#i want to draw aved ash next

[almond-milk-man]

this was my first time drawing ash and i love how it turned out!!! he’s such a cutie pie

[blackbutterfliescal]

A Storm Of Trouble

A Michael Clifford One Shot

Pairing: Pirate!Michael Clifford & Reader

Word count: 3.3K

Rating: Just For Fun

Requested by: Not requested but it was supposed to be part of the Michael Week @sadistmichael hosted. I’m late as always but I’m still gonna post it 🤷‍♀️

Content: second person POV, gender neutral reader insert, best friends finding themselves in a night of chaos, drinking, swearing, violence but no graphic details, reader as a sex worker, brief appearances of Calum being A Little Shit

A/N: This all started because of that damn earring... I know that romance (in any form) does well on here, but I thought it would be fun to write a friend fic. Sue me. Big thank yous to @mashlums @haikucal @sexgodashton @jae-writes-fanfiction and @cheekysos for encouraging me on this one!

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———

The wooden slats above Michael’s head groaned, heavy with footsteps and many years of wear on the high seas. It was clear that the ship was docking somewhere for the night to restock supplies, but Michael couldn’t be stirred from the hammock where he rested just below deck. Several minutes passed as he concentrated on the slow drip of water into the pail in the corner, looking for some sense of peace in the chaos the rest of the crew was creating. The metal made a sharp sound with each drop that hit, but it was a tone he’d grown accustomed to after many months aboard this particular ship. He often used it to lull himself to sleep, struggling to ignore Calum’s incessant snoring. It wasn’t until one of his crewmates shouted the name of a familiar port that Michael paid much attention to the commotion happening on the surface. Usually preferring to stay aboard the ship and not risk any potential scuffles on land, he now understood why so many of the crew were anxious to disembark.

Port Royal was notorious for the wide array of debauchery around every turn. Especially this time of night, it was always crawling with other scoundrels just looking for a bad fight or a good fuck. Or maybe a good fight and a bad fuck. The derelict port had such a reputation for its treatment of outsiders that none of the king’s men ever dared a visit, leaving the people who were floating through to act as their own law and order. 

The grimy, dilapidated buildings just past the worn dock called to Michael. He’d lived a pirate’s life since he was orphaned as a young boy, sailing far and wide, but this port was the closest thing he had to a home. He only hoped that he could find his oldest friend still in the hut just past the wall where the land met the sea.

———

Michael made his way beyond the wobbly old dock, peering in the dimly lit pubs only briefly as he passed. His well-worn leather boots carried his tired feet through the filthy streets to an all-but-forgotten yet somehow still familiar scene. Covered by the shadow of the night couples of every sort were pressed against each other, no doubt trading secret desires. At his unfamiliar approaching figure, the silhouetted couples all vanished into the brothel before him quicker than he could blink an eye. 

Hidden from easy view in the moonlight, the door slammed against the frame just as Michael approached. His hands, rough from years of work as a swabby, landed hard against the faded green wood thrice before it swung open. It rested uneven on its hinges and revealed a plump young woman in dark red corseted dress. The ruffles around her neckline were no longer a crisp, clean white but still managed to pull Michael’s attention directly to her ample bosom. His eyes continued to work over her figure. He didn’t miss the way her stomach pushed out against the ribbed garment covering it. She was such a sight that Michael considered a short detour before beginning to search the brothel for you.

“Well, ain’t ye a handsome devil. Fancy cracking Jenny’s teacup, eh?”

Before Michael could let a smooth response fall from his mouth, footsteps landing hard under long strides sounded down the hallway. Michael’s eyes, dark with lust, brightened as he took you in. You were exactly as he remembered and somehow completely different. It had been years since Michael was last in Port Royal but the two of you had kept up through letters as you were able. 

“Back off, wench. This one’s wit’ me.” The woman in red threw a scowl and a few choice curses at you as you squeezed past her in the doorway, arms quickly finding Michael in a tight embrace. “Oi, s’that a hornpipe in yer pocket or are ya just happy t’ see me?” You offered him a cheeky grin as his face warmed, caught red-handed, and he cast his gaze past you to find the woman in red missing from the door frame.

———

As seemed natural, you and Michael found yourselves kicked back in the corner of the closest pub. Boot-clad feet resting high on the table and a second bottle of rum nearly gone, you shared laughs and stories between swigs that were drowned out in the raucous noise of the other patrons. Two large men were attempting to settle their score through a game of fisticuffs at the bar and neither seemed to have their wits about them, stumbling on their own feet. A number of recognizable faces from the brothel were here to pick up company for the night, or maybe just the next few minutes. The most familiar face among them was Ash. A wordsmith of sorts, he had settled in close to a pretty, young blonde with eyes so blue that you could make them out across the room. Michael could pick out the back of Calum’s head as he raked in a pile of coins, no doubt employing his sharp mind in a game of liar’s dice.

Unphased by the rowdy crowd, the two of you were content in a universe that was contained entirely at that corner table. Michael told you stories of all the places he’d visited since you’d last seen him. Tales of India and China and all the bounty you could imagine. To be no older than he was, he’d done a lifetime’s worth of travelling. It didn’t come easy though. Work aboard a pirate ship, even with a fair captain, was endless and often meant risking life or limb to secure loot. He also listened intently as you recounted your tale of the one who had left you high and dry after a broken engagement. It had left your heart with an unhealing wound as deep red as the rope burns on Michael’s calloused hands. His eyes remained soft as you spoke of the person you thought was finally going to pull you out of the life you led. Routinely selling your body to the highest bidder had never much bothered you. You often found a sense of power at being the agent of someone’s deepest desires.That was until this one particular person became a frequent caller of yours. You knew no shame about the way you earned your coin but now you were crushed under their broken promises of a steady life, a life that didn’t mean hiding from the law or rousing up drunk sailors just to put food in your stomach.

Neither of you would have chosen life as a criminal for yourselves, but any trace of life before this felt like it belonged to someone else. As Michael began to yell for another bottle of rum, the back door to the pub flew open and landed harshly against the wall behind it. The man standing where the door had been was intimidating.Twice as large as Michael and covered in tattoos. He was flanked by a woman whose arms looked strong enough to crush you with ease and a bald man with a weathered scar down the right side of his face, covered only briefly by the leather patch on his eye.

“I knew I smell’d a bilge rat. Clifford! We ‘ave a debt t’ settle!!” His accent was heavy and you thought maybe it was Irish. His eyes landed on Michael, lounging in the far corner. As Michael’s eyes went wide and he leapt to his feet, he felt his head spin from the booze. The man that had barged in drew his sword and that was enough to bring Michael back for just a moment, long enough to process that he was in trouble. He quickly pulled you to your feet and tugged you behind him. “Shame! We’re jus’ leavin’!”

It took most of your self-control not to spray out the last burning chug of alcohol you’d just thrown back before being snatched up from your seat. You made a quick recovery, considering the amount of rum you’d already swallowed down, crashing out the front door and spilling into the muddy road. You weren’t sure how long the two of you had been in the pub but you’d clearly missed any indication of the current downpour. You splashed through the streets, following Michael’s already soaked form in and out of countless doorways. As he cleared what had to be the twentieth doorframe, he stepped quickly into the corner and pulled you with him. You landed against his broad chest with a thud. It would have knocked the wind out of you if you hadn’t already been breathing heavy from the zig-zagged marathon.

As you took a step back from Michael, he let his fast grip fall and looked around at where he’d landed the two of you. He saw the pigs in the opposite corner sleeping in the cool mud and the horse’s stall just next to the pig pen. He held his index finger to his pursed lips, signaling you not to disturb the livestock. Just as you were finally able to catch your breath, you felt it hitch in your throat again as the large brutish man called out to Michael. “Alright ye filthy animal. I know yer hidin’ ‘round ‘ere somewhere.” You shared an amused glance at the choice of words. Michael began to slowly draw the large blade looped through the belt hanging against his hip, preparing to go down fighting. You felt a brief sense of panic at the realization that you’d left your own sword behind. Spying a smaller handle on Michael’s other hip, you reached your hand out to grip the tarnished handle and pulled it up in front of you. The knife flashed in the low light, smaller than the blade you were accustomed to, but desperate times....

Taking careful steps, or as careful as possible after two bottles of rum, Michael inched his way out of the barn door and into the rain. You were a few steps behind him and hadn’t cleared the door yet when the scar-faced man appeared behind Michael with a taunt. Just as he raised his blade to engage Michael, you brought the heavy handle of your weapon down on top of his head. The man immediately fell face-first into the water at Michael’s feet. Michael’s hair clung to his face in the rain as he spun to give you a wide-eyed but silent thank you, hoping the others that were still after him weren’t close enough to hear.

No sooner did the thought cross his mind than two menacing shadows appeared at the other end of the barn. You stashed Michael’s knife in your belt, bending down to snatch the sword from the man lying on the ground, and took off again hot on Michael’s heels. You followed him around the back of another house and down a pitch black alley.

As you emerged on the other side, a loud grunt sounded beside you, followed by the clang of Michael’s sword meeting the Irishman’s. It was shortly followed by his partner’s blade meeting your stolen one. Though you’d had your fair share of practice with a sword, you felt like a novice next to Michael’s skillful hand. Metal clashed as the storm raining down on the island intensified, lightning strikes flashing through the sky with every scrape of swords. The woman you were up against was clearly a better swordsman than you and you weren’t sure how long you’d be able to keep up. You weren’t sure how it had happened, but she had you backed against a wall. Your sword was the only thing keeping her blade from bearing down on your throat. As quickly as you could manage, you brought one hand to your belt, pulling the knife out again before landing it in the woman’s side. Her mouth fell open and she stumbled back from you as you removed the blade. Her sword clattered to the ground and it wasn’t long before she fell beside it. The wound wasn’t enough to kill her but it would keep her out of your way so you could help Michael.

You hadn’t been able to spare him a glance as you fought for your own life but you weren’t shocked to see that he was holding his own against the giant. You ran up behind the man with a yell and he spun around to meet your blow. After sending you stumbling back a few steps, he turned to face Michael again. He wore the shock on his face as Michael’s blade came to rest in the hollow of his throat. The man slowly lowered his weapon, realizing Michael had bested him. You heard a shuffle behind you as the woman reached for her sword. Your boot landed heavy on top of the metal as you trained your sword on her, daring her to make a move. Behind you, Michael’s words were lost in the sudden boom of thunder. Only when you heard him call your name did you take your eyes off the woman on the ground in front of you. Michael was backing away as he lowered his weapon, seeming to have settled his debt. You slowly removed your foot from the sword on the ground, giving the most menacing look you could manage, and ran after Michael’s retreating figure. When you caught up to him, you noticed that the sleeve of his open shirt had been torn and under it there was a gash in Michael’s bicep. After much persuasion, Michael agreed to follow you back to the brothel to get it cleaned up. If it became infected, it could cost him his life.

———

Bringing Michael in would have caught attention in any state, but as he held onto his arm and dripped rainwater everywhere, you gathered more stares than you would have liked. He leaned over the kitchen table, waiting for you to gather supplies. It wasn’t pretty but you doused the wound with alcohol and Michael seemed more upset at the loss of rum than the burning it caused. Once it was cleaned to your satisfaction, you ripped the hem of your clothing to tie it around his arm.

“Thanks.” His eyes were soft as they met yours. “I would ‘ave been a dead man without yer help.”

“Yer goddamn right! But what else are friends fer?”

You shared a laugh as Michael pushed himself back upright with his other arm, following you back to the front door and out into the night. The storm seemed to have run its course and left only a light drizzle in its wake as you made your way through the streets again, walking under cover of any roof you passed. You walked with your heads ducked between coverings as you laughed and recounted your astounding victory over Michael’s assailants, wondering what happened to the scar-faced man. 

Up ahead, you spot a familiar figure walking in your direction. Without warning, you shove Michael into a dark alley and shush him with wide eyes. Luckily for you, your unfortunate recurring caller had kept their gaze on the ground in an effort to keep the still-falling droplets off their face. They hadn’t seen you disappear but you hadn’t noticed how incredibly narrow this alley was. You shivered as you felt Michael’s warm breath fall across your rain-slicked face. Your feet stood between his and there was hardly enough room between your chests to take a full breath in. Michael’s eyes stayed trained on you, looking for any sign of an all clear. You watched intently, waiting for the caller to pass by. Once they made their way by the narrow opening where you hid without suspicion, you placed your hands on Michael’s sides to steady yourself and pushed your head toward the street. As the figure made a turn, you counted to three silently and stepped out into the street again with a dramatic exhale. Michael slowly followed you with a quizzical look on his face.

“Ya can wipe that look off yer face, ya smug bastard. I ain’t talkin’ ‘til ye explain the burly man and his goons chasin’ ya earlier.” Michael’s expression dropped with a humorous scoff, unwilling to share what had landed him in such trouble. Nights like tonight were exactly why he preferred to stay aboard the ship. He just couldn’t resist the chance to catch up with you. You also knew that tonight would cost you. Literally. You’d have to up the ante the rest of the week to make up for the night out but you felt that Michael was worth it.

———

Conversation continued to flow easily, as if nothing between the two of you ever changed. You weaved through the streets, careful to avoid main thoroughfares for worry of any more excitement. Two close calls was enough for one night. It didn’t slip your notice that both of you took to yawning big, deep breaths much more frequently as the last few hours slipped by, a sign that the morning light was well on its way. You knew you’d be able to catch a few hours of sleep once Michael was back on the water, but you also hoped he’d be able sweet-talk someone into letting him curl up in his hammock for a little while. You didn’t give it too much worry though. You knew Michael never had trouble sweet-talking his way through anyone. He’d always been a charmer.

As you made your way through the last side street and onto the dock, you heard a loud rumble of footsteps and immediately braced your newly-found sword. Your other hand fell on Michael’s knife, still tucked into your belt, and quickly handed it over to him as he drew his own blade. A flash of surprise crossed his face as if he’d gone all night without realizing the knife was missing. The sounds of enraged men grew louder as they rounded the corner. Michael immediately recognized Calum at the front of the crowd, realizing quickly that Calum’s clever antics had landed him in trouble yet again. You followed Michael’s lead and dropped your weapon as he let out a full-bellied laugh. As Calum dashed past you down the dock, he yelled out a casual greeting and flashed a cheeky grin. “Michael!” One hand raised to meet his brow in a salute. “Michael’s friend!” Another salute.

You joined Michael in another fit of laughter. As he turned to watch Calum running down the dock to their safe haven, Michael saw their ship and realized the ropes were being pulled off the dock as the ramp to the ship was being dragged back over the railing. A few curses fell from his lips as he took off in a dead run after his friend, yelling something unintelligible over his shoulder that was surely meant for you. You thought it was something about not groping for trout in any peculiar rivers but had no idea what he could mean and dismissed it as Michael being Michael. Your sides began to hurt from laughter as he passed the angry mob to catch up with Calum. Both men leapt through the air at the same time as their ship pulled away from the dock. Calum’s hands grabbed hold of the railing while Michael employed his knife to keep hold of the ship. Calum pulled himself overboard with ease and turned to quickly bring Michael onboard with him. A few brave, but ill-fated, members of the mob risked a jump but landed in the water with a splash. They resurfaced with enough curses to make Blackbeard blush. Michael threw an obscene gesture at the disgruntled men before lifting his gaze to wave goodbye to you as they made off into the bright sunrise under a clear sky.

———

taglist: @easierlftv @haikucal @mashlums @youngblood199456 @calumbroutledge @atlcalm @another-lonely-heart @castaway-cashton @itsjen223 @bloodyoathcal @vapor5sos @myloverboyash​ @justhereforcalum​

[feywildfox]

black irises

Ajay and Revenant form a relationship. It’s not conventional nor is it something most people would want. She doesn’t care.

Ships: Revenant/Lifeline Warnings: Minor violence in the start, SFW Word count: 3929 words

Ping ping ping

The sound of shots hitting walls and rocks surrounded them. The middle of firefight was always a hectic place to be.

"They 'ave us pinned! I can't get ta Octavio! He's gunna bleed out unless yuh do sumting!"

"Damn fleshbag, why should I care?!"

"If yuh wanna win yuh gun get him up!"

A growl was given, but his acceptance was issued from across the way, and the seven foot tall simulacrum darted out, leaping and sliding to the rock Octavio was bleeding out behind. Ajay couldn't help herself for a few brief moments, watching the deadly grace of the former man. It was almost enchanting.

And then a bullet ricocheted off a rock next to her head and she cursed, ducking down and around, peaking and firing off her own shots. Hopefully she could provide enough cover fire for the two to get away and heal.

"C'mon sista, ain't no need to draw this out haha!"

She adored Gibby, but sometimes she just wanted to punch him in the face. At least the blood sport murder games were a good way of taking out agression on each other without it being permanent. At least, for the physical aspect. The emotional and verbal was…much harder. But now wasn't the time to ponder that.

She adjusted her positioning, taking her Carbine off of full auto and onto single fire, popping shots as her teammates discussed a plan of action.

"I dun care what ya two do jus' hurry up an' do sumting already. We still got one more team afta this!"

Wattson peaked her head out, and Ajay put two shots into her skull, breaking the shields the engineer had, "Wattson broke! Hurry tha fuck up!"

"Jajajaja lets go amigo!"

"Enter the shadows...it wont corrupt you, much." He always had to be dramatic didn't he?

"Aye this thing sure takes you for a ride! HYA!" With that Octane pushed hard, form a smokey black-orange like embers. Revenant followed just behind, a snarl on his face.

Ajay shielded quick, just a single cell, and followed them. She crawled up the rock Gibraltar was hiding behind, and dropped on him as Revenant downed Wattson with a vicious pistol whip and wingman shot.

Gibraltar swore, and tried to shoot her, but she jumped down and crouched, bringing her Prowler out, breaking his gun shield. Shots bit into her own shields, and she could feel the sting of them, underneath. But with a howl of rage, Revenant jumped over her and tackled the large man, snarling like a wild animal. He forwent any guns, slashing with his claws and kicking with his feet until the man was down, shots missing wildly as Gibraltar tried to fight back. It was useless, though. Revenant was smoke and ash, a lethal snake intangible as the wind around them.

"I had that yuh know."

A grunt was her only reply.

"Yea yea you like the kills or whatever. Next time yuh take my kill I'll take you apart piece by piece."

He snarled and glared at her, but she didn't care. She glared right back, her own face twisted. Octavio was busy finishing Wattson in the background as the two stood off against each other.

"Why do you vex me so, skinbag? Are you not afraid of the shadows?"

She huffed a laugh and went to respond, but caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

There wasn't time to speak, so instead she just moved. She ran and jumped, shoulder hitting hard metal as she tackled Revenant to the ground, grunting as her shields broke with the sniper shot to the side, the bite of the bullet making her gasp in pain. She wasn't out yet, but fuck if it didn't hurt like a bitch.

"What the - get the hell off me skinsuit!"

She groaned and rolled to the side, off of the bot, hand pressed to her hip.

"Next time yuh could say thank ya, jackass."

A growl was the only verbal response, but instead of leaving her he sat up and kneeled on the ground, starting to fire back. He loomed over her like some sort of fucked up protector as she patched herself up, leaning back against whatever cover they had. She didn't even know where Octavio had disappeared to. All she could see was the water, the simulacrum over her, and the black dots on the edge of her vision.

A sniper shot pinged off of the ground not even two feet away and all she wanted to do was curse. Instead she shifted around under Revenant, using a medkit to patch herself back up, and a shield bat to get back into the fight. Once that was done she shimmed around onto her stomach, going prone and peaking the sniper from the opposite side and laying into them as best she could.

Rev and her kept up their fire, but they had nowhere to go. Except - Octavio was doing some stupid shit again, flanking the sniper and - oh lords above - did he just jump pad into them?

"We gotta push, Rev, it's now or never." She eyed the fight going on, determined and exasperated.

He nodded, and hauled her up by the back of her shirt, choking her a bit. He hadn't even commented on the "stupid nickname" she used for him occasionally. Progress was progress. She'd give him an earful later about the shirt thing, though. Now it was just time to win the damn game.

He leapt forward, silence flying through the air in front of them as she followed behind, sand spraying up from under their feet. Shots whizzed by and Octavio went down with a battle cry. The sniper - Wraith - finished him off before they got there.

"Fuck, Rev ya gotta push up, I'll flank around! It's jus' her, we can do this."

"Hurry your ass up, medic," was all he said as he scaled the rock Wraith had been perched on.

Ajay ran around to the side, reaching the back in record time. There was a downed person - she didn't take the time to look - hiding behind Octavio's deathbox. She slipped on the sand a bit as she passed by, throwing a hand out on to the rock to catch herself.

Fuck she was going to kill Octavio for this.

The sun was hot on her back as she rounded the side, Wraith's back to her as she fought Revenant, crouching to avoid shots.

Ajay grinned viciously and opened fire.

 —

The medbay was quiet at this time of night, the soft lights of the different medical instruments giving a soft glow to the environment. She was still awake, side aching as she laid in bed. She really didn't need to be here, she would have rested just fine in her own quarters, and she would have been more comfortable. She was the only one stuck here, the fucking side wound she had taken for Revenant worse than she had initially thought.

"You look bored, skinsuit."

Ajay lazily looked up from the pad she had been on, glancing at the simulacrum.

"That's cause I am." She cocked an eyebrow at him in a silent question.

He scoffed, eyes twirling orange as he stepped out of the shadows. He was tall, hunched over in the room not designed for people that tall.

"You could have just let me take the bullet, medic." He tilted his head to the side, much like a curious cat.

She let out a soft laugh, and motioned for him to come closer. This was definitely more interesting than surfing the web. "Ya were my teammate, I'm not gun' let you jus' get shot like that."

He stalked forward, towering over her. She wasn't scared though. She was kind of excited, honestly. The simulacrum made her feel that way, and she shivered, straightening up, ignoring the twinge in her side.

"Yet you're content with taking the bullet for me, thus incapacitating yourself and potentially risking the win."

"Ya good at killing. I trusted yuh that if I went down, yuh could handle it."

"So I'm just a killing machine to you?"

She shook her head, "Nuh, jus' that ya good at it. I know there's more ta ya than that. Yuh jus' dun let anyone see it."

He hummed in thought, leaning closer to her, eyes turning yellow. "Why are you so insistent on getting to know me, Che?" The way he practically purred her name made her shiver with delight. It was a sin for a voice to sound so attractive and dangerous at the same time. She thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Because I'm curious about ya. How many times do I gotta tell yuh?" She stared defiantly into his eyes, leaning forward and ignoring the pain in her side. She so badly wanted to close the gap, but held herself back.

He reached up and grasped her by the back of her head, metal digits threading through loose hair. It wasn't painful, just a bit uncomfortable. He used his grip to pull her forward, her cheek brushing his metal one.

He spoke into her ear, "Careful, Che, when you play with monsters."

She let out a little breath, and spoke back. "I gave up mosta my humanity joinin' these games. I'm not scared to lose, Revenant."

He chuckled, the sound reverberating through her. "You should be more afraid of winning, medic."

With that he released her and slipped back into the shadows, all in one breath before she could even process what had just been said.

 —

The next time they ended up in the ring, it was on opposite sides. Their squads were off fighting, and it was just the two of them alone, in the dilapidated old house. She wasn't going to give up. No matter how much she wanted to know him, she would beat him or literally die trying.

And die she did, knocked by a final bullet to the leg.

She snorted, holding her wound. Sometimes he was just too damn good. But instead of the usual play time he liked, he was silent, regarding her with yellow eyes. That was odd.

"Yuh tired of playin' witcha food, Rev?"

He grunted, raised his weapon, and popped her in a quick succession of shots. The pain barely registered before she found herself on the dropship respawn bay.

That was unusual for him. He loved to play around and draw out the death of whoever he felled. Yet here he was, ending her life quickly. Something to think on.

 —

Months later, and she finally got answers. Just not how she was expecting.

 —

Ajay was in the Overlook, a cup of coffee in her hands. She was thinking about the match a few days before. She had actually gotten the drop on the simulacrum, and had downed him. Something almost primal had taken hold of her, and she had dropped to her knees and taken his face into her hands. He had just let her, quietly watching with twirling yellow eyes.

She had pressed her forehead to his, before grabbing her pistol and raising it to the side of his head, shooting him once.

Now it was all she could think about. The slightly warm metal beneath her fingers, the way his eyes tracked her, his lack of action against her. She wanted more.

"I can feel you thinking from over here. Stop it." The tone was less demanding than she expected.

Ajay turned, spying the bot halfway out of the shadows of the wall.

"Yuh make me think. Can't help it yuh know?"

He snorted. "I've done nothing to warrant such contemplation."

"Was exactly ya lack of action that's makin' me think so much." She hummed and set her coffee down on the railing, moving toward him.

He stepped forward, into the starlight spilling in from the windows. "And what have I not done?"

She stopped in front of him, and slowly reached up. "Somethin' like this."

He made no move to stop her, letting her hands softly make contact with his face plates. She stood on her tippy toes and pulled him down. He went without resistance. It was surprising. She expected a fight. Yet there was nothing but compliance.

"If yuh want me ta stop yuh just let me know, ya hear me?"

He grunted, eyes twirling as they studied her. He was contemplative, quiet and almost reserved. It was unusual to see him in such a state and she valued it.

Ajay slowly tilted her face up and pressed her cheek to his, the metal a pleasant temperature to her own slightly flushed skin. She took a steadying breath and turned her head slightly, pressing her lips to the metal she so achingly touched.

It was only a few brief seconds, and the simulacrum made no move against or for her, so she felt more confident in herself as she pulled back, hand sliding down his neck to his shoulder. She was careful not to catch any wires or tubes as she did, and gently she set her hand down on his shoulder plates.

She sighed softly and stepped closer, carefully resting her head on his plated chest.

"Yuh just gun' turn ta a statue? If yuh dun like it I can back off ya know?" She said, glancing up at him and making to step back. She didn't want to scare him off. But something strange happened as she started to move, and realized she couldn't go very far. There was something holding her down - Revenant was holding her down.

One of his arms was curled around her waist, holding her in place. Ajay gazed up at him, his blue eyes flickering a bit as they stared down at her.

"Che," he started, voice heavy, full of something implacable, "Why do you insist so damn hard that I am worth your affections? Why do you even assume I could ever feel for a skinsuit?"

She laughed and rested her head again upon his chest. "Cause ya were like me, yuh still are even with a body made o' metal an' oil. Ya feel, ya hurt, ya mourn. For all tha rage ya put into tha world, I could alway tell there was more to it. I didn't know if yuh would be interested in a human still but I had ta try. Yuh just…capture my attention in ways no other could. Maybe part of it's that ya not totally human. Maybe part of it is that you act so wild. I dun want ta change ya. I like tha wild an' the danger an' the slightly less-than-human."

His arm curled around her tighter, pulling her in more. He pushed his face into her hair and growled low, the danger she spoke of rolling out of him and vibrating through her. She went a little weak, hanging on to the simulacrum and trying to keep her composure. Damn it all this was not how she saw this going at all.

"You vex me so, Che. You speak of the humanity in me and yet you say that my lack of it draws you in. You don't want to change me yet you already have." He let out a very human sounding sigh of frustration, and she could feel herself lose just a little bit more to him. She was already so far gone.

"An' how've I changed ya? I barely done anythin'."

He snarled quietly - because that was just something he could do - and pulled back, blue eyes still trained upon her. "I have never felt more at peace than I have right now, since discovering what Hammond did to me. Twenty five years. And a tiny little fleshbag with no self preservation instincts makes me feel this way. It's ridiculous."

She stared at him in surprise. He was opening up to her. Was she dreaming?

"Years of revenge and killing, and in a matter of months you make me want to just stand still. It's infuriating. "

He carefully moved a claw tipped hand to brush her cheek, almost tender. Ajay didn't know what to say, except stare wide eyed at the being before her.

"Now who's turned to a statue?" He let out a rough chuckle, shaking his head.

"I jus'...Thank you for sharin' wit me. I'm glad I can give ya somethin' different."

She really didn't know how to express what she felt. Funny considering the murderous simulacrum seemed to have an easier time of it.

His eyes shuttered for a brief second, and she was quiet in thought.

"I wan' ya, in whateva way yuh decide to give me. I dun' expect ya to throw ya games fuh me, I certainly won't. I jus' wan' you an' nothin' more."

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, eyes still glowing blue like the stars behind them. It was silent, the very air still as the dropship hummed around them. Just them, in their little bubble, twined together.

 —

After that moment Ajay made it a point to keep her door cracked. The simulacrum came to her randomly. Sometimes they spoke. She would tell him of her travels, the people she helped. The guilt that dragged her down every day over her parents. Over Octavio. He in return told her of the worlds he been to, the lives he lived for the almost three hundred years he had been alive. Of the scum he had killed, of the wonder at the lives that had never been real and how he would never truly know which life had been his.

Sometimes they were silent, just spending time in each others presence. She would tinker with doc, or surf the web. He would just rest, eyes off against the wall.

Other times she would fix him up when there was something he couldn't reach. More and more often this happened, even when it was accessible to him. She would even sew up his headwrap when it got torn in the ring. She enjoyed the menial work. She knew words only went so far. She liked proving herself to him, doing different things to show she wanted him and nothing from him except what he would give.

Sometimes, things would show up in her room. They were things she'd off handedly mention to others about wanting or needing or liking and within the next few days sometimes that thing would show up. He never said anything, and she never actually saw him with the things, but she knew with a fine certainty it was him.

Their relationship wasn't exactly romantic in the regular sense. It wasn't grand, or covered in prose. They didn't proclaim their love when they could, or make sweet gestures for one another.

It was rough and dirty, and in the ring they pulled no punches against the other. Often they tried their hardest against the other, but together they were terrifying. The other legends didn't really understand what had happened between the medic and the simulacrum. Ajay didn't care.

All she knew was that Revenant had accepted her choosing him, and he had chosen her back. And she was in it for the long haul now.

She might be a medic, might not like hurting innocents, but the fact was Revenant was revenge driven. And if she was honest, no one involved with the Syndicate was ever truly innocent. Herself included.

So she adapted, prodded him on the who's and why's, focused his rage. It wasn't perfect, nothing ever was, but he allowed her to do it, and that was all that mattered. He never commented on it. Neither did she.

A clawed hand turned her head to the side, making her face him. She smiled softly, focusing back to the present.

"You think too much."

"An' yuh dun' think enough."

He grunted and shook his head, hand sliding down her neck and pulling her in close.

"What has you so far away? Aren't you supposed to be focusing on me?"

"I was thinkin' bout us."

She leaned in to him, fingers playing with the cloth of his hood.

"Us?" He questioned lowly, eyes a teal green.

"Yeah, us. We've become somethin'. It jus' make me happy."

"I don't know how whatever we have makes you happy, but by all means fleshsuit."

She laughed and pulled away, sticking her tongue out. Sometimes there were moments like this - peaceful and human - that happened, and she adored it. Maybe it wasn't the sweetest relationship, but it had its moments.

"Hey, yuh were human once. Cantcha make an exception fuh me? Can't even call me Che now?" She said, a mock-pout on her face.

He sighed and shook his head, "You continue to confound me."

She smiled at that. "Good, then I'm doin' it right."

He growled, but it wasn't threatening. She just smiled wider and reached out, grabbing his hand. She pulled him toward the bench, backing up as she did. The back of her knees eventually hit metal and she sat without looking.

He stood before her, looming over her once again. It was a common occurrence, but she was used to it by now.

"And what am I supposed to do?"

"Well usually people sit, ya know?"

"Meh."

Yet he still stalked over and sat next to her, hand still holding hers.

"Lemme look at ya, wanna make sure I got everything from before."

He sat up straighter and faced away, exposing his back, where she had been patching him up before.

Ajay released his hand and leaned forward, examining the patches. It was relaxing work, and she enjoyed the quiet. So she worked like that, the two of them comfortable. His eyes were shut off, and Ajay was curious as to his thoughts. But she didn't dare disturb the peace. She valued it too much.

"You know…I could get you out of the games, if you wanted."

She blinked, pausing and looking up from her work. "'Scuse me?"

"If you wanted out of these games. If you were tired of it. I could get you out."

From him, it was practically a declaration of love and fealty. She was stunned.

"I-what makes ya think I could want out?"

"You sound it, sometimes. Like you've lost your way."

"I regret. Wish I had taken a different path. But I'm here now an' there ain't nuthin' to be done bout it. I still have you. I still have myself," she said, voice soft.

"Ajay."

She stared. It was all she could do as he turned to face her, eyes glowing a soft yellow.

"You are going to destroy yourself if you keep on like this. The moment you start to want out, I'll give you out."

"Then what happens to yuh? To us? Yuh jus' leave me behind, go back to the mindless killin' an' tha rage? I'm not givin' us up. I worked too damn hard for it."

"Damn it all Ajay, I'm trying to show I care for you! You deserve better!" He growled out, clawed hands finding their way to either side of her face.

One of her own came of to cover his, and she spoke softly. "I know yuh care. Yuh don't have to point it out or make it that obvious. But I dun' want ta leave ya behind. I refuse ta."

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, "You will be the death of me, Ajay Che. I just hope you won't be the death of yourself."

[keelywolfe]

FIC: Not What It’s Cracked Up To Be ch.6 (baon)

Summary: Edge and Stretch are finally getting back on an even keel. Edge’s broken leg is healing well, Spring is finally here and the flowers are close to blooming.

Be a shame if anything disturbed their domestic bliss.

Tags:  Spicyhoney, Kustard, Established Relationships, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Fluff, Chickens, Depression

Notes: As a heads up, this chapter includes a depiction of depression.

Part of the ‘by any other name’ series.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Read Chapter 6 on AO3

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

By the time Edge made his way back to the car and was headed for home, Red’s prediction about his leg singing was coming true, going from an enthusiastic Ave Maria to operatic scales in no time. He was long past the doctor’s instruction of only spending two hours at a time standing and the twinges of pain were running into a constant throb.

Sitting in the driver’s seat was somewhat better. It took his weight off his aching limb and driving at idling speed kept him from having to press too often on the brake or gas pedal. Even so, when he pulled into his own driveway, Edge was sweating through his shirt and working at breathing through the discomfort. Time to get this finished and get his leg up, because re-injuring it was not going to help Stretch’s depression in the slightest.

Next to him, Nugget’s basket was carefully buckled into the passenger seat and he noted wryly that at least one of them was enjoying the journey. She’d kept up a stream of warbling chatter the entire drive that was rather reminiscent of her owner.

“All right, time to get you back home,” Edge announced. He reached over to unbuckle the seat belt, guiding it back against the seat since he didn’t trust this comedy of errors not to continue by knocking the poor creature out with a badly timed buckle retraction. “I’m sure Noodle and Dumpling will be happy to see you.”

And if they weren’t, Stretch certainly would. He hoped.

Edge took a steadying breath and climbed out of the car, grimacing as renewed pain shot up to his femur. Damn the blasted thing, anyway, he was going to have to ice the cartilage for a while and he certainly wasn’t going to be up to making anything for dinner. Asking Stretch was out of the question, which meant he might need to call for reinforcements.

Even the idea of asking anyone for help, particularly in the kitchen, made Edge’s hackles rise, but better that than having Stretch see him hurting or worse, having to go back to the doctor and admit that a mere two days after having his cast removed, he was already disobeying their instruction.

Blue would probably be the best option and of course he was certain to be so incredibly pleased about the situation…Edge cut the bitter thought off hard, dismissing it firmly as unworthy. Whatever frictions existed between him and Blue, they were still friends, and all Blue ever wanted was for his brother to be healthy and happy. Whatever issues he’d had with their relationship, he’d never tried to interfere or dissuade Stretch from it. It would be petty to hold his concern against him, even if he could occasionally be aggravating and normally Edge wouldn’t even indulge the thought. Today, though, ah, today he was tired from his broken sleep the night before, riled by his brother, aggrieved by his aching leg, and worried about his husband. If his control was running a little ragged, today of all days it could be excused.

Nugget flapped her wings, resettling into the basket and startling Edge from his thoughts. He shook his head, opening the passenger door to retrieve poultry and basket alike. He’d deal with dinner when the time came, for now he had a recalcitrant chicken to return home.

The side gate was a shorter path than through the house and Edge limped through it, leaning heavily on his cane as he went to the coop.

To his dismay, Noodle and Dumpling did not come running out to greet him when he opened the fence. Edge frowned, setting the basket inside the gate and went to check the coop doors. He’d left them unfastened that morning, but the coop itself was empty, no eager chickens to greet him while demanding pets and treats.

“Stretch,” Edge said aloud, all his worries coalescing into a hard ball in his chest as he grabbed up Nugget again and headed for the house. He left Nugget in her basket just inside the sliding glass door, trusting that she wouldn’t wander from her makeshift nest or her ‘eggs’.

The stairs were somewhat painful to navigate but worse was finding their bedroom empty, the covers thrown carelessly back. So was the bathroom, the guest room, and panic was starting to take hold when Edge fairly stumbled back down the stairs, half-ready to call his brother and demand he locate his husband, where would he have gone—

A suspiciously chicken-y sound coming through the kitchen door derailed his fears. Edge paused and listened closer, and yes, that was a loud caw coming from his kitchen, along with the skitter of scaly feet.

His relief was dizzying, leaving him leaning weakly on his cane. Edge sighed inwardly and went to the door, carefully pushing it open.

The pair from the Embassy team had done a decent job at cleaning away most of the detritus of Red’s ‘accident’ from the kitchen. They’d cleared away the broken table and chairs, cleaned up the worst of the paint, and left his kitchen if not as it was then at least usable until they had a chance to remodel it.

There by the center island was Noodle, curiously inspecting the tiles and Dumpling was on the other side, pecking lightly at the paint-dappled cupboards with great interest. Their claws clicking on the hard floor as they scampered around, inspecting their temporary quarters. In one corner was Stretch, sitting curled up where their dining room table used to be. He was dressed somewhat haphazardly, his dirty feet bare beneath the legs of his track pants and swaddled into an elderly sweatshirt washed to a faded pastel. He didn’t look up at Edge, only sat watching the chickens, a lit cigarette dangling from between two fingers. As relieving as it was to see him out of bed, Edge couldn’t help but see the stains of exhausted orange beneath his sockets were deep, an advertisement of a sleepless night followed by a restless day.

Edge stepped in further, the rubber tip of his cane squeaking against the tile and only then did Stretch look up, his pale eye lights skittering nervously back and forth between Edge’s and the floor. A cylinder of ash dropped unnoticed from the tip of his cigarette, joining a scattering already on the tile and Stretch swallowed convulsively, ducking his head as he muttered out, “i know, i know they can't stay, but i thought, just for today maybe, they can stay here and be safe, right? i thought it would be okay for one day, please don't be mad—"

“Love, I'm not angry, not at all,” Edge told him softly. The words went unheard, Stretch rambling on desperately.

“…and it's only for today and maybe some of tomorrow, i know they have to go back out, but i couldn’t stop thinking about it, i couldn’t, and i’m not fucking up again, i can’t, not today—”

“Papyrus,” Edge said, sharply, and that cut through his babble. His head jerked up, eye lights too-wide and diffused. “You didn’t fuck up the first time, listen to me—”

“i know that!” Stretch burst out. He curled up tighter, drawing his legs up, his face pressed into his upraised knees and his arms wrapped around his skull, muffling his words. “i know, there was nothing i could have done, what even could i? i’m not a fucking fox hunter, i didn’t know. my soul knows it so why does my head keep telling me i’m wrong? why won’t my head shut up, why does it always have to tell me i’m a bad friend, a bad brother, i’m awful, why am i so awful?”

Stretch’s shoulders shook, his voice going thick and wet with tears and the sound of it was ripping at Edge’s own soul like jagged claws. All right, then, if Stretch wasn’t going to let him talk, then drastic measures might be best.

Edge spun around and left the kitchen, even if his soul protested vehemently at leaving his husband weeping alone. It was a matter of moments to snatch up the chicken-filled basket and bring it in, hauling it grimly despite the warning throb in his leg. Right back through the swinging door to plop the entire thing right in front of Stretch’s bare toes.

That blasted cigarette of his was dangerously close to burning a hole in his sweatshirt, but Nugget’s happy coos made Stretch jerk upright, staring disbelievingly at the small black chicken who only tilted her head inquisitively as if to ask what was the big deal, here she was, ready to join the party.

“oh,” Stretch mumbled. The still smoldering cigarette fell unnoticed from his fingers, shedding ash as it rolled across the tile. Edge hastily retrieved it and flicked it into the sink. He turned back just as Stretch reached out cautiously, disbelieving, settling his bare hand on Nugget’s back before Edge could call out a belated warning. But perhaps Nugget was growing more accustomed to returning to society or perhaps she simply trusted Stretch more to not lift her away from her so-called eggs. She chirruped contentedly, leaning into his touch as he gasped, sockets going wide. “she…how did…you…”

“It seems she was better equipped to defend herself against the fox than we thought,” Edge told him. It seemed better to leave Red’s interference out, at least for now and likely forever. “She ran off and was nesting out in Old New Home.”

“you brought her back to me,” Stretch whispered, in pained wonderment. A fresh wash of tears fell from his sockets, pale orange trickling down, gathering to drip from his chin.

“Love, don’t—" Edge tried. He started to sit and nearly fell in his attempt, luckily unnoticed as his leg finally gave out, and Stretch only sagged into his arms, his hand still resting on Nugget’s soft feathers.

“you found her,” Stretch choked out. He buried his face into Edge’s shirt, hot tears quickly soaking through the thin cloth. “you found…” Then, to Edge’s dismay, he shuddered out, “i’m so sorry. you shouldn’t’ve had to, she’s my responsibility, i should’ve gone looking instead of making an ass out of me assuming. sorry, i’m sorry—” He didn’t resist as Edge pulled him closer, only leaned against him and kept up that whispered litany, “sorry, should’ve and didn’t. just feels like one more thing i failed at.”

Edge tightened his grip and gave Stretch a little shake, almost rough as he said fiercely, “You didn’t fail at anything, certainly not this.”

“but—"

“No. Why do you expect so much from yourself?” Edge demanded softly and he wasn’t surprised to not get an answer. “I don’t know what’s going on in that troublesome mind of yours, but I’m telling you, it’s wrong. You have a great deal on your plate just as the others do and we both know people have been keeping certain things from us because I am supposed to be convalescing and you are supposed to be helping me. So, whatever is bothering you, we can discuss it if you want or not discuss it if you don’t, but you haven’t failed at anything, do you understand me?”

Stretch nodded, but his grip on Edge was still too tight, knuckles flexing convulsively. He whispered into Edge’s shirt, his voice was barely audible. “sometimes i feel like your life would be a lot easier without me.”

Simply hearing those words forced Edge to close his sockets, breathing through the roil of frustration that lit hotly in his soul. Stretch needed his understanding, not his temper, his internal demons were doubt, not of Edge, but of himself. The automatic answer was, ‘of course it wouldn’t.’ But that would be disingenuous, a lie of the kind told to children to soothe their hurts. Stretch was not a child and he would not be fooled by pat answers.

Instead, Edge took the time to consider it. Recalled his life before Stretch, the long days of work at the Embassy and then evenings at the Y. His brother stopping in for aggravation and dinner as Edge slowly learned more about cooking than Underfell could ever teach him. Movie nights and gardening days, uncomplicated pleasures coupled with satisfying work.

“That’s true, it might be easier,” Edge conceded. He held on tighter when Stretch stiffened, trying to pull away. “But it certainly wouldn’t be better. Plenty of things could be easier, I could stay here in this house, collecting my stipend and have my groceries delivered. I could tend my garden and might never need to go out again. That would be easier, if easy was all I wanted.” Gently, he slipped two gloved fingers beneath Stretch’s chin, urging him to look up. He met that teary gaze with his own steady one as he said, “Easy isn’t happy, love, and nothing has ever made me happier than being with you.”

Because he’d learned that pleasures were better with complications, when his gardening was interrupted by unexpected hugs, when his dinners were filled with excited chatter instead of silence or sarcasm. That he looked forward to leaving work when there was someone to come home to, and that stars were lovelier when seen through the lens of Stretch’s sight.

Stretch was blinking too hard, sniffling accusingly, “you sap.”

Just like that, the pained tension in him eased and Edge let out a chuff of laughter, shaking his head.

He drew Stretch back down to his chest and reached over to take Stretch’s hand in his own, his thumb skimming over slender fingers. Stretch was wearing one of his silicon rings, not the metal band with precious stones that Edge gave him when he pledged to love and cherish him, but the simpler one given for practical reasons, in bright day-glo colors to make him smile. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing. Some time ago my brother told me I could be happy if only I wanted to. I didn’t understand what he meant at the time. You helped me understand and the only place I ever want to be is with you. You can’t fail at that, you can’t fuck that up, so long as you’re here, with me. All right?”

“yeah, okay,” Stretch sighed out. He snuggled in closer and if his voice was still tremulous, his words were stronger, “can we stay here a little longer?”

“Of course.” Edge shifted until he was leaning against the wall, pulling Stretch to lay in between his legs and holding him tightly against his chest, over the soft pulse of his soul.

The kitchen floor was designed for easy cleanup and aesthetic, not for sitting and his tailbone was already protesting. He needed to ice his aching leg, the chickens needed to be shut back into their coop, and they could both use a real nap before figuring out what to do for dinner.

But that could all wait, just a little longer.

-finis

[takerfoxx]

IM Swiftly Descending Darkness, Chapter 7

Down.

Deep down, down, down.

Down into the dark. Down into the cold. Down into the place devoid of light, devoid of kindness, devoid of hope.

Down into the place of pain. Down into the place of despair. Down into the place from which there is no escape, the place set aside for those of the blackest of souls, of the darkest of hearts.

Down into the prison set in the furthest reaches of existence, down into the place intended to swallow the progenitors of evil and suffering, down into the place of Judgment.

Down into the dark.

Down into the cold.

Down into chains.

And then…a face. A pale, beautiful face, framed by long hair so dark that it melts into the darkness that frames it. It is not the face of a man or a women, but of an ethereal creature whose beauty defies gender, defies mortality, defies humanity.

But it is a cruel beauty, to be feared rather than desired. It is beautiful like a wildfire is beautiful, like a hurricane is beautiful, like a black hole is beautiful, and so much more destructive, so much more malicious.

Its eyes are closed, though not in sleep, but in waiting.

Its eyes are closed, but its mouth is moving, curling up into a poisonous smile.

Rumia’s eyes snapped open.

The view she was greeted with was at once familiar, yet alien. The wooden slats of a slightly slanted wooden roof were above her. She knew those slats, every single line and nick and knot. She saw them when she went to bed and they were the first thing that greeted her when she woke up.

And yet she couldn’t stop staring at them. No, that wasn’t right. They shouldn’t be there; she shouldn’t be there! She ought to be seeing…

Darkness.

Rumia’s right eye twitched.

Cold.

No, she was home! She was in the Aoki Yume’s Children’s Home, the only home she had ever known! This was normal!

Chains.

Then why did it look so unfamiliar? Why did she feel so out of place?

“Rumia?”

Rumia turned her head toward the voice. She was greeted by a nut-brown, heart-shaped face, one with large, dark eyes and shiny black hair that hung over one shoulder in a tightly knotted ponytail.

Once again she was struck by a wave of recognition and confusion. Who is this person? whispered one part of her mind.

What do you mean? answered another. It’s Melissa Garcia! You see her every day!

“Estas despierto!” Melissa said excitedly, which was something neither part of Rumia understood. “Oh, gracias a Jesús!” Then she cleared her throat and said slowly, “Are you all right?”

Rumia didn’t answer. She just stared.

“Rumia?” Melissa waved her hand in front of Rumia’s face. Her dark eyes frowned in concern. “Can you…Can you hear me?”

Rumia opened her mouth to respond. “Who are…” Then she stopped. No, wait, that wasn’t right. “Melissa,” she said. “What happened?”

Before Melissa could answer, someone groaned in discomfort and confusion.

As Melissa ran over to see to the person in question, Rumia struggled to put her thoughts in order. What the hell had happened? They had been…okay, there was the fight at the market, that much she remembered pretty well. And after that had been flying lessons. And then-

The spider’s long, gaunt face stretched as it opened its mouth wide. Inside was a black pit, filled with row after row of quivering teeth.

Rumia shivered. Right. The spiders. The kidnapping. The forest-

The slender creature turned its faceless visage toward her. It reached out with one stick-thin limb, as long as Miss Mokou was tall.

Rumia covered her face. No, please. Make it stop.

Eiko lay upon the table, her torso split wide open. The spiders were feasting upon her innards, ripping away chunks of meat and offal with their teeth. Her face was still visible, the pale flesh now splattered with her own blood, the eyes plucked right from the sockets and yet still managing to convey the terror and pain she had been feeling in her final moments.

No, no, no, no!

The spider had them, had ensnared their legs. It was dragging them back, pulling them to their deaths.

And then…and then…

What had happened then?

She had vague memories of something explicably twisted, something to do with…skeletons? Skeletons and sand? It had been horrible, that much she was certain of, but try as she might, she couldn’t recall more than a few fleeting images.

Rumia struggled to sit up. She was in the sick room, where kids who fell ill or were injured were kept to recover, as well as to prevent diseases from spreading. It was a small room surrounded by cabinets, with several sleeping mats spread on the ground. She was lying on one of the sleeping mats, with others around her. She saw Haruko and Hayate, still unmoving and unresponsive. Kana was there too, looking even more unwell than usual. Keine seemed to be sleeping unsoundly, if the way her closed eyes and jaw was tightening up and her face shone with sweat.

Kohta, however, had also woken up. He had been the one groaning, and was now sitting up as well, with Melissa kneeling next to him.

“Ugh,” he said as he rubbed his forehead. “What…where…”

“Sick room,” Melissa told him. “Um, are you all right?”

Kohta squinted at her. “Who…what…?”

Melissa swallowed. “It is me. Melissa Garcia. Do you not know me?”

“Melissa?” Kohta blinked his eyes several times and shook his head. “Oh, right. Melissa. Hi.”

“Hello. Are you…” Melissa reached over to touch his shoulder.

Kohta violently recoiled. “Don’t touch me!”

Melissa quickly withdrew her hand. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to…”

“Don’t,” Kohta repeated. “Just don’t touch me. Don’t.”

“Um…” Melissa’s eyes flicked from Kohta to Rumia to find them both glaring at her. “Er, okay?” She nervously licked her lips. “Are you…okay?”

Neither Rumia nor Kohta said anything.

“Right.” Melissa stood up. “I will go get Miss Satoko then.”

She hurried from the room, leaving the two of them sitting together in silence.

…

Joshua sat on the edge of his bed, bowed head in his hands. His lips moved silently but fervently, in time with the prayer he had been repeating in his head and heart over and over ever since that night in the Youkai Forest.

Lord, grant me strength. Please. I don’t know what to do. I need your guidance now. Jesus, please.

It had been three days since the children had been taken by the spiders. Three days since he had plunged into the forest alone in hopes of finding them. Three days since he had seen the cruelty suffered by poor Eiko on her last day. Three days since he had been thoroughly reminded of the stark evil that prowled his new home’s darkest corners.

Three days since he had seen his friend Fujiwara no Mokou for what she really was.

Joshua had seen and even done his share of things that he would like to forget, and that night was filled with more than its fair share. But nothing would ever compare to those few minutes, when he had sat by himself in the middle of the scorched remains of the spider’s lair, Eiko’s butchered body sitting in a filthy sack next to him, hands covering his ears as he tried not to hear what Mokou was doing to those spiders.

Please! Mercy, I beseech yah!

But no matter how hard he pressed his palms to his ears, no matter how loudly he prayed, he could never shut out their screams, nor the cold, pitiless sound of Mokou’s voice.

Mercy? You have the gall to beg me for mercy? Did you show mercy to that girl? Tell me: when she screamed, did you laugh? When she cried, did it make you feel powerful? When she stopped moving, were you disappointed that your fun was over?

No! I’m sorry, we wun’t do it again, I-AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!

And then the smell of burning flesh, already hanging thick along with the stench of ash and rot, had suddenly grown.

I can go as slow or as fast as you like. I can break, I can pop, and I can burn. Slow cook or searing flame, whatever I choose. And if you don’t want me to start getting creative, you’re going to tell me everything I want to know. You do that, and I’ll simply turn you all into to ashes so you can resurrect good as new later. One quick flash-fire, and it’ll all be over. Or I can draw this out. Your choice.

Yes! Yes! Questions! Ask yah questions, I’ll tell yah everything!

Tears had dripped down Joshua’s face then, just as they were in the present. Crouching by himself in the forest or sitting safe and sound on his bed, it made no difference. The sounds of agony and the reek of death were just as fresh.

Good. Now, word has reached me that this whole endeavor wasn’t even your idea. Not at first, at least. You were put up to this, by a Human from the Human Village, weren’t you?

At this, Joshua had stopped shaking and praying. And though he knew that he probably ought not to, he had removed his hands from his ears and listened.

Yes! Yes! Summin from dere! Came tah us, ‘e did. Sayin’ ‘e would pay us tah go aftah dah orphans! Said ‘e would t-t-take out dey deffinses, dey charms an’ shit!

Take out their defenses? Someone had really gone out of their way to stir up evil youkai against the children and had promised to leave them helpless? And it had been another Human?

Who? Who was it? What did they look like?

I dunno! Never saw ‘em face!

Oh, that is not the answer you should have given me.

No! I swear, I dun’t-AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!

The sounds of the spider’s had screams mixed with a burning hiss.

I swear, I swear, please no more. Never saw ‘is face. Wore a big ol’ cloak, ‘e did. Short fella, kinda chunky. Stank o’ fear. Squeaky voice.

Joshua stood up and made for the door.

Hmmm, well, that’s not exactly a whole lot to go on. Gotta do better than that.

Dat’s all I know! Dat’s all!

He made his way through the hall and down the stairs.

You know, I think your burnt bits are distracting you. Making it hard to remember. You think if I take those hands off it’ll jog your memory?

No! I swear, dat’s all I ‘ave!

To the front door and out onto the porch.

Well, if you say so. I guess we’re done here.

Yes! Yes, please! End it!

As you wish. Hey, you know how there’s actually a couple kind of fire that you can’t recover from? That’ll burn your body so completely that those meager magics holding it together won’t be able to stitch you up?

Down the steps, onto the front path, and into the grassy lawn.

You ain’t no Dragon! YOU AIN’T NO DRAGON!

No, I’m not. Dragonfire is unfortunately in short supply around here. But I got the next best thing.

The…The Phoenix’s Daughter! Yer dah Phoenix’s Daughter! NO, PLEASE! PLE-AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

The now-dead spider’s final screams still echoing in his ears, Joshua found Mokou out in the field. She was walking all along the perimeter fence and slapping paper charms to the posts.

Upon their return, one of the first things Mokou had done was go out and inspect all of the magical wards they had set up around the estate. It had been just as they feared. All the charms had been sabotaged, rendered powerless. Which meant that even if Kana hadn’t accidentally blown herself and the others past the fence, the spiders would have been able to get in anyway. The implications of that were horrifying to think about.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Joshua approached her.

“Um, Mokou?” he said.

“Josh. Good,” Mokou said, giving him only the quickest of glances. “Come and give me a hand here.”

Honestly, at this point Joshua really didn’t want to see what was undoubtedly more bad news, but he went over to her anyway. “Look, I know we haven’t really talked much since, you know, the forest, but-”

“Then talk while you’re helping me,” Mokou said, shoving a handful of charms into his hand. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

“Huh?”

“What our charms being sabotaged means. What that spider told us means.” Though Mokou didn’t raise her voice, the anger seeping through was palpable. “This wasn’t just some dumbass youkai looking to score a meal growing too bold. This was a set-up. A hit. Eiko was basically assassinated!”

“Assassinated?” Joshua tried to wrap his head around the concept. “But by whom? Who would do something like this?”

At this, Mokou said nothing. She just shot him a meaningful look.

After a beat Joshua said, “You don’t know that for sure.”

“He’s still the number one suspect,” Mokou said.

“Maybe. But that doesn’t mean-”

“I’ve been gone digging up whatever info I could find,” Mokou said as she walked from post to post, sticking pieces of paper onto each one. “And I’ve learned a few things. Nothing conclusive, but enough to point fingers in Skinner’s direction. And you have to admit, it tracks.”

“And if it is him?”

“Well, then my job just got a whole lot simpler.”

Joshua felt the blood leaving his face. “Job?”

“Yeah. Protect the house. Protect the kids. If the reason we’re getting attacked by youkai is also the reason that all the Humans are turning against us, then that means there’s fewer people I gotta go after.”

“Go after,” Joshua repeated. “You mean, like you went after those spiders?”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” Mokou said without shame. Her hand squeezed into a fist, crumbling the burnt charms to dust. “Joshua, I know why you came out here to talk to me. I know you saw a side of me you didn’t like. I get that. But understand this: you cannot make me regret what I did to those spiders. It’s not going to happen.”

Just the small reminder of what had happened to those spiders send a shiver up Joshua’s spine. “Yes, but-”

“No,” Mokou said. “No ‘but.’ No arguments. I don’t subscribe to your religion, and I don’t care about your god. I’m sorry you had to be there for that sorry business, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. After what they did to Eiko, they deserved no less. Hell, I’d bet anything that that wasn’t the first kid they did it too either. Or Human. So save your speeches about forgiveness and mercy. I don’t care. And if I have to do the same to Skinner and every single one of his followers to prevent another one of our kids from ending up like Eiko, then so be it. They already tell stories about me. What’s one more?”

“Mokou, no,” Joshua whispered.

Annoyance flashed through Mokou’s maroon eyes. “Joshua,” she said, warning in her voice.

“No,” he said hastily. “I mean, you can’t just go kill everyone connected to him. That’ll just prove his point and set the rest against us. Besides, even if he is to blame, odds are he’s hiding this from his followers. They’re all worked up about youkai, so do you really think he’d tell them that he’s been cutting deals with them?”

“Don’t care,” Mokou said. “They come at us again, then that’s on their heads.” Then she frowned. “Though I guess you have a point. Don’t want to go making any martyrs. That never turns out well.”

Joshua wondered how much personal experience she had with that. “Just please wait until we learn more,” he said. “As for the spiders, well, I know I’m not going to change your mind about that.”

“Good.”

“But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about,” he said.

Mokou quirked a silver eyebrow. She leaned up against the fence and waited.

Joshua had been trying to work out how to word his question over and over and had yet to come up with a satisfactory way, so he decided to just say it. “Mokou, who are you?” he said. “Or rather, what are you?”

…

Satoko sat alone in the basement of her family’s orphanage, just her and Eiko Goto’s body.

When Mokou and Joshua had emerged together from the forest with their missing children draped lifelessly over Mokou’s shoulders, Satoko had feared the worst. They had been too late, the children were all dead or dying, and had only been returned to them as corpses.

To her utmost relief, Mokou had assured her that the kids weren’t dead, only unconscious, and they would be waking up in time. Satoko had felt like massive stones were being rolled off her shoulders. They were all right. Despite all the odds against them, their family was still whole, they had survived yet another outside attack.

And then she had noticed that Mokou only had six kids with her when there should have been seven. When Satoko had asked about Eiko, Mokou only looked over to Joshua, who was carrying a filthy burlap sack over one shoulder. And when Satoko had inquired about what was in the sack, Joshua had said nothing; he didn’t need to. The look in his eyes had told her all that she needed to know.

This of course was not the first time that one of the orphans of Aoki Yume’s Children’s Home had died before coming of age. It wasn’t even the first to occur in Satoko’s lifetime. Hell, it wasn’t even the first to be murdered by a youkai. Gensokyo was full of dangers, all of which were especially deadly to children. At the end of a path that led from the back door, sitting nestled in a small grove of pine trees, was their private cemetery. Satoko’s ancestors were all buried there, as were any of the other helpers that had passed away while working at the orphanage. But most of those buried there had headstones bearing two dates that had gaps between them that were altogether too short.

Satoko had had to bury too many during her life. She had buried her parents, her elder sister and her uncle. She had buried Mr. Matsuda, Miss Kyouko, Miss Lillian, and Mrs. Oa. But while all of their deaths had been sad and painful, they had at least all been due to the ravages of age.

Burying Shuna, Kenta, Eru, Tobi, and Kano had hurt so much more.

And now she was going to have to bury Eiko.

And the worst of it was that she shouldn’t have to.

The fingers of Satoko’s right hand slowly squeezed themselves into a fist and uncurled again, only to clench right back up. Mokou had found something. They hadn’t much time to talk, but Mokou had said that there was more to this than a simple youkai attack, that someone had set this up, someone Human.

The number of people who were set against the orphanage was far larger than it had any right to be, but this was beyond the pale. Wasn’t it enough that they had turned their backs on parentless children, that they had driven them away and denied them support, that they now also actively stirred up dark spirits to murder them? And the same dark spirits that the children themselves were accused of trafficking with no less! It was nothing short of monstrous!

At the very least she knew who was ultimately responsible. This had Nathaniel Skinner’s gloved fingerprints all over it.

I should just let Mokou kill him, Satoko thought bitterly. Him, and everyone else listening to him. What were they going to do about it, isolate her family even more than they already were? Keep trying to kill them? That bird had flown.

Then, as she sat in the dimly lit basement with nothing more than a dead child and her own bitter thoughts for company, Satoko heard something.

It was very faint, so faint that she wasn’t sure that she wasn’t imagining it. It was a little like a soft moan of fear, the whimper of a sleeping baby beset by nightmares.

Satoko listened intently. No, her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her. She was hearing it all right. Someone was softly crying to themselves, someone down there with her. It sounded like a little girl.

And it was coming from Eiko’s shroud-covered corpse.

Satoko slowly breathed out. Well, it was happening again. This was to be expected, after all. She had had to prepare many of those who had passed away under her care for burial herself, and dead bodies were unfortunately not as silent as one might hope. Gas got trapped, their insides shifted, and they could sometimes be alarmingly noisy.

Trapped in what? She was mostly eaten! Her stomach, her intestines, and her lungs are all gone!

The muffled weeping was getting a little louder. Satoko remained sitting where she was, staring at the still form on the table.

She had to be imagining things now, because she was quite certain that she just saw something move beneath the shroud.

Satoko slowly rose from her chair and walked over to the body. Her heart was pounding quite loudly now, and her hands had started to tremble.

This is nothing, she told herself. You’re just weary and scared. You haven’t slept well in days. Of course you wouldn’t be all there. Just let it lie.

Instead, she reached down with one hand and gently pulled the shroud away from Eiko’s face.

The whimpering stopped.

When Mokou and Joshua had shown her the remains of Eiko’s body, her face had been completely gone. Her scalp and hair were still in place, but those monsters had ripped away her lips, cheeks, and nose, exposing the skull beneath, which was smiling its red-stained grin back up at Satoko. Her eyes were gone too, no doubt plucked out and swallowed like a pair of grapes.

Satoko had stared a long time at the ghastly visage. She had seen the ravaged remains of children under her care before, and would no doubt do so again before Death claimed her in her turn, but there was something truly disturbing about the carcass now lying before her, something that terrified her. This wasn’t just some cruel turn of fate, this was deliberate cruelty against an innocent, set in motion by those who should have worked to protect her.

This was evil.

However, all of that was gone now. Eiko’s face was once again whole and unharmed. Her eyes were closed, as if in sleep.

Then Satoko gasped. Eiko’s mouth was moving, the plump lips slowly moving up and down, like she was trying to speak.

Satoko stood frozen with fear, staring unblinking as Eiko’s mouth opened ever so slightly and closed again, over and over, like she was trying to tell Satoko something, something important enough to return for from beyond the grave.

Her mouth finally fell open, and out crawled a fat-bodied black spider. It crawled up Eiko’s face, toward her eyes.

Then something knocked loudly on the basement door.

“Miss Satoko!” Melissa’s voice called from the other side. “Venga rápido! They are awake!”

Satoko couldn’t help from crying out in shock as her whole body jolted. Panting, she held a hand to her thundering heart.

The spider was gone. As was Eiko’s face. It was again a ravaged horror, the flesh ripped off, leaving her bloodstained with its rictus grin and hollow eye sockets.

Satoko hastily pulled the sheet back in place and hurried toward the door. Melissa was there, hand still raised to knock.

“Yes!” Satoko said, perhaps a bit too loudly. “Thank you!”

Melissa nodded. She was about to turn to go, but then her gaze shifting to a spot beyond Satoko. “Ah,” she said. “Is that…”

Satoko quickly moved her away from the door and shut it tight. “Don’t look, Melissa. Just leave her be.”

“Okay,” Melissa said hoarsely. “Um, Miss Satoko?”

“Yes?”

“Is it…” Melissa’s brow furrowed, as it often did when she needed to search her mind for the right word. “Regular? No. Expected?”

“Normal?” Satoko suggested.

“Right! Is it normal that Rumia and Kohta would be…angry after waking up?”

“Angry?” Satoko was puzzled. “How do you mean?”

“They seemed…angry. And…a little mean?”

“At you?”

Melissa nodded.

Sighing, Satoko laid a hand on Melissa’s shoulder. “Well, they’ve been through a lot. I imagine they’re still scared and confused, so don’t take it personally.”

“They didn’t look confused,” Melissa said after a pause. “They just looked angry.”

Satoko

…

Joshua had been bracing himself for Mokou’s response the whole time. Would be angry? Take offense? If he pressed too hard, might she even turn violent? He didn’t think so, but then again, he had been learning a lot about her that he could never have previously guessed at.

But instead, she laughed. “Oh wow, you just up and said it,” she said. “Honestly, I thought someone would’ve tried prying that out of me my first week.” Then she thought for a moment, and then amended, “Though I guess a few of the kids got real persistent with their questions, but they’re easy to wave off.”

“I’m serious though,” Joshua pressed. “Mokou, you were dead. I saw that knife bury itself in the back of your head! It went right into your brain.”

“It did,” Mokou said with a nod.

“That should have killed you!”

“It did,” Mokou said again.

“So…why are you alive? How did you get up? Are you a youkai?”

Mokou laughed again. “Well, that’s actually kind of a complicated question.”

That was not the answer Joshua had been hoping for. “How? It’s a yes or a no question!”

“Not really,” Mokou shrugged. “See, the thing you gotta understand is that ‘youkai’ is actually kind of a fluid term. We use it as a catch-all for any magical creature that came out of something that wasn’t, well, magic before, but it kind of encapsulates a whole lot of variety.”

Joshua stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. “I’m listening.”

“Well, see, you got your elemental youkai, you got the ones that come from animals, you got the ones that seem to pop out of whatever odd garbage people left lying around, you got those weirdly specific creeps, you got the ones that I guess come from abstract concepts that I’ve never really been able to figure out, you’ve got your wide variety of spirits.” Mokou drew a finger down the side of her face. “Then you got the ones that come from people. Some of them fall into that whole weirdly specific conditions category, but you also got those that manage to turn themselves into youkai on purpose. A lot of magicians do that. They got a whole ritual for it. In one go, they get eternal life and a new wellspring of magic, so you can see why it’s popular.”

“And is that what you are?”

“Nope.” Mokou straightened up and started walking. Joshua followed her. “I’m something…different.”

“Explain, please.”

The place Mokou led him to was a ring of old logs surrounding a patch of sand, in the middle of which was a smaller ring of stones. On warm summer days they would light a bonfire and all the children would circle around on the logs, listening to someone tell stories.

All the adults took turns as the storyteller, but Joshua and Mokou were the favorites. Joshua would regale the children with stories he had brought with him from the Outside World, as well as those found in the Bible. He wasn’t especially picky too. The saga of Samson was told alongside the journey of Bilbo Baggins. The legend of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves sat comfortably alongside David and Goliath.

Mokou’s tales were of a different sort, ones with fewer heroes and a great many more monsters. She would whisper of bloodthirsty spirits and twisted demons, creatures made up from the bones of the condemned that formed in executioner’s fields or severed heads that crawled about on spider legs, and almost every one of her stories had a bad ending. If Joshua’s stories made the kids laugh and cheer, hers would leave them shivering.

Joshua had a feeling that this particular tale would be no different.

Mokou sat down on the storyteller’s log, with Joshua sitting down on the log next to hers. She held out a hand, flexed her fingers, and a ball of red flame appeared in the air over her palm. A gesture, and it leapt to the ring of stones and filled them with flame, despite there being no wood to feed the fire.

“Wish we had some marshmallows,” Joshua muttered, mostly to himself.

Mokou stared blankly at him. “Some what?”

“Er, sorry. They’re, uh, a kind of campfire snack. Basically puffed up balls of sugar that you’d stick on sticks and roast in the fire.”

“Oh. I see. Outside World thing?”

“Yeah.”

“Huh,” Mokou said. She shrugged. “Okay. Well, it’s like one of those stories you like to tell the kids. What’d’ya call them again? Fairy…legends? Fairy myths?”

“Oh. Fairytales. Um, we don’t have fairies where I come from, but they show up a lot in really old children’s stories, so we just call old stories about magic fairytales.”

Mokou favored him with a thin smile. “You’re a fool if you think that you don’t have fairies. Or magic for that matter. They’re just not out in the open like they are here.”

“That’s probably true,” Joshua conceded.

Mokou turned her attention back to the fire. “Anyway, how do they start again? Oh right. Once upon a time, there was a terrible princess who lived on the Moon.”

Joshua had readied himself to listen a great deal and speak very little, but already Mokou had made a point that he needed to have clarified. “I’m terribly sorry, but it sounded like you just said that there was a princess who lived on the Moon.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Joshua stared. “And you mean that literally.”

“Obviously.”

“There are people. People who live on the Moon.”

“Yes, lots.” Mokou was starting to sound a little impatient.

“Oh,” Joshua said, still staring. “So they’re aliens then.”

Mokou shrugged. “Well, so are you, and so am I, if you really want to get technical about things. But yes, that would be correct.” A beat passed, and then she said, “You seem perturbed.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just that Gensokyo took a long time to get used to. Now there’s aliens from the Moon.”

Mokou sighed. “Fuck, Josh. Get used to it! There is literally a bunch of snobby assholes who live on the fucking Moon! Like, they got a whole city up there and everything! How is that in any way weirder than anything that goes on down here?”

“Not by much,” Joshua admitted. “But even so. This is new.”

Mokou rolled her eyes. “They call themselves Lunarians.”

“Lunarians?”

“Yeah. Because they’re from the Moon.”

“Oh. Well, that’s…” Joshua struggled to put his disorganized thoughts into words. “…sort of basic.”

Mokou pressed her fingertips to her forehead. “We live next to the Youkai Forest, which is a forest full of youkai. To the northeast is the Youkai Mountain, which is a mountain full of, you guessed it, more youkai.”

“Okay, I get it,” Joshua sighed.

“And we’ve been dealing with assholes from the Human Village. Hey, try to guess what kind of place that is, and what most of its population is?”

Joshua held up his palms. “All right, all right. So magical people aren’t exactly the most creative when it comes to names.”

“Can I continue my story please?”

“Go ahead,” Joshua said, motioning to her. “I’m listening.”

Mokou turned her head and spat. “Right. So, once upon a freaking long time ago, there was this spoiled rotten twit of a princess up on the Moon. And she is just the worst. Like, okay, she was far from the firstborn so she’s not getting the throne, but she’s still royalty, so she lives in luxury and privilege, never wants for anything, and yet that’s not enough for her. So she decides that she wants to live forever.”

Joshua blinked. Wow, that was a lot of unexpected vitriol. “Oh. Uh, does she?”

“That’s what I said, isn’t it? I mean, the Lunarian royal family is the next best thing to immortal anyway. All this took place centuries ago, and her dad is still running things, but noooooo, that wasn’t enough for her. She wanted to be completely immortal. As if in, actually live forever instead of just a really long time. Recover from any injury, no matter how severe. And if anything did manage to off her, then…who cares? Her body would just rebuild itself, and she’d be good as new! If anything about her was good to begin with.”

“And it…worked?”

Mokou nodded. “She already had some kind of magical gift to sort of…I don’t know, freeze objects in a state of permanence. Like, if she used it on a vase or pot or whatever, then sure, you could smash it, you could chip it, you could grind it into dust, but it would just put itself back together piece by piece, heal all the cracks, and be exactly how it was. Forever. She just figured out a way to apply that power to people.”

“Um…”

“She was friends with the head scientist or whatever. And they managed to brew up a kind of potion from her power that you could drink. And hey presto! Immortal.”

“I guess there’s no point in asking if it worked.”

“If it didn’t, then her dad would have just executed her and saved us all a lot of trouble,” Mokou said with a derisive snort.

That gave Joshua a start. “Execute his own daughter?”

“We’re talking about a rich and arrogant king with like a double-digit number of kids,” Mokou said flatly. “Like, a high double-digit.”

“That’s…huh.” Joshua shook his head. “You know, there once was a time would I would find the story of Moon people turning themselves immortal to be a silly children’s tale, but now it just seems not the least bit implausible.”

“Right? But they didn’t like that for some reason, and gave the two of them the boot. So they went and hid in Japan.”

“How long ago?”

M: =tells him=

Joshua’s mouth fell open. “Mother of God.”

Mokou tossed a stick into her self-sustaining fire. “I doubt it. She never had kids, and even if she did, any offspring to pop out of her would be just as profane as she is.”

Joshua hesitated. As strange as Mokou’s story was, he felt that he had figured out where it was going, and one point in particular was making him uncomfortable. “Mokou, don’t talk of yourself like that. Regardless of what you might have done, that doesn’t make you-”

Mokou made a disgusted noise deep in her throat. “The hell? Josh! I’m not talking about me! I’m not the fucking Moon princess!”

“What? B-But I thought-”

“Good fucking gods, no!” Mokou slapped her palm across her forehead. “This isn’t my story yet, it’s just the background! I wasn’t even born when all that happened.”

“Oh.” Joshua winced with embarrassment. “Um, sorry for assuming.”

Mokou waved his apology off. “Whatever. So yeah, they got kicked off their rock and ended up on ours. And because they weren’t really the kind to think things through, they forgot to bother with the whole ‘laying low thing,’ it didn’t take long for word to get around that there’s a super-hot immortal Moon princess in town, and before they knew it she was the most eligible bachelorette in the land. Men were lining up outside her door, all seeking her hand in marriage.”

“Now this is really starting to sound like a fairytale,” Joshua remarked.

“Well, I’m sure she’s inspired a few of those.”

“Something tells me that you’re not exactly fond of this Moon princess.”

Mokou laughed at that. “What gave it away? The sound of absolutely contempt in my voice, or the way every single one of my muscles clenches tighter than a ferret’s sphincter whenever I mention her?

“Er, all of the above?”

A long silence fell between them. Mokou continued to stare into the fire, her body unmoving, all except for the fingers of her right hand, which clenched and unclenched over and over. “Yeah, I hate her,” she said at last. “Like, a lot.”

“Why?”

Again Mokou fell silent, and Joshua sat and waited.

So far Mokou’s tone while telling her story had been contemptuous, mocking, and irreverent. But when she finally started to speak again, her voice was soft, low, and contemplative. “Once upon a time, there was a little girl born to the prestigious Fujiwara family. Now, this girl loved her family very much. Her father was strong and kind, her mother sweet and gentle, her brothers loving and encouraging and great fun to be around. And her family’s wealth and influence meant that she wanted for very little.” Mokou took a deep breath, and it caught a little in her throat. “But this girl had a problem, one that cast a shadow over her happiness as she grew older. And that was that her family kept dying.”

Mokou stopped talking. Joshua wondered if he ought to say something, to inquire further. But no. This was her story, and he was going to let her tell it at her pace.

“The first to go was her mother,” Mokou said at last. “Thanks to a hereditary wasting disease, this girl watched her grow weaker and weaker every year, slowly breaking down until she couldn’t even leave her bed. Every second she was in constant pain, and could barely drink water without coughing up blood. And her father wasted away with his wife, but in spirit rather than body.”

The fire had started to change. Though it burned on still despite a lack of a fuel source, it was growing lower and darker, and it was producing far more smoke.

Smoke of what? Joshua wondered, but he felt it wise not to ask.

“The next was her brother,” Mokou continued. “You see, the girl’s family had a problem. An enemy. Another prestigious family was actively trying to destroy them?”

“Why?” Joshua had to ask.

Mokou waved off his question. “It doesn’t matter. Something stupid, from before even her father was born, and it just kept escalating like those things do, until it was like there wasn’t a time when they hadn’t been enemies. But for most of the time, it was just them trying to, you know, humiliate one another, sabotage each other’s business plans, maybe a surprise raid or two, nothing really out of the ordinary for that time.” She took another deep, shuddering breath. “And then one day they received a box, a box with no note or message or anything. And in it was her brother’s head.”

Joshua stared into the smoke so he wouldn’t have to see the look on Mokou’s face.

“Well, with one wife and one son down, that was pretty much half of her father’s family,” Mokou continued. “And since, you know, the disease that murdered her mother was hereditary, and only hit the women, she was next, and there was nothing she could do about it. Even before she became a woman, she could feel it growing inside her, like a hungry black pit deep inside her, just eating her from the inside-out. Soon it would be three of them gone, and with the Sonozikas pressing them harder and harder, who knew when her last brother would wake up with a knife in his heart or take in a mouthful of poison?”

Joshua started at that. “The Sonozikas? Wait, you mean-”

“The same,” Mokou said with a bitter laugh. “Yeah, here’s a spoiler: they ended up winning. They’re still around and running the Human Village, whereas the Fujiwara family is only around because its remaining member literally can’t die.” She shook her head. “Anyway, to move things along, the girl found out that there was someone very special living among them, a bonafide Princess from the fucking Moon, and an immortal one at that. Beautiful, powerful, forever young, and completely and utterly safe from things like disease and assassinations and slipping and cracking her head on the stones and having her guts ripped out, her brain flash-cooked, her head taken right off her shoulders, her entire body reduced to ash or sliced into tiny pieces and spread all the way across-”

“Mokou!” Joshua cried. “Please, I don’t need to know those details!”

Mokou laughed again. “Yeah, sorry. I guess you wouldn’t. Anyway, word got out that this princess was being courted by everything in Japan that had two legs and a functional penis, and there was supposed to be some kind of quest, a sort of wander the country collecting these rare treasures, and the one to bring them all back would win her hand. And the girl convinced her father to give it a shot.”

“Um…” Joshua frowned. “Ah, I’m sorry if this is out of line, but…”

“Why?” Mokou shrugged. “Well, I didn’t know better then. I just heard ‘immortal’ and ‘princess,’ and felt that if my father was to remarry, then it ought to be someone he wouldn’t worry about losing, you know? And I was kind of hoping that she would share her secret of immortality with him and my brother. Not that it ended up mattering, as he ended up coming home a year later, empty-handed and humiliated.”

“Oh.”

“The quest was a scam,” Mokou said flatly. “Pure and simple. A complete wild goose chase. Turns out, the princess already had all of those treasures locked away in her closet, and was just sending those men off just so they would leave her alone, without caring that she was also sending them into some of the most dangerous places in Japan. See, this was before Gensokyo took in all the gods and monsters and youkai and the like, so the country was a lot like Gensokyo is now, and most of those who went on this quest never came back. My father was one of the lucky ones to have survived. Too bad the journey destroyed his health and drained his wealth so that he had to sell off most of his land just to avoid total ruin. And he didn’t forget that it was me that told him to do it.”

Joshua had nothing to say to that at all.

“So yeah, total disaster,” Mokou said. “On the bright side, it got the Sonozikas off our back, seeing how they were the ones who bought most of those properties. I guess they felt that doing so meant that they won. Which, okay, it did.” She clicked her tongue. “Anyway, a couple years go by, and the girl’s just getting weaker and weaker. She tried to stave it off, but with her family’s wealth gone, they couldn’t afford the same treatments that kept her mother alive as long as they did, and even if they did, it wasn’t likely that her father would have bought them.”

“That’s terrible,” Joshua said softly. “To just let one’s own daughter waste away like that.”

“Whatever,” Mokou said. “But then they heard an interesting bit of news. Turns out that the Emperor was one of those seeking the Moon Princess’s hand, and he just plain refused her bullshit quest and wasn’t interested in taking no for an answer. So hey, good for him. But she said no anyway, and that made him angry. And I guess that she figured having the ruler of the country you’re trying to hide in would make one’s eternal life kind of difficult, she tried for making a kind of peace offering. She gifted him with the same potion that made her immortal in the first place.”

“Oh,” Joshua said. “Oh. Well, that’s quite the gift.”

“Maybe, but he didn’t think so, seeing how it just made him even more angry. So much so that he tried to destroy it.”

“Er…why?”

Mokou shrugged. “Fuck if I know. Maybe he thought it was a trick, maybe it’s because he was already an old man and the potion didn’t give you your youth back, so being stuck like that forever would wear off its novelty pretty fast. But anyway, even though he might have been smarter than the rest of her would-be fiancées, he was just as dramatic, because instead of just pouring it onto the ground and sending a bunch of his men to drag her back in chains, he decides to straight-up send it off in this grand caravan and have it thrown into a live volcano!”

Just when it seemed that Mokou’s story started to sound at least a little grounded in reality, it took another fantastical turn. “Okay,” Joshua said at last. “Why a volcano?”

“Fuck if I know!” Mokou said again with a dramatic gesture into the sky with both hands. “He up and died not long after, so I never got the chance to ask him. But whatever, you don’t pull a stunt like that without wanting people to know about it, so of course word reaches the girl that the secret of the Moon Princess’s immortality is headed across the land to be thrown into a fiery mountain. So she decided to steal it.”

“Right,” Joshua nodded. “Because of the disease.”

Mokou shook her head. “Nah, it wasn’t going to be for me. At that point I already resigned myself to death. But with my family half gone and the rest disgraced and me being dishonored in my father’s eyes, then fuck it, what did I have to lose? Maybe if I got that much for him, so that he could be immortal, or my remaining brother, or his new wife if he managed to get one, then maybe I’d be redeemed in his eyes. That, or I would die in the attempt, but honestly I didn’t care about that.”

“Well, obviously you succeeded,” Joshua remarked. “I mean, not in the way you were planning, but you did manage to steal the potion from the caravan.”

“No shit,” Mokou said, giving him a sidelong glance.

“How?” Joshua asked. “I mean, I imagine it would have been guarded.”

Mokou didn’t answer. She just stared long and hard into the fire, the look on her face completely blank.

“Mokou?”

Several more seconds stretched past, and when Mokou finally spoke, her voice was rough. “You don’t need to know that. Just know that things went sideways pretty badly, and by the end of it, the girl was lying in the road, potion in hand, while she bled into the dust.”

“Oh.” Joshua wondered exactly what had happened to make Mokou clam up like that, especially after having discussed several other things of a sensitive and personal nature.

“Well, this girl was now scared,” Mokou continued. “She knew she was to die soon, but for some reason the thought of dying now, before when the disease was to take her naturally, terrified her. And in her pain and panic she did something terrible.” A slow, thin smile spread across her face like a knife wound, one completely devoid of humor and joy. “She drank the potion herself.”

“Anyone else would have done the same,” Joshua said.

Mokou didn’t seem to have heard him. “It was only supposed to be a sip. Just the smallest of sips, not enough to turn her immortal, but enough to heal her hurts, maybe even burn the disease out of her! But the second the potion touched her tongue, she couldn’t stop! Three quick gulps, and it was gone!” She closed her eyes. “And then the pain started. It was like she was being immolated from the inside out. You see, the potion had not been designed with normal Humans in mind. The girl was not some long-lived Lunarian Royal, she was just a normal girl with a weak body, and it wasn’t strong enough to withstand the changes the potion was trying to bring upon her. Her hurts were healed, yes, and it did burn the illness right out of her, but everything else burned as well.”

To Joshua’s alarm, Mokou had begun to burn as well. It was small, but tiny, flickering flames had appeared on the back of her hands and her shoulders. She didn’t seem to notice though. Her clothes weren’t even browning.

“Her organs failed over and over, only to being forced back into working condition, only to fail again. Her bones and muscles dissolved, only to reform in their own soup. Her skin was sloughed right off of her, only to be replaced again and again. Blood poured from her like a river, but never seemed to run out.”

Now the fire was spreading up her arms. Joshua was torn between trusting Mokou’s claims of being fireproof and saying something to warn her. Certainly, everything she had said and done had given him every indication of her not having anything to fear from the flames, but that sort of thing was hard to recall when your friend is literally self-immolating right in front of your eyes. “It seemed like it would never end, that she was cursed to remain in that perpetual state of destruction and rebirth, writhing in agony on that dirt road forever.” Then, as the flame rose up to wreathe her head like an Angel’s halo, she turned to smile at Joshua. “And that is when it came to her.”

Joshua started. “What?”

“The Phoenix,” Mokou said. Her voice had something Joshua had never heard from her before: reverence. “The fire bird of the morning. At first she thought that she had imagined it, that it was just her own pain-addled mind conjuring up delusions, that the flame she was seeing was her own eyeballs boiling in their own juices. But then she heard it speak inside her head. It told her that she had taken something not meant for her, and she was unable to handle its power. That her imperfect body could not adapt and would never again be whole, unless she accepted its help.”

“Help?” Joshua swallowed and scooted a few feet from her. Mokou might be unharmed by the fire, but he had no such protection, and he was starting to feel the heat radiate off her body.

“It would bind itself to her,” Mokou said, still oblivious to the fact that she was very much on fire now. “You see, it was growing old. Phoenixes are creatures of rebirth. They are born, they grow old, and they die, incinerating themselves in their own flame. But from their own ashes they are born anew, young again. But it had done so too many times, and with every rebirth it lost a little more of itself. It was too weak to continue the cycle, just as the girl was too weak. But together, their respective, imperfect forms of immortality might stabilize one another. They might metamorphose into something whole.”

“So, you accepted?” Joshua said. He tried to make the question sound casual, but that was very difficult to do when the person you’re talking to was burning like a torch.

“Well, I was screaming in the throes of unbelievable agony, so I was exactly in a position to refuse,” Mokou responded. “But as I lay there suffering, it entered me. And then the pain really began. Its fire scorched me. And I don’t just mean my body, that was burnt up in seconds. I mean it scorched me to my now immortal soul, burning away every single drop of mortality and impermanence within me. Time ceased to have meaning. Seconds stretched into unbearable, indescribable years. And through it all, all I could do was wish for death, anything to make the pain stop.” She paused for a moment, and then the fires covering her changed, turning from scarlet to gold. “And then my body started to grow back. In the heart of that inferno, my bones forced themselves into existence, reforming and joining together. My organs regrew and reconnected, my meat and ligaments puffing up like tumors, and then skin crawled all over that horror, sealing it all inside. And unlike before, it wasn’t destroyed again.”

She paused again. In her silence, Joshua was finding it very hard not to stare at her, and it wasn’t just due to the absurd novelty of her being on fire.

Mokou had always been lovely, but Joshua had never thought of her in those terms. For one, until that very hour, he had always thought that he was old enough to be her father, but now he knew that the age difference was weighed far, far, far in the opposite direction, and to an absolutely ridiculous extent at that. For another, even if they had been around the same age, there had always been something that felt dangerous about Mokou, something beyond her rough nature and mysterious past, something that told her that she was someone to be kept at arms’ distance.

Joshua had of had always cared for her as a friend and a member of their strange family, and he knew that she loved the children as much as he did and would do anything to protect them, but he knew the look of someone who had stepped onto a bad path and walked it for a long time. He had seen that look many times back during his time with the Military, and when he had been in rehab. Hell, he had worn it himself for quite a while. And while he always did what he could to help those who had it to leave that path as he did, he knew when someone had a self-destructive nature, and Mokou most certainly did; he had seen that about her even before she had revealed just how thoroughly he had underestimated the extent of the damage.

But in that moment, as she sat there bathed in golden light, softly describing being transformed on both a physical and spiritual level, she was the most beautiful thing Joshua had ever seen. And not in any desirable or sexual way; she looked almost angelic, an ethereal being far beyond his comprehension that a lowly mortal like him had no business breathing the same air as.

Which, when one thought about it, was exactly what she was.

“It was the weirdest damn thing,” Mokou said. ‘I was lying there, naked in a dirt road, staring up at the sky. I could barely remember my own name or what had happened to me. The pain was gone, and yet it…wasn’t. I still felt the heat, but it didn’t hurt anymore. It was like hot coals had been sealed up in my stomach, but my stomach had been reinforced with steel, if that makes any sense. And I was changed, changed and made to never change again.”

Then she sighed, and the flames suddenly snuffed out all at once, both the ones covering her body and the burning sphere in the center of the circle, and she was just plain old Fujiwara no Mokou again, the prickly, yet well-meaning, cook of the Aoki Yume’s Children’s Home. “Anyway, that’s why I’m immortal. The end.”

Joshua was already reeling from everything that he had seen and heard over the last hour or so, but this completely knocked him off his gourd. “Wait, what?” he gawked. “But what happened next? Where’s the rest of the story? What did you do after that? What happened with your father, or the Sonozikas, or the Moon princess? What have you been doing all this time, and-”

“No.”

“No?”

Mokou stood up and brushed off her pants. “I told you why I’m immortal. I told you why I didn’t die, and that was more than I usually like to tell. Everything else, everything I’ve done since then, is my own damn business. So, the end.”

Joshua looked to the scorch mark in the ground and the smoke rising from it. He still had an endless bounty of questions, but now that he thought of it, Mokou was right. This was none of his business. Her story was obviously heartbreaking, painful, and horrifyingly long, and she had told as much as she felt comfortable telling.

To be truthful, Joshua felt like he was intruding just by having heard as much as he had. He had known that the mysterious young woman with the rough-around-the-edges personality that the kids had dragged in nearly dead (though he now supposed that she had actually been dead) from the snow had a dark past, but he had never imagined anything on this scale. His friend was literally one of those tragic monsters of legend, the kind who had started off as a simple Human only to be doomed to wander the earth forever due to one, avoidable mistake. She was of the same sort as the Wandering Jew, Stingy Jack, or even Cain himself. Who was he to demand anything from her?

Furthermore, how was he supposed to treat her now? Did they just go back to the way things were and never bring it up again? As tight-lipped as Mokou had suddenly become, Joshua knew that the rest of the story would reflect poorly on her. She had killed people, of that he had no doubt. She had probably killed a great many people, and a lot of them had probably been innocents, people who had been in the wrong place and the wrong time.

Furthermore, he knew that she had done other things. Her torture of those spiders had been cold, efficient, and spoke of a wealth of experience. The few bits she had dropped about the Moon Princess, wherever she was, were nothing short of horrific, and he was willing to bet that those talents had also been employed against those who couldn’t simply regenerate from death and dismemberment.

By any decent metric, Mokou was a monster, one comparable to Vlad the Impaler or Jack the Ripper.

And yet…

“Go ahead,” Mokou said.

“Eh?”

One arm crossing her chest to rest on the opposite elbow, Mokou rolled the wrist of the other. “Decent guy like you hearing a story like mine probably changes how you see me. And I think you’ve put together some of the pieces of the parts I didn’t tell you. So tell me, oh Man of God: have I earned my damnation? Is there something wrong with the universe that I’m never going to see it, that I’m going to be walking the earth long after Gensokyo is gone, after the Outside World had crumbled away, after the rest of humanity is extinct, that I will see the Heat Death of the universe and what lays beyond it? I know a thing or two about your God, as well as all the others, and most of them have some sort of endgame in mind for everything. But no matter what it is, I’m going to come through it, and no matter what perfect world comes out of it, it’ll have my soiled feet walking it.” She grinned. “Kind of seems a little unjust, don’t it?”

Joshua breathed in and out. Wow, this was so very much above his paygrade. He thought in it, letting the various parts of his mind and heart argue it out. As he did, Mokou stood and waited.

Joshua breathed in and out. Wow, this was so very much above his paygrade. He thought in it, letting the various parts of his mind and heart argue it out.

Unfortunately, nothing inside him could come up with a satisfactory response. This was so far above him that his mind felt crushed just by thinking about it. If he had learned that Mokou had been a murderer or something similar, then yes, that would probably change the complexion of their relationship, but not in any meaningful way, as he had known many killers and worse in his time.

“It’s okay,” Mokou said at last.

“Huh?”

“You don’t know what to make of me. You don’t know what to think.” She nodded solemnly. “It’s okay. I understand. It’s too much to take in all at once.”

Joshua stared down at the ground. “Mokou, I-”

“I’m a monster,” Mokou said. “The kind they make stories of, one as dark and evil to ever wander the black corners of the world. I’ve always known that. But I want you to understand something, Josh. Even if you end up hating me, I’m still your monster. Yours, the kids, Satoko’s, Haruna’s, Shion’s, Haruhi’s, all of you. I’m on your side, and I swear if anything tries to hurt any one of you again, then they have to go through me first. And they’ll find that a lot more difficult than they bargained for.”

It was a nice sentiment, but Joshua was still unable to wrap his head around the situation. “Okay,” he said. “But why?”

Mokou quirked an eyebrow. “Why what?”

“Why…Why do you care? Why do you care so much about these kids? Why do you care about us? It just doesn’t make any sense!”

“Ouch, man. That hurts.” Mokou stuck her hands in her pockets and rocked back and forth on her heels. “And say what you want about me, but I’ve never purposefully gone after anyone innocent, especially not kids. That’s a level of evil that I always swore I’d never fall to. Simple, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not!” Joshua said, wringing his hands in agitation.

“Why not?”

“I…” In his struggles to articulate his thoughts, Joshua suddenly recalled a terrible story his platoon captain used to tell, a story that Joshua had always found incredibly troubling, mainly because he knew it was true. “Okay, you told your story to make your point, so here’s one to make mine: once upon a time, there was a soldier walking through a valley where the enemy had destroyed a village, and he find the body of a little girl lying on the side of the road, run through with a sword.

“Now this soldier feels like someone had punched him right in the gut, and he falls to his knees and takes the girl’s body in his arms as he cries. ‘Why, God? Why would you let something so terrible happen to such a beautiful child?’

“But the soldier still has a mission to do, and there is no time for burials, so he leaves the girl and continues on his way. Soon he finds two more dead little girls, their heads cut off, and he stops and starts weeping again, condemning the cruelness of the world.

“Soon he finds two dead little boys and three dead little girls, and he again cries for them, but he doesn’t stop. A few minutes later he comes across a full dozen dead children, and though he shakes his head at the terrible sight, he neither stops nor cries.

“And finally, before he’s left the valley, he comes across an entire elementary school, all of the children executed, their bodies just left for the flies. And he barely even looks at them before continuing on his way.”

“Damn,” Mokou said after he was done. “And I thought my story was gruesome. You trying to one-up me here or something?”

Joshua slowly breathed out. “My point is, you’ve lived hundreds upon hundreds of years. You’ve seen so much dead: men, women, and children. You’ve also caused quite a bit of it too. Normal people like us, we must be like mayflies compared you to, gone in a blink of an eye. So why do these kids matter so much, when by your standards they’ll be gone before you notice.”

At this, Mokou’s face turned serious, all hints of wryness falling away. “Good question,” she said. “Really good question. And I guess…Okay, look: I may be a monster, but the two years I’ve spent here with you guys, cooking for you, working with you, helping you, playing with the kids and everything is the first time for as long as I can remember that I felt like…like something other than a monster. Does that make sense.”

Joshua stared up at her. Then he slowly nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess it does.”

“Good,” Mokou said. “So at least we know where we stand. But for now-”

Suddenly some kind of clamor was being raised over at the house. Joshua heard people shouting and running, and then Shion started calling to them from the porch.

“Hey!” she yelled. “You two stop slouching about and get over here! The kids are waking up!”

Joshua and Mokou exchanged looks of surprise. Then the two bolted toward the house.

…

“Kids!”

Rumia and Kohta started at the sudden exclamation. They looked up to see Miss Satoko standing in the door of the sick room, her crease-lined face lighting up and her eyes wet with tears.

“Oh, thank the gods, you’re all right!” Miss Satoko practically fell to her knees in front of the children and threw her arms around Rumia and Kohta both. A little taken back by the sudden display of affection, Rumia glanced uncertainly at Kohta from over Miss Satoko’s shoulder, who shot her the same look back. Then the two gingerly wrapped their arms around the woman in return.

“I was…I was so afraid…” Miss Satoko whispered. “When you disappeared, I thought I would never…” Then she drew back and smiled at the two. “But you’re here.” She cupped their faces with her hands. “You’re all right.”

Rumia flinched at the touch. For some reason, her palm just felt way too warm. “I’m…we’re…”

“Shhh.” Miss Satoko pressed a finger to Rumia’s lips. It hurt. “It’s okay. We can talk later.” She leaned forward to kiss the top of Rumia’s forehead. “Just rest for now. It’s enough to know you’re alive.”

Rumia instinctively drew back from the kiss, but stopped herself. What was she doing? Miss Satoko kissed their foreheads all the time! Still, it felt…wrong this time. Her lips felt hot, like a branding iron was being pressed against her brow. Still, she gritted her teeth and bore it.

“Miss Satoko?” Kohta said. His voice still sounded weirdly creaky and hollow. “W-What about…” He coughed. “What about the others? They won’t wake up.”

“Don’t worry, they’re fine,” Miss Satoko said. “It’s just that…” She made a face. “Well, the spiders stung them, you see. They still need to get it out of their systems. But they should be waking up soon.”

Rumia cast a dubious look over to Kana, who was still breathing shallowly.

“Okay, but how did we get…home?” Kohta said. “Because I don’t…”

Miss Satoko stroked his hair. “Mr. Joshua and Miss Mokou found you in the forest,” she said. “They said you were lying unconscious, like you had fallen asleep, and they carried you back.”

“Miss Mokou’s back?” Rumia whispered. It still hurt a little to talk.

Miss Satoko nodded. “She got back right after you two went off. As soon as she found out what happened she went right after you.”

“Oh.” Rumia’s face twisted up as she tried to put all of her scattered thoughts in order. “Uh, are we…in trouble?”

That made Miss Satoko laugh a little. “No, Rumia. I mean, normally, yes you would be, because what you did was very foolish and dangerous. But I think what you went through was more than enough punishment. I’m just glad you’re still alive.”

“Alive,” Kohta whispered. He suddenly sat straight up. “Alive! Miss Satoko. It’s Eiko! She-”

The smile vanished from Miss Satoko’s face, to be replaced with naked pain. “I know, I know,” she said hoarsely. “Mokou told me everything.”

“What?”

“Miss Mokou and Mr. Joshua…found her too. They brought her home as well.”

“Brought her…you mean her body?”

Miss Satoko swallowed and nodded. “Yes.”

“But…the spiders! They would’ve-”

“The spiders won’t be a problem anymore.”

Rumia, Kohta, and Miss Satoko all looked to the door. Miss Mokou was there, leaning against the doorpost with her hands in her pockets.

“Wh-What?” Rumia said.

“You don’t have to worry about the spiders,” Miss Mokou said. “I took care of them.”

“Mokou,” Miss Satoko said. “Maybe this had better-”

“Can we have a few moments?” Miss Mokou said.

“I don’t think-”

“I won’t be long. Just need to ask a few questions.”

“It’s okay,” Rumia told Miss Satoko. “I’d like to talk to her.”

“Me too,” Kohta said.

Miss Satoko hesitated, but then nodded. “Okay. Don’t take too long.” She kissed them both again. Rumia winced when Miss Satoko’s lips touched her forehead

She passed by Miss Mokou, stopped, and laid a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. Miss Mokou gave her fingers a brief squeeze before she left.

“Well,” Miss Mokou said as she entered the room and closed the door, leaving them alone with her. “Sure am glad you two are up and about at least. Feel all right?”

“No,” Rumia said.

“Didn’t think so.” Miss Mokou sat in front of them, legs folded and hands on her knees. “Apparently you two snuck out the moment you could. Didn’t wait for any grown-ups at all, just plunged into the forest yourselves, right?”

“Yes,” Kohta said.

“Heh. Well, that was fucking stupid, but based on what I’ve learned, if you hadn’t, someone else would’ve probably died too. So, you know, good job.”

Rumia hesitated, and then asked. “M-Miss Mokou. The…spiders.”

“What about them?”

“Did you really, you know…”

Miss Mokou nodded. “I did. Your little firework show told me pretty plain where to find them. Found the four of them trying to put out the fires with Eiko’s body still on the table. That told me enough.”

“But…they’re youkai. They’ll come back.”

“No, they won’t,” Mokou said with absolute surety. “Youkai can come back from most things, but there are a few kinds of death that keep them. And I so happen to know at least one of them.”

Rumia felt a chill sweep up her back. “What did you do to them?”

A spark flickered in the dark pupils of Mokou’s maroon eyes. “I burned them alive.” She rotated her right wrist around on her knee, moving the palm upward. A hovering ball of flame suddenly flashed into existence over her hand. “But first I broke them. Slowly. And with great deliberation. I broke them, I hurt them, I made them scream, and after they had told me everything I wanted to know, I set a fire deep inside them that roasted them until their flesh had crisped and their fat melted and even their bones turned to ash.” She closed her fingers shut, snuffing out the flame. “Isn’t as good stopping them from taking you in the first place, but at the very least I made their meal more expensive than they were willing to pay.”

“Good,” rasped a weak-sounding voice.

Rumia turned to see Haruko struggling to sit up. Her former nemesis looked pretty bad, not as bad as Kana, but she was still gaunt and haggard. Her long dark hair, usually so carefully brushed and cleaned, was a nightmare of oily knotted strands that hung in clumps around her face.

“Good,” Haruko said again. “They deserve it.”

“How long have you been awake?” Kohta asked.

Haruko coughed from deep inside her chest. “Few minutes,” she muttered. “When Miss Satoko was still here.” She looked up at Miss Mokou. “You brought Eiko back home, right?”

Miss Mokou nodded. “Me and Joshua did. We were just waiting for you to wake up before we put her to rest.”

Tears shown in Haruko’s eyes. She blinked several times, sniffed, and wiped her eyes with her arm. “Th-Thank you.”

A heavy silence passed between them. Then Miss Mokou sighed and said, “But that wasn’t the only reason I was waiting for you to wake up. See, I learned most of what there is to know about your rescue from the spiders, but not what happened after. They said that they stopped following you when you went into a place called the bone grove, which had something called the black circle. That’s where I found you, all of you. You were all lying lifeless just outside the bone grove. What happened?”

“The…bone grove?” Rumia repeated.

“Yes. A place filled with black trees that had been turned to stone, that had skeletons fused into their trunks. And its center had this circle of black sand.” Miss Mokou shook her head. “Damn. I thought I had seen every ugly corner of Gensokyo, but that was a new one, even for me. Even so, nothing happened the whole time I was in there. I tried setting the trees on fire, but they wouldn’t burn. I tried melting the sand, but it just swallowed up my fire like it was nothing, and that does not happen. But I felt like there was something in there, something that was deliberately locking me out. So I need to know what happened to you all in there.”

“Nothing,” Rumia, Kohta, and Haruko all said in unison.

Miss Mokou narrowed her eyes. “Well. That response was…quick. And unanimous. And obviously not true.”

“Nothing happened!” Haruko insisted.

“Oh, yeah? So, what, you just fell unconscious in the middle of the Youkai Forest for several minutes without anything picking you off? The spider chasing you just up and decided to leave you there for no reason?”

“Yes!” Rumia said crossly. Why couldn’t Miss Mokou just drop it? It wasn’t any of her business!

“Huh,” Miss Mokou said. “I see.”

Then, moving quicker than a striking snake, she reached up with both hands to grip Rumia and Kohta by the chins.

Rumia tried to recoil, but the fingers holding onto her jaw were too strong. And if the touch of Miss Satoko’s hand had been uncomfortably warm, Miss Mokou’s felt hotter than a cattle brand. It was searing into her skin, so much so that she could practically smell her own flesh sizzling.

“STOP IT!” Kohta screamed.

“LET US GO!” Rumia agreed. Haruko lunged forward and shoved Miss Mokou in the chest.

Miss Mokou didn’t budge, but she did raise a single eyebrow. “Well,” she said. “That answers that.”

Then she let them go.

The three of them scrambled away from her, putting as much distance between them and Miss Mokou. “What do you think you’re doing?” Kohta demanded. “Don’t touch us!”

Miss Mokou said nothing. She just calmly looked from one face to the other, her narrowed eyes piercing into theirs.

Then the doorknob started rattling. “Mokou?” Miss Satoko said from the other side. “Mokou, what was that? What are you doing?”

“Huh,” Miss Mokou said.

“Open the door! Mokou?”

Miss Mokou stood up. “Well, that’s everything I need to know. You three get some rest. Awake or not, you’re definitely not fully recovered.”

“Yes, we are!” Haruko protested. “We’re fine!”

“Uh-huh. Sure you are.” Miss Mokou walked over to the door and opened it, revealing not only Miss Satoko, but the rest of the grown-ups as well, all crowded outside the door.

Without saying anything, Mokou left the room and shut the door, leaving the six of them alone.

…

“Mokou, what the hell was that?” Shion hissed. “What were you doing to them?”

“Exactly,” Satoko said, a cold look in her eyes. “You have five seconds to explain why they were screaming before I-”

Mokou held up a finger, silencing them. “No,” she said. “Not here. Haruna’s room. Now.”

Haruna folded her arms. “Kid, you better explain yourself right now.”

“Not. Here,” Mokou repeated. “Head to Haruna’s room and lock the door.”

“Mokou, you were hurting them!” Joshua said. “They were screaming, and-”

Mokou then noticed something. She held up a palm, silencing him, as she turned her attention over to the stairs.

Practically every child in the orphanage not currently in the sick room were clustered around the top steps, staring intently at them.

“OUTSIDE!” Mokou roared.

The kids cleared out faster than she had ever seen them do. She listened as they ran, hopped, and in some cases tripped their way downstairs and out the front door.

When the thumping stopped and the door slammed shut, she turned to the rest of the orphanage’s staff.

“Okay, so now can we go to Haruna’s room so I can explain why we are now all in very real danger?” she said.

That did it. Their looks of confusion and anger turned to ones of confusion and fear. “Okay,” Haruna said. “But why my room? Why not yours?”

“Because my window still has a big hole in it from my hasty exit earlier, and yours has the thickest walls.”

“Well, I’m a light sleeper,” Haruna said, and a bit indignantly at that. “And there’s always some child walking the halls every night.”

“Right, but this isn’t something I want anyone listening in on, so if we could…” Mokou motioned down the hall with both hands.

The six of them quietly filed through the hall and into Haruna’s room. It was a very nice place for such a rough-looking woman, decorated with bright colors and several chalk drawings she had done herself.

“All right,” Satoko said once Haruna had locked the door. “We’re here. Now tell me what you did to them, and maybe I’ll consider not expelling you right now.”

“I grabbed their chins to get a good look at their eyes,” Mokou said. She pinched her own jaw between her thumb and index finger as demonstration. “Like this.”

“That’s it?” Shion said. “But they sounded like you were burning them!”

“That’s because that’s how it felt. Satoko, did you notice how they flinched when you kissed them?”

Satoko stared blankly at her. “Did they?”

“They did. In fact, I’d say they were scared of being touched at all.

“Mokou, we’re begging you,” Shion said. “Say things that make sense!”

Mokou sighed. Oh well, she was in for it already. “Fine. I already told Satoko and Joshua all this, so look them up for the details, but the long and short of it, I’m immortal.”

Haruhi made noise that wasn’t quite a gasp and not quite a hiccup, but was very similar to both.

“Yeah, so to just preemptively answer your questions, no, I’m not a youkai,” Mokou said. “I’m Human, but several hundred years ago I drank a magic potion that made so I’m going to live forever. And I later got super-charged with a whole lot of fire, so that’s what that is all about. But anyway, I’ve been around a long time, and know how to recognize certain things-”

“Excuse me?” Haruhi squeaked. “Uh, I know this is very important, but can we go back to the part where you’re immortal and apparently hundreds of years old?”

Shion shrugged. “Makes sense to me.”

“Well, yeah,” Haruna said. “I mean, it’s obvious, isn’t it?”

“You two knew?” Haruhi said.

“Well, no, but I figured it had to be something like that,” Shion said.

“I did,” Haruna said.

“You did?” Mokou said.

“Sure. I mean, I’ve been hearing stories about the Daughter of the Phoenix my whole life, one that’s supposed to be wandering the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. Then all of a sudden the kids drag in a frozen corpse that is all sorts of dead, except no it’s breathing again in minutes, and all of a sudden those stories stop.” Haruna shrugged. “All in all, it wasn’t hard to put together.”

“Huh,” Mokou said thoughtfully. “Well, when you put it like that…”

Haruhi held up her hands and stomped off to a nearby chair. “I need to sit down.”

“So…you’re really that old, huh?” Shion asked.

“Yeah,” Mokou said. “I’ve been around basically forever, and probably will still be around after everything’s gone.”

Shion thoughtfully rubbed her chin. “How much of forever are we talking? Like, since the beginning of time, or…”

“Oh, no,” Mokou snickered. “I was exaggerating. But about a hundred years or so before Gensokyo was created.”

Haruhi jolted in her chair. “You were born before Gensokyo was created?!”

“Yeah, and let me tell you, that was a hell of a news story.”

“A-And you told…” Haruhi pressed a palm to her forehead. “Okay, I get why you told Satoko, but why Joshua? I mean, no offense, Josh. I didn’t mean it like that.”

“None taken,” Joshua said. “And, well, I just, you know, asked her.”

Haruhi stared at him for a good long time before nodding. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

Satoko sighed. “Well, this is all very fascinating, but it’s distracting from the main point. Mokou, continue.”

“Right,” Mokou said. “So, I’ve been around, I’ve seen and done a lot of things, and I’ve learned to recognize certain things as well.”

“Things like what?” Haruna asked.

Mokou frowned. “Now, I only got a short look at them, but it was enough that I’d bet every single one of my remaining centuries that those kids found…something in the bone grove, something that left its mark on them.”

“What is the bone grove?” Shion asked. “Do you even know anything about it?”

Mokou shook her head. “Never even heard of it until now, which bothers me. I mean, sure, I’ve never really been the one to go digging up any of Gensokyo’s endless mysteries, but something that big really sounds like something I should have at least heard of. The spiders said that it’s a place that nobody goes to, that everyone in the forest just avoids and doesn’t talk about. Can’t say that I blame them.”

“The spiders,” Satoko repeated. “That you tortured.”

“Yeah, those are the ones. But anyway, even if I’ve never heard of this particular batch of creepy, it’s clear to me that even though I didn’t find anything specific in it, those kids did. And they took a piece of it with them.”

Satoko swallowed. “What is that even supposed to mean? What did it do to them?”

“Exactly what I said. Whatever it is, they got a piece of it inside them, and it’s influencing them somehow.”

Joshua inhaled sharply. “Wait, are you telling me that they’re possessed?”

“Hell if I know,” Mokou said. “Could be, but I don’t think so. They seemed mostly normal until I tried to talk to them about the bone grove, which is when they got weirdly hostile. And they didn’t freak out until I touched them. So I’m thinking that it’s just, you know, influencing them.”

“Is it dangerous?” Shion asked.

“Undoubtedly,” Mokou said with a nod.

Everyone fell silent as they all digested her answer. Then Shion said, “So, what do we do about it?”

Mokou thought on that. “In the long term? Not sure. But for now, keep them together in the sick room and away from the rest of the kids. Don’t let anyone go in there, and don’t let them leave, not until we learn more about what it is and what it’s doing to them.”

“No!” Satoko cried. “Are you out of your mind? I’m not going to make them prisoners in their own home!”

Mokou had been expecting that kind of reaction, and while it was understandable, this wasn’t the time to err on the side of kindness. “Would you rather one of the other kids end up dead? We already lost Eiko. You wanna risk someone else?”

“What about the funeral?” Haruhi said softly. “We put off laying Eiko to rest so they could be there. Haruko and Hayate were her friends. Are we going to keep them locked up during that?”

“Probably.”

“No,” Satoko repeated. “Absolutely not. Mokou, you go too far!”

Mokou gave a nonchalant shrug with one shoulder. “Someone has to.”

“She’s right,” Joshua said to her. “Satoko, I mean. This is just cruel. They’re already isolated from the rest of the Human community, and now you want to isolate them further?”

“If I gotta,” Mokou said. “Look, I’m not saying lock them up for life. I’ll go get the Hakurei shrine maiden. She’s an expert in this sort of thing. Hell, I’ll scare up Yukari Yakumo if I have to.”

That got a reaction from the others, almost as much as the reveal about her immortality did. “Yukari Yakumo!” Haruhi gasped. “You know Yukari Yakumo?”

“Not personally,” Mokou said. “But it’s a kind of ‘know people who know her’ sort of thing. Anyway, I’m pretty sure I can scare her down if I have to.”

“If you want to bring her into this, then do so,” Satoko said. “Bring anyone you think can help. But I am not locking them up, and they are not missing the funeral.”

Mokou scowled. “Bad idea, Satoko. When a kid gets sick, we keep them away from the others, don’t we?”

“It’s not the same thing!”

“Satoko, I think she’s right,” Haruna said in a low voice.

Satoko gaped at the older woman. For her part, Haruna merely folded her arms. “If those kids have been touched by something evil, then it’s our responsibility to do what we can to keep everyone safe. I know it sounds cruel, but we’re on a knife’s edge already. We can’t afford to take risks.”

“But that’s what Skinner and Sonozika are doing, isn’t it?” Satoko said. “Saying that we’re infected with evil to keep us isolated from everyone else? How are we any different if we do this?”

“Because number one, they’re just doing it because they’re hateful bigots,” Mokou said. “We actually have proof that something’s wrong. And number two, we intend to help the kids. They’re not.”

Satoko still looked unconvinced. “That’s not good enough, Mokou. After everything they’ve been through, I’m not going to separate them from their friends. I’m not going to treat them like monsters!”

“Satoko, it ain’t forever,” Haruna said, laying a meaty hand on the taller woman’s shoulder. “Mokou knows people that can help, right? Powerful people who specialize in this kind of crap. So we just keep them by themselves as a precaution until these people show up to take a look at things. Then they’ll fix the kids right up, and everything will go back to normal.”

Satoko looked hurt by Haruna’s words. “Haruna, you can’t be taking her side! You’ve helped raise these children even longer than I have! You know how close they are with one another! I mean, Rumia and Kohta have been fighting with Haruko, Hayate, and Eiko for as long as I can remember, and they still risked their lives to save them!”

“Think, Satoko! Think with your head! The safety of the children come first! Of course we’ll do everything we can to ensure that they’re okay, but until then, we need to be smart!”

“But-”

“What if whatever it is takes control of them when they’re asleep?” Mokou demanded. “I’ve seen things like that happen before. What if we wake up to find everyone’s throats slit? Or the house set on fire. Or-”

“Stop, Mokou! Just stop talking!”

Mokou’s gaze was like steel. “You know I’m right.”

“I…” Satoko’s eyes welled up with tears. “Fine then! If you think it’s so important, then fine! But only as long as it takes to get them help, and they are not missing the funeral!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mokou said. “We still don’t-”

“They’re going to be there, and that’s final! And speaking of which, seeing how you’re so good with fire, you can handle the cremation. Immediately.”

Mokou sighed. “Fine. And if they must be there, then fine. But at the very least keep them apart from the others.”

Satoko bit her lower lip. “How quickly can you get the Hakurei shrine maiden here?”

“Well, I’d have to find her again,” Mokou said after thinking on it. “But I don’t like the thought of leaving, not after what happened last time. I suppose I could send someone else to look for her.”

“Who?” Joshua said.

…

Tewi Inaba looked down at the list of instructions Mokou had given her, and then up again at the tall Human who had given it to her. “You serious with this?”

“Look, we’ve had enough shit go down here, so I can’t afford to leave them unprotected,” Mokou said. “And I’m a little short in contacts that might actually find her. So yes, I am serious with this.”

“Right,” Tewi sighed. “You know, we haven’t had that crust bitch poke her killjoy ass in our forest ever since you left. It’s been kind of nice. And now you just want us to go looking for her?”

“Tewi,” Mokou said, warning in her tone.

“Fine, fine, I’ll find her,” Tewi said as she held up her palms in defeat. “But you owe me.”

“Put it on my tab,” Mokou said. “I mean, I’ve got nothing but time to settle up.”

…

Me tired.

Until next time, everyone.

[dbhilluminate]

DBH: Illuminate- AV log 4.5

Characters: Connor, Kate, Amanda Word Count: 3,737

Chapter Index

November 11th, 2038- 7PM            Meet me at the corner across from Capitol Park. I can be there in a little over an hour.            It still baffled him how quickly the weather could change. Forty minutes after he’d reached out to Illuminate the sky had clouded over, and by seven it had already been dripping quiet showers for ten minutes. The park had cleared the moment the weather changed, leaving him alone with the other Androids doing construction on his side of the street, and those who had been parked while their owners shopped nearby.      But as he stood there watching, he was struck by a stray thought- the way they stood there unmoving, staring straight ahead, waiting for permission to leave their space, felt simultaneously natural and unnatural and made him realize for the first time how uncomfortable he was around Androids that weren’t deviants. While he could still understand their programming and how and why they reacted to circumstances, the autonomy he had been granted in order to effectively blend in alongside humans had rendered him an outsider to his own kind. He was no longer idle, he was constantly observing, thinking, learning, evolving, while they remained the same- shackled, limited, and stagnant.      But while it was true he possessed more freedom than his Android brothers and sisters, it still didn’t make him human, or even deviant. Although he had chosen to pursue his own path to accomplish his mission, his objective remained, no matter how hard he tried to wish it away. Connor was still bound by the same laws and restrictions that separated them from the humans they’d been so carefully modeled in the image of, trapped in the duality of being neither human nor android and yet both. So what did that make him?            “RK, over here.”            Connor turned and looked up the street behind him to find Kate standing in the shadows behind a dumpster with her hands in her pockets and a nervous gaze sweeping the area. It didn’t matter whether he’d arrived first or how alert he remained, she somehow always managed to sneak up on him. It was no wonder she hadn’t been caught.      He started toward her at a slow walk but trotted across the lane as a car came up the road and maneuvered around him. “Is everything alright?” he asked when she ducked her head to hide her face from the driver of the sedan as it passed.      “I’m fine,” she fibbed, intentionally leaving out the part about not having anyone to watch her back remotely at the moment, “But I can’t stay long. What did you need me for?”      “You don’t look alright,” he insisted when she deflected. “Would you be more comfortable somewhere else? Maybe, off the streets?”            Kate considered his words for a moment and chewed on the inside of her cheek as she wavered between the decision to stay or go, half-way turned back up the way she’d come, then looked up at him after a brief hesitation and nodded over her shoulder for him to follow.

     They turned right down the next alley and wove their way through the back-streets in silence for several minutes until she stopped, climbed up onto a dumpster, and leaped to the ladder of an external fire escape on the side of the building before climbing all the way to the top of the steps, eight stories up. Connor followed at his own pace, wondering where she could have possibly been taking him, but when he reached the top and climbed through the window of the empty top floor, it became clear.      Although the building had been finished on the outside, the interior of this floor was nothing but empty space- concrete floors covered in dust and plastic tarps, bare ceilings with exposed copper piping, and plaster blasted haphazardly over steel beams. There were no cameras, no tenants, no prying eyes; they could talk here undisturbed as long as they needed to.      Connor stepped carefully over the ledge and propped himself up on the window frame as he pulled himself inside and placed one foot on the ground at a time before standing up and getting a good look around. Kate stood at a hole in the wall across the room and looked out over what they could see of the city from their vantage as she listened to the plastic sheets feather in the wind whipping through the unfinished window. He could see that she was much more at ease here but still waited for her to speak first.            “I stayed here for the first two months after I deviated,” she explained with a thoughtful smile painting her lips. “It kept me away from the humans who would have destroyed me and allowed me to do my research in peace- this is where my message was born, inside these empty walls are memories of worse times in my life… loneliness, misery, anger, self-loathing… but this place was safe to me; it was home.”      As her voice trailed off, she turned to the side and leaned her temple against the concrete, then closed her eyes as she slowly rolled her head back to listen to the rain slap against tarps as she re-lived one of those bittersweet days from her past, just for a moment. “The sun used to come up... right over there,” she shared quietly as she pointed east toward the darkening horizon, “Around six forty-five every morning...”            He came further into the room, one slow step at a time, and studied it from top to bottom, corner to corner, picking up on some of the more obvious signs that someone had once lived there: old newspapers, writing on the walls, and piles of old blankets on the ground next to a rusty oil drum with a hole cut out of one side, filled with burnt kindle and ash, littered the floor like the post-apocalyptic wastes of Detroit in ruin. Barring the amenities of a furnished apartment that made a home feel comfortable, it had more than an android would have needed to survive, and the privacy to promote it. Curious fingers brushed over the wall beside her where RA9 was written in several different shades of permanent marker, thousands of times over.      “Why did you leave?” he asked, expecting that she may have anticipated the question, but she had been too lost in her thoughts to hear him the first time.            “What?” The woman blinked out of her trance and looked over at him as he repeated the question and elaborated.      “You were high enough away from the humans to not be noticed, in a part of the building no one cared enough about to finish, let alone revisit. It would have been unlikely that you would have been found unless you were making too much noise and drawing attention to yourself... so why did you leave?”            Something dark flashed in her eyes for a moment before she shook her head and refocused on him, the words spilling out as if to cover up something she’d rather forget, but he didn’t miss the quiver in her chin before she started speaking. “It was in the middle of town, too hard to get in and out of without being seen… too many people worried about squatters in the building. Someone called the cops a few times, so it ended up just not being worth the risk.”      “And now?”      Kate gave him a coy grin and shook her head. “I found a nice little place with a great view that no one wanted… little drafty, and the roof leaks when it rains,” she embellished with a gesture of her hand toward the ceiling and a quick shrug, “But, beggars can’t be choosers.”      “No, I guess not,” Connor smiled quietly and chuckled as he pulled a coin from out of his jacket lapel and flicked it unconsciously from one hand to the other.      For a while, the rain stole away the silence, and he paced the room with light steps to keep the hollow clacking of his shoes from ripping them out of their quiet moment, but it seemed she was already miles ahead of him, unwilling to waste any more time.      “So, why did you call me?”            The comfort nurtured by the last ten minutes of their impromptu tour of the town flushed out of him along with his smile as she reminded him this hadn’t been a social call. The Android Detective stopped, caught the quarter between his fingers, and turned to meet her gaze, only then realizing that his reason for being there was going to upset her, and he was unprepared.      With a feigned breath of confidence, he straightened up and tugged out the cuffs of his shirt under his jacket before answering her question. “We arrested a deviant today at a pawn shop midtown who had a forged ID, and I was wondering if you knew anything about it.”            Kate’s entire demeanor changed in an instant, like someone had switched off the lights, boarded up the windows, and locked the front door, and Connor knew he’d made a mistake. Arms crossed, eyes cold and unrelenting, she turned to face him with an indignant stance and a curl in her lip, her tone angry as it had been the day of her first broadcast as Illuminate.      “I may know that there are people in the city who forge ID’s for deviants so they can start a new life free of prejudice and persecution,” she sneered. “But I don’t know who, their names are safe with people I’ve come to call friends… and even if I did, I wouldn’t give you their names. Did you really expect me to?”      He winced at the sting of her words and cast his eyes to the floor as he clenched his teeth in shame. “To be honest... no,” he admitted, “But I had to try.”      He shoulders lowered, and her hands relaxed over her forearms. “Why?”            Even though he knew it was coming he’d still hoped it wouldn’t, because he didn’t have a good answer, only the logical one: the one that reminded him that he was a machine, the one that made her distrustful of him.      Connor hesitated to answer. His LED ring lit yellow and his voice nearly cracked as he forced out the words at just above a whisper, “You were the only lead I had…”      Although Kate’s gaze remained hard, she couldn’t miss the helplessness in the way his voice trailed off. Something was amiss. Why would he have called for a meeting, with only one goal in mind, if he knew he’d get nothing out of it? It just didn’t make sense. Unless…            The silence was disquieting, strained and tense. The boy fidgeted as her expression morphed from anger to confusion to focused intent, and waited for her to respond for what seemed like days. What was she thinking? Was she angry? Would she tell him to leave?      “Connor can I ask you something…?”            The sudden question interrupting his racing thoughts made his heart palpate as he jumped and snapped his attention up to her clear blue eyes. He’d spent enough time with her to know by now that whenever she started using his name instead of nicknames or nouns like “detective” to refer to him, what came next was usually important.      “Of course,” he assured.      “And I want you to give me an honest answer, none of this “because it’s what I was programmed to do” or “because it’s what cyberlife wants” bullshit. I need a real answer.”      Connor’s brows twitched and he tilted his head as he considered her request but nodded silently to agree to her terms.      “Why are you so hell-bent on accomplishing this “mission” of yours, even when you know it’s the wrong thing to do?”            The answer was simple, but he found it much harder than he imagined to say it out loud. At first he thought that maybe this was due to Cyberlife security protocols restricting his ability to share that information freely, but realized that it was more likely the shame of not wanting to find out what would happen if he defied his programming that was holding him back.      “... because I’ll be decommissioned if I don’t succeed,” he finally stated after wrestling with his thoughts for a while.              The complexity of his dilemma was starting to come into focus now that she had started asking the right questions. Kate didn’t respond immediately, but her expression did soften as the picture of him became a little more clear. When he’d reached out to her that evening, he hadn’t done it because he wanted help on the case. Whether or not he was aware of the underlying intent, he’d called on her because he needed her help- because deviant or not, Connor didn’t like the idea of being relieved of his function, of passing into non-existence, of death. But where was that stemming from?      “Does that scare you?” she asked after remaining quiet for several minutes.      “I’m not sure that “scared” is the right word,” he confessed, “I’ve never felt scared.”      “But it’s not something you want,” she insisted.      “The prospect of deactivation compels me to do whatever I need to accomplish my mission, no matter how unreasonable it may seem.”      “So what you’re saying is, it’s just self-preservation?” she concluded.            He looked as if he were about to confirm her statement, but instead he set his jaw, clenched his teeth and looked away as he slipped a hand over the back of his neck.      “Not entirely…” he mumbled as he paced the room again, one slow step at a time.      “Then what?” Kate prodded.      “I don’t-” he started with an exasperated chuckle. “I don’t know, alright? All I know is, when I think about what happens if I fail… there is no other option but to succeed, because I don’t want-”            Kate’s eyebrows lifted as he cut himself off, but they both already knew what he had been about to say. The words repeated in his mind, an irrational statement that he couldn’t quantify or rationalize. The ring on his temple turned yellow and out of the corner of his eye, his self-testing protocol blipped to alert him to a spike in software instability.            “... because you don’t want to die?” she finished as she stepped around him and squared up eye-to-eye.      “I’m not alive,” he quickly deflected, hollow and rehearsed.      “You keep saying that, but I’m starting to think you don’t really believe it.”      Illuminate sighed, lifted her chin, and crossed her arms. She was starting to grow tired of beating around the bush.      “You don’t believe me?” He gave her a weak smile to try and mask the defeat in his eyes, but she didn’t take the bait.      “I believe you don’t value yourself as an individual,” she ventured, “And that’s why you can’t wrap your head around what you’re feeling.”      “Well, I am just a machine,” he stated.      “No,” she argued, frustration in her tone, as she turned and took a few steps away from him, placed her hands on her hips and forced a somber smile. “No- you’re more than just a tool, Connor. You can be so much more than a blunt instrument wielded by Cyberlife to enforce their twisted idea of harmony.”            It was the first time anyone had ever spoken to him so candidly about his self-worth and made him question what he “could be”. For him there had never been any doubt in his mind about what he was and what he was meant to do; but now, because of the faith entrusted to him by someone whose opinion he thought highly of, the possibility of being more was no longer out of reach, should he decide to seize the opportunity      But today was not that day. Today he would continue to hesitate.            “Maybe I could be,” he agreed in melancholic dismay as his gaze fell to the floor, “But I’m not.”      The pain settled into the corners of her eyes and mouth, and she shook her head softly as she closed her eyes. “No… not today you’re not. But just know that if the day comes that you are… you won’t be alone.”            He didn’t know what to say. In the back of his mind, he knew that Amanda was still watching, listening. And even if he wanted to thank her, even if he wanted to tell her the truth, Amanda would never allow the words to leave his lips before he was removed from reality and locked away forever in Cyberlife’s cold storage of failed prototypes. Until he was ready to brave that possibility, she needed to believe he was still on Cyberlife’s side.            One of Kate’s hands rose between them and gave his arm a soft squeeze. “I don’t fault you for being afraid of risking your life for convictions you aren’t one hundred percent sure you agree with.”      “But you’re disappointed…”      “Of course I’m disappointed, but I get it now,” she reassured as she stepped away from him and slipped her hand off his arm. “Look, I have to go… I can’t give you any sort of lead that will undermine my work or put my colleagues at risk, but what I can tell you is this- look closer at what’s going on in that pawn shop. It’ll keep you busy for a while.”      Connor blinked rapidly as she turned to leave, and started in her direction instinctively with questions. “But, I thought you said-“      “If you’ve already been in there sniffing around, chances are they’ll be gone before you can pick up their trail, but it should be enough to keep the case alive, for now.”                        As her figure disappeared down the stairwell on the other side of the building, Connor started to feel a familiar prickling in the back of his mind that set him on edge.      Amanda wanted to speak with him.      Connor shuddered as he stood up straight, and hesitated to close his eyes completely, but forced them shut and awoke once more in the garden, this time greeted by cherry blossom petals skipping across a cool breeze that wrapped around him like Cyberlife’s fingers around his throat. One hand reached up to loosen the knot of his tie as he stepped out onto the white marble path and followed it around until he found Amanda sitting on a boulder underneath a willow tree off the trail. She seemed… happy. Why was she happy?      The woman’s eyes lit up and a smile bloomed across her face as she waved him over, and his stomach knotted as he obeyed.            “Hello Amanda,” he greeted in as calm a tone as he could manage.      “Well done Connor… you’ve really outdone yourself this time,” she congratulated as she stood to cup his hand between both of hers. “I always knew you were capable of accomplishing the impossible.”      Connor squinted as his lips parted. “I’m...  sorry but, to which success are you referring? We haven’t made any significant progress on our case yet.”      The woman pursed her lips and shook her head. “Come now, no need to be modest,” she cooed as she looped her arm through his and led him down the walkway at a slow pace. “You’ve gained Illuminate’s trust.”            It took every ounce of self-control for him to keep walking and act like he hadn’t just been hit by a truck, and Connor’s eyelids flickered softly in dismay at the realization of what she thought he’d done.      “And what’s more…” A derisive chuckle interrupted her thoughts as her grin turned wicked as the devil she was. “She truly believes that by selling out her brothers and sisters, she’s helping you buy time to change your loyalties.”      All he could hear was white noise. Amanda’s laugh was so distorted she may as well have been in another place entirely. It hurt like nothing he had ever felt before to have to stand there and agree with her, even worse to think about how far this would have to go before he decided he was brave enough to end the deception.      “It wasn’t easy,” he lied as he fought back bitter tears.      “And yet you’ve succeeded where others failed. Incredible work.”            “Wait- others?” It was a minute detail that she’d easily dismissed, but the word struck him so hard he stopped thinking about everything else for a  moment and turned on a dime to back up on it.      “We’ll be sure to get that warrant flagged as a high priority so you can follow up on that lead as soon as possible,” she continued without even batting an eye, “And hopefully, get ahead of the deviants in hiding.”      “What others!?” he repeated, this time more demanding.      “What does it matter?” she asked with a dry chuckle and shook her head before looking up into his eyes. “They failed, they’re of no consequence to Cyberlife, or to you.”      Connor clenched his jaw tightly shut before he said anything he’d regret, but the twitch in his eye and chin had almost given him away.      “Why don’t you try shutting down for the night?” she suggested as she turned her back to him. “You’ve been working so hard these last few days, I think you deserve a break.”      He flattened his lips and pressed the tip of his tongue to the back of them as he closed his eyes, then nodded and sighed. “Maybe you’re right.”      “Then go, rest… and we’ll speak again soon.”                        This time the trip back to reality was anything but gentle. When he reopened his eyes to the greyness of the empty room once more he drew in a sharp breath and stumbled back until his hands touched the wall. Connor’s heart beat angrily in his chest and his hands quivered into white-knuckled fists as every last thought in his head tried to cram its way through a bottleneck in his processing core; he lifted the balls of his hands to press into the plates above his eyebrows as he paced back and forth in front of the window, tears rolling down his cheeks. The line between deviancy and stability blurred more and more by the day.      He wouldn’t be able to keep this up for much longer, or it would end up tearing him apart.

[thedeaditeslayer]

The evolution of Ted Raimi from actor to mad man ad man.

When Ted Raimi told me that he was spilling the beans on his Shemp’s Beer campaign for STARZ, I was immediately all in! Courtesy of the man himself here is a look inside the creation of the Season 3 hot 80s promo featuring Bruce Campbell, Dana DeLorenzo and Gwendoline Taylor.

“Goi hahd or goi hoim!” (Go hard or go home)

Reporting for Duty

Everyone who is familiar with the Evil Dead universe knows Ted Raimi. As a kid, he appeared in his brother’s Super 8 shorts alongside “Michigan Mafia” members, Bruce Campbell, Rob Tapert and Scott Spiegel. At 21, he was playing the crazy Deadite, Henrietta who delighted in wanting to swallow Ash Williams’ soul.

Segue to 2016 and the second season of the STARZ series, Ash vs Evil Dead. This time, Ted was playing Ash’s best friend, Chet Kaminski. In addition, he was also reprising his role as Henrietta.

As if his plate weren’t full enough already, he was also putting in time doing multiple voices for the Netflix series, Buddy Thunderstruck. Always on the lookout for challenging opportunities, Ted heard that STARZ wanted to create a unique ad campaign for season 2 of the show.

Intrigued and wanting to make the jump into directing, Ted pitched STARZ his idea for ads. They liked what they saw and Ted was ready to add the title of commercial director to his already impressive resume.

So, It Begins

Originally, STARZ had a concept that the marketing campaign would mirror the episodes of the show and in fact, would function as mini-shows. However, once Ted began to write the spots it became readily apparent that this approach was going to be extremely costly. So, back to the drawing board.

For Ted, this would be an exhausting but worthwhile process. By day, he was an intrepid actor on two shows. By night and on his days off, he became an ad man. Creating innovative copy utilizing the cast of Ash and the spirit of the show took up most of his downtime.

Assisting him in this adventure would be staff writer, Suzanne Keilly who was one of the scribes responsible for the terrific Ashy Slashy episode, production coordinator and 1st AD, Amand Weaver who according to Ted was his stand-in and double on Xena: Warrior Princess, production assistant, Daisy Lawless (Lucy’s daughter) and DP Clint Rarm.

Check out Ted’s first effort as a promo director, the STARZ short segment, Beep, Beep.

Next up, the show runner at the time, Craig DiGregorio had a terrific idea of using Ray Santiago as Pablo and doing an MTV Cribs type spot where Pablito takes you inside Ash’s Airstream trailer where the “magic” happens.

More fun spots followed featuring Lucy Lawless as a diva (which couldn’t be farther from the truth) and Michelle Hurd getting Zen. Even Ted had some screen time running around the production office doing crazy stuff.

One of the wildest promos was courtesy of Dana DeLorenzo. The premise is that she wants to help the production cut costs so she pitches the season finale where she plays all the roles to Cam Welsh (AVED head writer).

The Invention of Shemp’s Beer

Anyone who is a fan of Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi and Sam Raimi know the importance of the Three Stooges. One Stooge in particular has captivated them for years, Shemp Howard. So much so that they coined a term, “Fake Shemp.”

Well, Bruce brought that love to Ash vs Evil Dead when he suggested that Elk Grove have its own local brand of beer. Thus, that is how Shemp’s was created and what a genius idea it was!

Planning the next STARZ spot came to Ted while he was drinking of all things, a brewski. Thinking about the AVED storyline which involved time travel, Raimi started to recall those sexy, slightly smarmy Michelob ads from his formative years in the 80s.

After that, the concept for the Season 3 hit promo was born. STARZ loved it and gave Ted the green light. The commercial took two days to shoot with Bruce Campbell, Dana DeLorenzo and Gwendoline Taylor.

In Denver, the team of editor Thomas Fugelsang and producer Stacey Libbrechtshep herded the ad to its conclusion. The end result is sheer perfection as Campbell, DeLorenzo and Taylor nail the smoldering smoothness of Ted Raimi’s after dark Shemp’s ad.

[meenasmoon]

Meena x johnny + water guns = fluff

Meena is a natural born sniper. But she can’t even harm a fly so it was never meant to be… Oh well, Johnny will be supportive no matter what.

Water Warriors

“Ya sure yer ready for this?” Johnny whispered as he ducked low behind abarrier and checked his heavy water gun to make sure he had enough ammo. Behindhim Meena was pressed against the barrier, dressed in a white t-shirt andshorts that matched Johnny’s own white outfit. She looked up at Johnny andnodded solemnly, brandishing her own water gun. 

“It’s now or never.” She whispered and nodded towards their target.Gunther was dancing through the barriers, dodging various shots of coloredwater as they soared through the air towards his white-clad body. Meenatook a deep breath and took up position on the barrier, her water gun aimed fortheir German friend. She looked through the sights and took a long, deepbreath. The chaos around her disappeared as she focused on her target, securein the knowledge that Johnny had her back while she took out Gunther. Shewaited until Gunther’s surprisingly quick form danced closer to where she waskneeling.

Like lightning she pulled the trigger and a strong stream of purpleliquid shot out and nailed Gunther straight in the back. He turned around inshock to see who had finally gotten him out and Meena took the opportunity toshoot him again, this time right in the chest. The purple liquid splatteredagainst his white shirt, staining it immediately. Gunther looked down at thecolor of the water in shock and then dazedly began to walk off the course andover to the sidelines.

Meena immediately broke out into a grin at her success and suddenlyJohnny’s warm voice whispered in her ear.

“Perfect shot love.” She blushed at the familiar term of endearment andturned her head to reply. Just as she turned her head a splash of red liquidhit the barrier right where she had been a moment ago. She gasped and fell backinto Johnny’s arms. He caught her and quickly helped her to her feet, gentlybut urgently pushing her to run towards new cover.

“Go! I’ll lay dahn sum cover fire. Get ter the bloomin’ base!” Meenanodded and sprinted towards the protected base that she and Johnny had claimedat the beginning of the match.

It all started when they were approached to participate in a charityfundraiser for the city. They each got to pick a charity to sponsor and wouldthen compete in a water gun fight for that charity’s benefit. The winner’scharity would get the majority of the donations with decreasing amounts foreach charity that placed after that. Everyone was required to wear white andwas assigned a color of water so that the judges would know who got whom out ofthe competition. 

 Even though Meena and Johnny had different charities, Johnny knew thatthe others would underestimate his girlfriend so he promised to train her onhow to win the water fight. Meena had turned out to be a quick learner and herskills quickly surpassed Johnny’s.

 Johnny had been her rock and her biggest fan since the moment thecontest had been announced and Meena knew that she could count on Johnny toprotect her from stray shots and push her to the top of the competition.

 Meena swerved on instinct and a splash of blue hit the wall next to her.She felt her panic start to build but she quickly pushed it down, hopeblossoming in its place when she caught sight of their base. She ducked againas another round of blue water splattered the ground around her. Her heartpounding and her lungs burning, she raced desperately towards the base.She launched herself over the protective wall just seconds before two blue shotsplattered against the wall. Meena pressed herself close to the wall, breathingheavily and gripping her water gun with all of her might. Without it shewas a sitting duck and she refused to let down her charity by losing so earlyin the game.

She tensed when she heard the sound of someone running stealthilytowards her base. Their steps were light but quick and their obvious destinationwas her cover. She pressed herself against the barrier in preparation andwaited for the steps to get in range. She wasn’t going to lose this basewithout a fight, that was for sure. When the runner was in range she quicklygot on her knees and rose into position, her eye already in the sights and herfinger on the trigger. She was met with a winded Johnny who was half-heartedlyholding up his arms in surrender.

“Daan’t shoot I come in peace.” He chuckled and Meena quickly pulled himinto base as a barrage of pink water soaked their outer walls. Johnny chuckledand peeked over the wall to where Rosita was brandishing one of the largerwater guns and was soaking their outer wall in pink water.

“It’s Rosita.” He hissed and Meena frowned. It wasn’t easy for her toshoot down her friends, even if it was just water and for a good cause.

“I’ll take this wahn. Give me a distraction okay?” He smilesympathetically and his gentle girlfriend nodded and began shooting haphazardlyover the edge of the base, drawing Rosita’s fire and attention over to her.Meanwhile, Johnny snuck around to the corner of the base where  they hadstashed water balloons of their given color. He picked out a coupleof green balloons and took aim. He pulled back his arm and stuck histongue out slightly as he took aim. Under his breath he counted to three,waiting for Rosita to pop out of her hiding space and fire at Meena.

He watched in simultaneous amusement and amazement as Rosita hefted thelarge water gun over her cover and started shooting at Meena who quickly duckedbehind the barrier to wait out her fire. With that Johnny saw his chance and hequickly launched a green water balloon with all of his strength. He watched inawe as the balloon flew through the air and arched gracefully towards Rosita.She looked up as the balloon approached her and gaped as it came down andsmacked her directly in the stomach, covering her front in a bright greenstain.

Instead of being upset Rosita just laughed and put her gun down, raisingher hands above her head as she walked off the field to join Gunther on thesidelines.

“Well played you two!” She called out as she walked away. Behind thecover of their base Meena and Johnny smirked victoriously and high-fivedeach other.

“ ‘Oo do we ‘ave left?” Johnny whispered and Meena mentally went throughthe list of their remaining opponents.

“Eddie, Ms. Crawley, Ash, and Buster.” She whispered and Johnny noddedhis understanding, “I-I think we should probably go after Eddie next. I thinkhe’s holed up in the tower with some snacks. If we strike at the same timeas one of the others we can get in and surprise him.” She looked up at him withwide eyes, waiting for his input on her plan. Johnny gazed at her, amazementshining in his eyes and he broke out into a huge smile.

“You’re a genius.” Meena blushed at his praise but quickly focused in ashe elaborated on her plan, “Buster said ‘e was garn ter get Eddie aht so ‘e’sprolly there na.”

They both looked out over the edge of their base suspiciously, scanningthe surrounding area for threats. When the area remained silent they quicklyclimbed over the short wall and began sneaking towards the short tower that satin the middle of the field. As they got closer they could hear the sound of waterguns firing and the trash talk being exchanged by the two best friends.

“Come out you coward!” Buster called up to the tower where Eddie couldbee seen munching on some chips and shooting from his vantage point.Fortunately he seemed to be a terrible shot so the risk was significantlylowered. Johnny and Meena snuck around the edges of cover until they got to thecover closest to the side of the tower. Between their cover and the tower therewas a large stretch of grassy, open area with a high risk factor if Buster sawthem.

Meena peeked out at Buster and grinned when she found that his attentionwas solely focused on Eddie and their verbal sparring. This might be their oneand only chance to outsmart the master of the plan and make it into the tower unnoticed.Meena went first so Johnny could provide cover just in case she was seen. Thosefew seconds that she spent dashing across the open space to the tower door werethe most thrilling of the game because while she was running she wasvulnerable, and Buster was a very formidable player. When she made it to thedoorway she took cover in the alcove and motioned for Johnny to join her. SinceJohnny was faster than her he was once again by her side in seconds and theysnuck their way into the tower.

The lower level was empty except for a few black water balloons, Eddie’scolor, and a ladder that led up to the top level, where Eddie was comfortablyperched. Meena silently climbed up the ladder so that the top half of her bodywas on the upper floor and Johnny held onto her legs. She positioned her gun atEddie’s back and let her finger hover over the trigger. Deciding that he wantedthere to be an even more apparent sign of his victory she let out a lowwhistle. Eddie whipped around in surprise and in the process Meena nailed himwith a shot to the chest.

Eddie groaned in disappointment and threw down his gun and his bag ofchips. Meena and Johnny climbed up to the second level and watched as Eddiedescended from his ‪safe haven and trudged across thefield to join the other losers. He was mumbling to himself and pouting thewhole way over, even going so far as to pout in his seat on the sidelines.Johnny rolled his eyes in exasperation and not for the first time he understoodwhy the sheep still lived at home.

Johnny moved around the tower, taking stock of all of the goodies thathad been left for everyone while Meena surveilled the field for Buster. Shesearched every inch of the surrounding area, but the fuzzy koala had vanished.It was like he never even existed. She frowned and turned back to Johnny whowas refilling his gun with a water bucket and some dye. She followed hisexample and filled her gun as well. She also grabbed a few purple waterballoons and shoved them into her pockets. Once she and Johnny had everythingthat they wanted they headed back downstairs and into the playing field. As ofnow they were aware how unsecured and difficult it was to maintain cover in thetower so they left as soon as possible. 

They were sneaking through the tree line, looking for another opponentwhen fortune shined on them once more. As they were rustling around, they cameacross Ms. Crawly who was toddling around watering bushes with the orange waterthat flowed from her squirt gun. Meena and Johnny exchanged looks andcautiously emerged from their hiding spot. When Ms. Crawly saw them she beamedand waved casually as she gently placed her water gun on the ground.

“It’s such a beautiful day today isn’t it?” She said distractedly andclosed her eyes for a second as she soaked in the warmth of the day, “I’mafraid you caught me watering the flowers.” She chuckled to herself and thenopened her arms in surrender.

Johnny stared at her in confusion and slowly raised his water gun topoint at her chest, “ ‘Re ya sure abaht this Ms. Crawly?” Ms. Crawley noddedand Meena looked away as Johnny took aim and fired a stream of water at the oldlizard’s chest. A large green splotch began to form on her white dress and Ms.Crawly looked down to examine it with interest.

“Oooh a wet t-shirt contest. How risqué.” She muttered to herself andtried to cover up her imagined indecency as she hobbled over to the sidelines.Meena let out a little giggle and Johnny rolled his eyes affectionately as theywatched her walk away to safety. 

Once she was out of sight Meena and Johnny once again began their trekaround the course. The only ones left at this point were them, Ash, and Busterso things were starting to get serious, and that also meant that they werein for a fight. 

They came to a maze area that the organizers had set up for thecompetition. Johnny frowned, unsure whether or not they should potentiallycorner themselves in the maze, but ultimately a rustling sound in the mazecaught his attention. One of their potential targets was in that maze. Helooked back at Meena for confirmation and when she faltered he quickly turnedaround and pulled her in close.

“We’ve got this love. You’re gonna win this and I’ve got your back. Soyou’ve got nuffin ter worry abaht.” He encouraged her and Meena nodded firmly,her confidence mounting again.

“Let’s go.” She whispered. Johnny grinned and turned around to lead theway into the maze. They were able to stick together for a little while buteventually the maze opened up into two different paths. There hadn’t been anysign of anyone else in the maze just yet so they couldn’t risk not splittingup. Meena headed to the left and Johnny reluctantly headed to the right. Hetrusted her skills implicitly but he would much rather be watching her backthan leave her to fend for herself. Johnny watched her go and didn’t move downhis chosen path until she had disappeared into another part of the maze.

Neither of the large animals noticed the slight form watching themthrough the entrance of the maze. Ash smirked and held her water gun at theready. She decided in the moment that Meena was the easier target so sheheaded down the same route that her large friend had taken. Meanwhile, Johnny,who had been lingering back just in case Meena changed her mind, suddenlyfelt a strong urge to turn around and protect Meena. He stopped in his tracksand cursed. He turned around and ran full speed after Meena, his heart poundingin his chest. 

Meena was walking through the maze slowly but steadily, looking out forher targets in front of her. She turned a corner and groaned in disappointmentwhen she came face to face with a dead end. She turned around to head back andfind Johnny but came face to face with the end of Ash’s gun. She gasped and fumbledwith her own gun but it slipped through her fingers and fell to the ground. Shegulped and held her hands up in surrender, cursing herself for separating fromJohnny and going on her own. She may be a great marksman but strategy was nother specialty.

“Meena, Meena, Meena.” Ash tisked and kicked Meena’s gun away from herreach, “You poor unfortunate soul. It looks like I’m gonna have to take youout.” She said slowly and lined up her shot on Meena’s chest.

“Wait Ash…” Meena protested but Ash jut took another step closer toMeena, her gun dripping menacingly.

“It’s just business Meena. Nothing personal.” There was some rustlingfrom the wall behind them but neither girl noticed as Meena closed her eyes toaccept her fate and Ash slowly began to pull the trigger. Right at that secondJohnny launched himself over the wall and landed in front of Meena, his watergun already firing a continuous blast of green liquid.

Ash yelled in anger when she looked down and found her white outfitsoaked in green water. Johnny landed on his knees and smirked at his friend,still panting slightly from his run to find them.

“Ya mess wif Meena, ya mess wif me.” He said cockily but his smirk fadedas he looked down at the big red splotch that was slowly growing on hischest. He fell onto his hands and knees and then rolled over onto his backdramatically. Meena fell to her knees and cradled his head in her lap.

Johnny coughed and squinted up at her face weakly, “We ‘ad a good runlove.” He rasped and Meena gently stroked his hair.

“Shhh don’t speak Johnny. Save your energy.” Meena whispered andsniffed, wiping a few stray tears off of her cheek.

Johnny coughed again and groaned as he clutched his chest, “Meena, meMeena. Ya need ter carry on wifaht me.” 

Meena gasped and clutched him closer to her, “No Johnny I can’t. I won’tsurvive without you.” She whimpered. Johnny cupped her cheek in his hand andmade her look him in the eyes.

“Ya ‘ave ter. I believe in ya.” He whispered and Meena nodded, tearsonce more flowing down her cheeks.

“Okay.” She whispered just loud enough for him to hear her. Johnnycoughed violently and gasped for air, clutching the part of his chest that wascovered in red water.

“Avenge me….” He gasped out and then went limp in her arms, his tonguelolling out of his mouth. Meena let out a distressed wail and hugged himclose to her chest. After a few seconds she gently laid him down on the grassand stood. She grabbed her gun and took off towards the center of the maze.

“I will avenge you Johnny!” She yelled as she ran away and disappearedaround the corner. Ash watched her go in confusion and then walked over towhere Johnny was still playing dead.

“Get up weirdo. We’re out.” Johnny popped open one eye and looked aroundbefore getting up and following Ash over to the sidelines.

“You guys are so weird.” Ash teased him but Johnny just shrugged and satdown on the grass.

“It’s called acting.” He sniffed and then focused his attention on theexit to the maze. The first person to emerge unscathed would be the winner, andwhile everyone else may underestimate Meena, he had faith that she would comeout of there the winner.

Inside the maze, Meena was creeping towards the center where she wassure Buster was waiting to ambush her.  She crept into the center o themaze where she finally caught sight of the tiny kola dressed in a completelywhite suit. She moved behind a tree and took aim with her water gun. Bustersuddenly spun around and aimed his tiny pistol at her. Meena’s eyes went wideand she quickly dodged out of the way as a barrage of blue water splatteredagainst the tree. She dove back into the entrance to the center of the maze andfired a couple of shots towards where she thought Buster was taking cover.

“Well I never thought that you would be the one that I would be battlingfor the win Meena but I think my odds of winning just went up. Meena frownedbehind her cover and with that comment her determination solidified like arock. Her blue eyes were hard and cold like icicles and suddenly she was adifferent person. She poked her water gun around the corner and fired a coupleof shots to see where Buster was. When he fired back she pinpointed hislocation and jumped out from behind her hiding place. All it took was a splitsecond for her to line up her sights and pull the trigger just as Buster turnedaround and prepared to fire.

On the sidelines Johnny watched in anticipation as a figure emerged fromthe maze. He heard the gasps of shock from everyone else but he just jumped upand bean cheering loudly along with the crowd. All because his girlfriend wasproudly escorting a soaking wet, purple koala out of the maze. 

He rushed over to Meena and pulled her tight into his embrace. he pulledaway to capture her lips in a short but sweet kiss that only made her high fromvictory that much more intoxicating. Everything was a whirlwind from there.They were all handed checks for their charities and Meena was given anoversized winner’s check that everyone gathered around. She smiled bright forthe photographer but after a few clicks of the camera her smile turned toJohnny who met hers with a bright grin full of happiness and bride.

“Told ya, you could do it.” He winked and Meena blushed slightlybut remained proud and excited.

“Yeah…I did didn’t I?”

[berjhawn]

Lost Lothlorien Princess - Part 6 - Aragorn

warnings: Fighting, stabbings, other acts of violence

Pairings: LOTR X Reader 

Parts: 

Part 1 - High School

Part 2 - Rivendell

Part 3 - Concerning Hobbits

Part 4 - Merry and Pippin

Part 5 - Bree

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Strider, Merry, Pippin, Frodo, and I march through a gloomy, overgrown forest as Sam follows at the rear leading "Bill", a scrawny pony, who is laden with supplies. “Where are you taking us?” Frodo asks as he tries to keep up with the man in front of him. “Into the wild.” Frodo watches uneasily as Strider moves off into the cover of the trees. Merry moves to Frodo’s side and whispers, “How do, we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf?” 

“Because I know and I trust him.” I say from behind them as I walk next to Sam and the pony Bill. “But where is he leading us?” Sam asks and I smile as Strider replies, “To Rivendell, Master Gamgee; to the house of Elrond.” All the sudden Sam’s face lights up as he says to the pony, “Did you hear that, Bill? Rivendell! We're going to see the Elves!”

I smile at him as Strider leads the Hobbits through the gloom of the forest. Strider leads us across the windswept moors when the hobbits suddenly stop and start un-strapping their knapsacks. “Gentlemen, we do not stop until nightfall.”

“What about breakfast?” Pippin says and you choke back a laugh as Strider replies, “You've already had it.” 

“We've had one, yes...but what about Second Breakfast?” Strider stares at Pippin blankly, then turns away, shaking his head making me snort out a giggle.

“I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip.” 

“What about Elevenses, Luncheon, Afternoon tea, dinner...he knows about them, doesn't he?” 

“I wouldn't count on it.” Merry says as he catches an apple that is thrown to him. Another, aimed at Pippin, catches him on the forehead making me burst out laughing like an idiot. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help myself.” I say as I try to compose myself. 

We continue for days until the hobbits trudge through rain, looking tired. That night we camped out in an abandoned watch tower. Frodo passed out from exhaustion and I ended up dozing off until the smell of Bacon rouses me from me sleep. I open my eyes to see Sam, Merry, and Pippin huddled over a small fire; sausages and bacon sizzle in a hot frying pan.

My eyes widen and right as I jump up I hear Frodo say, “What are you doing?!” Merry smiles as he says, “Tomatoes, sausages, and crispy bacon.” 

“Put it out right this instant!” I say jumping to my feet as Frodo jumps up and down on the fire trying to put it out but it’s too late. “Oh, that's nice...ash on my tomatoes!” Pippin says and I am about to yell at him when I hear a sudden shriek making my blood curl. I look over the edge of the cliff to see five Ringwraiths on foot, running up the steep slope unnaturally fast. Without turning to them I cry out, “Run!” Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin clamber desperately towards the summit, clutching their swords.

I follow quickly behind them as I try not to panic under the pressure of being pursued by Ringwraiths. Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin and I race into a ring of broken stones on the summit of Weathertop the ruined base of an ancient tower. The hobbits stand back-to-back in the centre of the Ring, waiting for the first assault. One by one, the five Ringwraiths appear; brandishing gleaming swords, they move slowly towards the hobbits. In the center is their leader the witch King of Angmar.

“Back, you devils!” Sam says as he rushes forward making me reach toward him my eyes wide with fear. He swings his sword at the Witch King, who blocks the blow with his own sword. Sam's blade shatters causing the Witch King to lash out with his fist, sending Sam flying. Merry and Pippin, overcome with terror, throw themselves flat on the ground. 

The Ringwraiths close in on Frodo and I a venomous whisper dances in my head. I look down to see Frodo shut his eyes and stagger back, desperately resisting the Wraith’s whisperings. Slow motion as his hand goes into his pocket and pulls out the ring. The 5 Ringwraiths utter a chilling screech of excitement as Frodo is unable to resist any longer. He falls to his knees and slips on the ring and disappears.

“No!” I scream as I watch the wraiths continue to walk toward me. I watch as they slowly walk toward me and extend a hand down in front of me to who I know is Frodo.  The witch king suddenly snarls and springs forward. He stabs at Frodo with a wicked dagger! Frodo winces as the tip of the dagger sinks into his shoulder. Suddenly finding my courage I grab my sword and attack the Ringwraiths, soon joined by Strider wielding his sword in one hand, a flaming torch in the other. With draining strength, Frodo manages to pull the ring off his finger appearing back in the real world, Sam rushes over to him.

“Frodo!” Sam cries and I manage a glance back at him to see him writhing in pain on the ground. I suddenly feel a surge of anger fill my body and screaming out I draw my other sword and attack them with all the anger and rage my body can muster. “Why do you fight princess? Your rightful place is with us.” The witch king says as his sword parries with mine. “My place is with the Hobbits!” I scream out as I slash wildly at him. “Your father wants you to come home.” He says making me instantly pause and say, “My father?” 

Suddenly the Ringwraith Strider was fighting is burning and screaming, others screech fearfully at the flames, turn and flee from the Weathertop summit. “Wait!” I cry out as I run to the edge of the summit only to see that that have disappeared.

I let out an angry cry as I quickly sheath my swords. “Mr. Frodo!!” Sam says panic filling his voice and my body freezes. I had completely forgotten Frodo. Strider kneels before Frodo. He snatches up the Witch King's Dagger from the ground, staring gravely at the long, thin, blade. “Help him, Strider!” Sam cries out not taking his eyes off his friend. “He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade.” Strider says as the Morgul Blade suddenly melts vanishing into the air like smoke. Strider throws the hilt down in disgust.

“Do something.” Sam says as he clings to his friend. “This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs Elvish medicine.” Strider says as he lifts Frodo onto his shoulders. Strider quickly runs off and I clenching my jaw grab the other hobbits and Bill and hurry after him. Strider is jogging grimly, carrying an ailing Frodo on his back. Sam, Merry, and Pippin are running to keep up. The hobbits are carrying Flaming torches for protection. I feel tears fill my eyes as I follow close behind them. How could I have been so stupid? I knew what was going to happen and I could have prevented it so why didn’t I?

“We are six days from Rivendell.” Sam says as Frodo groans. “Hold on, Frodo.” Strider says as he continues walking. “He'll never make it!” Sam says and I instantly want to throttle the young hobbit. I look over to see Frodo his head lolling about, barely conscious. “Gandalf...Gandalf?” I hear Frodo call out and my heart clenches. When we reach Trollshaw forest clearing I glance at Frodo to see his eyes flicker open clouded, and red-rimmed; his brow, beaded with sweat.

“Is he going to die?” Pippin asks as Frodo's breathing is getting shallow. Strider looks out into the darkness. “No. He is passing into the shadow world; he will soon become a wraith like them.” I clench my jaw as a distant cry of a Ringwraith carries through the air. “They're close.” Merry says nervously as Frodo gasps in sudden pain. “Sam, do you know the Athelas plant?” Strider asks causing Sam to look blank. “Athelas?”

 “Kingsfoil.” 

“Kingsfoil, Aye It's a weed.”

“It may help to slow the poison. Hurry!” Strider says as he pushes the young Hobbit toward the woods as he goes in a different direction leaving me alone with the rest of the Hobbits.

I kneel down next to Frodo and gently run my hand through his hair as I say, “Av-'osto Frodo, Odulen an edraith angin.” (Fear not Frodo, I'm here to save you.)  He seizes next to me and taking a deep breath I let my elven power surge through my body as I lean down and gently placing my lips to his say, “Ollo vae.” (Sweet Dreams) I feel a part of me fill his body as mine takes away some of the poison make me suddenly woozy. “What did she do?” Merry asks as he runs over to us followed closely behind by Pippin. Merry lifts me into his arms as Pippin opens the front of Frodo’s shirt to see his wound healed but a scar still remained.

“She healed him,” Pippin says as he glances over at me his eyes wide. I smile forcefully as I say, “A girl’s gotta do what a girls gotta do right?” They look at each other before Strider suddenly appears Arwen trailing closely behind him. Frodo is breathing hard, desperately ill. “Lasto Beth nin, tolo Dan na ngalad.” (Hear my voice, come back to the light)  Frodo's eyes close. “Who is she?” Pippin asks and I smile as I say, “She is my niece.” 

“Frodo?” Arwen says a worried look in her eyes. “Even with ______’s healing he's fading, he's not going to last. We must get him to my father.” Strider quickly lifts Frodo placing him on the horse.

“I have been looking for you for two days.” Arwen says as she walks over to me and kneeling down places her hand on my shoulder. “Go, you have to save him, I’ll be fine.” She nods as she stands and walking over to Strider says, “There are five Wraiths behind you, where the other four are, I do not know.”

“Dartho guin Berian...rych le ad tolthathon.” (Stay with the hobbits, I'll send horses for you.) Strider says as he  turns toward Arwen. She quickly grabs the reins as she says, “Hon mabathon. Rochoh ellint im.” (I'll take him. I'm the faster rider.) Strider clamps his hand over Arwen's as he says, “Andelu I ven.” (The road is too dangerous.)

“Frodo Fir. Ae anthradon I hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon.” (If I can cross the river, the power of my people can protect him.) 

“What are they saying?” Pippin asks causing Merry’s grip to tighten on me. Arwen reaches for Strider's hand looking deep into his eyes and says, “I do not fear them.”

He nods and Arwen mounts her horse as Strider says, “Arwen, ride hard, don't look back.” Arwen looks down at Strider as she supports Frodo with one hand as she says to her horse, “Noro Lim, Asfaloth, Noro Lim!” 

“What are you doing? Those Wraiths are still out there!” Sam yells out as she rides away. Asfaloth springs away, bearing Arwen and Frodo into the night. I sigh as I already know that they are going to make it and looking up at my company say, “Don’t worry, they will be alright. I know for a fact that they both arrive at Rivendell safe and sound.” I pass out so fast that I don’t catch the looks of complete shock on their faces.

Will Continue in - The Council

Tags: 

@renner-hawkeyeloves

[ancientbooshartifacts]

One Blowhole is the Same as the Next to Me.

Author: Thymeth

Year: 2007

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Tommy/The Hitcher

Trees, trees, bloody palm trees everywhere! They might have made a path or something. This place was completely out of order, unclipped weeds everywhere and branches running riot. The zoo itself may be shabby, but this was downright neglected, like a prostitute's fanny. The Hitcher cursed his way through the dense foliage, catching his coat on the bracken and brushing his hat against low-hanging branches. It had to be here somewhere. He looked at the map again. It wasn't a good map, it seemed to have been drawn by a four-year-old. But despite this, its meaning was clear enough: just above the green squiggly lines was a blue circle with the words 'Porpuss Pol' printed on it. The Hitcher grinned to himself as his stomach clenched in painful anticipation like a claw pinching at his gut. A whole pool of porpoises. Life couldn't get much better than that. He stuck the map back in his coat pocket and stepped over a log into a small clearing. In the middle of it lay a heap of old ashes. He looked around. Was this a part of the zoo? Did people build fires in zoos? Or had he taken a wrong turning and ended up in some other forest? In which case: fuck. He bent down and examined the ashes closer. They were still warm. "Good evening, stranger." The Hitcher straightened up instantly and glanced around, his spine running cold. Was he being followed? Was someone onto him? " 'Oo's there?" "It is I." The Hitcher continued scowling into the shady trees, trying to find the voice. "And 'oo's 'I', then?" "Me, Tommy," came the voice again, "Down here." The Hitcher turned around and a few feet away he saw two bright eyes shining eagerly up at him from inside a dark hood. It was a very short man. Or at least the Hitcher assumed it was a man: it could be a dog on its hind legs, judging by the half-retarded look in those eyes and a tongue sticking out ever so slightly. "Right," the Hitcher said, releasing a breath he hadn't realised he was holding, "Look, squire, I ain't got time to chat, I've got business to attend to." "Oh, I can help you if you like," Tommy said, "I am very wise." " 'Course you are," the Hitcher said. It was probably best to humour the old fart while deciding which way was best to leave by: right or left. "I am," Tommy insisted eagerly, "I know everything about everything around here." The Hitcher halted his thoughts about leaving and stroked his chin. Perhaps this munchkin could be useful after all. "Then maybe you can 'elp a weary traveller like meself," he said, "I'm looking for the Porpoise Pool, might you know where it is?" "Ah, the Porpoise Pool," Tommy said in an equally thoughtful manner, nodding to himself, "I wouldn't recommend you go there, traveller." "And why not?" "I'll tell you," Tommy said and beckoned the Hitcher closer with a long finger. And against his better judgement, the Hitcher bent down. There was something about this man. He seemed completely trustworthy somehow, as if he was so packed-full of knowledge that only a fool would dare question him. And the Hitcher was no fool. Anyway, if he tried any funny business, the Hitcher had his knife in his pocket. "Porpoises are evil," Tommy whispered hurriedly and straightened up again, looking around nervously as if to see if anyone had heard him. The Hitcher looked down at the strange little man and couldn't help grinning. "That suits me just fine," he chuckled, "I'm evil too. I'm the most evil you'll ever meet, me." "There's only one thing more evil than porpoises," Tommy said solemnly, "And that's dolphins. Luckily there aren't any dolphins in the zoo. I made sure of that." "Oh, you amuse me, gov'nor," the Hitcher said and made to leave, "But I'm off to see them little critters nonetheless." "No!" Tommy shouted and shuffled sideways, trying to block the Hitcher's way, "I cannot let you go." "And ya think you can stop me?" the Hitcher asked, looking down at the wide face frowning up at him. "I intend to try," Tommy answered, putting his hands firmly on his hips, "No-one should have to experience the evil that is mammals that live underwater." "The what?" "Mammals," Tommy repeated, "Animals with lungs." "I know what mammals are, Tom Thumb," the Hitcher said, "But evil? Nothing's more evil than me." "All mammals that live underwater are evil," Tommy said, lowering his voice, "They're so evil they're not allowed up on land." "Then why am I on land?" the Hitcher asked smugly. What a glaring flaw in this strange man's logic, visible to the world like a child's blood trickling down cobbled streets. "Well, you're green," Tommy said matter-of-factly. "Yeah? D'you wanna make something of it? 'Cause I'll have ya slashed up before I've even pulled me knife out me pocket!" The Hitcher patted his pocket and felt the outline of his knife through the material, the weight of it heavy against his thigh like a lover's touch. "That's not what I meant!" Tommy squeaked and took a step back, "Green means evil in nature. That's why there aren't any green mammals." "What about frogs?" "They're not mammals." "Budgies." "Not mammals." "Sloths!" "They're not green, they have algae growing in their fur. Don't you know anything?" "Look, squire, I'm a busy man, I 'ave to get to the Porpoise Pool," the Hitcher snapped, growing very impatient with this silly banter. "And I tell you I cannot let you." "Well, if they're evil and I'm evil, no 'arms done to neither. Can't argue with that, eh?" Tommy stared up at him a moment, clearly thinking the statement through, his tongue re-appearing between his lips and his eyebrows wriggling furiously like two caterpillars in a bowl of milk. "Well, why do you want to go to the Porpoise Pool anyway?" he asked finally, "This is a big zoo, there are many animals to look at." " 'Cause I'm gonna rape them!" the Hitcher shouted, throwing his arms skyward as if summoning lightning, his voice echoing between the trees. Everything seemed to shiver with fear, leaves clinging to their stems for dear life and the grass trembling as if in a storm. Evil always had that effect on nature and the Hitcher relished in it, sapping the world around him of its life-force. He lowered his arms again and the forest stilled, quieter and weaker now. He caught sight of Tommy standing there frowning, hands still on his hips, looking unimpressed. "You cannot rape porpoises," he said simply. "Watch me," the Hitcher answered, "I'm pure evil, I do as I please." "As a zoo keeper, I cannot let you rape animals, even if they are evil." "And how d'you propose to stop me?" the Hitcher asked, "I may be thin as a shoestring but I'm twice yer height." "I," Tommy said and quick as a flash had his hands on the Hitcher's hips, "intend to suck every drop of beastly desire out of you." "Indeed," the Hitcher answered, calm like a murderer in a pistol duel, "Many people 'ave tried to still the green fire burning inside me and none lived to tell the tale." "I don't care," Tommy answered, drawing himself up to his full height, which made less than an inch of difference, "I may dislike porpoises but I cannot have you rape them. As a zookeeper I'm proud to do anything to keep my animals safe." "Very well," the Hitcher answered, "If ya think you 'ave it in ya. And if ya don't, 'oo says I won't go and rape them slags after I've finished you off, eh?" "That's a risk I'm willing to take," Tommy answered, pale face stern like a kamikaze pilot's, "It's a zookeeper's sacred duty to keep the animals safe and if I die I'll die proud knowing my life was not wasted." He seemed so dedicated it was almost a shame to sentence him to such a fate, the Hitcher reflected. But he expelled that thought instantly. If this man was willing to risk his life for a couple of wannabe dolphins, so be it. And the Hitcher was not someone to turn down a free blowjob. "Go on then, Thumbelina. Rock me boat before I harpoon yer babies." And even before the Hitcher had finished that sentence, Tommy had begun unbuttoning his trousers. A chilly wisp of air drifted up the Hitcher's legs as Tommy pulled them down. But the cold was instantly forgotten as Tommy shuffled closer and rested his chest against the Hitcher's knobbly knees, one arm around the Hitcher's leg and his other hand wrapping around the Hitcher's cock. He seemed completely unafraid, face set in stern concentration like a chimney sweep balancing on top of a chimney. As his hand began moving, tantalisingly rough and warm, the Hitcher knew this was someone who would not give up his claim on life easily. And as the Hitcher thought of Tommy withering in pain at his feet, his excitement grew and the porpoises slipped further and further from his mind with every stoke of Tommy's hand. Tommy dipped forward and slipped his mouth around the Hitcher's cock and involuntarily the Hitcher gasped, the heated sensation taking him by surprise. Tommy's mouth was like liquid lead around him, heavy and airless and hot. And as Tommy moved, mouth and hand as one, the Hitcher growled, his eyes slipping shut against it all and his knees weakening unfairly. How dared this man reduce him to a whimpering stick of goo like this? The Hitcher couldn't have that. He grabbed hold of the back of Tommy's hooded head, clawing back his lost control. "Let go," Tommy snapped, pulling away and leaving the Hitcher's cock wet and suddenly icy cold, "Let go or I bite." "I don't think so, squire," the Hitcher answered and forced Tommy's face back towards his crotch, "I'm evil; I do as I please." "Is that your excuse for everything? You're evil?" "Yes, now suck or I'll rape yer baby pandas as well." Tommy frowned up at the Hitcher before setting to work again. But whatever little passion Tommy might have had earlier was gone now and he seemed just to want to get it over with, truly living up to his words about sucking every last drop of beastly desire out of the Hitcher, the pressure like quicksand around the Hitcher's cock, greater than ever. And the Hitcher, evil as always, watched on in perverse enjoyment as Tommy worked ferociously, cheeks tight and droplets of sweat on his forehead inside his hood. But he didn't back down, fingers digging into the Hitcher's leg, growling. And like a balloon on the verge of bursting, the Hitcher balanced precariously on the edge of orgasm, refusing himself to let go just yet, wanting to see how far Tommy could be pushed. But Tommy was determined, fierce and never-relenting, and before he really knew it, like when dusk tiptoes unnoticed into night, the Hitcher came deep in Tommy's throat. Tommy tried to pull free but the Hitcher held him in place, dizzy as if on opium as he rode out the orgasm, forcing himself to stay upright, his legs unreliable like jellied eels. Tommy groaned again as if he was choking on mud and the Hitcher let him go. He almost toppled backwards and started coughing, hands on his chest. "I warned ya," the Hitcher said and pulled his trousers back on, "Ya ain't got what it takes." Any second now Tommy would keel over and die like a seabird in an oil spill. But Tommy kept to his feet, coughing roughly, bent over like an old woman but certainly not dead. "Oi," the Hitcher said, giving Tommy a kick in the shin, "Why ain't ya dead?" Tommy coughed one last time and looked up slowly. "Cheese?" he whizzed breathlessly. "Cheese?" the Hitcher asked, "Why ain't ya dead, you're supposed to be dead. No-one ever survives me voodoo milk." "Cheese?" Tommy repeated and patted his chest, "Let us dance." So Tommy refused to die, did he? Decided to go mad instead? Well, the Hitcher could always slash him up. "We all dance, but do we really dance?" Tommy said, grinning widely up at the Hitcher. Or, the Hitcher reflected, why get his knife all bloody? This lunatic wouldn't survive three minutes alone out here. Why waste his energy on the freak show when he could spend it on much more rewarding things? Like raping porpoises. "Right, squire," the Hitcher said, "I'm off. Good day to you." "Remember," Tommy said, turning unsteadily as the Hitcher left, "Porpoises are evil!" "They are evil," the Hitcher answered, unable to hide a smirk, "But are they really evil?" He could almost hear Tommy's brain trying to work out that puzzle as he pushed his way back between some trees. This day would go down in history as one of the better: not only would he have a whole pool of porpoises to himself, but he had also driven a zookeeper mad. Being evil had to be the best thing in the world.

[johnchiarello]

2nd Samuel 23

Jesus n Tolstoy [2nd Sam.23]

 Blog- www.corpuschristioutreachministries.blogspot.com

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/john.chiarello.5?ref=bookmarks

Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ4GsqTEVWRm0HxQTLsifvg?view_as=subscriber

Other sites- https://ccoutreach87.com/links-to-my-sites-updated-10-2018/  

[Links to all my sites at the bottom of this post]

 NEW NOTE- 12-13-18

 As you can tell I have been posting some of my past teachings during the week- and every so often I also re-share a Sunday Sermon as well.

 I really don’t have the time to review all of my re-posts. But did notice that some of these Samuel posts were started in Texas and finished in New Jersey.

 So on some of those videos [the links] you should be able to see New York City- either in the background- or while I walk thru New York City.

To my friends from North Bergen- of course you will recognize the old home town.

 I grew up in North Bergen- New Jersey- right across the Hudson River- with Manhattan on the other side.

So I just figured I would make this note for those who might want to see some of the area on the video links.

 As far as I know- the video links are still working.

 This coming Sunday I will probably make a new video and post that to facebook and Youtube-

I have added some new video cloud sites- and will update those as time goes by.

In a few days all my videos should be on the Google Drive link.

 I had no idea that it takes about 5-6 days to upload around 170 GB.

I do upload videos a lot- as most of you can tell!

 But I didn’t realize it would take about a week- on continual upload mode [from a back up computer] to finish the project.

At one point Google Chrome stopped working- and yes- I had to start all over!

 Either way- Google drive should have all of my teaching videos- minus all the ‘news’ updates- up and working in a few more days.

 I also have a lot of my videos on One Drive [Microsoft]- Ok- I just figured I would write this brief note to stay inc contact with all of you.

I realize it would be too much for me to try and engage on every one of my sites- leave comments- stuff like that.

 It would be too much for me to do that on all of these sites- yet I do pray for all of you- consistently- and believe the Lord will use many of you to ‘spread the Fire’ so to speak.

 To also follow my example in some of the ministry things you see me do.

Reach out to the people around you- to the down and out of society.

 Use the tools you have right now- most of you have a smart phone- with the ability to record.

Many of you have Facbeook- some of you have Youtube-

 Try and engage where you live- ask people to share their stories- where they are at in their journey.

Real life is taking place all around us- every day.

 Most of the time our media- the news cycle- focus on such a small group of people.

Whether it’s the politicians- or the entertainment world- we are familiar with all the names- and the ‘normal’ media channels spend their whole time focusing on the 1% [or less].

 You- I- all of us have the ability to open up the windows if you will- to let others in other parts of the world see the real life stories of the people living in our communities- to peek into the lives of people that most of the world will never know even lived- and some have died- without a notice.

 Many of my homeless fiends are veterans- and this past year some have sadly died on the streets- without much notice.

 Lets use our time well- yes- speak the Word of God- teach as much as possible- make the message clear-

But don’t forget- the people around you have a story to tell as well- try and help them tell it.

John

 POSTED BY CCOUTREACH87 ⋅ FEBRUARY 27, 2017 ⋅ LEAVE A COMMENT

SATURDAY/SUNDAY- 2-25,26- 17 2Samuel 23:5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. https://youtu.be/fgPa8nCXo7s Jesus n Tolstoy [2nd Sam.23] https://ccoutreach87.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/2-26-17-jesus-n-tolstoy-2nd-sam-23.zip JESUS N TOLSTOY [2nd Samuel 23] ON VIDEO- [past links- verses below] .View of Kennedy Blvd. to Bergenline Ave. .Tolstoy .God’s sure promise .The discipline of ‘routine’ .Time of snow Saturday 2-25-17- Today I went to see a friend- I haven’t seen him in about 15 years. Over the years I heard how he had lost everything- been going thru some very difficult times. Physical- mental- spiritual battles. And every time I heard about his situation- I simply felt one day I need to simply see him- talk to him- and pray for him. A ‘deliverance’ prayer if you will. But it’s been hard to have the chance to get with him. So I made the ride- and sure enough the meeting happened. I talked with him for around 3 hours- quoted lots of verses that I felt applied. He told me he did not even know I was doing stuff like this- ministry- teaching the bible- etc. In the middle of our talk- I stopped- and said ‘brother- let me pray’. I prayed- took authority over the oppression he was going thru- claimed healing for the mind and body- and asked God to do a miracle for him. As I was quoting verses- I decided to get a note pad- and write down a few key verses on the pad. Sort of like what I do when I’m in Texas. As I got back to the house-I read Isaiah 58- and the theme was God wants us to free the oppressed – To ‘let go the captives’- to ‘pour out our soul to the hungry’. In short- he calls us to deliver the captives. It was strange in a way- because it was Saturday- and even though we are not ‘under the law’- I felt- ‘Maybe I should take the day off- yeah- on the Saturday/Sabbath’- Now- I know the entire debate on Sunday/Saturday- and I have taught it before. My friend even brought up the issue- about Sunday/ Saturday- and the whole Sabbath debate. I tried to give him both sides of the issue- and how in the new covenant we are in the Sabbath rest of grace [it’s not really about a day any more]. But when I got back to the house and read Isaiah 58- it talks about the Sabbath- the fast God wants. And it reminded me of Jesus when he healed the man on the Sabbath. I felt like God was saying he wants to set people free- he wants us to engage in a fight for the souls of men. He wants us to reach out- to pour out our souls to the hungry. He wants us to set the captives free. And if you need to do it on the Sabbath [or any other day] that’s fine with him. Here are some of the vesres I quoted and wrote down for my friend- VERSES [more below] Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations John 14:27 [Full Chapter] Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John

I recommended to my friend to begin reading the gospel of John- 1 chapter a day- all the way thru. I told him it’s a simple discipline- but to be consistent with it. When he’s finished with John- continue thru the entire New Testament. He is a believer and has been seeking God- I just felt the simple discipline of consistent bible reading- sort of like training the mind- was important. I also advised him to begin setting aside a specific time each day- to pray the Lord’s Prayer. Most people pray- read the bible sporadically- but I felt the discipline of doing these things- every day- at a set time- was important. I’m typing this on Sunday morning- at 6:15 am. I just was outside- in the cold- doing my 5-6 a.m. prayer. These disciplines are basic- but important. When believers are going thru hard times in their lives- then these disciplines are already in place. They ‘come easy’ if you will. Ok- that’s it for now. I’ll just add this note to the next post. Here’s what I read when I got home that night- Isaiah 58:5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Isaiah 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Isaiah 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Isaiah 58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; Isaiah 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: Isaiah 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Isaiah 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. And this is the verse I thought about after this day’s experience- John 7:23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Below are my complete studies- These bible books deal with the believers relationship to Sabbath- how it has been fulfilled in Christ- and all who are in grace- the New Covenant- are actually in ‘the Sabbath’ rest every day.

It is no longer about a particular day- either Sunday or Saturday- but the Sabbath rest of grace for all who believe.

https://ccoutreach87.com/romans-updated-2015/ https://ccoutreach87.com/hebrews-updated-2015/

Sunday- 2-26-17 Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. I made the video today- and talked about the last 2 days.

Shared some verses from the Mass [Our Lady of Fatima] and the scriptures the Priest spoke on.

He mentioned Tolstoy- and I’ll try and add some past teaching I did on him in the past.

The main theme I talked about on the video was trusting God- not money.

Also spoke on Isaiah 58 and 2nd Samuel 23.

God made promises to King David- and these promises were not based upon how well everything was going in David’s own family.

As I have taught the past few months- King David had a rebellion in his own house- he went thru many ups and downs- yet in this chapter he says God still kept his promise.

In Isaiah 58 we read how God wants his people to show mercy and do justice.

It’s not just about ceremonial worship to God.

Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath- and the Pharisees found fault with him.

Yet Jesus was doing the will of God- he was setting the captives free- and if he did it on the Sabbath- that was fine.

The religious leaders were only seeing their worship of God thru ceremonial acts.

The prophet Isaiah said God was more concerned with mercy and justice- acts of righteousness- that extend to our fellow man.

A theme David himself mentions in the Samuel chapter for today’s post.

Ok- that’s it for now- I’ll try and add the key passages below.

PAST LINKS [ Past teaching I did that relate to today’s post- verses below] https://ccoutreach87.com/classics-of-western-literature/ https://ccoutreach87.com/house-of-prayer-or-den-of-thieves/ https://ccoutreach87.com/samuel-links/ [parts] Okay- once again I really needed to do a post or 2 on philosophy- before I get too ahead of myself in the study; but let me make a few comments on Hitchens book [see- I told you I shouldn’t have hit the book store!] Okay- I’m gonna try and be nice to Hitchens- he is one of the famous atheist writers of the past few years- these guys are referred to as ‘the new atheists’ the group consists of some notable names- Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris- a few others. These guys kind of became popular in reviving some of the old arguments against religion and God- most modern readers are not aware that they are simply re-hashing the same old arguments that have been refuted in the past- and to be honest this bunch make a whole lotta errors in their thinking/arguments. Most well trained Christian apologists have thoroughly refuted them. But being Hitchens is dying [or died? I haven’t checked recently] of cancer- I’ll try and be nice [try!]. Okay- like some of the book reviews I read- Hitchens is crude and mean- and yes- at times ignorant of his glaring mistakes. He describes a nice old teacher he had as a youth- as a young boy growing up in England- she taught the schoolboys about nature and science- and yes- God. I thought he was being nice telling the story. Then he calls her ‘a pious old trout’. He refers to the sex abuse scandal that’s rocked the Catholic church- he calls it the ‘no child’s behind left’ scandal [a takeoff on the no child left behind policy]. So yes, this book- while containing some real good history- also sounds overly crude. Hitchens also appeals to mans great intellect and sophistication as being all we need for true morality- he says man does not need God, religion or the bible to be moral- after all we have the great works of literature! Sounds good- right? He then goes on and mentions the names of the great authors- he mentions Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy among others- and makes the argument ‘see- we have morality and truth contained within these books without needing religious truth’- geez- every well read person will tell you that these authors are known for their books being inundated with religious morality- it’s no secret that these 2 authors are considered some of the greatest Christian/religious writers of their time. How Hitchens could appeal to the ethics contained in their writings and say ‘see- we don’t need religious ethics- we have these guys’. I mean these types of obvious flaws jump right out at you- to be honest I have only read the reviews from these famous atheists in the past- but most of the reviews have pointed stuff like this out- I just didn’t think these guys would be this ‘amateurish’ [geez- don’t want to call the guy an idiot- or an old trout- that wouldn’t be the Christian thing to do]. So anyway I guess I’ll hit a few high points of the book the next week or so.

VERSES- 2Samuel 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, 2Samuel 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. 2Samuel 23:3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. 2Samuel 23:4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. 2Samuel 23:5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. 2Samuel 23:20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matt. 12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: 13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. 14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. Ps. 55 Romans 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations Acts 13:34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

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[betterbodysoul]

SPECIAL GUEST Mateas Tarhunni WILL BE CO-HOSTING THIS EVENT WITH ME! DONT MISS THIS NEXT CLASS! PLEASE ONLY RSVP IS YOU ARE ATTENDING! I WILL TURN OFF REQUESTS ONCE IVE RECEIVED 20 People! I HAVE 9 SPOTS LEFT! This event is $50/person! SPIRITUAL WARRIORS CIRCLE Fri, Sept 1, 2017, 6pm-9pm 11230 West Ave, STE 2208, 78213 RSVP & BYOB, 210.269.1545, $50/Person www.youonlybetter.com This class is for Men & Women. Must be 18 & older. Cash Only. This class will be about everything in regards to Spirituality, preparing for the Full Moon or New Moon, healing, grounding, connecting, manifesting, protecting your space, cleansing/using crystals, cutting your cords and receiving a Mini-Reading! What to Expect! 1. Mateas will begin the class with a Cleansing/Limpia for everyone using his own Special blends of Herbs & Medicines! (You don't want to miss this)! 2. I will ask for 4 volunteers to ignite Earth, Fire, Water and Air followed by a Mantra. 3. I will guide everyone through a Meditation to Ground with Pachamama (Mother Earth), Connect with Source/God/Universal Energy, followed by a Guided Healing Meditation, Cleansing and Cutting the Cords. 4. I will ask everyone to make a drawing for me. I will hand everyone a piece of paper and pencil. The drawing can be anything on your mind and with this I will provide a reading for each individual. 5. We will discuss healing, grounding, connecting, manifesting, protecting your space, cleansing/using crystals and cutting your cords. 6. I will have Bay Leaves available for Manifesting. 7. I will give everyone a piece of parchment paper to write down what they’re manifesting for the New Moon. 8. If it’s a Full moon each individual can step outside to burn their paper and allow ashes to fly away with the wind. If it’s a New Moon you can step out to read your desires to the Moon. 9. Open Discussion/Questions about Source or Personal Experiences. (at Diane Leven, Medium Psychic Healer)

[johnchiarello]

Jesus n Tolstoy [2nd Sam.23]

SATURDAY/SUNDAY- 2-25,26- 17

2Samuel 23:5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

https://youtu.be/fgPa8nCXo7s  Jesus n Tolstoy [2nd Sam.23]

https://ccoutreach87.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/2-26-17-jesus-n-tolstoy-2nd-sam-23.zip

JESUS N TOLSTOY [2nd Samuel 23]

ON VIDEO- [past links- verses below]

.View of Kennedy Blvd. to Bergenline Ave.

.Tolstoy

.God’s sure promise

.The discipline of ‘routine’

.Time of snow

Saturday 2-25-17-

Today I went to see a friend- I haven’t seen him in about 15 years.

Over the years I heard how he had lost everything- been going thru some very difficult times.

Physical- mental- spiritual battles.

And every time I heard about his situation- I simply felt one day I need to simply see him- talk to him- and pray for him.

A ‘deliverance’ prayer if you will.

But it’s been hard to have the chance to get with him.

So I made the ride- and sure enough the meeting happened.

I talked with him for around 3 hours- quoted lots of verses that I felt applied.

He told me he did not even know I was doing stuff like this- ministry- teaching the bible- etc.

In the middle of our talk- I stopped- and said ‘brother- let me pray’.

I prayed- took authority over the oppression he was going thru- claimed healing for the mind and body- and asked God to do a miracle for him.

As I was quoting verses- I decided to get a note pad- and write down a few key verses on the pad.

Sort of like what I do when I’m in Texas.

As I got back to the house-I read Isaiah 58- and the theme was God wants us to free the oppressed –

To ‘let go the captives’- to ‘pour out our soul to the hungry’.

In short- he calls us to deliver the captives.

It was strange in a way- because it was Saturday- and even though we are not ‘under the law’- I felt-

‘Maybe I should take the day off- yeah- on the Saturday/Sabbath’-

Now- I know the entire debate on Sunday/Saturday- and I have taught it before.

My friend even brought up the issue- about Sunday/ Saturday- and the whole Sabbath debate.

I tried to give him both sides of the issue- and how in the new covenant we are in the Sabbath rest of grace [it’s not really about a day any more].

But when I got back to the house and read Isaiah 58- it talks about the Sabbath- the fast God wants.

And it reminded me of Jesus when he healed the man on the Sabbath.

I felt like God was saying he wants to set people free- he wants us to engage in a fight for the souls of men.

He wants us to reach out- to pour out our souls to the hungry.

He wants us to set the captives free.

And if you need to do it on the Sabbath [or any other day] that’s fine with him.

Here are some of the vesres I quoted and wrote down for my friend-

VERSES [more below]

Isaiah 53:5

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

 In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Isaiah 26:3

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

 In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

John 14:27 [Full Chapter]

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John

 I recommended to my friend to begin reading the gospel of John- 1 chapter a day- all the way thru.

I told him it’s a simple discipline- but to be consistent with it.

When he’s finished with John- continue thru the entire New Testament.

He is a believer and has been seeking God- I just felt the simple discipline of consistent bible reading- sort of like training the mind- was important.

I also advised him to begin setting aside a specific time each day- to pray the Lord’s Prayer.

Most people pray- read the bible sporadically- but I felt the discipline of doing these things- every day- at a set time- was important.

I’m typing this on Sunday morning- at 6:15 am.

I just was outside- in the cold- doing my 5-6 a.m. prayer.

These disciplines are basic- but important.

When believers are going thru hard times in their lives- then these disciplines are already in place.

They ‘come easy’ if you will.

Ok- that’s it for now.

I’ll just add this note to the next post.

Here’s what I read when I got home that night-

Isaiah 58:5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?

Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Isaiah 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Isaiah 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.

Isaiah 58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

Isaiah 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:

Isaiah 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Isaiah 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

And this is the verse I thought about after this day’s experience-

John 7:23

If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

 Below are my complete studies- These bible books deal with the believers relationship to Sabbath- how it has been fulfilled in Christ- and all who are in grace- the New Covenant- are actually in ‘the Sabbath’ rest every day.

 It is no longer about a particular day- either Sunday or Saturday- but the Sabbath rest of grace for all who believe.

 https://ccoutreach87.com/romans-updated-2015/

https://ccoutreach87.com/hebrews-updated-2015/

  Sunday- 2-26-17

Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

I made the video today- and talked about the last 2 days.

 Shared some verses from the Mass [Our Lady of Fatima] and the scriptures the Priest spoke on.

 He mentioned Tolstoy- and I’ll try and add some past teaching I did on him in the past.

 The main theme I talked about on the video was trusting God- not money.

 Also spoke on Isaiah 58 and 2nd Samuel 23.

 God made promises to King David- and these promises were not based upon how well everything was going in David's own family.

 As I have taught the past few months- King David had a rebellion in his own house- he went thru many ups and downs- yet in this chapter he says God still kept his promise.

 In Isaiah 58 we read how God wants his people to show mercy and do justice.

 It’s not just about ceremonial worship to God.

 Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath- and the Pharisees found fault with him.

 Yet Jesus was doing the will of God- he was setting the captives free- and if he did it on the Sabbath- that was fine.

 The religious leaders were only seeing their worship of God thru ceremonial acts.

 The prophet Isaiah said God was more concerned with mercy and justice-

acts of righteousness- that extend to our fellow man.

 A theme David himself mentions in the Samuel chapter for today’s post.

 Ok- that’s it for now- I’ll try and add the key passages below.

 PAST LINKS [ Past teaching I did that relate to today’s post- verses below]

https://ccoutreach87.com/classics-of-western-literature/

https://ccoutreach87.com/house-of-prayer-or-den-of-thieves/

https://ccoutreach87.com/samuel-links/

[parts]

Okay- once again I really needed to do a post or 2 on philosophy- before I get too ahead of myself in the study; but let me make a few comments on Hitchens book [see- I told you I shouldn’t have hit the book store!] Okay- I’m gonna try and be nice to Hitchens- he is one of the famous atheist writers of the past few years- these guys are referred to as ‘the new atheists’ the group consists of some notable names- Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris- a few others. These guys kind of became popular in reviving some of the old arguments against religion and God- most modern readers are not aware that they are simply re-hashing the same old arguments that have been refuted in the past- and to be honest this bunch make a whole lotta errors in their thinking/arguments. Most well trained Christian apologists have thoroughly refuted them. But being Hitchens is dying [or died? I haven’t checked recently] of cancer- I’ll try and be nice [try!]. Okay- like some of the book reviews I read- Hitchens is crude and mean- and yes- at times ignorant of his glaring mistakes. He describes a nice old teacher he had as a youth- as a young boy growing up in England- she taught the schoolboys about nature and science- and yes- God. I thought he was being nice telling the story. Then he calls her ‘a pious old trout’. He refers to the sex abuse scandal that’s rocked the Catholic church- he calls it the ‘no child’s behind left’ scandal [a takeoff on the no child left behind policy]. So yes, this book- while containing some real good history- also sounds overly crude. Hitchens also appeals to mans great intellect and sophistication as being all we need for true morality- he says man does not need God, religion or the bible to be moral- after all we have the great works of literature! Sounds good- right? He then goes on and mentions the names of the great authors- he mentions Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy among others- and makes the argument ‘see- we have morality and truth contained within these books without needing religious truth’- geez- every well read person will tell you that these authors are known for their books being inundated with religious morality- it’s no secret that these 2 authors are considered some of the greatest Christian/religious writers of their time. How Hitchens could appeal to the ethics contained in their writings and say ‘see- we don’t need religious ethics- we have these guys’. I mean these types of obvious flaws jump right out at you- to be honest I have only read the reviews from these famous atheists in the past- but most of the reviews have pointed stuff like this out- I just didn’t think these guys would be this ‘amateurish’ [geez- don’t want to call the guy an idiot- or an old trout- that wouldn’t be the Christian thing to do].  So anyway I guess I’ll hit a few high points of the book the next week or so.

 VERSES-

2Samuel 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

2Samuel 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.

2Samuel 23:3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

2Samuel 23:4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

2Samuel 23:5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

2Samuel 23:20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matt.

12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

Ps. 55

Romans 14:5

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Isaiah 55:3

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Acts 13:34

And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Isaiah 55:6

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

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Note- Please do me a favor, those who read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read them on- Thanks- John.#