#I’ll do a story time about how kid me decided to learn about exorcisms so she could exorcise herself anytime she though she might be

[goldkirk]

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[roccinan]

I'm risking sounding terribly egoistical by sending a public ask about my own url here but I'm doing it!!!!! I need the super graphic-details

Your ego is my ego, dearest nharidy. There's a reason the doc is named after you hahaha

[ 👉 My Wips ]

OK so the Absolvisti sequel's been sitting in my head since well, the week after I published it lmao. But I never got around to writing because I wasn't sure if it was being too self-indulgent (I'm feeling more confident about it now that I know you'll be pleased by it!). Also because I was having trouble deciding on a pov: should I continue with the Tatiana 1st person pov as always? Change it up to Martin 3rd person? or surprise: 1st person Don Juan?? Should it be a new chapter or new fic? (def. open to suggestions here!) Also I think it'd be Iconic to publish a story in the Dies Irae universe with our new cat profile pics.

Graphic detail time :D Prepare for a SUPER LONG answer LMAO. Most of the things I mentioned here and here will make their way in, with maybe a bonus ns/fw chapter from Martin or Andres' pov. The main story is SFW however, and there's like a hilariously high amount of hurt!Andres, who doesn't have demons to rely on anymore but still carries all the permanent damage the demons left on him:

It takes place some months after Absolvisti so Andres is doing better, but not fully well yet. He's not actively dying anymore but he does faint a lot and isn't exactly making a full recovery. Because I wanted to make things harder for Martin. Because he's not a young man anymore, the wounds were super extensive, and this is the result of years of accumulated damage + a form of "withdrawal" (the shadows/demons that used to feed on him were also the things that kept him alive so it's one big cycle that his body isn't leaving that easily).

This means every time Martin plans something nice for him like seeing a play or going out for a nightly walk, Andres can't go through the whole thing without feeling unwell. (Martin: "I over-exerted the love of my life. I am so SELFISH. what does Andres see in me??" Andres: "I disappointed the love of my life. I am the WEAKEST. what does Martin see in me??" Tatiana: feed me, bitches)

They manage to sit through one play though (not sure if I want this at the beginning or end of the fic LMAO). It's the one Bogota wrote, The Necromancer's Lament, a "biopic" about Andres' life. And it's every bit as terrible as Martin expected. Bad special effects, bad acting especially from Martin's actor, Andres' actor has a beard, and Tatiana looks like this:

Andres thinks it's the best play ever. Martin hates it and demands a refund. Tatiana hates it too but Don Juan's like, "mi amor, you are still beautiful to me, even as a deformed puppet."

Martin's 120-page complaints aside, Bogota runs the theatre troupe with his partner, Nairobi/Agata, and they're both going to start teaching performing arts at Santa Catalina because the last drama professor died lmao

Meanwhile, Santa Catalina has a new bad girl student, Tokyo/Silene! Sergio took her in as a charity case after some dark and mysterious events in her life. But Tokyo being Tokyo can't stay away from trouble, and she becomes obsessed with finding the demons that Andres expelled. Some bizarre possessions start happening again and the school's sponsors force Raquel to keep it under wraps. (Raquel: maybe if you increased funding, we wouldn't have so many problems!!)

In the meantime, Martin gets that letter from a long lost relative asking to meet him. Not sure about the order of this either. Anyway, Martin was planning to ignore the relative, but Andres insists he go. Either Tatiana or Don Juan accompany him. Martin learns that he's the sole heir of his dead parents across the sea (the will: “we forgive you for being a heretic, a freak of nature, and the alchemist of Palermo. also no hard feelings for leaving you to die as a baby xoxoxo”). There's one (1) condition though: he has to end his partnership with the necromancer. Martin: NO THANKS.

So while Martin's dealing with this unexpected drama, Sergio decides to call in Andres' expertise TM again because it's also a good excuse to talk to his brother. Martin is Very wary about this and rejects him. But Andres insists that it'll be fine. Plus, maybe he wants to turn a new leaf and help Santa Catalina for nothing in return this time. Not everyone gets a second chance at life and he doesn't want to be a bad person anymore uwu (Tatiana: "Andres was a pretentious piece of shit, surprising no one." Martin: "Nobody deserves Andres, not even me, and I'm like, the most amazing person in the world.")

Andres comes to do the exorcism with the random priest the school hired. And they discover there aren't any demons- it's just some ghost fucking around (maybe I'll make it the spirit of Gandia or Alicia since they haven't shown up yet lol). Anyway, it doesn't go very well but Andres gets rid of the creature or whatever. Not before it punctures a hole in his side though. Then Martin loses it, just full-on screams at Sergio for almost getting Andres killed again, makes a lot of threats against the school, etc. etc.

Raquel, being more useful, plugs up the wound. But the priest accidentally provokes Martin more by asking Raquel if he should mop up Andres' blood with holy water or something. What if the necromancer's blood is cursed?? And now it's all over the floor, so disgusting :/

Martin, already in a very bad mood, beats the priest up.

They go home. Martin's in a really sour mood and he just doesn't understand why Andres isn't mad at Sergio. Martin: "It's really emotionally damaging to me if you don't give a fuck about yourself." Andres makes him even angrier by bringing up the Berrote family will and having the audacity to suggest Martin leave him for money. He makes a huge case about how he literally has nothing to offer Martin except a body that barely works and a terrible reputation. Martin: "I lost a fucking eye for you??"

They fight and Martin storms away, and also kidnaps Don Juan, his honorary new soulmate who would never betray him like Andres.

A while after this, the Spanish Inquisition local clergy arrests Andres for "questioning." Because the shenanigans at Santa Catalina are still going on and that one priest suspects him of being behind everything just because. Raquel's the one who bails him out. She may not like Sergio's brother, but the way everyone else treats him is ridiculous.

Andres limps home, hoping Martin's still away. Surprise! Martin felt guilty and came back. And it's pretty obvious that Andres has just been tortured. Martin: "Say no more. I'm going to kill some people."

Andres gets Martin to not do anything stupid by dropping the thing with the will. He admits he was wrong for saying those things to Martin and he selfishly, genuinely wants to stay with Martin forever. Martin: "I'm still going to kill your brother. You may appease me with a kiss."

Does it end here? No! Because the shit at Santa Catalina is still happening. Andres and Martin solve it for good though. But it's all very dramatic. I'm vaguest about this part, but maybe Nairobi's injured saving Tokyo, and this gives Tokyo the wakeup call to move on from whatever baggage that got her into this mess in the first place. Then Andres' solution for saving Nairobi is to ask Martin to work that alchemist magic and transfer her wounds onto himself (at this point, we're just going overboard with the Andres whump but asdfasdf why stop??). Raquel: Sergio, tell your brother to stop dying. That's a bad example for the kids.

It takes a lot of convincing, but Martin relents in the end, only because he trusts Andres. At this point, Andres has been through so much that he physically cannot take any more damage. Like, he just can't lmao. So the whole process puts Andres into a coma or something. But we don't need him anymore because now we can revel in Martin's angst!

Martin spends the rest of his time crying and angsting and guilt-tripping Sergio, and just being very loud in general. He also writes back to his family and tells them to fuck off.

Once we indulge in enough of Martin's pain, Andres finally wakes up. Still very bad off but he's alive and not showing signs of dying any time soon. So that's good enough for Martin. They have a nice heart-to-heart, and idk, maybe Raquel comes to see them because Sergio's too embarrassed to. Until Andres insists, because he loves hermanito unconditionally uwu. Martin: "watch your back, Sergio. I might murder you in your sleep (:"

Then at the very end (I have no idea how long this story is LOL), there's some kind of family photoshoot between Raquel, Sergio, and Paula. Everyone's raving over this new invention called the "camera." Andres is admiring it from a distance until Raquel's like, "get over here. what part of FAMILY photoshoot do you not understand!?"

Andres is shocked pikachu face because good will towards him for once?? he's being included in something?? people want him around?? what is happening??

Martin's happy for him though. Then he's admiring from a distance until Raquel's like, "I said FAMILY photoshoot. Get over here, Martin!"

Tatiana didn't want to be a part of it, but Paula saw her favorite talking cat and like, grabbed her lmao. Don Juan photobombs it because he can't be excluded from an activity with Tatiana, especially when his former rival Andres is in the photo too. (His current rival is Casanova, an unworthy white cat vying for Tatiana's affections)

Sergio proposes to Raquel. The end! Yes, the kitty love triangle is also a central theme of this story LMAO Hope that satisfies you, nharidy! And I welcome any and all suggestions!

[somuchbetterthanthat]

Okay, so -- I am absolutely refusing to write it properly, because lonely!Martin is killing me and I refuse to give him any more powers than he’ll have on me in canon. But the idea won’t leave my brain and I need to exorcize it in some fashion so, here is yet another angst thought {that i’m furiously trying to make hopeful at the end}: 

...this is not a proper story, but also it vaguely is and it’s super long. goddamnit, lonely!martin.

Jon wakes up, and the world is black; he panics, in the first moment, before he remembers what he’s decided to do. What they’ve decided to do. Martin’s hand is near him, gently shushing him, and Jon takes a breath, and he says, voice trembling with a mix of disbelief, fear, and heartbreaking happiness and relief: “Did we do it? Did it work?” and Martin says quietly “I don’t know. Did it?” so Jon swallows, and tries to look into Martin’s direction, even though he’s unsure, and goes, purposefully: “Martin, did it work?” there’s a beat of silence. And then he hears Martin’s shaky little breath, and he replies: “Nothing. Nothing I didn’t feel compelled.” 

Jon feels powerless and aching and desperatedly, overwhelmingly elated. “we did it,” he says again, and then, he clumsily touches Martin; his chest, shoulders, his neck, he reaches his cheeks when Martin’s hands cover his. Martin’s voice is full of something that must be emotion, Jon thinks, when he says: “you did it.” he doesn’t have time to analyze it, because then Martin is kissing him, and Jon stops thinking of anything than isn’t the beginning of their new life. 

*

Jon actually hates being blind; he feels horribly clumsy, and he hates not knowing. He hates that sometimes he just can’t know where Martin is in a room; he hates that he keeps bumping into their new coffee table; he hates that he can’t even open their new front door without searching for the key hole for at least a full minute. He tries not to complain too much, because Martin doesn’t. Martin figures out the tea before Jon does (of course he does), and Martin is hopeful. “Think of it this way,” he says. “That’s a whole new other world for you to learn about. Never a boring day.” They’re laying side by side on their new bed, and Jon can feel Martin’s arm brushing against his. He takes his hand into it, impulsively, and presses a kiss to Martin’s cold skin. “You’re right,” he says. “Course I am,” Martin mumbles, and Jon snorts, and rolls over to hide his face into Martin’s shoulder. Martin leans in to peck his forehead. 

(Jon thinks he’ll learn to love being blind, if it means this, forever this.)

*

“We should get a dog,” Jon says a week and a half in. They’re walking down the streets, and they’re slow and Jon feels a bit ridiculous and overwhelming glad for the cane in his hand, but still. Still. 

“I thought you were more of a cat person,” Martin says. They’re arms under arms, and Jon can feel the sun on his face. 

“I am,” Jon admits. “And I’m definitely in favour of taking in a cat as well, eventually. But the dog seems more useful right now. You like dogs, right?”

“Always wanted one when I was a kid,” Martin says. Jon grins vaguely into his direction. 

“It’s settled then, we’ll get -”

“Jon, be careful there’s a -”

Jon bumps into a street lamp pole. Martin makes a noise that’s between a worried exclamation and repressed laughter. 

“A dog,” repeats Jon, in pain. 

“A dog,” repeats Martin; they go sit on a bench for a while. Eventually, Martin laughs about the whole thing, and Jon doesn’t roll his eyes because he doesn’t have them anymore. It feels good to just laugh at himself too. 

*

Jon takes a lot of naps; they don’t know if it’s the Beholding influence slowly fading, the tiredness of having chased the Institute’s grasp on him. He naps a lot, and sometimes, he wakes up to the sound of Martin on the phone; 

“Why would I?” Martin asks, and it’s biting and cold and chills Jon to the bone. “Everything is working out.”

“Martin?” Jon can’t help but ask. 

“I’ll call you back, Basira. Thank you for checking,” Martin says, and it’s striking, how much his voice softens when he says: “Slept well, love?”

It’s the first time Martin uses a term of endearement. Jon vaguely remembers Georgie calling him ‘darling’, in university, but it was rare and such a long time ago. There’s something so earnest in the way Martin says Love. Jon’s cheeks get very red and his stomach is full of flustured butterflies but he manages to ask: 

“What did Basira want? Is something going on with the Inst -”

“Just checking if we were okay,” Martin cuts him off. “Everything’s fine there. Besides, not your problem anymore, right?”

It’s not that easy, Jon thinks abruptly, his heart tugging at something. He ignores it. “Yes,” he says. “Yes. It’s not my problem anymore.”

*

“Mmmh,” Jon mutters. “I like audio books better than movies, I think.”

“I’m shocked,” says Martin, and Jon nudges him a bit. 

“Don’t pretend you’re enjoying this anymore than I do,” he says. 

“Okay, right, her voice is a bit annoying,” Martin admits. “Maybe we should try doing something else.”

“What do you have in mind?” Jon asks. 

“Mmmh. Kissing you?” 

Jon coughs, and then he laughs. “Okay,” he says. “That sounds like a pleasant enough alternative.”

“Pleasant enough,” repeats Martin. “God, Jon.” 

(The fondness makes Jon’s heart trips in his throat; when Martin kisses him, they’re both smiling)

*

Jon takes a lot of naps. Maybe he’ll have to take them for the rest of his life, he muses sometimes. It’s alright. He can deal with this. Sometimes, he wakes up, and Martin is typing.

“What are you doing?” he asks, still sleepy. 

“... Writing,” Martin replies after a bit, softly.

“I’d love to read -- i mean, hear your poetry, one day,” Jon says. 

“Let me work on it just a bit more, and I’ll consider it,” Martin tells him.

*

It’s been three weeks, and Jon navigates their kitchen perfectly now. He’s mapped out the flat, knows the rooms and can almost see in his mind the faded, ugly paperwall with huge white roses. He’s mastered the door, as well. 

“I think I’m doing this pretty well,” he tells Daisy. 

Daisy is quiet for a very long time; Jon’s abruptly reminded of how much he misses seeing. It was already hard enough to understand people before, it’s harder now without any visual clues to lean unto. “Are you alright?” he adds, softly. “You could still --”

“I’m fine,” Daisy says. “At least as much as usual. And I don’t think Basira and I are quite ready to quit just yet. Maybe we’ll get there, maybe we won’t.”

“She can still get away,” Jon says. his throat itches, and his head hurts a bit, but he persists. “She’s not too far gone, she could walk away from this, and you with her.”

“Jon -” Daisy begins, and she sound sad, which doesn’t make sense.

“Do you want some more tea, Daisy?” Martin calls out loudly. Jon startles hard. 

“Where did you come from?” he asks belatedly, feeling Martin’s cool fingers on the back of his neck.

“Nah,” says Daisy carefully, warily. “I’m good, Martin. Think I might going back to the Institute now.”

*

Jon doesn’t have dreams anymore; in his nightmares he thinks he still seeks them out, but he is stuck in Naomi’s graveyard, fog pulling him tenderly into a icy embrace, as he walks aimelessly, craving. 

In his nightmares, he is always so cold and always so hungry. 

*

They’re almost out of the door to get breakfast out when Martin says softly: “Jon, your cane.”

“Oh,” says Jon. “Right. Where -?” 

Martin puts it calmly in his hand. 

“We really should get to a shelter soon,” Jon mumbles, cheeks flushed. 

“Soon,” repeats Martin. 

Jon isn’t sure, but something in Martin’s cheer that morning feels -- forced. “Are you alright?” he asks, eventually. 

“I’m with you,” says Martin. “Of course I’m alright.”

*

Jon takes long naps. He lays his head down on Martin’s lap after lunch, usually, and falls asleep almost right away, with Martin’s fingers gently caressing his curls. 

Sometimes, he wakes up, and he is alone.

“Martin?” he asks, and he hates how shaky his voice is. “Martin, are you here?”

Sometimes, the silence is oppressing; he knows with absolute certainty that Martin is gone, and the fridge makes no noise, and he can’t find the remote to turn on the TV, and the computer’s voice is just static. Jon opens the windows, and there is only cold wind and no sound, absolute no sound, and Jon yearns for his eyes back even though for a single, terrifying moment, he’s persuaded there would be nothing to see anyway. 

Then the front door open, and life rushes back in. “You’re awake,” Martin says, and his voice feels odd, just a bit breathless.

Jon strides to him, without bumping unto that damn coffee table, and hugs him fiercely. Martin gasps and they both shiver. 

“What were you - you shouldn’t go outside alone,” Jon says, his heart pounding to his ears. “We’re -- it’s easier when we’re together. Anything could happen when you’re alone, we should -- stick together. We need to be together.”

“Oh Jon,” murmurs Martin. 

“Please,” says Jon brokenly.

“Together,” Martin repeats. “I promised, didn’t I?” 

(his mouth on Jon is full of hunger, afterwards)

*

Jon’s real superpower, he sometimes thinks, is denial. 

“Ma’am,” he says outside of the coffee shop where Martin is ordering for them. “You’ve dropped your wallet.”

“Oh,” says the lady. “Oh, thank god. I didn’t - oh. Oh your glasses -- aren’t you --”

Jon’s throat is very tight. There is only blackness, he tells himself. Blackness is freedom. Blackness is Martin. 

“You’re welcome,” he mutters, and steps inside the coffee-shop, his hand too warm around the damn cane.

*

Jon’s naps are long and restful and sometimes, when he wakes up, Martin is typing. 

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“Working,” Martin answers immediately, and then, softly, adds: “...oh.”

Working on what? Jon itches to ask. We don’t have jobs anymore. 

“Leave it,” he says instead, his mouth a bit numb. “It’s almost four, we could get tea.”

“It’s important, Jon,” Martin says very quietly.

Jon winces; he lays on the couch, and he listens to Martin’s fingers on the keyboard. The computer’s AI never speaks out loud. Jon’s chest is icy.

*

“You’re being an ass,” Martin tells him, but Jon can hear the laughter in his voice. 

“I’ve been told it’s part of my charm,” says Jon primly. 

“By whom?”

“... You must have said it at least once.”

“... Not to your face I didn’t.”

“Well, you could try now.”

“Jonathan Sims,” Martin says, sounding giddy. “Are you flirting with me?”

“Is it working?” Jon tries. 

“I -- god,” says Martin, his fingers are almost warm on Jon’s face. “God, I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Jon says.

Martin kisses him; Jon’s hand brushes over his jaw. He wipes the few tears that escaped Martin’s eyes, and refuses to ponder on why there are tears at all. I love you, he repeats against his lips. I love you, I love you, I love you -- 

*

Naomi is back first. 

I tried, Jon doesn’t say. He is so hungry.

*

The wallpaper truly is ugly; Jon thought he wouldn’t mind, with both Martin and him unable to see it, but those white roses filled with thorns might be slowly driving him mad. Or maybe it’s because it’s the only thing in the flat; the clock is frozen, and Jon is curled up in a plaid, waiting for Martin to be back.

They should get that dog, he thinks, and knows they won’t.

*

“Jon,” says Helen, “how has your little experiment worked out for you?”

“Are you going to be here at every crossroad, Helen?” he asks with an exasperated sigh. 

“Well, that’s what good friends do, isn’t it? Did you enjoy being on your own?”

“I’m not alone,” Jon snaps. “Martin is here. Martin came with me. Martin is here.” 

“Yes,” Helen agrees. “But I thought being alone and being with one of his kind was pretty much the same thing.”

“Go away,” he tells her. “Go away.”

Helen is laughing her terrible laugh when she says: “If you insist on lying, you can’t blame me for trying to tell the truth.”

*

He waits for Martin to say it. 

He wants Martin to say it. 

But Martin keeps coming back and kisses his cheek hello; Martin keeps playing stupid board games and laughing, keeps making tea and chiding Jon for not wearing warmer clothes. Martin keeps on kissing him, and carding his fingers through his hair, and suggesting new audiobooks they could listen to together. 

He could say it first, he supposes, and knows that of course he won’t.

*

“What is it, Jon?” Basira asks. She sounds exhausted and wary.

Jon’s hands are shaking badly. There is a hole deep in his stomach. “I need,” he begins haltingly, hating how weak and defeated he sounds. “Could you come by the flat, please? I’m. I know there are statements that needs to be read.”

*

Sometimes, Jon naps. It feels good, as he stares and stares at misery and horror and fear; he wakes up relaxed and focused, and the flat is quiet, but not devoid of sounds. 

He gets up slowly, and goes to the living-room. He looks at Martin for a long time. 

“What are you doing?” he asks quietly.

“Reading,” says Martin, and then he startles bad. “Jon --”

His eyes are very brown and filled with so many expressions. Jon’s vision is slightly distorted; he’s not seeing from his eyes, but from the mirror that’s just behind him. Martin is slightly off to the left, and his face is closed off.

“I don’t understand,” Jon says at last. “What was the point of this?”

“You wanted to do it,” Martin answers, because he can’t chose not to. “It was - it was worth a try.”

“Together,” Jon says slowly. “We’d said together.”

“We are, aren’t we?”

Jon has laughed so much, over the past weeks, he’s forgotten how bitter his own laughter could sound. “Right. Except when we’re not. Has this all been -- very pleasant for you, Martin? Have I been a satisfying meal?”

Martin tenses, taking a sharp inhale. “That’s not -- fair --”

“Look at you right now!” Jon bites. Martin’s cheeks are flushed; Jon knows the deep satisfaction settling down into Martin’s bones, the delicious thrill down his spine, terror and longing and yearning for the sudden, abrupt distance between them, the inevitability of their downfall after weeks of lies and the pretence of domesticity; of connection. “Are you going to keep lying to me, and tell me I haven’t been feeding your god for the past two months?”

“Fine!” Martin spits. “Fine, alright, yes, it’s been -- it’s been -- something. I, I don’t know about feeding, and I don’t think I -- I didn’t want this. I, I didn’t expect it to feel so good, alright? To, to have you just -- but that’s not, that’s not the point! Not everybody makes bad choices for an Eldritch Fear Entitty, Jon!”

Jon feels like he’s been slapped. “Then, why?” he Asks, because if he must be the avatar of unpleasant truths, if he truly cannot escape it, then so be it, he’ll heard them all. “Why go through all this? Why pretend to have done it? Why -- why just be here, with me, while you apparently knew it wouldn’t last and you were dead set on continuing your plans behind my back anyway?”

“Because I love you!” Martin exclaims, furious and shaking and pleading. “Because I wanted to pretend we could do it! That, that we could just. Be together. You’re not the only one who can be selflish, Jon! I wanted to believe in all of it. I wanted to. To know what it was like. At least -- at least for a bit. I wanted to know what it was like to be with you. To just -- love you. Even if it didn’t last. Even if it hurt afterwards. Maybe, maybe because it would hurt afterwa -” he cuts himself off, and Jon wishes he could unheard it and reveals in the way Martin’s pulse is higher from having the truth being ripped out of him. 

He wants to cry; he wants to go to Martin, and hold him; keep him pinned under his eyes forever, until every tendril of fog is gone, until he remembers who he belongs to -

“I can’t stay here,” he says, and heads to the entry way.. 

“Jon -”

“I can’t -” 

“Jon - you’re - you can’t just leave like that, your hair -”

“I don’t care,”

“You’re forgetting your cane,” Martin says at last, when Jon grips the door handle. 

“I don’t need it,” he says numbly, and can’t bring himself to slam the door behind him.

*

“The hell?” Melanie says. “I thought we agreed. No more calls, I’m done with -”

“I know,” says Jon; stammers Jon; the streets are cold and he is so hungry he feels he may disappear if he doesn’t grasp someone soon. He can’t go back to the Institute. He can’t look at Basira and Daisy, who had known all along. “I know, I just - it’s not coming back, is it? You’re - you’re not - seeing again?”

“What? No. That’s the whole fucking point of the eye gouging, wh - oh god, has it -”

“Guess it was too late for me,” Jon tries to joke, but his hands are shaking badly, and it falls flat. “But i’m - glad. for you.”

“What about Martin -”

“Martin’s fine,” Jon hears himself say. “Martin’s always been fine.”

“Right so.. what now?”

There is a woman, Jon knows, who was abandonned by every one in her life on her wedding, and barely made it out by sheer will and the affection of a best friend. Fitting, he thinks.

“Now,” he says softly. “You tell Georgie I said hello, and you go back to your new life, Melanie. Good luck. I hope you two are - I hope you two are good.”

“Christ, don’t need to be so dramatic, we could -”

Jon hangs up. He strides in between the crowd, avoiding everybody else.

*

The Institute feels so good and familiar Jon would weep, if he still could. He settles down in the Archives, and he does what he’s always done best; he works and reads.

(he aches)

(Two floors up, Martin is typing, always typing. What are you working on? Jon wants to ask. It’s the last mystery left, isn’t it? What are you working on?)

*

What is Jon working on?

Sometimes, the dreams fade into a nightmare; it’s the same graveyard, but Naomi isn’t here. Nobody is here. Nobody was ever here. 

If Jon concentrates long enough, the graveyard shifts and looks like small flat with a really awful wallpaper.

*

Life would be easier, he muses, if he didn’t feel so much.

It takes him less than two weeks before he caves in and opens the door of Martin’s office. “Jon -” Martin begins, and his voice is filled with wariness and joy and anger and love, and it’s all muted and grey and distant. No matter. Jon bends over, and kisses him, and Martin gasps into his mouth.

“Does it feel good?” Jon asks, in between kisses, as Martin’s fingers curls around his hair, pulling him closer. “Does me missing you feel good?”

“Yes,” Martin says, because he can’t not answer. “Yes, it feels - perfect.”

“I love you,” Jon says, and he lets Martin know, he lets him know the ugly, selfish part of Jon that yearns for him constantly, the one that wants Martin to be here, that needs him to be at his side because it’s easier, because it’s easier together and Jon is so terrified of being alone, without anyone who cares, without him --

“Jon,” Martin whimpers, dizzy and overwhelmed and grabs Jon’s hips until Jon stumbles into his lap; his mouth is icy and he is devouring him, and Jon thinks the hell with it; he doesn’t mind if the clock stops ticking; he doesn’t mind that he cannot cry anymore despite his tight troat and the ache where his eyes used to be. All he cares about is Martin, and Martin can be with him, as long as he holds on through the fog. 

Martin will never entirely leave him, anyway. Of that he’s certain; it’ll defeat the purpose of the game. 

*

“We should change the wallpaper,” Jon says.

“Oh thank god,” Martin breathes out. “Yes, please. It’s so ugly.”

*

They don’t get a dog; there is a cat in the Archives, eventually, but that’s the Institute. In their home, there is nobody, and no noises; the wall paper is white and the windows foggy, and everything is calm and peaceful. 

Sometimes, Jon naps. 

Sometimes, Martin is even here when he wakes up, to both soothe and probes at the perpetual ache that chills Jon’s bones. 

[prorevenge]

Racist mom tries to bribe son to dump me, I gain power over everything she cares about.

This is gonna be a LONG post lol, may have gotten exact timing sequences out of order.

Met a guy that we had mutual friends with and invited him to hang out with my friends and do fun stuff. Later learned he was not even allowed to hang out with my crowd cuz his mother was the very strict and hypocritical sort who thought everyone else was inferior to her precious kids. Guy was telling them he was doing work or something. Eventually he told them he wanted to date me and they flipped. The dad doesn’t have much say in the house and the mom (EM) was livid.

You know how Amish people don’t like rock and “sinful” music? Or females that wear shorts and tanks? Yuuup basically her. She went through my social medias and literally compiled and printed out giant lists of every country song I’d ever posted or concert I’d been to or clothing she thought was too provocative along and gave it to the pastors at both of our churches. EP called MY mom at 2am a couple times to rant and rave about “how could she let her daughter do such sinful things and flirt with boys yada yada yada”. She made racist remarks to Guy (I’m a super cute half Asian half messican, and all of his family is pale white golden haired angels) and even asked him if I’d molested him (I’m 5’ 2” and he’s literally a foot taller than me) and if that’s why he wanted to date and marry me. He was still at home and they went on a family trip to Colorado. Or as it turned out to be an exorcism style prayer meeting over Guy because EM just knows there must be a demon or something wrong with him. Oh and this was only within a span of a few months while he saved up to move the hell out.

Nope not over yet. EM then was harassing his work, his new church pastors (mine), his friends, got one of his business partners to leave him with lies that Guy is “bipolar” and “Schizophrenic”, thankfully most of the people had our back and we had some good laughs over what outrageous things they told us. Even driving an hour and a half to his apartment (I know dumb move to let them know where he moved to), in the middle of the night a couple times to harass and berate him and blubber about how everyone would judge her and how her reputation was going to suffer and church standing, she even dragged his two younger siblings into it all and told him they were heartbroken that he moved out and all the reasons he needed to move back home. Cue even more fun, one night he was just done so when they showed up to again try and bully him into moving back home or at least dumping me, he just up and left. Got in his mini and drove away. AND THEY FOLLOWED HIM. Unbelievable right? He used to race his mini so he lost them pretty quickly and booked it over to where I lived and spent the night there. I know, why not call the cops right? Well there was no physical damage or threats thereof. Yes she’s been verbally and borderline physically abusive to him growing up, think patriarchy super conservatives but it’s a matriarchy. At one point EM asked Guy what it would take for him to dump me, what amount of money could she pay him (Guys dad makes buttloads of moola, yeah those kind of people) to get me out of his life and for him to move back home. SHE TRIED TO BRIBE HIM TO LEAVE ME. She’d threatened to disown him and all the typical rich EP stuff before and knew he didn’t care. EM even called all his guy friends and asked if Guy has ever had any “homosexual” tendencies etc. Next month Guy proposed, and EM was SO MAD that she heard about it for the first time from a mutual friend congratulating her on the upcoming wedding! So of course she calls all the pastors and REEEEs about how we’ve been living in sin (kicker, we hadn’t even done the dirty dance but she didn’t bother asking) and telling everyone that they shouldn’t attend the wedding etc. Yea call us prudes :p EM also printed out all the reasons why I wasn’t good enough for her son and handed those out like candy to church leaders. Then when that had no effect she switched tactics and did the same thing with all her reasons why he was immature and shouldn’t get married and should move back home and be parented. Still no effect, except my dad at a huge meeting where she tried to distribute those, gathered them all back up and handed them to her and told her to stop slandering us and said how ungodly that was. And she stood there baffled and all the other people present agreed with my dad and told her to put those papers away. EMs exact words “but but I thought the very reason everyone is here is to show Guy why he needs to leave that girl and move back home!” I couldn’t help a giggle and a few other people couldn’t either. That meeting is a whole nother story, it was hilarious.

Where is the revenge you ask? Well all that was just the tip of the iceberg of course, but the revenge has been pretty simple. Spend a few obvious nights (SLEEPING ONLY) at his place, just to trigger her, but ofc our pastors and friends knew we’d committed to abstinence our entire lives up to the wedding (hella yea wedding night was killer) and other things like that to get under her skin but nothing that anyone else thought was bad. Very publicly plan and execute a HUGE wedding (over 500 people) and tell everyone about how our relationship is so beautiful and holy and how Gods destiny brought us together yada yada. She made a couple extra hoops for our pastors but we jumped through them with flying colors and everyone except her thought we were the cutest most Christian kosher thing. So basically to save face she had to fake smile and accept all the congratulations and be secretly embarrassed that we didn’t invite her to the wedding showers (she said she never wanted to see me and wouldn’t go to the wedding) and made excuses as to why she hadn’t gone, EM couldn’t tell her friends that we hadn’t invited her now could she? She went after the best man too and he almost decided against being the best man she was such a hassle and he was a pushover, but I told him the best passive way to deal with her is tell her that he wants to be there for his friend and how could she argue with that? She didn’t. But of course, what’s better than forcing her to attend the wedding but not allowing her to ruin it? Extremely petty I know, but I’m a drama llama and have enjoyed 98% of all this. I of course get ahold of EMs own mom and get to know her and she’s very sweet and loves me to death, along with Guys siblings and his dad, as many of EMs own friends and their families etc. So everyone loves me and when we invite them all to the wedding, they strong arm her into coming. I have my cop friends who have been having a heyday hearing about all this drama coming in for the wedding, one of them I make my MC so if she tried anything, not only would they take care of her swiftly, but she would also deeply embarrass herself because there was no denying that there were 500+ people there who loved Guy and I, including a lot of her friends. The ceremony was great, went off without a hitch, oh wait... I am not a bridezilla so if anything went wrong it was fine and the drama was cracking me up, I was a little disappointed she didn’t try anything drastic, but I could see on her face the entire time that EMs smile was sooo fake, and I got reports that she was seen crying outside later. Watching people congratulate her was priceless. When my own friends congratulated her a few of them later told me that she seemed surprised that I had any “respectable” friends (her literal words) who thought well of me. And no I’d arranged her to be only in one photo so she couldn’t ruin any others.

Oh and our wedding day was only the 3rd time she’d ever set eyes on me. She was against me from the start for almost a year without ever having spoken a word or ever seen me in person. Take that EM. To this day I have no idea what was her real beef with me. Happy ending: now that I provided the first grandkids, to my chagrin they’re like baby Targaryens they’re so white, and of course she’s too “young” to be a grandma so she’s called “nana”, but we laid down ground rules and she knows we will ostracize her at the drop of a hat, and she has kissed butt so hard and to her credit done her best to mend everything without ever really actually mentioning any of it. It’s great. We have holidays and fun visits in between and she showers us with super expensive gifts and will drop everything possible to help if we need anything. I think we’re friends now. One day I think she might bring it all up and try and play the victim, idk, but she’ll be hit with a carefully detailed account of everything that went down, in case her memory “fails” her. I can forgive but I’ll never forget, after all, I got my delicious revenge. Power over everything she holds dear and the evidence to expose whatever she hasn’t already done by her own dumb self and absolutely ruin her reputation and community and church standing. I feel really good right now

TLDR entitles mom wants to be petty about me dating her son so I take petty to another universe levels and crush her with epicc facts and logic and hold all the cards to ruin her life now

(source) story by (/u/cyborgurl)

[shirtlesssammy]

8x22: Clip Show

Then:

Cas almost gets hit on by Dean 

Now:

Lost Creek, Colorado

A couple are at a cabin in the woods, and the woman is so happy that her boyfriend finally joined her. He acts like it’s no big deal but we flash back to a memory —specifically of Supernatural season 1, episode 2: Wendigo. He’s Tommy and has some serious PTSD from the terror he experienced that night in the woods.

He thinks he hears a growl and pulls his girlfriend away from the window. He knows that a Wendigo is outside and pulls out a flare to take the unseen monster out. He crumples to the floor and then just explodes right in front of his girlfriend. Eeerp.

At the bunker, the brothers continue to find records that the Men of Letters have kept over the years. Sam’s not doing so well due to all the Trials. He’ll feel better once they finish them.

Cas shows up in the war room, and it appears that Dean and Cas didn’t follow the golden rule of not going to bed angry. Dean doesn’t even acknowledge the angel. Cas is still convalescing. He sits down to talk with Sam a bit about the trials. Dean comes back with food for Sam—well, jerky, beer, and peanut butter cups. 

Cas offers to go with Dean for more food, but still gets the cold shoulder. “I’m sorry.” “For what?” “For everything.” Classic DeanCas, lol. (Brb, off to throw myself off a cliff.) Oh wait there’s more, Dean calls out Cas with the whole bolting with the angel tablet and adds, “You didn’t trust me?” 

THESE BOYS ARE NOT IN LOVE:

Cas is contrite but Dean is not accepting his apology. Sam stays out of it all for a bit but interrupts eventually to pull Dean aside to make it clear that Cas is one of the good guys. What’s that saying? Dean’s harder on Cas because he loves him the most? Well, meh, I do like their later seasons of grumpy banter more than the divisiveness of right now.

In any event, the brothers head to a storage room. 

Sam wants to find a case that their records mentioned. He finds the box, and Dean finds a dungeon! Sam’s box contained a movie film.

They set up the movie (They even made popcorn, guys!)

It’s an old black and white film of the Men of Letters. Josie, the woman that Abaddon possessed, is filming the experiment. They have a demon captured in the very dungeon the Winchesters just discovered. They throw holy water on the demon, recite an incantation at it, and then one priest cuts his hand and presses it on the demon. It flares out, apparently gone. The film stops. It was weird (!!!) One of the priests is still alive and Sam thinks it’s a good idea to get the lowdown on what they just watched on the film. Cas wants to go too but Dean won’t hear of it. (Brb, flinging myself off another cliff. DO NOT LIKE.)

Cut to the brothers meeting with the priest. He tells them that the other priest believed that demons could be saved. He thought that they could cure the demon and they could be a normal human soul again. There were other experiments after that one attempt, and then the priest ended up dead a couple months later. Something had torn him apart. Sam tries asking about records but goes into a coughing fit, complete with blood. He heads to the bathroom while Dean continues to talk with the priest. The priest agrees to give them the other priest’s papers.

Meanwhile, Cas is on a mission to make up with Dean. He’s at a Gas ’n Sip and pulling all the essentials to make Dean like him again.

Ways to woo Dean Winchester:

Beef Jerky

Porn

TP

Beer

Protein

AND Smiting the sap who can’t provide the pie

Cas almost smites the poor attendant. Metatron interrupts. They need to talk.

He wants to talk about Heaven. It’s apparently a mess up there without the archangels. Naomi isn’t in charge as much as she’s led Cas believe. Cas blames himself for everything that’s happened in heaven. (URGH, no! —I mean, yeah, but NO). Metatron thinks they can buddy up and save the day! They can sort everything out. First, they need to shut down Heaven. Then he mentioned crepes and flies away.

At the bunker, Sam can’t find Cas. Dean doesn’t care (URGH, no!) They decide to watch the last audio recording before the priest died.

Once again, there’s a demon in chains. This time, the priest injects the demon with purified blood. He continues to do this 8 times. And the demon seems to be cured. 

They decide to try the experiment out on their own decapitated Abaddon.

Meanwhile, Cas flaps over to Metatron’s brunch location, a cute restaurant with an outdoor patio overlooking the water. It’s a perfect place to relax!

Iconic dialogue alert: 

Waitress: Cool coat.

Cas: No, it's actually quite warm.

Waitress: Cute and funny. Okay…

Metatron: I should have picked a better looking vessel.

You’re not here to accidentally flirt with the waitstaff, Castiel! Cas asks for clarification on Metatron’s quest to close the gates of Heaven. Metatron waves it away as just another godly safety switch - you’ve got one for leviathans, demons, and Heaven, of course. Metatron tells Cas that it’s time for a heavenly lock-in to work out all their feelings. And he needs Cas, the warrior, to do it. Cas owns to feeling responsibility for the current state of Heaven but recoils when he hears the first trial. He’ll need to cut out the heart of the cute waitress, the sole nephilim on earth. (Pronounced in this episode as neph-IL-im.) “What’s more important?” Metatron asks. “Her life? Or your family?”

With season 9 under my belt, I watch Dean and Sam sewing Abaddon’s head on with particular horror. Like, you took on the Mark of Cain to defeat her, Dean Bean. Which led to a whole bucket of depression and sad men. Nobody likes buckets of sad men. (JK obviously I love it or what am I even doing here?) What a spectacularly bad idea! Still, it wouldn’t be my beloved show if characters were making smart choices. Abaddon wakes up, cracks her stitched neck, and greets them with “Morning, sunshines.” 

“I can’t wait to tear out those pretty green eyes,” she says, lovingly. The Winchesters smirk, drawing her attention to her handless state. (They chopped off her hands - or maybe just left them detached.)  “I’ll stump you to death,” she says and...that’s the spirit, Abaddon! She knows about the priest and his work curing demons. In fact, she was a special dispatch straight from Hell to make an example of him. The priest led her to Josie and possessing Josie helped her dismantle the entire Men of Letters network. Yeesh. 

The phone rings. It’s Crowley! Abaddon is appalled to learn that Crowley is the King of Hell. Dean and Sam leave the room to talk to Crowley and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD BOYS they leave Abaddon alone. 

Outside, the Winchesters chat with Crowley. He directs them to some news stories, “sexts” them an address, and bids them farewell. They discover that Crowley’s been putting out hits on people the Winchesters have saved. 

While Crowley’s giving them the news, Abaddon makes like Thing from the Addams family and puppets her hands out of the loosely closed box on the table.

Her hand crawls into her mouth and pries out the demon trap bullet. It’s freedom time, mofos. 

The Winchesters return to find Abaddon gone. You FOOLS! Sam keeps his eyes on the prize, though. Crowley’s latest address is from their “witches and baked goods” case and is clearly a trap. Time to make a play to catch themselves a different demon. 

Prosperity, Indiana

The power’s out in the target’s apartment (and so are the cupcakes! yum!) Unfortunately, Jennie’s body is also out - sticking out of the oven, that is. “You were a great gal, Jennie Klein,” Dean says and...okay? Great mourning, everyone. 

Crowley calls them up again. He’s killing off everyone they’ve saved (and using the books as a reference guide) until they deliver the demon tablet to him. 

Metatron and Castiel stalk the waitress outside her place of work, Metatron goading Cas to make a choice. Urg. It’s just the bad decisions gang all around. She whirls around to confront them and saves them the trouble of introductions. “I could see your halos.” (I start to hum Beyoncé to avoid thinking about this next part.) Metatron calls her an abomination and she begs to be allowed to just live her life. (She apparently works twelve hours shifts as a waitress, for heaven’s sake. It’s not like she’s exploiting her power.) Cas looks disturbed, apologizing even as he advances on her. She throws him across the grounds like he’s nothing and then advances on Metatron. Castiel kills her from behind. Oof. 

The Winchesters race to the next location, only to discover Sarah - the art dealer Sam flirted heavily with several seasons ago. She’s staying in a seriously adorable hotel room, with actual art on display. Dean greets her like he’s just dropped by for a casual visit. OMG Dean. Sam briefs her on the plan. Devil’s traps at all the exits, shotguns, and an exorcism ready to play on loop. We learn that Sarah’s married with a kid. (Sam gets a peek at what-could-have-been.) Sarah tells him that he’s changed - he’s more confident and grown up. She misses the old haircut. Awww… 

Crowley calls and starts counting down and when he reaches zero, Sarah starts to choke. She collapses. “You son of a bitch!” Dean shouts. “Son of a witch,” Crowley clarifies - his mother taught him a few useful spells. The Winchesters start tearing apart the room to try and find a hex bag. Crowley continues his villain monologue: he’s keeping all things hell-related far away from the Winchesters - no more demons getting close enough for them to kill. 

“I think the people you save, they're how you justify your pathetic little lives. The alcoholism, the collateral damage, the pain you've caused – the ONE thing that allows you to sleep at night, the one thing is knowing that these folks are out there, still out there happy and healthy because of you, you great, big, bloody heroes!”

I mean, when Crowley’s right, he’s right. 

Sarah dies. Ugh. UGH. Crowley gives an ultimatum: they stop their quest to close Hell or people keep dying. In rage, Dean hurls the phone across the room. When it breaks, they finally find the hex bag. (Me: But okay she only stopped breathing a minute ago? Start CCR and call 911!)

Back at the bunker, Sam is Not Okay™ and does not respond well to Dean’s attempts to cheer him up. Sam, who continues to look awful and exhausted, suggests giving in to Crowley. “We’ll kick it in the ass like we always do,” Dean insists. Rousing speech, babe. 

We fade to black, with everyone we love on dark paths of one kind or another.

______________________________

I NEED Quotes:

Well, that was weird with three exclamation points.

I NEED pie.

I can't wait to tear out those pretty green eyes.

First things first – what are you wearing?

You’d better find him toot-bloody-sweet. 

I know this is insane, but insane is kind of what we do.

______________________________

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive! 

[mittensmorgul]

wheee monday! back to the tnt loop! 1.22 gives us a lot...

Bobby, most of all. And the beginning of our Good Practical Demon Knowledge. Not our Christo’s and our Two Part Exorcisms that make the demon wildly more dangerous before sending it to Hell. We learn that demons can keep otherwise dead or dying meatsuits alive, and exorcising them can kill the human trapped inside. We get all of this demonstrated for us via Meg. And we learn a bit more about where Dean’s ultimate moral lines are drawn:

Dean: Sam, there’s an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there. We’ve go to help her. Bobby (comes up to them): You’re gonna kill her. Dean: What? Bobby: You said she fell from a building. That girl’s body is broken. The only thing keeping her alive is that demon inside. You exorcise it – that girl is going to die. Dean: Listen to me, both of you, we are not gonna leave her like that. Bobby: She is a human being. Dean: And we’re gonna put her out of her misery. Sam, finish it.

(which will become interesting again in 4.02... the things they didn’t know at the time literally coming back to haunt them in new and bigger ways because of something new they’re just learning about... which is exactly what makes the spiral narrative spin. The same thing over and over again isn’t interesting, they need to keep leveling up, being forced to build on their knowledge and understanding and applying it to the next degree of cosmic problem, only to learn some more and compound their understanding, only to level up yet again.)

We also learn what’s “normal” for the supernatural world:

Bobby: Normal year, I hear of, say, three demonic possessions. Maybe four, tops. Dean: Yeah? Bobby: This year I hear of 27 so far. You get what I’m saying? More and more demons are walking among us – a lot more. Sam: Do you know why? Bobby: No, but I know it’s something big. The storm’s coming, and you boys, your Daddy – you are smack in the middle of it.

Heck they so did not want this, nor ask for it.

We still don’t really understand Azazel’s motives in possessing/kidnapping John outside of the fact he now needs to reverse his trap, use what he does have, and hope Sam and Dean are just as unable to resist saving John as he was to save them. In the most immediate terms, he just needed the Colt off the playing field. (heh, was he gonna store it in Ramiel’s armory for safekeeping I wonder, or just flat-out destroy it like Dagon did?)

We get our first “whoops they killed a dog, so they’re now irredeemable” when Meg shows up at Bobby’s and kills his dog. (cue 13 years of “Dean is a dog” imagery)

We also get both Meg and Azazel taunting Sam and Dean over the fact that they killed Mary:

Meg: Jeez. You kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh wait, I forgot, you don’t.

and

John/YED: What? You’re the only one that can have a family? You destroyed my children. How would you feel if I killed your family? (he smiles at Dean) Oh, that’s right. I forgot. I did. Still, two wrongs don’t make a right.

And they’re not wrong... for all we learn about Dean’s personal moral code, we also learn his exception:

Dean: Killing that guy, killing Meg. I didn’t hesitate, I didn’t even flinch. For you or Dad, the things I’m willing to do or kill, it’s just, uh .... it scares me sometimes. John: It shouldn’t. You did good. Dean: You’re not mad? John: For what? Dean: Using a bullet. John: Mad? I’m proud of you. You know, Sam and I, we can get pretty obsessed. But you – you watch out for this family. You always have. Dean: Thanks.

When “John” asks for the Colt a moment later, this is where Dean draws another line. He knows it’s not John. In the standoff, “John” and Dean play a weird game of “calling the puppy to them” when Sam questions what’s going on, why Dean has the Colt pointed at “John.”

Tell me this doesn’t sound EXACTLY like 14.20:

Sam: Dean? What the hell’s going on? John: Your brother’s lost his mind. Dean: He’s not Dad. Sam: What? Dean: I think he’s possessed. I think he’s been possessed since we rescued him. (He starts to get upset.) John: Don’t listen to him, Sammy. Sam: Dean, how do you know? Dean (fighting back tears): He’s .... he’s different.

vs

SAM: Our entire lives. Mom, Dad -- everything. This is all you because you wrote it all, right? Because -- Because what? Because we're your favorite show? Because we're part of your story? CHUCK: Okay, Dean, no offense, but your brother is stupid and crazy. And that kid is still dangerous. So pick up the gun. Pick it up... pull the trigger... and I'll bring her back. Your mom. DEAN: No. (Dean takes a few steps back to stand side by side with Sam)

“Your brother’s lost his mind” about Dean, vs “your brother is stupid and crazy” about Sam. Both times, Dean holding Magical Kill Everything Guns and pointing them at yellow-eyed monsters. Dean facing killing his father in 1.22, and someone he considers a son in 14.20. And he couldn’t do it either time, not to get revenge, not to kill the current concept of “Ultimate Evil and Danger” to the world. And yet another parallel between John and Chuck, even if this was actually Azazel speaking here he was using John’s face to do it. This is the archetype of “toxic fatherhood” in the narrative from the jump.

Dean does get one good comeback in:

John: You know, you fight and you fight for this family, but the truth is they don’t need you. Not like you need them. Sam – he’s clearly John’s favorite. Even when they fight, it’s more concern than he’s ever shown you. Dean: I bet you’re real proud of your kids, too, huh? Oh wait, I forgot. I wasted ‘em.

And then after this bit of mental torture, because this is psychological torture for Dean here, the physical torture kicks in. The wounds look shockingly similar, in retrospect, to the ones the hellhound leaves on Dean in 3.16, claw marks down his chest. And both times, Dean is unwilling to kill the person he loves to stop the larger evil thing.

This is also our very first instance of what we’ve come to refer to as a “crypt scene.” Breaking through demonic possession or other mind control to reach a loved one. For a complete rundown, including a description of this scene in that context, please have the very long and complicated history here (excellent reading, btw. Click through the read more for the entire original post and then the s12+ additions in this reblog):

https://elizabethrobertajones.tumblr.com/post/167800948433/elizabethrobertajones-so-basically-you-cant

Just another thread of the big narrative spiral getting broken in 14.20.

And not related to anything I’ve said above, but because heh I find this amusing  as heck, just as a weird... production wtf. At the scene outside the Sunrise apartments, there’s two men (one man in the crowd of bystanders and one of the firemen he approaches) who it looks like they were scripted to be possessed by demons in this scene. Both men open their mouths and gasp at the supposed moment of possession. But we don’t see any smoke crawling down their throats. I figure it’s because it was the VFX crew who realized it was implausible for random smoke to be floating around outside a supposed scene of a fire in broad daylight, without drawing any sort of attention from anyone in the crowd. So instead of these demons simply “activating” and coming to the surface of the people they’ve already been possessing, we get this weird “invisible possession” gasp. Because of who I am as a person, my brain has decided these two people were already possessed, but the demons inside them were lying dormant until they were called up for service, like a couple of understudies being told they’re finally getting to take the stage. And they’re both inordinately delighted by this, to the point they do the lil “gasp of excited glee:”

ME?! YOU WANT  LIL OL’ ME TO HELP?! *omg okay this is actually happening, we are really doing this, i’m readY I’M READY I’M READY!*

alrighty then, moving on to season two now :’)

[teddystrap]

[神なる君と] Spirit duo - Rei

なんかちょっとラストスパートな感じですけど…

Rei is the friendly spirit that Sakuya and co. met when they were investigating rumours about hauntings in the old school building. He’s arguably the most ‘mysterious’ character, since nothing is known about his former life, and I was super curious what his deal is. Not to mention he’s the final obstacle standing between me and Mikoto!! Ψ(￣∀￣)Ψケケケ

Truth be told he’s not really my type, though - since I’m not 15 anymore. I mean he’s a ghost but looks more like a forest elf / Mori Boy circa. 2001, and his voice sounds like it’s breaking. Compared to the other characters also he has a personality (or lack thereof) that is blander than konnyaku. In fact I found myself opening all the Yuzuru options in his common route first before going back and redoing them for Rei, because senpai saranghae I only wanna be wit u <3... 

Aaanyway.

-Mizuniwa Rei-

Rei-kun’s common route was actually quite revealing and interesting - in two of his ema, Mikoto actually asked to tag along, so it seemed like there might be some important information there idk. 

In his second ema, Mikoto tells Sakuya that she has the power to push people who are on the brink between Life and Death into one world or another, depending on what kind of guidance she gives.

Which in retrospect seemed like heavy foreshadowing for what’s about to come.

Fuu-san’s backstory was also revealed here:

Around 10 years ago, Fuu-san and his bff, a boy named Kawashina Yuuya, were students at Mikagurayama High School. One day they found a hidden basement storage room in the old school building, and turned it into their hang-out spot.

The basement used to be a bomb shelter, and had some books left over on occult spells and curses, that were used during the war to protect the townspeople. Fuu-san found a book with a spell to summon the powers of the Great Demon, and wanted to try it out of fun/boredom, but Yuuya was against it.

So Fuu-san did it by himself anyway. He got the sealed cursed box from the magical cave and took it back to the basement to perform the spell. Halfway through he passed out... and when he came to, he realised that Yuuya saved him by transferring the spell onto himself. 

Yuuya never woke up again, despite a lot of medical attention and whatnot. After half a year, Fuu-san decided to quit school and skip town to learn exorcism so that he can save his friend. But when he finally returned a few years later, Yuuya had already died...

Fuu-san lived with guilt all these years and thought that Yuuya died hating him. But when he went down to the basement with Sakuya to liberate his spirit, Yuuya’s spirit communicated through Sakuya that he doesn’t ever regret saving Fuu-san, and he hopes Fuu-san can stop blaming himself and go forward in life, smiling... By this point I was pretty much crying like a baby... ｡･ﾟ･(ﾉД｀)･ﾟ･｡

Oh how I wish there was a Su-sa-no-o in my neighbourhood, with a sexy store-owner like Fuu-san... 

But we’re not here to court Fuu-san (I wish we could, mang. I wish we could), so let’s get back to Rei. In his route Sakuya tries to help him to find out about his family and his past. She asks Aki for help ofc, and Aki reports back that she couldn’t find anyone matching Rei’s description in the database of deaths, nor the missing persons list...

And the mystery deepens dun-dun-DUN. This would’ve made for an interesting story development,... except the writers totally abandon it and instead opt for Rei and Sakuya frolicking around in the forest, true to his Mori Boy style (wholesomely tho, since they are both underage XD). Then Rei realises that he’s not long for this world, and he tries to put some distance between them - but Sakuya eventually convinces him that they should spend his last remaining time on earth together and make lots of beautiful (wholesome) memories.

There were a lot of group events in his route, which was nice since I got to see Yuzuru-senpai mucho. (Although he’s not an option here obvsly T_T)

You know I will happily choke on a fish bone for you, senpai <3.

So hoshimatsuri night, Rei undergoes the ceremony to pass into the other world. Sakuya stays home, because she’s not strong enough to go and say goodbye to him. Is this like deja vu from the Yorihito/Nisei story arc or what?? ...After that, Sakuya goes to the old school building one day after school, and finds a note from Rei. SURPRISE - he’s still here.

...

It turns out that Sakuya’s, uhh, clinginess is keeping him from successfully departing. At this rate he’s going to grow weaker and weaker and become trapped in the interstitial space between two worlds - forever. They keep communicating through notes, and through voice chatting over radio, while Sakuya grows enough balls to finally let him go.

Eventually she does. Because let’s face it - Otomate can’t afford to pay their seiyuu to carry on a story for like two gajillion chapters.

In his final moment of departure, he appears to Sakuya in a dream, but they can’t hear each other’s voice. Just as Sakuya is freaking out, he pulls her in and kisses her, then disappears into the ether. (*ฅ́˘ฅ̀*)♡

...I guess Yuzuru and Rei’s routes don’t work the same way as Narumi and Yakumo’s, bc you don’t get the alternative ending by choosing the ‘wrong’ option for the last couple of choices. I wasn’t strong enough for senpai’s bad end, but I was actually pretty curious about Rei’s, although all the same I wasn’t able to unlock it. Either way I hope he didn’t get stuck in between worlds forever, poor kid has been through enough.

1. Good end: Fast forward 10 years, Sakuya becomes a teacher at Mikagurayama High School, just as Rei had hoped. She still goes to the garden every day to take care of Rei’s flowers. The old school building is about to be torn down because it’s too old and might be a safety hazard. She’s on her way there one last time... when she gets a call from Aki, who finally found out what happened with Rei’s past-life investigation 10 years ago. Unfortunately Aki trips on something and the line cuts off before we get to hear it. _(:3」∠)_

So Sakuya is there happily watering her flowers, when guess who appears - ahem *Rei*, now all grown up. He tells her that this time he’s not a spirit anymore... and the scene just ends there. I’ve seen a lot of abrupt endings but this has gotta take the cake. Although I’ll admit adult Rei is kinda sorta smoking hot, so less talk more making out!

[Thoughts] What can I say? This route really didn’t explain as much as I thought it would, although there were some good bits. For one, the Fuu-san backstory really got to me. Fuu-san was always the side character that I was most curious about, since he seems kind of... shady, and like he might’ve had a colourful past. His arc really delivered, and it’s my favourite out of all the four side stories, although I loved them all in their own way.

I was expecting to find out about Rei’s past here, but I guess the writers are saving it for Mikoto’s route / wrap-up, which almost certainly means there’s going to be a surprise revelation. So I am looking forward to that and I hope they don’t fuck it up.

The route itself actually felt like it was mostly stuff that belongs in a fandisk, rather than an individual character route. All the group hangouts, and scenarios that reveal idiosyncrasies about the other characters (e.g. everyone’s drawings in the Fuu-san arc. I finally got to see Yuzuru-senpai’s kawaii creations! :3).

Senpai’s art totally unleashes his inner otome...

As expected, Rei failed to give me any doki-doki feels... except at the end, where we saw grown-up Rei and got to hear Iguchi Yuuichi’s normal voice for like 2 seconds. (I wish this game had a fandisk bc I *definitely* need more of that!!) From the other character routes I got the sense that he’s an iyashi-kei type of guy, and he’s probably the most consistent out of all of them, because he continues being selfless and caring about Sakuya before himself throughout - e.g. helping her to find her future path despite not having one himself. 

Still I gotta admit, when he confessed that he liked Sakuya, I did a silent fist-pump in the air, because FINALLY here’s a guy who said it first. I’m so tired of always having to make the first move >;(

Also the thing that Narumi said really touched me here: that Rei would rather choose a lonely existence as a spirit trapped between two worlds for the rest of eternity, than force Sakuya to let him go. Even when he was weakening, he never said anything to Sakuya. In a way he was perhaps the most adult-like one out of all of them. Admittedly I didn’t like Sakuya very much in this route. She seemed very self-absorbed and immature, refusing to face the truth. But eventually Narumi kind of slapped some sense into her (figuratively ofc, I mean Narumi would never actually slap her XD) and she did choose to do the right thing.

...I guess Narumi is determined to be the guy that has a crush on her and ‘saves her’ one way or another in every route. Kudos to him but he’s still only, like, my third or fourth favourite lols.

Lastly, I felt that this route was actually the most poetic + metaphorical one so far. (Maybe the other ones were, too, and I just wasn’t paying attention?) ...The metaphor of flowers bearing seeds that blossom into new flowers, bearing witness to their relationship and carrying on their legacy. When they first met the flowers were newly planted, and when they said goodbye they were just about to wither. 

Also Sakuya and Rei always met after class at sunset, the time between day and night - like the space between Life and Death. Idk mang but that’s, like, really beautiful or sumshit.

But this is the most poetic thing of them all~!

[fabermemorialrink]

some mistake, part 5

When exactly is something going to happen in this story, you may ask. Soon, but the pacing will be super weird, I tell you. In other news, to answer a question that I am too dumb to understand how to tumblr-reply to, this story isn’t yet on AO3 because it’s very unfinished, but hopefully someday I’ll get it together! Thanks for reading so far!!

Derek’s first year at Phillips Andover finally draws to an end, and it's as he’s locking his dorm room closed that he takes a deep breath and decides that yes, he's got this. He can make it through the next three years.

Summer passes in a blur of lazy days spent lounging at the Met trying to find inspiration for his summer writing assignment and hot afternoons on the balcony looking out on the city. Derek rides four different airplanes and swims in two different oceans; he visits family down the east coast for the Fourth of July and hits up Chowder in early August to see all the local sights in the Bay Area. Chowder takes him to San Francisco where they walk along the wharf and gawk at fish at the aquarium. He drinks milk tea full of custard and eats enough egg tarts to last a lifetime. They go surfing and Derek manages to trip while underwater, causing Chowder to go into heroic lifeguard mode even as he's shrieking barely censored profanities in alarm. C helps him pick out a tiny orange crab keychain for Dex that Derek wraps protectively under several layers of tissue paper.

Derek returns to New York to hang out with his parents before their schedules de-sync again. Mama takes him to the ballet while the other two are busy. He goes with Mom to Central Park where they eat ice cream and people-watch for an entire day. Dad decides they should try a glassblowing class together while he's not needed for a few blessed days at the company. Derek makes a clear paperweight with a golden-red heart, like a flame suspended in crystal. It's pretty and pointless and it makes him think of Dex, who'd hate to know what Derek's comparing him to. He wonders what Dex is doing for the summer. Is he working somewhere else, or still doing his odd jobs in the forest? Derek can imagine him working in a hardware store half the week and on the docks for the other half, plus baby-sitting duties on top of it all. Dex has never talked about his family, but he seems like he would have siblings. Derek's never asked if Dex is home-schooled, though he suspects it might be the case. Why else would he have so much time to spend in the woods? He figures he'd have learned by now if Dex went to Andover High. Maybe he attends the technical school in town?

There are a lot of things he still doesn't know about his best friend. It's sad, he realizes as he watches sunset dip into twilight over the skyline. He knows little things, like Dex's favorite cookie and that he likes all bugs except mosquitoes, and that he knows how to ask for a glass of water in French and Russian. He knows that Dex is afraid of the undertow in one of the forest's brooks, and that he has a collection of odds and ends that's been bestowed upon him by the forest crows (which Derek maintains is the most YA protagonist shit that he's ever heard of).

But none of the big stuff. Where Dex lives, what his parents do, how many siblings he has. What his hobbies are and what his dream job was when he was a little kid. Whether he's ever broken a bone or his favorite Halloween costume or the first person he gave a real valentine's card to in middle school. Who he is when he's not with Derek. Who he is when he's not in the woods.

Derek doesn't even know Dex's real name.

That's a part of the rules though. Derek knows that, but it doesn't stop him from wanting.

Early at the start of sophomore year, Derek finally takes Chowder into the woods with him. Chowder waffles between being excited to meet Dex after so long and wary of all the rumors that still float around the school.

“Do you think Dex knows about all the ghost stories?” he asks as they trek across the field. “Do you think he’s ever seen a ghost?”

“Even if he has, he probably wouldn’t admit it to me,” Derek says. It seems like the kind of thing Dex would remain tight-lipped about. Dex can talk for hours with Derek about fly fishing and carnivorous plants and the nitrogen cycle, but important subjects like Dex’s birthday and rumored exorcisms have him clamming up before Derek can even think of an objection.

“Maybe he’s shy because he thinks we won’t take him seriously! Nursey, you’ve gotta tell him that I won’t laugh at him. I mean, unless he does something hilarious. He sounds like a funny guy.”

Derek isn’t sure where exactly Chowder got that idea from, but Chowder does have a hidden streak of schadenfreude under his naturally caring personality. He and Dex probably have that in common. Derek’s been chirped enough times by both of them for injuring himself whilst just trying to live his life.

Shit. What if they get along too well? Not that Derek’s jealous or anything. He just doesn’t wanna get ganged up on by these two terrors.

They enter quietly, with Chowder making a suppressed fuss over every cool thing they see. Derek brings him to his hollow tree, where they huddle together trying to listen for ghosts, or birds, or any other sign of life. Nothing appears, as always, so they lie there trying to decide if they should take digital photography or sculpture next year.

“But think of how sick it would be if you woke up and were like, ‘oh I sure would like some wheaties-’”

“C, wheaties, really?”

“ ‘-wow am I glad I can eat out of this mad awesome bowl I made in sculpture with my buddy Chowder!!’” Chowder’s New York accent is so exaggerated it warps into Jersey, Appalachian, and leprechaun by the time he's done.

“Okay, but consider this: you, fifteen years in the future, sitting at your desk coding or some shit. You look to your right, it's to a stunning framed photo of your beautiful spouse and your beautiful kids. You look to your left and see a gorgeous photo of yours truly that you keep on your desk to remind you of what a hella cool idea it was to let me convince you to take photography!”

“Pretty convincing, but why does ‘hella’ always sound so wrong coming from your mouth?” Chowder ponders, which is when Dex pokes his head into the hollow and observes them needling each other about regional slang, Chowder starting to put Derek in a headlock.

“Yeah, I think I'm gonna go,” Dex says blandly, ducking back out as Derek tries to pinch behind Chowder’s knees.

“No, wait, hold up,” Derek gasps out as Chowder lets him slip free. He falls to his knees, about to introduce them to one another when Chowder releases him like deadweight and springs to his feet outside the tree.

Chowder opts for a wave at the same moment that Dex reaches for a handshake, and they wind up swaying their hands around in that dance of indecision, until they settle on some sort of awkward introductory fistbump mush. Derek clears his throat to pretend he isn't laughing. Without further delay, Chowder jumps right into his spiel, full speed ahead.

“Hey, Dex! Nursey’s told me all about you. You can call me Chowder! I know you have these, um, special rules, but I swear I won't break them, so I hope we can be friends too. Not to pressure you or anything! Acquaintances is fine! People in casual acknowledgment of each other, or whatever! It's all good!”

He finishes by tossing up his arms in a mix of declaration - here I am! the famed chowder! - and apology, which Dex watches with a sort of baffled fascination in silence. He looks somewhat overrun, Chowder drops still after his stream of crescendoing words, and Derek has flip-flopped from being afraid they'd like each other too much to being terrified they won't like each other at all.

But Derek’s told Chowder all the rules before, made him promise to remember every single one or Dex would blow his fuse and murder them both, and it pays off, because all Dex does is take a deep breath before meeting Chowder’s greeting with his own slightly flabbergasted one.

“Hey...Chowder. Nursey talks about you all the time. But I didn’t realize you were, uh. So exuberant?” Dex scratches at the base of his skull, watching Chowder like he might solve him if he looks long enough.

“Oh my god, it’s too much, isn’t it? Shit, sorry, I know, I know, I'm way too excited, but like, Nursey’s my closest friend here? I still feel like the ‘new guy’ with everyone else, and you’re his best friend, and I just thought it’d be ‘swawesome if we could also be...something? I should just shut up, sorry-”

“No! No, ch- calm down,” Dex says, biting back the ‘chill’ that Derek is positive he was about to let slip. Derek cackles internally, expressed as a smirk, and Dex glares at him before continuing. “You’re fine. I just don’t hang out with people much. Besides this guy,” he says, jerking a thumb and Derek, and how he manages to make it sound both fond and contemptuous is impossible to understand. “I need to adjust, but it’s not a big deal. You're kind of refreshing.”

Chowder goes from raincloud to solar flare in under a second, beaming at Dex so brightly that the redhead staggers momentarily under his light. “Really? I mean, since you mostly talk to Nursey, and he’s a huge dork-”

“What,” Derek interjects.

“-I mean, I love him and all, but…”

Chowder stops to give him a pointed look, which Dex notices with a stifled laugh, and he claps C on the arm.

“Yeah, I know,” he says, the lines of his frame finally loosening up. “I’m with you on that one.”

Derek eyes them suspiciously. “Yo, are you two just here to slander my name, or-”

“Oh! I brought you a burrito!” Chowder interrupts, swinging his backpack around to present his prized offering to Dex, who accepts it with an unholy gleam in his orange demon eyes.

Chowder had wanted to bring a gift for their “host” because it’s only polite, and Derek has learned by now that Dex, despite being a self-professed unadventurous white American, will eat basically anything Derek offers. Junk food, spicy food, vegan food; “anything but bugs” seems to be the general rule. Regardless of his height and a fair amount of muscle from what Derek can make out under Dex’s loose flannels, Dex’s poor dietary choices can't be doing him any favors.

“Wow, thanks,” he says blankly, trying to absorb the burrito through its foil wrapper with his stare.

“Go ahead; we’re down to chill while you eat,” Derek says, and Dex tears into it, dropping to sit up against the roots of Derek’s tree. He's toting a canvas bag that he dumps in favor of food.

“What's in the bag?” Derek asks.

“Garbage,” Dex replies. “No, seriously, I was picking up litter,” he says when Derek tries to sneak a peek after that unsatisfying answer. True to Dex’s word, there's nothing but wrappers and styrofoam and cigarette butts.

“Whoa, that's great! Nursey says you’re really into nature and science, but I didn't know you were such an environmentalist!” Chowder, squatting next to Dex, bounces on his heels.

“It's not quite like that,” Dex says, words only a little muffled by all the food he’s crammed in. “I'm not planning to study this at college or anything, but- it's just something I do. I take care of the forest.” He scrunches his mouth on one side as he tries to find the words; Chowder waits patiently until he starts explaining. Both of their hands soon join in the conversation as Dex gives Chowder an overview of what he does in the woods all day. Derek watches as they string together movement and sound, orchestrating words with every sweep of their arms. There’s poetry in it, but Derek is content to let the words flow through him without trying to capture them.

He lets them talk without giving much input, happy to sit back and see where things go. Around him, the forest is quiet and light, an island of respite from outside. Conversation between the other two runs easy, a comfortable air already settling around them, and Derek lies down to rest his head on Chowder’s shin. He feels almost completely at ease.

He doesn't realize he's dozed off for a short while until he’s woken by the sound of his name from Dex’s mouth.

“Y’know, I'm, uh- I’m glad Nursey has you at school. He was- I think his first semester was hard for him. But you’re actually normal and nice, unlike all those dyed-in-the-wool old money jackasses. And me, who lives in the fuckin’ woods.” Dex’s voice is wry, but truthful, and Derek studiously keeps his eyes shut so Dex doesn’t stop talking. It feels slightly disingenuous to be listening in like this, but when else will he get the chance to enjoy Dex being the secret sap that he is?

Chowder, perfect as he is, hasn’t moved at all since Derek passed out on his leg. He keeps his legs still, though Derek can feel that his upper body must be moving as he speaks. “No, you're super cool! Living like a book character from one of those outdoorsy survival books like The Hatchet? And you're really nice too!”

“I’m really not,” Dex says around a smile; Derek can tell as much even with his eyes shut.

“Even better, then,” Chowder declares. “It's good to have at least one friend who’s kind of a dick.”

Dex’s laugh slips out, raucous and surprised, and Derek bites his lip to keep from laughing himself. “That's a role I can play,” Dex replies warmly, and for the first time in his life Derek is truly, legitimately glad he came to Andover, if only for the chance to meet these two.

With a loud yawn Derek visibly rouses, stirring on Chowder’s shins. He meets Dex’s upside-down gaze and crosses his eyes even though it makes him dizzy, just to see the way Dex’s mouth twitches as he raises an eyebrow.

“Good nap?” Chowder asks.

“Of course; you're the best pillow I could ask for,” Derek replies, and both his friends snort.

“Don't sugarcoat it, Nursey. I know I'm all bones down there,” C says, nudging Derek with his knee to drive the point home. “Good thing you woke up. I was just about to ask Dex for camping tips! He lives in the woods, you know. Oh, you probably do know - have you seen his house before?”

Derek, stretching his arms wide enough to almost punch Dex in the side, finally lifts himself off Chowder as he tells him, “C, he doesn't actually live in the forest. He just spends like 85% of his time here.”

“Ha, yeah, what he said,” Dex says hurriedly, taking another bite of his burrito. “This is really good; thanks, C,” he mumbles, cramming the rest in and tossing the tin foil ball into his rubbish bag.

Chowder goes supernova when he notices Dex using Derek’s nickname for him, and dives into an extended analysis about the burrito places he's encountered so far in the northeast, and how they can never compare to the ones back home. Dex, used to Derek’s rambling, impassioned treatises about food, flashes him a knowing smile and settles in to listen.

When sunset draws close, Dex walks them to the field. Derek stays behind a minute to dig up a few pieces of trash Dex didn’t notice: glass shards and what looks like a crumpled dryer sheet. Carefully, he wraps the glass pieces so he doesn’t cut himself and jogs to catch up with C, who is saluting Dex goodbye and starting to walk swiftly backwards out from the trees.

“Hey, wait for me,” Derek calls, but Chowder shakes his head, yelling back, “I’m not gonna get stranded in pretzel prison again!” as he hustles across the grass at an alarming rate while waving at Dex.

Derek resists the urge to pull a face, but Dex notices his displeasure anyway, asking, “Pretzel prison? What the heck is that?”

“Team movie night. Coach always buys these unsalted wheat pretzel sticks and someone gets stuck with the responsibility of eating them. Usually it’s last one through the door; C learned this the hard way.” Derek wrinkles his nose, then gets an idea. “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to-”

“I’m not going to pretzel prison for you, Nursey.”

“Weak.” Dex bats Derek’s thumbs-down away, his face a ruddy pink. Odd. “Why do you look like a Valentine’s Day candy display?”

“Shut up, that’s why.”

“Ooh, nice burn,” and when Dex just rolls his eyes, Derek decides it’s time for his customer satisfaction survey. “So, um, Chowder’s cool, right? You guys had a lot to talk about.” A flutter of worry lands on his chest at the thought of them somehow hating each other, regardless of any evidence saying otherwise.

“Yeah, he’s really- uh, he’s great. How do you handle it? He’s so...dazzling,” Dex hisses. He looks overwhelmed still, a tinge of pink on his cheeks. He keeps glancing away from Derek to return another little goodbye wave to Chowder, who's shuffled backwards quite a ways on the soccer field, waiting for Derek despite his fear of low-sodium snacks. Dex’s gaze won't hold for long though, and keeps skittering back to rest safely on Derek, who doesn't make him act like a shifty corner dealer. Suspicious.

“Holy shit, you have a crush on Chowder,” Derek accuses when he realizes the truth.

“I don't have a damn crush-”

“Your face is fluorescent pink right now, you liar-”

The color only worsens. “He gave me a hug, okay? I haven't hugged anyone in years, and he's good at it, so sue me.” Dex’s choppy robot arm movements aren't doing him any favors. “And you know I turn red at everything; it doesn't mean anything, Jesus.”

“Years?” Dex's family must not be big on physical affection. “You should've told me. I could hug you.”

“Why the hell would you hug me?”

Derek fixes him with his sternest frown. “You're clearly hug-deprived; it's my duty to fix that.”

“It's really, really not. Stay back, Nursey, don't you come any cl- aaaurgghhh!”

It's unintentional, of course, but when Derek latches on for a hug and unavoidably knocks them to the ground, Dex lands in a painful heap on a cluster of roots and rocks, and he groans miserably into Derek’s shoulder.

“Shh, shh, there there. I'm here now.” Derek uses one hand to pet gently at Dex’s hair; Dex wriggles anemically in his grasp for a moment before sagging into the ground, his face still buried in Derek’s shirt. He’s solid under Derek’s weight, all his sharp corners leaving Derek comfortably uncomfortable.

“Thanks. Now please leave.”

Derek already knows he’s going to be turned down, but he can’t help asking on the off chance that one day Dex decides to accept, so as they walk to the treeline he asks, “You sure you don’t wanna come crash movie night? We’re watching Toy Story 3. It’s supposed to be incredible.”

“They made a third one?” Dex looks pleasantly surprised, but he shakes his head. “You know me; I’ve got wood to chop and fires to extinguish. Maybe next time. Good luck on your math test tomorrow.”

Maybe next time is better than all the other previous rejections. Someday perhaps it’ll become a yes.

“Alright, Smokey Bear. I’ll save you some pretzels.”

By the time Derek catches up with Chowder, Dex has retreated back into the forest, but Derek is left pondering one glaring oddity about his friend that he’s wondered about before.

It’s been over a year, but Derek has never seen Dex cross the treeline before. At the very most, Dex will linger right at the edge of the wood, but Derek has never seen him step foot on the soccer field. That, he could attribute to some kind of superstition, but what he really wants to know is...

Does Dex actually live in the woods somewhere?

His stories - the ones about Bitty the baker and his boyfriend J, about Lards and Cam and April and the party girls - mostly seem to happen in the woods. Could it be that they all reside in some kind of wilderness commune?

Dex talks more about his friends than his family, and Derek would assume that Dex just has a shitty home life, or terrible parents, but the few times he does mention them in passing during vague anecdotes of his childhood, he always sounds fond. Sometimes he seems envious of the good relationship Derek has with his parents, but as if he misses them. Maybe his parents passed, or there's some other complicated situation with his folks, but Derek doesn't know how to ask without making Dex feel trapped and on edge, so he continues to keep his mouth shut and wonder about all the sad possibilities.

Because there are times he wants to ask more, wants to press his luck and tell Dex, hey, you're my best friend and I'm here for you; you can tell me anything. Like when Derek asks why Dex has such strong feelings about the fishing industry, or where he grew up, because sometimes his inflection and the draw of his vowels doesn't quite match any of the Massachusetts accents Derek’s used to.

Or when Dex traces those three letters on his hatchet, KAP, and his eyes go dark and wistful before shuttering when he notices Derek watching.

But Derek is patient, and if he needs to wait a lifetime until Dex is comfortable enough to tell him all his forest-kept secrets and the memories he holds close to his heart, then he will. He will wait until they're both ready.

[springlock-bonnie]

Everyone leave Yukio alone.

....Just kidding, literally do the opposite. (see below)

Yukio’s always been going through shit, but the fandom tends to write him off as the “mean” character and leave it at that. Kato finally decides to drop the bass, and now we’ve collectively shifted over to “Yukio, what the fuck”, because now he’s being angry at characters other than me, now. This stupid (persuasive) essay’s gonna look at Yukio’s personality and troubles, a little deeper than “Yukio’s mean to Rin :(”. Also, I’m biased as fuck and have only good things to say about this boy. Let’s roll.

Let’s start from the beginning, what we all universally know about Yukio as a baby. Yukio started training to be an exorcist very fucking early. It’s partially due to schizophrenia, partially due to his desire to take (what’s that one meme right now) Direct Action to supposedly protect me from the outside world. His theory was basically if I’ve always been protecting him in the physical world, he had the upper hand in the… supernatural world? Sure, let’s call it that.

Yukio’s seven years old, deathly afraid of guns and loud noises, but continues along with dad to be the best fucking exorcist at an even younger age than Fujimoto, just for one little asshole that still throttles him on a regular basis. He wants to follow dad, because dad is literally the Paladin, and almost the first thing you learn is the True Cross Exorcist categories and stature. Yukio was lucky our dad was who he was, and took advantage of that.

Growing up, Yukio was only ever working. Think about it. Going to school like a good boy, doing his homework, constantly disappearing on exorcisms, and then doing that homework too. Because he’s so little, he has to be Great. He doesn’t have time to be The Little Boy Exorcist, he has to kick everyone’s ass (Shura included) so that they never think of him as too delicate or inferior. This is where when you guys go “he thinks he’s so important *eye roll*” I physically feel my toes catch on fire.

So his childhood was maturing too fast. Maturing too fast, no matter the reason, is never a good thing. It means something bad happened, or is happening. Yukio isn’t mature because he’s such a mentally healthy boy. The rod up his ass is there, but it’s caked with maturity way before his time (idk how to phrase that). Yukio was naturally very smart, but he was still a kid. But there’s no time to be afraid of butterflies. You have to follow dad, who everyone looks up to, including you. You need to be where dad is.

Dad is also… dad. You may not have seen much of Fujimoto, but from what you did see you can kind of see, he wasn’t very good at being “fatherly” because he never wanted/planned to be. Two baby demons were just sort of plopped in his arms. Bless his soul, but that man wasn’t what Yukio needed emotionally. Ever wonder why the poor boy misses a mother he never had? He knows mom equals soft. Mom equals comfort, affection, love… whatever you want to say, mom means something different from Fujimoto, in Yukio’s eyes.

Yukio clings to that because he lacks it. I’m not like that, dad wasn’t like that, and mom’s been dead since literally our birth. So forgive him for fantasizing about someone who’s maybe gentle with him, or stops and asks him genuinely how he’s doing. He’s feeling a lack of caring, whether he registers it or not. It’s not like he’s going to ask for it or anything, b-baka! We’ll come back to this in a few paragraphs.

Yukio needs to be the best. Not because he wants to be looked up to, not because he wants to feel superior, but because he’s always behind. Even ahead of everything, he needs to be the best at a constant. He’s working up the ranks, but he needs to be able to take on everything. Not only that, but meet everyone’s raising expectations. Yukio? The Yukio? Yukio Okumura? If they think he can shoot three hobgoblins dead in mid-flight, he has to be able to do that.

Yukio does not think he’s better. He thinks he needs to be better, and is willing to do whatever that takes. In fact, that sentence might as well be his motto. Now we’re at Yukio at 15, when dad dies. What does Yukio do immediately? Question dad on following him. “Dad, you just died, should I kill myself too?” Now, he’s lost. Now, dad isn’t his superior, he has to impress people on his own and make it on his own.

I’m not denying we had troubles. He blamed me for dad, I was fucking livid he lied to me for half our life. But he’s human. Ish. He’s a baby, and where we see his early maturity, we have to understand he literally mentally age regresses. Those little scenes in the anime with him suddenly crying as a child because he’s scared? How it’s in that blank room, and is usually directed somehow to dad? That’s his coping mechanism that he’s alone as an adult now, at 15. He has to be.

Everything he is doing, he is doing for me. Remember that. Remember that’s his sole purpose to being an exorcist, and the only reason he yells and hits and is a total ass. It’s because he can’t show weakness, not to anyone. Because if he’s even gentle to one person, everyone’s going to hear about it. Don’t break down, don’t break down. Keep your chin high and be the fucking best. Don’t slip up. Don’t make mistakes.

Remember when you were 15? You might be that age or younger right now, but someday you’ll realize 15 is very young. Dude, I’m 18, and 16 y/os give me a headache. Yukio is young. He’s not even close to hormone maturity, and he’s scared shitless, all the time. But he’s a prodigy, so at 15, he has to act 25. That’s what he’s doing.

Yukio puts others needs in front of his own. He always does, even if it comes off as “mean”. Alright yeah, I do joke about how in the movie he was like “exorcists don’t save people, we kill demons”. WhOoP dE dOo I jUsT LoVe ShOoTiNg a GoOd DeMoN nOw AnD aGaIn. What are we, the republican presidential candidate? But look at all he does. The only times you have to argue are in Kyoto, when he was like, “shit, I guess the Vatican’s going to kill my brother.” But are you really going to hold it against him? He’s not going to argue with the higher ups, and get himself killed, who is arguably the best chance they have at actually getting me out of there. Off what y’all have seen, I happen to know he’s argued mercilessly with them. So basically, when they said death to Rin, they were done with him arguing already and he wouldn’t be of help.

In example of selflessness, Shura’s little arc. It’s a terrible example, but Yukio wasn’t there to kill Hachiro. He was there to assist Shura. I mean, Tiny Boy was like “hey I’m legal I’ll give u a baby so u can be reborn” even though he didn’t want to. Then, he concocted that stupid plan of tricking Serpent Man just to 100% get Shura out of her contract for good. But you know, Yukio’s mean and thinks he’s most important.

Yukio desperately needs something like what he’s searching out for in the recent chapters. Look at how he pried around for mom, and then continued to. Look at how he reacted with Sheimi. He’s trying to reach out, but what’s that Marina and The Diamonds “Numb” quote? “I can’t open up and cry, because I’ve been silent all my life?” That’s my boy. He probably doesn’t even know how, anymore.

Yukio had the potential to grow up really soft and sensual, but lost that ability with his desire to protect. So now, we’ve got this outer shell we see, which is cold and stiff and doesn’t show a lot of emotion. It isn’t because he’s mean. I see a lot of jokes about Yukio not wanting to open up about his feelings. You’re very right, but the joke part of it is where you’re still on the wrong idea.

Right now, Yukio’s going through demon bullshit. Demon bullshit means even more intense emotions he’s not even used to showing in the first place. You know how he’s aggressive, attacks, and then suddenly turns around and apologizes? That apology is genuine. He doesn’t even know what’s going on with him. It’s scaring him, too. I’m not saying his actions are justified. I’m not defending the fact he’s threatened and hurt people.

AND HEY HOW ABOUT THAT CHAPTER 93. That suicide isn’t just, oh look at me, I might as well. And it isn’t a sudden thought. (Side effects may include) suicidal thoughts or actions aren’t spontaneous and not thought out. Yukio wasn’t like, hey turns out True Cross sucks, time to bippity bop the fuck right out. As far as canon material goes, Yukio’s considered death since dad died. But is it really that crazy of a stretch to deny that? Yukio’s never been mentally stable.

I think my main beef is the fact sometimes even folks who see all this, don’t care. “Yeah but he’s reacting inappropriately”. Ah yes, sorry Oliver, I’m sure you would behave so much better in that situation. It’s easy to demonize (Heheh) a character and forget everything human about them. Yukio is very easy with that. It’s so, so easy to look at his “mean”-ness and go “man that kids an asshole, fuck him”. I did it too. But you have to remember he is (part) human, and he has emotions.

And if you want to argue I’m looking too deep, go ahead. But Kato’s stories are the most beautiful things to analyze and I know for a fact she’s not just shitting out some asshole character with no other redeeming qualities. She’s too respectful of every single one of her characters for that. Especially not in comparison to Astronerd, where Yukio stems from. Let’s talk about that for a sec, shall we?

Astronerd, in short, is a story about a boy named Yoshio Fujiko who loves astronomy. But he’s finally decided he’s done with that, and doesn’t want to be viewed as a freak anymore. He briefly talks about his bullying with it. He talks about his crush, Tezuka. He discovers she likes astronomy, too! But it’s okay that she does, “because she’s cute.”

Aliens suddenly come down to destroy earth, and tell Yoshio he’s the subject they’re going to cryogenically freeze to set as an example to other planets to never be like earth. He asks why was he born (*cough*), and they joke and say if someone figured that out they’d get a medal and the aliens would put on a display of fireworks instead of blowing the world up. “But, an inferior life form like you has no chance!”

Yoshio’s about to sign, when he gets a text from Tezuka (who he was mean to), still believing in him! So he gets on his little scooter and races to the school to apologize. Suddenly, there’s a huge crater. Yoshio’s tired, and the aliens are like “what the fuck! You’re killing yourself over an apology?” and he goes “no, it’s not the apology anymore.”

And, my favorite fuckin quote via my mom ever,

“I really was a fool… and fools don’t change unless they die!”

ANYWAY HE FUCKING MAKES IT (Kato told a mildly happy story?!) LIKE SOME E.T. BULLSHIT (and then determines life is too precious) apologizes to Tezuka, and admits he’s an astronerd! He then realizes he was born for realizing that, at that moment. And the aliens are like “shit! Fuck! He’s right! We gotta keep our promise…!”

If I was to go deeper into the summary, you’d see that Yoshio in a sense is a very watered down Yukio as far as things go. He suddenly thinks his life his hopeless, but upon almost dying, he gets a second chance, and ends up literally saving the world and discovering who he is. I’m not saying aliens are going to descend from the heavens and tell Yukio he’s actually an angel (it’s implied), but I think Kato’s planning on… basically explaining that Yukio figures himself out, and it betters him as a person (go Kato, go!)

In conclusion, Yukio is a complicated perfect boy (perfect boy) who needs (and deserves) lots of attention and affection whether he thinks he wants it or not. He’s stiff and mature because he needs to be, and he does everything he does for a selfless reason. He doesn’t want to be the best exorcist to fuck with people. You just gotta remember his original reason.

JESUS FUCK THANKS FOR READING

[the--blackdahlia]

Never Go Home (Sam x Reader)

Title: Never Go Home

Summary: Sam meets (Y/n) instead of Jessica

Warnings: Violence, blood, character death

AN: Feedback would be appreciate! I hope you enjoy!

Sam had met (Y/n) in a couple of classes. Their majors didn’t line up exactly, but like all the other kids there, they had a lot of core classes. And it helped to have a friend that could help you out with notes and homework. A lunch date about notes turned into a dinner date about homework, which turned into coffee early in the morning because neither were awake enough to deal with the world but they had to.

 By Sam’s and (Y/n)’s junior year, he had fallen in love. She lit up his world in a way that he never thought possible. They were moving into an apartment off campus, and Sam’s old habits were kicking the shit out of his brain. His hand itched to grab the salt container and pour some out. Sam realized then that secrets couldn’t lie between them.

 “(Y/n), can I talk to you?” Sam asked when she came home from the gym. She laid down her bag and walked towards the kitchen where he was at.

 “Sure Sam, you know you can.” (Y/n) said with a smile. Sam offered one back.

 “Well, you know how early on when I told you how I moved so much, and I told you that it was because my dad was in the military?” She nodded. “Well, I kinda lied.”

 “What do you mean?” She asked. Fear was creeping into her voice.

 “My dad…his job is to hunt down monsters and creatures that want to hurt us. He’s called a hunter. So is my brother. Me, not so much but I still have some of the tendencies. And I decided that there shouldn’t be any secrets between us. But if you need me to show you proof about these things, I can.” Sam looked up at her. He saw her shaking some. “(Y/n)?”

 He wasn’t expecting her to run to the utensil drawer and rip it open. He wasn’t expecting her to pull the bread knife out and point it at him, fear and anger in her eyes.

 “He sent you didn’t he?!” She screamed. “Butter me up and then you can convince me to go back! I’m not going back!”

 “(Y/n), what are you talking about?” Sam asked, raising his hands in the air.

 “You just want me to waltz back into that life, back into that closet so I can memorize incantations and monster bios. It’s not happening! I won’t go back!” Hot tears were falling down her face.

 “Baby, breathe. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sam said softly.

 “You’re a hunter just like my dad. He probably figured out what school I was at, but he knew I’d run if he showed up. So he sent you here to get my guard down. He would show up and convince me to go back with him. And I can’t. I just can’t.” Sam walked towards her, still mindful of the knife, but he needed to calm her down.

 “Who is your dad?” Sam asked.

 “Anthony Roth.” She said. “I took my mom’s last name when I turned 18. To hide.” She explained to Sam. Sam had heard stories about Anthony Roth, but he had never met him. He was a crazy son of a bitch and only got worse as he got older. But he had never heard that he had had a daughter. But maybe that was part of the crazy. All he knew was that John always told Sam and Dean they were never, ever allowed to go on a hunt alone with Anthony Roth.

 “(Y/n), I don’t know much about your dad, but I know enough to know he’s crazy.” Sam said. “My dad used to tell me not to go alone with him. Because hunters that went alone with him usually didn’t have a good outcome.” (Y/n) nodded.

 “I learned how to patch up people after he took a friend of his out on a hunt. The friend told him that he wanted to take me to Disney. His plan was to get me out of that house and into a home of someone who could keep me safe. Disney was just a cover but dad knew. Somehow he knew. So he took the friend with him on a hunting trip and the friend got injured badly. Dad didn’t even have a scratch.” She sighed and rubbed her face. She laid the knife down and soon found herself in Sam’s arms.

 “I won’t ever make you go back to him.” He whispered as he felt her breakdown in his arms. “It’s okay (Y/n). I’ve got you.”

 ****

 “He used to lock me in a closet.” (Y/n) told Sam as they laid in bed. Sam looked down at the top of her head that rested on his bare chest. “If I missed one word on an exorcism, or I couldn’t remember that werewolves ate hearts over brains, I would go into the closet. Sometimes for about twenty minutes, sometimes for the whole night. One time, he locked me in there for a week. He left some bottled water and some food, but there wasn’t much.”

 “Why did he do that?” Sam asked. This whole situation was just insane. He wanted to call Dean and have him hunt this man down, but he was afraid that would make things worse.

 “Because I found out what happened to my mother.” She whispered softly.

 “What happened to her?” Sam asked, playing with (Y/n)’s hair. He felt her tense up. “(Y/n)?”

 “She…she burnt. Above my crib.” (Y/n) explained. She felt Sam’s hand stop.

 “Were you six months old?” He asked. She nodded. “(Y/n), I think we were meant to find each other.” Sam said, explaining to her what drove John to hunting. (Y/n) stared deep into his eyes, waiting for the smallest sign that he was lying.

 She never found one.

 “That night that I was locked in the closet for a week, I discovered something about myself.” (Y/n) said after a moment. “I could unlock the door with my mind. I could make things move. I haven’t done it often, sometimes just by accident.” She looked at Sam. “After everything we’ve talked about, that’s probably the crazy right there.”

 “No actually.” Sam said. “I have these dreams sometimes. And they come true. They happened when I was little, mainly like telling me when we were going to have a fire drill and that someone was going to drop a beaker in chemistry.” Sam said with a shrug.

 “Guess we’re both pretty messed up, aren’t we?” She asked. Sam smiled and kissed her gently.

 “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 ****

 A year later was when Dean showed up in their living room. (Y/n) knew all about this “hunting trip” Dean was talking about, but she figured that the boys needed their space. After what (Y/n) had told him about her dad, he didn’t want to leave her, just in case this was a trap of some sorts. But (Y/n) assured him it was fine.

 “Go on and save your dad.” (Y/n) told him. “I’ll be fine. And I’ll call if anything goes wrong.”

 “I’ll call you when I get to Jericho.” Sam said. (Y/n) smiled.

 “Sam, I’ll be fine.” She said. “Plus I need to study for some things. And you need to make sure you get this done so you can get back home in time for your interview.” He smiled and kissed her.

 “I love you.” Sam said, cupping her face.

 “I love you back.” She smiled.

 Sam climbed into the Impala with Dean, looking back at his apartment one last time.

 “She’ll be fine Sam.” Dean said, turning up the music. “What could happen?”

 ****

 (Y/n) was jamming to an 80’s station while she read through one of her textbooks. The lights in the apartment flickered then and the radio cut out some. Instinct took over then. She quickly jumped up and headed towards the kitchen, looking for salt. She had her phone in hand, dialing Sam’s number.

 “Hey Sam, it’s me. This is probably nothing but the lights are flickering and we’re out of salt. I don’t want to go to the store to get any. Uh, just call me when you get a chance okay?” She hung up and went to their bedroom, gathering a silver hunting knife from her bedside table. She called Sam again, getting his voicemail again. “S-Sam, something’s really wrong here. I…please come home soon.”

 She heard a clicking noise then. She peered out toward the living room door, seeing the handle shaking. She thought about running to hide in the closet, but her anxiety would give her away the minute whoever, or whatever, it was stepped into the apartment. The front door opened as a Tom Petty song came on the radio and (Y/n) raised her phone to her ear.

 “S-Sam, my dad is here.”

 Suddenly, he was in front of her. He smiled down at her, seeing her shaking in fear.

 “Hello (Y/n), it’s been awhile.” He said, his eyes flashing yellow.

 Everything in the apartment started to shake then, and it wasn’t because of an earthquake.

 ****

 “Come on Sam, put the phone away.” Dean said, seeing Sam checking his phone again. “She said she would call if she needed you. Why are you so worried anyway?” Sam wasn’t sure if he should say anything. But this was Dean and Dean wouldn’t double cross him.

 “Her dad is a mean bastard and he might show up to get her.” Sam explained. “Her dad is a hunter.”

 “Who?” Dean asked. Sam sighed.

 “Anthony Roth.” He answered. Dean froze, turning to look at Sam.

 “That psycho is her dad?” Dean asked. “He almost killed Joshua and Bobby a couple times.”

 “We need to get this hunt done. I don’t care if I get home for the interview. I need to make sure she’s okay.” Sam told Dean. Dean nodded and got to work. They had a woman in white to move on and a worried boyfriend to get home.

 ****

 The hunt was done. It was pretty easy, even though Dean swore the Impala was driving funny after Sam drove it into the house. He pulled up outside of Sam’s apartment. No voicemails from (Y/n), but she also hadn’t answered any of his calls. Sam made his way into the apartment and was hit with the smell of blood. He turned to go back out to the Impala, but Dean had already taken off. Sam made his way in and stopped at the sight in front of him.

 Anthony Roth was suspended to a wall by scissors in one wrist, a metal bookmark in the other. Several knives and other sharp objects were imbedded into his chest and stomach. Sam had to swallow back bile as he made his way deeper into the apartment. But what he found there he didn’t like.

 (Y/n) was laid out on their bed, eyes closed, multiple stab wounds covering her body. Sam slowly walked towards her body, praying this was just a nightmare. A paper laid in her hand. Something she had scribbled out in her dying moments. Sam took it carefully. Azazel was all that was wrote on the paper. He had no idea what that meant. Was it who killed her and Anthony? Was it something else? He had no idea. But his focus was on her mangled body, so he didn’t see Anthony’s eyes open and the smirk that spread on his face as the bed became engulfed in flames.

 Dean ran in and pulled his brother to safety from the fire, only side eyeing Anthony’s body for a second. He knew that Sam would have to answer to why there were two dead bodies in his apartment if the police got ahold of him, but he planned to get him out of there before that happened. Neither of them noticed the thick plume of smoke that was different than the rest. Sam was just staring at that piece of paper. She had been trying to tell him something.

 A week later, when Sam and Dean pulled into Blackwater Ridge, Sam’s phone chirped. Three voicemails from (Y/n)’s phone, dated the night she died. Sam raised the phone to his ear and listened to each one.

 In that moment, sweet Sammy was gone, replaced with a hunter bent on revenge.

Tag List: @petrovadixon @theas-bedtime-stories @aiaranradnay @policeofficerdean @af112992 @crownedloki @dekahg @jewelsbaby98 @cutie1365 (if i forgot anyone, just shoot me a message)

[fictionerd]

Fictionerd’s Log February 22

It’s taken two days but I’ve finally found the doors to the basement. I think Aria twigged to what I was doing and helped me out. Honestly given her power over the Library’s layout. It’s entirely possible she’s been helping me the whole time. She’s the sort who would quietly let some one be alone with a problem when she realized that’s what they were trying to do. If I’m right on that thanks, sis.

Haven’t had the courage to go down into the old lab yet. I shouldn’t be this irrationally fearful of what I might find down there, but some part of me can’t help but feel like things are going to go poorly. We’ve got maybe another two days before we reach the Library’s origin point in the Record. Something is calling to it. There are only four people who should be able to do that. Me, Justine, Aria... and Morrow. 

I’m going in tomorrow. 

The Seal remains unbroken,

Victor “Fictionerd” Draconis

Synopsis: This episode seems to wrap up the Imaginator plotline. At least for now anyway. It’s very much like the wrapup to the Manticore arc in that it’s a linear progression of events with little to no juggling.

Picking up from Masaki’s call at the end of last episode Orihata tries to get him to back down, but he’s able to tell she’s under duress. He tells whoever else is listening in that if they harm Orihata he’ll personally make them pay. He then STEALS HIS SISTER’S MOTORCYCLE AND HEADS OFF TO THE RESCUE.

Meanwhile Suema is sitting in the hospital with the recovering Kotoe who tells her about the tower in the unfinished amusement park. We get a touching moment out of Kotoe where she admits that she realizes her feelings for Jin were confused, but really she just wants to see him again. She wants them to go back to the way things were. Truly tugged at my heartstrings that. Walking home from the hospital with Touka, Suema has an epiphany moment and heads off to investigate on her own. Of course this just won’t do.

Cutting back to Masaki in full idiot hero mode. He climbs the fence to the amusement park having deduced Orihata’s location because of the plane noise he heard in the background of the call and having looked up to see the tower. Once he gets inside Jin sics a bunch of brainwashed teens in mascot costumes on him to sedate him only for who to show up but... well you should already know.

Epic fight scene ensues in which all of the punks are swiftly dealt with and Masaki has a moment of clarity where he goes. “Holy shit I was trying to pretend I was THIS!?” You know who uses their typical roundabout methods to get Masaki to realize that he was missing some memories from his encounter with Spooky E earlier in the story, and draws parallels from that to how living life based on others reactions and expectations basically leads to the same outcome. Only when it’s society doing the brainwashing you don’t even get the courtesy of a specific person to place the blame on and connect the dots.

Having thusly dispensed both wisdom and ass-whoopings, not wholly in equal measure, our friend in the hat and cloak dashes off to be all mysterious at Jin and confront Imaginator.

Their confrontation is a lot less physical and a lot more mugging for the camera. You-know-who basically tells Jin to go ahead and try is cockamamie scheme and when he does, whoops turns out he can’t interact with Orihata’s heart. Too bad, so sad, take a free exorcism and some whiplash as your consolation prize.

Then attention turns to Orihata. She was convinced that Jin’s powers didn’t work on her because she wasn’t human, but our mutual friend was like, “Pfft what? You thought that mattered? Nah, kid, he couldn’t touch you because he was a basic bitch who didn’t understand how hearts work. It’s not like we’re all missing shit. We grow and change throughout life. Every change he made up til now was only temporary and the only reason he couldn’t realize that is that he’s been stagnant way too long and the most significant changes he made to people were right before they died.”

They then proceed to tell Orihata that she was really being protected by some one, and maybe she ought to go check on him.

Meanwhile Imaginator appears to Masaki and says, “You interesting kiddo. I dun fucked this up, but at least I can leave you with some quasi-ominous foreshadowing. Peace out Imma dissolve into flower petals now.”

Then Suema finally gets over the fence and to Masaki, but at this point the whole thing is over. Our phantasmal pal speaks to Suema as a disembodied voice saying, “Everythings wrapped up here. There’s a girl and Asukai Jin in the tower over there. If you could bring her down to see that dork I’d be grateful.”

So our story ends with Masaki waking up with his head resting in Orihata’s lap, and she’s showing the most emotion we’ve seen out of her, and Nagi gets a last minute rap to his forehead as though to say, “You suicidally heroic idiot. Where’d you learn to be that reckless.” I half expected him to reply “I learned it from watching YOU!”

Thoughts: I can’t decide if this was climactic or anti-climactic. Regardless it was an excellent wrap-up to the Imaginator storyline. Episode 10 is actually out already, but I’m going to actually hold off on that. I’ll probably cover it next Thursday assuming things have settled down by then. For now this seems like a good enough place to wrap things up for this week. I’ve got some shit to do tomorrow.

Until next post keep talking fiction, friends. I’ll see you when I see you. 

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1273

Monday, August 5, 2019

 It's a holiday Monday here in Ottawa and the weather couldn't be any better. One of those days where I really appreciate living in Canada's Capital. I'm sure there are going to be many citizens out and about enjoying all the sights today. I'll be busy sprucing up the joint before our guests arrive for dinner.

 Avengers #22 - Jason Aaron (writer) Stefano Caselli (art) Jason Keith (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Challenge of the Ghost Riders part 1. As you can tell from the title of this story, Robbie Reyes, the latest Ghost Rider, is featured. Seems he's not cut out for being the Spirit of Vengeance and wants out. Time for the team to help and they call in an expert. No, it's not Doctor Strange. This mystic hero was seen briefly in War of the Realms but he's not been on the racks regularly in a while. With all the hellfire flames Jason Keith's bright colours are perfect for this exorcism. Meanwhile, Thor and Iron Man investigate an ancient mystery in Turkey. There are lots of reasons to keep reading.

 Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #9 - Tom Taylor (writer) Ken Lashley & Juann Cabal (art) Nolan Woodard & Marcio Menyz (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). I like the way Tom Taylor writes dialogue. Here we have the origin of the Rumor as she helps Spider-Man try to defeat Helminth, first name Kenneth. He's a nasty, nasty villain with lots of henchmen. Spidey and the reformed Prowler are going to need more than the Rumor's help so Peter goes and gets it.

 Runaways #23 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Andre Genolet (art) Niko Henrichon (Victor and Doombot dialogue art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I'm glad this is still on the racks which means that more people are reading this title than was buying West Coast Avengers  and The Unstoppable Wasp. If fans of those comic books are looking for something just as fun and well done then they should start picking this book up.

 Marvel Action Spider-Man #6 - Erik Burnham (writer) Christopher Jones (art) Zac Atkinson (colours) Shawn Lee (letters). The trio take on Kraven and his two kids. Guess who wins. I really like this Spider-Man title for younger readers. It's kind of sad that I think this is better than The Amazing Spider-Man right now. Next issue, the Black Cat.

 Sabrina the teenage witch #4 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Veronica Fish & Andy Fish (art) Jack Morelli (letters). I love the combination of teenage hijinx and sorcerous magic. Sabrina girds herself for whatever may come when she goes searching for her missing aunties.

 Conan the Barbarian #8 - Jason Aaron (writer) Gerardo Zaffino (art) Garry Brown (art pages 19 & 20) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Conan visits his old home village in Cimmeria. It's not the welcome he expected. This is classic sword and sorcery.

 Death's Head #1 - Tini Howard (writer) Kei Zama (art) Felipe Sobreiro (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Where's the legacy number? You younguns may not know this but this bounty hunter robot with the annoying speech pattern was on the racks back in the eighties. Death's Head originated in the UK and his run in North America didn't last too long. This reboot (har) tries to update the character by teaming him up with two Young Avengers, Wiccan and Hulkling. I almost stopped reading after a few pages but I'm always willing to give a new comic book a chance and I did perk up a bit when Billy and Teddy showed up. The last page came close to making me want to read the next issue so I'll decide when it hits the racks, yes?

 Batman Last Knight On Earth #2 - Scott Snyder (writer) Greg Capullo (pencils) Jonathan Glapion (inks) FCO Plascencia (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). Batman and the Joker's head continue their search for a way to save the world. Here's where they meet what remains of the Justice League and the villain of this story, Omega. No, it's not Lex Luthor. I like how a lot of heroes and villains are being used in this story like the recently completed Heroes in Crisis. The disembodied Joker is one of my favourite versions of the lunatic. Batman winds up back in Gotham City at the end of this issue and has a surprising reunion.

 Marvel Team-Up #4 - Clint McElroy (writer) Ig Guara (art) Felipe Sobreiro (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). This one features Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel in a story about stolen Kree tech. I learned something new; Carol's mom was Kree and her name was Marie-Ell. This issue ends with the inevitable fight with some bad guys and the surprise reveal of who one of them are. I'm looking forward to the next issue to find out why the bad guys want all that Kree tech.

 Powers of X #1 - Jonathan Hickman (writer) R.B. Silva (art) R.B. Silva & Adriano Di Benedetto (inks) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Now this is how you rejuvenate interest in the X-Men. Put out two books with good writing and excellent art. If I could only afford to buy a comic book a week, I would be spending my money on this one and House of X. You will notice a few prose pages scattered throughout both first issues. They are all worth reading and gives you a deeper understanding of what's happening and to who people are. I particularly like the new characters here and look forward to getting to know them better as long as they survive. An issue of Powers of X or House of X hits the racks every week until October 9. You would do well to pick up every one.

 Fantastic Four #12 - Dan Slott (writer) Sean Izaakse (art) Marcio Menyz (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Ben and Alicia go on their honeymoon but the Hulk crashes their romantic getaway. Read this issue to find out why the big green galoot wants to kill the big orange rock star. Ben might not survive this titanic tussle because he's just about to transmogrify into his human form. Uh-oh. The reason that this issue costs $4.99 US is because there's a really nice back-up story about the Future Foundation by Jeremy Whitley (writer), Will Robson (pencils), Daniele Orlandini with Will Robson (inks & finishes), Greg Menzie (colours) and VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). If Future Foundation #1 hitting the racks on August 7 is as much fun as this preview it will be worth reading. It's good to see the two Power Pack kids in a comic book again.