but the most important. He needed to be strong as he always was for you. You and only.

You were his everthing. And he was going to be there to pick the shattered pieces and clean up the mess along if that meant he one day could see that joyful look on your face again... and might as well be happy.

[tentoriwrites]

Hypatia

This is my contribution to the Atlas Molniya appreciation week! Ye olde pirate AU. Sorry, folks, writing an entire fic where everyone talks like a pirate in a week’s time was a bit too much for me... It’s a pirate AU so there is some shooting and mild violence, but generally no other warnings or triggers.

Before you read: Hypatia is the name of the woman often attributed with inventing the first astrolabe. Astrolabe were the bar none instruments for helping sailors navigate the oceans by using the ship’s position relative to the stars. They are often described as primordial computers. The word astrolabe roughly means, “that which captures the stars” in Greek.

Tagging: @jane-runs-fast @dear-mrs-otome @yoolee @otomelin and @frywen-babbles

Thank you for your support in writing my first Lovestruck fic! <3

“Halt!” An imposing figure cloaked in red shouted as he spotted me dashing through the streets. Nope, nope! Not going to do it! I kept running trying to find a place to hide where there wasn’t a member of the Inquisition loitering about. My daring escape from custody was made all the more difficult by a suffocating corset and billowing skirt. Not sparing any blame on the heels of my shoes getting stuck in the cobblestones street sorely in need of repair! I mean really, if they aren’t using our tax money to fill pot holes, what are they using it on?!

My feet were taking me to the port where my brain told me I could hide on a ship until I thought of a better plan. I had almost made it when someone grabbed my arm and forced me to stop. His strong grip pushed me out of the middle of the crowded street and up against the rough brick wall.

“Turn over the device and renounce your heretic ways and you might just live.” I dragged my eyes up the expanse of polished armor to the insignia emblazoned on his chest. I could tell from how he was dressed he was a high-ranking member of the Spanish Inquisition. My hands rubbed against the rough texture of the wall behind me, the cool brick a stark contrast to the sickening heat of fear coursing through my veins.

The device in question pressed unpleasantly into my back and I fidgeted out of instinct. What better place to securely hide it than in the back of my corset where no one would find it? It sounded like a completely brilliant idea at the time. It was working well so far but If this jerk kept me pinned against the wall much longer I was going to faint, and it might just pop out!

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I’m pretty sure my voice could not have sounded any less convincing.

“Don’t play coy…” His eyes narrowed a fraction as he looked me over. “We know you have an Arabic astrolabe in your possession.” Arabic? The astrolabe I had found laying around and cleaned up was Arabic? “We have it under good authority that you have been working with the Arabs to undermine the Reconquista, the Inquisition, and all Christendom.” Well that’s news to me!

“I just found some books and tools laying around and studied them.” My voice came out on a shaky breath as my body trembled beneath his touch. I could tell from the way his grip tightened and his brow dug down he was not buying that.

“We will see how well that holds up during interrogation.” He hissed into my ear in a way that made him seem more a demon and less a man of faith. I wondered why a person of obvious belief such as himself would be so bent on my being guilty. I didn’t have much time to dwell on it as a low rumble started coming from one of the nearby streets. We both looked in the direction of the rumbling. Somehow, despite the fear singing through every fiber of my being, I managed to smile.

“It’s a Tuesday…” I remarked in relief.

“What does that have to do with…” His question was cut short by a man frantically rounding a corner nearby.

“CLEAR THE STREETS! CLEAR THE STREETS!” The man rushed by us as the rumbling intensified. It almost felt like the ground could open up at any moment and swallow us whole.

“What happens on Tuesday?!” He glared down at me and my broadening smile. I opened my mouth to answer him, but a stampede of cows rounded the corner before I could utter a single syllable. A charging bull at the front of the herd collided right into him, horns barely missing my arm. The bull took him off to parts unknown.

“Tuesday is when the cows are brought in for slaughter.” I answered smugly as I used the dust cloud for cover to slip into a narrow alley. At the end of the alley was the sea glittering in the sun brighter than the finest cut jewels. I made a break for it as fast as my ridiculous fluffy dress would allow in the cramped space.

 I looked around the docks to make sure the coast was clear before venturing out of the alley. There were boats of all shapes and sizes lining the docks. Many were in some stage of being loaded or unloaded. It would certainly look suspicious if a woman wandered on to any of them. Then one caught my eye, a smaller boat, with no one milling around. It had a Greek name on the hull making me hopeful the crew would be foreigners out for a good time right now. I tried to act as casual as possible as I walked quickly over to the boat’s gangplank. A rather clumsy hop, skip, and jump later and I stumbled onto the deck.

I glanced around before making my way to the door of the cabin. I slowly turned the knob and opened it just enough to slip inside. I heaved a sigh of relief as I slid to a crouched position against the door. I made it! I really made it! Relief washed over me as I let out a sigh. That’s when I heard it, a tell-tale click. I winced as I looked up. Seems it was a bit early to be celebrating.

“Who are you and why are you on my ship?” I followed the sound of the voice to a man leaning back in a thick wooden chair, feet propped up on the heavy table. He wore sturdy black leather boots to just below the knee with black trousers tucked into them. Burnt orange leather vest peeked out from the black waist coat draping off the side of the chair and dusting the floor on either side. Faded orange embellishments drew attention to tarnished brass buttons.

He seemed aged beyond his years, flecks of grey in his dark hair betraying a younger looking face. The large coat that hung loosely over his frame obscured most of his body. For a moment I pondered what his physique was like hiding under there. Regardless, he painted a stunningly handsome picture that hit me completely off guard. That is until a cold glint in the dimly lit cabin caught my eye. He had the barrel of a gun pointed right at me.

“Well it’s a very interesting story actually…” I called back as I quickly scampered to my feet. “You see the Inquisition thinks I’m a heretic because I found this astrolabe and fixed it up… So now they want to take me in for questioning.” There is a long moment of uncomfortable silence that compelled me to continue, but he beat me to the punch.

“So, you thought you’d just meander on the first boat you found and stowaway?” He sat the gun down on the table as he spoke flatly.

“Not exactly, no… the name caught my attention. Asteri. It’s a beautiful name! Did you know Asteri means…”

“Star in Greek? Yes, I’m the one that named it.” He cut off my nervous meandering with those few short words. Now is not the time to start rambling! Now is probably the time to be leaving…

“Yes! Of course! You mentioned that… Well I just thought I’d hide out until dark when it would be easier to escape… I’ll just see myself…” Suddenly there were frantic foot falls from outside and Atlas rose wordlessly to his feet. “Out?” He crossed the room quickly, grabbing me by both arms and lifting me out of the way of the door.

“ATLAS!” At precisely the same time a man yelled, and the door flew open. “Time to go…?”

“You heard the Captain, off you go.” The man, I presume was named Atlas, gave me a pointed look as he gestured out the door with a tilt of his head.

“Why is she even here?” The captain asked as he walked out behind Atlas.

“Stowing away.” Atlas’s voice had all the compassion of an executioner.

“I guess today’s her lucky day seeing as I already pulled in the plank and Nova is already hauling anchor.” Another man wearing red chimed in merrily as he shot the three of us a dashing smile. The tramping of hooves and clinking of metal on stone filled the air as Inquisition knights drew down on the ship.

“He’s right we’ll have to take her with us to the next port.” The captain conceded causing Atlas to mutter a string of obscenities the likes of which I had never heard before. Success! Way out of town secured! A bullet whizzed past my head killing yet another short-lived moment of happiness.

“Well there you have it! Miss, if you would kindly just wait in the cabin.” The man in red motioned to the door behind me. I gaped at him as he pushed me out of the way. Not one among them seemed the least bit bothered about being shot at.

“Why is the Inquisition shooting at us anyways.” The captain posed the question as he moved to release the sails. They aren’t shooting at you! They’re shooting at me! I looked on in abject horror as they were caught in the middle between the Inquisition and I. Bullets embedding themselves in the worn wooden deck as the crew rushed to get the ship moving.

“Ask the stowaway!” Thanks, Atlas. Way to make me feel even better about this being all my fault. Just as another round of shot careened towards the ship, I saw him, the Inquisition knight from before. He was looking down at me smugly from atop his horse. The fact that he could look so smug while wearing dented armor somehow made him even more infuriating to look at. The volley threw up a cloud of smoke obscuring his face temporarily.

“Prepare to board the ship!” The knight commanded with a sneer.

“Now! While they’re reloading!” The captain yelled as he and the man in red unfurled the sails. A woman in purple gunned down the knights trying to lower a plank onto the ship with startling accuracy. The boat lurched forward at a pace that would make a snail look like the bull runner I saw earlier. Thankfully, it quickly picked up speed as we neared the entrance to the harbor. I leaned over the railing as we cleared the sea wall, watching the city start to fade behind us. Soon even the coast itself seemed small.

“I think you owe us an explanation.” The captain said pulling me back on to the deck with the sound of his stern voice. “But first I suppose we should introduce ourselves.” He added as he motioned for us to convene at the wheel with Atlas. He introduced himself and the crew. They were bounty hunters, it would seem, and they had only been in town to cash in on their latest mission when the Inquisition attacked them.

They were all looking at me now with questioning eyes. All except Atlas, he looked like he wanted to chuck me over the railing. Joke’s on him because I can’t swim! So, that would actually be a perfect way to get rid of me… Who’s brilliant idea was it to hide on a boat when they can’t swim? Oh yeah, mine… Focus brain!

“I found this old astrolabe and book full of calculations from it. I fixed it up and started studying the calculations.” I started my explanation while trying to wrest the astrolabe from my corset. The other woman on the ship, Nova, seemingly sensing my distress walked up behind me and untied the strings.

“You hid the thing in your dress?” Orion, the captain, looked at me skeptically.

“A corset is a very secure place to keep valuables.” Nova answered for me as she loosened the strings. Thank you! I couldn’t help the smug little smile that tugged on my lips. “Something flat would be better kept in one than an astrolabe though.” And there’s goes my happy little moment… again…

Once the device had been freed, she handed it to Orion, much to my apprehension. I fretted anxiously at the strings of my corset as he looked it over before handing it back to me. “Looks ordinary enough to me.” I felt myself pouting a little at his underestimation of my little treasure.

“May I?” Atlas had one hand stretched out towards me.

“Um… sure…” I slowly reached the device out and gingerly sat it in his hand. My fingertips lingered on it a moment longer than I meant to before pulling my hand away. He looked the device over carefully, a small smile on his lips for the briefest moment.

“Not a bad restoration. Definitely, Arabic.” He flipped it over and his eyes narrowed as he ran his fingers over the back.

“The inscription was there when I found it. I put the stain on it to try to enhance it and make it easier to read.”

“Had much luck with it?” Atlas wondered flatly as he flipped the astrolabe over again.

“The notes and calculations I found with it suggest the inscription is directions to a destination the astrolabe was made to lead someone to. But I wasn’t able to figure out what before I had to make my escape.” I explained as my shoulders slumped with regret.

“Don’t suppose it’s buried treasure or anything, do ya?” Jaxon, the man in red, commented playful with an amused grin.

“Whatever it is, the Inquisition wants it, which means we do not.” Atlas answered handing me the device again. Despite Nova’s earlier admonishment, I stuffed it back in the front of my corset for safe keeping. Nova suddenly gave the wheel a hard yank and the whole boat yawed. A moment later, a cannonball sailed through the air landing in the water with a splash. I looked at Nova flabbergasted.

“Nova’s what you’d call… a clairvoyant… sort of.” Jaxon explained with an easy smile.

I glanced behind us and realized the ships pursuing us were Inquisition vessels. These guys just don’t know when to give up! Just when I thought I’d lost them, they creep back up when I’m least expecting them! I looked over the deck watching the crew members scurry around to man the few guns the small, nimble vessel had. Atlas at the wheel expertly dodged the cannon fire. There I was, perfectly useless trembling in fear.

Think, think, think! This is my fault! There has to be something I can do to help. West. We’re traveling west. I took stock of our position to the coast. I looked up at the sky to figure out the time. Low tide. PERFECT! “Atlas! About face!”

“Oh yes! Let’s just drive right in to the arms of the people shooting at us!” He bit back as an irritated glare painted itself on his face. “How about you just sit down and leave the privateering to the professionals, Princess.”

Clearly, he’s not going to listen to me. Time to take matters into my own hands. Literally. I grabbed the wheel and gave it a hard yank. The whole boat whipped around violently bringing Atlas face to face with my plan.

“That sea cave loops around and comes out down the coast to the east. They would be expecting the Asteri to continue its heading west! It’s big enough for a vessel this size but not a boat the big!” I pointed to the coast and he quickly caught on. “I am fairly certain you can get us there.”

“You’re crazy.” He started to turn the boat back around.

“Atlas, we might be able to lose them on the open water for a while, but they’ll catch us again. We need to find a friendly port and get a plan together.” Chagrin clear on his face, Atlas made for the cave after Orion voiced his approval for my plan. I watched with bated breath as Atlas turned the ship around and started to head straight for the flagship.

“Atlas… The cave’s over there.” He didn’t seem to hear me, just kept our course steadfastly locked on a collision with the other ship. “Atlas…” I could see people on the ship rushing about to point their guns forward. “Atlas…” My voice was a little more desperate this time.

“Look, kid. I’m not about to hand you over to the Inquisition that easily. If they want you that badly they’re going to have to sink this ship first! And I’m not about to let them do that!” I crouched down and hugged a railing as I braced for impact. At the last second, just before the guns were primed to fire, he swerved out of the way. I watched that terrible knight fly by as the sound of cannons being turned filled the air. The smug look on his face faded once again, watching it fall deeply satisfying despite my precarious position.

“You did that on purpose…” I muttered looking up at Atlas in awe. He deliberately picked that path, so they’d have to adjust their guns before firing at us. This guy was good… Really good…

“Hey, do your hands work?” He shot me an irritated glance.

“Y…yes?” My voice trembled uncontrollably as I spoke.

“Good, light some lanterns and stick them at the front of the ship!” I looked at him confused for a moment too long and his glare sharpened. “I could drive the Asteri through a pinhole with my eyes closed, but that doesn’t mean I want to!”

“Oh! OH!” I jumped to my feet and scurried around moving all the lanterns. Caverns are dark… He needs to be able to see… Once I had all the lanterns lit I waddled back up to the wheel. I watched Atlas drive the ship with strong, steady arms into the cavern. True to my word, the Asteri just fit. He made the whole affair look effortless, almost as if it bored him. He was one of the most amazing helmsmen I had ever seen. My idle staring was cut short by Orion approaching us. Jaxon and Nova were close behind.

“What port does this come out near? The city we left from?” I nodded slowly.

“There’s another cave system on the eastern side of the city slightly larger than this one. We can use it to obscure our movements.”

“We?” Atlas barked causing me to jump slightly.

“You’re not a seasoned sailor. Not to mention we don’t want anything to do with your troubles with the Inquisition. We’re dropping you off at the next port.” With that he started to walk away.

“Wait!” He stopped and turned to look at me. Okay… We’re waiting… What are we waiting for exactly? CRAP! I should have thought of something first.

“What?” Now even Orion looked a bit miffed.

“It’s an astrolabe so it probably relates to something in the stars. That means this whole thing is just one big misunderstanding! I need to clear my name, so the Inquisition leaves me alone!” I explained quickly as I looked around the ship. “If you can take me to the College of Cardinals I can plead my case!”

“You want us to take you to Rome?” Orion asked skeptically. “Rome is nowhere near our next job.” I tried not to let them see how crestfallen I was. Come on! Think! These are bounty hunters and mercenaries! There must be something I can do to convince them.

“My Father was the leader of a shipbuilding guild!” I blurted out suddenly. They all turned their attention back to me. Save for Atlas who was steering the ship idly with one foot better than I imagined most people could do with both hands. “I may not look it,” I continued on apprehensively, but I know my way around a boat. I can build the, fix them, design them. Plus I’m well-versed in map reading, navigation. I know the coastal topography of most of the northern Mediterranean.” YES! SELL YOURSELF! Wait… that makes me sound like… NOT THE TIME! Focus!

“What are you suggesting exactly?” Orion looked intrigued and I felt relieved.

“If you take me to Rome I’ll act as your navigator and ship maintenance person for… Five years!” That’s a good number, right?”

“We don’t need a navigator or a ship maintenance person.” Atlas grumbled.

“There is a job in Greece. You have until then to prove your worth. If you’re pulling your weight, we’ll evaluate a trip to Rome.” Orion answered definitely. From nearby Atlas was string obscenities together under his breath again.

Once we were out of the caverns, Nova took over for Atlas. It was a beautiful crimson twilight outside and the stars would be out soon. “Oh um…” Atlas stopped his descent down the stairs and turned to look at me incredulously. “Where exactly will I be staying?” Atlas rolled his eyes and motioned for me to follow him. He led me down the hatch into the hold. I looked around confused as he approached one of the cargo nets.

“Aren’t the crew’s quarters usually in the forecastle?” You know… under the elevated deck at the front of the ship?

“There’s no more rooms up there so you’re sleeping down here.” He offered a curt explanation before turning to leave.

“It’s getting a little cold in here, don’t you think?” Though I said as much, I hardly expected more than the sigh I received. I’m not sure how much time had gone by as I took off my shoes and settled drop in the rope hammock. I had started staring idly out a nearby port hole completely wallowing in self-pity when something heavy and course plunked down on my head.

“Anything else, Princess?” I could already hear the heavy plunk of his boots on the wood floor before I said a word.

“Thank you!” I called out to his retreating form. As the events of the day raced through my head, they all kept circling back to that completely unreadable man. On the one hand, it felt like he could not be any more inconvenienced by my presence on his ship. On the other hand, it seemed almost as if he might actually care about my plight. Whatever the case may be, I would have plenty of time to get to know him better even if I only made it as far as Greece.

Save for a nocturnal visitation from something I’m told is a capybara named Comet, an unspeakably large rodent the crew picked up in South America at some point, the days that followed were pretty laid back. Thankfully, I had managed to escape detention with a spare change of clothes more fitting for life on a ship. Boots and pants were certainly were easier to move around in, but I still wore the corset so I could keep the astrolabe close at hand. I spent most of my free time when I wasn't navigating trying to decipher the inscription.

I started to fit myself into life on the Asteri. Fixing broken ropes, mending sails, patching holes in the planks by day. At night I would calculate our course by the stars. Atlas was usually on the quarter deck, lounging by the wheel. I seriously wondered if he ever slept. Every night he would be drinking a dark liquor from the galley while his eyes seemed to focus on something intangible. I always wondered what it was he was looking at, but never worked up the courage to pry.

Sometimes I would make the excuse that I was having trouble with a calculation to drum up a conversation with him. He was not much of a conversationalist. Prying information out of him was like pulling a rusty nail out of a pitch-soaked board. Hard, messy work. I had the feeling though, as with the nail, eventually all the hard work would pay off.

Still, no matter what I said or how I said it, he always seemed to have a sarcastic retort to put an end to the conversation. I gathered from how the other members of the crew approached him this was just his way. That didn't stop me from wondering if he'd ever open up to me like he did them.

I had picked up bits and pieces from conversations with the crew. Atlas had once been affiliated with the Knights of Saint John. The Knights of Saint John were basically the seafaring arm of the Catholic church. The Order's primary goal was to combat the pillaging of Christian vessels and lands by the North African Barbary corsairs who were Muslim. It seemed like a pretty admirable thing to do seeing as the Barbary corsairs and been pillaging the coasts of several Christian nations including my own. Something must have happened while he served for them that didn't sit well with him. I had no idea what it could be though. Tonight felt like a good night to try a different approach.

“Atlas...” I hummed out the name idly as I took stock of our position. He didn't look at me which was fine. I was really just trying to fill the silence with something besides the lonely lapping of water against the hull. “That's a very strong name. In mythology Atlas was the being that held the whole sky on his shoulders. That's quite the burden to bare alone...”

“It's the name I was born with. Don't go getting all philosophical on me.” He huffed before taking a swig of his drink right from the bottle. Well that didn't work quite the way I had hoped.

“I'm just trying to get to know you better as a member of the crew.”

“When you're a member of the crew, maybe I'll tell you about the time I found a stowaway in the cabin.” My face instantly twisted into a pout. I had been excited thinking I was going to at least get an inkling of something else about him only to have that excitement dashed like a ship of the rocks of a foreign coast. My dashed hopes and dreams seemed to be a recurring theme on the Asteri. I looked over at him when he sighed.

“One question. Can't guarantee I'll answer it though.” YES! I did a happy little jig and he let out an even more exasperated sigh. I quickly settled myself and tried to think of a question that would give me a bit of insight into the man without being so probing he wouldn't answer.

“Why did you name your ship the Asteri?” That's pretty good right? The name of a ship is usually meaningful in some way, but still not prodding too much? I hope? Atlas's reaction was not encouraging though. He sat up straight before knocking the bottle back and taking the last of the liquid in a few hard swallows. Then he corked the bottle. With one smooth swipe of his hand he wiped the residue from his lips. Damn if he wasn't even more attractive in the moonlight. But the moonlight seemed to give his features a melancholy look.

“There's nothing up there among the stars.” He started to explain as his face tilted up to the sky. “No people, no religions, no wars. Just stars.” There was an unmistakable sadness that passed over his face for a blink and you'd miss it moment. “That's what the Asteri is meant to be. A place where none of the things that divide people exist.”

“That's... a beautiful sentiment.”

“Only if you believe religion divides people more than it brings them together.” I didn't know how to respond to him. I certainly had my own thoughts on religion. Clearly now was not the time or place to discuss them with him.

“How's our heading looking?” He asked looking down at me as he got to his feet.

“Good... It looks good. We'll be in Greece before week's end if the weather holds.” I answered absently, mind still on the last subject.

“Good. Get some rest, kid.” With that, he disappeared down the stairs and towards the forecastle.

 After a few weeks at sea, I had just about figured out the inscription when we put into dry dock in Greece to make repairs to the ship and resupply while Orion, Jaxon, and Nova hunted down the bounty.

It was kind of odd working in silence next to Atlas prying rotten planks away from the hull and replacing them with new. Well let me rephrase that, Atlas pried all the planks off with those well-sculpted arms of his. I just enjoyed the show until he asked for a new one.  We had just finished sealing the repairs with pitch when a commotion pulled our attention to the city.

“Get on the ship...” Atlas commanded giving me a shove towards the rope ladder. It didn't take long before the dry dock was overran by armed men. I spared a glance over my shoulder as I reached for the ladder. Atlas was huddled behind the pile of rotten planks. Despite the fact he could reload and fire his gun a lot faster than the men shooting at us, he was still hopelessly outnumbered. As one man tried to flank him, I decided to do something truly stupid.

“ATLAS! Look out!” I screeched as I barreled towards him brandishing the hammer. One good conk and he was out cold on the ground.

“Nice hit, Kid. Now get over here!” With one solid yank I was behind the pile, though positioned squarely on Atlas's broad, strong chest. Now is definitely not the time to be appreciating his physique! I quickly rolled off him and made myself as small as possible while he shot over me.

“Who are these guys anyways?! They're not from the Inquisition!” I screeched as I held my ears.

“Might as well be! They’re Knights of saint John! The seaborne equivalent of the Inquisition. “

“But why are they shooting at us?! We aren't Muslims!”

“You think they care about stuff like that? Half their boats are manned by Christian convicts forced into servitude as their sentence!” Just as Atlas fired his last shot, and things were looking hopeless, one of the Asteri's cannons fired knocking most of the remaining Knights into the air.

“You're late!” Atlas yelled as he rolled over on his back and stared up at the ship.

“Better late than never!” Jaxon yelled back as he removed his hat and gave us a dramatic bow.

“Get on the ship. And stay on it this time.” Atlas gave me another firm shove and I took off running for the ladder again. Atlas on the other hand went running for the gate holding the water out of the dry dock. He quickly cranked the doors open as Nova manned the helm. I was barely able to out climb the rising water on the shifting, unstable ladder. When my feet finally found the deck again, my eyes searched for Atlas. At last, I saw him standing on the end of the seawall.

“He's not... Is he?” I wondered aloud, a question answered by him backing up a few steps and getting a runny go. Then he jumped landing on one of the rope ladders into the rigging. I let out an unsteady breath, though I'm not sure why I had been so anxious in the first place.

“I’m getting too old for this!” He grumbled as he tossed and turned until he was off the ladder. “Why are the Knights of Saint John after us?” He sighed as he trudged to the wheel, relieving Nova.

“It appears the Asteri and all its crew were branded as Muslims and members of the Barbary corsairs. There were wanted posters for us in town.” Nova explained the situation in a straightforward, level tone. The calmness of her voice did nothing to keep my heart from sinking into my stomach. The crew looked to me and I fidgeted with the astrolabe in my corset nervously.

“Do you have any idea what that thing is supposed to lead to?” Orion pressed me with a stern look.

“The inscription is coded, and I haven't been able to crack the code. I was able to figure out who made it and where he worked out of though. If I can get there I might be able to find a copy of the cipher.”

“Where?”

“Rhodes.” I answered excitedly. Atlas's normal scowl became even more irritated.

“Absolutely not!”

“It's not really that far from here! If we can figure out exactly what this astrolabe is for it will help clear all our names!” I pressed the issue, but Atlas wasn't budging.

“Rhodes is where the Knights of Saint John operate out of.” Atlas’s voice spoke volumes more than his words ever could.

“If nothing else we can use it as leverage to get what we need to get out of the Mediterranean until things die down.” Orion sighed. Atlas looked beyond done with the whole situation. “Do you know exactly where to go once we get there?”

“The town Archangelos on the eastern side.” Atlas heaved out another sigh when I said this.

“As long as you’re in and out quickly and avoid the castle it should be fine.” He was already moving to change our course. With Orion’s approval, I headed down to the cabin to plot our course. Anxiety played at my nerves as I charted our course. Atlas was a former Knight of Saint John, so he knew the island well. He wouldn’t have agreed so readily if he thought it would be extremely dangerous to go. His judgment had been sound so far and I was going to trust it when it came to this.

To be continued...

I’m just going to apologize now for the level of History nerdom that went into this. I tried to explain all the references as they appear, but if you have any questions or want more information on something, please feel free to ask.

I also apologize for the characterization being off. Atlas is not the type of character I normally write well, so I was trying to challenge myself. I will work on improving it as I finish the rest of this.

Thank you to the organizers of this event, to Voltage and the Lovestruck app developers, and everyone that went into creating the source material!

[preserving-ferretbrain]

And Then There Were None

by Viorica

Tuesday, 27 October 2009In which characters are obnoxious, writing is awful, and the reviewer curses whoever greenlit this crap.Uh-oh! This is in the Axis of Awful...~

Last year while I was watching season one of Dollhouse, I saw some adverts for a thriller/suspense series called Harper's Island. The premise was fairly simple: a wedding party is trapped on a remote island off the coast of Seattle as a serial killed picks them off one by one. Kind of like And Then There Were None in that it's exactly like Ane Then There Were None. I didn't bother watching it as it aired, but when a vidder I'm subscribed to on YouTube started making fanvids for it, I figured that I might as well give it a shot. Chalk that up as one of my less-brilliant decisions.

Now suspense is a tricky genre to do right, because should you fail to generate suspense in the audience, the entire thing falls flat. Some movies/shows fill this hole by having interesting characters (an approach that this show most definitely does not take) or entertaining dialogue (see note on characters). The problem with Harper's Island isn't a specific lack of likeable characters or snappy dialogue or a spooky atmosphere; the problem is that it lacks all three.

Let's look at characters first. The heroine, if you can call her that, is Abby Miles (played by Elaine Cassidy, breaking new records in how devoid of emotion a person's face can be). Seven years previous to the main plot, her mother was murdered by a serial killer, which is why Abby left the island. She's now returning for her friend Henry's wedding. The opening scene is dedicated to introducing all the characters, and what I noticed right away was that I couldn't stand any of them. Henry and his fiance Trish are bland nonentities; Trish's sister and her daughter are obnoxious and bratty, respectively (the show also hints that the girl has sociopathic tendencies- we see her frying a snail with a magnifying glass- but they never follow up on it) Trish's friends are mostly indistinguishable douchebags- all bleach-blonde, all sprinkling their conversations with "Like, ohmygawds!". One even has a miniature dog who she carries around with her, for fuck's sake. The only real exception to this rule is Cal, the boyfriend of one of Trish's bridesmaids, and I just find him charming on the basis of his British accent. Trish's dad is classist (the series makes an attempt to engage with the issue, but falls flat on its face, especially in light of later revelations) Jim Beaver as Abby's dad is basically playing the same character he does on

Supernatural

, and her love interest is bland as bland can be. The only emotion I felt towards any of them was a hope that the killer would finish them off.

But specifically, I want to talk about Henry. It's established early on that he's been Abby's friend since they were kids, he comes from a family that doesn't have as much money as Trish's, and he's basically a standup guy. His actions never indicate otherwise, even when he's alone and has no reason to behave contrary to his true nature. Which is why it comes as a shock when (and I swear to God, I'm not making this up) it's revealed that he's Abby's half-sibling who her mother gave up for adoption after dumping his serial-killer father, and he's obsessed with establishing a pseudo-Eden with Abby on the island. After killing every other inhabitant. And he's doing all this in collaboration with his father, who is the one who killed Abby's mother all those years ago. Together, they're out to get revenge on the world for "abandoning" them. By the way, when I call this a shock, I mean it as a "what the fuck is this shit?" kind of shock, not a "Wow, what incredible plotting!" shock.

So not only is Henry out to boink his sister, he orchestrated the entire wedding in order to do so. That's right: he got into a relationship with Trish, proposed to her, planned a gigantic wedding with all their friends, and

at no point during all of this did anyone notice that something strange was going on

. I do not buy this at all. Furthermore, why did he need to kill all their friends and family in order to "be with" Abby? Couldn't he have just murdered the island's regular inhabitants and then moved her in there? Also, why does he eschew traditional methods of murder (like stabbing or shooting them) for elaborate schemes like tying them to boat propellors and rigging chandeleirs with sharp objects? Why, when he has several opportunities to kill the other characters (at one point, the bride's niece is kidnapped, and then he

lets her go

) does he neglect to take them? So let me get this straight: he's evil enough to murder dozens of people in a twisted quest to get into his sister's pants, but he stops short at murdering a kid? That's a pretty damn specific level of evil. Of course, it's he's helped by the fact that the rest of the wedding guests are complete morons; it takes someone being murdered right in front of them for them to realize that something's up. This is

after

several people have vanished without a trace. They just assume that the missing people took off and left without telling anyone. People this stupid deserve to be murdered; it's basically Darwinism in action. (Oh, and did I mention that one girl- the one with the cute British boyfriend- commits suicide right after her boyfriend is murdered? Granted their relationship was the only one I could stand, because they actually showed some moral fibre under pressure, but come on.)

Speaking of morals under pressure, the characters all reveal their strength of, well, character when they realize they're in danger. Short version: they haven't got any. When informed that the kidnapped child will be killed if they leave the island, one guy responds by saying "Why does she have more of a right to live than us?" and attempting to hightail it out of there. Another guy responds to finding a sack of money lying next to a dead body by hiding the body and trying to keep the money for himself. When discovering that Abby may be related to the serial killer, they all turn on her, blaming her for the entire mess. These people are the most selfish, greedy, obnoxious assholes I've ever had the misfortune to encounter in fiction. By the second episode, I was rooting for the murderer.

So with no likeable characters in sight, the next potential draw is the plot, and I covered the numerous plotholes above. So the only chance for the makers to redeem themselves now is the atmosphere. Needless to say, this is bungled as well. There's so many fakeouts that by the time something shocking actually happens, the audience is in a coma of boredom. Oh look, someone pulled Chloe underwater! Oh wait, she's just fucking with her boyfriend's head. Someone snuck up behind Abby and slapped a hand over her mouth! Oh, it's just hunters trying to make sure she doesn't scare away the game. Look, someone's following Trish! Nope, it's just a dog. Not only that, but the pacing is shot to hell. The plot is more suited to a movie than a thirteen-part series; the episodes are chock-full of filler as the writers desperately try to stretch the story out. It doesn't work. What it does do is make the viewer throw their hands up and shout "When the fuck is something going to happen already?" They're helped somewhat by the location- the location scouts, at least, were doing their jobs- but mist doesn't fix the gaping holes in pacing, plot, characterisation, or writing. This story was more interesting when Agatha Christie wrote it.Themes:

Damage Report

,

TV & Movies

,

Horror