#ismene talks

[riveracheron]

how to stage “the tragedy of francis” (MAG 172), but like. in a normal theatre

hi this’ll have to do today @a-mag-a-day

im a theatre technician who, upon listening to the Spooky Play Statement of “Strung Out” got really into the idea of how one would Actually create the technical elements. it seems like an interesting challenge! this was the only theatre related episode with indepth description of the Spooky Stuff but if yall are interested id be happy to talk about Other Episodes and ways you can practical effects your way through the fearpocalypse :)

spoilers for mag 172 and fake blood below the cut!

rules of this:

- i am a technician, not a director. i am assuming that the play as described by jon is the script and that we need a giant spider and hooks and blood. i am not making any choices, simply describing how these effects can be done in a professional theater sense. to that end, i am also only a student; and not an expert.

- we are going as hard as possible. no substitutions, no artistic choices to pare it down, no nothing. this is the magnus archives we’re getting meta enough. alongside that, im not worrying about budget. this is broadway level shit.

- i am not putting a stage on a stage. this is just looking at the Tragedy itself and jon can go sit in the audience for all i care.

cool? lezzgo.

i. the hooks

this is a fly system! it’s mostly used for lowering and raising set pieces. oftentimes, its also used with actors to raise them into the air when flying. shows like wicked, mary poppins and peter pan use this to pull actors into the air to make it seem like they’re flying.

it’s done with wires connected to hooks connected to the actors’ bodies via straps. sound familiar?

they are often hidden with lights, but they don’t have to be- for a play that draws attention to these wires, the designer would probably draw attention to them - at least for when they start to dance around and stuff.

the hooks that attach to francis’ joints throughout the show could be flown in as well, and their costume and more strategic lighting could make it seem like they were attached to them. you can get pretty grotesque with high budget theater and special effects makeup.

ii. the spider

characters that are puppets is not a new thing in theater! one of the most famous examples is Audrey 2 in little shop of horrors- a puppet that has an actor off stage saying their lines into a microphone. the spider would also probably be the same.

there are some motorized puppets like the sandworm in beetlejuice the musical, but most are person-controlled, which works best for speaking puppets as show to show, peoples way of speaking can change from show to show, and the puppet needs to be able to keep up, and motorized puppets can be out of sync.

this video is a good making-of process for a giant speaking monster puppet, and i assume the spider would be the same, just much higher. there would probably be a false ceiling like the false wall above, and the puppeteers would sit above to operate the legs as if they were dangling.

it would probably be also attached to a fly system for easy lowering as the scene goes on.

iii. minor things

- the blood would come from “strawberries”, little packs of blood hidden under actors’ costumes that they can burst when needed. theres also a capsule version that one can put in the mouth and bite down on.

this is an example from the 2019 production of oklahoma, and a good look at blood strawberries and what they do

- the spider-drink would probably be done with. fake edible spiders, lots of scuttling noises from the soundboard and lights that hide the fact that they are not moving, perhaps with strobe or something crazy. the spider rain would probably be the same, but with stagehands pouring spiders down from the catwalks.

- other characters would also be off stage with mics.

- good actors will sell a Lot of this. even if the new hooks and stuff don’t touch them, they can definitely make it seem like they do.

sooooo um yeah! as much as this episode made me sick - i love technical theatre and this was a fun infodump !! take this um. as you will ig. please stage safely !! blood packs can stain and fly systems can be unsafe so please. don’t try this at home. or at least get a professional to help

[finelythreadedsky]

wait now that i think about it... antigone really does look like the product of the transition from two-actor to three-actor plays. it's so very agonistic with all those scenes pairing two characters arguing or otherwise at odds with each other (antigone and ismene, creon and the sentry, creon and antigone, creon and haemon, creon and tiresias). there's rarely a third person present for these arguments, and in the two places where there is it's. weird. like the scene where the sentry brings antigone in and then he and creon proceed to talk to each other while antigone remains silent, as if she isn't even there or actually cannot speak. and then the moment it looks like antigone's going to speak and it's going to become a conversation between her and creon, the unnecessary third party is dismissed from the stage, so the whole scene is two dialogues back to back instead of one trialogue. and the scene with creon, antigone, and ismene where the whole point is that ismene's NOT part of this and that the play is a two-party affair from which she is ultimately excluded. and the debate over whether the protagonist would have played the role of creon or antigone-- it makes sense if you're thinking of a historical moment where there are two primary actors of pretty much equal standing, plus another recently-added actor, perhaps of lesser status. the two main actors get their equally prominent roles, and the minor third actor shows up here and there as ismene and the sentry and maybe eurydice.

[riveracheron]

nyaw tysm pasta!

relationship status: aroace lmao

favorite color: indigo but like. pastel. do you understand

something i want right now: ice water…but alas no ice in dorm

song stuck in my head: right to die - aliceband

three favorite foods: stir fried mushrooms, hamentaschen, marinated eel yumb

last song i listened to: holy old city - shaina taub

last thing i googled: school dining hall menu lmao

dream trip: nyc to see all the shows that may be on broadway the next few years!!!!!!

bonus question: if you had the opportunity to safely become a cyborg via body upgrades: is that not what being disabled is already

tagging hmm:

@roukabi @sxnyarostova @melnonny aaaaand anyone who wants to do this - consider it tagging u

Rule: Tag 10 people you want to get to know better

I got tagged by the lovely @riderkaitlyn5!

Relationship Status: single and no intention to change that

Favorite Color: Blue!

Something I want right now: a fricking break

Song stuck in my head: combo deal of "No Way Back" and "Overwhelmed"

Three Favorite Foods: spaghetti, a specific local sandwich, and cupcakes

Last Song I listened to: "We are the Hearts" by EXGF

Last Thing I Googled: when were copy machines invented

Dream Trip: I'd like to go back to England, I think. I'm admittedly not much of a traveler and don't like being away from home, so I don't have a more exciting answer than that, I'm afraid.

Bonus Question:

If you had the opportunity to [safely] become a cyborg via body upgrades, would you take it?: Probably not. I have enough trouble with my body without introducing even more complicated bits and pieces.

Tagging: @inkabelledesigns, @halogenrobotics, @argent-l-p, @aboyandhisstarship, @flippythegodzilla, @notjustonefandom1, @wandererintheocean, @stone-97, @beneathascorpionsky, @nanami85240

[another-heroine]

2, 15, 19, and 50 for Ismene, Katya, and Andrine!

OC Asks Game

Hi Ash, thanks for asking :D It will be fun to reply for the three ladies hehe

Btw this has Kingmaker spoilers on the Question 19 ⚠

2. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate or other?

Andrine: She has sweet tooth, but she isn't that picky. She would choose hot chocolate without hesitation, but she also appreciates sweetened tea and coffee (although Octavia has prohibited her to drink the last one, because she doesn't know when to stop it)

Ekaterina: She hadn't many options in Irrisen. When she has tried hot chocolate for first time, it was like a catharstic moment of her life. But she is very fond for herbal and spiced teas.

Ismene: She has two favorite beverages, in fact: coffee for the mornings (otherwise she will kill some Varnling member easier) and mead for the nights. Ismene has no aversion to teas, but their smell always reminds her of the moments when she gets sick.

15. What is the first thing people notice about them?

Andrine: She talks loud and fast. It's like a lean squirrel with white hair. Also her clothes are always showy, even the Storyteller knows it.

Ekaterina: Well, she glows. Either her skin or hair. And like it's not enough, Katya is tall. The poor woman just wanted to be invisible sometimes.

Ismene: If her clothes don't catch attention for being different from the Brevic/Mendevian fashion, Tilly does for both of them! You can't ignore an outlander woman passing by with a bear.

19. What does your character consider to be their lowest point?

Andrine: Sometimes, Andrine sees herself as a petty person. She could let Regongar kill Janush's assistant when they met for the first time, but she did it because she took personally the kidnap attempt that her party suffered earlier. And she have declined the Lanthern King friendship because she got tired of his bullshit as Nyrissa's as well, like she didn't make friends/allies with questionable fey before.

Ekaterina: Her lack of self-esteem. Katya won't complain about her doubts out loud, but down in her soul there is a still uneasiness about her valor. She can go as far as her legs can carry her, but in the end she always questions herself if she really did enough.

Ismene: Her short temper. It always gets the best of her. She can't bear listening to any kind of small talk and pretend that's ok. Her intuition is sharp, and Ismene is good at perceiving who's telling the truth or not. Thanks to the Gods, she learned to be slightly patience because of Varn.

50. How does your character sleep at night? Are they a heavy or light sleeper? Do they dream or have nightmares? Do they find it easy to sleep or are they more a night owl?

Andrine: When she's not struggling with insomnia due worries, Drine is a heavy sleeper. And she took a long time to be really awaken. Also her dreams are chaotic, mixing irl incidents with fictional ones. Sometimes she can't tell what was real or not.

Ekaterina: Since a very young age, Katya has problems with nightmares. This got less common while she grew up and learned how to keep her impulses 'on the leash', but some nights she can't rest properly, dreaming with wildfires and destruction caused by herself.

Ismene: Although she is a reasonable light sleeper, Ismene uses to get properly rest always, and it doesn't matter where she is laid. She has no big problems about sleeping outdoors, after all she is from a nomad tribe. And she almost never recalls her dreams.

[vilnan]

noooooo not merrill confessing to ismene 😭😭😭 i'm so sorry baby, it's isabela romance time

[dromaeo-sauridae]

Who exactly is Walter? He looks incredibly intriguing :0

hi thank you! walter is part of the promethea story, and almost an antagonist of act 3? hes really just a puppet though

hes been possessed by a parasitic pseudo-god named xolakaal and acts as xol’s hunter, finding people and basically ripping out their souls so it can eat them and get stronger. his story is very much a work in progress rn lol

[trentonsimblr]

Part 1 of 2 (here)

AN: Hello lovelies! Here's a future Rhea scene! It's so long that it will need to be two parts. I'll post part two on Wednesday. For some context: Julien is son of Charlene, Ismene is a member of Shrimpessa's herd of children and Rhea's BFF. Also pictured is Cecelia (Blue Grecian dress) Charlene's daughter, Noel (next to Cecelia) is another member of the herd as well as Cecelia’s Beau, and Isis (talking to Cecelia and Noel) is Noel's twin. The girl next to Violette is her sister, Catherine or “Kat.”

[cecexwrites]

Now I have to ask, 🍑 + Ismene & Cosette’s kink lessons?

Okay so it starts, actually, on the Isle. Ismene talks to Cosette about being curious about- things. And they set up Cosette's room so that Ismene can kind of- sneaky watch when she bring someone (Not Gaston because Ismene might murder him) back to the room.

Then when they're in Auradon and away from Frollo's nasty gnarled fingertips, Ismene is willing to actually step up from watching and into hands on learning. Which starts with teaching her that it's not a crime to masturbate.

Also they definitely room together, which makes learning so much easier

[evilios]

🌞 Aktis Aeliou, or the Machine of Margot's Destruction by Natalia Theodoridou

Spoilers ahead:

Okay! Alright! I did not know what to expect of this short story but it's now one of my favorite alluding to Apollo, it seems.

The web of meanings starts with the name: ἀκτὶς ἀελίου (light/ray of the Sun) is the beginning of the chorus in Sophocles' Antigone, line 100. This line is quoted by — supposedly — Apollo in Greek in this text. This is the chorus after Ismene and Antigone (in the play) talk about Antigone's decision which Ismene considers poor judgement. The light of the Sun is a short moment of respite before the tragedy.

Apollo is a tragic character in this story. It's about the destined tragedy of loving a God. To me, the main heroine is a total sum of Apollo's women while the total sum of Apollo's men are the distant memory. The major meaning, to me, is in the line, "if I love you, you shall die; do you want to die?"

[vraska-theunseen]

someone give me discussion questions i have to answer every week i will write such good sentences for them. and yeah i know these questions were meant to prepare me to analyze things on my own but. well i have no retorts to the straw man in my brain it's a joke man of hay i beg thee to acquiesce

went looking through my old school google docs to try and see if maybe i could find a video my english teacher showed us thinking maybe she linked it and i was scanning through these old class documents and why was i using words like lambast. i don't even know what that means now why did i say that. and the way i formulated this sentence... "it has from its inception" i took for granted being forced to read and write every day

[riveracheron]

if i had a nickel for every sad angry fictional man who is the star of a concept album (from a band that mostly does concept albums) about some nondescript fictional war that has intense world war 1 theming despite not technically being world war 1 in canon, who’s maybe lover dies, and that makes them go on a rampage that involves destruction of property using a flammable substance, i would have two nickels which isn’t much but it’s weird it happened twice

[star--nymph]

look man you can do whatever you want with Inquisitions narrative all you want but the fact that it leans perfectly into the dehumanization of worship and becoming a symbol is perfect for Eurydice, who has been an object all her life

the constant unpredictability of her father, calling her his 'jewel' one second and his 'empty thing' the next, either a object of pride or abuse, but either way always an object, a thing, a mistake, a piece of a beautiful, broken piece of property 

the rejection by the clan that refused to see her parents for her they were and therefore refused to see her as a full child or person--just a strange bird at best, a troublemaker, creepy, cold, cruel, damaged, dangerous, a shadow to gawk at and level suspicious glares at, because Lycus and Ismene speak of the trouble with that one, that one causes them such headaches, that one's eyes are off, that one must be as dull as she looks, it's a shame to her parent's names, but at least that one is beautiful. At least she's nice to look at occasionally.

being placed in the position of the First despite the discontent in the clan, robotically going through the motions for duty's sake because duty is all she has, loyalty to the clan, to her family, to her Keeper, that if she performs right, there will be a nod of approval, she will be liked, left alone to her own devices, maybe even understood, but it never comes. She is a good student but a poor First--they whisper to each other that they hope a mage is born among them soon, or they must go to another clan for a new one. Can't have that one be the Keeper. Deshanna is mad and blinded by her own affection. She can't see what that is.

she leaves, for duty, she gets a taste of personhood for a few months, she wanders the world and feels an identity being grown past daughter, sister, mage, first, jewel, thing--

and then conclave explodes and the shemlings capture her, the imprison, they worship her, and they crown her

and she's only a fully realized person to a few of them--and even then there's a habit of them still trying to dehumanization her for the sake of the Inquisition as an agenda--Sera talks about the little people and how Eury can't forget about them, but she has issues seeing Eurydice past her position as "elfy" or "Inky. Vivienne, Mother Giselle, and Varric struggle between Eurydice the Inquisitor and Eurydice the Person; they both recognize that her personhood doesn't matter here, as much as it should. Eurydice as a person can't survive against the persona of the Inquisitor and as much they both want to tell her to save herself, in order for the Inquisition to prosper, she can't BE an individual, she has to be a commodity that keeps the world captivated. Something akin to a holy relic. 

Cassandra and on a lesser note, Leliana, are almost desperate for Eurydice to be a prophet despite her denying that every breath she takes. Them looking at her, an elf with God's of her own, having to live with the possibility that the Maker choose her doesn't work with what they know, what they want, but they'll make it work. It's why Cassandra asks Eurydice "Is there no room in your pantheon for one more god" because yes Cassandra IS tossing aside Eurydice's own beliefs because in the chantry's eyes, the elven pantheon doesn't matter but also it's not even about that for Cassandra. It's about HER comfort, HER faith, her need for Eurydice to take on the role as a Herald in a specific way to justify her faith

and Solas? Solas watches on and I think stays, at least in part, because he knows what he just sacrificed in Eurydice's name. She may not have died at the Conclave, but he killed her in a way. It may have been what was done to him all those years ago, when the rebels made him into the Dread Wolf and had his own name forgotten to time and dreams. Gods aren't people. They are beyond such things.

and Eurydice lives with it, stripped down every second of every day when they call her: Inquisitor, Herald, Your Worship, Lady Lavellan, The Banshee, Witch, The First, Jewel, Thing. What is she if not a doll, one posed this way and that for the will of an society that is just waiting to chop off her ears and portray her as human?

and when someone uses her name and sees Eurydice as a thinking, breathing person, her first instinct is to think she must have tricked them

because if everyone else only saw her as a thing, then it must be true, right?

[la-pheacienne]

Rhaenyra is objectively a victim, but to people in the fandom, sob story olympic is about self projection, it’s about MY victimhood. They don’t think Rhaenyra is a victim because she’s not a character you can use as a vehicle to talk about your own problems. You can make posts about Alicent and moan about low confidence, anxiety, feeling useless, resenting other people's success or people trying to take control of their lives, projecting your inferiority/victim/martyr complex, etc. At the core of it, it’s narcissism, it’s thinly veiled self glorification and baits for validation. But you can’t really talk about Rhaenyra’s sob story and make it about yourself. Most of them don’t have very exciting lives or ambitions. Rhaenyra is sexually autonomous, has three bastards, and had her throne stolen because she was a woman. Not relatable.

"At the core of it, it’s narcissism, it’s thinly veiled self glorification and baits for validation".

"Rhaenyra is sexually autonomous, has three bastards, and had her throne stolen because she was a woman. Not relatable".

Yep, you said it all. Not relatable. Relatability is the number one quality a fictional hero should have in the current context of american media. Traditionally, or at least in my culture, what you go for -mainly- is exceptionalism. In order for me to care about a character they need to give me something exceptional, something particular, something that nobody else has. I am not looking to see myself on screen. I don't give a fuck about that. Give me something different. But be careful, exceptionalism doesn't mean lack of realism, not at all, I am all about realism, I just don't like characters just because they have weaknesses I can relate to. I need more.

Irrelevant but also kind of relevant : when I was little I read Little women. I loved it. So if you are not familiar with the story, it's a poor family with a lot of sisters, end of 19th century. Jo is one of the sisters, an Arya type of person we could say : she hates the discrimination against women, she wants to live like a man, doesn't want to get married, she wants to become a successful writer. Then you have her sister Amy, perfect little lady, accepts her position as a female, doesn't want to challenge anything, wants to get married to a rich husband, can be vain and self-centered, kind of manipulative etc. The heroine of this story is Jo. We are supposed to root for Jo. Amy serves mainly as a foil to Jo, even if in the end the two manage to get along. Yeahhh except that in the latest movie adaptation, guess which one of the characters people obsess with. Did you guess it? That's right. And why is that? Well because the actress that plays Amy is an absolute cutie with a sexy sultry voice, dresses perfectly and excells at what society expects of women. She conforms, she doesn't challenge, but she succeeds. So, relatable but also idealistic, the perfect combination. But Jo, who gives a fuck about a girl who was scorned all of her life for wanting something different for herself, for not accepting her context, for thinking out of the box. People don't want to see that. They don't want to be that. What they want is to play by the rules and succeed.

Same fucking shit with the tragedy of Antigone. Antigone is the heroine, she challenges the status quo, she sticks to her own moral code, she doesn't give a fuck about what the men around her want, she does her own thing and she is punished. Her sister, Ismene, serves as foil : she is coward, she is a conformist, she bows her head. In the end she regrets not helping Antigone because she loves her sister and she wants to share her punishment. Antigone denies her in disdain, she does not consider her worthy. Because she isn't. Ismene loves Antigone, yes, but she does not share the same exceptional traits that Antigone has and for which she is punished. So she does not deserve to have a place beside her. She is inferior. Ismene is actually more popular in Tumblrina culture than Antigone because people relate to her weakness.

People don't relate to these exceptional heroines because they are not looking for exceptional characters. They are looking for a more successful or a more glamourous version of themselves.

[letsplaydcttrpg]

Strangers in Paradise pt 5 - Let's Go Lasso

Start this module here!

Previous part here!

Links to all posts for this module in the pinned post!

Lasso Perimele: As Perimele fights her way toward the door, you regretfully draw your enchanted lasso from its place on your belt. You unfurl it and swing it about your head, building momentum. Then you cast it out and it soars across the high-ceilinged Temple of Justice, toward a renegade Perimele.

Perimele might be an Amazon, but we're Diana, so we only need a 5 or better to succeed here!

Lassoed: Your lasso whips down toward Perimele. She tries to dodge it, but it lands around her, the Amazon struggling as you pull the lasso tight. Suddenly, you sense a violent tremor pass through her and the lasso, as Perimele sinks to the floor. The great Amazon hall falls silent as Philippus asks, "Perimele, why did you attack your sisters?" "I...I don't know..." Perimele replies haltingly. "The urge came over me and I couldn't fight it." "Why did you drive the horses over the cliffside?" Philippus asks, more concerned for Perimele's well-being than the horses'. "Again..." she says, "I don't know...I got a mad urge to do it. At first I was frightened and then...angry. Jealous of Ismene for having such fine horses." Perimele goes still. Queen Hippolyte walks over to you, grim with the moment's import. "Release her, my daughter," Hippolyte says. "We will take her to the Island of Healing until she is fully recovered from her madness." You loosen your lasso and two Amazons lead the subdued Perimele away, taking her to the Island of Healing for observation. The Dispute: The stillness in the Temple of Justice is broken by Ahmad. "Well," says the Kabulian, with a sneer, "so much for your vaunted peaceful solutions." "Is that how you see it?" you ask. "Whatever happened to Perimele was not natural. Some dark enchantment is at work here. In recent days I, too, have felt the same unreasoning fears she described." "Hah! More ignorant superstition, the same foolish illogic which rules this entire island," he retorts. "Ahmad," you reply, "I pray you are never confronted with the true power of what you call 'ignorant superstition.' Mankind is already far too beset by it." The incident at the Temple of Justice puts a dark cloud over the delegation. The ambassadors continue their rounds but with considerably less enthusiasm. You wonder about the impression with which they will return to Man's World. Perimele's violent reaction was completely out of character for her and you wonder what caused it. You find yourself increasingly absorbed with such concerns as the tour progresses. Soon the ambassadors are ready to go to the Coliseum to see the Amazon athletic competition.

[another-heroine]

Ismene and Motherhood

Warnings of Slightly Spoilers & Narcissistic Parents below

Since I've finally made up my mind about Varn babies' names, I'm thinking about the prompt I had written weeks ago, when Ismene and Maegar was expecting their firstborn. She was frightened: be responsible for a being who you barely know yet is terrifying.

After her father's death, she watched motionlessly her mother withering. Although Orine have had support of the tribe, she got incredulous about love and held her grief too tight. So tight that it impacted her relationship with her children, turning her into a controlling mother, who didn't think twice before use guilty and chantage as weapons.

Ismene was entering the teenagehood, and between she and Mykha, the girl felt more the anguish of Orine. For a long time, Ismene felt guilty for things that were out of her control. Until one day she finally snapped out, and Orine called her ill-bred.

While she kept growing up, the idea of bearing children became more and more unfitting for Ismene. How could she wish for children of her own if they most probably would be doomed to her short-temper and be the first ones to be blamed when things got wrong? The best way to avoid that 'curse' was exactly didn't permit herself to fall in love at first place!

But then she have met Varn, and a long time later they got wed. But fortunately, after all those years on the road, and the improvement as a human, Ismene knew better than anyone else that nothing was written in stone, despite what the Desna's priests in her tribe used to say. She and her children would break that chain, and she would be better thanks to them.

She would never forced a sister to be a mother if she didn't want to, because one day she was like her. The change of heart was hers, and only hers.

BONUS: I've written this with this song on my head because it's totally her emotions towards Maegar and, later, to her first baby:

But I won't die for love

But ever since I've met you

You could have my heart

And I would break it for you...

[bilightningwhumper]

Mangst 2024- Day 4

<<Previous . Masterlist . Next>>

Lost Voice (Little Mermaid) Masterlist

“Don’t look, you shouldn’t have to see this.”

Summary:

Hannah sees Sam's scars for the first time. Potential spoiler excerpt from "Lost Voice"

Notes:

Mild warnings for scars and mentions of torture, but it's somewhat brief. Went into hurt/comfort fluff territory again with this one. Characters: Sam- The Little Mermaid Hannah- Prince's fiance/bride Derrick (Mentioned)- Prince Dr Ismene- play on Dr Know-it-all, but more an easter egg than the character

Hannah’s POV

Hannah hurried into Evergreen Heart Medical Center. She wasn’t going to miss another one of Sam’s appointments. Honestly, it felt like he’d been telling her the wrong time on purpose. She couldn’t understand why Derrick had been told the right times while she’d always been able to catch just the tail end. Sam was her mate, too.

Speaking of whom, he looked surprised and startled to see her in the doorway.

“Hannah, what are you doing here?” Sam sounded casual, but his tense hands on his wheelchair arms gave him away. Having her here scared him.

“Derrick can’t make it so he told me when to be here instead.” she said as she came over to hug him. He was shaking, though he did cling to her when she went to pull away. “You okay?” she whispered, running her fingers through his hair.

He nodded, letting her go. Tense smile up at her. “Just would have appreciated more of a warning.”

Before she could ask why, Dr Ismene came in.

“Oh, hello, Hannah. Will your husband be joining us soon?”

She shook her head. “Just me today. Derrick had a work emergency.”

Sam snorted. “Yeah, his dad made a mess and left Derrick to clean it up. Again.”

“Glad to see you’re still your snarky self, Sam.” Dr Ismene laughed. “Now do you want help, or have you been able to do this on your own?”

“I can do it.”

Dr Ismene nodded. “I’ll be right back, then. You mentioned to the nurse you’re running low on ointment, correct?”

“Yeah. I’ve been trying to use less, like we talked about last name, but the pain gets worse when I do.”

She nodded again and walked out.

Sam took Hannah’s hand. “Don’t look, you shouldn’t have to see this.”

What? “See what?”

“My legs.”

“Oookay...?” She didn’t understand. “I’ve seen you naked before, Sam. If you’re concerned about your looks, I can assure you-

“Hannah.” He squeezed her hand. “You haven’t seen me since I came out of the Institution like this. And that’s been on purpose.” His smile didn’t meet his eyes. “Why else do you think I’m in this wheelchair?”

Hannah swallowed hard. She honestly hadn’t thought about it. She’d just been so happy to have him back. She squeezed his hand back. “I don’t care. You’re my best friend. Unless you tell me to go, I’m staying and I’m not going to look away.” Kissing his cheek, she leaned her forehead against his. “I want to help, if you’ll let me.”

“I just…” He let out a shaky sigh. “It’s not exactly easy to stomach. Even Derrick still has trouble helping me out.”

Kissing him softly on the lips this time, she pulled back, standing and offering him a hand. “Might as well rip the bandaid off, then. Or pants.”

He rolled his eyes at her, but took the offered arm, grabbing the side of the hospital bed for additional support.

Hannah did her best to stay as still and stiff as possible as he let go of the bed to undo his belt and pants. Seeing them drop so easily made her heart lurch, knowing he still had a long way to go before gaining enough to be a healthier weight. And then… Her heart broke as she finally registered what he’d been hiding from her for the past couple months.

Scars. Welts. Discoloration. Some skin was raised while parts looked like they’d gained permanent indentations. Incisions.

A hand was on her face, wiping away tears she only just realized were there.

“I’ll kill them.” she whispered. “Those fucking bastards.”

Sam laughed at that. “Language.”

Dr Ismene came in then, so Hannah sat down next to Sam on the edge of the bed. As she watched the routine exam, she tuned out a lot. She mostly just watched. Seeing every grimace Sam couldn’t hold back, every twitch sent through his legs as they checked his reflexes and movement. How bad had it been before? How long before they’d gotten him out had the Institution done this?

Before she knew it, the check-up was done. Dr Ismene left them with the promise of seeing them next week and prescriptions at the pharmacy to pick up.

Sam quietly asked for her help to get his pants back on. He looked worn out, even after just a half hour of mostly sitting and talking.

“Physical therapy is going to suck when we get there.” he grumbled.

Hannah didn’t answer, just ran her fingers through her hair and kissing the top of his head.

“Hey.” He stopped her from going to the back of his chair. “What’s wrong?”

She bit her lip, then asked, “When? When did they do this to you?”

Sam sighed, leaning back. He just looked at her for what felt like forever until finally, “After I saved Derrick from drowning.”

Her knees almost gave, a sob coming out. “Why?” She punched into the covers of the bed. “They had you back. You saved a life. Why just…” Her voice failed, too angry and upset to say anything else.

“Because they don’t like it when we’d try to run. And they wanted to know how I’d almost escaped. How the others did escape.” He shrugged, complete acceptance and resignation in his voice. “They didn’t want me getting out again and they wanted information.”

“Two birds with one stone.” Hannah said miserably.

Sam took her hand again. “Well, they got neither, so we’ve won, as far as I’m concerned.”

Hannah couldn’t bring herself to smile, but she squeezed his hand. “I’m glad at least one of us has a positive spin on this.”

He kissed the palm of her hand, making her blush. “I’m with you. And with Derrick. I can see my sisters again. The pack I made while in the Institution is safe. And they’re taking the Institution down. And we’ve got a blueprint to dismantle more of them, too.” He looked deep into her eyes. “You’re why I was able to hang on. I’m alive because of you. And I’m getting through this now because of you. How can I not be at least somewhat positive about this?”

Hannah blushed more. “Alright, let’s go home before I become flustered enough to make out with you in front of Dr Ismene’s next patient.”

“I mean, that is tempting.”

She ruffled his hair again as he laughed at her. Then she took the handles on the back of his chair, pushing him out of the room. Time to go home.