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thehangerson · 1 year ago

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doctor who nuwho masterlist

ive been meaning to post this on tumblr for a while and keep forgetting but a few years ago i made a nuwho / whoniverse watchlist including the spinoff shows in release order and now seems like the time to share it! i know ive seen theres a lot of new fans watching from 2005 on (from what im seeing mostly gomens fans. hi gomens fans) and a lot of ppl coming back to the show or rewatching in lieu of the new eps with david and catherine! so heres the list!

the full list masterdoc typed out for your copy-pasting pleasure is below the text break, but heres some links for those of you who are spreadsheet/doc fans.

google sheet checklist version

(the spreadsheet includes some tws and cws, which i update as i rewatch some things. if you have any i'm missing that you think should be included, please send me an ask or leave a comment and i'll add it!)

masterlist:

blue- Doctor Who, red- Doctor Who specials, green- Torchwood, purple- Sarah Jane Adventures, orange- Class

2005

01x01- Rose (03/26/2005)

01x02- The End of the World (4/02)

01x03- The Unquiet Dead (04/09)

01x04- Aliens of London (04/16)

01x05- World War Three (04/23)

01x06- Dalek (04/30)

01x07- The Long Game (05/07)

01x08- Father’s Day (05/14)

01x09- The Empty Child (05/21)

01x10- The Doctor Dances (05/28)

01x11- Boom Town (06/04)

01x12- Bad Wolf (06/11)

01x13- The Parting of the Ways (06/18)

The Christmas Invasion (12/25)

2006

02x01- New Earth (04/15/2006)

02x02- Tooth and Claw (04/22)

02x03- School Reunion (04/29)

02x04- The Girl in the Fireplace (05/06)

02x05- Rise of the Cybermen (05/13)

02x06- Age of Steel (05/20)

02x07- The Idiot’s Lantern (05/27)

02x08- Impossible Planet (06/03)

02x09- Satan Pit (06/10)

02x10- Love & Monsters (06/17)

02x11- Fear Her (06/24)

02x12- Army of Ghosts (07/01)

02x13-Doomsday (07/08)

01x01- Everything Changes (10/22)

01x02- Day One (10/22)

01x03- Ghost Machine (10/29)

01x04- Cyberwoman (11/05)

01x05- Small Worlds (11/12)

01x06- Countrycide (11/19)

01x07- Greeks Bearing Gifts (11/26)

01x08-They Keep Killing Suzie (12/03)

01x09-Random Shoes (12/10)

01x10- Out of Time (12/17)

01x11- Combat (12/24)

The Runaway Bride (12/25)

2007

01x12- Captain Jack Harkness (01/01/2007)

01x13- End of Days (01/01)

01x01- Invasion of the Bane (01/01)

03x01-Smith and Jones (03/31)

03x02- The Shakespeare Code (04/07)

03x03- Gridlock (04/14)

03x04- Daleks in Manhattan (04/21)

03x05- Evolution of the Daleks (04/28)

03x06- The Lazarus Experiment (05/05)

03x07- 42 (05/19)

03x08- Human Nature (05/26)

03x09- The Family of Blood (06/02)

03x10- Blink (06/09)

03x11- Utopia (06/16)

03x12- The Sound of Drums (06/23)

03x13- Last of the Time Lords (06/30)

01x02- Revenge of the Slitheen Part 1 (09/24)

01x03- Revenge of the Slitheen Part 2 (10/01)

01x04- Eye of the Gorgon Part 1 (10/08)

01x05- Eye of the Gorgon Part 2 (10/15)

01x06- Warriors of Kudlak Part 1 (10/22)

01x07- Warriors of Kudlak Part 2 (10/29)

01x08- Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? Part 1 (11/05)

01x09- Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? Part 2 (11/12)

01x10- The Lost Boy Part 1 (11/12)

01x11- The Lost Boy Part 2 (11/19)

Voyage of the Damned (12/25)

2008

02x01- Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (01/16/2008)

02x02- Sleeper (01/23)

02x03- To the Last Man (01/30)

02x04- Meat (02/06)

02x05- Adam (02/13)

02x06- Reset (02/13)

02x07- Dead Man Walking (02/20)

02x08- A Day in the Death (02/27)

02x09- Something Borrowed (03/05)

02x10- From Out of the Rain (03/12)

02x11- Adrift (03/19)

02x12- Fragments (03/21)

02x13- Exit Wounds (04/04)

04x01- Partners in Crime (04/05)

04x02- The Fires of Pompeii (04/12)

04x03- Planet of the Ood (04/19)

04x04- The Sontaran Stratagem (04/26)

04x05- The Poison Sky (05/03)

04x06- The Doctor’s Daughter (05/10)

04x07- The Unicorn and the Wasp (05/17)

04x08- Silence in the Library (05/31)

04x09- Forest of the Dead (06/07)

04x10- Midnight (06/14)

04x11- Turn Left (06/21)

04x12- The Stolen Earth (06/28)

04x13- Journey’s End (07/05)

02x01- The Last Sontaran Part 1 (09/29)

02x02- The Last Sontaran Part 2 (09/29)

02x03- The Day of the Clown Part 1 (10/06)

02x04- The Day of the Clown Part 2 (10/13)

02x05- Secrets of the Stars Part 1 (10/20)

02x06- Secrets of the Stars Part 2 (10/27)

02x07- The Mark of the Berserker Part 1 (11/03)

02x08- The Mark of the Berserker Part 2 (11/10)

02x09- The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Part 1 (11/170

02x10- The Temptation of Sarah Jane Smith Part 2 (11/24)

02x11- Enemy of the Bane Part 1 (12/01)

02x12- Enemy of the Bane Part 2 (12/08)

The Next Doctor (12/25)

2009

Planet of the Dead (04/11/2009)

03x01- Day One (07/06)

03x02- Day Two (07/07)

03x03- Day Three (07/08)

03x04- Day Four (07/09)

03x05- Day Five (07/10)

03x01- Prisoner of the Judoon Part 1 (10/15)

03x02- Prisoner of the Judoon Part 2 (10/16)

03x03- The Mad Woman in the Attic Part 1 (10/22)

03x04- The Mad Woman in the Attic Part 2 (10/23)

03x05- The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith Part 1 (10/29)

03x06-The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith Part 2 (10/30)

03x07- The Eternity Trap Part 1 (11/05)

03x08- The Eternity Trap Part 2 (11/06)

03x09- Mona Lisa’s Revenge Part 1 (11/12)

03x10- Mona Lisa’s Revenge Part 2 (11/13)

04x16- The Waters of Mars (11/15)

03x11- The Gift Part 1 (11/19)

03x12- The Gift Part 2 (11/20)

The End of Time Part 1 (12/25)

2010

The End of Time Part 2 (01/01/2010)

05x01- The Eleventh Hour (04/03)

05x02- The Beast Below (04/10)

05x03- Victory of the Daleks (04/17)

05x04- The Time of Angels (04/24)

05x05- Flesh and Stone (05/01)

05x06- The Vampires of Venice (05/08)

05x07- Amy’s Choice (05/15)

05x08- The Hungry Earth (05/22)

05x09- Cold Blood (05/29)

05x10- Vincent and the Doctor (06/05)

05x11- The Lodger (06/12)

05x12- The Pandorica Opens (06/19)

05x13-The Big Bang (06/26)

04x01- The Nightmare Man Part 1 (10/11)

04x02- The Nightmare Man Part 2 (10/12)

04x03- The Vault of Secrets Part 1 (10/18)

04x04- The Vault of Secrets Part 2 (10/19)

04x05- Death of the Doctor Part 1 (10/25)

04x06- Death of the Doctor Part 2 (10/26)

04x07- The Empty Planet Part 1 (11/01)

04x08- The Empty Planet Part 2 (11/02)

04x09- Lost in Time Part 1 (11/08)

04x10- Lost in Time Part 2 (11/09)

04x11- Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith Part 1 (11/15)

04x12- Goodbye, Sarah Jane Smith Part 2 (11/16)

A Christmas Carol (12/25)

2011

06x01- The Impossible Astronaut (04/23/2011)

06x02- Day of the Moon (04/30)

06x03- The Curse of the Black Spot (05/07)

06x04- The Doctor’s Wife (05/14)

06x05- The Rebel Flesh (05/21)

06x06- The Almost People (05/28)

06x07- A Good Man Goes to War (06/04)

04x01- The New World (07/08)

04x02- Rendition (07/15)

04x03- Dead of Night (07/22)

04x04- Escape to L.A. (07/29)

04x05- The Categories of Life (08/05)

04x06- The Middle Men (08/12)

04x07- Immortal Sins (08/19)

04x08- End of the Road (08/26)

06x08- Let’s Kill Hitler (08/27)

04x09- The Gathering (09/02)

06x09- Night Terrors (09/03)

04x10- The Blood Line (09/09)

06x10- The Girl Who Waited (09/10)

06x11- The God Complex (09/17)

06x12- Closing Time (09/24)

06x13- The Wedding of River Song (10/01)

05x01- Sky Part 1 (10/03)

05x02- Sky Part 2 (10/04)

05x03- The Curse of Clyde Langer Part 1 (10/10)

05x04- The Curse of Clyde Langer Part 2 (10/11)

05x05- The Man Who Never Was Part 1 (10/17)

05x06- The Man Who Never Was Part 2 (10/18)

The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (12/25)

2012

07x01- Asylum of the Daleks (09/01/2012)

07x02- Dinosaurs of a Spaceship (09/08)

07x03- A Town Called Mercy (09/15)

07x04- The Power of Three (09/22)

07x05- The Angels Take Manhattan (09/29)

The Snowmen (12/25)

2013

07x06- The Bells of Saint John (03/30/2013)

07x07- The Rings of Akhaten (04/06)

07x08- Cold War (04/13)

07x09- Hide (04/20)

07x10- Journey to the Center of the TARDIS (04/27)

07x11- The Crimson Horror (05/04)

07x12- Nightmare in Silver (05/11)

07x13- The Name of the Doctor (05/18)

The Day of the Doctor (11/23)

The Time of the Doctor (12/25)

2014

08x01- Deep Breath (08/23/2014)

08x02- Into the Dalek (08/30)

08x03- Robot of Sherwood (09/06)

08x04- Listen (09/13)

08x05- Time Heist (09/20)

08x06- The Caretaker (09/27)

08x07- Kill the Moon (10/04)

08x08- Mummy on the Orient Express (10/11)

08x09- Flatline (10/18)

08x10- In the Forest of the Night (10/25)

08x11- Dark Water (11/01)

08x12- Death in Heaven (11/08)

Last Christmas (12/25)

2015

09x01- The Magician’s Apprentice (09/19/2015)

09x02- The Witch’s Familiar (09/26)

09x03- Under the Lake (10/03)

09x04- Before the Flood (10/10)

09x05- The Girl Who Died (10/17)

09x06- The Woman Who Lived (10/24)

09x07- The Zygon Invasion (10/31)

09x08- The Zygon Inversion (11/07)

09x09- Sleep No More (11/14)

09x10- Face the Raven (11/21)

09x11- Heaven Sent (11/28)

09x12- Hell Bent (12/05)

The Husbands of River Song (12/25)

2016

01x01- For Tonight We Might Die (10/22/2016)

01x02- The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo (10/22)

01x03- Nightvisiting (10/29)

01x04- Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart (11/05)

01x05- Brave-ish Heart (11/12)

01x06- Detained (11/19)

01x07- The Metaphysical Engine, or What Quill Did (11/26)

01x08- The Lost (12/03)

The Return of Doctor Mysterio (12/25)

2017

10x01- The Pilot (04/15/2017)

10x02- Smile (04/22)

10x03- Thin Ice (04/29)

10x04- Knock Knock (05/06)

10x05- Oxygen (05/13)

10x06- Extremis (05/20)

10x07- The Pyramid at the End of the World (05/27)

10x08- The Lie of the Land (06/03)

10x09- Empress of Mars (06/10)

10x10- The Eaters of Light (06/17)

10x11- World Enough and Time (06/24)

10x12- The Doctor Falls (07/01)

Twice Upon a Time (12/25)

2018

11x01- The Woman Who Fell to Earth (10/07/2018)

11x02- The Ghost Monument (10/14)

11x03- Rosa (10/21)

11x04- Arachnids in the UK (10/28)

11x05- The Tsuranga Conundrum (11/04)

11x06- Demons of the Punjab (11/11)

11x07- Kerblam! (11/18)

11x08- The Witchfinders (11/25)

11x09- It Takes You Away (12/02)

11x10- The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos (12/09)

2019

Resolution (01/01/2019)

2020

12x01- Spyfall, Part 1 (01/01/2020)

12x02- Spyfall, Part 2 (01/05)

12x03- Orphan 55 (01/12)

12x04- Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror (01/19)

12x05- Fugitive of the Judoon (01/26)

12x06- Praxeus (02/02)

12x07- Can You Hear Me? (02/09)

12x08- The Haunting of Villa Diodati (02/16)

12x09- Ascension of the Cybermen (02/23)

12x10- The Timeless Children (03/01)

2021

Revolution of the Daleks (01/01/2021)

13x01- The Halloween Apocalypse (10/31)

13x02- War of the Sontarans (11/7)

13x03- Once, Upon Time (11/14)

13x04- Village of the Angels (11/21)

13x05- Survivors of the Flux (11/28)

13x06- The Vanquishers (12/5)

2022

Eve of the Daleks(01/01/2022)

Legend of the Seal Devils(4/17)

The Power of the Doctor(10/23)

2023

The Star Beast(11/25/2023)

Wild Blue Yonder(12/2/2023)

The Giggle(12/9/2023)

The Church on Ruby Road(12/25/2023)

2024

TBA

#doctor who #nuwho #torchwood #sarah jane adventures #sja #whoniverse

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starwriterulia · 12 days ago

Text

Perversity and Loathing - Chapter 2

CONTAINS HEAVY SUBJECT MATERIAL THAT MAY TRIGGER READERS WITH ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND PTSD. SOME CHAPTERS CONTAIN 18+ CONTENT.

This is a reboot of Tomb of the Goshenite Stargazer Dragon. (Masterlist)

Fandoms: DC Comics, Batfamily, Thalassic Space (OC)

Characters (In order of appearance): Bruce Wayne (Batman), Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Urania (the Boeotian muse) Faith Lawson (self-insert)

Word Count: 7243

TW: None, I think? Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you!

A/N: This only took over nine hours over the course of today to write, hooray! Also, if you read the previous chapter, you should read it again, as its ending has been changed, and other details have been added. Tag list in the replies of people who liked/reblogged any part of the previous version of this story, or the previous chapter(s). You’re not obliged to read or leave a comment. Thank you for reading! ^w^

Dividers by @cafekitsune

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3

The Batplane touched down, and when the elevator lowered to the metal platform, Batman carried Faith, Nightwing and Batgirl behind him. They walked to a stair that dipped into the shallows of the stream. Nightwing and Batgirl stayed on the platform. Nightwing's left arm wrapped around Batgirl's back, and Batgirl leaned into him.

As Batman's knees settled into the water, Faith's feet dipped into the stream. He took a few steps and was hip-deep, while Faith's lower body and back were in the water. He lowered his arms, submerging the young woman's upper body, keeping her head above the surface. A white-blue orb shone through the scallop seashell, casting a celestial globe onto the ceiling. Two seconds later, a beam of light cast into the water, just in front of Batman. A black, curly haired, dark eyed and fair skinned woman in a toga and sandals, appeared.

Urania spoke Greek, of course. "Thank you for not leaving her there."

Batman replied in Greek. "It would have been cruel."

"Do you know who I am?"

"You came through the light of a celestial globe. You are Urania." The muse of astronomy and astrology nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Faith is important to you?"

"I have watched her journey as a writer. She chose me as her patron. I was her teacher in her third life, at least in her book."

"This is her first life, out of her book?"

"Yes. On Earth, there is only Faith. In Thalassic Space, there was Myth Claus, then Eafla Volen. Last, she was Ønske Ulia Lost."

"Were her lives long?"

Urania shook her head. "In her first two lives, she was murdered at two days old. The two eldest children of the high vampires of Thalassic Space were especially awful. The galaxy she made is great. She is good at combining ideas that she likes." Urania chuckled once. "She loves to talk for hours about her stories."

"So she will be happy to tell us what we need to know to help her."

Urania bobbed her head. "It should not be hard. The Domain will be pleased to make things right again." Batman nodded. "My sisters did not want me to come here. They told me it was acceptable for her to be dead."

"But I do not want my student's passion to die. She is also very kind. Yes, she will be unable to work with you the way most of your wards do. But I know you will think of something for her to do, without magic." Batman nodded again.

Batgirl said, in Greek, "There was a time I couldn't use my legs, either." Urania looked at her and gave a gentle smile. Batgirl mimicked the muse.

Batman asked, "Will she be a mermaid now?"

"She will be able to become one, if her knees are submerged. She could not swim. This, along with the return of her life, is my gift to her. It is her most basic wish. It was her first wish, as a child, not including the wish to ride the back of her first imaginary friend, the unicorn named Bella."

Batman said, "This is why she brought out the seashell necklace."

"Yes. If you warm her body and pat her legs with a towel like a fish on a plate, her legs will return." Batman nodded more.

Nightwing asked, in Greek, "Does she have a magical voice, now?"

Urania giggled. "Yes." Nightwing nodded with a little smile. "Have I answered your most urgent questions?"

Batman replied, "Yes, thank you." Urania nodded. She placed her right hand over Faith's left breast, and her left on Faith's pelvis.

"This song is written in English, and so I must sing it in that language." Batman gave a small nod.

"I ascend under the autumn sun while you cry for me.

Thinking of the smile I had as a child.

You will have me in your heart, even when I have left you.

And so winter comes, but the sun is still warm and kind.

Oh please, let the Double Eight rise!

Connect my life to yours, again!"

Faith gasped, her eyes blinking open, and in her first pant for air, she saw Batman, and her eyes moved a little to see Urania. She sighed, and her cheeks turned a little red and rose in a smile. "Hi! Wow, you actually came! Thank you!"

Urania replied in English. "Of course I came, Faith. And, you're welcome." Urania kissed Faith's forehead. "I hope you are able to find happiness, here."

"Thank you." Said Batman, in Greek. Urania nodded once.

Urania said, in English, "I must return to Pierian Spring, now. Be good, and be safe, Faith."

"I will." Urania nodded again. She looked upwards, and returned to the celestial globe, which faded away. Batman turned and walked to the stairs and onto the platform, letting Faith down.

"Br!" Faith hugged her arms, clutching the damp towel.

Nightwing said, "Yeah, that stream is cold."

Batgirl said, "And your towel is wet! Come on. Let's go upstairs and get you dry." Faith nodded and followed Batgirl, Nightwing and Batman casually trailing behind. "I brought you some clothes."

"Aw! Yeah, I saw 'em in your arms! Thank you!"

"You're welcome."

"You still have the Clicker, right?" Faith asked, as they began climbing the stairs.

"Yep. It's in my pocket."

"OK, we're gonna need that. I can take away what Ra's stole easily, with it."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah! I just have to change the spell associated with its usage."

"So, if I had accidentally used it again, would I have sent you and Ra's back to the dream world?"

"No, because an artificial Clicker, like the one you have, turns off after one spell, or one rotation. You can destroy it by crushing it or burning it, by the way."

"Oh, OK." They entered and exited the study, ascended the closest stair, on the right side, and went into the first guest bedroom. Batgirl led Faith into the bathroom, Batgirl flicking on the light and closing the door. Nightwing and Batman loitering on the far side of the bed. Faith shivered as she unwrapped the towel and stood on the balls of her feet to hang it on the towel radiator above the toilet. "Oh, nice! She healed you right up, too."

"Yeah!" Faith replied, accepting a dry towel Batgirl obtained from under the sink. She began using it on herself. "Only thing is, now I can't use Ra's' sperm as a bargaining chip."

"For the Hallway?" Said Nightwing.

"Yeah. I could have offered it to the entity as payment for taking my magic from Ra's."

Batman asked, "Are you going to use it, when you get it back?"

"Nope! It's gonna go back to the altar, in my dungeon." Faith went on the balls of her feet again.

"No no, wait," Said Batgirl. Faith relaxed her feet. "Let me dry your hair."

"Oh! Thanks." Faith gave the towel to Batgirl.

"You're welcome, hon."

Nightwing said, "You have a dungeon?"

"Yeah, it's where my Animus, Argophael, and I were buried, when my third incarnation and Argophael were murdered by his father, who tracked Argophael down because, in Thalassic Space, Bartholomew Roberts is a transphobic blizzard warlock pirate."

Batgirl laughed, "So Blackbeard is a wizard, now?"

"Warlock."

"Warlock, sorry."

"Wizards and witches are chaotic neutral or chaotic good, sorcerers are chaotic good or lawful good or lawful neutral, and warlocks and viragos are chaotic evil or lawful evil."

"Ah, OK."

"Anyway, um, y'all are probably wondering about the Navidson Hallway."

"Yeah. All done. You can get dressed, now." Batgirl said, hanging the towel on the radiator. Faith swiftly dressed in the clothes Batgirl provided her.

"OK, I need to explain the three Magical Occupancies of Thalassic Space, first."

"Ooh, that sounds cool."

"I'm pretty good at naming things. Anyway, there are Domains, Realms and Plains." Faith, now dressed, opened the door. Batgirl followed her out, turning off the light. Faith sat at the centre the bed, and Batgirl sat on its right side. "A Plain is a magic island that has shores in multiple planets and is inhabited by magical peoples who govern themselves. For example, the 28 Mansions of the Four Symbols of Chinese astrology. The Mansions are the constellations that make up each beast, but were classified as magic islands when first explored by the Oracles, the most powerful and only immortal Dreamer mages of Thalassic Space. The Mansions are lived in by the deceased atheists of Thalassic Space, allowing them a good variety of different places to live in whenever they want. The Mansions are also a key part of how the Dream World on Paper takes form, using the Mansions and their assets as inspiration for many of the possible common events in the Dream World on Paper."

"Oh, so you weren't just in the dream world, you were in your own dream world."

"Yeah! As a child, I drew a desert with a sinkhole and mountains, a snowy mountain overlooking an ocean, and a city surrounded by a forest on three pieces of paper that I glued to different coloured construction paper. I saw those papers in a dream in the past six months. Hence the name."

"Wow, that's kind of amazing." Said Nightwing.

"Do you remember most of your dreams?" Asked Batgirl.

Faith shook her head. "Nah. Only some of them. Lots of times, I'll be sitting at my computer, and go, 'What was that dream, again?', 'cause some of the ideas are directly taken from media I've seen and liked, or have been scared by."

"Oh yeah."

"Uh, a Realm is a moon planet inhabited by magical people and governed by an entity that can be accessed by portals. The two most infamous examples are the Lightless Realm and the Lightful Realm, the original homes of the Astral Elves and Snow Elves. Krampus was the mayor of the Astral Elves, and Santa was, and still is, the mayor of the Snow Elves. They and Bartholomew are the sons of Nerobzal, the great evil Fallen Angel of Thalassic Space. Bartholomew is eldest, then Krampus, and Santa is the youngest, and the only one of the brothers who isn't evil."

"Right, OK."

"Nerobzal used to be Erophael."

"E-ro." Batman mimicked.

"Yeah, if you look up 'ero meaning' and read the Wikitonary article, and all of the different etymologies, I happened to pick a perfect name for this character! 'Cause it was originally Argophael, but I realised I liked it better for my Animus, so I typed out the first closest sounding three letters I thought of, and boom! Magic."

"Magic." Batgirl imitated. She, Nightwing and Faith giggled.

Batman said, "So, under Creek, it refers to how people in Oklahoma say squirrel."

"Oh yeah, 'cause of their southern accent."

"In Esperanto, it is the back-formation of element. Its accusative singular is eron, plural eroj, and accusative plural erojn." Batman said. Batgirl hummed. "Oh, there's plenty more. In Finnish, it belongs to erä, meaning apart, plus o to make eräo. It means difference, distinction, is an Ellipsis of avioero, 'divorce', and means resignation, discharge or dismissal, and separation or parting. Ido has also era, and Ingrian has difference. There is also the Rōmaji transcription of エロ, while the Jarawa definition is angry. In Kari'na, ero means 'this', in Ladino it belongs to hero, in Latin, as a verb, it is sum, and as a noun it is erus," He made eye contact with Faith. "Meaning 'master of the house' or 'merchandise'." Faith nodded. Batman returned his gaze to Batgirl. "Old High German, in which it means earth, and, lastly, Teanu, in which it means water, fresh water, stream, or river."

"Wow!" Said Nightwing.

"Yeah, I got lucky!" Faith replied. "Erophael was made from the first white ebony tree by Uriel, and brought into Paradiso, where Uriel taught Erophael arts and science. Erophael favoured literature and theatre, and so he wrote poems, songs and plays about the early times of Man to Yahweh, and he was loved for this. Then, Emperor Nero died of suicide, and Erophael laughed at this. For two seconds, all life on Earth had violent thoughts, but only Yahweh sensed this."

"Yahweh removed Erophael's holiness and renamed him as Nerobzal, telling him that he would understand 'bzal' soon. Yahweh gripped Nerobzal's wings and tore them off as he threw Nerobzal down to the Ninth Circle of Inferno, which froze his wings upright. Lucifer had been expecting him. A white door had appeared on Lucifer's pelvis, and Lucifer knew that Nerobzal was fated to open it. The only catch was that Nerobzal would have to kill 16, 777, 216 humans within its halls, which Lucifer would use to free himself and the 200 Fallen Angels from Dudael, and they would go to Earth from the Most Hidden Realm and begin Armaggedon."

"So Hell is considered a Realm, in Thalassic Space." Said Batman.

"Yes. Its portal is the selva obscura, of course, which can extend to any dense forest or savannah where a leopard, lion or wolf can be naturally found." Faith raised her hands in front of her chest. "I know what you're thinking: can this happen, and is Earth in danger? The answer is, yes, but it wouldn't be dangerous. Ra's might think it's dangerous, if he were to find out about it. It's actually a Special Event using the assets of the 28 Mansions. It's a divine spectacle controlled by the Four Symbols. After forty-eight hours, all of the living or dead Fallen Angels, plus Lucifer, participate in a Curtain Call, and return the lives and bodies of any person or animal taken, and rebuild any buildings and all of nature that were likely damaged."

"A divine spectacle."

"If you were to ask Zeus, Odin, Ra, Vishnu or the Four Symbols, they would say this is fair and isn't breaking the rules of Thalassic Space. You can't ask Yahweh because he's not a Bay God. He was sent home by the voice of Qinglong because he wanted to destroy the O-type star of Thalassic Space, believing it was unnatural for humans to live under such a hot sun, much less a magic sun. He was the only god who thought this way." Batman hummed.

"So, Lucifer pulled Nerobzal out of the ice, and Nerobzal skated on his bare feet towards the door. Eight greater humanoid demons chased him, but Nerobzal made it to the door. Upon touching it, Nerobzal knew how to open it. He knocked upon it five times. As the demons closed in, the door knocked back twice. The demons were gripping Nerobzal's arms, legs and torso as Nerobzal opened the door and fell on the floor of the stone hallway. The demons turned into pale grey jumpscare people with neon orange eyes, the first Nero Spirits, called Ghouls, and just laid there. Nerobzal pulled himself from beneath them. When he stood, an angel of the lowest caste, so, uh, just an angel, looked at him from the doorway. Nerobzal pivoted and ran into the hallway. The angel roared and leapt into the hallway, the wing of his wings closing the door. As the angel soared over the Ghouls, he lost his voice and transformed into the Umbrella Man, and stopped where his feet landed as Nerobzal found the dead end and came back, the way ahead having opened, and a window showing them the planets, O-type star and Sagittarius A* of Thalassic Space, confirming to Nerobzal that he had escaped. Nerobzal led the Ghouls and Umbrella Man further until they found the Grandest Room, and there they made a series of stairs and platforms to live in. They spied upon its people, chose the most cruel among them to form the cult of Kaleido, for you cannot understand or hear the word of Yahweh from the outside of a chapel, but you can comprehend and obey the whispers of Nero Spirits in the darkness of high noon, or the light of the midnight." Faith snapped her fingers, actually using the nail of her thumbs and the underside of her middle finger, making a muffled sound. Batgirl and Nightwing softly laughed, and snapped their fingers for her, Batman snapping his fingers too. "Thank you. I-It's all just supposed to be art, y-you get that by now, right?"

"Yeah, we get it." Said Nightwing.

"Um, and Nerobzal waited for the O-type star to be incarnated for the first time in response to the people of Thalassic Space being in peril from the actions of Kaleido. Human trafficking, enslavement, the usual things, but all done under the influence of the Nero Spirits whisperings in the dreams of manipulatable people who were already a little cruel."

Batman said, "You mentioned the angel become the Umbrella Man. Anything special about him?"

"Oh, I stole him from the Team Fortress 2 ARG "Project Skybox"." Faith cackled. Batman discreetly interacted with his gauntlet. "But I gave him new lore!" She compressed her voice to sound like Toad from the Mario franchise. She raised her arms and altered her voice again when hollering, "Woo!" Batgirl and Nightwing chuckled.

"This guy?" Batman said, showing Faith an image projected from his glove.

"Yeah!"

"Ooh, he's kinda creepy." Said Nightwing.

"So what does he do?" Batgirl asked.

"In the ARG, he crashes the game of players who use the Interlope console command, in certain maps. It's a sentient AI. But in Thalassic Space, he was an angel who was unlucky enough to follow Nerobzal into the Domain of Platonia."

"Ah, OK."

"The Domain of Platonia?" Batman repeated with a tone of intrigue. "Now, where did that come from?"

"Oh, shit, right." Faith laughed. "That's why I was telling you the story of Nerobzal!"

"The Navidson Hallway is the Domain of Platonia."

"Yes." Faith shook her hands happily. "So, originally, I was looking for a word that was like 'Platonic', and the first letter I tried subtituting c was a. I clicked on Wikipedia's 'Platonia (disambiguation)', and the second bulletin read: Platonia (philosophy), a hypothetical timeless realm by Julian Barbour containing every possible momentary configuration of the universe. And I was like," Faith raised her right index finger. "Oh." Batgirl chuckled. "Oh yeah, I can work with that! So I combined "Project Skybox" with Julian Barbour's Platonia, and adjusted Nerobzal's story so that he would find it."

"Ooh. Well, it works really well!"

"Yeah, it all flows together nicely." Said Nightwing.

"Thank you! OK, um, a Domain is a fortress, sailing ship or space ship created by an entity to etiher imprison, torture or observe whoever or whatever is inside. The Domain of Platonia is, of course, a hostile liminal space stone fortress entity. There was also Palette, a man o'war owned by the wealthy humans and high elves who were members of Kaleido on planet Bafsina, meaning basin. They forced merfolk, harpies and poor humans, elves and other anthropomorph people into labour on ship and land, raping many men, women and children. This happened during the actual eighty years of the Golden Age of Piracy, and at its end, the protagonists of the story I've been mulling over for Bafsina have their victory, and the ship is sunk, and the members of Kaleido associated with it are executed."

Faith chuckled thrice with a grin, resting her chin in her hands, fingers spread across her little cheeks, fidgeting her small feet. "So, uh, you three are all really smart. What do you think is the spaceship Domain?" Faith looked at Batgirl, saw her brows furrowed, and heard Nightwing hum in thought, saw his lips puckered to the side. Faith looked at Batman, who had a little smile.

Nightwing guessed, "Platonia? Spaceships have windows and bays, and maybe the Greatest Room is a cargo bay, of sorts?"

"Nope!"

Batgirl guessed, "The 28 Mansions?"

"Nope, those are Plains."

"Oh, right."

"Can we have a hint?" Nightwing asked.

Batgirl said, "Yeah, give us a hint, please."

"It is the biggest spoiler for my book that Ashanti, my cat anthro Wish Child, ends up finding out while trying to figure out if I'm really going to birth the Anti-Christ or not after I return to Thalassic Space without her parents or I knowing who summoned me, or why."

"Wow, you like to make bold choices in your writing, huh?" Said Batman.

Faith shrugged. "What can I say? A fantasy-horror author has to be bold, sometimes."

"OK, now I'm lost." Said Nightwing.

"Yeah, now I'm confused." Batgirl added.

Faith said, "Batman, if you would like to reveal?"

"Gladly."

Nightwing said, "Not surprised you already know, Bruce."

"Not at all." Batgirl replied.

"It's Thalassic Space." Batman said. Nightwing and Batgirl looked even more perplexed. "Platonia is an immeasurably large Domain. The 28 Mansions are constellation Plains. And Realms are moon planets. If they all exist in the same galaxy, we need the biggest possible Magical Occupancy to contain all of this, plus the planets. How many planets are there, by the way, Faith?"

"It's our solar system, but behind Mercury is a .75 times bigger twin planet, and that planet is Bafsina, in front of Venus is planet Grace, which is the size of Uranus, Earth is replaced by Yotutrnaeyl, meaing 'journey, and is 1.75 times bigger, and planet Judge, Little Path and Sia are non-visible, share the same orbits and sizes as the visible planets in the listed order, but are only accessible via spaceships and portals, such as Doors to Platonia or traditional chalk door portals."

"Wow, that's cool." Said Nightwing.

"Thank you!"

Batman said, "The existence of Platonia suggests that there can be an even bigger Domain."

"Ohhh, and that bigger Domain is Thalassic Space!" Said Batgirl.

"Yes. Isn't that right, Faith?"

"Yep!" Faith giggled and cheerfully shook her arms. "And now I need to draw the Double Eight to finish explaining all of this, and why we don't have to worry about Ra's or any other villain taking advantage of Thalassic Space after I use the Clicker to return my dark magic to the altar!"

"I'll come back with paper and a pencil." Batman said. "Or do you prefer a pen?"

"A pencil, since I probably won't draw the loops and inner leaves big enough on the first try because I drew it digitally, and also pencil crayons!"

"OK." Batman exited the bedroom.

"You certainly look alive, Faith." Said Nightwing. "You feeling OK?" Faith nodded, cheeks smiling. "Good."

"I'm glad that my basic wish worked. If it didn't, you guys would have no idea how to properly stop Ra's from proceeding."

"I was going to ask:" Batgirl said. "What are you going to offer Platonia, now that you can't offer Ra's' sperm?"

"Yeah, and what would it have done with it?" Nightwing added.

"It would have just eaten it." Faith shrugged. "And now, I will have to give it a cup of blood and a quarter of a cup of hair."

"That's it?"

"Yep! It's only hostile if you enter without being prepared and willing to give offerings like that."

"Should we maybe go down to the kitchen and get you those measuring cups?"

"Sure, if you'd like to. A Ghoul can measure it, too."

"Let's maybe do it ourselves." Batgirl said, rising from the bed.

"Yeah." Said Nightwing. "You're gonna get it, Babs?"

"Yep." Batgirl paused in the doorway. "You just stand there and make sure nothing pops out and grabs her, yeah?"

"Yeah, OK." Nightwing replied. Batgirl continued. A few seconds passed. "Do you mind if I ask a personal question? Sorry, I actually have two questions. Been wondering since you've been handling this, uh, differently than most people would."

"Sure, I don't mind."

"What's your orientation? And, um, have you been raped before?"

"Oh, aceflux pansexual demiromantic. And no, I've never been raped before. I was a virgin, actually."

"Oh! So it's, uh,"

"Complicated." Faith glanced to the left, and her voice warbled. "And it hurt a lot."

Nightwing sighed. "Yeah. I'm sorry you had to go through that, too."

Faith nodded. "Thanks. I know you've been there." Nightwing nodded. "It's like, most of the time, my brain squints at sex, and I'm like, 'OK, are these people doing it for leisure, or procreation, and why are they doing it this way?', and other times it's blowing an airhorn at itself, and I'm down bad."

Nightwing chuckled. "OK then!" Batman entered the room, a notepad, pencil and pencilcase in hand. He put the items on the bed, at Faith's left.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"I love genders. They're just so interesting and authentic, and I get so happy whenever I meet someone or talk to my Homestuck friends who are gender-queer."

"Aw, that's nice."

"And then, since I spent so long trying to understand friendship, and then all of the sudden I had puberty, I got really confused about how monogamy works, since everyone writes different stories about all the different ways it can go, both good and bad, and I've tried," Faith sighed. "I've tried, and I just... I dunno if I really get it like everyone who's happy with monogamy does."

"What do you mean?"

"It feels so restrictive. Like, what do you mean, I belong to you and you belong to me, and nobody else, and if there's any side-stepping, it's a huge problem? Why is it so easy for people to be sneaky instead of just be honest and tell the person they established a bond with that they prefer to be free, sexually? Wouldn't it be easier if everyone just, like, was unbound by, eugh, marriage? I don't even know how it actually works, I just heard that some things are shared, and I don't know if I want to share everything!" Batgirl cautiously entered the room, two measuring cups and a bottle of water in hand.

"I want to own me, I want my partner to own themselves, and I want to be open to helping people I trust with their needs, and not hide it from my partner. And, if I'm lucky, I'll have more than one partner, and we all just are honest in our actions, and we tell each other if we think the person one of us is interested in is dangerous or parasitic, and we protect each other from those people, and our community from them! 'Cause everyone who's smart and has a good heart knows that gay people like me aren't dangerous, and we're not corrupting anyone. We've been around since God made us, or since we evolved from mammals into humans. The only thing that's changed is language, and it needs to keep changing so that we can continue to understand each other, and accept and nurture each other."

"No one should be left behind or raped or killed just because they don't want A-B-C, and want X-Y-Z instead! They're all logical, and they're helpful, and they're part of the same alphabet, the same order. You just have to remember the rest of the letters, and it will all make sense and feel natural, and then hopefully you will confirm not just to society but to yourself and whatever deity or demon you worship, if that applies to you, that you are worthy of people's time, love and the planet's resources." Faith panted. She swallowed. "Ugh, I'm parched from all of this talking." Batgirl appraoched the bed and gave Faith the bottle of water. "Oh, thank you."

"You're welcome." Batgirl responded, while Faith twisted the cap off and drank.

Nightwing said, "Wow. Um. I don't even know what to say. No offense."

Batman said, "You want to be in love, but you don't want to be tied down to marriage, and you want to be honest with who you've been with or are interested in so your partner can help you see if they can be trusted or not." Faith nodded. "You want to return to someone or a small group of people and be welcomed, not shunned or abandoned for your views on how you want to love and be loved." Faith nodded more. "You want your partner or partners to share this idea, but you know that most of society doesn't think this way and blames this on homosexuals, but you know it's a matter of poor communication and coupling, hence why you were garrulous while describing this feeling to us."

"Yes." Faith sighed.

"You feel more comfortable having friends and having sexual and romantic freedom." Faith nodded. "You're afraid of love because it hurt you."

"I just... haven't had good experiences, especially with men. And my foster parents sucked, and my adoptive parents tried to help but couldn't do much."

"Oh, you're adopted!" Said Batgirl.

"Yeah. My brother is biological, we were just put in different foster homes 'cause my dwarfism meant I was considered special needs."

"You still are." Said Batman. Faith bobbed her head.

Batgirl asked, "Have you ever dated a woman?"

"No." Faith sighed heavily. "They only ever want to be my friend."

Batgirl sat on the bed side facing the door and softly said, "I'm sorry."

"I'm missing something that I've felt since I saw Ariel," Faith's voice became stifled. "And how free and happy she was, curious about the world, collecting things she likes, lucky enough to find someone who truly loved her, and I loved her too, and I just..." She sniffled and shook her head, wiping moisture from her left eye. "All of my life, I've wanted to be normal, but I can't be because of my dwarfism and how I think." Batgirl gently placed her left hand on Faith's thigh.

"I've been autistic this entire time, but I'm only diagnosed as having Reactive Attachment Disorder,"

"Ah."

"And that makes sense, but everyone who knows me knows there's more. And I just," Faith swallowed. "I just have had to help myself, had to teach myself why incest is wrong when my mom wouldn't explain why after I almost did it with my little brother." Batgirl batted her lashes, and looked at Nightwing, who also looked stunned, and at Batman, who was unreadable. "She heard us and stopped us, and I told her where I got the idea from, it was character shipping in the Vocaloid fandom,"

"Rin and Len?"

"Yeah! And someone said it was taboo, and I looked the word up, but I didn't trust my mom enough to ask her because I knew I'd get yelled at just for trying to understand why it was bad, and my dreams won't leave it alone. I see my teenage brother in his bedroom at the trailer house, I come in with my adult brain, then he suggests it, and I force myself to sit up and end the dream. I had to do all of my thinking myself 'cause I was 'impossible to teach'." Faith quoted with her fingers. "I wasn't!"

"I had to use words and words, and pictures and videos, and I understood very well. But I can't talk about what I've learned, 'cause then people will think, 'Wow, she needs to be medicated', which I am, by the way! Regular Quetiapine and Quetiapine XR, a small dosage of both. Have since 2021, and I even got an upgrade last year, the anti-depressant form of it that I mentioned!" Faith panted. She licked her lips and swallowed.

"I'm so angry at myself, and all I'm allowed to do is put on my work-face and work-voice, and I just want to be with friends who know that I've got mood swings, and I'm tired of trying to belong to a man, and I'm sad because no one else wants me." She sobbed. "'Cause, 'cause I know the definition of happiness, but I'm only ever OK. I have very few good days. And I've scarcely known a great day, and I don't think I've ever felt fantastic."

Her breathing was heavy as she stared into Batgirl's eyes. Batgirl looked back with sympathy, and rubbed Faith's right arm with her right hand. Faith calmed her breathing and spread her fingers across her forehead, hiding her eyes. "I just want to be free, like the women and people who died before me. So I made a galaxy, I gave myself a cat family, and, and I have all of my toys in my head so Mom can't take them away."

"And I live by myself and try to be single so I can be free, and I'm genuinely happy and fortunate to have my job, it's, it's great, for retail. I just... what Ra's did to me, not to my body, even though, yes, that was a literal nightmare, it's what he's done to my toys. He's taken what isn't his, and it needs to go home." Faith sobbed, wiped her eyes. "Sorry, all of this is supposed to stay in my head for a reason."

Batgirl said, "Thank you for sharing all of that with us. That was very brave and honest of you, Faith."

"Thank you for not interrupting me."

"You're welcome."

Batman said, "You shouldn't give Platonia your blood. You likely don't have enough to spare, right now."

"Yeah. It will accept other people's blood, if the ritual leader can't offer their own. No strings attached, just a different option."

"I'll give it mine, then. Should we get this over with, then?" Batman asked. Faith nodded, and climbed out of bed. "Let's go down to the kitchen." Faith, followed by Batgirl and Nightwing, followed Batman down the stairs. "I bet you're hungry, too."

"Yeah." After descending they passed the stair down to the Great Hall, at the corner entered and exited the servery, then entered the first room in the next corridor. They stopped at the pantry door. Batman stepped aside.

"Would you like to do the honours?" Batman asked. Faith nodded. She knocked five times. The door knocked back twice. Faith opened the door, and the Hallway returned.

"Hello-o? Platonia? I've come to make an offering." Faith stepped towards Batgirl, who spread her hand to offer the measuring cups, which Faith took, pocketing the smaller cup in her borrowed pants. Faith hovered the full cup under Batman's left hand. He made a cut on his forearm, and the cup steadily filled with blood. Once it was full, Batman produced a small pouch from his belt, and Faith carefully walked into the Hallway with her left hand under the cup to catch the little splashes, although droplets fell onto the stone floor. A path opened on the left, and pair of neon orange eyes on a pale grey head poked from the nearest, lower edge of the doorway. Faith proceeded and slowly knelt on both knees, left knee down first, and put the cup in the opening, inches away from the hand of the Ghoul. Faith brought out the other measuring cup. "Uh, I need something to cut my hair with. You can just slide it on the floor, or toss it over." Batman tossed a Batarang that lodged itself into the wall. "Thank you." Faith positioned her hand to pry it loose. "Oh, wait."

"She'll cut herself." Said Nightwing.

"Yep." Batman found a grey hand cloth from his belt. He entered the mouth of the Hallway. "Catch." He threw the cloth, and Faith sort of caught it, fumbling as it collided with her neck and upper chest. Faith used the cloth to free the Batarang with her left hand, transferred it to her right hand, collected an inch of her hair in her left hand over her left shoulder, and cut her hair into the measuring cup.

The Ghoul grumbled like a lizard in warning. "Wzhzazt doz yabozuz wzisrhz phzozr, Srtazrwzriter?"

"I know what he's saying." Batman quietly said to his wards.

"You know the language?" Replied Nightwing.

"No, but it's a letter-swap. It said, 'What do you wish for, Starwriter?'."

"The man who stabbed me and raped me took the dark magic I'm guaranteed to have when forcibly summoned. Take it back without killing him so that he may never use Thalassic Space, and return the magic the altar in the Dungeon of the Goshenite Stargazer Dragon and the Obsidian Moondancer Dragon. Do you see him?"

"It isr diphz'icuzlabt toz sree hzimam. Yabozuzr vazginanaz dozesr nanozt srmamelab' labike hzimam, aznanyabmamozre."

"It is difficult to see him. Your vagina does not smell like him, anymore." Translated Batman.

"Eugh." Said Batgirl.

"I know. Urania removed his sperm, when she resurrected me."

"Wze azre azwzare ozphz thzazt."

"We are aware of that."

"You know what a Lazarus Pit smells like, though."

"Yabesr."

"Yes."

"The oldest man from Earth Prime who smells like that is who you are looking for. The younger man is not your target."

The Ghoul scoffed and growled. "Thzisr ozphz'erinang isr nanozt enanozuzghz."

"This is not enough."

"Oh, of course it's not." Batgirl scoffed.

"But it is protocol." The Ghoul growled deeper. "I am not your master, and I know that my status as your Author means little to you. But the order of Thalassic Space, and of Earth Prime, will not be correct until you do this." Faith sighed, her eyes darting on the floor before finding the Ghoul's face. "Your... your master, the Greatest of Sagittarius... he may visit my dreams tonight."

"Hze isr azlabwzazyabsr thzere." The Ghoul laughed for a few seconds, first low and demented, then shrieking and rigid.

"He is always there."

"What does your master wish of me, then?"

The Ghoul said nothing for four long seconds. "Yabozuz azlabreazdyab knanozwz, phzoz'labisrhz girlab." Faith looked at the floor as the Ghoul laughed for several seconds.

"You already know, foolish girl."

"Hze wzilab' azccept thzisr mamozrtazlab mamaznan'sr bzlaboz'd azsr az labighzt bzeverazge, oznane ozphz phzazr labesr' richznanesr' aznand renanozwznan azsr yabozuzrsr,"

"He will accept this mortal man's blood as a light beverage, one of far less richness and renown as yours,"

"Aznand hze wzilab' azccept yabozuzr hzazir, aznand chzerisrhz it azsr oznane ozphz hzisr giphztsr phzrozmam yabozuz."

"And he will accept your hair, and cherish it as one of his gifts from you."

"Bzuzt nanozwz thzazt yabozuzr wzozmamb isr clabeaznaned," The Ghoul said. Faith gasped and shook her head with a shocked expression.

"But now that your womb is cleaned,"

"No!" Said Batgirl.

"We need to get her out of there, Batman." Nightwing rapidly said.

"Wait." Batman answered.

"Thze mamazsrter wzozuzlabd labike toz ozph'er yabozuz hzisr chzilabd."

"The master would like to offer you his child."

"Batman!" Batgirl shouted, drawing Faith's attention to her.

"We have to trust her." Batman answered. "If any of us enter, this negotiation will be nullified, and then Faith will be in peril, and we may be unable to save her."

Faith turned her eyes back to the Ghoul. "And if I refuse?"

"Tzhzenan yabozuz srtazyab hzere inan thze dazrk wzithz yabozuzr phzeazr ozphz it, aznand ozphz his penis,"

"Then you stay here in the dark with your fear of it, and of his penis,"

"UGH!" Nightwing's upper body trembled in anger, and he clenched his bangs, wrists pressed against his temple.

"Aznand thze srmamelab' ozphz it wzilab' tazuznant yabozuz uznantilab thze dazrk mamazgic thzazt wzazsr srtozlabenan hzazsr bzeenan retuzrnaned, regazrdlabesr' iphz yabozuz sruzbzmamit toz yabozuzr labuzsrt."

"And the smell of it will taunt you until the dark magic that was stolen has been returned, regardless you submit to your lust." Batman translated. Batgirl scoffed, changed her posture, couldn't stand still and tried approaching the doorway. Batman caught her wrist and pulled her back.

"Stop." Said Batgirl, freeing her hand.

"How long will that take?" Faith asked. Batgirl entered the Hallway, and took three strides to stand behind Faith.

"Enough of this! Time to go, Faith. He won't let you go, if you stay any longer."

"Doz yabozuz nabozt uznandersrtaznand, mamozrtazlab wzozmamaznan?"

"Do you not understand, mortal woman?"

"I understand just fine." Batgirl said, taking hold of Faith's left arm and making her stand behind Batgirl. "Do as you were asked with the gifts you were presented. Your master considers Faith sacred, right?"

"Ozhz, srhze isr mamozre thzaznan srazcred toz Hzimambz'azlab."

"Oh, she is more than sacred to Himbzal."

"What about me? What if he used me, instead?" The Ghoul sat on its haunches, tilting its head over its left shoulder.

"Babs." Nightwing said with urgency.

"Barbara." Faith said with awe, meetin the taller woman's eyes.

"Am I valued less to your master because I'm not magic? Because I'm not your Author? Am I just food to him, to this Hallway, like all the other mortals? Do you know why she dyed her hair red?"

"Toz mamirrozr yabozuz."

"To mirror you."

"Yes, to mirror me. She has the most beautiful hazel green eyes, you know that?" Warmth came to Faith's cheeks, and Batgirl glanced at her. Faith bat her lashes as their eyes met. "Wouldn't you know, from the mind of your Author, that she is worth more than her body? And that I am the same? That all people are the same?"

The Ghoul sighed. "Thze mamazsrter isr tired ozphz hzeazrinang yabozuz."

"The master is tired of hearing you."

"I will not be ignored."

"You are not being ignored. You are being honoured. Leave. Both of you. It will be done."

"Yabozuz azre nanozt bzeinang ignanozred. Yabozuz azre bzeinang hzoznanozuzred. Labeazve. Bzozthz ozphz yabozuz. It wzilab' bze doznane."

"You better leave us alone."

"Wze wzilab'. Azt laneazsrt, toz thze extenant it wzazsr bzephzozre thzazt mamaznan bzrozuzghzt thzisr plabazce toz yabozuzr exisrtenance."

"We will. At least, to the extent it was before that man brought this place to your existence."

"Fine."

"Enter again, Faith, and you will answer for your trickery."

"This isn't trickery! This is fair. What your master wants is cruel, and Faith has had enough of that. Not just today, but in her life. If you really won't leave her be, the next time she comes in here, asking for your master's help, she'll be with me, or one of her new friends. And there's plenty of us to go around and kick your master's ass."

The Ghoul growled like a lizard and backed away. "Bze czazrephzuzlab wzhzazt yabozuz wzisrhz phzozr, Bzazrbzazraz Gozrdoznan."

"Be careful what you wish for, Barbara Gordon."

"We need to go." Faith said, rapidly.

"Yep!" Batgirl picked Faith up princess style,

Causing Faith to say, "Whoop!" And ran out of the Hallway, stopping in front of Nightwing and letting Faith down while Batman stepped forward and slammed the door, leaning on it and knocking five times, the door hammering back ceaselessly.

"Faith!" Batman shouted.

"The Clicker!" Faith answered.

"Time to use it?" Batgirl replied, quickly taking it out of her pocket and holding it in her left hand.

Faith rapidly said, "Don't look out the window, be still, breathe quietly, imagine any hallucination caused by neon coloured eyes, scary faces with lots of teeth or impossible figures as the face of a loved one, or their voice, whatever reminds you of life, and wait until the lights come back on and it's quiet for eight seconds! Batman, you'll have to move away from the door as soon you hear the click. You probably know this, but it's best to stand with your hands relaxed at your sides and your head looking forward with a relaxed neck and face." Faith did this herself, and Batgirl and Nightwing quickly nodded and stood as suggested. "NOW!"

Click.

A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger lasdkjflasdfjsladkf

Proceed to Chapter 3

#perversity and loathing #starwriterulia writes #dc comics fanfiction #batfamily fanfiction #dick grayson #nightwing #barbara gordon #batgirl #bruce wayne #batman

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lobstermobster-95 · 1 year ago

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Down in the Wicked Depths Below

Woe to the man

The dark-eyed sailor

Ship’s adrift

And the sea’s his jailor

Drag him down

Down, down, down

Down in the wicked depths below

Woe to the man

The dark-eyed sailor

Ship’s adrift

And the sea’s his jailor

Drag him down

Down, down, down

Down in the wicked depths below

Lost at sea, the sailor cried

I will not die

The sea shall bow to me

“That was quite a display,” Finnegrin said as he rummaged through the piles of assorted junk on his desk. His gruff voice drowning out the singing voices of the crew on deck. “All that talk about how love makes you stronger, but the second you see that elf girl in pain, you completely lost yourself.”

Callum looked away.

The tidebound captain wasn’t wrong. Seeing Rayla like that – writhing and screaming in pain, skin turning blue as if she were already dead – it did something to him. Just like it always did something to him when he thought he’d lost her.

That spell had simultaneously caused a pain in Callum that was so deep that he couldn’t think or see straight. He’d forgotten any spells or tricks that could have helped him and instead did the only thing he could think of.

It had at least been a solid hit – something his younger self would be in awe of for several reasons. A lot of good it had done him though.

At that moment, Callum caught sight of Bait’s empty cage and for a terrible, brief second, thought perhaps the little guy had already been cast into the depths. However, Finnegrin stepped aside and revealed the glow toad had been crammed into another smaller cage.

“What are you doing?” Callum asked, feeling confident he already knew the answer.

“Oh, don’t worry. The cage is for his protection,” the captain replied with a smug smile. “This way, he lures us a leviathan but doesn’t get eaten.”

He crossed the room and stood before Callum, looking down at him with the black-hearted confidence of a man who had spilled more than his fair share of blood. “The one getting thrown into the sea serpent’s hungry mouth is your elf girl.”

He may as well have been strapped to an anchor and dropped into the sea for how quickly Callum became submerged in the crushing weight of dread and panic. He struggled against the chains that bound him to the post, but there was no give.

He couldn’t lose Rayla. Not again. Not ever again.

“No, no wait!” The words leapt from his tongue without his consent. “A dying breath, blood filled with hatred, and a unicorn horn. That’s the dark magic you want. Just…just let her go.”

They could deal with the ramifications. They would find a way to protect Domina Profundis, but Callum had to protect Rayla first.

A beat passed as Finnegrin paused in the doorway before he began to click his tongue in disappointment like a parent about to scold their child. “Oh, my poor lad,” he said. “That deal was no longer on the table.” He chuckled, pulling the door open and quickly disappearing through it, leaving Callum alone as he sunk even deeper into despair.

“No!” He called out to no avail. “No!”

Again he struggled and again the chains around his wrists did not budge.

Hot tears began cutting their way down his cheeks. This was really it. Rayla would die and a piece of him would die right alongside her. They had only just begun to truly mend their relationship. The last few weeks began replaying in Callum’s mind

Staying in his and Ez’s old, adjoining rooms had been his idea. After Umber Tor, he’d shed the last piece of the already-cracked and crumbling armor he’d built around his heart over the last two years. He’d opened himself back up to her, and it was wonderful. They’d often stayed up late during those nights, fretting over Ezran and the others or just talking like they used to.

Then they’d traveled to Lux Aurea, retracing the steps they’d taken together on that first world-changing journey. The route had been easier this time. There was no dragon egg to hide and protect, no duplicitous aid from Soren and Claudia, and no race to outrun an impending battle with Viren’s corrupted army.

And with the border open, the route itself had become more traveled, leading to amenities like the inn they’d stayed at. Seeing Rayla happy and at peace that night had filled Callum’s heart in a way it hadn’t been in two years. He’d wanted to kiss her again, to hold her and tell her he loved her.

Now he desperately wished he had.

He could hear shouts and thuds from above him and his heart began to pound. He didn’t have much time.

Looking around for something, anything he could use to free himself, Callum spotted it. The slug Finnegrin had offered as a dark magic conduit.

No. No he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

He’d sworn to himself that he would never do dark magic again. It wasn’t him. It wasn’t who he wanted to be. He’d vowed to write his own destiny.

…But what would that destiny look like without Rayla?

The question seared his heart like a brand because he knew the answer immediately. Without Rayla, he had no destiny. If he allowed her to die when there was something, anything , he could have done to save her, the anguish would fester in his body like a blight and consume him from the inside out.

He would do anything for her.

Anything.

Pulling against the chains one last time, Callum reached out and grabbed the slug.

The sunrise was beautiful, almost mockingly so after all that had happened the night before.

Callum sat at the base of the mast, feeling no modicum of triumph or elation at their victory. He felt like a liar, a sham. He was the first human mage to do primal magic and still he’d resorted to dark magic.

He thought he was better than this. But was he? Was he any better than Viren or Claudia if he would dirty his hands with the lives of innocent creatures if pushed far enough?

“So…” Came a voice through the fog. “Two primal sources? Now you’re just getting greedy, mister mage.”

Callum saw Rayla as she sat down next to him, felt the warmth of her living, breathing body, but he didn’t feel any less ashamed. If she knew what he’d done to save her, she’d be disgusted and furious, as she should be.

“Callum, are you okay?”

Was he? He let the question sink deep before nodding his head and letting his eyes finally unfocus from the abyss he’d been staring into.

“Yeah,” he said, pulling a smile up along with him. “Yeah, I’m okay. I am.”

He looked at Rayla as she smiled back at him, his heart feeling full and complete as she brought a hand up to his cheek.

“I’m glad,” she said softly.

She pulled him into a hug and Callum felt guilt wrap itself around him along with her arms. Below them, somewhere in the guts of the hull, two dark magic snakes now slithered and slunk because he’d brought them to life.

He’d broken his oath, and as Rayla sighed contentedly, holding Callum like she had when they’d first fallen in love, he knew that he would do it again in a heartbeat to save her.

And that’s what scared him more than anything.

#tdp #the dragon prince #tdp spoilers #tdp season 5 #rayllum #angst #i wasnt ready #stayed up all night #ahhhh

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orphanlavinia · 4 months ago

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I’m heavily medicated

It feels as if I’ve been defeated.

I was so happy with five pills a day.

Feels like such a step backwards or several

My psych finally broke down and gave me benzodiazepines, I pick em up today

I can’t sleep my body is exhausted and my eyes are closing but this feeling in my legs is killing me at night.

It feels like hell

I have to kinda journal somewhere so I guess here it is almost nobody knows this account is mine.

Thank you internet.

Anyways I’ve spend these past few days locked in the bathroom binge smoking weed.

It all started really when I got diagnosed with did. I was in very serious denial and what my brain did out of boredom or god knows what is flood me with memories that I would have rather not remember.

Is it my brain or miss Steiner? We don’t know

The portrayal of this illness in TikTok and shit tends to be too cartoony and I didn’t relate with it at all until I found other lesser known people that talked about it.

And then there it was, symptoms that I have that are DID.

The blackouts, the feeling of not having control in my body.

The amnesia

All of them.

And then everything inside me got worse as I watch my life outside of me getting better and I cannot join in cuz the past pulls. Hard and cruel.

And I am so tired

I have so much work to do and I will

I am just so tired all the time

My neuropathic pain medication got switched and it has caused me a great deal of physical pain.

Also just fyi I am in clinical rest.

I do have to do some stuff do.

Everything is very hard I just want to be alone and not think and not be here maybe?

I’m leaving angel alone tho

He very much understands

But it’s still not cool

I am very frustrated, I feel like I am not going anywhere and the more I dig in my history even tho it answers why I get rabid, furious.

I was the kid, I was too young, I was modeled to be the perfect victim, I was too naive, too autistic, too mentally ill.

It is not fair that I have to carry the pain and the hurt that was given to me until this point. It isn’t fair that I’ve lost a decade or decades of my life because of everything that has been done to me.

And for them it was a fucking Tuesday man.

How’s that?

It’s not fair that I met angel and I felt like Molly in the last unicorn.

Why do you come to me now that I am all broken and used? Why did t you come earlier?

I feel broken, defective.

I keep making plans for a healthy sane woman or whatever I am

But no, I am sick and broken and don’t function like someone whole.

So I gave up, I’m trying to follow my clinical rest, sleep and rest, I haven’t dared doodle or go get some sun but I’m working on it, I am taking half a pharmacy, forcing myself to eat even if all food looks like fucking poison,

I am in extreme burnout, I am audhd, have a very serious depression, I have bpd, I have did….

I have more stuff cuz I’m just god’s favorite

But I guess this is a journey or acceptance and exploration.

I am having coffee cuz it makes me happy tho i shouldn’t.

I think I should stop writing here, see you next time, void.

#actually cptsd #living with cptsd #cptsd recovery #cptsd vent #actually autistic #autistic things #mental illness #mental health #actually mentally ill #narcissisticabuserecovery #adhd #vent post #personal

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adventure-showdown · 1 year ago

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What is the greatest Doctor Who story ever told?

Everything has been split into groups of 32 that I think are of similar levels of notoritiy, but likely not popularity. Seeding within the groups decides the matches. At the end of the round groups are paired up and mashed together to do it all again.

What that means right now is the order the matches below are listed in has no baring on what they'll be against in the next round

There will be 16 matches a day with Fridays off

Lastly, you can still submit propaganda for posts here

ROUND 1

ROUND 2

Day 16

The Metaphysical Engine or What Quill Did vs Alien Avatar

The Last Oak Tree vs Dead Man Walking

Black Hunger vs Dream-Eaters

From Out of the Rain vs Detained

A Day in the Death vs Nightvisiting

Fragments vs Taphony of the Time Loop

Lost Library of Ukko vs The Custodians

Sirens of Ceres vs Children of Earth

K9 and Company vs Regeneration/Liberation/The Korven

Mutant Copper vs Reset

For Tonight We Might Die vs The Lost

Miracle Day vs The Cambridge Spy

Mind Snap/Angel of the North/Last Precinct/Hound of the Korven/Eclipse of the Korven vs Fear Itself

Exit Wounds vs Something Borrowed

Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart/Brave-ish Heart vs Oroborus

The Fall of the House of Gryffen vs The Curse of Anubis

previous and future days under the cut - unfortunately i've had to get rid of the links because there were too many and the post broke, however they are all tagged #round 2

Day 1

The Mind Robber vs Galaxy 4

The Moonbase vs The Daleks' Master Plan

The Evil of the Daleks vs The Space Museum

The Gunfighters vs The Macra Terror

The Dalek Invasion of Earth vs The Celestial Toymaker

The Reign of Terror vs The Daleks

The Rescue vs The Ice Warriors TIE

The Ark vs the Romans

The Tenth Planet vs The Web Planet

An Unearthly Child vs The War Machines

The Invsion vs The Keys of Marinus

The Underwater Menace vs The Aztecs

The Edge of Destruction vs The Massacre

The Sensorites vs The Seeds of Death

The Chase vs Marco Polo

Planet of Giants vs The Time Meddler

Day 2

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances vs Love and Monsters

Human Nature/The Family of Blood vs The End of the World

The Waters of Mars vs The End of Time

The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit vs Fires of Pompeii

Blink vs The Unquiet Dead

Boom Town vs Utopia

Army of Ghosts/Doomsday vs Father's Day

Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks vs Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways

Dalek vs New Earth

Rose vs Planet of the Ood

The Runaway Bride vs The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky

The Girl in the Fireplace vs Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead

Partners in Crime vs The Christmas Invasion

School Reunion vs The Stolen Earth/Journey's End

The Unicorn and the Wasp vs The Sound of Drums/Last of Time Lords

Tooth and Claw vs Midnight

Day 3

A Death in the Family vs The Eleven

Ship in a Bottle vs Blood of the Daleks

Albie's Angels vs Phobos

No More Lies vs UNIT Dating

Horror of Glam Rock vs Companion Piece

The Grey Man in the Mountain vs The Love Vampires

Human Resources vs The Widow's Assassin

The Company of Friends: Izzy's Story vs The Side of the Angels

Day of the Master vs The Crucible of Souls

1963: The Assassination Games vs The Red Lady

Stranded vs The Sonomancer TIE

The Doomsday Chronometer vs The Silver Turk

Absent Friends vs The Eighth Piece

Paradox of the Daleks vs Better Watch Out/Fairytale in Salzburg

Inside Every Warrior vs Robophobia

Stop the Clock vs To the Death

Day 4

The War Games vs The Abominable Snowmen

The Sea Devils vs The Time Warrior

The Time Monster vs Fury from the Deep

The Tomb of the Cybermen vs Terror of the Autons

The Three Doctors vs The Ambassadors of Death

The Highlanders vs The Power of the Daleks

Doctor Who and the Silurians vs Carnival of Monsters

The Faceless Ones vs The Daemons

The Enemy of the World vs The Monster of Peladon

The Mind of Evil vs Frontier in Space TIE

The Claws of Axos vs Inferno

Spearhead from Space vs The Ark in Space TIE

The Horns of Nimon vs The Seeds of Doom

Planet of the Spiders vs The Web of Fear

Colony in Space vs The Green Death

Invasion of the Dinosaurs vs The Curse of Peladon

Day 5

Vincent and the Doctor vs Closing Time

The Snowmen vs The Beast Below

The Doctor's Daughter vs The Rings of Akhaten

Vampires of Venice vs The Doctor's Wife

Gridlock vs A Town Called Mercy

The Wedding of River Song vs Amy's Choice

The Girl Who Waited vs Time of the Doctor

Hide vs Smith and Jones

The Eleventh Hour vs Curse of the Black Spot

A Christmas Carol vs The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone

A Good Man Goes to War vs Name of the Doctor

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship vs The God Complex

Day of the Doctor vs Asylum of the Daleks

The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood vs The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon

Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel vs 42

Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS vs Turn Left

Day 6

The Lumiat vs A Spoonful of Masters

Nightshade vs Rhys and Ianto's Excellent Barbecue

Solitaire vs Paradise 5

Serenity vs The Last Post

No Place vs The Hollow King

Warfare vs Square One

The Cars that Ate London! vs Out of Time

Iterations of I vs A Full Life

I am the Master vs Forever Fallen

The Creeping Death vs Expiry Dating

Peshka vs The Forgotten Village

First Days of Phaidon vs The Scorchies

Gallifrey IV vs The Queen of Time

Wink vs Death and the Queen

Too Many Masters vs Peri and the Piscon Paradox

The Concrete Cage vs The Fifth Citadel

Day 7

City of Death vs The Creature From the Pit

The Key to Time vs The Ribos Operation

The Keeper of Traken vs The Masque of Mandragora

Image of the Fendahl vs The Brain of Morbius

The Horror of Fang Rock vs The Armageddon Factor

Terror of the Zygons vs Mawdryn Undead

The Sunmakers vs The Androids of Tara

The Sontaran Experiment vs The Pirate Planet

Genesis of the Daleks vs Destiny of the Daleks

Warriors' Gate vs The Invasion of Time

The Stones of Blood vs The Hand of Fear

The Leisure Hive vs State of Decay

Logopolis vs Robot

Full Circle vs The Face of Evil

The Deadly Assassin vs Pyramids of Mars

Meglos vs The Robots of Death

Day 8

Heaven Sent vs Cold War

Under the Lake/Before the Flood vs The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion

Flatline vs The Return of Doctor Mysterio

The Angels Take Manhattan vs Dark Water/Death in Heaven

The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar vs Empress of Mars

Smile vs Extremis

Hell Bent vs Knock Knock

The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People vs The Husbands of River Song

Mummy on the Orient Express vs The Power of Three

Twice Upon a Time vs Listen

Face the Raven vs The Eaters of Light

Robot of Sherwood vs The Pilot

The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang vs The Girl Who Died

The Pyramid at the End of the World vs Oxygen

Time Heist vs Deep Breath

The Lodger vs World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls

Day 9

The Bekdel Test vs The Blood Cell

Human Nature vs Doctor Who and Shada (fan novelisation)

The Book of the War vs The City of the Dead

The Adventuress of Henrietta Street vs The Stranger

Mad Dogs and Englishmen vs The Crooked World

Anachrophobia vs Alien Bodies

Harvest of Time vs Interference

The Blue Angel vs Vampire Science

Lungbarrow vs The Turing Test

Oh No It Isn't vs The Eleven Day Empire/The Shadow Play

Living Legend vs The Gallifrey Chronicles

Engines of War vs The Year of Intelligent Tigers

Scratchman vs The Scarlet Empress

Psychodrome vs Camera Obscura

This Town Will Never Let Us Go vs Unnatural History

The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50 vs A Photograph to Remember

Day 10

The Caves of Androzani vs Warriors of the Deep

Revelation of the Daleks vs Paradise Towers

Snakedance vs The Mysterious Planet

The Visitation vs Ghost Light

Survival vs The King's Demons

Black Orchid vs Battlefield

Planet of Fire vs Frontios

Attack of the Cybermen vs Enlightenment

The Curse of Fenric vs Mindwarp

Terror of the Vervoids vs The Mark of the Rani

Kinda vs Trial of a Time Lord

The Two Doctors vs Earthshock

The Five Doctors vs The Ultimate Foe

Terminus vs Vengeance on Varos

Castrovalva vs Ressurection of the Daleks

Delta and the Bannermen vs Remembrance of the Daleks

Day 11

Whatever Happened to Sarah-Jane? vs Kerblam!

Flux vs The Caretaker

Eve of the Daleks vs Revolution of the Daleks

Praxeus vs Last Christmas

Village of the Angels vs Revenge of the Slitheen

The Ghost Monument vs War of the Sontarans

Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror vs Resolution

The Tsuranga Conundrum vs The Haunting of Villa Diodati

Demons of the Punjab vs Eye of the Gorgon

The Halloween Apocalypse vs Rosa

The Woman Who Fell to Earth vs Once, Upon TIme

Ascension of the Cybermen/The Timeless Children vs Spyfall

The Power of the Doctor vs Can You Hear Me?

Invasion of the Bane vs Fugitive of the Judoon

It Takes You Away vs The Witchfinders

Arachnids in the UK vs Thin Ice

Day 12

Downtime vs Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor

Dalek Weetabix advert vs The Fallen

Divided Loyalties vs The Land of Happy Endings

Summoned by Shadows vs Space in Dimension Relative and Time

More than a Messiah vs Step Into the 80s/On Through the 80s

Famine Appeal vs The Devil of Winerborne

Unnatural Selection vs Lepidometry for Beginners

Ground Zero vs Merry Christmas Doctor Who

The Zero Imperative vs When to Die

Fear Itself vs 12 Doctors, 12 Stories

Zygon: When Being You Just Isn't Enough vs The Room With All the Doors

The Terror Game vs Eye of the Beholder

Old Friends vs In Memory Alone

Wall's Sky Ray lollies advert vs Nothing at the End of the Lane

Something Borrowed vs The Flood

The World Shapers vs The Star Beast

Day 13

The Chimes of Midnight vs Minuet in Hell

The Holy Terror vs Spare Parts

The Happiness Patrol vs The Company of Friends: Benny's Story

Dragonfire vs The Company of Friends: Fitz's Story

Doctor Who and the Pirates vs Singularity

The Condemned vs The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

The Girl Who Never Was vs Neverland

Other Lives vs Caerdroia

Scherzo vs The Company of Friends: Mary's Story

Jubilee vs The TV Movie

The Harvest vs Seasons of Fear

Terror Firma vs Storm Warning

Zagreus vs Arrangements of War

Master vs The Natural History of Fear

The Marian Conspiracy vs The Apocalyse Element

Loups-Garoux vs The Kingmaker

Day 14

Death of the Doctor vs The Gift

Lost in Time vs The Mark of the Berserker

Small Worlds vs Secrets of the Stars

Sleeper vs Everything Changes

Countrycide vs To the Last Man

They Keep Killing Suzie vs Out of Time

Cyberwoman vs The Nightmare Man

Combat vs The Temptation of Sarah-Jane Smith

The Wedding of Sarah-Jane Smith vs The Empty Planet

Random Shoes vs Adam

Goodbye, Sarah-Jane Smith vs The Mad Woman in the Attic

Prisoner of the Judoon vs Ghost Machine

The Curse of Clyde Langer vs The Lost Boy

The Last Sontaran vs Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Sky vs The Day of the Clown

Mona Lisa's Revenge vs Captain Jack Harkness

Day 15

Time Crash vs Tardisodes

Dreamland vs Dr Who and the Daleks

Shada (webcast with 8) vs The Battle of Demons Run: Two Days Later

Ronald Rat Continuity Announcement vs Pond Life

P.S. vs The Shrink

The Daleks' Invasion of Earth 2150AD vs Doctorin' the TARDIS

Farewell, Sarah-Jane vs The Infinite Quest

Shada (1992 version with linking narration) vs An Adventure in Space and Time

Night of the Doctor vs The Doctor's Meditiation

Real Time vs Dimensions in Time

Clara and the TARDIS vs The Great Detective

Rain Gods vs Scream of the Shalka

Doctor in Distress vs Space Time

Night and the Doctor vs The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot

Shada (2017 animated reconstruction) vs Born Again

Search Out Space vs The Curse of Fatal Death

#doctor who #round 2

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arvadthecursed · 2 years ago

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not to continue being an emotional bitch on main but I was thinking about The Last Unicorn (the film, mostly, as it was Baby's First Hyperfixation) and how it is a film about growth and grief, at its very core, and that's why it resonates so strongly.

At the end, the unicorn says, "I have been mortal, and some part of me is mortal yet. I am full of tears and hunger and the fear of death, although I cannot weep, and I want nothing, and I cannot die. I am not like the others now, for no unicorn was ever born who could regret, but I do. I regret." And I wanna focus on those last lines.

There comes a time in all our lives, I think, where we experience that loss of innocence, and it feels like the first time it's happened in human history when it's happening to you.

This isn't a story I've told many people but I'll share it with you now. When I was 12, my grandmother, who I was extremely close to, died of cancer. It had spread to most of her body, including her lungs and brain. Her last days were spent in a hospital hooked up to a morphine drip.

The last time I saw her, it was in the hospital, and she was begging my father not to leave. We had to return to our home to pick up my mother for the impending funeral. And I just remember my grandmother crying out for my dad, telling him not to go, and I remember how utterly crushed I felt in that moment. Death was inevitable. I couldn't escape it, not when it was directly in front of me. At my grandmother's viewing, I could hardly look at her.

For years, I was severely thanatophobic. Death has always kind of hung over my life. My maternal grandmother, only a few months after I was born. My maternal grandfather, when we went to his apartment and found him dead. My grandmother's friend, who we found dead in his house. My grandmother herself.

That was over ten years ago. I've grown quite a bit, and I think working in a nursing home has given me a little more of a "unique" perspective, if you will. Death is just part of life. It happens. And sometimes, it is merciful.

But the grief remains. There are times I'm 12 again, and a scared little girl, watching my grandmother, who could hardly recognize anyone, cry for my dad not to go. I feel regret for not being able to look at her body at the viewing.

And even beyond death... I grieve the girl I lost to abusive boyfriends. I feel this lingering regret at the loss of my innocence, not that I could've stopped it. I think of the sweet little girl I was, and I want to cry for her, but I can't. All I can do is look to the future and try to grow and be better for her.

It's a human experience. We don't like to admit it, but grief is quintessentially human. When it happens to us, it feels like the first time it's happened in history.

And then we grow. We have to keep getting up, and going about our lives, and trying not to trip on our grief. It doesn't go away, but it tucks itself into a corner, where it'll catch us off guard when we least expect it. Then it goes back into hiding.

I think The Last Unicorn is a really beautiful example of all these ideas coming together. The unicorn must come to grips with the fact that she is not innocent anymore. She has grieved, she has loved, and she knows the bittersweetness of regret. Her journey is self discovery, but a tragic one, one that we all go through at one time or another. It's a film that still resonates deeply with me because the notion of grief and growth has always been present in my life.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. Was just thinking about it quite a bit today.

#millie says #the last unicorn #death cw #abuse cw #for the mentions

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mymiraclebox · 1 year ago

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Miracle Boxes - The Mage Generation

These are the first iteration of the Miracle Boxes, created by the Mage himself thousands of years ago. These consisted of twelve Miracle Boxes, each with ten kwamis, which the Mage entrusted to people during his travels around the world. Thanks to the use of the Panda Miraculous, the Mage lived much longer than most humans, making his travels across the world last several hundred years.

The Mage Box - Wandering Panda Crow Unicorn Rabbit Beaver Dove Horse Owl Parrot Scorpion

The Mage Box was the Miracle Box that the Mage personally looked after. He kept the Miraculouses of great power with him, along with ones that helped him in his travels around the world. The Mage would stay in different lands for decades at a time, and choose a close companion from these areas to become a Guardian of one of the boxes he carried. These Guardians were assigned to care for these kwamis, and to watch over a vast region.

The Successor Box - South Asia and West Asia Ladybug Black Cat Qilin Frog Bee Butterfly Fox Peacock Swan Turtle

This Miracle Box was the first the Mage trusted in the hands of another, which was his apprentice. He and apprentice left their home land (in what is now modern Tibet). They both headed south, with the apprentice heading west when they parted ways, while the Mage went east as he began his travels around the world.

The Island Box - Oceania and Southeast Asia Wolf Platypus Pterosaur Tuatara Binturong Blackbuck Coral Kangaroo Komodo Dragon Thylacine

This Miracle Box's Guardian was originally from what is now modern India, who was a traveling companion with the Mage as they went east together. When they parted ways the Mage went north, while she promised to take the Miracle Box south. This Guardian spent much of her time in Southeast Asia, and eventually headed down towards Australia and into the Pacific Islands.

The Coastal Box - East Asia and North Asia Dragon Cobra Dog Goat Monkey Mouse Ox Pig Rooster Tiger

The Mage entrusted this Box to a family who lived along the coast. The range this Guardian and Miracle Box looked after was along the coast of eastern Asia, but did stretch inland as well. The Mage spent a long time with this Guardian and their family, before deciding to pursue stories about a land that laid across the ocean.

The Northern Box - North America Thunderbird Bear Cougar Deer Goose Otter Rattlesnake Raven Salmon Woodpecker

The Mage didn't know what he'd find across the ocean, but he stumbled into a land much bigger than he imagined. His journeys started up in what is now Alaska, down through what would become Canada and the United State. Like many Miracle Boxes before the new Guardian had a vast region with many different cultures for them and their kwamis to look after.

The Central Box - Central America Firefly Raccoon Feathered Serpent Spider Axolotl Bison Coyote Eagle Falcon Shark

Of all of the Mage's travels, it was in Central America where he stayed the longest. This was because ended up adopting a daughter, who he went on many adventures with. The Mage entrusted the last Miracle Box with an Alpha Duo to her, who he stayed with to watch over, along with his grandchildren in time. He continued south shortly after his great-grandson became Guardian, knowing that he couldn't stay there forever.

The Southern Box - South America Grim Snail Crocodile Dolphin Isopod Jaguar Jellyfish Llama Locust Moth

The Mage struggled to bond with others as he headed into South America, pained with his extended life and the lost of love ones that comes from it. In time he befriended a lone traveler who lived a similar lifestyle than him, who he entrusted to become a Guardian. They parted ways when the Mage headed south across the ocean, where he encountered the frozen wasteland of Antarctica.

The Jungle Box - Southern Africa Dinosaur Penguin Elephant Gorilla Jackal Okapi Ray Rhinoceros Squirrel Zebra

The Mage did not remain within Antarctica for long, with the inhospitable environment and lack of human life. He headed north up into Madagascar, where he spent a considerable amount of time before he traveled to the mainland of Africa, which turned out to be much bigger than he had excepted when first traveling to the continent.

The Desert Box - Northern Africa Griffin Dragonfly Camel Chameleon Cheetah Giraffe Hippopotamus Hyena Ostrich Secretarybird

He did not select a guardian for this box for a long time, not until his arrival in ancient Egypt. This was the first place the Mage had truly settled in for many years, but he did eventually head east across the Sahara. The Mage's travels in Africa ended in what is now in Morocco, where he then headed up into the Iberian Peninsula.

The Peninsula Box - Europe Kelpie Aurochs Ant Crab Gecko Hedgehog Ibex Lion Mouflon Seahorse

Europe was yet another region that took the Mage a long time to select a Guardian for, and often retraced his paths in locations he had been in before during this search. In the end he trained up several potential Guardians, but only entrusted the box to one, leading to conflict for the box after he left.

The Arctic Box - Northern Europe and Northern Asia Phoenix Lynx Moose Narwhal Octopus Polar Bear Seal Sheep Stoat Wolverine

The Mage settled a lot more often as he journeyed northward, still very nomadic in where he would travel, but would often stay in settlements for long periods of time, especially during harsh winter months. The Mage loved the world and his travels, but he was tired, especially after living for so long. He entrusted this Miracle Box to a woman the kwamis loved to become their Guardian.

The Mountain Box - Central Asia and the Tibetan Plateau Yeti Red Panda Bat Elk Pangolin Quail Scarab Snow Leopard Tortoise Vulture

At the end of his centuries long journey, the Mage found himself rapidly approaching his homeland. When heading across the mountains he found a Guardian for the last Miracle Box with him. He did not spend long here as he did in other regions of the world, being so close to home. And after such a long journey the Mage for ready to rest.

---

The Mage's apprentice was long dead by the time he returned to his homeland, but he was able to meet those who were protecting the Successor Box in his apprentice's place. Satisfied with the system he had in place and the kwamis that lived across the world, the Mage decided that he was ready to rest after living for so many years.

Still he knew the greed of humanity, and decided that the two Soul Gems along with the Miraculouses of the Panda, Crow, and Unicorn should be hidden away. They were to be hidden away in the Mage Box, so the other seven kwamis he had once looked after he decided to spread across the world, to unite with other Miracle Boxes out there.

After this he hid away the powerful Miraculouses and the Soul Gems, before officially retiring to his homeland under the care of the Guardians of the Successor Box. While he never told a soul where his Miracle Box was hidden, he did entrust the current Guardians with the knowledge of the location of one Soul Gem, before he passed away of old age.

---

The True Generation of Miracle Boxes

The Order Generation of Miracle Boxes

#kwamis #kwami oc #kwami #oc kwami #ml headcanons #my headcanons #miraculous headcanon #miraculous ladybug headcanon #ml the mage #the mage #vitaa #plagg #tikki #shii #miracle box

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a-dip-in-the-source · 2 years ago

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Okay so come with me on this journey I am going insane about Ronodin:

Okay so we know that Ronodin was raised in the unicorn royal family like they were his own son. He and Bracken were extremely close. We know that Ronodin was a radicalist about interacting with multiple types of magical creatures and mortals and that earned disapproval. We know that Bracken later emulates this behavior.

When Ronodin betrays his family and corrupts himself its out of love, he wants to avenge his family and thinks he has found the best way to do so without considering that he might be wrong. He is doing this with good intentions, Ronodin dresses up everything he does with good intentions, even when he helps murder people he says its for good intentions. Ronodin cannot fathom the idea that good intentions can't fix a problem or justify harm.

Later on in his villainy (and GOD I wish we got to see the aftermath of what happened when Ronodin destroyed that mushroom and the spear, what must've it felt to so thoroughly destroy yourself in the name of your family only to realize that you doomed them. Was it the exile or the feeling that /he could still fix this if he kept going/ that drove him to side with the demons?) Ronodin seems incapable of not including the term family, of getting close. He claims Seth as a brother in order to replace the one he lost, he's pouring resources into corrupting Bracken so they can have something in common again, when he infiltrates the Giants he does so by trying to establish a relationship with the Queen. Hell his proposal to Kendra might have been his last ditch effort to finally have some kind of connection once he realized that having the fairy crown wasn't fixing him. He's craving that validation, that sense of belonging. He could have it if he wanted, if he admitted to what he actually wants but he cannot accept redemption or apologizing because he still is incapable of understanding that he might've been wrong to take action on his own.

Bracken is hunting him down. He treats this like its his own burden to bear, he let Ronodin down by not being there to help. After Ronodin -was exiled/corrupted/died/left- Bracken leaves the Fairy Realm to investigate mortal societies and see what Ronodin saw that made him choose to do what he did. When they fight Bracken seems incapable of actually finishing him off, Ronodin also refuses to actually put an end to this. Ronodin had Bracken literally as close to the void as the two of them could physically bear and he tries to say that he needs more to corrupt him???

In short I'll finish this analysis by saying this: I was shown the most insane little jesterman imaginable who could've been the cornerstone to a story about themes of family and siblings and betrayal and instead of finishing his arc in a meaningful way that mirrors Seth and Kendra Ronodin gets deus ex machina'd away by actual god after everyone completely bypasses their narrative character flaws (except Kendra by the way!!! Because she is literally just standing there doing NOTHING WRONG) by dipping in some magic water because fuck actually using meaningful imagery to communicate what we wanna say these characters need to get ACTUALLY BAPTISED.

#fablehaven #dragonwatch #dragonwatchdragging #ronodin #dragonwatch critical #I AM SO FUCKING MAD #characterdive

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moondustbooks · 2 years ago

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Roses are red, Books can be too, Let's pick one up And read it through.

#books #booklr #shelfie #bookshelf #inkmistress #the scorpio races #ruby red #fire #kitty kitty #a kiss in time #the last unicorn the lost journey #red book covers #red books #fairy tale retelling #ya books #book photography #moondustbooks

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namelessmoons-corner · 26 days ago

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☆.｡.:° Session I - Part 2 | Wild Beyond the Witchlight °:.｡.☆

Click here to see part 1 of the session note

Where Orion is frustrated, Trinkets wants to try drugs and Antigone begins to hate children.

[TW: drugs]

Diane then gives Antigone paint and brushes, explaining to the adventurers that they need to find half the unicorn's names if they want any answers.

There are eight unicorns, and they are paired off. The adventurers have to solve a riddle to find their names, but Trinket and Antigone start to hit a wall. Orion's player, hearing all of their theory, is becoming more and more frustrated. Looking at them, it's clear they have the answer to at least part of the riddle. But Orion can't help, as he's outside of the merry-go-round. Yielding to the temptation to help his friends, he finally decides to use one of his eight punchable dot to get into the attraction.

With his help, the trio manage to find the name of the four unicorns, and mount them to begin the carousel. Questions are asked, poems are given and locations known.

Their curiosity satisfied, our three heroes (are they heroes yet or only adventurers on a quest?) thank Diana, promising to free her from her curse before they leave the carnival.

As they leave the merry-go-round, they see a sylvanian and a cute squirrel handing out seeds and dandelions ready to be blown away. As they blow upon their dandelion, they hope their greatest wish will come true during this journey.

The three friends study the map for a bit before deciding to go to the Snail Race. On their way, they go past the Lost and Found stand, seeing Dirla and the two children she watches over. You know how I said that the adventurers didn't seems interested in the boys in the last session notes? well they will now be taken with the children for at least 45 minutes real-time.

As they approach the stand, the oldest has a disco ball in his hand and doesn't want to give it back, which angers Dirla, and the feline begins to growl at him. Frightened, he drops the ball and flees, leaving Dirla worried about his safety, as she can't leave the younger one alone and she has to mind the stand.

But the adventurers seem more interested in the young halfling child, Allowin. They ask after his parents and learn that his mother is the one that left him here, while his dad is enjoying snacks somewhere. "Snacks?" is the question. "Yeah, mom says he enjoys coca?" The three share a glance, knowing that this kind of drink doesn't exist in their world. Have they heard something wrong?

Not at all. It would seem the dad is a cocaine addict and the mom is at the Swan boats with a man she calls 'Darling'. Who is apparently not the dad. And the parents are still married. Well… Maybe they could find the mom if Allowin gives them her name and some kind of description. Of course, he calls her 'mom' and doesn't have a name to give them. They know she has green hair and green eyes, but in the colourful carnival, it's not the most helpful of description. Maybe they could try to find the dad later though. If he's conscious.

(Picture of Dirla)

Seeing the adventurers become invested in the child's story, she asks for their help to find Viro, the one who fled earlier. Thinking about how Dirla told them children are seen as lost things and the disappearance of said lost things when the carnival closes for the night, the three accept. After a few minutes searching for the miscreant, they find him in front of a snack stand, pocketing some kind of white, flour-like sweets.

On the small slate with the prices and menu is written "Sweet coke, the best sweet to stay awake!". Antigone is suspicious. They just learnt drugs are being sold in the carnival, and a child is pocketing three sweets supposed to keep him awake and excited all night? No way she's letting him keep them.

On the other hand, Trinket is quite enthusiastic about these sweets. But when he tries to buy some without paying thanks to his role as a Carnival Hand, the seller refuses. He doesn't want to sell to the people working here, which seems even more suspicious than selling drugs in broad daylight.

Antigone manages to exchange the three sweets in the hand of the child for a lollipop, negociating with all the persuasion she has in her small body. With this done, they go back to Dirla with Viro, sternly telling him not to stray again.

And the questions come back. "Where are your parents, kid?". The answer comes quick: "I don't have a dad and my mom's a bitch." Nice kid, this one. Staying calm is a trial for Antigone, while Orion and Trinket are both laughing their ass off on the ground behind her. They can't breathe, this might be dangerous.

"Still, we need to find her before the Carnival ends, don't you think?" - "Well she left me here, I hate her, and you're a slut." Antigone is trying to understand why anyone would have children. She can't come up with an answer, and she'll receive no help from her two friends, too busy laughing as they are.

Antigone asks a few more questions and understands that Viro's mum is an artist and left him here with only a small suitcase containing a change of clothes and a toothbrush. She promises Dirla and the boys to try and find their parents, and the group leaves in direction of the Snail Race.

They all decide to race against each other. At first, it seems like Orion is going to win, but Antigone manages to push through and get first place. Thanks to this, she receives an Advantage potion.

The session finishes on this happy note, everyone a bit tired.

Next time, we'll be able to see Antigone trying to speak with a manager about this drug-selling stand and Trinket hoping to find someone called Canfoo, so don't hesitate to follow the blog not to miss anything!

☽ Moon ☾

#wild beyond the witchlight #dnd session #dnd campaign #dnd shenanigans #d&d #dnd #dnd5e #Moon's dnd sessions #witchlight carnival #campaign notes #session notes #dungeons and dragons #dnd party #dnd bard #d&d 5e #d&d oc

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shannaraisles · 4 months ago

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The Warden's Witch, Part 3 - @euryalex

For the indomitable @euryalex, who requested a look at what the dark ritual from Dragon Age: Origins might look like with her transplanted OC Tara and Wyll Ravengard from Baldur's Gate 3. It was fun to write! Came out longer than expected, but it was a joy - thank you so much for your faith in me, lovely!

The Warden’s Witch, Part 3

“That idiot boy will not even speak to me without Cecilia present. One would think he would have developed more sense after our long journey, but, alas.”

Morrigan’s sigh was more genuine than anything Tara believed she had ever heard from her sister before. She frowned, looking over at the other woman, slumped in a chair by the leaping fire. The Grimoire - their mother’s legacy, stolen from her by their friends - lay in her own lap, the open pages mocking her with the ritual they had only one night to complete if their friends were to survive.

If Wyll was to survive.

She knew he would be the first among the Wardens to snatch up the sword and sacrifice his own life for the sake of the land. He was so irritatingly noble, so utterly unaware of his worth beyond the service he could perform for his land, his king, his people. So oblivious to the fact that more than his heart would stop in those terrible moments when he obeyed his Warden’s Oath to perfection.

“Perhaps you should have spent more time befriending him, and less time taunting him,” she suggested to her sister, her tone perhaps a little more arch than she really should have allowed it to be.

“I refuse to change myself for the sake of anyone, much less a man whose seed is all I require,” Morrigan retorted with a scowl. “But all hope is not yet lost. You have a pet Warden who may yet be more amenable to our desire.”

“Wyll is not a pet.” Tara’s eyes narrowed at the other woman, mildly disgusted by Morrigan’s insistence on not seeing anyone around her as deserving of basic respect unless they had earned it through personal connection with herself. “And I will not trick him, if that is what you are thinking.”

“All you have to do is seduce him,” Morrigan pointed out. “We can prime you in here, and then you can go and finally have your romantic evening with your doe-eyed prince. He need never know the reason, and they can all live out their lives believing themselves to be the precious golden unicorns that all Wardens secretly wish to be.”

“I won’t lie to him, Morrigan.”

The older woman’s brow rose above an unamused smirk.

“Then you will have to be very convincing, little sister,” she said, “or this night may well be his last.”

Tara’s scowl matched her sister’s for a long moment, her dark eyes drifting back to the open grimoire on her lap. Could she do this? Flemeth’s magic seemed costly; someone would have to pay a hefty price for this to be a success, but ... what if that price was simply the burden of motherhood? It wasn’t the child she particularly wanted; it was Wyll’s continued existence beyond the battle tomorrow. It was a price worth paying.

She murmured the words, slender fingers drawing the runes in the air, gathering her mana to her to prime her womb. No matter the strength of the taint that affected his seed, she would conceive tonight. If Wyll allowed it.

Would he understand how important it was to her that he survive? That he stay by her side?

Of course he wouldn’t. She had never told him.

With a snap of leather and parchment, she rose, tossing the now-closed grimoire onto the bed behind her. She didn’t bother acknowledging Morrigan’s knowing stare on her back as she left the room, letting the heavy door bang closed behind her. Her decision was made. All that mattered how was his.

Arl Eamon’s keep here at Redcliffe was strangely silent in these few hours before the forced march they would soon undertake. Outside the thick walls, an army was encamped, restless men and women trying to snatch a few hours of sleep before they would have to be up and moving, to chase down the darkspawn army and deliver Denerim from certain destruction. Yet here, along the carpeted stone hallways, Tara could have sworn she was the only living being in the entire castle. There was not even any sound of Cecilia and Leliana as she passed their door, though the two of them were incapable of sharing a space without filling it with chatter and warmth. But not tonight. Not when they all knew that death was waiting for them to the north.

She raised her hand to Wyll’s door, and hesitated, seeing the dirt under her fingernails, the grime of their own forced march that had culminated today in a vicious fight still coating her skin with gritty unpleasantness. Was there time to bathe? Or ... no.

It was only a matter of minutes to seek out a servant, and barely a half hour more when Wyll received a knock on his door, along with a request to admit Tara, a pair of servants with a finely-carved wooden bath tub, and a swift parade of other servants, human and elf alike, bearing great steaming kettles of hot water to fill it with.

“What is this?” He offered up a half-laugh, one hand gesturing to the sudden bustle filling his room.

Tara levelled a particular look on him, one she knew had a tendency to make him just a little bit nervous.

“Wyll. We both know you are not going to sleep tonight,” she pointed out. “The least you can do is relax in a tub and be clean.”

“And what about you?” he countered, gesturing now to the grimy fingers that had prompted this little act of kindness in the first place.

“I’m not the Grey Warden facing a fight with an Archdemon,” she said, and in her tone was all the gravity of the situation without ever needing to state it outright.

Wyll’s forced smile dropped, the weight of expectation and sacrifice showing plainly on his face as he rubbed a hand over his brow, half-turning away from the quiet exodus of servants and the secure thump of the door being closed firmly in their wake.

“You knew about it?” he asked, a trace of bitterness in his voice she had never heard aimed at herself before. “Did everyone know but us?”

She bit her lip, glancing toward the closed door as though momentarily contemplating the coward’s way out of this conversation. But no. She had come to him, here and now, for a specific reason. She refused to avoid that outcome just because talking about how to get there was awkward.

“Morrigan and I know,” she admitted, her voice low enough to complement the crackle and pop of the logs on the fire. “But only because it is detailed in Mo- Flemeth’s grimoire. I highly doubt the others know anything of it. Well, apart from Leliana - those two share everything.”

This had the desired effect - though his face betrayed the stress of the unexpected revelation, he still managed to conjure a brief smile at the reference to just how inseparable their indomitable leader and the bard had become over the past months. A thought that lead to another thought made her own lips twitch into a soft smile; the thought of how close she and Wyll had become since their first unplanned meeting by the demon’s cairn in the Korcari Wilds. She had been curious enough to stop her escape from the Wilds to investigate; he, desperate enough to join forces with an apostate witch. Who would have thought that, all these months later, this Warden and his witch would be instrumental to the defence of not only Ferelden, but the whole world? A hefty burden for even the widest of shoulders. Heftier still, to be placed on the shoulders of such young people who had all found each other by happenstance and luck.

“Tara, I ...” Wyll hesitated, letting out a low huff of breath as he, too, looked away from her. “This burden belongs to the Wardens. I would not blame you if you chose to leave tonight. You have more to live for than a battle we may not win.”

For the briefest moment, she was shocked. No, she was hurt. It shone in her dark eyes, piercing him with rebuke for even suggesting that she might take this opportunity to abandon him.

“How dare you say that to me?” she said, each word sharp with retort. “I have stood at your side since Ostagar, and not once have I strayed. Not even in that pestilential Gauntlet. I let you - all of you - see my deepest fears and regrets, and I still stayed. You have no right to ask me to leave you now.”

“But you do not have to fight this fight,” he protested. “You can leave, escape - you can live.”

“I can live, knowing that I turned my back on you when you most needed me?” Tara’s laugh was harsh in the face of his nobility. “How magnanimous of you, my dear Warden.”

“No, you don’t understand, I -”

He sighed, passing a hand over his handsome face once again, his knee bumping the steaming tub as he flailed for the words he wanted to say. She gave him the time to find those words. They had always had a comfortable silence between them, even when heated words had been spoken. If he needed that silence now, then she would happily give it to him.

“I made a vow,” he said quietly. “When I Joined the Grey Wardens, I made a solemn oath. True, I did not know what that last line truly meant until Riordan explained it to us tonight, but ... don’t you see? It changes nothing. If I must die so that Alistair and Cecilia may live, then so be it.”

“I know.”

Her own words dropped into the silence like a stone into a pool, leaving ripples of the words that were unspoken to spill from them in the stillness as Warden and witch gazed into each other’s eyes. Those unspoken words crackled between them, arching like lightning across the space between man and woman, linking them and yet not once had either one ever moved to complete that bond they both felt.

“What if none of you had to die with the Archdemon?”

The shock in his eyes was almost a palpable blow to her gut; his surprise, his ... Hope. She had given him hope, and suddenly she could see exactly how close to accepting his own death Wyll Ravengard was. He had given up all claim to his own life the moment that damned Orlesian Warden had told the Ferelden group the truth of their vow. In death, sacrifice ... But the sacrifice was not that of the archdemon whose death it spoke of. No, that sacrifice was the death of the Warden who struck the blow. Riordan should not have told them, Tara mused unexpectedly. All he had done was ensure an argument at the critical moment as the three young Wardens tried to be the one to die for their friends. At least she could offer them all hope.

“What?”

The word fell from his lips like a startled bird from a branch, falling part way only to be lifted up again on his breath as he leaned forward, eagerly.

“Tara ... what do you mean?” His hands reached for hers, eyes boring into her own. Needing to see the truth as she explained herself. “Tell me. If you know a way to save us, please ... tell me.”

She gazed up at him, feeling the tingle of the magic cast upon herself still within her womb, ready to guarantee a life planted in her this night and in so doing, save four others in the moment of their sacrifice.

“Do you trust me?” she asked softly. “Not the magic, not Flemeth, not the Wilds ... do you trust me?”

For what felt like a small age, there was silence. Nothing but the sound of the logs in the hearth and the ebb and flow of their breath to break the stillness that had fallen around them. Nothing but the press of his fingers twining with hers, the piercing certainty of his eyes holding her own captive, unable to look away. Nothing but him, even as he considered her.

“Tara.” Her name was barely a ghost on his breath, but oh, how it ached. “Trust is not the word for what I feel for you.”

“Then what word is it?” she asked, unwilling to be left in the dark. Even if he chose to die, even if he went out there tomorrow and gave up everything ... she had to know. She would never be able to live without knowing.

His answer came without words. A sudden surge of motion, his hands leaving hers to plunger fingertips into her hair, cradle her jaw in his palms, and his lips were brushing her own in a breathless, tender query ... asking to be allowed to go further, to share with her the kiss on the very tip of his tongue that could say so much more than words ever would. She heard herself sob - in relief or in demand, she could not have said - and pressed herself closer to him, closing the last distance, stealing away the question and answering it with passion and sweetness and all the unspoken longing in her heart.

He growled as her nails scraped over his scalp, the sound reverberating through her, sending a spiralling spear of unadulterated desire trembling through every limb. Her lips parted, asking him inside, demanding something deeper, closer, something more than the kiss that had already stolen her breath and set her heart pounding. As his hands shifted, one falling to her waist to pull her hard against him, she squeaked; a girlish, innocent sound that made him grin into their kiss and draw her ever tighter to him, consuming her even as she sought to match his eagerness with her own.

Wait ... hadn’t they been talking about something? Wasn’t it important? Whatever it was flew from her mind as his lips tore from hers to trace a possessive line of slick heat from her mouth to her jaw to the sensitive curve of her neck, a tug of his fingers in her hair guiding her head back to allow him more access even as she arched against him. Her voice, unmuffled now, seemed loud in the quiet of the room, unable to quiet herself in this sudden onslaught of all desires fulfilled. She gasped, almost shocked when his fingers found their way inside her scanty robe, only just keeping herself from crying out at the blissful wonder of his bare skin against her own ... yet that very shock was enough to remind her that not all of this tingle was wholly because of him.

She couldn’t do this, not without his full and knowing consent.

“Wyll ...”

His lips caught hers, stilling her words.

“Mmm ... no, Wyll, wait, I ... I need to ...”

With an effort she felt sure she should be commended for when she looked back on it in future days, Tara laid her hands on his chest and pushed hard, forcing him back from her pliant form, insisting that the intoxicating kisses stop, if only for a few moments more. Hands falling to rest at her hips, he stared at her, torn between hurt and confusion.

“Wh-what?” he asked, breathless himself as they both fought for control of themselves. “Did I do something ... something wrong?”

“N-no!”

She rushed to reassure him, fingers soft on his cheeks even as she sought to keep just a little distance. He was too good, too handsome, too wonderful ... too much to hold at bay if she did not get this out before they fell upon one another again.

“No,” she said again, gentler this time, swaying into him, seeking to comfort that heat with the warmth of herself. “You did nothing wrong. But I need to talk to you. I need you to know something, before we can do this.”

“So tell me.”

He drew her back with him, settling them both on the bed, hip to hip and hand to hand, reluctant to release her from his grasp as though afraid she might disappear the moment he no longer had her beneath his touch. He was so warm, so trusting. Would he still be so, when he knew what she had come to tell him?

“Wyll ...” She sighed his name, leaning into him for a long moment before gathering together the remnants of her wits to try and form some palatable presentation of what she had to say. “There’s a way - Morrigan and I, we found a way to save you. All four of you. From the ... the sacrifice when the Archdemon dies tomorrow.”

His hands tightened on hers, the only betrayal of the sudden tumult of his emotions. He did not want to die, she knew that for a fact. But he could not see how it could be avoided without resorting to some forbidden magic. And perhaps Flemeth’s spell would be considered forbidden, but Tara felt sure it was not blood magic. It was older than any declaration against blood magic, from a time when magic was just magic, with nothing laid against the act itself. From a time when the intention of the caster made the magic evil, not the magic itself. It did not make her maleficarum, and it would not make him an accomplice to a crime against the Chantry. Yet it would make him, and Cecilia, and Alistair, the focus of a good deal of scrutiny from their fellow Wardens, should their reinforcements ever arrive in full.

“How can that be?” Wyll’s question was justified. The point of a Warden’s Joining was to make them fit for this absorption of a dark soul, to the point of their own destruction. The circumventing of it was ... unorthodox.

“Your Joining masks your soul from the very essence of the old god corrupted by the taint,” she said, hoping she could explain better than Morrigan’s pitiful attempt to explain to her earlier in the day. “When the Archdemon dies, that soul seeks a new vessel. If ... if an unborn babe was to be close enough at that moment, a babe no more than a few days old in the womb, then that soulless vessel would draw the old god’s soul to it, and the mere act of being absorbed into a truly soulless vessel would cleanse the taint from it.”

He stared at her. She could see his mind struggling to grasp what she was telling him, what she was suggesting. It was unthinkable, yes ... but it was also plausible, understandable. It made sense. She saw the second thought flicker through his mind, too, already smiling even as he opened his mouth to address it.

“So ... are you ...”

“No,” she said, cutting him off before he could hurt both of them by voicing that uncertain suspicion aloud. “And neither is Morrigan. But ...” Tara drew in a slow breath, steeling herself for what she was about to say. “Wyll, if you are willing, we could lie together tonight and plant that seed. And you and your fellows would not be tied to the fate of the Archdemon tomorrow.”

“And you would bear an old god?” he asked, horror now in his tone. “That could kill you!”

She shook her head swiftly.

“Only the soul of the old god,” she clarified. “I don’t know how powerful a mage that may make the child, but they will be a child, a mortal life created from the death of something truly immortal. And- and who better to raise that child than a witch and Warden?”

She had surprised him again, she could tell. His throat worked as he swallowed, and not for the first time, she wondered how often in his life he had been used and discarded with no thought for the future.

“You would allow me to be a part of the child’s life?” he asked, his voice low, the hope hidden so deeply within that she only heard it because she knew it was there.

“I would slap you silly if you chose not to be,” she informed him smartly. “Wyll, I don’t ... I don’t really care about becoming a mother. I want to save you.”

He let out a mirthless laugh.

“But in doing that,” he said, “you are giving up your freedom, to be a mother to a very precious child.”

It was her turn to fall silent, to hold his gaze and hope beyond hope that he knew her well enough to read truth in her eyes as she stared at him. Her hands softened in his grasp, her whole body softened toward him. Did he truly not know how very previous he was to her?

“For you, I would give up everything,” she said, her voice quiet yet firm. “And I would thank whoever took it that you are kept safe and whole.”

“But why?” He truly did not seem to be able to grasp what could possibly motivate her to make such a sacrifice for him.

Tara’s smile was bittersweet as she shook her head. Was it really so hard to believe that she could feel this way about him?

“Because I love you, you oblivious heap of horse droppings.”

The childish insult did its work, breaking the tension of the moment, delivering first Wyll, and then her, into fits of irrepressible giggles that only grew out of control, urged on by the tension and fear and impossibility of the situation they found themselves in. They dropped back onto the bed together, still laughing, still clinging to one another, until finally the laughter faded away, leaving only the words between them.

“As charming as that declaration was,” Wyll said, the smile still playing about his lips as he rolled to face her, “this oblivious heap of horse droppings loves you in return. Not because you can save me, though I am deeply grateful for that ... I love you for your strength, your stubbornness, the kindness you think I don’t see, the softness you only show when you think no one is looking. I love you for your eyes, your mouth, your hair. I love you, Tara.” His hand dropped to her belly, to the womb awaiting a seed to save not one, but four lives. “And I will love our child, no matter what soul they bear.”

Her mouth fell open, her turn to be shocked by his acceptance of her offer so casually and meaningfully given.

“You-you don’t think it’s a sin?” she asked, knowing the Chantry would condemn this if they knew of it. “You don’t think it makes me evil, even to have suggested it?”

Wyll sighed, shuffling closer to her, tucking her into his chest as his fingers rose to stroke her hair.

“I learned today that the great heroic order I Joined of my own free will was created to send men like me to our deaths without our full knowledge until the moment it becomes necessary to know,” he said, and now she realised what that edge to his tension was. He was angry with the deception that had brought him to this point in time. “That my noble sacrifice is expected of me. That it would not be my choice to die for others if I were the one to strike the blow.”

He leaned down, lips touching a soft kiss to her mouth as he stroked a tender touch from her hair to her jaw to her shoulder.

“Tara,” he breathed, “I don’t want to die. I want to live ... with you, for you. Forget the Wardens. I will do my duty tomorrow, and then we can disappear. No one need ever find us, unless we wish it.”

“We can escape, just the two of us,” she whispered, almost laughing when he tapped on her belly once again. “The three of us.”

His mouth quirked into a half-grin as he leaned down to her once more, hands sure, lips hungry, eyes filled with love.

“Let’s just make sure that there is a three of us first,” he murmured, muffling himself against her lips as he drew her to him, tender love mingling with lustful desire finally given a voice. “I intend to be very thorough.”

Her giggle was swallowed by his kiss as she melted into him, forgetting the impending battle, the doom cloud hanging over the castle, the army encamped in the valley beyond, the darkspawn spreading their corruption across the land. In a matter of days, it would be over.

And they would be free.