#the new open arms boy that odysseus so desperately needs

[rin-solo]

Let me release some character headcanons into the wild real quick, specifically about Odysseus and his family. And by headcanons I mean my canon-compliant (as far as I'm aware) interpretation of their characters and arcs.

Penelope: A quiet, gentle, book-smart girl underestimated by everyone and considered "plain" especially next to Helen. Odysseus was the one who saw her for the interesting amazing person she was, hence why she fell in love with him.

She's logical, introverted, a bit of a nerd, and a little shy; she prefers to remain in the background instead of the spotlight. When Odysseus is away for 20 years and she deals with the suitors Penelope grows to be more resolute and bold, having to step into a leadership role even if she doesn't prefer to do so. She can kick ass if she has to (both verbally and physically) but doesn't enjoy doing it herself (setting her apart from the usual Spartan.) Even over the years, she remains introverted, preferring her books and her son's company over politics, battles, and annoying strangers.

She admires Odysseus for his bold leadership, his talent for improvising and handling crowds and attention, his cunning, and his battle prowess, the fact that he has and would never diminish or humiliate himself to impress or please anyone (even her), as well as his undying loyalty. Moreover, his bold, adventurous energy has always made each day an adventure and without him, her life feels really empty and dull. She's always been the steady, level-headed one in the relationship who doesn't shy away from telling him when he might be making a mistake and grounding and supporting him when he needs it.

Odysseus: A bold, somewhat reckless, confident boy who grew into a decisive, cunning king. Penelope was the one who saw his good heart underneath his carefree and somewhat condescending demeanor, acknowledging him for the well-intentioned person he really is hence why he fell in love with her.

He's got the smartest mouth in all of Greece and can talk his way in or out of *almost* anything. He's more street-smart than book-smart, able to improvise, lead, and think on his feet. He's unafraid to speak up and talk back (even to the gods), which has gotten him in trouble countless times (not that he'd ever stop.) During his 20-year-long ordeal, he naturally became more ruthless, less over-confident, and more willing to do what was necessary to reach his goal, but he never actually lost either his good heart or his true values, only covered them up because he thought he had to. Before and after he was a natural leader and diplomat, a cunning and strong warrior, and someone who isn't afraid to be in the spotlight and take responsibility when he has to. If anything, he tends to blame himself too much. Although after his return his trauma and bad experiences leave him more hesitant and insecure in his leadership than he's ever been; it takes a while and a lot of support for him to grow back into it and stop seeing himself as the monster and the one who is to blame for the deaths of his entire crew.

In Penelope, he admires her intelligence, her steadiness, her undying loyalty, and the fact that she will always ground him, call him out, and support him in often the same breath. He's always been the decisive one in the relationship with better people skills, but without her reassurance that he's doing the right thing, he is only half as confident in any decision made. He finds strength and assurance in knowing that she would follow him to the ends of the earth, but also keep him from straying onto the wrong path without hesitation.

Telemachus: While inheriting his father's bold, fearless attitude, he has also his mother's gentleness and dislike for politics. Growing up seeing how dejected and miserable she was because of his father's absence, he has developed a positive, sunshine attitude, also to brighten her life a little.

He's both naive and not at the same time; being bullied by the suitors for so long, he knows human depravity very well, but being stuck in Ithaca, he doesn't understand the sacrifice and pain that comes with being a hero. He's somewhat of an ambivert—book-smart like his mother but also fearless like his father. Mostly he's just a kind, good person who wants to bring light to the people in his life that he cares about and will always choose to greet the world with open arms when possible.

When his father returns, he becomes the new light in his life as well, helping him to open his heart again after what he's been through and giving him new hope in the way that Polites used to. He admires his mother's intelligence and dedication, and her endurance and ability to step out of her comfort zone and confront bad people when she has to. In his father, he admires his leadership, his loyalty, his endurance, his battle prowess, and ruthlessness—his ability to do what he has to do. Telemachus sees his own inability to be so ruthless as a shortcoming, even though Odysseus is more than happy that his son is not like him in this regard and tries to shield him from anything that may change this.

[leynaeithnea]

Who am I to deny you the joy of listing all your favorite lines from the musical? Bestie go nuts bc now I really want to know your favorite lines ( if you want to add the reason why they make you insane I will not be complaining) ( but like , a keysmash for each line is good too )

OKAY so

Ill go through it song by song I guess because thats the easiest way

1. Horse and the Infant

GREAT opening song; amazing; so good, from the set up, references, singing, sound design, music everything

My favorite part in it is when Odysseus tries to bargain with Zeus for Astyanax (totally didnt have to look up the name again) because musically??? And story wise??? Im on phone rn so maybe if we do these types of interactions more often i can go moee into deepth at some other point but for rn ill keep it semi short BUT ITS SO PERFECT (mortius and caspers reactions tend to break down things really well so bascially what they say, most of the time)

2. Just A Man

Tears, i loveeeeeeee Jorges falcetto voice, the desperation when he sings "whos fighting for his life" and then the drop that goes into "but when [...]" etc, it kind of reminds me a bit of the shift of pace in "Wait for It" in Hamilton? Which is def one of my favorite songs in that musical

As well as whe musical design of the men picking up the chorus when Odysseus steps closer to the wall and all eyes are on him and the question of when does a man become a monster, when does the reason become the blame gets echoed...

3. Full Speed Ahead

UNDERRATED SONG

I absolutely loveeeeee the theme of "We're up,we're off and away we go" followed by "full speed aheeeead" ANd agaiIN JORGES VOICE WHEN IN THAT omg its so gooooooddddddddd, also, ody being stern when he talks with eudy and then lighting up the second Polites approaches him, one of my favorite songs

4. Open Arms

We need more Polites.

When i first listened to it the first times I thought Polites was already high on Lotus....well

Also odys "im fine polites" -> huge liar

Does it show that I have a thing for Ody? He is the perfect kind of angsty character that I loveeeeee so deeply, Jorges voice acting in "STAY BACK", and Polites being completly unbothered fjsidksks also lotus winions!!!

A cave!

East; that way

5. Warrior of the Mind

personally actually one of my less favorite songs for some reasons? Probably bc its not angsty enough in this case, but i really love athenas voice in the new remastered versions even more than before. "Hahahahaha" is amazing tho, also I FEEL ROBBED in the new versions you cant confuse "Enlighten me" with "you lied to me" anymore ~yes i totally was convinced its "you lied to me" for weeks~

....this is really long that was only the troy saga oh well

6. Polyphemus

"Theres been a misunderstanding" line; the vocals in that, so good, as well as the threadenung drum sounds and all

Also great sound scape and everything

The "WATCH OUT"

7. Survive

Oh my

I CAN PICK UP THE DANGER MOTIF THERE im so happy that im getting better at this, ive been tone deaf all through high and middle school and it makes me so haopy to actually get better at this now

When the crew joins in with "sixhundred lives at stake" etc its sooo good, I loheee the choir/ensemble parts so much, in this musical and generally THE DELIVERY OF "push foooooooOOORward" omg

...also...rip to pancake boy...i love how w can see/feel in the musical how in shock Odysseus is until Polyphemus passes out

8. Remeber Them

ALSO UNDERRATED probably the only song where i rllyyy prefer the first version and dont like the remastered one as much because i love how it goes from shock and grief to slowly arising anger and determination while still hearing the hurt in his voice, in the new version we go straight into anger, which is fineeee but I always loved the way I imagined it before that

I loveee the chorus lyrics too

And then WHEN ODYS ANGER AND PRIDE AND GRIEF TAKES OVER AND HE DOXXES HIMSELF TO POLYPHEMUS, the delivery of these lines ----- love it so much

9. My Goodbye

Grown to love it even more lately, just because again, i think this is a trend but I love it when Ody is just kind of...suffering x)

The "Hey" is such good voice acting in that moment, its so good, just Ody being hurt and griefing and Athena bring frustrated with human reactions and man such a greattt song

10. Storm

"We're going to shoot for the sky" "What?"

...thats all I have to say for this one

11. Luvk runs out

...all the themes this sets up for thunder saga oml....

also, ody pretending to be fine and confident and all and the second hes alone with eury his fascade drops...he must be so angry that Eury called him out in public haha...ha...

Okay so, my hands are dying from typing but I totally want to finish this for the rest of the series, if you also want the second part of this please send me another ask so I can reply to it! 🙈

Good night for now :3

[girlinthetardis04]

LIVE(ISH) TROY SAGA REACTION!

So, because I haven't listened to the new versions of Troy and Cyclops, I've decided to react to both those and the old versions, as well as the other sagas aside from Thunder. So without further ado:

The Horse and the Infant (OG)

And we're begging in media res! I like that it assumes you already know the events of the Iliad.

✨slaaay✨

Oh, hype. I love the part where he gives each one their task.

Oh god. For the longest time the part that goes "What do live for? What do you die for? What do you fight for? What do you wish for?" reminded me of another song, and I couldn't put my finger on it. I got it. It's "Now or Never" from HSM3 😐.

*greek rage sounds*

I COMPLETELY FORGOT WE HEARD ZEUS BEFORE THE THUNDER SAGA. LUKE HOLT THE MAN THAT YOU ARE.

Oh fuck, the music box right in the feels.

"The Gods will make him know" could you just...not?

The Horse and the Infant (NEW)

Woo, first time with the new ver!

The intro is a bit longer.

✨slaaay✨ part 2

The guitar (?) sounds more prominent in the backing track in this version.

Ooh, Penelope and Telemachus have a different melody!

*greek rage sounds* part 2

The eagle screech is new!

Oh that transition was a lot more jarring!

Odysseus sounds a LOT more desperate here.

Just a Man (OG)

Oh boy I'm not looking forward to this.

Oh shit I got halfway through and forgot I was supposed to be reacting. Uh, uh. Big sad, big sad.

"When does a man become a monster" in about eighteen songs.

Just a Man (NEW)

His vocals sound more... emotionally strained? That's the best way I can describe it.

Full Speed Ahead (OG)

Ah yes, this to me is where the musical actually starts. "THatI" and "JaM" always seemed more like an epilogue to the Iliad, while "FSA" is the actual beginning of the Odyssey, to the point where sometimes I'll skip the first two songs.

Eurylochos 🫡

Polites 😃

Ugh, I need this instrumental injected into my bloodstream.

WE'RE UP WE'RE OFF AND AWAY WE GO we're up we're off and away we go

Full Speed AheeEEEeeaaAAAaad

Full speed ahead. 🫡

Full Speed Ahead (NEW)

Ooh, I'm nervous. "FSA" is one of my favorites, what if I don't like the new ver?

OH NVM THE VOCALIZATIONS??????? AFSDGHSAFGDDGHDF

AND I GET TO HEAR MY POOKIE POLITES AGAIN YIPPEE YIPPEE YIPPEE

Open Arms (OG)

😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲

This feels like it should be in a jungle level in a game.

Om nom nom

Scary cave!

Open Arms (NEW)

😃 listen to those beats tho!!!!

This SONG is amazing!

Gosh, you can HEAR the smile in his voice!

And the winions are somehow sillier!

:)

Warrior of the Mind (OG)

Stand activation ahh sound

YOU ARE ATHENA ATHENAAAAA

(sorry I got distracted daydreaming about an animatic for this)

And the way she changes her vocalizations to match him?

Warrior of the Mind (NEW)

That piano is pianoing HARD

Lmao they made sure to ENUNCIATE that "enlighten"

The new versions just sound more emotional overall.

[jflashandclash]

Tales from Mount Othrys

Jack: Silenced III

 That was how they spent the days: composing songs, learning instruments (he the harp and she the guitar), splashing in the ocean and the freshwater lake, lazing in the warmth of the beach, composing ballads about the clouds—he would sing one verse, then she; the next, until they had a full heavenly court composed of fluffy monsters.

Jack assured that he would stay to heal for three days and nights, but time in Ogygia didn’t move right. He counted. He’d stayed out the second night, watching the stars and the silver slit of a moon. There was an epoch he’d written for Flynn (she hadn’t heard it yet) that lasted thirty minutes when sung at the correct tempo. It was designed to cycle between Mandarin and English, so it would take an hour in total. Calypso came to join him in the garden.

The stars and moon never moved throughout the song.

Time does not have the same meaning here.

Did Calypso have any control over it? Was Jack experiencing more per second or did Ogygia have a different sun, ticking away on its own orbit exterior to the rest of the world? Would he leave in three days and Flynn be old? He didn’t mind her being old, but it broke his heart to think her worrying over him for or their time together stolen by old age.

Memo to self: find way to spend entity with Flynn. Jack reasoned they could, whether or not the war was won. Either they’d end up in Elysium together if they won or the Fields of Punishment if they lost. That’s where Greeks went when they died, right? Jack didn’t mind either way, as long as he had Flynn.

 ***

Jack found the body on the morning of the third day.

Calypso went to bath. Jack learned not to be easily stumbled upon when she bathed, so she had plenty of space or time to find items she may have forgotten—combs, jewelry, soap, shampoo, clothing.

The morning was pleasant, though everything had been pleasant, like the weather itself didn’t want to leave an impression that could indicate the passage of time.

Jack hadn’t explored the island yet. He had wanted to spend as much time working on Calypso’s feelings for Odysseus, but she avoided the topic. The Greek hero must have hurt her bad. She asked uncomfortable questions about Flynn—ones that grew more uncomfortable once she discovered that Flynn’s face was scarred. Jack loved her scars. Calypso had used a word he didn’t like: disfigured. Disfigured and barren, she mused. As though Flynn wasn’t beautiful because she had marks from living life. Jack had never known Flynn without those markings. There was no figuring to disfigure. It was just part of Flynn.

That was their talk over breakfast, then she’d gone to bathe. He just hadn’t wanted to be easily found, but not wanting to be easily found quickly turned to the realization that he could continue out of the hiding spot.

At Camp Othrys, there was always someone to make sure he was in the right place, at the right time. Someone checked to make sure he did his voice exercises before breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Someone walked him to his monster meditation sessions, his band practice, his room. Life was a continuous carousal of Flynn’s, Luke’s, his boys’, and the titans’ faces. Before that, the riders had been switched out for his family, teachers, pastors, and youth directors.

When was the last time he’d been alone?

Stepping alongside the cave, gliding his fingers along the rough, chilly exterior as a guide, he jittered with terrified delight. Hollowness fogged him for the first step: he missed band practice; singing with Calypso made him nostalgic for it. He missed Phil and the other monsters; recounting stories to Calypso conjured up their memories. But…

Everything was sharper here. Maybe he was allowed to explore.

There was no schedule. There was no “someone.” He had some time before Calypso would come looking for him—whether if she paused half way through a bath to come find something or finished off completely.

There seemed no badness on this island. No monsters. No death. He didn’t need to fear the walls screaming nor the ocean coming to eat him. This world felt less dangerous. Emptier. Sadder. Ethereal at times. But less dangerous.

With the excitement of calculated fear, Jack traced his fingers along the exterior of the cave.

 ***

He did not expect to find a groove in the façade and a second three feet after: a doorway tucked tightly behind aspen trees and foliage. When he sang to it, mimicking the gentle trill of Calypso’s voice when she called her invisible servants, he did not expect the stone to give way to a passageway. Peering inside, he didn’t expect to find a naturally-lit cavern, a mirror image to the one he’d been enjoying.

Winged creatures—birds?—exploded upwards from the hideaway, into some unseen escape above.

For a heartbeat, Jack wondered if Calypso had been wrong: maybe he did need his medication on Ogygia. This felt too fairy tale, too much like a demented stumble into a rabbit’s hole. This cave eerily reflected Calypso. Here, the harp was abandoned in the corner, wood warped and strings broken. The ingredients and herbs in the shelf looked rotted to black dust. Mold and moths crumbled the white linens of the bed into a green moss. The crystalline ceiling caved to allow gentle, pleasant sunrays to golden the center of the room, where Jack saw the unmistakable shape of a skeleton.  

He froze, staring. Sometimes, if he looked long enough, things would go away. Sometimes, they were a trick of the light. His therapists and counselor told him to wait before panicking.

His chest hurt. Had he been holding his breath? Jack leaned forward, his hands still trailing the wall. There were more grooves, these much closer, much more systematic.

Upon checking the markings on the wall, Jack’s stomach dropped. There were numbers. The same kind some of the titans and monsters used: ancient Greek. They were carved into the walls—all of the walls. They twisted around the room, growing into longer numerical values. All of it was disrupted by one massive word, something that someone must have written in desperation or obsession:

       Πηνελόπη

 Jack knew enough Greek to read it.

PENELOPE

He took another step in.

More birds fluttered up through the hole in the ceiling. Jack flinched. No matter how many times he looked away, no matter how many steps he crept closer, the skeleton didn’t disappear. Jack knelt on the grassy mattress to inspect it. Judging from the size, he guessed it was a child or a very small person. There was a hole in the top back of the cranium, sending spidery fractures around it like rims of embroidery. It could have been broken when the roof caved in or maybe it was a death infliction—Jack didn’t have the coroner background to say.

Someone inhaled behind him.

Jack shrieked. He jumped, almost stumbling onto the skeleton. Instead, his legs buckled on a nearby box—a funerary box.

Calypso stood in the passageway. Her hair was damp, tinted to a deep brown. Its ends brushed her white dress, making sections semi-translucent. Wetness clung to her cheeks, but he doubted that came from her bath. Despite her eyes being shadowed, they were too wide.

Unless Jack sprouted wings to sore with the startled birds, she was in the way of his only exit.

Her voice was thick with emotion. “All ancient versions of the story have Odysseus leaving me with a child. Did new variations forget to mention that?”

Jack swallowed, horrified. He hadn’t found a mirror world of their little relaxing paradise; he’d found Odysseus’. His prison and his child’s tomb.

“You made it sound like the stories lied about you keeping him here against his will.” Jack scrambled off the funerary box, glad it hadn’t crumbled into a heap of rotted children’s toys. His skull hurt—he was tugging at his hair too tightly. He removed one hand to gesture at the walls. “Are these—are these markings about how many days he was here?”

She laughed: bitter, dark, heartbroken. “It’s not my fault he couldn’t keep track of how much time passes on Ogygia,” she whispered, “I gave him everything. Was kind and gentle. I offered him everything…” The wetness spread down her cheeks to drip into the increasing dampness of her dress.

Jack’s hand trembled. He forced himself not to curl into a ball, to rock, to banish the reality of the situation with thoughts that Flynn would come to save him. “B-but, he had a wife to go home to—”

“He had a terrible fate to bear!” she snarled.

“But he didn’t! After he left you, the Phaecians crafted him a marvelous boat, and sure, Poseidon destroyed it, but he fights off all of Penelope’s suitors, and he—and they—you—you kept Odysseus prisoner from his wife for seven years for no reason! You are an evil witch! A ‘terrible fate…’” Jack’s mockery died to horror. He took another step back, so the waterfall of sunlight and the child’s skeleton lay between their two spaces of shadow. Jack pressed against the cavern wall, feeling Odysseus’ scrawling, the numbers of days he’d desperately clawed out before he was allowed to return to his love. “‘A terrible fate…’” His memory whirled in the alarm. “That’s what you said about me… Oh titans—Oh Flynn! How long have I been here?!” He racked his fingers across the grooves in the wall, as though Odysseus’ ghost had kept a record in Jack’s absentmindedness.

How many other caves did Calypso have hidden? Ones with corpses of other lover’s children and other lover’s imprisonments.

“Jack…” Calypso’s voice chipped with emotion. She opened her hands towards him, as though for an embrace. “Come here. Let’s get away from this tomb. Let’s go sing on the beach or collect fruits and vegetables for breakfast…”

Something made Jack’s skin tingle. Hands, gentle but firm, clamped around his arms and dragged him forward, towards her. Her invisible servants.

         Jack squirmed and fought, but each heartbeat glided him past and away from the dead child, from where Odysseus carved his days and the name of his love, and towards the outstretched arms of a spider in a woman’s skin.

         The invisible hands released him at the edge of her fingertips. The warm, soft skin graced his neck.

         Jack wrenched back. He ducked under her arm and out the tomb. Tree branches and foliage lashed his face and arms as he stumbled outside. The ground felt warm against his bare feet, the ocean breeze as soothing as a tranquilizer. His heartbeat pounded in cacophony to the easing whisper of the incoming tide. He kept running until he found the beach.

         “Jack… you can’t leave.”

         Her words came directly behind him, steady, with no indication that she’d run to catch up.

         He whirled to find her standing there: perfect braid still dampening her dress, frown dripping with tears, face something he would find on a stained-glass window instead of before him in the planes of reality.

         Water lapped up against his ankle. He swallowed down the salty air to quiet his stomach and the panic screaming in his head. “They’ll come for me,” he said, taking another step backwards. The rush of water hit his calf.

         She shook her head. “They can’t.”

         “I’ll—I’ll try every day!” Something sharp—maybe a shell—split Jack’s heel, but he refused to look away. If he blinked, she might grab him again. “I’ll swim as far as I can swim until I can’t swim anymore.”

         Her throat bobbed with a sob. “I will not let you kill yourself in such a way! Besides…” She stared off into the distance, the dawn’s glimmer reflecting off her almond eyes. “Don’t you think Odysseus tried that? Where do you think he ended up as soon as he lost consciousness?”

         Jack’s jaw dropped. He shook his head and stomped a foot into the surf. “No—no—there must be a way—”

         “Jack, you can’t get away.” All the mirth and sweetness left her voice reduced to a clogged drone. “There is no leaving this place. No matter where you go—”

         “No—”

         “—all roads lead back to me. And—”

         “Shut up!”

         “—I’m tired of being alone.”

         “I said shut up!” the words vibrated painfully in his throat.

         Her lip quivered. “Why must you be so cruel, brave one?”

         “Cruel? Cruel?!” Jack laughed until his voice felt hoarse. “What’s cruel is keeping me away from my home—”

         “I get you for at least seven years!” It was her turn to ball her fists in a fit of temper, like the pastor’s daughter caught taking ice cream money out of the donation box. “If you stay, you’ll have immorality. You’ll have agelessness. You’ll have your sanity!”

         “I don’t want any of those things! All I want is my family—”

         “I can be your family—unlike that barren, disfigured whore who refuses to be your wife.”

         Jack’s terror and panic twisted tightly in his stomach. Blood thumped against his ears. His fingers trembled as he clutched at the guitar string braided around his wrist. “You can’t assume every person that washes ashore will fall in love with you, you presumptuous—”

         “But, that’s how it works. That’s how it always works. You will love me.” That fragile, kindly veneer chipped.

         Jack thought about the notches Odysseus carved into the wall, about the other dead children probably hidden in caverns throughout the island. How many times had Calypso been abandoned over the years? He may have pitied her if it hadn’t broken her mind and warped her into the exact, spoiled goddess Camp Othrys sought to destroy.  

         Sanity. She offered me sanity. Jack didn’t want this ability to reason. Life made sense here and the sense it made was cold, dark, and absurd.

“Ms. Calypso,” he whispered, “I know you’re too old to be acquainted with this, but, Stockholm syndrome isn’t love. It’s exhaustion, compliance, and distorted empathy. Forcing someone to love you by wearing them down isn’t love at all—it’s perversion, it’s defilement—” He scowled, locking his jaw. “Take back what you said about Flynn.”

Calypso’s beauty soured with anger. The island itself seemed to thicken with fog. “I don’t want to hear anymore about Flynn.”

“Why? Because what Odysseus said about Penelope doesn’t apply here?” Jack demanded, reviewing the verses of the epic. Odysseus had complimented Calypso, caved to her, if nothing else than out of fear of a wrathful goddess. Jack snorted, “’I know that my wise Penelope, when a man looks at her, is far beneath you in form and stature.’ You’re not better than Flynn. She doesn’t base her worth off needing a man’s romantic love, you delusional, archaic bitch. And I’m never going to stop trying to get back to her. And if you think you won’t let me go…” Jack’s nails dug into the metal of his guitar chord. “I’m going to make you.”

Calypso’s eyes blazed with rage. The air went static, breeze abruptly dying, and the tide seemed to smother its unending whisper. As Jack had experienced some of the times Luke lost his temper to Kronos, Jack realized he was in the presence of a goddess—an immortal being with powers he could not fathom. And he was about to fight her to go home.

“I’m going to make you sick.” Jack laughed. This wasn’t the overpowering need to quiet his siblings. This was a much more calculated hatred. “And if you still won’t let me leave, I’ll make you sicker. I’ll give you leprosy to rot off your nose and show you what superficial love gives you!”

She may have been a goddess that cornered Odysseus, but he was Jak-Jak the Plague Bringer, the Scourge of New Rome, the Shame of Apollo and he was ready to sing.

“Darling, all night

I have been flickering—”[1]

Calypso’s anger melted back to sadness. She raised a hand, and Jack wondered if here, already, was a sign of defeat.

The collar of Jack’s shirt constricted. The strings—so carefully spun on Calypso’s loom—obediently stretched up his neck. Folds of cloth twisted into his open mouth. The song died. He choked on the gag.

Jack fumbled with the material. He clawed where the ridges dug into his cheeks. As soon as his forearms came up, the front of his tunic fused to his shirt sleeves. The material tightened, binding him until he was stuck in the position of Van Gogh’s Scream.

Something tugged at his feet. Jack frantically searched down. Strands unwound from the end of his pants, crisscrossing and weaving. He managed one step backwards before it cinched his feet together.

His choked screams clogged to whimpers. Jack collapsed into the water, thrashing. Salt water splashed into his eyes, mixing with his tears. The material soaked up what had once been a refreshing coastline.

Flynn! He wanted to shriek. Oh, titans, please—Flynn! As Calypso’s wet dress sashayed closer, the pounding in his head increased, encasing him like the full body straight jacket she’d hidden in his clothing.

Calypso’s dress winkled with the layering of stratocumulus clouds. The soothing lull of water resumed, a mocking cacophony to his clashing heartbeat. He wished the ocean would overtake him, that the waves would encircle him like this binding and drag him into its uncaring depths, away from her caring embrace.

Fingers graced his cheek. They were warm to the touch in the iciness of the island. Jack sobbed, thinking about kissing after Flynn’s fingers in the morning, about never getting to feel her calluses again.

These fingers, Calypso’s fingers, were silky, salacious, and knew the methodical patience of a spider feeling its web vibrate. “No, Jack,” she cooed, lifting his head from the sand and water. “No, you won’t. You’re going to stay here.” She curled the strands of his hair off his forehead. Her dress—more suffocating material—pressed into his cheek as she lay his head in her lap. “And we’ll be happy together forever.” Or for seven years. Or at least until a god came to save him.

They sat on the edge of the beach, staring off into an eternal sunrise with the sound of her hums and Jack’s whimpers in euphony with the tide.

Seven years. Or until a god saved him.

Jack had forsaken all gods and time didn’t pass in Ogygia.

 ***

Author’s Note: Thank you so much for reading! and thank all of you for your patience at this time and your continued interest despite my hiatus! I hope you enjoyed!

 Footnote:

[1] Silvia Plath.

[strykingback]

Final Words From Muses...

So I had something pop in my head and I imagined what would each of my muses final words would be along with a sad prompt and theme. Prepare for some maximum feels. 

James’ Death.

OST: I’m Coming Home.

James’ philosophers stone was destroyed as he looked at nothing more but the sunset as his memories flashed through his mind from his past life to the memories of now. His body fading away bit by bit as he watched it all with tears in his eyes. 

“Big Brother... we’re all waiting for you...” Aria’s voice said causing the dying homunculus to smile as he closed his eyes peacefully.

“Aria...I’m Coming Home...”  James said as the rest of his body faded away to nothing but dust as the last tear he shed would drop onto a flower..

James Willow The Homunculus of Revenge.....was finally at peace and can rest.

Blades’ Death

OST: “Team BLCK Forever”

Blade who had fought every single battle with nothing more but his fists and weapons as he walked out of the Shades relic temple. Holding the sword of destruction after fighting Cinder and taking a blow from it. Seeing all of his friends smile at him including his own father and uncle who smiled as well. 

However, dread filled Louvels eyes when seeing Blade fall over to which everyones faces turned from relief and pride. To sorrow and worry.

With Kazura carefully turning over Blades body and for the first time Blade was actually dying.... he had fought battle after battle.. and had his near death moments.. however this time he was not going to get out of this one alive.  Simply being around his friends and family is what comforted the most as Louvel begged for his best friend not to die, Corona looking away as she was hiding her tears, Jack who lifted his son’s head to try and give him time and screaming for a medic, Kazura who was also shouting for the medics to hurry up , and Outsider who desperately was licking his wounds.

Finally the young stryker released a few grunts which caught Coronas attention as she turned around with her tear soaked face.

“T-T-Team.....BLCK.....forever.... now...and..always..” He said as his eyes glazed over and smiled as he passed away with Louvels tears falling down and Jack releasing a loud wail for his son screaming curses at the Gods for doing this to him.

Louvels Death

OST: Enlightenment Lies Ahead.

Louvel had done it. Odysseus was defeated... this time without a proper leadership everything should fall apart. However it did not come at a cost. The wolf faunus sat down while Blade and the others approached him.

Only for Louvel’s eyes to glaze over.... as he passed away he heard one last thing: “LOUVEL!!!!!!!” from none other  than a wailing Blade.

Waking up somewhere in a golden sky and a tree with many wolves looking at Louvel as one of them approached changing into the Traveler... the first of the Shinbaori.

“Welcome my descendant...” He said bowing as Louvel teared up. “I’m dead am I..” he said with tears flowing down his cheek... knowing that the Wolf spirit his semblance may have died as well with him. “Why do you cry Louvel? Do you not know that the Wolf Spirit is eternal... just like the Maidens the Wolf Spirit will travel and fuse together with someone else... and become one with them just as it always had been..no matter if it is passed down from generation to generation.” The Traveler spoke wiping away Louvel’s tears.

“Come little wolf... your ancestors await you..” He said smiling at him. Louvel on the other hand smiled in a calm manner... realizing how he was calmed by his ancestor...realizing that there would be his descendant next... he was ready and accepted it.

“True Enlightenment...lies ahead” He said walking to the large tree where the wolf faunus would meet his ancestors..

Corona’s Death

OST: The Final Flight

The Dark Eagle, Corona stumbled wounded by her long and arduous battle with the Spiders including Lil’ Miss Malachite as many saw her wounds... her bleeding from arms and legs even a stab wound that was bleeding out. Her parents watched their daughter limping to them as they teared up that she went that far... just for them. To be free from their debt. Blade, Louvel, Kazura and Outsider, watched their friend and close comrade limping to them as she was about to fall over. Corona’s father immediately caught her. “Corona... you did good... my daughter” He said tearing up. “I set you all free like little baby birds leaving a spiders web, Guys... keep.. on... going without me...” Corona said weakly pointing to the members of BLKOUT  who were tearing up as they all  approached and held her hand. “This....is...my...Final....Flight..” she said closing her eyes with a smile as she passed away. Kazura’s Death

OST: Until The End...

Seeing the waves of Grimm approaching the Atelier Prince, Kazura looked over at Salems castle aware that Teams BLCOUT, JNR, and RWBY were making their way to Salem Looking back at the army of Grimm charging at him. Kazura inhaled and exhaled grabbing Caliburn in its sword forme as he looked at all the beasts ranging from Grimm Raptors, Beringels, Beowolves, Gryphons, Manticores, Deathstalkers, and Goliaths all charging at him. 

To which he closed his eyes and thought of Actus, his home and his people, including his sister Serena.... as he whispered one thing.. “Until the end...” 

Charging right into the fray without slashing and cutting his way through the Grimm as he was punched by a Beringel shattering his damaged armor. Releasing a roar of pride and rage Kazura fought and fought...

A few hours after the battle with Salem, Everyone found the remnants of Kazura....his sword.... and not his body resting on top of a rock as if it was jammed in there...with Blade crying, Corona touching the sword as she took off her hat tearing up, Louvel who fell onto his knees with the gentle hand of Yang comforting him.  This was what a Prince’s true pride was made from...  Outsiders Death OST: I’ll...Miss...You...All... My... Friends..

After such a brutal battle with Theta.. and claiming leadership, he led his pack to a safe place where Outsider rested on the grass as his Grimm Raptor pack ran around Exaltia’s home where Outsider rested as team BLCK realized what was going to happen to him.  Blade petted his armored face as the raptor purred taking this moment of comfort with Louvel sitting next to him as well, alongside Corona and Kazura sitting with him with forelorn faces.  Finally Outsider looked at them all and simply felt at peace... and finally it came out: “Outsider... will... miss you... all... my... friends...” He said weakly closing his eyes as he faded away into nothingness... as all life begins and ends.. with a baby Grimm raptor who saw their new leader fading away and succumbing to his wounds and showing her.. that humans can understand grimm.. you just need to learn from them. The next generation named: Outsider Jr. was watching TEAM BLCK mourn as he went up to Coronas foot nuzzling it lightly. Marking a new generation began.

Odysseus’ Death

OST: My People Are Free...

A Leader has a beginning and an end, he has fought too many battles as a Leader, returning to the Ithaca clan as a hero was one thing for liberating so many faunus’ from the clutches of the SDC and showing Atlas that it was a force to be reckoned with.. however his wounds told a different story... walking to his old home that watched over the seas of Menagerie of the Ithaca clan where his father sat.

“Sienna, I know we have disagreed many times.. but I’ve done it.. Jacques Schnee is dead... the SDC is falling apart and the White Fang has claimed victory... I’m aware this is not what you wanted... but I hope it is what you wished for.” He said weakly looking at the sun as it slowly set. Closing his eyes and opening it up again... he saw Sienna smiling at him as she gently touched his face to which the pragmatic leader smiled. 

“My people are free,,,..” He said closing his eyes joining Sienna Khan as he passed away from his wounds... but in such a peaceful way. A boy who had become a man, and a man who had fallen to ashes returned from it to become a man once more. And a true man with morals, someone who cares about both sides, sees things differently, he becomes that of a hero.

Jack Strykers Death

OST: You Can Rest Now.

“Despite the odds being stacked against him and everything and having cybernetic legs. He completed his mission. Tired he sat down feeling the warmth of the Vacuan sun as Blade sat next to his wounded and dying father. “I guess this is it right dad” Blade said to his father looking at him tearfully as he finally got to see him for the first time in years. “Yeah.. listen.. I’m gonna say this to you my son. You’ve grown up so well... and your mother... has taught you well.. I feared my destiny so much.. and I’m so so sorry for leaving you and your mother...” He said tearing up weakly. “It’s ok pops.. I understand you were afraid of your past repeating itself.. and wanted to protect me and mom from it...” Blade said looking at his dying father.  Jack looked at the setting sun with such peace in his eyes, as he looked at his son who was crying as well. “Still can’t believe you were able to replicate my ridiculous haircut....” Jack stated weakly chuckling a bit and despite that Blade gets angry about his haircut being made fun of he only teared up even more knowing that was a compliment from his father.

“You Can Rest Now Soldier... you’ve done your duty..” Blade said as Jack nodded with his eyes glazing over as he closed his eyes as he sat there dead... with a smile on his face whilst Blade still wiped away his tears. 

[inloveandwords]

March is definitely going to be an interesting reading month for a couple of reasons.

First of all, I have SO many new books that I’ve been wanting to read for a really long time, and many of them are on this list.

But, most notably, I am participating in my second-ever readathon!

The Buzzword Readathon is hosted by Books and Lala and Chelsea Dolling Reads over on BookTube.

This is a super fun readathon where you are given a buzzword (or six in this case!) and you have to read as many books as you can that contain that buzzword. This month’s buzzwords are:

Who

What

Where

When

Why

How

You can find out more about it here.

In this reading list, however, I will not be going over my Buzzword Readathon books, I’ll be saving that for a separate post.

Instead, I’m just listing the books that I plan to read this month ASIDE from the books I choose for the readathon.

If you want more details about why I chose these books, check out the video here:

Otherwise you can find my reading list (along with the synopsis and links to Goodreads) below.

March Reading List

These are all books that I own and want to read this month! Titles link to Goodreads.

This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

Sloane isn’t expecting to fall in with a group of friends when she moves from New York to Florida—especially not a group of friends so intense, so in love, so all-consuming. Yet that’s exactly what happens.

Sloane becomes closest to Vera, a social-media star who lights up any room, and Gabe, Vera’s twin brother and the most serious person Sloane’s ever met. When a beloved painting by the twins’ late mother goes missing, Sloane takes on the responsibility of tracking it down, a journey that takes her across state lines—and ever deeper into the twins’ lives.

Filled with intense and important friendships, a wonderful warts-and-all family, shiveringly good romantic developments, and sharp, witty dialogue, this story is about finding the people you never knew you needed.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Can you love someone you can never touch?

Stella Grant likes to be in control—even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.

The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.

Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment.

What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?

Circe by Madeline Miller

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

Etiquette and Espionage (Finishing School #1) by Gail Carriger

It’s one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It’s quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners–and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine’s, young ladies learn to finish…everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage–in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year’s education.

Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

Presented by James Patterson’s new children’s imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion…

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story’s shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Author Maureen Johnson weaves a tale of murder and mystery in the first book of a new series.

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym, Truly Devious. It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

Vicious by VE Schwab

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

Sadie by Courtney Summers

A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she’s left behind. And an ending you won’t be able to stop talking about.

Sadie hasn’t had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she’s been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie’s entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister’s killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie’s story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie’s journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it’s too late.

Courtney Summers has written the breakout book of her career. Sadie is propulsive and harrowing and will keep you riveted until the last page.

Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher

When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat… and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free.

    What are you reading this month?

Reading List: March 2019 + {New Video} March is definitely going to be an interesting reading month for a couple of reasons. First of all, I have SO many new books that I've been wanting to read for a really long time, and many of them are on this list.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Appeal to Unreason

Septics Inverted

A JSE Fanfic

You know, I recently realized that the stories for this AU are not being released in chronological at all. Honestly I’m just filling out this timeline as events occur to me. So here’s a thing that happened fairly early on. Anti’s feelings toward Chase have always been...well. It’s a bit complicated.

Read the intro story: Part One | Part Two

Various other AU-related stuff found here

Taglist: @evyptids​ @awkward-bullshit​ @watermelonsinmyattic​ @asunachinadoll @a-humble-narcissus @metautske​ @odysseus-is-best-boi​ @acuriousquail @beerecordings @elizabethnordwell

“Hey bud, there’s a guy who’s been staring at you for the last half an hour.”

Chase looked up at the bartender who’d addressed him. It was a little after ten-thirty, early in the night, so he was sure he wasn’t drunk enough to be hallucinating this guy saying something that obviously couldn’t be true. “Are you sure?” he asked doubtfully.

The bartender made a discreet gesture to the corner of the room. “See for yourself. He looks a little like you, he your brother or something?”

Chase turned in his seat, doing his best to make it seem natural. There were tables around the edges of the room in this bar. The one in the corner was dimly lit, naturally, but he could see the outline of a guy with brown hair, wearing a green scarf and a black T-shirt. He couldn’t see his face from here, but he could barely make out something on his eye. Chase had never seen him before, but Jackie had given him a distinct description. There was no mistaking who it was.

“No, he’s not my brother,” Chase said, turning back. “We’ve never even met, but I’ve heard of him.”

The bartender shrugged. “Alright. It’s none of my business. But if there’s gonna be a fight in here, I ask that you take it outside.”

“Yeah, fine,” Chase grumbled. Instinctively, his hand strayed to his hip, where his gun was dangling. It was currently hidden by the hoodie he’d wrapped around his waist, though there was always a chance it would slip out. And he didn’t feel like fighting his way through the police that someone would definitely call. “But I dunno if anything will happen.”

“Well, now he’s standing up and walking over here.”

Chase choked on the sip of whiskey he’d just drank. After a moment of coughing, he turned in his seat again to see his doppelganger walking toward him. He tensed, carefully setting down his glass. Anti stopped only a few feet away from Chase, staring with unblinking eye. The resemblance to the others, Jack especially, was uncanny, but there was still something...off about him. Maybe in the way he stood, or the way he moved. “I need to talk to you,” he said. “Somewhere private.”

“Why?” Chase asked, suspicious.

“Why do I need to talk to you, or why somewhere private?” He rolled his shoulders in something that looked close to a shrug. “Well, I can’t tell you that out here, that would violate the idea of privacy. But I’ll say that it’s about a...friend we both have.”

Chase considered this for one moment before deciding to fuck it all. “Fine,” he grumbled, standing up. “There’s a back area here with bathrooms and private rooms and shit. Follow me, we’ll talk in the hall there.” He didn’t even bother to look behind him, but he knew that he would be following.

The back hall was smaller than he’d remembered it being from the last time he came to this place, but it would do. He turned around and gave Anti a once-over. He didn’t have any of that weird “glitching” that Jackie had described, but then again Jackie had said that Anti looked normal at first, too. “So,” Chase said simply. “Jackie told us you were looking for Jack. And Jack told Marvin that you were in his dreams a few nights ago, and asked him to strengthen the wards. Is that what this is about? You’re mad that we blocked you out from mind-talking to Jack?”

“There are a lot of things I’m mad about,” Anti stated. “But I’m not here to throw a hissy fit. I’m here to...talk.”

“So you keep saying,” Chase muttered. “Look, just cut to the chase.” He realized what he said, and smiled a bit, though it quickly faded away. “I’m not...feeling up to any sort of games right now.”

“Alright, then, fine.” Anti folded his arms. “Here I am, getting to the point. You always seemed like the most...reasonable, out of your little group here. So I’m going to try and convince you to do one simple thing: let Jack go.”

This...was not what he was expecting at all. First, he couldn’t remember ever being called ‘reasonable’ before. And second, there was no way it was something that simple. “That’s it? You just want Jack to...what, leave?”

“Yes, of course I do,” Anti said, a note of exasperation in his voice. “I want him to go back to the way things were, when he was actually happy, and had friends who weren’t criminals.”

“But...he is happy,” Chase said, confused.

“Oh my fucking god, I take back what I said about you being reasonable.” Anti shook his head. “He’s only happy because you made him be that way. I know about that little hypnotist you brought in. He’s good, I couldn’t even make a dent in whatever false memories he’s planted. But guess what? Coerced contentment via magickal mind tricks is not the same thing as being h̨ap̕ṕỳ .”

Okay, clearly this Anti didn’t understand the situation. “Okay, fine, I’ll agree with you on that. But that’s really only there to make sure he doesn’t remember what’s going on in the house. Can you imagine how much he’d flip if he found everything out? You think he’d be okay then?” Chase gave a small smile. “Look, it’s fine. I’m with him. And the two of us are friends. If he gets upset, I’ll be there for him.”

Anti took a step backward, giving Chase a strange look. “You are nǫt̴ his f̨r̸i͞e̶nd,” he hissed.

“Of course I am,” Chase insisted. “We’ve known each other since college—”

“Yes, I know,” Anti interrupted. “And maybe you were friends then, but you’re not anymore. Because guess what? Friends don’t br̵a̵inw̨a̢s̴h́ each other.”

“It’s not—”

“Friends don’t keep one another locked up in the same house day after day. Friends don’t limit how much time the other spends on the Internet and then monitor every search and site visited. Friends don’t do their best to make sure the other can’t remember big parts of their past that makes them who they are.” Anti shook his head. “If you r͝e̡a͞ll̨y wanted what was best for Jack, you would listen to me.”

Chase was stunned for a moment, scrambling to think up a response to that tirade and trying to ignore the lurking darkness in the back of his mind that agreed with everything the glitch was saying. “I...I do want what’s best for him,” he said quietly.

Anti laughed humorously. “You know? I actually believe that. But your version of best doesn’t match up with the rest of society’s.” He took a few steps closer to Chase, causing him to back up. “What are you going to do if he finds out? If the spell breaks? Just put another one on him, possibly damaging his mental state? Hmm? Or are you going to decide that if you can’t have Jack be your friend, you’re gonna make sure no̢b́ody el͏śe̶ can͟? Because I doubt you’re just gonna let him go.”

“I...” Chase can’t come up with an answer for that. The idea of Jack finding out, of Jack leaving, filled him with cold dread. But he really, truly, didn’t want to hurt Jack. He pushed back the part of his mind that reminded him that the hypnotism was a form of hurt already. “I don’t...know.”

Anti nodded, like he wasn’t expecting anything different. “Well, there’s a way you can avoid all that. Tell your fucking hypno-friend to fix all his memories, except the ones pertaining to you and the rest of your little Jack fanclub. Stop convincing him that he needs to stay with you. When he wants to leave, let him. If...when he tries to talk to me again, let him. You’ll still be able to see him, he’ll just have a life outside of you and that channel.”

It was tempting. Really, it was. Chase even opened his mouth to agree, but no words would come out. Because there was the chance—the slimmest chance—that everything could go wrong. That Anti was lying. That Jack wouldn’t really want to keep in contact if he decided to move out. He’d almost lost him before. When Jack moved to a new apartment, they began meeting up less and less. There’d never been any indication that Jack wasn’t going to just up and leave like everyone else had. So, in desperation, he’d approached their newest housemate, Marvin, and practically begged for help. Nobody in the house had gone against Chase’s idea to get Jack to join them. Jackie had put up a fuss, but he’d agreed in the end. And then, they discovered Jack had this—this guardian demon constantly watching over his shoulder. And who looked like he wanted Jack to never see Chase again.

“No,” Chase said, the word lifting a weight of worry from his shoulders. “No, no deal.”

Anti seemed genuinely surprised at the answer, eye widening. “...fine. Fi̵ǹe. Guess I underestimated the depth of your obsession.”

“I’m not—”

“Oh, I bet you know you are. I bet you know how w̛r͠o͏n͝g this whole thing is. But you just don’̧t c͡ar͞e, do you?” Anti sighed. “I’ll see you again, Brody. Maybe one day, you’ll finally give up on this scheme.” And with that, he pulled apart into pixels and vanished, leaving Chase alone.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, staring at the spot where Anti disappeared. He...wasn’t obsessed, was he? He wasn’t like that. He let Jack have friends outside of him, he didn’t have any problem with that. He didn’t force Jack to stay in the house...except it was sort of implied in some of the things he said to him. No. No, he and Jack were friends, they—they needed to be. He needed someone who didn’t stick around because of guilt or obligation, but because he genuinely liked Chase as a person.

Except...Jack was obligated. He made it an obligation the moment he decided to go the mind magic route to make sure he didn’t ever leave him. It’s...it’s not exactly staying with someone willingly if there’s mental tricks in the equation, was there?

Chase finally managed to pull himself out of his daze, and started back toward the main area of the bar. Great. He just reaffirmed what a shitty person he was. He couldn’t even be a friend to the one person who, at least to start out with once upon a time, wanted to be friends with him. God, why couldn’t the ground just break open and sent him to hell? Why couldn’t he have actually gone through with what he told Stacy he was going to do?

When he came back out into the main area, the first thing he noticed was that the spot he had been previously sitting in was taken by a woman now. Tall, pretty well-built. But he didn’t care. He walked straight up to her and said, “Uh, you’re sitting in my seat.”

The woman gave him a once-over, casually swirling her drink. “I don’t see your name on it,” she said.

“Very clever,” Chase snapped. “You’re a real life of the party. But I was sitting there before, and my drink is still there, so it would be nice of you to give me my seat back.”

“Hmm...” The woman took a long sip. “Nah. You can take your drink and sit somewhere else.”

Chase’s temper flared. He didn’t care at this point. “Or, you can take your drink and sit somewhere else.” And with a single motion, he pulled his gun free of the holster where it had been kept and pointed it at the woman.

Everything went silent. Chase was suddenly aware that this had been a busy night at the bar, as his eyes darted back and forth between the woman and the surrounding customers. They were all staring at him now. A few were probably going for their phones. Whatever.

“Whoa, okay, no need to be so-so-so hostile.” She set her drink on the bar and raised her hands, standing up. “See? Look, it’s yours now. I’ll just get out of your way, that’s it.” Her voice had been drained of its bravado, and was trembling without it.

Chase thought. He didn’t think much, but he thought. And what crossed his thoughts was that he really wouldn’t mind if the police showed up and dragged him away. He was already a terrible waste of a human being, might as well go down blazing. He shifted his aim so the barrel of the gun was pointing at the woman’s heart, and he squeezed the trigger.

Bang!

Something yanked his arm out of the way at the last minute, wrenching it sideways. The bullet still hit the woman, but in the arm instead. She screamed, clutching the area of injury, and ran. The crowd parted to allow her to run straight out the door.

“And I was j̧ust ͡fe̴e̷l̸inģ s͢o̷rr̢y ͞fór y̕o͢u̷.” Chase’s head whipped to the side, seeing none other than Anti. The glitching effect Jackie had tried to describe had appeared, shimmering waves of pixels and broken static running throughout his body, though not quite as intense as Jackie had said.

“Feeling sorry for me?” Chase repeated disbelievingly.

“Yes, fèèli̧ng ͏b͡ad̶ that you were so d̀ès̡pe̸rat̢e to keep Jack as your friend that you r͞esor͡ted̴ ̀t͡ò mea͏s̨u̸res ̧like t̨h̸is s͟iţua͏t͟i̢on͡!” Anti growled. “And then you go and s̵h̕oo̷t ̕som͟eo̢ne̵ like you don’t even know how f̷uck̴e̛d̡ ̶u͝p that is!”

“Well, we’re not all shining examples of purity!” Chase screamed. “Some of us are fucked up! Now let go of my arm!”

“Uh, n̷o̴. In fact...” The hand that wasn’t currently holding Chase’s arm in place reached toward his hand and started trying to pry his fingers away from the handgun. “I should probably t́ake t̸hi̕s͢.”

“No! It’s mine!” Chase’s other arm joined the fray as it tried to yank the gun away from Anti’s attempts at stealing the gun.

“Why are you so d͟i͝ff͢i̕cult̴?” Anti shouted, shifting both hands to the gun.

They fought for only a moment, each doing their best to take the gun or hold on to it. A sort of mad, dangerous tug-of war, with the barrel being wrenched about and pointing every which way. A lot of the crowd left, or tried to hide, but a surprising number seemed rooted to their spots on the floor. Chase felt the gun slipping. Anti was strong, why was he so strong? He was a bony, wiry sort of person. In a last desperate attempt, Chase swiveled the gun and pulled the trigger again.

Bang!

Anti’s head flew backward, scarlet blood spraying in an arc and splattering everything behind him. Seemingly in shock, he let go of the gun. His hand went to his face. “Ýóu̷ f̧uck̡ing͡ ba̢s̀t͝ard̢!̢” he screeched, voice breaking and shifting in tone. He wasn’t hurt, just angry. A miracle considering Chase’s wild shot had improbably hit him in the other eye, the one not covered by the patch. Blood was leaking furiously from the socket. Yet, Chase still felt like he was glaring at him.

The crowd began screaming once they realized what had happened. Most sprinted for the doors or ducked under tables, but a few rushed Chase. He didn’t even stop to think, just pulled the trigger as fast as the mechanism would allow, not bothering to aim. Most of them just stumbled back, but one man dropped to the ground like a stone.

“Get out of my way!” Chase yelled,pushing through the crowd toward the doors leading outside. They all gave him a wide barrier, and he burst out into the cool night air, gasping. Without hesitation, he took the left and started running down the street.

And Anti materialized in front of him.

Chase screeched to a halt. Anti was still missing the other eye, but that didn’t stop Chase from feeling like he was on the receiving end of the world’s most fatal death-stare. “What is wr͠o̶n̡g̵ with you?!” Anti demanded.

Chase laughed. “Oh, a lot of things. My brain’s fucked, I drive everyone away, I try so hard to keep my friends close that I’ll end up suffocating them in the end, I just shot multiple people and felt fucking awful but I kept doing it anyway, and I’m just in general a massive piece of shit. How’s your day been going?”

Anti tilted his head. There was a burst of pixels around his eye, and suddenly it was back to normal, like it had never been shot at all. He held up his hand, clenched in a fist. “Here, catch.”

Only Chase’s training to catch things for YouTube videos allowed him to stop gaping at the repaired eye and catch the tiny object Anti tossed toward him. He stared at it. A bullet. Bloody and broken, but recognizable.

“Technically, that shot was a through-and-through,” Anti said. “But I’m sure the owner of the bar won’t mind that I just took it.”

“When did you take...?”

“Just now.” Anti shrugged. “Listen, Chase, I’m not going to lie and tell you you’re a good person. Good people don’t shoot strangers that steal their seats. But, at least you know this, and that’s a hell of a lot more than what your friends got. So, I want you to just think about my offer. It’s the best thing I’m gonna give you.”

Chase was already shaking his head. “No, I can’t. I can’t. It’s just—Jack, I...I can’t risk it. I can’t.”

Anti rolled his eye. “If you insist. I’ll still show up later to make sure you haven’t changed your mind, but that may be the last time you’ll get this, so keep that in mind. And meanwhile, I want you to think about something else...” Anti started fading out, becoming a hologram before disappearing entirely, leaving only his words floating in the air. “What will you do when Jack does find out?”

Chase was alone. No surprise there. He stared down at the bullet Anti had given him. He was sorely tempted to throw it away, but just in case...he put it in his jeans pocket, then re-holstered his gun. Guess he wouldn’t be able to go to that bar again. And maybe they’d have to find a way to get the police off his back, they were sure to have been called by now. They had a magic mentalist in the house now, that was sure to help.

After standing there a moment longer, Chase shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking home. This had been an...unusual night. But he wished he’d had more time to get a few drinks in before everything went south.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

The First Session

Septics Inverted

A JSE Fanfic

Just like the last story, this one takes place near the beginning of the timeline, so to speak. Not everything was a-okay the moment the boys got Jack to join their household. They still needed to find one more member to make sure everything went perfectly from that moment on

Read the intro story: Part One | Part Two

Various other AU-related stuff found here

Taglist: @evyptids @awkward-bullshit @watermelonsinmyattic @asunachinadoll @a-humble-narcissus @metautske @odysseus-is-best-boi  @acuriousquail

“Whatever you’re doing, it’s not working.”

Chase never said hello like a normal person, he always opened up with statements like this. Or at least, that’s how he always started a conversation with Marvin. He didn’t even knock on the closed library door, just barged right in and interrupted the magician in the middle of very important research.

Marvin scowled, snapping the book he’d been reading closed and slamming it down on the desk. “Nice to see you too. I’m close to a breakthrough here, can you insult me later?”

“This is more important than...your, um, thing.” Chase looked noticeably uncomfortable upon thinking about Marvin’s thing. Coward. “This is about Jack.”

The magician raised an eyebrow, not that Chase could see that behind his mask. “What about him?”

“He wants to leave.”

“Yeah, that’s been his constant state of being for the last month or so.”

“I know!” Chase snapped. “And that’s the problem! You were supposed to fix that! But after a couple of days, whatever spell you cast wears off, and he starts to wonder why he’s here instead of at his apartment. And Schneep’s been noticing that that time period between ‘forgetting’ and ‘remembering’ is getting shorter and shorter. I can’t keep deflecting his questions forever! And if I can’t do that, everything’s gonna fall apart. He’s gonna wonder what you’re doing down here all the time, or realize that every time Jackie goes out there’s a new attack on a gang, or stop trusting any drink Schneep gives him because it’s pretty weird that he keeps falling asleep afterwards.”

Marvin shrugged. “Well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. There are a lot of empty basement rooms ever since Schneep started the clinic.”

“You’re fucking joking, right?” Chase said, appalled. “First, of all, that’s my friend, that’s not gonna happen. He likes me. Second, you don’t think the world’s gonna notice when a YouTuber with, I dunno, sixteen million subscribers goes missing? A little suspicious, huh?”

“Hadn’t considered that,” Marvin admitted. He wasn’t going to say it, but he was a little disappointed in himself. He should’ve been able to do something as simple as this. So, naturally, he gritted his teeth and turned that disappointment into anger. “Well, excuse me for trying out a whole new branch of magic just to help you. I’ll remind you that you told me to find a solution, then pushed me to use the Con’joi het Oblivisc enchantment when I found it. I’m not a fucking mentalist, I don’t know how this shit works!”

“Well you probably know someone who does!” Chase half-shouted. “So go get help for this if you need to!”

“I don’t know anyone who—” Marvin stopped suddenly. A couple months ago he would’ve yelled at Chase to go find a mentalist himself if he was so desperate to keep this charade up. But recently... “Actually, maybe I could work something out.” He reached for his phone and began looking up directions. “Gimme a couple days. Go...I dunno, jump over a couch or whatever it is you do for your stupid videos. Talk to your friend. Whatever.”

Chase glared at him. “You better hurry.”

“Fuck you, Chase.”

He’d gone to a party—or, sorry, a gala—in this part of town before. A fancy affair, run by some old man for a reason he hadn’t paid attention to. He’d been in need of a new volunteer at the time, so he’d gone recruiting. As the gala progressed, he watched for potential candidates, and one guy got his attention. He tried to keep an eye on him, but eventually he realized the guy had disappeared, shortly after talking to a guy in a fancy red vest with a pocket watch. Marvin was the type of person who didn’t appreciate someone edging in on his territory, so he did some digging...

That had led him to this place: an old-fashioned house that had been renovated into some kind of business. There was a sign out front that, for the life of him, Marvin couldn’t read. It was like the words kept shifting...Marvin scowled, and let a bit of his magic flow into his eyes. He blinked against the sudden burn, but it was worth it. Now he could see the sign was actually blank. Probably a spell that let the reader fill in the empty space with whatever they needed or wanted most. There were a lot of trinkets like that.

Marvin entered the lobby, and was immediately greeted by a blonde woman of the conventionally attractive sort, sitting behind a desk. “Hello there!” she said cheerfully. “Do you have an appointment?”

Marvin stared at her warily. Her smile was wide, but her eyes were curiously clouded. There was a nameplate on the desk that was as blank as the sign outside. “Just checking this place out. Never seen it before.”

“Well, we’re a pretty small business,” the woman laughed. “We only take appointments, so if you want to make one we have a form here for you to fill out.”

“Uh, no thanks. I was just wondering...this is a pretty, ah, niche place. Who came up with the idea for it?”

“That would be Mr. Jackson. He’s the founder, owner, and employer.”

“Neat. Can I talk to him?” Marvin had never been one for subtlety.

The woman’s smile slipped. “I’m sorry, you’ll have to make an appointment.”

“I’m a busy man. I’m here now. Let’s seize the moment.” 

“Mr. Jackson is very peculiar about his privacy.”

“I would be too. But I have a feeling he wouldn’t want to miss this opportunity.”

The woman stared blankly into space, then recovered her smile and nodded. “Of course, I understand. Head through the door to the left, his office is right down the hall.”

Well, that was easier than expected. Marvin was bracing himself, getting prepared to get rid of the woman, then go looking for this Jackson himself. But just less than a minute of talking later, he was in? If something is easy, it’s either a trap, or Marvin overestimated the other player in this game. He didn’t like those options. Nevertheless, he squared his shoulders and walked through the door to the left.

Marvin only took a few steps down the wallpapered hall before the door behind him swung shut and all the lights went out. He stopped in his tracks and sighed. “Really? We’re doin’ this?” he muttered. As he thought, there was no answer.

Darkness didn’t bother Marvin. At some point in the past, he’d lost the ability to be blinded by it. He could see the hall just as well, though he only saw shades of muted gray instead of the bright yellow wallpaper and deceptively welcoming decorations. He started walking down the hall again. It went farther back than he thought it did at first. Doors lined either side of it, but Marvin headed towards the very end.

One of the doors creaked open behind him.

Immediately, the magician spun around, fingers trailing violet flames. Two men, both large and well-built, charged forward. Marvin evaporated into a puff of lavender smoke and let them run right past the spot where he would’ve been before re-materializing to their backs. One of the men stopped, confused, and Marvin took the opportunity to blast him. The man didn’t even scream as the black magic consumed his body, leaving ash behind.

The other man was smarter. He pressed against the side of a wall, and when the blast came he ducked low. Marvin, momentarily confused by the absolute silence of the first man, was just distracted enough for the one left to dive at his legs and knock him to the ground. Marvin cried out in surprise as he hit the floor hard. The man crawled forward and decked him in the face, knocking his mask eschew.

Even though it was dark and there was no way the man could see Marvin’s face, the magician was consumed by a boiling rage. Nobody saw what was underneath his mask. Nobody. Marvin hissed in anger. His hand darted out and grabbed the man’s arm, pulling him closer so that his other hand could wrap around the man’s neck. “Itaqii, ers coimydi,” Marvin growled. Purple waves pulsed from his hands along the man’s skin, eating holes in it. This man didn’t scream either, though he tried his best to pull away as the spell slowly, very slowly, ate him alive, right down to the bones.

The lights came back on. Marvin hurriedly let go of the man’s remains and pulled his mask back into place, making a note to invest in stronger, tighter straps. The hall had somehow shrunk, and Marvin was at the end, in front of a grand-looking door. He stood up, brushed himself off, and debated opening the door.

{Come in.}

Marvin jumped. That voice—no, it wasn’t a voice. It was like a thought from an outside source. If he hadn’t been magical himself, he would’ve doubted he heard it. But now? All it meant was that this guy had telepathy in his bag of tricks.

“Alright, if you insist,” Marvin muttered this to himself, then stepped forward and pushed open the door.

The office beyond was just as old-fashioned as the building outside. The walls were covered in a dark red paper, there was an elaborate fireplace, and a desk with a fancy armchair behind and in front of it. There were a lot of bookshelves, and every one of them was full of books with leather covers that could only be spellbooks.

A man was sitting behind the desk, wearing a red vest and a derby hat. He looked like he’d been waiting for him for a while. {Hello!} Marvin perceived that the mental voice was coming from the man. {What did you want to see me about?}

Marvin stepped into the room, glaring at the door to make sure it wasn’t going to shut on him. “You’re Mr. Jackson, then?”

{Certainly. I am Jameson Jackson, though you can give me a nickname if you wish. Please, have a seat.} Jameson gestured to the other armchair.

“I’d rather stand, thanks.” Marvin walked over to the desk, firmly put his hands on it and leaned forward. “So what’s the deal with your goons back there?”

{It was a test!} Jameson smiled, and Marvin hated that he felt warm and sunshiney inside upon seeing it. {I was watching you in the lobby, through the secretary. I told her to let you in, then I toggled the lights and the door and sent those two after you. I had to make sure you were—}

“Worth your time?” Marvin guessed. “Okay. Fine. You could’ve done that a million other ways. And what’s with the creepy silence? That lady was the only one in this building who’s said a word to me.”

{Well, that’s due to my inability,} Jameson remarked dryly. {But I told the other two to stay quiet. No matter what. I expected them to be able to sneak up on you, especially in the dark. You were fast!}

“Yeah, I have permanent night vision. No, it’s not a cat thing, I just liked the mask.” Marvin stood up straight again. “So anyway, I saw you at that special fancy gala. You hypnotized the guy I was after, didn’t you?”

{Oh, Mr. Underman’s Gala!} Jameson clapped his hands. {I remember that! That’s where I got my new secretary. You saw my work, and I’m assuming you were impressed?}

“Well, you definitely did something that I haven’t been able to do.” Marvin couldn’t keep a note of bitterness out of his voice. “And that’s why I’m here. See, me and my housemates have a...guest. He’s very important, but sometimes he...isn’t sure he wants to stay with us anymore. I’ve been using a Con’joi het Oblivisc on him, but he’s developing an immunity. I know you’re good at this. And I’m willing to, I dunno, pay you or whatever to help us out.”

Jameson tilted his head, rather like a curious puppy. {A Con’joi het Oblivisc...the “content to forget” enchantment. Yes, I know it. It’s very basic. Even if someone has mental shields that are practically nonexistent, they’ll eventually catch on to one. It’s not meant to last a long time. But fortunately, I know many spells that are.}

“Great. What d’ya want for it?”

{Oh, nothing much. I’d need to be close to the vict—your guest, so a room in the house, perhaps?} When Marvin nodded, he continued. {But here’s the catch: if I leave my little business here, I’d need a supply of...manpower. To replace that which this location generates for me.}

Marvin laughed. “Oh my god, dude, is that all? Not a problem.” Jameson looked skeptical. “Trust me, you don’t know my housemates. That’ll be the easy bit. But I gotta ask...what do you need those guys for?”

{Oh, various things,} Jameson projected, waving. {Errands. Chores. Bank accounts. Protection. Anything else I don’t want to do. And...hmm, I don’t know if I should tell you this part.}

“Nothing you say could surprise me.”

{I was born in the year 1898.} Contrary to his words, that did surprise Marvin. {It’s very hard to keep looking this young when you’re over a hundred. You seem knowledgeable when it comes to these sorts of things. I bet you can figure the rest out.} Jameson grinned. {Now, while I wait for my manpower to gather my things, can you tell me some more specifics about your situation?}

Jack didn’t know what he was doing here. He felt like he was in that position a lot lately. The others said he’d agreed to move in with them when they needed help with rent, but...he got the feeling they were keeping something from him. Chase was evading his questions. Jackie just changed the subject whenever he asked. Schneep was busy with work all the time, and when he was home he acted...odd. And Marvin was in the basement all the time and refused to talk about what he was doing there.

“Hey, Jack.”

Okay, maybe Marvin wasn’t in the basement all the time. Right now, he’d just come into the kitchen/dining room where Jack was sitting, drinking coffee. He was tired all the time lately, and trying to remedy that with caffeine. “Oh, hey Marv,” he yawned. “How’re’ya?”

“Pretty good,” Marvin said. “Hey, I want you to meet someone.”

“Really? Who—” Jack blinked. The newcomer looked exactly like him (and all the rest of them, honestly) but with a mustache and a snazzy outfit. He waved at Jack, beaming.

“This is Jameson,” Marvin explained. “James, this is Jack. Jameson is a friend of mine from work, and since he recently lost his house I offered to let him stay with us. We needed more rent help, anyway.”

{It’s so good to meet you! Marvin’s told me all about you.}

“What the fuck?!” Jack nearly knocked over his coffee mug in shock.

“Oh, ah, Jameson’s mute,” Marvin winced, awkward. “But it’s okay, ‘cause he taught himself telepathy. So...you should get used to that.”

“Oh. Okay. I get it. Yeah.” Jack laughed nervously. “Your work is magic, so there’s some-some magic involved here. Okay.”

“I’m goin’ downstairs to the library now.” Marvin turned around. “I’ll let you two get to know each other.”

Jameson took a seat at the dining table across from Jack. {You don’t have to be nervous. I’m not a mind reader or anything.}

“Oh damn, that’d be helpful,” Jack said with another nervous laugh. “You’d never have to guess what I was thinking.”

{Unfortunately, I’m stuck with the old-fashioned way: asking.} Jameson smiled gently. {You looked pretty deep in your thoughts when Marvin and I came in. Would you take a penny for them?}

“I mean, I dunno...” Jack trailed off. Jameson was giving him the most adorable, wide-eyed curious expression. He couldn’t say no to that face. “Well...I was thinking about...my friend...”

{Which one?}

“Oh, uh, it-it’s a little difficult to explain. I mean, you know Marv and you obviously know magic, but still...his name is Anti. He’s—actually, I don’t know what he is. He’s electric, somehow, and he’s definitely not human. Usually when I leave home he’s able to find me pretty quickly and he sorta, just, pops in to check on me, but...I haven’t seen him. I’m...kinda worried.”

{Why would you be worried about him?} Jameson asked. His mental voice seemed to have changed, sounding a bit closer to Jack’s own. {After what he did on Halloween?}

“Oh, uh, Marvin told you about that? I...yeah, I’m kinda pissed at him. But maybe I just need to talk to him? He has to have had a good reason.”

{But what if he doesn’t?}

“I...” Jack yawned. He was feeling even more tired than he was before. “He has to...he has to...” {But wasn’t Anti a bit chaotic like that? He didn’t always do things with reason.} “Or...maybe he doesn’t have one...He’s a bit chaotic like that.”

{I see, I see. When did you meet him?}

“I was...” There seemed to be a haze over his memories. Jack struggled to remember, {but he couldn’t.} “I don’t know.”

{I think your friends told me you met him in October. He showed up in one of your videos.}

“He was in some of them...but...” That wasn’t the {That was the first time he met him.} “Yeah, that’s right.”

{Oh, Jack, I’m so sorry about what happened to you.}

“What happened...to me?” He was so tired, but he couldn’t close his eyes.

{Don’t you remember?}

“Nothing happened...” He was seeing spirals.

{That’s okay. I’ll tell you what happened. Your Anti is a monster, did you know that?}

He hadn’t. That seemed like something he should’ve known. Like an important thing. Blearily, he shook his head.

{Let me tell you about all the horrible things he’s done. Isn’t that a good idea?}

“Mm-hmm...”

{Yes, it’s a very good idea. You’re lucky to have such good friends with such good ideas. You’re all really close. You trust them unconditionally.}

He...of course he did. They were such a close group. They were so close. All of them, friends. Friends trust each other. {Friends don’t wonder why one of them is acting weird.} His friends have such good ideas, all the time, {so he should listen to them, no matter what.} No matter what...

Jack was staring at nothing now. He faced straight ahead with a blank expression on his face. His eyes were cloudy. Jameson glanced away for a brief moment, back towards the entrance to the kitchen/dining room. The four others were there, watching. Marvin was giving Chase an I-told-you-so look. Chase was glaring in return. Jackie’s eyes were scanning the scene, taking in every detail. Schneep was undoubtedly fascinated with everything.

Jameson nodded at them, then turned back to the cloudy-eyed Jack. He snapped his fingers in front of his face and got no reaction, not even a twitch. This was going to be easier than he thought.

{Are you ready Jack?}

Ready...yes, he was ready...of course he was...

{Good. Then let’s begin. We have a lot of work to do, and you’re excited for it, aren’t you? You’re excited to learn the truth?}

Yes, he was excited...he was going to learn the truth...the truth about his friends...they were his friends...didn’t he have another friend?...no, it was just them...them and the monster...the monster...the terrible monster...the anti-him...Anti...

Jack forgot.