#ch: casper darling

[waterdeep]

DOCTOR CASPER DARLING IN CONTROL (2019)

[sunny-adorkable]

When he recruited me out of college, he actually came to visit.  He interrupted my physics course by shouting “not quite, professor!”                and then marched down to the front of the class where he proceeded to berate the very idea of the “laws” of Thermodynamics. Dr.Darling usually likes to unveil his latest breakthrough in big presentations. He’s been a Showboat all of his life.

-Emily Pope, Control (2019)

[loversandantiheroes]

Who is in your Case History: The Movie cast?

Oh wow.  I’d like to say this is a thing I already have mapped out, but in all honesty I have so much trouble pinning down a singular good fit for these characters.  Like I’ve got five or six guys now that are in my “Reminds me of Harvey” list for various reasons, some as simple as mustache + anxiety, or the correct build.  The biggest one is still Matthew Porretta purely because of Casper Darling, but he’s significantly older than CH!canon Harvey, so it’s not 100%.  The farmer’s also tough, though if we’re using Flax as a proxy (which is basically true), the closest person I’ve found in appearance is Eleanor Tomlinson, though like...maybe Margot Robbie with a decent ginger dye job?  That feels like the appropriate level of “can give people shit and also run a farm” to me.

God, now I’m just stuck trying to work out who’d be a good Shane...gotta nail down that intersection of short, scruffy, and grumpy, but also funny.

This question is so much harder than it looks, lmao.

[muses-darling]

Fire & Fury - A Star Wars AU - Ch.12 Malachor V

Ships of Sith and Jedi landed on the planet each attempting to stop the other. Fighting in futility. Sith Troopers, Sith Inquisitors, Sith Warriors, Republic Troopers, Jedi Knights, Jedi Masters all fighting in a flash of violence as the war was coming to a tumultuous head. War was ugly, war was brutish, it needed to end. Hades moved through with the darkness in Kit’s mind the darkness that had filled it was not meant to be there. There were parts of him that had become shut off in the wake of it all. 

“Kit?” 

The sound of approaching footsteps alerted Hades to the presence of new comers. He stood turning ready to fight them off but stopped as he saw the approach of the exact people he needed. “Crowley! Aziraphale! Harper and Ben!” He was certain he had never been more happy to see the four of them. “You’re alive.”

“No thanks to you and your lot.” Crowley gestured to the sky above.

“The war has to come to an end.” Hades looked them over.

“Is he dead?” Ben asked looking at Kit who lay on the ground.

“Thankfully no,” Hades looked to Kit, “HK’s got a wonderful shot, incapacitated him.”

“Oh well that’s wonderful could have mentioned that when we let him aboard.” Crowley looked to Kit on the ground. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Hades admitted. “I don’t know in the time I’ve been separated from him. Something is wrong. There is so much more darkness than light.” 

Aziraphale and Crowley shared a look.

“Either way I don’t think we have much time, we need to get off this planet and fast then away from here. With the lot of you.”

“Oh no you’re not dying not now that you have reunited with Kit.”

“I’ve got to end this, before it is too late.”

“Hades you can’t just-”

“-I can and I will.” Hades glared at Aziraphale. “I am an Emperor. I do as I please. Now get him off of here, leave I’ve some unfinished business to attend to.” Hades watched the star fighter enter the stratosphere. “But leave Casper, I need him still.”

“Haven’t you tormented him enough?”

“I need him to end this. Unless you want this war to continue?”

Crowley sighed watching Azirphale take Kit. “Fine, fine! Just let the poor bastard live.”

“I intend too.” Hades watched them go. 

_

Darth Ceres approached where Hades stood with Casper, “I believe you are needed Engineer.”

“Am I?” Casper asked.

“Cheeky boy! He built a biometric bypass into the remote.”

“I know he did, I suggested it.”

“Why?”

“Because traitorous witch, I know your tricks all to well, you think yourself so clever, but in all actuality you are only as clever as the backend of a Nerf.” Hades watched her seethe where she stood.

“Where is Darth Kore?”

“Oh you mean Kit? Nasty work you’ve done with him will be hard to undo, but rest assured you won’t live to see it reversed. You’ve hurt that man for the last time. You’ve betrayed me for the last time and you won’t succeed in killing my engineer.” Hades walked up to her. “Now then draw your blade or accept your death vile woman, for I have come to lay you low. Casper get to her ship and wait there.”

“You think I won’t kill him all I need is-” 

“Him alive? Yes I’m well aware of needing his biometrics that require him to have a very specific range of temperature the one humans’ have when alive.” Hades drew his blades once more igniting them. “I’m going to enjoy killing you.”

“Not if you die first.” She hissed her lightsaber whip igniting as she lashed out at Hades. 

Hades brought up one blade watching the end catch around it and feeling her pulling him towards her. Using the force to ground himself where he stood he clenched his teeth before pulling the woman close throwing his lightsaber with the force sending her all the way to him moving to impale her on his blade. 

A blade ignited in Hades’ peripherals, Kit stood as Crowley lay in Aziraphale’s arms a silent cry of rage on the light haired man’s face. “Sorry to keep you Mother.”

“Good boy now be a dear and help me kill Hades won’t you?” Darth Ceres looked at Kit.

“With pleasure.”

“Kit,” Hades spoke brokenly. “Please come to your senses.”

“Why? What’s the fun in that darling?” Kit asked him nearing him. “Kit.” Hades watched Kit come closer feeling his heart beat race with every step. He would not fight him not here not now. “Kit.” He backed away from him.

“Aww what’s that Ignis? Afraid of dying by his hand? Looks like even the great Ignis has something to be afraid of.” Darth Ceres walked closer as she neared Hades and Kit she looked to Kit. “Do it, kill and be done with this.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Kit said a terrible smile on his face before his eyes became green and he turned thrusting his lightsaber into Ceres or what had been where she was standing. 

Darth Ceres landed behind Hades with the agility of a cat, “Do you really think I became a Lady of the Sith by not seeing betrayals coming a mile away BOY?” She sneered throwing up her hand and pushing Kit far into a tree.

“I don’t think it worked Crowley,” Aziraphale said watching Kit fly backwards. “We may have to step in ourselves.” 

Crowley sighed kissed Aziraphale getting up drawing his lightsaber. “Get the bloody ship ready for us for the moment we leave.”

“But-” Ben started before Harper pulled him away from the shuttle ramp. 

Hades watched the shuttle with Kit leave unable to help himself needing to know his love was safe.

“You really should keep focused dear,” Darth Ceres grasped him in her hand before slamming her knee into him. 

Hades dropped with a gasp watching her whip come back to life as it reached her. 

Darth Ceres pulled back the whip before throwing the length in Hades’ direction with a snap. Her Cortosis gloves allowing her to touch the blade and guide it to where it needed to go. “A shame you were once the most powerful Sith now look at you kneeling before me.” She stood over him a cat playing with the proverbial mouse smile on her face. “As you always should have.”

Hades once more caught the whip length on his blade using the force to summon his other blade back to him as he saw the terrain behind her. He stood rushing her once more pulling her length back with the one blade and sending it back from her towards a tree. She was pulled back due to her grip on the blade. 

Darth Ceres landed hard watching as Hades closed the distance she brought up a shoto sized lightsaber. “What nothing to say?” She asked as she stood up with a laugh. “I can only wonder what is going through that mind of yours. You can’t possibly conceive a plan where you come out on top! Let alone alive.” 

Hades used the force to push her at her then reached for a rock pulling it towards her tripping her again. Lightning moved along his body as his anger twisted in the force wrapping the energy around him.  They fought hard and long their distance from the ship growing farther and farther as they moved along the terrain.

-

Kit sat up as Aziraphale and Crowley reached him. “Hades?”

“Can finish this, we need to get you back to the ship,” Aziraphale pulled out a bacta pack pressing it to the wound at Kit’s side. “Come on dear boy.” 

Crowley silenced any further protest from Kit and helped him stand. “Come on I think we can still watch for your beloved’s safety from the ship.”

-

Casper looked at HK-47 who seemed to be watching through the scope on his blaster. “Isn’t he your master and aren’t you supposed to he helping him?”

HK-47 didn’t look at him but replied, “Statement: There are more than one ways to shut a meatbag up who breaks your focus, shall I demonstrate one of them on you?”

“N-no please don’t,” Casper said somehow becoming a shade paler.

“Reply: then don’t be one of those meatbags.”

-

Hades looked up at Ceres, “You know have I ever had HK-47 tell you what love is?” 

Ceres looked at him, “What?”

“HK-47 what is the definition of love?” Hades asked pulling out his comm.

“Definition: 'Love' is making a shot to the knees of a target 120 kilometers away using an Aratech sniper rifle with a tri-light scope... Love is knowing your target, putting them in your targeting reticule, and together, achieving a singular purpose against statistically long odds." HK-47 said as his sniper blaster went off.

Ceres’ body jerked as her knee was utterly and devastatingly destroyed. 

Hades smiled, “I think everyone should know what love is before they die.” Hades reached a hand into the thick mass of her hair dragging her. “You made me suffer, you attempted to take Kit and twist him up into someone he is not, what kind of Mother does that to her own son?” He asked using the force to keep her from moving. Ceres attempted to speak. “Shhhh-shhhh-shhh-shhh, don’t speak it’s better for you if you learned to let other’s talk instead, I’ve not quite finished what I have to say.” He made her look up at him with the force. “I want you to be alive when this planet goes off. I want you to feel the whole of the experience many above will only be able to imagine.” Hades grinned at her there was few times where he let himself give into the violence especially after marrying Kit but there was something about Ceres that made his blood boil. “Just remember the force is in all things.” Hades told her. “But not you,” He closed his eyes and reached out in the force doing as he had with Kit to seal away the darkness in him then to restore his memories but for her, he sealed the force completely from her. 

Ceres sat there in dumb silence. 

“Finally you have no words with which to speak. I cannot imagine a more terrible thing than the fate you have been sentenced, but an equally terrible person should get such a fate.” Hades turned from her and walked away to the ship, “Shall we?”

They made their way aboard the Flag Ship watching the ships fight in the fray from a very great distance. 

-

Alucard looked at the cluster of Sith ships that had not once made their way into battle. “Sonething’s not right.” 

“I’ll say,” Honey felt it too, something. “We need to get away from all of this!” She fired a turret blast watching a Sith fighter blow up. “Now!”

“Agreed.” Alucard looked at the Sith flag ship there was something on it. “What is that? The device attached to the nose of the ship?” He turned on the comm. “Sir I think the Sith have something-”

“-Never mind what it is keep fighting that is an order.”

“But-” Alucard started something felt wrong in the force. 

“I said-” The com cut as the ship exploded.

Alucard watched as one of the Republic command ships disintegrated in the space before them. “Well he conscripted us now he is gone, I say we leave.” 

“I second,” Honey looked at him. “We did our part. I don’t know about you but I’m tired of this war.”

“As am I.” Alucard leaned the controls back and fought his way from the Sith and the Republic to where they could get away from all of it. 

-

Hades looked to Casper, “Now do what you must do this war must come to an end, swiftly.”

“And if I refuse?” Casper asked.

“Then this war will continue until the galaxy is destroyed, either way those on that planet are already dead.” Hades told him. “Either in what will come next or the battles to come with your refusal.” 

Casper looked at him, then nodded before reaching forward and pressing his hand to the biometric scanner. “I will not press the button.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Hades told him before pressing the button watching as energy arched up from the planet all around. The ship they were on moved forward. The ships around the planet or near it all buckled, smashed or were destroyed as the planet broke before the gravity pulled it back along with the ships into a tight mass held together. 

If one thought that Hades felt nothing in regards to any of this, they were wrong, but he also knew that all of those who survived this day would also have felt it. It would cause them all to question why they continued fighting it had too! This war had become senseless violence. Hades had, had his fill of bloodshed, he felt it all, every last one of those on the planet, in the ships all of it a terrible feeling in the force. There was only one way to end this. 

“So now that it is done?” Casper asked.

“You are free to go about your life whatever planet you wish, I will personally see to it that you are sent there.” He reached up in the force and smiled. “Though you won’t remember this. I can’t have you remembering any of it. The Republic will blame you, you will blame yourself, not fair really.” Hades smiled then looked to where Kit was. “So now you see the monster you have married.” 

Kit looked at Hades a face of sadness and anguish, he went to Hades, “Why?”

“Because the war must end, one way or another.” 

“And you have become judge and executioner?” Kit asked.

“If that is what you believe I have made myself.” Hades said softly. “An Emperor must do what is best for his people.” 

Kit walked over to Hades, “I want to hate you, I want to, I want to despise you! I can’t, I just can’t.” Kit said sobbing into Hades’ arms. “I can’t, I still love you.” 

“As I love you.” Hades said wrapping his arms around Kit. “I always will.”

Kit frowned, “Hades what are you doing?”

“Keeping you safe........” 

Hades opened his eyes looking at the truth of what had transpired. He had fought Ceres with HK-47′s help, removed her connection with the force found a Sith shuttle together and piloted it off of the planet to the Sith Ship. Once there he made his way to the bridge to see Kit still seething in the darkside forcing Casper, who had gone aboard Crowley’s ship to wait, to unleash the terrible weapon the planet had become. Then the overwhelming pain of Malachor V being destroyed had kept Hades down it had taken Kit down too the level of pain in the force as so many were wiped out. Hades had come out of it perhaps his longer time with the darkside had helped in some masochistic way. Hurrying to Kit’s side he reached with the force changing Kit’s memories, then Casper’s. Neither would remember the events as they had happened. In regards to Kit he had added the fake memory of Kit plotting with Crowley and Aziraphale, the fake memory on the bridge of arguing too.

“Hades?” Kit asked his bright green eyes opening as the darkside left him and all memory leading up the moment on board after Hades had taken him out on Malachor V was altered.

Hades murmured softly. “I’m keeping you safe.” He smiled sadly.

Hades stood seeing Republic troops and Jedi. “Well at long last you’ve caught me, the dreaded Sith Emperor.” Kit’s memories were altered Casper’s erased, and Hades would take the fall for all of it. Isn’t that what love was? Protecting those you cared about?

[thebookshelfintheforest]

Tales of Terror Ch. 1

    The house was a lot larger than Daphne has imagined. She double checked the address she had written. There had been an ad in the newspaper for a part time cleaner at a mansion posted by a Fleura Markenson. Daphne called the number listed, looking for an interview. Now she had arrived. It was 4:00 PM. The date: October 10th, 2018. It was a Victorian age mansion, made of large, reddish-brown bricks. Parts of the bricks were chipped away. This was the main thing Daphne noticed, along with the 30, long, stone steps up to the front doors. The doors were large, a deep brown wood. Daphne cautiously walked up the steps, only stopping once to re-tie her boots. Once she arrived at the front doors, she saw a doorbell surrounded by intricate gold carvings. She clicked the bell once with her left pointer finger, as she had to hold her notebook in the other. She believed that she would have to take notes of where everything was, and what all to know.

   The door opened to an elderly woman, possibly in her mid 80s.

    “Are you Daphne? I’m Fleura, pleased to meet you,” She reached her hand out for a handshake, which Daphne didn’t notice.

    “Ye-yes. Um, how-how did you know my name? Did no one else want to work here or something?”

    “Well, this home doesn’t have the sweetest reputation, but that’s besides the point now isn’t it. We can make it better.”

    “W-we? I-I thought I was just here to clean up and keep the place looking nice.”

    “That-my dear, is exactly how you are going to make this place feel sweeter to the outside world. Now, please, please, come in.”

    Daphne stepped into the house as Fleura began to show her around, she found all of it quite, well, dusty. Yet, once they walked down a hall covered in stained glass and into a room with an organ, Daphne’s entire opinion changed. As she looked in awe, Daphne asked,

     “Can you guess how many pipes there are?”

     “No, how many?” Daphne replied as she looked around with a look of wonder in her deep jade coloured eyes.

    “1,006. You’re not going to have to do anything in this room except sweep the floors and dust the organ. Don’t go up by the pipes.”

     “How come?”

     “Like I told you earlier, this home doesn’t have the sweetest reputation.”

     “Sho-should I be worried?”

     “No, you’ll find as you begin to become a part of the place.”

     “Now, explore yourself, I’ve shown you the rooms you’ll need to know. Then, meet me in the parlour for some tea.”

    “A-alright.” With that Daphne let Fleura walk out of the room. Then she went over to the organ. Although she had always been a worrier, she never really listened to what she was told too much. This wasn’t just Casper’s influence, of course, he played into it, but she had always been a curious girl. When she approached the organ, she saw a door, that just so happened to be locked. Great. The one day she didn’t bring her lock pick she just so happened to come across a mysterious locked door. Of course, she knew it had to lead up to the pipes, but what was up there that Fleura wanted her to steer clear of.

     With that, she walked back into the hall and realized that there was a trap door of some sort on the wall right outside of the organ room. Well, it was really a ball room, but that was besides the point. She pressed on the door as hard as she could and discovered a gigantic library. There were tons and tons of books. All looking extremely old. Yet, she was still a slight rule follower, and would prefer to ask first before grabbing a book. If Fleura responded suspiciously, she wouldn’t listen, if she said no for any other reason, Daphne would listen. She decided not to worry about the library for now, and left the room, carefully pulling the door shut. She then went back to the parlour for tea with Fleura. She sat down across from Fleura and ate cookies that were quite sweet and tea that was fairly sweet as well. Daphne then said,

     “I discovered the library. I mean, I’m not sure if I’m allowed to go into there, but am I allowed to read any of the books?”

     “Yes to both darling, just be careful.”

     Daphne didn’t ask why to be careful at this point, she knew she’d get the same response as before. Then, she left, since it was late now, she would check out a book next time, and then tell Casper about her experience.