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writingrailroad · 4 years

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idea for a gregor the overander/tuc sequel series:

after the events of book 5, gregor’s family and the underland go their separate ways. The underland never reaches out to them, and gregor’s family tries their best to just forget the whole thing. A couple years after their return, they even move to a whole new city (the whole farm plan didn’t work out; too expensive).

boots grows up feeling like her entire family is hiding some big, dark secret. they never talk about anything that happened before they moved, taking special care to avoid boots’s baby years.

her mom wears long sleeves and jeans, even in the summertime. once, boots accidentally walked in on her dressing and found that she was covered in faded, circular scars.

sometimes, her dad wakes up screaming, only for her mom to soothe him back to sleep. her sister has nightmares too, only she wakes up in a panic attack, muttering about rats and codes and gregor. every once in a while, boots has nightmares too: drowning in a surging river as someone reaches out for her, a pit full of dancing mice who suddenly go still, the heat of fire and choking blindness of soot. she has nightmares about other things too, just like any other kid, but those are the ones that come back again and again, just a bit too vivid, and fill her with a strange feeling that lingers just a bit too long.

whenever she told her mom about these dreams, she assured boots that they were just that: dreams. but every so often, she could hear her parents argue. most of the time, they were happy, almost a little too happy. but they would have hushed arguments late at night, safely behind closed doors, and boots would listen through the vents. it was difficult to understand, and it didn’t help that they seemed afraid to even mention what they were actually talking about. sometimes they argued about boots, how not telling her about “it” was for her own good. sometimes they argued about lizzie, how they couldn’t get her anxiety treated in case she mentioned “it” (they ended up taking her to therapy after a particularly bad panic attack landed her in the hospital). but most of the time, they argued about gregor.

gregor was a good kid, and he tried to be a good brother too. he tried really, really hard. he dropped boots off from school and picked her up every day, even after she was old enough to take the bus on her own. he took her wherever she wanted to go, chaperoned all her field trips, and became a counselor for the summer camp she went to every year. he worked through high school to help pay the bills, even picked up a second job to help pay for lizzie’s college, and he always treated boots and lizzie to something nice when he got his paycheck.

and yet, despite all this, he was always so distant. he went off on his own more often than not, never told any stories about himself, and didn’t seem to want to do anything with his life but go for long runs and take care of their family. like their mom, he preferred long sleeves over short ones, but every once in a while boots would catch a glimpse of jagged scars that he refused to acknowledge exist. he had the worst nightmares of anyone, but instead of talking them out, he disappeared to who-knows-where in the middle of the night. sometimes his eyes got this glossy, distant look, and someone would have to snap him out of it before he remembered where he was or what he was doing.

every once in a while, boots tried to talk to him about it. figure out what he was hiding. but he just brushed her off. he brushed a lot of things off; gregor never got angry or upset with anyone. whenever things started to get heated, whenever he would get pushed towards his breaking point, he went on one of his long runs. to boots, it seemed he was always holding part of himself back, almost like he was afraid of what would happen if he got angry.

not that she could blame him.

there have been two times in boots’s life when gregor got angry. once was when she was about ten years old: gregor and boots had caught their landlord putting up a fumigation notice on their way home from school. apparently, there was a cockroach infestation. gregor argued that it was inhumane to just kill a bunch of bugs like that, but the landlord wouldn’t budge, getting more and more irritated by gregor’s protests until he said “what do you care, kid? they’re just a bunch of cockroaches, they don’t matter.” boots could practically feel the anger emanating off of her brother, and a dazed look crossed his face before he punched the landlord—almost. missed the guy’s jaw by centimeters, diverting his throw into the wall. it took a few minutes of controlled breathing on gregor’s part and placating the landlord on boots’s, but they were able to work out an agreement: gregor would door to door to gather and release the cockroaches by himself.

that incident had scared boots more than she wanted to admit, mostly because of an incident before that, where gregor hadn’t held back.

she was maybe eight years old. gregor had had one of his nightmares and disappeared into the night; only this time, boots had followed him. she tried to keep her distance so she wouldn’t be caught, and turned around whenever he checked behind his shoulder (later, she realized that he definitely knew she was following him; her bright purple raincoat wasn’t exactly the stealthiest choice of outerwear). as she crossed the opening to an alley, hands snatched her, pulling her into the darkness. two men held her tight, their acidic stench and gnarled, toothy grins overwhelming her senses, and she let out a brief cry before one of them clamped his hand over her mouth.

then, she saw gregor. his fearful look twisted into something much more dangerous, and he lunged.

it was over before she could blink. gregor tore the men off of her, throwing one against the wall hard enough to make his skull to crack and knocking the other one to the ground, mercilessly punching as boots wailed for him to stop. only, he didn’t stop. he was like a machine, tearing into the guy with deadly precision until boots grabbed his arm and pulled him away. and for a split second, she caught sight of a dazed grin stretched across his face before he snapped out of it, hoisted boots onto his back, and ran.

he must’ve ran for twenty minutes before he slowed down in some park, far from home. he let boots go, checked her over for any sign she’d been hurt, and when there weren’t any, he sat beneath an old tree and cried. boots sat next to him, not sure of what just happened, not sure of what to say. so, she checked him over too, making sure he wasn’t hurt either. he wasn’t, except for that distant look on his face as tears rolled down his cheeks and his bloodied and bruised knuckles. boots wiped his hands with some tissues she found in her pocket and kissed them better—she had to pry his left hand away from his chest, as it was holding tight to the little bat figure he always kept strung around his neck.

“how come you always wear that necklace?” she had asked him, mostly because she wanted to distract him from whatever was making him cry. it worked, somewhat; he seemed to come back from whatever far-off place his mind wandered to.

“i guess you don’t remember, huh?” he asked in return, still sniffling a little. she shook her head. “you gave this to me, back when you were just a baby.”

“really?”

“mhm. that’s why i wear it all the time. and it... it reminds me of a friend.”

with that, he returned to that far-off place. she tried to ask him more, but he brushed her off and took her home. with that, her first and only story from the life her family had lived before they moved was over.

later that same night, boots had a nightmare of her own. but it wasn’t about the two men—it was about gregor. a younger gregor, surrounded by absolute stillness, sword dripping with blood, bearing that same grin.

as much as she hated to admit it, and as much as she hated herself for thinking it, but ever since that day, boots couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit afraid of gregor. at least, the part of him that had smiled. the part of him that he always tried to keep hidden. the part of him that boots suspected resulted in those nightmares and scars.

something happened to their family. something big. and the fact that boots didn’t know was driving her crazy. so who could blame her, really, for wanting to get to the bottom of it?

boots was 13 years old when she lied to her brother. she said she had filled out all the forms for summer camp, but the day the bus arrived, she wasn’t allowed on. so gregor the camp counselor had to leave the unregistered boots behind with a promise that she wouldn’t go anywhere without telling mom or dad and she would always be home before dark. lizzie hadn’t come home from college this summer, something about an internship, and her parents wouldn’t be home for hours.

so, boots got to work. she found a file with her family’s old address, stashed her family’s rainy day fund into her suitcase, and bought a bus ticket for new york city.

the trip there was an exciting whirlwind and agonizingly slow all at once, and she almost got hit by a car after getting off the bus. it was still early afternoon by the time she arrived, and with her printed-out mapquest directions in hand, she made the long trek from the bus stop to their old apartment building.

the family that lived in their old unit didn’t know anything about anything. neither did the next five doors that she tried. but just as she was starting to get frustrated that she came here for nothing, she knocked on the door of an older woman by the name of mrs. cormaci.

as soon as she said their family name, mrs. cormaci recognized her as boots, gregor’s little sister, and sized her up in all of two seconds. she ushered her inside, chastised her for running away, and left a voicemail for her parents before boots could say another word. finally, she sat boots down at the kitchen table with a heaping plate of lasagna—which boots was, undoubtedly, grateful for, as she hadn’t factored lunch into the equation.

“so,” mrs. cormaci said as boots wolfed down her serving. “you wanna tell what exactly you’re doing here?”

“i can’t. it’s top secret,” boots replied with a shrug. mrs. cormaci narrowed her eyes and frowned.

“uh-huh. and i don’t suppose this secret of yours has anything to do with the underland?”

boots froze with her fork halfway up to her mouth. did mrs. cormaci know her family’s secret? and what did she mean by the underland?

for now, she decided to play along. “so what if it does?”

“well, i’d say you’re halfway out of your mind if you’re thinking of going back to that place.”

“but i have to!”

“no sweetie, you don’t,” mrs. cormaci sighed. a softer look crossed her face before she reached out and took boots’s hand. “there’s nothing but tragedy down there. and there haven’t been any messages from ripred or luxa or any of ‘em. believe you me, if anything came out of that laundry vent, you and gregor would be the first to know.”

the phone rang, but mrs. cormaci didn’t make a move to get it.

“i bet that’s your mother right now, and she’s probably having a fit knowing you’re here,” she said. “but before i answer, i want you to promise me you’re not going anywhere.”

boots shook her head. “i’m sorry. i can’t do that.”

the phone went to voicemail, and mrs. cormaci huffed.

“you and your brother, i swear. so stubborn!” she chided. the phone started ringing again. “how ‘bout this: you don’t go anywhere right now. but one day, you and gregor come back here, and he can take you to the underland himself. keep you safe.”

“okay, fine. i promise,” boots relented. but she knew full well her parents would never agree to that, not after the stunt she pulled. and even so, they were never going to tell her about this underland place, let alone allow her to go anywhere near it. but if this place had the answers to her family’s past, maybe it had some way of fixing their problems, too.

“good,” mrs. cormaci smiled as she headed for the phone. “and when you do come back, make sure gregor stops by for a visit. he must be so tall by now—hello?”

mrs. cormaci disappeared around the corner to answer the phone, and boots decided it was now or never. she silently sprinted for the front door and bolted to the stairs. the older woman had mentioned something about the laundry vent, and boots had every intention of investigating for clues. but a cursory glance around the laundry room revealed no such vents. she thought that maybe she had heard wrong, or was in the wrong laundry room—she passed a laundromat on her way here—before thinking to check behind the machines. luckily, no one was in the room with her as she frantically searched machine after machine, every little noise making her think that mrs. cormaci had found her.

then, finally, she found the vent. it took some muscle, but she managed to scoot the machine out far enough so she could stick her head in to investigate. the dust made her cough, and a lint bunny stuck to her curls, but it was quickly pulled out by a current.

that current grew stronger, and boots was sucked into the vent.

she expected to be compressed by the walls of the air shaft. she also expected to free fall straight into the ground. neither happened. instead, the vent opened into a vast, pitch black cavern, and she was carried down by the same current that pulled her in. she landed on the ground gently, not metal like she had expected, but cold, smooth stone.

“hello?” she called out into the darkness. nothing. she felt around the ground the get her bearings and found a slab of stone with a small opening, through which she could hear scuttling sounds. she pressed an arm through, feeling around for any danger, and her hand brushed a smooth, solid, but unmistakably alive surface. the creature reared back from her touch and let out a series of hisses and clicks.

and, to boots’s immense surprise, she understood what the creature was saying.

#tuc #Gregor the Overlander #whoops i did Not mean for this to get so long #oh well lmao #@ suzanne collins hmu bc i have Ideas

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briefololtragedy · 4 years

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Bleed for me

Pairing: ShiSaku

Rating: M (for violence)

Summary: Shisui didn’t like people touching what was his

for day 3 of shiSaku weekend: Yakuza AU, obsession, You’re mine and only mine @shisakuweek

Also posted on AO3

A pale child laid in a hospital bed. Their skin almost blending into the stark white sheets that encased the bed. A man and woman sat beside the bed holding onto the child’s hand. Tears could be seen streaming down their faces. They spoke sweet nothings into her ear. The young girl could not hear what they were saying. It was hard to distinguish the small fragile body of the girl from the lines going to and from her. She was almost more machine than human at this point.

The click clack of heels could be heard nearing the door. A gentle knock took the couples attention from their child to the woman now in the room.

“Mr and Mrs. Sato, I’m Doctor Sakura Haruno and here to talk to you about Rin.” The married couple grasped onto each other. They stared at the woman before them, waiting on bated breath for good news.

“I am one of the transplant doctors who specialize in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery. Do you mind if I sit as we talk about Ms. Rin?” A gentle smile made its way onto Dr. Haruno’s face as the couple nodded their heads yes.

“As you know Rin was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. She has undergone the three stages of repair for her condition, but has now developed complications from not having a 4 chambered heart.” Sakura paused giving time for the parents to process. She always hated these conversations. She glanced at the child laying in the bed. It was likely that good news would not come to this family.

“She has started to develop heart failure in combination with protein losing enteropathy, PLE, as we call it. We do not know the exact reason why some children who have undergone the second or third stage of repair develop this condition. There are some experimental procedures that some surgery centers have tried with little improvement in the patient's condition.” Another pause.

“We are currently pumping the blood through her body artificially with the machine you see. I know when Rin was placed on this they told you what it entails. Her heart is no longer strong enough to function. The machine is giving her lungs a break as well. Right now the best chance Rin has is a heart transplant. She will be near the top of the list in her current state. However, I want you to prepare for the worst case scenario. I am not sure when there will be a donor who matches Rin’s needs…” The words faded into the background for the couple as the sobs overtook them. The doctor placed a hand on the wife’s back rubbing soothing circles. She hoped for a miracle, but life was a cruel bitch.

_______________________________-

The doctor from before was sitting at a bar stool, her petal pink hair cascading down her back. She took a swig of the beer in her hand wanting to erase the day she had. She was dressed to kill with a body hugging backless dress. It was wine red in color, accentuating her alabaster skin. Her green eyes shined like emeralds.

She felt a calloused hands caress her back causing her muscles to twitch. She could smell the alcohol on the individual's breath.

“Aint you a pretty little thing. Let me buy you a drink and you can repay me later.” She had to roll her eyes.

“Beat it. I’m not interested.” She didn’t even bother looking at the man.

“Come on pinky. I can rock your world. You look like you need something stiff.” His laugh grated on her nerves. When he wouldn’t leave her alone, she got up and started to leave. The oaf of a man couldn’t take the hint and grabbed her waist, pulling her to him. She wanted to hurl fron the stench.

“You smell good pinky.” He was starting to rub his nose in her neck. Before she could send her elbow to the man’s skull he was already falling to the ground.

“Ahh!” The drunken idiot now had a foot crushing the bones in his hand. Sakura could hear the crunch of bone from where she was.

“I think the lady told you she wasn’t interested.” A rich baritone voice spoke.

“Oh you just want the bitch for yourself. Find your own. I saw this one first.” The man before her applied more force through his foot, causing the man below him to groan in agony.

“I think it would be best if you leave before something unsightly happens to you.” Sakura knew the man’s fate was dealt the moment he touched her. Sakura already saw a few men in the corner start to move. Once the drunk was up and moving to the exit, he was being followed.

“Was that really necessary, Shisui?” Sakura took the martini from him and started to sip it slowly. She melted when he wrapped his right arm around her. He brought his index finger to her chin and traced her bone structure. Shisui stopped once he was under her chin and turned her face to look at him.

“He was touching what was mine. Don’t forget you’re mine and only mine.” Shisui then sealed their lips together with a kiss.

“Hmm don’t forget you are mine as well.” Shisui smirked. He wouldn’t have it any other way. Shisui would do anything for her. _______________________________

Shisui sat in his leather chair listening to his lackeys talk about different shipments. He really didn’t care at the moment. Sakura was upset about one of her patients. While she told him most things, she always kept her work at arms length from him. Well she tried to for the most part.

When Itachi entered the room Shisui found his back straightening. The glint in Itachi’s eye told Shisui that he was successful in his mission.

“You three leave now.” The three scattered out the door faster than cockroaches clearing ,when a light was turned on. The two waited for the door to close before speaking.

“It appears Sakura has a patient who recently went on the heart transplant list. It's a young girl 8-9 years of age. She has two younger siblings. Mother is an elementary school teacher and father works for a bank. He is a low level teller. The nurses were saying how they don’t think a match will come in on time. Parents are preparing for the worse.”

Shisui leaned onto his clasped hands. “Did you get her blood type and cross matching?”

Itachi smirked and held up a file. “Of course I did. I also tracked down some of the regulars at that bar the two of you go to. I found one who is a match.”

This was just all too perfect.

“You know what to do. Sakura and I will be meeting there for drinks tonight.” Shisui got up from his desk and grabbed his jacket. He was going to kill two birds with one stone. Rid the world of a lowly excuse for a human being and make Sakura happy.

___________________________________________

Shisui had gotten to the bar early to make sure he was sitting in a dark corner. He watched the man go to the bar and order his drink. The bartender glanced his way and Shisui gave a nod. The guy was too busy talking with his friends to see the purple liquid get added to his drink. In just 30-60 minutes the man would lose all inhibitions and fall into the trap.

Itachi was stationed with two others around the bar. The moment Sakura walked into the bar Shisui’s breath escaped his lungs. He could never figure out how she looked so ethereal.

_________________________________________

Sakura snuggled to the man next to her. She buried her nose into his chest. He smelled of sandalwood.

“Hmm where did you go after we got home?” Sakura mumbled as she talked to him. Before he could answer her pager went off. Sakura jumped out of bed and grabbed her phone.

Soon she was kissing Shisui and rushing to get dressed. Shisui just leaned back in their shared bed. Thinking of earlier.

The blade ran up and down the man’s skin. Shisui made sure not to apply enough pressure to cut into the epidermis, at least not yet. The man’s arms and legs were bound to the table immobilizing him.

“Do you know why you are here...What’s your name again?” The man was a sobbing mess.

“K..Ken. Please I have a family.” Anger boiled in Shisui’s veins. He grabbed Ken’s chin, squeezing hard.

“You have a family? Do they know you were at a bar trying to force yourself on women?”

“I’ve never.” A forceful sob caused Ken’s body to jerk violently. Shisui squeezed harder on the man’s jaw. He could feel the bones give under his grip, with a flick of the wrist he jaw gave way.

“What were you doing tonight then? Touching what is mine.” Shisui knew he was not going to get an answer due to the dislocated jaw in his hand.

“Don’t worry your life will mean something once it is ended.” Shisui took his other hand and dug the knife at the base of Ken’s skull. He had read enough of Sakura’s medical textbooks to know the right place to hit to render someone brain dead. Ken would still have his brainstem functions allowing his heart to beat long enough for it to live in another.

In the corner sat Kabuto. While Shisui didn’t agree with his politics, he knew the man could keep a secret. Kabuto also knew better than to cross Shisui. Shisui would not waste any time adding more bodies to the bottom of the ocean.

“You know your part?” Shisui cleaned off his blade.

“Yes. I will take this man to the OR after declaring him brain dead. The nurses will find his organ donor card and alert the transplant team.”

“What are you waiting for? Go.” Shisui wanted to go back home and crawl into his bed. He knew his slumber was going to get distrubed in a few hours with the page Sakura was going to get.

Sakura was running around their bedroom grabbing the nearest article of clothing to dress in. Shisui threw the covers off his body and followed her.

“What are you doing?” Shisui just raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll take you to work so you can rest on the way there. I don’t have work in the morning so I can stay to drive you home.” Shisui melted when he saw her smile. He soon felt arms around his neck and a soft kiss.

“You’re amazing. I can never get over how kind of a husband I have.” Shisui just rested his head on hers before hurrying her to the car.

_____________________________________

He was pacing back and forth. He could see a couple with two young children sitting in the uncomfortable waiting room chairs. Sakura had been in the OR for over 5 hours now. He was lucky she let him sleep in her office, but he was restless. Multiple what if questions ran through his brain. Shisui started chewing on his thumb nail. He ignored the pointed looks from the staff and visitors who passed him.

Shisui propped himself on the wall. He wanted a view of the OR doors when they opened. After another hour or two, the doors finally opened. Sakura’s hair was tucked under her scrub cap and part of her face obscured by her surgical mask, but she still looked stunning. As he watched her walk over to the family Shisui knew it was all worth it.

It just wasn’t tonight that was worth it. He thought back to when he first met his wife. She was a struggling medical student who his little cousin brought over to stitch him up. Shisui was ensnared in her beauty at that moment. She didn’t bat an eyelash when he cursed at her due to the pain. Sakura didn’t care who he was or how he would be taking the mantle of the Yakuza head.

Shisui spent months planning on how he would bump into her. He memorized her schedule, followed her some nights. She became his obsession. His life was consumed by her. He felt like a nervous fool asking her out the first time. They fell into a comfortable rhythm after that. She was always by his side. Shisui found that they shared a lot of the same ideals.

“Shisui did you get any sleep?” Her hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts.

“I got some. Let’s get you home. Was the surgery successful?” He held her close as they walked back to her office.

“It was. Thank you.” Her head rested on his shoulder as they walked.

“No need to thank me.” Shisui found himself against her office wall as she devoured him.

“Without you there would have been no surgery tonight. So thank you. You got Kabuto to help didn’t you?” Well hearing that rat's name killed the mood.

“You said you didn’t want to be involved anymore.” They stood in her office embracing.

“You know it’s best for me to not be involved. Let’s get back home to Hiroyuki, he’ll be missing us.” Sakura was right. Their son would be missing them.

#shisui uchiha #shisui x sakura #shisaku #shisakuweekend082020 #Sakura Haruno #yakuza #SurgeonSakura

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laurawritesandgames · 4 years

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Title: Objections

Fandom: Beetlejuice (Musical)

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Beetlejuice/Adam/Barbara, Charles/Delia

Prompt: Wedding

Content Warning: Set during coronavirus pandemic

Summary: It’s Delia and Charles’s wedding day. The Maitland-Deetz household tries to keep their irreverent demon from spoiling the big day. Little do they know it’s not Beetlejuice they need to worry about….

It had taken ten minutes, but Barbara was finally satisfied with Delia’s lashes. “There. I think we’ve got it.” She moved aside to let Delia see herself in the mirror.

Barbara had put her hair and makeup skills to the test and helped Delia out on her wedding day. Why invite over a makeup artist and hair stylist during a pandemic if you didn’t have to?

Delia examined her reflection and beamed. “It’s perfect.”

That was being kind. It wasn’t exactly one of the dramatic looks on Delia’s wedding Pinterest board. More dramatic makeup would’ve suited her dress better. Ordered from Italy, her dress was a gold ballgown with dramatic tiered tulle flounces on the skirt and a deep V neckline. The gold in the dress played off the gold accents in Delia’s bright orange hair, which was in romantic waves down her back. It was daring and sweet all at once.

When the pandemic hit, the household had talked about postponing her and Charles’s wedding. But Charles’s parents were old-fashioned, and since Delia and Charles wanted to try for a baby right away, they decided to have a virtual wedding instead.

“I can’t thank you enough, Barbara.”

“I’m not letting you do your own hair and makeup on your big day!” She gestured to the laptop. “Now go show the girls.” Her bridesmaids were eagerly awaiting drinking mimosas and celebrating Delia’s look. Barbara had met them at Delia’s virtual bachelorette party, though, of course, they hadn’t known Barbara was there. The bachelorette party had also been rather subdued, considering Delia’s usual standards. She, Barbara and the bridesmaids had streamed both Magic Mike movies, ate popcorn and drank champagne. What else could you do in a pandemic? “I’ll go check on the preparations.”

Delia’s phone, face down on the makeup table, buzzed again. Someone had been texting her all morning, and Delia had been ignoring them. Her gaze flicked to the phone, jaw tightening before she looked back into the mirror.

Barbara gestured to the phone. “I can grab that for you, too.”

A hint of a frown worked its way between Delia’s brows. A moment later, her expression relaxed, and she waved the suggestion away. “I’m fine, darling. I’ve been getting so many robotexts lately. You know, you could stay and have a drink. You’re a bridesmaid too, dear!”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I like keeping busy!” And if I bump something or the camera catches me drinking a mimosa, the focus is definitely not going to be on the bride. Barbara excused herself and went downstairs.

The walls of the living/dining room were decorated with curled gold ribbons and champagne-coloured tulle banners beneath the crown molding. The ghosts and Beetlejuice had moved all the furniture—quite easily, with telekinesis—and added two rows of four chairs on either side of an elegant pale gray runner. The rug led the eye to the laptop, set up on a crystal-laden table where the officiant would’ve stood, and the pale-wood wedding arch wrapped in the same champagne tulle. Everything looked perfect.

Adam, Beetlejuice, and Lydia, the family’s impromptu wedding photographer/videographer, were gathered around a photo album. It took Barbara a second to recognize it.

“Aww, our wedding album!” She joined the group, resting her head on Adam’s shoulder. He kissed her temple, pulling her closer with both arms. The book continued floating in mid-air.

“Obsessed with sunflowers much?” grumbled an unimpressed Beetlejuice.

“I guess so,” Adam said. “My family’s farm had a little sunflower patch. That kinda became our thing.”

“Love the mason jars,” Lydia commented.

“Hey, those were the big thing in 2009,” Barbara said. She supposed their wedding had followed a lot of popular trends: an outdoor barn wedding, lots of tea lights in mason jars, and even a photo booth. But they’d managed to be ahead of the curve on a few things. “Remember our party favours, sweetie?” she asked Adam. “They were little terrariums in stemless wineglasses.”

Adam grinned and squeezed the arm around her waist. “They were tied with ribbons that said ‘Thank you very ‘mulch’ for coming to our wedding!’”

Lydia chuckled; Beetlejuice rolled his eyes.

“Don’t encourage that,” the demon said to his friend. He continued scowling at the wedding album, but Lydia seemed happy to keep looking at the photos.

The most pages they turned, the more Barbara’s mood slid closer to Beetlejuice’s. All those photos were full of friends and family she couldn’t see anymore. Most of her friends’ Facebooks or Instagrams were private, so she couldn’t even do any light internet stalking unless she wanted to log into her old accounts and confuse everyone. Was Lisa still going back to school to get her Masters, or had the pandemic put that on hold? Was Alison still having issues with her mother-in-law? Barbara had no idea. Dead women didn’t have friends. Not to mention her family….

But a wedding was no time to be sad. She pasted a smile on her face and even managed a few cute wedding stories.

“Remember when your uncle Eddy tried to drink his wedding favour?” she asked Adam, who chuckled. “He almost choked on a succulent!”

“But he kept trying to drink from it! Three times!” Adam chuckled. A moment later, his smile faltered. “Probably because he’s a massive alcoholic.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” That story wasn’t quite as cute as she remembered. “So, um, why don’t we do a last-minute check? Make sure we’ve got everything.”

“All right,” Lydia said. She took the photo album from midair and put it away, frowning slightly. “This is probably going to be the nicest moment I have today, so thanks for that.”

Barbara and Adam shared a worried look. Lydia was deeply ambivalent about her father marrying another woman only six months after her mother died. Lydia had used that fact to extract a lot of concessions about the wedding: Delia had let her wear a black dress and take photographs on her analogue camera instead of a digital camera.

“C’mon, kid!” Beetlejuice said. “Just wait ‘til I get the party started!” He blew a party favour, and sparkly beetles flew behind him.

While Lydia rolled her eyes fondly at her friend, Barbara and Adam shared another worried look. The young woman went upstairs to get changed.

Barbara turned to Beetlejuice. “I just wanted to remind you about your promise, Beetlejuice. I know it’d probably be very funny to interrupt the ceremony. Maybe Lydia would even appreciate it. But this day means a lot to Delia and Charles. They’ve found each other through a lot of pain and hardship, and they deserve a fun, special memory.”

Beetlejuice waved her words away. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You don’t know this about me yet, but I love a good party. And people can finally see me! Well, only people here, but whatever. Why would I mess that up and have everybody pissed at me? I’m here for the fun and the food, baby.”

As much as Barbara wanted to believe him, she suspected that the only reason he didn’t have a disruption planned was because of Lydia’s innate goodness, not his own.

“I noticed you didn’t love us going through the wedding album, buddy,” Adam said. “Is everything okay?”

He shrugged. “It just…it looked nice. Your wedding.” He glanced between Barbara and Adam, loudly announcing, “None of that boring-ass shit at our wedding, okay?”

Barbara tried not to look too surprised—Beetlejuice loved shocking them. “Noted. But it’s also not going to be jump scares every minute, or a projector that reveals everyone’s darkest fears, or some kind of Saw situation.”

Beetlejuice’s eyebrows rose. “I was just thinking there’d be singing cockroaches and banners made of bats, but those are way better! You wanna plan it, baby?”

“I said ‘not.’ It’s not going to be any of those things. Did you even hear that part?”

He darted in close and kissed her lips. “Eh, we’ll find a compromise that works for all of us. We’re all about that life, right?” His neck stretched cartoonishly to kiss Adam on the lips as well. Then he poofed away in a cloud of smoke.

After a few moments, Adam said, “Did he just ask us to marry him?”

“I think it was a joke proposal. You know him. If he really wanted to propose, there’d be a lot more pizzazz. And possibly dead bodies.”

“Right, of course.”

“Would you have said yes if he’d been serious?” Barbara asked, curious.

“Things between the three of us have been going pretty well, but I don’t think I’m ready to jump into another marriage quite yet. And you?”

It was exactly what she’d expected from Adam. They’d changed since their deaths—six months later, their afterlives involved parenthood, isolation from friends and family, a lot more free time, and a polyamorous relationship. But it was nice when she could guess what he was thinking. Not everything had changed. “The same. Maybe in a few years or so.”

Before the ceremony, Charles and Lydia stayed in the living room, helping older relatives log on to Zoom and greeting people as they logged in. Charles was wearing a pale grey tuxedo with a metallic grey tie and pocket square. Lydia looked like an elegant classic Hollywood starlet with a goth twist: her black lace gown had a subtle skull pattern to it, barely visible unless the light hit it just right. Her onyx choker and bracelets looked like thorny vines going up her pale arms and encircling her neck. On her head was a raven fascinator with golden bead eyes, her one concession to the wedding colours.

The laptop screen filled up with squares of happy, smiling faces. Everyone had dressed up for the occasion, wearing suits and dresses.

“Betcha most of them are wearing sweat pants,” Beetlejuice said.

“Well, hopefully we’ll never find out,” Barbara replied. The three of them were sitting on the white chairs on either side of the aisle. Most people watching this meeting online probably assumed these chairs were only there for symmetry. As far as they knew, Lydia was the only other person physically at this wedding.

Despite her earlier claim, Lydia was smiling and chatting with Charles’s parents and, to Barbara’s surprise, Emily’s mother. Coming to your son-in-law’s wedding six months after your daughter’s death must have been hard, but if there were any issues, Barbara didn’t see them, and she wasn’t about to eavesdrop on a family moment.

Emily was sick for years. I suppose her family had a lot of time to mourn her. She thought about her parents and her sister at her own funeral. What had that been like?

Lydia took video of Delia coming down the stairs to the bridal chorus, played on speakers set up throughout the room, then put the video camera on a tripod so she could participate in the ceremony.

“I want to thank everyone for joining us today,” the officiant said. “In lieu of wedding gifts, the bride and groom have asked that you donate to the Rural Connecticut Preservation Society. I’m pleased to share that we’ve raised $10,000, which will be donated after the wedding.”

If Charles had had any reservations about donating to a charity dedicated to stopping housing development in rural Connecticut, which directly impacted his career, he hadn’t brought it up during the wedding’s planning stages. Lydia had suggested the charity, after all.

Everyone applauded.

“We will now bless the rings,” the officiant said.

Lydia took out the rings, held them both tightly in her hands, and whispered her blessing into her clenched fists. She smiled mischievously at Charles.

“I suppose if they burst into flame, we’ll know Mom disapproves.”

There were a few awkward chuckles from the assembled, none louder than Delia’s. “That’s my darling, unique stepdaughter for you! Oh, Lydia, you’re so funny!”

In a mocking, little-girl voice, Lydia replied, “I appreciate the compliment, my dearest stepmother.”

Barbara and Adam made sure that they were holding Beetlejuice’s hands so he couldn’t raise them.

The demon scoffed. “You know, I don’t need my hands to do ghost magic? I could just set the rings on fire with my mind.”

“Do not—”

“I wasn’t gonna! Jeez.”

With a theatrical flourish, Lydia showed off the rings to the laptop camera. Barbara half-expected them to be Netherworld green, but they were normal. “My blessing has been spoken. Please speak your blessings now.” Ideally, everyone would’ve been able to touch the rings and speak their blessings in private.

After a pause, Delia’s father spoke first, and others followed. The wedding program had provided a few sample blessings, but people were free to write their own. Delia’s mother began crying halfway through hers.

“Save something for the wedding speech, Amanda,” her father joked. He reminded Barbara of her own dad.

Barbara and Adam gave their own blessings. “Delia and Charles, we wish you health, happiness and love as you start your new life together,” they said, touching the rings, making sure not to brush Lydia’s hands.

Beetlejuice had declined to take part in “New Age bullshittery,” so he remained hovering over his seat.

The rest of the wedding was more traditional, probably to appease Charles’s parents. Barbara’s mind wandered. She and Adam had come so far, hadn’t they? She held Adam’s hand lightly, running her thumb up and down his palm—rather, she did until Beetlejuice forced his way between the two of them and sat on both of their laps.

“Poor baby, no one was paying attention to you,” she cooed into his ear.

“It’s the worst,” he agreed. She ran her fingers through his spikey green hair. Adam gave him some attention by resting his head on Beetlejuice’s shoulder. That seemed to do the trick—he sighed and relaxed.

Readings were read, vows were said, and rings were exchanged. Charles’s vows were simple and straightforward—too curt for Barbara’s tastes—but Delia’s were long enough for them both. Barbara fought the urge to check the time. She felt like Delia had been going for 10 minutes.

Delia actually appeared to be wrapping up when “I object!” sounded over the laptop’s speakers.

A square popped up on Zoom, revealing that the speaker was a tanned older man with more salt than pepper in his hair and bright white teeth. He had a faint accent that Barbara couldn’t place. She’d never seen him on any of Delia’s photos or social media.

Delia made a few choking noises in the back of her throat, the colour draining from her face.

Charles glared at the screen. “You,” he spat out.

Clutching Charles like a lifeline, Delia drew herself up as tall as she could. “Jeremy, log off immediately! I don’t know how you got my number or how you got this link, but get out, you narcissistic psychopath! You don’t get to be a part of my life, not after what you did!”

“Delia, my love, I know you still feel something for me—“

‘My love’? This can’t be the ex-husband, can it? Years ago, Delia’s ex had sailed away to Rome with the secretary he’d been cheating on her with.

“Hey,” Beetlejuice whispered, “I never possessed someone over the internet before. Maybe if we all work together, we can do it?”

Jeremy had opened his mouth to speak again. If ghostly powers could stop this disaster, they had to try. Barbara grabbed Beetlejuice’s and Adam’s hands and held them out to the laptop screen.

“—and I—” Jeremy continued. His gaze abruptly unfocused. Barbara tried to force words into his mouth.

“I’m so sorry!” he said, just as she’d scripted. “I’m going to log off and…and…and throw myself into a dumpster like the piece of trash I am.”

She hadn’t told him to say that. Barbara glanced at Beetlejuice, who grinned back at her.

“And then,” Jeremy continued, “I’m gonna take my toenail clippings, and my belly button lint, put them in a blender, take a shit in that blender, start the blender, and pour myself a shit-shake. It’s my regular Saturday morning routine, baby!”

Lydia rushed forward and tapped a few keys. His square vanished from the screen.

“I blocked him,” she said.

“Thank you, stepdaughter.” Delia sniffled, and Charles handed her a Kleenex from his suit pocket.

As Delia struggled to compose herself, Barbara whispered, “A poop-shake? Really, Beetlejuice?”

“It was Adam!” He couldn’t even keep a straight face, and chortled. “Okay, you caught me. Hey, I had to make sure he’d never be able to look these people in the eye again.”

Delia glared at the laptop screen. “Lydia, darling, explain to me how you set this event up again.”

“I set it as a private Zoom event. Everyone involved in the ceremony had to have a link and a password.”

“So,” Delia said, “who gave my ex-husband—who, I’d just like to remind everyone, is a cheating bastard—the link and the password?”

Slowly, one of Delia’s aunts raised her hand, her face bright pink behind her makeup.

“Millie!” Delia’s mom exclaimed.

“Mom!” shrieked one of Delia’s cousins.

Most people on the Zoom call started shouting at once. It took a few minutes to hear Aunt Millie’s explanation.

“I had no idea he was going to object,” she squeaked. “But he was such a big part of our lives for such a long time, and I thought he deserved to at least see the ceremony….”

“Aunt Millie,” Delia said, “you are no longer welcome!”

“Of—of course. I’m so sorry, Delia.” Aunt Millie took out her glasses and peered at the screen. “Er, which button do I…?”

Lydia took care of it, and banned her.

“And everyone thought I’d use my ghost powers for evil,” Beetlejuice boasted. “Look at me, doing good deeds! Being a goddamn hero!”

Barbara would’ve responded, but poor Delia sagged against Charles, tears running down her face. She tried to speak, but only managed a quiet sob.

“We’re going to take a break,” Lydia said quickly, turning back to the laptop. “See you in 10 minutes, everyone.” She muted them and closed the laptop.

Beetlejuice waved his hand to grab Delia’s attention, grinning broadly. “Thought I’d mention that if you know where he lives I could teleport to his location and, well, cause a little havoc.”

“Do we need to go over the house rules?” Barbara asked. ‘No Murdering’ was the first one.

“No murdering, this time! Just a little non-fatal revenge.”

Delia hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “No, thank you.”

“Non-fatal?” Lydia asked Beetlejuice. “Are you sure? Our wedding did set a precedent for murder….”

Beetlejuice chuckled, and the two fistbumped.

After a moment, the demon frowned. “Wait, should I fistbump you for murdering me?”

“You already completed the ‘bump—you can’t take it back now,” Lydia said.

“Shit, you’re right.”

Delia stared at the living room, lips quivering. “Maybe…maybe this is a sign. The universe must not want me to get married again!”

Beetlejuice floated over. “Delia! Signs don’t exist. Trust me, I’d know! There is no heaven, no hell, no meaning to anything! The universe is cold, distant, and uncaring. It’s basically my mom,” he joked. “But the point is—it doesn’t care what you want, and nothing you say or do can affect it.

“Besides, girl!” Beetlejuice leaned in. “Chuck is rich as fuck. Lock him down!”

Charles glared at him before turning back to Delia. “I still want to get married to you, Delia.”

“Are you sure?” She blew into her Kleenex before continuing. “There are women who…who don’t have ex-husbands that ruin their weddings and—and make a scene in front of all their friends and family….”

“Delia,” Barbara said quietly, “you’re not the first person to date an asshole. I mean, look at me and Adam.”

Beetlejuice appreciated the burn, even if it was at his own expense—he cackled over Delia’s tepid chuckle.

“Don’t blame yourself for what just happened,” Barbara continued.

Delia whimpered into her Kleenex. Charles stroked her hair lightly.

“Delia,” he said, “I stood in front of our friends and family and told them how you were the brightest light in my darkest time. I meant every word of it. Nothing will change that. I love you.” He kissed her so deeply that Barbara looked away to give them some privacy.

When they were done, Lydia cleared her throat. “I’ll go get the digital camera so we can adjust the photos faster. That way you won’t have to worry about your makeup looking perfect.” She began to set her analog camera down.

Delia shook her head. “No—you said this was your artistic vision, and I won’t see it compromised.”

Lydia looked surprised. “Oh.” Her smile was small but sincere. “Thanks, Delia.”

Delia took this as an invitation to hug her stepdaughter. Lydia rolled her eyes, but patted her shoulder and didn’t pull away.

“Besides,” Delia added, “this camera was your mother’s gift to you, and I don’t want her coming back from the Netherworld to tell me off.”

Beetlejuice facepalmed. “That is not how the Netherworld works! That’s not how any of it works.”

“Well, it couldn’t hurt to make sure, could it?” Delia stepped back. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just fix my face.”

“I can help,” Barbara said, and Delia nodded.

Once they were upstairs, Delia collapsed in her makeup chair, sighing heavily.

“I actually thought it was going to go well,” she commented. “That I’d have one beautiful day even in the midst of the world’s ugliness. I was so stupid. Nothing ever goes right for me.”

Barbara reached out to pat Delia’s shoulder before stopping herself. When Delia looked confused, she explained, “Lydia said touching me or Adam is like touching an ice cube tray straight from the freezer.”

“I don’t mind.”

Hesitantly, Barbara touched Delia’s shoulder. It was the first time she’d touched a living person other than Lydia in months, and hugs from a 16-year-old girl she didn’t know that well were rare. The older woman shivered but didn’t pull away.

“Lydia’s not wrong,” Delia admitted. She put her hand over Barbara’s, squeezing slightly. “But a hand offered in friendship should never be refused. You know, it’s been almost four months since I last touched someone who wasn’t Charles.”

“Hopefully this coronavirus pandemic will end soon.”

“I’ve been saying healing prayers twice a day.”

Barbara wasn’t sure they’d be effective, but healing prayers were more than most of America’s leaders were doing. At least Delia was listening to the science and wearing a mask when she went outside. She’d grown so much in the short time Barbara had known her.

Barbara missed her friends from when she was alive. That was natural. But she couldn’t let her loss keep her from recognizing that she’d made a friend after death, too.

“Thanks, Delia,” Barbara said. “Not just for the healing prayers, but for everything. Having two ghostly housemates and a demon would be a lot for some people, but you’ve taken it in stride.”

Delia chuckled. “I once lived in a commune of 200 people. Living off the land, growing our own food…and digging our own toilets.” She wrinkled her nose, then chuckled. “You three are a walk in the park compared to that!”

“If there’s anything you need from me or Adam, please let us know. We don’t want to trouble you or Charles.”

Delia opened and closed her mouth. After a moment, she said, “Well….I suppose I do have a rather personal question….”

“Shoot.”

“Beetlejuice—is he actually good in the bedroom?”

Barbara giggled. “He is. He’s had millennia to think about what he’d do if he ever had sexual partners again. He’s very…inventive.”

“I’ll admit, I’m surprised. He doesn’t seem the type to be concerned with another’s pleasure.”

“Oh, there’s definitely times he forgets. But then we get to teach him. Ahem. Now,” she nodded to the mirror, “let’s get your makeup touched up.”

Barbara wouldn’t ever be hungry or thirsty again, but the stuffed butternut squash was delicious. Delia and Charles had deferred to Barbara and Adam’s local expertise when they planned the menu at their wedding dinner. Adam knew most of the farms the vegetables had come from.

The Deetzes had said goodbye to all their guests, and the family was eating their wedding dinner in the dining room.

Delia had been going to give out the crystals on either side of the laptop as wedding favours—the stones were mostly rose quartz, moonstone and a pale white stone called selenite. But after Jeremy’s arrival, she said she needed to cleanse the crystals. “I’m going to give them a few lunar cycles, just to be safe.”

Barbara nodded, pretending she understood what that meant. “Adam, Beetlejuice and I are dead. We’ve got nothing but time!”

“I just want to thank everyone again for your hard work,” Delia said, smiling at them. “Lydia, for your photographic eye and leading the blessing. Barbara, for the hair, makeup, decorating and emotional support. Adam, for sending out all the emails and doing the tech support. All the ghosts, for intervening when a certain someone decided to crash the party.”

“It was mostly me,” Beetlejuice said. Barbara rolled her eyes at Adam, who chuckled.

“He is the ghost with the most,” Adam said, making Beetlejuice grin.

“My mistake—thank you, Beetlejuice. Thank you all for being part of one of the most important days of our lives. Thank you for being our family.”

Barbara sniffled a bit as she and Adam applauded the speech.

“I got the happy couple some extra gifts,” Beetlejuice said. “For the wedding night.”

“I’m going into another room,” Lydia announced abruptly, setting her plate down. “Another house. Another life.”

As she left, Beetlejuice grinned. “We’re rated PG-13, guys! It’s just rose petals on the bed and some boozy chocolates. Figured you two have your own toys—”

Lydia started singing loudly as she covered her ears, taking the stairs three at a time to get away.

Barbara tried to figure out what he had in mind. “These rose petals won’t become spiders, will they?”

“They’re totally normally and boring, if you must know. I ordered them off Amazon.”

“How?” Adam asked. “You have no money.”

“I typed in Chuck’s credit card, duh.”

“What?” Charles snapped.

Barbara and Adam sighed. Beetlejuice’s morality was a never-ending project that was not without its consequences.

Not for the first time, Barbara reflected that it was a good thing the Maitlands loved working on projects together.

After the wedding dinner, as Barbara, Adam and Beetlejuice were cleaning up, Lydia came downstairs. She was carrying another photo album and wearing a glum expression. She’d changed out of her party dress, and was wearing a comfy hoodie and sweat pants—all black, of course.

“Got a sec?” she asked quietly.

“Of course, sweetheart,” Barbara said.

Lydia showed them a photo—a younger Emily Deetz on a younger Charles’s lap, grinning at the camera in a fancy restaurant.

“My mom and dad’s wedding wasn’t like today’s. There wasn’t any structure. It was just a big party at one of the best restaurants in New York, followed by wandering the city with all their friends and family. They stopped in at dingy bars to listen to live music, they caught a comedy show, they walked through Times Square at two in the morning. They almost got mugged! Mom was hard core like that. Daddy attracts dramatic weddings, doesn’t he?” she joked.

Her smile dropped a second later. “And Daddy looks just as happy here as he did today. I was photographing him and Delia the whole time. I’d know.”

“So,” Beetlejuice said, “the big takeaway here is that Chuck is in love with the women he gets married to?”

Lydia chuckled sadly. “Something like that. I mean, one of them was a woman he met in college, while the other was his employee…. But who cares about things like abuses of power when it’s true love? Daddy and Delia keep trying to make me comfortable with their love story, but how can I be? If it were any other situation, I’d be blasting Daddy online as he stars in the latest MeToo scandal, right?”

Barbara nodded. “You’re right. It’s pretty rare for a story like Delia and Charles’s to end this way. You sound like you’re carrying a lot, Lydia. Do you want to sit and—”

“No, thanks. I just wanted to whine for a bit. Delia’s family seem nice, at least. Except for Aunt Millie, obviously.” She closed the photo album in a short, frustrated gesture. “Well, goodnight, guys.”

“Do you mind if we check in with you tomorrow?” Barbara said. “See how you’re feeling?” Sixteen was such a tough age—particularly when your father was remarrying.

“If you want.” She shrugged, as if she really didn’t care, but her small smile made Barbara hopeful that she’d made the right decision. The only thing more difficult than being a teenager was parenting a teenager she’d just met a few months ago.

Beetlejuice was frowning as Lydia left. “Guys, we gotta help Lyds!” He was nothing if not loyal. “We should break Chuck and Delia up, right?” He leaned in to Adam. “I got the perfect way to do it. You know how Delia thinks Emily can come back from the Netherworld?” Beetlejuice became Emily Deetz for a moment, still with a few mossy patches and green hair. “Well, what if she can? And then we tell Delia to GTFO!”

That he was asking them instead of just doing it was a pretty good sign.

“Well, Bug,” Adam said, “think about it—if Lydia didn’t want this wedding to happen, she could’ve objected herself. Or asked her father not to get married to Delia.”

Beetlejuice became his usual self again, looking disappointed. “Oh. Right. Didn’t think of that.”

“She’s an intelligent, sensitive young woman with complicated feelings about a complicated issue,” Barbara said. “I think the best way to help her is to listen to her without judgement.”

“Why is the right way always the most boring way?” Beetlejuice said, sighing.

Barbara knew how to get him happy again. “Now,” she said, running her hand along his shoulder, “why don’t we finish up and go upstairs? After all this work for everyone else, we deserve some…ah, quality time together.”

Beetlejuice fistpumped and chortled. “Yes! Unfortunately, because of this fic’s rating, we gotta cut it off here. I just wanna let everyone know, it’s gonna be freakin’ awesome—'cuz I’m awesome, baby.”

Barbara had no idea what he was talking about, as usual. Adam kissed her cheek, and they went back to the dishes.

#beetlelandsweek2020 #Beetlejuice #beetlejuice musical #adam maitland #barbara maitland #beetlejuice x adam x barbara

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myhauntedsalem · 4 years

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Bizarre Deaths

Death is everywhere and can visit us at any time. This is no more evident than in these examples of death coming from the most unexpected of sources.

Death is the inevitable end to everyone’s story. We spend most of our lives avoiding it, hoping we will die well into old age without pain or suffering. Yet sometimes death has other, more unusual plans for us, providing strange but timely reminders of our own mortality.

There are lots of strange ways to die, but here are ten examples of really bizarre deaths that came from the most unexpected of sources.

1. DEATH BY BEARD

Having the world’s longest beard certainly comes with its complications. For Hans Steininger, these complications ended in his death. During a fire in town, Steininger hurriedly retreated and forgot to pick up his beard. The beard got tangled in his feet and he fell awkwardly, breaking his neck and killing him.

2. DEATH BY JURY DEMONSTRATION

A lawyer by the name of Clement Vallandingham was attempting to prove his client’s innocence during his trial in 1871. The client was on trial for murder, but Vallandingham believed that the victim had actually shot himself and was not murdered. In court, he showed the jury how he believed the victim killed himself, but apparently forgot to check the chamber. Vallandingham shot himself and ultimately died in front of the court.

3. DEATH BY NECKLACE BOMB

This has to be the story behind the film 30 Minutes or Less because it is remarkably similar; albeit much less funny and more deadly. Pizza deliveryman Brian Well was apprehended during a bank robbery but claimed that it wasn’t as it seemed. Police didn’t believe his story that he had been forced to rob a bank by a group of people he had delivered pizza to. He warned them that he had a bomb around his neck, but it seems they just wouldn’t listen. Wells was killed when the necklace exploded.

4. DEATH BY SWIMMING POOL DRAIN

Abigail Taylor died 9 months after several of her internal organs were partially sucked out of her lower body while she sat on an excessively powerful swimming pool drain. Surgeons replaced her intestines and pancreas with donor organs but unfortunately, the 6-year-old girl died from a rare transplant-related cancer.

5. DEATH BY SHEEP

Betty Stobbs was attempting to feed her sheep one afternoon when things went horribly wrong. She loaded a bale of hay onto her motorcycle and took it to where she kept her sheep. When she got there, the excited sheep ran after her and knocked her and her motorcycle into a canyon. The fall didn’t kill her, but the motorcycle landing on her head did. While the sheep were certainly culpable in the death, admittedly this may technically be more of a death by motorcycle situation.

6. DEATH BY HOARDING

Homer and Langley Collyer had a problem throwing things away. They were bonafide hoarders and their house was filled with junk. Eventually, the junk around their house took control and the two were found dead, buried beneath their pounds and pounds of junk.

7. DEATH BY ROBOTS

They’re coming! They already got one of us! Truth be told, this appears to be more of a negligence death rather than a sci-fi murderous robot. Robert Williams was working at a Ford casting plant when he stepped into the line of fire to remove a faulty part. One of the robotic arms activated and smashed him in the head, killing him.

8. DEATH BY ELEVATOR

Dr. Hitoshi Christopher Nikaidoh was decapitated as he stepped on to an elevator at Christus St. Joseph Hospital in Houston, Texas in 2003. According to witnesses, the elevator doors closed as Nikaidoh entered, trapping his head inside the elevator with the remainder of his body still outside. A subsequent investigation revealed that improper electrical wiring installed by a maintenance company several days earlier had effectively bypassed all of the elevator’s safeguards, enabling it to move under any circumstances.

9. DEATH BY ORANGE PEEL

Daredevil Bobby Leach stared death in the face many times. He was the second person history to ever survive his fall from Niagara Falls in a barrel. He probably assumed that he would die during one of his stunts, but his death came in a much less exciting manner. While walking down the street in New Zealand, Leach stepped on an orange peel his feet went out from underneath him. He broke his leg and was taken to the hospital, but later died due to complications.

10. DEATH BY CACTUS

David Grundman and his buddy were having a grand-old-time shooting cacti in a desert one evening in 1982. When the 26-foot-tall cactus was shot, it fell and crushed Grundman, avenging its fallen cactus brothers. ____________________________________

Take a look at some of Some more most bizarre deaths

1. Death By Turtle In 455 BC, the Greek author Aeschylus was supposedly killed when an eagle dropped a turtle on his skull. 2. Death By Beard In 1567, Hans Steininger was killed upon breaking his neck. The accident occurred after he tripped on his own beard, which was 4.5 ft long! 3. Death By Food In 1771, King Adolf Frederick of Sweden died after he consumed a massive meal. The meal consisted of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, kippers, champagne and 14 servings of desert. 4. Death By Effective Defense Strategy In 1871, a defense attorney, Clement Vallendigham, from the great state of Ohio passed away after shooting himself. He did so whilst demonstrating that the victim in the trial could have shot himself, rather than being murdered by his client. The defendant was found innocent. 5. Death By Shaving In 1923, George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon (that’s in Wales), died after he cut open a mosquito bite while shaving. It became infected and killed him soon after from pneumonia. 6. Death By Acting In 1958, Gareth Jones, an actor, died on a heart attack in between scenes in a TV play. His character was supposed to die in the same way. 7. Death By Machine In 1979, Robert Williams, who worked in a Ford Motor Company factory, made history as the first person killed by a robot. He was struck in the head by one of the cranes. 8. Death By Window In 1993, A Toronto lawyer fell to his death after hurling himself at a window on the 24th floor of the Toronto-Dominion Center. He was trying to prove that the glass was unbreakable – and he was sort of right. The glass never broke but, rather, it popped out of place and fell to the ground with him. 9. Death By Wee In 2007, a woman by the name of Jennifer Strange fell victim to bladder failure and died during a promotional radio contest called, “Hold Your Wee For Wii,” in which contestants attempted to go the longest without peeing in order to win a Nintendo Wii. 10. Death By Nature In 2009, Canadian folk singer Taylor Mitchell became the only recorded adult person to be killed by coyotes after they attacked her in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. 11. Death By Choking In 2012, a man died after choking on a cockroach during a roach-eating contest. 12. Death By Selfie In 2014, Oscar Otero Aguilar, 21, died after shooting himself in the head while posing for a selfie with a loaded handgun.

#Bizarre Deaths #paranormal #ghost and hauntings #ghost and spirits

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carmen-sandie-go · 4 years

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River Styx: what do u think happens when we die

Hey anon ,

This question made me think. Like think think and then the sudden harsh reality that I am going to die someday and not be a teenager anymore but actually some old grandma hit me hard so thanks for that bruh.

I really don't know what happens. I believe that once the body does the soul goes to a court room where it is presented in front of god and according to the karma in this life the fate is decided. If you have done exceptionally well and good things you go to heaven . Which I believe would be the case for 1% people. You then are able to attain moksha or the freedom from the re birth cycle. If you have done evil deeds then you serve your time in hell . Which would be the case for 20% people give today's crime statistics. Now the people who have done their time in hell get a choice to either become a demon , re birth or heaven I believe that most would choose heaven . Lastly the rebirthers people who neither belong in heaven nor in hell but this doesn't mean they have not don't anything wrong or anything good.

According to Hinduism

Among the collected hymns of the Rigveda (which may date from 1500 BC and probably constitute the earliest known book in the world), there is a “Song of Creation.” “Death was not there,” it states, “nor was there aught immortal.” The world was a total void, except for “one thing, breathless, yet breathed by its own nature.” This is the first recorded insight into the importance of respiration to potential life. To the intellectually inclined Hindu, the eternal, infinite, and all-pervasive principle of Brahman alone is real, and the acquisition of cosmic consciousness allows humans to become one with it. The individual soul (ātman) is merely a particle of this cosmic principle. Think of it this way , a drop propelling out of the ocean its different from the ocean for a while but in the end it is made up from this ocean and returns back to it.

After death At the cremation site, a lighted torch is handed to the eldest son or grandson, who ignites the pyre, near the feet of the dead woman, at the head of the dead man. While the body is burning the soul is thought to seek refuge within the head. The intense heat usually explodes the skull, liberating the soul; when this does not happen spontaneously, the skull is deliberately shattered by blows from a cudgel. Other traditions hold that the soul passes out through the nose, eyes, and mouth. Some believe it is better still if it leaves through the anterior fontanel, an opening in the skull that normally closes during early childhood. Such theorists hold that if the deceased has practiced yoga or intense meditation, this opening will reopen, allowing free passage to the soul. In some parts of India it is believed that the souls of the really wicked depart through the rectum, and in so doing acquire such defilement that endless purification is necessary.

Immediately after death, the soul is not clothed in a physical body but in a vaporous thumb-sized structure (linga ṡarīra). This is immediately seized by two servants of Yama, the god of death, who carry it to their master for a preliminary identity check. Afterward, the soul is promptly returned to the abode of the deceased, where it hovers around the doorstep. It is important that the cremation be completed by the time of the soul’s return, to prevent it from reentering the body. By the 10th day, the near relatives have purged some of the defilement (mṛitaka sutaka) they incurred from the death, and the chief mourner and a priest are ready to carry out the first śrāddha (ritual of respect). This is a step toward the reconstitution of a more substantial physical body (yatana ṡarīra) around the disembodied soul (preta) of the deceased. A tiny trench is dug in a ritually purified piece of land by a river, and the presence of Vishnu is invoked. Ten balls of barley flour mixed with sugar, honey, milk, curds, ghee, and sesame seeds are then placed, one by one, in the soil. As the first ball is offered, the priest says (and the son repeats after him), “May this create a head”; with the second ball, “May this create neck and shoulders”; with the third, “May this create heart and chest”; and so on. The 10th request is for the ball to create the capacity to digest, thereby satisfying the hunger and thirst of the newly created body. Bungled ceremonies can have catastrophic effects. Prayers are offered to Vishnu to help deliver the new entity (now perceived as some 18 inches [46 centimetres] long) into the power of Yama. The balls of barley are picked up from the trench and thrown into the river. Further śrāddhas are performed at prescribed times, varying according to caste; one of these rituals makes the soul an ancestral spirit, or pitṛi. With the completion of these rituals, the soul of the deceased leaves this world for its yearlong and perilous journey to Yama’s kingdom. The family is now formally cleansed. The men shave their heads, and the women wash their hair. The family’s tutelary god (removed by a friend at the time of the death) can be returned to its home. A feast is offered to Brahmans, neighbours, and beggars—even the local cows are given fresh grass. There is a sense of general relief: if the śrāddhas had not been performed, the preta could have become a bhūta (malignant spirit), repeatedly turning up to frighten the living. For the deceased, things would have been worse: the preta would have been left errant. (A similar fate befalls the soul of a person who commits suicide.) The horror of dying unshriven that haunted people in medieval Europe resembles the despair of the devout Hindu at the prospect of having no son to perform the śrāddhas.

The soul, in its substantial envelope, is meanwhile proceeding on its journey, holding onto a cow’s tail to cross the Vaitarani, a horrible river of blood and filth that marks the boundary of Yama’s kingdom. Throughout, it is sustained by further śrāddhas, during which friends on earth seek to provide it with shoes, umbrellas, clothing, and money. These they give to a Brahman, in the hope that the deceased will benefit. During such rituals relatives have to avoid all sewing, which might occlude the pitṛi’s throat, rendering it incapable of ever breathing or drinking again. After a year, the pitṛi in its yatana ṡarīra reaches Yama’s seat of judgment, where it is sentenced to a strictly limited term in heaven (svarga) or hell (naraka) according to its deserts. This completed, it moves into another body (the karaṇa ṡarīra), whose form depends on the individual’s karman. It could be a plant, a cockroach, a canine intestinal parasite, a mouse, or a human being. Unlike Jains, Hindus believe that whatever body the soul eventually moves into, it inhabits as sole tenant, not as a tenement lodger

#asks #wow #idk what to say #philosophy #yeeeehhh #getting older

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shewantedtobeasecretgirl · 4 years

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10. Bathroom wall a.k.a. a queen bee, Prince in the shower and a backup Casanova (Part One)

„After all… it could be worse. It’s definitely nicer than the apartment I shared with the Friels in L.A.”

“Spare me the details…” Stone mumbles as we’re walking with our bags and suitcases to our rooms. Every second neon light is flickering, which, apart from making me tic, creates a Hitchcockian vibe here. But we have no choice, this is the only motel in the smalltown in which we are stuck for one night on our way to Charlotte. The tour bus of the crew broke down and after two hours of consultation, the drivers confirmed the case requires a car mechanic. Since we were in the late afternoon, Eric decided to cancel our hotel reservation for this night and we checked in the first and only motel we found here.

“I’m happy we only have to spend one night here. Not that I’m picky but this Bates Motel scares the hell out of me…” Judy glances around nervously, reading in my mind as usual. “It’s that a cockroach trap?” she squeaks.

“Don’t worry, I know how to deal with insects, I grew up on a farm, these bastards show up very often around animals.”

“…aaand that’s exactly why we have to worry…” Stone adds having us in stitches.

“Stoney, your only luck is that I can handle any sort of animals.” Jeff retorts grinning as he walks a few steps backwards to see Stone’s reaction but he tactically waits with his retort for him turning back.

“Oh yeah… and you can’t wait to show her your one-eyed trouser snake.” he mutters and I try to mask my snorts by faking a cough. However much I like Judy and however much I have no idea what’s going on exactly between her and Jeff, Stone’s remarks about their bashful kindergarten romance are just hilarious…

“I’ve got bugs in my room…” Ed shows up in the door we’ve just passed.

“Bugs… and no TV.” Beth puts her head out too.

“Great. All I’ve wanted was to stare random sports coverages with glazed eyes and not to think about anything…”

“Since when have you needed any outside help to do that?” Stone targets our bassist again.

“Well, Mike, you’ve won the jackpot. One night with Stone without a TV… What do you think, Jeff, how long it’ll take until he knocks on your door begging you for cutting his cochlear nerves out of his skull?” she asks raising one eyebrow.

I must admit Stone has met his match in this girl. Honestly, I can’t stand when they are yelling with each other but a healthy level of wrangling can’t hurt. At least he leaves us alone while he’s busy with hating her… and she’s not that damsel in distress what she looks like at first sight, even if Stone isn’t willing to acknowledge that.

“Why does nobody care about ME?” Stone whines. “One night without TV… in the company of Mike McCready’s infamous right hand…”

I jinxed it.

“You know, Stone, I still can strangle you with the left one…”

“EWWW!” the others groan in unison, probably visualizing the scene. Now that I think into it, it’s rude, truly…

“Mike, behave yourself, we have now a lady in the crew; we can’t act like wild boars anymore…”

“But wild boars can’t even…”

“A lady. Of course. And what I am? Or who? Wilma Flintstone?” Karrie shakes her head with folded arms standing in the next door.

“Oh, you’re such a badass that we always forget you’re a woman… Okay, that definitely sounded better in my head.” I duck my head seeing the reproving expression of the others. “What I’m trying to say is that you survived several tours with punk bands, I’m sure we’re innocent lambs in comparison to them…”

“Pure, immaculate babies…” Jeff bats his eyelashes.

“You’d better prepare for getting dirty… since there’s no shower in the rooms…”

“What?” Judy lets out a short scream that reminds me of the squeak of a random exotic bird.

“I’m serious, there’s only a toilet with a small sink.” she opens the door in her room. As I enter to peek in, the smell strikes me. Everything in the room, including the furniture, the tapestry, the curtain is saturated with the massive smell of cigarette smoke. I don’t even know if one could get rid of this level of smell… maybe by demolishing the whole building and sowing salt onto its place…

“Does that mean there’s no shower here at all?” Judy inquires one octave higher.

“No worries, it’s here…” we hear Dave’s voice from the end of the hallway. Judy drops her backpack on the ground and hurries in his direction; after a collective shrug, we decide to follow her. On entering, I count two sinks and a rickety classroom chair in the forefront; I go on with my expedition and find myself in a wider room with each four shower compartments on both sides.

“What do you think, is that the women’s shower or…” Judy wonders. We exchange an amused look before bursting out in laughter.

“Judy, I doubt there’s another one in this building.” Jeff throws one arm around her shoulder. “But I’m sure we’ll find a solution to this problem.”

“S-sure.” she reddens in a second. “D-did I mention I lived in a dorm in my first two years on Juilliard? Actually, there were separate showers for girls and boys but you could never know whom you could encounter there…” she jabbers examining the nose of her shoes.

“And which one did you visit more often?” Stone asks in a phlegmatic manner not showing much interest in the answer since he begins to discover the room with both hands in the pocket.

“Actually, showers have great acoustics so I would use the evenings when everyone was away and sneak in with my bassoon to practice…” her face lights up. The poor girl hasn’t suspected yet what I already know: Stone will use the occasion to embarrass her all the more.

“So you practiced on your bassoon there. Finally, I’ve learned how classical musicians call it!”

“Tell me Stone, what makes you think about penis all the time?” Jeff grins while Judy is only staring in front of herself completely mortified. “We’re talking about animals… PENIS! We notice the lack of TV… PENIS! Judy mentions a musical instrument… PENIS! What would Freud think about that?” he takes his chin between his thumb and index finger and starts scratching it with them, pretending cogitation.

“We should call Amber, the guy needs urgent treatment.” Dave snorts.

“Or I can leave you alone for this evening…” I place my hand on Stone’s shoulder with a meaningful expression.

“Okay guys… I leave you alone and give you five minutes to discuss your pubescent wet dreams or to do whatever you collectively want to, I’m not interested in the details, what happens here that stays here but after the blood returns in your brain, we should decide what to do in the evening since I want to spend here as little time as possible. I saw a bar opposite the motel, maybe they have a TV or maybe we could play pool or foosball…”

“Great idea. Now leave.” Dave tosses her jokingly to the hallway.

I do like her idea, I’d be anywhere but here… but I already know the signs. The knives in my stomach… it’s coming…

***

„Look, Judy and Scully are sitting there!”

“…and that’s why we’re gonna choose another table…” Stone mumbles.

“I tell you a secret: you won’t catch leper just by sitting next to her…”

“I don’t wanna hazard, how would I look with one ear or… whatever…”

“A smaller nose wouldn’t hurt, though…”

“I must say, Stone’s right…” Dave turns back to me. “You shouldn’t breathe down her neck all the time.”

“I don’t…”

“You do.” they answer in unison and Dave goes on like he was the dating guru of the band. “If you like a girl and follow her everywhere like a puppy, she will take it for granted. But if you sometimes act casual and don’t treat her like a princess…”

“… she will have no clue whether I like her or not and nothing will happen between us in the rest of our lifetime.” I cut him off.

“No, it’s all about tactics! You show interest, then you pull back, but you’ve already piqued her curiosity so she takes the next step, then you make a move again and this time you try to get closer than last time, then you take back from the pace again making her jealous… and so on…”

“Come on, it’s not like a basketball match, I hate playing games and dancing things around, I just go and ask her out and tell her how I feel and if she rejects me, at least I can tell I didn’t run circles… I hate making a fool of myself.”

“As you want, Jeff… but one thing I know: the most exciting girls all play “the game”. All of them. I’ll grab the beers.” Dave sums up with a meaningful grin before heading to the counter.

“You should leave her alone. I mean not because of what Dave said, obviously, neither is she exciting, nor is she a player and I’m scientifically not convinced that she’s a girl at all but seriously… you can’t expect much from her…”

“I don’t really care about your opinion, you can’t stand her, fine, but I…”

“… you can’t expect much from her…” he repeats taking a deep breath “because she’s a virgin.“

“Hahaha, Jesus, Stone, forget this bullshit finally, not all decent girls are nuns or spinsters!” I shake my head glancing to the direction of the decent girl in question. Luckily, the TV screen over the counter and the broadcasting of a basketball match on it serve as unquestionable excuse for me following what’s happening at our friends’ table.

“Bashfulness is one thing… and her potato bag-like dresses weren’t designed for seduction either but… I’ve heard something…”

“What? Her reading her gynecology record?” I snort.

“Very funny… you think I’m kidding… it happened at the SNL set. Between our appearances, I went back to our dressing room and when I entered she was… begging Eddie to show her how to use a condom…” Stone gets finally to the point pushing the ash tray back and forth with his thumb.

“Are you high or what? You mean she… she… she asked Ed to grab his dong and…” I’m trying to overcome my laugh attack.

“Jesus, no!!! She wanted him to do it with a banana. Plus, Beth was there too.”

“This story is getting better and better.” I keep snickering as I bury my face in my hand, not that me tearing off my own face would bother Stone in finishing the presentation of his theory.

“Well, it sounds pretty sick at first but if you think into it… she’s inexperienced… she gets on well with Beth… who tries to enlighten her about sex stuff… and she gets the idea that her boyfriend could help her with the male side of the story…”

“Stone?”

“Yup?”

“You’re a fuckin’ perv, you watch too much threesome porn.” I lean closer looking in his eyes.

“Since when has been threesome a perverse thing?” he asks back avoiding my eyes with a lopsided smile.

“I didn’t say that. But fantasizing about Judy discussing sexual topics with a couple who happen to be our friends is definitely only the product of your twisted mind.” I poke him in the forehead with my index finger. “Anyway, this whole incubus is full of contradictions. Like, you know too that Ed can be pretty shy about certain topics, if this scene had happened the way you told, he would have got embarrassed and…”

“I know, it was weird to me too but he even began to joke about it suggesting that we should write a song about ejaculation…”

“Haha, I always thought Mike would be the first to come up with that…”

“You know, some people write songs about it, some people practice it… Anyway, admit it, it makes sense. She’s shy, she reddens all the time, she even makes up a ridiculous excuse just to avoid being kissed…”

“…which is also only your theory, let’s make it clear.” I interject but in the meantime, I catch myself observing Judy’s body language. She talks to Scully with folded arms, as if she was trying to squeeze in and take up as little space as possible. Noticing my distraction, Stone also glances towards them and goes on with his mental leap, not taking his eyes off them.

“Of course… it’s possible that I misheard them. Maybe she was talking about bandanas and I thought it was about a banana. Maybe she didn’t even say “condom.” Maybe she said bottom… or bonbon… or pontoon… or…”

“Just shut up finally!” I grunt still focusing on my target who now tucks both palms under her thighs and listens to our guitar tech with undivided attention. I wish there was a manual on the typical moves of sexually inactive girls… shit, Stone’s tactic works. As always. He’s got that annoying skill to bug with you his impossible ideas again and again until you realize he’s put a bee in your bonnet and crawled totally into your mind. “Anyway, even if you’re right, what does it change?”

“Right about what?” Dave rejoins the conversation and distributes the three bottles of beer before he sits back on his place.

“Whether Saint Judith has already popped the cherry.” Stone grins against the rim of the bottle with sassy eyebrow twitches.

“Geez, don’t you have anything better to talk about?” Dave shakes his head and I reward his reaction by clapping appreciatively. “Anyway” he goes on with a little break while he’s taking a sip “if you’re that curious, why don’t you just go and ask Karrie?”

“I’M NOT CURIOUS ABOUT IT!” I raise my voice. “Excellent idea Dave, I don’t even know why it hadn’t occurred to me before… like, “hey Karrie, has your cousin banged recently? I mean, since she was born?” After all, she would probably only tear my head off and play basketball with it stomping on my dead body. It’d be totally worth trying.”

My reaction makes Dave laugh so hard that he ends up dropping the cigarette he’s just put into the corner of his mouth. As he places it back approaching it with the lighter, I hear a female voice over my head.

“Have you got light?”

The owner of the voice is a tall, slim girl. She isn’t pretty in the conventional meaning but the contrast between her dark hair and eyes and her pale skin gives her a femme fatale look. The red lipstick she’s wearing only multiplies this image; due to the striking phenomenon, it takes me a few seconds to notice the two other girls standing behind her. They are nice but obviously not nice enough to eclipse the vibe of Lipstick Girl. After all, ladies-in-waiting have never been allowed to look better than their queen…

“Sure” mumbles Dave offering the lighter, not that he’s got any choice because Lipstick Girl has already taken place on the fourth chair after her rhetorical question.

Stone and I glance at each other confirming that we don’t have any other choice either than reaching out for each one chair at the surrounding tables and pulling them closer to ours, so that the other two girls don’t have to be standing miserably around us.

“You’re those guys from Pearl Jam, right?” Lipstick Girl inquires blowing the smoke lazily. For no reason, though, since knowing the answer, she goes on with the next question. “And where’s your singer?”

I should have known. They are interested in the famous Eddie Vedder. As ninety-nine percent of people who know the band.

“He stayed at the hotel. With his girlfriend.” I try to answer in a dark voice.

“Oh. That’s too bad. I’m Claudia, by the way.” her face lights up as she reaches out her hand to Stone and I can’t decide whether her sudden enthusiasm is real or she’s a serial killer who’s just found her backup victim.

“That Guy From Pearl Jam.” Stone shakes hands with her.

“And these are my friends, Jordan and Wendy.” she goes on with the introduction, ignoring Stone’s sarcastic response. Wendy can’t help giggling excitedly hearing her own name while Jordan sends a shy smile towards us.

“Actually, we rather call him Stone. It’s shorter and simpler. Sort of… classy.” I explain.

“Yes, and since we’re all “That Guy From Pearl Jam”, we had to find out another names, otherwise we’d never know who’s talking to whom. That’s why we call him Jeff.” Dave points at me cracking the girls up with his joke, of course Claudia’s laughter is the loudest from the trio.

“Actually, we found this dude in a dumpster. We decided to adopt him and named him Dave.” I point back at our drummer keeping our company entertained. Tit for tat. ”By the way, Stone is our guitarist…”

“Rhythm guitarist…” he feels necessary to specify the name of his position.

“Oh my god, I love rhythms.” Wendy exclaims pressing her hand against her chest.

“But Dave is our rhythm master-in-chief, he plays the drums.”

“Actually, bass belongs to the rhythm section too… by the way, I’m the bass player…” I add although I doubt they could distinguish between the types of guitars.

“And aren’t you playing a show tonight?” Jordan finally speaks up but before we could answer politely her dumb question, Claudia humiliates her saying out loud what’s probably not only on my but also my bandmate’s mind.

“Of course they aren’t, what do you think, they have clones or what? Anyway, what are you doing here?” she suddenly turns back into the chatty Catwoman, sending an irresistible smile at Stone. She must be bipolar.

“We’re just hangin’ out… talkin’ about stuff… mostly manly stuff. Porn… tuned cars…” Stone shrugs.

“Oh my god, I love tuned cars!” Wendy clucks in, obviously her sensor for sarcasm isn’t working, in case she has one at all.

“…guns…” Dave adds and despite my expectations, Wendy doesn’t express her enthusiasm this time.

“…and basketball…” I throw in my contribution but I immediately lose interest in the conversation, when Dave nudges me nodding towards Judy and Scully. I immediately decode his signal and glance there too to realize Judy is staring us. And as far as I can see, her expression is curious and confused at the same time.

“You see? It’s working…” Dave mutters between his teeth pretending to listen to the rambling of Wendy and Claudia. “Now make her clear she’s not the center of the universe, you notice other girls too…” he advises pulling out the next cigarette of the pack. As always, Stone reaches out for it too knowing Dave always spares him and pardons his grubbing.

“Wow, may I check your hands?” Claudia uses the occasion and like every time since they joined us, she does what she wants regardless to the answer, which means this time her grabbing Stones right hand and starting touching it enthusiastically. “Your hands are beautiful… how can fingers be that long? And they are so soft!” she also narrates the process, making Stone let out a silent chuckle. Despite being the sarcastic commenter of our life, he can be pretty aloof with strangers and I’m sure he’s embarrassed this time too. Driven by a sudden idea, I basically push my hands in the face of Jordan.

“Look, bassist hands look totally different!”

“Yeah… your finger seems… stronger. I like your rings…” she flushes but I find more interesting the outraged grimace of the girl behind her. Is it possible that Dave was right? She’s flailing as she’s explaining something angrily to Scully, still looking at us… Is she maybe…jealous? Yass!!!

In the meantime, music starts playing from the speakers, it’s Hot Stuff by Donna Summer. Weird choice at a pub without a real dance floor but the girls at our table don’t feel bothered by that fact since they all start screaming grabbing for each other’s hands.

“Oh my god, I love this song!” Wendy shrieks. How surprising.

“I can’t help dancing every time I hear it!” Claudia sighs and in the next second I see her pulling Stone – whose hand she’s still holding in hers in the middle of the bar while our bandmate turns back and sends desperate S.O.S. signals to us.

“Yes, let’s dance!”

The two other girls follow them and they encourage us to do the same by shouting back at us. Dave silently grins at me and I immediately know what’s on his mind.

“No. No way. Forget it.”

“Come on Jeff, let’s finish what you’ve started. Everything for the cause.”

As his smile grows wider I realize I have no choice.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” I groan as I pinch the bridge of my nose, even closing my eyes tightly as if it could help me turn invisible. “Okay, let’s do it.” I exhale deeply and drag myself after Dave.

I honestly hope this works… And if it does, I’ll want to get a very generous reward for it.

***

„I gladly help you, Judy but don’t you think it’ll be too much? You want to learn everything at once. I mean, I’m not saying you’re not capable of it but I’m not sure that my experiences would be useful… even Brett’s task is closer to that of Karrie’s, so…”

“The more I work with the team the more I feel that I know nothing. N O T H I N G. Karrie’s done this job for years and I only have weeks to become her replacement… Jesus, I was a goddamn idiot when I said yes.” Judy leans her forehead against her palms with a desperate sigh. “This whole job is about physics that has never been my strength…” she lifts her bottle to her lips, which is a move she’s done very often tonight. Actually, I don’t mind it, she hasn’t been very talkative to me but seemingly, beer proves to be an effective tongue loosener at her.

“Come on, do the others look like rocket scientists?”

“Of course not. But everything what they learned by experiencing step by step, I have to compensate in like… weeks? A degree in physics or electrical engineering would be more useful than my skill to recognize chords by ear or analyze a fugue theme or…

“And why do you think that the guitar tech could introduce you into the mysterious world of sound waves and frequencies? I basically just tinker with Stone’s guitars, prepare him cold beer on the amp and hand him the towel between songs…”

“You forgot to mention your supernatural ability…”

“…which would be…?”

“First, being able no to vomit of the look of his sweaty body… and to bear him, generally. Seriously, man, you should receive the Nobel Peace Prize, it’s some achievement.” she glimpses narrow-eyed at the three-fifths of the band. It’s beginning. They don’t even need to be in any interaction to find excuses for sparring. “Sorry, I know you get on well with each other, he’s your friend, yadda-yadda… but he simply gets on my nerve and he even enjoys it.”

Actually, that’s exactly what Stone keeps telling about her too but I rather swallow my remark. When the guys arrived, I was about to wave them so that they came over but she almost broke my arm and categorically declared she couldn’t even bear the sight of him. I thought her liking the other guys could make her overcome her aversion but I was wrong.

“Karrie hasn’t allowed me yet to do anything with her soundboard during the gigs but she gives me smaller tasks at sound checks and encourages me to experiment with the setups… although I feel like I’m wasting everybody’s time and I’m just pushing buttons senselessly like a lab chimpanzee… I mean, the others tell me too if I don’t manage to do what they are asking me for but I also receive positive feedback from them when I’m accidentally doing something right. But Stone… he basically disagrees only for the sake of tension and he changes his mind in every two seconds… so even if I sometimes start feeling useful, he ruins this feeling with one single word or a smug face…” she goes on talking faster and faster, putting accent on every mentioning of Stone by beating her bottle against the table.

“I don’t want to desperate you but you’d better begin to prepare for new challenges… it’s already April, the season of outdoor gigs has just started… which means you can forget everything you’ve already learned because those are completely different than shows in smaller smoky clubs…” And they give Stone infinite number of variations for finding flaws and mistakes in her work but I keep this information for myself, seeing she’s stressed out enough even without that.

“Great. You really know how to soothe people, you know?” she remarks with a bitter half-smile. “And here we are…”

“What?” I ask and follow the direction of her look as she nods towards the guys who are now surrounded by a few girls, probably local bar beauties. “Oh, it’s nothing serious… it happens from time to time and I’m sure it’ll too more and more often. But they’re not interested in girls who are interested in rock stars.” I shrug.

“ ’Course. Not at all. Guys who are not interested in girls. Sure.”

“I’m serious, I mean, they don’t practice celibacy but neither of them is into hookups with fans.”

“That’s what I’ve heard too. And they do seem to be honest guys but who believes in fairy tales?” As we keep observing them, we witness the ladies settling down at their table and engaging into a lively conversation with them. “You see?” she comments on the scene but despite the victorious confirmation she’s right, I discover hints of other feelings on her face too… maybe… envy?

“Okay, you’re a little right. Dave is a huge flirt. He loves being surrounded by girls, complimenting them, chatting them up and apart from a few exceptions, that’s all.” I admit trying to direct the conversation to neutral fields since I suddenly realize what triggers her reaction. I’m a moron for catching on so slowly but better later than never… She obviously feels neglected by Jeff. They’ve just begun to hang out together, they’ve already had a sort-of-a-date… and now she thinks he’s lost interest in her. “But Jeff is a very loyal type, he’s like a brick wall with bimbos…” I put him on pedestal but she doesn’t seem convinced.

“Jesus, those typical, trivial girly tricks, I can’t believe he buys them.” she goes on as if she hadn’t even heard me.

“I… I wouldn’t think anyone of them is his type, I mean of course I didn’t know all of his exes but…” I babble effortlessly and my words finally reach her brain.

“What? Exes? Whose exes?” she tilts her head furrowing her eyebrows uncomprehendingly. Okay, that’s definitely not what I expected.

“Jeff’s..?” I ask back with the same helpless expression.

“Who the hell cares about Jeff?” she startles impatiently. What. The. Fuck. “I mean of course I care. About Jeff. And when I say “care” I mean “care”, like, we all care about him, right? We care about him since he’s our friend. We’re happy when he’s happy and we comfort him when he’s sad because he’s like our…”

“…brother?” I help her out since her version about the concept of care sounds more and more like the kindergarten edition of Oxford Dictionary.

“Uhmmm…” she hesitates and I’m sure she’s fast-backwarding all their interactions in her head, sorting out the potentially incestuous ones. “He’s a guy who doesn’t owe me anything.” she defines finally the situation.

Thanks, Judy, I feel a lot smarter now.

“Seriously, groping a guy’s hand??? Couldn’t she be cheaper?” she exclaims flailing outraged. As I follow her gaze, I spot a black-haired demon sitting next to Stone who’s playing with his fingers fliratiously.

“Stone??? Were you talking about him the whole time?”

“Of course, about whom else?” She rolls her eyes as if she was just explaining that one plus one is two.

“But you hate him…”

“Yup. I do.”

“Then why does it bother you?” I glance at the hand porn scene.

“It bothers me because he’s the only one of them who’s got a girlfriend and look how he’s behaving…”

“How is he behaving?”

“Are you blind, man? She’s flirting with him and he doesn’t stop her while that poor girl is waiting for him somewhere in Seattle…”

“Look, “poor girl” is the last thing I would say thinking about Amber… Anyway, you don’t even know him properly. He doesn’t encourage girls in whom he’s not interested but the fact he doesn’t take them seriously doesn’t mean he has to be rude with them either.” I defend my friend involuntarily.

“I get it, the only girl with whom he has to be rude is me.”

“What the hell does that have to do with you? And think what you want but I’m sure he’s not cheating on Amber, that girl in Utrecht was only a misunderstanding…”

Oh, fuck, I should have kept my mouth shut.

“THAT GIRL IN UTRECHT? I KNEW HE’S A WHORE!”

She’s probably trying to sound like an enraged lion but she rather reminds me of a furious kitten.

“It was just a stage diver girl… she climbed up on the stage, complimented his guitar play and asked him for a kiss… and since he only kissed her on the cheek, she stole a peck from his lips and then jumped back in the crowd, that’s all!”

Jesus, there’s no chance I get away with this.

“A peck on the lips, an orgy, what’s the difference?” she spits the words disgusted.

“He claimed she had been sweaty and smelled like cheap red wine, he shotgunned three cans of beer until he felt human again, I saw it with my own two eyes!” I lose my temper too and force her with my index and middle finger to keep eye contact with me. By this time we’re basically yelling with each other since the music got louder in the meantime and we have to outshout an evergreen disco hit of Donna Summer.

“Then be ready to spill bleach in those two eyes!” she points towards the guys and I can hardly believe what I see.

The three girls are already dancing in the middle of the bar and… Jeff, Stone and Dave… are joining them?

“Actually, Jeff is a better dancer than I thought, I would have assumed he moves like a bear… but he’s not bad at all…” Judy giggles surprised at our bassist who picked up the rhythm successfully by mixing basic disco dance steps with the moves of belly dancers. Meanwhile, Dave is swaying his hips back and forth keeping his two hands on the nape like a parody of male strippers. The girls appreciate them fooling around, apart from the black-haired one who’s too busy with activating Stone.

“But Stone… he seems to have left his dance shoes at home.” she acknowledges shaking her head with a half-smile. She’s basically reading my mind; he’s the only static feature of the scene, bobbing his head and tapping the beat with his foot, digging both hands in his pocket.

“Well, yeah… he doesn’t feel comfortable without his guitar. I remember them playing a gig in Stockholm when something went wrong with his Les Paul. He couldn’t fix it but his other guitar wasn’t tuned back… and it happened during the last song so it wouldn’t have made much sense to do it, I could have made it only by the end of it… So he put down the guitar but didn’t really know what to do, like you just don’t start to dance to Leash but standing on the stage like statue while the others are playing out of their minds looks also lame… So he tried to move to the music but to be honest, I thought he was getting an epilepsy attack…”

“Hahaha! Truly, he doesn’t seem to be familiar we the concept of dance at all…” she giggles staring at him, while he’s still standing at the same spot as if he was pinned to the ground. Only his bobbing gets more intense as the black-haired girl begins to dance him around with seductive hip circles.

“Maybe we should hang a guitar on his shoulders to make him bounce on one leg at least, as he does it at the gigs… WHOA! This so disgusting and vulgar! Look, how much he enjoys it!”

“How much?” I roar back since apart from the repeating hair flips and the constant smirk, the girl doesn’t receive much feedback from our Stoney. But for some unknown reason, Judy seems to be watching a different movie than me.

“He’s basically drooling…”

“Why? Because he’s smiling? Come on…”

In the meantime he’s forced to make a few almost dance moves in order to keep his balance since his partner decided to stimulate him by rubbing her back to his… which drives Judy completely out of control.

“GET A ROOM!” she jumps to her feet kicking her chair back. “I have to pee.” she announces with a sudden and suspicious nonchalance to compensate her outburst. But after making a few steps towards the restrooms, she turns back as if she realized she forgot to mention something. “To be exact, I also consider puking.” she adds sending a last icy look towards the target of her anger before she leaves with indignant gasps.

***

I still hate public toilets, especially those of bars. The compartments are narrow and dirty, and the bolt is mostly just a decoration without any useful purpose. Just like here. I have to hold onto the door handle, balance over the toilet bowl and try not to bang my head against the door at the same time; of course the seat is missing, not that I’d ever sit on it at a place like this one. At least I can tell I’ve done something for my abs today… Everything resonates to the pulsing rhythm of Hot Stuff; the song that have always landed on the record player whenever Effie or I or both of us have wanted to dance some shit out of ourselves… until now. It’s like it’s got stolen from me, it’s my song, it’s our song, and now they’ve desecrated it. I can’t imagine I could ever dance to it again without seeing that pathetic mating ritual in front of myself. At least the usual obscene drawings and messages on the wall distract me from playing that scene over and over again in my head. I’ve always enjoyed examining the scribbles in restrooms…. The only thing I can’t figure out is the huge amount of phone numbers, what’s the point in writing them on the toilet wall? Has anyone ever called a phone number found here? And if the answer is yes, what might the caller have said? “Hey, I saw your number at the loo while I was pooping and I immediately liked it so would you go out with me?”

Shit, that distasteful squeezing… I haven’t put much past him, anyway but somehow I thought he’s a more thoughtful guy, I mean, he’s a fuckin’ idiot but him being only a stupid fuckboy kind of surprised me. Whatever, it’s not my business. His girlfriend will be certainly happy for the “little gift” he will bring home for her, if he goes on like this…

I’m already with one leg out of the compartment when I hear the door of the room opening and the loud giggle of female voices makes me startle and pull back to cover.

“Oh my God, I still can’t believe we encountered them right here, right now!” a high-pitched voice peeps. It reminds me of the sound of a rubber chicken.

“Yes, I thought they stayed at fancy hotels and went to party to exclusive bars… and yet, they show up in our boring little town… and they are so nice guys!” someone else joins the gushing.

“Oh my God, Dave is so funny!” Rubber Chicken chirps.

Great. I’ve got trapped by the cheerleader group.

“Yes, he is… but I like Jeff the most… he’s got a good sense of humor too but he seems to be a serious guy at the same time… did you hear him mentioning he’s a painter too? Artists are very sensitive people… and Jeff alliterates with Jordan…” the speaking partner of Rubber Chicken adds sighing. “And Stone is a very handsome guy too but I don’t understand all of his jokes…”

You don’t even know how lucky you are, my child…

“That’s not a huge problem, since you won’t talk much with him, he’s mine.” a deeper, confident voice puts an end to the distribution of testosterone. She must be the Alpha Female who wrapped herself around Stone. Jesus, I don’t want to listen to them raping the guys verbally… I take a deep breath and walk out to the sinks… or I’d walk there if they weren’t blocked by the Three Graces who are very busy with fixing their makeup.

“Ahem… sorry…” I clear my throat because my silhouette showing up behind them in the mirror doesn’t really bother them in the process.

“Oh, I’m ready, come…” the admirer of Jeff turns back and sends a smile at me. She seems to be a kind girl, anyway. Alpha Female is still rubbing her eyelids, trying to remove the dark spots of superfluous mascara, while Rubber Chicken is following the procedure with undisguised wonder.

I squint in the mirror as I clean my hands under the running water. Alpha Female is tall, like, very tall, I look like a garden gnome next to her. Her skin is pale, even paler than mine but she’s not afraid to wear dark, smoky eye shadow and fiery lipstick. How do these girls do it? Every time I try to do something with my face, I feel and look like a five-year-old little girl who stole the content from her mom’s drawer. Even the tiniest change seems to be conspicuous and makes me want to tear my skin off… but she looks just gorgeous. It’s not fair.

“Oh my God, Claudia, that rouge looks so beautiful on you!” Rubber Chicken purrs.

So her name is Claudia. Why does that make me think of chlamydia?

“It’s beautiful and very functional.” Alpha winks as she pulls out the item in question of her purse to thicken her juicy-looking lips. “Water- and kissproof.”

Yeah, beautiful. Lipstick on a pig.

“Whadh?” Alpha freezes with slightly opened mouth.

Shit, did I say it out loud?

“Noothing… I just… sneezed…”

“Aha… hey… I shaw you adh dhe dhable widh dhadh dhudhe…”

“Really?” I ask back to win some time to decode the message behind her sloppy articulation.

“Yeah… Jeff said you’re with them too.” Alpha talks on to her own reflection before pressing her lips together for the sake of even texture. “Are you someone’s sister?”

Our eyes meet it the mirror.

“Oh yeah, I am, just like the massive majority of the female population of Earth.” I mumble as I tear a piece of paper towel.

“I mean, the sister of someone in the band or the crew, smarty-pants.” she rolls her eyes.

Oh. So we’re having a chitchat. As always, I start feeling uncomfortably of watching myself too long in the mirror so I begin to check my hair, even if it makes absolutely no sense since I braided it as tight as possible in the morning, my braids could survive even the shock wave of a nuclear explosion.

“I’m in the crew. As a member.”

Okay, I’m only the second cousin of a crew member but I doubt she would understand that degree of family relationships.

“Then you must know Stone very well.”

I know him better than I wanted to…

“Uh… yes, I kinda know him.”

“Ish he shingle?” Alpha inquires still finding tiny flaws in the artwork she’s creating.

“No, he’s got a girlfriend.” I answer quickly. “It’s a serious thing… I mean, as far as I know.”

Okay, I don’t know shit about his love life but he’s been touring for months and they are still together so it can’t be just a fling, I didn’t lie.

“Is she here too?” she turns suddenly towards me, drawing a circle with her index finger in the air.

“Oh no… no… she’s ahem, in Seattle.”

“Hahaha, then he’s single.”

Okay, I can’t really argue with this attitude properly.

“And what is he like? What type of girls he digs?” my interrogation goes on.

Should I say deaf-and-dumbs?

“Uhm… he’s an aloof weirdo so honestly, I have no idea.”

He’s the most distant member of the band and sometimes he does have an alien-like manner, so this time I didn’t lie either…

“You mean he’s shy?”

Jesus, if that’s the equivalent of “aloof weirdo” in your poor dictionary then yes, he’s shy, whatever…

“Sort of…”

“We can fix that, shyness is no problem to me… Yes, the lanky one is mine.” she smacks satisfied at her mirror image, examining the result with a content smirk.

“Do you have further questions or may I…?” I point with my thumb towards the door.

“I know everything what I need. Thanks, Peanut!”

Peanut? PEANUT??? My head is pounding as I escape back to the bar. It takes me long seconds to spot that Scully relocated to the table of the band members, he’s the only one there right now, though, since the others are standing at the counter to provide the supplies.

“Hey, what’s that?” I ask pointing at the shot glass in front of him as I plop down.

“It’s tequila but it’s mi…ne.” he waves resigned since I grab and guzzle it in the blink of an eye.

“Sorry, I needed it.” I shiver and frown. I’ve realized again that I hate tequila but it seemed like a good idea. “I met them in the restroom.”

“Whom?”

“The Slut Squad. They’re about to hunt the guys down.”

“So what? I think you’re overreacting, anyway, they are big boys and already know how to take care of themselves…”

I doubt it… The trio joins the guys and now they don’t even try to hide the official result of the sharing. Rubber Chicken and Jordan at least show some self-restraint but Claudia shifts to next gear, or maybe she even skips a few one since she laughs hysterically at every comment of Stone and tries to mesmerize him by staring at him with an irresistible smile And obviously, she uses every imaginable excuse to touch him. The guys offer their drinks gallantly to their temptresses who are now heading to us with awkward snickering. Of course Claude didn’t forget to stroke Stone’s upper arm to express her gratitude for the beer…

“Shit, they are coming… act naturally!” I nudge Scully.

“I act naturally, it’s you who’s turned into a rabid squirrel…” he grunts back.

“Shh… HI GIRLS!” I greet them hoping my voice doesn’t sound too fake and try to ignore that I can see Scully burying his face into his palms from the corner of my eye.

“Hi Peanut… and…?”

“Scully. Guitar tech.” he waves still keeping the facepalm with one hand.

“Oh my God, I love guitars!” Rubber Chicken exclaims.

“I used to love them too. But if you tune them so many times in a day that you start dreaming about them, taste changes fast, trust me. Nowadays I’m rather into trumpets.” he adds with a serious face.

“Oh… really?”

Poor Rubber Chicken, she’s obviously too slow to follow the usual pace of our conversations.

“Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers plays the trumpet too…” Jordan remarks.

“You’re right, have you heard their latest album? It’s…” I greedily seize the first reasonable topic they throw in but Claudia insists on discussing her project.

“He seems to have taken the bait. Dear God, he’s so sexy, I can’t handle…” she moans.

“And he’s got a first-class butt…” Scully sighs dreamily, which makes me bite my lips to suppress the laughter developing in my chest.

“Don’t torture me… do you think he likes me?”

Yes, I was thinking the same about the quitting of torture, you’re monomania is pure torment to us. But how can she ignore the fact so shamelessly that he’s not independent? Not available, forbidden fruit, taboo…

“As I said he’s got a…” I’m about to remind her of the relationship status of her victim but I realize it wouldn’t make any sense. I fell into the trap of thinking her mindset is similar to mine… motivation! That’s the key, in crime series, police officers always catch the murderer only after finding out about their motivations… And her motivation is… sex, of course. “…a charm. He’s so sweet, right? A real cutie pie!” I groan with the most plastic smile I can put on. Scully freezes for a second, and then almost chokes on his beer, probably thinking I’m losing my mind, but I’ve never been saner.

“Sorry, it’s just my reflux.” he hits himself in the chest with his fist.

“Look at his smile! And his laughter…”

“Yeah, his laughter, exactly…” that is as pleasant to hear as a chalkboard scratching “It’s such a pity for him…”

“How do you mean?” she jumps immediately on my remark.

I take a deep breath. If I go on, there’ll be no way back… and I should think about the consequences… But seriously, Judith Emilia Camden, just think back how he’s treated you since you met! You’re not his doormat. He deserves it, he’d deserve even much more. As I glance at him only to see his smug grin, I already know there’s no point in hesitating, I know what to do.

“I mean such a nice guy… but with his preferences, it’s so difficult for him to find the right girl…” I pretend concern.

“His preferences? What preferences?”

Maybe it’s the anger, maybe it’s the tequila but as I go on, my tongue gets totally out of control…

#Pearl Jam #pearljam #PearlJamfanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #eddie vedder #stone gossard #mike mccready #jeff ament #dave abbruzzese

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atopearth · 4 years

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Chrono Cross Part 3 - The Destroyed Future & Song of Hope

It's kinda crazy that the Masamune is there blocking the way to the Dead Sea. It's saddening that it's some kind of evil sword that makes people go crazy when they go near it or wield it. It seems that only the dragon sword Einlanzer can break the seal of the Masamune. I see, the Einlanzer is given to the most gifted Acacia Dragoon, so Garai had it first, then Dario, and probably Glenn in the future. I always found Radius and Garai's story saddening, mainly because it was really normal. Normal for Radius to have been envious of Garai and wanting to best him, and thus seeking the Masamune, but saddening that it ended up consuming him and amplifying his negative emotions which ended up with him killing Garai. It's an unforgivable act that he can never live with, but nevertheless something he's forced to live with for the rest of his life. I wonder if Dario and Glenn know...

I've always loved the music in Dead Sea, I think it really suits the atmosphere, like that weird quirky and mysterious feeling. Anyway, I love how the treasure chest containing Freefall kinda gives you a literal freefall back to the beginning lmao. Arris Dome?? These ruins are Arris Dome?? It's kinda saddening to know of the fate of the Acacia Dragoons here...to think that they all died here in captivity is rather terrible. I love how there's that Enertron helping you recover your HP etc that says you rejuvenated everything but you're still hungry, it's just like in Chrono Trigger🤣 OMG, that broken bell at the place you see Miguel is Nadia's bell?! The bell the king named after Marle at the end of Chrono Trigger?! Btw, I'm honestly shocked that the kids Serge see running around are actually Crono, Lucca and Marle. And I find it absolutely terrible that it says Nadia's bell will never be heard again. This was not what I wanted after the nice happy ending of Chrono Trigger! If...Serge is the one that will cause this destructive future, it's pretty saddening to hear it from our previous main characters that we're the ones killing it after they tried so hard to save it from Lavos before... The Dead Sea culminates all of the futures that were eliminated, the ones that shouldn't exist... Nothing is really "living" here and the things that are here never age. Just like Miguel who has been here for 14 years... I feel so sorry for Leena though, her father is here alive, but she'll never see him again... I know Wazuki had no choice but to come here to stay away from the storm that night, and try to save the wounded Serge, but his insistence on going further into the Dead Sea ended up having Miguel stuck here for so so long... All the destroyed possibilities that will never happen because of the choices we didn't make all end up here..? Fate is what predetermines it all, controlling us and knowing everything. Is this basically like our "save point", the Record of Fate? The thing that knows everything, dictates whatever you do if you want to "live" and basically controls whatever you do because if you don't want to go on the "wrong path", you need to follow it, and if you don't want to be forgotten, you must record down your journey on it?? I wonder if staying here for so long has made Miguel think that there's no such thing as overturning fate and doing your own thing... He's been stuck here for so long, who knows if it's fate for him to be here forever or if it's his lack of choice and willingness causing him to be stuck here...Or he knew that it was his fate to die here so that Serge can "fix" everything. I honestly hate how Serge has to kill Miguel to restore the dimensional distortion..it's just so saddening that not only was Miguel stuck here all this time by himself, but he had practically assimilated himself into the Dead Sea so much that killing him was practically inevitable imo. When Miguel started talking about how Crono and them saved the world from Lavos back then, travelling through the different ages, it felt so weird to think about it because Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross feel like completely different worlds haha. I'm still baffled at how saddening of an existence the Dead Sea is though, it's literally everything "useless" brought into one place, everything that's unneeded in this world... The Sky Dragon saving them from the Dead Sea always felt random though, like was he watching over them all this time or something?

Kinda crazy to finally go back to Another World only to find that Lynx with Serge's body is creating such rampage across the land that people such as those in Arni Village are hiding in a shelter. Omgg, I completely forgot that the Dragon head skull in Fossil Valley is actually Draggy's mother!! I wonder if Skelly talked to her during the time he was there lol. Termina has been taken over by the Porre military in this world now too... Sad that our previous friends such as Guile can't recognise Serge in Lynx's body but that's understandable. I'm glad Karsh, Zoah and Marcy saved General Viper (at Fort Dragonia) though! He's not really a bad person at all. He just wanted the power to protect his people against Porre and stuff. It's kinda saddening yet sweet that if you have Home World Zappa in your party, he shows such relief at Karsh being alive and tells him to go see his mother to show her that he's well. It's...saddening that even though Karsh is his kid, this Karsh isn't really his kid at the same time... Omgg! So all along, it was that hopscotch kid outside the house (top left Termina) called Kein who was giving the little girl in the house the Drakehorn soup ingredients to heal her cough so that she can get better and then play with him! It was obvious that he actually wanted a friend even though he kept saying he didn't need friends, but I didn't realise how sweet he was to do that for their family, it's so wholesome and cute. It was honestly pretty hurtful to hear Glenn seem to know that Lynx is Serge but is unable to accept or face us because he can't take Lynx's face. I was pretty sad. On the other hand, damn those kids at the smithy have such complicated love relationships and everything! John the guy training outside has his girlfriend Annie supporting him all the time, but the girl Marina inside who has been trying to stop the two brothers from fighting all this time since the beginning of the game actually likes John! The funny thing is that the two brothers both like Marina and got rejected at the same time after she told them she actually likes John lol, kinda cute how one of them tells you to leave them alone and the other one is adamant on winning Marina's heart eventually. It's kinda cute how it basically sorta reflects how Dario and Glenn kinda were as kids. They both loved each other as brothers with Glenn respecting his big brother and Dario caring for Glenn, but I guess the difference is that even though they both liked Riddel, the one Riddel liked was Dario, so Glenn never had a chance. He was always second to Dario in terms of swordsmanship or the woman he loved I guess, it's pretty saddening.

Lmao when we go save Riddel and the dragoon that's been sleeping since the beginning of the game is still sleeping there LOL. Even the Porre soldiers are like whatever because they can't wake him up hahahah. That mutated cockroach boss though, so disgusting yet cute LOL. Hahaha Fargo was trapped here?! I can't believe they've been using and manipulating Orcha for so long with those whatever seeds that make his dark side come out. They even made him steal the Dragon's Tear from Guldove! That's so horrible... I'm so happy that Norris is such a good guy though. He didn't like how Riddel was being treated just to get info about her father, and he even helps her escape! It's just saddening that his superiors suck. It's hilarious how the Porre soldiers don't shoot you in battle, they literally just whack you with their guns lmao. Grobyc is as cool as usual, I mean, he's a killing machine but he's pretty cool to have his own thoughts and decide to join Serge because they're strong and don't just listen to the Porre military. Running away from that other machine wasn't scary since it was so weak, but dang are the Porre soldiers and everything persistent. Loved it when the guy that watches over the dragons let them all out to stampede the soldiers hahahha. Everyone is so helpful, it's sweet. Aww it was so cute when Marcy so sincerely apologised to Serge and he patted her head in response!! That was so sweet! So cute Harle picked a fight with Marcy to cheer her up though. Serge honestly doesn't say anything much, so sometimes it's difficult to gauge what he's thinking, but when he heard Kid outside wreaking havoc at Hermit's Hideaway trying to find Lynx, you could tell how much he cared about her that he instantly ran out to see her. Gotta love how Polly and Fargo save the day (since we were surrounded by Dark Serge's forces). It's really sweet yet heart wrenching to see Serge reminiscing about his memories with Kid and how now that he's Lynx, she's intent on killing him, it's just terrible to see the person that you cherish and love want to kill you because of your appearance... I feel sorry for Harle though, she likes Serge for the person that he is, but he'll never like her, and she can only watch over him for the limited time she has to spend with him... She's really cool for encouraging him all the time though. It's so sad that she has to leave no matter what you say to her though. I always get Serge to choose the world over her, but sometimes I wonder if it only hurts her more to hear that from Serge since she knows it's a lie... It's actually really cute how well assimilated the Dragoons are on the S.S. Invincible now btw hahaha, I mean, Karsh acting as Riddel's personal bodyguard near the pirate fanboy of hers is so funny hahahah.

I love visiting the sleeping Dragoon in Viper Manor, it's so cute how he now says come back soon everyone in his sleep LOL. He could probably sleep through the Acacia Dragoons coming to get their manor back lol. Ohh, Norris and them are leaving to go back to the mainland! Anyway, time for more side quests (which are the highlight of this game!) and getting the relics from the dragons to get through to the Sea of Eden! Aww young Glenn, Karsh and Dario are so cute! Glenn being a glutton who loves Viper Churros is so adorable lol! I had an inkling of it, but it's kinda crazy, even Karsh liked Riddel ever since he was a kid! I guess it's understandable, she's a really sweet person, and she seems fun too. It's just too bad there's only one of her, and her and Dario seem great together considering how much they both care for each other and go around together on little adventures. I feel so stupid right now... Solt and Peppor are called the Shaker Brothers because they're salt and pepper shakers!!! LOL, it somehow never clicked to me!! Hahaha. On the other hand, it's kinda saddening that Karsh's story with Dario is really similar to Radius and Garai. It's just that as Radius wanted power that Garai had, Karsh wanted Riddel's love that Dario had. I hope we get to see the full story soon! I guess it'll be shown when we see Dario? It's good that Karsh's story didn't end in tragedy like Radius' did. On the other hand, I'm glad that Solt and Peppor could feel and understand that Karsh isn't a bad person and wouldn't kill Dario like that.

I'm so silly! Of course the best way to convince Fargo was to get Another World Fargo to talk some sense into him! It's kinda saddening but interesting to see how different Fargo is if he were stuck in the past or if he was able to move on. At least though, regardless of which Fargo it is, he still loves Zelbess just as much. Needless to say, but Magical Dreamers really describes Nikki and them well. I love how they showed the story of Fargo and Zelbess through their musical play, where Zelbess saved Fargo and taught him the song of Marbule. It was really sweet to see Nikki and Miki show the boundless and selfless love they had for each other and the world around them, because the reason Zelbess left her mermaid friends etc was because even though it was peaceful there, she didn't want to selfishly live in peace there whilst the world around them was at war. She and Fargo dreamed of a world where humans like Fargo and demi-humans like her could get along and love each other for who they are. I think it would have been so beautiful if they could see it together, but since that's not possible anymore, I hope Nikki and Marcy as their children will be able to create that world alongside Fargo, and everyone can find their happiness. It's really interesting how these Lagoonates are like the bad dream of the Black Dragon, and it is only through defeating them all that Serge can wake up the Black Dragon in Another World. Btw, I love love, super love the song! It's probably the most memorable part of Chrono Cross for me because it's what I look forward to the most every time I replay Chrono Cross! It's just so beautiful, hopeful and heartwarming to hear every single time. I love that we get it as the background song as we deal with the Lagoonates! I legit took my time with them because I just wanted to listen to the song lmao. It's so cool how the worlds are connected like that though~ I always found it so sweet that Miki really does love Nikki, it's so cute, I always hope that it'll work out for her. LMAO at the reaction of the people in Marbule when you defeat the Black Dragon, they're all like "don't kill me!" and they actually run away from you hahahaha. LOL at the Porre soldier staring at the treasure chest in a cell, and then when you take it, he's like where did it go?! Hahaha. Btw I know this is a stupid thing to care about, but I absolutely love the detail of having wet footsteps in the Viper Manor sewers! Seeing the water from every step you take is so cool! (Link for the song/play!)

I love the Earth Dragon Isle, it's so fun to go through the sand boil and blast the rockroaches down into the holes hahaha! It sounds so inhumane to do that though lol! I always thought the dragons were really nice to acknowledge Serge's will in wanting to change fate and defeat FATE, until I realised that they weren't really nice, but I can't remember what they wanted... I always found the Fire Dragon the cutest and the coolest looking! Omgg the Green Dragon is so annoying! Can't believe I had to kill so many monsters for it to come out, I always try my best to dodge them LOL. Okay, Sky Dragon looks the coolest! Definitely the big boss look hahahha. Lynx nearly died hahahah. Luckily I trapped UltraNova hehe~ Anyway, I've always loved Orlha's introduction, it's so cool how she single-handedly fended off the Porre soldiers from Guldove. It's kinda crazy how she gave Serge her precious sapphire brooch (family heirloom split in half with her twin sister) so that when he gets his body back, he can prove to her that that he really was Serge and is trustworthy enough for her to journey with him. I've always liked her for some reason even though I barely use her lol, maybe it's the twin tails hahahaha. Omggg, I wanted to feel sad over Dario and everything (since you're fighting him controlled by the Masamune right after reuniting with him), but wow, I remember he was a hard boss (that doesn't give a star!), but dang, he hits so hard! If I didn't steal those plates from the dragons to absorb the different elemental damages, Riddel probably would have died like ten times over. Even Miki died LOL. How does he do like 400 damage?! Crazy. Even Lynx was taking 200 damage and he has moonglasses! I was looking at the damage Riddel absorbed (with the Black plate equipped) and lmao, it was like 600 damage, literally double her life hahahah. The only time she died was when he attacked her and his three hits legit dealt like 500-600 damage alone lol. Anyway, I completely forgot that it was actually Dario who picked up the Masamune and was controlled by it, forcing Karsh to "kill" him as he fell off the cliff and washed off here. It must have really hurt when Dario told Karsh to kill him. It's kinda saddening to think about Dario and Riddel though. In Home World, Riddel is dead because she followed Viper and them to the Dead Sea where they were all consumed by the terminated time line, and in Another World, Dario is most likely dead. It's kinda crazy that they can still be together even though they're from different worlds though, it's such a beautiful love. On the other hand, I feel sorry for the maid that took care of the Dario with amnesia for 4 years, I feel like she liked him.. I think it's really cool how Dario is determined to rebuild the Viper Manor (Home World) now that everyone is dead/gone even if he's by himself. He's really a good guy. Btw, it's kinda interesting that Masamune is an evil sword here though, since in Chrono Trigger they seemed more like little kids who wanted some fun in their life? I guess they seem to be like that here too, it's just that somehow it got corrupted towards more evil stuff until Doreen (another soul in the sword?) comes to straighten Masa and Mune up? Anyway, I think it's so cool how Karsh and everyone else can rebuild the manor alongside Dario even if they're from a different world. Like Riddel said, despite the fact they're from different worlds, the fact remains that Dario is still Dario and she is still herself. Even if the ones in the Home World are dead, I'm glad Dario can still see the them from Another World.

I've always played Chrono Cross by relying on elements more than physical damage, but wow, when I fought the Criosphinx to get the sunglasses by just using Lynx, Fargo and Zoah to attack, spam imbecile, diminish and weaken, and spam heal whenever I needed to, it was actually pretty interesting. Very different to how I usually play haha! It was kinda boring though lol because I'm literally just healing and smacking the guy. But I guess it was worth it. Took a few tries though, because I was too lazy to buy some imbecile elements, but wow, lowering magic was veryyyy useful for this fight, weaken was good too, but imbecile was so much more important. We will soon get our original body back!! With the help of Steena and the Dragon Tear to navigate through Fort Dragonia in the Home World, it will be soon! But of course, Dark Serge interferes~ Anyway, he was pretty easy, the only hard thing was stealing the rainbow shell off him because I kept getting the trashy tiara instead zzz. Had to run away a couple of times but it was worth it! How...funny that in Chrono Trigger, we always deemed Lavos as the evil entity sucking up the energy of the planet and caused the destruction in 1999AD so we had to save the world from it, yet here in Fort Dragonia, when Serge is trying to get his body back, and it tells us the origin of life etc, after the "original people" came into contact with Lavos and became humans, we were in essence a progeny of Lavos, who like our progenitor began to devour the planet for our own means... Anyway, it's been so long, it feels weird to have Serge back lol. Ohh nice, we immediately get our previous team mates back! Now to get Orlha yay! Not that I'll use her though lol! The twin einlanzers are so cool!! Glenn can be like Garai now!! Still kinda sad that you don't get Dario in your party since I would love to have him and Riddel, especially since you can get so many people in this game!! Oh well, guess we can get Turnip LOL, can't believe I "grew" one of my party members at Hermit's Hideaway hahahaha. Anyway, Dario’s side quest and the one with Fargo/Nikki are probably my favourite side quests in this game and will always be. Fargo’s one presents a really beautiful story of dreams that people are still hoping to achieve now, and Dario’s presents nice youthful and loyal bonds of love and friendships. I just love seeing them and I probably love it more than the actual story itself haha. Can’t forget about Miguel though! He breaks my heart every time I get to his part because not only do i feel for the man himself, it also makes my heart break for the futures that never came about. Like, sure, any future is better than the destruction one, but in the one with destruction, there were likely people and children that never got to be together or born, but I guess that’s how it will always be when you make choices in your life.

#chrono cross

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pheita · 5 years

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Fictober 2019 Day 3

Prompt 2 “Just follow me, I know the area.” Rating G WIP “Welcome to New Hanshwig” cyberpunk/romance

Maxwell still had a bad feeling about this whole adventure. It was dangerous for someone like him to set a foot into the lower sector. Even Vincent couldn’t promise that nothing will happen and this alone made Maxwell tenser than before. “Just follow me, I know the area. If we keep away from the side alleys everything will be fine”, Vincent walked a few steps before him with a happy spring in his walk. Somehow it seemed he was glad to be back at the lower sectors. They walked for what felt like an eternity through the narrow and windy streets of the sector. The conditions these people lived in were almost too much for Maxwell to see. He knew they were poor but he didn’t expect it to look like one of these damn ghettos of the old-time Africa. “You know you can do something against this”, Vincent murmured into his ear, “This is father’s doing.” “We talk about this when we are back.”

The serious nod almost vanished into he broad smile Vincent suddenly showed. “Marissa! Onee! Good to see you again.” The woman in question stopped dead in tracks. The way she carefully turned around let Maxwell already expect a less good outcome than his brother anticipated. “Vic, see who came back from the golden tower, ge!” “Shh, not so loud, Marissa. I need you help.” Maxwell stood aside with an amused smirk because he just waited for the moment when his brother would get smacked. Some things probably never change. Marissa sighed and looked up to Vincent with a wave of hidden anger. “What’s it?” “We need to find lil rainbow.” “Aria? Ha, good luck, Onee. She hides at Jakobs since her run-in with the Zombie-Skulls. These idiots swarm the streets like cockroaches.” “Jakob?” “Cyber-J?” “Could you please give me a direction?”, Vincent did his best to use his charm on Marissa. “Three blocks down, at the food station left and four more blocks. A bright pink house. Can’t miss it. But be careful. I wouldn’t be surprised if they meet your sorry ass with weapons.” “Merca, you are a good soul”, Vincent kissed her cheek. “Hope you don’t forget that”, she yelled at him as they moved on. “Someone you know?”, Maxwell couldn’t stop himself from asking. These years Vincent spent in the lower sector were still a big secret. “Yeah, she is the sis-in-law of my neighbor. She is really a good soul. A rare breed as your lil rainbow.” In silence they walked through the streets. Maxwell tried to imagine his brother living among these people in the same conditions but his imagination failed him. There was something so hopeless about this place he couldn’t see how Vincent lived here. “We are there.” There was really no way you could overlook this pink house. The color was so vibrant it seemed out of place. For Maxwell this house fitted Aria perfectly. “What now?” “We knock”, Vincent snickered and stepped to the door. They got greeted by a loud noise and cold water that poured down from somewhere above. “That’s the only warning. Get lost.” The female voice bellowed out of a window. One a few strands of rainbow-colored hair could be seen from below. “Aria? Could we talk? Ten minutes, that’s all. Ge?”, Vincent called up to her. “Who are you? I don’t know you.” “Tepaste, sister. I don’t wanna yell through the whole street.” With growing worries Maxwell listened to the exchange. The sound of something that got thrown down the stairs sounded off from within. Hopefully this meant Aria would talk with them. Maxwell had no idea what to say but he was sure he will find the right words. He always did.

#fictober19 #writblr #welcome to new hanshwig #writing

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viralberry · 6 years

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Doctors Remove Live Cockroach From a Woman’s Skull

Everyone’s heard the old wives tale- you swallow up to 5 spiders a year while you’re sleeping.

While this is blatantly false, and honestly makes no sense when you think about it- I mean would you willingly crawl into the mouth of a sleeping giant?- other insects aren’t as cautious.

Insects like the cockroach, that most hated by mankind of all insectdom.

Today we’re taking a look at the woman with a cockroach living in her head.

Cockroaches are insidious little creatures.

They plague our homes and resist our best attempts to exterminate them.

Yet no matter how bad the infestation, no one ever seriously thinks that they would be bold enough to make the move inside the human body.

But that’s exactly what happened in the city of Nunkambakkam, India, just this November.

One night a 42- year old woman identified known as Selvi insect crawling around her nostril as she slept.

Brushing the insect away, she was horrified to discover that it had bolted straight up her nose! Feeling it crawling around inside her nostril, Selvi said that the small cockroach gave her a burning sensation in her eyes as it crawled around.

Unable to sleep- and who could blame her?- she sat up and waited for dawn so she could go to a nearby clinic.

At the clinic the doctors quickly referred her to a nearby government hospital, where she had a nasal endoscopy performed to find the intrusive cockroach.

Still alive, the nose spelunking insect had lodged itself in the skull between Selvi’s eyes.

“This is the first such case I have seen in my three decades of practice”, remarked Dr.M N Shankar.

The doctors would go on to successfully remove the cockroach, and comment that they were glad Selvi had not waited to see them as if the cockroach had died she would have developed an infection which could have spread to the brain.

Those doctors probably shouldn’t have worried about Selvi taking her time to see them, as we’re pretty sure nobody would hesitate to immediately head to the hospital if a cockroach ran up their nose.

Selvi’s incident was a freak accident as cockroaches don’t typically decide to go exploring inside the human body.

Other insects however aren’t so careful, or deliberately seek out other creatures to inhabit or lay their eggs in.

If you’ve got the stomach for it, stay tuned as we explore more incidents of creepy crawleys ending up inside people.

In July of 2013, for-year-old Paul Franklin was on vacation with his family when he tripped and skinned his knee at the beach.

Kids are notorious for getting bumps and scrapes, so his family cleaned him up, bandaged him, and didn’t think much of it.

A few weeks later, the knee became infected and the family took Paul to the hospital.

After a quick inspection, doctors believed the cause to be nothing more than a staph infection and treated it with antibiotics.

The infection did indeed abate,but a black bump just under the skin continued to grow.

On a hunch, Paul’s mom decided to squeeze the bump and out popped a living sea snail! Turns out that when Paul had scratched up his knee, he must have inadvertently picked up a fertilized sea snail egg which got stuck in his flesh.

Paul took the tiny invader in stride though and decided to keep it, calling it Turbo after the star of an animated film.

Earlier we mocked the old wive’s tale of a spider climbing into your mouth only to be swallowed, yet our next incident makes us feel that perhaps we were a bit hasty in our disbelief.

Back in 2014 an Australian man named Dylan Maxwell went on holiday to the Indonesian island of Bali.

Enjoying the tropical beaches and lush jungles, Dylan felt what he thought was an insect bite at the base of a small appendix scar on his navel.

Visiting a local doctor he was prescribed an antihistamine for insect bite and discharged.

Upon returning home however a red scar-like trail started developing from his navel all the way up his chest, and an alarmed Dylan visited a hospital to be checked out.

Doctors were shocked to discover that a small tropical spider had actually crawled inside of Dylan and made its way up his body, staying alive for three whole days! Dylan’s spider tenant was successfully removed, and the worst Dylan has to endure now is his friends calling him Spider man.

Bot flies are horrible little creatures who lay their eggs on the exterior of other living creatures- usually mosquitoes or flies.

Upon hatching, the larvae burrow into the host and start to feed, emerging later to pupate into mature adult bot flies.

Sometimes a female bot fly will choose a human as a host, and usually the burrowed larva is easily removed by simply covering the burrow hole with anointment or other substance that blocks the larva from breathing Usually.

The US Air Force and other military branches routinely engage in humanitarian aid work, dispatching military doctors and other medical personnel to impoverished areas around the world.

Back in the year 2000, a 5 year old boy reported to an Air Force medical camp with a swollen eye and complaining of not being able to see out of it.

When the military doctors examined his eye, they were horrified to discover a nearly fully grown bot fly larva attached directly to his eyeball.

Under general anesthesia, the doctors made a small incision into the eyeball and removed a whopping 19 millimeter bot fly larva.

The boy would go on to make a full recovery, and after learning of this incident flies may have trumped cockroaches as our own personal most hated insect in the world. Our original story features a woman with a cockroach who could have infected her brain, but our next one shows what happens when insects manage to actually get inside the brain itself.

If you have the stomach for it, keep on reading, and if not we recommend you stop here. Ok, we warned you.

Back in October of 2002 a 70 year old man in the US was involved in a minor car accident.

When police arrived they were shocked at the man’s condition.

Despite not having suffered any injuries in the accident, the upper portion of the man’s skull and large amounts of his brain were visible, and the shocked officers immediately contacted paramedics.

When taken to the hospital the man was found to be suffering from an unusual form of cancer which had eaten away at a portion of his skull and scalp,but because it did not cause him any pain he had never sought treatment.

The exposed brain was discovered to be infested with live maggots, which had infested the man for an unknown amount of time.

Doctors removed the maggots by suction and with a mild bleach solution, though the man would go on to die from his untreated cancer three months later.

You might be wondering how the man could possibly be alive after having an exposed brain infested with live maggots, but turns out that the maggots were probably what was keeping him alive.

As the cancer ate away at the man’s skull and scalp, the maggots- which only eat decaying flesh and leave healthy flesh alone-would have consumed any infected flesh that might have caused a serious and deadly infection.

We have no idea how this man chose to go around his day with an exposed brain and live maggots living on it, but at least the maggots he was giving a home to were keeping his gaping wound clean and healthy.

In fact, doctors in developed nations have started using maggots to treat infected wounds, and the treatments have been found to be far more effective than anything used prior.

So next time you go to the doctor with a bad cut, if it gets infected you might just go home patched up with a few maggots wriggling around inside you and keeping you healthy! By the way, if you have the stomach for it go ahead and google this last story, as there are photos- but be warned, you might not want to eat lunch today if you do.

We sincerely hope you can sleep tonight without feeling an itching, crawling sensation all over your body- is it just scratchy sheets,or is some insect making its way along your skin, just looking for a chance to make you its new home? Is that random itch by your ear just a stray hair, or is a creepy crawly trying to get inside your ear and to your brain? Is that bump on your stomach just another bug bite, or is something burrowing deeper inside you, looking to lay its eggs in your flesh?

Thanks for reading till the end, and as always, don’t forget to like, share and react.

See you next time.

Source: Youtube

from WordPress https://viralberry.com/doctors-remove-live-cockroach-from-a-womans-skull/

#Animals #WTF #Cockroach #Doctors Remove Live Cockroach #Live Cockroach From a Woman’s Skull #Skull

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wendella · 6 years

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OUTLANDER Outlander Season Finale: Who Are the “Men of Worth” in Season 4? by Natalie Zutter www.tor.com

After last year’s Outlander finale, which literally shipwrecked Claire and Jamie onto the shores of America, I was expecting a bigger cliffhanger ending to this season—that the letter the redcoats delivered to Jamie at River Run would be conscripting the poor Scot to fight on their side in the American Revolution. Then I remembered that it was only 1770, and that the next big war was a few years (or, I’m going to assume, one season) away. Instead, the season 4 finale, filled with resolutions both neat and messy, ends on Jamie getting a much more pressing, one-on-one assignment that reemphasizes this season’s enduring question: Can a good man do a bad thing and remain a “Man of Worth”?

Spoilers for Outlander season 4.

The thing is, it’s difficult to care too much about Jamie being ordered to hunt down Murtagh on behalf of Governor Tryon, because it seems too obvious that, between the two of them, they’ll be able to come up with a solution. That could mean faking Murtagh’s death or smuggling him back to Scotland, and thus away from Fraser’s Ridge, which would carry its own bittersweet heartache, but it’s not as if there’s an ideological chasm between them—hence the low stakes. It also seems a far-off problem when this season was more than a little uneven, and I’m still working through my frustrations with how the Brianna and Roger plots shaped the latter half of the season.

So, what feels like the most appropriate way to send off Outlander season 4 is to return to the theme linking the past thirteen episodes—good men doing bad things, bad men doing things that might have positive ramifications despite their intent—and reexamine the worthiness of Outlander’s men.

Jamie: If I were Jamie, I would be feeling like a right arse by the end of this season. First he helps outlaw Stephen Bonnet escape, out of a misguided sense of goodwill toward a fellow immigrant in this new country, only for that to blow up spectacularly in his face. Of course, he has no way of knowing how the consequences of his act of charity will lead to his daughter getting raped by Bonnet, but it’s a sobering lesson in the dangers of believing the best of your fellow man. Then Jamie swings to the opposite end of the spectrum by assuming that Roger is the one who violated Brianna, beating him senseless without taking a breath to consider, to question the circumstances, propelled by pure rage. Brianna is rightfully furious at him—and they have one of the best moments of the season, when Jamie screams and kicks a chair in frustration and Brianna snaps, “No! You are not allowed to be angrier about this than I am.” He’s clearly wrestling with so much self-loathing that, after twenty years of maturing and growing beyond the hot-headed lad he was when he met Claire, he has regressed back into an impulsive thug.

But Jamie has also learned self-awareness in the intervening decades, as he demonstrates in his incredible scene of vulnerability, asking Claire if she and Bree think that Frank was the better man. He got the girl—she went back in time for him—and he still doubts that he’s good enough. Sam Heughan has brought so much depth and nuance to a character who could have stayed a one-dimensional fantasy; watching James Fraser grow up has been one of the series’ greatest delights.

Roger: On the one hand, Roger endures indescribable pain and suffering as a slave of the Mohawk—the worst possible time travel experience, all because of a misunderstanding he was only partly to blame for. On the other hand, every time he’s offered the chance to be the good guy, he finds a way to be unlikable. Slut-shaming Brianna for being unsure about marrying him as a virgin was difficult to watch, especially considering that the next time they see each other, she was the one to compromise her comfort and pledge her life to him because of his unwillingness to budge. He reiterates multiple times that he had the chance to leave and kept coming back for her, but we only hear that through his telling, which casts him as some romantic hero. At the last minute of the episode he comes riding in on a horse, for crissakes, but that’s more than a day after Jamie and Claire return to River Run, believing that Roger was unwilling to join them.

Again, these are the kinds of choices one would not wish on anyone—such as being told that there is a good chance that Brianna’s baby is not his, and that to honor the terms of their handfast would mean committing to raising that child and spending the rest of his life in the past. If anything, as much as their plotline aggravated me, at least it forced constraints on Roger’s decision, instead of him getting to set the stakes. Roger is not a bad man, but he has demanded a lot of Brianna; I’m curious to see them build a more equal partnership going forward.

Stephen Bonnet: I’m still so impressed with how Bonnet went from charismatic stranger to fatal threat in the space of one episode, and how just a few acts of specific cruelty did so much to change the course of the Fraser family’s lives. Considering how we witnessed his turn in the premiere, it was difficult to muster up any real sympathy for him when Brianna confronted him with her emotional speech about how her child would be nothing like him. Offering up the ruby seemed like a rare moment of vulnerability for the criminal, but I suspect that was more of a formal obligation to contribute one positive thing to this bairn’s life than any regret for raping Brianna in the first place. Also, I’m not convinced that he perished in that prison, and am half-expecting that he will reappear, cockroach-like, next season to kidnap the baby that might be his.

Brianna’s son: Just born, and as far as I remember they did not mention his name. So, for fear of revealing the few book spoilers I stumbled upon in my research (ironic, I know), I’ll just reiterate that he’s a wee fighter and not tack on “like his da” since we are just ignoring his paternity. It was clear, though, that Bree was anxious to meet the little guy, in case she somehow saw Bonnet reflected in his face, but that upon taking him in her arms she was relieved to feel nothing but overwhelming love.

That said, from the moment that Brianna decided to keep the baby, there was no saving her plotline for me. But that’s a discussion for another piece.

Young Ian: I can’t feel anything but oddly maternal pride upon witnessing Ian’s character growth, particularly in this season but even stretching back to when he dragged his poor uncle and aunt across an ocean to save his overeager ass. The season premiere saw him grappling with the trauma of being raped by Geillis, of shaping his identity around what happened to him while not letting it define him; concurrently, he’s learned how to make himself a useful member of Fraser’s Ridge. Sure, offering to marry Brianna was classic dumb Young Ian; selling Roger to the Mohawk was nigh unforgivable. But he more than made up for it by offering up himself in Roger’s place, to live among the Mohawk and replace their dead member. Honestly, it was about time that Ian learned who he was without his blood relations there to protect him. And look how he made it through the gauntlet! That’s our boy.

Murtagh: It’s fascinating to see how the writers fit Murtagh into the narrative, considering that the character is kinda living on borrowed time—that is, he’s long-dead in the books, but they spared him in the adaptation. His and Jamie’s reunion in Wilmington scratched one of my narrative itches—that prolonged moment in which two souls, separated by time and distance, slowly recognize one another while the viewer is screaming omg, hug already!! But now not only are they caught up on the last decade-plus of each other’s lives, but they also recognize that they have landed on different sides of a growing conflict, due to their respective definitions of self-preservation. I’d like to see the series delve more into this next season, to really make it an impossible choice for Jamie.

Side note: Murtagh and Jocasta’s argument-turned-hookup, complete with her throwing whiskey in his face, was amazing.

Fergus: Under-utilized this season, stuck in Wilmington and mostly just reacting to the plot action when it comes to him. What would make Jamie’s dilemma more affecting would be if Fergus (who, it’s been established, can’t find work anywhere else) joins the regulators in earnest—making it twoloved ones that Jamie is contractually bound to hunt down.

Otter Tooth: The initial discovery of Otter Tooth’s skull made it seem as if he and his silver fillings would play a larger role in the season. While at first it was a surprise that it took only half of an episode to lay out his story, it also speaks to the utter tragedy of the failed time traveler. Unlike Claire, who finds a willing believer in Jamie when it comes to Culloden and other predictions of the future, poor Otter Tooth could not convince enough of the Mohawk to heed his warnings about the Iroquois being forgotten. Instead, he was branded a madman, hunted down, and forced to haunt this time and place, unable to bring about the change he so desperately wanted. Moreso than almost any other plot this season, it’s a thought-provoking story that Diana Gabaldon included, and the writers adapted. Plus, the post-credits visual of him in his present watching the two white boys play Cowboys and Indians was wrenching, and one of the series’ best of these little moments.

Lord John Grey: Poor Lord John puts up with a lot this season, mostly in the form of the daughter of the man he loves blackmailing him into marrying her, lest she out him to everyone. But this is the man who maintained affection for Jamie even after being friendzoned, who has proven over and over that he will put his own desires behind those of a child in need of a father, or a pregnant woman who will be dishonored without a husband. LJG is good people.

William: What a fierce, pouty li’l jerk. It’s too bad that we weren’t treated to the narrative weirdness of William’s half-sister Brianna becoming his stepmother, but perhaps he’ll reappear in future seasons.

Lesley: To be honest, I had barely registered him before he got his throat slit by Bonnet, but nobody deserves a death like that. RIP.

Frank: FRANK. His one cameo this season, in a number of revelatory and gutting flashbacks, was the perfect way to bring him back—especially since we see him through Brianna’s eyes, after years of him refracted through Claire’s perspective. But even Brianna doesn’t realize how many complicated feelings it layers on top of Frank’s motivations to know that he had the obituary the whole time and never let on to Claire that he knew about her supposed death. Not that I blame him, considering how she treated returning to their marriage as a consolation prize, but still.

George Washington: Presumably, but we only got a few scenes with him. I’m looking forward to (hopefully) more of the would-be President next season.

Rollo: Very Good Boy. Very glad he made it through the season and will accompany Young Ian on this new adventure.

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