#i am back in the trenches fighting for your honor <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[technicalthinker]

ALSO rewatching s2 has awakened my love for squid game s1. it rly has so much good stuff in it. the character writing holds up so well and gets me everytime.

[bing-bang-bingo]

- 4x3: c. 40:00 Cas comforts Dean after Mary makes a deal w/ Azazel

- 4x7: 15:50 Dean stops Sam from shooting Cas, then Sam mentions that he’s “heard a lot about him”

- 4x7: 39:00 Cas tells Dean he prayed he’d save the town, then he tells him about his doubts and Deans future troubles

- 4x10 & ???: Dean calls “last night on Earth” his best line. He uses this line on Cas

- 4x10: 27:15 “Castiel has this weakness. He likes you.”

- 4x10: 32:50 Cas looking jealous and sad when Dean kisses Anna

- 4x16: 7:30 Cas tells Dean he got in trouble for showing emotion and getting to close to Dean. 8:20 “I would give anything not to have you do this”

- 4x16: 39:00 Cas warns Dean to be careful while Dean is in the hospital, they discuss the first seal and saving Dean from hell

- 4x18: 31:30 Cas tells Dean how to save Sam from Lilith even though he’s not allowed to interfere

- 4x20: 38:00 Deans face when Cas tells him he “learned his lesson when he was in heaven”

- 4x22: 30:40 Cas considers rebelling for Dean. 33:00 He does. 35:20 He fights multiple Archangels for Dean

- 5x1: 5:45 Dean denies Cas’ death 8:25 “I learned that from my friend Cas you son of a bitch”

- 5x1: 31:00 Cas saves Sam and Dean from Zach

- 5x3: 6:10 Cas-“I need your help because your the only one who will help me”

- 5x3: 10:20 Dean fixes Cas’ tie and jacket

- 5x4: 38:50 “Don’t Ever Change”

- 5x8: 38:20 Dean makes Gabriel bring Cas back, then makes sure he’s okay

- 5x13: ?:?? Cas won’t let Dean meet with Anna because it’s not safe

- 5x17: 30:30 Cas and Dean discuss what it’s like to have a deadbeat dad

- 5x18: 25:15 Cas kicks Deans ass for trying to sacrifice himself

- 5x21: 3:50 Cas and Dean bickering like and old married couple then Cas gives Dean a heartfelt apology.

- 6x17: 18:55 “No you’re confusing me with the other angel, the one in the dirty trench coat who is in love with you.”

- 6x17: 38:00 Sam: “So you killed 50,000 people for us?” Cas: *looks at Dean*

- 6x19: 25:20 Bobby reassures Cas that they’ll be back soon, Cas acts like a worried and disappointed wife.

- 6x19: 36:25 Cas yelling “Dean!” when Eve bites him

- 6x19: 40:00 Dean is the only one who doesn’t think Cas is working with Crowley (he’s wrong but it’s sweet)

- 6x20: 4:50 Dean v v worried, “But Cas you’ll call right? If you get into real trouble?”

- 6:30 Crowley implies that Cas is distracted by Dean and tells him he reeks of the Impala.

- 7:20 Cas says that Dean taught him how to care and what to care about. Then Cas saves Sam (for Dean)

- 13:15 Cas says that the worst part of working with Crowley (basically his sworn natural enemy) is that it hurt Dean and that he hated lying to him.

- 25:20 Cas refuses to ask Dean for help because he has “sacrificed too much” even though it means Cas could die.

- 26:00 Crowley tells Cas he has a way for everyone to get a happy ending “with all possible entendres intended” while Cas stares longingly at Dean.

- 33:00 Dean is close to tears when he learns that Cas is working with Crowley, Cas says he did it to protect Dean.

- 35:25 “Dammit Cas we can fix this!” “Dean it’s not broken!” He then tells the boys to run from the demon cloud and Dean gives him the saddest look in the world before being forced to leave him behind.

- 38:00 Cas watches Dean sleep. “I’m doing this for you Dean. I’m doing this because of you!”

- 6x21: 22:40 “I do everything you ask. I always come when you call and I am your friend. Still despite your lack of faith in me and now your threats I’ve just saved you yet again. Has anyone but your closest kin ever done more for you?”

- 6x22: Dean to Cas- “Don’t make me lose you, too.”

- 7x2: 5:35 Dean nearly cries on screen when he thinks Cas is dead

- 7x17: Cas says “I remember ~you~” as soon as he regains his memories.

- 7x17: Cas ask why Dean didn’t tell him all the horrible things Cas did. Parallels the conversation Karen and Dean had about telling Bobby she remembered him killing her and her telling Dean that he had never been on love before.

- 7x21: The face Dean makes when he sees Cas again plus the prolonged eye contact when Cas says Deans name.

- 7x21: Hester telling Dean that when Cas first saved him from Hell he was lost- parallels- Lucifer/Jess saying she was dead the moment she met Sam.

- 7x23: 8:50 “Go ask him. He was your boyfriend first.” Meg to Dean about Cas

- 7x23: 32:45 “I’m sorry but I’d rather have you, cursed or not.”

- 7x23: 36:50 Cas steps in to protect Dean despite spending the whole season avoiding fighting and saying he won’t fight.

- 8x2: 25:00 Cas ran away to keep the Leviathans away from Dean. Dean refuses to leave purgatory without Cas.

- 8x7: 20:30 Deans reaction to seeing Cas all cleaned up.

- 8x7: Dean convinced himself that it was his fault Cas was still in purgatory because he’s a sweet idiot boy who hates himself

- 8x7: 35:00 The whole Dean and Cas conversation about purgatory and Cas doing stuff that puts him in danger.

- 8x8: 12:30 Cas just casually going through Deans stuff and Dean not saying anything.

- 8x8: 13:00 Cas offering to watch over Dean while he slept

- 8x8: 15:15 Dean talks to Cas about feelings and heaven even though Dean hates talking about feelings.

- 8x17: Cas fights Naomi’s mind control for Dean

- 8x23: 22:50 Dean and Cas sadly discuss Cas closing the doors of heaven and say goodbye

- 9x1: Dean prays to Cas and tells him he isn’t mad about the angels falling.

- 9x1: Cas’ first instinct is to explain himself to Dean then to come help him.

- 9x1: Dean begs Cas to “for once, look out for yourself.”

- 9x3: 36:45 Dean to Cas after Cas came back from the dead “Don’t you ever do that again!”

- 9x6: Literally just Dean trying desperately the whole episode to hang out with Cas

- 9x10: 26:00 Dean and Cas talk about how Cas is doing and Dean offers him a rare sincere apology. Plus the “I prefer the term ‘trusting’. Less dumb, less ass.” dialogue

- 9x18: Cas’ little smile when Dean makes a joke about Honor Bars and Cas is just so happy to hear his voice.

- 9x18: Metatron’s illusion of Gabriel calls Cas Dean’s boy-toy

- 9x18: Cas can tell something is wrong with Dean, then Cas yells at Dean about getting the Mark of Cain

- 9x22: Cas chooses Dean over all of Heaven once again

- 9x22: The Cas and Dean conversation about the three of them being enough when an army wasn’t and Cas giving up an army all for Dean

- 9x23: “I’m blaming you for taking Cas’ grace.”

- 10x1: 5:00 Cas about Dean- “I miss him.”

- 10x2: 9:00 Cas’ reaction to learning that Dean is a demon

- 10x3: The conversation between Dean and Cas at the end of the episode. “You look terrible” “You on the other hand, your looking good.”

- 10x5: Deans reaction to Cas and Dean actors hugging and holding hands

- 10x5: “Put as much sub into that text as you possibly can.” *looks directly at fake Cas*

- 10x9: 15:00 Cas tells Dean he’s a good role model. Then asks him if he’s okay and when Dean lies and says he is he pushes it further. Dean makes Cas promise to kill him if he goes Dark

- 10x22: Dean and Cas fight and parallel Cain and his Wife.

- 10x23: Dean sees Cas’ bloody face in the mirror

- 11x1: Cas being more worried about Dean than himself even though Cas is under a spell that will kill him.

- 11x2: Dean calling Cas and stressing out when he doesn’t answer

- 11x3: Dean trying to coax Cas out of the attack dog spell, refusing to fight back when Cas was attacking, freaking out when Cas took a minute to wake up, refusing to let Cas heal him (because he “had it coming”), and refusing to let Cas apologize (because “there’s nothing to apologize for”).

- 11x10: “Dean, I came as soon as you called.” Also: “Stick your tongue out.” Dean-*does*

- 11x11: Dean realizing that something is wrong with Cas (while he is possessed by Lucifer)

- 11x11: Mildred says that Dean is pining for someone else(probably meant to be a reference to Amara, but she told him this after he had seen Cas for the first time in a few days.)

- 11x14: The sadness on Deans face when he realizes Cas is Lucifer and then his determination to save Cas

- 11x15: Dean getting kinda dark when he talks about what he’s willing to do to save Cas and he prioritizes saving Cas over bearing Amara.

- 11x17: Dean once again prioritizing saving Cas over saving the world. Sam reassuring Dean that they’ll save Cas (even though Dean didn’t say anything about what was upsetting him)

- 11x17: The camera zooming in on Dean after Michelle says that there is no normal after losing the man you love.

- 11x18: Dean refuses to put Lucifer in the cage or let him fight Amara while using Cas as his vessel.

- 11x18: The difference in the way Dean looks at Lucifer vs at Cas

- 11x18: Dean about Cas: “Lets go find that idiot and bring him home.”

- 11x19: Dean has been looking for leads non stop for a week since Amara took Cas

- 11x21: Amara uses Cas’s heart to find Dean, then shows Dean images of Cas beaten and bloodied to convince him to turn against Chuck

- 11x23: Dean’s face when he realizes Cas is back and Lucifer is gone.

- 11x23: Dean tells Cas he isn’t stupid and that he always helps

- 11x23: Cas: “Dean are you okay? How do you feel?”

- 11x23: Cas hugging Dean super tight before he goes off to die. Dean entrusting his life’s purpose (look after Sam) then thanking him for everything.

- 12x1: Cas seeing that Dean is alive and hugging him while his voice breaks.

- 12x1: Cas taking the job Dean have him very seriously

- 12x2: Dean adorably venting to Cas about his mommy-issues

- 12x3: Dean- “Morning sunshine want some coffee.” Cas- “No thank you.”

- 12x7: “Well at least I don’t look like a lumberjack.” They are such husbands

- 12x7: “Engaged in what Cas? killing you?”

- 12x8: Cas being so worried about what happened to Sam and DEAN that Kelly escaped.

- 12x9: Mary-“You left them!” Cas- *voice breaking* “Dean told me to go!” Also, just Cas looking so hard for them.

- 12x9: Cas blaming himself for Sam and Dean being taken

- 12x9 Cas knowing how long the boys have been gone down to the hour.

- 12x9: Cas’s voice and eyes when he hears Dean’s voice on the phone.

- 12x9: Cas killing Billie because “You mean too much to me” and “The world needs as many Winchesters as it can get.”

- 12x10: Poor Sam having to deal with Cas and Dean while they fight like an old married couple.

- 12x10: Dean immediately telling Ishim to go to hell when he insults Cas

- 12x10: Sam telling Dean to go to Cas when Dean thought Cas was in trouble

- 12x10: Cas immediately believing Dean about Ishim even though they’re mad at each other. Dean about to let Ishim kill him to save Cas.

- 12x10: Ishim comparing Dean and Cas’s relationship to Ishims relationship with his human lover, then saying he was going to cut Cas’s human weakness

- 12x11: “And Cas is my best friend.”

- 12x12: Dean about Cas- “My shy but devastatingly handsome friend here...”

- 12x12: Dean stressing out and voice breaking as he tries to comfort poisoned Cas

- 12x12: LITERALLY TOLD DEAN THAT HE LOVED HIM WHILE CAS WAS DYING

- 12x12: *looking at Dean* “I love you.” Then adds “I love all of you”

- 12x12: Cas- “Run.” Dean- “Cas, no.”

- 12x12: The look Dean gives Cas when he won’t stop staring at him after he’s healed.

- 12x14: Dean says some very harsh stuff to Mary after finding out the reason they Cas almost died at the lake house was because Mary was working for the British Men of Letters

- 12x15: Dean could tell something was up with Cas after talking to him for less than a minute, over the phone.

- 12x18: Sam trying to make Dean feel better about not hearing from Cas.

- 12x19: Dean literally always acting like a scorned wife when Cas comes back after long periods of time

- 12x19: Dean made Cas a mixtape

- 12x19: Cas- “I ~needed~ to came back here with a win for you.”

- 12x19: Cas- *gesturing between Dean and himself* “You mean... we?” Dean- “Yes, dumbass, we.”

- 12x23: Dean screaming for Cas when he attacks Lucifer and trying to chase after him forcing Sam to drag Dean back through the rift. A direct parallel to Dean pulling Sam away from Jess and the fire in Pilot

- 12x23: Dean kneeling next to Cas’s dead body looking up at the sky completely devastated.

- 13x1: Dean couldn’t bring himself to say dead when referring to Cas

- 13x1: Dean PRAYED to GOD to bring Cas back

- 13x1: “We just lost ~everything~. And now you’re gonna bring ~him~ back.”

- 13x1: Dean personally wrapping Cas’s body and giving him a hunters funeral.

- 13x1: The look of complete devastation on Dean’s face when he burns Cas’s body.

- 13x3: Dean refusing to help save Jack because he blames him for manipulating Cas and getting him killed.

- 13x4: The Empty to Cas: “I know what you love, what you fear. There is nothing for you back there.” He loves Dean and Cas fears that Dean doesn’t love him back.

- 13x5: Sam being worried about Dean who has given up all hope since Cas died.

- 13x5: Dean being so distressed thinking Cas is gone forever that he tries to kill himself

- 13x5: Dean seeing Cas alive again and they both have tears in their eyes.

- 13x6: Dean hugging Cas and saying he’s been gone for “too damn long”

- 13x6: Dean being immediately happier and nicer to everyone once Cas is back

- 13x6: Cas saying “Yes. Yes, he does” (in response to Jack saying Dean really likes cowboys) with the tone of an exhausted spouse.

- 13x6: “I told you, he’s an angry sleeper. Like a bear.”

- 13x6: Dean made Cas watch Tombstone with him.

- 13x6: Dean and Cas dresses like cowboy husbands.

- 13x6: Cas saying “I’m your huckleberry” to Dean in a deep accent and Dean looking away.

- 13x6: Their undercover names are Russel and Kilmer

- 13x14: The whole scene where Cas and Dean fight Gog/Magog and act like an old married couple.

- 13x14: The angry, dark look Cas gives Donatello when he tries to kill Dean

- 13x16: “Dean has him by the thigh!” Cas, jealously: “He ~what~?”

- 13x16: “and that includes the Cartwright twins.” Cas, again jealously: “what did you do with the Cartwright twins?”

- 13x19: Cas angrily confronting Naomi about forcing him to kill a bunch of Dean clones.

- 13x21: Cas secretly sliding Dean more pizza when Mary and Sam left the room.

- 13x21: Cas having to hold Dean back from going after Sam. Dean would have beat the shit out of anyone else who tried to stop him.

- 13x23: Cas trying to stop Dean from giving himself to Michael even if it meant losing Sam AND Jack

- 13x23: Cas sitting alone in the bum jet with tears in his eyes after Dean left

- 14x1: Demon: “How is it you lost Dean. I thought you two were joined at the... everything.”

- 14x1: Dean trying to save Cas from Lucifer then vs Cas trying to save Dean from Michael now

- 14x3: The look that Dean and Cas give each other when Dean comes home.

- 14x9: Cas almost being happy seeing Dean happy. And then having to force himself to not be happy so he doesn’t die.

- 14x12: Cas being phased at Dean for wanting to put himself in the box with Michael forever

- 14x14: Cas is the only Dean will let talk to him about Michael and be honest about how Dean feels

- 14x14: “No, it’s on us.”

- 14x14: Cas’s voice breaking when he talks about the possibility of Dean dying one day.

- 14x18: The pure self loathing in Cas’s eyes when he feels like he failed Dean by not telling him about Jack’s soul.

- 15x2: “You asked ‘what about all of this is real?’ We are.” THE MOST ROMANTIC LINE EVER. (Plus later Eileen and Sam have the same conversation but they get to kiss because homophobia)

- 15x9- 20:00 Dean said that they lost everyone they cared about, then added Cas specifically. Then he says “I had to bury him” not “we”

- 15x9- 23:00 Dean cries when he can’t find Cas. Then he prays to him and apologizes for letting him go. He falls to his knees praying to him and fully crying

- 15x12: “I created the world.” *shows Destiel*

- 15x15: This time when Dean sees Cas leaving the bunker, he stops him. (In reference to Cas saying “you didn’t stop me” when Dean got mad at him for leaving)

- 15x16: This is the the only version of Cas that rebelled for Dean. This universe is literally being saved repeatedly because of Cas’s love for Dean

- 15x18: CAS CONFESSES HIS LOVE TO DEAN then goes to mega hell for being gay

Anyway, Cas loves Dean and Dean LOVES HIM BACK, OKAY?!?!? Feel free to add more

[you-show-me-love]

i would honestly love to hear to talk about these characters all day long! you have such insight & your formatting is so sick. so i'm sending you more <3 (if you so desire): mandy and/or fiona

Tbh I am honored and ilysm for indulging me ❤

Mandy "Medusa" Milkovich

How I feel about this character: Mandy Mandy Mandy. She's a tragedy in a sea of tragic characters and manages to stand out. She has similar characteristics to Mickey: loyal and loving with a tendency to put a Gallagher on a pedistal, but where Mickey overcame a lot of his tragic beginnings with the support of Ian (or at least the illusion of Ian's support but thats a whole other thing) Mandy didn't have anybody in the end. I feel a bit too much for Mandy if I'm honest.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: As weird as it is I'd say Ian. And this would be an entirely one sided romance obviously like it was in season one but he was the closest thing to a good fit for her. If Ian's story had him stuck deep in the closet for more of the show this would have been the best pairing.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Mandy and Debbie! Young Debbie looking up to Mandy because she acts like an actual sister where as her actual sister has taken the role of her mother. I adore the way Debbie looked up to her but also how Mandy never seemed annoyed by Debbie's problems or questions about life. I think they both needed a sister.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Lip and Mandy was never good. I think Mandy globbed onto Lip because her and Ian could never have a true romantic relationship. She chose the next best thing and just like Mandy and Mickey, Ian and Lip do share some similar qualities that attract Mandy to them, but in the end Mandy was a placeholder for Karen and no matter what she did for Lip she was never going to rise above that. So yeah sorry MandyxLip shippers its not for me.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.: that she was there for Mickey and Ian's wedding! I wanted her there to see her best friend and brother get married not only because she would be so happy but because I think she'd be a little sad it wasn't her. I'd also want her to see Lip and Tami and Fred and understand her vision of his future wasn't ever in the cards. The episode was already emotional yeah but Mandy added to the mix would have been the perfect angst.

Fiona "Fight Me" Gallagher

How I feel about this character: Fiona carried so much of the show. She manages to rise and fall so often during the series and yet you still feel for her time after time. The fact that she remains sympathetic and you still root for her to crawl back out of the hole she's fallen in speaks to how much she deserves. I think she's a great example of struggle and how its not always in your face but its there in the background of every choice you make. When she fell she fell hard, but Fiona's never down for long.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: JimmySteve deserves some recognition for getting down in the trenches with her for the sake of their relationship. He's no saint and he himself ultimately couldn't adjust but he was willing to try. Everyone else (and actually also JimmySteve) can fuck off for trying to pull her off her life path because they thought they knew better.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: V and Kev both together and separate. I loved the sibling vibe Kev and Fiona had. It was a sibling relationship where she didn't have to take care of the person. V and Fiona is one of the few relationships we see that were simply friends with nothing holding them together but themselves. And the fact we got to seen them drift apart as their lives changed and their efforts to stay close weren't their priority, it was so organic that even though it was sad I appreciated it.

My unpopular opinion about this character: okay Fiona is great we all agree but the girl could have settled down just a bit. She's ambitious to a fault and the gambling she did with those ambitions put the whole family at risk. If homegirl could have just set herself a realistic goal of a full time job with benefits (even if it was just selling cups) there would have been a ripple affect of positive outcomes. I love that she never settled and always wanted more but I hated it at the same time.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.: Okay this one maybe could go under unpopular opinion but I wish Fiona had had the baby instead of an abortion. I think it would have been an interesting turn for the character. How would she treat her own child in comparison to her siblings? What would she prioritize? How would she handle the responsibility of another 18 years of putting herself to the side? It would have been an interesting shift in her life that I would have loved to see play out.

[conaionaru]

Honor and Blood (IVAR THE BONELESS)

Sound of war

Synopsis: Vanya comes to a realisation and challages Lagertha (again), while the Ragnarssons make plan for revenge. 

Warnings: theorizing, poisons, badass Vanya, mentions of violence

Tags:

@xbellaxcarolinax @queenbeeta @thereareendlessopportunities @chynagirl13 @astridbaby @heavenly1927 @buckysjuicyplums @youbloodymadgenius @didiintheblog @lol-haha-joke @shannygoatgruff  @xvxcarolinexvx @justbecausewecan @lovemesomevesey

I don’t own the gifs. Also, thank you for your support. I really appreciate it. If you want to be tagged please write me<3

"I love your father with all my heart, Aros," Vanya whispered to the young Ivarsson in her arms. The toddler giggled at her tired tone and drolled over his fist. "But he can be tiring at times."

Aros giggled once more as his mother marched away from the hut where Sigurd and Ivar were fighting once again. The Ragnarssons were getting stir crazy, and if they don't stop, she might just go grey. What a joke that would be? Grey before twenty.

"I could hit them over the head. Knock them out and enjoy the quiet." Hoenir's gruff voice spoke from behind her as he grumpily glared at the ground. The princes fights keep interrupting him in his much-needed naps to gain back strength.

Vanya snorted and looked at him over her shoulder. "Don't tempt me, Hoenir." The tall Seer chuckled at her halfhearted response.

The plan for today was pretty easy. Gather resources and give them to the people. "Lagertha might see as a threat."

"She sees threats everywhere. I am helping hard-working people in a way that I am more skilled in. I never held a shovel."

"What do you royals do the whole day?"

Vanya smirked and looked at him innocently. "Drink and gossip, of course. Sometimes people get poisoned at dinner."

Hoenir shook his head and looked down at the smaller female. It was cowardly to hide behind poison, especially for a man. Poisons and herbs were woman's work. Speaking of... "Do you know how to poison someone?"

The ginger shook her head and fixed her hold on the giggling toddler. "I would never. It's not a pretty sight to see. I was taught how to do it, but..."

She let the words hang in the air. Not every poison was messy; some were more subtle and untraceable. Sometimes it looked like the person died in their sleep. Like Osmond did... Vanya froze in her step at the realization.

Osmond died after suffering for a long time. Some poisons can have the same effect... But who would do that? Mother? Silas? No, he wouldn't stoop so low. Waiting was more of his thing; without Stithulf, he wouldn't have even gone against Vanya.

But Siflæd was a cunning and ambitious woman. And the years she spent neglected by Osmond made her bolder. After he died, she was allowed to be somewhat happy. In the end, she got everything she wanted from his death. Expect a good new king. Instead, she got Silas.

But would she go that far and poison her own husband? After all, Siflead was schooled in poisons just like Vanya was...

"Are you alright?" Hoenir asked once again, shaking Vanya from her spiral.

She shook her head and smiled at the Seer. "Yeah... I just got lost in my thoughts. Let's got find Brynja and the thralls. We've got work to do."

Vanya walked among the people digging trenches, distributing food from a wooden basket. Hoenir and Brynja walked behind her, the older redhead holding Aros in her arms. Her red curls made him squeal in delight as he tugged at them, to Brynja's great displeasure.

"Here, have some bread." She smiled at the villager who took the loaf with a smile and split it with the woman digging next to him. She was pregnant and looked exhausted. "Hallr!"

The male thrall walked up next to her, ready to do as she asked. "Dig in the woman's place or a while. She looks like she is in desperate need of a break.

"No, Princess!"

"Nonsense! You are pregnant. The baby will thank you." She smiled and watched the man help her sit down to regain some strength, Hallr digging in her place.

Vanya continued, that's till she saw Ubbe in front of her. He was talking to Lagertha. The redhead carried on handing out bread and water till she reached the new Queen that watched Ubbe with hard eyes. Astrid and Torvi stiffened when they saw Hoenir approach behind her.

"Vanya." Lagertha smiled, making the girl's skin crawl. The fake niceness made her wary of the shieldmaiden.

"Bread and water to help you all in your efforts to protect Kattegat." Vanya ignored the greeting and handed her the bread.

"That is very thoughtful of you, Vanya. No wonder I only heard good things about you. It was hard to believe when we got off on the wrong foot."

Vanya laughed the jab off and shook her head, the smile on her lips fake and bittersweet. "I heard great things about you once upon a time too. No matter what kind of person you are, this is a good idea. The walls, I mean."

Lagertha smiled proudly, her back straightening at the praise. "It is nice, we agree. I wish we could better our relationship. If you need help with your son." Her blue eyes trailed to the happy toddler in the back. "I would be happy to give you advice."

Vanya smiled broadly at the Queen, putting her at ease for a moment or two. "I can assure you I learned a lot from Aslaug." The smile turned sour as she glared at Lagertha. "Before you murdered her in cold blood."

Vanya turned on her heel and slammed the wooden basket against Ubbe's chest. "I suppose you are done with her too. Come." She marched off, leaving the three shieldmaidens behind. Torvi tried to stop her and frowned.

"Vanya, please."

The princess shook her head and motioned towards Hoenir, who already had his sword ready. "I hope Asa and Hali are alright and healthy." With that, she marched off.

After a nice relaxing bath, Vanya planned to visit Ivar in the forge and spend some time with him while Aros slept. Hoenir, of course, followed her around like a tall, brooding shadow.

One would think that Vanya would have gotten used to the brother's bickering and fights over the year of marriage. What wishful thinking that was.  

Ivar glared at Sigurd; his axe stopped mid hack by the blacksmith. "What in Odin's name are you two doing?!" She hissed, drawing the axe from her husband's hands.

"Talking," Ivar replied coldly, watching his wife frown at him in dissapointment. And here, she thought she would be the only one to commit fratricide. At this rate, there would be only four Ragnarssons.

"Whoever would have thought that you two were brothers?" The blacksmith's words snapped the brothers from their trance. Sigurd marched off while Ivar sat there brooding and sulking at the same time.

Vanya sighed at their antics and turned on her heel to follow the angry Sigurd. "I do not need a scolding, Vanya! Control your husband."

The redhead huffed and tugged on Sigurd's wrist. Her eyebrows were drawn together in a frown as she glared him down. "I shall put a leash on the both of you! Why can't you just get along for once? Especially now. I know you care for him."

The Ragnarsson rolled his eyes and huffed in his dramatic way. Hoenir stayed behind with Ivar, figuring that Vanya would return when she was finished with Sigurd.

The taller male looked down at Vanya and saw the axe still in her hand. With a tired sigh, he reached towards the weapon to take it away from her. But Vanya pulled her hand back and huffed in frustration.

"Tell me." She insisted.

"I tried to be civil. But Ivar wouldn't take no for an answer. So I lashed out." Gods, why must men be so feral? Why can't they just give each other the cold shoulder and be done with it?

"What did he say?"

"Shouldn't you be more interested in what I said? Protecting your husband's honor and all? You have been doing that a lot lately. Playing guard dog doesn't suit you, Sister."

Vanya rolled her eyes at his harsh remark. "Ivar's honor doesn't need protecting. He is capable of doing that himself, obviously. What I want to do is defuse the situation before we have to bury you too."

"It was about Mother." Aaah. Well, that explains it. "He doesn't like that don't mourn her. She ignored all of us. She raised Ubbe and Hvitserk just fine, giving them happy childhoods. All I had was a year with her and Father. And then Ivar came along. And that cripple was all she cared about. Ubbe raised me more than she did."

Vanya's eyes softened, and she released her grip on his wrist. "I get why you are angry. And why revenge doesn't interest you-"

"Why should it?! Father abandoned us all. The people and his family. All Mother had was the memory of Harbard, duties, alcohol, and Ivar. I don't see the need to avenge either of them. You and Ivar both see her as some perfect image. Even Ubbe thinks her a mediocre mother. I am the only one not blinded by lies!"

He seethed, the snake eye looking like it was pulsating. The redhead watched him with sad eyes. "Just because I loved Aslaug as a mother doesn't mean that I don't get what you are feeling."

Their eyes met, and Sigurd shook his head, a confused look on his face. "You mourn her. You want revenge for her."

"For Aslaug, yes. Because she was nice to me. But if it were my mother..." She let the words hang in the air, Sigurd understanding what she wanted to say. "But this isn't just about revenge or parents. I worry for you."

"I am fine."

Vanya scoffed and pointed the axe at him. "Because the blacksmith stopped the axe from slicing your throat! What if he wasn't there? You two fight like dogs, and how long before one of you dies, and we have to bury another family member?"

"Stop worrying, Vanya."

"NO!" The musician stared at her wide-eyed. "You, Ubbe, Hvitserk, Ivar and Aros are all I have. You are my family, and I don't know what I would do without any of you. Especially you."

He swallowed and tried to calm her down. "Vanya..."

"We may butt heads because of Ivar. But I care for you. You have a gentle soul."

"Vikings don't have souls."

"A gentle heart then! And a brilliant mind! What a waste it would be if you died so young. Only because you keep egging him on. I can try to keep him calm, but I won't be there all the time. And I worry that one day I will get the news that one of you died."

Sigurd sighed and pulled his sister-in-law into a hug. "I will try. But I make no promises." She chuckled at his humor and sent him off.

When she returned to their hut, Ivar was sitting on the bed, sulking. Vanya sighed and sat down next to him, but he refused to acknowledge her. She understood his jealousy, but it was unnecessary.

She loved Ivar, not Sigurd, and Aros was the proof of that. Never before was Ivar bothered by her relationship with his older brother. After all, since the wedding, they were her brothers as well. She saw them as nothing more, and yet, Ivar decided to act out now and ignore her.

Was it the fact that she ran after Sigurd, or that she looked disappointed before she did it? What was she supposed to do? Look proud that he nearly murdered his brother? After all the times she stood up to the snake-eyed Viking, Ivar had the nerve to get jealous! The insecurities were there before, but normally it led to talks, not to brooding.

Some reasons were the fact that Sigurd liked to mock his ability to walk or his temper. Another reason was the fact that Sigurd was originally supposed to be her husband. If it wasn't for Ivar's disability, that is. Silas saw potential in Sigurd's eye being seen as a symbol of the devil. And any child born with that eye would be a devil spawn and rejected to the crown. But Ivar's condition was a better choice, and so Silas chose him.

As if Vanya had no choice in staying with Ivar. She could have divorced him and married Sigurd instead. But Vanya didn't love Sigurd. Instead, she chose Ivar despite all his faults. They were lovable to her, but at times like these, she questioned her patience.

"You have no reason to be angry with me."

"I am not angry." Right, and the cold shoulder and pout were a sign of utter adoration and attention.

Vanya rolled her eyes and laid Aros down in his bed. "I am not angry either. A little bit disappointed but not shocked. I expected it, but I still hate that it nearly happened."

Ivar sighed and turned to watch her bent over their son's crib. "Sigurd brings out the worst in me."

"I can see that. But you could try to restrain yourself from time to time. He is your brother, and he isn't Silas. Your feud with him is different from mine with Silas. That doesn't make it less important, but you shouldn't let yourself be controlled by anger. There are consequences for murdering someone!"

"Yes, banishment. I know."

"And guilt. You two can claim that you hate each other, but I see the love there. I see that some parts of you worry for each other. Don't throw that away just because you both act like children."

She stood up and walked towards him. Sitting down in his lap, Vanya smiled at him softly. "If not for yourself, then do it for me and my gentle heart."

"There is nothing fragile or gentle about you, Min dyrebare (My precious). You have a kind heart, but you also have a strong spirit." Vanya smiled so brightly like the sun that it made Ivar freeze. Never was her smile so happy and breathtaking.

"Flattery gets you nowhere, Ivar." She teased, swaying her hips over his lap. Well, so much to that. Flipping them both over, Ivar got to kissing a trail down her neck. The fire in the fireplace cracked soundly as the room filled with noises of pleasure.

Vanya laid under Ivar, panting as she watched his dark blue eyes stare down at her with the usual shine to it. His eyes were always her favorite part of him, so deep, mysterious, and powerful. The sweat on her skin felt uncomfortable, but his sweet sounds and gentle touches put her at her ease.

The gods gave her many challenges in her path, Ivar being one of them. But if he wasn't her favorite challenge. "Faster!"

[arce-elliot]

Magnus Archives - First Impressions (151-175)

We’re almost there, gang. Out of the Lonely and into the Eyepocalypse we go! Blah blah I had 75% of the series spoiled and am jotting down my thoughts, you know the drill.

EP 151 (Big Picture): - OH SIMON??? - okay okay Simon's kinda funny, you go you funky little sky grandpa - Martin Tell Her The TRUTH EP 152 (A Gravedigger's Envy): - oooh another ancient one - hey that's terrifying wtf - can someone please comfort jonny boy good lord EP 153 (Love Bombing): - Idk why the cult ones freak me out, maybe because cults are real? - oh god what's gonna happen to that dog - I literally just made my dinner with white wine vinegar that's a little old are you sHITTING ME - GIRL GET OUT OF THERE WHILE YOU HAVE A CHANCE YOU KNOW SOMETHING'S OFF - AYYY THE HUNTIN' GANG - tbh it was weird that they helped him even though they knew he wasn't human actually - DAISY!!!!! - Jon can you chill w/ the sass if you're not gonna help - Okay I'm gay but Daisy Growl Hot - Two dying monsters trying to reconcile their humanity, this is sad I hate it here EP 154 (Bloody Mary): - oh god it's This Episode I've been dreading it poor Eric - g o d Gertrude sounds so upset - I would die for Eric - "Eric I'm gonna count to ten and you're gonna tELL ME HOW YOU QUIT" - I'm already crying good god - "he needed me" o w - MARTIN GOT TO SAY FUCK!!!!! - O U C H - i am so upset FUCK this podcast - the catalogue of the dead is just the Delano-Keay family album EP 155 (Cost of Living): - CALL HER OUT JON - Tova, to this doctor's heart: it's free real estate - A FUCKING C H I L D?????? - ah yes, some more DIY surgery, who needs doctors when you have knives? EP 156 (Reflection): - ayyyy adelard how are ya - oh fun flesh time - oh? extinction? - also that was gross what the fuck - M A R T I N EP 157 (Rotten Core): - go save Martin before I cry - ADELARD!!! - ah no, I'm gonna miss this dude he was kinda cool - this hits different in corona times - okay this is actually pretty gross wtf - Martin's lonely because he chose to be, Jon is lonely because everyone hates him, poetic cinema EP 158 (Panopticon): - Ah Shit Here We Fucking Go - OH WHAT THE FUCK NOT!SASHA???? - AYYYYY THERE'S JONAH MAGNUS WELCOME HOME RAT BASTARD - uh oh bye bye Gertrude Time - mom and dad are fighting to be Martin's favorite parent lmao - no not the promise :C - Martin is the brain cell, he really just played both these men like kazoos - gdi Peter give me my boy back EP 159 (The Last): - hi I am Sad - Marto blease just go with the tired eyeball man - "i see you" MY B O Y S EP 160 (The Eye Opens) - oh lord here we go - at least we get some Jonmartin conversation - Monologue Time! - Jon: can I just say, from the bottom of my heart...my bad EP 161 (Dwelling): - welcome to the apocalypse bitches - FINALLY i've been waiting for these tapes for my entire life - TIMMMMMM! SASHAAAAA! - Elias being a normal person is unsettling - ALL THE EYE JOKES gdi I refuse to simp for eyeball man - THE JARRING "ARCHIVIST" I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD - "If I wish for all of you to go away do you think it'll work?" well it worked on Tim and Sasha - Elias: I'm a cool boss, I can drink wine - the image of Jon just huddled on the couch with a bag of tapes and listening to them over and over is so sad - sorry Gertrude no Sasha, just a sad little man - thank u for the powerpoint Gertrude - JON DON'T SNAP - i love them so much your honor EP 162 (Cosy Cabin): - GERRY GERRY GERRY - okay Gertrude and Gerry are adorable I love goth boy and his badass grandma - Gerry, ever the pragmatist: but what about TAXES gertrude - Tim and Sasha interacting is the sweetest thing ;_; - oh this is AFTER the hookup lmao - OH WAIT Sasha canonically knew about Danny??? I didn't know that oof - Oh Jon's getting a phone call I suppose - Jon's trying so hard to be dramatic and Martin's like "okay bitch grab ur backpack and lets go" EP 163 (In The Trenches): - "Tell everybooooody I'm ooon my waaay, new frieeends and new plaaaaces to seeeee" - YESSS LET MARTIN CURSE OVER THE GUNSHOTS AND BAGPIPES - "Martin can you stand over there and cover your ears while I cast Eldritch Ramble" EP 164 (The Sick Village): - another one that hits different in corona times - I hate the word soupy - what in the midsommar - if you can't find your own statements, DIY your own - Martin: fuck u Jon, Helen's my friend now - Martin: can I get an Uber, can I PLEASE get an Uber EP 165 (Revolutions): - this is my friend's favorite episode so I'm excited - oh circus music gross - THE RHYMINGGGGG OH I LOVE THIS - my arms are sore from happy stimming at this audio oh my god - SHUT UP JON IT WAS A GOOD POEM - GET HER ASS JON - is that our first "Ceaseless Watcher"?? I think it was! - Jon: Level Up! - Martin: that's hot EP 166 (The Worms): - HELL YES JON SAID FUCK - oh worm? - Martin answer your damn phone - awww Martin don't doubt yourself :C EP 167 (Curiousity): - Fiona: lmao watch this -passes out- - oh I didn't realize Eric was one of the OGs, their conversations make more sense now - Michael :c - Gertrude you got played like a fiddle damn EP 168 (Roots): - jealous Martin lmao - Jon just tell him why you woke up that would probably solve this - As someone who also freaks out about every little twinge this episode felt targeted EP 169 (Fire Escape): - desolation time? desolation time. can't wait to walk through hell - so aside from Smirke's 14 we have the 3 additional fears: the Extinction, the Scotland, and the Landlord - oh this one is terrifiyng i love it - OOOOH the "jons" slowly fading in was really clever - G O D martin sounds so defeated poor boy EP 170 (Recollection): - Martin finding tape recorders is the cutest thing - Oh fuck are we in the Lonely oh shit - this is so disconcerting i love it - someone get this man a better chair EP 171 (The Gardener): - Martin: damn that's a lot of bones - oh not THIS dude again I can barely understand him oh my GOD - well that was interesting EP 172 (Strung Out): - oh web? - oh this is sad shit - I think this is one of the worst domains yet for me personally this sounds like hell - g o d the web makes my brain hurt blease Jonny I'm stupid EP 173 (Night Night): - oh dark? - oh so the darkness is just the apocalypse daycare? nice - oh and this tween runs it, nice - Jon: are you SURE you want me to kill this middle schooler? - wow this is depressing EP 174 (The Great Beast): - oh hunt? - oh vast? lmao that's what i get for assumptions - Martin just wants to kill a man is that too much to ask someone give him a gun EP 175 (Epoch): - ex...tinct...ion? - “Peter was right” no FUCK YOU I refuse to give Peter any credit LOOK ADELARD WAS RIGHT, Adelard Decker laid the BLUEPRINT - poor Jon he's gettin these hard-hitting google searches - Basira and Daisy?????? OH WAIT THAT MEANS OH NO

[handstied-swiftie13]

FOLKLORE: PEACE EXPLAINED:

In honor of Folklore turning ONE MONTH OLD (which is INSANE to think about!) I decided I wanted to share some of my own thoughts on what I believe to be one of the most underrated songs from the album. Peace

In the second verse of the song theres a few seconds of silence before Taylor sings "Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other" giving evidence that this could in fact be a discussion between two people,- similarly to Exile.

Taylor follows with:

"Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother"-

Considering the couple just celebrated their 3 year anniversary & Joe has 1 brother named Patrick, just further proves that the conversation could in fact be between Taylor and Joe.

The opening verse of the song comes directly from Taylors perspective, setting the tone of the conversation. She is calm & comfortable as she sings

"Our coming-of-age has come and gone,

Suddenly this summer, it's clear" - Its obvious Taylor has come to the realization that her relationship with Joe has come a long way but shes confident in her place - also is this a reference to Lover's "Cruel Summer?" 🤔

(Taylor Continues)

"I never had the courage of my convictions

As long as danger is near-"

We have to assume the danger Taylor is referring to is the pressures of being in the spotlight; having paparazzi around every corner ready to sabotage her career, Kanye West (which is later referenced in the song)

"And it's just around the corner, darlin'

'Cause it lives in me

No, I could never give you peace".

Taylor is discussing her fears of losing Joe because the pressures that come with being in the spotlight- the paparazzi and lack of privacy, and her very public feud over her music rights- never truly giving them "peace" and setting them free.

In the chorus we hear:

"But I'm a fire and I'll keep your brittle heart warm"

If your cascade, ocean wave blues come

All these people think love's for show-

But I would die for you in secret

The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me-

Would it be enough if I could never give you peace"?

Just WHOA. If we break just sections of these lyrics down, you'll notice some similarities to other iconic Taylor Swift songs. For instance in 2019's "False God" Taylor sings: "We were crazy to think that this would work-

Remember how I said I'd die for you?"

And in 2006's "Cold As You" where Taylor is singing from the perspective of her owm about a distant relationship versus how it appears to others viewing it.. she sings:

"I know you wouldn't have told nobody-

If I died, died for you"

During the Rep Era Taylor hinted at the secret romance she shared with Actor Joe Alwyn as she sings about in "Dress" and in "King Of My Heart": "Late in the night, the city's asleep-

Your love is a secret- I am hoping, dreaming, and dying to keep."

Taylor confirmed this love once again in Lover when she sang in "Cruel Summer" :

"I dont want to keep secrets just to keep you

And I snuck in through the garden gate,

everynight that summer just to seal my fate"

Now that we have gathered this info I'm now led to believe that the chorus is not Taylor singing to Joe but actually Joe talking back to Taylor, reasoning with and explaining to her how he will always love and protect her even if the 'storm' around them is too much to bare.

"Im a fire and ill keep your brittle heart warm"

*ALSO* if we refer back to the Rep Era AGAIN Taylor Swift sings in the verse of "Call It What You Want To" "he built a fire just to keep me warm"-

"If your cascade ocean wave blues come"- a.k.a the storm. This could be another small reference to Lover's "Cruel Summer" as once again Taylor describes the feelings she's got for Joe as: "blue"..

Could Taylor also be confessing how overwhelming her fame is at the same time?

"All these people think loves for show,

But I would die for you in secret" ;

I believe refers to the copious amounts of times Taylor has been mocked and slandered across tabloids for her dating life. Considering this is Taylors most private relationship, the media has no "edge" to work with besides labeling her relationship as "fake" "for show" "a marketing scheme" etc. But Joe will fight for her no matter what they go through or what the media puts them through.

"The Devil's in the details"

Makes me think instantly of "Cruel Summer".. if you remember the infamous "he looks up grinning like a Devil"

And "Devils roll the dice, Angels roll their eyes" lyrics 😉

"but you've got a friend in me" Does anyone remember Lover's "Its Nice To Have A Friend" or is it just me? Truly I feel that song deserved more credit than it got- 🤷🏼‍♀️

In this simplistic ballad Taylor writes in purity how true love is at its core, which also heavily plays into the "refusal of luxury" theme often displayed throughout Lover; especially in songs like "Paper Rings" & "London Boy."

This is Joe's promise to Taylor that through it all he will always be there for her.

In the second verse: we hear

"And you'd know that I'd swing with you for the fences" - doesn't seem like much- BUT rumor has it this is actually a baseball term referring to a batter swinging with all their might in hopes to hitting a home run. Is Taylor praying for a homerun with Joe?

Does anyone recall the lyric "if you strike out and you're crawling home" from New Years Day? 🤔

"Sit with you in the trenches" literally and figuratively referring to the military term, Taylor is vowing to stay by his side even at the toughest, lowest points.

"Theres robbers to the East" a.k.a. Scooter Braun, Big Machine Label, Scott Borschetta;

"Clowns to the West" ... a.k.a the Kardashian-Wests, famously known for trying to sabotage Taylors successful career, while also jabbing at her vengeful ex girl squad still out in California.

Overall this song is a masterpiece 😁

[the-dragons-knight]

Prompt #17: A Fool Deserves No Justice?

Entry number seventeen for the FFXIV Write Challenge by @sea-wolf-coast-to-coast

Prompt: “Obeisant”

Rating: PG

Relations: None really, shows a mother’s loss for her son

Warnings: A Realm Reborn side quest that hints at happenings in Patch zone ARR and Early Heavensward, but no spoilers to note

Meduil lost her son, a soldier stationed in Camp Dragonhead, long ago, yet she has never gotten justice for his death. She has asked Katsum to win her that justice so that she can be at peace knowing the beast who killed her son is dead.

- - - - - - - - - -

 “Ah, thank the Fury, you’ve returned safe!” The old woman, Meduil, sighed in relief upon seeing the young blonde Miqo’te enter through the doorway to her bedside, “For a moment, I chanced to think I had sent you off to your death too.”

 Katsum stopped at the foot of the bed, her stoic expression ever hiding her thoughts as she replied, “Nay, though the beast was a formidable one, I did lay it low as you’ve asked, madam. It shall plague the mountain caves no more.”

 The woman smiled and nodded, “Bless you, kind girl. Thank you. You’ve done a great kindness for this old woman.”

 “Also, while I went searching for the creature, I found something amongst some forgotten pieces of armor.”

 “Oh?” Katsum opened her hand and held out the rosary to her and Meduil stopped breathing for a moment, taking it with shaking hands, “You found his rosary... Oh Bless you, child.” She stared down at the green bead work and the blue-tinted metalwork that held it all together, all down to the symbol of Halone crafted out of the same blue metal. Katsum watched her, observing and listening.

 “As bright as the day his father put it around his neck...It’s made of mythril and malachite you see, and while the gems may one day lose their luster, the mythril shall never fade they say,” She laughed softly, looking back up at Katsum for a moment, “Not like life, eh?”

 Katsum didn’t respond.

The woman shook her head, “I don’t blame you for not answering or knowing. You’ve still got many years before you understand,” She looked back down again, “‘Fall to a dragon, go to heaven. Fall to aught else’...who gives two hells?...That’s the Ishgard way.”

Katsum narrowed her eyes in confusion, “What do you mean by that?”

Meduil met her gaze with a sad smile, “I wouldn’t expect you to know our troubles much. Especially if you hail from a land as far away from here as you look. We’ve been at war with the dragons for centuries. And it's all anyone ever cares about, even my boy. All he ever talked about was getting stronger so he could slay his own dragon one day. He was a scout, you see, and a good one I’m told. Scouts aren’t meant to fight, only observe and report back and though it can be dangerous, they often hardly ever see a day of real fighting with anything.”

Katsum shifted, “So what happened then?”

Meduil herself shifted and slowly seated herself on the bed and sighed, “Well, he got stuck out in a blizzard one day and couldn’t find his way back in the storm. You have to be careful traveling through Coerthas and some places have deep trenches carved out in the rocks. One wrong move when you can’t see what you are going and you fall a few thousand yalms to a stony death. So instead of tempting fate, he sought shelter in the caves of the Ogre’s Belly to weather out the storm. And there he met the beast that killed him...”

Katsum noticed her hand shake a little, “The storm ended and they went looking for him. And find him they did, but in the eyes of Ishgard, he died a fool’s death for having wandered so far in such a storm...and...fools they say deserve no justice...” The woman’s hands shook furiously now and a teardrop fell on her hand, “They found him...and they left him...his body, his belongings, left everything where it lay. His own comrades.”

Katsum stepped forward and knelt down beside Meduil and laid a hand on hers, trying the best that the stoic knightess could to comfort the elderly woman as she cried. Never had Katsum heard such injustice. What difference did it make whether he died by a dragon’s teeth or by the claws of the gorgotaur? He still died in the service of his nation, making sure the mountains were as safe as they could be for any future marches through there. The very thought made Katsum’s heart shake with anger.

“But you didn’t, did you?” The Miqo’te’s ears perked as she looked up into the teary eyed woman’s face, “You picked this up and brought it home to me, and I thank you for that. You have a good heart and such a noble soul to keep your promise and do a kind thing for an old woman like me.”

She took Katsum’s hands in hers firmly and nodded, “You...are the justice I sought, adventurer, and now I may live out my days in peace.” She reaches into her pocket and pulled out a small brown pouch and placed it in Katsum’s hands.

“Madam, I-”

“Take it, please. You’ve done me a great kindness. Let me repay you for it.” The warmth in Meduil sad smile made Katsum go quiet and she nodded. She let go of her hands and Katsum stood to her feet again.

“I pray your travels go well, sweet girl. And that you will be safe going through these icy lands.”

“Thank you, madam.” Katsum bowed respectfully, “And I am sorry for your loss.”

“‘Twas a long time ago child, but thank you all the same.”

As Katsum turn and left the room and descended the stairs, she eyed the knights that she passed, clutching the pouch of Gil close to her. She pushed through the doors out into the snow, stopping to look up at the sky and the spires of Camp Dragonhead as they pointed to the heavens. Though the quest Meduil had given her was finished, Katsum was not done. With a deep breath, she nodded and started forward again, a determined look in her eyes.

She would see justice done.

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

She sighed as she set down the large stone, her breath coming out as a cloud before her. She stood at the entrance of the Ogre’s Belly, arranging the rocks over the hole she’d just finished filling up until she was happy with it. She then pulled out the chisel and hammer she’d just purchased and bore down on the rock, carving out the words:

Ser Mandailan

Son of Meduil

May he watch over any who enter here

ever more and keep them safe

Her work finished, Katsum moved back enough to be respectful and knelt down to pray before the stone, praying for the soul to be welcomed into the arms of heaven if it had not already, that Halone would find his soul where it was lot and lead him to the Savior’s home in the heavens.

“Amen,” A warm wind blew past her and Katsum lifted her eyes to look about her, but she saw nothing and no one around her. She only heard what she thought was the faintest whisper of a voice that came from deep within the cave that said: Thank you.

- - - - - - - - - -

I think I did this one right? X3 We gonna go with it! This is my favorite side quest(“A Fool and His Life are Soon Parted” is its title) I think cause I remember doing it for the first time and feeling so sad for the woman that I actually knelt before her after I finished the question. It was really fun to revisit it to write this. I enjoy writing the honorable and knightly side of Kat’s actions cause its the things I would try and do myself. :3 <3

[lifeofresulullah]

The Life of The Prophet Muhammad: The Battle of Uhud and Afterwards

THE BATTLE OF UHUD: Part 10

THE EXPEDITION OF HAMRA AL-ASAD

The Prophet, who had returned from Uhud to Madinah, was restless. He always considered the possibility of the Qurayshi polytheists returning and attacking Madinah.  

Besides, the defeat in Uhud caused a negative atmosphere against Muslims both inside and outside. That negative atmosphere had to be eliminated. It was necessary to show that Muslims maintained their previous strength and courage.

The Prophet returned to Madinah from Uhud on Saturday. After leading the morning prayer on Sunday, he called Bilal and told him to address people by saying, “The Messenger of God orders you to follow your enemy. Those who did not fight in Uhud together with us yesterday will not come. Only those who joined the Uhud expedition will come!”

Most of the Companions had returned from Uhud wounded. However, they did not hesitate to accept the call of the Messenger of God to fight in the way of God.

Love of Jihad of Two Wounded Brothers

Abdullah and Rafi’ b. Sahl, who were two brothers from the Sons of Abd al-Ashal, had been seriously wounded. When they heard the call of the Messenger of God, they forgot about the pains of their wounds and started to think, “How can we join this expedition? Will we miss this opportunity of joining the jihad with the Messenger of God?”

When Abdullah said to Rafi’, “Let us go”, Rafi said, “By God, I have no strength to walk.”

Abdullah insisted:

“Come on! If you cannot walk, we will hire an animal.”

In the end, they set off. When Rafi was too weak, Abdullah carried him on his back. Thus, they joined the mujahids.

One of the people that had seriously been wounded was a Companion called Usayd b. Khudayr. He had seven serious wounds. He wanted to take care of those wounds. However, when he heard the command of the Messenger of God, he stopped taking care of his wounds and joined the mujahids.

Leaving Madinah

The Messenger of God himself was wounded, too. There were two wounds of chain on his face; his forehead had been ripped. One of his molar teeth had been broken and his lip had been ripped; his right shoulder had been wounded, too. He was going on an expedition like that. He entered the mosque and performed a prayer of two rak’ahs. Then he put on his armor. Only his eyes could be seen. He led the army like that. He gave the standard to Hazrat Ali. He appointed Abdullah b. Umm Maktum as his deputy and left Madinah.

Vanguard

The Prophet sent a vanguard of three people before the army. One of them was tired and could not proceed. The Qurayshis noticed the other two guards; they captured and martyred them.

The Messenger of God reached the place called Hamra al-Asad and set up his headquarters there. Then, he buried the two guards that had been martyred there. He ordered the mujahids to collect wood to make a fire at night. They made a lot of fires at night. About five hundred fires that had been made were terrifying. The army of the polytheists was not seen around. One polytheist who had fallen asleep was captured. He was Abu Azza, who had been captured by Muslims in Badr and who had promised not to satirize or insult Muslims with his poems and therefore had been freed without any ransom. However, he did not keep his promise. He went to Uhud and encouraged the polytheists against Muslims through his poems.  

Abu Azza asked the Prophet to free him again. However, this time, he received a harsh and definite answer: “A believer is not bitten through the same snake hole twice. By God, I will not free you in case you say in Makkah, ‘I deceived Muhammad twice; I made fun of him’”. Upon the order of the Prophet, he was killed.[83]

The Conversation between Mabad of Khuzaa and the Prophet

When the Messenger of God was still in Hamra al-Asad, Mabad b. Abi Mabad of the Khuzaa tribe, who lived in Tihama region, came to talk to the Messenger of God. Both The Muslims and polytheists of the Khuzaa tribe were loyal to the Prophet; they never concealed anything from him.

Mabad had not become a Muslim yet but he was loyal to the Messenger of God.

Trying to console the Prophet, he said, “O Muhammad! The misfortune in Uhud offended us, too.  We wish that God will give you health and strength against them.”

After talking to the Prophet, Mabad continued his journey. He saw that the polytheists had gathered in a place called Rawha. They had organized the meeting in order to attack the Muslims. They said,

“We killed the Companions of Muhammad; we killed his most honorable and courageous men; however, we could not eliminate them all. How shall we return to Makkah like this? We should return and kill the others that survived!”

As it could be seen, things were taking place as the Prophet had thought. The polytheists were thinking about returning and attacking Madinah.

The Conversation between Mabad and Abu Sufyan

When Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Quraysh, met Abu Sufyan, he asked, “O Mabad! What is the news in the place where you are coming from?”

Mabad said, “Muhammad and his Companions collected an unprecedented amount of soldiers and started to come after you.”

Abu Sufyan was surprised: “O my God! Really?”

Mabad spoke calmly, “By God, you will see their horses before you leave here.” Abu Sufyan talked furiously, “By God, we gathered in order to attack them. We will eliminate those who survived.”

Ignoring the fury of Abu Sufyan, Mabad said, “I advise you not to attempt such a dangerous thing. By God, when I saw that crowd, I could not help saying some couplets.”

The fury of Abu Sufyan was transformed into curiosity. He said, “What did you say?” Mabad started his poem:

“My animal almost fell down due to their multitude and terrifying noise!

It looked as if there was a flood of men and horses. It looked as if unarmed, short and glorious lions without spears and shields were running about.

I thought the earth would collapse due to their weight!

I left them in a hurry.

They elevated with their leader, who was not alone and who was not unaided.

When they confront you, the valley of Batha will be shaken together with its inhabitants.

I said, ‘Too bad for Abu Sufyan b. Harb!’

I am a warner for Makkans who are scorched under the sun and for any of them who thinks, telling them that the result will be terrifying.

The army I am trying to describe is the army of Ahmad; it does not consist of ordinary people.

My description and warnings are not meaningless words.”

Abu Sufyan and his friends, who liked Mabad’s poem and praised it, started to feel scared. They gave up the idea of walking against Muslims and set off to Makkah. Mabad, who did Muslims a great favor, sent someone from his tribe to tell the Prophet about the situation.

The Messenger of God stayed in Hamra al-Asad for three nights; there was no movement from the enemy; so, he returned to Madinah.

This expedition is called the expedition of Hamra al-Asad due to the name of the place. The following is stated in the verses sent down due to this expedition:

“Of those who answered the call of God and the Messenger even after being wounded, those who do right and refrain from wrong have a great reward.― Men said to them: "A great army is gathering against you, so fear them": but it (only) increased their Faith. They said: ‘For us God sufficeth, and He is the best disposer of affairs.’”

SOME WISDOM BEHIND THE DEFEAT OF UHUD

There is some wisdom behind the fact that Muslims were defeated in the Battle of Uhud, that some of them were wounded and some of them were martyred:

1)It was understood clearly through this misfortune that the slightest opposition to the commands of God and His Messenger could inflict great troubles on them. The Prophet had ordered the archers he placed on Aynayn Hill and not to leave that place but they left their place and acted contrary to his command, thinking that Muslims won the battle. As a result of their leaving their place, the bright victory that the Muslims had obtained was followed by a sad defeat.

2)It was taught that even the prophets could not be free from the troubles and hardships of the world because they were sent as guides to people in every aspect. The Prophet was sent as an absolute guide and imam for human beings so that they would learn the principles relating to their personal and social lives from him. If he had always received divine help and trusted on extraordinary states and miracles, he would not have been an absolute imam and the greatest guide for human beings.  

Therefore, the Prophet sometimes showed miracles only in order to prove his cause and to overcome the denial of the polytheists; he acted in accordance with the laws of God that He imposed on the universe at other times. He ordered people to wear armor against the enemy and to take shelter in trenches. He was sometimes wounded as it happened in Uhud and suffered hardships. If he had always received divine help and showed miracles, the mind would have been forced to believe. It would have been contrary to the mystery of testing in the world. In that case, Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab would have also believed willy nilly and would have been in the same rank as Hazrat  Abu Bakr. It would have been impossible to discriminate between real Muslims and munafiqs.

Especially, during the battles, when the divine help sometimes delayed, the munafiqs who had not believed heartily revealed themselves through their words and actions. Thus, it became possible to recognize them.

3)Among the polytheists, there were many people who would be equal to some great companions in the future like Hazrat Khalid b. Walid and, Amr b. As. It can be said that the divine wisdom let those people who would serve among the Companions in the future and who would be famous and honorable in the future have a victory so as not to harm their honor and in order to give them a kind of advance payment.  

“That is to say, the Companions of the past were defeated by the Companions of the future, so that the future Companions would enter Islam, not through fear of the flashing sword, but through zeal for the flash of the truth, and lest they and their natural valor should be brought low!”

[sulevinblade]

SHARE THREE SONGS THAT REMIND YOU OF YOUR OC

Oh, gosh, thank you @anjelica-grey!! I’m sorry I didn’t get to it sooner, and thank you also for the follow (my whole second follower aaaah)! I’m going to do this for Ghilanel Lavellan, my Inquisitor.

1) Rabbit-Hearted Girl (Raise It Up), Florence + The Machine

Ghilanel is not really cut out for this job she’s been thrust into. She’s not an aggressive fighter or leader. Until she started following Cassandra up the mountain, the most time she’d spent holding a sword was testing them for weight and balance after she made them. Now she’s surrounded by professionals who made conscious decisions to engage in this fight and who bring lifetimes of expertise to it in areas like magic and combat and politics. Ghil was a smith. She liked to explore and was a keen observer but once things changed from needing observation to needing action, she was in way, way over her head. That didn’t change the fact that the Inquisition needed a leader and somehow saw her as one, but the idea of letting them down by allowing them to see how completely unprepared she is terrifies her. She’s growing and trying to become the leader the Inquisition needs, but ultimately she’s aware that this may require literally everything she has to give. She never signed up for it but better her than anyone else. Once this is all over, she’ll be expendable again, but they’re still meant for bigger things, but without the Anchor she’s just Ghilanel again.

I look around but I can't find you (Raise it up) If only I could see your face (Raise it up) Instead of rushing towards the skyline (Raise it up) I wish that I could just be brave

I must become a lion hearted girl Ready for a fight Before I make the final sacrifice

2) Texas Stars, Carbon Leaf

This is much more of a reminder song than a song that’s completely accurate to being about her. The sound of it is soft, unassuming, the kind of song that lends itself to being hummed while your hands are busy doing something else, but it also builds to a stronger, hopeful ending. That said, I am someone who gets really into the lyrics of a song and this one hits a lot of points for Ghilanel, especially for the time in between the end of the main game and Trespasser starting. She went from being surrounded by friends who believed, even when she didn’t, that she had what it took to survive and save the world, to rattling around Skyhold with a lot of the people she loved the most gone, including, of course, Solas. Also she genuinely likes stars and constellations. The astrariums were such a wonderful thing.

Look up at the light Have you seen that star before? How quickly dreams can change When constellations are at war

Hey lonestar, it's alright

Did you look up to find You were left behind? Did your heroes and stars fade out?

Have you been let down By a lover, father, or friend? Did the myth of greatness leave your side With no desire to defend?

Did their chariots of fire burn you in the end?

3) Lowlands, The Dream Academy

You thought you were getting out without a Solavellan song? Psyche, no such luck. I love this one for Ghilanel in particular because unlike a lot of the songs on their playlist, this one offers her an ending rather than continued uncertainty until DA4 comes out. (Insert One Fear comic here with, “Romanced Lavellans never getting closure,” in the middle panel.) It’s not a happy ending but right now, it’s the kind of ending she finds the most comfort in. Doing what Solas is asking or allowing his future to come to pass both require more of her than she has left to give, or at least that’s how she sees things right now. Imagining a future where she’s strong enough to walk away and it doesn’t mean the end of the world hurts like hell but it beats pretty much every alternative she can conceive of. All good things must come to an end eventually, right? 

She’ll learn better. Maybe.

The low pressure band had broken up but not let go As holy stormy Monday broke out on the streets below If not to hear your voice is still the thing I can't replace Somehow I can always see your face

In the lowlands

I rise up in the evening and rebuild a heart of stone All around the border where your memories have grown 'Til someone told me don't you know there is no hiding place Not until you meet it face to face

In the lowlands [....]

I can see a big bright continent where fear does not exist Where you could walk away from me and I would not resist And I won't be coming back again to see where we went wrong Never more to hear your siren song

Honorable mentions to, “I Know I’m a Wolf,” Young Heretics (WOLVES AND RABBITS WOLVES AND RABBITS), and, “One Love,” Mariana’s Trench.

Not sure who to tag but hopefully @gremlinquisitor, @haloneshiral, and @fortheloveofsolas would like to play? If not that’s fine too!!

[dfroza]

the pure truth of Love unifies hearts & minds

and no matter what anyone on earth believes, we will all bow before our Creator, eventually, to acknowledge the True illumination of the Son.

Paul has written of this in his ancient Letter of Philippians with the 2nd chapter being Today’s reading from the Scriptures:

If you find any comfort from being in the Anointed, if His love brings you some encouragement, if you experience true companionship with the Spirit, if His tenderness and mercy fill your heart; then, brothers and sisters, here is one thing that would complete my joy—come together as one in mind and spirit and purpose, sharing in the same love. Don’t let selfishness and prideful agendas take over. Embrace true humility, and lift your heads to extend love to others. Get beyond yourselves and protecting your own interests; be sincere, and secure your neighbors’ interests first.

In other words, adopt the mind-set of Jesus the Anointed. Live with His attitude in your hearts. Remember:

Though He was in the form of God,

He chose not to cling to equality with God;

But He poured Himself out to fill a vessel brand new;

a servant in form

and a man indeed.

The very likeness of humanity,

He humbled Himself,

obedient to death—

a merciless death on the cross!

So God raised Him up to the highest place

and gave Him the name above all.

So when His name is called,

every knee will bow,

in heaven, on earth, and below.

And every tongue will confess

“Jesus, the Anointed One, is Lord,”

to the glory of God our Father!

So now, my beloved, obey as you have always done, not only when I am with you, but even more so when I can’t be. Continue to work out your salvation, with great fear and trembling, because God is energizing you so that you will desire and do what always pleases Him.

Do all things without complaining or bickering with each other, so you will be found innocent and blameless; you are God’s children called to live without a single stain on your reputations among this perverted and crooked generation. Shine like stars across the land. Cling to the word of life so that on the day of judgment when the Anointed One returns I may have reason to rejoice, because it will be plain that I didn’t turn from His mission nor did I work in vain. Even if my lifeblood is to be poured out like wine as a sacrifice of your faith, I have great reason to celebrate with all of you. And for the same reason, you can be glad and celebrate with me.

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy your way. He will visit soon so that he may report to me how you are doing. To hear all that is going on with you will truly encourage my heart. There is no one like Timothy. What sets him apart from others is his deep concern for you and your spiritual journey. This is rare, my friends, for most people only care about themselves, not about what is dear to the heart of Jesus the Anointed. You know Timothy is genuine in the Lord’s ways. He has been a faithful partner to me as we express the good news, as much as my own flesh and blood would have been. I expect to send him soon, and I will as soon as I see how things turn out here. I trust in the Lord that it won’t be very long before I can come and be with you in person.

But for now, I think it is best to send Epaphroditus home to you. He has become my dear brother in the Lord. We have worked well together and fought great battles together, and he was an encouraging minister to me in my time of need. He could not wait to see you all. He was concerned for you when he found out you knew how sick he really was. In fact, he nearly died. But once again, God was exceedingly kind and covered him with His mercy. And I, too, by His mercy, have been spared sorrow on top of sorrow.

I am so excited to be sending him back to you! I can picture the joy on your faces when he arrives; I can feel my worries falling away. Welcome him joyfully in the Lord. Esteem all spiritual leaders like Epaphroditus because he placed his life in grave danger for the work of the Anointed; he risked his life to serve me when you couldn’t.

The Letter of Philippians, Chapter 2 (The Voice)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the 3rd chapter of 2nd Kings that documents an ancient battle and a miraculous supply of water as spoken by the prophet Elisha:

During the 18th year of Jehoshaphat’s reign in Judah, Jehoram (Ahab’s son) took over the throne of Israel at Samaria for 12 years. The Eternal saw that he did wicked things, but not to the same degree his parents did. He tore down and had nothing to do with the pillar honoring Baal that his father had crafted. But still, he walked the wicked path of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) that caused the Israelites to live sinful lives. He never repented from his wickedness.

Mesha (Moab’s king) bred sheep and, as payment, he would give Israel’s king 100,000 lambs and the fleece of 100,000 rams. But when Ahab died, Mesha (Moab’s king) turned against Israel’s king. King Jehoram left Samaria and assembled the entire community of Israel. He sent a message to Jehoshaphat (Judah’s king).

Jehoram’s Message: Moab’s king is no longer on Israel’s side. He has turned against me. Will you accompany us in battle against him?

Jehoshaphat’s Reply: Yes, I will fight beside you. What is mine is yours—my people, my horses, everything.

Jehoram’s Second Message: What path do you want to take?

Jehoshaphat’s Reply: We will travel through the desert of Edom.

Israel’s king traveled with Judah’s king and Edom’s king. It was a difficult trip that lasted for seven days, a circular route around the territory held by Moab. By then there wasn’t any water for the army or for the livestock.

Jehoram: This is terrible! The Eternal intends to hand the three of us over to Moab.

Jehoshaphat: Surely there is a prophet of the Eternal One among us. If so, let him come forth so that we can talk with the Eternal through him.

Jehoram’s Servant: Yes, there is a prophet of the Lord among us! Elisha (Shaphat’s son)! He used to serve the great Elijah by pouring water on his hands!

Jehoshaphat: The message and power of the Eternal One accompany him.

So Israel’s king (Jehoram), Jehoshaphat (Judah’s king), and Edom’s king went to find Elisha.

Elisha (to Jehoram): What business do I have with you? Why don’t you go to the prophets of your parents’ god?

Jehoram: I can’t because the Eternal called the three of us together in order to hand us over to Moab.

Elisha: As certain as the life of the Eternal One, Commander of heavenly armies, to whom I offer my life, I would pay you no attention except that I have such great respect for Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. But I have no regard for you! I will not even look at you! 15 But now, bring me a musician!

While the musician was playing, Elisha was empowered by the Eternal.

Elisha: This is the Eternal’s message: “Dig trenches throughout this entire valley.”

This is the Eternal’s message: “You will not see rain fall from the sky or feel wind blow across your skin, but you will see this valley filled with water. You and your livestock will have plenty of water to quench your thirst!” And that’s not all! It is indeed a small thing for the Eternal One: He is also going to hand the Moabites over to you. Then you will attack every fortified and prosperous city, chop down every decent tree, plug up every water hole, and use stones to destroy every healthy piece of land along your way.

In the morning, water coming from the higher ground in Edom filled the entire land around the time that sacrifices were offered.

The Moabites heard a rumor that the kings were about to wage war against them, so every man who could wear armor—from young men to old men—was called to battle and waited at the border. They woke up at dawn, as the fiery glow of the sunrise was kissing the water. From the view of the Moabites, the water was blood red.

Moabites: Look! Blood! The kings have fought and killed each other, and now their blood fills the country. Go forth, Moab, and collect the spoil!

But when the Moabite warriors arrived at the Israelite encampment, the Israelites jumped up and killed the Moabites. The surviving Moabites ran away, but the Israelites ran after them and killed them all. Then the Israelites destroyed every city, chopped down every decent tree, plugged up every water hole, and filled all the healthy land with stones along their way. Only the stone walls of Kir-hareseth remained after they were finished with it, but the men with slings later took care of these rocks as well. When Moab’s king perceived how dangerous the battle was, he gathered up 700 of his swordsmen who tried to make their way through to Edom’s king. But it was impossible.

Desperate to survive, Moab’s king offered his own son, his oldest son who was next in line for the throne, as a burnt offering to Moab’s god Chemosh on the wall.

Then a fierce wrath swept against Israel, so they fled from Moab’s king and went back to their own country.

The Book of 2nd Kings, Chapter 3 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Tuesday, december 8 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament of the Bible, along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons that points to the nature of truth:

People often resist when they are asked to face reality, and therefore a true prophet is often misunderstood... We see this, for instance, in the case of Joseph, the family’s prophet, who, after he related his visions, found the contempt of his brothers and the incredulity of his father (Gen. 37:10-11). This is the heartache of the prophet who is so impassioned about truth that it may lead him to lonely places, set apart from others, yet burdened to share his vision with those who are willing to hear. What good is prophecy, after all, apart from love? Or what good is knowledge, and even faith? (1 Cor. 13:2). The prophet “crosses over” and then is burdened with his vision. Rarely does he gain acceptance, since he asks us to see differently; unsettling our convictions, challenging our certainties. To a culture immersed in its delusions (including religious delusions) the prophet will always be marginalized, since the “world” constantly seeks to escape from reality and therefore cannot tolerate voices of real conviction. [Hebrew for Christians]

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." (Arthur Shopenhauer).

https://hebrew4christians.com/

12.7.20 • Facebook

Today’s message from the Institute for Creation Research

December 8, 2020

Direct Access

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)

This is one of the key verses of Scripture for several reasons. In the first place, in the midst of a pantheistic and polytheistic society governed by the kings and rulers for whom Paul had just exhorted believers to pray, it was important to reemphasize that there was only one Creator God—the One to whom even kings must give account and the only One to whom we can rightfully pray.

Secondly, Christ Jesus, who was Himself “God...manifest in the flesh” and then “received up into glory” (1 Timothy 3:16), was nevertheless still “the man Christ Jesus.” He is still a man, even though His human body has been resurrected and glorified. Therefore, He can, indeed, “be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” and we can “come boldly” to His “throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Then, because He is both omnipotent God and perfect man, “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (v. 15), He is uniquely able to serve as the one and only “mediator between God and men.” Furthermore, as the only God-man, fully and eternally both God and man, He is the only one through whom we can reach God’s throne in prayer. “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” He said, “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

No one else—man or woman, saint or priest, angel or demon— has direct access to God, for the Son is the one mediator between God and man. We can come to God, however, for “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). HMM

[jesus-otaku]

Title: La Pucelle et la Coccinelle (Part 9)

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug

Word count: 2752

Prologue | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8

Last chapter post for tonight whoop whoop

“God forgive me for what I am about to do,” she murmured.

Even after Charles' coronation, Joan didn't stop to rest. When Charles departed Rheims at the end of July, she and her army joined him. They went first to Corbeny, then Soissons, then Chateau-Thierry. It was there that Joan began to itch for another battle, and that Charles made what seemed to Tikki to be an attempt to keep her at court. On the last day of July, he put into motion an act to rescind all levies and taxes on her hometown of Domremy and the neighboring town of Greux. Joan was flattered, but she was still itching for battle.

She wanted to march on Paris.

“Please wait,” Charles urged her. “We are drawing up a treaty with Burgundy, and the Duke has promised he will return Paris to France at the end of it. Let us avoid more bloodshed.”

“Paris is lightly fortified; give me your permission and we shall have it now,” Joan insisted. “I do not trust the Duke of Burgundy to keep his promise.”

“If we march on Paris, all of our work to obtain this treaty will be for naught,” he protested.

“If you obtain this treaty, all of your work to regain Paris will be for naught,” she retorted. “Please, my king, let me go to Paris. I promise you it will be taken.”

But despite all of her pleading and arguments, she was not permitted to go. The treaty between Charles and Burgundy was signed on the fifth of August, and Joan's hands were officially tied. If she marched on Paris, she would be breaking her loyalty to her king.

Joan was not happy about this development. “We could have taken the place,” she grumbled to Tikki that night. “It has almost no protection. I could have gone and reclaimed the city in a day, two if the godons fought well enough.”

Tikki perched on top of Joan's discarded armor and watched her charge pace back and forth agitatedly. “You're going to wait out the treaty, then?”

“I have no choice,” Joan answered, her voice so terse she was on the verge of snapping. “If I wish to preserve King Charles' honor, I have to wait.”

Her frustration was not helped in the least by the route Charles' entourage was taking through France. They were, as Joan put it, almost “unbearably” close to Paris and to the English forces. It was close enough that a small skirmish was able to break out between the two armies on the fourteenth, albeit without any fatalities and only ten Englishmen captured. The French had just reached Compiegne when the treaty expired.

True to Joan's expectations, the Duke of Burgundy did not relinquish Paris when the treaty's term was up. Rather, he had sent English troops to fortify the city against the French. Charles' hope to regain Paris was looking to be a complete failure.

After a few days at Compiegne wherein Charles and his council debated how to proceed without actually getting much of anything accomplished, Joan had had enough. She wanted to take Paris, and she was tired of dancing around the desires of the royal court. She rode south to Saint Denis with a small group of two or three hundred men. Within three days, she had captured the observation outpost at Berthmont, just outside of Paris.

Charles and his council finally conceded to come south at that point, though they lingered exasperatingly long in Senlis. When she wasn't testing Paris' defenses, Joan occupied herself with scouting the city walls to help keep her frustration with the royal court at bay. Most of her interactions were with Tikki and the few commanders who had come with her to Saint Denis. At night, though, she took to pacing again. Just as she had in Chinon, Tikki teased her that she would wear a hole in the floor if she kept pacing, but unlike in Chinon, Joan's response this time was only a tired sigh.

When Charles did arrive on September seventh, Joan wasted no time. A vigil was held at the church that night, and Mass followed the next morning. As soon as Mass had ended, Joan transformed and went to lead her assault on Paris with the Duke of Alençon close behind.

Most of the morning was unsuccessful and, by normal warfare standards, quite uneventful as well. There was virtually no actual battle: the English were firmly planted at their stations along the twenty-five-foot tall wall and didn't so much as budge when the French arrived. It would have helped, of course, if there hadn't been trenches and water-filled ditches standing in the way of the French army's advance.

“Have the men fetch bourrees and faggots,” Joan said to the duke. “We have to fill the trenches and ditches to reach the walls. If we can ascend the walls, the place will be ours.” He nodded and passed the command along, while Joan passed it in the other direction. There was a mad scramble to fetch the items in question.

It had been a long time since one of Tikki's masters had last been in a war, she realized—it took her actually seeing one of the bourrees to remember that they were just bundles of wood. Heaps upon heaps were thrown into the trenches, along with the faggots Joan had called for. The process was painstaking. At some point, Joan dismounted her horse to help her men fill the trenches, but it only marginally sped up the process. It still took hours for the trenches to fill enough that they could move onto filling the ditches. Those, at least, went a little faster thanks to them already being partially filled with water. As soon as the last of the wood had been thrown in, Joan slung herself back into the saddle and tilted her banner forward to signal the army's advance. “Forward!” she shouted.

The French surged up against the wall, but already Tikki could tell that the battle wasn't going to end well. The English guards atop the wall looked almost bored as they loaded their crossbows to fire down into the melee. Whatever siege ladders were laid against the wall were almost immediately knocked down again, in the few instances that they were tall enough to even reach the top of the wall in the first place. Joan stubbornly stayed at the head of the army, urging the men as best she could over the screams of the dying and wounded who had been struck by English arrows.

Or at least, she did for most of the day.

Around what must have been close to sundown, Tikki began to get the sense that her charge was just as discouraged by their lack of progress as she was. Joan's shouts of encouragement were growing fewer and farther between, her banner starting to sag in her hand ever so slightly. She would have thought Joan was bracing herself to call for a retreat if Joan hadn't instead turned to the duke in that moment and instructed him to stay at the front with her banner. “I am going to retrieve aid,” she explained simply. Then she wheeled her horse around and rode to the back of her army, past them, until they were reduced to a large, surging blob in her field of view.

“God forgive me for what I am about to do,” she murmured. She took a deep breath and then, in a voice barely above a whisper, said, “Tikki, Lucky Charm.”

If Tikki hadn't been in the Miraculous, her eyes probably would have been bugging out of her head in shock. A cloud of red magic whirled around Joan's hands, leaving a small lantern in its wake. Joan stared at it, obviously baffled.

“This isn't quite what I was hoping for, Tikki,” she said as she held the lantern up to inspect it. “Can't I get something else?”

Inwardly, Tikki winced. Sorry, Joan.

When she had been looking at the lantern expectantly for about half a minute and nothing happened, she sighed. “I'll take that as a no,” she muttered. She adjusted her grip on the lantern and stirred her horse into a gallop to rejoin the troops.

The Duke of Alençon looked stunned that she had returned so fast. “The aid?” he asked.

“They aren't coming,” Joan answered tersely. “We shall have to continue the assault on our own.”

“And the lantern?” The duke nodded towards the object in question.

“It is almost nightfall,” she reasoned. It was a rather good way to cover, in Tikki's opinion, especially considering that Joan couldn't seem to figure out what she was meant to do with it. “We will need light.”

“You certainly have thought ahead,” he remarked. He passed her banner back to her. “Let us continue our assault.”

Joan's earrings beeped.

Fortunately, the sounds of the fight around them were too loud for anyone to hear the beeping except for Joan. But it meant her transformation was very low on time. Nervously, Tikki began counting down the minutes until Joan would have to fight without her supernatural protection. At the very least, she hoped Joan would figure out what the lantern was for. It wasn't like she could just pop out of the earrings and tell her.

Joan's earrings beeped again.

And again.

And still she hadn't used the lantern.

By the time they beeped out the four minute mark, Tikki was on the verge of a minor panic. She had to concentrate very hard on maintaining the transformation, or her worry would have made her drop it in an instant. Joan knows what she's doing, she told herself. She has her counsel to guide her. She knows what she's doing. Even if she loses her transformation now, she's still the same commander as always. The great guardian wouldn't have chosen her otherwise. She'll be all right.

The final beeps came just as the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon. Tikki was grateful for the coincidence, and was certain Joan was too, since it meant the soldiers around her likely thought the red light of her dropped transformation was an effect of the sunset's glare. Everyone was too distracted by the fight to notice the disappearance of the lantern. Tikki herself zipped under Joan's breastplate as quickly as she could manage.

Everything went very much downhill after that. Joan had only been fighting transformation-free for ten minutes at most when Tikki heard the sickening sound of a crossbow bolt piercing through metal, and her charge screamed. There was a clattering thud all around, and Tikki realized Joan had been knocked off her horse by the bolt.

“Never mind me!” Joan yelled. Some of her men had probably come to her aid, Tikki suspected. “Continue the attack! I said, 'continue the attack'!” Tikki peeked between the plates of Joan's armor just in time to see several soldiers scoop her up to carry her off the field. Someone else went to retrieve her horse, which was rearing up in a panic.

She was carried all the way back to her tent on the Rue de La Chapelle, insisting the whole time that they put her down and continue their assault. They didn't listen. Joan was left in her tent with orders to rest.

“By my staff, the place would have been taken,” she muttered.

Tikki slipped out of Joan's breastplate then to inspect the damage. The bolt had pierced straight through the armor covering Joan's right thigh, a little ways above her kneecap. Unlike the arrow that had struck her at Orleans, the bolt hadn't gone all the way through—it looked like only the head had actually gone in. Blood pooled sluggishly around the injury.

“Maybe you shouldn't have used the Lucky Charm,” Tikki said as she looked over the wound. She didn't want to sound like she was blaming Joan for the injury, but the fact of the matter was that without the Lucky Charm causing her to lose her transformation, the bolt would never have managed to pierce her armor. The Miraculous' armor would have deflected it easily. And then Joan could have continued the assault like she wanted.

Joan covered her face with one arm wearily. “I did not know what else to do. We were accomplishing nothing, and I had hoped that your Lucky Charm might shift our fortune. I hadn't realized that it would be a lantern.” She lowered her arm to look at Tikki. “Why a lantern?”

Tikki ducked her head. “I can't entirely control what the Lucky Charm provides you,” she explained reluctantly. “It could have given you any number of things. When you call on Lucky Charm, I don't have any time to plan out what to give you, so I just provide whatever I can.” She dropped down to sit on Joan's uninjured leg. “I'm sorry it was not able to help you.”

Joan smiled, just a little, and reached over to pat the dot on Tikki's forehead. “We can try again tomorrow.”

But they would not, in fact, try again tomorrow. When Joan and the Duke of Alençon were preparing to leave the army camp for Paris the next morning, messengers came with the news that Charles had called an immediate meeting with them. Joan struck the front of her saddle in frustration, but did as she was told and rode to join Charles at Saint Denis. Her frustration only grew when Charles told her personally that all further attacks on Paris were to be stopped and the bridge they had managed to build over another area of the Seine was to be destroyed. The council meeting that was held with Charles' advisors went no better. Despite all of Joan's protests, and the duke's too, it was decided that the army would retreat. They were going to sign another treaty with Burgundy.

Joan went the next morning to the church in Saint Denis. Though she didn't have time to hear Mass before their planned departure, she did have enough time to pray for a few minutes and to leave a suit of armor as a votive offering. Then she was resigned to getting on her horse and leaving Paris behind in Burgundian hands.

The next few months were a fresh hell for Joan. She was kept cooped up at Charles' court, not even allowed to go to Domremy to visit her family. Her commanders had been dispersed to their estates and former sites of military action. The Duke of Alençon wrote over the winter asking that Charles allow Joan to accompany him on a military expedition to Normandy, but his request was refused. She was only permitted to lead two campaigns the whole time—one a small attack on Saint-Pierre-le-Moutier, which they captured in an astonishing turn of fortune towards the end of the day, and the other a siege on La-Charite-sur-Loire, which ended in crushing defeat when the royal court left the army drastically undersupplied. The only real bright point for Joan was a gift delivered from the Duke of Orleans, a robe and tunic that were bordered in nettle leaves of silk and lined with white satin. The accompanying letter explained that the clothing had been commissioned for her in honor of what she had achieved at Orleans. Joan wore them often. They seemed to be a comfort to her while she was stuck with the royal court.

Then, in early April, Joan decided she had had enough.

She was going to lead a military campaign again, whether Charles liked it or not.

It wouldn't be a large campaign, she explained to Tikki; only about two hundred men were in the company she ended up joining. But it was something. Her brother Pierre, along with Friar Pasquerel, Jean d'Aulon, and Jean de Metz, also accompanied her. They fought at Lagny-sur-Marne, where Joan's prayers also revived a dead infant long enough for it to be baptized, and then moved onto Melun around Eastertide. She prayed there too, as she always prayed in the places they traveled, but only in private. It was while they were at Melun and Joan was praying that Tikki was called out into the open by her charge. Joan's eyes were wide, her expression panicked.

“My time is nearly over, Tikki,” she said before Tikki could even open her mouth to ask what was wrong. “My saints have told me that I will be captured before Saint John's Day this year.”

Saint John's Day was only two months away.

[crystalteacomics]

Eulogy – Episode 3

Before me lies the body of my mother, fully encased in fire.  As I stand, a light drizzle begins to cover my face.  Maybe these clouds aren't mourning, but celebrating my loss and misfortune.  She lives no longer, so I have to remain thankful that she was, and will always be alive in my heart.

It's said that sadness is only temporary, but right now I'm willing to take bets.  

I was just some kid from the streets, bottom-feeding on the scraps of scumbags eager enough to spit in my face and kick me when I was down.  Back then, I thought fighting was just a way of surviving, the only thing that stood between you and death. Then she came along.  She taught me that surviving is the burning passion for life.  She showed me the beauty in everything, trained me till my hands bled, and taught me the ability to find peace that lies in silence.   So why did you have to go now, damnit! The only path I see from here is down.  Anger, clouds my thoughts, but I know I can't let it win.  So do I sit idly by, and wait for my mother’s attacker initiate this dance?  Or should I take the lead?  

As the rain begins to slow I begin to question my existence.  I know darkness lurks everywhere, but I'm supposed to be pure.  Supposed to be better than this right?  I am the light after all.   You asked me not to mourn, but right now that isn't a request I can honor.  

The fire has finally dwindled, and I begin to gather your ash.  You asked me not to mourn, but during this task, that is just something I cannot do.  You asked me not to seek revenge.  So when I finally come face to face with your assassin; I can guarantee he will be sorry.  Fear will not taint this life you have so righteously bestowed to me, by making it paralyzed in despair over your death.

Stages – Episode 4

In short minutes, the ashes are gathered, my bags are packed, and I'm already on my way down the mountain to my car.  I should probably tell the old lady I'm heading out... Oh, never mind.  Heading west on I-40 to Albuquerque, my mind is lost in sadness and I'm swerving all over the road.  “She's not really gone, is she Dorothy?” I ask.  “She really is gone, sir, I'm sorry I must keep informing you.  But Danny, please do pay attention to your driving,” Dorothy instructs.

I'm pushing my Integra to its limits, roaring south down the empty streets.  Some unseen force something is inviting me this way.  This isn't the greatest neighborhood, but I feel like running.  So I park my car, and my feet take off automatically towards a lone streetlight in the distance.  This can't be smart, I think, as I’m running through a dark neighborhood dressed in a silver trench coat and hat.  I feel I am an easy target on foot going down the deserted street.  

The streetlight gets closer with each stride, and I find a mother and her child being attacked in the shadows by a man dressed in black.  

He's wearing a mask.   I quickly identify the mask as being identical to the ones worn by the men at Mother's dojo.  “Dorothy, I have to do something!” I explained as my veins fill with aggression.  “Danny, it is not your job to interfere with the problems people of everyday citizens.  Your fight is not with this man,” Dorothy says as she tries to talk some sense into me.  

It was too late.  As adrenaline takes over, I feel as if I'm running faster than I ever had, and before I knew it I was on top of the masked man. I pull him off the woman, and render him motionless on the ground besides the mother's minivan.  I might have gone slightly overboard, but I needed to feel something break. Terrified yet relieved, the lady looked up to meet my eyes.  She nods and says hesitantly, “Th... Thank.. You.” Then quickly loads up her child and drives off into the night.  

Now I only feel worse; I decide to leave the man lying there in hopes the police will pick him up.  As I walk away I hear the man turn on a radio and say, “ Obeah, your partner has finally arrived.”  The man falls unconscious again, before I have a chance to ask any questions  

“Dorothy, what have I done?”, I ask.   “I fear you may have disrupted a balance.  Something we will later end up dealing with, no doubt.”

To be Continued…. 

[cecilspeaks]

Ghost Stories

You can purchase Ghost Stories here.

Transcript of the bonus tracks here.

1. Intro

Meg Bashwiner: And now, listeners of every kind: the voice of Night Vale, Cecil Baldwin!

[applause]

Cecil: We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Also many other things, several of which can be found in your home. Welcome to Night Vale!

Listeners, honest honored listeners, Cecil here as always your voice to carry you through the lonely hours. Today is a very special day indeed. Today, as we all know, is the annual Night Vale ghost story contest. In which every citizen is required to put forward their scariest, spookiest tale of spectors and haunts. The City Council chooses their favorite, and the winner is, through a process that is truly terrifying in its simplicity, turned into a ghost. The losers are forced to continue in forms that primarily depend upon the containment and transportation of oozes and glob.

Now I’m sure that you’ve all been preparing your own entry for the ghost story contest, since all of you will soon have to stand up and deliver it to the gathered people. But before all of you each individually have your turn, I thought that I might indulge myself for a moment and tell you my own entry to your ghost story contest. Are you all OK with that? [applause] I have no idea what you just said so, gonna nod and give myself a thumbs up and I think we’re all good here.

2. Horoscopes

But first, let’s have a look at today’s horoscopes. Leo? [silence] Leo? [audience whoops] Leo! Bet all your money on red! All those material possessions were only weighing you down. Soon you will be in many ways – free-er than the rest of us.

Virgo? You know that one spot on your back that itches and itches and itches and you just can’t stand it? Well, good thing: you won’t have to deal with that or anything else after tomorrow night.

Libra? Draw your loved ones closer to you. That first drawing you did was no good, no, draw them like closer to you. There’s too much white space on the page! How are your loved ones supposed to love you if you can’t even draw them right?

Scorpio? OK so, I think we all know by now that this is the sign of.. uuughhh.. Steve Carlsberg. Who is my sister Abby’s husband. Now, usually the horoscope just happens to turn out something quite mean for Scorpio. Purely through the unknowable combination of fate and random chance that is the meeting of the stars. But Abby said that the stars had better knock that off! Especially if they want to be invited to their niece Janice’s first ballet fight. So, let’s see how this goes. Scorpio. Things are looking bright. What a great day you have before you! Look how clear the sky, how green the grass how – dumb and oversized your feet look. [gleefully] No really, I hope you don’t trip or rip your pants not even once! How terrible it would be if that happened! But it probably won’t through, so there you go. [mutters] Scorpios…

Sagittarius?  Ahahahahahahaha, aahahahahahahaha, aaahahahahahaha!

Capricon? Things fall apart, the center cannot hold, mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. The blood (--) [02:42] tide is loosed upon the world and everywhere! So your home carpentry project will not go well next week. There’s just too much blood.

Aquarius? OK, you are just two dogs in a trench coat, Aquarius. I mean I hate to break it to you, but you have no opposable thumbs, or language skills. And you’ve always been two dogs in a trench coat! [cooing] Yes you are, yes you arrre!! [kissing noises] Now go outside! Good dogs!

Pisces?  If you don’t have anything nice to say, try saying something mean. I mean there are lots of options for things to say.

Aries? Ooh. OK, so this horoscope is just a picture of a bear. And next to the bear is the lizard and next to the lizard is the pelican. And there’s a combined speech bubble above them all that says “We regret the storm that took your lives.” And they’re smiling and (-) [0:03:57] some mugs of beer together. And they have their feet up on skulls. And if you look really closely you’ll notice that they’re not standing on a pile of sticks, but on a pile of human bones?! And unfortunately I believe that in this cartoon, Aries – you’re the pelican!

Taurus? No sunshine for you, Taurus! Nope! The sun’s light has been blocked, but only for you. Oh yes, everyone else will walk in sunny rays, sunshades and shorts, wide smiles and hat brims, SPF 50 and a Frisbee at the beach. You will likely lose feeling in your skin due to the cold of a [sinister voice] sunless world! [friendly voice] Good luck!

Gemini? They say an onion has many layers. Gemini, you are like that onion. Time has peeled away, one after another, each of your hard, pungent layers: snap, snap, snap! They (pry) off and urgent fingernails pry away the remnants as you grow smaller, wetter, less complex. Ooh, also like an onion, your odor makes as cry.

Cancer? Well this just says “chainsaw accident”. So I bet that’s a metaphor for something really goood!

3. A Word from our Sponsors

Cecil: And now a word from our sponsors. For that, we have a sentient patch of haze here in the studio with me, and her name is Deb! Deb?

Deb: Thank you Cecil. Today I am here on behalf American Airlines – your partner in the sky.

Cecil: Fantastic. What does American have to say to us today?

Deb: American Airlines is committed to.. [giggling] your safety! And comfort.. [giggling] and getting you into the air. It is our promise that we will get you up there. You will rise from the ground. For sure, that will happen. And you will soar above the clouds.

Cecil: Well that’s wonderful to hear, you know it’s reassuring to know that American Airlines will see us safely and comfortably through takeoff, flight, and landing!

Deb: [long beat] No Cecil. We didn’t say that. We don’t wanna promise we can’t say for sure we can deliver on. We will get you up there.

Cecil: And then what then?

Deb: Oh, what anywhen? Do we see the future?

Cecil: Oh?

Deb: No.

Cecil: No.

Deb: Life is chaotic, and it would be irresponsible to start making promises.

Cecil: Yes, but mostly you land those planes, rights?

Deb: I haven’t checked lately. But if it helps you to say that out loud, then certainly you should do that, yeah, mm hm.

Cecil: Why do I always end up so worried after talking to you, Deb?

Deb: American Airlines. What goes up, must come down. We guarantee it.

Cecil: Alright, well thank you Deb.

Deb: So you’re all telling ghost stories, huh?

Cecil: Oh yes, yes we are.

Deb: Good. I have a wonderful story of a haunting to tell. It’s very popular among us, sentient patches of haze.

Cecil: Oh please, tell it.

Deb: Once upon a time, a nice family of sentient patches of haze moved into an ooold house. They were young and optimistic and ready to start a home, but soon they realized something was teeeerribly wrong. They heard noises in the night. Voices, folky yet slickly produced singer-songwriter music. At first they assumed it was just their imagination, but soon they saw shapes in the halls and bedrooms. They noticed movement in the corner of the parts of their haze that they used to see with. One day, one of the sentient patches turned the corner and there – [disgusted] was a human standing there! As clear as a day, as opaque as flesh. Well, that poor little patch screamed and floated away. But now they knew, [creepily] there were humans haunting their house.

Cecil: Now wait. Humans often live in houses, I mean did the humans own the house?

Deb: Oh Cecil, there you go again. Serving as a propaganda mouthpiece for the capitalist machine that says sentient patches of haze aren’t allowed to move into and take over any house that a human “owns”!

Cecil: Wait, a mouthpiece for the capitalist machine? Deb, your job is literally to be a spokeshaze for multinational corporations!

Deb: Hmph! Hmph! Hmph! How dare you! My contradictions are my own to grapple with. I’m leaving. Thank you for giving me time on the air, I appreciate it.

Cecil: Well it was an ad, and I’m assuming you get paid for those?

Deb: Sure if that assumption is helpful to you, goodbye Cecil.

Cecil: Alright, thank you Deb!

4. Ghost story #1

And now, listeners, a ghost story. MY ghost story.

It begins ten years ago, on a night just like – tonight. Heavy fog covered the town of Night Vale, turning the world into a blurry approximation, familiar landmarks into educated guesses. No stars, and the full moon diffused by the mist into a soft, feeble light from all around.

A man was driving down a dark road, there were no other cars around. And on the side of the road, up ahead, he saw a figure. A figure made strange by the half-hearted moon, a brief pause in a long fog. Now the figure had its hand up. It did not (thumb) (-), but instead gave a languid wave, more of a summons than a request. And the man shivered, for he knew that it was on this very stretch of road one year to the day before that day that was ten years ago on a night just like tonight. The oooold mill, finally burned down. And when it went, there was a woman inside of it. Now, it’s hard to fathom why she was there in that abandoned disused mill, but she was. And the unthinkable happened, without anyone having to think of it at all. And since then, it has been said that in the darkest hours of the darkest nights, a young woman flags down cars on the side of the road where the old mill used to be. And if they’re foolish enough to let her into the car, she stares directly at the driver. And if the driver is foolish enough to look her in the eyes even once – she takes them to her home. A dark, eternal place from which no one, ever, returns.

Still, he couldn’t leave behind what could be a person in need of aid just because of some spooky old story. So he pulled over, and the figure reached out her hand and opened the passenger door and – there was a cold breath, air from dead lungs that the mist curled into the car, and the figure sat.

And the driver was careful to look not too closely or for too long. “Um, uh, where are you headed?” the man said, but the figure was silent. So he began to drive once again. And the fog billowed as he drove, and he could swear that he could see that old mill as it had once stood, leaning and ramshackle. Now, that mill had not been in working order in decades, it was probably just its time to go when it burned, but still. He mourned the loss of what had been a part of his own. “Where to?” he said again without turning or looking at his passenger. And the figure spoke. The figure spoke with a voice that sounded like a body hitting freezing water, like the distant thud in an old house in the smallest hours of the night. [creepy voice] “You know wheeeree,” the figure said. “You know where I want to goooo.” And he did know. “I want to go – hoooooome.”

And he held the wheel tighter, and he pressed the gas harder, and he stared unblinkingly at the door because he knew that the figure’s face was only inches away now, and staring directly at him.

Oh, listen to me yammer on! Haha. You know, I should really get to some of the other business of community radio, or Station Management will [chuckling] just kill me. [long beat] At least I hope that’s all they’ll do to me.

The rest of this ghost story soon.

5. Tamika Flynn

Cecil: But now I have a really special guest in the studio today, who has their own ghost story to tell. She is one of our community’s most active young people, having formed a militia to keep our town safe from corporations and librarians, oh – and she is also an avid reader. So please welcome to the show – Tamika Flynn! Hi Tamika!

Tamika: Hi Cecil. [chuckles]

Cecil: You said you have a ghost story that you wanna share?

Tamika: Yes. I love books so much, and one of my favorite kinds of books is the ghost book.

Cecil: The ghost book? You mean horror novel, yes?

Tamika: You say potato, I say pohtata.

Cecil: You do?

Tamika: Yeah!

Cecil: Pohtata?

Tamika: Pohtata chips, pohtata salad. Pohtata poutine.. [chuckles]

Cecil: But that’s kind of a weird way to say potato.

Tamika: Well I learned English from reading it Cecil, not from listening to it! [chuckles, snorts repeatedly] Anyways. I love ghost stories because they’re so rich with symbolism and meaning. A lot of people think that ghost stories are just a one-note tale about a ghost haunting an old house, but if you look deeper under the surface, ghost stories are really about dead people who are now invisible or translucent beings who interact with the living in antiques homes, so..

Cecil: Very important difference.

Tamika: Would you like to hear my favorite ghost story, Cecil?

Cecil: Oh yes, please!

Tamika: Many years ago, in this very town.. [whispers] there was a librarian! Ooh! And the librarian would creep around the public library, hunting and slaughtering book lovers for sport! Innocent people would go to the library hoping to find a good book, something new and interesting. Maybe a classic of modern science fiction by Octavia Butler, or some surrealist literature by Amy Bender or, oh, maybe some pedantic buzzkill space essays by Neil deGrasse Tyson. [chuckles]

Cecil: Now, wait a minute! To be fair to Neil deGrasse Tyson, his Victorian era romances are really goo-oo-ood!

Tamika: [long beat] Anyways. One day, there was a young girl, a really smart girl. [chuckles] She was also really fit, like REALLY fit! [chuckles] But also smart like the smartest girl you can know. Ahem. And also really tough. Anyways, she went to the library to get a book, and just as she was perusing a collection of plays by the 17th century poet and spy Aphra Behn, she could smell something terrible, like an infection, like wet fur. It was humid suddenly, and she felt something watching her, slithering about just over her shoulder. 

But this girl, she was fast too. She jumped to the side quickly just as a spiked tentacle came crashing down next to her, crushing the shelf containing play scripts by Pulitzer winner Annie Baker. Without thinking, the girl – she was also intuitive, like [whispers] soo intuitive! [chuckles] – she grabbed the tentacle before it could retract into the librarian’s protective shell. She then grabbed a copy of the “Complete Works of William Shakespeare” by Francis Bacon. It was the special edition that had the machete taped right there on the book jacket! [chuckles] She tore off the large knife and swung, striking the tentacle at its base. She swung again, landing an accurate blow between the soft small crevice and the hard skin. This girl was amaaaaziiiiing! The librarian shrieked, then with a double back flip – which was pretty easy for this girl… she narrowly avoided the splattering acid blood of the flailing creature and dealt a mortal blow right to its disgusting neck! She didn’t even need a blade to finish off the monster, she just used her fist! Splat! Pffffff! [breathes heavily] True story of the badass book loving girl there ever was! [chuckles]

Cecil: So this is a story about you, right? And how you defeated the librarian during the Summer Reading Program a few years back?

Tamika: Oh no. That story was about my best friend Jessica Littleton. She’s so smart and talented, [high-pitched] I just love her, she’s the best!

Cecil: OK Tamika, while I hate to nitpick, that was a really great story but that was like, [hoarsely] monster story, not like a ghoooo-oooost story.

Tamika: Well. Jessica jacked up that monster and now it’s a ghost, boom, ghost story! Well I gotta go do my math homework, and then we have the teen militia meeting this evening at the new skating rink, so bye Cecil! [chuckles]

Cecil: Bye, thank you Tamika!

6. Children’s Fun Fact Science Corner

It’s time for another edition of the Children’s Fun Fact Science Corner!

Did you know that time travel exists? OK well not yet, but we have learned from time travelers that it will be invented in just under 30 years. Now given that knowledge, I thought it’d be kind of fun to do a little experiment together, so. If you are legally allowed to own a smartphone, take that out now and open up that calendar application. No go ahead, don’t be shy!

Now what I want you to do is create a recurring event that starts on this exact day and time, and title that event, well, “travel back in time”. Ooh, and be sure to note your exact location, OK? Now, when you’ve done that, set that event to recur every year on this anniversary. That way, when your future self does eventually have access to a time machine, they’ll know to come back to this. very. Moment. And then once you’ve done all of that, hit “save” and your future self should appear immediately right in front of you!

OK, so do you see your future self? Alright, well you may have to look around just like a little tiny bit. Hold on, hold on. Do none of you see your future selves? Uh oooh…

[long silence]

Well, this has been the Children’s Fun Fact Science Corner!

7. Teddy Williams

Cecil: Now, a look at the Community Calendar. So let’s start off with an event that is happening today. To get in on the annual ghost story contest, Teddy Williams, owner of the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex, announced that he will be offering 20 per cent off admission and double game tokens for anyone who dresses up like a deceased ancestor, historical figure, or departed pet.

We have Teddy in the studio with us now to talk about some of the themed activity going on at the fun complex. Teddy?

Teddy Williams: Hello, Cecil.

Cecil: Hello.

TW: We are really getting into this ghost stories festival over at the Desert Flower today and we wanted to celebrate the spirit of the event [chuckles], no pun intended.

Cecil: No pun understood.

TW: OK well we’re getting into the ghost story.. mood. Over in the bowling lanes, we’ll be turning off all of the lights, and as customers try to navigate and stumble around in the dark, our staff will sneak up behind them and shout classic ghost things like “BOOO!” and [hoarsely] “Hello again son, I miss you, it’s so cold here”.

Cecil: Well that sounds like great fun that people will remember not unpleasantly for the rest of their lives.

TW: We hired some pretty expensive lawyers to make sure of that.

Cecil: Now Teddy, you seem to really love this day. Do you have a ghost story you wanna share?

TW: Well, OK sure. As you know we built the new skating rink on top of the old pet cemetery. And there’s this gost cat, a Persian cat. Super cute like you just wanna grab his little flat face and go [high-pitched squeaking] with your own face against his..

Cecil: Awww.

TW:..but you can’t. Because he’s a ghost and so your face just goes through, it’s just.. it’s like rrow, rrow. Anyway, turns out this cat belonged to former town billionaire Marcus Vanston. Marcus of course disappeared one day and no one knows for certain what happened to him..

Cecil: Oh, I-

TW: Or we do know, but none of us are legally allowed to say.

Cecil: Of course, because we can’t legally acknowledge the existence of..

TW: None of us are legally allowed to say Cecil, it could have been anything.

Cecil: Yeah of course. [whispers] Angel.

TW: So this ghost cat belonged to Marcus, and Marcus was so rich that he had taught the cat French.

Cecil: Ooh.

TW: Yeah. Now I myself don’t speak French, but I do have a Russian dictionary, and I feel like both languages are so dissimilar form English that they must be similar to each other.

Cecil: That’s an excellent point.

TW: Right? Anyway, the cat told me that his name is Peanut, and that he died of sorrow when his master, whom he loved so much, passed from this earth and left him alone in their vast palazzo. That as a cat, he cannot cry, so he simply shivered with sadness by himself under the basement stairs every night, until his body wasted away into such a thin whisp that the wings of death could easily and sweetly carry him off to be with his owner once again. But he has yet to reunite with Marcus and so now he has only lonely immortality and no conceivable escape.

Cecil: That’s heartbreaking!

TW: Yeah. So then I told him, [excitedly] “My name is Teddy, and I love video games!”

Cecil: Oh.

TW: [laughing] I tried to feed him one of those little fish treats. It just fell right through his… He’s forever hungry and he can never eat! Ooo, anyway. So I’ve been trying to learn Russian better so that we can speak in French.

Cecil: Sure, yeah.

TW: And he’s been coming around more often saying something that, okay sounds a little bit like “Je suis triste”, “Je suis mort”. Which I figured out means, “Hey Teddy, it’s great to see you!”

Cecil: Umm, now it’s been a moment since my French brainwashing in high school, but I’m pretty sure that “Je suis mort” means..

TW: “Great to see you” yeah, I know Cecil. Alright well, I gotta get back to the complex and I hope to see everyone out there. Now don’t forget that it’s happy hour from four to six at our bar. If you can be happy for those two straight hours, you get three-dollar draft beers and well drinks. So far, no one has been able to do it. Well, je suis mort, Cecil! Ha ha!

Cecil:  Aha, thank you Teddy! [whimpering] Oh, Peanut!

8. Steve Carlsberg

More on the Community Calendar.

So listeners, I love ghost stories because they are so disturbing, but. Within the safety of a fictional narrative. Unlike my brother-in-law Steve, who just showed up uninvited to my studio and is disturbing in real life.

Steve Carlsberg: Well, now Cecil, you asked me to come up to the station to tell my ghost story!

Cecil: What, I did? Wait, why would I do that? Is that the kind of thing that – oh yeah I do remember (--) doing that. Well, go on with your story, Steve.

SC: Okey-dokey. [clears throat] Down by the old railroad tracks, on the eastern edge of town, it is said that if you go there just after dusk, you can see the ghoooooooost childrenn!

Cecil: Alright, well, we should go now, you know. Lead the way, Steve, and all of us will be right behind you, eventually.

SC: OK. Many decades ago, a school bus full of children stalled on those train tracks. The driver – whose name was Mab – tried to stop the engine, but it just kept grinding and grinding. There was noo moon! See, this was before the moon was invented by NASA scientists. Remember I told you?

Cecil: [mumbles]

SC: Alright. Mab probably didn’t know she’d stalled on the tracks, she just kept trying to restart the engine, to nooo avail. Suddenly there was a loud horn and a deep, rhythmic rumble from below them, as the tracks trembled!

Then, in the darkness, came a light. A single yellow glow, small and distant. The light was growing, as the sound of the horn and the rumble of the tracks crescendoed. The children spotted it first. [funny voices] “It’s the sun!” one of them called. “No, it’s a lightning bear!” called another.

Mab kept trying to start the bus, the horn of the train boomed, the tracks below the bus barked and rattled, and the light was so big, moving so fast, and the kids screamed “Traaaaaiiiin! It’s a traaaaa-a-a-a-aiin!” And then they all cheered because they love trains, hahaha! And then they all watched the train pass, clapping and laughing the whole time because hey, they got to see a train! [chuckles]

Cecil: So wait, the train didn’t even hit the bus?

SC: No no no no, see, turns out the vibration of the tracks had made the bus roll over them. A near miss, whew! Well, Mab called the Bus Barn and AAA and everyone got home safe and sound. But. It is said that out at the old train tracks, just after the dusk, on a night where there is no moon, if you put some powder on the trunk of your car and stop on the train tracks, your car will begin to move slowly off the tracks, without you touching the gas pedal. And then, if you check the outside of your car, you will see a series of small handprints on the powder! The ghosts of those children who were on that stalled bus so many years ago will push your vehicle to safety!

Cecil: But those kids didn’t die, I don’t understand how they, like how are they ghosts?

SC: It happened 70 years ago, Cecil, I’m pretty sure most of those kids are ghosts by now.

Cecil: I mean, are you leaving the car in drive, because then it’ll just move on its own without you having to press the gas. Oh and plus, those handprints are probably just your own handprints that form as the powder absorbs the oils that were already there.

SC: Sounds like you’re too chicken to go out on the old train tracks..

Cecil: Ugh.

SC: ..and see the ghost hands of ghost children who all died after bearing on that stalled bus!

Cecil: Yeah, from natural causes, yeears later!

SC: Which is all after they were on the stalled bus! Who-o-o-ooo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo, spookyy, spookyy! Do you need a hug?

Cecil: No. [beat] OK Steve. [sighs]

SC: Look, it’s very scary, OK? It’s not just the handprints, but if you get there too long after dusk, the sky will be mostly void. You’ll stare into that infinite maw, sizing yourself down and down, until you understand that you are a fleck, a speck, a nothing nobody loser, who will be gone and not missed. Even the stars, for all their mass and might, are replaceable dots, soundless and similar. Even a ball of nuclear explosions, 2000 times the size of our own Earth, and which will burn mighty for millions and billions of years, is an indistinguishable blip that most can’t even name. What is the use of any of this?

Cecil: OK, now I’m actually scared.

SC: [breathes heavily] So yeah, make sure you show up at the exact right time [chuckling] to see those handprints, OK?

Cecil: OK. You’re done talking now?

SC: Yeah.

Cecil: OK, great. So listeners, we now continue with our Com- OK Steve, you gotta, you gotta go.

SC: Yeah, one hug.

Cecil: No oh geez, alright, fine.

SC: Oh there it is! Ah, we did it! Ah, I’m so scared, it’s so spooky! [chuckles] You’ll need another hug later on, (big guy).

Cecil: Alright. [sarcastically] Thank you Steve.

9. The Community Calendar

Where was I? Friday morning, the wooooop will be whoooooaaa and then later, ah ah a-a-a haha, if you catch my meaning, hahaha! [beat] Oh yes, that was probably very confusing for the radio, so. Friday morning there will be nuclear arms testing just along the canyon east of Route 800. Please remember to take shelter inside your car or under a very sturdy table. As lovable cartoon character, Andy the Atom, always screams: “A nuclear bomb is probably more afraid of you than you are of it!”

Saturday night is Night Vale high school’s annual prom. Afterwards there will be a casino-themed lock-in party. Now this is to encourage kids to stay in one place together, having fun with friends, and not being out on the streets drinking and driving. It is also to encourage kids to gamble. Some of the fun casino games featured will be lottery scratch-off tickets, Three Card Monte, and trust falls.

Monday is the day that Nostradamus told us would happen. [long beat] You know, Jeremy Nostradamus told us that this particular Monday would happen and listeners, Monday is indeed happeniiiiing-ah.

Tuesday evening at 7 PM, the Night Vale school board will be holding a hearing to discuss whether or not testing helps measure children’s abilities, or whether it’s already pretty obvious that the electrified maze is just like totally unbeatable. This hearing is open to the public.

This Wednesday will be re-experiencing last Wednesday. I mean, last Wednesday was just so much fun, we are gonna repeat it over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over… [mumbles] and over.

10. Ghost Story #2

Back to a ghost story, already in progress.

[dramatically] It was ten years ago, on a night just like tonight. Here was a man driving down a dark road. No other cars. Where are all the other cars? Where are all the living people in the dead of night, I don’t know.

And this, the anniversary of the burning of the oooooold mill, in which a young woman had died horribly, by fire. And here beside him, a passenger with a strange voice asking him as the woman would ask all doomed innocents that stopped for her to take… her… home.

“Oh you [clears throat], you want to go home?” the man said. “Yeah sure, sure. Umm, where is home?” [growling] “I will give you directionsss,” the stiff dead throat of the figure rasped, and a hand touched his shoulder. He could just see it. Flesh and bone? Maybe. Meat and (symmetry), perhaps. But that does not make a thing human. And he knew from the stories that those who followed the directions of the woman from the mill would find themselves taking narrow, shaded lines, winding downwards  and downwards, to a destination and hollow as the pupil of a dead eye.

“Oh sure, well I’m heading into town myself,” the man said, grasping for any kind of human conversation. “Well maybe I can drop you off somewhere – close to home, like the Moonlite All-Nite Diner or Mission Grove Park?” [growling] “No! Take. Me. Home!”

And before he could stop himself, the man turned and met her eyes, and the man saw, the man saw her face crearly. Stop. Stop right now. I want you all right now to close your eyes. Close your eyes and imagine – trench warfare. Imagine bodies writhing out of holes in the ground to die in muddy no man’s land. Imagine a plane in a thunderstorm where the whole of the universe becomes nothing but lightning and quake.

Imagine closing yourself into your bedroom at night and seeing the shadow imprints of your eyelids after you’ve closed the door. A hunched figure at the end of the hall, flopping around on the floor, in a sheet and muling.

Imagine pulling into your driveway in the dead of night and seeing, you think – but did you? – a grey face with a crude smile peeking from your bedroom window. Imagine being home alone in the middle of a vast nowhere. [click] And the power goes out. And it’s a long, long night until sunrise. Be quiet for just a few moments, and imagine all of this.

Now imagine the face of the woman in the car. Yes. Yes. That is it. Exactly that. [growling] “Tuuuuurn heeeere,” she said, incdicating a dark narrow side road, its pavement cracked and buckling, a side road he had never seen before. [increasingly scary voice] “Tuuuuuurn heeeere, take meee hoooooooooommmmme”. And without knowing why he did it, or where the path would lead, he turned down that side road and left the main road behind.

11. A Public Service Annoucement

The finale of my story coming up. But first, a public service announcement.

After a few recent wildfires, the Night Vale Fire Department would like to remind our listeners about fire safety. They began a new campaign to help parents talk to their kids about this important civic issue. The campaign is called “Your Treachery Has Been Noted”. And the mascot is this adorable cartoon vulture with a camera for a face.

Fire chief Ramona Incarna(-) that it’s important for parents to teach their kids about the three R:s of fire prevention: relent, renounce, repent! She said that  most common house fires and wildfires are started by your kids. And here she pointed straight at you! And then she said, “Those children came from your body!”

And then she retched. Sorry.

As part of the campaign, the Fire Department issued a pamphlet to help parents with the education business. Now this pamphlet is adorned with colorful drawings of pyramids and floating eyes, you know, to make it more relatable to teens. And these pamphlets will be distributed to all Night Vale Public School students via repeating audio loops while they sleep.

12. Pamela Winchell

So, because the ghost stories competition is such an important event in our town, Night Vale’s Mayor has sent her Director of Emergency Press Conferences, Pamela Winchell, here to deliver an emergency press conference. So please welcome Pamela Winchell!

Pamela Winchell: Hello, Cecil! Hello, people of Night Vale! Hello, people or whatever of space, who are receiving this long-ago podcast millions of light years away, millions of years in the future. Hello, mutant hollow-eyed child in the dark corner of the radio studio!

Cecil: Oh my god! What.. But..

PW: He’s cute right?

Cecil: I ha- I have never noticed him before. [long beat] [whispers] Pamela!

PW: [whispers] Yes?

Cecil: [whispers] He’s staring right at me!

PW: [whispers] That’s what he does!

Cecil: [whispers] He’s horrifying! Is he a ghost?

PW: [normal voice] You can tell by his grey complexion and glowing yellow eyes and complete lack of facial expression, he is not a ghost. That, my friend, is one of the undead hollow-eyed messanger children from City Council.

Cecil: How long has he been here?

PW: Probably since the last time City Council issued a press release.

Cecil: But that was like a month ago!

PW: Well you answered your own question there, didn’t ya? Cecil, you are supposed to send the undead messenger children home when you’re done with them. If you don’t, they’ll just hang around in the dark watching you all slack-faced. I mean, kids are innocent but they aren’t very smart!

Cecil: So he won’t like hurt me, right?

PW: [singsong] I never said that!

Cecil: [laughing hysterically] Aahahaa, hahaha, he-hey there little guy! What’s your name?

[music]

PW: Oh, that was my grandfather’s middle name! [chuckles]

Cecil: How do you even spell that?

PW: Oh, B-U-M-P-F-B-U-M-B-F-F-F-G-G-G-W-silent Q. It’s Welsh. Also, my grandfather was a bird. He is no longer with us.

Cecil: Oh, I’m so sorry for you loss.

PW: What? Why?

Cecil: I mean your grandfather passing away and..

PW: It was just a bird. Calm down, Cecil. Anyway, the Mayor sent me to do an emergency press conference about ghosts.

Cecil: Excellent, go right ahead.

PW: Quiet over there, kid, I’m talking. 

People of Night Vale. There is a certain rock in the desert. The rock is cone-shaped, perfectly smooth and inverted, balancing precariously on its point. If you stand in the long shadow of the rock, you can see the entire universe in the midday sky. Stars you have never seen before, every. single. star. Constellation spinning out great and terrible forgings. You will understand that history is a myth, and humanity a fever dream, and you will also hear a very dull hum. Really dull. I got bored like 30 seconds into it. [sighs]

But the rock is really cool, OK? It is stone, white and carved into it is the entire text of Gillian Flynn’s best-selling thriller “Gone Girl”. The words are printed upside down and in Latin. Now, no one in Night Vale knows Latin, the only books on it are in the library and there’s no way any of us is going there. So I’m just assuming that it is “Gone Girl” because while I never have read the book, I’ve definitely seen the movie and it’s awesome. I’m not sure why they called movie “Furious 7” instead of “Gone Girl”, but it was really really good! So I’m just gonna say that’s a Latin translation of “Gone Girl” on the rock and not some ancient curse of rare religious relic.

Cecil: OK, is there a ghost anywhere in this story?

PW: I don’t have to say that there is a ghost in a story for there to be a ghost in a story, Cecil. Like 16 billion people have died since the lizard people first invented humans. Ghosts are everywhere, all the time! I mean, I mentioned a desert, do you need me to say that there is sand there too, or cacti, or shirtless 20-year-olds burning a giant effigy and buying 8-dollar bottles of water from corporate sponsors? Of course those things are there, it’s a desert! [sighs]

Cecil: So I’ve never seen this rock, but I’m actually really interested because I loved that movie too. I actually like the book just a little bit better. I’m actually not sure why they called the book “Ms. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs”, but it was still really good. So where can I go to get a look at this fascinating rock?

PW: I ate it.

Cecil: What- you what?!

PW: I. Ate. It. It wasn’t good, I mean I liked the movie way better than I liked the stone, the stone is terrible, ugh. I haven’t been able to use the restroom in weeks.

Cecil: Ugh.

PW: Really turned me off ever reading Gillian Flynn. Anyway kid, you wanna go back to City Hall? Alright, cool. I’ll give you a ride, just hop on this horse with me and let’s go.

Cecil: Oh wow, I just now noticed that you were sitting atop a horse.

PW:  Sure am. See you, Cecil! YAAAAOW!

Cecil: Oh, oh..

13. Ghost Story #3

Cecil: The finale of my ghost story. It was ten yeears agoo, on a night just like tonight. The man and his passenger drove through a road that cut through the low branches of the forest. You know, the (dry) of the desert, trees take strange forms. They writhe and loom, their shape a history of their tortured growth.

“Keep going,” the figure rasped. “Yeah I know the way,” the man said, and he did. Because the road, like this story, leads to only one place. A dark and secret place, from which no one ever returns. “Do you know why I was in that mill when it burned?” He did not. “It was because I loved that mill, and I couldn’t let it go alone. Where were you, Cecil? Where were you when that mill burned down?” “I dunno, I was, I was at work,” the man said. “I I I didn’t know it would burn down that day. I mean, I guess a part of me thought that nothing burns down and everything is forever.” “Old mills burn, Cecil. That’s what they do.” “I know I’m just I’m I’m trying to say I’m sorry that I wasn’t there.” “It’s OK. You’re here noow!” And the car reached the end of its road, the asphalt giving way to thick bramble. And the bramble rose and fell, like it was the hair on the back of a huge breathing (animal) and above them, the mill burned. It took up the whole sky. The whole night sky seemed like it was on fire, and the man, hardly able to breathe through this terror, turned and he met the face of the woman and she turned back to him and he saw, he saw the face of the woman clearly, and her face was gone. And in its place was the face that the fire had given her. And her lips opened into what would have been laughter, and she reached for him with what would have been her hand!

[quiet speech] Listeners… I’ve been lying to you. Or not lying, I’m sorry, but what’s the word for when you tell someone a fiction that you would like them believe about you, whatever that is but listen I can’t go on doing that, I need to tell you the truth. And I will. Coming up. The real story, the… the true ghost story that I have been trying to tell you. But first, the weather.

15. Epilogue

This is the true story. It is also a ghost story.

Ten years ago, on a night just like tonight, a man was driving down a dark road, a man who defines himself much of the time as a radio host. But on this night, he was just a driver. And he saw a figure ahead, on the side of the road, a brief pause in a long fog. But he knew exactly who it was, and he took five seconds to collect himself.

And he let her in. Because he know on this very stretch of road, one year to the day before that day that was ten years ago on a night just like tonight, a woman died. Oh, not the woman by the side of the road, she was still alive. Or she IS still alive. The woman who died was an old woman.

And this old woman did not die in a mill fire, there are no old mills in Night Vale, it had just been this woman’s time to go. And this way of passing was mundane. The way that death always is. But still. He mourned the loss of what had been a part of his life.

“Where you headed?” he said. And the woman from the side of the road spoke in a voice that sounded like – a normal voice, like anyone’s voice. “You know where,” it said. “You know where I want to go.” And he did know, because well, she called him and told him where she wanted to go. “I want to go home,” she said. And he looked into her eyes and he saw the familiar face – of his older sister, Abby. She looked tired because she, too, had been thinking about that woman who had died. Because before that old woman had been just a memory. She’d been their mother. The unveiling of the gravestone had been that day and… There were stories to tell. Too many stories, and the weight of them started to seem physical. And now this, her car breaking down on the side of the road?

“The service was nice,” she said. “I think Mom would have…” she said. “Yeah um, yeah. Mom would have,” he said.  

See, my mother disappeared when I was only 14. Abby had just started school, but she had to drop out to return home and raise me, and I thought that Mom would be back at any moment, like maybe she was away on business. Our out for a walk. Or just hiding.

But Mom did not come back, not for my entire childhood. And I was petulant and subversive, and Abby was reserved and controlling and she blamed me for having dropped out of school and I blamed her for just… not being Mom.

But in our adulthood, my mother did return home, sick and sorry to two children who barely spoke to each other in the morning. But we came back together to be with her and Mom… [softly] She looked older than she was. And her face – was gone. And in its place was the face that time had given her. She’s lost many battles to herself. Alcohol, debt, and lack of treatment or even awareness of a mental illness.

See, some creatures have claws, and and and and some have have pincers and and and some have venom, but some creatures have wings. And Mom flew away, when all other defenses failed her. But still, Abby and I started talking to each other, once again, trying to heal ourselves and navigating that dark and narrow path of forgiveness. And then a few months later – Mom left us again. This time for good. And a year after that on a night just like tonight, a man drove his sister home. And she gets out of the car, and and and she goes into her house, and and and he drives away, it’s it’s simple it’s this, then this, then this, then this, then this.

You see, the reality of ghost stories is that they would be comforting, not scary, if they were true like reassuring proof that we go on, after the after. Or a chance to speak with someone that we will never be able to speak with again, but instead we live in a story about us, and about our relationships, and about our families, and the choices of our families going back and back and back. And this story in the same way that a ghost story is scary because it is – unresolved. And filled with symbolism that we just don’t understand.

And family history, after all, is just another kind of ghost story. So ten years ago, on a night just like tonight, when the fog lay heavy on the lowlands, a man drove his sister home. And eleven years on a night just like tonight, their mother died, and it didn’t –mean- anything, but it happened. And the sister stood by and watched it happen and the brother, talked on the radio and didn’t even know that it had happened until afterwards, and there was nothing that they could have done. But still they regretted everything they didn’t do, and when she called to tell him what had happened, they were both silent for ten. full. seconds.

[sighing] [long beat] Thirty years ago, on a night just like tonight I, I tripped on this wire, here at the radio station, and now sometimes I can still feel it. Fifty years ago on a night just like tonight, a baby was born. Oh, no one important to this story, babies are always being born. A hundred years ago there was a war, or not, you know, a hundred years ago exactly but more or less a hundred years ago on a night just like tonight, there was a war. On a night just like tonight 300 years ago, a woman picked up a handful of grass on a sunny day and realized she was not living the life that she wanted to live. She was not sure why she picked up that handful of grass, she was not sure why she did that either. On a night just like tonight 600 years ago, feudalism. [long beat] I think. I’m actually not quite sure when feudalism was.

Oh, a 1,000 years ago on a night just like tonight, a man had the best pear he would ever have. But he didn’t know it at the time, he just thought, “Wow, this is a really good pear. 1,002 years ago on a night nothing like tonight, the same man would have the worst pear he would ever have. Oh, but he knew it at the time, he was like, “Agh, this is a terrible pear!” 3,000 years ago on a night just like tonight, people scraped in the dirt for food or they looked for it in trees or, they reached their hands into water and came out clutching what they found there, which in essence was another day of life, and they took that, wriggling, into their bodies and consumed it. 22,000 years ago on a night just like tonight – trees. That one I’m entirely sure of. There were a lot of trees then. And now but then, more of them now. 103,000 years ago on a night just like tonight, a child felt very bad about something that he had one, but not knowing how to make up for it, he ran away. But then having nowhere else to go, he returned home the next day to a family that had already forgiven him. 100 million years ago on a night just like tonight, there was (-) and stars and accidental beauty that would not be described as beauty for millions of years, and colors that were not colors just yet, just a different type of light.

And millions of years later, a man would drive his sister home because he loved her, and because it was their story to tell, they were living in a ghost story that did not have the comfort of fear, but merely a dull ache and tangle, at the heart of it. And millions of years before that, a volcano erupted and for just one moment, it looked like a fountain of jewels, but no one was around to see it happen. And hundreds of millions of years later, there would be babies born at every moment and everyone would see everything happening and it would always be so loud, but millions upon millions of years ago, before ghost stories, before even stories, it was quiet sometimes, sometimes it was quiet for a long time. Hundreds of millions of years ago it was very, very quiet for a very long time.

[long silence] And then of course, there was small talk. Laughter and love. Love of every kind. And getting to sit next to your sister, watching her daughter, your niece, in her first ever ballet fight. Feeling – lucky to be haunted by the family that you have. Huh. Well. That’s my story submission.

And it looks like I got it in just in time, as the City Council indicates that the ghost story competition is coming to a close, and they will announce their dinner very soon. Win-winner! Winner! They will announce the winner very soon, that’s yeah mm hm, yeah.

Stay tuned next for that uncertain moment of silence between the last word spoken and the first applause. And from a night that is so much like tonight, as to almost be – indistinguishable.

Good night, Night Vale, Good night.

[applause]

Meg Bashwiner: Welcome to Night Vale is a production of Night Vale Presents. It is written by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor with original music by Disparition. [applause]

[mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea]

Thanks for the tag, @mcfiddlestan!!!

I agree with you, though. It's really hard to pick just five faves when they're all my fic babies and I love them equally. So, I'll try...

A spirit with a vision (Is a dream with a mission) This is Part 2 of the Hemispheres series (the series is a WIP and I've started Part 3 but I've been working on so many other fics that I haven't gotten back to it, but I will! No need for more snide remarks in comments, thanks.) It's my big Frostiron series that will add other pairs as it goes along. But I love the second part because there's so much going on, both comedic and dramatic. It's also the first time I've written a fight scene, and that was fun (stressful) to choreograph!

Spinning on that dizzy edge (I kissed his face and kissed his head) Part 2 of the Wantons light of heart series. Currently have Part 3 started, but the same as I wrote for the last one applies to this one. Part 2 really gets into the meat of the beginning of this new relationship between Scott Summers and Tony Stark; Tony especially learns a lot more about Scott.

All lost in a wonderland (Stranger in Paradise) This is Part 1 of the Stars and Diamonds series, and so far the only part written. Look, at one time, I never would've dreamed of shipping Emma Frost with Steve Rogers (not after the utter monstrosity of Bendis' AvX comic series), but a lot has changed in my thinking since then, and Chris Evans has done a helluva convincing job of making Steve an actual likeable character, so. This story has been born.

If it be your pleasure to cross the sleeping green between Part 1 of the Break of Day in the Trenches series. Just as I never thought I'd ship Emma with Steve, for the very same reason, I never thought I'd ship Scott Summers with Steve, but here I am. @scottcyclopssummers gave me a prompt for the Comfortember Event last year, and I knew she'd want Scott Summers, so I decided finally to play with this ship, and it turned out much more fun than I could've imagined. Let's just say that...a food fight gets started which leads to some pretty aggressive making out.

There'll be times / When my crimes [Will seem almost unforgivable] Part 1 of the Is this a dagger? series. Bucky/Loki. There is a Part 2, which gets pretty sexy, but I really do love this first one where Bucky realizes that he and Loki have both been kept cooped up in the tower (Bucky by and over protective Steve and Loki by an overbearing Thor), and they're both bored. So Bucky proposes a mutiny by escaping the tower together for a day at Luna Park in Coney Island.

Honorable mentions that I love just as much as those 5:

To get it right even a little / and that little grudging and awkward Part 2 of the Steve/Loki series Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

Of everything that stands, the end Part 1 of the AU Bucky/Tony series Every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite.

Breaking Inside, Part 1 of Outside the dawn is breaking (But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free), a Scott/Logan X-Men 3 Fix-it fic.

Tagging: @scottxlogan @kleenexwoman @holistic-alcoholic @just-fandomthings @scottcyclopssummers and anyone else who wants to play!

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💖

So, first off, thank you, @bouncydragon! I didn't think I'd get a tag in this one so I'm super touched you chose me! ❤️

This is not an easy choice for me bc my fics are all my favorites at different times for different reasons. But, if I really had to choose...in no particular order...

Dark Side (145k) - the beginning of my FrostIron opus and the first fic I published online since my *NSYNC fandom writing days. It wasn't meant to go beyond this, but readers demanded, so I delivered as best I could.

Stay With Me (32k) - an ambitious WinterFrost fic I started while still writing the above series and RPing. And based on a really good British indie movie I saw on Netflix.

Empire State of Mind (31k) - the first and last major character death fic I'll ever write bc omg the comments that flooded my inbox, ranging from love letters to death threats. I still get comments on it. And it's one of the few fics I wrote Loki as the God of Mischief with magic and all and Tony as Iron Man.

Can I Bum A Ride? (8k) - WinterFrost smut, basically. But it was my first WinterFrost fic and for a hot minute, I contemplated making it a serial killer series.

Blank Page (30k) - The finale in my Friends to Lovers trilogy. I wrote this one differently from any other fic. Each overlapping chapter switches POVs between Tony and Loki. It's not even in my Top 5 Hits but it's one I'm really proud of.

Honorable Mentions: Black Light Special (12k), Don't Think I Don't Think About It (3k), Take A Bow (3k)

Tagging: @rabentochter @mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea @incubigirl @incredifishface @ishipanarmada (no pressure!)

xoxo

[winchesterenthusiast]

Prophet City: Part Nine

A Dean x Reader / Superhero!Au

Master List

A/N: Let me just start off by saying I am SO sorry this took so long. (Like 3 months, wtf Kait?!?!) I promise I will continue this on a regular basis now that i have the free time, along with all of my other open series. Please let me know what you think. I love hearing from all of you! I hope you guys like it. *bites nails*

Word Count: 2,816 Other Characters: Cas, Charlie

Warnings: - language. (maybe) - kind of angsty. - talk of death.

Tags: (at the end)

*gif is not mine.

Over the next couple of weeks, Dean trained you harder than you’d ever trained before, mentally and physically. Charlie had been keeping close tabs on Crowley for you and, much to your surprise, he hadn’t even left Prophet City. At least, that’s what you were told. She could never get an exact location on him, just bits and pieces from people who were willing to give her information. The tricky part about it all was that his headquarters had moved, but the word on the street was that no one knew where it was. Although Crowley was one huge piece of shit, he was ridiculously smart.

“I think maybe you deserve a break today,” Dean said after you’d finished sparring, putting his gloves away in their proper place. “You’ve been working so hard.”

“I can’t,” you huffed, bending over to try and catch your breath, sweat pouring down your face. “If I’m going to take down Crowley, I need to be strong.”

“You are strong,” Dean replied, walking over to you and taking your face in his hands. “Don’t forget, you’re not doing this on your own.”

“This is my fight,” you snapped quickly, immediately fixing your tone. It wasn’t Dean you were angry with. “I need to be the one to put him down.”

“Understandable,” he agreed, leaning against the cabinet in the gym. “But you know there’s no way I’m letting you waltz in there by yourself, Y/N. We’re in this together, remember? I hate him just as much as you do.”

“Yes, yes, I know,” you sighed, walking towards him and wrapping your arms around his waist, resting your head against his chest. “I’m sorry. I just think of Jo, yanno?”

“I do.” Dean rubbed circles on the small of your back, resting his chin on the top of your head. “Everything will work out. It just needs to be the right time.”

“ I know. I love Charlie, but maybe we need some on the street intel. No friend of Crowley’s is going to tell anything to a tiny, loud, redheaded woman.”

“You’re right,” Dean said, nodding his head in agreement. “She won’t be pleased, but we need some extra help here.”

“Do you have anyone in mind?”

“I think so,” he said softly, his brow furrowed as he thought hard. “Let me go make a few phone calls.”

“Y/N, this is Castiel,” Dean said with gusto, gesturing to a man in front of him you had never seen in Prophet City before. He was about the same height as Dean, maybe a few inches shorter. His hair was a dark brown, almost black, and equally as dark scruff lined his cheeks. His steel blue eyes were staring directly at you, his eyebrows drawn together in a permanent scowl; or look of confusion, you couldn’t really tell. He was very handsome, but also very intimidating. “He’s my eyes on the streets. His intel has helped me take down some of the worst criminals in Prophet City.”

“Please, call me Cas,” he said, extending his hand out to you, a small smile appearing on his lips. You shook it and his grip was strong, powerful. You knew he couldn’t just be Dean’s eyes on the streets. He was trained, just like Dean was, and you could see it in his posture.

“Cas and I have actually known one another for quite some time,” Dean interjected, his hand resting protectively on the small of your back. “We used to be good partners, friends even. But duty calls elsewhere. Isn’t that right, pal?”

You looked from Dean to Cas, noticing a small bit of tension float between them. You took your hand and squeezed Dean’s bicep, silently signaling for him to behave himself. There were more important things at stake than petty arguments. If it were possible, Cas’ eyebrows formed a deeper v shape, the smile he sported a few seconds earlier slipping away.

“Look,” you said, getting in the middle of them. “I don’t know what your little tiff is about, but that can wait.” You turned to Cas, wringing your hands together, ready to beg. “Cas, we could really use your help, if you’re up for it.”

“What do you need me to do?” he asked, his voice rough like sandpaper.

“How well do you know Prophet City?”

“Well enough,” he responded, squinting his eyes. “I’ve lived here more than half my life.”

“Do you know a man they call Crowley?”

“Fergus McLeod,” Cas said flatly, eyes narrowed, his hands balling into fists at his sides. “Yeah, I know him.”

“Cas and I were the closest we’d ever been to capturing him about five years ago,” Dean interjected, stepping up beside you both. “We got too close too quickly. Cas’ wife Hannah was with us at the time, in on the fight. Crowley killed her.”

“I’m so sorry…” you said softly, reaching out to squeeze Cas’ arm in comfort. Cas looked at your hand as if it were an alien. “He killed someone I loved very much. My best friend, Jo.”

“Crowley is an animal, and he needs to be put down,” Cas growled.

“Agreed,” you shook your head. “Will you help us take him out, once and for all?”

“It would be my honor,” he replied, this time squeezing your own arm awkwardly. “When do we begin?”

“Who’s this guy?” Charlie asked, flipping up her welding goggles to meet the new stranger.

“Charlie,” Dean started, you following closely behind both towering men. “This is Castiel.”

“Cas, please,” Cas responded, extending his hand out to Charlie. He attempted a smile, but her look of shock and revulsion made him turn immediately stone faced again. He cleared his throat and shifted his feet. She didn’t shake his hand, and instead looked at it like it was diseased.

“Charlie, Cas is here to help us find Crowley. He’s going to go out on the streets and ask around, try and find his main base,” Dean continued, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. “He's gonna do… the dirty work.”

“I mean… I can do the dirty work?” she replied quickly, clearly offended.

“Listen to me,” you quickly interjected, standing between Charlie and Dean. You placed your hands on her shoulders and squeezed. “You are the smartest woman I have ever met, but I do not want you going out in the roughest part of Prophet City, questioning criminals on my behalf. I already lost one of my friends to that monster, and I'm not going to lose you too.”

Charlie bit her lip, clearly wanting to protest, but finally her posture went slack. She let out a huff from deep in her chest and rolled her eyes.

“Fineeee,” she whined, side stepping you and holding her hand out to Cas. “Nice to meet you, Castiel. Anything you need technology wise, I'm your gal.”

“Thank you, Charlie,” Dean sighed, relieved. “Can you hook him up with some kevlar? Who knows what he'll run into out there. Crowley knows we’re looking for him, and it’s not like he doesn’t know what Cas looks like. He won’t be looking for Cas though, considering he hasn’t seen him in half a decade, so that gives us a bit of an advantage.”

“Got it, boss. Come on, brooding prince. We'll get you all set up,” Charlie said, taking Cas by the shoulder and guiding him to her workstation. Cas looked back at you like a lost puppy, not used to the spunk that Charlie seeped from every pore. “Nice trench coat by the way. Very mysterious stranger…”

After another exhausting week of training, and getting Castiel set up to go out into the streets, you needed a moment to breathe. Escaping to the garden outside, you kneeled on the grass in front of Joe’s memorial. Dean had set it up for you, and it was where you came when you needed to clear your head. Sometimes you would talk to her, praying she was listening; other times you sat in silence, hoping to feel her presence.

The memorial Dean built for her was beautiful, and when he presented it to you, you wept with joy. You couldn’t bring yourself to even attend her funeral, and had no idea where she was actually buried. Facing her family was never an option, the guilt festering inside you like a disease, screaming at you everyday that it was all your fault.

You missed her; every single day you missed her more and more. When she died, a part of you died with her. She was always there to guide you through life, to give you the best advice, and make you smile when you didn’t think it was possible to smile anymore. Your heart ached for her, but this special place to commemorate her life helped you immensely in coping with her death. That, and finding anyway possible to take down her killer.

“Hey,” you heard a soft, gruff voice behind you. “Are you alright?”

It was Dean, of course. He was always so worried about you, and you welcomed his presence at all times. He soothed you, calmed your nerves. You had no idea what you’d do without him.

“Yes, I’m fine,” you said quickly, not wanting to worry him. “I just needed to spend some time with Jo.”

Dean nodded, placing his large hand on your shoulder. When Jo died, it was almost as if Dean was a blessing in disguise. He was there to protect you no matter what.

“I love you,” he said gently, giving your shoulder a squeeze. “I know we don’t say it enough, what with everything going on lately, but I really do.”

You stood up from where you were kneeling and faced the man you loved. He looked so tired, the crinkles by his eyes more apparent than ever before. You touched his face, feeling the dark scruff beneath your fingers. He was everything to you. There was no way you could handle losing him too.

“I love you too,” you whispered back, only the chirps of birds nestled in nearby trees making any sound.

“Will you take a walk with me?” he asked, taking your hand. “There’s something I’d like to show you.”

Dean walked you along the garden, his gaze landing on you every so often. You barely spoke to one another, as you enjoyed the fresh air. You’d been cooped up in the house for so long, it was becoming hard to breathe. He stopped you at a vantage point, which overlooked the entire range of Prophet City.

“This is where I go to think sometimes…” Dean started, sitting down on the bench which you knew he’d placed there himself.

The sun was going down, and beautiful pinks and purples framed the backdrop of your city. It was breathtaking, and you stared at it for a moment, your mouth open.

“This is incredible.”

“I hoped you’d like it,” he said, scooting over on the bench so you could sit beside him.

“Do you think Jo is… okay? Do you think she’s happy where she is?”

“I do. Do you?”

“I like to think so. She was a great person.”

“How are you doing with all of this? The training, Jo, Crowley. I need to know that you’re okay, Y/N.”

“I’m fine, Dean.”

He narrowed his eyes at you, as if you weren’t telling him the whole truth.

“I am! I promise. I mean, some days are harder than others. But I have you to keep me sane.”

You laid your head on his shoulder and watched the sun continue to set. This is what you loved about Dean. He wasn’t much of a talker either. It was easy to just sit and enjoy his company, without words getting in the way.

“Has Cas found anything out yet?” you asked, remembering that Castiel had started his mission earlier that very morning.

“He hasn’t gotten in touch with me, so I’m going to assume no. These things take time. Crowley is not an easy person to find.”

“You’re right. I need to relax.”

“He promised he’d contact me as soon as he heard anything.”

You nodded, brushing the hair out of your face. It was almost dark now, the sun giving its final stroke of art across the sky, before disappearing behind the looming skyscrapers.

“Do you think Crowley knows we’re looking for him?” you asked, dusting off your pants and getting up from the bench.

“Oh I know he is,” Dean responded. “And I know damn well he’s trying to find a way to get to us first.”

It had been over two weeks, and you hadn’t heard from Cas once. Dean had even tried to call him, once he’d grown tired of hearing you ask, and he didn’t answer. You were starting to get discouraged, and were itching to take matters in your own hands.

“This is ridiculous,” you huffed, resting your head on the table. “Torture, even.”

“Y/N,” Dean said, wrapping his arms around your neck. “These things take time. Crowley isn’t just going to pop out and allow himself to get caught up. He’s hidden, and he’s hidden well.”

“But why hasn’t Cas even called to tell us he hasn’t found anything? I mean… is this normal for him?”

“Castiel is very… independent. He knows what his job is and I know he’ll contact me when he deems it necessary. I’ve known him for a very long time.”

“Whatever you say.”

You hadn’t told Dean this, but if Cas didn’t call by the end of the week, you were going to prowl Prophet City to try and find some intel yourself. Not even speaking a word of this to Charlie, for fear she’d tell Dean, you kept it to yourself. You had it all planned out in your head, and you were just waiting for the perfect time.

Dean’s phone ringing shrilly in his pocket, snapped you out of your daydreams. You stared at him with open eyes, as he reached into his pocket.

“Cas,” he said flatly into the phone. Dean walked away into the other room as he spoke to his friend. You sat patiently at the kitchen table, waiting to see what Cas had to say. After about fifteen minutes, Dean finally entered the kitchen again. His face was beat red, his hair standing on end. These were signs of Dean’s frustration, his fingers working through his mussed up hair and he placed his phone on the table, and his jade eyes locked with yours.

“Crowley’s been sighted,” he said plainly, but there was a fire in his eyes that you had never seen before. He was mad, so mad his neck was beginning to inflame. His knuckles turned ghost white as he gripped the table.

“Dean…” you started, knowing something was up. “What’s wrong?”

“Remember how I told you I have a brother? Sam - the lawyer?”

Briefly you did remember him mentioning this, but had no idea who he was. Dean didn’t talk about him very much, and didn’t tell you why he was never around.

“Yes…”

“Crowley’s taken him. His last sighting was throwing my little brother into the back of a van, with a sack over his head.”

You stood up quickly, almost knocking the kitchen chair over. Walking to him quickly, you took his flushed face in your hands. He was biting his bottom lip, his eyes flitting back and forth as he thought everything through.

“Where?”

“At the docks. Downtown.”

“Why didn’t Cas do anything?!” you yelled, starting to become angry.

“There were too many of them. Cas is strong, but he can’t take them all on his own.”

“What do we do now?”

“Cas got the license plate number of the van. I can give it to Charlie, and she can track where it is, or where it's been last.”

“We’ll get him back, Dean,” you said softly, taking his chin and guiding his face up so your eyes would meet. “He won’t do this to us again.”

“Goddamn it!” Dean screamed, smashing his fists on the table. You had never seen him this mad before and you jumped, swallowing your heart. “Crowley knew that Sam and I… don’t talk. But that bastard also knew I would do anything in the entire world for my little brother.”

You wanted to ask Dean why he and his brother didn’t talk, or get along, but seeing the way he was reacting made you realize you were the same. The way he was acting about his brother, was the same way you would act about Jo. Regardless of what happened, he was family. Even though Jo wasn’t exactly blood, family didn’t end there. So instead, you asked him another question.

“Anything?”

Dean looked at you curiously, his eyes squinting slightly.

“Yes…” he started, standing up straight. “Why?”

“I have an idea.”

@balthazars-muse @aprofoundbondwithdean @oriona75 @spnashley @pada-ackles @kayteonline @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog @sis-tafics @eyes-of-a-disney-princess @bovaria @mamapeterson @manawhaat @deans-cherry-pie1 @mysaintsasinner @mindthenerd @lafemmeahem @waywardimpalawriter @lindukka @rizlow1 @ms-munchkin @kduran04 @deandoesthingstome @thebescht @ellen-reincarnated1967 @megiestuff @torn-and-frayed @sarcastic-bi-redhead @maraisabellegrey @winchestersnco @salvachester @stillxwaters @descentofthe-losechesters @imaprettyprettyunicornmermaid @thetalesofmooseandsquirrel @angel--radio @thetardishasaquidditchpitch @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @fandommaniacx @stephizzle94 @katnharper @juliakidx @microscopicmonsters @a-gift-from-below @satan-squared @mercurycth @jensentakethewheel @faith-in-dean @sherlock44 @maxremixed @ohfora67impala @f3arl3ssprinc3ss @its4everjenny @dacianamusik23 @feelmyroarrrr @winchesterr67 @taylorchwan @avasmommy224 @cynicalricin @castielsgrace-idjits  @bkwrm523 @dean-in-the-devils-trap @jodyri @tiffanycaruso @elise-8t-writes @headtotoetatted @phantomangelgoddess @curiositykilledthecompanion @perksasf @-hiddlesdweeb- @the-freaks-struggle  @vaisabu @aurorasaiditbest @ultimatecin73 @ouijawinchesters @moonlitsunset3 @angelwriter11 @casownsmyass @callmesweetheartifyoumeanit @castiel-is-my-drug @crowleyshellkitten @juliaspnlover @howimetthewinchesters @frostedmoose @zanthiasplace @theoriginaldarkside @josie605 @lilyoflothlorien @fangirl-trashqueen @justwinchesterme96 @fstarta  @castiel221b @findingfitnessforme  @dacianamusik23 @a-girl-who-loves-disney @panic-angel3314 @skylarparis @sbethell89 @allheart36 @stillnotginger2294 @winchesterprincessbride @winchesterforever12 @mrswhozeewhatsis @loveitsallineed @hillface89 @courageoussam  @deanandsamsbitch @faithfulpanicmoon @stillnotginger2294 @jamrsgang @spn-mudkip @starswirlblitz @danceswithjensen @winchester-writes @bookshido @sharenaloveyoux @nathaliabakes @love-me-some-pie21 @clairedelalune818 @the-chick-with-the-best-fandom @liger26 @covarrubiasalex @npmness  @just-call-me-irresistible-babe @kaleyana @iamsherlockloki-d @sebstanslays @cowchump

[mchenryjd]

2017 in Review

Necessarily incomplete, mostly for my personal record. I will probably regret this.

MOVIES

10.  mother!

Got to a screening late, had to sit in the third show, could barely tell what was happening and spent most of the movie staring at J. Law’s flared nostrils. An ideal viewing experience.

9.     Personal Shopper

Nothing captures the purposeful emptiness of spending time online like Kristen Stewart texting a ghost.

8.     Get Out

I kept telling my dad this movie was funny to get him to see it, not realizing he didn’t already know it was a horror movie. Afterwards, he texted me, “that was not a comedy!” Feels like that’s enough a metaphor. Daniel Kaluuya for best actor.

7.     Star Wars: The Last Jedi

A Star Wars movie about loving Star Wars movies, which means loving the epic, silly struggle between good and epic, loving the spiral staircase that is John Williams’s force theme, loving it when character always do the coolest possible thing followed by the next coolest possible thing, loving dumb furry creatures and sarcastic slimy ones, loving it when characters kiss when you want them to kiss, loving the hundred-million-dollar sandbox of it all. After the constricted dance steps of The Force Awakens and Rogue One, give me this bleeding freestyle any day.

6.     Phantom Thread

Finally, proof that everyone in a serious relationship has lost it.

5.     Call Me By Your Name

I refuse to believe that being stuck in rural Italy would be anything other than deadly boring and if my father insisted on turning everything into a lecture on classical art, I would run away. Also, there’s a contrast between the book (vague on the details of place and time, vividly specific on matters of sex) and the film (more contextually specific, sexier, but less horny than the original). Also, who am I kidding, I was moved and unsettled by the force of the thing. *Michael Stuhlbarg voice* Pray you get a chance to fall in love like this.

4.     Dunkirk

Having your tense, churning, clanking, thrumming, score transform into Elgar right when the beautiful, imperiled young heroes are reading a stirring speech (and Tom Hardy is heroically sacrificing himself in what looks like the middle of a Turner painting) is a level of craft so deft if feels like cheating, but it works.

3.     BPM

A film about a community in danger that acts as both a memorial to and rallying cry for that community. Uncompromising, accommodating, queer in the best way, BPM makes you want to cry and go dancing at the same time.

2.     Columbus

The kind of movie that makes you want to get in a car and keep driving until you find something beautiful, it has stuck and expanded in my memory ever since I saw it over the summer. Like the architecture that looms large in the setting, the plot can feel uncomfortably schematic – John Cho wants to leave and gets  stuck, Haley Lu Richardson is stuck and gets to leave. The question is how people live within, and blur the edges of, those confines. John Cho has a winning, curdled decency; Haley Lu Richardson gives the hardest kind of performance, in that she often seems unaware of her character’s own wants. I’d watch her quietly assemble dinner for hours on end.

1.     Lady Bird  

A movie that feels less plotted and more prefigured – every fight between Lady Bird has happened before, every high school landmark lumbers by with inevitability, every boy disappoints in the way you expect. What redeems all this? Paying attention, which is also love, in this movie’s pseudo-religious sense. Between Lady Bird and Marion, between Lady Bird and Julie, between Lady Bird and Sacramento. Watch people closely, as Greta Gerwig does, and they reveal glimmers of themselves (I know so little, and yet everything, about Stephen McKinley Henderson’s drama teacher from a few moments that feel perfect, in the sense of contained, past-tense completeness). It’ll all so ordinary. Fall in love with it.

Honorable mentions: Regina Hall’s speech about friendship in Girls Trip, Sally Hawkins tracing a droplet with her finger in The Shape of Water, Meryl Streep on the phone in The Post, Cara Delevingne in Valerian, Rihanna in Valerian, the part where the ghost jumped off the building in A Ghost Story, the fact that Power Rangers was surprisingly good, the soldier who gasps as Diana whips out her hair in the trenches in Wonder Woman, Ansel Elgort’s jacket in Baby Driver, whenever anyone tried to explain anything in Alien: Covenant, Elisabeth Moss in The Square, Anh Seo-hyun feeding Okja in Okja, Lois Smith being in movies, the kids eating ice cream in The Florida Project, the Game of Thrones joke in Logan Lucky, Vella Lovell in The Big Sick, and finally, most preciously, the moment in Home Again where Reese Witherspoon kissed Michael Sheen and someone in my theater shouted “she’s not feeling it!”

TELEVISION

10.  The Good Doctor

Listen, he’s a good doctor.

9.     Riverdale

They’re hot. They’re angsty. They do drugs that look like Pixy-Stix. They never seem to do homework. They love to hook-up in weird locations. They have terrible taste in karaoke songs. They love hair dye, and a well-defined eyebrow. They have really hot parents. They’re TV teens! I love it.

8.     Insecure

This is just to say that I am far too invested in Molly’s happiness as a person. I would also like to view a full season of Due North.

7.     American Vandal

From Alex Trimboli to Christa Carlyle, the best names on TV are on this show. Also the best reenactments, and somehow the most incisive take on what fuels, and results from TV’s true-crime obsession. Jimmy Tatro mumbling!

6.     Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

More shows should take the opportunity to explode in their third seasons, rocket forward at full speed, diagnose their main characters, and give Josh Groban wonderful, unexplainable cameos.

5.     Alias Grace

A show that conjured a performance for the ages out of Sarah Gadon and somehow made Zachary Levi palatable as a dramatic actor, this miracle of collaboration between Mary Harron and Sarah Polley is all the better for being binged. Down it in an afternoon, think of Grace under her black veil, daring you to disbelieve her, for years to come.

4.     Twin Peaks: The Return

A show that drove nostalgia into itself like a knife to the chest. Totally absurd. The best revival/exorcism yet on TV.

3.     Please Like Me

“Sorry about your life.” “I’m sorry about your life.” In a time when things tend to peter out, what a final season, in which everything goes to shit and then some. Maybe TV’s most prickly comedy, Please Like Me’s heart is of the “stumble along and keep going” sort and never does it test itself as much as it did with this bleak, pastel final statement.

2.     The Leftovers

Do you believe Nora Durst’s story? Sometimes I do. Sometimes I think it sounds ridiculous. Sometimes I relax in the comfortable, academic premise that it only matters that Kevin does. It’s a haunting idea, though, this image of world even emptier than The Leftovers’s own, where it’s possible to wander for untold time in darkness. Carrie Coon’s description of it is a kind of journey to the underworld – we’re there with her, maybe, and then we make it back, maybe. The trick of The Leftovers is the wound’s never fully healed.

1.     Halt and Catch Fire

The world changes. People sorta don’t.

Honorable mentions: the twist in The Good Place, the Taylor Swift demon character in Neo Yokio, Claire Foy on The Crown, Vanessa Kirby on The Crown, the stand-up in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Cristin Milioti in Black Mirror, the televised Academy Awards ceremony, the weeks when Netflix didn’t release new TV shows I had to watch, Girls’s “American Bitch,” the fact that Adam Driver is both in Girls and Star Wars, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys performances on The Americans (and life in Brooklyn), the moments in Game of Thrones that were good enough to make me stop thinking about what people would write about Game of Thrones, season 2 of The Magicians’s resistance to any sort of plot logic, Jane the Virgin’s narrator, Nicole Kidman at therapy on Big Little Lies, Reese Witherspoon’s production of Avenue Q in Big Little Lies, Alexis Bledel holding things in The Handmaid’s Tale, Maggie Gyllenhaal directing porn in The Deuce, Alison Brie’s terrible Russian accent in Glow, Maya Rudolph in Big Mouth, Cush Jumbo miming oral sex with a pen in court in The Good Fight, the calming experience of watching new episodes of Superstore and Great News on Fridays, Eden Sher in The Middle, the fake books they make up for Younger, and Rihanna livestreaming herself watching Bates Motel.

THEATER

10.  Indecent

History, identity, community all mangled together in something that’s both excavation and revivification. I’m so mad I didn’t get to see it with my mom.

9.     Mary Jane

A nightmare that goes from bad to worse, which Carrie Coon performed with the endurance of a saint.

8.     SpongeBob SquarePants

Highlights: The tap number, the Fiddler on the Roof joke, the many uses of pool noodles, David Zinn’s design in general, the arms, the volcano setpiece, the fact that somehow I kept laughing for two-and-a-half hours at something SpongeBob SquarePants. Tina Landau, you’re a hero.

7.     Hello, Dolly!

I had a wonderful viewing experience like this, in that I sat alone on an aisle next to an older gay man who turned to me right when the curtain came down on the first act and said, “man, we love Bette.” (Shout out to any and all gags involving the whale.)

6.     Groundhog Day

Proof you can dig deeper into the material you’re adapting and still find more. Sometimes, the funniest gags come out of old-fashioned repetition. Andy Karl has the Rolex-like ability to make it all speed by without revealing any of the ticks, and then wallop you in the second act.  

5.     The Glass Menagerie

A lot of unconventional ideas piled onto each other that go so far into strange territory that they loop back around to being immediate. Maybe distant to some, but enough to unsettle me. I can still smell the onstage rain.

4.     The Wolves

A sign of a good play is probably that you remain invested in the characters long after you see it, and I’m going to spend so much time worrying about all the girls on the soccer team in The Wolves for the rest of my life.

3.     The Band’s Visit

Katrina Lenk has a gorgeous voice. Tony Shalhoub is restrained to the point that he could move his baton with nanometer accuracy. The songs are transporting. But most of all, The Band’s Visit manages to capture loneliness better than nearly any musical I’ve seen. Everyone, audience included, experiences something together, and then it all, slowly, both lingers and drifts apart.

2.     A Doll’s House, Part 2

What, you think I wasn’t going to include a play with a Laurie Metcalf performance? ADHP2 is perhaps clever to a fault in its set-up, but in the right hands, it turns into something both funny and moving – a story about what it takes to become a complete person, in or outside the influence of other people. Nora’s monologue about living in silence near the end is the full of the kind of simple statements that are so hard to act, and so brilliant when done just right.

1.     The Antipodes

Both an extended meditation on what it means to run out of stories and a brutal subtweet of Los Angeles, The Antipodes is my kind of play, in that it’s mostly people talking, Josh Charles is involved and very disgruntled, and everyone eats a lot of take out.

Honorable mentions: the music in Sunday in the Park With George, the pies in Sweeney Todd, the ensemble of Come From Away, seeing Dave Malloy in The Great Comet of 1812, Alex Newell’s “Mama Will Provide” in Once on This Island, Cate Blanchet having fun in The Present, Imelda Staunton in the NTLive Follies, Michael Urie in Torch Song, Patti LuPone’s accent(s) in War Paint, Ashley Park in KPOP, and Gleb.