#she probably just saw that the backlash was too severe this time around and dropped him publicly

[chancheols]

All this nonsense with Taylor Swift has violently reminded that people will really bend themselves over backwards to infantalise and victimise white women. Reminds me of Megan Fox and MGK and how people were acting like she was being held hostage in that relationship....as if she isn't an adult with agency....

[rachelbethhines]

Tangled Salt Marathon - Happiness Is

This is possibly my favorite episode of season two. Yet, it is also the point the where the series starts to fall off a cliff. Only that’s not something that you would realize upon a first watch; just in hindsight and only with some basic knowledge of the behind the scenes drama that led to this and the fall out with the fandom that followed afterwards. 

Summary:  Rapunzel begins to feel homesick for Corona when she finds an old letter written by her father in one of the many lanterns sent from her previous birthdays. In attempts to uplift her spirits, Rapunzel explores the island and comes across a magical idol that brings instant happiness to whomever possesses it. Rapunzel begins to hallucinate her family and friends back in Corona and soon shares the idol with the rest of the group. However, everyone starts to become obsessive over the idol, desperately wanting it for themselves. Rapunzel tricks everyone into giving her the idol, but when the Lorbs try to help Rapunzel, they fall under the idol's control and soon begin to terrorize the village.

Let’s Start with the First Elephant in the Room; Frederic 

So throughout the episode Rapunzel is struggling with being homesick. Which is fair enough, that’s an understable reaction to being on the road for months by now. However, to showcase this Rapunzel keeps seeing hallucinations of her father. There are some other characters too, but her dad is the first person she sees and the only one in Corona with speaking lines. He’s the one to tempt her with the idol. 

Did we just forget that Frederic is her abuser? 

Look, even if you accept his apology in Secret of the Sundrop and believe he has learned his lesson, that doesn’t just erase the pain he caused her. Her thoughts about her father should be more realistically complex then this. Now add in how she makes a such a clean break from her other abuser, Gothel, but still holds him on a pedestal shows a disturbing bias on the part of the writers. 

Also where’s this love for Arianna? You know the only real mother on the show? The show that’s aimed at little girls? The one parent who hasn’t flat out abused the main character yet? 

Seriously, Chris, what the fuck? 

This is a Missed Opportunity 

So part of the reason why I like this episode is that we get insights into each of the characters and their desires. As such this is one of the few episodes where the group actual feels like a group friends. However, Cass’s vision is wasted here. 

So at first glance this seems to aline with what we know of the character thus far. She loves her dad and wishes to impress him. That’s only if you take season one into account, though. Later episodes will contradict this goal. If you wanted to set up praise and validation in general as Cassandra’s motives, then here is where that should have happened. 

Show her getting a medal, have cheering crowds surround her, have her be a hero, or something. You can’t claim her relationship with her parents as the driving force of behind her later actions if you don’t actually involve one of those parents as part of the resolution to her arc. 

Either she lacking attention from her dad or she’s jealous of Rapunzel. You can’t have it be both because those two things don’t intersect. Rapunzel is not and never was a threat to her relationship with her father. 

So Umm...I Don’t Think This Plot Point Has the Impact That the Writers Think It Does 

So this hilarious, and it is intended to be funny, but it’s not for the reasons that the show gives. 

The idea is that this is some shocking revelation. That Rapunzel would never do this under normal circumstances and it’s a hint that the idol is corrupting her. 

Only the rest of the series doesn’t aline with that at all. This is just the real Rapunzel behaving as the she normally would but without the usual veneer of excuses. 

It’s funny because it’s the show calling out Rapunzel hypocrisy for what it is plainly, not because it’s out of character. 

But funny only gets you so far. The show is perfectly happy to play up Rapunzel’s awfulness for laughs, but then conventily ignore it when it comes time for the characters themselves to call her out on it so that she can grow and learn.       

The show runs under the sitcom idea that comedy excuses all sins; which then backfires horribly when it tries to be serious and mature. 

You can’t joke that the king threw a random person in a stockade for little reason and then expect us to still like him when he persecutes a child. Same applies here. 

The sitcom set up only works when there is minimal at stake and all parties involved are equally awful in their own ways. 

Then Why Not Just Go Home?

Once again, there’s nothing at stake in season two. Rapunzel has no real reason to be on this trip. Nothing is stopping her from just going home if that’s what she wants. The idol only makes her happy because it shows her want she wants, but she could actually have what she wants as soon as the next ship arrives. So what’s the issue here? 

This is why you need external conflict in order to make internal conflicts work. There’s has to be something preventing the main character from achieving her goal or otherwise she just comes across as a dumbass. 

And Now Here Comes the Second Elephant; Varian 

I have several things to talk about here, and none of them actually concern the scene itself but the creator’s treatment of the character and the show’s fan base.

For you see, Chris did a very, very stupid thing.  

He wrote the character driving the plot out of the show. The character who also happens to be the most popular person in the series. Only to then use said character’s VA and this one cameo as promotion for this whole season. 

Needless to say, fans were disappointed.   

However, the Tangled fandom is exceedingly polite; more so than most. The lack of Varian was met mostly with confusion, and maybe a few off handed jokes, rather than anger. When opportunity arose people naturally had questions concerning the character.     

And that’s when Chris put his foot in mouth. 

This Tumblr post details how Chris got kicked off the Tangled The Series Discord by bullying a bunch of Varian fans while on there. 

https://starxapple.tumblr.com/post/617852117763391488/zhantiri-uuugh-fine-since-people-are-getting

I shan’t get into it fully, but for those who discovered the show after season two had aired, this caused a massive backlash from the fandom. 

A good chunk of the fandom just walked away, and rightly so. The few that stuck around despite these remarks found themselves harassed by certain sections of the fandom who saw Chris’s bullying as permission to pursue the same behavior. However, most importantly, the ratings plummeted. 

Season one hovered around the the 1 million mark, give or take a five point difference. The first part of season two dropped to half of that, and after this episode and the hiatus it sunk even lower, down to the mid-thirties. That’s over 20,000 people who just jumped ship over this. That’s not a normal decline. 

No matter what your personal feelings are of the character of Varian or how he was handled in the show, that’s still a massive PR fassico that cost the series big time. 

To add to this mountain of bullshit, there was also a massive walk out of crew members after season one had finished production. Most of them women. They even desperately threw out ‘we’re hiring’ calls to cover this. Which given that’s it’s Disney and that nepotism is usually how one gains employment in the entertainment industry, something unusual must have happened behind the scenes. Especially if most of the people who left were women. 

We’ll probably never know what really happened. People don't usually talk about behind the scenes stuff like that due to contracts and the aforementioned nepotism. However, all clues point to Varian.   

Something changed at the last minute concerning his story. Chris himself had confirmed as much when discussing the note and the Brotherhood. We also gotten other hints that content was edited out at the last minute. Plus the writing becomes more shoddy as the series goes along, showing how slapped dashed everything is together.  

Then there’s the rumors. 

I must stress to you that this is only a rumor. As pointed out earlier, most animators aren’t in a position to talk freely about what goes on behind the scenes. Do NOT harass them over it or make things awkward by asking them to clarify this. However it’s been suggested that the female crew warned Chris that removing Varian from season two and re-writing his story, along with making Cass the villain, would be a bad idea before they left and Chris didn’t listen. Much to his folly. 

Chris is no longer a Disney employee and has yet to move on to any other projects. He says he left, but I more suspect that Disney just didn't renew his contract and no one has picked him up since. I take no joy in the idea that someone may have lost their job, but if true, then Chris has little to blame but himself. 

So What Did Change?

We don't know anything for sure. We know from discussions about the note that there was a proposed Brotherhood plot that involved Varian that was then cut. There was also talks about a Cass and Varian team up in season three. 

This was then changed to the Saporian take over, which is foreshadowed in this scene. However even that got edited down and under the flimsiest of excuses. 

One of the writers, Ricky, suggested that they thought cutting back to Corona would be too confusing for the audience; which is a load of bull. I mean how poorly do you think of your audience’s comprehension skills that they wouldn’t understand a change of scene or a flashback? Yet you fully expect them to pick up on your lazy foreshadowing involving the mirror? So much so that you sent them on a quest to find it between seasons two and three.

Then there’s this gem from Chris. 

Ok ignoring the fact that you so totally could have featured both Gothel and Varian, seeing as they serve two different functions in the story and mean different things to Rapunzel.... What guilt?!!! 

Rapunzel doesn’t ever act guilty over anything involving her treatment of Varian. 

That’s when you realize Chris isn’t talking about her feeling guilty about Varian’s predicament. He’s saying that Rapunzel feels guilty of leaving her father behind with this ‘dangerous’ criminal. Which is a big fuck you to everyone. 

That’s why Frederic is the center focus of Rapunzel’s hallucinations. Why she’s more concerned for his safety over Varian’s trauma. Chris really be out here trying to use the abused 14/15 year old orphan as a scapegoat for the grown ass dictator who ruined countless lives. Because he thinks a grown woman should feel guilty for leaving her abusive father behind and pursuing her life’s dream.

Dude, I try not to assume the worst of people just cause they write fictional characters that I dislike, but Chris really makes things hard not to when he treats his self insert this way. 

Oh but we’re not done yet. 

When Varian Fans Complain About the Lack of Varian; We’re Complaining About the Lack of a Coherent Plot. 

Certain sections of the fandom, bolstered by Chris’s BS, try to act like simply being a Varian fan is grounds for dismissal of any criticism of the show and it’s writing. As if having personal preference for something makes you automatically ‘entitled’ or some such bull. Yet doing so ignores the fundamental complaint that they are making. 

We’re not whining about our favorite character not getting enough screen time. No one would have complained about his lack of presence in season two if they had properly resolved his story in season three and had Chris not been a dick to the fans. But it becomes evidently clear as the series goes along that removing Varian left a major hole in the plot. One that makes the entire story and the rest of characters suffer as well. 

Think season two is boring? That’s cause they cut out their main villain at the last minute and failed to replace him with anything. 

Upset that Hookfoot was brought along for zero reason?  He’s the replacement character for Varian who no doubt was going to appear in season two originally. 

Wish there was more on the Brotherhood and the Dark Kingdom?  Their story impact was greatly reduced when Varian was written out.

Are you a Eugene fan and mad about how the Dark Prince plot went nowhere?  That’s cause the original Brotherhood/Dark Kingdom plot was dropped when Varian was.

Dislike how Cassandra’s character was ruined with her villain arc?  She was originally meant to be possessed but was changed last minute to be a Varian rip-off in the hopes that she would gain some of his popularity.   

Wish Zhan Tiri, Demantius, and the Disciples actually went somewhere and that ZT had coherent plan?   That plot were changed last minute to make Zhan Tiri a scapegoat for Cassandra now that her story was changed to replace Varian.

And of course let’s not ignore the character who suffers the most from lack of Varian.... Rapunzel. 

Chris’s defense for leaving Varian out of S2 is that it’s “Rapunzel’s Story” and that Varian was only ever a plot device meant to push her along on her quest.  Which means that Rapunzel no longer has anyone pushing her along on her quest!!!

All characters are plot devices. If they aren’t there to serve a story function then they need to be cut. Even Rapunzel herself serves a plot function. She’s meant to be the protagonist of a coming of age story. Which means she needs both an external conflict to face and an emotional arc where she grows as a person. Varian is the plot device that serves both of those functions but he’s now been removed and is no longer allowed to serve his original purpose. 

Chris reached into the machine while it was running and pulled out one of the main gears and acted like he always meant to do that. He legit sat there and pretended that everything was running smoothly even as smoke poured out and warring alarms blared. He then tried to shove bubble gum in its place hoping no one would notice as everything fell apart around him. 

Cause he’s the thing; no idea is without merit. It’s all about presentation. Removing Varian from season three still could have worked, but it required A.) replacing him with another foe and B.) making sure his arc still got a proper conclusion. 

I’ll talk more about Varian’s half-arsed redemption when we get to it; but for now let's focus on the more immediate problem. No one thought to give season two an actual overarching conflict in light of Varian’s absence. 

That’s a fundamental oversight that pretty much signals that season two was re-written at the last minute. You have an overarching plot in an action adventure show but no main adversary? I refuse to believe that everyone involved was too stupid to do that on purpose; but if they were rushed and lacked a crew because they walked out due to last minute story changes....yeah that’d I buy. 

Because there’s more than enough options to go around; Lady Caine, The Baron and Styalan, Hector and/or Adria, Zhan Tiri’s Disciples ect. were all options. So was keeping the rocks a threat, or have Cass start her villian arc earlier; with proper motivation this time. They could have even come up with someone entirely new. 

You had over four years to plan this shit out; why is it not more well put together?! 

How Come Rapunzel Can Easily Admit Fault to Pascal But Not Anyone Else? 

Pascal should have sat perched on Varian’s and Eugene’s shoulders giving Rapunzel ‘I’m done with this’ looks all throughout season three. It’s apparently the only thing that she responds to. 

Why is the untalkative camelanion the only one allowed to call out the main character’s BS without going villain? 

Conclusion

That’s all there really is to talk about in this story. The actual episode itself is good. It’s the behind the scenes crap that bubbles underneath its surface that needed to be discussed. That way when going forward with the marathon you’ll better see what I’m talking about when I explain how future episode suffered from the lack of planning and foresight. 

[laurelleghuleh]

OCAF | Ch. 15 “A favor”

Warnings: read the masterlist first

Songs: "Since I've Been Loving You" by Led Zeppelin, "Faith" by The Weeknd

DAPHNE’S POV

Another night of obscure dreams about Abigail, the Master, the titans, and Levi passed by. As well as another day of research.

Armin, some other cadets, and I had just returned to the HQ, the sun had already set, and by then we were all waiting for Erwin and his team to get back too. We were so close at that point. So close that we simply needed further and more precise instructions from the Commander and the plan could finally be put into action.

After days of pure torture, of Levi’s behaviors, and of my way of secretly tormenting myself with thoughts about him, I’d felt like I was finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Like all that rage and frustration that had been feverishly bottling up inside of me was finally starting to calm down.

Since I had some time to kill, that evening I thought I would go freshen up myself in my room. Along the hallway, Eren, who was proceeding in the same direction as me, approached me and started to walk with me. I’m not joking when I say he begged me the whole time to tell him more about what we had discovered. But at some point, around the corner, now a few meters away from my door, a voice behind us caught our attention.

“Cadets,”

Levi.

We both turned around and cordially greeted the Captain, who as usual seemed to direct his gaze towards anyone within a kilometer except me.

“I’ll keep this short, we have rethought the squads’ division.” started Levi “You’ll join your stupid little cronies, are you happy Eren?”

The boy simply smiled, trying to ignore his teasing. Then, I saw the Captain’s heels turning around, ready to leave us. Therefore, trying to stop him, I said: “Ehm, excuse me, sir, what about me?”

In response, he slightly rotated his head and torso in my direction. With a blank face, he calmly stated “Same goes for you. With the brats. Right where you belong.” and started to walk in the direction of his office.

I sighed deeply, closing my eyes, trying to not lose it in front of Eren, who was now anxiously rubbing my arm.

Really? Now I’m a brat? During the last week, I’ve been “you idiot”, “pipsqueak”, “whiner”, oh and let’s not forget about “whatever-the-fuck-your-name-is”. And now I’m a brat. He has never called me like that. But apparently, now I’ve become one of the thousand brats around here… This needs to stop.

“Daphne, a-are you okay?” murmured Eren.

I cleared my throat and said “Yeah, yeah… Go on without me, kid. I need to talk with the Captain for a moment… See you later.”

Before Levi could close his door, I managed to grab the handle and burst into his office.

“Sir, a word.”

Glancing at him, now seated at his desk, I suddenly realized where I was. That was actually the second time I had ever seen his office, and yet it felt so different from that night. The light of his oil-lamps was now on and I could finally take a look around.

“Whatever devilry you’re about to say, just be quick. I don’t have much time for your shit,” he said, intertwining his hands in a solid fist on top of the table.

I sucked all the air around me, trying to calm myself down and don’t snap at him too soon, but I was already at my limit. Thus, I took some courage and declared:

“That comment. That comment out there was totally unnecessary.”

“That’s not up for you to tell,” he stated and got back to his paperwork, lowering his gaze. “If you’re done whining, you can leave. Erwin is about to-”

“Not even close,” I spoke through my teeth, interrupting him. My fists tightened and my feet instinctively moved forward.

“Listen, my dear captain, let’s get one thing straight. I’m not one of your fifteen-year-old cadets who you can boss around and insult as if it were nothing. I don’t need to be taught a lesson, nor your ridiculous silent treatment. I’m already punishing myself for the both of us.”

Levi slowly leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms, and squinting his eyes at me, as if he was carefully pondering my words or, more likely, plotting how to cut my throat. He set his jaw and creased his jacket as his fingers sank in the fabric. He was visibly trying to maintain his composure, right when I was about to lose mine.

“We both know why you’ve been acting like a dick recently, so why don’t you just cut the crap?”

“I just act according to your behaviors, cadet. Nothing more, nothing less.”

A laugh escaped me and I immediately tried to cover my mouth as I stepped back. “You really... You always got the right thing to say, captain, don’t you? You think you know everything, you think you got me all figured out-”

“No, I don’t. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been taken aback by seeing my bed empty the morning after.”

I felt the blood boiling in my veins, the tears starting to pool in my eyes, the rage to wreak havoc inside my bowels. I instinctively rushed back at him and started yelling, banging both my fists on his desk.

“Do you think I did it just to hurt your stupid little ego, Levi? What kind of person do you take me for? Do you think I did it light-heartedly? Do you think that when I saw you sleeping in front of my fucking face I just told myself let’s fucking leave? I don’t regret a single second of what happened between us. Not even one. You know it. You felt it…So please stop it. Stop making me feel so miserable, I’m just trying to move on.”

I sniffed and hung my head. In the meantime, the captain was still silently looking at me, motionless in his chair. That was probably the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done in my life.

“Levi. There are at least a million reasons why it was the only right decision to make. A million. I just did both of us a favor. And you know I’m right.”

My voice was starting to fail me, but I tried to keep talking. I lifted my head, my fists still pressed against his desk, my watery eyes fixed on his.

“Have you already forgotten? You were the one who told me you couldn’t do this. You can’t. We can’t. What the fuck has changed, uh?”

He finally opened his mouth and told me “Everything.”

That simple word almost made me lose my balance on his desk. My head instantly tilted and my feet shuffled, taking a step back.

“How has everything-” I tried to say.

“We fell asleep together,” he continued.

“C’mon, we literally passed out.” I scoffed and corrected him.

“We talked. You told me you wanted to get to know me better,”

“I still do.”

I don’t know why but at that point I started to feel so bad, so fucking bad, also and mostly for him. It was clear to me that I had indeed hurt him, hurt him more than I believed. But there was no coming back from there. And suddenly tears started to pool again in my eyes, my bottom lip to tremble, my chest to swell.

“You begged me to fuck you.” he spat.

“And I’d beg you again.” I said, banging one more time both my fists on the table and letting the first tear drop on his papers.

A knock on the door.

After a long moment of silence, I managed to murmur between my uncontrollable sobs “Believe me when I say I don’t regret a fucking second of what happened between us…”

Another knock.

“…But I won’t let you step in my way, Levi. And one day you’ll thank me for not stepping into yours.”

Several strong knocks and a voice shouting “Captain, Commander Smith is back!”

“See? I just did both of us a favor. A big one.” I repeated and then let my head hang heavily.

My gaze was still pointing at my feet when I heard his chair moving, his slow steps coming closer. Then I sensed Levi’s hands mildly taking me by the shoulders, his husky voice murmuring me “Go wash your face, you know where the bathroom is,”

Luckily, I was still looking down, so he didn’t see my eyes suddenly widening and my lips slightly parting at his words.

Then, quietly adjusting my jacket, Levi added “When you feel better, join us downstairs.”

When I lifted my head, I could barely see his face through the tears that were fogging my sight. And yet, the tone of his voice was soft enough to tell me that something had changed. Soft enough to comfort me. At least that sudden rage turned out to be of use. Nonetheless, I felt so ashamed of myself for bursting out like that. Crying in front of Levi was the most embarrassing thing ever.

We stared at each other for several, endless seconds. His gaze, still painted by a silent discomfort, kept examining my by then horrible conditions the whole time.

Suddenly another sequence of loud knocks made both of our heads rotate in the door’s direction. Therefore, Levi gently loosened his grip on me and proceeded towards the threshold, scolded the cadet with his usual way of phrasing insults, and headed outside to meet Erwin and the others.

LEVI’S POV

I was doing just fine. I swear. Before she practically stormed into my office, I was doing just fine.

Lately, any thought about what happened between us was just a dead-end, therefore I instructed my mind to simply not go there. And yet, every time we ended up in the same building, in the same room, in the same corner, my gut twitched.

I was doing just fine, except when Hange pointed out that I was grumpier than usual the other day. I confess I almost snapped. But still, I repeat, I was doing just fine. My plan to ignore her made everything easier for me. It had helped me avoid her and bring her to her limit. But unfortunately, in the end, that turned out to be a mere backlash for me.

I did expect something bratty from her after a week, but surely not that. It made me feel kinda bad. And I didn’t like it.

However, nobody, and I repeat, nobody had ever dared to address me that way. And yet, all things considered, she had a point. Well, to be honest, she was simply right. The betrayal I had felt made me forget about the whole situation. But nobody had ever addressed me that way.

Walking down to the room where Erwin was, I kept replaying in my head her little tantrum and pondered carefully what to do next. When I sat down at the table next to the other scouts, I finally had a plan in mind. I wanted to show her that I’d have never stepped in her way, that I sincerely just wanted to help her, that I wasn’t her enemy.

But still, at that point, she did need to be taught a lesson, because nobody, and I repeat, nobody had ever addressed me that way. And ever will.

When Daphne and other missing soldiers joined us, Erwin and Armin explained the rest of us their theories and plan. From their assumptions, it came out that Annie Leonhart, a cadet from the 104th Training Corps and now part of the Military Police Brigade, was the spy.

When her name popped out, Eren freaked out with his typical, unnecessary fervor, because those were just mere suppositions. And he wasn’t wrong, yet we didn’t have much of a choice.

At that moment, a memory occurred to me, therefore I got a word in.

“Brat, shut the fuck up for a second. I just remembered a thing. Some time ago, before the ceremony, Daphne noticed that Annie was acting weirdly. She mentioned a strange conversation they had during their training. She also survived the female titan, so if she noticed some resemblances, I guess we can trust this path.”

Daphne, who was sitting not far from me, immediately lifted her head and looked in my direction. The confusion was all over her face. So, I raised my eyebrows to encourage her to speak. She shook her head like she was suddenly brought back to reality and stammered:

“Y-Yes. What the captain just said is true. And also, now that I think about it, the female titan has features pretty similar to Annie’s. Right Mikasa?”

The young cadet immediately nodded and supported the theory. They both had seen the titan up close and still remembered vividly that beast. And on second thought, I had noticed some similarities too, even though I happened to see that girl just a couple of times. However, Eren was still reluctant and antagonized the whole situation for a bit more. But in the end, we successfully managed to convince him and discuss the plan in peace.

On paper, it was rather simple. Armin, Mikasa, and Eren needed to attract the titan’s host into a subterranean tunnel to prevent her transformation. In case they failed, the whole mission would have passed into Eren’s hands. Unfortunately for us.

Before leaving the room, I believe I saw Daphne showing me a half-smile. I just hoped the tension between us had attenuated a little or at least that the whole situation would have brought it to quench and let our fight slide.

The next morning, we were supposed to leave for the Stohess District to formally meet the king, the Military Police, and put our plan into action. But Erwin was nowhere to be found. Therefore, I decided to check his office but once in, I was caught off guard by an unexpected presence.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I said, slamming the door behind my back.

Daphne immediately turned her head over her shoulder in my direction. Her lips slightly parted and her eyes traveled up and down my figure as if she was considering what to answer. Apparently, she wasn’t expecting to see me either.

“Ask more nicely and I might answer you,” she stated.

I never asked that more nicely and limited myself to fiercely staring at her. She rolled her eyes and brought her attention back to a book she was leafing through.

“The Commander gave me the permission to hang out here, borrow some books, and bring him papers or whatever he needs. That’s all. Happy now?”

“I see you're getting cozy with Erwin.” I commented.

“Jealous?” she said, glancing again at me over her shoulder to watch my reaction.

The ghost of a mischievous smile appeared on her face when she noticed I decided to stay silent, cross my arms, and clench my jaw at her little teasing.

After a couple of seconds, advancing with slow strides towards me, she said “You know the saying,”. And once she was dangerously too close to me, she continued “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.”, then slammed the book right in front of my face with one hand and walked past me.

“I’ll find my way out of here, Captain. Just watch me.” I heard her saying.

When I turned around to confront her, the Commander entered the room. Tch, congrats on the timing Erwin.

“Oh, I see you're both here.” he said, rather surprised.

“Commander,”

She immediately saluted him and showed him the book she was holding in her hands “I put the other one back and took this. Oh, and the papers you asked for are already on your desk, sir.”

“Perfect. Thanks, Daphne. How was it? The book, I mean.” he asked her. This situation is just ridiculous.

“Oh, I couldn’t stop reading it! The story was literally spellbinding. The writing, just perfect. I finished it in one night!” she enthusiastically declared. That was probably the first time I’ve ever seen her eyes shine like that while talking about something. The way her voice sounded so genuinely excited stuck in my mind all day.

“I'm glad you liked it, but don't stress yourself out too much and take your time to rest, okay? By the way, Wim is waiting for you downstairs with Armin. Join them as soon as you can. They are about to leave.” said the commander. I repeat, just ridiculous.

“Roger. With your permission.” She made a little curtsy before us and then rushed out of the room.

By now, Erwin and I were completely alone in his office. Without saying a word, he walked straight to his desk to collect his papers, scanned them rapidly, and then looked at me.

“Did you need something from me, Levi? We have to leave soon.”

“Yes, a favor.”

DAPHNE’S POV

I was looking for my team in the courtyard when I heard a voice calling me from behind my back.

“Miss girl, this way, please. You’re coming with me today.”

I turned around to see it was Hange, who immediately rested her arm over my shoulder and strongly dragged me away with her.

“Really? But I was supposed to be in the plan B team with Wim and his comrades. That’s what the Commander-” I protested. Not that I wasn’t happy to join Hange’s squad, but that wasn’t what I was told to do.

“Change of plan, darling.” she interrupted me. “Yesterday night Levi told me he prefers you to come and help me and Moblit with plan C.”

“Oh…” I vocalized. Why the sudden change? And why did Levi personally ask for it? What is he up to now?

Then Hange rotated her head in my direction and with a puzzled expression she added “Didn’t he tell you?”

“Ehm no. I saw him just a couple of minutes ago, but he didn’t mention-… And Erwin-“ I mumbled, trying to understand why Levi hadn’t informed me.

“I don’t think it makes much of a change to Erwin. Nifa already took your place and left with Wim. Don’t worry, the Commander won’t even notice it.”

“If you say so… But I didn’t even know there was a plan C. What is it?” I asked her.

“Well, let’s say that if Eren fails to transform or something goes wrong with plan A and plan B too, we’re going to capture the female titan in some other way. I prepared a trap and all the weapons needed for that. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe with us. My plan is titan-proof!” she smiled widely at me.

But unfortunately, it wasn’t. Once in Stohess district, the young cadets couldn’t stop Annie, who promptly shifted, while Eren failed to do as well. When the female titan walked over our trap, we luckily managed to stop it for a while with our arsenal, but even that turned out to be completely useless against the beast. The titan freed itself and escaped us.

Soon after, a loud noise announced to us that Eren had finally transformed and from a distance, we saw him engage in a cruel fight with Annie.

We were all fixed on top of the rooftops around the district. All motionless, incapable to do nothing more than watch and hope for the best. Just looking at them you could tell how feral and merciless they were one against the other. At that point, I couldn’t visualize anymore that little, frightened boy called Eren behind that hulking figure. The sight was insane.

I believed Armin had magically read my mind when he murmured next to me, at such a low volume I thought he was talking to himself “Only those who are ready to give up what they care about most will change the world.”

The fight between the two titans was so chaotic I was struggling to understand who was winning and who was losing, but at some point, I thought Eren was finally in charge. He was hovering Annie’s body with his, but looking at them a little better I realized the kid was one step away from screwing the whole plan. He was about to eat the host, Annie, our only resource.

Out of nowhere, appeared a soldier twirling in the air and swaying his swords in their direction. There was only one scout who could move like that. And that was Levi. He arrived just in time to stop Eren from doing something stupid, extract him from his titan’s form, and save the already fucked up situation. He was told to stay back during the mission because of his conditions, but once again, he proved to be humanity’s strongest soldier.

When we climbed down the houses and encircled the two carcasses, Annie had already managed to create a sort of solid shell around herself with the hardening technique. As if the mission wasn’t already going shitty, that just made everything worse.

Levi descended from the titan dragging with him Eren’s weary body and let him down to the street. Then, the captain took a quick glance around like he was looking for someone. When our eyes met, we stared at each other from a distance, motionless. I don’t think this annoying habit of his will ever fade. I tilted my head, trying to stimulate some kind of reaction from him, but he just walked away. What did I expect?

Anyways, in the aftermath, we had suffered numerous losses and gained no useful information. Annie in her peculiar cage was brought down to a basement and Erwin was held by the police because of the consequences of his plan. If that wasn’t already enough, out of nowhere, the face of a fucking titan peeked out from a fucking hole in the fucking Walls.

“What the hell-” my stammered words were suddenly interrupted when a priest appeared behind Hange’s back, panting and blabbering some nonsense.

“Do not expose the titan to the sunlight!” he yelled.

All the scouts were immediately sent back to a base in Stohess, while Hange and Moblit vanished, dragging that Reverend named Nick with them on top of the Walls. I imagined his words needed more than an explanation. In the meantime, we were told to rest, probably also to give Eren enough time to recover, and get ready to depart the day after.

During the night I literally couldn’t close my eyes, so I sneaked out of the female dormitory and walked around for a bit. Along a dark hallway, I noticed a door left ajar, from which a suffused light was coming. When I took a glance inside the room, I saw Hange frantically studying a stone and leafing through some books. Right next to her, a few centimeters from her microscope, Moblit was sleeping soundly, almost drooling as his head rested over the table.

“Pss, Hange” I whispered, “What are you up to?”

“Oh, hey Daphne, it’s you…” she murmured and then walked away from her comrade.

“What’s going on?” I asked her.

“We just spent the entire evening interrogating the Reverend. He won’t talk. We used every kind of torture, intimidation… Everything. He won’t talk.” she said, exhausted.

“What do you think he’s hiding?”

“Something extremely important. Something that could change everything at this point.” she said, her eyes ignited by rage “That titan’s face in the Walls. That cannot be a mere coincidence...”

“Oi, you two.” that unmistakable voice made both Hange and me turned around in sync.

“Levi, what are you doing here?” asked the squad leader.

“What is she doing here? It’s fucking 3 in the morning. Go to sleep.” he spat, referring to me.

“If you excuse me, Captain, I was talking to Hange.” I said, eyeing him.

“I don’t excuse you. Go to sleep.” he ordered me, raising his voice.

“Why don’t you get a hold of yourself and lower your fucking voice? Moblit is sleeping.” I spat, pointing to the scout behind my back.

“Guys, guys, calm down. What’s up with you two lately?” tried to step in between us Hange.

“Forget it, I’m leaving.” I said annoyed as I walked away “Night Hange, see you tomorrow.”

The next day Erwin was temporarily freed and joined us at the base. Strange news from the Wall Rose came to our attention, therefore in the afternoon, the Commander decided to move all the teams to Ehrmich. Apparently, a new threat was swinging above our heads and something bad was happening at the scouts stuck at Utgard Castle. And that’s where we were heading. The entire Scout Regiment and that damn priest, under the close supervision of Hange and Levi.

We stopped at a base at Ehrmich, where Hange tried again to interrogate the Reverend. Not much came out, just a name, Historia, the name of a cadet in our regiment who the cult was trying to protect. At that point, the only one who could make a change was Eren. If he had managed to close the hole in the Walls with the hardening technique, we still had had a chance.

Right when we were about to leave, Levi called me.

“Daphne, with me,” he said, motioning with his head to follow him, then started to walk away with the priest. I eyed Hange who nodded at me as if she was encouraging me to go with him. What the fuck is up now? I sighed deeply and immediately sprinted to join Levi and the priest.

We were now walking in complete silence down a basement, which at some point started to look more like a prison. Once at the end of a corridor, Levi harshly shoved the priest inside a little space and closed the gate with a loud bang. The boomy clicks of the key twisting inside the lock covered my steps as I approached Levi.

“Can I at least know what I am doing here?” I murmured next to him.

He silently stepped back and walked past me, so I just followed him. Levi stopped a few meters away from the gate, at a point where he was still able to keep an eye on the priest. Then he pressed his back against the basement’s brick wall, crossed his arms over his chest, and said: “I need a right-hand man for my mission.”

“What mission? Guarding that old fart? C’mon, you could do this with your eyes closed even in your conditions.” I laughed, glancing at the man behind the bars.

“I have to go somewhere and you’ll come with me.”

“Where? If I’m allowed to ask, Captain.” I sarcastically said.

“The Underground.”

[nikkzwrites]

Yesterday Once More | Dark Fix-It Fic Series | Chapter 11

A/N: This fic is one that I started with my OC because honestly, I personally didn’t like how season 3 ended. So I am rewriting all of Dark with my OC Annalise Dahlheim. I hope you all like it. Some things will be expanded more on just for more depth to Dark that season 3 kinda skipped over so…. yeah.

CW: Canon Typical Triggers: Smoking, Sex, Language, Drugs, Drinking, Death, Violence, Suicide Mentions, Cutting, Violence.

Word Count:  5k

[First Chapter] [Previous Chapter] [Next Chapter]

Jonas and Annalise both shot up awake at the same time in different times both having a dream about the moment that was supposed to be the happiest moment of their lives that was actually just the moments that would cause the disasters that would destroy Winden. One of the two in 2053 and the other teen in 2020. Their movements mimicked each other as the two turned to get out of his bed and pull out a letter. His addressed to him to open when his father died. Hers addressed to open now. They both sighed and walked down the stairs into the main areas of the empty Kahnwald house. Annalise’s stairs were silent to cause Jonas’s stairs to creak twice as loud. As if they were both ghosts in this once happy and lively home. They both took a moment to look at the calendar in the kitchen and walked out to walk amongst the living.

Joans walked around his old town gathering supplies before going back down into the bunker to start his work back up. He found the appropriate tape for that day and placed it into the player to listen to it. 

A woman’s voice rang out, “My name is Claudia Tiedemann. I am one of the few survivors of the apocalypse of June 27, 2020. Almost three months have passed since the catastrophe. It’s still unclear what exactly led to the events in Winden. But the God Particle… If we can stabilize it, maybe it is a way back. Back to the past. Maybe we can save them. All of them.”

Annalise walked down the roads. She walked down to the store to grab something to eat before heading her way back into the woods not too far from the Kahnwald’s or Tiedemann’s. She laid down on her and Jonas’s rock looking up at the leaves above her. She quietly wondered if any of them were the same from that day as she quietly hummed the old song she would sing to Jonas and Mikkel. 

The radio on throughout Winden called, “Wake up, late risers! It’s the first week of summer vacation and it is perfect beach weather.” Across Hannah’s walls were newspaper articles about her son and the rest of the missing people. Several of them with pictures of Annalise as well. “Local News. Over six months after the mysterious disappearance of five teenagers, a senior citizen and a local police officer from the town of Winden, despite one of them being found, there are still no clues as to their whereabouts or the circumstances. A federal police task force will now assist with the investigation.”

Hannah marked off the date on the calendar and looked at the old christmas photo of her small little family. Her tear stained face reeking of how she felt on the inside.

“How do you feel today,” The doctor asked Regina, unaware of Bartosz spying on the conversation, “Still having joint trouble? Nausea? To be honest, your lab results worry me. We should treat you in the hospital again.”

Regina shook her head, “No. Absolutely not. I want to stay here.”

“Fine,” The doctor nodded, “We’ll wait for the next MRI results. We may have to switch from hormone treatment back to chemo.”

Bartosz looked down at his phone to see a text from his girlfriend asking him to go to the bridge.

Clausen stood on top of the podium to give his speech. He was the new head of the Winden task force. Today he was taking over the missing persons cases. He was ready to reopen all the cases and review everything about them until he could solve it. He informed that some people had received summons for renewed interrogation in regards to the cases. He also made a statement that they were going to start trying to push more answers from Annalise as well. 

This received some backlash from many of the people in the town annoyed that not only would they send only one person to help, but the government decided to keep Charlotte on the case as well. 

Magnus looked at Franziska as they sat next to the lake, “Does your mom talk at home? About the investigation, I mean.”

“Not to us,” she replied.

Magnus shook his head, “We sit around and wait. And nothing happens. We know as little as we did eight months ago. Sometimes I think it’d be better if they were dead.”

Franziska rubbed the boy’s shoulder, “Don’t say that.” Slowly, the two teen’s lips met for a passionate kiss. It wasn’t long before that got interrupted by a text tone for the girl. She looked back at Magnus and told him, “I have to go.” She stood up to walk away.

“Where to,” Magnus asked.

“To pick up Elisabeth at a friend’s,” Franziska told him, “I’ll call you later, okay?”

Sensing that Franziska was lying, he waited a moment before following her.

Katharina walked through the woods. Her backpack ready with a map and flashlight. She knew the caves had something to do with all of this even though the police swore with Annalise that this wasn’t the care. Annalise had made a comment that she simply had run away due to stress and came back. She also claimed that Jonas would be back soon, though they went their separate ways so she had no idea where he was presently. Yet it’s been a full month and he still wasn’t back. Katharina prepared herself for her cave journey before walking inside.

Jonas trekked up to the power plant’s broken gate. He walked over to the wall to look at the sign, then made his way to the church. He passed the graves of many of the past residents of Winden there. He knelt down to place the picture of his family on his father’s grave then turned to look at Martha’s.

Martha rode her bike down to the bridge. She parked her bike and hiked down to see Bartosz already sitting there waiting for her. She sat down near him and looked at him.

“I’ve been trying to reach you for days,” Bartosz commented. 

Martha shook her head, “A lot was going on.” She watched as he turned away from her and she tried to say, “I wanted to talk to you. I’ve wanted to for a long time.”

“Save your breath,” Bartosz told her without even looking at her. He sighed and looked over to the girl, “It’s probably better that way.” Martha huffed and looked away from the boy causing him to turn, “So… that’s it then.” Martha slightly nodded, then looked down. Bartosz’s anger erupted, “Because of him? Because of Jonas?!”

“What?!” Martha growled back at him. She tried to fight back tears, “What’s that got to do with it? We hardly ever see each other. I don’t know… You’ve changed! I… What about her then? Annalise? She’s back for a month and you're willing to just throw it all away for her?” Martha shook her head and turned back to him, “I feel like you’re hiding something. I don’t know what’s up with you!”

Bartosz argued, “What’s up with me? What the fuck? My mom is dying! And… there’s stuff I can’t tell you.”

“Why not,” Martha accused.

Bartosz swallowed hard, “I just can’t. Okay? If you knew the crap I’m going through...”

Martha’s anger spewed out, “The crap you’re going through?! In case you forgot, my father and brother disappeared. My ex best friend is the only lead, she is lying to everyone, and won’t speak to any of us because of some stupid thing I said that she is claiming made her disappear for seven months! My mom is crazy and couldn’t care less about me! And you want to tell me about your crap?!” She quickly turned away as Bartosz shrunk down. She panted angrily, ran her fingers through her hair then repeated, “It’s better this way.” She stood up and stormed away.

Bartosz sat there wringing his hands anxiously. He watched her go before receiving a text telling him simply, ‘This evening.’

Aleksander stood in front of all his employees and gave a somber speech. He thanked them all for their loyalty and explained that the plant would be decommissioned in six days. After the speech, he followed his nuclear engineer. They put on their yellow hazard suit and walked inside.

The engineer explained, “Everything has been prepared for transport as planned.”

Aleksander asked, “And the demolition plans?”

“Everything at the ground level will be left and become part of the greenfield,” the other man explained, “The radiation of the barrels will be traced to the pool’s previous use.”

Hannah placed down the box with Aleksander’s once gun and passport inside. She took out the pistol and pointed it under her chin when she was interrupted by a set of keys opening the door. She quickly hid the gun and stood up to look to who that could have been. “Hello,” she called out. When she saw a bearded hooded man walk in, she asked him, “Who are you? What do you want? Why do you have a key?”

“It’s my key,” Stranger Jonas told his concerned mother. He slowly took off his hood so that she could get a better look at him.

Hannah, still not understanding, asked, “What do you mean, it’s yours?”

Jonas tried to calm his mother, “I know it sounds like it makes no sense, but hear me out.” He placed his bag down and walked towards her, “Do you remember the yellow bike? The bike you and dad gave me on my eighth birthday. I rode it into the ditch the very first day. I gashed my arm open. Here.” He rolled up his sleeves so that she could see his scar. 

Hannah panted. She couldn’t believe someone could play such a cruel trick on her. “Get out,” she commanded.

Jonas looked down trying to find what else he could do to convince her. “Here,” he tried again, “Dad was making pancakes here. He dropped the pan and spilled the hot oil here.” He motioned down to the stain on the wood then said, “I vanished from your life six months ago. You found me over 33 years ago. I knew it was you right away. It was raining, remember? Grandpa and you wanted to take me along in the car. You said it was still acid rain because of Chernobyl. I was wearing my yellow coat.” He took a step closer to her, “Momma. It’s me.” He held his hand out to her.

Hannah sobbed realizing he was telling her the truth. She put her hand on his arm and looked up at him, “Jonas?” She gently touched his beard in disbelief that her son would grow one, “But that’s impossible.” She cupped his face as she cried. She moved his hair away and watched him relax at her touch. She pulled him into a hug. 

Franziska walked to her drop spot for Bernette and put the information in before leaving to go get Elisabeth. Katharina squatted down in the cave and marked more places on her map before continuing forward. 

In 1921, Noah comforted his younger self from killing the older man. He told the boy that everything would be revealed in due time and that some things needed to stay hidden away for then so that later they could come into the light. 

“How do we know what’s right and what’s wrong,” the younger boy asked through gritted teeth and tears, “What is good and what is evil?”

Noah replied, “By heeding our inner voice. By not following anyone else but ourselves. Our true nature reveals itself not only in our deeds but also in their purpose. I am you. I am your voice. Never forget that. Everything is connected. You. Me. The past. And the future.” 

In 2053, Jonas walked through the forest of hanging bodies. Soon he heard gunshots and a man shouting. Jonas looked and ran towards the yelling. There was a crowd standing there at the execution. Nuclear gear carelessly tossed to the side as the man yelled. “Who are you,” he yelled, “You are hiding it! There, behind the wall! We saw it! We followed the signal. Till the dead zone. You’re hiding God! You mustn’t hide God. He’s not yours alone!”

Elisabeth nodded her head at the team. They pulled tightening the rope around his neck as he plead. She slowly turned away and looked into the small crowd. She signed and her translator Silja spoke, “No one can enter the dead zone. Any attempt will be punished by death. Those are the rules. We are the future! Sic mundus creatus est.”

The crowd repeated, “Sic mundus creatus est.” Then they departed leaving Jonas alone with Elisabeth and Silja.

“Where were you,” they questioned the boy, “There’s nothing out there. The passage is our only hope. The faithless are dead. The prophecy will come true, the passage will open and we will be led into paradise.”

“The faithless are dead,” Jonas asked back, “Everyone is dead, my family, my friends. Everyone dies in six days, in my time! I don’t need your damn paradise! I just want to go home!” He looked at Elisabeth, “What did they want behind the wall?”

Silja signed to Elisabeth what Jonas had said and awaited for her response. 

Jonas, however, did not have the time to wait, so he turned and left.

In 2020, Elisabeth looked up at her father, “Why did mom keep all of Great Granddad’s things? He’s been dead for years.”

Peter signed back, “I think because it’s the only thing that reminds her of her family. Some things are hard to let go of.”

“It’s a shame I never met Grandpa and Grandma,” Elisabeth told her dad, “Does Mom remember them?”

Peter explained, “Your mother was still little when they died. Come on.” Peter walked more into the shop to look. He turned to see Elisabeth had pulled out a picture of her mother and great grandfather from 1986. Peter chuckled. 

Annalise looked at the time. She bit her lip and started to sneak back towards the Kahnwald house only to be given pause by Bartosz. He spotted her and walked over to her. He stood in front of the girl and said, “Hey.”

“Hey,” She commented back trying to look past him. She then turned to him and gave a small smile, “Is there something I can do for you?”

Bartosz stared at her. Frustration rose in him, “I wish you would just stop fucking lying. Could you do that?”

Annalise started to walk past him, “Honestly, Bartosz. I really don’t know what you mean. I’ve told everyone the truth. Jonas and I ran away after the fight. We found a cheap cabin right outside of a different town not too far from here that we rented while we tried to find a permanent place. We got separated about a month ago. I came back after a week of waiting for him like we planned. He will be back soon. I don-”

WHACK! Bartosz’s fist hit the tree, “Anna! We both know that’s bullshit!” He grabbed her wrist, “We both know about what’s going on here. Please talk to me. You are the only one who I can talk to. Please.”

Annalise tried to wiggle away, “Bartosz, you’re hurting me. Let go. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know about Noah,” Bartosz growled into her ear, pulling her close to him. “I’m part of it too. Just talk to me.”

Annalise pulled away and told him, “I have no idea what you’re talking about! I told everyone what happened and honestly I’m only still here to make sure Hannah doesn’t kill herself and to wait for Jonas to get back so we can both go back home!”

“We both know that isn’t what’s happening,” Bartosz told her.

Annalise turned back to him, “You’re right Bartosz! Jonas left me and he’s never coming back! I should damn well just run off with you! Is that what you want to fucking hear?!” She had tears in her eyes. She grit her teeth as she tried to keep the tears inside. She stormed up to him, “Do you want to run away with me Bartosz?! Leave your dying mother behind and I leave behind a grieving mother on the edge of putting a gun to her head?! Is that what you want?”

Bartosz felt tears building up inside him as well. He looked down and whispered down to her while caressing her cheek, “That isn’t fair. I know you’re scared, but don’t take it out on me.”

“You don’t know the first thing about me,” She hissed and turned away as she felt the tears start to fall.

Bartosz watched her leave and whispered, “I know I love you at least.” He let his tears fall watching her knowing it would probably be best to try and give her space. She knew she could always come to him now and that he would never judge her. He watched her go not realizing that this moment could have possibly been the last he would see her again.

Martha knocked on her brother’s room door. “Mom,” she called into the empty room. She looked around. There on the floor and walls were papers, trails of what her mother was thinking. Martha sat down onto the ground and opened a box to pull out a file. There in front of her was the investigation file. That was when Martha got the thought into her head that maybe it was their turn to start snooping around.

Katharina continued searching in the caves hoping to find her answers. She had no idea if she was going to get them but she had hope that she would. She needed to find her son and husband. She needed to make things right.

“It’s remarkable people don’t crack, given the futility of their own existence,” Adam told Noah, “An endless cycle of life and death. Where is the origin of all this suffering?” He paused then asked, “Did you tell Bartosz?”

Noah turned away from the painting of The Fall of the Damned and nodded to the man.

“And he didn’t get at all suspicious,” Adam asked sitting crossed legged in a chair. He spoke to himself after seeing Noah shake his head, “He has always been naive by nature.” He took a large breath and walked up to Noah, “The apocalypse has to happen. Are you having doubts?” He watched Noah shake his head then asked, “What do you do with an old forest so new trees can grow?”

Noah replied, “You burn it down.”

“There isn’t much time left,” Adam told the man. “The missing pages… you must find them.”

Noah nodded before being interrupted by an older Franziska, “Adam? They’re waiting for you.”

Adam turned back to Noah and said, “Six more days.” He turned and walked out.

In 2020, Magnus turned hearing a rustle near him. He looked to see Bernette going to the drop site and replacing an envelope with another one. She looked around not noticing the boy and walked back to her trailer. Magnus trailed after her. He opened the door and walked in.

“I’m on my break,” Bernette told the person who walked in. When she turned, she was surprised to see a young man there, who looked just as surprised himself. She strolled over to him, “Oh, well… Blow job 40 euros, anal 85. Kinky stuff costs extra, but I need to eat first.” She opened up a ramen cup. Then turned to the young man, “Well, get undressed.”

Magnus panicked. He took a few breaths in before dashing back out of the trailer.

Bernette, confused, walked towards her window and watched as Magnus rushed home.

“You can say I exist infinitely,” Jonas explained to his mother as the sun slowly made its way down to sleep and Annalise climbed her way up the side of the house to sneak into Jonas’s room once more, “I’m here now. And I’m in every second between my birth and my death. I’m always Jonas. I’m the same. And yet not the same.” Hannah looked at the older version of her son as he continued, “Like you’re not the same person who came through that door an hour ago.”

Hannah asked him, “But where is Jonas? Where is my Jonas?”

The Stranger Jonas sighed, “He’s in the future.”

“In the future,” Hannah repeated back as a question.

The older version of her son nodded, “Yeah. He can’t come back. I tried to destroy the passage, but I only closed it. That’s why he’s still there.”

Hannah shook her head and sighed, “Why are you here?”

Annalise walked down the stairs right at that moment causing both of them to stare at her for a moment before resuming the conversation. He said, “To put an end to it all. Once and for all.”

Annalise smiled gently and asked, “Ada- Jonas?” She gently shepherded him up from his chair, “It’s really you.” She collapsed in his arms. She pulled him close to her and took in a deep breath to inhale all of him. Her fingers curled into his back pulling his shirt into her fists. She buried her face in him trying not to let him go. As if she were to let him go that he would be lost to time once again.

He smiled tenderly down at her. His beloved so close to him made him feel truly home. He pet her head gently. He placed a soft kiss against the top of her head as he whispered, “I am Lise. It’s so good to see you again.” He held her close treasuring this moment. It was near ecstasy for her to be so close to him again after so long.

She slowly pulled away and placed a warm kiss against his cheek. “You should get to bed,” Annalise scolded him, “Take a shower then head to bed. You sorely need it.” I can tell just how weary you are.”

Jonas nodded with his eyes half lidded looking at her, “Alright.” He dreamily smiled before going upstairs to do just as he was told.

Elisabeth tried to keep herself occupied as her father went through the boxes. She used this time to start trying to look through books. While looking through one, she found a picture. Surprised she brought it to her father and pointed out the man saying, “That’s him! That’s that man.”

“Which man,” Peter asked his daughter.

Elisabeth explained, “The man with the watch. That’s Noah!”

“Noah,” Peter asked his daughter. He looked down at the picture and stared. There staring back at him was just as his daughter had described before and he knew that it was true. There was Noah.

Back at Sic Mundus, Noah stared at a trifold of pictures of everyone important in the loop. The Doppler’s, the Kahnwalds, the Nielsen’s, the Tiedemann’s, and David and Annalise Dahlhiem. He turned and walked away with his briefcase off to do more of his work.

“Watch out for the tiniest deviations in their statements,” Clausen told Charlotte, “Every detail is important.”

Charlotte turned hearing her phone vibrate. She picked it up seeing a message from Peter telling her, ‘I’ve found Noah. Come to the Bunker.’

 Clausen looked at the woman and asked, “Something wrong?”

“I have to go,” Charlotte tried to rush out.

Clausen interrupted and commented, “I don’t have a driver’s license. I assume it’s okay if I ride with you tomorrow?”

Charlotte turned to him, “Yes.” She walked out to go meet up with her husband.

In 2053, Jonas walked around the desolate forest. He hiked to the bunker. He turned on his spherical light and lowered himself inside. He studied his map then grabbed his Geiger counter before heading out.

Annalise, in 2019, crept into Jonas’s father’s studio. It was actually the first time she had ever been up here. She searched for something where she could toss the letter that she needed to burn. It wasn’t long before she found the metal bucket. But there was something strange. A covered painting. Something inside of her called to it. As if it were meant for her to pull the sheet. The girl grasped the cloth and pulled it away to reveal, looking back at her, a smiling girl. The resemblance was uncanny. Annalise fell to the floor. Her breathing hitched inside of her chest. Tears fell from her eyes seeing her happy naive face staring back at her. She was so full of love. Annalise scrunched her face, she had never met Jonas’s father had she? Much less when she was the age she was in the painting. The pieces slowly came together. She breathed heavily. “Mikkel,” she whispered. She started to sob. Annalise quickly snapped herself out of it. She grabbed the bucket, lit the letter on fire, and dropped it into the bucket watching it burn.

Martha scattered the papers and documents around trying to find any clue she could. Magnus slowly opened the door to see his sister on the floor acting erratically. Martha looked up to defend herself, “Mom didn’t lock it.”

Magnus took a breath and asked, “What’s that?”

“Dad’s stuff,” Martha replied, “Police documents and maps of the cave. That’s why Mom goes there every day. I think she’s looking for this.” Martha handed Magnus the file.

Magnus studied it, “A door. In the caves?”

Martha nodded, “It goes to the nuclear power plant. They all know something we’re not supposed to know. Mom, Bartosz, The police, Annalise.” She sighed shaking her head, “Each with their own shitty secret.”

Angry, Magnus started to breath heavily trying to process that maybe that thing Martha said at the very beginning, the day Mikkel went missing, was true.

Bartosz trekked to the caves alone. He stood there waiting for Noah only for the man to approach from behind him, coming from deep inside the cave.

“Are you ready,” Noah asked the boy.

Bartosz nodded and followed the man into the cave, but not before turning back to take a look at Winden again.

Woller walked out of his sister’s trailer and complemented, “Thanks for the coffee.” He pulled out an envelope with money and handed it to her in exchange to the keys of the large shipping truck parked next to her trailer. 

“I’m glad to get rid of that thing,” she commented nodding towards the truck. 

Woller was just about to leave. He didn’t like that this was how he and his sister were communicating. He looked at her and said, “Call Mom again. Okay?”

Bernette nodded and allowed herself to hug her brother before he left with a simple exchanged ‘bye.’

Charlotte drove to the cabin and climbed down into the bunker. When she got there her husband turned and showed her a very old photograph.

Peter pointed, “That is Noah.” Charlotte looked up at him surprised, then took the picture to study it more closely. Peter continued, “Elisabeth found it at the store. It was in a book. She said that’s the man who gave her the watch.”

Charlotte turned it over to see the date on it was January 8, 1921. She read aloud, “Sic Mundus Creatus Est.”

“Charlotte, who are these people,” Peter asked her, “Why did your grandfather have this?”

Charlotte shook her head, “I don’t know.”

Peter scoffed before Charlotte added it to the evidence on the walls of the bunker. They turned to each other in disbelief. 

Franziska tried to call Magnus again as Elisabeth napped with her head on her older sister’s lap. He kept rejecting her calls. 

Hannah sat on the edge of Jonas’s bed as Annalise walked in. She turned to the girl and motioned to her older son’s scars. Annalise made no inclination of change in mood. Her face looked empty and devoid of any feelings once so ever. The two switched places as Hannah walked down stairs to go to sleep herself.

Regina slept in her bed in the house as her husband poured the concrete over the waste. He stared at it as Clausen stared at his board of missing persons.

The young Noah walked out of Sic Mundus and the young Jonas walked through the trees trying to get to the plant to sneak inside. There he found a tunnel which he crawled through and followed the signal to where the pool once was. 

Feeling the shifting of weight on the bed, the older Jonas jerked awake. He quickly and effectively grabbed Annalise and tossed her under him. His breathing fast and heavy until the hasy mist of sleep dissipated from him to reveal who it was. Seeing her face calmed him. He gently cupped her face and smiled through tears. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on people like that,” he commented rolling over to lay down once more.

Annalise turned onto her side so that way they were face to face as they spoke, “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I just…” She swallowed, “You are so injured my love.” Tears fell from her eyes onto his pillow. 

He nodded, “Yes, but it’s all to end this. I’ve seen far worse than what those scars tell you.” His thumb traced her cheek as he spoke quietly to her. He tried to soothe her tears away. He joined their hands together. He pulled them up to his rough and battered lips so that he could kiss her soft smooth knuckles before linking their fingers together. He kissed her forehead and confessed, “I am so sorry for everything. If I were only wiser, we wouldn’t be tangled into this knot and you would never feel any of this pain.”

A small smile fought its way onto her face as she tried to comfort him as well, “My dearest, it is alright. I know you will fix this. You will always be with me,” She kissed his cheek, “Please never let me go.”

The younger Jonas found it. He slipped into the yellow radiation suit and stared at it. They were right. There in front of his was the God particle. He turned and looked at all the documents surrounding it before turning his attention back to the black throbbing tendril-filled swirling sphere.

[screamingatanemptyroom]

I Can’t Eat Love pt 18

New part here, life moves on after the engagement is broken. 

Master post linked here

Enjoy!

_______________________________

“Well, people are definitely still talking.” Rig leaned back in his chair, placing his feet on top of my desk.

I glanced down at them, trying to decide if I cared about the papers beneath his shoes enough to tell him to move. I didn’t. Shrugging it off, I focused on his words instead.

“Let me guess, it’s not very flattering to me, right?” I smiled grimly, remembering the backlash of my previous life.

_______________________________

“You can’t go outside!” My mother screeched as soon as she saw me enter the outer hall. “Get back in your room!”

“But… I…” I hesitated, unsure. It had been a week since Ronan had broken the engagement and announced that he would marry Edith. I hadn’t heard anything from the queen since. I had thought to go try to see her. Seeing my mother’s expression, however, I second-guessed myself.

“Do you know what people are saying outside?” She laughed bitterly, pouring herself another drink. “They’re saying that you were either too incompetent to be queen and he had to break it off... or that you were unfaithful.”

I stopped in my tracks. “That’s ridiculous! I had passed the Queen’s training AND I’ve barely even left this house other than to go to the palace, much less spend time with another. When could I have been unfaithful?”

“That’s not what they’re saying out there.” Mother tossed back her drink in a single shot, wincing before pouring another one. “Apparently you were going to the Royal Gardens to meet other men fairly regularly.”

“But I was with Edith the whole time! She’ll vouch for me!”

She smiled at that. “Will she?”

_______________________________

 “Quite the opposite, really.” Rig laughed. “The Queen stepping forward when she did helped quite a bit, and apparently your teacher Mrs. Rendler has been telling anyone who will stand still long enough that you were the best student she had ever had, a genius.”

A broom swung down at his propped-up legs, swiping them off the desk. Rig’s feet slammed to the ground and he looked up, insulted, at his attacker. Hallers, clutching the broom, a self righteous expression on his face, didn’t respond, only cleaning off my desk and sorting the papers quickly before stepping back towards the wall.

Rig frowned, but didn’t put his feet back up on the desk. “You already have a great reputation within the duchy, due to the reforms you’ve done with the government, as well as financing so many to go to school and learn a useful trade. Most of the families here feel that they personally owe you, and word has spread that you would have been a perfect queen.”

I shuddered at the thought. “And marry that idiot? I’d rather shovel manure.”

“And that’s what everyone else seems to be thinking as well.” Rig’s grin widened. “There’s even a song that street performers are playing called ‘Ronan the Ridiculous.’ It’s about an idiot who cheats on a wonderful woman, drinks himself silly and falls into a latrine pit.”

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that. “What? It’s only been a week! How did they write a song so fast?”

Rig shrugged. “I don’t know, but it must of come from either a very creative, or very vindictive mind. It’s an extremely catchy tune, and the nickname for the prince is becoming more popular by the day.”

From behind me I heard an evil chuckle. I turned around to look at Hallers, but he only smiled very professionally at me, with no sign that he had been laughing at all. I ignored the small suspicion building in my mind and turned back to Rig. 

“I’m happy of course that I’m not considered a failure, but I worry about what kind of backlash we might see from the palace, given how much ridicule the prince is suffering.”

I thought again of the smile the king had at the party, and how nervous it had made me at the time.

“Well, the Prince left a hunting trip right after his party and has been gone for the last week. He may even be unaware of how poor his reputation is right now, but I doubt that will last long.” Rig smiled viciously. “He’s coming back today, and my sources say that the King has already arranged to speak to him privately later tonight before he retires for bed. “ 

He started to lean back and prop his legs up again, but after a sharp glance from Hallers, he sat back up with a sigh. “I would love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation!”

“… Do you know where they are meeting?” I asked, my mind racing.

Rig looked confused. “Well, apparently in the King and Queen’s visiting room?”

“The one that connects the two suites?”

“Yes…. Why?”

I gave a devious grin. “Rig, how do you feel about a field trip tonight?”

_______________________________

I gave him instructions about where to meet me, and a short while after the spy had left, Hallers knocked, announcing that I had another visitor.

For a moment I thought it might be Nate, and I strangely, I found myself smiling. I hadn’t seen him since the party a week ago, which I thought was odd. I had a lot I wanted to discuss with him…

“Introducing Lady Erica.” Hallers stepped aside to show the lovely young woman from the party. I felt a pang of disappointment, and shook my head, confused. Why would I be disappointed? How foolish.

 I stood up to greet her with a smile. “Lady Erica, what brings you here?”

“Can we speak privately?” She looked around, clearly nervous. 

Studying her for a few short moments, it was easy to recognize a familiar air about her.  I had probably looked very similar in my previous life multiple times. 

She was desperate. 

“Let’s take  a walk in the garden.” I led the way, and she silently followed behind me.  

As we entered the flower garden, I heard her take in a deep breath. “Wow, this is very beautiful, you must have a wonderful gardener!”

I looked around at the thriving flowers surrounding us with a smile. “Nope, that’s just Henry.”

 “…The Duke’s heir?”

“Yep. That’s him.” I found a few benches, sitting down.

She sat down as well, staring at me. “He likes flowers?”

“All plants, actually. But he took one look at my pathetic attempts of a flower garden and banned me from meddling.” I sighed. “It’s beautiful, of course, but it’s a little insulting to not have any say in my own garden.”

Erica laughed, the first happy sound she had made since arriving at my home. She seemed to catch herself, falling into silence. Letting her think through things at her own pace, I simply enjoyed watching the flowers, knowing she would speak up when she was ready.

It didn’t take long.

“I need your help!” She clasped her hands together in her lap, they were trembling. “I know you don’t know me very well, and have no reason to help me… but I heard that you help others and I didn’t have anyone else to turn to…” Erica was babbling at the end and I held up a hand, stopping her stream of anxious words.

“What do you need?”

Her face turned bright red. “So… I’m in love. But...” She hesitated again, looking at me pleadingly as if hoping I would know without her saying 

“It’s with the Captain of the Eastern Guard, rather than your earl fiancé.”

“H-how did you know?” Her draw dropping in shock, she visibly gathered herself together. “I hope you won’t tell anyone…”

I permitted a small smile to cross my face. “You would be horrified of the secrets that I am privy to, Erica. Yours are comparatively a light burden to bear. Now, you’ve been in love with him for years, what’s the issue now?”

“I- well, I…” She shook her head. “I think the Earl of Beral has known for a while, he seemed to make a few attempts to discredit my Robert, but somehow those charges always ended up going away.”

The earl certainly hadn’t done much this lifetime. In my last, Erica’s love had been ruined and had “disappeared.” She had been forced to marry the Earl of Beral a few weeks before my engagement was broken. This time he seemed much more distracted…

It’s probably because mother’s spending all her time away from home. 

I chuckled quietly at the thought. I had seen or heard very little of her since our confrontation. She came for birthdays and other major events as instructed, but otherwise was staying in one of the earl’s homes. 

It would explain why there was not as much rush from his end to force his young fiancé to marry him.  The few rumors he had paid to start about the Captain stealing money from his troop were easily dispatched with by Rig and his group. I had thought we were in the clear now that the time of their wedding in the last lifetime had passed.

But perhaps that wasn’t the case. 

“Lately… things have gotten worse. Robert was attacked by some thugs on his way to his post several days ago. He fought his way out and escaped, but he thinks they were too well armed and prepared to be simple thieves. He thinks they may have been hired to kill him.” Her knuckles whitened in her lap. “I’m so scared for him!”

I studied her carefully. “What do you want of me?”

“Well, I heard that you have a few schools where you teach others to become seamstresses, and then help find them work.”She stared down at her hands as she spoke.

That surprised me. “Are you looking to be a seamstress?”

Finally she looked up, a determined light in her eyes. “I am a skilled at sewing, one of the best. I want to run away with Robert and start a new life. But to do that, I need to have a job.”

“Well, points for having some practicality.” I stood up, pacing as I thought. “If Robert leaves… he’ll be charged with desertion.” 

“Yes.” She didn’t flinch away from the word.

“You’ll have to leave the country, otherwise they’ll find you two and you’ll be much worse off than you are right now.” I muttered as I walked back and forth, my thoughts racing. “He’s a skilled guard… and you can sew…” I looked up. “Are either one of you skilled in numbers, would be able to look after the books, run a business?”

Erica looked confused. “I know Robert manages the money his troop receives so that his men get paid... but neither of us have business experience.”

“Not ideal, but you can be taught the rest…” I stopped in my tracks, smiling. “Okay, it’s decided.”

“What is?”

“You and Robert work for me, now. I have been looking to open up a new branch of Prosperity in a nearby country, and you two may be just what I need. You will take orders and sew, Robert can guard the shop and help with the accounts.”

“Wait, what?” Erica’s face fortunately had no trace of resentment on it for me planning their lives, and only showed bewilderment, “You own Prosperity?”

 I paused. “You didn’t know? I thought that’s why you were asking for a job.”

“I thought you might have connections because you always have such beautiful dresses!” She shook her head. “I never suspected…”

“Well, now you know.” I patted her on the shoulder. “I’ll arrange the paperwork for you to cross the border, and for somewhere for you to stay while you set the shop up. But you’ll need to leave soon… will next week work?”

She stood up as well, smiling. “I’ll talk to Robert, but I can’t see us getting a more generous offer.” Throwing her arms around me, she gave me a hug. “Thank you!”

I waved a hand, dismissing her words. “Don’t worry, I needed to open a new branch store anyways, so it’s to my profit.”

“Still…” She looked unconvinced.

“I’ll contact you in a few days once arrangements have been made, but first...” I stopped, feeling the need to change the subject. I looked around as an idea struck me. “Let’s get you a flower to take on your way!” 

 I made the offer and bent over a bush with large yellow blooms. But just as I reached out to pick one… 

“HOLD IT!” Henry rushed towards us, his face as angry as I had ever seen. “Why are you touching my beautiful geraniums?!”

I stepped back, holding my hands up to show they were empty of flowers. “I was just…”

“Just tearing out one of my prized blooms as a present?!” He sighed. “Have I taught you nothing, cousin?”

“Fine!” I rolled my eyes. “How do you propose we give her a flower then?”

Erica looked between the two of us, her eyes wide. “I don’t need a… 

“Of course we’re giving you a flower!” Henry snapped. “Everyone should have a flower! It just has to be done right!”

He then proceeded to carefully dig a flower out of the dirt, preserving it’s roots and replanting it in a ceramic pot. He then lectured the poor girl extensively on the proper care of the plant before gently placing the pot in her hands.

Hallers saw the slightly confused Lady Erica out, and I turned to walk back to my office. But Henry patted my arm, stopping me.

“Oh, cousin, before you go… this was mixed in with the letters I received today.” Henry reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a letter. “It’s addressed to you.” 

Curious, I opened the seal, and read the words in the letter:

_______________________________

To the Lady Lenora:

I apologize for communicating through this letter, but I wanted to assure you I wasn’t dead or run back to my country without saying goodbye. 

Your former fiancé dragged me along for his birthday hunting trip. We’re returning today, but I worry that I won’t be back earlier enough to be able to visit.

If you permit it, I would like to stop by your home tomorrow. I greatly miss our talks together. If nothing else, it will be a reprieve after a week spent in Ronan’s company. If I hear one more comment about how wonderful his horsemanship is I may be physically ill.

I look forward to seeing you, and hope to find you in good health and high spirits.

Yours truly,

Nathaniel.

_______________________________

“Good news?” Henry asked.

I realized I was smiling as I read it, and wiped the expression from my face as I folded the letter once more. “No, nothing important.”

I felt a pain in my stomach again, and rubbed it absentmindedly.

_______________________________

Later that evening I snuck out of my home again, meeting Rig at the usual spot. 

“So what’s this about, girl?” He grumbled, looking tired and stretching as he spoke.

 I grinned. “We’re going to spy on the king.”

That caught his attention. He paused mid-stretch, his mouth wide open in shock. After a few moments he recovered, and dug a finger into his ear as if trying to clean it out 

“Sorry, I think I misheard you… What are we doing?”

I laughed. “We’re sneaking into the palace, and we’re going to listen in on that conversation between the Prince and the King.” I looked up at the sky. “Before the king retires to bed was when they arranged to meet right? We should be right on time if we leave now.”

Rig stared at me. “You’re crazy.” He sounded impressed.

“I am, but not about this.” I grabbed his arm, pulling him along. “Come on.”

“But… how…”

“I know how to get in, AND a secret passage behind the visiting room.” I felt a moment of anxiety, trying desperately not to think about the LAST time I had been in those tunnels.

“It’s risky, girl.” He shook his head, even as he followed behind me, making no other sounds with his movement. 

“It’s necessary.” I thought once more to the king’s cold stare. “I need to know what they’re planning.” 

“Well, if you say so.” Rig shrugged. “You only live once, right? Might as well make it interesting.”

Smiling I pulled him along. “Not exactly true for all of us, but still, let’s go.”

[fortheheavenssake]

PG MM Anon Interpretation Collection - 19

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻PG INTERPRETATION OF MM ANON🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

122: Nov 23

MM ANON …… “ it’s not Andrew it’s Meeeee!!”…… “suits is a positive act”🤣🤣……… “ life is like a box of chocolates”…… “Doritos here”……… “I’ll cook a turkey dinner”…… Charles Champion……… “ we’ll have to, in the speech??”…… media vita in Monte sumus…… “something borrowed ,someone’s blue”…… “Christmas’Blue Water,Lottie,”…… “Unicorrrrrns”🦄🦄……… “strictly Party Nanny 🥳”……… “ bit of week old thing, hugs!!”…… “ and a large sherry”……… “ a large malt

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

November 23/2019

💜💜🍰💐🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🐼🎂💐🍰🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

Riddle #122 1305 hrs CST

“ it’s not Andrew it’s Meeeee!!”

Madam wants attention OF ANY KIND!!! Not one ounce of compassion for what everyone is experiencing, she is most probably seething that her pulling out an old relative PR move didn’t work. She doesn’t care one whit what else is happening, even in a whose best teeth 🦷contest made up by her PR or paper. In fact, she went as far as calling out PA for behaviours he has not even been charged with!!!! Oh Rachel, you’re playing a very very dangerous game here, you’re dancing with the big boys now!!! THIS IS NOT A DRILL THIS IS THE REAL DEAL, NOT DEAL OR NO DEAL, THE. REAL. DEAL!!!Selfish is as selfish does! ALWAYS A NARCISSIST! Just wait Rachel, your turn at all the headlines is coming sooner than you think!

“suits is a positive act”🤣🤣

This is funny/sad. In the interview Prince Andrew, he told the BBC Emily Maitlis, that for a man, to have sex, is a positive act. Well here MM ANON has given us suits is a positive act, obviously in relation to madam’ ‘acting’ on the tv show Suits. Actually hilarious twisting of his words, because her ‘acting’ ability is horrific at worst and intolerable at best!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂 You’re so cheeky MM ANON!🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂 l must confess l had never heard of that show, but l did try and watch a hallmark movie l think it was, she was terrible, l didn’t last ten minutes! There was a Reitmans tv advert, clothing store here in Canada, and they kept showing this tv commercial and it was so odd. It was an outdoor restaurant and this woman walks in, all the other women stop and stare mumbling softly as she glides through the room, one says to the other, is that… before she can finish the woman turns around and said yes, it’s reitmans and yes it’s me, never giving a name. Every time l saw that it was so weird, l finally figured they were just acting like she was someone. Fast forward a few years, only to find out it was madam😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂. I venture to say, most Canadians seeing that tv advert had NO CLUE who she was😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣!!

“ life is like a box of chocolates”

Believe it or not, l have never seen Forrest Gump? But, l definitely know that line, it means simply thus when you open a box of chocolates, variety box not all the same flavour😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣, and you don’t cheat and look at the paper🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂, you never know what flavour you will get. So it’s like life, you start each day , not know exactly what will happen. It’s a great metaphor for taking life as it comes.

“Doritos here”

The way this is phrased, reminds me of the guy at baseball games selling popcorn, he yells popcorn here! Get your popcorn here!😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂Doritos are triangular or actually various shaped spicy crisps, often dipped with salsa.Madam’s mother seems to have acquired that nickname online. So mama is coming to the U.K. or is already there for Thanksgiving. Yes, l will believe it when l see it!! Likely not even then because every stinking photograph is PHOTOSHOPPED FUZZY BLACK AND WHITE NONSENSE!!😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤬

“I’ll cook a turkey dinner”

Sounds like madam, the writer and mastermind, and likely receiver of a portion or fee for her service in a certain cookbook. Yes, the master of wine and all things foodie will cook a turkey🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂. Good luck with that, yes sir, l need a 20 kg bird, how many people you ask, oh just me and archificial, yes he has all his teeth and this year he will slice the 🦃!😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣 By the way , do l have great teeth?? 😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 l don’t know madam, l just sell the turkeys 🦃😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣!

Charles Champion

Charles has many causes to Champion, however he and a Camilla are due back from their tour, he was in a India, she joined him for Australia and New Zealand. The tour was successful however almost complete overshadowed by events on the home front, politically debates and family issues. He was extremely pleased to share the Princes Trust going global. He really has done extremely well and he is never bragging about it. He’s so quietly gentle, love him.

However, l do believe this refers to the ongoing jostling for power THAT pushed out Lord Geidt several year ago, until HMTQ asked for his return in March of this year. From overseas phone conversations , it was between HMTQ and Prince Charles the decision was made to give Prince Andrew his P45 and all that entails, including stripping him of funds from the privy purse and losing his staff. He has since had his Bahrain trip cancelled, dropped from almost every charity and his patronage’s will be reassigned. So, Charles has championed, when all along he has been and is the heir to the throne. I cannot fathom the brother relationship in such aristocracy. It’s all been done for over a thousand years and much much more than this in history.

“ we’ll have to, in the speech??”

Is the speech being referred to, the speech HMTQ will give at the NATO Banquet she is hosting on December 4/2019? What is the discussion here, certainly there is no need to mention Prince Andrew or his family. I think this is madam, explain why she is not there nor Harry, at this point with stories changing every day, sometimes in the same day l don’t have a clue what’s going on. However l am certain that Harry will be with HMTQ at 🎄Christmas!

Or, is this reference to HMTQ annual Christmas address, in my memory that has never been called a speech but that is semantics, so for all intents and purposes it is a speech where she in seated. She talks about all the things that have happened in the past year. It’s usually about 10 - 15 minutes or so. So if that is what is meant by this clue it sounds like mentioning such if the Royal family issues will require mentioning.

media vita in Monte sumus

Sumus hotel Monteplaya , in Malaga del Mar Spain, is an adults allowed no children please and thank you, meaning lots of sex and playing, drinking 🍹 , 💃 dancing. I know from being in Mexico playa means beach, so it’s probably got some amazing sea views and waters. Madam , did a stint in Argentina at the Embassy, arranged by her uncle, Heaven only knows what she did. However, he allegedly left abruptly with some man to go to Spain. There are many lost years after that. Is she there again? Does she have people there she needs to pay off to keep,them quiet? Any and all things are within the realm of possibilities!

HOWEVER!!

Templar Knights of yore as well as a line from Gregorian chant , “media vita in morte sumus“, meaning “in the midst of life we are in death” its morte NOT Monte. Monte in Latin translates to current English as mountain. So in the midst of life there are mountains to overcome. Sumus translates to we are. So in life we are facing mountains to cross, metaphor for great challenges. Gosh MM ANON,l hope you meant Monte and not Morte, but knowing you as I do, and the fact it’s capitalized, you meant Monte! My goodness, truer words were never spoken because HMTQ has a massive mountain to climb or face now, at this point in her life. Oh my heart aches for her. I was reading that they took down the York flag from Royal Lodge today. This is extremely serious and crushing for all. I hope that they find no evidence. However damage has been swift in coming. Who would have ever thought , at her marvellous Jubilee things would twist and turn as they have, it’s heartbreaking.

“something borrowed ,someone’s blue”

You know the phrase, for a wedding, the bride to have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. My heart breaks for the York girls as well. Here we have Princess Beatrice, engaged to be married. They were planning a smaller wedding, but how can they cope. Oh my heart breaks for all of them. I just cannot imagine what any of them are going through, it must seem absolutely surreal. For PA, he is assumed innocent until proven guilty but HE GAS NOT BEEN CHARGED with a thing!! The disaster of the tv interview was the fallout due to public backlash. Just a few days ago and now this, l truly do not know how they will manage to carry on with the wedding. Dearie me,my hearts just breaks for them all. Fergie as well, one daughter happily married, the next found love and now, thinking the tv interview was a good idea never imagining the backlash. She must be reeling, am certain she is there with PA.

“Christmas’Blue Water,Lottie,”“Unicorrrrrns”🦄🦄”strictly Party Nanny 🥳”

Are the Cambridges taking a winter holiday somewhere warm and tropical, with wild 🦄unicorns 🦄 roaming the island?🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂 Clear blue Caribbean water, perhaps Mustique again? Oh THAT sounds great! I have a feeling here that little Prince Charlotte wants every unicorn 🦄 on the planet for Christmas from Santa Claus! The use of the word Strictly, makes me thing of Strictly Come Ballroom, the 💃 dancing show. Since Nanny is Spanish, l am certain she knows the latin dances well and in addition to teaching the children Spanish, she very likely is teaching them dancing too, even if she’s just playing.

If a winter destination holiday on the calendar, this means Nanny comes too, excitement all around.

“ bit of week old thing, hugs!!”“ and a large sherry”“ a large malt

HMTQ and PP are spending time together. I am thinking she is visiting him at his ‘farm’ not him at Windsor because he has been unwell, likely with the flu or chest cold that seems to be making the rounds there. I see them in his room, nice big bed, cozy blankets, he is sitting up, nice warm sweater/jumper on, for some reason l posture it in the finest grey wool. HMTQ seated next to him on the most beautiful chair you have ever seen. Ancient but comfortable in the finest of wood, and beautiful red velvet fabric, a fire crackling in the fireplace. Curtains open, with windows open just a crack fir the tiniest bit of fresh air. Quietness fills the room as they both, after 72 years of marriage, celebrated or rather was this week but nary a celebration to be had. Looking at one another as the past 72 years roll by to taking them to the present dats. Tears in both their eyes. He looks at her and say, but if a week old thing, then says hugs because he isn’t comfortable and doesn’t dare want to give her his cold. A foot man arrives after the cord has been pulled. They ask fir a large sherry for HMTQ and a large Malt for himself. They will toast one another and quietly sharing time together drinking and remembering, also full of the pain of the occurring of the present day. Tears now rolling down both faces………..my heart is truly broken for them…….

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

1510 hrs CST

Thank you so much dear PG! A fascinating read once again. Love your stories….much appreciated! 😊💜💜💜💜💜💜

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123: Nov 25

MM ANON …… a homecoming hiatus …… Top of the Pops👑👑…… “ And when they were only half way up”……… “ it’s going to be a PA tabloid tsunami”…… 🎼”potato,patarto, lets call the whole thing off”🎼……… “just take the bloody photo”……… “a horrified positive Pratt”…… 🎼” iiiiim’putin on my top hat”🎼……… Kate’ “I do everything he dose, only backwards and in six inch heels, and with three children”…… “ I trust in William old thing”…… “Sir!! focus,a century is demanded!”…………… 🎼”pictures of Lily”🎼

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

November 24/2019 2300 hrs CST Riddle #122

a homecoming hiatus

Prince Charles has been on a long tour whilst the home fire are quite literally burning!! He has three days in the Solomon Islands and give or take a time zone he will be back in London mid week or so. However, he has been involved in the very critical decisions that have been made as has HMTQ and William. When he returns , there will be a readjustment to the new situation but l can’t see any hiatus, or time off, for him at all.

Top of the Pops👑👑

Top of the pops, was and maybe still is, the top pop songs of the week. I read an article that after the Duchy documentary people have grown in their valuation, respect and love for Charles, so much that he is top Royal, that would include Camilla who has been at his side fulfilling her duty to no fault! His decision making now and the documentary, he shall be well ready and the public ready for him to continue to increase his royal duties lessening the load on HMTQ and further preparing him for his future as a King, when the time comes.

“ And when they were only half way up”

The old song The Grand old a Duke of York he had 10,00 men when they were halfway up the hill they came back down again!

MM ANON you are truly in my wheelhouse of knowledge today! THANK YOU!! The Duke of York is PA, he has had everything but his HRH pulled, even his flag no longer flies at Royal Lodge😞. With nary a legal charge, all based on a photo, an accusation and that interview which l am sure he is regretting terribly! I pray for them all!

“ it’s going to be a PA tabloid tsunami”

GM is set to speak openly with law authorities or so it is said in the papers. She has ALL the information on everything AND everybody!! She is close friends with PA, and it has also been said she is very protective of him. In early June, she and four others, unidentified, met at BP with PA for several hours. Contents of meeting unknown but that has not stopped speculation! It has already been a tabloid tsunami for PA AND his family dragged into it! What will happen when Charles is back?, GM spills all she knows and PA speaks with French and American agencies investigating JE? Sounds like lots more to come! Hopefully there will be complete exoneration!

🎼”potato,patarto, lets call the whole thing off”🎼

Another great song this time the AMAZING Gershwin brothers, George music, Ira lyrics, OH MM ANON YOU ARE RIGHT IN MY SWEET SPOT OF FILM AND MUSIC! ENDLESS THANKS!! Anyhow enough of me, rumours are swirling that Beatrice and Edo’s wedding is off. I have not seen or heard ANY confirmation of this, thus far it’s more gossip to hurt our dear Beatrice l oh how my heart aches for all of them!!

“just take the bloody photo”

I wonder if this is the official photo of HMTQ and PP for their 72Nd wedding anniversary which was last week. It certainly deserves a photo!! You can hear PP saying this, just do it already, not wanting hours of poses!🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂 Love him!💜 This may also be a family photo or the official Christmas photo. Regardless his patience has grown thin!! Take the bloody photo!🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

“a horrified positive Pratt”

To a nurse a positive Pratt’s is not good, without going into details it a sign of blood clot to assess for DVT deep vein thrombosis/blood clot , this is not relevant.

Pratt’s is a very old Gentlemen’s club in London. The kind where historically aristocratic wealthy men could go to smoke cigars, drink and generally connect and spend time. This club goes back to the mid 19th century, l am certain all the Royal men are members at least of a certain age. I imagine amongst this set of gentlemen who have likely seen and done it all, from a time where before social media and when the wealthy were free to do anything, times have seriously changed. I am sure they are all horrified at what is happening within the Royal family just now!!

🎼” iiiiim’putin on my top hat” 🎼 Kate’ “I do everything he dose, only backwards and in six inch heels, and with three children”

This was the saying about MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, their films are legendary, dance sequences unparalleled! Bar none! Fool the Fleet, Top Hat, just the epitome! She always said or was it said about her , Fred was amazing dancer/hoofer slang word but it was/is always said Ginger did everything Fred did except backwards and in heels! So who was the better dancer eh? One of Irving Berlin’s most classic songs, LOVE THESE FILMS WHEN MOVIES WERE MOVIES, THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD 💜💜💜💜. Top Hat, Stepping out……tying up my tie, brushing off my tail, l am COMPELLED TO PUT A LINK IN BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN YOU MUST!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZOJoV6H2UM

Anyhow this is par excellence reference to the yin and yang that is the beautiful dance that is the relationship of William and Catherine. They have become seamless, classics, seeing float through any and all appearances and appointments despite what’s happening in the background AND having three children!!! With strong personalities!! Louis has such a strong presence as a baby to earn the title boss baby , will be a joy watching him grow up! I can hardly wait for the NATO banquet to see them in them at their finest! They are the future of the Monarchy, absolutely no doubt at all!

“ I trust in William old thing”

William, if the papers are to be believed has been involved and in strongly so in the decisions regarding P45 with PA! He has been slowly becoming more and more into the role which he was born to be. It sounds like there is official support for him to continue and increase his presence in any and all major decision making. They are blessed to have him, as are we all!!! I think back to his meeting with HRC a week or so ago, l would LOVE to have been a fly on the wall!!

HMTQ and PP , having their usual time together, things much more urgent and distressing now, but PP soundly saying that William is a sound, modern and the future of where the ever changing monarchy shall be heading.With William as King , the next century is secured! He is above reproach, solid marriage partner who is beloved and children who are more popular especially given their strong personalities!

“ Sir!! focus,a century is demanded!”

As we all know, a century is 100 years. I wonder if this is ia s discussion , PP is 98, and has been at HMTQ side for longer than she has reigned, 72 years as of last week. In this conversation, LG speaking with PP , PC and PW, discussing the issues of the next century when William will be King, the long term ramifications of decisions made now. There is so much political talk from a certain political party to abolish the Monarchy. Critically important decisions made now, bode well public favour, which greatly helps in keeping the monarchy valued and solidly protected. Again with William to reign as King in the 21st century, with Catherine at his side, the modern monarchy is in excellent hands, above reproach and beloved by the public!

🎼”pictures of Lily”🎼

Oh dearie me thus is a very naughty song, l shall say no more, look it up if you want. HMTQ pet name is Lilibet, but this is NOT ABOUT HER!!! I wonder and strongly suggest this is reference to madam and photos/videos of a very distasteful raunchy nature. Oh please, release the hounds, so to speak, let it all out!!!! The world needs to know the truth!!!

0010 hrs CST November 25/2019

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you….I love your added details. What fun! Thank you dear PG😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

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124: Nov 25

MM ANON ………lay a place for Vlad?…… lovers knot hiding …… Kate ,Melania & Ivanka shine …… nutmeg crashes posh-nosh?…… “ it’s just impeachy’Donald” ……… “ no chance Ma’am”……… “Hows the Dook?”…… “a special Yuletide for a million reasons ,ma’am”…… legalities,Banalities,Calamities …… “2020, I’m an optimist Christopher”…… “less is more, ma’am”

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

November 25/2019 Riddle #123 1000hrs CST

lay a place for Vlad?

The term, lay a place, is when one sets a table for dinner, you lay a place. Vlad, l am certain is Vladamir Putin, the Russian leader. The NATO leadership will be meeting in London, this is from the official press release, all along l thought the NATO banquet was a December 4/2019 read this “The United Kingdom will host NATO Heads of State and Government in London, on 3-4 December 2019.The NATO Leaders Meeting, chaired by the NATO Secretary General, will take place at the Grove Hotel, Hertfordshire on 4 December 2019. An evening event at Buckingham Palace will take place on 3 December 2019, for which there will be a separate process for media access.

I am not certain if the press had got it wrong or l have had it wrong for quite some time now. Russia is not a NATO member. However back in 2002 they were part of a Russia-NATO council, however that was dissolved when Ukraine was invaded. Is Vladimir Putin going to be in London, meeting with HMTQ, surely not attending any NATO gatherings.

This clue certainly is giving the strong idea that he may be invited to the banquet. My understanding is Russia has wanted the dissolution of NATO however, maybe there are negotiations behind the scenes?? Extremely interesting times we are living in!

lovers knot hiding

Catherine has worn the Lovers Knot Tiara on a number of formal occasions l what does this mean hiding? Where is the tiara?? Is it being refurbished? What tiara shall Catherine wear to the banquet in that case?

I read about that massive billion euro jewel robbery in Germany l think. Oh dearie me, where is the Lovers Knot?

HA HA HA HA I LOVE YOU MM ANON SO SO CHEEKY!!

This is a pair of lovers not/no longer hiding. Madam and MA are well known for years and l have no doubt whatsoever he is the father of archficial, the real one! Oh God please, LET THIS INFORMATION BECOME PUBLIC!!!!

Kate ,Melania & Ivanka shine

Obviously the three women are stunningly beautiful, dressed to the nines, this l and many others are looking forward to at the banquet!

nutmeg crashes posh-nosh?

Oh goodness what is madam getting up to now. Posh meets upper class, nosh means eat/drink. Will she crash the NATO banquet???? Great balls of fire, the world is going completely mad and tilting off of its axis!

“ it’s just impeachy’Donald”

There are impeachment hearings going on in America. The House of Representatives has been interviewing a wide number of people, there will have to be a vote . If there is a vote to impeach it then passes to the Senate. Anyhow, this is a twist on the phrase things are just peachy, meaning everything is sweet in life, going very well, no major problems. President Trump has a lot of heavy stuff going on at home, as he comes to London for the NATO meetings and banquet. It seems that many many people in important positions are under attack, it’s extremely concerning. As a Christian, l read Revelations and it feels like we are at Biblical proportions of world crises. However, l am certain, he will rise above, attend the meetings and of course the NATO Banquet hosted by HMTQ. He does quite respect her, very very much.

“ no chance Ma’am”

I think this is a reassurance that madam will not be allowed to crash the NATO Banquet or any such royal events, I HOPE!!

“Hows the Dook?”

The urban dictionary has a definition for dook , “an individual who is not in his senses and is responding back with non sense and doesn’t make any sense” Is this referring to PP or PA, not the urban dictionary meaning, l mean the clue. Madam took to signing Instagram posts or others things regarding her husband as ‘ The Duke’. Herself is ALWAYS HRH! So is someone enquiring how Harry is?

Or God forbid, is PP that ill?? A number of possibilities here.

“a special Yuletide for a million reasons ,ma’am”legalities,Banalities,Calamities, “2020, I’m an optimist Christopher” “less is more, ma’am”

This is very long drawn out conversation between a very weary Monarch and her most trusted and loyal Chief Lord, Lord Christopher Geidt. They are talking about the years events and her annual address to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth .LG is reassuring HMTQ that this will be a very special Christmas for a million reasons hmmmmm. Million eh? Who is getting a million? Sounds like madam will be dealt with before Christmas! I know l have said that a number of times, l can only interpret the riddle before me, as it stands.

As HMTQ prepares her annual Christmas message, she touches on the events of the past year. 2019 has thus far presented a multitude of legal issues, pending ones and possibly unknown to the public ones. Madams lawsuit against the DM, Harry’s lawsuit against SPLASH for using drones to photograph the house in the Cotswolds, Harry current lawsuit against the media. PA issues.

Banalities😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣, so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring. Who does this sound like? Endless drone of PR LIES. On and on and on and on, just copies everything. Madam has never had an original thought, idea or facial expression. Banal is the absolute perfect word MM ANON, bang on perfect word to describe madam!

Calamities, well definitely in the Commonwealth there have been mass shooting, violence, weather and political calamities. However on the home front, madam has caused complete disaster since before the day of unhappy people and continues to. PP has been ill, and is aging, out of public life.

But the calamity raging now is PA and all that has happened in the days since the interview. Heaven knows what is yet to come. I hope to God madam gets death with, and begins to face justice and out of their world!!

HMTQ, clearly has her eye on 2020 , and is certain it will be much better than 2019, love the way she says it, it just shows the closeness of their long standing trusting relationship. His final advice is, less is more, how true is that eh? Often we go into great elaborative detail(OH DEAR I AM 100% DESCRIBING MYSELF!!), when less information is better then dumping it all onto someone. When someone says hello how are you, they don’t expect an hour of response, although, yet again, with me, yep, you get the full hour, just ask 🐼🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂. So her message to us will be filtered as she deems appropriate.

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Wonderful! Thank you so much dear PG! Entertaining as always!😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

1055 hrs CST

Ask Skippy submission

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125: Nov 26

MM ANON … “ it’s a Mozzi bite …… wed-ding-a-ling …… “my advice ‘ have it in Italy”’…… “ She’s crippled with shame”……… “I saw her with archificial yesterday in Waitrose,“ …… “from Windsor to Winnipeg”. ……… Andy, Charles and Clarence ,……”thanksgiving ‘ darling she went back to LA”…… “ but ,but, but the SOOOOOOPKITCHEN!!! “…… spin ,grin and a bottle of gin…… 🎼”I’m dreaming of a ( WOC) Christmas “🎼……… “Sandringham old thing, fuck the election”. …… “ ones duty first Philip”……… “ don’t mention him”

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

November 26/2019

Riddle #124

1940 hrs CST

“it’s a Mozzi bite …wed-ding-a-ling “

Princess Beatrice is engaged to marry Edo Mozzi Mapelli, son of the Count from Italy. They have known one another for years, the families have as well. They connected at Princess Eugenie’s wedding and have been together since, a whirlwind romance leading to engagement. Gorgeous engagement photos and ring, photos taken by Eugenie in Italy. A mozza bite, is a cheese canapé often served at parties/ weddings.A ding-a-ling makes me think of a very silly song that has very sexual,double entendre. I don’t think that’s fitting here, l think hits referencing wedding bells. So to bite the bullet, take the plunge etc is to make a tough decision, are you in or out? So are the rumours true? Is Edo biting the bullet and no wedding 🔔 bells? Despite the fact is he loves her so much, his son to consider, as well as his families aristocratic status. OR the opposite, he loves her so deeply, his son is apparently, despite his young and tender age is already receiving Royal,training, will bite the bullet, take the plunge and damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead with the wedding. We all know Beatrice was not and did not want a massive royal wedding, according to the papers and friends who have spoken. I really do hope and pray love reigns and wedding 👰🏽 bells 🔔will ding-a-ling🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.

“my advice ‘ have it in Italy”’“ She’s crippled with shame”

Sounding like discussion between the York’s and those involved with the wedding planning along with Edo and his family. There is so much massive, double positive l recognize my grammar, but l meant it that way!, negative publicity and just publicity of everything the York girls walking makes the papers. The papers l read all had to say Beatrice wore no makeup Edo’s birthday party because she would cry. WHO CARES. Why do that to her?

It really sounds like both girls are devastated but especially since Beatrice is engaged and was written to strongly encourage PA to do the interview, that was in the paper a few days, and Fergie also. Then oh sorry we shall switch it up now, forget the sorry, the papers then say they were both against the interview. I cannot imagine what Beatrice especially is going through. This is meant to be the happiest time in her life. It just crushing and my heart aches for all of them. It sounds like the wedding is very much on, love shall prevail with now exploring the idea of having the wedding in Italy. I know her mum really wanted the wedding in England, however circumstances have changed. Concerns may be about PA leaving England, l would seek legal counsel, because for some reason they are after him more than anyone else.

“I saw her with archficial yesterday in Waitrose,“

Yes, and l saw a Elvis in my backyard with a sasquatch😂😂😂😂🤣🤣. Yet another PR BS story. Trust me, if madam was seen grocery shopping, which she likely never done, with a rubber doll seated in the trolley, there would be a zillion cameras phone photos on every social media platform that exists!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂🤣🤣

“from Windsor to Winnipeg”.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, ALL WELCOME HERE FOR CHRISTMAS 🎄 PLENTY OF ROOM IN MY INN. THERE IS NO WAY, NO WAY SHE IS COMIG HERE! OMG! NO. WAY NO HOW NO NO. NO NO NO. NO NO NO NO NO 🤣😂😂🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🥴🥴🥴🥴🤕🤕🤕🤕🤒🤒🤒🤒😮😮😮😮😮😮😧😧😧😧🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬NO NO NO . Am l expressing myself clearly??🤣🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣

Andy, Charles and Clarence

Charles and Andrew will have a one to one very heated meeting at Clarence House, where the Duke and a Duchess reside and also have their official offices. PC has been on an extended tour, India, New Zealand, Australia, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, due to return home today. There were volcanic eruptions of things happening on the home front whilst they were away and he had to discuss and make decisions very likely through FaceTime or something similar. He will have a meeting with PA and l am very certain it will be a heated exchange. Will be interesting, if as rumoured, the decision to strip his HRH status, all with no charges. We shall we observers if PC first major incident other than madam in his heir to the monarch status even higher now as HMTQ has handed so much over to him and PW.

“thanksgiving ‘ darling she went back to LA”…… “ but ,but, but the SOOOOOOPKITCHEN!!! “

Will they, won’t they, will she, won’t she on and on and on. Gossip says she has all sorts of meetings set up in L.A. , l 110% believe her exit is very VERY imminent! She is planning for her life after divorce/annulment. So rumours of them going for Thanksgiving, now is it only madam going for six weeks or so? So what about staying in the England and her PR off working in the soup kitchen near Windsor on Thanksgiving day??? Her PR lies, intertwined with all the lies madam has allegedly told all like the old fashioned Christmas lights, you put them away neatly and somehow when you next want to do the tree it takes hours to untangle the lights with a few bad words uttered🤣🤣🤣😂. The young ones her have no idea, trees all prelit now. She has no clue what is awaiting her. The case built by LG and his team,,intel from PT, more intel,from iiiii, at or during the NATO summit, perhaps we shall see worldwide ramifications. By the way, l,took this from MM ANON, that Lady Kinrannoch so brilliantly decoded, iiiii is The Five Eyes of security/intel!

spin ,grin and a bottle of gin

Fergie has red hair, or is a Ginger. She is a full gorgeous ginger freckles and all. So bottle of gin, play on her ginger status and likely having a few G and T’s to chill. There has been soooooooo much PR and newspapers spin on did she no she didn’t, for DAYS about her pushing “my boy” PA to do the interview, then the press or PR changed it to no she didn’t. She has stayed smiling and waving, keeping a positive public face so as to not give the media more fodder, as in the articles repeating over and over that Princess Beatrice wire no makeup to Edo’s party! WHO CARES ABOUT MAKEUP! Steady on Fergie!!

🎼”I’m dreaming of a ( WOC) Christmas “🎼

One of my favourite Christmas films, Bing Crosby singing, l’m dreaming of a white Christmas. MM ANON has a WOC Christmas, women/woman of colour. So is the new PR spin that madam will have Christmas with OW,GK, MO,etc etc etc oh my.my, my, my or will she return to her sisters in SA?

“Sandringham old thing, fuck the election”. …… “ ones duty first Philip” “ don’t mention him”

Thank you MM ANON FOR THIS💜

HMTQ and PP, who by the way is feeling much better and stronger, are sitting together, needing there very much earned alone time. She is her tweed skirt and a lowliest soft grey velvety vest, and silver turtle neck of softest cashmere. PP dressed, smartly but very cozily, he has on the lovelies softest dark grey slippers. Grey is such a beautiful colours in many tones. Television is on low, news of the day, which switches to Strictly, they enjoy the dancing 💃, speaking of the dancing they have done in different places and times. The Ghillies Ball at Balmoral a favourite. Tonight he is having his favourite Boddingtins 🍺 and HMTQ, of course gin and DuBonnet, 🍸.

The election that is nearing May result in parliament sitting over Christmas 🎄. Depending what happens, if new Pm elected HMTQ will have to deliver the speech written by that individual. If that it the care the ceremonial nature will be drastically pared down, as in, no carriage procession, the ceremony inside parliament etc. However, the problem here is this means HMTQ will not have her usual Christmas break at Sandringham as usual. It’s all very disruptive when things are already so skewed.

Well, 🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂, you do not have to ask who said the first line🤣🤣😂. HMTQ harkens back to her duty, which she has lived up to every second of her a Reign and is not about to drop the ball now!

2050hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Wonderful dear PG……she isn’t going to Winnipeg…..I think another royal is….as they do from time to time….love your stories, such fun! Thank you, so appreciate this!😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

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126: Nov 27

MM ANON … Archificial carves the Turkey …… Megan BURNS the gravy……Frogmore or LESS… ” Harry PULLS a CRACKER”… Dorito’ where is Dorito??…… An-drew the short straw… Con-sort it out Charles … swimmingly!!🦄🦎 …… “ the general public would lap it up your Highness” …… “ little stars”……… 🎼four and twenty Black-Birds🎼…… “Frozen film party at KP”…… “Darling I’ll cook, how many?”…… “14, no problem!!”…… “a ten pounder”…… “Kate’s cooking old thing”…… “another drink Philip?”… “wait till Christmas Eve !!”

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

November 27/2019 1120 hrs CST Riddle # 125

Archficial carves the Turkey …… Megan BURNS the gravy

Hey MM ANON, l made this exact comment a few days ago🤣🤣😂😂. Yes according to scooby, baby Archie is being weaned at the ripe old age of 25 , doesn’t quite have all his teeth became share denture with madam🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂but his knife skills are unrivalled! Yes, running a blog, where absolutely every single word, idea, photo etc etc etc is lifted, ‘borrowed’ some might say copied, theft,or plagiarism. Aah potato, potahto, same thing all really.

Megan, NOT Meghan, who is Megan burns? I know Megan Burns is an actress, 28 days film anyone seen that? Not my wheelhouse but some like zombies or stuff like that. Give me Fred and Ginger! However, l doubt this is a typo but who really know so, l am going with that. I am certain wherever she is, she is up to something! And likely the idea is lifted🤣🤣😂😂. However, oooooooooohhhhhh, if Catherine wears the emerald tiara at the NATO BANQUET, THE ENTIRE WORLD WILL HEAR A BANSHEE SCREEECHING SO SHRILLY WINDOWS WILL SHATTER! Madam demanded this for the day of the gathering of unhappy people and HMTQ drew the line there and refused! She will be on fire she will be so mad! In fact, l think just being on holiday/rest time/contained time/ oops did l say that?😮😮😮😮😮🤐🤐🤐🤐. Wherever she is, she has pulled out the last relative card out of the back bottom shelf of her very dark closet. I am sure she is on fire with rage not knowing where Harry is or what he is doing and imagining who he is doing it with😁😁😁😁.

PC has returned, he is now at a new level of strength and confidence in decision making, look at the decisions regarding PA! Imagine, just imagine when her time comes, which l do hope and pray the NATO meeting is the last piece of the puzzle!

Money is sometimes referred to as gravy, especially if it’s an extra amount or a lottery like unexpected . I used to work with a guy who LOVED working holidays, he called them “piece of work gravy shifts” l KID YOU NOT!! Because you got time and a half for working that day and then a whole paid day off in addition. To burn the money literally means spending so much so fast it’s literally smoking. So Megan assuming MM ANON means madam is burning the the gravy, she’s spending money like mad or has done.We know SS and all her PR must have cost her a king’s ransom.

Frogmore or LESS…

Frogmore Cottage was officially designated as the Sussexes official residence and allegedly millions of pounds were spent putting in a yoga room with floating floor, baby room, a Doritos room, soundproofing, the garden etc etc etc. Who knows what really was done. We do know they have never lived there and the long litany of celebrities that says they have visited them there and seen/fed/played with archficial are either clients of SS, backers, or both, or untruthfullish. Madam likely thought she was getting Frogmore House😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣 . So here is LESS upper case, confirms for me, that FAR LESS MONEY AND FAR FAR FAR LESS WORK was done in terms of remodelling and refurbishing has been done that what PR has said. There has been no visible major changes to the garden, according to locals, who also say the lights are never on, no cars coming and going. The only signs of life were when the builders were there. Were they even working? Or was that for show as well??

” Harry PULLS a CRACKER”…

We always have crackers at Christmas, somehow, whenever l try to pull mine, mine never snap or making that cracking sound🤣🤣😫😫, hence why they are called crackers. We all wear the silly hats, read the jokes and lucky numbers and fight over who got the best silly toy. In fact l ordered the box yesterday! I ordered really pretty ones with old fashioned almost Victorian looking Santa Claus and other pictures on the outside quite lovely. In America, the word cracker has a whole entirely different meaning, it’s a racist White person, l don’t think this is MM ANON’s meaning. To pull can literally mean pull or tug however, it can mean being lucky romantically or more😚wink wink. Sooooo what has Harry been doing to rest and recover from his two year tour l’d duty! Maybe he got the best toy and hat in his cracker😁😁😁😁😁😁 I shall not speculate any further! LOVE YOU HARRY💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

Dorito’ where is Dorito??

Where in the world is Carmen SAN Diego🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂🤣 , kids tv show, along with where is Waldo? Doria has been christened online informally as Dorito. She has been completely off the radar, where is she? Custody?, OW. Witless, oops l meant🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂Witness Protection? Who knows! She sure is not the ever loving supportive “AMAZING”, the word Harry was compelled to say in the official engagement interview. Where is she??? She has an ‘assistant’ to walk her dog apparently unless she too gave her dog(s) away?

An-drew the short straw

When you draw straws, the one with the shortest straw gets to do or rather has to do the task no one wanted to do. So what will Anne have to do? Does this involve seating at the NATO Banquet? What what what does our Anne have the unlucky fortune of having to do?

Con-sort it out Charles

Now that Prince Charles has returned from his extended overseas trip, he has decided to spend first a few days with PP. l think this is very wise to seek the counsel of his father who kept the family in line, as it were, or handled delicate situations that needed handling, PP is not King, he is Consort. Oddly though when Charles or William become Kings, their wives become Queen. So Charles is earnestly and wisely seeking his father countenance, wisdom,advice and support in this terribly difficult time. Excellent decision Sir!

swimmingly!!🦄 🦎

When things are going swimmingly, it means they are going really well. Now the other day, Saturday riddle, l thought the riddle was meaning a winter holiday but blue water was apparently a shopping mall, thanks to a kind anon who commented! Are the children doing well in school? Are they taking swimming lessons and doing well? Are they preparing for a warm holiday after Christmas? Or all of the above? I am excitedly awaiting the Christmas photos of them all, especially little Louis to see how he has grown. Did l ever tell that was my dad’s name too??

“ the general public would lap it up your Highness”“ little stars”

Are the Cambridge children going to do a little video for us for Christmas? Yes yes, and yes please! Little stars as in fame but maybe dressed as little stars in panto. Maybe the school Christmas pageant!!!

🎼four and twenty Black-Birds🎼

Six a song if sixpence, very old children’s rhyme, second rhyme MM ANON has referenced. I am singing 🎤 now🤣🤣🤣😂😂 This is a recitation eh? Baking live birds, when l look back on the lyrics of so called children stories or nursery rhymes from ages ago they often are truly dark and dreary. I hate black birds, like magpies, l am sure you all remember my magpie story l told in a riddle awhile back. Blackbirds are EXTREMELY LOUD! aggressive, eat others birds eggs, babies and even kill ear other birds. So 24 of them,yikes, they swoop at your head to. I think 24 is significant, another clue in this riddle says Just wait till CHRISTMAS EVE!! Upper case two !! Now yes Christ’s birth and church on Christmas Eve is the reason for the season, however something MUCH MUCH SIGNIFICANT TO CURRENT ISSUES, OF COURSE CHRIST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT is either going to happen on the 24 th OR be celebrated!!!! I truly am salivating!!!

“Frozen film party at KP”

Sleepover 2.0 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂. Oh may l come too? I wonder if it’s Frozen 2? The new sequel l mean. This sounds awesome and loud and fun and giggly and everything that is wonderful about a four year old girl!and her friends!!!

“Darling I’ll cook, how many?”…… “14, no problem!!”…… “a ten pounder”…… “

William and Catherine discussing Christmas. The plan had been for them to alternate families each Christmas, doesn’t mean it cannot be Boxing Day. So Catherine knows not just for photo, having lovely children, being a loving wife and mother, looking gorgeous in any and all situations and garb, loyalty, being above reproach etc etc but she is an awesome cook. We even had a pasta recipe of hers here a few weeks ago. So sounds like she is cooking and it will be turkey. The entire Middleton clan adds up to 12, unless you add HMTQ and PP, HARRY. That makes 15. Possibilities, l shall not speculate on.This will prove a very lovely group indeed and absolutely rock solid confidential!!!! THIS HERE. THIS EXCITES ME TO NO END!!!

“Kate’s cooking old thing”…… “another drink Philip?”… “wait till Christmas Eve !!”

PP and HMTQ discussing the Christmas arrangements. No talks of politics intervening in this conversation. It’s rainy, chilly, the fire needs topping up as do they both. The footman arrives almost as the cord is pulled. Refills? He already had them, another Boddingtin 🍺 for himself and gin and DuBonnet 🍸 for HMTQ. Today, she chose a lovely purple sweater, skirt with a lovely purple woven through, he in evening relax dressed and those lovely grey slippers. 72 Christmases married🎄, that’s amazing! They sound pleased as they discuss Catherine cooking the main meal, they will be so glad to see the grandchildren. I wonder shall Catherine cook at Windsor as it would be ever so convenient, church in the forenoon and back home walk or drive after. HMTQ takes the drive, someone usually goes along. Did PP attend last year? I cannot recall, l do recall the last time he attended he walked the walk, so l think it must have been the year before. As they sip on their cocktails, discussing positive plans and things today. Things to look forward too. Things will very soon be done with and madam will be dealt with and out of their life and onto to L.A. or someplace else, who knows. In yesterday’s riddle, the word SOOOOOOP KITCHEN WAS used. I couldn’t get it out of my head. Six zeroes. Is she being paid a million or more, because we do not have a number before the zeroes, unless the upper case S means 5, five, let’s go with that for a minute. Is she being paid five million dollars/pounds/euros for something by someone or is she being led to believe that she is? Something big is going on thoughFOR SURE!!!

Wait till CHRISTMAS EVE!!. All caps, two !! Something big and exciting, besides Santa coming that night of course, is going to be happening! I surely do wonder what that will be!!

That was a beast of a riddle MM ANON

1255 hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you dear PG! I so love your additional storytelling…makes it so much fun! You are greatly appreciated, you lovely ladies…PG and MM Anon!😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

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127: Nov 28

MM ANON ……… pencil thin 👀…… 👧👦🏼👶🎡🎢🎠……… maple, leaf it alone ……… 🛩who knows?……… “one has responsibilities Charles”……… “ six weeks’ and they can’t show the bloody baby.”…… “flown out , bloody good job!!”……… send up the menu!! …… very secure ma’am!! ……… all those SS chappies…… “ I hear she’s quiet the English Rose” ……… “ if only!!”……… “good stock, don’t cha’ know”…… DEEP and CRISP and IVAN…… He’ll stop their extravagant travel. ……… “ charades ,old thing”. …” pass the parcel,Philip!!

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON 🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

November 28/2019 Riddle #126

🦃🦃HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS 🦃🦃

1400hrs CST

pencil thin 👀

We do know our Catherine has always been athletic and lithe, but comments are more and more , how thin she has become, this phrase, pencil thin,goes way back to my childhood when people still used pencils🤣🤣🤣😂😂. Who is voicing this comment and should we be concerned. I hate Diana comparisons. Everyone copes with stresses differently however l wouldn’t howl from the rooftops just yet. She’s fine, ore than, stunning, gorgeous, excellent mother, partner and working Royal. She just spent a couple of days working in the maternity. I know she gets terribly ill in her first trimester with each child. Sometimes women get ‘baby fever’. My niece is a maternity nurse,they thought they were done their family with the boys they had. Well baby fever rolled in and thank God it did because they have the sweetest girl God ever made, l love that child more than my own life!

👧👦🏼👶🎡🎢🎠

This looks fun, the Cambridge children at an exposition as we call them in Canada or expo for short. Others call them fairs or amusement parks. Will this be the Christmas video gift we will get to see? Or are they planning a winter holiday? I cannot fathom them at Disney WORKD or Universal, the security would be impossible unless they shut it down for them, but where’s the fun in that? Quite frankly, l enjoyed the video of the riding their bikes. I love seeing them do the ordinary things every child should be able to do.its marvellous, they are a wonderful family. We are so blessed!!

maple, leaf it alone

Oh I most certainly hope this means that no trash blows into our fair country from points east. This surely is a word play, maple, leaf it alone maple leave it alone. The Maple leaf is right centre on our Canadian flag 🇨🇦. Leave the idea of moving to Canada alone, despite MA being Canadian. With madams history and the iiiii, even with our CSIS recent crises, l doubt once that, once she is done with being Royal, she will be anywhere near Canada. Will the issue with the CSIS head of intelligence being charged be discussed officially at the NATO meeting? I am absolutely certain it has been greatly discussed at length by all the Five Eyes member as well as NATO intelligence overall.

🛩who knows?

As much as we know, rather make that we know very little about where she or Harry are, yet madam was reportedly seen a week or more ago at a small airport taking a private jet out of Oxfordshire, destinations unknown, current point unknown, to us, but MI6 will be all over her like a bad rash, she just doesn’t know it. I highly doubt, wherever they are, that they are together.

“one has responsibilities Charles”“ six weeks’ and they can’t show the bloody baby.”

PC , upon his return has been spending a few days at Wood Farm with PP. l am quite certain seeking his counsel as well as spending time together. Voicing continued frustration that in six weeks baby archficial has made nary an appearance during what was meant to be relaxing unscheduled free time, therefore no obstacle at all from baby archficial visiting. Except for a few pesky things, he’s a doll, she was never pregnant, it’s not Harry’s child and the surrogate wants the baby whoever the donors were, all allegedly of course!

Speaking of HMTQ and PC duty, the Firm comes first. Decisions regarding PA had to be made to protect the Firm. Wise counsel as ever from father to som , from Consort and partner of a Queen to the King in waiting who is having evermore responsibilities sent his way.

“flown out , bloody good job!!”send up the menu!! Very secure ma’am!!

I believe madam has been in custody of a sort this entire time, rehab, psychiatric, or both. LG arrives with information that she has been escorted out of the country, or intelligence have facts that reflect she has flown out of the country and that the intel is solid, he says very secure ma’am, meaning the information is secure, madam is secured or both and it’s reason for celebration. Order up a great dinner and some 🍸.LG had arrived with information, while HMTQ and PP have been talking, reassuring HMTQ, that she, is well secured, the information is well secured and the family is well secured. LG will join for dinner, or cocktail at the very least.

all those SS chappies

Each and every SS has been ordered to leave the country and lost their best client from whom they would never get fully paid anyhow! I wonder if, and how many, American, international and U.K. law get broken with PR, if any, l don’t know. However, l do know treason law, and it seems nobody bothered to check laws in a country with a Monarchy. It could well be that a plethora of actions undertaken may just bring about a world of legal trouble for the SS chappies as they are called here. I don’t know, l am voicing questions, perhaps there is a British legal mind reading this that might know.

“ I hear she’s quiet the English Rose”

“ if only!!”……… “good stock, don’t cha’ know”

Can l really say what l think? I believe strongly that Harry has found someone. Now is she a quiet rose, like speaks softly, or quite a rose, as in very English, pretty, English manners and understanding of aristocracy and Royalty. Are we to think that is where he has been spending his time? If this is the case, it sounds like they cannot yet , obviously, be officially a couple, but she is English and comes from a very good family! Oh this is exciting!

DEEP and CRISP and IVAN…… He’ll stop their extravagant travel.

When you deep fry or bake something you want it deep, crisp and even. Here we have deep, crisp and Ivan. IVAN is an obvious Russian name and reference Deep, May be deep cover, as is spies or law enforcement going deep under cover infiltration of an organization or country for intelligence gathering. Is there talk of the Madam and MA seeking refuge with Vlad? We have had several mention of Putin in the last few riddles. Yes, if you are a citizen of Russia you do or not do only what he wants done or done to. Burns can be deep and crisp. Cold can be deep. Russia has some of the coldest places on the planet. There are many who ponder who she really is, her missing years, her connections and who she is allegedly really working for. This NATO summit may result in intel shared and information released that may just be earth shattering and life changing for some!

Has madam found instead of pale, male and stale, a nice oligarch to fund her lifestyle? She is far too old, used up, and Russia is full of beautiful women to choose from. However she does possess an alleged skill set that some enjoy and most have never heard of , allegedly.

“ charades ,old thing”. …” pass the parcel,Philip!!

Sandringham Christmas, for the Royal family, has four certain things, family goes to church, family dinner, gag gifts and wickedly competitive games of charades. HMTQ and PP talking abut and very much looking forward to it. Appears they are wrapping Christmas gifts as the talk.

1535 hrs GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Sorry for lack of stories today kids, headache, but l wanted to at least give the riddle a go

💜💜💜💜🙏🏻PG🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜💜

Nothing gets in your way dear PG! No matter what, you always tell great stories and add so much to the riddles! Thank you for doing this, so appreciated! Sounding wonderful!🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜��

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128: Nov 29

MM ANON …… 🎼 build it up with wood and clay🎼 ……… a crown script …… Harry’s rapid response …… the wrong side of the tunnel ……… “give time,time old boy”……… “ if it was Good enough for HM”……… tagged ,bad, and dangerous to know ……… look ,listen and learn ……… black fry-day……”nowhere as secluded as Sandringham”……… “she’s a beauty mate, breath of fresh air”

First of all my prayers and sympathy for the terrible losses today, the act of a madman. Extreme gratitude to the brave members of the public who went well into harms way to keep others safe. Gratitude to the armed police response and all the police officers, emergency personnel, the trauma team that was choppers onto the scene and every first responder. My prayers for all the secondary victims, the witnesses, the people whose memories are triggered by this’d senseless violence. 💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻PG🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻THANK YOU MM ANON🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

November 29/2019 1845 hrs CST RIDDLE #127

🎼 build it up with wood and clay🎼

This is a line from the classic children’s song, London Bridge is falling down. As I said in my opening, ‘twas a horrific act by a madman. I do trust the Terrorism Unit will investigate and see if this was a lone wolf, or part of a cell. Many ISIS and other prisoners have been released as their sentences served. This may just be a message of what to come in the Holy part of the year December, for a variety of faiths. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

a crown script

The television show The Crown airs on Netflix. I have never seen it. Reports and comments say there are quite the liberties taken with the truth. The current actor portraying HMTQ is Olivia Colman, academy award winner last year, is not doing as good a job as a Claire Foy, the previous actor.l read about things but don’t have the patience to watch. Apparently she plays HMTQ angrily’ , is what l have read. However, l do believe what isn’t known about HMTQ is and would far more complex and interesting than any television show.

Script is the writing for the speaking part of a play, film, tv show etc. Script can be a manner of writing, the font, is there some new engraving being added to the crown? I read the crackers for Christmas, HMTQ has bespoke ones for each family, some have gold crowns and some silver, l do believe there are inscriptions on each, hence crown script!

Harry’s rapid response

Was Harry involved in today’s event? Did he rush in to help? Or help a by-stander. Prince Harry was an Apache pilot and worked in Intelligence whilst serving in Afghanistan. I just wonder if he was helpful in any manner today. With Invictus, he and all the members this will possibly trigger, potentially bad episodes of their PTSD. I truly wonder if Harry has taken action in that regard to help out those triggered by this horrible event.

the wrong side of the tunnel

Because everything above was shut down, so was the tube, making the tunnel unusable. I wonder if some of the victims came out of the same side of the tunnel, before it was shut down and just happened to be bystanders in the situation. Kind of like , no exactly like being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“give time,time old boy”

PP has been ill, and very likely frustrated, he is being encouraged to give it time, to recover and feel better.Or is this PP saying this to PC who l think is still with him, l am bot certain of THST, just an idea.

“ if it was Good enough for HM”

Boy this reminds me of madam wanting air freshener in the Chapel at Windsor for her wedding. She was probably smelling her own sulfur! Is this, l cannot believe l am going to say this, but is this about the NATO banquet and the jewel the women will wear, l am thinking madam, wanting some specific and being given plain or something she didn’t want to wear and then the line was said, if it was Good enough for HM. Stop screaming at me! I know, breathe, l know there is NO WAY on this earth madam will be at this banquet, however with her one just does not know what a wild cat will do!

tagged ,bad, and dangerous to know

The killer on the bridge today that the public wrestled down after he stabbed many, two died, was an Islamic terrorist wearing an electronic monitoring tag. A bad bad man, now no longer among us! Yet there are many many many more! We all need to be vigilant! Bravo to those brave individuals today!!!

look ,listen and learn

This applies to each of us, a basic life lesson. Law enforcement in London was repeatedly saying today, if you see anything suspicious call them. Look, Listen, and Learn is also a trained learning of audio-visual correspondence, basically videos with sound,ie voicemail, FaceTime, Skype, text, imessage, etc etc as opposed to other embeddings, like plans for bombs hidden inside of a painting, a lot of ultra secret manners to embed data. requiring labeled intelligence. Is this the manner of monitoring of madam and other persons of interest? Is this how incriminating information was obtained allegedly by individuals at the SewHoe Farm? And other SewHoe places?

black fry-day

Today is Black Friday, started in America the day following their Thanksgiving, the first day officially to Christmas shop with sales galore. It has gone global! It’s madness, queuing up at 0300 to buy a tv!! Here we have black fry- day, what’s being fried? Or who?

Fry can means destroy and one wears black when in mourning. Both are directly a result of the horror that happened in London today. Lives lost, families destroyed, people traumatized and retraumatized. This was definitely one black Friday!

“nowhere as secluded as Sandringham”“she’s a beauty mate, breath of fresh air”

We have had several clues in succession on what l believe this to be. I do believe Harry has found someone during this horror time with madam. It would explain her rages when she cannot find him, putting out the PR that he was missing and his family was worried sick. We have not Harry for awhile. Next l believe will be NATO greeting and then the NATO banquet on December 3/2019. Sounds like Sandringham may be a nice secluded place for them to spend time together. And just as yesterday’s riddle said, this speaker is also giving a ringing endorse,ent if her!

Kids this was an extremely challenging riddle. I seem to be losing my abilities to interpret them. This is my best go. I hope at least some of it is helpful. It truly is me giving 110% effort.

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you dear PG….your hard work is always appreciated….🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

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[avidbeader]

Season 8 Fix-it (Twitter Fic)

This is the story I’ve been posting on Twitter in more-or-less real time as I finished scenes. It takes the S8 epilogue and tosses it out on its ear where it belongs. I decided to make a fresh post because the reblogged one was getting messier and messier as I added stuff.

I also don’t think I’ll do a Twitter fic like that again unless it’s under 1000 words. It was a royal pain dividing paragraphs & dialogue into 280-character chunks and I didn’t like my method of keeping things organized. But I have handed the whole thing over to @latart so she can work her beta magic and then this will get posted to AO3.

**********************

It’s not until he’s hurtling toward the jagged portal, the pod’s right turbine still refusing to come back online after passing through a wave of unknown radiation, that Keith thinks this might have been a bad idea.

The wolf is pressed tight against him, whining softly, but Keith can’t spare a hand to soothe him. It’s taking everything he has to try and pull the craft up and away from the viridian-rimmed tear in space while also not letting them be pulled into the atom-smashing currents of the quantum abyss.

Then the left turbine fails as well and they’re spinning. At this point there’s no choice - Keith goes for the devil he doesn’t know and yanks the steering column with all his strength to direct them away from the abyss’ gravitational wells...and into the portal.

He spares one last thought for his friends. For Shiro, praying that he truly enjoys the happily-ever-after he bought into.

**********************

Going through the portal produces an intense wave of energy that runs through Keith like electricity, jolting and painful. He shakes his head, trying to clear it, and realizes that the engines are still offline.

Which wouldn’t be a problem if they hadn’t materialized inside a planet’s atmosphere, rushing toward the ground at terminal velocity.

The wolf growls, shoving his head under Keith’s arm, and he gets it as clearly as if the wolf had said, “Come on!” He gets out of the chair, grabs the emergency pack and his one bag out of the storage bin, and brings up his mask before throwing his arms around the wolf.

They wink out of existence and reappear several hundred meters away as the pod crashes into the planet’s surface.

Keith is kneeling next to the wolf, holding still as he lets his Blade armor feed him the necessary information. The atmosphere is compatible for both of them and he lets his mask drop to look around. It’s a meadow, grassy and green and pretty, with a forest not far off to his right and some hills in the distance to his left. It’s empty and quiet other than the ticking sounds of cooling metal. Smoke drifts up from the twisted wreck into the slightly orange sky. He doesn’t need to get any closer to see that scavenging for the extra rations and supplies is a lost cause.

Keith shoulders the bag carrying his personal effects and takes the emergency kit by the handle. Assuming that, like the deserts of his childhood, trees mean water, he leads the wolf toward the forest.

They’re about halfway to the treeline when the wolf stops and looks up. A moment later Keith can hear it as well: the whine of an engine. There’s no cover to speak of other than the tall grass and Keith drops to a crouch as the noise gets louder. The wolf huddles next to him as a flyer passes over them and lands near the wreckage. A pair of tallish thin figures get out and start poking around. Keith lifts his head just enough to get a better look at them and gasps in recognition.

Olkari.

Keith stands and waves. “Hey, over here! We’re okay!”

The Olkari look at one another and approach him slowly. Keith moves forward, smiling, and they stop and stare. Finally one starts speaking.

“Survivor? Part of ship? More that are part of ship?”

Keith frowns, wondering what’s happened to the translation circuit in his uniform. “Yes, I was on the ship. No one else was aboard. We got flung through a portal of some sort that took us here to New Olkarion. Sorry about the crash.”

The two look at one another, and the second one repeats, “New Olkarion?”

“Yes, isn’t this where you resettled after the Galra destroyed your homeworld?”

They shake their heads and the first one speaks in that strange garbled language. “In X-9-Y Sector as refugees. Now only choosing planet of relocation.”

Keith frowns. That’s not right. The Olkari quickly found a new planet to occupy, thanks to the scouting efforts of the Blade and the rebels. And what is wrong with his translator?

“Identity? You?” The second Olkari points to him.

“I’m Keith. Red Paladin of Voltron? Piloted the Black Lion?”

That sets them to babbling so fast in a communicator that he can’t keep up.

**********************

They take him and the wolf in the flyer, back to a large camp near the first signs of a permanent settlement being built. It’s mostly Olkari, doing their genius engineering thing, but there’s a smattering of other races as well. The pilot explains that they are establishing the first base of what will eventually be the new home for the Olkari, but Keith is only half listening, grateful that whatever was wrong with his translator seems to be working itself out. The pilot’s syntax is getting clearer with every sentence.

The wolf leaps out first and Keith follows him, only to hear his name being shouted. He turns to see someone sprinting across the tarmac to him, honey-colored ponytail flapping behind him.

He lets out a grunt as the other barrels into him, wrapping him in a tight hug. “I can’t believe it! Keith! Oh, my god, man!”

He pulls back and yes, this is Matt. But something’s wrong. It takes him a second to realize...it’s the hair. Matt had cut his hair back to military length once he rejoined the Garrison.

“Hey, Matt. Did I go through a time jump or something? Have I been missing? I’m sorry I worried everyone, but it was either get smashed to bits in the quantum abyss or go through that rip in space.”

Matt frowns, then his eyes widen. “Oh? OH. I think I know what happened, but come on. You need to hear it from Pidge.”

“Pidge is here? Why? She was at the Garrison, working on some kind of fleet to replace the lions after they left…” Keith trails off as they round a corner of one of the taller buildings and stops to stare.

Green is there, lying in a sphinx pose. A low growl of greeting rumbles through the ground and in his chest. And there’s a tiny touch to his mind, as if from a great distance, that he hasn’t felt in years...

Matt tugs gently at his elbow. “Come on. Pidge will try to explain.”

**********************

Explanations are delayed momentarily, because the instant Pidge sees Keith, she plows into him and hangs on like he’s a lifeline. She’s crying into his chest while Matt pats her back, her sobs too strong to let words out.

As she finally starts to breathe more and gasp less, Keith tries to apologize. “Hey, I’m sorry I made you all worry so much. How long was the time skip this time?”

Pidge snaps her head up to glare at him. “Keith, you died. The minute whatever Allura and Honerva did started taking effect, it caused a quintessence backlash. You were screaming in agony as it ripped you apart. We all saw it.” She pauses, making the effort to moderate her tone, and leans in to hug him again. “Allura explained it after she got back.”

“Wait…” Keith tries to work through what Pidge just said. “What do you mean, I died? Allura’s the one that died! She never came back from joining with Honerva to save the last reality.”

Matt takes up the thread, rubbing Pidge’s shoulder. “We think the minute that one reality was preserved, nature took over and different actions began causing different outcomes again. Something as small as intending to step right but stepping left instead...two outcomes and two realities. In your reality Allura died, but in ours… you did.”

The wolf rubs against them and Pidge automatically reaches to pet him. Keith tries again. “So we’re in a different reality? Can I get back to mine?”

Pidge’s grip on him tightens, and Keith mentally kicks himself. The instinct to try and return home is the automatic first reaction. But then he realizes he can see Allura again and the sudden longing to speak to her, to know that there’s an Allura that’s still with them, surges through him and he starts trembling.

Matt comes around Pidge and holds him up. “We got you, buddy. Come on. Let’s get inside, get you checked over, contact the others. Allura or Shiro can arrange wormholes for everyone.”

“Shiro?” Now Keith’s grateful for the shakes, because his suddenly hammering heart goes unnoticed. He hopes.

Pidge nods. “Yeah, that crystal in his arm is enough for him to operate teludavs. Hell, the minute he hears he’ll probably just bring the whole Atlas in. Dad and Iverson will fuss, but it’s just for show. They’ll be glad to see you again, too.”

“Shiro’s still captain of the Atlas?”

Matt and Pidge both pause at that, looking at one another and considering the implications. Matt replies as Pidge darts forward to start opening doors.

“Of course he is. He’s connected to it, just like you all are connected to the lions. After...what happened, Shiro tried to wake Black up but it just wasn’t happening. That caused a lot of worry, even though everything’s been peaceful other than a few spread-out pockets of Galra holdouts and some squabbles breaking out, but we’ve managed so far.”

Keith loses the thread of conversation, suddenly overwhelmed by two thoughts.

If Shiro’s still in command of the Atlas, does that mean he isn’t married?

Could I fly Black again?

That distant spark flares in his head once more.

**********************

Pidge insists on running him through a pod, just to make sure there are no surprises left from going through an inter-reality gateway. When Keith emerges, Matt is there to catch him and shoo him into a side room to change back into his Blade uniform. He leads Keith to sit on an infirmary bed. throwing a blanket around his shoulders, and the wolf winks into existence behind him. Pidge comes forward, looking over a datapad in her hand.

“Good news! While the pod shows that your base cellular structures are definitely just the slightest bit different from the rest of us, everything is stable and you shouldn’t be adversely affected by being here.”

“Um, yeah, that’s good.”

“And more good news! We were able to get messages through fast and everyone is on their way! Allura’s going to get your mom, Lance and Hunk are flying their lions in, and Shiro should be here any minute! He was calling for a wormhole jump before we ended the call!”

Again, Keith can’t control the start that Shiro’s name causes. His mind won’t absorb the fact that this Shiro is apparently eager to see him.

One of the Olkari gets Pidge’s attention and she turns away to answer his question. Matt leans in and murmurs into his ear, “Okay, what is it about Shiro?”

Keith pulls the blanket tighter around himself, exaggerating the shivers from the cryo-pod. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t bullshit me, Keith. What happened to Shiro in your reality? Did he get killed? Did his disease advance enough to ground him?”

“No, no, nothing like that. He just...decided to retire and get married.”

Matt gives him a flat stare. “Shiro. Retired.”

Keith nods.

“And got married.”

Keith nods again.

“But not to you.”

Keith can feel his expression crumpling, on the verge of tears. Matt’s arms are already around him, pulling him close, when they hear a commotion in the hallway outside.

The doors slide open and Shiro bursts through, the neck of his uniform jacket flapping open. He stops and stares at Keith, almost panting from running. Pidge is beaming as she gently encourages the Olkari to leave.

Shiro approaches, his eyes full of reverence. He gets close enough and reaches out to lay his flesh hand on Keith’s shoulder. Matt moves to the side, giving Shiro a pat on the shoulder port for his Altean arm.

“Keith,” Shiro breathes his name like a prayer. His hand slides up to Keith’s neck, his thumb tracing Keith’s scar. Every touch is tentative, delicate, as if Shiro is expecting Keith to dissolve like a mirage. His expression is almost stunned, and Keith remembers what it was like, when Allura was able to pull Shiro’s soul out of the Black Lion and restore him to a body. That disbelief, that fear that it would all be a dream and he would wake with Shiro still gone.

He reaches up and lays a hand on Shiro’s cheek, trying to reassure. He feels the tremors as Shiro holds himself back, the wetness on his fingertips as Shiro’s own tears spill over.

Keith can’t take it any more and pulls him in. And for the first time in far too long, he’s enfolded in Shiro’s arms, his ears drinking in the sound of Shiro whispering his name over and over.

And it’s perfect.

*************

Of course, perfection doesn’t last very long. Shiro pulls back, his hands still cradling Keith’s face, and turns to Pidge. “Are there any signs of ill effects? Any chance that being here is going to hurt him?”

Pidge reassures Shiro, showing him the results of the cryo-pod scan, and Keith just looks, admiring the sight of Shiro’s natural leadership asserting itself, the tone of command in his voice, after far too long of the occasional glimpses of him at a desk, dealing with stacks of paperwork. There’s a new scar, a thin line running just under his jaw and up toward his ear. It wouldn’t be that visible if Keith didn’t have a full view of Shiro’s profile. He wonders briefly what happened - Matt had been firm in his assertion that things are relatively peaceful here.

And it reminds him of the entire mixed-up situation. This isn’t his Shiro, or his Pidge. These are people who lost their Keith, watched him die in a brutal and painful way. He’s a simulacrum, a vagary. He can offer them the illusion of talking with their friend and maybe give them a sense of closure that was denied them, but he isn’t the one they mourn.

And in a demonstration of that point, Shiro lifts his hand and traces the scar that’s mostly hidden in Keith’s right eyebrow. “What happened here?”

Keith ducks his head slightly. “I made the mistake of agreeing to help Griffin learn how to use a sword.”

Shiro and Pidge crack smiles and Matt throws his head back in a loud laugh. “Oh, I would have paid to see that.”

Without thinking, Keith replies, “I’m pretty sure Kinkade recorded it—” He breaks off when the other three freeze. “Oh, what happened?”

Shiro’s thumbs caress his cheeks, making Keith hyper-aware that Shiro has not let him go yet.

“Our closest call was about a month ago. The Atlas ran into one of the former generals turned petty warlord, who still had a small fleet of battlecruisers. Kinkade got caught in a crossfire. He survived, but suffered a severe spinal injury. The pods repaired the damage, but he’ll need another few months of therapy before he’s active again.”

At that point, that spark in his psyche flares again, reminding Keith to ask. “Where’s Black?”

“Stationed on Altea,” Shiro replies. “After he chose not to respond to me, it seemed the best place. Why?”

“I… I’d like the chance to fly him again, just once more.”

Pidge frowns at that. “What do you mean? What happened in your reality?”

“The lions took off, a year after Allura died. It felt like they were going to bring her back, but it’s been almost two years since then and there’s been no sign.”

“Damn,” Pidge breathes out. “So how are they keeping the peace there without Voltron? The Atlas?”

Keith shakes his head. “The Coalition, mostly repurposing and upgrading the rebel fleet. But it’s been really quiet for us. The Blades are shifting their focus to aid and assistance.”

Shiro frowns. “Shouldn’t that be the prime purpose of the Atlas?”

Matt grips Keith’s shoulder, clearly worried about how this Shiro would take the news of his counterpart quitting to get married to some random person. But before Keith can decide how to respond, the doors open again to allow Allura and Krolia to enter.

Krolia’s approach is much like Shiro’s was, slow and tentative, disbelief in her expression. Keith has a moment to absorb the differences in this woman, one who has lost both husband and son. This Krolia seems older, worn down, with gray threads in her hair and a few wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. A notch mars the line of one ear.

Keith reaches out instinctively to trace it and Krolia freezes. She looks him over again, seeing the new scar, the longer hair, the Blade suit identifying his rank as a leader.

The words Mom and Krolia are battling it out, keeping his throat locked up. He holds out a hand to her, offering, and finally she takes it. She closes her eyes and draws him into an embrace, burying her nose in his hair. Keith puts his arms around her and holds still, letting her take what she needs from him.

When she pulls back, her eyes are wet like Shiro’s. Unlike Shiro, her expression is one of resignation and regret. Unlike Shiro, she sees the simulacrum first and her son second.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

She nods and takes one more hug as she murmurs back, “Your scent. It’s close, but just different enough.” She straightens and asks in a normal voice, “Is your mother still alive?” Keith nods and now she looks comforted. “That’s good.”

Pidge interrupts, bouncing in anticipation. “Lance and Hunk? How far out are they?”

Allura smiles. “They should be here in a varga or two. Or I can get them with the teludav if we can’t wait.” She steps forward for her turn, her smile almost sparkling with happiness as she tosses her thick braid of hair over her shoulder. “Keith, it’s so good to see you.”

Keith’s spirits rise in response to her uncomplicated joy and he welcomes her without hesitation.

The second they touch, a searing pain rips through Keith. Dimly he can hear Allura’s scream and the cries of alarm from the others as they collapse to the floor, writhing in agony. He can feel Shiro and Matt trying to pull them apart, but Allura’s voice echoes in his head, pleading with him to hold on, and he clings harder.

When Pidge lets out a shriek that sounds like panic, Keith forces his eyes open.

A patch of light has blossomed on Allura’s chest, a hand reaching out of it. A hand covered in a black glove and a pink-and-white vambrace.

Keith instinctively grabs the hand.

Yes! Hold on, Keith! Don’t let me go! Please don’t let go!

The pain is ebbing for him, though it feels like his skin is the only thing holding in a building explosion. He tries to channel that feeling into his arms and hands, to pull.

Allura wails in anguish, the sound echoing through the room, and Keith redoubles his efforts. He hauls on the arm, grabbing the elbow with his other hand as it emerges. He squeezes his eyes shut in concentration. Just as he thinks he’s reached his limit, that he can’t control the force anymore, he feels the wolf circling around him. Teeth close gently on the joined hands and there’s the familiar jolt of teleportation. But it lasts longer, milliseconds stretching out. Just before Keith can panic, he tumbles back into existence, a body landing on top of him.

The pressure is gone and there is stunned silence all around the room. The person lying on him stirs, inhaling deeply, and pushes up.

“Keith. You did it.”

Keith opens his eyes to see Allura’s sweat-covered face hovering over him, her hair coming down from its bun and her Altean markings glowing white.

*************

Allura is alive. His Allura is alive.

Keith can feel the difference immediately. Touching the others from this reality isn’t exactly uncomfortable, but when he takes Allura’s hand as they get to their feet, he can tell. Her presence meshes with his in a perfect harmony that isn’t there with the others.

Both Alluras are shaking and Keith puts his arms around his Allura to keep her on her feet while Krolia and Pidge help their Allura. The braid gets tossed over her shoulder once more and she takes a few deep breaths before speaking.

“Well, this was not how I expected my day to go.”

Everyone laughs at that, grateful for the breaking of tension, and Keith and his Allura look at one another, smiling. Keith brushes her hair back from her face. “What happened? How are you here?”

“Honerva’s been looking for a way to send me back for a while, ever since the realities began multiplying naturally again. We managed to call the lions to us, but once there, they weren’t strong enough to return. Then we realized that you might be strong enough, Keith, but we needed a way to concentrate your quintessence so it could be fully drawn upon. It was Honerva’s idea to send you to a different reality.”

“Of course!” the other Allura exclaims. “By isolating his quintessence, you’d be drawn to one another like magnets!”

“Exactly. I do apologize for your discomfort; Honerva wasn’t sure what would happen.”

The other Allura waves a hand. “The pain was temporary, though I think a rest is in order. What about you, Keith? Are you all right?”

Keith feels sore, battered from the inside out, but he can walk and he can think clearly. There’s no need to worry the others. “I’m fine.”

He doesn’t expect the penetrating look from Shiro, who steps forward and holds out a hand. “I can take you two to guest quarters.” His Allura nods. “I think that would be wise. Sleep, then food, then we can talk about how to get Keith and me back to our reality.”

*************

Keith is reluctant to leave Allura alone. He feels paranoia creeping in, that if he lets her out of his sight she might disappear on him.

The wolf head-butts him, then follows Allura into her room. She gives him a stern look. “No chewing on anything, understood?”

The wolf curls up at the foot of the bed since he’s too large to lie in it and leave room for Allura. He thumps his tail against the floor.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She starts pulling off her vambraces and Shiro gives Keith’s arm a tug.

Keith pulls away and steps forward, kneeling to give the wolf one more pat and whisper in his ear, “Come get me if she needs me.”

Shiro leads him to a room a couple of doors down and ushers him inside. Before Keith can glance around, Shiro takes him by the shoulders and turns him so they’re facing each other.

“Are you sure you’re all right? She didn’t hurt you?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” It’s on the tip of Keith’s tongue to tell Shiro to stop hovering, but he can’t. This Shiro lost his Keith. This Shiro has had months, maybe years of living with the grief, the what-might-have-beens. Given the chance to touch, to interact, it’s no wonder he’s seeking Keith’s attention.

And it’s taking everything Keith has not to just fall into it and let it happen. He hasn’t seen these looks from Shiro for a very long time. He remembers his own reaction, finding the clone of Shiro in that dead fighter and trying to be there for him as he recovered.

He has to leave here, Keith reminds himself. He can’t stay, can’t replace their Keith. He has his own mother, his own friends, his own life.

Shiro’s grip on his shoulders tightens and the slight dissonance from his touch increases, made much more noticeable after contact with Allura. Their quintessences don’t match up.

But judging from his actions, this Shiro either can’t feel the difference or doesn’t care. He moves in, pulling Keith into yet another tight hug. There’s dampness at the neck of his uniform as Shiro lets out more tears.

Keith holds him for a moment, long enough for Shiro to pull himself together, draw back, and wipe his eyes. He looks Keith up and down. “It’s so strange seeing you like that. You stopped wearing a Blade suit after you came back to us. After you found me again.”

Keith nods. That part checks out. He rejoined the Blades a few months after the final confrontation with Honerva, realizing that there was no comfortable place at the Garrison for him. They wanted him teaching others to fly instead of leading a squad himself. And while Pidge and Shiro were still there, they were both deeply involved in their own roles and visits grew few and far between.

And then Krolia had asked for his help as the Blades worked with the former rebels to clear out a particularly well-defended nest of pirates. Flying with a first-strike team to take out the pirates’ big guns had brought Keith to life in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. The target had been clear, the teammates competent fellow-soldiers rather than cherished friends. And when Kolivan observed that Keith’s help would always be welcome, it had been an easy choice to make.

“Why… Can you tell me why? You said the Atlas isn’t helping with recovery efforts? Why are you back with the Blades?”

Keith swallows, trying to find his way out of this maze. “It’s where I can do the most good right now. But I wasn’t on a mission or anything when I went through that portal. I was just exploring the quantum abyss again.” He glances away, in the direction of Allura’s room. “I wanted to see if I could find more space wolves.”

Shiro laughs at that a little. “You thought Kosmo needed a mate?”

Keith scowls a little. Some things never change.

“His name’s not Kosmo.”

“Has he told you his name, then?” Shiro challenges with a smile.

“No, but he will when he’s ready,” Keith snaps back, then pauses as the thought hits him. “Where...where’s the wolf now? In this reality? Do you know?”

Shiro’s good humor fades. “He… He stayed with Krolia a while. And then she reported that he teleported away one day and just didn’t come back.”

That hits Keith like a gut punch. It must show on his face, because Shiro steps forward and pulls Keith to him. “Hey, it’s okay. Kos—your wolf is here. And who knows? Maybe our wolf will sense what’s happened and come back and you can convince him to stay this time.”

Keith nods into his shoulder. “Maybe.” He takes a deep, steadying breath and pulls away. “We’ve got a lot to try and do tomorrow. We should sleep.”

Shiro looks disappointed, running his hands up and down Keith’s arms. “I was hoping…but okay. I’ll see you in the morning?”

Keith nods and Shiro snatches one more hug before letting him go and moving to the door. He looks back. “I know. I know it’s not the same. But I never got the chance to tell him… I love you, Keith. No matter what reality we’re in.”

Keith holds it together long enough for Shiro to leave before the sobs tear up from his throat.

If only that were true…

*************

A pounding on the door wakes Keith the next morning. He groans and rolls over, burying his aching head under the pillow. It occurs to him that the last time he ate anything was nearly two days ago and in another reality.

The door slides open and several bodies tumble in. Keith barely has time to sit up before Lance is on him, tackling him back into the bed as he whoops in delight. Then Hunk yanks them both up and into a tight group hug.

“Dude!” Hunk exclaims. “We missed you! You gotta tell us everything about your reality! Matt said you guys lost the lions? But everything’s settled down for you?”

Before Keith can reply, Romelle has joined them, worming her way in to wrap her arms around him and smacking kisses on his cheek. Lance has started babbling along with Hunk and Pidge is shouting encouragement from the door while Shiro looks on, beaming at the sight.

The subtle discomfort Keith felt yesterday when touching someone else is growing, multiplying exponentially as he’s surrounded by all of these people who are his friends, but aren’t. The headache spikes and his stomach is churning and he needs them to back off...he needs to breathe...he needs out…

The two Alluras come into the room, and the sensation of their double image pulls everyone’s attention away from him. Keith backs away as they take in the sight: his Allura back in her armor with her hair in its heavy bun, while their Allura is in an Altean divided skirt with her hair loose.

Pidge breaks the spell. “Okay, we’ve got a lot to do today! Let’s all get breakfast and then it’s off to the lab.”

*************

Between both Alluras, both Holts, Hunk, and a team of Olkari, it takes a remarkably short time to construct an arch that will, in theory, detect the proper reality through Keith and Allura’s quintessences and open a doorway to it. Pidge and Matt are going back and forth explaining their theories while those who are trying to pay attention just nod along. They are positioned on the border of the Olkari camp, with the four available lions arranged on four sides, drawing on the transreality comet that created them.

As the Alluras prepare to activate the device, Pidge cautions everyone. “Don’t get too close. We’re going to do a test run, try to isolate the correct reality, make sure it’s a stable connection, make sure the other side of the portal doesn’t open anywhere disastrously bad. Once we’re sure it works, we’ll get you guys home.” She glances up at Keith, her voice wavering just a little.

He’s been avoiding touching anyone other than his Allura since getting overwhelmed earlier, but the hint of grief in Pidge’s words gets to him. He resolves to speak to each of them privately, give each of them a chance for the closure they need even though it’s going to hurt.

The wolf whines as Pidge counts down. On her mark, both Alluras reach out a hand and send a pulse of light toward the arch. It starts to glow. But Pidge’s crow of triumph turns into a panicked howl when the light leaps from the construct to envelop Keith.

“No! NO! NOT AGAIN!”

The pain engulfs him so quickly he can’t even scream.

****************

He’s in the stolen Galra ship, hurtling toward the shields surrounding Haggar’s weapon. Matt is shouting at him through the comms, but he has to do this. There’s no other way to save the team.

There’s no other way to save Shiro.

The agony of the impact only lasts for an instant.

~~~~the universe twitches~~~~

Matt is yelling again, but his voice is hopeful. “Break off, Keith! Everyone, go for the stabilizers! If the ship loses its nav control, it can’t aim!”

Keith swerves, missing the shields by scant meters, and corkscrews to the rear of the ship, firing in continuous bursts at the hull. The rebel ships converge and explosions bloom in the wake of their strikes.

The ship tilts and Matt’s ship fires at its belly, sending it into a spin. “Keep firing!”

“Rebel fleet, you did it! Naxzela has powered down! We’re out of its range!” The relief in Shiro’s voice is palpable.

“Zaiforge Cannon Senfama is back online!” Kolivan calls out through the comms.

“Rebel fleet, scatter! Let them take the ship out!” Shiro orders.

Keith responds instantly, weaving through the slower rebel fighters. When the blast from the Zaiforge cannon disintegrates the front of the Galra ship, he allows himself to relax.

“Who is that?” Lance’s voice is hostile and Keith’s heart rate skyrockets again.

“Attention Voltron! I am Lotor, crown prince of the Galra Empire. I come in peace. I think we should talk.”

***************

“You’re turning the room into a bomb!” Keith gasps, impressed at Thace’s technical ability but worried because the only entrance is blocked, with a squad of Galra soldiers on the other side.

“Yes. It’s not as elegant as the virus, but it will take down all power just the same.” Thace points to the well below them. “Your way out is below. There's an exit through the main power conduit. It leads to the second deck. Go, now.”

“You mean our way out,” Keith snaps. “I’m not leaving you behind.”

Thace breaks into a wry smile. “I stand corrected. A new fellow Blade. Kolivan hasn’t had the time to indoctrinate you with the ‘mission first’ message. You have to go—you’re a paladin of Voltron. You are needed.”

“So are you!” Keith darts forward to grab Thace by the shoulder and try and pull him along.

Thace is much stronger than Keith, but it still takes him a fraction too long to loosen Keith’s grip. There’s a blast as the slab blocking the door cracks apart.

Keith’s awareness lasts long enough to feel the laser blasts that rip into him and the initial shockwave as the bomb detonates.

~~~~the universe twitches~~~~

“Go, now!”

Keith shakes his head at that. “What? No, I'm not gonna leave you!”

“You must. I will shut down the system. Paladin, this is where my journey ends, but, as a member of Voltron, you have a bigger mission. You must understand that.”

“What’s the issue? Timing? If you rigged the detonator, speed it up and come on!”

Thace looks at him briefly, then smiles. As he bends over the console and makes the adjustment, he tells Keith, “I look forward to the day Kolivan tries to instruct you in the code of ‘mission first’.”

Keith rolls his eyes, but loops his arms under Thace’s shoulders as soon as he rises. They vault off the edge and Keith pushes his jetpack to the limit as he flies them both down to the escape route.

***************

“Regris, no!” Keith feels Kolivan’s fingers just graze his back as he darts forward to try and pull his teammate to safety. He’s not even aware of Kolivan turning and running, leaving them both behind.

The explosion rips them apart before Keith can lay a hand on him.

~~~~the universe twitches~~~~

“It’s a trap!” Kolivan shouts as he lunges toward the doors that have just closed them in. Regris runs to the controls to try and override whatever self-destruct has probably been activated.

Keith looks around and spies a panel in the wall. Mentally crossing his fingers, he darts over to put a hand on the control. It slides open, showing a rack of plasma rifles. He calls out, “Here!”

Both Kolivan and Regris catch as he tosses guns at them, then Kolivan shouts, “Now!” They all fire at the center glass and it shatters, sucking them out into open space mere seconds before the ship explodes.

It takes a little doing to get back to their ship, especially since Keith has a rip in his suit, but they manage.

***************

Keith can’t breathe. His lungs are aching with the effort to find the oxygen in this thin atmosphere.

And there’s the small matter of Zethrid’s arm around Keith’s throat.

She’s screaming about revenge, about making Keith suffer as much as she has and he tries to get free because Shiro and Axca are approaching and Zethrid has raised her gun in Shiro’s direction.

Keith writhes desperately, throwing all of his weight back against Zethrid. Her shot goes high, missing Shiro, but she loses her balance and falls back, over the edge, dragging Keith with her.

~~~~the universe twitches~~~~

He can’t breathe. He’s dizzy from the lack of oxygen and Zethrid’s grip across his throat is like iron. Keith tries to break free anyway as he sees Shiro and Axca approaching slowly, the weak light reflecting off Shiro’s shoulder port…

...and only the shoulder port.

Shiro locks eyes with him and Keith plants his feet, dropping his center as much as he can.

And Shiro’s arm flies up from below the ledge to punch Zethrid across the face, then snap back toward Shiro, the fingers grabbing her gun and yanking it from her hand.

A sniper’s shot sends Zethrid backwards, stunned, and Keith twists, barely catching her by one wrist before she can fall to her death.

Shiro is there immediately to help him.

***************

“Come on, come on!” Keith yanks Red’s controls frantically but the lion is completely unresponsive. He looks up to see Zarkon shift his weapon into an enormous ax and lift it.

He’s got to move. If Zarkon takes him down, he’ll go after the Black Lion again and he’ll kill Shiro in the process.

Keith thinks he hears the screams of the others as the ax cleaves into the cockpit, bringing the ceiling down on him. He stays conscious just long enough to see the cracks in his visor and feel the cold as the vacuum of space draws his last breath from him.

~~~~the universe twitches~~~~

“Come on, come on!” Keith looks up to see Zarkon descending and tries once more to reach his lion—

There’s a jolt that feels like his soul leaving his body, then the briefest flash of a midnight landscape, purple terrain and diamond stars. And suddenly he and Red are on the far side of Zarkon’s command ship, held in Black’s jaws like a mother cat carrying her kitten.

“I got you, buddy!” Shiro sounds winded, but he’s alive. He’s alive and he’s back in Black’s pilot seat.

Keith leans into his own chair, heaving air into his lungs as Shiro takes them back to Black’s hangar in the castle.

***************

Keith stumbles as he lands on his feet, looking around for the threat. But it’s an apartment, a very familiar one. He spins around and sees Shiro in his captain’s uniform. He stands in front of the mirror bolted to the wall, holding a small navy velvet box in his hand as he talks to his reflection.

“I know we haven’t been dating very long…”

“I want to take us to the next level…”

“I think we’re good together…”

With a groan of frustration, Shiro tosses the box onto the table below the mirror and crosses the room to collapse on the sofa. He leans forward to put his head in his hands. “Why is this so hard?”

Keith can’t contain himself anymore. “Shiro!”

Shiro looks up sharply, but his eyes pass right over Keith.

“Shiro, don’t! Please don’t! I’ll come back, I promise! I’m sorry I didn’t stay, but I’ll come back!”

Shiro continues to look around. “Keith?” He rubs his flesh hand over his face and stands. “I’m hearing things now. Great.” He goes back to the mirror and picks up the box again.

Keith’s heart is tearing into pieces. “Shiro, please! I love you!”

~~~~the universe twitches~~~~

Keith watches, invisible, as Shiro checks himself in the mirror. He’s wearing jeans with a leather jacket and has driving goggles hanging around his neck. He reaches into one pocket and pulls out a red velvet box with black edging before taking a long look at himself and speaking.

“I know it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come from that day at your school. At the time I only wanted to help you, because I could see your potential. You said once that your life would have been a lot different without me. But I wouldn’t be standing here right now if it weren’t for you. You supported me when I chose my dream. You saved me...so many times. And you never once stopped believing in me. I’m honestly so humbled; you’ve seen me at my worst and yet you love me without hesitation. It took me a little while, but I know now. I love you. I’m in love with you. And I want to spend the rest of my life telling you and showing you just how much I love you.”

He pauses and takes a deep breath. “Keith, will you marry me?”

Keith wants to shout, but can only manage a whisper. “Yes!”

Shiro looks around anyway, but pain rips through Keith as a clamor of screams and shouts crashes over him in a wave.

*************

The pain evaporates as Black morphs into existence around Keith in a blaze of purple light. He grabs the controls. Black shifts back into real space and he recognizes the Olkari camp from the air. The other lions are looking up and roaring a welcome.

There’s a groan beside him and he whips around.

To see a red-and-white-clad body sprawled on the floor of the cockpit, trying to push himself up.

Frantic voices are pouring through the comms and Keith reaches for the panel automatically to answer. “I’m all right! We’re all right!”

“We?” One of the Alluras replies, her tone sharp and anxious.

The figure on the floor looks up at him. His eyes widen for a moment, then he asks weakly, “Did we do it? Did we save them all?”

Keith feels Black send assent and the other’s expression relaxes.

“Thanks, Black.” His strength gives out and Keith leaps out of the pilot’s seat to help him sit up.

The person with his own face looks up with a gleam of humor in his eyes. “So, which one of us is in the wrong place?”

*************

The others are rushing to Black, all shouting at once, as the lion lowers his head to open his jaws. Keith helps his counterpart down the ramp and they all skid to a halt, bumping into one another as they stare.

The other Keith sweeps them all with a look, a growing smile on his face. He falters twice, his eyebrows creeping together as he takes in the two Alluras, then again when he sees Krolia and Shiro.

Shiro gestures at Krolia, indicating that she should go first, but she shakes her head and pushes him toward the lion. With the amount of weight he’s bearing, Keith can’t step back yet and holds his double up. Shiro approaches with that same expression he’d shown the day before, equal parts hope and fear as he reaches out.

The other Keith doesn’t hesitate. He shrugs off the support and stumbles into Shiro, throwing his arms around his neck. Keith gets a full view of Shiro’s face, the tearful gratitude as he murmurs “Keith,” over and over. Suddenly it’s too much and Keith backs away.

Most of the others are surrounding them, looking to welcome their Keith back, but Matt breaks off and approaches him, the wolf bounding beside him. “You scared the hell out of us. Are you okay?”

Keith shakes his head. “I don’t know. I’m not sure what happened.”

Matt looks down at a datapad. “Pidge was recording everything. It looked like you flew apart, the way she described it before when he died. But when our Allura was about to drop the connection, your Allura told her to keep it going. Then the readings showed energy coalescing instead of dispersing. And then the Black Lion just appeared out of nowhere and landed with both of you.”

“I saw… I don’t know how to describe it. I lost count of how many realities I saw, but in each one something bad was about to happen and then it’s like something tilted and it changed. In most of them I was dying, and the universe glitched and I lived instead.” He feels satisfaction coming from Black; it’s almost like a mental purr.

His Allura peels off as the group is sweeping their Keith toward the camp. She runs a soothing hand up and down his arm. “Are you all right?”

Keith pauses and takes stock. “I think so. I’m feeling sore from all those injuries and deaths, like echoes?”

She puts her fingers to his temples and concentrates a moment. A cool and soothing sensation fills Keith from head to toe and when she steps back, he feels much lighter. He can still remember so many of the other realities, but the physical sensations that lingered are almost gone.

She leans forward, touching her forehead to his. “I saw some of what you did. We need to try again as soon as possible. With the Black Lion here, I think we’ll have much more control this time.”

Keith nods as the wolf head-butts into his hip and Matt claps him on the shoulder. They follow the others back to the camp.

*************

If there were any doubt that the Keith who materialized out of thin air is the right Keith, it’s squashed when the wolf from this reality pops into the room where everyone is debriefing. He immediately goes to their Keith, who falls to his knees and buries his face in the thick fur.

Keith stays at the edges of the room, scratching his wolf’s ears, while everyone gets a chance to welcome their Keith home, including a comms call to the reformed Altea where Coran is stationed.

His Allura joins him when she hears the happy booming voice. Her eyes are shiny with unshed tears and Keith puts an arm around her. “We’ll be back soon and you can see him again.”

She turns into his shoulder. “I didn’t get to say goodbye to him.”

Keith pulls her closer. “Just think about getting to say hello to him again.”

Allura giggles at that even as a few tears spill over. She’s about to reply, but Shiro and the other Keith are approaching. Shiro says, “Princess, Pidge needs you. She thinks she’s got a fix on your reality but she wants to confirm it before we try again. I don’t think we’re ready to see any Keith disappear a third time.” His hand tightens around his Keith’s shoulder.

She nods and heads over to the crowd around the readout screens. The others remain. Keith takes the opportunity to look over his counterpart closely. The hair that is not quite enough for a ponytail. The absence of the scar in his eyebrow. The slightly smaller stature; Keith has grown a couple more inches in the three years since Allura left.

The confidence in his gaze. This Keith knows his Shiro loves him.

Shiro reaches over and puts a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “I don’t know what happened to push you two so far apart, but you’ve got the chance to fix it.”

The other Keith nods. “I’m pretty sure that last reality we saw was yours.”

Keith swallows hard. He still remembers the complete shock at getting the wedding invitation. Standing to the side with the others, his arms folded and trying not to glare at them, because they’d decided to stand together with no best man or maid of honor.

He definitely doesn’t remember his Shiro proposing to him.

His uncertainty must show in his face. Shiro glances at his Keith, who smiles and moves to one side.

Shiro steps forward and lays a hand on either side of Keith’s face. “Go to him as soon as you can. Find him and tell him. If he’s anything like me, he remembers you saying it before, but he talked himself into believing it was desperation more than truth.

“I had to lose my Keith before I realized how I felt. Don’t make your Shiro wait any longer.” He pulls Keith close, smoothing his bangs back with one hand, and places a kiss on his forehead. “I know you can do it.”

*************

They’re ready to go within two vargas. Pidge has tested the arch multiple times and every time it has materialized on a planet with a breathable atmosphere. But they have a helmet for Allura anyway and Keith summons his mask. He’s never quite figured out just how many different atmospheres the wolf can breathe, but he’s confident that of the three of them, the wolf can get to safety the quickest.

The last round of goodbyes has been said, everyone getting hugs or backslaps, and Allura has whispered something into her counterpart’s ear that makes the other Allura blush and pointedly not look at Lance. Keith gets one final nod of encouragement from Shiro and the other Keith as the portal opens once more.

“See you on the other side,” Pidge shouts over the whine of the machines and they plunge through…

And land, instinctively tumbling into rolls across soft grass. Keith gets to his feet and looks around. The terrain is familiar.

Then he looks up and curses in three different languages.

“What is it? Where are we?” Allura asks.

Keith stares into the sky, watching as dozens of celestial bodies are pulled together, stretched out and collapsing.

“We’re in the quantum abyss.”

*************

Pidge should have tested the gate once more. Ten more times. A hundred more times.

Keith is doing his best to channel his frustrations on the long branches he’s snapping into kindling length so he and Allura can have a fire. He tries to focus on the small blessings. They landed on a space whale, which means they’re not going to get drawn into oblivion. Keith kept the emergency kit from his pod, which means they have a plasma firestarter and some other vital provisions to sustain them in the short term.

And, irony of ironies, they stumbled across an entire pack of more space wolves. The whole reason Keith was here in the first place.

Keith’s wolf got in front of them as the largest of the half-dozen wolves edged forward, growling at them. He couldn’t get more than a sense of negotiations happening, but his wolf apparently convinced the pack that they were not a threat. They vanished with a string of sizzling lights. Keith’s wolf looked back at him, then disappeared as well.

That had been around a varga ago.

Allura comes up to Keith and bends to gather the sticks. “He’s been gone a while,” she observes.

Keith’s lips quirk up a little. She’s stopped calling the wolf that silly name the others forced onto him. “He’ll come back when he’s ready.”

“And if he decides to stay?”

Keith glances away so Allura can’t read the pain that digs into his chest at that thought. “Then he stays. It’s his choice. I won’t take that away from him.”

Allura stands with the load of kindling in one arm. She reaches over to cradle his chin with her free hand, making him look back at her. “Is that what happened with Shiro?”

Keith jerks out of her grasp, stung. “What are you talking about?”

“Matt told me.” She grabs his arm and tugs, trying to lead him back to their makeshift camp.

He can resist, but it will only make things more difficult. It’s just the two of them, stranded together, and he can’t avoid her forever. He lets her pull him back to the clearing.

They start the fire and Allura draws him down to sit beside her. “What happened?”

He tells her. He tells her all of it, not just the bits and pieces he let slip to Matt or his mother. How he’d gotten involved in the rebuilding of the Galra as a society thanks to his connection to both Voltron and the Blades. How even as admirals Shiro and Sam Holt couldn’t fight a slow drag toward isolationism from the military bureaucrats who had suffered the invasion of Earth but had not been on the front lines to witness Sendak’s defeat. A standoff was coming, because Shiro was still the only one capable of transforming the Atlas.

Keith had suggested that Shiro take any willing crew members and bring the Atlas to Altea. Between the original plans and the crystal that had once been the castle, Coran certainly had some claim to the ship and plenty of resources on the restored planet to compensate the Garrison for the materials they contributed. But Shiro saw that as mutiny; it had turned into one of the most serious arguments they’d ever had. They’d ended on angry words, Keith warning Shiro against trusting the Earth bureaucrats and Shiro insisting that he could bring them around.

He’d been wrong. The armchair generals grounded the Atlas.

At that point the only thing Keith wanted to do was go back to Earth with a fleet and take Shiro and everyone who wanted to come with them back to space. But one of the things he had learned in his life was that choice was paramount. Keith had been given very few choices between his father’s death and meeting Shiro. He’d seen the lesson again, as Shiro rejected Adam’s ultimatum in favor of Kerberos.

So Keith had stayed back and let Shiro choose, no matter how much it hurt.

And it hurt very much indeed when Shiro chose to retire from the Garrison, followed by marrying a fellow crew member so quickly that Keith hadn’t even heard that Shiro was seeing someone.

By the end of it, Keith is crying on Allura’s shoulder as she rubs his back to soothe him. When the tears finally trail off, she sits back, taking his hands.

“Keith, you are one of the most honorable people I’ve ever known. It’s an incredibly generous trait to not push the one you hold most dear.” She reaches up and brushes his bangs to the side. “But you do have the right to tell him what you want as well.”

Keith shakes his head. “I can’t. I’d lose him, just like Adam lost him.”

The hand still holding his tightens. “No, not like that. Not a demand, not telling him he has to do it your way. But letting him know what you want? Talk together, see if there’s a way to meet in the middle? Isn’t that the cornerstone for a solid relationship?”

He looks off into the distance. He can’t argue with Allura’s logic, but doing anything that even hints that he’s trying to control Shiro’s decision paralyzes his heart with fear. It had hurt to watch Shiro go to Kerberos. It had hurt more to walk away in order for Shiro to reclaim his place with Voltron. And it had been crushing to watch Shiro tie himself to another person and settle for an ordinary life.

Keith’s not sure he can survive the pain if Shiro walks away again. He’s long since forgotten how to not care.

*************

Hours later, Keith wakes from where they’ve fallen asleep together at the fire. He’s no longer chilly and realizes there’s a very large and furry something draped over him. He smiles a little and strokes the wolf’s fur.

He sees movement out of the corner of his eye and looks.

A second wolf  is curled up next to Allura.

*************

They spend the next day searching for a good place to camp. Keith comes across an honest-to-goodness cave, deeper than the one where he had lived with his mother, and he and Allura spend the rest of the day clearing it of rocks and debris. The wolves bring a carcass that looks like a cross between a deer and a llama and Keith gets to teach Allura the fine art of butchering.

The memory waves begin that night. Keith had almost forgotten about them when he’s suddenly dropped into a vision of Allura and Honerva. Faint outlines of their bodies glow against dark clouds as they face one another and concentrate. Allura gasps out Lance’s name, then the lions roar in the distance as the vision fades.

Over the next several days, they share memories. Keith gets to see Allura’s past, including surprisingly painful views of Lotor as a child. Allura sees Keith with Shiro at the Garrison and gushes over how young they were.

Keith tenses every time a wave hits, wondering when he will have to relive Shiro’s wedding, waiting for that ax to fall.

It doesn’t happen.

Eleven days later by the series of scratches Keith made on the cave wall, they feel their surroundings shake and look to one another. Allura gets to her feet when the wolves trot to the mouth of the cave. “Was that a tremor? Did that happen to you before?”

Keith shakes his head as he rises. “No, that’s new.”

It happens again, and now that he’s upright, Keith realizes that the rumble is coming from within, a growl rising from his gut into his chest and filling his heart…

Allura gasps just before twin roars echo outside their shelter. Keith grabs her hand and they break into a run out of the cave.

Across the valley, two lions crouch, heads down and jaws open wide in invitation.

**********************

After a quick discussion, they decide to start with Coran on Altea and then get in touch with everyone else. They gather their sparse belongings and Allura races to Blue, radiating joy. Keith starts up the ramp into Black, savoring the warm mental welcome, then pauses to look back.

His wolf is at the foot of the ramp, ready to board. The second wolf, smaller and with more gray in her markings, has paused several meters away. She’s been happy to stay with them so far, joining in the hunting and engaging in play with his wolf.

Keith takes a deep breath and comes back to crouch by his wolf. He scratches behind an ear and presses his face into soft fur.

“You’re one of the best friends I have. If you want to stay, I’ll try to come back and visit when I can.” He sits up and turns to the she-wolf. “But if you’d like to come with us, you’re welcome. I can promise it’s never dull.”

His wolf whines, stretching his neck out and toward the other. She takes one more look around the valley, then lopes forward to bowl Keith over, licking his face.

Allura’s voice booms from the Blue Lion. “Get your pets and come on, Keith!”

Laughing, Keith leads the two wolves up into Black’s cockpit. Black’s approval flows through him as he takes his seat and plots the course to thread them out of the abyss and to Altea.

****************

As they approach Altea’s atmosphere, Keith hails the new Castle of Lions. The comms officer on duty doesn’t get even a full sentence out before Coran’s voice fills their ears.

“Keith? Oh, thank the ancients! Where have you been?”

He pauses at that. “Um, the quantum abyss? I let everyone know I was taking a little time to explore it again.”

“My boy, you’ve been missing for nearly four phoebs! We were worried sick!”

“Oh, I...I didn’t realize. It was a couple of weeks—movements—for me. I’m sorry about that.” “You need to stop going into regions that warp space-time itself! Now, are you landing your pod here and staying for a bit or do you want a teludav somewhere? You need to let your mother and the other paladins know you’re all right.”

“Stopping here, but we’ll land out in the memorial park. Can you meet us there?”

“In the park? Why there?”

With Keith’s encouragement, Black roars as he and Blue finish breaking through the atmosphere and descend toward the castle’s grounds.

Keith knows Coran has seen their approach when the words come quietly through the comms. ���Oh my.”

***************************************

Keith lands first but watches from the pilot’s seat as Blue lands and lowers her head. Allura jumps to the ground before the ramp is fully extended, staggering briefly before taking off toward the castle. There are people on the grounds, staring at the sight of two Voltron lions. They start looking at one another and calling out when they realize just who it is they’re seeing. As it turns into a crowd that looks like it might overwhelm her, Keith grabs a handful of his wolf’s fur.

They’re beside Allura in a flash and Keith draws his blade. “Back off! Don’t mob her!”

The surrounding group, mostly Alteans, are surprised enough to pause, and the wolf threads himself between them before teleporting them out of there.

The wolf deposits them back in the Black Lion’s cockpit. Allura protests, “Wait—”

And the she-wolf appears and dumps Coran into her arms.

Allura squeaks. Coran is speechless, staring at her with his mouth open. Finally he draws a shaky breath and whispers, “Princess?”

She beams, even as tears spring to her eyes. “Oh, Coran! I missed you so much!” She tightens her embrace and Coran flings his arms around her.

“Allura! How? When? What happened?”

As she starts trying to explain Honerva’s plan, Keith kneels down between the wolves. He strokes the she-wolf’s head and murmurs, “That was a good move. You’re just as smart as he is, aren’t you, girl?”

She chuffs and head-butts him as his wolf gives a mildly affronted growl. The conversation catches his attention again.

“—quintessence to draw me through. Then it was just a matter of getting to our reality from that one, although Keith gave us quite the scare. The first time the other Pidge tried the gate, there was a surge of energy, not just quintessence, that appeared to blast Keith apart. But I could still feel a connection to him somehow, and when I realized it was Black I pushed to keep the gate open. Then the energy started coming together and suddenly Black phased in, and he not only had our Keith but the Keith from that reality, who had disappeared during the final confrontation with Honerva.

“After that, we tested the gate multiple times and it worked. But it dropped us on a space whale in the quantum abyss and it took the lions eleven quintants to get to us.”

“Incredible,” Coran sighs. He turns to Keith and pulls him into a hug. “Thank you. You brought Allura back to us. Thank you.” He makes a show of producing a large handkerchief from his sleeve and blowing his nose. “Now, we need to—”

A voice bursts through the comms. “Pidge! Lance! Are you there? Did they find you yet? Yellow’s back! I’m in the Yellow Lion! Come on, guys, answer!”

“I’m here! I’m here! Green’s here!” Pidge’s joy easily matches Hunk’s.

“Holy quiznak, I can’t believe it! Lance, are you there?”

“You keep trying! I’m going to get Shiro! If the lions are coming back, then there’s a chance we can find Keith! Maybe he can get Coran to commandeer the Atlas in the Coalition’s name! They can’t say no then!”

Keith’s spirits rise, just before he remembers the bridge officer that Shiro married. If the quantum abyss has screwed up his timeline again, he wonders how long ago the wedding was.

He notices Allura giving him a look and mentally shakes himself. He steps over to the console and taps the appropriate screen while Allura signals Coran to stay quiet. “I’m here, guys. No need to summon the cavalry.”

Twin shrieks of “KEITH!” make the wolves flatten their ears.

“I’m okay! Black’s here, too. Sorry about the whole missing thing; Coran just told me how long I’ve been gone. It was only a couple of weeks for me.”

Hunk replies first. “Okay, I’ll forgive you because I’m just so glad to hear your voice again. But maybe stop going to that abyss?”

Keith laughs. “Yeah, maybe. I’m on Altea. Coran can wormhole you guys in and I can try and raise Lance.”

“And Shiro! He’s been going nuts trying to find a lead on you!” Pidge retorts.

“He has? But what about—”

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

“Lance!” Hunk’s gleeful shout echoes in Black’s cockpit. “Lance, did Red find you?”

“Yeah, yeah, she did.”

“So did Yellow! And Green and Black are back! Keith’s safe, he’s on Altea! Can you meet us there?”

“Sure, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Lance’s tone is quiet and Allura covers her mouth, drawing Keith and Coran’s attention. She gulps once, then touches the marks below her eyes.

Keith gets it. “Lance, are you okay?”

“Yeah...I think so. I think we need to find Blue. My marks...my marks are glowing. I think they’re finally trying to bring Allura home.” Lance’s voice breaks at Allura’s name.

***************************

Pidge tells Coran to wait until she’s corralled Shiro, so he arranges wormholes for Hunk and Lance. They land their lions in the park, now filled with people gawking and sharing rumors. Keith sends the wolves to retrieve them, depositing them in Coran’s sitting room where he and Allura are waiting.

Keith grabs Hunk’s arm and pulls him into a hug, clearing the way for Allura to fling herself onto Lance. As Hunk squeezes his ribs to the breaking point, Keith watches Allura alternate between peppering Lance’s stunned face with kisses and wiping away his tears. Finally she slows down and reaches over to grab Keith’s arm. “Here, trade for a tick. I need a hug from Hunk.”

Lance looks him over for a moment, then holds out a hand. When Keith takes it, Lance tugs him forward and throws his other arm around Keith’s neck. “You did this, didn’t you? You found a way to bring her back.”

“It was more like she had a way back but needed me to do it.”

“Still. Thank you.” Lance draws back and cuffs him on the shoulder. “Man, is Shiro gonna be glad to see you.”

“I don’t know why. He’s been busy with everything Earthside, hasn’t he?”

Lance gives him a look. “Seriously? I thought you’d gotten over this by now.”

Keith stares, bewildered. “Gotten over what?”

“Oh my GOD,” Lance starts, sounding so much like his old self that Hunk does a double-take. “Hunk, we’ve got to do it all over again.”

Hunk groans dramatically. But before Keith can ask just what they’re talking about, Coran’s voice sounds through the comms. “Pidge and Shiro are on their way!”

****************************

Keith retreats while they wait. He lets the others talk with Allura while he takes a low seat away from them and learns how the she-wolf likes her ears scratched.

Both wolves perk up, seconds before Pidge’s voice comes through the comm. “I see you guys left a parking spot! But how the heck are we gonna get through that mob to the castle? And what’s Blue doing here?”

The she-wolf disappears and reappears almost immediately with Pidge. She shrieks Allura’s name as Shiro’s voice sounds over the comm, “Wait, that wasn’t Kos—”

Keith’s wolf zaps him into Green’s cockpit before Shiro can finish his question, then shoulders him at Shiro before vanishing.

He stumbles forward, but Shiro catches him in a tight embrace. His hand is on the back of Keith’s head, fingers tangled in his hair, while his Altean arm pins Keith close.

His approach is completely different than the Shiro in the other reality. The other Shiro hesitated to hug Keith at first despite his need for comfort and closure; this Shiro is holding on to Keith with desperate strength, radiating relief.

It’s a one-eighty from Shiro’s attitude the last time Keith saw him, wrapped up in the gaze of his new husband.

Finally Shiro’s grip loosens. “God, Keith… You scared us so much.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t planning to go through an inter-reality portal and get sent back to land on a space whale again.”

“Is that what made you vanish for four months?” Shiro brings his hand forward, cradling Keith’s face.

Keith reaches up to remove Shiro’s hand. He doesn’t understand why Shiro is acting like this, but it’s painfully close to everything Keith ever wanted and he needs to separate them before he simply melts into Shiro’s arms.

His fingers brush across Shiro’s knuckles and pause, seeking something that he knows ought to be there. Then it hits him.

Shiro isn’t wearing his ring.

Keith had hated the ring. Not only for what it represented, but because it was so not Shiro. Big and gold with a chunky raised setting, it was designed to be flashy, to grab attention. To stake a claim. Shiro would never have chosen it for himself.

Of course Shiro might have left it behind. It’s hardly a practical thing to wear if one is going off on a mission, even one with known parameters.

Keith takes Shiro’s hand to draw it away from his face, but Shiro immediately twines their fingers together and pulls their hands to his chest. Keith can feel his heart pounding. He responds instinctively, feeling guilty for causing so much worry.

“I guess. It was just a couple of weeks for us.”

“Us?”

Keith can’t stop the smile that lights up his face. “Yeah, us.” He reaches mentally, asking the wolf to come back. There’s an ozone-filled flash and the wolf appears, sitting with his head cocked to one side in an inquiring manner.

“Don’t give me that look. You’re the one that did this.”

The wolf rises and circles them, shoving Keith up against Shiro once more. Shiro laughs and wraps his arms around Keith as they teleport.

They land in the room with the others. A voice scolds, “You’re still a menace, even if you have learned not to chew things.”

Shiro’s head snaps up from Keith’s shoulder. “Allura?”

Keith disentangles himself from Shiro’s embrace and pushes him toward Allura. As the two of them hold one another and laugh through tears, Pidge crosses to tuck herself into Keith’s side.

“Missed you. Glad you’re back.”

Keith squeezes her, lifting her up from the floor. “Glad to be back. Sorry, again.”

“Can we please stay away from places that are prone to time-travel shenanigans for a while?”

Keith laughs and sets her down. “We can try.”

“On the bright side, I think this has convinced Shiro that we need to move the Atlas to Coalition jurisdiction, like you suggested.”

Keith freezes.

Pidge continues to talk, not noticing his reaction. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that angry, when the top brass flat-out said they weren’t going to re-activate the Atlas just to look for one person, even if said person had been one of the heroes who saved the planet. He and Dad and Iverson were ready to just take all willing crew members and go, but the comms officer threatened to report them. It took weeks of maneuvering, but Dad got him reassigned and put Matt on comms instead. By then, your mom had gotten in touch and was able to talk Shiro down from just taking off with the Atlas—oh, quiznak! Your mom!” Pidge whirls out of Keith’s arms. “Coran! We need to let Krolia know Keith’s back!”

Everyone flocks around Coran as he pulls up a comms screen and Keith is drawn to the front. He looks for the timestamp on the screen, in the corner. It lists the date on Altea, New Olkarion, Daizabaal, and Earth.

He feels eyes on him and glances around. Allura is looking at him, her eyebrows up in inquiry. He nods.

The date is nearly six months before Keith originally took off to explore the quantum abyss.

****************************

Keith has no time to consider the implications. The screen winks into life, showing his mother. Her expression is calm, but Keith can see the relief in her eyes.

“Well, little star, you gave us quite a scare. I am very glad to see you safe and sound.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t plan for an inter-reality portal springing up in my path.”

“Aha,” she replies. “So that’s what happened. Did you meet interesting versions of anyone? Was there a Sven?”

Those who experienced the first crossing to an alternate reality laugh at that. Keith shakes his head. “No, no Svens. It wasn’t all that different from here...except at the final battle, instead of Allura leaving with Honerva… I died.”

That gets cries of protest from the others. Keith draws breath to explain that it had all worked out, but almost chokes in surprise when Shiro’s arms clasp him from behind.

Krolia’s mouth curves up into a knowing smile. “No more letting him out of your sight, Captain. Understood?”

Shiro leans down and props his chin on Keith’s shoulder. “Loud and clear, ma’am.”

She nods, satisfied. “Are you all staying on Altea for now?”

Shiro straightens but doesn’t let go of Keith. “I think so. We need to come up with a plan to get the Atlas off Earth.”

“Kolivan and I can make arrangements and leave in the morning, if a wormhole can be managed?” Krolia looks over at Coran.

“Absolutely, Krolia! Just signal when you’re ready!”

“Thank you, Coran.” She focuses on Keith once more. “I’ll see you then.”

“See you then, Mom.” The call disconnects and Keith stands awkwardly, unsure of how to deal with Shiro still clinging to him.

Hunk solves the problem by coming forward and throwing his arms around both of them. “Okay, Keith, no dying! You hear me? You don’t get to die just because the you in another reality did!”

“Oh, it’s all right. We managed to bring the other Keith back before we left.” But Allura’s actions belie her words as she steps up to join the group hug. Pidge, Lance, and Coran follow her and everyone’s combined presence helps Keith to shake his hyperfocus on Shiro’s behavior.

As they finally separate, Pidge’s eyes gleam with enthusiasm. “I want to hear everything! What you and Honerva did, the other reality, all of it!”

Allura laughs. “All right, but first I’d really like the chance for a shower. Keith and I had to make do on the space whale and I’m sure we could both use one.”

There’s a glint in Coran’s eye that makes Keith nervous. “Lance, show Allura to the royal wing. She can take any suite there. Shiro, do you remember the way to the ambassadorial hall?”

Keith groans. “Coran, I remember the way.”

“Perhaps, but you have a recently developed habit of disappearing and I’d feel better if Shiro stayed with you. We need to prevent a repeat occurrence.”

Shiro shifts but keeps his left arm around Keith. “Coran’s right. And your mother did tell me not to let you out of my sight…”

The others don’t even try to hold in their laughter as Shiro leads Keith away.

****************************

Shiro doesn’t let go of Keith the entire way and it’s about to drive him mad. His head is bursting with questions and it’s like he’s got half the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and no box with the full image. He doesn’t know what to do with the possibility that he’s got a do-over, that he’s landed back in time before he and Shiro drifted apart to the point that Shiro married someone else without even telling Keith he was dating.

He knows Shiro can feel the tension in his shoulders as they enter the room that has been Keith’s whenever he visits the new castle. Shiro’s response is to turn him and pull him into yet another hug, pressing his lips into Keith’s hair.

He can’t take it anymore. Keith pulls back and holds his hands up. “Look, I need to clean up, I need some rest, and I need to think. It’s been a really weird couple of weeks. I need some time to process it all.”

The hurt in Shiro’s eyes feels like a knife penetrating Keith’s chest, but he has to do this. He has to get some space between him and everyone else, be alone and sort everything out.

Despite his pain, Shiro does what he’s always done ever since the day he walked into Keith’s classroom door and immediately gives him support. He takes a couple of steps back.

“I don’t know the full story of what happened to you out there, Keith. And I won’t ask until you’re ready to share it. If you need time alone, you’ll have it. But I have to tell you this.”

Keith looks up at the conviction in Shiro’s tone. He has no idea what Shiro is about to say, but he’s suddenly terrified.

“You were gone for months. We were starting to think you were dead, that we’d lost you forever. And the last time you and I talked, we argued over the Atlas and left angry at each other. I’m not risking one more minute leaving this unsaid.” He steps forward and gently lays his human hand along Keith’s jaw, the thumb stroking his cheek above his scar.

“I love you, Keith. I’m in love with you. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had, you’ve been my defender and brother-in-arms, you’ve been my rock and you’ve been my savior. I don’t know exactly when I started to realize it, but you being gone made it crystal clear for me. And I understand you may not feel the same way, but after the last few months of not knowing if I’d ever see you again, I had to tell you.”

Keith can’t speak. Fuck, he can’t breathe. What is he supposed to do, how is he supposed to handle it, when the one thing he’s wanted more than anything from the universe is suddenly dropped into his lap?

He has no idea what his face is showing, but Shiro’s determination melts into fear and concern. His Altean hand comes up and he’s wiping at Keith’s face—shit, is he crying?

“Keith! I’m sorry! You don’t—you don’t have to—” Shiro’s words fall over themselves as he grows frantic.

Keith’s throat starts working, just enough for him to gasp out, “Shiro!” before he thrusts forward and up to crush his mouth against Shiro’s.

He can feel the surprise and joy from Shiro as his hands slide back to cradle Keith’s head, tilting it just enough so their lips mesh perfectly, tongues already meeting. The joy sings through Keith as he pours everything he has into the kiss.

The need to pause and breathe is what convinces Keith that he’s not dreaming. They pull apart just enough to gulp in air. Shiro keeps his hands in Keith’s hair and leans forward to touch foreheads. Keith’s fingers dig into Shiro’s uniform jacket.

“Still need me to go?” Shiro asks, his voice soft and gentle.

Keith shakes his head. “Don’t leave.”

Shiro chuckles and bumps noses with Keith before taking one more quick kiss. “Never.”

****************************

Keith emerges from the shower, an Altean-style robe pulled over his head and towelling his hair dry. Shiro is still there, changed into casual clothes and lounging on Keith’s bed, petting the she-wolf. Her head is draped over his lap and her eyes are closed. Keith’s wolf is stretched out on the floor. He lifts his head and gives Keith an exasperated look.

Keith crouches down and gets his fingers into the thick fur behind his wolf’s ears. “Feeling left out?”

The wolf licks Keith’s face and he laughs. The she-wolf watches as Keith moves in for more scratches, then sits up and looks at Shiro.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Shiro protests as she sits up and goes for his face. “You don’t need to slobber all over me if you want your ears scratched!” He ruffles her fur and she leans into his touch with a blissful expression.

Keith hides a smile when he sees the gleam of humor in her eyes, just before she surges forward and laps against his cheek anyway.

Keith breaks into laughter again as Shiro sputters. The she-wolf jumps down to rub noses with Keith’s wolf and Shiro sits up, wiping his face.

“They’re going to be a pair of troublemakers. And they really do need names now that there’s two of them. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer?”

“Those are cats!”

“Bonnie and Clyde?”

“They were criminals!”

Shiro holds up his hands. “All right, all right, I’ll stop. But everyone else is going to try and come up with something that goes with Kosmo.”

“They can try. I’m not forcing names on them like they’re just dogs.”

Keith’s wolf butts his head against his shoulder gently and Shiro softens, clearly seeing the gesture of gratitude. He gets up and crosses to Keith, holding out a hand to pull him to his feet.

“That’s just one of the hundreds of things I love about you. You’ve never once tried to dictate anyone else’s choices to them.”

Keith grins. “Hundreds of things? Come on.”

Shiro gets a don’t-challenge-me look in his eyes, then smiles. “I love how loyal you are. I love your daring. I love your fire. I love how your eyes are the color of a starlit night sky. I love how soft your hair is. I love how this is a guaranteed way to get you to blush—”

Keith plants a kiss on Shiro’s mouth to get him to stop. Shiro’s shoulders shake with suppressed laughter as he wraps his arms around Keith and parts his lips, eagerly picking up where they had left off earlier.

There’s a beep as a comm screen appears, then a flustered “Oh dear!”

They pause and turn to see a chagrined Coran.

“I’m sorry for interrupting...yes, interrupting...that. Shiro, we’re getting hit with incoming messages from Earth. Admiral Holt, Admiral Iverson, Veronica, Axca, two of the MFE pilots, an Admiral McConnell, a Lieutenant Curtis…”

Shiro straightens, suddenly on the alert. “Can you put Admiral Holt through?”

The screen blinks, showing Sam on the Atlas bridge. He calls out, “I’ve got him!” As Shiro frowns, several others gather behind Sam. Keith makes eye contact with Matt, who gives him a relieved grin as the rest break into gasps and exclamations.

“Keith!” Sam bursts out. “It’s so good to see you! You had us worried.”

Keith nods. “Sorry about that.” He pauses to let Shiro take over.

“Sam, what’s going on?”

“It’s the Atlas. It—she...I think she’s going rogue.”

****************************

Shiro insists on getting back into uniform and convening everyone in the control center, where the bridge was on the original castle. In the time it takes to gather the others, Coran reports that Admiral McConnell has tried to contact them three more times. Shiro continues to ignore him in favor of Sam’s report, summarizing the experience of the around three hundred people currently aboard the Atlas. Which is currently passing Alpha Centauri and helpfully displaying a flight pattern to the crew that will eventually take it to Altea.

Sam describes how every single person on board was woken by an alarm and most received a texted message to board the Atlas and report to Sam immediately. While Sam himself was trying to sort out what had happened, the ship had closed all entryways, including closing the MFEs in their hangars, and taken off on her own.

Sam falters as he describes the bridge crew’s fruitless attempts to get control of the ship, and Iverson clears his throat. “We think the Atlas is coming to find you, Shiro.”

Coran lets out a hiss of breath. “Astonishing. Just like how Red used to go after Keith if he needed her.”

Shiro chews on his lower lip a moment. “Does anyone have a roster of who’s on board?”

Veronica has a tablet in her hand, skimming its display. “Yes, and yes, everyone on board is part of the group we considered trustworthy when we talked about ways to get the Atlas out of Garrison control. Including families. My parents got here before I did.”

Coran and Allura look at one another and she nods. He turns to the comm screen. “Admiral Holt, as a founding member of the Galactic Coalition, planet Altea officially offers your ship and crew sanctuary. We will begin preparing a formal request that the Atlas be moved to Coalition jurisdiction to present to the Garrison. In the meantime, we can arrange a wormhole, if you can convince the Atlas to fly through it.”

“Better idea,” Pidge pipes up. “Keith can take Shiro in Black through a wormhole to their location, and once they’re on board Shiro can direct the Atlas back through a return one.”

Shiro glances over at Keith a little shyly. Keith smiles back and can’t even bring himself to mind when Matt’s whoop of “Finally!” sparks a wave of babble and congratulatory cheers from both sides of the transmission.

****************************

It’s a messy transition.

The armchair admirals, led by McConnell, try to demand the return of the Atlas in front of the Galactic Coalition’s judicial body. Coran represents the Coalition and delivers an incredibly impassioned speech about how the Atlas may have begun by helping to save the Earth from the Galra but ended by helping to save all realities everywhere. It doesn’t help when another admiral makes a not-so-vague threat to the crew members who might want to return long enough to visit friends or put their affairs in order for a permanent move to space.

McConnell can’t silence him fast enough. The judges’ decision is a foregone conclusion after that.

****************************

Keith is leading a joint paladin/MFE  training session when the text comes through: How about a hoverbike ride before it gets too dark?

Keith grins. The training session is supposed to go for another half-varga, but they’ve done particularly well today and deserve a bit of a break. He texts back an affirmative to Shiro and gets everyone’s attention to dismiss them.

James looks put out at the deviation from their schedule. Lance trades a high-five with Nadia before going over to grab Allura’s hand. Pidge and Ina immediately put their heads together—they’ve been spending all their free time trying to incorporate Balmera crystals into the MFE jet engines so they don’t have to charge as often. Keith pulls Hunk aside for a quick consultation on putting a picnic together and Hunk promises to have a hamper delivered to the hangar that holds personal vehicles.

Even with that and stopping to change into casual clothes, Keith arrives first. He loads the hamper onto his hoverbike and opens the hangar door to the afternoon sunshine. They’re currently stationed on Tympaysia, a new member of the Coalition, and the Atlas is parked in an arid region that is remarkably like the Arizona desert except with sands of blue and purple instead of red and brown.

Shiro enters and heads straight for Keith, giving him a light kiss in greeting. Keith admires him for a moment in his black leather jacket—Keith has appropriated his old one from their Garrison days—and takes the set of driving goggles that Shiro holds out to him.

“So, are we riding or racing?” Shiro asks.

Keith grins. “Riding. We don’t know the terrain and I’d hate to make you lose.”

“Brat.”

“Seriously, I don’t want to shake up our dinner too much.” Shiro brightens. “Dinner?”

“Yeah, I got Hunk to put something together for us.” Keith puts on his goggles and mounts his bike. “Shall we?”

They ride for a varga or so, traveling up the hills around the valley where the Atlas is docked, and find a spot high enough for a nice view. They eat and chat about random things, like Veronica and Axca dancing around one another or Ryan’s next film project. The conversation fades and they relax in comfortable silence on a spread-out blanket, watching as the sun begins to sink below the horizon.

Keith is trying to judge how much longer they might stay before it gets too dark when Shiro takes his hand.

“So, I had a reason for this. I’ve been trying to find a chance for us to be alone and away from everyone else for a while now.” He threads his fingers with Keith’s and Keith is suddenly on the alert. He doesn’t know what Shiro is leading up to, but the very air around them suddenly seems heavy with anticipation.

“I know it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come from that day, when I came to your school. At the time I only wanted to help you, because you had so much potential. You said once that your life would have been a lot different without me. But I wouldn’t be here right now if it weren’t for you. You supported me when I chose my dream over everything else. You saved me...so many times. And you never stopped believing in me. Not once. I’m honestly so humble; you’ve seen the worst of me and yet you love me without hesitation. It was so hard to make myself believe I could deserve someone like you. It took believing you might be dead to make me realize that I was focusing on what might go wrong, that I was missing the chance to have something great.

“You are that something great, Keith. I love you. I’m in love with you. And I want to spend the rest of my life embracing greatness with you.”

It’s not the same as the memory Keith has from the reality-hopping, now some six phoebs in the past. But the rhythm is there, the sincere emotion in Shiro’s words as they flow from him.

And the red velvet box is there, in Shiro’s Altean hand. He lets go of Keith long enough to open it, revealing the black cushion that cradles a startling ring. The slim metal band is a bright fiery red, smooth and polished, set with a black cabochon stone.

“Keith, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?”

He drags his gaze up from the ring to Shiro’s face, alight with love and hope and a little fear.

Keith launches himself into Shiro’s arms, knocking him flat onto the blanket as he kisses Shiro ferociously. He’ll eradicate that fear, that doubt, from Shiro if it’s the last thing he ever does.

As the need to breathe asserts itself, Shiro takes Keith’s head in his hands and lifts him enough to look him in the eye. “So that’s a ‘yes’, I take it?”

Keith huffs. “Of course it’s a ‘yes’. What made you think I’d ever say anything other than ‘yes’?”

Shiro looks just a little abashed. He takes a lock of Keith’s hair, escaped from his braid, and tucks it behind his ear. “Well, you know how Slav would never admit anything could be a one hundred percent certainty…”

“How dare you bring Slav into my marriage proposal!” Keith tries to look angry, but can’t contain the joy he’s feeling. He beams at his fiancé.

“I promise it will never happen again.” Shiro pulls him close and sits up so that Keith is in his lap. He uses his left arm to keep Keith in place, sending the Altean arm to retrieve the ring box from where it had fallen.

Keith tugs his glove off so Shiro can slide the ring onto his finger. They both admire it for a moment as the rich light from the setting sun plays over it.

“It’s beautiful,” Keith says.

“Just like you,” Shiro replies, and he has to put fingers under Keith’s chin to get him to look up. Because Keith knows he’s blushing hard at those words.

“So beautiful,” Shiro whispers as he draws Keith in, opening his mouth as their lips touch to deepen the kiss.

Keith savors the moment, enjoying the perfection without fear of it ending. Because, in this rebuilt reality, he is certain that perfection will return often and be enjoyed for the rest of their lives.

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 30

Oh my gosh, thirty chapters.  This feels super unreal, to be honest.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck it out this long, especially in the last 10 chapters or so, when I have tried to make something resembling a plot.  I really hope I haven’t been a disappointment, and I hope to have many chapters to go until I reach the end of this story.

Content warnings for graphic descriptions of violence. Also, please don’t kill me after you read this chapter?

“Oh my god, she’s awake.”

“Shhh! You’re going to make her panic. Soph? Soph.”

“Can she hear us?”

“Gods, I hope so.”

 I groaned as I woke up, not particularly caring who I disturbed. I remembered the absolute strangest dreams from the night before: people worried I couldn’t hear them, myself being unable to respond.  My head was pounding, which didn’t make sense to my groggy mind – the Vicodin had worked its way out of my system over twenty-four hour previously. The migraines should have stopped. They had stopped, I vaguely remembered. Why did my head hurt so much now?

Something tickled my nose, and pain exploded in my face as three, four, five sneezes erupted.  The pain led to me leaning over the bed – bed? – as I vomited, cursing internally at my sinuses.  As I grabbed my face and firmly pushed on it in an attempt to mitigate the pain, I felt something moving against my back.

“Sophie? Sophie! Noah, she’s awake!” Clumsy hands tried to steady me.

“For fuck’s sake, stop screaming,” I moaned, fighting the hands off. “Of course, I’m awake. I went to bed, I’m awake now. What the hell is going on?”

“What the – You don’t remember, do you?” the voice asked.

“Remember what, Conor? What the – Conor!?” I whipped my head around, wide eyed, and sent the room into dizzying motion. “Ughhh. Why are you here? Why is the room spinning?” Abruptly, I rolled over again to dump whatever was left behind in my stomach on the floor.

When I finally turned back to facing the ceiling, hesitant hand patted my gently. “Stop, love. Just, please stop rolling over. It’s making you sick,” Conor begged in a pleading voice, close to crying. “Your… your skull is fractured. You weren’t supposed to wake up so soon, Noah said it wasn’t good for you, but we thought you wouldn’t wake up at all and – “ the sobs that he had been holding back came forth, full force. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I thought you were gone. I am so sorry, I’m so sorry. Please – “

“Conor,” I stopped him carefully, trying to avoid making my head worse despite the profound confusion I was going through. “What are you talking about? I went to bed, on a futon, on the floor of a cargo bay on Level One.  How did my skull get fractured?”

Conor – how was he even here? – took several deep breaths before speaking. “What do you remember?” he asked carefully. “Noah is recording, so please tell me as much as you can.”

“I was on Level One because of the sensor damage. We were trying to find enough resources to repair all the navigational sensors.  Uh… they were damaged? Like, on purpose, because the replacements were destroyed as well.  Either way, there weren’t enough materials to fabricate replacements for all the sensors, so we dropped out of FTL and the entire Council and all Administrators were called to Level One,” I tried to report matter-of-factly, my head still foggy. “We… jury-rigged screens and controls for two pilots to maneuver the Ark to the nearest system, where drone pilots used makeshift VR to gather materials. About three days in, my sister realized the food and drink were being drugged with Vicodin.  She’s really allergic – it doesn’t put her in anaphylactic shock or anything, but it does make her feel like her blood’s on fire. After that, Miys tested everything brought to Level One. Xiomara Kalloe, Grey Hodenson, and I think Pranav Ranganathan? – were handling the investigation off Level One, probably because of the suspicion that someone up there was involved.  About a week after we were all called to Level One, I went to sleep and woke up here.”

“Sophia, that was nearly a week ago,” I heard Simon’s oddly comforting voice coming from the ceiling.  I never thought I would be so glad to hear him.  “You are in medical right now, on Level Twelve. I’m sorry but… you were attacked.”

“There’s no way,” I denied, trying to shake my head despite Conor’s hands bracing me to prevent it.  “I went to sleep, Simon.  I would remember being assaulted.”

“Sophie,” the man next to me begged mournfully. “There are multiple eyewitness accounts.  Apparently, you woke up, went to take a shower, and you were attacked then.  Noah had to reconstruct the entire front of your face and most of your teeth.  Please, you gotta stop moving, stop touching your face.  You’re really hurt…”

“He’s right, Sophia.  It’s almost as bad as the first time you woke up here.  The Miys had to pull bone splinters out of your ocular cavities, and clone one of your eyes.  We still aren’t sure about the other one, either,” Simon chimed in.

My eyes widened as I heard Conor sniff, obviously holding back tears. “That… that can’t be right,” I argued, scared and confused.  “Wouldn’t I remember that?”

“Sophia, you took on a lot of head trauma,” Simon’s voice told me, more upset than I ever recalled hearing. “Amnesia is expected in situations like this. We’re really lucky that… the person responsible was caught in the act.”

“Who?” I asked, starting to panic. “Who would do that? How?  I don’t understand.”

To my alarm, Conor pulled away and turned, sobbing uncontrollably. When I tried to sit up, the room spun again and I could vaguely hear a door opening, heavy steps hurrying to my side to replace him.  Moments later, I was gently pushed back to the bed and restrained by six familiar arms.  I could still hear Conor sobbing, though, which upset me more than anything else I had been told. “Where’s my sister?” I asked loudly. “Noah, where is she? And Arantxa? Derek? Are they okay!?” I tried to scream.

“Do not make me sedate you, Wisdom. Derek is in the next room over,” the voice explained, comforting even though it was clearly angry. It was the only thing that made them so formal. “He was in the group that encountered your attacker and – he did not handle it well, let us say.  He was not injured, but the backlash of the event caused significant psychological trauma, for which he is being treated. However, he should be okay, especially knowing that you are awake. I am informing him of that currently.”  One of their fine hands stroked my hair in a very human gesture of comfort.

“And my sister?” I croaked, trying not to assume the worst.  I just wanted things to start making sense.

“Also healthy, although I would not venture to say she is okay,” they reassured me. “She did not come upon your assault herself, or else I fear she would be in a much worse condition.  As it stands, any damage to her is caused by throwing herself at the barrier between her and your attacker, followed by any uninjured appendage once that failed. She currently refuses medical treatment and is wearing out her vocal chords in lieu of retribution on your assailant.  Since her injuries are minor abrasions and bruising so far, I am allowing her refusal of treatment.”

A weight lifted off my chest. “Rants?” I whispered. To my horror, Conor’s sobs not only escalated at that question, but he left the room. “She’s my best friend, Noah. Please tell me she’s okay. Please!” I begged.

“Wisdom,” they said, softly, before pausing.  “Please allow me to explain what occurred before I answer that inquiry?” Reluctantly, I agreed, knowing that Noah always had a reason for delaying an answer.  “Six days ago, you woke up and went to the hygiene facilities on Level One to bathe. From what we can tell, as you were finishing, you were approached from behind by your assailant. They drove your cranium, face first, into the hull around the faucet several times in an attempt to either severely injure you or possibly terminate your life.  Several persons entered the hygiene area off-schedule, including Xiomara Kalloe, Grey Hodenson, Derek Otafor, and Maverick Okima, interrupting the assault and catching the person responsible in the act. This potentially prevented your death.”

“Noah, what does any of this have to do with Arantxa?”

After a prolonged pause, Miys increased their restraint slightly. “Wisdom. Arantxa Bidarte is the person caught in the act of assaulting you.”

I tried to shake my head, only succeeding in pressing opposite sides of my face against Noah’s hands. “There’s no way, they saw something wrong.”

An administrator on Level One was responsible for putting the medicine in everything, a voice in the back of my head reminded me.

“She would never do this,” I argued with myself as much as with Noah. Someone with access to multiple areas on the Ark had to set this up – hadn’t Tyche told me that my assistant and later best friend filled in wherever she was needed? the traitorous part of my mind insisted.

“Arantxa is like a second sister to me, she wouldn’t – ” Conor was entirely too upset after my waking up.  

“Everyone is in shock, Sophia,” Simon tried to comfort me.  “You must have struggled – she had gouges in her arms from where you clawed at her, and the DNA was under your fingernails.  Her hand was so tangled in your hair that we had to shave the back of your head just to bring you to medical, although I was pretty sure Xiomara would rather cut - your attacker’s - hand off rather than cut your hair. Derek managed to do some pretty substantial damage to her before he could be sedated.”

“You drugged Derek!?” I shrieked. “How could you!? You know how terrified he is of medication!”

“If you do not calm yourself, Wisdom, I will be forced to sedate you,” Noah scolded me sternly.  “You should not even be awake right now as it is, but there was no other way to convince your packmates that you are not dead. Clearly, you were breathing, so how they could think you died – “

“We’ve been over this,” Simon interrupted. “Humans can be dead in all but vital signs.  It’s called ‘brain death’, and while we are still breathing and our heart beats, we never wake up from it.  The body lives, but the person inside is dead… it’s just a husk.” Miys just buzzed grumpily. “Sophia, I’ve recorded just enough video and audio to show that you are alive and conscious, and sent it to your sister and the Council.  Tyche is on her way to medical, but I am bribing her to get medical treatment before she can see you.”

“You. Drugged. Derek,” I growled.

“He was going to kill Arantxa before we could determine everything that has happened.  As much as I won’t say she doesn’t deserve it, the Council needs to know as much as possible in regard to the sabotage to the ship,” Simon argued back, unimpressed. “He’s in the next room over, probably heard you shouting at me, so that’s good.  He isn’t being punished, we just have him in a therapeutic suite so he can recover from everything that’s happened.  He’s allowed any visitors he wishes to see, and Mac is already being spoiled rotten. Derek did ask for your purple blanket, though.  Tyche gave permission for him to borrow it.”

“It’s fuzzy, like baby kittens,” I smiled softly, calming down. “We both like it because of that.”  It may have seemed like a weird thing for him to ask for, but he always used that blanket to wrap up when he was in my quarters.  The familiarity, along with having something of mine, was probably helping him through the uncertainty that I would ever wake up.  That blanket, along with Mac, was a kind of touchstone for us both.

As soon as I started to calm down, my head started to get fuzzy again. Trying to fight through it, I looked in the general direction of the Miys. “Is Conor okay?” I asked softly.

If it had a nose, I suspect it would have snorted at me.  It still managed to convey a sense of exasperation at the question. “Wisdom, you nearly died. Again. And all you have done since you woke up is ask about your packmates.  Your sense of self-preservation is entirely broken, I suspect.”

“You aren’t fooling me, O Great Hippo-Spider,” I murmured. “It’s good to know you were worried about me, too.  But you’ve literally put me back together once before, I trust you to take care of my injuries.  I’ll just rest better knowing how the rest of my packmates, since you insist on using that term, are doing.”

A short blast of noise came from it, what I usually took to be a sigh. “Human Conor is distraught, on many levels, and there is little I can do to assist him, unfortunately.  He displays deep, romantic feelings for Administrator Bidarte, and feels betrayal and despair at her actions.  However, he also has been radiating anger towards her for injuring you, and a profound amount of concern for your well-being.  He advised your sister that he could not face the former administrator, so offered to stay here with you while Tyche has been exercising her – frankly impressive – anger upon the barrier between herself and you assailant. Now please, rest, Wisdom,” this time the instruction was soft.

“But Tyche’s coming,” I muttered.

“And she will still be here if you are asleep.  You need to heal, and that is best done when you are not awake to move around and aggravate your injuries.  I really have no wish to sedate you – you do not enjoy it any more than Derek does.”

“Fine,” I surrendered, eyes already falling closed.  Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, I realized how exhausted and in pain I really was.  “Hurts,” I pouted, too tired to be embarrassed.

“I will administer something for the pain. Not Vicodin,” it promised, heading off the request I was about to make.

“Kay.”

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[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day One Hundred Eighty-Four: Pretending ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

Okay...this shouldn’t be too hard. Just play it cool - not too forward, he might suspect that. But also blunt enough even Naruto can’t mistake it. Once he gets his point across, he’s sure the blond will spread the news like wildfire.

And that’s exactly what Sasuke wants.

Making his way into his first period class - one he just so happens to share with Naruto - he takes his seat and just...waits.

Soon enough, in storms the Uzumaki like a tornado, just like every other morning. “Hey!”

“Hey.”

Sitting in the desk in front of Sasuke, Naruto pauses...and then squints. “...what’s with that look?”

“Look?” Heh, perfect. Of course the blond is familiar enough with his mannerisms to notice.

“Yeah, you’re all…” His nose wrinkles. “...grinny. What’s going on?”

“I dunno what you’re talking about, Naruto.”

“No, really! You’re...smiling. It’s weirding me out, man.”

“What, I’m not allowed to be happy?”

“Well, no! But…” Naruto looks to him skeptically. “...did something happen?”

“Like what?”

“I dunno! Is your brother coming home for a visit?”

“Mm, no.”

“Uh…” A hand itches at his neck. “...didja ace a test?”

“I do that all the time.”

“...true.” Curling a first under his chin, Naruto squints. “...this is buggin’ the heck outta me! What did you do?!”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Then why are you smiling like that?!”

“Maybe I’m just happy. That ever cross your mind?”

“Nah, there’s gotta be a reason. There’s gotta be…” Examining his friend closely, Naruto’s lips purse, eyes nearly closed as he scrutinizes him. “...d’ya get a girlfriend or something?”

At that, the pretending starts. Expression shifting to mild shock for a moment, Sasuke then glances away. “...why would I do that?”

A knowing glint shines in Naruto’s eyes. “Ah! I saw that! You flinched!”

“W-what?”

“YOU FLINCHED!” The blond slaps a knee with a cackle. “You got a girlfriend!”

At the exclamation, several people look over...including a few girls, among them Sakura. Once they words process, she gives a jolt.

Ha...perfect…!

Doing his best to scowl and look...sheepish about it, Sasuke mutters, “Shut up idiot, you want the whole school to hear you?”

“What, and let people miss out on the juicy gossip? Dude, I thought it would never happen! You’ve had a stick up yer ass for so long, I was starting to think you were gay!”

...that earns a genuine deadpan. “No, I just...hadn’t found the right person.”

“Well c’mon, you gotta tell me! Who’s the lucky lady, eh? Tell me, tell me!” Practically bouncing, Naruto’s got stars in his eyes.

“Look...I don’t want you bothering her, okay?”

“Nah, course not! I just wanna know who finally got through that stone heart of yours,” Naruto snickers.

Giving a pensive glance, he pauses for just the right amount of time. “...her name’s Hinata…”

All at once, Naruto’s face goes slack, eyes wide and jaw hanging open comically. “...wait...you mean Hinata? Hinata Hinata?”

“What, you know more than one?”

“Well, no...but…” He seems to hesitate. “I just thought...y’know…”

“What?” Oh, this is too much fun...he never gets to see Naruto squirm like this!

“I thought she...liked…” In barely a murmur, Naruto admits. “...me…”

“...well, maybe she got tired of chasing after your dumb ass. You think she was gonna wait around forever?” Sasuke asks, leaning back in his chair as though taunting.

“...maybe. I dunno, it’s just...weird. But…” After a pause, he gives a gentle smile, which...takes the Uchiha back a bit. “...I’m glad she found someone to make her happy. Cuz...it wasn’t ever gonna be me, y’know?”

The sudden genuine moment leaves Sasuke without a reply. Out of all the reactions he’d imagined...this wasn’t one of them.

“...a-anyway!” Naruto springs back to normal, grinning sheepishly. “Maybe with you outta the running, Sakura will give me a date, huh?”

“Honestly, I hope she will.”

“...really?”

“Yeah. Maybe she’d make you happy,” he offers with a shrug. That, and it might be some sign she’d finally moved on from chasing him…

Naruto blinks, then goes a light shade of pink, itching his neck bashfully. “Heh...maybe! I-I mean, I hope so! It’d be...nice…”

Thankfully, it’s then their first period teacher decides to arrive, cutting through the chatter. So absorbed was he in the rather raw moment with Naruto, Sasuke forgot that everyone else seemed to be whispering.

Probably about Naruto’s outburst. Which is exactly what he wants: the sooner everyone thinks he’s got a girlfriend, hopefully the sooner they all start leaving him alone! And he can enjoy his senior year of high school in relative peace.

The class goes by easily enough, and soon the ‘infected’ people take their leave, each heading to new classrooms...and each bearing the news: Sasuke Uchiha has a girlfriend at last. The school’s most eligible bachelor (eugh he hates thinking that…) is officially off the market!

Of course...not everyone takes it so gracefully. A few girls go so far as to start crying, and he can’t help guilty flinches. Were they really that invested in someone they barely know…?

Come lunch, his first full act is in full swing: time to sit with her and...do whatever it is dating people do.

...what is he supposed to do?

Grabbing a tray of the same old stuff, he startles as she just...appears next to him! Smiling and perky, she asks, “So...where do you want to sit?”

Blinking as his brain plays catch-up - she really is having fun with this, isn’t she? - Sasuke then replies, “Uh...you pick.”

“Okay!” Thankfully it’s a corner table that’s typically rather unoccupied. Rather than next to him, she sits across...after a moment, he realizes it’s so they can face each other.

...good plan.

“So, anything interesting happen in any of your morning classes?” she asks, popping a tater tot into her mouth.

“Uh...not really. Though it’s probably pretty obvious the Naruto plan worked out perfectly.”

“Yeah...it is,” she admits, smiling a bit wearily as several girls behind her shoot dirty looks. That...makes him pause. He hadn’t really considered if she’d get any backlash. He was so concerned about his side of the plan - of finally getting rid of all the people chasing him - it just...didn’t occur to him they might get nasty if they felt jilted enough.

“...you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay...there’s been some, um...awkward moments, but nothing bad,” she assures him.

Something seems to weigh on his chest, and he mutters, “...anyone gives you trouble, you let me know. I’ll take care of it.”

Surprise makes her blink, apparently not expecting that. “...I will. But...I doubt it will come to that.”

“...better not.”

A span of silence blooms.

“...so, what about you?” he then asks.

“Hm?”

“Classes: anything cool happen?”

“Oh...well, someone managed to catch a textbook on fire in chemistry,” she giggles. “Thankfully it didn’t actually trigger the alarms, though...or everyone would have gotten hauled outside!”

He can’t help a snort. “Who the hell did that…?”

“I’m not sure, an underclassman I don’t know. He was so embarrassed, poor thing…”

And so it goes, the pair of them trading useless information about their day, then the previous weekend. Usually smalltalk feels so...forced, but this doesn’t. They just...talk. No awkward pauses or scrambling for a topic.

...he doesn’t really get that very often.

But, soon enough, lunch period is over, and it’s back to the grind of classes. “Well...see you after school, I guess,” Hinata offers.

“Got time to do anything after class?”

“Oh...I’m sorry, I’ve got volleyball practice,” is her reply, expression dropping in disappointment. “But, um...we don’t have any Friday, since we have a game Saturday!”

He mulls that over, hands in his pockets. “...would you rather I go to your game?”

That makes her startle a bit. “You’d...you’d want to go to a game?”

“Sure. Never seen one before, might be fun. Besides, gotta be there to support my girl, right?” Sasuke gives a soft grin.

To his surprise, her cheeks dust pink. “I...I would like that!” A smile then blooms wide across her face. “It starts at two!”

“Sounds good. Maybe we could, like...get dinner after, if you’re not busy?”

“Well, sometimes the team goes out, but...if we don’t, then...sure!” A hand tucks spare hair behind her ear. “...this is kinda funny, huh? It kinda...feels like the real thing. Not like we’re pretending.”

Taken aback, Sasuke glances aside, ears suddenly feeling warm. “...yeah, guess it kinda does.”

“...well, we can talk more about it a-after school - we better go or we’ll be late.”

“Yeah, later.”

Watching her go, Sasuke turns to head to his own fifth period class, feeling the warmth in his face spread. What is wrong with him? This isn’t real! It’s just...pretend! An act!

...right?

                                                              .oOo.

     Welp, after far too long, here's a sequel to day 146 - more of the fake dating trope! Yay! I've wanted to do more of it for quite a while, but none of the prompts seemed to fit too well, but...well, obviously this one fits perfectly xD      Uh ohhh, seems there's a wee spark of genuine feelings here...? And not just from Sasuke, seems like! Whatever will they do? :3c      Anyway, I'd like to ramble more but it's VERY late, and I've got a busy day ahead of me tomorrow. So for now, I'ma sign off - thanks for reading!

[kaycha1989]

The Right Partner

My Hero Academia Fanfic

Characters: Katsuki Bakugou, OC

Rating: Mature

Tag List: @rageyoudamnednerd @cobblepottantrum

Chapter 14

After lunch, Kia and Bakugou headed down their usual routes and everything was calm with no problems in sight. They had just got done talking to Mr. Kawahara when both of their phones went off. Kia looked at hers to see a message with an address while Bakugou answered a call.

"Ground Zero," Bakugou answered.

"We have and emergency," Jeanist said over the phone. "There is a group of villains robbing a store in the Ginza district. They have taken hostages, and the police are calling for backup from any available heroes."

"We will head there now," Bakugou said before hanging up. "We will have to go back for my bike," he said, turning towards Kia.

"We don't have time for that! It will take too long to get back and Ginza district isn't exactly close," Kia replied. "I have a better idea so we can get there faster."

"What are you talking about?" Bakugou asked. Kia stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his torso in a hug. "What are you…"Bakugou started before Kia's wings spread out behind her.

"Hold on," she commanded before taking off from the sidewalk. Startled, Bakugou wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding on as his feet left the ground. Kia's massive wings had them airborne in a couple of powerful strokes, and soon they were soaring over the tops of the buildings.

Amazed, Bakugou looked below them as they rose with every sweep of Kia's wings.

"Jeeze, you are heavier than you look," Kia grunted as her wings gave another sweep through the air. "Just relax and hold on, it makes it easier to carry you."

"You're not going to fucking drop me, are you?" Bakugou asked, still looking below them.

"Don't you trust me?" Kia laughed.

Turning to look at her, Bakugou realized how close they were. He was literally face-to-face with her, hanging off to one side so she could see where they were going. His heart beat faster, but he couldn't tell if it was because of the height and their sudden take off or because she was so close.

"You could have given me a heads up," he pouted.

"This will be faster and quieter," Kia explained. "Since we have a ways to go, I can get us to the roof of the building and we can get in without them noticing. Also, you won't have to overuse your quirk to get there. The backlash of your explosions must wear on your arms, don't they?" Kia asked him.

"Yeah, if I use a lot of big explosions it can, but I've worked on endurance since high school," Bakugou replied.

"How high up should we go?" Kia asked while looking below them.

"High enough that no one can see you carrying me like some fucking damsel in distress," Bakugou growled.

Laughing, Kia flapped her wings, carrying them higher in the air. "Here, keep your arms around my shoulders and lift yourself up so I can grab the back of your belt," Kia told him.

Obliging, Bakugou lifted his body up so Kia could grab his belt with her left hand. Reaching up, she grabbed his right hand with her own. "Ok, now let go with your left and hold your body as close to me as you can… and relax so you don't throw me off balance."

Letting go, Bakugou turned to face the same way as Kia, holding on more than being held on to. The wind felt amazing as they soared over the city high above the buildings. They were making excellent time as the Ginza district came into view.

"Have you done this a lot?" Bakugou asked, meaning flying with someone.

"Actually, no…" Kia admitted. "Most people can't get the feel for it, so it makes flying hard."

"Why did you decide to fly with me then?" Bakugou questioned, a little worried.

"I've seen the way you move through the air with your own quirk and the way you move when you fight and ride. Your sense of balance and reaction time is amazing. When fighting together, you and I move in sync. I figured if anyone could move with me while flying, it would be you."

Bakugou could feel his face heat up at her praise. "You've never been able to fly properly with anyone before?" he asked.

"No," Kia answered.

A block away, they could see a building surrounded by police. It was a large jewelry retail store with several other businesses inside the large building. Kia started circling high above the building as they looked for any lookouts on the roof.

"I can only make out one guard on the roof," Bakugou said.

"Me too, but I can't do anything while flying with you. We don't want to alert the rest, so we probably shouldn't use your explosions right now," Kia thought out loud.

"Can you fly down there with me and I will take him out?" Bakugou asked.

"Here, let me wrap my arms around you from behind," Kia said.

Bakugou let go of her, somewhat free falling while Kia held onto his belt, moving him in front of her so she could wrap her arms around his chest again. Once she had a good hold of him she asked, "Are you ready?"

"Hell yeah!" Bakugou grinned.

Pulling her wings in, Kia moved into a dive, rocketing towards the rooftop where the villain was standing unaware. Bakugou grabbed her wrists as she spun, leveling out to come at the villain from the side. Locking wrists together, Bakugou dropped, holding tight to Kia as he aimed a kick at the villain and sent him tumbling across the roof into an unconscious heap.

Pulling up, Kia set Bakugou down before landing silently on the rooftop. Bakugou quickly pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his belt and cuffed the villain. Kia moved to the roof access door and placed her ear against it, listening to see if someone was on the other side.

"I don't hear or smell anything so I bet no one is on the other side," Kia said as Bakugou walked over to join her. Jiggling the handle, she continued, "The door is locked."

"Move out of the way," Bakugou said, holding a hand out towards the knob.

Kia grabbed his hand, "Wait! If you open it with an explosion it will be loud and will alert the villains. If you blow our advantage, I will freeze your ass to this roof," she threatened.

Glaring back at her, Bakugou turned away and crossed his arms, "Fine then, how are you going to get the door open?" he asked mockingly.

"The old fashion way," Kia responded. Reaching into a pocket on her belt, she pulled out a lock pick. "It looks just like a plain lock and they don't usually put alarms on roof doors," she said as she went to work picking the lock.

"Since when have you been able to do that?" Bakugou asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Pick a lock?" Kia replied, "In high school they taught us all this as basic skills. You can't always use your quirk."

"Teach me," Bakugou demanded.

Looking up at him Kia smiled. "Say the magic word."

"Or else," Bakugou shot back.

Kia stifled a laughed as the lock she was working on clicked and she opened the door. "Wrong word" she said before stepping into the building.

Bakugou followed her with a grin. Making his way to the stairwell, he peeked over the side, checking for any more villains as Kia closed the door quietly. "I don't see anything… what about you?" he asked, turning towards her.

Kia closed her eyes, scales blossoming across her cheeks as she used her dragon senses to see if anyone was in the stair well. Shaking her head, she looked over the railing. "No, but there are people two floors down. They smell scared, so they are either just hiding in the building or they are hostages," she said, following Bakugou down the steps.

They made their way down while checking the top floor for anyone before heading down to the next. Stopping at the door, Bakugou beckoned for her to come over and listen. Pressing her ear to the door, Kia listened and breathed deep.

"There are six… no… seven people in there. From the sounds of it they are hiding," Kia whispered.

"We should be on guard just in case," Bakugou stated, reaching for the door handle. Kia stood up and moved to the other side of the door. Looking at Bakugou, she nodded to let him know she was ready. Turning the handle, he pulled the door open and rushed inside with Kia right behind him.

Looking around, they saw that they were in an office area full of cubicles. "We are here to help," Kia called out softly. A man's head peeked out from under one of the desks.

"It's Ground Zero!" The man called, coming out from under the desk. Slowly, six more people made their way out of hiding and came over to thank the heroes.

"What can you tell us about the villains?" Bakugou asked the first man who had recognized him.

"Not much… I ran as soon as I saw the first one," he replied.

"We saw them come in," said a young woman who was clinging to the young man at her side.

"There were five of them that we saw. They are robbing the jewelry store three floors down. We were there looking for engagement rings," the young man added.

"We ran up the stairs and hid here when one of them followed us. He came in here but I think he headed to the roof," the young woman finished.

"We already took care of that one," Kia assured them all.

"I want you all to head to the roof now," Bakugou ordered, taking out his cell phone, "I will get ahold of the police to let them know you are up there." Bakugou dialed the police as Kia directed everyone into the stairwell.

"What is your name?" one of the other men that had been hiding asked Kia as he moved past her.

"Wildside," Kia responded. "Don't worry Ground Zero and I will stop these villains."

"Thank you," the man said as he followed the others.

Kia made a quick sweep of the floor then returned to Bakugou, who was just getting off the phone. "I've informed the police of the situation. Let's head down to the next floor."

Together, they headed down the stairs. Just when they got to the door, Kia put a hand out, stopping Bakugou. Looking over at her, he saw her put a finger to her lips. Moving to either side of the door, the two heroes waited.

"I'm going to see what is taking that dumbass so long," a villain said. Bakugou and Kia could hear the beep of a walkie talkie as the villain let the call button go.

"Radio back as soon as you have found him," another voice said over the radio.

"Rodger that," the villain replied as he opened the door, turning and coming face-to-face with Kia.

"Hey there, I'm lost, could you point the way to the exit?" Kia said, distracting the villain.

"What the…?" the villain started only to have Bakugou grab him by the collar.

"I would drop the radio if I were you." Bakugou threatened.

The walkie clattered to the floor as the villain recognized him. "G-G-Ground Z-Zero" the villain stammered. "Please don't hurt me."

"Then tell us what we want to know," Kia demanded.

"How many of you are there?" Bakugou questioned, slamming the villain up against the wall.

"Seven all together," the villain confessed. "Please don't hurt me, I'm not even that powerful… my cousin dragged me into this and said it would be good money."

"How many of you are powerful?" Kia asked.

"Four," the villain answered.

"What are their quirks?" Bakugou growled.

"I don't know about two of them, but my cousin has a water quirk and his friend has some kind of defensive quirk."

"How many hostages are there?" Bakugou demanded.

"I don't know, I didn't count them all… maybe a dozen," the villain answered uncertainly.

"Is that all?" Kia asked raising a brow. "If you are lying to us…well, you should know that my partner here has a short fuse."

"I swear!" the villain cried.

"Good," Kia smiled. "For being so cooperative, I will make this quick."

"What?" the villain whimpered right before Kia punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious.

Pulling another pair of cuffs from his belt, Bakugou eyed his partner. "You could leave some of the fun for me, you know," he said as he secured the villain.

"You can have the next one," Kia offered as they checked the floor the villain just came from.

After securing the floor, they moved their way down to find the next floor was a clothing store. They searched the area, not finding a single person.

"The villains and hostages are supposed to be on the floor below us," Kia said.

"Yeah, the trick will be getting in there," Bakugou replied.

"No blasting through the floor," Kia interrupted as Bakugou opened his mouth to say something else.

"That's not what I was going to say!" he growled. "We need to find out the layout and where the villains and hostages are."

"Got any ideas?" Kia asked. Bakugou shook his head, thinking it over. Looking around them at all the clothes, Kia got an idea. Pulling a jacket off the rack, she looked at the size.

"This is no time to be shopping, Sunshine…" Bakugou said.

"I'm not shopping, I'm thinking of a way to scope out the floor," Kia said as she moved through the racks.

"What is your plan?" Bakugou asked.

"I will dress as a civilian and get caught by the villains. Then I can use the earpiece you gave me to tell you positions and numbers so you can blast in there and we can catch these guys," Kia said, pulling a dark blouse over her costume.

"Are you stupid? You are going to let yourself get caught?" Bakugou hissed at her.

"Got a better plan?" Kia challenged, kicking off her boots.

Bakugou gritted his teeth as Kia pulled on a pair of black dress pants and heels. She pulled her hair into a bun at the base of her neck and grabbed a pair of glasses from the counter.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Like a secretary," Bakugou replied.

"Good. Now to get them to come up here," Kia said, looking around. The floor in the store was tile, so she bumped one of the display racks, causing it to screech across the floor. "You had better find a place to hide," she said, turning to Bakugou. He slipped away two seconds before the door to the stairs burst open, showing a large villain.

The villain stalked through the aisle, looking for what had caused the noise. He was making his way to Bakugou's hiding spot when Kia knocked over a display of necklaces. Spinning around, the villain caught sight of her. Kia took off for the stair well only to have the villain cut her off.

"I've got you now!" the villain chuckled as he grabbed Kia by the arm.

"No! Please let me go!" Kia exclaimed as she pretended to try and pull away.

Bakugou hid in the shadows, gritting his teeth as he watched his partner put herself in danger. Kia continued struggling against the villain until he slapped her across the face. Kia went limp at the contact and slumped to the floor.

"Pretty little thing, aren't ya?" the villain said as he threw her over his shoulder. "Maybe we could have some fun with you."

It was all Bakugou could do not to rush the villain. He stood up, wanting to go after them. but Kia's eyes opened from where she was slung over the villains back. Meeting his gaze, she gave him a wink before closing them again. Bakugou took a deep breath, realizing that the whole thing had very well been an act on Kia's part. He reached up making sure his earpiece was in place and got ready to do one thing he hated most… wait.

Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8 | Ch 9 | Ch 10 | Ch 11

CH 12 | Ch 13 | Ch 14 | Ch 15 | Ch 16 | Ch 17 | Ch 18 | Ch 19 | Ch 20

[mrmichaelchadler]

Home Entertainment Consumer Guide: October 4, 2018

10 NEW TO NETFLIX

"Billy Madison" "Blade II" "Blazing Saddles" "Chappaquiddick" "The Devil's Advocate" "The Green Mile" "Monty Python's Life of Brian" "Mountain" "Mystic River" "The Shining"

7 NEW TO BLU-RAY/DVD

"Andrei Rublev" (Criterion)

It's funny how classic directors can ebb and flow into the national conversation. I feel like I've heard Andrei Tarkovsky's name more in 2018 than in many recent years. Some years everyone thinks everything is "Hitchockian" or "Kubrickian." Perhaps Film Twitter is expanding its auteur vocabulary because I've seen several recent films, including "Annihilation" and "High Life," compared to Tarkovsky's work. Did Criterion somehow know this was going to happen, thereby timing their HD upgrade of his epic "Andrei Rublev" for late September? Probably not, but you never know. As for the release, it's a beauty, including both versions of the film, a few documentaries, and new interviews. Some of the Criterion upgrades are merely that (imports of special features with an HD transfer) but this is more like a brand new release. After all, Andrei Tarkovsky has never been hotter.

Buy it here 

Special Features New high-definition digital restoration of the director’s preferred 183-minute cut, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray The Passion According to Andrei, the original 205-minute version of the film Steamroller and Violin, Tarkovsky’s 1961 student thesis film The Three Andreis, a 1966 documentary about the writing of the film’s script On the Set of “Andrei Rublev,” a 1966 documentary about the making of the film New interviews with actor Nikolai Burlyaev and cinematographer Vadim Yusov by filmmakers Seán Martin and Louise Milne New interview with film scholar Robert Bird Selected-scene commentary from 1998 featuring film scholar Vlada Petric New video essay by filmmaker Daniel Raim New English subtitle translation PLUS: An essay by critic J. Hoberman

"Leave No Trace"

Debra Granik's first film since "Winter's Bone" remains one of my favorites of 2018 and loses none of its remarkable power on second viewing at home. It's just as phenomenal as I remember when I saw it at Sundance. This is a gentle, truthful tale about a father and daughter growing apart, a division deepened by his severe PTSD. Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie gives one of the most genuine performances of the year, and Ben Foster nearly matches, finding a more subtle register than the one for which he's most well-known. This is a beautiful movie, one that I hope everyone gets a chance to see.

Buy it here 

Special Features Creating Leave No Trace - Featurette Deleted Scenes Behind the Scenes Vignettes Location Scout Photo Gallery

"The Naked Prey" (Criterion)

Academy Award nominee Cornel Wilde stars in this adventure film, which he also directed and produced, reportedly based on the life of John Colter, an explorer chased by Blackfoot warriors in Wyoming. The script for "Naked Prey" was Oscar-nominated but if you're thinking this is a relatively obscure choice for Criterion, especially when compared to the other two films in this column, you're not wrong. The company often includes at least one film a month that you probably haven't heard of or at least haven't seen in a very long time, to go with it's more widely-acknowledged collection of classics. Such is the case with "Naked Prey," a film that reportedly earned mixed reviews on its release but is now considered influential both in its focus and brutality. Roger himself was not a fan.   Buy it here 

Special Features Restored high-definition digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray Audio commentary from 2007 by film scholar Stephen Prince “John Colter’s Escape,” a 1913 record of the trapper’s flight from Blackfoot Indians—which was the inspiration for The Naked Prey—read by actor Paul Giamatti Original soundtrack cues created by director Cornel Wilde and ethnomusicologist Andrew Tracey, along with a written statement by Tracey Trailer PLUS: An essay by film critic Michael Atkinson and a 1970 interview with Wilde

"A Raisin in the Sun" (Criterion)

When Lorraine Hansberry wrote A Raisin in the Sun in the '50s, do you think she had any idea it would become a staple of American theater, and regularly adapted for film and television? The play has really stood the test of time, and it's still produced in near-constant rotation around the country, but Criterion has gone with the original, and still-best, film production of it, starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, and Louis Gossett Jr. Regular readers of this column know that I'm always curious about the timing of Criterion releases. So why "Raisin" now? Well, it's clear that the themes of the play still resonate today, and perhaps the company is responding to criticism that their collection is largely full of white filmmakers telling white stories. Whatever the reason, "A Raisin in the Sun" remains essential to the story of American theatre in the '50s and '60s and this is a great way to bring this seminal work to a wider audience.

Buy it here

Special Features New, restored 4K digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray Interview from 1961 with playwright/screenwriter Lorraine Hansberry New interview with Imani Perry, author of Looking for Lorraine Episode of Theater Talk from 2002 featuring producer Philip Rose and actors Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis Excerpt from Black Theatre: The Making of a Movement (1978), with a new introduction by director Woodie King Jr. New interview with film scholar Mia Mask, coeditor of Poitier Revisited Interview from 2002 with director Daniel Petrie Trailer PLUS: An essay by scholar Sarita Cannon and author James Baldwin’s 1969 tribute to Hansberry, “Sweet Lorraine”

"Solo: A Star Wars Story"

If you ask a certain sector of the movie-going public, they'll tell you that "Solo: A Star Wars Story" was a massive bomb. They'll claim that negative feelings about "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" caused a backlash against "Solo" and the box office reflected that, leading to the lowest-grossing "Star Wars" film of the modern era (and that includes the prequels). The truth is that "Solo" likely wasn't as impacted by "TLJ" as it was over-saturation. There was a time when a "Star Wars" movie was an event, which is inherently more difficult when one is practically still playing in theaters as a new one comes out. There's also the fact that, sorry, "Solo" isn't very good. One can see the struggle behind the scenes that led to Ron Howard being brought in to helm the pic, and the result is a film that's only sporadically entertaining (and horribly under-lit). The Blu-ray is solid, as they often are for "Star Wars" films, but I think the lesson to take from "Solo" is that any universe loses its luster if we visit it too often and the best thing this franchise could do after "Episode IX" would be to go away for a little while. Absence makes the Wookie heart grow fonder.

Buy it here 

Special Features Solo: The Director & Cast Roundtable Team Chewie  Kasdan on Kasdan  Remaking the Millennium Falcon  Escape from Corellia  The Train Heist  Becoming a Droid: L3-37  Scoundrels, Droids, Creatures and Cards: Welcome to Fort Ypso  Into the Maelstrom: The Kessel Run  Deleted Scenes The Millenium Falcon: From Page to Park

"Three Identical Strangers"

2018 has been an amazing year for documentaries. Films like "RBG," "Won't You Be My Neighbor?," and now "Free Solo" have become surprising arthouse hits, finding devoted fans. I'm hoping that the trend brings people to one of the best docs of the year, a hit at Sundance and the Chicago Critics Film Festival earlier this year, "Three Identical Strangers." This is one of those WTF documentaries that keeps unfolding new secrets and revelations as it progresses. Without spoiling anything, the craziest part of this story is not what you think it is. It's not merely that three identical triplets found each other after years apart. There's more to this tale than any writer could possibly devise. Check it out and see for yourself. 

Buy it here 

Special Features Audio Commentary with Director Tim Wardle and Editor Michael Harte Q&A with David Kellman, Robert Shafran, Brenda Galland, Ellen Cervone, and Director Tom Wardle Photo Gallery Trailer

"X-Men Trilogy"

The MCU may be thriving but the "X-Men" franchise is in a weird phase. The "Dark Phoenix" trailer dropped last week only for the movie's release date to then be pushed back. People just don't seem as excited about "X-Men" as they used to be, but that shouldn't stop superhero fans from going back to the beginning, Bryan Singer's wildly influential first film about Wolverine, Storm, Magneto, and company. Christopher Nolan gets a lot of credit for influencing where the market is now, but Sam Raimi and Bryan Singer deserve just as much, if not more, for creating the templates for the modern superhero movie. The first two films in this trilogy are phenomenal, and they hold up beautifully in these new 4K editions. The third film? It was horrible then and it's horrible now, another film that can be used as a template for what NOT to do in the superhero genre. 

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Special Features Audio Commentaries Behind-the-Scenes Footage Deleted/Extended Scenes The Mutant Watch Animatics Character and Production Design Stills

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[aion-rsa]

How Cruel Summer Recontextualizes Our Understanding of Teenage Trauma

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This article contains spoilers for Cruel Summer.

The Freeform drama Cruel Summer is undoubtedly one of the best TV series of 2021, an addictive teen thriller with a story spread across three distinct timelines and an ending that manages to feel both completely inevitable and deeply shocking. (Plus, there’s the amazing 1990s soundtrack – truly a gift!)

Set in the aftermath of a kidnapping in a small Texas town, Cruel Summer follows the story of Kate Wallis (Olivia Holt), the high school queen bee held captive in her vice principal’s home, and Jeannette Turner (Chiara Aurelia), the former dorky nerd who remakes herself in her frenemy’s image in the wake of her disappearance (and is accused of failing to report her abduction). The show uses its split timeline format and a series of unreliable narrators to explore what really happened to Kate and what, if anything, Jeannette knew about her disappearance.

Although the series is full of the sort of jaw-dropping narrative twists that make for endlessly compulsive binge viewing, at its heart Cruel Summer is a story that subverts our expectations about what teen television can do. From the deft way that the series plays with our preconceived assumptions about who these girls are – and should be – to the way it uses its mystery framework to tell a complex story about trauma, grooming, and sexual assault, this is a show that consistently surprises in all the best ways.

And nowhere is that complexity more evident than when it comes to the character of Kate Wallis. On a less nuanced show, Kate would likely have been little more than a mean girl stereotype. She almost certainly would have been positioned as the villain of the series and viewers would have been urged to sympathize with the much more familiar teen drama protagonist Jeanette – an awkward girl with a secret dream of becoming popular. But that’s not what happens here at all.

Because while the surprising cliffhangers and time-jump-related twists of its central mystery may have driven internet buzz about the show – and a not insignificant number of truly bizarre fan theories – the question of whether Jeanette knew about Kate’s imprisonment was never the most important story that Cruel Summer was telling. 

Instead, the show fearlessly digs into a much more complex topic: The often traumatic experience of teen girlhood, exploring issues that go well beyond the horrifying kidnapping at the show’s center. Through Kate and Jeanette, Cruel Summer deftly deconstructs how the unrealistic expectations placed on young girls damage their lives in unexpected and often unforeseen ways, encouraging them to chase elusive ideals of perfection, compete with one another for things like boys and popularity, and pretend to be people they aren’t.

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How Cruel Summer’s Ending Changes Everything For Season 2

By Lacy Baugher

On the surface, Kate Wallis is the teen idol of Skylin, Texas. Beautiful, rich, and popular, she’s dating a handsome football player and looking forward to a bright future. But beneath her seemingly charmed life, Kate is devastatingly lonely, trapped in a family and a social position that values her appearance more than her interiority. Everyone around her treats her like an object, happily projecting their preconceived notions of who she should be – a perfect daughter, an ideal student, a popular friend – onto her, without ever asking her what she really wants.

It makes perfect sense that Kate would be an easy target for a man like Martin Harris (Blake Lee), someone who makes sure that she feels seen on her own terms. While his motives are clearly nefarious – not to mention classic grooming techniques – Harris is also one of the few people that actually listen to Kate, encouraging her to share her feelings and fears in a way that no one else in her life really bothers to do.

Unlike some other popular teen dramas, Cruel Summer never glamorizes the relationship between Kate and Martin, working overtime to remind viewers that their connection is one born of abuse and manipulation. Their romance isn’t depicted as a dreamy fairytale or a rebellious act against a judgmental society, it’s a metaphorical prison that eventually turns into a literal cage. And in a world where shows like the mega-popular Pretty Little Liars not only depicts Aria dating one of her teachers for several years but marrying him at the series’ conclusion, well, suddenly Cruel Summer feels pretty revolutionary.

The series is part of a growing swath of mainstream television programs that seek to wrestle with and push back against these sorts of damaging assumptions. From the miniseries A Teacher to the reboot of Gossip Girl, the medium is purposefully deconstructing the formerly romanticized ideal of the teacher-student relationship and the complex power dynamics between young women and the people charged with educating or protecting them. 

One of the biggest shows of the upcoming Fall television season is Impeachment: American Crime Story, a series that puts these dynamics front and center in its reevaluation of the Monica Lewinsky scandal of the early 1990s. The real-life events saw the world’s most powerful man take advantage of a young woman in his employ and then allow her to essentially be blamed for his (disgusting) actions. Its past time for us, as a society, to not only reckon with this specific case – and our collective lionization of Bill Clinton in spite of it – but with our need to put exploited young women into one of two boxes: A virginal damsel whose purity means she’s not responsible for anything that happens to her or a messy (read: normal) girl whose choices make her at least somewhat culpable for the things that did. 

But one of Cruel Summer’s most crucial aspects is that Kate is not required to be perfect to earn the show or the audience’s sympathy. Our culture loves to blame young women for the bad things that happen to them, so the revelation that Kate first entered Martin’s house willingly is the sort of shock twist that all too often precipitates a problematic backlash. It’s her fault she went there in the first place. She deserved what happened to her. Here’s the thing she should have done differently. Why should we believe her now if she lied before? These are all the things that survivors often hear in the aftermath of their traumas.

Cruel Summer determinedly subverts typical TV storylines about sexual assault, never once entertaining the idea that Kate is anything other than a victim. Olivia Holt’s performance is a revelation, heartbreaking and furious by turns, as Kate wrestles with multiple forms of guilt and struggles to figure out who she is in the aftermath of what happened to her. And the show itself displays such consistent empathy toward her character, from the inclusion of the therapy sessions that feature her doctor explicitly explaining the concept and signs of grooming to the desperate chat logs that show her seeking any sort of community that might understand her messy emotions.

By the end of Cruel Summer’s first season, it seems as though Kate has reached at least a baseline level of peace, thanks to a boatload of therapy and allowing herself to remember what really happened during her last night at the Harris house. (She shot and killed Martin.) Though she’s still unaware of the fact that her initial suspicion of Jeannette was actually correct – if not precisely in the way she first assumed – it seems as though she’s finally ready to move on with her life. (Particularly if her kiss with Mallory is anything to go by.) But with the series renewed for a second season – where does Kate’s journey go from here?

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Though there’s certainly a valid argument to be made that Cruel Summer should return as an anthology series and tell an entirely different story in its second season, there’s an equally compelling one that says truly showing us Kate’s journey back to herself is just as important. (There are also probably a fair number of fans who want to see Jeanette exposed, as well.) This show has been so thoughtful about the way it has depicted the effects of trauma and the lingering impact it can have on those whose lives it touches, surely Cruel Summer season 2 would handle the next stage of Kate’s story with the same nuance. And that certainly feels like a story worth telling – if only because it’s precisely the kind of teen story we rarely get to see.

The post How Cruel Summer Recontextualizes Our Understanding of Teenage Trauma appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[nebula-starlight]

Corrupt (Part 16 - Union)

He saw the trail of burnt out lights and heard the staticky hum that followed Narssia’s abrupt exit, torn between his interest in the project and concern over her. Void was back and quite furious too if he felt the hint of her presence correctly. Sighing, he let his gaze drop to the floor, hands twitching slightly as flickers of red darted over the pale skin.

Knowing she had returned left him uneasy for a change. He had to protect the two humans... especially since neither had allowed their respective demon out since arriving at the empty warehouse. While Anti and Dark could take care of themselves, Nether wasn’t sure Void would be so particular in choosing her target. She tended to lash out blindly whenever she had control and cared little about who got hurt in the process.

He looked up, using one hand to push back the hood of his jacket as he heard the faint hum of static grow louder seconds before either Jack or Mark did. Once one of them called for a brief break - to figure out what was going on no doubt - he slowly approached with the intent of providing any aid he could. It was only when he reached them that the power suddenly cut out, plunging the whole building into darkness.

Nether couldn’t quite see at first but he heard one of the men reach for their phone, only recognizing which one it was when, seconds later, several curses tinged with an Irish accent graced his hearing. Void was learning, he realized as his eyes glowed a dull red to provide what little light he could without too much risk of backlash. It was a trait he’d kept from his life as a spirit, now suddenly useful in the wake of the power outage.

“Mind telling your girlfriend there to cut it out with the theatrics? We didn’t have much time to get this shot anyway and now she decides to-“

His patience wearing thin, Nether’s low growl was all it took to silence Mark, letting his aura briefly manifest for added emphasis to be silent. He would deal with any recoil there was for using his abilities later. If he knew Void as well as he thought though, then she had something big in mind to be expending so much energy. Then again, she had likely just escaped from Dark and probably needed to let off some steam. Either way, a part of him was eager to see what she had planned.

Several seconds passed before he heard it - a chuckle that started soft, hiccuping every so often with a slight glitch as the sound made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Void wasn’t like this normally... She was never one to plan out anything, often acting in the spur of the moment. It was truly a trait he both adored and equally despised in her. Glitching or not, he preferred a more direct confrontation.

It seemed like an eternity passed before the sound faded away, only for an eerily familiar wheeze to brush against his ear, one Nether had only heard once before from her. It had been back when she was starting to take over Narssia - right after he dropped Geer mid-flight if he remembered correctly. Thinking back on the event, he probably shouldn’t have blindly trusted that Void’s emerging presence would make her host more determined to save the only drake she trusted. It was a careless risk... but it had paid off tremendously well in the end.

Mildly concerned that she wasn’t alright, he almost started to go look for her but decided it would be better to stay with the humans as static buzzed fiercely above their heads. He glared down the dark hallway that he knew Narssia had fled into, silently hoping he wasn’t walking right into another impossible choice. Doing what he did to Versi all those years ago had scarred him deeply and yet, being around Geer had somehow started to soften the shell of apathy he had ultimately constructed around his heart after ending her life. It had been the only way to stop the corruption... At least he thought so at the time, believing those lies back then. Now he knew he would have found a different way.

“She’s here, isn’t she? The one you call the other half of your soul.” Jack whispered questioningly, glancing off in the direction of the corridor nervously before his eyes returned to Nether.

He nodded, too distracted by his thoughts to respond at first. When he did, however, there was no compassion in the low growl that rumbled in the base of his throat. “Aye, the hollow, corrupted, broken form of mine beloved Versi. I do believe Mark knows of her by a different name though. Or is it Dark that has met Void? Either way, I’m certain she won’t keep us waiting long. She has little patience after all.”

“Were you expecting something grander?”

Her mocking voice echoed around them, each syllable left hanging in the air as Void still evaded their vision but made her presence undeniably known. Static crackled in her wake, far too loud for the two humans as they cringed, hands desperately rising in an attempt to protect their hearing. Nether, while mildly annoyed, wasn’t affected by her ploy, instead taking a step forward to draw her attention.

“Come now, you want your chance to get back at me. What are you waiting for, dearest? I’m right here.”

He felt Geer try to move in the back of his mind, imagining how the drake would likely lecture him on how his taunt would only infuriate her further, but quickly silenced the unwanted criticism before it began with barely any effort. Why should he have to listen to the worthless creature who only existed to safely harbor his spirit? It had been nearly two years since he took over for the first time and he still allowed the true owner of the body to live for what purpose other than to constantly distract him.

“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll get your turn in due time but first...” She paused, her words sliding into a soft hiss that sent chills down his spine. Nether couldn’t ignore her strange behavior any longer. Void was completely out of her mind now! It did continue to interest him though - no doubt a byproduct of half of his core being her own.

Mark suddenly stumbled, falling to one knee as his hands went to his leg in panic. Several sickly greenish-black spots appeared and begun to spread across the once healthy flesh, devouring even the material of his pants. At the same time, Nether watched as a faint mist appeared around Jack’s hands that seemed to drain away what color they did have until they turned gray. It was only when he heard the telltale crack of bones breaking that he realized in horror what the corrupt spirit was doing. Swarm the body with traumatic agony to immobilize the mind, effectively freezing the person in place while they tried to make sense of why and where exactly the pain was coming from. Ironically enough, he had done nearly the same thing when he confronted her.

“Void, stop it! Jack and Mark are innocent in all this!” He spread his arms out, hoping to draw in her focus so the two could escape. “Break every bone in my body if you want but leave them alone.”

The sound of her amused chuckle reverberated throughout the room, effectively silencing his plea. “Now what fun would that be to only have one toy? You know... your begging is becoming tiresome. How about I give you a choice? If you don’t shut your mouth I’ll gut one of them right now.” Her voice fell to a soft whisper, more mocking than anything as her next words breathed quietly into Nether’s ear, “Then again, I could always use a new puppet to break.”

He repressed the urge to shudder, barely managing to keep his expression neutral before a single light flickered on at the opposite end of the hall. Although the bulb was threatening to go out as it precariously flickered, the meager amount of illumination it provided was still enough to shine down on the frail looking human standing underneath as she lifted her head, one glowing green iris visible through the curtain of dark, tangled hair. Nether took a step back, still shielding the two Youtubers from her as a concerned growl rumbled in the back of his throat. She had never used innocents to trap him before - even after her very first appearance nearly ended in bloodshed. It concerned him to see her so... damaged. What had Dark done to her?

“Choose wisely, Red.”

He flinched at the words, knowing instantly they weren’t coming from a mentally sound spirit at all. She only called him that when she didn’t remember his name and even then she’d usually make some kind of attempt to coax it out of her shattered mind before resorting to the degrading term. Glancing briefly at Mark and Jack, he quickly realized that he would have to do this alone. Neither of them were in any condition to aid him or even try to run. Had she planned it from the very beginning? If so, he wasn’t sure he liked what else she had in store for them...

“For once you listen. Not that you did much of that before,” she snarled, taking a step forward as she all but disappeared back into the shadows. The glow of her eye was all he could see, noticing how the faintest hint of a wispy trail started to develop before she seemed to reign herself back in and continue. “Oh, did I hurt your feelings? You know better than anyone what to do with emotions you don’t want, am I right?”

Nether stood his ground, gaze flickering briefly in indecision before he sighed and let his arms fall by his side. Every word she said was true. He’d pushed her away all those years ago and then paid the terrible price...

“Go ahead, take a stab at me. Pity you don’t have those claws anymore though. I bet this neck would open up even quicker than what you had to cut through the first time.” She giggled, one finger quickly tracing along her throat as the sound sent a chill down his spine.

He took a step back, breath quickening as he heard Jack beside him trying to stifle a scream as the bones of his forearms started to splinter. How was she doing this? He was the one with illusionary magic so how...? The static. She was using it to infiltrate into their heads and corrupt what they saw. Then how did that account for him being able to see it as well?

“Choices, choices. Do you save the mortals or do you sacrifice yourself like the hero you thought you once were? Time to make your decision.”

Nether shook his head, a desperate growl rising from his throat in dismay. This wasn’t right at all! Void... Something had happened to her during the time they had been apart. He just didn’t know what and it frustrated him.

Shadows suddenly seemed to spin around him, the entire fury of her white noise slamming down on him as he stumbled back before falling to his knees. Pain... so much pain. Deep dark down - soul cracking under strain. He had to hold it- no, hold himself together. Keep Geer confined... keep the nausea at bay...

Fingers trembled as he buried one hand into his hair, hoping some measure of self-inflicted pain would ground him as his eyes squeezed shut. He could already feel his left hand twitching, the first of several symptoms he had fervently hoped would not appear. With Void’s reappearance, he wondered just how bad things would become. No doubt what he suffered through was a result of his controlling of the body without release for months. While he could survive on energy alone, the frail form he inhabited required more effort to maintain and his presence already put a strain on it to begin with.

Void said nothing, the only sound filling the room being the crackle of her subconsciously emitted static. He knew she had something planned but her methods weren’t normal at all. Almost as if there was a reversal of personality... unpredictably becoming calculated and composed. That wasn’t her normal strategy, if she even had one at times.

An unexpected wave of dizziness suddenly washed over him, nearly making him pass out as he started to fall back. The only thing that kept him upright, though, was a slim hand slipping around his wrist as a soft, higher pitched growl rose in warning.

“Show some resistance here, won’t you? It’s not like I plan to kill you with witnesses present after all. No, I have more I want to do and for that... Well, why don’t we make this a bit more private?”

Her words brushed against his ear in a soft hiss, soon followed by a familiar rush of energy not unlike his own aural flares. The surge passed harmlessly through Nether, only briefly pining him in place before he heard two definitively loud thumps in the distance. He wanted to check on the two Youtubers, almost certain they’d been the target but she refused to let go even as the dizziness passed.

He glared up at her, noticing the wispy trail of aura leak from her eye as the energy she expended faded away into a comfortable silence. The hand that wasn’t around his wrist was trembling, sparks of green dripping from her palm before she snarled and jerked away. The noise had left, likely pulled back into her being after giving him a taste of what she constantly felt on a daily basis.

“You normally aren’t this quiet.” He remarked, cautiously rising to his feet as her outstretched arm fell back by her side. “The last time I remember you being like-“

“How do you stand it?”

The hushed question caught him off guard, causing whatever words he had been planning to say to fall silent on his tongue in shock as he stared at her. Void refused to meet his gaze, however, staring down at the floor as she wrapped a fraying string from her dark tunic around a finger mindlessly. Her shoulders were hunched, posture no longer in the pristine stance he’d seen earlier upon her initial reveal.

“What?”

Void looked up in confusion at first, the one green iris he could see strangely dark as the wispy aural trail faded. “You heard me. How do you stand hearing His thoughts over and over like a broken record?”

Nether hesitated, unsure at first about who she was referring to with her rather cryptic question. He wanted to ask for more details but feared he’d throw her shaky sanity completely off the rails. Yet if he did nothing, he firmly expected she’d lash out at him for taking his time dissecting a simple inquiry. It had happened before after all and he knew answer or not that there was a part of her that still wanted revenge on him.

Almost as if he’d predicted it, she turned and grabbed at his throat with a single hand. Her fingernails dug into the soft flesh as he made no attempt to resist and struggled for a full breath, the hiss of her static returning in the background. The anger was something he expected from her, familiar even by the sheer number of times Void had lashed out.

“You had your chance!” She spat, pulling him closer before a brief tremor caused her to momentarily glitch in place. Her form distorted, scattering several images of her broken and equally twisted before she composed herself with a frustrated huff. “You had ample opportunities to fix what went wrong but you didn’t. Even when I first awoke in that draconian... You did nothing! Is this all just some twisted game of yours?”

He heard the pleading in her voice as it broke, knowing for certain that wasn’t normal. She hadn’t expressed any form of sorrow around him for years, usually either rage or blissful innocence. It was unfortunate that she hid her instability so much to the point of it causing her emotional and even mental pain on top of what she already endured. The torture she’d suffered because of Dark had weakened her no doubt, but also curiously aroused the limited magic she had.

The familiar warmth of his aura brought Nether out of his thoughts, eyes flickering down towards his palm to see the crimson glow crackle like a flame. He noticed Void watching, scowling in an obvious attempt to mask her underlying fear of his abilities before she shoved him away. Stumbling back, he tried to conceal the tremor that made his hands shake but heard in her low hiss that she’d seen the sign of his prolonged control. Whether she actually knew what it meant, he wasn’t sure.

“You actually did it. Shut him out, I mean.” She sighed, the sound more than proving to him that she was aware of what was happening. “And now it’s destroying you from the inside, isn’t it? The tremors and nausea, even the frequent paralyzing nightmares...”

Nether scowled, eyes flashing a bright red in equal parts embarrassment and irritation that she would dare to calmly lay out every symptom he’d experienced over the last few months. Just what gave her the right to openly expose that part of his daily life? He’d tried to hide the evidence as best he could while feeling like he was in a barely functioning state of limbo between sleeplessness and starvation. Rest hadn’t come naturally in months and eating, well... that was only reserved for when he felt like he was about to pass out. Even then sometimes it was a struggle to get a few bites of food down before he had to rush off to the bathroom.

Standing together with her in the darkness, Void’s eyes suddenly seemed too bright, too much like the yellow his beloved Versi’s had originally been. Nether coughed, trying to clear his throat but the action didn’t help how rough his voice sounded.

“How... how long have you known?”

“Long enough.” He watched as she looked away, one hand clenching into a fist before she violently glitched in place again. “I spent several days free before I ever made my reappearance known... Lucky for you, you got to see it first hand.” She chuckled softly, shaking her head before finally meeting his concerned gaze. “I too had secrets to hide from those around me. You see, Dark persuaded me to aid him back on Valentine’s Day with crashing what Mark had planned. I agreed to help and before I knew it he was forcing Naris to choose. Either shoot Mark or... myself.”

Nether was drawn into the story she told, completely unaware at first of the severity of the situation but still found himself starting forward the minute he noticed her wobble unsteadily before starting to collapse. He caught her gently by the shoulders, steadying her close to him before looking around in a desperate search for help. Remembering that they were now alone, he sighed and ultimately settled his gaze back on Void to watch as her fingers slowly lifted away from the side of her head. He hadn’t a clue as to when she’d found the time to move her hand into that position but decided it didn’t matter as he saw the blood dripping down from the now visible bullethole in her temple.

“She shot you.”

Nether hesitated, still in shock as his voice barely rose above a whisper in dread at the thought of what damage the bullet could have done with it lodged in her brain for months. It made sense... all the changes to her personality quirks at least. Why hadn’t she told anyone?! Even more pressing though, how much had it ricocheted onto Narssia? Had she been affected in any way by the bullet or had the corrupt spirit held the severity of the grave wound back for once?

A weak nod was all the respond he got at first, his hands quivering so much he feared he would drop her. They were both dying. He’d come to the acceptance now that Geer’s body was finally giving out - no matter how hard he tried to pour energy into it. Now he learned Void had taken a gunshot wound to the head months ago and hidden it under multiple layers of her static interference to conceal any negative side effects...

“Don’t do this to me,” he snarled, aura flaring out brightly around him before she jerked and spasmed uncontrollably in his arms. Her weak cry afterwards left him numb, bringing to the surface too many memories that he had tried countless times to forget.

“I... I didn’t plan on saying anything but when I... When I took control her head smacked against the counter and... The bullet must have been jostled.” She barely got the words out, her voice breaking every so often as she stuttered frequently. There had been more damage than he expected and now he was seeing firsthand how the light was fading from her eyes.

Holding her tighter, he gently hushed her, blowing some of her hair back with a soft huff to quickly see both eyes. Her left, which had been hidden during her reappearance, was cloudy... the murky greenish-yellow orb trying and failing to focus on him. Nether let the dark, messy curtain of hair fall back over it without a word, suddenly finding himself unable to meet her one working eye in guilt. He should have realized sooner that something was wrong. Why hadn’t he seen the signs?

“Void, I- No, no, you don’t deserve to hear me make excuses now. My dearest Versi listen to me.” His grip on her shoulders tightened, making sure they were at eye level with each other. She hissed softly in protest but he ignored her discomfort, knowing he had to say this before she passed out or worse.

“I still love you, no matter how you’ve changed. Glitching or not, you hold half of my soul and that is not a light matter. We are forever bonded, together as one by the Ancients. A soul’s decay affects both and if one goes well...” Nether paused for a moment, chuckling softly to himself. “I used to think both would die but you proved all those rules wrong. Do it again, my beloved. I know someone who can help you and I can keep you sedated with illusions if you like. It doesn’t have to end like this for either of us.”

“I appreciate the thought but... I think we should consider what would happen. Brain damage doesn’t... doesn’t heal overnight.”

Nether frowned, having hoped Void would take him up on the offer. He hadn’t seen much of the German doctor who hung around Jack but he had at least heard about him. Funny how the man shared his native tongue though.

“Nein, it doesn’t but we promised each other neimals allen.”

Void twitched again, having to make an effort to keep her gaze on him. “I’ve told you before to stop spouting off words I don’t know!”

“You knew it once, dearest.” He corrected her, aura shimmering slightly against his skin. “We’d spend hours watching the sunset together with the promise that we would never be alone.”

“That was a different time. We weren’t so damaged back then.” She hissed softly under her breath, her one good eye flickering in exhaustion. “Just accept it. Let me go.”

Nether shook his head in refusal, moving her so that one of her arms was across his shoulder so he could stroke her cheek. He couldn’t change her mind. Void had made her decision a while ago he suspected and yet it still hurt him to obey her request. It wasn’t supposed to end like this!

“If that’s what you want,” he muttered softly, refusing to meet her gaze as her body quivered slightly.

“It is. Naris won’t survive - no matter what I do. I kept it hidden to protect her. But now I- I can’t feel it.” Void shook her head gently, leaning more against Nether to continue standing. “When I held it with my magic I could feel the cold steel. Even if I try to keep it from her now, we do share a mind. What affects one also impacts-“

“Impacts the other,” Nether finished for her as she grimaced and tried to reach for her head with the hand that wasn’t over his shoulder. He knew the expression she fought to hide, knowing how much she hated being in pain. It was his fault after all. He’d left her alone so often when they were alive and then she became Corrupted...

He tried to force a smile, tipping her head up with the gentlest push on her chin he could manage. They would make it out of this. He spent centuries thinking she was dead and she, in that same amount of time, had lost herself to the pain that became her existence. Void was his creation... Versi’s broken mind fixating on nothing more than getting revenge. That was why she attacked him so viciously the first time she ever took control over Narssia. She’d never said so but he’d seen the look in her eyes as she pinned him against a wall with a surge of static. Even her first audible words had been directed at him - ‘You did this.’

“Love blinded you.”

He heard her soft murmur but thought nothing of it, only noticing when something sharp pierced his stomach. His breath came out as a gasping croak, too shocked to see the small upturn of her lips as Void’s gaze stayed firmly on him even though the small dagger she’d summoned was currently embedded up to the hilt in his body.

“Too trusting... Too easy to manipulate even at the end.” Her grin spread, baring her teeth as she twisted the blade to further his misery before angrily ripping it out. “Do say hello to Geer for me though. I’m sure Naris will join him soon enough.”

He stumbled back, one hand going to the wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding while his other reached out to her in confusion. Why would she use what dwindling strength she had to stab him? While it was true that revenge had been her goal at first, he honestly thought she’d gotten past that... Narssia should have been a good influence on her unless... unless Void’s presence had overwhelmed her host.

He remembered reading the letters Geer had received at first, marveling at how she described her life falling apart around her as something clawed away at her brain. It wasn’t too far off from the truth to be honest... He remembered well trying to break his host, conjuring illusions whenever he could to distort what the drake saw. Even then, all it took was a promise of flight to a crippled beast to worm his way in.

Nether grimaced, falling to his knees as his aura swelled and expanded around him. She hadn’t... Void hadn’t used his devotion to her against him, had she? This wasn’t supposed to be how it ended!

Tears filled his eyes, barely able to look at her as he let out a shuddering breath. The pain was worse now, only added to by the presence of his magic as it tore away at his core. He never imagined she would actually get the revenge he knew she had longed for while being trapped in the space between life and death.

She glared at him, her one good eye glowing brightly as she approached, bloody knife still in her hand. He looked up, searching her gaze desperately with hope that there was even just a shred of the good spirit that she had been. The soft hiss of static filled his ears as she vanished in a flurry of glitches before his world went dark for the final time.

The blade fell from her grasp as she finished carving it across his neck after aggressively stabbing into his breastbone several times to ensure she ruined both soul and body. Neither Geer or Nether would be able to recover from this - a fact that made her smile as she silently watched him topple to the floor lifeless. She had no remorse for what had been done, hearing Narssia scream out in rage and grief from the back of her mind. A soft snicker escaped her as she bent to retrieve the weapon, admiring the blood splattered steel as she causally spun it around in her hand. Revenge had always been her goal from the start but she hid it from his prying eyes, knowing she’d one day get her chance.

Her chuckle gradually turned into full blown laughter at the realization she was free. Finally after countless centuries of always fearing he’d track her down and finish the job, now she no longer had to worry about what lurked behind her. All those nightmares that kept her awake for hours at a time...

How... How could you do that?! You heartless monster!

Void grinned, continuing to twirl her knife mindlessly as she reigned herself back in. How disappointing she wasn’t alone any longer. It had been rather pleasant considering the circumstances. Well... look who decided to wake up after all the fun was over. I’m not the monster here, Naris. Tell me this - Whose body do I have possession of? Whose hand drew the knife across his throat? Her one working eye narrowed, wispy trails of green mist appearing as she stopped toying with the blade and gestured towards the corpse laying before her. You are the one responsible for killing them, not I.

Narssia whimpered, seeming to retreat further away into their shared head as Void looked down at the knife expectantly. She knew what option she would have taken years ago before she became her glitchy self but did Naris have the guts to do what was right?

No... I... I can’t...

You said that last time but guess who shot me- us rather. Sweet little innocent Naris isn’t as pure as everyone thinks now is she? You know what will await you otherwise so do it already! Or is a slow painful death stuck in a padded cell with only me for company more to your liking?

Her patience running thin, Void squeezed the hilt of the weapon, threatening to break it in half or even carry out the deed herself. That naive host of hers just needed to accept what had happened and end their suffering. In fact, why shouldn’t she let Narssia feel every second of pain she endured while under Dark’s torture. That would speed up the process even quicker...

Void had only just closed her eyes when she felt it, the slight tremor of metal moving in her hand that hadn’t been caused by her. She smirked, deciding to act like she hadn’t noticed it as the knife rattled more with Naris trying to break free long enough to grab hold of it.

You can’t bare to be without him, she remarked, hoping to infuriate her host enough to force the blade into her heart. He’s your lifeblood in a sense. Geer kept you from going under when I first appeared and we both know you’re blaming yourself deep down for even accepting my presence.

No, I... I don’t hate you for the monster you are, Void. Nether did that to you and you were determined enough to make him bleed the same way you had. I only wish Geer had been able to see me one last time.

She rolled her shoulders, kicking the corpse before her with a huff. That can be arranged.

Void, NO!

As she started to kneel down the knife twitched again before she jerked back, eye going wide at the glimmer of blood-coated steel sticking out of her throat. Narssia had actually done it! Of course the aim had been rather off but to think that all she had to do was pick away at the feeble resolve and the task would be done for her. She stumbled back, falling to the ground as she started to reach for the weapon. Already her breathing was becoming more difficult, a sick gurgling filling the quiet space as air mixed with the blood that oozed down her neck.

Why? She tried to growl but ended up gasping for breath, doubling over from lack of sufficient oxygen intake.

You took him away from me. Narssia remarked coldly as Void managed to pull the knife out of her throat but almost immediately dropped it. As much as I said I don’t hate you, I truly hope there’s a hell for spirits like you.

She tried to retaliate with a snarky remark once she had her breath back but before she could her form violently glitched, slowly scattering before coming back together more stable with her eyes closed. Gradually the softer irises opened, letting out pale light tinged with green accents as she wondered why there was blood on her neck and why her head-

Her agonized screech caused a fresh surge of static to engulf the space around her, panic briefly bringing her back to awareness of the situation. Nether was dead, she killed him the same way he’d taken care of her back when she was but a lowly healer. How? Why had she claimed his life? She wasn’t a monster... She wouldn’t hurt anyone!

Void... The sudden timid voice coming from inside her head that definitely wasn’t her own startled her, making her shrink back as she clamped one hand around her throat.

Assess the damage, stop the bleeding, disinfect the wound and wrap it in cloth... 

Her medical training came back to her in spurts, leading her to rip open the shirt she had on and take it off to leave her sleeveless in a simple grey tank top that was slowly getting stained darker. She could tell the wound was deep, dark red drops of her life force getting on her hands whenever she tried to inspect the injury by feel. How had she been stabbed? There was no one around her except a corpse... Had she killed the other inhabitant of the room?!

No, no, no.... This was all a dream! She would wake up soon enough. Just had to focus on patching up her neck right now. Nothing could distract her...

Void? It’s okay, calm down. You’re confused right now. Just let me explain and everything will make sense.

That voice again! She shook her head, air gurgling in her throat as she tried to speak but couldn’t. Not now when she had to stop the bleeding! She could figure out what was going on later once her head stopped pounding.

Her hands shook as she tied the makeshift bandage across her throat, the green top immediately starting to darken into a bloody black as her continued panic only made the bleeding worse. At this rate she was going she’d pass out from loss of blood before too much longer.

Who are you? She forcefully searched for the strange voice in her mind, sitting down next to the body she didn’t know.

I am or rather was the original owner of the body you currently inhabit. You took control and- Narssia hesitantly began only to stop mid-explanation as she realized that who she spoke to was no longer just the bitter revenge-driven spirit. You... You’re Versi, aren’t you?

A tiny smile blossomed on her face in recognition of the name, eyes lighting up to a more visibly vibrant yellow. Indeed but alas I can also feel that no longer am I merely one. How did I end up in this place?

It’s a long story. I see you found Net- I mean I see you found Geer’s body. Terrible tragedy that was. The killer ran off just before you came.

Versi frowned, her head tilting to the side in an action that made Narssia shudder slightly at how similar it was to Nether. While lying wasn’t right, she had a feeling that telling the healer the truth would do more harm than good.

‘Tis odd, there were no footprints. The knife had blood on it as well... Versi’s words slurred, much to Narssia’s dismay as she tried to reach out to the dying spirit in comfort. Death was coming quicker than expected and yet she, at least, welcomed it.

Just rest, okay. I’m sure Nether will be coming soon. It hurt her to address the manipulative spirit as though he was a caring creature when she had never seen any indication of him being anything other than a monster specializing in illusions. Then again, she knew every being had numerous quirks to their personality. Perhaps he’d only become bitter after hurting Void- or Versi rather. Oh, before I forget, he had a message to pass along to you. Neimals allen, I believe. I don’t speak his tongue well but...

Versi chuckled softly, breaking off to cough after a moment as blood continued to ooze from her neck wound. Always the suave charmer he is... It’s one of the few phrases that I know in his tongue actually, thanks to him. Never alone... It was our anthem of affirmation, that no matter what trials came we would face them together.

How sweet. He seemed like a good fit for you, Versi.

Indeed he was. I trusted him with my life and we were going to- Versi stopped, eyes flickering with the faintest shimmer of green as Narssia started to slip back into the deep recesses of their shared mind. He took it from me! He selfishly robbed me of that chance to be happy for once. I- I know I killed him. You stopped me- no, her- no, us from taking more innocent lives.

The healer timidly lifted the knife once more, turning it around and holding it right over the top of her breastbone where her soul resided. She was so tired... Why couldn’t this creature calling itself Narssia go away so she could sleep? Then again, exhaustion was a sign of too much blood loss.

Now I see no other option but to finish this myself. I survived because of my hatred the first time and look whether that got me - it turned me into a monster. Versi hesitated, glancing over at Geer’s body in recognition of who had once resided within it. Peace, Nethreis, my love, I shall join thee shortly. Bare no ill will towards this vessel of mine for she did naught wrong.

Jamais seul, mon amour. Her breath shuddered, shoulders tensed as she brought the steel down...

[soundsosweeet]

okay so this is just a rant and i’m posting here bc the least amount of people know about my account lol so feel free to skip (it’s more for myself anyway bc it’s so hard for me to discuss with other people since my sister is home all the time)

so i guess this all started this summer (well not technically but that’s when things started to actually happen)... we have a family groupchat on imessage with me, my sister, and laura’s (my sister’s partner) family (laura is white and so is her immediate family...) and this past spring it was brought to the gc’s attention by my sister that people were basically stocking up on guns and ammo as a response to covid by trump supporters bc he called it the china virus. laura’s dad, of course, who tries to avoid conflict at all costs, tries to change the subject to be more lighthearted and one of his other children, laura’s younger sister notices this and acknowledges it in the gc. later on that morning, my sister made a very important observation and brought it to the gc. i have pointed out before that 3 out of 5 children in this family are with asian people to laura and she expressed that the thought didn’t even cross her mind. the other two siblings are 1) not in a relationship and 2) with another white person. anyway, how do you not notice something like this?? something so blatantly obvious. and it’s not like they all JUST got with these people. they’ve been together and/or married for YEARS.... anyway my sister basically said all of this in the gc, and pointing out how laura’s dad was trying to deflect and change the subject. she pointed out how it must be easier for them to not talk about racism, esp towards asian people. laura kinda backed her up but of course, the bare minimum support. she never says anything to her family esp her parents about anything serious ever. unless my sister points it out to her bc laura is just so oblivious. they’ve been together for what like 17 years and my sister only started to speak up about her negative experiences with laura’s parents a few years ago but she has had to endure racist comments a lot over the years. she has told me this and has expressed her frustration to me about laura and her family. i think she started to talk to me about this bc she knew that i’d understand and she wanted me to help her put these things that she was feeling and experiencing into words that would help laura and her family (mostly her parents) understand what they’ve been saying to her these past several years at times were very offensive. going back to the story in the gc, laura’s younger sister backed up their father and was basically trying to say that he wasn’t trying to go against my sister at all, he was just trying to avoid the subject bc of very stupid reasons in my opinion, she said her father was trying to “steer the conversation away from stockpiling ammunition and general doomsday predictions. This is undeniably bringing out the worst in humanity, but we as a family don’t need to be feeding each others’ fears about it.” like okay.... i’m sorry you’re uncomfortable???? but my sister is right. they never talk about these things (as expressed by laura after having to be asked by my sister) and they need to. it’s long overdue. this was the first part of laura’s sister’s message to the gc in response to my sister, before what she said about steering the convo away from the guns and ammo: “We’re all frustrated right now and it is boiling over. Racism is unjust and sometimes fatal and  it’s absolutely justified to be mad as hell about all of this. And you’re right that sometimes we all avoid the topic of race and racism because we can’t find the right words to skillfully address them or we just don’t try hard enough to. I’m very saddened to hear that on top of everything else, some people are having to fear racially motivated backlash right now and in general.” i really don’t think they’ll understand or ever truly try to understand.. they don’t even want to talk about it!! that’s where my other frustration comes in. with laura. i get that in her own way she’s been trying to help my sister and get her family to talk about all of this but in my eyes, it’s not enough. my sister always raves about how laura is this nice, caring, and understanding person. but i feel like that only is true for things that are directly related to her, or things that are only within her comfort zone. and this kind of conversation, esp with her family, outside of her parents, is outside of her comfort zone. she has also expressed that doing these kinds of things (like having serious conversations) brings her great anxiety which is understandable, but in my eyes, she is using her anxiety as an excuse rather than an explanation. idk if that makes any sense but in other words, i feel that she is using the anxiety that this situation brings her as an excuse not to talk about it or have the least amount of involvement in it. but my sister believes that she is the key to open up the conversation that needs to be had, with her family. i think my sister is right. look how quickly they shot my sister down. they’re not going to listen to her. but they will listen to their beloved daughter. so she needs to create that bridge. and she says that she is trying and i guess she is but i feel like again, it’s bare minimum, if that really. anyway after that comment by laura’s sister, my sister left the gc and the convo in the gc was normal by the next day. same old lighthearted photos and comments and white people humor that i never seem to understand. and just recently, laura’s dad added my sister back to the family gc like WHAT LMAO. i just don’t get it. i mean i guess i do bc to them it doesn’t directly affect them, so they don’t care as much but fuck dude, like this family’s shit!!!! i hate it here lol. 

related but also different story, time, place, etc. so we’ve been living in this house for about 6 months now. this city, as big and diverse as it is, we i guess got stuck around literal trump supporters lol like just my luck really. how do we know that?? well when i look at all the wifi networks, “Trump 2020″ comes up as an option. and it is still there even though he lost. anyway. another example, well idk if they’re trump supporters but i’m making an educated guess bc our neighbors across the way have this huge lit up US flag. like it’s the US flag made up of lights and they turn it on every evening since we got here.... in september. idk how long they had it up before we moved in but man, it’s literally been up and lit every night since we moved in in september like ???? i thought they would take it down after christmas like bc it would make sense, bc they were gonna take down their christmas lights anyway but nope. they took everything else down but the flag!!!! not our whole neighborhood is like that though, or it doesn’t seem to be. you know those yard signs (i know this is bare minimum too but it kinda gives me hope after the whole wifi and flag thing) that are like “love is love, black lives matter” and all that?? omg i found it, it’s this:

anyway so i see these around too, in addition to american flags and shit. but i was walking my dog one day in broad daylight, i think it was like around 3pm. i was on my own street like on the way home, and i had just crossed the street bc we live on a main street i guess and there are a lot of side streets, so i was just crossing one of the side streets but still stayed on the same side and everything. this car pulls up to the stop sign that i just passed, and by back is facing them, and this guy that sounds about my age like early twenties maybe a bit older was like “HEY LADY WHY ARE YOU WALKING YOUR DINNER. WHY IS THE DOG EATER WALKING HER DOG. WHY ARE YOU WALKING YOUR MEAL.” and just a bunch of variations of essentially the same thing. i know they were trying to get me to turn around when they just kept on going, repeating basically the same phrase. the guy even yelled at me to turn around but i didn’t. the whole time i was looking forward and just kept walking. i also believe he was in the passenger seat but that’s just the way the car was facing like the passenger seat would’ve been the closest to me. i think i heard whoever was in the driver’s seat like chuckling after the guy’s first sentence. i was so scared. i was so scared they were gonna follow me home. i was almost home like i was already on my street!! luckily they didn’t follow me home, and they turned left after they were done harassing me. if they turned right though, then i would’ve been even more scared that they would stop the car and try to hurt me. this old guy who was in front of his house heard everything that happened though and i think saw the guy who was yelling at me and the car that they were in. as i was passing his house, he asked me if i was okay, and of course i lied and said “yes i’m okay, thank you” and kept walking. what else was i supposed to do. idk. i rushed home after that though. this car even drove by me and stopped just ahead of me and i thought they came back but i think they were just lost bc as i was approaching the car, they drove off, probably looking at directions or something. so how this is related to what i was talking about at first... laura told her family about this. her parents and her younger sister (the one that defended her dad earlier). all they had to say was “i’m sorry that happened to you” essentially. like i grocery shop for her parents bc they’re old and you know less exposure and i don’t mind it at all, but anyway when i was dropping the groceries off at their house, laura’s mom asked if i could talk for a minute on the porch and i said yes and she was basically like “laura told me about what happened to you last week” and i was just like “oh” bc i knew that laura told them but i wasn’t expecting either of her parents to actually talk to me about it bc ya know like they always try to avoid talking about serious shit. but she was like “i’m so sorry that happened to you. that’s horrible. there’s still terrible, incredibly racist people out there.” and i was like yeah bro i know in my head lol like ???? there have been many incidents recently that are much worse than mine surrounding asian people esp the elderly, and she never mentioned any of that. just what happened to me. idk it just bothers me that they only really “care” when something happens. i mean they never actually do anything after the fact but they only say shit like that or wanna talk about it when something bad happens to me?? fucked up.

also just some other problems i have with laura (i’m copy/pasting from my notes app lol and adding stuff to it if i feel like it needs more context or whatever):

(i guess this is more about my sister and laura’s relationship and not just laura...) how do express that i’m not part of their relationship. ofc i wanna help my sister bc i know she has a hard time explaining these kinds of things bc she’s explicitly told me and bc i know she’s had to keep quiet or felt like she’s needed to keep quiet for a long time but i’m not part of their relationship. i shouldn’t have to be this person in the middle trying to relay what my sister is feeling to laura so that it’s clear and easy to understand for her white ass fucking brain. bc also the truth is that laura should already know. she’s only ever been with women of color that i know of and i know she’s not oblivious about the history this country has with people of color. she must know something at least but when it comes to her family making weird remarks about asians, she either doesn’t catch it or doesn’t defend my sister. only recently has my sister been comfortable telling laura that these things happen, that she feels uncomfortable with some of the things laura’s parents say whether they’re directed at her or not. and my sister even left the family groupchat bc she tried to say something to the whole family specifically something laura’s dad said about asians being targeted for “causing covid” (not just her parents but the extended family, two of her siblings are also with asian people) but got a negative response (from her dad and her sister) and so she felt the need to leave. they’ve been together for so long like 17 years?? and all of this is just being addressed now but my sister feels that laura isn’t doing enough to make her parents understand the things that my sister has gone through throughout her life and the racism she’s faced and now the heightened amount of racism other asian people are facing. and she’s also scared bc she’s not straight, obviously she’s with laura but laura’s white. and ofc she’s not straight either but she’s still white and that will always come first bc it’s what people are able to see. so when my sister is “being paranoid” about the people who live around us finding out about them because laura’s parents want to give them my sister and laura’s info just in case something happens, laura can’t quite explain my sister’s reasoning to her parents the way that she wants her too. she thinks that laura is sugarcoating these things for them and she doesn’t know why - does she think they won’t understand?? is she just protecting them?? who tf knows. but my sister knows for sure that if they aren’t told straight up why my sister is so scared, then they’ll never understand and they’ll keep trying to do things like this. and ofc i get why my sister is scared, ofc i don’t fully understand but i can imagine why. 

also i just believe that laura is ignorant (and chooses to be). which really sucks, again bc from what i know she has only been with women of color, her ex and my sister. at least those are the only two relationships that i’ve heard of. but i know she also graduated undergrad with a degree in sociology. i know times have changed and that she might not have learned all of the things that i have learned in my sociology classes but fuck man. she’s really gonna limit herself to learning about these things in a classroom esp when we already know our education is targeted towards and favors white people (esp back then, like early 2000s)?? yikes. i don’t understand how one who is not only with someone esp for this long but also got a degree in this kind of stuff just isn’t interested in keeping themselves informed and educated. like just bc you’re with a person of color doesn’t just give you this pass or all the knowledge that you need to know bc guess what, my sister doesn’t even understand all the things that we do (like at this summer, at the peak of the blm protests, my sister asked me “what about asians, why aren’t people talking about how asian people have suffered during the pandemic”). but i know my sister is at least kinda trying. she reads things every day to keep herself informed and also attends virtual discussions. laura does not. my sister has even told me. she works and that’s it. and she says that she understands that laura has anxiety and that these sorts of topics make her really anxious. but i think she’s just scared. i mean i don’t want to undermine her anxiety at all. that’s not what i’m trying to do. i just think that she’s using it more as an excuse rather than like an explanation, if that makes any sense. i just don’t know what to do bc this really frustrates me. and i feel a lot of pressure bc my sister has no one else to talk about it with. and i obviously want to help her and she talks to me bc she knows that i know these things and can help her put these things into words for her so that she can explain everything to laura. but laura gets reeeeeally defensive. and that’s also really annoying. she just shuts down and closes herself off. bc it’s like she doesn’t even try to understand and that’s what i don’t understand about her and this whole thing about her being “nice” and supportive or whatever. this is what my sister has told me and my cousins. that laura is the nicest person in the world. and she’s the one who has told me many times that “anyone can be nice.” and i’m not saying that laura isn’t nice, bc i think she is but i still think that she keeps that kindness and generosity and caring/compassion within her own circle. like she doesn’t necessarily try to do anything for people that aren’t directly within her circle of things she cares about or directly relates to her. she will only donate to organizations that she has a connection to but not the ones that don’t necessarily relate to her like literally anything that involved black people this summer. it didn’t even seem like a possibility to her. it just angers me so much that she’s painted as this really nice, caring person but she doesn’t even care enough to really understand her own partner’s struggles and stand up to her parents for her when she needs her to without being asked. i know it takes time to notice these things especially as a white person bc it’s not really stuff they’re used to noticing or whatever but shit. it’s the least she can do. really. like it’s about time. 

and an update from the present bc the points i made above were from january (right after the incident walking my dog). laura has a new position now at work. she’s the temp assistant nurse manager bc someone left so they asked her to take on the position. she’s only temp bc she technically could be the permanent one but she doesn’t want to do it since they apparently don’t do as much hands-on patient stuff and that’s what she likes to do i guess. it’s more paperwork i believe than she’s used to with her regular position. anyway, before she took on this new position, my sister told me she talked to laura about how even before, she didn’t really help around the house at all. like she’d come home after work and just sleep or dick around. meanwhile, my sister also works all day, cooks, cleans/does laundry (for the house but also her own AND laura’s which i’ve told her more than once is ridiculous.. that she does laura’s laundry), does grocery shopping, etc. like basically everything else, in addition to me, bc i also do a lot of stuff around the house. i also cook, i clean, and i take care of the dog, and go grocery shopping w my sister too sometimes. but the only thing laura really does (and she doesn’t even do it anymore since she started with this new position) was walk the dog. truthfully, i haven’t had the courage to go out again by myself to walk the dog since that happened to me. and i feel like i eventually will but idk. so my sister basically told her if you take this position, you need to promise me you’re gonna try even harder to help me/us around the house. bc her shift time has also switched like instead of coming home around 8pm, she now gets home around 3pm, so much more daylight and time in general to be helping around the house. but guess what. nothing has changed. i haven’t spoken to my sister about it or how she feels, whether or not she thinks that laura is getting better about helping around the house but at least imo, nothing has changed. if anything she sleeps more bc she gets up so early for work now so she naps when she gets home, and nothing gets done bc she has such a hard time getting up after she takes a nap. annoying. 

and an addition to what i was saying about how laura completely shuts down when we talk about her and her family, like how they don’t do shit about anything: when we were talking a couple weeks ago about what happened last spring in the family group chat, laura said that she had texted her sister about the situation to get her honest opinion about what happened and ask her why she responded in the way that she did (defending their dad). my sister and i kept asking laura to tell us exactly how their convo went. and she would look at her phone and tell us pieces. i could tell she was leaving stuff out bc while she was looking at her phone, she’d pause and not say anything, as if she was reading and not tell us bc it would upset us, and then continue on a couple seconds later about the stuff she thought was okay to say. she just didn’t want us to shit on her sister. i could feel it. i even asked her if i could just read the text convo rather than her “reading” it to us, bc she wasn’t actually reading everything and i thought it would be easier than her trying to explain everything they had already talked about. she hesitated then said no, she didn’t want me to read. my sister asked why and she just stayed silent. laura always says that she says to her family and feels that she “just wants to open up a conversation.” okay then what is this?? she’s not even telling us everything!! my sister asked her again why she doesn’t want us to read the texts. she asks “are you afraid we’ll get mad at her (her sister)??” and laura replies yes. my sister says why?? give us a summary of what she said if you don’t wanna read word for word. laura says her sister is just defending their dad and is angry towards my sister, targeting her anger towards my sister bc of what she said in the gc. laura’s sister feels that my sister was specifically targeting her anger at their dad at the time and she was still mad about that. do you see what i’m saying?? this family is fucked. laura does not want to open up a conversation from what i’m seeing. when we’re against her and her family, she doesn’t wanna talk. if we wanna talk generally about racism and homophobia, she’s okay with it. how can you say you wanna “open up a conversation” and not converse or only talk about the stuff that isn’t as difficult to talk about???? but my sister tried to get laura to tell us more by adding that if she told us, we could help her formulate a response she can send to her sister to help her understand where my sister was coming from. laura still refused to tell us. and i still haven’t seen those texts yet and i don’t think i ever will. and i don’t think laura will even talk to us about their conversations anymore. she’s too scared. and that’s all i can think of rn lol. i might update this later but yeah..

[avidbeader]

I need more WIPs like I need a hole in the head, but this idea has taken hold and may turn into my version of a fix-it for Voltron’s wreck of an epilogue.

-----------------------------

It’s not until he’s hurtling toward the jagged portal, the pod’s right turbine still refusing to come back online after passing through a wave of unknown radiation, that Keith thinks this might have been a bad idea.

The wolf is pressed tight against him, whining softly, but Keith can’t spare a hand to soothe him. It’s taking everything he has to try and pull the craft up and away from the viridian-rimmed tear in space while also not letting them be pulled into the atom-smashing layers of the quantum abyss.

Then the left turbine fails as well and they’re spinning. At this point there’s no choice - Keith goes for the devil he doesn’t know and yanks the steering column with all his strength to direct them away from the abyss’ gravitational wells...and into the portal.

He spares one last thought for his friends. For Shiro, praying that he truly enjoys the happily-ever-after he bought into.

**********************

Going through the portal sends them through an intense wave of energy that runs through Keith like electricity, jolting and painful. He shakes his head, trying to clear it, and realizes that the engines are still offline.

Which wouldn’t be a problem if they hadn’t materialized inside a planet’s atmosphere, rushing toward the ground at terminal velocity.

The wolf growls, shoving his head under Keith’s arm, and he gets it as clearly as if the wolf had said, “Come on!” He gets out of the chair, grabs the emergency pack and his one bag out of the storage bin, and brings up his mask before throwing his arms around the wolf.

They wink out of existence and reappear several hundred meters away as the pod crashes into the planet’s surface.

Keith is kneeling next to the wolf, holding still as he lets his Blade armor feed him the necessary information. The atmosphere is compatible for both of them and he lets his mask drop to look around. It’s a meadow, grassy and green and pretty, with a forest not far off to his right and some hills in the distance to his left. It’s empty and quiet other than the ticking sounds of cooling metal. Smoke drifts up from the twisted wreck into the slightly orange sky. He doesn’t need to get any closer to see that scavenging for the extra rations and supplies is a lost cause.

Keith shoulders the bag carrying his personal effects and takes the emergency kit by the handle. Assuming that, like the deserts of his childhood, trees mean water, he leads the wolf toward the forest.

They’re about halfway to the treeline when the wolf stops and looks up. A moment later Keith can hear it as well: the whine of an engine. There’s no cover to speak of other than the tall grass and Keith drops to a crouch as the noise gets louder. The wolf huddles next to him as a flyer passes over them and lands near the wreckage. A pair of tallish thin figures get out and start poking around. Keith lifts his head just enough to get a better look at them and gasps in recognition.

Olkari.

Keith stands and waves. “Hey, I’m over here! We’re okay!”

The Olkari look at one another and approach him slowly. Keith moves forward, smiling, and they stop and stare. Finally one starts speaking.

“Survivor? Part of ship? More that are part of ship?”

Keith frowns, wondering what’s happened to the translation circuit in his uniform. “Yes, I was on the ship. No one else was aboard. We got flung through a portal of some sort that took us here to New Olkarion. Sorry about the crash.”

The two look at one another, and the second one repeats, “New Olkarion?”

“Yes, isn’t this where you resettled after the Galra destroyed your homeworld?”

They shake their heads and the first one speaks in that strange garbled language. “In X-9-Y Sector as refugees. Now only looking for planet of relocation.”

Keith frowns. That’s not right. The Olkari quickly found a new planet to occupy, thanks to the scouting efforts of the Blade and the rebels. And what is wrong with his translator?

“Identity? You?” The second Olkari points to him.

“I’m Keith. Red Paladin of Voltron? Piloted the Black Lion?”

That sets them to babbling so fast in a communicator that he can’t keep up.

**********************

They take him and the wolf in the flyer, back to a large camp near the first signs of a permanent settlement being built. It’s mostly Olkari, doing their genius engineering thing, but there’s a smattering of other races as well. The pilot explains that they are establishing the first base of what will eventually be the new home for the Olkari, but Keith is only half listening, grateful that whatever was wrong with his translator seems to be working itself out. The pilot’s syntax is getting clearer with every sentence.

The wolf leaps out first and Keith follows him, only to hear his name being shouted. He turns to see someone sprinting across the tarmac to him, honey-colored ponytail flapping behind him.

He lets out a grunt as the other barrels into him, wrapping him in a tight hug. “I can’t believe it! Keith! Oh, my god, man!”

He pulls back and yes, this is Matt. But something’s wrong. It takes him a second to realize...it’s the hair. Matt had cut his hair back to military length once he rejoined the Garrison.

“Hey, Matt. Did I go through a time jump or something? Have I been missing? I’m sorry I worried everyone, but it was either get smashed to bits in the quantum abyss or go through that rip in space.”

Matt frowns, then his eyes widen. “Oh. OH. I think I know what happened, but come on. You need to hear it from Pidge.”

“Pidge is here? Why? She was at the Garrison, working on some kind of fleet to replace the lions after they left…” Keith trails off as they round a corner of one of the taller buildings and stops to stare.

Green is there, lying in a sphinx pose. A low growl of greeting rumbles through the ground and in his chest. And there’s a tiny touch to his mind, as if from a great distance, that he hasn’t felt  in over a year...

Matt tugs gently at his elbow. “Come on. Pidge will try to explain.”

**********************

Explanations are delayed momentarily, because the instant Pidge sees Keith, she plows into him and hangs on like he’s a lifeline. She’s crying into his chest while Matt pats her back, her sobs too strong to let words out.

As she finally starts to breathe more and gasp less, Keith tries to apologize. “Hey, I’m sorry I made you all worry so much. How long was the time skip this time?”

Pidge snaps her head up to glare at him. “Keith, you died. The minute whatever Allura and Honerva did started taking effect, it caused a quintessence backlash. You were screaming in agony as it ripped you apart. We all saw it.” She pauses, making the effort to moderate her tone, and leans in to hug him again. “Allura explained it after she got back.”

“Wait…” Keith tries to work through what Pidge just said. “What do you mean, I died? Allura’s the one that died! She never came back from joining with Honerva to save the last reality.”

Matt takes up the thread, rubbing Pidge’s shoulder. “We think the minute that one reality was preserved, nature took over and different actions began causing different outcomes again. Something as small as intending to step right but stepping left instead...two outcomes and two realities. In your reality Allura died, but in ours… you did.”

The wolf rubs against them and Pidge automatically reaches to pet him. Keith tries again. “So we’re in a different reality? Can I get back to mine?”

Pidge’s grip on him tightens, and Keith mentally kicks himself. The instinct to try and return home is the automatic first reaction. But then he realizes he can see Allura again and the sudden longing to speak to her, to know that there’s an Allura that’s still with them, surges through him and he starts trembling.

Matt comes around Pidge and holds him up. “We got you, buddy. Come on. Let’s get inside, get you checked over, contact the others. Allura or Shiro can arrange a wormhole to them.”

“Shiro?” Now Keith’s grateful for the shakes, because his suddenly hammering heart goes unnoticed.

Pidge nods. “Yeah, that crystal in his arm is enough for him to operate teludavs, too. Hell, the minute he hears he’ll probably just bring the whole Atlas in immediately. Dad and Iverson will fuss, but it’s just for show. They’ll be glad to see you again, too.”

“Shiro’s still captain of the Atlas?”

Matt and Pidge both pause at that, looking at one another and considering the implications. Matt replies as Pidge darts forward to start opening doors.

“Of course he is. He’s connected to it, just like you all are connected to the lions. After...what happened, Shiro tried to wake Black up but it just wasn’t happening. That caused a lot of worry, even though everything’s been peaceful other than a few spread-out pockets of Galra holdouts and some squabbles breaking out, but we’ve managed so far.”

Keith loses the thread of conversation, suddenly overwhelmed by two thoughts.

If Shiro’s still in command of the Atlas, does that mean he isn’t married?

Could I fly Black again?

That distant spark flares again in his head.

----------------------------------------

More to come, although I’ll probably run it by LaTart for betaing first. Just felt like sharing today.

[chasingthepoguelife]

I completely agree with what you said about Rudy. He is a good actor and he does have a lot of talent, that’s quite evident from his role as JJ, but I don’t see him having many or if any roles outside of Outer Banks and the reason for that is that he just doesn’t have the appeal and popularity that he had at the beginning of the show. This is not meant to be hateful towards anybody, but it really is because of Elaine. Obviously, the appeal and popularity of an actor or celebrity in general goes down when they’re not single (or reveal that they’re not single) but his popularity dropped way more than it typically would. People don’t like Elaine because she’s problematic (and I’m not here to get into that), and I think that people see him supporting her as him supporting a racist and everything else. Which, honestly, the people you surround yourself with is a direct reflection of yourself too, so I can understand why people dislike him or have been turned off him. As I saw somebody else say, I think there was a turning point where it was obvious they were dating but it was somewhat unofficial and there was this huge backlash around her. Elaine went on the defensive about herself, then Rudy went on the defensive, and in response to that the fans went on the defensive and it’s just created a really uncomfortable almost atmosphere between him and fans. He can’t be (whether that’s from him or because of his relationship) as interactive with fans as others are and it again just adds to the hostile environment. It’s sad to say and I really don’t want to hate but I think it’s kind of undeniable at this point that she has ruined his career, or at least been severely detrimental to it because of the loss of fans down to her. They’re both really to blame (in a sense), her for what she represents and him for seemingly supporting it. Either way, I don’t think it transfers well for future roles and projects because most people associate him with being the one who’s dating a racist and no matter your opinion on Elaine you can’t deny that is how it is. It may be an unfair opinion to assume, but I think it’s a realistic one and one that a lot of other people have taken. Like I said, it’s sad because he does seem to have a genuine talent and passion for the job, but I think his relationship has changed the way people see him and (this is only speculation, I don’t know either of them) has changed him as a person. He just isn’t somebody that fans vibe with anymore, because he does seem to have this standoffish attitude at least through social media, and again it is because people don’t like Elaine. Which, under different circumstances, he may be right to have this attitude, but I think he has to realise that people are hurt by what she has said and done and most probably won’t forgive her. There’s going to be an opinion of her and he shouldn’t be so surprised that it’s negative given the comments and posts she’s previously made. This isn’t just a case of people not liking her because she’s dating him, there are other factors at play and I think both him and Elaine fail to recognise that. Sorry for the long venting post, I got sidetracked from my original point!

Props to you for typing all this out, I have like a zero attention span. to remind everyone, this is not a discussion meant to attack and demonize Rudy, we don’t hate him or wish anything bad on him and I’m not here to criticize his relationship and being him downZ

Amongst fans and social media his popularity decreased and it is because of his relationship. Chase and Madelyn in my opinion continued to thrive after their relationship announcement so i wouldn’t say it’s so much being in a relationship but who you’re in it with. This will likely continue as long as he dates her. he is very talented and does hold enough of a following that I think he’ll still get roles. Unfortunately the industry is still very racist or they don’t think racism is a deal breaker so there will be more people who can give him roles that won’t care who he dates. As for fans, his relationship with them has shifted. It just doesn’t seem as genuine as it used to. It feels very forced and as silly as it may sound to people, a relationship can change a person like this. At the end of the day it’s his choice to keep whoever he wants in his life. I don’t see this as a life time relationship so I don’t they will last. Nowadays social media hype fan interaction is a huge thing so he might lose all that after it’s too late.