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lo-55 · 4 years ago

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Tilt the Hourglass Ch. 10

Bandomeer was a curious place.

It wasn’t like a lot of industrialized planets. There were thick stretches of barren land where the miners had stripped the world of everything green and living, but in that same turn there were thick forests that would choke out any crop that came near it. The cities were smog filled, and the natives were outnumbered by foreign workers on their planet.

It was a world of minerals and richness, and it had been stripped from its local populace in the expansion of huge mining corporations. Most of the food was shipped in from off planet, and most of the work was the same. The planet could have been rich if it hadn’t been taken advantage of in its infancy, but now it was in constant threat from outside forces and was at the mercy of its trading partners and corporations.

Jango had initially wanted Maul to stay in their apartments in Bando, the capital city, but Maul would not be left behind. The Force insisted that something interesting would happen at the meeting, and Maul wanted to see what was interesting enough for the Force to push him to stay near a Jedi he was growing irritated with. .

In the end Jango had sighed, but agreed to let Maul come along so long as he stayed out of the way and didn’t cause trouble.

Maul tried to look innocent, but it was ruined by the fact that he was literally covered in darkness and had wreaked carnage not a full day before.

Jango was unaffected, but Maul got what he wanted anyways.

It meant that while Clat’Ha sat a table with Jinn, while a local called SonTag tapped impatiently at the metal surface Maul and Jango stayed in the corner, a body guard and small shadow at his side. Maul kept an eye on of the windows that showed the city skyline, and another on the vent. They were just barely too small for even him to fit in, so he wasn’t worried about anything physical coming through them.

Whatever the Force was warning him about, it wasn’t coming from there.

While the miners were trying to figure out if an Offworld representative was even coming, and how much longer they should wait for them, Maul worked with his blaster.

It wasn’t the same one that Jango had managed to procure for him on Coruscant.

As soon as they’re reached the planet yesterday Maul had practically dragged Fett to the nearest row of weapons dealers.

Bandomeer was home to a lot of miners, and a lot of violence it seemed. It was very easy to find the bare bones that he needed and all of the other components. To someone who didn’t know what he was doing everything looked entirely random.

Still, Jango turned over the credits for all of the components. If Maul ‘suggested’ that some of the prices be lowered, no one needed to worry about it.

Since then he’d been working diligently on his creation.

He was securing the last of the vortex rings and coupling the trigger rig to the power emitter when the doors finally slid open.

Maul glanced up to see Jinn frozen in his seat, his gaze fixed on the door and the young human man that strode through it. He was handsome as far as humans went, and dressed in finery. His shiny black cape was lined in a blue so deep it was almost black as well.

A broken circle scar marked his cheek.

Jinn’s gaze locked with the intruder's. The moment hung suspended in the air. Maul’s skin prickled. They knew each other, that was clear, but the tension that radiated from Jinn told Maul that they had not met on good terms before.

Abruptly the new comer broke into a delighted grin.

"Old friend! So you are here. I hardly dared to hope." the human strode forward, handsome and commanding. He wore carisma as he wore his cape. While he seemed delight, Jinn was completely off balance.

His black hair flowed to his shoulders, and his dark blue eyes matched the lining on his cape. He gave the Meerian sign of greeting to SonTag, his hands turned palm up towards her, before he bowed abruptly. Jango was tense as Maul’s side. Maul understood. For all his easy smile there was something about him that Maul didn’t trust.

"Governor, I must apologize for my lateness. My transport was held up in an ion storm. Nothing was more important to me than getting here on time. I am Xanatos, the representative of Offworld."

SonTag greeted him, palms up. "I see that you already know Qui Gon."

"Yes, I have had that good fortune. But I haven't seen him in many years." Xanatos turned to Jinn and bowed again.

Jinn eyed him, but still managed to look as neutral as possible.

"I got your message on my arrival," he said neutrally. Maul frowned. He hated missing pieces to what was going on around him. What message?

"Yes, I had heard you were dispatched from Coruscant," Xanatos answered. "Since I had just been appointed Offworld's representative, I knew we would meet. Nothing gave me more satisfaction."

There was nothing but sincerity in what he said, but it was the way he picked his words that made Maul frown. He twisted his jack wrench sharply and sealed the trigger mechanism. Almost done.

"I see you mistrust me," Xanatos said. He sounded mournful, and his dark blue eyes were carefully fixed on Jinn. What was Jedi and blue eyes? Kenobi, Skywalker, Tano, and Maul suspected Xanatos. A jedi who’d left the order, perhaps?

"Your sense of caution hadn't changed. But surely other Jedi apprentices have left the path of the Jedi without your mistrust?"

Ah. A washed out Padawan then. Maul tried not to snort. If a sith failed, they simply died.

"Every apprentice is free to leave at any time. You know that," Jinn said evenly. "If they leave honorably, there is no mistrust."

Jango tilted his visor towards them. His shoulders turned inwards. Maul could tell he was paying very close attention to what was happening before him.

"And so I left. It was best for me, and for the Jedi," Xanatos said quietly. There was a sliver of grief in the air. "I failed to lead that life. Yet it isn't a source of regret. I was not meant to lead the life of a Jedi."

Suddenly, he flashed a smile at SonTag, Clat'Ha, and VeerTa. His gaze darted at last to Jango, but skipped right over Maul.

"I value my training as a Jedi, but it didn't prepare me for the shock of reentry. I must confess that I went astray for a few years. That's the last time that Qui-Gon knew me."

Astray? Maul wondered. Had he started smoking death sticks, gotten married, or tried to take over a planet? Jedi values meant it could be anything.

"But I've changed. Offworld has given me that chance." Xanatos leaned forward, his gaze on VeerTa. "That's why I admire you, VeerTa. Offworld sent me to tell you that the company will not interfere with your project. A richer, more secure, Bandomeer is better for all of us." Xanatos touched his chest. "I admire your leadership, because I love my home planet, too. Telos is always in my heart."

Telos. What did Maul know about Telos? It was once attacked by Darth Nihilis during the first jedi purge. It was strong in the Force. There were sacred sites on the planet for the Jedi.

That was about it.

Xanatos turned to SonTag. "Perhaps if Offworld donated ten percent of its profits to the Bandomeer reclamation effort, it would convince you of our sincerity?"

Maul nearly whistled. SonTag looked startled, but pleased. Clat’Ha was clearly still suspicious, as she should have been.

Xanatos seemed to pick up on Clat'Ha's mistrust. He turned his penetrating blue gaze on her. "When I took my position with Offworld, it was with the understanding that certain policies would change. I do not believe in plundering planets and leaving them behind when we have gotten everything out that we want. Our actions on Bandomeer will be the first demonstration of our new policy."

SonTag nodded. "It's a wise course. And Bandomeer will be grateful for your help -"

Suddenly a huge explosion rocked the room. VeerTa was knocked to the floor.

They group scrambled to looked out the window, where a mining platform was falling to the ground. Smoke curled ominously over it.

Maybe it wasn’t Kenobi that was cursed. Maybe it was Jinn.

The was getting ridiculous.

Jango grabbed Maul’s shoulder abruptly.

“Go find Kenobi,” he ordered suddenly. “We’ll go check that out. Make sure your friend is safe.”

Maul tore from his grasp and darted out of the room. He was halfway to the ground when he realized he hadn’t told Jango that Kenobi wasn’t his friend.

He would correct him later.

Maul wasn’t the one running when he hit the streets. Most of the population was either going towards or away from the Home Planet Mine. Maul had to stop in the streets to catch his breath and tilt his head. He had to focus hard, but he could feel Kenobi distantly. He was a bright light on the planet, one of only two. Kenobi and Jinn were the only Jedi there. It made it easy for him to start towards the AgriCorps dome where Kenobi’s light shone.

Maul froze, gripping a speeder bike no one would miss in the confusion.

Kenobi and Jinn were the only Jedi on the planet. He couldn’t sense a light from Xanatos.

Maul looked back over his shoulder at the meeting building he’d come from.

Well wasn’t that interesting?

Maul shook his head. He’d poke around about Xanatos later. He swung his leg over the speeder bike and turned it the dome in the distance. They probably didn’t even know about the explosion, but Jango seemed to understand what Maul did.

Kenobi was very good at getting himself into trouble.

Maul made sure his blaster was secure against his hip. It wasn’t ready to fire yet, but he was getting closer. If a fight broke out he’d have to work with just a knife in his boot.

Maul used goggled to secure his hood to his head and sped towards where he knew Kenobi’s bright light was. The dusty land scape of Bandomeer left long clouds behind him.

When he reached the dome he walked inside unhindered.

The Force was stronger here. It took Maul a good few minutes to realize that nearly everyone inside was mildly Force sensitive. They weren’t as strong as Kenobi, Jinn, or himself, but they were strong enough for him to feel them close up like this. He hadn’t felt the light of Xanatos at all.

Maul made his way through a few long halls until he was dumped into the farmland under the wide dome that protected the AgriCorps careful work. There were plants of all kinds growing strong around him in near rows and lines. Watering tubes hovered between those rows, some misting faintly against the plants.

Maul found Kenobi with Si Treemba near a pile of manure. The smell was almost enough for him to say ‘kriff it’ and turn back to the city, but then Kenobi ripped open a wall.

Maul blinked.

A hidden door?

He jogged closer until he could hear them talking.

"It's just a storage area,' Si Treemba said, disappointed.

Maul peaked over his shoulder. It was indeed mostly full of crates.

It seemed innocent enough if you didn’t know what you were looking at, and it had been so well concealed. Kenobi pushed on the door. He heard a soft electronic beep, and it swung open.

Si Treemba hissed nervously again. His pale, luminous eyes flickered. "Are you sure we should go inside?"

"You stay here," Obi-Wan instructed. "Keep a lookout. I'll be right back."

“So you can get in trouble alone?”

Si Treembra shrieked and Kenobi spun around with his hand flying to his lightsaber. Maul crossed his arms over his chest and eyed Kenobi. He really had no idea Maul was there? How was he not dead yet?

Right. Jedi lived in their pretty little temple. He didn’t need to know when someone was sneaking up on him. Kenobi put his hand on his chest and breathed deeply.

“You couldn't have warned me?!”

“We should put a bell on you,” Si Treemba frowned at Maul. Maul ignored him and shouldered past the both of them so he could look around the storage room. Kenobi followed after him.

Immediately, the walls turned opaque again. It was like being inside a white cube. He bent over to examine the labels on the cargo boxes. The labels were black triangular shapes that showed a red planet with an orbiting holographic spaceship.

Maul recognized it instantly - Offworld. He leaned over to read markings on the side of the crate. He moved from box to box, reading the descriptive labels. Explosives. Turbo-drills. Detonators. Tunnel borers. Biotic grenades.

These were mining supplies. But they were on protected AgriCorps land. As Maul understood it the AgriCorps, like all jedi initiatives, were strictly forbidden to concern itself with any profit-making enterprise. Was someone here secretly in league with Offworld? Xanatos was an ex-jedi, so perhaps he was using some old connection to hide his equipment.

No, that didn’t seem quite right.

Maul considered the explosion. The timing of it. Xanatos’ offer to give the Home Planet Mining company ten percent of their profits.

An investment and destruction at the same time.

"Obi Wan, hurry up!" Si Treemba called. "We stink! We want to take a shower!"

Kenobi saw a small box in the corner that he had missed. This one had no label, only a metallic icon that served as a clasp. It was a broken circle.

Like the scar on Xanatos’ cheek.

Maul pulled out a holo recorder and scanned the equipment around them, just in case. They had seen enough for now. Kenobi slipped past the boxes to the door, with Maul not far behind him.

"What is it?" Si Treemba asked.

"Some kind of secret annex for Offworld," Obi Wan said. "They're up to something."

Si Treemba's greenish skill paled to a dull gray. "Here? But they're forbidden."

"Since when does that stop them?" Obi-Wan said grimly. "Let's get back. I have to contact Qui-Gon."

“Mmmm. He’ll be busy. Home Planet Mine blew up earlier. That was why I came here.”

Both of them looked at him in horror. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Si Treemba cried.

“I was going to, but then Kenobi opened the wall and this seemed more interesting.”

“More interesting than an explosion?! Is anyone hurt?!” Kenobi looked worried. Maul shrugged.

“Probably. I came here first. Jango and the other’s likely went to help out. Explosions are nasty business.”

Kenobi swallowed thickly. He looked grim, as did Si Treemba.

“We should go help, if we can. I need to tell Master Jinn what we found too.”

“The storage area?” Maul clarified.

“The broken circle. Master Jinn got a letter when we arrived that was signed with the broken circle. It said something to the effect of ‘I’ve been waiting for this day’. It was signed by-”

“Xanatos,” Maul cut in. Kenobi looked startled. Maul explained. “He came to the meeting between the arconan, Home Planet Mining, and Offworld. He’d the Offworld representative, and he knew Jinn. He’s a jedi wash out.”

Kenobi sucked in a sharp breath.

“What?”

Maul motion for him to follow. “Come. Let’s get back. Treemba?”

Si Treembra looked between the pair. “We should go back to our people and check on them. We are sorry, Obi Wan and Maul.”

Kenobi shook his head and touched Si Treemba’s arm gently. “Don’t be. You’re people may need you. We will be okay.”

“Hurry up,” Maul kicked Kenobi’s boot. Kenobi hesitated another minute before he nodded and followed Maul back to the speeder bike he’d commandeered.

Kenobi climbed on the back and held on to Maul tightly as he sped them back to the city.

By the time they returned the clean up was nearly finished. Bodies were stacked up outside the mine, and equipment was being salvaged as best as it could. The whole place tasted like grim defeat.

Maul grimaced in disgust.

He left the bike where he’d initially found it and the pair made their way to where Jango, Clat’Ha, SunTag and Jinn stood outside the wreckage. They were talking quietly. Maul grabbed Jango by his wrist.

“We need to talk,” he said, quiet and firm. Jango’s visor tilted minutely between him and Kenobi before he nodded once.

“We’ll go back to our apartments. I have a scrambler set up.”

“Why?” Kenobi looked surprised.

Maul shot him a look. “A mine just blew up and we’re surrounded by corporations. You really have to ask?”

Kenobi winced. “Point taken.”

“Come on, ade,” Jango touched both their shoulders. “It’s been a long day, and we should all get something to eat and go over what happened here today.”

Maul didn’t shake his hand off as he nudged them towards a transport that would take them back to their apartment. Jinn broke off, while Clat’Ha and SonTag followed the trio. Maul watched him over his shoulder. Steadily, Maul’s respect for him was dying.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jango pinched the bridge of his nose.

His helmet rested on the table next to his place, now empty save for a few bones. The two boys say before him, Maul still eating like a half starved Tooka while Obi Wan picked apart a salad strategically and ate the purple tomatoes first.

“So let me get this straight. Your jetii magic uncovered an invisible door. And when you went in you found heavy explosives and a weird box?”

“The Force,” Obi Wan corrected. His bright blue eyes looked up at Jango, burning with determination. Jango had been careful about the Jetii ad on the Monument but now that he had basically cut loose of his caretaker Jango had less to worry about.

“Yeah, that. It told you there was an invisible door, and it was right.” What the actual kriff? Jango was seriously going to have to learn more about this Force osik if he was going to be raising a jetii ad.

“Exactly,” Obi Wansaid, like that made perfect sense. His shoulders slumped. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was very strange.”

“And Jinn doesn’t know anything about it either.”

Obi Wan bowed his head.

The conversation with Jinn hadn’t gone well. The jetii had refused to take action, or even go to investigate the scene himself. He called the entire thing ‘Interesting, nothing more’, and ordered the ad to do nothing but report on how crops were growing.

Jango could see Obi Wan wanted to rip his hair out. There was a strong sense of justice in this one, one that any Mandalorian would have nurtured and encouraged instead of dismissed. Jango had nearly destroyed the holo projector to get Jinn’s face off of it.

“He knows something,” Maul piped up once his mouth was finally empty. Obi Wan looked at him, startled.

“You missed it,” maul told him, “I told you an jedi wash out came to the meeting? Xanatos? Well he had an unfinished circle scar on his cheek.”

Obi Wan’s eyes went wide.

“He knew Jinn, too. I think he was his Padawan.”

Obi Wan bowed his head.

“Do you know anything about Jinn’s last Padawan?” Jango asked kindly.

Obi Wan hesitated before he answered. Jango would have too, if a jetii asked him about a mando, but they had been through much together on the journey here.

“I had heard rumors that Qui-Gon had lost his last apprentice in a tremendous battle, and had vowed never to take another. He came to the Temple every year because the Council of Masters asked him to. I think they wanted him to try again. He never picked anyone though. He would spend a few hours watching initiates. He was… studying them, us, like he was looking for something no one else could see. After that he would leave, to fight the darkness alone.”

Obi Wan set his fork down. His body hunched in on itself. Instinctively, Jango reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder.

“Ob’ika?” He could tell, even without the Force, that there was something else.

“Forgive me,” he mumbled. He didn’t cry, but Jango thought it was a near thing. “When Master Yoda told me he was coming to watch the Initiates tournament I thought- I was a fool. I thought I had a chance. I thought I would be able to please him, but if no one else could how would I? He didn’t want me then. And on the ship I thought, if I worked hard enough or did well enough maybe he would change his mind. I only ever wanted to be a Knight, but I-”

Obi Wan choked. His shoulder was tight and shaking under Jango’s hand.

Maul stared at them both with wide eyes. He looked more afraid that Obi Wan would cry than he had at the idea that they might be eaten. In other circumstances Jango might have teased him for it, but now was not the time.

“He didn‘t want me,” Obi Wan said in the most horrible kind of defeat. “He‘d seen me fight before, and he did not choose me then. He didn’t choose me on the ship, and he saw all of my weaknesses. Now no one will choose me. They sent me away to the AgriCorps and I know that there’s honor in that too but I can’t be a farmer, I can’t-”

“Slow down,” Jango instructed. He locked down his anger. Jetii could feel those kinds of things, right? “Start over, what do you mean you were sent away?”

Jango rubbed Obi Wan’s shoulder carefully. The kid still looked ready to start bawling, but what else could he do? Jaster would know how to care for him. Jaster would know what to do with a heartsick ad. Jango was starting to feel like he was too young for this, but no one else was here to try.

“It’s what happens when an initiate ages out,” Obi Wan took a shaky breath. “Once we reach thirteen, we’re too old to be taken as Padawan learners. If no one wants us as their Padawan’s by then we get sent to a different branch of the jedi. The EduCorps teach, the ExploreCorps map out space and meet new species, and the AgriCorps grow crops.”

Jango had to fight to keep a tight lid on the anger that surged through him, though the glance that Maul threw his way told him he wasn’t entirely successful.

“And they just sent you off. Without even a choice where you went?”

Even if he wasn’t a Jedi Knight (and since when were there so many jedi?!) he should have at least gotten a choice. Jango could see Obi Wan doing alright exploring, or even teaching, but farming? It was like he was being set up to fail. And who in their right mind let a child feel so unwanted? So unworthy?

Jango grit his teeth and took a breath. Nope. No exploding around the ade.

“Master Yoda said I would be best suited to the AgriCorps.”

“So he handed you off to Jinn, just like that? Even though Jinn already isn’t considering taking on a student?”

“Well… No. They didn’t send me with anyone. I had a data pad with my room number on it, but I forgot that at the temple.”

Jango patted Obi Wan’s shoulder gently.

“Alright. We’ll work all of this out, okay Ob’ika? I’m going to see about… discussing this situation with Jinn. Sound alright? You can stay with us tonight, if its okay with Maul.”

Jango looked at his charge, who was still reluctant to be his son, and Maul only shrugged. He looked lost, but not the same way Obi Wan was. Jango squeezed the boy’s shoulder.

“Are you sure?” he asked quietly. “I don’t want to be in your way, Master Fett.”

“Just call me Jango,” he said firmly. “No Master’s here.”

Obi Wan just nodded.

Jango changed the subject to something more lighthearted. Some holodrama he’d seen the younger Haat’ade watching before he left. It wasn’t a shock that Maul had no idea what he was talking about, but Obi Wan confessed that his creche-mate had snuck in copies to watch before he’d been chosen as a Padawan.

Jango had no idea what a creche-mate was, but he felt he’d pressed the little jetii too much already tonight. They’d found sleep clothes for Maul in the market, but he was a good head shorter than Obi Wan, so Jango leant him one of his own softer shirts to use for the time being. It still fell all the way to his knees.

These were children, both of them, no matter what Maul argued.

Jetii ade that had been lost or discarded.

Jango wasn’t lying when he said he was going to talk to Jinn about the circumstances. Jinn and maybe this ‘Grand Master Yoda’ who was, in Jango’s professional opinion, a karking fool.

What kind of a dip-fucked, brain dead, nerfheaded clorbag varblernelk thought any of this was a good idea? Was this how all jetii treated their young?

Obi Wan’s self worth was next to non-existant, and he’d been tossed into a metal can with a distant-at-best derisive-at-worst sorry excuse of an adult. The jetii were asking for trouble.

Jango kept his helmet firmly in place when he came to a stop in front of Jinn’s apartment. They’d all been put in the same building. Apparently Clat’Ha knew the owners.

He knocked firmly on the door. Anger swirled around him, tamped down only by the beskar.

It opened a moment later, revealing Qui Gon Jinn in all his bantha-shit serenity.

He wasn’t expecting it when Jango drove his fist into his face, twice in quick succession. The second time he felt something break. Hopefully his nose.

When a lightsaber came swinging at him Jango blocked it with his vambrace. The plasma hissed and sputtered against beskar, but his armor held firm as Jango pushed his way into the room relentlessly.

“Fett!” Jinn backed away, still gripping his lightsaber tightly. “What is the meaning of this? I have done no harm to you, to prove this!”

The words would have been much more eloquent if they weren’t muffled by a hand quickly soaking with blood.

“Done to me? Nothing. Done to Obi Wan? Fucking plenty. Someone needs to blunt your damned teeth, Jinn, before you leave more scars on that kid.”

Jinn actually looked confused, and just a little bit horrified. “I’ve never raised a hand to Obi Wan. You’re mistaken, and over reacting. We can talk about this like adults-”

“Not a chance. You might not have hurt his body but you’re killing his spirit.”

Jinn stumbled a step.

“I would never do such a thing.”

“Then explain to me why he was almost in tears trying to figure out why he’d been sent away from your fancy temple, and why he thinks no one will ever want him? I didn’t know jetii were in the habit of killing spirits, as well as people.”

Jinn flinched like he’d been slapped. Good.

“You don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Jinn said quietly. “No one does. I cannot take on another Padawan. Obi Wan is a talented fighter, true, but he is angry and dangerous. He is too impulsive by far. The child must learn patience.”

Jango stared at him like he had a porridge running out of his ears.

“He’s a twelve year old human boy. We’re all angry and impatient, you dumb fuck. Is this about Xanatos? He was your Padawan.”

Jinn jerked again. He was clearly a man used to having all the cards in hand. When someone else had more than him, he didn’t know what to do with it.

“How did you- Nevermind that. It’s best to leave the past in the past. It’s no one’s concern but mine.”

“It’s my concern when you’re taking out your feelings for Xanatos on Obi Wan,” Jango snapped. “You can’t tell me that you’re leaving the ‘past in the past’ when it comes to that.”

Jinn swallowed thickly before his face smoothed over into a mask nearly as effective as Jango’s visor.

“This is a jedi matter. It does not concern you. You do not understand our ways, or the ways of the Force. I will ask you to leave now, and I will forget that you ever came here.”

It was a diplomatic offer.

Jango’s fury coiled tight in his chest.

“Don’t you dare forget that I came here. Don’t you dare forget what I said. I’ll break more than just your nose if you do. And I will not let you do more harm to Ob’ika.”

Jango turned on his heel and stormed off. He pulled up Silas on his comm on his way back to his apartments.

“Silas. Find me everything you can on the jetii Qui Gon Jinn, and a dar’jetii Xanatos.”

“Sounds like you’re having fun over there, ‘alor.”

Jango hissed under his buy’ce. “Not hardly. Call me what you have something. Fett, out.”

Jango didn’t go back to his apartment right off. He went to blow off steam first, so Ob’ika wouldn’t feel his anger in the Force. He knew, knew that the boy would blame himself for Jango’s altercation with Jinn, and Jango wouldn’t let him shoulder more weight.

Ka’ra, what was he supposed to do about all these jetii ade?

If nothing else he would give them somewhere safe to go.

Or so he thought, before Obi Wan disappeared the next day.

#Darth Maul #Maul #darth maul time travel #time travel #star wars time travel #obi wan kenobi #jango fett

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stassisaunders · 4 years ago

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Thread: Must Love Dogs Location: Edgewater Flower Festival Status: Closed Thread w/ Stassi & Thorne || Moved from Discord - In Progress

STASSI

She was running late, of course she was running late, she was always running late—that had always been a thing with Stassi, poor time management, her skating coaches all lectured her on being punctual, but it never took and probably never would. It wasn’t really her fault this time, okay maybe it was, but not fully her fault that she had a last minute customer and ended up closing the bakery twenty minutes after she had planned, she couldn’t exactly shove the man out the door after all, that was rude and bad for business. And so, she was running late, rushing along and balancing a rather large box of fresh cupcakes and assorted other baked goods for the other volunteers to enjoy during breaks—as usual, Sugar was off leash trotting along beside her like the good pup she always was—except apparently not today, because one second her faithful Pitbull was heeling as trained and in a blink she had bolted ahead of Stassi, which of course caused immediate anxiety—compounded times ten when the pup launched herself at a young man walking with a cane, knocking him flat on his ass to her horror.

“Sugar… NO!”

Stassi winced as the man went down and the pup began to assault him with licks to the face in between dancing around him—tail wagging proudly as she looked up at her owner as if expecting a reward for her behavior. The blonde quickly rushed over, setting the box down before lunging down to grab Sugar by the collar, gently tugging her back. “Sugar, SIT!” she firmly commanded, the dog immediately doing as told. “Stay!” she added, leaning down to offer her hand to the poor victim of her chaotic canine. “I’m so, so, so sorry about that, she’s never done anything like that before…” she stammered, noting the very not at all pleased expression on the man’s face. “Did she hurt you?” she bit down on her lower lip, her brow furrowing with worry.

THORNE

Thorne, most emphatically, did not want to be at this festival. If anyone but Alfie had asked him he would have told them in no uncertain terms to fuck themselves. Al had vanished, of course, and had left him wandering around like a lost child while he waited for him to come back.

His hip throbbed incessantly, making his dependence on the cane that much more apparent as he paused to catch his breath and look around. He hates this. He hates being an invalid. Even on good days he felt broken, useless, and he was beginning to think that feeling would never go away again. He missed having good days...

He was about to start moving again when a dog came out of nowhere, leaping at him in excitement. Had he been expecting he might have been able to catch himself. As it was, he went sprawling into the dirt with an indignant cry. The dog lapped at his face before he could stop it, pushing at it in a vain attempt to get it off of him. Before he could do much, the owner was there, chastising it and pulling it away.

He sat up with a groan and ruffled his hair. “No, i’m fine. Just wasn’t expecting to get mauled today.” He offered a small smile and picked up the cane, leaning on it. “No worse for wear.”

STASSI

Stassi felt horribly about the whole thing, it definitely wasn't Sugar's typical behavior and she had no clue what prompted the pup to go rouge, especially on someone who clearly did not need to be bowled over by forty pounds of pure muscle that probably seemed like at least twice that at the speed she had launched herself. Her cheeks were flushed from the excitement of the whole ordeal as she kept her hand out for him to take just in case he needed a little more than the cane to help him get back on his feet again.

"I never expected her to do such a thing, she's literally never done that a single time since she was a tiny untrained puppy. You're sure she didn't hurt you? She's little for her breed, but she's stronger than she knows." She explained nervously, her cheeks flushing just that little bit more when he smiled—her eyes flicking up to meet his as she offered another apologetic smile while Sugar continued to adhere the stay command, though her tail was wagging so hard her whole butt was wiggling as she let out a little whine in protest of being all but ignored.

"I suppose there's worse things than being mauled with puppy kisses..." She rapidly blinked a few times as she remembered why she had been rushing in the first place. "Kisses... I'm late for my shift at the kissing booth, fuckity-fuck..." she sort of muttered to herself before her eyes once again met his. "If you're sure you're okay," she began, leaning down to pick up the box of baked goods. "I should probably haul my ass to where I'm supposed to be." she crinkled her nose as she stood up straight again. "If you realize later she did actually do damage, I own the Butterstick Bakery so you can find me there if you need to, again, I'm so incredibly sorry..." she continued as she started to walk back in the direction she had originally been going. "Thank you for not yelling at me... Sugar, let's go heel..." she trailed off as the pup hopped on all fours, pausing briefly to lick his hand before following behind.

THORNE

He was, to put it kindly, a bit miffed. He did his best to remain dignified at all times and that was hard to do when you got shoved over on your ass in the dirt. He tried to be pleasant though, shaking his head. “I’m fine. She didn’t do any damage.” Indeed she hadn’t. The throbbing in his hip was the normal amount. He was fully intact otherwise, ready to get up and get out of the hell scape of people and flowers he found himself in... and yet he didn’t make a break for it.

“I can go with you. If they’re mad you’re late I’d be more than happy to let them know you had to stop to help me.” He tapped his cane on the ground with a wry smirk. “Most folks won’t argue with a cripple. It has worked to my advantage several times in the past.”

STASSI

She quickly paused her departure when he offered to accompany her and be her excuse for being tardy, she was pleasantly surprised by the offer—after all, her dog had just accosted him and it couldn't have been a very pleasant experience being tackled to the ground when you're already having mobility issues. "Yeah? Sure, that would be extremely kind of you, all things considered." She offered an appreciative smile and a light giggle as he poked fun at the whole situation. "Well, I mean one could, if you want to look like a total asshat, but yeah."

Stassi waited for him to catch up to her and slowed her own pace as the trek resumed, he was cute and she was definitely grateful he was so forgiving. "I'm Nastassia, by the way... well, Stassi, no one really calls me by my given name. Doesn't roll off the tongue easily I guess." She shrugged her shoulders slightly, glancing his way as they walked side by side with Sugar insinuating herself between them, again licking his hand. "She really likes you, they say dogs are the best judges of character, you know?"

THORNE

“That’s just it,” he smirked, one blond brow arching in amusement. “No one wants to be an asshole so i can get away with quite a bit.” He winked at her and headed back into the heart of the festival. He nodded at her. “That’s a very unique name. I’m Thorne.” He added after a moment, ruffling his hair as he looked down at the happy dog. “Yeah well. It could have been a lot worse i suppose...” he lightly flicked his fingers at the animal, grinning softly

STASSI

"So I'm getting the sense this is a well tested tactic of yours?" She too quirked a brow, her cheeks once again flushing a deeper shade of pink at the little wink. He was was cute, and had a good sense of humor, and was chivalrous, she liked him instantly—then again, Stassi did have a habit of falling in love with every guy who paid her the least bit of attention—the rub was that not one had ever reciprocated her feelings. "Yeah, my mom swears I'm named after my great-great-great-great grandmother, who was an exiled Russian princess." She shrugged, crinkling her nose. "Thorne, that's definitely not a name you hear every day, but I like it, it suits you." She then added. "It's nice to meet you, Thorne. I mean, clearly not the most ideal way to meet someone new, but yeah." She smiled as she glanced down at Sugar and saw him attempting interaction with the white and tan pup. "So, where are you from ... if you don't mind me asking? I assume you're not originally from Edgewater, it's kind of a small town and you have the kind of face a girl doesn't forget." A face she definitely was enjoying looking at.

#interactions #discord thread #must love dogs #stassi ft. thorne

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tharrb · 2 years ago

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Of lions and newts-chapter 3

@eeveearoace @yourpersonaltimebomb

When Jeri found Marcy, she was shambling through the school halls like a corpse. “There you are” Jeri said.”I’m..I’m sorry I ran off. I know you went through a lot, and I probably should have given you some space.” She got no response. “Marcy?”

Marcy grabbed her with a force she didn’t know her friend possessed. Marcy looked up at her, her eyes now a sickly orange.”Marcy isn’t home right now.”

“Marcy what’s going on?!” Jeri said, panic welling in her eyes. “It’s like we said, Marcy isn’t here. We are the core.” Marcy had told Jeri all about the core. How it took over her body and forced her to fight her friends.”You.” Jeri angrily said.”what have you done to her?”

“We’ve locked her back up in her mind.” The thing in Marcy’s body said.”and we have reclaimed what is rightfully ours.” “It’s NOT yours!” Jeri shouted defiantly.”and I won’t let you take her.”

Jeri head butted the core, and both girls passed out.

Be brave Jeri. A part of me will always be with you. Remember, you have a lions heart.

Jeri woke up in a dark void. Clearly, Jeri thought, this was some kind of dream scape. No sooner than she did, she was met with several eyes. The same eyes “Marcy” had been sporting.

From out of the darkness, the owner of the eyes revealed itself; a massive black leviathan, with axotol frills and an eel like body. It clearly sought to kill her, to rid this intruder from the mindscape.

But Jeri began to shine a yellow glow. That light took the form of a giant creature, that resemble a mix between a lion and a saber toothed cat. The beast fought with the leviathan, eventually sinking its fangs into it and mauling into its corpse.

The darkness pulled away to reveal the school. Jeri doubted she was in the clear yet. She still had to rescue Marcy.

Along time ago, someone told her she had a lions heart. It was about time she proved it.

Jeri ran through the hallways of the school. It seemed to spiral off into and endless maze of corridors. No entrance or exit, only doors and lockers. She was afraid she would never find Marcy. But she knew she had to try. Her attention was drawn to a noise coming from one direction.

“Scream scream, as loud as you can.” Darcy mockingly singed. “But face it girl, you’re one of the damned.” Darcy had Marcy pinned to the ground. “Please leave me alone.” Marcy pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t want this.” “You mean like how Anne and Sasha didn’t want to get stuck in Amphibia, stranded and suffering while you played hero? With both know, you deserve this.”

Darcy put their head up close to Marcy’s, and wiggled their tongue in her face. “Besides, we already have control of you body. We. Own. You. Fighting back will only result in more pain. So why don’t you give in, and we’ll get rid of all the suffering.

Marcy didn’t want this to happen again. She didn’t want to lose control of her body, and be trapped inside her own mind. Her muffled scream going unheard by any one. Forced to experience isolation and death over and over until she fades away completely.

“We know you want it-“

The core got kicked in the face, releasing it’s grip on Marcy. Marcy looked up to see Jeri standing over her. “Jeri, what are you doing here?” Marcy asked. “Doesn’t matter.” Jeri replied, pulling her friend up in a hug. The core stared down at the pair, clearly pissed.

“Let’s go!” Said Jeri. But Marcy wouldn’t budge. She remained still as a statue. Marcy knew all to well, there was no escaping from her lord.

“That little slut is ours!” Said the core. “No she’s not!” Jeri screamed. “She’s my friend!” “She dosent have any friends. Isn’t that right, mar-mar?” Marcy winced in terror at the accusation. “Why would anyone want broken, tainted, freak like her? Her only purpose is to be the cores destined host. So why don’t you hand over our property.”

Everything the core said was true, Marcy thought. Being possesed by the core for a month, and still having it in her head, taught her that she wasn’t allowed to possess anything. That she was just something to be owned, destined to be a slave to a hive mind.

“You’re wrong!” Jeri shouted in defiance. Marcy looked up. “Marcys more than that. She’s so much to so many people. And you can’t take her for yourself-not without taking something that the whole world can’t do without. And besides, you’re not really the core, are you?”

“What?” Said the core, infuriated at the question. “Do you have any memories, outside of the ones Marcy has?” Said Jeri.

The core remained silent.

“Of course you don’t.” Jeri chided. “I bet you’re not even real. That you’re just a fragments Marcy’s mind that’s convinced itself that it is.”

The core was furious. It’s faced contorted into a grimace, and it’s body began to twist. It let out a inhuman shriek as it opened its body to reveal a mass of tentacles. The tentacles wrapped around the two girls, intent on dragging them into itself.

Jeri hugged Marcy tightly, as she stared at the malevolent entity with fury in her eyes. Suddenly, the doors of the hall opened up. From them, all sorts of computer equipment floated out the doors and pelted the core, burying it beneath the tech. And with that, that world slowly went dark.

Jeri and Marcy woke up in the school infirmary, being treated for concussions. Marcy turned towards her friend, who was in the bed next to her.

“I..I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Marcy wimpered. If her previous outburst didn’t ruin her friendship with, this most certainly did. It was just like her, to keep secrets from her friends that end up hurting them, the worthless bitch.

“No, don’t be.” Jeri replied, with a warmness in her voice. “I’m just glad, we’re both okay.”

“When I was stuck in the core.” Marcy shuddered out “it became hard to tell where I ended and it began. Maybe that’s why my mind created…that thing.” “I understand.” Jeri said. She remembered all to well what it was being connected to the d-reaper. Here it’s awful thoughts of destruction and chaos.

While the pair would need time to recover, right now, Jeri and Marcy just wanted to rest.

#amphibia #digimon tamers #fanfic writing #of lions and newts

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ominousassembly · 6 years ago

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The Lizard Man Of Scape Ore Swamp

The first reported sighting on The Lizard Man was in the fall of 1987. However, it would be a year before he gained the fame and notoriety we know today.

It was June 29th of 1988 when 17-year-old Christopher Davis stopped along near Scape Ore Swamp in Lee County South Carolina to change a burst tire on his way home from work. Davis heard a loud thumping noise from behind him and turned to see a creature running towards him. The young man described the monstrous being as 7 feet tall, having three long fingers, webbed toes, long black nails, as well as green scaly skin and glowing red eyes. Immediately Davis jumped in the car and locked it just as the creature grabbed the door handle. Davis began to speed away, but the thing jumped onto the roof and clung there despite Davis attempts to fling it off. Upon arriving home, Davis noticed significant damage to his side view mirror as well and long deep scratch marks on the car's roof.

This experience would only be the first of many that summer, over the coming months the Lee County Police Department would receive many more reports of the creature now described as The Lizard Man. The majority of these reports came from within a three-mile radius of Scape Ore Swamp and included evidence of scratch and bite marks on vehicles. The police were skeptical of reports but due to the mass volume of complaints eventually gave in. Two weeks after Davis's report the police department had plaster casts made of large three-toed footprints found in the area. The law enforcement officials had the original intent of sending the prints to the FBI, however, after consulting with the South Carolina Marine Resources Department is was decided not to send them in. A spokesperson for the department stated that the prints were unclassifiable as they did now match the footprints of any recorded animal. Furthermore, it was the opinion of the department that they also could not have been made by any mutated creature.

Throughout the summer the sightings generated quite a buss and tourist traction increased significantly in Lee County. Local shops began selling T-shirts, and the local chamber of commerce encouraged the buzz stating that it was good for the community. A local radio station even offered a reward of $1 million to anyone who could capture the creature alive. Unfortunately as time progressed reports of the Lizard Man decreased slowly but steadily. On August 5th, an Airman named Kenneth Orr filed a report stating that he had encountered The Lizard Man on highway 15. In his statement, he said that he shot and wounded the creature providing sales and some blood as evidence. Two days later, however, Orr recounted his statement after being charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon as well as falsifying a police report. In explanation, he stated that he had made up the account to keep stories of The Lizard Man in circulation.

Reports of The Lizard Man after 1988 are scarce there, however, are some notable sightings. A couple in 2008 reported damage to their vehicle initially believed to be caused by the creature. There were claw marks as well as a small amount of blood on their vehicle. The blood was later tested and proved to be from a wolf or coyote. More compelling though is a report from 2011 from a couple whose car was mauled, after viewing images of the vehicle the former Lee County sheriff stated it looked very similar to what he witnessed in 1988.

#cryptid #lizard people #spooky #cryptids #creepy #unsolved

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scifigeneration · 6 years ago

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The monster festival: A pilgrimage to small town America

by Joseph P. Laycock

One of my hobbies is dragging my patient wife to small towns to study beliefs and practices related to cryptozoology – the hunt for creatures, from Bigfoot to the Loch Ness Monster, whose existence hasn’t been scientifically proven.

This year, our summer “vacation” included a stop in Bishopville, South Carolina, to attend the first annual Lizard Man festival. The Lizard Man of Scape Ore swamp terrorized Lee County in 1988 – and, according to some, continues to do so today.

Bishopville isn’t the only town to turn local reports of terrifying paranormal encounters into annual festivals. Point Pleasant, West Virginia, has the Mothman festival, while Flatwoods, West Virginia, has a festival honoring the Braxton County monster. And every year, you can go to Fouke, Arkansas, to celebrate the Beast of Boggy Creek.

Cryptozoology isn’t a religion. But in his book “Haunted Ground: Journeys Through Paranormal America,” Darryl Caterine argues that certain “paranormal hot spots” function like American sacred spaces – at least, for certain people.

As a professor of religious studies, I am fascinated by the people who visit these small communities in search of strange creatures, and why many of these small towns have come to embrace their roles as pilgrimage sites.

The legend of Lizard Man

Cryptid researcher Lyle Blackburn probably gives the best account of the Lizard Man saga in his book “Lizard Man: The True Story of the Bishopville Monster.”

In July 1988, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a resident in a small community called Browntown complaining that their car had been “mauled” overnight, apparently by an animal.

When Sheriff Liston Truesdale began interviewing Browntown residents, several described seeing a 7-foot tall creature with red eyes – what someone eventually referred to as “the Lizard Man.” Truesdale put the word out that if anyone knew anything about the damaged car or a strange creature that they should contact him.

On July 16, resident Tommy Davis brought his 17-year-old son, Chris, to the sheriff’s office. Chris Davis explained that when he was heading home from his night shift at McDonald’s, he took a shortcut down a rural road and got a flat tire. After he finished changing it, he saw a 7-foot tall, green creature, with three fingers on each hand and red eyes. When Davis tried to drive away, it leaped onto the roof of his ’76 Celica. By swerving back and forth, Davis dislodged it and escaped. Truesdale – who had after all asked the community for information about strange creatures – believed Davis was telling the truth. Chris even took a polygraph test and passed.

The author on the road where Chris Davis claims he had his encounter with the Lizard Man. Joseph P. Laycock, Author provided

After Davis�� story went public, more sightings were reported, some plausible, some clearly fabrications. Soon armed parties were exploring along the swamp. The media descended on Bishopville. Locals began selling Lizard Man t-shirts and other merchandise. Sheriff Truesdale was interviewed by Good Morning America and CBS’ Dan Rather, and newspapers as far away as South Korea ran Lizard Man headlines.

To this day, the mystery hasn’t been solved, with alleged sightings as recently as 2015. But the chain of events – a strange sighting, media attention, more sightings, followed by visits from curious tourists and monster hunters – have played out in towns across the country, from Point Pleasant to Roswell, New Mexico.

A mystery that terrifies and fascinates

If you believed a monster was real, why would you travel to its alleged lair?

Many find legends like the Lizard Man enthralling. But some become obsessed, longing to know more about something both mysterious and frightening. In these monster hunters, I see elements of religion.

The theologian Rudolf Otto believed there was an essence to religion he called “the numinous.”

Otto claimed that religion is best understood by observing remote cultures where “its primal quality of impulse and instinct” remains intact. To Otto, the numinous is experienced as a mysterium tremendum et fascinans – a mystery that terrifies and fascinates. This feeling arises from an encounter with “the wholly other,” or that which we cannot understand.

While listening to a lecture in Bishopville from Matthew Delph of the Mountain Empire Cryptid Research Organization, I thought of Otto. Delph described his encounter with a Bigfoot while hunting in Indiana, when the creature hurled a log that narrowly missed his head. (Some think Lizard Man was a misidentified Bigfoot.)

Delph recalled, “I was seeing something that’s not supposed to exist.” He was frightened but also haunted by the experience. He explained that his research isn’t so much about proving Bigfoot’s existence but rather a personal need to “face that fear.”

Other festival-goers were seeking less direct connections to the mysterium using material objects and ritual. One researcher explained why he took some bricks and wood from a famous “butterbean shed” near Davis’ alleged encounter, adding, “You want to take something tangible with you because the mystery is intangible.”

While touring the Scape Ore swamp, I heard one anecdote about the Boggy Creek festival in Fouke. Someone said they were such a fan of the legend of Boggy Creek they wanted to be “baptized” in the swamp. The comment was facetious, but it betrayed a desire to something to become more closely intertwined to the mystery.

Cryptozoology might not be a religion, but the first stages of ancient religions may not have looked much different from the practices that form around these cryptid legends.

Misfits and locals mix

To me, what makes monster festivals strange are not the creatures they celebrate, but rather the way they facilitate the intermingling of cultures that have traditionally defined themselves in opposition to each other.

The conventional wisdom is that struggling small towns should appeal to a nostalgic time when America was more conservative, more Christian and simpler – not stranger. To be sure, monster festivals always attract local families with smiling children. But to bring in tourism dollars, they have to draw other elements not easily reconciled with what architecture professor Kirin J. Maker calls “the myth of main street.”

There certainly exists what might be called a “cryptozoology tribe” that turns out for these festivals – cryptid fan culture has heavy overlap with horror movie fans, conspiracy theorists and a “psychobilly” aesthetic. Black T-shirts, tattoos and patches for “The Misfits” abound.

These eccentric tastes may be part of the reason small towns usually don’t invest in monster festivals until they have to. The mutation of monsters from bizarre police reports into emblems of the community seems to go hand in hand with the destruction of small town economies by the forces of globalization and urbanization.

Plaster Lizard Man prints and T-shirts on display at the South Carolina Cotton Museum. Joseph P. Laycock, Author provided

John Stamey, the mastermind behind the Lizard Man festival, modeled it directly on the Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Like Point Pleasant, Bishopville has a struggling Main Street with empty storefronts.

Here I see another connection to religious traditions. Pilgrimage has always been an economic phenomenon, and many medieval towns depended on stories of local miracles to draw pilgrims. By inviting in the cryptozoology tribe, today’s small towns are celebrating aspects of local culture that were once pushed to the periphery or mocked. But like the medieval towns of the past, their local economies are getting a nice little boost, too.

At the same time, these festivals draw middle-class urbanites like myself who want to learn more about places that many Americans have forgotten about or fail to understand.

Surely, some in Bishopville would rather forget about the Lizard Man, while some Americans might not have any desire to learn about Bishopville. But America’s strange pilgrims keep drawing our attention to the edges.

Joseph P. Laycock is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Texas State University.

This article was originally published on The Conversation, a content partner of Sci Fi Generation.

#folklore #monsters #paranormal #sci-fi

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cleocatrablossy · 2 years ago

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Okay, more working on this. Considering calling the AU HollyScourge, is that a good name? Okay, so I actually want to change some story stuff this time.

First off a little note- it’s an AU, I can make Jayfeather get the role he wants. He’s staying a warrior apprentice. We still get the swap between Holly and Jay though. Do note that they want eachother’s roles.

Also, Hollyleaf and Cinderheart are gonna be besties before the tunnels.

So pretty much, StarClan sends Leafpool sign after sign to make Jayfeather her apprentice because they know if he isn’t Hollyleaf would be and the last thing they want is the reincarnation of Scourge in charge of taking care of injured and sick cats. Because, you know: Scourge. And it’s not like they have reason to think she wouldn’t be like Scourge at this point in time. In scuffles with her brothers she’s doing super well in fighting and in the whole fox cub adventure she actually scratches one pretty bad before Lionkit drags her away so she doesn’t get mauled to death. And Jaypaw is actually really good at memorizing the herbs and has that strong connection to StarClan. But there’s no passion in it. He uses too much force when treating wounds sometimes causing more pain because he isn’t at all invested. And at this time Hollypaw is absolutely excelling at fighting in training and doing all right when it comes to hunting, but she’s always trying to find a way to be a medicine cat. Until about a moon into the three’s training Jaypaw starts to use his power to explore dream scapes and StarClan realizes that a medicine cat who can see other’s dreams and will be going to the moon pool where important information is shared with the other medicine cats both via word of mouth and StarClan dreams and will do anything to be a warrior maybe isn’t a great idea. Plus he knows the territory almost completely by heart so he’d really just need to work on the skills of a warrior and wouldn’t be impacted by terrain or anything. Plus with the medicine cat training his scent of smell at this point would be even more refined. And as Hollypaw doesn’t have any super powers nor a strong enough connection to StarClan that Scourge could be an issue to them(and giving her fighting training wouldn’t be a great idea) they tell Leafpool to have Hollypaw as her apprentice instead. Brightheart still gets Jaypaw as an apprentice. There’s still the competition between all the clans and there’s a good bit of animosity between Hollypaw and Breezepaw after a fighting part of it. Mostly on Breezepaw’s end because he’s pissed a medicine cat apprentice bested him claws sheathed. Hollypaw’s just friendly to him. Now when it comes to DF training, all three are sucked in. It’s important to know that Mapleshade’s been keeping very good track of cross-clan relationships and what happens mostly out of jealousy so she knows who the three’s parents are but no one else in the dark forest does. Jaypaw seems intrigued at first, but then catches on and tries to get Hollypaw and Lionpaw to not go there because it isn’t like StarClan. Now, Hollypaw has never seen StarClan despite being a med. cat apprentice because she doesn’t have the special connection, think of Frostpaw’s dreams in ASC- that’s all Hollypaw can see of StarClan. So with Hollypaw not being certain yet being the med. cat apprentice Lionpaw goes with her on not being sure. Lionpaw is actually entranced by the idea of getting stronger to protect the clan. Hollypaw however, while wanting what’s best for the clan, states that even if it were StarClan it’s clearly not a good place to be. She still winds up there everynight however, because of Scourge. I’d also like to note that in the DF Hollypaw looks just like Scourge. Collar and all. Lionpaw actually looks like a lion and Jaypaw has bluejay stuff like wings and feathers. So they sorta just guess that Hollypaw looking different is normal for the DF. Everything carries on as normal besides Hollyleaf being med. cat and training in the dark forest. After Lionblaze stops visiting they rope in Breezepelt which over time let’s Hollyleaf and Breezepelt become besties. Scourge disapproves but can’t do anything. Also, in this Sol doesn’t meet the three until after the fire scene but he still does his plot with the Eclipse. Important fact: As dark forest training carries on and Scourge finds new heights of suffering Hollyleaf could cause he starts to suggest more and more outrageous things so she starts clinging to the code more and more.

Okay, so now it’s time for bigger story changes! The fire scene happens, but instead of Squirrelflight saying that she doesn’t care about the three because they’re not her kits(something that wouldn’t work because she cares about the whole clan), she tells Ashfur that they aren’t hers but she promised to raise them. And that while loosing them would sting a bit, it’s in the life of a warrior to one day loose most if not all of their loved ones- so he’d be inflicting far more pain onto some unrelated cat than her because she’s always ready to one day wake up so them dead or dying. It will not effect her for more than a few days. So obviously Ashfur decides that ruining her reputation would be far better than something that wouldn’t last half as long. Once he leaves, the three ask if that was true. She tells them that it was mostly all a lie. The only bit of truth was that they weren’t hers and she promised to raise them as her own. That she only said it wouldn’t hurt after a few days was so he wouldn’t hurt them. They all understand that but feel absolutely betrayed about her not being their mom. They ask for more details, she says that knowing she wasn’t their mom was enough to induce whatever they see fit but that it was not her place to reveal their bio mom. They all figure it out eventually though. Hollyleaf finds out in the DF that night when Mapleshade tells her to “Go try training with your half brother. After all, Breezepelt needs some work on his form” and she puts the dots together. She stops visiting the DF after she realizes Mapleshade kept that hidden from her the whole time. Sol is passing through and ends up telling Jayfeather who their mom is. Lionblaze figures that since Leafpool is Squirrelflights sister she’d know and so just goes and asks her outright lmao. Jayfeather and Lionblaze don’t figure it out until the night before the gathering. Ashfur mysteriously went missing the day after the fire(in this is was 4 days before the gathering). The morning of the gathering the stream is oddly red, going upstream they find his rotting corpse having fallen out of where it was stored in the rocks. Leafpool does not know that Hollyleaf did it, this is because it literally doesn’t matter here. At the gathering only Hollyleaf went as far as medicine cats go because Leafpool still had to tend to those injured by the fire. Hollyleaf does her speech at the gathering, and also reveals Ashfur’s attempted murder of her and her brothers. She says the next day she went to confront him about it and he attacked her, then she had a lapse of memory until she was standing over his corpse. The lapse of memory is because Scourge took over but shh. As everything erupts into chaos, she ditches and spurred on by Scourge does the death berry thing. Then as Leafpool does the thing about what would be harder Hollyleaf begins to calm down a bit and horrified by her actions takes off to the tunnels at which point her brother find her just before the cave in. Everything in the tunnels takes place as normal because Rock banishes Scourge from the tunnels using magic. Leafpool finds out from StarClan about Hollyleaf being a reincarnation of Scourge and that with her presumed death the clans would be free of him once and for all.

When Hollyleaf comes back, the only real change is that everyone knows she killed Ashfur and threatened Leafpool… but they also know she was a reincarnation of Scourge. And given that Cinderheart knows she was a reincarnation of Cinderpelt so she sorta relates to Hollyleaf there but is confused by how Scourge could take over Hollyleaf’s body, after all Cinderpelt never did that to her. But also Cinderpelt was a good cat and Scourge wasn’t so maybe there was some issue there. She’s allowed back hesitantly since they aren’t sure if she’s still possessed by Scourge. The rest of everything stays pretty much the same, but when she’s reintroduced to the other clans they explain the whole possessed by Scourge thing and say that it must have been a similar thing to how leader’s lives worked and Scourge died instead of Hollyleaf. Scourge is actually still there, but no one knows that. Also, instead of the 4th cat prophecy it’s for the 4th and 5th cats saying something like “two from the shadows of the stars must shine like moonlight upon the bloodied tar” pretty much translating to: “two cats related to the three with the powers of the stars are gonna get us intel from the DF” so Hollyleaf and Ivypool are appointed to be spies! Hollyleaf gets back in with the reasoning that she left in the first place because Mapleshade kept her parents secret from her. Scourge shines through here, and given no one else looks different(that was just a thing with the three and her) she realizes she must still be connected to Scourge. Scourge fucking rocks and gets her and Ivypool into the upper ring of DF cats and they get the actual whole truth about everything. And as Hollyleaf is allowed to be a medicine cat again she informs the other medicine cats of what’s going so they tell their leaders so everyone’s on board but they still have to act like they don’t know what’s happening since the DF cats who die in the DF just come back so they need to wait for the attack. Hollyleaf and Cinderheart get to hang out a lot and it’s very gay. Lionblaze is still coping with the Heathertail brake up after like a year, nothing there with Cinderheart. Hollyleaf makes up with Squirrelflight and Leafpool, having been able to talk through everything with Fallen Leaves.

When the attack does actually happen Hollyleaf is fighting because she’s good at it, and has a good fight with Mapleshade but when she has a paw to Mapleshade’s throat she can’t bring herself to kill her. She sees Ivypool in danger and starts stressing, but manages to keep together and stop Scourge from taking over and let’s Mapleshade go to go save Ivypool. She takes the hit and Ivypool kills Hawkfrost instead of Brambleclaw because Ivypool was the one with the problem with Hawkfrost this time. Hollyleaf as a ghost ends up in StarClan but visits the tunnels once every three sunrises to see Fallen Leaves because besties. Scourge did a double die and as such is gone now.

I’ll come back in some time and make it more satisfactory, but I would really appreciate (constructive)criticism on this current version.

So, warrior cats AU:

Hollyleaf is a reincarnation of Scourge… somehow. Pretty much, she was supposed to be one of the three which is why the prophecy “there will be three, kin of your kin, who will hold the power of the stars in their paws” thing comes in. Dovewing is the kin of the kin of Firestar so with how it’s stated originally Dovewing wouldn’t count- the loop hole used was likely going down two generations for a ‘kin’ on her part. Now here’s where Hollyleaf being Scourge’s reincarnation comes in. StarClan was working out which powers to grant to which each of the three up until their birth before they settled on it. But in this Hollyleaf was meant to get all senses enhanced(Dovewing only gets hearing and sight, because she was late to the party). But somehow just before they’re about to be granted their powers Scourge’s ghost(on a quest for revenge and constantly wandering to kill his killer and also Tigerstar’s ghost) ends up reincarnating into Hollykit. So StarClan doesn’t give her powers as a last minute change. Now a key note here is that Cinderpelt’s reincarnation into Cinderheart was done by StarClan so they were two separate cats with Cinerpelt being able to leave. Scourge to Hollyleaf was on accident, so he’s more like a whisper at the back of her mind all the time. She becomes super supportive of the code just to try and get rid of his voice, as he suggests more and more treacherous things. He’s also part of the reason she picked up fighting immediately, because even if she doesn’t know just what to do he’s in her subconscious so she gets some extra help. Some of that ‘I’m the leader here MWHAHAHAHAHA’ Scourge stuff also plays into her wanting to be known and respected. Do note though: they are two separate cats to a degree, Hollyleaf is actually really nice in this and wouldn’t hurt a fly and want to make her family proud- but Scourge makes up most of her subconscious and when she’s super stressed out even bits of her conscious self. He also can fade out memories he’s not interested in as long as he’s there- impacting how well she did as a medicine cat apprentice. This is how we get a sudden flip from code-following goody two shoes Hollyleaf to murderous Hollyleaf in Sunset, and back to goody two shoes Hollyleaf in her novella. Everything story wise happens the same, this is all background stuff that doesn’t impact the story itself(it’s 4:30 am, I don’t have the energy to change the story, might come back to this though and do it). Final note though: Rock can get rid of any dead cats in the tunnels if he wishes(by like… doing the equivalent of cutting their internet connection) but he keeps Fallen Leaves around because he’s nice. So Rock blocks out Scourge, which lets Hollyleaf fully remember her Medicine training which is how she can remember what herbs are needed for the sickness in ThunderClan.

Alright, goodnight

#warriors #warrior cats #scourge #scourge warriors #hollyleaf #warriors au #hollyscourge au #hollyleaf au

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dragestilwrites · 7 years ago

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Blood and Kisses - Prologue

Ionas wakes in a strange and dark world where it seems everything wants his blood. Though this adds challenge to his duties, he is relentless in pursuing his goals. What awaits him in this new land? Can he survive? And more still, can he finish his job?

Setting: Bloodborne Universe Words: 1566 Rating: T - violence and gore

It was dark when he woke. He was used to waking up in the dark, of course, but this dark was peculiar. It was heavier than he was accustomed to, and it smelled distinctly of blood. That definitely qualified as unusual. His line of business required a certain level of hygiene that generally precluded smelling strongly of iron and viscera. He rubbed sleep from his eyes as he sat up.

Now this was exceedingly unusual. As opposed to his comfortable bed at home, he was on what appeared to be a hospital gurney. But this was no immaculate place of healing and renewal. This was clearly some sort of hellish dreamscape - well nightmare-scape he supposed. There was nothing clean in sight, not even his own clothes, which he was shocked to find were not the ones he fell asleep in. At least they fit him, and they looked surprisingly nice.

“Anyone home?” he called tentatively, not entirely sure if he wanted any sort of answer. He wasn’t sure the sort of people he might find in a place like this. Still, he had duties to carry out and standards to uphold.

When there was no response, he nodded his head once, brushed himself off, and headed toward the door. Which did not open. He sighed. That was certainly his luck. There were always hiccoughs in his plans, even the simplest. And this hadn’t been a simple plan in the slightest. He had gotten word of a place entirely devoid of light and love, which he certainly couldn’t abide. So he had set off for - well he wasn’t entirely sure where. He was working largely based on rumours and hearsay. But at least it looked like he was in the right place now, however he managed to get there.

“Come now, Ionas. There’s another door right over there. That must be the proper exit,” he coached himself, preferring the sound of his own voice to the eerie silence.

He crossed the room swiftly and pushed the mercifully unlocked door open. It was then that he noticed the...less than sanitary stains sprinkled haphazardly across the floor. And then his eyes followed one gory trail to a distinctly unfriendly looking mass of fur. He took a deep breath. This wasn’t the first time he’d run into someone’s unhappy or untrained pet. As long as he kept himself calm and gave the creature a wide berth, surely he would be fine.

“I’m just going to walk over here, alright? And then I’m going to-”

The creature’s deep growl broke his concentration, his speech, and his forward momentum. He froze between bloodied gurneys and stacks of books - medical texts? - and stared at the now standing creature. It was far larger than he had imagined, and the look in its eyes petrified him. How was he meant to get any work done with an animal like this loose?

“Easy now,” he began, though his voice was trembling, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

In the blink of an eye, the beast was upon him. He flailed wildly, praying that his fists would do something, anything to slow the attack. But he was no match, and he felt dagger-sharp claws slicing effortlessly through his clothes and flesh. He let out a shout as he took a particularly brutal blow that knocked the wind out of him. He hit the floor with a dull thud and blacked out for a moment.

When he opened his eyes, he was somewhere entirely different. He scrambled to his feet and cast quick glances to his surroundings to be absolutely certain there was not a murderous hell-beast waiting to devour him. But he was alone, save for several - what were they? tombstones? - ornamental rocks, a lifesize doll, and weird creatures playing in pits of ooze scattered randomly about this odd place. What was odder still was that he could swear these creatures were signalling to him! He took a chance. After all, what could these creatures do that would be worse than the mauling he had just been subject to?

Ionas straightened his glasses and approached one of the puddles of slime and spirits. The creatures reached toward him, and after a moment’s thought, he knelt down to better appraise them. His vision went dark for a moment as a buzzing sound came from the creatures and surrounded him.

“We have gifts for the hunter,” a chorus of voices spoke in his head. “Choose wisely before you go back to Yharnam. You want our gifts.”

He had no idea who or what Yharnam was, let alone what gifts might help him there, but the images of three weapons appeared in his mind’s eye. He swallowed and supposed that weaponry would be a boon if he was going back to face that foul beast. He cautiously reached for the second weapon, a sturdy and large axe. As his fingers curled around the grip, his vision cleared and he found himself still knelt on the ground but now with the axe in tow. He didn’t have time to consider this before another pile of muck beckoned him closer.

Now intrigued more than afraid, he scurried over and knelt down, prepared when his vision again dimmed and the buzz returned. The voices reiterated the same spiel about gifts and Yharnam, but now two guns appeared. He was not much a fan of firearms. They were very impersonal, and he worked in a deeply personal business. But he supposed it would be impolite to turn down a gift, and an extra weapon surely couldn’t hurt. He grabbed the pistol with little thought and was once more deposited back in reality.

He stood up and tucked the gun away in a holster he hadn’t previously noticed. He decided before attempting to seek the way back to this Yharnam place he would get acquainted with his new axe. This place seemed relatively safe in comparison to the dank hospital he had first woken in, and he had the nagging feeling that skill with his weapon would be crucial to achieving his goals. He took a few cursory swings before finding a strange bump on the handle. Curious, he pushed it, gasping as the short handle extended and turned his short range weapon into a more formidable long range one. Now this was his style.

Ionas smiled. Of course he wasn’t much for fighting - it tended to go against his job’s requirements - but there was a time and place for everything. Right now and Yharnam seemed the exact time and place for violence. He swung a few more times with his now extended axe to adjust to the momentum and drag of it. He nodded firmly once satisfied. This would do, at least for a time until he sorted out what was happening.

An instinct he couldn’t quite place told him to investigate the stones lining the cobbled pathways of this strange place. He paced over to the one nearest him and leaned down to read the heavily worn but deeply engraved writing. At the top of the stone was the word “Yharnam” and beneath it was “1st Floor Sickroom.” There seemed to be other things written beneath, but they were utterly illegible. For some reason, though, Ionas felt certain they would become clear in time.

Regardless of this odd premonition, Ionas knew this stone was the key to returning to Yharnam. He leaned forward and touched the second engraving. Everything went black for a moment before he found himself standing in the clinic again. He blinked once to make sure he was truly seeing his surroundings correctly before steadying his grip on his axe. It was time for his mission to actually begin.

Ionas smiled to himself as he whistled a jaunty tune he remembered from childhood. He felt nothing even akin to fear as he caught sight of the creature that had sent him into the strange place between realities. He readied his weapon and dove into the fight. It was thoroughly invigorating to cut into the beast as effortlessly as it had previously cut into him. In moments, its corpse lay at his feet, and he shouldered his axe to take a breath to admire his work. He brushed the blood-matted fur away from the beast’s snout and pressed a quick kiss to it.

“Goodnight, friend. Rest with love in your heart,” he said easily. Well-armed and eager as ever, he stepped away from his first kill with new surety in his purpose. He still had no idea where Yharnam even was, but he knew that the souls trapped in this world of darkness needed his services more than perhaps any other place he had gone. Who else could bring light and love and redemption? None. Only he could heal these hurts, he was certain of it.

He wiped his glasses clean on a small cloth he had knicked off one of the cleaner gurneys. This was going to be his strangest and perhaps most dangerous job yet, but he was prepared. And he even was going to look good while working - something he always found to make his task easier. He began whistling again as he headed for the door that surely led out into this strange new world. Whatever was waiting for him, his new axe - already tinged with the beast’s blood - was more than ready to offer greetings.

#bloodborne #ionas the kissboy #blood and kisses

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floralmotif · 8 years ago

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I sort of rearranged 12.21

Ok, so normally I try not to be bitter on here, but I’m human and I need to say something or it will keep me awake. I know I’ve been kind of quiet on here with stuff in my life but I promise this won’t be the norm.

I’m gonna do this a bit differently. This is what happened (that I remember) and what I would do instead. As a note, I don’t entirely blame Bucklemming for this nonsense.(their eps are like this very frequently in comparison to others so I attribute some blame. Are they chosen scape goats by TPTB too? Do they just get all the painful concepts? Doubt it.) Still, several people approved this ep. It went through multiple channels and it lived to fruition. Here’s hoping the finales do something to rectify this nonsense.

I’m mostly going to keep it the same because I don’t know where all of this ends and I want it to be compliant with canon, except uh... some differences. This isn’t great, it’s 3am, but maybe it’ll serve some purpose.

Spoilers below. Like.. immediate spoilers.

Cold Open:

Ok, so Eileen being killed was BS. From what I can gather, it was meant to establish 4 things:

1)Ketch is still an asshole (don’t tell the audience something it already knows) 2)BMoLs are using Hellhounds to kill (which is a BS way for Eileen to go.) 3)Eileen is dead (Why?) 4)And Sam and Dean need to know the above (BMoL, Eileen, Hellhounds) so they can segue to Crowley... who could easily be segued to anyway, because Lucifer is in this ep, and having the Hellhounds under the BMoLs thus far serves no other purpose other than to be an obnoxious way to kill people.

Just segue to him with a line, or nothing. They’ve done it before.

Anyway, Eileen’s death is getting binned. That’s really the main change here.

Instead, I’m replacing it with Mary’s visit to what’s-’is-name and letting that sequence play out. He gets killed, ending with the slashy. (I’m gonna try not to change too much, just minor differences.) Sucks to be him, but this alternative establishes that Mary is killing hunters without killing anyone the audience is attached to. For anyone who has seen the previous ep, they can speculate why, otherwise, it’s a “what’s going on?” situation. Either way, it’s a lead in for the ep and the title.

Motel scene:

Let this play out except replace Jody’s conversation about Eileen with Jody telling them about another hunter killed. Quite frankly, the reaction Sam and Dean had wouldn’t have to change much. I’m still peaved there wasn’t more of one (I mean, Sam tends to hold it in, and maybe he’ll explode later, but in the context of the ep.)

Yo show, nice direct ref to Charlie’s death in your “we killed Eileen scene, btw. Classy. *gags*

Morgue scene:

I can’t remember if Dean and Sam talk about Mary as a hunter with an unknown location in this scene or the above one, but we’re gonna say it’s at the end of this one. Otherwise it’s mostly the same, except Mary’s friend instead of Eileen. Again, their underwhelming (outward) response makes this easier. (I don’t need end of Starwars ep 3, I just need some sort of emotional anchor. This is the problem The Flash has.)

Mary’s room scene:

Mary has her flashbacks and wakes up with Toni. They have their conversation.

Luci’s upset he’s chained up.

Mary’s in chains, so is Luci. She’s being controlled, so is Luci. Eventually the controlled will control.. probably. I’m gonna go with that, because it’s more interesting than any other reason I can think of. Segue to Luci and Dr. Locks Demon talking about his imprisonment. Crowley comes in, yada yada. They have their little shot rev shot, talk about Dagon, talk about the Winchesters, talk about Cas. Crowley leaves, Luci wants out ASAP.

This is why other shows have cross-fades scene(seriously, how long were they in there?):

In the original scene, Dean and Sam get a letter from Eileen, in this, they’re getting a call from Jody instead. She says they found bugs in the house of the guy who died. She found bugs in her house too and is moving locations. They should check for them. They agree to call each other if something happens.

More evidence of Mary’s brainwashing scene:

I don’t remember if this is in the original. But we’re gonna give Mary another instance of brainwashing, so the later instances makes more sense. Also, if it wasn’t there, it would pad out the run time lost by Dean not calling Crowley.

Choice of thematic resonance is questionable scene:

Why does this exist? Oh well, seems there’s no other way he’s getting out of there and parallels to Mary apparently? So contrived power reversal nonsense awa~aaa~ay. Luci’s getting out the chains soon... yay...

Crowley working with the BMoLs scene:

Crowley and Umbridge have their scene. We learn the hellhounds come from him. (as long as they’re used later, it doesn’t matter if they’re introduced being utilized. They’re there, they are being utilized somewhere. That’s how the BMoLs work.) this scene serves a purpose of him working with the BMoLs. That’s really all we needed to know.

Umbridge is concerned with Ketch’s sex life scene:

Ketch and Umbridge talk awkwardly about Ketch’s sleeping habits and feelings. Segue to-

Acting credit where it’s due scene:

Ketch and Mary have their scene in the BMoL base. This plays out the same. I may not like this ep, but I’ll say David and Samantha did a good job with this scene.

Checking for bugs scene:

Dean and Sam check the bunker for bugs and find one. This scene plays out normally except they call Jody about it. See, isn’t it easy to include characters without having to keep the actors directly present (not bitter). Once you introduce a concept, stick to it. Jody tells them there was another mauling like some that had happened to other hunters. She’ll be in touch.

Ketch tells an invisible dog to sit scene:

Ketch and Toni have their scene. With their repertoire of ridiculous devices, it probably wouldn’t surprise most people. I don’t think they’ve said in canon before this ep “only demons can control them” and even if they did, when has that stopped them?

The camera chooses the rat scene:

Luci escapes and plays out his over indulgent injury of Crowley. Then the camera says “rat, you are the chosen one” and Crowley “dies”. Luci quips about it.

Toni gets her lead in scene:

Umbridge, Toni and Ketch have their scene.

The demons “clean up the mess” scene:

Rat rat rat rat

The “don’t remember this scene very well” scene:

Toni and the Winchesters meet. Something something, Toni is their hostage now.

Mary, Toni, The Winchesters and the BMoLs end up at the bunker (why the hell didn’t they leave? Oh well. We’re keeping this. Gotta end in the same place.) Ketch compares Mary with himself, killing Magda and the others. Sam is just as eager to climb the steps as Dean is, but for a different reason. Dean still tries to get through to Mary. Toni is still left with them. Dean tries to call Jody but his phone won’t reach her. He tries to leave her a message.

Same scene with Mary and Ketch, except it’s is J cut with the sounds of dogs barking, and a montage of the Hellhounds being sicced on hunters. Jody is not seen, but the question lingers.

The barking L cuts to Lucifer and fades out over the trees. Luci does his... hill thing.. same ending.

-----

Am I saying I’m a great writer? No. I just wanted a version without Eileen being killed. I can’t rewrite the whole thing, so this is the closest I can get to. Also, it’s 3 am and I can’t remember a good part of the back half of act 4, I don’t claim anything special.

Unfortunately, I could sum up a lot of this ep as “I was afraid of that” It really wasn’t a good idea to kill off Eileen, but I don’t know what happens behind the scenes. Maybe all the deaths really are part of the Cosmic Consequences and Mary ascending to heaven in the end will bring everyone back? But who knows. It really depends on the stance the TPTB have on what happened to Alicia and what will happen to the Nephilim, Mary and Cas.

There was some subtext in the ep, and there was some good, but nothing that what’s up there really changes. It does give more fuel to my theory of everything... which I swear I will post, but that will certainly be on its own.

Sorry this is the longest thing you’ve seen from me in a while. I promise the next one is more cheery.

#wank for ts #floral complains about things she can't control #12.21 #spoilers for ts #spn spoilers #not really meta #spn ep rewrite #i'm no special writer #i claim no credence over the official ones #it's 3 am #and i'm frustrated #cosmic nuttery #bucklemming #spn writing #idiot plot ball #if they kill off eileen i will riot #negativity #spn critism sort of #eileen leahy

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