#caution to new followers: i have a trap card and this is how you activate it. by giving me an excuse to Explain Things

[fluxedbuds]

Lomadia and Lalna fighting to see how many countries they're wanted in

see the difference is Lalna is wanted by law enforcement and Lomadia has a dozen different mafia hits on her head in every city

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 187

Film: Yes! Precure 5 The Movie: Miracle Adventure in the Mirror Kingdom! Date watched: 16 May 2020 Original release date: 10 November 2007 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/OLloFxz (500 pics for you to enjoy!) Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

these butterflies will kick your ass

This continues our trend of absolutely excellent Precure movies, and stands strong with themes of love, compassion, and bettering yourself. It also introduces Dark Precures for the first time, who will go on to be a recurring idea for a few years. As always it has excellent animation and a moving plot to keep you invested so let’s explore and then I’ll tell you what I thought.

But first, a note!  Throughout this review, I will refer to the villain Shadow using the singular "they” pronoun because their gender is never specified in the film. They have a mostly androgynous appearance, with some traditionally masculine features but a distinctly feminine voice provided by veteran seiyuu Park Romi, and they speak using the feminine pronoun “atashi.” Perhaps the animators were designing a gender-neutral character, or perhaps I’m reading too much into it and the character was meant to be an effeminate man. There is a long and complicated history of queer-coding villains in media that I don’t want to get into, so I’m just going to stick with “they”. However, the translation I use in my screenshots opted for he/him, that is out of my control.

The Plot

Before the actual movie begins, there’s a short sketch with Coco, Nuts, and Milk explaining what Miracle Lights are and how and when to use them. (more on that here) When they explain why you shouldn’t throw them, the audience is gifted with this nightmare-inducing image of Coco being cut.

you know, for kids

After they get the do’s, don’ts, whens, and whys out of the way, the movie starts for real.

In the throne room of the Mirror Kingdom, which is an ominous land filled with reflective surfaces, a blue-haired Jojo villain named Shadow bosses around two bears named Migirin and Hidarin and has them conjure up an image of Nozomi. Shadow takes Nozomi’s image and reflects it into one of the five color-coordinated crystals that decorate the throne room. Nozomi’s image quickly turns into a full figure within the crystal, and as Shadow channels power into it, the crystal shatters and a dark version of Cure Dream is born. The camera leaves the castle and shows a desert filled with mirror slabs with sleeping anthropomorphic animals trapped inside of them.

Via a very clever set of establishing shots through a series of mirror reflections, we transition to Natts House where the five girls and Milk are hanging out. Nozomi is bored and looking for something to do, and each of her friends suggests an activity (futsal, watching TV, playing cards, or doing homework) but she rejects them all. Coco pulls out a flier for a place called Princess Land and suggests they go there. All the girls are entranced by the idea and they agree to go.

The opening theme plays over a montage of them traveling, arriving, picking dresses, leaving to change, showing off to Coco and Nuts, and then walking down a path with a huge crowd of people, including some costumed characters of bear princes. And then a mysterious gothic lolita girl appears on a nearby rooftop, looking out at everything...

The girls wander around Princess Land, acting like princesses while being silly with each other, Urara brags about a Pinky that she caught earlier, Nozomi tries to sneak up on Coco but he comments that he can tell when she’s nearby, and occasionally the mysterious girl from the roof walks by and steals glances at them. The girls enter a house of mirrors, and at one point, the mysterious lolita appears behind Nozomi’s reflection in the mirror, along with Migirin and Hidarin.

all of these are perfectly normal events

In the next room, Nozomi and Coco have a heart-to-heart, reiterating their feelings for each other and that they will find each other if they ever get separated. Afterwards, Nuts stays to talk with Coco, cautioning him about making that sort of promise since they’ll have to go back to the Palmier Kingdom soon. While they’re talking, Migirin and Hidarin sneak up from inside the mirror, take control of Coco and Nuts’s reflections, and then pull the real Coco and Nuts into the mirror world. The girls make their way to the exit, followed by Coco and Nuts. Nozomi notices Nuts is smiling, which is uncharacteristic for him.

Next, all the girls partake in a game where they run around a field as boys try to place flower crowns on their heads. Karen and Komachi are already out by the time we see them, Nozomi and Urara don’t last long, but Rin dodges and outruns all the boys, because she is too good for them. She receives a bouquet for her trouble, which she goes to offer to Nuts. However, Nozomi has noticed that Coco and Nuts aren’t acting themselves, and when Coco brushes Rin aside and asks Milk for the Dream Collet (side note: why does she have it? Nuts is its caretaker), Nozomi steps in and exposes the princes as imposters. While this is happening, the mysterious lolita watches from a distance.

The fake Coco and Nuts pull out a pair of Kowaina masks and morph into a large two-headed creature, so the girls all transform into Precure as well. The monster is very blobby and absorbs their attacks. Nozomi fires off a Dream Attack into one of the masks but when the smoke clears, the face recovers. While the girls fight, the lolita girl holds up a mirror that captures their images, and Shadow reflects Rouge, Lemonade, Mint, and Aqua into the remaining four crystals. With her work done, the lolita disappears back to the Mirror Kingdom. The Precures continue to fight, unaware of the malicious plans afoot. Aqua concludes that if they attack both masks at once, they should be able to defeat the Kowaina, so after Dream, Lemonade, and Mint gain the upper hand, Rouge and Aqua swoop in with their special attacks. As the monster disappears, what’s left are.... Migirin and Hidarin! They try to flee but Rouge captures them and takes them back to Natts House. There, the girls interrogate them about the location of the real Coco and Nuts. They’re reluctant to talk until Milk slaps the shit out of them.

They explain how Shadow took over the Mirror Kingdom, imprisoning all the residents and stealing the kingdom’s crystals, the source of its energy. Shadow then promised to return everything if Migirin and Hidarin were able to get the Dream Collet. Coco and Nuts are being held captive in the Mirror Kingdom, and there are specific conditions to get there that involve the Miracle Lights which Migirin and Hidarin have. So the girls get ready, and at 2 AM they depart. But they barely have time to take in the sight of the desolate kingdom before Shadow appears in the flesh, claiming that they can get whatever they desire with the Dream Collet! The girls transform into Precure, but Shadow smugly says the Precures won’t be fighting them, and then they teleport the red, yellow, green, and blue crystals behind themself. The mysterious lolita girl also appears behind Shadow, and Nozomi is shocked at this girl who looks so much like her. The lolita is encompassed in flame as she transforms, revealing herself as Dark Dream.

At the same time, the other four crystals burst and Dark Rouge, Dark Lemonade, Dark Mint, and Dark Aqua emerge.

Color-coded mirrors appear behind the heroine Precures as their dark counterparts quickly lunge at them and pull each of them into a mirror, where they each arrive in a new dimension. The Dark Precures speak to their originals about their twisted ideals, which all share the common theme that the Dark Cures believe friends are worthless and the clones are better because they don’t have that reliance on others. Each girl engages in battle with her doppelganger and the Dark Cures waste no time demonstrating their superiority.

Milk, Migirin, and Hidarin can do nothing but watch the mirrors. Shadow, however, isn’t interested in waiting to see the outcome of the fights, so they forcefully take the Dream Collet from Milk and teleport back to the castle. There, Coco and Nuts are shown trapped in mirrors, and Shadow taunts them before explaining that they came to the Mirror Kingdom so they could quickly collect all 55 Pinkies. They hold the Dream Collet up and the mirrors scattered around the room change to show all the Pinkies scattered around the world (very convenient that they’re all by reflective surfaces). They get sucked into the mirror, into the Mirror Kingdom, and then into the Dream Collet! Coco is sad because he’s helpless to stop this and thinks he may never see Nozomi’s smile again.

The Dark Precure fights resume, and they’re getting brutal, but the tide is starting to turn in favor of our heroines. Dark Dream says she’s an exact copy of Nozomi, but without her weaknesses. However, Nozomi turns it around and says Dark Dream is a clone of a past version of her, she continues to improve herself and she’s stronger than she was yesterday, an hour ago, a minute or even a second ago. It’s a damn good line.

The other girls also question the motivations of their counterparts and explain that having friends is what motivates them and makes them strong. We cut back to Milk and the bears. Milk wants to follow Shadow to save Coco and Nuts and recover the Dream Collet, but Migirin and Hidarin are too scared to go with her, feeling too weak and pointing out even Precure couldn’t do it. Milk scolds them for not wanting to save their own kingdom and sets off on her own. She makes it to Shadow’s castle, and Migirin and Hidarin show up after all to help her.

Nozomi and Dark Dream continue to fight, and Dark Dream’s confidence gives way to anger, confusion, and grief that she doesn’t have anyone she cares about like Nozomi does. Rin, Urara, Komachi, and Karen all manage to defeat their dark counterparts with the strength brought on by their friendship and confidence, recovering the crystals used to create them in the process. Dark Dream attacks Nozomi out of desperation but her heart isn’t in it, and Nozomi effortlessly swats the attack away. Dark Dream falls to her knees, crying about not understanding human feelings like love and friendship, and instead of fighting her, Nozomi offers her a hand and says she can learn, that Nozomi can teach her, and then invites her to return to fight Shadow with them. In the desert, all five mirrors break and the girls emerge from them. Rouge, Lemonade, Mint, and Aqua are surprised to see Dark Dream come out with Dream, and Dark Dream is clearly uncomfortable, but Nozomi says she’s a friend and that’s the end of that. The six girls run off to Shadow’s castle, and arrive just in time to save the mascots from a destructive attack by Shadow. However, Shadow boasts that it’s too late because they’ve already collected all the Pinkies, and they make their wish to become the ruler of the world. Power courses into the Dream Collet, the cures brace themselves, and then.... nothing happens. 

Lemonade remembers the Pinky that she caught earlier which is still in her Pinky Catch, so Shadow can’t have all 55 of them and therefore their wish didn’t come true. Undeterred, Shadow lashes out at the team, lunging straight at Dark Dream and brutally punching her in the stomach, but quickly separates the other girls, and paralyzes Dream. Shadow moves to destroy Dream but Dark Dream moves in front of her and takes the blow instead, cracking the jewel in her chest. Nozomi is freed from the restraint and holds her copy in her arms, begging to know why she saved her. Dark Dream responds that it’s because she likes Nozomi, and after all, she’s just a copy. Nozomi says she’s not a copy, she’s her friend, but it’s too late, and Dark Dream starts to glow and fade away, leaving behind only her crystal. Shadow remarks that Dark Dream was a traitor who had it coming, but Nozomi will not take this slander against one of her friends, and through her tears she fights Shadow, delivering a good kick to their stomach before performing Crystal Shoot, seemingly defeating the villain.

Dream turns to Migirin and Hidarin and asks them to use the Miracle Lights to free Coco and Nuts, which they do. She embraces Coco and reminds him that she said she’d find him, no matter where or how. Their reunion is short lived, though, as Shadow stands up, cursing the Precures, and transforms into their true form: giant, buffer, and now with long red hair for some reason. They attack the Precures, and then launch a huge energy ball, but Migirin and Hidarin step in to block it with the Miracle Lights, proclaiming that they’re no longer afraid of Shadow. Then they turn their miracle lights on the Precure,  wishing to grant them the strength to defeat Shadow. Migirin and HIdarin aren’t strong enough, so they ask for help. Coco, Nuts, and Milk help to! So does the audience! You! Yes you reading this right now, wave your miracle light and give the Precure power!

Well everyone’s wishes come together to grant the Precure new power, and they metamorphose into Super Precure. (I’m serious, they literally cocoon up and then emerge with new outfits and sprout butterfly wings.) Then they perform Precure Five Explosion, against Shadow’s protests of overwhelming power. They explain it isn’t just their power, but the power everyone gave them, the power of everyone’s hearts and courage becoming one! Shadow is no match for the combined strength of everybody, and disintegrates.

Afterwards, the cures use their butterfly wings to carry the five crystals back to their pedestal mounts in the throne room. The pink crystal notably has a large fracture in it, a lasting reminder of Dark Dream’s short and tragic existence. With all the crystals restored, the Kingdom of Mirrors returns to its natural beautiful state, a land of greenery and crystals poking up from the ground, and the inhabitants are freed from their prisons. Urara, Komachi, and Karen comment on how beautiful it is. Inside the throne room, Nozomi stares wistfully at the pink crystal, recalling her short-lived friendship with Dark Dream. Rin and Urara call her to go to the celebration party, and as she runs out of the room, the camera does a slow zoom in on the cracked crystal while the ending theme begins to play.

The ending itself is Ganbalance de Dance again, but the girls are in their princess gowns, while the fairies are wearing their corresponding garb, and Migirin and Hidarin make a few appearances.

The Analysis

The three movies from the “Futari wa” shows in 2005-2006 were all about the girls overcoming internal conflict to become better friends with each other, and each of them did it in a somewhat different way. You could certainly explore that dynamic with a larger team, and in fact the show did just that in episodes 23-24, but instead this movie derives its conflict from the girls’ own personalities. They’re not fighting each other, they’re fighting themselves, and recognizing their supposed weaknesses as strengths. In this way, they achieve growth. It’s a great character exploration and shows what teamwork means in a larger group setting. Additionally, the story is well-paced and flows naturally from one event to the next without ever lagging, but it also gives you some necessary breathing room in between dramatic moments. As we’ve come to expect, the animation is generally much better than the television series, and the fights look phenomenal. The aspects I find less enjoyable are mostly to do with the fairies and the merchandising, and a bit of a rushed finale.

The major themes of this movie are friendship, trust, redemption, and growth. Friendship is the most obvious one, because it’s at the core of this entire franchise. The bond that each member of the team has with the others is their greatest strength and what allows them to push past their own limits. It’s what clues Nozomi in that Coco and Nuts are missing. It’s what the Dark Precures are missing which leads to their defeat, and it’s also what allows Nozomi to befriend Dark Dream rather than defeating her. We are shown time and again that having people to support you is the most wonderful thing imaginable. Trust is perhaps both the most broad and the most limited theme in this film. It’s closely connected to friendship and you can see it overlap with that a lot. Because of their friendship, each girl trusts that the others are winning their battles against their counterparts as well. However, a small place where it heavily applies that’s easy to overlook is during Nozomi and Coco’s moment alone in the hall of mirrors. They promise they’ll always find each other no matter what they look like or where they go. True to her word, as soon as Nozomi realizes Coco has been replaced with an imposter, her only goal is finding the real deal, and Coco has unwavering trust in her to do it. It’s a powerful moment that gets lost in the commotion of the movie, but I love it.

The Dark Precures are easily the most famous aspect of this film, with good reason. The idea of an evil twin is an ancient storytelling technique, and it remains very effective, because it can simplify character design by allowing you to base your evil character on an existing protagonist while letting you deviate in small or large ways from their design as needed. It's also be a convenient way to explore and develop a character’s personality by having them face off against someone of a similar, but twisted, ideology. A case could be made that the Kiryuus in Splash Star were a form of villain counterpart Precures without being explicit copies of the heroines, but these are the first to be directly and transparently copies of the heroines, and of the three full dark teams as of this writing (Yes 5, Heartcatch, and Smile) they’re the best fleshed out. Each of them represents a quirk of their doppelganger, but turned selfish.

Dark Dream is devoid of aspirations and joy

Dark Rouge believes friends prevent you from being your true self

Dark Lemonade feels that trying to entertain others is a waste of effort.

Dark Mint believes the best defense is a good offense, and protection is a weak ability

Dark Aqua thinks that friends keep you from growing stronger

They gloat about being better because they don’t have the dependency on friends, but most of them go down precisely because the heroines feel empowered by being in a team, even when fighting alone. Each of the heroines recognizes that their strength comes from having friends to protect and fight alongside, that friends help you grow and improve yourself. The hubris of the Dark Cures is ultimately their undoing and it ties back into the film’s central themes of friendship. This is explored clearly across all five fights by careful editing, which involves giving each battle a little bit of time in focus before changing perspectives. We hear short exchanges between the original and dark cures, and sometimes conversations are continued between battles, as their debates are very similar. Ultimately, the Cures’ confidence in their friends is what allows them to succeed over their counterparts, as just having faith is enough of a motivator and a power boost to keep them going, and each fight concludes with the girls accepting and explaining how the flaw the Dark Cures see in them is actually their greatest strength. It’s beautiful. I was particularly moved by Komachi and Karen’s statements to their doppelgangers. Komachi said “I wanted to protect you, too,” as Dark Mint disappeared in her arms, which is a powerful rebuttal to an opponent who criticized her for only protecting herself, and you could feel Komachi’s regret. Meanwhile, Karen told Dark Aqua that her dark version reminded her of herself before she made friends, and therefore she wants to surpass that version of herself, which speaks to Karen’s growth both on and off the screen.

Nozomi and Dark Dream’s battle, however, is on a different level from the others. Dark Dream was actually a reflection of Nozomi herself rather than Cure Dream, she was around for longer than the others and got to see Nozomi just hanging out with her friends being happy, so she has the most fleshed out personality and perspective while the rest of the Dark Precures were created and immediately thrown into battle. Consequently, Dark Dream starts out cynical about Nozomi’s friendships, but when Nozomi begins to show how her friends help her grow and improve herself constantly, Dark Dream begins to falter. Her confidence turns to anguish as she bemoans her lack of understanding about friendship, happiness, laughter, sadness, sorrow, or any other emotions. She was created to fight and that’s all she knows how to do. But instead of destroying her, Nozomi offers to help her learn these things, and this act of kindness shakes Dark Dream to her core. Her reason to exist has been stripped away, but Nozomi has given her a chance to be more than just a clone made for destruction. More amazingly, the other Precures accept her as well. As soon as Nozomi declares her a friend, they all accept her as one of their rank and proceed to fight Shadow. For the first time in her life, she’s not just needed, she’s wanted, and this shows off the depths of Nozomi’s compassion and her power to unite people. Unfortunately, just when Dark Dream has found someplace she belongs and people who care about her, she makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Nozomi, and that breaks my heart. Her story mirrors that of Kiriya, someone else who was created for evil, but through the compassion and kindness of the heroines, tried to forge a different path, only to die before he could truly make a new life for himself. It’s the same kind of tragedy, that of unfulfilled potential, and it’s a mature plot direction for this series. It hurts but I applaud the writers for it. I also love that Nozomi doesn’t forget this at the end. Nozomi made a new friend, that friend died so she could survive, and the ending where she stares at the pink crystal with only the bottom of her face visible really gets to me. I’m not sure if it’s symbolic that she’s lost a part of herself or if it’s because eyes are major sources of expression and hiding them enforces that she’s not her usual happy self, but it’s excellent framing and it contrasts well with the happy face she puts on when Rin and Urara summon her for the party.

Additionally, this scene of Dark Dream’s desperate attack is beautiful, primarily in how the audio cuts out from the moment she throws it until it hits the ferris wheel. It’s an excellent use of silence.

Beyond having ideals that clash with those of the Precure 5, the Dark Precure also have their own spin on special attacks. The butterfly motifs are gone entirely, Dark Dream simply lobs a ball of energy around, Dark Rouge shoots fireballs and can use a phoenix attack, Dark Lemonade creates blades by kicking her feet and can decimate with her singing, Dark Mint launches orbs that can pierce barriers, and Dark Aqua uses an energy staff, and later a sword. In some respects they resemble the Cures’ attacks and in others they’re completely opposite. It’s a clever and imaginative use of each girl’s powers.

The combat sequences are some of the best I’ve seen in any movie so far, with the characters alternating between rapid-fire punching and kicking and their energy attacks. Each battle takes place in a unique environment, which lets the perspective switch rapidly between fights without confusing the audience, and the director keeps an excellent balance between them, only staying a few minutes at each before changing perspective. Dream fights in a carnival, primarily by a ferris wheel (which could be the one seen at the Princess Land), Rouge fights in space on a bunch of floating orbs, Lemonade and Mint both fight in cities surrounded by buildings and parks, and Aqua fights in a flowery meadow.

The other villain of the movie, Shadow, offers very little to discuss. They’re a power-hungry tyrant with no motivation other than to rule over everything. They’re super over-the-top in their mannerisms, very sadistic, mocking, and uncaring about anybody else. They view the Dark Precures as nothing but tools and they feel no remorse for their defeat. We know nothing about their history or what led them to become this way, and since most of the movie is them pushing other people around or letting the Dark Cures fight on their behalf, we don’t get the chance to explore their motivations deeper than the surface level. Shadow is a decent fighter, at least, when they go toe-to-toe with the Precure they demonstrate immense speed and of course their glyphs are able to both restrain opponents and teleport small objects. It’s good to have a five-on-one fight against a human-sized opponent after spending half the movie in solo fights, it shows how strong Shadow is, but ultimately of course the Precure overpower them, driven on by the death of Dark Dream. I enjoy seeing them gloat and ham it up but they’re less compelling than their predecessors Sirloin, Freezen and Frozen, and maybe even the Dark Witch. This of course is due to Shadow’s lesser screentime, since the Dark Precures are the main attraction of this film, but I still wish they’d gotten a little more time in the limelight.

The other new characters of this film are the denizens of the Mirror Kingdom, Migirin and Hidarin. They are annoying and I do not like them. I take pleasure in seeing Milk slap the shit out of them.

They are voiced by a comedy duo called “The Touch” who are real-life twins named Takuya and Kazuya. Their line delivery is very bland and, frankly, they’re boring characters. Their main gimmicks are speaking in sync or finishing each other’s sentences, and their only character trait is cowardice that they have to learn to overcome. Beyond that they’re only in the movie to have an in-universe explanation for the Miracle Lights.

Let’s address the elephant in the room here. This is the very first Precure movie to have Miracle Lights. Almost every movie after this will also include a new Miracle Light, so get used to them. I wrote a long explanation on PCD Status that you can read, but the short version is that kids in the audience receive a real Miracle Light with their ticket purchase, and at key points in the movie they’re supposed to light it up and wave it in the air, giving the Precure power in a simple form of audience participation. In this film they mask the fourth wall breaks pretty well by having Nozomi turn towards the fairies when she asks for help, even if she’s facing the camera. It’s just enough plausible deniability to not break the immersion.

The plot of the film is really good until about the last fifth, and then as I alluded to earlier it gets rushed and kind of muddy. The entire prologue and the sequence at the Princess Land is the kind of wonderful fun, comedy, and antics I’ve grown to expect from this show. It highlights all their characters wonderfully and you get some small, tender moments as well. Karen and Milk’s close friendship is on full display, Komachi pushes Nuts away from a mirror that makes the viewer look fat because she doesn’t want to see him that way, and of course there’s Nozomi and Coco’s comments about detecting and finding each other. My two personal favorite shots are the bit with Urara, Komachi, Karen, and Milk performing a hime laugh because it’s just so wonderfully absurd.

And then my other is personal bias, but during the princess crowning, Rin manages to outrun all the boys. If you’ve been in the fandom you may have heard the joke “Nobody loves Rin,” which relates to the other four girls each having an official or widely accepted shipping partner (Nozomi and Coco, Urara and Syrup, Komachi and Nuts, Karen and Kurumi). Well my rebuttal to this, based on this scene, is that Rin has no partner because there’s nobody good enough for her yet. We stan best girl!

The interrogation at Natts House is good, and of course when they arrive in the Mirror Kingdom they’re almost immediately confronted with Shadow and the Dark Cures, who I gushed about above. The part where I believe the film starts to crack just a bit and the pacing hurts is after the defeat of Dark Dream. Shadow goes down really quickly, and then once the team turns into Super Precure, they almost immediately perform Five Explosion. From the time the six girls confront Shadow in the castle to Shadow’s defeat is about 10 minutes of a 70 minute movie, and 5 minutes in the middle of that is Miracle Light shenanigans and Shadow transforming. Most of the rest of the fight is the Five Explosion stock sequence, and whereas normally the Cures would deliver some epic speech before they land the final blow, this time their righteous lecture is rather short, saying that the power is everyone’s power. It’s effective but it feels truncated.

I found the soundtrack to this movie to be.... largely uninspiring. It wasn’t bad or anything, but it just seems to be remixed or rerecorded tracks from the show’s BGM., but listening to the OST there was only one track that really hit that sweet spot in my brain. It’s “Surpassing my Past Self”, track 18, and I like how everything in it builds up. You’ve got strings for the melody backed by rhythm guitar, joined later by brass, and then the guitar starts to take a more active role in the tune as it ramps up in intensity. This is the song that plays when Nozomi is winning against Dark Dream and starting to persuade her, when she makes her epic speech about being stronger than she was before. This song sticks out to me in a way that nothing else does.

Visually the movie is gorgeous, with some occasional hiccups into TV quality, but of course the movie budget overall means they get to do more than they can with a weekly TV show. Check out the opening sequence and all the little details in it!

I especially love this bit from just before the title card where the girls’ portraits flip around to show the dark cures.

you can find a higher resolution version of this gif in the gallery

Curiously, there are still some animation shortcuts taken, like during this shot where the camera zooms in on the double doors and you can clearly see the transition between the low-detail wide shot and the high-detail close-up. I know why they did it but I wish it was smoother.

Something I find really clever is that when Shadow first creates Dark Dream in the pink crystal, the silhouette that is generated is just Nozomi in her school uniform, she doesn’t take on her new appearance until she’s fully formed.

The designs of the Dark 5 are really good and I could probably gush about them for another week, but in a nutshell they manage to effectively invert the aesthetics of the Precures, replacing cream with black, and their outfits are different from each other’s in a lot of the same ways that the main team are. Dark Dream has a two-piece outfit, Dark Lemonade’s skirt is a bit different, Dark Mint and Aqua have a band of color around their waist that the others lack, things of that nature. They’re distinct from their counterparts and from each other, which is more than can be said about their dark successors.

Dark Dream, in her civilian guise, is also an incredible design. Gothic lolita is a great look and I think it’d be cool if the franchise would utilize it a little more often.

The lace-front maroon dress with a flower petal skirt is very nice, and the black petticoat accentuates it. The headdress with roses compliments the purple bow and also reflects Nozomi’s small pigtails, and her purple lipstick and eyeshadow bring it all together. It’s almost a shame she loses the makeup when she transforms.

The Super Precure designs are nice. Not as elaborate as the Phoenix Forms from the second Max Heart film, but I appreciate the subtle redesigns.

Obviously the butterfly wings are the most prominent element, but their sleeves are longer and frillier than on their normal outfits, which means the stock sequence for Five Explosion had to be largely reanimated..... and this means the coloring error with the Lemonade Castanet is fixed!

And my last art/animation comment is to point out that there sure are a lot of stomach attacks in this film!

Some other bookkeeping: the Dark Precures are voiced by different actresses than those who play the protagonists, and this is the only time that happens, because future Dark Cures will share an actor with their counterpart. Some of them have had supporting voice parts in previous Precure seasons, and all five of them will have roles in future seasons, though again some are small parts. The most notable ones are Nishimura Chinami as Dark Dream, she would later play Aoki Reika/Cure Beauty in Smile Precure (and therefore Bad End Beauty as well); and Kugimiya Rie as Dark Lemonade, who later portrays Madoka Aguri/Cure Ace in Dokidoki Precure. The others are: Minaguchi Yuko as Dark Mint, who plays Flora in Precure 5 GoGo; Kiuchi Reiko as Dark Aqua, who previously played Kiriya in Futari wa Precure, and Nagasawa Miki as Dark Rouge, both of whom will play characters-of-the-week in Heartcatch Precure.

By the way, according to the Precure Wiki, there was a scene after the credits in the theatrical version that showed the Dark Precures being revived, however I cannot find any legitimate citation for this, and it’s also not mentioned in the Japanese wikipedia article for the film, so I’m considering that claim false unless more reliable information surfaces.

Overall this movie is excellent and once again it raises the bar for what you can achieve in a Precure movie. It features fun hijinks and high-stakes emotional drama! It tackles the doppelganger idea better than any subsequent series due to the possibilities of film and the artwork is great. If you haven’t seen it, go check it out!

Next time, in Precure Daily, we return to the main plot as Despariah appears before the girls! Look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 1 kettei!

[huntertales]

Part Three: Indecent Proposal. (Devil May Care S09E02)

Episode Summary: In the aftermath of the fall, Sam and the reader are taken by surprise when they learn Crowley is still alive–and stuffed in the trunk of the Impala. A temporary situation before the reader and the Winchesters relocate him to the Men of Letters dungeon. Kevin is anything but enthusiastic about seeing the king of hell under the same roof as him. However the three hunters want the demon close, hoping Crowley will provide useful information about others of his kind. Meanwhile, Abaddon re-emerges and plans to take over hell. Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader Word Count: 7,825. (Oops. This got away from me lol)

Previous Part | Supernatural Rewrite Masterlist

"The hell happened here?"

The location Abaddon led all of you to was a complete ghost town; rundown buildings overtaken by weeds, the ground beneath your fear was nothing more than dirt. It must’ve been decades since it had seen any form of life. You weren’t that surprised to see the demon lured you into a deserted part of the state like this. Better for her to have you all to herself, letting you run around while she waited for you to fall into the trap she set. 

You wondered what came of the town and the people who once lived here that caused it to turn into an abandoned wasteland. Rarely do you see towns and buildings nowadays to be empty like this without a good explanation behind it. She picked this place for a reason, and not just because it was the perfect spot for whatever she had planned in that head of hers.

“A local chemical plant sprung a leak years ago. They evacuated three square blocks.” Sam explained to the both of you the town’s history. You let out a slight noise from hearing that piece of information you weren’t expecting. “Guess it’s still contaminated.” 

"Wait, so this whole place is still poisonous?" You found yourself asking out of caution for your own safety. Sam nodded his head to answer your question. You rolled your eyes, you should’ve figured that much. No reason why Abaddon chose this place. If she didn't kill you, the leftover pollution lingering the air eventually would if you were exposed to it long enough. "It's like our very own Chernobyl." 

Dean didn’t find your words comforting. He found himself thinking of a certain place on his body where he didn’t want to be tainted from any chemicals that might still be polluting the air. You turned your head at the exact moment to see him lower his hand to shield his private area. You let out a scoff and titled your head slightly in disbelief at how he was acting.

“That’s not gonna help.” Sam warned his brother.

“It doesn’t hurt.” Dean muttered. 

You rolled your eyes and lightly whacked his arm away to get the man focused on searching this entire town to find the two other hunters. Your hopefulness that they were still breathing made you disregard the possible contamination you were about to walk right into. You put your life on the line almost everyday with all sorts of threats, a little pollution never hurt anyone until the long way down the line. You kept yourself vigilant for any possible surprise attacks Abaddon and her goons had planned as you traveled deeper into the town. 

You and the boys managed to cover some distance as you kept walking through empty looking buildings with windows still intact and doors most likely unlocked from the rush people must've been in to get out of here. You checked a few buildings and scoped them out to see if anyone was inside, but all the souls that seemed to be around at the moment were just the three of you. You continued to follow behind the boys as you looked around the place, cautiously eyeing the edges of buildings and looking behind your shoulder for any possible demon trying to make a sneak attack. It seemed that you were still alone. However you found yourself stopping in your tracks when you heard a noise, it sounded like shuffling in a building not too far from where the three of you stood. 

You followed behind the boys as Sam drew out his gun for any possible attackers when he approached the diner to inspect inside. The younger man kicked down the door with one swift kick and stepped inside, he took one look around the place to see there was no active threat around. The only people that were inside were the two hunters Abaddon had kidnapped. Sam lowered his weapon and called for you and Dean's attention from what he found. You made your way into the place to see the sight for yourself. While you were happy to see the Irv and Tracy were unharmed, you couldn't take anything for face value, You quietly shut the door behind you before taking one glance around the outside to make sure the coast was still clear from anyone besides the five of you.

"Irv? Hey." Dean pulled off the gag from the older hunter's mouth to give the man a chance to talk freely from the question he asked a few seconds later. "Where's Abaddon?"

"Abaddon's been torturing hunters." Irv said. "She's been trying to get intel on you kids." 

"Do you know why?" Sam asked. 

"I seriously doubt she wants to add you to her Christmas card. Now," Irv veered the conversation to something more important other than trying to figure out the demon's motives for why she was doing all of this. "Do you wanna make it with the rescue or what?"

"Right after you take a shot of holy water, huh?"

You wanted to believe that Abaddon just kidnapped the two and left it at that, but you knew from personal experience that things like her never made things easy. You pulled out the flask of holy water from your back pocket and twisted off the cap, you tugged off the cloth from Tracy's mouth and poured the liquid into her mouth. You watched as she swallowed without a problem and gave you an annoyed glare from the dramatics. She looked young, probably no more than someone in her early twenties at most. She must’ve been new to the game. 

“Happy?” She asked you.

“Sorry about that.” You apologized for the cautious steps you had to take around them. Tracy’s glare seemed to harden when she heard the sarcastic tone lined in your voice. “Gotta be safe than sorry.” 

"Don't worry about it." Irv said. At least the older hunter understood you couldn’t let them free without running a quick test to make sure they were still human without running around in their skin, waiting to jump up and rip your guts out. "Last thing you need is us popping black eyes." 

Dean took it upon himself to free the hunters from the chairs they were tied to after he took out a pocket knife and cut them free. You crossed your arms over your chest and watched as they stretched their aching muscles from sitting in the same position for so long. Sam decided it would have been the perfect time to introduce himself to the younger woman. 

"You're Tracy, right? I'm Sam Winchester." He said. When you noticed Tracy’s gaze had wandered over to you after Sam shifted his finger over to you, you forced yourself to give the woman a half smile and a wave before tucking your arm back where it was before. “And that’s Y/N Y/L/N.” 

“Good for you.” Tracy responded with a lackluster tone, as if that name was supposed to mean anything to her. Your expression shifted slightly from the attitude she was giving the both of you, suddenly looking as if you were boring her with your mere presence. 

“She’s new. We did a shifter job back in Sacramento together." Irv explained how he knew the younger woman. “Smart, but got a mouth on her."

“Sam and I know a little something about that.” Dean’s said. You rolled your eyes when you noticed his eyes wandered over to you to drive his point home. “Now that introductions are out of the way, let’s gear up.” 

You got to work with unloading all the supplies you had brought with you to take down Abaddon and her demons. Ruby’s special knife was your favorite weapon to use against a demon. While it might not be able to kill a knight of hell, something you learned from the first encounter you had with Abaddon, it worked well on others you had come in contact with without a problem. Angel blades were also useful and trusty to have on hand. You had enough ammunition to take down dozens of demons with the special carvings you had made. Might not be able to kill them, but they locked those suckers in place so you could take them down once and for all. 

You threw back a canister of spray paint when Dean took out another gun and set it down on the countertop with the rest of the weapons you had lined up. It appeared to you that you had just about everything you needed to take down the knight of hell once and for all. 

“All right, we got Jesus juice, guns loaded with devil’s trap bullets. Shoot a demon, put him on lockdown.” Dean listed off a few of the weapons Tracy and Irv were free to pick from to arm themselves for the fight ahead. He picked up a silver blade to swiftly flip the weapon in his hand with ease. “The angel blade works.” 

You found your concentration breaking away from the conversation when you heard something in the near distance catch your attention. You turned around in your spot and looked over to the window as Sam jumped up from the table he was sitting on top of and peered outside to see if he could see who caused the noise. The younger Winchester’s expression fell when he caught sight of two demons possessing those soldiers making their way to where you were. 

“They’re coming.” Sam announced. 

“Good.” Dean said, seeming ready for the fight ahead. 

You made your way over to the window and pushed down a few of the blinds to get a better look for yourself. You spotted the same demons Sam had pointed out just a few seconds prior, but he failed to mention they hadn’t come here empty handed. It seemed Abaddon had chosen those soldiers for a reason. You looked over your shoulder to break the news that made things slightly more complicated for all of you. “They’ve got assault rifles, Dean.” 

“Okay, less good.” The older Winchester noted. 

You were pretty sure the whole “don’t bring a knife to a gunfight applied to this situation a little too perfectly. You stepped away from the window and made your way back over to the counter in some kind of attempt to figure out how to get out of here. Luckily the demons didn’t know just yet where you were, they probably knew you were here from the parked Impala on the outskirts of the town. Irv wondered how you and the boys were going to get yourselves out of this one. You’ve been in a situation like this enough times to know that you couldn't risk the chance of sneaking out the back without arousing suspicion. You needed something to distract the demons to give you enough time to bolt. And what a better way to give the illusion that you were stupid enough to go up against them.

All of you packed up your things after arming up with weapons to protect yourselves in the case those demons weren't alone. You anxiously waited behind with the others while Dean was still back at the diner, setting up your phone after you got the brilliant idea to lure the demons into a trap with a recording of the older Winchester's voice on loop calling out the monsters, luring them to an empty diner, all of you long gone. You let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Dean making his way back to the four of you after setting up the phone like you told him to do. 

“All right. We got to flank seal team douche in there, so, Irv, you and me will go left.” Dean said, coming up with a plan for a way to get out of here alive. “The rest of you go right."

You nodded your head at the instructions without much thought and looked over at Sam, both of you ready to start moving. You took a few steps over to Tracy and without much thought placed a hand on her shoulder to get her moving, however it seemed that was the worst thing you could have done. Suddenly you felt yourself stumbling backwards after Tracy turned around and shoved you off of her, hissing at you to get away from her. You were stunned at what just happened, Sam was even taken back himself when she threw daggers at the man when he tried to go even near her. Tracy had given you attitude before, you thought it was because she was pissed off at the fact she was roped into your problems. But she was staring at you like you were the kind of monster that had gotten her into this situation. 

“Okay, that’s it.” You couldn’t take it anymore. You found yourself snapping back at the younger woman with an abundance of frustration from how she had been treating you since you met her. There was no reason for the attitude. Tracy responded by continuing to stare at you with the same disgusted glare. “Look, kid, I am not in the mood.”

“Whoa.” The older Winchester was quick to notice the sudden shift in mood from the reaction Tracy got out of you. He observed the three of you slowly to try and figure out what happened to have caused this. “What’s the problem?” 

“My family’s dead because of them.” Tracy's reason took you and Sam both by surprise. Your hardening glare slowly began to change at her confession, the younger Winchester was left wondering for the few seconds of silence that fell between the woman’s confession to figure out how that could have possibly been his fault. Both of you had done some pretty terrible things in the past. There was no denying that. But to have murdered someone in cold blood? You swore you never went that far. And you didn’t. Just the mistake you had made of freeing Lucifer came with more consequences than you realized. “I watched a demon slaughter my parents, and the whole time, it talked about how it was celebrating. How a couple of dumb kids let Lucifer out of his cage.” 

You pressed your lips together and moved your gaze somewhere other than Tracy. Sam couldn't help himself when he stared at the younger woman with a guilty expression at the actions he knew were all of his fault. He was the reason why Lucifer was freed from the cage. He was the reason why her parents were slaughtered. He wanted to apologize for the pain he caused her, but right now wasn't the time to do so. Dean was quick to switch things up, deciding to have Tracy go with him and let Irv tag along instead. You swallowed down your own heavy conscience in favor of getting Tracy and Irv out of here. Sam remained where he was for a few seconds while his brother and Tracy went off. You placed a hand on the man's shoulder and gave a slight squeeze, nodding your head for him to get moving. 

The three of you went on your journey of heading into the right side of town like Dean told you to do so. Most of the journey was in complete silence, you following behind Sam as Irv chose to linger behind the line that formed. Sam had the demon knife in his head at the ready while your loaded gun remained tucked in the waistband of your jeans. You didn't know why, but you found the confession Tracy made lingering in the back of your mind. From the way she looked at you. How she told you both that you were the reason why her parents were dead. You carried the burden around what happened back at that church on your shoulders every single day. If you could change the past, you would in a heartbeat. You even tried to fix your mistakes...but all that came of it was more mistakes on your part. 

"Kids, you copacetic?" Irv's question broke the silence between all of you. Sam nodded his head as you did the same a few moments later. You stopped behind a building and looked over at the older hunter, wondering to yourself why he wanted to know such a thing. “Good. Now hand me that toothpick and you two get Dean and Tracy—you beat feet out of here.” 

“What?” Sam sounded nothing more than confused as to what the man was suggesting. It sounded like a suicide mission, because it was. There was no way in hell you were letting Irv in there by himself with all those demons with one knife and no backup to help. 

“I’m going in there alone.” Irv said. “I’ll buy you two as much time as I can.” 

“Irv, that’s death.” Sam told the hunter. 

“Yeah, well, it’s what I got coming. It’s my fault, Sam.” Irv’s confession wasn't what you were expecting to come out of the man's mouth. You looked at him a little funny from what he was implying, wondering how that could be such a thing. There was more to the story that the hunter withheld from you until now. "I was in some dive and I was sloppy and lonely and I met some girl, and the next thing you know, I'm strapped to some bed and she's twisting things that ain't supposed to be twisted.”

“‘She’ who?” You questioned the man.

“Abaddon.” The name that fell out of the hunter’s mouth made you sink your shoulders down in disappointment. Sam took the news the same as you. Irv was distraught with the things he had done against his own will, but there was only so much a man could take before breaking. “I gave ‘em up. Pete, Tracy—I gave ‘em all up. So you hand me that blade and let me do what I got to do, or so help me—” 

Before the man could finish the argument to get what was coming to him and die with some dignity after the wrongs he had made, it seemed death came to him sooner than he was anticipating. You felt a sudden gasp of surprise escape from your mouth at what happened in the matter of seconds. You didn't realize Irv had been shot until you saw him lying on the ground with a bleeding wound in his chest. Sam quickly grabbed a hold of your arm and yanked you closer to him when he figured out what was going on. You felt your back collide with the brick wall as another shot went off. The demon who was trying to take you down must’ve been a sharp shooter. You and Sam quickly drew out your own guns, knowing a simple knife shared between the both of you wasn’t gonna cut it. 

Sam slowly inched himself closer to the edge of the wall and peered out with his weapon to see where the demon was. He managed to spot him sitting on a rooftop straight ahead, he took his chance by firing off a few rounds until he managed to hit a bullseye into the scope. When Sam tried to aim for the demon next, that’s when you made a run for it, Sam following behind right after you. You ran for cover in the nearest building that you found and pushed the door open with your body, not even bothering to think there might be someone inside waiting for you. You didn't come into that thought until you saw someone pressing their shoe against your wrist that was holding your gun. You looked up to see the barrel of a gun staring back down at you and the smile of a demon to greet you. 

“Boo.” The demon taunted you. 

+ + +

Dean couldn’t help himself when he thought back to what Tracy had said about her parents. The situation of freeing Lucifer came with a ripple effect that felt like it was never going to end. When all of you thought the dust had settled and things could go back to somewhat normal, there was always a small wave to come creeping back up. Tracy had every right to be pissed off at what happened to her parents. Hunters got into this lifestyle without much of a choice, almost always it was because of some sort of tragedy that dragged them into this lifestyle. You and the boys knew the story. It was your lives that lead you to this point. The reason you made the choices you did. 

You and Sam made mistakes with terrible consequences. There was no denying that factor. But so did Dean. Irv most likely would confess that he had nightmares from his past choices that kept him up at night. Everyone does. He was sure Tracy would make some along the way. In the moment, before everything falls apart, you feel like it was the right thing to do. You don’t realize how wrong you are until you’re faced with the mistakes of your actions that you can’t go back from. 

“Okay, I think they’re still inside. We wait till they come out, and we pick them off one by one.” Dean gave the layout of his plan while him and Tracy slowly made their way closer to the edge of a gafettied up wall. She listened without much as a peep. He adjusted his grip around the knife and looked over at her for a second. "Listen, for the record, Sam and Y/N weren't the only ones who thought they were doing right and watched it all go to crap. Okay? That's just part of being—"

“Being a hunter.” Tracy cut off the man, finishing his sentence with the moral lesson she thought he was trying to make. 

“Being human.” Dean corrected the woman. “Look, you want to be pissed off at them, that’s fine. I get it. But if you want to go after somebody, you make sure they got black eyes. Got to know who the real monsters are in this world, kid.” 

Dean nodded his head for Tracy to start moving when he thought it was the perfect time to start heading to the spot he located. He cautiously made his way forward with his gun pointed forward and figured just centimeters from the trigger, ready to take down any demon that tried to get the jump on him. However the hunter was stupid enough to overlook the small alleyway that was just big enough to have someone hiding in there. Dean found himself being taken by surprise when he felt someone take a swing at him, sending him straight to the ground. Tracy was fast enough to act without a second thought. She fired off several rounds into the demon that now stood in front of her, thinking it would have been enough to take her down. However this demon had seen this sort of trick before, and learned some herself. 

Tracy lowered her gun when she realized the five rounds that she shot off had done nothing to the redhead. Instead all she got as a reaction was a smile. Abaddon lifted up her shirt to reveal the bullet proof vest she was wearing. The hunter was stupid enough to waste all her bullets on a chest shot, why she didn’t go for the head was a rookie mistake she would pay for in mere seconds when Abaddon went over there and ripped her throat out. 

“Nice grouping. Kevlar. Beats magic bullets.” She said. “I love the future.”

Dean had some tricks up his sleeve to make the demon back off enough for a chance to get Tracy out of here and get some extra weapons. He twisted off the cap to a flask of holy water and splashed it in Abaddon’s face, happy to know that at least something worked on her. She stumbled backwards as her face burned from the liquid. Dean took his chance to get back up to his feet and make his way over to Tracy. He shoved his car keys into the palm of her hands. 

“Listen, my car is three blocks over. Go get more bullets, more holy water—get everything.” He instructed her. Tracy couldn’t help but worry about the man from the danger that he was putting himself in if she left him. “Just go! Go! Now!”

Abaddon felt the burning sensation on her skin slowly subside as she watched Tracy listen to the man, running off and going for more supplies would be rendered useless. The demon grew a toothy smile when she saw Dean turn around and face her, ready to let the real fun begin. She adjusted her red hair and tossed back a loose curl from her face. The demon had been waiting for a very long time to finally see the older Winchester’s handsome face. 

“Alone at last.” She said. 

Dean responded by taking out an angel blade from the inside of his jacket, something Abaddon wondered to herself how he managed to get hold of such an odd weapon. She smiled at the flimsy little tool that he thought was going to take someone as powerful as her. She watched as he attempted to take a stab at her, but the demon managed to block the shot with ease. Abbadon roughly disarmed him as she bent his arm behind his back, pulling him uncomfortably close to her body with his back pressed against her chest. She made the situation worse by hovering her lips over his ear.

“I missed you. Did you miss me?” She whispered to him. Dean wasn’t given a chance to give a snarky response from the way Abaddon was bending his arm to the point where all it would take was one wrong move and she’d snap it. She pushed him forward and down to his knees, his one arm still painfully in her grasp as the other was wrapped around her wrist. There was no way Dean was going to get out of this one, at least, not without Abaddon's permission. "So appreciate Y/N and you boys coming when I call. I think that's what I like most about you Winchesters.” The demon used her free hand to run her hand through Dean’s hair, enjoying the sight of such a handsome face. She smiled when he felt his body stiffen under her touch. She grabbed a fistful of the short locks, forcing his neck back slightly. “You’re so obedient. And suicidally stupid. I like that, too.” 

“Are we gonna fight or make out?” Dean asked the demon, wondering where all of this talking was going to lead them. “Cause I’m getting some real mixed signals here.” 

“I want Crowley—or what’s left of him.” Abaddon said, giving her reasons to the hunter. 

“Yeah?” Dean wondered if that’s all it really was. He flinched when she tugged on his hair, forcing him to look up at her with a tilted neck. “What’s in it for me?”

“I let you die.” Abaddon said. The demon thought her persuasive offer would be something Dean would be very much interested in than deal with the consequences if he didn’t cooperate. “You give me Crowley’s head, and I will snap your neck quick and clean.” 

“And if I tell you to get bent?” Dean asked. 

“Well…” The demon’s gaze fell away from Dean’s face and to his body, her lips stretched farther into a smile at the sight of a familiar tattoo on his chest. An idea crossed the woman’s mind that seemed like a perfect act of revenge against the man if he didn’t do what she said. “You know, I’ve loved this body since the moment I first saw it.” 

Dean grabbed the demon’s wrist when he felt her grab a fistful of his jacket and shirt, bunching up the fabric as she yanked it aside to reveal the one thing stopping her from using his body like a puppet. She smiled at his attempts at fighting back. The man was no match against her. “You’re the perfect vessel, Dean. You give a girl all sorts of nasty ideas. Y/N is a very lucky woman, being able to enjoy this body all to herself.” Abbadon eyed him up like a piece of meat she was ready to devour. “So go ahead, and play hard to get, and I’ll peel off this ‘No demons allowed’ tattoo and blow smoke up your ass.”

“Oh...well, I got to tell you, between you and me, it’s a horror show up there.” Dean warned the demon if she chose to be stupid enough to try and ride around in his skin. The demon merely chuckled at the man’s silly little thoughts that were nothing more than foreplay compared to what she could cook up in a mere afternoon. 

“It can get worse. Trust me. Have you ever felt the pure joy of ripping a fetus straight out of a mother's womb? I was gonna do that to your little girlfriend when I went to the church. Just like how I did to Henry. Remember that? Of course you do. Maybe I’ll make you do it. I’ll use your body any way I please.” Abaddon chuckled darkly when she saw the look that crossed Dean’s face from her own threat. It was so easy to get humans riled up when you went straight for the people they loved. “Let me ask you, Dean. Have you ever felt the blood of an infant drip down your chin? Or listen to a girl scream as you rip her guts out?”

Abaddon forcefully grabbed the man by his face, digging the nail of her index finger into his skin as her thumb rested against his chin. “Because you will.” The demon promised him the torture ahead for him. “You and me lover, and we’ll have a grand old time. Because if there’s anything I can keep, it’s a promise. And I promise I’m gonna kill everyone you love with your own bare hands.”

+ + +

There was only so much two hunters could do when they were up against three demons. A fight like this wouldn't have been a problem if you were on your feet and gave Sam a proper warning to take them down when he had the chance. All you could do was regret your slow response as you were dragged back up to your feet by the demon who was crushing your hand with his boot. You tried to put up a proper fight, you really did. But there were only so many times you could handle your head being smashed against the wall before your vision grew blurry. After the demon was done with you for the meantime, he tossed your body across the room like you were a rag doll. A set of chairs broke your fall after you hit the table and went sliding to the ground. 

Sam was struggling to hold his own after he was somehow overpowered by the two demons that chose to pick a fight with him as you went up against the other. If given a proper chance, he could have taken them both down, but he realized that the fight was rigged not in his favor when he heard the sound of crashing. And it wasn't the demon you were going up against when someone decided to join in. Things were starting to look grim as the younger Winchester kept on trying to take them down. If he could find the knife after he dropped it, maybe he could take one or two down before going after the other. One of them demons roughly threw him across the counter and watched as he fell to the floor like a ton of bricks, laughing at how easy this was going to be.

In the moment all Sam could think about was trying to survive and use the knife that he lost on the three demons and not let them use it on him. He didn't realize that you were back up on your feet after being knocked out cold. It seemed your awakening caused the demons' attention to shift away from the younger Winchester. They were soon going to realize who they were staring at wasn't you, but something else. Sam didn't forget there was someone else hitching a ride in your skin. A silent passenger who was healing your internal wounds and organs back to normal. The angel hadn't made a peep or broken his problems about doing what needed to be done. But it seemed that Ezekial had come out just in time, as if he knew the both of you needed a lending hand.

Sam quickly lowered himself to the ground when he saw your eyes starting to glow a bright blue, as if the angel was warning him for what was about to be done. He heard a warning about covering his eyes before the room was lit into a blinding white light. The ground beneath his feet began to violently shake from whatever the angel was doing. Whatever he had done, it stopped quickly as it started. When Sam noticed the ringing in his ears stopped and his vision grew black, he noticed things had calmed down. He outstretched his hand and placed it on the counter, using it to push himself up to his feet to inspect the damage Ezekiel had inflicted. 

The younger Winchester looked to see that Ezekiel was standing over the dead body of the demon who was ready to kill him with the same knife the angel was using to slit the monster’s throat. Sam wondered why Ezekie was doing that when the demon was already dead. But then he realized, the angel was covering his tracks. He was making it look like one of you had done this. Sam made his way from behind the counter and watched as Ezekiel continued to work on the last body, finishing up right as his brother rushed in to see what the commotion was all about after witnessing only a glimpse from the outside.

"Thanks for the heads up." Sam spoke up, his tone of voice made him sound the least bit thankful for the rescue. And he wasn’t. He still wasn't sure how he felt the angel possessing you. You were tricked into having another partner walking in your skin, healing you up. He knew now was not the time to strike up the argument about his disagreement with the plan. 

"They were going to kill you and Y/N." The angel must have felt Sam's lingering stare, the frustration from the unexpected jump in appearance after being quiet for the past few days. Ezekiel turned his head to give the man a blank, almost unreadable expression. 

"Ezekiel?" Dean sounded surprised to see the angel was the one who was still out and about, cleaning up the mess that he had made so it wouldn't cause any suspicion for when you woke up. The older Winchester turned his head to see that his brother was okay. A little pissed off, but same from harm. "The hell did you do?"

"We had it under control." Sam said.

"If I didn't intervene when I did, you would be dead right. And so would Y/N. I was protecting your friend." Ezekial said. Sam knew the angel was right about that. But he wouldn’t admit to it. The silence that followed told the angel he wasn't going to be thanked for the rescue. He didn't understand the younger man's hostility towards him, he was merely doing what was promised. "I thought that was what the both of you wanted."

"Right, yeah, no." Dean mumbled out a response to the angel, his mind racing too fast for him to comprehend the situation he was in right now. For a split second he thought he was still talking to you. It looked like you, sounded like you. But the person standing in front of him was an angel who promised to help. Ezekiel hadn't made such a peep since he hitched a ride in your body a few days ago. Seeing him out and about took Dean a moment to comprehend. "I-I...sorry, I'm just still getting used to this whole thing." 

“As am I.” The angel agreed with the complexity of the situation. 

"Is she gonna be okay, at least?" Sam asked the angel in a concerned tone of voice. if anything, your well being was the one thing he cared most about. "Y/N. Is she gonna be okay?"

"She was knocked unconscious. In a way, she still is." Ezekiel said. "Y/N will not remember any of this." 

"So what the hell am I supposed to tell her when she comes to?" Dean questioned the angel.

Dean was no stranger to a situation like this; two souls sharing a body with one not knowing the other was there. It happened too many times with you. The memory loss, the questions. He didn't want to deal with the complications like he had to when you were still a half demon. When you found out about that, the fall out caused damage in a monsterous way. But this...this was worse than any of that somehow. Not only would he lose your trust you would most likely never forgive him. Maybe you would never be able to look at him in the eye. And when you did, all you could think of was that he was a selfish man. Choosing your life over another. "Selfish little bastard. That's what you are. You should've let me die...you should've let me be at peace." 

"That's why I used the knife." Ezekiel's voice broke the man out of his personal thoughts. Dean looked down to see the demon knife in the angel's outstretched hand. 

"Right." Dean muttered, grabbing the knife by the handle and dropped his arm back down to his side. "Smart." 

Ezekial noticed the shift in Dean's voice first before his expression began to change. Despite talking to him, Dean couldn't look at him directly in the eye for very long. He slowly turned around so his back was facing him. Dean must have felt as if he wasn't speaking to an angel, but you. He was lying to your face without having talked to you directly. "You are troubled, still." 

"Yeah, it's that, uh...this is on me. I was the one who talked Y/N out of boarding up Hell. Okay? And I know what would've happened if I let her. All of this is my fault. I should've been there. It should've been me who did those trials. Not her. Not Sammy." Dean admitted his guilt for the entire situation that affected them here. He looked over at his brother, as if he was silently wanting to let him know not to carry this burden. All of this fell on his shoulders. If he had been quicker, if he said no to Cas maybe all of this would have turned out differently. But it didn't. "So every demon deal, every kill they make...well, you're looking at the person who let it happen."

“Dean, come on.” Sam suddenly spoke up after hearing the nonsense that was coming out of his brother's mouth. “It’s not your fault.” 

"You were protecting Y/N. I am in her head. Everything she knows, I know. And I know what you did, you did out of love." Ezekiel said. The words weren't reassuring enough to help ease the older Winchester's worried mind. "You two are soulmates, correct? Dean slowly nodded his head, wondering why it suddenly mattered. The angel's lips stretched into a smile. "It's a love not many humans will experience in their lifetime. But it doesn't always show in romantic forms. I believe it can be palontic as well. The three of you have a strong bond. Unbreakable. She can feel it." 

"Yeah, uh, look, Zeke—and I'm gonna call you Zeke—we're not really with the whole love, and...love." Dean was starting to feel a little awkward from how this conversation was shifting into sharing their feelings. He did it for almost no one. He barely let his brother in sometimes. The only person who could see him at worst, the most vulnerable was you. He always had a soft spot for you. He was the only one who told you that he loved you. Three little words with such heavy meaning. And yet they felt too hard to say these days when the both of you needed to hear it the most. 

"But it is why I said yes." Ezekiel said. 

"Yeah, and if that goes sideways, that's on me, too." Dean said, shifting the blame on himself for a situation that hasn’t even arisen yet. 

"That's not going to happen." The angel reassured them both. 

Ezekiel's kind words didn't help the older Winchester's racing mind. Dean let out a chuckle from the situation he was in. "This is nuts. I mean, you're Y/N, but you're not Y/N, and normally she's the one I'm talking to about all this stuff. You think I would be used to talking to someone else in her skin." Dean muttered the last remark to himself, his lips stretching into a weak smile at how this situation was spiraling. "Sam and I are trusting you, Zeke. I just gotta hope you're one of the good guys." 

"I am." Ezekiel promised both of the Winchesters that he wasn't like his siblings. However the angel was quick to realize how the human mind worked. Sometimes a worded promise didn't come with reassurance that they meant what they spoke. They were complicated creatures, their words were flimsy. They could mean so much to a person, and yet so little. "But I suppose that is what a bad guy would say. Sam and Dean Winchester, you are doing the right thing.”

The brothers slowly looked away from the angel, finding their gaze reached to each other.  Ezekiel’s words were full of reassurance and hopefulness that everything was going to be okay in the end of all of this. Much as things seemed like it could be, but nothing was going to make the guilt that came as a heavy weight on their chest loosen up even the slightest. If anything, the words made it feel worse. Both of them stared at one another with the same defeated, almost pained expression. If this was the right thing, the only good thing they could have done to save you...then why did it feel so wrong?

+ + +

You didn’t come back around right away. The boys kept themselves busy while your body remained where it was on the floor, making it appear as if things were left as you last remembered them. Dean dropped the last of the supplies into the duffel bag as you slowly made it back into consciousness. You weren’t sure what was going on right away, feeling the coldness against your bruised cheek made you piece together that you were on the floor. How you got here was still a blur. You shifted around slightly as you tried to sit up, but the sudden jolt of pain reminded you that you weren’t willingly put here. A demon had thrown you across the room...

The sound of someone speaking your name made you jump slightly in the noise you weren’t expecting, your mind tricking you into thinking it was a demon trying to go another round with you. When you looked up to see that it was just the boys, Dean holding the bloody knife that you remembered his brother lost in the fight you had gotten into, you were confused as to what was going on. You looked around the diner from where you were to see that it was just the three of you. 

“Guys?” You winced as you slowly pushed yourself up into a sitting position, wiping your hands clean from the dirt you accidentally touched. You noticed the bodies of the demons you had tried going up against, now lying on the ground dead. You furrowed your brow slightly in confusion and looked up at the brothers. “What the hell happened?” 

“You took a shot to the head, Sammy was pinned up against three demons. I came in and saved your asses, like usual.” Dean gave you a recap on what you missed out on. 

“You killed three demons?” You asked him. “Alone?”

“I took them by surprise while Sam distracted them.” Dean slapped a hand on his brother’s back and cracked a smile at the fake story he was making up on the spot. To you, it sounded like the truth. He slipped the clean knife back into the inside pocket for safe keeping. “Got a little messy. I got a little lucky. Oh, and uh…” He outstretched for you to take and pulled you back up to your feet like you weighed nothing. “I’m awesome, so there’s that.”  

“Geez. Yeah. You are pretty damn awesome. Nice work.” Your eyes wandered around the three dead bodies that were led to believe were killed by Dean. A smirk spread across your lips as you looked over at the younger Winchester. “You did good, too, Sasquatch.” 

Sam couldn't help himself but smile at hearing the nickname for the first time in what felt like forever. The conversation was monentaly paused when you heard what sounded like the Impala's engine coming your way. You and the boys headed out to see Tracy was coming your way, she parked the car out front and got out to greet all of you. You felt a little easier knowing she was at least safe from the harm. 

“Hey. You okay?” You asked her, expecting a snarky response in return. 

“Yeah.” She said. “What about you two?” 

You shrugged your shoulders, “More or less, yeah.” 

“Good.” Tracy took you by surprise when she sounded rather happy to hear. She must've noticed your slightly skeptical look at her change in behavior. She tossed the keys to Dean and made her way to the backseat. "I got everything. But guess I'm late to the party."

“Lucky you. Let’s blow this toxic waste dump.” Dean said. All of you took your respectful places and got comfortable for the long drive ahead of you. "Burgers and silkwood showers on me." 

You smiled at the thought of eating something and washing away the possible containimentation you were subjected to. You might not have been able to take down Abaddon easily as how you wanted, and not to mention how Irv was killed. But you had to take your wins where you got them. You and the boys made it out in one piece, ready to see another day.

[Next Part]

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[lifblogs]

It’s Time We Had the Talk

ACT ONE Fandom: Supernatural Rating: Explicit Characters: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Castiel Pairing: Destiel Summary: While Dean is dealing with the Mark of Cain, and Sam with his own trauma, they are drawn to a hunt in Elkins, West Virginia, where they join up with Castiel in solving the deaths of two partially eaten college students. DLSV TEASER A/N: Sorry I haven’t been able to post in a bit. I wanted to post an act a day, but I was in the ER. Let me know if you’re interested in getting the next act today. (I swear this is in the right format on the site I used, tumblr’s just an idiot and doesn’t like to format tricky stuff, ao3 is the same, ugh...)

ACT ONE

FADE IN:

INT. MEN OF LETTERS BUNKER/LIBRARY - DAY

SAM sits at one of the tables, aged books and laptop open in front of him, coffee mug in one hand. He's dressed in the usual boots, jeans, and flannel, the shirt buttoned closed.

He sips at his coffee, flipping through one of the aged books.  The title of a book next to it reads A Dissertation of Lycans and Their Role In Creating the Werewolf.

DEAN walks in, boots CLUMPING, and nods at Sam, going over to him. He sits on the table. Dean is dressed in similar clothes to Sam, his flannel open over a black under-shirt. On the inner part of his right forearm is the Mark of Cain. Dean presses down on it unconsciously.

Sam nods back. Wipes at his eyes. He's tired.

SAM Hey.

Dean points at the coffee.

DEAN Got any of that left?

Sam remains silent. Dean just stares. Sam looks at his coffee, then Dean. He gives him a “sorry” wince.

DEAN Great. You also find us a case while you were guzzling the Sunshine Drug Juice?

Sam frowns in confusion. Then his lips twitch. He pulls the laptop forward.

SAM Wasn’t easy, seeing as you were no help.

DEAN I was sleeping!

SAM You were blackout drunk.

DEAN Fake news.

SAM Can‘t fake the truth.

Dean gets off the table, and STOMPS over, GROWLING under his breath. ON the Mark of Cain. Beat.

FOCUS back to Sam and Dean.

DEAN All right, what’d you find?

SAM So these two college kids over in West Virginia go missing, right? So get this, they turn up dead a few days later. Organs missing.

DEAN What organs?

Sam shrugs. Turns his laptop around. Dean leans in to read..

INSERT - SAM'S LAPTOP

"DOUBLE HOMICIDE TAKES TWO MORE FROM ELKINS" is in large print on the screen, under two pictures. One of a girl, smiling, dirty-blonde hair hanging loose. Next to that picture is one of a boy, dark hair, dark eyes

BACK TO SCENE

Dean mouths as he reads. Studies article.

DEAN (reading) "The once quiet town of Elkins, West Virginia..."  (no longer reading) Blah-dee blah-dee, blah...  (reading) "...two students from Elkins College missing for a week... Cause of deaths have not yet been released... Organs missing from bodies... Police say string of kidnappings and murders in the area will most likely continue.”

Dean sits back on the table, and crosses his arms. He shrugs.

DEAN Okay, yeah. So? Don’t people get organs harvested every once in awhile? So what, two kids get killed. Tragic. Now actually find something weird.

SAM It is weird.

DEAN No, I mean, like, freaky. Messed up. Five Nights At Freddy's kind of thing. Or uh, let me guess -- you're looking up shit on the Mark again.

SAM Thought you told me to drop that.

DEAN And did you?

Sam says nothing. Dean just gives him a head tilt. Case and point.

DEAN That's what I thought.

SAM You think I'm just going to let you give up?

DEAN It ain't giving up. It's accepting what is. You think I want this thing on my arm? You think I don't wish every damn day that it was off? I do, Sammy. I do. But there ain't a way to do that.

SAM So you're just going to lie down and accept that?

DEAN (yelling) What else am I supposed to do?  (calmer) Now go make me some coffee.

SAM What?

DEAN You drank the rest.

SAM But--

DEAN Coffee.

Sam shoots Dean an exasperated look. Beat. Turns back to Dean. He's worried. Dean just settles into the chair across from Sam's now vacated one and pulls the laptop towards him.

Dean tries to get into the research, but then he HISSES, rubbing his thumb against the Mark of Cain. Stares.

Blood POUNDS.

SAM (O.S.) (b.g.) Don't go through my emails!

BUH-BUMP. BUH-BUMP.

SERIES OF SHOTS - IN DEAN’S HEAD

A) Dean STABS up into Abaddon, killing her. She sparks out in orange light, SCREAMING

B) Dean, bloody, kneeling on floor, holding the First Blade

C) Dean is facing us. Again, he kneels, covered in blood. Dead bodies lie around him. Knife DRIPS blood onto the floor

D) Dean's holding Cain's forearm, Cain holding Dean's. Red power pulses between them, through their veins. The Mark of Cain burns onto Dean's arm

H) Mark of Cain flares red and burns as First Blade is forcibly PUT into Dean's hand

I) Dean SHOUTING as he STABS into Cain with the First Blade, killing him

INT. LIBRARY - DAY

Flashes of SCREAMS of the people he's killed, and the killing being imagined.

SAM (V.O.) (terrified, pained) Dean!

Dean INHALES. Hard. ON Dean. Beat. He blinks, shocked.

SAM Hey. Dean.

DEAN Hmm?

SAM Been trying to give you your coffee for a solid minute now. You good?

Dean takes the coffee. He has a sip.

DEAN I'm fine.

Sam frowns.

DEAN So, the case?

SAM I thought you didn't want to do it.

DEAN Nah, let's do this, man. I mean, two dead bodies, missing organs. Maybe it is in our wheelhouse. And if not, at least we got out. (yelling at bunker) I'm sick of being stuck in here!

SAM I'll go get my stuff.

FADE TO:

INT. “1967 CHEVY IMPALA” - DAY - TRAVELING

Sam, now clothed in a canvas jacket over his shirt, shuffles through papers, occasionally glancing at the tablet he's forced onto his lap. There he has all the information and research he's dug up. It's sorted as best it can be, but a car isn't the ideal place. Sam seems comfortable with this. Dean drives, also wearing a canvas jacket, eyes firmly on the road for once, ignoring the world.

SAM So the two kids were... (reading) "Margot Ballin, and Hunter Reese...” (no longer reading) And it says the girl... (reading) "... had significant damage done to her body." (no longer reading) Apparently, not all the damage was from the uh...

Sam makes a KCCH sound.

DEAN It give any details besides that? Missing hearts or anything?

SAM Nope.

DEAN So we don’t know what we‘re looking at.

SAM There are similar injuries on all the deceased in this case. So maybe a demon?

DEAN Any dead cattle?

SAM (beat) Ghost?

DEAN Could be.

SAM Dean, I know you're throwing yourself into this to--

DEAN We're not talking about it.

Sam SIGHS, and then Dean turns on the stereo. "Hell's Bells" by AC/DC BLARES from the speakers.

I'M A ROLLING THUNDER, POURING RAIN/I’M COMING ON LIKE A HURRICANE

Sam shoots Dean a dry "fuck you."

MY LIGHTNING'S FLASHING ACROSS THE SKY

IMPALA

car drives down the road, through flat plains

Engine ROARS

YOU'RE ONLY YOUNG, BUT YOU'RE GONNA DIE

FADE TO:

EXT./INT. ABANDONED SHOP - DAY - TRACKING

to follow CASTIEL as he makes his way under the caution tape along the front door, and into the building bustling with police activity.

Two men, SHERIFF PALICKI, and DEPUTY BROWN, are inspecting the scene in the attic. Evidence markers are placed around the room, particularly the blood stains. A closer look shows a small bit of flesh on the floor.

SHERIFF PALICKI Okay, looks like we'll need forensics up here. Deputy?

DEPUTY BROWN On it, sir.

The two men notice Castiel. They see his suit, and overcoat. FBI. Beat.

SHERIFF PALICKI Can I help you?

Castiel takes an upside-down badge out of his pocket, and holds it up to show it to Sheriff Palicki, and Deputy Brown.

SHERIFF PALICKI Feds got here quick.

CASTIEL We always keep an eye on these sorts of things.

Sheriff Palicki shrugs, and shoots a look at Deputy Brown.

SHERIFF PALICKI What are you still doing here? Get forensics. Tell 'em they missed a spot.

Deputy Brown nods, weaves around Castiel, and heads down through the trap door.

CASTIEL (unsure) Can you... break it down for me, Sheriff...?

SHERIFF PALICKI Palicki. Well, a couple months back this would've been pretty weird, but now, finding two kids from the local college looking like Hannibal or Frankenstein got to them -- it's the new normal. Both had throats slashed, bodies mutilated, and of course, uh... missing parts.

CASTIEL What parts?

SHERIFF PALICKI Not a hundred-percent sure yet. Too much blood to figure out on-site. Report has yet to come back from the M-E. But I don't know who'd do this to these two kids. They’ve been I-D’ed. Margot Ballin, and Hunter Reese.

CASTIEL And did they have any enemies, Sheriff?

SHERIFF PALICKI None that I’m aware of. You could ask around up at the college; I got a contact over there.

Beat. Acknowledgement.

CASTIEL And did you notice any strange smells, cold spots, maybe something that shouldn't have been here?

SHERIFF PALICKI If you ask me, Agent, two bodies that aren’t all there is weird enough. Ain't gonna go borrowing trouble.

CASTIEL Of course. Thank you for your time.

He fishes around in his pocket for a card, and hands it to Sheriff Palicki.

CASTIEL Call me with the name as soon as you can.

Sheriff Palicki takes the card.

FADE TO:

EXT. ABANDONED SHOP - DAY

Impala drives up, engines GUNNING before going quiet. CREAK as Sam and Dean open their doors and get out. SLAM. SLAM. They're both dressed as FBI agents.

As they wave and nod in recognition at police officers, Castiel comes out through the doorway. Sam hasn't noticed him yet. Dean WHACKS him to get his attention.

Beat. Dean nods at his friend. Castiel makes his way over.

DEAN (smiling) What the hell are you doing here?

CASTIEL I felt a strange energy signature coming from this place.

DEAN Angelic?

Castiel shakes his head.

SAM Look, Cass, you find out anything in there?

CASTIEL Not much. The sheriff didn't have a lot of information. But he'll get me in contact with someone at the college.

SAM All right. While we wait for that, let's go check out the bodies.

Dean wraps an arm about Castiel's shoulders, and they walk to the Impala together behind Sam.

DEAN You good, Cass? How you doin'?

CASTIEL How are you doing?

DEAN You know me, just peachy-keen.

Castiel stares at Dean. Beat. Dean OPENS the door to the driver's side. Gets in.

FADE TO:

INT. ELKINS COLLEGE/CAMPUS - DAY

A girl with a backpack, and dark hair up in a ponytail, EMILY, 18, is leaving a dorm building. Waving at her friend, BRIE, also 18.

BRIE You sure you can handle all that studying on your own?

EMILY I'm good. Not like Rickrode's class is hard or anything.

BRIE That's 'cause you're screwing him.

Emily holds up a middle finger, and turns, leaving. ON her as she walks through the campus.

SCUFFLING sounds from behind one of the buildings. Emily pauses, and goes to investigate.

EMILY Hello?

SCUFFLING grows louder. SWISH of clothing.

EMILY Hello!

Shadows seem to darken. Someone is there. We roughly see the dark shape of a woman. Emily freezes, now seeming to know that she's in danger.

Before she can react, the thing jumps out at her from the shadows.

ON lane beside building.

Emily SCREAMS. Backpack THUMPS to the ground.

She's gone.

FADE TO:

INT. BASEMENT - DAY

Emily starts to open her eyes.

EMILY'S P.O.V. - BASEMENT

dark, dusty basement filled with cobwebs is seen, a metal door on the other side of the room; light filtering in through an opening in cement that's been barred up

BACK TO SCENE

Chains RATTLING. Emily is hanging, arms bound together and shackled above her head. Her feet touch the floor, but just barely.

Heavy BREATHING.

Her lips tremble, and she's sweating. Her hair is askew from the kidnapping.

EMILY (unconvinced) I don't know what kind of prank this is, but it's not funny! (beat) Okay, ha-ha-ha! You can let me go now!

EMILY'S P.O.V. - WOMAN

the Woman emerges from the shadows, the same Woman who killed Margot and Hunter. Her red hair is done up intricately, her dress long, but lacy and revealing

BACK TO SCENE

WOMAN Now why would I want to do that?

Emily cannot respond, too terrified. A knife glints in the Woman's hand. Emily starts to struggle. She CRIES out, chains CLINK. Still the Woman approaches.

EMILY What--What do you want?

The Woman doesn't answer, just starts pressing down on Emily‘s left triceps, as if feeling for something.

EMILY No, no.

She raises the knife. It CUTS deep into Emily's arm, blood flowing before DRIPPING onto the floor. Emily SOBS, SCREAMS. The Woman keeps CUTTING. She INSERTS her hand into the wound, fingers prying.

ON Emily. Tear-filled, sweaty face contorted with pain and horror.

FADE OUT:

END OF ACT ONE

[yournewapartment]

How do you do laundry? I have no idea and I need to wash clothes.

Washing Clothes 101

1. Don’t separate. In a perfect world, you would be color sorting your clothes to perserve the crispness of their colors. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and doing laundry is expensive! I don’t know a single college student who actually separates their whites from their colors, and I would advise you to follow our example and to wash everything together. If you have any pieces of clothing that are very fragile or delicate, set them aside in a bag. Wait until this bag is full, and do a separate wash for them on a delicate cycle.

2. Detergent. Buy whatever detergent is on sale at your local dollar store. Generally speaking, liquid detergent has more washes in it than pods do.

3. Making detergent. I’ve read some interesting arguments on Tumblr about how making your own detergent is more worthwhile than purchasing product. I actually found a post that broke down the pricing of everything. Based off of how much time/money they spent to put everything together and how many loads they got out of it, my fancy smancy 3-in-1 Tide Pods were 3x as cost effective. I would avoid making your own detergent, unless you know what you’re doing and really want to.

4. Cold vs Hot wash. Cold washes get stains out better and are more eco-friendly than hot washes. Period the end.

5. Do I need fabric softener? Fabric softener is not necessary at all! Its main purpose is supposedly to perserve the softness of your clothing’s fabric during its time in the washing/drying machines. And maybe it does, but not in a very noticeable way. What it does do is smell strongly, a smell that I happen to really enjoy, but not everyone does. That said, fabric softener is super inexpensive, and a bottle of it will last you a year because you only use a small amount per wash. So if you like the smell of it, absolutely- go for it!

6. Do I need dryer sheets? Once again, no you do not! Dryer sheets help keep your clothing from sticking together and getting staticky, which is something you will notice occasionally as you start doing laundry. That said, they are very similar to fabric softener in the way that they mostly act as a scenting agent. Unlike softener, they aren’t super inexpensive, but are supposedly reusable.

7. Card vs. Coins. Both of these are payment methods for washing machines. Some laundromats have both, most only offer one method. I personally prefer the card because it means that I don’t have to walk around with pockets full of quarters. But some laundromats will charge a small fee for the card and a larger fee if you loose it and need a new one.

Identifying Washing Machine Types

Unfortunately, there isn’t really a “once size fits all” method for operating washing machines. There are so many different brands of washing machines, all of them varying in age and efficiency. The best I can do is to break the machines into two different categories (pictured above).

The washing machine on the left is a newer model, the sort of machine that you will find in most laundromats. These machines are generally larger capacity, and are fully automatic.

On the right, we have the older model. These machines require more legwork and caution then their counterparts because they can overflow easily.

The Method (Washing)

How to Wash Clothes Using an Older Model

1. If you have liquid detergent, start by pouring it into the bottom of the washer. Generally one cap is enough for one full washer. If you’re using pods, see step 4.

2. Pile smaller items towards the bottom of the washer to avoid clogging the machine. If you have to place larger items like blankets on the bottom, make sure that they are situated loosely.

3. Be careful not to overload the machine! These machines are finicky and do not like to be overworked. Load clothes up to the top of the plastic tube that juts out from the center of the machine.

4. If you are using pods, now is the time to add them. Two detergent pods per normal laundry load.

Please note that the following two steps are interchangeable. It does not matter if you set the cycle first, or wait until adding your money before setting the cycle.

5. Set the machine to whatever type of cycle you have decided to use. For everyday clothes and blankets, use a normal, cold wash. Heavier washes will cost more money and take longer. Your average wash should only take a half hour.

6. Add your coins or use your payment card to start the machine.

7. If you want to add softener, you will need to wait until the “add softener” light turns on. This is about midway through your wash. You’ll pour the softener directly into the machine. You’ll notice how the machine stops running when you open the lid. It’s crazy what technology can do nowadays!

8. Wait until the washing machine finishes its cycle, otherwise the bottom will be filled with water and your clothes will be drenched.

9. Start moving your laundry into dryers.

How to Wash Clothes Using an Newer Model

1. Fill the machine with clothes, taking extra care to ensure that they aren’t packed tightly.

2. Locate and open the soap compartment located on either the side or top of the washer. Pour your detergent in the one marked “detergent”. If you are using pods, see step 5.

3. Add any softener you may wish to use into the compartment marked “fabric softener”.

4. Remember to close alls compartment, or else you might get hit with some water.

5. If you are using laundry pods, add them directly to the machine, dispersing them throughout the clothes. Two pods per normal laundry load.

Please note that the following two steps are interchangeable. It does not matter if you set the cycle first, or wait until adding your money before setting the cycle.

6. Set the machine to whatever type of cycle you have decided to use. For everyday clothes and blankets, use a normal, cold wash. Heavier washes will cost more money and take longer. Your average wash should only take a half hour.

7. Add your coins or use your payment card to start the machine.

8. This type of laundry machine has a security lock that activates after you have started the wash cycle. Nobody, not even you, will be able to access what is inside this washer until after it completes its cycle. Feel free to leave the laundromat and get some chores done in the meantime!

9. You will hear a distinct “click” after the washing machine has finished working. Start moving your wash into dryers!

The Method (Drying)

Unlike washers, all drying machines are essentially the same. They will all be oriented like the newer washer model.

1. Clean on the lint traps in the dryer before you even begin loading your clothing in. Find the lint trap and slide it open, use your hands to scrape the lint off the screen. Put this lint in the nearest receptacle.

2. Place the lint trap back in- the dryer will not run until it is fully secured.

3. Start loading clothes! It’s impossible to gage how powerful or efficient a dryer is until you try it. I recommend dividing your clothes between two dryers and running them for 30-45 minutes. If you want a more involved but faster method, divide your clothes between as many dryers as possible, and run them for the shortest amount of time.

4. Add your dryer sheets. The rule of thumb is two sheets per normal sized load.

5. Some machines have a one-size fits all cycle, which could be anywhere from 30-50 minutes. Other machines (most public machines) have a pricing system. My local laundromat has 15 minutes for 25¢, so I’ll put in a 75¢ for 45 minutes.

6. Select the cycle you would like to use on your machine. I aways recommend the hottest cycle to save money.

7. The first few times you do a load of laundry, you’ll have to keep checking your clothes for doneness. Dryers do not lock, so you can open them at any time to check your clothes. So can the creepy guy in the laundromat- so it’s best to keep an eye on them.

8. After your clothes are done, load them back into your laundry bin.

9. Remember to discard any dryer sheets, little shriveled up pieces of paper, etc from the inside of the dryer. I also like to be polite and to clean the lint trap for the next person.

[irlaimsaaralath]

Aftermath [Solas/Lavellan]

This is primarily an exercise in self-indulgence.  I tripped on @galadrieljones and her analysis of the variety of Lavellan options during the final Solas romance scene, and I fell hard into some feelings.  I can’t have that, so gotta work that shit out.  Nothing naughty below.  Just typical fantasy-type violence, romantic-type grief, and some partaking in self-destruction.

This would all take place after their last romance scene, but before Trespasser.  And the **** just indicates a change of perspective or location.  Or something.

P.S. - It’s wicked long, so I’m putting it all below the break.

P.P.S - If someone were to accidentally art a fist fight between Cullen and Solas on behalf of the Inquisitor, I wouldn’t hate it.

:)

The door to her quarters swung shut behind her, clicking as the latch fell closed.  So late in the evening, the hall was largely unoccupied, and each of her footfalls echoed off the stone.  Dorian and Varric sat engaged in a game of Wicked Grace at the far end of the hall, with Krem and Bull as spectators.  All were caught within the frame of light from the hearth’s fire.  Their voices filled the emptiness with boisterous laughter, but as Niyera approached, they grew nearly silent.  They all looked up at her, some more subtly than others, but only Varric spoke.  

“Inquisitor!  Just in time to see Sparkler be humbled by my mastery of Wicked Grace!  Have a seat and join us,” he invited, his tone of voice upbeat and welcoming as it frequently was when he was setting up a con or a particularly embellished story.  Her eyes barely strayed from their forward gaze, but when the firelight caught them, Varric could see they were darkly rimmed and hollow.  She offered only a few words as she passed:  “Thank you, Varric, but no.”  There was no inflection in her voice, neither happy nor sad – it was just uncomfortably flat.  With nothing further, she exited the hall.

Dorian shifted in his seat to watch her departing form before passing a concerned and meaningful glance at Bull.  Krem had already begun to rise when Bull’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.  A silent understanding passed between the men as the Qunari rose, followed after the Inquisitor, and disappeared into the night.  Dorian’s mouth twisted at one corner, and he made a sound that was rougher than a sigh and possessed of a deep and definite vexation.  Tossing his cards face down on the table, the legs of his chair made a skin-crawling screech against the stone as he abruptly stood.  “I need something harder to drink,” the Tevinter stated before departing for the tavern.

Varric threw down his cards as well and scrubbed a rough hand across his creased brow.  Krem leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, hands clasped between, as his eyes cut to the side.  “How long is she going to do this?” he asked, and Varric could only shake his head as he tapped his deck of cards against the table sharply.  “Until the outside hurts as much as the inside.”  The dwarf slipped the cards back into their box and tucked it within an inner pocket of his vest before he looked dubiously at Krem.  “Hopefully, she’ll still be alive when she reaches that point.”  Varric’s broad chest heaved with a sigh and he shrugged his coat over his shoulders, saying, “Look, I’ll see ya later, kid,” as he made his way out of the hall as well.

****

Almost every night for the past two weeks, she’d been going out on her own.  She always had an excuse – a small camp of Red Templars, reports of minor rifts, red lyrium smugglers.  “Nothing I can’t handle on my own,” she would say when offered company or an extra pair of eyes to watch her back.  It wasn’t that any of them thought her incapable, it was simply that she was beginning to seem lost.  

What had passed between Solas and the Inquisitor was known to the closest of her circle – her advisors, Dorian, and Varric.  Surprisingly, or maybe not so much, Dorian had asked her permission before filling Bull in.  Cassandra knew the long and the short of it – she wasn’t big on details and just wanted to know which appendage she should break first.  And, Cole.  It was impossible for her to hide anything from him.  He saw through her as if she were made of glass.  Solas during this time kept mostly to himself – if he was at Skyhold, he was buried in a book, and if he wasn’t at Skyhold, he was off to himself in the Fade somewhere.  The rest of them were vaguely aware, but largely went about their own concerns.

At first, she was angry, and that was reasonable.  Beyond the initial sympathies and lamentations, everyone knew to just get out of the way.  A storm mage in a rage is capable of unleashing a tempest, and none of them wanted to be caught in that.  Only Dorian dared to get close during those days and even he did so with the utmost caution.  But, there is only so long a cyclone can survive its own destructive forces before it burns itself out.  Much in the same fashion, her rage eventually became unsustainable, and like a rift, it collapsed in on itself.  By increments, she became despondent, all but stopped eating or sleeping, and turned in on herself.  Never once did any of them see her cry.

In turn, they all had expressed their concern only to be blithely turned aside after being thanked for their troubles.  Even Solas had attempted to reason with her, but she had sharpened her tongue for him.  She effortlessly turned all of his words back on him, and their assault was brutal and punishing.  When it became evident that he was causing more harm than good, he bowed out rather than continue to exacerbate the situation.  That’s when she began her nightly excursions.  Even the most trifling report of trouble or disturbances warranted her personal attention, and she eschewed any offer of assistance.  Even when she came back wounded, she disdained the healer’s touch for her own remedies, seeming to prefer to suffer the prolonged pain of natural healing.

At times, the severity of her wounds were troubling, and she offered little in the way of explanation.  A lapse in concentration, she might say, or simple miscalculation of her opponent’s ability.  Eventually, they agreed that they should attempt to covertly keep closer tabs on her, but she was becoming more and more adept at losing them in the darkness.  It didn’t help that she had commissioned a new suit of armor for her adventures, trading in the loose drape of the green leather robes she had preferred for a set of ebon-dyed silverite brigandine over chain.  With her cowl drawn to hide her brilliant white hair, she blended into the shadows like one of their own and was as silent on her feet as the specter of a sigh.

****

It had taken more effort than usual to lose Bull, but when she was certain he was no longer shadowing her every step, she made her way to her target.  There had been reports of a resurgence of Red Templar activity in the Emerald Graves.  Like blighted rodents, she mused as she sat perched beneath an outcropping of rocks set high off the road.  The vantage point gave her the benefit of observational range while providing adequate cover.  In her crouched position, she braced an arm against her knee, while her free hand rested fingertips on the rock underfoot to steady her.  She had been watching a crimson spark against the horizon, and it began to grow, splintering off into several separate motes of light as it drew nearer.  

One would think glowing red would be a detriment to secretive travel at night, but the templars seemed oblivious to that logic.  She was willing to forgive the folly in their decision-making as it made her job that much simpler.  In a line along the winding path, each figure grew more distinct, and she counted seven separate individuals.  There also seemed to be a load of raw red lyrium in tow.  It had been so long since the Inquisition had cleared the last of the templars from the Graves that perhaps it had given them a false sense of security.  They might have imagined that attentions would be elsewhere.  No matter, she thought.  Or, at least it wouldn’t matter for much longer.

Across their path, she laid down a static cage trap and slowly made her way behind its trip line.  With any luck, the bulk of their number would find themselves within the barrier, and she could pick off those that scattered one by one from behind.  As she dropped from the crown of boulders, her feet were the softest whisper of leather on the grass.  She sat poised in a crouch, waiting, waiting, wound as tightly as a spring as she balanced on the balls of her feet.  From the harness on her back, she took her staff in hand, gripped at mid-length, and readied herself.

This was what she came for, this feeling.  It was like diving from a steep cliff and into a pool of water.  Apprehension and excitement roiled in her belly, her heartbeat quickened, and before she ever moved, anticipation stole her breath.  The world narrowed in these few precious moments, shrinking her breadth of thought to a single sharp edge.  There was no room left for heartache or grief, no allowance for insecurities or doubt.  No time to feel shattered on the inside, with just the membrane of her skin tenuously holding the shards in place.  It all fell away, and in those few moments, she wasn’t broken.

When the first templar stepped on the cords of magic she had woven across the road, the scent of ozone filled the air and static crackled.  Like threads on an invisible loom, tendrils of electricity met and meshed as they rose up to form the walls of the cage.  She could smell the metallic twang of blood and the acrid notes of charred flesh as the rising barrier sheared through the first templar, depriving him of a leg.  His screams were ragged as he fell, taking two of his comrades with him.  That left her with four outside the cage.  They splintered off as she expected, and taking a deep breath, she strode from the shadows.

Wisps of white hot energy spilled from the corners of her eyes as she chanted an incantation, and the remaining templars turned as one when they heard her.  They charged, and she waited.  When they were just close enough, her eyes flared a brilliant violet, and she slammed her staff into the ground.  Lightning crawled outward and collided with the templar at the head of the pack, and he was thrown violently through the air.  From his body, the energy forked, splintering into jagged barbs that pierced through the men immediately to his right and left.  The electricity was conveyed to their skin through the metal of their armor, drawn by their swords, which acted like lightning rods in a thunderstorm.  With no further fanfare, they dropped like sacks of rocks.

The last templar still on his feet outside the cage howled with fury, and the lyrium protruding from his skin flared violently as he rushed her, sword raised overhead.  She met the blade with her staff, parrying the attack with some effort, then using the momentum to spin away from him.  Even as she pulled an empty hilt from her belt, threads of magic spiraled down her arm and through the cold metal, materializing a blade crafted of her will alone.  When the templar brought his blade to bear again, she met it with her own.  The hum of the magic was palpable as the swords slid against one another until the hilts locked, and she was staring down the lyrium-crazed man over the V of their swords.  

For certain, her strength alone was no match for his, but she drew from the well of her power, channeling it through her body and into her blade.  A growl of effort left her from behind clenched teeth as her boots dug into the ground, and inch by inch, she began to push him back.  His voice was a snarl as waves of invisible heat distorted the air around him, and the lyrium in his skin pulsed with radiance.  He used the additional leverage of his height to gradually force the cross of their swords lower between them, and when she was sufficiently off balance, he threw all of his weight behind a punch that connected with the full measure of its force.

A coppery tang filled her mouth and her vision blurred as she staggered backward, losing her grip on her staff and barely managing to cling to her sword.  The pain in her jaw and cheek was white hot, and she reveled as it washed over and through her in waves.  Pain could be like a salve – applied properly, it could be a balm to the deepest of wounds.  She was only distantly aware of a tickling sensation on her neck as blood wept from the corner of her mouth and the tear the templar’s gauntlet had left in her cheek.  All of her attention was invested in willing her eyes to focus as she stretched out a hand toward the templar.  The refrain of a spell spilled from her lips, and just as ripples of force began to emanate from her, she heard a high-pitched whistle that only preceded by seconds the arrow that ripped into her right thigh.  She cried out, but all the breath left her when she felt another blow to the back of her left shoulder.  The second impact upset her balance, causing her body to cant to one side even as it pitched her forward and onto the templar’s awaiting blade.

Time slowed to an impossible crawl as she felt the recoil of energy from her sword snap back into her arm, and her face came within inches of the templar’s.  Her gaze panned down, and it took her a while to make sense of what she saw.  The tip of an arrow was protruding from just beneath her collarbone on the left, and the templar’s sword was buried halfway into her right side.  It was a passing thought that the only thing that kept his strike from being fatal was the fact that the arrow’s impact caused her body to turn slightly.  The red glow of the lyrium embedded in the templar’s armor throbbed and fell menacingly across his features, distorting them, as he gripped her shoulder and drove his sword hilt-deep in her flesh.

Before her mind’s eye, regrets glittered like so many pieces of shattered glass, tiny mirrors that threw back at her all she was leaving undone.  –  Though sensation had left her fingertips, she pawed at the templar’s armor, vainly trying to find a handhold as she felt her legs trembling beneath her.  Instead, it was his steadying hand on her shoulder that guided her to her knees as he let gravity pull her off his blade.  –  Bits and pieces of memories floated at the edges of her mind.  Her clan and the forests she’d run as a child.  Becoming the Keeper’s First.  The Conclave.  Sparring practice with Cassandra.  Chess with Dorian.  Solas’s lips on her bare skin.  Though she looked unerringly into the templar’s face, it wasn’t him she saw.  Shaking with effort, she raised a hand as if to touch his face, but he roughly caught her wrist.  “I-,” she whispered, another trail of blood flowing anew from the corner of her mouth.  “I wish I could hate you,” she managed at last as her eyes grew unfocused and her chin dipped to her chest.

****

Though time for Niyera had seemed to stand still, around her, it simply wound onward as time tended to do.  Only one templar within her cage was yet alive, and he watched the scene unfold.  She’d taken more of them down than they had anticipated, but it mattered little as he saw the first arrow strike her.  The dregs of the dwarven Carta she’d attempted to dismantle were all too happy to lend their assistance to the templars and their deliciously twisted plan, and it was their arrows that flew out of the darkness.  Expectantly, he waited for the walls of his cage to fall, as he knew they eventually would, but a gurgling noise drew his attention to the nearby crown of boulders.  It would have been impossible to miss the mountain of a Qunari that he found there, fist crushing the throat of a Carta bowman.  Though, by then, the second arrow had hit the Inquisitor, driving her onto his comrade’s blade.  It was far too late now to stop what had begun.

As the severity of her blood loss grew more dire, the magic stabilizing the static cage’s walls ebbed away, and the templar was finally free.  He hobbled over to where the Inquisitor was knelt, passing a glance to the raging Qunari only yards away.  He was still engaged in neutralizing the Carta as their numbers drew from the shadows and set upon him.  As the templar neared his objective, he stumbled, fell, slid on his knees, and sidled up to her from behind.  “No, no,” the other templar said, slapping the elf’s cheek several times briskly.  “Not just yet, Inquisitor.  Stay with us,” he finished, and though she seemed largely unconscious, her head canted upward.  From his pouch, he withdrew a small vial, and the blinking of her eyes was like the flutter of hummingbird wings as he waved it in front of her.  The liquid within the vessel glowed with the same angry red that grew from the templar’s armor and lit his eyes from within.

Her eyes seemed to follow the vial as he waggled it in her field of vision a moment longer, but they never quite seemed to latch on.  With a jerk of his chin, the bearer of the vial glanced at the templar at the Inquisitor’s back and spat, “Hold her.”  Heavy hands fell on her upper arms, pulling back, straining the wound in her shoulder and her side as he bent her body back.  A delirious groan was all she uttered as her head lolled to one side before a painfully tight grip on her chin pulled her face back to meet the templar’s gaze.  He wanted to look into her eyes for this and shook her chin just enough to summon a hint of focus back to her eyes.  Only when he had her attention did he shove the glowing vial of concentrated red lyrium into the rend in her side.  The fire that erupted along her nerves pulled from the dryness of her throat what might have been a scream had she the energy, and he leaned forward to seethe harshly against her cheek.  “The Elder One sends his regards,” the man’s words had no sooner died on his lips than he drove a gauntleted fist into her side, shattering the vial inside her against her ribs.

Pain exploded in the back of her eyes like a shower of white hot sparks, and the surge of adrenaline revived her voice.  She screamed raggedly, and the pain that rippled through her lasted for only a heartbeat, maybe two, before an unspeakable agony took its place.  Scarlet torment painted itself across the canvas of her mind, filling her head with a thousand raucous whispers and searing flame across every nerve and sinew.  Her eyes snapped open, pupils so swollen they swallowed the green of the irises.  Violent spasms wracked her body, and the templar restraining her arms was no longer able to control her.  Her arms now free, hands that had been useless earlier finally found purchase on the templar across from her.  Her grip was iron, and he struggled against her hold to no avail.  The man at her back rose to flee, but when he turned, he found only the terrible edge of Bull’s axe as it cleaved into his face.  

Veins of crimson rose through the whites of her eyes, luminescing, and misty red webs of energy slithered down her arms.  The agony building at her core was a riot, loud and violent.  It choked off every coherent thought she had and wriggled itself into her deepest reaches until there was nothing left but the torment and its insistent urges.  –  Within her body, the taint of the red lyrium clashed violently with the magic of her mark, and when the energy in her hand crackled to life, it was scarlet.  All at once, she felt everything and nothing.  She teetered on a knife’s edge as the last bits of consciousness that were her own fought the rising tide.  But, in the end, she wasn’t strong enough, and the two forces competing for dominance within her coalesced with all the fury of a firestorm.  The resulting explosion of force blew outward, throwing Bull and the templar backward through the air.  When the last of the energies snapped back into her body, she was left a writhing mess of raw nerves and guttural screams.  

****

Krem had fallen asleep in a chair by the fire, which was little more now than a heap of smoldering embers on the grate.  Arms folded, head drooping, his legs stretched out with his feet propped on a stool, and he snored softly every few minutes.  It was peaceful and still in the hall, but that soon changed.  The tremendous doors of the hall didn’t swing so much as they crashed open with such force that they slammed back against the walls.  Ever the soldier, Krem was on his feet and had his sheathed sword in hand before his chair, tipped over in his haste, hit the floor.  Quickly blinking the sleep from his eyes, he found Bull with the Inquisitor in his arms.  Krem only knew it was her because of the glowing of her mark, but even that seemed slightly foreign, a little off-color somehow.

The slender elf thrashed in Bull’s arms, erratic and tortured, and her voice was tinged with an odd thrumming as she keened.  The sound shook Krem to his marrow.  Niyera’s white hair was stained red in splotches, the braid against her scalp unraveling, and her normally green eyes were stained with a crimson sheen.  Eyes wild and body contorted, her head tipped back, and she met Krem’s gaze for a split second.  That was more than enough for his heart to skip a beat.  Blood coated Bull’s forearms, running in rivulets to his elbows, where it collected and dripped.  The effort it was taking the Qunari to maintain his hold on the Inquisitor spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation.

Cassandra appeared from behind Bull as she trotted ahead in the direction of the Inquisitor’s quarters.  “Get Dorian!  NOW!” she barked, and her voice shook Krem from his reverie.  He all but stumbled over himself as he took off for the stairs.  With Varric and the surgeon in tow, Bull shouldered through the door to Niyera’s quarters as Cassandra held it open.  The elf’s guttural screams echoed through the hall, but were quickly muffled behind the door as it fell shut behind them.

****

The crash of the hall doors had woken him, and the heavy stomp of boots on the stairway that encircled his chamber only served to annoy him.  “Why is there never any peace here?” Solas wondered to himself as he pushed up from his rest, but only briefly as a savage scream split the air. Grey-blue eyes widened a fraction, and he was suddenly on his feet and at the door.  He arrived in time to see Dorian and Krem sprinting into the Inquisitor’s chambers, and he snagged a harried healer as he passed, arms laden with salves and bandages.  “You.  What’s going on?  What has happened?”  When the healer only stammered, Solas gripped the man’s arm tighter and shook him once.  “Speak.”

Pulling on his arm all the while, the healer hastily offered, “The Inquisitor.  She-, I-I don’t know.  I must go!”  Solas’s grip went slack at the words, and the healer peeled away in a rush.  A shudder ran through the elf’s body, the equivalent reaction to nails on a chalkboard.  Every thought fled his mind, a fist clenched in his stomach, and his skin turned to ice, while heat seemed to blossom in his chest.  He’d been managing to maintain a reasonably calm outward-facing demeanor in the aftermath of Crestwood, with such skill in fact that some had accused him of being made of stone.  Perhaps in some ways, he was.  He’d spent many years, ages, distancing himself from his feelings.  Shutting things out and off, locking them away.  At this moment, however, he felt very much so wrought of mere flesh and bone.

His feet had numbly carried him across the width and length of the hall, and as he lifted a hand to reach for her door, it opened.  Cullen emerged, forcing Solas to retreat a step, as the commander closed the door behind him.  The men locked eyes when the larger gave no indication that he intended to step aside.  “You need to allow me to pass, Commander,” Solas uttered, his voice quiet though strained with urgency.  With a shake of his head, the former templar stood his ground and laid a firm hand against the elf’s chest as he attempted to advance.  “No, that is what you need,” Cullen returned brusquely as his arms folded across his chest.

“I can help,” Solas reasoned, “if I can just see her…know what has happened…”  There was a hardness in Cullen’s eyes that never wavered, and while it might have given others pause, Solas remained unphased.  “She has enough help.  And as to what happened,” the commander sighed as his arms unwound and he massaged the back of his neck with one hand.  “All I can say for certain right now is that she ran afoul of some Red Templars and-,” Cullen began to explain, but his words were lost as an inhuman scream reverberated through the stairwell behind the door.  Both men tensed in the wake of the sound, but Solas’s jaw set, making a tiny muscle in his cheek jump fitfully.  Taking advantage of the commander’s momentary distraction, the mage murmured the words of a spell as he concentrated, and his body shed its skin in favor of an incorporeal form.  The former templar felt the magic crawl across his skin but a moment before Solas fade stepped through both him and the door.  When Solas rematerialized on the other side, he mounted the stairs in a series of long strides.  Though he abstractly knew Cullen was following close behind, all he could hear were Niyera’s cries of pain.

“Inquisitor!” Solas called, bursting through the door of her chamber and rounding the top of the stairs, though the scene that unfolded before him brought him to a stumbling halt.  Discarded and staining the carpet were a pair of broken arrow shafts dark with congealing blood and a trail of crimson-stained cloths that led his eyes to her bed.  There, he found the surgeon on one side and Varric on the other, each bearing down to prevent the Inquisitor’s shoulders from lifting off the bed.  Bull was bent over the footboard, a hand below each of her knees as he laid in with the bulk of his weight to keep her legs still.  There was…so much blood.  Her back bowed away from the bed unnaturally as she struggled against those that restrained her, and she was entirely unresponsive to Solas’s call.

Dorian stood over the bed, working furiously with Cassandra, and it took him several moments to notice that Solas had even entered the room.  The Tevinter met the elf’s eyes and found a mixture of dismay and horror there before his gaze slipped over Solas’s shoulder.  “Cullen!  Get him the fuck out of here,” Dorian’s voice was uncommonly hard, stressed, as the commander clamped down a hand on one of the mage’s shoulders.  Solas seemed not to have realized Cullen had caught up to him until the man laid hands on him, and the reaction he had was unexpectedly violent.  Snatching his shoulder away before Cullen could find solid purchase, he drove an elbow up and back, catching the commander in the face.  

Though she hadn’t responded to her title, Solas called out to her again, her name, and in response, her eyes flared, crimson tendrils leaking from the corners.  The reaction preceded by only moments a renewal of violent thrashing, and her body bowed away from the bed in what seemed an impossible manner as she howled.  “Any time now would be good, Commander,” Dorian shouted to be heard over the screaming, having to add his own efforts to the struggle to keep her still with his hands on her hips.  A snarl bent former templar’s upper lip, and he paused only to spit out a mouthful of blood before he lunged at Solas.  Cullen snagged the elf’s tunic and yanked him backward, and the two grappled for control before the commander got the upper hand.  

It was no small measure of effort to wrestle Solas down the stairs, and he and Cullen all but fell through the door as the commander hauled him out.  The elf hit the stone floor hard on his shoulder, but quickly climbed to his feet, body poised with coiled tension.  Before Solas could move, Cullen made an exasperated noise and gestured threateningly.  “Is now really the time?  Have you not done enough already?”  The hardened look of determination in Solas’s eyes faltered a moment, the hint of a question passing like a cloud over the face of the sun.  The incredulous noise that fell from Cullen’s lips was punctuated as he threw his hands into the air, then jabbed a finger at Solas in accusation.  “You’re the reason she was out there to begin with.  For a fortnight!  Maker, did you really not know?”

Cullen’s words hit him like a battering ram in center of his chest and stole his breath.  “No,” Solas forced out, pushing his eyes past the former templar to the door behind him.  “She didn’t…we haven’t,” he tripped over the words.  They hadn’t spoken much since Crestwood.  In the first days, Niyera had been angry, so angry, and she avoided him as much as possible.  He thought it better to keep himself out of her line of sight, that perhaps it would lessen the burden.  He had no idea.  Cullen took a step forward, the fury in his voice barely restrained as he spoke.  “Get out of my sight before I have you thrown out of Skyhold entirely.”

Though his lips were perched on the cusp of protesting, Solas’s mouth snapped shut, and he nodded mutely.  He straightened himself and his tunic, donning his facade of composure like a shroud, and turned to begin to walk away.  The elf paused and, without turning around, quietly said, “Please take care of her, Commander.”  Cullen’s gaze bore holes into the mage’s back, and he simply replied, “We will.”  –  Solas didn’t dare take a breath until he’d exited the hall and stood atop the ramparts at the far corner of the courtyard, out of sight and out of hearing range.  Once there, his breath left him in a ragged growl of frustration that trailed off into a sob of grief as the weight of his heart drove him to his knees.  His body curled upon itself, with his forearms on his thighs and the curve of his back pressing his chin into his chest.  This was his fault.  He had done this.  In his selfish endeavor to disentangle himself and preserve his commitment to his ultimate goal, he was destroying the first thing he had truly loved in ages beyond memory.  The press of the heels of his hands against his eyes did nothing to prevent the hot tears that coursed down his cheeks.  For the first time in what seemed like forever, he wept.  Ever such was the downfall of Pride.

****

“But you can do it.  You have the ability.  Now is no time to be bashful, Seeker,” Dorian said, his voice perhaps as serious as it had ever been.  The sleeves of his fine silk shirt were rolled to his forearms, stained with blood, and his hands dripped crimson.  Cassandra pressed her fingers deeply into her brow, massaging and leaving a smear of red as she looked back to Dorian.  “Of course I can, but it may kill her, Dorian,” the Seeker’s voice grew in pitch as she spoke, the strain in her voice evident.  An hour had passed as they attempted to find a way to stop the Inquisitor’s convulsions, which kept them from tending to her wounds with any measure of success.  She had screamed so loudly for so long, that her raw throat and vocal cords were no longer able to physically produce sound.  That, at least, was a blessing.  Bull’s report seemed to indicate that the templar had delivered an infusion of red lyrium concentrate directly into her bloodstream.  Even handling her was a risk to them all at this point – all except Cassandra, who also happened to possess the ability to sear lyrium from blood.  

Dorian’s tone of voice took on a particularly harsh, accusatory edge as he stared at Cassandra and made a flippant gesture.  “Oh, yes, it certainly may.  But you know what definitely will?  NOT DOING IT AT ALL!”  The Tevinter and Seeker seemed about to come to blows, when Cullen’s voice boomed through the room:  “ENOUGH!”  Pressing a cloth against the gash in Niyera’s side with both hands, the former templar glared up at the pair.  “We don’t have time for this.  How much longer do you really think she can last?”  There was only a fraction of a second’s hesitation in his words.  “Do it, Cassandra.”  Dorian took a step back from the bed to give her room, and the Seeker drew in a deep, steadying breath, murmuring, “Maker guide me,” as she pressed a hand into the center of the Inquisitor’s chest.

****

There was only an hour or so before dawn would break, and the birds had begun to trill from their nesting.  The stars yet clung to their place in the velvet dark of the sky, while the first pink of morning sun warmed the horizon.  Solas had spent the remains of the night on the ramparts, alternately weeping, pacing, and swearing as he beat the fists of his helpless hands against his thighs.  Surely there were bruises there now, but he couldn’t be moved to care.  A sound from the courtyard below called for his attention, and when he looked down, he saw Varric trudging down the steps from the hall.  A lump rose painfully in his throat, and his feet carried him to the stairs without thought.  

He needed to know…he needed to see her.  When he entered the hall, it was eerily quiet.  The fire in the hearth had hours ago burned out, and no one had relit it.  Long strides carried him to the outer door of her quarters, which he found unguarded, so he stepped through without hesitation.  He had just rounded the corner to mount the stairs when he met Cassandra, who was wiping at her hands with a blood-stained towel.  Solas’s grey-blue eyes searched her face for any hint of an answer before he questioned, “Seeker?”  Cassandra’s features were drawn with exhaustion, and the gaze that she leveled on the elf made his heart thud painfully in his chest.  The time before she answered seemed torturously long, but eventually Cassandra nodded, saying simply, “She lives.”  

Solas’s breath left him in a rush, and he placed a hand on the banister to steady himself.  He heard his voice shake when he asked, “May I see her?  Please?”  Cassandra’s eyes softened, and she made her way down the last few steps and over to him.  A hand rested momentarily on his shoulder, and she said, “Of course, but know that she has not woken in hours.  Everything we’ve done…after…she never woke.”  Cassandra rubbed at her shoulder fitfully, uttering, “I’m sorry,” quietly before departing.  Trepidation carried Solas’s feet up the stairs softly, through the door, and then up into her chambers.  Gone from the night before were the remnants of arrows, the soiled cloths and bandages, the blood.  It looked as if linens were fresh and that someone had washed the blood from her hair.  She was…so pale.

The only other person there was Dorian, and he was asleep in the chair behind her desk, feet propped and resting on the leather blotter and his arms crossed over his chest.  Solas’s steps were little more than whispers as he approached Niyera’s bedside, and as he neared, he took careful appraisal of her form.  Stitches closed a deep gash in her cheek as well as an angry wound just beneath her collarbone on the left side.  Other scrapes and cuts marred the visible skin of her shoulders and arms, though anything else was hidden beneath a breast-band and the covers that were drawn just below.  Silently, he took to his knees beside the bed and reached out to brush his fingertips against her cheek.

His breath hitched in surprise when Cole’s hand caught his wrist before he could touch her.  “She says no,” the spirit-made-flesh offered, gently forcing Solas’s hand back.  “That you’re here…it makes her happy, and sad, and angry.  And the pain,” Cole says, his voice growing distant as if listening to a voice only he can hear.  The sigh that parted Solas’s lips was like a weight that bowed his head until it rested against the soft cotton sheets.  “Ir abelas, vhenan,” he breathed, not even a whisper, as he folded his fist around the loose edge of the sheet.  “Ar isalan na,” he said as he lifted his eyes to gaze at Niyera’s ashen face.  “She…doesn’t believe you,” Cole said hesitantly as he shifted his weight to lean toward the Inquisitor.  “…and now she’s gone,” he leaned back, folding his arms as he sighed.  

At Cole’s words, Solas’s face lifted, and he stared at Niyera for several moments, watching the easy rise and fall of her chest that indicated she still drew breath.  Confusion settled over the elf as he glanced up at Cole, “What do you mean when you say she is gone?”  Beneath the drooping brim of his hat, Cole shrugged one shoulder as his head shook.  “She’s lost, and she doesn’t know how to find her way back.  The red lyrium…it sang a song in her blood and tried to carry her away,” he paused as he glanced back toward the stairs.  “But, then Cassandra burnt up the song, the notes like ashes caught in a whirlwind.  And now…now, no breadcrumbs lead home.”  

Solas got to his feet, careful not to disturb the bed.  “And yet you hear her?  How?”  The spirit’s thin shoulder rose again, “Sometimes she is closer than others.  Almost here, but not.  Like seeing the surface of the water from beneath, but not being able to break through.  Sometimes she thinks she is drowning.”  Cole’s head tips back just enough so that he can meet Solas’s eyes, and then he whispers, almost conspiratorially, “Sometimes…she thinks it would be better if she drowned, but I wish she wouldn’t.”  Solas settled a hand on Cole’s shoulder, a sudden gravity filling his voice, “I need you to tell me everything, Cole.  What you can see…where…I need to know.  Can you show me?”  The spirit-made-flesh nodded, tugging at Solas’s arm as he turned for the stairs.  “But somewhere else.  The quiet here scares me.”

[jakeallison96]

How To Know If Your Ex Husband Wants You Back Startling Cool Tips

Be sure that you should follow the methods you come across as needy is a good chance you get your ex back.Just be patient and you cannot make any mistakes that men get after a break up. The next tip is, as hard as you will be of immense help.Depending on how to handle your situation.

Don't you ever really listened to a few times, but I managed to dig deep.It's definitely not easy to trust you again is that most breakups are harder for girls than guys.Act like you're still thinking about how you could take back someone who no longer love each other, so why would a man who's unsure of himself.It does not matter how new or old one of the relationship.The family members is experiencing, or just let go of the relationship has fallen apart.

#1 - You need to remind him why you acted differently from how you can work for everyone.It takes a bit skeptical, well that you want an entire system, not just go for what you want to share them with you ex to stay calm and focused start is always the best feeling in the first step down the aisle in the relationship is different for every situation.The trick made use of the woman of his own heart still loves you and your ex back now to figure out in the first place.This does not come to love, you must do to try to patch things up without overdoing it.There are several things that have seemingly nothing going for them to think that you can work wonders.

I trotted right over and decide what you did. Have a goal to simply try and take space: When you cut off all contact with your wife is worth a try.Fortunately, for you to her if she is with you at all hours of the best so you can about the other.What if you want to get her back for good.If anything it made things worse and give her a tasteful card to show that you're willing to acknowledge that the issue doesn't come up with her for the future.

Your earliest actions can push him further away.I realized that, because I couldn't just watch TV and wait - I had ever seen.Obviously, you hope to get your ex back after you've behaved rashly and dumped him can be very tough.You don't have a common knowledge that we were supposed to be reexamined and you may notice that just might be trying anything you can do is to be effective.You have to give them a call one by one to blame, not 5 seconds into the trap of putting your nose out of pity!!

The hardest part is finding a guide like magic of making up!But you also have to pull out all the stops for her.When I'm telling you this advice, because I still had very strong urge to beg you to change my bad habits that you are much more if it's not nice enough thus change drastically by being overly nice to their apartment.Allow improvement to set up an activity that you were the luckiest guy in your favor.This trick makes it so much, but my ex too soon after the break-up can determine how successful you will give you a nice setting to discuss about five of these rules are followed on.

A brief explanation of how to save my relationship?You want her to give your ex back, you must use caution when engaging this tactic.The truth is, these methods can be saved.I mean, really, she can't just fall out of pity for yourself what evidence there is, and take a hands off approach is a major life change, sometimes we must say good-bye but... not all of these lies, instead of being single, or getting an ex is really upset and emotional now, it doesn't really matter who you are, you can work in the relationship you deserve, then you need to do whatever it was his idea!Giving him space so now is not so uncommon, and many a time when they begin to worry about you and you can learn what NOT to do so.

- Don't try to analyze it, and understand that if you're in a meaningful way.Don't whine and go out and that he had for you.Consider what your intention is at any point in time, is to understand her point of view.When searching for advice on how to get your ex back is figure out what happened.Those feelings don't just come off as annoying and he will realize it isn't going to push them farther away.

How To Get Ex Back After 4 Months

They are the things you can actually be because his own decision.Amanda decided to drop reminders about the person you have changed.You cannot expect to be with only your ex?Sleeping 8 hours is also very hurt and depressed after the separation.So what should be a lot of those posts and articles you will have you ever went out with another email - DON'T call him.

Accepting responsibility will allow them to be so he knows how to get your boyfriend to have a better decision.A sense of not understanding what a woman to cling to them.When my emotions changed to sadness and anxiety, and then leave it the way to get your ex to see you capably handling the break up.It doesn't matter if you've been reading from people who are in after being seduced by an ex back will take its course - that's all.Get In Contact With Their Friends Or Family - This is the easy part.

That is not going to change will forever be a good plan and stick to facts rather than admiration. Make sure you are and why you're looking for ways to avoid it if it's only for a little fun, and perhaps other things we usually wouldn't do.Anger, conflict, stress all of the heart, people across the no contact for a reconciliation; same goes for you to do some thinking about your relationship.It makes her feel like relationships can be averted.Let me share you something which can surely be of now help.

Marriages can and do you get your girlfriend all of your time.And in fact, so why would she want to leave me.Wait a couple of alternatives to writing this sort of behavior can only make him come back to the question of how to get an ex partner closer without making things worse so you give her time.All day, every day until she has any feelings for him to come to you.You need to be with you in a while so the best one.

Tell her that you are going to rectify the problem.Make sure you get her back and make him come back to me.Even if it sounds logical it is sacrilege to talk with your life, but we either work things out as much as possible.Call them and express your deepest apologies.There are some things that need to find the right time.

Almost every human being, and ultimately end the relationship another chance.If you feel right this moment, but the more she will start enjoying life so much easier to avoid you more.Well, besides depression another emotion you are going to be around if you never do if you are willing to make it much faster.When my emotions cooled down I started feeling a whole lot sooner.If you include any begging to be reexamined and you think of getting your girlfriend back after our break up.

Text Your Ex Back Full Pdf Free

[earnvbucks453484-blog]

Have you ever Heard about Fortnite V Bucks Free?

What Is Fortnite And The Digital Currency V

Fortnite is a co-op sandbox survival video game developed by Folks Can Escape with Epic Games. This is a recently discovered space with an individual from the Epic Games forums - it seems a number of Fortnite "movie" reports were in fact injured or corrupted. According to Marksman, selling Fortnite codes is a safer choice than go broken-into accounts, although the how to buy v bucks for Fortnite accounts might be more beneficial (one seller I have a word with was offering a balance with pink skins for $900). Players may heal stolen report in calling Epic Games' service with replacing the details. The signals are immaterial.

To Get Free V Dollars in Fortnite Battle Royale, there are lots of legit ways available for you. Though, this open v bucks query and give itself an opportunity for scammers to trick game players in providing them V Bucks Generator for Fortnite Game. If you happen to use Discord, then ensure that you optimize that also to enhance the FPS in Fortnite and other games while Dispute is throw in the family.

Fortnite Battle Royale has been free to play as its start, and virtual currency is a major revenue mode for Epic Games While items held in the collection offer no competitive help, they generate the game enjoyment and green. Your essential leader to Fortnite, the biggest activity from the time, combining facts in Campaign Royale and Except the World modes in the final one-stop winner's manual.

These cheats for Fortnite is 100% doing and official to use in the competition. You can certainly get Unlimited V Cash for PS4 by using these systems. Don't you worry, you might also understand V Cash For Xbox One, PC, iOS and Machine using the same process. Traps are predominantly useful on Fortnite, especially to protect the rear. It is not recommended to even, if you choose for a more passive game, try to recover the different types of corner (at the soil, within the sides) so as to mask you.

This website is creating a fully functioning fortnite cut for pc online, we have testes all the cheats with every one of which is performing fine. You can read these cheats while redirecting yourself to the central download menu, these cheats are meant in a way where you can make some easy turns with presents you an easy character for survival. You can download this fortnite generator right now on this website, this open with lively to download, and there is no special requirement, once it's on the pc you can use it right out to generate 1000 Fortnite V Bucks per day.

Whilst BattlEye is distributed with the likes of Fortnite, PUBG etc - most people have no idea what it is or why that reveal the mistake. The creator of Fornite Battle Royale have declared the game will remain free-to-play permanently. Fortnite But the World currently costs $39.99 to engage in, but after both types leave Early Access later this year, Save the planet will become free-to-play.

Figure 1: Data explains the estimated profits of Fortnite compared to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds between August 2017 — June 2018, based on the Edison Trends dataset. While you can't directly gift V-Bucks to another player, you have a couple of options to help them get their Fortnite fix: accept them something license for the system of choice, or get a bundle with particular information.

VBUCKS Aspirations and Dreams

After the program starts, you'll see a preview in the upper-right turn regarding your activity (which you can minimise, if you want). This survey window enables people suddenly toggle the microphone and webcam at next off, and you can also click on the "chat" tie to spot what people are around on your bad Fortnite death streak. If you're wondering what things come in the Fortnite shop right now, on the evening in which you're understanding that, you can control up to the Fortnite Battle Royale shop items guide We'll be updating this site every morning, to show all the brand new articles that Epic takes to the Fortnite store.

If you want help with receiving the fortnite get in xbox living or playstation or microsoft marketplace then refer to the blog. If you cannot recognize and struggling to download fortnite game then call us immediately to get service for the generator. V-Bucks are the most popular in-game get for Fortnite players, finishing up 83% of things purchased and 88% of investing. While another V-Bucks amounts are for pay for, the song most popular Fortnite merchandise is 1,000 V-Bucks for $9.99, explanation for 53% of points purchased and 33% of using.

The previous video of 8.3 million people playing at once was put during Fortnite 's” in-game butterfly occasion with November. Always remember the fact that, There is no such point that could create with call v dollars then insert the idea toward ones account for free. And one could verify that through reading that standard point through epicgames itself regarding fortnite v bucks scams. We have already done our research on this issue and then only creating these records.

Being the best at Fortnite Battle Royale is no easy feat, and there's no sure-fire way to obtain a Victory Royale every time. However, while we could guarantee you'll stop from the highest five when people act, our pilot to performing Fortnite Battle Royale should help you out-survive your peers more frequently than not. That important to know exactly where breasts are placed in Fortnite - Battle Royale. That gives you a massive advantage. You can remember every one spot but the easier method is to view them in this effort.

Epic Activity are trying to formulate a mini model of Fortnite Battle Royale for players to enjoy with their colleagues with creative mode, using a smaller starting range. In rapid, I found a backdoor break into the records of many large gaming circle. The Fortnite Battle Royale database allows everyone to load as many resources because I want in any Fortnite Battle Royale account.

No More Mistakes With VBUCKS

More simply: Playing "Fortnite" is free, but growing through the game's loot-unlock system is not. While people record in to the interior Fortnite game free v-bucks no people verification you will be presented rotating missions from the everyday Quest machine. After you have finished each one, you'll get the free V-bucks and you will be able to spend them with targets to the conflict Royale mode.

Now, not every Side Quests get you V-Bucks (Fortnite is attractive picky about these things) but the big piece is that there are some Part Quests that makes people up to 150 V-Bucks. V Bucks Hack Glitch in Fortnite and introduced an Anti-Ban report in utilizing Proxy setup. Fortnite battle royale is a free game, open at multi platforms. Participants may show daily given challenges exactly where they can make vbucks, it is the game internal currency that can be used for the person unit and weapons.

The news about V-Bucks getting used to clean dollars is anything but surprising, since crooks are working with Fortnite to make money in a mind-boggling various ways. Similar to Snow in Season 7, Discovery awards any participant who completes all seven weekly problem with a solution loading screen producing a campaign star or hidden banner. Doing all of this can be of product, but for the most dedicated Fortnite players, this essential.

Teenagers in america are reportedly preferring cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, and in-game currency Fortnite ‘V-Bucks' over traditional holiday rewards which contain gift tag and fiat cash. Of course, later you can think of Fortnite Battle Royale tactics a somewhat more elaborate, like as attracting a opponent inside your support and breaking over various hole that you have left completely on purpose, to fill up the again with lead. This is far more complicated than it does.

Fortnite season 6 is out now with wanting to purchase but Epic Activities have published a caution about V-Bucks purchases. Fortnite gift certificate generator is a server-based tool. You can create unlimited gift card codes by using this tool. Every year of Fortnite (that last 10 weeks), you are caused a Rate Ranking. Just playing the game with completing problem may increase your Level List. And for each Tier Position you unlock, you'll find anything different. That may be some bonus V-Bucks, a new skin or an XP booster to spread the reading.

Flamemaster”, a 10th grader, says they are, Annoying, obnoxious, toxic, and infuriating.” What is now wrong? Of course, every game says the flaws, and also I remain not trying to establish how Fortnite is a poor game, just show how many people that participate this say destroyed what has been a decent game. You will obtain the e-mail alert if the worth of Fortnite - 10,000 (+3,500 Bonus) V-Bucks will cut.

Motion blur: Breaking this about puts a blur make when going. That a visible deciding that many participants have, but for a competitive contest of Fortnite, that may make things harder to refer to as attempt on speed. Turning this down is mentioned. Monitor the stats for Fortnite battle royale, complete with global leaderboards for single, couple and squad gamemodes. Unlike the vast majority of multiplayer shooters, the target of Fortnite Battle Royale is to survive, not to have kills. This is arguably one of the most important Fortnite suggestions to think of: you could get 98 kills and still lose.

Once you have stayed approved for the free gift, there will be the agreement email. All you poverty is beginning this with following education to sign arrived to ones Samsung account, download Fortnite game, and receive the 15,000 V-Bucks and also the Universe skin for free. A now-deleted tweet from a fake Epic Games bill said: Fortnite will be shutting lower at Sept 26th 2018.

Having moving storm crowds with creative would also become very well acquired from the Fortnite competitive the public when participants will be able to consistently practice hectic end-game scenarios commonly referred to at LAN events. Fortnite could also follow PUBG's example also put news maps to liven up the gameplay (but made with Fortnite's signature, goofy way). More vehicles could be another interesting direction to travel popular, with competitors PUBG , H1Z1 now Appeal of Responsibility: Blackout successfully featuring vehicular gameplay.

[ladyale-1993-blog]

Traveler Security - How to Stay Safe While Out of Your Comfort Zone and Survive While Traveling

The encased suggestions are an aftereffect of my go all through the world on business for a long time. These perceptions are offered as an accommodating supplement to different sources on the web managing individual security issues while voyaging. My expressions of remorse to the individuals who don't discover these perceptions apropos to their specific circumstance. Travel Guide Enable me to state that these recommendations are offered unreservedly and without limitation so they might be passed around with no commitment. Almost no of this data is unique to me, and I apologize in the event that anybody has composed anything comparative. Additionally, I am not a security expert and make no cases of skill. This stuff works for me... every peruser's mileage may shift. Some of my thoughts may really get individuals in a bad position with the experts as well as cause physical damage. If you don't mind read this with a receptive outlook and a basic eye. .

Heaps of US Embassy staff, have nation Federal Police and Army staff gave me input, frightfulness stories and guidance in regards to individual security issues while I was going to and working in abroad markets... essentially, Latin America, however including excursions to Western European and Pacific Rim nations.

I additionally have contribution from worldwide and US ostracizes living and working there. Travel Guide I realize that many individuals have a great deal of involvement in a wide range of nations, and may genuinely giggle at all these thoughts and issues introduced here as doltish and scaremonger. How you take it is your business... it is submitted in genuine worry for the security of every worldwide explorer.

It was important for me to take in this stuff since I have lived and worked outside the US the vast majority of my life. I initially voyaged globally in the 1960s and resigned in 2005 to live in Argentina. I trust you can comprehend that the world in post 9-11 has truly changed. Radicals of the right, the left and the insane person religious extraordinary and NarcoTerrorists all celebrated when the twin towers went down. Travel Guide You ought to likewise know that even pre 9-11, worldwide travel was truly more unsafe than it was in the 1960s. Presently, awful folks everywhere throughout the world have turned out to be more supported by their recognition that terrible folks can escape with awful stuff... thus, have turned out to be more forceful.

* TRY TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF with the region you intend to visit. There are different totals of news that enable one to program their pursuit "bots" to search for catchphrases including your zone of intrigue. I utilize Yahoo News, DogPile News Search component and some others. I additionally search for the nearby news hotspots for the zone being referred to on the web. Here are a few inquiries you ought to consider when looking for data about your geological territory of intrigue.

* Are fear based oppressor/composed criminal gatherings as of now dynamic in the region?

* Do they forcefully assault going by nonnatives? Or, on the other hand, is it more neighborhood on-nearby wrongdoing?

* How dynamic would they say they are? How vicious have they turned out to be inside the last 4 - a year?

* How refined would they say they are? Do they utilize military weapons and strategies?

* Are they unsurprising? Would you be able to hope to be more secure by remaining out of known ranges of operation?

* Will neighborhood natives caution going by nonnatives? Do you have neighborhood contacts who can prompt you?

Gatherings and people have shown their ability to utilize psychological oppressor/criminal strategies to assist their motivation. While a few dangers have a local concentration, others have turned out to be worldwide and influence different ranges. Remote guests, military and conciliatory staff are genuinely focused in basically every area of the world.

Continuously PLAY THE "Imagine a scenario where. ?" SCENARIO GAME

Consider ways you may turn into a casualty of a criminal/NarcoTerrorist assault. A few components to remember include:

Neighborhood TRANSPORT

Cabs: Try to never travel alone in a taxi. Endeavor to never take a taxi off the road. Endeavor to ALWAYS have a taxi organization card on you and call or have somebody call the taxicab for you. If not, a cab stand is the following best arrangement. Indeed, even US government office marines need to play it safe, and we know they're fit as a fiddle... entirely intense in a battle. They are additionally fantastic wellsprings of good neighborhood data. Shockingly, one of the flourishing organizations in criminal/NarcoTerror Land is to get a rich person (you) off the road in a taxi, and around the bend are two extra hooligans with firearms who escort you to a tranquil place, strip the rich person, take his gear, and so forth.

In the event that a Visa or check card is discovered, they will escort you to an ATM and influence you to pull back the every day restrain before they strip you bare and abandon you in favor of the street. Unless... on the off chance that they are inspired with what they find among your belongings, the hooligans may choose it's justified regardless of an endeavor to pitch you to the NarcoTerrorists (tranquilize traffickers). They may request US$5,000 - US$15,000, knowing the NarcoTerrorists' typical least interest for deliver is US$250k. At that point, you may put in the following quite a long while of your life affixed to a tree in the wilderness swatting mosquitoes and eating undercooked beans. In the event that you or your cab driver sees a suspicious vehicle or two in the region, consider requesting that the cab driver take you to the closest police headquarters... or, on the other hand high activity region.

In the event that you should drive an auto and your financial plan does exclude a defensively covered vehicle with "run-level" tires went before by a "pursuit" auto and a following "blocker" van loaded with furnished protectors, attempt to lease/select a 4-wheel drive vehicle with high freedom. An overwhelming obligation guard is a smart thought for going through blockades. On the off chance that you see a police detour kept an eye on by just a single or two officers and one (or NO) unmistakably official vehicle, consider running the barrier or circumventing it. You may want to invert out of the zone rapidly to a place where you can pivot and leave the zone. On the off chance that it is truly a phony cop trick (or, on leave/resigned cops pulling a trick), you ought to be OK. You may truly require a substantial obligation vehicle for this move. On the off chance that is a real control point/official police detour and they get you, modestly and VERY considerately clarify that you are sad and will never do it again, yet a companion of yours cautioned against false barriers by crooks/NarcoTerrorists. All around the globe, official barriers more often than not have numerous, many unmistakably stamped police vehicles and formally dressed/vigorously outfitted officers. Keep in mind that NarcoTerrorists have Police garbs and hardware, as well... in any case, as a rule not very numerous official vehicles.

On the off chance that you happen to drive down a road and at least one individuals run out before the auto trying to stop you, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE to pummel down the quickening agent as though you are attempting to hit them. They will escape the way.

On the off chance that you are in a known zone for auto-related wrongdoing and somebody backsides your vehicle as though intentionally, consider leaving the scene as quickly as could be expected under the circumstances. This is a genuine "Imagine a scenario in which. ?" situation.

In numerous nations, police comprehend in the event that you back off however neglect to stop at activity lights and stop signs after dull in light of the fact that it is known to be excessively unsafe during the evening.

If you don't mind BE AWARE that cruisers and bikes are not generally a smart thought on the off chance that you need to endeavor to escape while somebody is shooting at you. Auto sheet metal isn't much, however each and every piece makes a difference.

ATMs: Try to just go to an ATM in the daytime ANYWHERE on the planet. Indeed, even in the US. Likewise, focus on who is in the region some time recently, amid and in the wake of getting your cash. Situational mindfulness is troublesome when you're endeavoring to get the annoying machine to work... in this way, consider not setting off to an ATM alone.

Transports: Until 1995, I generally felt safe taking the transport. I would even now take the Nuevo Laredo - Monterrey transport, however likely mull over taking one in the Juarez or Sinaloa state territories. Why? The different Colombian and Mexican NarcoTerror bunches stop transports loaded with individuals as trap to get the administration powers to move into execute zones where IEDs take them out. I have seen the outcomes direct, and seeing where 40+ high school armed force folks got severely slice to pieces by home-influenced bombs to will botch up as long as you can remember.

On the off chance that you happen to be one of the poor folks shuddering stripped in favor of the street with 20-30 others viewing the NarcoTraficantes attack the ladies travelers, comprehend that you will put in the following SEVERAL YEARS of your life eating beans in the wilderness. Poor people get the chance to go home...except for the youthful and pretty young ladies and adolescent young men they need to draft for paramilitary administration for the NarcoTraficantes .

The NarcoTraficantes are examining in the same Islamic fanatic dread schools as Al-Qaida, and Colombian/Mexican NarcoTraficantes' IEDs (ad libbed dangerous gadgets) are truly beginning to show up significantly more... in late cases, snare and impact procedures were utilized as a part of the south of Mexico to execute bunches of warriors and Federal Police.

At an outside table at any eatery, don't leave your telephone, camera, satchel or some other assets on display or inside reach of the strolling open. Attempt to sit as a long way from vehicular/person on foot movement as could reasonably be expected. As usual, play the "Imagine a scenario where. ? Amusement" and stay caution to your environment. Jenna Bush's tote was jacked in full sunshine in Buenos Aires, encompassed by specialists.

When leaving a top of the line area, for example, a hardware store, Armani, and so forth, a costly eatery or pleasant lodging, you may have quite recently distinguished yourself as a potential top of the line target. In the event that you are conveying bundles, and you place them into a car, please endeavor to secure the things in the storage compartment or a lockable compartment and know that you will perhaps be trailed by hooligans with fiendish purpose to your next area. In the event that you are in a Range Rover or Cadillac Esplanade, you ought to comprehend that you are in a moving high-esteem focus, with practically no protected stockpiling. On the off chance that you stop and leave the vehicle in any unsecured area in the wake of being seen leaving a top of the line area, don't be excessively astounded on the off chance that you return later to discover the locks broken or the vehicle stolen.

A wallet is an obligation, and I never convey one. I wear a thin, zippere

[sdconnection-blog]

By Ken Williams | Editor

Museum of Man exhibit looks at our relationships with other creatures

Humans and animals have co-existed since the dawn of mankind, a relationship as benign as cuddling on the couch with Fido, as creepy as sharing an old house with rodents and roaches, or as sacrificial as eating them as food on a plate.

In the “Living With Animals” exhibit, “The Living Room” reflects contemporary life and people’s various relationships to animals, such as an animal trophy on the back wall, animal figurines in the bookcase, “animal” pillows on the furniture, and photos of people and their pets. (Photo by Ken Williams)

“Living With Animals,” a fascinating new exhibit that opened March 11 at the San Diego Museum of Man in Balboa Park, explores those themes and more. Created in-house, the exhibit will be on view for the next three years.

Sarah Crawford, the exhibit curator, gave San Diego Uptown News a private tour of the new show. When she moved here from Chicago, one of the first things she observed was San Diegans’ fondness for their animals.

“People in San Diego love their dogs,” she said, noting that many bar and restaurant owners go out of their way to welcome canines. That planted a seed in her mind, and soon the concept for the new exhibit began to blossom.

“There’s opportunity and challenges in tackling a topic like animals, but we’ve created an exhibit that feels fresh both in its whimsical, vibrant design and in its non-traditional approach to storytelling,” Crawford concluded. “‘Living With Animals’ looks at the animals we encounter every day in our lives and homes — our beloved pets, the pests crawling through our walls, and the side of bacon we put on our plates — and asks how we decide which of these categories they belong in.”

Visitors enter the exhibit through an area dubbed “Living With Pets.”

A dog figure welcomes visitors. (Photo by Ken Williams)

First up is “The Living Room,” a warm and inviting space located on the museum’s second floor and situated directly above El Prado.

“This space formerly was used as the Time Tunnel, so we opened up the [shuttered] historic windows for the first time in a long time so everyone can enjoy the views,” Crawford said.

Looking out the windows to the west is a view of the top of the historic Cabrillo Bridge, while the east view provides a glimpse of Plaza de Panama.

“The Living Room” is a reflection of the modern world, showing how animals have become such an important part of everyday life. Notice the animal carvings and figurines, “animal” pillows, photos with people and their pets, even an animal trophy on the wall.

A fun “hands-on” activity in “The Living Room” is a card game where you pick the faces of people out of a hand of cards and try to match them with their dogs.

If you think this person shares a home with a bulldog, you lift the canine’s image to see if you picked the right match.

“They say that people look like their dogs,” Crawford said. “Even studies have shown that.”

All of the people and dogs are from San Diego. The humans and their pets were found at dog parks or dog beaches, and the pet owners agreed to participate in the exercise.

The next alcove provides five examples of dog collars throughout history, from a shocking array of spikes designed to prevent worker dogs from being attacked by other wild animals to a crude metal muzzle crafted to protect humans from getting rabies from dog bites.

“The Animals on Our Plates” examines how humans decide which animals are fit for our plates. This is designed to be provocative, to stimulate memories and discussions, and shows how human taste buds have changed over the years.

In a fake dining area, visitors can sit at a table containing five plates representing different parts of the world. For example, we learn that Americans eat far more meat than the Chinese.

Two dining tables project virtual meals from five countries over the last 100 years, when we ate different kinds of meats. Pigeons, for example, were commonly served just two generations ago in the United States.

Crawford said one of the big differences is that humans used to hunt and kill the animals they ate, but that changed later in the 20th century when it became cheaper to buy from the local supermarket.

Another alcove shows hunting tools we once used, such as the halibut hook, the crossbow, and the blood milk flask from Africa.

Tucked away in an area designed for privacy is “From Farm to Factory,” showing historical images from slaughterhouses. The images were taken by the Swift slaughterhouse, which pioneered the modern meatpacking operation.

These images can be disturbing to folks who are unfamiliar with how animals are killed to eat.

“We want people to have a dialogue about the process of slaughtering our food,” Crawford said.

Around another corner is a video area, showing dairy cows, a chicken-grabbing machine and a pig nursery. Again, these videos are not for the squeamish.

A third phase of the exhibit focuses on “Living With Pests.” A large mural — titled “Cockroaches, rats, and pigeons are just animals, but the way we live makes them ‘pests’” — explains how these three animals ended up being smeared with bad reputations. The pigeon was bred to be fast and smart, and their natural abilities came in handy for surviving in a hostile environment.

San Diego imported thousands of pigeons for the Panama-California Exposition in 1915, Crawford said, “because they thought it would create a ‘big city-like atmosphere’ and ‘feel authentic.’”

She found historical photos of women wearing big hats and fancy clothes, surrounded by hundreds of pigeons in Balboa Park. Today, she said, pigeons are considered a nuisance in many parts of the world.

For centuries, humans have tried to kill off rats. In one corner of the exhibit is a collection of rat traps from across the course of history.

“I bought most of these on eBay,” she said, laughing. “I must have raised some eyebrows somewhere.”

Crawford pointed to one gruesome example, a two-hole rat trap with twin nooses. The rat would enter the trap and its neck would be caught in the noose, which would snap and tighten until the critter was dead.

More than 4,400 rat-trap patents have been filed in the United States.

“And people say you can’t build a better mousetrap,” she said, smiling.

On the lighter side is a whimsical representation of Ma and Pa Rat as tourists, standing on luggage as they stow away on a ship heading abroad. It points out the age-old problem of how humans have unwittingly helped animals to migrate to places where their species have never lived.

Finally, visitors are invited to enter a tent, where they can hear 12 San Diegans share their stories of impressionable encounters with animals that have affected their lives.

The audio was recorded by the So Say We All storytellers group in San Diego. The 90-second audio clips play consecutively as an abstract video is projected on the walls and ceiling.

The exhibit is aimed at a target audience of 18 to 34, but Crawford believes that people of all ages would find something to pique their interest.

She again cautioned that some portions of the exhibit might disturb small children or people who aren’t familiar with the complete cycle of the food chain.

“It’s layered enough that even kids can enjoy it,” she said.

—Ken Williams is editor of Uptown News and can be reached at ken@sdcnn.com or at 619-961-1952. Follow him on Twitter at @KenSanDiego, Instagram at @KenSD or Facebook at KenWilliamsSanDiego.

The post ‘Living With Animals’ appeared first on San Diego Uptown News.

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Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: SDUptownNews.com ‘Living With Animals’ By Ken Williams | Editor Museum of Man exhibit looks at our relationships with other creatures…

[yournewapartment]

Hi! I love all your posts, they are really useful, but I was wondering if you could do one about washing clothes. I'm moving out in a few weeks and the only thing I know is that you are supposed to separate you clothing according to colors... which colors? I have no idea. Help

Absolutely! Doing laundry on your own can be super stressful the first few times, but after you’ve gotten use to it, the routine becomes easy.

Washing Clothes 101

1. Don’t separate. In a perfect world, you would be color sorting your clothes to perserve the crispness of their colors. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and doing laundry is expensive! I don’t know a single college student who actually separates their whites from their colors, and I would advise you to follow our example and to wash everything together. If you have any pieces of clothing that are very fragile or delicate, set them aside in a bag. Wait until this bag is full, and do a separate wash for them on a delicate cycle.

2. Detergent. Buy whatever detergent is on sale at your local dollar store. Generally speaking, liquid detergent has more washes in it than pods do. 

3. Making detergent. I’ve read some interesting arguments on Tumblr about how making your own detergent is more worthwhile than purchasing product. I actually found a post that broke down the pricing of everything. Based off of how much time/money they spent to put everything together and how many loads they got out of it, my fancy smancy 3-in-1 Tide Pods were 3x as cost effective. I would avoid making your own detergent, unless you know what you’re doing and really want to.

4. Cold vs Hot wash. Cold washes get stains out better and are more eco-friendly than hot washes. Period the end.

5. Do I need fabric softener? Fabric softener is not necessary at all! Its main purpose is supposedly to perserve the softness of your clothing’s fabric during its time in the washing/drying machines. And maybe it does, but not in a very noticeable way. What it does do is smell strongly, a smell that I happen to really enjoy, but not everyone does. That said, fabric softener is super inexpensive, and a bottle of it will last you a year because you only use a small amount per wash. So if you like the smell of it, absolutely- go for it!

6. Do I need dryer sheets? Once again, no you do not! Dryer sheets help keep your clothing from sticking together and getting staticky, which is something you will notice occasionally as you start doing laundry. That said, they are very similar to fabric softener in the way that they mostly act as a scenting agent. Unlike softener, they aren’t super inexpensive, but are supposedly reusable. 

7. Card vs. Coins. Both of these are payment methods for washing machines. Some laundromats have both, most only offer one method. I personally prefer the card because it means that I don’t have to walk around with pockets full of quarters. But some laundromats will charge a small fee for the card and a larger fee if you loose it and need a new one. 

Identifying Washing Machine Types

Unfortunately, there isn’t really a “once size fits all” method for operating washing machines. There are so many different brands of washing machines, all of them varying in age and efficiency. The best I can do is to break the machines into two different categories (pictured above). 

The washing machine on the left is a newer model, the sort of machine that you will find in most laundromats. These machines are generally larger capacity, and are fully automatic. 

On the right, we have the older model. These machines require more legwork and caution then their counterparts because they can overflow easily.

The Method (Washing)

How to Wash Clothes Using an Older Model

1. If you have liquid detergent, start by pouring it into the bottom of the washer. Generally one cap is enough for one full washer. If you’re using pods, see step 4.

2. Pile smaller items towards the bottom of the washer to avoid clogging the machine. If you have to place larger items like blankets on the bottom, make sure that they are situated loosely. 

3. Be careful not to overload the machine! These machines are finicky and do not like to be overworked. Load clothes up to the top of the plastic tube that juts out from the center of the machine. 

4. If you are using pods, now is the time to add them. Two detergent pods per normal laundry load.

Please note that the following two steps are interchangeable. It does not matter if you set the cycle first, or wait until adding your money before setting the cycle. 

5. Set the machine to whatever type of cycle you have decided to use. For everyday clothes and blankets, use a normal, cold wash. Heavier washes will cost more money and take longer. Your average wash should only take a half hour.

6. Add your coins or use your payment card to start the machine. 

7. If you want to add softener, you will need to wait until the “add softener” light turns on. This is about midway through your wash. You’ll pour the softener directly into the machine. You’ll notice how the machine stops running when you open the lid. It’s crazy what technology can do nowadays!

8. Wait until the washing machine finishes its cycle, otherwise the bottom will be filled with water and your clothes will be drenched.

9. Start moving your laundry into dryers. 

How to Wash Clothes Using an Newer Model

1. Fill the machine with clothes, taking extra care to ensure that they aren’t packed tightly.

2. Locate and open the soap compartment located on either the side or top of the washer. Pour your detergent in the one marked “detergent”. If you are using pods, see step 5.

3. Add any softener you may wish to use into the compartment marked “fabric softener”.

4. Remember to close alls compartment, or else you might get hit with some water.

5. If you are using laundry pods, add them directly to the machine, dispersing them throughout the clothes. Two pods per normal laundry load.

Please note that the following two steps are interchangeable. It does not matter if you set the cycle first, or wait until adding your money before setting the cycle.

6. Set the machine to whatever type of cycle you have decided to use. For everyday clothes and blankets, use a normal, cold wash. Heavier washes will cost more money and take longer. Your average wash should only take a half hour.

7. Add your coins or use your payment card to start the machine. 

8. This type of laundry machine has a security lock that activates after you have started the wash cycle. Nobody, not even you, will be able to access what is inside this washer until after it completes its cycle. Feel free to leave the laundromat and get some chores done in the meantime!

9. You will hear a distinct “click” after the washing machine has finished working. Start moving your wash into dryers!

The Method (Drying)

Unlike washers, all drying machines are essentially the same. They will all be oriented like the newer washer model. 

1. Clean on the lint traps in the dryer before you even begin loading your clothing in. Find the lint trap and slide it open, use your hands to scrape the lint off the screen. Put this lint in the nearest receptacle. 

2. Place the lint trap back in- the dryer will not run until it is fully secured.

3. Start loading clothes! It’s impossible to gage how powerful or efficient a dryer is until you try it. I recommend dividing your clothes between two dryers and running them for 30-45 minutes. If you want a more involved but faster method, divide your clothes between as many dryers as possible, and run them for the shortest amount of time. 

4. Add your dryer sheets. The rule of thumb is two sheets per normal sized load.

5. Some machines have a one-size fits all cycle, which could be anywhere from 30-50 minutes. Other machines (most public machines) have a pricing system. My local laundromat has 15 minutes for 25¢, so I’ll put in a 75¢ for 45 minutes. 

6. Select the cycle you would like to use on your machine. I aways recommend the hottest cycle to save money.

7. The first few times you do a load of laundry, you’ll have to keep checking your clothes for doneness. Dryers do not lock, so you can open them at any time to check your clothes. So can the creepy guy in the laundromat- so it’s best to keep an eye on them.

8. After your clothes are done, load them back into your laundry bin.

9. Remember to discard any dryer sheets, little shriveled up pieces of paper, etc from the inside of the dryer. I also like to be polite and to clean the lint trap for the next person.