#no follow up to who took Kathryn?

[agatharkn3ss]

I'll see you at the end.

I can't believe we are here already. I'm excited and sad in equal measure.

This show has been such a delightful surprise. I went into it without expecting anything in particular - I loved Wandavision and I loved Kathryn Hahn and that was that. I didn't expect to be literally bewitched by the magic I saw on the screen.

Put simply, the power of AAA is that it is clearly a product of love - from Jac Schaeffer, the actors, the writers, the directors, the set and costume designers, the composers (and THE GODDAMN LOPEZES!), the producers... I could go on.

That level of dedication shines despite (or maybe BECAUSE) the low budget, and it has two massive effects: 1) it creates a truly compelling and stunning story; 2) it sends a very loud, clear message that representation not only matters, but is NEEDED.

Of course it's not the first show that does this, but I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to me to watch something in mainstream media that is centred around sapphic women where their sexuality is NOT the plot of a show. It is not something anyone ever needs to ask about or question. They don't pretend to be younger characters either, they are all 38+ and proud of it, as they should. Instead they focus on what actually matters - their rich, complex stories.

But the diversity is also within the creators - of the producers, half of them were women, headed by superb Mary Livanos (a queer woman herself), costume designer Daniel Selon (also queer), all of the directors were women and there is also of course a diversity of ethnicities. I am a big believer of the power of diversity as it allows you to go places you wouldn't normally consider, and really round the story. And I love this quote from Jac Schaeffer who states "My prerequisites for writers who work with me are first, they have to be kind, respectful humans."

And what stories the writers tell! In the limited time they had, they managed to create these seven multidimensional characters that were all different, yet similar in a lot of ways. My only criticism would be that we really could do with longer episodes to actually allow some more meaningful conversations and connections. All beautifully complemented by the visuals - the practical sets as well as the costumes. I love how the costume designer took his time to consult with the actors for their interpretations, before even starting to create every single design.

And on top of the great character stories and visual , we then have an engaging plot with mysteries to solve on the way. I cannot emphasise enough how fantastic it felt to follow the breadcrumbs. To spot all those little details that would foreshadow what's to come. The different ways they appeared - through dialogue, visual clues, music themes, lore symbolism and so so many art and literature references. The knowledge and confidence that they were left there on purpose too, because the creators took the show seriously - it literally felt like finding little personal messages!

This is why I've decided I need to pick them up and then try to piece them all together - just to see if I could make my sense of it, since the creators clearly put so much love and effort. No other show has ever made me do it to this extent. And it's been so much fun! I loved I wasn't alone with this and that I could discuss and read others' theories too. It's like we've formed this awesome coven.

So in my post-AAA blues, I don't think I will have it in me to just take my "murder board" down. I feel there is still so much to explore so I will probably keep looking for any more cool details to cheer me up.

I've not been actually particularly precious about whether or not my theories could be right or wrong. If some of them are - great, bonus! If not, also great, I am looking forward to being surprised!

Although we haven't seen the ending yet, I have ultimate trust in Jac. After all, she once said:

"I believe so strongly in sticking the landing and it's always up to the audience whether or not you truly stick the landing. But I believe that you have to put all your energy toward that. It's your job to try the best you absolutely can to stick the landing. You have to plot your mysteries, figure out what they are. It’s like a good murder mystery. The feeling that you want at the end of a murder mystery is you want to be surprised, but not. It still needs to feel within the realm of possibility, right? It needs to make sense and still surprise you." 

So I trust we will have a solid ending, wherever it lands. And afterwards - I will always remember the time when a show has made me feel this way. Thank you!

[rayrayvan]

Hotel Room

Warning: The mention of the word human trafficking, profanities, angst, tiny jealous!shuri if you squint and fluff , mention of smut but doesn't go there

Shuri x fem!reader

You checked into a hotel because you were informed that your target was there. You sported a tight-fitting silky purple dress that almost reached the floor. As you walked inside the restaurant of the hotel you recognized two Dora Milaje standing outside and you know instantly that she was there. Shuri, the person who you truly love, the person that pushed you away from the grief she felt after her brother’s passing.

“Y/N, what you doing here?” One of the Dora Milaje spoke to you as you neared the entrance. You gulped when you saw her and took a long breath to calm your nerves cause you know this mission is gonna be a disaster “Mission” you said when you regain your confidence.

You walked inside the restaurant with your head held high. ‘She won’t notice me’ was all you ever repeated. You noticed she wasn’t alone, she was with someone else ‘Ack I am that replaceable’ Your inside voice bitterly whispered.

She noticed you and all she could do was be star-struck by how gorgeous you looked. Shuri lost focus of whatever this girl Nakia tried to step her up too. She was more focused on you now and when your eyes met her gaze, you ignored her and proceeded to greet whoever the prick you decided to date or perhaps another mission you took. She knows your once line of work before she met you. She knows you were a black widow who escaped and now works for Wakanda. That’s how you two met, a spy for Wakanda that was injured, and you two bonded and developed into something more. Shuri considered marrying you but the grief was too heavy for her at that time so she pushed you away.

“Mr. Andes?” You asked the man who was your target, Nicholas Andes, the biggest human trafficker in the city that was assigned to you to escort to SHIELD. “And you must be Kathryn, I insist that you must call me Nick” He flashed a big smirk that disgusted your whole being. Shuri watched the scene that unfolds, forgetting the girl in front of her who once was sitting in front of her that was now gone but she didn’t care, she cared for your safety and as much as she knew you can handle this, she alerted the two Dora Milaje to watch you and be prepared.

As the date was going well, Nick leans into you and whispered that you two should go back to his room. Shuri saw the scene unfold and she can’t help to be jealous. Her hands created two fists that were ready to punch the guy to shambles.

She was alerted when you two stood up and headed to the exit, she stood up almost immediately and followed you two out. She was alerted when she heard a scream outside which caused her to make a beeline right to the door of the restaurant only to see you fuming at the Dora Milaje because they captured Nick too early.

“I got him you know, I was luring him to the trap,” You told them and this prick was held by the neck of the spears by the Dora Milaje. SHIELD arrived just in time and so was the FBI “Agent Y/N, thank you so much for capturing Nick and Queen Shuri Thank you too”. Mission unsuccessfully successfully.

You were towards walking to your hotel room when a hand pulled you inside another room. You were about to fight off the perpetrator when you saw it was just Shuri.

You were face to face with the person who loved you so much that in the end was the most painful thing you ever experienced. “What do you want?” You asked her “ I want you” She straight-forwardly told you “What are you out of your mind? First, you told me how much you love me so much that you want me to be your wife then in the end all the hopes of being your wife, the mother of our children, the one to tend to you until we grow old, the dreams I spent daydreaming what it would be like to walk down the aisle with you on the other side, exchanging our vows just to come crashing down when you told me I am no longer useful to you, I mean what does that even mean? Useful? Did you even love me or was it all just games and entertainment for you?” You finally got the chance to pour your heart out, all the facade you did was broken when you saw her.

“I do love you, and I’m sorry for what I did. If I could turn back the time to correct all the things I said and take them all back I would” Shuri told you sincerely, she glowed under the moonlight, and her face was glistening from tears that escaped from her beautiful eyes. “You hurt me, you did” You hesitantly told her between your sobs “ I know sthandwa and I heavily regret that, please take me back” She was particularly begging you to take her back and you were loving how much she was whining for you take her back.

“Show me,” You told her which left her confused “What?” She asked you “Show me how much you want to take me back” She was taken aback about how straightforward you were with her but she loves this side of you “ What do you want me to do again sthandwa?” She asked teasingly.

You walked to the bed and started unzipping your dress until it fell off the ground. Your breast was glistening under the moonlight “Show me how much you love me and want to take me back, fuck me like you want to take me back, eat me like I’m your last meal” Although with the confidence wavering out of your body from how Shuri’s eyes darkened like a Panther about to devour her prey, she crawls on top of you and leaned in your ear “Ohh for sure sthandwa whatever makes you take me back” Was all she said before she smashed her lips to yours.

[doudouneverte]

Don't follow my lead

a/n: i thought about something new...

*not my GIF*

Pairing: Lena Luthor x Daxamite!F!Reader; Mon-El x Sister!Reader; Clark Kent x Female!Reader (platonic); Alex Danvers x Female!Reader(platonic); Lillian Luthor x Female!Reader, mention of Kara Danvers x Female!Reader(platonic)

Summary: you're the sister of Mon-El you leave Daxam when you were little and came on earth before Kara. You met the daughter Luthor who'll become your wife and you two have a daughter. Unfortunaly, she'll be betrayl by a mysterious woman, Rhea, who is your mother.

Types: Angst and Fluff

Note: this fic take place in the season 2 and in this fic Lena already know Kara's secret identity and she's coll wuth that.

Warning: nothing

word count: ~3150

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[Daxam after the explosion of Krypton]

Someone woke you up, and you were confused when you saw the fear in the eyes of your maid. "What's happening?" She didn't have the time to reply when you both heard screams and cries. She took your hand and dragged you out of the castle.

"Ms. Y/n, Krypton exploded, and it is falling on Daxam. I need to make sure you can escape." She found a Kryptonian pod and pushed you in.

"No, Abbie, I don't want to leave you." You started to cry, "Come with me, please." You plead, but she shook her head.

"You're the princess of Daxam, miss. You have to go and survive." She hugged you and apologized, "I'm sorry, Y/N." She was crying as well.

"You can't leave me. I need you, and mom, and dad and my brother" she brushed her thumb on your cheek to calm you down, "and I'm only 5, I'll not survive without you. Please Abbie" you plead again.

"I already put data in it; it'll bring you to a planet called Earth," she kissed your forehead before starting the pod. "Don't forget, miss, you're a princess; act like one," she said as she placed her hand on the window, and you reciprocated: "Good luck, miss Y/N."

You were flying into space without saying anything.The journey should have been quick, but your pod collided with an asteroid, sending you to the phantom zone.You are imprisoned for the next 27 years before miraculously escaping.

[Earth, a town near Metropolis]

When you landed on Earth, Clark was already Superman. He found your pod when you lend and helped you, and because of him, you found a new home in this new world. The (y/l/n)s were good parents; they always wanted a new child, so when the Superman asked for their assistance, they couldn't say no.

The first years were difficult, you missed your family and Abbie too. But fortunately, you were glad to have a new big brother who was a jerk but not a Don Juan and a big sister who was always here when you needed her.

After a few years and many late-night conversations with your sister, Jessy, you decide to live a life that makes you proud. Since this moment, you were not the princess of Daxam; you were just Y/n Y/l/n, daughter of James and Kathryn (Y/l/n), and the little sister of Mike and Jessy. It was all you needed, at least before you went to high school. You met her there; she was stunning and beautiful; you couldn't count how many times you were lost in her green eyes, and her black hair, which contrasted nicely with her pale skin, was also quite nice.Her name: Lena Luthor.

After taking some advice from your friends and your siblings, you asked her out, and she accepted. You started dating one month after your first date, and three years later you married her. With her job at Luthor Corp and your job at Daily Planet, you almost have time to spend together, but you decided to have a child, you carried her, and it was the most beautiful thing in your life after Lena.Her name was Lilly; you thought it was a pretty name, and it was the minimum for your pretty princess.

Time flies, Lex has gone insane just after you and Lilly move to National City. Lois found you a job at Catco where you could work less and spend more time with your daughter. Unfortunately, that means you were not here when Lex tied your wife to a chair in his office and threatened to kill you. She was aware of your past and the fact that you were a daxamite, but she didn't mind; all she cared about was the fact that you adored her and Lilly above all else.

[Present]

It's been a while now since Lena came to Central City, and you will not lie; you were pretty glad. Lilly loves you, but she missed her other mom too. Today you decided to have lunch with your wife, and you brought your daughter. It was a little surprise to Lena, but it was a surprise for you when you knocked and opened the door to find an older woman with your wife. She looked familiar, but you couldn't tell where you saw her.

The little girl didn't hesitate and rushed to her mom to greet her with a hug, and the green-eyed woman picked her up. "Hi little princess, I missed you," she cooed, and you smiled at the interaction. She looked at you and seemed to recall something, so she cleared her throat and came to a halt beside you, kissing you and saying, "Rhea, this is my wife, and Lilly is our daughter."She introduced you. "Y/n, this is Rhea. She asked for my help on a new project." She explained, and you nodded.

You offered your hand at Reah, and she shook it. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Rhea; I hope she'll not bother you too much," you joked, and your wife punched your shoulder. "You know that doesn't hurt me, honey," you said, and Lena rolled her eyes.

"Mommy, I'm hungry." Lilly said.

"Oh, I think it's my clue to leave." The older brunette said,

"No, you can stay and eat with us." You offered.

"Oh no, I don't want to ruin a mother-daughter moment," she said, and she pocked the cheek of the little girl, who giggled,

"You don't ruin anything, Rhea." Lena said this time,

"Don't worry, there is someone who wait for me too," she said before walking to the door. "I'll see you soon, Lena." The three of you waved your hands, and she left.

"I like her," you said. "I just hope this new project will not take all your time."

The CEO kissed your cheek this time "I promise. Now let's go to eat."

~~~~~~

After your first meeting with Rhea, the woman was always here when you visited L-Corp. It was not really bothering, she was pretty good with your daughter, and Luly seems to like her too. You were waiting for your wife that night, and you were reading a bedtime story to your little princess when she said something that caught your attention: "Mama, Mrs. Rhea, look like you." You stopped reading the story and looked at her,

"What do you mean, princess?" you asked softly,

"Yeah, she looks like you, and she looks like Mike too." You frowned your brows; you hadn't met Mike, Kara's new friend, yet. Lilly and Lena liked to say you had some common point with him, but you didn't know him. "Do you think she's from Da-Dax..." She searched for the right word, and it was cute to look at.

"Daxam, baby girl. And I don't know; I almost forgot everything about it. It's been a while you know." She nodded, "Now it's time to sleep, little princess. Tomorrow we will go to the carnival with mommy," you said, and she was so excited.

You left her bedroom when you were sure she was sleeping. You looked at the time and noticed it was late, and Lena didn't reply to your texts or your calls. You thought for a moment before calling Alex. "Hey Alex," you said when she answered the phone,

"Hey Y/n, it's late. Aren't you supposed to sleep?" She worriedly asked.

You groan "You're such a mom." And she laughed "do you know where is Lena? I tried to call her, but she didn't reply, and she didn't reply to my texts. I'm starting to worry." You admitted and you heard her sighed

"Y/N, we have a problem," she said, and you started to worry about your wife "We think she has been trapped and kidnapped by Mike's mom. But don't worry, Kara is on it."

"Where are you?" A wave of rage begins to wash over you.Alex told you where she was, you called Jessy, and she took Lilly with her for the night before you almost flew to where your friends was. When you reached the older Danvers, she was in front of a portal. She told you Kara was on the other side, and you didn't hesitate to run after her.

On the ship, you found Kara, Mike, Rhea, and an angry Superman. "What the hell?" you yelled, and every gaze was on you. "why Clark look like he's in front of a bad guy?" you asked, and the black-haired Kryptonian walked to you before he was stopped by Kara. You looked at Rhea and said, "You. Where is my wife?" You asked

"What Lena is your wife?" Mon-el said, and you focused on him.

"I saw you somewhere," you said, and some flashes from your childhood started to run in your mind. "Mon-el?" you asked, and you tilted your head. "But how? You were supposed to be dead when Krypton fell on Daxam." You were more than confused. He was about to reply when Rhea attacked you with a dagger made of lead. Thanks to your training with Clark, you successfully dodged it and attacked her back.

"Who are you?" the man  asked you.

"I'm Y/n, princess of Daxam," you said, and the room froze at your confession.

"Wait, Y/n like--" your brother wanted to say something, but Rhea cut him off,

"It's impossible," she said."My daughter died, Krypton took me my daughter," she explained, and now everything makes sense—the familiar look, the fact that Lena and Lilly always say you look like both of them.

"Mother?" you asked, and you didn't trust what you said. All this time, you thought you were the only one who survived. "But how should you be dead, both of you?" you asked, as tears streamed down your cheeks. "Wait, if you're both alive, that's mean father and Abbie too." At your sentence, Rhea was hit by a wave of guilt. Mon-El looked at her and didn't say anything.

She shook her head, and you cried harder. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm really sorry." She kept repeating it as if it would make you stop, but it didn't. And honestly, neither of them could make you feel better. You wanted to yell at them because they didn't protect Abbie, but an alarm stopped you.

"What is this?" you asked, and a guard ran to where you were before stopping and panting,

"My queen, the humans... They sent lead into the atmosphere." he announced, and the three of you widen your eyes

"What?" You said, but you didn't wait for any response before leaving the ship—thankfully, it was on top of the building. When your feet were definitely on the ground, you started to run. You had to find Lilly; she can't be exposed to the lead. Even if she was half human, she would be affected by the lead.

[North Pole, Fortress of Solitude, a few minutes earlier]

After Lena crossed the portal, Luke closed it. "What are you doing?" the young Luthor asked, but her mom didn't look at her.

"We needed to get away, and we did. Now what happens to them? That's not our problem." Lillian said nonchalantly, "But we have another problem." She said, and her daughter tilted her head with confusion, "ThisRhea sent all her army to conquer us, but we can stop her." Her voice was cold and calm, but she was a little worried, even if she didn't let it show. She is attached to Lilly, and she can't imagine what they could do to her.

"And what are your plan?"Lena asked coldly.

"We know they're weak against lead; it's their kryptonite." She took a little box "Lex had planned to use this to diffuse kryptonite in the atmosphere to kill Superman, but if you change it, it could diffuse lead." She informed her,

"And why would I do that?" The CEO scuffed,

"Because we both know you have a reason who is 4 years old and could be in danger if they found her." Lillian said,

"But my wife is a daxamite too." Lena reminded her,

"Yeah, I know, and I have something that could help her not be affected." She said casually, "So?"

Lena examined her mother and the cyborg beside her "deal."She said it quietly but enough to be heard by her mom, who now had a smile on her face.

Only a few minutes later, your genius wife finished the modification and activated the device.

[National City, present]

You knocked on the door of Jessy's apartment, she opened quickly and inspected you before leading you to her sofa. "What happened to you? Where is Lena?" she asked, afraid of your condition.

"Someone diffuses lead in the—" you coughed, "atmosphere," you finished, coughing.

"Wait who? And why?" Your sister asked,

"I don't know, but I need to contact Lena. Lilly will be affected by the lead, and she's the only one who could help us." You declared, Jess wanted to say something, but her phone rang; it was Lena.

"Lena, where are you?... what? Yeah, she's with me ... Right now? Okay, she's with me too, in my apartment... Yeah see you soon." she hangs on and turned to you "it was Lena she's in her way to come here. She'll be here soon. You should rest. I'll bring you water," she said as she walked to the kitchen.

You walked to Jessy's room and opened the door. You saw Lilly. She was sleeping, but suddenly she started to cough and was now awake. You took her in your arms and made your way back to the living room. Jessy came back and gave you both a glass of water. It's been more than twenty years now since you were on earth, so you knew you could stay a little longer, but you were worried for Lilly. Fortunately, Lena didn't make you wait too long.

You heard a knock on the door, and your big sis opened it. She smiled when she saw Lena, but her smile disappeared when she saw the woman behind her. "Oh Lillian, what a surprise." she said coldly, but let them step inside.

When you saw the familiar green eyes you were relieved and then you saw your mother-in-law, you suppressed a caught "Mother-in-law." you greeted her

"Daughter-in-law" She greeted you back, "You seemed more alive the last time I saw you," she joked, and you chuckled,

"Granny Lillian." Lilly greeted her, and the older Luthor's heart almost dropped when she heard the voice of her granddaughter.

"Hey princess, did you catch a cold?" Lena asked when she noticed her daughter's condition.

"No, someone diffused lead in the atmosphere," you replied, and the youngest Luthor coughed against your chest. "Hey, it's okay, Princess," you ran your hand through her hair. "Mommy is here; she'll find a way to help you." you whispered loudly against her temple.

Lena covered her mouth with her hands. It couldn't be real. Her baby girl shouldn't be affected by the lead, she's human too. Lillian noticed and decided to speak, "We have something that could help her." She informed you.

You didn't have to think too long about it, you understood they couldn't save both of you. "Hey princess, do you want to show the gift uncle Mike gave you to your granny?" You asked softly, and she nodded before getting up and walking to her bedroom. You started to walk to the kitchen and made eye contact with your wife. She got the hint and followed you.

"I'm sorry," she barely said between sobs.

"Hey, darling... *cough*... it's okay. You'll help Lilly, and I'm sure you'll find a solution for me after that." You kissed her forehead gently.

"I was not talking about this," she admitted. You didn't say anything; you just studied her eyes.

"It was you?" You asked her, and she nodded. She was crying harder, and you locked her between your arms. She could hear your heartbeats, but they were so ecstatic she couldn't feel safe, "I know why you did that." You whispered, and you ran a hand through her hair, "I'm not angry or anything, Lena. Just promise me you'll do anything to heal Lilly." She gently drew back and locked her gaze on yours.You only saw sadness and fear in her eyes, and it was killing you.

"I promise. But we have to do something for you." She replied, and you smiled softly.

"It's okay, my queen; I'm sure Superman and Supergirl won't mind if I stay in the fortress for a while." You tried to reassure her, or you. You didn't really know, but you can't let her feel bad for something she couldn't control. "I'm okay, Lena, I promise."

Jessy came in the kitchen, and you looked at her. "Lilly is feeling better now." She informed you, and Lena was relieved. You wanted to rush to your baby girl and take her in your arms, but you fell to the ground.

When you awoke, you were in the fortress. You could feel the lead in your lungs, but the pain slowly went away. You looked around and noticed a floating robot."Good morning, Mrs. Y/l/n-Luthor, I'm Kelex," he said.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Kelex." You looked around. "We are in the fortress, right?" you asked.

"That's right. Supergirl brought you here after you collapsed in your sister's apartment," he explained.

"Oh," was all you could say."Do you know where the others are?" you asked.

"They were back in National City. But you can't see them right now." he said, and you looked confused. "The atmosphere is not totally free of lead. You must stay here, safe," he explained.

"Do you know until when?" you asked, a little saddened by the revelation.

"We don't know, but don't worry, I'll let Mrs. Luthor and Kara know you're awake. They could come to see you during your time here." he said, and you nodded.

"Okay, it'll be fun. At least, I hope," you muttered.

----------END--------

[ivryne]

. . . ⌗ the aftermath ! 🔬 | scara x fem!reader smau

— 04 : i’ll bring the snacks 🍬

You set your phone on the table, averting your attention to the professor in front. You took a glimpse of your notes then return your gaze back to Professor Dottore to add on any missing details.

It had only been the first class of this year yet this dearest professor has already assigned yet another big project. Goodbye good sleep and hello coffee.

“Alright class I will be assigning you to group of two. There will be no complaints or anything in such matter regarding your partner without a valid excuse. You are all adults, you can tolerate each other or you can fail. Either of it, I don’t care.”

Your only wish was to not be paired up with those skip-classers. Doubling work or handling a group work on your own was currently not in your to-do list.

You hear a list of names being called, waiting for yours to come. “…, Ceester Rosaria and Fushiguro Megumi, Abyssoque Kathryne and [ L/n ] [ Name ], Alkemee Timeus and Scaramouche Kunikuzushi, …”

After what felt like hours it was finally over. You didn’t feel upset getting Kathryne as your partner, she has always been fairly efficient and you both has worked on other projects from last year. Now it was time for Dottore to explain the contents and rubric of this said project.

“For this semester, I would like you and your partner to create a device to help improve our healthcare programs. To prevent, monitor, and even solve healthcare problems around us. An example of this project is one that your senior made last year in my class. They made a Mountain Climber Health & GPS Tracker to prevent those who plan on climbing Mountains from getting lost and to let others aware of their condition in the Mountains. If you are interested to take a look, it is placed in the Bioengineering lab as well as the results from past years. Those project were the best one in my classes among the years. If you manage to achieve the highest grade, yours will be added to this collection as well. Make use of your creativity, make something useful, original, and efficient. Think like a scientist. I have high expectations for this class so impress me.”

And with that, the class was finally over.

. . . ⌗ the aftermath ! 🔬 masterlist - prev | next

synopsis — the aftermath ! After a drunken night that resulted in some late night endeavors, you woke up in an unfamiliar environment. Looking around you in search for any familiarity, you spot a familiar tuff of violet hair beside you, hidden beneath the heavy duvet. Realization blew you over as you finally connected the scattered dots. Did you really just sleep with Scaramouche, your no.1 nemesis and rival? Well I guess all we can do wish you luck to deal with the aftermath.

taglist — OPEN ! ( send me and ask, or comment to be added in ! ) @raideneiari @mizukikioku93 @xirthia @meigalaxy @ghostsaysno @sakiimeo @lxry-chxn @mcryv @ar1sc0rn3r @soosuro @thomawifey @thenightsflower @scaraapologist @kairxse ( if your name is in bold it means i can’t tag u )

NOTE. OMG TYSM FOR 100 FOLLOWERS GUYS 😭🫶🏻 u guys r so nice tysm for the support 💗💗💗 Btw typo on the GPA again it’s supposed to be 4.0💀 Anyways I personally love bioengineering and I think that bioengineers are so cool that’s why i went specific with the project hehe. n btw that Mountain Climber Health & GPS Tracker is a real project made by bioengineers irl. So cool man 😮😮😮

© 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫.

[jaspermorgan]

Jasper William Morgan (born 12 June 1970) is a British-American hotelier, businessman, and former actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Liam in the 1997 film Dark Skies, of Sebastian Harewood in the 1995 television miniseries The Outcast, and of Daniel Austin in the critically acclaimed 2009 detective noir film A Conflict of Shadows, for which he earned an Academy Award. He also received a Tony for his role in The Lights of Love (2003).

▲ Early Life and Family

Morgan was born in Mayfair, London to parents Alexander Morgan, the UK's financial secretary to the treasury, and Jillian Morgan (née Spencer), who was the Dean of the University of Central London. He is an only child.

Morgan's paternal grandfather, Sir Ambrose Collins Morgan, was a decorated Royal Navy Admiral, and his great-grandfather, Professor Nathaniel Morgan, was an acclaimed neurosurgeon and neurosurgery researcher who taught at Oxford University. His maternal grandfather, Phillip Spencer, was an investment banker and his wife, Augusta Spencer (née Clairmont), was an oil painter and sculptor.

He spent the majority of his childhood in the care of his maternal grandparents and it was his grandfather, who Morgan cites as being a major influence in pursuing acting as a career as they often watched classics together. His favourite films growing up were The General (1926), Casablanca (1942), and One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). His parents wanted him to follow their footsteps into government or education or even to become a doctor, but Morgan was always adamant about wanting to be an actor. Eventually he was allowed to enrol in a local drama club where he built up his confidence and started to gain some experience in amateur dramatics.

His education was spent in private London schools, which Morgan doesn't credit as having any significant impact on him at all. He has said that there was always more of a focus on mathematics, science, and competitive sports rather than any of the arts and often felt very much an outsider from the rest of his classmates. However, he managed to encourage his secondary school headmaster to put on a rendition of Macbeth for pupils and parents, which was met with praise.

At the age of 18, Morgan attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His parents helped to pay for the majority of his tuition, but only agreed to do so if Morgan got himself a part-time job to pay for the rest. He ended up at the at the Mornington Hotel near Regent's Park where he first worked the reception nightshift before transferring to waiting tables and later becoming the restaurant manager. He gave up the job once he signed on to The Outcast.

▲ Career

After appearing as an extra in several British television shows throughout 1993, Morgan portrayed Sam Woodbury in the short-lived London West End play One More Night, and then as the younger version of Eric Radcliffe Reid’s character Wilson in the short film Whirlwind, Morgan landed his breakthrough role in the 1995 miniseries The Outcast, playing the lead character Sebastian Harewood: a young upper class gentleman who is disowned by his wealthy father and is forced to make his own way in the world. The show’s director Kathryn Liu states that she ‘took a risk when casting Morgan, not knowing if an inexperienced actor would be able to handle a complicated filming schedule’, but later admitted that "he was perfect for the role and absolutely smashed it’ and ‘his inexperience as an actor even benefited him greatly in that his naivety transferred well into Sebastian’s own". Morgan and Liu later went on to work together on the 2013 action film Highwire.

Morgan was then quickly cast in the 1997 psychological thriller Dark Skies, which was filmed in his hometown of London. His role as the protagonist Liam, a recluse with a vendetta against the world who is also trying to maintain an equilibrium within the relationship he has with his overbearing girlfriend, gained him international recognition. Variety praised Morgan’s performance, writing: “it’s hard to tell that he has very little professional acting experience when watching him portray Liam. Morgan perfectly encapsulates his character’s life of hatred and from his very first moment on screen you’re simultaneously sympathetic and agitated, wanting him to improve his situation and yet also completely understanding why he is the way he is”. He was nominated for a BAFTA for this role and was the catalyst to his career.

When the filming of Dark Skies concluded, Morgan went to work in New York City after landing an off-Broadway role in Impolite Society (1998), which ran between 15 January and 12 March. Whilst his role was small, he was popular with audiences and it gave him the confidence to continue pursuing his career on the stage. Morgan told the American Theatre Magazine: "Theatre was always the most formidable area of acting for me. Doing a play at school was immensely different to doing one on a stage in front of almost 500 people in New York City. Whilst my first show in London played to more people than Impolite Society did, it felt far more daunting this time, strangely enough, and to be performing in front of an American audience was certainly surreal and incredibly special. I'd dreamed of that as a young boy and to have that dream come true is a huge ego boost". It was following this success that Morgan permanently moved to Manhattan.

Between 1999 and 2004, Morgan played Dr Reginald 'Reggie' Keller, a paediatrician and the younger brother of Dr Carolyn Keller (Erin Hardy) in the long-running medical drama series Heartlines, filming the majority of his later episodes in blocks so he could star in other projects (namely the 2002 film Unity and the 2003 theatre production The Lights of Love). During an interview for The Hollywood Reporter in 2012, Morgan said: "this period of my career was easily the most challenging I had done up to that point. Simultaneously acting in 27 episodes of a TV show and a film whilst also preparing to take on a Broadway role wasn't the smartest decision I had ever made, but it was one that allowed me to push myself to my limits and see what I could do under such immense pressure. My hard work certainly paid off; the honour of receiving a Tony award at the end of it all came as a wonderful surprise. However, I wouldn't recommend that kind of schedule for any actor, no matter their age or prowess."

In 2006, Morgan took on his only voice role in animated adventure Nightwalker, alongside Ricky Santos and Florence Martin-May, in which he played a crow named Merrick. He stated that he “wished to have taken on more voice acting in [his] career, but it was, unfortunately, never meant to be”. Directors Julia McGregor and Imaan Bashar had bronze statues made of the animal characters to give to their respective voice actors once filming commenced and Morgan is known to keep his in the office of his hotel.

Morgan spent most of 2007 on hiatus. He spent time out from acting in London as well as in Scotland, Tuscany, Munich, and Hawaii. During his time in London, he returned to his alma mater to give talks and acting classes to drama students; he was almost persuaded into becoming an acting coach, but turned it down to the fact he didn't believe he "had enough viable experience" at the time. It was in August 2007 that Morgan began to partake in philanthropic work, which he said he wished he could have began sooner, and was introduced to the Brave Youth Theatre Charity by friend and fellow actor Cecilia Crane, of which he is still a patron.

In 2008, he took a small role in the miniseries Small Mercies, appearing in three of the five episodes, in which he played Louis Graves, the father of the main character Serena Graves (Lily Richardson-Gill). Filming took place in Seattle, Washington, between April and September, with the show airing on New Years Day 2009. A second series had been proposed, but was ultimately scrapped.

His next appearance was in A Conflict of Shadows (2009), noted internationally for being his greatest performance. Morgan portrayed Daniel Austin- a corrupt police detective working for the NYPD in 1917- who slowly loses his sanity over the course of the film. On his role, Morgan commented: "Playing Daniel was like playing several different people. Each scene he was in was slightly different in terms of his speech and body language and to maintain those distinctions consistently was tough, but he was an incredibly entertaining character to play. I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to play him again if a sequel ever came into fruition." Audiences and critics raved about the film as a whole and of Morgan's performance, Edward Quartermain wrote: "he can express so much by one simple glance and it can be such a powerful gesture, especially to reflect the torment and gradual change in Daniel's internal world as he actively shuts out reality. The range that Morgan presents, from subtle finger switches to full-blown fiery rage, proves he is a formidable actor and one that will continue to both impress and surprise audiences around the world". The film eventually earned more than $1 billion worldwide and went on to win five Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Costume Design) as well as numerous other awards (see here) and several other nominations (see here).

Morgan appeared in his fourth and final stage production, Heart of Steel, in 2011, in which he played Charlie Steel: a down-on-his-luck English man in New York City whose cold heart slowly starts to melt when he inadvertently befriends a lost, yet perpetually optimistic 12 year old boy named Ben (Samuel DeWitt). He was highly praised, with critic Laura Pryce saying: “his performance is captivating and deeply moving, a real intriguing insight into how a troubled man's life is a constant battle and can be suddenly transformed into a different kind of battle with something now worth fighting for. His chemistry with DeWitt is also exceptionally joyful to watch- a real bond was formed between both characters and actors”.

In 2012, Morgan starred as the lead in the critically acclaimed miniseries Snowfall. He played Archer Ellison- the mayor of a small Alaskan town that, blanketed by the perpetual darkness of winter, is being haunted by a supernatural force that brought despair and destruction to the residents. Talking to Variety, he said: "Snowfall was one of my more interesting and fun projects, even with the harsh filming conditions when on location. From the moment I read the script I knew I had to be a part of the show. The only disappointing thing for me was that it was only six episodes!" Morgan was also a producer for the show, the opportunity coming from the fact that original producers couldn't afford the full desired funding and Morgan offered to pay the remainder out of his own pocket. "They had a crystal clear vision for what they wanted out of the story," Morgan added, "and without the extra funding the show would have had to have been filmed on a soundstage in hot Los Angeles instead of in Alaska itself. The aesthetic of the setting is paramount to Snowfall; it wouldn't have had anywhere near the kind of chilling impact on audiences if they could clearly see the snow and backdrops were fake and digitally added in. Nobody can fully immerse themselves in a story when the details aren't all there. I was passionate about the story and knew that audiences would be just as enthusiastic as the creators were, so being able to help in adding to the budget was the least I could do. It was a high honour to be starring in the show, let alone being able to produce it".

In 2013, Morgan starred in Highwire, alongside Nina Fischer, who he previously worked with in Unity. The film was almost never made, however. Writers Dashiell McCormack and Kyle Draper wanted Kathryn Liu to direct after the first director, Jeri Schulz, dropped out last minute for personal reasons, but she initially turned down the opportunity. Despite the producers pushing to begin filming, McCormack and Draper refused to go ahead without Liu. It was Morgan, who was in the final stages of negotiations to star in the film and is a close friend of Liu's, that persuaded her to direct. After almost 8 months of filming, Highwire was released on became a success, both commercially and with audiences, earning more than $130 million worldwide, making it the biggest success of Liu's career. After the success of the opening weekend, Fischer claimed that Morgan had the rejection letter that Liu sent to McCormack and Draper framed and gifted it back to her. Liu herself later confirmed this and stated that along with the letter Morgan included a handwritten note that read: 'Dear Kat, I'm glad you took a chance on yourself and the film, like you did with me in 1995. Be brave and never doubt yourself. Love, J'.

Morgan’s final film role was in the 2015 fantasy epic Tyrant, in which he played the eponymous tyrannical ruler Lord Reynard. Filming began in early 2014 and was split between Scotland, Ireland, and Canada. He has cited that the film was his ‘most taxing’ and that ‘the villains are always the most entertaining to portray and wished I had the chance to take on that role more’. Tyrant's director Simon Leyland has often been cited to be difficult to work with due to his perfectionist directing style and long shooting periods and in an interview Morgan told The Hollywood Reporter that: "Even though Simon was determined to make a perfect fantasy film- and, in my opinion, he came rather close- the filming schedule and conditions were harsh and his criticisms only made things worse. I had a few squabbles with him on set, nothing more than minor creative differences that were eventually resolved, but sometimes had to play mediator between him and some of the crew members and actors. I was surprised I wasn't fired and replaced". He then went on to add: "Despite everything, the concept of the film was fun to play along with and being an unhinged ruler of a kingdom, shouting orders and laughing maniacally, was quite cathartic. It's an experience I'll never forget and I'm glad my acting career could end on a high". Morgan's performance also earned him a Critics’ Choice Award.

▲ Personal Life

Morgan is a trained pianist and has been playing for 45 years. It was his mother's idea to enlist him for lessons and did so from the age of 7. Morgan’s skills can be seen in the films Unity, A Conflict of Shadows, and Highwire. He has also played the piano at many charity galas, mainly focusing on charities that helped children and young adults with their literacy and that encouraged them to join in with the youth theatre. He was known for playing classical pieces as well as popular songs from film and television. Despite no longer attending these events, having stopped in 2016, just after he retired, Morgan still donates to the same charities.

Morgan is also talented in close-up magic, a skill that was introduced to him by RADA classmate Marcus Creaghan, and he would later perform these tricks for interviewers at award shows and at charity galas he attended. Morgan is also a self-professed impressionist, having learned by repeatedly watching specific film scenes and mimicking tone and inflections from a young age. He is known to do uncanny impressions of actors such as Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, James Stewart, Liam Neeson, and Christopher Walken, amongst many others, having shown them off on the first season of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Graham Norton Show.

From January to July 1997, Morgan was in a relationship with actress Natalia Sinclair. Their relationship was initially private for the first two months as they began to film Dark Skies together, but soon became public after they were seen together outside of filming in Hyde Park. Although Morgan has always refused to talk about the subject, several reports were made that their time together was ‘heated, passionate at first’ but then ‘rapidly developed into something toxic’. He has also refused to comment on Sinclair's untimely death, too, only stating in an Instagram post in April 2024: “…I still respect her greatly, as a person and as an actor, and that she deserved better, both from her short life and from myself”.

After selling his home in London, he moved to an apartment in Manhattan, New York City, which he bought from an undisclosed NBL player in 1998 and stayed there until his retirement. It is a well known fact that Morgan loves parties and over the years, his apartment has been the setting of many personal social events and charity events, even hosting an array of celebrities, including Lillian Grace Bower, David Solis, and Ethel Ajibola.

In 2004, Morgan officially became an American citizen whilst also retaining his British nationality. He has stated that ‘even though I have lived in the United States longer than I have lived in London, I will always consider myself British first and foremost’.

He has never married, but dated English actress Hattie Radford-Lowell between 2001 and 2004, American actress and singer Twyla Blake between 2006 and 2010, and briefly dated American author Summer Aston during 2013. He also dated English actress Arabella Woods whilst they were both studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He remains friends with Blake and is also close friends with A Conflict of Shadows director Colton Hensley, whose youngest son Morgan is godfather to.

Just weeks after the release of Morgan's final film, Tyrant, he hosted the 87th Academy Awards where he announced his retirement from acting. The announcement was met with a mixture of high praise of a prosperous career and disappointment from both fans and critics, many noting that they had been looking forward to seeing more of Morgan in theatre productions and speculating that he would even progress onto directing. In July 2015, he moved to Aurora Bay, California, where Of Fire and Stars was partly filmed and where he bought the Seascape Hotel from a local resident. He spent almost 2 years renovating and restoring it, with the funds coming from his own pocket, before reopening it as a luxury hotel that draws in guests from all over the world. Morgan still performs acting and music often on the stage of the hotel’s lounge & bar and takes a very active role in the day-to-day running of the Seascape.

▲ Filmography

► Film

• Whirlwind (1994) as young Wilson (short film)

• Dark Skies (1997) as Liam

• Of Fire and Stars (1998) as Ashford Roy

• Unity (2002) as Dr Quentin Horrocks

• Nightwalker (2006) as Merrick (voice role)

• A Conflict of Shadows (2009) as Daniel Austin

• Highwire (2013) as Ethan Maythorn

• Tyrant (2015) as Lord Reynard

► Television

• The Outcast (1995) as Sebastian Harewood (8 episodes)

• Heartlines (1999-2004) as Dr Reginald 'Reggie' Keller (27 episodes)

• Small Mercies (2008) as Louis Graves (3 episodes)

• The Graham Norton Show (2009) as Himself/Guest

• 82nd Academy Awards (2010) as Himself/Host

• Snowfall (2012) as Archer Ellison (6 episodes) ; also producer

• The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Himself/Guest

• 87th Academy Awards (2015) as Himself/Host

► Theatre

• One More Night (1994) as Sam Woodbury (Ambassadors Theatre)

• Impolite Society (1998) as Nik (Astor Place Theatre)

• The Lights of Love (2003) as Elliott Bird (Broadway Theatre)

• Heart of Steel (2011) as Charlie Steel (Gershwin Theatre)

▲ List of Awards and Nominations received by Jasper Morgan

• British Academy Television Award for Best Actor: Sebastian Harewood in The Outcast (1995) – won

• British Academy Television Award for Best Actor: Liam in Dark Skies (1997) – nominated

• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor: Dr Quentin Horrocks in Unity (2002) – nominated

• Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play: Elliott Bird in The Lights of Love (2003) – won

• Academy Award for Best Actor: Daniel Austin in A Conflict of Shadows (2009) – won

• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture: Daniel Austin in A Conflict of Shadows (2009) – won

• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor: Archer Ellison in Snowfall (2012) – nominated

• Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play: Charlie Steel in Heart of Steel (2011) – nominated

• Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture: Ethan Maythorn in Highwire (2013) – nominated

• Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actor: Lord Reynard in Tyrant (2015) – won

[nocturneindream]

Gallows of the Dreaming

~ Chapter two: The Exorcist ~

~ 18+ | Minors DNI | AFAB Reader | No Y/N ~

AO3 | Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any characters from The Sandman comics or Netflix series. This is purely creative writing.

Word Count: 8.5k

Chapter warnings: Violence, graphic depictions of gore, religious themes (exorcisms & demons), relived trauma (childhood memories of abuse), foul language, Dream unintentionally being a bit of an ass.

If you might be triggered by any of the above, I'd recommend skipping this chapter entirely (especially the gore TW). There will be enough context in the following chapters to understand what happened.

A/N: Strap in, this chapter’s a long one. Could it have been split up into multiple? Probably. But I like my fics long & wordy. I know this took a while (and that’s an understatement) & hope it was worth the wait for those of you who read the first chapter. If you would like to be added or removed from my tag list, please send me a DM. They will be listed in the comments just to keep the actual post length manageable.

As always, feel free to comment, send in any questions, and like/re-blog this post. Enjoy!

- Kathryn ;)

Do NOT re-write, translate, copy, re-post, or claim my writing as your own. Thanks!

“It’s a bit late for a cup of coffee.” You remark tiredly, flopping into the opposite end of the small booth. The brunette’s eyes don’t meet yours as you settle into your seat, too engrossed in people-watching through the dew-drenched café window. She rests her head in one hand whilst the other mindlessly sirs her drink. 

“I could do without sleep for a while.” She says, bringing the plain mug to her lips, face scrunching at the bitter taste. You make note of the light purple rings beneath her eyes as she reaches for a miniature cup of half-and-half between you, wondering how long she’s been awake and what’s kept her up. “Besides, I’ve got a job after this.” 

“Well,” You sigh. “Then I won’t keep you for long. Did you find anything?” You hope she did, hope you’ll finally have something - anything - to point you in the right direction. Wordlessly, she snakes a hand into the tote bag at her side, retrieving a manilla envelope and sliding it across the sleek table.

“What’s this?” You question,  pinching open the prongs and pulling out the scraggly piece of yellowed parchment inside. 

“A family heirloom.” A small smile graces her lips as her eyes glaze with memories. “My Gran used to tell me stories all the time. Fairytales, really.” 

You scan over the drawing in your hands: Two men seated at opposite ends of a tavern table, dressed in period clothing. Late eighteen-hundreds if you had to guess. Beneath the sketch, the parchment reads: ‘The Devil and the Wandering Jew.’ 

“What’s the fairytale behind this?” 

“According to my Gran, an ancestor of mine hunted him down.” She pauses to peel open and stir the creamer into her coffee. “She was shit with managing her money. Nearly lost it all to god knows what, and with creditors pounding at the door she was starting to run out of options. By some miracle, she found that drawing stitched inside a dead man’s pocket and figured anything would be worth the gamble to save her from losing her status and being forced to beg on the streets - or worse.” She sips from her mug, a hum of approval sounding in her throat. “So she hunted him down, and when she found him, demanded riches and immortality.”

“What happened then?” You press, and her brown eyes finally meet yours. “Well, obviously he didn’t grant her immortality, or else she’d be the one having this conversation with you. But, he did offer her a few odd jobs. She earned his respect, and his money.” Respect and money from the Devil. An interesting story, but not what you’d asked for. Perceptive eyes catch your disappointment from beyond the rim of her mug as she takes a long swig.

“What’s the matter? You seem a bit edgy.” You fight against the knit of your brows, the disheartened frown tugging at the corners of your mouth. Her mug gently clangs against the table as she sets it down and leans over her elbows into your line of sight, redirecting your attention from the page.

“I appreciate you digging this up but,” You shake your head, slipping the drawing back into its envelope. “I didn’t need information on the Devil. I needed information on the Sandman.” Your former classmate nods in understanding.

“It wasn’t the Devil she’d tracked.” She reaches across the table, swiftly pulling the envelope from under your fingers and back toward her. “Dream, she called him. Dream of the Endless.” Dream. It’s no lead, but it’s certainly more than you’d managed to find out for yourself over the last three weeks, and you’re grateful for her effort.

“Thank you, Johanna.” She waves away your earnest gratitude, pinning you with an inquisitive glare. 

“Tell me why you’re digging about the business of an Endless.” Her demand catches you off guard, though it shouldn’t. She’s always been quick and to the point, never missing a single piece of the puzzle. If there’s information to be gained, she’ll find a way to get it. No matter the cost. Precisely why you’d enlisted her help.

“It’s a long story.” 

“Then make it short.” Frankly, you’re not sure you should tell her. She might think you’ve gone mad. What should it matter to her? But, the truth - with a mind of its own - erupts under her intimidating stare. 

“Roderick and Alexander Burgess are why” You admit, fidgeting with the tag of your coat. “Had him locked in their basement for almost a century, naked and alone in a glass cage.” 

“Jesus fuck.” She hisses, eyes wide. “So you’ve met him?”

“I freed him.” You shift uncomfortably in your seat, eyes cast down toward your twiddling thumbs. If you thought long enough about it, you could still feel the grains of sand against your cheeks - in your eyes, his chilled hand against yours as you tugged him loose. Your palm tingles with remembrance, and you clench your fist. A poor attempt at replacing the sensation. Johanna spots the movement. Nothing gets past her. 

“If you’re as smart as you were back in school, you’ll move on.” She speaks truthfully, as though that’s the obvious - sane -  answer to your situation.

“Why would I do that? I’ve already put so much time and-” “Move on.” She urges, placing a warm hand atop yours. 

“I need to make sure he’s ok.” 

“You want to make sure the immortal personification of nightmares is ‘okay’?” She chides,  eyes rolling at your sentiment. “You’ve lost the plot, mate.” Ouch. 

You yank your hands from under hers, grabbing at the coat in your lap, muttering, “I should go.” You wiggle out of the booth, ready to leave, but nimble fingers catch your arm. 

 “I don’t work for free. You still owe me for getting you that interview,” She takes the envelope between her fingers, waving it near her face. “And for this.”

“How much?” You watch the cogs turn in her mind as she eyes you up and down, determining her price. No doubt expensive.

“Nothing you can’t work off.” Headlights flash through the window, sharpening the shadows of her cheekbones and jaw as she slides out from her seat, gathering her things. “Let’s go. Cab meter’s ticking.”

The London street lights gleam like a beacon off the silver circle on Johanna’s belt as she steps out of the cab, popping the collar of her pristine, white coat. Her sleek hair whips against her cheeks as she turns to you with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“If you’re going to be messing about with primordial entities, then it’s time you learn what I do for a living.” She rotates on the heel of her boot, long strides swiftly carrying her up the concrete steps ahead. “Maybe that’ll change your mind.” 

“It won’t.” You stubbornly assert. Her pace slows to a stop as she throws a patronizing glance at you over her shoulder. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but believe me. I already know the risks.” You don’t need a lesson in the dangers of magic. The aftermath of the Sandman’s release had been enough of an example. 

You’d awoken the following morning tucked neatly between your soft sheets, unusually well-rested. The memories of the night before were so…hazy, as though they’d been no more than another nightmare. Until you heard them, the muffled sobs that floated down the hall and into your groggy ears. Only then had you realized the severity of the matter - the countless, horrible possibilities.

Though you shouldn’t have cared - not after all you’d seen and discovered, you shot toward the shared bedroom of your bosses, your heart a lump in your throat. The cries grew louder and louder, and as you flung open the door, you realized they’d been coming from Paul. His shoulders shook as he clung to the clammy hand of his partner, pleading into deaf ears, “Come back to me, Alex.”

Alexander Burgess laid before him, cold sweat dripping from his brows, head thrashing against his damp pillow. Continuous, frightened whimpers fell from his open mouth, as though he’d been trapped within his worst nightmare. A fitting fate, you thought as you stared at him, somehow knowing - sensing - the Sandman had delivered his due punishment. You couldn’t help the guilty satisfaction the sight brought you.

Paul hadn’t noticed your presence at first, not until you’d placed a soothing hand on his shoulder, as he had done for you many times before. For his role in releasing their captive, he’d been granted the small mercy of being spared. Though as you watched the tears cascade down his red, swollen face, you wondered if it could be considered mercy at all. He was utterly powerless, forced to watch as his lover suffered a fate worse than death.

“Do something!” He pleaded. Despite knowing there was likely nothing you could do, you stepped around the bed and peeled back Mr. Burgess’ eyelids. His pupils shifted, dilating and constricting rapidly. Heavy, panted breaths heaved from his chest as his body struggled to adjust to his affliction. 

You shook your head, softly confirming, “There’s nothing I can do, Paul.”

There was no cure for this. Not even trained, award-winning doctors had been able to wake patients with the Sleepy Sickness. Nearly one hundred years had passed and patients still suffered, trapped within their dreams and nightmares. Some never slept at all. No cure, no known recoveries, no miracles. In one night, Mr. Burgess was lost to the world. A resentful, nasty piece of you silently thought, good riddance. 

“What do you mean?” He scoffed. For the first time since you’d met the man, his usual pleasant tone was nowhere to be found. “Aren’t you his caretaker?! Fix this!” He demanded. Your eyes searched his twisted expression for some sense of reason, finding nothing but seething, misplaced rage.

“This is your fault, you know! I’d still have my Alex if it weren’t for you!” Snot dripped from his nose, mixing with the avalanche of tears free-falling from his bleary eyes. “Get out!” He bellowed, voice reverberating throughout the room - rattling your chest. He had never raised his voice at you.

Though the words had been born from grief, you couldn’t shake your outrage. How dare he? You wanted to yell, to stoop to his level and throw his actions back in his sniveling face, but part of you understood his perspective. While he had finally pushed himself to right the wrongs of his past, you had been the catalyst. Had you not snooped through the library, Paul would have lived out the rest of his life with the person he loved most, complacent - happy. You bit your cheek, closed your eyes, and held your tongue as he continued his fit.

“I want you out of this house by nightfall or so help me-” He wiped his tears away with the sleeve of his robe, eyes dulling as he turned back to his lost lover.

You weren’t naive. It had been apparent from the moment you laid eyes on the man in the glass that your time at the mansion would soon run out. Though you’d grown fond of Paul, you knew there was no coming back from what had happened, from the knowledge of what he’d allowed. You blinked away your tears, grabbed your things, and haven’t looked back since. You’d done the right thing, even if the fallout had been difficult to witness. 

“Constantine.” You’re torn from your memories by the familiar depth of the voice that calls, breath catching in your throat at the sight of your stranger. 

He’s clothed this time, clad in an all-black ensemble. Your eyes trail down the buttons of his knee-length coat to his slender hands as he tucks them inside his pockets. He’s focused solely on the woman in front of you, and you’re unsure whether he’s unaware of your presence or has purely chosen not to acknowledge it. Does he even remember you? How could he not? Three weeks. Three weeks of searching tirelessly only for him to stumble upon you. 

“We have business, you and I.” He speaks confidently, demanding her immediate attention. She scoffs, squinting at him as though she can’t decide if they’ve met before. 

“Get in line.” Her shoulder knocks against his as she pushes past him, unaware of who he is and the power he holds. “Can’t keep God waiting.” You remain frozen in place, baffled by the coincidence at hand. 

His eyes settle on your figure, a dazzling shade of light blue, far from the feral, black celestial portals you’d seen behind the glass. The arrogant confusion from his interaction with Johanna ebbs away, replaced with recognition. Though wrapped tight within his gaze, you’re faintly aware of the fact that Johanna’s left you behind, entering the church to attend to her work for the night.

“Hi.” You exhale, forcing yourself to remember how to breathe as butterflies swarm in your stomach. Nearly a month had gone by since his release, and seeing him now - outside the glass - floods you with a sense of victory and relief. 

“We meet again.” He offers a slight tilt of his head toward you in greeting before going after Johanna. The butterflies wither, dropping dead in the pit of your stomach as he nears the church behind her. You’d risked your job - your life - to free him and the most he had to say was ‘We meet again’? 

“Hey!” You call, hot on his heels. “Wait up!” His figure slips through the slim opening of the large doors, and as you catch up, pushing them open further, he’s seemingly vanished. The only beings occupying the room are Johanna and another woman who, based upon the white collar around her neck, you presume works within the church. They speak in hushed tones, Johanna visibly wound up by their conversation as the other woman tries to state her case. 

“No! It’s too risky with the royals. I already told the queen.”

“But-” 

“If this goes sideways we’ll have a dead princess on our hands, a demon on the loose, and I’ll have no one to pay my fee.” You softly clear your throat and their heads whip in your direction. 

“There you are!” Johanna waves you over. “Ric, this is an old university mate of mine. She’ll be assisting tonight.” Ric’s wary eyes skim you from head-to-toe.

“Brave soul you are, working with Johanna. You’d probably be better off with the demon.” She laughs, nudging your arm with her elbow in a failed attempt at lightening the palpable tension. Her joke falls flat, smile dropping as Johanna shoots daggers in her direction. 

“What if I triple your fee?” Ric offers, hands wringing the spines of the leather-bound books she holds as distant screams echo from the far end of the church. The scent of rotten eggs permeates the room and you gag, pulling the collar of your shirt over your nose to block out the stench. 

“What the hell is that?”  You ask, disgusted.

“Sulfur.” The women confirm simultaneously. 

“You’re an exorcist?” You question, remembering a Demonology class you two had shared as part of your undergraduate degrees. You never thought she’d make anything of it beyond research. The unbridled shock on your face doesn’t go unnoticed by Ric. 

“You didn’t tell her?” The older woman’s worry-filled eyes flit between the two of you. Johanna simply shrugs. 

“Well,” Ric sighs. “You’ll be needing these.” She hands a book to you both with a tight-lipped smile and offers - mostly to you, “Good luck.”

The church is nearly empty as you step atop the altar platform, illuminated by the golden glow of the few remaining candle stands. The room had been cleared, pews moved out of sight - out of the path of destruction, as though Ric knew things would get messy. You admire the painted figures within the grand mural, heart thumping to the rhythm of the growing footsteps outside. 

An exorcism. You assumed these were rare occurrences in modern times. But according to Johanna, they’re far more frequent than she’d like. You fiddle apprehensively with the book Ric had given you - the Rītuāle Rōmānum, spine straightening as the doors creak open.

Johanna and the Princess enter with another, unexpected figure lagging behind, his fingers entwined with the Princess’. Her immaculate, white smile matches the sleek, floor-length gown she wears, not one blonde hair out of place on her head. Her partner - you presume - appears less than enthusiastic. He forces a small smile as she turns to share her excitement with him, his face falling as soon as it’s out of her sight. It dawns on you at this moment that you and Johanna are about to ruin what should be the happiest day of their lives. Or at least the happiest day of the Princess’ life. Johanna slips around your side, a white collar now tucked into her black shirt, and lightly grips your arm. 

“Just go along with it.” She speaks to you through pearly, clenched teeth as she grins happily at the couple, stepping forward to begin the ceremony.

“It’s a pleasure to be your officiant tonight, Princess. This,” She waves her hand fluidly in your general direction. “Is my assistant and your legal witness. Any questions before we begin?”

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” The question comes from the Princess’ fianc��, followed by cold, calculating silence. 

“Of course I do, Kevin.” She tongues her cheek, a poor attempt to push back her anger. “Why else would we be here?” Her fixed glare pins him in place, a warning that should he press further, there will be hell to pay. 

“I just meant like-” He gulps. “Don’t you want all your family and photographers and stuff and-” 

“No!” She snaps, startling herself and her jumpy partner. She quickly softens her expression and voice, reeling in her irritation. “I just want you.” She nods to Johanna, beckoning her to continue the ceremony.

“Do you, Princess, take-”

“I do.” Johanna’s brow raises at the interruption, but she continues. “Do you, Kevin, take the Princess to be your-” An audible crunch echoes through the room as the Princess’ hand bears down on Kevin’s. You hold in a surprised gasp, feeling awful for the young man before you. He has no idea that he’s hitching himself to a demon.

“Then repeat after me,” Johanna begins, flipping her book open. “Dā locum, dīrissime,” Your mixed voices fill the empty space as the words are recited. 

 “Dā locum, impiissime.” Kevin’s stomach releases a loud gurgle, discomfort overtaking his expression. 

“Sorry,” He grunts out. “Probably just hungry. Y’know how it is before a big game-”

“Kevin!” The Princess whispers sharply. “It doesn’t matter.” She gestures for Johanna to continue. “Keep going.”

“Dā locum, Chrīstō.” Kevin doubles over, coughing and gagging as his hands claw at his throat. The princess is beside herself, scoffing and rolling her eyes at her partners’ obstructive behavior. 

“Kevin, seriously? At our wedding?” Johanna ignores the woman, a lioness targeting her prey as she stalks toward the man, continuing to read from her book. 

“Quī tē spoliāvit, quī rēgnum tuum dē strūxit!” Two large, meaty fingers emerge from Kevin’s mouth. He chokes on them as they slither out, veins protruding from his forehead and neck, eyes beginning to bulge from their sockets as the hands become wrists. 

"Quī tē victum ligāvit, et vāsa tua dīripuit!” The sickening crack of Kevin's jaw echoes throughout the room, his body jerking backward as two full, muscular arms emerge from his mouth. His flesh rips and squelches around them, blood oozing down his neck from every facial orifice. The hands reach around to grip the back of Kevin's head, claws sinking into his scalp as they pull from either side. A loud roar bellows from the Demon inside Kevin as his body shreds in half, leaving the Demon standing amidst a gooey puddle of flesh and shattered bone. 

Intricate, runic scars line its abdomen, spine visible outside its back and pierced between each vertebra with large silver hoops. Blood splatters stain the Princess's white gown, her eyes wide with shock, mouth agape as she stares in horror at the remnants of her fiancé. Pushing your own terror aside, you rush for the Princess, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her out of harm's way. 

"Come with me." You direct her. "It'll be alright, Ric will get you out and safe." You call out for the older woman, guiding the princess toward the nearest exit. Ric promptly takes her from you, stumbling back a step as she fleetingly takes in the gruesome scene. 

"Fucking hell." She gasps, steering the Princess out of your grasp.

"It was Kevin, not the Princess." 

"You don't say." She sarcastically intones, swiftly guiding the Princess out the door. As much as you want to follow them, you - perhaps idiotically -  can't bring yourself to leave Johanna behind.

"Tell me your name!" Johanna demands, Holding a crucifix up to the Demon as it towers over her. The Demon merely laughs, lurching forward and striking Johanna with the back of its massive fist. The impact sends her flying across the room, her back slamming into the mural. She groans as her body drags down the wall and hits the floor, but quickly regains her senses. She rolls over, pushing past the pain to search for her book through blurred vision. Without hesitation, you crack open your copy, hell-bent on finishing what you and Johanna had started, shaking hands making the small text difficult to read.

"Vīsitā, quaesumus," Enraged, the Demon whirls, its long, hoofed legs carrying it in three mere strides across the room. Your knees buckle as it launches toward you. "Domine, habitātiōnem istam et omnis-” 

“Silence!” It snarls at you, surging forward with its giant arm raised like a club, ready to strike again. You shield your head with your arms and squeeze your eyes shut, bracing for the impact that never comes. 

“Agilieth!” You risk a peak, eyes cracking open to find the Demon’s arm halted just before the top of your head. A wicked, sharp-toothed grin splits across its face as it turns to address its caller - the Sandman. He stands in front of the altar and Johanna, hands casually tucked into his coat, undaunted by the sheer size and strength of the Demon.

"Lord Morpheus," It growls. "You're almost unrecognizable without your helm." It mocks, tone dripping with disdain.

"It was traded to a Demon."

"Yes, but which demon?" Its grin stretches as the Sandman's eyes gleam with hope. In your peripheral vision, you catch Johanna pulling herself upright against the altar. Rītuale Rōmānum back in hand, she cracks open the book, resuming her recitation of the Latin prayer and interrupting whatever business the Sandman seeks with the Demon. Her face is that of the cat that caught the canary. Knowing the Demon's name, she holds the power to condemn it straight back to Hell.

“Constantine, stop this at once!" The Sandman shouts as the ground below Agilieth twists into an open pit of bright-orange fire and smoke. With eyes even more desperate than the night of his escape, he stretches his arm toward Johanna, begging her to stop. Why would he have her free the Demon? What could be worth the risk?

“Dream of the Endless commands you!” Agilieth roars, cursing at her as she ignores their pleas. Tendrils of smoke form into hands that scrape and pull at the Demon's mountainous figure, hauling it inch-by-inch into the pit. “I’ll tell you everything I know, my lord!" Its claws leave tracks on the ground as it sinks deeper, only its head remaining above ground level. "Don't let her send me back!” Ash and embers whirl through the hot air, stinging your cheeks. You hold your breath as Johanna fearlessly stands over the Demon, the reflection of hellfire flaring in her eyes.

“Exī, ergō, Agilieth!” With her final words, the Demon slips into the pit, and the ground seals over. The silence deafens you as you watch the Sandman’s shoulders slump, his face turned solemn, staring at the claw marks left across the wooden flooring.

"You have no idea what you’ve cost me." He speaks softly - defeatedly, and the words are a boulder of guilt crashing into you. You did the right thing. Didn’t you? You couldn’t have let the Demon roam free, free to find its next victim, free to create a larger mess than any mortal could be capable of cleaning up.

"I'm sorry," You stutter, apologizing nonetheless. "I thought-"

"Don't apologize, mate," Johanna winks at you, entirely satisfied with herself as she snaps the book closed and tosses an arm around your shoulders. "We've just tripled our fee." You're reluctant to follow as she guides you out of the church, your eyes still locked with the Sandman’s, but her grip is firm and commanding. 

Thunder rumbles above as you step outside, Johanna pausing in the doorway of the church to converse with Ric, likely discussing payment. You step aside to grant them some privacy, leaning against one of the giant stone columns that uphold the awning, and watch as the lightning within the clouds reveals various shades of lavender and coal.

 You’re lucky, you realize. Lucky to have come out unharmed. Johanna will be lucky if she isn’t as bruised as tonight’s sky tomorrow morning. You wonder how she could willingly subject herself to this on a regular basis. The money must be phenomenal, you think, hands still trembling from the commotion - the rush.

"Why are you here?" Your ears tingle at the pleasant depth of the Sandman’s voice, the whisper of pleasant chills rolling across the top of your skull and down your spine. He’s closer than expected, his shoulder brushing yours as he eases into the open space beside you. Icy, piercing blue eyes shimmer beneath the gloomy night lighting, studying - questioning. 

"Why are you?" You counter, residual adrenaline governing your words. “Dream of the Endless.” A faint smirk curls the corner of his mouth at your boldness, but it doesn’t quite meet his eyes, and that guilt… it gnaws at the last remaining sliver of your confidence.

"Something of mine came into Constantine's possession." He divulges, watching you - reading you.

"What could she possibly have of yours?" 

"I answered your question, you will answer mine." A give and take, so be it. You open your mouth to speak, but the words catch on the nervous knot forming in your throat. Your feet shift in place, crunching against the cobblestone as you attempt to clear it away. 

“After everything that happened with Mr. Burgess,” You swallow. “I wondered where you went, what you’d done to him,” His eyes implore you to continue, but you can’t seem to produce another coherent thought under their intensity. So you avert yours, once again finding the colors in the flashing clouds.

 “I-” You take a deep breath, rubbing your arms to settle the goosebumps. “I guess I just wanted to make sure you were ok.” You admit, embarrassment tingeing your cheeks. You know how silly it sounds given the danger involved in pursuing him, but you had questions that needed answers, and - much like your former classmate - you’ve always been relentless in your quest for knowledge. 

When you find the courage to meet his unwavering gaze, you find him scanning your features. Your reddened cheeks, the tense pull of your brow, your lips as you nip uneasily at the chapped skin. For a moment, he seems as though he may apologize, his small smirk and studious stare softening into concern. But, you’d made your choice. He’s no need to apologize when seeing him outside the glass - free - is enough to resolve any lingering guilt over what happened to Alex and Paul - to you.

“My sand.” He answers your earlier question. 

“The Sandman without his sand.” You find yourself giggling, hardly noticing how close he’d stepped until you could feel the comforting heat radiating from his body, shielding you from the harsh wind like a fluffed blanket, pulled fresh from the dryer. It’s dizzying - distracting.

"Morpheus." He corrects.

"Hm?" You hum, mouth disconnected from your mind as it scrambles to process what he’d said and the sudden, intoxicating warmth. He’d been so cold when you’d first met, when you’d pulled him from the glass, when he’d held and guarded you against the nightmare smoke.

"My name." 

"Hate to interrupt your little chat,” Johanna begins, approaching the two of you. She shoots a cagey glance toward Morpheus before opting to ignore his presence entirely, aiming her words at you. “But it’s about time I bugger off.” Her fingertips tap the back of your arm gently. “I’ll be in touch.” Her eyes speak without words, questioning your safety - your comfortability -  with the Sandman’s proximity. You offer a small nod, simultaneously confirming your security and acknowledging what she’d said.

"Constantine." Her name rumbles from his chest as she moves to scurry away, more of a demand than a request. She begrudgingly turns, hands smacking against her sides as she confronts him.

“What do you want with me?” She sneers, arms crossing over her ribs. “I don’t have time for this.”

"You have something of mine.” His expression hardens. “I'd like it returned." 

“What could I possibly have of yours?" 

“His sand.” You chime, watching in amusement as two of the most strong-willed individuals you’ve ever come across continue their stare-down, wondering who will be the first to concede. You’d never known Johanna to back down for anyone, and Morpheus, well, you’d witnessed his endurance firsthand. 

"That was yours?” Her brows raise. “Couldn't even get the damned drawstrings open." Her tongue pokes at the inside of her cheek as she ruminates on where she left the sand. “I've no idea where it's at. It's been missing for ages." She concludes.

"We must find it." He asserts, towering over the woman as he emphasizes its importance. "Without it, my realm - humanity - will cease to exist." She rolls her eyes, considering his words far too dramatic for the circumstance.

"Alright,”  She tilts her head to look up at him, a playful smirk sliding up her cheeks as she realizes how vital her compliance is. “I'll help you find it first thing tomorrow-"

"No-"

"Tomorrow." She reiterates firmly. "I'll help you. Trust me, I wouldn't want you and your little friend following me all over the place." You and Morpheus share a look of confusion, focusing your attention in the direction Johanna points. A raven, perched on the edge of the base of another nearby column squirms under each of your stares.

"My friend?" He squints at the bird, stepping closer to investigate. Its eyes quickly shift over Morpheus before scooting aside a few inches to gain some space, head twitching side to side, up and down. Morpheus raises his chin, shoulders squaring as he looks down his nose at the raven. “Tell me your name.” He orders.

"Matthew, Sir." This night is full of surprises, you think, delighted by the nasally voice that comes from the talking bird. Morpheus, however, appears rather indifferent - displeased, even.

"Matthew,” He scowls. “Tell Lucienne that I have no need for a raven-" You turn, ready to share your bewilderment with Johanna, searching your surroundings for a glimpse of her dark hair, only to find that she’s disappeared into the night.

"Morpheus." You call. He ignores you - or maybe doesn’t hear you - as he continues lecturing the raven. 

"If I require assistance, I shall ask-" 

"Uh, y-you do, actually, Sir." Matthew stutters, catching on to your distress and Johanna’s absence. 

“Morpheus!” You shout. Tired and frustrated by his blatant disregard, you tug harshly on the sleeve of his coat. His head whips toward you, initial fury at your action quieting as he notices the absence of your friend - his only chance at reclaiming his sand. 

"She's gone." You sigh. He draws his gaze from over your shoulder, down to your fingers, still curled around the soft fabric of his coat, and back to your eyes. You release him immediately, mumbling a curt apology.  

“Go back to the dreaming, Matthew." Morpheus dismisses. 

“With all due respect, sir. The boss lady sent me here to help you because, like it or not, you need me.” Matthew declares, hopping closer to Morpheus. “Less than twenty-four hours ago, I had thumbs, lived my whole life here. I know how to navigate this world.”

"My last raven was sent to help me too." Morpheus’ cold gaze has the bird’s feet shuffling again, his tone low - warning, rumbling in tune with the rolling thunder.

"Yeah, and what happened to them?” Matthew sasses. “You fire them too? Send them back to the dreaming?" You’re amazed - jealous, even - by Matthew’s confidence as he stands up for himself. 

"She died while trying to save me." You wince as images of the white-bellied raven from your nightmare flicker in your mind's eye. The splattered blood across her bright feathers, her desperate caws as she beat herself against the glass. You doubt you’ll ever be able to rid yourself of the haunting memory. 

"What was her name?" You dare to ask.

"Jessamy." As he meets your pitying gaze, he quickly blinks away the tears that threaten to form, steeling his expression, pretending the memory no longer carries any weight in his heart. 

"I'm sorry for your loss, Morpheus." You feel awful, awful for describing even the smallest crumb of your nightmare to him when you first met. You want to apologize for that too but decide against it, not wanting to push the subject any further.

“Well,” Matthew continues after a moment of respectful silence. “I don’t plan on dying again anytime soon. We'd better get moving if we want to find her by morning. We should have a good eight hours while she sleeps. If we put our heads together, I’m sure we can figure out her-”

"Sleep," Morpheus murmurs to himself. "Yes. If she is asleep, I know exactly where to find her." He extends a hand for you to take, and you do so without a second thought, allowing him to pull you into his chest the same way he had the night you’d freed him. His hands skim the small of your back as they circle around your waist, his head dipping beside your ear, voice just above a whisper as he instructs, “Close your eyes.”

You comply, digging your fingers into the side seams of his coat as a vortex of wind envelopes your bodies. Your feet lift and float away from solid ground, the vortex pushing and pulling your limbs in every direction. You hang onto Morpheus as though your life depends on it, daring to open your eyes just long enough to catch a glimpse of the black smoke that carries you. Your skin blanches with fear, mind sucked back into that bone-chilling darkness, the nightmare void that had nearly swallowed you whole.

You’re left breathless and wobbly as the smoke clears, continuing to cling to Morpheus’s coat with a death grip. Your mouth opens and shuts, words refusing to flow freely. His hands slide from your back to cup your upper arms, squeezing reassurance and holding you steady as you struggle to pull yourself together. You know the fear is irrational, know that he - as proven before - would not allow the smoke to harm you, but the sensation of the nightmare refuses to leave you in peace.

"Breathe.” He reminds, thumbs rubbing soothing circles into your shoulders as he tilts his head down to draw your frightened eyes back to his. “You are unharmed." You savor the touch, your heartbeat gradually slowing to match the pace of the soothing strokes. 

"What was that?"

"A method of travel without my sand." 

"Well, it was awful." He retracts his hands, almost as though the words had offended him, fingertips skimming down the length of your arms as they fall back at his sides. 

"Then you will not experience it again." He promises.

"Wait-" 

"The pouch is here.” He confirms to himself, surveying the apartment building he’d brought you to with assurance. “You will remain outside with Matthew." As if on cue, the raven swoops down beside you. His feathers ruffle and twitch as he settles on the ground, beady eyes darting between you and Morpheus. 

"How do you know? Didn't Johanna say she lost it?" You watch as he glides toward the building, as though being lured by some invisible pull. 

"I can feel its power." Morpheus steps inside the ominously dark building, leaving you alone with Matthew.

 After a while, you find yourself enjoying the raven’s dry, witty humor, chatting to pass the time. But as what should have been no more than a few minutes becomes well over an hour, your playful banter begins to slow, both of your eyes anxiously tracing and examining the apartment complex.

Strange, you think. Something about the building rings every alarm bell within you. Though the hour has hardly passed midnight, not a single light shines from the building. Not from the lobby, the porch lights, or any of the visible windows. As you observe the building, you notice the piles of untouched mail littering the main entrance, moving to pick up a few of the grimy envelopes. 

"Matthew,” You begin, scanning over the unpaid electricity bills, violation notices, and letters dated as far back as three months ago. “Something's not right."

 He titters over, talons faintly clicking across the concrete, and you squat beside him, holding your findings out for him to see. He tilts his head, eyes darting over the envelopes in your hand and all across the floor. After a moment of careful consideration, he opens his beak to say, "I think we should let the boss handle it." You scoff, tossing the mail aside as you stand. 

“What happened to that confidence from earlier? I thought you weren’t afraid to help him.” You shoot for the doors, hands clamping over the sleek, modern handles. Matthew’s caw startles you, winds flapping as he lands on top of your hands. 

“That-That’s not a good idea.” He warns, stalling your movement. “You have no idea what’s in there. The boss said-”

“Your boss, Matthew. Not mine.” You remind, and his feet squeeze around your skin. “If you won’t go in there and help him, I will.” He kicks off your hands, talons scraping the concrete as he lands back on the ground, mumbling under his breath, “He’s not gonna like this.”

You tug open the heavy door, streetlights instantly absorbing into the black hole of the lobby, revealing nothing to your squinted eyes as you cross over the threshold. The door clicks closed behind you, leaving you vulnerable in the dark. There’s a sickly-sweet stench lashing at your nose, rolling in your gut. As much as you’d rather not find out what the smell belongs to, your fear of the dark drives your shaky hands into your pockets, reaching for your phone. 

The contents of your stomach turn to lead as the flashlight winks to life, illuminating the half-decayed corpse of a woman not two feet in front of you. You stumble back, feet squelching and sticking to the floor as acid rises in your throat. Her flesh droops and pools beneath her, melting and mixing with other various fluids into the tiled floor. Hollow cheeks and cloud-white eyes stare up at you. The foul scent strengthens, and suddenly you’re retching up the contents of your stomach, mindful enough to avoid her body. You wipe your mouth with the sleeve of your coat, willing yourself to face the woman again. How long has she been left here, fusing with the floor? 

“What the fuck happened here?” You breathe feebly, stepping around her. You notice - as you avoid inching too close - the faint twitch of her left eye. “I’m going insane.” But the nearly inaudible gurgles emitting from her throat confirm you’re not. Alive. She’s still alive. How? 

Unable to face her any longer, you shine your light further into the room, revealing a messy trail of gooey footsteps. You follow them, vicious chills spidering down your spine with each step as they lead you up the staircase and down the eerily silent second-story hallway. Some primal instinct inside you screams for you to turn around. You know you should, know that you’d be safer waiting outside with Matthew. But what if Morpheus needs your help? What if he’s been captured again? What if? 

At the end of the long, looming hallway, yellow light flickers beneath a chipped, word-down door. You head for it, ignoring the sticky substance coating the silver knob as you turn it. 

Much like the rest of the building, the room is pitch-black as the door creaks open, no sign of the light you’d spotted. Maybe you’d imagined it. The same way you’d like to believe you’re imagining the slithering, shifting shadows that lurk along the walls and ceiling. Maybe the shock of everything you’ve experienced tonight is finally catching up to you. The flashlight of your phone fizzles out, a red battery symbol mocking you as you frantically shake the device. 

“Just my fucking luck.” You hiss, reaching for the switch on the wall, shuddering at the cold, moist goo that coats your fingers as you flick it upward. 

To your surprise, the room brightens, dimly illuminating the crumb-coated carpet and various discarded dolls strewn about. You carefully step around them, hesitantly following the muffled sound of cartoons playing to your left, the living room - your living room. You lean over the familiar grey couch, mutely stunned, sight caught on the mess of tangled hair poking above it. A little girl, no older than five or six, sways from side to side as she sits on her heels, inches away from the TV screen. Sweet, high-pitched giggles tumble from her belly as she remains unaware of your presence, sucked into her show. Though you cannot see her face, you know - feel - that she is you.

A woman’s voice grates through the laughter, calling your name. Your mother, you realize. Something in your chest tightens with pain as the little girl - little you - doesn’t seem to hear her. Another call of your name, followed by thunderous footsteps. Your sore stomach clenches, heart pausing a beat as you watch your mother’s figure overshadows the young girl. She watches a moment, waiting for little you to notice her in the doorway. When she doesn’t, like a bat from hell, your mother flies into a rage. She snatches little you upright by the collar of her oversized nightshirt, teeth bared as she barks at the child, “You will answer me when I call your name!”

“I-I didn’t hear you! I swear!” Little you stammers, eyes swelling with stinging tears. 

“Of course not! You’re selfish!” Your mother yells, spit stringing between her teeth, the strong smell of alcohol wafting off her hot breath. “You think you can just ignore me whenever you want?!” You close your eyes, body jerking at the sharp smack reverberating in your ears. Your muscles tense, becoming rigid as you listen to the gut-wrenching sobs coming from your younger self.

“I’ll give you something to cry about!” You weren’t selfish or ignorant. You were just a child, completely wrapped up in your favorite escape from this - the abuse. 

Your body relaxes as you hear your mother stomp away from the room, allowing you to open your eyes, to see your younger self. She stands before you, her face cupped inside her palms as she sobs with such soundless intensity that her breath remains stuck in her chest. You round the couch, dropping to your knees before her, your own tears falling as you embrace her. One hand strokes her hair as the other soothingly rubs her back, offering the comfort you wish you’d received. 

“Shhh.” You try to calm her. “It’ll be okay. You’re not alone.” You coo. The pressure in her lungs releases, and she gasps for air, bawling against your shoulder as her small fists curl into your sleeves. 

“I-I didn’t mean to- to-” 

“Shhh…I know. I know.” You hug her firmly, providing as much support as you possibly can. Eventually, as her sobs dwindle into light sniffles, her arms circle around you as best as they can, returning the affection. You rock her gently, swaying from side to side as she had been earlier, humming that special lullaby you’ve always loved. 

Preoccupied with comforting little you - healing that broken shard of your past, you’re inattentive to the preternatural strength of her hold. You rock the child, even as her arms constrict, a boa around a mouse. Your shoulders strain, joints aching under the increasing pressure, threatening to pop from their sockets. As the air begins to thin, you wriggle and writhe against her, leaning back to see her face - its face. 

Sickly green and filled with malice, its mouth - where her cheek once was - opens into a blood-curdling, razor-toothed grin as it says, “We’re ssso hungry.” Its voice is at once one and many, splintering into that of a hundred - a thousand - sneering, distorted children. 

Through your bleary eyes, the facade of your childhood apartment fades away, leaving you in a slime-coated, moldy, abandoned apartment. Choked whimpers bubble from your throat as you watch its face continue to shift, features slipping and sliding across slimy skin. How could you have been so blind, so easily betrayed by your senses? 

"Feed usss." Comes another sinister voice from behind, just above your left shoulder. "Itsss been ssso long." Now above your right as the creature’s nails dig into your skin, warm liquid - blood - dripping down your arms. You hardly register the pain as you watch its eyes roll back into its mutating skull, replaced with glowing, yellow orbs. Its flesh becomes a viscous, gelatinous substance, seeping into your clothes.

Your mind empties of all words except one name, “M-Morpheus!” You rasp, the plea scarcely audible through the many, ravenous voices mimicking and mocking around you. I’m going to die, you think. Your face, heated from the rushing blood and lack of oxygen, twists with dread as you’re suffocated by the creature.

“We’ll devour you whole!” It growls the words as it opens its cavernous mouth, lining you up to ease you down its slick, greasy throat. You thrash in its grasp, hysterical sobs tearing the inside of your throat. 

"Enough!" The creature retracts at the bellowed command, a hand gripping and pulling you up by the back of your neck. Morpheus, you realize, brings you to your feet, shielding your quaking form behind his. His arm lingers protectively across your front, his hand gripping your opposite hip, steadying and reminding you that you are safe now.

"Massster?!" The voices shriek. As you take in the full expanse of the room, you see the many glinting, beady, yellow eyes all along the walls. The creatures cower into their shadows at the sight of Morpheus. You think you might do the same until you feel the gentle, reassuring squeeze of his hand, the only thing holding you upright. 

"We thought you left forever." The monsters chorus, echoing the word over and over.

"You have taken advantage of my absence,” Morpheus says - almost snarls, tone dripping with revulsion. “It ends now." 

With the wave of his free hand, the creatures shrivel, crumbling to dust on the floor until you’re left in the now vacant, dusty room.   Johanna leans against the wall a few feet away, looking almost as shaken as you, teeth gritted, fists clenched and trembling at her sides. 

"You disobeyed me." Your eyes flick up to meet his stormy gaze, blood still pumping loudly in your ears as you throw a weak glare his way. 

“You-” You’re still out of breath, each word a strain to your aching ribs. “You were in-” Your head shakes. “You were in here a while. What-” You force down a deep breath. “What was I supposed to do?”

"Wait. As you were told." You gawk at him incredulously, taking the time to catch your breath. ‘Wait as you were told.’ You’d strangle him if he hadn’t just saved you. You’re not a helpless child. Were you not the one saving his ass no less than three weeks ago, freeing him from nearly a hundred years of captivity? Could he truly fault you for trying to help him again?

“I was trying to help you.” Your voice is hoarse, throat sore as you attempt to defend your actions. “I thought you were in danger.” 

"I do not need saving from a mortal." 

Despite the ache, you square your throbbing shoulders, head held high as you quip back, “You did less than a month ago.”

His mouth folds into a firm line as he breaks your stare-off, sharp profile lit by the moonlight now peaking through the window, eyes darkening into ink-black, cosmic pools.

"Right, can we save the bickering for later?” Johanna intervenes, slicing through the tension. “I'd like to get the hell out of here." 

Rain pours around the stone awning of the building as you limp behind Morpheus and Johanna, nearly drowning out the sound of Matthew’s relieved caws. He swoops up to mount your shoulder chastising, “I told you not to go in there!” His talons dig into your skin for balance as you whip your head to scowl at him. Skittish, he jumps away, hopping after Morpheus. “Boss, I-”

Morpheus gives him a stern look, silencing the raven. His lips purse, brows knitting as he pulls a dark, leather pouch - no larger than the size of his palm - from his coat pocket. The sand. Golden beads glimmer along the strings as he tugs open the pouch, tilting it into his open hand. 

He got what he came here for, and now he’ll leave. He’ll leave you and Johanna behind after all that happened inside that wretched apartment complex, the waking nightmare you’d faced to save him. 

“Morpheus!” You snap, watching in disbelief as grains of sand slip through the gaps of his slender fingers, spinning into a sandstorm around him. He pauses, eyes flicking toward you.

“Where are you going?!” 

“Hell. In search of my helm.” 

In a blink, he’s encased in a swirling tornado of sand, and then…he’s gone. Matthew spirits away in your peripheral vision, a brief fluttering shadow and flap of wings as he follows after his master. You loose a frustrated breath and lean on the opposite wall from Johanna. Whether or not she’s still as shaken as she appeared - as you are - you’ll never know, her face now a mask of perfect calmness. You look to her for any semblance of validation for your discontentment, but she merely shrugs her shoulders.

“I’ll say this once,” She starts. “Only because I consider you a friend.” Her words are steady, not an ounce of residual fear behind them as she warns, “Don’t go after him again. It’ll only get you killed.”

[coffee-in-that-nebula]

TOW Neelix nearly murders everyone with ice cream

Fandom: Star Trek Voyager

Summary: My response to the @flashfictionfridayofficial prompt!

It takes place in early season 2. It's been 1 year since the crew of Voyager got stranded in the Delta Quadrant, and everyone feels upset. Neelix tries to cheer them up by making some special gelato for them. It's silly, funny, and I loved writing it. No-beta though. Not an English speaker, but I believe I'm good.

Rating: G

Thank you, @pc-corner for your help!

When Chakotay, Tuvok, and Kathryn entered the mess hall, everyone else was already seated. Neelix rushed toward them with an enthusiastic grin swept across his face. He opened his arms when he reached them as if to embrace them. The command team instinctively took a step back , but Neelix, in his eagerness, didn’t even notice it. 

“Welcome,” he greeted them in a cheerful voice. “We’ve been waiting for you! Follow me, please!”

Without waiting for a response, Neelix led them to the only empty table that stood in the center of the room covered with a gleaming white cloth. Tom, Harry, B’Elanna and the Delaney sisters occupied the table right next to them. Harry  stood up abruptly to salute his superior officers, but Tuvok’s stern glare and Chakotay’s silent laugh made him sit back down. He was confused. 

“We’re off duty, Ensign. No need for salutations. Just enjoy your time off,” Kathryn informed him trying to hide her amusement. 

Harry nodded. “Thank you, Captain.” Tom couldn’t hold back a laugh. 

Neelix clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “The celebration can begin!” he announced, and a few crewmen, who had volunteered to help him, started serving sundaes to everyone. 

“What are we celebrating anyway?” Chakotay murmured. 

“We’ve been stuck in the Delta Quadrant for an entire year. Isn’t that reason enough?” Kathryn responded sarstically. 

Tuvok intervened, even though both the captain and the first officer were ignoring him.  “Mr. Neelix confided to me that he has recently overheard many crewmen talking about the negative feelings they have been experiencing realizing that it has been already a year since we got stranded in the Delta Quadrant. He said he had a surprise to cheer everyone up, so I gave my permission.”

“He’s a morale officer who takes his role very seriously,” Kathryn observed raising her eyebrows. 

Chakotay nodded. “Everyone has been upset - he’s right about that at least. Maybe that’ll be a good distraction.”

Then, a crewman approached their table and placed a sundae in front of each of them. Much to their astonishment, they saw the most vibrant pink ice cream that anyone could ever imagine. 

Tuvok was about to make a question, but Neelix’s voice interrupted his train of thought. 

“Before you all enjoy my creation,” he started in an exciting voice, “I’d like to inform you that this is NOT a common ice cream. This is authentic Italian gelato,” he emphasized. 

Kathryn and Chakotay exchanged a confused look. Tuvok raised an eyebrow and fixated his eyes on the ice cream. He was clearly examining it. 

“Why is it pink?” Tom asked uncertainly. “Didn’t you say it’s the authentic recipe?”

“It does look a little… different,” Harry confirmed.

“The authentic, yes, but with a few tweaks of course! You know how creative I am,” Neelix exclaimed. “About the pink color… I used a very special sugar substitute. I’m so excited for everyone to try it!”

“Have you tried it?” B’Elanna inquired. 

“Of course,” Neelix confirmed, “It’s delicious!”

Over the next few minutes, the mess hall went silent as everyone started eating their ice cream. However, the room soon became uncomfortably quiet. Some crewmembers started discreetly scratching their arms and legs while others’ faces seemed unusually flushed. Tuvok started looking around him. He could hear nothing but whispers, and most of the dishes were still half-full.

“Something is wrong,” he stated calmly, but thoughtfully. 

“What are you talking about?” Chakotay wondered as he ate another spoonful of ice cream. His dish was almost done. “It’s not tasty, but it’s not the worst thing I’ve eaten either.”

“I loved it!” Tom exclaimed. Tuvok noticed that he’d actually finished his ice cream. “It wasn’t exactly tasty, but it was interesting. Its color brought me an odd sense of nostalgia, and its texture was at least intriguing.”

Kathryn shrugged, barely touching her ice cream. She didn’t have much of a sweet tooth.

Harry was one the one who broke that unsettling silence. “Ah!” he yelped in pain. 

His tablemates were immediately concerned. 

“What happened?” B’Elanna asked. 

"I... don't... know," Harry muttered, still holding his abdomen. "I'm in pain! My stomach hurts so bad."

"It must be the ice cream," Megan pointed out, grimacing as she looked at her half-finished dish.

"No way!" Tom protested. "I loved it. It's not bad either; it barely smells like... anything."

"I'm going to die," Harry murmured, looking paler than before.

Suddenly, Tuvok, who had overheard everything, stood up and took Kathryn's sundae from her hands. Kathryn looked astonished.

"Captain, this ice cream can lead to critical conditions. Therefore, you will not have any more."

Kathryn was confused. "What are you talking about?"

“Ensign Kim is in pain,” he informed her indicating Harry’s direction. Harry had just stood up with Tom’s help and he was almost doubled over in pain. 

“What?” Chakotay squeaked. “And you let me eat all of it?”

“You are not the captain,” Tuvok answered sternly. “Also, you’re too gluttonous,” he observed with a raised eyebrow. 

“Everyone stop eating,” Tom yelled, “The ice cream is dangerous! Harry is dying!”

Neelix rushed toward them. “What happened? Captain, commander…Mr. Tuvok… I’m so sorry!I…I don’t know…”

“I need to use the restroom,” another crewman exclaimed and ran past them. 

“You certainly distracted the crewmen, Neelix. Don’t use anymore of that sugar substitute, though. Alright?” the captain said letting out a chuckle.

Neelix nodded with his eyes wide open from concern.

Chakotay let out a sigh as he stood up, and made a face. 

“The Doctor is going to be busy tonight.”

Tuvok nodded in agreement. "I will notify him immediately," he responded, and struck his combadge.

Also on ao3:

[dg-outlaw]

Agatha All Along - Season 1 Review

*spoilers ahead*

So I finally finished this series and I almost wrote a review after episodes 1 and 2, but felt this was a show that needed to be completed and have me marinate on for a bit.

I won't go too deep into the series or do a blow-by-blow of each episode and character, but I will say that this was one of Marvel Television's better live-action series. And this coming from someone who is "supposedly" not the target audience, which I think is total bullshit when it comes to media consumption. Most protagonists on-screen are not me (or you for that matter). Maybe there's a shared gender, ethnicity, culture, sexuality, etc., but a good story is a good story. Yes, it can be more engaging if you can see yourself in the characters on-screen and representation DOES matter, but again... give me a good story with good/complex characters or just something enjoyable and I'm in.

First, I appreciated that this series solved what I've perceived as Marvel/Disney's biggest problem with a lot of their shows the last few years, and that's pacing. Most Disney+ shows, even non-Marvel ones, have felt like long film scripts that were chopped up and extended for a 6-10 episode series, with writers/showrunners who don't understand series storytelling. Good beginning episodes, slow paced middle, random side plot/non-plot episode, and a rushed ending.

While some of the reveals in this series weren't necessarily shocking (thanks in part to some spoilers I accidentally saw online), I will say they were well done and the writers knew how to weave all the plotlines together for a satisfying story. If anything, I'd say episode 1 was the weakest episode, which is a hard start for a series (especially in trying to appeal to a general audience for a spin-off show), but going into the show knowing that it was about witches and not a re-hash of the WandaVision different TV show settings schtick, I was able to endure the whole dark crime drama show façade until it was torn away. That said, episode 1 wasn't bad, but the delivery was inconsistent at times. Obviously, this was later explained as the rest of Westview just going along with Agatha, but as a viewer it was hard to tell if Kathryn Hahn and the other actors were spoofing dark crime shows like 'Mare of Eastown' or trying to give a genuine performance like in WandaVision. It also didn't help that when Hahn and others were going a bit over the top in their acting I kept thinking about the Murdur Durdur SNL skit, which then took me out of the story. Thankfully, this stopped within episode 1 and episode 2 took us into the main story. So I say, good call in releasing episodes 1 and 2 together.

The rest of the series after episode 2 did follow a similar format to WandaVision, where each episode was a new setting with new costumes, but unlike WandaVision I felt like that gimmick never overstayed it's welcome. In WandaVision, the new TV show thing became repetitive about halfway through the series, but I stayed for the plot nuggets that dropped along the way. For 'Agatha', while each episode was a new "locked room" type experience, I think having the ensemble cast helped keep it fresh. Each character got focus, the story unfolded naturally, plot points were revealed throughout the episode rather than teased as a way to come back for the next episode, and the stakes seemed to get higher with each new trial. Basically, each episode was a self-contained story while also being part of a larger series arc. Series Writing 101. Thankfully, someone at Disney/Marvel finally understood the assignment.

I loved all the different characters in this series--the coven--and I was sad when most them didn't make it. So even despite each episode having some sort of themed gimmick it never felt like it was doing stuff for the sake of the gimmick or fan service, not to mention the big reveal in the last two episodes about the Witches' Road. Again, hats off to the writers for Keyser Söze-ing us (IYKYK) while also showing how myths, legends, or lore can form over time from the simplest of stories told around a campfire (or a fun little song between mother and son). And yeah, that song is catch as hell. Unfortunately, I'm also not someone who can memorize song lyrics, so it's just, "down, down, down the road. Down the witches' road." on repeat in my head. Thanks, Agatha.

Also, I'm glad Disney/Marvel committed to the LGBTQ+ representation on-screen. I know it's not the first instance, but the studio has gotten it's criticism in the past for queerbaiting. After all, Deadpool is on the app now so there's no going back. Plus, if you didn't know Agatha and Rio/Death had a past in episode 1, I don't know what to tell ya. I'm a cishet dude and I got it. Then again, Aubrey Plaza is always a good casting if you need an actress who looks like they might want to kill you, fuck you, or do both. And I mean that in the most complimentary way to Ms. Plaza. Hahn also did great and it was fun seeing her really chew the scenery as Agatha, while also knowing when to dial it back to let the other actors shine. Again, a great ensemble (Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, and Patti LuPone. Not to mention Debra Jo Rupp--poor Mrs. Hart).

Overall, I enjoyed this show. It was a perfect watch for spooky season. It was fun, heartfelt, and I enjoyed the whole cast. I know there are those who probably have deeper analysis/critique regarding witch and/or wiccan lore, magic, tarot, and the different trials each character faced in this series, so I hope you find those posts as well. I know I'll be interested in reading them as they pop up.

[ravarui]

Lore/Biography for Ainsley (Mother of Shanks)

Basic information:

Name: Ainsley Alias: The Green Witch, The Witch of the Sirona Isles Gender: Female Age: 31 (when Shanks was born) 40 (Time of her death) Place of birth: West Blue, Sirona Isles Occupation: Herbalist/Alchemist Hair Colour: Red Appearance/FC: Kathryn Hahn

Born on the Sirona Isles, Ainsley learned the craft of herbalism from her own mother. The shop she later owns on the island was something she inherited from her parents.

While a quick learner and invested in the studies of her craft, she also always wanted to know more about the history of their island, given how the waters of the Sirona Isles indeed have healing powers. Powers that be amplified if used and applied correctly. Especially for plants, the waters have proofed to be perfect. They enhance the growth as well as their natural effects.

Personality wise Ainsley had always been curious, but she also had a tendency to be overdramatic and be petty. Traits that tend to show in her mannerism, as well as her facial expressions and the way she moves. If angered she tended to make bad decisions, not focusing on the best way to solve a problem, but rather the pettiest.

With twenty-two she took over the small herbal shop of her parents. Her knowledge in regards to plants, potions and alchemy in general quiet extensive at this point, earning herself the nicknames "The green witch" and "Witch of the Sirona Isles" a few years later.

While most residents of the islands were greatful for the shop and went to her for all kinds of tinctures and salves, as well as medical help, they were also wary of her. Knowing how petty she could be and doing their best to not anger her. They had seen first hand what she did to those who earned themselves her wrath.

Ainsley always had bad luck when it came to men and picking a partner. It had become so bad that she had debated on only seeing women from then on and ignoring men entirely, except for business. That was until she met the man who would later on turn out to be Shanks father.

Things were fine for a short while and she felt herself falling in love with him. Until one day he didn't came back anymore. Leaving her alone and pregnant, while he continued on life carefree and without acknowledging the little family he had left behind on the Sirona Isles.

Ainsley swore to herself that day to never love a man again and should she ever cross path with him again she would make sure he would know why people referred to her as the green witch and did their best to not anger her.

With Shanks being born life turned quiet troublesome. While she loved her son, he had always had been a handful and she had a hard time keeping him from getting into all kinds of plants and ruining her work on accident.

As her son grew up, she did try to teach him the basics of reading, writing and math, as well as the effects of various plants. A tedious task, given Shanks did his best to avoid any kind of lessons, deeming them boring and not interested in plants at all. He preferred adventures and tales about pirates, the sea and treasures.

If Ainsley would still be alive, she would highly disapprove of her sons "career choice". While it had been clear to her that, even if she wished he would, he would never take over the herbal shop and sooner or later wish to go out at sea, she wished he would've at least became a marine or maybe a merchant, but not a pirate.

While not interested in the craft of alchemy/herbalism, Shanks did enjoy a certain song his mother tended to sing/hum. A song Ainsley learned from her own mother and goes the following:

(Listen to this for the melody)

The Witches Road (rewritten by Akki)

Verse 1

Seek ye out the road where shadowed whispers dwell, Summon forth the powers, bound by rune and spell. Oldes fire, dark desire, woven long ago, Breath and bind with heart alinged and watch the magic grow.

Chorus

Down, down, down the road, Down the witches' road. [ 3x ] Lines of fate entwine, Unlock the ancient sign.

Verse 2

Through the hidden forest, under moon's full glow, I stray not from the path, with secrets none may know. Ancient light, lend me sight, and shadows by my side If one should fall, I heed the call, with fire as my guide.

Chorus

Down, down, down the road Down the witches road [ 3x ] Rite of flesh and bone, Seeker, keeper, crone

Verse 3

The road is dark and winding, hidden in the trees, Where all that's wrong is right and all that's bad is good Through twisted trails, where secrets wail, we walk the shadowed code Cast off fear, a door appears, to lead us down the road

Chorus

Down, down, down Down the witches road [ 3x ] Journey deep within, Where mystery begins

[divinemissem13]

30 Days of Prodigy - Day 30: Boldly Go

On the bridge of the USS Voyager-A, Commander Tysess stood to attention as the turbolift doors slid open to reveal the ship’s commanding officer. 

“Vice Admiral on the bridge!” he announced, prompting the other officers on the bridge to stop their work and follow suit. 

Kathryn Janeway nodded to her crew as she emerged onto the bridge. “Thank you, Commander, as you were,” she ordered and the bridge immediately became a hive of activity once again. Kathryn loved this part of a mission - the buzz of excitement as everyone went through their final preparations for launch, the anticipation of what would come next, and welcoming her carefully selected crew to their new home. She began her tour of the bridge at the Ops station, just to the left of the ‘lift. 

“Ensign Icheb,” she said warmly, placing a hand on the ex-borg’s shoulder, “it’s good to see you. Welcome aboard.”

Despite the years of history between them - or perhaps because of them -  the young ensign was determined to display the utmost professionalism and so he nodded sharply and replied, “Thank you, Admiral, glad to be here,” and then returned to analyzing the status readings on his screen. “Everything appears on track for an on time launch,” he added. 

One last pat on the shoulder and Kathryn was moving along to greet the rest of the crew. The bridge was a bit more crowded than usual, due to the presence of a large number of trainees who would be joining this mission. She had requested several jump seats be installed along the back wall of the bridge to accommodate observers and she stopped there now to welcome her warrant officers aboard. 

“Well, are you ready for your first official Starfleet mission?” she asked them. 

They all answered at once, their voices overlapping gleefully: 

“Yes, Admiral.” 

“Ready, Admiral!”

“Yes, Vice Admiral Janeway.” 

“Jankom Pog is ready… er, yes, Admiral.” 

and of course, a few chirps from Murf. 

She smiled at the ragtag group, despite herself. They may not be Starfleet officers - yet - but what they lacked in official knowledge and experience, they more than made up for in enthusiasm.

Kathryn continued on her tour, freely offering welcoming smiles to crew members old and new.

She even afforded a tight-lipped smile at her new head of security, the only member of the crew that she had not hand-picked for this mission. Commander La’an Noonien-Singh seemed extremely competent, if a bit cold. But Janeway still resented the fact that Temporal Investigations had seen fit to place one of their own on her bridge. Even if they were going to be dealing with time travel on this mission. And even if she did have a bit of a reputation where such things were concerned.

Finally, Kathryn reached her command chair. She lowered herself down reverently and ran her hands over the arms of the chair before allowing herself to relax into the backrest and cross one knee over the other. 

Commander Tysess stood to the left of her with his hands behind his back and she gestured for him to begin systems checks. (The one thing she really didn’t like about this new class of ships was the fact that the command chair sat all alone in the middle of the bridge. She missed being able to lean over and share the odd observation with her first officer at any time.)

As each station reported in, Kathryn gripped the arms of her chair, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Here we go again, she thought. She opened her eyes and looked towards the tall blond pilot sitting at the conn. “Mr. Paris, is the course laid in?” He was the best pilot she knew, and after her last helmsman turned out to be an undercover saboteur, Kathryn was doubly glad to have Tom Paris at the helm of her ship now.

“Yes ma’am,” he drawled with a cheeky smile. 

“Let’s do it.”

[stitching-in-time]

Voyager rewatch s3 ep19: Rise

I'll be real honest, I find this one super boring. I almost fell asleep twice attempting to watch this. I'm not a fan of putting Neelix and Tuvok together, because their interactions always go the exact same way during the entire run of the show, and at this point it's a broken record that I don't have the patience for any more.

I did not care even a little bit about any of the dull guest characters, and considering the space elevator thing they were on for most of the episode is one of those 'closed room with handful of characters' settiings that depend on interesting character dynamics for the dramatic tension, that's not good. The visual effects were not the greatest either- I'm usually able to cut some slack to older shows and be willing to appreciate what they could do with the technology of the time, but this is just so obviously a green screen, and it looks really fake. It took me further out of a story I wasn't interested in in the first place.

There was a nice moment with Neelix talking to the alien woman and deciding to name the elevator ship thing after his sister, but they could have dropped some talk of his family into any other episode just as easily.

The main problem was Tuvok and Neelix arguing constantly. They made Tuvok unnecessarily harsh toward Neelix just so Neelix could stand up to him without it seeming like he was the jerk this time, because usually it is Neelix being rude and refusing to leave Tuvok alone. Either way, it's just unpleasant, and always ends with Tuvok grudgingly admitting that Neelix isn't that bad. But it never resolves, because Neelix never gets over his obsession with wanting Tuvok to adore him and be his best friend, which he never will. It's so frustrating and drives me crazy, because the idea that you can pester anyone into loving you, whether romantically or platonically, is just bad. Being able to take no for an answer and walk away from someone who's made it clear they aren't interested, on numerous occassions, is just part of life, and being a grown up. But Neelix never learns this, and the writers always treat it like it's cute and funny, rather than immature and obnoxious.

In this particular instance, Neelix actually did lie about how much experience and expertise he had, and Tuvok is justified in being upset with him when their survival depends on that specialized knowledge. The fact that Neelix doesn't see why shit like that would make Tuvok less inclined to trust him is part of the problem. Neelix's intuition saves the day over Tuvok's logic this time, but it not like that's some sort of great lesson Tuvok needed to learn. Tuvok, who's best friends with Kathryn Janeway, absolutely knows that sometimes someone's gut feeling can be right, since he's followed Janeway's instincts on more than one occasion. The difference is that Janeway earned his trust through years of working together, while Neelix started off trying to impress Tuvok and make him like him from day one.

Tl;dr: A boring episode with bad visual effects that doesn't deepen or add anything important to Tuvok and Neelix's relationship, despite spending most of their screen time arguing with each other. Entirely skippable.

[mommy-milkers69]

Orphan Tears

Genshin Sagau Part one. Part 2 coming soon! ...

You don’t know how far deep into the forest you ran, but you no longer recognize where you are. There are plants surrounding you on all sides, some of which you recognize and others you do not. You fall to the ground, painting for your breath.

The sky had already gotten dark, and stars were now showing in the sky. Without all the light pollution the night sky is beautiful and if it were any other day you would’ve stopped to look at it.

But right now, you had a lot of things on your mind and didn’t even give it a glance.

As you inhaled and took a second to reminisce on all the things that have happened. I just.. Don’t understand. It all happened too fast for me to comprehend.

The last thing you remember before appearing in Teyvat, was playing your favorite game, Genshin Impact.

…

I groggily rubbed my eyes trying to clear the sleepiness from them. The sun that gazed upon me made it easier to wake myself up. For some reason it was brighter than it usually was when the blinds were closed.

I got up from my laid position and stretched my arms out. I needed to get the stiffness out of my back from laying on the ground for so long.

Wait-. Ground!? That certainly got me awake.

Why am I sleeping on the ground? Where the hell is my bed? I looked around and saw that all around was not the fluffy, comfortable sheets that I’m used to, but grass.

It was warmed by the sun’s rays and was very comfortable, but that’s besides the point.

How did I even get here? I know I would not willingly sleep outside.

Did it finally happen? Did my parents kick me out?

But.. Where am I?

There was so many questions but so little answers.

I got up and dusted the back of my shirt. I should find some people so they can help me. They can tell me where I am.

Farther from where I was standing there is a dirt trail. I could probably follow that to civilization.

I started following the path. It did cross my mind that I could've been kidnapped. But I don’t understand why they would just leave me in the middle of nowhere. Maybe that’s what they do so people can go missing. I hope that’s not the case and I'm not far from home.

..Is that.?

On the ground, there was a wild flower that unmistakably looked like Lamp Grass from Genshin. But.. That can’t be right. Last time I checked there was no such thing in my world. I’m definitely seeing things.

I’m probably hallucinating from fear but don’t realize it..Maybe I’m in shock?

I just shook it off and continued on my walk. It didn’t take long until I saw a huge city that had windmills. It looked a lot like Mondstadt. The resemblance was uncanny.

This is kind of weird.. This is definitely not Mondstadt! It couldn’t be, it’s not real! Hehe, yeah..

I near the bridge that leads to the entrance of the city. There are pigeons crowding around one area where a little boy is watching them.

Timmy!?

That can’t be possible.

I avoid the birds by walking around them on one side, they just move away from me and luckily don’t fly away. I don’t want ‘Timmy’ yelling at me right now.

If it really is Timmy.

I walk pass the guards and they don’t stop me or anything they just give me weird looks.

I thought that they would stop me and ask who I am, like Amber did with Traveler in the beginning but this makes it easier. Although it is weird..

There isn’t as much people out and about as I thought there would be, but oh well.

Usually, If this happened I would be ecstatic, but right now I'm just downright confused.

This feels like a dream and I have no idea how to feel about this..

Kathryn waves to me from where she’s standing at the adventures guild.

I smile and wave back at her. I feel a kind gust of wind breeze past me.

Everything finally hits me all at once.

I’m in Genshin Impact.. I’m actually in Genshin! This is supposed to be impossible but I’m here! It’s like a dream come true! I’m so excited!

I can meet all of my fav characters! I wonder where the traveler is right now? And if it’s Lumine or Aether!

You know what? I’m going to go to the Plaza to see Venti’s statue. It probably is bigger and looks more detailed than in the game.

I start going up the steps.

When I finally got to the top, I realized to things. One, I need way more exercise, and two, I completely underestimated how huge this thing would be. It looks amazing though and if I had my phone I would definitely take pictures.

I’m so sad I don’t have my phone. I checked earlier and it’s nowhere to be seen. Sad.

“Hey!”

I hear shouting to the left of me and I see a couple of guards carrying there weapons up the stairs.

A few citizen bystanders are following behind them and I realize that there are more people out than when I first got here.

“You are under arrest for impersonating the divine creator. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law!”

What? Are they talking to me? Why am I getting arrested!?

“What!? What did I do?” I voiced my question out loud. The guards look at me with anger and some of the people that surrounded us look at me with disappointment.

Huh? I’m so confused once again. Then the guard starts speaking again, “Now you pretend to be clueless of this huge offense!”

“This is preposterous! Get them and lock them up. We will let the higher ups decide on what your punishment will be.”

They suddenly charged at me with their weapons raised.

Seeing this, I quickly made a run for the stairs and started climbing down them as fast as I could, but I was also careful to not fall.

They seem to be catching up quickly, but I’m honestly not surprised. I got tired just walking up them.

They also have been in this city longer than me, probably their whole lives.

They got closer and closer. I do not want to find out what would happen if they were to catch me.

It seemed like there was only one other option.

I run over to the ledge of the stairs and without looking down, I jump.

I felt my stomach float up to my chest and my breath caught in my throat.

I knew if I looked down before I jumped, I would’ve hesitated and may have not jumped at all.

But now I have to look down to see where I’m going to land.

The ground approaches at a high speed. It looks like I’m going to hit the concrete.

Hopefully I’ll only break a bone or two at most. I know that I’m going to break something since I dropped from an extremely high height.

I close my eyes shut as if it would numb the pain, as the ground reaches close.

I fall onto something and I don’t hear the expected crack of bones breaking. It sort of felt like a mushroom, but whatever it was boosted me further away from the beginning of the stairs at a fast pace, past the fountain, closer to one of the side exits. Somehow I landed on my feet. Not giving it a second thought, I ran away from Mondstadt through the side entrance.

…

The news of an imposter that bore the face of the creator spread like wildfire across the whole of Teyvat. Many important figures, including the archons, caught wind of this fake, and search parties sent out on missions find them.

They would not take any person disrespecting their lovely Creator’s name. They hope that catching this person will make their Grace proud of them.

The branded ‘Imposter’ was on the run for over a few days. At least, what they thought was days.

They wouldn’t know, there perception of time is messed up. The days seemed to be going quicker than they usually would back at their world.

They drank water from any source that was available to them, like ponds, lakes, or even potholes in the dirt that contained water. They ate food from the trees or plants they recognized as edible. As well as stealing from the hilichurls when they weren’t paying attention.

They took big risks so that they wouldn’t have to starve.

Going through many different regions trying to find a peaceful please that they can stay without worrying about the possibility of death looming over them as they sleep.

…

I sat on the floor and deeply breathed in and out repeatedly. Trying to calm my beating heart, not sure if it was from being on the run or from the actual running.

I think back to all the characters that looked at me with either disgust, anger, or disappointment, there was no other emotions shown other than those three unless they were accompanied by pity.

Some probably thought that I should just accept death.

That’s what awaited me if i ever got caught by any of them. I won’t let that happen though.

It broke my heart seeing all my beautiful, lovely characters look at me in that way when, to me, I’ve spent long hours and nights with them. I watched them all grow and get stronger.

I would even say that I felt a connection with them. I thought that they would understand me as I understand them.

It may have just been me though, they don’t even know me, although I know all their pasts and backstories.

Even though I felt hurt thinking of the way they treated me and how they feel about me, I could never bring myself to hate them.

I don’t know the reason why they feel that way about me, and why I’m labeled an imposter, but whatever the reason was that they had to treat me so badly, I probably deserve it.

Most of the characters are kind and whatever I did to make them so upset with me must’ve been horrible.

I wasn’t too deep into my thoughts, so I noticed when small yellow dots started to appear in my vision. They looked like fireflies so I didn’t think much of it, since it is night time after all.

But when one of them touched my leg, it didn’t feel or look like a firefly at all.

It was a literal yellow ball, that was extremely fluffy.

…What the hell?

I definitely must hallucinating. That doesn't make any sense, maybe the chase finally got to me. I don’t remember any creatures that looked like this.

When the trees around me started to feel like they were closing in, that’s when I decided that it was time for me to rest my eyes, for the good of my health.

…

[havenbsinclair]

Below the cut is a description of the night, the party, and basically how it all played out. There are spoilers, as well as a link to the full solution/scenario I used for the inspo of Haven's party, so please read with caution. (There will be a note at the beginning of the paragraph that starts to reveal the answers.)

Note: The characters tagged in this post were not the only people invited to the party. These are just simply the characters of the people that reacted to my post on the discord, which is what I based this summary off of. If you are not someone tagged below and you wanted your character to be there, we'll say they were one of the non-role-playing detectives as listed on the instruction sheet that I used.

In true Haven fashion, the guests arrived at Haven’s house close to 6PM - with the exception of the few that came early to help set up - and where probably not surprised to see the decorations that filled her house. Sure, she could blame the fact that she had an eleven year old at home who was just as obsessed with spooky things as his mother, but, in all honesty most of this was for her party guests. Decorations filled the kitchen and living room mostly, but she’d tried hard not to take away from the snacks and drinks - especially the margarita bar she had placed strategically in the kitchen. It was a lot of work,  but Haven enjoyed this type of thing. 

[This is where I start talking about the party so if you don’t want things spoiled for you, please don’t read ahead.] 

ROUND ONE

As the guests began to arrive and Haven had given them the opportunity to enjoy some treats, she handed out name tags to each guest - all which were selected at random - and instructed they’d be on teams seeing as how there were only 6 suspects and more than that attending her party. Along with the name tags, guests were handed character dossier’s - which they were instructed to remain closed until further told to read -  as well as some business cards with the character’s description on them. The groups went as followed: 

Penelope Ruiz, Orion Blakely, and Ann-Marie Siegert were working together as Dr. Chelsea Barren; the neighbor. @nelxruiz @orionxblakely @ann-marieseigert

Genevieve Hernandez, Stevie Wagner and Apollo Williams were working together as Kathryn Lawless; the friend. @genhernandez @steviexwagner @counselorapollo

Summer Cassidy, River Jackson, and Ali Webster were working together as Enrique Graves; The Farmhand. @summercassidy @riverxjackson @alitwebster

Beyza Senkan and Aindreis Blythe were working together as Michael Nightshade; the land developer. @beyzaxsenkan @aindreisblythe

Julian Heywood, Brady Levitt, and Amerie Chen were working together as Norman D’Adly; the brother in law. @julianxheywood @ameriechen @bradylevitt

And the last group to be assembled was Amayah Fontenelle and Nora Sinclair who were working together as Vicki D’Adly; the sister. @amayahxfontenelle @norasinclair

Once all groups were formed, groups were instructed to flip to their character dossiers (pages 29, 36, 43, 50, 57 & 64) and read only the scenario and who you are sections aloud. You all took turns doing so, starting with Chelsea and ending with Vicki. It is revealed with Michael’s info that a map has been sketched out, and now everyone knows the general layout of the property. To complete Round One, Haven read the scenario aloud, before giving further instructions. “One year ago, Robert Killingsworth bought the farm. Six months later, he was dead - leaving his widow Elizabeth to tend to their fledgling vineyard and winery on the outskirts of California’s wine country. With mounting debts and no idea how to run a  business, Elizabeth is desperate to sell the farm and recoup her losses. The fierce drought and shaky economy, however, have left Killingsworth Farm on the market for far too long. One early autumn day, six people passed through the gates of Killingsworth Farm to see Elizabeth.. One of them, a cold-blooded Killer.” 

Round Two

Once the pages were turned, you all were instructed to read the section titled “The Scenario” aloud, in the same order as before. It is at this time that guests were allowed to begin questioning each other, and Haven suggested that you all take notes so that you could help yourselves figure out who committed the crime. It was revealed when Norman announced they had gone into the bedroom in search of Elizabeth, they found a shrine of Elizabeth’s late husband, and one article caught their attention, revealing the newspaper article that revealed the cash reward which rose the question: who would need enough money to find out the answer, or come forward? Some questions were asked, while everyone made notes and Enrique’s team was challenged by Chelsea’s team when it was revealed that she’d seen him there a lot but he wasn’t checking anything out. Enrique’s team revealed that they were getting Kathryn’s help with homework, and that’s why they were there so much recently. 

Round Three

Haven instructed you all to turn the page and begin reading “The Scenario” aloud, just as before. Questions continue to arise after all things have been read. Michael’s team asked Enrique’s team who the woman was that joined him in the cellar, but it is later understood that it is Chelsea, and that the two were sleeping together. Though, that doesn’t stop Chelsea’s team from noticing that Enrique’s team helped the D’Adly’s with their luggage and noticed the boxes, causing Vicki to reveal that they are staying in their RV and sold their house because of Norman’s debts. It is not revealed that Enrique has a hand written note from Kathryn by a Samuel Friedmont. 

Round Four 

Now onto the fourth round of the game, Haven instructs that you follow the same instructions as before, and to really start to pay attention to what is being told because you are that much closer to finding the answer to the murder. It is revealed during this round that Chelsea saw Vicki head to the wine vault, Enrique was heading to the wine vault with Michael at 5:30PM, Kathryn found a note next to Elizabeth’s body, and Michael revealed he was drinking with Elizabeth when the lights went out in the wine vault. Finally, Norman overheard Michael call Kathryn ‘Aunt Kathryn’ and saw them together in the car, which had Norman’s team questioning it, where he revealed that Kathryn told him to hold onto sleeping pills, and revealed that if Elizabeth wouldn’t sell him the farm, he was to use it. Vicki was caught guard a little when her conversation with Kathryn resulted in a sly grin, and Kathryn’s team had to reveal that she had quit her job at the library that day to pursue Hollywood. 

Round Five 

With the guests in full sleuth mode, things keep progressing quickly. It is revealed in this round that Chelsea’s team had showed the paper that Enrique lost to Elizabeth. Enrique’s team revealed that the day that Robert was killed, Chelsea had had lunch with him and begged him to see her the next day; Robert used the term ‘over my dead body’ would she be allowed on his property again. Kathryn notices that one of the candlesticks in Elizabeth’s study is identical to one that Enrique gifted her months ago. Michael revealed that the handwriting on the bottom of the Samuel Friedmont note from the library is the same as the handwriting on Elizabeth’s suicide note. Norman reveals that he heard Elizabeth and Dr. Chelsea arguing earlier in the day about Robert’s killer, but Elizabeth wanted no part of it, and lastly, Vicki reveals that she saw the empty bottle of sleeping pills next to a corkscrew with the engraving To Elizabeth, I will always love you. Cheers to a new life together.” Questions begin flying as the teams began to figure out who did it, as more and more things are revealed. Once ready, the group opened up to pages 34-69 of their character dossier’s to reveal the answer to the murder. 

Round Six (The Conclusion)

The code words were assigned to each group and one person from each group read allowed the confession statements in order: Kathryn (Mystery), Michael (Mayhem), Chelsea (Murder), Enrique (Malice), Vicki (Mastermind), Norman (Madness). 

Kathryn started off by stating that she was innocent, and that only people that had been in the Rose Garden that afternoon could have access to the murder weapon (a corkscrew which was gifted to Elizabeth by Norman. 

Michael confessed that he was in the Rose Garden, but that he did not pick up the corkscrew, and that his mind was elsewhere because his aunt Kathryn wasn’t the best friend to Elizabeth that she made everyone believe. He stated that Kathryn was trying to inherit the farm through Elizabeth’s death, and that he was no part of the picture anymore; though he did try to kill her, but someone else got to her first. 

Chelsea revealed that she’d been sleeping with Enrique for inside information on Robert’s killer as the two of them (Chelsea and Robert) were having an affair. She struck gold to who really killed Robert - she thought it had been Elizabeth for the life insurance all along - but Elizabeth was having no part of figuring out who it was. 

Enrique revealed that he was the one that killed Robert with a candlestick blow to the head when he tried to have Enrique arrested after his past with drugs came back to surface. He was unconscious at the time of Elizabeth’s death and said ‘his word’ says he wasn’t the one that killed her. The group didn’t hesitate to give him side eyes though (they still aren’t convinced that he’s telling the truth)

Vicki revealed that she had the motive to kill her sister as she was trying to get money to move to Hollywood, and she was tired of being married; she also mentioned that her husband Norman wanted to be part of Elizabeth’s life again. She says she didn’t do it though, that she realized it would be easier to divorce Norman first, and that she’s certain Chelsea was spying on her and can vouch that she is innocent. 

Norman revealed that he saw Enrique and Vicki kissing from the Rose Garden and was so enraged he acted on it; so he flipped on the electricity, shocking Enrique and causing the lights to go out. Because of this, when he picked up the corkscrew moments prior, he used it as the murder weapon, only to realize when everyone was gathered in the Farmhouse that his eyes had deceived him, and that when he thought he had killed his wife in rage, he’d actually killed Elizabeth, his wife’s sister and the only woman he’s ever loved. I guess practically marrying wife’s twin doesn’t pay off after all, does it Norman?

With the reveal, which had been mentioned as the potential outcome by Enrique’s team, the party ended with drinks, snacks and talking. It was overall a great night, and Haven’s already talking about how she can host an even better party next year. 

Teams, who ‘figured out the answer’ and anything that required a selection was done so via random wheel. I did not personally select anything myself. 

[ricardian-werewolf]

A princess lost to the sands of time.

This post is purely indulgent about my whole-cloth original character, Cecily-Anne Plantagenet, daughter of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and Anne Neville, Duchess of Gloucester.

(Cecily-Anne, played by Kate Beckinsale in Cold Comfort Farm) Born in 1473, the twin of Edward of Middleham, Cecily's early childhood was a remarkably undisturbed and peaceful one. She grew up in Middleham for a large portion of her childhood, and was raised similar to her mother, Anne Neville, was. Baptised a few days after her birth for her nameday, She was christened Cecily-Anne, for her maternal and paternal grandmothers, Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, and Anne for Anne's own mother of Anne Beauchamp. Cecily-Anne became especially close to her half sister Kathryn, who was roughly a year or two her senior, and their similarities in dress and style proved sometimes difficult for their head nursemaid, Mistress Burgh, to figure out who was who! When Richard took the throne in 1483, things changed rapidly. Unlike Edward, who did not attend the coronation, Cecily did, and sat amongst the audience. Due to the fact that the Princess of Wales is only a marital title, she was simply known formally as Princess Cecily-Anne.

Edward's death in early 1484 rocked the Gloucester household to its core, and Cecily, like her mother, grew ill with grief, which only worsened with the death of Anne Neville in 1485. Cecily, just months shy of her 12th birthday, followed her father to Bosworth field - something that is wholly historically inaccurate but relevant thematically for what comes after. The Historical record the tudors wrote in the wake of Redmore Plain/Bosworth Field, claims that Cecily was taken under Tudor custody, died in captivity in the tower and her name was written from the Plantagenet history like her parents and siblings. What actually follows this is of my own idea: Kim Newman (of Anno Dracula) put forth the idea of Richard III as a vampire - why not, the biggest villain in all of English literary canon as a bloodsucking monster? the Tudor propaganda machine would have a field day.

I didn't buy it. I wanted to honor what Richard really was at his core and would have done if offered vampirism not from a mercenary choosing to fight alongside him at Bosworth - which alongside the whole idea of Richard as a bloodsucking monster, lends credence to the argument of "my kingdom for a horse." Richard, the coward. Instead, I made Anne Neville the vampiric parasite of a stripe that can be traced to tuberculosis, which in historical records across Europe and America, was linked to vampiric scares. And in a Pre-protestant reformation world, as well as the dissolution, Catholicism and vampirism would not be well-entwined at all. Richard, at Bosworth, died with the vampiric infection in his blood, harbored for months from when Anne was still alive, and at the point which he laid with her in the months prior to his discovery of her illness. Edward's appendicitis was also dead with the vampiric blood of his mother in his system, a reclusive part of his DNA that went from dormant to active as he died. Cecily did not die with the vampiric blood in her system - she was turned by Richard in 1491, after he, Anne, Edward and Cecily had fled to Margaret's court at Burgundy, which gave them open sanctuary from the maelstrom of Tudor's breakdown of all things related to Richard's reign. Johnny and Kathryn came to Burgundy along with George of Clarence's children, who were kept safe under Richard's careful watch. From there, Cecily and her family played a waiting game that lasted from 1485 until 1838, when in this universe, an england reigned by Queen Victoria and her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, set their sights on the elder princess, and Melbourne moved to seize her as a bargaining chip to disrupt Richard's laid plans of a Plantagenet overthrow. She has not been seen or heard from since. Her parents still hold out hope that this is just a temporary kidnapping, but if Lord Melbourne is the one behind it, then hope is a thing loath to be spare.

[the-lady-general]

Every time I remember Supernova Part II my EYES are rolling so hard I have to pick them up from THE FLOOR. "What is it now, the lady general." I'm grumpy about how Paramount are treating Prodigy, so I'm finally posting a rant I've been brooding on since January, that's what.

Behold this paragraph from Memory Alpha:

In 2384, Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway took on Dal R'El, Jankom Pog, Rok-Tahk, Murf, and Zero under her wing as warrant officers in training, as a compromise, due to Starfleet Justices refusal to let them formally enroll into Starfleet Academy as they felt it was unfair to the Federation citizens already on the waiting list. (PRO: "Supernova, Part 2")

They're minors.

Does Starfleet not have a cadet programme for minors.

Does it *have* to be Starfleet Academy or are protagonists too good for enlisting.

Can they not apply through the usual channels. Are protagonists too good for waiting lists.

Is this criminal court responsible for Starfleet Academy admissions.

Is that not in fact a problem for the admissions board, which can then decide what to do with these children's now existent criminal records.

At least one of them is a citizen of a UFP member world.

What is their citizenship status anyway.

Does anyone give a fuck that these minors are victims of sentient trafficking and forced labour.

What the FUCK are interstellar salvage laws like that the kids are accused of theft *for bringing the Protostar back to Earth*. That's the *opposite* of theft.

On what bloody grounds are they accused, judged, and defended by Starfleet in a court martial. Is that not a massive conflict of interests.

These guys have been shitting in a bucket for 4-6 weeks, how *dare* Starfleet put them on trial without giving them time to see a counsellor.

Can the right honourable judges please point to the investigation over whether or not the Protostar was stolen and if so by who. Can the right honourable judges please point to the outcome of the investigation where it says whether a crime has been committed and if so by who. No? That's what I fucking thought.

All I'm saying is if they don't put Chakotay on trial for gross negligence or whatever before letting him like get a change of clothes and some counselling like he deserves, I'm going to cause public disorder outside Starfleet HQ for the blatant favouritism.

THESE ARE CIVILIAN REFUGEE CHILDREN OH MY GOD WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITHOUT PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATION

Janeway is not proper legal representation (I love her but there are trained and experienced specialists for this kind of thing) WTF DID I JUST SAY ABOUT A CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

Is Tellar just going to accept that Starfleet put one of their citizens on trial with no time for a proper investigation into the alleged crime, no proper legal counsel, no time to follow procedures for asylum seekers/temporally displaced persons/trafficking victims/orphaned minors.

Speaking of Jankom: How come he can be put on trial with his crusty old DIY cybernetics? Is the multi-mitt safe? Is Zero's containment suit going to fail mid-trial and kill whatever braincells remain in the Starfleet judges? Did Gwyn fully recover from her amnesia? Is Dal's genome stable? Is Murf capable of following the trial and can the court understand his testimony? Did the forced hard labour disabled kids get medical attention at all before being marched into this farce? Does anybody know?

Speaking of farces: Does anybody care about the breach of the Romulan Neutral Zone? The Romulans maybe? Is there a Romulan diplomat who cares about that? No?

Speaking of unlikely stories: Are there witnesses? Like, ANY witnesses? Janeway? The legal defence of the accused is the only witness the court has bothered to invite? Nobody else? The Romulan delegation that had two people killed by the accused? The Kazons that had two people killed by the accused? The slavers that abducted Zero? The survivors from Jankom's sleeper ship? The Enterprizians that had their planet polluted for over a century by Starfleet?

Are they going to put the Enterprizians on trial for stealing the Galileo?

WHYEVER NOT?! MAKES AS MUCH SENSE AS ACCUSING THE KIDS OF STEALING THE PROTOSTAR DOESN'T IT?! SPOCK'S ALIVE SURELY THEY COULD PIN THE SLOW AND EXCRUCIATING DEATH BY WARP PLASMA/DILITHIUM RADIATION OF A BUNCH OF ENTERPRIZIANS ON SPOCK BEFORE REMEMBERING HE HAS DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY AFTER TWO MINUTES OF JOKINGLY INSULTING HIM IN COURT. DOES THAT SOUND FUN? DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A GOOD EPISODE? MUCH TENSION. SUCH CHEAP. VERY WOW.

This ethics problem is about to become an engineering problem right bloody fast as I'm pelting the idiots at Starfleet's JAG office with hammers.

[okilokiwithpurpose]

9 books

Thank you @cha-melodius for tagging me 💗

Here come 9 books (among so many) I really like. I now realise I probably wrote too long comments about them. Sorry for that!

The Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb (as well as the following series, including the Liveship Traders and the Realm of the Elderlings) It took my sister months to convince me to start reading this series (not that I wasn't interested, but it represents a big chunk of reading and therefore a big commitment) but, well, it was definitely worth it! Love the worldbuilding, the different sorts of magic, the different cultures... And yes, even if he sometimes makes the dumbest decisions, I do like Fitz a lot too!

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie I love whodunit mysteries! I could basically have chosen any other of Hercule Poirot's many investigations. In this one, he reinvestigates a murder that was supposedly solved 16 years ago. All he has to work with are the accounts of the five main witnesses... who of course each tell him their personal version of the story!

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton A whodunit mystery in an old English manor with a side dish of time loop... I was expecting to like this book but I ended up loving it (and kind of made all of my family read it).

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke I'm not sure how to describe this book. It is fantasy, yes but there's something strangely eatheral, atmospheric about it. The poetry of Piranesi's house itself, with its endless corridors, it's statues and the tides... and the mystery surrounding the "other"... Loved it a lot!

The Time Patrol Series by Poul Anderson Yay for a bit of sci fi! Time patrollers are appointed to protect the course of history (and thus preserving a future in which men's far fetched descendants can create the Time Patrol!). It may remember something to my fellow Loki fans (watching Loki s1 sure made my mind race back to the Time Patrol). Though here, there are no time branches, and most missions consist in stopping other time travellers from making a mess. The first novels date back to the 60s and, though it aged a bit, the worldbuilding is nice, the stories play nicely with the possibilities of time travel and you can feel the author made research about the (past) periods we visit.

Brutus: The Noble Conspirator by Kathryn Tempest This one is a biography (well, as much of a biography it is possible to make using the scarce and often biased ancient sources available, as the author explains very well). I have a thing for history and the end of the Roman Republic is such an interesting period to read about - such his the figure of Brutus (yes, that Brutus) who doesn't always get a lot of attention! (also, I happen to have bought that book in the Coliseum's bookshop during that trip to Rome I had wanted to do for almost 15 years!!)

L'Eau des collines [The Water of the Hills] by Marcel Pagnol I had to read the first novel ("Jean de Florette") for school as a teenager and, well, I used to dislike compulsory readings out of principle and was not sure the story would passionate me anyway (it is about Jean, a clerk who inherits a farm and decides to start a new life there, while the locals keep seeing him as "a stranger from the city"). And yet, once I finished it, I had to go on and read the second novel ("Manon des Sources", about Jean's daughter).

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles First, I loved the cover (the one with lovely plant and animal illustrations), then I loved the book! What's not to love about a stiff barronet and a chief smuggler falling in love (after having been sex buddies) in the early 1800s? Somehow, it gave me some warm and cosy feelings - and I learned a few things about gold trafficking during the Napoleonic wars too...

The Scholomance Series by Naomi Novik Ok, I only recently finished the first book in this series ("A Deadly Education") but...I am in love?! The Scholomance is a magical school build to protect young wizards from all the lovely creatures who want to devour them. There are no teachers, no holidays, barley any contacts with the outside world - which doesn't prevent a few hungry creatures from getting in, and every students know better than to let their guard down... ok, my summary is not doing it justice (and doesn't convey how fun it can be thanks to El, the narrator) but, well, this is good and I can't wait to read the rest of the series! I also learned that the author is one of the founders of AO3 so thank you queen!!!

No pressure tag: @bebx @dewdropreader @faylights @im-not-corrupted @loki-is-my-kink-awakening @magiclovingdragon @mirilyawrites@samsalami66 @wolfpup026