#it's only found in the new forest and cornwall??

[clove-pinks]

@mycological-mariner

Clathrus archeri aka Devil's Fingers

Steve Parsons via Twitter

[ivys-garden]

Hivy, This is Ivy!

Throughout my time on Tumblr one of my favourite things to do has been to create hypothetical Minecraft updates, I've done this twice before with The Pigeon update and The Pond Update, but a few weeks ago I let you lot chose what geographic area I should turn into a hypothetical update

Yall chose Celtic Europe (and Oceania but that's for later) AKA, Ireland, Scotland, Whales and Cornwall. I was very glad with this outcome as I myself am Scottish and I had a lot of ideas for this…..too many ideas…. So many ideas that I had to cut an entire section and now some stuff feels barebones….whoops. (but hey now I can work on a full portion update later…yay.)

But, enough of that, let's move on to:

The Fae Update!

New Biomes + Structures

There are 6 new biomes in this hypothetical update, each referring a different local found in celtic europe these are: The White Cliffs,The Glacial Pass, The Wisteria Forrest The Heather Moorlands/Peat Bogs (take your pick), The Highland Forests, and… you'll see ;3

The White Cliffs

The White Cliffs are a new coastal biome, consisting of grass topped cliffs, sandy bays and rock structures jutting out of the water. Suspicious sand and gravel generates naturally here and loot from it follows the fishing loot table, though with an increased chance to find nautilus shells and a rare chance to find sniffer eggs

This biome is based on the White Cliffs of Dover and the Jurassic Coast

The White Cliffs has only three new features:

Puffins

A new passive abiant mob, they drop Feathers when killed. Instead of the normal birds nest (introduced in the pigeon update) puffins lay there eggs in “wall nests” grey nests that attach to walls, these can be used as a decorative block

Seagulls

A neutral mob who drops Feathers and fish when killed, they spawn both in the White Cliffs and on beaches and open Seas. Seagulls will attack the player if they are holding any food item in their hand, stealing it.

Seagulls serve no other purpose.

Chalk

Chalk is a new stone block. It has the blast resistance of wood and is exclusive to the white cliffs, making up the cliffs themselves.

Chalk can be dyed any of the dye colours in the game, creating a softer, more Pastel variant of that colour (queers rejoice). Chalk can be made into slabs, stairs and walls in the stone cutter.

The Glacial Pass

A cold mountainous biome, the Glacial past is mainly made of stone and deeplate, with ice and snow also being common. Dipstone spikes can be found here as well as gravel structures resembling Eskers and Terminal Moraines (yes my favourite subject is geography how can you tell?). Suspicious gravel can be found here as well as suspicious snow, which can also be found in the igloo. Strays, Polar Bears, Foxes and Rabbits Spawn in this environment

This biome is based on glaciated uplands

Seals

Seals can be found in all cold environments. Seals will follow the player when they swim, upon coming on to land Seals will bob in the afternoon expectantly.

Seals can be fed fish, clapping after this is done

Seals drop blubber when killed. Blubber can be crafted into blubber blocks, when lit on fire these blocks burn light yellow. Blubber can be used to make torches, lanterns and campfires.

Blubber can also be crafted into a chest plate, the blubber chest plate reduces projectile damage and prevents Frost damage in powdered snow, but it slows you down while on land

The Wisteria Forest

A replacement for the old flower Frocester, this is a rare forrest in which all natural flowers spawn

Purified water (a type of water introduced in the pond update that can cure harmful status effects and restore hunger permanently for a short time) would spawn here too, as well as unicorns and kelpies (introduced in the pond update, will be discussed later)

Other Mobs that Spawn here will be discussed later

Wisteria Trees

Wisteria trees are a new wood type. The wood itself is a pale green with a purplish grey bark. Wisteria leaves are pale lavender. Wisteria trees also have hanging leave variants, much like willow leaves (pond update) that grow in the same way as glow berries

Butterflies and Moths

Passive ambient mobs that spawn in all biomes, though moths are most common in dark oak forests and butterflies are most common here. Both come in many colours, much like tropical fish. These mobs are as large as the bees (traditional dictates that all Minecraft arthropods must be massive, also yes bane of arthropods works on these, but do you actually care?)

Butterflies and Moths drop their respective wings when killed, these can be grafted onto the elytra (using the dragonfly carapace, an mob drop from the dragon fly as introduced in the pond update, speaking of that, the Toad from that update will also eat Moths and Butterflies) grafting these wings on changes the electable texture to resemble the wings of these Mobs (Note: despite both having many textures the electric will always adopt The Lunar Moth and Monarch Butterfly texture respectively)

Crann Bethadh Sprout

The sprout of a legendary tree, this is a two tall plant with ever changing leaf colours, shifting throughout all the pastel colour variants

The player can take a cutting of this plant using shears

This plant can only be dug up by the sniffer

Flower Crowns

By combining any 4 flowers in a circular pattern in the crafting table players can make flower crowns. Flower crowns adopt the colours of whatever flowers were used to craft it. Flower crowns can be worn on the head and serve no purpose other than to make people look pretty ;3

Wisteria Grass

Wisteria grass is a new grass type block that is pale lavender. It behaves the same as grass. It is only found in the Wisteria forest

The Heather Moorlands

Heather Moorlands are made up of water, grass, mud and a new block. No trees and few other plants spawn here, but cattails, reeds (pond update), sea grass and lily pads would be common here.

Bogs would spawn here

Toads, Frogs and Dragonflies would spawn here

Heather Moorlands are based on….Heather Moorlands.

Peat

Peat is a new powered snow-like block. It is brown in colour and makes up most of the ground in the Heather moorlands. Any plant can be planted on it.

Falling through peat takes notably longer than it does for powdered snow, players cannot freeze in peat, only suffocate. Peat can be safely traversed with leather boots.

When broken, peat will break into Peat Logs, peat logs can be burned in the furnace as an effective fuel

When lit on fire, Peat burns Bright Red, peat logs can be used to make peat lanterns, campfires and torches.

Combining 4 peat logs together makes a peat block, smelting a peat block creates Hardened Peat. Harmed peat can be made into Smooth Peat, Chiselled Peat, Peat Bricks, Cut Peat, Peat Pillar and Peat Tiles

Gortach

The Gortach are a new Undead mob. They spawn in swamps and peat bogs and resemble Bog bodies. They hide in dirt, mud, sand, gravel and peat and jump out of the ground to attack.

Gortach inflicts poison with their attacks. Gortach can carry swords, axes, and spears

Gortach drop their weapon, peat logs or Rotten flesh when killed

Spears

Spears are crafted either with one iron ingot and two sticks in a diagonal pattern, or are dropped by the Gortach

Spears are weaker than the sword but have a better reach, can be thrown (though this isn't good for their durability) and completely bypass shields and armour, hitting the opponent as if they had nothing at all

Spears have all the same enchantments as the Sword + Loyalty

Heather

Heather is a new purple flower exclusive to the Heather Moorlands. It gives purple dye when ground up.

The Highland Forest

Made up of rolling hills and Birch trees, all normal passive Mobs can spawn here, but sheep, goats,bees and cows are most common. All normal hostile Mobs can spawn here

Loch Lurkers (a rare UnderWater horse-like mob from the pond update) also spawn in the lakes here

Birch Updates

Yep. This is a secret Birch forest update.

A new form of Birch tree “Silver Birch” that grows much taller and has yellow leaves can be found here. This form gets its own sapling

The Birch block would also get a minor update to make the black segments more like stripes and not ugly blobs

Leave Updates, Packed Leaves and Thatching

Players and Mobs can now walk and fall through leaves.

When breaking leaves with anything other than shears or silk touch leaf blocks will drop leaf items (except wisteria and Spruce, which drop Petals and Needles)

By placing 9 of these in the crafting bench the player can create packed leaves, a new solid version of the leaf block

Thatching is a new block of greyish colour that is crafted with 6 wheat on the top and bottom and 3 leaves of any type in the centre of the crafting bench. Thatching looks the same as a Hale Bale, only without the string holding it together.

Goosegrass, Nettles, and Thistle

Goosegrass is a plant that grows in any forest, but is most common in the Highlands. Walking through goosegrass results in it sticking to you, taking up one of your unoccupied armour slots and slowing you down. Walking through it at all also slows you down, much like cobwebs, making this plant dangerous when fighting mobs

Nettles can only spawn in Dark oak and Highland forests. Nettles stay low to the ground, if they are walked on by a player they are inflicted with Poison. Nettles can be collected and made into a healthy soup

Thistles are a new type of two high flowers. They can be ground into purple dye. They hurt the player if walker through

Deer

Deer are a new mob found in all forested environments, much like Wolf's they have different textures depending on the biome

When killed, Deers drop Venison, a new edible meat

Like Goats, Deers will try to charge the player. Also like Goats, after hitting a block deer will drop and antler

Fog

Fog is a new weather type, lowering the amount the player can see for a short time and allowing a few Mobs to spawn, particularly endermen

Shelf Fungus

A new decorative block that grows on trees

Wildcats

Wildcats are a new ambient Mob, they share a model with Ocelots and Cats and they drop string when killed

The Mushroom Grotto

Oh yes. A new forest of giant mushrooms and mycelium. This biome is very rare. The Mobs that Spawn here will be discussed later

Mushroom Wood

Much like the nether mushrooms, overworld mushrooms are now a woodtype. The mushroom stem can be stripped and converted into all wood blocks. Mushroom wood is white in colour.

New Mushrooms

Yep. There is now a mushroom for every colour of dye in the game. Mushrooms can also now be ground into dye

Here's what all those mushrooms could look like (minus brown and red of course):

(Note: this is based on design, not colour)

Before moving on, sniffers don't just get the Crann Bethadh Sprout. They get a new plant for every dye type in the game

Plus, they can dig up two new mushrooms exclusive to them, when ground these mushrooms become two new dye types… Well, not quite. They Become Rose Dye and Spring Green Dye, the two removed wool colours. This is the only way to get these mushrooms and these dyes. This would make the sniffer more worth the work put in to get one and create a lot of more strange decoration choices

Here's what they COULD look like (note: again, colours don't line up)

Mushroom bricks

Smelting the Mushroom blocks (not the stem, the block itself) creates mushroom bricks: multicoloured bricks taking on the patterning of the mushroom used to make them

Mushroom bricks can be made into stairs, slabs and walls

Puffball Mushrooms and Faerie Rings

Both exclusive to the mushroom forest.

Puffball mushrooms are brown in colour and are plants that stay on the ground, when walked over they release spores that inflict harmful status effects such as Poison, blindness, slowness, weakness, nausea, lethitatvia, and mining fatigue

Faerie Rings are Rings of mushrooms that take up one block on the ground (they also come in all colours)

If a player steps on one it is like they are walking through cobwebs, and upon getting out they will be inflicted with slowness.

If a mob steps in one they completely freeze and their AI is disabled until they are knocked out or the ring is broken.

This would help allow players to use Mobs as decoration without lagging there game

New Structures

Bothies

A bothy is a public structure found typically in the Highlands, there small houses for folks to take shelter in.

Bothines can spawn in any woodland biomes, they'll appear as a simple wooden house. Inside Bothies will have a chest with low level loot and a bed.

Occasionally, suspicious sand,mud, gravel or snow will spawn outside the bothy (depending on the biome), these typically have low level loot but items such as armour Trims or record disks can be dug up

Stone Works

Based on the numerous palaeolithic celtic stoneworks,these are small abiant structures spawning in the Dark Oak, Highland and Wisteria forests, as well as Heather Moorlands, Snowy Tundras, Wetlands and Mushroom Grottos

There would be many variants of these structures resembling stone circles, stone henges, standing stones, stone portals and cobbled walls.

All of these are made from base stone blocks, though sometimes other blocks can be found like chalk flooring or trees/water spawning in the centre of a stone circle

Sometimes, though rarely, these structures could spawn with a “Stone Holder” a new block that holds a tool or weapon (similar to the myth of the sword and the stone) these can be moved with silk touch. The player can remove the weapon, which will always be made of iron (that's important for later) and could have some low-level enchamtmants

Occasionally, these can also structures spawn with suspicious dirt, which can be dug up with the brush. Pottery sherds are more common in these structures, but apart from that, they exist only as set dressing ;)

Castle Ruins

A more substantial ruin, Castle Ruins can spawn basically anywhere, but are most common in Highland forests.

Castle Ruins are winding structures, they have a Dungeon below with Gortach or Bog spawners in the cells. The main ruin itself is made up of narrow passageways, imagine a smaller version of the bastion.

There would be numerous loot chests around, but upon opening one, a new mob would be summoned called a ■■■■■■

This mob will be discussed later :)

The Beast's Lair

An underground structure most common under the mountains or Highland forests

Made up of narrow passages leading to open rooms filled with gold blocks, loot chests containing riches and even some new vaults. There's also a shocking amount of skulls littered around

And of course the new boss here: The Wyvern

The Wyvern is a draconic boss mob spawning only hear, it has 4 legs and two wings and is bright red (Note: no. Wyvern never meant a dragon with only 4 limbs. That is a modern addition. Wyvern and dragons were different because of what they breathed)

The Wyvern is very powerful up close and can attack from far away with its poisonous breath

Upon its defeat the Wyvern will drop copious amounts of gold and emeralds that it ate, perhaps even some diamonds if your lucky

Faerie Mounds

Spawning exclusively in the Wisteria Forests, Highland Forests and Mushroom Grottos, these are small dirt hills with a spawner inside and a handful of loot chests

They are essentially fae Dungeons

The mobs that Spawn here will be: you guessed it, discussed later

Clochan + The Dubnos Tunnels

Clochans are typically just an abiant structures common in the Highlands, small cobblestone huts with nothing interesting about them.

But occasionally, they lead to something greater. Some of them spawn with holes leading to a second structure made up of 5 rooms, oriented in this pattern:

In the centre room are 5 stones, each baring a carving of one of the 5 element symbols (note: these are taken from the unused painting textures, with a new one added for wood), at the base of all these stones is a new kind of Vault “The Fae Vault” exclusive to this structure and the beast's lair

The carvings look like this:

The goal of this structure would be to go to each of the challenge rooms, each of with have there own stone with a carving, right click on said carving to indicate you have completed the room, and once all 4 rooms are complete return to the centre room to click on the craving that was not represented by one of the carvings in the other rooms. Getting this right results in the appearance of 5 Fae keys from the stones. These keys can be used on the fey vaults to claim the structures loot

Failure to complete the structure will be indicated by the carvings glowing Red and numerous waves of Mobs spawning

The challenge rooms each contain a challenge pertaining to their element: the fire room is filled with fire, the water room is flooded, the air room requires parkour, the earth room is a Maze and the plant room is filled with Sweet Berries, Goosegrass, Nettles, Thistles, Puffball mushrooms and Faerie Rings (yes I know mushrooms aren't plants, shush.)

On top of that, there are several spawners for the fae in this structure, with various types appearing to attack you. Though these spanners will be deactivated upon completing a room

(Note: carved stones can be moved with silk touch)

They fae Mobs that Spawn in these will be discussed later.

These structures would create unique challenges for the player and would bring more life to these biomes, encouraging exploration.

(Part 1/5)

[souiiore]

MY OC, pt. 2

not my usual post, but I had to introduce my OC to you guys. i might include her in a future story perhaps :p pic credits @goreyirl !!

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Jordan Hatchett, formerly Smith, was born into a wealthy family in the UK. Her father was often away on business trips in America, and she missed him dearly. Jordan was raised by her nanny and grew into a beautiful, upper-class woman. By the age of fifteen, she and her mother moved to America to live with her father. Jordan was a curious child and read many books, which led her to beg her father to take her along on his business trips.

One day, he was called to sign a contract with Cornwall Kerosene & Tar in New Hanover. After some sweet talking, Jordan convinced her father to take her with him. They stayed in a hotel in Valentine for nearly a month. Her father was out of town frequently, and she quickly grew bored of staying inside. She would take long walks alone around the town and through the forests, admiring nature. It inspired her to write. Jordan would often sit by the river on a rock, where she could be alone, until one day she was caught off guard by a man sneaking around with a bow, paying her no attention. He appeared to be hunting. She watched as he aimed his bow at a deer and missed his shot. He cursed under his breath, and she laughed, which piqued his interest.

That was how Jordan met Sebastian Hatchett. She soon learned that he was only a few years older than her and a member of a small outlaw gang. He began visiting her hotel room every day when her father was out, and they would talk for hours, both sitting on the bed. By the end of the month, as she was preparing to leave Valentine, Sebastian confessed his love for her. She promised to return one day, and they both agreed not to get involved with anyone else until they met again.

Three years later, after her mother passed away, Jordan decided to return to Valentine on her own, hoping to see Sebastian again. She stayed in the same hotel room and visited the same spot by the river where they had first met. Luckily for her, Sebastian still visited that spot at least once a week when he had the time. They reunited, and after a week of catching up, Sebastian proposed. She accepted, and they were soon married.

Sebastian introduced her to his gang, and she began living with them in his tent. He taught her how to ride a horse, handle a gun, and take care of herself. Jordan lived with them for eight years, enjoying the adventurous life of an outlaw. But one day, the gang was attacked by a rival gang, and many members were killed, including Sebastian. She was the only one who survived, thanks to Sebastian's sacrifice. The law quickly arrived, and she was arrested and locked in a cell.

Jordan was transferred to Sisika and charged with murder and theft, sentenced to death. Fortunately, she managed to escape. With no money or clothes, she found work on a ranch, keeping a low profile while trying to rebuild her life. She mourned her husband deeply.

At the ranch, she grew fond of a mare named Maya. The ranch owner, being kind, allowed her to keep the horse, and the two quickly formed a strong bond. After a year, Jordan had saved enough money to get back on her feet. With her earnings, she bought guns, some new clothes, and became determined to seek revenge for her husband's death.

— some facts about Jordan:

she likes to keep her hair in a plait

she hates being dirty and messy

she hates being taken care of, but loves taking care of her loved ones

she's perfect for undercover jobs when it comes to blending in the upper-class due to her education back in The UK

she slowly began losing her accent over the years and started picking up on the american one

she hates overcrowded places and prefers to be alone

her previous horse's name was Isleen, but she got sold for horse racing after Jordan's capture

she's hot-headed and stubborn, when going through something, she tends to completely shut down and doesn't like to talk about it

she likes to read and write about romance

she has no contact with her father, doesn't know his whereabouts, she had a strong bond with him despite his absence most of her life

her mother was very strict and often yelled at her, which caused Jordan to hate noise

her mother died due to a mental illness which may be a hereditary disease, she lives in fear of ending up like her mother

she loves flowers and sitting by the river

her favourite color is blue

hates when people lie to her, and doesn't trust anyone after Sebastian

she's claustrophobic

her favourite town is Strawberry, because it reminds her of Sebastian (they used to visit that town a lot, and stayed in the hotel there)

she loves cats, but is scared of dogs, beacuse when she was 8, she got attacked by a stray which left a scar on her face

her representative animal is a fox

she wears Sebastian's hat

[radioactiveparker]

Back To You - Steve Harrington X Fem!Reader

Summary - Your past lover, Steve, finds you in The Upside Down

Warnings - Graphic depictions of blood and gore / Strong language / Partial nudity / Use of Y/N

Word Count - 4.5k

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Lightning pulsed in crimson forks through the charcoal sky, thunder stalking behind as a foreboding drum-roll. Its booms commanded the skies into a perpetual night of calamity. The storm echoed the chaos inside your head. Your neurological network was clouded by an immense surge of panic that caused your inner wires to short circuit. There was a heavy haze shrouding your prudence, you might as well have been brainless. Your manoeuvres were disoriented as you gracelessly stumbled between a squadron of wilting trees. Desperate to create a firmer pace of traction, your calves burned as your bare feet pounded into the ground. Kicking up withered leaves, you avoided thick tendrils of roots that infected the forest floor. Sticks and stones prodded and poked at the aching soles of your feet as you ran. You didn't know what they were; birds, bats? Whatever they were, they had been after you. Soaring high against the clouds, shrilling at the top of their lungs like they were mocking you, warning you that they knew you were here.

Your breath clouded in front of you, every inhale a gasp of terror. You had been running for what felt like hours. Those desiccated bats had been teasing you, every time you had thought you were safe, they'd appear again out of know where and screech their little laugh. It didn't help that you only stayed in a close vicinity of Lover's Lake, in hopes that Alex (your boyfriend), or the police would follow you down to save you. Despite having never been in this nightmarish world before, you knew exactly where you were. It was the dapple of woods that separated Cornwallis and Garrett. You had come here so often with your ex-boyfriend, Steve, that you could probably navigate it with your eyes closed. You were going to Skull Rock. It was the only place close enough to Lover's Lake that you felt safe. You had spent so many afternoons there, skipping school with Steve to just make out and talk trash about the teachers that you hated. What was once so lush with vegetation and sunshine, was now dead and shrivelled; an unfortunate reflection of your relationship.

There was another screech from above you and you clambered under the boulders of Skull Rock, dirt getting on your bare knees, but you couldn't care less. You closed your eyes in a childish prey that if you couldn't see them, then they couldn't see you. You brought your knees to your chest. Perhaps if you curled in on yourself tight enough, you'd suffocate. That would be a better way to go out than being torn apart by those bats. They were hovering above you dangerously close now, you could hear their wings battering the wind as they flew nearer and nearer.

Until it stopped.

The thunder still continued to roll, but the bats shrieks grew fainter. They were flying away, but why? You held a shaking hand to your chest in an attempt to control your breathing, and silently thanked whatever it was that had distracted those evil creatures.

As the adrenaline dissipated from you, you began to shiver. Only now that you were finally safe did it occur to you that you had been trapped in here in only your underwear. You had reluctantly gone for an early afternoon swim at Lover's Lake with your boyfriend Alex, despite warning him that a Hawkins High student had been found dead the evening before. You had heard about it from a friend who was dating Patrick McKinney's older brother, but Alex didn't believe it because there hadn't been anything said about it on the news. And now, here you were, probably as good as dead; cold and practically naked, with no way back home. Your eyes welled at the thought. The silence of the forest made the thoughts in your head feel like there was a drill bouncing around in your skull. You had been here for hours and there were no signs of anyone coming for you. You were going to be down here forever. You'd freeze to death, or starve to death, or even cry yourself to death. And that was if those bats didn't shred you to pieces first. You let out a sob. You had wasted your life away worrying about popularity, spending time with people who weren't really your friends, and frittering away the last two years of your life with someone you didn't even love, all while pinning over your ex-boyfriend who didn't even love you anymore.

A twig snapped.

You held your breath.

The bats had come back for you, just as they had for the last few hours. How stupid could you be to believe you were actually safe from them? They must have lured you into a false sense of security so you were easier to catch. Or maybe they were doing it on purpose to rev you up, to get your heart pounding. Perhaps the more scared you were, the better you tasted.

Snap!

They were drawing nearer. You could hear every leaf crunching beneath their keen talons. You covered your eyes, curling into yourself once again, praying that it would be over quickly.

They were right beside you now.

Getting closer and closer until--

"Y/N?"

Your head snapped up. There were no bats. You weren't going to die. Someone had come for you, but it wasn't exactly who you thought it would be.

"Steve?!" You ran to him, forcing him into a tight embrace. He may have been your ex-boyfriend but at this moment he was your hero. He was your saviour, preserving your life for another day.

You and Steve started dating in your final year at middle school, and for the three years that you were together, you thought that he would be your forever. Perhaps it was your own fault for being so naïve. Your fantasies would manifest as a glamorous wedding. You would wear the most elegant dress, Steve would cry when he saw you walk down the aisle, and you would have a gorgeous wedding ring. Then he would take you to Hawaii for your honeymoon and when you would return home, you would find out you were pregnant. Twins - you would wish for two boys, where as Steve would argue for a boy and a girl; the best of both worlds. Until he found someone more exciting, you guessed. You noticed he had started acting different when you got to high school, when he started hanging out with Tommy and Carol.

When he started sharing classes with Nancy Wheeler.

But she was beautiful and smart and kind. Who wouldn't get butterflies from her? While Steve was still at your every beck and call, he still spent an awful lot of time with Nancy. You thought that maybe it was because she was more of a challenge. She didn't want Steve, not in the beginning anyway. But Steve liked that she played hard to get. You had just fell into his arms the second he said hello to you. You were so eager that he didn't have to try at all.

Just the same as everyone else.

But not Nancy.

Little did you know, however, that Steve had regretted leaving you the second he did. The thing was, Steve was absolutely and utterly in love with you.

And that terrified him.

Love can often be unbalanced. Maybe Steve loved you more than you loved him, maybe it was the other way around. But Steve was teetering so far off the edge that he could see how big the drop was. And he was scared of the fall. He was so scared in fact, that he forced his eyes shut, just so he couldn't see the bottom.

But that was exactly where you were.

You were waiting for him to fall, ready to catch him and to tell him that there was nothing to be afraid of. But he had built a safety net. And in this safety net, he had managed to catch someone else. Steve had played it safe and left you hanging around, twiddling your thumbs as you watched Nancy fall into his arms.

For him, it was easier with Nancy. His feelings weren't so intense, there was no disconcerting urge to withdraw, and there was no compulsion to build up his walls when he looked into her eyes. He felt more at ease, and that was something that he had craved with you. So he set his heart on Nancy. She was just so straight forward. But just because she was the easier path, it doesn't mean she was the right path.

To Steve, it just wasn't the same without you. And when Nancy had finally said yes to him, things felt different. He enjoyed the chase, but now that he had caught her, he didn't know what to do. But he had been keening after her for so long, it would be a waste to not follow through with it. Steve realised quickly that he and Nancy were very different. She wanted to be a successful journalist, and he wanted her to be his little house wife. She was too independent. Steve liked the idea that someone needed to rely on him, it made him feel needed and it gave him a sort of purpose. But Nancy would do just fine without him, better even.

Because she wasn't you.

He pulled back from you, raking over you to make sure you were okay. "What are you doing here? Where the hell are your clothes?"

It came out as a complete word vomit. You were practically sobbing your words out, shuddering gasps with every inhale as word after word spewed out of you mouth. "I was on a date with Alex Murphy at Lover's Lake. He'd had it planned for weeks before spring break, and he was really excited to go, but I told him we couldn't go because Patrick had just been found dead there. He told me that if I didn't go, I didn't love him. So we went and we were swimming and something grabbed my foot and started pulling me down. I didn't know what it was and I couldn't breathe, and then I was just here and those freaky bat things were chasing me. And I'm scared, and I don't know how to get back."

He carefully gripped onto your shoulders, forcing you to look at him. "Hey, calm down. You're going to be fine, okay. I'm gonna get you out of here," he stared deep into your eyes, "I promise."

You breathed in relief, nodding your head with complete faith in him. Steve had always known how to calm you down. He was good like that, always noticing the little things that could make a big difference. You looked back into his eyes - the colour of cherry cola, just like he used to drink when he took you to the movies. And just like that, as you were staring into his eyes, it was like you had gone back in time. Back to when you were together and nothing else mattered but that. Back to when times were simpler and he still loved you. And for a split second, the look in his eyes told you he still did. And boy did your heart swell.

Someone cleared their throat.

You noticed Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley, and Eddie Munson awkwardly standing behind him. It was Nancy, the girl who Steve had left you for, who had cleared her throat, crossing her arms in impatience. Robin gave you an awkward wiggle of her fingers as a wave hello, and Eddie was stiff and red faced as his eyes darted anywhere that wasn't your half naked body.

Your heart dropped and you took a few step back, grabbing Steve's arm and protectively pulling him closer to you. "What are you guys doing with him? He killed Chrissy!"

"Whoa Whoa whoawhoawhoa, hold on, Y/N its okay." He gently pulled himself away from your grip to place a reassuring hand on your shoulder. "He didn't kill Chrissy, it was Vencman."

"Who?"

"No, it's Vec-na." Robin corrected. "He's this freaky dark wizard dude that's been killing people to open up gates to The Upside Down - to here."

Your mind was racing as fast as your heart. You slumped slightly in perturbation, unconsciously leaning on Steve in the process. He didn't seem to mind, he really didn't mind, in fact. He leaned into you as well, pressing his chest to your back, and revelling in the feeling of your bare skin pressed together. You were glad he didn't move back. You thought you might flake out if he wasn't holding you up.

The people around you, people who you knew and went to school with, were being murdered by an evil wizard who was trying to open up gates to another dimension? There was a pain in your chest when you thought about Chrissy. You were on the cheerleading team together and often hung out. You never really hung out as just the two of you, it was more so you were friends with each other's friends. But that didn't make you any less sad. From thinking about Chrissy, you remembered Jason, and then Patrick. And how someone had said Patrick was found dead at Lovers Lake. This Vecna guy must have killed Patrick, opened a gate, and you must have fallen through. You felt a wave of sickness at the thought that you had swam where someone had died.

"And this Vecna guy, he killed Patrick?" Your voice wobbled as you asked for confirmation.

You saw Eddie's eyes fall as he rubbed his arms. He seemed to have flinched when you mentioned it, and you wondered if he knew something about it. Maybe he was there? You made a quick note not to mention it again. You didn't know Eddie very well, not as well as Robin, who you had worked with at Scoops Ahoy before Steve came along, and you had quit before you could work together. But Eddie was always nice to you, despite you being with the "Popular" crowd and being a cheerleader. You questioned why you ever thought he would kill Chrissy in the first place, and you felt shame for even thinking that.

"Yeah, that's how he opened water gate. That's how we got down here." Robin clarified and your heart sank.

You wanted to pinch yourself to wake up from this crazy dream you were having. Only, it wasn't a dream, despite how badly you wished it was. You whispered a 'shit' in acknowledgment.

"You believe us?" Nancy asked, surprised that you had conformed to their explanation so quickly.

"After today, I think I'd believe just about anything."

Your heart jolted. There was another echoing rumble again, that caused you to grip Steve's hand tightly. The others didn't seem to be as fazed by it, like they were used to all of this creepy, mess up stuff. You felt Steve lean over you, looking at you with a mixture of confusion and concern. You released a breath when you realised it was only thunder and quickly removed your hand from Steve's. Heat rose to your cheeks and an itchy sweat broke out across your shoulders as you turned away bashfully. You didn't miss the look on Nancy's face when it happened.

"So this place is like Hawkins, but with monsters and nasty shit?" Eddie called out, keeping his eyes on the flashing red sky.

"Pretty much, yeah."

Steve grunted from beside you, leaning himself of one of the large boulders of Skull Rock. It was only then that you noticed the blood.

And a lot of it.

Chunks of flesh had been torn from his torso, like something had been hacking away at him with it's claws and teeth. It looked so gnarled and painful that it caused your body to tingle. The skin around it burned red and the exposed muscle was practically throbbing.

"Holy shit! Steve, your bleeding. Did those bat things get you?"

He slowly slid down the wall of the rock, nodding his head with his eyes clenched shut. "Yeah, but I'm alright."

"No you're not. You're losing a lot of blood." Nancy rushed to his side, pushing you out of the way and making you stumble into Robin, who grabbed your shoulders to steady you.

Nancy immediately got to work on ripping her shirt to make a makeshift bandage. You were practically paralyzed as you watched, loathing how helpless you felt. In your ideal world, it would be you helping him, wrapping your arms around his perfectly toned waist with your faces inches away from each other. But then again, in your ideal world you wouldn't be stuck in this god forbidden place.

"So if this place it still Hawkins, everything should still be here right?" You asked desperately trying to distract yourself from their closeness. You rubbed your arms guardedly, not missing the way Nancy stared deeply into Steve's eyes for a second too long to your liking when she finished tying the Bandage.

"So theoretically, we could go the the police station and steal guns and grenades, and whatever we need to blow up those bat things that are guarding the gate." Robin aptly declared.

Your heart dropped to your stomach. "Wait, so those freaky bat things are guarding the only way to get out of here?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Nancy sighed. "But we don't have to go all the way downtown for guns. I have guns in my bedroom."

Your eyebrows raised in awe. Nancy Wheeler was nothing like how you expected her to be. There was a pang in your heart when you realised you were starting to see maybe why Steve left you for her.

"You, Nancy Wheeler have guns, plural, in your bedroom?" Eddie seemed just as surprised as you were.

"A Russian Makarov and a revolver."

"Yeah, you almost shot me with that one." Steve joked, coming to stand beside her.

"You almost deserved it." Her tone lowered and rasped ever so slightly. Her sultry tone made you want to smack that smirk off of her face.

Your stomach churned with resentment, you were surprised you hadn't started turning green. But what were you jealous about? You and Steve had ended things almost three years ago. You thought you had moved on, but seeing him again, and being this close to him had caused all of your feelings to rush back once more. You realised now that you had probably never stopped loving him. It was him who had ended things after all, not you.

There was a nudge to your arm. You had been so wrapped up in Steve and Nancy that you hadn't heard Eddie come up beside you.

"Y'okay?" He whispered.

You nodded with a tight lipped smile, trying to mask the envied look on your face. He opened his mouth to speak, when the sky rumbled again. Only this time it rumbled with such vigour that it caused the earth to tremble. All five of you began to stumble and fall as the ground became unstable beneath you. Robin immediately dropped to the floor as you and Eddie grabbed a hold of each other to anchor one other down, but you ultimately fell to the ground when another quake rattled. You held onto each other so tightly in fear that the earth would split open and swallow you whole. Nancy had the same idea as you, gripping onto Steve like her life depended on it as they both tumbled into skull rock. If you weren't fearing for your life, you would have been furious. However, You prayed that the shake wasn't strong enough to destabilise the large boulder, and they wouldn't get crushed beneath it.

The earthquake felt as though it lasted so much longer than it actually had. The tremors slowly faded and the world went back to normal, as though nothing had even happened. Everyone sat back up, breathing heavy in shock. You and Eddie leaned up on your elbows, his arm was still protectively wrapped around you. You noticed Steve looking over at the two of you, and he moved himself away from Nancy, hoping you would copy his actions.

"So guns seem like a pretty good idea to me." Eddie's voice broke and his eyes glazed over.

"Yeah, me too." Robin agrees, standing to her feet.

Eddie pulled away from you, redness flushing on his cheeks when he realised his arms had been around your naked torso. You wondered if this was the first time he had even touched a girl, but you mentally shook the thought from your head. You had more pressing things to worry about. Like going to Nancy Wheelers house to get guns to take on a dark wizard. What had your life come to?

Eddie offered you a hand and pulled you up to your feet, brushing off dead leaves from your arms and hair. You mumbled a 'thanks', trying your best not to smile when you saw Steve's eyes staring holes into Eddie. Now he knows how it feels.

Eddie must have felt his stare because he quickly turned to him and gave him a knowing look. He turned back to you, giving you a quick smile before shrugging off his jacket. Clumsily, he pulled his denim vest from the sleeves of his leather jacket and chucked it at Steve, claiming it was 'for [his] modesty, dude'. He then gently placed his black jacket over your shoulders and you graciously pulled your arms into its warm sleeves. It was big enough to cover your backside, falling at the top of your thighs. It was only when he had started walking away, did you notice that Nancy and Robin were already way ahead. Eddie jogged up to Steve, who was a little further behind, leaving you to walk on your own.

You stared ahead of you, watching how Steve and Eddie walked together. You knew they were talking, but you were too far to hear what they were saying. However, you suspected that they were talking about you, because of how often the two of them would take turns to look behind them. You almost froze when you saw Steve slow down and Eddie walk on ahead, looking between you with a smirk growing on his lips. Quickly, you averted your gaze and looked upwards at a particularly interesting-looking branch, pretending as though you hadn't seen anything. As you got closer, your eyes diverted lower and lower, until you finally looked at Steve, who was patiently waiting for you with a fond smile. You finally caught up with him, the two of you walking side by side in an awkward silence. His arm brushed against yours as he moved closer.

He cleared his throat. "So, you're in love with Alex Murphy?"

"Huh?" You almost stopped in your steps. That was probably the last thing you expected he would have said. "I never said that."

"You said he told you you didn't love him if you didn't go swimming" He pointed out, turning his body so he was facing you.

"I don't love him per se. I guess I just loved ... not being alone." You took a breath before bravely saying, "I missed having someone to protect me."

He opens his mouth to say something. "Anyway, I thought Alex might have been with you guys, like maybe he told the police or something" You interrupted him, immediately regretting what you said when you saw the abashed look on his face.

"Y/N," Steve hesitated, "He hasn't even reported it."

Your legs halted abruptly, "What?" Your voice was a whisper of betrayal.

"No one even knew you were missing."

Your eyes watered and your nose felt hot. You clenched the long sleeves of Eddie's jacket in your palms. "That piece of shit! He probably just wanted to cover his own back, so they don't suspect he's doing the killings. God, I should've known, he didn't even come in after me."

Steve stayed silent. He looked at you as if he was apologising. Apologising for something he didn't even do. You had to look away from him. At this point, it physically hurt that he wasn't yours anymore. There was a wound in your heart in the perfect shape of Steve. A wound that was longing for his passionate touch to heal and vanish.

You could feel him eyeing you up. Your body tingled as he raked his eyes over your body. He started at your legs, trailing them up to where your backside was covered by Eddie's jacket. He lingered a little longer than he probably should have on your chest, which peaked out from where the jacket wasn't closed properly. They travelled up the soft skin of your neck to the round shape of your lips.

He took his hand in yours. "You know, I'd never do anything like that to you. You know that right?" He said it like he was proposing something.

"I know."

He stepped towards you, placing a finger under your chin and forcing your eyes to meet his. You took a deep breath, relishing in his gentle caress. Your chests were almost pressed together and you could feel the warmth radiating from his body. It was a warmth that resonated deep within your soul. You felt so strongly that your souls had been born from the same flame. You were able to bathe one another in warmth and light as easily as you breathe. There was an aching hunger to crush him into you, for the collision to ignite the flames once again.

"I was thinking maybe, after all of this is over, you'd maybe wanna try again?" He's so close to you now, you could feel his breath on your cheek.

You had to stop yourself from gasping aloud. You thought your heart could burst from happiness. You beamed at his, and he chuckled lightly at your reaction. His smile was beautiful. He was so hypnotising, drawing you in as he caressed your cheek. You did nothing but nod, opening your mouth ever so slightly as he brushed his thumb along your soft bottom lip. He was even closer now. He towered over you with your noses nudging, inhaling one another. Your hand pressed to his chest, giving you leverage to lean closer. You reached on your tiptoes, preparing for your lips to meet his.

But he moved.

His lips rested on the corner of your mouth, before trailing them down. They gently pressed to your neck, causing goose bumps to rise on your skin. "I need to hear you say it."

"Yes." It was a breathless whisper.

"Good girl." He breathed into your ear.

His words hit you like a ton of bricks. Even after all of these years he still new how to work you like a well-oiled machine. You gripped onto Eddie's denim vest he was wearing, trying to pull him impossibly closer. You yearned for his lips on yours again, to drink him in after years of dehydration.

A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest as he pulled away, giving you a smirk before walking ahead and leaving you trailing behind with your thoughts.

[notwiselybuttoowell]

Temperate rainforest, which has been decimated over thousands of years, has the potential to be restored across a fifth of Great Britain, a new map reveals.

Atlantic temperate rainforest once covered most of the west coasts of Britain and Ireland, thriving in the archipelago’s wet, mild conditions, which support rainforest indicator species such as lichens, mosses and liverworts. Today, it covers less than 1% of land, having been cleared over thousands of years by humans and is only found in isolated pockets, such as the waterfalls region in the Brecon Beacons and Ausewell Wood on Dartmoor.

Two maps released by Lost Rainforests of Britain, and shared exclusively with the Guardian, show both what exists today and what could be revived in the future. The map showing the remaining fragments of rainforest in England, Wales and Scotland was compiled with the help of the public, scientists and geolocation specialists.

The second map shows that more than half of Wales and nearly all of western Scotland – as well as large parts of Cornwall, the Lake District and other pockets north of Manchester – have suitable climates for temperate rainforest.

Guy Shrubsole, an environmental campaigner who runs the Lost Rainforests of Britain campaign, said the 18,870 hectares (46,628 acres) that survive in England could double in size within a generation if they were allowed to naturally regenerate, spread by ecosystem engineers such as jays, which have been shown to support forest regrowth.

“I think the map gives a sense of hope that 20% of Britain has the right climate for temperate rainforest,” said Shrubsole. “It is highly likely that that area would have been once covered with rainforest thousands of years ago. Ultimately, I think that’s something we need to take inspiration from and look to the past to think about what we need to be bringing back in future.

“I don’t necessarily think we could cover all of the 20%. But I do think we could allow those existing fragments that we have identified to expand in size.”

The organisation commissioned a YouGov poll, which found that 93% of the British public support protecting the country’s rainforest, while 85% back its expansion and 80% think public funding should support its restoration.

Ecologists say that invasive species, pollution and grazing by livestock have damaged temperate rainforest in the UK, but substantive protection and careful tree-planting could see the rare ecosystems naturally generate.

Previous analysis by Lost Rainforests of Britain found that 73% of England’s remaining fragments of temperate rainforest are not designated as sites of special scientific interest, despite their importance for biodiversity. Shrubsole has been encouraging members of the public to help him identify and map remaining fragments of rainforest.

The RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts, the National Trust and the Woodland Trust have backed Shrubsole’s campaign, writing to the new environment secretary, Ranil Jayawardena, last month to urge him to better protect what remains and expand the rare habitat, which is also found in Chilean Patagonia, Alaska and Japan.

[sunburnacoustic]

The Inner Symmetry

VISIONS Germany reviews Muse's set at Hurricane Festival in 2001 and interviews the band in issue No. 100, July 2001.

[Note: This article has been translated from German, and my German is nonexistent so I am no help here. Original article archived on archive.org]

Good Morning Beautiful

The summer of '99. A good year in every respect. Great records, great concerts, fine festivals. The Hurricane, for example, was one of those highlights that people talked about for a long time. Motorpsycho, dEUS, Chemical Brothers, Manson, Queens Of The Stone Age, Foo Fighters and dozens of other seal-of-approval gigs. That was nice.

Right in the middle: three young guys with playfulness, pressure and anger in their stomachs, and an album called "Showbiz". As well as half a dozen VISIONS editorial staff, who at eleven in the morning in a shockingly empty circus tent indulged in true emotional rapture. The reason: singer and guitarist Matthew Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dominique Howard celebrated live on German soil for the first time Songs like "Sunburn", "Muscle Museum" or "Uno" enthralled from the word go with brilliant guitar baths, magical presence and a punch that made the festival breakfast stick in your throat.

So there it was, the new Britrock sensation. Three pimply teenagers in shabby jeans and sneakers, who at first glance looked as if they had won the Sparkasse youth development prize. But they had prepared well, at home in tranquil Devon in rural nowhere in southern England. Had studied the records of Nirvana, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley and the Smashing Pumpkins in the children's room, met several times a week in the rehearsal room for years and worked meticulously on the details until they were really good.

Then, in early '99, they had just that little bit of luck: John Leckie, the production ace for Britain's rockier moments, found them fragrant and took them to the pampas. More precisely: to Cornwall to Sawmill Studios, where, in the middle of the forest and far away from any civilisation, bands like Oasis, Supergrass and the Stone Roses had already put down great albums. And now it would come, the "Showbiz".

In the afternoon of that day on the Hurricane [festival], during an interview in their then-still clearly small camper, three super good-humoured rockers lolled about casually on their couch and gibbered over the small group of girls who openly offered themselves as accompaniment for the afternoon at the concert earlier searched. Man, that's pretty exciting, all of this. Matthew shakes his head: "It's so surreal. Up until a few months ago we were still practicing our fingers sore in the rehearsal room and playing in pubs to a few people who thought we were shit. And now we're rocking here in Germany at one of the biggest festivals and having a lot of fun. Great, and now I'm going to see Placebo."

The World Is Yours

It's cold, it's winter '99. Despite the technical problems and ten hours on a snow-covered autobahn, Muse really impressed the almost sold-out Cologne Prime Club. Later, Dominic, Matthew and I are sitting in my old Opel, freezing like slugs in the three-star freezer and listening to tapes for a VISIONS blind date. They seem pretty much destroyed - the fact that "Showbiz" was released worldwide, at the same time and with great fanfare now hits mercilessly. You want them, preferably anywhere and immediately. Five club concerts in Europe, then as support for the Foo Fighters and Porno For Pyros through the States, and in between to Southeast Asia, where they already fill the big halls.

That takes its toll. As a jittery, flu-stricken Matthew soberly states, "It's damn hard to maintain a consistently high level when you've got absolutely no downtime. Right now, all I could do was sleep all day." Moderately enthusiastic they fight their way through the 15 songs on my tape, only the new Therapy? can really blow his mind. "My goodness, let's get started," says Dominic happily. "And how well they play to the point. Oh man, we still have to practise a lot."

Pleasure And Pain

Earlier this year in London: visibly relaxed, contentedly grinning faces on the band and label people. The weather is beautiful, the hotel is large and expensive, the lounge is comfortable and the media entourage is international. A relaxed afternoon with fine finger food and a lot of questions. And new sneakers for Matthew.  Unconventionally cut old school sneakers with fashionable puma fur applications in black and bordeaux. He got it from the Japanese delegation because they heard that he likes that sort of thing. That's right - Matthew is overjoyed: "An excellent gift. Because that's how it is with shoes for me: I always only have one pair. I wear it exclusively and for as long as possible. Until I get a new one that I like.

With all due respect, Mr. Bellamy, I blurted out unintentionally, it was about time. Because his previous favourite pair, parked right next to my armchair, a festival-proven biotope of days gone by with the pungent aroma of ammonia and acid, could have a negative effect on sex appeal. "Heehee, finally someone else tells him!" giggles Dominic, who is lounging next to Matthew on the sofa and gnawing the toppings of bite-sized slices of pizza in layers.

Matthew takes it easy, like so many things these days. But they also have every reason to smile: Yesterday, at the first small club gig after a five-month studio break, it literally broke out of them. Pressure and fun in a family package, a superbly balanced balance between brute force and pure beauty, and all with a tightness and precision that very few trios can achieve.

Also, and even more important: The second opus "Origin Of Symmetry" is as good as in the can, and, so they say, turned out really smart. More ideas, more courage, more variation, more studios and more real human bones - the latter used as idiosyncratic sounding percussion instruments. “Yeah, that's about it,” Matthew judges. “We just wanted to trust each other more. We know more, can do more, so we want more.”

According to Matthew, the most important development, which was also unmistakable last night, is the following: “We have found out what it really means to be a three-man band and how we can optimally use these advantages. We've listened to a lot of Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, Nirvana, Primus and Police—the best trios in music history—and only focused on what makes them special: dynamics, interaction, precision, filling in empty spaces. I think we're getting that across quite well now.”

His trick: variation. In volume, mood, intensity and instrumentation. The latter especially, because Matthew has learned to play the piano. “I've been really into playing keyboards, Fender Rhodes and piano for a long time, and now I'm composing a lot with them too. I aspire to be at least as good at it as I am at the guitar. That's why we're going to integrate the keys into the concerts in the future. That gives some songs a completely different, completely new vibe.” Also: It also looks good. “I think it's cool: Sitting on the stage behind his piano, singing a ballad and having the blues. Almost a bit like Tom Waits.” A jealous crook,

“There are two sides to Muse – in the songwriting, on stage, in all of our music. They express the two opposite moods I can find myself in when making music. On the one hand you have the happy, light-hearted side that's just looking for a good melody and a well-rounded song. On the other hand, there is this thoughtful, serious, dark, often aggressive element that sometimes breaks out of me and creates wild, unbridled moments. That's what scares me sometimes on stage, because something almost always breaks. It's the borderline between pleasure and pain. You have to learn to deal with that.”

Truly, not an easy chunk. Especially when impressions like those of the past year rain down on you. Shrill situations and people, bad and good surprises, a life with left indicators and headlight flashers. Matthew says: “You're in the middle of Australia, the phone rings and they ask you if you can tour America with the Chili Peppers next week. And a week later you are suddenly in Japan and 20 girls are camping in front of your hotel room. And if you go out and talk to them, they make a big fuss and run away. At the bottom, you hop in the limo, drive to the venue, and then all hell breaks loose.”

That Rockstar Thing, Revisited

Easter in Düsseldorf, two months later. Almost everything is the same as it was a year ago when you were here for the first time: the same place (Philipshalle), the same occasion (Osterrocknacht). But: a different position. If you gave the afternoon heater back then, this year you are the secret main act for many. Also different from last time: the mood. Because it's bad. There are far too many interviews, viva is annoying and they don't feel like signing autographs. And then this ugly backstage room, of all things, the one next to the Stereophonics, who you always thought were stupid.

Especially since their singer Kelly Jones informed readers in detail in an NME interview about how independent and boring Muse were compared to them. And anyway: Matthew is a little snot with bad manners. As proof, a play follows in two acts. Part one consists of a very pissed off Mr. Bellamy, unannounced visits to the cloakroom neighbours, arguments, ugly scenes, and to top it all: red wine stains on your favourite sneakers. The end of the scene: even more bad mood. The evening seems to have passed.

But part two follows in no time, less than an hour later: Muse on stage. Professionals in a duel - with the weapons of the musician. Matthew is the grumpy, multi-talented frontman somewhere between languishing singer, maniacal guitarist and serene piano player. The new songs are stunners, today's drive is a very special one, and the Stereophonics playing after them look pretty lame and tired. Muse, the ‘young urban professionals�� of rock music, do what they do best: vomit out emotional apocalypses that have become songs, absorb anger and energy, surf on a sea of ​​intensity, melody and groove.

They play skilfully on the keyboard of the rock 'n' roll premier league, and not only in musical terms, as the rest of the evening proves. We—that is, the industry-standard mix of media representatives accompanying the band—are sitting in the living room booth of their super-luxury bus on the way to the after-show party in a rented hotel suite. The band is upstairs in the living quarters of the rolling amusement hut; not alone, as giggling girls' voices tell us.

Later, in the suite, a motley crowd of roadies, journalists, musicians and label people demand music and alcohol. Matthew, Chris and Dominic are just taking a shower or something, the procurement of drinks is faltering, everyone is waiting, nobody knows why, for whom and in what condition.

But as soon as they are there, the fun trumpets with the aura of successful alternative careerists, things get turbulent. Beautiful girls give them beautiful eyes, complimenting pats on the back from every side, handshakes and a bit of casual socialising. Who would have thought: The insignia of being a star are now excellent for the three inconspicuous boys from the sheltered provincial idyll.

As it's almost getting light outside and my skull is getting darker and darker, I'm standing in front of a monstrous wide-screen TV with Dominic and an absinthe in my hand. My efforts to explain to him that the hotpacks from the Rockpalast broadcast that are just crossing the screen are called Clawfinger, were a very hot sweep in the early 90s and were allowed to replace the main act today, earns a weary shrug of the shoulders. "I've never heard that. Must have been before my time. I was just starting out on Nirvana and grunge at the time.” Young veggies, damn it.

Blood, Sweat & Abbey Road

Three weeks later we meet again, because in the meantime "Origin Of Symmetry" has hit the home CD player. It only needed a few runs to convey the certainty: This record also has it, something special, maybe even more than the debut "Showbiz", which in direct comparison seems downright tame.

The foundation: a handful of fantastic, aggressive rock tunes like "New Born", "Hyper Music" or the first single "Plug In Baby", with killer melodies and beats like slaps in the face. The walls: magical ballads like the suicidal blues "Feeling Good", the heart-rending "Screenager" or the sacred "Megalomania", which comes with church organs. The roof: confused glam rock with tasteful 80s keyboards ("Bliss"), a vocally losing-all-control of Matthew in the pathos anthem "Micro Cuts", or orchestral monumentals in the best prog rock tradition, as in "Space Dementia" or " Citizen Erased". A colossus of diversity, beauty and great songs.

The circumstances of this album production couldn't have been better either: They spent a few months in the four most expensive and best studios in England - including Peter Gabriel's 'Real World' mega complex, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour's studio houseboat and, of course, 'Abbey Road'. “Admittedly, we also had to take a deep breath at the end of the recording when we asked ourselves what the next record should actually be,” says Dominic. “But should we forego such opportunities because of that?”

During the recording sessions, they were again guided for long periods by the skilled production hands of John Leckie, but on four of the heavier songs they also put themselves in the care of another top-class sound carver: Tool producer Dave Bottrill. “I don't think anyone understands us like John, but it was a very important experience,” Matthew recalls. “Dave has a very different approach to a band and their music.” What's the biggest difference between them? “John Leckie is sound, arrangement and feeling. Dave, on the other hand, thrives more on the energy he thrashes into you while recording. It really helps you get the most out of yourself.”

With the finished high-quality recordings, Matthew says, they were drawn back “back home to our living room, now in terms of studio technology.” Namely to Cornwall to the 'Sawmill Studios', whose owners - and this is where we come full circle - meanwhile too is her manager, closest adviser and backup daddy. We are sitting in the bright sun on the terrace of a luxury hotel in Hamburg. As usual, Chris is the friendly, grinning, reserved observer. Dominic, the smug rascal with the dry jokes, asks me the name of the pretty promoter who is taking care of them today. And Matthew, the bright kid with a penchant for hyperactivity, meticulously paints every colour abrasion on his run-down Asian sneakers black again with an Edding.

Despite the stress of everyday touring, they make a vital, tidy impression today. The recipe is simple, explains Matthew. “First: eat better, take care of yourself a little. And secondly: going out a lot, having a few drinks with nice people who were at your concert. In short: lead a social life. If you just hang out at the hotel and lock yourself up, like we did on the last tour, then eventually all ties to normal life will be severed. You'll quickly become a bit ‘meschugge’ [mad?]. That's why we're going out a lot more among people this time. It helps you stay grounded. The only thing that is sometimes clearly neglected is sleep.”

Good keyword: Is there ever help? Surely you get offered at some after-show party, that junk. But no, no power to the drugs - at least the stupid ones. “Everything that is too speedy or too chemical drives me crazy, we don't really need that at all. The greatest feeling is something hallucinogenic, maybe a few mushrooms. But never on tour. At most at home, or rather in the studio if you got stuck musically and need a conceptual overview for a few hours.”

That's how they sit there: three smart young men in harmony with themselves, the world and the temptations lurking everywhere. Unaffected, reflected and extremely relaxed wolves of the music genius in the sheep's clothing of young normal people. “That's what life is all about,” says Dominic. “Being able to do exactly what you want to do most, in a relaxed, optimal environment.” “There are still phases where I catch myself thinking that all this is nothing more than is a great dream,” adds Matthew. “And then again there are moments when the full force of this crazy rock lifestyle hits my bones so much that I know: That must be reality.”

This is also reality, and current ones at that: Muse are the paragons of the new generation of boisterous rock emotionalists. The reactions to the album range from positive to overwhelming, the concerts are buzzing and everyone is happy. The fans, because they can indulge in pure Muse enjoyment. The label, because if everything goes well, you can soon earn a lot of money with it. And the band, because they can take all the freedom they want and still be loved fanatically and taken 100% seriously.

Matthew is a bit proud: “What I think is so great is that people really engage with us. Because that proves: We are not hype, everything is solidly developed success. When we try something new or overshoot the mark, nobody says: ‘Let them do it, they're crazy anyway.’ No, people try to understand why we do something. They take us seriously and deal with our ideas. It's a really great feeling to be liked for that, not because you had that one cool #1 hit with that catchy tune.”

Just An Ordinary Night

Their gig in the completely sold-out market hall on the same evening is rather meagre thanks to a terribly miserable sound, terrible scramble and the obvious listlessness of the actors. But today's after-show party in a hip cocktail bar on the Alster is quite solid. A constellation of journos, record bosses, musicians and happily grinning groupies, which is remarkably similar to the Düsseldorf drink, but today decidedly more top-class, basks in the wonderful feeling of being able to be there. And they do their job well, the three main actors. Are charming, funny, constantly surrounded and even concerned about the musical well-being of the guests - Dominic doesn't give up until he can soften the granite block programmed stoically to house by a DJ to let the complete new Weezer record run through.

"Is that a pattern every night when you're on tour?" my gin and tonic-soaked brain asks an equally heavily-counted Matthew as we wait for cabs at dawn. “Yeah, more or less. That's good: we have fun and gain experience. And then you can write songs about it again.” And hey presto, he's already sitting in the taxi with Dominic and a pretty companion. Hopefully he'll keep his shoes on later for the cozy part in the hotel. The one with the cougar pattern, the red wine stain, and the marker pen on the side.

[mask131]

Deadly fall: Even more about the Ankou

Category: French culture / Breton folklore

Freely translated from Edouard Brasey’s “Encyclopedia of Fantasy Heroes” (the translation is really incorrect but the French notion of “merveilleux” is hard to translate so I’ll stick with “fantasy”)

Chapter 4: Travelers of the Otherworld

The Ankou

In Bretagne, the wraith that announces death is called the Ankou. He was first written about in the 18th century. He appears as a grinning skeleton, dressed in a large black cloak that only reveals his head and hands. He is armed with a scythe whose blade is turned upside-down, so that he can reap in a much wider way – and he uses a human bone to sharpen the blade. He usually stands upright on a cart with iron-wheels and creaking axles, the “karrik ann Ankou”, with two white horses, one skinny and lanky, the other fat and shiny. Sometimes the cart is invisible: you can only hear its sinister creaking. The Ankou is sometimes helped by two assistants who walk by the cart. The first holds the bridle of the first horse, while the other opens the field gates and house doors, plus throws in the cart the dead that the Ankou reaped.

If he points his bony finger at someone, it means they will die very soon. If he touches someone, the person will feel a cold chill and they will know it is time for them to die. The Ankou then takes his victims into the otherworld, located in the direction of the sunset, by forcing them to climb on his “bag noz”, his “night boat”. The Ankou is at the same time the “oberour ar maro”, the laborer/workman of death ; a ferryman of the dead similar to Charon in Greek mythology ; and the kind of the dead, of which he leads the macabre hordes. But sometimes, it is said that the Ankou is actually Death itself.

Every year, on All Saints Day (corresponding to the ancient holiday of Samhain), the Ankou and the dead come together, in an invisible shape, to the feasts the living prepare for them : tradition says that on Toussaint (All Saints Day), you must cook crêpes and curdled milk mixed with cider, and place it all on a white tablecloth while playing music. While the living can’t see the dead when they consume these offerings, many testimonies talk of plates, cutlery or chairs moving on their own. When the rooster sings, the gathering of ghosts disappears, leaving behind them a lot of leftovers the living can eat freely. Sometimes the Ankou is said to be the last dead of the year, working for twelve whole months before he is “dethroned” and replaced by a new deceased.

Other tales claim that in the depths of the Huëlgoat forest, in the Arrée mountains, there is a gaping opening to hell. The Ankou sits there, in a palace filled with thousands of candles, each of them corresponding to the life of a human being. Sometimes the Ankou blows on a candle, which causes the death of the corresponding person. Legend also describe how the Ankou can sit on the threshold of newly-built houses, waiting patiently for the first living being to cross it, so that he may take them away. This is why people, after building a new house, pushed an animal first inside, or placed an egg on the stone of the threshold. The Ankou takes away his “prey”, and the livings can enter the new house without fear.

Even if the character of the Ankou is only known in Bretagne, the “cart of death” is also found in Ireland, where it is called “dead coach” or “deaf coach”. Black and silet, it is dragged by four headless horses and its coachman is also headless. It always follows the same road: leaving the church and making a big circle around the area before returning to the church. Similar beliefs are also found in Cornwall.

[sitp-recs]

I just read a heavy, sad and beautiful story and need something happy and easy to read next. Any recommendations that you would say are your ultimate comfort fic?

Oh I LOVE The Beauty of Thestrals! Such a gorgeous and poignant fic. I’d say my favourite comfort reads are not necessarily happy but more on the soft, contemplative side. If that’s your thing I think you’ll like the ones I linked below :) I also recommend Dustmouth’s brilliant comics, best cure for angsty fic hangover!

Sun Stroke by @peachpety (2020, E, 3.8k)

Draco, Harry, and a handful of friends take a summer holiday at the beach. With the help of a sultry sea setting, encouraging friends, and a fisherman’s jumper, Harry and Draco's mutual attraction swells and things get hot on a salty summer night.

Waiting for that Feeling by @sorrybutblog (2021, T, 3.8k)

Draco Malfoy has a car and Harry Potter is on the case! Featuring Muggle car repair, a road trip to Cornwall, and falling in love in a Ford Fiesta.

Still Warm, Still Warm by @tsauergrass (2021, G, 4.8k)

Harry is up to something. Why else would he keep giving Draco presents?

He Whose Hand and Eye Are Gentle by khalulu (2017, G, 5.2k)

Draco reads poems and sometimes writes them. Harry receives poems and sometimes reads them. Rutherford delivers poems via the scenic route. Wombat snores. Eventually, all comes together, with help from the foxes in red bibs and the sumo referee.

Life goes not backward by @shealwaysreads (2020, T, 9k)

Harry still isn’t used to gifts, but this one is different. A story of coming home, finding safe ground, and the wild courage of putting down roots.

Stand Back: I'm About to Perform Archaeology by Blowfish_Diaries (2018, E, 9.7k)

A new Muggle Studies professor takes the Eighth Year students to work on an archaeological excavation. In which Draco is lazy, Harry is sweaty, Hermione is drunk, and Ron turns red.

Of Hoof Picks, Centaurs and Flight by @blamebrampton (2012, G, 21k)

Harry has promised that he will not do anything to upset the new head of Magical Creatures. Even if it is Draco Malfoy. When three centaur foals appear in Cumbria, far from the Forbidden Forest and all too close to Muggles, Harry’s promise is thoroughly tested. To say nothing of his equestrian skills.

Nice Things by aideomai (2020, M, 22k)

The first thing that happened was Theodore Nott came back from France.

Against All Odds by momatu (2015, E, 53k)

Beauxbatons is hosting the first ever Quidditch Summer School for children from all over Europe, and Harry has promised to enroll Teddy as his birthday present. Meanwhile, Draco is stuck in his office, putting together the first ever Quidditch Summer School for children from all over Europe during, when he should be enjoying summer holidays.

A Room Up There (And You In It) by @the-starryknight (2020, T, 59k)

When Preservationist Draco Malfoy was assigned to work on Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, he was excited to delve into the gorgeous Black family antiques. His excitement quickly ended when something in the House decided it did not like his presence one bit. Featuring a grumpy antiques lover who most certainly did not sign up for this, encounters with a vengeful apparition, and a healthy application of Christmas spirit.

Home Truths by @skeptiquewrites (2021, E, 67k)

In the off-season Harry decided to fix up Grimmauld Place and found that Draco Malfoy was the only person who could help him. A demanding career and unrelenting press scrutiny were enough to deal with before Harry added a house with a mind of its own, family history, and a tense, flirty, complicated relationship with his childhood nemesis to the mix. On professional Quidditch, magical houses, hard choices, Life Debts, and inconvenient truths.

The Liars Department by @dorthyanndrarry (2020, T, 103k)

This is a story about Harry meeting up with Draco Malfoy four years after the war. And a story about Harry, well, not hating his job per say, but it's not like he has much to compare it to and it seemed fine. His whole life seemed fine. Then Malfoy came along with and his flashy suits and fast car making everything seem dull in comparison, and Harry... Harry couldn't just leave well enough alone.

[ttuesday]

Hi! Could you do one where the fellers take care/react to a reader who has depression and is having a bad day/few days? Thank you! <3 <3 <3

I hope you get through this slump anon, honestly I’ve felt the same way too recently but I’m sure we’re both gonna get through this wave of bad days <3

Arthur

Arthur noticed your change in mood after the first day. He could tell something was off but he didn’t want to push you for answers. He had asked you if you were ok and you’d always reply saying you were fine, though that was an obvious lie. 

After a few days and seeing no improvement in your mode, Arthur decides to push you a little more. This time after you said you were yet again ‘fine’, he sighs “You sure? You seem down lately”. He isn’t great with his words and scared of saying the wrong thing.

He knows that whenever he feels down that saying around camp can do more harm than good, so Arthur suggests you go stake out Cornwall’s factory with him for a mission. Nothing much happens but giving your mind something else to focus on certainly helps.

If you do decide to tell Arthur about how you’re feeling, he stays quiet and nods along to everything you say. Even if you only tell him a small bit, he feels honoured that you trust him enough to say it and he makes sure you know that no matter what, he’s always going to be there for you.

Charles

Charles could tell from your demeanour that something wasn’t right. It’s the little things Charles picked up on, like how you now had to force a smile more often or how you always seemed distracted during conversations. 

Charles overheard a few of the others asking if you were ok and you always gave the same answer so he didn’t bother asking you that question again. Instead he asks if you’ll go hunting with him. He tells you how he needed an extra pair of hands acts totally casual .

After a nice ride through the forest and some relaxed conversation, Charles leads you through to a small opening where he apparently saw some deer. He hopes being out in nature and away from everyone will help your mind relax.

He doesn’t push you to talk about how you feel, Charles just wants you to have a good time and to have a genuine smile on your face. If you want to talk about your feelings then Charles is happy to listen and try to come up with solutions but ultimately he just wants you to have a good day.

Dutch

It took Dutch a few days to fully realise you were feeling down but he does notice it eventually. First he just presumed that you were feeling down because a job didn’t go to plan but he got worried when you’re mood didn’t seem to lighten.

His first approach to trying to cheer you up is by giving you materialistic goods. Dutch surprises you by giving you a shiny new pocket watch he just so happened to ‘find’ somewhere and he even gives you some money form the donations box and tells you to buy yourself something nice.

But Dutch can see that his plan didn’t work. Sure materialistic items are nice but they didn’t change how you were feeling. It’s times like this Dutch is happy he has Hosea to give him some advice on how to help you.

While the gang is distracted serving up dinner, Dutch pulls you aside and says “I know you haven’t been yourself lately and I know I can’t make you talk to me but if you ever feel like chatting, I’m always here for you”. He doesn’t want you to feel forced into talking but Dutch wants to make sure you know he’s there.

Micah

Micah knows this sounds kinda creepy but he likes to keep an eye on you when you’re in camp. So because of this, it’s actually pretty obvious to him when your mood changes.

When he tries to get you to open up first, he’s very abrupt and straight out asks you what’s wrong with you. But when he realises this method only pushes you further away from him, he attempts to take a more relaxed and calm approach.

When he sees you’ve trailed off by the edge of camp, Micah follows you out with two glasses and a bottle of whiskey. He’s always found it easier to talk when he’s had a drink and he’s hoping you’ll feel the same. 

He doesn’t expect you to tell him all about how you feel but if being there and occasionally annoying you works as a distraction from that dreadful feeling, then he’s happy to do that. He wants you to feel like you can tell him things like this, even though he understands he ain’t the most trustworthy person out there.

John

John can be kinda awkward at times and sure, he doesn’t know how to have those deep emotional conversations but he cares about you and genuinely wants the best for you.

He tries to be subtle about it and says little comments every now and again like “Well you know where I am if you wanna talk” or he’ll compliment you throughout the day, just to make sure you know how great you are as a person.

But when he sees you’re not feeling any better, he starts to worry. On the outside it’s easy to see John as someone who doesn’t notice the change within you but the truth is John sees it but he’s scared that if he brings it up, he’ll accidentally make it worse. 

In the end, John goes with what he feels in the moment. Seeing the sad, drained look on your face, John’s almost sure his heart is breaking. Sighing, he holds out his arms and says “C’mere”. John hugs your for as long as you need, not daring to let go first. Sometimes you’d be surprised how great a hug can be.

Javier

Javier likes seeing your smile. It’s the one thing that’s guaranteed to make his day better. One of his favourite things in the world is making you smile, especially since it gives him that butterfly feeling in his stomach. So he’s recognises when your smile seems too forced or as though you’re smiling without genuinely feeling happy.

Javier sits with you and reminisces about old memories, hoping stories of goofy robberies that somehow didn’t get ye killed would make you smile. And it works! …but only for a little while.

Javier knows that this feeling comes and goes, and that sometimes it can seem like it’s in the background of your mind for weeks. When he first left Mexico, he had strong feelings like this too so he knows how each day can differ and how the feeling fluctuates.

But Javier tells you he’ll be by your side for all of it. He wants to be the shoulder you cry on and for the nights that seem long and dark, he’s there. He lets you rest your head on his lap and Javier hums a few songs as he runs his fingers through your hair.

Bill

We all know what Bill is like. It can take him a while to understand how you feel but the main thing is he tries to help in whatever way he can. At first he thinks that you just feel sad over something. He doesn’t think it’s a big deal and Bill just thinks the feeling will fade in a few days. But it doesn’t.

Something that always helps Bill destress and forget about life’s problems for a while is playing with Cain. He’s convinced that dog has superpowers cause Bill’s in a good mood whenever Cain comes around. One day when Cain comes over to Bill for some belly rubs, Bill gets you to join in too.

You spend the rest of the afternoon with the two of them, using Bill’s bandana to play tug of war with Cain and laughing when Cain flops down on Bill, tired from all the games. 

As ye relax, Bill distracts you some more by telling you a few stories, like when he drunkenly mistook a cow for his horse. Bill doesn’t care if he has to tell you a thousand stories and pet a thousand dogs with you, if it’ll make you smile again then he’s willing to do it.

Sean

Sean wants to be the most helpful person ever. He wants to be there for you through it all, holding your hand each step on the way. Seriously, when Sean sees the shift in your mood and notices you aren’t your usual self then he holds on to your hand and doesn’t plan on letting go anytime soon.

Anytime you want to talk, Sean has no problem stopping whatever he’s doing and giving you his undivided attention. You’re so goddamn special to him and he’s scared of losing you, so he puts 110% into making you feel more comfortable in yourself.

Whenever Sean hears about a robbery or sets up a job, he always brings you along, whether you wanna go or not. He doesn’t think staying around camp all the time is good for you so whenever he goes out, he drags you out with him for a change of scenery

Does Sean know what he’s doing or if he’s helping you overcome this? No, he’s just winging it but this man will literally do anything if it means getting you out of this slump.  

Hosea

This is Hosea, of course he notices when you become more reclusive and depressed. Hosea’s a strong believer in love and support helping people get through anything, and so that’s what he gives you. 

It doesn’t matter where ye are, what time of day it is or if you’re in the middle of a shootout, if you need Hosea then he’s there to reassure you and tell you everything’s going to be alright.

He understands how it can be hard to talk about things like this and how sometimes it feels like you can’t put your emotions into the right words. If you try to talk about how you feel but start to get upset, then Hosea stops you and instead suggests you just sit with him for a while and wait for the feeling to pass.

He never tries to pressure you into talking and if anyone gets pissed off cause you’re not ‘pulling your weight’ around camp then Hosea becomes absolutely furious with them, unholstering his gun making sure the person knows they’re a fool for saying such a thing.

[parkerslatte]

Years Passed [Chapter One]

Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1.6k

Part Summary: After a decade of living in England, Y/N finally moves back to America to be closer to her family.

prologue / next chapter

Years Passed Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Taglist

***

CHAPTER ONE: FAMILIAR FACES

Y/N was always one to follow her dreams. Originally her dream was to become an astronaut but she soon found that she wasn’t smart enough for that. That’s when she found herself falling down the route of art. Y/N had always been a gifted artist since she was a child. While everyone in her class was drawing stick figures and calling it a day, Y/N would take time to get the proportions of the body right. People would always say she was trying too hard or just trying to get attention. Y/N didn’t care - she was doing what she loved.

It wasn’t until high school where she began to take art more seriously, people would come to her to do art commissions. At first Y/N refused, she didn’t want to charge people for her art but once she realised how much she could make from it, doing art commissions became her job. Throughout high school it was her main source of income. However, it wasn’t until the end of high school where Y/N decided that art was the thing she definitely wanted to go down. 

Opening up her own gallery became her dream. A couple of years after breaking up with Spencer Reid, Y/N moved to England. She didn’t exactly know why, all she knew was that she wanted a fresh start. Y/N moved into a small flat in Cornwall. It was perfect for what Y/N needed. She spent just over ten years of her life living in Cornwall and Y/N couldn’t be happier, however there were many instances where she missed her family. Y/N could never afford to constantly go between England and America and neither could her family. A lot of her time was spent on phone calls and video calls with her family. 

It was only recently that Y/N moved back to America. Six months to be exact. After nearly eleven years of being away from her family constantly, Y/N decided to move back to America. She didn’t make the decision lightly, it took her many months to come to the conclusion. Y/N had many friends in England. She had her small art gallery. Most importantly, her daughter had her friends in England and her school - everything she had ever known. 

Y/N’s daughter, Harper, was seven and she was the light of Y/N’s life. Everything she did was for Harper. Y/N didn’t want to pry Harper away from her home, but she wanted her to get to know her family. When Y/N told Harper the news, Harper was excited, she had always been a curious girl and moving to a new country was exciting for her. 

“Mummy!” Harper yelled, running out of her room to Y/N who was sitting on the couch. Her daughter’s accent was a little messed up. Some words would come out in an American accent and some in a British accent - more specifically the Cornish dialect. 

Y/N smiled upon seeing her daughter. As she ran, the wild curls on top of her head bounced up and down. Harper approached Y/N and climbed onto the couch next to her. Y/N wrapped her arm around her daughter and pulled her in close to her side.

“What’s got you so energetic?” Y/N questioned. 

“Can we go to the park?” Harper asked, “You said that we could go today.”

Y/N checked the time on the clock on the wall, “You really want to go at ten in the morning? You don’t want to wait until midday then we can go out for lunch?”

“Can we go now? I’m bored.” Harper draped herself over Y/N’s lap dramatically.

Y/N shook her head, a smile on her face. Harper was definitely one for dramatics, something she inherited from her father.

��Okay, how about this?” Y/N started, “We wait until eleven and we can invite Melanie and Toby and we can go and get lunch with them?”

Harper nodded her head vigorously causing Y/N to chuckle slightly. The only reason as to why Y/N wanted to wait longer to go out was because she was waiting for Harper’s birthday present to turn up. It wasn’t her birthday for another three weeks but Y/N always wanted to leave time in case the package never turned up in case she needed to buy something else. 

“Why don’t you go and play in your room and I’ll come and get you when it’s time to go?”

Harper nodded before running off to her bedroom down the hall. Checking the clock again, Y/N realised the package wouldn’t be here for another half hour. Deciding she had time to kill, Y/N made her way to her bedroom to get changed. If she was going to be out for most of the day, she decided that being in sweatpants and an old shirt wasn’t going to look so good. 

Picking out a simple sundress, Y/N got changed in a flash before she found herself seated on the couch again. Over the last few days, Y/N had found herself being more tired than usual. Everything she did drained the life out of her, obviously she wanted to run around and play with Harper but she would tire out quickly. Harper would try not to get sad about it as she understood why Y/N got like this once a year. Y/N wasn’t going to explain it until Harper got a little older but she understood perfectly. 

Grabbing her phone off of the coffee table, Y/N pressed on Melanie’s contact. Melanie had been Y/N’s friend for a while. They met a year before Y/N had moved to England, due to their long distance friendship, Y/N had expected that they would fall out of contact but they never did. Melanie was godmother to Harper and Y/N was godmother to Melanie’s son Toby. 

The phone rang a few times before Melanie picked up. 

“Hello?” Melanie’s voice came through the phone.

“Hey Mel!” Y/N greeted.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Well Harper and I are going to the park in an hour and I was wondering if you and Toby would like to join us?” 

“We’d love to,” Melanie answered, “Toby’s been pulling my leg asking when he would see Harper next.”

Y/N chuckled, “We’ll meet you at the park if that’s alright.”

“That’s more than fine, we’ll see you then.” Melanie responded before hanging up the phone. 

Y/N tossed her phone back on the couch and slumped back down. She could easily turn on the television and watch something but she didn’t feel up to it. Getting back up from the couch, Y/N headed over to Harper’s room and pushed it open. Her daughter was hunched over her small desk, scribbling away on a piece of paper. Y/N smiled at the sight. Her daughter had taken after her in artistic skill, always having the dream that one day she would be as good as her mother. 

“Hey Harp.” Y/N said, entering her room. 

“Mummy, look I’ve done a drawing!” Harper said excitedly holding up the picture, “It’s the same one you painted.”

Y/N took the drawing out of Harper’s hands and held it up. Y/N had painted a landscape of a forest a few weeks ago and Harper had copied it almost exactly. Every time Y/N would do a commission or a painting for fun, there would always be smaller versions of the same painting but made with colour pencil. Sometimes Harper would sit next to Y/N while she was painting and they would do it together. 

Y/N always enjoyed doing art with Harper by her side. She would constantly ask questions about it and Y/N was always more than happy to answer. From sitting next to her and watching her paint, Harper had been teaching herself how to paint. Y/N would always offer to help her but Harper always refused the help, letting Y/N only watch from a distance. Their whole house was filled with paintings from both Y/N and Harper. 

“It’s incredible, Harp.” Y/N said crouching down, “Even better than mine.”

“No it isn't, your one is better.” Harper said, “Yours are always better. I want to be like you when I grow up.”

Y/N pressed a kiss to the side of Harper’s head, “I don’t want you to be like me, I want you to be like you. You are going to grow up and be an extraordinary person, like you already are.”

Harper hugged Y/N tightly, “I love you mummy.”

“I love you too, sweet girl.” Y/N pressed a kiss to the side of her head once more before she heard the doorbell ring. 

“Is that Melanie and Toby?” Harper questioned.

“No, it’s someone else, Mel and Toby are meeting us at the park,” Y/N explained, “Now why don’t you clean up in here before we head out.”

Harper nodded before she began clearing everything away. Y/N headed out of her room and opened the front door. Y/N expected it to be Harper’s present however she was greeted by two people - more specifically FBI agents. Y/N looked between the two, very obviously confused. 

When Y/N looked up at the male agent, her eyes widened the slightest amount. His hair was curlier and he had a slight stubble. He looked as if he filled out his clothes more as well. Even if it had been more than a decade, she could recognise him anywhere. 

Spencer Reid.

PERMANENT SPENCER REID TAGLIST

@spenxerslut  @averyhotchner @drayshadow @moviequeen51 @spencer-reid-am-i-right @ssavanessa22 @amurderofcrowsinatrenchcoat @mbjackie @jklemps @reformedmoneyshovel @nomajdetective @jesuisbenny @jooniehomie @spencerreid-187 @onyourfingertips @uhuhuh @rubyhi208-42 @archer561 @c0rpsecore @sweetandsunny @zoeygraygubler @algonsa @jswessie187 @shemarmooresfedora @kaz-2y567 @alfonsais @aikrus @nani-2305 @death-becomes-her @sarejane @isabelle-558 @measure-in-pain @the-nerd-gang @manuosorioh @luredwithpretzels @ceeellewrites @totallyclearwitch @jekkles @this-is-doctor-and-its-calm @sarahpaulsonlov3r @periwinklemax @kuolonsyoja @heartmira @hoodpankow @parahmur

SERIES TAGLIST

​@its-9pm @nani-2305 @reidsfish @mochionly @spencerswildestdreams1 @magnetas @matthewscumslut @madsgraygubler @bakugouswh0r3 @rexit-mo @shinshankai

[crockettmarcel]

there are over 50 aus here (bc I'm insane) so everything's under the cut! all moodboards are linked, and those with an asterisk * next to them feature Lolly at some point. please do not talk to me about how many have the asterisk because trust me. I know. also if you've noticed how many of these involve Sarah moving to a small town and starting a new life, please keep that to yourself. can an annoying person not project their desires onto fictional characters?

4000 miles*

Unable to cope in Chicago (and later New Orleans) after Crockett's death, Sarah moves with her daughters to a small seaside town in the Netherlands, where she meets and befriends Ava

Birthright*

Sarah is just like her father. who'd have thought (serial killer!Sarah)

Black water

1930s Cornwall, England. Sarah's a lighthouse keeper, and Ava's a rich London socialite. she was only visiting the village to see her grandmother before she passed, but it was enough time for her to fall in love with Sarah

Bloodline

Sarah and Ava's daughter Piper has leukaemia

Brain freeze*

Crockett has a summer fling with Sarah, the cute girl who works at the ice cream parlour in the town he's staying in

Burnt espresso*

Crockett files for divorce. Sarah finds out she's pregnant (and Crockett wants nothing to do with it). then to top it all off, she quits her residency and takes a job at a coffee shop near her apartment while she works out what she's going to do with her life. thank god for Ava Bekker

Circus

in which teenage Sarah ran away to join the circus! set in the 1960s, when she's in her twenties

Close encounter

Sarah knows what happened to her, it's everyone else that has doubts. so what better to do than to quit your residency and move to the other side of the country to find other people who know the truth (alien/paranormal investigation)

College (chaotic academia)

Ava's a straight-A pre-med student at college on a swimming scholarship. Sarah's her roommate, another pre-med student who lives off red bull, exclusively reads books in russian, french or german, and seems to never sleep. a match made in heaven :)

Cottagecore*

Crockett and Sarah bought a farm together &lt;3

Cult (The Farm)*

Ava's kidnapped one day after work by a religious doomsday cult. Sarah, who's been there since she was seven, takes her under her wing and teaches her the rules and how to survive. six months later, The Farm is raided and shut down by the FBI, and suddenly Sarah's the one in a society she doesn't understand

Cult (Village of Light)*

Sarah's visit was only so she could give Crockett some news, but then one night turned to two, turned to a week, and a week turned to months. and who could blame her, when someone as charming as Ava Bekker is suddenly taking an interest in her? no one else gets this level of attention from their leader (1970s)

Dallas

a look at Sarah's life after she left Chicago

Disorder

Sarah's high school eating disorder makes a comeback

Eidetic

as close to canon as physically possible, but with a "Sarah has an eidetic memory" filter. more of a headcanon tbh

Experiment*

Sarah, Ava, April, Lanik and Crockett were all born and raised in an underground lab, as part of an experiment to develop "super soldiers" with innate powers

Fading

Sarah's depressed and nothing seems to be getting better

Final girl

Sarah lived through her very own slasher movie as a teenager, and now the horrors have followed her to Chicago

Firefighter*

firefighter!sockett. need I say more? probably, but I can't think of anything else

Forest*

after Dr Charles was shot, Sarah goes back to Connecticut to try and find out the truth about her life, and why she was found wandering alone in the forest when she was five

Ghost

Ava gets a great deal on her new apartment in Chicago - perfect location, beautiful building, and cheap rent. the problem? Sarah, her ghostly roommate, who's desperate for Ava to help her solve her murder

Hideaway*

Missing beach au. a few years into Sarah's captivity, Crockett purchases a tiny beach house, and when he moves from Florida to Chicago, he leaves Sarah behind in it, with a small allowance and one rule: don't talk to people unless it's absolutely necessary

Homesick*

instead of going to Dallas, Sarah moves back to Austin after she leaves Med, where she reunites with her childhood best friend Carlos Reyes

Last light

Sarah and Crockett having simultaneous breakdowns about their respective dead daughters

Long-distance*

Sarah left Lolly and Crockett behind in New Orleans when she went to medical school, but they're still trying to do the co-parenting thing (even though they're not officially together anymore, and Sarah has a thing for someone else)

Mafia*

mafia boss Sarah and her hot wife Ava :) I'm sure there's plot somewhere

(Unnamed) Mafia*

inspired by med 7x20 - Ava ends up being recruited by Sarah Reese, a mafia boss, to treat her infant daughter's heart condition, whatever the cost may be. and if she can come back later when her older daughter gets sick, or her husband is stabbed, well surely that couldn't hurt

Melancholia

despite living in a city of almost three million, Sarah's never felt more alone (vent au lol)

Mermaid*

Ava swims up north and finds a new pod off the coast of Florida. Sarah's on the verge of leaving it

Missing*

Sarah disappears after work, and with little evidence, the case quickly goes cold. four years later, she's rescued from Crockett's basement with two children in tow

Missing/NCIS crossover*

after giving a talk at a high school on Quantico naval base, the MCRT gets a call about a child wandering around alone nearby. it's not their typical case, but they're the closest, so they head over there with the intention of sorting it all out quickly and then heading back to NCIS. however, it soon becomes obvious that this isn't just a kid who's walked away from her mom, and it's up to them to work out where this child came from and where her parents are

Model

model Sarah x designer Ava. that's all I've got bc I've decided I don't like the old idea anymore lol

Motherhood

in which Emily Prentiss is a mom :)

Nervosa*

very similar to disorder, but with sockett instead of reesker

Painless*

Nothing like finding out your daughter can't feel pain

Pediatric surgeon!Crockett

pretty self-explanatory I think

Picket fences*

Sarah's tired of being a celebrity and everything that comes with it. she wants out

Pride

Sarah refuses to accept that she's a lesbian. Ava shows her that there's nothing to be ashamed of

Punk*

Sarah, April, Connor, and Crockett are punks living together in Sarah's house. when Crockett leaves to make music (and doesn't come back or contact anyone for over a year), Ava takes his room, and a romance quickly flourishes between her and Sarah. when Crockett comes back, he's not pleased to find out that he and Sarah have a baby now, and that she's raising her with Ava

Restoration

after Sarah's marriage falls apart, she decides to finally do something with the house she inherited from her great aunt a few years back. she packs up and leaves Chicago, then moves into the house in Connecticut, far away from everything that went wrong in her old life. as she fixes up the house, she builds relationships with the people in the town, and slowly begins to heal from everything

Roommate*

Ava's neighbours are awful and she's desperate to find somewhere else to live. Sarah's landlord just upped the rent, and now she needs to find a roommate. Connor, sick of hearing them both complain, suggests that Ava move in with Sarah. what's the worst that could happen?

Rosehall Estate*

Ava starts a job as a governess for Owen Manning, which means moving into Rosehall Estate, a manor house that's been in his stepfather Crockett's family for years. it's all going well, until Ava starts noticing strange things happening - weird sounds at night, things not being where she left them, and a woman in a white dress who wanders the grounds in the dark

Royalty*

Queens Sarah and Ava and little princess Lolly :)

Seven*

after surviving a serial killer when she was seventeen, Sarah joins the FBI, working with the BAU, the very people that helped her all those years ago

Showbiz

Sarah's a child star who has even more fame now that she's an adult, and Ava's one of the light technicians working on the set of Sarah's latest movie. she doesn't even think Sarah noticed her, until the end of filming when she gets a huge bouquet of flowers and a handwritten thank-you note from the star herself. and, well, the rest is history

Single dad!Crockett*

by the time Sarah realised she didn't actually want to be a mom, it was too late to do anything about it. when Lolly was born, she gladly signed all of her parental rights over to Crockett, and she didn't object when he said he was moving the two of them back down to New Orleans. it hurt, but Crockett wanted to be there for his daughter, and he could think of worse things than being a single dad with his parents around the corner

Skating*

figure skater!Sarah x ice hockey player!Ava <3 until Sarah's injury that is, and then it's med student!Sarah x ice hockey Ava :)

Summer camp*

instead of going back to South Africa for the summer between her junior and senior years of college, Ava decides to work at a summer camp. what could be more American? it's fun, and if summer camp veteran Sarah Reese is more than a little easy on the eyes, that's not Ava's fault

Tattoo/flower shop

no idea what's happening with this one sorry (but there's a lot of gay behaviours)

Teacher*

she was a science teacher. she was an English teacher. can I make it any more obvious?

Tiny love*

um. if u don't know this then what are you doing on my blog. read this fic and maybe if you ask nicely I'll finish it

Trinity Beach

Ava's a travel journalist working on a project about the best hidden gems around the US, and her latest focus is on a small Californian town called Trinity Beach. it's a beautiful place, the type where everyone knows everyone, but it doesn't take long for her to earn people's trust. she talks to lots of people, but the one person she's interested in - Sarah, an artist who lives right by the beach - doesn't talk to anyone except for Crockett. but Ava's a journalist, and it's her job to find stories and dig for the truth, so that's exactly what she does

Trophy wife*

Sarah didn't just marry Crockett for his money - there were feelings there that she couldn't deny - but it quickly becomes obvious that he loves her more than she loves him. he spoils her with gifts and vacations and parties and anything else she could want, but she just grows to resent him and herself for not loving him back

Trust fund!Sarah*

she's always had everything she's ever wanted or needed, and there's enough money in her trust fund that with her part-time modelling job she can afford a penthouse in Chicago, but even with all that, Sarah's life since college has still been one disaster after another. she's trying her best, but then suddenly she finds herself in hospital with a heart condition and the possibility of surgery, and she's not sure how she'll be able to get out of this one

Unexpected*

watch an episode of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant but imagine that it's Sarah. boom that's the whole au

Wild west

Ava's fleeing an abusive marriage in Chicago, so she heads west until she reaches a small town in Wyoming. Sarah's a cowboy, back in town after disappearing for months following the death of her daughter. been a long time since I've thought about this one but they fall in love I think :)

Yoga

Ava has no interest in yoga, but after being approached by an over-confident, slightly eccentric yoga instructor in a juice bar, she decides to give it a try (mostly because her therapist tells her to). it's a simple plan - go to one session, say it's not her thing, then never go back. or at least, it would be simple, if Sarah wasn't so charming and beautiful

Youth

based on my headcanon about Sarah being a teen mom :)

Unnamed #1

trying to escape her past, Sarah moves across the country to live with her friend Hannah in the Northern California town she's been residing in for the last few years. she wants things to be different now, so she does everything she can to make a change - she gets a job at one of the convenience stores, keeps track of the debt she owes Hannah, and does her best to make friends with the people in the town

Unnamed #2

follows Sarah's eating disorder recovery. after being discharged from yet another ED clinic, Sarah decides to take things into her own hands and try recovering her own way. she packs up the few belongings that mean something to her, then leaves Chicago for a small town in central Illinois. she keeps to herself for the most part, but always makes sure to head to the local bakery after her therapy sessions, even if all she does is buy a bagel and stare at it. (similar to nervosa and disorder but with a more positive twist !!)

Unnamed #3

four years after Sarah left med, Crockett's called to Goodwin's office, and finds himself face to face with a social worker from DCFS and a little girl with dark curly hair and big brown eyes. Sarah, he's told, is dead, and this is her daughter Olivia. his daughter. Sarah never told him about her, so now without any warning or chance to prepare, he's a father again

Unnamed #4

after Connor's death, Ava decides that the best thing for her and her daughter is to leave Chicago and get away from Cornelius. their road trip lands them in a small town just outside of Illinois. it's supposed to be a quick stop - find somewhere for Cora to go to the bathroom, then get back on their way - but it's getting dark and Sarah, the nice woman who runs the motel, offers to let them stay. just one night, of course. but one night turns into two, then three, then a week. Sarah's ex, Crockett, runs the diner next door, and he's just as welcoming as she is. things are looking up, until Cornelius makes an appearance, demanding to know if anyone in the town has seen his granddaughter

Unnamed #5

Sarah and Crockett (and occasionally Ava and Connor and Noah) explore abandoned buildings together. sometimes Lolly goes with them. Dr Charles is Sarah's adoptive father, and he steps in to look after Lolly whenever needed (which is more often than not)

[beckandthelostones]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞; ᴀ ᴛᴀꜱᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜰʀᴇᴇᴅᴏᴍ

PAIRING | Arthur Morgan & OC

BLURB | At some point, the neglected bird in bound to grow too big for its cage. In this case, Annabelle Cornwall finally has had enough of a life where she can’t turn a corner without fearing the Grim Reaper himself. But as she leaves the safe walls of, supposedly home, things just never seem to work out in her favor...

Forever at bay would the bustling noise from the overpopulated sewer, called Saint-Denis be. The constant sound of horseshoes trotting on top of the filthy streets, rung between the ears of humanity. Loud obnoxious laughter and chatter, mingled together into an odious noise that made a headache pulse in the back of the head.

It was rare that silence fell over the whore house. Women's carnal moans occasionally overlapped the roaring city noise, as their feigned pleasures polluted the men's minds with confidence and pride. Not to forget the powering sound of evolution, hollering up in foreign sets of mechanical noises.

All deafening the sound of an irrelevant woman, who cried out about her lack of rights.

Egocentric women and men, walking amongst one another, arms tangled together in pairs as they waddled with elegance down the streets. It was like a ball, where people wore fancy wide dresses and tightly fitting tuxedos and every face wore that familiar charming glint in their eyes. Like a balk where the festivities had grown too big and now they found themselves amongst the rats in the pigpen.

So filthy rich, high and mighty in their little safe bubble of delusional minds, not knowing what the devil looked like even if it stood right before them. Their eyes only feasted upon the ones who were their class, nothing but revolt full looks left to spare to the ones below, almost offended by their presence. Sparkling smiles, as they made their acquaintance with a glass of champagne. Rich or poor, anyone would be able to see through to the arrogance and haughtiness that was obscured by a rich and kind smile.

Then there were the poor, the vagabonds, the people who were neglected by society. Always receiving the end of the disgusted and judgmental looks, that lingered a little too long than necessary. Living down the alley where the hedonistic existence of alcohol, whores, and guns found their own little party in the dark.

It was no such thing as a place for a decent society woman unless she'd want to be put between the fingers of the devil. So Annabelle kept her fair space between such places. Keeping herself around populated areas and staying in after nine upon her father's request. But still, despite the guns that were held at her front door and the kind housemaids that assured her safety in her worried times, she was a walking set of hidden nerves.

She blamed it upon the city, too many eyes to keep track of and too much noise to ignore. She simply couldn't let her shoulders fall down from her ears.

She was in desperate need of something new, something to let her nerves ease.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen a tree that wasn't planted by humans. The last time she'd seen true and ambient nature was so long ago, that she started missing it more than her own mother. The old countryside, surrounded by nature and wildlife brutality. Every leaf and every creature living within the forest is casted into their mother's golden arms every time the sunset. Like a farewell and Good luck for the night. As if the Mother was whispering softly to her children,

"May God hold your hand and keep you behind his shielding arms. For this night is going to be just as gruesome as any other."

She wanted to be sent that message. For mother nature to comfort her when she was in need of solace. For her tears to be dried away by the warm bright rays, and for her heart to thunder along to the sky's crackling storms or horses thumbing hooves. Not to be put away and held guard as if she were some delicate dove, in need of protection. She wanted the brutality of nature to hit her, not for thieves to threaten her with a shining dagger.

If she were to pass by something else than time, she would rather be gutted by wolves and let nature cast her ill. Not plunged by a bullet or wear a noose as a scarf. And that was what worried her in the city.

That she at any day could receive death, in a way that wasn't meant to be.

...

The train's slow rocking was obscured by the violent tumbling across the tracks. The wheels rumbled beneath the wagon and a mumble of small talk was occasionally shared between a few solemn and rough faces. Before her sat a man, accoutred in a white and black tuxedo, hair slicked back and a soporific expression was settled on his roughly featured face. A small mustache touched his upper lip, the beginning of a goatee forming on his chin. His calloused hands held a newspaper, which he appeared to be fully engrossed with. Besides him sat another man, just as well dressed and a black top hat sat on his head to finish the rich look.

Annabelle hadn't bothered bringing along anything else than a wallet with enough to last her the ride too, who knows where. It was hopefully enough to supply her shelter till she found work. She had to be discrete in her flee. If she had come with plenty of money upon her, the risk of losing it all was too high. She had packed her clothes but not too much, enough for a week. She left the maids money despite their protest, for their trouble, and as a sincere thank you for letting her leave. They had cried as she said goodbye to them, knowing that they'd most likely ever see the girl again.

The girl who they raised ever since her mother passed.

She peeked into her bag, eyes spotting the beautiful gold-laced pocket watch. The sides were ornamented with sky blue stones, making the watch glitter in the sun. It had stopped ticking a long time ago, stuck on the exact moment her father threw it into the ground and its life came to an end. It was her mother's watch. Given to her a few months before her death.

She couldn't decide for herself if the abandonment of her childhood home, was harsh on her. She had nothing but the company of the kind housemaids to miss at her home if one could even call it that. Not even any memories were left at that place of her mother. Everything was torn apart and redone. Anything that even had been touched by her eyes was burnt. She even watched her father burn the painting of her and her mother. She had desperately tried to hide it from her father, his anger and wrath-driven antics had scared her into hiding away her most beloved possessions.

But nothing was to remind anybody that she once lived. Only the sheer memories lingered in the mind. Even shards of her own memory started to falter.

The golden pocket watch was all she had left of her childhood.

Such an exceptional and beautiful woman, stolen too quickly by time and left so many people mourning, her father being the worst hit. He was left with nothing to give, no solace to hold his grieving daughter with, only the back of his hand is what she got, dared she ask for comfort

A deep sigh parted her lips, eyes trailing out the window, landing on the long stretching fields, obnubilated by clouds. She could finally see it. The burning desire within her heart finally met the endless green landscapes of curving mountains and lissome trees bending over the tickling grass.

A mixture of utter excitement and glee flooded her, the reality of her decisions then followed suit.

She couldn't return at this point, if she dared to wander home, she would practically be held hostage for the rest of her life. Married away and she would be forced to forget the dreams of an ethereal and imaginative life she longed. Living on a farm with a man whom she loved and with children kind and true.

Of course, such picture-perfect life wasn't going to be handed to her on a silver plate, maybe not handed to her at all. So she had taken the opportunity and escaped the grip of security. If she wanted such life, she'd have to steal it or pay whatever it cost.

Some would say her father kept her so guarded, like a rare bird in a golden cage, because he simply wouldn't be able to bear losing her like her mother. But the bird in the cage received no loving hand and only learned to grow weary of its inescapable surroundings. The gold-laced cage was only this pretty little detail to hide the image of her hunched form so she could slowly wither in her cramped surroundings. The amazing looks of awe, admiring her beautiful feathers and unique chirping, it could never let that desire to return to the true wilderness die down.

Some might say it was because her father loved her too much.

But she could only scoff at that opinion.

...

A loud roar recoiled through the large flute on top of the black train. Big pumps of smoke blew out, as the wheels screeched against the tracks, whilst it came to a slow and painful halt.

She gazed out the window sluggishly, awoken from her quick slumber. She expected the sight of a rumbling and busy city, perhaps a midway train station before her, but instead received the same fields, inhabited by flocks of scurrying does and endless varieties of critters and birds. A sample of confused and anxious mutters emitted in the wagon, but before even a single collected thought could take action, they were all cut short and silence deafened the place. It was the loud shivering sound of a bullet, thundering through the tense air, that had the honor of letting realization and horrid silence dawn upon the train.

All eyes fell upon the group of men that entered the suddenly uncomfortably cramped wagon. A child started crying, a frightened mother doing her best to calm it. It was as if the walls had shrunk in on them and she started to feel so very small, but far too big. They were armed to the teeth, revolvers, and rifles attached swinging around the room as they threatened each individual. They wore a bandana around their lower face, hiding their appearance from being recognized. Only their eyes struck out, but even they were carefully hidden behind their smudged leather hats, tilted down on their forehead.

Accept one, his pale blonde hair windblown and sticking out to all sides. His piercing blue eyes scanned the wagon and landed on every person, with his loud obnoxious voice ringing in their ears, as he with confidence ordered everyone to hand out their money, was it some charity.

"Now, no time to spare, put all you got in the bag and nobody will get hurt." He stared with this odd look of casualty, whilst he held a ticking bomb in his hand. The lady who was caught under his gaze, clutched her small child close to her chest, as she trembled in terror. He held a sickening smile on his face, clear amusement painted in his ice-cold eyes.

"Don't worry, it's for a good cause" He nudged the bag with collected money a little forward, a glint in his eyes, but his patience was clearly running thin with the uncooperative woman. A loud hollow smack was heard somewhere else, and her eyes darted to see a man now knocked out from the harsh blow from the end of a rifle. The man's wife screamed in terror, quickly moving to grab him and clutching him to her chest. Her trembling voice begged for his mercy, stumbling words explaining how they didn't have any money left but was quickly met with the same unfortunate fate as her husband. He was not to be fooled with, of course, she had money.

Annabelle gasped in shock, her eyes started to burn and her throat was creating lumps that she couldn’t seem to sink. She felt true horror at the situation unfolding before her. She quickly started to fiddle with her purse, receiving the bud of the gun to her head was last on her list of; things she wanted to accomplish in life.

"Ah, what a pretty little dove we have here, huh?" A slithering voice snaked itself around her throat, tightening its grip and strangling any sound that could ever possibly escape. She clenched her eyes, a deep wish within her praying that it wasn't her that he was talking to, despite feeling his looming presence beside her. Her breath hitched loudly, as her wide eyes met his. The look in his eyes was enough to make her gut twist in a mix of revolt and fear.

"Leave the woman alone!" The man before her seat hollered, his voice dangerously low in order to mimic some sort of bravery. It was clear the man was as cowardly as they came, voice shaking, and beads of sweat visible on his forehead. The man before Annabelle took a glimpse at him, smiling at the man, as of he was a puppy barking for the first time. Eerily and casually, he pulled out his revolver, aiming it loosely into the sitting mans face, who froze immediately. "Now, now, quiet down little boy. You'll all get your turn to participate. Now, we wouldn't want a bullet to ruin all this fun, would we?" He laughed maniacally, turning to look back to Annabelle with an amused sigh, spotting how she fought the tears in her eyes.

"no need to fear little dove, I might not be all that's worth of looks, but I am a true charmer," He whispered, his breath fanning her face at his close presence. It stank heavily of tobacco and old meat, reminding her of the abandoned butcher shop next to the casino, in its late stages of life that had been invaded by rats. Her face scrunched up in disgust, hands clenching, resisting the urge to raise one at him. She knew that she had to be careful with her decisions, to listen to her pulsating heart.

"Why so scared darlin'? Come on, I ain't that bad-"

Another one from the gang of outlaws announced the presence of the sheriff, indicating that they needed to grab whatever they could and-"Get the heck outta' here!"- She was so sure that she would be left unscathed, her purse still withholding the same amount as before. So sure, yet so very wrong.

"well, you're quite in luck darlin', you get a free ticket to your new destination!" The clear mischief in his raspy voice made her heart sink even further. She stared wide-eyed at him as true trepidation finally settled in her. His big arms lashed out at her, just like those pythons she'd seen nonchalantly devour a dead pig in the Zoos. She struggled her best, tugging, kicking, and lashing out at him with whatever she could, but nothing stopped him from dragging her along and out of the train. She was like a little helpless and pathetic dove, in the grasp of a merciless snake that dragged her towards his dinner plate. Her heart thumped in her throat, her mind turned hazy and tears fell over her eyelids as loud sops bubbled from her.

It was as if nobody heard her strangled screams and cries.

As if everyone were covering their ears and pretending she never even was there

[imherongraystairstrash]

Can you write prompt 32 or 65 for luciexjesse??

Ahh, I love Jesse and Luciee!! I tried really hard to do them justice in this fic, but I also wanted to write about Lucie’s new internal conflicts now that she’s separated from her family. I also thought I might as well use both prompts because I’m horrible at making decisions. Hope you enjoy!:

Prompts: “I’d rather be here” &  “I was worried about you”

Ship: Lucie x Jesse

The thing about dreams is that they’re conjurings of the uncontrolled mind. Dreams are free and abide by no laws. They take strange forms, shifting and molding into things that can be beautiful or harrowing, lovely or tragic. They can be both based on fiction or reality; there are no limits when the mind is liberated to conjure as it desires. Lucie’s dreams have always been occult, abstract in the way one might describe a meticulous painting in a gallery hall. She usually got ideas for her novels from her dreams, as their strangeness is perfect inspiration. It was like a wooden table: the idea was there, all she had to do was sand it down, paint and varnish it. 

Now, however, her dreams have taken a different form. Cruel, malicious, utterly wicked. Her dreams are whispers of her family, memories, corrupted by an unknown source of evil. Her father carried her on his shoulders, her mother kissed her feet when she was a baby, her brother held her hand as they walked barefoot through the mossy floor of the Brocelind forest, to go to their cousins’ houses. 

But they were tainted with shadows. Will would suddenly let go of her and let her tumble to the floor, not caring if she was harmed. Tessa would look down at her in disappointment and walk away. James would tear his arm from her’s and run, trying to get away. She would run after him, but her legs wouldn’t let her. She’d reach Aunt Cecily and Uncle Gabriel’s house only to have them slam the door in her face and shut the curtains. She'd run.

Away from her family that despised her so. She ran through time until, suddenly, she was thirteen. She was running in a meadow with Cordelia. Her dark red hair was like a proud, silk banner as it flew in the wind. Her strides were long and her brown skin glowed under the sunlight. She turned to Lucie and her face filled with pain. 

“Why didn't you tell me? We were supposed to be sisters and parabatai.”

“We are, Daisy.” Lucie said through tears. “We are sisters.”

Cordelia shook her head, she began disappearing. “We used to be.”

Lucie screamed Cordelia’s name, but her glorious presence winked away in the blink of an eye. 

She saw Thomas and Christopher in the distance, but they couldn’t see her. They were talking about her, about what horrible thing she’d done. 

Lucie clasped her hands over her ears, willing their voices away until she was a shadow, without life or power.

She heard a song being sung by a soft, deep voice. She opened her eyes and saw a boy with sea green eyes and curling brown hair. He tucked a smaller boy who shared his same features into bed and kissed his cheek. She watched in wonder as he turned off the lights of other rooms, saying a final goodnight to three other children, all of which—minus another boy—shared a similar appearance to him. As he walked down the hall, Lucie followed, wondering where his parents were. He went into what she assumed was his room and closed the door. Lucie watched him stand there, staring at where his hands were, bracing against the wood. She watched him slowly turn and press his back to the door and slide down until he was sitting on the ground. And then, he began to choke on dry tears. 

Lucie was taken aback. She looked at the young boy and wanted to do something. To help him. He was so lonely. She put her hand in his hair and he looked up quickly, in surprise. 

Lucie wanted to kneel down next to the boy and tell him it was alright and that she would help him, but she was torn away from him. She cried out, not knowing why her heart cracked at the prospect of leaving this familiar looking boy alone. The pain was so great she slipped out of her unconscious state.

Lucie felt her eyes flutter open, light bursting across her vision, blinding her and causing her to close them again. She reached for her other senses. She could hear the sea birds squawking and waves crashing against each other and the sand. She felt the sunlight warm her right arm and the soft material of bedding under her. She smelled the salt in the air, that is found only by the seaside. She tasted nothing though. 

Finally she began opening her eyes slowly, allowing them to adjust to the light. She saw a pattern on the ceiling, of the beams that held the roof up. The walls were cream colored and the house (or cottage?, Lucie wasn’t quite sure.)

Her line of vision began descending down the walls and she noticed the house must be rounded and small. She saw a boy, bent over in worry, his hands pushing his crow, black hair back, eyes closed and elbows rested on the bed. His eyebrows were furrowed and he had bluish bags under his eyes, as though he hadn’t slept well in a long time. 

Lucie couldn’t help but admire how he was solid. She could almost reach out a touch the back of his neck—

His head shot up, and his vibrant green eyes danced as he saw her.

“Lucie,” Jesse said, coming close and leaning over her. There was relief written all over his face and his hands were soft and calloused as they brushed her hair away from her face. “I was worried about you.” 

“I’m alright, Jesse.” Lucie said, her voice soft and raspy from disuse.

He kissed her forehead and murmured her name over and over. Lucie closed her eyes and breathed in his scent and basked in his presence. 

She’d done it. Her Jesse was no longer a phantom, a whisper of life. He was living and breathing and he was healthy. He wasn’t disappearing, not anymore. 

“Jesse,” She gasped, pressing her lips to his neck and feeling the pulse of his heart on them. “Jesse, I can’t believe you’re alive.”

He pulled back and looked into her face. He was so beautiful, she’d forgotten how beautiful he was until she saw him again. Her dreams, her imagination, paled to how he was in real life. The way his eyes softened and his shoulders seemed to lean in her direction, like he wanted to hold her in his arms until the end of time. Yes, she had shamefully omitted those things from her memory. But now, she could see them, now they were here for her to adore and love.

“I can’t believe you’re awake,” he replied.

Lucie felt her breath shudder. “Where are we?”

“Cornwall. We’re in Malcolm’s cottage.” Jesse said.

Lucie felt her eyebrows scrunch involuntarily.

“You want to leave, don’t you?” Jesse said quickly, despair clear in his voice. “You want to go back to London with everybody else, which makes complete sense. Of course you’d rather—”

“Jesse.” Lucie said, “I’d rather be with you.”

Jesse looked at her, confused which, Lucie couldn’t help but notice, was very adorable.

“Of course, I want to be with my family, but I want you to be with me. I don’t want to go back if you’re not there beside me.”

“Lucie, you don’t have to say that to spare my feelings. I understand why you’d want to go back—”

“Are you joking, Jesse Blackthorn?” 

“What?” 

“I literally raised you from the dead because I couldn’t stand the thought of not being with you, of you living a half life while I lived a full one. I did that because I love you! How could you imagine that I’d just abandon you after all of this?”

“If I come back to London, the entire enclave will know that you performed necromancy to bring me back to life and you’ll be imprisoned and I executed. And this time, we won’t come back from death. You could have a better life than this, Lucie.”

“A better life? How is that any better than being dead? I’ll be miserable and I’ll have to lie to everyone I know about what I did. And live with my parents until I die, because I know that I could never love anyone else if it’s not you.” Lucie felt drops of water on her skin and realized tears rolling down her face. “I love you, Jesse! How many times do I have to tell you that before you start believing it?”

Jesse reached out to brush her tears away. “I love you too, Lucie.” His voice thick, as though he were holding back his own tears. 

“Then let us stay together, forever. No matter who tries to come between us, we remain by each other’s side. Because I can be scorned at and thrown into prison, and I will be happy, as long as you are by my side.”

Jesse leaned in and they shared the sweetest of kisses. Lucie felt something she’d never felt before; the start of a new beginning. A story where she’ll be the protagonist and not the narrator. Yes, this would be a fine adventure, even if it’ll be difficult.

...

Tagging: 

@celias @tsccreatorsnet @atla-lok143 @hitheresomeoneusingthus @rinadragomir @youngreckless @autumnangel20 @julemmaes @cupcakesandkittens @no-scones-allowed @fictionally-fantastic @stxr-thxif @itsdaughterofthemoon @jordeliasupremacy @will-effing-herondale @cordelia-cardale 

Let me know if you want to be tagged!

[thelukasfamily]

the corporate faces of the fears

The Vast (through the Fairchilds)

Open Skydiving - UK-based skydiving school/specialists operating in the 2000s, workplace of Harriet Fairchild and Robert Kelly.

There were one or two news articles from late 2000 that reference events by Open Skydiving, or sometimes the Open Skydiving School, but whatever they were, they were not an officially licensed business (MAG021)

Pinnacle Aerospace - member of the Stratosphere Group that launched the space station Daedalus in 2007.

Pinnacle Aerospace, majority owned by the Fairchild family (MAG057)

Variety of unspecified businesses and investments

While I was never able to discover the original name of the con artist, one of his many, many aliases was Simon Fairchild, and it appeared on several business listings around the time [2012]. (MAG051)

A cursory bit of research reveals the Fairchilds in question to be an exceptionally wealthy family based down in Cornwall. No real business to speak of, but it appears they’ve invested very wisely in aerospace technology, shipping logistics, and underwater drilling and construction. (MAG051)

The Lonely (through the Lukas family)

Solus Shipping PLC

There’s also the fact that even a casual search of port authority records shows the Tundra is a currently-active cargo ship operating for Solus Shipping PLC, a company founded and majority-owned by Nathaniel Lukas. (MAG033)

Variety of investments and patronages - including into, among others, the Magnus Institute and Daedalus space station

The Lukas family also provides funding to several academic and research organisations - including the Magnus Institute. (MAG057)

[Prominent names from among the Stratosphere group that launched the Daedalus space station included] a large private investment by Nathaniel Lukas (MAG057)

Property ownership - housing block in central London, built sometime between 1970 and 2015.

I had commissioned the services of architects, designers, and sociologists, all under a variety of pretenses, and had secured a plot of land near Aldgate East. I was going to build a tower block of my very own. (MAG159)

Property ownership - Moorland House with estate (including extensive grounds, forests, and possibly a graveyard and chapel) in Kent

The house was very large, and very old. It had a high gate separating it from the main road, which has the name “Moorland House” carved into the stone of the gatepost...  I kept moving until I reached the centre of what I can only assume was a small cemetery, and there I found a chapel... She had apparently run out into the road in front of Mr. Getty’s car near Wormshill in the Kent Downs. (MAG013)

The house was sprawling. Our bedrooms were kept as far apart as possible and changed often, as we were cared for by a rotating cast of nannies and tutors... I would spend my days exploring the wide grounds and forests of our estate (MAG159)

The Eye (through Jonah Magnus)

Magnus Institute - London-based organisation dedicated to academic research into the esoteric and the paranormal, established by Jonah Magnus in 1818.

Usher Foundation - America-based sister institution to the Magnus Institute, located in Washington, DC and founded post-1952. (S3 Q+A)

Pu Songling Research Centre - China-based sister institution to the Magnus Institute, located in Beijing. (MAG105)

The Dark (through Maxwell Rayner and the People’s Church of the Divine Host)

Optic Solutions Ltd - involved in the launching of the Daedalus space station in 2007.

A relatively benign-seeming company manufacturing specialist cameras for research and industrial application, who are nonetheless notable for having their business address listed as being in Ny Alesund in Norway. (MAG057)

DKN Systems - Manchester-based company, workplace of Vardhan Darvish and three other cultists until their deaths in July 2010.

All except DKN Systems. I never really figured out what it was they were meant to be doing. Something full of meaningless buzzwords, like “business networks” or “media solutions.” Thinking about it, it might actually have been “business media network solutions.” (MAG109)

Outer Bay Shipping - shell corporation with links to a range of People’s Church-affiliated companies and activities, and which operated the Norwegian town Ny-Alesund until the final death of Maxwell Rayner in February 2017.

Tim pointed out that Ny-Ålesund is actually a small town in Norway. In fact, except for research installations, it is the most northerly human settlement on Earth, located at a latitude of North 78°55′30″. It is a company town, owned and operated by Outer Bay (MAG025)

It were a big truck [making deliveries to DKN Systems] for some company called “Outer Bay”. I tried to follow them up since, but didn’t find much. (MAG109)

The building was in an industrial complex up in Harringay. It was a two-storey brick building with a weathered sign claiming it belonged to Outer Bay Shipping. (MAG073)

I still can’t find much about the company Outer Bay Shipping. Looks like a shell corporation, but tracking corporate ownership is not something I’m skilled at. (MAG073)

The Stranger

Breekon and Hope Deliveries - delivery company with depots in Nottingham and Newcastle, commandeered by agents of the Stranger in 1993 until their deaths in 2018 - long past when the company legally closed.

The other useful thing I found here was one of the old log books. It lists deliveries quite a ways past the point where the company technically ceased to exist, right up to 2013. (MAG096)

The Trophy Room - taxidermy shop near Woodside Park in Barnet, London. It was owned by an agent of the Stranger wearing the skin of Daniel Rawlings and remained in business until March 2018. (MAG054 and MAG096)

[myhauntedsalem]

Mysteries of Dudleytown

In the early part of the 1740’s, Thomas Griffis bought a plot of land that would later be considered the first lot in Dudleytown.

In northwestern Connecticut are the remains of a small township that was given the name of Dudleytown. The homes of this once thriving village that was nestled in the surrounding mountains are long gone, but it would seem that the spirits of those who once dwelt here still remain. There are many tales of ghosts, mysterious happenings, demonic beasts, horrible curses and a dark and violent history that starts with the very founding of America itself. Today, all that is left of Dudleytown are the sad remains of some stone foundations and the holes that once were used as cellars to store root vegetables and other foods during the winter months. The roads that were at one time well traveled are now no more than narrow foot paths where only hikers, and the devoted ghost hunter, will bother to traverse.

The land today has changed very little and looks very much as it did when Griffis settled there. It is a thickly forested landscape and rocks lie strewn on the ground where Dudleytown once stood. The land lies covered in shadow from the mountains and receives little sunlight. The woods have been given the name of “Dark Entry Forest”.

In the beginning, the land where Dudleytown would later sit was owned by a man named Thomas Griffis. He and his family were the first to settle in that particular region in the early 1740’s. A village began to spring up a few years later in 1747 when Gideon Dudley arrived on the scene and it was through him the small village became known as Dudleytown. Gideon’s two brothers soon followed him to the area and settled there as well. It was the Dudley’s who were said to be responsible for a curse that was laid upon the village and it is this supposed curse that many say is responsible for the horrors that roam the area to this day.

According to both recent and older accounts, this curse had its start in England in the year 1510. Edmund Dudley, one of the patriarchs of the family, was sentenced to death and beheaded for being part of a plot to overthrow King Henry VIII. It is said that a curse was placed on the family due to this treasonous behavior. It is said that this curse was that all of the Dudley descendants would be plagued by unrelenting by horrors and death would hound them until every last one of the Dudley descendants were wiped from the face of the earth. Believers of the curse swear that the Dudley family then began having a rather nasty run of bad luck.

John Dudley, who was Edmund’s son, made his own attempt to get control of the British throne by having his son, Guilford, marry Lady Jane Grey who was next in line for the crown. Lady Jane was queen for a short time upon the death of Edward VI, but the plan quickly failed and Lady Jane and Edmund and Guilford Dudley were all executed. Soon afterwards, Guilford’s brother returned from France after a stint in the military. He brought with him a vicious plague that spread to his officers and troops. The sickness eventually spread throughout the country, killing thousands of people. John Dudley’s third son, Robert, who was also the Earl of Leicester, decided to leave England and travel to the New World. It would be Robert’s descendant William, who would later settle in Guilford, Connecticut. Abiel, Barzallai and Gideon, William’s descendants, would later buy the land that became Dudleytown.

The village rested in the middle of three large hills, which is why it looked dark even at noon. Settlers began to trickle into the area. The Tanner, the Jones, the Patterson, the Dibble and the Porter families all settled in Dudleytown. Iron ore was discovered and the little village prospered for a while. Even so, goods such as food, cloth, tools, etc. had to be purchased from towns down the mountain because Dudleytown never had any stores, schools, churches nor even a cemetery. Dudleytown was also known for its timber, which was used to make wood coal for the Litchfield County Iron Furnaces in Cornwall and other towns.

In spite of the obvious prosperity though, there were strange deaths and bizarre occurrences at Dudleytown from the very beginning. There was an unusually high number of people who went insane and quite a few people who simply vanished and were never seen or heard from again.

Abiel Dudley lost his entire fortune and eventually his mind. Abiel was made a ward of the town, and in his final years he wandered around aimlessly, mumbling incoherently about “strange creatures in the woods” and unable to care for himself. Abiel died in 1799 at the ripe old age of 90, which was unusual in itself during this time period when people were lucky to live into their 30s or 40s. William Tanner, one of Abiel’s closest neighbors, was also said to have gone insane. Oddly enough, Tanner lived to the age of 104 and according to records, Tanner also would talk of “strange creatures” that came out of the woods at night. Whether or not these creatures were supernatural or the product of a senile mind is impossible to say.

The records that are still in existence from the Dudleytown tell of strange illnesses, disappearances, numerous cases of people going insane, reports of strange creatures roaming the area at night, although it seems that most of the reports were from those folks who had been declared insane.

After the Civil War, Dudleytown began to die and most of the remaining families simply packed up and moved away. The small village soon became the haunt of birds, small animals, and began to be reclaimed by the forest.

During the final days of Dudleytown one rather strange and mysterious event came to light, and no matter how hard the skeptics try to disregard and debunk this odd occurrence in Dudleytown, even they can not give a reasonable explanation for the event.

In 1901, when the population of Dudleytown had dwindled to nearly nothing, one of the last residents of the town, John Patrick Brophy, suffered a slew of misfortunes. His first wife died when she was struck down by a sudden illness and then his two children vanished into the forest right after his wife’s funeral. The children were never found. Shortly after the disappearance of his children, Brophy’s house was burned to the ground in a mysterious fire and not long after, Brophy himself disappeared and was never seen again. Shortly after these string of bizarre occurrences, Dudleytown officially ceased to be, and began to be reclaimed by the land.

Tales of spooky lights, misty apparitions, and strange incidences began to surface in the 1940’s when visitors to the old ruins reported seeing these strange things. Today, those folks who have made the long trek to visit the place show photographs of spooky mists that seem to show creepy faces peering out at the observer, and say they get feelings of terror, see mysterious lights, sights and hear creepy sounds. Many folks report that they have experienced being touched, pushed and scratched by unseen hands. Many say that this area was once the land belonging to the Mohawk tribe and they left it when the ground became “soured”, or cursed.

Whatever the reasons for the strange and spooky occurrences in the area once known as Dudleytown, one thing is for certain, this remote part of Connecticut will remain a favorite place for thrill seekers and ghost hunters for many years to come.

[ofcastora]

SHAKESPEARE’S REGAN + DIVERONA’S REGINA

happy birthday hayley! @reginadalys

INSP. 

FULL PASSAGES UNDER THE CUT

1.

SHAKESPEARE:

LEAR: Of all these bounds, even from this line to this, With shadowy forests and with champains rich'd, With plenteous rivers and wide-skirted meads, We make thee lady. To thine and Albany's issue Be this perpetual.- What says our second daughter, Our dearest Regan, wife to Cornwall? Speak.

REGAN: Sir, I am made Of the selfsame metal that my sister is, And prize me at her worth. In my true heart I find she names my very deed of love; Only she comes too short, that I profess Myself an enemy to all other joys Which the most precious square of sense possesses, And find I am alone felicitate In your dear Highness' love.

CORDELIA: [aside] Then poor Cordelia! And yet not so; since I am sure my love's More richer than my tongue.

LEAR: To thee and thine hereditary ever Remain this ample third of our fair kingdom, No less in space, validity, and pleasure Than that conferr'd on Goneril.- Now, our joy, Although the last, not least; to whose young love85 The vines of France and milk of Burgundy Strive to be interest; what can you say to draw A third more opulent than your sisters? Speak.

REGINA: [in a starter]

She watches the priest baptize the children, as if this water could truly purify their souls, like a casing of holy armor around the intangible thing. Regina believed that everyone was born a blank slate, neither filled with light nor darkness, that these things sought you out later in life. Darkness had found her, a willing and empty vessel. No holy water could chase it away, for no water had magical properties. It only served to purify the mind’s conscience, not the soul, for the mind, like these babies below, is an easily manipulated thing, poised to be shaped however one commands, so long as they believe hard enough. You can trick the mind into thinking almost anything, including that this stuff works. The only thing purified is one’s folly. It’s pathetic, if you ask her.

2.

SHAKESPEARE:

REGAN: What might import my sister's letter to him?

OSWALD: I know not, lady.

REGAN: Faith, he is posted hence on serious matter. It was great ignorance, Gloucester's eyes being out, To let him live. Where he arrives he moves All hearts against us. Edmund, I think, is gone, In pity of his misery, to dispatch His nighted life; moreover, to descry The strength o' th' enemy.

OSWALD: I must needs after him, madam, with my letter.

REGAN: Our troops set forth to-morrow. Stay with us. The ways are dangerous.

REGINA: [in conversation with Vivianne Sloane]

“I was at the bar the target was expected to visit, which he did. However, he was unexpectedly with a Montague — the one called Perdita, to be specific. I wasn’t sure what she wanted with him, but I thought completing the assignment was more important.” Regina spoke of murder so clinically, as if it were another thing on their laundry list. “However, somehow, they’d anticipated my presence — or the presence of some obstacle, if they did not know specifically that I was assigned to this target.” It was all speculation, of course, but the thought had surprisingly stayed itching in Regina’s mind since that day: someone had gotten word that this man had too much knowledge. Someone had gotten word that the Capulets wanted him gone. Someone may have even gotten word that it was Regina who was assigned to take him out. The question was: how?

“They had Celia waiting to attack. Because of this, I was unable to get to the mark, and he left with Perdita. It was an organized ordeal from them.” While their expression remained neutral when they said that, there was a flash of something more underneath, something rare. Regina might not have even had the words to describe it, but it was almost angry in nature, perhaps more hungry than anything else. It was thus: the Montagues had stolen the pleasure of the kill from Regina, and they craved it still. They had some sort of organized front, something new, something to keep an eye on — something to destroy. The beginnings of something that looked opposite of apathy simmered. The transparent steam rose in green curls of jealousy

3.

SHAKESPEARE:

SERVANT 1: Hold your hand, my lord! I have serv'd you ever since I was a child; But better service have I never done you Than now to bid you hold.

REGAN: How now, you dog?

SERVANT 1: If you did wear a beard upon your chin, I'ld shake it on this quarrel.

REGAN: What do you mean?

DUKE OF CORNWALL: My villain! Draw and fight.

SERVANT 1: Nay, then, come on, and take the chance of anger.

REGAN: Give me thy sword. A peasant stand up thus? [She takes a sword and runs at him behind]

SERVANT 1: O, I am slain! My lord, you have one eye left To see some mischief on him. O! [He dies.]

REGINA: [in conversation with Boris Kovrov]

Wait, he now says. Regina had heard plenty of others beg for their lives; the sound was nothing new. And yet, he does not beg. He does not say a word beyond that, and she takes a step closer, still shadowed, to get a better look. He is not special for being before her gun. But his expression is amusing, and so, she entertains it for a moment.

“For what, exactly, am I supposed to wait for? I am not here to waste my time.” That much was apparent by the swiftness she took in shooting the woman who now lie in a sea of her own blood (and perhaps piss, she couldn’t be certain from this distance). Regina once thought she had plenty of time to spare, and now, Verona had made her worry that she may have been mistaken. But she would not hesitate. She would not allow opportunity to slip through her fingers again. If she must make up for it with another body, she would. Her gun remained pointed in Boris’s direction as she took another step closer, out of the shadows.