#The relationship is so clear to me it struck me like a prophetic vision

[nat20composure]

Need you guys to know rn that @nat1volition and I's personal hc for relationships in BG3 consists of:

-Saf (Dark Urge) x Astarion x Halsin

-Shadowheart x Lae'zel

-Wyll x Karlach

And Gale x Volo. I am being 1000% percent 1000 serious about it and I need you to understand it is because they are both each other's worst nightmares.

[darthkruge]

hello lovely!! i’ve been getting back into star wars lately and i’ve been loving your fics!! and i was wondering if i could make a request?? sort of like,, anakin but he doesn’t turn to the dark side type thing?? like he maybe confesses he’s scared to lose you and you help him through it?? maybe obi wan helps out?? honestly you can take it however you want :)) ty ty

anakin skywalker x reader || rewritten

summary || a rots fix it fic where i take many liberties and give anakin a support system + everyone gets better communication and we think about how it would perhaps end differently

warnings || hella canon divergence, angst w/ a happy ending, some violence (non graphic and not super described)

words || 5.1k (i am legit shocked)

a/n || hello and thank you!! i’m so glad you’ve been loving my fics! this fic was honestly super challenging for me and it ended up being the longest thing i’ve ever written. i made some big changes and lots of smaller ones, but each one was fully intentional. i really, really hope y’all like it <3

main masterlist || anakin masterlist 

gif credit

-----

Anakin awoke with a start, chest heaving and covered in sweat. He was gripping the blankets as he tried to ground himself, frantically looking around as if to discern between reality and the horrid dreamscape his mind created. He whipped his head to the side, visibly relaxing as he saw you staring up at him, a confused look on your face. 

You were no stranger to Anakin’s nightmares but this one seemed unlike any he’d ever had. You slept curled into him and, thus, his jolt caused one of your own. Unsure if he wanted your touch just yet, you reached out to him with the Force. Panic, loss, grief, fear, terror, insecurity. You looked into his eyes, watching as they slowly cleared and he registered your presence. He blinked quickly, trying to clear the tears from his vision and gave you a slight nod. 

Reaching a tentative hand to his shoulder, you suppressed a gasp as you felt him shudder beneath you. You quietly whispered his name and placed a finger under his jaw, guiding his face to yours. You nodded back at him and opened your arms in silent invitation. He crawled into your embrace as you pulled him impossibly close to you, situating yourself against the headboard so you could better wrap yourself around his shaking body. Choked sobs erupted from his lips, each one tearing a hole in your heart. As he finally let himself cry with his face buried into your neck, you held him. By the Maker, you held him. 

He didn’t want to speak just yet and you understood. You’ve always extended the same respect back to him as he gives to you. Tucked into you, Anakin’s fingers squeezed into your flesh, as if trying to remind himself you were solid. You placed a few kisses into his soft hair and onto his forehead, hands running up and down his arms and back. You physically pressed reminders of your love into his skin for hours and, somewhere in the midst of your embrace, he let himself fall into a state of limbo. Unawake, unasleep, umoving, yet feeling everything you had to offer. 

----

When morning came, you reached out once again. The emotions from last night were still evident, just not as strong. Simultaneously, you allowed a small smile to come to you as you felt something new. Warmth, comfort, love. You ran your fingers through Anakin’s hair to pull him to consciousness, needing to see his eyes. Stars, his eyes. While they were absolutely gorgeous, they also always gave him away. You once told him that. “Only for you, my love.” He’d replied. 

“Hi.” He croaked out, meeting your gaze. Your eyes fluttered closed for a second as you took a deep breath in relief. His eyes were clear. You didn’t know how long the shadows would be banished for, but as long as they weren’t constant, you had hope. 

“Hi, baby.” You whispered, allowing yourself to give him another forehead kiss, made easy by your position that you’d somehow remained in throughout the night. You looked at him expectantly and knew he knew what you were asking.

“You… you died,” Anakin started. His eyes were already filling with tears. “It wasn’t clear. There was so much blood. And you kept begging me to help you. You screamed and screamed and screamed and you were in agony and…” 

You took his hand in yours, squeezing his fingers in encouragement to go on.

“I never- I never came for you.” He spit the words out as if they were venomous and shook his head. You could hear the self-hatred in his words, the way he couldn’t grasp the concept of hurting you, ever, and yet how seriously he took this. 

“Hey, hey. Stop, my love.” You said, hoping to pull him out of his spiral. “You would never harm me, Anakin. You would come for me, you always have. That was a horrible dream and I’m so sorry you had to experience it. But it was just a dream, Anakin. It’s not real.” 

He pulled away from you as if he couldn’t stand to feel your gentle touch. “No, no, no! It-” His words were cut off by his uneven breathing, his pulse racing as he relived the nightmare. “It felt like the ones I had about my mother. It felt… prophetic. I’m scared, Y/N, I can’t lose you.” 

You walked over to him, placing your hands on his cheeks and rubbing your thumbs over his cheekbones, hoping to calm him. “You won’t. It takes a lot to kill me, you know? Especially when I have you by my side.” 

Anakin nodded but you could tell he was unconvinced. 

“How about you talk to Obi-Wan about the dreams? He’s always helped you before.” You suggested. 

While normally this would be unthinkable, as it would expose your relationship, Anakin felt himself pulled toward the choice. Inwardly, he admitted that he could definitely use a friend right now. And Obi-Wan had always stood by him. Somehow, he just knew that now would be no different.  

------

Obi-Wan easily swung the door open with the Force before Anakin even had a chance to knock. He knew his former Padawan’s force signature like the back of his hand and had sensed his distress for days. Unbeknownst to Anakin, Obi-Wan had canceled his missions due to this, wanting to stay close for when Anakin eventually came to him for guidance. 

Obi-Wan looked up from his paperwork as he realized Anakin refused to come closer. Huddled behind the door frame, a conflicted and fearful look on his face, Obi-Wan was struck by how similar Anakin looked to the little boy he’d found on Tatooine all those years ago. Many nights, young Anakin would come into Obi-Wan’s room, plagued with nightmares. Just as before, Obi-Wan never turned him away. 

“Something’s troubling you.” 

Anakin sighed, taking a tentative step forward. “You know Master L/N?”

Obi-Wan smiled knowingly, having a sense of where this is going. “Yes, of course. A brilliant strategist, much like yourself.” 

“I…. I’m involved with them, Master.” 

“Involved?” Obi-Wan replied, with a quirked eyebrow.

“Please don’t punish Y/N for this, I know the Council frowns upon relationships. If you need to report it, I understand. But just report me, say they had nothing to do with it. But before you do anything please, Master, listen to what I must tell you. I wouldn’t unless it was absolutely necessary.” Anakin pleaded. 

“Anakin, I know.” 

“Yeah, I mean it truly is necessary-” 

Obi-Wan placed a comforting hand on the younger Jedi’s shoulder. “You misunderstand. I mean, I know.” 

Anakin’s eyes widened with realization before confusion filtered into his gaze. “But we were so careful!” 

“Not as much as you would think,” Obi-Wan said with a slight laugh.

“And you’re not upset?”

He sighed. “Being honest, I was a bit at first. Anakin, you know the rules and you can be so reckless at times! But how could I fault you for your own humanity? And I knew who you were when I met you. I was always aware of your compassion, your capacity for emotions.” Anakin nodded and smiled, but the faraway look in his eye never wavered. 

Clearing his voice, Obi-Wan continued. “Are you alright, Anakin?” 

“No.” The strength of the word shocked them both and caused Anakin to take a moment to compose himself. “They’re dying.”

Panic flashed through Obi-Wan’s expression. “They’re what? What happened? Was it a mission? Do the medics know? Is-” 

“- No, nothing… nothing yet. But it will.” While Obi-Wan didn’t exactly understand, he could tell through Anakin’s tone that his former Padawan believed this with his entire soul. 

“I’ve been having more nightmares.” Anakin said. 

“Like the ones with your mother?” 

Anakin nodded, his gaze muddled as his mind wove through every possibility on how to save you. Coming up with none, he looked up quickly, the lost confusion clear. 

“It’s going to be alright, Anakin. We’re going to do this together.” Obi-Wan offered, trying to comfort his friend. When Anakin nodded this time, his expression had more hope in it. Obi-Wan returned the gesture, tipping his head as Anakin walked out. Before Anakin reached the door, Obi-Wan called his name. 

“Talk to me if you feel troubled. About anything, my friend. And just know… it’s okay to feel afraid. And you’re no less a Jedi because you love them. At least, not in my eyes.” For the first time since he’d walked in the room, Anakin gave a true smile. His former Master inhaled deeply, realizing after hearing those words, Anakin looked more like himself than he had in a long while. 

----- 

A few hours and a Council meeting later, Anakin walked back into your chambers, closing the door with a huff. He wasn’t enraged, per se, but definitely conflicted. You approached him cautiously, heart falling when you saw those familiar clouds back in his eyes. 

“Did Obi-Wan not take it well?”

Anakin shook his head. “It’s not… he was supportive. But the Council has assigned something to me and…” He trailed off and looked at you. Only then did you see his bloodshot, puffy eyes. 

“What did they ask of you, Anakin?” You questioned, coming behind him to gently massage his tense shoulders. 

“I’m needed to spy on the Chancellor. Apparently there’s a Sith Lord somewhere in the Order. They suspect him.” He tried to keep his voice strong, but you could see how torn apart he was by the inflection in his tone. 

You took a breath and tried to process the information. “Will you do it?”

“I don’t know… if the Council tells me I must, then I must. But the Chancellor has only been good to me. I worry about betraying him but I don’t want to let down the Order. I’m not sure how to do this without causing someone harm.” He confessed. 

“They shouldn’t have put you in this position, it’s unfair. And you don’t have to, Ani. I know it feels like you do but you don’t need to bend to each of the Council’s requests. Whatever the fallout, whatever you choose, please know that I’m with you. And so is Obi-Wan. Not that it fixes anything, but at the very least, you’ll always have us.” 

Anakin turned around so he was facing you. “I don’t know what to do.” He whispered, voice laced with hopelessness. 

“Trust yourself. You have a good heart, intelligence, and strong morals. They’ve never failed you before.”

He nodded before leaning into you and your arms instinctively wrapped around him. Your fingertips found their way to his hair, gently weaving through the golden strands. 

“We’ll get through this, yeah?” While it was a question, you both knew you meant it as a statement.

“We’ll get through this.” Anakin echoed. He mumbled the words into your neck where he had buried his face. As if the words could seep into your skin. As if the hope could find its way to your heart and stay there, ever protected, ever true. 

-----

The next day, Anakin found himself in Palpatine’s office. He was wary, guarded. It was evident by the look on his eyes, the way he took a moment before taking another step. It was his training as both a Jedi and a General that allowed him to do this. The careful complexity of planning every move. 

“I heard the Council debating whether or not they should have made you a Master. It seems they do not trust you or value your talent as they should.” Palpatine’s words made Anakin freeze. Rationally, he knew this was wrong. At the very least, Obi-Wan trusts him and so do you. But there was a part of him that felt so validated by the Chancellor’s words that he wanted to hear more. To bask in them, in feeling wanted and appreciated. He hated himself for it. 

“I… I’m not sure what you mean by this.” Anakin attempted not to give himself away any more than he already has. 

“Well, they care about your potential. But they hold you back. They’ll never show you your true power, for they don’t want you to understand. They just wish to use it, no matter your own fate.” 

“I feel cast aside. Like I don’t matter.” Anakin wasn’t even sure why he shared these words. Somehow, in feeling so praised, the doubts just bubbled their way to the surface. He felt like a child in these moments, so painfully fragile. 

“You don’t. Not to them, Anakin. But with me I can teach you your power. I can teach you the ways of the Dark Side. I know of your fears, of those nightmares that plague you. I know about your secret marriage and how close you are to losing it all.” 

Anakin froze, his heart hammering in his chest. His thoughts raced as he tried to piece together the truth from all the lies. The mentions of Darth Plagueis. The Dark Side of the Force. 

“You’re the Sith Lord!” Anakin said, igniting his lightsaber and pointing it at the older man’s chest. 

Palpatine bowed his head slightly, a small smile gracing his lips. “Well done, my boy.” Anakin felt sick as he noted the pride in his tone. And yet that aching part inside him still swelled, ever so slightly.

“Now, don’t do anything rash.” The Chancellor reasoned. “Only the Dark Side can save the one you love.” 

Anakin wanted to do the right thing. He wished to be the one who could stand up and arrest Palpatine without a single ounce of guilt or regret. But as soon as Palpatine mentioned you, it’s like all his logic disappeared. He just wanted to save you, to not fail you as he’d failed his mother. But then he thought back to your words. “Strong morals.” And to his Master’s. “We’ll do this together.”

“I’m turning you into the Council.” 

“Wouldn’t you prefer to kill me?”

“Yes.” Anakin’s remark was forceful and clipped with anger.

“Then do it. Give yourself over to your wrath.”

He felt himself burning with betrayal, with resentment toward both sides. Even so, he could still tell right from wrong, selfless from selfish. And whatever Palpatine was doing… it certainly did not have the will of the people in mind. Without so much as deigning him with another response, Anakin turned and walked out of the room.

“If you turn me in, you’ll never save them!” Anakin tried to will Palpatine’s voice out of his head as he ventured back to the Council chambers. When he arrived back, he decided to slightly alter his plans. While he knew he must face all of them eventually, he wanted to talk to Obi-Wan first. Perhaps his Master could give him guidance, like he did about your nightmares. 

“General Skywalker… are you alright?” Anakin stumbled as he walked right into another figure, too caught up in his own head.

“I’m fine, Master Windu. Thank you- I’m sorry.” Mace looked at the younger Jedi with an unreadable expression. While there was much in his eyes, concern was definitely a part of it. 

“Have you seen Master Kenobi?” Anakin said after a brief pause for composure. 

“He’s supposed to leave for his next mission any moment now. If you hurry, you can probably still catch him.” 

Anakin thanked Master Windu before taking off in a run. No matter how fast his legs carried him, he felt his mind was working even faster, the internal conflict brewing more intently by the second. 

-----

Obi-Wan opened the door as soon as before Anakin could even knock. He looked at Anakin and gestured at a vacant chair, a silent invitation to sit. Anakin shook his head quickly. The younger Jedi’s eyes were scattered and conflicted, as if he’d been shaken to his very core. 

“Palpatine is the Sith Lord.” The words came out rushed, yet clear. As if Anakin needed to get them out as quickly as he could but replayed them in his head until they were all he knew. The intensity showed Obi-Wan that there was no doubt in his friend’s mind. 

Obi-Wan blinked. “Okay.” He stroked his beard, trying to find the words to say. “Are you alright?”

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan in confusion. Certainly there were more important questions his former Master would want to ask than that. 

“I know you and the Chancellor were close. This can’t be easy for you. I just wanted to ask if you were alright.” 

“I’m not sure.” Anakin said after some hesitation. “I don’t really know what to think… Palpatine is evil, right? But he believed in me when no one else did. He saw my potential, allowed me to confide in him. He told me he could show me how to save Y/N. Would someone evil do that?” 

Obi-Wan’s eyes softened as he looked at the painfully conflicted young man in front of him. “Anakin… he was manipulating you. He was isolating you so you had no one to turn to but him. It was a tactic, a ploy. He doesn’t care for you.” Anakin looked so heartbroken that Obi-Wan knew Anakin believed him. “I’m so sorry.” 

“But what about Y/N?” Anakin asked desperately.

Obi-Wan sighed. “Loving someone in the Order isn’t easy. Especially after everything you’ve gone through. And losing someone… it changes the way you love. You fear constantly, wondering when your love will evade you. When it will fall apart, like all the rest. But living like that, loving like that… it leaves no room for growth or peace. And that’s what relationships are for, aren’t they?” His voice was filled with compassion and wisdom. From experience, perhaps? Regardless of the reason, Anakin was reminded that someone did understand him. Despite the circumstances, he felt content. At least a bit. 

“Is there any way to save them?”

“I’m not sure. Let’s focus on Palpatine for now, alright? And we’ll bring Master L/N with us so you know they’re safe.” Obi-Wan wished nothing more than having a set solution to save Y/N. But some things were even out of his grasp. “I know this must be impossible for you, Anakin. I truly am sorry.” 

Anakin nodded. After all, it was true. If there was anything to describe the impending threat of losing another person he loved, impossible summed up the process. “I know. You’re doing all you can. Thank you, Master. And yes, I would like to bring them with us.” 

Obi-Wan clasped a hand to Anakin’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze as they met each other with a smile. “I’ll send them a message right now.”

----

You gasped when you received Obi-Wan’s message with the details of the Supreme Chancellor’s truth. Your heart cried for Anakin, knowing the betrayal must be breaking him. All you could do was wish that with Obi-Wan’s help, the two of you could support Anakin until he felt like he could breathe again. And you had faith in him. You always had faith in him. 

Grabbing your cloak, you jogged to Obi-Wan’s quarters. As soon as you opened the door, you ran to Anakin and hugged him to you, needing to feel his presence. Somehow, you knew he needed it, too. 

“Ready?” Anakin and Obi-Wan gave you nods of confirmation and you gave a tentative smile. “Alright. Let’s do this.” 

-----

Anakin entered Palpatine’s chambers first. For once, he felt sure of himself. He finally knew what he had to do. His gaze shifted to you, making sure you were alright. You placed a hand on his arm, rubbing your thumb up and down to reassure him. He inhaled. Exhaled. And ignited his saber. 

“I knew you’d come back, Skywalker. I knew you’d join me.” 

“Think again.” Obi-Wan responded as you and him walked into the chambers. Pure, unfiltered rage flickered through Palpatine’s eyes in response.

“Anakin, they’re trying to corrupt you. They’re trying to keep your power. Come with me, boy, and I’ll teach you all you wish to know. I’ll teach you how to save them.” He said, pointing a pale finger toward your face. 

You let out a sharp breath as you suddenly understood Anakin’s conflict. Of course Palpatine was using you as a bargaining chip. Using Anakin’s fear of abandonment, of losing his loved ones against him. It was disgusting, even for a Sith. 

“I… you can’t possibly know how to do that. It’s impossible!” 

“Not on the Dark Side. Look… Obi-Wan has turned them against you. He’s the cause of this! I’m sure he didn’t even pose a solution to saving Y/N. It’s because he doesn’t care about you, not like I do.” 

The shadows returned to Anakin’s eyes as his gaze switched between Obi-Wan and Palpatine. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at you, to see the pain in your eyes as he struggled with a choice that for others would be so simple. He hated himself for being weak but he truly couldn’t fathom losing you. 

Obi-Wan stepped forward, backing Palpatine against the wall and pointing his lightsaber at Palpatine’s throat. Anakin stepped back, too frozen to move, and unconsciously placed himself between them and you.

“It’s over, Chancellor. Don’t make this more difficult than it already is.” Obi-Wan said.

Palpatine shot lightning from his hands, causing Obi-Wan to deflect the matter with his lightsaber, redirecting it to Palpatine himself. As Palpatine shook from the force of his own blast, he once again called to Anakin.

“If you let him kill me, dear boy, Y/N will die. If you don’t try to save them, you will be the cause of their death.” 

Anakin’s eyes widened, those words hitting him right in the chest. He moved forward, pointing his lightsaber at Obi-Wan but refusing to make the final cut to end his life. Obi-Wan looked like he wanted to speak but the effort of holding of Palpatine’s lightning rendered him useless. It was Obi-Wan, after all. His former Master, his friend. The one person who he trusted with the secret of his marriage. He couldn’t kill him, right? He faltered, stepping slightly back. 

“Ani,” You said, your voice calm as you tried to reason with him. “Ani if you do this, you can’t come back from it. I know you don’t want to lose me and if you kill Obi-Wan, you will, regardless of the fate of my life. You aren’t too far gone, yet. You haven’t done anything irredeemable. Remember who you are, my love.” 

Anakin heard your words and looked at your face. You. He wanted to do good by you, to do good by all of them. He wanted to make his mother proud, make himself feel like leaving her for the Jedi Order meant something. And then his gaze filtered over to his friend. Obi-Wan stood tall against the force of Palpatine’s lightning, reminding Anakin of his friend’s strength. It was something Anakin wanted to emulate, too. 

Understanding his choice, Anakin took a step forward to position the blade toward Palpatine’s chest. His hand was shaking, movements unsure, eyes glossed over with immeasurable pain. But before he could make contact, you swiftly moved in front of him and killed Palpatine instead. Obi-Wan was thrust backward as the lightning ceased, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. 

“Why would you do that?” Anakin asked as he looked at you. 

“I didn’t want you to have to kill your friend. No matter what he turned out to be.” You said as you shifted on the balls of your feet. The weight of Palpatine’s death now weighed on your soul, as do those of every life you’ve ever ended. You could bear it and you knew Anakin was strong enough to do so, as well. You just didn’t want him to have to. 

Anakin nodded and whispered a thank you back to you. You just smiled, the love for him clear in your expression. Anakin turned around, walking to his friend and extending a hand for him. 

“I never doubted you.” Obi-Wan said simply as he met Anakin’s guilty eyes. 

“I should have made the choice to believe you earlier. I shouldn’t have let him get to me. I’m sorry, Master.” 

“Look at me, Anakin. We all struggle with our morals. We struggle and we’re unsure and we pray and hope to land on the right decision. And you did. You have nothing to apologize for.” Looking at your and Anakin’s arms around each other, Obi-Wan made one last decision. “How about the two of you retire for the evening? I’ll debrief with the Council, you’ve been through enough.” 

Once again, Anakin was struck by the older Jedi’s strength and selflessness. He nodded, as did you, before he accompanied you back to your quarters. 

----

You kept one arm around Anakin’s waist the entire way home, mirroring his that was around your shoulders. You couldn’t bear to separate, not after the events of the past few days. Seeing Anakin so torn up inside, it was eating away at you. Knowing you couldn’t save him was one of the hardest things you’ve ever had to deal with. 

Now, Palpatine was finally gone. There was no more threat to the Jedi Order, the Force once again balanced. But both of you still understood the one solution that hadn't been found: how to save you. It made everything easier, that you chose to kill the Chancellor. Anakin refused to voice the doubts in his head, wondering if he actually would have gone through with it knowing he would lose his chance at saving you. 

The air was melancholic surrounding you both. Heavy. Neither of you knew what to say, words failing in a moment that was so conflicted it almost overwhelmed you. But your heart warmed as you saw Anakin scamper in front of you to open and hold the door for you. You loved him so much, for doing the little things even in moments like these. It gave you hope.

You were okay with death, so long as it only affected you. When you joined the Jedi, you had to make your peace with it. But after you fell in love everything changed. You didn’t want Anakin to go through the pain of losing you. He’d been so open with you about, well, everything. Especially his past. He’d gone through so much, felt such raw pain and loss, you didn’t want to add to that. 

Taking his hands in yours, you looked into his blue eyes. 

“I don’t want you to die.” He whispered, the desperate, deflated tone making your heart break. “I won’t.” You wished to say, but you knew you couldn’t. 

“I don’t want to die, either.” You chose these words instead, relying on their honesty. 

“Palpatine could have saved you.” Anakin said after a beat. 

You sighed. “You don’t know that.” You stated, knowing it wouldn’t change how he felt. 

“Neither do you!” 

“But at what cost? At the cost of losing your soul? Anakin, you would have had to join the Sith! That’s no longer you! You’re good and you couldn’t have saved me if you were there, don’t you see that?” You pleaded. You wished he would see your logic, the truth behind your words. How even though he thought otherwise, he made the right decision. 

“What good is saving the Order if you won’t be a part of it?”

“What good is saving my life if I wouldn’t have you to live it with?” You countered. 

Anakin let out an exhausted breath before pulling you into him, hugging you. The fighting was too much and, frankly, he didn’t want to argue. Not with you, not ever. You both let out a humorless chuckle as you leaned into each other. 

“I love you.” His tone conveyed it all. 

“I love you.” You replied, your voice muffled from being pressed into his robes. 

“Can we sleep? I don’t want to face this right now. Can we just put this aside, if just for a moment? Can I lay with you and can you hold me and can we just have each other?” You questioned breathlessly.

“I would like nothing more, my love.” He smiled slightly and pressed a kiss to your head as he added the words of endearment, wanting you to understand he wasn’t upset with you. You already knew that, though. You were in love with Anakin Skywalker. Of course you’d argue from time to time. But at the end of the day, you were two hopelessly in love Jedi just trying to save each other. 

Crawling into bed, sleep came for the both of you quickly. You were holding him and he was holding you, tangled together as you nestled his warm embrace. He tucked his face into your neck as you did so and savored the feel of you next to him. Safe. 

Drifting off, Anakin tried to fight the pull of sleep, knowing he’d just suffer from another nightmare like he had every day since the first one. One where you’d die and he could do nothing to stop it. Amidst these tumultuous thoughts, his breathing evened, lulling him under. 

You were in the grass, a flower crown atop your head. Anakin was leaning against a small house. It was quaint but beautiful. Small, not outwardly flashy, but full of love and meaning. Looking around, he smiled as he saw green vines crawling up the sides of the house, a garden of your favorite flowers out front. You always had a soft spot for that. 

We are on Naboo, he realized. It was peaceful. It was the dream you always talked of together. Anakin’s breath caught as he felt the certainty of this dream. It felt just like his nightmares, except this one left him content. He didn’t want to entertain the thought for too long, afraid of jinxing it. But he knew it was prophetic. He wasn’t sure how he changed his fate, what exactly gave him this future. Something inside him just knew that when he wakes up the next morning, all will be okay. He felt infinitely lighter as he understood the threat was gone. 

When you looked up and saw him, you raced toward him and jumped into his arms. Anakin stumbled but caught you, breathing in your scent as you kissed the side of his neck. As he held you, his thoughts slightly wandered. But he was grounded by your presence, reminding him that you were safe and he was okay. With you, he was finally, completely, home.

-----

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Chrollo x Fem!Reader

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You received a text from Chrollo saying he’d be in town only minutes before you ran into him.  It was late; you’d just finished closing up shop, counting the money left in the till and locking up before grabbing your coat and heading out into the autumn night.  It had stormed earlier, but now it only drizzled.  Damp leaves clung to your shoes as you walked down the slippery cobblestone street.

Had Chrollo not called your name out softly, you would have walked right by him, so preoccupied were you with keeping your umbrella from being blown inside out by a sudden gust of wind.  You stopped the instant you heard your name, turning in the direction of the voice.  Chrollo was dressed in normal clothes for once, casually leaning against the side of a building, washed in the gold of the streetlight.

“Hey!” You called, walking briskly towards him and promptly stepping into a puddle.  You cursed, closing your umbrella as you futilely shook your foot.  No point in trying to stay dry now.  “What are you doing here?”

Chrollo smiled, that sweet, darkly angelic smile of his.  “To see you, _____.  Isn’t that obvious?”

You rolled your eyes. “I meant here.  In the street.”

“Your shop was closed, it takes you twenty minutes to walk home.  I guessed I’d find you here.”  He chuckled. “It seems I was right.”

Snorting, you turned on your heel and strode off.  “Come on then, I’m going home to get out of the rain.  Stay in the street if you like.”  You noticed that he didn’t even have an umbrella on him.  Chrollo was a strange man, perhaps he enjoyed getting rained on. Sometimes you felt as though you couldn’t truly be sure of what he enjoyed.

Neither of you attempted conversation on the walk back to your apartment.  Your mood was too foul after having been made to suffer the annoyance of wet socks, and the wind rustling the dried leaves as it blew through the trees was too loud to speak over.

“You could have just waited for me here.” You spoke finally as you reached you apartment, removing your shoes and switching on the light.

“I don’t have a key.”

“Like that’s ever stopped you.”

Chrollo arched an eyebrow. “You think I’ve broken into your home?”

“Well haven’t you?”

Another cryptic smile. A flash behind his eyes. “Perhaps.”

His lips were on yours an instant later.  Chrollo might have taken great pains to appear ethereal and otherworldly, but there was something so refreshingly warm about his kisses that his humanity was undeniable.  Soft lips drifted down to your collarbone, leaving a trail of even softer kisses in their wake along your throat.

“Right to the point, huh?” You chuckled, tilting your head to the side to give him better access.

“It’s been a long time.”

Had it? You had a hard time believing that Chrollo had spent the last several months pining away for you, such thoughts were an extravagance reserved only for those in relationships with normal people.  Every time Chrollo left, you assumed that he’d either be killed or just lose interest in what you had; he’d slink through his life of shadows and remember you less and less until you became little more than a silhouette in his memory.  A favorite character in a long-forgotten book.

Whether these were prophetic musings or purely melodramatic thoughts mattered little to you now, especially since Chrollo was urgently sliding your coat off your shoulders in an attempt to undress you.

“Hey!” You protested when his hands rested on your ass and squeezed through the fabric of your dress, but you melted into him when he pulled you close and murmured “I’ve missed you” against your lips.

That was all it took. You grabbed his wrist and led him to your bedroom, blushing at the light peal of amused laughter that ensued.  You refused to be ashamed of your eagerness, so you cast a smirk over your shoulder as you began to shed your clothing.  It was much more efficient than Chrollo’s earlier fumbling.

A smile spread across your face when Chrollo stood behind you, his half-hard cock obvious when his crotch pressed against your ass.  You jumped in surprise when he began to rub against you.

“You like it?” Chrollo asked, helping you remove the last remnants of your clothes and dipping down to kiss your shoulder. “Feeling me like this?”  He swept a lock of your hair away so he could lightly suck at your neck.

You hummed in contentment, reaching back behind you to lace your fingers in his thick dark hair. He’d forgone his usual severe slicked-back hairstyle in favor of leaving his hair down, something you greatly appreciated.  Chrollo’s hands found their way to your now-exposed breasts; he palmed at them before lightly rubbing at and gently tweaking your nipples.  The more he touched you, the more excited he became; Chrollo was rocking against you, his still-clothed erection stiffening by the second.  One of his hands drifted down between your legs, his fingers beginning to stroke your clit.

“Chrollo…” His name fell from your lips in a barely audible whimper as you bucked against him, your eyes fluttering shut.  After so long, his touch was enough to transport you away from your bedroom. You were lost. Totally, gloriously lost.

“_____.” Chrollo’s voice brought you back to the present.  “Look.”

You opened your eyes, confused as to what exactly Chrollo wanted you to look at, until.  Oh.  Oh. In your earlier haste to get Chrollo into your bedroom, you’d failed to notice that you were standing almost directly in front of your full-length mirror.

“Look at me,” Chrollo ordered silkily, laughing lightly when you instinctively started to look back at him. “No.  There.”  He grabbed your chin and turned your head to face the mirror.

You’d seen yourself naked countless times, and you’d been intimate with Chrollo a comparable amount, but your cheeks burned with exhilaration and something almost like shame when you looked in the mirror.  Here you were, naked and utterly exposed, while Chrollo was more or less fully clothed.

“That’s it,” he encouraged, dropping his hand from your chin and gently wrapping his fingers around your throat.  He continued to stroke your sex; his fingers moved away from your clitoris to dip between your legs and rub against your slit.  “Keep looking at me.”  His large grey eyes locked onto yours as he slid a finger inside you.

“It’s okay,” he soothed when your breath hitched.  “You can cry out if you want to.  If you can.”  He tightened his grip on your throat.

You gasped when your air supply was suddenly partially cut off, yet you kept looking in the mirror as instructed.  Looking at him.  With one hand around your neck and the other between your legs.  It struck you then just how beautiful Chrollo was; his face, unreadable alabaster, remained supernaturally serene even as he choked you. Angelic.  Seraphic, even.

Chrollo tightened his grip again, and for an instant you couldn’t breathe.  Flashes of red and gold danced before your eyes, and just as your vision began to cloud, you came around Chrollo’s fingers.

“Lovely,” he breathed, relaxing his grip and kissing your neck again.  There was something reverentially apologetic about the way he kissed you now, his full lips ghosting over the angry red marks his fingers had made.  He withdrew his hand from between your legs.  “Get on the bed.”

A jolt of anticipation shot down your spine at the calmly given order.  You obeyed, walking over to your bed and lying down on your back, legs spread, body eagerly waiting.

Chrollo smiled softly. “No, not like that.  On your hands and knees.” You bristled at the slight note of condescension you heard in his voice but obeyed just the same.

From behind you, you heard the rustle of fabric, the clinking of a belt buckle.  For the second time that night you began to look back, and just like the first time, Chrollo stopped you.

“Don’t.”

You closed your eyes and let your head hang in frustration.  He was certainly taking his time…

Cool hands began to caress your ass, making you shudder at the long-awaited touch.  Your eyes shot open when Chrollo pulled his hand away and brought it down on your ass with an audible slap, and you moaned softly when he did it a second time.  It stung, but not unpleasantly.

Surprisingly, Chrollo offered no commentary on your reaction; he was seemingly content with drawing little moans and gasps from you with each slap.  When he was finally satisfied, he rubbed his hands soothingly over your now-sore backside before lining himself up with your entrance and sliding in.

Your eyes widened when he bottomed out; it became immediately clear that he had not bothered to get undressed, a situation that sent little tremors of delight over your skin. You felt so vulnerable like this, so used.

Chrollo, who had seemingly used up his supply of self-restraint, began to fuck you with fast, hard thrusts.  He grabbed your hips, preventing you from wriggle away from him as he drove into your repeatedly, fast and deep.  

You bit your lip as his cock hit your g-spot, your inner walls tightening around him.  Chrollo’s soft grunts and gasps were music to your ears; each sound he made caused the proverbial coil within your core to tighten. With a rush of daring, you chanced a look at Chrollo over your shoulder and barely contained a gasp when you saw him.

Chrollo’s head was thrown back, his eyes closed, lush dark lashes pressed against his cheekbones. His cheeks had taken on a light pink flush, as had his lips, which were parted in a silent “O” of pleasure.  The smallest, barely audible hint of a moan began to tinge each of Chrollo’s gasps; the picture before you was almost enough to make you come on the spot.

Chrollo’s eyes cracked open and you quickly looked away.  Too late, evidently; you received a sharp smack on your ass for your disobedience.

“I… didn’t… say you could… look- oh!” Chrollo’s last shred of self-control evaporated; he reached forward, grabbing a handful of your hair and jerking your head back as he began to relentlessly fuck into you harder than you thought possible.  Something had changed about the angle of his hips; he was no longer directly hitting your g-spot, but somewhere deeper, more sensual. You groaned as your walls spasmed around his cock as your second orgasm crashed into you.

Your clenching around his cock sent Chrollo reeling into orgasm as well; he grabbed your hips again with an almost bruising force and slammed into you, releasing deep inside you with a low grunt.

For all his exertion, Chrollo only trembled behind you for a few moments before pulling out and grabbing a tissue off the bedside table to clean himself up.  You, however, collapsed onto the bed, having been exhausted by two orgasms.

“Tired?”  Chrollo sat lightly on the foot of the bed, fully clothed again.

“What do you think?” You shut your eyes, willing your heartbeat to return to normal.

“I think you’re exhausted.”

“You’re correct.  Well done.” You sighed and propped yourself up on your elbows.  “Why are you still dressed?”

“I thought I’d take you out for dinner.”

You snorted incredulously. “Oh, now you tell me.  While I’m all fucked out and exhausted.”

“Well?”

“It’s raining.”

“You have an umbrella, if memory serves.”

“All right, fine.” You yawned and sat up, grimacing at the soreness between your legs.  It had been too long.  “Let me get cleaned up, yeah?”

“Of course.”

Feeling Chrollo’s release begin to leak from you, you hastily dashed to the bathroom.  You grabbed a towel and turned on the shower, delighting in the heat of the water.

As you stepped into the shower, eager for the water’s warmth, you heard the bathroom door creak open.  “You need something?”

You were answered with a very naked Chrollo stepping into the shower with you.  “I’ve been traveling for some time.  Perhaps I ought to get cleaned up as well.”

You grinned to yourself as you squeezed bodywash onto a washcloth. Perhaps dinner out wasn’t in the cards for tonight after all.

[halfgclden]

THE PROPHECY | RENEE, GABRIELE, MICAH

when: tuesday, october 19th 2021

what: help us chiron you’re our only hope

When she saw the old centaur's face, Renee almost felt bad for how loud their entrance had been. 

Almost. 

It was 8:03 AM and Chiron was standing just outside his office, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose as he stared at her girlfriend. Koda had flung open the door of the Big House and immediately— albeit cheerfully— shouted for Chiron as she stomped down the hallway in her boots. Renee knew that their relationship was strained, even if Koda chose to ignore it and so she stepped into the centaur's line of view. "Hey," she raised her hand in an awkward half-wave, blocking Koda's overly cheery face. "Sorry about— yeah. It's early." He raised his eyebrows at her, and she did her best to take the reins of the conversation. "We wouldn't be here so early if it wasn't important and it is so, uh. We're here?" 

Koda put her arm around Renee's shoulders, grinning at Chiron. "We're hereeee," she drew out the word for dramatic effect. If Chiron had looked any less like a disappointed dad, Renee would have found her partner's act funny. But it was an urgent matter, so she gently elbowed Koda in the ribs. Koda's smile didn't dim in the slightest as she explained. "We're here because Ren's been having dreams." 

"I don't see why—" 

"Like, the prophetic kind, " Koda added. "At least I think. We think, right?" She looked up at Renee, who nodded and rubbed the back of her neck.

“The prophetic kind?” Gabriele echoed, rounding the corner and stepping into Chiron’s office. His eyes glanced around the three faces in the room and he smiled. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but the words had carried down the hallway, hard to tune out. 

Normally Gabriele would wait his turn. He wasn’t so rude as to assume his situation was the most pressing. But he, too, had been subjected to visions prophetic, and he didn’t believe in coincidences. 

That and his goddess had practically shoved him into the room. 

He waved to Renee, and then looked to Chiron. “I’ve also seen something. Seems important and, I am just guessing, maybe related?”

"You too?" Renee nodded to Gab in greeting. Behind her, Koda waved to him, still grinning ear to ear. Renee didn't think much of coincidences either; the fact that Gabriele was here with a vision of his own felt important. It felt like the start of something— just as her dream had. 

She was about to press Gabriele for details when Chiron cleared his throat. Immediately Renee realized how crammed the room felt. 

Koda seemed to realize in the same moment and she reluctantly pulled away, moving to the doorway. "Ooh, guess that's my cue to leave. If you need any help reading your dreams, call me!" She tapped her knuckles on the doorframe before disappearing from view. 

"Don't— don't call her," Chiron said, expression weary as he waved a hand in the direction Koda had gone. He moved to pick up a mug from his desk, then glanced between Renee and Gabriele. If it struck him as odd that the two mortals of New Athens were standing before him with news of visions, he didn't show it. "Now...could one of you please explain to me what you've seen?"

Gabriele watched Koda depart, then gave Renee a curious look. "Since I was the one who interrupted, I implore you start," he said. Truthfully, he was curious— he hadn't met any other mortal that was struck with insight from a higher power, besides other godlings, he supposed. Was Renee a godling, and just keeping it under wraps? It was interesting nonetheless, and he felt a surge of anticipation. As if he already knew what she'd say and was just waiting for it to be spoken into the air. 

"That's, um, yeah. Okay." She nodded again, rubbing her hands on her jeans. All of a sudden she felt too-warm, too-present. For a moment, Renee had the horrifying thought that she was going to burn to ash from the inside out. Quick as it had come, the feeling passed and she gathered her wits. "So...this dream, yeah? I've been having it repeatedly. But this time it was so clear. Like, I could tell you— ugh." 

She scrubbed a hand over her face. Picturing the dream in her mind's eye, she continued to speak with her eyes closed. "There's this ship. In the middle of a terrible storm. And there's something, some creature, in the water. They're under attack. The storm is too big to be natural. They can't fight it. And then...there's lightning. Some master-bolt-type-shit." She opened her eyes and looked at Gab. "The ship wrecks."

Chiron listened to the description carefully, a frown tugging at his lips. "And you think this wreck needs our assistance?" he asked. "How often have you had it? If it has been a long time... I can ask the gods... Hm." He lapsed into quiet as he thought. "Perhaps it is pointing you to a monster that will, in the future, cause a wreck..." 

Even though he'd guessed it, the description sent chills over Gabriele's skin. "I have seen something similar," he said, mostly to Renee, but his eyes flickered over to Chiron as well. "My visions are less.... literal. But I also saw a wreck."

"I...think so." Renee said carefully. The idea of asking the gods about her dream was a bit unsettling. "It's been a while. The first time I saw it was years ago. But it was a very hazy dream then. More like what dreams usually are, I guess. But I had it again a few months ago and—" Should she tell Chiron about her theory proven true? Maybe when they were alone. The information was too new, Renee wasn't sure she wanted to reveal it in front of Gabriele, or if she wanted to tell Chiron at all. 

She settled on a vague explanation. "—Every night for the past two weeks. Clearer and clearer every time. Not last night, but the night before, it was the strongest it's ever been." She needed to tell them about the painting Koda had made, but Gab's words distracted her. Relief washed over her; someone else had seen it. "What are they like? Do you think it's the same one? Ship looked old. Who even sails triremes these days?" This last part was directed to Chiron, though Renee immediately turned her attention back to Gabriele, curious about his vision. 

Chiron crossed his arms as he continued to ponder this. "Alright. If there is an overlap, there may be something that the gods would like you to do." 

"Undoubtedly," Gabriele replied. "At least for me. My goddess wants me to go to this wreck, I'm sure." 

Chiron raised an eyebrow. "She does?" 

Gabriele nodded. He looked back to Renee and shrugged. "I didn't see much of the ship beyond that storm you mentioned. But I also saw..." He trailed off, the images of his vision already started to fade and bleed into each other. "It is less clear to me, like I said. I just understand what is being asked of me. I need to find the wreck." His expression clouded a bit. "I'm sure it is because... my talents are required."

"The crew...right? That's what you saw?" Renee tried to fill in the gaps between their visions. Glimpses of the ship's crew in her dream had been few and far between; what she had seen had been more of a bird's eye view of the disaster. Knowing Gabriele and his area of expertise, that was what made the most sense to her. That and how confident he was that his goddess had given him a task. "Do you think— Was it a quest?" Her brow furrowed, the look on her face now just as cloudy as Gab's. "And if it was...where from?"

The brisk morning seemed to make Micah’s step the same. They hummed along to their music because whistling might be too abrasive for Chiron at the early hour, and they tapped their boot against the door frame to announce their presence because their hands were full of boxes— it somewhat obscured their vision, but it was a small enough delivery that they didn’t feel the need for a cart. “There’s one more in the truck,” they began as they turned, then blanched at the sight of two more people than they were expecting. 

“Oh, excuse me. I didn’t realize you were in the middle of a meeting.” They bowed their head apologetically at Chiron, Gabriele, and Renee as they moved towards the door. “I can, I’ll leave the last outside. Or, in the hall, I mean.”

Gabriele's expression turned grim as Renee asked her questions. He just nodded. "I have no idea where," he said quietly, pushing his hands into his pocket. "From what I understand... it is..." He trailed off as another person entered the office. Normally he'd be happy to see Micah, but his smile was fainter today than normal. 

"It's alright, Micah," Chiron said, waving his hand casually. "You can put them any-" A loud thump from above interrupted him, and he frowned, looking toward the ceiling. "Is that..." A scraping sound confirmed his question. 

Gabriele stared at the ceiling. "What is that?" 

Chiron took a deep breath. "Micah, stay, actually. I assume the Oracle was waiting for you."

“Hey,” Renee half-heartedly waved at Micah, too distracted to properly greet her friend. Her head snapped upward when she heard the noise above. “What’s up there?” She asked, at the same time Gabriele spoke. The Oracle. She must have misheard Chiron. Her eyes darted between the centaur and the noises coming from above. “Wait, are you serious?”

Micah raised their hand in greeting and goodbye to Renee, already halfway out the door when the instruction to stay came. They considered moving the full way out, at least so they could get the second box. The news of the Oracle was less of a surprise and more of a nuisance to their work day; should she take too long, their whole day’s schedule might get pushed back. “Is...an audience always necessary?”

The Oracle? They still had that? “You still have that?” Gabriele asked Chiron, frowning at the ceiling. “What about the—” The rest of his question was cut short by another loud thump, followed by several more, coming further and further down the steps.

“Yes,” Chiron said to answer all of their questions. He didn’t move otherwise, waiting patiently for the husk of the body to scrape itss way into the office. It took almost another full minute, but eventually it wobbled into the doorway. The jaw dropped, steam billowing out from the mouth, as words poured out.

the sky calls on a crew of two then three to overcome a voyage out to sea

one sets out to discover missing souls one joins to see their destiny unroll

fearsome monster, fearsome goddess sublime a storm that took a ship out of time

crew swallowed by the maelstrom stuck in place and rooted to the island lost in space

the lone survivor starts his life anew inheriting the curse of the sea blue two will discover three under the sun but to complete the quest will leave with one

for two are lost and waiting for the peace the island and its curse will not release

find the living one and depart with haste before returns the horrors past lives faced

The Oracle was every bit as ancient as Renee had imagined, from all that she had heard from Koda. When it entered the room in a cloud of green smoke, she felt frozen in place— equal parts spellbound and uneasy. The words pouring from the Oracle’s mouth entwined with her memories of The Dream. Had they just...recieved a prophecy? Her mouth opened, then shut, as Renee committed the words to memory. 

When the Oracle finished speaking, the steam dissipated and it became a husk once more, no longer needed as a vessel of the divine. A heavy quiet settled in the office, on her shoulders. “I have...several questions,” she stated, breaking the silence. “First of all— what the fuck just happened?”

Micah shivered despite themself as the Oracle appeared, but they kept their eyes on her as she spoke the prophecy. A look of disgust appeared on their face when there was no longer an oracle, but its shell. They clasped and unclasped their hands, and looked to Renee when she spoke. “It’s...the funniest thing. I’ve been having this feeling, lately.” A crease formed between their eyebrows. “It’s like vertigo, where the ground below me is uneven, and I feel sick.” They frowned and rubbed their chin. “And then everything feels so full of the same air right after lightning strikes.” They dropped their hand, exhaled something between a laugh and a sigh, and shook their head. “Now that I’ve mentioned this, it seems much less relevant. You said the boxes should go anywhere?”

Gabriele looked abjectly horrified at the sight of the Oracle. He could feel how old the spirit was, and that information echoed in his bones even after the corpse crumpled to the ground. He turned away, having no desire to look at it anymore. He listened to Micah with a growing frown.

Chiron was frowning, too. He’d started frantically scribbling down the prophecy as it had been recited and now he was rereading the lines. “Leave the boxes, Micah,” he said, not looking up from the words. “Clearly, we have more important things to discuss.”

“That was a prophecy?” Gabriele asked.

“Of course. I suppose you’re meant to go on a quest.”

The funny thing was, Renee understood the feeling Micah was describing. Quite well, actually. It was the way she felt each morning, waking up from her dream-turned-vision-turned-piece-of-a-prophecy. A small smile appeared on her otherwise shaken face as Micah refocused on the boxes they had originally intended to deliver, but Gabriele’s question and Chiron’s answer made her freeze again. 

“A quest? I’m— you’re— a quest?” Renee stumbled over her words, looking at Chiron with wide eyes. “The three of us?”

There was such a flood of unexpected information that Micah didn't really know what they were supposed to do. Leave the boxes? They had to check their pockets for their keys to make sure that they hadn't left their delivery truck running. Asking how long this would take seemed like the wrong thing to do, when Chiron already looked at the end of his rope, but they shifted from one side to the other, unable to focus on anything but their schedule. "Is there... I've heard there's a bit of a grace period on these things," they said tentatively. "I'm not sure we're qualified, anyway." They motioned to Renee with their head, then pressed a hand to their chest. "Mortal, unclaimed." This, they said with some hope that it might be a magic word, leaving them with something shimmering above their head or a clue as to whom they might belong to, but nothing came. They pushed down the disappointment that threatened to rise up in them and looked to Gabriele. He seemed to have the most credentials for this, but even still, the connection between the three, in Micah's mind, was that they didn't belong there.

Gabriele already knew that he was meant to go somewhere— a quest, he supposed. It didn't shock him as much as it did his friends, but it didn't make him feel any better about the situation. His hand floated up to his necklace; he started running his finger along the chain as he tried to recall as much of the prophecy as he could. "I was definitely mentioned," he mumbled. 

"Yes, and Micah, being unclaimed doesn't much affect things..." Chiron mused. "One joins to see their destiny unroll. Unclear, but it doesn't specifically mention a deity..." 

"The fact that the Oracle... she... she? Came downstairs because?" 

"You were all here, yes. Unfortunately, I'm inclined to believe it's because you are the ones meant to go." 

That, to Gabriele, made sense. He didn't believe in coincidences, after all. He worried at his chain a little more and looked back to Micah and Renee with an apologetic look. 

Chiron stared at the poem a little more. "Or... Two of you. Two then three. One joins you later."

Renee leaned against the wall, running through the lines in her head. "So, who stays behind? It's me, isn't it? The mortal." Her mouth went dry, but she made herself say it all the same. "I have no training, I would be a liability."

Chiron's look turned searching, as if he could tell that she was skirting past a truth. He made a noncommittal sound and returned to looking over his notes, which Renee took to mean he was still thinking it over. 

She turned to her friends. "A fearsome beast? A fearsome goddess? A curse is mentioned, twice. And then there are horrors." She made quotes in the air with her fingers. "I'll go, if one of you doesn't feel up to it. Or— Who joins later?" She knew the old saying that magical things were best in threes, but the prophecy seemed to say otherwise. There were too many moving parts. Renee was good at puzzles, but this one was missing pieces.

Micah rubbed their thumb against their ring, giving themself something to focus on instead of the feeling of a rug being pulled from beneath their feet. They imagined their schedule being burned up before their eyes and then let it go, exhaling a sigh at Renee's offer. "No, if only two of us can go..." 

They left the obvious unsaid as they shook their head, tilting their head back as they tried to recall the specific wording. "There's... two, three, and then two and one?" They rubbed their jaw and looked to Gabriele. The last quest had resulted in a missing person's case. Would it be inappropriate to call being the one who got to come back? They looked to Chiron, and to the paper he'd written on. "Can we get copies of that?"

Gabriele had been wondering about that, too. Three, but only one would join them.... Chiron held out the paper and Gabriele stepped forward to take it. He moved closer to Micah and Renee, eyes scanning the words. 

two will discover three under the sun but to complete the quest will leave with one 

for two are lost and waiting for the peace the island and its curse will not release 

He pointed to two passages. "This, I believe, is about ghosts. I think that's why I'm meant to be going. My goddess... What she showed me did not seem... survivable. And the next line. Find the living one. There are two spirits I am meant to help, and then we bring home the lone survivor. Before, ah, something kills us."

Renee resisted the urge to get a better look at the paper, focusing instead on breathing through her nose. She suddenly felt like the office was shrinking, slowly. The walls were looming closer, threatening to box her in. When Gabriele mentioned ghosts, her eyes darted to his face. "Ghosts would make sense with the line about missing souls. But that's a gamble. Saving them before facing what, a monster?" She puffed up her cheeks, exhaling some air. "I saw...so much lightning. What if there's no living one?"

Micah hadn’t been there when Renee mentioned lightning, but they figured it was something to ask the specifics about later. She’d seen something, and now they were going to accompany Gabriele in fixing whatever it was she saw, which was in some way related to the feelings they’d been getting. They rubbed their hands together. “If there’s no living one, then either the prophecy is wrong, or we’ve taken too long.” They knew that prophecies could be tricky, but were hardly ever wrong unless there was some form of underhanded play at work. Being that this oracle seemed less than available for bribery, they would have to make haste. 

They looked past the paper back to Chiron. “Is it two plus a crew? Or have I been brought in to lend sailing experience?” They raised an eyebrow at Gab in silent question, seeing if they could assess his boating skills from a look.

All at once, they seemed to reach an agreement. They would go, despite how unhappy they all seemed about it. Renee especially looked distressed, and Gabriele quickly pressed his palm to her shoulder, trying to be reassuring. At Micah's question, he shook his head, though not of his own volition. Knowledge was placed into his mind: one minute he wasn't sure how this would go; the next, it was like he'd had a conversation about it and could recount the details. 

"It should just be us. My goddess rules the sky and can guide us there. The person we are rescuing should be able to help on the return journey, as well." He sighed. "At least, that is what she wants." And I would be remiss to disobey, he thought but did not say. 

Chiron considered this as well, then nodded. "Micah and Gabriele, return to me tomorrow morning. I will make arrangements for a boat, unless you two have access to one that can be here soon. I agree that we should make haste. In the meantime... Oh, pack, I suppose, for a journey at sea. We can determine all the details when we meet next." He looked frustrated, as if he didn't want to be making this decision at all. It made sense that their director would be so hesitant, given how dangerous the last few quests (that he had heard of, at least) had been. But the centaur, too, seemed bound by a higher obligation.

She hoped it wouldn’t come to that, that there would still be someone alive when they reached this mysterious island. A thought flitted through her mind, reminding her that the first time she’d dreamt of the ship had been years ago. What if they were already too late? What if the prophecy had been due long before the trio had ever been gathered together?

Gabriele’s hand on her shoulder steadied her mind. The walls that had been pressing in seemed to recede, just a bit. “The two of you, alone? I want to be able to help.” Renee looked at Chiron, shifting her weight. “Is there a way I can help from...here?”

Gabriele’s goddess would guide them, the person they were saving would help them on the way back, and Micah was an extra set of hands. They tried not to let their annoyance show, but they couldn’t keep the frown from their face. Even when it came to a quest, things happened around them, to them, and they were just supposed to react. 

“I can get us a boat,” they said quietly, fueled by Renee’s determination to help in a quest that they were given and wanted nothing to do with. They pulled their shoulders back, rubbing their thumb into their ring again. “I can have it ready by tomorrow.”

Chiron gave Renee an appraising look, as if she would explain what she was hiding if he stared long enough. But a moment later, he broke the gaze and looked to Micah instead. He smiled, but it was clearly tired. "Wonderful. I will make sure there is room at the docks." 

Gabriele took out his phone and took a picture of the prophecy; he'd type it out and send it to both of his friends. He wasn't sure about them, but he was going to pour over the words when he made it home. "Well... I suppose we should go," he said, soundly uncharacteristically awkward. "To prepare, and... I'd like to go read some cards about what's to come." 

Chiron nodded. "I suppose so, yes."

Tomorrow seemed far too soon to be prepared for a voyage, far too soon for destiny to unroll. But tomorrow would come nonetheless and they would be ready. She stood in silence as the others laid out their plans, and when the time came for them to kick into action, she remained, awkwardly scuffing her shoe against the floorboards.

"Actually," Renee cleared her throat, looking away from her friends. "You two go ahead without me. I'll catch up." She met Chiron's eye. "I need to talk to you about something."

Micah returned Chiron's smile weakly. "Wonderful," they repeated after him, then looked from Gabriele to Renee. Catch up? They were happy to leave this here until tomorrow. If Gab could read cards, they could finish their route. "I'm going to get my affairs in order," they said as they moved towards the door, tapping the frame before they looked back. "I'll leave the boxes in the hall." 

As soon as he got the okay, Gabriele started toward the door. When Renee asked to speak to Chiron alone, he raised an eyebrow, but there was so much more to do and he didn't have time to be curious right now.

Chiron also raised an eyebrow, but he nodded. "Of course."

Gabriele didn't wait for a goodbye. As soon as Micah left, so did he. The next several hours were going to be ridiculously busy, and he still had to appease his concerned audience tonight. A long sigh spilled out of Gabriele. "If that boat needs an extra day, I won't complain," he joked halfheartedly to his friend. But before he could hear a response, he was walking off.

[twicelit-a]

wanted  plots,  relationships  &  threads  :

pre  -  hill  house.

supernatural  encounters  :  a.  your  muse  is  not  human.  most  likely  a  ghost,  or  a  spirit  or  demon,  a  creature  of  some  kind,  something  not  human.  olivia’s  sensitivity  draws  you  to  her,  or  vice  versa.  (  the  same  thing  could  happen  post  -  hill  house,  where  olivia  herself  is  dead.  )     &&     b.  i  have  a  wishlist  plot  where  a  spirit  or  demon  meets  olivia  when  she  is  a  child  and  will  visit  her  sporadically  over  the  years,  becoming  something  like  an  imaginary  friend  and  /  or  almost  guardian.  (  or  developing  a  bit  of  an  obsession  with  her.  )  they  visit  her  less  and  less  as  she  gets  older  and  her  family  grows,  until  hill  house.     &&     c.  your  muse  is  dead.  they  find  olivia,  who  can  see  them,  and  she  acts  as  an  anchor,  helping  guide  them  through  limbo  to  what  lies  beyond.

teen  -  young  adult  :  a.  your  muse  and  olivia  went  to  the  same  school  /  college  and  became  friends.  (  maybe  your  muse  has  or  had  a  crush  on  olivia  and  although  she  had  her  suspicions,  olivia  never  brought  it  up.  )     &&     b.  your  muse  comes  across  olivia  as  she  is  sleep  walking.  they  stay  with  her  until  she  wakes  up.

family  orientated  :  a.  literally  anything  with  the  kids  or  hugh  prior  to  them  moving  to  hill  house  for  the  summer  of  ‘92.  cute  things,  sick  things,  soft  things,  angst.  give  me  anything  and  everything.     &&     b.  interactions  with  olivia  while  she’s  pregnant  with  any  of  her  kids.  her  sensitivity  is  heightened  (  or  when  pregnant  with  steve,  negated  )  when  she’s  pregnant.  all  of  her  senses  are  so  much  stronger.

ship  specific  :  a.  liv  and  hugh  things.  all  the  things.  everything  and  anything.  i  love  them.     &&     b.  au  where  liv  and  hugh  never  met,  your  muse  is  in  a  relationship  with  olivia.  i’d  really  love  to  actually  explore  what  that  might  be  like.  liv  and  hugh  are  so  perfect  for  each  other,  i’d  love  to  develop  a  ship  outside  of  them.     &&     c.  before  liv  and  hugh  started  dating,  your  muse  and  olivia  dated.  they  would’ve  been  young,  probably  first  relationship  type  of  dynamic,  during  high  school.

hill  house.

supernatural  encounters  :  a.  your  muse  is  a  spirit  trapped  in  hill  house.  they  interact  with  olivia  (  either  they  try  to  warn  her  away  from  hill  house,  or  they  help  to  lure  her  further  in  to  it’s  grasp.  )

family  oriented  :  a.  olivia’s  migraines  are  getting  worse  and  one  of  the  kids  or hugh  finds  her  in  the  midst  of  a  really  bad  episode.

pre  -  death  :  a.  your  muse  befriends  olivia,  not  knowing  that  she  and  her  family  have  moved  in  to  hill  house.  when  you  find  out,  you  try  to  warn  her  about  the  rumours  but  the  house  has  already  sunk  it’s  teeth  in  to  her.

post  -  death  :  a.  your  muse  moves  in  to  hill  house  years  after  olivia’s  death.  either  hugh  has  lost  ownership  of  the  house  or  it’s  set  years  after  the  events  of  hill  house.  depending  on  the  timeline,  olivia  is  either  still  under  the  house’s  influence,  or  she’s  clear  headed  and  tries  to  warn  them  away.     &&     b.  you  muse  breaks  in  to  hill  house  following  the  news  coverage  of  olivia’s  death  or  after  the  release  of  steven’s  book.  they  don’t  expect  to  find  anything  but  they  end  up  coming  face  to  face  with  hill  house!  olivia.     &&     c.  ghost!mom  haunting  her  family.  could  be  malicious,  the  hill  house  version  attempting  to  lure  the  crain’s  back  home,  or  could  be  comforting.  olivia  coming  to  her  family  when  they  need  her  the  most.  (  there’s  also  the  figment  of  their  imagination  version  of  olivia,  who  hugh  interacts  with  the  most.  the  kids  could  possibly  see  this  version  of  her  depending  on  the  occasion.  )

alternate  arcs.

olivia  survives  :  a.  when  hugh  returns  to  hill  house,  olivia  is  still  unconcious  in  the  red  room.  the  deal  with  the  dudley’s  is  still  struck,  and  they  urge  him  to  get  olivia  as  far  away  from  the  house  as  possible.  in  the  months  following,  olivia  is  still  under  the  house’s  influence  but  the  more  time  she  spends  away  from  it,  the  more  she  becomes  herself  again.  there’s  still  something  that  calls  to  her  but  she  learns  to  ignore  it.     &&     b.  olivia  is  alive  when  nell  goes  back  to  hill  house  and  dies.  the  same  events  transpire  but  when  luke  goes  to  hill  house,  olivia  offers  the  house  her  life  in  exchange  for  theirs,  and  hugh  dies  with  her.     &&     c.  fun  happy  good  soft  things  because  there’s  enough  angst  in  this  show  and  i  think  they  deserve  it.

crossover  arcs.

bly  manor  :  a.  hill  house  and  bly  manor  are  sister  estates.  the  red  room  and  the  lake  are  connected.  not  everyone  trapped  in  either  are  capable  of  travelling  between  the  two,  but  olivia  learns  over  time.  she  can  be  found  wandering  the  grounds  of  bly  manor.     &&     b.  the  crain’s  move  in  to  bly  manor  in  ‘92  instead  of  hill  house.  this  is  set  after  the  wingrave’s  have  left  it,  but  the  dead  there  don’t  disappear.  viola’s  influence  starts  to  affect  olivia  in  the  same  way  hill  house  affected  her.     &&     c.  using  plot  b,  olivia  encounters  peter  quint’s  spirit  and  she  mistakes  him  for  a  vision  of  an  older  luke.  he  uses  that  to  manipulate  her  in  to  helping  him  tuck  away  luke.

apocalypse  :  a.  your  muse  encounters  olivia  surrounded  by  the  dead,  but  they  seem  to  be  almost  afraid  of  her,  or  outright  ignoring  her.     &&     b.  before  the  outbreak,  olivia  starts  to  experience  the  symptoms  of  turning.  your  muse  is  tending  to  her  when  she  starts  to  have  a  very  vivid  and  intense  episode,  waking  herself  from  an  almost  prophetic  dream.

harry  potter  :  a.  marauders  era,  your  muse  and  olivia  are  good  friends.  house  rivalry  doesn’t  exist  for  liv,  so  it  doesn’t  matter  what  house  you’re  in.  it’s  common  knowledge  that  olivia  is  a  very  powerful  seer  and  your  muse  is  with  her  when  she  has  a  vision.     &&     b.  post  first  war  era,  olivia  went  in  to  hiding  with  hugh  after  trelawney’s  prophecy.  as  it’s  well  known  that  liv  is  a  true  seer,  voldemort  attempts  to  find  her  in  order  to  either  finish  what  he  didn’t  hear  or  use  her  to  further  his  agenda.     &&     c.  trio  era,  dumbledore  reaches  out  to  olivia  requesting  that  she  replace  trelawney  as  the  divination  professor  during  harry  potter’s  fifth  year.  

doctor  who  :  a.  olivia  meets  the  doctor  when  she’s  a  child.  they  are  interested  in  her  sensitivity  and  will  occasionally  cross  paths  with  her  over  the  years  as  she  gets  older.  the  tardis  brings  the  doctor  to  hill  house  where  they  find  olivia  either  before  or  after  her  death.     &&     b.  companion!olivia.  because  i  said  so.

twilight  /  vampire  :  a.  your  muse,  a  vampire,  comes  across  hill  house  the  night  olivia  dies.  they  find  her  at  the  foot  of  the  spiral  staircase  before  hugh  comes  back  for  her,  and  they  turn  her.     &&     b.  the  first  thing  happens,  but  it  wasn’t  your  muse  who  turned  her.  olivia  is  a  nomad  vampire  who  crosses  path  with  yours.     &&     c.     your  muse  is  a  vampire  and  the  meet  olivia  before  hill  house.  she  is  still  a  human,  but  her  "gift”  has  already  manifested  and  is  incredibly  strong.

american  horror  story  :  a.  the  crain’s  buy  “murder  house”  in  ‘92  after  it  has  been  repossessed  from  constance  langdon.  after  several  weeks,  the  kids  start  to  have  nightmares  and  olivia  starts  to  sleep  walk.  one  night,  she  wakes  up  on  the  roof  to  a  voice  telling  her  to  jump,  with  the  twins  each  holding  a  hand.  she  jumps,  but  she  lets  go  of  the  twins  and  hugh  can  only  hold  on  to  two  :  he  saves  the  twins,  and  olivia  dies.     &&     b.   olivia  is  a  witch.  she  is  very  strong  with  precognition  and  clairvoyance  and  it  was  almost  believed,  in  her  youth,  that  she  could  have  been  the  supreme.  she  never  wanted  that,  and  luckily  for  her,  it  wasn’t  meant  to  be.  (  this  can  still  follow  hill  house  canon,  in  that  she  dies  in  hill  house.  )

i  will  likely  add  to  this  over  time  but  for  now  this  is  what  i’ve  got.  it’s  quite  long  and  there’s  a  lot  to  pick  from.  if  literally  anything  on  this  list  at  all  interests  you,  please  let  me  know.

[jeanvaljean24601]

How to Watch Mad Men and More Great Shows for Free Right Now

Another day, another brand new streaming platform out there begging you to subscribe to its service so you can ignore your family members and binge-watch a bunch of TV shows and movies in the name of entertainment. This time, it's NBCUniversal's Peacock, which offers a free tier as well as  two premium options (one with ads and one without). The service  features a number of programs for free, including Friday Night Lights and even Parks and Recreation, but Peacock isn't the only place you can stream great shows without breaking the bank.

Below, we've gathered up a number of shows that don't require you to shell out money for Netflix,  Hulu,  Amazon Prime,  Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Peacock, and/or  whatever other streaming service subscriptions are out there. Sometimes you just need a simple freebie. And you know what? You deserve it. So check out the list below and take comfort in knowing it won't cost you a thing.

Watch it on: IMDb TV

Until recently you had to have a Netflix subscription to watch Mad Men, AMC's Emmy-award winning period drama from Matthew Weiner that was dedicated as much to style as it was to substance. The 1960s-set series, which traced the rise and fall of flawed Madison Avenue advertising executive Don Draper (Jon Hamm) through his own complicated relationship with identity, was a pointed commentary on the toxic masculinity, sexism, and racism of the era. It also changed the way we watch and talk about TV. If you haven't seen it yet, now's the perfect time to do so.

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Watch it on: Tubi (complete series), Pluto TV (complete series)

Realizing  The Dick Van Dyke Show is streaming for free feels a bit like winning a secret lottery or viewing an exceptional piece of art without paying the museum admission fee. The popular comedy, which ran for five seasons, was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke as the head writer of a TV show, while  Mary Tyler Moore portrayed his wife. It's a timeless classic — one that took home 15 Emmys during its run, and if you've yet to experience it, you literally have no excuse at this point.

The Dick Van Dyke Show Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Felicity is best known as the show in which Keri Russell cut her hair (not to be confused with the show in which Keri Russell wore a lot of great wigs, aka The Americans). Depicting Felicity Porter's (Russell) college years and the struggles that accompany trying to figure out who you're supposed to be, the show is also famous for Scott Speedman's whisper-talking and the ongoing battle of Ben (Speedman) vs. Noel (Scott Foley). Although the WB series was previously streaming on Hulu, you can now watch it for free on the ABC app.

A reimagining of the kitschy original series, Syfy's Battlestar Galacticastarred Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Tricia Helfer, Michael Hogan, James Callis, and Jamie Bamber and explored the aftermath of a nuclear attack by the Cylons, cybernetic creatures invented by man who evolved and rebelled against their creators. The show was critically acclaimed for the way it tackled the subjects of science, religion, and politics, and for the way it explored the deeply complicated notion of what makes us human. Everything from the miniseries to the two BSG films (Razor and The Plan) is currently available to stream for free on Syfy's website, so there's no better time to watch it. So say we all!

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series), Tubi (complete series), Pluto TV (first 13 seasons), YouTube (first 13 seasons)

For many millennials, the fourth series in the Degrassi franchise, Degrassi: The Next Generation, is the defining iteration of the long-running Canadian series. The drama series, which was sometimes so overly dramatic it was actually funny, tackled everything from date rape and suicide to sexual orientation and teen pregnancy. The series, which launched the careers of Drake (then known as Aubrey Graham) and Nina Dobrev, is streaming on multiple free platforms.

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Eli Stone really had it all, which is to say it had Victor Garber singing George Michael songs, Loretta Devine singing George Michael songs, and George Michael singing George Michael songs. What else is there? ABC's offbeat two-season comedy-drama starred a pre-Elementary Jonny Lee Miller as Eli Stone, a high-powered San Francisco lawyer whose brain aneurysm gave him prophetic visions — which usually involved his friends, family, and colleagues breaking into song. Aside from a couple of ill-advised plotlines (the pilot, which suggests vaccines cause autism, is best forgotten), the show was a blast: a weird but memorable cocktail that should have stuck around for more seasons because, as I mentioned, Victor Garber sang George Michael songs. Also, Sigourney Weaver played God?! -Kelly Connolly

Watch it on: YouTube (nearly every episode)

A true Canadian treasure,  The Red Green Show was a long-running comedy starring Steve Smith as Red Green, a handyman who constantly tried to cut corners using duct tape and who had his own cable TV show. It was a parody of home improvement shows and outdoor programs and featured segments like Handyman Corner, Adventures with Bill, and The Possum Lodge Word Game. The show ran for 15 seasons, airing on PBS in the States. 

TV Premiere Date Calendar: Find Out When Your Favorite Shows Are Back

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series), ABC app (complete series)

Critically beloved but struck down before its time,  My So-Called Life has been praised for its realistic and honest portrayal of teenage life, not just via Angela Chase (Claire Danes), but through the show's young supporting cast as well. Now considered to be one of the best shows of all time, it tackled topics like homophobia, homelessness, drug use, and more without ever feeling preachy or like an after-school special. Also, Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto) could lean.

Watch it on: CW Seed (first five seasons), IMDb TV (first five seasons)

If you don't have Netflix but still want to watch  Schitt's Creek, you'll be happy to know you can watch the first five seasons of the heartwarming, Emmy-nominated comedy series, about a wealthy family who loses everything they own except the town of the show's title, for free on CW Seed and IMDb TV.

Dan Levy and Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek Photo: Pop TV

Watch it on: Peacock (complete series); IMDb TV (complete series)

You may never know what it feels like to have Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) be proud of you, but you can pretend by watching all five seasons of  Friday Night Lights, a series that was as much about a Texas community as it was about the sport that united it. By the end of the show, you'll be asking yourself "What Would Riggins Do?" and tattooing "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose" on your body, all while chanting "Texas forever!" Trust me, it happens to everybody.

Watch it on: CW Seed (complete series)

It is relatively easy to forget that The CW series The Carrie Diaries was a prequel to  Sex and the City, because the charming show, which lasted just two seasons, was able to stand on its own. The coming-of-age series that followed a teenaged Carrie Bradshaw (AnnaSophia Robb) was relatively innocent compared to the original series. The show's 1980s setting made it easier for the writers to focus on more harmless family storylines and teenage heartbreaks, but the show never shied away from the heartstring-tugging drama of young adulthood either. It's a shame the show never got the kind of ratings it deserved and wasn't able to exist beyond Carrie's high school years, but the Season 2 finale works well as a series finale, so viewers won't feel as if the story was left incomplete. android tv box

Watch it on: CW Seed (complete series)

It's a shame Bryan Fuller's saturated dramedy  Pushing Daisies, about a pie-maker (Lee Pace) with the ability to bring the dead back to life, couldn't bring itself back to life after becoming a casualty of the 2007-08 writers' strike. A whimsical delight, the show featured the pie-maker teaming up with a local private eye (Chi McBride) to solve murders by reviving the victims for a brief time. Known for its quirky characters, eccentric visual style, and Jim Dale's pitch-perfect narration, it remains must-see TV.

Watch it on: IMDb TV (first seven seasons); Peacock

Columbo kicked off nearly every episode by revealing the crime and its perpetrator to the audience, which means unlike most crime dramas, the show was less about whodunnit and more about Peter Falk's iconic raincoat-wearing homicide detective catching them and getting them to confess. Oh, and just one more thing: it's great.

Watch it on: CW Seed (complete series)

The charming and playful Forever, which starred Ioan Gruffudd as an immortal medical examiner, was the one show that could have saved ABC's Tuesday at 10 p.m. death slot. But the network still canceled the series anyway, enraging the show's fans, who have never let the sting of its death go. Luckily, it now lives on, ahem, forever (aka until the content license expires) on CW Seed.

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series)

It sounds odd to say The Middle, which ran for nine seasons on ABC, was unfairly overlooked, but it always felt like the series, which followed the middle class Midwestern Heck family, was a bit of a hidden gem. It wasn't as popular with Emmy voters as, say, Modern Family, and critics also failed to give it its due, but it was a real, heartfelt, reliable family comedy with mass appeal, and you can stream it on IMDb TV for free. h96 tv box

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Trophy Wife's short life — it was canceled after just one season — can probably be chalked up to its unfortunate title, which was meant to be ironic but ultimately kept viewers from tuning in and experiencing the warmth of the show and the relationships at its center. Malin Akerman starred as the young wife of  Bradley Whitford's middle-aged lawyer, and the comedy explored the dynamics between the two, his children, and his two ex-wives, who were played by  Marcia Gay Harden and  Michaela Watkins. h96 max x3

Watch it on: NBC app (complete series)

Loosely based on the Biblical story of King David, Kings was a compelling drama before its time. Rudely cut down after just one season by NBC, the show starred Ian McShane as the king of the fictional kingdom of Gilboa, while  Christopher Egan portrayed an idealistic young soldier whose counterpart is David. The show also starred Sebastian Stan, which is reason enough to want to check it out.

Watch it on: ABC app (complete series)

Ray Wise portrays Satan in Reaper, a supernatural dramedy about a slacker (Bret Harrison) who reluctantly becomes a reaper tasked with capturing escaped souls from hell after it's revealed his parents made a deal with the devil many, many years before. The fact the show only lasted two seasons is a crime against humanity. Luckily, you can watch it in its entirety for free on the ABC app. h96 max x3

Watch it on: IMDb TV (complete series)

A team of experts led by a kooky old scientist (John Noble), his son (Joshua Jackson), and an FBI agent (Anna Torv) investigate strange occurrences around the country, X-Files style, in the J.J. Abrams-produced Fringe. The series is one of the best broadcast science-fiction shows of all time, particularly in its first three seasons, and perfected the art of the serialized procedural by weaving the show's deep mythology and excellent character work into weekly standalone stories, making it easy to binge or watch in spurts. And by the time the end of Season 1 starts, you'll have a hard time stopping. -Tim Surette

Watch it on: Tubi (complete series), Vudu (complete series)

Although American TV producers would eventually adapt  Being Human, the original British version, which followed three supernatural beings trying to live amongst humans, is far superior. The show, which ran for five seasons, starred Aidan Turner, Russell Tovey, and  Lenora Crichlow as a vampire, werewolf, and ghost, respectively. So skip the U.S. version entirely and watch the U.K. series for free.

Watch it on: Pluto TV (complete series),  Vudu (complete series), Tubi (complete series)

The Australian young adult-oriented series Dance Academy is not exactly what you'd call "great television," but it is great fun. Brimming with teen angst and melodrama, the series, which ran for three seasons and even had a follow-up movie, followed a handful of dancers at Sydney's National Academy of Dance as they trained in the sport they loved while also falling in and out of love with each other. The acting was sometimes questionable, but the series itself was addictive, not to mention one of the easiest binges you'll ever encounter. h96 max tv box

3rd Rock From the Sun

Watch it on: Tubi (complete series), Pluto TV (complete series), Crackle (all six seasons),  Vudu (all six seasons)

You might think a show about a group of socially awkward, 1,000-year-old aliens in human skin suits who are trying (badly) to pose as a human family and blend into an ordinary Midwest town might sound ridiculous, and, well, that's fair. But  3rd Rock From the Sun was still charming in even its most bizarre moments and gave its cast a lot of room to play up their roles and create an ensemble of weirdos that, at some point or another, start to tap into their newfound humanity and relish their new home here on Earth. -Amanda Bell.

[ahopefuldoubt]

Scene Analysis: “Deliver Us”

originally posted in 2016 [x].  requested by somehow-you-will.

Childhood memory is a major theme in The Prince of Egypt.  Rameses is haunted by his father’s legacy and abusive words; he’s motivated by his fear of being the weak link in the chain.  Moses is able to whistle and recognize the lullaby he heard when he was just an infant.  Indeed, the day that Yocheved surrenders Moses remains with Miriam and Aaron, too, impacting them in very personal, and unique, ways.  Yocheved’s memory is preserved, her role centralized, both in her children’s ability to recall these early events and in her song, which forms a motif.

It makes sense, then, that Yocheved is the first of the family we see, and hear.  The movie introduces her, and as she passes in front of the camera, her dress sweeps across like a curtain to reveal Miriam and Aaron.  Finally, she unwraps Moses from the veil in which she has been desperately hiding him.

Right away, we’re able to identify this beautiful person as a mother: It is she who ushers her children — our protagonists — into the story.  A symbolic birth, which occurs in the order of their birth.  I think this is significant, for age also affects what they are able to understand and remember about the day.

Miriam is first, and in her close-up she follows her mother’s movements with a quiet, focused expression.  In fact, attentive is a word that describes the entire family; certainly in this scene, but throughout the film as well.

Even as a child, Miriam’s vision seems clear and her devotion strong; though at this point, she is observing Yocheved’s lead, awaiting her mother’s signals.  The “River Lullaby,” with all its prophetic power, has not yet been passed to her.  Already, though, she’s concerned for her baby brother and cognizant of the violence around them — perceptive, also, of the terrible whys and the gravity of their situation.  The way she stares after the Egyptian guards, and looks over her shoulder at the place they’ve fled, double Yocheved’s actions.  As much as these two are reacting in worry and fear to the events, they are doing whatever they can to act upon them.

When I watch this part of the movie, I’m struck by how well “Deliver Us” constructs Miriam’s understanding and her role in both the story and her family.  As the sibling who watches over Moses as he’s carried on the Nile and embraced by his adoptive mother, she becomes the only one who can tell him about his history.  This full experience also supports her sense of optimism and faith; hope is grounded in her memory.  So, she is very much a mother-figure to her two brothers: their source of information, comfort, and a firm but gentle love.

At the same time, the prologue sets up the obstacle in Miriam’s story.  She has the most complete memory, but what she doesn’t know, and does not expect, is that Moses was never told about his origins.  I think this point of shock and disappointment is key, and it’s why I view the scene by the well as an important deconstruction of all three siblings’ childhood memories.

Meanwhile, Aaron’s attentiveness is characterized differently.  In the very first frame, he’s shown gazing after his mother, a question silently forming in his eyes.  The way he quickly turns towards Miriam also speaks to the kind of relationship they have, and will maintain.  Throughout “Deliver Us,” Aaron’s expressions and body language betray a sense of insecurity, which I feel is partly due to his age.  He might be able to obey his mother’s cues, but unlike Miriam, he can’t fully grasp the situation, and his memory is confused, particularly traumatic, as a result.

This vulnerable position is reinforced by the physical contact Aaron keeps with his mother; for instance, he stays by her, and later appears to reach for her hand as they near the river.  Similarly, there are a number of times where Yocheved lays her hand on his head or at his back.  At one point, while they’re still rushing through Goshen, Aaron’s feet carry him a bit too far ahead of his family, and Yocheved pulls him back before he can be seen by the guards.  Her instinct to protect her second-youngest child shines here (she also checks to make sure Miriam is with them before they all set off again).  For the rest of the sequence, it seems like Aaron trails behind Yocheved and Miriam.  I’m not sure if this was a conscious choice made by the animators.

[He’s honestly the cutest, though.  And his hair just kind of sticks up all over the place?]

It’s interesting to me that Aaron’s closeness with their mother is not captured in Moses’ hieroglyphics dream.  Instead, Miriam is holding Yocheved’s hand the entire time.  I like that this shows Moses’ perspective — linking the two women — as well as how subjective dreams can be.

The opening of the film pays special attention to Miriam’s reactions and expressions.  This is critical on a narrative level because she is a central character; as viewers, we need to be able to read her, and understand her connection to Moses.  By contrast, there are more shots of the back of Aaron’s head and fewer direct angles on his face, which tend to obscure our understanding of how this experience is affecting him.  However, it’s really his body language here, along with his general inclination towards skepticism later, that provide the insight we need.  The day is a cruel one, and because he gains no concrete confirmation of Moses’ survival, Aaron’s memory affords little more than chaos and uncertainty.  His reaction upon meeting his brother by the well follows suit with what he can — and cannot — remember and trust.

The difference in focus between Miriam and Aaron also reflects their own dynamic.  She’s the older sibling, and even as children in this scene, she leads (her perspective is more visible) while he follows (his more hidden).  Miriam is the answer to Aaron’s questions.  The certainty to his doubt, in a thematic and personal sense.  There is a moment at the riverbank where Aaron takes Miriam’s hand, and she tugs him forward.  I wonder if he’s holding her hand to reassure her as much as he is seeking comfort for himself.  Or, if he’s (quietly) asking her to move closer.  Regardless, it’s a sweet little interaction that unfolds naturally…

I love how “Deliver Us” is able to establish their bond through visual, rather than verbal, means.  Aaron grows up to be so protective of Miriam, yet he will always be her younger brother, one who has faith in her.  There’s a balance — a constancy and mutual reliance — to their relationship.  They look out for one another, and I think this is clear from the start.

In this analysis, I don’t mean to ignore or downplay the devastating loss happening in this scene.  Many families, including this one, are being torn apart, destroyed.  According to the art book for The Prince of Egypt, the creators took great care in emphasizing childhood memories*.  Even having Moses carry with him a subconscious memory of the “River Lullaby” feels right, authentic.  An affirmation, perhaps, of his lost blood ties.  He and his siblings have different recollections of this painful day, and what I believe “Deliver Us” really accomplishes is laying out, wordlessly**, and for all of them, their connections to the past, to each other, and to their mother.

* The Prince of Egypt: A New Vision in Animation by Charles Solomon, p. 36

** Spoken dialogue-lessly :)

Last edited: 9/26/16

[deco-devolution]

Pain As Practice

After failing to escape Columbia with Booker, Elizabeth is returned to her father and begins her transformation into the city's next prophet. Follows the backstory of the elder Lady Elizabeth found in Comstock House.

Tags: Father-Daughter Relationship Medical Torture Brainwashing Flashbacks  Pain Prophetic Visions

AO3 Link

At the start of her 17th year, Elizabeth acted like an average teenage girl: full of ambitions, worries, and ideas- even in an isolated tower on display. She had reacted normally when Booker DeWitt had (accidentally) invaded her home, fear and anger until he had proven himself an ally. If one followed her life on a calendar, day by day, you could pinpoint where, six months after her failed adventure with Booker, Elizabeth had changed.

Nowadays, she’s got a hard, flinty expression and is always, always hurting. Last month it was her arm in a sling- this time it’s a black eye, the bruise such a vivid purple it competes with her eyes.

Her shoulders are stiff, squared; she never flinches anymore but there’s a wariness there, as if she’s expecting to be attacked at any moment. She has good reason to. Comstock has been working her over for months: After the almost-escape with DeWitt, he’d come down on her like the end of the world, ordering treatment after treatment until something had given.

Elizabeth still remembers what happened, even if she never speaks of it. She buries herself under lessons of history and elocution, etiquette and politics, hoping to forget. When she is allowed to rest, however, it creeps back up to her- as insidious and powerful as the tide.

Her father’s Comstock’s men were holding her again. There were four of them, well armed and well oiled, reeking of gunpowder and cold indifference. Two of them grabbed her upper arms in vice grip; even as she let them drag her down the hall, she could feel the bruises blooming under her clothes in the perfect outline of their fingers. They had marched her down the plushly decorated halls, taking corner after corner before stopping at a thick metal door. She’d been crying so hard she could hardly even make out the shapes of the room as the entrance swung open, to busy trying to catch her breath between hysterical sobs. It wasn’t until her vision had clear slightly that she had notice him: a tall, slim man in scrubs expertly twirling a scalpel. Meeting her eyes, he smiled, his eyes turning up with the expression. Stupidly, she had thought he was showing mercy- the memory at her naiveté almost made her laugh.

“Please...please, what is this place? Just...just send me back to my tower!” When she said this -sobbed it really- he frowned and cocked his head, feigning bewilderment. He crossed the room and stroked her cheek, ignoring her cringing and taking special care to brush her sweaty hair out of her face.

“It's too late for that now, child. Your father gave you a lovely home, and you chose to destroy it.”

With that, he pulled away and snapped his fingers at the soldiers restraining her, gesturing to the cot at the center of the room. “Strap her in.”

Time became a blur after that; Elizabeth felt her legs resist, felt herself being jostled by her handlers, even heard herself scream, but it all seemed to go too fast for her to comprehend. Almost by magic, she found herself facing the ceiling, back pressed into cheap cushion, wrists and ankles being chafed by leather restraints. Her tattered jacket had been torn off, leaving her neck and upper back exposed. Coming back to reality, Elizabeth’d opened her mouth to speak, even to beg if that’s what she thought they’d wanted, but before she could she felt something cold tickle along her spine and- oh.

Oh.

The agony was so complete, so enormous she had forgotten how to breathe- it was a shattering of her world, a breaking and entering where even her senses were torn apart. Almost drunkenly, her fingers spasmed shut, grabbing at the empty air, and her entire body shivered, too overwhelmed to react further.

Now, looking back on the pain, Elizabeth was reminded of a line from book she’d found in a tear: the needle giving because the camel can't. She had broken so completely, crumbled so utterly simply because she had no other option. She; a soft and fallible thing, was no more able to change her being any more then the pain could. They were both unwavering, and it only made sense one would succeed over the other.

It was only when her vision started fading out that the pain lessened, the syringe retreating a few millimeters with a wet squelch. Her scream echoed under the domed ceiling, ringing down the hallways. She couldn't see anyone any more, couldn’t even hear from the roar of the generators. Even so, she couldn't help the words spilling from her mouth: incomprehensible pleas, garbled apologies and half coherent promises that she would never disobey her father again if he would just let her out please.

Hidden in the wings of the operating room, Zachary Hale Comstock silently nodded his approval. She was doing so well.

An idea struck Elizabeth; desperately she pounced on it, hazy with pain. The words sickened her, but she had nothing else to offer, and so much to gain.

“I'll be...I'll be your daughter. I'll be your daughter!”

The syringe pulled out almost immediately. A stream of blood and some other, transparent fluid trickled out after it, making a sickly puddle on the polished floor. From his perch in the viewing room, Comstock watched his only child with a rapt expression. Seeing her pained expression, he focused on turning over her words in his head, as carefully and cautiously as a man searching for gold. Had she actually meant it?

Breathless, Elizabeth writhed on the cot, sweat glinting on her forehead from the harsh fluorescents, still gasping out her offer.

“I'll be...I'll be your daughter, please.”

Hearing her desperation, Comstock had turned away and adjusted his suit, brushing down the lapels and flicking off invisible dust. She was crying again, ugly tears and runny nose, but could barely contain his satisfaction. She was learning; soon she would take her rightful place as his heir, his scion with the world in her hands. He could see her standing above the rubble of New York, silhouetted in fire like the angels of Scripture, cleansing the Sodom below and... and...

Clasping his hands behind his back, Comstock- with his graying teeth and rotting insides, thinning hair and sunken eyes- thought of what his daughter would become and smiled.

[nathanjhill]

Keep Looking

Scripture: Luke 24:13-34

My invitation this morning is for us to KEEP LOOKING.

To KEEP LOOKING is what I tell my soccer players when they are playing - if you keep your head down looking at the ball all the time, you lose sight of your teammates who are sometimes wide open. And sometimes, that means you lose. Not because the other team is better than you but because they are keeping their eyes open to the possibilities - while you are just focusing on the ball.

For we Christians, that means getting our heads up in the face of tragedy and violence so that we might see God in those people and situations around us

Of course - that's hard to do when our news and Facebook feeds and social media remind us that our world continues to be mired in and fixated on death and destruction.

A terrorist attack in Manchester, claiming young lives in a senseless and cowardly violent act

A young black man, 2nd Lt. Richard Collins, murdered at a bus stop on campus just a mile or so from our church

A candidate for an election assaulting a reporter and still getting elected

Two neighbors in Portland who tried to stop the harassment of a muslim woman, killed

Fellow Christians of the Coptic church slaughtered in Egypt

We can go on with more and more - division, hate, violence, incompetence, condemnation, and on and on.

It is hard to find hope and goodness in all this mess on a regular basis. And yet, as Christians, as followers of Jesus, we must KEEP LOOKING.

Famed theologian Karl Barth used to say his students, “take your Bible and your newspaper, and read them both.”

Because the good news speaks to the violence and hatred and pain if we just KEEP LOOKING.

In our scripture this morning, we continue with the story of resurrection and we should read it and hear it with the same kind of tension and passion and grief that overwhelms us when we see what is on the news or going on in our streets and families. The disciples on that journey to Emmaus were heartbroken. Their lives had been shattered. They were not leaving Jerusalem on a vacation - this was not a Memorial Day weekend for them. They were leaving town because if Jesus, their teacher, had been put to death savagely as an enemy of the state, they might be next.

And of course, as they walk along, Cleopas and his friend can’t help but try to piece together the puzzle of what the heck just happened. Was Jesus really dead? Why did this happen? Why would God do this? And even stranger, what were the other disciples talking about when they said that the tomb was empty, that there were angels on the move in and around Jerusalem? What was going on?

This was not a reasoned, intellectual discussion with emotions kept out of sight - this was a heart-wrenching re-assessing of the state of the world and their lives for these two disciples who were trying and struggling to find a sense of meaning after everything was torn apart.

Suddenly, Jesus appears and begins to walk with them. We don’t know why they don’t recognize Jesus, but maybe, just maybe, they weren’t looking. They were fixated on the ball at their feet - who knows. They were caught up in all that pain, in the shock and rawness of what had unfolded among their small community, and they couldn’t see anything else in that moment.

As the three now walk along, Jesus inquires into their confusion, and then, you can imagine with almost a grin or a reassuring arm around the shoulder, begins to teach them about what had just happened, putting it into the context of the stories in the Hebrew Bible, the witness of the prophets, and how God had something big in motion.

Later on, the Disciples confess that their hearts were burning as this stranger spoke and explained to them with insight and clarity what had happened to Jesus.

The beautiful twist of this passage is that as the disciples arrive at Emmaus, Jesus acts like he is walking on, but it’s late. It’s been a long journey. It’s dinner time. The disciples offer Jesus the hospitality that he had so often offered them and the gathered masses who came to hear him preach.

“Have dinner with us, Jesus. We insist,” You can hear them say.

There, after washing up and gathering around a simple table, Jesus takes bread, blesses it, and broke it.

And the disciples eyes are opened. They can see. It’s Jesus, all along, it’s Jesus!

Their Risen Lord!

Just as they see him, Jesus is gone. Now these two disciples, who are stunned and who find themselves strangely comforted and energized, though they had just walked that long way, put down their dinner, burst out the door, and sprint back to Jerusalem to tell the rest of the disciples what they had just experienced and what they had just seen.

A resurrection moment of their own.

As we listen to and read this text for ourselves, it is okay to ask hard questions - why didn’t Jesus stay for dinner? What kind of rude house guest disappears just when you are getting started? It’s clear from other stories after resurrection that Jesus doesn’t want to be tied down - he pops in when the disciples are least expecting it. Locked doors and fearful disciples don’t deter him. These resurrection stories point us toward a Jesus that was no longer contained by just a body or a cross or a tomb - a Savior who was not bound by the strict borders of this reality but could go and be and show up when least expected and in the presence of unlikely people.

These disciples were stretched in their vision and understanding and perspective of their lives and their world through the lens of resurrection.

It was almost like Jesus was inviting his disciples to begin playing a cosmic game of hide and seek with him - hey, I’m risen - now, come and find me.

Jesus was inviting his disciples to KEEP LOOKING for him.

Our scripture subtly reminds us to that so often Jesus shows up in the person of the stranger, in this image of the person we do not know or may not trust. This is where our faith and pursuit of Jesus gets so difficult in today’s world, because we taught not to talk to strangers and to not trust people we do not know. In the life of the church, we often encourage to witness to our neighbors, like we are the ones with all the answers. And yet, here, Jesus and these two disciples reveal a beautiful image of divine hospitality, when stranger and host become the venue for God showing up in an incredible way - when the stranger knows more than the disciples - when the blessing comes not from those who provide the food but the guest who has come to share it.

There are echoes here of Hebrews 13:2 - “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

And Matthew 25:

> “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

To KEEP LOOKING for Jesus is less than a hide and seek game and more of an ongoing pursuit of a living, breathing, and moving God who is willing to be our neighbor, in our neighbor, and in our neighborhood, especially in those places of death and violence and sadness.

Friends, over this past year, we embarked on an experiment as church - a whole year dedicated to exploring different ways of loving our neighbor. And right now, I want to pause and invite all of us to give ourselves a pat on the back for getting through this together. It was a challenge. How do you do a series on one topic for a year and not get bored? But we were creative, and I truly believe God used the series to stretch and challenge us.

In some ways, our whole year has been a challenge to KEEP LOOKING, and I am so proud of you as a church.

When I think about what God has done in us lately, I am amazed at some of the stories we have been able to share, some of the changes going on in our church. These changes are stretching us and challenging us.

A couple of Sundays I ago, I was struck once again about the incredible sight of our deacons as they came forward. Among our deacons was our friend, Cindy J., and her rambunctious dog, Cricket. Some of you may not know this but Cricket is an anxiety dog for Cindy, helping her stay calm in social situations, so when we nominated Cindy to be a deacon, we knew that Cricket was coming along for the ride too. And look, I know having a little dog running around and helping with offering and communion is kind of a unique church experience, but I have been proud of how God has stretched us in this new way of being welcome to Cindy and our community.

I have been proud too of how we have been stretched in our welcome for our homeless neighbors. In the past, we saw them a couple of times a year for Safe Haven and Warm Nights, but with our active partnership with CUCE in the launch of the Day Center, we see our neighbors and strangers on a regular basis, twice a week, for showers and laundry. And yes, sometimes, it is hard. There is some extra cleanup todo. Our bathroom doors, with all that extra usage, get a little worn out. Our kitchen gets a bit packed. Our supplies run out a bit faster. But God is showing up in those relationships and partnerships that we have formed.

But God is never done stretching us as a church - just like those disciples, when we finally see Jesus right in front of us, he disappears to show up somewhere else if we dare to KEEP LOOKING.

One of the new ways that God is continuing to stretch us is through our welcome to people of all sexualities. On one hand, this isn’t something new to our church - you are a generous and welcoming bunch of people. I truly believe and trust that anyone who seeks Christ is welcome in this community, no matter their background or their questions or their struggles or who they may be.

Just a few weeks ago, one of our committed, strong, caring leaders in our church came out to me as transgender, meaning they will be in the process of transitioning as a man to a woman. This was a surprise - and I know may be a challenge and adjustment for some in our congregation. But once that initial surprise wore off and I prayed and listened to their story, God convicted me in how much this person had blessed me through their faith and care - with incredible hospitality to me and my family, with support and prayer for our church and for my ministry, and with especially an affirming, loving presence - how could I not turn around and offer the same hospitality and love back to them?

I share that with you so you can pray for our church and be a little less surprised as this person continues to come out to friends, family, and our church family - and we can do our best to welcome them with that divine hospitality that God has given us.

What is great about our church and how we do church is that we give each other permission to disagree. We celebrate that God gives us different perspectives. We love questions. And we recognize the call from Jesus to offer each other that divine hospitality that He first gave to us - even when we disagree, we try our best to do so with kindness and compassion. We strive to stay connected, to be together, and KEEP LOOKING for Jesus to show up.

Just like those disciples on that Emmaus road, we are fortunate to not walk this road alone - but we do so together, in the midst of our confusion, fear, hopes, and wonder. And together, we KEEP LOOKING for Jesus in our midst. Thanks be to God!