#plus Enoch!! like!! that sounds so good

[talonabraxas]

The Tree of Life Diagram Talon Abraxas

The Archetype referred to as the Tree of Life is most generally known in the form of the key diagram used in Cabala, a word that is spelt variously in Hebrew, from which it is derived, as Kabala, Kabbalah, Qabala, Qabalah, Qabbalah. The word means ‘the Received Wisdom’. It can also mean ‘the Great Knowledge’, a term used in other wisdom traditions.

The wisdom is said to have been taught first by God to a school of angels before the fall of man. After the fall God sent the archangel Raziel to teach it to Adam and Eve, so that mankind might find redemption. But it was Enoch, the great Atlantean king (otherwise known as Atlas), who became the first human soul to fully understand and successfully practice the teachings, thereby attaining the fullest state of illumination and godliness known as the Messiah (Christ), and who then became the great teacher and friend of mankind.

The Four Worlds

The geometric form of the Tree of Life is based on four intersecting circles of equal size, comprised of three circles descending (or unfolding) from the initial one, with the centre of one circle being on the circumference of the next.

The first circle represents the transcendent Absolute, the source of all. It is known as the World of Emanation. The other three circles are referred to, in descending order, as the World of Creation, the World of Formation and the World of Fact or Action. These four Worlds represent our divinity, spirit, soul and body respectively, and that of the universe, and relate to the four stages of the life-process as signified by the four quarters of the Wheel of Life.

The Ten Divine Attributes

The geometry of the Tree of Life is formed by joining the centres and intersecting points of the circles, as shown in the diagram. These centres and intersecting points signify the Ten Divine Attributes (Sephiroth, ‘Ciphers’), the fundamental principles of life which, like the ten Hindu Pragâpatis, are but One Supreme Unity. The connecting lines between them are known as pathways, numbering twenty-two in total. For a profound reason that forms part of the mystery of Cabala, or of life itself, the eleventh point, the centre of the second circle, is left unnumbered and with no pathways connecting with it.

In order to be manifest, the One appears as Three—a polarity plus the relationship between the two poles. This is the Holy Trinity, numbered 1-2-3, which is the basis of all manifestation. From the Three come the Seven, the latter signifying the seven fundamental ways that the Holy Trinity can be manifested and made known (e.g. as represented by the seven major colours of the spectrum of white light, or the seven major notes of the octave of sound).

Besides a number, each Sephira has a god-name and a word or set of words to describe what it is and means. The most common words for the first three Sephiroth (the Holy Trinity) are: (1) Crown (Power), (2) Wisdom (Word), and (3) Intelligence (Holy Breath, Spirit or Ghost).

However, since God is the All-Good, and the divine nature or expression of Good is Goodness or Love, therefore all the Sephiroth are attributes of Divine Love. The Intelligence is the receptive and formative aspect of that Love, whilst the Wisdom is the active and creative aspect. The former carries or bears the latter, just as our breath carries the words we speak. The Crown is at one and the same time the Source that is all Potential and the First Impulse or Cause.

The next set of six numbers signifies the Holy Trinity as it unfolds itself in further manifestation. It is sometimes called the Throne or Chariot (Merkabah). Whereas the first Trinity (nos. 1-2-3) represents the absolute realm or World of Emanation, the second Trinity (nos. 4-5-6) represents the spiritual realm or World of Creation, and the third Trinity (nos. 7-8-9) represents the soul or psychological realm, the World of Formation. The names given to the second Trinity are Mercy (4), Judgment (5) and Beauty (6), whilst the names given to the third Trinity are Victory (7), Glory ( 8 ) and Foundation (9).

Last, but not least, the tenth Sephira (10), called the Kingdom, represents the physical universe and all that is in it. One of its symbols is a pot or chalice (the Holy Grail) into which the other nine Sephiroth are poured (i.e. incarnated).

The names given to Sephiroth 7, 8 and 9 are not very explanatory. In effect, Victory refers to good emotion or desire—our goodwill and affection for each other. Glory, on the other hand, refers to the witty mind and good thought. Foundation refers to generation or procreation—the ability to procreate and put desire and thought into action in a good way. These three constitute the natural life-process of desire, thought and action which, when expressing the highest principles, are loving kindness, understanding and service—or, put another way, goodwill, good thought and good action; for God, Who is Love, is the All-Good, whose nature is goodness.

Victory, Glory and Foundation are the lower, psychological counterparts of the higher, spiritual principles of Mercy, Judgment and Beauty. The latter, in turn, are the spiritual counterparts or manifestations of Wisdom, Intelligence and Power.

Mercy is also known as Compassion and includes Generosity. It is associated with freedom. Judgment is the same as Perception but is also known as Severity, Strength, Rigour, Righteousness and Justice. It is associated with discipline. Both mercy and judgment, or freedom and discipline, are needed in balance with each other. The generosity of mercy can be indulgent, self-defeating, blind and powerless without the strength given it by clear judgment and right discipline. Judgment, on the other hand, can be cold, harsh and altogether too severe without the warmth and generosity of compassion. Heart and mind need to act together in harmony, and then beauty ensues. Beauty lies at the centre of the Tree of Life and signifies the manifest heart of God, the balance and harmony point of all things.

The Great Pillars

This balancing of the opposites is represented by what are known as the Great Pillars, signified by the three vertical lines of the Tree of Life. The right-hand pillar is headed by Wisdom, the creative Light, symbolised by the Sun as the giver of light and with Mercy being known as the right hand of God. The left-hand pillar is headed by Intelligence, the sensitive Mind, symbolised by the Moon as the receiver and reflector of light and with Judgment being known as the left hand of God. The middle pillar is crowned by the Crown, with Beauty at its centre, symbolised by the Star of David.

As the giver of light, symbolised by the Sun, the right-hand pillar is called the ‘pillar of fire’; whilst the left-hand pillar as the receiver of light, symbolised by the Moon, is known as the ‘pillar of water’. The former is represented by the upward- pointing equilateral triangle, the latter by the downward- pointing equilateral triangle. Their balance, harmony and union is signified by Solomon’s Seal, which produces the ‘fire- water’ or ‘ether’ of perfect, revealed Light, symbolised by the Star of David (the Christ Star).

The Divine Family

To help explain the Tree of Life and the meaning of the Holy Trinity, human models or stories have been employed down the ages. Thus, for instance, the Wisdom of the right-hand pillar is referred to as Ab (‘Father’), whilst the Intelligence of the left-hand pillar is referred to as Aima (‘Mother’). These two, Wisdom and Intelligence, are thus the Divine Father and Mother. They are the polarity of existence yet completely One in love, for they are Love. They and their love-relationship comprise the Holy Trinity—the ‘Three in One and One in Three’.

Knowledge

The unnumbered point, the centre of the World of Creation, is referred to as Daath (‘Knowledge’). This represents the conscious knowledge or realisation of the whole Tree of Life as it is acquired step by step, path by path, Sephira by Sephira. This knowledge is also known as illumination, which grows from dark ignorance to the light of full universal knowledge.

Sacred Planets

Besides the more universal use of the Sun and Moon to represent the Divine Parents or Polarity of life, the Sephiroth are individually symbolised by the octave of ‘sacred planets’, from which is derived the idea of each planet having its own divine intelligence or spirit or god/goddess.

The ascriptions are: (10) Earth; (9) Moon; ( 8 ) Mercury; (7) Venus; (6) Sun; (5) Mars; (4) Jupiter; (3) the Stars; (2) the Zodiac; (1) the Primum Mobile (First Movement).

Saturn is used to denote the unnumbered Sephira, Knowledge, referring to knowledge of the whole Tree of Life, which is Truth. Knowledge of Truth is also known as illumination, for our minds or souls are illumined by knowledge of truth, which knowledge is obtained only by practising truth. Such practice is called "living in truth". It is also referred to as "Truth Revealed".

Saturn is also used to represent the Holy Intelligence (3), in the sense that our own individual illumination shines as a star within the divine Mind or Intelligence, together with all the other stars of individual soul illuminations. Truth is essentially the divine Wisdom (2) that is held in the divine Intelligence (3), which, when known by the intelligence or mind, shines as a star. Such stars are represented as the six-pointed Hexalpha or Christ Star, also known as the Star of David ('David' means 'Dove', emblematic of the divine Intelligence or Holy Spirit).

All these ascriptions relate to and lie behind the science of astrology as well as the cosmology of various cultures.

[theinstagrahame]

It's time for the Monthly-ish Mail Call Hype Post!

Another set of awesome games I've gotten in the mail, and why I'm hype about them. Because people out there making rad stuff and I'm super into it!

It was a pretty big month. A lot of stuff arriving coincidentally at the same time, not all from crowdfunds, but still a really exciting collection. Let's dive in!

Beam Saber: I've played this one, and just started a campaign. Plus listening to Friends at the Table play it in Partizan (Which I legitimately cannot recommend highly enough). Mech Anime Forged in the Dark! It's genuinely a fantastic game.

Coriolis: A friend in a Discord server was clearing some room on their shelves before moving, and offered a few titles up. I wound up with three of them, this and the next two. Initially, they told me the box would only fit two, so I debated between Coriolis and DCC, and ultimately picked Coriolis because the sci-fi universe it takes place in seemed unique compared to what I've really experienced. An exploration-driven, Middle Eastern-inspired universe sounded really fascinating.

Dungeon Crawl Classics: I first became aware of DCC early in my TTRPG career, and was honestly mostly intrigued by DCC because of its use of Weird Dice; D3s and D5s and whatnot. I've heard mostly good things about it, and haven't done nearly enough Dungeon Crawling in my day, so I was quite pleased when it turned out this would also fit in the Discord Friend's "get it out of my house" box!

Last Fleet: This was the game I'd wanted from the pile. I'd recently backed Wreck this Deck, also by Black Armada, and have played Flotsam. I was intrigued by the pitch for this one, so it was the definite from the Discord friend.

Hull Breach: Mothership took the indie RPG scene by storm, and this book looked fantastic. I still haven't played Mothership, but honestly having this makes it feel like I could just about pick it up and throw anyone in. It's packed with scenarios and extra content, in a really great package.

Animon Story: I've been searching for the right Pokemon-themed RPG for a while. Too many of the ones I have seen spend a lot of time on the combat system, which I honestly find the least exciting part of the franchise. I want to explore and meet cool little guys. I confess I haven't read this one, but what I've heard of it sounds way more inspiring than most of the ones I've looked into.

The Hexcrawl Toolbox: I have The Bottled Sea and the Undying Sands from Games Omnivorous (Plus Vaults of Vaarn and Isle of Ixx). This box looks like an incredibly expansion of those ideas, and it's such a great package.

Enoch's Wake: Big fan of R. Rook games, ever since I had Richard on my (defunct) podcast to play a session of Moonlight over Roseville Beach. Enoch's Wake is a fresh take on a science-fantasy setting, and I really wanted to dig in and check it out more.

Sanctuary and Sentinel: I've followed Meghan Cross' work in the scene for a while, and it's all great. I love stories about lone sentinels guarding something long beyond the point of its relevance, and listening to how the two games intersect on Party of One really sold me that the Kickstarter had been a good investment.

The Book of Gaub: I will admit, I fall straight into peer pressure. I've heard about the Book of Gaub, heard all good things, and was really intrigued by the premise. It's honestly not even a game supplement per se, as much as it could function as an in-world text and concept, with annotations to make it usable in a game. The writing is fantastic, the art is great, and I really can't wait to find an excuse to bust it out. (I may or may not be trying to squeeze it into that Beam Saber campaign...)

Aberrant Reflections: Another that I'd heard really good things about, but also I had heard the words "puzzle dungeon" used pretty close to it, so I absolutely could not pass it up. It's been a great year for adventure content, so I am intrigued to get stuck into this one.

A Butterfly Dies and Cocoxoca: Primal Quest grabbed my attention because I don't feel like we see a ton of work in the stone age setting. A Butterfly Dies seemed like a really interesting premise, drawing on Mexican myths and murals to give a perspective on that world that I hadn't seen before. Cocoxoca was a pamphlet adventure that I thought would make a fantastic add-on.

Viva la Queer Bar: As someone starting to explore their queer identity, this was honestly a no-brainer. I'm honestly hoping this could be my first Descended from the Queen game played (I've got For the Queen, and have flipped through the cards, but still haven't brought it to the table). Again, heard incredible things about this game, so can't wait to check it out.

Guild: I did say earlier that I've not gotten enough dungeon crawlers in my background. I've been kicking around some Discords with Disaster Tourism in them, and have been watching this grow with interest. It came with so much stuff I really had to, packed a lot into two zines, a bookmark, and a tearaway pad.

[sparklingichigo]

How to Approach Your Demon Crush

Brought to you by Asmodeus Morningstar

Part 2

The rest of the week went on normally with more lessons, more activities, more chaos, which goes without saying. Just normal things in Hell. That is until Ichigo starts venting about how difficult her major is which is Latin Linguistic. Clearly none of them speak Latin despite it being Devildom's native language. I mean there's also Enoch language but that's Celestial Realm's language, more confusing clearly. So, Haruka decides to pull a crazy and switch classes with Ichigo.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? That sounds crazy already..." Ichigo trails out as soon as she hears her idea that night.

"It is but hell is crazier as it is. What's the worst that could happen!" She replies.

'To be honest...everything...' Ichigo thought.

Nonetheless, it still happened. Ichigo is now in Fashion Design class which is Haruka's major and vice versa. Now she and Asmo are staring at each other awkwardly because this is indeed awkward especially because she's not from this class.

"Wow, uh...this is awkward." Asmo starts.

"It is, I shouldn't be here." Ichigo replies.

"I'll cover up for you, no worries." Asmo offers.

"Thanks..." Ichigo thanked him as they wait for the class to start.

Meanwhile, in the Latin class, Haruka opens Ichigo's textbook and oh boy, she's confused. When Ichigo said Latin is difficult, she's right! This is hell level difficult. Sure, some of the books have notes and translation in it but how can she understand a language she doesn't even speak! Not even in her own world, they barely speak Latin. It's only there for magical incantation nothing more.

Haruka has no choice but to summon one of her "Gods" Golbez to help her translate Ichigo's book to English. As she does that Solomon appears from the door seeing Haruka doing her translation. He still thinks that person is Ichigo for some reason and decide to troll her as always,

"So, you decide to be diligent, huh." He starts.

Hearing that, Haruka looks up confusedly shocking Solomon as well.

"Haruka?! How did you get here?!" He gasps.

"Class switching, clearly." Haruka replies nonchalantly.

"Not how it works but okay...." Solomon trails out still confused as ever. "Can she even draw?"

"Of course, she can! I can study Latin and she can show off her talent in my class. What's the worst that could happen!" Haruka replies.

'To be honest, everything if you get caught...' He thought but what came out is, "Weird flex but okay," he says as he goes to his seat, behind Haruka, supposedly behind Ichigo.

Haruka shrugs as she continues her translation as Satan goes to his seat, of course ready to degrade his seatmate like any other day but when he looks at the person sitting beside him, his smirk fades into a confused look on his face,

"Haruka?" He calls out.

"Oh hi! I decide to switch class with Ichigo." Haruka greets him causing Satan's eyebrow to furrow more in confusion.

"Do you even speak Latin? No, no, do you know Latin?" He asks.

"Of course, I do. I learned a couple of stuff in the human world including that language." Clearly a lie but hey, we'll have that for now. "Plus, I'm translating the book for Ichigo."

"Into English?" His question as always sounds really degrading. Haruka just doesn't know it's because of his tone or his facial expression but that tone does seem degrading to her.

"Yes, that's the language we speak. We're not demons or Asgardians who has all speak, okay." Haruka retorts haughtily, continuing her translation.

"Hmm, true." Satan nods. "Well, it's a good choice. Maybe the next day she won't annoy me with bunch of questions." He adds.

Wow, emotional damage to Ichigo but she's not here so she's okay but Haruka stares at Satan annoyedly. This man despite having the sin of wrath has a pride as high as Lucifer.

"And I'm glad you know Latin. That way I can study peacefully without stupid people asking me questions here and there." Satan continues.

Haruka's eyes squints in suspicion and annoyance, "Are you calling me stupid?"

"Oh no, you can Latin so you're not stupid. Me talking to you proves that you're not." Satan replies.

Haruka's urge to erase that smirk is high but all she gives is a polite smile and a nod. After some time, the class finally starts but suddenly they hear the school speaker calling Haruka and Ichigo to Diavolo's office. From there they both knew they're dead and if Lucifer knows they'll probably be six feet underground. Ichigo and Haruka shamefully stand up and go to Diavolo's office, but Satan suddenly caught Haruka's hand stopping her.

"You're going to that?" He asks.

"I'm probably caught so yes." Haruka replies.

Satan finally let goes and lets her go to Diavolo's office. Once the two girls are there the tension is high that Haruka's fear heightens especially with Diavolo's passive aggressive smile. Ichigo too sees that passive aggressive smile and has no choice but to tell him the truth,

"We switch classes out of curiosity. I know it's against the rules and we're sorry." Ichigo says.

What they hear was not scolding but a laugh from Diavolo, "Don't worry about it! All these are none of my business! I called you ladies to help me with these, this is related to the peaceful union of all three realms, so if you don't mind?" Diavolo replies, showing them a stack of paper.

"What is that?" Haruka asks.

"Just some questionnaire, perhaps an actual quiz, call it a worksheet if you may." Diavolo replies.

"Sounds like a punishment to me..." Ichigo trails out.

"Well punishments aren't always enjoyable." Diavolo replies with a glint of mischief.

Ichigo deflates metaphorically but accepts two sets of worksheets,

"Does that mean we get a free pass from our attendance?" Ichigo asks.

"Somewhat, they do know you're doing your detention punishment." Diavolo replies. "Off you go now, the earlier you do it, the earlier you're free from it."

The two of them nod before leaving the room, of course not forgetting to bid Diavolo goodbye and thanking him for the not-so heavy punishment but they took those back once they look at the questions in the student lounge.

"Now I know why this is now our detention work." Ichigo starts.

"Yeah, it's so difficult!" Haruka replies, nodding.

"I think we need books, politic books, theology ones, anything!" Ichigo exclaims.

"To the library we go! Wait we haven't took our bags!" Haruka suddenly exclaims once she realized that they don't have their bags.

"Then we should get them unless you want those boys to bring it to us...?" Ichigo awkwardly replies.

"Nope, we're getting them, let's go!"

Getting their bags, it is. Things are normal in Ichigo's class because she got her bag and asks permission from the teacher before going that's all, but Haruka's situation is quite different. Despite getting the teacher's permission to go someone decide to stop her mid-journey by holding her hand.

"Where are you going? What happened?" Oh, it's Satan.

"I got detention, and I should go before anything worse happens." Haruka replies.

"Detention...." That's all Satan said as Haruka tries to let go of her hand.

"Uh... can I go now? Please? Everyone's staring..." She asks.

Satan finally nods and let goes to her hand, letting her off. As she leaves, the other students go "ooh" because of what they see as the teacher taps on the board with his ruler to shut them up.

"Alright, enough! Back to our lesson!" He exclaims.

The students huff but they return to the lesson. At the same time, Solomon moves forward to sit next to Satan.

"So...."

"Solomon, please don't start." Satan warns.

Solomon sigh as he sits back on his new seat, "You're boring..."

"I know." He replies, rolling his eyes.

Meanwhile in the library, the two girls are working on the worksheets Diavolo gave them and it's a difficult one. So far, they only got 5 questions out of 40 questions.

"What are we even doing?! This is like a whole national exam!" Ichigo exclaims as she got shushed by everyone in the library and the library keeper glaring at her.

"Sorry..." She mutters, giving them a polite smile.

"Diavolo did say punishment isn't supposedly enjoyable..." Haruka says.

"True... it's not supposed to be enjoyable..." Ichigo grumbles.

They continue to work on it until the clock struck one, telling them it's lunch time. Haruka's rumbling stomach is not helping them either.

"Is it lunch already? Wow, we've been working for such a long time..." Ichigo comments as she looks at the gigantic clock at the library.

"Yeah... can we go to the library? Please?" Haruka asks.

"Sure, I'm kinda hungry too." She replies.

So to the cafeteria they go. As they go downstairs they see this imaginary sparkles and lights coming from the cafeteria front door. The two girls blink confusedly until they see the four most so-called popular beings appear at the door. Those beings would be Asmodeus, Mammon, Satan and Levi? How did a shut-in weeb get here?

"How did Levi get there?" Ichigo starts confusedly.

"Probably forced," Haruka replies, shrugging. "Wait, why isn't Beel with them? Isn't he the fangol star?"

"He is but I doubt he likes such attention." Ichigo answers.

"True, now I start to feel bad for Levi. Poor guy, having to be forced into such situation." Haruka says earning a nod from Ichigo.

"Let's just get our food. I thought you're hungry." She sarcastically responds.

"We are, c'mon." Haruka replies going down to the cafeteria to get their food.

As they queue at the Korean food stall, they surprisingly find Beel queuing in front of them!

"Beel! There you are!" Ichigo greets him. "I thought you'd join your brothers."

"My building is different from them," Beel replies causing Ichigo to nod understandingly.

"Ah, that makes sense..." She mutters.

"Still, why don't you join them?" Haruka asks.

"Nah, food comes first. Getting involve in that will just hinder me from buying food. I don't like that much of attention anyways." Beel answers with a slight smile. "What do you ladies want, by the way? I'll order them for you."

"Oh, there's no need. We can order it ourselves...." Haruka rejects.

"No, I insist. Please, it's fine." Beel says.

"If you insist then I want tteokboki!" Haruka exclaims.

"And I want jajangmyeon. I'll return the money soon though." Ichigo says causing Beel to shake his head.

"No need, it's on me." Beel says causing her eyes to widen confusedly.

"But you eat a lot, are you sure?" She asks worriedly.

"Don't worry about it." Beel answers, giving Ichigo a head-pat.

After ordering the food, they went to the table together and honestly some of Beel's fans are disappointed to see them together but not in a bad way, just sad that they don't have a chance with the fangol star.

"Tsk. He's taken by the new student." One grumbled.

"I won't mind, there's Asmo! Asmo we love you!!" Her friend replies before fangirling again.

"Love you too, darling~" Asmo replies giving them a flying kiss causing that person to faint dramatically.

"I've been noticed~" she says, faking a faint as her friend stares at her confusedly but catching her anyway.

Unfortunately for them, another disappointment is coming as they see Satan joins the exchange students causing the fangirl to huff because he seems taken as well but some are surprised.

"Didn't he always eat alone and don't want to bother?" One said.

"You're right. It's so weird to see him eat with someone." The other reply.

Those words cause Ichigo to smirk, "So, what happen to 'I'm Mr. Ice cold, don't bother me' motto huh?"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Satan asks back, staring at her annoyedly.

"Just stating facts. Such a surprise for Mr. ice cube to join us." She replies.

"Hey!" Clearly someone's offended.

"But really though, what brings you here?" Haruka asks.

"What? I can't sit with my housemates?" Satan asks back causing Haruka to stare at him dumbfoundedly.

"You can...?" An awkward reply comes out of her.

"So, I don't see the problem." Satan says causing another eyeroll from Ichigo. "How's your punishment, by the way? Do you guys need any help?" He asks.

"If you're so KIND to help us then please do. Because we know nothing about Devildom politics." Ichigo replies gritting her teeth.

"Hm? Politics?" Beel repeats earning a nod from Ichigo. "I think I can help. I know a couple of stuff."

"You do?" Haruka asks.

"Well not all but I know a couple of stuff." Beel replies.

"What's your major again?" Satan asks, probably to degrade his little brother.

"International communication?" Beel replies awkwardly. Satan instantly drop his spoon hearing this, Ichigo's noodles just fall out of her mouth and Haruka just stares in shock.

"What?!" All three of them exclaim at once.

"Huh? Why are you guys shocked? Why are YOU shocked?" Beel asks confusedly.

"Because! You're a jock!" Haruka exclaims causing Beel to stare at her both offended and confusedly.

"Oh yeah, I am. But I'm also interested in international communications. I mean it's fun to learn." Beel answers.

"That's the most difficult major of all RAD!" Satan exclaims. "I don't even have the courage to pick that!"

Beel only shrugs before facing Ichigo, "What do you say? Do you want my help?"

"Yes! If you do know about politics, then please do! Especially since you're in a major related to it." Ichigo replies.

"Will do."

Suddenly the bell starts ringing signaling them that it's time for class, at least for some majors but them since they have a detention to finish. As they walk there, Beel suddenly stops Ichigo mid-way causing her to stare up confusedly.

"What is it?"

"Do you...maybe after you finish your work...want to accompany me to the fangol field and watch me practice?" He asks.

"Sure, if we have the time for that. Hope you can make it to your practice too. Now I feel bad that I'm using your time for this." Ichigo replies feeling bad, she even looks down because of it.

"I'm sure we can make it. How many questions you got so far?" He asks.

"Maybe five?"

"Out of?"

"40?"

"Then we should hurry! The faster you finished the faster you get your freedom!" Beel exclaims.

Ichigo nods as the two-run pass Satan and Haruka who's walking normally. Satan is even confused seeing them rushing like that.

"Hey, what's the rush?!" He asks.

"Gotta hurry! We're gonna miss my practice!" Beel replies.

"You can just go if you do have practice." Satan responds.

Beel sigh and just ignores what Satan say as he enters the library with Ichigo. Once they got in, they start working on the worksheets including Haruka who's so focused on it until she hears Satan,

"That doesn't sound right." He said.

"What do you.... mean?" She asks, looking up to Satan who's hovering on her.

"You got the wrong books clearly, which is why the answers are not wrong." Satan replies, staring at it. "I got you the right books though."

Haruka can only nod as her heart skips a beat for some reason. On the other side, Ichigo and Beel are busy with their thing and solving the questions in that work sheet.

"How come you can solve this so fast?!" Ichigo exclaims.

"Well, I did say I know a couple of things." Beel replies.

"Or you're just an idiot." Satan says causing Ichigo to glare at him while Beel just pats her, to calm her down.

"There, there. Don't mind him he's just a very cynical person." Beel says.

"I know but it's still annoying." Ichigo replies, rolling her eyes.

"Cmon, let's work on this so you can watch my practice." Beel says.

"Are you sure I can watch? Is the coach okay with me watching?" Ichigo asks.

"Nah, he doesn't care much. Don't worry about it." Beel replies.

"Ah... I see..." Ichigo nods.

Back to Haruka and Satan who's working on their paper, there are lots of different books now and Haruka is shocked,

"That really does look different from what I expect." Haruka says as she sees her current work.

"As I said, because someone pick out the wrong books." He replies.

"Hey!" Ichigo sulks offendedly because of his words.

"There there, just focus on the worksheet. Don't mind him." Beel says, trying to comfort h. Ichigo just huffs with a nod and continue with her worksheet.

After some time, Ichigo finally finishes the assignment thanks to Beel's help, who's also rushing for his practice.

"It's done!" She exclaims. "Finally, freedom is miiine!" Of course, she got scolded after but hey, she's happy with her finished work.

"You want me to wait for you?" She asks to Haruka who's still working.

"Nah, I'll be fine. Just go and collect it." Haruka replies.

"Okay! Beel let's go!" Ichigo exclaims as she pulls Beel with her to collect the worksheet.

That leaves Satan and Haruka in that library of course still working. The more Satan sees it the more he feels bad, so he offers that he writes those answers for her, but Haruka rejects him.

"I've seen your handwriting. No thank you. I'll just take a break." She says.

"Okay, sure." Satan nods understandingly.

As she takes her break, Satan starts asking about where she's from. It is clear that she is from earth but it's not specific enough, so he gets curious.

"Ah, well... it's a different earth. My earth is magical and I'm sort of royalty there. Please don't tell anyone though." She replies.

"Well, your secret is safe with me, your highness." Satan jokes.

"And please don't call me that. It'd just reveal my identity to the world..." She trails out.

"Right... it makes sense though... your disguise and all. Understandable. For your safety I assume?" Satan guesses.

"Sort of, yeah." She replies with a grin.

Meanwhile after submitting her worksheet, Beel took her to the fangol field as promised and the first thing that happened is Beel's teammates teasing him for bringing Ichigo to the field.

"Aye! I didn't know you have a girlfriend!" One of his teammates exclaim. "Hey, are you, his girlfriend?"

"Uhm... no, actually I'm just his friend. Yeah...." Ichigo replies with an awkward grin as she sits on the bleachers.

"Oooh! Our fangol star has a cruh!" Another teammate exclaims.

"In that case, do treat us when you get together, would you?" The other one asks.

"Alright! Enough! Stop teasing him!" The coach scolds them as the teammates groan but follows his orders.

"You're no fun coach..." He said.

"Enough! Let's start practicing!" The coach replies. "And you, young lady! I hope you're not here to disrupt our practice, are you?"

"Oh no, sir! Of course not!" Ichigo replies with a grin. "Just here to accompany him that's all...."

"Good." The coach nods before telling his students to run 10 laps around the field earning him groans from his teammate but just one glare and off, they go running!

As the fangol team do their running, Asmo suddenly appears, shocking Ichigo.

"Oh my Goodness! Asmo! How did you get here?!" She gasps.

"Me? Just finished my cheer practice. You? I never thought you're a sports person... you're more of like a nerd like Satan, aren't you?" Asmo replies asking back.

"Beel took me here. He told me he wants me to watch him practice." Ichigo answers with a grin.

"Ah, this starts to get interesting~" Asmo coos causing Ichigo to stare at him confusedly. The smile in Asmo's face instantly drops as he holds Ichigo's shoulder,

"Darling, don't tell me your love-dar is broken!"

"What?"

"Love-radar!"

"I don't think so? I can detect Satan's and Haruka's feeling pretty well." Ichigo says confusedly.

"Really? How come you have no idea that my little brother likes you?" Asmo asks. "He's like an open book you know~"

"He is but I doubt he likes me. He's very nice and friendly so I doubt he likes me." Ichigo responds sheepishly.

"Well as friendly as he is, he don't randomly just go buy someone food just because he's friendly." Asmo says. "Plus, you know me, I can detect lust and love from far away and he's a simp for you."

"Asmo! Don't get my hopes up like that!" Ichigo whines.

"I'm not, I'm just giving you a little push." Asmo says with a wink. Ichigo huffs as she continues to watch the fangol club members practice until she sees Beel in front of her. She gasps, looking up at him. This man is sweating for sure and from this angle.... wow!

"Ichigo, can you get me my bottle? It's right there." He asks.

"Ah? This one?" She asks showing a huge orange water bottle from two seats behind her.

"Yep, that one. Sorry for burdening you..." Beel says with a grin.

"Nah, it's fine." Ichigo replies returning the smile. "So, rough practice?" she asks as Beel seats next to her.

"Yeah, the competition is coming up so I should practice hard and win." Beel answers.

"I see. Good luck!" That's all she can say but Beel's face says a different thing.

"Ichigo...do you maybe wanna watch my competition? Please?" He asks.

"Sure, hopefully I can make it." Ichigo nods with a smile and Beel returns it until they hear Asmo coo-ing beside her.

"Asmo..." Beel warns him.

"Okay, alright! I'm going! See you lovebirds at home~" Asmo says, walking away.

Ichigo sigh before facing Beel again. Despite the sweat dripping of him, despite his tiredness this man is still smiling brightly especially after she accepts his invitation.

"Hey lovebirds! Practice time!" His teammate exclaims.

"In a sec!" Beel replies.

"Now, Beel! Coach is gonna get mad if you keep flirting!" Another scolds him.

"Go on, you gotta ace the competition, right?" Ichigo says but Beel frowns, he even pouts, probably begging her to let him stay. "Beel, you can spend time with me after practice. We live together, don't we?"

"Fine..." Beel huffs as he returns to the field.

The next day, Ichigo woke up to her phone blinking every five second for no reason. She unlocks it and her eyes widen in shock,

"What the heck?!" She shouts.

It turns out that her moment with Beel at the field has gone viral in Asmo's devilgram story. She groans in frustration as she smacks her phone to her bed and screams one name,

"ASMODEUS MORNINGSTAR!!!"

The same thing happens to Beel who just finished his shower, he sees his phone vibrating every five seconds and the blinking annoys him. He took his phone and sigh,

"I'm not dealing with this again..." He grumbles as he shuts down his phone and proceed with his activities.

In the living room, Asmo is giggling on the couch at the chaos he just did with Satan staring at him judgingly.

"What did you do?" He asks.

"A little push for the lovebirds~" The diva replies.

"You're crazy." Satan mutters, returning to his book reading.

[amycavendishtopsecret]

What I've Learned So Far

Long day today, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I've learned a lot today, specifically about whatever the hell is happening with the incursion zone, as well as what the Order of St. Christopher is all about.

Turns out, the incursion zone that Enoch and I have been exploring is part of a massive network of metaphysical passageways between the mortal plane (that's here) and everywhere else. "Heaven, hell, and everywhere in between", as Father Michael put it. Turns out Doc isn't the only person to study this place, or even the first one to know about it, and I actually got to meet that person today. Her name's Soren, and she's...kinda weird. No shade to her, she's really nice, if a bit quiet, but she's got some things about her that are kinda...unsettling.

First off, she's always wearing gloves. Even to eat. I've never seen her take them off, but Enoch says he has. She was one of the people who would take it in shifts to keep an eye on him while he was still mostly bedridden. Apparently, she has "holes" in her wrists (his words, not mine). Plus she's got these weird-looking scars on her forehead, like she got caught on some barbed wire or something. I couldn't help asking what happened, and she got this almost...scared look on her face before saying her memory wasn't the greatest and that it was probably some childhood accident. Enoch seemed to recognize the scarring, but he wouldn't tell me from where. Said it was too crazy to be a proper explanation.

Then there's Dante. He's a little more friendly than Soren is, and seems to be the only person she talks to on a regular basis. Father Michael calls them both "the twins" since they're always together; they were roommates in college, from what I've been told. Let me tell you, at first glance, this dude looks like a textbook Satanist. He's even got the twirly mustache and everything. He has this evil eye necklace he wears everywhere, so I have no idea what his belief system is, but I guess whatever it is is cool with the Catholic Church.

Back to the incursion zone stuff, we finally got to see the footage from Enoch's latest session, and hoo boy. Now I can understand why Enoch has a concussion and a broken wrist, he got caught in the crossfire of what Soren calls a "holy water grenade". Father Michael gave us a little more insight on the weird mutant dude with the butcher knife too: turns out Enoch accidentally walked in on a cult meeting. I'm not going to go into the whole backstory for these wackos because that would literally take an hour, but basically these guys, who call themselves Sin Eaters, are going around inside the incursion zone killing demons and other evil beings. Normally that would sound good, but then they butcher the carcasses and eat them. Over time, according to Father Michael, the side effects from eating the literal flesh of demons tends to make them go a little stir-crazy.

I'd much rather deal with the Order than with the Sin Eaters. Their whole thing is patrolling the zone, exorcising any heeby-jeebies that happen to be wandering around, and rescuing hapless humans that end up getting lost in there. Enoch is lucky he ran into them.

I don't know how to feel about the fact that Doc basically sent Enoch into a trap. Did he know? Seriously, did he know what was in there? Why doesn't he just go in himself if he's that crazy about exploring the place?

Speaking of, I got an email from him earlier tonight asking where the hell I am. I told him the truth and said I don't know when I'll be back. Depends when Enoch is fully healed, I'm not making him travel in this condition.

Father Michael says we shouldn't let on to Doc what we know now about the Corridors, as Soren calls them. He says Doc is counting on us being ignorant of what's all in there. Thankfully, we've got a new source of information in the twins, since they've been documenting the various lifeforms the Order has encountered over the years, so if we run into something we don't know anything about, we can contact them. Soren found a way to hack into the transponders from their side so she and Dante can monitor what we see.

[nihiladditaenihilperdidi]

A Haunted House || Rune + Enoch || September 24th, 1924

Enoch: “Tomorrow then.” Enoch smiled as his gaze lingered on the other as that cooler finger pressed against his wrist. He withdrew for the night, turning to head the opposite of Rune as he walked down the street. His mentor might hear the soft tones of the Swedish shanty as Enoch walked away.

The next day, the blonde woke up groggy, having the most vivid and lucid dreams he had in a while. Rune’s face appeared, acting as a muse for Enoch, who felt like he was chasing something beyond reach. The promise of magic, yet never able to have it as he tried in his dream to fly but instead plummeted into a dark void. Enoch woke up with a gasp, drenched in sweat, his heart pounding. Now awake, it encouraged him to shower and start his day, yearning for more sleep along the way.

At the laboratory, the scholar toiled away with his contraptions, setting experiments to bubble and boil away as he sat at his desk, pouring over the articulate notes he had taken yesterday. He worked on a sketch, one of the disintegrating teacup, trying to remember the details before they vanished like the mysterious man from that evening. Perhaps he should draw him as well... Occasionally, he’d glance up towards the door, hoping to see Rune, but remembered to temper his expectations. It was better if he had none at all.

Rune: Rune had found a pub just shy of respectable back toward the docks. He counted himself lucky, having the sound and scent of water to tranquilize his mind for round after round of poker. French cards still took some getting used to, but he’d made it out ahead, just as he knew he would. There was a small space to rent above the bar. Nothing but a copper bathtub, a wardrobe, and a cot, but it was good enough.

He took his winnings and set out for the heart of London sometime in the afternoon. His English wasn’t much, but his money got him through doors just fine. He was in desperate need of a proper haircut, a shave, and clothes better suited for land. Clothes that would eventually sit forgotten in his satchel the moment he set foot on another ship.

But, he wasn’t thinking about that. He was thinking about the man he considered his apprentice, and no sooner had he fixed his new dark mauve tie was he heading in the direction of the laboratory. His memory wasn’t perfect, but he’d committed the area to memory. He couldn’t very well lose someone like Enoch so soon.

And there he was. He could see him through the dirty squared glass.

Enoch: Enoch sat at his desk, working on his sketch as he traced the outline of the cup, dark brows furrowed in concentration as he did so. The pleasant hum of the machines kept him company, and the rest of the city was asleep as the sun crawled up in the sky. The young scientist counted himself lucky to have gotten a laboratory at such a young age. Typically, he would have been working with someone else, but given his mentor had passed away and he was continuing his work, the academy saw it fit that he could continue as long as he took up teaching classwork and propelling the science forward. This other research, well, it was kept as a secret side project, not wanting to give the academy any reason to pull his funding or his resources.

The blonde hummed quietly as he stood up, hearing his tea kettle go off. The pencil rested against the pages of the journal as he set his tea to steep in the boiling water, bringing the saucer and cup with him back to his station. Today, Enoch was dressed similarly: white button-down shirt, a dark blue vest, and matching slacks with leather shoes. But given he wasn’t expecting to encounter anyone, Enoch had his sleeves unbuttoned and rolled up, the graphite having stained his hand and partway up his wrist. It didn’t seem to bother the academic as he sipped from his tea, picking up the pencil to start on his drawing again, unaware of the guest that had just shown up.

Rune: He didn't feel sixty-plus years old looking at Enoch through rippled warped glass. He felt as young as he'd been in the hands of his mentor. This was something new and interesting, as every step in his journey had been thus far.

This was where his luck really shined, he thought, having lived for over half a century and not yet bored. To live with boredom would be the day he chose death.

Rune squeezed the strap of his bag in one hand, the doorknob in the other.

"Did you miss me?"

Enoch: Focused on his work, Enoch didn’t look up until he heard the creek of his door opening, announcing the unexpected guest. And by Rune’s cleaned-up appearance, the academic didn’t immediately recognize him, thinking it was a student who had stopped by to ask questions. But the proposed question caught him off guard as he looked up, registering that it was the same man from last night. “Oh!” Enoch smiled a little more now as he slowly set his pencil down. “I did. I…wasn’t sure if anything from last night was real,” he confessed with a chuckle.

“You’ve changed drastically!” With a new haircut and clothes, Rune looked like a new person. “I’m glad you decided to stop by.” Enoch stood up to greet the other, pointing to the same chair the other had sat in when he had drawn his blood. “Would you like some tea?”

Rune: There was a satisfaction to be had in catching someone like Enoch off guard. He wouldn't call himself a peacock, but he was certainly preening at the attention.

His back was dropped by the door. The same feeling as last night; this place was relatively safe. He didn't have to clutch to his things expecting them to be riffled through.

His hands came out. A little spin for good measure. The British cut was almost as impressive as the Italian. Though the piece hadn't been tailored, he'd managed to find a suitable pinstripe that complimented his shape and had him blending with the locals. So long as he didn't open his mouth.

"Yes. No milk." He took the offered seat with a sigh. "Why will I leave? I have an apprentice."

Enoch: Within the walls of the laboratory, it was safe. Enoch posed no threat and he was genuinely content to see the other in his doorway. The academic watched as Rune gave a little turn, chuckling at the showmanship of the other. "I like the look, it suits you." A little pun work there which made the blonde internally groan.

But hearing that Rune wanted tea as well, the scientist would oblige and get up to start boiling more water. "Breakfast tea is alright?" He asked as he pulled out another teacup to set the leaves to steep in. "Mm, for now until you realize I can't do magic," he chuckled as he stood by the pot, waiting for the water to boil.

Rune: They were still alone, so he would continue to speak freely in German until someone interrupted them.

"That's fine." He was soon melting in the chair, arms and legs splayed, head lulled back to stare at the ceiling.

"Of course you can do magic," he scolded. "You just have to believe in yourself."

Enoch: Enoch was grateful to have his work for the most part go undisturbed, especially when he had a guest visiting him. The man looked over his shoulder, grinning when he was scolded by the other for not believing in himself. "Correction, I believe in my skill as a researcher, but beyond that? It grows fuzzy."

The water finally started boiling, and with the leaves set up to steep, Enoch poured the hot water over it and allowed it to steep for a few minutes before presenting the cup to his mentor with sugar cubes on the side. The blonde took a seat across from Rune, taking his own cup to sip on. "So I take it you did well last night?" Given his new threads. Enoch took a slow sip of his tea, his gaze resting on Rune, wildly curious about the enigma he was.

Rune: Rune continued to stare at the ceiling until hearing the gentle footfalls of his apprentice. He sat up with a groan, the only time his age really showed. He turned his chair so that they faced each other, testing a sip without sugar. So, this was famous English tea.

"Someone took it personally when I won against his two pair. Easy money."

Enoch was given a good long look.

"Shall we begin with history today?"

Enoch: Cool fingers curled around the porcelain cup, letting the warmth soak into his fingers and warm his hands. Carefully he brought the cup to his lips to blow on it, before taking a tentative sip. It was black tea, to be exact, better with milk and sugar, in Enoch’s opinion, but it was fine on its own, too.

“Yeah? But then again, you don’t play fair,” pointed out the Englishman with a knowing smirk. His gaze rested on Rune as if challenging him. He had reread over his notes this morning, having lingered on the fact that Rune had multiple talents in the realm of magic, luck being one of them.

“Sure, what did you have in mind?” The scholar took another slow sip from his tea, entertained by the magician and what he had in-store today.

Rune: Enoch's smirk was met with his own, dropping down to his tea as he took a sip. It was fine bitter. He rather liked the profile.

Before he could indulge in his company, he had to ask, "Am I keeping you? Class, studies?" He needed to understand the time they had; his own lesson wouldn't be polished. No matter how much he had contemplated, he still hadn't come to a concrete decision.

Enoch: The young scholar seemed to relax in his chair as he crossed one leg over the other, watching Rune from over his cup as he nursed his warm drink.

“Keeping me? No, but I lecture every morning and oversee a club that meets here on Thursday evenings.” Enoch was still working on proving himself to the rest of his colleagues, which meant picking up more work than his older counterparts.

“But perhaps we can arrange our lessons for the mornings or evenings on the weekends.” This would provide some structure and expectations if they were to pursue this apprenticeship. “So, what were you saying about a history lesson?”

Rune: "Just weekends?" he caught himself saying. This certainly would be slow going at that rate.

"I lived with my mentor for a year before he let me go. I lost a bet, he took a year of my time." Said fondly, of course. As far as the timeline of his life went, it was a welcome experience. He dearly missed the man.

Enoch was different. This was a different culture entirely.

"More so application than history." The longer in Enoch's presence, the more he realized which the scholar would favor.

Enoch: Enoch laughed and shook his head, “No, I meant that we could have our lessons in the mornings and most evenings except for Thursdays. I’m typically free on the weekends, too.” He paused and raised a dark brow as he listened to the other.

“Oh, am I expected to live with you?” he teased, a bit of his personality coming out now. It was warranted after being made to stand outside in the cold yesterday, chanting a Swedish spell. Slim fingers drummed gently against the teacup, thinking about the response he received.

Hm. “Go on then, don’t keep me waiting,” he pressed as he lowered the cup in favor of picking up his pencil again, flipping to a new page to start taking notes.

Rune: "I'm not a man with a talking manor." He wiped the smile from his face and sighed. He would ignore the teasing for the time being. However, the shift in Enoch's personality was noted. It was... charming.

"I like holding you in suspense." Another sip of his tea, and the cup and saucer were pushed aside.

"There's a lot I can't tell you because I don't spend my days studying the history of magic, reading from old tomes, and communing with spirits. Some people live day in and day out just like that, and I would sooner stick your needles in my eyes."

Slowly, he leaned back in his seat.

"I told you when I was little I broke a wall because I screamed. I was born with entropy. There are nine spheres of magic - that we know of. Entropy, Correspondence, Time, Life, Mind, Matter, Forces, Spirit, and Prime. Everyone can do magic. You, your teachers, your father. The world we live in, we created, eons ago. Everyone... forgot," he gestured, hand flying from his temple.

Enoch: Enoch seemed to grow a little more serious now that Rune wasn’t smiling, though a slight grin played on his lips when the other teased him.

“I’ll make sure to return the favor,” he murmured under his breath as he jotted down some notes to himself. His blue gaze shifted as the saucer and teacup slid across the desk, eventually trailing back up to Rune.

“You’re missing out.” Because reading and learning in that style was Enoch’s favorite, he could commit details to memory and call upon them when necessary. Having a semi-photographic memory was handy.

“I wouldn’t want you to use my needles in such a way.”

There was a pause, making him consider the samples he took from Rune yesterday.

“How is your arm feeling?” he asked, gesturing towards the arm he had poked last night. But as he did, he listened to his mentor, remembering how he came about his skills. And as soon as he started listing the different areas of magic, Enoch jotted them down.

“My father?” he repeated skeptically with a chuckle; well, that would be hard because Enoch didn’t know his father. Lifting two fingers up, he pushed up his glasses as he returned to the list he had written out.

“How…do you know which one you have? I mean…of course, you scream, and things break means entropy, but…for someone like me?”

Rune: His hand pressed to the bandage still on his arm, hidden by his clothes. He simply nodded, not wanting to break his concentration.

"Even people you hate." Thinking of his father.

He took a breath.

"You'll know because it'll come naturally. All magic comes with a cost." His head tilted. "Almost all. The most basic is just as easy as breathing. And your personal sphere will feel that way."

Enoch: His gaze lingered on the hand that pressed against the arm, close to where he had drawn Rune’s blood. But the words distracted him as he listened. Enoch didn’t immediately speak, thinking about the nine spheres and which one he would most likely be, but none stood out for the scholar. “Then I haven’t noticed it yet,” he said with a saddened smile as he looked down at his hands, wondering if he truly was capable of possessing magic like that.  “Is there a way to test which one I have?” But if it was supposed to be as easy as breathing, why hadn’t he noticed it already?

Rune: "Of course you wouldn't," he sighed. "You're not awakened. You won't know anything until then."

He didn't come into this knowing the difficulty of awakenings. He had to assume arduous, otherwise most of society would actually be interesting. He knew methods, but nothing that applied to Enoch. Reawakening a cursed mage was dangerous, but it could be done without having to snap one's fingers in their face.

He wondered if a similar experience might be applied here. He would have to think about it. Jumping on a potential conclusion based on a promising probability was something a fledgling would do.

Rune shrugged off his coat and suit jacket, draping both over the back of his chair. The same bandage Enoch had wrapped his arm was still visible through his white sleeve.

"Tell me about yourself."

Enoch: It made sense; he wouldn’t be aware of his powers until he had awakened, and he wondered what that would feel like. What would it be? But one thing at a time, he supposed. Enoch leaned back against his chair, looking at his empty tea cup, debating on getting himself some more. It had been particularly cold this morning.

Watching Rune quietly, he watched as the suit jacket was draped over the back of the chair and spotted the bandage from yesterday. “I can change that for you,” he offered gently, nodding towards the injured arm before he was made to consider the posed question. “In what regard?” he asked softly, standing up to gather the tea cups and take them to the back. “If you’re looking for an exciting story, you’re going to be sorely disappointed,” grinned the academic as he returned to join Rune at his desk.

Rune: His eyes followed Enoch around the room, watching him as he knew he would be watched again. They were still studying each other, and he still liked what he saw.

"If you want." He was holding off on any attempt to heal on purpose. Perhaps if infected he might pose a new lesson for his apprentice. But, in the meantime, he just wanted to watch the scholar work.

"I'm looking to know you," he explained.

Enoch: There was a sense of guilt and responsibility that laced Enoch's inquiry. He was the cause of that pain, so he would see to it. "Yes, of course. Let me see it." From the back, he would emerge with his kit again, ready to patch up Rune and investigate how the wound was healing. "Well, I'm not very good at talking about myself, so maybe you can ask me questions and I can answer." As he talked, Enoch washed his hands clean in the sink and dried them off before approaching Rune. He'd wait for the sleeve to be rolled up before he eased his fingers at the edge of the bandage to peel it off and see the damage.

Rune: His cuff was undone, sleeve neatly folded again and again until past his elbow. What was beneath the bandage was an ugly bruise. A small reddening around the puncture, but nothing that appeared life-threatening.

"Did you have an imaginary friend when you were little?"

Enoch: Antiseptic was fetched along with a gauze as Enoch readied to wipe the area clean. His gesture was slow and tender, as if not to cause more pain to his mentor as he cleaned the wound. "I did, their name was Raine. Did you?" He looked up at Rune, now standing in front of him, leaning over to tend to the puncture as he rifled for some antibiotics for the area before he added a fresh bandage.

Rune: His smile suddenly reached his eyes. Enoch had no idea what good fortune he had. This wasn't a lost cause after all.

"Mm. Ruine. A little flying fish." Now, this was a lesson he could teach, and perhaps reawakening Enoch wasn't so improbable after all.

"How does it look?" he asked, finally glancing down at his arm.

Enoch: "Ruine and Rune?" But the thought of a little flying fish made the scholar smile a little harder now. It was endearing. "Mine was another little boy, I think." Dark brows knitted as he looked at the bruise, cool fingers palpating around the area, investigating for signs of infection, but everything looked normal as of now. "It looks okay, it should heal up nicely, but we'll keep an eye on it. I don't need my pincushion getting sick." A damp gauze with antiseptic was wiped across the wound, followed by a dab of ointment, before it was covered by a new bandage. "Good as new."

Rune: "I've heard interesting names," he mused, watching Enoch play doctor. There was something peaceful in the act. He much preferred this to drawing his blood. He had a natural healing air about him; this was his element, Rune thought. So rare and so comforting.

"I know how to awaken you."

Enoch: “Not very creative or far from the original source,” he teased. With the wound bandaged, Enoch tossed the gauze and put items away as he immediately cleaned the space. Rune would probably notice that Enoch enjoyed the finer details of things. He was very meticulous with his work and anything he approached. Probably a good healer if he had chosen to be a different kind of doctor. “Oh? And how is that?” he asked as he returned to his desk, wondering if this had anything to do with the previous question.

Rune: Rune rolled his eyes. This behavior was going to continue no matter their relationship. Just an inkling. Still in debate if he minded or not.

I look forward to hearing the name of yours, he thought.

"You've plopped a lesson in my lap." Thank God for that, because he had been waffling between ideas without a solid plan until now.

Slowly, he began rolling down his sleeve. He would continue in German. Otherwise, the next hour would become an unnecessary struggle.

"The world as we know it exists... as a river." Of course, he would use water in his analogy. "Reality is the current," he gestured, "taking everything with it. It's the reality created by everyone that has ever lived. It's the only reality sleepers are willing to accept. Most of them." He waved his hand over Enoch. Case in point.

"When I do what I do, I'm going against everyone around me that believes I can't. People like me, we're fighting the current."

He watched Enoch a moment, pausing for a question. When none came, he took a breath.

"The reason magic doesn't work as well as it used to is because people lost belief. A man turned water into wine, and walked on water, and people believed in him. We haven't been the same since nailing him to a cross." He shrugged.

Enoch: “And what lesson is that?” Enoch settled back at his seat now that he was done, picking up his pencil out of habit to write down anything of importance that might be said. Instead, the writing utensil acted like a conduit to release his pent-up energy as he fidgeted with it while listening to the other. He closely listened to the analogy, nodding here and there to show that he was following along, but as of right now, he didn’t have any questions. “So magic works better if you believe in it or will it into existence?” he asked curiously. But it took a second for Enoch to register the latter. “Wait, are you saying Jesus of Nazareth was a mage?” The scholar wasn’t sure where to stand with religion, as he had previously explained to Rune, but somehow, this was more believable than the alternative.

Rune: "Magic works better with like minds. That's why you hear of covens. Why some churches are more powerful than others. We call tribes uncivilized because they don't require what we think they need.

"It's called consensual reality. You're already a mage. Everyone you know is a mage. Your science works because you believe in it."

The next question caused a smile, one he had to wipe away with a sigh.

"You'd be surprised."

Enoch: As Rune explained, it made sense to the scholar. All these places that gathered people who shared the same philosophy seemed to garner strength behind them. "Well there's more to just believing in science. We're eliminating everything else so what's left has to be the truth." Perhaps a touch defensive but after all this has been his life's work. The pencil grew still though, the blonde arching s brow as his throwaway line was actually taken into consideration. "You're kidding..."

Rune: "No." Not defensive, or offended, not anything but certain. No, this wasn't a lie.

"I'll give you another name. Nikola Tesla."

Enoch: It was hard to wrap his head around what could be and what was. Little did he expect that name to come from the other's mouth. "What? No...I mean his work is leaps and bounds ahead of his time and tragically underappreciated." Little did he know that after Tesla passed he wouldn't get the acknowledgment he deserved until centuries later. "But how is this possible if so many are sleepers and have stopped believing?"

Rune: "Communities. Religion. Science. It hasn't been snuffed out. I don't think it ever will. If someone makes it make sense, they will believe anything. It's the difference between coincidental magic and vulgar. One can be excused with logic, the other... a little impossible to do in the middle of Charing Cross."

Enoch: Enoch quietly took the information to digest, the lead of his pencil meeting the paper as he jotted down some initial thoughts to reflect on after the conversation. “I…” He started but soon paused as he collected his thoughts. “And can you control which you can do?” he asked curiously but then looked at the nine spheres he had written down. “Or is it tied to one of these?” The end of the pencil lightly tapped on his notes.

Rune: He assumed he meant between coincidental and vulgar, so he nodded. "Depends on the spell," he explained. "The magic we did yesterday is coincidental. No visible alteration."

Enoch: "And the other?" he asked as he rested the eraser against his lower lip, holding himself back from chewing on the end of it. A nervous habit of his.

Rune: "The teacup was vulgar." He watched Enoch then, waiting for it to click.

Enoch: There was a pause of silence as he considered this information and categorized it in his mind. "Oh..." there was a pause before there was another following "Oh..." It seemed to have clicked for the blonde. "So as long as there are no visible signs, it's coincidental magic, but if there are any physical signs, it's vulgar?" This sprung more questions than it answered.

Rune: "As long as it can be explained," he corrected. "Um... if say, a car were to explode outside of your lab, it's a car, something terrible might have happened. Unfortunate. But an explosion on the sidewalk because I clap my hands, would break the consensus."

Enoch: "Ah, yes, that makes sense." He could follow the flow of thought with this. "Wait...can you cause an explosion by clapping your hands?" Not the point Rune was probably trying to make, but this is where his thoughts drifted off to.

Rune: That made Rune chuckle. "I can't, but I know someone who can. No two are exactly alike." His smile remained as he said, "I can... find you someone else, someday."

Enoch: Enoch was curious to meet other mages but for right now he was fine covering the basics with his mentor. There was still a lot for him to discover and learn. "Fascinating. I'd like to meet more but this....is my pace for now." The academic nodded as he sat up straighter in his chair, remembering that the other had mentioned something about awakening him. "So what did you mean that you know how to awaken me?"

Rune: "You said you had an imaginary friend. It's the key to awakening. I don't have to force any belief. Your 'imaginary friend' will do it for you."

He smiled, knowing he was only scratching the surface of explanation.

"We all have a part of our soul we can visualize. The part of us that knows us better than we do. It's the source of our magic. My mentor called them Avatars. Ruine, my flying fish. Your little boy. The children that are told their friend isn't real, it's... they're put to sleep. I've seen firsthand how to rectify."

Enoch: The scholar seemed confused as to what having an imaginary friend had to do with his awakening but the more Rune explained he understood. Ah. Sorta. "What? How is my imaginary friend going to do that?" He had never thought of this and he hadn't seen his imaginary friend since he was a child. So how was this going to be the key to his magic? One thing that Enoch remembered though was how unnerved he was by the little boy sometimes. But that was because he was a child who was frightened easily. "Tell me about that experience..."

Rune: Here came the part where he needed Enoch to keep an open mind. This might be the moment he loses him; told to leave and never return. He just had to accept whatever reaction with grace. Probability told him that wouldn't be the case.

"He was a man not much older than you. I was... younger than you are now. I watched as my mentor held him down in the pond behind the manor. On the verge of death, he could see everything. See his Avatar. The water rushed up and took them both. He crawled out of the pond awakened."

Enoch: The scholar furrowed a brow as he listened, not liking the sound of what 'awakening' entailed. "And there isn't any other way or spell to get the same result?" He asked curiously though having half the mind of not following through with this if it meant his death. No, thank you. Perhaps it was better that he stayed 'asleep'.

Rune: "Alternatively, you have to wake yourself." Rune reached forward, took Enoch's hands in his own, cradled them in his palms.

"You have to believe these hands can reshape reality."

Enoch: Enoch allowed Rune to take his hands, noticing how cool to the touch they were compared to his. But what Rune said caused him to question if it was possible. Blue eyes stained at their hands, his fingers gently curled against his palm.was his belief strong enough to awaken himself? He wasn't sure about this either. Well, this was a predicament. "I don't like either option," the academic gently smiled, though his words seemed defeated at his prospect.

Rune: Well, this was something his entropy hadn't predicted. There was only one thing he could think to say that might resonate.

"I thought scientists were willing to do anything," he smirked.

Enoch: It was reasonable for the man to be skeptical of what was necessary but Rune had picked up on the one thing he couldn't deny. He was willing to do anything for science. "Ah...ha you are a tricky one," chuckled the blonde as he lifted a hand to shake a finger at the mentor. "You have me there..." But how willing was he to trust Rune without going too far? "Are you thinking of drowning me too? Hopefully, I haven't annoyed you that much...perhaps we should establish a safe word."

Rune: Rune leaned back in his seat, leaving Enoch's hands behind. His smile lingered, though, pleased to see his words had an impact.

"I won't do anything you don't want me to do," he felt the need to make clear.

Enoch: The scholar let his hands slip away from the other, picking up on that pleased look in Rune's features. "Alright, as long as I can back out if I don't feel comfortable..." Though he was semi-serious about having a safe word if things would go awry.

Rune: "I'm supposed to know which thrash is stop and which thrash is drowning?" Rune bit his cheek trying to bed his grin.

Enoch: Enoch deadpan stared at the other. Touche snarky man. Rune would receive a light push at his shoulder. "If I die, I'm haunting you..."

Rune: Ah, the push caught him off guard in the best way. His smile was wide and dimpled, crinkling his eyes.

"I swear on my honor I'll bring you back if you die!"

Enoch: With a defeated sigh, Enoch would go along with this convoluted idea for now. "Where and when are you thinking of doing this?" But it took a second for him to register what the reassurance was. "Slightly comforting but also...are you sure?" He wasn't aware of what type of magic or how many times he had brought people back to life.

Rune: "Am I sure you'll awaken? Yes." He knew what Enoch was asking, but two could tease.

"We'll begin when you're ready. Tonight, tomorrow, next year."

Enoch: There was a slight huff that escaped the academic as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at his mentor from his seated position. "Fine, perhaps soon we can do it." There was still much to learn from the Dutchman.

Rune: Perhaps, he said. He wouldn't push, but that sounded like hesitation.

"I should go. Money won't make itself."

Enoch: Enoch seemed surprised by the sudden announcement to leave, bringing their conversation back into perspective.

"Ah, but you just arrived. Are you that keen on gambling your way to riches? Besides, you owe me a lesson, you said it yourself!"

Enoch wasn't willing to let Rune slip through his fingers like that just yet.

Rune: "You've had a lesson. You're insatiable." He reached forward, playfully and gently popping Enoch's cheek.

"I can come back tonight. Promise."

Enoch: The man was eager to learn more, and his yearning for knowledge knew no bounds, so in that regard, Rune was right. The male winced slightly at the playful touch to his cheek. But he got the message.

"Tonight," he repeated a little softer, a hand lifting to rub at his cheek before adjusting his silver-rimmed glasses.

"Stay safe out there..." Meanwhile, Enoch had many things to think about, and if he was willing to taunt death for it.

Rune: "If I'm not, I'll come to haunt you," he smiled, slipping back into his suit coat and jacket.

Enoch needed this. Whether he wanted it or not, Rune wanted him to have time to sit with the subject. To see beyond the lens of excitement and the fresh unknown.

He didn't want him to regret tomorrow.

With a nod, he saw himself out.

Enoch: Enoch smiled back at the other, though it didn't meet his eyes. He was excited to explore more but it would have to wait. Instead, the scholar watched as the man donned his jacket and headed out. Enoch offered a slight wave as he watched Rune disappear past the laboratory doors and he'd be left to look at his notebook,  staring at the scribbles he had written down. Hm.

The rest of the day would go by quietly for the scientist as he fell into the order of his day. Studying Rune's blood would be on the agenda, curious if there was anything different about it compared to his blood or anyone else's. And in between waiting for experiments, he'd walk around the laboratory, reading over his book and muttering the spell he had learned with the hopes of warming even his pinky but nothing happened. Would that change if he awakened?

The blonde chewed on his lower lip, debating this as well as he went back and forth on the valuableness of potentially getting drowned by the stranger who deemed himself as his mentor. How about if this was just a delusional chase he was going on? Enoch sighed and placed his hands on either side of his notebook as he stated at it before he glanced at his watch. Oh...it was dinner time and he hadn't eaten anything except for his tea that morning...oops.

Rune: Leaving was difficult, but necessary. His confidence wasn’t where he wanted it to be. The only logical solution was to find something worthwhile to do until dark. Something where he might utilize his skills. Gambling was the immediate answer, but also a gander at the local paper. Any strange happenings in the area someone managed to report, and a stop at the nearby cathedral.

Greed urged money first. An itch had been scratched. Later in the night when the desperate and hopeless meandered into the bar below his cot, he decided. He needed a quiet place to think.

The church first. To sit in the pews and pretend to pray, watching the elderly priest and lamenting that there was nothing to accommodate Orthodox in the area. The Catholic guilt was palpable and damn near suffocating, but after some prodding, he learned very little. A hunter frequented the church. They believed one was quite enough, but they would allow him the use of their office and use of their rectory.

A little more peace of mind in a foreign country. It was back to the pub with a newspaper under his arm. Food, a struggling read, and a nap. Time wasted until sunset, when he realized he had forgotten a game of cards altogether.

Enoch: With the rumble in his stomach dictating that he should leave the lab, Enoch gathered his coat and tucked the notebook into his satchel. He had done enough science for the day and needed to take his mind off things. But as much as he wanted to relax, he couldn’t help but think about his earlier conversation with Rune. He had to ‘awaken’ if he wanted to realize his true potential. How about if it magnificently failed? An exasperated sigh escaped through his nose as the keys jingled as he locked the lab doors for the evening.

With thoughts buzzing in his head, Enoch walked downtown, debating what he was in the mood for until he caved in and entered the local pub. It was a staple, easy to get food without much of a fuss if he sat at the bar, which is what he exactly did. The satchel next to him as he waited to get the bartender's attention to put in his order. He had done enough good in this world, right? If he were killed in the process, someone would remember his name. Right? He didn’t feel confident in this, as he placed his order for food and a glass of water. He pulled out his notebook to flip through the pages, reading over his notes again as he waited.

Rune: Rune was coming downstairs from his tiny little room when he noticed that familiar mop of platinum blond hair at the bar. Instinctually, he straightened his suit, fitting his own satchel over his shoulders. Still uncomfortable leaving his belongings in his room, for fear of them being stolen.

"Not the chowder," he greeted. "The taste is off."

Enoch: Enoch read over the words, adjusting his glasses as he drowned out the chatter from the bar. He flipped to the next page and reread his notes, frowning. He almost missed the comment, but it being so close to him, drew his attention to look over his shoulder. Upon seeing Rune, his face lit up and he grinned, "Thank you for the insight. I went with the chicken tonight." He turned in his seat to face Rune a little more, eyeing his suite. "I wasn't expecting you to see you here. Gonna join me?"

Rune: "I have a room upstairs." He didn't mind Enoch knowing as much. Trust went far enough for an exchange of addresses.

"If you wish." He took the neighboring seat at the bar with a sigh.

Enoch: The scholar looked around the pub, searching for signs of stairs until he found them. "Ah, you're not too far away from me then!" The blonde smiled as Rune took his invitation to join him for dinner. "I do wish for that." Moving his bag, Enoch closed up his notebook and slid it back into there before turning his attention to the Dutchman. "How has your day gone?"

Rune: "Uneventful," he sighed. He wanted so much to have this conversation in German, but his accent already turned heads. Expected, and just a bit depressing.

"Made friend with the local church. Ate. Slept."

Enoch: Noticing the discomfort across the other's features, Enoch would switch to German and continue to carry the conversation on.

"Ah sounds very uneventful," he chuckled.

"Would you like to order something?" He looked up to the bartender, ready to wave them over if Rune decided he did want something.

Rune: He thought about the money he had in his pocket and the lack of gambling today, shook his head.

"No, thank you," he responded in English.

He would, however, order a double of genever.

"Tell me your day."

Enoch: "Ah, even if it's my treat?" He teased with a grin. The scholar seemed pleased with himself in Rune's company as he shifted in his seat to face him a little more as he answered the question.

"I was studying your blood sample, but so far nothing has stood out. I had a few things to do at the school but that's about it. Tomorrow I will be giving a lecture." His slim fingers drummed against the bar top, a tell of his unspoken anxiety surrounding the subject.

Rune: Rune looked to the drumming fingers and back. He wasn't really hungry, but maybe it would please him. But, why did that matter?

"Nothing outspoken?" Perhaps he should switch to German. Just under his breath.

"I'll have what you're having," he said, privately. "What is your lecture about?"

Enoch: Enoch chuckled at the question, shaking his head,

"Nothing outspoken," he repeated. "But we'll see after I do some more studies. I. Curious to see if there are any differences," he slowly said in German now. When Rune agreed to order, the bartender was waved over and another chicken soup was ordered along with water.

"There's this new technique concerning chemical analysis using polar graphics. The whole thing is novel but it could serve as a great way to advance our studies." His eyes seemed to light up as he talked about science, but he seemed distracted when their drink orders arrived.

Rune: That light was as charming now as it was when they first met. His smile just managed to reach his eyes.

"Maybe you'll see Quintessence, someday. Maybe people will believe again." But, he wasn't about to hold his breath. He had a feeling that was just wishful thinking.

He wanted to ask if Enoch had decided, but thought better of it; best to wait until they were truly alone.

Enoch: Enoch reached to take his cup, giving Rune a side eye at his statement.

"Maybe," but the way he saw it, that would take a very long time. People already looked at the man as if he was crazy. He felt like one until he ran into Rune.

"So how is it that you got here? You may have told me but...a lot has happened in the past twenty-four hours." Enoch took a sip of his drink, blue eyed trained on the man.

Rune: "This pub, the life, or this country?" he smirked.

Enoch: "All of the above," he replied with his own smirk, not missing a beat.

Rune: "This pub has poker and a cot upstairs. The life... is too complicated. This country, because my captain made port. I wanted something different. He'll find me again. He always does."

Enoch: "Oh, so does that mean you'll be leaving soon?"

His brows furrowed, a look of concern knitted across those features before he turned to greet the bartender again as their bowls were brought out. It was easier to stare at the food than wrestle with the thought that their interaction has an expiration date.

"Right, you said you like to gamble." It's how the man kept his youthful glow.

Rune: Enoch's thoughts were kept to himself. In a place like this, Rune preferred keeping his mind tight and caged. No one here was trying to cause trouble. Tempting though it were to brush the scholar's mind, he would rather not have some random intruder.

"Think I'd awaken you and abandon you?" He shook his head. "I'll be here for a while."

Enoch: While the soup didn't look particularly spectacular, it was enough to make the blonde's stomach rumble, and he reached out to take his spoon.

"I'm not exactly sure what to expect if I'm being honest." But part of him was relieved to hear that Rune didn't have any immediate intentions of leaving him. There was so much still to discover!

Now he had to figure out when he wanted to try to be 'awakened'. He didn't feel like dying tonight.

 Rune: "I can feel your gears turning," he whispered, tapped his temple. "Don't need magic for that."

Rune swirled his own spoon around the bowl, letting the dumpling-like noodles dance about as he thought.

"Tell me what you're thinking."

Enoch: The bowl was stirred, mimicking Rune as he watched the carrots and bits of potato float around before he leaned forward to take his first bite. It was hearty, and thankfully, the taste was there. The mage was side-eyed by the scholar, not appreciating that he was being called out, but it was true—his thoughts sometimes could be very loud.

"About being awakened, and what if it doesn't work?" He paused as he turned to face the other, "Not that I don't appreciate your enthusiasm and support, but what if you're wrong?"

Enoch turned to his soup with a faint smile, "Not saying I won't give it a try, but I'm being realistic."

Rune: "If this were anything else," he sighed, accepting that his German was simply superior and required for the moment, "I'd understand your concern. In this? It doesn't signify." He looked Enoch in the eyes, sitting his spoon aside. He wanted to make this perfectly clear.

"I won't let anything happen to you I can't reverse."

Enoch: And while the soup had been a good distraction to look at, his gaze eventually lifted in the mage's direction. Enoch was silent as he mulled over the promise, which was hard to accept given how new this acquaintance was, but up to now, he didn't have a reason to distrust the mage. Rune was starting to grow on him.

"Fine..." he agreed with his own heavy sigh, stirring the bowl to take another couple of bites of his fine. "This weekend...we can attempt it."

Rune: "You're not doing this under duress. This has to be something you want." He ducked his head an inch, making sure he caught Enoch's gaze again.

"This isn't about me."

Enoch: The man was quiet as he contemplated his soup, almost seemingly like he hadn't heard the mage as he stirred the broth. "I know..."

Finally, he turned to look at Rune, meeting his gaze, feeling the seriousness behind those words. "I've been chasing something like this my entire life. I guess part of me is afraid of what will change if you're right about this."

Rune: He felt... sympathy. For a moment, he considered backing out of the agreement entirely. Switching every word to Dutch and abandoning him then and there. He didn't know what that was, but thought best not to dwell on it.

"You won't be the same. You won't look at anything the same ever again. But... you'll be whole."

Enoch: His gaze lingered on darker hues, and while the words did little to reassure him, he was convinced Rune meant them. And he could live with that.

"I trust you."

Enoch reached over to take his glass of water and lift it up in a toast. "This weekend, we'll see what my whole self looks like..."

Rune: I trust that you mean it, he thought. His glass was raised, but he didn't smile. The conversation had taken a sober note, and now for the first time, he truly anticipated what was going to happen this time tomorrow.

Was it any wonder he had lost his appetite? Still, a sip of water later, he forced himself to try.

Enoch: It felt strange. For what felt like there should have been celebration, there was a sullenness surrounding the air, and this left Enoch in a state of unease. And while the scholar sat with it quietly, focusing on the chatter of other individuals in the pub, he wasn't satisfied with the sudden shift in tone.

"My concerns are real, and hopefully, you see them as reasonable, but don't mistake them for doubt." His hand reached out to land on Rune's shoulder as he continued.

"I'm excited about this and a little scared, of course, but I'll finally have the answers I've been looking for, thanks to you," Enoch emphasized with a gentle squeeze to the mage's shoulder

Rune: Enoch had managed what few could naturally, reclaiming Rune's smile. This was fine. Whatever this feeling was, it would pass.

"Mm." He patted the hand on his shoulder, stared off at nothing with a sigh, expelling his unease.

"They won't believe you. You have to trick them into believing you. But... you'll meet new people. People like us. People like you." His smile broadened.

"I've heard of a group of people. A society calling themselves the Arcanum. You'd fit right in, I think."

Enoch: At this, Enoch laughed heartily as he shook his head, wholeheartedly disagreeing with this notion.

"Me? Trick people into believing me? Rune...you've met me...right?" The smile broadened as he let his hand fall away from the man's shoulder.

"I think you have the wrong person for that, but perhaps joining a group might be more along the lines I can manage. Why would I fit in? Are they esteemed academics like me?"

His grin persisted, pleased with himself that he got Rune to smile again. Something about that solemn look across his features didn't sit well with Enoch...and he wanted to make the mage smile more. Peculiar.

Rune: "Mm," he affirmed, his smile smaller, but genuine. "Exactly that. They do what I suspect you'd love more than anything else: they learn the history of spells, the mystery of why and how. Observe and report."

And sometimes, once in a blue moon, they send out a field agent to learn from those in the wild. Hilarious concept. Fit Enoch to a T, he thought.

Enoch: At the confirmation, Enoch rolled his eyes, but his smile persisted.

"Ah I see what you think of me," he teased before taking another spoonful of his soup. He listened to the description, and much to his chagrin, he had to agree with Rune...that did sound like his cup of tea.

"Maybe I'd be interested in that, but first, don't you agree I should be focusing on the basics?" By this point he had finished his soup, and good thing because he was feeling full from his meal.

Rune: He didn't know how else to explain that no two basics were the same. What would be best for Enoch, the more he thought about it, was probably someone else. He'd hold onto that for as long as he was able. A vice grip with white knuckles, because he was selfish like that.

Rune picked at his soup a little more. Only a quarter downed.

"Maybe." He'd leave it at that. "What are you doing after this? Preparing for your lecture?"

Enoch: Enoch was none the wiser as to what options he had when it came to the realm of magic, but he was content with the mentor that had found him. But the more he thought about the group, the more he was intrigued by the idea of joining like minded scholars to study magic with him.

"Hm? Nothing too much if I'm being honest. I was going to go over my notes, but that was about it. Why?" Enoch sat a little straighter in his chair as he reached for his cup of water now to sip from.

"Want to teach me something else?"

Rune: "Nothing yet." Rune glanced over his shoulder at the people. No one here spoke German. No one glanced their way knowingly, only bitterly at hearing a foreign tongue. He'd just have to tolerate the glares.

"You can watch me do magic, if you want."

Enoch: Rune would come to find out that when it came to the world of magic, Enoch was a wonderful apprentice that was excited to learn. So when presented with the opportunity, that familiar light reflected in those blue eyes.

"I would appreciate that." He wanted to learn as much as possible.

"Where are you thinking of going today?"

Rune: "There's a haunted house in east London. I want to see it, see what the rumors are about. If you come with me," Rune pulled a silver ring from his left hand, "then you need to wear this."

Enoch: "Haunted house?" Did that mean that ghosts were real?!  He paused at this thought before he nodded.

"I'll go with you..." but the ring was peculiar.  Enoch reached for the silver jewelry, turning it in his hand with curiosity.

"Why?"

Rune: "So spirits ignore you," he explained. Otherwise, he wouldn't have invited him. Not if he would be a liability.

Enoch: So it was true! There was the confirmation, given the ring, but Enoch was curious to see the phenomenon himself.  But his lecture the next day... There was an internal struggle as he combatted between these two wants. The thrill of adventure or the responsibility of his job.

Carefully he turned the ring over as he contemplated his choice.  How did it work? And how would the Rune be protected if he didn't have one? He could ask these questions along the way.  "We should get going then." The choice had been made.

Rune: Rune felt in his pocket for a few coins. Dinner was Enoch's treat, the least he could do was pay for his drink. The one he had forgotten, now chugging as he stood. Something to warm his arms on the trek across the city.

"Ja," he sighed. "Can't have you miss your lecture."

Enoch: The chemist nodded as he took the cue and dug in his pockets for enough to cover the meals. Downing the rest of the water, he picked up his bag, adjusting it over his shoulder as he slid out of his seat.

"Lead the way then, friend."

Rune: Rune paused at the first lamp outside of the pub, opening the worn newspaper clipping articling the mysterious house with the blue door on Plundell Street.

"Do you know where this is?" he asked, offering the cutout.

Enoch: Enoch looked over Rune's shoulder at the newspaper but didn't immediately answer. It took a second of wracking his brain, but ultimately, he nodded.

"At least I know which way to go," he said as he nodded toward the south side of town.

"This way..."

The scholar kept pace with Rune, even reaching over to ask to see the paper and inspect the writing more closely.

"So what are you going to do when we get there?"

Rune: "Are we avoiding construction?" The newspaper had said east, but this wasn't his town, and newspapers were often mistaken. He had yet to find a place to purchase a proper map.

Enoch: "Yes, and it's the scenic tour of the city," he added. "There's a nice tea spot if you ever want to grab a cup, and this bookshop here has a lot of rare collections. I can spend hours there..." Enoch pointed out as they walked down the sidewalk.

But soon they would be headed towards Plundell Street.

It wouldn't be too long until they neared the home, Enoch on the search for a blue door.

"Is that it?" It looked like the picture on the paper.

Rune: Rune looked to each place Enoch pointed. He didn't favor tea nearly as much as this country insisted, but, he would remember these places; Enoch's tone insisted that he did.

"You must know half the bookstores in London," he smiled.

His smile began fading once they hit Plundell Street. Feeling for his rosary from under his shirt, he wrapped the beads around his hand, pressing his thumb inch by inch as he looked from one side to the other. There, on the right, near the end of the tiny road.

"Ja. We'll go around the back."

The yard was tiny. Reminded him of the homes in Amsterdam. What counted as a backyard was little more than a patch of grass with a single swing and what was once someone's beloved teddy bear. The stuffing and left button eye were long gone.

There in the middle of the yard, he paused, eyes closed.

Enoch: Hands lifted to clutch the strap of the leather satchel as they walked down the street, Enoch excited to share his favorite spots but was mindful to not seem overly eager. Though Rune seemed to pick up on it, despite this.

"You might be right," chuckled the Englishman as he walked next to his mentor. "But, it's useful when you are in search of something. Sometimes it helps to know the shopkeeper." Blue eyes softened as he looked away and back towards the ground.

Books were an invaluable resource and what answers he couldn't find within the pages, he set out to discover for himself, much like tonight. Ghost and ghouls were stories conjured to keep children in bed, yet so many accounts of strange things happening at night made Enoch curious to discover the truth.

Their footsteps slowed as they arrived at the property, and the scholar fell back to let Rune take the lead. As they walked around the back, Enoch observed the yard in the dim light before his attention finally rested on Rune. He stood to the side, noticing the subtle movements of his fingers against the rosary that had started well before their arrival. But afraid to break his mentor's concentration, Enoch remained quiet as he spun the ring seated on his left index finger nervously, unsure what to expect.

Rune: Opening his mind to the veil was easier without the ring Enoch possessed. Whether he accompanied or not he would have pocketed the enchantment. Whatever dwelled on the property needed to see him. Seeing wasn't the same as possessing. The iron cuff on his right hand prevented such bumbles.

"You don't pray, do you?" he whispered, eyes still closed.

Enoch: The assignment had been to watch Rune practice magic, and so that's what Enoch was. The familiar rustle of his notebook being fished out of his bag could be heard, followed by the slow page flips as the scholar opened up to a new spot to take notes. Ever the academic.

Carefully, Enoch wrote down the date and time, including the address they were at. In the middle of his writing, he paused when questioned about his religion—or, in this case, lack of it.

"No. It didn't seem that whoever was on the other side was listening."

It wasn't because of a lack of trying, because Enoch had gone through the motions; it just never stuck.

"Is that a problem?"

Rune: Rune opened one eye, and immediately wanted to smack that book out of Enoch's hand. But, he managed a snort.

"You're going to do this now?" he whispered.

Enoch: "What?" Enoch looked up; his writing stopped as he watched Rune, seemingly confused.

"Should I not?"

Rune: "I have no idea. No one ever has," he smiled earnestly.

Enoch: "Hush then and leave me to my ways," Enoch whispered back, a grin on his lips as he looked back down to his notebook.

"Aren't you busy doing...What...is it that you're doing anyway? You know...for the record."

Gold-rimmed glasses were adjusted as he looked back up at Rune with amusement.

Rune: Rune's eyes slowly opened again. Ah. This was why no one did what he did. His rosary-covered hand slowly reached out to cup the scholar's jaw.

"Shh. Let me listen."

Enoch: Being out like this in the dark had a certain energy, very much reminiscent of that first night they had met. The promise of magic and new experiences excited the scholar, making him uncharacteristically animated around the mage. But he grew still when Rune cupped his jaw, asking for silence. The touch surprised him, but Enoch subtly nodded into that hand, agreeing to the mage's ask. But what was he listening for? Enoch couldn't hear anything.

Rune: Still very much a sleeper. Closing his eyes, bringing his hand back in prayer, he asked God for one additional request: please, don't let him be a Dreamspeaker. He'd seen one too many spirit mages lose their mind. Enoch was too sweet for that.

The softest hum, no different from inquisitive noises made in conversation, warmed his entire being. The hairs on the back of his neck rose. Nothing demonic, thank God.

"It's just -" Just was a little too nonchalant for Enoch. "-It's a... wraith. An undead spirit. A young one."

Enoch: Enoch leaned back once Rune's hand left his jaw, standing a little straighter as he watched the mage carefully.  His face was a little flush now. Much like before, he took special notes of the soft hums, the smallest motion because he had picked up even the most discreet gesture could be a cast in disguise.

But at the risk of being teased , Enoch didn't reach for his notebook and pen, instead, he stood back with his hands gently clasped behind his back as he watched.

"Are they here?"

He turned his head as if expecting to see the wraith, but clearly, nothing was there. But his attention then drew to the house. Were they going to barge inside and continue tonight's adventures from within? The blonde was feeling adventurous, even if breaking and entering went against his very being.

Rune: "I wouldn't feel much if she wasn't." There were several methods available to him. Some less violent than others. This being a child, the answer was obvious. No forcing conversation, no forcing her through the great beyond.

Rune looked over his shoulder for anything long and sharp. A piece of pipe, fence - a small stick would do just fine. A circle was traced near the old swing set. The little broken teddy bear was placed beside him. More intricate lines marked north and west.

"Keep the ring on and keep quiet."

Enoch: Enoch's head gently canted to the side as he observed his mentor, wondering how the other was able to pick up on the wraith's presence. It must have something to do with energy...maybe frequency? Whatever it was, it was curious, and it kept Enoch's attention.

Now, when Rune took hold of a stick, the scholar watched the drawing take shape; for this, he would break his stance to trace in his notebook along with a few jotted notes. It was just then he was about to ask a question, and Rune asked for him to stay quiet. It was as if the man could read his thoughts, then again... he could. Fine, quiet he would be.

Rune: Enoch wasn't given a second look, so long as he remained silent. Effortless when on duty. This was charity, but had to be taken seriously.

There were no candles, no incense, and no salts. Nothing yet. First, to see if she was willing to communicate. One last mark and his hands came out flat in front of him, rosary splayed in the patchy grass. He bowed his head and whispered a gentle greeting.

Quiet. Stillness. Nothing but a sharp chill walked past Enoch from behind. She was there, playing hide and seek.

The exorcist got to his feet. His arms spread wide, coming in violently, fists against his chest and stomach, hunching low, head nearly to his knees.

And then backward, hands slowly came forward, only to smack his chest with open palms as he breathed low. Arms out wide again.

It was a dance. A dance to entice the little girl. He knew the risks. Any nearby spirit could feel his energy and come snooping. But... he smiled to the sound of a giggle by Enoch's leg.

"Hi, darling." English, from this moment forth.

Enoch: It was a curious sight to behold as everything began to unfold. The scholar watched as Rune became more animated, entertained by his jerky movements as they developed until they turned into a dance. Why in the world was he doing that?

The more he watched, the more he was amused by this small show his mentor was putting on for the spirit, a soft chuckle of amusement escaped him. He didn't make any other sound as the smile remained pressed on his lips as he continued to watch the fluid movements. Was this actually going to work?

Enoch got his answer soon enough as he felt the coolness of something pass behind him and lean against his leg. And it seemed like he wasn't the only one to feel it. Rune could see her. 'Hello to you, too,' The academic almost answered in greeting, but caught himself as he too looked down in the direction of the little girl, yet he wasn't able to see whom Rune was addressing.

Rune: Enoch would have been given the dirtiest of looks had he opened his mouth. Already on thin ice for that - arguably adorable - little laugh. If he were to acknowledge his presence with a glance, there was a very real chance of losing the wraith's favor. At the very least, causing her anxiety.

He smiled at her, features softer than they had ever been in the scholar's presence. He offered his hand, gestured with it for her to approach as he took a knee. Each movement was now slow and deliberate.

"It's all right. I'm Felix. Are you looking for someone?"

The feeling against Enoch's leg lessened.

"What's your name?" A one-way conversation, it would appear to any sleeper.

"Diana. Look what I found. Is yours?" He held up the disheveled teddy, letting it rest on his knee.

"Diana, do you know why you're still here?"

Enoch: While only a small laugh had escaped him, it was torture not to say more. He didn't need Rune to be upset with him and lose faith in his first apprentice...or be given a dirty look. But his grin persisted as he watched the exchange continue and he got to witness something he hadn't seen from his mentor as of yet. He hadn't seen this side of Rune and it was sweet, almost tender even how he addressed the wraith. His gaze softened as he observed the dark-haired man kneel down to greet the little girl. While he couldn't see the spirit, he could envision it based on the ongoing conversation.

Enoch looked down at his leg as he felt the pressure lessen and he followed it to where he thought the little girl stood. He watched for a moment before he carefully reached for his notebook and pen to start writing again. Well..some jotted notes but this time he started to sketch out the scene. If only he knew what Diane looked like. Again, torture for the inquisitive scholar who was itching to ask questions.

Rune: A long silence on Rune's end. His eyes fixed on an area several feet in front of him. His features remained kind, nodding once in a while to something Enoch couldn't hear. His brows furrowed just once, only to quickly smooth.

"I can find her for you. Would you like that?" A smile, another nod. "Promise you'll stay right here? Look," he gestured to the circle, "Theo and I made it. It'll keep you safe." One final pause, Rune slowly stepped out of the sigil.

"Good girl."

Enoch: Recently, Enoch found himself in a world he never thought he would be a part of. Just a few days ago he was confronted with that magic was real and now he was finding that ghosts and ghouls were as well. Did that mean all the creatures that went bump in the night were real too? Something to think about later.

Pen scratched against the paper in his journal as he sketched out the scene along with the sigil on the ground, occasionally looking up to watch his mentor have a one-sided conversation with the little girl. He was taking this all rather well at face value, yet knew he'd be laying in bed replaying this scene. So much for lecture preparation. The pen was cradled between the pages when it seemed like the interaction was coming to an end and Enoch glanced up, weary about speaking since he had not been permitted to do so yet. But the look on his face was clear. What now?

Rune: Rune kept his back to his apprentice, watching the little girl until her attention turned to the stuffed animal he had left in the circle. She wouldn't be leaving the sigil anytime soon. Not a trap, but like honey to a fly. She would have no interest in leaving. At least, not for a little while. The world was quieter, calmer within the circle.

Only when they were out of the backyard did Rune finally speak. German, of course.

"She wants to know her baby sister is all right. Neumenona, she said. Pneumonia."

Enoch: The notebook was gently tucked under Enoch's arm as he looked at the sigil carved on the ground and the stuffed ragged bear in the middle.

"Pneumonia. Is that why she hasn't moved on?"

That's what it was, right? Spirits got stuck in limbo because of unresolved things on this plane.

"Poor thing..." It was unlikely that the baby had survived it.

"What are you going to do?"

Rune: "Her sister, yes." Rune felt for something in his coat, removing a pre-rolled cigarette from a silver case.

"I'm a man of my word. I'm going to find her family and see what happened. If I come up short, I'll force her out myself."

He glanced at his apprentice. "Last resort."

Enoch: "And how will you do that?"

Enoch's gaze shifted to the cigarette as it was fished out.

" You can force her out?"

Enoch stared at the empty sigil, wishing he could see what Rune did. All of this was fascinating. The ring on his finger was toyed with as he spun it on his digit before sliding it up and down his finger as he thought, drawn back to the cigarette.

Rune: "Research. Asking around. Something to do tomorrow."

He watched the road, looking from house to house. Looking for any silver thread linking one house to the next.

"If I have to. I'd rather not."

Enoch: "Well, that's something I'm good at," smiled the scholar. It was how he had drawn the mage out that night they met.

"I should probably give this back to you, though," he offered as he finally slid the silver ring off and held it out to Rune.

"What did she look like? I was trying to capture the scene, but only could get one side of the conversation."

It hadn't taken Enoch long to accept that ghosts were real after he had confirmed that magic was, too. He held out the notebook, and there was the start of a sketch: Rune crouched on the ground, talking to an outline of a small child.

Rune: "You want me to describe her as one would a Rembrandt?" Had he ever done something like that before? Actually, no.

He scoffed, taking the ring and tossing it in the air, catching it with both hands, cigarette dangling between his lips.

"Fine." He sucked the tobacco with a sigh. "You're going to help me find her family?"

Enoch: "If you want to convince me that you weren't talking to the wind that is...and I've decided to entertain a madman."

Enoch grinned as he watched the ring sail through the air before it was caught, nodding to the other.

"Share, and I'll consider helping you." Even though he had already agreed to it, some of his humor was starting to come through the more comfortable he grew around the mage.

Rune: He gestured to the house behind them. Fine, fine. He would have to tap into his poetic side. Was that a side that even existed? Must be, he thought, to have any emotion behind ritual dances.

"Brunette. Small, narrow chin. Large eyes. Dark underneath. Might have been that way in life."

He looked at the scholar expectantly.

"You better write this down or draw while we walk."

Enoch: Right. The dancing!

Enoch nodded as the other finally described the little girl he was speaking to in detail. When prodded to take action, he laughed and nodded.

"Fine. Brunette, large eyes...about how old was she?"

The notebook came out, and notes were jotted on a new page to draw into detail later. He might even consider sharing the final piece.

"And...the dancing...you definitely have better moves than me. What was that about?"

Rune: "Five, maybe six. I can't say for certain. We'll find out when we learn about the family."

The exorcist scratched at his scalp, taking another long, deep drag before flicking what remained onto the road. He needed better rolling paper.

"It's called Deadspeak. It's a dance older than England's been a country. It entices them. The movements switched," he gestured, one hand over the other, and around again, "change the spell into something else with another name."

Enoch: Enoch nodded as he looked back to the house.

"I'm sure I can find something in the library if we find out their names. Could be a place to start."

His attention drifted back to the mage, the first time he had heard of this dance, watching as Rune's hands folded over one another along with the explanation.

"I can see why it entices them. It worked on me," he teased with a gentle chuckle, but he understood that each motion had a significance behind it.

He watched the butt of the cigarette sail away, and while it looked like he may have wanted to ask for one, he didn't this time.

Rune: "Library, newspaper. I'll be back tomorrow knocking on doors." There was that rare hesitation, worrying his bottom lip. "If you could help with that," he sighed. "My... English."

He was... just... going to ignore that - whatever it was Enoch had just done. Tease? Flirt? It wasn't the first time, he realized. He wasn't sure what to make of it, nor the feeling in his stomach.

Enoch: Those were all good starts for finding out who the little girl was. They could use the address of the home as well and it would hopefully narrow down their search. But as their conversation continued, Enoch noticed that concerned look across Rune's face.

"Of course. Though I think with a little practice you'll be a natural at it."

Now the teasing came across innocently enough, though hearing himself say it aloud gave the chemist pause and he cleared his throat and looked away. Perhaps a bit too forward.

"Stop by my lab tomorrow and I can share what I've found, if you'd like."

Better to move on and not acknowledge it.

Rune: "I practice when I'm not teaching you magic," he said, managing a smile.

"I intend to." Every day, if he could help it. Whether they backed out of the awakening ritual or not, he enjoyed Enoch's company, and the little interviews each encounter became.

Enoch: "See? Off to a good start." Enoch wouldn't be opposed to teaching or helping Rune practice, but he didn't want to impose himself when they were just starting to get to know each other.

"Good, then I'll be expecting you..."

Enoch gently bumped into the other's shoulder as he nodded towards the sidewalk to head back to the pub. He had a lecture to give in the morning after all.

Rune: "Afraid of standing in the road?" Rune spread his arms wide. He shouldn't play a game of chicken this late at night. Not to scare the daylights out of his apprentice, but he was in a good mood.

Enoch: "I personally don't want to meet my death tonight. You'll be getting that privilege this weekend," laughed the scholar.

"Come on," he grinned as he reached over to tug Rune by the arm to join him on the sidewalk. The good mood was contagious, especially these last couple of nights in the mage's company.

Rune: He didn't expect to be tugged, but he let it happen. The gesture was sweet, and he wouldn't reprimand him for it.

"You're going to show me your room?"

Enoch: It would be of no use if Rune got run over, and that was the end of Enoch's short-lived stint with the tease of magic in his life. It was better this way.

Yet he wasn't prepared for the tease that shortly came after, causing those cool, pale features to turn red. It took him a minute to recover, responding with a sly smile as he looked straight ahead as he walked. "You haven't danced enough to earn that."

Rune: It had been asked innocently. He would swear by that. From Enoch's own mouth, both were living in nearby pubs. He expected the scholar's accommodation to be better than his own.

But flirtations returned with a vengeance, and once again, Rune didn't know what to do with himself. He was feeling his age. His young spirited self would have pushed Enoch against the wall. Challenged him, kissed him, and thrown him away. Awakening sleepers wouldn't have been a consideration. Only to scratch an itch for some sliver of humanity.

But he was trying something new, this humanitarian, vulnerable game.

"Then this is where we part ways," he said, gripping the strap of his satchel.

Enoch: Enoch would go to his grave denying that it has been posed as an innocent question. He wasn't ready for the flirtatious tones that took over the conversation but he wasn't against it either. Enoch wasn't sure what it was, but what he did know was that he enjoyed his time with the other. He even found himself looking forward to spending time with Rune.

Lighter blue eyes finally drifted back to meet his mentor to read his reaction.  Still surprised with himself by that bold response.

The academic was studious and generally kept to himself and his work. He was never one to allow himself to be distracted by feelings, yet something about the mage drew him in. Something to think on in the quiet of his dark room, but for now it was agreed that they would part ways.

Enoch nodded as they stopped just outside the pub Rune was staying at. "Right...yes, until tomorrow," he agreed taking a step back.

"By the way, I like the name Felix. It suits you."

The warmth still radiated on his face though it was cooling down as he headed away, lifting a hand to wave goodbye.

"Goodnight, Felix."

Rune: Felix. Not once, but twice. It hadn't occurred to him that Enoch only knew him by his surname. Somehow, he had forgotten. Enoch had always known him by every name, had known him longer than two days. It was his familiar, friendly energy. He had already made himself at home in Rune's company, and so effortlessly.

He didn't know what to make of him, or himself for that matter. He was supposed to be on duty, and this harmless young upstart was giving him a shake.

The Euthanatos could only raise his hand, struck dumb and otherwise frozen, watching Enoch until he rounded the corner.

[plugnuts]

Hi, newcomer here, I wanna ramble about this AU in my brain called "the beast family tree" or "tbft"/"beast tree", it has dad Beast, Beast!Wirt and Beast!Greg, and beastnoch, I wanna ramble

Hey welcome to the club!!

Please, feel free to ramble all you want I wanna hear all about it!!

[morttodea]

convenience store au?? 👀👀 can we have some info 🙏

Hell yeh!!~ Continuation of X but more on the convenience store aspect!

-so it's a mixture of them having a place in @ghoulguise‘s world and them absolutely having a time in a work setting like Omega mart

- I know I said they’re usually in their baph form, but I think they’d also likely have an oppossum form during this. the extra hands, pouch, and prehensile tail comes in handy! -They work at places like the dollar general and such (if you got a freaky town and you need a someone to man a store, they are you’re guy!)! They’re like the most normal thing you’d see there despite being a demon. but hey they’re a chill demon! -the store is a liminal space! Music that plays but it sounds like you’re hearing it in the basement rather than on the ground floor   - when there’s a wet floor sign, mind the colors! Red signs mean it’s actually wet watch out, yellow you’ll meld into the floor, orange means you’ll accidentally clip into the back rooms, green.... Is there really an aisle there? best not to go down there! -it’s prolly likely to see an alternate here or there, leave them be. Don’t stare, don’t chat, or else they’ll tail you home. If bor’s not there and the shadow man with the hat is there, do not enter- -the staffing sucks(because the boss doesn’t really trust much peeps in his store), bor’s there plus like three others, if someone was rude to any of them there’s a high chance the person might become a meal. -sells a lot of questionable products as well as the normal ones, they have a wicked slushy machine! You’re free to return them if you need, but sales are usually final, it’s like a monkey’s paw exchange. -they don’t mind shop lifters, all they ask is no one to make a ruckus and try to steal any actual cash. Not because they care about it, it’s because anything that’s rightfully exchanged with money that’s stolen will turn to ash once it passes the door. And so would the stealer’s hands.

-their boss is a giant shaggoth like creature(or something close to a beholder), he’s treading on Dr.Money status but not entirely- He’s like Enoch from Off, he cares about the four workers here and likes to make a reasonable income for them all, but most of the time it’s like pulling a tooth out of him to get a raise or a day off; - It’s very likely you may enter in from one place and leave from another, if this happens try to enter back in again, retrace your steps put back your products on the shelves, and leave! Your goods will still be in your bag, just don’t come back in again for a day or else you’re mega stuck in that place you accidentally gotten into.

[bansheeoftheforest]

Do you perhaps have some Jekshire thoughts you could share? I cannot get enough of this unfortunately very niche ship.

Hehe hehehe heheheheehhehe hehehhe heh <3

I... Might have gone a bit off board with this but hehe... Somehow this ended up being mostly about how they got together and the beginning of their relationship but??? eh <3

While Henry hadn't really realized his bisexuality until he met Robert and immediately felt ashamed by it, Enoch had always had a hum about his bisexuality. Except, of course, he chalked it up to him and his pals just being bros. Just pals being dudes. Lads being guys. Nothing unusual with that. Although when he did realize that maybe he thought guys looked... Ahem, better than most other guys would think, he just shrugged it off and didn’t give a single shit about it, though <3

Enoch was one of the first persons that Henry saw when he entered London for the first time; Enoch was an officer-in-training patrolling the London borders with his higher-ups, and Henry was an eager student about to make his way straight to the University campus. They shared a short glance and Enoch couldn't help but feel like Henry was awfully cute, although he didn't even catch those thoughts himself.

It's no secret that Henry-- as a young, successful doctor, bachelor, and just generally a good and attractive person-- has a lot of people that has a crush on him, yet he doesn't notice that himself. He catches people's heart like they are flies flocking to his light, Enoch was no different, although it took a handful of more encounters with him in their latter years for him to realize that. Henry remained blissfully unaware.

Enoch has always been good at hiding his emotions and keeping them away from his workplace, but when he came back from a patrol after just having ran into Dr. Jekyll and shared a brief chat with him, it was not hard for the other officers to notice that something was... Hm, unusual with Brokenshire that day.

It took only a handful of more solo patrols and Enoch coming back like he had just gotten a red-faced spring allergy with soft grumbling for Jenkins and Wipple realize he kept meeting an object of his affections. Cue a lot of teasing. Cue a lot of protests from Brokenshire. Cue a lot of drunkenly getting his feelings out to his friends by simply making it seem like Henry is a married woman that Enoch accidentally had fallen for. Cue a lot of sympathy and even more teasing.

So if he suddenly had a lot of solo patrols by the Society, then he would just say it was his sheer luck. 

He ends up accidentally running into Henry a lot. Henry always seems pleasantly delighted and surprised. Enoch can never really help but feel extremely giddy about it. 

They never really formally became friends until they both attended an event held by the commissioner. Both being close friends to their mutual associate, the two of them ended up running into each other again quite quickly.

Or more like, Henry saw Brokenshire standing in a corner, dressed in his finest (and only) formal suit while sipping wine. It had taken exactly half a moment for Henry to completely abandon whatever friends he had been chatting up to make his way over to the lonely sergeant. A sergeant who very much tried to hide his blush and fluster while trying to not choke on his wine. 

They ended up casually talking for the first time during that event, they both learned a lot about each other-- Henry often spoke of Glasgow with Brokenshire, who’s family had immigrated from Edinburgh to London before he was born.

While they started casually talking during the event, they soon began to spend more time together. Enoch quickly learned that Henry’s reputation of being someone who very much will talk someone’s ears off wasn’t an overstatement, yet he found it quite endearing. Soon Enoch would find himself accompanied by the doctor during his lonely patrols in Westminster, and soon Henry found himself getting escorted to his meetings by a particularly bored sergeant who always seemed to catch him at the right time.

It really did not take long for Enoch to realize why the commissioner was so fond of Henry, and it really did not take long for his sudden crush on the other man to get a bit overwhelming.

Henry, meanwhile, had been too caught up with the actual events of TGS to fully notice his own growing fondness for the sergeant. Or more like, he saw the signs but refused to confront them in fear of repeating what happened to him and Robert... And, well, falling for a police officer who wants another part of him dead.

That plan went straight to hell. Henry soon caught himself following the sergeant like an affectionate puppy, and his little love-sickness was quickly noticed by a handful of Lodgers who desperately wanted to know who had managed to get suck a reaction out of him. The fact that Henry was suddenly spending more and more time with Enoch seemed to go completely unnoticed by everyone.

Neither of them really realized their feelings for each other until Brokenshire found Henry stumbling down the street one night; his body was beaten and bruised, his clothes were torn, and he had just managed to escape a nasty bar-fight that Hyde had gotten him into. It was just his luck that he had managed to escape enough to get some HJ7 into him. Enoch had decided that the Society or the hospital were both too far away, so he took him into the station instead. Yet he merely told the other officers to find the offenders while he patched up Henry.

It was certainly unprofessional of him to place Henry down on his own chair in his office before gently placing the palm of his coarse hand on the other’s cheek as he began to clean the wounds and the dried blood from the nosebleed, and yet neither could say that they minded. Something about having Enoch’s large hand on his sensitive face made Henry melt into the touch, something about seeing Henry’s eyes flutter close at the careful touches got Enoch’s heart beating faster and faster.

Henry had been... Quite out of it, so to speak. Enoch had not known if it was because he was horribly drunk or had suffered a nasty hit to the head, but as he carefully began to question him about what had happened, the way Henry would almost grin and tilt his head upwards (almost as if he was proud of it) got a completely unnecessary blush to reach Enoch’s cheeks. 

Enoch helped Henry back to the Society, and yet he could not keep himself from visiting the next morning. “Just to make sure he is fine”, he had told himself. Well, the Lodgers did not believe that, and poor hangover Henry woke up to the sound of a lot of yelling from the foyer. The Lodgers were too busy trying to shoo the sergeant (who was off-duty, mind you) to notice the doctor. Enoch noticed him immediately and yet he hated how his heartbeat began to pick up again.

It all ended up with Henry inviting Enoch into his office for a bit of tea... Which, in itself, ended up with the two of them sitting closer to each other than probably should have been socially acceptable. Neither could deny that it probably wasn’t the steaming tea that warmed them up, neither could deny that their companion was looking too good for their own good in that soft morning light.

Henry was too hungover to really think straight, soon they ended up gazing at each other and neither could look away. Suddenly Henry felt himself coming closer, he heard how Brokenshire’s breath hitched, yet neither pulled away. They noses brushed together, both knew that they should probably pull away, and neither did. In the end, it was Enoch who placed his hand on Henry’s cheek and closed the distance between them.

Enoch and Henry didn’t leave the office for hours. Both could consider themselves lucky that Enoch had a day off and Henry had nothing scheduled. 

Ahaha anyways time for some actual hcs about this ship.

Enoch is very protective of Henry. Like, stupidly protective, and yet he always makes sure that he never overwhelm Henry with it. He just worries a lot for his lover and especially since he knows what a cruel world they live in and how terrible Henry is at taking care of and loving himself. Henry thinks it’s quite sweet, especially just because he thinks it’s nice to have a lover who actually cares about him.

Both Enoch and Henry love dogs. Enoch does not bat an eye at church grims. Rachel had to physically restrain both of them from adopting an entire graveyard filled with church grims after many of the smaller churches in London were destroyed to make way for new apartments.

Cuddles. SO much cuddles. Neither are big at PDA or physical affection otherwise but jesus christ so many cuddles. It goes to the point where neither can sleep without the other, so Henry has to constantly sneak out of the Society (or his own house) to get to Enoch’s apartment since he doesn’t want to risk his servants or the Lodgers getting suspicious. Enoch always waits for him with a cup of peppermint tea for him when he comes by during the night.

Henry has a thing for men in uniform. That’s it. That’s the post /hj.

Enoch is the only person that Henry feels comfortable actually slipping into his Scottish accent with. He doesn’t try to stop it when he is incredibly tired or incredibly drunk because in the end, it wasn’t like Enoch didn’t have a thick accent all the time.

Surprisingly, Enoch is the one that has to patch Henry up a lot. For being a doctor, he really has no idea how to take care of himself or how to deem a wound serious enough to treat, or potions dangerous enough to not test on himself. Enoch always patches him up and Henry always melts into his hands like an ice-cube by a candle. By the rare instances that Enoch does get hurt while on duty, he loves watching Henry fretting over him.

(Plus, he can freely demand as many kisses as he wants when he is bedridden because Henry can’t complain about it).

They are the same height-- or Enoch is slightly taller, but Henry wears heeled shoes so they don’t really notice until Henry takes the shoes off and suddenly he feels like Enoch became a goddamn tree. Enoch loves those moments more than he could possibly describe.

Enoch manhandles Henry a lot. He stays up late and refuses to go to bed? Enoch throws him over his shoulder and takes him to bed. Henry is teasing him or they are play fighting? Henry squeals as he suddenly get picked up bridal style. Enoch is incredibly strong and Henry weighs like... Nothing. Plus, his squeals are incredibly endearing.

Sometimes Enoch will wake up in the morning only to see Henry already awake playing with Ralphie and Zosi, and sometimes Enoch will swear that Henry only started dating him to steal his dog.

(Henry will only partially deny that).

Wipple and Jenkins once went on a surprise visit to Enoch’s apartment, having gotten a spare key each “for emergencies” (or more like for whenever they feel like annoying their friend). The first thing they saw was Henry and Enoch cuddled up on the couch. Enoch politely told them to get out of his apartment and not speak of this. For once, Wipple and Jenkins kept to that promise (although they did tease him a lot afterwards but hell, if their friend is just going to around dating a man like that it sure as hell should be someone they like as much as Dr. Jekyll). 

Somehow, they managed to keep their relationships quite a well-kept secret for many, many years. People only started to get suspicious when both the doctor and the sergeant conveniently retired at the same time and moved out of London. They took their pick-pack and moved into a manor at the outskirts of Edinburgh, forgetting their past life in London. They still kept in touch with their old friends, however, who often came to their home on vacation during the summers.

Just let me have Enoch becoming a grumpy old gay and Henry the tired old gay and just let me have them be happy pls <3

Oohoohohh. Give me tired old Enoch and Henry-- both with grey hair and wrinkled faces-- finding a young orphan on the streets when they are buying the groceries. Give me 60/70+ year old Enoch and Henry becoming dads <3<3<3

[glitteryglitter]

Rhubarb scones

𝙰𝙽: Fiona definitely needs more love, she’s amazing! 

𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜:  None, I think! 

𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐: Fiona X Reader

𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 1458

                                                       ๑*˚🍓˚*๑ 

It all started with a note, that note that had been dropped into y/n's lap that morning at breakfast.

"Would you like to have a picnic? If so, see you at 7 tonight on the beach."

Yes or No

That note, whose messy  print could only belong to one person; Y/n's girlfriend Fiona.

They circled yes, of course.

They'd been asked on a date with Fiona and they were determined to make it fantastic.

Well, they knew one thing for certain.

Fiona adored rhubarb scones.

One issue was very prominent though, Y/n couldn't bake to save their life...

"EMMA" Y/n practically kicked down the door to the kitchen.

"I need your help! Please!”

"What on earth? Y/n do you need me to hide a body? If you do, the answer is no"

Y/n grinned. 

"Not quite, but close. Fiona asked me on a date, I want to make her rhubarb scones, but I. Can't. Bake."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Can't you just buy them at-"

"No! This is special, it's a surprise! Please, you're my only hope."

Y/n tried their best to look desperate.

"Fine, I'll do what I can. You, go get a cookbook and I'll distract Fiona if she tries to come in. We'll take shifts!"

Y/n nodded. 

"Perfect!"

They ran to get the cookbook as fast as they could.

Y/n scanned every shelf in the library until they found the cookbooks.

There had to be at least 6 shelves full of them.

They began to scan through the books until they found one that looked promising.

They shifted a few books here and there until they'd almost reached the right one, then, the book promptly fell on Y/n's face.

They crashed to the ground and pulled the very heavy book off their face.

Y/n froze, terrified that someone had heard the noise and come to check but thankfully, no one did.

They flipped the book over to read the title. The Joy Of Cooking.

Perfect! 

"Found it!" they whispered triumphantly. 

Y/n flipped through the pages to find a recipe for scones. 

After some time, they found it. 

They hurried back to the kitchen where Emma had set out some things while watching the door like her life depended on it. 

                                                      ๑*˚🍓˚*๑ 

All was going well until Emma heard a small creaking sound coming towards them.

"It's your turn to watch the door. Y/n, go see if it’s her” she hissed

It most certainly was.

Fiona was walking down the hall with a spring in her step headed towards the kitchen where Emma was aggressively stemming a pile of rhubarb.

                                                       ๑*˚🍓˚*๑

"Fiona! How are you?"

She smiled and waved but didn't stop walking

Oh no-

Y/n thought for a second. 

“I don’t mean to bother you but Horace told me he and Enoch need your help for something, I couldn't help because I was-"

Y/n caught themself.

"I was doing a something else. He said it was urgent because-he's working on-you know-"

They fumbled for a good reason.

Right on cue, there was a loud crash plus some even louder swearing in a very distinct accent.

Fiona cringed as the sound of shattering glass rang through the house.

"That. They needed help with that.. "

She nodded and hurried off.

                                                       ๑*˚🍓˚*๑

The scones were finally baked and Y/n didn't need to worry anymore, or at least that’s what they thought. 

Y/n breathed a sigh of relief as they placed the last one on a cooling rack, and was feeling quite accomplished until Fiona breezed through the hall once more headed straight for the kitchen.

She nodded to the oven and raised an eyebrow.

She must have smelled something baking and came to investigate.

Oh no- this couldn't happen. At this point, Y/n was desperate and their secret scones would not be revealed.

“Fiona! I was wondering if you'd like to dance with me! I saw it in a movie and it seemed romantic!” 

They proceeded to pull their rather confused girlfriend into an extremely ungraceful waltz.

What was going on with y/n? It was very sweet of them to dance with her, but it wasn't something they'd ever done before.

A thought hit Fiona; 

Was she was rushing? 

Maybe the date wasn't a good idea. 

What if she was moving too fast and Y/n wasn't ready?

She tried to stay calm, after all, she really did need to focus on not spinning Y/n into the china cabinet they were dangerously close to, but it was too late.

Y/n fell into the cupboard, hit their head, and blacked out as plates rained down around them.

                                                       ๑*˚🍓˚*๑

“Are you alright?”

Y/n opened their eyes to find herself on a couch, looking up at her girlfriend and a very concerned Miss Peregrine.

After some time her eyes adjusted to the light.

"How do you feel? Headache? Dizziness? Nausea?"

"Miss Peregrine, please let them rest”  Fiona whispered.

Miss Peregrine nodded.

y/n smiled up at the two of them.

"I'm sorry, I should've been more careful.” 

Miss P sighed. “It's alright. I'm just glad you're not hurt."

                                                      ๑*˚🍓˚*๑

A few minutes later, Y/n was about to go up to their room and choose an outfit for their date, however Miss Peregrine had other ideas. 

"Y/n I understand you have a date later, but you will not go. You may be concussed and we can't have you fainting in the village. people might talk!"

She took a breath in. 

"However, Emma told me everything. I  know how hard you two worked hard on those scones. If you'd like, you may have your date in the library.”

Y/n made a mental note to never tell anyone about anything they wanted to keep private.

 Ever. 

They nodded. “Alright” 

                                                       ๑*˚🍓˚*๑

Y/n dragged themself off the couch and began setting up

They boiled some water, set out some tea,  and brought a small plant. 

Y/n also set out the scones that had made the entire afternoon chaotic.

Finally, everything was set up.

At that moment,  Fiona entered the library and waved .

Her eyes widened slightly and she smiled as she grabbed a scone.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I was trying to keep the scones a surprise, I didn’t realize it would make the afternoon so chaotic” 

Fiona shook her head "It's alright" she whispered. "Thank you for the scones."

"Of course!"

Y/n poured the tea into some cups when Enoch sprinted into the room.

"Oh good, another couple! Perfect! As if we don't already have enough people staring lovingly into each other's eyes. It's honestly so-" 

He fell silent as he noticed the plate of scones on the table.

"Thank goodness, Horace loves rhubarb."

He swiped half of them from their platter, and before either Y/n or Fiona could protest the abduction of their pastries, he darted out of the room.

"I'm coming, Horace! don't worry!" He hollered.

The two gave each other a look.

"They're so oblivious," Y/n sighed.

Fiona nodded.

"Let's set them up" she murmured.

Y/n's smile grew. "You're a genius"

This evening's date just got a lot more interesting.

                                                       ๑*˚🍓˚*๑

[colony22games]

NON-LIVEPLAY GAMES, MARCH 2163 - ‘Double Trouble’

OBJECTIVE: “DOUBLE TROUBLE” is a LAST TWO STANDING, ‘Hunger Games’ style game and will commence at sunrise. Survivors will begin the game as every individual for themselves, at the edge of the gaming grounds. When the starting horn sounds, survivors may choose to take a chance at The Hoard for weapons and resources, or head straight for the woods. Forming alliances is recommended, but remember, alliances are temporary and can change. 

TEAMS: None. 1 vs. All, Personal Alliances only.

WEAPONS: This game will include ALL COLONY-APPROVED TRAINING WEAPONRY. Players begin the game without arms, but may obtain them at The Hoard or at hidden caches around the gaming grounds.

*HIT LIMIT: 1   *KILL LIMIT: 1

KILL PROTOCOL: SURRENDER; Participants who reach Kill Limit are immediately eliminated and must report back to the games staging area.

ADDITIONAL RULES AND INFO:

⚒The game will commence in a clearing at the edge of the gaming grounds, with the treeline ahead (NE). In the clearing, to the SE, will be The Hoard, a large resource and weapon supply. At the start of play, participants may choose to run for it first, or bypass it and head to safety. 

⚒Personal alliances may consist of 2 to 5 participants from any house. They must never exceed 5 players. Alliances are based on an honour system; there are no official rules against targeting an ally. 

⚒’Sponsor Kits’ can be found hidden throughout the grounds. If an individual receives a hit but has a Sponsor Kit, they may use it to remain in the game. Sponsor Kits are metal cylinders about ten inches long and 3 inches in diameter, and contain a cloth bandage which can be tied at or around the point of the recent hit. Sponsor Kits are one time use only; when the seal is broken, a vial of dye will shatter and soak into the white bandage to indicate its use.

⚒The winning pair may be from the same house, or different houses. Throughout the game, an individual’s achieved kills earn points towards their respective houses, and the winners will get to keep these for their house, plus an extra 250 points.  In the case of winners from two different houses, both houses will receive their respective earned house points, plus 250 for the win. 

⚒All PDD messaging capabilities have been disabled for the Games. They function only to receive notifications.

CHECK BELOW THE CUT FOR GAME RESULTS AND HIGHLIGHT SUMMARY!

                                “Bloodbath” - the First Hour

When the horn blares, about half the games participants head straight for the cover of the trees, while the others book it to The Hoard: the huge weapons stash in the clearing. Charlie Essex and JR are among this group. JR gets there first, quickly holstering two handguns, and is about to go for some grenades, when Charlie waves at him with a supply backpack in hand and they both run off. It’s not until they get deeper into the gaming grounds that they realize Charlie’s ‘bag of supplies’ is woefully empty. 

Back at the weapon stash, it’s still pandemonium. Draco Pavlović gives Mei Zhu Fitrei a bloody nose in a scuffle over a sniper gun. Alexander Donovan finds Annie Perrault hyperventilating behind a weapons rack, white knuckling a bow. He shoves a quiver into her hands and tells her to run, watching her back as she nervously complies. Meanwhile, Felix Turner and Rosalind Stein nearly collide going for the same bag of supplies. Rose is confident she can easily overpower Felix, until he starts literally shrieking like a maniacal banshee. His wordless wail makes for such an alarming scene, that she opts just to retreat. 

Underdogs, Constantin Lupei and Adrien Bennett decide they’ll start off the hour strong, and team up to ambush the next pair of people they see… which turn out to be Mei Zhu and Alex. This backfires dramatically, and Costin and Ajay are among the first half dozen players eliminated. Angel Thorne follows suit when he decides to simply walk off the gaming grounds. He is immediately disqualified. 

                                      “All for One…” - Hour 2

Hour two is the time to start forming alliances. Lake Valentine is travelling with Lissy McCall and Annie Perrault, but he dooms them all when he accidentally sets off an InertiaShell. They are all caught in the red vapour and slowed to a crawl. Annie passes out from the effects of the grenade and her usual exhaustion and while trying to wake her, Lissy and Lake become very easy targets when they get attacked by Caelan Whitmer and Arvo Covey. Annie, Lissy and Lake are all eliminated. 

Roy Walters hasn’t come across anyone he trusts to team up with, so resolves to lay low. He manages to steal a Sponsor Kit from Mitch Douglas when the elite isn’t looking, and then camouflages himself into some bushes. Meanwhile, Petra Starr convinces a handgun wielding Teilo Aisling not to shoot her, only to shoot him with his own weapon as soon as he agrees to the alliance. Orson Hurst, Maisie Pace, Mason Quinley and Mira Sigar come together to form an only slightly more promising lineup. 

Rosalind is fashioning an illegal slingshot up in a tree when she spots wifey Josephine Parker and quickly pairs up with her. As for Charlie and JR, despite their slightly disappointing start, they’ve stuck together and take out Emmanuel Trent as their first victim. 

                                          “Acclimating” - Hour 3

Bode Lindqvist has kept to himself but has proven resourceful. He is well armed and has already found a couple of Sponsor Kits. When Koda Payne and Clayton Boyd attack him with ranged weapons, he manages to evade them and escape unscathed. Orson is much less lucky, when he is briefly separated from his group and finds a stash of grenades that apparently Dylan Meir had also had her eye on. Orson grabs a couple tilt grenades, but his nerve-damaged hands spasm, and he drops one, setting it off. With Orson briefly incapacitated by the blue vapour, Dylan has plenty of time to shoot him with an arrow, grab the rest of the grenades, and take off. Nearby, another woman is kicking some nerd-boy ass; Charlotte Williams effortlessly picks off Kip, acquiring his Sponsor Kits. 

Koda and Clay try again to make an impact: they sneak up on JR and Charlie in the woods, only this time, they’ve thought it through and have set up traps in the area. They even manage to take out JR with a well-aimed arrow. Charlie then chases both Koda and Clay, firing his handgun as he goes. He eliminates Koda with a stim in the back, then lets off a wayward shot just as he bulldozes into one of the traps and falls to the ground. The weapon skids across the forest floor, but the last shot has caught Clay in the shoulder. Fortunately, the Delma has a Sponsor kit, which he uses to survive. He doesn’t have to go it on his own too long, however, as he runs into Corbin Ealy, who’s trying to evade a prowling Kaiser Bahr. They hide together (because fuck that noise), then decide to team up. 

Left alone after Kip’s elimination, Arvo stumbles across Enoch Lynch, while he is caught in hand to hand combat with Paxton Semenyuk, and steps in to help. She and Enoch form a new alliance (which we’d like to coin ‘NET’: Newbie Elite Transfers). Alois Van Asch, on the other hand, is a bit slow on the uptake, and has been wandering the grounds somewhat aimlessly, enjoying the (mostly) quiet of the woods. At one point he is spotted just gazing at the sky. 

                             “Imprudent Behaviour” - Hour 4

Fate, never a kind mistress, soon interferes with Bode’s chances. While he is distracted by an unfortunate issue with his hearing aids, Jo and Rosalind steal the weapons he’d set down and make a break for it. As they run, however, they encounter Dante Carrington; true to form, the Good Doctor puts rules first and disqualifies Rosalind for the illegal slingshot in her grasp. This is witnessed by Corbin and Clay, who were drawn in by the kerfuffle. Corbin reckons it would be hilarious to orchestrate an ambush against Colony 22’s biggest Tight Ass, and with Bode still nearby, it’d be like ‘taking biscuits from a baby’. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much convincing, and the three of them take Dante out without any issue. 

Meanwhile, Draco climbs high up into the branches of a tree, seeking a moment to formulate a plan. Aurelia Ferris chooses this particularly inopportune time to walk by, and she doesn’t even see who shot her. Diederick D’Mornay,  the perpetual gentleman, spots Anaya Dolman with a Sponsor Kit and doesn’t have any trouble liberating it from her. Emboldened by his success, he gives chase to a couple of other totally threatening Calysets: Mira and Maisie. In his hasty pursuit, he loses his footing and face-plants on the forest floor. 

Unlike Ricky, Petra Starr has a little moral fortitude. Alois has grown excruciatingly bored of the Games and asks Petra, (who has now paired up with housemate, Dylan) to just shoot him so he can go the fuck back inside and sleep; obviously this wouldn’t be the same as earning an elimination and would basically be cheating, so Petra declines.

After his temporary alliance with Clay and Corbin, Bode decides to roam alone again, which backfires when Madison Vega eliminates him quickly with a sniper. Persephone Evans and her bleeding heart take a moment to tend to a small injury Cambie Andrews has sustained, but they have to run when they spot Clove Modius and Benji Imes approaching.

                                        “Homestretch” - Hour 5

It’s the final countdown and about halfway through the fifth hour, we’re left with eight tiring finalists. Of these eight, seven of them are in two different alliances. The first such alliance is made up of Torren ladies, Ada Woollacott, Petra Starr, Dylan Meir and Charlotte Williams. The second is a group of egomaniac loudmouths: Corbin Ealy, Draco Pavlović and Diederick D’Mornay. Madison Vega is the eighth finalist, currently remaining a one-woman operation. 

Catching a glimpse of Charlotte through the trees, Draco splits off from his group to chase after her, ignoring the protests from his allies. He proves himself rather too big for his boots when he catches up with Charlotte to find her not alone at all, and the team of girls take him out, Charlotte’s Angels style. Nearby and hearing the shouts, Maddie is so caught up watching her back that she steps right into a snare set hours before by Roy. With no one to come to her rescue, it’s endgame for her, too. 

But time is running out, so the Charlie’s Angels gang decide to pair off to cover more ground. Petra finds Ricky vulnerable while he does a damage check from his earlier painful fall, and gets him in the back with a stim, while Charlotte manages to catch Corbin similarly unaware. Just like that, the prideful Delmas are out of the running.  But while Charlotte and Petra were away steamrolling the Delma boys, Ada had immediately turned traitor, submitting Dylan with a pair of chameleons around her neck. 

So naturally, when what’s left of Ada’s allies return, Ada is on the offensive. There can only be two winners, and Ada wants to make sure she’s one of them. Unfortunately for her, feral strength won’t be enough this time; she launches herself at Petra and Charlotte but is overpowered by their exceptional teamwork and clear heads. Moments later, the victory horn sounds: Charlotte and Petra have officially become an unlikely pair of winners. Between Charlotte’s congenital heart defect and Petra’s only recently recovered ankle injury, it is a victory hard-earned and well-deserved. 

WINNERS CHARLOTTE WILLIAMS & PETRA STARR

FINAL STANDINGS Torren: 525 pts | Brink: 275 pts | Delma: 250 pts | Calyset:250 pts

POINTS AWARDED 725 pts to TORREN HOUSE

ELIMINATION TALLY*

*Please note that though we included a small handful of NPCs in the games generator, we did not include them all, so there would obviously be plenty of other participants whose eliminations are not established in this list. It can be assumed that many of these would have fallen in the first hour or two, though of course not all. If you need any NPCs for any further plotting or head canons for the games, you may reference any listed open characters/NPCs from the dorms list who fit your idea, or you may use a nameless NPC. If you are unsure, do not be afraid to reach out!

In no particular order: 

Hour 1: Constantin Lupei, Adrien Bennett, Siddhartha Jha, Angel Thorne

Hour 2: Annie Perrault, Lissy McCall, Lake Valentine, Teilo Aisling, Emmanuel Trent

Hour 3: Mitch Douglas, Orson Hurst, Caelan Whitmer, Roy Walters, JR, Koda Payne, Felix Turner, Paxton Semenyuk, Andreya Roche, Xavier Crane

Hour 4: Kaiser Bahr, Rosalind Stein, Dante Carrington, Enoch Lynch, Aurelia Ferris, Mason Quinley, Anaya Dolmen, Maisie Pace, Charlie Essex, Bode Lindqvist, Arvo Covery, Alois Van Asch, Mira Sigar, Alexander Donovan, Mei Zhu Fitrei

Hour 5: Josephine Parker, Cambie Andrews, Clayton Boyd, Benji Imes, Clove Modius, Persephone Evans, Draco Pavlović, Madison Vega, Diederick D’Mornay, Corbin Ealy, Dylan Meir, Ada Woollacott 

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR MEMBERS AND TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE COL22GAMES, MARCH, 2163!

The timeline has now moved forward to the 4th week of March. If you need more information on the these non-liveplay games and how to move forward with plotting, check out this post. 

[cloudywriter]

the best things are unexpected - 2

~~~

A/N: i realize i wrote part 1 over a year ago and said i would happily write a part 2. to be fair, i never said when i would get around to it... anyway, enjoy this little follow up! maybe i’ll write a few more. 

Part 1

~~~

Will was pacing back and forth outside of the doors of the infirmary. 

He knew Tessa didn’t like being in the infirmary but in the frenzy of everything it was the place his instincts took him. Charlotte was sitting near him, perched in a wooden chair in the hallway. 

“Sit down Will, wearing a hole in the carpet won’t do any good,” Charlotte insisted. Will took a deep breath. “We’ve called the Silent Brothers, she will be alright,” Charlotte put a hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort him but he only stared off into space, deep in thought. Charlotte sighed. 

The doors of the infirmary opened with a creak, Brother Enoch floated into the hallway soundlessly. Both Will and Charlotte stared at him anticipating his hollow voice to fill their minds any second. She is awake, you may see her now. 

The feeling of relief washed over Will as he dashed to Tessa’s side. He took her hand into his, kissed it, and looked up at her. Will was surprised to find Tessa looked, almost, pleased? She squeezed Will’s hand and smiled. “Is everything alright?” He asked her, still gripping her hand. “Yes, everything is just fine,” Tessa assured her husband. Will pressed his lips together and stroked her thumb softly. “I was so worried Tess… What happened?” 

“I’m just a little ill Will, it’ll be alright.” Tessa said, attempting to ease the man that hovered over her.

Of course she wanted to tell him about the baby so badly. However, she wanted it to feel like the right time, to be special and meaningful, not in a bare, sterile space amongst a sea of cots. Tessa decided she would wait until she felt that special moment click into place. 

She wasn’t worried whether Will would be upset or not. She knew better than that. He’d be over the moon and would probably race through the streets of London telling every passerby that he was going to be a father. Tessa saw the way he admired everyone else’s children, she knew he longed for a little pack of Herondales wandering around. It was hard to hold in how ecstatic she was that she could actually give him that. 

“Why are you smiling?” Will inquired, pulling a chair up to sit beside her bed. Tessa hadn’t realized that her lips had turned upwards as she let her mind wonder. She pulled Will down into the bed with her and snuggled her face into the crook of his neck, but didn’t answer the question that hung in the air. Instead, Tessa shut her eyes and let sleep engulf her. 

***

Will laid next to Tessa awhile. He loved the feeling of her being cuddled up next to him, it conveyed a sense of completeness, but he had to get up and make sure everyone else was alright. He walked out of the infirmary and down the hall when a little patter of feet came up from him. 

A small figure jumped up on him, “Uncle Will!” A young Charles Fairchild, Charlotte and Henry’s son, was hanging onto Will’s back. Will laughed and continued down the hall giving Charles a piggy back ride. “Where is everyone?” Will asked the little boy who shrugged, “the library, maybe.” Will nodded and headed into the library. 

Indeed, the group was gathered around the library’s fireplace. Will deposited Charles onto the couch and sat down next to him. “Is Tessa alright?” Henry asked Will. Will nodded, “she claims she was just ill.” Charlotte shook her head, “I shouldn’t have let her go.” Henry patted his wife’s shoulder, “it’s not your fault Lottie, she is alright.” 

***

Sophie and Tessa were sitting together sipping tea in Tessa and Will’s bedroom after Tessa had left the infirmary. 

“So?” Sophie asked Tessa, raising an eyebrow. 

Tessa rolled her eyes and put down her tea. “Yes Sophie, you were right,” she finally admitted. Sophie clapped her hands together rapidly and squealed, “oh, Tessa I am so happy for you! What did Will say?” 

“I haven’t told him yet,” Tessa confessed. “Why not? He will be elated.” Tessa shrugged, “I just want it to be the right time I suppose.” 

“Well that right time better be soon or Will will be upset if he finds out you didn’t tell him straight away,” Sophie stated drinking her tea. Tessa nodded in agreement.

“It’ll be soon, I promise.” 

***

Tessa wandered through the institute corridors with a silk, white dressing gown wrapped tightly around her. She had been walking aimlessly through the halls seeking her husband. She checked his normal haunts first - the library, Jem’s old bedroom, and the attic - but to no avail. Finally, she stood outside the tall double doors that would open into the training room, if Will wasn’t here she would have to go searching through the taverns of London. 

Tessa pressed her hand against the cool, splintering wood and pushed. The door creaked ajar and to her relief Will was positioned in the middle of the room. The room was dim but beams of moonlight came in through the windows illuminating him. He stood shirtless and glimmering with sweat, gripping a throwing knife in his calloused hand. Will turned to face Tessa and pushed his disheveled dark hair away from his face. 

“You should be resting.” Will advised. Tessa rolled her eyes. “I feel rested, William,” she reassured him. Will smirked at the sound of his full name, Tessa enjoyed using it when they disagreed. Tessa noted that something was clearly on Will’s mind. She knew him well, if Will was up in the training room at odd hours of the night that meant he was thinking long and hard about something. 

“What’s on your mind?” Tessa inquired. Will let out a low sigh and put the throwing knife back on the table. “I had a dream,” he confessed, meeting her gaze with his own. 

“About?” Tessa pressed. Will hesitated for a moment, but he knew he was talking to Tessa, he could tell her anything and he trusted her with everything. Plus, if he refused to answer her curiosity would take over and she would badger him until he broke. 

“It had my father in it. I was a young boy in the dream and trying to learn how to wield a seraph blade and failing miserably. Then my father walked in, dressed in black gear. He showed me the correct way to hold the blade, how to position my feet into the proper stance. It was a sweet father son moment I suppose. Henry, actually, was the one who originally instructed Jem and I. He was always nervous when we held blades and ducked when we threw knives.” Will laughed a little to himself, reminiscing fondly. 

“Eventually they hired an instructor who took over. When I first arrived at the institute and began my training I often fantasized that my father would magically appear, rejoin the shadowhunters, and teach me everything himself. Even though I knew I was cursed and he wouldn't be safe anywhere near me, I allowed myself those guilty thoughts every once in a while.”

Tessa listened to Will’s confession intently. Will’s face was set and filled with emotion. He could remember his training with Henry and Jem easily, but recalled his father and his childhood before declaring himself a shadowhunter with some hesitation and tension.

“But when I was a young boy and had those guilt driven thoughts, I promised myself that one day I would break the curse and train my son or daughter like I imagined my father training me-.” Will quickly shut his mouth and drew in a sharp breath. He realized what he had let flow out of my mouth too late. 

“I’m sorry, Tess. I, in no way, mean to make you feel responsible for the possibility of that not happening, I am perfectly content with it just being us until my life is no more.” Will tried his best to recover and reassure her. He knew it was a sensitive topic. Tessa had dreamed of kids, as had Will, and it came into question many times whether she could ever fulfill their dream and so far it had not been so. 

Tessa let out an airy laugh, “I don’t feel responsible, Will.” Will gave her a small smile and a nod, “good,” he said. Then and there Tessa decided it was as good a time as any. 

“I don’t feel responsible for Will because you’ll get that chance to teach your child as you wished your father had taught you,” Tessa carried on. Will looked up at her and pressed his lips together into a line. “Don’t worry about it, my love. I have you and that’s enough for me.” Tessa took a deep breath, Will had yet to catch on and she wasn’t sure of the best way to deliver the news. 

Tessa reached out to Will like a moth to flame in the dim light and intertwined her fingers with his own. She leaned closer to him until the tip of his nose was only a couple inches from her forehead. Will grinned and pulled Tessa completely into him, wrapping his arms around her small frame and pressing their bodies together. Tessa stayed quiet a moment and absorbed Will’s embrace.

“You have more than just me now,” Tessa whispered. 

Will pulled away the slightest amount, enough to tilt Tessa’s face up towards his. His facial expression changed as he processed what she meant by having more now. Will’s eyes searched Tessa’s face, “you’re-?” Will didn’t even manage to finish his question before Tessa’s eyes welled with tears and she nodded rapidly.

“I’m pregnant.” 

Will’s face shifted, becoming riddled with a sea of emotions, he gawked at Tessa as if she was the most glorious thing on earth. As if she had changed into an angel and beat Mortmain once more single-handedly before his eyes. Will tugged Tessa back into his arms and held onto her like she was the only thing keeping him alive. 

“Oh Tessa, my Tessa, Tessa, Tessa, Tessa,” he breathed. 

Will felt like he was floating a million miles above the world, frolicking among the clouds. 

[agl03]

I have followed your site for a long time, and it is my favorite place for good AOS content. Thank you for all the hard work you put into it and for taking the time to answer our asks. I don't know if you saw the tweet from Alex (@frameworkfitz): "Fun fact: nowhere has anyone actually said Fitz is in 709." It seems like this person is connected with the show in some capacity and is trying to temper expectations regarding Fitz after some recent interviews with cast members. (Part 1 of 2)

(Part 2 of 2) If the tweet is true, then it seems we should not expect Fitz to appear in this week's episode. Regarding the time loop that is coming up, if Coulson or Enoch has somehow been coopted by Sybil, do you think they could be responsible for the malfunction causing the time loop for the purpose of giving Sybil the opportunity to observe the team's behavior to discover weaknesses that would allow her to defeat them? Thanks and I pray for health and safety for you and your family.

Hi Anon!  

You are very welcome and thank you for sticking with me for so long!   I really do enjoy the asks, even if they can get overwhelming sometimes, and I take pride in give the best answers I can with the information I have.

No, I had not seen that tweet.  

I am unsure in they have any connection with the show but often their teases can be on point.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t have some carefully measured just above the expectations gutter of hope.  

You know I am always in the Manage Expectations camp.  Now more than ever as the Fitz/Fitzsimmons fandom is pretty spent from the waiting.   I won’t lie I thought we’d have either more hints by now or had some sort of sighting.  The asks about him have worn me down and even my own patience is wearing thinner.  He’s my fav and I miss him.  I know other things need to be in place so he can come into the mix and most of that work is coming this week, but at the same time I want him back so badly.  

In relation to the interviews.  Elizabeth gave two variations of the quote.   With Lorraine it was “you’ll learn some from Jemma and some from Fitz.”.  then in the NY Post Article it was Henstridge plays cool-headed team member Jemma Simmons, one of the top science experts. Her husband, Leopold Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), has been on an offscreen mission this season — and Henstridge says viewers will learn a little more about that in Wednesday’s episode.“At some point we will hear directly from Fitz and what he is doing,” she says. “I think that will be a relief to some fans.”

There is some context being taken by the author but that one really did make it sound like we’d get some Fitz this week.  And we still could.  Jemma could have flashbacks if Diana starts to malfunction and is taken out.  Fitz could be in the tag.   Or its a we don’t SEE him but we HEAR him.  In that a message comes through or Jemma’s got some sort of recording that is giving her comfort.  

Either way, seeing or hearing Fitz or no, we are gong to get some serious answers from Jemma this week.   That is essentially the flood gates that were needed to open up the Fitzsimmons arc and her fight to get back to him (and their family).  

Sabotage is absolutely on the table as to what trapped them in the time storm  and since Coulson was “sleeping” in his cove that could be the first finger that is pointed at Enoch as not only was he awake but he knows the Time Drive and was actively working on it when things went south.  

If SIBYL has already Corrupted Robo Coulson she has his memories and his memories of the team and will already have all those strengths and weaknesses.  Even Enoch to a certain extent will have that form the time he’s spent with them and Fitzsimmons.  

My current theory is that the trapped in the loop is for a few reasons.

Daisy being protected from it wasn’t part of the plan and something our betrayer will have to work around and manipulate.

Being trapped in the loop might not be part of the plan but something the betrayer totally works with.

The Betrayer is after something or someone very specific on the Zephyr and my top picks there are Diana’s knowledge (AKA everything about the mission and the Zephyr), Jemma’s knowledge without Diana IE where Fitz is, or Enoch.   

Taking Jemma and Enoch out of the equation would really hurt the team for the rest of the season.  We’ve seen them struggle before when both of Fitzsimmons are missing.

A big thing SIBYL is after is a new body (as i have always been and will be again) and a way out of the 80′s.  There is only so far the tech could go for her and I can see her wanting to get her hands on who built Robo Coulson (Fitz), she seemed impressed by him during their meeting and knew he was different.  The Zephyr can give her that ride out of there or at the very least a way to reach out to a not destroyed Chronica 2 for back up.  

To get the team to reach out to Fitz after Jemma gives up to Diana and for him to reveal his location if she won’t.  

And while the Betrayer needs something from the Zephyr they also have to secretly work with the team to get out of the Time Stream and won’t make that final pounce until we think we’re all safe and out of the Time Storm.  

In forcing Jemma to give up Diana and reveal those memories she’s been repressing it will also cause a bit of hit in the trust within the team.  they could be upset by what and how much she has been hiding.   This may explain why she is after Fitz more on her own and most of the team is running to Afterlife to stop Nathaniel.

Story wise to Nathaniel in Afterlife so its all set up for when the team shows up.  By the time they make it back it could be hours, days, weeks, or years.  Anything past hours means a whole lot of awful is waiting for them.  

As much as I want to see Fitz I am fully prepared for it  not to happen yet.  The writers have held this story to the end for a reason and I have no question that the wait is going to be worth it.  No matter what I think we are going to get more of the answers we want and that final set up to bring him in in 10.  

I want this episode to do well for Elizabeth.  She’s worked so hard for it, she’s so proud of it, and she got a crazy episode to do it with.  Groundhog Day from Hades meets Clue.  I’m going to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Plus we get her SDCC panel after it!  So yay more chances for clues and for her to get all the kudos she deserves!

[timetrickster]

Aloha Oe X Edith Nox Crossover Episode 8: Ice + Fire = Emotions

So, this episode has music, I recommend you play the music.

@cometworks < author of her novel.

Tag: @coloursintheblur , @thelysstener

And here we go!

FADE IN:

INT. NEYDOLYA’S NEW HIDDEN LAIR.

The aftermath of the RAVEN MONSTER had passed. VODNIK, slimy and sneaky frogman and right hand to the disgraced Fate NEYDOLYA. He returns to his mistress’s side and gives full reports.

NEYDOLYA

Vodnik… your reports.

VODNIK

Mistress Neydolya, I’ve come to report that the ritual by the Necromancers brought him back.

NEYDOLYA

A successful mission, presumed. Do you have what is required of the spell?

VODNIK

Yes, mistress. (He presents her with a book with the ritual circle drawn and list of ingredients next to it.)

She grabs the book and looks over it.

NEYDOLYA

Good. The Empath Witch?

VODNIK

The news of the Black Beast’s return had sent her into a state of rage. Her mind fractured separating her core emotions.

FLASHBACK: VODNIK had followed JUSTIN & VIOLET holding a knocked out EDITH.

NEYDOLYA

Interesting. Empath Magic has that capability. Search the archives, there may be an item that has a similar ability. What shall we do with the Princess?

VODNIK

A demon of her own design, her ice, her fire, and her fear.

CUT TO:

INT. JUSTIN’S PRIVATE QUARTERS. MID-MORNING

It was mid-morning, the sun was shining, and JUSTIN was in his private quarters. He conversed with ENOCH.

JUSTIN

Enoch, open Diary Recording. Nox Universe. 582. New entry.

ENOCH

Diary Entry Number 8. Recording begins.

JUSTIN

It’s been a couple of weeks now in this universe. I made amazing new friends and a world full of magic and possibly beyond. Recently fought a raven mutant monster. Noemi and Argento have soul summoned him by accident… glad he found some new development in himself. I wonder what will happen this day. (He falls silent.) Stop recording.

VIOLET comes into his private quarters slowly.

VIOLET

Justin? I need to talk.

JUSTIN

Come on in.

They both sit down together.

JUSTIN (cont’d)

What’s up?

VIOLET

There’s this person… that I… I… I…

JUSTIN

Like a lot?

VIOLET already feeling awkward enough just shuts her mouth up. Shakes her head up and down answering his question. JUSTIN smirks with excitement. VIOLET felt a little awkward due to the fact she doesn’t open up to many people and with someone that’s an alien. She felt like the only person she could talk too was him.

JUSTIN

Who? Boy? Or Girl? (He looked at her as if he was inspecting clues written on her face ) Girl? Isn’t it?

VIOLET nods again.

JUSTIN (cont’d)

Someone new? Someone you’re close to?

VIOLET

Someone I’m close to.

JUSTIN

Oh, lovely. Uh, military officer?

VIOLET

She’s not in the military.

JUSTIN

Oh, okay, uh. So personal then?

VIOLET was silent but was looking at a plant in the corner of the room. JUSTIN realizing who she likes very much his jaw drops.

JUSTIN (cont’d)

Noooooo… No. No. Really?!

Drawn back from his words, VIOLET was scared.

VIOLET

WHAT?! What?!

JUSTIN

Is it… is it Edith?

There was a slight smile on his face, VIOLET became rather shy and had a pinkish red tone flushing her cheeks. The feeling of embarrassment and feelings of lov- lov- lo- liking someone a lot. Her face squished from liking someone a lot and embarrassment she tries to hide her face with both hands. A smile was finally formed on JUSTIN’S face as he goes to sit next to her and comfort her.

JUSTIN (cont’d)

Hey, no, no. It’s okay.

He was rather caring and supportive.

Dude, you like Edith?

VIOLET

Yeah…

JUSTIN

V! That’s great! It’s amazing!

VIOLET

Thanks…

JUSTIN

Look I know you’re nervous and like I told Noemi. I was so afraid and nervous too. I fell in love with Hoku since I attended high school on Earth. I… uh… it was her eyes. Those shining brown eyes that reminded me of the stars.

VIOLET

That sounds… sweet of you for Hoku. But I can’t express it to her, I’m afraid…

JUSTIN

Again I know how you feel. Even my daughter felt exactly the same way when she met her boyfriend.  

VIOLET

Wait you have a daughter?

JUSTIN

Adopted. But she’s still my little girl. Despite being a similar age to her.

VIOLET

She’s a hundred too?

JUSTIN

No, just a regular Panguan girl. She’s only 17. But anyways… let me help you out.

CUT TO

INT. LAPIS FORREST. MID-MORNING

Both VIOLET & EDITH with a picnic basket in hand are walking toward the Lapis Forrest. VIOLET felt the feelings of nervousness. Something she was unable to feel before due to the fact she is trained to face things beyond terrifying than this. As well as being both Princess and Commander, to an entire kingdom. But this… this was nothing compared to fighting other witches and wizards and facing an entire kingdom.

VIOLET has a quick flashback:

FLASHBACK:

JUSTIN

Ok! What does Edith like?

VIOLET

Uh… gardening, libraries, tea, people, puzzles, questions…

JUSTIN

I meant… on a date but that’s good. Where does she like to spend her time?

VIOLET

The Lapis Forrest.

JUSTIN

Maybe a picnic?

VIOLET

She loves picnics.

JUSTIN

Then great! Start off with a picnic!

CUT TO:

INT. EDITH’S FAVORITE SPOT. MID-MORNING

VIOLET distracted trying to remember what to do, EDITH had already set up the picnic set.

EDITH

Violet? Are you okay?

VIOLET was caught zoning out. EDITH motions her to sit on the blanket.

VIOLET

What? Oh, sorry a bit distracted. (She sits)

EDITH

You okay?

VIOLET

I’m fine. How was your day?

EDITH

I don’t know really, the day has just begun but I’m pretty much happy that you asked me to go on a picnic. Want to go the Bazaar later?

VIOLET

I’d love that.

VIOLET & EDITH are enjoying their picnic, filled with their favorite foods and drinks.

EDITH

Can you really believe it?

VIOLET

Believe what?

EDITH

Justin… him being an alien and all that. Space. There’s really more out there in the universe.

VIOLET recalls to a flashback of EDITH on Gaia. VIOLET recalls a memory of EDITH and LEANA both holding hands of LEANA. Being two big sisters to her, they had watched the stars while a night on the town.

VIOLET

Yeah… I couldn’t believe it either.

EDITH

You were quite harsh with him too.

VIOLET

I was still learning how to trust him. Plus a boy spouting about aliens and space and different universes isn’t exactly normal for us.

EDITH

True… but he turned out to be a good person.

VIOLET

He is a good man… he brought new experiences for us.

EDITH

Time travel! Universe travel! He took you to see Clementine…

VIOLET

I know… despite what happened… I know he was trying to be kind…

EDITH gets closer to her to comfort her. VIOLET'S inner thoughts made her blush.

EDITH

Sorry…

VIOLET

NO! Don’t be. I just miss her, ya know? Wishing I had more time and all but I know she’s in a better place.

EDITH

That’s good… and she’s probably watching over you right now.

VIOLET looks at her scars and smiles.

VIOLET

I know.

The feeling of happiness surrounded their soon to be a fun-filled day.

CUT TO:

INT. LAPIS BAZAAR. AFTERNOON

The Lapis Forrest was this unique beauty within itself. It was home to a species of tree that produces blue buds when flowering. Just like the color of lapis lazuli. The leaves are a very deep green. There were huge rocks of Lapis Lazuli everywhere as well.

In the Bazaar, there was filled with magical creatures here and there and humans as well. A peaceful coexistence, everyone acknowledges VIOLET as their princess with greetings and bowing.

EDITH

Famous as always.

VIOLET

Well… I am a princess. (She smiles with pride)

EDITH laughs and smiles, she sees something catching her eye and sees gemstones which make her overall happy. She eyes a simple and basic quartz crystal on the vendor’s table.

EDITH

QUARTZ! (A smile was glued on her face)

She holds it and sees it change color, to Mellow.

VENDOR

Are you an Empath, if I may ask?

EDITH

I am!

VENDOR

Then that is the perfect gemstone for you. That quartz is enchanted as a sort of aura looker. You can see their emotions.

The gemstone was imperfect but EDITH loved it anyway. She looks through the clearness and saw the VENDOR’S aura showing mellow.

EDITH

Cool!

VENDOR

That will be a 15 Units.

EDITH checks her wallet but was short on cash.

EDITH

Aw man… I don’t have enough units.

VIOLET sees her sad face and steps in, holding 15 units. Their coin currency were metal thin rectangles.

There were huge rocks of Lapis Lazuli everywhere as well.

VIOLET

Fifteen Units, here ya go.

The VENDOR shocked by her presence, he bows.

VENDOR

Princess Violet!

VIOLET

Hello, my lovely subject.

VENDOR

You have graced me with your presence, your highness. Please take the quartz in honor of you my princess.

She places the units on the table.

VIOLET

No. You are a hardworking man. You deserve to be paid for what you do. Please.

He bows and EDITH takes the gemstone and she holds it in both hands. Scrutinizing it and holding to her eye and looking through it. She looks at VIOLET and sees her current aura, it was all pink and with EDITH’S magic it amplified it. Seeing the emotion of love. The excitable EDITH curious as always smiles after the discovery.

EDITH

V? (She steps closer to her) You like someone? (She whispered)

Surprised and scared by the question, VIOLET had believed EDITH knew her feelings for her.

VIOLET

How did you know?

She was scared and embarrassed that her true feelings were revealed.

EDITH

Is it a prince?!

Showing some relief, she answers.

VIOLET

No. It’s not a prince.

EDITH

Knowing you no prince can win your heart. A Military man?

VIOLET

Uh… no.

EDITH

Oh my… a normal boy?

VIOLET nods and shows embarrassment.

EDITH (cont’d)

A NORMAL BOY! A princess and a simple boy. That reminds me of a fairy tale momma read to me once. TELL ME! TELL ME!

VIOLET

We met… uh… we met during a trip to a Blacksmith. Father was making a request for a blade to be made once I reached eighteen. He was the son of the blacksmith… and I thought he was handsome.

EDITH

That’s so adorable! YOU SHOULD MEET HIM AGAIN!

VIOLET

I don’t think I can.

EDITH

Don’t deny your feelings V… You’ll never know how he truly feels.

VIOLET

Edith… you know me… I’m not raised by my emotions… everything I am I was just… I don’t know! (She became emotional) I’m a Princess and a military commander… I trained myself to be serious and…

EDITH

You wear a heart of steel.

VIOLET

Yeah…

EDITH

But knowing you… determined as always. You’ll find a way to show that handsome… handsome boy love you.

VIOLET

Yeah…

CUT TO:

INT. JUSTIN’S PRIVATE QUARTERS

JUSTIN doing research as he has a plate of food and soda next to a fancy glass cup. VIOLET rushes in and was extremely worried. She hugs JUSTIN to which he responds to treat her like a big baby.

JUSTIN

Hey! How was the picnic? Was it bad?

VIOLET

Not it was good…

She sounded like a child as she said her sentences like a child.

JUSTIN

Then why are you upset?

VIOLET

Because… she… almost found out I liked her… (She pouts)

JUSTIN

Did she?

VIOLET

No… she saw my aura with this gemstone that amplified her magic. It was pink… I was in love.

JUSTIN smiles sits her down on a chair.

JUSTIN

That’s good! Did you tell her?

VIOLET

No… I made up someone…

JUSTIN rubs his face with his right hand.

JUSTIN

Are there any further plans?

VIOLET

I don’t know…

JUSTIN

I think you should tell her.

VIOLET jumps out of her seat grabbing JUSTIN by his shirt.

VIOLET

No! I can’t Justin!

JUSTIN

But why?

VIOLET

Because I can’t do it! I don’t think I can do it! (She starts to cry)

Tears were falling down her face.

I am just a princess… and a soldier… and I’m complicated! Edith wants normal! And simple! And everything else normal! I’M NOT NORMAL! I AM EVERYTHING COMPLICATED!

She cries in JUSTIN’S shoulder to hide her face. He caressed her back to make her feel better.

How can someone so beautiful have so much power over my heart?

JUSTIN

It’s called love… it’s the most complex feeling in the world and yet it makes you feel so happy. And I can’t believe you said that about her.

VIOLET

Said what?

JUSTIN

You called her beautiful.

Despite the tears, that little sly comment made her smile.

VIOLET

She really is… how can someone like that ever love someone so complicated as me?

JUSTIN

Love suffers long and is kind.

VIOLET

Where’s that from?

JUSTIN

A thing called the Bible. It’s an Earth thing.

VIOLET laughs.

VIOLET

What am I gonna do?

JUSTIN

You get her attention. How’s a dinner in the Lapis Forrest? Any good spots?

VIOLET

Um… there’s this spot that would be nice for a dinner date. It’s by a stream and it’s a huge space.

JUSTIN

Sounds perfect. Enoch, do you still have the Digital Construction Box?

ENOCH

Of course, Captain.

ENOCH makes the item appear on the table through digital transport. JUSTIN grabs the box and throws it in the air catching it.

JUSTIN

You ready?

VIOLET

I guess…

JUSTIN

No. (He kneels before her) Violet Choi. Look at me.

She does so and looks at him in the eyes. Her face showing a somewhat of wallowing sadness and shame. JUSTIN’S face held this slight smile but didn’t give off the sense of happiness. He held much of his breathe in as it was too raspy. His heart had opened to Violet as he spoke about the one girl that he honestly and truly loved.

JUSTIN

Again… I know what this feels like. You are beyond… terrified. Despite being something so impossible. That somebody so normal as Edith…  can make all the difference in our lives so much better. I was scared, afraid that I would mess up… but I told her because I couldn’t stand the longing and the aching pain of my heart. Now, she loves me… somebody I believed I wasn’t worthy enough for… somebody who always had their heart open just for me.

His heart was worn as if it were a crown and laid out for Violet to see. What he had spoken was all too true for her as well, as is with everyone else who experiences love, I guess in some cases.  

JUSTIN (cont’d)

So please don’t say, “I guess” say “I’m ready.” because deep down you love her… and somewhere along the way, you won’t know if she feels the same way.

VIOLEt had raindrop type of tears, she still held a serious face but had that sadness attached to it.

VIOLET

I want to tell her so bad… but I can’t. My heart feels locked… and it stops me from telling how I truly feel.

JUSTIN

I think I can help with that.

JUSTIN breathes in and puts both hands together, he breathes out and his eyes glow orange. Using his aura manipulation to unlock his Empath powers. He places his right index and middle finger on VIOLET’S forehead. Sending a wave of energy to her heart, as the orange energy zooms straight to her heart as it glows ever so brightly through her skin. Showing a little animation of a keyhole on her heart and it was magically unlocked.

VIOLET felt different, her heart was… lighter… no more steel, no more hiding behind the armor she built so long ago. She stood up from her chair and smiled.

VIOLET

I feel different… I feel… uh…

JUSTIN

Happier? (He smiles awkwardly)

VIOLET

I think so… (She turns to Justin) Huh… you handsome Jus.

JUSTIN

Thank you… (He laughs a little) Violet, I think it worked.

VIOLET

How?!

JUSTIN

You complimented me… you rarely do that.

VIOLET realizing this had her eyes prop up like a map being opened up and down.

VIOLET

You’re right… I… I am happy. I feel happy! And… I love Edith Nox! (She closes her mouth)

Realizing she said that aloud, she reached a new level of happiness. She jumps for joy and hugs JUSTIN.

VIOLET (cont’d)

I’m happy! (She says with glee)

JUSTIN

That’s amazing! Now… let me ask you this. What would Edith like on a dinner date?

VIOLET thinks to herself.

VIOLET

She loves music.

JUSTIN

Do you guys have any love songs? Like before the apocalypse?

VIOLET

There are several… but I don’t think they’d be good.

JUSTIN smirks again, now holding his phone in his hand.

JUSTIN

(He smiles) Luckily you have a friend, who's an alien, from another universe. Who also happens to live on Earth.

VIOLET

This is gonna be perfect. (She smiles once more)

CUT TO:

INT. ASTRIFEROUS GROVE. NIGHT

The stage has been set, no literally. JUSTIN had used the 3D Digital Construction Box and digitally built a wooden deck that filled the surroundings of the grove. Complete with a table meant for VIOLET & EDITH and a piano. JUSTIN had set up fairy lights along the surrounding trees to help with the lighting. To accent the glowing and enormous lapis lazuli rocks.

There were other lights to help brighten up the stage. The sound of the stream nearby made things seem so peaceful. Everyone was there, JUSTIN, NOEMI, PERIWINKLE, ARGENTO. They all had a hand in helping to make this date perfect. The Wooden Deck also came with a perfect kitchen, to which JUSTIN had the ultimate experience of knowing how to cook, having spent time with his adopted human father.

JUSTIN had prepared a series of Hawaiian foods, due to growing up in Hawaii for a few years of his life. From appetizers to dessert, it was all prepared. NOEMI & ARGENTO have dressed accordingly as waiter and waitress.

JUSTIN

You guys ready?

NOEMI

This is gonna be great! I still can’t believe Violet likes Edith!

ARGENTO

Ok! First Thanks for inviting me! Second, (She turns toward Justin) You’re an alien! I can’t believe that! Three, this is so friggin romantic! (She squeals joyfulness with each sentence)

PERIWINKLE

THIS IS REALLY PRETTY! I CAN’T WAIT!

JUSTIN

We’re all ready! Noemi, Argento! You are the waiters and you shall deliver the food! Peri, I want you to take them to their seats after that set the mood. (He whispers in her ear)

They all break, as the food had already been prepared and they take their places. VIOLET & EDITH had shown up with EDITH wearing a blindfold.

EDITH

Where are we going?!

VIOLET

It’s a practice dinner… when I meet with the boy again…

Having seen JUSTIN in the distance and PERIWINKLE on a stepping stool near her hand. She was the Restaurant Host. VIOLET takes the blindfold off of EDITH and both smile. EDITH takes her excitement to a new level, as her containment was held by VIOLET’S hands who she placed on EDITH’S shoulders.

VIOLET

Hi Peri! Our reservations?

PERIWINKLE

Right, this way you two!

She steps off her stool and holds both VIOLET & EDITH’S hands. Standing in the middle of both of them, leading them to the only table in the center of the huge deck. They both sit on the chairs, and PERIWINKLE had presented them with the menu of what’s to come.

PERIWINKLE

Welcome to… Astriferous Grove! Chef Justin has prepared an alternate universe main course from his universe. Your waiters will be my big brother, Noemi and the love of his life Argento.

JUSTIN had some lyricless music, play as it was a simple tune, a peaceful beat. (Play Monday Loop by Tomppabeats until you see stop) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2z8CSRP_ok) PERIWINKLE summons her wind constructed wings and rises to the sky. She sets the mood, she manipulates the wind with her magic. Creating a light breeze having the trees sway to the beat of the music. NOEMI & ARGENTO show up as waiters, handing them the menu of what to expect to eat.

NOEMI

For your appetizers, expect a… (He grabs the menu from Edith) Spicy Ahi… Poke (Po-kay) and a Spam Musubi.

ARGENTO For the main course, Loco Moco. A bed of rice topped with a cooked burger patty and a sunny side up egg. Drenched with gravy with hints of chili flakes due to the liking of spiciness.

NOEMI

And for dessert. Malasadas, Coco Puffs, Chocolate Hau- Haupia… Pie. With Shave Ice.

ARGENTO

Let’s start off with drinks. Water?

EDITH

I’d love some water! (She speaks with a boyish voice.)

VIOLET

Water as well, please.

NOEMI with his wings flies over to the kitchen counter and holds a plated dish to carry the cups of water. ARGENTO placing them down on their specific side of the table. They both disappear to the kitchen leaving EDITH & VIOLET to talk alone. Having the uncaged excitement she bursts with such happiness.

EDITH

OH MY GOD, THIS IS SO FRICKEN ROMANTIC AS EDEN!

VIOLET smiles.

EDITH (cont’d)

DUDE YOU’RE SMILING! (She wiggles in her seat)

VIOLET

I know I am. (She laughs)

EDITH

Everything about this place is perfect! The glowing lapis lazuli! The little lights! The swaying breeze and the music! AND FOOD FROM A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE! AH!

VIOLET

I’m glad you love it! (She smiled)

EDITH

Love it? I’m infatuated with this! This is so romantic! Wish someone would do this for me.

VIOLET

Well… since you're my dinner date right now… I’m doing this for you.

EDITH

Why thank you, your highness!

NOEMI & ARGENTO return with the appetizers, a bowl of Spicy Ahi Poke (Po-kay), and a spam musubi. Both grab a fork and dig into the first dish. The forks stabbed into the dish, the prongs had easily pierced the raw tuna marinated with sriracha mayonnaise. Cutting part of the rice with it and scooping it up and taking the first bite. Their eyes brighten as their taste buds had taken the first bite.

The taste of the spicy ahi was unique. The cold and raw tuna had sent that chill, it was as if there was dance was going on. The combined spice from the sriracha mayo, combating with the chill and made it all too delectable. The crunch of the sliced up scallions was heard and the small bed of rice of its warm heat calms both elemental flavors of spice and chill. Leaving behind the everlasting heat, but the chill that was a simple breeze.

VIOLET

(With her mouth full and eyes closed) That’s so good!

EDITH had probably seen the face of God… well, in this case, she already has seen them. She was the same as VIOLET eyes closed and internally happy with her mouth full. They finished the bowl, holding their faces.

EDITH

OH MY GOD, THAT’S THE TASTE OF HAWAII?! I LOVE IT! (She had tears of joy.)

The move on to the Spam Musubi, this rectangle sushi like creation. This version is shown two spams, one of each on both top and bottom. Wrapped in the middle was a seaweed wrap, the spam had a lightish brown sauce underneath.

NOEMI

Justin suggests eating this with your hands. Better experience.

They do so, and their first bite was… well, it was delicious. The saltiness of the spam was laid out as a bed on their tongues. The sweet teriyaki sauce made the salt taste all to better. The moistness of the seaweed complimented the heat of the rice. They were in love all over again, knowing the taste of Hawaiian food made this dinner date all too delectable.

NOEMI & ARGENTO had taken away their appetizer plates and return to the kitchen. Where JUSTIN had been all too articulate with serving them their main course.

JUSTIN

Did they enjoy?!

NOEMI

They did!

JUSTIN

Awesome! I have some plates for you guys too. Peri is actually eating the ones made for her right now. (He points to his right)

PERIWINKLE had her eyes closed as she had gone to Food Heaven.

JUSTIN (cont’d)

Just finish serving them and you guys get to enjoy your plates.

NOEMI & ARGENTO both look at each other and grab the main course. Loco Moco. A dish with a bed of steaming rice topped with a cooked burger patty and a sunny side up egg. With gravy poured over all the dish. VIOLET & EDITH grab knives and forks.

They dig in immediately, the heat from the patty and rice sent the sensation of a fire steaming in their mouths. The yolk of the egg was cut open as the slice let the yolk runs down every inch of the dish. The yolk had made the gravy more delectable and the chili flakes kicked in the spiciness added to the dish. They felt the same feelings as before.

Dessert had arrived immediately, as NOEMI & ARGENTO were so eager to try JUSTIN’S cooking. They take away their dinner plates and immediately return to the kitchen. They see their plates dinners ready and rises up to Food Heaven.

Desert for VIOLET & EDITH was sugar galore. The Malasadas was like biting off a piece off a cloud of fluffiness. The fluffiness of the bread had released pockets of warmness on their taste buds. The sugar complimented the taste as the sweetness added an entire level.

They move onto the Coco Puffs, it was chilled to the point where the bread had this stale-ish taste. Although the cream filling inside chilled inside made the taste of it ultra better. VIOLET had taken a like to the custard coco puff, as it oozed custard filling. As well again, the chill of the desert. While EDITH enjoyed the chocolate cocoa puff as the chocolate filling was a different taste.

The penultimate one was this gorgeous looking pie with whipped cream covering a haupia layer and chocolate filling inside. IT too was chilling and the coldness of the desert was all too tasteful. VIOLET loving every single cold desert, she hadn’t noticed that her ice magic was crawling up on her. EDITH was a major sweet tooth and couldn’t stop eating and wanted more.

EDITH

THIS IS SO GOOD! (She cries out)

VIOLET

Can we just live in Justin’s universe?! I WANT HAWAII FOOD FOREVER!

Their last and final dessert was Shave Ice. A Hawaiian snow cone, but is way massive than what normally people expect. The colors of the rainbow surrounded it. Eating ice with different flavors was rather addicting, as the colors laid down on their tongues and the over sprinkled sugar had caused them to go into a state of insanity for the moment.  

The Dinner Date had ended, both VIOLET & EDITH were full. Sitting on their chairs like they eat half of a feast made for kings and queens from near and far.

EDITH

I’m so full… (She rubs her tummy as she moans in agony)

VIOLET

Me too… but it was all worth it.

EDITH

Yeah… it was. (She smiles a little but places her head on the table)

JUSTIN appears near their table. (Monday Loop STOPS PLAYING)

JUSTIN

I suggest you guys move around to help with the digestion.

He nudges VIOLET, motioning her to a dance floor near the stage. JUSTIN suddenly appears at the piano, ready to play a song. He speaks into a mic.

JUSTIN (cont’d)

Alrighty… this lovely night special night for a Princess and her soon to be the love of her life. Uh… what his name Violet?

VIOLET

Um… uh… Edward… Edward Lux.

EDITH

Aw, cute!

JUSTIN

Alright. Let’s dance.

JUSTIN places both hands on the piano keys, ready to play. Feeling the ivory material under his fingertips. He plays the song Your Song by Elton John.

JUSTIN (cont’d)

Uh… grab a partner.

Being that VIOLET & EDITH were the only ones on the dance floor. They realized JUSTIN meant the two of them to dance.

VIOLET

Oh… I think he means you and me.

EDITH

Oh, makes sense. Considering were the only ones on the dance floor and since I am filling in for Edward. May I have this dance? (she does a bow as respect)

VIOLET smiles and returns the bow and they begin to dance. JUSTIN begins to play the song. He sings the song which surprises everyone around, hearing a voice of what some would describe as an angel or an even a god. He didn’t prefer either title despite literally being a god himself. He was just a simple alien boy playing and singing music.  

 VIOLET (V.O)

Justin, you always surprise everyone, don’t you? (She smiles)

EDITH

OH MY EDEN! HE CAN SING TOO?!

They danced to the song, suddenly they see waves of colorful light of the sound of the song. They look at on and continue to dance. EDITH with her magic senses the feelings of happiness all around. VIOLET inside was having the time of her life. Dancing with the girl she deeply, deeply loves.

After the dance, JUSTIN speaks again.

JUSTIN

I’d like to make a mention of my little sister, Hathor. Who is an amazing artist and comes from a planet where art is taken to a whole new level. Violet… I think it’s time to say what you need to say.

VIOLET comes to the stage and is handed the microphone by JUSTIN.

VIOLET Ok… um… I’m not very good at this. But… uh… I never admitted something like this before… so please just… uh… bear with me,(She breathes in, then out.) I love you. I know that’s so broad and out there but… I really and truly love you. The first time I met you, I hated you. It was unreasonable and I… I’m so so sorry. I blamed you for the one thing I couldn’t control… and I felt so terrible about it. But over the course of our story, we became friends. You defeated the one thing I couldn’t and gave me a reason to keep going despite all the painful and aching memories. And that… after all that… my heart just longed for you. You filled the missing piece of me that was ripped away by that monster. And I held this in for so, so long, and I can’t wait any longer.

She steps off the stage and walks up to EDITH. Her eyes were teary-eyed, like shiny stars. Gleaming with the colors of the glowing lapis lazuli. Her heart of steel along with ice had been unlocked and melted away. It was gleaming every essence of “True Love” had resonated.  

VIOLET (cont’d)

Edith Nox… I love you.

EDITH’S heart had stopped for that one moment. Her magic revealed to her senses that VIOLET’S aura was glowing pink aka love. Actual and true love for her. JUSTIN plays the piano, playing song Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley. VIOLET steps a few paces back and begins to sing the song.

EDITH begins to cry tears of joy after feelings of VIOLET even more through the song she sang. NOEMI, ARGENTO & PERIWINKLE dance in a circle with all hands together. The songs ends and VIOLET sees EDITH standing in the same spot, unresponsive.

VIOLET (cont’d)

Look… I know this was a huge surprise… but I don’t know… I love you and if you don’t share the same feelings I understand.

She begins to ramble but EDITH taking her by surprise gives her a kiss. NOEMI, ARGENTO, & PERIWINKLE cheer for them. JUSTIN sits on his piano chair and smiles at the fact this mission was a total success. With their heads pressed against each other and eyes closed.

EDITH

I love you too, Violet Choi.

She laughs which makes VIOLET give her a kiss in return.

Hidden within the darkness was the shadow of the slime and sneaky frog man, VODNIK. With his magic floating orb.

VODNIK

Mistress, we found them.

NEYDOLYA

Start the spell. (She says to herself) It has begun. (She has this malicious smile on her face)

FADE TO BLACK

END OF EPISODE 8

[douxreviews]

Manifest - ‘Crosswinds’ Review

By Baby M 

 "This is gonna sound crazy." "I think our operational baseline is ten points up from crazy." "Yeah, well this is gonna turn it up to eleven."

It's ten days after the events of the previous episode. Marko and the other people rescued from the secret underground laboratory are still in a catatonic state from the effects of the electroshock experiments.  They're being tended to by Fiona, Saanvi, and Autumn in an architecturally stunning seaside mansion (which I shall hereafter refer to as the Impossibly Cool Beach House, or ICBH for short).  Meanwhile, Ben and Michaela are living in an apartment, and Jared is out of the hospital and returning to work.

Oh, one more thing – nobody has had a calling in ten days, either.

No one has had a calling, that is, until Michaela, on a visit to the ICBH, has a super-lucid first-person hallucination of stumbling through a snowstorm while a voice whispers "Find her."  At that precise moment, one of the experimental subjects, an attorney named Paul, wakes up.

Paul doesn't remember who he is, or how he got on Flight 828, or much of anything about himself.  He'd ended up in the experiment because he was one of the ones who had no one come to the hangar to pick him up.  His wife Helen not only didn't come to the hangar, she seems to have dropped off the grid completely.  (He doesn't remember her, either.)  From this, Michaela interprets the snowstorm vision as a direction to find Helen.

Fiona and Saanvi convene a meeting at the ICBH of passengers who returned to the plane to watch it blow up.  All of them are having a hard time adjusting.  Flight attendant Bethany complains that the "Believers," the 828 groupies who first appeared a few episodes ago – officially "Believers" with a capital B according to the closed captions – were waiting for her outside the courthouse when she was released.  (She's not the only one having Believer issues, either.)  Another passenger, Andre, complains that he was an "entrepreneur wunderkind" before the plane disappeared, and wants his life back.

When Fiona suggests that maybe it was her destiny to be on 828 to act as "as an interpreter" of the "shared consciousness" experience, the pilot, Captain Deal, stalks off.  He suggests to Ben that Flight 828 might have been Fiona's "twisted science experiment."  One might say he's a bit on the paranoid side.  Of course, as the saying goes, just because you're paranoid....

Michaela and Jared go to Helen's house, where they find piles of unopened mail and a milk carton left out on the counter which has an early November expiration date.  They eventually trace her to a motel, where she is hiding from her abusive husband.  "Paul coming back was like this wrecking ball smashing into everything I built."

Upon returning to the police station, Michaela tells Jared she doesn't want to work with him any more because she doesn't want to be "a giant wrecking ball smashing into everything in your life."  She then goes back to the ICBH and gives Paul a good hard verbal napalming for abusing his wife.

Ben, meanwhile, has gone down another metaphorical rabbit hole of inquiry, where he meets Aaron Glover, a freelance journalist who runs a podcast called 828-Gate. From Aaron, and Autumn, and Director Vance's right-hand man Powell, Ben learns enough to deduce that that the mysterious "Major" is a woman, and she's running a black-budget investigation into Flight 828 in search of what she calls "the Holy Grail."

Grace is spiraling into depression again, and Olive (who has seen this movie before) decides to do something about it by inviting Danny over for a visit.  This does not go over well with Grace, and it gets even more uncomfortable when Ben, responding to a text from Cal, arrives in mid-argument – and comes to realize that his return was a metaphorical wrecking ball with respect to Grace and Danny.  (That metaphor sure gets a workout this week.)

As this is going on, Jared shows up at Michaela's apartment and declares his love for her, leading to some rather improper physical activity IYKWIMAITTYD.

I should also mention that Autumn, having seen what the experiments did to her fellow passengers, decides to stop spying on Ben.  However, The Major is not the sort of employer who calmly accepts an agent's two-week notice.

At the very end of the episode, Cal has the same first-person snowstorm vision as his aunt did, complete with whispered voice message.  However, Cal's vision goes on for a second or two more, and we see that whoever is stumbling through the snow is carrying a picture of Michaela.

"828" Watch

Lots of "828" sightings this week!

Romans 8:28 is referenced in the inscription on Karen's headstone.

Ben and Michaela's apartment number is 414, which is half of 828.

Helen's house number is 1829½, probably symbolic of her "moving on" after Flight 828 disappeared

Her motel room is room 28 – but it's not at a Super 8 motel.  (That would have been a really clever little gag.)

The Believers have "828" all over their signs.

Also on the manifest...

According to government statistics, domestic violence is (unfortunately) common enough that if the 192 individuals on Flight 828 (191 on the manifest plus Thomas the stowaway) are a representative sample of the general population, there would be at least one abuser among them – and more than one victim of abuse.

If Paul really has permanently lost his memory as a result of the electroshock experiments, is he still morally responsible for his past abuse of Helen?  There was a very powerful episode of Babylon 5 which explored this theme: "Passing Through Gethsemane."

One scene takes place at Director Vance's memorial service, where the speaker makes mention of the Director's wife and kids.  Guess he's really, for-sure, permanently dead.  I'm going to miss that guy.

There's a short scene where one of the Believers asks Andre, the former "entrepreneur wunderkind," to let her touch him.  You can almost see the wheels turning in Andre's head, figuring out how he could perhaps make a living as an object of worship.

While teenager Olive is very good at reading her mother and recognizing that she's spiraling into depression again, she's not mature enough to anticipate just how badly pulling Danny back into the mix could (and did) backfire.  That's very believable.

This week's gold stars for acting go to:

Melissa Roxburgh (Michaela) for the scene in the cemetery where she's talking to her mother.

J.R. Ramirez (Jared) for the wordless scene where he comes home from Michaela's apartment and sees his sleeping wife Lourdes.

Jack Messina (Cal), for perfectly portraying a little boy who can't understand why his parents are separated.

The picture of Michaela we see at the very end in Cal's snowstorm vision looks to be a page out of an article in a celebrity fluff magazine like the ones you see in the grocery store checkout line.  I tried freeze-framing it, but I couldn't make out any of the print.

If I've figured the in-universe timeline correctly, it should be mid- to late December by now.  Yet, we've seen no Christmas trees or decorations, even if only in the background.

With all the repeated use of the phrase "Holy Grail," I kept waiting for someone to reference Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Unless I missed it, there were no Python references, not so much as an unladen swallow's worth, anywhere in the episode.

While that was disappointing, the showrunners are to be commended for resisting any compulsion they may have felt to use "Torn Between Two Lovers" (Mary MacGregor, 1976) or "Wrecking Ball" (Miley Cyrus, 2013) as licensed music in this episode.  Unfortunately, the record company back catalogs are brimming with thousands of other equally dreadful pop songs that could be (mis)used in future episodes.  Stay strong, showrunners!

Quotes

Michaela, to her mother's headstone: "'All good things.'  What I would do to hear you say that one more time.  I wouldn't say I don't believe.  I would say that I want to because there has got to be a reason this is happening to us."

Olive: "Frozen waffles.  This is bad." Cal: "They still taste good." Olive: "She's in a dark place." Cal: "She misses Dad."

Captain Deal: "You weren't in that cockpit.  No one is blaming you for what happened to MA 828."  So who is blaming him?  Or is he blaming himself?

Ben: "Podcast.  That's still a thing?"

Conclusion

This was overall a pretty good episode.  I found it far too neat that everyone came to the immediate conclusion that "Holy Grail" was a codename and not just a metaphor (or a Monty Python reference), and as in previous episodes, Ben's investigation developed at a little too fast a pace.  On the other hand, the "Enoch Arden" scenario involving Ben and Grace and Danny and Olive was realistically developed and very well acted, as was the rapidly-evolving Jared-Michaela-Lourdes triangle.  It will also be interesting to see what develops with Autumn.

Three out of four metaphorical wrecking balls.

Baby M has been in a couple of wrecks, but none of them involved a wrecking ball.

[sapphicalexaandra]

Upon One Whom We Love

Pairing: Jace/Alec

Rating: Mature

Summary: Max doesn't survive the procedure, and the Lightwood family is left in shambles. Alec and Jace try to hold the pieces together in their own ways.

Notes: One-shot. What if Max had died? As it would’ve happened in my Seelie Court Kiss AU. Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort

Brother Enoch finally came out of the operation room. All the Lightwoods – plus Magnus – got up in an instant, trepidation on their faces.  

The Silent Brother shook his head.

And all the breath was dragged out of Alec at once, his throat closing in on itself as if it would never be open again, his chest burning as if it had been stabbed…but he had no time to dwell on his own pain.

“NO! NO, NO, IT CAN’T BE, MAX–”

Alec caught his sister before she could get into the room, holding her to his chest as she screamed and kicked and struggled to get out of his grip. Alec couldn’t speak, couldn’t even say anything to try and soothe her, because there wasn’t anything to say. He just held her tighter and tighter until, in the end, she collapsed against him, worn out, her entire frame shaking like a leaf. Then he picked her up.

Their parents had gone in, Alec could hear his mother’s muffled sobs, but Alec could only deal with one thing at a time. He started down the corridor, firm in his grip on his sister, his eyes pointed straight ahead, as he passed Magnus and – not Jace, Jace wasn’t there anymore. Alec didn’t have the energy to inquire about that.

The other people they passed averted their eyes, no words needed to understand what had happened. Izzy was clinging to Alec’s neck as if her life depended on it, clawing at his skin, as she wetted his shirt with her tears. Alec welcomed the physical pain – it was much easier to handle.

When he placed Izzy on her bed she started screaming again. “Wait, I need to see him! There must be something else we can do! I need to–”

“Izzy, please, it’s over, there’s nothing we can do. Why don’t you try to get some–”

“NO, I can’t sleep, I can’t rest, when Max is–”

She couldn’t continue, and Alec could’ve sworn his heart was bleeding as he struggled to keep her on the bed, with her twisting and writhing under his hands, her sobs as the only sound to be heard.

“It’s all my fault!”

“No, Iz, no…” 

If it was anybody’s fault, it was his, the one who had let Sebastian stay into the Institute, who had made him run security, when he should’ve known better. It had cost him his little brother, and that fact would stay with him until the day he died, he’d made sure of it.

Alec hugged Izzy then – the only thing he could think of doing, the only one that would amount to anything – and her arms came up to circle his middle with the strength of her desperation. She started crying harder, and Alec let her, staring at a point on her bed right behind her. He couldn’t fall apart, too, or they’d end up never getting up again.

Alec closed his eyes, breathing in and out, until he could feel all the fight fade out of Izzy. At that point, he took his stele out with one hand, and Izzy could only protest meekly, her face red and swollen, as Alec drew a Somno rune on her belly. Her hand remained fisted around his shirt, but her eyes were already drooping.

Alec bent his head to place a kiss on her forehead. “I love you,” he whispered. Izzy let out one last sob.

After extricating himself from her, Alec removed her shoes and tucked her into the bed. He stared at her for a moment longer, surveying the constant, reassuring rise-and-fall of her chest.

Then he went back to the infirmary.

Robert was pacing around the room, his hands on his bald head, blinking hard over his reddened eyes. He wasn’t looking at anyone. Alec spared him only a glance, before going straight towards the cot, where Maryse was stroking the hair over Max’s forehead, staring at him as if she wanted to commit him to memory.

They had removed all the tubes and bandages, and Max could seem as if he was just sleeping. Healthily, safely. Except, Alec knew the truth, and he could no longer ignore the burning in his eyes.

He moved closer, placing a hand over Max’s. His brother’s hand was so small, smooth, yet the skin was already getting colder and colder...and to think that, when he had been born, he had been so warm under his touch. His father had given him the bundle of blankets, and Alec had held him for the first time, staring down at that little reddened and scrunched face in wonder. He had kissed his forehead, and his lips had seemed to burn.

Alec did the same now. He bent down to kiss his baby brother’s forehead, for the last time.

He had failed him, he had failed him, he had failed him…

“Is there something I can do?” he asked his mother. His voice was hoarse, but absent of all emotion...a fact that scared even Alec himself.

Maryse outstretched a hand, which Alec took, holding onto her as hard as he could, and she shook her head. They shared a pained look, and Alec’s heart went out to his mother. She then let him go, resuming to stare at her youngest son’s dead body.  

Alec gave one last, long look at Max, drinking him in, caressing his face, stalling the moment…then he turned around, and left the room.

He was walking the corridors in a daze – he had never felt more tired in his life. Done with everything. In his mind, there was only an incessant, static buzz. He had to blink a few times to realize someone had come up to him. Magnus.

“Alexan – Alec,” his ex-boyfriend started, a bit hesitantly. “I know it’s not much…but I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Alec could only nod.  

“I wish I could’ve done more…”

Alec shook his head. “You did what you could. Thank you – for coming, despite everything. I appreciate it…a lot.”

Beside their break up, their political status was rather – tense now, after recent events. He hadn’t dared to hope Magnus would help them, but he had been so relieved when he did. It hadn’t made a difference in the end…but he owed Magnus at least something.

“Magnus, I’m sorry. For lying about the Soul Sword, and – everything, really…”

Magnus strained a smile. “Another day, another time. Go be with your family now,” he said, squeezing Alec’s arm with one hand. Then he let him go, and he was gone.

Alec couldn’t help but be relieved at that, too. The buzzing turned louder.  

He resumed his way to Izzy’s bedroom. When he reached it, Izzy was still deeply asleep – not that he had doubted she wouldn’t be, the rune would keep her like that all night, taking the blunt of her shock. However, he still didn’t feel it in himself to leave her alone, and he made his way towards the couch placed against the wall next to her bed. He wanted to be the first thing she saw in the morning.

He collapsed onto it, the constriction in his chest his only companion.

Jace had watched Brother Enoch shook his head, and he had started running towards the weaponry. The only other thing he had been aware of on his way, beside the fire under his skin, were Izzy’s screams, which had faded away the more distance he put between them. 

Clary found him like that, furiously stacking up on all the weapons he would need, a thunderous expression on his face.

“Woah, hey, Jace, what are you doing?” she asked him. “What happened? Is Max–”

“Dead,” Jace stated, dull. “Max is dead.”

“Oh,” Clary said. Her eyes widened, full of concern. “Jace, I’m so–”

“I need to go.” Jace had no time for her sympathy, or her attempts at comforting him. He only needed action.

“Go? What do you – wait, you don’t mean to go after Seb – Johnathan?” Clary’s voice was rising, panicked. She tried to put a hand on Jace’s arm, but he shrugged her off.

“Obviously. He’s the one responsible for all of this. I can’t let him walk free a moment longer…”

“But you’ve seen how dangerous he is! He just tried to kill me, he already succeeded with Max, you can’t go alone…” Jace wasn’t listening, and he started walking away from her instead. “Jace, wait!”

“If there’s one person who can take him out, Clary, it’s me!”

“I know that, but – Jace, please, look at me.”

 Jace’s stride was fast and purposeful, he could lose Clary whenever he wanted…yet, despite himself, he still stopped at her words, even though he didn’t turn around to face her.

“Your family is mourning,” continued Clary, her voice softer than before, “shouldn’t you be with them?”

Jace inhaled sharply. That was exactly what he had tried not to think about. If he wanted to bring results, he couldn’t let his emotions take over. What good would it do if he just went to them, cried with them, while the cause of all their pain roamed the streets free as a bird?

No, time for mourning would be later, after he had killed Johnathan Morgenstern.

He resumed walking towards the entrance doors. Clary was still following him.

“What if you get yourself killed?”

“It’s a chance I need to take.”

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“No, Clary.”

“Yes, Jace. Try and stop me.”

She had reached him, and was passing him to go open the door. Jace held her arm. They stared at each other, as if to wait and see whose stubbornness would cave first.

“And by the way, tell me, what is your great plan?” Clary asked him, sarcasm dripping in her voice.

“I’ll go out, I’ll find him, I’ll kill him.” Jace was definitely wasting time now. He debated knocking Clary out.

“How will you find him? Do you really think he’ll still be at his apartment? And what if Valentine is with him, you plan on taking both of them out?”

“If I have to.”

“Jace…”

“Are you seriously telling me that I should let that demon go free?!” Jace was shouting at this point, heads were turning their way.

“Of course not! I’m just saying we need a plan, and a team, and to be level-headed to do this!”

“Clary, I–”

“Don’t you want to be near Alec? Don’t you think he needs you now more than ever?”

And the wave of pain – gripping, suffocating pain – that he had been trying to repress came crushing down on him, stealing his breath. Jace had to lean against the wall to keep himself upright, Clary’s expression turned worried as she raised her arms to catch him in case he collapsed. His eyes were burning, and he had to breathe deeply, slowly, to prevent himself from doing just that. He closed his eyes for a moment.

Alec. Jace hadn’t looked at him before leaving, but he hadn’t needed to…he knew exactly what expression would be on his face, he knew what he would be feeling, since it was what they were both feeling. The grief was so tightly interwoven between them that he couldn’t tell whose it was that was overwhelming him in that moment. He only knew that Alec was going through the same thing as he was…but at the same time – Jace could’ve bet on it – he was also probably trying to do everything he could to be there for his family, while not being there for himself…

Jace had to face the reality of things. It was late in the night, he had no plan, he was outnumbered, his head was swimming, and if he didn't succeed, a fact that was starting to appear more and more likely, he would inflict another loss on all of them. But, most of all, Alec, his Alec, needed him…

Mentally berating himself for his impulsiveness, Jace squared himself up, and turned the other way.

He went back to the infirmary first, but only Robert and Maryse were there. Jace still entered, approaching them carefully, mindful not to intrude on their pain. Robert, however, nodded at him, and Jace walked up to Maryse. They all stared at Max in silence for a long moment, and Jace took advantage of it to let all that he was feeling come flow freely through him. Externally, only one tear fell from his eyes.

“I will avenge him,” he swore aloud.

Maryse turned towards him for the first time then, her face the mask of all agony. “Do it.”

Jace nodded, clenching his jaw until his teeth hurt.

Making his way next towards Alec’s room, Jace only strengthened his resolve. The next day would be war. Now, he had more important things to do.  

But Alec wasn’t in his room, and Jace instinctively turned around, going straight for Izzy’s instead.

The door was closed, and Jace knocked lightly before opening it. The room was dimly lit by the lamp on the nightstand, and thanks to it he could make out the forms of both Lightwood siblings – the last remaining – one laying on the bed, the other sat on the couch next to it. Alec turned only his eyes towards him when Jace entered, his parabatai's head leaning heavily on one hand, seemingly without the strength to do anything else.

Jace’s heart lost a beat when he took in his face, with a neutral expression painted on it, that was still unable to mask the dark and heavy circles under his eyes. Jace couldn’t believe that he had been about to leave.

Jace walked silently, careful not to disturb Izzy (even though he doubted her sleep had been naturally induced). Alec followed his approach with those same tired eyes, until Jace sat on the couch right next to him. He raised an arm, and brought a hand to hold Alec’s face, gently caressing it with his thumb.

Alec closed his eyes, leaning into the touch, and, all of a sudden, his entire face morphed, crumbling in on itself, the perfectly collected expression gone…only pain left in its wake. The breath, more like a sob, that Alec let out couldn’t have been contained even if he tried. He collapsed onto Jace’s chest without a word.

And Jace held him, circling his entire shaking frame, as if that was the only way to keep him in one piece. Eventually, they both fell into a fretful sleep, but they never let each other go.

[mphfpc-n-stuff]

ALTHEA ENOCH BRONWYN MILLARD FRANKLIN PLZ

Anything for you, boo ;oAlthea: one time this lil jerk was pushing around my friend on the school bus and pushing her around n junk and I ended up getting between them. He started pulling my hair which was annoying but tolerable but then he put GUM into one of my braids, so I punched him in the stomach and spat in him then got off at my stop. (The only reason I was between either of them was because my spot was coming up, so not really a pure heroic moment lol)Enoch:legit the farthest I’ve been out of state was Connecticut. Me and my family went to mystic aquarium and saw porpoises, which I have decided are my spirit animal.Bronwyn:Uhhhmmmm, music, maybe? Like if I’m super stressed out and feel like I’ve put myself somewhere I can’t get out of music helps wine relax and try and solve the problem. Maybe, like friends and family too, I probably wouldn’t be able to do a lot of things without support from them.Millard: Drawing, reading, writing, listening to good tunes. Drawing especially, I didn’t start out drawing well and it took forever to get to where I am now and probably will take forever to get to where I want to end up. I’m fairly proud of what I can do now, but that was after so many failed attempts and I’m probably going to have so many more as I progress. Franklin: My dream job is to be a storyboard artist for animated cartoons, or a free-lance graphic novel writer. I don’t have to attention span to do animation OR complete art. I love writing and drawing and some how both of those jobs combine the two. If that doesn’t work out, and this might sound a little weird, I’d love to be an elementary school secretary. My elementary secretary was so sweet and she did so much for our school. Plus you get to talk on an intercom. I mean, come on