#for 7 years... despite living among them... and them presumably not turning her in as a mage bc they have an awe of the dalish...

[sunlight-shunlight]

augh i tried skimming through the masked empire to gain the lore minerals for my dumb google doc... the writing is Okay, but the "entire unaddressed celene narration about how shameful briala's skin tone and hair colour Must Be" was so... extremely stupid. and the overall plot is a bit [ben affleck smoking.jpg].

and the whole "oooh they're cool perceptive spies!" bit falls apart at times. a lot of it is people doing bbc sherlock-style "your scratched phone charger means you're an alcoholic!!" types of insane leaps of logic. also for some reason briala thinks THIS is a normal way to do an assassination and make it look like a regular crime.

just climb it?? do elves no longer get a dexterity bonus?? help. zevran would not have done this 😔

[tvckerwash]

you know one of the things about s2 that makes me :/ is that certain scenes and the consequences of those scenes would make more sense if they just...swapped who was saying what. an example off the top of my head is the c/aitvi breakup scene, as I feel it would've A) been more potent and B) been a better parallel for vi to be the one to tell cait "I keep trying to tell myself that you're different, but you're not. it's her (cassandra's) blood (power, influence, prejudices) in your veins."

vi's 1.5 minute crash out montage of her self destructive spiral into alcoholism and violence only focusing on caitlyn now makes a little more sense, as it's not about being abandoned by cait, but because she believed in caitlyn's desire to heal the rift between piltover and zaun, and it was her trust in that belief—and her trust in caitlyn—that convinced her any anguish donning a uniform worn by the people who killed her parents brought her would be a weight worth carrying, because when people look up to you, when they're counting on you, you don't get to be selfish. the end justifies the means.

but the moment caitlyn shows her true colors, that their mission was never truly about bettering the lives of zaunites by removing the chembarons from the picture and stopping shimmer production, that it was never about bringing powder, jinx, whatever she's going by, to justice, but was instead about destabilizing zaun by removing its leaders, dooming shimmer addicts to painful and potentially deadly withdrawals, triggering *major industrial accidents that contaminate the environment, using chemical warfare to weaken and herd the populace—all to prepare for the military/police takeover to come—and for caitlyn to enact petty revenge against jinx for killing her mother, vi finally breaks.

she persisted despite watching her family die in front of her eyes 4 times (her parents at the bridge, vander, mylo, and claggor at the cannery, ekko presumed on the bridge, powder after killing silco), she persisted after being unlawfully imprisoned as a teenager and being beaten by the warden for 7 years, she persisted after the council and memorial attacks, she persisted through the raid in zaun, all because she always had something to fight for. but now, she has no one to fight for, and her attempts to do what she thought was the right thing to do to help zaun actively made everything worse. this is how to better "swap" her with jinx’s position in the narrative whilst still being consistent with vi's characterization. she's asking herself between the two of them "who's the jinx now?"

*turns out vi and jayce's raid in s1 in which vi shattered the giant tank containing the shimmer with zero plans or intention to properly contain and clean up the spill has consequences. those consequences being ekko's tree, among other things.

another scene would be in ep9 when vi and jinx are going to fight back to back against vander (mf doesn't deserve the name warwick bc there is no wrath in that zaun). iirc vi tells jinx that she "shouldn't have come back." which is INSANE to say to a girl who just tried to kill herself, and would again make more sense if it was jinx telling vi she shouldn't have come back—as in, vi should've given up on her and left her to die a heroes death or something. this would make the "always with you sis." line also make more sense, as it would reinforce vi's belief to jinx that "nothing is ever going to change that [they're sisters]."

[yapperlesbian]

a fix-it fic/drabble (???? i might write more if people want it and post it to ao3) for acosf because i got through 7 chapters and gave up. it was that bad. i worked really hard on this so feedback is very much appreciated <3

Exiles of Light and Flame

Nesta was being sent to the human lands as punishment by her sister and her mate. No, she was being banished. Banished to a place where she was feared and forced into isolation. Her sister hadn’t even bothered to drop her off herself, she’d had Morrigan do it. The blonde hadn’t made the trip pleasant, to say the least. She knew that Lucien and his human friends had taken up residence in the area, she just didn’t expect it to be so far of a walk. Nesta rubbed her hands together to keep the biting wind at bay. Perhaps she should’ve worn a thicker jacket.

“Nesta.” Lucien greeted her with a guarded nod, stepping aside to allow her in. He didn’t ask why she was there or how she got there. He simply led her to the sitting room where Jurian and Vassa were sitting on an atrocious pink couch. The couch was gaudy and loud and unlike anything Feyre would’ve chosen to decorate with. Her lips upturned in a small smirk at the thought. Maybe a banishment to the mortal lands wouldn’t be the torture she’d first imagined.

“That’s an ugly couch. I like it.” It was the first thing she said. Blunt and rude, something her sisters found disgraceful. Jurian barked a laugh at her comment, obviously not taking it to heart. She tilted her head to the side in calculation, gauging their reactions to her presence.

“Nesta Archeron. No longer welcome among the Night Court, I presume.” Jurian was more perceptive than he let on. Nesta wondered if spending all that time on Amarantha’s finger had taught him how to find hidden emotions and intentions.

She’d heard Feyre speak of the three of them before, disdain evident in her tone. Lucien and his new human friends called themselves the Band of Exiles. It was a better name than Court of Dreamers but Nesta knew better than to voice that opinion to her sister and her temperamental mate. Sometimes she forgot that her sister had once been human. That she had once been human. That life seemed so far away now, not that it was only two years prior.

“Do I get a room?” Nesta had decided she’d stay awhile, if they’d have her. Though she was fairly certain none of them actually owned the home they were residing in. Jurian and Vassa exchanged a look, with each other and then Lucien. Lucien who had only said one word to her, her name.

“I’ll show you to it.” He finally breathed, his auburn hair resembling living flame beneath the faelight. He wasn’t what she expected, what she remembered. His steps weren’t deep and commanding like the Illyrian males of her sister’s new family, instead they were quiet and calculated. She followed him silently, unbothered to find conversation to fill the silence.

Nesta nodded a thanks as she entered her new room, shutting the door and catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She ran a finger through her long hair, it surprisingly still holding a semblance of shine despite her horrid eating habits. It was the High Fae genes she now had that kept it so. Her pointed ears came into view, a stark contrast to the ears she had grown up with. She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to them, to her new body. Nothing felt like it was her own anymore, especially not the power she’d stolen and kept buried deep inside. She needed a change, something to take control of.

~

It was Jurian who found her digging around in the kitchen searching for scissors, arriving just in time to see her hold them up triumphantly. He chuckled at the sight, his eyebrows raised in question.

“I’m cutting my hair.” Nesta explained, not that she owed him an explanation. She didn’t owe explanations to anyone. Her sister and her husband didn’t agree with that sentiment. Hence, her banishment. “Well, I was going to ask Vassa to do it. I saw that she cut hers.”

“I cut her hair.” Jurian corrected, holding his hand out for the scissors. Nesta clutched them closer, unsure at the prospect of the former general cutting her hair. “Her Majesty would hack your hair, you think she’s ever lifted a pair of scissors herself? There’s no one to cut hair for you on the battlefield, you learn to do it yourself.”

Nesta nodded, handing over the scissors and plopping herself into one of the dining chairs. When Jurian asked how short, she pointed to halfway up her neck. She wasn’t expecting how much lighter she felt the more he snipped away. It was like she had been tied to a weight upon the ground and she was finally freeing herself.

Elain would have fainted at the sight of most of her hair upon the floor. What Cassian would think of it briefly drifted across her mind before she shut it down. He had agreed to send her here, to uproot her small sense of normalcy and send her away. She wouldn’t forgive that. She couldn’t forgive that.

~

If Lucien was surprised at her dramatic hair change, he didn’t show it at breakfast. She was surprised at the comradarie he shared with Jurian, treating the human as an equal. She still remembered how her sister and her court had looked down upon her when she was human, how they still did. How they reviled her with fear and distaste. An embarrassment to our reputation, Feyre had said. As though the Night Court wasn’t already hated long before her.

“Your eggs are getting cold.” Lucien reminded her with a surprisingly warm tone, taking her out of her thoughts once again. Jurian had since left the room, something she hadn’t even noticed. She pushed around her eggs and took a small bite.

“Thank you, for breakfast and for letting me stay here.” She forced a small smile, taking another bite of the eggs before pushing the plate away. Lucien didn’t comment on her barely touched plate, he simply took it and added to the pile of dishes he was washing.

“It’s no problem, wouldn’t want you out on the streets.” Lucien shrugged as he washed the dishes, looking up to meet her eyes. The scar across his metal eye was striking in a surprisingly handsome way. It was only then that she’d noticed he had tied back half of his hair. It wasn’t a bad look on him, he almost looked relaxed. “There’s a library in the house, second door on the left from the foyer.”

The red-headed male remembered how she had spent most of her time within the House of Wind. She was so sure no one was paying any attention to her there. Although his reasons for remembering could have to do with the fact that she was often with Elain then. She nodded and headed towards the library, it was empty when she stepped inside but magically warmed like the rest of the house.

Nesta ran a finger along the spines of the books, feeling which books were more worn than others. Whoever had previously owned the home had an extensive collection. It had been a while since she had read anything, too busy trying to bury her thoughts beneath alcohol. She picked a random one with a worn spine, her dress falling over her feet as she curled up in one of the chairs.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed but soon she noticed the laughter coming from the living room. Vassa must have returned for the evening. A glance outside confirmed it, catching the end of the sunset. It was her plan to avoid her new housemates and retreat to her room but then there was a knock at the door.

Somehow the knock sounded and felt so familiar, but it couldn’t be. She hated herself a little for hoping that maybe it was the person she thought it was. That he’d come to save her. That he had defied his High Lord and decided she was worth it, even after how she’d treated him since the war.

Lucien got to the door before she could make herself move, opening it to find a broad shouldered Illyrian male. Nesta peered over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of him. When Lucien stepped aside, she saw what he was holding and the hope in her heart shattered. Cassian was here, but he wasn’t here for her. He was here to bring the last of her things and to be rid of her. Nesta didn’t need to listen to any explanations or ramblings, she didn’t have it in her. So, instead she turned her back on Cassian and walked away.

[forever-rogue]

Afterglow - Part 7

A/N: Honey Bee and Frankie as neighbors? It’s more likely than you think! As always, feedback and comments are welcome, and if you’d like to be tagged, let me know. xx 💕

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 5.8k

Warnings: drug and alcohol mentions

AFTERGLOW MASTERLIST

MASTERLIST

»»————-　♡　————-««

You rushed back to your house and practically slammed the door as you dashed inside, making sure it was locked. You didn’t think he would try and come over and do anything, but it was for your own peace of mind. Daisy poked her head in from the outside and gave you a small look of confusion as you just gave her a soft smile, reaching into one of the treat bags on the counter and offering her a treat.

“It’s okay,” you promised her, “I’m just worrying about nothing. Being a silly old worrywart.”

She took the treat gingerly from your hand and went to lie down on her bed near the couch. You leaned against the counter and let out a long sigh, trying to gather your thoughts and calm your racing mind. Of all the places in the world you’d moved to, if course you’d moved right next door to your first and former love. It could have been anyone, anything, anywhere, but no - it had too be Francisco Morales. The world was a wicked and wondrous place at the same time. 

You were sure there was something out to get you. You were sure you had been through enough for the last couple of weeks, but apparently you weren’t out of the woods yet.

But it didn’t matter, you quickly decided. It didn’t matter that you had moved to a new place to have Frankie be your neighbor. That’s exactly what it would be - he would be just your neighbor. There was no reason that the two of you couldn’t just simply coexist; you never had to see one another or speak to each other. This would be fine. It would be completely fine. Besides, you were both much older than you had been when you were wild and reckless, surely you were mature enough to move past all of that.

»»————-　♡　————-««

With your mind made up and resolve strong, or so you hoped, you would work on it if you needed, you went to bed and kept repeating to yourself that you were fine. 

When you woke up the following morning, admittedly, after a night of tossing and turning, you went through your normal routine, and got everything ready to go to work, including Daisy. 

As you headed out to your car to load it up, you chanced one quick glance over Frankie’s house, noticing that there was now an older pickup in the driveway. He was home, you realized as your heart skipped a few beats, but that didn’t matter.

“Come on, Miss Daisy,” you opened the door so she could jump in, which she eagerly did with a little graceful little hop.  Slinking into the driver’s seat, you turned on the car without so much as another look at Frankie’s house. This was fine. It was all fine. 

»»————-　♡　————-««

The next several weeks feel into a quiet, relatively normal routine. By now, Daisy was settled into your home and heart, becoming even friendlier and sweeter with each passing day. Your house had quickly become home, all decked out for Autumn and Halloween, and often filled with the laughter from the few friends, namely Ally and Anna, and the occasional neighbor that you had coming over. You were happier now, you realized, single and more or less alone, than you had been in years. It was a serene feeling that you enjoyed. 

The fact that Frankie was right next door didn’t phase nearly as much as you thought it would. You rarely saw him for more than a second when he was walking in or you were walking out or vice versa. His truck was gone more often than still, and you figured he probably had a demanding job of some sorts.

The only real indication of anything you had from him was when he returned your container that had formerly contained cookies, dropping it off on your front steps, cleaned and with a simple thank you post it on it. 

You had taken it and stored it safely away in your cabinet, tucked in the back. 

Things were utterly...normal. And you were thriving in it. Everything else that you still wanted would fall into place when they needed to.

»»————-　♡　————-««

It was a Friday night, nearing Halloween, and you were coming later home later than normal. Your last client had taken up more of your time than expected, not that you minded, you were happy to help, but on top of that you had a few calls you still had to make, and by the time it was all said and done, it was late and dark. 

Daisy was slower in her gait as she got out of the car and headed to the house, eager to be let in and find one of her many beds. 

You were getting ready to come in after here and lock the door when you found yourself glancing next door. Frankie’s truck was in the driveway, but his front steps were covered with various copies of the newspapers, a few packages, and his small mailbox seemed stuff. Odd, you thought to yourself, who wouldn’t get their packages from the front door? Now that you were thinking about it, you hadn’t seen him come out or go in a few days...

Something in your gut panged slightly and you turned back to Daisy. Something was off, you couldn’t place it exactly, but you could feel it.

“Stay inside for now,” you told Daisy, “I’ll be back in a little bit. 

A small sound of acquiescence met your ears as you shut the unlocked door and walked over to Frankie’s, treading slowly and quietly. 

Bending down and picking up a few of the newspapers, you could see that they were all from various throughout the week. Dropping them back and moving the packages out of the way, you knocked heavily on his door, “Frankie?”

You stood there and waited for him to answer the door for a few moments, but heard nothing from inside, not a creak or even the lightest of footsteps. Groaning to yourself, you walked to the side of the house, trying to peer in through the kitchen window. You could see a faint light in the house somewhere, casting an almost eerie glow within.

“Shit,” you sighed as you ran to the door, this time pounding on it to get his attention if he was inside, “Frankie! Frankie, it’s me! Open the door!”

But despite your frantic shouts of his name or your noise making, he still didn’t come to the door. Quickly deciding to abandon that plan, you ran to the backyard and tried his back door. This one, through sheer luck or whatever reason was unlocked and you barreled inside,

“Frankie!” you called his name as you walked through his laundry room, eyes scanning over everything as you walked throughout his house. You checked the kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, and hallway and didn’t find anything. Just before making it into the living room, you stopped dead in your tracks as you came across a picture, one among many hanging on his wall. Your heart felt like it caught in your throat as you reached up and touched it, staring at the eighteen year versions of you and Frankie frozen in time. You were sitting outside, still clad in school uniforms, his arm was around you and you were kissing his cheek, both of you with giant grins on your faces. You’d forgotten about the picture but the memory was still vivid and clear in your mind. It had been a good day. You couldn’t believe that he still had the photograph and more over that it was openly displayed in his house. 

Just as you felt a few warm tears well up in your eyes, you heard a groan from the living room, and snapped back into attention. Walking into the space, you looked around and saw nothing - nothing that was until you looked down and found Frankie lying on the floor next to the couch.

“Frankie,” you dashed over to him and dropped to your knees, shaking him to make sure he was awake and still breathing. You could see his chest rising and falling in a semi steady rhythm and let out a small sigh of relief. You gently grabbed his face in your hands, willing him to open his eyes as you stroked a finger over his cheek, “Frankie. Wake up, Frankie. Come on, bub.”

It took a little more prodding and poking before he slowly, painstakingly so opened his eyes and he found your face. His eyes were bloodshot and they seemed so heavy as he struggled to keep them open. A small smile tugged on his features as he realized you were there.

“Sweet honey bee,” he said so softly that you almost didn’t hear, “am I dead? Or am I dreaming?”

“Frankie,” you said gently, getting worried about his current state, “Frankie, I need you to wake up, okay? It’s me, I’m here...I’ve got you.”

“Look at you,” he said softly, “still as beautiful today as you always were.”

“Frankie,” you decided to ignore what he said, “come on, we’re gonna get up and you’re gonna get into bed. I’m going to get you water, okay? Do you know what happened?”

You didn’t smell alcohol or anything on his breath so you wondered what was going on. 

“I know,” he said as he slowly scooted up and took the hand you offered to help hoist him to his feet, “how did you...I thought you never wanted to see me again.”

“Frankie, don’t,” you said softly, pulling him along to what you presumed to be his bedroom, “I wanted to make sure you were okay and you didn’t answer the door.”

“I-I fucked up,” he whispered as he trailed after you and all but collapsed into the bed as soon as he got into the room, “‘m sorry. ‘M sorry for everything.”

“I need you to sit up, bub,” you told him as he slowly complied with your request, “I’m going to get you water, okay? Did you hit your head at all?”

“No,” he answered, “didn’t fall…”

“Oh...kay,” you gave him a curious look, “stay there and I’ll be right back.”

Your first thought was that he had taken a tumble and hit his head, resulting in a concussion, but you didn’t see any evidence to suggest that. He seemed coherent enough...and you didn’t see or smell alcohol to suggest drunkenness. 

Wandering into the kitchen, you rummaged through his cabinets in search of a glass in order to get him a cold cup of water. You weren’t quite sure where to begin to treat him, not being that kind of doctor, but you knew enough to try and make sure he was okay. After you managed to secure a glass and filled it with cold tap water. As you waited for the glass to fill up, you tapped your foot and looked around the counter. The place was clean and simple, nothing extraordinary or too exciting, exactly what you would imagine for what you presumed was a bachelor of your age. 

But as you turned the tap off,  set the glass down to find a rag to wipe it off with since you sloshed the water over the sides. You looked around the counter, spotting one near the sink and reached for it, but stopped when you noticed something next to it. You made a small sound of surprise as you looked at the offending item, picking it up and studying it intently. It was a small, clear plastic baggie, almost completely empty except for the little bits of white powder you could see clinging onto the top. It didn't take more than a moment to put two and two together and realize immediately what it was. A small gasp escaped your lips as you tossed the baggie back onto the counter. Surely this had to be a mistake...it couldn’t be...no. Your Frankie would never - never. But this...this wasn’t your Frankie. 

Your breath hitched in your throat, causing your chest to rise and fall in a rapid stutter. Without thinking, you opened all the drawers in the kitchen, searching for anything more, any further proof of what somehow wasn’t true. Maybe, just maybe, you were wrong. 

But you came across nothing else in the kitchen, curiosity getting the better of you and causing you to wander into the living room and take a quick look around. Much to your chagrin, there were a few more empty little baggies laying around the living room. In your haste earlier to make sure he was okay you hadn’t noticed any of them. You sighed deeply as you realized he must have been on a several day bender, judging by the state of things. Your heart broke, crying for him that moment. Several of the patients you were currently working with were recovering addicts, dealing with overcoming their own issues. You’d just never thought someone from your own life would be counted among them.

You set everything back down and returned to the kitchen in order to bring him the water. At least he was going to be okay, for now. If he’s suffered from an overdose or something equally as horrible it would have taken hold already. For now, you’d focus on getting him through this - the rest would come later. 

Grabbing the glass you wandered back into his bedroom, finding that he had kicked his shoes off and was staring at the ceiling, struggling to keep his eyes open. You felt bad for him in that moment, but you also wanted to scream and shout at him, to tell him he was a complete fool for doing this.

“Francisco,” you tried to get his attention as his head lulled forward and he watched you thrust the glass at him. He reached out and gently took it, “drink.”

He almost down the glass in one go, making a contented sigh when he was finished. He moved to set the glass down on the bedside table but you grabbed it and shook your head, going to refill it and make him drink more. When you returned with another full glass, he took it wordlessly, drinking it as you hovered near the door.

“You only used to get that tone when you were mad at me,” he commented quietly as he set the glass down and let out a weary sigh. You raised an eyebrow at him as he tugged his outer flannel shirt off, tossing it carelessly onto the floor. 

“What?” you asked, trying to keep your voice neutral and flat.

“Francisco,” he said repeatedly it quietly as you looked at your feet and nodded. He was right...you’d called him Frankie from the start, usually only resorting to his full name when you were annoyed or in a serious mood. You just nodded and shrugged, letting an awkward silence fall between the two of you. 

“Right…” you said after a moment, “well, I’m going to get going. I just...I wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you going to be alright if I leave?”

The question held more weight than you could have imagined as the two of you stared silently at each other. Those eyes, those soft, honeyed eyes were the same as the Frankie of your youth, except for the weariness. 

“Yeah…” he said, swallowing the lump in his throat, “thanks…”

“No problem…” you turned on your heel to leave, knowing that you couldn’t stay. You shouldn’t stay.

“Why did you come?” 

“Pardon?”

“You came inside...looked for me...why?”

“I dunno,” you answered honestly, giving him a noncommittal shrug, “I just saw all the mail and everything and you didn’t answer the door...I got worried. I just...I had a feeling and just wanted to check. It was the right thing to do.”

“Oh.”

“Even if we aren’t...anything, I couldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you that could have been prevented,” you explained, wishing this was easier, wishing that none of this had ever happened. You never would have thought...of all the people in the world, it would be someone like Frankie, “I found....”

“You know,” he stated simply as you nodded, unable to meet his eyes as you thought about all the empty little baggies. You’d even seen any in person before, and it was a sobering reminder about how it could affect anyone, no matter what their lot in life was. 

“Yeah,” you finally said after a few moments, “I do.”

“It’s not-” he immediately felt the need to explain, feeling like he needed to get you to understand that he wasn’t...he wasn’t like this normally. But wasn’t he? Wasn’t he this what he had resorted on multiple occasions? Where was the line between recreational use and addiction?

“Save it, Francisco,” you held up your hand to silence him, “I don’t need any explanations and you don’t owe me any. We’re not...friends or anything. Don’t worry...just please take care of yourself.”

Not letting him get another word in, you walked out of the room, feeling tears welling up in your eyes as you tried to get this image of Frankie out of your mind. You hated it - hated seeing him like this.

But then again, you also didn’t...you didn’t want to see him again. It was a strange, and almost horrible juxtaposition of feelings. You jammed out of his house, keeping your gaze straight to avoid looking at anything that might cause you to break down in a sobbing mess. You were angry, so angry at him for letting this happen, angry that something in life had caused him to resort to this, angry that life had thrown you in this position. You almost felt bad for leaving him on his own, especially when he probably needed a friend more than anything else, but you also couldn’t stay. He was in a spot to where he was conscious enough to know what was going on and could take care of himself. 

Slowly shutting the door, you finally letting the tears fall down your face as you slowly made your way back to your own house. You hoped, desperately so, that he would never do this again, that he would be okay. 

»»————-　♡　————-««

Frankie groaned as he laid back against the pillows and watched you leave. A few tears of anger and frustration rolled down his cheeks as he stared at the space you had occupied. The lightest bits of your perfume hung in the air, sweetly scenting it as he realized it was the same kind you had always worn. That alone was enough to make the tears fall harder as he chided himself for messing everything up. He never, never, wanted you to see him like this; hell, he didn’t want to see himself like. Frankie had been sure he had kicked his little habit, but despite the little voice in his telling him to get rid of it and flush it, he didn’t. He had hung onto it. 

And used it.

Again.

He rolled out of and stripped the rest of his clothes, the ones he’d been wearing for the last few days on his little bender, and tossed them on the floor as he headed to the bathroom and turned on water and let it get as hot as possible. Once he was satisfied that it was scalding, he stepped in and let the steaming water wash all over his tired body. 

Scrubbing at every inch of his body, he didn’t stop until he felt raw and clean, every last bit of his skin cleansed. He washed his hair, chiding his unruly, dark locks as he made sure every single strand was cleansed. 

Frankie was in the shower what seemed like hours before he stepped out, his stomach grumbled with hunger and mouth parched. But before he would allow himself to stop and go into the kitchen, he went into the living room, and picked up all of the trash and remnants of the time he already wanted to forget. He never wanted to do it, never...especially not after seeing the look on your face as you had discovered his little problem. 

The look in your eyes was enough to break his heart all over again. He hoped he would never have to see it again.

If you were even willing to look in his direction again. He couldn’t even believe his luck that some way, somehow you had come into his life again. Not only that but you were right next to door to him. And single. Or so he presumed from your lack of engagement ring and sudden move. But that was a worry for a different time. Not that it was even a worry for him...you had made that very clear when you had told him on several occasions that you never wanted to see him again.

But this - this sudden coming back into each other’s life had to mean something...right? It couldn’t just all be coincidence.

No.

It had to mean something. He knew it had to.

»»————-　♡　————-««

The next week passed relatively quietly compared to the little fiasco with Frankie. You made it a point to avoid him and keep your eyes away from anywhere near his house whenever you went outside. You busied yourself with putting up Halloween decorations all around the inside and outside of your house and baking cookies to take to your neighbors. You were stocked up on all different kinds of candy to make sure all of your trick or treaters would be taken care of and had gotten Daisy a little costume. When you had some downtown time at work, you found yourself scrolling online and doing some window shopping when you’d come across the perfect little pirate outfit. You’d bought it instantly and tried it on her the second it came. She wasn’t as thrilled as you, but at least she didn’t fight you. You’d taken a few snaps and posted them to your IG, deciding that if she never wanted to wear it again, at least you’d have the memories. 

You’d thrown together a last minute little costume for yourself, consisting of black leggings and a long sleeved t-shirt, hand painted with a skeletal frame. Admittedly it wasn’t your best costume ever, but it was something and you’d been so busy with work and other things you’d almost completely forgotten about getting something for yourself. It would do for a night of handing out candy and watching scary movies by yourself. You’d even decided to go all out and ordered pizza for yourself (and Daisy of course).

It had started out as a relatively quiet evening, with a few families from coming around, excitedly greeting you and Daisy as they excitedly took the candy you offered them, which were apparently the best in the whole neighborhood according to one little boy dressed as Darth Vader. You’d complimented each and every one them, making sure they knew how great their costumes were. 

One in particular, a little girl with dark, curly hair, soft brown eyes and a shy little smile, dressed as a little bumble bee had won your heart over in less than a second. In the moment it even caused you to envision yourself with a little girl just like her...but you quickly snapped out of that and pulled yourself together as you held out the big bowl for her to pick some candy from. She sweetly thanked you and waved, walking away as she held onto her father’s hand. 

After that it was quiet for some time, and you had a chance to get thoroughly invested in the movie that had started playing on Netflix, some b list horror film from the 80s. You had a piece of pizza about halfway to your mouth when you heard more knocking on your door. You shoved the bite into your mouth as you quickly swallowed it down and stood up to go to the door, straightening your shirt. The knocking became louder and more frantic and you raised an eyebrow at Daisy as you wondered who the mysterious trick or treater could be. 

“Coming,” you called out as you hurried to the door and yanked it open, almost nervous to see what was on the other side. To your surprise, causing your jaw to drop open, you found Frankie leaning against the door frame, his face looking sallow and gaunt, a pathetic little smile tugging on his features when he saw you. His eyes were red and this time you couldn’t tell if it was from crying or the drugs, “Frank...Francisco. What are you doing here?”

“I’m sorry,” he said after a quiet moment, tension hanging in the air between the two of you. You kept your hand on the knob as you waited for him to explain a little more. He met your eyes and you could see that his lower lip was trembling with the effort trying not to cry, “I’m so sorry.”

“W-what are you sorry for?” you asked as you gnawed on your lower lip and tried not to lose it completely and keep yourself together, “you have nothing to be sorry for, Frankie. It’s...whatever we had is in the past. It’s done with, just like us.”

“I fucked up everything,” he insisted as he tried to straighten up and almost stumbled over his feet. You reached and helped to straighten him up, hands around his waist to keep him steady. This time the tears running down his cheeks were evident, “I’m so sorry for all of it. B-but I-I need help. I’m an idiot…”

You remained silent as you helped inside your house and shut the door, locking it behind you. Daisy watched the two of you curiously as you shook your head at her and led him down to your bedroom, as he softly murmured senseless apologies into your ear. When you reached your room, you practically pushed him onto your bed, looking at him with a confused expression. You were angry, gods you were angry, but you were sad too. Sad that he apparently made it a habit to resorting to this, sad that he felt the need to inflict this upon you too.

“You’re high,” you stated the obvious as he nodded slowly. You ran a hand over your face as you let out a long, deep breath, “Frankie...I…”

You couldn’t even finish your sentence as you looked at him, staring back at you with the most forlorn expression on his face. Tears were welled up in his eyes which threatened to spill over and you could tell he was struggling. You didn’t have it in your heart to get mad or yell at him, despite how much you wanted you.

“Oh Frankie,” you got on your knees in front of him, touching his face and wiping away the tears that had spilled over. He nuzzled slightly into your touch, almost like a cat keening for a good scratch as he made a small sound in his throat. 

You moved your hands to his shoulders and slowly pulled off his jacket, tossing it on the chair in the corner before repeating the action with his shoes. He didn’t argue or try and fit you or anything, sniffling quietly to himself. 

When you were finished, you held up a finger, silently telling him that you would be right back. Walking to the front door, you grabbed the bowls of candy you still had felt and placed them outside, quickly scrolling a note that people could help themselves, and made sure the light was turned on. You gave Daisy a treat and the okay to go into your bedroom and she silently slinked off, no doubt to check on Frankie and give him whatever reassurances he needed. 

You stood in the kitchen for a moment, fanning at your eyes so you didn’t end up crying as well. One of you needed to be strong right now, and it was apparently going to be up to you. The fact that you were still so conflicted with your own feelings for him didn’t change the fact that he needed someone right now. He needed someone to support him and knock some sense into him at the same time. 

You grabbed a big glass and in a repeat of the other day filled it up and treaded back to the bedroom. The sight that met your eyes was enough to make your heart melt and you stopped and watched for a moment. Daisy was standing up, her paws on Frankie’s thighs as she offered him a slew of wet nosed kisses and he just held her lightly, petting her with the gentlest of touches. 

“This is Daisy,” you told him softly as you walked in and sat down next to him, keeping the tiniest of spaces between the two of you, “I adopted her a little bit after I moved in. She’s very sweet...obviously.”

“You always wanted a Pittie,” he said as she calmed down from her initial excitement and laid down on the floor next to you. Your brow narrowed for a moment as you tried to think back on it and then you realized - he was right. It was one of the first things you had told him: you’d always wanted a Pittie or Staffy because they were beautiful and seemed sweet and you wanted to show people that they were amazing dogs. You were incredulous at the fact that he remembered such a small detail, “looks like your wish came true.”

“Y-you remembered…”

“Of course I did,” he quietly said as you just huffed lightly, an almost laugh as you sat there quietly for a moment, reaching down and giving Daisy a gentle touch. He reached for the glass and quickly downed it in one go. 

“Frankie,” his name was soft and gentle off of your lips, causing a shiver to run up his spine at the sound. He hadn’t heard his name like that in a long, long time. There were a million questions and things that you wanted to say, but  none of them seemed important in that moment. Before you could stop yourself, you put your hand on his and gave it a delicate squeeze, “w-what’s going on? This is the second time in three weeks this happened. Are you…”

Your question hung and lingered in the air for a few moments as he sighed and hung his head, his shoulders slumping. Before you knew it, a sob, a heartbreaking sob racked his body and he started to cry quietly. Without thinking about it, you wrapped your arm around his shoulders and pulled him into your chest, letting him get it all out. 

“Shhhh,” you whispered softly, rubbing a hand up and down his back, trying to soothe him as best as you could. His arms snaked around your waist as he held onto you for dear life, almost as if he was afraid that if he let go you would disappear. You held him for a while as he got it all out, mumbling a few incoherent sentences in between his sobs. Eventually your hand went to the back of his head as you dragged it though his hair, lightly scratching at his scalp, just like you knew he used to like, “shhh...it’s okay, Frankie. Just let it go. Let it all out.”

It was something that you had discovered your years as a therapist that sometimes it was best to just let the person get it all out and then talk them through it. Even if it took a while, you would let him get it all out first. 

“‘M sorry,” he whispered into the now soaked fabric of your shirt. What was he sorry for? Coming to your doorstep, high and unsure of what he was doing? For getting high and continuously struggling with his addiction? For basically following you to the small coffee shop for weeks to try and get your attention? For breaking off all the plans you had made as lovestruck teenagers to move to California? For going into the military and leaving you hanging on and waiting around for him for almost two years? For what he had just done in his mysterious absence? Perhaps all of it?

“It’s okay Frankie,” you whispered softly, kissing the top of his head gently, “you don’t have to say anything right now. Just let it all out right.”

“I ruined everything,” he insisted, his voice cracking and breaking as he burrowed his face further into your chest, “everything. I should have never left. It should have been us, it was always meant to be us.”

“Don’t do this,” you cooed against the side of his head, trying to maintain your composure, “not right now. Just let it out, okay?”

“You must hate me,” he ignored your pleading as you shook your head. You wanted to, gods knew you did, but you could never. You don’t think you could have ever hated Frankie Morales, even if you tried, “you have every reason to hate me. I’m a horrible person…”

“Frankie,” you said sharply, pulling him away from your chest and forcing him to look at you, “please stop doing this to yourself. It’s not helping you and you don’t deserve all of this negative talk. Right now you just need to let go, and stop beating yourself up for what you can’t change.”

“But-”

“No,” you insisted firmly, “no more talking, okay? Just rest now, please just rest for a little while and try to get out of your…”

“High?”

“Yeah…” you said quietly, “just lay down and sleep now, okay? Just rest...the sheets were washed today so they’re clean.”

“What about you....”

“I’ll take the couch,” you held up a hand before he could say anything else, “it’s fine. Really. Just sleep for now, okay? Everything else can wait.”

“Okay…”

“Okay,” you repeated, turning on the small bedside table lamp and turning off the main light. You looked at Daisy and pointed at the bed, and she understood what you were saying as she jumped up onto the bed and curled up next to Frankie’s form, “we’ll talk tomorrow.”

You reached for the door handle and turned to walk away, to give him some space and privacy. You heard Daisy make a small sound before Frankie sniffled again, “good night, honey bee.”

“Good night, Frankie,” and with you shut the door and walked away feeling more confused and conflicted than ever. 

»»————-　♡　————-««

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[emilyofjane]

Why the Disney Princesses definitely need therapy: a Hot Take

Snow White

Losing her parents as a child and having to learn to take care of herself at a very young age (Snow White is 14 in the movie, and judging by her work ethic, she appears to at least have some experience with living independently before moving in with the 7 dwarves)

Lack of socialization due to isolation

Depression due to isolation and loneliness. This makes the whole “Someday My Prince Will Come” thing much more believable, because Snow White really isn’t in any sort of immediate danger and doesn’t need “saving” or whatever; she’s just tired of being alone and wants human companionship. (And tbh who can blame her? The poor girl’s literally talking to birds and moved in with the first group of humanoid creatures she could find ffs)

This one’s a bit of a stretch, but I’m pretty sure Snow White would also have an unhealthy fear of strangers and/or an irrational fear of being poisoned after the whole apple fiasco

Cinderella

Being raised in an abusive home environment for most (if not virtually all) of her life

The complete lack of positive social interaction throughout her life has probably led to problems with social withdrawal and isolation at some point, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she has repressed symptoms of chronic depression due to loneliness.

Her closest emotional confidants are literally two talking mice, and that just screams “My only friends are animals because their love is unconditional I’ve been invalidated and unloved by every human being in my life” (aka extreme emotional neglect)

She probably has tons of questions about her biological parents that were never answerd because, again, her stepfamily hated her, which would obviously lead to some emotional baggage

If we consider Cinderella III: A Twist in Time to be the new canon, she definitely has some unresolved PTSD from her near-death experience (the “almost getting crushed to death in the carriage because it was transforming back into a pumpkin” scene)

Aurora

Existential crisis because the three fairy godmothers basically rewrote her entire identity as “Rose” and hid the fact that she was a princess

Never knowing who her real parents were as a child, leading to emotional baggage similar to that of Cinderella and Snow White mentioned above

Either the emotional burden of having to make up for 16+ years of lost time with her biological family, or the grief of losing her biological family without ever getting the chance to know them (idk whether Aurora actually got to meet her parents by the end of the movie or if they died before she woke up, because I don’t remember exactly how much time had passed while she was in the coma)

Speaking of the spindle prick-induced magical coma (which is a really long-winded and inefficient way to kill someone honestly, idk what Melificent was thinking), Aurora also has to deal with the emotional burden of how much time has passed while she was in a coma, which would only further feed into the existential crisis and emotional trauma in bullet points 1 and 3.

(Also, off the record, but Aurora’s entire life post-movie is just a hot fucking mess and she really deserves a second movie exploring that concept imo. I know that Sleeping Beauty has already gotten a live-action villain spinoff, but the story of Aurora herself really deserves to be reexamined under a modern lens also. Aurora is easily one of the most overlooked Disney princesses and tbh she deserves more love.)

Belle (feat. the expanded lore from the live-action movie)

Witnessing her mother die from the plague in their own home

Being forceed to move from the more culturally progressive city of Paris to the unnamed “poor provential town” in the movie, where she is clearly the odd one out and is subject to gender inequality on a daily basis (in the form of being publically shamed and socially ostacized for being an educated woman)

Being regularly sexually harassed by Gaston, which is further exacerbated by the villagers and their close-mindedness. Not only is Gaston’s behavior enabled and encouraged by the villagers, but they even go so far as to idolize Gaston — as shown during his namesake song — despite his obviously predatory actions, simply because he is a cishet white man that they find conventionally attractive

Watching her father get arrested despite being 100% innocent...TWICE

Also being arrested when her father is wrongly convicted a second time, by none other than her abuser

Watching her lover — who besides her parents was the first person in her life who truly loved her and respected her intellect despite being a woman — nearly die in her arms, as well as everyone else in the castle (who ALSO respected her regardless of her gender) nearly die at the same exact time.

...And you know, Stockholm Syndrome or whatever. (But tbh, given how everyone in the castle was very kind and respectful and how the Beast was a tsundere at best, Belle would probably suffer far more from PTSD brought upon by Gaston and her previous environment than from “Stockholm Syndrome” in a castle where everyone actually treated her like a normal fucking human being. Unpopular opinion I know but as a sexual assault survivor this is literally a hill I will die on.)

Jasmine

I’ve actually never watched Aladdin all the way through, so unfortunately I can’t give a full analysis of Jasmine’s conflicts...but I have seen that gif of her saying “I am not a prize to be won” and that just screams “I’ve suffered a lifetime of female objectification and gender inequality despite my social status, and not even in the highest position of authority possible am I allowed to have a voice” and idk about you but that is really fucked up man

Ariel

PTSD from being manipulated by Ursula to give up her voice and nearly losing everything (both her previous life in the ocean and the promise of a new life on land with her love interest) because of it

Near-death experience from *vague hand gesture to whatever the fuck that was at the end of the movie*

Inevitable depression from abandoning the only home she’s ever known (the ocean) and leaving her friends and family behind

She’ll probably also need some form of behavioral therapy to help her adjust to her new home on land, whose culture is still extremely foreign to her — and maybe even additional therapy for social anxiety, given how her first 3 days of human interaction were so mortifyingly embarrassing that she’ll probably be laying wide awake at 3 AM and thinking “oh my god I can’t believe I looked Eric’s parents dead in the eyes and brushed my hair with a dinner fork” for the next 10 years.

Tiana

PTSD from literally being turned into a frog

Overworking herself to the point of near burnout, and being unable to fully live out her prime adult years because of said burnout

Constantly dealing with shitty customers, bosses, and other white-collared people disrespecting her and treating her as subhuman because of her career choice, which is unfortunately a common shared experience among restaurant workers and those who work hourly wages

Since this movie takes place in the United States presumably before the 1960’s, it’s probably safe to assume that Tiana also probably had to deal with segregation, Jim Crow laws, and other forms of racism off-screen on a daily basis, which would obviously take a toll on her mental well-being and further exacerbate the issues mentioned in #3

Grief from losing her dad, which has likely been repressed due to her workaholic tendencies denying her the ability to properly take the time to mourn

I don’t even know what to categorize the whole witch doctor shenanigans as, I just know that she and Naveen are both going to need some SERIOUS therapy after going through all that shit

Rapunzel

Being raised in an emotionally abusive and controlling environment for her entire life

Being completely isolated for 18 years with no social interaction whatsoever with anyone except her own abuser

Existential/identity crisis from discovering that she’s actually a princess, that her “mom” was actually the one who kidnapped her as a baby and tried to cut her hair, and that everything she knew about herself and the world she lived in was essentially a lie to keep her obedient to Gothel

Near-death experience (the drowning scene)

Internalized fear and mistrust in strangers — and quite possibly in people in general — due to Gothel’s lifelong warnings that people in the outside world would only want to take advantage of her

Watching the woman who raised her MERCILESSLY STAB THE ONLY OTHER PERSON SHE EVER KNEW AND LOVED IN THE GODDAMN CHEST

Watching the woman who raised her LITERALLY CRUMBLE TO DUST IN FRONT OF HER VERY EYES

WATCHING FLYNN, THE ONLY OTHER PERSON SHE EVER KNEW AND LOVED BESIDES HER GODDAMN ABUSER, FUCKING DIE RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER before she miraculously healed him

Because Flynn’s revival was such an uncanny revival that not even Rapunzel knew how she did it, she obviously thought he was gone for good...and since Gothel was gone also, there must’ve been at least a split second before she healed Flynn where, for the first time in her entire life, she was completely and utterly alone. That alone deserves to be a bullet point because holy shit

I’m not even going to get into Tangled: the Series man this list is getting too long as it is

Elsa

Losing her parents at a young age

Abandonment and isolation issues (mostly self-inflicted due to her own fear of hurting others, see #3)

Internalized fear and self-doubt of her powers — and, by extension, fear and self-doubt in herself

Guilt from nearly plunging Arendelle into an eternal winter

Guilt from almost losing her sister (twice!) due to her own direct actions

(Coinciding with #3) Guilt from isolating herself from her sister to protect her, only to nearly get her killed by the very thing she was trying to protect her from

Anxiety. Just lots and lots of general anxiety.

(Omitting Frozen 2 for Elsa because I haven’t seen it yet and this list is getting too long)

Anna

Also losing her parents at a young age

Abandonment and isolation issues, but hers are moreso due to Elsa “shutting her out” as a kid and having no one else her age in the castle to interact with

Lack of socialization in general for much of her childhood, as well as any social anxieties/lack of social knowledge and etiquette/etc. that would come with it

Abusive relationship with Hans (I know it was only one day, but holy fuck that was a trainwreck. What Hans did to Anna is a literal breeding ground for PTSD and trauma)

Coming to terms with the fact that the trolls fucking erased her memories of Elsa having ice powers and that Elsa isolated herself to protect her (and not, you know, because she hated her or something)

Leftover guilt from holding a grudge against Elsa for most of her childhood for shutting her out, because NO ONE BOTHERED TO TELL HER THAT IT WAS FOR HER OWN GOOD and she never knew why

Basically Anna and Elsa both need joint therapy or family counseling or something because holy shit their parents did NOT handle this situation properly AT ALL

(Also omitting Frozen 2 for Anna because I haven’t seen it and this list is also getting too long)

Moana

Surprisingly, Moana’s movie was relatively tame — in fact, because her tribe returned to voyaging and she is now exploring the seas/following her passion, these events were arguably beneficial to Moana’s mental health rather than detrimental. The only emotional baggage I can really imagine Moana having post-movie is leftover grief from her grandma dying and maybe the stress of having to put up with Maui’s shit

[alexiethymia]

JSHK Questions and Answers

Since I love lists, and I want to organize these for future reference, this is my compilation of the questions I still have as of the most recent chapter, and attempts to answer them with theories and headcanons with no bases whatsoever. So, let us begin!

1.) How does a human become a supernatural? 

Among the Seven Mysteries, only Hanako and Akane-kun were or are humans. Shijima isn’t the original Shijima Mei, and the current Mitsuba was created from the original Mitsuba. Is there a difference between a human becoming a simple supernatural or becoming a School Mystery? Are humans who died and become ghosts, like original Mitsuba, considered Supernaturals? Is Sakura one such human-turned-ghost-turned supernatural? 

For Amane and Mitsuba, we know how they became spirits. They had lingering regrets, which is confirmed by Kou when he said he’d help Mitsuba with his unfinished business so that he could pass on. So what Kou was talking about in the most recent chapter is probably not that. 

Going back to Akane-kun and Hanako. How did Akane-kun become a supernatural? It was through a deal to save Aoi’s life, albeit he was tricked into it. 

Did something of that sort happen to Amane and Tsukasa perhaps? Did Amane make a wish, was tricked, and somehow as a consequence end up killing Tsukasa as some sort of exchange? Because for some reason, among a time lord, a spider that has a library full of knowledge, and the GOD OF DEATH, it’s Hanako-kun who’s the leader of the School Mysteries. Something big must have been exchanged for that. 

Perhaps Tsukasa heard a rumor that one way he and Amane could stay together forever was to become Supernaturals, with one being the other’s yorishiro and for this reason he wanted to kill Amane, except it happened the other way around. Admittedly, this is a bit farfetched. 

2. Who does Teru actually like?

This was established from the very first chapter, so i believe it’s an important plot point.

Sakura: My first guess, again despite having no basis at all, is Sakura. But Sakura already has Natsuhiko so hmmm....

Mei: Yes, this is a bit weird. The only thing I have to go on is that one picture of Teru with Mei and Shijima in Monster Nursery. Teru could have been a kid who had a crush on high school student Mei before she died. 

Aoi: Recent chapters would point to that. It seems so obvious as to be a red herring, but what if that is what makes it surprising enough to be true? I always thought Teru ‘liking’ Aoi was a way to troll Akane just as how Teru lords over Nene’s crush on him to Hanako (man in other circumstances, Akane-kun and Hanako-kun would get along soooo well), but he never said he liked Nene in a joking way, like he did with Aoi. 

If the Teru-Aoi-Akane triangle is suppose to parallel the Kou-Nene-Hanako triangle, then it checks out if both Teru and Akane have a crush on Aoi. I do see them as being kindred spirits. Both are set up on a pedestal despite no one actually knowing their true selves. Everyone thinks they’re so perfect and nice, but both have pretty twisted characters. I mean Akane is also a ‘nice guy’ but everyone knows about his yandere tendencies, and he’s pretty free about what he thinks. On top of that, there’s also the shady business going on in the Minamoto and Akane families. 

Akane: BUT THEN, what if Akane is the Nene in their triangle. Admittedly, a lot of Teru’s actions could be interpreted as him teasing the boy he likes who’s already in love with someone else. IT CHECKS OUT.

Akane and Aoi: Or you know he could have a crush on the both of them. This is just headcanon after all. 

3.What on earth is Natsuhiko’s deal?

I swear he’s like the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Always beware the fool. I have this weird headcanon that he belongs to a family that’s also spiritually inclined like the Minamotos and the Akanes. Who knows, what if both Sakura and Tsukasa are dead supernaturals and Natsuhiko is their link to the living world?

Someone pointed out how the room with the mirror and the toys could be Hanako’s boundary. Besides the fact that we didn’t see any water, I would say that that is one brilliant observation! I could easily believe that. With what we know now about Sumire and from what Tsukasa said about not seeing Hanako for ten to twenty years, Hanako probably left Tsukasa, his yorishiro, in his boundary and never went to see him. The implications are horrifying. As we saw with Sumire, she kept relieving her death. That’s bad enough with No. 6 letting her die. But based on what we know, unless something else gets revealed, Amane was the one to kill Tsukasa. And he left Tsukasa in the boundary for ten to twenty years to relieve that? If true, I really will have to reevaluate my whole opinion about Hanako. 

I think based on what we saw, if that really is their boundary, it may be a replica of the twin’s room, what with all those toys, and by the time we arrive at that point when we’ll see Hanako’s boundary, I think that’s where the key Nene picked up from Amane in the past will play a part. Is that the key to their house? The twin’s bedroom? Perhaps a secret tree house? There must have been a repercussion as well with Nene picking up that key from the past, because if it’s with her now, then it wasn’t with Amane in the past, and that may have changed something.

If that’s true, then it was Sakura and Natsuhiko who broke Tsukasa out. Again it gives credence to the Sakura-is-already-dead theory, because Tsukasa grants the wishes of the dead, so perhaps there was a wish that Sakura had to have granted no matter what, enough to bind herself to Tsukasa, like how Nene did with Hanako.

(A bit of a sideline, LISTEN I STILL HAVE HOPE FOR A HAPPY ENDING OK. Kamisama Hajimemashita also had time travel shenanigans. and it looked like the protagonist would die, but all of those time travel shenanigans were necessary for them to earn their happy ending. Time isn’t a straight line after all. It’s more like a loop or a circle. What will happen has already happened.) 

4. Why are Tsukasa and Sumire the only human yorishiros?

Although Tsukasa as a yorishiro is not yet confirmed, I still have to wonder why. All of the supernaturals had or have strong ties to a living human. No. 1 has Akane-kun, Yako had Misaki, Mitsuba has Kou, Shijima had Mei, and Tsuchigomori had Amane. We don’t know what No. 1 and Mitsuba’s yorishiro are, but for the other three, the yorishiros they have are in relation to their precious humans. 

I can’t imagine that Yako loved Misaki less than No. 6 or Hanako (presumably) loved Sumire, or Tsukasa, and yet Misaki isn’t Yako’s yorishiro nor is Mei, Shijima’s yorishiro, and I have to wonder why.

Is it because Misaki and Mei had already passed on peacefully, while in contrast Tsukasa and Sumire wanted to stay by Hanako and No. 6′s side, which translated to them being bound as yorishiro? 

It’s stated in the story that yorishiro are the things most precious to a Mystery, but it also makes me think that yorishiros are the things or people that the Mysteries have the most regret about. 

5. Why is Akane-kun affected by supernatural events?

Akane-kun has stronger ties to Supernaturals, being a Supernatural himself, unlike Nene who’s just an assistant to one. 

So why did he forget about Aoi when Yako kidnapped her the first time around, yet Kou and Nene were unaffected, and why did the confession tree have an effect on him?

Maybe, because except for the deal with No. 1, for all intents and purposes he’s just a normal human being? 

But this time around, he doesn’t forget about Aoi. Maybe because he was too involved this time so his memories couldn’t be so easily erased.

But admittedly, it may just have been a story telling choice so the readers wouldn’t know Akane had anything to do with supernaturals.

6. Why was Nene chosen as the kannagi?

This was a question I had all throughout the arc, and it still wasn’t answered. Normally you’d think that Nene became the kannagi the moment she made a wish to Hanako but Hanako later says that he had nothing to do with her short fate. So if Nene had never met Hanako in the first place, would she have been doomed to die for completely mundane reasons?

BUT THEN when she read her book at the Bookstacks, if I’m not remembering incorrectly, her first disastrous date was in college, but Mirai says in the Clock Keepers arc that she had less than a year to live, which means she’s supposed to die in high school. Why this discrepancy? Could Hanako have been lying? Did her lifespan shorten after making a wish to Hanako thereafter becoming the kannagi i.e. Hanako’s assistant? But again only those who were already near to death could have made a wish to Hanako so maybe since they were already doomed to die anyway, making a wish to Hanako and becoming his assistant was just the prerequisite to being the kannagi. Except in this case, Hanako wanted to change her fate. Perhaps opening a person’s book changes their fate. Nene’s book was read, Amane’s book was read by Tsuchigomori, but again no in-story event would support this. 

Sumire identifies Nene as the kannagi, but No. 6 passes her by and identified Aoi as the kannagi, so again why this discrepancy? Perhaps someone in the past put a stop to the practice of sacrificing Akane girls (the Minamoto family perhaps?), but an Akane girl would always go to Kamome as a sort of back-up just in case.

Hanako was clearly lying when he said no human sacrifices happened during his time. What if there was a Hanako-san before our Hanako-kun? What if either Amane or Tsukasa made a wish to that Hanako-san, and as a result one of them became the kannagi or human sacrifice?  

7. Why is No. 1 so important? 

Kako is just sus af. Out of all the supernaturals, No. 1 always seemed the most powerful to me, which makes me wonder why Hanako is the leader of the Seven Mysteries. I mean when he called a meeting, only Tsuchigomori and Yako came, but when Kako presided over the meeting, all the supernaturals were there, except No.6. It was like Kako was the judge while Hanako was the defendant. 

Time is an amazing power, even if it’s only in the school. Theoretically, if only within the school, doesn’t Kako have the power to reverse time going back to when Amane’s time when he was still a student there? Or does Kako have the power to transport people to the past while in the school?

Similarly, is stopping time for fifteen minutes the extent of Akane-kun’s powers as the Clock Keeper of the present, or is there something more to it? Why is it necessary for a living human to be the Clock Keeper of the present anyway? Akane-kun once said he was forced to clean the clock where they kept Mirai imprisoned so Akane must know the location of No. 1′s boundary and yorishiro.

Teru said it was important for them to get to the Clock Keepers. Would something happen if all of the Clock Keepers combined their powers (like some super sentai)?

And let us not forget, Shijima’s hint about Nene’s lifespan lies with No. 1, specifically with Akane. (Speaking of Shijima, what on earth was the price Tsukasa exacted for her wish?)

Who knows? Perhaps the key to solving Nene’s lifespan problem without sacrificing Aoi lies with No.1 and No. 6 as the mysteries who have dominion over time, life and death. 

Seven questions for seven mysteries. 

[somegirlsnerdywords2]

Anime i’ve Watched

That begin with a O (Part 2)!

Yep this is how i’m going to bring over all the anime and manga i’ve watched and posted about on the old blog. It’s not so detailed but it will have to do. Anything new I watch or read from this point on will have their own posts.

Orenchi no Furo Jijou:

Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Josei, TV short

Synopsis:  On his way home from school, Tatsumi sees a man collapsed near a lake. When he approaches him, Tatsumi notices something strange: the person in need of help is actually a beautiful merman named Wakasa! Because Wakasa's home has become too polluted to live in, Tatsumi graciously offers his bathtub as a refuge. With a boisterous merman as his new roommate, Tatsumi's normal life won't be returning anytime soon, not to mention Wakasa's aquatic friends—Takasu, Mikuni, and Maki—often show up uninvited, making them all quite a handful for the high school student. As he humors their curiosity for human life, Tatsumi sometimes finds himself enjoying their childish antics, but he will have to keep his cool if he intends to keep up with his daily life and newfound friendship. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 8.5/10

Finished airing in 2014 with a total of 13, 4 minute long episodes. 

My Thoughts: A soothing tv short with a fantasy twist and cute guys as far as the eye can see! 

Oshiete! Galko-chan:

Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, School, TV Short

Synopsis:  At first glance, Galko, Otako, and Ojou are three high school girls who seem like they wouldn’t have anything to do with each other. Galko is a social butterfly with a reputation for being a party animal, even though she is actually innocent and good-hearted despite her appearance. Otako is a plain-looking girl with a sarcastic personality and a rabid love of manga. And Ojou is a wealthy young lady with excellent social graces, though she can be a bit absent-minded at times. Despite their differences, the three are best friends, and together they love to talk about various myths and ask candid questions about the female body. Oshiete! Galko-chan is a lighthearted and humorous look at three very different girls and their frank conversations about themselves and everyday life. No topic is too safe or too sensitive for them to joke about—even though every so often, Galko seems to get a bit embarrassed by their discussions! [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 7/10

Finished airing in 2016 with a total of 12, 7 minute long episodes. 

My Thoughts: Cute art/ animation style. An alright short but nothing amazing. 

Otome Youkai Zakuro:

Genres: Demons, Historical, Military, Romance, Seinen, Supernatural

Synopsis:  Second Lieutenant Kei Agemaki, the son of a famous general, has hidden his extreme fear of paranormal beings all his life. However, when he and two others are reassigned to live and work with youkai in the Ministry of Spirit Affairs, he is brought face-to-face with his worst nightmare. Now with the help of the fox spirit Kushimatsu, he and his fellow officers must learn to work alongside youkai maidens—Zakuro, Susukihotaru, Hoozuki, and Bonbori—to solve paranormal cases. Set in the midst of an alternate version of Japanese Westernization, Otome Youkai Zakuro explores the clashes and unions that can occur when east meets west, local meets foreign, and women meet men. The unusual alliance of the youkai maidens and human officers must learn to work together in a world that is changing around them. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 8/10

Finished airing in 2010 with a total of 13 episodes. 

My Thoughts: An interesting (if not a bit cliche) but incomplete anime. Has a manga.... which is also incomplete and updated very, very slowly. 

Ouran Koukou Host Club (Ouran High School Host Club):

Genres: Comedy, Reverse Harem, Romance, School, Shoujo

Synopsis:  Haruhi Fujioka is a bright scholarship candidate with no rank or title to speak of—a rare species at Ouran Academy, an elite school for students of high pedigree. When she opens the door to Music Room #3 hoping to find a quiet place to study, Haruhi unexpectedly stumbles upon the Host Club. Led by the princely Tamaki Suou, the club—whose other members include the "Shadow King" Kyouya Ootori; the mischievous Hitachiin twins, Kaoru and Hikaru; the childlike Mitsukuni Haninozuka, also known as "Honey"; and his strong protector Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka—is where handsome boys with too much time on their hands entertain the girls in the academy. In a frantic attempt to remove herself from the hosts, Haruhi ends up breaking a vase worth eight million yen and is forced into becoming the eccentric group's general errand boy to repay her enormous debt. However, thanks to her convincingly masculine appearance, her naturally genial disposition toward girls, and fascinating commoner status, she is soon promoted to full-time male host. And before long, Haruhi is plunged into a glitzy whirlwind of elaborate cosplays, rich food, and exciting shenanigans that only the immensely wealthy Host Club can pull off. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 9/10

Finished airing in 2006 with a total of 26 episodes. 

My Thoughts: Raise your hand if you believe this series deserves a remake!? I would lose it if they remade this series but the original isn’t all that bad either! Worth a watch if you’re a shoujo lover! 

Outbreak Company:

Genres: Harem, Comedy, Parody, Fantasy

Synopsis: Shinichi Kanou is a shut-in otaku with a vast knowledge of anime, manga, and video games. One day, after applying for a job in hopes of escaping his secluded lifestyle, he is kidnapped and transported to the Eldant Empire—a fantasy world filled with elves, dragons, and dwarves. Trapped in this strange land, Shinichi is given an unlikely task by the Japanese government: to spread otaku culture across the realm by becoming an "Otaku Missionary." To accomplish his mission, Shinichi has the full support of the Japanese government, as well as the half-elf maid Myucel and Princess Petralka of the Eldant Empire. Together with this ragtag bunch, he will overcome the obstacles of politics, social classes, and ethnic discrimination to promote the ways of the otaku in this holy land. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 7/10

Finished airing in 2013 with a total of 12 episodes. 

My Thoughts: Not memorable at all. Character design looks nice, very shiny... 

Owari no Seraph:

Genres: Action, Military, Supernatural, Drama, Vampire, Shounen

Synopsis:  With the appearance of a mysterious virus that kills everyone above the age of 13, mankind becomes enslaved by previously hidden, power-hungry vampires who emerge in order to subjugate society with the promise of protecting the survivors, in exchange for donations of their blood. Among these survivors are Yuuichirou and Mikaela Hyakuya, two young boys who are taken captive from an orphanage, along with other children whom they consider family. Discontent with being treated like livestock under the vampires' cruel reign, Mikaela hatches a rebellious escape plan that is ultimately doomed to fail. The only survivor to come out on the other side is Yuuichirou, who is found by the Moon Demon Company, a military unit dedicated to exterminating the vampires in Japan. Many years later, now a member of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, Yuuichirou is determined to take revenge on the creatures that slaughtered his family, but at what cost? Owari no Seraph is a post-apocalyptic supernatural shounen anime that follows a young man's search for retribution, all the while battling for friendship and loyalty against seemingly impossible odds. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 4/10

Finished airing in 2015 with a total of 12 episodes. 

My Thoughts: Cliche, but not in a fun way. I rarely watch anime involving vampires though so that was a bit fun. 

Owari no Seraph: Nagoya Kessen-hen

Genres: Action, Military, Supernatural, Drama, Vampire, Shounen

Synopsis:  Yuuichirou Hyakuya is finally reunited with his childhood friend Mikaela Hyakuya, whom he had long presumed to be dead. Upon their reunion, however, he discovers that Mikaela has been turned into a vampire. Determined to help his friend, Yuuichirou vows to get stronger so that he can protect Mikaela as well as the comrades in the Moon Demon Company. Kureto Hiiragi receives information that a large group of vampires will be gathering in Nagoya, preparing for their assault on the Imperial Demon Army's main forces in Tokyo. Led by Guren Ichinose, Yuuichirou's team is one of many selected to intercept and eliminate the vampire nobles. With the Nagoya mission quickly approaching, the members of Shinoa squad continue to work towards fully mastering their weapons, while learning how to improve their teamwork. Yuuichirou must gain the power he needs to slay the nobles and save his best friend, before he succumbs to the demon of the Cursed Gear. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 3/10

Finished airing in 2015 with a total of 12 episodes. 

My Thoughts: It somehow got a sequel... still lacking. Plenty of pretty people though with little substance...

[shimmersing]

Best Intentions *COMPLETE* Masterpost | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Bonus! Soundtrack @ Spotify

“Until then, feast, celebrate, and hope we live to see a kinder age.”

The Organa throne room was packed with jubilant soldiers and subjects, all of whom gave a cheer as the Duke offered his grand benediction. Erithon and his crew shared a good-natured shout with the rest, and Aitahea’s smile was punctuated by her bright laughter. They’d returned from the assault triumphant and celebratory, Brant Sonn leading the troops in song as they had marched victorious through the Organa streets. Erithon had marveled when Aitahea had raised her own voice to join the soaring anthem. When she’d caught his astonished stare, Aitahea had laughed and leaned close to make herself heard over the other voices.

“Did you ever hear a lullaby called ‘Star by Star’?” Erithon had nodded, still confused. “It’s the same melody, simply with different words. Listen.” And he had, snippets of some long-lost tune floating in and out of recognition as her voice had spiraled around him.

Once the forces had arrived at the palace, the Duke himself had announced that they would carry on with plans for a grand ball that was scheduled that evening – not to mention the revelries rippling throughout the region as news of their victory spread. After the hearty dismissal, Aitahea accompanied Erithon from the throne room, leading them toward the central hub of the castle.

“It seems the Duke insists on our remaining in the castle as guests,” she explained. “Our belongings have been brought from our ships.”

He blinked, surprised and uncertain. “Uh. Okay. Used to packing in my own kit; how’s that work?”

The Jedi placed a soothing hand on his arm. “We’re guests of House Organa. It’s all very auspicious; they work with your protocol droid.” She hesitated a breath, in the pause slipping her hand back to her side. When he caught her eyes again, they were warm but reserved.  “Come, I’ll show you to your rooms. The guest wing isn’t far.”

“Thank you.” He offered her the lead and fell in easily at her side. “I’ll admit, a shower with real water is awfully tempting. What are the odds?”

“Quite in your favor. I think you’ll be more than pleased with the accommodations,” Aitahea agreed as they crossed the wide expanse of the central hall. Subjects and nobles alike bustled through the vaulted space, making hasty preparations for the celebrations. No one seemed to take notice of the disheveled pair as Aitahea played impromptu hostess, answering Erithon’s faltering questions about protocol among the nobility as they navigated the grand hallways.

“Fortunately, it’s easier than several thousand years ago. At one time, there was a complex system of obeisance based on the height, metal, and number of gemstones on a noble’s coronet.” Aitahea lowered her voice conspiratorially. “It only ended after an entire household suffered severe neck injuries.”

Erithon couldn’t help but arch a brow. “You’re making that up.”

“I would never!” She wed a flutter of lashes with a too-innocent smile. “You can ask the Duke himself.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll ask him about that the next time I invite him on a wild glooth hunt. You can come, too,” he taunted.

Aitahea’s eyes sparkled. “I’d be delighted.” She slowed to a stop near a set of elaborate doors. “This is the Apalis Wing. There’s a private bedroom suite for you and each of your squad members; your belongings should be just inside. The keypad will prompt you to create a new code for the lock upon entry. If you need anything else, you can use the comm unit to contact the castle steward.”

Erithon pushed open the doors and whistled low. “Can’t imagine needing much of anything else here.” The room was filled with elaborate furnishings and sumptuous fabrics, hinting at other luxuries through the open doors of the private suites. He wandered inside, looking back at the Jedi when she lingered at the threshold. “What if I need… you?” He held his breath after the last word, unexpectedly shocked that he’d had the audacity to say those words in that order.

Her gaze flickered away for a moment, aglow with reserved pleasure; when she returned her eyes to his, both her smile and blush remained sweetly steady.

“I’ll be right across the hall.”

“Great.” Erithon started to breathe again, exhaling a chagrined chuckle. The sudden rush of his own pulse in his ears was impossibly loud. “Uh, thank you.”

She took a step back, holding his gaze as she began to turn away. “See you this evening.”

When Elara and Jorgan arrived a few moments later, he was still standing in the doorway, ruefully staring across the empty hallway. Erithon’s squad mates exchanged a look just as Erithon roused at their approach.

“Oh. Hey.” Erithon shuffled from one foot to the other. “Uh, how long have you been there?” Jorgan folded his arms, and Elara smiled broadly.

“Long enough, sir.”

By the time the door clicked shut behind her, Aitahea was already halfway across the common room to her private suite, hands stuffed into her thranta’s nest of sweat-stiffened hair in search of the pins that held it securely in place. Quickly abandoning that effort, she instead grimaced at the grit under her fingernails while she dictated a brief message to her private comm. Then she turned, looking for the refresher door, and caught sight of herself in a tall mirror. She nearly recoiled at the unfamiliar reflection: sallow skin smudged with soot, ragged hair that no thranta would deign to call a nest, thank you very much, and -

Aitahea took a breath, wrinkled her nose, and dissolved into laughter.

There is no emotion indeed!

Sinking down onto a gilded chaise, Aitahea wriggled out of her cloak and draped it over the back. After another bout of giggles passed, she again began trying to release her hair from its bonds, this time teasing out the tangles with gentle fingers.

A more measured glance around showed that her meager personal belongings had been supplemented with the palace’s own necessities, all organized meticulously in her rooms. Over the holo earlier, Tharan had exclaimed about the opportunity to rub elbows with some of the nobility who, according to him, were more than eager to ‘part with some of their fortunes for a connection on the cutting edge of science.’ He - and presumably Holiday, in one format or another - had settled into their suite, but the third set of rooms remained empty of their last companion: Qyzen.

The Trandoshan had declined the Duke’s invitation to both the palace and celebration, despite having the Duke’s personal thanks for his role in the hostage crisis and the battle that had followed. He’d hunched down at Aitahea’s shoulder as the column of soldiers had begun to file into the castle. Voices had dropped to muttered whispers as they’d passed by the warrior and Jedi. “Apologize if others stare.”

Aitahea had whirled, a sudden protectiveness sharpening her expression. “Never apologize for others’ conduct, my friend.”

Qyzen Fess had remained silent for a long moment. “With Herald’s leave, will find more private camp on Organa lands.”

“With delight, Qyzen,” Aitahea had answered. “Raise me on the comm any time.”

He’d given a nod, then a shrewd glance with his good eye. “Remember promise.”

Aitahea had smiled sheepishly. “I will. Good hunting.”

Now, she could sense her friend moving steadily away from the Organa compound, into the deepest stands of the surrounding forests.

Markedly nearer, Erithon’s bright presence beckoned, unaware, and she swallowed hard against an unfamiliar but not unwelcome tenderness. She put her hands to her still-flushed cheeks, warmth lingering in the wake of his hesitant question. “What if I need… you?” Why would he –

The urgent chiming of Aitahea’s private comm startled her from her reverie, and she absentmindedly answered the summons to see Yuon Par’s face resolve from the bright static.

“Oh! Yuon!” Even from systems away, her master’s warm expression at once soothed Aitahea’s frazzled nerves. “I was moments from contacting you. We’ve only just returned from the field.”

“We’ve received reports of developments on Alderaan and had suspected your involvement. What’s happened?”

“I was engaged in an… unexpected diplomatic incident.”

Yuon pursed her lips wryly. “…Padawan.”

Feeling like an initiate, Aitahea attempted to conceal a self-conscious squirm by pulling her half-unraveled hair over one shoulder. “It’s the lieutenant.”

Yuon’s face bloomed into a delighted smile. “That’s marvelous!”

Aitahea couldn’t help but agree, feeling her face color – yet oddly grateful it wouldn’t show up in the holo. “I miscalculated when assisting the Duke, and he happened to be part of my rescue.”

“This doesn’t sound like anything that’s been in our intelligence.”

Aitahea related their efforts on Alderaan so far: the Wolf Baron’s hostage-taking, Aitahea’s attempt at diplomacy, her subsequent rescue, and their success in the battle for the highlands.

“I see. This same man, met as a child, again on Taris, now here on your own childhood home.” Yuon smartly ticked off items on her fingers. “And now after he rescues you from peril, you in turn tend to his grave injury on the field.”

“Well, when you describe it like-”

Yuon’s peal of laughter interrupted Aitahea’s mumbled protests. “You must admit, it does sound a little like a holodrama. Has the military’s public relations recruited him for a poster yet?”

Aitahea coughed sharply, recalling her indulgent vision of him the day before, helmet doffed not unlike the covers of a number of romance holos she’d seen. Sometimes Yuon was unsettlingly astute – even for a Jedi.

“You didn’t hesitate like this with previous lovers,” Yuon continued, both a little too suddenly and far too matter-of-factly for Aitahea’s taste. The consular gaped at Yuon’s visage, hands pressed to her blazing cheeks.

“Master!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, youngling.” Yuon looked uncharacteristically wistful for a moment, then shook her head and continued. “We may be Jedi, but we’re still feeling beings. The Jedi way isn’t the eradication of emotion, but the control of it.”

“That’s precisely my concern. Even with our best intentions… My-” she broke off, shaking her head, and tried again. “If I were to pursue… this, I would want to be able to devote- no, I mean, plan… I can’t help but be afraid-” She wrinkled her brows in frustration and waved a hand as if to clear the air of her uncertain words. “This is the wrong time.”

Yuon’s expression softened. “You’ll find that there is rarely a ‘right’ time, my student.”

Aitahea drew her arms tight around herself. “I fear that as well.”

“Fear will draw you closer to the dark side than love ever could.” Eloquent as they were, Yuon’s words were more troubling than comforting.

“Passion, yet serenity?” Aitahea wondered aloud, her frown softening into something more introspective.

“That sounds more like my Padawan.” Yuon nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Take your time. Restore yourself. Alderaan was your home before you came to Tython. Are you comfortable there?”

Aitahea paused to consider. “The warm welcome was a little abbreviated, but we won a generous lead in the conflict here for House Organa and the Republic, nonetheless. I couldn’t be more pleased with our progress.”

“I’m not asking about your mission, Aitahea; I’m asking about you,” Yuon pressed. “We can feel your protection, and we sense the burden you bear. I worry for you. We all do.”

“I hope to get a little rest before the gala this evening.” While she explained the Duke’s planned celebration, Aitahea’s gaze lingered on the unfamiliar gown that had ostensibly been delivered along with the rest of her things, hung on a changing screen, nearly aglow in the low light. According to the note attached, it was ‘a gift in recognition of service to House Organa, compliments of the Duke and his family.’ It was unquestionably the height of Alderaanian fashion, the simplicity of its lines embellished by an array of wings picked out in strands of tiny gems. The generous cut of the skirt and sleeves mimicked her usual robed silhouette, but the bared shoulders and lustrous gems were considerably different from her typical somber attire.

It delighted her enormously, yet left her worrying about how it might appear, a Jedi accepting gifts of such luxury. She’d admired the ladies of nobility as a child, coiffed and dressed in gowns just like this, but so far, she’d attended less than a handful of anything resembling a formal function. She’d rarely had the opportunity to wear anything other than the functional robes of her order, and certainly never something so breathtaking.

And, she thought with smug sensibility, someone you’d like very much to see you wearing it.

“Consider it a diplomatic event! Celebrating another successful joint mission between the Jedi and Republic. It’s good for morale.” Yuon gave Aitahea a pert smile, once again unreasonably astute. “I’ll be looking for photos of you on the holonet tomorrow.”

Aitahea smothered a choked giggle behind her hands. “Master.”

Yuon gave Aitahea a blithe wave, laughing her farewell. “Have a lovely time, my Padawan! May the Force be with you.”

Aitahea smiled fondly and picked up the comm to disconnect the call. A blinking light reminded her that Erithon’s holo remained unviewed, and she intended for a moment to finally watch it. Her gaze slid from the communicator to the glittering dress before drifting over to the refresher door, halfway open and boasting of long-lost comforts. Aitahea dropped the device gently on the bed, humming the refrain of a lullaby.

Best Intentions *COMPLETE* Masterpost | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Bonus! Soundtrack @ Spotify

[forgadgetsandgizmos]

What Comes Next

My final piece for Alex Manes Week 2020, written for day 6 | Prompt: The Lost Decade. Also, italics may not show up on mobile. They aren’t for me, not sure why. If that happens, you may want to read on AO3. 

Read it on AO3

May, 2009

Alex Manes had lost his virginity to a man.

The to a man part of that statement was important to him. The most important part, if he’s being honest, because six months after basic and it still surprised him. Growing up under Jesse, in Roswell of all places, he had expected to have to bite the bullet with a girl he (hopefully) didn’t hate, therefore crushing of the last thing of he had to fantasize about that his dad couldn’t poison. That, or stay a virgin forever.

Neither were very appealing options.

And it turned out that the poison of his father was far more infectious and lethal than he had imagined.

So yeah, the fact that he had managed to lose his virginity to a man without the world ending was what allowed him to find a bar two days before his first deployment, buy a man a beer, and follow him to his apartment where said man currently laid sprawled out under him, one hand on his chest and another gripping tightly to the headboard.

“Fuck, Alex.” His back arched up as Alex added another lubed finger in his ass, spreading them and stretching him open.

The man – Bryce? No, Boyd, – had started to top, but Alex hadn’t let him get as far as ripping open the condom before flipping him on his back and taking it himself. There was only one person Alex had bottomed for and he wasn’t interested in repeating the experienced for a drunk nobody from a bar he drove an hour to get to. Based off the loud moans coming from the man underneath him, it hadn’t been a problem.

“Just, just fuck me, please,” Boyd begged, spreading his legs further.

Alex pulled his fingers out and pressed his mouth to a nipple instead, flicking it with his tongue. This was his only chance to get laid until after an 8-month deployment.

They were just getting started.

* * *

December, 2010

The beers had yet to stop coming, the cheering and base of the music growing louder with each glass bottom he reached. Alex had raced past drunk 2 hours ago, eager to chase away pangs of regret over the beautiful man at the club’s bar who had caught his eye as soon as he walked in. Half his unit was here, still wearing their t-shirts identifying them as Air Force. Beautiful men weren’t in the cards tonight.

Based off the number of hands clasping his shoulder and inching him towards a group of obviously tipsy, well-dressed women, everyone else hadn’t gotten the memo.

“Come on, Alex, you need to lighten up,” Montgomery yelled over the music from behind him. “I know just the thing.”

And then warmth filled him as soft lips met his and a chest pressed against his own. He wrapped his hands around the hips and was faintly aware of his name being hollered.

The next thing he knew, wind was hitting his face and fingers were fumbling for his belt buckle. Another hand pulled his hair hard and Alex leaned into the touch, eyes closed. The hand on his belt, job completed, pulled up his shirt and pressed a cool touch. Lips hit his own again, a pair of breasts the only thing touching when they did.

Breasts?

Alex flung his open and took in everything he had missed before. He was in an alley, presumably behind the bar. The tug on his hair almost numbed it, but he could feel nails digging into where fingers curled against his skull. Long hair tickled his back where it slipped under his shirt. This was one of the women from the group inside, the one in the tight dress and heels she now teetered on.

Alex pulled back and gently pushed her off.

The dazed woman looked back at him.

“You’re drunk. Go back inside,” he finally said, still flustered. The alley around him seemed to spin.

He ignored the annoyed curses in favor of kneeling over and giving into the churning feeling making its way up his throat. He doesn’t know how long he laid there with a hand pressed against the stained bar wall before the city sounds where joined by faint music from inside.

Rough hands gently lifted him up, tilted his head back, placed something hard against his lips.

“Come on, Alex. Can you drink this for me?”

Cool water rushed down his throat. He grabbed the bottle, chugging the rest in an effort to wash away the taste of beer and cherry Chapstick. It ran down the sides of his chin onto his shirt. He dropped the empty bottle and pressed both hands against the cool concrete, intending to push himself up against the wall.

“Careful,” the voice warned.

Not fast enough. The word had barely registered before what colors he could see in the dark haze swirled together and the building pressure in his head finally popped.

-

Here, open up.

Light burned his eyes. He squeezed them tighter. The light was gone. It helped, a bit. Something small and round was pressed into his mouth, followed by a straw he slowly sipped from. It tasted strangely metallic.

Voices he couldn’t distinguish echoed.

A blanket was laid over him. He pulled it over his head and the hushed voices faded completely.

-

The pounding in his head woke him. At least it was dark this time. He curled in on himself and willed it away.

-

Alex opened his eyes to morning light just barely peeking out from behind his blackout curtains. He was in his bed, tucked under a pile of blankets. A note folded in half was placed on the nightstand.

>>Take these, dumbass

Advil lay beside a glass of water. A trash can was underneath.

Alex moved to sit up and a body in the bed shifted next to him. Jaimie and Nibble’s sleeping forms snored lightly beside him. Across the room, Montgomery slept in a chair, curled up with a blanket Alex recognized from his living room.

They had stayed. Alex did as he was told and laid back down, a ghost of a smile on his face.

* * *

January, 2012

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed officially back in September of 2011. He got the news from a friend of a friend while he was deployed in West Africa.

Alex didn’t sleep that night, and it wasn’t because of the heat.

* * *

June, 2013

The couple across from him was laughing. Clay’s old service buddy had told a bland military joke that had sent Clay and the other couple, old friends he’d met before, into a fit of laughter. Clay apparently saw his confused expression over the reaction it had caused and explained: it had been an inside joke from before their unit had split up and the buddy (whose name was currently unknown due to Alex forgetting to listen when the man introduced himself) had retired with an honorable discharge.

To his annoyance, group of 7 isn’t enough to hide in and the wine in front of him couldn’t make up for that or the bland chicken casserole in front of him. Alex consoled himself by remembering that in hour, maybe less, he could excuse himself from the family-and-friends dinner from hell without offending anyone or getting an angry phone call from Dad later about how he had, yet again, disappointed and embarrassed him.

“Don’t like that kind of humor,” a gentle voiced asked. Miranda, Clay’s wife, sat to his right. Clay had taken the seat at the head of the table, leaving Miranda sitting between them.

“You hear it a lot,” he answered. And you did, especially as the youngest of four in a military family where everyone joined a different branch.

“I’ve been a military wife for a decade,” she said with a laugh. “Trust me, I know. But that’s not what I asked.”

Alex tipped his head. “Very astute. And to answer your question, it’s not exactly my niche.”

She hummed. “No date, tonight?”

“I’ve been pretty busy with my station at base. Haven’t had a lot of time for meeting people.”

“Well, we missed you at Christmas.”

It was Alex’s turn to humm. He appreciated the sentiment, but considering he’d had one of the best Christmas’ in years celebrating at Patrick’s place with eggnog, rum balls, and a family that, despite not being his own, had welcomed him with his own stocking hung among the others? He somehow doubted that.

“Okay,” Miranda rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “I missed you at Christmas. You left me alone with a bunch of vulgar boys!”

“I don’t count as a vulgar boy?”

Miranda shot him a sly smile and leaned in until she could speak directly into his ear. “I think we both know you’re the exception to the Manes family, in the best ways possible.” She met his eyes and glanced pointedly down to her stomach and glass of water. “I hope they take after you.”

The wife of Clay’s buddy, who’d brought the bad tasting casserole, caught Miranda’s attention to ask about a fundraiser she was planning.

I hope he takes after you.

Huh. Clay, a father. He felt a twang of regret over the state of his strained relationship with Clay at the idea of missing out on knowing his little niece or nephew.

“It’s for a good cause,” the woman was insisting. “Fundraising is important in times like these. It’ll do good to see a handsome Airman like you supporting them.”

Alex regretting tuning the woman out earlier. Aside from her asking him to involved in a fundraiser, he had tuned out what exactly he was being asked to do, and for what. It must be something military, he supposes. He hadn’t heard them talk about other causes.

“It’ll be good to see you again, Alex.” Miranda nudged his shoulder. “I miss having a brother-in-law around. And you’ll still be placed at Griffiss in December, so it’ll only be a short train ride down.”

“You’re welcome to stay here,” Clay added, almost an afterthought.

Alex took another bite of his chicken casserole, thought about a baby growing up in Clay’s household, with his father and Flint for regular visitors, and agreed.

-

An hour later, Alex excused himself with fumbled explanations and Clay clasped him on the shoulder. “I appreciate you helping out, baby bro." He leaned in closer to whisper “I know this isn’t your usual style.”

“The department really appreciates your donation,” Clay’s buddy (whose name Alex still hadn’t found out) exclaimed with an obvious wink.

The department?

Oh. Not his style.

This was a Christmas police fundraiser. Fan-fucking-tastic.

He would never admit to it, but for the first time in his life, he sent up a (unanswered) prayer to get deployed.

* * *

December, 2013

“Wear your dress blues,” they said.

“Make sure you’ve got a nice change of clothes,” they said.

“You’ll have to plan on staying for a day or two after the fundraiser,” they said.

At no point did they bother to say by the way, you’re going to be on a stage being auctioned off to woman and wives of the force for a date.

Alex got to find that out from the announcer on said stage.

It wasn’t nightmare-worthy embarrassing, but only because an older woman in her sixties named Barbara had bought him for $600 in auction. She said she had a grandchild who’d appreciate “a man like himself.” What that meant, Alex didn’t know.

He got to see Miranda, 7 months pregnant, waddling around in her dress. She beamed at him and pressed his hand to her stomach. She didn’t tell anyone that his eyes teared up when he felt the tiny kicks.

-

Barbara insisted Alex accompany her and her grandson, Will, to mini golf. It was innocent enough until the end, when Alex climbed into Will’s car alone after She ditched them for a friend who she ‘coincidentally’ ran into right as the three finished their game.

It seems that ‘a man like himself’ turned out to mean gay.

Will took Alex back to his apartment where Barbara had insisted Alex drove meet them and then leave Clay’s borrowed car.

He had barely shut the door behind him when Will had him pressed against the wall, inches from his face.

“Is this okay,” he whispered.

Alex leaned forward and kissed him.

They didn’t waste any time before making their way over to the bed in Will’s small room. Sitting against the bed while Will stood between his legs, Alex ripped off Will’s shirt and unfastened his belt while Will undid his own.

Alex grabbed Will’s hand seconds before he could pull down his briefs. “I’m a top,” he stated. “Is that okay for you?”

“Lube and condoms are in the top drawer,” Will grinned.

Alex didn’t tease him. After Will was prepped, he turned him around and lined up his cock with Will’s ass. He traced a finger lightly down his spine, feeling Will’s body tremble at the soft touch, and pushed in.

Unlike Alex, Will wasn’t quiet. He came with a shout onto the bed just before Alex, and both men laid on the bed panting.

They exchanged numbers before Alex left.

* * *

February, 2015

The news came that Miranda had filed for divorce.

In October, a judge grants her majority custody of Eugene ‘Tripp’ Manes IV. Clay would have visitation every other weekend.

-

Alex visited for Tripp’s one-year birthday. It was adorable; Miranda got him this miniature cake that he shoved in his mouth face first.

Clay is there. Miranda says they parted amicably enough, and she wants Tripp to have a father, even if she can’t have a husband.

It’s the best trip there he’s ever had.

-

Alex visited Will before he left and ended up staying an extra day. They don’t do much talking but agree to meet up when Alex comes down to babysit Tripp for a weekend that Miranda and Clay will both be out of town.

-

They do. It’s nice.

* * *

April, 2017

Alex got the notice that he’s being deployed via email at midnight two weeks before he’s due to report.

He almost didn’t, but he called Will. They spend the two weeks in bed.

* * *

September, 2017

He’s a codebreaker. He doesn’t go out in the field. It’s what he told Will when he left (It’s as safe as it can be, don’t worry. I’ll call if I can, okay?) He actually does, too.

“Don’t be typing too much, now,” he always says at the end of every call. “Don’t want those fingers cramping up.” He sounds suggestive when he says it and it reminds Alex what they are: fuck buddies that ended up friends-with-benefits. In that sense, he likes it.

On the other hand, him saying ‘other activities’ always makes him picture freezing up when he needs to pull the trigger, and the other guy pulling it first.

He has nightmares about that.

-

The combatants they’re up against got a new hacker. They must have, because someone had the sense to limit system access to a specific location ping tied to the server that he needs to access.

“What does that mean?” Patrick sounds nervous at Alex’s tone and it’s not fucking helping.

“It means that even if I spoof my location and claim I’m within the vicinity of the system, the server sweeps for a signal to be bounced back within the set perimeters. Since I won’t be there, the signal can’t get bounced back and the system triggers an alarm that shuts it down.”

The team stared at him, silent.

“And?” Patrick again, apprehensive this time.

Alex sighed. “It means I have to go there.”

-

No one is happy about it, but they have a plan.

Another unit fakes a mission gone wrong on the opposite side of base to draw attention. Montgomery takes out the guards left on side Alex needs access to with a sniper. Jaimie and Nibble drive Alex to the perimeter edge so he can step inside. Ten minutes, and his program gets everything they need. He, Nibble, and Montgomery on sniper can watch Jaimie’s back while he drives away.

Alex got all the way inside the perimeter before things go sideways. With three minutes on the clock, they’re spotted. And for three minutes, everything is fine. He’s dressed like them, they all are, so no one attacks him in his hiding spot in a personal tent. He made it within feet of the jeep when the world explodes. He woke up to screams and a piercing ringing filling his head. Smoke clouds his view of anything past him, but he doesn’t need to see to feel the heavy metal of the jeep railing crushing his leg.

The ringing doesn’t stop, he can’t hear, and if he can’t hear, he doesn’t know if it’s safe to call for help or move or do anything. Bullets flying light up the red-tinged smoke. The red doesn’t make sense at first, but he tried to lift his head, to understand, and the dripping on the ground is clear. His eye has blood over it, from a head wound it seems, and the stinging is so bad that despite his best efforts, they shut.

Private.

Can you open your eyes for me, private?.

He’s hallucinating. Why else would those curls be brushing against his head?

Captain Manes!

* * *

October, 2017

Alex let the darkness take him in Iraq and woke up in Germany.

He’s been in a medically induced coma for two weeks. There are three things that he knows.

Jaimie and Nibble are dead. Patrick’s eyes are rimmed red when he tells him.

He missed the funeral.

And it turned out that he’s missing a lot more than a funeral. It’s not there but he feels it, feels it fucking burning and it won’t stop and he’s screaming and screaming and screaming.

Patrick offered to call Will. Alex remembers trying to shake his head and shooting pain. Whatever happened, Will never called.

When Alex opened his eyes after that first time, Jesse was there. He couldn’t deal with – but he hadn’t seen him yet.

Alex closed his eyes again.

* * *

January, 2018

Physical therapy makes him want to pull out his hair, but he still doesn’t think it as bad as actual therapy.

His PTSD triggers aren’t so black and white as a lost limb, and he isn’t about to unload the drama of his abusive Air Force father onto an Air Force-mandated therapist. It’s a waste of time for the entire eight weeks mandated.

* * *

April, 2018

The news was early, which was unusual. The Air Force is anything but fast acting, and he submitted his request four days ago. Allowing for a week, the earliest he should be getting this letter is Friday.

It was Wednesday.

Alex ripped it open and read the words. And read them again. And again.

But no matter how many times he reads them, the words haven’t changed. Aren’t going to.

Per request, you are assigned to Roswell, New Mexico for the duration of your commitment.

He’s going home.

See it on AO3

[sustraiii]

TEAM ZRCN ARC 3 - CHAPTER 7

Well, the years Rossi’s start coming and they don't stop coming

CORDOVAN

Time passed by slowly at Cordovan’s house in the days that followed their attack in Mantle. Cordovan found it ironic that barely a week after returning to the Academy full-time he and his team once again found their schooling cut short. That had mostly been his mother’s doing, pulling some strings to ensure that until whatever - or, whoever - was targeting ZRCN, they were kept safe and out of school. A few of their professors had argued against such a thing, especially after the damaged robots went missing causing them to lose what little evidence they had against their adversaries. But Wren had persisted and this was how they found themselves.

Although glad they were taking precautions, as the days ticked by Cordovan found himself longing to return to school more and more. He had already spent six months stuck at home recovering from his injuries on Shizukana, and now forced into hiding his home was beginning to feel increasingly scrambled and stifling. Something which wasn’t helped by seven people currently taking residence there.

Still, despite the irritations he and his team might have felt at being cooped up, there were a few brighter moments. Rosie became a welcome source of light for the group, most notably Helia and Xanthos. Xanthos frequently told Cordovan she reminded him of his own sister, and truth be told, Cordovan did get a sense of brotherly affection coming from Xanthos when he watched their interactions.

It had been her presence around Helia he had worried about more; considering Helia was still clearly in mourning for Alcyone, he worried that Rosie’s lack of tact - in that way that young children often are - would distress the older huntress. However, despite her sometimes strained smiles, he got the impression Helia was actually quite grateful for the distraction that came from Rosie’s chattering.

Among the other lighter moments, the team had come to enjoy whilst stuck at home was Xanthos’s birthday. Compared to the previous year, where Xanthos had loudly woken his team in the early hours of the morning, the event was something of a sombre affair.

Xanthos didn’t say it, but Neela expressed her concerns he was feeling down about not being able to speak with his mother and sister, and so was keen to lift his spirits now the day had arrived.

Neela had taken charge of getting presents, which considering they were still supposed to keeping a low profile, only wound up being a few small trinkets, most notable of which was a little gold bracelet. Zelde and Cordovan had offered to make breakfast and dinner for him, as well as chipping in for his gifts. Rosie had also offered her help, despite not knowing him very well, and had tasked herself with making what turned out to be quite creepy looking decorations.

The day went by without a hitch, and by the time the night had rolled around, Xanthos had openly wept three times - expressing loudly how he was glad to have ZRCN as a second family. He went on to add additional thanks to Wren for her support and hospitality, to Helia for being a loyal friend and keeping them safe even after all this time, and to Rosie for bringing some much-needed laughter into everyone’s lives.

The majority of the household all retired to bed at around the same time, though Xanthos and Neela continued celebrating by themselves downstairs for much longer. Cordovan was still awake when the two of them finally came to bed, hearing his bedroom door creak open, before Xanthos flopped onto his makeshift bed on the floor below.

He hadn’t told his teammates of his fitful sleeping schedule, but it was something which had developed in the weeks after losing his leg. It varied by night, some were better than others, and others were worse. It had been getting better for a while, but it had started becoming more bothersome in recent weeks. His mother had prior knowledge of his nightmares, but he hadn’t wanted to worry her by telling her his nightmares had gotten worse again.

His dreams were nearly all the same, focusing on the night he had been crippled by Wisteria. Sometimes if the dream had been enough to jolt him from his sleep suddenly, he could swear he could feel the pain in the leg he no longer possessed. 

PHTOOM!

Although he had been awake, Cordovan couldn’t help but sit up in surprise at the sudden sound. Xanthos had a stronger reaction to noise, literally jumping out of his bed and mumbling incoherently for a few seconds in his confusion.

“W-what’s going on?” He finally managed to stammer out.

“I don’t know, I woke up when you did,” Cordovan explained. Before he could say anything else, he heard the sound again, followed by movement from inside the house which he assumed to be everyone else waking up due to the noise.

“I’ll go see what’s going on,” Xanthos decided.

He was already moving towards the door when Cordovan held out a hand to stop him. “Ravi, wait.” When he turned back to look at him, Cordovan made a gesture towards a corner of the room. “My leg.”

Xanthos gave him a silent nod before quietly retrieving his prosthetic leg. He had just about managed to get it on when a flushed looking Xanthos returned.

“Okay, so I have some good and bad news,” He began, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. “Good news is your house isn’t falling down. The bad news is we are being attacked though.”

“What!” Cordovan got out of his bed immediately. Ignoring his teammate for the moment, he gathered up Braveheart and Solaris Splendour from inside the room, forcibly shoving Xanthos’s weapon into his hands, before leading them both out the door. “Maybe lead with the bad news next time, Ravi.”

Stumbling into the hallway, they found Wren peering out of the upstairs window at the ground below, muttering something quietly under her breath. Helia, Neela, and Zelde were stood beside her looking equally concerned.

“Mom, what’s going on?” Cordovan asked.

“Three assailants. Possibly four as I think there’s one sticking to the shadows,” Wren informed them without turning around. “There’s a larger woman up front who keeps hitting the house with blasts from her gauntlets.”

“That big woman was there on Shizukana,” Helia said to no-one in particular, clenching her fist as she spoke. “We have to do something before we have another repeat of that night.”

“Don’t worry we won’t,” Wren assured her, giving her shoulder her an affectionate squeeze. “I need to call this in. Will you keep them safe for me?” “Of course, Wren.”

“And I’ll help too!” A voice boomed from behind them. Stood ready to go, wielding a gun that was far too big for her, and dressed in a pink cat nightie was Rosie.

“Rosie, honey, no. You are not fighting against those people,” Wren said, moving away from the window and coming to crouch close to her. “I need you to be safe, okay?”

“But I can fight!” Rosie pouted. “I killed a Creep before my sixth birthday!”

Wren gave her a small smile to humour her. “Then you can protect me while I call this in. That should be no problem for someone like you, right?” Rosie puffed out her chest proudly and gave a thumbs up to Wren. She then proceeded to give ZRCN and Helia a knowing glance. “Do what you need to do.”

Helia didn’t need to be told twice and was already heading downstairs to confront them before ZRCN could react. Cordovan and Xanthos were quick to follow her after being given the go-ahead by Zelde. Their remaining teammates would follow them once they had retrieved their own weapons. When they finally got downstairs, they found Helia grappling with a skinny person with a braid. They had barely stepped outside when they found themselves being rushed by a woman wearing rocket gauntlets, presumably the “big woman” from Shizukana that Helia had mentioned several times.

Xanthos gave Cordovan a sharp shove, knocking him out of the way just in time to avoid a punch from the woman, which Xanthos proceeded to parry by focusing his semblance to his arms to counter.

“Cute trick,” The woman smirked, as she jumped away momentarily. “Let’s see how you deal with this!” She proceeded to punch the air, directing a small blast at Xanthos. He rolled away from it in time but wound up right in the path of a tall man with closely cropped blonde hair. 

“She sets them up, I knock them down,” He grinned before lunging at Xanthos. He barely had any time to react before the man had grabbed him, turned him upside down, and the dropped to a sitting position on the floor. Xanthos’s aura broke almost immediately, and when released from the hold, Cordovan could see that his teammate had been badly winded, if not knocked out from the attack.

“Ravi, no!!” Neela’s voice echoed from behind, as she and Zelde joined the fight. Naturally, Neela went straight for the blonde-haired man, managing to get him to back off by creating several arcs of electricity by swinging her weapon. Cordovan noted that there seemed to be another person lingering in the shadows where the man had retreated to, recalling that his mother had mentioned seeing four people.

He was too far away to hear what was said, but he was close enough to see as a trembling girl came forward, clutching her scroll nervously in front of her. She looked back to the man hesitantly, before he yelled something at her. She pressed something on the scroll and stumbled back out of sight, only to be replaced by another one of those robots. Either this was a new robot, or it had received some upgrades prior to this battle; unlike its predecessors which had fallen to ZRCN, this one carried a gun.

Zelde was quick to note the difference than Cordovan was, and when the android raised its gun ready to fire, she quickly barked an order for him to grab Xanthos. Whilst Helia and the rest of his teammates ran to cover, Cordovan was able to use his shield to run towards his fallen teammate, expanding it into a dome-like structure once he was close enough as he could not immediately move Xanthos. When the robot ceased firing suddenly, Cordovan noticed both the muscular woman and the person with the braid coming towards him, but he could not risk moving and leaving Xanthos vulnerable.

Thankfully, Helia was quick to return to battle against the person wearing the braid, dashing after them with her katana drawn when they attempted to retreat. That still left the muscular woman who was pacing towards him. It took some effort, but he was carefully able to manoeuvre his rifle so he could get a shot. It wasn’t a perfect aim, but it was in the general direction of her, so he pulled the trigger and hoped for the best.

To his surprise, his bullet struck closer to the woman than expected, hitting the ground in front of her and causing her to jump back in surprise. Confusion lingered on her features before she realised what was going on, and a deep frown creased her brow. Straightening herself, she released several blasts at his shield.

It held strong for the first few hits, but by the fourth, it wavered and broke. Smoke from the last explosion clouded his vision for a moment, but when it began to fade he could see the woman charging him. He scrambled on the floor in an effort to move both himself and Xanthos out of the way, but she was moving too fast, and he was moving too slow.

She might have successfully run into them both had it not for her colliding with a large hammerhead which she sent her flying backwards. When she looked up, she would see Wren stood between her and Cordovan and Xanthos, gripping her weapon in both her hands.

“Stay away from them,” She warned, staring her down.

The muscular woman slowly rose to her feet and spat on the ground. “Or what?”

As if on cue, the sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance, growing louder as they came closer. The muscular woman frowned and looked around, as though debating whether to run or continue the fight. In the end, she chose the latter. She shouted towards her slimmer companion who was still in the throes of battle. Her companion gave Helia a sharp kick to get her to back off, and the pair of them retreated back to the man and the younger girl.

Again, Cordovan was unable to hear what they were saying, but he could tell by how urgently they were pushing and shoving each other, there must have been a few heated words said. The person with the braid was the first to retreat out of sight, climbing over a nearby wall with such fluid ease it had to be due to their semblance. The muscular woman was the next to disappear followed by the man, who hesitated once he realised their younger companion was not moving.

He gripped her tightly by the arm and tried to pull her back, but when she shouted at him, appearing to refuse to leave, he turned more violent. Still, the girl held her ground, and eventually, the man must have seen he was fighting a losing battle as he released his grip on his arm and finally turned to flee. but not before leaving the girl with a parting shot, slapping her so hard across the face that she dropped to her knees.

When the girl’s companions had left, Zelde and Cordovan approached her. Zelde cautiously pointed her gun at her. “Let’s not make this difficult,” Zelde advised.

On the floor below the girl was clutching a reddening cheek, sniffling softly. She lifted her head and Cordovan was struck by her blood-red eyes, which were striking in contrast to her light green hair. Neither Cordovan nor Zelde saw her reach for her scroll.

“Don’t touch that!” Wren snapped from behind them, which made them look down and see what she was doing. Zelde went to kick it away from her hands, causing the girl to pull back in alarm, leaving the scroll where it was on the floor.

“You don’t understand,” The girl said with a trembling voice. She stopped speaking when the security Wren had called for finally arrived. Seeing the flashing lights and blaring sirens, the girl looked around with a wild, panicked look. “You can’t let them take me!” She pleaded, suddenly throwing herself at their feet.”I didn’t want to hurt you, I swear! They made me do it!”

“Who made you do this?” Cordovan asked. “Who ordered the attack on my home?”

“I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” The girl blurted. “Just please -- don’t let them take me.”

[orphea-ourobora]

Orphea Ourobora - Character Development Questionnaire

BASICS 

1. Height?

4’10

2. Physical appearancer?

Her eyes are so strangely pale that they’re hardly blue at all. Her hair is moon-white and falls beneath her shoulders in cascades. She usually wears part of it in a crown-braid to keep it out of her eyes. Her skin is also incredibly pale and her cheeks, nose, and the back and tops of her ears are more often than not red from sunburns. 

3. Do they need glasses?

Yes, she’s farsighted, but she doesn’t have glasses. 

4. Scars and birthmarks?

She has a circle of moles on her right hip. She has a few nicks and scratches on her knuckles and knees from everyday labor aboard a ship and from surviving in the Pallid Grove, but nothing extreme or very noticeable. She has dustings of greyish freckles all over her body centered on her cheeks, nose, shoulders, and chest. 

5. Tattoos and piercings?

The shell of both her ears have several piercings and she has one on each lobe. She has no tattoos yet. They seem too permanent. 

6. Right or left handed?

Ambidextrous. 

7. Any disabilities? Physical or mental.

None. 

8. Do they have any allergies?

None. 

9. Favourite colour?

All of them. She doesn’t like grey, black, or white as they remind her of her home. 

10. Typical outfits?

Orphea wears wide-leg trousers that from a distance may be mistaken for skirts, but allow her to run and move freely. She also always wears long, billowing sleeved shirts, laced vests or loosely tied corsets, and well-worn boots. When she remembers to, she puts on a wide-brimmed hat that used to belong to her captain. She generally keeps as much of her body covered as she can to avoid sunburns. Despite her efforts, the back of her ears, cheeks, and usually her shoulders get scorched. Everything she wears is a bright color. 

11. Do they wear any makeup?

She wears kohl around her eyes, but isn’t practiced enough with anything else to make makeup look particularly good. If she wears blush it only serves to make the rest of her face look sickly. 

12. What weapon do they use, if any?

Orphea carries a rapier and a dagger, but normally her words and lyre or lute are weapons enough. 

PERSONALITY 

13. Are they more optimistic or pessimistic?

Brightly optimistic except when it comes to the Pallid Grove. 

14. Are they introverted or extroverted?

Extroverted. 

15. What are their pet peeves?

People staring at her when she isn’t performing or trying too hard to know her. She hates it when people pry into her past instead of waiting for her to tell them. 

It’s more than a peeve, but she hates it when someone tries to take her choices from her. 

16. What bad habits do they have?

She’s rarely not singing or humming and it can aggravate those around her. She’s also prone to zoning out and daydreaming when not directly engaged.

Sometimes she’s more interested in people’s stories rather than them as people. 

17. Do they have any phobias?

She’s terrified of going blind or even color blind. She’s too in love with the vibrancy of Romera outside of her pallid, petrified valley she grew up in. 

18. How do they display affection?

She’ll constantly ask those she likes questions. Not important or deep questions, but inquiries into their favorite songs, where they’d like to go, what stories they like, etc. She doesn’t limit her physical affection and will touch shoulders, reach for unoccupied hands, and lean into those around her. For the ones she cares about the most, she’ll compose songs and poems for them, highlighting their good qualities and poking fun at their bad ones. Her books about the pirate crew are a good example of her more excessive affections. 

19. How competitive are they?

Extremely. If it’s a game, she wants to win it. If it’s a true struggle, she doesn’t want anyone she cares about to get hurt and will fight viciously. 

20. If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be?

She’d want to be a plain wood elf rather than a pallid elf. She just wished that she didn’t have her home haunting her. And not burning so easily in the sun would be a bonus, as well, given her propensity to be on a ship deck or on street corners so often. 

21. Do they have any obscure hobbies or routines?

Orphea is a paper hoarder. If she’s written something down, she has to save it. Her bags are laden down with dozens and dozens of journals, paper scraps, and the like. For now, one of her old crewmates keeps her excess notebooks in his home, but once she settles on a place of her own she’ll move them there. She’s fiercely protective of all of them. 

BACKSTORY 

22. What are the names and ages of their close family members? Parents, siblings, etc.

Adastra Ourobora - Mother - ~380 years old. Izzatt Ourobora - Father - ~380 years old. Pazumin Goltorath (née Ourobora) - Older Brother - 220 years old Uridia Ourobora - Older Sister - 205 years old Enrora Ourobora - Younger Sister - 172 years old

Luqa Ourobora (née Airiessus) - Grove Partner - 179 years old

23. Is their family alive and are they still in contact with them?

To Orphea’s knowledge they’re all alive in the Pallid Grove, but she hasn’t seen them since. Her older sister had been among the chosen elves to explore the world too, but Orphea always assumed that, being the dutiful daughter she was, she actually fulfilled her task and returned. She does hope Uridia made it home safely. Presumably her family believes Orphea is dead. It’s been nearly eighty years since she left them behind. 

24. Where are they from? City, nation?

They’re from a plighted area in Anari, a sunken, forgotten valley they call the Pallid Grove that is inhabited by mostly pale creatures, petrified trees, and grey grasses. There are a number of pallid elven settlements within the grove. If asked, Orphea will simply say she’s from a village in Anari. 

25. Did they have a childhood best friend?

Yes, another pallid elf named Hurrul. She thrived in the shadows and opposed leaving the Grove. 

26. Have they had any pets?

They had a half-feral white squirrel as a child, but after it irritated her parents it vanished mysteriously. She desperately wants a pseudodragon to befriend, however. 

27. Did they grow up rich or poor? What were their living conditions like?

Money wasn’t something she grew up with and the comparative monetary value of things still baffles her. She grew up in the more elite class of the Pallid Grove, but still fairly squalid. The status of her family as skilled individuals didn’t earn them special treatment, if anything it earned them more work and responsibility. There was very little to hunt in the area and even less to trade. Even water could become scarce. As a result, everything had value. 

28. What is their educational background?

No standardized education. She was taught everything her people’s sage’s and elders had to teach, but it wasn’t much beyond what could or could not be eaten, how to purify water, etc. 

29. As a child, what did they want to be when they grew up?

They wanted to be a bird so they could fly out of the valley and never come back. 

She also wanted to be a singer and a writer before she even grasped what those were. 

30. What advice would they give to their younger self?

“Find a way to escape earlier and look back less.”

31. Growing up, were they ever bullied or were they the bully?

It was survival of the fittest in their village, but they also knew that they survived by banding together and teaching everyone what everyone else knew. Because of her desire to escape, some of her fellows grew irritated with her, but it never grew to animosity. 

32. Who do they look up to/who is their role model?

The pirate captain, Captain Wrinch, who taught her the value of ambition and the allure of freedom. 

PRESENT 

33. Do they currently have a place of residence?

No. She used to live on the ship, The Parting Roar, with the rest of the crew, but with its destruction she’s been drifting from city to city. Eventually she’ll find a proper apartment to settle in. For now she bounces from inn to inn or stays with friends or happy acquaintances. 

34. What is their most treasured possession?

Her many, many journals that survived the sinking of her ship, her captain’s old wide-brimmed hat that she gave to Orphea when they parted ways, and her ornate lyre. Her lyre had once belonged to an illustrious wife of a noble, but one of her crewmates stole it for her for her birthday when they made port. 

She also has a necklace of black polished stones that her mother gave her for her coming of age ceremony when she turned 100. She wears it beneath her shirts.  

35. What is their drink of choice?

Almost anything. She prefers mixed drinks with a lot of flavors. 

36. Which king/queen are they loyal to, if any?

None. She doesn’t have a foot in the political race, but she despises the slavery and abuse used by both twins. 

37. Have they ever killed anyone?

She’s killed a few other pirates during territory and trade disputes, but not many. She threw up after the encounters and had to be consoled by the captain. 

38. What was their last promise and did they keep it?

She promised Captain Wrinch that they would write her better songs. She thinks she’s kept the promise, but she can’t be sure. 

LOVE 

39. What was their first kiss like, if they’ve had one?

They kissed their best friend as an experiment. It was rushed and was done for as a practical experiment to see if they liked it. They did, but Orphea now knows how terrible they had been at it. 

40. Are they in a relationship/have a love interest?

Soon after she turned 100, and became an adult within her community, Orphea was bound to another young pallid elf around her age. It was her people’s custom and done out of practicality rather than love. Luqa was a dutiful, diligent, patient, and obedient elf that Orphea had liked before he’d been bound to her. When he became Luqa Ourobora, and part of her family and her grove partner, she grew to resent how comfortable he was in the Grove. She wasn’t particularly kind to him, despite neither of them having a choice in the matter. 

Soon after the ceremony she, Luqa, and a few other strong, young elves were sent out of the valley through a narrow, steep cliff face to explore the world around them. She’s technically still married to him, but has no intention of ever returning to her partner or the Grove. In their community the elves are only meant to take one partner and, if he follows their laws, he’ll always remain alone. She doesn’t know if he even survived the trip out of the valley. 

41. Have they ever been in love?

No. 

42. Have they ever had their heart broken?

Not romantically, but the loss of her ship and her crew, the people she considered her family, has broken her heart. 

SPIRITUALITY 

43. Do they follow a god, if so who?

Celestian. 

44. What do they think happens to them after death?

She believes the dead become stars. In the Grove she pictured her ancestors struggling to push their light into the Grove to illuminate her way. 

45. What is their spirit animal?

A mink. 

[allisondraste]

Temperance (7/?)

Pairing: Nathaniel Howe/ Female, Non-HoF Cousland

Story Summary:  Nathaniel and Elissa were childhood friends, but time and distance tore them apart. In the aftermath of the Fifth Blight, and Ferelden’s Civil War, both Elissa and Nathaniel must attempt reconstruct their tattered lives. As a series of events lead them to be reunited, both are reminded of so many years ago when things were much simpler.

Chapter Summary:    Liss and Alistair make a routine trip to the market that is anything but routine.

First Chapter Previous Chapter [AO3 LINK]

Denerim, 9:31 Dragon

It had only been a month since Liss arrived at the capital, yet it felt more and more like home each passing day.  Perhaps it was simply that she had little time to think about how she wasn’t in Highever. After all, Ferelden was recovering from a Blight, and the beginnings of a civil war which still brewed beneath the surface.  Tensions were high in the Landsmeet, and higher still outside of it. The Queen was a stable and calming influence, but she could only do so much to quell bad blood among the nobility. Betrayal upon betrayal made it difficult to trust. She imagined how hard it would be to repair an alliance between the Couslands and Howes after what had happened.  

A smile crossed her lips as she fanned through a stack of death records on the desk before her.  She’d thought about it a lot actually, the dissonance between her past and present was an uncomfortable friction that threatened to drive her mad.  She couldn’t bring herself to believe that anyone in the family but Rendon would be capable of such atrocities, even if she knew it was very well a possibility.  Blood did run thick in Ferelden.

She scanned the top page of impossibly small script, searching for the names of those she knew.  Of course the nobility were listed, her parents names, Oriana, Oren. She thanked the Maker the scribe who’d written the documents took care to alphabetize them. As is the case with most wars, the list of casualties among the wealthy and powerful was small.  It was the common folk who suffered, soldiers, innocents. Turning the page, she continued down the list, stopping cold with a short gasp as her eyes locked on a name she’d hoped not to see, “Howe, Thomas” written neatly below his father’s. It appeared that the young man served in the King’s Army at Ostagar, and was presumed dead.  At least he’d died on the right side, Liss assured herself despite the ache in her chest. At least it wasn’t Nathaniel.

She did not have time to become too consumed with her thoughts, as there was a knock at her door, an impulsive  and erratic succession of taps that did not stop until she answered.

“You can come in Ali,” she said cheerfully, blotting at the corners of her eyes with her sleeves hoping to hide the tears.  The knocking stopped and the door jiggled in its frame.

“Um, no I can’t,” he shouted, voice muffled by the wood, “Unless, of course you’d like me to bash it down, but I don’t think Queen Anora would like that. Neither would my shoulder, for that matter.”

“Oh.” She shot up, and rushed to the door she hadn’t remembered locking.  Unfastening the locks she pulled it open gingerly. Alistair leaned casually against the wall near the door, turning his head to look at her. “Sorry about that.  Come in.” She motioned him in with her hand.

“You’ve been busy, I see,” he remarked, squinting to examine the papers on her desk, “Death records?”

“Just some… light reading”, she said with a laugh.

Alistair picked up the documents and thumbed through them, shaking his head.  He set them back down without saying a word, but his haunted expression and the crease in his brow spoke volumes. He’d been at Ostagar, too, she remembered, lost his comrades. She should not have been so inconsiderate as to only mourn for herself.

“So,” Liss said, breaking the heavy silence, “What’d you need? I’m sure you didn’t come here so that we could be sad sacks together. Or maybe you did! In that case, feel free to carry on.”

A smile stretched across his lips, a beautiful, crooked smile that one expected to see on roguish characters from all the tales — thieves, assassins, and bards, but never a former almost-Templar.  It was too mischievous, too blatantly unrefined. Then again, that’s what she liked most about her new friend. He was a real person, and he wasn’t shy about it. The fact that his smile was genuine was the most attractive thing about him.

“I, uh,” he said, chuckling as if her statement had caught him off guard, “No. Actually.  I came here to see if you wanted to come to the market with me. I’m going to take my weapon to the blacksmith.  There’s a nasty crack in the blade.”

“You want company to go to the blacksmith?”

“What can I say,” he laughed, “You have such an uplifting presence, my lady.”

“Uh-huh,” she replied skeptically, “And the real reason?”

“I don’t like the new blacksmith,” he answered sheepishly, kicking at the floor with the toe of his boot. “Don’t get me wrong, Wade was… eccentric, but I knew what to expect.  This new one… she’s…” He shuddered.

“You’re afraid of the new smith!” She grinned at him, which made him fidget even more. “You want me to rough her up for you?”

“Maker’s Breath, no. She’s twice your size and all muscle,” he explained.

“Sounds like my kind of woman,” Liss said with a wink. “Maybe she’ll rough me up a little.”

“This was a bad idea,” he sighed, bringing his hand to his face. “I’d just rather not be alone while she’s leering at me like I’m her next meal.”

Liss opened her mouth to speak, but Alistair interjected.  “If you say that you wouldn’t mind being her next meal, I’m going to throw myself into the forge when we get there.”

“That‘s dramatic.” She offered him her best scowl, despite the grin twitching at the corners of her mouth.

“It’s warranted,” he replied with a shrug, “Anyway, do you want to come, or not?”

“Yes, I think I could use a break.”  Liss stepped forward and looped her arm through his, causing Alistair to stiffen, muscles tightening at her touch. She pulled away, immediately embarrassed by her accidental disregard for boundaries. “I’m so sorry. That was thoughtless of me.”

“No need to apologize,” he assured her with a laugh that didn’t quite mask his discomfort, “I’m just jumpy, that’s all.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course,” he said with a nod, offering his arm to her again, “Shall we?”

Smiling, she accepted, and they walked side by side, arm in arm out of the castle and to the Market District.

The center square of the market, in its typical fashion, bustled with the activities of merchants and shoppers.  It was late-afternoon and vendors stood at kiosks announcing their wares to anyone who’d listen. Women with Orlesian accents attempted to pull Liss aside to sell her floral-scented perfumes and hair products.  When she declined, they spoke to each other in their native tongue, commenting on her appearance.

“Si vous étiez plus gentilles, peut-être auriez-vous plus de clients,” Liss remarked pointedly.  It caused a satisfying look of stunned horror from the women.

“I didn’t know you spoke Orlesian.”Alistair raised his eyebrows, obviously amused. “I only know a few words in Antivan, but I don’t think I should say them I polite company.  What was that about?”

“They called me fat and unrefined,” she answered nonchalantly, loud enough for the women to hear, “For people who claim to be so cultured, they certainly have poor manners.”

Alistair stalled and turned abruptly to face her, taking her shoulders in his hands. “That’s what they said to you?” His brow was furrowed deeply, a frown forming on his lips.

“‘Mhmm.”

“They’re wrong,” he said with a measure of decisiveness in his voice.  “You know that right?”

“Don’t worry. It takes a lot more than a couple of insults to get to me.” She smiled, and reached up to tousle his hair, causing him to scowl and pull away from her to smooth it back down.

“Hey, easy with the hair,” he grumbled,  “You’re lucky I like you.”

His scowl softened into a smile as their eyes met, lingering on one another for longer than typical, long enough that her heart fluttered and heat crawled to her cheeks.  Alistair must have felt the same, as he darted his eyes away quickly, straightened his posture, and cleared his throat. Liss looked toward the ground to hide her smile. His embarrassment was endearing, but she didn’t want to make him self-conscious about it.

“So,” she said, interrupting the silence, “Blacksmith?”

“Maker, yes,” Alistair answered, “I mean, not that this was... I mean. Damn, words.”

“Blacksmith,” Liss said again, a statement rather than a question.  She grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her.

Much had changed about the smithy since Master Wade and Herren departed.  The shop was tidy and organized, each of the materials having their own place, each weapon and piece of armor sorted.  It even smelled better, or perhaps she was just imagining that it smelled better.

As Alistair had mentioned, a woman stood at the forge, dark skin glistening with sweat in the firelight.  She was beautiful, with brown eyes and muscular arms. She was intimidating, sure, but not in the way she’d figured.  She had no harsh features, nor even an expression that elicited fear. She was simply quiet and good at what she did.

“Ah, Warden Alistair, back again” the smith said looking up at them. She had a bright smile and the unmistakable Antivan accent.“You are hard on your equipment. It is almost if you are damaging your things on purpose.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Alistair protested, crossing his arms, “Why would I do that?”

“To have a reason to see me, of course.” She flashed another grin and Alistair spluttered.  The smith laughed and turned her attention to Liss. “Your friend is easy to fluster, Lady Cousland.  I wonder, are all Ferledan people so finicky?”

“Just the men,” Liss answered playfully, gently elbowing Alistair before crossing her arms, “How did you know my name?”

“I know many things,” the smith answered as if it were as simple as that.  

“Right, well, I feel at an incredible disadvantage.  You know my name, but I know nothing about you, except that you are a blacksmith.”

“My name is Bria, my lady.” The woman seemed genuinely touched that Liss cared to ask her name.  “It is an honor to finally meet you.”

“Finally?”

“Alistair here has spoken a great deal about you.”

Liss felt the heat in her face again as she looked between Bria and Alistair helplessly.  Alistair, in an atypical manner for himself, did not seem bothered by the comment. Instead he smiled that crooked smile.  What did he know that she didn’t?

“It seems it is not just the men after all.” Bria chuckled and sat her hammer down moving to reach for something behind the counter.  When she straightened up, she held a broadsword in her hands. The handle was white gold with delicate laurel branch filigree. She extended it toward Liss.

“Is this,” Liss began, the words catching in her throat as tears bubbled in her eyes.  She took the sword in her hands, tracing the laurel branch patterns with her thumb before pulling it from its sheath to examine the blade.  It sparkled in the warm light of the smithy. The entire blade was new and in better shape than she remembered, but it was unmistakable nonetheless.

Liss returned the sword to its sheath and held it across her palms as if it were sacred.  It was sacred.  The sword was one her father had commissioned as a gift for her eighteenth birthday.  She assumed it to to be lost or destroyed after Rendon Howe’s forces seized the castle.  She told herself it was gone along with her family, yet there she stood holding her treasured sword in her hands once again. She struggled to form coherent thoughts, let alone words.

“This is mine.” She finally managed to force words past the lump in her throat. “Where? How?”

Alistair smiled in a way that made his eyes squint slightly.  “Howe, actually. The sword was among the Arl’s personal belongings left in his estate here in Denerim.  Queen Anora said she thought it belonged to your family, but it was in poor shape. I didn’t want to return a broken sword to you, so I brought it to Bria.  I hope you don’t mind.”

Unable to contain them further, tears dropped from Liss’ eyes and rolled down her cheeks as her grip tightened around the sword.

“You’re upset,” Alistair said apologetically, reaching out to touch her shoulder.  “I should have just-.”

“I’m not upset,” Liss interrupted abruptly, shaking her head and looking up to meet his gaze, then over toward Bria. “I’m just… speechless.  Thank you both.”

“It is a beautiful sword,” Bria replied, “It was my pleasure.”

Alistair just nodded.  

It turned out that his reason for the trip to the smithy was not entirely false.  He actually did have a crack in his sword, and Bria really did terrify him despite their friendly rapport.  She was kind enough, but there was something unsettling about her. It was as if she did not belong in a smithy.  She was too smart, too charismatic, and overall too well-adjusted. Then again, perhaps she was just Antivan. They always seemed to have their lives together even when they didn’t. Living in a country run by a guild of assassins would require that a person be adaptable, she figured.

It was a quiet return trip to the castle, all the words that could have been spoken between Alistair and herself felt too personal to speak in the open air of the Denerim streets. She wasn’t certain how to take his affectionate gestures.  He was very charming, enough to catch her attention, yet when she returned the sentiment he froze up. It was almost as if he didn’t realize he was flirting at all. What an interesting man he was, and she knew so very little about his life prior to his time since the Blight. He did not talk about the Hero of Ferelden or the war, none of it. Not ever.  

As they reached the gates, Alistair, true to his typical evening ritual stopped to speak with the guard at the door.

“Any messages for me today,” he asked as he always did.

“No,” said the guard, annoyed at the unnecessary question.

For the first time Liss saw his expression change at the news, from hopeful to despairing.  He tried to hide it behind his smile, but his eyes were sad. He quieted and looked as if he might cry at any moment.  It surprised her that she never noticed before. Then again, she’d never thought to pay attention before.

As they entered the gates and through the courtyard toward one of the doors that led to the guest rooms, Liss gathered the courage to prod at Alistair a little, to ask him to open up just a bit.

“Who are you waiting on a message from?” She turned her head slightly to glance at him from the corner of her eye. The lines in his forehead and brow deepened at the question, before he laughed and painted on a smile.

“Nobody, I’m just being responsible,” he answered.  It was amazing to watch him hide every ounce of grief she had seen in his face only moments before.  He was quite adept. “You know, you should check your messages more. You never know who might try to get in touch with you.”

“First of all,” she said, holding up her index finger in emphasis, “They deliver our messages directly to our rooms.  We don’t have to check.”

Alistair opened his mouth as if he intended to defend himself, but Liss held up another finger and continued to speak. “Second of all, I know what it’s like to wait for letters that don’t come, and if you would rather talk about it than hold it all in until you explode, I’m here for you.”

“You have enough to worry about without me whining over things that aren’t important.”

“Alistair,” she reached forward to lay a hand on his arm.  “Anything that causes you this much pain isn’t unimportant.  We’re friends. Let me be a friend.”

He inhaled a long shaky breath and stared off into the distance. “Alright… but I’m going to need a drink.  You probably will, too for that matter, to put up with the grown man crying on your shoulder.”

“I doubt that,” Liss smiled her reassurance. “But I have an entire bottle of rum under my bed.”

“Do even want to ask why you hoard alcohol under your bed? Are you a dragon?”

“It helps with the nightmares… well, it helps me go back to sleep after the nightmares.”

“Oh, right.” Alistair fidgeted uncomfortably.

Liss and Alistair walked to her room, where she crawled under her bed to retrieve the large glass bottle.  It was much harder to even squeeze an arm under there than it was as a child when she hid from Papa before bed every night. Taking hold of the bottle, she stood up, popped open the cork, and took a swig before passing it to Alistair who looked stunned by the whole affair.

“Don’t be shy,” she laughed and moved to sit at the table in the corner, motioning for him to sit across from her.  He took a drink and followed, flopping down in the chair, buckling from the weight of his own feelings.

“Where do I even start?” He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“The beginning, if you’re up for it.” She placed her hand on his forearm.  

He sighed, leaned forward and took another drink.  “Fine. Just remember that you asked.”

[shinneth]

Gem Ascension Tropes (General: U - Y)

Refer to the initial post for details on this. Here’s the full version on Google Docs.  

The Un-Reveal: Act III ends with a few spoken lines from Steven and Peridot’s fusion, Sphalerite. However, she isn’t given a description, with the implication that the final scene is happening from Sphalerite’s first-person view while her features are hidden by the cover of night. She also isn’t given a name … at least until My Time is Now, when Sphalerite makes her proper first appearance.

Undeathly Pallor: Pallified gems are completely bleached in appearance. The coloration is more a side-effect of White Diamond’s power, but pallified gems are currently little more than vegetables when their bodies aren’t directly being used by White. There’s currently no cure for them, either, so for the time being, pallified gems are considered “dead”.

Unspoken Plan Guarantee: In Chapter 6 of Act III, Chartreuse Diamond plans to teleport Pink Diamond 2.0 out of White Diamond’s hand and to the floor so he can heal the heavily-damaged Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl before they shatter. With White Diamond right in their faces, however, Chartreuse can’t spell out that plan to him conventionally. She just says a few vague phrases (mostly advice to “not linger” and “just a little should be enough to help”), then abruptly teleports her fellow Diamond hoping he’ll pick up on what he needs to do from there. Luckily, it works out. Pink 2.0 has just enough time to heal his friends before White Diamond recaptures him.

Vacation Episode: More of a Story Arc, given its 7 chapters, but basically it’s This is Who I Am in a nutshell.

Vague Age: Peridot’s age is deliberately left a mystery until the end of the first chapter of Act II. Even before the reveal of her age, pretty much every member of the team is convinced that unlike them, Peridot couldn’t possibly be anywhere over 1,000 years old, much less several times that. It turns out they’re absolutely right, as Peridot’s age in this continuity is 13. So, she’s younger than Steven.

Video Will: The premise of Act II is Peridot having made these prior to Chapter 4 of the previous act, making unique ones for each of her friends. There is one featured per chapter.

Villain with Good Publicity: The Diamond Authority as a whole, but by far the most emphasis is put on White Diamond. It’s at least presumed her publicity is very good, as it’s taboo on Homeworld to even talk about her, which makes any hearsay or gossip about her next to nonexistent. It probably helps that the general public is not only unaware of pallification, but especially wouldn’t know she’s the one who causes it.

Villain World: Homeworld.

The Virus: Pallification in a nutshell.

Was Too Hard on Him/Her: Late in Chapter 4 of Act I, Lapis and Bismuth worry they forced Peridot to mature too quickly after her Heroic BSoD. Lapis asks Bismuth about this again in Chapter 1 of Act II. By Chapter 7 of Act III, Steven turns an attempted lecture on his and Peridot’s immature behavior by Garnet and Moonstone around on both of them, accusing them of forcing too much responsibility on a traumatized Peridot when Garnet basically guilt-tripped her into co-leading the team a couple of chapters ago. Garnet and Moonstone not only own up to this and apologize, but realize they’ve been too hard and expected too much out of Steven as well, who had also been heavily traumatized throughout Act III.

We ARE Struggling Together: The Crystal Gems as a whole suffer this a bit in Chapter 6 of Act III, though this mostly stems from Peridot Taking a Level in Jerkass to cover up her insecurities.

We Help the Helpless: The primary job of the Crystal Gems after GA Act III. While various other duties are split among the members, everyone will have a hand in rehabilitating the refugee gems who were collectively brought to Earth from a now-nonexistent Homeworld. It’s the responsibility of the Crystal Gems to teach the refugees the laws of Earth so that they will one day be able to independently live their lives however they choose to.

Wham Episode: Some parts of the GA continuity certainly qualify.

Chapter 4 of Act I: An unpleasant reunion puts Peridot through Cold-Blooded Torture; she ends up so traumatized by the experience that slipping into her Heroic Safe Mode is the only way she can function, although Lapis and Bismuth soon see that said mode brings out the absolute worst in Peridot, as her former colleague alluded to before her execution. The chapter ends with Peridot completely succumbing to a Heroic BSoD, passing out and leaving her teammates to carry on their mission without her guidance until she can recover from the brutal injuries she sustained.

Chapter 8 of Act I: Despite Peridot’s declaration that no one will be left behind when they escape from Homeworld, all but one of the Crystal Gems actually escape to Earth successfully. The one who doesn’t make it? Peridot herself. And now she’s completely at White Diamond’s mercy with her fate not made certain.

Chapters 1 & 2 of Act III: Peridot’s past as a Manipulative Bastard is seen in full detail, followed with the revelation that she’s an Unwitting Test Subject made to evolve into a Diamond. Peridot puts up one hell of a fight to resist the inevitable, but an expertly-placed Hope Spot forces her into submission. She concedes to ascending, re-aligns herself with White Diamond, and refers to her new Diamond form as Chartreuse Diamond.

Chapters 7 & 8 of Act III: Despite being an Official Couple by now, it’s revealed that Steven and Peridot can’t fuse. This renders Peridot vulnerable enough to succumb to a forced fusion with White Diamond, creating the first double-diamond fusion in history. Celadon Diamond was mostly a joke as an effective villain, but when she snapped into Dead Serious mode, Greg barely evades a gruesome death while Pumpkin… wasn’t so lucky. It triggers a Heroic BSoD from Peridot so potent, it makes her previous fit from Act I look pathetically trivial. This time, Peridot is inadvertently shredding up an already-dying planet from her grief (as she does feel guilt due to her powers being responsible for what caused Pumpkin to die) and is utterly inconsolable. Her Angst Nuke destroys all establishments on the planet, making the Crystal Gems doomed to die with Homeworld. That is, until Steven charges in to fix this problem as best he can…

Chapter 9 of Act III: So, Peridot and Steven’s Diamond Alter Egos can fuse into the Diamond of Miracles, to everyone’s shock and surprise. White Diamond self-destructs shortly before Homeworld follows suit, meaning the war is basically over once the Crystal Gems return to Earth. No more Homeworld, no more Diamond Authority. However, they’re now responsible for the millions of Homeworld immigrant gems who have no idea what happened and are stuck on Earth. There are a lot of pieces to pick up, and the Crystal Gems will have their hands full trying to teach their fellow gems how to adapt to Earth, and how to live freely. Oh, now there’s a pallification cure to discover on top of one for corruption. There’s also the matter of contacting the colonies before they implode from civil disorder… yeah, welcome to Era 3.

Chapter 3 of This is Who I Am: Steven learns exactly how Peridot’s first meeting with Jasper went down… and how that experience shook Peridot up so badly, many of her absolute worst traits were expelled from her from being so humbled. It almost cost Peridot her whole identity. And now Peridot will have a much harder time facing Jasper once her friends find a cure for corruption. A hidden dynamic to her relationship with Lapis is also revealed, which is honestly a depressing experience for everyone. 

Window Love: Peridot gets Separated by the Wall from Steven and Garnet at the end of Act I. Steven and Peridot place their hands on their sides of the glass as a comforting gesture before Steven and Garnet are forced to abandon her.

You Were Trying Too Hard: The main reason Steven and Peridot failed to truly get through to 5XF on their own merit when they first introduced her to Earth life in This is Who I Am. They overloaded 5XF with exposition and went more than overboard trying to sell the refugee on the appeal of living a free life and finding out who she’s really meant to be. While the pair had nothing but good intentions, the way their efforts backfired in Chapter 4 are indicative that Steven and Peridot have a long road ahead of them if they’re to be public figures in Era 3.

[cat-at-dawn]

IN DEFENSE OF THE DEATH OF  ████████ , AND AN ARGUMENT AGAINST SUICIDE

This one’s for the manga readers! Post-volume 19 meta, spoilers aplenty! read at your own risk

Though the literal iteration of the death of Ash Lynx can be viewed as a purposeful shuffle from this mortal coil, a specific decision made with weight to return to the New york Public Library to live out his last moments dwelling on Eiji’s letter only to intentionally fade away, here stands a lonely argument; out of the entire cast, no one person deserves death in the same capacity more than Ash Lynx does, and his death is not a suicide. Let’s break it down.

Out of all of the MANY problematic elements of Banana Fish, not even trying to hazard which offense is worse than the next, we can all simultaneously agree that one of the most heartbreaking twists of the series comes at the end of volume 19, when after receiving Eiji’s goodbye letter, which essentially amounts to an incredibly pure love declaration, Ash allows himself to be mentally distracted long enough for Sing’s brother Lao to deliver a killing stab to his intestines. Though Lao dies shortly after Ash’s retaliation, Ash continues to linger in a liminal place. The question hangs in the mind of the reader, if Ash approached a happy ending, why would he not seek hospitalization? Why would he allow himself to bleed out? The manga strikes back hard at the reader with a quite prolonged death sequence, in which Ash retreats to his favorite place to be alone, the New York Public Library, where, with a smile on his face, he falls into a peaceful sleep and dies at a reading table while clutching Eiji’s now bloody love letter. What is the nature of his mindset which dictates this course of action? Why, with Eiji hale and hearty, would Ash choose death instead of medical treatment and a possibly much happier ending to this tale of woe? At this point, I can only wonder if we, the readership, have read the same story. The ending of Banana Fish is hotly debated, and even though as a queer storyteller myself I fundamentally have trouble with gay death as a narrative element, I can’t help but question why people can’t empathize more with Ash’s decision. When judging the manga as a standing piece, I can’t think of a more satisfying, or simply more correct turn of events.

Directly out of the gate, Ash’s death is foreshadowed in the title of the series. A Perfect Day For Banana Fish is a short story by J.D. Salinger which follows the last day in the life of mentally ill World War 2 veteran Seymour Glass, who befriends a little girl while on vacation at the beach. He invites her to catch bananafish with him, and explains that the greedy fish enter holes to gorge themselves on bananas, but become too large to escape again and instead perish in the hole. Later, Seymour returns to his room where his wife is sleeping, and he kills himself. Salinger relates this as a metaphor for his own personal experience in the war, specifically to his time at the Battle of the Bulge and in Nazi concentration camps. He is quoted saying Seymour is an iteration of himself, and has gone so far as to say that he “found it impossible to fit into a society that ignored the truth that he now knew.”  The point of the story has always been to examine the irreversible damage done to the human psyche by war. The Perfect Day referenced in the title is exactly that; the quest of a broken man lacking the power to overcome his trauma to find exactly the perfect day to die. So it also is with Ash, we understand from the very beginning that making this direct analogy to Salinger means the manga will be the slow disclosure of someone who is irrevocably damaged by their circumstance as they come to terms with the moment of their own death. From the very first panel you see him, Ash’s death is already fated, and truly the most heart-rending struggle of the series is watching him grapple with this identity, up to nearly the very last second. As a reader, we continuously keep hoping and praying that he might, against all odds, find salvation despite literally every piece of contrary evidence suggesting otherwise. We have violent affection for Ash as a hero, and we want him so badly to live on, to make it to the other side. He both finds salvation and doesn’t find it, because like everything else about this manga, Ash operates thematically on contradictory levels all the way through the story and on to the bitter end. Let’s break it down even further, by considering exactly just how fucked Ash really is.

Ash is born Aslan Jade Callenrese, and then quickly discarded. He briefly experiences a short period of normalcy with the love of his brother and distant father before Griffin is drafted. Almost immediately after, Ash is raped by the Bluebeard of Cape Cod and then blamed for it, and from then on, his life is a progression of non-stop horror. He is kidnapped by Marvin who repeatedly rapes him over a period of years. He is sold into sexual servitude at Club Cod. He somehow  manages to avoid getting addicted to the opioids that all the child prostitutes were fed to keep them tame, and when Ash escapes, it is only because he is instead personally taken under Papa Dino’s wing, who specifically sexually abuses him while simultaneously not knowing or caring that Marvin continues to rape Ash, among presumably a handful of other people. Blanca is a small, bright focal point for Ash at age 13 when Ash lets himself briefly believe he has autonomy, and he is released to start his own gang. Ash’s fundamental humanity and inherent leadership magnetically draw people to him, and for the first time in his life, Ash briefly entertains the idea of having a private romantic relationship of his own. He is attracted to a girl he likes very much, but she is murdered almost immediately due to her association with him. He afterward throws himself into the business of his gang without ever fully extracting himself from Papa Dino’s hold. It is only with the discovery of the capsule containing Banana Fish that Ash for the first time in his short life discovers a bit of real leverage he can actually use against Dino. The subsequent drug war sees him beaten, sent to jail, raped many more times, and sent on a cross-country mission on the lam from the law, as well as from Dino’s goons, both Corsican and Chinese. Yut-Lung proves to be a worthy adversary in LA, and his teaming up with Arthur sees Ash murdering his best friend Shorter in cold blood who is forcibly high on banana fish in order to save Eiji from an especially savage disembowelment. Ash is later declared legally dead, sent to a private insane asylum to be experimented on, tortured with the mangled bits of Shorter’s brain, and then after escaping yet again, still forced into a corner when Dino tricks and threatens him into becoming officially adopted, once more in order to prevent Eiji’s death. Ash is drugged, literally blinded, beaten, and emotionally and physically torn down. He nearly dies from intentionally wasting away, and is hospitalized. When he eventually once again manages to escape, it is only to regroup long enough to prepare to engage with his men in actual guerrilla warfare. The mercenary Foxx kills nearly all of Ash’s remaining gang, and once AGAIN, Ash is raped.  Ash is ultimately deprived of his revenge when he then has to witness Papa Dino’s death by the hand of someone other than himself. These are the major plot points, and don’t even touch on the myriad of lesser cruelties Ash has dealt with over the course of his short life, of which there are many, many more.  (See: The death of most of his friends, that fucklord Arthur, everything about Cape Cod, the pain of using his sexual wiles as a weapon, the pain of knowing if he opens up to others that the lives of his friends will be in danger, the pain of being unable to give his loved ones proper burials, his one hundred issues with classism, his complete inability to trust others with important tasks, the list goes on.)

Around volume 10, I started, in a serious way, feeling like Ash deserved death. Not in the way that a dog is put out of it’s misery when it is sick, but more in the way that when the path is this hard, the reward at the end should be equivalent to the struggle. Being a CSA survivor all on its own demands a certain level of understanding, especially when approaching volatile, sensitive subjects like suicide. The act of taking one’s own life is so deeply personal and hotly debated that there is no true narrative argument legitimate enough to address it’s purpose. All of it is too subjective. However, in the case of Ash Lynx as the thematic hero, the case stands that he never, except for perhaps the small corridor between the ages of 0-7, lived a life anywhere remotely near average, so his many brushes with near-suicide are chillingly understandable. At one point, when forced to either shoot himself in the head or watch Eiji die, Ash even goes so far as to grab the gun and immediately try to blow his brains out. When the gun is proven empty, instead of breathing a secret sigh of relief, Ash only demands that Yut Lung give him a bullet. 

Though this emphasizes Ash’s near fanatical devotion to protecting Eiji, whose innocence he both disdains and canonizes, it also represents his constant readiness to die. This flirtation with the reaper is emphasized over and over in the official art, where a sexual element is often present in his interactions with death. Ash wishes for death to embrace him, he literally desires it. This is mostly on a subtextual level, but other times his desire is stiflingly surface-level.

 The extent of Ash’s damage is so severe and was inflicted on him so early that his ability to live a normal life was only ever subject to his situation. An argument can be made that his unusually high IQ kept him from the brink of emotional destruction for the majority of his life, but in spite of his incredible virility and strength of character, Ash’s prospects as he aged were always bleak at best. Ash the adult is almost unfathomable. He was literally never allowed to be a child during a key developmental period, and even the manga infers that Eiji’s presence as a romantic element is strongly tied to Ash’s desire to return to a time of innocence. Ash is permanently trapped in a never-neverland of sorts, sexually defiled to the point where his own sexual awakening has been completely obscured beyond his own recognition. His relationship with Eiji is painfully asexual, one, because literally everything about Banana Fish is painful, but also because it is unclear if Ash may have been naturally asexual in the first place or if he was made into an asexual as the result of his childhood trauma. Either way, he certainly doesn’t have a lot of choice about the way that he is, and that way is, fundamentally, morally, and spiritually exhausted. It is only his tenacious spark, his survivors grip to life, and his affection for others in his life whom he loves that are weaker than him, that keeps him stubbornly clung to his own mortal vessel until the very end.

Eiji’s presence as a guiding light is, in THE definitively heartbreaking turn, the permission Ash needs to allow himself to finally die. He has always known that he would die, probably even thought that he should have already died, many, many times over. He is permanently and irreversibly damaged by the course of his life, and though we scream and cry and pray in the hope that Ash can make it, that he can still pull through and come out on the other side living and thriving in love, he was ultimately just never meant to make it that far. Even when Eiji tries to convince Ash that he is not the leopard, that he can come back down from the mountain, we are distantly still aware that this is not true, despite how difficult it is to accept. This difference of character is most clearly seen in Ash’s foil with Yut-Lung; both boys are the savant products of rape-and-murder-riddled childhoods. However, where Yut-Lung lacked anyone to give him acceptance and affection as he grew, Ash ended his time knowing love. Where Yut-Lung survives to the end and goes on to an even higher position of strength, he still has an emotional arc to complete. Yut Lung must discover for himself the value of human life. Ash already knew this value from the beginning, because his moral compass, which sometimes admittedly became scrambled, more or less always pointed true by the end of things.

The argument can be made that as the embodiment of the concept of Salinger’s short story, Ash is fated to die. Eiji, who in many ways is the window through which we experience this world, refuses to bend to fate. He insists in innocence again and again that Ash can change his fate, and for a moment, when Ash finds the plane ticket to Japan in Eiji’s letter, we really, really want to believe him. So, of course, because this manga is singularly cruel, it is here that Ash is stabbed. Of ffffucking course, after everything, death comes for Ash in a fashion which is completely mundane against the grandiose, bombastic scale of the story. An old grudge settled by someone Ash didn’t even have the time to hate in the first place. Ash let himself believe in a real life with Eiji for a single moment, and that proved to be his downfall. When he let his guard down, he let death in. He realizes his destiny immediately, because he is not stupid. His death is not a suicide, it is an understanding. 

 According to Akimi Yoshida, fate always wins out, but what the manga adds to this sad experience is this; despite everything, unlike Salinger’s broken Seymour, Ash’s heart in the end is full of love. His perfect day to die is the day he reads Eiji’s letter, the letter that declares them permanently bonded. Falling in love allows Ash to let go of himself gently, instead of the infinitely more brutal end he would have met at a villain’s hand otherwise, if he hadn’t fought tooth and nail for his very last scrap of autonomy up until that moment. Eiji’s love as an act of compassion is most perfectly realized; because Ash’s Perfect Day is one of is own making. All the circumstances together form a perfect conclusion. He didn’t see the knife coming, and he didn’t need to. After Papa Dino’s death, after Eiji is gone, Ash can finally stop. He can accept that his trauma is greater than even him. In a life spent being forced back and forth according to the violent winds of his circumstance, he chooses to, (and that’s important, he chooses to,) retreat like a cat to a quiet place of safety to live out his last moments. In this way, Ash’s death is merely a setting down of something unbearably heavy. Because he is loved, because Eiji is safe and far away, Ash is at last released from the prison of his life.

Other Banana Fish Meta: CAPE COD AS PURGATORY AND ASH’S BREAK FROM INNOCENCE

[apkamart-blog]

TEN MOVIES THAT WILL LEAVE YOU HORRIFIED

We watch movies for several reasons- to rejuvenate after a tired day, to cheer ourselves up on a particularly tough day, to motivate ourselves, or sometimes, simply to scare the living daylights out of us. The horror genre is on this day, extremely creative and variant. Speaking as a horror movie enthusiast, these movies make you want to watch them despite knowing you probably won’t sleep for the next week. Yet, we can’t resist the thrill that comes from spending two hours hugging yourself tight and trying to make a horror movie without running away scared.

Here’s a list of a few such movies, which aren’t just scary, but very, very creepy as well. Read on.

The Shining

The Shining is undoubtedly one of the most bone-chilling movies of all time. With not many jumps scares and spirits and ghosts, this movie screws your head solely because of its messed up plot line. When the Torrance family of three (husband, wife, and son) move to a secluded hotel, the Overlook Hotel as caretakers in the winter, all seems normal. However, the psychic son’s psychic abilities, or his ‘shining’ tells him his father will face a fate similar to the previous caretaker, who had lost his mind in the large, mountain-locked hotel and killed his family. The kid’s alter ego gives several warnings to the family post experiencing horrifying, blood-soaked visions in the hotel. Soon, the unsuspecting wife discovers her son’s problems and what the hotel has done to his husband.

2. Let Me In

This is the story of a seeming romance between two pre-teenagers. Twelve-year-old Owen is constantly bullied and tortured by his classmates. Furthermore, his divorced parents leave him neglected. Alone and tormented, he spends his days plotting revenge against his classmates and spends his evenings exploring the neighborhood and spying on the other residents of the apartment building he lives in. He only has one friend, a creepily self-obsessed young girl Abby, who lives with her single father. Frail and troubled, Abby and Owen form a unique bond. When Abby’s father disappears, she is terrified and left to fend for herself, which is when Owen offers to help her. However, she rebuffs all his efforts, which leads him to believe she has some horrifying secrets of her own.

3. The Exorcist

We can all agree that children in horror movies make them 200 times eerier than those with adults. Twelve-year-old Regan MacNeil begins to exhibit strange behaviour (naturally) such as speaking unfamiliar tongues and levitating. Her actress mother seeks medical help, only to reach a dead end. Battling science and superstition and her daughter’s well being, she turns to a local priest who thinks she is possessed by the devil, who requests an exorcism to be performed on the little girl to cast the devil out. This movie is full of jump scares born out of suspense, extremely graphic imagery that will chill you to the bone and fantastic performance by the young actress playing the possessed child, including crawling down the stairs with twisted limbs. Definitely not a movie for the weak.

4.Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Sally learns that her grandfather’s grave in his old home has been severely vandalized, which makes her want to visit the place as soon as possible. She sets out with a group of friends and her paraplegic brother, Franklin, to investigate the same and set things right. As they visit the grandfather’s farmhouse on a whim, they discover much to their collective horrors, that the house next door is inhabited by a family of repugnant, crazed, murderous outcasts with a taste for human flesh. Soon the head of the psychotic family, who wields a chainsaw and wears a mask, made of human flesh starts hunting down and killing the group of friends one by one, and the group is left to resort to anything and everything to survive. A terrifying thing about this movie is that it is loosely based on the true story of Ed Gein, who was also the inspiration behind the famous thriller, Psycho.

5.Psycho

This movie, again, is not the same old demons and spirits and possession story. This is a movie that will wreck your nerves, keep you on your toes and take away your sleep; such is the eerie factor of this movie. Psycho is a thriller by the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. The story revolves around an office secretary, Marion Crane, who steals thousands of dollars from her boss to run away with her boyfriend. She encounters a horrible rainstorm on the way that leaves her exhausted. With the police on her chase, she takes unfamiliar, murky roads and winds up at the worst possible motel, where she meets Norman Bates, a young man with an unusual interest in taxidermy. Psycho weaves in its storyline, the elements of fear, desire, sexuality and the human psyche to make this movie a stellar success among horror and thriller enthusiasts.

6.A Nightmare on Elm Street

Almost all horror or thriller movies take away our sleep for fear of nightmares or the devil and what not. A Nightmare on Elm Street is one such movie that will take away your will to even shut your eyes for a second. A group of teenagers (Nancy, Dean, Quentin, Jesse, and Kris) living on Elm Street, all begin having nightmares with one central character in all of them- a horribly burnt, disfigured man wearing a battered sweater and a glove made of knives. Like in all nightmares, the children are terrorized by this man Freddy Kruger, and the only escape is to wake up. However, after one of the kids dies a violent death, the group realizes the nightmares are in fact, real and the only way to survive the horrific events in them and live is to stay awake. Although A Nightmare on Elm Street stars a bunch of kids, it could not have been terrifying had adults been the protagonists.

7.The Conjuring

The Conjuring is a relatively recent supernatural horror movie that is woven into the 70’s and is possibly one of the most horrifying movies ever made in Hollywood. Carolyn and Roger, a couple with five daughters, move to a secluded farmhouse after Roger faces cuts in his job. They begin to experience strange incidences around the house which compels Carolyn to invite paranormal investigators and demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren into their home. The couple digs up the horrifying history of the farmhouse as a supernatural presence makes itself known in the house. Soon, harmless manifestations turn into deadly events, and the demon doctors are forced to intervene for the sake of the loving family. The graphics and underlying stories in this movie are what makes The Conjuring one of the top horror movies of all time.

8.Lights Out

If you are someone who judges a movie based on its story more than anything else, Lights Out is a treat for you. Unlike other supernatural horror movies that rely on jump scares and the fear factor, this movie focuses on the story to create the horror settings. Young Rebecca has always been afraid of the dark, since she was a child, not knowing what really happens when the lights are out. When she left her home, she thought she had put her childhood fears behind her. In the present time, her brother Martin starts experiencing the same horrifying incidences that tormented her as a child. Soon, they realize that a dangerous supernatural entity with a deep, unexplained attachment to their mother has returned to their home to agonize the family. The build-up of this movie will keep you hooked throughout, as will the revelation of the suspense.

9.Shutter

A shutter is considered to be one of the scariest movies of all time. Young Ben and Jane are newly married. They temporarily move to Japan on an extended honeymoon as Ben gets a prestigious photography assignment there. On their way to the location, in the dead of the night, their car hits a lone woman standing in the middle of the street, who seems to have appeared mysteriously. As the couple gain consciousness, they find her missing and presume her dead, or simply a figment of Jane’s imagination. They settle in and begin work but presently, eerie incidents occur that are sinister reminders of the accident. Ben begins to discover blurry ghostly images in the photographs he develops during the assignment he works on. Again, the graphics of this movie is what makes it a worthy watch. If you’re up for a scarier treat, watch the Thai version of the film with the same name.

10. Evil Dead

If you enjoy gory graphics, violence, plot line and most of all, possessions, all blended together, you have to watch Evil Dead, which is considered by many to be one of the scariest possession-based movies in Hollywood history. A drug addict, Mia, is determined to quit the habit and lead a sober life. To help her in the process, Mia asks her brother David to accompany her to the woods in order to help her overcome the withdrawal. The siblings, along with David’s girlfriend Natalie, and their friends Olivia and Eric set for their family’s cabin in the forest. Therein, Eric finds in his hands a book called the Book of the Dead and begins to read out loud. Unknown to him and the company, his recitations awake an ancient demon to come awake. Things spiral worse than one can imagine when the demon possesses Mia.

So without further ado, grab your popcorn, your safety blanket (and perhaps a loved one to grab on to) and tick the movies off this list one by one!

[arichhipster]

Top 10 Diane Lane Movies

Conceived on 22nd January in 1965, in New York, Diane Lane's first brush with fame came at the period of only 6 as she showed up in front of an audience in "The Cherry Orchard" and "Medea". It wasn't well before the capable youthful Lane was seen by Hollywood and in 1979 was thrown inverse Sir Laurence Olivier in "A Little Romance". Albeit "A Little Romance" was not an enormous achievement the youthful Diane Lane won high commendation from Olivier announcing her "The New Grace Kelly" https://putlocker-online.com/golden-collection/primewire In spite of the fact that commended by Olivier and winding up being touted as the following significant celebrity by a few magazines, Lane's vocation for the most drooped for a couple of years as she showed up in such bland films as "National Lampoon's Movie Madness" and "Six Pack". Be that as it may, things got again when unbelievable executive cast Diane Lane in his 1983 motion pictures "Thunder Fish" and "The Outsiders" the two of which have become faction works of art.

Back on top after those early tumbles Diane Lane would then show up in two promising motion pictures "Lanes of Fire" and "The Cotton Club", which was to be her first of 3 motion pictures with Richard Gere. Despite the fact that these motion pictures were required to be hits they never arrived at their basic top on unique discharge causing Diane Lane at the youthful period of only 19 to resign from the film business. Unexpectedly both of these motion pictures have since become to some degree faction works of art with "Roads of Fire" getting a serious shockingly enormous after.

Notwithstanding resigning Diane Lane came back to films a couple of years after the fact for "Woman Beware" and the much lauded "The Big Town" which saw Lane cast in one of what was to become numerous hot jobs. Albeit back creation motion pictures it would be the TV arrangement "Friendless Dove" which took her back to the consideration of the significant chiefs which included Richard Attenborough who cast her in a little job in "Chaplin" and furthermore Mike Bender who cast her in the genuinely under-appraised "Indian Summer" (1993). Around a similar time Lane additionally co-featured in "Knight Moves" with her significant other at the time Christopher Lambert.

Having again become well known Lane got herself co-featuring in a progression of moderately prominent motion pictures including Sylvester Stallone's "Judge Dredd" and close by Wesley Snipes in "Murder at 1600". Be that as it may, again while substantiating herself as a more than competent on-screen character she despite everything wasn't the significant famous actor that early signs guaranteed. What's more, while she once more won applause for her job in the 1999 free film "A Walk on the Moon" it would take one more year before she truly began to turn into a notable name as she showed up close by George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg in "The Perfect Storm".

21 years in the wake of being adulated by Sir Laurence Olivier, Diane Lane was presently the significant famous actor with motion pictures, for example, "Under the Tuscan Sun", "Must Love Dogs" and "Hollywoodland" among numerous proceeding to win commendation and fans in equivalent measures. What's more, simultaneously she would proceed to make two additional motion pictures nearby Richard Gere, the tragedy "Evenings in Rodanthe" an adjustment of a Nicholas Sparks epic and presumably Diane Lane's most well known film "Unfaithful" where she featured as a double-crossing housewife.

What of Diane Lane currently, well later on in 2010 "Secretariat" her first film for a long time will be discharged which sees her playing Penny Chenery the proprietor of the celebrated racehorse. Furthermore, as per imdb she is likewise arranged to show up close by Tim Robbins in "Film Verite" about the main American family to show up on unscripted television.

#10 - Fierce People (2005)

With his mid year occasions calling, youthful Finn (Anton Yelchin) has plans to join his dad on one of his undertakings into the Amazon. That is until her is captured while purchasing drugs for his Liz (Diane Lane). Understanding that her compulsion is influencing her child, Liz and Finn head off to spend the late spring on the bequest of her well off companion Ogden C. Osborne (Donald Sutherland). Despite the fact that not the Amazon, youthful Finn investigates the extensive state as though it was and while there becomes companions with Osbourne's stupendous youngsters Bryce (Chris Evans) and Maya (Kristen Stewart). Yet, when Osbourne chooses to encourage Finn it cause envy prompting his mid year of fun being pulverizing spoilt.

#9 - Streets of Fire (1984)

During a show, rock chick Ellen Aim (Diane Lane) is seized by a pack of engine bicycle riding hooligans lead by the vile Raven (Willem Dafoe). Luckily her ex and hired fighter Tom Cody (Michael Paré) is visiting the area and after some delicate influence from his sister and alongside fiery girl McCoy (Amy Madigan) and Ellen's chief just as current sweetheart Billy Fish (Rick Moranis) he heads to her salvage. In any case, Raven and his group of calfskin wearing hooligans won't accept Cody's obstruction without a fight.

#8 - The Glass House (2001)

Following the demise of their folks in an auto collision, 16-year-old Ruby (Leelee Sobieski) and her more youthful sibling Rhett (Trevor Morgan) are taken in by their parent's companions Mr. furthermore, Mrs. Glass (Stellan Skarsgård, Diane Lane). Having moved to their Malibu home with it's moderate inside and glass dividers things don't appear to be very right, particularly as Mr. Glass inspiration for taking them in appears to be somewhat questionable when Ruby learns he is in a tough situation.

#7 - Indian Summer (1993)

A long time subsequent to having spent their summers at Camp Tamakwa, a gathering of thirty something's are welcomed back by there old companion Uncle Lou (Alan Arkin). The gathering which incorporates Beth Warden (Diane Lane) and Jack Belston (Bill Paxton) find that being back by the lake and at Camp Tamakwa brings recollections flooding back as they think back about what fun they had when they were youthful and blameless. Be that as it may, while there they find that Uncle Lou has welcomed them back for an explanation, similarly as with times changing and youngsters not keen on finding out about nature at Camp Tamakwa he is wanting to sell up.

#6 - Must Love Dogs (2005)

Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane) is a thirty something and she is as of late separated, not that it truly irritates her. Yet, her family appear to be stressed and are resolved to set her up with a renewed person. In any case, when one date follows another with little achievement Sarah chooses she has had enough, just for her sister to post her profile on a dating site. Regardless of hesitant about going on another date she concurs and ends up meeting Jake Anderson (John Cusack) a pontoon developer with incredible sentimental ideas. They hit it off and yet Sarah meets (Dermot Mulroney) who she gets along with too making her absence of adoration life abruptly confounded.

#5 - Untraceable (2008)

Jennifer Marsh (Diane Lane) is a given single parent who works the night move at a digital violations organization so she can take care of and invest energy with her little girl. In any case, Jennifer finds a site having a place with a twisted killer who posts recordings of his casualties dieing web based, tempting individuals to visit despite the fact that the more individuals visit the more difficult the passings become. As Jennifer works with different operators to find the character of this wiped out executioner it gets individual with he family can associates getting brought into the killers dangerous games.

#4 - Nights in Rodanthe (2008)

With a spouse she can't believe needing to return into her life and a little girl experiencing her young defiance stage, Adrienne Willis' (Diane Lane) life as somewhat of a wreck. Having consented to take care of a companions Inn for an end of the week, Adrienne trusts the time away will give her the space to sift through her contemplations and sentiments particularly as she will just have one visitor to care for. That visitor happens to be Dr. Paul Flanner (Richard Gere) who is additionally at the Inn to sift through things and as a tempest drives them to remain inside the eccentric sea shore side Inn they wind up succumbing to one another in a manner which will influence their lives for ever.

#3 - Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) life is by all accounts coming wonderfully, an effective essayist with what has all the earmarks of being an ideal marriage. That is until she finds her better half undermining her. Having moved out and experiencing an inability to write she is convinced by her companions to take some break and go on a Holiday to Tuscany. At first not intrigued she at long last concurs and while venturing through Tuscany runs over a weather beaten old estate which spontaneously chooses to purchase. With a cloth pack bundle of developers Francis begins doing up the estate and beginning another existence of adoration, wine and companions in Tuscany.

#2 - Hollywoodland (2006)

While popular for playing the man of steel, Superman, entertainer George Reeves feels he is reviled by the job, preventing him from being paid attention to as an on-screen character and not getting the large film jobs he so needs. At 45 years old he is discovered dead in his home and while the Police accept he has ended it all his mom accepts in any case and recruits little league private examiner Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) to find reality, Whilst exploring Reeves' passing Simo finds that while he was locked in to diva Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney) Reeves likewise had an uncommon relationship with Toni Mannix (Diane Lane) the spouse of Eddie the head of MGM a man associated with the horde.

#1 - Unfaithful (2002)

Connie Summer (Diane Lane) has what resembles an ideal life, wedded to Edward (Richard Gere) and living in a delightful home with their child Charlie (Erik Per Sullivan). Be that as it may, out traveling to the city Connie meets enchanting book broker Paul Martel (Olivier Martinez) who acts the hero. Fascinated by the appealling youngster, Connie comes back to the city and before long leaves on an enthusiastic undertaking with the youngster who stirs up the hot lady covered up inside her. However, Edward before long develops dubious when he sees Connie acting distinctively and begins finding what she gets up to while he is grinding away.