#megan foley

[amateurrider]

Class of X: New X-Men. Happy New Year! Here’s hoping for a reunion/no more deaths plz

[lillbitdramatic]

i can’t believe i never posted this academy x chart i made last year 😭

academy x stan’s have fun! the legend is merely a suggestion, chart whatever.

[demon64]

You know what would be pretty cool? An X-Men animated movie in a style similar to the Spider-Verse movies. Just instead of the usual X-Men characters, make it about the younger mutants Like say this group:

They all got varying powers and abilities, and you kinda gotta admit, the visuals some people could do with these could be awesome.

While X-23 is a top contender for lead, I say make the lead of this theoretical movie Prodigy. That's the guy with the bug-eye looking goggles for those that don't know. He can telepathically copy any skill from anyone. As an example, say he's playing basketball, he can copy the basketball skills of the person he's playing against.

Mostly anybody of this group could be the main character. I only say mostly anybody, because while I love Rockslide, I think he works best as a secondary or supporting character.

We don't need more multiverse movies, so it being set in a singular universe works. Have the usual X-Men characters act as mentors, they've seen enough that they could pass down that knowledge to students and help them.

If anybody wants to add some ideas, that's cool.

[sofiamantegafan110]

NEW X-MEN, SEASON 3, EPISODE 2

EPISODE 2: RISE OF APOCALYPSE, PART 2

THE EPISODE OPENS UP IN EGYPT AS APOCALYPSE STANDS IN SOLITUDE, WEARING HIS MASK. SUDDENLY, DAKEN ENTERS AND APOCALYPSE TELLS HIM THAT HE CAN SENSE HIS CONCERN. DAKEN SIGHS AND TELLS HIM THAT HE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT SOFIA.

DAKEN: LISTEN, BOSS. YOU GATHERED US ALL TOGETHER TO GIVE US GREAT POWER. TO GIVE US A BETTER LIFE, A CHANCE AT REVENGE, OR TO FINISH UNFINISHED BUSINESS. BUT SOFIA… SHE DOESN’T WANT TO BE HERE. SHE’S JUST A KID. SHE HAS FRIENDS BACK AT XAVIER’S. SHE HAS A GIRLFRIEND. SHE… I DON’T THINK SOFIA SHOULD BE HERE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, APOCALYPSE GRABS DAKEN BY THE THROAT, SLAMMING HIM AGAINST THE WALL. HE REMINDS DAKEN ABOUT HIS LIFE BEFORE THIS. BARELY SCRAPING BY IN MADRIPOOR. NECK-DEEP IN BARS AND WHOREHOUSES. HE ASKS HIM IF HE REALLY WANTS TO GO BACK TO THAT LIFE AGAIN.

DAKEN: WH-WHY DO YOU NEED HER ANYWAY? SHE’S JUST A 16-YEAR-OLD KID!

APOCALYPSE RELEASES DAKEN AND CHUCKLES.

APOCALYPSE: SHE MAY SEEM THAT WAY, BUT I SAW HER TRUE POTENTIAL ONCE. WHEN MY FOOLISH DESCENDANT FREDRICK SLADE TRIED TO SACRIFICE HIS GRANDDAUGHTER, I SAW SOFIA FOR WHO SHE REALLY WAS AS SHE DESTROYED SLADE’S MANSION IN A VIOLENT RAGE. SHE IS A BEING OF GREAT POWER AND SOON, SHE COULD CONTROL THE VERY ELEMENTS THEMSELVES WITH MY GUIDANCE. SHE IS NECESSARY FOR MY PLANS, AND UNLIKE YOU, SHE CANNOT BE REPLACED. NOW TELL KIMURA AND WITHER TO PREPARE. PHASE ONE BEGINS NOW.

WITH THAT, DAKEN WALKS OUT, UNSURE, AS APOCALYPSE STANDS IN SOLITUDE AGAIN.

CUE INTRO AND CREDITS

WE THEN CUT TO THE LOUNGE AT XAVIER’S, WHERE CESSILY, JULIAN, LAURA, ROXY, SANTO, JAY, JOSH, MONET, LAURIE, TALIA, MORPH, VICTOR, MEGAN, AND ALANI ARE BUSY ARGUING. THEIR WORDS ARE OVERLAPPED AND INCOHERENT, AND THEY’RE CLEARLY NOT HAPPY. SUDDENLY, FOOTSTEPS EMERGE, AND EVERYONE TURNS TO SEE CLARICE WALKING INTO THE LOUNGE.

CLARICE: DID I MISS ANYTHING?

IMMEDIATELY, CLARICE IS BOMBARDED BY HUGS. SHE LAUGHS AND COMPLIMENTS JULIAN’S NEW HANDS. CESSILY IMMEDIATELY TELLS HER THAT SHE’S ALREADY MADE A JOKE ABOUT MASTURBATION, CAUSING HER TO LAUGH. SHE THEN LOOKS AROUND AND ASKS WHY EVERYONE’S THERE, AND LAURA SAYS THAT THEY’RE THERE TO HELP HER SAVE SOFIA.

MEGAN: …AS SOON AS WE FIGURE OUT OUR NEXT MOVE.

CLARICE: OKAY. WHERE’S DANI?

ALANI: SHE’S BEEN IN A MEETING WITH THE OTHER X-MEN FOR A WHILE. THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO.

CLARICE: HAVE THEY REACHED A VERDICT?

JAY: NO.

CLARICE: THAT’S ALL I NEED TO HEAR.

CLARICE THEN WALKS OUT THE LOUNGE AND THE OTHERS LOOK AT EACH OTHER, CONFUSED, BEFORE CESSILY WALKS AFTER HER, FOLLOWED BY JULIAN, LAURA, MONET, AND THEN EVERYONE ELSE.

WE THEN CUT OVER TO THE X-MEN’S WAR ROOM AS THE STAFF ARE CURRENTLY IN A CONVERSATION SIMILAR TO THE ONE IN THE LOUNGE, WITH INCOHERENT WORDS BEING SHOUTED. SUDDENLY, THE DOOR OPENS AND MONET STANDS IN THE ENTRANCE, FLEXING HER FINGERS. IMMEDIATELY, CYCLOPS ASKS WHAT’S GOING ON AND CLARICE WALKS IN, FOLLOWED BY THE OTHERS.

CLARICE: IT’S SIMPLE. WE’VE BEEN SITTING AROUND FOR TOO LONG NOW. WE’RE GOING TO FIND SOFIA AND WHUP APOCALYPSE’S ASS, WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR HELP.

THERE’S A LONG PAUSE, AS IF THE X-MEN ARE WONDERING IF SHE’S SERIOUS, THEN EMMA SPEAKS UP.

EMMA: OUT OF THE QUESTION! ABSOLUTELY NOT! YOU ARE NOT TRAINED ENOUGH! YOU’RE JUST CHILDREN! AND I EXPECTED BETTER OF YOU ESPECIALLY, MONET.

DANI: SHE MAY BE A COW, BUT EMMA’S RIGHT. I’M NOT ABOUT TO PUT YOU GUYS IN DANGER. I KNOW HOW EVERYONE FEELS ABOUT SOFIA, BUT YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO US.

CLARICE: NO. WE’RE DONE LISTENING. WE’RE DONE SITTING AROUND FEELING SORRY FOR OURSELVES. WE HAVE OUR OWN PLAN.

EMMA: WHICH IS?

CLOSE UP ON CLARICE’S FACE.

CLARICE: IT’S SIMPLE; GET ON BOARD OR GET OUT OF THE WAY.

MORPH: *WHISPERED* I CAN’T BELIEVE SHE JUST SAID THAT.

TALIA: *WHISPERED* DITTO.

MEANWHILE, APOCALYPSE AND HIS HORSEMEN MATERIALIZE IN FRONT OF A BUSY STREET IN MUTANT TOWN. APOCALYPSE THEN NODS TO SOFIA AND TELLS HER TO START THINGS OFF. SOFIA LOOKS A BIT RELUCTANT, BUT THEN CREATES A GIANT WIND GUST WITH A FLOURISH OF HER HAND. CARS, TREES, AND SIGNS GO FLYING AS PEOPLE START TO REALIZE THAT THESE ARE NO ORDINARY RESIDENTS. KIMURA GRINS BEFORE PULLING OUT A GUN, USING IT TO SHOOT AT SHOP WINDOWS AS WITHER DECAYS SEVERAL TELEPHONE POLES AND DAKEN USES HIS PHEROMONES TO INCITE A PANIC. SECONDS LATER, MUTANT TOWN IS IN COMPLETE DISARRAY.

MEANWHILE, THE X-MEN AND THE TRAINEES ARE ARGUING WHEN SUDDENLY, A STUDENT WITH BLUE SKIN AND SHORT RED HAIR RUNS IN, ASKING FOR CYCLOPS. CYCLOPS ASKS THE GIRL, EDIE, WHAT’S WRONG AND SHE TELLS HIM THAT THERE’S SOMETHING THEY NEED TO SEE. SHE THEN TURNS ON THE TV, REVEALING THE HAVOC IN MUTANT TOWN.

REPORTER: TRISH TILBY HERE, REPORTING FROM MUTANT TOWN, WHERE CHAOS HAS ERUPTED. FIVE SUPER-BEINGS APPEARED SUDDENLY AND WROUGHT HAVOC ON THESE BUSY STREETS! ONE OF THEM LOOKS LIKE… APOCALYPSE! SOME LOCALS ARE TRYING TO KEEP THESE ATTACKERS AT BAY, BUT EVERYONE IS ASKING… WHERE ARE THE X-MEN?!

CYCLOPS IMMEDIATELY STANDS UP AND TELLS THE X-MEN TO PREPARE, BUT DANI SUDDENLY INTERRUPTS HIM.

DANI: SCOTT, I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT THE KIDS ARE RIGHT. THIS IS THEIR BATTLE AND THEIR FRIEND. LET THEM DEAL WITH THIS.

EMMA STANDS UP AS WELL, MUCH TO HER OWN DISMAY.

EMMA: SHE MAY BE A COW, BUT DANIELLE IS RIGHT. THE CHILDREN HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES TIME AND TIME AGAIN WITH KIMURA IN KENTUCKY, THE U-MEN, THE HELLFIRE CLUB, MYSTIQUE, AND EVEN THAT STRANGE LITTLE CURSED BOARD GAME. EVER SINCE THAT FOOD FIGHT ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, THEY HAVE GROWN INTO A TEAM. THEY ARE READY.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE SERIES, DANI SMILES AT EMMA.

SCOTT SIGHS BEFORE SITTING BACK DOWN. DANI TURNS TO THE KIDS AND TELLS THEM TO SUIT UP. IMMEDIATELY, THEY RUN OUT, BUT DANI TELLS LAURIE TO STAY AT THE MANSION. SHE TELLS HER THAT WITH DAKEN AKIHIRO’S POWERS COUNTERING HER PHEROMONES, SHE COULD BE A LIABILITY IN THE FIELD. LAURIE STARTS TO PROTEST, BUT SIGHS, AND LOOKS BACK AT THE OTHERS.

LATER, THE NEW X-MEN APPEAR IN MUTANT TOWN, WHERE THEY WITNESS THE BATTLE IN FRONT OF THEM. A LIZARDLIKE MAN IS PROTECTING TWO OTHERS; A BLONDE GIRL WITH SCRATCH-YOUR-EYES-OUT NAILS, AND A BOY WITH HANDS FOR FEET. A WOMAN IS TOSSED INTO THE AIR BY APOCALYPSE – LUCKILY, SHE CAN FLY – AND A YOUTH THAT CAN’T BE OLDER THAN FIFTEEN IS USING SHARP KNUCKLE BONES TO CUT AWAY AT FLYING DEBRIS. AND IN THE CENTER IS THE HORSEMEN. A GIRL JUMPS AT APOCALYPSE, FISTS RAISED TO ATTACK HIM, WHEN HE SWINGS HIS FIST AT HER. LUCKILY, A PORTAL MOVES HER OVER TO THE SIDELINES AS CLARICE STANDS WITH THE OTHERS.

CLARICE: GUESS WHO’S GOT THE DROP ON WHO NOW!

APOCALYPSE: ON THE CONTRARY, I’VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU ALL.

CLARICE THEN TURNS TO THE OTHERS.

CLARICE: ICARUS, ELIXIR, MORPH, PIXIE, YOU’RE ON CROWD CONTROL! MERCURY, DUST, BLING!, TRY TO SUBDUE KEVIN! X-23, NOCTURNE, YOU HANDLE DAKEN! HELLION, MONET, YOU DEAL WITH KIMURA! ANOLE, LOA, TRY TO TALK TO SOFIA! MAYBE GET HER TO STOP THIS WINDSTORM! ROCKSLIDE, YOU’RE WITH ME! WE’RE GOING STRAIGHT TO THE BIG BOSS.

SANTO: SUH-WEET!

WITH THAT, THE NEW X-MEN CHARGE INTO ACTION.

MEANWHILE, LAURIE SITS OUTSIDE ON THE GRASS, LOOKING AT THE HORIZON. SUDDENLY, AN EYE APPEARS ON THE GROUND, CAUSING LAURIE TO FLINCH A BIT. SHE SAYS HI TO THE EYEBALL, KRAKOA, AND ASKS IF IT SOMETIMES GETS LONELY TOO. SHE SIGHS AND SAYS THAT SHE WANTS TO BE OUT THERE TO HELP HER FRIENDS, BUT BECAUSE OF THAT DAKEN GUY, SHE’S STUCK HERE, TALKING TO THE SCHOOL’S SENTIENT LAWN. SHE JUST WISHED THERE WAS SOMETHING SHE COULD DO.

SUDDENLY, KRAKOA STARTS TO MOVE AWAY AND LAURIE, CONFUSED, ASKS WHERE IT’S GOING. SHE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS IT OVER TO A SHADY TREE THAT’S CRACKED DOWN THE MIDDLE. SHE ASKS KRAKOA IF IT’S TRYING TO SHOW HER SOMETHING BEFORE LOOKING AT THE CRACK IN THE TREE. SHE IMMEDIATELY BENDS DOWN AND STARTS TO CRAWL THROUGH THE CRACK, AND ONCE SHE’S IN, SHE NOTICES A STAIRCASE THAT SHE IMMEDIATELY WALKS DOWN.

THE STAIRCASE LEADS LAURIE TO A LARGE ANCIENT LIBRARY FULL OF VINES AND CRYSTALS. LAURIE LOOKS AROUND, AMAZED, WHEN A VINE WITH KRAKOA’S EYEBALL ON TOP OF IT SNAKES DOWN, LEADING LAURIE TO A PEDESTAL WHERE A SCROLL RESTS. UNLIKE THE BOOKS ON THE SHELVES, IT SEEMS BRAND NEW AND LAURIE PICKS IT UP.

LAURIE: “A MUTANT’S HISTORY OF ARAKKO AND THE FALLEN WORLD OF AMENTH, BY IDYLL III OF THE GREAT RING OF ARAKKO.” KRAKOA, IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED TO SHOW ME?

WHEN KRAKOA DOESN’T RESPOND, LAURIE SITS DOWN AND READS. AS SHE DOES, WE ARE TREATED TO IMAGES BY LENIL FRANCES YU FROM X-MEN #12, DEPICTING THE HISTORY OF ARAKKO.

LAURIE: “THE STORY STARTS AS WAS TOLD TO ME BY MY FATHER, TOLD BY HIS FATHER, LONG AGO: OKKARA, THE ONE TRUE LAND OF MUTANTS. IT WAS ANCIENT BEFORE THAT WORD EXISTED, BUT NOT YET OLD IN THE WAY THEY WERE OLD. THEN, THE TWILIGHT SWORD OF THE ENEMY TORE THE WORLD ASUNDER, AND WHAT WAS ONE, BECAME TWO. AND FROM THAT CHASM BETWEEN THEM – FROM THAT DARK WORLD – THE ENEMY POURED INTO THIS WORLD.”

LAURIE CONTINUES TO READ ALOUD, INTRIGUED.

LAURIE: “UNTIL, AT GREAT COST, THE ARMY OF THE ENEMY – ALONG WITH ARAKKO ITSELF – WERE PUSHED BACK THROUGH, AND THE CHASM WAS SHUT. BUT LIKE ALL STORIES OLD ENOUGH TO GROW IN THE TELLING, IT SOMETIMES BECOMES DIFFICULT TO SEPARATE FACT FROM FICTION… OR TRUTH FROM LIES. SOME SAY A GREAT WARRIOR STAYED BEHIND TO PREVENT THAT WORLD FROM FALLING. TO SEAL THE BREACH AND SAVE WHAT COULD BE SAVED. AFTER ALL, THAT WARRIOR WAS APOCALYPSE, THE WARRIOR-GOD IN BLUE – THE GREAT RESEEDER –THE FIRST MUTANT OF THE SECOND GENERATION OF MUTANTDOM ON EARTH. BUT THERE ARE OTHERS WHO TELL STORIES OF BETRAYAL – OF SACRIFICING HIS FAMILY TO PRESERVE HIMSELF AND WHAT LITTLE COULD BE SAVED.”

AS LAURIE CONTINUES TO READ, AND AS THE SLIDESHOW CONTINUES, WE CUT TO A STILL IMAGE IN MUTANT TOWN. HERE, JAY IS CARRYING A WILLOWY MUTANT GIRL WITH TRANSLUCENT SKIN. JOSH IS BUSY HEALING A BOY MADE OF STONE, MORPH IS STRETCHING TO PROTECT SOME KIDS FROM DEBRIS, AND MEGAN IS SCREAMING AT A CROWD OF GAWKERS TO GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE.

LAURIE: “FINALLY, THERE ARE WHISPERS OF SOMETHING WORSE… JUDGEMENT AND SLAVERY TO FATE – THAT HE WAS A PRISONER TO THE WHIMS OF OTHERS. THE ONLY SURE TRUTH THAT SURVIVES ALL TELLING IS THIS: WHAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN CLEAVED IN TWO WAS SEPARATED FOREVER… HUSBAND FROM WIFE. PARENT FROM CHILD. ARAKKO FROM KRAKOA. AND FROM ONE TRAUMA, THE MUTANTS OF ARAKKO PLUNGED THEMSELVES INTO THE HELL OF THE NEXT ONE.”

ANOTHER STILL IMAGE APPEARS WITH THE SLIDESHOW STILL IN THE BACKGROUND, TRANSPARENT BUT VISIBLE ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO SEE BOTH PICTURES. IN THIS NEW IMAGE, CESSILY IS TRYING TO WRAP AROUND KEVIN WHILE ROXY FIRES CRYSTAL DAGGERS AT HIM AND SOORAYA, IN SAND FORM, SURROUND ALL THREE IN A DUST STORM.

LAURIE: “WHAT WAITED FOR THEM WAS NOT AN ARMY… NO. FOR SOME, IT MEANT MADNESS. FOR THE REST, IT WAS THE WASTELAND OF A WORLD CALLED AMENTH. A BLACK WORLD. A FALLEN WORLD. WHAT THEY SAW SURPRISED THEM. A DESOLATE NOTHING LITTERED WITH THE BODIES OF DEFEATED ENEMIES. ALL KNEW THIS HANDIWORK – ALL RECOGNIZED THE BLACK ACTS OF THE WHITE SWORD AND HIS ONE HUNDRED CHAMPIONS. HE WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN – NO TRACE OF HIM REMAINED – BUT HIS BLOODY HAND HAD BROUGHT ARAKKO TIME. AND WITH THAT TIME, WE WORKED WONDERS. IT WAS AN AGE OF LEGENDS. A MIRACLE OF MUTANTDOM. MUCH OF THE WORK DONE BY BRACE MUTANT ALCHEMISTS AND ENGINEERS STILL STANDS TO THIS DAY.”

CUT TO ANOTHER STILL IMAGE. LAURA IS CLASHING WITH DAKEN, CLAWS OUT FOR BOTH, AS THEY ARE LOCKED IN HEATED BATTLE. MEANWHILE, TJ IS NEARBY, FIRING HEX BOLTS AT DAKEN TO LEAVE HIM OPEN FOR LAURA’S ATTACKS.

LAURIE: “NOT ALL, OF COURSE. NOW ONLY A FEW REMAIN, BUT THEN THERE WERE TEN TOWERS, AND THE LAND BETWEEN THEM WAS OURS. AND WHEN THE ARMY OF AMENTH CAME, FINALLY, WE SHOWED THEM NO MERCY. AND FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, THE TOWERS HELD AND THE HORDE DIED AT OUR BORDER. GENERATIONS OF MUTANTS LIVED AND DIED NEVER KNOWING DEFEAT. CHILDREN OF WAR – STRONG AND FIT FOR THE DAYS IN WHICH THEY LIVED.”

THE IMAGE CHANGES AGAIN. NOW, KIMURA IS FIRING BULLETS AT HER ATTACKERS WILDLY, BUT THEY EITHER BOUNCE OFF MONET OR FLOAT HARMLESSLY IN FRONT OF JULIAN. MONET IS DELIVERING A PUNCH TO KIMURA’S CHEST AS JULIAN FIRES BLASTS OF TELEKINETIC ENERGY AT HER.

LAURIE: “BUT THEY LIVED ONLY INSIDE OUR WALLS. IT MADE US ARROGANT AND IGNORANT OF WHAT AMENTH TRULY WAS. WHEN MY FATHER, THE HIGH MUTANT PROPHET IDYLL, WENT BLIND AFTER SEEING THE FALL OF OUR GREAT TOWERS, PEOPLE SAY GENESIS LAUGHED AT HIM AND THREATENED TO REMOVE HIS WEAK HEAD FROM HIS WEAK SHOULDERS. GENESIS. THE AUTHORITY OF ARAKKO. THE MOTHER OF THE HORSEMEN. THE WIFE OF APOCALYPSE. AND INSTEAD OF STRIKING HIM DOWN, SHE RAISED AN ARMY…”

THE IMAGE ONCE AGAIN CHANGES. NOW, IT SEEMS THAT ANOLE IS TRYING TO TALK TO A SCARED SOFIA WHILE HOLDING ONTO A TREE CAUGHT IN HER STORM. MEANWHILE, LOA IS PHASING THROUGH DEBRIS, LEAVING IT CRUMBLED IN HER WAKE.

LAURIE: “THEY WERE GONE FOR TWENTY YEARS. EVERY FEW MONTHS, WORD WOULD ARRIVE OF THEIR CONQUESTS – AND ALL OF ARAKKO WOULD CELEBRATE. WE FEASTED ON VICTORY – IT WAS OUR BIRTHRIGHT – AND GENESIS FED US WELL. THEN, TWO CENTURIES AGO, OUR ARMY FELL SILENT. LATER, WE WOULD LEARN THAT THEY HAD REACHED THE IVORY SPIRE; THE STRONGHOLD OF THE LONG-THOUGHT LOST WHITE SWORD, PURITY. HE WAS OUR GREATEST HEALER – IMMORTAL… EXTERNAL. EACH MORNING, THE WHITE SWORD RESURRECTED HIS ONE HUNDRED CHAMPIONS AND RODE OUT TO SLAUGHTER AMENTHI DAEMONS. WARRING UNTIL THE LAST SOLDIER IN HIS ARMY DIED. ONLY TO BEGIN AGAIN THE NEXT DAY.”

A FINAL IMAGE APPEARS. IN THIS ONE, SANTO IS GLEEFULLY EXCHANGING BLOWS WITH APOCALYPSE WHILE HE AVOIDS GETTING SKEWERED BY BLINK’S BLADES. SHE FIGHTS WITH THE SAME DETERMINATION SHOWN BY GENESIS IN THE SLIDESHOW.

LAURIE: “GENESIS SAID THAT THE CYCLE OF DEATH AND RESURRECTION HAD BECOME HIS RELIGION. SHE SAID HE HAD BECOME JUST AS ALIEN AS THE HORDE HE RAGED AGAINST, AND WE MUTANTS OF ARAKKO WERE THE SAME TO HIM. WE TASTED OUR FIRST DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF OUR OWN. WE HEARD NOTHING FOR SIX YEARS, AND THEN – HAVING ESCAPED BY UNTOLD AND NEVER SPOKEN MEANS – GENESIS AND THE FEW WHO SURVIVED RETURNED HOME TO ARAKKO.”

THE SLIDESHOW RESUMES THE MAIN FOCUS AS LAURIE CONTINUES.

LAURIE: “THEY RETURNED… ONLY TO FIND MORE DEFEAT WAITING FOR THEM. ISCA THE TRAITOR. ISCA THE UNBEATEN. HER MUTANT POWER WAS THAT SHE COULD NOT LOSE – AND IT WAS HER POWER THAT FORCED HER TO JOIN AMENTH IN THE WAR AGAINST HER PEOPLE. UNDERSTAND? THEY HAD TO. THEY WERE GOING TO WIN… AND SHE CANNOT LOSE. ISCA HAD BEEN SENT TO INVITE GENESIS TO PARLAY WITH ANNIHILATION – THE GOD OF AMENTH – AT THE SEAT OF THE GOLDEN HELM’S POWER IN THE CAPITAL CITY OF AMENTH. NO ONE KNOWS WHAT WORDS PASSED BETWEEN THEM, JUST THAT GENESIS ACCEPTED HER SISTER’S INVITATION.”

LAURIE: “IT IS SAID THE GREAT HALL OF ANNIHILATION WAS FULL THAT DAY. THAT THE FULL MIGHT OF AMENTH WAS WITNESSED FOR THE FIRST TIME. AMENTHI DAEMONS AND WORSE WERE WAITING WHEN GENESIS ARRIVED. I WONDER, WERE THEY SILENT AS GENESIS APPROACHED ANNIHILATION’S THRONE? DID THEY SCREAM AND RAGE? OR DID THEY MOCK AND JEER?”

LAURIE: “ALL WE KNOW FOR SURE IS THIS: THEY BATTLED TO THE DEATH WITH THE FATE OF ARAKKO IN THE BALANCE. AND THEN… ANNIHILATION DISAPPEARED. AND IRONICALLY, WITH HER WAS ALL HOPE FOR ARAKKO. YOU SEE, THEIR GOD IS CALLED ANNIHILATION FOR A REASON. FOR ONE HUNDRED YEARS, THE MAD HORDE – THE TRUE MIGHT OF AMENTH – BATTERED THE WALLS OF ARAKKO EVEN WITHOUT THEIR LEADER. MUTANTS DIED. TOWERS FELL. BUT SOMEHOW… WE HELD.”

LAURIE: “BECAUSE THERE WAS STILL HOPE. HOPE THAT SOMEWHERE, THE GREAT WARRIOR HAD RAISED A NEW MUTANT SOCIETY, A GREATER ONE – AND WITH IT, A MUTANT ARMY THAT COULD SAVE US ALL. WE HELD OUT… UNTIL WE COULDN’T ANY LONGER, AND I WAS ORDERED TO WRITE THIS MESSAGE.”

WE THEN CUT BACK TO THE SECRET LIBRARY AS LAURIE FINISHES READING.

LAURIE: “ARAKKO IS UNDER SIEGE. GREAT APOCALYPSE, WE ARE OUT OF TIME. AMENTH IS ON THE MARCH… AND ONLY YOU CAN SAVE US.”

WE THEN CUT BACK OVER TO THE BATTLE IN MUTANT TOWN AS VICTOR YELLS TO SOFIA, TELLING HER TO STOP BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. SOFIA LOOKS AT HIM AND SAYS SHE CAN’T. SHE HAS TO DO THIS FOR CLARICE. VICTOR TELLS HER TO LOOK AROUND. CLARICE IS ALL RIGHT, AND SHE’S FIGHTING FOR SOFIA. HE THEN ASKS HER IF THIS IS WHAT SHE REALLY WANTS.

MEANWHILE, DAKEN COMPLIMENTS LAURA’S SKILL, AND SHE TELLS HIM THAT HE IS CLEARLY A WORTHY OPPONENT, BUT IT’S HIS CLAWS THAT CONFUSE HER. DAKEN SMIRKS AND SAYS THAT IT’S HERS THAT CONFUSE HIM.

DAKEN: PLEASE, DON’T TELL ME YOU’RE ANOTHER PRODUCT OF MY FATHER’S AFFAIRS.

LAURA GASPS.

LAURA: FATHER…?

DAKEN: YEAH. YOU KNOW HIM AS… LOGAN.

LAURA IS SHOCKED, AND DAKEN KICKS HER TO THE GROUND. TALIA YELLS IN SURPRISE AND FIRES MORE HEX BOLTS AT HIM, MEANWHILE, KIMURA TRADES BLOWS WITH MONET, BEFORE TURNING OVER TO A WOUNDED MUTANT BOY WITH BUGLIKE EYES. SHE SMIRKS AS SHE POINTS HER GUN AT HIM, MUCH TO SOFIA’S DISMAY.

SOFIA: KIMURA, NO!

BEFORE KIMURA CAN FIRE, SOFIA EXTENDS HER HAND, AND A GUST OF WIND KNOCKS THE ASSASSIN AGAINST A WALL. APOCALYPSE LOOKS AROUND BEFORE SHOVING SANTO INTO CLARICE. HE THEN ORDERS HIS HORSEMEN TO RETREAT AS CLARICE LOOKS AT SOFIA.

CLARICE: SOFIA, PLEASE! COME BACK WITH US!

SOFIA: I…

BEFORE SOFIA CAN RESPOND, SHE VANISHES ALONG WITH APOCALYPSE AND THE OTHER HORSEMEN, LEAVING THE NEW X-MEN ALONE IN THE STREET. ALL IS QUIET, UNTIL A VOICE IS HEARD.

BOY: X-MEN. X-MEN. X-MEN. X-MEN!

SUDDENLY, MORE VOICES JOIN IN, CHANTING LOUDLY AS THE STUDENTS GET UP AND LOOK AROUND. JULIAN TURNS TO CESSILY AND ASKS WHAT THEY SHOULD DO NOW.

CESSILY: SMILE AND WAVE, BOYS. SMILE AND WAVE.

BACK IN EGYPT, THE HORSEMEN TELEPORT INTO THEIR HIDEOUT AND KIMURA GRABS SOFIA, ASKING HER WHAT SHE WAS THINKING. SOFIA GLARES AT HER AND SAYS THAT SHE WASN’T GOING TO LET HER MURDER AN INNOCENT CHILD. KIMURA HUFFS, TELLING HER THAT SHE’S STILL THINKING LIKE AN X-MAN, AND IF SHE CONTINUES ON, SHE HAS NO PLACE HERE.

SOFIA: I DON’T EVEN WANT TO BE HERE! THIS WAS A MISTAKE! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE AGREED TO THIS!

KIMURA: WELL, NOW. THAT CHANGES THINGS.

KIMURA LOOKS AT SOFIA WITH A SMIRK AND TELLS HER THAT IF SHE WANTS TO LEAVE, THE DOOR IS OPEN. BUT IF SHE DOES, KIMURA WILL SEE TO IT THAT HER GIRLFRIEND WILL GET A BULLET IN HER PRETTY LITTLE SKULL. SOFIA GLARES AT HER BEFORE STORMING OUT THE ROOM.

MEANWHILE, THE TRAINEES ARRIVE BACK AT XAVIER’S TO FIND THEIR FELLOW STUDENTS CELEBRATING THEIR RETURN. THEY SMILE AS THEY’RE BOMBARDED WITH QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS WHILE DANI ADMITS THAT SHE’S PROUD OF THEM. SHE THEN LOOKS AT LAURA AND ASKS HER IF SHE’S ALL RIGHT, AND LAURA TELLS HER THAT SHE NEEDS TO CALL LOGAN.

MEANWHILE, CESSILY TURNS TO CLARICE, WHO’S ABOUT TO LEAVE, AND ASKS HER WHAT’S UP. CLARICE TELLS HER THAT SHE’S TIRED, AND CESSILY NODS, TURNING TO LAURIE AS SHE WALKS IN, SCROLL IN HAND, SAYING THAT THERE’S SOMETHING SHE NEEDS TO SHOW THEM.

IN CLARICE AND LAURIE’S ROOM, CLARICE THROWS HERSELF ONTO HER BED IN TEARS. SHE LOOKS UP AND SEES SOFIA’S BRACELET THAT SHE PLACES IN HER HAND. MUSIC STARTS TO PLAY AS CLARICE STARTS TO SING “GHOST” BY JUSTIN BIEBER, LAMENTING ABOUT HER LONGING FOR SOFIA. AS THE CHORUS STARTS, CLARICE GETS UP AND STARTS TO DANCE TO THE MUSIC, SHOWING HER GRIEF.

MEANWHILE, SOFIA SINGS ALONG AS WELL, SITTING ALONE IN A DARK ROOM. SHE ALSO DANCES ALONG, HER DRESS BLOWING IN THE WIND AS BOTH GIRLS’ VOICES ARE HEARD.

CLARICE: AND IF I CAN’T BE CLOSE TO YOU, I’LL SETTLE FOR THE GHOST OF YOU. I MISS YOU MORE THAN LIFE.

SOFIA: AND IF YOU CAN’T BE NEXT TO ME, YOUR MEMORY IS ECSTASY. I MISS YOU MORE THAN LIFE. I MISS YOU MORE THAN LIFE.

AS THE SONG STARTS TO END, WE SEE CLARICE HOLD SOFIA’S BRACELET IN HER HAND AS SHE CRUMPLES TO THE FLOOR. MEANWHILE, SOFIA FINISHES THE SONG AS SHE WALKS OUT THE ROOM, A SAD BUT DETERMINED LOOK ON HER FACE.

LATER, SOFIA WALKS INTO ANOTHER ROOM WHERE APOCALYPSE STANDS. HE TELLS HER THAT HE’S BEEN EXPECTING HER AND ASKS HER WHAT’S ON HER MIND.

SOFIA: I’M DONE. I MEANT WHAT I SAID BACK THERE, I NEVER SHOULD HAVE AGREED TO YOUR DEAL. I WANT TO GO BACK TO CLARICE. TO MY FRIENDS. IT’S OVER.

APOCALYPSE STARTS TO LAUGH AS SOFIA STANDS DEFIANTLY.

APOCALYPSE: CHILD, YOU KNOW I CAN’T ALLOW THAT.

SOFIA: WHICH IS WHY I’M HERE. TO DO THIS.

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, SOFIA GRABS A SWORD MOUNTED ON THE WALL AND CHARGES APOCALYPSE. HOWEVER, HE PARRIES WITH A BLADE OF HIS OWN. APOCALYPSE THEN TELLS HER THAT THIS INTRIGUES HIM, AND HE OFFERS A FIGHT FOR SOFIA’S FREEDOM.

AS THEY BATTLE, APOCALYPSE WARNS SOFIA THAT HE IS A GOD. HE HAS CRUSHED VARIOUS ENEMIES THAT ARE WAY MORE POWERFUL THAN HER. SOFIA DOESN’T CARE, AND CONTINUES TO THRUST HER SWORD FORWARD. APOCALYPSE TELLS HER THAT SHE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ALL-POWERFUL DEMIGOD. SHE COULD RULE THE WORLD.

SOFIA: I WANT NONE OF THAT. I WANT WHAT I HAD, AND I WILL. NOT. FAIL!

SOFIA THEN DELIVERS A KICK TO APOCALYPSE’S FACE, KNOCKING OFF HIS MASK. BEFORE HE CAN RESPOND, SHE THEN THRUSTS HER BLADE FORWARD, STABBING HIM IN THE ABDOMEN. HE FALLS TO HIS KNEES AS SOFIA HOLDS HER BLADE TRIUMPHANTLY.

SOFIA: I WIN.

SUDDENLY, LAUGHTER RINGS THROUGH THE ROOM, AND APOCALYPSE LOOKS AROUND AS IF HE IS SEEING THE ROOM FOR THE FIRST TIME. THEN, HE LOOKS AT THE MASK ON THE GROUND.

APOCALYPSE: NO. NO! CHILD, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE! YOU MUST LEAVE THIS PLACE! NOW!

VOICE: TOO LATE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE GOLDEN MASK SKIDS TO SOFIA’S FEET. CURIOUS, SHE BENDS DOWN AND PICKS IT UP, AND THE MASK LATCHES ON TO HER FACE. SOFIA STRUGGLES FOR A WHILE, BUT EVENTUALLY, SHE STOPS, AND STANDS IN FRONT OF APOCALYPSE, CLAD IN THE GOLDEN MASK.

“SOFIA”: YOU WERE A WORTHY HOST, EN SABAH NUR, BUT THIS CHILD HAS PROVEN HERSELF FIT TO SURVIVE.

APOCALYPSE: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?

“SOFIA”: I WILL GIVE HER CREDIT. SHE TRIED TO FIGHT ME. BUT IN THE END, IT WAS FUTILE. I BANISHED HER SOUL FROM HER BODY. SHE IS GONE.

APOCALYPSE: NO!

IMMEDIATELY, APOCALYPSE STAGGERS UP, CLUTCHING HIS CHEST. “SOFIA” RAISES HER SWORD, READY TO STRIKE, WHEN APOCALYPSE PRESSES SOMETHING ON HIS BELT AND VANISHES. “SOFIA” TURNS TO SEE DAKEN, KIMURA, AND WITHER STANDING IN THE DOORWAY.

DAKEN: SOFIA? WHAT HAPPENED?

“SOFIA”: THERE IS NO SOFIA ANYMORE. JUST LIKE THERE WAS NO APOCALYPSE. IT WAS ME ALL ALONG.

WITHER: AND WHO ARE YOU?

“SOFIA” STRIDES OUT OF THE ROOM, INTO THE CENTER OF THE HALLWAY. SHE THROWS HER ARMS OUT WIDE AND SPEAKS AGAIN.

“SOFIA”: I AM ANNIHILATION, GODDESS OF DEATH. ONCE, I RULED AMENTH, BUT I WAS BROUGHT HERE BY THAT FOOL, FREDRICK SLADE. I KILLED HIM, OF COURSE, AND NOW, I AM HERE TO CONQUER THIS PLANET, JUST AS I DID A MILLENNIA AGO. AND YOU, MY HORSEMEN, WILL HELP ME DO IT.

THERE’S A BRIEF PAUSE BEFORE KIMURA SPEAKS UP.

KIMURA: SOUNDS FINE TO ME.

WITHER: ME TOO.

ANNIHILATION LOOKS AT DAKEN, HER BODY CONTORTING LIKE A DEMON.

ANNIHILATION: WELL?

DAKEN: I… I’M IN.

ANNIHILATION: EXCELLENT. NOW, IT’S TIME TO GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.

ANNIHILATION THROWS HER HEAD BACK AND LAUGHS AS KIMURA AND WITHER FLANK HER. MEANWHILE, THE CAMERA ZOOMS IN ON DAKEN AS HE LOOKS ALMOST REGRETFUL. WITH THAT, THE CAMERA FADES TO BLACK AND THE EPISODE ENDS.

[seeinganewlight]

2024 books read

2024 goal: 150 books

january: 1 - heartstopper vol. 1 → alice oseman (reread) 2 - heartstopper vol. 2 → alice oseman (reread) 3 - heartstopper vol. 3 → alice oseman (reread) 4 - heartstopper vol. 4 → alice oseman (reread) 5 - heartstopper vol. 5 → alice oseman 6 - a fragile enchantment → allison saft 7 - some shall break → ellie marney (audiobook) 8 - only if you're lucky → stacy willingham (arc) 9 - over my dead body: a witchy graphic novel → sweeney boo 10 - notes on an execution → danya kukafka (physical & audiobook) 11 - murder on the orient express → agatha christie (reread) 12 - our wives under the sea → julia armfield (physical & audiobook) 13 - the invocations → krystal sutherland (arc) 14 - red string theory → lauren kung jessen 15 - the breakup tour → emily wibberley & austin siegemund-broka (arc) 16 - the name drop → susan lee 17 - the secret of the old clock → carolyn keene (reread) 18 - bright young women → jessica knoll (audiobook) 19 - last call at the local → sarah grunder ruiz (audiobook) 20 - no one can know → kate alice marshall

february: 21 - worst wingman ever → abby jimenez 22 - drop, cover, and hold on → jasmine guillory 23 - with any luck → ashley poston 24 - the atlas six → olivie blake (reread, audiobook) 25 - that's not my name → megan lally 26 - not here to stay friends → kaitlyn hill 27 - this golden state → marit weisenberg 28 - today tonight tomorrow → rachel lynn solomon (reread, annotation) 29 - past present future → rachel lynn solomon (arc, annotation) 30 - the atlas paradox → olivie blake (reread, audiobook) 31 - the guest list → lucy foley (audiobook) 32 - in the market for murder → t.e. kinsey (audiobook) 33 - the neighbor favor → kristina forest 34 - in the mix → mandy gonzalez 35 - everyone in my family has killed someone → benjamin stevenson 36 - the seven year slip → ashley poston 37 - veronica ruiz breaks the bank → elle cosimano (audiobook) 38 - finlay donovan rolls the dice → elle cosimano (audiobook) 39 - the simmonds house kills → meaghan dwyer (arc)

march: 40 - the mysterious case of the alperton angels → janice hallett 41 - the book of cold cases → simone st. james 42 - what the river knows → isabel ibañez (audiobook) 43 - cut loose! → ali stroker & stacy davidowitz 44 - how i'll kill you → ren destefano 45 - the reappearance of rachel price → holly jackson (arc) 46 - when no one is watching → alyssa cole (audiobook) 47 - outofshapeworthlessloser: a memoir of figure skating, f*cking up, and figuring it out → gracie gold (audiobook) 48 - julius caesar → william shakespeare (rerad, audiobook) 49 - the family plot → megan collins (audiobook) 50 - if we were villains → m.l. rio (reread) 51 - alone with you in the ether → olivie blake (physical & audiobook) 52 - disappearance at devil's rock → paul tremblay (audiobook)

april: 53 - shakespeare: romeo and juliet graphic novel → martin powell & eva cabrera 54 - shakespeare: macbeth graphic novel → martin powell & f. daniel perez 55 - shakespeare: julius caesar graphic novel → carl bown & eduardo garcia 56 - shakespeare: a midsummer night's dream graphic novel → nel yomtov & berenice muniz 57 - twelfth knight → alexene farol follmuth (arc) 58 - kill for me, kill for you → steve cavanagh 59 - murder road → simone st. james 60 - everyone on this train is a suspect → benjamin stevenson 61 - listen for the lie → amy tintera 62 - king cheer → molly horton booth, stephanie kate strohm, jamie green 63 - twelfth night (musical adaptation) → kwame kwei-armah & shaina taub 64 - in juliet's garden → judy elliot mcdonald 65 - fat ham → james ijames 66 - death by shakespeare → philip l. nicholas, jr 67 - a good girl's guide to murder → holly jackson (reread) 68 - good girl, bad blood → holly jackson (reread) 69 - as good as dead → holly jackson (reread) 70 - dark corners → megan goldin (audiobook) 71 - the one that got away with murder → trish lundy (audiobook) 72 - funny story → emily henry 73 - imogen says nothing → aditi brennan kapil 74 - people we meet on vacation → emily henry (audiobook, reread)

may: 75 - episode thirteen → craig dilouie 76 - the girls i've been → tess sharpe (reread) 77 - the girl in question → tess sharpe (arc) 78 - wild about you → kaitlyn hill (arc) 79 - just for the summer → abby jimenez 80 - my best friend's exorcism → grady hendrix 81 - second first date → rachel lynn solomon 82 - the ballad of darcy & russell → morgan matson 83 - the good, the bad, and the aunties → jesse q. sutanto (audiobook) 84 - truly, madly, deeply → alexandria bellefleur 85 - your blood, my bones → kelly andrew 86 - amy & roger's epic detour → morgan matson (reread) 87 - romancing mister bridgerton → julia quinn (reread) 88 - the viscount who loved me → julia quinn (reread) 89 - bittersweet in the hollow → kate pearsall 90 - to sir phillip, with love → julia quinn (reread) 91 - when he was wicked → julia quinn (reread) 92 - it's in his kiss → julia quinn (reread) 93 - on the way to the wedding → julia quinn (audiobook, reread) 94 - emma → jane austen (audiobook, reread)

june: 95 - first lie wins → ashley elston 96 - we got the beat → jenna miller 97 - firekeeper's daughter → angeline boulley 98 - chlorine → jade song (audiobook) 99 - what stalks among us → sarah hollowell 100 - hollow fires → samira ahmed (audiobook) 101 - part of your world → abby jimenez 102 - the road trip → beth o'leary 103 - yours truly → abby jimenez 104 - finally fitz → marisa kanter 105 - the last love song → kalie holford

july: 106 - dead girls walking → sami ellis (audiobook) 107 - home is where the bodies are → jeneva rose 108 - we used to live here → marcus kliewer 109 - the children on the hill → jennifer mcmahon (audiobook) 110 - what moves the dead → t. kingfisher 111 - my throat an open grave → tori bovalino 112 - dashed → amanda quain (arc) 113 - asking for a friend → kara h.l. chen (arc) 114 - beach read → emily henry (reread, audiobook) 115 - book lovers → emily henry (reread, audiobook) 116 - happy place → emily henry (reread, audiobook) 117 - you have a match → emma lord (reread, annotation) 118 - bonnie & clyde musical script → ivan menchell (reread) 119 - such charming liars → karen m. mcmanus (arc) 120 - she left → stacie grey (audiobook) 121 - let the games begin → rufaro faith mazarura (audiobook) 122 - death at morning house → maureen johnson (arc)

august: 123 - cleat cute → meryl wilsner (audiobook) 124 - i wish you would → eva des lauriers 125 - the break-up pact → emma lord (arc) 126 - water for elephants → sara gruen 127 - when you get the chance → emma lord (reread, annotation) 128 - come out, come out → natalie c. parker (arc) 129 - my lady jane → cynthia hand, brodi ashton, jodi meadows 130 - the lies of alma blackwell → amanda glaze (arc)

september: 131 - the spare room → andra bartz 132 - late bloomer → mazey eddings (audiobook) 133 - savor it → tarah dewitt (audiobook) 134 - triple sec → t.j. alexander (audiobook) 135 - the skeleton key → erin kelly 136 - the examiner → janice hallett (arc) 137 - the dark we know → wen-yi lee (audiobook) 138 - pretty girls → karin slaughter 139 - a good girl's guide to murder → holly jackson (reread, annotation) 140 - lady macbeth → ava reid 141 - the pumpkin spice café → laurie gilmore 142 - the main character → jaclyn goldis (audiobook) 143 - queen macbeth → val mcdermid (arc) 144 - the cinnamon bun bookstore → laurie gilmore (audiobook)

october: 145 - midnight on beacon street → emily ruth verona (audiobook) 146 - make me a mixtape → jennifer whiteford (arc) 147 - haunt sweet home → sarah pinsker 148 - graveyard shift → m.l. rio 149 - the bitter end → alexa donne (arc) 150 - morbidly yours → ivy fairbanks 151 - someone in the attic → andrea mara 152 - a new lease on death → olivia blacke (arc) 153 - the christmas tree farm → laurie gilmore 154 - staged → elle cosimano 155 - the reunion dinner → jesse q. sutanto 156 - a crime of fashion → emma rosenblum 157 - the nosy neighbor → nita prose 158 - one lucky subscriber → kellye garrett 159 - a classic case → alicia thompson 160 - interview with the vampire → anne rice (audiobook) 161 - horror movie → paul tremblay (audiobook) 162 - everything is poison → joy mccullough (arc) 163 - romeo and juliet → william shakespeare (reread) 164 - no place left to hide → megan lally (arc) 165 - macbeth → william shakespeare (reread)

november: 166 - dinner for vampires → bethany joy lenz (audiobook) 167 - make the season bright → ashley herring blake 168 - a bánh mì for two → trinity nguyen (audiobook) 169 - merriment and mayhem → alexandria bellefleur 170 - a novel love story → ashley poston 171 - guilt and ginataan → mia p. manansala

december: 172 - looking for smoke → k.a. cobell (audiobook) 173 - seven lively suspects → katy watson 174 - the rival → emma lord (arc) 175 - a lively midwinder murder → katy watson 176 - the cheerleaders → kara thomas (rerad, audiobook) 177 - the champions → kara thomas (audiobook) 178 - a guide to the dark → meriam metou (audiobook)

[ironworked]

Let's look at that list from Geeks for Harris:

Starring (in alphabetical order):

Andy 'Brak' Merrill, Anthony Rapp, Bill Nye, Bill Prady, Chace Crawford, Corey Booker, Curtis Armstrong, Danneel Ackles, Dave Foley, Dave Hill, Dru Levasseur, Elie Mystal, Eric Kripke, Erin Moriary, Felicia Day, Frank Conniff, Gail Simone, Garrett Reisman, George Takei, Gloria Steinem, Hal Sparks, Jack Quaid, Jacqueline Emerson, Jamia Wilson, Jennifer Taub, Jensen Ackles, Jeri Ryan, Jessica Carter Altman, Jim Beaver, Jody Hamilton, John Fugelsang, John Grunsfeld, Jon Cryer, Jonathan Frakes, Kaela Joseph, Karen Fukuhara, Kevin Woo, Kim Rhodes, Laz Alonso, LeVar Burton, Lindy Li, Lynda Carter, Mae Jemison, Mark Hamill, Mark Sheppard, Mary Trump, Matthew Modine, Megan Smith, Misha Collins, Mona Sinha, Nancy Altman, Nia Bentall, Patty Jenkins, Paul Booth, Rachel Miner, Rep. Robert Garcia, Rep. Andy Kim, Rep. Wiley Nickel, Richard Speight, Rob Benedict, Robert Picardo, Ruth Connell, Sean Astin, Sian Proctor, Stacey Abrams, Tammy Duckworth, Tanya Cook, Tim Russ, Valorie Curry, Wajahat Ali, Waseem Daher Wheatus, Wil Wheaton, Yvette Nicole Brown, Zakiya Thomas.

[typhlonectes]

On seven undescribed leaf insect species revealed within the recent “Tree of Leaves” (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae)

Royce T. Cumming, Stéphane Le Tirant, Jackson B. Linde, Megan E. Solan, Evelyn Marie Foley, Norman Enrico C. Eulin, Ramon Lavado, Michael F. Whiting, Sven Bradler, Sarah Bank

Abstract

With the recent advance in molecular phylogenetics focused on the leaf insects (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae), gaps in knowledge are beginning to be filled. Yet, shortcomings are also being highlighted, for instance, the unveiling of numerous undescribed phylliid species...

Read the paper here:

On seven undescribed leaf insect species revealed within the recent “Tree of Leaves” (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae) (pensoft.net)

[healerqueen]

I responded to the booklist question! I'm sure I forgot some but whew it still took forever to write.

What about you? What are some of the books youve read the most?

Good question! I finally started keeping a list, so I have something to work from. That way I won't draw a blank.

My top five or six favorite authors and series are: J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, C. S. Lewis's Narnia books, Rosemary Sutcliff's Dolphin Ring series (beginning with Eagle of the Ninth), Enemy Brothers and The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery the Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, and The Mysterious Benedict Society (original trilogy and prequel) by Trenton Lee Stewart.

There are many other books and authors I love. I listed several of my childhood influences in this post featuring my 50 favorite children's books (focusing on ones I grew up with as a young person).

Here's my list of favorite books I've read the most or ones I think are worth rereading: The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye (a delightful original fairytale about a princess who refuses to stay in her tower)

The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo (romantic comedy fairytale retelling, with an emphasis on the comedy) Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (adventure about a mother mouse seeking to save her family) The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall (middle grade fantasy adventure)

Dragon Slippers and Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George (original fantasy in the style of fairytales) Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (fantasy adventure and coming-of-age story about a group of girls who attend school for the first time)

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart (urban light fantasy with dystopian elements) The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (middle-grade, post-apocalyptic dystopian) The Arrival by Shaun Tan (a wordless graphic novel that conveys human experiences through surrealism)

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright (vintage contemporary about a lively family) Derwood, Inc. by Jeri Massi (modern contemporary mystery about another boisterous family) The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (quirky vintage mystery with an interesting cast of characters) Historical Fiction: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham Caddie Woodlawn, Family Grandstand, and other books by Carol Ryrie Brink Rebecca's War by Ann Finlayson Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher Knight's Fee by Rosemary Sutcliff

The Lost Baron by Allen French The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman A Single Shard and Seesaw Girl by Linda Sue Park The Bronze Bow and The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell A few books I discovered more recently that are now all-time favorites: Seventh City by Emily Hayse, The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt, Valiant by Sarah McGuire, Out of the Tomb by Ashley Stangl, the Mistmantle Chronicles by M. I. McAllister, Escape to Vindor by Emily Golus, Chase the Legend by Hannah Kaye, The Key to the Chains by Allison Tebo (sci-fi), Rebel Wave by Tor Thibeaux (undersea dystopian) Historical fiction: Listening for Lions and Angel on the Square by Gloria Whelan, Courage in Her Hands by Iris Noble, Victory at Valmy and Word to Caesar by Geoffrey Trease, historical fiction Westerns and mysteries by author Elisabeth Grace Foley

Mystery/suspense: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman, The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart

[vanteguccir]

hi hi! anon that asked about books here! I meant paper books :) I’m very intrigued, I would LOVE the long list! (I really need more books to read even tho my tbr is already crazy long 😭) plus I’m sure whatever you suggest will be great so please go right ahead! tysm!!💗💗😚

hi baby!!

this made me super happy, I'm a reader by heart, and getting to talk about books makes me so excited 😭

okay, so, I read anything, literally any genre (even tho I'm a whore for true crime/thiller), so I'm gonna try and indicate a little bit of everything between some of the ones I read this year:

1. Say You Swear by Megan Brandy (emotional romance) (4/5)

2. How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie (thriller / humor) (4.5/5)

3. Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool (adventure / romance) (4/5)

4. Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky (horror / suspense) (4/5)

5. Love & Gelado by Jenna E Welch (romance) (4.8/5)

6. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (sci-fi) (5/5)

7. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (romance) (5/5)

8. The Burning Girls by CJ Tudor (thriller) (4.5/5)

9. The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley (thriller / romance) (4/5)

10. The Enigma of Room 622 by Joel Dicker (true crime) (5/5)

11. The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori (dark romance) (5/5)

if you want more, I have an infinity list LMAO 😭

[knightofchariot]

Tarot Books List - part one

1-2-3 Tarot: Answers in an Instant Donald Tyson 101 Tarot Spreads Sheilaa Hite 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card Mary K. Greer 22 Paths of Inperfection Matt Laws 360 Degrees of Wisdom Lynda Hill 365 Tarot Activities Deanna Anderson 78 Degrees of Wisdom Rachel Pollack 90 Days to Learning the Tarot Lorri Gifford A Guide To Mystic Faerie Tarot Barbara Moore A Guide to Tarot and Relationships Dolores Fitchie & Andrea K. Molina A Guide to the Nomadic Oracle Jon Mallek A Keeper of Words Anna-Marie Ferguson A Sephirothic Odyssey Harry Wendrich & Nicola Wendrich A Wicked Pack of Cards Michael Dummett & Ronald Decker & Thierry Depaulis A Year in the Wildwood Alison Cross Absolute Beginner's Guide to Tarot Mark McElroy Alchemy and the Tarot Robert M. Place All Love Goes Before Me Stewart S. Warren An Introduction to Transformative Tarot Counseling Katrina Wynne Ancient Mysteries Tarot: Keys To Divination And Initiation Roger Calverley Angel Readings for Beginners Elizabeth Foley Animals Divine Companion Lisa Hunt Best Tarot Practices Marcia Masino Beyond the Celtic Cross Paul Hughes-Barlow & Catherine Chapman Book of Thoth Aleister Crowley Brotherhood Tarot Companion Patric Stillman aka Pipa Phalange Buddha Tarot Companion Robert M. Place Chakra Wisdom Oracle Toolkit Tori Hartman Choice Centered Relating and the Tarot Gail Fairfield Chrysalis Tarot Holly Sierra & Toney Brooks Complete Guide to Tarot Illuminati Kim Huggens Confessions of a Tarot Reader Jane Stern Conscious Channeling From the Akashic Rozàlia Horvàth Balàzsi Creator's Tarot Nicole Richardson Daily Spread Tarot & Oracle Journal Alyssa Montalbano Dark Goddess Tarot Companion Ellen Lorenzi-Prince Designing Your Own Tarot Spreads Teresa Michelsen Destiny's Portal Barbara Moore Deviant Moon Tarot Patrick Valenza Discovering Runes Bob Oswald Discovering Your Self Through the Tarot Rose Gwain Easy Tarot Ciro Marchetti & Josephine Ellershaw Easy Tarot Guide Marcia Masino Easy Tarot Reading Josephine Ellershaw Encyclopedia of Tarot Volume IV Stuart Kaplan & Jean Huets Enochian Tarot Betty Schueler & Sally Ann Glassman & Gerald Schueler Essence of the Tarot: Modern Reflections on Ancient Wisdom Megan Skinner Explaining the Tarot Thierry Depaulis & Ross Caldwell & Marco Ponzi Explore the Major Arcana Judyth Sult & Gordana Curgus Exploring the Tarot Carl Japikse Fortune Stellar Christiana Gaudet Fortune's Lover: A Book of Tarot Poems Rachel Pollack Going Beyond the Little White Book Liz Worth Good Cat Spell Book Gillian Kemp Guide to the Sacred Rose Tarot Johanna Gargiulo-Sherman Heart of Tarot Amber K Hieros Gamos: Benediction of the Tarot Stewart S. Warren Holistic Tarot Benebell Wen Integral Tarot: Decoding the Essence Suzanne Wagner It's All in the Cards: Tarot Reading Made Easy John Mangiapane Jung and Tarot Sallie Nichols Kabbalistic Tarot Dovid Krafchow Kaleidoscope Tarot Leisa ReFalo Karmic Tarot William C. Lammey Learning Tarot Reversals Joan Bunning Learning the Tarot Joan Bunning Light-Of-Day: Tarot & Dream Work - A Practical Guide Gigi Miner Magic Words: A Dictionary Craig Conley Meditations on the Tarot Anonymous Messages from the Archetypes Toni Gilbert, RN, MA, HNC Mirror of the Free Nicholas Swift My Tarot Journal Katrina de Witt Mystical Origins of the Tarot: From Ancient Roots to Modern Usage

[cvldbones]

florence welch / carrie (1976) / not strong enough - boygenius / promising young woman (2020) / the guest list - lucy foley / antigone - sophocles / perseus and the sleeping medusa - alexander runciman (1774) / jennifer's body (2009) / megan nolan / wandavision (2021)

[britneyshakespearess]

2023 Recap

Goal: 35 books

Books read: 50 11 nonfiction 39 fiction

Pages read: 15,896

My 5 star reads (in order by which I read them):

The Winter of the Witch Katherine Arden

The Catcher in the Rye (reread) J.D. Salinger

Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma Claire Dederer

Fourth Wing Rebecca Yarros

The Anomaly Herve Le Tellier

White Wedding Kathleen J. Woods

We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival Natalie West (editor)

Hurricane Season Fernanda Melchor

Jawbone Monica Ojeda

Acts of Desperation Megan Nolan

How Should a Person Be? Sheila Heti

Educated Tara Westover

Sharks, Death, Surfers: an Illustrated Companion Melissa McCarthy

Minor Feelings Cathy Park Hong

Best book I read this year:

Hurricane Season Fernanda Melchor

Worst book I read this year:

In the Woods Tana French

The books I thought I was going to love but didn't:

The Glass Castle Jeanette Walls

Idlewild James Frankie Thomas

Biography of X Catherine Lacey

How Music Works David Byrne

Bluebeard's Castle Anna Biller

The book I didn't expect to love but did:

Acts of Desperation Megan Nolan

How Should a Person Be? Sheila Heti

The books I haven't stopped thinking about:

The Anomaly Herve Le Tellier White Wedding Kathleen J. Woods We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival Natalie West (editor) Hurricane Season Fernanda Melchor

Jawbone Monica Ojeda Acts of Desperation Megan Nolan

How Should a Person Be? Sheila Heti

Educated Tara Westover Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma Claire Dederer Nails and Eyes Kaori Fujino What Was She Thinking? Zoe Heller How to Blow Up a Pipeline Andreas Malm Treasure Island!!! Sara Levine Death in Her Hands Ottessa Moshfegh At the Edge of the Woods Kathryn Bromwich Lament for Julia Susan Taubes

The complete list and my ratings (in order by which I read them):

Ninth House Leigh Bardugo (reread) 4/5 Hell Bent Leigh Bardugo 3.5/5 The Winter of the Witch Katherine Arden 5/5 What Was She Thinking? Zoe Heller 4/5 Spells for Forgetting Adrienne Young 3/5 Elektra Jennifer Saint 3/5 How to Blow Up a Pipeline Andreas Malm 4.5/5 Now Is Not the Time to Panic Kevin Wilson 4.5/5 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger (reread) 5/5 Treasure Island!!! Sara Levine 4.5/5 The Ruin of All Witches: Life and Death in the New World Malcom Gaskill 4/5 Milk Fed Melissa Broder 4.5/5 Death in Her Hands Ottessa Moshfegh 3.5/5 Bunny Mona Awad 3.5/5 Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma Claire Dederer 5/5 A Crack-Up at the Race Riots Harmony Korine 4/5 Fourth Wing Rebecca Yarros 5/5 Delta of Venus Anais Nin 4.5/5 The Only One Left Riley Sager 4/5 Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us Rachel Aviv 4/5 The Anomaly Herve Le Tellier 5/5 A Court of Silver Flames Sarah J. Maas 4/5 At the Edge of the Woods Kathryn Bromwich 4.5/5 How Music Works David Byrne 3.5/5 Call Them by Their True Names: American Crises Rebecca Solnit 3/5 Boy Parts Eliza Clark 4/5 White Wedding Kathleen J. Woods 5/5 Lament for Julia Susan Taubes 4.5/5 In the Woods Tana French 2/5 Biography of X Catherine Lacey 4/5 The Near Witch Victoria Schwab 4/5 Divine Rivals Rebecca Ross 4.5/5 We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival Natalie West (editor) 5/5 Hurricane Season Fernanda Melchor 5/5 Starling House Alix E. Harrow 3/5 Nails and Eyes Kaori Fujino 4.5/5 Jawbone Monica Ojeda 5/5 Small Favors Erin A. Craig. 3/5 Exit West Mohsin Hamid 4/5 Bluebeard's Castle Anna Biller 3.5/5 Iron Flame Rebecca Yarros 4.5/5 Acts of Desperation Megan Nolan 5/5 How Should a Person Be? Sheila Heti 5/5 Educated Tara Westover 5/5 The Glass Castle Jeanette Walls 3.5/5 Idlewild James Frankie Thomas 4/5 The Guest List Lucy Foley 4/5 Ruthless Vows Rebecca Ross 4/5 Sharks, Death, Surfers: an Illustrated Companion Melissa McCarthy 5/5 Minor Feelings Cathy Park Hong 5/5

[demon64]

So... I'm probably the only person who thinks that the New X-Men would work well with SOME Horrorcore. These are teenagers who live the crazy Marvel Universe, some would probably love the dark, morbid, and macabre lyrics that some of these would. Or maybe it would work better with a Circle of Four adaptation. Either one, I think it Horrorcore could work.

And I mean that. I do think for either Horrorcore could work, help give it a different feel than some others soundtracks in other superhero media. Horrorcore is a subgenre of Hip-Hop, and Hip-Hop, at least from what I've commonly seen and heard, loves comics. I do think if it were in a New X-Men adaptation, the characters that would listen to this exactly would probably been Rockslide, X-23, and maybe Anole and Prodigy.

I know for the most part, Ghost Rider has more of an association with Rock & Metal, but I do think if you want to make Alejandra feel different, sort of like how Robbie Reyes supposedly has more of an association with Techno music, at least from what I've read and somewhat judging on appearance, then maybe give Alejandra an association with Horrorcore. Or maybe like I said in a previous post, give Robbie the Horrorcore association, give him something to feel different than other Ghost Riders.

You like these ideas? Got any others?

[sofiamantegafan110]

NEW X-MEN EPISODE 7

EPISODE 7- THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

WE OPEN UP OF THE STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY AT NIGHT. IT’S RATHER QUIET OUT AND ONLY A FEW STREETLIGHTS ARE ON, ILLUMINATING THE EMPTY STREETS. A YOUNG PROSTITUTE WITH PINK-STREAKED BLONDE HAIR CAN BE SEEN TRYING TO GET A CUSTOMER, BUT TO NO AVAIL. ONE MAN WALKS PAST HER AND IGNORES HER WHEN SHE TRIES TO GET HIS ATTENTION. ANNOYED, SHE TELLS HIM TO KISS HER ASS.

EVENTUALLY, TWO OTHER HOOKERS SHOW UP; A BLACK GIRL WITH RED HAIR AND A PALE GIRL WITH PURPLE HAIR AND GOTHIC CLOTHING. THE FIRST ONE, MELANIE, LOOKS AT THEM WITH INTRIGUE AS THEY MEET UP. THE BLACK GIRL, ROSE, SYMPATHIZES WITH MELANIE’S GRIPES AND TELLS HER THAT IT’S COLD OUTSIDE AND WHEN IT’S THIS COLD, JOHNS TEND TO STAY HOME WITH WHATEVER THEY GOT AT HOME. MELANIE SULKS AS ROSE TELLS HER THAT THEY’LL GIVE IT A HALF HOUR BEFORE THEY HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE MOTEL.

THE GOTH GIRL, ELVIRA, TELLS THEM THAT SHE’S HEARD SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING. APPARENTLY, A LOT OF WORKING GIRLS HAVE BEEN GOING MISSING AT NIGHT. NO BODIES HAVE TURNED UP AND THEY’VE JUST DISAPPEARED WITHOUT A TRACE. MELANIE SHUDDERS, A BIT CREEPED OUT AS ELVIRA CONTINUES.

ELVIRA: IT HAPPENED A WHILE AGO TO MY GIRL BECKY. SHE JUST VANISHED. AND SO DID WILLOW, AND WILLOW’S A PRO. THERE’S NO WAY SHE’D DRAG HER ASS TO A HALFWAY HOUSE OR SOME SHIT.

ROSE: WHAT ABOUT THEIR PIMPS?

ELVIRA: THEY DON’T CARE. AS LONG AS THEY’RE NOT WORKING FOR ANOTHER GUY, IT’S JUST SOME MISSING HOES. NOTHING SPECIAL.

MELANIE: OKAY. I’M CREEPED OUT NOW. DON’T SCARE ME WITH THAT SHIT, ELVIRA.

ROSE PUTS AN ARM AROUND MELANIE WHILE ELVIRA LOOKS OVER, NOTICING A MAN IN A TRENCHCOAT WALKING BY AND MUMBLING. IMMEDIATELY, SHE CATCHES HIS ATTENTION AND INVITES HIM OVER, SHOCKED WHEN HE REQUESTS ALL THREE OF THEM. ROSE SIGHS AND ASKS HIM WHERE HIS PLACE IS. THEY THEN START TO FOLLOW HIM, SURPRISED WHEN THEY END UP IN AN ALLEY.

MELANIE IS CONFUSED AND ASKS THE MAN WHAT THE BIG IDEA IS, BUT IS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT HE’S GONE. THEY WONDER WHERE HE WENT, BUT DON’T NOTICE THE MAN SNEAKING BEHIND ROSE, HOLDING SOMETHING SILVER IN HIS HAND. ROSE IS JUST ABOUT TO ASK WHERE HE WENT WHEN HE APPEARS BEHIND HER, HOLDING A KNIFE TO HER THROAT. BEFORE SHE CAN PROCESS ANYTHING, THE MAN SLITS HER THROAT AND ROSE FALLS TO THE GROUND, CHOKING ON HER OWN BLOOD AS ELVIRA AND MELANIE SCREAM.

THE MAN WALKS CLOSER TO THEM WITH THE BLOODY KNIFE AND MELANIE TRIES TO RUN, BUT THE MAN GRABS HER BY THE HAIR AND SLAMS HER AGAINST THE WALL. MELANIE SCREAMS AGAIN, BUT THE MAN STABS HIS KNIFE INTO HER GUT, DRAGGING IT DOWN AND SLICING HER STOMACH OPEN. ELVIRA SCREAMS AND RUNS OUT THE ALLEY, BUT HER HEEL BREAKS AND SHE FALLS DOWN, HITTING HER HEAD ON THE PAVEMENT. SHE LOOKS UP, HER FACE SMASHED AND BLOODY AS THE MAN WALKS CLOSER.

ELVIRA: PLEASE! I… I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME! I… PLEASE DON’T HURT ME!

MAN: EVERY SOUL IN THE CITY… EVERY SINGLE SOUL…

ELVIRA LOOKS ON IN FEAR AS BLACK MASCARA STREAKS DOWN HER FACE. THE MAN STANDS IN FRONT OF HER, LOOKING DOWN ON HER PRONE FORM. HE CONTINUES TO MUTTER AND WHILE ELVIRA PLEADS, HIS MOUTH OPENS, REVEALING TWO BRIGHT SHINING FANGS.

MAN: EVERY SOUL… EVERY SOUL IN THE CITY…

ELVIRA: PLEASE, DON’T HURT ME! PLEASE!!!

MAN: EVERY SOUL… AND SHE WILL LOVE ME FOREVER…

THE MAN DIVES DOWN AND THE CAMERA FADES TO BLACK. THE ONLY SOUND THAT CAN BE HEARD IS THAT OF ELVIRA SCREAMING.

CUE INTRO AND CREDITS.

WE OPEN UP IN THE XAVIER’S LIBRARY WHERE WE SEE SOFIA STUDYING. SHE’S VERY INTO IT AND DEEPLY CONCENTRATED. SLOWLY, A SILVER EYE STRETCHES UP TO HER, WATCHING HER SLOWLY. SOFIA IS COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS UNTIL THE EYE ASKS HER WHAT SHE’S DOING. SOFIA THEN JUMPS IN HER SEAT AND THE EYE LOOKS AT HER. WE START TO RECOGNIZE IT NOW AND REALIZE THAT IT’S CESSILY.

CESSILY LAUGHS WHILE SOFIA HYPERVENTILATES AND TELLS HER NOT TO DO THAT. THE REDHEAD SIGHS, TELLING HER THAT IT’S THE WEEKEND AND SHE’S DISAPPOINTED TO FIND THAT HER ROOMIE, CHEER CAPTAIN, AND BEST FRIEND IS STUDYING INSTEAD OF HAVING FUN. SOFIA SIGHS AND REMINDS HER THAT FINALS ARE COMING UP AND SHE’S TRYING TO CRAM IN SOME EXTRA TIME.

CLARICE WALKS INTO THE LIBRARY, STILL SPORTING HER HALFPIPE CUT FROM EPISODE 5 AS SHE SITS DOWN BESIDE SOFIA AND CESSILY. SHE POINTS OUT THAT SOFIA’S GOT THE BEST GRADES IN MOST OF HER CLASSES AND IT WON’T HURT TO HAVE SOME FUN ONCE IN A WHILE. SOFIA LOOKS AT HER AND SAYS THAT SHE CAN’T TALK, SINCE SHE SAW HOW FUN SHE WAS THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, PROMPTING A LAUGH FROM CESSILY AS CLARICE ASKS THE REDHEAD WHOSE SIDE SHE’S ON.

SOFIA: JUST BECAUSE MY GRADES ARE GOOD DOESN’T MEAN THAT I HAVE EVERYTHING HANDLED. I NEED TO DO SOME EXTRA STUDYING TO MAKE SURE I REMEMBER EVERYTHING FOR FINALS. I’M NOT JUST GOING TO ASSUME THAT I’M GOING TO PASS JUST BECAUSE I’M PRETTY, LIKE SOMEONE I KNOW.

CESSILY: HEY, I WAS A BIT HIGH AND I HADN’T SLEPT THAT NIGHT! DON’T BLAME ME!

CESSILY SIGHS AND LOOKS AT SOFIA.

CESSILY: AAAAANYWAYS, THERE’S A NEW STRIP CLUB THAT I WANNA CHECK OUT AND I DIDN’T WANNA DO IT WITHOUT MY BESTIE! PLEASE JUST TAKE A NIGHT OFF? YOU CAN STUDY LATER!

SOFIA LOOKS AT HER BEFORE SAYING NO. SHE’S NOT ONE TO CUT LOOSE WHENEVER IT SUITS HER. SHE HAS GOALS TO ACHIEVE. CESSILY SIGHS, DEJECTED, AND THEN TELLS CLARICE THAT IT’S TIME. CLARICE IMMEDIATELY TELLS HER THAT SHE CAN’T DO THAT. IT’S TOO RISKY. BUT CESSILY SIGHS DRAMATICALLY AND ANNOUNCES THAT IT’S TIME TO BREAK OUT THE EYES.

WITH THAT, CESSILY UNLEASHES A FULL TORRENT OF SAD PUPPY EYES. SOFIA LOOKS AT HER LIKE SHE’S INSANE BUT WHEN IT’S CLEAR THAT SHE WON’T STOP, SHE SAYS THAT SHE’LL GO TO THE CLUB WITH THEM. CESSILY CHEERS BUT IS THEN SHUSHED BY DOOP, THE LIBRARIAN, WHO IS FLOATING AT ITS DESK, DEEPLY ENGROSSED IN A BOOK ON THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS.

LATER, THE TRIO WALK OVER TO JULIAN, ROXY, MEGAN, SANTO, LAURA, AND VICTOR, WHO ARE PLEASED TO SEE THAT SOFIA HAS COME AROUND. SOFIA TELLS THEM THAT SHE’LL GO WITH THEM, BUT AFTERWARDS, THEY HAVE TO LEAVE HER ALONE WHILE SHE’S TRYING TO STUDY. THEY AGREE AND GO TO GET READY.

A FEW MORE MINUTES LATER, SOFIA IS LOOKING AT HERSELF IN THE GIRL’S BATHROOM MIRROR, A BIT CONFUSED AND RELUCTANT. A TOILET FLUSHES AND MONET WALKS OUT OF A STALL, NOTICING SOFIA’S HESITANCE. SHE SIGHS AND ASKS HER WHAT’S UP AND SOFIA TELLS HER THAT CESSILY IS FORCING HER TO GO TO SOME NEW STRIP CLUB. MONET LAUGHS A BIT AND SOFIA GIVES HER A DIRTY LOOK.

MONET: HON, IF YOU ASK ME, THIS IS FOR THE BEST. YOU’VE SPENT THE WHOLE WEEK WITH YOUR HEAD IN A BOOK AND YOU’VE BARELY SPENT ANY TIME RELAXING.

SOFIA: AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES ABOUT FINALS?

MONET: NO. BUT EVERYONE ELSE HAS ALREADY DONE THE NORMAL HUMAN AMOUNT OF STUDYING. YOU NEED SOME TIME OFF. YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS ALL THE TIME.

SOFIA SIGHS AND TELLS HER THAT IT’S HARD FOR HER TO JUST CUT LOOSE AT THE DROP OF A HAT. SHE’S NOT SURE SHE CAN ENJOY HERSELF WHEN SHE HAS SO MUCH TO FOCUS ON. MONET LOOKS AT HER BEFORE PRESSING SOMETHING INTO HER PALM. SOFIA ASKS WHAT IT IS, AND MONET TELLS HER THAT IT’S JUST SOMETHING TO HELP HER DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE. AS MONET LEAVES, SOFIA LOOKS AT THE ITEM IN HER PALM AND REALIZES THAT IT’S A PILL.

MEANWHILE, JAY IS STRUMMING HIS GUITAR WHEN HE HEARS SOMEONE SCREAMING. HE IMMEDIATELY BOLTS OUT THE DOOR AND HEADS TO THE SOURCE OF THE SCREAMING, STOPPING AT THE LOUNGE. HE LOOKS OVER, TIMIDLY, AND FINDS JOSH YELLING AS LAURIE BEATS HIM IN SUPER SMASH BROS FOR A FIFTH TIME. JAY GROANS AND ASKS HIM WHAT’S UP AND JOSH TELLS HIM THAT HE MIGHT WANT TO DUMP LAURIE.

LAURIE: IT’S NOT MY FAULT THAT I’M BETTER THAN YOU!

JOSH: SERIOUSLY, YOU HAVE TO LOSE EVENTUALLY! WHY CAN’T I KICK YOUR BUTT?!

LAURIE: BECAUSE I’M YOUR GIRLFRIEND.

ALANI AND SOORAYA ENTER AND ASK WHAT’S GOING ON TO WHICH JAY RESPONDS AS JOSH’S MIDLIFE CRISIS. ALANI SITS DOWN ON THE COUCH AND SAYS THAT HE SHOULD QUIT WHILE HE’S AHEAD. JOSH GROANS AND SITS DOWN ON THE COUCH NEXT TO HER AS LAURIE DOES A VICTORY DANCE. BRIAN, WHO WAS IN A CHAIR THE ENTIRE TIME, TELLS SOORAYA THAT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE NOW WITHOUT PAUSE. JAY CHUCKLES AND TURNS OFF THE TV BEFORE LOOKING AROUND AND ASKING IF ANY OF THEM WANT TO DO SOMETHING ELSE FOR A BIT.

ALANI STRETCHES HER THIGHS AND SAYS THAT THEY SHOULD PROBABLY JUST TALK. OR TELL A SCARY STORY, SINCE SHE LIKES THOSE. SOORAYA IS UNSURE, BUT JOSH IS INTO IT. LAURIE LOOKS AROUND, A BIT HESITANT, BUT SHE AGREES TO LISTEN TO A FEW AS LONG AS THEY’RE NOT SO GORY. JOSH THEN STANDS UP AND STARTS TO TELL A STORY, AND BRIAN GROANS WHEN HE REALIZES THAT IT’S A GENERIC STORY ABOUT A SUMMER CAMP. JAY YELLS AT HIM TO BE ORIGINAL, BUT JOSH KEEPS GOING, NOT SEEING ALCHEMIST STANDING IN THE SHADOWS, WATCHING THEM.

MEANWHILE, THE GROUP ARRIVES AT THE CLUB. EVERYONE IS DRESSED DOWN FOR THE OCCASION, BUT SOFIA LOOKS A BIT OUT OF PLACE IN A PINK CROP TOP AND BOOTY SHORTS THAT SAY ‘GRAB HERE’ ON THE BUTT. CESSILY HAS A BIG SMILE ON HER FACE AS THEY ENTER.

THE CLUB IS VERY BIG WITH BRIGHT NEON LIGHTS AND FOG MACHINES. PEOPLE ARE DANCING TO RAVE MUSIC AS LIGHTS FLASH WITH BRIGHT COLORS. A MUTANT STRIPPER WITH GREEN SKIN AND LEAVES FOR HAIR CAN BE SEEN ON THE STAGE AND A FEW GO-GO DANCERS ARE DANCING IN CAGES AROUND THE ROOM. A LOT OF THE STRIPPERS AND PARTYGOERS ARE MUTANTS AND SO THE KIDS ARE ABLE TO FIT IN. SOFIA SHIFTS A BIT AS CLARICE PUTS AN ARM AROUND HER, SEEING THAT SHE’S A BIT OVERWHELMED. CESSILY STILL HAS A GRIN ON HER FACE AS SHE TELLS THEM THAT THIS IS A PARTY.

WE THEN CUT TO A MONTAGE AS ‘NOTHING BUT ASS’ BY P. CHANCE PLAYS ON THE SPEAKERS. DURING THE MONTAGE, WE SEE VIC AT THE BAR GETTING SOME DRINKS WHILE LAURA GRINDS ON JULIAN ON THE DANCE FLOOR. SANTO CAN BE SEEN PARTYING WITH A FEW MUTANT GIRLS WHILE MEGAN DANCES AROUND, WAVING SOME GLOWSTICKS AROUND LIKE LIGHTSABERS. CESSILY AND ROXY ARE WATCHING THE GIRLS ON THE STAGE, CLEARLY A BIT TIPSY AS THEY CHEER THEM ON. ONE PERFORMER, A MUTANT GIRL WITH SNAKELIKE SKIN, BENDS DOWN ON HER HANDS AND KNEES TO ACCEPT A DOLLAR FROM CESSILY, WHICH SHE STICKS IN HER G-STRING.

SOFIA IS ON THE DANCE FLOOR WITH CLARICE, CLEARLY NERVOUS BUT TRYING TO ENJOY HERSELF. CLARICE SMILES AND GIVES HER A KISS BEFORE TAKING A DRINK OF VODKA. SOFIA FINDS HERSELF BUMPED BY ANOTHER DANCER AND WHEN SHE TRIES TO STICK BY CLARICE, SHE COLLIDES WITH A HUMAN MAN WHO KNOCKS HER OVER. CLARICE PUNCHES HIM IN THE JAW BEFORE HELPING SOFIA TO HER FEET AND ASKING IF SHE’S OKAY. SOFIA LOOKS AT CLARICE AND SAYS THAT SHE HAS TO USE THE BATHROOM BEFORE RUNNING OFF THE DANCEFLOOR.

MEANWHILE, JOSH IS WRAPPING UP HIS STORY AS EVERYONE ELSE LOOKS READY TO KILL HIM. JAY CAN’T HELP BUT COMMENT ON HOW AWFUL THE STORY WAS AND LAURIE ADMITS THAT SHE DID THINK THAT SHE’D HEARD IT BEFORE. JOSH GROANS, SAYING THAT EVERYONE’S A CRITIC. BRIAN SIGHS AND ASKS IF ANYONE ELSE HAS A STORY, JUMPING AS SUDI APPEARS IN FRONT OF THEM.

SUDI: I’VE GOT A STORY. AND IT’S 100% TRUE.

ALANI ASKS HER HOW LONG SHE WAS STANDING THERE, AND SUDI TELLS THEM THAT SHE’S BEEN THERE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE THAT THEY NEED TO BE ENTERTAINED. SHE THEN TELLS THEM TO SIT DOWN AND LISTEN TO HER STORY. ONCE EVERYONE SITS, SHE BEGINS TO TELL THEM THAT ONE THING ABOUT HER IS THAT HER POWERS ALLOW HER TO BE IMMORTAL. JOSH SCOFFS, BUT SUDI INSISTS THAT IT’S THE TRUTH. SHE’S BEEN ON THIS PLANET FOR MORE THAN A MILLION YEARS.

SUDI: BECAUSE OF THIS POWER, I’VE HEARD LOTS OF STORIES. SO MANY STORIES FROM SO MANY DECADES. AND THIS ONE IS ONE THAT I’VE HEARD FROM A FRIEND OF A FRIEND OF A COUSIN OF A GRANDSON OF A BROTHER OF A FRIEND OF A FATHER OF A COUSIN WHOSE FATHER WORKED ON THE ROMAN HIGH COUNCIL.

SUDI LOOKS THEM ALL IN THE EYE, HER EXPRESSION TURNING DARK AND MYSTERIOUS.

SUDI: TELL ME… HAVE YOU HEARD THE STORY OF ELI BARD?

SOORAYA IS INTERESTED AND TELLS SUDI THAT SHE’S NEVER HEARD THAT NAME. SUDI NODS AND TELLS THEM ALL THAT THIS STORY IS ONE THAT’S BEEN PASSED DOWN BY THOSE BRAVE ENOUGH TO RETELL IT. LAURIE LOOKS A BIT UNEASY, BUT BRIAN INSISTS THAT SHE CONTINUES.

MEANWHILE, SOFIA IS IN THE CLUB BATHROOM, HER FACE FLUSHED AND HER EYES WIDE. SHE BREATHES RAPIDLY AS SHE REACHES IN HER POCKET AND PULLS OUT THE DRUG THAT MONET GAVE HER. SHE LOOKS AT IT FOR A BIT, INDECISIVE, BEFORE PUTTING IT IN HER MOUTH. SHE WAITS FOR A BIT AND THEN SWALLOWS THE PILL AND LOOKING AT HERSELF IN THE MIRROR. THE BACKGROUND MUSIC STARTS TO BUILD UP IN TENSION AS IF SOMETHING’S GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT WHEN IT REACHES THAT POINT, SOFIA REALIZES THAT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.

CONFUSED, SHE LOOKS AROUND BUT REALIZES THAT THE BATHROOM THAT WAS ONCE FULL OF PEOPLE IS NOW COMPLETELY EMPTY. SOFIA LOOKS BACK AT HER REFLECTION AS THE SOUND OF SELENA GOMEZ PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND. SHE LEANS IN TO THE MIRROR AND SUDDENLY, HER REFLECTION REACHES OUT AND PULLS HER INTO THE MIRROR.

AS ‘SHAKE IT UP’ BY SELENA GOMEZ PLAYS, SOFIA WALKS OUT THE BATHROOM, WITH BUTTERFLIES FLYING IN HER WAKE. THE LIGHTS IN THE CLUB FLASH EVEN BRIGHTER, BATHING SOFIA IN COLOR. SHE WALKS ONTO THE DANCE FLOOR IN A HAZE AS MORE COLORS PULSE AND SHINE IN HER DRUG TRIP. AS THE MUSIC GETS LOUDER, SHE STARTS TO DANCE. AURORA LIGHTS FOLLOW HER EVERY MOVE AS SHE STARTS TO DANCE WITH GREAT CONFIDENCE AND STRENGTH. PSYCHEDELIC LIGHTS DANCE ON HER SKIN AS SHE SMILES, REALIZING THAT SHE’S COMING OUT OF HER SHELL. MEANWHILE, CLARICE WATCHES HER, A BIT CONFUSED BY HAPPY FOR HER.

WE THEN FLASH BACK TO ANCIENT ROME AS SUDI STARTS TO TELL HER STORY. THE CAMERA FOCUSES ON A MAN WITH BROWN HAIR, AMBER EYES, AND AN ATHLETIC BUILD AS HE STANDS DRESSED IN A TOGA. SUDI SAYS THAT THIS MAN’S NAME WAS ELIPHAS, AND BACK THEN, HE WAS A BIG DEAL. WE SEE ELIPHAS GIVING A SPEECH AT THE ROMAN SENATE, WALKING THROUGH THE BAZAAR WITH MILITARY GUARDS, AND WALKING OVER TO A BEAUTIFUL BLONDE WOMAN WHO EMBRACES HIM PASSIONATELY.

SUDI: HE WAS A HIGH-RANKING POLITICIAN, RESPECTED BY THE MILITARY, WEALTHY BEYOND MEASURE, A MEMBER OF THE ELITE, AND LOVED BY ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN ALL OF ROME. HE HAD EVERYTHING…

SUDI’S EXPRESSION SUDDENLY DARKENS.

SUDI: …BUT IT WAS ALL A LIE.

WE THEN CUT TO ELIPHAS, SHOCKED AS A GOBLET OF WINE IS THROWN IN HIS FACE. HIS WIFE SNAPS AT HIM, SAYING THAT HIS SPEECH AT THE SENATE ALMOST RUINED EVERYTHING. ELIPHAS PLEADS WITH HIS WIFE, AURELIA, BUT SHE REFUSES TO LISTEN, SAYING THAT HE HUMILIATED HIS FELLOW POLITICIAN, MASCIUS, IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. ELIPHAS LOOKS OVER AT A CHISELED BLONDE MAN WHO LOOKS AT HIM SMUGLY AS AURELIA ORDERS HIM TO LEAVE.

ELIPHAS REFUSES TO LEAVE, SAYING THAT THIS IS HIS HOUSE, BUT AURELIA SCOFFS. SHE TELLS HIM NOT TO FORGET WHO PAYS FOR HIS LIFE. WHEN SHE FOUND HIM, HE WAS A STARVING POET BEGGING FOR FOOD AT THE MARKETPLACE. SHE SCOFFS AND REMOVES HER EARRINGS, ORDERING HIM TO HAVE THE SLAVES POLISH THEM ON THE WAY OUT. WITH THAT, SHE REMOVES HER ROBE, INFORMING ELIPHAS THAT SHE AND MASCIUS HAVE BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO.

AURELIA: INTERRUPT US, AND I WILL MAKE YOU FAN US WHILE WE WORK.

SUDI: ELIPHAS WAS A TRULY PATHETIC MAN, PUT INTO POWER BY PEOPLE WHO ONLY SOUGHT TO USE HIM.

JOSH: HOLD ON.

BACK IN THE LOUNGE, JOSH INTERRUPTS SUDI’S STORY.

JOSH: PLEASE TELL ME THIS IS GOING SOMEWHERE.

ALANI: LET’S NOT BE TOO HASTY. I WANNA HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS MASCIUS GUY. I LIKE HIS STYLE.

BRIAN CRACKS UP AFTER ALANI TALKS AND SUDI TELLS THEM THAT THE STORY IS GOING SOMEWHERE, BUT THEY’RE NOT GOING TO LIKE IT.

BACK IN THE STORY, ELIPHAS WANDERS THE STREETS OF ROME, PAUSING WHEN A FEMALE VOICE CALLS HIS NAME. HE LOOKS AROUND, REALIZING THAT HE’S BY HIMSELF, AND A VOICE CALLS HIS NAME AGAIN. HE TURNS AROUND AND NOTICES A RAVISHING WOMAN WITH IVORY SKIN AND LONG BLACK HAIR. SHE GREETS HIM AND HE ASKS HER IF HE KNOWS HER. SHE TELLS HIM THAT SHE SIMPLY WISHES HIS COMPANY, GESTURING TO A GOTHIC HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE.

ELIPHAS: WHO ARE YOU?

WOMAN: CALL ME… SELENE.

WE NOW KNOW THAT THIS IS THE WOMAN WHO WE SAW TALKING TO KEVIN AT THE END OF THE LAST EPISODE. BACK IN THE LOUNGE, JOSH GROANS. LAURIE TILTS HER HEAD AND ASKS WHO SELENE IS, AND JAY TELLS HER THAT SHE’S AN IMMORTAL MUTANT AND THE BLACK QUEEN OF THE HELLFIRE CLUB. BAD NEWS.

SUDI: I WISH THIS WAS A JOKE. BELIEVE ME, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW BAD THIS STORY GETS.

BACK IN THE CLUB, CLARICE HEADS OVER TO THE BAR, SITTING BESIDE JULIAN. AS SHE ORDERS A DRINK, JULIAN GRINS, SAYING THAT HE NEVER THOUGHT HE’D SEE THE DAY WHEN CLARICE WOULD SIT WITH HIM. CLARICE GRINS BACK BEFORE LOOKING OVER AT LAURA DANCING IN THE CLUB. SHE STATES HER SURPRISE THAT SHE ENDED UP WITH SOMEONE LIKE JULIAN AND JULIAN CHUCKLES.

JULIAN: Y’KNOW, IT’S WEIRD. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT I WANTED SOFIA, BUT I GUESS LAURA AND I WERE KINDA MEANT FOR EACH OTHER. WE’RE BOTH MORE THAN WHAT’S ON THE OUTSIDE. AND THE SEX IS GOOD.

CLARICE: OH REALLY?

JULIAN: THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER?

CLARICE: WELL, LET’S SEE… THE LAST TIME ME AND SOFIA GOT TOGETHER… TEN BACK-TO-BACK ORGASMS.

JULIAN: HEH. BUT I AM GLAD SHE CHOSE YOU. YOU WON HER FAIR AND SQUARE AND I’M HAPPY WITH LAURA. SO I GUESS THINGS ARE WORKING OUT FOR THE BOTH OF US.

CLARICE SMILES BEFORE JULIAN LOOKS OVER AT A DRUNK SOFIA DANCING IN THE CLUB. HE ALERTS CLARICE TO THE MATTER AND SHE GETS UP, MOVING TOWARD THE DANCE FLOOR.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN SUDI’S STORY, ELIPHAS AND SELENE RIDE TOGETHER IN THE CARRIAGE. ELIPHAS ASKS SELENE WHAT BRINGS HER HERE, AND SHE TELLS HIM THAT SHE HAS COME FOR HIM. ELIPHAS IS CONFUSED BUT SELENE TELLS HIM THAT HE WAS ONCE A GOOD MAN BEFORE THIS WICKED CITY CORRUPTED HIS HEART. HE WAS A GREAT SOLDIER BEFORE POLITICS SOFTENED HIM. AND HE WAS A PASSIONATE LOVER BEFORE HIS HEART WAS BROKEN. SHE TELLS HIM THAT SHE WAS THERE WHEN HE WAS BORN, WHEN HE FIRST TOOK A LIFE, WHEN A SPEAR ENDED HIS YEARS ON THE BATTLEFIELD, WHEN HE FELL IN LOVE AND WHEN SHE BROKE HIS HEART. AND NOW, IT IS TIME FOR THEM TO BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY TOGETHER.

SELENE: ELIPHAS, I HAVE LIVED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. I CAN GIVE YOU THE SAME. I CAN MAKE YOU YOUNG AND STRONGER THAN YOU’VE EVER IMAGINED. I CAN MAKE YOU IMPERVIOUS TO THE ILLS OF MORTALS. AND SOON, YOU COULD CONTROL THE NIGHT AND THE ELEMENTS THEMSELVES. YOU WILL LIVE FOREVER WITH MY LOVE.

ELIPHAS: WHAT WOULD YOU ASK OF ME IN RETURN?

SELENE TRACES A SHARP BLACK NAIL DOWN HIS CHEEK. HER LIPS PART, REVEALING WHITE FANGS.

SELENE: EVERY SINGLE SOUL IN ROME.

SUDI: ELIPHAS WAS PATHETIC, BUT HE KNEW THIS WOMAN WAS TRUE EVIL. MAYBE HE WOULD HAVE DONE THE RIGHT THING… IF FATE HADN’T MADE THE CHOICE FOR HIM.

THE NEXT DAY, ELIPHAS ENTERS THE SENATE AND IS SHOCKED TO SEE MASCIUS, THE GUY FUCKING ELIPHAS’S WIFE EARLIER, WITH TWO OTHER POLITICIANS. ONE SAYS THAT THEY WERE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT HE WAS STEPPING DOWN, BUT THEY ARE GLAD THAT MASCIUS CHOSE TO TAKE HIS SEAT. ELIPHAS IS CONFUSED AND MASCIUS EXPLAINS THAT HE SAID THAT HE WAS STEPPING DOWN AND NEEDED HIM TO TAKE OVER HIS DUTIES. ELIPHAS NODS, RELUCTANTLY, AND MASCIUS TELLS HIM THAT AURELIA HAS REQUESTED HIS PRESENCE.

ELIPHAS HEADS OVER TO HIS HOME AND IS SHOCKED TO SEE A FIRE OUTSIDE. IN THE BLAZE ARE HIS POSSESSIONS AND AURELIA IS STANDING ON A BALCONY, TOSSING MORE OF HIS BELONGINGS INTO THE FIRE.

AURELIA: YOU MAY DIE NOW, ELIPHAS. BURN ALONG WITH YOUR POSSESSIONS FOR ALL I CARE. I HAVE NO NEED FOR YOU ANYMORE.

ELIPHAS GLARES AT HER WITH MASKED FURY, HAVING MADE HIS DECISION.

SUDI: THEY SAY A MAN WITH NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE IS THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN OF ALL.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE CLUB, CLARICE WALKS OVER TO SOFIA AND ASKS HER WHAT’S WRONG. SOFIA GIGGLES AND TELLS CLARICE THAT SHE’S ALL RIGHT. IN FACT, SHE’S FEELING GREAT. CLARICE ASKS HER IF SHE’S ON DRUGS AND SOFIA BEGINS RECITING LINES FROM ROMEO & JULIET AS A RESPONSE, PASSION IN HER EYES. CLARICE SIGHS AND PULLS SOFIA OFF THE DANCE FLOOR.

CESSILY, WHO IS RECEIVING A LAP DANCE FROM A PINK-HAIRED STRIPPER, NOTICES THEM AND ASKS IF THEY’RE OKAY. CLARICE SAYS THAT SOFIA IS DRUNK AND SHE NEEDS TO TAKE HER HOME. CESSILY SIGHS, REPRIMANDING HERSELF FOR FORCING SOFIA TO COME, BUT CLARICE TELLS HER THAT IT’S NOT HER FAULT. CESSILY TELLS HER TO TAKE CARE OF SOFIA AND CLARICE NODS, WALKING OUT THE CLUB WITH SOFIA.

BACK IN THE STORY, ELIPHAS CONFRONTS SELENE, SAYING THAT HE WILL DO WHATEVER SHE ASKS. SELENE TELLS HIM THAT TOMORROW, THE ARENA WILL HOST THE LARGEST BATTLE EVER SEEN. THOUSANDS OF SOULS WILL BE THERE, AND IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

SELENE: I’VE SHOWN YOU THE SIGILS. TAKE MY BLADE AND DO WHAT MUST BE DONE. TOGETHER, WE WILL LIVE FOREVER.

THE NEXT DAY, ELIPHAS WALKS AMONG THE CROWD HEADING FOR THE ARENA, MUTTERING ABOUT FIVE POINTS OF A PENTAGRAM. THEN ALL OF ROME WILL BURN FOR WHAT THEY DID. SUDDENLY, HE NOTICES A SMALL CHILD BEGGING FOR MONEY IN THE STREET, AND HIS FACE SOFTENS.

SUDI: BUT ELIPHAS WASN’T EVIL. HE WAS JUST WEAK. BUT ONE ACT OF KINDNESS CHANGED EVERYTHING.

ELIPHAS RUNS OVER TO THE LITTLE GIRL AND TELLS HER TO LEAVE ROME WITH HER FAMILY. A FEW MINUTES LATER, MASCIUS AND HIS GUARDS APPROACH THE COLISEUM, BUT A MAN, THE GIRL’S FATHER, STOPS HIM, SAYING THAT SOMETHING TERRIBLE IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO HIS FRIEND, ELIPHAS. HE TURNS TO THE LITTLE GIRL AND DEMANDS THAT SHE TELL THEM WHAT SHE KNOWS.

MEANWHILE, ELIPHAS ENTERS THE COLISEUM. DRESSED IN A BLACK CLOAK, HE MOVES UNDETECTED, SLIPPING INTO THE CATACOMBS.

SUDI: SELENE CHOSE HER PAWN WELL. HE KNEW WHERE HE NEEDED TO GO, AND AT THE SAME TIME, NO ONE CARED ENOUGH TO ASK WHY HE WAS GOING THERE.

EVENTUALLY, ELIPHAS REACHES HIS DESTINATION. HE SLITS HIS PALM WITH SELENE’S BLADE AND DRAWS A PENTAGRAM ON THE WALL WITH HIS BLOOD. THEN, HE THROWS DOWN SOME BONES BESIDE THE WALL. HE REPEATS THIS PROCESS THREE TIMES.

ELIPHAS: EVERY SOUL IN ROME… AND SHE WILL BE REBORN AS A GODDESS. AND SHE WILL LOVE ME FOREVER.

SUDI: SELENE NEEDED HIM TO HELP CAST A SPELL THAT WOULD DEVOUR THOUSANDS OF SOULS AT ONCE. ONE LIFE GIVES HER POWER. WE KNOW THAT FROM THE X-MEN’S ARCHIVES. TAKING THAT MANY LIVES WOULD MAKE HER A GOD.

OUT OF BREATH, ELIPHAS IS IN THE PROCESS OF DRAWING THE FINAL PENTAGRAM, MUTTERING THAT THEY WILL LIVE FOREVER. SUDDENLY, A FIST CONNECTS WITH HIS FACE AND HE FALLS BACK, REVEALING MASCIUS AND THREE GUARDS.

MASCIUS: LIVE FOREVER? MY FRIEND, YOU WON’T SURVIVE THE NIGHT.

LATER, INSIDE THE ARENA, THE SOUNDS OF CHEERING CROWDS CAN BE HEARD AS A WARRIOR IS VICTORIOUS. SUDDENLY, SELENE ENTERS THE ARENA IN SLOW MOTION, THE CAMERA FOCUSING ON HER LITHE FORM AND THE FLUTTER OF HER HAIR AND DRESS AGAINST THE WIND.

SUDI: NO ONE KNOWS WHERE SELENE CAME FROM. SHE CLAIMS TO BE OLDER THAN MANKIND. MAYBE SHE’S A MUTANT. ONE OF THE FIRST MUTANTS BORN. WHATEVER SHE IS, SHE WANTS TO BE MORE. SHE WANTS POWER; TO BE WORSHIPED AS A GODDESS. MAYBE SHE COULD HAVE DONE IT… BUT SHE MADE ONE MISTAKE.

SELENE CLOSES HER EYES AND BEGINS TO CHANT. MYSTIC ENERGY SURROUNDS HER AS THE WIND WHIPS EVEN FIERCELY. SUDDENLY, HER SPELL FADES AND SHE GASPS, SHOCKED. SUDDENLY, SHE LETS OUT A SCREAM AS TWO ARROWS PIERCE HER CHEST, BLOOD EXPLODING ONTO THE GROUND. MASCIUS AND HIS GUARDS STAND ALONG WITH ELIPHAS, WHO IS BOUND AND HELPLESS. MASCIUS SCOFFS, SAYING THAT ONE WOULD THINK A WITCH COULD DO BETTER THAN HIM. SELENE SUDDENLY BEGINS TO RISE, BARING HER FANGS IN RAGE.

SELENE: DO YOU BELIEVE YOU COULD KILL ME?! I CAN NEVER DIE! AND I WILL HAVE YOUR…

SUDDENLY, MASCIUS THROWS UP HIS SWORD, STABBING IT THROUGH HER HEAD. BLOOD PAINTS THE FLOOR AS SELENE FALLS DOWN, DEAD. MASCIUS ORDERS HIS GUARDS TO BIND THE BODY, THEN TAKE THEM OUTSIDE THE CITY AND BURN THEM. HIS GUARDS RESPOND, DRAGGING A SCREAMING ELIPHAS AWAY.

SUDI: IF ONLY IT WERE THAT EASY.

OUTSIDE ROME, ELIPHAS AND SELENE ARE BOUND TO TWO STAKES. ELIPHAS CRIES AND PRAYS WITH ALL HIS MIGHT AS MASCIUS’ GUARDS LIGHT THE PYRES. AS THE STAKES IGNITE IN FLAMES, ELIPHAS SCREAMS, BUT SELENE’S EYES BEGIN TO OPEN. SHE HISSES AS HER EYES APPEAR YELLOW AND ANIMALISTIC, DEVOID OF ANY HUMANITY. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE FLAMES ARE BLOWN BACK, SETTING THE GUARDS ON FIRE. THEY SCREAM AS THE FIRE EATS AWAY AT THEM.

ELIPHAS: AAAAHHHH… AAAAHHHH… OH, GODS, HELP MEEEE!

SELENE: ELIPHASSSSS… NO GOD CAN SAVE YOU NOW.

SELENE APPEARS IN FRONT OF ELIPHAS, ANGERED. HER FACE IS BURNT AND DISFIGURED, NOTHING LIKE THE PALE BEAUTY THAT IT WAS BEFORE. ELIPHAS SCREAMS IN TERROR.

SELENE: LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME!

ELIPHAS: PLEASE… I’M SORRY!

SELENE: I OFFER YOU EVERYTHING AND YOU BETRAY ME!

ELIPHAS: PLEASE… I JUST WANTED A LIFE ETERNAL WITH YOU BY MY…

SELENE: OH, YOU WILL HAVE LIFE ETERNAL, ELIPHAS… A LIFE OF ETERNAL TORMENT.

WITH THAT, SELENE BEGINS TO TRANSFER HER INJURIES ONTO ELIPHAS. HE SCREAMS AS HIS BODY IS BURNED AND SCARRED AS SELENE RETURNS TO HER BEAUTIFUL PERFECTION.

SELENE: YOU WILL LIVE FOREVER, AND FOREVER I WILL DENY YOU. I WILL DENY DEATH TO YOU. PRAY YOU NEVER SEE ME AGAIN.

WITH THAT, SHE DISAPPEARS, LEAVING ELIPHAS SCREAMING INTO THE NIGHT.

SEVEN HUNDRED YEARS LATER, A MAN IS DIGGING UP A GRAVE IN A CEMETERY. HE LOOKS AT THE GRAVE, NOTICING SOMETHING IS WRONG. SUDDENLY, A PALE HAND GRABS HIM AND FANGS SINK INTO HIS NECK. WE THEN SEE ELIPHAS, HIS BODY FRAIL AND BONE-WHITE LIKE A CORPSE. HIS EYES ARE TWO MILKY-WHITE ORBS AND HIS TEETH HAVE ELONGATED INTO FANGS. HE HOLDS THE DEAD MAN IN HIS ARMS AND MUTTERS THE NAME OF THE WOMAN HE LOVED.

SUDI: FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, HE SEARCHED FOR HER. AFTER EVERYTHING SHE DID TO HIM, HE STILL LOVED HER. AND EVERYWHERE HE WENT, HE BROUGHT DEATH. HE SOON LEFT THE OLD WORLD, FOLLOWING HER TRAIL TO THE NEW. HE MET A TRIBE WHO RECOGNIZED HIM FOR WHO HE WAS, BUT THEY COULD NOT DEFEAT HIM, AND THEIR DEATHS WERE BLAMED BY THE DISEASES BROUGHT ONTO THEIR LAND BY THE COLONISTS. HE SOON FOUND HER IN NOVA ROMA AND FOLLOWED HER TO THE PRESENT DAY, BUT HE WAS TOO AFRAID TO APPROACH HER. HE NEEDED SOMETHING TO APPEASE HER. AN OFFERING. TO MAKE HER A GODDESS. TO MAKE HER LOVE HIM AGAIN.

AS THE STORY ENDS, WE LOOK AT THE STUDENTS IN FRONT OF HER. LAURIE IS BITING HER NAILS, HER FACE GHOSTLY WHITE. JAY AND SOORAYA ARE EQUALLY SCARED. JOSH TELLS SUDI THAT HE DOESN’T LIKE HER ANYMORE WHILE ALANI AND BRIAN WANT HER TO TELL THE STORY AGAIN. SUDI THEN SNAPS OUT OF HER DARKENED STATE, SMILING AND ASKING IF ANYONE ELSE HAS A STORY. WITH THAT, LAURIE FAINTS.

MEANWHILE, CLARICE DRAGS SOFIA INTO HER ROOM AND INTO HER BED. SOFIA GRASPS AT CLARICE’S CLOTHES BLINDLY AND CLARICE SAYS THAT SHE REFUSES TO HAVE SEX WHILE SOFIA IS HIGH. AFTER SOME STRUGGLED PROTESTS, SOFIA FINALLY CALMS DOWN, AND CLARICE SITS BESIDE HER AS SHE LIES DOWN.

SOFIA: CLARICE… CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING?

CLARICE: YEAH.

SOFIA: I LOVED THIS NIGHT! I… I’M GLAD I COULD CUT LOOSE FOR ONCE AND NOT WORRY ABOUT STUPID FINALS! AND I’M GLAD THAT I HAVE YOU HERE WITH ME. YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS WITH MY FATHER, I WANTED SOOO BADLY TO IMPRESS HIM, BUT NOTHING WORKED! I STUDIED HARD AND WORKED HARDER JUST TO MAKE HIM NOTICE ME! BUT HE NEVER DID. I GUESS I KEEP STUDYING FOR TESTS BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IF I DO, MAYBE HE WILL NOTICE ME FOR ONCE. BUT I’M GLAD I WAS HERE TONIGHT. I’M GLAD YOU WERE HERE FOR ME. I…

CLARICE: I KNOW, BABE. JUST REST. YOU’RE SAFE NOW.

CLARICE SLOWLY BEGINS TO STROKE SOFIA’S HAIR AND BEGINS TO SING ‘CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU’ TO SOFIA. DURING THIS MOMENT, WE SEE JOSH CARRY A SLEEPING LAURIE TO HER ROOM, CESSILY AND ROXY MAKING OUT WHILE LAURA AND JULIAN MAKE LOVE IN JULIAN’S ROOM, AND SANTO AND MEGAN CURLED UP WITH ALANI, SUDI, BRIAN, JAY, AND SOORAYA. AS THE SONG ENDS, SOFIA IS FAST ASLEEP AND CLARICE KISSES HER CHEEK AS THE CAMERA FADES TO BLACK.

UNDERNEATH SALEM CENTER, WE SEE THE BODY OF ELVIRA, THE PROSTITUTE FROM THE OPENING SCENE, BEING DRAGGED ALONG THE GROUND. HER CORPSE IS THEN LEFT TO REST ALONGSIDE A WALL WITH MELANIE AND ROSE’S BODIES AS A KNIFE SLITS THEIR PALMS. A PALE HAND DABS AGAINST THE BLOOD AND BEGINS TO DRAW SOMETHING AGAINST THE WALL. WHEN FINISHED, THE CAMERA ZOOMS OUT, REVEALING A DRAWING OF A PENTAGRAM.

THE FINAL SHOT REVEALS THE IDENTITY OF THE HOODED KILLER. IT’S ELIPHAS.

ELIPHAS: EVERY SOUL IN THIS CITY. EVERY SINGLE SOUL… AND SHE WILL LOVE ME FOREVER.

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HEY GUYS! SORRY FOR THE LATE UPLOAD! JUST GOT A LOT ON MY MIND! ANYWAYS, MAKE SURE YOU LIKE THE EPISODE CAUSE I WORKED REALLY HARD ON IT!

ALSO, STAY TUNED BECAUSE I WILL BE POSTING THE TRANSCRIPT FOR NEW X-MEN SEASON 1 EPISODE 1 "PILOT, PART 1" SOON!

[the-battle-lesbian]

Hello everyone,

             My name is Megan Foley and I am a PsyD candidate with the University of Hartford looking to recruit participants for my dissertation research. I am interested in exploring different professions' perceptions of and attitudes about congregate care mental health treatment settings for adolescents, specifically focusing on licensed mental health clinicians with experience in those settings and caseworkers with the Department of Children and Families. A large part of my training has been in acute care settings with youth and their families, and I feel passionately about working to identify ways to help the different players in our mental health care system collaborate effectively. For this study, I am specifically looking to speak with professionals licensed and working in the New England region as well as NY and NJ.

Participation in this study would entail a brief questionnaire online through Qualtrics and a 30-45 minute semi-structured interview over Zoom that would be scheduled at your convenience. Further details on eligibility and the participation process can be found in the attached flyers.

I thank you in advance for taking the time to read through my message; also, please feel free to pass on the flyers to anyone you know who you think may be interested and eligible. I have attached the Qualtrics link below as well for convenience.

PLEASE send this along to anyone you know who's in the field and may be interested/may know someone who is interested!