#mckay fumbling with his weapon

[sga-mcshep-4ever]

Team out of context.

[dr-futbol-blog]

Condemned, Pt. 7

The leader was correct in suspecting that the best way to motivate McKay to do something is to threaten the people close to him. Left alone in the jumper with the savant inmate, he is trying to run diagnostics to see what is even possible to do with the jumper at this point. The local man seems interested both in him and in the technology he has never seen before, unable to resist fiddling with the systems while trying to get to know what kind of a man McKay is:

Eldon: The technology on this ship is far more advanced than the Olesians'. McKay: How ironic, then, to have been shot down by the cast of Braveheart. Eldon: Well, I'm surprised we were able to shoot you down.

Note that Eldon too makes the observation that they should not have been able to take down the jumper. Their level of technology should not have been sufficient for the task. It supports the notion that they may have been aided by Sheppard's subconscious mind, Sheppard overreacting to the perception that McKay was in danger through the neural link he had with the jumper.

McKay mentions the cast of Braveheart, unable and perhaps even not wanting to disguise the disdain he feels for the locals. The film featured Scottish freedom fighters from the late 13th century, and the gist of what McKay is saying that it is ironic that technologically inferior and barely civilized natives managed to take them down. It is interesting that he is again disparaging something Scottish (as he recently had by calling Zelenka Dr. Fumbles McStupid) which again invites the question of what his childhood had been like and why it seems as though he feels the need to belittle his own ancestry (or at least a part of it), given also that his best friend is Scottish. McKay was an adult when Braveheart came out, so the reference to the film itself has no bearing on his childhood. But the fact that he feels the need to denigrate his ancestry by using it to belittle others does at the very least communicate some level of self-hatred, of internalized disdain.

Now, in the film the Scottish resistance fighters are pitted against the English, and where the former have been depicted as more savage as opposed to the more civilized Englishmen, especially in English sources, the reference does not really work here, as the Scottish troops represented the spirit of the common man striving for freedom against oppression. In popular retellings of the historical events, the English are seen as the oppressor and the men of William Wallace as virtuous, as having the moral high ground. However, Wallace commanded an army and was a strategist waging warfare, not a tribal chieftain leading a band of scruffy misfits. McKay's analogy, while again meaning absolutely nothing to the local man, seems off. The situation is much more reminiscent of the Ewoks getting one up on the Rebels, having no idea that they are there actually to fight the Empire on their behalf and pose no danger to the primitive but well-meaning natives. Of course, the Ewoks were cute and cuddly which the prisoners are not, but they do seem fairly simple, curious and fumbling to understand the technology of the newcomers.

McKay elaborates on what he meant, and the low-tech versus high-tech argument certainly applies to the Ewoks as both against the Rebel Alliance and opposing the Empire:

McKay: It's the old low-tech versus high-tech argument, I suppose. Eldon: We've been working on those weapons for years-- McKay: Yes, well, well done, good for them, huh? Now, are you gonna continue talking, or... Thank you. Eldon: ... McKay: Oh, give me that! See, where did that come from?

Once again we see the man who never says thank you say thank you. McKay is actually well aware that he is taking his bad mood out on this man that seems perfectly harmless, and he is starting to feel sorry for him. A small and timid man, he is not unlike Zelenka. And McKay is actually interested in how they had managed to do what they did. Especially if it means they might have something around that could help him fix the jumper. So he continues engaging the man who seems to be developing something like a crush or a type of hero-worship on him:

McKay: Those cannons. Your design? Eldon: No, no, no... well, I chose the material and helped calculate trajectories... the ignition mechanisms... and the fuses, of course... but most of my efforts went into fashioning the explosive shots.

It is clear that Eldon is very intelligent, especially for his environment. McKay is starting to feel begrudging respect for him for having managed to do all that with basically Stone Age technology. At first glance, Eldon seems like the opposite of McKay, timid and self-depreciating, like his self-esteem has been intentionally destroyed just to keep him loyal, to keep him in line. While we do not learn a lot about him, Eldon does not seem like a bad guy. Appearances can be deceptive, however. While he may seem confident, McKay does not have good self-esteem and many of his characteristics, his abrasiveness and being a know-it-all, stem from having had to fight for his spot in every social environment he has been.

Eldon is modest, seeming to want to share credit where there is none to share, but he does seem self-aware, knowing what his skills are and what they are not. He is not being particularly helpful when it comes to fixing the jumper but he does seem to want to share information with McKay that may come in handy, that might be useful down the line. And while McKay is seldom interested in other people, this man does seem curious. He wants to know more. Especially if by learning more about this man he might learn more about their offensive capabilities, to get an idea of just what they are up against.

McKay: Ah, explosives. Is that how you killed a man? Eldon: No, I didn't kill him. I'm innocent. I don't belong here. McKay: Hmm, really? I wonder if there's ever been a convicted felon who didn't claim he was innocent? Eldon: I don't care if you don't believe me. I just want off this island.

We never learn if Eldon is telling the truth, and it doesn't matter. The choice he makes in the current circumstance is much more important than what he may or may not have done in the past. Having this conversation with McKay makes him decide to help them, and the fact that he had managed to establish this rapport with McKay is not a small part in why Sheppard later decides to allow him to accompany them to Atlantis. Sheppard has a lot of gratitude for anyone that looks after McKay when he is unable. Also, the way McKay is able to focus on the technical side of what he is doing and still have a relatively deep discussion about morality with someone standing next to him as he works is definitely a skill McKay has perfected with Sheppard at his side. McKay, however, has a lot more on his mind than the personal history of this stranger:

McKay: Oh no. Eldon: What is it? McKay: I assume there's no DHD beside the stargate? Uh, the ancestral ring. Is there some kind of a dialling device that turns it on? Eldon: No. Nothing. McKay: Ah, of course. Why give the prisoners such an obvious means of escape?

To McKay's credit, he seems to have a lot less respect for the civilized Olesians than he has for the cast of Braveheart, given that the latter never chose to become chow for the wraith.

Eldon: What's wrong? McKay: Look... the main power distribution conduit's been damaged. It effectively cuts all the power to the primary systems: drive pods, cockpit controls, DHD. Eldon: Can you fix it? McKay: Easily, if I had a replacement. Without one, you and your friends aren't going anywhere. Eldon: Neither are you. If you don't fix the ship, Torrell is going to make sure you're the first the wraith find at the next culling.

We finally learn the name of the leader of the prisoners, Torrell. Torrell is devising a plan to use the walkie-talkies to eavesdrop on our heroes, again displaying his cunning. Now, as McKay figures out what the main problem with the jumper is, it is notable that he actually explains the problem to Eldon as though the man was his new apprentice. This, actually taking time to verbalize the problem in a way that someone who is intelligent but does not have his engineering experience could understand is definitely Sheppard's influence. Had he not learned to explain things to Sheppard, he very likely would have told Eldon to leave the moment it seemed he would be able to contribute nothing useful, if only to be able to concentrate better.

The fact that McKay actually is able to concentrate when someone is talking his ear off and fiddling with pieces of electronics that they probably shouldn't be touching is testament to how much time Sheppard has spent watching him work--which, to be sure, seems to have been one of his favourite occupations at least since the end of Home (S01E09). The question "What's wrong?," probably spoken to him by Sheppard countless of times, may in itself be something that triggered McKay to do as he always does with Sheppard.

Regardless, McKay seems to reach an impasse with the jumper and the next we see him, he is once again bound and being brought back into the shack where the others appear to be on the edges of their proverbial seats, waiting to see what happens next. They are not moving, quietly observing the scene unfolding before them.

Torrell: Choose. McKay: Choose what? Torrell: Which one of them dies first. Do it. McKay: I can't do that. Torrell: Well then I'll choose for you. Either way, one of them dies unless you change your mind about fixing that ship.

McKay had his own life threatened first by Torrell and then by Eldon telling him that Torrell would make sure that he was the one the wraith would get to first unless he does as he was ordered, and both times McKay attempted not to show any kind of reaction. Torrell, however, had correctly intuited that the lives of his friends would be more precious to him than his own. Now, the order in which McKay would choose, if push really came to shove, would likely first be Ronon, whom he has known the least amount of time, followed by Teyla and then he would choose to give up his own life rather than give up Sheppard's. This much is clear, there is nothing esoteric about McKay's priorities.

However, his experiences with Acastus Kolya has taught him that giving a bad man any leverage is not a good idea and if McKay did make a choice, who ever he did choose, it is entirely possible Torrell was going to do something contrary just to spite him, from a false belief that they were playing a game of wits of some kind. If he got any inkling that Sheppard means something to him, that is the lever he would use. He might not kill Sheppard right away but there are so many screws he could tighten to get McKay to do what he likes, if only he discovered the screw to turn in particular.

And so, McKay refuses to make a choice at all. And Sheppard was never going to let him do it, either. We can see how Sheppard looks down and worries his lip in his self-soothing way as he hears Torrell's command, trying to think fast on what he should do here. He had been glad to see McKay alive and in one piece but the situation was clearly starting to go south and fast. It was clear to him that this was a form of psychological torture and he knew that McKay was not equipped to handle something like this. Having to watch McKay's anguish over being forced to make an actual Sophie's Choice pained him. The reason why he cast his eyes down was because he did not want McKay to be able to read his thoughts just by looking at him. Sheppard was not going to let them kill either Teyla and Ronon, and if push came to shove, he would draw the fire to himself somehow. He also knew that McKay would not be able to live with himself if his actions had lead to the death of any one of them. And yet he didn't want to die. He very much didn't want to die. For one, it would be impossible for him to protect McKay and to make sure he gets out of here alive if he were dead. He had also not given up hope that they might be able to fix things between them, and he was not ready to give up on that.

McKay: I'm sorry, but there are some things beyond my capability. Torrell: I don't believe you. McKay: I know it is hard to believe, but... Torrell: No, I mean I think you're lying. McKay: I'm not! It's broken! Do you understand broken?

McKay's voice breaks here and given what we find out later, he actually is a very good liar. However, because Torrell needs McKay to be lying, he attempts to profile him psychologically a little more.

Torrell: I know your type. You whine and you complain and you see to it that your every task is viewed as some impossible achievement so that when you do succeed, your gargantuan efforts are viewed as all the more heroic. McKay: That may be true in some cases, but this is not one of them. You are asking me to do the impossible. Torrell: Your friends' lives are in your hands. I'll give you some time to choose.

Sheppard narrows his eyes as he listens to this, and because we heard Sheppard say something similar to Weir in The Storm (S01E10) ("You know McKay will come up with something. He's just setting himself up to be a hero"), some people interpret his look here as communicating displeasure that this man would have McKay's ticket like that while silently agreeing with him. He's not. Regardless of what he said, Sheppard never thought that about McKay.

With regards to Sheppard's exchange with Weir, I wrote:

Sheppard continues to have perfect trust in McKay. Again note that he's masking it in flippancy; when ever he talks about McKay to other people (and he seems to do that a lot; when you have a crush on someone you naturally want to mention them by name all the time because you are thinking about them all the time, but you try to be smooth about it like it's no big deal), he's downplaying it, he gives off the impression that he both cares for and regards McKay as less than he actually does. He tells Weir: "You know McKay will come up with something. He's just setting himself up to be a hero." [...] Sheppard does actually view McKay as a Big Damn Hero, and while here, talking with Elizabeth, he's making it sound like he's ribbing on McKay and his big ego, he does actually honestly believe those two things: that McKay will save them, and that he is a hero.

Thinking that Sheppard agrees with the man about McKay is to misread his character. He narrows his eyes because he hates this man, and being reminded of what he had said previously himself, having his own words thrown back at his face, he hates himself a little bit too. Sheppard has gotten to know McKay intimately since. Even though he admired McKay and trusted his abilities back when he said this to Weir, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since that day. He knows McKay better than he has ever know anyone. He had let McKay get closer to him than he had ever allowed anyone to get. Sheppard knows about his childhood, he knows about his fears and dreams, he knows the good parts of his character and he knows the bad all the way to the downright nasty, and nothing he had learned had ever made him love him less.

Sheppard knows how insecure McKay is. He knows how much pressure McKay is under, and how much more pressure he puts on himself than even other people, most of whom expect him to deliver miracles as from a conveyor belt. We saw Sheppard spend the latter part of the first season trying to ease McKay's burden so that he wouldn't have to feel like it was all on him, like it was his responsibility alone to save everyone. What Torrell says here is not what Sheppard thinks about McKay at all, but it is something McKay may think about himself. He does frequently downplay the odds of something working because when he isn't sure, telling people it's not going to work and it then working is infinitely better than making promises he can't keep, of writing checks he might not be able to cash. It is a way of trying to relieve the immense pressure he is under, most of all from himself. So McKay knows that he does do that, sometimes. But at this point, Sheppard seems to have much better insight as to why he does it. And he wants to protect McKay from this too, from being psychologically dissected by someone that doesn't know him at all.

Torrell seems to give McKay a moment to decide but he is actually working on his plan to use the walkie-talkies to eavesdrop on his captives while they are alone. Whether he was ever actually going to kill one of them or was doing this just for show is unclear but whether the threat was real or not, its effects were devastating all the same.

While it does not seem as though Eldon is in on Torrell's plan, he is doing what he can to help these strangers with the hopes that he might be able to secure his own freedom by betting on them. It seems as though Eldon had seen something in McKay that he wanted to believe in:

Eldon: Listen to him, McKay. He's killed eleven people. Eight before he was sent here, and three since he's been on the island. McKay: Eleven, huh? You've got some catching up to do, don't you? He's only killed one. Sheppard: Who, him? Eldon: I told you I'm here because of a mistake.

Now, while McKay is clearly taking his frustration and anger out on Eldon, the fact that he actually remembers a personal detail about this man and felt that it was important enough to share tells Sheppard that McKay had been getting along with this man. Had it not been for McKay's assessment of his character, Sheppard would probably not paid this man any attention, but now he is curious. Ronon, on the other hand, seeming to be sure that McKay is going to pick him first when Torrell returns and that his days may be numbered, takes some of his bitterness out on this man:

Dex: I'm sure everyone here on this island says that. Eldon: Well, as a matter of fact, some of us are innocent. Only a few like Torrell are actual murderers. Teyla: You mean they put all their criminals here, regardless of the crimes they commit? Eldon: Once only the worst of the worst was sent here, but the punishment proved to be such a successful deterrent that crime rates in Olesia plummeted, which meant fewer and fewer prisoners. Teyla: Less food for the wraith. Eldon: Exactly. Sheppard: So they lowered the bar.

Sheppard is absolutely disgusted by the Olesians. Maybe he could understand putting murderers on death row but condemning innocent people to die to keep the wraith "satiated" so that the Olesians could continue living in luxury really rubs him the wrong way. He is also not comfortable thinking too closely on how they may have lowered the bar. He looks at McKay as Eldon explains how the system became corrupted. Because Teyla looks at Sheppard after speaking, some might interpret Sheppard as exchanging a look with Teyla, but that is not what happens. Sheppard and McKay have been exchanging glances over Teyla's head ever since Home (S01E09), and that also happens here, confirmed by McKay returning Sheppard's gaze after Teyla has spoken. They look at each other, once more communicating something between them that others are not invited to understand, and they seem to be on the same page as to how horrifying they find this.

Beyond that, it is clear as day to Sheppard that this man had taken a liking to McKay because it takes one to know one. It is obvious to him that they had done some bonding when McKay had been away. He hoped that he was wrong about what he started to suspect the crime of some of these men on the island might have been but he certainly was glad that it seemed like someone had been looking after McKay when he could not. The fact that he was warning them now also told him about the man's good intentions. And this man would be much easier to manipulate from the literal bind they were in than their leader, besides.

Continued in Pt. 8

[tenebrisxarmatus]

Halo Infinite

Alright now that I’m not away from home I think I can finally put into words why the campaign hits all the right notes with most people I know. Obviously there’s going to be spoilers, so read ahead at your own risk:

So after getting 4 (decent campaign, great story but hindered by usual ‘new studio’ growing pains) where the dynamic in the galaxy had shifted, and then getting the absolute DUMPSTER FIRE that was 5, Infinite’s main draw, at least to me, is a return to form by embracing Halo CE all over again.

Your ship is downed after being forced to flee a fallen human stronghold by a superior enemy, landing on a mysterious ring world where you must gather survivors, mount a resistance, and unlock the secrets of this alien structure, and put a stop to an existential threat to the galaxy. 

Sound familiar? Exactly. They pulled a “Force Awakens” but instead of just rehashing the first game and calling it a day, and then calling all of their fans racist, they used it as a foundation and built up from there after taking valid criticism to heart. For anyone who read The Flood way back when, it’s like we get to be Silva and McKay this time around whenever you’re not dealing with the Harbinger or John’s trauma regarding Cortana/The Weapon.

This brings me to the sandbox, and I know that the grapple and other equipment are controversial to some, but we’ve had equipment since Halo 3, it’s just how the game evolved. We have all the tools we want and the game doesn’t hold your hand about it. It gives you a toolbox, gives you an objective, gives you the option to upgrade your gear, and then just lets you have at it. I’ve heard people call this the best Far Cry in years and despite it being a joke, I agree. Without being kidnapped by the protagonist every 5 minutes and rescued by THE TOKEN RESISTANCE FIGUREHEAD right afterwards, it actually feels like you’re fighting an uphill battle instead of being toyed with by a cult or a dictator for the sake of the plot. The simplest way I can put it is; you’re playing Halo Wars 3 from the perspective of a Hero Unit.

As for the story; 343i is back to doing what they started in 4 and dropped the ball with in 5, exploring the Master Chief as a human in comparison to normal people, and in this case a “normal” AI. This sort of thing is a gold mine for lore fans, for people with S-II/III OCs, and just about anyone who reads the books. That subtle detail of Chief using Samuel and his ID number (034) as his deletion code for the Weapon actually choked me up, after so many decades he still remembers and mourns his first real friend in the Spartan program. Additionally, there’s consistency between all three games, even though what consistency we got in 5 lasted all of 5 seconds. John is still dealing with Cortana asking him to figure out which of them is the machine, and it’s still up for debate when John refers to his will to fight as his programming.

Speaking of AIs, let’s talk about The Weapon. Pure cinnamon roll who needs to be protected at all costs. She’s peppy, happy, and has a great rapport with John even when they go through their conflict after he tried to delete her. It brings back the feeling of “DILF must protect daughter/son/child while finishing his mission” but with just enough of a twist that it doesn’t feel recycled, and we don’t have to worry about any incoming golf clubs in the next game. Her interactions with the Fernando Esparza (The Pilot) are also fun to work with, and this might sound insane to some, but none of it felt forced or unnatural to me, even with the occasional timing issue.

When it comes to how things were handled with Cortana, I’m actually happy with how things turned out. 343i realized that they fumbled things with 5, and while not just retconning the last game, they did the best with what they had and brought in their strongest narrative left to fix things; the Halo Wars story. Cortana has been handled, Atriox is still available for future outings as a primary antagonist, and with the fate of the rest of the Created up in the air, we’ll see what the Endless have in store for us.

All this being said, there is one elephant in the room that is thankfully, easy to avoid. Fucking Escharum. They push him too hard on the player, but at the very least there’s a Skip button or you can just walk past his hologram and ignore it. He’s no Atriox, he’s no Prophet of Truth, and he’s definitely no Gravemind, but at the very least his boss fight matched the hype he put into the campaign, so he has that going for him.

All around, a return to form by listening to fans has restored my faith (and that of many others) into a franchise that I had feared was dead. In regard to the campaign and only the campaign (I’ll bitch forever about the Multiplayer monetization), it feels nice to see the Halo community active again, and I’m hopeful that this is the start of a trend of excellent campaigns.

[halequeenjas]

Property Soul’d || Jasmine & Skylar

TIMING: Current PARTIES: @theskyeandsea & @halequeenjas SUMMARY: Skylar acts as an interpreter during one of her student’s parents real estate showings with Jasmine. The pair shows up before Jasmine can throw up wards, so Larry Bob makes a pesky appearance. CONTENT: Medical Blood Mentions

Any time Jasmine had a showing, she had to make it a habit to arrive earlier and throw up wards. Larry Bob was persistent as ever and simply wouldn’t leave her alone. Like it was her fault he died. Ghosty boy needed to get a grip and let that shit go, but he refused, even after her banishment attempts. Did she love carrying salt and iron with her everywhere? Not particularly, but she didn’t have much choice at this point. This property was a beautiful waterfront home that was staged to perfection. She was just about to put the wards up when she heard the doorbell chime. Fuck. This meant she’d have to be very careful. “Larry, if you’re here, I swear I’ll salt the hell out of you if you ruin this listing for me,” she chided quietly before making her way to welcome her clients in. She plastered on her million dollar smile and opened the door for Mr. Bell and a younger woman. She assumed this was the interpreter he spoke of. “Hello,” she greeted eagerly, “Come on in, I think you’re going to love this place.” She absentmindedly ran a hand over her pocket to confirm her small pouch of salt was there. “So this one has everything you’re looking for-- waterfront, pool for the kids, big tub in the master bath, a kitchen island, and it’s $10,000 under budget!” 

Thank you again, Ms. McKay, really, Mr. Bell signed as they made their way up the front walk of the house. Skylar shook her head, waving her hands emphatically. No, no, please. I’m happy to help, She signed in response before ringing the doorbell. It was a beautiful home, hopefully she’d be able to help him close on the house. She’d never really done something like this before, but… she was trying to be better, trying to be more helpful. So, here she was! When the woman opened the door, Skylar followed after her, interpreting the realtor’s words. Mr. Bell’s eyes widened with interest as he took in the information, though he seemed skeptical. “Has the kitchen been renovated? My wife’s really looking for a place with stone countertops.” She said, speaking for the man as he signed before looking at the woman expectantly.

Ever the best tour guide in town, Jasmine led them over to the kitchen as they asked about renovations and answered, “It was renovated last year and the countertops are all marble. Appliances are all new, too, and there’s even a range stove.” She gestured toward it as they walked in the kitchen which really was a dream. Maybe not particularly for her since she didn’t cook, but aesthetically speaking, she enjoyed it and knew how to sell it. She’d been about to dive into the other features when she heard a loud crash from one of the bedrooms. Of course, the one time her client was too early for her to get the wards up, something like this had to happen. She kept her composure and quickly rattled off, “Oh, I think I left my bag at the edge of the dresser, I’ll just go clean that up really quick. Feel free to poke around the kitchen!” She quickly rushed up the stairs and grabbed the salt and iron rod from her bag. As she saw his form in the bedroom next to a broken vase she let out a sign and chided, “Really, Larry? That’s a $2,000 vase.” Out of spite, before she could throw a dash of salt at him, he knocked down a sculpture. “Ugh,” she grumbled as she dashed salt at him and held her iron rod out to keep him away. She couldn’t very well start a banishment with people in the house. So she kept swatting at him with the iron rod hoping he’d just… leave. 

Raising her eyebrows as they stepped into the kitchen, Skylar relayed the woman’s words to Mr. Bell. The kitchen was… amazing. It honestly rivalled the one in Nic’s home-- her home-- with the wonderful cabinets and beautiful stove top. Mr. Bell nodded in agreement, examining the various fixtures as Skylar followed the other two adults around the home. Just as Mr. Bell was about to ask a question, she flinched as a loud shattering sound rang in her ears. A slight ring of feedback sounded in her ears and she grimaced as the realtor hurried out of the room. With a bemused expression, Mr. Bell signed, What did she say? Skylar pointed to her hearing aids with an apologetic wince, I couldn’t hear, but I can double check with her. What did you want me to ask her? I can double check. Mr. Bell signed his request to her and she hurried through the hallways to where she thought she’d heard the realtor wander off to. “Um, excuse me? Mr. Bell wanted to know if--” As Skylar entered the room, she blinked in confusion as she stared, not fully understanding what she was looking at. There were glass shards all around the room, bits of a broken sculpture mixed in as well, but what startled her more was the realtor, who was wildly swinging a thick metal rod around the room, saying something about… Larry? Mr. Bell’s first name was Martin-- who was she talking about? “Ah… Is everything okay?” Skylar asked.

“Damn it, Larry,” Jasmine grumbled as Larry Bob kept dodging her blows with the iron rod. He knew damn well she wouldn’t risk anymore property damage and he was using it to his advantage. Stupid poltergeist. In this moment, she was very grateful that Mr. Bell couldn’t hear them though she tried to keep the ruckus down so that the interpreter didn’t. She’d been trying to get a good whack in when she heard another voice. Her head whipped around and lips formed a small “o” as she realized the interpreter had in fact heard her. She casually hid the rod behind her back and lied, “Oh, everything’s peachy! I’m just a little clumsy somet-” Her grin faltered as the poltergeist began slamming the windows opened and closed. A long, exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she turned back to the window. She whispered angrily, “Can you not?” This was bad. By every indication to any sane person, it’d look like the house had some defects or was haunted depending just how familiar one was with White Crest’s particular brand of weird. She could see Larry’s ghostly form moving toward Skylar. “Watch out,” she yelped as she saw the door about to swing into her. 

Startled by the sight of the woman whipping around, the metal rod hidden behind her back, Skylar tilted her head, trying to see around her. What was she holding? Some kind of weapon? Or was it just a rod? And why? That didn’t seem like a standard realtor thing. Before Skylar could question more, she was startled to see the windows open and close wildly, the curtains blowing from the draft. “I-- what’s going on?” She asked, but before she could react, the door slammed in her face, smacking her hard in the face. The solid wood smacked into her nose and she felt a sudden trickle of warmth slide down her face. “Ow!” She yelped, clutching her bloody nose. “What just-- I… What happened?” She blinked as she fumbled. Was that magic? It almost reminded her of when she’d been helping Morgan with her jars of candles, how the magic had backfired on her. But, she hadn’t seen any wards or incantations or anything like that. The door had just kind of opened? Fumbling with the door handle, Skylar pinched her nose. “What was that?” She asked, her voice thick through the blood that was dripping down her face. 

As the door slammed into Skylar’s face, Jasmine grimaced and swore under her breath. Taunting her endlessly was one thing, but hurting an innocent interpreter just trying to do her job was another. She threw a handful of salt at his form before turning back to Ms. McKay. She pulled some tissues out of her purse and quickly handed them over. “I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed and added, “I swear what’s going on has nothing to do with the house.” It seemed the younger woman wanted answers and there were very few that didn’t make her sound like an absolute lunatic. She let out a sign and asked, “Do you believe in ghosts?” Realizing ghosts made the house sound bad, she quickly added, “Again, nothing to do with the house.” 

Accepting the tissues with a grateful nod, Skylar tilted her head up as she attempted to staunch the bleeding. Just another fun side effect of being a selkie, too much blood. She could feel the warm blood flowing down her face, dripping onto the ground, on the freshly cleaned floors. Oh no… That wasn’t good-- at least it wasn’t carpet, but still. Mmm. As the woman simultaneously hurled salt into the air and apologized, Skylar blinked in confusion. One, why was she throwing salt around, but also, why was she apologizing? The door had magicked itself open, it wasn’t as though she’d done anything. But, at the mention of ghosts, her eyes widened. Ghosts? Was there a ghost here? Looking around nervously, she nodded. “Mmm. I’ve heard of them before. Are you sure the house is safe? Mr. Bell, I wouldn’t want him moving in here if he’s going to be haunted or something.”

It took some concentrated effort, but Jasmine refrained from making a snide remark that everyone had heard of ghosts. Most just didn’t believe. Her lips curved down into a frown when she saw how much the girl was bleeding. Damn it, Larry. “Right,” she started before she explained, “Well, I’m an exorcist and I can assure this ghost has nothing to do with the house. He’s more of a personal haunt. Really persistent, too. Pissed I tried to exorcize him in the past. Turns out, he’s got a lot of rage so I need another exorcist to help.” The door slammed again and she grumbled, “Fuck off, Larry!” She shook her head and looked back to Skylar. “Usually I put wards up before a showing. You guys were a little early so I didn’t quite get to that step. I can assure he’ll follow me out of here, though, and I’d still put up wards anyway. I always do.” 

“An exorcist? Mmm, like going all John Constantine on someone?” Skylar asked, thinking back to the comic book character. She’d known that mediums were a thing-- Blanche had told her that she was one, afterall. So, it only made sense that there would be people who would get rid of ghosts too. Nadia had talked about having been through an exorcism years ago, how she’d been possessed. Was Jasmine possessed..? Skylar flinched when the door shut on its own again. The knowledge that it was an angry ghost doing this didn’t make her feel much better. “Um, okay. That’s good at least. Do you-- is there anything I can do to help? Besides,” She gestured downstairs to where Mr. Bell was still idling. Hopefully he hadn’t felt the floors shaking above him from the doors being slammed around. “You know, my job.”

“Uh, I don’t know who that is, but like, I get rid of ghosts and poltergeists when needed,” Jasmine threw a final dash of salt as she saw Larry approaching a painting and that seemed to get him to disappear for the time being. She let out a sigh and turned back to the younger woman. “I’m sorry, are you okay? He’s gone now.” This definitely wasn’t going to look good to Mr. Bell. She kicked some of the broken clay pieces under the dresser, but knew she’d need a broom to fully get the glass. “Not really, unless you know another exorcist, but I appreciate the offer. Larry Bob is a stubborn poltergeist. Think he’s a two woman job, but I don’t actually know any other living exorcists.” If she did, Larry Bob would have been thrown off this plane a long time ago. “Can I get you anything else? I’m so sorry he did that to you. 

“Mmmmm.” Skylar hummed in understanding, because it was easier than trying to talk. The blood was still dripping down her face and she was grateful for the excuse to not have to say anything in response. As the woman began to try and sweep bits of broken glass under the dresser, she glanced around. A dustpan would be best, but Skylar didn’t know where she’d be able to find one. “I, actually,” She said thickly through the tissues pressed against her face, “I do? I don’t really know if he’s legitimate, but he’s got a YouTube channel? Connor Piers?” She said. “I mean, I don’t know him, but he told me he does exorcisms and things. But, um, I don’t know if he’s really doing it or if it’s just a stunt.” She said. As the woman offered to help her, Skylar shook her head, though the motion sent more blood soaking through the tissues. “Ah-- um, maybe more tissues? Sorry. I, ah, I have a weird blood condition.” She said, trying to remember some of the excuses Ricky had told her all those months ago. Anemia? No, that wouldn’t make sense.

The mention of another exorcist made Jasmine perk up. The bond between her and Larry Bob was far too personal. It only fueled his anger and stubborn streak which made it near impossible for her to banish him like she wished to. “You do,” she questioned with her eyes widening and brows arching upward. “Wait, he’s got a YouTube channel,” she squeaked, “Actually, I think he’s popped up in my recommended videos on YouTube before. I’ll have to actually watch and see if he’s legit. I’d really love to not have to ward off and bring salt and iron everywhere I go. Have you actually met this guy?” She still hated that he had a YouTube channel. Being seen with him would make her a freak by association and she had been careful with who she told about being an exorcist. If word got too widespread, her real estate business would tank. “Right, right-- more tissues,” she mumbled as she grabbed a hoard from the bathroom. She really was bleeding a lot which was quickly explained by the weird blood condition. “Condition… do you like need a doctor or something? Are you going to be okay?” 

“He does. I watched one of his videos, but it was a little too creepy for me.” Skylar admitted as she tipped her head back, hoping it would help stop the blood from pouring down her face. She’d managed to catch it before it had stained her clothes, but if it kept up, there wouldn’t be saving her shirt. Pinching her nose tightly, Skylar took some of the tissues from the realtor-turned-Ghost-Buster and did her best to stop the continuous dripping. Soon, the tissues were soaked through, but at least her nose had stopped. Blinking, she bit the inside of her cheek. “Sorry. I haven’t actually met him, but he seems like the type who’d be happy to talk to people about ghosts and things?” She said, reflecting on how… cavalier he’d been with their conversation. She couldn’t imagine being like that. “Oh, no, no. I’m okay now, honest. I just, it’s a clotting issue.”

If one of his videos was creepy, it was probably a safe bet that this Connor guy was worth his salt. Jasmine would still watch one of his videos to find out properly for herself. “Noted, I’ll have to check out his videos and see if he’s at all legit. If so, I’ll have to hit him up even if broadcasting this stuff on YouTube is ridiculous,” she said with a bit of a grumble in her voice at the last part. Calling attention to ghosts and themselves like that was wild. Hell, she charged for exorcisms and she wouldn’t even dream of posting about it online. “Hm, I can still check him out. Thanks for the tip.” It seemed like she finally stopped bleeding though the tissues were all soaked through in the process. Gross. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. If you don’t mind, I’d still like to send a little care package your way when this is all done.” She grabbed a broom and dustpan she had stowed away in the closet for the cleaning lady she hired and reluctantly started cleaning up the glass. “If you’d like to tell Mr. Bell I’ll be down again in a minute, I’ll meet you down there. Would prefer to clean up this room before showing it to him.” 

“Mhm, that makes sense. Maybe he’ll be able to help you get rid of--” Skylar glanced around nervously, realizing that the ghost was probably still hanging around, “Help you with your situation.” The last thing she wanted was to wind up on an already angry ghost’s growing hit list. She nodded at the woman’s thanks and moved to extend her hand, but thought better of it when she remembered they were covered in blood. Instead, she waved awkwardly. “I’m, um, I’m Skylar by the way. Sorry for bleeding all over the floor. And yes, I can definitely do that. I’m sure he’ll be wondering what’s been going on, but I can just say I had a nosebleed and you were helping me.” She said. The lie would be easy enough, but that only unsettled her more. When had she become so okay with secrets and lies? With a shake of her head, she pushed the thought from her mind. Skylar headed back downstairs, her shoulders slumped slightly. Ghosts and blood and lies. This was just part of her life now, wasn’t it.

Being uneasy about ghosts was understandable. Nobody liked being confronted by something they couldn’t even see. Jasmine had the advantage of mostly being able to see ghosts pretty clearly, so she assured, “He’s not here anymore. I’d be able to see him. Think the salt bath hurt him a bit so we’ve got time.” It was a relief that Skylar wasn’t going to let her totally lose face with the customer. She gave a nod of her head and said, “I’m Jasmine. Don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault Larry Bob is an asshole. Oh, yeah that works. Thanks for that. That excuse sounds way less crazy than what actually happened.” As Skylar left to go downstairs, Jasmine quickly tidied up the room. That call had been far too close for comfort. She supposed she’d really have to actually check out this Connor guy. At least, that gave her some sort of hope there was an end in sight.

[mavi-blue]

Destiel and Mcshep

Part 2

Colonel and Rodney stared to each other for a while. That reminded Cas of Dean and their habit of staring each other. After Sam pointed it out several times it was hard to ignore they really did stare each other.

Rodney broke their staring and looked at Cas.

“I guess we called you with an ancient device. And it’s still working. Maybe that’s why you can’t leave? I mean looks like you’re some kind of ascended person and maybe the device was designed to keep ascended people inside.” Rodney looked a little guilty and unsure but he explained the reason and Cas started to like the guy.

Cas looked past them and to the place he appaered. There was a console and a device was standing on a table next to it. Cas started walking to it and stopped before he reached it. He realized something about the device now he paid attention to it. There was angel guarding marks around it. That meant Cas couldn’t touch it even if he wanted to fix it or turn it off.

He stomped in front of Rodney and looked into his eyes.

“Turn it off. I can’t touch it.” Rodney quickly glanced to Colonel next to him and nodded.

When he reached to the console he pushed some buttons and the console lost it lights. But Cas could still feel the device’s power.

Rodney took a tablet from the table next to the device and fumbled with it. When he looked back to them Cas understood what it meant immediately.

“I can’t turn it off. The device doesn’t take power from the city. It has it’s own power source and doesn’t shut down. And apparently it’s sending some sort of signal. If it is stopping you from leaving then you won’t be able to leave the planet. It’s strong enough to cover this solar system, too.”

“You were the one started this device, find a way. I have duties. I can’t stay here.” Cas was starting to get scared because he couldn’t get to Earth from here. If he could reach to another angel… An archangel…

“I can’t do it…” Cas narrowed his eyes to Rodney. “…yet. I don’t know how to do it yet, okay? I need some time. And I don’t know how long it will take. So you can’t shut us down in this lab. At least let the others go.” Cas saw what Rodney tried to do. He reminded him of the brothers. Trying to protect others.

“Rodney!” Colonel growled to the man. “I’m not leaving you with him.” He shot a glance to Cas and he looked determined not to leave.

Cas started to feel like he was the villain in here. And he wasn’t that angel with a stick up to his ass anymore. He could do better than this.

Cas let out a sigh and heard the mans behind the door. Looked like the teams came. He turned to colonel.

“Look, now we know you can’t kill me so I will let you all go and your friend will take care of the device. I will be around, you just have to call my name.” And before they answered Cas made himself invisible to them.

“Whoa! What the hell was that?!” Colonel looked across the room and decided Cas was really gone. He sprinted towards Rodney and tug him forward from his biceps. They went for the door and Cas let them. They needed some time to think what they did. And Cas needed to make a call in the mean time.

He teleported himself to one of the balconies near. And started to pray for Gabriel. Let him know where he was and why he couldn’t come back. Send help if he can.

Then he heard his name from the colonel and decided to go to the meeting room.

“It was Castiel, Rodney. You should seriously start working on remembering names. Cassidy? Really?” Colonel snorted at that. And Cas frowned.

“Hey, who is the genius here? I’m sure it was Cassidy.” Rodney was throwing up his arms from where he sat.

“I believe the colonel is right about my name, Doctor Mckay.” Cas made himself visible. Rodney and colonel flinched from where they sat but the other 3 were standing up immediately. One of them with long tangled hair pointed a gun to him. Other two woman were just shocked.

“I told you he was real! He’s an ancient!” Rodney pointed to him with both hands and shout to the room.

“I’m not an ancient. I’m an angel. The ancients are nothing compared to an angel.”

The woman with a red t-shirt stepped forward.

“An angel. You mean like in The Bible?” She asked with curious bright eyes. She looked like she wanted to shake the answers out of Cas.

“The Bible is mostly unaccurate on many subjects. But yes. I’m an angel that many religion has in their belief.” Cas saw the recognition on their faces. The belief of meeting an actual angel. And some confusion on Pegasus people led him to believe they didn’t heard of it before.

Well, Castiel was an angel of the Lord but he only watched over the Earth untill now. If God had a plan for other planets religions Castiel didn’t know.

“Uh…sorry for…shooting you?” Colonel asked with a new born respect and fear. He still looked relaxed but Cas could feel the tension on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, John Sheppard. The Righteous Man shoot me several times and stabbed my heart on our first meeting. He didn’t believe me then either.” Cas let out a small smile with the memory. And that seemed to make everyone relax a little. So Cas walked on to an empty chair next to Rodney and sat down.

“Ronon, please put your gun down. And everyone sit down.” Elizabeth said and followed his statement. Cas knew their name and they didn’t look like they were gonna introduce themselves so he started to refer them with their names.

He was confused in the first minutes of his arrival and just asked who they were. But he then remembered he didn’t have to do that. Staying with Whinchester’s for too long made his social skills more human apparently.

“John is fine by the way. And this is Elizabeth-” Cas cut John’s introduction. They were too many and it would take too long.

“No need. I know all of your names. Including the people of Pegasus Galaxy.”

Everyone glanced at each other with their eyebrows up. It was okay, they were still trying to progress he was an angel, Cas thought.

Turning to Rodney, Cas started.

“Doktor McKay-”

“Rodney, please.”

“Rodney. Were you able to find a way to stop the device. I need to go back to Earth as soon as possible. I was in the middle of an… important meeting.” He was talking with Dean and that was important enough for Cas.

“I would offer you to go through the stargate but it was destroyed on our last encounter with replicators. We are waiting for Deadaluos to arrive and pick up a gate on their way. It would be three more days until they arrive.” Elizabeth added.

“Then I guess I have to work on the device. I’ll look into the labs systems througly. They must have turned it on and off before. There must be something.” Rodney told to everyone in the room and avoided Cas’ eyes. Cas found it weird and planned to ask but decided it won’t be approprite to ask in front of everyone.

Yep, his social skills were advancing rapidly.

“I have to ask, why did you turned it on in the first place? Did you know what it did?” Cas asked with a little accusation on his tone.

Rodney squirmed in his chair and was getting red really fast. “Um…I didn’t? The information on database was only saying the research was about a powerfull weapon against wraith. I didn’t even know you would come. I thought the device didn’t work until you showed up.” He talked fast but Cas thought the man didn’t do it delibaretly.

“Okay, Rodney. Then I would take my leave. I’ll look around the city and you know how to call me.” Before he could disappear Rodney grabbed his arm.

“Wait, you can’t just leave! We have tons of things to ask you. And I have an important question!”

Cas raised a one elegant eyebrow to Rodney’s hand and the man pulled his hand back immediaetly.

“I know. But I shouldn’t be interfering with people. I only have a duty for one person and he is on Earth.”

Cas was preparing to leave and take a walk around the city when they all heard a scream outside the meeting room. The parallel doors started to open and there walked a man with a grin on his face. And two other man following him inside.

“Hello, baby brother! I heard you were on a trip to hunt aliens and I brought the team free will with me! You are welcome.” Gabriel told to Cas.

…

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

[couldabeenmensaarchived-blog]

@saunteredslowlydownward​

John had spent the majority of the day meandering around the city, finding any and every excuse to put off doing evaluations. Last time Elizabeth had gotten onto him for just marking everyone as ‘exceptional’ despite his very valid argument that everyone that worked under him was in fact exceptional. This time he promised to actually make comments and have validation discussions with the military personnel. So naturally he had spent the morning knocking a few golf balls off the pier.

When Elizabeth called him on the comm to check on his progress he fumbled a half truth about taking a break. Thankfully she didn’t call him out on it but he could tell by the tone of her voice she knew exactly where he was and how he was procrastinating. Begrudgingly he slipped the drive into his golf bag and headed off down the hall. Major Lorne that would be a good place to start, perhaps he could even convince the secondary military CO to help with some of the paper work. 

John turned the corner and suddenly a chill ran down his spine. Immediately he stopped. A shadow caught the corner of his eye and his snapped his head in its direction. He lifted his chin with and widened his eyes in surprise. Nothing.

 oooookay he thought giving the hallway another glance. Must have just been his eyes playing tricks on him. Yeah, he didn’t buy it either but decided he would ask Zelenka to check the life signs detector.

John hit the comm ear piece. “Zelenka?” static “...McKay?” The eerie silence made his heart beat quicken. “Look, I know you guys didn’t get as much amusement out of that prank that Ronon and I did, but if you’re planning something, remember I carry a gun.”

All John got in response was silence. He growled, just about to lose his normal cool exterior when a roar echoed in his ears. He didn’t have enough time to grab his weapon let alone turn and face the origin of the sound when a pain hit his back. Like a wrecking ball, he was suddenly thrown across the hall. John bounced off the wall on the far end and collapsed on the floor with an oof.

His chest burned as all oxygen left his lungs. He coughed trying to force himself to regain his wind. Whatever the hell hit him was coming back for more. John was dazed, thoughts racing through his head. Gun John. Breath John! he shouted internally at himself, but the only thing he could muster was a groan.