#i would love to see rory thriving and doing everything she ever wanted to do but
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mara-and-its-the-same · 1 year ago
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☙Coraline❧ I didn’t post this originally because I forgot but then i didn’t want to but then i did so now we’re here, SHIPS, I love ships, tell me as much as you’re comfortable with about yourself, send a fandom and gender preference, and I’ll ship you and give you some head canons <3
could i please have one of these for newsies the musical and can it be for one of the boys??? ❤️‍🩹
prepare yourself because this is gonna be detailed 🤭
i have long curly blonde hair (it’s nearly at my waist now and is blonder than normal because of the sun) i love it sm now it’s like princess hair 🤭 i have downturned doe eyes that are constantly switching between blue, green and grey. i always curl my lashes and wear mascara because sadly naturally i have very straight pale lashes. i have a slim, slight figure and am tanned because it’s summer!!! my face has a lot of freckles now and but so does my body. i have a small ring of freckles on my knuckle which i love!!! my cheeks are always flushed and i have baby blue braces. the way i dress is very coquette, girl next door chic. think white lace blouses paired with jean skirts or pretty floral dresses. simple, girly angelic and preppy. basically rory gilmore if she was one of the lisbon sisters.
i’m extremely physically affectionate. my friends irl will tell anyone that because i’m nearly always holding their hands or looping my arms with theirs. my love language is definitely physical touch. i’m an infp and a libra. i also get told that my personality reminds people of miss honey or cinderella. so i guess that means i’m pretty soft spoken and kind. i’m very quiet when i first meet people but once they probably know me i can ramble for ages about my hyper-fixations.i can be kinda naive but only because i always wanna see the good in people!!! i don’t really get angry or when i am angry i just end up crying. 😔
i really love classic literature and vintage books!!! along with vintage movies (especially audrey hepburn movies, i’m literally obsessed with her) i love alternative music from the 80s. think the smiths, blondie, echo and the bunnymen + not from the 80s lana <333 though to be fair i just adore anything from the past. but also i thrive listening to vintage love songs. i love pressed flowers and journaling! basically any hobby that is typically old fashioned is my kind of activity 😭
thank you ever so much for doing this, i’m genuinely so interested to see which one of the newsboys you ship me with!!!
It took me a minute but now i have it,
I don’t think it would work with Jack, he needs someone like loud and can argue with him and stuff and i just don’t see you liking that. I think,,,
Spot Conlin (maybe because he’s my favorite, but stay with me) I think that you would be a tailor for Medda, like not a show girl, but you make their costumes and mend things and yadda yadda. And one day Jack brings Spot to a show, just because. And they go through the back door and you’re walking past in a gorgeous light pink dress you made yourself (i feel like you’d look good in light pink) and he’s so used to seeing everyone in brown and dark colors that it immediately catches his eye, But! what really grabs his attention is the armful of bolts of fabric you’re carrying, especially since they’re in front of your face and you run right into him, so of course he couldn’t ignore you. So he helps you pick everything up and you’re apologizing left and right and he’s like “I should be apologizing to you,” in his silly little accent, and when you don’t believe him “I’m serious, youse too pretty to be sayin sorry to me” then you giggle and blush because duh. And then he tries to pick everything up for you and bring it wherever you’re going and you’re like “No, you don’t have to do that, really.”
But he does. And then he makes Jack take him to every show just so he can see you and eventually he asks you out and so he takes you out for dinner and even if it’s not the nicest place you’ve ever been, you still really love it because of how sweet he’s being to take you out. And maybe on one of you’re later dates, after you’ve been together for a little while, some randos on the street try catcalling you because you’re in such a pretty dress and you look so nice, especially standing next to Spot, even if you’ve started mending/making his clothes. So he doesn’t care that they’re insulting him, that doesn’t matter, but what matters is they made you feel bad and he cannot have that. So he walks you home and he tells you that he’s gonna start selling more papes and trying harder and build a better life but you’re like “You don’t have to do all that just for me.” BUT HES LIKE “I’m doin it for us”
and it is love 🥰
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bylerpoet · 2 years ago
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one day i'll write an essay about why rory gilmore is a great character and she's so well written and her ""downfall"" is just a natural response to the way she was brought up. but that day is not today
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333dolans · 4 years ago
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If By Chance Pt. 2 // E.D
Part 1
Summary: It’s been 2 years since she’d last seen him, what would happen if by chance they were to meet once more?
Sorry for being gone for so long! Ive been super busy and just haven’t had any time to write. I’ll hopefully post a bit more regularly this year! I love you all mwah!!🥰
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4:35pm, Great.
It was the first time she would be seeing Gray in what felt like eternity and she was already late, Classic Rory. In her defence, he had agreed to pick her up but a meeting running over later than expected meant she was left to fend for herself. The fact that she didn’t know her way around LA yet paired along with her general lack of time management left her here, outside of the adorable, little cafe Gray had sent her the address for.
She felt the explosion of butterflies erupt within her stomach at the sight of his car and pulled in next to it. She took a moment to compose her thoughts that seemed to be racing along with her heart. Taking a final deep breath, she climbed out from her car and made a start towards the cafe door.
From the very moment she laid her eyes on his tall figure, nothing could of slowed the pace she ran towards him. She called out his name and as he glanced up from his phone, the widest smile took over his face. Opening up his arms just in time, he caught her in his warm embrace. It felt good to be home.
“I missed you so much.” He sighed contently, spinning her around one more time before placing her body back firmly on the ground.
“Missed you more Grapeson.” She replied with a smirk.
“Wow... that’s gotta be a record, we’ve been together what? One whole minute and you’ve already said it.” He rolled his eyes, coaxing a giggle from Rory.
“I said we were bringing it back my love and i meant it!” She grinned smugly up at him before grabbing his hand and leading them into the coffee shop. As the little bell chimed, they were greeted by an older woman who beamed their way.
“Hello Grayson! Your usual i assume? And what can i get for you sweetheart?” She asked with a warm smile.
“Ill go get us a table, i know the best seats.” Grayson told her before wondering off to a far corner in the store.
“Ill get a hot chocolate please.” She replied graciously with a shy smile and the woman was quick to get started on the order.
“I’m Genevieve by the way but you my dear, can call me Gen! You know Grayson never mentioned he had a girlfriend, you’re absolutely gorgeous.” She began to make small talk as she poured Grayson’s coffee into its cup. Rory choked on air at gen’s words, gaping at her in shock.
“Were- were not together, just good friends.” She said with a deep blush.
“Oh my bad! You two would make a beautiful couple if i might say.”
Rory couldn’t help but smile at Gen’s bluntness, she loved her already. After some more casual conversation, Rory said her thank you to Gen and headed off toward the table Grayson had saved, gently placing their drinks on the tabletop before sliding into the booth seat. These seats in particular looked out onto a beautiful landscape and Rory couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief as she sank lower into the leather of the seat, this day couldn’t have gone any better. Nothing had changed between her and gray and she couldn’t be more thankful.
The two sat and talked for hours as the sun began to set on the city that awaited them just outside of the window. They filled each other in on everything and anything they could think of, from childhood memories to the launch of wakeheart. It was inevitable really, that they would eventually end up on the topic of a certain twin brother. No matter how much Rory had tried to change the subject, he always found a way back into the conversation, she knew shed have to face the music someday anyway, may as well bite the bullet sooner rather than later.
“He misses you, you know? He may be an absolute idiot and too damn stubborn to ever admit it but i know that he does. He still reads through your old messages and looks at old photos. He still checks your socials every now and then, I’ve seen him.”
Rory sighed with a small shake of her head.
“Gray, he dropped me remember? No one told him he had to do that, he got a girlfriend and she became more important. That’s life i guess and I’ve dealt with that knowledge for years now. He prioritised her over me and that’s on him.” She let her gaze drift from his face to the window beside her, now littered with stray raindrops from the light drizzle that had began.
She allowed herself to breathe deeply, basking in the feelings that a crisp fall breeze always managed to stir within her. God, did she love autumn. Nothing could compare to the sight of the leaves changing to colours of fire and passion before her very eyes. Along with the colder weather came rainy days, and with rainy days? Time she could spend huddled up in front of a window reading whatever book she’d chosen for that week. Everyone who has ever known Rory, would know full well she would would be half way through that book within the space of a few hours.
Something about the rain had always enticed her, she felt a strange comfort within the damp weather that left most people feeling miserable. She thrived in it, wanting nothing more than to cozy up in fluffy socks and warm layers of clothes and watch droplets race along the panes of the nearest window.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Slightly startled from his sudden appearance, she beckoned her breathing to calm down to a steady pace once again. She allowed her eyes to trail up his tall frame, soaking him in as much as she could. There stood Ethan in all his glory along with a piping hot mug of her favourite, hot chocolate. Rory was never much of a coffee drinker, always having a sweet tooth and preferring the chocolatey taste to the bitterness a cup of coffee would leave in her mouth for hours. Besides, no one likes coffee breath. She allowed her gaze to retreat back to its fixed spot, staring out into the forest that lined the perimeter of the Dolan’s backyard.
“Then I hate to break it to you E but you’ll be short of quite a few pennies by the time you’ve heard all of the thoughts that are running around my mind right now.”
She allowed a defeated sigh to slip past her lips, filling the silence that had fallen between the two. It was true, her mind had been all over the place ever since the moment the twins had told her of their plan to pursue a career in Los Angeles. She felt like her world was collapsing in on her and in a way, it was. Her whole life as she knew it consisted of Ethan and Grayson Dolan, she had spent practically everyday with the pair for as long as she could remember and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that chapter of her life to be over.
“A hot chocolate instead? Please Rory, talk to me. I know this is going to be a big change for you, but it is for me and Grayson too yeah? Were all going to be feeling the same emotions in the next few weeks, we have to be there for each other and I can’t do that if you wont open up to me.”
Sliding down opposite her small frame on the cold hardwood floor of his childhood home, Ethan couldn’t help but become overwhelmed by his emotions. This had been his home for many years, it contained so many memories. These very walls had been witness to the life of the three best friends and the idea of leaving this part of his life behind, leaving his best friend behind? It tore Ethan to pieces but he was also optimistic for this exciting new chapter. He tried to remain positive and think of the new adventures they will get to have in the city of angels. The memories he can make with the ones he holds closest.
“Everything is changing E. I don’t think I’m ready to move on from this, I don’t want to be left behind again. I’m going to be so alone here, you guys are the only real friends I have. I don’t want to lose you, or Grayson.”
A stray tear made it’s way down her cheek as the rain continued outside. She looked up to meet the eyes of her best friend, the boy she’d always love. His hand reached out for hers and clasped it tightly in his own. She saw a flash of hope flash across his beautiful brown eyes that she adored so much.
“You could come with us you know? There’s a spare room in the apartment and you know I...we would love to have you there with us. We could go on so many adventures and explore California and we could-“
“E, as wonderful as that sounds, you know my mom would never let me just drop everything and go. What about school? College? You know what she expects of me. I really wish it was that simple.”
In that moment, Rory swore she saw a small piece of Ethan’s heart break away before her very eyes. She forced her tears back, choking slightly from the lack of air that seemed to be escaping her lungs. Why did this have to be so hard? Ethan paused for what felt like eternity before speaking once more.
“I’m going to miss you so much my little lion, so fucking much.”
He outstretched his arms, his warm embrace calling her name. She crawled over to him, closing the small gap that was between them. She clung to his torso as he stroked his fingers through her hair soothingly.
“Nothing is going to change between us Rory, absolutely nothing.”
“Why don’t you come back to our place? I’m not ready to say goodbye yet anyway and I know he’d love to see you. Please, just for a little while?” Gray’s words snapped her back from her reminiscing. He looked into her eyes with such hope, she just couldn’t say no to him.
“God damn those puppy eyes” she cursed under her breath, causing a smirk from Grayson who sat opposite her with a triumphant look on his face.
“I better not regret this Dolan.”
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newmusickarl · 3 years ago
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Album & EP Recommendations
If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey
Halsey’s evolution across her career has been quite something to witness. Having begun her career in pure pop territory, her artistry has developed over time with each new record seeing the American singer-songwriter up the ambition and scope of her music. Now with this her fourth album, Halsey has gone bigger than ever, teaming up with Nine Inch Nails members and Oscar-winning composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for her boldest work to date.
Produced entirely by Reznor and Ross, Halsey describes this new record as “a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth.” Naturally with any concept record there is going to be a cinematic feel, however Halsey has gone one step further and even delivered a full theatrical film to accompany the album, the trailer for which you can watch above. Although I am yet to see the film, there is no doubt that the musical portion is a mightily ambitious and accomplished project, with each song seamlessly segueing into the next despite the array of styles and genres across each track.
It may still be a pop record at the heart, but with the masterful touch of Reznor and Ross, Halsey also brings in some industrial rock elements, as well as a bit of pop punk in places too. However, it is not just sonically that Halsey pushes the boundaries but also thematically as well, using the album’s concept to press the issue of feminism and misogyny within the lyrics. Arguably what’s most striking about this record though is how tightly constructed everything is here – under the watchful eye of Reznor and Ross, the dramatic production is inch-perfect.
Most importantly, the songs here are just fantastic, from the religious imagery and glistening synths that lace the wonderful melody of Bells of Santa Fe, to the raw, grungy guitars of You asked for this. There’s also the atmospheric piano ballad 1121, where Halsey really flexes her impressive vocal cords. Pulsating, stylish electro-pop single I am not a woman, I’m a god is another standout. Once you have been amazed by all of this, the gentle plucking and raindrop like xylophone of stunning closer Ya’aburnee arrives to really blow things away.
In a year packed full of outstanding pop records, Halsey has delivered, for my money, one of the best of the lot. With Reznor and Ross holding the reigns, they help Halsey deliver on her epic vision with both style and control. It’s one thing to attempt a record like this, it’s another thing to pull it off as expertly and vibrantly as this – hats off for this one!
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Screen Violence by CHVRCHES
Also delivering their fourth album this week was Scottish synth-pop group CHVRCHES who, whilst predominantly maintaining their vintage sound, have lyrically pushed themselves into darker territory on this new record. Probably their finest work since their debut, frontwoman Lauren Mayberry takes no prisoners as she tackles sexism and misogyny, calling upon her own experiences within the industry to really illustrate the issues being put front and centre.  
This is highlighted best on electric single Good Girls, a track Mayberry wrote “after listening to some friends arguing about the present-day implications of loving certain problematic male artists – I was struck by the lengths that people would go to in order to excuse their heroes and how that was so juxtaposed to my own experiences in the world.”
Other highlights include He Said She Said, a glistening synth-driven pop banger that’s contrasted against razor-sharp lyrics with a defiant message at its core – catchy, but also powerful and thought-provoking. There’s also the superb collaboration with The Cure legend Robert Smith, How Not to Drown, which is a moody, atmospheric, and synth-soaked belter of a track. Although it is incredible right the way through, the real spine-tingling moment comes during the song’s outro thanks to the ghostly vocals of Smith being cast over some hauntingly melodic guitars. Outside of the singles, the rawness of heartbreaking closer Better If You Don’t leaves the biggest impression.
All in all, this album ranks amongst their best work and although it may not be quite as dramatic or impressionable as Halsey’s album, there’s still plenty to which you’ll want to digest and ultimately keep returning.
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How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? By Big Red Machine
The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon have certainly kept themselves busy over lockdown. It seems they weren’t satisfied with just taking Taylor Swift’s music to incredible new heights on 2020’s folklore and evermore, as they have now also released their second album under their Big Red Machine guise. The most noticeable thing about this second record is that the duo have extended their collaboration further this time around, bringing in renowned artists such as Ben Howard, Sharon Van Etten, Lisa Hannigan and Fleet Foxes, as well as two more collaborations with Miss Swift herself.
Given the talent involved, it is no surprise that this makes for a really special and stunning collection of songs. There’s wonderful electro-folk track Mimi, which sees singer-songwriter Ilsey Juber join Justin Vernon on lead vocal duties. Phoenix sees Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes and Anaïs Mitchell join in for a wonderful, horn-backed number. This track in fact isn’t the only time Anaïs Mitchell steals the show, as her beautiful, soothing vocal performances on opener Latter Days and closer New Auburn arguably provide the two best moments of the entire album.
The two tracks with Taylor Swift are also fantastic, with Renegade offering a sweet, pop cut that wouldn’t be out of place on either of Swift’s last two records. The better of the two though is Birch, a piano-driven, string-tinged ballad which sees Swift simply providing back-up vocals to Vernon’s haunting folky croons. It’s stunning and possibly my new favourite collaboration between the three artists.
Ultimately this is just a superb album, with Dessner and Vernon thriving alongside their chosen collaborators for a collection of songs that will frequently both move and astound you.
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Donda by Kanye West
Easily the most talked about album of the week, after several launch events and many, many delays, Kanye West finally released his long-awaited tenth studio album, Donda. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of excessive, bloated albums, so with Donda clocking in at almost 2 hours long it was always going to struggle to win me over.
As expected, this is another West project that struggles with inconsistency, with moments of brilliance balanced out with plenty of moments that ultimately underwhelm. Although it has more high points than Ye and the production is more polished than Jesus Is King, there is no track as good as Ghost Town and sonically I found it less inspired than Jesus Is King in many ways. I’m not sure just yet if this is indeed the worst West album, but it is certainly down there in the bottom half for me.
That said, there are still some great moments to be found here. Once you get passed the massively irritating Donda Chant opener (honestly, so painful!), the Jay-Z featuring Jail offers an anthemic rock-influenced gem to get the album started properly. From there The Weeknd featuring Hurricane, the Lauryn Hill sampling Believe What I Say, the heavenly melody of Kid Cudi feature Moon and the organ-backed closer No Child Left Behind provide some of the other highlights. However possibly the finest moment comes in the form of Jesus Lord, a 9-minute epic that sees West deliver some of his best bars in years, returning to the social-consciousness that made him a star in the first place.
If you are a fan of West’s recent gospel-influenced work, then this album will reward you for your patience if you stick with it. For me, although there are some moments I enjoyed, the length was just too much, with this album having the same inconsistency problem that The Life of Pablo had but without reaching the same heights as that album did when it was at its best. Disappointing, but still somewhat worthwhile.
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The Awesome Album by Mouse Rat
And finally on the albums front, if like me you are a big Parks & Recreation fan, you’ll be pleased to hear that Chris Pratt’s fictional band from the show, Mouse Rat, have finally released their debut album this week. Featuring classics such as 5,000 Candle In The Wind and The Pit, this one is a lot of fun for fans of the show.
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Tracks of the Week
Good Ones by Charli XCX
Coming off the back of the definitive lockdown album How I’m Feeling Now that earned her both a Mercury Prize nomination and a place in my Top 5 albums of 2020, Charli XCX has returned with a new synth-driven banger that packs in an insanely catchy hook and wonderful 80s vibes.
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Family Ties by Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar
Also making his return this week was King Kendrick who delivered a fantastic new collaboration with his cousin Baby Keem. Over a brilliant horn-driven beat, the two family members go toe-to-toe and bar-to-bar across this concise hip-hop banger.
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Alone by Rag N Bone Man & Nothing But Thieves
A remix of a track from Rory Graham’s latest album Life By Misadventure, this version sees Conor Mason of Nothing But Thieves join in on vocals, along with some triumphant rock production that replaces the stripped back nature of the album cut.
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Spirit Power & Soul by Johnny Marr
The brilliant first track from his forthcoming new EP, Spirit Power & Soul finds legendary guitarist Johnny Marr in fine form, sonically calling back to his days with Bernard Sumner in Electronic. Built on a masterful central riff, pulsating synths and a big anthemic chorus, it’s a belter!
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Nothing Else Matters by Chris Stapleton
And finally this week, we’ve had plenty of great, unique covers of Nothing Else Matters by Metallica already this year, with Miley Cyrus and Phoebe Bridgers already offering their own take on the classic song. However, I’ve always got time for another and this 8-minute epic from country singer Chris Stapleton is just as dazzling, thanks to some amazing bluesy guitars and his textured vocal performance.
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rina-writes · 4 years ago
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Calm Waters (Part 2)
Part 1: x
A/N: Thank you for all the kind comments on part 1 :D Please continue to give me feedback on this fic as this is my first multiple part fic in a very long time haha
Summary: Grayson suspects that something fishy is going on and enlists his brother, Ethan, to track down everything they can find out about “Aurora”.  During their search, they find out more about the real you.
Warnings: Same as the last one...mentions of abuse, captivity, and bullying.  Also lots of fluff.
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During the day, their tank opened up to the entire park aquarium, so they had a bit more room to swim.  It still sucked in comparison to the ocean, but like you, they appreciated their freedoms.  Nelson, Doris’ mate, made a figure eight with his nose when he saw you coming toward them.
You’re late.
You clutched your chest lightly.  
I’m sorry.
Doris came up and tapped her tail fin three times. 
Mate.
Nelson let out a squeaking sound that you recognized as his laughter, making you blush.  You realized that Doris must have brought him up to speed about Grayson.  
Dolphins thrived off of gossip.  They spread it like wildfire and had great memories to boot.  You tossed them their fish, and moved around the area to give the other dolphins there share as well.  You made sure to give the new recruit some extra.  You hadn’t give him a name yet.  Dolphin names were quite difficult to understand, because they were in their tongue, and did not translate well into to sign language.   You often gave them human name equivalents and you would use them in the shows. You would teach them the signs for their name, once you made up, so they knew who you were calling on during the performance.
Doris was your first friend, so her sign was three taps on top of your heart.  Nelson, being Doris’ mate, got two taps on the heart and one on the stomach.  You hoped to give the new dolphin something strong to uplift him.
You moved on to the hammerheads.  They did not talk as much as the dolphins, but were always polite.  They spun in counter clockwise thrice in order to say thank you and always asked about your day.  Occasionally, Hunter, the hammerhead that was “rescued” when you first arrived would inquire more if you seemed sad, but sharks really didn’t like to talk about feelings.  
You didn’t mind because it allowed you to think about Grayson more.  How his finger tips were so rough, but his hands in general felt soft.  How he laughed loudly, but then would always stop himself short before he would start to snort.  How he lit up when he talked about his family, especially his twin brother. You wished you could see him again.  
When the park was closed.  You walked over to the shed that when you were in a good mood you called your closet.  You hung up your uniform, and changed to your other pair of underwear.  You washed the one you were wearing in a sink nearby with hand soap.  You hung the underwear to dry in your closet and went to wash your mouth out.  One of the scientist that would experiment on you would periodically bring you travel size toothpaste and a toothbrush.  You figured it made them feel like less of a monster.  
You stood in front of your reflective glass and looked at yourself. You looked different today.  Your skin was more radiant and your dyed red hair didn’t look so bad. You realized it was because you were happy.  You hid your toiletries and your drying underwear so no one would find it the next day.Then just before the top of your cell closed automatically, you jumped in.  As you sunk to the bottom, you heard the top of your cell click.  About three minutes later, you heard footsteps that walked by to make sure no one was upstairs.  The steps stopped by your cell, the person most likely looking for you red hair.  Upon spotting it, the person walked away.  You looked up and to your surprise saw the gap on the corner of your cell was still there.  It must not be noticeable from up top.  You smiled to yourself as you curled into your ball.  You didn’t have to rock too much to fall asleep as your mind was excited to dream.
The next day, you awoke as usual to the sound of the cover leaving your tank.  You swam upward and pulled yourself out. You jiggled your legs a little bit and took a deep breath to let the air fill your lungs.  After years of being under for 12+ hours, holding your breath was second nature.  However, there was nothing like feeling air.  
“Oh my god…”  You heard from your right. That was the door that led to the roof. 
You turned slowly, goosebumps appearing on your skin.  Your eyes met Grayson’s hazel ones, and your jaw dropped.
 You were too afraid of the conclusions that Grayson had made from seeing you crawl out of a tank that him seeing you half naked was not that big of a deal.  Grayson started to back away, slipping and causing himself to fall on the ground.  Your heart sunk to your stomach as you squeezed your chest to cover yourself.  You couldn’t tell what worried you the most:  the fact that you secret was out, the thought of what would happen to Grayson if your uncle found out, or, your own punishment that would be waiting for you.  No, the worst thing was that now, the one person who you thought could understand you realized what you really were and you were going to die knowing you were a freak.
“I-I should have knocked…” Grayson stammered, as he tried to look away.  “I had a suspicion you were living here, but I wasn’t expecting you to be naked.”
You were stood there, paralyzed by fear, holding yourself as you stared at him blankly. 
Grayson did his best to tear his eyes away from you.  There was a part of him that was terrified by what he just saw.  He could hear his heart thundering in his ears and his legs were itching to run away.  However, staring in to your eyes and seeing his Rory with an even more petrified expression, he just wanted to hold you.  He wanted to protect you and save you, just like you saved him.  His eyes wanted to continue to scan your body, for multiple reasons, but one in particular stood out.  He angled his body towards the view that you admired each morning when you woke up.  He stared straight ahead and signed.
“Your skin is so beautiful.” Grayson remarked, still avoiding your eyes.
Your skin?  You looked down and suddenly remembered the one thing that marked you differently from “normal” humans.  When your skin was wet, parts of your body as part of the drying process turned a turquoise blue color, that almost looked like gems.  They kind of looked like the scales with reflective property that made them look like part of a rainbow from certain angles.  Looking at it now, it was clear to you how the myth of mermaid fins came to be.  They were irregular shapes all over your body from the tops of your thighs, the sides of your legs and even down the middle of your chest.  You learned from the “experiments” that this attribute of your skin also helped you to rebuild more skin cells quicker. 
You finally snapped out of your “deer in headlights reaction” and walked over to your closet and pulled out your uniform.  You put on your clothes and waited for Grayson to say something.   You attempted to look on the bright side.  He didn’t gasp or take pictures of you like your uncle’s colleagues did.  He seemed more embarrassed to see you naked.  You weren’t sure if it was a compliment or insult.
For the first time in the 48 hours you knew Grayson, it seemed like he didn’t know what to say.  He just stared at the view as if trying to gather his thoughts.  As you got dressed, you took the opportunity to look at him.  This could be the last time you ever got to see him.  You wanted to etch his image into your mind.
Today, he was wearing a cap backwards with his uniform.  He always had his lifeguard whistle around his neck, but today, he also had his red lifeguard towel draped over a shoulder.  Around his waist was a fanny pack that matched his towel and he was wearing white vans to go with the uniform.  He looked like a model, especially turning to the side like that.  
“What are you thinking?” You asked, breaking the silence.  You stood by the sink as you attempted to tidy up your hair.  “Aren’t you afraid?”
“I wouldn’t say afraid...” Grayson said after a long pause.  “I mean, I legitimately thought you were an angel when you saved me that night.  How else could I explain how someone who was nowhere to be seen before it happened saved my life when I needed someone most.”
Grayson smiled and turned to look at you.  His eyes seemed to reflect the orange and pink hues of the sun.  He was the one who looked unreal.  
“I guess,” Grayson said with a soft smile. “I should have guessed you were a mermaid.”
Your mouth got dry and you walked over to him.  “I’m not a mermaid.  There is a logical explanation for all of this.” You realized that saying there was a logical explanation for something did not make it anymore believable. However, you needed to buy time to think of something.
Grayson bit his lip.  “I know you’re not Aurora.”  Grayson said, sadly, looking up at you as he sat up with his legs stretched out.  “Because there is no one in this town named Aurora.  But I do know of someone named Y/N Y/L/N, who was said to be at boarding school, but is not registered at a single one in the country.”
It felt like the ground beneath you was shaking. You hadn’t heard your name in so long that it brought tears to your eyes.  You eased yourself down to the ground and slowly crossed your legs.  
“H-How much do you know?” You asked, finally.
12 hours earlier - Gray’s POV
Grayson waited by the gate of Pete’s Ocean Land until closing in hopes of running into Aurora before she left.  He knew he was being annoying.  After all, Aurora clearly stated she did not want to walk home with him.  At the same time, he could see how happy she looked around him.  He loved the fact that she was able to open up to him and everything he was able to learn about her.  She was funny, charming, and a little weird, but in a good way.
There were a lot of mean rumors about her that Grayson assumed was started by some of the female workers.  Things like she didn’t shower, she was poor, she talked to the animals, anything to explain why no one saw her outside of work.  The threat of Aurora was that  most guys admitted that there was a beauty to her that they couldn’t place. However, no one want to confess to liking the “freak show of the park.”  So, the rumors piled up, and everyone kept their distance.
It wasn’t just employees either. Guests adored her character during performances, but still would treat her like crap when asking for favors outside of her job description.  On Grayson’s first day, he even witnessed someone pretend to bump into her and toss her drink on to her and her food.  She just sat there with a blank expression before she took off running.  It was a little comical, like watching a cartoon. Grayson was ashamed to admit that he chuckled himself. Making fun of her was the norm and like everyone, Grayson just wanted to blend in.  While he didn’t partake in her bullying, he didn’t do anything to stop it. 
And then he was the butt of the jokes.  A couple girls asked him out and suddenly he was the guy everyone was trying to put down.  He was stupid to think that when they invited him on one of their late night adventures that it was an olive branch.  They were all drunk, deriding him for not drinking with them.  In order to prove himself, they said would have to stick his hand into this tank. It was supposed to have some monster.  It was closed off, and not even people who worked there could see what was inside.  They all had done it,they said, he just had to do it too. Everything told Grayson this was a dumb idea, but if it meant that the teasing would stop, he was willing to do it.
They pointed to a crack in the retractable cover that was quite large.  As Grayson stuck his hand in he felt a push.  He lost his balance and another push sent him into the pool.  He was paralyzed by fear and the unknown darkness surrounding him. 
He blacked out and then next thing he knew, he saw her.  She was staring at him in the tank, and she was glowing.  Her skin looked like aquamarine crystals, and her eyes were reflective.  He assumed it was the oxygen slowly returning to his brain that made him hallucinate, but he couldn’t deny that even without the sparkle she was beautiful.
Now that he spent lunch with her, he knew for sure that she was the most beautiful person he had met inside and out.  He was going to convince her to be his.  He would protect her from all those assholes and he would make sure that she got out of this dump amusement park and doing what she really loved.
Except, she never came out.  As the security guard closed up the park, Grayson asked if there were any workers staying behind.
“Nope.” The security guard confirmed in a gruff voice.  “Even Pete’s gone home.”
Something didn’t sit right with Grayson.  Because when he looked up at where the tank of the “mysterious creature”, the dolphins and the hammerheads opened up, he saw a man standing on top surveying the tanks.  And that man looked like Pete to him.
When Grayson got home, he immediately enlisted his brother Ethan to help him research everything on Aurora.  Ethan, Grayson’s twin brother, with shorter brown hair, narrow hazel eyes and a chiseled jaw, was only awake for four hours when his brother stormed in. 
“You could knock.” Ethan groaned, pulling off his gaming headphones.  He was only wearing a pair of red shorts when he swiveled around in his gaming chair.  Today was Ethan’s day off from working at the bicycle store in town where he fixed all non-motorized vehicles.  Ethan was hoping to enjoy it by sleeping in and playing games.
“Can you look up a girl named Aurora?” Grayson asked, about to sit on Ethan’s bed.
“Please don’t sit on my bed with your dirty clothes.” Ethan complained.
Grayson knew Ethan was just cranky about him ruining his afternoon plans.  He figured he would be equally obnoxiously and just strip down.  If you aren’t petty with your brother, then are you even siblings?
Grayson shrugged.  “Fine.  You’re lucky I showered after work.” Grayson stripped down to his boxers and socks before sitting on his brother’s bed. 
Ethan had already begun typing, “Any last name for Aurora?”
“Nope…” Grayson said.  “No idea.”
Ethan hummed as he started his search.  He was quiet for a bit despite clicking on various links and searching for different keywords.
“There’s no Aurora who was born in the last 16 to 20 years anywhere in our county, or the nearby one” Ethan informed Grayson.  “Did she just move here?”
“No…” Grayson shook his head, thinking back to this afternoon.  “We talked about the park near our house and how one of the swings was always broken.  There’s no way someone who just moved here would know that.”
“Well she’s definitely from our area. Is she our age?” Ethan asked.
“Yes.” Grayson confirmed.  “18.”
The sound of Ethan typing filled he room.  Grayson laid back on the bed and closed his eyes, trying to think of information that could help Ethan’s search.  The last of the sun was peaking through Ethan’s windows and warming Grayson’s abdomen, making it harder for Grayson to fight back the tiredness of being by the pool all day. 
By the end of the summer, he and Ethan would have enough to live anywhere.  They were hoping to move to Los Angeles and now, Grayson wanted to take Aurora with them.
“Do you remember that girl Y/N Y/L/N?” Ethan asked, breaking Grayson from his thoughts.  
“As in Peter Y/L/N? The owner of Pete’s Ocean Land?”  Grayson asked, sitting up on his elbows.  “Not really….”
“Remember like 5 years ago, her house burned down and her parents died in it? Then Pete adopted her and sent her to some cushy boarding school so she could have a new start?” Ethan backed away from the computer to gesture to a newspaper article.
“Not really...” Grayson said, sitting up suddenly.  
Ethan slid over to unblock the monitor and Grayson leaned in to see to read. His eyes scanned the page with a furrowed brow.
Local Tragedy
The house of {Your Father’s Name}, brother of Peter Y/L/N,  was caught on fire by which, police speculate, was caused by a cooking accident. The house was engulfed with flames, prompting the {Your Father’s Name} and his wife, {Your Mother’s Name} to toss their 13 year old daughter out the window, sacrificing themselves.  Their bodies were not found, but firefighters claim that with the intensity of the flames and the rubble, it’s not surprising.
Y/N Y/L/N is currently in the custody of her uncle Peter who has decided to give her a new chance.  “It can’t be easy for a kid to lose their parents.  I can’t replace my brother, but I can give her the life I know he would have wanted her to have.  I’ll make sure she has the best education money can by and the opportunity to have a normal adolescence.”  Peter said to news on Monday.
Grayson sucked in a breath.  “I don’t really remember this, but it’s terribly sad.  You don’t think that has something to do with Aurora, do you?
Ethan nodded as though he was hoping Grayson would ask that question.  Ethan opened another tab, and continued to flick through multiple tabs for Grayson to see. The first tab was some cushy boarding school Grayson had never heard of where Ethan had searched Y/N without any results.  The next was another boarding school.
 Ethan looked up over 20 boarding schools across the country, none with a student with the name Y/N Y/L/N.
“How is it possible that the only results for her are these news articles, but nothing about her at schools?” Ethan asked. 
“Well, maybe she got a fake name to make sure that she wouldn’t get connected with the case.” Grayson suggested.
“Exactly.  Like Jenna, or Kirsten or…” Ethan trailed off.
“Aurora…” Grayson continued.
“Exactly.”  Ethan pulled up a yearbook picture of the middle school you attended.  He found a few photos of you including you in your class photo and a few pictures of you in a musical.
“That’s her!” Grayson said, squinting.  “Sure, she looks a lot older now, and her hair is that red color, but that’s definitely her.”
“Now, why would Pete lie about sending her to boarding school and force her to work at his amusement park?” Ethan asked.  “I mean it doesn’t make sense, right? He could have just sent her to school and then had her work part time.  No one would have found that strange.”
“Unless she couldn’t leave the park…” Grayson said mostly to himself.  He grabbed Ethan by the shoulders.
“Dude, you’re scaring me, what’s going on?” Ethan asked, startled by the sudden movement.
“This is going to sound crazy, but what if Pete is keeping Aurora...err, Y/N, captive in the park because she’s different…” Grayson said, not sure how to find the right words.
“What do you mean different?” Ethan asked.
Grayson explained in detail what happened two nights ago when you saved him, including your bedazzled looking skin.  He was impressed that Ethan didn’t crack a smile and only nodded to show he was still listening. 
“To summarize,” Ethan ruffled his hair with a sigh.  “You think Aurora is being held captive in a water tank where she can somehow breathe over night and has reflective scales on her body.”
Grayson paused.  Was that really what he was saying?  
“Yes.” Grayson confirmed out loud.  
“You’re right that is crazy.” Ethan nodded.  But he didn’t laugh.  Nor did he dismiss it. Instead Ethan sat on the bed, coaxing Grayson to sit down as well. 
“You know Travis?” Ethan asked.
“Yeah, the owner of the bike shop?” Grayson asked.
“Yeah.  Apparently, he comes from a long line of fishermen.  Since our town is so close to the water, a lot of them would live here and then travel by sea to catch fish and sell them in other areas.  His family believes in mermaids and they said…” Grayson cut Ethan off.
“Okay, I know my story is crazy, but I don’t think she has a fin dude.” Grayson said, putting up a hand.
“Wait for it…” Ethan said, “That’s the thing, they don’t have fins.  Instead, their skin and hair blend in to the color of the bottom of the sea like chameleons. The only time you can see them is when they come up for air.  Apparently, they do breathe air, but they can hold their breaths for crazy long times.  The legend was that if one of these maidens fell in love with a fisherman, she would bring him all the fish that he needed.  It was seen as a badge of honor because they only trusted men that were kind and good to the sea.  There are other legends where they would cast doom on fishermen that brought harm to the ocean.”
“So you think Aurora...err Y/N is one of these water creatures?” Grayson asked. He let out a long sigh as he looked at his brother blankly for moment. This had to be the most ridiculous thing they had ever come up with and that was saying something.  “I mean, it’s a little far-fetched don’t you think?”
“Sure…” Ethan agreed, nodded slowly.  Up until ten minutes ago, Ethan and Travis only discussed the legends while Travis got high on his break.  Ethan never expected for it to be the missing piece to a mystery involving the girl of his brother’s affection.
Ethan took a deep breath.  “At the same time, it connects a few dots, doesn’t it?  Let’s assume that Pete isn’t one of these creatures, then his brother probably isn’t either.  That leaves Y/N’s mother.  So, she’s one of the water creatures and her daughter becomes one too.  Pete tries to convince his brother to put the ladies on display, his brother says no, and then he mysteriously dies.  But, custody of the daughter suddenly becomes local news and Pete would look like a monster if he put her in a tank.  So, he keeps her there, probably pimping her out to the government, while using her for free labor.”
“Because she can talk to the animals!” Grayson said.
“Okay...that’s a bit far-fetched.” Ethan said, putting his hands up in surrender. 
“No come on.” Grayson explained.  “People used to hear her talking to the animals..  Maybe that’s why she does all the shows, because they trust her.”
“Dude,” Ethan grabbed Grayson’s shoulders.  “Do you realize how insane this is? If any of this is true, you’re practically dating a real life mermaid.”
“If it is true.” Grayson said, grabbing Ethan’s arms. “Then, I have to save her.  I can’t let her suffer in that place anymore.”
“Well, we can’t just bust in there with the police.”  Ethan reasoned. “At least not without proof.”
Grayson thought for a moment.  The last time he went to find her, he went straight to the roof at the beginning of his shift.  She was already there with her uniform on.  He wondered if he got there just a bit earlier if he would be able to run into her.  The morning security guard was really laid back, so as long as you were quiet, he would let you in.  He was sure he could sneak in Ethan as well.
“We could go there tomorrow morning.” Grayson suggested.  “See what time she arrives.”
“Yes.” Ethan said, slamming his a fist on his open palm.  “Tomorrow morning, we’re going to Pete’s Ocean Land bright and early to see if she emerges from that tank.  Or, maybe we just go late at night and wait it out.”
Grayson tapped his chin.  This was the most insane thing he had ever done, but he was willing to give it a try.  “Alright, let’s do it.”
Present moment - Your POV
You felt overwhelmed with emotion as Grayson explained the events that led to this current moment.  Part of you was mildly impressed.  To job to those conclusions you had to be just the right combination of observant, resourceful, and a little childish.  You weighed your options.  You could deny it, but there was so much of your story that you would have to build up.  You never spoke to anyone before, so Aurora didn’t have a back story.  There was also the fact that he saw you emerging from a tank of water with scales on your skin.  You could pretend that you were just doing some performance, but that was even more unbelievable than his theory.
You let out a shaky breath. “Is Ethan here now?”  You asked.
Grayson pointed with his thumb behind him to his brother who took a “mini-nap” and was now completely knocked out.  You chuckled softly, a weak laugh, but it made Grayson smile as well.
“So uh...how crazy are we?” Grayson asked. 
“All I can tell you is that you’re not crazy.” You said in a measured tone. “But you can’t tell anyone what you learned.  Pete is not the nice guy everyone thinks he is and you two are in grave danger with everything you know.”
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saiilorstars · 4 years ago
Text
Falling in Temptation
Previous chapters • Sequel to Stars Dance
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing: 11th Doctor/ Female OC
~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~
Ch. 11: A Different Wire
Chapter summary: The Doctor charges on to find Amy and her baby. He's taken every precaution possible to keep everyone else safe, including putting Avalon into a lockdown. He's determined to keep his word to Rory and keep Avalon safe but when the battle seems to be over on Demons Run, they learn that the Silence has not only been watching Amy closely...Avalon has also been under their careful eyes.
Fairy Tale Memoirs (Companion story)
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A little fairy comes at night,
Her eyes are blue, her hair is brown'
with silver spots upon her wings,
And from the moon she flutters down.
She has a little silver wand
And when a good child goes to bed
She waves a hand from right to the left
And makes a circle round its head.
And then it dreams of pleasant things,
Of fountains filled with fairy fish
And trees that bear delicious fruit
And bow their branches at a wish.
Of arbors filled with dainty scents,
From lovely flowers that never fade,
Bright flies that glitter in the sun
And glow-worms shining in the shade
And talking birds with gifted tongues
For singing songs and telling tales
And pretty dwarfs to show the way
Through fairy hills and fairy dales.
A little fairy comes at night,
her eyes are blue and her hair is brown
With silver spots upon her wings
And from the moon she flutters down
Amy held her baby daughter in her arms as she recited the poem she knew by heart. It was a stupid poem - lullaby - that her own mother used to sing to her before bed. Amy would never tell Avalon that, though. That woman thrived on fairy tales it was ridiculous. But now Amy could see why her mother would tell her the poem. It was soothing and magical. It calmed her daughter each time she read it. Maybe when this was all over, Avalon could take over in the fairy tale department because Amy felt like her voice lacked the talent Avalon owned.
But for the meantime, Amy had to do things on her own. It was a scary job to do when she had no idea where she was and the fact she didn't own one weapon against the people holding her captive. She could only hold her daughter close to her when she was allowed to carry her.
Melody was the only thing keeping Amy sane. At one month the baby girl was a cheery one, a gurgling one, and she never seemed to cry. It was as if Melody knew that things were tough and she didn't want to add more to the problem. Melody would attentively listen to the things her mother would tell her, from the sweet poems to the inspirational speeches. She loved them all.
Amy tried not to think about the soldiers inside the room she was in, all packed even with the eye-patch woman, Madame Kovarian.
"I wish I could tell you that you'll be loved. That you'll be safe and cared for and protected. But this isn't a time for lies. What you are going to be, Melody is very, very brave," Amy was quiet with her words, but only because she didn't want Melody to pick up on her stressed tone.
Madame Kovarian - the eye patch lady - was waiting at the front of the room, just like she always did. "Two minutes," she warned, not that Amy would look at her.
"But not as brave as they'll have to be," Amy continued with Melody close by. "Because there's someone coming. I don't know where he is, or what he's doing, but trust me. He's on his way. There's a man who's never going to let us down. And not even an army can get in the way..." She trailed off when she saw the soldiers with Kovarian coming for her again. Not her, but her. Melody. Amy instinctively backed away a couple steps. "Leave her, just you leave her! Please leave her! Leave her!"
It was the same thing each time, and each time Amy fell for it.
Kovarian took Melody from her and returned the infant to the bassinet at the front of the room. Amy was right on Kovarian's trail though and stole a last look at Melody. "He's the last of his kind. He looks young, but he's lived for hundreds and hundreds of years. And wherever they take you, Melody, however scared you are, I promise you, you will never be alone." She leaned down and kissed Melody's forehead. "Because this man is your father."
~ 0 ~
A grim Avalon awaited in the console room for the Doctor and Rory to return, practically at the doors. Eventually, the two men entered the TARDIS and took a long breath. It'd been another close one but a very good success.
Avalon and the Sapling had promptly waited for them to return, but the former looked close to bursting from anger.
"Good moment?" Avalon crossed her arms with a raised eyebrow. "Success? Victory?"
"I think you know," Rory pointed at her, moving to give her a hug but Avalon stepped back, making him sigh.
"You don't get hugs until my lockdown is lifted," she snapped and looked at the Doctor next, "Goes for you too."
"Ava, we've been through this," the Doctor began as he followed her towards the console with Rory.
"Give it a rest, big brother, it's not gonna work," Lena Reynolds poked her head from behind the console rotor. "Better spend your time over here to get that location the Cybermen told us."
The Doctor grumbled under his breath but followed Lena's suggestion. She'd been recruited after ganger Amy had been deactivated in hopes of finding the real Amy faster. Apart from that, Avalon had been set into a deep, serious lockdown in the TARDIS after the events in the ganger factory. Avalon literally screamed, thrashed and at one point was locked in her bedroom, but nothing would get through to her. They were trying to keep her safe and in return she wanted to kill them.
The only thing that somewhat calmed her was bringing Lena along. It'd worked so far but Avalon already had thin patience. One month was about it.
~ 0 ~
"C'mon, at least let me help get the people," Avalon was following the Doctor around the console, resorting to bugging the hell out of him until he agreed, like always. The screaming hadn't helped and the fact she'd kicked him in the shin definitely didn't do any favors.
She would resort to old fashioned begging.
"Avalon, you know the rules. You need to stay in here for your own safety."
"Oh c'mon! You've sent Lena to pick up a Silurian! That right there was very irresponsible!"
"Vastra is an old friend and she wouldn't hurt anyone...anymore," the Doctor kept his gaze fixated on the controls because the moment he met Avalon's begging eyes, he would fall right for it.
"This is ridiculous! You can't keep me in here, you know!? I do have rights! I should know, I've been in an actual jail!"
"I could very well drop you off at UNIT," the Doctor warned, or threatened, whichever one would make her understand. "I'm sure an old friend of mine wouldn't mind keeping an eye on you."
"What?" frowned Avalon. "You are beyond ridiculous! I can't believe you're not using one of your biggest assets to get Amy back! This is beyond me - this is about our friend who was kidnapped! With her baby!"
"I know that!" he snapped, finally turning to her. At least she wasn't begging anymore. "And it's because I've already lost Amy that I'm not risking you! Never you, Avalon."
Avalon paused at his sudden softness. "Don't do that," she said after a moment.
"Don't do wh-"
"-don't go all soft and mushy on me when it doesn't mean a damn thing," she snapped. "I'm tired of it. At least your ganger had the decency to be honest before we let him die."
"Oh, here we go again!" the Doctor flapped his arms in frustration. Every damn time they had an argument, his stupid ganger would come up in the conversation. It drove the Doctor crazy not knowing what his ganger had told Avalon just before they escaped the Flesh. "If you're going to keep bringing that up, the least you can do is tell me what he said that got you so riled up with me!"
"It's the fact that he was able to be honest with me and you can't! That's incredibly sad and each time I remember it hurts, do you get that? It hurts. You hurt me."
Her words punctured each of his hearts. Her eyes had watered up as soon as she said them. That's what got him. She wasn't angry with him, she was disappointed and hurt. Hurt because of him. And he had no idea how to fix it, especially when he didn't have the context.
"Ava," he slowly touched her cheeks until he had successfully cupped her face without being slapped for it. "You need to understand that everything I'm doing is to keep you safe. I can't lose you too. You have to be different."
"Different from what?" she begged for at least one answer to her millions of questions.
"From everyone before you," he smiled sadly. He wanted to change the story so badly, he wasn't letting himself think about himself for one second. All he allowed himself to think about were the people that had come before Avalon who had suffered terrible fates because he hadn't been careful. "Have I ever told you the story of Donna Noble?"
"No, who is she?"
"She is the woman who used to travel with me before you and the Ponds. She was my best friend. She saved the 27 stolen planets from being destroyed. She was so loud and so courageous - you remind me of her sometimes. You even have the ginger hair to match."
Avalon felt the 'but' coming soon. He had never talked about his previous companions and she'd never really dared to ask considering what their endings had probably been. "...what happened to her?"
The Doctor sighed and let his hands drop from her face. "I happened. I was selfish and I wasted a regeneration and put all that energy into a jar. Donna absorbed that energy in what we call a metacrisis. She became part Time Lord and that could never be. She nearly died if I hadn't wiped her memories."
"She...lost her memories?" Avalon gulped. This is what many of her stories of the Doctor didn't contain: the tragic endings of his trips and his companions. "Like...everything?"
"Everything that had to do with me and her travels. Avalon, she was the most important woman in the universe. Different alien species still sing about the Doctor-Donna because of what she did and who she saved. And I had to erase everything from her head. She's off living her life on Earth and I can never see her again. And she can never remember what she did in her travels." It was the first time that Avalon saw true, genuine tears in the Doctor's eyes. He was reliving that terrible moment of his lives, firmly believing it was his fault. "She was my best friend, Avalon, and I lost her. And I've lost people I considered more than a friend. You want to know where the last person I had feelings for is at right now?"
"No-" Avalon's voice had turned frail, full of guilt.
"She's stuck in another universe. I did that to her. Twice. She can never come back."
Avalon felt the twinge of guilt double in that one second. Okay, maybe she hadn't been thinking as logically as he obviously had, but in her defense he wouldn't let her. She just wanted to be with him, be happy together. "I'm sorry," she whispered, bringing one hand to rub her other arm. "I-I didn't think about that stuff. But I mean...Doctor, you never say anything about your past. I stopped asking questions because I assumed that with time you would trust us to tell us on your own."
"It's not about trusting you, it's about how you'll react to it. There are horrors that come with me. Tragedies. And no matter how much I try, I can't stop them. Amy and Rory have already become part of that list- their daughter who was unborn is already on the list. I'm not gonna make that mistake with you. You are where the cycle ends."
Now this Avalon could appreciate because now she knew what he meant. He stopped being cryptic with her and just told her the truth. It was a truth she couldn't discard so easily because it was so important to him, but she wasn't going to let it ruin what she knew could be so good for them both.
She would just need to prioritize first. Her patience could last a bit longer now.
"Okay, I hear you," she said, stepping closer to him. She brought her hands to his face now, smiling encouragingly. "But I'd also like if you heard me."
"Avalon-"
"I propose that for the moment we set aside our differences and work together to get Amy back. Afterwards, we can resume this conversation. Sound fair?"
The Doctor would nod if he didn't already know what her proposal consisted of. "You can't go outside."
Avalon's smile wanted to falter but she kept it right on her face. "You'll find that I do as I please. Besides, it's been one month and they haven't done anything else. I bet their minds are so preoccupied with Amy that they don't even remember about little ole me. Now c'mon, I know who's next on that list of recruitment and I so want to be the one who picks her up."
"No, Avalon. It's just too dangerous."
"It's literally a prison - how much safer can it get? I don't think whoever's behind this is stupid enough to go barging into the highest maximum security prison, do you?"
The Doctor swayed his head, able to see that clear logic. "Well..."
"Please? Please? Please? Please? Please!?" the ginger clung to his arms as she begged, though now she did with a wide smile, "You can even send Rory or Lena with me, if you want. Or you can come, or-"
"Fine," he covered her mouth. See, he shouldn't have looked into her eyes. "But only because it's a prison and I know if River tries anything she'll be shot down."
Avalon took his hand off her mouth and frowned, "Since when did you become so doubtful of River? She's done nothing but help us every time we see her."
"Yeah and half the time it's because she made the mess," the Doctor pointed out. They all loved pointing out how many mistakes he made that River had to come and help fix. "Plus, there's things I've learned about her, things that make me nervous."
"Like what?"
The Doctor gaze on her was long. There was no way he could tell her that a good part of his reluctance with River stemmed from the fact River was meant to harm Avalon. "Future things."
Avalon rolled her eyes. "Oh, well, please, that's more than enough explanation. I completely understand. But you know what, I'm taking Rory to go get River. Thank you!" she gave him a quick hug then started shouting for Rory as she ran into the hallway.
The Doctor really hoped he hadn't messed.
~ 0 ~
In Stormcage, alarms blared as River Song, dressed in a Victorian gowm, swayed her way towards her cell. It nnver got old how frantic the place would get whenever she would pop away for a trip. It wasn't like she wouldn't come back! She stopped in front of a wall phone and picked it up, "Oh, turn it off. I'm breaking in, not out. This is River Song, back in her cell..." She was about to hang up when she thought of something else and pressed the phone back to her ear. "Oh, and I'll take breakfast at the usual time. Thank you!" She finally hung up and continued down the corridor but stopped when she saw two silhouettes in the dark, one specifically dressed as a Roman. "Oh, are you boys dressing up as Romans now? I thought nobody read my memos."
Avalon stepped out of the shadows first with an amused smile, "Your memos are about Roman costumes?" she glanced at Rory, snickering, "This is why I like her!"
Rory shook his head at her and got to business. He wasn't pleased that the Doctor had broken his promise and allowed Avalon out, even if it was to a prison of maximum security. Rory wanted to get out of there fast and return Avalon back to the TARDIS. "Dr. Song? It's Rory, and Avalon. Sorry, have we met yet? Time streams, I'm not quite sure where we are..."
"Yes. Yes, we've met," River nodded, sounding rather sad. Avalon could tell, despite the darkness that surrounded them. "Hello, Rory, Avalon."
"What's wrong?" Avalon asked her, taking a step forwards until Rory gripped her arm to keep her from taking another one.
"It's my birthday," River nervously laughed.
"Oh, happy birthday," Avalon smiled, now understanding her current attire, "That's why you broke out, then. Where'd you go? Victorian London?" River nodded her head. "You know, the Doctor's yet to take us there."
"You'll be there soon enough," River promised, though she didn't look very happy about the idea. Avalon presumed this was another 'spoiler'. River knew something that they couldn't know about yet.
"I hope you didn't go alone, though," Avalon said, hoping to steer the conversation somewhere lighter. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to do much.
"Um...somewhere, with a special someone," River nodded, still forcing a tight smile on her face. She couldn't tell Avalon anything of where they'd gone for her birthday. If she did, she'd have to explain why it was only them two and no Ponds nor Doctor.
"We need your help," Rory declared. Things weren't moving fast enough.
River nodded and went to her cell, pulling out her diary to pinpoint their timelines. "Where are we then?"
"They've taken Amy," Avalon said just as River pinpointed their timelines.
River froze for a moment then turned around with widened eyes. "Demons Run."
"How...how did you know?" Rory blinked as did Avalon.
"I'm from your future. I always know," River tried to keep herself calm as she glanced back at the two, "Why on earth are you wearing that?" she eyed Rory's Roman garbs.
"The Doctor's idea."
"Of course. His rules of engagement," River rolled her eyes, "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."
"Look ridiculous," Avalon remarked with a smirk.
"Have you considered heels?" River joked.
"They've taken Amy. And our baby," Rory was in no mood for jokes at the moment, "The Doctor's getting some people together, we're going after her, but he needs you too."
"I can't," River mumbled, her eyes teary. "Not yet, anyway."
"River?" Avalon was confused by the change of attitude that took place in the brunette. She'd fought so hard with the Doctor to let her come get River and now the woman was going to leave them hanging!?
"This is The Battle of Demons Run," River neared them, "The Doctor's darkest hour. He'll rise higher than ever before and then fall so much further. And...I can't be there till the very end."
"Why not?"
"Because this is it," River shuddered a breath, "This is the day he finds out who I am, when everyone finds out."
"Timelines," Avalon could understand the reason and had to resign her insistence. But just as River had explained, her expression turned frantic.
"Avalon you need to stay away from that place! Demons Run is where everything happens - it's where you are in most danger!"
Avalon groaned. "Not you too, River. You're sounding just like everyone else."
But River was adamant to be heard. "I am serious! You know why the Doctor will fall the hardest here than any other time he's had battles? Because of you."
Avalon's eyebrows knitted together, frankly offended that now it was all being blamed on her. "What, so it's my fault things go wrong?"
"No, it's mine," River didn't hesitate to answer, startling both Avalon and Rory. "I should've been more ready, but I wasn't and now I need the Doctor to step up and keep you safe. You need to stay in the TARDIS until it's all over." River's eyes flickered to Rory, pleading him to heed her warning.
Rory didn't need to be told twice what he already knew. But now if River was begging for the same thing, then there must be a serious good reason. "She's been in the TARDIS this whole time. She only came for you."
"Yeah and you're making me look bad here," Avalon folded her arms, deeply scowling. "What the hell, River!?"
"Tell the Doctor that he needs to listen to me," River told Rory as if Avalon wasn't shooting her daggers.
"You got it," Rory nodded and this time held Avalon's arm tightly as they headed back for the TARDIS
~ 0 ~
This time there was no getting discussion with the Doctor. Once he heard what River told them, he had no hesitation to shout like Avalon - making it an interesting fight when they both matched volumes - until she got the point that she wouldn't be leaving the TARDIS.
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" Avalon was as red as her hair, possibly more. "You can't just bench me!"
"Oh I can and I am," the Doctor leveled her glare with his own. And given his age, he had a better one than Avalon...but not by much. "You are staying here with Lena-" he gestured to the woman in question who was being forced to watch the entire argument unfold, "-and taking control of the TARDIS."
"Avalon, if River says this is what has to happen then we should follow it," Lena chimed in only to get the same hard look from Avalon. "She's from the future, she knows what happens."
"Today's the day I start hating River," Avalon resolved. "Only question is will you be added to the list?" she landed her hard, blue eyes on the Doctor.
"If it means keeping you safe then so be it," he resolved as well. "I told you I wasn't making the same mistakes again."
He could practically see the smoke coming out of her ears at this point. She walked up a few steps until she could better look him in the eyes. There were so many words running through her head right now, but she wanted to find the words that would sting the most. It was one of her flaws. She would default to hurting people one way or another in retaliation.
"You know what?" she raised her head, allowing him to see how serious she was. "I bet that when you had to wipe Donna's memories you didn't give her a choice either, huh?"
The right words indeed.
She saw the pain strike across the Doctor's face in two seconds flat. There was a hint of betrayal, asking her how could she turn that against him when it was such a difficult memory to share.
She tilted her head to the side, letting him know that she was studying the effects of her words on him. "Remember me when you're out there, winning or losing. I'm supposed to be your friend, someone you value apparently, yet you won't let me make my own choice. Some Fairy Tale Man you are." She turned around and stormed into the hallway.
The Doctor was left to process her strong sting until he remembered Lena was still there. She was gazing at him sympathetically, and perhaps sorrowfully.
"I'm sorry about her," Lena felt compelled to apologize on behalf of her sister. Despite not knowing what Avalon was talking about, it clearly hurt the Doctor a lot. "When she's angry she'll say anything to win. Once she's cooled off she'll realize how insensitive she was. I'm not excusing her, I'm just telling you what's going to happen...in case you don't want to forgive her for that."
A brief smile appeared on the Doctor's face. "Please," his sarcastic tone pretty much stated he would always forgive Avalon. "Ava is Ava and that's who she needs to be...who I want her to be."
Lena nodded and did patiently wait for him to finish that sentence but when he didn't, she did. "Because you like her. A lot." For once, Lena was satisfied to be the one who left the Doctor speechless. She didn't have a lot moments like those. "I've always known, big brother," she shrugged. "Just like I've always known where my sister's feelings lie. That's why you're so upset with each other, right?"
"Baby sister, I really think this is not the time to discuss such matters. We have Amy and her baby to find," the Doctor turned to the console. They were about to finally land where Amy was and that required all of his attention.
Lena sighed but gave a nod of her head. "But are you sure you're going to be able to concentrate?"
"Oh, I'm not worried about me," the Doctor said, clearly lying but there was something else he was thinking about it. "I'm worried about you considering you're going to be stuck in here with Avalon."
Lena laughed softly. "Well, the Sapling will be here with me too."
"Oh, he's just as angry as his mother," the Doctor shook his head. The Sapling had gotten both his and Avalon's anger and that was a very poor combination. He might self combust if he didn't calm down soon.
"I'll be okay with them, but to be honest..." Lena tilted her head to the side, "I don't know how long Avalon is going to last in here. She's kind of like you. Staying still isn't for her, much less when someone she loves is in danger."
The Doctor solemnly nodded. He knew that too, which was why he needed to work fast.
~ 0 ~
Madame Kovarian was an astute woman, not to mention an incredible actress. Her base was being overran by the Doctor and his army that foolishly thought they were winning. All she had to do was pretend to be afraid that her plan was going to ruins.
"I need to get off this station," she ordered the nearest soldier with her. "Bring me the child and prepare the Silence."
"Yes, ma'am," the soldier nodded and went off with another soldier to retrieve the infant.
"Ma'am, the Silence?" another of the soldiers reluctantly asked. None of the soldiers - none of the army for that matter - were that happy with Kovarian's decision to work with the Silence. From the very beginning they felt like the Silence would do whatever they wanted, dismissing Kovarian's orders. For the record, they hadn't yet, but no one trusted those creatures. Who could trust a creature they couldn't remember?
After they'd been killed off on Earth - yet another warning from their Colonel to keep their eyes peeled when it came to the Doctor - everyone figured Kovarian was done with the Silence. After all, they'd done their part in the job. They cared for the child while she grew up. They were supposed to be over now.
"They're not done here," Kovarian rounded into a new hallway, quickening her pace each time she heard a different bullet downstairs. "The Silence has yet to retrieve the girl for me."
"But we have the child, ma'am," the soldier insisted, briefly exchanging glances with his other comrades. They were all just as nervous. "The infant. Isn't that what we needed?"
"Yes, but I want the other one too," Kovarian said and finally stopped in front of the airlock that would bring her to her own private ship. She turned around and prepared to wait for the infant to be handed over. "I cannot leave with just one."
"So the Silence are still here, then?" the soldier, just like the rest, started looking around with nervous eyes.
Kovarian smirked. "They never left. They will do the other job and bring me the girl. All we have to do now is wait. And watch." Her smirk widened at the thought of what was coming. "Watch how the Doctor will 'win' before he truly falls."
~ 0 ~
"This is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong!" Avalon shouted at the TARDIS monitor as if the people on the other side of the screen could hear. Her hand was gripping the console in utter fury.
"Avalon, stop that," Lena scolded her sister and had to physically pry Avalon's hands off the console.
"Mother, I've never seen your face get so red!" the Sapling said and because Avalon caught his fearful face, she calmed down a bit.
"Sorry," she apologized and exhaled heavily. "I just...I should be out there! I should be helping!"
"Yeah, me too," the Sapling folded his arms and pouted like only a child would. "I can literally grow up like a giant and Father still didn't let me go out!"
"First of all, you're a child," Lena wagged a finger at him. "And second of all, Avalon, you know they're just trying to help and I think you were fairly rude to the Doctor. In fact, you were horrible to him." Avalon rolled her eyes but even as she looked away, Lena could see the guilt on her face. "I don't know what the hell you were talking about in the end, but I know that really hurt him."
Avalon's gaze slowly fell to the bright floor. Of course she knew she'd hurt him. That was the point. She turned back to the monitor and watched through their security feed the battle that was unfolding on the main bridge. The Doctor had disappeared after causing mass pandemonium. The strange part was that they'd lost visual on Kovarian too. She started switching through the security feed, watching Vastra the Silurian and her human wife Jenny basically kick soldiers' asses near the control room and in the next were several soldiers running down the hallway with a bassinet in hand.
"They have the baby!" she exclaimed.
Lena rushed to her sister's side, as did the Sapling, and saw the same thing Avalon had found. The bassinet bounced with each step the soldiers too. "We have to let them know!" Lena said.
Avalon moved along the console with natural speed, her fingers already knowing exactly which controls to use. Lena raised an eyebrow at her sister, her expression question enough.
"He finally taught me how to drive the TARDIS," Avalon answered quietly, momentarily pausing.
"Oh Avalon," Lena sighed. "You really have to control that tongue of yours."
Avalon blinked away the tears in her eyes and focused on getting through to someone. "Yeah, I know, I'm an outright bitch."
"I didn't say that-"
"You didn't have to," snapped Avalon, but not necessarily at her sister. It was information she already knew based on everything she had lived before coming to the TARDIS.
"Are you calling father?" the Sapling trailed after his mother, nonethewiser of the conversation around him.
"I'm trying but as usual he's not answering," Avalon groaned. "Maybe he should have a cellphone or something! Nobody's answering! Lena!" Lena flinched at the sudden call of her name. "Watch the monitor! Tell me what's going on!"
"Right!" Lena hurried back to the monitor and started going through each camera. "Uh, well, I see Rory! He's gone off with someone else in the hallway! Oh! Vastra and Jenny have gotten into the control room! Ah! Those monk things - they've nearly taken care of an entire room! Don't look Sapling." She ushered the Sapling away from the monitor. "Avalon, they brought the bassinet to Kovarian!"
"They did what!?" Avalon screeched. "That's it! I'm going out there!"
"No you can't!"
"The Doctor can yell at me all he wants - I deserve it, I know, but it's a baby! And more importantly, it's Amy's and Rory's baby! I'm going to be good for once!" Avalon turned and dashed for the doors.
"Avalon, please don't!" Lena went after her but Avalon yanked open the doors.
"Just stay inside, Lena. You and the Sapling will be just fine in here!" Avalon smiled at her sister and child before running out.
"Oh God, my big brother's going to be very crossed with me," Lena hurried for the monitor in hopes of finding where the Doctor was at the moment. She kept going through tabs again until a Silence popped on her screen. She yelped and stumbled back as if the creature would come out from the screen. "Not you again, definitely not you again..."
'I know you can see me, Reynolds,' the fact it was actually talking to her made her yelp again. 'You have come to us just like you're meant to. Now you will come with us. Tick, tock..."
"Aunt Lena, he looks like the Scream," the Sapling had moved over to the monitor but as soon as he did Lena pushed him away.
"No, you stay there! And listen to me, Sapling, because right now you're the only one who's going to remember. You can't see him which means he can't affect you. Remind me that I saw him, and that he's threatening to take my sister."
"But how do you know he's talking about Mother?"
"Because it's always about my sister," Lena regrettably said. "I don't know what it is about my sister but there's always something threatening her, like-like she's just destined to be. Just remind me, okay? Remind me when I look away. We need to find the Doctor."
The Sapling nodded.
~ 0 ~
The Doctor had made his way to the control room where Vastra, Jenny and another old friend(ish) Dorium were in. They were so close to finally getting the hell out of that place, but he had to admit the dark satisfaction he felt knowing that the entire was but one step away from crumbling into nothing.
He sat in front of the controls and turned his chair just as Strax the Sontaran brought in Colonel Mantel, the leader of the army they'd basically destroyed and were now mere stragglers. "Sorry, Colonel Manton, I lied. Three minutes, 42 seconds."
"Colonel Manton, you will give the order for your men to withdraw," Strax ordered.
"No. Colonel Manton... I want you to tell your men to run away," the Doctor told the man instead.
"You...what?" Manton raised an eyebrow, not quite following.
"Those words. Run away. I want you to be famous for those exact words. I want people to call you Colonel Run-Away. I want children laughing outside your door, cos they've found the house of Colonel Run-Away," he stood up and pointed at him, "And, when people come to you, and ask if trying to get to me through the people I love... is in any way a good idea... I want you to tell them your name. Oh, look! I'm angry. That's new-" his voice hardened, as did his eyes. He walked up to the man and looked him in the eyes, his lips curling into a smirk when the Colonel visibly gulped. "I'm really not sure what's going to happen now."
Two more Silurians walked into the control room and with them came Kovarian. Despite her situation, she didn't seem that upset. "The anger of a good man is not a problem. Good men have too many rules," she had the foul decency to speak.
The Doctor slowly looked back at her. He forgot about the Colonel and moved onto her instead. "Good men don't need rules. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many."
Kovarian glanced at Manton calmly. "Give the order," she surprised everyone in the room with that statement, "Give the order Colonel Run-Away."
~ 0 ~
Amy was surprised as she heard a knocking on the door. She was pretty nervous given what was going on downstairs. Quickly, she tried to find something to use for protection, "Who's that? Who's there?" she called and picked up a thermometer, eyeing it with hesitation, "You watch it, cos I'm armed and really dangerous and...cross!" Of course once she heard Rory's voice she froze, wondering if it was truly him. "Rory?"
"Yeah, it's me!" he called back, "Hang on a minute."
"They took her. Rory, they took our baby away," she explained with shame, feeling like it was her fault her baby had been taken away. She should have fought stronger for her daughter.
But the doors slid open to reveal Rory holding Melody in his arms. "Now, Mrs Williams...that is never, ever going to happen."
"Oh, my God. Oh, my God," Amy dashed for him and Melody. She took her daughter into her arms and quickly checked her for any visible injury. "Where's she been, what have they done to her..."
"She's fine. Amy, she's fine. I checked," Rory promised her. As soon as he had his daughter in arms, he made sure that she was safe and clear of any mark. He didn't want to let her go until he was with Amy. "She's beautiful. Oh God, I was going to be cool. I wanted to be cool. Look at me." The tears just kept pooling in his eyes.
Amy laughed at him but she was crying too. "Crying Roman with a baby, definitely cool. Come here, you!" she grabbed him with her free arm and kissed him.
The Doctor had found the room but not with a pretty view. "Ugh, kissing and crying, I'll be back in a bit."
"Oi, you," Rory snapped his fingers at him. "Get in here, now." The Doctor shrugged and happily came into the room. "My daughter. What do you think?"
The baby could barely blink at him but she did squeal, although he didn't think it was for her. She was just happy to see people that weren't so mean to her mother.
"Hello. Hello, baby," the Doctor waved at the baby girl.
"Melody," Amy cut in.
"Melody! Hello, Melody Pond! "
"Melody Williams," Rory was getting tired of the name switches.
"..is a geography teacher," Amy shook her head, "Melody Pond is a superhero!"
The Doctor leaned over to listen as Melody gurgled, "Well, yes, I suppose she does smell nice. Never really sniffed her, maybe I should give it a go. Amelia Pond, c'mere!" he hugged the new mother.
"Doctor!" she exclaimed.
"I'm sorry we were so long."
"It's OK, I knew you were coming. All of you," Amy smiled but her eyes did search behind the two men. "Well, where's Avalon? She needs to meet my daughter. She's got a lot of singing to do cos this one-" she nodded to Melody, "-likes the singing!"
"Um, Avalon's a bit indisposed right now," the Doctor's eyes flickered to the side. "Actually, I was thinking of letting her burn this place down afterwards and see if that'll cool her down."
Amy arched an eyebrow at him but since he was looking at her now, she turned her attention to Rory. "What did you two do?" she assumed they were both in on it, otherwise Rory would be upset.
"The necessary," Rory answered without hesitation. He stood by all the choices they'd made so far. "Avalon's going to be safe."
"Doctor! Take a look," Vastra entered the room, "They're leaving," and she pointed at the large glass window on the side of the room, "Demons Run is ours without a drop of blood spilled. My friend, you have never risen higher!" she cheered while the Doctor looked out and saw the army leaving the base.
Though behind him, Rory swallowed hard when he remembered River's words earlier.
~ 0 ~
The Doctor had made a hasty return to the control room, along with Vastra, when he heard Lena's voice frantically calling through the speakers. When the hell did Lena get out of the TARDIS? And if she was out of the TARDIS then Avalon...
"I'm so sorry!" Lena practically cried to him when he reached the control room. "She just...she saw the soldiers taking the baby and she ran out to help!"
"Course she would," the Doctor rubbed a hand over his face. "Okay, okay, it's fine because..." he laughed nervously, "The soldiers are leaving anyways and-and everything is safe. Everyone is safe. She is safe."
"Um, Doctor?" Dorium called from his seat. "I've hacked into the software. Wasn't very complicated given that I sold it to them. But I've, uh, I've found something interesting."
"More interesting than this entire place and plan of that woman's?" Lena asked, thinking it probably paled to everything they'd gone through so far. "And did you know there's Silence here? The Sapling told me that!"
"There are no Silence here, Lena," the Doctor said dismissively as he gazed at the screen.
"I thought that too but the Sapling was very adamant that I told him to remind me."
"Lena, let's focus on the plans here and then we'll see about the Silence."
Lena agreed but only because the Doctor already seemed so lost on whatever was on the screen. "So, what is it, then?"
"It's records about the child," Dorium replied. "They are very extensive."
"They've been scanning her since she was born and I think they found what they were looking for," Dorium pulled up a tab on the large screen with a DNA module.
"Human DNA," the Doctor assumed as he moved closer with Lena.
"Look closer," Vastra instructed, "Human plus. Specifically...human plus Time Lord."
"But that's..." Lena looked at the Doctor, "Did I get my biology wrong or..."
"She's human," the Doctor blinked, just as confused as Lena was. He didn't even know why they were having this conversation in the first place. "She's Amy and Rory's daughter."
"You told me about your people. They became what they did through prolonged exposure to the time vortex," Vastra reminded, "The untempered schism..."
"Over billions of years, it didn't just happen!"
"So how close is she? Could she even regenerate?"
"No, no! I don't think so..."
Vastra raised an eyebrow, "You don't sound so sure."
"Because I don't understand how this happened!" the Doctor snapped at her and looked back at the screen again with no clue in his mind. None of it made sense!
"Which leads me to ask... when did it happen?"
"When?" Lena raised an eyebrow, "Are you really asking that?"
"I'm afraid so," Vastra nodded.
"When?" the Doctor still hadn't caught up.
"I am trying to be delicate...I know how you can blush," Vastra pointed and Lena couldn't help but giggle, "When did this baby... begin?"
The Doctor's face did indeed flush at the question, "Oh, you mean..."
"Quite."
"Oh c'mon you guys, you're not really gonna sit here and try to pinpoint a time of conception...are you?" Lena looked between the two, almost laughing if the situation wasn't so dire.
"She's right," the Doctor pointed at her, "That's all human-y, private stuff, it just sort of...goes on. They don't put up a balloon, or anything."
"But could the child have begun on the TARDIS, in flight, in the vortex," Vastra began.
"No, no, impossible!" the Doctor cut her off, "It's all running about, sexy fish vampires and blowing up stuff. And Rory wasn't even there at the beginning. Then he was dead, then he didn't exist, then he was plastic. Then I had to reboot the whole universe...long story. So technically the first time they were on the TARDIS together, in this version of reality, was on their..." his eyes widened as the realization struck him.
"Oh..." Lena had also caught up on the date.
"On their what?" Vastra dreaded to ask.
"On their wedding night," the Doctor swallowed hard, "But that doesn't make sense! You can't just cook yourself a Time Lord."
"Of course not, but you gave them one hell of a start and they've been working very hard ever since."
"And they truly have," Dorium agreed before pulling up another screen. "Kovarian's team spreads through time and space, Doctor. They've been keeping record of somebody, alright. Take a look."
The screen page he had was full of a list of names, titles, for documents. Upon a closer look, they were discovered to be videos too.
"Big brother," Lena suddenly called, her voice frail with newfound fear, "Why do all of these have my sister's name on them?"
The Doctor had noticed that detail straightaway. He didn't answer the question as instead he practically pushed Dorium's chair away to take reign over the controls. He started scrolling through the page, finding it to be endlessly filled with different videos and documents. He got more frustrated the longer the list became. Finally, his finger accidentally clicked on one title.
Avalon was a teenager, perhaps fifteen or so, and she was in her school uniform. She was angry as hell - which was confirmation that this was truly Avalon - and raging to Rory about something. The audio wasn't very comprehensible but it was clear when she managed to make a dent against a street pole with her bare fist. The act froze Avalon, and Rory, in her spot. She brought her fist, which was turning purple fast, and then checked the pole to make sure it'd been her who did it.
"She was always so freakishly strong," Lena whispered, eyes fresh with tears as dread took her over.
"...as are some Time Lords," Vastra made her comment knowing the reaction she would get from the Doctor.
"Don't you even go there," he pointed a finger at her face, nearly poking one of her eyes out. "I won't hear such a stupid idea, such a-a completely insane idea!"
"You said the Silence had been after you and your friends for months," Vastra continued calmly despite having the wrath of the man radiating towards her. "Who's to say that they weren't after just one of you? They already had Amy..."
"But this is Avalon!"
"Precisely. What exactly are her medical records?" Vastra's eyes flickered to Lena for the answer.
"U-um, well...I don't know?" the woman meekly answered, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean...I never really saw them. But..." she hated where she was going with the conversation, "There is the fact that she's adopted."
"Really?" Vastra raised a scale-green eyebrow at the Doctor. The man refused to even entertain the idea, so he turned away. "Adopted?"
"Yeah," Lena nodded her head. "I mean, we don't know who her birth mother is and we're not entirely sure if my Dad is her Dad so..."
"There is a possibility that the child..." Vastra purposely didn't finish until the Doctor would finally give her the attention she needed.
"No!" he snapped at her and basically everyone in the room. "Absolutely not! Avalon is not a Time Lord! She's from New Earth! She's not - she's not their daughter! I think I would have noticed if I was carrying the whole family!"
"...but would you have, though?" Lena's meek question made him pause.
He was growing angrier by the second, but his anger wasn't exactly directed at them. It was more to himself. If this was real, and he had missed it...he would never forgive himself. "She can't be Melody because...because her name's not even Melody," he stuttered the answer as if he was now just trying to convince himself it wasn't real.
"Pull up her records, Dorium," Vastra commanded the blue alien. "The infant's and the woman's. If they are the same, Doctor, then this is most certainly not over. In fact, don't you think this was too easy?"
The Doctor's body nearly shook. He couldn't have missed this, no he couldn't have. His head was spiraling though with all the details he knew about Avalon, the ones he couldn't figure out back then.
Her insomnia?
Time Lords didn't need that much sleep. He went about a week or two without it. Avalon went days without it.
Time Lords had more strength than the average human. Avalon had always displayed her 'freakish' strength in situations. She wasn't in control of it sometimes but she always made a good show of it.
Time Lords' brains were far different than other species.
"I see things differently, I think differently, my brain is just...wired differently. And nobody seems to be able to catch up." Avalon had told him on the first day she came into the TARDIS that she felt like she was ahead of everyone else, and he didn't see it.
The wire. The wire in her brain that was connected differently, that set her apart from everyone else. Why could she remember things that nobody else could? Amy and Lena forgot about the Daleks and the 27 stolen planets, but Avalon didn't. It was in the back of her mind. Amy forgot about Rory after he was erased from existence, but Avalon was aware that she'd forgotten things.
"Big brother?" Lena cautiously touched his arm. He'd gone off in silence and little by little, the expression on his face changed. "What do you think?"
For a few seconds, everyone waited for him to answer.
She's outside of the TARDIS. His eyes zoomed to the door. 'In fact, don't you think this was too easy?' She was outside. And it was too easy.
"AVALON!" He erupted into terrified screams. He bolted out of the door and ran as fast as he could. "AVALON! AVALON!"
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curlytemple · 4 years ago
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alrighty @scottspack here i am to show my ass 
top 10 ships tag! these aren’t “in order” but #1 is #1 
1. cory and topanga! (boy meets world) my very first thought when given this prompt, theyre the blueprint! they are just BABIEs when they meet and they already Know each other. i will not pretend that topanga didnt shape me into the kind of girl who wouldnt change one thing about herself for a boy, keep your legs hairy and your convictions strong! the way they grow together is enough to make me hate god for not giving ME a cory matthews. high school ski trip infidelity aside, theyre the first couple that made me think i could find a man. i was wrong but its nice to think about. 
2. kim possible and ron stoppable... the way the entire series is about kim being a wildly competent type A cheerleader AND teenage vigilante super spy and ron is her chilled out lame best friend who is Always there to help her save the day... please take a moment to listen to the jesse mccartney song why don’t you kiss her? that plays during the romantic climax of the kim possible movie, perfectly capturing the intense fear that comes with thinking about maybe finally kissing your best friend from preschool at your junior prom. 
3. tami and coach eric taylor (friday night lights) ...come on, y’all!!!! genuinely the most real relationship i have ever seen on screen. i don’t even know what to say other than that they are REAL. coach and tami are such a good couple that it doesn’t make any sense to me that their kid would have such a massive stick up her ass. i even tried an ‘empathize with julie’ rewatch, and while a lot of her teen angst is understandable and even relatable, she still seems so disconnected from her parents/dillon at the end of the show in a very unsatisfying way! coach and tami are the heart of fnl. and tim riggins.
4. belly conklin and conrad fisher (the summer i turned pretty trilogy by jenny han) bro.... when your mother’s dying wish is for you to care for your little brother, so when he has a little crush on the girl you are In Love With you bury your feelings and go to college far away because nothing is more important than their happiness, and they could be happy together! and years go by and theyre going to get married and youre set on being Happy For Them until you find out how much your brother has actually done to break her heart and her trust and then the thought of her settling for him is even more devastating than your true desire for her to settle for you.... WHEW! when you’ve been busy coming of age and trying to make it work with your best friend that isnt really right for you and then you find out his brother who you’ve been in love with your whole life turned into a distant asshole because the most important person in yalls lives taught him to be selfless and he over-corrected in his grief... BOY!! this one makes me feel like my heart is in my stomach.
5. SENSE8! can i just say all of it? everything and everyone? if you are bisexual and havent watched sense8 yet, this one is for us, baby! the ship is an interconnected web of LOVE AND TRUST. the pairings are endless. if i HAD to choose my fav, wolfgang and kala (and rajan <3) and i cant explain why i would pick them over anyone else, thats just what my pussy told me. but frankly i shouldnt have to choose, THEY ALL SHARE ONE CONSCIOUSNESS! ONE LOVE! 
6. david and patrick (schitt’s creek) you know the way we all feel like we aren’t enough and we’re Way Too Much.. dan levy really said hey guys? no offense but i think we might be capable of loving and even maybe Being Loved. the way patrick is all in on david rose from the moment he meets him, before he can even consider what that means about himself... the way they push each other out of their comfort zones and only get more comfortable with themselves and each other..  the way david’s abstract monochrome wardrobe fills with HEARTS AND RAINBOWS !!!!!! again, where’s my man? ANYWAYS, 
7. todd and rory (straight up) anna said this post is for romantic ships only and so I CAN AND WILL INCLUDE THEM. i don’t want to give any spoilers because i dont think tumblr has seen this yet, but when i say this is THE romcom of the year, perhaps of my life, trust!! todd is a gay man with a sex aversion who decides to try to date women and rory is the brilliant woman he actually falls in love with. sometimes soulmates dont fuck!!! maybe there are no rules to a good relationship besides mutual respect, understanding, and the undeniable desire to Be Together. i rest my case! 
8. drew barrymore and adam sandler  is this valid? again i dont know or care. i grew up on adam sandler movies and drew barrymore makes him better every time. they’ve only done 3 movies together, one of which i have not and will not see (2014 is just too cursed to return to) but even tho these two have never been a couple in real life their chemistry is so palpable that they consider each other the person they will grow old with on screen. if that’s not hollywood romance, i dont know what is! sorry to timothy olyphant but even drew says adam is The One. 
9. stef and lena adams-foster (the fosters) MOM AND MOMMA! listen, abc family shows are insane, but stef and lena make the drama worthwhile. their house full of teens is not perfect or easy, but never have i ever seen lesbian moms at the center of any media, let alone ones who thrive like they do when they communicate, support each other, and lead with love. this is a couple who chooses each other and their babies over and over again. its about putting in the work, having the tough conversations, and making the hard decisions because you care!!!!! 
10.  I DONT KNOW HOW TO END THIS, I LOVE LOVE! michael and alex! marshall and lily! steve and nancy AND jonathan! lizzie mcguire and gordo! rachel and griffin mcelroy! nick and jess! schmidt and cece! fleabag and the priest! amy pond and rory! river song and the doctor! ROSE and the doctor! MY MOM AND DAD!!!! mickey and ian! han and leia! johnny and gheorghe! princess bubblegum and marceline the vampire queen! jackie and kelso! jackie and HYDE! donna and eric! kitty and red! richie and eddie! jake and amy! brittany and santana! tim and tyra! JACK AND ENNIS! dj and steve! uncle jesse and aunt becky! aziraphale and crowley! bob and linda belcher! LARRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
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thecomedybureau · 5 years ago
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The 100 Best Things in Comedy We Were Witness to In No Particular Order of 2019
OK, 2019′s officially over and we’ve wrangled our 100 truly favorite things in and around comedy (and it really spans all of comedy) that are not ranked whatsoever. It’s just like the title says and, it’s, as it is every year, quite long, so we won’t waste any more time with this intro. 
Oh, in case you forgot and/or curious and/or need a quick refresher, here’s our 2018 list. 
1. Rory Scovel Live Without Fear-This documentary follows Rory Scovel and his journey through six nights of completely improvised hour sets. In a single word, it’s inspiring. You see the way Scovel truly connects the audience and keeps it that way through his indelible charm and endless curiosity. The near unbelievable story of the Relapse Theater in Atlanta is also beautifully threaded in the doc as well. The clips of the improvised performances capture the magic that stand-up comedy can be that’s absent from the majority of comedy specials. You should be required to see this whenever and wherever it comes if you have any level of interest in comedy at all. 
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2. Naomi Ekperigin-From her own stand-up, to her podcast with husband Andy Beckerman, Couples Therapy, and her writing across TV, and everything else she does, Naomi is such an thoroughly commanding, yet delightful presence that we love seeing every time anywhere (and she should already be way bigger of a star already).
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3. Cait Raft’s Presentation on “Bradley Cooper’s a Star Is Born Takes Place in an Alternate Reality Where 9/11 Never Happened”-Witnessing the imagination of Cait Raft up close was a privilege for us. This amazing dissection of the zeitgeist left us in stitches and with our mouth agape for how thoroughly it proved its point.
4. Corporate Season 2-The second season of the ultra dark workplace comedy delivered once again on its hysterical nihilistic satire that’s so prescient, yet still so unbelievably funny.
5. Mom-Prov Presents Family Therapy-Improviser Izzy Roland was daring enough to have her mom and her grandmother, both of whom are also in showbiz, to join her on stage for one of the most madcap, fourth wall-breaking, entertaining improv shows we’ve seen all throughout 2019.
6. Jena Friedman-So, this year, Jena delivered yet again with her subtle delivery and calm demeanor that hides her absolutely killer jokes. The follow-up to her Adult Swim special, Soft Focus, upped the ante with an interview of a gun-toting John McAffee and her brilliant Conan set about everyone’s true crime obsession.
7. Brendon Walsh’s Afternoon Delight-This last year, Brendon Walsh let everyone know that he was and still is one of the best at pulling prank calls, which is so much harder now than it was even ten years ago. This live show actually has Brendon place live prank calls in between stand-ups and the ride you go on is absolutely thrilling.
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8. Jacqueline Novak’s Get on Your Knees-Novak’s solo show has more than earned its spot as an Off-Broadway show with bringing such an exquisite, almost never before seen comedic sensibility to the topic of blow jobs.
9. #F*ckF*ckJerry-Props to Vulture Senior Editor Megh Wright for sparking the fire to take out the egregious social media accounts of F*ck Jerry that just lifted jokes from comedians all across the Internet without pay or attribution.
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10. Lorelei Ramirez-We’ve known distantly about Lorelei Ramirez for so many years, but seeing them up close was a breathtaking experience that had us laughing so hard. Their artistry in comedy that gracefully borders on performance art and even horror is absolutely inspiring.
11. Aaron Urist-Denver’s Aaron Urist is such a killer joke writer and joke teller and has been for years. We just were reminded about that with his burning bush joke during his latest LA trip.
12. Booksmart-Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut was not only a reinvigorated take on movies that specifically hone in on the end of high school, but also had a sincerely hopeful vision of the future generation. We hope that Booksmart finds its way to the top of the coming-of-age comedy films pantheon.
13. Rachel Mac on Lights Out-One of the highlights of Lights Out with David Spade is how unfiltered and raunchy they let comics get during their sets on the show. Rachel Mac took that amount of comedic license and thrived in getting into the nitty gritty about her last teaching job.
14. What We Do In The Shadows-The FX TV adaptation of the seminal Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement film in 2014 exceedingly succeeds in nailing the comedy of minutia in the world of the undead that also happens to be in a (somewhat) grounded reality.
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15. PEN15-Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle’s vision of 2000 and their performances as teens were so spot on that PEN15 would deserve acclaim just for that. However, the heart of this show made its humor stand out in an ever crowded field of coming-of-age comedy.
16. Tiffany Haddish’s Black Mitzvah-A lot has happened for Tiffany Haddish since her last special (she’s a legit A-list celebrity now), but it’s clear that she is still her unapologetically positively, life loving self. This special is evidence of that, especially with her bit about her New Year’s show that she got undeserved flack for.
17. Straw Men-Lindsay Adams, Danny Palumbo, and Sam Wiles (and producer Kimmie Lucas) put on what is our favorite imagining of a comedic debate that we’ve seen thus far. The encouragement to make the most ridiculous, baseless arguments and being transparent about the whole thing is a golden goose of comedy.
18. The ending of Gloria Bell-Well, we can’t very well give away the ending to this English language dramedy remake from Sebastián Lelio that has Julianne Moore shine as bright as she has ever shone before, but just know that we stood out of our seats, applauding what she did to John Turturro right at the end.
19. I Think You Should Leave-Tim Robinson’s unflinchingly absurd sketch series unequivocally has many of the best sketches of 2019. The hot dog costume and Mexican restaurant sketches will have us busting up through, very likely, the next decade.
20. Les Miz and Friends-Bonkers (and we mean that in the best way possible) doesn’t begin to describe how wild this meta and great this puppet and human hybrid take on the theater institution of Les Miserables. The sheer cleverness on every level is awe-inspiring. 
21. Dave Ross’ The Only Man Who Has Ever Had Sex-Ross has been a longtime favorite of ours for the contrasting bounciness and darkness of his comedy. His debut album captures this dichotomy perfectly.
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22. Nikki Glaser: Bangin’-Nikki Glaser’s first Netflix hour special started off with a bang, pun intended. Her frank, but heartfelt exploration of all facets of sex is so damn funny that Glaser gets away with being as blue as she wants.  
23. Super Dating Simulator-This live, interactive version of various Japanese video game dating simulators is one of the more innovative and surprisingly charming things we saw this year. Creator Sam Weller did a bang-up job not only making a video game work as a stage show, but doing so with a very off-beat sub-genre of video games
24. Emmy Blotnick’s Party Nights-Blotnick’s latest album shows Emmy at the peak of her delightful observational powers. The concept of a “Self-Potato” is just priceless.
25. Tammercise!-Folks in comedy are getting all sorts of clever these days to redefine traditional formats and disciplines and push the art form forward. Madeline Wager does this exquisitely with a solo show of a woman unraveling that doubles as legit aerobics class.
26. The Cherry Orchard w/Chad Damiani and Jet Eveleth-Damiani and Eveleth explore a new angle on postmodern clowning by supposedly doing a Chekov play going through dress rehearsal without any of the players knowing what they’re supposed to do. The back and forth between the live direction and the tomfoolery on stage is truly hysterical.
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27. Bake Stuff with Lindsay LIVE-It’s about time for a comedic cooking show that actually does teach you a wonderful recipe and also explores and resolves(?) childhood trauma. Lindsay Adams’ Bake Stuff with Lindsay, which we indeed saw live, accomplishes all of that and inspires all those watching to cook through their feelings.
28. Shalewa Sharpe’s So, You Just Out Here?-Shalewa imbues homespun wisdom with marvelously colorful descriptions all throughout this very satisfying album.
29. The Amazing Johnathan Documentary from Ben Berman-The Amazing Johnathan’s life story is pretty captivating as is. The story about Ben Berman trying to tell his story amidst several other people trying to tell his story is absolutely engrossing and is somehow all true.
30. Julio Torres’ HBO special “My Favorite Shapes”-Torres’ special is simultaneously one of the most daring and silly hour specials in recent memory and his elevation of prop comedy to a whole new level is to be commended.
31. The Underculture with James Adomian-James Adomian has been one of comedy podcasts’ most in-demand and bright shining stars. It comes as no surprise that his own podcast that revs up all his characters has some of the best, most dynamic, absurdist interviews in political and pop culture satire. 
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32. Daniel Van Kirk’s Thanks Diane/Together Tour-Van Kirk’s first, complete hour that he both toured with and released as an album is so impressive with how deftly Dan manages a balance of sincerity and mischief from wire-to-wire.
33. Conan in Greenland-Conan marvelously turns his travel specials series Conan Without Borders on its head by attempting to buy Greenland based off of Trump’s stupid tweets.
34. Mary Beth Barone’s Drag His Ass: A F*ckboy Treatment Program-Mary Beth Barone’s live show exploration into her dating life is illuminating and hilarious throughout, but the actual interview that she does live with a “f*ckboy” is transcendent.
35. Obvious Plant’s Carnival of Toys-Jeff Wysaski AKA Obvious Plant really outdid himself this year in his quest to permeate everyday reality with a satirical twist. He not only made a whole line of custom toy figures that satirize pop culture on so many levels, but opened up a whole pop-up museum for several days to exhibit them in all of their bizarre glory.
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36. Sports Without Equipment with Coach Keith Alejo-This Dress Up Gang sketch is one of those ideas that are simple, yet so out-of-left-field. Literally, they take sports without equipment to its funniest conclusion.
37. #Squatmelt-Howard Kremer’s desire to keep the spirit of The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail alive has evolved into its own very special thing in the form of a DIY stand-up comedy show/walking tour that periodically migrates around LA.
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38. Catch-22-Trying to adapt such a monumental literary work like Catch-22 is almost a fool’s errand, but writers Luke Davies and David Michôd do a smash-up job for not only bringing Heller’s immortal words to life, but also sticking the landing for all the darkly absurdly comical moments that run rampant throughout the story.
39. Get Rich Nick-Even if they didn’t have the fantastic banter, riffs, and asides from the very funny duo of Nick Turner and Nick Vatterott, this podcast that explores how to make money real quick is one of the best new podcasts of the whole year. Fortunately, Nick and Nick’s humor runs rampant through every episode and makes Get Rich Nick engrossing and makes you actually laugh out loud.
40. MK Paulsen-The comedy of MK Paulsen can be faster than a bullet, but as satisfyingly silly as a gun that shoots a flag with the word ‘bang’ on it. Every time we see him do stand-up, it’s a fun, rollicking ride that’s equal parts offbeat whimsy, clever wordplay, and an agile sense of timing and play.
41. Father Figurine by Matt Kazman-The dour faces of the family in this dark comedy short play to the highest comedic effect perfectly. A dead patriarch and an apathetic family make for some of the best dry humor in 2019.
42. Funk Shuffle-Danny Cymbal, Dennis Curlett, and Michael Gardner comprise Funk Shuffle, an improv group that manages fly freer and more untethered than almost any other improv group that we’ve ever seen. They make their defiance and experimentation with improv forms really work due to the trio’s unflinchingly playful spirit.
43. Gary Gulman’s The Great Depresh-Gulman, as one of comedy’s premier craftsman, of course, delivers an hour of stellar comedy with this special. He also manages, this time around, to destigmatize depression and, in general, be hopeful. That particular comedy trifecta is such an impressive feat that very few can accomplish.
44. Greener Grass-The scope and ambition of Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe’s directorial debut hints at some really special things to come from them in the future. Their absolutely demented, pastel drenched absurdist vision was a shocking delight through and through.
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45. Jenny Slate’s Stage Fright-Slate’s best comedic strength is her unshakeable vulnerability. This hour special lets Jenny present that trait as intimately as she has ever presented it and gives an in-depth look as to where that hilarious vulnerability comes from. 
46. Heather Anne Campbell swatting a baby out of someone’s hands in an improv scene-At this point, it should come as no surprise that Heather Anne Campbell is one of our absolute all-time favorite people in comedy and thus, she kind of just ends up making it on this list annually on her own someway, somehow. This year, during a performance of her improv group, Heather and Company, we laughed as hard as we’ve ever laughed at Drew DiFonzo Marks initiating a scene by rocking a baby back and forth and then, Heather insanely swatted it out of his hands and stomped on it. It sounds ludicrous, but trust that Heather made that so unbelievably funny. 
47. Adam Cayton-Holland’s Happy Place-Cayton-Holland’s live solo show based on his critically acclaimed book of the same name pulls off oscillating between cleverly wrought and self-aware comedy and some of the most heartbreaking stories you’ll ever hear about his late sister. Holland’s focus and calm make it all miraculously blend together.
48. The Authorized Unauthorized My Favorite Murder Musical-In the world of unauthorized musicals about things that you wouldn’t really think about being adapted into unauthorized musicals (it’s a bigger ever-burgeoning world every month it seems), the staged reading of this My Favorite Murder-inspired musical that we saw was phenomenal. The full stage production to come in 2020 will undoubtedly be something really great. 
49. Pedro Gonzalez-Pedro’s jokes are so expertly written and crafted that you forget that he immigrated to America as a teenager from Colombia and learned English as a second language.
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50. Garry Starr Performs Everything-UK comedian Garry Starr’s solo show is a genius send-up and celebration of theater as a whole. The physicality and the sheer madness of the whole show are so thoroughly hysterical.
51. Kira Soltanovich-We just want to take a moment to appreciate the agility of the comedy of Kira Soltanovich. Not only does Kira play any room or any show as far as we’ve seen, but her drive is just unstoppable (see ep. of The Honey Dew).
52. Mike Birbiglia��s The New One-Though it seems almost too routine that Birbiglia comes out with a new hour special that garners tons of acclaim for its ornate and complex and, ultimately, very satisfying tapestry of stories, Birbiglia delivers exactly once again with one such solo show/special on fatherhood.
53. Michelle Buteau-We saw Michelle headline just a few months ago at Dynasty Typewriter and were reminded of just how good Buteau is. She combines being heartfelt, having a fun bit of attitude, and an absolute command of the stage in such a beautiful way.
54. Gareth Reynolds’ Riddled with Disease-Many folks know how great Gareth is from his madcap riffing on The Dollop, but Reynolds shows he is fantastic with a sharp, hilarious, yet still fast-and-loose-feeling hour.
55. Sara Schaefer’s LIVE LAUGH LOVE-Sara, above most folks working in comedy today, goes to great lengths to be considerate, inclusive, and vulnerable in her comedy and it’s so, so wonderful because of that. This album is yet another great example of that mix.
56. Sean Patton’s Scuttlebutt-Sean Patton’s latest album is a fantastic note to any and all that Sean is, hands down, one of the best comedians ever to spin a yarn (and also share some damn fine true stories) and deserves way more accolade and attention for that now and going forward. 
57. Matt Rogers’ Have You Heard of Christmas?-Rogers had quite a 2019 in putting culture on notice, but his queer and subversive holiday musical extravaganza might be one of the best pieces of holiday themed comedy of all time.
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58. The Chris Gethard Show with Robby Hoffman-Not only does Robby Hoffman keep the punk rock, conventions-be-damned spirit of TCGS alive, but she makes it so much her own and lets her hilarious, domineering persona transform the show into another very special, unique round of controlled chaos.
59. The taping of Eddie Pepitone’s latest special-Eddie’s sound and fury and his irreverent stream-of-consciousness-seeming comedy were flawless in this latest hour. Everyone in attendance, including ourselves, were in stitches for the whole taping. Props to director Steven Feinartz for one of our favorite looks of a special that we saw last year (which you’ll all get to see soon in 2020).
60. Eric Dadourian’s closer on Nebraska 2-Dadourian is always all in for the sake of a real bold, imaginative bit and, as such, pulled off one of our favorite closers of the year on his very first full length album.
61. Jessica Kirson: Talking to Myself-Kirson’s hour special on Comedy Central really let Jessica cut loose and let her showcase her stand-up expertise. From the way that Kirson contorts her face to her deep well of voices/characters to razor-sharp quick wit to, of course, her signature asides to herself, Jessica really kills it in this hour. 
62. Brody Stevens-Long live the “jock doing performance art” comedy (one of our favorite descriptions of Brody’s comedy by his dear friend Zach Galifianakis) and may he rest in peace. Yeeeees! Enjoy It!
63. Byron Bowers on Colbert-Byron Bowers and his clever, yet sincere, dark, vulnerable comedy put up one of our favorite late night sets this year. From the opening to his frank jokes about his dad make us think that it’s just a little crazy that this is his network TV debut.
64. Desus and Mero on Showtime-With the upgrade of being on Showtime, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero are having the most fun in late night with the freshest voices and format (and they’re able to pull that off with only being twice a week).
65. Fleabag Season 2-creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge assuredly has more masterpieces ahead of her, but managing to top herself from one masterpiece season of dark romantic dramedy with another one is something that deserves all the accolades and awards that it has gotten.
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66. Kenny DeForest on Corden-Kenny dismantles toxic masculinity so incisively through the whole set that he most certainly earns all the applause breaks he gets the whole way through.
67. Josh Gondelman’s Dancing on a Weeknight-Gondelman is often thought of as one of the best, sweetest people in comedy. This latest album, for all of its being clever and genuine, is proof that he indeed really is that sweet and funny.
68. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 3-The perennial prestige comedy from Amy Sherman-Palladino earns its keep by having some of the best writing (it’s almost impossible to write jokes that are contextualized for the 50s/60s and make them actually funny for 2019 audiences) and also being one of the most gorgeous looking shows in all of television.
69. Nick Ciarelli and Brad Evans-Whether it be pulling pranks on Twitter, their plethora of hysterical sketches doing an impression of Jack FM on shows around town, or their monthly live sketch character showcase Atlantic City, Nick and Brad are a damn fine comedy duo and have been for quite some time. 
70. Caitlin Gill’s Major-It’s quite the magic trick to make an hour of comedy that’s entirely clean and have it being clean not be a thought that you’re thinking about at all when listening or watching it. Caitlin Gill spectacularly does just that with this album as Gill can make all of her earnest rants, imagery, and observations work in any way that she needs to.  
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71. 97.9 The Rat Race-Ben Roy’s satirical reimagining of a morning radio “zoo crew” is so spot on, then gets real twisted to make this one of the most surprising and rewarding podcasts of 2019.
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72. Mike Lane’s Picture Frames-This short film from Lane heightens the idea of remembering those you love after they’ve left this mortal coil to such a ridiculous level every step of the way (and is more and more enjoyably unpredictable the further it goes).
73. Paige Weldon on Corden-Paige’s upbeat self-deprecation is just hard to resist and it makes the best impression in this late night set on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
74. The Righteous Gemstones-Danny McBride’s latest HBO series that darkly and comically dissects the South might be his most ambitious yet, but, of course, he nails it. The constant suspense perpetuated by hysterically tragic characters in the world of televangelists is profound.
75. My Friend Chuck-Comedic erotica author Chuck Tingle (one of the absolutely most unique voices and cadences we’ve heard in awhile) and friend McKenzie Goodwin celebrate their friendship every week for a podcast that’s preposterously funny and, also, more heartwarming than almost anything we’ve heard or seen. 
76. Joey Clift’s Telling People You’re Native American When You’re Not Native Is a Lot Like Telling a Bear You’re a Bear When You’re Not a Bear-Clift makes such biting, pun intended, commentary with this short film/PSA that is also so playful that the message about Native identity will undoubtedly stick with you.
77. Megan Gailey’s My Dad Paid For This-Gailey strikes a wonderful balance of charm and attitude and fervent desire to burn down the patriarchy. Such a mix accents her very delightful observations about herself and the world around her in this marvelous debut album. 
78. Robin Higgins as Baby Yoda at Tournament of Nerds-Higgins might have made one of the best, first attempts at Baby Yoda cosplay. She also, for what’s supposed to be a roast-style competition between fictional/pop culture characters, perfectly imagined how Baby Yoda would roast someone while maintaining Baby Yoda’s sweetness that has captured the hearts and minds of the Internet.
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79. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote-Terry Gilliam went through hell, did a few laps, and came back over several years to get this meta-quixotic tale about reimagining the legendary novel Don Quixote made. The finished film, for us, was worth the wait. 
80. Jo Firestone on The Tonight Show-Jo’s sense of play is so pure and present that it’s kind of irresistible. Combined with a perfect amount of self-deprecation, Jo really delivered a terrific set we’ll probably never get tired of.
81. Paul Rudd continues his time honored tradition of playing that one clip of Mac & Me on Conan-Rudd evolves the arc of this long running bit on Conan where, instead of playing a clip of what he’s on Conan to promote, he plays the same exact clip of the universally panned alien comedy Mac & Me. We all know what’s coming and yet, without the benefit of surprise, Rudd’s annoyance of Conan still keeps on being so damn funny.
82. Billy on the Street featuring Reese and Mariah-This year, we were lucky enough to get two instantly classic episodes of Billy on the Street with Reese Witherspoon and Mariah Carey that gave us our fix for our obsession with Billy Eichner yelling at strangers on the streets of NYC.
83. The Dollop England & UK-As Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds embarked on an entire England & UK tour of The Dollop, they thought it prudent to do a mini-series specific to Great Britain and did a smashing job making fun of British history. The Cyril the Swan episode is particularly brilliant.
84. Lost Moon Radio-The live musical sketch comedy theater troupe (Lost Moon Radio truly lives up to such a description) marked their 10th anniversary and put on an absolutely fantastic “Summer Block Party” this year that both showed that they still got their ingenious musical sketch comedy chops. 
85. Nate Bargatze’s The Tennessee Kid-The calm with which Bargatze pervades all of his comedy is part of what makes it beloved by nearly any and all that see or hear Bargatze’s stand-up. That’s such the case now that Nate gives updates to stories from previous specials on this latest hour. 
86. Beth Stelling on Kimmel-Every detail of this set on Jimmy Kimmel Live is pretty stellar. That includes Beth, in general, for her warm demeanor, smile, and cleverness, the Chippendale’s story, Beth’s mom being there in the crowd, and, of course, the surprise guest at the end. 
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87. Liz Climo’s Please Don’t Eat Me-This illustrated book is just the latest in a long line of uber-adorable and genuinely-funny-for-all-ages books from Climo. Liz seems to have quite the knack for making unlikely animal friendship jokes. 
88. John Hodgman’s Medallion Status-Hodgman’s journey through the various statuses of airline privilege/celebrity is a superb serving of existential humor, done up with Hodgman’s painstaking attention to the exactly right details. 
89. Jane Curtin’s 2019 New Year’s Resolution “My New Year’s Resolution Is To Make Sure The Republican Party Dies”-Said during a CNN interview with the SNL alum, this was the first thing to make us heartily laugh in 2019.
90. Alex Kavutskiy’s Squirrel-Kavutskiy’s short film dives into the concept of forgiveness unlike we’ve really seen and, as is Kavutskiy’s style, is so darkly spellbinding and so pointedly funny at the same time.
91. Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show-The long running comedy troupe known as Astronomy Club really ran with their chance to do a full-fledged sketch series on Netflix. They’re so endlessly clever on in their sketches, especially when it comes to the subjects of identity and oppression, and pack in so many jokes and sight gags that you’ll definitely want to watch it more than once so you don’t miss anything.
92. Dolemite Is My Name-Eddie Murphy seems poised to make a real return to comedy (and stand-up comedy in particular) and this marvelous biopic of comedian and blaxploitation star Rudy Ray Moore AKA Dolemite is the perfect way to start.
93. Anna Drezen on Corden-Drezen has such a perfect sense of farce and misdirection and puts on a beautiful display of those two things from start to finish in this set on The Late Late Show with James Corden. 
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94. BUTT’s Yoda themed dating app sketch-This sketch is so prescient of the resurgence of the world’s current (baby) Yoda obsession. Also, while this is so absurd with its deep dive into various Yoda fan art and cosplay, Joe McAdam and Chris Stephens’ take on dating apps is so sharply and deeply funny. 
95. Mel Brooks Unwrapped-The never ending bit of attempting a documentary between Mel Brooks and the BBC’s Alan Yentob is yet another display of the true, unquestionable genius of Mel Brooks.
96. 50 First Stephs-The amazing, hysterical Steph Tolev kicked off 2019 with a show where 50 or so of her compatriots and contemporaries did various impressions and characterizations of her. Part roast, part loving tribute, part amazing showcase of the depth of creativity in LA comedy, Tolev’s night for herself was something really special.
97. The Bongo Hour with Sandy Honig and Peter Smith-Honig and Smith brought their wild variety show that featured such wonderful bits, characters, drag, and burlesque to LA and showed, truly, how much better life is when you’re fluid about nearly everything.
98. How Did This Get Played?-Hosts Nick Wiger and Heather Anne Campbell and their take on the “worst and weirdest” video games do their namesake, the beloved How Did This Get Made?, proud. Even if you’re not a gamer, the way they dissect the most bizarre video games ever made along with Heather and Nick’s chemistry is very, very enjoyable.
99. Joe Pera Talks With You Season 2-This second season of Joe Pera’s unique talk-to-the-viewer series is so calming that the comedic twists sneak up in the most delightful way possible. There is a certain beauty to Pera’s show that makes us want to have Joe Pera Talks With You playing on a loop in a contemporary art museum.
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100. John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch-John Mulaney does “it”, yet again. “It” being releasing another hour of comedic brilliance that’s so markedly different than whatever he did before, yet, somehow still stamped with an indelible mark of Mulaney’s comedy of obtuse hyper-specificity. 
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forsakenmyths · 5 years ago
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"Don't chase the rabbit"
( @whiskeyflavored )
Ryleiah had not been to visit Nim’s grave in many, manyyears.  She still felt strange sometimesfor loving Kian.  Nim had taken her in,cared for her when the world was stacked against Rylie.  The years had led Rylie to find love withKian, but that was a love neither of them had ever imagined.  It was also a bond that did not grow untillong after Nim’s passing.  
Life had sent them every manner of pain and stress along theway, but under it all, they had the love of family surrounding them.  Rylie counted her blessings, finding hope inthe small bits of good that hid within the bad – the lights of the stars in thenight sky.
Calm had fallen back over the pack lands.  The latest twist in their world had been Mae’sreturn.  She had been thought dead for solong, but Seamus had a hand in keeping her from Rory and their family.  That enraged Rylie and Lola, because they hadseen the pain the brothers went through with the loss of Nim and Mae.  It had ripped them apart.  In her heart, Rylie knew Seamus had done so inorder to try to weaken his sons, but it had the opposite effect.  The deaths of Nim and Mae had given thebrothers strength to continue fighting their father – to spare anyone else fromknowing his pain.
Rory and Kian were off in Scotland finalizing someplans.  Rylie did not ask details.  She never had.  Kian would tell her what was needed.  For now, her concern was looking after thosestill on the pack lands.  After checkingin with Brynn, Eire, and Gage, Rylie felt at ease for the night.  Everything looked normal on the securitycameras.  They promised to alert her ifanything about that changed.
It was then that she made her way down to the small gardenwhere Nim’s grave was.  She sat besidethe stone, brushing away the old flowers, making way for the fresh ones she hadpicked during her walk.  “We found Mae…alive.  I keep hoping that Seamus hid you away.  That you are still out there somewhere.  Your children…they are thriving, but theymiss you.”  The fae folded her legs underher body, sighing softly.  “I missyou.  I keep wanting to say I am sorry,that I feel wrong for loving Kian, but I know you would thwap me hard.  You would want he and I to be happy.  We are. He is still a good man, Nim. Despite everything his father has done to darken his heart, Kian hasremained good.”
Her head turned back towards the house, smiling as she sawEire and Brynn running from Gage.  Thosethree were always the most playful of the bunch.  “Life has returned here.  For the longest time, the guys…hid away, butthey don’t.  Not anymore.  I think they might even retire from thebusiness Seamus forced them into.  They’vebeen good.  You would love Arden’s newlittle girl.  Yourgreat-granddaughter.  Avie had a smallfreak out about becoming a grandmother, but her husband got her through that.”  Rylie laughed, “Tristan is good.  Brody…he…he is better.  He isn’t what he was.  Kian is still unsure sometimes, but I seeBrody.  He cares…just doesn’t know how toshow it.”
Rylie sat there quietly for a moment, before her thoughtswere interrupted by Eire.  
“Everything okay?” The younger fae asked.
“Yes.  Just lettingher know how we are all doing.”  Rylieexplained, turning back to look at Eire. “She would have loved you guys. She taught me there was good in the world when I didn’t think it waspossible.”
Eire kneeled then, placing her hands over the flowers.  The blooms grew, wrapping around thestone.  She smiled, looking over atRylie.  “My gift to her.”
“She would love it.” She kissed Eire’s cheek, before standing up.  “Go round up everyone…we’ll make ice creamsundaes for tonight.”
“Milkshake for me?” Eire asked before running to find the others.
Rylie couldn’t help the smile on her face then, walking backinside.  Yes, Nim would have loved this.
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femnet · 7 years ago
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The show “Gilmore Girls” focuses on the realistic, everyday lives of Lorelai and Rory and it really highlights their mother-daughter relationship. The show is full of powerful and complex women who each have their own individual stories, which is something that isn’t shown very often on TV. On the show, the men who are involved in Lorelai and Rory’s lives play more of a minor role, leaving the girls to get your full attention.
Lorelai Gilmore is the best place to start when talking about why “Gilmore Girls” matters. Lorelai embodies strength and independence. She got pregnant at 16 and raised her kid all by herself, all while holding a job as a maid at the inn she eventually ran. After years of rising through the ranks, she ended up opening her own inn. Through her persistence, she showed that strength is everything. Even while doing all this, she is a great mother. The needs of her kid are always first over everything and her fierce protectiveness throughout the series highlights this greatly. While Lorelai is silly and fun, she is also very wise and she knows her daughter Rory better than anyone and she knew, even at a young age, that she was the only one who could raise Rory the way she wanted and the way she felt was right. She raised Rory to also be independent and strong, and as the series goes on and Rory gets older, we begin to see Rory embody Lorelai more and more. She also shows women everywhere that they are capable of thriving on their own. Her mother, Emily, heavily relies on her husband, but Lorelai has no man in her life (at least not a long lasting one, and especially while Rory is young), and she proves that she is more than capable of being stable on her own. Her most important relationship is with Rory, and not a man, which is a situation that needs to be shown on TV more and more.
Next, Rory Gilmore. While Rory was very smart, hardworking, and loved reading, she was never a stereotype. She had boyfriends and spent time with friends outside of school, proving that you can be bookish while having a life as a teenager/young adult. Also after doing badly on a test, she works her way to becoming valedictorian. Her nonstop motivation in school is all internal, which I relate to greatly, proving her importance. I feel like people can relate to wanting to do well in school, and not being forced on by their parents. I was one of the few kids in my class who didn’t get punished for doing badly in school. Just like my childhood, Lorelai was proud of Rory no matter what. Rory saw Chilton and Yale as challenges, yes, but thrilling ones that were extremely rewarding. I think this sets a great example for girls who enjoy rigor in academics, much like Rory. While Rory is quiet, kind, and beautiful, she is also a powerful leader of her peers (as proven when she was vice president at Chilton and chief editor of the Yale Daily News). She treated those under her with kindness and fairness, but she is also tough, carving a way and proving that women can make great leaders. These qualities are important to be displayed in popular culture because of the lack of leaders who are women. Overall, she is an incredible role model for those who want to become a leader.
Last of the fabulous Gilmore women is Emily Gilmore, Rory’s grandmother and Lorelai’s mother. While I stated earlier that Emily relies heavily on her husband Richard, in the “Gilmore Girls” revival, Emily shows her ability to be strong and independent after Richard has passed. She curses out the women in the Daughters of the American Revolution group (which is a big feat and a dramatic and wonderful scene), moves to Nantucket by herself, and starts a new job that she ends up loving, but is very unlike her previous duties of arranging parties and meetings. Even though these parties sound frivolous, through watching Emily’s life, we learn to her, they are nothing like that. They mean a great deal to her and she shows that through her dedication and nonstop work. Unlike Lorelai and Rory, Emily and Lorelai do not have the best relationship. At one point, Lorelai calls her a cobra, amongst other nicknames of similar taste. But her angriness and cold attitude toward Lorelai are justified. She thought once her daughter ran off with Rory, she would never come back (this is seen in the first episode where Lorelai and Rory go to Emily and Richard’s house and both Rory, Emily, and Richard ask if it’s a holiday, showing that their appearances there are rare). She breaks the stereotype of women having to be perfect all the time and if they’re not they’re a terrible person by her justified coldness towards Lorelai. 
Our angry friend Paris Geller is next. Out of all the women on the show, I feel as though I relate to Paris a lot, which if you know about Paris, is a little scary. But, even as my mom and I were watching the show together (a great mother-daughter bonding activity, might I add), she told me that I reminded her of Paris. She is a lot like Emily in the sense that, as the show goes on, she becomes sensible and likeable. I have grown to really love Paris’s character, and I am so glad we got so much of her. Paris is originally Rory’s enemy when she arrives at Chilton, and to Rory, Paris is a crazy and irrational mean girl. But, over time, they end up becoming really great friends, and she is Rory’s set “angry friend”, but we all know she really does love Paris. Paris doesn’t really have any friends at school until Rory, and in one episode she states, “Rory’s my only friend. She stays in the room until I’m completely done saying something” showing that her and Rory have a true friendship, despite their original hatred towards one another. At first, Paris is very insecure, despite her friendship with the popular girls, and her academic success. Rory is the first person Paris really connects with and she shapes her into a better person, showing that she can move on from her distant parents. They become such good friends over time, and Paris really does want to see Rory succeed. Paris is unlike anyone seen on television, she’s super ambitious while being extremely sarcastic. 
Next up is Sookie Saint-James, Lorelai’s best friend. Sookie made her job her livelihood, and her now husband, Jackson was simply an afterthought. Lorelai and Sookie have a great friendship, and much like Rory and Paris, they never argued over a guy, which is rare in female-female friendships on TV. All of the characters on this list are unique to television in some way, and for Sookie, it’s the fact that she’s overweight. Over seven seasons and four revival episodes, the fact that she is overweight is never mentioned once. She breaks down the stereotype that if you are overweight, you’re automatically ugly and cast to the side. But, she gets married before Lorelai, who is called all the synonyms of pretty countless times on the show by a large amount of characters. Sookie had the same amount of self-esteem as the other characters on the show, and it is so nice to see that her weight was never even discussed.
Then, we have  Rory’s best friend, Lane Kim. Despite being muffled by her strict Korean mother, Lane was another incredibly strong female character on the show. Lane loves music, and she spends a lot of time learning about music, specifically rock, to become a great rocker chic (which she does). Rock music is heavily dominated by men, and once again “Gilmore Girls” is smashing stereotypes when Lane becomes a drummer in her own band (I mean, how badass is that??). Asians are always portrayed as being the smart and academic ones, and Lane is intelligent, but her passion isn’t school, it’s music and she does what she wants to do. She was so cool and badass, nothing like a lot of Asian-American characters in television.
Now for “Gilmore Girls-A Year in the Life”!! The revival of “Gilmore Girls” left something to be desired for some, but for me, I tried to savor all 360 minutes of new “Gilmore Girls”. I feel like the revival really showed us what getting older felt like. While I’m only 17 (about Rory’s age during season 3), I can’t really talk about getting older, but I can talk about what it felt like seeing the characters older and what that taught me.
The revival showed me that it was important to take time for yourself. Lorelai was having doubts about what she was doing with her life, and she wanted to go off and be alone. Completely understandable and good. She was overwhelmed and she didn’t know what to do, so she went hiking, which is nothing like what original “Gilmore Girls” Lorelai would do, which is why it was needed. Just step back and take a second, smell the roses, if you will. It also shows the pitfalls of Rory’s career. When we see Rory again, she actually isn’t doing too well. She had the perfect life in the original show, which isn’t a realistic depiction of what life is like. She comes back to Stars Hollow struggling, she has new experiences that she wouldn’t ever think she would have, but she became more human because of it. Next, after speaking to one of her ex-boyfriends, Jess, Rory finds what she’s truly passionate about, seeming to have lost it amidst the floating she had done earlier in the revival. She decided that she wanted to write a book about her and her mom, which is perfect because Rory is never seen without a book, and her mom is her best friend. This idea gave her a new wave of momentum to keep going and it allowed her to come full circle and create “Gilmore Girls”.
The creators of “Gilmore Girls” have created amazing, complex characters and a classic show. It is a feel-good watch that has a broad importance and created an impact. The show is around the two amazing women of Lorelai and Rory, which demonstrates a deep and complex mother-daughter relationship. Rory is a realistic and wonderful, but flawed role model for young women. She is someone you can look up to, but she has made some mistakes that others might face. Also, Lorelai’s perseverance and persistence shows us that there is hope for everyone and you can do anything if you set your mind to it, which may be cliché, but is good to remember on your harder days. It also showed that women can build up and support other women, not tear them down. Paris wanted Rory to succeed just as much as she did, which was a lot for Paris, and it made each woman succeed and want to succeed. “Gilmore Girls” does focus heavily on relationships, so we do have to talk about the men that shaped our favorite girls. All of the men showed how people should be treated in a relationship, and it showed how they shouldn’t (when Max is trying to control how Lorelai raises Rory). Overall, “Gilmore Girls” is my favorite show, and I feel like it’s an important show about success and failure that all girls (and guys, but it is an empowering show for girls) should watch to see some realistic life experiences and see some great role models. 
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shannaraisles · 7 years ago
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Set In Darkness
Chapter: 72/74 Author name: ShannaraIsles Rating: M Warnings: Canon-typical violence Summary: She’s a Modern Girl in Thedas, but it isn’t what she wanted. There’s a scary dose of reality as soon as she arrives. It isn’t her story. People get hurt here; people die here, and there’s no option to reload if you make a bad decision. So what’s stopping her from plunging head first into the Void at the drop of a hat?
Choose
Silence. Soft, cool silence.
It wrapped around her like the most delicate silk, muffling everything but the beat of her own heart. She was falling, but yet not falling; weightless, without momentum, her vision blurred, her voice silenced. On and on she fell, until light became darkness, and all was still.
Rory opened her eyes.
She was ... somewhere. It didn't seem to be anywhere in particular. She was lying on something that smelled like grass, yet had the consistency of laminate tiles. The sky above her seemed too close; the sun shining, but with the eerie flicker she associated with fluorescent lighting. The air felt odd. It wasn't cold. It wasn't hot. But neither could she say the air was comfortable. It seemed almost alive, wrapping about her limbs discernibly, stealing the wet heat of her breath at her lips and absorbing it, as though it were breathing her just as she was breathing it. She pushed herself to sit up, feeling the unfamiliar familiarity of denim wrapped about her legs contrasting with the now more familiar hug of soft linen about her torso. Looking down at herself, she could see why her clothing felt confused. She wore a Thedosian wool tunic over jeans; her feet were bare; her hair left unbraided to tumble over her shoulders as she moved to stand. Worried hands rubbed down over her flat stomach. There was something missing, she just ... she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Movement caught the corner of her eye. She turned, blinking in surprise to see herself looking back at her. And there, over her other self's shoulder, another surprised version of her own face ... and another. Panic flared for a brief moment, before common sense kicked in. She twisted, looking over her own shoulder, and found her answer. Mirrors. I'm standing between two mirrors.
Enormous mirrors, mirrors that stood ten feet tall at least, arched gracefully at the tops, their level lower edge buried in the strangely artificial-but-natural ground at her feet. As her head turned back and forth, she saw herself reflected into infinity, a confusion of Earth and Thedas, modern and primitive, caught at a point between the two. What she had taken for glass or silver was rippling, alive, glowing brighter if she raised a hand toward it while the other mirror grew dark. Magic, then. And this, too, was familiarly unfamiliar. She knew what these magic mirrors were, but ... the words, the knowledge, they wouldn't come. It was on the tip of her tongue, an itch in the back of her mind that she could not scratch.
Turning to her left, she faced the first mirror, inching closer to examine the rippling surface. The glow burst forth, blinding her with the unexpected flare, startling her into shielding her eyes. But slowly the glow faded to something she could dare to look upon. Her reflection was gone.
Instead, the mirror showed something she had never thought she would ever see again. A blonde woman with soft green eyes, her coat a splash of almost offensively bright color in a room that was stark and chilly with no decoration. Ria. There were machines all around her, lights flashing, numbers constantly changing, illuminated as much by the imperceptible flicker of fluorescence above as they were by the warm sunshine pouring through the window. She was looking down at a bed, where another splash of color betrayed the vibrant copper of lank hair spilled out over a white pillow. The person lying there was still, freckles stark against pale skin, mouth and nose covered by a fogged clear mask, one arm attached to a laden drip-stand, one finger bearing a plastic cuff. All these things were familiar enough that Rory could sort of recognize what she was seeing. That's me, she realized as she peered at the still form in the bed. I'm there. But I'm here, too. So is that the real me, or is this the real me? She raised her hand, reaching toward the glowing image of her oldest friend.
"Don't go."
The sudden voice in the cloying silence almost scared her out of her skin. Heart pounding, she yelped, jerking her hand back from the mirror as she spun around, trying to locate the owner of that voice.
"You're frightened."
"Where are you?" she demanded, hugging her arms about herself as the mirrors on either side of her both flared with light. They were not so far away as she had first thought, barely two feet on either side ... but their wonder paled in comparison to a disembodied voice she could not place. "Who are you?"
"You don't remember." An almost disbelieving huff of breath followed. "You always remember me. But here, you don't."
Something changed in the strange atmosphere of this place. The air seemed to move, to solidify in front of her ... and there was the owner of that voice. A skinny boy in strange clothing, his head crowned with a ridiculous hat. He raised his head, showing her pale, watery eyes that brimmed with familiar concern. Her eyes narrowed, not in anger but with curiosity.
"I know you, don't I?" she asked quietly. "You're ... familiar. Who are you?"
"I'm Cole," he told her, his light voice gentle in this odd place they found themselves in. "The boy opened a door, and you went through. You are still there, but here, as well. You feel ... different ... here. The same, but different; sharper, smoother, smothered with fog that makes thoughts bright but hard to follow."
"What boy? What are you talking about?"
He raised a hand toward her, and she flinched back, afraid to risk touching this stranger that was not a stranger in this place that was not a place. Nothing felt right, and yet ... everything seemed safe enough, for now.
"Caught between worlds, between lives," Cole told her, still quiet, still gentle, his hand gesturing to the second mirror. "You have to choose. If you stay here, all of you will fall."
Without thinking, she turned her head toward the second mirror, the one she had neglected until this moment. In answer to her gaze falling upon it, the surface rippled, the glow rising to blind her as the first had done. When the light ceased to harm her eyes, she dared to look again ... and felt her breath leave her body in a rush.
A stone-clad garden; a frozen tableau. A boy with old eyes, a woman reaching forward in distress, this Cole and his silly hat, his hand held fast by ... That's me. And I'm ... Oh, holy hell; bollocking, buggering fuck ... The memories flooded her mind. A snow-covered mountainside; a friend, killed by circumstance; a village, an organization, that embraced her, gave her a place among them; a man's love; death and destruction and hope from the ashes; a marriage and a child planted; an elegant ball; weeks of captivity, only to return home again, safe with ...
"Cullen." Rory's head snapped around to meet Cole's watery eyes. "Cole, what's happening?" she asked, feeling the panic beginning to rise once again. "Where are we, what's going on?"
He seemed relieved that her mind had returned to her, that she remembered him again, reaching out to let her grip his hand.
"The boy opened a door," he told her again. "I followed. We are ... inside, but outside. This isn't the Fade; this isn't your mind. There are no demons, no spirits. This is ... between."
"Between what?"
Cole's red-rimmed eyes met hers. "Between reality and dreams."
Unbidden, her head turned toward the first mirror, to the image of Ria standing beside a hospital bed. A modern world, a convenient Earth, the lifetime she remembered living up until almost a year ago. A place where Ria had survived, where she lived and loved and thrived. Where her heart was still beating, and she still wished for her friend to wake up and rejoin her. Rory's head turned again, this time to the second mirror, to the image of herself and Cole, of Kieran and Morrigan, frozen in Skyhold's garden at the moment the boy had touched her hand and sent her here. A medieval world, a magical Thedas, the life she had built for herself in the last ten months or more. A place where death could strike at any time, where people lived their lives to the fullest. Where Cullen loved her, married her, had made a place for her in his heart.
"How do I know both places?" she heard herself ask, her eyes seeking Cole's as though he might have an answer for her. But it was not her friend who replied.
"Because your soul has lived in both for far too long, girl."
Rory felt her back stiffen. She knew that voice, too. Without needing to look, she knew who had joined them in this in-between place where the Fade did not reach and Earth could not touch. But somehow, she made herself turn around, keeping a firm hold on Cole's hand as she did so, daring to meet the piercing xanthous gaze of Flemeth.
"You fear me, girl?"
Rory swallowed. "I'd be an idiot if I didn't," she admitted aloud.
Flemeth laughed, and the sound was so familiar to Rory's ears. She'd heard that laugh in all three games, that mirthless expression of amusement that belied the power in the woman who wielded it. But this was no game; this was no avatar made of pixels. Flemeth was real. And it was her influence on Kieran that had brought Rory here.
"You have insight into who I am," Flemeth mused, stepping closer to study the pair between the mirrors. "Insight you will lose no matter the choice you make here. Such things are not for the likes of you to know."
"What else will I forget?" Rory heard herself ask, trying not to lean away as Flemeth drew closer.
"That ... depends upon the choice you make here," the ancient woman told her. "Whatever you decide, whichever path you take, you will lose a piece, gain a piece. But here and now, you must choose, girl. What is coming will not be kind to those who straddle worlds."
Rory heard Cole whimper softly behind her, startled to realize that he, too, was afraid. She squeezed his hand gently, swallowing down her own fear once more to ask another question.
"What happens ... what happens to the other me, the one I don't choose?"
Flemeth smiled her mirthful, cruel smile. "Can you not guess? Death is the only gift such an abandonment can give."
Death. Whatever I choose, whichever way I go ... this is the end for the other part of me. Rory's head swung back and forth between the mirrors, from Ria's silent vigil to the scene in the garden. From a modern life, to a medieval one. From the world that created her, to the world that had given her purpose. How was she supposed to choose?
"Pain, quicksilver and ruthless, biting deep, driving tears; grief that will always be there," Cole murmured, clinging to her hand. "On one hand, a grief known; on the other, always there, never named. Yet both the same, not different. Both a loss that can't be ignored."
Again, Rory's head turned, a thickness in her throat preventing her from speaking again. She had to say goodbye. But to who? To Ria, who had saved her from herself, who had sat beside a soundless bed for how many months, wishing and hoping for the closest thing she had to a friend to come back to her? Or to Cullen, who had woken her heart from its guarding slumber, who had loved her and needed her, and shown her how much more there was to him than the flawed warrior? That was what her choice came down to, which love she was going to abandon. And for someone who had not known much love in her life before them, it was a knife to the heart.
"I can't," she burst out, shocked to hear the tears in her voice, to feel them trickling down her face. "You can't make me do this!"
"You must choose," Flemeth insisted fiercely. "Choose or remain here, to be destroyed when the moment comes, and spread the grief of your loss through two worlds. One, or both, will lose you; one, or both, will grieve. Life ends, child. Embrace the choice you are given."
Staying wasn't an option. It was awful enough to contemplate ripping the heart from one of those she loved this deeply, but to do it to both? No. She's right. I have to choose. Her fingers gently released Cole's hand.
"Go home, Cole," she told him, her voice tight with tears. "You can't be here when I do this. I have to make this decision by myself."
"I want to help -"
"This is how you help," she said firmly, feeling the tears drip from her chin, from the end of her nose, knowing he could only feel the shock of that painful goodbye from her and not the decision she was wavering on the edge of making. "Go home. Please."
He hesitated, his face pained beneath the wide brim of his hat, twisting his hands together as he considered her request for a long moment. Then he nodded, reluctance bearing out his own struggle in obeying. "Don't forget."
She watched as he stepped back, as the air seemed to loosen its grip ... as Cole faded from her view, returning to the world he had only just grown accustomed to being a part of. A shuddering breath racked her body for a moment, her arms wrapping tight about her waist as she looked down at her bare feet. Her chest ached with the knowledge of the pain she was about to inflict, grieving for the grief she was about to bestow upon someone who was as much as part of her as she was a part of them. It was a terrible thing to do ... but she had no choice.
She raised her head, drawing in deep, shaking breaths to calm the edge of hysterical sorrow that threatened to overwhelm her. She turned to face the image of one world where she had loved and been loved, where she had made memories that soon would be nothing more than wisps of thought, lost to the powers that straddled worlds. Her eyes focused on the scene before her, drinking it in as her hand smoothed down over the flatness of her stomach, memorizing everything there as though she might be allowed to keep some small part of it.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, unable to raise any more sound than that under Flemeth's watchful eyes. "Goodbye."
She stepped backward, into the blazing glow of the other mirror, her eyes fixed on the life she was leaving behind ... until it was no more.
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faunaflanaganarchive · 4 years ago
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roarsome-rory​:
Text: He’s just a miserable man, Fairy. When people are miserable, they take it out on those of us who are thriving. That’s so rude. ROOD. I’d be the one that saved the day, charming the robber with my good looks and smooth words. So you’re just 5 inches tall, little Polly Pocket girl?
Text: The people needed to know. That sounds metal as fuck, I want my skin being scorched alive. They all have to meet a pretty impossible standard. Funny, charming, good looking….won’t constantly beg, borrow or steal from me. Owen seems nice, but doesn’t believe how nasty you can get if our dicks ever got close to each other because he’s your friend, and you’re my brother. There’s also another guy, red-headed footballer, the complete stereotype of a yank, who seems interested as well. I canne believe you’re like in there with a St. James, you know. I used to see her and her boyfriends in the magazines and just:
SMS:
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Text: I texted Oh Wise Old Caterpillar and he told be to fucking do one, which is rude, personally.
Text: I don’t know how he ended up as such a cunt though, because he’s got everything a man could possibly want. Two hot subs, three awesome children, money, two houses.. like what more is this bastard looking for??? Um Ror, like people over here have guns and you might have  winning smile.. but smiles do not beat guns. Yeah.. just like a Polly Pocket.
Text: The people..did not need to know.. I didn’t want to know. I also didn’t want to be pee pee Rorys sister. Why do you always want to do the shit that I think you should avoid.. like having your skin burned off. I swear to god if we had been knocking about in the times where the witch trials were going on you would have wanted to get burned at the stake. Avoid this girl called Santana then because apparently she fully stole Sawyers wallet. Summer is very nice, Quinn is gorgeous and Sylvia who I room with is a cutie. Yeah.. I love Owen but I really don’t want to picture ya’ll going at it. He’s an angel and the thought of you two together is nasty. Lol I slept with Chris when I first got here, he’s a good lay but he is big on the whole D/s shebang.. just a heads up. Alexis is.. amazing and my best friend in the entire world and totally off limits
Text: he’s gonna murder you one of these days my boy.
(Rory) Text: Guess who has two thumbs, an obsession with Robbie Williams and is like 2 minutes away from the institute?
Text: I’ve known you were here for like at least ten minutes now. You think stupid loud and our telepathy is strong.
Text: Took you long enough though, Mam finally release you from her very tight but loving embrace
@roarsome-rory
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brianwestchest · 8 years ago
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Day 670- Tom Zuba
It began on Friday when I sat down to meditate and found an archangel meditation in my iTunes library.  The meditation was dated 2007, but I cannot remember ever listening to it and have no idea how it got into my collection.  I listened to it and found it surprisingly powerful since i rarely even think of angels.  Why did this suddenly come up on my radar?
Saturday was a whirlwind of activity.  I began by working in my office for a couple of hours.  Then, we had a two hour video conference for Helping Parents Heal leaders.  I had had a two hours video conference for the SoulPhone on Thursday.  Saturday afternoon, it was almost 8 hours for my nephew’s tennis match and dinner with Tywana’s family.  Sunday began with church.  There was guest presenter speaking Sunday afternoon- for two hours.  But, I was not about to do that. I’ve been working hard on the transition of our website and I needed some down time. I took that one off.
On the conference call on Saturday, Tywana and I found out that Tom Zuba was speaking to our on-line group of Helping Parents Heal on Sunday night.  I had briefly heard some of his story. Tywana has read his book.  I was mildly interested in listening it. But, it was another two hour video conference on Sunday evening. All I really wanted to do was catch up on some TV. I was feeling exhausted and planning to hit it hard again on Monday.  Besides, I have purposely avoided books on how to grieve. Grief is an extremely individualized emotion and has to be dealt with in the way that best suits each individual.  Only once, in the very beginning, have I actually listened to or read anything on how to deal with grief. That was on how to get through those first few days when your body is just numb.  I wasn’t all that interested in what Tom had to say about how to deal with grief.  But, I was intrigued by the fact that this man has to be one of the best grief warriors who has ever walked the planet.  Not only had he “lost” two children and his wife, but these were not in an accident or all at once. It was first, his infant daughter, then his young (43 years) wife, then his middle school son.  Oh my God, how is this guy even walking around, let alone thriving? Maybe I’ll listen in for a while. 
Tywana and I rushed dinner since she had gone to the session on Sunday afternoon at church.  We got done just in time to tune into the conference.  Tom spent the first hour telling his story.  I learned that not only had his wife and tow children left him prematurely, his days old infant brother passed when Tom was only six years old himself.  The unfair, premature death of his loved ones started at an early age for him.
We (I) have this expectation that death is supposed to come in order.  I’ve had several aunts and uncles pass.  Both of my parents are still in the flesh. Tywana’s father passed several years ago, but Alzheimer’s took his brain long before it took his body.  These deaths don’t begin to compare to the passing of Shayna, at fifteen years old. There’s something that feels unfair about that. It’s just wrong.  My parents are still here, but my baby is not?  If anyone should feel life is unfair, it’s Tom.  He and his wife were living the perfect life when his 18 month old daughter fell suddenly ill and was gone in less than a week.  They got through that and had two more children. Then, his young, healthy wife suddenly succumbed to a blood clot that went to her heart.  He gets through that, is a single dad raising two boys and one of the boys gets a rare, incurable brain cancer. HIs beautiful, brilliant, intelligent boy, coming into the prime of his life (just like Shayna) I don’t know how one man endures all of that.  But, if one man can do it, I can do it. So, Tom brings me hope.  My burden is nothing compared to his.
So, Tom tells his story. This is a special man. I hear so much that resonates with me.  He believes that every death happens at the perfect time in the perfect way. Suicide?  Planned.  Heroin overdose?  Planned.  Your daughter falls off a zip line at camp because the counselor didn’t strap her in properly? Planned.  Your fifteen year old just doesn’t wake up?  Planned.  Tom has accepted that all of the death around him is part of a divine order. This resonates with me. Tom talks about healing. This is one of the reasons I’ve avoided the grief books. I don’t know about this healing thing people talk about.  I’m not sure it’s possible. I’m not sure I even want it. If healing means leaving Shayna behind, I’ll take the pain to keep her with me. He says that healing is not a destination, it becomes our way of being.  I like that.  I’ll never be healed.  He says if we love someone, we will continue to miss them.  He continues to love Erin (his daughter), Rory (his son) and Trici (his wife). So, he will continue to miss them until the day he drops his body and joins them.  He has an ongoing relationship with each of them, but as long as he is in the flesh, he will miss them. Healing though is not allowing that to destroy his being the radiant being he came here to be.  This all makes perfect sense to me.  He talks about some of the things he did to heal- walking daily is one I do.  I meditate. I listen to the Podcasts. I try to be of service to others.  OK.  Maybe I am on the right path. Tom’s 27 years out from the passing  of his daughter.  I can’t expect to be where he is since today is 22 months out from the passing of mine. But, I can look at him and have hope (and hope that I never get to 27 years out).
There’s so much that he said in that two hours that made perfect sense to me that I can’t cover it all here. I do want to highlight two things though. The first goes back to my opening about the angel meditation I did this week. Tom says we are all loved way more than we can imagine.  We are never alone, always surrounded by loved ones, ancestors and even angels. I feel very, very alone most of the time. I feel like no one is helping me carry this and I just can’t do it alone anymore.  In Tom’s worldview, these passings were not accidents. They are opportunities. They happened in divine order. We who are broken are supposed to be broken.  That’s not a by-product. That’s the intent. But, we are not alone.  Tom helped me process through the fact that I feel betrayed, angry, left alone, cheated.  Why is that?  If I am an eternal being and Shayna is in a place where she’s much happier, why do I feel betrayed?  If I know I am going to see Shayna again, why am I mourning like something ended permanently on June 24, 2015?  If I truly believe this was part of the plan, why would I be content with being bitter about it for the remainder of my days here?  None of that makes sense.  While those feelings won’t go away overnight (and they have not), I can see now a way to let them go. Practically speaking, I plan to add some healing modalities, like Reiki, to my healing regimen. But, perhaps most importantly, I feel a shift in hope that I can heal without losing Shayna.
The second thing he said that I want to highlight is this notion of what I will call divine providence. Our children’s “deaths” were not accidents even if they were ruled accidents, suicides, overdoses, whatever.  Swedenborg uses the term Divine Providence, which I think I’m coming to believe.  Tom talked about someone who is born schizophrenic. Tom thinks that people who agree to come here and be schizophrenic, become addicted to drugs, etc.  These are not young souls who do not know what they are doing. These are old souls making a sacrifice so the rest of us can learn a lesson, have someone to be compassionate towards, etc.  This directly contradicts something taught to me by one of my teachers just a couple of weeks ago.  They said that people who are schizophrenic are possibly young souls who rashly chose a body that doesn’t fit their soul’s personality and that is why they are of “two minds”.  These two teachings/views are 180º apart.  I thought about this as I woke up this morning. A lot of my friends will get upset with afterlife teachings that contradict and take it to mean that someone is lying. Or, even worse, that you can’t trust anything about the afterlife because we have contradictory points of view.  I don’t see it that way.  I take what aligns with the evidence as I understand it and what resonates with me.  When my teacher made the comment about schizophrenics a couple of weeks ago, that didn’t resonate with me.  I respect their point of view, but I don’t share it.  And that’s OK. It doesn’t nullify everything else they say or anything else they say.  Tom’s view makes more sense to me, brings me more comfort, and gives me a greater sense of being empowered.  
Today, I wake up with a bit more hope. I know I will see Shayna again.  Nothing can stop that. When that will happen I don’t know.  I do know that today and every day from here until then I have choices to make in how I’m going to live. And, I like the choices I see people like Tom Zuba making and think I want to do that.
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darklingichor · 7 years ago
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Gilmore Girls Season 2 Eps. 11 & 12
Okay, I figured out what I'm going to do
Every time the show makes me want to hit something (ie any love triangle bullshit) I'm going to write about something else. Just for that section of the show. Could be a run down of the anime I'm rewatching, could be about what I am currently reading or crocheting, or if I get really desperate it could be about my struggles with learning excel. We won't know until we get there. Consider it a commercial break to save my blood pressure. I know I could just stop watching the show, but I really like Luke and Lorelei and I want to see how the family dynamics work out. And I'm writing about it because I am amazingly bored.
So, to get back on track. Episode 11
This episode is great, I love the bits with Kirk and Mrs. Kim and the termites. I liked Lorelei trying to get a loan, and Luke trying to give her one.
I loved Paris trying to Scooby Doo Rory's Psat scores out of her. Their relationship is starting to feel like Paris is a kingdom who is convinced it is at war with a neighboring kingdom while the neighboring kingdom is just doing its thing and wondering what all the screaming next door is about. I admire Rory here, so much of college shit you see on tv (and a little in real life) makes you think that you are in competition with every person who submits an application. That way madness lies! Rory's got a better approach, she's in competition with herself. Still stressful (because if you have a bad day it can put you into a tail spin) but more manageable. If you are in competition for personal things like grades and activities it is going to drive you nuts because you can't know how everyone is doing! Plus it makes it impossible to work with others when you see them as competition... As we have seen from Paris.
The sort of half fight between Rory and Lane was intersting. I sort of get why Lane would be into cheerleading. There's music, showmanship and timing to think of. All things that are factors in performing. Don't get me wrong, I never was never personally into cheerleading. For me it seemed like a lot of time, money, and effort to put into something that would end up sitting me on a bus with far too many people and I would have to watch a sport I didn't care about. It was extra useless in my public school days. When I was in 7th grade, our school's football team didn't win a game all season, not only that, they lost *hard* as in no points. One of my friends was a cheerleader and the day after the last game of the season she came running up to me: "We scored last night! A touchdown!
"We won?!"
"No, but we scored a touchdown!"
Our school's team scored a total of six points over the course of the season. Gotta make you wonder what the cheerleaders did during those games. If I had been one of them I would have alternated between making up cheers that would have amounted to: Hey, at least you guys don't have concussions! And trying to convince someone to bail with me and catch a movie.
Anyway, I also kind of get why Lane didn't want to tell Rory. As Rory pointed out in episode 10 with all of the ugly baby pictures, she and Lorelei mock people, that's what they do.
I also get why Rory was pissed though, she's sort of alienated at school and feeling like Lane is cutting her out would suck!
I loved that Lane made sure to have some of her personality come through in the cheerleading with the music. Too many times cheerleading is seen an a weird mind control cult.
So the loan part. What is it that they say? You know you're getting old when you start to agree with the parents rather than the kids in tv shows? Well, I guess I'm old becaise I totally agree with Lorelei about Rory bringing the loan up to Emily.
Sometimes you get the feeling that Rory thinks that she's the one making sure that everything gets done. And I kinda get it since Lorelei can seem a little flakey but as she pointed out, Rory has never gone without and Lorelei has kept her alive, healthy and thriving for sixteen years. Any other kid with any other parent would only have done what Rory did if their mom broke their leg or something and their house was going to fall down along with no paycheck coming in.
Lorelei would have gone to Emily for help if it came down to it. I mean come on, the house wasn't going to collapse in three days. They were taking all of this from Kirk... Kirk the guy who gets paid in carrot sticks in two episodes.
Honestly I even liked that Emily using cosigning for Lorelei's loan as a way to hold her DAR meetings at the Inn. That really benefits everyone. Emily gets to use the Inn and Lorelei gets more rich business from all of Emily's friends seeing the place and keeping it in mind for weddings and meetings of the tightass brigade.
Episode 12 - Wow, Richard is a dick. I get he's bored but to come into Lorelei's work place and chew her out about how "business relationships" are suppose to be conducted? And what he did is socially acceptable? Dressing down your daughter about something that you have no say in what so ever? Could it have occur to him that the hospitality industry and the insurance industry are different? Or maybe his rigid adherence to these norms is why he was being phased out?
And the shit he pulled with Rory and Dean? Fucking no! Look, I grew up with my grandparents as in my mom and I literally lived with them from the time I was three until they passed away. They helped raise me, absolutely. But my mom was in charge of my upbringing. As it should be, unless the parent is in someway incapable of raising the child. Richard stepped over the line and then sprinted into the next fucking county. And then we're suppose to put the fault on Lorelei when after she stood up to him he sings a sob story about how he hates being retired?
First, him being retired and butting into how Rory is being raised have nothing to do with each other. He essentially said "I didn't realize retirement ment I would have to entertain myself, you should just let me fuck up your life because I'm bored and this is somehow your fault."
Jesus, he had to go straight to messing everyone up? No books to read? He couldn't build ships in a bottle or go backpacking across Europe? Shit, he thinks everything that comes out of his mouth and falls out his ass is golden wisdom? Write your  damned memiors. That's what rich fucks do when they retire, sit down and write volumes about their lives and how, even though they don't have any particular insight, they know they are better than you.
One of the only times I have liked Dean is when he stood up to Richard. Good for him. I will say a lot about Dean that is mostly bad, but of he could wrap Rory in bubblewrap and carry her strapped to his chest, he would. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had crash test dummies and a lab in his basement to ensure that that car was safe.
I adored Paris trying to find some dirt in Stars Hollow I loved when Luke was talking to her and had this tone of "what planet are you from?"
This is the episode for getting me to not hate Rory's boys because I sort of like Jess's G rated Tyler Durden movie swap thing to get Rory's censorship picture out of the video store. Course it gets ruined in the next episode but at least This one ended well... Not counting Richard going home pouting because no one will let him be an irritating human leech.
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shannaraisles · 7 years ago
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Set In Darkness
Chapter: 54 Author name: ShannaraIsles Rating: M Warnings: None Summary: She’s a Modern Girl in Thedas, but it isn’t what she wanted. There’s a scary dose of reality as soon as she arrives. It isn’t her story. People get hurt here; people die here, and there’s no option to reload if you make a bad decision. So what’s stopping her from plunging head first into the Void at the drop of a hat?
New Arrivals
Skyhold was evolving.
With the worst of the winter storms gone, the snow was easier to handle these days, and work had renewed as the sunshine began to battle through the icy temperatures. There were still plenty of accidental injuries to be dealing with, as well as a brief bout of something that might have been 'flu, but thanks to the resources Kaaras had already gathered out there in the world, the infirmary was a solid reality within a week of the storm's passing. There, at least, Rory, Evy and their staff had a warm, safe place to treat their patients, most of whom were only walking wounded. The worst of the accidents seemed to have slowed up for the time being, something they were all deeply grateful for.
First Day came and went; where some might have expected an extravagant celebration, Josephine had insisted on making the day as family-feeling as possible. The hall had been bedecked in evergreens, lit with magical light that softened the atmosphere sweetly as the Inquisition gathered within its walls to share a hearty meal among friends and family, allowed to take their time over their food, to enjoy the opportunity of being social with little pressure to return to duty for this one day.
Of course, another feast was looming in their near future, bringing with it fits of nerves and the occasional storming temper. Cullen had sent Rylen to collect the outlying cells of mages hidden in southern Ferelden, just to keep the man busy and out of his hair. The Starkhaven captain did love Evy, and he did want to marry her, but he was also deeply afraid that her family would take one look at him and run away with his little lady in the dead of night. He'd shared this view so often that Cullen had eventually decided to give him something more productive to do, a long way from Skyhold. Evy had sulked for a couple of days, but even she had to admit that it was a good thing for everyone to be free from the swirling nerves that radiated from both bride and groom.
Thus, when a yell from the courtyard announced the arrival of some special guests, no one had to deal with Captain Rylen having a heart attack at the sight of his wife-to-be racing down the swept stone steps to throw herself into the arms of her mother and father. The Trevelyans had arrived. Now all they needed was the groom himself, and the Inquisitor - who was in Emprise du Lion, doing wonderfully vicious things to red templars - and the wedding could get underway.
That, however, was a few days away, giving Evy plenty of time to spend with her parents in the meantime. It became a familiar sight to see the young woman with one or both of her parents, jabbering excitedly at them as she showed them around Skyhold and Skysend, and one that made most people smile. For all their noble blood, Bann Galen Trevelyan and Lady Edith were gracious - far more so than their Orlesian peers, it had to be said - genuinely interested in the day-to-day running of the fortress, and in their youngest daughter's new-found career as a healer. It didn't surprise Rory in the least when Evy reported for her shift three days after her parents' arrival with her mother in tow.
"I won't trouble you," Lady Edith assured her in a warm tone. "I may even be able to help - I have a little experience with nursing."
"Mama makes a potion that puts you back on your feet, no matter how ill you are," Evy gushed enthusiastically from her desk.
Lady Edith's smile was a little rueful as she met Rory's eyes, lowering her voice. "It was just winterberry juice with a little elfroot," she murmured to the senior healer in amusement. "Childhood stomach troubles are a world away from what you've taught my daughter to deal with."
Rory bit her lip to keep from smiling too widely. "I don't know if I've taught her much," she admitted with a shrug. "She's very intuitive. Most of the bandaging and poultices seem to come naturally to her. She's a born healer, my lady."
Edith seemed to swell with pride on hearing this, and it wasn't false praise. Evy really was that good. "I must confess, I never truly believed she would be suited for a life in the Chantry," the older woman said, a faintly guilty set to her expression. "Devout in her beliefs, of course, but she thrives on a certain amount of independence. Here, she has that."
"Well, she's certainly thriving," Rory agreed, nodding in agreement as she smiled. "Rylen's good for her. Her confidence has grown so much since they found each other."
"And he's a good man, this Starkhaven captain?" Edith asked, the barest hint of concern in her eyes. "I have heard he was a templar once. I did not know a man could leave the templars so young."
"With all the turmoil, my lady, I wouldn't be surprised if a great deal of men and women in our society were once templars," Rory told her gently. "Some will fall, undoubtedly, without the support from the Chantry. Those who have found a home in the Inquisition are well looked-after. Many are still dependent on lyrium, but we keep them supplied, and those who choose to stop taking it are also cared for."
"Rylen has ... not chosen to stop?" Edith asked. Rory got the impression she wasn't so much fishing for information as needing to be aware of as much as possible before she met the man who would be joining their family.
"No, he hasn't," Rory told her quietly. "But if he should, at some point in the future, Evy is aware of how the process of withdrawal goes. It's something that will take years, but the worst is the first year."
Edith tilted her head, eyeing the redhead curiously. "You speak as though you have some personal experience of this, mistress," she pointed out. "Yet you do not seem a warrior."
Rory chuckled, shaking her head. "I have never been a warrior," she admitted quite happily. "I never will be. But my husband was once a templar."
"Ah, yes, you were recently married yourself, weren't you?" Edith's expression cleared, curiosity replacing her concern. "You have my sincere congratulations. Knight-Captain Rutherford has always had the better of the reputations in the Free Marches, especially so after the fall of the Chantry in Kirkwall."
"His title is Commander, now," Rory corrected her in a gentle tone. "But thank you. Life goes on, even in the middle of war. A few weddings here and there will do more for morale than any number of inspiring speeches."
"The right speech at the right time can spur a man to do anything," Edith pointed out, but she was nodding in agreement. "Though what you say is true. A wedded man has more to fight for, perhaps, than one alone."
"Perhaps. I really couldn't say - I don't exactly see people at their best in here." Rory laughed softly at her own comment, glancing up as Evy came bustling from the back of the infirmary. "Everything under control?"
Evy flushed, smiling at having been asked such a thing in front of her mother. "Wilfrid's delirious again," she said, ever so slightly embarrassed. "I, um ... do you think it would be better to ask Luis to work with him until his fever breaks?"
Rory bit her lips to keep from snickering. Wilfrid was the loveliest old man you could ever wish to meet most of the time, but when he was feverish and delirious, he seemed to sprout eight arms and twelve hands, all of them aimed at breasts and buttocks. "That is probably a very good idea," she conceded, her smile audible even if it wasn't visible. "When Gustav comes back from the apothecaries' workshop, we can ask him to take over care for the time being."
Relief flickered over Evy's expression. She liked the work, but sometimes it was just a little too flustering for her peace of mind. "I can do that," she volunteered. "Master Tethras left a note for you this morning - I forgot to mention it. It's on your desk."
"Oh ... thank you!"
This time, Rory did laugh. She was terrible at remembering to look at her desk when she arrived in the infirmary, invariably missing some important note or other left for her. It was becoming common knowledge that if you wanted the senior healer to know about your issue, you had to catch her on her way past. Even the quickest conversation lodged somewhere in her mind; leaving a hopeful note somewhere she might see it could result in her not getting to your presentation for days.
"Lady Trevelyan, do excuse me," she apologized to Evy's mother. "I have a few things that need to be seen to. Evy is more than capable of taking you in hand if you ask her to."
Edith's smile was just a shade shy of mischievous as Evy stared at Rory in horror at the suggestion that she should tell her mother what to do. "I'm sure she is, Mistress Rutherford. Please, do not let me keep you from your work."
"Thank you."
Smiling, Rory winked at her young friend as she passed her by, side-stepping Andra to reach her own desk. Sure enough, there was a small collection of notes left there in various hands, from people who hadn't been able to guarantee catching her at some point today. She sat herself down, sorting through them.
Stitches was curious as to whether he could get hold of a stethoscope like hers; that was easily done. Dagna was toying with the idea of improving the design, but for now, they could get any of the workers who was good with wood to knock out a stethoscope in an afternoon. Apparently the orphanage was finally complete down in Skysend, and there was an invitation for her to go down see the little ones she'd helped to guide safely out of Haven at her earliest convenience. Roderick had left a request for an updated supply list; she grimaced to herself, but added her own note to that slip of parchment and impaled it on her spike for later. By the time she reached Varric's note, Evy had her mother watching closely as she changed the dressing on a visiting soldier's arm. No one noticed the surprised look of interest that crossed Rory's face as she read.
 Cupcake,    Three little birds in the tower right above you - one's a bit torn up. Drop by this evening if you can. Don't tell the Seeker.    - Varric
Well, now, wasn't that interesting? How had Varric managed to smuggle Hawke and his companions into Skyhold without anyone noticing? She studied the little note again. One's a bit torn up. That could mean anything from a few cuts to a broken limb to internal injuries or bleeding out. She thought she could safely disregard the latter two - Varric wouldn't just leave a note if his friends were in that much danger of worse injury or death. The timing wasn't great, though ... she was going to have to tell Cullen who was here, or he wouldn't let her go out after dinner. Mind you, he might attempt to come with her whether she told him who it was or not. His interactions with Hawke in Kirkwall probably hadn't left him with the most glowing of opinions when it came to the Champion.
Still, it wasn't such a big ask. She doubted Varric would be inviting her into close quarters with Hawke and friends unless he was sure she would be in no danger from them, and despite his sometimes impossible-to-read outward appearance, she had faith that the dwarf didn't mean her any harm. It wouldn't be difficult to pick up one of the emergency packs, now refilled and ready for anything, on her way past the infirmary this evening.
Another note caught her eye as she tucked Varric's message into her belt. It was a scrap of torn parchment, the words scrawled in messy charcoal. Healer, do you like griffons? -B. Rory frowned, lifting the little note up to consider it. Who was B? And why did they want to know if she liked ... Griffons. She sniffed the slip cautiously, grimacing at the faint scent of manure. Blackwall. So why did Blackwall want to know if she liked griffons? What was he up to?
A yell went up outside, multiple voices lost in the sudden deafening rumble of collapsing masonry. Rory didn't even glance at Evy as both women shot to their feet, snatching up the packs by the door to run out of the infirmary, leaving Lady Edith behind them. The billowing cloud of dust was emanating from the door that lead down into the prisons ... the carefully built passageway that encased the stairs had collapsed on top of a couple of workers.
"Is it secure?" Rory demanded of the mason who was checking the blocks overhead at the entrance to the passage.
He was silent for a moment, but finally nodded. "Safe as it can be," he told her.
"Right." She moved to duck in through the door, and a long arm pulled her back by the waist.
"Not a chance, little red," Iron Bull rumbled quietly as she protested. "Evy, you step back there, too."
"Bull, this is our job," Rory protested, trying and failing to free herself from the strong arm keeping her from going into the still dangerous situation.
"Stitches'll do the dangerous part," Bull informed her calmly. "One new wife, one bride ... neither one of you is going down there."
As he spoke, several of the Chargers were ducking down into the passageway to retrieve the trapped workers from the rubble. Stitches tipped the two other healers a grinning salute as he stepped smartly out of sight. Rory sighed heavily.
"Bull, if this has anything to do with me being pregnant, I am going to stab you," she informed the Ben-Hassrath agent calmly.
He laughed, patting her head gently. "Try not to hit anything important when you do."
Which was as good as telling her that it was because she was pregnant. She ground her teeth together, glowering at the open doorway. All right, yes, she was pregnant, but that didn't mean that she was suddenly more precious than anyone else here. Except ... it did. While there were women who were expecting babes down in the city, she was the only one here in the fortress who was; the only one known to the inner circle, to the advisors, to the Inquisitor himself. This is going to get really annoying.
"You know what," she muttered to Evy as they waited side by side for the Chargers to bring the injured out, "the sooner you get pregnant, the better."
The Marcher woman glanced at her, and burst into giggles, nudging her shoulder fondly. "At least I'm doing things in the right order," she teased, and despite herself, Rory felt a laughing grin cover her face.
"It's not like it was planned," she protested, rolling her eyes as she shook her head. "Besides, I'm married now. If anyone asks, this kid is premature."
"Oh, yes, of course," Evy agreed with sage mischief.
Tucking her hair back behind her ear, Rory glanced away with a smile. Her gaze caught on Lady Edith, standing in the doorway of the infirmary, staring at her with what seemed like a shocked expression on her face. The older woman's eyes flickered between Rory and Evy, as though studying them, comparing them. Bemused, Rory glanced at her friend, wondering what Edith was seeing to compare there. She only saw the shared smile, her own widening at the realization that Evy was still grinning at her.
"What?" she protested.
"Oh, nothing." Evy shrugged teasingly. "Just imagining what kind of mother you'll be."
"A terrifying one," Bull offered from behind them. He grunted obligingly as Rory elbowed him, despite the fact that they both knew she hadn't made any impact at all. "A terrified one?"
"That's more accurate," Rory agreed with a chuckle.
A call from the passageway wiped the smile from her face as Grim and Dalish appeared, supporting one of the workers who had been trapped. His leg was bleeding, a rough tourniquet tied about his thigh as he limped along between the pair.
"All right, bring him to the infirmary," Evy told them, shouldering her pack. "I'll see to him, you wait for the other one," she added to Rory.
Proud of her friend for taking charge of the situation, the redhead nodded with a reassuring smile. "Will do," she agreed. "Don't forget the cobwebs once you get the bleeding under control."
"Oh, I won't forget them this time," Evy promised, moving to follow the two mercenaries as they helped the man toward the infirmary, where her own mother was waiting. Edith was about to get an insight into just how far her baby girl's confidence had come in the last six months.
It was almost a shame Rory was going to miss that, in a way, but she had work of her own to do. Within minutes, Stitches came out of the passageway, the second of the trapped workers on a makeshift stretcher, the other end carried by Krem. Rory took one look, and winced - there was very little she could do for a crushed pelvis without a very specific type of help.
"Someone run and fetch one of the mage healers, please," she asked, gesturing for the Chargers to bring the young man into the infirmary.
It was a strange process, healing with a mage, but it was certainly an educational experience. All the mage really seemed to do was focus healing energies into an injury - it was up to the conventional healer to give pain relief, pull bones straight, and hope that the internal injuries were not too severe. The focus on conventional scientific medicine in the games now made much more sense to Rory, especially since she was living it. The rather elderly mage who came when summoned had worked with her since they'd left Haven, and between them, they somehow managed to straight and rebuild the man's pelvis, forcing him through the white-hot agony of having almost paralyzed limbs moved, and joints tested, finally able to say that he would recover. He would walk again.
It was when Rory was tidying up her desk, preparing to go to dinner, that it happened.
"Aurelia?"
"Hmm?" She looked up without thinking. It was only seeing the astonished, triumphant look on Edith's face that brought home to her that she had answered to a name she hadn't heard in over a decade. How the hell does she know my real name?
Edith's smile was warm. "I thought it might be you," she said gently. "You've been missed."
"I doubt it," Rory heard herself say. What the hell is going on here? her inner fangirl was shrieking. This isn't familiar! Who said this Thedas could fill in my backstory and not tell me about it? Who does she think I am?
Lady Trevelyan's expression grew a little sad as she considered the redhead before her. "May I at least tell your mother that you are well and safe?" she asked in a wounded tone.
Rory's expression grew hunted. I have a mother here. A living mother. Who apparently knows Edith Trevelyan. Hell, Edith Trevelyan knew me somehow. This is ... awful. "As long as you don't ... tell her who I am or where to find me," she conceded warily. "There's a reason I'm not a part of her life."
Edith frowned reluctantly, but she nodded. "I understand," she said softly. "But please ... know that your aunt remembers you, and knows you for who you are. And is deeply grateful for your guidance of your youngest cousin."
She stepped away, ducking out through the door of the infirmary, leaving Rory to stare into the middle distance in a confusion of horror and shock. Did she just hear that right? If Edith Trevelyan was her aunt, then ... Holy crap. Evy's my cousin. I have family here, real family, family that I didn't write. This world has made a place for me, and it's ... Her thoughts stuttered to a halt as she realized what else it meant. Oh, my giddy aunt ... I'm a noble. How the hell did that happen?
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shannaraisles · 7 years ago
Text
Set In Darkness
Chapter: 55 Author name: ShannaraIsles Rating: M Warnings: None Summary: She’s a Modern Girl in Thedas, but it isn’t what she wanted. There’s a scary dose of reality as soon as she arrives. It isn’t her story. People get hurt here; people die here, and there’s no option to reload if you make a bad decision. So what’s stopping her from plunging head first into the Void at the drop of a hat?
Broken Wings
It was snowing again. Thankfully not the full blast of a storm, nor even the heavy flakes that would lay atop the frozen ground. Winter was approaching its end. If they were very lucky, this would be the snow's last hurrah before a decent thaw came along and stopped the weather from trying to freeze them all into little statues to wait out the season. Rory tucked her arms tighter inside her cloak, her fingers wrapped about the strap of her satchel, and stared out over the snow-capped mountains that surrounded them, sheltered from the wind in the shadow of the battlements.
I have a family here. But why did the me everything thinks I am leave that family? Is this some kind of parallel to my real life, somehow? Or did I lie to Cullen when he asked for the truth? She hadn't lied, not about her brother or the parents she'd known, but in the context of this Thedas that seemed to have created a place for her, that might not be true. She didn't even know if it was possible to find out the truth of this origin story of hers. It wasn't as though she could go up to Lady Edith and Bann Galen and say, 'hey, you know you think I'm your niece? What happened there, exactly?' No, she was going to have to brazen this out somehow. Her only recourse might be to track down Cole and ask him what he could find out from the elder Trevelyans.
Unless ... could she be honest, somehow? Would people accept her saying that she didn't actually remember them, or remember the events they were a part of? Her modern life aside, she did have a life here in Thedas, one that clearly extended back to her birth. Just because she, personally, didn't remember it, didn't mean that it hadn't happened. Obviously it had happened. Edith Trevelyan had known her. She even knew my real name, Rory marveled, amazed at that little detail. She hadn't used the name Aurelia in years. So somewhere in this world there was a man and woman who had a daughter named Aurelia; a daughter who had left them a little over ten years ago and disappeared for whatever reason. And Edith seemed to think that the woman, at least, would care that this daughter was still alive and thriving in her own way. Do I have a mother here who cares about more than religion and the life ever after?
"Fuck, I need advice about this," she muttered to herself, shaking the settling snow from her hair as she reached to pull up her hood. But who to ask? Who would even believe her? "This is way out of my comfort zone ..."
"Talking to yourself, Cupcake?"
She jumped, startled by the sudden voice by her elbow. Varric's face was only saved from being attacked by said elbow by the fact that she had her cloak wrapped so tightly around herself. Rory bit her lip, looking down at the dwarf with a faintly worried smile.
"You didn't hear any of that, did you?"
Varric chuckled, shaking his head. "I have more things on my mind than eavesdropping on you," he assured her, jerking his head toward the tower that stood above the infirmary. "Come on. Should be safe enough to go in now."
Turning to follow her friend along the battlements, Rory frowned a little suspiciously. "Under what circumstances wouldn't it be safe to go in?" she asked in a wary tone. "Just who is in there?"
"An elf, an elf, and a Champion," Varric told her, pushing the door open.
There was little but darkness beyond it. Rory felt her entire body say nope. There was no way in hell she was walking into that tower without being able to see what was in front of her, not if it was populated by Hawke, Merrill, and Fenris. Hell, Fenris was the scary one. But shouldn't he be glowing, or something?
"After you," she told Varric, gesturing for him to go first.
The dwarven rogue rolled his eyes and stepped into the gloom, which parted in front of him. Oh, it's a drape. And beyond that drape? A merrily burning fire in the hearth, giving out heat and light enough to make the dilapidated tower room at least cozy. Three traveling packs stood against the wall; two staves and a huge sword were propped beside them, corresponding to the three figures that were gathered by the fire. They turned toward the door as Rory ventured in at Varric's back.
"Took you long enough," Hawke said warmly, rising from where he sat to give Varric a friendly shove.
"Hey, it's not easy getting Curly's wife out from under his nose, you know," Varric defended himself with a chuckle.
Hawke blinked, his startling eyes rising to get a good look at Rory, but whatever he was about to say was cut off by a soft squeal from behind him.
"Oh, the knight-captain got married! Isn't that wonderful, Hawke?" The lilting accent identified her before she stepped into view from behind the Champion - doe-eyed Merrill, bright and sunny, smiling happily as she all but skipped over to seize Rory's hands with excitement. "Oh, and aren't you pretty? What beautiful hair - like fire, only not painful. It isn't painful, is it?"
Momentarily at a loss, Rory shook her head, unable to keep herself from smiling at this gushing greeting. "No, my-my hair isn't painful," she assured the naive elven woman. "Just ... red."
"Like Aveline," Merrill nodded happily, pulling her toward the fire. "Isn't it, Hawke? Like Aveline?"
"It's darker than Aveline's hair," a low voice answered - not Hawke's. This voice was astonishingly familiar, drawing Rory's curious eyes to the shadows on the other side of the hearth. A flash of white hair, the contrast of lyrium bright against dusk-dark skin, green eyes studying her suspiciously in the gloom ... Fenris. "I'm sure she is capable of walking without your help, mage."
"Well, maybe if you were friendlier, she wouldn't be looking like she's seen a ghost," Merrill countered. "There's no need to be so frightening all the time, you know. Not everyone you meet wants to kill you."
"Just as not everyone you meet knows how far you've fallen," Fenris responded, but there was very little heat in his words.
Whatever had happened since the fall of Kirkwall - since the end of the second game, Rory thought - it appeared to have taken much of the sting out of Fenris and Merrill's relationship. They were never going to be friends, exactly, but apparently they had learned to tolerate each other for Hawke's sake. And Hawke ... She turned her head to get her first proper look at the Champion of Kirkwall.
And tilted her head further back. Garrett Hawke was tall, far taller than she had expected him to be, easily brushing 6'6", if not taller. And he wasn't lanky, either, not the stereotypical mage. He was broad-shouldered, thick-necked, bedecked in armor that was far from the light stuff the games would have had her believe were all mages could wear. He filled the space, making it all seem much smaller, especially when she noted that one of the staves bore a heavy blade at one end. That had to be his; Merrill had never seemed the type to be at home with physical violence.
"That's enough, you two, you're scaring her," Hawke said firmly. "The last thing we need is for Cullen to come up here because we sent his wife back to him in terror."
"I'm not scared," Rory said defensively. "Why, should I be?"
Hawke's bearded face creased into a lopsided smile as he glanced down at Varric. "You did say she had more bravery than sense."
"Oh, thank you very much," Rory muttered to the dwarf, who just grinned and shrugged as Merrill giggled.
"Don't mind them," the former First told her confidently. "Little boys who like to play, that's all they are. You're here because Fenris won't let me heal him. You are the healer, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am the ... I'm sorry, who are you?" Not that I need you to tell me, but I really should be playing along here. Remember, Rory, you are a pig ignorant peasant who couldn't recognize any of these people in a dark alley.
"I'm Merrill," the elven woman said brightly. "Didn't Varric tell you we were coming? Hawke gets in all sorts of trouble without us."
"I am quite capable of getting into trouble with you as well, vhenan," the human mage pointed out in amusement.
"Let her breathe, Daisy," Varric suggested with a wide grin. He was so relaxed here, far more than Rory had ever seen him before. She'd never realized how much he'd been missing his familiar friends all this time, despite the friends he'd made in the Inquisition. "Rory Rutherford, meet Hawke."
A callused hand was offered to her as Merrill released her fingers, and Rory found herself shaking hands with the Champion of Kirkwall. Hawke nodded to her from his great height.
"Varric's told us a fair amount about you," he said conversationally. "You can breathe people back to life?"
"Uh ... not quite." Rory heard herself laugh, realizing she was blushing. Good grief, he's handsome. "I'm not that skilled." Not skilled at all, compared with you.
"The sweet little darling who wants to hug you is Merrill," Hawke informed her easily, "and the talkative shadow is Fenris."
"I see no need to fill the silence when you're doing that job well enough," the indicated shadow said in that voice. The voice Rory had tried to romance as Hawke goodness knew how many times with only limited success.
Merrill, on the other hand, was quick to bestow the hug Hawke had seen coming, wrapping her arms around Rory excitedly. "Oh, it's so lovely to talk to another female," she gushed cheerfully, gasping as she glanced down. "You're having a baby! Oh, how wonderful! Isn't that wonderful? Is it Cullen's?"
"Yes, it's Cullen's," Rory heard herself answer, a little wrong-footed by how familiar these people were. Merrill was exactly as she had expected - bright and innocent, eager to know and be known; Fenris seemed taciturn but not unfriendly. Hawke, despite the sheer size of him, appeared to be a mix of blue and purple. It was oddly reassuring. "Were you expecting it to be someone else's?"
"He's such a dour sort," Merrill told her. "It could have been anyone's, especially if he married you out of duty. He didn't, did he? Do you love him? I'm talking too much, aren't I? I'll stop now."
Laughing, Rory shook her head. "No, it's fine," she assured the merry little elf. "I do love him, and no, he didn't marry me out of duty. He's ... he's not dour at all."
"Oh, well, that's all right, then."
"Come away, vhenan, let her see to Fenris," Hawke suggested, and Merrill obeyed instantly. Rory wasn't sure she was even aware that she did so; it seemed as instinctive as breathing. Hawke sneezed, and Merrill blew her nose; it was an instinct driven by love.
"You're no mage," Fenris said from the shadows, shifting into view. He'd changed from the image Rory had of him in her mind. He seemed more weathered, more scarred, his hair worn longer. He was also favoring his right side awkwardly.
"No, I'm not a mage," she assured him. "May I?"
He shrugged, peeling back his cloak to show her a ghastly rent in the linked scales of his black armor. The wound beneath was crusty, clearly a few days old, sweet with the smell of infection setting in. Rory grimaced.
"I need to get to your skin," she said apologetically. "Whatever I do, this is going to hurt before it starts to feel better."
"Pain is an old friend," Fenris assured her with a resigned look in his eyes. "Hawke ... could you ...?"
As Hawke stepped forward to help his friend divest himself of his armor, Rory took off her own cloak and unhooked the satchel from her shoulder, opening it up to ready herself for what she thought was coming. Let's see ... cloths for cleaning, witherstalk to cleanse the wound, poultice for the infection, pad and bandages ...
"Varric, is there any clean water in here?" she asked over her shoulder.
"I can get some out of the water butt outside," the dwarf offered, already moving in that direction. "That's as clean as you're going to get without going down to the courtyard."
"I can boil and cool the water, if you need it really clean," Merrill offered helpfully. She was peering over Rory's shoulder. "You have so many little bottles. Do you know what all of them do?"
"I do." Rory nodded with a smile as she set certain of those bottles aside. "Everything does something different. And thank you - boiling the water will clean it well enough to use."
"Try not to summon anything," Fenris interjected from between clenched teeth as he and Hawke maneuvered the scaled plate from his torso.
"Oh, don't be silly," Merrill scoffed at the elf. "You don't need blood magic to make water boil. You're just being difficult. If you'd let me heal you in the first place, we wouldn't need to keep her out so late on a cold night."
"Forgive me for having principles," Fenris muttered darkly.
"We've been through this," Hawke interrupted the brewing argument. "There's no point going over it all again."
Rory bit the inside of her cheek to hide her smile. It sounded as though the journey here had been just as awful as she'd imagined it might be, despite the obviously strong bonds of friendship between Hawke and his companions. Two elves with such differing opinions, who felt so strongly about them, could not have been all that entertaining in the middle of the snowstorms up here. Thankfully, Varric returned then with a bucket of ice-cold water, which Merrill was more than happy to boil and cool as Rory turned her attention to Fenris' wound.
"What happened?" she asked, lighting a candle from the fire to illuminate the torn flesh as she studied the damage.
It was a wound left by a bladed weapon, certainly, but the jagged indent of his scaled plate had ripped what should have been a clean gash into ragged edges. It was something of a miracle that the injury hadn't sliced into the markings that played over his skin; she was glad of that. She had no idea how to heal lyrium-branded flesh, after all. It wasn't deep, but it hadn't been cleaned properly, and yes, the tissue was infected. She could smell the pus even before she gently tested the inflamed skin and saw it ooze free.
"We encountered a party of templars in the foothills," Hawke told her, when it became clear that Fenris was concentrating too hard on not reacting to the pain to offer up any words. "Strange templars, like the ones now in Kirkwall."
"We call them red templars here," Varric offered helpfully. "They're ingesting that red lyrium."
"Well, we were lucky they didn't take us by surprise," Hawke pointed out. "Strong bastards, all of them."
"Can I help?" Merrill asked as Rory drew a bowl of the clean water to her side.
Fenris' expression darkened. "No magic," he told the merry elf.
"No magic, I promise," she assured him with a nod. "I've never done real medicine before. It looks awfully complicated."
Rory smiled faintly, glancing between them. "It isn't as complicated as all that," she promised both elves. "There's moldy bread in that parcel there, Merrill. If you chew it until it's soft and squishy, and then mix about a thumbnail of that green potion into it for me, that would be a big help." She lifted her eyes to Fenris' pained face. "I need to drain the pus out of this. It's going to hurt like blazes."
"A healer who doesn't lie about the cure being as painful as the disease," he marveled, that dry wit of his an unexpected pleasure given the circumstances. "Continue. I will endeavor not to decapitate you in a fit of pique."
"You do that, Elf, and I will personally hold Curly's coat while he tries to cut you into little pieces," Varric said in amusement. "She's good, don't get broody on her."
"This tastes revolting," Merrill complained from behind her, the words more than a little indistinct through the large mouthful she had of blue mold and stale bread.
"It helps to kill off infections," Rory explained to her, applying gentle pressure to drain the pus from the angry wound in Fenris' side. The only outward sign of his pain was a hiss that died away as he grew more accustomed to the sensation. "The mold, that is. Bread is the only thing it grows on, that I know of."
"So why chew it?" Hawke asked. He sounded torn between curiosity and laughter, no doubt because of the expression on his lover's face as she chewed.
"Saliva breaks the bread down and the action of chewing evenly distributes the mold throughout the mess," Rory explained, wiping away encrusted blood, fresh blood, and pus both old and new as gently as she could. "It needs changing every day until the infection is gone, but once the infection has cleared, you should be able to take a healing potion to finish the rest of the wound knitting process without any complications arising."
"You work without any magic at all, then?" Hawke pressed further.
She glanced up at him, switching the dirty cloth for one clean to finish the process of making the wound ready for dressing. "Well, there's lyrium in a few of the potions, but that's more a catalyst to speed up the healing process," she offered with half a shrug, trying not to laugh at the sound of Merrill spitting her mushy mouthful into the bowl provided for that purpose. "Mages don't actually heal specific wounds - they channel healing energy into a body, but if a bone hasn't been set, then it will heal wrong. Mage healers need us more than we need them, really. A bone I set will heal eventually, and heal straight, with or without the intervention of magic."
"Is this right?" Merrill asked, leaning forward to show her the mixture in the bowl.
"That's perfect, thank you."
Smiling encouragingly, Rory took the bowl, and proceeded to spread the disgusting mixture over a pad, carefully applying it to the wound in Fenris' side. He stiffened at the additional sting, but didn't say a word. A few minutes later, and the bandage to hold it in place was set about his ribs.
"There, all done. I should check that tomorrow, and if necessary, apply some more of the poultice, but it's not as bad as it could have been. When the infection's gone, I'll give you some elfroot potion that should close the wound completely in a matter of minutes, but for now, I'm leaving this potion here. If you're feverish, swallow one mouthful once an hour, and the fever should subside. If it doesn't, find someone to come and get me."
Fenris was testing the movement of his arm, apparently impressed with the neat bandage, despite the sting that he was just going to have to get used to for a day or so. "Thank you, healer."
"I helped," Merrill said with a pout that might have been convincing if she hadn't giggled immediately afterward.
Fenris glowered at her mildly. "My thanks for the contribution of your saliva to my healing," he added, and again, Rory had to bite her lips to keep from laughing as she packed away her things.
"That was fascinating," the elven mage then said, turning her attention to Rory. "Is it easy to learn?"
The redhead shrugged lightly. "It's easy enough, I suppose," she conceded with a gentle smile. "Perhaps when you're not required to hide in here anymore, I could teach you a little in the infirmary below? After all, you don't need magic to make a wound heal."
"Oh, that would be lovely," Merrill enthused, her large eyes bright with hopeful excitement. "I would like to learn what all those little bottles do. Some of them smell delicious; do they taste good?"
Rory laughed, shaking her head. "Medicine never tastes good, Merrill," she assured the merry elf, rising onto her feet to hook her cloak about her shoulders once again. "Otherwise people might pretend to be sick just to have some more of it."
"Do they do that?" The dark-haired mage blinked in surprise. "What an odd thing to want to do. Are all humans like that?"
"You don't have to be human to take advantage of a day in bed," Varric told her in amusement. "Not staying, Cupcake?"
"I really should get to bed myself," Rory admitted reluctantly. "Cullen thinks I'm taking a walk."
"Then we shall let you assure your husband that you have not thrown yourself from the battlements," Hawke said then, wrapping an arm about Merrill fondly. "Sleep well, Mistress Rory."
"I'll walk you back," Varric volunteered. "These guys need their beauty sleep."
"Oh, yes, we're hideous in the mornings if we don't sleep," Merrill agreed impishly. "Especially Fenris. He growls."
"Generally because you are offensively loud," Fenris interjected, earning a bright laugh from the blood mage.
"It was lovely to meet you all," Rory told them, feeling the trio close ranks, however politely. They needed to be alone, it seemed, and Varric had picked up on that far sooner than she had. "I hope you have a restful night."
Stepping back out into the snowy darkness, she glanced down at Varric, one brow raised curiously as they both heard the door lock solidly behind them. The dwarf glanced over his shoulder, shaking his head with a fond softness about his expression.
"Don't ask me," he muttered in amusement. "It's their mess."
Why, why did I decide to have Merrill and Fenris come with Hawke? ~laughs~ I think only Merrill came out of this scene in character - apologies to all!
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