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wackygoofball · 6 years ago

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Moodboard: Jaime x Brienne - Elementary AU

Just FYI, I am sending ahead that I absolutely, with all of my heart adore Elementary and Jonny Lee Miller’s and Lucy Liu’s portrayals of their characters, which is why this moodboard should please be regarded as an homage to the show above all else, even if I take the romantic high road here despite the fact that the show seems to follow the trajectory of the platonic love (which is so pure and so well written I still cry) up until this point of time, though as a shipper... one can still hope, right?

I will also send ahead that I had to do some tweaking to create the Watson/Sherlock dynamic since Jaime’s character is different from a Sherlock Holmes in many ways, so I employed a little workaround I hope suffices.

To give a bit of a teaser, here the plot bunnies I have thus far:

Brienne of Tarth knows what she is getting into whenever she takes on a new client. After all, she chose to become a sober companion to deal with the unexpected and help those who can’t help themselves in times of crisis. What she doesn’t know is how she stumbled over this most curious case. First she gets an ominous phone call from an assistant to Mr. Blackwater to request her services for his friend who just came out of rehab and now needs some looking after, then she finds out the same man would not meet up with him.

All Brienne knows about her client is that his name is Jaime Lannister, a former consultant for the King’s Landing Police Department, and that yes, this is the same man known as the Kingslayer in the Seven Kingdoms after he killed Aerys Targaryen, but was found to have acted in self-defense even though evidence begged to differ a lot, or so she heard on television. From the medical files she was provided by the facility, Brienne knows that he lost his hand and as a result got addicted to pain killers, which resulted in his drug abuse that landed him in the rehab in the first place.

Their first meeting couldn’t be any more unfortunate as it doesn’t take long for the truth to unfold that Jaime Lannister does not want and won’t tolerate a sober companion, or “mannish drug nanny” as he puts it, to watch every of his steps.

“I have no intention to be using again, so Bronn can just fuck off and leave me alone. He actually has a lot of experience with that ever since he got his villa.”

Brienne won’t budge, however, she never does, and makes it clear to her new client that she won’t be going anywhere until she knows for sure that he is settled in and doesn’t run the risk of relapsing anymore during this very critical transition period from rehab center to normal life again.

She is used to clients who display hostility towards her, show mistrust, but Jaime Lannister puts a new level to it, because no matter what, Brienne not once encountered an client who would play fanfares late at night, arguing it vital to his recently picked up again consultant duties, dumping trash on her bed for a “long overdue experiment concerning decomposition of evidence” or introducing her to police staff as his “personal valet.” Though Brienne will have to admit, despite his sheer intolerable behavior, Jaime Lannister is even better than the rumors about him would let one assume: through deduction alone, he sees right through a crime scene, gets down to the bottom of it and finds the culprit. It is such a stark contrast to the childish man trying to drive her out of the house. On the job, he is exceeding any expectations, is sharp, focused, and cuts through lies and stories with the precision of a scalpel.

Jaime, for his part, would rather have this sober companion gone for good, but Miss Tarth appears stubborn enough to stick around against better judgment, or perhaps Bronn pays her better than he would have calculated. His interest in her witnesses a slight peak while working a case, since his “personal valet” happens to have some medical insights bringing him forward in finding the murder suspect that would have taken him quite a while longer.

Not that he would admit that to her, of course. After all, Jaime shouldn’t be surprised by her knowledge of the field. He did his research and knows for a fact that she is a former army doctor turned drug nanny. Nevertheless, she happens to have deductive skills of her own, he discovers, and while unrefined in some aspects, she has a certain clarity in her mind that most others lack.

However, in the end, that shouldn’t matter. Jaime has other things to do, and she is just the constant reminder of his failure, which is why Jaime undertakes the efforts necessary to drive her out of the house. At last, his research reveals that one thing that may drive her over the edge – how she ended up as a sober companion in the first place. In the course of a heated argument, Jaime snaps and confronts Brienne about it that she only ever took on the job because she failed to keep Renly Baratheon safe when she worked as his personal secretary and he ended up getting shot in the streets outside a restaurant where they met with Catelyn Stark for business dealings.

When Jaime considers himself the winner at last, he is taken aback by Brienne’s reaction, however:

“It appears your only method of dealing with your own emotions is by projecting them on others.”

“So you deny you have any problems? Please. I just proved that wrong.”

“I know I have them, and that means I am three steps ahead of you. Because you can’t look into the mirror because you are ashamed of what may be looking back at you. And quite frankly, I find that… craven.”

After that, neither one knows how to talk to the other for a while. Brienne genuinely considers quitting the job, but before she makes that decision, Jaime brings himself to an apology, which is, she knows, an absolutely rare exception.

“I overstepped a line to drive you away. I am not used to have other people deduce things about me. I tend to think that no one ever really got me other than my brother, perhaps, but that’s another story. Because yes, I wanted you gone so that I don’t have to face the fact that this is the reason why you are here. I want to do my job and forget about those past months. I wished they never happened.”

“They don’t go away, though.”

“I know. But there is just going forward from here, for me at least… but… it was wrong of me to take that out on you. Which is why I am generous enough to offer you my services as part of what I tend to refer to as a truce: I am willing to dedicate some of my free time to Renly’s murder case.”

“Hell no.”

“… I actually thought you would be flattered by that. You are aware that I am the best consultant currently residing in King’s Landing, arguably in all of Westeros I daresay?”

“That is my responsibility and my responsibility alone.”

“… You want to find the person responsible yourself.”

“Your deduction skills are, as per usual, very much on point.”

“… Well, if that is the case, I can only offer you my resources, should you decide to dig into his case again, or otherwise be of assistance. I still propose a truce as part of our agreement of sober companion and client because, frankly, I gave it some thought and I suppose you are the least trouble. Imagine some dimwit stepping on evidence at crime scenes. You at least know how to stay put.”

“… I suppose that is a compliment.”

“You may take it as such. So do we have a truce?”

“You need trust to have a truce.”

“I trust you.”

And on that trust, they start to build for the next weeks. Brienne finds herself more and more drawn to Jaime’s work whereas Jaime can no longer deny Brienne’s apparent talent for detective work outside the medical sphere. She is perceptive and thanks to her military training knows more about fighting than most ever will.

He finds her… promising, in a way. Just like someone once found him promising, only to destroy it all, but maybe, just maybe, he can make things right this time, who knows?

While Brienne enjoys the work more and more, she knows that her days with Jaime Lannister are limited, which means she must not get attached to either the man or his profession. When Brienne communicates that to him, Jaime starts distancing himself from her. Brienne already fears for a relapse and is close to calling Mr. Blackwater to request an extension, but before she can make the call, Jaime breaks his silence with a sudden offer: to become his apprentice and become a consultant like him.

“If you decide to take the offer, of that I assure you, I will train you to the best of my abilities. Make you cry, very likely. But once the training is completed, you should know all there is to know about solving crime the way I harnessed that skillset.”

“I am a sober companion.”

“And before that you were a personal assistant to Renly. And before that an army doctor. You see, a woman once told me that I was craven for running away from my problems, and I think it is time I give these wise words over to the next generation sitting before me. I think you are running away from an opportunity, just because you are afraid of making that step. You want to be out there. I saw you at the crime scenes. I saw the satisfaction on your eyes when we got the bad guys.”

“And I don’t deny it. But I am helping people, too, as a sober companion. I am preventing people from relapse, I am preventing them from committing crime.”

“And that is admirable, without a doubt. And you are good at your job. You kept me from the drugs and I thought that was virtually impossible. Nevertheless, I think this is an opportunity for you and…”

“And?”

“And me as well. Because I have to admit that… that my work has been better ever since you started to come along. I don’t know why, I just know that this is the case. That I am better with you.”

Brienne remains unsure about the offer for a while, but eventually agrees to the training regiment, no matter how much spiteful glee Jaime takes in basically tormenting her.

Jaime, for his part, rediscovers how much joy it gives him to do this job, and discovers something new as well, starting to understand how Tyrion loved training him to become a consultant back in the “good old days,” not just to make the other suffer, but to see them grow, deduce, put the pieces together. When he watches Brienne, when he sees her succeed, Jaime finds himself succeeding. And when Brienne is proud and happy, he finds himself smiling along.

As things progress, their truce soon grows to a deeply felt friendship since both lacked someone to rely on with those very private insecurities and inner demons for a very long time.

Brienne admits to how she ended up as Renly’s assistant, namely because she was hopelessly in love with the man, as Jaime had rightly deduced on the day they had their first fallout, and that she chose to join him to be around him.

“After I came back from my military service… I don’t know, I had so many people die, slip through my fingers, people we were sworn to protect, good people, good soldiers and far too many civilians. And then I heard that Renly was running for presidency after Robert’s death and I just… I just wanted to be sure that he was alright. I have seen the results of political upheavals in times of crisis during my service as an army doctor. I know that political enemies tear each other to shreds and that this will always lead to bloodshed on all sides. No one really questioned me and my decision because… you know, trauma. Everyone just assumed I wanted something boring, something conventional after all that I saw and went through. And perhaps I did, I don’t know. I just wanted to keep close to Renly, that much I knew. But then… Renly was killed and I only ever held him as he died.”

“And you couldn’t identify the guy.”

“It was a shadow. And it had Stannis’s name all over it.”

“Can you prove it?”

“Not yet.”

“You see, it’s always risky to deduce from the conclusion to the fact. It should be the other way around.”

“Those are the facts. Renly ran as an independent party to split potential votes between him and Stannis because he didn’t want Stannis to ever make it past the primaries. He had a motive to want to have him removed. Many of Renly’s voters went ahead and joined Stannis after his death. He has a woman in his ranks who will carry out almost any kind of task you give to her. It was Stannis. I know it, I just need a way to prove it.”

“Melisandre of Asshai. I read some interesting things about her.”

“She is a murderer. And one of these days, I will be able to prove it that she and Stannis did this.”

“You just need the remaining evidence.”

“Even more so since he runs for president. I will rather leave the country than live under him as my commander in chief.”

“And you would just abandon me? How rude. Even more so as a former sober companion.”

Jaime, for his part, also finds the courage to let Brienne in on his secrets, even the ones he kept so well for all those years, such as the true nature of Aerys’s assassination and Tyrion’s disappearance, and how it broke him that his brother went behind his back to kill their father and Tyrion’s ex-lover Shae before disappearing to Essos as it was planned to buy Jaime time to prove his innocence of Joffrey’s murder.

“What pissed me off foremost, though, was that he didn’t trust me. That was always the thing we relied on, that was stone one. That was our truce. He trusted me and that I trusted him. Blindly. Or so I thought. Because my smart, smart little brother didn’t trust me to clear his name. He didn’t trust me as his brother, as his friend, as the consultant he helped frame when he picked me up after the Aerys affair to offer me a new perspective. He believed he was the only one who could clear his name, and when Tyrion saw no chance anymore, he quitted, on himself, on me, on our work. And I will never forgive him for that. Well, that and murdering two people for the simplest and most basic motive there is: revenge.”

As things progress, it isn’t until long that they run into a hacker group called No One run by a man named Jaqen H’ghar. They “help” them on a number of occasions to gather evidence they could not otherwise acquire, in exchange for oftentimes publicly humiliating Jaime, such as carrying around a sign to encourage people to “Slay the Kingslayer with a Golden Slap,” a task many people happily agree to, apparently. The members remain ominous, only ever appearing in chats wearing masks. A young group member, a teenage girl, catches their attention as Brienne pieces together that this is in fact Arya Stark. Due to Brienne’s personal involvement with her family, she feels ever the more urged to help the girl and keep her from potentially committing worse crimes to carry out her revenge against the people she deems responsible for the deaths of most of her family.

However, Jaime’s and Brienne’s attention soon turns to politics as the elections come into the hot phase, only to be shocked to the core when a newcomer emerges from Essos to enter the race rather late: Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons as she is called, wants to become president of the Seven Kingdoms alongside her rivals Stannis Baratheon and Cersei Lannister.

Things take a sudden turn with the re-emergence of someone Jaime thought he would never see again in a life time, and a nemesis who may no longer be just after the infamous consultant Tyrion Lannister but now the new detective team solving cases in King’s Landing.

And if history taught them one thing by now, then it is that this person will do anything to get what he or she wants. And from the sounds of it, that is one thing and one thing only:

Power.

A game of cat-and-mouse begins, putting everyone involved in danger as a country is bound to decide on who will come into power next…

Additonal Image Sources: Elementary ( 2012-), http://gwendoline-christie.com/.

#jaime x brienne #jaime lannister #brienne of tarth #got moodboard #got aesthetic #moodboard #aesthetic #wacky tries gimp #fanfic #in smol #fanfiction #i just love elementary so much that i could not resist

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mizjoely · 6 years ago

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So I can’t find the post I’m looking for, boo. But I really feel the fic I just wrote needs some illustrating so here is my quick and dirty version of “Ben and Martin as Moriarty and Moran to Andrew’s Sherlock” for my story Turnabout.

Martin Freeman as Sebastian Moran

Benedict Cumberbatch as Jim Moriarty

Andrew Scott as Sherlock Holmes

And of course Louise Brealey as Molly Hooper!

Everyone got the cast all set? Good, then let’s go!

Turnaround

Molly turned on Sherlock with a steely glint in her eyes, one he’d never seen before and was rather impressed she could manage so well. Then again, considering the stakes, now wasn’t the time to admire her sudden backbone. “Sherlock, what the hell was all that? Why were you calling yourself ‘Will Scott from IT’ - and why pretend to be my boyfriend?”

The steely glint vanished behind a sudden sheen of moisture as tears threatened. “Why are you doing this to me, Sherlock? Why are you making fun of me? And in front of my colleagues?”

Sherlock frowned, shifted from foot to foot, but kept his gaze steady on hers, brown eyes meeting brown eyes. Why had he never realized they were nearly of a height? Because she always makes herself smaller around you, an inner voice whispered, and his frown deepened.

“I wasn’t making fun of you, Molly,” he said, dropping the affected Irish accent with which he’d been speaking while the two men calling themselves ‘Dr. Richard Brook’ and ‘Dr. John Watson’ had been in the lab with them. “And those two men are not your colleagues.”

“Yes they are!” she insisted, her voice rising in what he judged to be a combination of anger and frustration. “I’ve been working with them on some research, you know I have, I told you all about it, more than once over the past couple of months.” Her lips thinned as she folded her arms across her chest defensively. “Or were you not actually listening? I thought you at least listened when I talked about professional matters!”

“I do listen,” he insisted, running agitated hands through his short, dark hair, causing it to stand on end. He smoothed it back down automatically as he continued to speak. “But I promise you, Molly, those two men are not who they’re representing themselves to be.” He took a step forward, reaching out to grip her by the arm, willing her to understand the urgency of the situation. “The one calling himself Richard Brook? All tall, dark curls and deep voice? He’s actually Jim Moriarty, the consulting criminal I’ve been searching for. And the other man, he’s his lieutenant, an ex-army colonel named Sebastian Moran, the second deadliest man in England.”

Molly gave a short, disbelieving laugh, shook her head, and jerked her arm away. At least tears were no longer threatening; now she looked ready to murder - him, because she refused to believe him? Or them, for using her to get to him? Only her next words would tell.

She blinked. Blinked again. Gave him the saddest smile he’d ever seen on her or anyone else’s lips. “Oh Sherlock,” she sighed, one hand buried in her lab coat pocket, the other reaching out to gently take him by the arm. “I’m so sorry you found out, but I have my orders, so...”

His last conscious thought was one of disbelief, even as the drug Molly had injected him with dragged him down into darkness.

Two Weeks Later

Molly grimaced in discomfort, reaching up to rub at her shoulder as she entered the locker room. Today’s last autopsy (of four!) had been a literal pain as she’d had to roll a twenty-stone corpse onto its side all by herself - and that on top of a double shift due to her relief calling out. A hot bath and some wine were the least she owed herself when she got home.

As she opened her locker door and looked automatically at the mirror she’d placed there, her eyes widened and mouth dropped open at the sight of an unexpected reflection behind her own.

Gasping in alarm she spun around, but before she could do more, he was there. Standing alarmingly close to her. Blocking her ability to run - and, as his hand swiftly moved to cover her mouth, to scream.

“Surprised to see me, Molly Hooper?” That voice - rich and deep, velvety smooth and warm as melted chocolate - sent a shiver up her spine. She nodded dumb response to the question, taking in a shuddering breath as ‘Richard Brook’ removed his large hand from her face, allowing those long, elegant fingers to trail their way down her neck before withdrawing completely.

“I, I heard you were dead,” she squeaked out. “Sherlock said…”

“Now Molly,” he tutted, “let’s not play that game, shall we? We both know that the only thing Sherlock said before he jumped off the roof of this very building was a warning to you. A warning his dear brother Mycroft had already given you before Seb and I ever set foot in your lab.” He smiled, a slow, dangerous smile that had Molly’s pulse thudding in her throat in a heady combination of terror and arousal. “That’s why you drugged him, isn’t it? On Mycroft’s orders?”

“He didn’t want him g-going after you,” Molly replied, a tacit confession. “He was trying to protect him but he was too damn stubborn, he met you up on the roof anyway…”

“And now he’s pretending to be dead, just like me,” Moriarty finished for her. Deducing the truth, or simply telling her what he already knew?

She started to shake her head; he reached out with lightning speed and grasped her chin in his hand, tilting her head up so that she was forced to meet his cold gaze. “Don’t bother lying, Molly, you’re not very good at it unless you’ve had time to prepare.” His grasp eased, fingertips turning caressing again, raising gooseflesh on her arms. “You were quite good that day Seb and I came to the lab to ‘meet our collaborator in person’, I’ll give you that.” The trailing fingers ended up behind her ear, his other hand resting casually against her throat. “But…” He allowed the word to trail out then fell silent. Watching her through those quicksilver eyes that had always mesmerized her.

“But?” she prompted in a whisper, feeling his hands settle loosely around her throat.

“But now I have a dead man to find before he can finish dismantling my entire criminal empire,” he finished, leaning down so that his forehead nearly rested against hers. “The game has changed, Molly Hooper, and I have you to thank for that.”

She closed her eyes, expecting to feel his hands tightening on her throat, stealing her breath and life in punishment for her interference with his plans.

Instead, she felt his mouth covering hers in a rough, demanding kiss that stole the very breath from her lungs. Instinct caused her to reach up, to grasp his arms and steady herself, but it wasn’t instinct alone that caused her to part her lips beneath his, to allow him to plunder her mouth with his tongue.

No, it was pure, carnal desire that made her return the kiss with equal passion. She’d thought herself in love with Sherlock Holmes, once upon a time, but now she realized that had been nothing but a passing infatuation. Oh, she would still do anything to help him, she’d already proven that by allowing Mycroft to bring her in on his own plans to save his brother from the very man now pressing his body so fervently against her own that her back would bear marks from the locker door against which she now rested.

Yes, she would do anything to save Sherlock, because in love with him or not, she knew he was a man well worth saving. He might be prickly and rude and self-destructive to a fault, but he was a good man doing good work.

A pity, she thought distantly as she and Moriarty sank to the floor together, their clothing tumbling from their bodies in their mutual frenzy of lust, that she had always had a thing for the bad boy.

#dis is mine #mizjoely writes #mizjoely's fics #swaplock

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thechillicount · 6 years ago

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"Eastside" Part 1/2 (Ichiro×OC fanfic)

Word count: 2,2K

Inspired by: benny blanco, Halsey & Khalid - Eastside

Could also work as Ichiro x Reader if you like. It's okay if you don't care about my fic! I just wanted to finally write down some of my fantasies before I feel like not to. This part mostly serves as a little backstory and a character introduction. And of course I had to include Kuko who wasn't in the original draft. But I love him to the Sun and back now so, he's here. Sorry if it's sloppy, I'm still sick plus I can't proof read even if my life depended on it. *shrug* I have a handful of other x OC stories I'd like to write. My top one definitely being Jiro x my OC as I'm actually quite proud of their little love story. Top two would have to go to Samatoki as I made that story kinda spicy. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Anyway, enjoy the first part of this fic!

________________________

"Ah, I gotta go. TDD's got a meeting today." Ichiro stood up from his sitting spot with a clank of a soda bottle that's been lying next to him. He fixed his appearance by brushing off the dust and dirt settled on his clothes. He also tightened the bandana wrapped around his right arm before waving goodbye to the other two currently splattered on the ground under a wall full of graffiti. The art, mostly consisted of random characters and symbols, except for the big, bold lettered name in the middle reading 'Naughty Busters'. It was meant to show other groups whose favorite spot this was. No one quite dared to steal it.

"Sure bro. Just make sure to return home before the Sun goes down." The redhead's words made Ichiro roll his eyes. The monk then laughed his signature laugh into the soda bottle that he's had in his mouth at the time. The other person sitting by the wall, a girl their age with caramel eyes and rose blonde mid length hair, only waved back at the young Yamada without saying a word. Ichiro could tell that her movement was somehow sloppier than usual, less energetic. He unfortunately didn't have time to listen to her possible worries. Although it wasn't the first time this week that he's seen her like this. Right after the dark haired teen left the hang out spot Kuko bumped the girl right into her ribs using his elbow. She winced in pain and covered the spot on her rib cage with her hands. Her now furrowed caramel eyes landed on the boy to her right who's trashed another bottle of soda.

"Not my fault you're dressed like that."

Kuko's comment was meant to point the fact that she was wearing a typical sailor uniform that didn't really cover her stomach and her lower rib cage. The girl clicked her tongue and brought her knees closer to her chest to somehow cover her lower torso, while hooking her arms under her knees.

"Still doesn't explain why you had to assault me." She could assault him back just as well if not for the fact that her mood was as sour as an umeboshi right now.

"You got somethin' on your mind, don't ya?" The girl cursed Kuko's demon ability to see right into people's souls. Not that she didn't need someone to vent off to, but the redhead was the worst idea at the moment. Due to many reasons she'd rather he not know.

"Maybe not somethin' but rather...someone~?"

"WHAT ELSE DO YOU KNOW ASSHOLE?!"

That's it, she couldn't take it any longer. One more tease from the devil and she'd make the worst decision in her life yet.

"Chill Chihaya! I haven't said shit yet! Damn."

The blonde puffed out her cheeks, trying to calm her sudden nerves while Kuko kept on slapping her back slightly. She swatted his hand away soon after and took a deep breath. Her eyes were suddenly on the monk peering into his insides and sending a shiver down his spine.

"You haven't told him, have you?" That was indeed the most important question right now. Chihaya could easily kill Kuko if it turned out that he's told Ichiro about his interesting discovery.

"I don't know, have I? I talk a lot of shit, ya know?"

"Kukoooo..."

"I didn't, okay? Why don't you trust me woman?"

"You just said that you talk a lot of shit. Monk my ass."

Even though her heart was all over the place and her nerves haven't calmed down one bit, Chihaya felt a sudden ease. She knew Kuko wouldn't give out her secret like that. He may be an ass, but he's a loyal friend. Without consulting her first and making sure that his assumptions are right, he wouldn't even dare squeak a word about her crush to Ichiro.

"We both know that even if I told him he'd be too dumb to understand. I actually once asked him what would he say if you liked him. Guess what that dumb dumb said?"

"I like her too, she's a great friend?"

Kuko's yellow eyes widened before closing due to his extensive laugh. Chihaya started poking him with her elbow just like he did before until he stopped his circus idiot moment. While he was wiping the tears that left his eyes Chihaya stood up and got ready to leave being completely exhausted from the conversation. She dusted off her skirt turning her behind away from her friend.

"Doesn't matter as I'm leaving the day after tomorrow."

Kuko swiftly moved up too and trashed the rest of the bottles. His eyebrows rose before he realized what the girl meant.

"Ah, right. You getting taken by that woman, huh?"

"Good thing I'm at least leaving the orphanage."

Even though she's said that, there was only a drop of truth to her words. As much as she hated the place since birth, she loved the kids in there. It wasn't their fault they ended up in that dump. There were two kids that she loved more than anything. Those two who she's considered her little brothers ever since they arrived. She's seen their ups and downs, their successes and failures. Even though she'd be leaving the place next year anyway, she wanted to spend more time with them. Cherish it before they grow too old to be treated like kids. Although she knew they'd never grow too old to be called her little brothers. Kuko looked at her as she softly smiled with a worry in his eyes. He knew it better than anyone that it wasn't good to keep your emotions in. He's always been expressing his own ones no matter what others thought of him. He's been using his emotions in his raps and from the start it has shown that those were a great way to express himself to people, to show all of your being to others. So seeing his friend block all of her feelings because of his other friend made his eyebrow twitch and his blood boil. What a great thing to be in the middle of it all. Not that he could do anything about it. Chihaya's feelings were her own. There was no place for him to meddle in them. No place to tell her how she should act or what she should do.

"I'm going back. I only have one day to say what I want to say and do what I want to do." The girl fixed the upper part of her uniform and brushed her hair back with her hand getting ready to leave as soon as she heard some kind of goodbye from Kuko, knowing that he has nothing else to say to her.

"Make sure the dumb dumb comes back home."

Chihaya waved the back of her hand at Kuko and made her way to that hated by her building. She didn't even look back as her head was getting filled with tons of ideas on how she could spend the next day. Most of the options included Ichiro so she quickly made up her mind. The main part of tomorrow's activities are going to be with him, no matter if her heart jumps out of her chest or not.

When she arrived back at the orphanage, it was getting dark already. As she opened the door her eyes were assaulted with the warm and bright light coming from the main area. She didn't take off her shoes and went straight for the backyard knowing who she's going to meet there. Some kids welcomed her back as if she was their own sister, hugging her before she could say that she wants to go meet someone. All of them were understanding, nodding their heads cutely and obediently. She knew why they were acting like that. The news of her leaving in less than 48 hours made its way around in this corrupt place. She also knew why some kids that would usually tackle her as soon as she got back were quiet today. They were so sad as if they were grieving, as if she's bound to die that day. After taking care of the children and promising them spending time together to play or study, Chihaya slid open the door leading to the backyard and closed it right behind her with a bang. The only person that could be outside at this hour was indeed there. She smiled to herself, actually forcing the smile for the time being not to scare the boy in front of her.

"You're gonna need even stronger glasses if you keep on playing soccer at this time."

The sound of a soccer ball died down as the boy quickly ran up to Chihaya leaving the round entertainment behind.

"I'm gonna be fine nee-san!"

The girl reached her hand up and ruffled the boy's dark hair, making his eyes close on their own. She suddenly remembered the time when she had to bend over to do that. Now the same boy was taller than her. Her fake forced smile changed into a genuine one as she saw his own lips curved upwards. Though as she remembered the real reason she came out here, her features got a little bit more serious. Her hand stopped the nice head massage and a pair of eyes opened up. The boy realized that there was a sudden change in his big sister's emotion and his heterochromic eyes focused completely on her.

"Can we talk for a bit Jiro?"

He somehow knew that it was going to be a serious conversation this time. Not the usual one they always have where he talks about unimportant things and Chihaya pesters him to study more. The mood around her was different this time. He thought that maybe it was because she had to leave. Leave him and his brothers behind. Jiro knew very well how much she treasured the three of them. The feeling being obviously mutual on the brothers' side.

Chihaya sat on a nearby swing, Jiro following her movements and sitting on the other swing sideways to somehow see her face through the darkness. Her caramel eyes shined thanks to the appearing moon as she grabbed onto the ropes to keep her hands occupied during a stressful for her talk.

"I'm going to tell you something about your brother."

She's finished the talk rather quickly surprised at herself for not taking forever with it. She took a glance at Jiro's hands, which were now holding the swing bench rather forcefully, his head hung low, his teeth biting his lip. He wasn't mad though, that much she could tell.

"Why didn't he tell us himself...?"

Chihaya opened her mouth waiting for some words to come out. But none would come out without her forcing them to. She inhaled and exhaled sharply turning her head at the second oldest Yamada.

"Some of his jobs...weren't exactly fantastic. He's said that he hates them many times. He didn't want you guys to be influenced."

"But! But...if he were to tell us to come with him in a few months...we'd just say no to him. We were both ready to completely cut him off! I was ready to label him the same as d-!!"

Before Jiro could finish his thought, Chihaya abruptly stopped him by putting her hand on his cheek and forcing his head upwards. Her thumb drew soft circles, sometimes going over the mole under his eye. The boy only gripped the swing harder and shut his eyes tightly. When she told him to breathe, he did so. Soft breaths were now the only thing heard in the dimly lit garden. The only source of light coming from the windows of the orphanage and one weak street light nearby. Chihaya couldn't possibly read Jiro's expression well. Not in that environment. Calming him down was the best idea.

"I'm not gonna tell Saa-chan as I told you. Even if he's smart enough to understand, I don't want to put extra pressure on him before I leave."

She then extracted her hand and looked at the boy next to her. His already opened eyes now holding a sad glimmer in them. But he understood why she wouldn't want to talk to Saburo about it. He knew that his younger brother probably saw Chihaya as an older sister even stronger than any other kid in the orphanage did. He knew they had a special bond as she was holding Saburo in her arms since he was only two years old. The youngest Yamada definitely thought of her strongly as a sister. He was already devastated when he heard that she's leaving. There was no need to push his twelve year old mind to its mental limit.

"Will you talk with him after my leave?"

Jiro nodded his head excessively making the older sister let out a soft chuckle. Her caramel eyes sparkling as she looked up at the stars. Her idea for tomorrow was finished at this point. She knew exactly where she wanted to go with Ichiro. The only obstacle now being the fact that she had to ask him, see if he even has time to hang out with her. Or rather, go on a date as she's made it up in her imagination. Although she knew full well that it's going to be just a hang out for the boy. As long as he comes, she'd be fine with just that.

#ichiro x oc #ichiro yamada x oc #original character #ichiro x reader #ichiro yamada x reader #yamada ichiro x oc #yamada ichiro x reader #yamada ichiro #ichiro yamada #harai kuko #kuko harai #yamada jiro #jiro yamada #fanfiction #oc fanfiction

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laniakeabooks · 6 years ago

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2018 Wrap-Up

Hey guys! So, this is my first post on my first book blog – bear with me! I’ve posted my introduction so if you’d like to know more about me check it out!

Many of these statistics are taken from my Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/LaniakeaBooks) which I use to track my reading… as many others do.

I pledged 30 books for 2018 (I don’t have a lot of time to read which sucks) but managed to surpass that goal, and not going to lie, I am hella proud of myself!

Number of books read: 68

Number of pages read: 21080

Average rating: 3.1 stars

Books and ratings: All synopses are pull directly from Goodreads along with the page count. If you’d like a review from any of the books I’ve read in 2018, feel free to request it!

The Trickster’s Lover by Samantha McLeod - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Caroline Capello doesn't take chances.

A graduate student at the prestigious University of Chicago, Caroline dedicates her carefully-planned life to the serious, academic study of mythology.

Until a god shows up in her bedroom.

Loki, the enigmatic and irresistibly sexy Norse god of lies, appears late at night in Caroline's apartment, cuts her clothes down the middle, and rocks her studious world in ways she couldn't even imagine. The next morning, she's convinced it was a dream--until she sees her clothes on the floor, cut in two.

When Loki's appearances stop as suddenly as they began, concern for her lover forces Caroline to risk everything in an attempt to reach Val-Hall, the ancient home of Óðinn's army. Once there, she must put all she has learned to the test.

If she fails, there's far more than Loki's life at stake...

509 pages

Hungry by H.A Swain - ⭐⭐⭐

In the future, food is no longer necessary—until Thalia begins to feel something unfamiliar and uncomfortable. She’s hungry.

In Thalia’s world, there is no need for food—everyone takes medication (or “inocs”) to ward off hunger. It should mean there is no more famine, no more obesity, no more food-related illnesses, and no more war. At least that's what her parents, who work for the company that developed the inocs, say. But when Thalia meets a boy who is part of an underground movement to bring food back, she realizes that most people live a life much different from hers. Worse, Thalia is starting to feel hunger, and so is he—the inocs aren’t working. Together they set out to find the only thing that will quell their hunger: real food.

H. A. Swain delivers an adventure that is both epic and fast-paced. Get ready to be Hungry.

384 pages

Shift by Em Bailey - ⭐⭐⭐

Olive Corbett is not crazy. Not anymore.

She obediently takes her meds and stays under the radar at school. After “the incident,” Olive just wants to avoid any more trouble, so she knows the smartest thing is to stay clear of the new girl who is rumored to have quite the creepy past.

But there’s no avoiding Miranda Vaile. As mousy Miranda edges her way into the popular group, right up to the side of queen bee Katie – and pushes the others right out – only Olive seems to notice that something strange is going on. Something almost . . . parasitic. Either Olive is losing her grip on reality, or Miranda Vaile is stealing Katie’s life.

But who would ever believe crazy Olive, the girl who has a habit of letting her imagination run away with her? And what if Olive is the next target?

A chilling psychological thriller that tears through themes of identity, loss, and toxic friendship, Shift will leave readers guessing until the final pages.

320 pages

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting - ⭐⭐

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... she might become his next prey.

327 pages

Hourglass by Myra McEntire - ⭐⭐

One hour to rewrite the past…

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened?

390 pages

The Program by Suzanne Young - ⭐

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in.

And The Program is coming for them.

405 pages

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2340984030?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting - ⭐⭐⭐

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

323 pages

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier - ⭐⭐⭐

Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

354 pages

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp - ⭐⭐⭐

10:00 a.m. The principal of Opportunity High School finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m. The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03 a.m. The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05 a.m. Someone starts shooting.

Told from four different perspectives over the span of fifty-four harrowing minutes, terror reigns as one student’s calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

288 pages

The Merciless II: The Exorcism of Sofie Flores by Danielle Vega - ⭐⭐⭐

Sofia is still processing the horrific truth of what happened when she and three friends performed an exorcism that spiraled horribly out of control. Ever since that night, Sofia has been haunted by bloody and demonic visions. Her therapist says they’re all in her head, but to Sofia they feel chillingly real. She just wants to get out of town, start fresh someplace else . . . until her mother dies suddenly, and Sofia gets her wish.

Sofia is sent to St. Mary’s, a creepy Catholic boarding school in Mississippi. There, seemingly everyone is doing penance for something, most of all the mysterious Jude, for whom Sofia can’t help feeling an unshakeable attraction. But when Sofia and Jude confide in each other about their pasts, something flips in him. He becomes convinced that Sofia is possessed by the devil. . . . Is an exorcism the only way to save her eternal soul?

Readers won’t be able to look away from this terrifying read full of twists and turns that will leave them wondering, Is there evil in all of us?

320 pages

The Merciless III: Origins of Evil by Danielle Vega - ⭐⭐⭐

Brooklyn knows that there's no good without evil, no right without wrong. And when a helpless girl calls her teen helpline, whispering that someone is hurting her, Brooklyn knows that she needs to save her anonymous caller, even if it means doing something bad.

Her parents and friends assure her the call was probably a prank but Brooklyn has always had a tendency to take over, whether someone has asked for help or not.

She discovers the call came from Christ First Church and finds herself plunged into the cultish community of its youth group. She's especially drawn to Gavin, the angelic yet tortured pastor's son.

Torn between an unstoppable attraction to Gavin and her obsession with the truth, Brooklyn is forced to make a devastating choice to rid Christ Church of evil once and for all. . . . But the devil has plans for Brooklyn's soul.

304 pages

Angel’s Blood by Nalini Singh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.

339 pages

Camp Follower: One Army Brat’s Story by Michele Sabad - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In this memoir, Michele Sabad takes us on one army brat’s journey with stories about a childhood in Calgary, Germany, Labrador, and Saskatchewan; becoming a young Air Force wife and Hockey Mom in Edmonton, Kingston, Winnipeg, and Cold Lake; building a career in Information Technology; and finally, settling in a new culture and life in Ottawa and Aylmer, Quebec. Michele’s story will interest, inspire, and enlighten both those who grew up in “the life” and those curious to peek at how this kind of life turned out. A base brat life, sure, but one unique in Canadian history—kids don’t grow up like this anymore—not even base kids. Fascinating insight; a slice of Canadiana.

196 pages

Nemesis by Brendan Reichs - ⭐⭐⭐

He killed me. He killed me not. He killed me.

It’s been happening since Min was eight. Every two years, on her birthday, a strange man finds her and murders her in cold blood. But hours later, she wakes up in a clearing just outside her tiny Idaho hometown—alone, unhurt, and with all evidence of the horrifying crime erased.

Across the valley, Noah just wants to be like everyone else. But he’s not. Nightmares of murder and death plague him, though he does his best to hide the signs. But when the world around him begins to spiral toward panic and destruction, Noah discovers that people have been lying to him his whole life. Everything changes in an eye blink.

For the planet has a bigger problem. The Anvil, an enormous asteroid threatening all life on Earth, leaves little room for two troubled teens. Yet on her sixteenth birthday, as she cowers in her bedroom, hoping not to die for the fifth time, Min has had enough. She vows to discover what is happening in Fire Lake and uncovers a lifetime of lies: a vast conspiracy involving the sixty-four students of her sophomore class, one that may be even more sinister than the murders.

443 pages

Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Welcome to a dark new world where lethal, beautiful archangels hold sway over immortals and mortals both, with the Guild Hunters caught in between, tasked with retrieving those vampires who break their contracts with their angelic masters.

Elena Deveraux is a Guild Hunter. She was hired to do the impossible - to hunt down a rogue Archangel - and she suceeded where none had believed she could. But in the process, she fell in love. And not just with anyone: with the Archangel Raphael. It a love that's as powerful as it is terrifying and dangerous.

But the world won't stand still while Elena and Raphael enjoy their new-found love. Vampires and angels still go rogue and it's still Elena's job to hunt them down and return them to their angelic masters. While she is exceptional, Elena isn't invulnerable - and the more obvious her talents become, the bigger a target she becomes...

336 pages

The Gender Game by Bella Forrest - ⭐⭐

A toxic river divides nineteen-year-old Violet Bates's world by gender.

Women rule the East. Men rule the West.

Welcome to the lands of Matrus and Patrus...

Ever since the death of her mother, Violet's life has been shadowed by bad luck. Already a prisoner to her own nation, now after two unfortunate incidents resulting in womanslaughter, she has been sentenced to death.

But one decision could save her life.

One decision to enter the kingdom of Patrus, where men rule and women submit.

Everything about the patriarchy defies Violet's identity, but she must sacrifice everything if she wishes to survive the forbidden kingdom... including forbidden love.

How much of yourself could you give up to keep yourself alive?

418 pages

The Girl Who Dared to Think by Bella Forrest - ⭐⭐

The Tower's survival is humanity's survival, and each must serve it faithfully...

Twenty-year-old Liana Castell must be careful what she thinks. Her life is defined by the number on her wristband -- a rating out of ten awarded based on her usefulness and loyalty to the Tower, and monitored by a device in her skull. A device that reports forbidden thoughts.

Liana is currently a four, the lowest possible acceptable score, and despite her parents' perfect scores of ten, she struggles to increase it. Rebellious ideas come all too easily, and resentfulness seems part of her being. She is an overseer-in-training, but her future will be dark if she cannot raise her worth...

Threes require drug treatment.

Twos are isolated.

Ones disappear.

When Liana's worst nightmare comes to pass and she drops to a three, desperation spurs her down a path few dare to tread. A chance encounter with a cocky young man whose shockingly dissident attitude toward the Tower couldn't possibly have earned him the perfect "ten" on his wrist, sets her on a trail to save herself--even at the risk of dropping lower.

Stalking the young man seemed like a simple enough task, but after events take an unexpected twist, Liana finds herself taking a treacherous dive into the darkest depths of the Tower... and the decades' old secrets buried within.

In a society where free thinking can make you a criminal, one girl dares to try...

410 pages

Banded by Logan Byrne - ⭐⭐

In dystopian Manhattan, society is divided into six zones, with each one representing a citizen’s benefit to society: Stalwart (strength), Astute (intelligence), Collusive (greed), Radiant (beauty), Quixotic (no life direction), and the Altruistic (willingness to help others). On a citizen’s sixteenth birthday, a computer suggests a new zone for them based on their inherent benefit to society. When Kalenna Slater is sorted out of her home zone Quixotic and into Altruistic, she thinks things can’t get worse. Life looks dismal until she meets Gavin, a boy also just sorted into Altruistic who becomes the light needed on her cloudy days.

During sorting she receives a device known as ‘The Band’. It’s a large watch-like device that never comes off, and it measures a citizen’s karma on a scale from one to one hundred. If a citizen does good, they gain points. If a citizen does bad, including breaking laws, they lose points. When your number reaches zero, the band acts as judge, jury, and executioner, and you are injected with toxins that kill you within minutes.

After sorting, recruits are taken to a three month long mandatory school named HQ. It’s at HQ she meets new friends from different zones, and finally begins to feel at ease. Everything goes well until a rare trip home makes her discover that her father, who has been missing for a decade, may have taken part in a terrible program that stands to shake the fabric of society.

342 pages

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

602 pages

Archangel’s Consort by Nalini Singh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nalini Singh steps back into the shadows of her heartbreakingly original world where angels rule, vampires serve, and the innocent can pay the greatest price of all ...Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil ...A vampire has attacked a girls' school - the assault one of sheer, vicious madness - and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders. The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear. An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed ...

324 pages

They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire - ⭐⭐⭐

Every year, the lives of ten junior girls at Vienna High are transformed.

All because of the list.

Kenzie Summerall can't imagine how she's been voted onto a list of the prettiest girls in school, but when she lands at number five, her average life becomes dazzling. Doors open to the best parties, new friends surround her, the cutest jock in school is after her.

This is the power of the list. If you're on it, your life changes.

If you're on it this year? Your life ends.

352 pages

What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang - ⭐⭐⭐

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

343 pages

Remake by Ilima Todd - ⭐⭐

Nine is the ninth female born in her batch of ten females and ten males. By design, her life in Freedom Province is without complications or consequences. However, such freedom comes with a price. The Prime Maker is determined to keep that price a secret from the new batches of citizens that are born, nurtured, and raised androgynously.

But Nine isn't like every other batcher. She harbors indecision

and worries about her upcoming Remake Day -- her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they'll be.

When Nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom

Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is

pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test

her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?

304 pages

The Tale of Dueling Neurosurgeons by Same Kean - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Early studies of the functions of the human brain used a simple method: wait for misfortune to strike-strokes, seizures, infectious diseases, lobotomies, horrendous accidents-and see how the victim coped. In many cases survival was miraculous, and observers could only marvel at the transformations that took place afterward, altering victims' personalities. An injury to one section can leave a person unable to recognize loved ones; some brain trauma can even make you a pathological gambler, pedophile, or liar. But a few scientists realized that these injuries were an opportunity for studying brain function at its extremes. With lucid explanations and incisive wit, Sam Kean explains the brain's secret passageways while recounting forgotten stories of common people whose struggles, resiliency, and deep humanity made modern neuroscience possible.

416 pages

The Compound by S.A Bodeen - ⭐⭐

Eli and his family have lived in the underground Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone, and they've become accustomed to their new life. Accustomed, but not happy.

For Eli, no amount of luxury can stifle the dull routine of living in the same place, with only his two sisters, his father and mother, doing the same thing day after day after day.

As problems with their carefully planned existence threaten to destroy their sanctuary—and their sanity—Eli can't help but wonder if he'd rather take his chances outside.

Eli's father built the Compound to keep them safe. But are they safe—or sorry?

256 pages

Enclave by Ann Aguire - ⭐⭐

New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters--or Freaks--who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight--guided by Fade's long-ago memories--in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs.

Ann Aguirre's thrilling young adult novel is the story of two young people in an apocalyptic world--facing dangers, and feelings, unlike any they've ever known.

259 pages

Slated by Teri Terry - ⭐⭐

Kyla’s memory has been erased,

her personality wiped blank,

her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

439 pages

Speak: The Graphic Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Emily Carroll - ⭐⭐⭐

"Speak up for yourself-we want to know what you have to say."

From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless--an outcast--because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. Through her work on an art project, she is finally able to face what really happened that night: She was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her.

374 pages

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - ⭐⭐⭐

Brave New World is a dystopian novel written in 1931 by English author Aldous Huxley, and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State of genetically modified citizens and an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific developments in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation, and classical conditioning that are combined to make a utopian society that goes challenged only by a single outsider.

288 pages

Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney - ⭐⭐

Walking around New York City was what Mitty Blake did best. He loved the city, and even after 9/11, he always felt safe. Mitty was a carefree guy: he didn't worry about terrorists or blackouts or grades or anything, which is why he was late getting started on his Advanced Bio report.

Mitty does feel a little pressure to hand something in if he doesn't, he'll be switched out of Advanced Bio, which would be unfortunate since Olivia's in Advanced Bio. So he considers it good luck when he finds some old medical books in his family's weekend house that focus on something he could write about.

But when he discovers an old envelope with two scabs in one of the books, the report is no longer about the grades: it's about life and death. His own.This edge-of-your-seat thriller will leave you breathless.

200 pages

Falls the Shadow by Stefanie Gaither - ⭐⭐⭐

When Cate Benson was a kid, her sister, Violet, died. Two hours after the funeral, Cate’s family picked up Violet’s replacement. Like nothing had happened. Because Cate’s parents are among those who decided to give their children a sort of immortality—by cloning them at birth—which means this new Violet has the same smile. The same perfect face. Thanks to advancements in mind-uploading technology, she even has all of the same memories as the girl she replaced.

She also might have murdered the most popular girl in school.

At least, that’s what the paparazzi and the anti-cloning protestors want everyone to think: that clones are violent, unpredictable monsters. Cate is used to hearing all that. She’s used to defending her sister, too. But Violet has vanished, and when Cate sets out to find her, she ends up in the line of fire instead. Because Cate is getting dangerously close to secrets that will rock the foundation of everything she thought was true.

In a thrilling debut, Stefanie Gaither takes readers on a nail-biting ride through a future that looks frighteningly similar to our own time and asks: how far are you willing to go to keep your family together?

352 pages

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle - ⭐⭐⭐

Every October Cara and her family become inexplicably and unavoidably accident-prone. Some years it's bad, and some years it's just a lot of cuts and scrapes. This accident season--when Cara, her ex-stepbrother, Sam, and her best friend, Bea, are 17--is going to be a bad one. Cara is about to learn that not all the scars left by the accident season are physical: There's a long-hidden family secret underneath the bumps and bruises. This is the year Cara will finally fall desperately in love, when she'll start discovering the painful truth about the adults in her life, and when she'll uncover the dark origins of the accident season--whether she's ready or not.

320 pages

Legend: The Graphic Novel by Marie Lu, illustrated by Kaari - ⭐⭐⭐

Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a military prodigy. Born into the slums of the Republic’s Lake Sector, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives are not as sinister as they often seem. One day June’s brother is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Now, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June tries desperately to avenge her brother’s death. And the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together and the lengths their country will go to in order to keep its secrets.

160 pages

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Madeleine L’Engle, illustrated by Hope Larson - ⭐⭐

Late one night, three otherworldly creatures appear and sweep Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe away on a mission to save Mr. Murry, who has gone missing while doing top-secret work for the government. They travel via tesseract — a wrinkle that transports one across space and time — to the planet Camazotz, where Mr. Murry is being held captive. There they discover a dark force that threatens not only Mr. Murry but the safety of the whole universe.

Never before illustrated, A Wrinkle in Time is now available in a spellbinding graphic novel adaptation. Hope Larson takes the classic story to a new level with her vividly imagined interpretations of Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, Mrs Which, the Happy Medium, Aunt Beast, and the many other characters that readers have loved for the past fifty years. Winner of the 1963 Newbery Medal, A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet.

392 pages

Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past...but Dmitri's need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel's right hand and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality...the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more...

310 pages

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton - ⭐⭐⭐

Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.

Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava—in all other ways a normal girl—is born with the wings of a bird.

In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naïve to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the Summer Solstice celebration.

That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava’s quest and her family’s saga build to a devastating crescendo.

First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human.

301 pages

Once We Were by Kat Zhang - ⭐⭐⭐

"I'm lucky just to be alive."

Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.

Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion.

Yet as they are drawn deeper into the escalating violence, they start to wonder: How far are they willing to go to fight for hybrid freedom? Faced with uncertainty and incredible danger, their answers may tear them apart forever.

352 pages

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout - ⭐⭐⭐

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

335 pages

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins - ⭐⭐⭐

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (a.k.a. witches, shape-shifters, and faeries). But then she discovered the family secret, and the fact that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie's a demon, one of only two in the world-the other being her father. What's worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will either destroy her powers for good-or kill her.

But once Sophie arrives, she makes a shocking discovery. Her new housemates? They're demons too. Meaning, someone is raising demons in secret, with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they're using Archer to do it. But it's not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

359 pages

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - ⭐⭐

Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private life and public life in a country plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trials of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming--both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland. It is the chronicle of a girlhood and adolescence at once outrageous and familiar, a young life entwined with the history of her country yet filled with the universal trials and joys of growing up.

Edgy, searingly observant, and candid, often heartbreaking but threaded throughout with raw humor and hard-earned wisdom--Persepolis is a stunning work from one of the most highly regarded, singularly talented graphic artists at work today.

341 pages

The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne, illustrated by Veronica Fish - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

16-year-old Wendy Davies crashes her car into a lake on a late summer night in New England with her two younger brothers in the backseat. When she wakes in the hospital, she is told that her youngest brother, Michael, is dead. Wendy — a once rational teenager – shocks her family by insisting that Michael is alive and in the custody of a mysterious flying boy. Placed in a new school, Wendy negotiates fantasy and reality as students and adults around her resemble characters from Neverland. Given a sketchbook by her therapist, Wendy starts to draw. But is The Wendy Project merely her safe space, or a portal between worlds?

96 pages

Torn by Amanda Hocking - ⭐⭐⭐

When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to learn that there’s more to the story...

She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits... and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.

Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she’s ever wanted... in both worlds.

324 pages

Ascend by Amanda Hocking - ⭐⭐⭐

Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn't surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind... even if it’s the only way to save them?

The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn't the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about to make the ultimate choice... who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life—and now all their lives might be coming to an end.

Everything has been leading to this moment. The future of her entire world rests in her hands—if she’s ready to fight for it.

326 pages

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings - ⭐⭐

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

398 pages

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children

No Solicitations

No Visitors

No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

173 pages

Red by Allison Cherry - ⭐⭐⭐

Felicity St. John has it all: loyal best friends, a hot guy, and artistic talent. And she’s right on track to win the Miss Scarlet pageant. Her perfect life is possible because of just one thing: her long, wavy, coppery red hair.

Redheads hold all the power in Scarletville—and everybody knows it. That’s why Felicity is scared down to her roots when she receives an anonymous note: I know your secret.

Because Felicity is a big fake. Her hair color comes straight out of a bottle. And if anyone discovers the truth, she’ll be a social outcast faster than she can say strawberry blond.

Felicity isn’t about to let someone blackmail her life away. But just how far is she willing to go to protect her red cred?

336 pages

Frostfire by Amanda Hocking - ⭐⭐⭐

Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?

321 pages

Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking - ⭐⭐⭐

In the majestic halls of a crystal palace lies a secret that could destroy an entire kingdom…

Bryn Aven refuses to give up on her dream of serving the kingdom she loves. It’s a dream that brings her to a whole new realm…and the glittering palace of the Skojare.

The Skojare people need protection from the same brutal enemy that’s been threatening the Kanin, and Bryn is there to help. Being half Skojare herself, it’s also a chance for her to learn more about her lost heritage. Her boss, Ridley Dresden, is overseeing her mission, but as their undeniable attraction heats up, their relationship is about to reach a whole new level—one neither of them is prepared for.

As they delve deeper into the Skojare world, they begin to unravel a long-hidden secret. The dark truth about her own beloved Kanin kingdom is about to come to light, and it will change her place in it forever…and threaten everyone she loves.

309 pages

Crystal Kingdom by Amanda Hocking - ⭐⭐⭐

The kingdom she loves has turned against her. Can she save it before it’s too late?

Bryn Aven—unjustly charged with murder and treason—is on the run. The one person who can help is her greatest enemy, the gorgeous and enigmatic Konstantin Black. Konstantin is her only ally against those who have taken over her kingdom and threaten to destroy everything she holds dear. But can she trust him?

As Bryn fights to clear her name, the Kanin rulers’ darkest secrets are coming to light…and now the entire troll world is on the brink of war. Will it tear Bryn from Ridley Dresden, the only guy she’s ever loved? And can she join forces with Finn Holms and the Trylle kingdom? Nothing is as it seems, but one thing is certain: an epic battle is under way—and when it’s over, nothing will ever be the same…

432 pages

High-Rise by J.G. Ballard, read by Tom Hiddleston - ⭐⭐⭐

When a class war erupts inside a luxurious apartment block, modern elevators become violent battlegrounds, and cocktail parties degenerate into marauding attacks on "enemy" floors. In this visionary tale, human society slips into violent reverse as once-peaceful residents, driven by primal urges, re-create a world ruled by the laws of the jungle.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds - ⭐⭐⭐

1 hour, 43 minutes

An ode to Put the Damn Guns Down, this is New York Times bestseller Jason Reynolds’s fiercely stunning novel that takes place in sixty potent seconds—the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he’s going to murder the guy who killed his brother.

A cannon. A strap.

A piece. A biscuit.

A burner. A heater.

A chopper. A gat.

A hammer

A tool

for RULE

Or, you can call it a gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge. That’s where Will’s now heading, with that gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, the gun that was his brother’s gun. He gets on the elevator, seventh floor, stoked. He knows who he’s after. Or does he? As the elevator stops on the sixth floor, on comes Buck. Buck, Will finds out, is who gave Shawn the gun before Will took the gun. Buck tells Will to check that the gun is even loaded. And that’s when Will sees that one bullet is missing. And the only one who could have fired Shawn’s gun was Shawn. Huh. Will didn’t know that Shawn had ever actually USED his gun. Bigger huh. BUCK IS DEAD. But Buck’s in the elevator? Just as Will’s trying to think this through, the door to the next floor opens. A teenage girl gets on, waves away the smoke from Dead Buck’s cigarette. Will doesn’t know her, but she knew him. Knew. When they were eight. And stray bullets had cut through the playground, and Will had tried to cover her, but she was hit anyway, and so what she wants to know, on that fifth floor elevator stop, is, what if Will, Will with the gun shoved in the back waistband of his jeans, MISSES.

And so it goes, the whole long way down, as the elevator stops on each floor, and at each stop someone connected to his brother gets on to give Will a piece to a bigger story than the one he thinks he knows. A story that might never know an END…if WILL gets off that elevator.

306 pages

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

409 pages

The Dogs of Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron - ⭐⭐⭐

While nursing a broken heart, Josh Michaels is outraged when a neighbor abandons his very pregnant dog, Lucy, at Josh's Colorado home. But Josh can't resist Lucy's soulful brown eyes, and though he's never had a dog before, he's determined to do the best he can for Lucy—and her soon-to-arrive, bound-to-be-adorable puppies.

Soon in over his head, Josh calls the local animal shelter for help, and meets Kerri, a beautiful woman with a quick wit and a fierce love for animals. As Kerri teaches Josh how to care for Lucy's tiny puppies and gets them ready to be adopted through the shelter's "Dogs of Christmas" program, Josh surprises himself by falling for her.

But he's fallen even harder for his new furry family, which has brought incredible joy into Josh's life. He barely has time to sit down, between chasing after adventurous Sophie and brave Oliver, but when he does, his lap is quickly filled by the affectionate Lola. And Rufus and Cody's strong bond makes Josh wonder about his own relationships with his family.

With Christmas and the adoption date looming, Josh finds himself wondering if he can separate himself from his beloved puppies. At odds with Kerri, Josh isn't willing to lose her, but doesn't know how to set things right. Can a surprise litter of Christmas puppies really change one man's life?

233 pages

Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevive Tucholke - ⭐⭐⭐

Every story needs a hero.

Every story needs a villain.

Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?

Someone knows.

Someone is lying.

247 pages

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversion by Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong - ⭐⭐⭐

A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.

Sixteen of today’s hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new land-scapes and characters. But whether they’re writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.

Suspenseful, funny, or romantic, the stories in Enthralled will leave you moved.

443 pages

The 100 by Kass Morgan - ⭐⭐⭐

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries -- until now.

Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth's radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents -- considered expendable by society -- are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life...or it could be a suicide mission.

CLARKE was arrested for treason, though she's haunted by the memory of what she really did. WELLS, the chancellor's son, came to Earth for the girl he loves -- but will she ever forgive him? Reckless BELLAMY fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And GLASS managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth.

Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind's last hope.

323 pages

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

This is the story of what happened first…

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

187 pages

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sumi died years before her prophesied daughter Rini could be born. Rini was born anyway, and now she’s trying to bring her mother back from a world without magic.

174 pages

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff - ⭐⭐⭐

Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she's never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.

As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it's a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy's uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.

194 pages

Defy by Sara B. Larson - ⭐⭐⭐

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

336 pages

Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve - ⭐⭐⭐

Fever Crumb is a girl who has been adopted and raised by Dr. Crumb, a member of the order of Engineers, where she serves as apprentice. In a time and place where women are not seen as reasonable creatures, Fever is an anomaly, the only female to serve in the order.

Soon though, she must say goodbye to Dr. Crumb - nearly the only person she's ever known - to assist archeologist Kit Solent on a top-secret project. As her work begins, Fever is plagued by memories that are not her own and Kit seems to have a particular interest in finding out what they are. Fever has also been singled out by city-dwellers who declare her part Scriven.

The Scriveners, not human, ruled the city some years ago but were hunted down and killed in a victorious uprising by the people. If there are any remaining Scriven, they are to be eliminated.

All Fever knows is what she's been told: that she is an orphan. Is Fever a Scriven? Whose memories does she hold? Is the mystery of Fever, adopted daughter of Dr. Crumb, the key to the secret that lies at the heart of London?

326 pages

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch - ⭐⭐⭐

In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two-thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing--and their lives--forever.

278 pages

Legacy by L.J. Swallow - ⭐⭐⭐

Verity Jameson's day switches from mundane to disastrous when she runs down a stranger with her car. Fortunately for Vee, she can't kill Death.

Death, who just happens to be one of the Four Horsemen, and he's looking for her.

The Four Horsemen spend life preventing the end of the world, not bringing on an apocalypse. As gatekeepers of the portals which exist between the human world and other realms, the team fight to keep the portals closed and the supernatural forces under control. Without their fifth member, the Four Horsemen are losing the battle.

Now they've found Verity and what they tell her goes far beyond the conspiracy theories Vee spends her free time investigating.

A new life with four dark, sexy and dangerous men fighting demons, vampires and fae? Not what Vee had planned, but a hell of a lot more interesting than her boring job in tech support.

So what happens when the unbreakable bond of the Five takes control in a way none of them expected?

133 pages

Bound by L.J. Swallow – ⭐⭐⭐

Ewan's shock revelation sends Vee's life further into chaos, and she faces an uncertain future in a secret world she never knew existed.

Vee joins the Four Horsemen's hunt for those behind the plot to murder a fae queen, where she discovers society faces bigger dangers than she realised.

One night changes everything and increases Vee's determination to harness her power and step into her new role.

The Four Horsemen now have their missing link and will each do anything to protect and support her, but Vee's determined to show them she can be their equal.

The group are about to find out exactly how powerful Truth is

170 pages

Hunted by L.J. Swallow – ⭐⭐⭐

Who is Vee? Where did she come from? And what is the darkness the fae can see inside her?

Xander's reaction to these questions drives a bigger wedge between the fae and the Horsemen. His move isn't popular with the others because right now they need fae help more than ever.

A bloody message and a series of murders lead to a search for a threat from the past. Instead, the Horsemen encounter something new and dangerous. The race is on to find out what the creatures are and how big a threat they are to an already chaotic world.

Vee discovers using her powers has a strange effect on her relationship with the Horsemen. Although this pulls her closer to the guys, the conflict between Vee and Xander continues. But is the greatest conflict within himself?

And as the Five search for answers, someone watches. What does he know? Can he help? Or does he have an agenda of his own?

180 pages

Guardians by L.J. Swallow – ⭐⭐⭐

Assassins, ancient magic, and the mysterious Collector bring new challenges to the Horsemen. Can the five find the answers they need before it's too late?

Three humans are dead, and the search is on for the surviving member from Vee's online group. If he's alive, Seth could hold the key to who's behind the attacks -- and why the group are targets.

Thanks to their broken alliance with the fae, the Four Horseman and Vee must turn to others for help and are pulled deeper into the supernatural underworld. The danger the world faces is greater than they imagined and someone is determined the Horsemen will fail.

The Four Horsemen will each do whatever it takes to protect Vee, but as Vee's relationship with the guys intensifies, so does her power. How powerful can she become and at what cost to the Four Horsemen's future?

171 pages

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ineffablecolors · 7 years ago

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BLUNDERS AND (HAPPY) BEGINNINGS [7/8]

Blunders and (happy) Beginnings; CHAPTER 7; ~ 2, 900 words; FF.NET || AO3

Thank so much to everyone who has left me feedback for this story - it really has been incredibly kind and thoughtful and means a lot. :)) This is the penultimate chapter to this (and I can promise a lot more CS in the next - and last - one ;))

Being the kind of lady that takes surprising comfort in cold and sparsely decorated spaces, Miss Elsa takes her time walking down the narrow hallway. As her sister delighted in the sun’s rays on the walk over, so she now feels her heart and soul settle among the cooling stone of the old house.

It has been a charged, sizzling week for all of Mrs Ingrid Chillton’s charges.

The youngest

being the subject of much more attention and much more envy from other ladies – for it is enviable enough to be dueled over and exciting enough to overshadow any unsettling circumstances that might have brought about the duel to begin with – this to a degree that even Miss Anna’s usually sociable character was not entirely comfortable with, considering the repercussions of all these overromanticized scenes.

The adopted

being on the tongues of most of Storybrooke and, astonishingly enough, only a third of those exercising their imaginations over her current – prolonged and not at all well-concealed – stay at Neverland, while the rest dividing their energies between her recent refusal of one Mr Cassidy and the rumoured return and – even more puzzlingly – impending proposal of a Mr Humbert.

The eldest

having withdrawn herself from most society ever since her sister’s (mis)adventures and the resulting uproar in the Nolan’s and Jones’s households.

It is indeed with great reluctance that Miss Elsa has now made her way to Neverland – only after receiving a letter from Miss Swan that came as close to pleading as that lady has ever been and after being worked over and pleaded with by Miss Anna for some fresh air and fresher still society.

But the place itself bore no fault and rather settled Elsa’s nerves. Captain Killian Jones’s abode is neither grand, nor lavishly decorated but it is always incredibly well-kept and orderly and has a distinctive character – a certain strength about it – that Elsa has always admired and even defended against Emma’s complaints of everything being too stern and set (Why I can barely move around without worrying about “disrupting” something and being haunted by Jones’s aggravated sighs for the rest of the day.)

Elsa lets her eyes slide over the modestly furnished sitting room and come to rest on the deep red carpet and the blonde woman sitting upon it, playing with an old black Labrador. Miss Swan certainly seems to have overcome any reserves she might have ever held against Neverland, its order and its master – if current events have been any indication. Or maybe it was the other way around – Neverland and everyone within succumbing to her transforming presence – Elsa muses, observing the bent spine of a book on the side table, the tea cup, placed precariously on its edge, and Emma’s scarf – throw carelessly over a chair and brushing over the floor.

“He seems quite willing to let you rule over the house,” Elsa mutters half to herself.

Miss Swan looks up at her friend’s unwillingly amused face and then returns her gaze to the dog licking her fingertips.

“Ah, it is all because I have spoilt him rotten and wrecked havoc on his diet.”

“Just as Anna is probably doing with the strawberries in the garden at this very moment. I do hope Captain Jones won’t mind terribly.”

The dismissive wave of Emma’s hand and its utter ease and familiarity do not go unnoticed and bring Elsa more anxiety than comfort.

“Would you sit? I can bring you some tea.”

“Oh, I’m sure you are well-aware of where the kettle is at this point.”

She thinks Emma’s sigh rather exaggerated, even given her penchant for dramatics.

“By all means, say your piece, so I can have my turn after.”

“Your actions paint a much better picture than my words ever could.”

“Do they now?”

“Indeed. Have you not been here a fortnight now?”

“That I have.”

“And did Captain Liam Jones not relocate to his own estate a full week prior?”

“I’m pleased to know that you are well-informed of the Captain’s whereabouts.”

“Don’t.”

It is the cold tone that stops Emma from making another teasing remark and the sparkle in her eye seems to have taken a bucket of cold water.

“And is it not that Captain Killian Jones was well enough to visit the Nolan’s three days ago?”

“I fail to see the purpose of your enquiries, Elsa, for you seem to possess all the intelligence there is to possess.”

“Oh, I should feel burdened indeed, if I did. Thankfully, that couldn’t be further from the truth. And, rest assured, I question everything that is presented to me as fact. Such as – you and the younger Captain Jones being inseparable in every sense of the word in all his comings and goings.”

“I’d be grateful indeed, if you were to question Captain Jones himself on the subject, seeing as he is not supposed to have any goings about, according to Doctor Whale. And, yet, seeing as he has persisted in ignoring both medical advice and common sense, I have indeed taken it upon myself to see to it that he doesn’t faint and break his disagreeable head somewhere.”

“I am sure the gentleman would much contest his ability to go without such a devoted nurse and that his brother would be more than willing to procure a professional nurse, should he truly require such.”

“And have you consulted Liam on the topic or is this mere conjuncture on your part?”

Elsa stiffens as she feels the shift in conversation and rearranges her skirts where Smee has taken to snooping around them.

“Please, Emma. You are well-aware that I have chosen to give myself a respite from society.”

“Liam is not ‘society’.”

And with that Miss Froster is on her feet. But she is much mistaken, if she believes this will rescue her.

“Elsa, I do not understand,” Emma tries for an appeasing tone, her eyes searching for understanding in her friend’s averted gaze. “Aunt and Anna were at the Nolan’s just the other-“

“Yes, well, we must never underestimate our aunt and Anna’s admirable ability to face situations and then face them no longer when they are behind them.”

“And yet you are still staring back over your shoulder.”

“And yet you are still at Neverland and, according to half of Storybrooke, clinging to Captain Jones’s elbow as if you are the one in danger of fainting and not he.”

Miss Swan’s back straightens and her head lifts in an admirable imitation of her namesake – poised and ready. It may never be known what she would have bit back, seeing as this is when the gentleman of the house finally makes his entrance.

“I can assure you, Miss Froster, of everyone in this room, I find myself the only one whose surefootedness can be put into question. Ah, and perhaps Mr Smee there, he does have quite a few years on me.”

Even Elsa’s perfectly pure complexion cannot help but take on a rosy hue at this.

“I beg your pardon, Captain, I did not mean-“

“Oh, I assure you, people who have insinuated that beautiful young women wish to cling to my arm are few and far in between and I hold no grudges against any of them.”

“I- still I shouldn’t… I’m sure my sister wishes to speak to you.”

Captain Jones’s little smile is as much a shock to Miss Froster as the light blush that takes over him – the novelty of both making her previous embarrassment but a mundane and quickly forgotten blunder.

“As a matter of fact, she already did, while plundering my garden. And I would be forever indebted to you, if you could perhaps sway Miss Anna on the matter of expressing her eternal… mm, gratitude and indebtedness to me every time we are in each other’s company.”

“Ah,” Elsa cannot help but smile at this. “I give you my word that I will submit your request to her most earnestly but… the result, as I am sure you can imagine, is in no way certain.”

“It is all I can ask of you,” the gentleman replies with a nod before turning to the other lady in the room. “As for you, Miss Swan-”

“Captain?”

Elsa narrows her eyes at the scene. She and Emma have had one too many contests, trying to read the subtle hints in otherwise unremarkable conversations in drawing rooms and ball halls – much for their own amusement, rather than as a means of acquiring the latest gossip. Now Elsa cannot help but notice the devilish sparkle in all pairs of eyes but her own, the way Emma turns around so she is facing Captain Jones.

“I believe Miss Anna, and my poor garden, would benefit greatly from your assistance.”

A silent moment of communication. It sends a small pang through Elsa. The Jones’s brothers differ in many ways but their expressive faces and ability to converse merely with their eyes is certainly a family trait and now she realizes with sudden clarity how much she misses.

Emma’s gaze fills with understanding and with the slightest of nods she gracefully raises to her feet and slips out of the room. Elsa does not miss the glance her friend sends her – somehow both insistent and imploring, and she certainly does not miss the way she fingertips brush Captain Jones’s shoulder on her way out.

“Miss Froster, I do not know what headway Emma has made, if any.”

Elsa is sure that the confusion will set in soon enough but at present she is much too distracted. She could swear on her honour that she has never once, in all their time of knowing each other, heard Captain Jones address Miss Swan in such a familiar manner.

“I… I’m not sure what you are referring to.”

“I’m referring to your self-appointed exile as both your friend and sister have taken to calling it.”

Miss Elsa is not the type of lady that allows herself to scoff. But then, Captain Jones is not the type of gentleman that refers to ladies by their first name with an easy grin on his face. So this is how she finds herself sinking back onto the soft sofa behind her, her hand finding Smee’s silky fur.

“Captain-“

“I’m referring, if I must be frank, to your refusal to see my brother, whether by appointment or accident.”

“I assure you, my behavior towards your brother has not been particular in the least-“

“And that is precisely the issue that I wish to address.”

For the first time since he entered the room, Killian seems to lose some of his confidence and good humour and he sinks into the chair opposite her with some difficulty. Elsa makes to rise and assist him but he waves her off with a slightly pained smile.

“No, no, please, let me exercise the freedom to move by myself while Emma is engaged with your sister.”

Try as she might, Elsa can’t help but smile at that. Though her little slip does not last long.

“Surely you must realize that her stay here and your… this situation is not doing either of your reputations any favours.”

“Oh, I thought just as you do, I assure you. But my reputation has long been beyond salvaging. And Miss Swan has had to refute two marriage offers in only so many weeks so it would seem her “reputation” – or perhaps her fortune and good name – much more resilient than we thought.”

Miss Froster’s eyes widen despite herself. Surely, she hasn’t been that sheltered from everything happening in Storybrooke. She stayed rather informed on anything that had to do with Emma and their close acquaintances. Surely, her aunt would know if-

“Two?” it is a shriek, or as close to one as Miss Elsa Froster has ever come.

“Indeed.”

Any other day, she would call the Captain’s small grin pained, yet he still seems much too relaxed for Emma’s possible nuptials to have caused him any real discomfort.

“Have gentlemen flocked to your house to propose to her?”

Killian chuckles lowly.

“I have no doubt Mr Cassidy would have had no qualms about doing so but he seems to prefer his rejections not so very personal. As it is, Mr Humbert very skillfully seized the chance he was presented with when we were at the Nolan’s estate.”

“So the rumours were true that he intended to…”

“I am assured he very much did.”

“And Emma…”

At this Captain Jones shifts his gaze to the colourful carpet and reaches for his ear in a sign of mild discomfort.

“Well, I’m sure she would much rather share the details herself.”

“Yes, of course.”

Elsa doesn’t know what Emma would rather do or not do but she will most certainly have to explain how she has been propositioned on multiple occasions and yet finds herself in the house of a man who is not said to be among the list of wish-to-be husbands.

“But Miss Swan’s recent handling of marriage proposals is not the question I wished to discuss with you.”

“Captain Jones, surely you must know how much I value your friendship and your council, and the sacrifices you have made for my family… I could never thank you enough for… So I hope that you can trust my own judgement in return.”

“I do. I would trust few people’s judgement more than your own, Miss Froster. Well, perhaps Mrs Nolan’s.”

Elsa smiles at that and feels herself relax. Perhaps this is not the ambush she was expecting after all.

“But, due to recent events, I have discovered that… sometimes we shy away from things that, if we knew their true nature, we’d embrace wholeheartedly.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“Elsa, all I’m asking is that you consent to talk to my brother.”

Ice blue falls away from its imploring counterpart.

“I am not ready. I need time to… to prepare for what he has to say.”

“How can you, when you don’t know what that is?”

“I can imagine. After everything that happened – to you and-“

“I sincerely hope you do not hold yourself or anyone in your family accountable.”

“Who is accountable does not change the many altercations that were caused.”

“And if my brother and Emma are back to uniting forces to keep me as confided to my house as possible, I’m certain you can see how much has been put to rest.”

“Oh, but their tempers and tantrums burn out sooner than they have been set off and you know it.”

“Indeed. In that we are in perfect agreement. But, I hope I have proven myself less prone to outbursts and flights of fancy.”

“Well, there was this one incident recently…” Elsa cannot help but point out but then- “Of course, you have.”

“And I hope… you could trust me on this.”

How the lady would have responded to his heartfelt request, the Captain will never know because it was now Miss Swan’s turn for a timely interruption.

“Your sister is waiting for you outside,” Emma announces from the doorway. “If my powers of deduction are still sharp, she has had her fill of Killian’s strawberries.”

Elsa gets to her feet and narrows her pale eyes, first at her closest friend and then at her host.

“I guess it is time we go. But perhaps we could see, if my own powers of deduction still match yours, dear Emma.”

There is some small degree of suspicion in Miss Swan’s eyes but there is amusement as well, the thrill and joy of having her friend and confidant back perhaps, or perhaps… a certain eagerness to hear what she has so cleverly deduced.

“And seeing how you have both applied to my trust and good nature, I’m sure you will be fair and candid with me in turn.”

Elsa sees out of the corner of her eye the Captain’s slight movement, the way he must surely be looking at Emma right now. But Emma is still smiling and Elsa, despite it all, can’t help but grin back as she asks.

“So are you or are you not engaged to be married to Captain Jones here?”

#captain swan #cs ff #captain swan fanfiction #cs au #period CS #B&B

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galfridus1 · 7 years ago

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Happy Brithday Elizabeth!

It’s our favourite goddess’ birthday! So here’s a fic. Inspired by The Smiths’ song of the same name.

Unhappy Birthday

The air was cool and fragrant, the scent of orange blossom floating gently on the breeze. Mael felt his blood stir as the soft wind caressed his hair. The agony of waiting was near to killing him - he never was one for patience - but it would be fatal to approach his brother too early. He needed to bide his time.

So he sat outside the celestial palace, his eyes drawn to the way the smooth, marble columns shone pale in the moonlight and to the flitting shadows which danced over the ornate gardens. The tinkling sound of the fountain soothed his soul as cicadas chirruped softly. He should be relaxing in this garden of peace, but his heart thrummed with anticipation. If only he played his cards right…

He was pulled from his thoughts by the soft sound of laughter. Quickly, Mael shrank back into the shadows, glad that he did so a few moments later as two figures strolled into the grounds, the lady dressed in a simple white tunic and leggings, while her escort wore loose trousers and a rather ludicrous cropped jacket. With difficulty Mael suppressed a snort: Meliodas always wore ridiculous clothes.

The couple moved closer, and Mael strained his ears, struggling to hear the words they were saying to one another over the splash of the fountain. Their feet crunched on the gravel and the archangel felt his impatience growing; he rarely got to see these two in private and he wanted to know what they were planning. Badly. Whatever it was would likely only fit in with his plans.

By some stroke of luck, the couple drew to a halt not far from his hiding place, just in front of the orange tree he had chosen to crouch behind. He could no longer see them, not without risk of detection, but their words were clear enough. Elizabeth was laughing, the sound sweet and sonorous and Mael felt a momentary flash of annoyance. He had never admired her; the other archangels danced to attendance around the supreme deity’s daughter but he had always found her to be a thorn in his side. And now she was more than that: a fool, a traitor to her clan whatever her mother seemed to think.

“Elizabeth.” The man’s voice was uncommonly serious and Mael pricked up his ears. Since when did Meliodas sound so… grown up? “This is a little earlier than I had planned but I have something to ask you,” the demon continued, his voice quavering slightly. Again that was odd. Meliodas for all his faults was a leader, a force to be reckoned with. He did not stutter as a rule.

Seconds later, Mael heard another crunch of gravel but he was sure the couple had not moved from their place. It was almost as if one had stomped their foot or pressed a knee into the stones. His brow furrowed in puzzlement, and he was just on the point of risking a peep when the words he heard stopped him straight in his tracks.

“Elizabeth, I love you. More than anything in the world. I would give you anything: my life is yours. Will you… will you marry me?”

The muffled sounds which followed were enough to show Mael what the lady’s answer had been and all at once he was more than angry, his blood boiling like lava, threatening to burst through his veins. As if it was not bad enough that the girl had given this disgusting demon her time and her heart, she was not to give him her birthright as well! Mael clenched his teeth, feeling the grit of enamel as they ground together. If she would only marry Ludoshel as had always been intended… The loss, the desolation as his dreams of glory vanished to dust was enough to make him scrape his knuckles over the bark of the tree so hard he drew blood, the pain bringing him a momentary relief.

It was several long minutes before the pair of lovers moved away, their silhouettes showing their arms were wrapped around one another. But the lapse of time had been enough for Mael to get his bearings and to formulate a plan. He would not allow this to happen: not now, not ever. And he knew exactly how to move forward.

Quietly, he rose from his place, dusting down his white cloak before making his way into the palace. The guards at the door nodded respectfully to him in greeting as strode past, his pace making short work of the softly-illuminated corridors. He swept past the mosaics and delicate oil paintings, stretching out his powers to find his brother, unsurprised to sense Ludoshel was in his own study.

Without knocking, Mael pushed open the doors, his hands gripping the gold handles tightly. Ludoshel was slumped over his desk, head in hands, his long, dark hair falling like satin to obscure his face, but Mael could guess at what his features would show. His very posture showed the archangel to be in the throes of he most abject misery.

“What’s up?” Mael asked casually as he loomed over his brother, casting him into shadow. With a snarl, Ludoshel raised his eyes and Mael was slightly taken aback to see them rimmed with dark circles. A perusal of the papers spread out on the desk showed a number of maps, all marked with thick, black crosses positioned ominously close to where Stigma’s forces were stationed. A large group were placed adjacent to the fairy king’s forest, a red dot circled at the very centre of the cluster.

“The demon army,” Ludoshel hissed, his eyes narrowed to slits. “They advance, dear brother. Their new leader seems to be taking matters rather seriously, and to be causing our alliance significant difficulties.” His eyes strayed to the stain of crimson in amidst all the black as his lips pressed together.

Mael smiled, knowing just what to say. “So why not ask him? This new menace is his brother after all~”

“I will not consult that… fiend,” Ludoshel all but spat, a stark contrast to his usually refined manner. “There must be another way!” he muttered to himself as his gaze returned to the layers of maps spread before him, his eyes darting quickly over the parchment.

Mael chuckled, allowing the sound to float over the room. He had waited for this moment for months, looking out for an opportunity to persuade his brother to the right course of action. He just needed to play his cards carefully. His initial ploy worked: as expected he saw Ludoshel’s shoulders draw up with the tension, his jaw pulsing slightly as his hands curled into fists. “Have you a better suggestion perhaps?” his brother barked out.

“Oh no, no. I was just thinking it’s stupid to be so upset because it’s her birthday tomorrow, that’s all~” Ludoshel shot to his feet, his fists banging hard on the desk, his eyes flashing with an unmistakable anger. Mael was impressed to see the archangel’s face work as he struggled to control his breathing, the slight blush to his cheeks fading as a result of his efforts.

“There… is reason in what you say,” Ludoshel ground out as their eyes finally met. “As much as I do not like it, I must accept that the lady Elizabeth is… currently spoken for.” His voice dropped to a whisper, trembling slightly, and Mael felt a slight hint of pity bloom in his breast. His brother really did love that girl, always had done, to utter distraction. He had seen the archangel fawning after the girl, seeing to her every whim in a totally demeaning way. He had even taken to watching her sleep, positioning himself on the branch outside the window of her bedroom, his eyes fixed on the goddess as she breathed.

She did not deserve it of course. Elizabeth was pretty enough but had always been a defiant shrew, unworthy of his own family’s attentions. But she was the daughter of the supreme deity herself and heir to the throne; his brother’s marriage to her would secure his own status.

With a start, Mael’s attention snapped back to the room. “I just wish,” Ludoshel murmured as he slunk back into his chair, “I would have so much preferred the lady to have chosen a more worthy companion. But I live in hope that she will come to her senses and see the creature for what he is. I will… wait for her until that day comes.”

“You’ll be waiting a bloody long time then,” Mael said mischievously, feeling his pulse tick under his skin with anticipation. “She just accepted his hand,” he added gleefully as his brother met his eyes once more.

“I saw them myself,” Mael gloated into the following silence. “It happened outside this very building, by the fountain in the grounds.”

“But that’s impossible!” Ludoshel cried, the sound echoing off the vaulted ceiling. “She can’t! She… just can’t…” The hollow look in the archangel’s eyes caused a genuine anger to flush his cheeks red. How dare the bitch do this to any of his kin, let alone his own brother.

“I’ll stop it,” Ludoshel muttered, his face set and determined. “Her Grace will never permit this. I’ll…”

“You think Elizabeth will listen then?” Mael asked casually, deliberately raising an eyebrow as if in thought. “Well, you know her best of course…” Mael let his sentence hang in the air, allowing Ludoshel time to catch up with its implications.

“Her Grace is persuasive…” Ludoshel faltered and Mael could see he was biting his lip.

“Oh of course. I suppose that’s why the demon has the run of the palace,” Mael shot back. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he knew he had gone too far however. His brother drew himself up, his head held high as he loomed over, his face set and stern.

“You will not dare to speak of Her Grace with anything but the highest respect,” Ludoshel hissed, “or brother or not I shall be forced to teach you a lesson. She is your queen, and your sovereign. I will not tolerate any sign of insolence!”

“Of course not,” Mael said placatingly, placing his hands out in front of him. “I meant nothing by it. Only that Elizabeth is persuasive herself is all.”

“What are you getting at?” Ludoshel snapped, his eyes fixed on Mael’s.

“Only that the princess has inherited her mother’s abilities,” Mael replied. “How else would she have persuaded Her Grace to let that demon stay? She may have the power to bring her round to this marriage.”

“The idea is absurd!” Ludoshel barked, but Mael could detect the note of a quaver in his voice. “How could Her Grace sanction such a despicable union?”

“She already has I guess, by default,” Mael said thoughtfully, careful to give the impression that he had just stumbled along the idea. “The thing is fucking her even now I expect,” he added under his breath.

“How dare you!” Ludoshel yelled, his face turning red as a beetroot as he shot to his feet. “You…”

“Am I wrong?” Mael drew himself up, squaring his shoulders to face his brother head on. He was so close now. Just a little more and his brother would be putty in his hands. “Tell me you haven’t seen them,” he added coldly, pressing his advantage. “He can hardly keep his hands off her. And she lets him…”

That did it. Mael saw Ludoshel’s eye twitch with the tick he had developed ever since Elizabeth had brought the thing back to the celestial realm, their hands entwined, fingers lacing together so intimately. He could practically see the steam pouring out of his brother’s ears. Then suddenly, without warning, Ludoshel collapsed. The usually stoic archangel practically fell into his chair, his head resting on the back of it and his eyes closed in pain.

“So what would you have me do?” he finally whispered as he ran his fingers through his hair. “I cannot prevent them, as much as I would wish to. It is not my place…”

“Of course you can’t,” Mael said reassuringly, moving round to place a hand on Ludoshel’s shoulder. “You have a reputation to maintain. But that’s not to say I can’t…” he added softly, whispering the words into his brother’s ear.

“What do you mean?” Ludoshel shot back as his eyes snapped open. “Speak plainly. Have you some plan?”

“Oh yeah,” Mael replied, lowering his voice so he could barely be heard. “All these problems would go away if that demon disappeared, right?” he asked, holding his breath as he waited for the reply.

“Impossible. Meliodas will never leave…”

“Who said anything about him having a choice?” Sensing the retort, Mael pressed his advantage. “Look, you can’t get your hands dirty, I know. If anything happens to that thing Gloxinia and Dolor will kick up a fuss, goodness knows why,” he added, a spiteful edge to his tone.

“But if I do the deed now, in the dead of night, who will suspect me?” Mael added, his eyes fixed on Ludoshel’s face. “You get yourself an alibi - maybe spend some time with the fairy and giant. That way you will be above suspicion.

“Look, we’re not the only ones who want him dead,” Mael cajoled, gesturing to the map. “The demon will likely be outside the fairy king’s forest - he patrols it at night,” he added as Ludoshel shot him a questioning glance. “If he, let’s say unfortunately lost his life, then these others could just as easily be to blame,” he remarked as he pointed to the crosses depicting demon camps on the map. “I bet his brother loathes him…”

“You can’t pretend a demon killed Meliodas,” Ludoshel hissed in response. The tone was dismissive but Mael could feel his brother churning over the idea in his mind and knew that his own goal was in sight. “It is not possible for you to replicate their clan’s signature…”

“I won’t use my power, I’ll stab the bastard. Seven times,” Mael coaxed, his voice warm as honey. “That brother of his carries a sword at all times. It looks like this,” he added as, with a sharp scrape of metal, he drew a short weapon from a scabbard strapped to his side, hidden expertly under layers of clothing. He examined it carefully once more; he had taken a great deal of care - the blade was an exact replica of the one he had seen that small demon use, his dark hair whipping in the wind as he charged.

“That’s…” Ludoshel stared at the blade, his expression unreadable but Mael could feel his excitement stirring the air.

“I know,” Mael added, allowing a note of glee to creep into his voice. “So what do you say?” he added, his hand squeezing Ludoshel’s shoulder. “Her Grace need never know, and nor will Elizabeth. It’ll be our little secret.

“Come on! What better birthday present could you possibly give her?” Mael added impatiently as Ludoshel hesitated. A second ticked by, then another one before Ludoshel slowly nodded his head.

“Good. Go and show these maps to Gloxinia and Dolor and I’ll see you tomorrow,” Mael said confidently, his face pulled in a smile. “Don’t be alone until then,” he cautioned. Without a word, Ludoshel picked up his cloak, draping it over his shoulders before gathering up the papers with a rustle. Silently, he swept from the room, heading towards the palace gates.

Mael waited in the study, giving his brother enough of a headstart to allow him to reach their allies before setting off himself. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest with his excitement. He was going to do it! He would be the one to slay the filth that had polluted their realm, and secure their family up on the throne.

As he reached the gate, the cool of the night brushed over his skin, gently ruffling his hair and the feathers of his wings. After a nod to the guards, their faces picked out in the light of the lanterns and moon, he flew west in the direction of the home he shared with his brother before turning south once he was out of sight, speeding to the portal that would convey him down to Britannia. The air whipped at his clothing but he did not care, his mind focused solely on the mission ahead.

It was not long before he reached the fairy king’s forest. Carefully, he stretched out his powers, scouring the landscape for any signs of the demon. It was not long before he located him, moving like a cat through the tall grass, circling the trees which could just be seen through the gloam. Mael could barely contain his elation; as expected Meliodas was there and he was alone. It would only be a few moments more before he was close enough to strike. As long as he took the devil by surprise…

“Rebellion!” With a start Mael spun round to face the new voice, his eyes straining against the dark as he struggled to see. He was still looking urgently around when he felt a cold sharpness pierce his chest, the knife twisting his insides, turning his organs to pulp as his attacker closed in. He spluttered, feeling a wetness cover his lips and chin as he desperately tried to speak, but a large pair of hands stifled his cries, the relentless fingers of steel digging into the flesh of his neck. Mael felt his vision swim, his head spinning as he slipped to black, barely aware as another blade slid into his chest.

Looming over the corpse, the tall being chuckled as he yanked his blades from the archangel’s rapidly cooling body. His face stretched into a smile as he felt his power course through his veins, enjoying the surge of near-invincible strength. He felt so free, so contented, so alive, the death of his foe bringing more satisfaction than he could ever have expected. It was not quite the goal of course, but it was a first step, and he vowed he would taste his own brother’s fear in the same way before too long had passed. No one else, save his own father perhaps, would have that particular pleasure. And then the ultimate prize would finally be his.

“Happy birthday, Elizabeth,” Estarossa murmured to the air before, summoning his darkness, he sped off into the night.

#nnt #mael #ludoshel #ludoshit #estarossa #fanfiction #happy birthday elizabeth

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enbouton · 7 years ago

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Better Call Saul Rewatch, Part 4/30: Upon This Rock I Will Build My Church

Hero (Season 1, Episode 4)

Written by Gennifer Hutchison / Directed by Colin Bucksey

This episode deals largely with identities. Jimmy is Saul Goodman, he’s Slippin’ Jimmy, he’s Howard Hamlin, he’s his own receptionist on the phone, he’s Tony Curtis in the bath scene in Spartacus, he’s a local lawyer and a local hero. It’s fitting that we open with a flashback showing young Jimmy using the name “Saul” for the very first time, and just as fitting that it’s done without fanfare: it’s tossed out as a half-joke. “S’all good, man!” Jimmy, in a garish, slithery-looking striped shirt, leads his mark down the alley where his partner in crime awaits. The unhurried pace of this sequence is very effective, suiting the stillness of nighttime Cicero and the low-key nature of Jimmy and Marco’s con.

The flashbacks on this show (with the exception of the corner-store one) all take place at night or in dimly lit rooms; here’s some good meta that touches on how Jimmy thrives in darkness. Is it significant that the first Slippin’ Jimmy con we see is one that wouldn’t work on an honest person? Jimmy needs a mark who’s willing to make off with the "Rolex”, thinking he’s got one over on the rube who settled for $1,580 in cash.

Afterwards, Marco is radiant with admiration for Jimmy— “I love watching you work”— but Jimmy says his talents are good for beer money, and that’s about all. Again: what would have happened to this guy if he hadn’t had to leave Cicero? This is not the face of a man who’s happy with where he is in life:

(It is the face of a man who’s being "haunted by the ghost of vladimir lenin” (@deadpanwalking), but I digress.)

Back in the present, Craig and Betsy stand over a pile of money and stress that what they did was “for the kids” (sound familiar?). In substance if not style, Jimmy’s pitch to the Kettlemans bears more than a little resemblance to Kim’s pitch to Mesa Verde: “What are you gonna get from me that you won’t get from those other guys? Passion. Commitment ... If you’re with me, you’re my number one client, morning, noon or night. You call me, I’m there. I would be singularly devoted to you.” But Betsy isn’t swayed: “You’re the kind of lawyer guilty people hire.” Ouch. Exhausted and beaten down, Jimmy takes their bribe.

Nacho, now released, surmises that Jimmy tipped off the Kettlemans. I like that Nacho is as smart as Jimmy. I like that the show generally surrounds Jimmy with people who are as smart as he is. Jimmy counters that Nacho didn’t need any help making himself look suspicious, and Nacho stalks off.

As Jimmy launders his money, assigning stacks of cash to “consulting fees”, “research” and “travel expenses”, he constructs yet another alternate self, this one belonging to a narrative in which he worked for the Kettlemans.

We see Jimmy getting measured for an expensive, conservative suit, yet when the tailor steps out of the room, something wonderful happens:

#it’s like watching a baby being born #a really tacky baby

But Jimmy isn’t just using his windfall to smarten up; he’s playing a long con involving a billboard exactly mimicking one of Howard Hamlin’s, ringlets and all.

Small brain: using your ill-gotten seed money to advertise your business

Galaxy brain: dressing up as your enemy, buying a provocative billboard that you know you'll be forced to take down, hiring a film crew, then bribing a worker to fall off the billboard so that you’ll get on the local news for rescuing him

“He’s… you know, a free spirit,” Kim says, having been dragged out of the office to look at it. She demurs when asked if she and Jimmy are still friends, which, tbh, is fair enough, given how Jimmy behaves around Hamlin (we’ll get into that later). There’s lots to think about with Jimmy literally dressing up as Hamlin, recreating his look down to the smallest detail. Once again he’s taking on another persona, albeit just to achieve a short-term goal. “What kind of lawyer are you going to be?” Kim will ask him in season 2. It’s a question Jimmy seems to keep asking himself.

In the midst of Jimmy and Hamlin’s clash, we get an early glimpse at the tightrope Kim is expected to walk at HHM. She shouldn’t feel the need to lie about who her friends are in order to stay in her boss’ good graces, yet she does, and later on she breaks off a friendly conversation with Jimmy to hand over a cease & desist letter. With Kim, BCS dodges the “successful woman has to choose between career and relationship” trope in favour of something much more interesting, a woman facing uncertainty and unfairness in both spheres. Kim’s relationship with Jimmy isn’t even the main reason she’s treated unfairly at work, and her allegiance to HHM isn’t what’s keeping her and Jimmy apart.

The billboard comes down, but not before Jimmy has himself filmed in front of it, first speaking to camera about the injustice he’s faced, then racing up a ladder to rescue the worker whom he bribed to take a fall. It’s fascinating to watch how Jimmy tells his story here. He hits all the right beats— patriotism, bootstraps, public service, the dream of owning one’s own business— and casts himself as the all-American underdog who “scrimped and saved” to buy a billboard only to have it snatched away from him. We’ll see Jimmy employ a lot of these tropes in his advertising later on; this is his skill at face-to-face communication writ large, but the foundation of the billboard con is his ability to create situations that he can manipulate to his advantage.

When Jimmy drags the worker back up onto the walkway and the two slap hands, we finally see his angle. Watching him on the news in the HHM boardroom, Howard mutters “whole thing’s a damn stunt” and walks off. Kim gives a little smile.

The one part of the situation that Jimmy can’t control is his brother. He has the foresight to keep the newspaper from him, but he can’t account for Chuck’s pedantic attention to detail. Of course Chuck will wonder why his newspaper wasn’t delivered; of course he’ll look outside and see that all his neighbours have theirs; of course he’ll deduce that there’s something in the paper that Jimmy doesn’t want him to see, and cross-reference this against what Jimmy told him about a sudden change in his fortune; and this, perhaps combined with the urgent care receipt that fell out of Jimmy’s pocket a few weeks prior, will concern him enough that he’s compelled to go outside.

The show has already tipped its hand re: the true cause of Chuck’s symptoms, but that’s almost beside the point here: what matters is that they are real and debilitating. As soon as he steps outside, he’s overwhelmed, his senses are deranged, and he nearly runs into the path of a car in his haste to get across the road. The chaotic, visceral sequence ends with a blackly comic cut to his neighbour’s perspective. From the outside, this proud, suffering man is just a crazy guy in a space blanket, scurrying back to his door.

Misc.

“You assume that criminals are gonna be smarter than they are,” Jimmy muses to Mike. “I don’t know. Kinda breaks my heart a little.”

IIRC, the billboard, which went up for filming in Albuquerque in 2014, was how we all found out Saul’s original first name.

A wall of glass blocks appears prominently behind Jimmy and his mark as they walk down the alley. Marco’s fake ID, in the name of Henry Gondorff, bears an issue date of July 1991.

What we see of Kim’s office is devoid of personal items, except for a pair of sensible sneakers on the floor.

Timeframe: this episode picks up right where “Nacho” left off and covers a period of about two weeks. The Albuquerque Journal is dated June 20, 2002; Chuck’s copies of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bear cover stories that were published on June 19th or 20th (they are “Israel Acts to Seize Arab Land After Blast; Bush Delays Talk” and ”Unhappy Returns: IRS Moves to Bring Back Random Audits”).

Music

“Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple (1972), sung by Marco

“Listen” by Chicago (1969), as Marco and Jimmy smoke

“Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Herbie Mann (1969), as Jimmy launders his money. Saul plays a different version of this song in his waiting room in Breaking Bad.

“Unsquare Dance” by the Dave Brubeck Quartet (1961), as Jimmy calls the media

References

Young Jimmy offers to take his mark to a place “a couple blocks off Cermak”. He’s referring to Cermak Road, a major east-west thoroughfare that runs through Cicero, neighbouring Berwyn, and parts of southern and western Chicago.

“Super 170 Tasmanian wool”: the “Super” number corresponds to the diameter of the wool fibres; the higher the number, the finer (and more expensive) the cloth. 170s wool suiting is very fine, soft and lightweight. More info here.

Sea Island cotton: a variety of extra long staple cotton historically grown in the Caribbean and named after the area of South Carolina:

“Sea Island cotton is the ultimate choice for any suiting connoisseur due to its unrivaled softness and second skin-like feel. This ancient fibre is now grown mainly in the paradise climates of Barbados, Antigua and Jamaica; its inherent long staple yarns create a silky yet strong surface, resisting wear while smoothing over time. Extremely scarce, it makes up just 0.0004% of longer staple yarn production.“ (Turnbull & Asser, where you can buy a Sea Island cotton shirt for £345/$456)

French cuffs: double cuffs that are folded back and fastened with cufflinks; a very formal style

Club collar: a white collar with rounded points, created by alumni of Eton College who wanted their dress to indicate that they belonged to that exclusive “club”. All in all, the elements of Hamlin’s signature look connote wealth and sophistication in a formal, conservative way.

Jimmy refers to Tony Curtis’ appearance in a particular scene in the 1960 epic Spartacus. It’s worth noting that the scene, which features two men bathing together and some heavy innuendo about “snails” and “oysters”, was considered so homoerotic that it was cut entirely by the censors and only restored to the film in 1991 (source). You can watch part of the scene here.

Kim invites Jimmy to a screening of The Thing (1982), a horror film about a group of researchers in Antarctica encountering a parasitic alien entity.

While talking to reporters, Jimmy mentions Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, investigative journalists who covered the Watergate scandal.

The Groucho Marx mirror routine Howard refers to is this scene from Duck Soup (1933).

< PREVIOUS EPISODE: NACHO > NEXT EPISODE: ALPINE SHEPHERD BOY

#bcs rewatch #better call saul

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the-master-cylinder · 5 years ago

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SUMMARY Former NYPD Captain Dewey Wilson is brought back to the force and assigned to solve a bizarre string of violent murders after high-profile magnate Christopher Van der Veer, his wife and his bodyguard are slain in Battery Park. Executive Security, the private firm employed by Van der Veer, blames the murders on terrorists, but knowing that the victim’s bodyguard was a 300-pound Haitian with voodoo ties makes Wilson skeptical. With pressure to solve the case coming from both the Police Commissioner and the Mayor, Wilson is partnered with criminal psychologist Rebecca Neff.

Elsewhere, in the South Bronx, a homeless man explores an abandoned church that is scheduled to be demolished by Van der Veer’s development company. He is killed by an unseen monstrous being. Wilson and Neff investigate his murder. At the church, apparent sounds of a baby crying lure Neff up to the bell tower. Wilson follows her but does not hear the crying; once Neff is separated from him, he hears a wolf howl. He goes up after Neff and drags her to safety. Later that night, a bridge worker is apparently murdered by the same creature.

Coroner Whittington discovers non-human hairs on several victims and consults a zoologist named Ferguson, who identifies the hairs as belonging to an unknown subspecies of Canis lupus. Ferguson compares wolves to Indians. Inspired, Wilson finds Eddie Holt, a militant Native activist he arrested some years previously, working in construction. While Wilson interrogates Holt on top of the Manhattan Bridge, Holt claims to be a shapeshifter, which implicates him as the killer. Wilson opts to leave Holt alone and tail him that night.

Following animal clues, Ferguson goes to Central Park, where the killer ambushes him in a tunnel. Wilson spends the remainder of his night with Neff where they have sex. The following morning, a man in a jogging suit rides Ferguson’s motorcycle past Wilson as he leaves Neff’s apartment. Whittington and Wilson stake out the church, armed with sniper rifles and sound equipment; after Whittington almost blows his ears out by opening a beer can near a parabolic microphone, an animal that appears to be a wolf kills him. Meanwhile, Executive Security apprehends a “Götterdämmerung” terrorist cell in connection with the Van der Veer slaying.

A traumatized Wilson escapes the church and finds himself at the nearby Wigwam Bar, where Holt and his friends are drinking. The group of Natives reveal the true nature of the killer as “Wolfen”, the wolf spirit. They explain that the Wolfen have extraordinary abilities and “might be gods”. Holt tells Wilson that he cannot fight the Wolfen, stating: “You don’t have the eyes of the hunter, you have the eyes of the dead”. The leader of the group, the Old Indian, informs Wilson that Wolfen kill to protect their hunting ground. Wilson resolves to end his involvement in the Van der Veer case but he, Neff and Wilson’s superior, Warren, are cornered on Wall Street by the Wolfen pack. Warren is decapitated while Wilson and Neff flee.

Wilson and Neff are cornered in Van der Veer’s penthouse by the pack, led by its white alpha male. Wilson smashes the model of the construction project that threatened their hunting ground, trying to communicate that the threat no longer exists and that he and Neff are not enemies. The Wolfen vanish just as the police barge in. Wilson claims the attack was made by terrorists. In a voiceover, Wilson explains that Wolfen will continue preying on weak and isolated members of the human herd as humans do to each other through class conflict. Wolfen will continue being invisible to humanity because of their nature; not that of spirits but predators, who are higher on the food chain than humans. The last scene is Eddie and his friends looking at the city from the bridge.

DEVELOPMENT/PRE-PRODUCTION In adapting The Wolfen, director Michael Wadleigh and co-screenwriter David Eyre decided to expand freely upon Whitley Streiber’s original prose. Streiber’s novel worked well as a “police procedural,” but they felt his storyline needed to become more impassioned for celluloid. And, although the basic plot remains the same, Wadleigh wanted to make his film more “socially relevant.”

“What appealed to me about Wolfen was its underlying allegory about nature,” Wadleigh says. “I wanted to play that up much more in the film. The genesis of the Wolfen’s culture is that when white man first came to America, he came as a farmer. His two basic enemies were the hunting tribes: wolves and Indians. The wolves and Indians were simpatico, and accommodated each other. White farming man wiped them, the forest, and the great American buffalo out. We reduced the wolf population from a high point of two million to fewer than one thousand. What’s fictional in our screenplay is that the wolfen are the product of biological/artificial selection. When we destroyed the original wolf population, only the smartest survived. The bright ones got even smarter. Their forests were all gone, so they moved into the new wilderness: the slum areas of the major cities. For survival, they hunt at night. For protection, they only eat people that our society doesn’t give a shit about, the inhabitants of the slums. These people are never missed, so their murderers are never looked for.”

A possible hole in Wadleigh’s concept is that since his wolfen have a special understanding with Indians, they would probably also recognize impoverished blacks and Puerto ricans as “brother” victims of modern society.

“Being humanitarians or ‘wolfitarians, explains the director, “as they also are in Whitely’s book, the Wolfen only take people who are essentially ready to die. It’s almost an eastern philosophy of euthanasia. They would not kill a healthy black man. They would kill an ancient derelict who was ready to die. First, the Wolfen would check him out very carefully to make sure he wanted to give up his life. The Wolfen have a tremendous empathy for the people they kill.”

By putting the Wolfen on the same level as Indians, Wadleigh seems to be reducing Indians to yet another stereotype.

“I avoided that by making our Indians real,” defends Wadleigh. “I’ve lived with them as neighbors in Wyoming, so I know what they’re like. Indians are not the kind of preachy, sanctimonious crowd that so often gets horribly portrayed in films. The Indians that I know are incredibly clever and have a great sense of humor. What happens early in Wolfen is that Wilson is led to believe that Christopher VanderVeer’s murder might have been done by radical Indians. He goes to see Eddie Holt [Edward James Olmos], whom he’s busted before, where he’s working on fixing something on top of the Manhattan Bridge. At the foot of the construction site, Wilson tells an old Indian to bring Eddie down for questioning. The Indian says, ‘Screw you. You want him, go on up there yourself.’ Wilson precariously makes his way up to the bridge by walking up its suspension cable. When he gets to the top, there’s a great dialogue between him and Holt that I ripped off from things I’ve heard Indians say in real life. Wilson asks, ‘Are you in touch?’ Holt answers, ‘With what, my mother?’ Wilson says, ‘No, with mother nature.’ Holt says, ‘Sure. I swim like a fish and screw like a bunny.’ Olmos, after people see him as Holt, is going to be a big star. People will be left with envy of Indians. It’s a whole other subculture that they’ll want to get into. It’s not Eddie’s speeches they’ll remember, but his being.”

Olmos enhances the performances of movie veteran Albert Finney as Wilson. Finney, a two-time Academy Award nominee, decided to make Wolfen his first film in five years due to his love for the character” and the project.

“David Eyre and I changed the Wilson character from the book,” reveals Wadleigh. “Now, he’s a cop in his forties who’s the best homicide detective around. What he’s begun to realize, however, is that his professional life is a fraud. He’s a hunter for society but he only stalks small game. The real criminals, the people who control society, are never brought to justice because they set up the law to protect themselves. Wilson’s become much more of a 1960s type of character, which allowed me to work out a lot of my own personal philosophy. I was thrilled when Albert decided to play him, because in my opinion, he’s one of the greatest living actors.”

A less significant character alteration was changing Wilson’s first name from the novel’s George to Dewey.

“That was for a clever line of dialogue that is representative of my bad jokes and corny puns that riddle the film,” Wadleigh grins. “Rebecca Neff is sitting in Wilson’s office and she looks at his coffee cup and says, ‘Dewey.’ He says, ‘Yeah. I was named for one of Donald Duck’s nephews. I was the middle duck.’I mean, what could we have done with the name George?

“There’s another scene that’s been driving people up the walls. It occurs towards the end of the film when the main characters are staking out the Wolfen in the South Bronx. Wilson’s up in one building and Gregory Hines, as the black medical examiner, Whittington, is in one across the street from him. Wilson is trying to call Whittington on his walkie-talkie and he isn’t answering. Wilson starts panning his infra-red sniper scope-the way in which man sees at night-over these burned, wrecked buildings and doesn’t see anything. The audience will become convinced that Whittington’s been offed. Finally, Wilson’s scope comes upon one window where Whittington is standing with his pants down, mooning him. Wilson says over the walkie-talkie, ‘Very funny. Whittington turns around with a big shit. eating grin on his face and says, ‘Black moon over Manhattan.’ Some of the executives at Orion were saying. “What is mooning?’ I told them, “Don’t worry about it. The moviegoers will understand.’ The scene is doubly funny because of the legend of the full moon and werewolves. In fact, I suggested to Orion that part of Wolfen’s logo could be Gregory Hines’ ass. I don’t think that they took that too seriously, though.”

Wolfen’s cast enjoyed Wadleigh’s offbeat sense of humor. But since the director had previously only been a documentarian and this was his first dramatic movie, he might have run into trouble with his cast whenever he suggested to them that they modify elements of their portrayals.

“We avoided those clashes,” Wadleigh states, “because we were all united in believing that we were there solely to do the best we could. Every one of the actors got involved to the extent that they did for two reasons: their character and the film. They opted for a personal choice. They always made sure that not only was something that they were doing going to be good for their part, but for the picture as a whole as well. Since they had a basic respect for the project, they weren’t dealing with glorifying my ego, but Wolfen itself.”

PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY/LIVE WOLVES When it came time to use actual wolves, Wadleigh ran into difficulties because he was shooting on location. The majority of Wolfen was shot in New York City, utilizing Staten Island, Central Park, the New York Stock Exchange, the Manhattan Bridge, the Fulton Fish Market, Battery Park, the South Bronx, and the historic sound stages of Queens’ Astoria Studios.

“Not only did we have to fence in the area where we were shooting our wolf scenes,” he discloses, “but Manhattan sent down police sharp shooters. They were under orders to shoot to kill if the wolves got out of the fenced-in area. The other side-effect of using the wolves was that, naturally the cast and crew were afraid of them. The mythology that the wolf is the devil is absolutely permeated through everyone’s conscious and subconscious. We make use of that in the film by having a church in the Dresden part of the South Bronx. By association, the audience will automatically think that the devil is somehow involved with the murders. The other thing that’s scary about the wolves is that they’re large. We were working with a 150 pound animal that when it stands up has its head six feet and six inches above the ground. What assuaged everyone’s fear was that the wolves are beautiful creatures. Their elegance is disarming. We used that element in the film as well. I think that throughout Wolfen, people will expect that the murderer is going to be a hideous werewolf or Alien-type creature. What they finally see are these gorgeous, noble animals. The audience will wind up with empathy for them.”

Wadleigh avoided the problems normally associated with dealing with animals in movie making by turning to expert trainer George Toth.

“I think we had the best wolves in America,” Wadleigh says. “George raised his wolves so that they think that they’re humans or that humans are wolves. Therefore, they have a respect for us. A very significant point, however, is that a wolf is not a dog. Wolves’ intelligence ranks just beneath the great ape’s, the whale’s, and the dolphin’s. We were dealing with a high powered rifle. You can’t really order a wolf to do anything, you have to ask him. If one of our wolves didn’t feel like doing something, there was no way we were going to force him. Since we were dealing with an animal that was essentially its own person, we had to wait for the mood to do something to hit him which consumed time and patience. In the end, though, they always came through amazingly well.

“As good as our wolves and techniques for showing their senses were, though,” Wadleigh continues, “they didn’t allow us to illustrate what I thought was Whitely Streiber’s greatest creation: the Wolfen’s internal thought processes. We solved that problem by introducing Indians to the story. Who better could explain the dignity of the Wolfen and their point of view? The particular irony of the Indians, this destroyed race of people, is that they are the best high steel construction workers in the world and are now building the white man’s great monuments: bridges, the World Trade Center … They, like the Wolfen, look upon the white man with incredible disdain, yet the both of them are forced to live in our great, corrupt cities.”

Michael Wadleigh

Interview with Michael Wadleigh You’ve expressed frustration in the past that Wolfen has been labeled a horror film. Do you have something against the genre? Michael Wadleigh: Yes, but that’s not the point. I never thought I was making a horror film. I thought I was making a political thriller about a detective investigating activists who are killing off very rich people, and have a political and social agenda that is still made very clear in the movie. The way I photographed and presented the wolves, they never, ever growled or snarled, because that would demean their intelligence and make them stupid in my view. I wanted to make them this shadowy e presence that was very much in control of the situation, and even more frightening. I mean, I was all for killing everyone in sight! [Laughs] That didn’t bother me at all.

The Baader-Meinhof Gang is mentioned in it, and other terrorist organizations, and even recently, when the Twin Towers went down, a number of people read about Wolfen and said, “That was a film about terrorists.” There were critics who well-recognized the parallels between my film and, as Barack Obama’s ex-minister Jeremiah Wright said, “The chickens coming home to roost.” America had done many things abroad that were against its own ideals, and of course it had been done in the way we treated the American Indians. I don’t think there is anyone who disputes, with hindsight, the fact that we just stole their land and murdered them and drove them out of business-completely unacceptable behavior today. I’m just giving you an example of the anger and injustice that Eddie Holt (Edward James Olmos] well expresses to Dewey Wilson (Albert Finney).

The whole backdrop is what we did to the Indians, and the reason I killed off Van der Veer is also made clear: that his great-great-ancestor reputedly brought the first machine to America—the windmill-and that machine stands for the Industrial Age and the supposedly superior technology of the Europeans that just wiped out the Indians. They really couldn’t compete. I mean, doesn’t that sound right? It was all there in the film.

But you yourself once famously described Wolfen as “a thinking man’s horror film.” Michael Wadleigh: I don’t recall those words, but if I did, you obviously know what I mean because I just said what I thought of it. Maybe at one point I did say that, but I must insist that my memory isn’t that bad and I always thought this film was a political thriller-and why political? Well, I’ve just explained to you. I mean, we’ve got American Indians vs. white people.

What were the main difficulties for you and co-writer David Eyre in adapting Whitley Strieber’s novel? Michael Wadleigh: During the discussions I had with [Orion topper] Mike Medavoy, 1 talked about the wolves in terms of Moby Dick—which was not to be pretentious, but just to try to get an idea in there that Ahab was a kind of detective or hunter for his society, so to speak, who was obsessed with tracking down and killing the whale. As most people read Moby Dick, the whale stands for nature and Ahab’s obsession is misplaced, and he goes to his death not realizing it.

Well, I pitched the idea that the character of Dewey Wilson is sort of disconnected from nature, but then gets obsessed with tracking down the wolves. Eddie Holt shakes him up and says, “Well, you’ve pretty much destroyed nature in America, haven’t you? Look at the city look at the South Bronx area that resembles Dresden and the end of civilization. Aren’t you on the wrong side? Why annihilate the last of nature?” And in the end, Dewey quits the police force. He literally, in my screenplay, throws his gun and badge away and says, “F**k it!”

He can no longer uphold the values of a society that he feels is unjust, and now begins to question his own role as a defender of those values and a protector of people like Van der Veer. That’s what I pitched as kind of a way through the piece. Of course, there are no Indians at all in Whitley’s novel, and no political agenda, so you can see that the things I added were very strongly along the lines of a political thriller.

Much was made of the “alienvision” that represents the point of view of the marauding Wolfen. How difficult was that concept to realize? Michael Wadleigh: I’m speaking for cinematographer Gerry Fisher, Steadicam operator Garrett Brown and myself when I say that we were never entirely happy with that, but we were never too disappointed either. We kept playing around with various things, infrared photography and reprinting the colored layers and so on. Garrett, who not only invented the Steadicam but is considered the best operator by everybody, is 6 feet 8 inches tall and a very athletic guy who can run like crazy. He is also very smart, and so the first thing we got was the terrific Steadicam photography that makes you think there’s a mind behind the point of view, that we are actually looking out of somebody or something’s eyes. Next we added the coloration, the strangeness of the vision, and then we had the soundtrack and sound effects and all of those elements that—so the critics thought were put together well and added up to very intriguing and scary sequences.

Actually, I always thought that Wolfen was set in the future that it was a little bit of a science fiction film as well with the advanced hi-tech security force and the parallel that they were using infrared photography for their remote lie-detection systems. That was all deliberate, to compare nature and technology and have them sort of meeting in the future.

One of the best scenes is right after Gregory Hines is killed by the Wolfen, when Dewey stumbles into the Indians’ local bar. Michael Wadleigh: Well, that was the scene that I longed for, though it is a bit expositional. Eddie Olmos played the hell out of that, and the other Indians too, who were not real actors. They all did a good job, but Eddie, especially in a few words, conveyed the essence of the scene and then the way they all just laugh it off and so on. By the way, that was a real bar—not that it matters—but for authenticity that was the real steelworkers’ bar where the Indians hung out. We didn’t redecorate it or anything. I guess as a documentarian, I thought that was interesting, and would maybe lend something to it. Whatever was there and whatever they were dressed in, that was it. I’ve never been satisfied by the way Indians are sometimes portrayed in films, but they seem very real in that scene very dignified and eloquent and funny. Eddie had hung out with the Indians for quite a while and tried to get the cadence of how they spoke in that kind of clipped way of using very few words.

They did very good makeup on Finney, and I think he brought a lot of concentration to that scene—but it was slightly recut as well, so I wince a little bit. Nonetheless, I won’t complain. I believe that scene is great, and one can judge that all the general qualities of the film are there.

What was the difference in your version of that scene? Michael Wadleigh: Uh, let’s not go into that. Let’s be…I don’t want an alibi for anything. I’ll tell you the thing that still most upsets me, which is the marketing of Wolfen in general. I really thought that it could have had the horror film audience because the word would get out, but I also believed it would have captured those people who appreciated the Robert Ludlum sort of thing—a film that was a more of a sophisticated international thriller/detective story—but of course, that wasn’t the advertising campaign at all. All of the wolf material and general treatment that they added brought it more toward what I thought was a simplified horror film-and they thought so too. They thought that if they went that route, it would make more money. As a matter of fact, you may know that Orion was having trouble at the time and was, in my view and I said it at the time, a little bit desperate for a hit. I believe the critics, for one thing, think they made a mistake. They probably could have made more money going the other way. So that’s what I’d prefer to comment on. I only wish that it had gone that way.

The actual look of the Wolfen in your movie has aroused much debate. Michael Wadleigh: I felt that the film was much more of a nature allegory, and therefore I was never interested in making an artificial creature. What I decided to do was put the Indians and the wolves together as a team, so to speak, and therefore create a new creature by imagining an intimate association and communication between them. An amazing thing that I believe is mentioned in the film is that the Dutch colonists who first settled in New York actually used the same word “wolfen” to describe both the Indians and wolves. They of course knew the difference, but there were quite a few wolves around at that time, and those early colonists denigrated the Indians as savages and really felt they were different from full human beings. They felt that the wolves were so scary and powerful and this fear came out of European mythology as well—that they actually elevated the wolves’ intelligence and lessened the Indians, and in doing so sort of drove them together so that they were pack animals that were wild and ferocious and almost anti-real human beings.

That was the central interesting issue for me, that the Dutch were pushing the Indians and wolves together. Therefore you kind of had a bifurcated personality, and they were after all shape shifters. Well, we put it in the film when Eddie Holt shapeshifts on the beach. You have them sometimes looking like Indians and sometimes like wolves.

Legend has it that you once considered using midgets in masks to portray the Wolfen. Michael Wadleigh: Never! I can’t imagine where you got that from. That’s outrageous. Ask anyone who worked on the project. Anyone! As you know, we used real wolves, and what separates them from dogs is their elegance and concentration. Those damn things would look at you, and you would break your stare away from them. They had tremendous power and could really stare you down, and it scared the shit out of you. That worked as a strong setup to then go-pow! There’s a shadow, a splash of blood and you are gone! You unsettle the audience by using surreal sound effects, and watching a wolf’s jaws come up into frame and that kind of thing, but I still say that one of [the producers’] huge mistakes was going more animal with them. They should have stayed with the heightened surreal factor I intended, but instead they inserted shots I didn’t do and didn’t approve of, of the wolves growling. I was trying to convince the audience that these creatures had not only a powerful physique capable of delivering instant death, but an elevated intelligence—not to telegraph their presence to their victims ahead of time! I don’t want to go on about it, but I still feel very strongly about that one.

Was it difficult shooting with real wolves? Michael Wadleigh: Not at all, except that the paranoia of human beings is extreme. I mean, wolves are presented in all the movies as evil, and we have associated them in our mythologies with the devil and all of that kind of thing, but there are relatively few instances of a pack of wolves wiping out a human being. You should find some of the production stills from when we filmed the wolves in New York City. They had like a dozen armed policemen, you know, sharpshooters—I’m not kidding you—positioned all over the place because the wolves were considered wild, uncontrollable animals. I’m very serious. The police had their orders to shoot to kill if a wolf got out of the enclosure. They weren’t about to have one running around New York City! We all thought that was amusing, we who were used to dealing with animals. Their paranoia was, to my mind, unjustified.

You submitted a cut of Wolfen to Orion that was four hours and four minutes long and had over 36 SCENE MISSING cards spliced into it. Michael Wadleigh: Yes, but that was not the director’s cut I proposed to show to the public. What you are referring to is a cut that I had to supply to Orion and (producer) Rupert Hitzig and what have you. Bear in mind, Richard Chew is one of the most honored editors of all time. I mean, he’s won two or three Oscars for Star Wars and all that. You are not dealing with somebody walking in off the street. Richard took a position as well that we had simply not had adequate time, because the effects hadn’t been prepared and all sorts of other things had not been done.

Remember, I had shot the approved screenplay. I had not shot anything other than the script that was submitted, so that wasn’t the issue at all. We simply were not given enough time and, well, you can say that I’m an amateur, but this was Richard Chew—the editor they were delighted to get and had approved. And of course, it’s a matter of record that when Rupert wouldn’t go on with me, Richard just quit. He wouldn’t continue on the film. It’s just not correct that we were going to put a four-hour version out before the public.

No, I wasn’t implying that. I’m referring to the cut that was screened for Orion head Medavoy, Hitzig and others at the studio. Michael Wadleigh: That’s correct, but that had to happen. I told you before, it is well known that Orion was in deep trouble with all sorts of other films-check it out-and many people felt they were abnormally leaning on Richard and me to get this film out at any cost. You know, to hell with art! Just get it out there. Of course, a lot of things did go over budget-you better believe it—but I had no control over that. I was not the producer. I simply accepted all of these people and was mainly interested in the actors. I did want as the director to choose the actors, but hey, I’m just saying it’s a matter of public record that the whole crew was professional and that Orion selected them. I wanted pros, not amateurs, F#3 and many people took the position that it was Paul Sylbert, who was a celebrated production designer, who went nuts and really put the budget over the top with the sets and so forth and they were always consulting with him. I was a nobody by comparison.

So if the next step you might be going to is budget, then I think it was pretty well established in the Directors Guild arbitration that any overbudgetings were hardly my fault based on the information they brought forward. It didn’t seem to have any effect on whether I should be able to preview my cut of Wolfen.

Some critics complained that the subplot involving the security organization pursuing terrorists isn’t fully resolved in the film. Michael Wadleigh: That’s correct. I believe it is in David Eyre’s and my screenplay. We had a far greater integration of all the elements that were thrown out there, particularly two threads that I was interested in, and still am: the corporate vs. the government. After all, religion has gone, so the two great powers we have left are government and those companies. My sympathies have always been with government, and here Dewey (Albert Finney) is a representative of that. The film was always supposed to display the disdain that the corporations had for public gumshoes like him, the inadequacies of their financing and the smallness and shabbiness of even Dewey’s boss (Dick O’Neil] compared with the slickness of the privatization of law enforcement. That was supposed to be a big deal, but then those guys in private security can’t figure out dip-shit even with all their hi-tech stuff. They are completely on the wrong track, and ultimately it was supposed to be a vindication of government hunters over corporate hunters, so it tied up far more at the end than it did in the re-edited version.

None of those things were really pointed up in the cut that came out-and by the way, the other, more interesting parallel was maybe nature vs. technology. The wolves had that wolf-vision and when you saw them they were all very organic, and here the corporations were using all this hi-tech equipment and nature was still outperforming them. Also, you have Eddie Holt and the Indians compared to the people you see in the private security force, and the steelworkers’ bar compared to the austereness of Van der Veer’s office. All of those threads I’ve laid out were supposed to be yin-yang things which would tie together in the end-the one side losing and the other side winning in clever and different ways—and I believe the critics would have been much more satisfied by the version I would have completed. Yet at the time, certainly a number of critics did recognize those elements.

You have expressed satisfaction with Wolfen, even though it was recut. Michael Wadleigh: As it stands, I directed every scene in Wolfen except for the inserts they did. I believe it’s a matter of record that the additional photography they did to get the wolves growling and a few other things were a relatively small part of the movie. So in terms of writing and directing and even, as you know, I did some cinematography there is a lot of Michael Wadleigh in there, right? Everybody agrees with that. So how can I complain about it? Movies are a collective effort, and the set designer and the cinematographer and so many people contributed tremendous amounts to it.

Were you ever offered another horror film on the strength of Wolfen? Michael Wadleigh: A couple. As I recall, the offers were pretty serious. I’m told that Stephen King really liked Wolfen, though I don’t recall that I ever talked to him, but there were a number of inquiries made. It never came to a script being sent out, because I always said, “I’m just not interested.” Stephen personally got someone to phone me, and then I was going to see him in Maine-I still have a house there to this day—but somehow we never met. Mike Medavoy immediately said, “Well, why don’t we do another horror film?” A number of other people did too. I turned them all down.

Would you welcome the opportunity to release a director’s cut of Wolfen today? Michael Wadleigh: I wouldn’t know how to do it! It was so long ago that I don’t think it can be done. I would welcome a re-release as it is right now, because I think, as I gather you do, that it’s a hell of a film, no matter whether it was recut or not. It’s got a lot of innovative stuff in it, and beautiful photography and thrills and chills, and I think that people might be amazed at the success it could have.

SPECIAL EFFECTS/WOLFEN-VISION When producers Rupert Hitzig and Alan King snapped up the rights to Whitley Striber’s shaggy wolf story back in 1978, they knew it would be difficult to translate the book’s unusual Wolfen point-of-view to the screen. In fact, when production on Orion Picture’s WOLFEN began back in October, 1979, the only thing that then-director Michael Wadleigh was certain of was that nothing about the so-called “alien vision” was certain.

But it’s doubtful that Hitzig, King or Wadleigh could have possibly conceived that their self-proclaimed “thinking man’s horror film” would still be mired in a expensive eleventh hour production launch just weeks before the scheduled release. Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of WOLFEN-at least to its makers-is that after 20 months, $15 million, four screenwriters, two directors and several special effects houses, crucial effects sequences remained incomplete. Just six weeks prior to its July 24 opening. a topnotch effects crew headed by STAR WARS alumnus Robbie Blalack-was still working frantically to complete WOLFEN’S opticals on time.

“We knew from the outset that filming the Wolfen point-of-view, or ‘alienvision’ as we call it, was going to be one elusive son of a gun,” said Rupert Hitzig during a break from a musical scoring session. “Nobody really went in with a master plan as to how to shoot the thing in a way that would give us complete manipulative editing and color control. Let’s just say that the whole thing has been at a great cost to my sanity, my family life and certainly my pocketbook.”

In preproduction, WOLFEN’S producers authorized a tidy $80,000 in seed money to effects houses on both coasts for generating footage that would approximate how the extraordinarily intelligent and sensorial-tuned Wolfen perceived the world.

“When we started, we had a technical consultant who we assumed knew what he was talking about,” Hitzig said. “We were assured that they had this phenomenal new computer printout device with the capacity to generate 235 different shades of grey. Well, I found that astronomical amounts of money for start-up and programming were being asked for without anyone being willing to prove that it actually could be done! We wanted to do things that had never been done before on straight optical printers, but the footage looked all grey and colors fell off into nothingness. So we shut it down, looked around and went with Blalack’s company, Praxis.”

Praxis is among the new crop of small, sophisticated special effects houses that have sprung up in recent years. Blalack, who set up the shop after splitting with former partner Jamie Shourt, first met with Wadleigh and Hitzig in August, 1980, and was given ten weeks to show the producers what they could do. “I showed them ten years of work,” Blalack said, “right through to STAR WARS. At that point, Michael and Rupert were fairly specific about what they were after, but they were extraordinarily open to our input.”

Praxis was originally hired for three months of work, but due to several changes in concept and personnel-most important the replacement of Wadleigh with John Hancock late in 1980-they worked on WOLFEN for fully nine months. “They have tremendous fiscal responsibility and concern, and they’re crealive,” said Hitzig of Blalack and his crew. “Frankly, it was a welcome breath of fresh air.”

The first “alienvision” technique that Praxis explored was “smell-o-vision,” a Michael Wadleigh brainchild that centered on the Wolfen’s ability to sniff out their prey. “Since we obviously couldn’t hand out sniff cards to audiences, we tried to convey the idea that the Wolfen could snifftranslation: see-images of dozens of people who had recently passed through a particular setting,” explained Praxis’ optical supervisor Beth Block. “The Wolfen would sift through these images and seize on the person they’re tracking. The backgrounds would always be visible through and behind the rapidly moving images of extraneous people. When the Wolfen locate the person, the image would lock in and become intensely focused.”

“To show their sense of smell, we used ghosted images. For example, when clues lead Wilson to the South Bronx, the Wolfen see him and make the connection that he’s on their trail. After he’s gone, they go to the spot where he parked his car. We see a series of ghosted images of things that have been there in the past: people, automobiles … That’s indicative of the smells that have been left behind. After all, smells are just molecules.”

Wadleigh’s “point of view shots” and “ghosted images” are bound to confuse audiences. “What can I say?” admits Director Wadleigh. “At first, it will be confusing, but I think it will sort itself out. People will go with it and not understand what it is until one of the characters explains it in the movie. It’ll be a healthy ambiguity. In my humble estimation, filmmakers don’t try enough interesting ideas.”

The “smell-o-vision” effects involved ghost-printing black and white figures over a color background. Though promising, the technique proved a backbreaker, since shots lasting only five to ten seconds were so image-dense that they required the equivalent of five minutes of film. “Smell-o-vision’ was a good idea, but the footage never really proved clear enough from an audience’s standpoint,” Beth Block explained “It just looked flashy.” When Michael Wadleigh exited WOLFEN “for political reasons” (the exact reasons are still unclear), “smell-o-vision” breathed its last.

Praxis next began work on a suitable means of achieving the Wollen’s night vision, which is used to hunt their human prey. After rejecting footage simply shot night-for-night, Blalack began experimenting with the use of false color and color substitution. The results, according to those who saw the early tests, were judged phenomenal,” but it was decided that it looked too phenomenal for the film’s purposes.

“To this day, Robbie probably disagrees with the choices that have been made,” Hitzig explained. “I know he would just as soon have had a strawberry-pink sky and shimmering iridescent lights-gorgeous stuff-but it certainly placed the Wolfen at a distance from the poor mortal viewing the film. Blalack wanted to place the Wolfen’s sensory capacities in a world of utopian color. Orion Pictures and I just felt the footage was too radical a departure from normal vision. It was particularly jarring in the number of cuts we have that shift from objective camera to ‘alienvision.’ We held that the juxtaposition would distance the audience’s subconscious identification with the Wolfen, and in turn, with the picture itself. Obviously, that was something we did not want to do.”

The rejection of the color replacement technique was a huge disappointment for Blalack and his crew, who felt they had come up with a truly startling visual scheme. “It was beautiful. It was really something special,” said Beth Block. “But did it approximate the way the Wolfen see? Maybe not. So we went with another approach that audiences could relate to, was filmically exciting and that worked within the story context. We realized that though some effects may seem old hat to us, they’re not to most movie audiences. And you don’t do effects to show off for other optical houses.”

The final “alienvision” design is still startling: a dark sky, a bright image and a sharp, jagged photographic outline on a figure in a color that signifies whether or not the Wolfen sees a human as prey. Blalack began with the assumption that the Wolfen could sense different emotional states as various colors; anger, fear and aggression would all be visibly different.

To properly isolate the desired foreground elements from the rest of the footage– which was shot without consideration to post production needs-contrast separations were frequently used, a technique also used in ALTERED STATES to add opticals to conventionally photographed footage. Using a wide range of film stocks and filters at various contrast levels, Beth Block was able to separate the flesh tones in a particular shot, alter it to taste, and recombine the footage to good effect. For several sequences, it was necessary to rotoscope the desired areas of the frame, a tedious chore handled by artist Pete Von Sholly.

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Optical work was also required to enhance the actual look of the Wolfen. “At one point, Michael and I considered using midgets with masks.” Hitzig said, “but that would have undermined the allegorical feel we were after and take the picture into the realm of the grotesque. It’s true we were both anxious not to lay any of the Wolfen’s attributes to real wolves, a species that’s already pretty maligned. But in the end, we decided to go with real wolves, doctoring them to be totally black. I also felt strongly that Robbie and his crew should work on giving the Wolfen a light energy-an aura, almost-that separates them from looking like normal wolves.”

Praxis began experimenting on this “aura” in May, 1981, using new footage of the beasts that had been reshot by John Hancock. One option Praxis developed, dubbed the “searchlight mode,” involved shooting two beams of light against a black velvet drop, and then superimposing that onto the footage. The result, according to many at Praxis, was as nerve jangling as a lighthouse. Another attempt had animators tinting the eyes of the animals a violent blue, The “ole blue eyes” approach was torpedoed too, as were experiments with pinpoint lasers, which gave the Wolfen a semi-intentional VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED look. Eventually, Blalack, Hitzig and Hancock agreed on a white, milky glow of filaments around the Wolfen’s orbs, accomplished by tedious rotoscoping that was finally completed just five weeks before the film opened nationally.

Wolf Attacks/Make Up Effects WOLFEN’s makeup effects also went through several major changes during the course of filming, contributing to the film’s expense and delay. Makeup artist Carl Fullerton had signed up on the project back in the summer of 1979, having just completed a stint on ALTERED STATES assisting Dick Smith. But when Orion Pictures ordered a halt to principal photography in February, 1980, several makeup effects had yet to be filmed and several others had to be rushed to completion.

“Although I was given plenty of time to generate and test the specific effects that were called for, two of the major effects were left until the last day of New York locations, so it was a rush job,” Fullerton explained. “I had to ship a lot of effects out to the West Coast and wasn’t there to supervise that shooting. Initially the word was that the horror and gore were going to be soft-peddled, so they left that for the last thing to be shot. Later the approach changed so the shock stuff was in demand again.”

Fullerton, who had yet to see a final cut of the film at the time of his interview, had many lengthy meetings with Wadleigh to discuss the specific effects required. “Unlike many directors who never tell you what they’re after until they’re ready to shoot, Michael would sketch ideas on paper. He wanted to do things that had never been done on camera, and he made that process so much more open.”

Early in the film, the Wolfen murder two wealthy New Yorkers, Christopher and Pauline Vandervere (Max Brown and Ann Marie Pahtako) in New York City’s Battery Park. “Michael didn’t want the audience to fully see the creatures or to see that they were actually ripping out their victim’s throats,” Fullerton said. “He decided just to show blood dribbling from the man’s mouth. I wasn’t pleased with that. Not only was it boring and a cliche, it isn’t medically feasible.”

Instead, Fullerton suggested-and Wadleigh adopted-a spurting flow of blood from actor Max Brown’s mouth. “Dick Smith gave me some helpful advice,” Fullerton said, adding that the effect was somewhat similar to Smith’s torrent of pea soup in THE EXORCIST. “Smith suggested I attach a denture clip into the actor’s mouth, then attach tubing to it. I later found a way to actually direct the blood flow.” The tubing came up the back of the neck under Brown’s hair, over his cheek and into the corners of his mouth. Latex appliances camouflaged the mechanics. To film blood flowing from Brown’s nose, Fullerton had him lie down on a large platform to which a camera had been attached. The platform could tilt up and down like a teeter-totter, but the camera would see no such movement. Open-ended blood capsules were inserted into Brown’s nostrils while his head was near the ground; when the platform was tilted upwards, gravity caused the blood to flow realistically.

The script also called for the Wolfen to tear the hand off of Syad (John McCurry), the Vandervere’s Haitian bodyguard. When a false arm proved impractical, Fullerton devised a clever, on-camera effect. “We had the actor reach into his jacket with his own hand, grabbing for a gun in a shoulder strap,” he said. *The camera point-of-view is a wolf charging at him and the actor aims the gun at the ‘wolf.’ Meanwhile, something from the left side of the screen pushes into him and knocks his hand out of the frame. While out of view, I clipped an appliance over his arm-a flexible fiberglass stump spewing blood on his face and upper chest. We avoided a cutaway and the man ostensibly loses his hand on camera.”

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More grisly effects were required for the death of a derelict named Mule, whose throat is ripped out by the Wolfen. It was one of several makeup sequences designed by Fullerton but shot during post production in Los Angeles because of his commitments on EYEWITNESS and FRIDAY THE 13TH-PART II. Unlike simple wounds, ripping out a throat required an appliance with substantial depth to it. Fullerton conducted extensive tests on himself before developing an appliance built up with fiberglass, epoxy and latex. “I actually remade the neck area.” Fullerton said. “The appliance fits under the jawline to simulate the whole neck and upper chest area. It had to allow the performer plenty of facial and body mobility-his only limitation would be really fast movements. The appliance was strapped to the actor’s chest and carefully glued to the lower jaw and neck.

“I have to say it was more successful on me,” Fullerton added. “I have a stronger jawline than the actor used in the scene.”

But the most demanding makeup assignment of all involved the Wolfen’s bold decapitation of a New York police commissioner (Dick O’Neill) in the middle of Wall Street. Although most of the sequence had been filmed on location in the financial district, the closeup of the Wolfen attack was to be shot in the studio. Though it’s a key sequence, it was left for the last day of shooting.

“Since there was really no other way to do the scene, I built a dummy head.” Fullerton said, “But a rigid dummy head would look just terrible if it wasn’t animated.” To provide the needed movement, Fullerton built a flexible neck out of gelatin and supported the head with an aluminum rod connected to a universal joint. The mouth was able to open and close, and a simple flick of the wrist on a control handle allowed an operator to move the head realistically in any number of ways.

But problems arose when Fullerton’s dummy head met Eoin Sprott’s puppet wolf: it was difficult to get the wolf to attack both on target and at the proper speed. After several unsuccessful attempts, the plan was scrapped and Fullerton was forced to devise a solution on the spot, since filming had to wrap that day.

“Originally, Michael did not want a decapitation,” Fullerton said, “he just wanted to see the neck being bitten off and pushed out in front of the camera. After doing a shot, Michael decided that he wanted to change it and have a decapitation, but the dummy wasn’t built for that. So we had to do some surgery on it: open up the back of the neck, cut the whole supporting structure out and resupport it using a tongue depressor! The neck was prescored and had piano wires at the base of the skull. We had Eoin Sprott’s puppet head lunge at the neck of the dummy. At that point, I whirled the head off!”

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In addition to filming the complex decapitation on the last, hectic day, Fullerton also set up and filmed an insert shot of Dick O’Neill poking his head through a section of fake pavement and rolling his eyes. In addition, the bloody death of Christopher Vandevere was also shot in that same day. But other planned effects could not be squeezed in and were executed in post production by makeup artist Allen Weisinger: the ripping out of the vagrant’s throat, described above; a close-up of John McCurry’s severed hand lying on the ground, the fingers twitching and still clutching the gun, achieved by having an actor stick his hand through a section of fake pavement and adding a latex stump; and a shot of Dick O’Neill’s head flying through the air spewing blood from its nose and mouth, achieved with a false head with built in canisters of stage blood and compressed air that was literally tossed up and down for the camera.

“The terrific thing was working with Michael,” Fullerton said. “But I have to admit that the pressure of doing everything at the last minute made it pretty frustrating. I can’t wait to see the movie, though, to see what got left in and what got left out.”

New York as one of the films Main Characters (Great Article @ NYC In Film about NY during the production of Wolfen)

PROMOTIONAL/ADVERTISING

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SCORE/SOUNDTRACK Wolfen (1981) The Unused Score by Craig Safan

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Composer Craig Safan wrote an original score for this film and was replaced at the last minute by future Academy Award winner James Horner, who had only 12 days to write and record his score.

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CAST/CREW Directed Michael Wadleigh

Produced Rupert Hitzig

Screenplay David M. Eyre, Jr. Michael Wadleigh Uncredited:Eric Roth

Story by David M. Eyre, Jr. Michael Wadleigh

Based on The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber

Albert Finney as Dewey Wilson Diane Venora as Rebecca Neff Edward James Olmos as Eddie Holt Gregory Hines as Whittington Tom Noonan as Ferguson Dick O’Neill as Warren Dehl Berti as Old Indian Peter Michael Goetz as Ross Reginald VelJohnson as Morgue Attendant James Tolkan as Baldy Donald Symington as Lawyer Tom Waits as Drunken Bar Owner (uncredited)

Makeup Department Frank Bianco Carl Fullerton Allen Weisinger Michael R. Thomas

CREDITS/REFERENCES/SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Cinefantastique V11n03 Fangoria#028 Fangoria#013 Fangoria#301

Thanks to Mark E. [email protected] for allowing me to link his great informative article on old school NY.

Wolfen (1981) Retrospective SUMMARY Former NYPD Captain Dewey Wilson is brought back to the force and assigned to solve a bizarre string of violent murders after high-profile magnate Christopher Van der Veer, his wife and his bodyguard are slain in Battery Park.

#80sFilms #80sHORROR

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misssophiachase · 8 years ago

Note

Klaroline superhero prompt for you! Caroline works in an office w/ Klaus & basically everyone knows he's a superhero but he thinks he's so secretive no one has figured it out. So basically Stefan covers for him during meetings, Caroline covers his calls, Katherine keeps Elijah from asking too many questions about paperwork. And Bonnie refills his first aid kit all the time. Their whole cover is blown when Kol gifts him a new costume to fight battles in during the secret santa gift exchange. Thx❤

HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY JEN (my almost birthday twin). I wanted to get this done before I went away. Thanks for the prompt, I love me a bit of superhero Klaus : ) Hope you like it. I also hope you have a wonderful day next Thursday (with lots of cake and have some of that amazing Texan BBQ for me while you’re at it).

Wind Beneath My Wings

December 23….

Last night had been particularly rough, Klaus was lucky to make it home in one piece. Who knew a crazed idiot with bleached, blonde hair and a maniacal laugh riding a lawn mower (of all modes of transport) could do such damage? He was starting to wonder where these new and decidedly eccentric breed of villains were coming from.

After an extended shower to ease the bruised muscles, Klaus dressed in his usual suit and tie combination to head into work. Klaus was joint CEO of Mikaelson Construction with his older brother and their company had basically built half of Manhattan. He’d started out from practically nothing but now he was a billionaire. Not too bad for a young kid from one of London’s poorest suburbs.

It was after he’d acquired his first 50 million that Klaus began to get bored, he always did love a challenge and work was no longer providing that spark. His siblings as usual had offered their opinions.

Elijah suggested playing the stock market, Kol suggested a friend with benefits (or multiple) and, although she was in London, Rebekah went with Pilates. She insisted it was good for core strength and channeling the desire to want to punch Kol in the face. As much as he wanted to hit his younger brother at times, he wanted a different kind of thrill. Something worthwhile that would help people at the same time.

Fast forward nine months and Klaus was trawling the streets for bad guys. He’d seen a news report on CNN about crime levels increasing at an alarming level in New York but the cities police force didn’t have the manpower or resources to combat the threat.

Klaus considered himself an extremely fit person. He’d trained in three different martial arts (basically from boredom) and regularly took part in marathons and triathlons. All he needed was a suit to keep his identity secret. Unfortunately his face was recognisable in business and social circles so it took a bit of work on the sewing machine (yes he had mastered that skill too, not that he broadcast it).

“Where is that paperwork from the Ferguson deal?” Was the first order Elijah barked at him when he walked through the glass doors. Klaus figured once he got laid on a regular basis the stress would abate with his uptight, elder brother. Obviously not.

“I put that on your desk, don’t you remember?” Katherine interrupted, her brown eyes flickering over his toned body.

“I don’t recall,” he stuttered, his gaze now firmly focused on the fitted, black dress that hugged every one of her curves.

“How about I jog your memory in your office?” She purred, it didn’t take long for his brother and their public relations manager to disappear. The King of decorum, Elijah was fastidious about professionalism but when Katherine Pierce had come on board he was unable to resist. For the record Klaus and pretty much everyone else were happy for the distraction.

Klaus discreetly hobbled his way towards the supply closet, realising that the hastily applied bandage on his leg was peeling off. He’d sometimes wondered just how the first aid kit seemed to be fully stocked all the time but he wasn’t about to complain.

As he turned the corner, he noticed Bonnie rummaging around. Klaus knew he had to play it cool though so as not to arouse any suspicion. “Morning, Bonnie.”

“Hi, Klaus,” she smiled, closing the cupboard door quickly. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

“Yes it is,” Klaus lied, realising that in his extreme pain he’d barely even looked up at the sky on his way into the office.

Bonnie was in human resources and Kol had taken an immediate liking to her. The feeling wasn’t mutual at first (hardly surprising when it came to his younger brother) but in some magical turn of events he’d managed to convince her he was worthy. They’d been married on Long Island six moths earlier.

“I should really get back to work but is there something you needed?”

“No it’s fine,” he murmured. “I just got a cut on my finger that’s all.”

“You’ve got to watch that paper, it’s dangerous,” she grinned, moving past so he could access the first aid kit. She’d obviously been taking sarcasm lessons from Kol. Klaus consulted his watch, hoping that his day would start moving a little faster given the excruciating pain he felt.

“Finally,” Caroline drawled as he approached her desk. “Given your quick exit last night I assumed you’d be in on time. Don’t worry I’ve got the phones covered, as usual.”

She looked stunning, her blonde waves cascading down her back, that cobalt figure hugging dress only accentuating those brilliant eyes even more. Even after all this time, she still had the power to stop him dead in his tracks.

He’d finally mustered up the courage and invited her to the Mayoral Ball the previous evening not expecting his night job to interfere with his plans. He’d mumbled some feeble excuse and rushed off. If Klaus was being honest he was torn for the first time between his conflicting lives. He’d never felt anything like he did for Caroline. Yes, he was her boss but he couldn’t deny just how much she lifted his spirits even if they were arguing or exchanging witty banter which was common place.

“I’m sorry about last night, you have no idea, love.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” she smiled, almost knowingly. Klaus wasn’t sure what she was alluding to but he figured it couldn’t be his double life given he’d kept it so quiet all this time. “Unfortunately, I am the bearer of bad news though.”

“Oh really?” Klaus dealt with some pretty tough things in his life so figured he could handle just about anything.

“Kol’s in your office.” Maybe not. He rolled his eyes at Caroline by way of response and walked into his office, making sure Caroline couldn’t make out his lingering limp.

“Well, don’t you look like crap,” he teased from the other side of the desk as Klaus finally sat down.

“Good morning to you too,” he scowled.

“It must have been a big night judging by that injury,” Kol quipped, looking towards his leg. “I never took Caroline for the aggressive type.”

“It wasn’t Caroline,” he shot back through pursed lips. “I fell down some stairs at my apartment, if you must know.”

“I’m almost disappointed,” he joked. “You realise we’ve all been waiting for you and Goldilocks to finally get together, right?”

“I’d really prefer that you and everyone else keep out of my private life.”

“What private life?”

“Someone thinks they’re a comedian,” Klaus growled.

“When Elijah is getting more action than you there needs to be an intervention,” he chuckled. “You wanted something to do, how about Caroline?”

“I will hit you, I swear,” he threatened. No one spoke about his beloved Caroline like that and got away with it.

“I didn’t mean it that way,” he drawled. “But it’s nice to see you’re showing some actual feelings towards the girl. Its only been like over a year.”

“Did you have a point in coming here? You know possibly work related because we’re in the office.”

“Just wanting to say how much I’m looking forward to the Secret Santa exchange this year,” Kol smirked before strolling from the room. Obviously he was going to be the lucky recipient of his brother’s attempt at humour. He couldn’t wait.

Klaus had completely forgotten about it, although it wasn’t entirely unexpected given his busy schedule. He was about to press the intercom and speak to Caroline before she breezed into the room like she knew he needed her.

“I figured you might need some caffeine after dealing with Kol,” she smiled placing it on the table.

“That or possibly a whiskey,” he grinned. Whatever mood he was in, Caroline always had the ability to make him smile. “Now, about this S…”

“Your gift is on my desk,” she interrupted. “Katherine will adore the Channel No 5, trust me.” Just when he thought she couldn’t be any more amazing she had to go and do that. And it wasn’t because she was his Executive Assistant either.

“I’d really like to make it up to you,” he murmured, standing up and coming around to the front of the desk, unknowingly hobbling a little as he did. She gazed at him curiously, a slight smile tugging at her pink lips.

“What did you have in mind, Mikaelson?”

“You, me and my chalet in Vail,” he suggested, trying to block out visions of them naked and lying in front of a roaring fire together, so as not to encourage his arousal any further.

“How about we get you cleaned up first,” she suggested, surprising him and grabbing a nearby tissue and placing it on his face tenderly. “Don’t want you bleeding all over the carpet.”

“I must have..” he replied feebly.

“Cut yourself shaving?” She finished his sentence, which was something she had a tendency to do. She was so close he could have kissed her but thought better of it given all his injuries.

“Something like that,” he uttered. When he’d started this whole superhero journey he’d actually enjoyed keeping it a secret until Caroline. There were so many times he wanted to tell her but he’d faltered worried about what she might think of his chosen lifestyle.

“I think you’re okay now,” she whispered, removing the tissue and placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. Klaus didn’t think he’d ever felt anything so devastatingly innocent in his whole life. “Secret Santa exchange is in three hours.”

Before he could react to the kiss or respond to her comment she was gone, leaving a trail of floral perfume in her wake. The one thing he knew was that, superhero or not, Klaus was in love with Caroline Forbes and had every intention of proving that to her.

“Thanks, Caroline,” Katherine said, sending Klaus an amused look three hours later.

“Last time I checked, that was my present,” he scoffed.

“Which I’m sure you went to the store and bought personally,” she shot back. Caroline gave him a look to say he was on his own.

“Whatever,” he grumbled.

“Looks like someone needs a little pick-me-up,” Kol sing-singed placing a box on his lap ceremoniously. Klaus had been dreading this moment for the few hours. “Merry Christmas.” As Klaus undid the ribbon and opened the lid slowly, all he could think about was how un-merry it all felt.

What he wasn’t expecting was to find a superman costume housed inside the box. Klaus figured the burning, hot sensation crossing his face wasn’t a coincidence. “Uh, very funny, Kol,” Klaus managed to bite out, albeit with difficulty.

“Seriously, Kol?” Bonnie gasped, looking at the contents. “You idiot, what were you thinking?”

“Obviously someone’s trying to be a smartass, know-it-all,” Katherine chided.

“I thought it was time we tell Niklaus that we know about his poorly-kept secret identity,” he boasted. “Plus, I really wanted to mess with Elijah.” By the look of bewilderment on his eldest brother’s face his surprise gift had the desired effect.

“We’re a little too old for dress-ups, Kol,” Elijah scoffed.

“I don’t know, maybe ask Niklaus about that,” Kol teased. Now all eyes were on Klaus and he wasn’t quite sure what to do or say. He noticed Caroline had been decidedly quiet and wasn’t sure whether that was a good or bad sign.

“You knew all this time,” he hissed, standing up defiantly, even if his muscles were screaming in pain. “You all knew?” Suddenly everything came back in flashes. Bonnie frequenting the always fully stocked first aid cupboard, Katherine distracting Elijah and Caroline…His eyes met her blue ones willing her to answer.

“You’re not the best liar, Nik,” Kol admitted. “I just thought it was time we all stopped pretending that you weren’t doing something completely unexpected like fighting crime in your spare time.”

“What he means to say, but is expressing it badly, is that we want to be able to assist, without all the false pretence. When we realised about your double life a while back we decided to help you out a bit. You know lighten your load,” Bonnie offered, meekly.

“I’m not the most selfless person,” Katherine began and by the knowing looks around the room no one was going to rebut that statement. “But given your celebrity status I figured I could least lend a hand.”

“What the hell is going on here?” Elijah insisted.

“Klaus is the Original,” Caroline finally spoke, although her voice was muffled and her eyes downcast. They all knew, even her. Suddenly he felt so stupid.

“You know Elijah…”

“I know who that is Kol,” he growled. “But how?”

Klaus wasn’t in the mood to talk about this right now surrounded by people who’d deceived him.

“I can’t believe you all lied to me,” he hissed. He made a move for the door before she spoke again, her voice making him freeze.

“What? Like you lied to all of us?” She baulked. “Look, we knew you wanted to keep this a secret so we went along with it. But we don’t like seeing you hurt all the time and not being able to admit we know why.”

He turned to face Caroline his gaze trained on her beautiful features and thought back to earlier that morning and the way she’d tended to his bleeding cut without a word. Maybe their silence on the matter was killing them just as much as it was him.

“I’m still confused,” Elijah interrupted.

“It’s okay baby, I’ll explain it to you.” Katherine cooed, pulling him up from the lounge and leaving the room, the rest of them in tow sensing he needed a minute to cool down.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He mumbled, finally finding his voice.

“Because you didn’t,” she murmured, moving closer and cupping his cheek, stroking her thumb over the spot she’d tended to earlier.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t say anything, but you have to believe me, I wanted to every single day,” he conceded. “I just wasn’t sure how you’d feel about my choice in extracurricular activities.”

“You thought I’d be scared.” Her blue eyes were now boring into his and Klaus was finding it increasingly difficult to breath.

“No, I thought you’d only want me for my superhero status,” he teased, earning a slap on the cheek for his efforts. “Hey!”

“You deserved it.”

“I was trying to lighten the mood,” he reasoned, pulling her into his arms and running his hands through her golden waves. “But just so you know I have no intention of ever leaving you, sweetheart, because I love you so there’s no reason to be frightened.”

“Can I have that in writing?” She grinned, her palms lying flat on his toned chest, causing a certain area to tingle in response.

“How about we come to another type of agreement in Vail?”

“You’re really going to take some time off from superhero duty?”

“For you I would do anything,” he growled, greedily capturing her lips and losing himself in the gentle massage of her mouth against his. It was something he’d wanted for so long but had never really dreamed possible.

After a few minutes, she pulled away unexpectedly, Klaus feeling a little rejected. She looked at him sternly and Klaus knew she was about to give him an order.

“As much as I love this and can’t wait for our snowy get away, with your superhero suit of course, you need to go out there and apologise to everyone.”

“But…” he replied petulantly, still feeling somewhat deceived.

“But nothing, they have been your support system all this time even if you had no idea…” Before he could argue she read his mind as usual. “And that includes Kol.”

“Fine,” he conceded, pretending to be upset but his stupidly goofy grin no doubt giving him away. “You know you’re pretty good at giving orders, any chance you want to don a cape and join me?”

“Just wait until you get me into bed Mikaelson. All of my superpowers will be revealed.” She purred, leaning in and nipping his lips briefly before sauntering away, her hips wiggling seductively as she did.

Maybe this superhero gig did have its perks after all.

You can read on FF HERE

#HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE #have an awesome day #wind beneath my wings #misssophiachase #klaroline drabbles #perhaps one day #klaus the superhero

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rdmfavcpls · 8 years ago

Text

Mom?

Title: Mom?

Category: Arata x Ami friendship

Rating: K

Summary: It’s been two years since Ami last saw her mother, years since AWA Studio Works took off in the States. Ami acts like it’s not a big deal , but the signs are there. A surprise visit might be in order.

Disclaimer: I do not owe any rights to the Digimon franchise.

~~Story Begins~~

“You know,” Yuuko spoke as the group of five friends was eating at a pasta place, “I have never heard of AWA Studio Works, I’ve even tried researching it. What is it?”

“Hm?” Ami hummed as a piece of ravioli was placed in her mouth.

“Your shirt,” Arata spoke using his fork to point at her shirt. “I’ve been curious about that as well. None of my friends could tell me anything about it.”

“It’s possibly fake if a bunch of geeks like you don’t even know about it,” Nokia said.

“Oh? Do you know about it than?” Arata questioned back.

Ami slightly chewed her food as Nokia answered, “Of course not.”

“You okay?” Yuugo whispered to Ami.

“I’m fine,” Ami whispered back with a smile. She coughed and got Arata and Nokia’s attention. “AWA Studio Works is a real company, it’s big in the States. They create reality unsolved and solved crime shows.”

“You’ve been to the States?” Nokia asked.

“To all fifty states,” Ami answered. “My mom has a dual citizenship between Japan and America. When I was born, she started to get me my own dual citizenship so I also have a dual citizenship.”

“No fair!” Nokia whined. “I want to go!”

“She’s not leaving,” Yuuko said. “It’s expensive to go back and forth from Japan and the States and come back to Japan.”

“However, that explains as to why we can’t find any information over it. Japan’s ideas are quick to accept over there, not so much the States ideas are accepted over here,” Arata explained putting them back on topic. “Oh, I know. Give me one of their shows so I can watch an episode!”

“Why?” Ami questioned slowly losing her appetite, which was a shame. She just received her plate of food and only had that one piece of ravioli.

“English class, need to translate something in English to Japanese,” Arata explained.

“Do we really need to have this topic of conversation?” Yuugo asked more aware to Ami’s emotions due to complicated reasons. Mostly due to the program he installed in Ami’s EDEN form, not predicating that she’ll be stuck in a cyber body and connect jump within the Eater’s data to save their friends.

“Murder or Suicide is one and then Jealous Affairs is another,” Ami responded sitting her fork down.

“You aren’t going to eat that?” Yuuko asked.

“I lost my appetite,” Ami responded. Yuuko looked at her worriedly. “It’s nothing really. I just overestimated how hungry I was.”

“Well, if you don’t want it, then I’ll take it,” Nokia said reaching over the table and grabbing Ami’s plate.

“Rude,” Arata said shaking his head.

“I’ve done it before to Ami, so she doesn’t mind,” Nokia argued.

“That’s besides the point,” Arata said. He looked over at Ami, “You let her walk on you, stop it.”

“Why?” Ami questioned innocently with a smile. “Nokia keeps forgetting that if she takes my plate when I’ve barely eaten any of it, than she has to pay.”

“Why do you never remind me of this before I take your plate?” Nokia asked with a whine causing the two siblings to chuckle.

“Where would the fun be in that?” Ami asked.

After their lunch, the five went there ways, mostly. Yuuko and Yuugo were heading back to Kamishiro Enterprise, Nokia went off towards who knows where with her, while Arata and Ami headed towards Shinjuku where they would part ways.

“So, what exactly happened to make you lose your appetite?” Arata asked “Don’t tell me nothing either.”

“Like I said in the restaurant, it’s nothing to worry about,” Ami said.

“Yeah, and I believe that as much as Nokia believes she’s a mature adult. What’s wrong?”

“It’s silly, really. It’s nothing. Just me being weird and I would much rather not have you make fun of me for it.”

“Ami,” Arata said in his serious tone of voice that is usually directed towards Nokia.

“What?”

“Tell me.”

“You won’t leave me alone about it, will you?”

“I will annoy and follow you to work until I know.”

Ami let out a small sigh. “I miss my mom. Usually I’ll go to the States to visit her for a week every other month. You wouldn’t know it from knowing me, but she’s a perfectionist.”

“When was the last time you saw your mom?” Arata asked looking at her, his tone went from being serious too concerned.

“Two years and a half, she’s been busy so she usually postpones my trips. Last time, it was me who had to postpone it.”

“Why did you have to postpone it?” Arata asked as they boarded the subway.

“Nokia wished to go to that special event in EDEN,” Ami answered. “The one that started it all. I was supposed to leave later that night but Mom told me to stay home until I was better.”

“Dammit,” Arata said. “I should have talked that chicken out of it.”

“It was no one’s fault, besides even if I was there, I would’ve been alone. She started two more projects.”

“Projects?”

“She’s the President, CEO, and the one in charge of AWA Studio Works. She’s got her hands full, but she’s happy. Did I answer everything?”

“Yeah, mostly. I still don’t like how Yuugo and you are so close,” Arata grumbled. “You are the only one who I have trouble reading.”

“That means my acting skills are improving,” Ami laughed.

“You know, we do worry about you,” Arata said. “So if you need to talk than talk to one of us, okay?”

“Thanks, Arata,” Ami said. “It means a lot just knowing you are here.”

Months passed and Ami never talked about her mom to Arata or the others again. The group of five were walking through Akihabara, Arata in the front trying to deflect the geek comments from Nokia and Yuuko. Yuugo and Ami in the back talking amongst themselves.

“Right, everyone?” Nokia questioned.

“What?” Yuugo asked.

“Just say yes,” his sister said.

Ami laughed while shaking her head, “No!”

“What am I agreeing to?” Yuugo asked.

“Huh?” Ami said as she stopped walking and looked to the side and behind her.

“What’s up?” Nokia asked as they all stopped walking.

“Nothing, just thought I heard my name being called,” Ami said. “So, what did I say no to?”

Arata’s eyes narrowed in annoyance as Yuuko spoke, “Arata is too much of a geek to end up getting married.”

“I stick by my answer than!” Ami said excitedly before frowning, “I heard it again.”

“You’re imaging things,” Yuuko said.

Her brother shook his head, “No, I heard it too this time. It was very faint.”

“I’ll go investigate it,” Ami said. “I’ll see you four later.”

She ran off and Arata rolled his eyes as the other three stared at him. “Fine, I’ll go with her.”

He took off running towards Ami who he easily caught up to with his long legs, “Yo.”

“What are you doing?” Ami questioned as they slowed down to a walk.

“Investigating with you,” Arata said. “It’s not wise to go following voices.”

“Last time I did, I was able to log into EDEN via TV. Besides the voice sounds like Mirel’s.”

“My point has been made,” Arata commented dryly. “Why not just go to her consulting business and call her?”

“Because she is saying go to the airport. You don’t have to come with me,” Ami argued.

“I know, but someone’s got to have your back. Kyoko says you haven’t been sleeping well so your reflexes might be a bit slow.”

They got onto the subway and headed towards whatever airport Mirel told Ami to go too. Arata found the whole thing sketchy to be honest. However, the closer they got to the airport, he heard it.

“Okay, that is freaking,” Arata said catching Ami off guard.

“What is?” Ami asked looking around thinking she missed something.

“Mirel calling your name, she seems like she’s laughing about something as well,” Arata responded.

“Knowing her, it’s the imminent future that will happen when we arrive at the airport,” Ami said as the subway stopped and they got out.

“Okay, so why was I able to hear it?” Arata asked annoyed.

“Might be because of your connection to your Digimon or because you are within her range of abilities. Possibly a connection with both.”

They walked into the bustling airport, “Okay, so how was you able to hear it first.”

“Connection with my DIgimon plus the fact I was data for quite a while,” Ami explained. “Yuugo just so happened to be the second because he was data a bit longer than I.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense, except for the fact I wasn’t data,” Arata commented playing with her side pony.

It was a quirk to get the cyber sleuth riled up and it worked beautifully, “Stop that!” Ami commented swatting his hand away. “Unless you want to be like Nokia! Besides you was data.”

“I’m pretty sure I wasn’t,” Arata responded back with a smirk as he played with her pony tail again.

“Do you want me to punch you like I did when you was an Eater?” Ami snapped. “Because that was when you was data.”

“But I wasn’t an Eater for long, thanks to you. If anything, I was an Eater around the same time length as Yuuko,” Arata commented.

“No, your arm,” Ami explained. “That was data and it was connected to -” Something caught Ami’s attention as she looked harder at the people behind Arata, “-you.”

Arata turned around and stared at the people getting their baggage, “What caught your attention?”

Silence.

“Ami?”

Before Arata could even think about stopping her, before he could even register that he blinked, Ami was running into the crowd, weaving and dodging those who were coming towards her.

“Mom!” he heard Ami yell. “Mom! It really is you!” He saw his friend hug a lady who seemed surprise but genuine happy that she was there as two arms in a tan coat blocked parts of Ami’s yellow shirt. Arata shook his head and calmly walked into the crowd towards the two women.

“Ami! I miss you so much! Look at you, you’ve grown up so much,” the lady said hugging her daughter tightly. “Why are you here? It’s not that I’m complaining but I was expecting to surprise you at Kuremi Detective Agency.”

“Ami received a call from a mutual acquaintance and told her to come here,” Arata explained covering for the both of them by stretching the truth. “I just happened to tag along in case she got herself in trouble.”

Ami backed away from her mom and shrugged. “He speaks the truth. Trouble seems to find me lately.”

“You must be Sanada. Ami has told me a lot about you, well a lot about everyone, but you mostly.”

Arata refrained from raising an eyebrow at Ami but did give his friend a quick questioning glance before returning his attention back to her mother. “All good, I hope,” he commented nodding his head.

“So far, all I heard was good. I’m Aiba Yukino by the way.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Arata spoke shaking her hand.

“Mom, why are you back in Japan?” Ami asked as Yukino grabbed her baggage refusing to let the two younger people to carry it for her.

“Would you believe that my own company is making me take two weeks off? Two weeks!”

“I’m surprise it wasn’t for a week,” Ami commented.

“You make your mom sound like a workaholic,” Arata whispered into her ear. Ami just gave him a ‘watch’ look.

“I know! I did try to get only a week off! No, the lowest they could go was two weeks! They banned my administration identification so I have no idea how the shows are going! They promised to call if trouble rises but, I’m still unsure.” Yukino started to put her baggage in a cab waiting for her. “So, since I don’t have to stop at Broadway, where should we go?”

“Why don’t the two of you head home?” Arata asked. “Catch up with each other.”

“What about you?” Ami asked trying to stop him from pushing her closer to her mother.

“I’ll take the subway and report back to the others. Let them know everything’s okay,” Arata said.

“The cab can take you there,” Yukino offered.

“Thanks, but no thanks. My express subway card is about to expire and I like to get what is left on it used,” Arata commented.

He walked away, waving at them as they got into the cab and shut the doors.

“He’s nice,” Yukino said watching her daughter.

“He is.”

“He’s also pretty cute,” her daughter’s face started to have a blush on her cheeks and her neck. “Is he your boyfriend?”

“MOM!”

“I’ll take that as a no. Do you want him to be your boyfriend?”

“Mom! I am not having this conversation with you here in this cab!” Ami said her face and neck quickly matching the color of her hair.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Mother!”

~~The End~~

#Digimon #Digimon Story #Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth #Ami Aiba #Arata Sanada #Yuuko Kamishiro #yuugo kamishiro #nokia shiramine #Yukino Aiba

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