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battle-scvrs · 6 months ago

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“It’s not easy making a name for yourself, where do I draw the line? I never thought I'd be in this far.”

𝖇 𝖆 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈

NAME: Cassandra Joanne Borgin NICKNAMES: Cass, Cassie. AGE: 29 GENDER: Cis Female PRONOUNS: She/Her

𝖋 𝖆 𝖒 𝖎 𝖑 𝖞

MOTHER: Joanne Borgin FATHER: Henry Borgin SIBLINGS: Abigail Borgin, Nicholas Borgin (Death Eater).

𝖕 𝖍 𝖞 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈 𝖆 𝖑 𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖇𝖚𝖙𝖊𝖘

FACE CLAIM: Jodie Comer BUILD: Slim, but muscled. HAIR COLOR: Dirty blonde. EYE COLOR: Hazel. SKIN COLOR: Pale. DOMINANT HAND: Right. ANOMALIES: Freckles on her cheeks, calluses on her fingers and some faded scarring on her wrists from potions accidents. SCENT: Usually sterile whilst working due to cleansing charms, otherwise Cassandra usually smells faintly floral. ACCENT: Strong yorkshire accent ALLERGIES: N/a DISORDERS: N/a FASHION: Cassandra is often found in healers robes, but otherwise wears a mix of casual dresses or shirts and trousers. Occasionally she will dress up formally. NERVOUS TICS: Biting down on her lower lip

𝖑 𝖎 𝖋 𝖊 𝖘 𝖙 𝖞 𝖑 𝖊

RESIDES: Semi-detached house in Godric's Hollow. BORN: Outskirts of Leeds, Yorkshire. RAISED: Outskirts of Leeds, Yorkshire. PETS: A small black cat called Jinx.

CAREER: Healer EMPLOYER: Private healer, with some occasional on call shifts at St Mungos where the healers become overwhelmed after battles. POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Neutral.

DRUGS: Occasionally to wind down after a long shift. SMOKES: Only when drunk. ALCOHOL: Cassandra is very fond of a glass of wine, but she is also known to wash away a long and difficult day with a glass of vodka tonic. DIET: Vegetarian.

LANGUAGES: English, French, Spanish, Gobbledegook, Runic Magic.

𝖋 𝖆 𝖛 𝖔 𝖗 𝖎 𝖙 𝖊 𝖘

LOCATION: The Yorkshire dales. SPORTS TEAM: Appleby Arrows GAME: Exploding Snap FOOD: A hearty vegetable dhal with rice and naan. BEVERAGE: Strong Italian coffee, or a glass of red wine. COLOR: Purple.

𝖒 𝖆 𝖌 𝖎 𝖈

ALUMNI HOUSE: Ravenclaw. BLOOD PURITY: Pure-blooded WAND (length, flexibility, wood, & core): 10 and a quarter inches, Willow wood, Dragon Heartstring core, springy. AMORTENTIA: Bakewell tart, dusty shelves, dragonhide gloves, morning dew. PATRONUS: Cassandra is unable to produce a patronus. BOGGART: (to be decided)

Bio:

Cassandra Borgin was born as the second child to Joanne and Henry Borgin. Henry is the co-owner of a magical antiques and artefacts shop located on Knockturn Alley, and has carefully maintained an air of neutrality his whole life despite his career as a dealer of dark artefacts. As a child Cassandra remembers her father putting protective spells over her hands so that she could spend her days in the store with him and not risk accidentally touching, though she was usually hidden at the back of the store with her nose in a book. Cassandra's older brother Nicholas was fiercely protective of his sister, and that protectiveness only grew as their youngest sibling arrived when Cassandra was six.

As she spent much of her time surrounded by dark artefacts, Cassandra found herself wanting to curiously take them apart and figure out how things worked. Her father caught her on more than one occasion pulling apart a dangerous artefact with her hands, and no amount of warning against it would quell Cassandra's curious mind. Eventually, Joanne put her foot down and said that Cassie wouldn't be allowed to go to the store any more otherwise she was at risk of killing herself and anyone else in the store at the time. Little Cassie didn't understand why she was being punished for her curiosity - she just wanted to understand how the world worked, and what her papa's work involved.

Seeing that her daughter had an inquisitive mind, Joanne spent a lot of time taking Cassandra to the magical libraries. She quickly moved on from childish books like Babbity Rabbity to Hogwarts textbooks, and by the time Cassandra came of age to attend Hogwarts she had already read all of both first and second years text books, along with additional material. Her interest in taking things apart and understanding how they worked had led to Cassie spending time with her mother brewing potions, and practicing wand motions long before she had her own.

Her older brother had been at Hogwarts before herself and had been sorted into Slytherin, and the family expectation was that Cassandra would continue the tradition. She'd barely had a moment to think when the sorting hat touched her head as it shouted 'Ravenclaw' loudly, and she stumbled in surprise towards the Ravenclaw table. Within Ravenclaw house, she found kinship. As much as her mother wanted to foster her education, they couldn't hold conversations the way that other Ravenclaws did in the common room. While she had been apprehensive initially, Cassandra quickly came to love her house. School itself was a breeze, with Cassie regularly coming top in her classes.

When it came time to pick her OWLs and then her NEWTS, Cassie's original interest in taking things apart and putting them back together seemed to win out as she was drawn towards a healing path. Whilst taking apart dark artefacts was interesting, Cassie was fascinated by the way the human body worked and how different spells and curses could affect the inner workings of the body. She wanted to be different than the rest of her family who seemed content to continue the family legacy of artefact dealing, she wanted to carve her own place in the world and make her own legacy.

Her high grades were more than enough to get onto the St Mungos training course, but Henry and Joanne deemed the St Mungos course too poor for their daughter. Henry had built up a small fortune over the years via the antiques shop, never mind his illicit dealings of forbidden creatures and potions ingredients, and they used some of that money to send Cassie abroad to learn - firstly to France, then for further study in Spain. Whilst studying, there was a heavy focus on the healing qualities of potions and Cassie is now fully adept at creating a variety of healing potions which she keeps a heavy stock of. She has carved a basement out of her home in Godric's Hollow and uses that as a potions lab.

Cassie spent four years abroad and came back with all the relevant qualifications for healing. In her absence, the Dark Lord had been gathering power and many of the other pure-bloods she knew had pledged themselves to his service, including her older brother. Her father remained neutral, but it was widely accepted that he aligned to the dark arts. When she returned to England, Cassie felt some pressure to join the Death Eaters but she resisted - her focus was on healing, regardless of what side they were on. Cassandra does broadly agree with some of the Dark Lord's ideologies, but she cannot support it fully when her focus is the damage caused by the Death Eaters that he lets run riot. Like her father, Cassandra maintains quiet neutrality which allows her to heal those on both sides of the war.

Cassandra now works predominantly as a private healer for pure-blooded families who want a discreet service at home, rather than attending St Mungos. She is on retainer at St Mungos if they were ever entirely overwhelmed, and has been called in once or twice, but Cassie prefers the more personal method of private healing. She has made her position known that if a Death Eater were to come to her with injuries that they could not attend St Mungos with, those injuries and the circumstances with which they were gained would remain entirely confidential. She's still curious about the way the world works, and on occasions where she has healed wounds from particularly dark magic, Cassie has taken a copy of the magical signature and studies them at home to see if she can figure out a way to counter it.

#cassandra ;; bio

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thefancyisland · 1 year ago

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Roman Candle Issue 2

Only three years after issue one, the second issue of Roman Candle magazine is finally done. Sticking with the vague theme of ‘stuff I find interesting’, this one features…

— An interview with photographer Chris Shaw about his stint as a night porter and the alchemy of the darkroom. — A chat with artist Dick Jewell about found photos and club culture. — A conversation with E-Man from the notorious NYC bike messenger crew, the X-Men. — An interview with photographer/film-maker Harvey Wang about capturing the overlooked side of New York. — Bongwater/Shimmy Disc man Kramer on debunking the paranormal and the time Peter Hook took him for a spin around the back streets of Manchester.

This is all served up alongside short stories courtesy of Alex Appleby and Harry Longstaff, a brief chat with Jonathan Richman about his side-job making bread ovens, some words about Bob Dylan from Rivendell Bicycle Works main-man Grant Petersen and some spiel about the mysterious 35mm photos which have been adorning Jandek record sleeves since the 70s.

Available direct here, the Central Library site, Rare Mags, Village, Unitom and Catalog.

#zine #magazine #35mm #chris shaw #jonathan richman #bike messengers #nyc #harvey wang #kramer

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ilikereadingactually · 3 months ago

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Greenteeth

Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill

i feel like i've been describing a lot of books as a romp lately, and this is going to be one of them! a charming, classic-feeling quest fantasy with very good bones.

one of my favorite things in speculative fiction is a good nonhuman narrator, who can present the story from an unusual perspective. Jenny Greenteeth is just that sort of narrator! i adore how fussy she is about the state of her lake, and how she struggles with the tension between being who and what she is—an alarmingly toothy fae creature humans consider monstrous—and being who she wants to be—a friend, and the sort of hero who does what needs to be done because someone needs to do it. the traveling companions she accumulates are very charming too: the brave and stubborn village witch Temperance, the persistent and worldly goblin merchant Brackus, even the exuberant fae hound Cavall.

and in case Cavall's name didn't give you a clue, this is not-so-secretly an Arthurian story! i won't say any more about that to preserve some of the fun twists, but it's evident from the first chapter that Arthur's mythos is going to play a part in the tale of Jenny and Temperance's village and the evil power that threatens it. along the way to that goal there are dangerous high fae, difficult trials, strained friendship bonds, unearthed tragedies, forgotten things coming to light, all that good quest narrative stuff! and an ending that satisfied, even though i wished it was executed a little bit more compellingly. also i VERY much appreciated that the three companions remained friends, without romantic tensions complicating anything. it's hard to find books with little or no romance!

overall this was an enjoyable read, and i'll keep an eye out for more from O'Neill.

the deets

how i read it: an e-galley from NetGalley, as per usual. i'm lagging behind again, because my eyes are always bigger than my stomach when i'm browsing NG T^T

try this if you: love a good quest, dig a somewhat unreliable narrator, are into Arthuriana and folkloric creatures of the British Isles, or delight in descriptions of pond maintenance (i have a freshwater aquarium and i have never been so excited to see frogbit mentioned in a book before).

some lines i really liked: ilu Jenny

I like to keep the lake looking neat and tidy. You wouldn't know it from the surface, but my lake is spotless, with excellent water circulation and the best crop of brown trout in western England. Even my frogs look smarter than those in inferior lakes, though they taste much the same. I may not be human but that doesn't mean I can let standards slip. Good lake maintenance is important for fish stocks and water quality, quite apart from the fact that I never could abide mess. A penchant for tidiness is not my most haggish feature to be sure, but then I'm not technically a hag. I've never been quite sure what it is that I am; apart from a Jenny, that is. Jenny Greenteeth, that's my name. And it's my mother's, and her mother's, all the way back upstream to the source of all the rivers and lakes in the country. It's my daughter's name too, though when she lived with me, I always called her Little Jenny and then she was Jenny in the Millpond by the Willow. I suppose my full name would be Jenny Greenteeth in the Lake at Chipping Appleby, but that's more of a mouthful than I like so I just go by Jenny. Jenny by name and Jenny by nature is what my mother said we are, silly old bat that she was. Not an actual bat though, I should make that clear. Nothing wrong with bats and they make a tasty snack of a summer evening, but I'd rather be a Jenny. Flying seems much riskier than swimming.

pub date: February 25, 2025! go buy it, get it from your library, have a great time!

#books and reading #booklr #bookblr #book recs #book reviews #fantasy fiction #greenteeth #molly o'neill

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luthierlady · 2 years ago

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09/05/2023 Papa

Since I was old enough to read, Papa has been putting books into my hands.

Once when I was about 12, he found me reading some sort of mediocre adventure novel and, nodding, disappeared into his study. He came back with Le Morte D’Arthur and handed it to me silently, and I read it and reread it in my usual way, until I was using the detached cover as a bookmark.

When I was younger it was Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Later on it was Old Man And The Sea.

In high school, he brought me my first Shakespeare play. It was one of the histories, but I can’t recall which! He knew I wanted action. I swarmed over that whole section of his library and read my way through the rest of the plays on my own.

That led to a funny anecdote about my (maternal) grandfather!

This was the New England side of my family (Papa is Italian). On my mother’s side I have two Mayflower ancestors. In fact, one of them happens to have been Stephen Hopkins, a contumacious and colorful guy who was the real life inspiration for Stephano in The Tempest—but I’m getting sidetracked.

One Thanksgiving I accidentally left a copy of Henry V at my grandparents house. My grandfather picked it up, I guess happy for a change of pace from the newspaper, and read it through.

He gave the book back to my father next time we visited and told Papa without an explanation that Shakespeare was bunk. I have no idea what he came across that he didn’t like but that was the word he reserved for swindlers and people who sell water filters. Very low company.

Just a few months later, I managed to leave a copy of Anne of Green Gables at my grandparents’. I got a call from Grandma and she whispered to me that she would have to buy me a new copy of that book, because she had just walked in on Grandpa reading it and weeping. She couldn’t take it away or let on that she’d seen him!

There’s something out there for everyone.

I have Papa to thank forever for this beautiful gift of reading.

My earliest memory of him is when he returned from his trip to Ireland to interview Sean O’Faolain for Papa’s book. (In the event Papa was so nervous he aimed the tape recorder at himself instead of O’Faolain and had a heck of a time afterwards understanding the great man’s mumbled responses) I was so little I was a bit afraid of his voice when he came to see me in my crib, but he handed me a little stuffed donkey which was always afterwards my most precious toy.

When we moved to Appleby in ‘83 he was on sabbatical and writing that particular book*, so the sound of the typewriter was a big part of the experience of that home; as much so as the sound of his chain saw and axe. It was a cold old place and took a lot of work to heat it in winter! Those were hard days for him.

Here he is (above) writing while he and my mother traveled across the country together the year before I was born. I think it might have been poetry at this time. I remember the SMELL of that tent!

This past trip North was no different. We got into a conversation about Italo Calvino and he handed me Marcovaldo. I was so tempted to take his copy with the notes in the margins, but I contented myself with ordering a used copy to be delivered back home. I can’t steal his books all my life! I only read the first story, Mushrooms In The City, while we talked but it was fabulous! The way each paragraph and almost each sentence follows the same win-loss pattern as the story itself. I love Invisible Cities for the eerie imagery of it and this will be just as thrilling. Papa always knows what I’ll love to read.

*Sean O’Faolain’s Irish Vision, Richard Bonaccorso, long out of print but available used on Amazon of course.

#diary entry #biography #creative writing #amwriting #original writing #my writing #my words

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applebylibrarybks · 6 years ago

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Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox (Amaranthine Saga Saga, Bk. 1) by Forthright.

Kimiko enrolls at the In-between’s prestigious new high school, which is designed to promote the integration of the human and inhuman races. As a reaver, she’s supposed to act as peacemaker, bridging a formidable cultural gap, but the other two members of her triad don’t need any help in that department. Akira and Suuzu have been friends since middle school. Instead, the boys must rally behind Kimiko when she inadvertently initiates a courtship with Eloquence Starmark.

#Appleby Library #read #new #books #coming soon

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applebylibrary · 8 years ago

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#Appleby Library #read

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sitp-recs · 2 years ago

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hii! i hope you’re doing well!! i was wondering if you have any long-ish fic recs that are harry-centric? ive been rescind a lot of draco centric fics lately and while i adore those i was hoping a for a bit of change and you have the best taste in fics so i came straight here 😅🌸 thanks in advance

Hi there! Thank you, I’m so happy you enjoy the recs 💜 here are some great Harry-centric long fics, I hope you enjoy:

At the Doorway, On the Stair by dwell_the_brave (T, 30k)

A year after Draco Malfoy goes missing, his mother has one last option—Harry Potter. Having left the Auror department and made a name for himself as a Private Investigator, Harry cannot help but get involved in the disappearance of Draco Malfoy.

Faint Indirections by ignatiustrout (T, 30k)

Draco Malfoy is the last person Harry expects to turn up in Boston, Massachussetts. But now he's here, and he won't stop requesting books from the library where Harry works.

On Your Shore by @xanthippe74 (M, 35k)

Clearing out a remote house full of cursed collectibles in the Outer Hebrides? Not a problem for an experienced curse breaker like Harry Potter. Spending a week with the straight, happily-married man that he’s starting to have feelings for? And sharing a bed with him at night? Surely Harry can handle that, too.

Rush (For A Gap That Exists) by @sleepstxtic-drarry (M, 42k)

A story of love and loss that grew amidst the most infamous rivalry in Formula One history: the story of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter.

Blood and Fire by @lqtraintracks (E, 45k)

Harry has spent the last twelve years in Romania, not returning to England as often as he knows he should. It's complicated. But when Ginny asks him to be her best man and help her plan her wedding, he can't say no.

The Way We Wind by @thesleepiesthufflepuff (E, 45k)

After the war, Harry’s life falls to shambles. Each day revolves around an intense battle with his mental health, and there’s nothing that Ron or Hermione can do to help him.

fly like paper, high like planes by @harryromper (M, 47k)

Harry Potter, Head Coach of the Appleby Arrows, is very content leading a quiet life. He has a doddery old house-elf who makes his breakfast, a team of players who love Quidditch almost as much as he does, and a Kneazle that curls against his damaged leg at the foot of his bed at night.

Crossing Lines by Ren (E, 48k)

While investigating a ring of smugglers, the Aurors receive a tip saying that the European Express is being used to move contraband across state lines. To solve the case, Harry has to unmask the smugglers and find the hidden contraband before the luxury train reaches Bulgaria.

Here's The Pencil, Make It Work by ignatiustrout (M, 49k)

Harry thinks "Why is Malfoy working in a coffee shop in muggle London?" is a much simpler question than, "Are you going to accept that auror offer and, if you don't, what will you do?"

I Won't Let You Fall Apart by @xanthippe74 (M, 50k)

Harry has spent the year after the war staying out of the public eye, dodging political battles, and standing firm against pressure from his friends. But he has a secret plan to get away from it all. He just needs to testify at one more Death Eater trial: Draco Malfoy’s.

New Message by @m0srael (T, 58k)

Harry Potter has a crush on his roommate--like, a BIG one--but he can't say anything to him, can he?! Naturally, he does what any early 2000s young adult would do and asks the internet for help, and gets a lot more back than he expected.

Modern Love by @tackytigerfic (E, 61k)

Harry Potter, of all people, knows that life isn’t always fair. And no one gets to be happy all of the time. But surely there’s something more—something better—than a rubbish Ministry job, and a lonely old house, and that feeling that everyone out there is doing a better job of living than Harry is.

The Beauty of Thestrals and Other Unseen Things by @writcraft (E, 63k)

Harry has terrific friends, an amazing girlfriend and his job as Head Auror enables him to work on challenging cases and Ministry reform. He just wishes he could work out why he’s been so out of sorts.

The Promise of Summer by Omi_Ohmy (M, 66k)

How was Harry supposed to know that coming back for eighth year would be so confusing? Everything is the same, and yet not the same. And nowhere is this more obvious than with Draco Malfoy.

Crown Witness by @slytherco (E, 70k)

After the war, wizarding society is oppressed by a new kind of plague—an organised crime group calling itself the Family. When Harry Potter goes to interrogate a potential witness, he doesn’t expect to end up on the run again, trying to keep Draco Malfoy alive, while a manhunt follows in their footsteps, adamant on eliminating the one witness that could ruin everything.

Little Deaths and How to Avoid Them (or Draco Malfoy's Guide to Stop Dying and Start Living Instead) by nerakrose (T, 96k)

Malfoy is way too interested in coroner reports for somebody who's definitely not looking for ways to die, Harry wants to be friends with him, and Ginny wants to break up with Harry.

Pages of You by @wolfpants (E, 101k)

Summer, 1980. Harry is floating between university and becoming a Real Certified Adult. He's not ready. He really isn't. In a desperate attempt to have the Best Last Summer ever, he takes a casual job at his godfather's bookshop in London, starts an illicit pen pal affair with a wordy posh boy that he's catching feelings for, all while dealing with the son of Sirius's business rival, one Draco Malfoy, insufferable know-it-all extraordinaire.

Make Yourself by AnyaElizabeth (E, 103k)

Harry just wants to be safe within the freshly painted walls of Grimmauld Place, with his friends around him. But when he hears Draco Malfoy has been spotted at the local soup kitchen, he can't help but encourage a different type of stray to come under his roof.

By the Grace by lettered (T, 140k)

Harry is an Auror instructor. Malfoy wants to be an Auror.

where all the veins meet by eight_of_wands (E, 146k)

It's the summer of 1998. The battle is over, and Voldemort is dead, but Harry still has more questions than answers. Who is he without a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head? What is he supposed to do now? His friends try to help, but the only thing that can hold his attention—one of the only things that ever has—is Draco Malfoy, out on parole and weirdly hanging around the British Museum.

#asks #anon #drarry reclist #long Harry-centric fics

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thelonecalzone · 2 years ago

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No one asked for it, but here's a chillin-by-a-waterfall soft vibes Pattison playlist based on that stupid ch22 tbscm waterfall scene 🤷

The Bi Books & Biting Playlist -

With Somebody - Public Library Commute

Burn the Witches - Husbands

Pools To Bathe In - The Japanese House

Saltwater for Strings - Geowulf, Pêter Aleksänder

Back - Pool Cosby, Soren Bryce

Life Can Be Beautiful - Solace

Swim - St. South

Shallow Hot Springs - Boy Willows

I Should Probably Get Moving - Box Boys

Couch Party - Afternoon Bike Ride

Sleeping In - Kid City

Mess This Up - CHYLD, Tennyson

Besides You - Golden Vessel

Okay, Saint Laurent - October Tooth

Library Magic - The Head And The Heart

The Wind - Magic Hippies

TWYLM - Stradcopy

Strings Attached - Opia

Secret Garden (ft. Merival) - Soda Island, Izzard, Merival

Does Your Brain Ever Get This Loud - St. South

Don’t Think So Hard - On Planets

Pack a Day - Charlie Sztyk

Here With U - Appleby

Bugs - Lonesome Rhodes

Overwinter - Max Fry, Ali Fry

Buttons - Meija

Lover’s Ledge - Night Beds

Surface Tension - Genevieve Stokes

You - Tennyson

Red - Jaguar Sun

Blue Blue - iamamiwhoami, ionnalee

The Flood - Oliver Hazard

Colorado - Hailaker, Lowswimmer

In a Book (Back to Me) - Nick Leng

Just Because - Cape Francis

Next Year - Jaguar Sun

Wildflowers - Haiva Ru

Pink Honey - Houses

Melt - The Misters

Over Again - Holdwash, Baird

Woman - Baseball Game

Can’t Stop Cryin’ - Austin Manuel

I Love It When You Talk - Boy Willows

Universe - Teebs, daydream Masi

Missed Call - Flaws

Momentum - Blake Ruby

Caroline - Jadu Heart

Set it on Fire - Blood Cultures

Forever and More - Jaguar Sun

Still - Noah Kahan

#tbscm #there'll be some changes made #pattison #not cannibal music this time i promise #tbscm playlist

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nedweasleys-archive · 4 years ago

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isn’t that EDWIN NED WEASLEY? yeah that is him, outside the three broomsticks! he used to be in GRYFFINDOR but he now works as a BEATER for the WIMBORNE WASPS. sybil once said that he reminded her of a grin that splits the cut on your lip; sneaking out before the sun comes up, boots in hand; being physically incapable of backing down from a dare; the heavy swing of a wooden bat; constantly shit-talking your brothers, but thumping anyone else that tries. anyway i’ve heard he’s still BOISTEROUS, IMPULSIVE and CAVALIER, he’s TWENTY-FIVE now but some things never change! i wonder how being a PUREBLOOD is affecting him after school, especially now he’s an ASSOCIATE of the ORDER OF THE PHOENIX? i guess only time will tell…

injury mention tw

The middle child of three, Ned Weasley has always had something of a talent for trouble, running head-first into danger without so much as a backward glance.

He does not like being called Edwin. Do so at your peril.

Determined to keep up with his older brother, Bilius, Ned quickly learned never to back down from anything he perceived as a challenge. It was about proving his worth, asserting that he could damn well do anything he set his mind to - a trait that’s been as much to his advantage as its been to his detriment.

Ned is his mother’s son, the pair of them being so obstinate that they’re frequently at loggerheads. Ultimately, though, their bickering means precious little - family is everything to Ned, and there isn’t a single Weasley he wouldn’t go to bat for.

Arguably, Septimus and Cedrella Weasley’s biggest mistake was gifting their second son a toy broom. It wasn’t brand new, of course, but Ned loved it more than anything, and would tear around their garden for hours terrorising the gnomes and their unfortunate family cat.

He fell off that broom more times than he can count, but his perseverance ultimately made him an excellent flier, and his tendency to cannonball through anything in his path made him an absolutely terrifying quidditch player. Family games were always that bit more dangerous with Ned participating.

One one such occasion, Ned almost ploughed his broom straight into a tree, but Arthur caught him in mid-air, saving him from the collision, and immediately dropping him on his arse. Still, a bruised tailbone is better than another broken leg.

By the time he finally went off to Hogwarts, Ned could safely say he’d broken nearly every major bone in his body - some more than once. Some more than twice.

Sorting him into Gryffindor was a no-brainer. The hat barely touched the top of his head before his new house was called, and he sauntered off to join his peers, grinning from ear to ear.

Ned wore the title ‘blood traitor’ as a badge of honour. He was never afraid of its implications, being arrogant enough to think he could simply fight anyone that said a word against him or his brothers. And he did a lot of fighting in his time at school.

The next few years passed in a whirlwind. As far as Ned was concerned, Hogwarts was just a social club with lessons serving as intermittent, boring obstacles to him having fun. He never bothered much with his studies, spending more time in detention and at parties than in the library.

If there was anything he was good at, it was quidditch - it’s probably the only reason he wasn’t suspended. He joined the Gryffindor team the moment he was able, managing to put a little finesse on his extremely aggressive playstyle over the years.

In his final year at school, Ned was scouted by the Appleby Arrows. He played for them for three years, after which he was finally signed to the big leagues, earning himself a place with the Wimborne Wasps.

Since graduating, he’s basically been bouncing around in search of the next good time.

other things

boggart: it’s literally this but she’s in a wedding dress patronus: otter (incorporeal) (he’s got lots of happy memories but he’s kind of a shitty wizard) wand: oak and dragon heartstring 13″

wcs

besties???

gryffindor quidditch teammates???

hookups past and present!!!

wimborne wasps fans?????

#ned: about #this is garbage #and it's probably gonna see some rewrites #but i need to not look at it anymore asbsbsb

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theunknowncryptid · 5 years ago

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Part Five - The Hogwarts Champion

Masterlist

Yoongi x y/n

After a horrible prank, Slytherin, Min Yoongi, is entered into the Triwizard Tournament. Y/n, feeling responsible, decides it’s her personal mission to make sure he survives the ordeal

~ ~ ~

Yoongi turned off his phone in annoyance and pushed it away across the table. It was nearly half past nine and the library would be closing soon. A quick glance around told him that he was the only one remaining. Everyone else had filtered out to either catch up with their friends after summer vacation or study in their common rooms. Becoming more annoyed that he had wasted his precious studying time texting, Yoongi began to stack up the several books that he had spread across the table. The pile reached higher than his head once he had grabbed them all. Carefully, he maneuvered around the table and began to place the books back in their rightful spots on the shelves. Yoongi grumbled quietly to himself as he recalled his conversation from minutes before.

Who does Y/n y/l/n think she is?

He placed a book down harder than necessary, with a thud. Yoongi wasn’t about to share his life with some stranger. Especially an overly energetic, goofy stranger. He ripped away his hand just in time as he put down the Monster Book of Monsters and it snapped at him viciously. Yoongi moved further through the aisles of books, remembering this afternoon's potions lesson.

“Min Yoongi and Y/n y/l/n” Snape called out. Yoongi’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, his mind drawing a blank. Y/n? He thought. He looked around at the classroom, studying the faces of the Slytherins and Gryffindors. No one was moving and for a second Yoongi had the euphoric thought that he would be partnerless this term. He could happily work on his own and not be forced to make pointless small talk with a partner. His hopes were dashed quickly with the sound of a wooden stool scraping against the stone flooring. Yoongi turned and looked over his shoulder to find the source of the noise. A Gryffindor girl was gathering her books and shoving a cell phone into her pocket. She seemed slightly caught off guard at being called on and large eyes darted across her items to make sure she had everything before joining Yoongi.

“Sometime today, Miss y/l/n” Snape drawled out like a hiss. Y/n pulled her lips into soft line as her cheeks flushed pink. She hurried forward and took her place next to Yoongi. With her close proximity, Yoongi could now hear the phone in her robe pocket buzzing rapidly. Snape continued on with the partner assignments and the eyes that had been on Yoongi and Y/n found other interests. As she re-opened her books, Yoongi took the opportunity to look at the girl. Something about her bothered him. Her hair was pulled into a loose bun and pieces were falling out shielding parts of her face from Yoongi’s view. The parts that Yoongi could see were nothing extraordinary. Pale skin, pink lips, with natural makeup. She smelled faintly of vanilla and… Men’s cologne?

Yoongi was still staring at Y/n when she looked up at him. He jolted and his attention was back on the lesson in a matter of seconds. Irritation and embarrassment flooded his system when she spoke.

“Hi” Yoongi only nodded slightly at her greeting.

He chose to ignore her for the rest of the lesson and since it was the first day and they didn’t have any partner work it was fairly easy. After an hour, the bell rang and Yoongi had forgotten the staring incident. He packed up his books and threw his bag over his shoulder, thankful that the end of the day had arrived.

“Hey, Yoongi!” Yoongi turned back to his work table that he had been walking away from. Y/n stood there smiling. “Do you want to exchange phone numbers? You know- for class.” She asked.

“Uh.. Sure.” He mumbled. Yoongi fumbled in his pockets for a scrap piece of parchment. He scratched his number onto the paper and passed it to Y/n.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Y/n chirped brightly. She exited the potions classroom with Yoongi staring dumbfounded after her.

Yoongi placed his last book on the shelf and turned back to collect his things from the library table. Remembering his encounter with the Gryffindor annoyed him again. Something about her set him off. Yoongi didn’t know if it was the constantly texting friends, the way she spoke, the half-smile that made her look like she was always daydreaming, or something else entirely.

When she had texted him asking to meet up to work on the first assignment, Yoongi decided that it was inevitable and that sometimes life is working with people you don’t enjoy. But, then she dug further and started asking him personal questions. Yoongi can barely tolerate people he likes asking about him. So, to make the point clear, Yoongi snapped.

He pulled his remaining books into his bag and placed it over his shoulders. He gave a polite nod to a smiling Madam Pince as he exited the library into the abandoned hallway. Yoongi spent so much time in the library over the years and Madam Pince had become fond of him, offering book recommendations and the occasional homework help.

As he made his way down to the Slytherin common room, Yoongi gave a deep sigh and loosened his necktie. He started to become lost in thought again as he walked the familiar steps. Feelings of guilt started to prick in his brain. Jin had asked him specifically not to be rude to Y/n and that’s exactly what he had done. Apparently, the girl was some kind of fucking Mother Teresa and the Gryffindors were very protective of their princess. Yoongi supposed that he should feel guilty for upsetting Y/n, but he didn’t. He felt guilty for disappointing Jin.

Yoongi was just 8 years old when he moved in with Jin and his family. His grandmother, who had cared for Yoongi up to that point, had died after a heart attack. They had lived together in the wizarding village of Appleby. It was just the two of them, but their household was busy and joyful because of the family next door. The Kim’s. Yoongi and Kim Seokjin became best friends at a young age and it was if their families melded to accommodate the boys. They would play in Min’s living room and then run across the property to swing on the Kim’s swing set. Jin’s parents and Yoongi’s grandmother would also come and go into each others houses as they pleased, sharing stories and playing cards on the porch. It was as close to perfect as life can be. But, when Yoongi’s grandmother died, no other family was willing to claim guardianship of Yoongi. So, Yoongi moved in with the Kim’s and they became his legal guardians. At first, Yoongi thought that this was the best case scenario and, hopefully, not much would have to change. As he got older, he learned differently. He knew the Kim’s loved him like another son, but he was a financial burden that was difficult to support. They didn’t have the money to move, so he and Jin had to share a room and Yoongi had to watch another family move into the home he had shared with his grandmother.

Yoongi didn’t know what would have happened to him had he not moved in with the Kim’s, but he did know that he would have been without a family and alone. Yoongi owes everything he has to Jin and his family.

That’s why disappointing Jin in anyway made Yoongi feel guilty beyond belief.

Once they got to Hogwarts, Yoongi was placed in Slytherin and Jin in Gryffindor. They still remained best friends (if not brothers), but Yoongi found it difficult to make his own friends. He tried, but always found himself putting up walls and creating a distance between any new friendships. Relationships came easy to Jin, though, and Yoongi managed to make his only other friend, Hoseok, through Jin. He counted himself lucky to have the friends that he did, but still, a lot of the time he felt lonely. As if he was disconnected from the world around him.

Being separated from everyone except Jin and Hoseok made Yoongi weary and suspicious of strangers reaching out to him.

That’s probably why I’m such a dick

His thoughts traveled to Y/n again as he reached the Slytherin portrait and muttered the password. He didn’t bother to try and socialize in the common room and headed straight for the stairs that led to the boys dormitory. Yoongi knew he would have to apologize to Jin for his behavior toward Y/n and ran a hand over his face as he thought about what to say to both Gryffindors.

I’ll figure it out in the morning.

~ ~ ~

The silence in the Great Hall broke with the sound of muffled curses and light footsteps. The ceiling of the dark hall showed a cloudy night sky. The four tables belonging to the individual houses guided the way to the only source of light in the room. A large goblet filled with white-blue flames. The disruption to the stillness came in the form of two sixth year students moving as silently as they could into the hall. Jeon Jungkook and Kim Taehyung. The pair were whispering to each other in harsh tones.

“I’m just saying, if you were taking potions she wouldn’t be stuck with that dick.” Taehyung whispered. Now that they were in the Great Hall completely, the boys walked side-by-side towards the glowing goblet in front of the head table.

“I’m not switching back! I had to badger McGonagall all summer so I could join Dark Arts Studies.” Jungkook whispered back. Dark Arts Studies was a new, controversial class added to the Hogwarts curriculum a few years back. It was only available to select students joining the Auror and Medic career fields. Because of the low amount of students in the class, it combined Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin students. Taking the class made it impossible for Jungkook to attend Gryffindor potions with the rest of his year, so he attended with the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. “Plus, the way things are now, we get to be potions partners!”

“I know.” Taehyung conceded. “I’m just worried about her being around that guy.” The pair reached the goblet and stood together for a moment, staring up at blue flames. Taehyung looked over at Jungkook in the firelight. His face was lit up with light blue and his jaw was set in locked determination. The flames that flicked out towards the pair reflected in the younger boys eyes. Watching it was hypnotizing.

“Taehyung?” Taehyung flinched back and realized that Jungkook was speaking to him. “I asked if you had the parchment?”

“Oh, yeah,” He said, pulling a slip of paper out of his sweatshirt pocket. A name could be clearly seen written on the parchment.

Min Yoongi

“Last chance to back out” Jungkook offered quietly, meeting Taehyung’s eyes. Taehyung shook his head.

“No. It’s what he deserves.” Taehyung smiled slightly, as if it was all a big joke. “What’s the worst that could happen really?” Jungkook smirked and shrugged his shoulders. Taehyung held the slip of paper out to the younger boy and Jungkook placed the tip of his wand on the paper.

“Deligantur” Jungkook whispered. The paper seemed to shimmer and give a slight wave before settling just as it was before.

“Are you sure this will work?” Taehyung asked, turning to look at the large goblet in front of them.

“It should.” Jungkook assured. “Ready?” Taehyung nodded and, without hesitation, reached forward and dropped the slip of paper into the goblet. The fire burst upward, forcing Taehyung to take a step back. The flames changed from blue to blood red. Then, after a few seconds, the fire returned to its normal state of white-blue, low flames.

“Congratulations, Min Yoongi.” Muttered Jungkook. “You are the Hogwarts Champion.”

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roswelldetails · 5 years ago

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Episode 2x04 - What if God Was One of Us

EPISODE SUMMARY:

AN ACT OF GOD — On the verge of a breakthrough in her quest to save Max (Nathan Dean), Liz (Jeanine Mason) turns to Kyle (Michael Trevino) for one last favor that could potentially land him in hot water. Meanwhile, Michael (Michael Vlamis) and Alex’s (Tyler Blackburn) investigation into Nora (guest star Kayla Ewell) leads them to a farm, where they meet a historian named Forrest (guest star Christian Antidormi). Elsewhere, Cameron (guest star Riley Voelkel) confronts Jesse Manes (Trevor St. John) about her sister’s whereabouts, and Isobel (Lily Cowles) uses her powers for good. Amber Midthunder also stars. Shiri Appleby directed the episode written by Steve Stringer & Christopher Hollier (#204). Original airdate 4/6/2020.

DETAILS:

Roy said that he took veterinary training, which is how he was able to help with Louise and Nora's injuries.

"How come it feels like you don't know what I'm saying, but you know what I'm thinking?"

Roy moved the truck (with the pods in it?) to the livery.

"Boss's wife won't let him blame the drought on God so that honor goes to his foreman -- that's me."

Kyle on The Science:

"You're telling me that Michael Guerin used pinball parts and a car battery to cause cutaneous perfusion?

(Cutaneous perfusion...i think it is circulation of fluid/blood through tissue, but it's a bit above my head)

The device Liz needs is a "Personal Genome Machine". She ordered it when she still worked at the hospital.

Before entering the Crashdown, Graham Green tapes a Missing sign on the door for Hank Gibbons (who Noah killed in 1x13). Apparently someone covered it up.

The sign is HARD to read, but I think it says:

"All viable leads reported to Graham Green's UFO Emporium will receive a free keychain. Make certain you subscribe to the Weekly Probe as we dive deeper into the untold stories of Roswell and answer the question on everyone's mind. ARE YOU NEXT?"

Graham Green references that he's the "creator of last week's 39th most downloaded true crime podcast." (Assuming that this is the Weekly Probe, referenced on the poster).

Graham Green is opening a 1947 themed malt shop at the UFO Emporium

U.F. Doughs (the Crashdown's new donuts).

Isobel's been coming to the Crashdown every day for weeks. (Note that this episode is the first one that really doesn't have a clear time context).

"Feliz cumpleanos, mama!" Happy birthday in Spanish, of course, but note Kyle's choice term of endearment for fic purposes! And she responds in kind "Gracias, mijo!" (Mijo = male version. Arturo calls Liz mija = female version)

"A wild Michael Guerin finally emerges from his weeks-long hibernation in a lab and a library."

Again, non-specific time frame.

"When every other farm was struggling, the Longs experienced record-breaking crops. Summer of '47. No one could explain it…till October '48. The day after that photo ran in the paper, the farm was devastated by a massive fire. Foreman, entire staff killed. Whole place burned down."

"What caused the fire?"

"Well the paper called it an act of God. Said it was a freak storm. Bolt of lightning strikes the barn the same night that my mom's caught and locked up in Caulfield."

Wyatt Long's horses are named "Diamond" and "Silk".

Jesse Manes' beer of choice is "Polestaff".

Cam's postcard from Charlie (Likely the reason she came back to Roswell) says:

"See you back in Roswell --Charlotte"

Top left corner says "Greetings from Roswell, NM".

It was mailed to Jenna at the Green Hill Motel in Dayton, Ohio.

Jenna says it's not Charlie's handwriting.

Isobel in the mindwarp: "And what's your dream, Arturo? What would be your miracle? What do you pray for?"

Arturo & Rosa's fight…

"Did that fool give you drugs? I'll kill him!"

"Ow! You're hurting me! That's child abuse!"

"Everything I do I do to hold you up and you see it as abuse. I don't know what to do anymore!"

"Yeah right." Rosa falls down and laughs.

"This isn't funny! Sheriff Valenti won't give you any more chances."

"You should be happy. You wanted me to be on the field hockey team, remember? You said I should make friends and have good American fun."

"Who sold you the pills?"

"I stole them."

"Was it Frederico?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Tell me the truth!"

"It was Mom! She's either too high to notice that they're missing, or she knows and she doesn't care."

"You're lying to me. I don't know how to help you."

"So stop trying then. I'm beyond hope anyway, right? That's what everyone else in this town thinks."

"Maybe you're right. I'm going for a drive."

Arturo tried to register with Instagram as PancakePapi!! He ended up with PancakePapi58!

Scene with Steph and her dad...FIRST MENTION OF SOPAPILLAS ON THE SHOW!!! 🤤🤤🤤🤤 (They're the best...in New Mexican restaurants they're like, both an appetizer and a dessert. They're like hollow fried bread that you eat with honey. Delicious.) See here:

Plus it gave the show another opportunity to be authentically New Mexican through food references. (Last season it was in episode 2 when Arturo asked,"red or green?" And Liz replied "Christmas!". In New Mexico that means half red half green chile smothering her plate.) Like so:

1948...unclear how much time has passed, but Louise says months.

The kid's name is Walt. (Walt Long?? Some other last name?).

Nora says that under the tarp is the "pumpkin launcher" and it's a surprise.

Nora says it's not safe for Michael here, "but soon."

"Hey do you smell that? It smells like rain. It's what you smell like under all the grease and bourbon. It's what your workshop smells like. Something alien happened here. Not that I can still smell it 70 years later."

"This is the best evidence I've seen that Max and Isobel's mother survived the initial firefight. This is something that you do with family."

"Nora's my mother. If she was here at the same time as Louise…"

Note - when did they confirm who Louise was or that she was Max & Isobel's mom? This has not happened narratively yet.

Since Walt was a young kid, Alex thinks there's a chance he's still alive (though at the end Nora definitely thought he died when the barn blew up. I suspect that Walt survived and is the key to the story...not fact, just speculation.)

Forrest: "The foreman, Roy Bronson, was definitely hiding something. But it wasn't Little Green Men. It was Nazi spies."

"This is like Junior Year eraser room, getting caught by Coach Wiggins."

OG callback to the eraser room being the high school makeout spot. OG, "the eraser room takes our innocence."

Rosa in Spanish "¿En serio?" Basically "are you serious!?!" Or "really?" When the blender shorts out (awfully similar to her first Noah nightmare in 2x01)

"...when Charlie told me she had stole classified documents, I reported her. I thought I was doing the right thing and the military put her in prison."

"Right. Where she was safe."

"No. I… I didn't know who she really was when I turned her in. I didn't know what prison would do to her."

"She wanted you to turn her in, Jenna. She set you up to do so. She knew that as long as she was in government custody no one could get to her."

"Charlie fought in two wars. Who was she afraid of?"

"A private securities firm, most likely. You know that I met her? She was working on this genetic sequencing project that had the potential to save lives, but also destroy them. And there were some people out there who saw applications for her research that went beyond her intentions."

"She was doing research that could help save lives, and people wanted to use it to create a bioweapon."

"Well yeah, she created this pathogen that could seek out and dismantle specific sequences. Just think about it -- a smart bomb that could be detonated in the middle of a crowded city, only harm it's intended target. Think about the innocent civilian lives saved while you take out leaders of terrorist organizations."

"Or commit genocide. If her work fell into the wrong hands, it could quietly wipe out entire groups of people because they share a certain genetic code, while their neighbors go about living their lives. Why do you know so much about this? What's your interest in my sister?"

"I believed that I had a use for her pathogen, at one time. But my fight is over now."

A few notes about this exchange.

Clearly Charlie's pathogen is the key ingredient in the smart bomb that Flint was developing, as discussed in 1x12.

Liz's "personal genome machine" can break down the alien genetics and give Project Shepherd what they need to use a smart bomb on the aliens.

Don't forget, her lab is protected by Air Force security set up by "Alex's team". (Badbadbadbad!)

Rosa describing her bipolarism.

"I get these mood swings sometimes. Like, I can be happy and singing one minute, and then, all of a sudden, this darkness just closes in over me, and I have all these voices telling me that I'm worthless."

Jesse gives Cam the name of the security firm looking for Charlie. We don't see the name of it. He warns her to be careful. "I may be hobbled but they are not."

"Now, you were hunting aliens, and I gave you Max's name. Why didn't you lock him up in Caulfield with the rest?"

"I don't know. I guess I feel like there's a story unfolding in Roswell. Has been for more than 50 years. You can't blame me for wanting to see how it ends."

Catherine Zeta-Jones in a laser maze -- Liz is referencing the 1999 movie Entrapment.

Liz trying to science-intrigue Kyle….

"Interesting historical footnote. There was an internment camp in Roswell. Nazi POWs built half this city. Hence the iron crosses. My great-great grandfather BoDean's foreman got busted for hiding a couple of women here. According to him 'A couple Nazi spies escaped and strudeled their schnitzel for room and board right here on this very farm. See, I was never really as into shooting squirrels as Wyatt is, so, when I came out here for summers as a kid, my cousin Kate and I -- we'd prowl the property for artifacts."

"You know, what we're doing you and me -- it doesn't only have to be for Max...once Max is healthy, we could use this genome machine to Target cellular apoptosis. I mean, we could craft polymerase sequencing in human DNA. We don't have to stop. We have no boards, no restrictions…"

Apoptosis is also sometimes referred to as "cellular suicide" or "spontaneous single cell death".

Polymerase is like the building blocks of DNA.

In other words, Liz is really, really smart.

FORREST LONG!!!!!! 😂😂😂.

Alex on the bullet shells: "These match the M1917s the airmen used in '48.

"They were scattered all over the property. Legend has it the Nazis we're building some kind of bomb in the barn. Then one night the Air Force showed up."

"The night of the fire."

"The blaze burned so hot it turned sand to stone. Papers say that lightning struck the barn and everyone died in the flames, but...that's bull. See I think the Air Force covered up the massacre that happened when they discovered that weapon.

A few things on this scene…

Forrest mentions his cousin Kate...Wyatt's sister who was murdered by Noah in 2008. So Forrest is Wyatt Long's cousin.

Substitute Nazi for alien and it's probably all based somewhat based in truth. In the 1940s that definitely would have been a reasonably obvious way to cover it up, especially given the history that Forrest cites and the military culture in Roswell.

Note: POW = prisoner of war

The iron crosses Forrest references…

Article on the German POWs in the Roswell Daily Record…

Walt was hiding in the barn when Tripp made it explode. Explosion looked shimmery, like the alien ship & tech.

Also, more info than you ever wanted to know about the Roswell Army Air Field/Walker Air Force Base/Roswell International Air Center...including some info on the POWs.

Sheriff Valenti's theory on Noah's death:

"I think Max Evans poisoned Noah and left him in the desert the night of the lightning storm, and I think Isobel Evans was in on it."

Kyle says it would take gallons of acetone to poison someone.

Tripp was Alex's great uncle

Nora was working on a ship to take the pods home.

TRIPP MANES!!! Full name is Eugene Manes III.

Alex finally gives Michael the piece of alien ship he's had. He doesn't want to be another Manes man standing in Michael's way.

Cam's voicemail to Liz.

"Got a lead on my sister. Give me a call when you get that tin-star-wearing E.T. awake, so I can curse him out for worrying us all. Good luck Liz. Bring Max home."

Arturo's Spanish to Liz and Rosa.

"Das gracias a Dios. Gracias todos los dias."

Translates generally to "Thank God. Thanks every day."

Isobel's monologue at the end:

"The idea of God always freaked me out. Like, apparently he made people in his own image, which, first of all, get over yourself. And also, does that apply to us? Does every planet have its own God? Let's say that we're all clones of the big guy in the sky. Well then, doesn't it stand to reason that we're all capable of slinging light? Well I guess by that same token we're all capable of tremendous wrath. We're walking contradictions. A never-ending mercurial rise and fall. Darkness and light. I guess the real miracle is choosing the light. Despite the ever-present darkness. Look at us. You're in the middle of a downright biblical desert, galaxies from where we started. I mean, our very existence is a miracle. I'm capable of so much more than I thought I was, Max. I really think that maybe I could do great things. I need you to come back, okay? I need you to be the thing that I can believe in. That doesn't let me down. I just need this one little miracle, and I promise I won't ever ask for anything ever again."

MUSIC:

1. LEN "Steal My Sunshine"

2. Spacehog "In The Meantime"

3. Duke Ellington "Take It Easy"

4. Maná "Como Te Deseo"

5. Oasis "Don't Look Back In Anger"

6. Ben Harper "Waiting On An Angel"

#roswell new mexico #rnm season 2 #episode details #long post #what if god was one of us #rnm 204

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myinterestsvary-writes · 5 years ago

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just took the official hogwarts sorting hat quiz and I’m a hufflepuff lmao

my faves are harry potter, incendio, hogwarts library, sphinx, appleby arrows, and the golden snitch

my wand has characteristics of Apple wood with a unicorn hair core, 12 ¼" and rigid flexibility

my patronus is a rat

#harry potter #hp #hufflepuff

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applebylibrarybks · 6 years ago

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Wotakoi : Love Is Hard for Otaku Vol. 3, by Fujita.

Narumi and Hirotakas relationship is going swimmingly, so now the two have a new problem: the rumor mill. The couple is going to have to rely on Hirotakas reputation as an undateable gamer to quash the gossip, because its shaping up to be a busy summer. There's a double date with Hanako and Taro at a festival, Narumi's first try at cosplaying, and even that otaku classic: a hot springs episode. Meanwhile, when Naoya's incredible misunderstanding about his new friend Ko comes to a head, will their friendship survive?

#Appleby Library #read #new #books #coming soon

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applebylibrary · 8 years ago

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#Appleby Library #read

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ericsonclan · 5 years ago

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Guess I'll Die

Summary: Javi and Gabe go out with their group from New Richmond to look for more supplies and find a fascinating survivor along the way.

Word Count: 6082

Read on AO3:

Javi felt determination rise inside of him as he headed out the gates of New Richmond with his crew. Today would be a successful day. He’d make sure of that. New Richmond was in desperate need of supplies after the events of six months ago had left so many dead or injured and the city in dire need of repair. Six months – had it really been that long? Six months since Mariana had died, since they’d found David only to lose him again to his own hubris and a walker’s maw, six months since Kate had disappeared without a trace. Oftentimes it felt more like a matter of days than months.

“Javi?”

He looked over to see Gabe walking beside him. “What’s up?”

“Just wondering what you’re thinking for today. We already tried going past the warehouse after we cleared it out. Are we gonna try a new direction?”

“That’s what I had in mind,” Javi pulled out a map from his back pocket. It was the same one David had given him the day he threw him out of New Richmond. Seeing his brother’s handwriting always left a strange twinge in Javi’s gut. “It looks like there’s an old township a couple miles west of here. No community so it likely wasn’t raided by Joan’s men,” Tucking the map back in his pocket, Javi smiled down at his nephew. “You hoping to find anything in particular?”

Gabe shrugged. “Maybe some new shoes. Mine are starting to pinch at the toes,”

“You’re a growing boy. Soon you’ll be taller than me,” Javi hoped the comment would get a reaction from his nephew but nothing much came of it. A frown pulled at Javi’s lips. He couldn’t blame the kid. In the span of a few days Gabe had lost his only sibling and both his parents. The only friend he’d made in years had left with a promise to return but given the length of her absence that seemed less likely with each passing day.

“You guys ready?” Liam’s voice came from ahead of them. He and Charlotte sat in one of Richmond’s cars while Mia and Noah waited in the other.

“Yep, just looking over plans,” Javi stopped between the two cars, speaking to both drivers. “We’ll head up the 89 together then take a right a few miles out on Appleby. That’ll take us to Rogersville and we’ll spend the rest of the day searching. Sound good?”

Both teams nodded.

“Let’s head out then,” Javi climbed into the passenger seat of the larger van while Gabe got into the back beside Mia. After a moment they were on the road, dodging walkers as they pulled farther away from New Richmond’s gates. Javi looked up from his map and round the car. He didn’t know Mia and Noah that well, but over the past couple months they’d proved themselves trustworthy. With New Richmond losing its three founders within the span of one day and learning of the corruption within Joan’s task force, entirely new leadership had needed to be built from the ground up. Noah, Mia, Charlotte and Liam were amongst the first to stand up and get things moving back toward order. It was comforting for Javi knowing that he wasn’t alone in trying to rebuild the nearly fallen city.

“Think we’ll find a lot of crawlers in Rogersville?” Noah asked, glancing in the rearview mirror to see Mia and Gabe’s reactions.

“Not more than we can handle if we’re smart about it,” Mia replied, patting the gun by her side. “Gabe here’s becoming a real crack shot too. I bet he could cover all of our asses if we needed it,” She ruffled the boy’s hair playfully, causing a shy smile to grow on his face.

“Just be careful with ammo,” Javi replied. “We don’t want Marta getting on our cases about inventory when we get back,”

They conversation continued as they drove on, commenting on memorable walker kills and the supplies they hoped to find in the town. Javi happily noted Gabe’s contributions to the conversation. He was glad to see his nephew coming out of his shell a bit more. Mia and Noah were closer to Javi’s age than Gabe’s, but they treated Gabe as an equal member of their team. Their kindness and mentorship toward him were appreciated by Javi more than he could hope to express. After about a twenty-minute drive, both cars stopped and they all got out.

“We move as a team,” Javi instructed. “None of us are familiar with the area, so we’re going to be cautious. If we split into different rooms when clearing a house, everyone stick with your partner. Let’s make this a smooth, safe trip,”

Everyone nodded. They knew the drill. Walking down the street, they made their way toward the first building that looked promising. The door was unlocked when Javi tried it. Pausing for a moment, he counted to three, giving the others his signal before they all stepped inside. It took only a few minutes to clear the rooms before they started scavenging. From the look of things the place had been looted before but that was nothing new. Anything worth finding these days was kept hidden so finding nothing in the open was to be expected. With that in mind they set to work.

They didn’t turn up much in the house. Some batteries, a few flashlights and some cans of dog food Charlotte insisted that take along “in case of emergency”. Javi shuddered at the thought of being desperate enough to crack open a nearly 5 year can of dog food out of desperation. With one building searched, they moved onto the next. This one did have a few walkers inside, but nothing overwhelming. They took them out with knives, not wanting to waste ammo or draw more muertos in with the sound of gunfire.

Gabe took out the last muerto with a kick to the knee before embedding his knife deeply in its brain. Javi smiled over knowingly. “Still using Clem’s trick?”

Gabe shrugged. “It works,” He didn’t say anything more, but Javi could swear Gabe looked a bit embarrassed at the mention of his crush. He knew that part of Gabe was hoping as he always did to find others his own age on the scavenging mission. It didn’t look like they’d find anyone in Rogersville though. It was a complete ghost town.

Moving further into town, the group had to take out a few muertos as they drew close to them. It looked like they were near the center of town which usually meant more muertos. Javi kept a close count of them, weighing in his mind the value of potential supplies over the increased danger with each step forward. Liam and Noah were heading toward what looked to be an old grocery store when Gabe called out softly and signaled them to stop.

“What is it, Gabe?” Mia asked, standing beside him.

“There,” Gabe pointed toward what appeared to be a library. “Do you see that sign in the window?”

The group looked up to see what he was pointing at. There across the inside of several windows the word HELP was plastered in yellow sticky notes. It was common to see such signs when they scavenged a new location. The odd thing though was that this message was dated. After the HELP, the numbers 8 and 07 were written in stickies as well. Fall of this year. The message was recent then. Perhaps whoever left it was still alive in there. All eyes turned to Javi for guidance.

There wasn’t really much of a choice. At least not in his mind. If there was a chance of survivors, they had to try to help. They’d at least give it their best shot. “Let’s go. All together now, stick close,” With that Javi took the lead and headed toward the library.

They quickly found themselves entering some sort of courtyard. From the looks of things, there had been a struggle here recently. At least a dozen muertos milled aimlessly in search of food, some looking less decayed than others. Recently turned. Guts were scattered all round the ground and some trailed from muertos’ stomachs. Looking at his crew, Javi silently signaled for them to draw back. Once they were out of earshot he spoke. “Our best chance is to spread them out, get them one at a time. Liam and Charlotte will draw them out while Noah, Mia, Gabe and I will stagger ourselves and take each one as it comes. Any questions?”

There were none. It was a simple premise though risky in execution. They’d employed it in the past while clearing out congested rooms. After a few minutes everyone was in place and Javi gave the signal to begin. Drawing his bat, he stood ready for the first muertos. It took a while for them to round the corner, slow as always. Charlotte and Liam split and circled back, leaving space for Javi and Noah to go in for the kill. A single sharp swing had the muerto’s head exploding like a piñata. A wet, stinky one. That was one old muerto. The thrust of Noah’s knife and a dull thud let Javi know the other had been taken care of. Grabbing the bodies, Javi and Noah dragged them aside to clear the way to take others out.

Gabe and Mia stepped forward to deal with the next two Charlotte and Liam drew out. The muerto nearest Mia grabbed her wrist, but she threw it against the wall with a determined grunt before stepping forward to stab it in the brain. Dodging his muerto’s arms, Gabe kicked out its knee and brained it as well. Javi smiled proudly, giving Gabe a thumbs up when he glanced his way. He’d really come far these last few months. The group continued on in this way, switching between pairs until only a few muertos remained.

That’s when Charlotte noticed them. “We’ve got company,”

The group followed the direction of her pointed finger, their eyes widening in fright as they saw a sizable herd headed their way. There were at least a few dozen, all treading down the street as one. Javi’s eyes turned to the courtyard. There were only a few muertos left. “Enough cat and mouse. We face the last few head on and find shelter inside the library till the herd passes,”

Everyone quickly followed orders. Striding forward, they disposed of the last few walkers before trying to the door at the end of the courtyard. It barely budged. From the movement it had though, it seemed to be jammed, not locked. “Search the courtyard for more entrances,” Javi directed. “Gabe and I will keep trying this one,”

The others spread out as Gabe and Javi struggled to pry the door open. It seemed to be barricaded pretty heavily on the inside. They could hear furniture groaning as they pushed against it repeatedly. Uncle and nephew continued their struggle, rhythmically pulling back and forth, hoping to get something to topple within. In the street behind them they could hear the herd drawing closer. The pair shared a glance. “We can do this,” Gabe declared, his eyes hardening in determination.

“You’re right. Let’s keep at it,” They slammed their bodies against the door again and again, pulling back with all their might. At last something was heard to topple inside and the door jerked open another inch. Progress. If only it was coming faster. “Keep at it,” Javi encouraged, slamming his body against the door again before yanking back again. The others returned from their searches, clearly fruitless. They watched as the pair tugged on the handle, offering to take turns but silencing and standing watch instead when they saw the determination of the duo. Something clattered behind the door and it opened another inch. They were getting close. But the moans were getting louder. With all the noise they were making searching for shelter they were drawing the herd toward them. Their struggle became desperate. Sweat ran down their back as Javi and Gabe both tried their best to open the door.

At last Gabe let go, reaching to shrug his backpack off his shoulders. “I can squeeze in by now. I know it.” Pressing himself into the crevice, he got an arm and a leg through but couldn’t fit his chest. Grunting with effort, Gabe knocked down more items inside, widening the gap. “There’s something big blocking most of the door. A desk or something. If I can just get in to move it-”

“Hurry!” Liam called. He and Noah were at the entrance of the courtyard. Noah struggled to hold back a muerto as Liam stabbed it in the head. The herd was upon them. They were out of time. Digging in his heels, Javi pulled back on the door with all his might. He couldn’t slam it open and shut with Gabe wedged inside. He had to trust that they’d get the hole wide enough for Gabe to squeeze through. Mia joined in the struggle, grasping the handle and pulling back as well. Gabe redoubled his efforts to get inside, groaning with effort as he forced his chest deeper through the opening.

Behind them they could hear Noah, Liam and Charlotte all struggling to keep the herd at bay as it poured into the courtyard. Gabe’s eyes widened in fear. Letting out a cry, he pressed himself even harder against the door until suddenly his chest was through. Moments of frantic scrambled ensued before Gabe collapsed onto the floor inside. His voice was muffled from within. “The door’s tied shut! I’ll have to cut the ropes and move the desk!”

“Speed would be appreciated!” Javi called back, turning from the door and drawing his gun. There were more muertos in the courtyard now than the ones they’d first cleared out. His heart broke a bit as he headshot a child muerto crawling their way. This whole town seemed to have been wiped out. He didn’t want to know how many more were approaching behind what they’d spotted of the herd.

Everything was chaos. Shots being fired, knifes thrust into skulls and pulled out dripping with blood. Noah had a close call and he and Liam were forced to draw back, lessening their ground. Javi looked amongst the members of his crew with concern. He’d made the wrong call. He shouldn’t have risked their lives on the chance there was someone living still inside. If he lost any of them for the sake of some stranger-

A loud screeching came from behind the door. “It’s open!” Gabe shouted.

They didn’t need to be told twice. All of them sprinted for the door, leaping through the space Gabe had forced open. Mia, Charlotte, Liam, Noah. Javi was last, barely dodging a walker’s grasp as he fell backwards through the entrance. As soon as he was through and clear, Gabe and Noah thrust the desk back into place. Everyone scrambled to pick up everything that had been knocked down to break the barricade, not desperate to rebuild it. Javi switched places with Gabe, keeping the door closed while the hands of the dead pawed at them through the opening. Charlotte took her hand axe and began hacking limbs off, hoping to give them the edge to close the gap.

At last with a last mighty push the door was forced shut. All the furniture in the room lay stacked in front of it, holding the muertos at bay. The crew took a moment to breathe, shaken after a close call. After a few moments spent confirming there were no bites they were all able to truly rest. The dullness of the pounding outside confirmed that the barrier would hold. Letting out a sigh, Javi raised his eyes to look at his crew. “Alright. Let’s search for survivors,”

There was no one on the first floor nor the second. There wasn’t much in the way of supplies either within a library, just a few office supplies and knick-knacks that they swiped along the way. As they walked through the abandoned halls, Javi began to wonder if there was anyone here at all. The sign had been placed at a great height though, the third and highest floor of the building. If there was anyone to be found, it would be in there.

The third floor seemed dead upon their arrival. The library was surprisingly pristine, an anomaly within the world today. Walking amongst the bookshelves, Javi squinted in disbelief. Had no dust settled upon them in all these years? This place was immaculate, especially this floor. Could that mean that there was actually someone after all who had taken the time to-

Javi’s thoughts were cut short as his foot caught upon something that sent him sprawling to the ground. He landed with a hard thud, hitting his jaw against the ground.

“Javi!” Gabe cried, immediately running forward. He paused just short of his uncle though, causing Javi to look over at what exactly he was staring at.

A dark-haired man with glasses blinked blearily at the two of them, looking rather lost as to what was going on. Slowly he looked down at his feet then over at Javi still collapsed on the floor. “Oh. Hello,”

“Um, hi,” Javi shuffled into a seated position, eyeing the man warily. “Are you the one who put up that message on the windows?”

“Message? Riiiight,” The man whacked his head lightly then seemed rather overwhelmed by his own gesture. “Yes, that was me. Sorry, my mind is a little garbled right now. Guess that’s what happens when you don’t eat for ten days,”

“You’ve been trapped here for over a week?” Gabe asked in shock, standing behind Javi. “With no food or water? Nothing?”

The man squinted at Gabe as if trying to make out his words. He eventually nodded then suddenly shook his head, groaning and holding a hand to his temple. “Nope, can’t move that fast. You’re right on the food matter. As for water, the toilets have proved quite plentiful. But I’ve found myself too tired to crawl over to them since…” the man looked over at a clock upon the library wall then chuckled. “Silly Santi, clocks aren’t real anymore,”

“Here,” Javi scavenged in his pack and drew out his own water. “Drink this,”

The man’s eyes grew wide. He grasped the bottle in an almost feral matter, downing its contents in a matter of seconds. Even after it was gone he shook it over his mouth, searching for more drops. By this time the others had noticed the stranger and come over to investigate. Noah and Javi shared a look.

“No other survivors?” Javi asked, lifting a brow.

Noah shook his head.

“Oh, there’s no one else here,” the man dropped the bottle to the side, looking back and forth at the group. “Just me, Santiago Gutiérrez,”

“So, Santiago,” Javi questioned, stowing his bottle back in his pack, “What happened to the rest of your group? I’m guessing you haven’t been alone all this time,”

“I wasn’t, though I might as well have been considering the way things turned out,” Santiago’s eyes were somber. “The group I had came to Rogersville looking for supplies. Instead we quickly discovered from the tattered banners across the main square and the plenitude of abandoned musical instruments that Rogersville was hit back in the day while in the midst of some sort of annual parade. The crowds might as well have put themselves upon a conveyer belt for the roamers when they attacked.” Santiago paused, cleaning his glasses before placing them back on. The size of the herd here is… immense. We were hopelessly outnumbered almost immediately. Edie, one of the older members of our group, fell and twisted her ankle. We couldn’t carry her and run. We lost her during a detour then Jackson, Claire…” Santiago’s voice grew softer, thoughtful. “The group became separated, forced to choose alternate paths. We could hear them being eaten across the street, past the buildings beyond our reach.

Somehow it ended up being just Taylor, Hanson and I. At that point they were beyond panic. They ripped my pack off my back, made me give up my gun, my knife, everything. Told me to run, serve as a distraction for their escape or they’d shoot me right then. So I ran. I heard them get cornered only seconds later, heard the gunshots, then heard the bastards get torn to shreds. Fat lot of good my ‘distraction’ served them,” Santiago looked up at the group. “I don’t suppose there’s any more water to be spared?”

Gabe silently handed over his bottle. Santiago downed it in its entirety before speaking again. “My thanks. I ran into the library figuring it would be a safe bet for minimal dead inside. And I was correct. Even before the apocalypse libraries were grossly underappreciated. Anyways, I blockaded the door, cleared out the dead that had straggled in, and then I was trapped. I tried a few times to escape, sneaking out through the courtyard or the other exits, but no luck. The roamers always found me. And with nothing to defend myself I never got far without beating a hasty retreat.

So I decided to see how long I could last in here. The toilet water was… adequate. The space is immense. All that’s missing is, well, food. The few raids I conducted in the area were unsuccessful in tracking down any food and soon I became too weak to safely try again. Who knew the “no food in the library” rule would be the death of me?” Santiago ruefully chuckled. “But all in all, it’s not a bad place to see the end. In fact, it’s my favorite place of all. So I scoured the shelves for anything that piqued my interest and decided to read until my mind gave out. It’s been quite pleasant revisiting old classics,” Santiago’s thumb traced the spine of a copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. “Just wish it was under happier circumstances,”

Javi and the others shared a look. He turned back to Santiago who was absentmindedly reading another page within the book. “Well, now that we’re here that doesn’t need to be the case anymore. You can come with us back to our community. There’s food there, water, walls. It’s safe,”

A faint light sparkled in Santiago’s eyes. “Why, that’s right! If you made it in here all together, you must still have some weaponry on you, yes?” His eyes caught Liam’s pistol, holstered at his side. “That’s a gun!” Santiago exclaimed excitedly, leaning forward and pointing.

Javi chuckled at the enthusiasm. Prolonged starvation and dehydration had clearly left Santiago’s brain a bit fried. “That’s right. We’ll still got ammunition too. We’ll find a safe way out of the library then we’ll all drive back together. Sound good?”

“Sound good? Why, it’s fucking fantastic! Let’s go!” With that Santiago rose abruptly to his feet only for his eyes to roll back into his head as his legs crumpled beneath him. Luckily Gabe was mostly able to break his fall, catching the man with a grunt.

“Is he dead?” the teen asked in fright.

Charlotte immediately stepped forward. Pressing two fingers to Santiago’s throat, she quickly found his pulse. “No, just fainted. The sudden change in blood pressure from getting up so quickly did it,”

Gently Javi and Gabe dragged Santiago over to a nearby chair before reconvening with the group to plan their escape. “The information from Santiago confirmed our fears,” Javi said, arms crossed. “The herd out there is way larger than the one we barely escaped getting in here. But back there we were cornered. If patterns hold to what they were when we entered, the east section of town should still be fairly clear like we saw on our way in. If possible, let’s prioritize an escape route heading in that direction. We stay quiet as long as possible. When that no longer works, we sprint for the cars. Any questions?”

“What about Sleeping Beauty over there?” Liam asked, gesturing toward Santiago.

“Hopefully by the time we find an exit he’ll have woken up. For now, let’s get to work,”

A quick sweep of the first floor exits made it clear the place was swarmed. The once clear courtyard was now a death trap and all other available exits led directly onto major roads now flooded with the dead drawn in from all around town by the sounds of the scuffle. A higher floor it was then. The fire exits had locked automatically thanks to the library’s security system years ago when the power gave out. They were able to pry open a door though and confirm that the stairwell to the east was still standing. With daylight burning away there was no time to waste. Santiago was still unconscious, but they had to go now.

With a grunt, Javi lifted the thin man and threw him over his shoulders. It made the most sense to leave Noah and Liam’s hands free to draw and shoot if necessary. They were better shots than Javi and with their current situation if they stopped at any moment for melee fighting they’d be dead. Lining up one after the other, the group made their way out of the door and onto the fire escape, Javi in the lead. Moving with cautious, carefully considered steps, they descended the stairs one at a time.

Moving down metal stairs with no sound was impossible. Many times a foot would clang louder than expected and all of them would freeze, holding their breath as they waited for the muertos below to lose interest. It was painstakingly slow progress, but it was progress nonetheless. Javi tried to steady his breathing as they continued on. He could hear Gabe’s own barely perceptibly breathing behind him. Once they got to the lowest steps it would likely be impossible to avoid the muertos’ notice any longer. They would need to jump the last flight as quickly as possible and start their sprint. They could do this. They had to.

Santiago let out a faint groan upon Javi’s shoulder, stirring. Everyone froze. If he awoke and panicked at the sight of the herd below, they were all dead. The force of all those muertos pushing upon the supports would bring the entire structure crashing down all at once. But after a tense couple seconds, it was clear Santiago was too drained to fully wake any time soon. They continued their incremental descent.

As they approached the final set of stairs, Javi had the fleeting wish that they’d been able to find an isolated muerto whose guts they could have used for camouflage during their escape. He never thought he’d want to go through that ordeal again, but now the idea of that smelly layer of extra cover felt downright comforting. He could see the faces of the muertos below him clearly now. Their vacant eyes stared dumbly ahead as they milled amongst themselves. There were over a dozen within a few feet of the stairwell but none directly blocking it. Javi sent up a prayer that it would stay that way for just a few minutes longer. If they could get past this section of town maybe then they’d be in the clear and have a straight shot to their cars. They just needed-

Mia’s foot slipped. The sound of her foot clanging against the metal an extra step down and her shocked gasp seemed to reverberate through the space round them. Several muertos’ heads turned in their direction. Did they see them? Could they wait for the moment to pass and the muertos’ to forget? Javi held his breath, his heart pounding within him. Two of the muertos began to walk forward. There was no time. They’d block their exit. They had to run.

With a great leap Javi sprang down the remaining ten steps, landing hard upon the ground, his shins stinging. Shifting Santiago to one side, he drew his gun, pistol whipping the nearest walker and crushing its head beneath his feet. Behind him the others were leaping down the stairs as well. They remained silent, but the sounds of their steps were enough. The muertos moved towards them. And there would be plenty more behind them. Kicking a walker out of his way, Javi began to run in the direction of the cars.

They were at least a half mile away. The cars weren’t visible from here, but they were close. If they could stay ahead of the heard for only a few minutes, they’d make it out alive. But there were so many. Glancing behind to check on his crew, Javi’s eyes took in the herd that clogged the main street and his heart fell. There were hundreds now. They’d come out of the woodwork, gathering en masse and heading toward them with unyielding focus. More came in from the side streets ahead, drawn in by the noise of their own kind. Bracing himself, Javi shot forward at a dead sprint.

The group fanned out, Noah and Liam on either side of Javi, Mia, Charlotte and Gabe taking up the rear. They ran in a straight line down the center of the road, avoiding every walker they could, sparing only a moment to strike down those in their path. If Liam or Noah’s blows didn’t deter a walker, someone in the rear guard finished them off. Javi felt his heart lift a bit at the sight of their progress. They were doing it. They could make it!

Then the other wave emerged. Walkers came pouring out from the streets ahead of them, drifting towards their path before they could pass them. They couldn’t pass straight through. Javi’s eyes shot to the right side of the street. There was an opening, but it was slim. If they could circle round this herd before it joined the main one, they could continue on. Willing his legs to go even faster, Javi signaled with his free hand and adjusted his direction. He could hear the others breathing heavily behind them as they followed suit.

They were close, only a few dozen yards now. But the gap was closing, They wouldn’t make it through in time, not like this. Swearing under his breath, Javi cocked his gun. There was no purpose in silence any longer. He fired into the herd, trying to take down the front line and keep the gap open. Gunshots rang out all around him as everyone did the same. Muertos fell left and right, but the sound seemed to awaken the rest more, their speed increasing towards them. Firing faster, Javi found himself pressed against the wall as he made his way through. The muertos were within arm’s reach now. Striking out wildly, Javi did his best to hold them at bay. “Keep pushing on!” he cried to the others, smashing his gun into one muerto’s head and crushing it against the wall. “Don’t give up!”

A muerto reached out toward one of Santiago’s arms. Javi kicked out its leg before executing it only for another muerto to grab his wrist, pulling the gun toward itself. Javi gave it its wish and shot it in the face.

“Javi, look out!” A gunshot rang just inches from his ear as Gabe took out another muerto lurching toward his uncle. The corpse fell toward Javi. Pushing it back with a mighty cry, Javi tossed it aside, knocking over a pair of approaching muertos in the process. That was it. Their opening.

“Follow me!” Javi bellowed, sprinting forward and finally breaking free of the gridlock they’d been stuck in. Turning round for a moment, he headshot the muertos nearest his companions. Seconds later they were clear of it as well. They were ahead of the herd again. And their cars were just around that final corner. Summoning his last dregs of adrenaline, Javi sprinted once more toward their salvation.

It was only a few seconds. Less than a minute, but it seemed so much longer. Every instant mattered as the group’s feet pounded the pavement, hoping they’d be fast enough. Shots echoed throughout the streets, the only sound loud enough to be heard over the groans and footsteps of the immense herd. Javi’s body was numb, all focus on survival. Survival and protection. As he aimed for another muerto heading their way, Javi’s stomach sank as he heard the click of an empty chamber. He was out of ammo. He couldn’t fight any more, only run. But they were right at the corner. That had to be enough.

The tension in the air was palpable as they came within sight of the cars. Eyes roved over the muertos around the vehicles. 6, 7, 8… under a dozen. They could avoid that many. They could strike down that many if need be. Holstering his gun, Javi drew out his bat, wielding it one handed as he ran toward the cars. He swung with all his might, back and forth, clearing the way. They were within feet of the cars. Another muerto fell beneath his bat. Liam had opened one car. Noah had opened the other. The cars had started, circling away from the approaching walkers. Noah opened the passenger door, shouting something unintelligible.

He didn’t need to hear the words to know their meaning. Lowering Santiago into both his arms, Javi rushed forward, keeping pace with the moving car. He had to time this right. 1, 2… now! Leaping in, Javi dropped his bat beside his feet and pulled the car door closed, mercilessly crushing off a muertos’ fingers in the process. The car sped up and suddenly they were clear of the herd. It was over. Javi let himself take a long, shaky, breath.

“Need some room here! He’s crushing me!” It took a moment for Noah’s words to make sense in Javi’s mind. Quickly though, he realized how crowded the front was with three grown men there. Adjusting Santiago’s unconscious form, Javi laid him as best he could between the two seats.

“Javi! Is that your blood?” Gabe’s voice was tight as he pointed toward Javi’s hand. Looking at it in confusion, Javi rubbed it away. “Not mine,” He looked back toward Santiago and internally winced as he saw blood seeping from a wound upon his head. It must have gotten clipped against the car as Javi leapt in.

Mia spotted the wound too. “I’ve got some medical gauze. Just a second,” Wriggling her pack off, she quickly located the gauze and pressed it against the wound.

Now that all emergencies were out of the way the car fell silent for a moment as all four members looked back and forth at each other. Liam and Charlotte’s car was ahead of them on the road, leading the way. They’d all made it out. No bites. No losses. They hadn’t found much, but they were all alive. There were moments back there when Javi wasn’t sure that was even possible.

Then again, they had found something in that library after all. A lone survivor. Javi looked upon Santiago thoughtfully. Gently he adjusted his glasses that had been skewed crookedly across his face. They hadn’t fallen off, nor had they broken. As bad as this man’s luck seemed to be, in other ways it was stronger than was usually seen. He’d made it out of an infested town with no weapons, food or supplies to his name. The again, he’d been unconscious for the entire escape. Javi would make sure to tease him about that later. From the conversation he’d had with Santiago so far her seemed to be the sort of guy who could take a joke.

Javi’s eyes found Gabe’s which had been locked on Santiago’s still form as well. Javi smiled proudly at his nephew. “You did great back there. Carried your weight like a true champ,”

A smile crossed Gabe’s face at those words. “Thanks. You too,”

Holding his gaze a moment longer, Javi smiled too. Then his eyes returned to the front and the road ahead. Dusk was starting to fall. They’d likely not make it back till after dark. But they would make it back. Home. Safe. That was enough for today.

#twdg #twdg javi #twdg gabe #twdg santiago #twdg javiago #fanfic

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