#me when i’d like to eat ethan hunt ;)

[liass-21]

i love having a very short memory span because it means i can go back and read my own fics again (i write them with tropes i like because no one else will) it’s like a little treat like wow i ate that!!!!

[adiduck]

@oathkeeperoxas sent me the prompt "Lap Kiss" for SaintSpy May, and I'm thrilled to provide. This is all part of the vignettes about Ethan and Simon's running 'competition' to reach 100 unique kisses. Send me a kiss for SaintSpy May!

82. Lap Kiss

It’s late, or maybe early, when Ethan gets home.

He drops his bags near the front door and shuts and locks it behind him, not even bothering to turn on a light as he shuts his eyes and lets himself absorb the dark, sacred silence of his own space. He aches from head to toe—deep bruising from a harness, this time, though for once that and weariness are the main problems with him after a mission—and he desperately wants a shower and a sandwich and then to sleep for the next twenty years, but. He’s home, and won’t need to be in any sort of office for at least two days. He gets to let the pressures and expectations of work slough right off him now.

“Interesting tactic for a home invasion,” comes a voice from the couch, relaxed and unconcerned.

Ethan smiles in spite of himself, eyes still closed, and shifts around a few of his priorities just like that. “I’m hoping guest etiquette will see me through.”

Ethan’s lover laughs—he came up with this particular code, because he’s a ridiculous nerd, and it always makes him at least snicker—and Ethan opens his eyes in time to watch him flip on a light beside the couch, shift from is sprawl along the whole of it to sitting up against he armrest, legs folded. Ethan takes him in—honey-blond hair streaked with just the start of gray catching in the lamplight, clear blue eyes and his natural face, eyes crinkling at the corners. And just like that, Ethan couldn’t be away from him any longer if he tried, the very thought unbearable. He walks over and crawls up onto the couch, dragging his exhausted body into his partner’s orbit. His partner unfolds his legs very obligingly, pulling Ethan mostly into his lap.

Ethan leans down and takes a kiss—tastes toothpaste, and just the start of stale breath. He had been sleeping, then. “Name?” he asks, because it could be Simon like this, or Jude, or nobody in particular at all.

“Mmmm,” his lover says, considering, and takes another kiss. “I was wearing Simon before I took a nap. He seems to still be clinging on, we can go with that.”

Ethan smiles and settles against Simon’s chest, head tucked up on his shoulder and face pressed to his neck. “Hi, Simon.”

“Hi, Ethan,” Simon says, wrapping his arms around him. “You were delayed getting home.”

Ethan hums. “Weather.” Simon’s broad, strong hand slides up his spine, and his beautiful long fingers find their way into Ethan’s hair. Ethan melts just like that, feels all the tension drop out of him at once.

Simon chuckles again, other arm sliding around Ethan’s waist to hold him more firmly in his lap. A kiss is dropped on his temple. “I’d let you sleep like this,” he says, “but you’ll hate yourself if you don’t take a shower and eat something first.”

Ethan makes a noncommittal sound. Simon’s right, of course, but now he’s far too comfortable. Cost-benefit analysis thoroughly skewed towards ‘sleeping in his lover’s arms on the couch’. Nothing to be done about it.

Simon bends a knee to jostle Ethan a little. “Come on,” he says. “Shower, and I’ll make you something light, and then you can sleep. Up and at ‘em, Hunt.”

Ethan groans, and lets himself take one more second to relax in Simon’s arms before dutifully pulling himself away with a sigh. “Can it be a sandwich? I’ve been dreaming about a fucking club sandwich.”

“I’ll even fry up the bacon,” Simon says, and when Ethan looks over at him, his eyes are steady, clear, filled with a devastating sort of devotion that pours out of him to fill Ethan up. “But shower first. You smell like commercial airplane.”

Ethan makes a face, and then takes one more kiss from his perch in Simon’s lap before getting to his feet.

“Also, Simon adds, “you’ve already counted lap kisses, so you can’t do it again.”

The laugh bubbles out of Ethan’s chest, from somewhere in the molten core that of him that belongs entirely to the man sitting on his couch. He shakes his head as he heads to the bathroom.

Later, he’ll ask about what Simon’s been doing, how he found himself washed up in Ethan’s apartment instead of off on a job or relaxing on an exotic beach somewhere. He’ll finish his delicious club sandwich with fresh produce he knew would be there, if Simon’s here, while Simon gives a caustic and incredibly funny review of his last target’s holdings, then crawl into clean sheets and tangle up with him, dropping off thoroughly exhausted and satisfied and safe with Simon curled around him.

Later, he’ll remember the little carved flip knife he’d seen in Nepal, and crawl back out of bed to much groaning and moaning and go get it, watch Simon’s eyes light up at the gift and the ideas he probably has to turn it into at least another twenty useful tools he can keep in his pocket.

For now, though, he’s home, and loved, and he goes to take a shower.

[storyofmychoices]

Incorrect quotes

Rules: Use this (https://perchance.org/incorrect-quote-generator) generator to generate a quote for your characters and share as many as you like! Tag whoever you want to.

Ohmygosh this was so much fun. They're all so good, but the Bryce and Keiki ones and the Mal and Daeanrya onesare my faves. They're such idiots that these fit so perfectly.

Thank you @jerzwriter and @trappedinfanfiction and @missameliep for the tag ❤️❤️❤️

Tagging anyone who wants to play. It's so much fun!

Bryce x Olivia (+Keiki)

Olivia: I fell— Bryce: From heaven? Olivia: No, I literally fell— Bryce: In love with me the moment you saw me? Olivia: MY ARM IS BROKEN! Bryce: Okay, but do you think I'm pretty? Be honest.

Bryce: Someone take me to art museums and make out with me. Olivia: But they said not to touch the masterpieces. Bryce: Well somebody's got to pin the artwork to the wall.

Bryce: I didn't drink that much last night. Keiki: You were flirting with Olivia. Bryce: So what? They're my partner. Keiki: You asked if they were single. Keiki: And then you cried when they said they weren't.

*Olivia sneezes* Bryce: Olivia, are you sick? Here, let me wrap you in a blanket and hand-feed you some warm soup while singing you a lullaby! *Keiki sneezes* Bryce: Oh my god. Shut the hell up.

Bryce: I know one person who finds me funny! Keiki: Okay, who?... and you can't say yourself! Bryce: Okay then I'm out.

Keiki: Bet you can’t eat 15 crayons! Bryce: Bet you I can! Olivia: *sips coffee, checks to make sure 911 is still on speed dial, and goes back to reading the paper*

Ethan x Ellie

Ethan: Ellie, how could you possibly have gotten into this much trouble in one day? Ellie: It... It didn't take me the whole day...

Ethan: Is anyone going to tell me what's going on in here?! Ellie: It's kind of complicated, but Bryce- Ethan: Got it. Forget I asked.

Thomas x Alex

Alex: Let’s watch Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Thomas: Okay. Alex: And make out during the scary parts. Thomas: Th- Thomas: The scary parts. Thomas: Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. (but the thought of Thomas Hunt sitting through Sharkboy and Lava girl lololol)

Alex: Thomas, you love me, right? Thomas: Normally I’d say yes without hesitation, but I feel like this is going somewhere I won’t like.

Mal x Daenarya (+Tyril x Maiele*)

***Maiele belongs to @lilyoffandoms

Daenarya: Are you ready to commit? Mal: Like, a crime or a relationship?

Mal: Can I have 2 straws with that milkshake? Daenarya: Aww- Mal: With 2 straws, I can drink it double as fast!

Mal: We have a problem. Daenarya: No, YOU have a problem. I have an idiot who keeps making them. (*affectionately*)

Daenarya: Mal and I got married!! Tyril: Don't share your personal problems with everyone.

Tyril: So, are you two dating now? Mal & Daenarya: Yes. Tyril: Why? Mal: I happen to find Daenarya very appealing. Tyril: Yeah, I can understand that. I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with Daenarya.

Maiele: Why are your tongues purple? Mal: We had slushies. I had a blue one. Daenarya: I had a red one. Maiele: oh. Maiele: Maiele: OH. Tyril: Tyril: You drank eachothers slushies?

Daenarya: This food is too hot... I cant eat it. Mal: You’re very hot, and I still eat you. Everyone at the table: *silence* Maiele: YOU GUYS ARE DISGUSTING! Tyril: One dinner... I just want ONE DINNER!

Daenarya: You know, Maiele gives Tyril flowers everyday, I wish you'd do that too. Mal: Okay. *Later* Mal: *gives Tyril flowers* Tyril: ??? Mal: I don't know, I'm confused as well.

Tyril: Why is Mal crying on the floor? Maiele: They're drunk. Tyril: And? Maiele: They saw a picture of Daenarya's spouse. Tyril: But they're Daenarya's spouse. Maiele: I know.

Mal: Daenarya! I can't do this stupid math! Daenarya: What’s the math problem? Mal: Well, we have to add the bed, subtract the clothes divide the legs, and hope we don’t multiply. Maiele, covering Tyril's ears, while Daenarya smacks Mal upside the head: Not going to lie that was hella smooth.

Tyril: What are you getting Daenarya for the holidays? Mal: I don't know. It's kind of hard buying a gift for your partner when they already got everything they could've ever wanted when they married you. So I'm not sure yet. Maiele: I'm getting Daenarya a divorce lawyer.

It's really no wonder I love incorrect quotes for the Blades characters since this commission is one of my faves and is from an incorrect quote:

[sour--disposition]

Angel

this is part two to “End of The Road” 

part one

-

callum airey x fem!reader

-

please check my masterlist to see if my requests are open

(gif from the lovely @behzynga​)

The first few months were tough. Your mental health spiralled initially and it took the girls rallying around you to keep you afloat. Waking up became a chore, tasks as simple as brushing your teeth were hard, but not as hard as getting up to take a shower.

They let you stew in your sadness for a short while, knowing that nothing they could do would make things better in the short-term. They settled for keeping you company, eating in your room so you felt included, inviting you even though everyone knew you would turn them down.

Until you didn’t.

Slowly but surely, you started to come back out of your shell. You deep cleaned the spare room that Freya and Josh were still letting you bunker down in, brushed your hair out properly and showered for what could’ve been an hour. When Freya came in to ask if you wanted a coffee, she found you cross legged on the bed, scrolling through a job-searching site. “Hey”, she smiled, sitting next to you, “this is nice to see”. Freya looked over your shoulder at what you were doing. “I’m proud of you”, she said quietly.

Freya helped you sort through the job openings, ending up with you sending your CV off to at least 15 different companies that had positions that you were qualified for. “It’s not much, but it’s a start”, you shrugged.

“Y/N, two weeks ago you cried because the pizza man had the same colour hair as him, now you’re applying for jobs and looking at flats and thinking about your future. It’s massive”, Freya told you with a massive smile painted across her face.

“Do you think we could do something to celebrate?”, you asked. “Drinks or something. I’ve not seen any of you properly for so long and I want to be the one to offer the invitation for once”, you said lightly. Freya grinned, telling you that it was an amazing idea.

You grabbed your phone, creating a group chat to add the girls and the troops (minus Harry).

me: a night out soon? miss you guys x

Freya’s phone buzzed against the duvet cover and you heard Josh’s chime from somewhere in the flat. Replies started coming in almost straight away.

big josher: 100%

talia 🐠: yes yes yES!

nelly welly: will said can the eboys come

nelly welly: also yes ofc

Plans were soon being made, with everybody agreeing almost instantly. A weight that had settled in your chest was alleviated almost instantly. An irrational fear that everyone would want you gone had clouded your judgement after what had happened with Harry.

Within the next week, you’d heard back form over half of the jobs you’d applied to, all of them wanting to see you as soon as possible for an interview. You’d also been given a few dates to view flats nearby, one was in the same building as Josh and Freya, another in the same building as Gee and Will and another in the same building as Ethan.

The girls, and a few of the guys, had offered to come with you to some of the viewings, offers which you took up without hesitation. After all, they had all gone flat hunting in London before, you hadn’t.

“Y/N”, Freya yelled from down the hall. You poked your head around the door, seeing Cal stood awkwardly by the door.

“You could’ve just texted me, I’d have come down. You didn’t have to come all the way up”, you told him, already making your way over to pull some shoes on.

“If I texted you, it’d have taken you at least 10 minutes to get down. Hurry up, we’re gonna be late”, Cal told you, poking at your side. You could hear Freya laughing from the kitchen at what Cal had told you.

As soon as you got back from viewing the flat, both Freya and Josh were hounding you about Cal. Okay, it was mainly Freya. You just sat in front of them, eating your pasta and trying to ignore what Freya was teasing you about.

“It’s okay, y’know”, Freya said, all of a sudden taking a serious tone. You raised your eyebrow at her in confusion. “It’s okay to like Cal, even after what happened”. You almost spat your food at her as you choked over her words.

“I don’t know what you mean”, you spluttered. You could already feel your cheeks turning a traitorous red.

“Even I can see it”, Josh chucked from beside Freya. “You deserve to be happy, though. Just make sure you do it on your own terms and in your own time”, he told you seriously.

That night, as you laid in bed, you opened your phone and pulled up the text thread between you and Cal.

me: i’ve put the deposit down on the flat from the today

cal: happy for u, have you told josh and freya

me: ofc probably gonna start moving my stuff as soon as i get the keys

me: shouldn’t take long lol i dont have much

cal: do you want help?

me: from you?

cal: no from harry

cal: ofc from me you spanner

cal: sorry, probably the wrong thing to say

Before you had chance to reply, a goofy picture of Cal was filling your screen and the shrill of your ringtone was filling the room. “Sorry”, Cal said instantly, regret written all over his face.

From the low light in his room, you could tell that he was in shirtless in bed, probably with only the bedside light on. He looked cozy, pillowed on a mountain of cushions and cocooned in a plush looking duvet.

“It’s fine”, you told him, rolling over to flick the lamp next to you bed on. “It- It still hurts, obviously, but it’s getting better, I guess?”, you admitted.

“I’m glad”, Cal murmured. “Glad you’re moving, too, and that you’re getting job interviews. You deserve to be happy”. You couldn’t help but smirk at the similarity to what Josh had said earlier on. “What?”, Cal asked you.

“Just something Josh said earlier, about deserving to be happy”, you said softly. Cal raised an eyebrow, indicating that you continue. “About moving on from what happened, finding someone else if I want to but only when I’m ready. That sorta spiel”, you told him as you rolled your eyes jokingly, hoping Cal wouldn’t look to close into what you were saying.

“And? Do you want to?”, Cal asked. You could tell that although his words were saying one thing, his tone was saying something completely different. Suggesting something completely different.

“I mean, I still need to make sure I’m somewhere good. It’s not fair to anyone that I start something I’m not ready for”, you said, trailing off slightly at the end.

“I sense a ‘but’“.

“Harry did some serious damage, Cal”, you whispered brokenly. “He was the first person I’ve ever truly loved. I don’t know if that will ever go away, the hurt. It’s like it’s burned into me. I can still see how angry he was when he blamed me and how angry he was when he saw you”, you muttered. Your eyes had glossed over slightly and your throat had tightened under the grip of your emotions.

“I know, angel. But the right person will help you with that, yeah? You just need to find someone who’s in it for the right reasons, with you for the long run”, Cal assured you.

“Thanks, Cal. Love you”, you whispered into the low light of your room.

“Love you, too, Y/N”.

[alexwritesfiction]

Call Me Tomorrow

y’all are finally getting a full length writing from me so show me some love pls.

this is so cheesy i don’t even know why i wrote this aaahhhhhhhhhh. @dutifullyloudmilkshake here’s the full version.

I waited. For an hour, I waited. I waited till my red dress started to itch my sides and the sequins became too much. And i’m still waiting. Is he ever gonna come? I check the tie on my analog wrist watch. It’s 9pm now.

We were supposed to meet at eight. I ran a little late and I was shocked when I didn’t see him here. But the I thought maybe he was a little late too, like me. This is my first date, of course I’m gonna be a little optimistic about this.

We met at a café downtown and exchanged numbers, me and Alex. We’ve been talking for weeks now. I really thought this was gonna work out. My dad is gonna be hunting him down with a shotgun if he really is a no-show. The thought brings a smile to my face.

I’m distracted from my staring war with the plate as a redhead waitress comes to me. “He isn’t gonna come, darling’,” she says in a high pitched voice. My mouth drops open as I try to comprehend what she just said. Is she even real?

“You have no right to say that!” I exclaim, putting on my best fierce voice. She just smirks, because deep down we both know he isn’t coming.

A loud screech and crash from the other side of the table startles me and I look to see what happened. Or rather, who happened.

This pale skinned blonde guy just plopped into the the chair opposite me. What the? I don’t even know him? Even though he’s probably the cutest thing i’ve ever laid eyes on.

“I am SO sorry sweetheart, I got caught up in the band practice and then Cal took my phone so that I couldn’t text you because he thinks i’m too clingy. I got here as soon as I could, I swear,”

Yeah I never really liked this Cal guy— huh?

As realisation quickly dawns upon me as to what is happening, I glance at the redhead waitress just looking Green Eyes (yes i’ll call him that I do not have his name) with pure shock. I just simply smiled as if to say, “Told ya,” and then continued looking at Green Eyes’ face. I would’ve been so embarrassed if not for him.

God bless his existence in this world. And his small nose and his sweet voice and his melting smile- never mind that.

The waitress just stares at the guy in suspicion, sliding her gaze between us. I give her a polite smile and her face turns into a sneer as she struts away. A voice clearing snatches my attention from her, making me focus on the man in front of me.

“So, what did you order?” he asks staring straight at me, not even bothering to look at the menus.

“I haven’t, actually, I was waiting for you,” I say, rolling my eyes at the Cal guy. I wonder if he’s a made up person. He stares at me in pure shock. Mouth wide open and everything.

“What, did you just sit here idle while waiting for that no-show?” he says, not caring about our cover being blown now that the waitress, Britney, her name was, is gone.

I just shrug and look down, only to hear booming laughter from him. Oh, that sounds like angels singing.

I look up at him just as he says, “I am going to have so much fun with you, Cupcake.”

Cupcake? Cupcake? Where did he get that from-

“Your little purse,” he smirks, glancing at my cupcake doodles covered clutch. I purse my lips as my cheeks heat in embarrassment.

“Aww, don’t be shy, now,” he says looking at me sassily, “everyone loves a bit of cupcakes,” although I don’t know if he’s referring to the food or to me.

"It’s called a clutch," is my genius response. He scoffs at that, ordering a pizza and mojitos for the two of us, not even bothering to ask me what I wanted. I wanted the same, though, so does it really matter. I would’ve cursed out Alex if he’d not asked me what I wanted to eat, but I'm starving and pizza seems like a boon.

The dinner passes by, without us knowing each other’s names. We talk the whole time, and not for one second do I feel let down, rather feeling just really grateful for him. Probably because we’ll never see each other again.

My chest hurts at the thought. Tonight with him has been one of the best nights in my life. Full of laughter and overwhelming contentment.

Other than arguing about who pays the bill, of course. He won. As we exit the little restaurant, I realise I don’t want to let him go. He shines like a star in the night sky.

“Cupcake, I want to see you again,” he says nervously and my face brightens. “Me too,” I squeal, wrapping my arms around him. Well, this is awkward. But he doesn’t let it be, holding me just as tight.

“Give me your phone, cupcake,” he says lightly as he sways us from side to side. I nod and absentmindedly hand him after unlocking it. Cold wind blows and I hold onto him a little tighter. I feel like I should trust him, even though I know it's not safe to be this reckless.

He sees my All Time Low lock screen and laughs a little, shaking his head as he sends a message to himself. He’s put in his name as Punk God making me laugh because he’s told me all about his punk rock obsessions during dinner.

I glance at his lock screen his phone in his other hand, a picture of him and another guy who looks kiwi making weird faces at the camera. I can tell they’re pretty close, I wonder if he’s Calum, he told me about him.

He receives a message from a number I recognise as my own, saying “hello kind master Ethan Walters, you are awesome.”

Ethan. His name is Ethan.

I look into his green eyes, whispering his name and his whole face lights up. He grins wide, leaning forward and pressing a small forehead kiss making me soft.

The sound of a car from behind us makes me realize my Uber got here. I'd much rather go with him, have him drive me home. But he lives just down the street and I live too far away. Walking home would be impossible since it's so cold.

He opens the car door for me and just before I’m seated in and close the door, he whispers, “Call me tomorrow, Nova,” and my happy expression tells him everything he needs to know. I feel like I just made a best friend for life. Maybe something more, I wonder as he gets smaller and smaller in the rear-view mirror.

As I’m getting farther and farther, I realise i’m going to see a lot of this boy. And I’m more than okay with that.

Taglist (ask to be +/-)

tag list

@fakebetch5sosposts @revolution-of-art @petitpancakes @skinni-ciggis @cirxce-blog @bubblegum18 @cbfjdx @fckingpernico @5sos-taylor-b99 @dumbsouvenir @i-like-5sos @heartbreakgirlisagoodsongcalum @neptune-falls @metanoiamorii @thescatteredscribbles

[technobladetimestamps]

Nov 15 Stream Timestamps

Timestamps from Technoblade’s “THE EVE OF REVOLUTION (dream SMP)”

Link to my youtube comment with all of the timestamps x

Timestamps with hyperlinks below

01:46  tagging everyone in the channel member discord / level 231 03:43  agenda book / revolution tomorrow / slept through stream time / sleeps twice a day for 4 hours 05:21  “I did not write 100 pages. Or did I. Maybe I have a traitor manifesto on the other 99 pages” / no steering wheel / coronablade jokes are very funny / went to the doctor and figured out his cough / “Stomach acid is useful for at least one thing” 08:47  can’t believe no one told him these things about post 1.8 / splash potions, regen, thorns / thorns aren’t intuitive and no one told him / youtube ads 12:50  “At least I didn’t insult the Ethans, the Ethans are everywhere” 16:02  “I was gonna talk about something on the way but I forgot. And now it’s gone forever” / “They found your base” “Well I have livestreamed it” 17:04 wants to buy a gong to be the ultimate sellout timer / “I would get kicked out of my parents house so quickly, but for the day it takes them to do that I would get so many subscribers” 20:31  thorns stacking 25:21  “There’s actually some pretty affordable gongs out there” 27:32  vc with BBH and Tommy / confusing Tommy and Tubbo / “Don’t you hate it when people just consider streamers an extension of their famous friends Tommy” / “I’m just the child from Technoblade’s videos 29:08  “Let's be allies. Can I have your helmet and boots?” / saying he’s rude for hijacking the call but forgetting to leave call / double sellout 33:55  “Me and Techno the leaders of Pogtopia” / “That is a fair assumption” / “I can’t believe Badboyhalo hates his fans” 34:57  BBH offering Tommy a bow / “Tommy you are so broke” / “Average sized man” / no one believes Tommy is 6’3” / Techno is taller in game 36:34  just wearing a face mask / “I do not support any of the views being espoused by this particular individual” / Tommy trying to imply covid but BBH asks if he’s talking about bigfoot 37:39  Techno hunting down BBH / Midair stabbing / “I’M SO GOOD AT MINECRAFT” / Tommy desperately trying to be included 40:41  “Oh Badboy halo~” / “It just doesn’t work when your name is 4 syllables” / detective work to find BBH 42:52  “So you want Tommy to be successful?” / “I wouldn’t go that far. I want my enemies to be unsuccessful” 43:58  battle ender chest plan / “I’m going to deafen. I don’t know why I’m explaining to you my pvp tactics” 46:15  “I would be absolutely furious if Tommy stole my 4th fastest horse. Tommy and I go way back” / being excited to see Tommy / Tommy could have sworn at BBH as an attack 47:34  “I guess I could spare a little bit of iron” / “I think that was a sarcastic joke that I didn’t understand” / Techno picked youtube over girls many years ago / Subpoena pet war 50:37  recruiting Techno to fight Sapnap / place where Tommy ran over Dream 55:22  vc with Tommy and Sapnap 56:51  “Sapnap I hate men so much. If I see a man in the street I grab a knife and plunge it into his neck” / “Wow surprise attack” / thought it’d be a real fight 59:09  needs Sapnap to come geared / “audience retention” / “I saw Sapnap fighting Punz earlier and they had potions and full netherite an it was fun” Tommy tries to suggest Techno sit the fight out / “You asked for me to be here” / “Tommy I’m stabbing someone with armour and it might just be you” 1:00:29  arranging a fight with BBH / “Not now sellout timer I haven’t earned it” / 161k / “New phone who this” (to Tommy) / 2v1 with BBH and Antfrost 1:04:38  hasn’t done a lot of fully geared 1.16 fights / trying not to make fun of Antfrost’s fire prot helmet 1:06:30  Sapnap and Tommy have worked out their differences and don’t need Techno 1:07:34  “I love my fans, I forgot to plug my cha nnel and they’re all reminding me” / “Only 1v2” “I could only find 2 guys” 1:09:25  “I’m so unbelievably lost” / “I have to have seen a location to add it to my human gps” / Techno hates the ugly pranks that take forever to fix 1:11:28  server losing connection / guy who Techno told not to drop out is going back to school 1:13:20  “That’s the thing about senior yearbook quotes, its right at the end of the year...the amount of time to beat you up is shockingly low” 1:16:24  offering Tommy assistance / the Dream Team has logged on / “I have to be quiet...My parents are threatening to turn off the wifi” / “You’re getting owned in every world” / Techno taking his sweet time 1:19:11  “We want to kill Sapnap” “agreed” / “Dream alliance pog” / “unless he meant to add a comma” / vc with Dream and George / Techno talking over Tommy 1:21:28  “I feel like Thunder is a werewolf” / Tommy questioning Dream and George / “I have my swag and no one has that” “Well they’d have that if they killed you and picked up your swag” 1:32:22  “You guys all work for me” / everyone killing Tommy / “anti Sapnap expedition” / “ask George ask George” “ask Dream” 1:23:54  stream crashes / and also his whole pc / asking for viewers to come back from Tommy 1:26:39  joining vc / Dream recap / cutting back on calling Tommy lame 1:28:01  photoshoot / “So much clout in this one picture” / Sapnap begging Tommy to kill his pets / “What if [the pets] belong to some god tier pvper” / S-L-A-V 1:30:12  “L-A-M-E” / “Shoutout to the slavs” / giving the fox a grapple 1:31:20  Dream taking off his leggings / fox eating the gapple / “Dream you are a highly unusual individual” / back to 125k 1:34:05  “People can’t yelling me for not roleplaying when Dream is mooning us in the background” / “You can disrespect my family, you can disrespect my religion, but you can’t disrespect minecraft” / “I hate this man” “NO” 1:35:40  Tommy challenging Sapnap a fight / Tommy trying to make Techno kill pets for him / Karl thirsting for the animatic 1:39:34  “If you make it out alive, give this to Sapnap’s cat for me” “If I make it out alive all his pets actually die” / Techno shooting the start arrow / “I’ll do the countdown...because I am an impartial mediator” / “You know how between those fight they have those sexy girl?” (Dream takes off his armor) / very engaging fight 1:42:31 post fight / “My chat’s spa.mming lame. It’s not my fault chat, Tommy doesn’t know how to crit” / “You might as well be naked” “Please don’t say that Dream” 1:44:28  “I wouldn’t say you’re that far from S-Tier” / “What tier am I in Technoblade?” “Who are you?” / “That was not an insult, I don’t know people’s voices” / “This entire server is just people that have killed Tommyinnit” 1:45:40  SMP Earth / “What country did you have” “I owned the world” / “A single country? (Dream) / trying to thorns kill Thunder / “Maybe if you die again the armor will come back” 1:47:12  Techno letting Karl trap him / Quackity tempting fate / snitch Dream / framing George 1:49:44  Dream complaining about trident flight / Techno bailing bc of boredom 1:57:19  Awesamdude leaving a potato trail / vc with Quackity and Sam / lying for content / complaining about getting free stuff 1:59:58  still lying to Quackity / “Quackity my entire chat is spa.mming lame, you’re going to need to pick up the pace” / heading to the jungle base 2:02:18  saturation stew is useful / “especially for content” / “If Carl dies I’d be okay with that, but not Andrew” 2:03:49  “Is Carl the orphan you said you were going to adopt” “Let’s go with that” / “If Carl dies I stop donating 2:04:31  Awesamdude snitching on Quackity / “I would be furious if I came back and Carl wasn’t in the exact block I left him” / lots of threats    2:06:41  “I’m not an orphan” “Not yet” 2:11:03  “It’s not an experiment, I’m just putting my hypothesis through multiple controlled trials where I adjust variables and record the results” / “I care about about the armor much more than the horse” 2:13:01  “Are you betraying anyone?” “No. I would never betray my personal ideals” / “What if the people you’re fighting alongside have different ideals?” “We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it” 2:17:28  Quackity’s failed forgery in chat

[dogboy-willgraham]

Roadtrip

It’s finally finished! At 2,093 words, it might be one of my longest single pieces, and is definitely my longest original piece. This features my characters, Jasper a monster hunter, and his eldritch horror partner Eight. Reblogs make my day, and nice tags/comments/etc. allow you to hold my heart in your hands, and with that, please enjoy Roadtrip.

@lunarmultishine Here it is!

Eight watched Jasper pack his things, nervously tapping it’s fingers against the table. Jasper carefully set weapons under clothing, hiding them as best he could in the suitcase from anyone who might want to look inside. 

Jasper was leaving for another hunt. Eight was used to it, somewhat, it had become a regular part of life at least. It still made Eight nervous when he left, but it was minimal most of the time. Today wasn’t most of the time though, it seemed. 

“Do you really have to take a job so far away?”

Jasper sighed. “It’s not that far, I’ve been farther. You don’t need to worry about me being across the country for a couple of weeks,” 

“It’s...not that...exactly,” Eight said. “I’m worried Jasper, truly. This is more dangerous than usual, I worry about what might happen to you,” 

“You don’t need to. I can handle myself,” Jasper said, a bit defensively. 

“I don’t doubt that a moment darling,” Eight smiled. “Not a moment, but again this isn’t your run of the mill monster-” 

“It’s a monster that will happily drag me into whatever hell-hole it crawled out of and eat me like a prime steak,” Jasper finished for it. “I get that, and I’m still going, and I’ll be fine, I can handle it,” 

“You know I didn’t mean to insinuate that you couldn’t,” Eight snipped. “I’m scared,” It added, softer. 

Jasper flopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. “I know, I know. I’m sorry, I just don’t like you worrying over me. Makes me feel like a weight. Don’t like making you worry anyway,” Jasper muttered the last words into the couch cushion.

Eight smiled gently, and sat next to Jasper. “It’s alright,” It said. “I know it won’t make you feel much better, but you’ll have to live with me worrying over you, especially during hunts, it’s my job now,” 

Jasper snorted and flipped over. “Oh good. And what are you getting paid for this?”

“The pleasure of your company,” Eight said. “Your troublesome habits, your kisses, just you in general truly,” 

Jasper blushed and hid his face in his arms. “You...you something,” 

Eight laughed and pulled it’s boyfriend into its arms. “Is that all you have? Something?” 

“I’m not in the state to come up with anything better,” Jasper said, hiding his still flushed face in Eight’s shirt. “Leave me alone,” 

Eight laughed, pulling Jasper even closer. “Heavens, I love you,” 

“I love you too, Eight,” Jasper sighed. 

“I trust you Jasper, I trust that you’ll come home,” Eight said. “But I’ll still worry, very much,”

Jasper sighed deeply. “I’d still like to ease them, if there’s any way I can,” 

“Well, now that you mention it,” Eight grinned. 

“Oh, I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” Jasper groaned. 

“Dearly,” Eight teased. “I would like to come with you this time, to make sure you stay safe,” 

Jasper held back a comment about how he didn’t need someone to make sure he was safe. “Who’s going to watch Majesty then?” 

“Your father?” Eight suggested. “Of course there’s always my dear friend Kady-”

“No, not Kady, never Kady, not ever Kady,” 

“What do you have against her?” Eight asked. 

“I’m afraid Majesty loves her more than me, I feel threatened,” Jasper said, dead serious. “I am not taking any chances,” 

“You’re ridiculous my love,” Eight sighed. “Your father is still an option,” 

Jasper seemed to think for a moment. “We’re actually doing this, aren’t we? You’re coming with me?” 

“If you’ll let me,” 

Jasper let out a small sigh. “I’ll call my dad,” 

Eight grinned. “Thank you darling,” 

“Mph, of course,” Jasper mumbled. “C’mon, we’ve got to get you packed,” 

“I can manipulate reality, somewhat,” Eight said. “We don’t need to pack anything,” 

Jasper stood up. “It’s part of the experience,”

“I don’t think it’s necessary I have the full exp-” Eight was caught off guard by Jasper yanking him up suddenly. 

“Nope, it is entirely necessary,” Jasper said. “You must have the full experience, even if you aren’t human,” 

Eight smiled softly, what was it to not indulge it’s human and their requests? “Alright love, lead the way,” 

“Great,” Jasper grinned a bit, breaking the illusion of burden he had earlier. “Let’s go,” 

-

Roughly an hour later, they had finished packing. The sky was slowly lightening, and it was time to get going, if they were to be within Jasper’s schedule. 

“My dad will be here later to watch Majesty,” Jasper said, climbing into the passenger's seat. “Surprised he even answered this early in the morning,” 

“Great,” Eight smiled. “Are you ready to go?” 

“Yeah,” Jasper said, then immediately added, “Are you sure you want to drive? You don’t have to,” 

“Darling, out of the two of us I’m the one who doesn’t actually need sleep,” Eight said. “I can drive,” 

“I know, I also know you get weird if you sit too long sometimes, I can drive,” 

“I’m sitting either way,” Eight pointed out. 

“You can at least stretch out in the passenger's seat,” Jasper sighed, while being slightly displeased at the idea of how Eight stretched out. He was getting used to it though. 

“I can drive,” Eight repeated firmly. “Try to go to sleep, love,” 

“Alright,” Jasper relented. “I’ll try,” 

“I can put on some of your music if you’d like?” 

“No, just start driving,” 

“Alright love,” 

-

Jasper had managed to fall asleep at some point, and awoke with the sun fully up and in his eyes. Soft music was playing, and Jasper couldn’t quite identify what it was. 

“Good morning darling,” Eight said. 

“Mm, morning,” Jasper yawned. “Where are we now?” 

“Well, we’ve been driving for about four hours now,” Eight began. “I say we’re almost to the next state,” 

“Good,” Jasper said. “How’re you feeling?” 

“Quite well my dear,” Eight smiled. “A bit stiff, but quite well. Not unlike the nights where I watch you while you sleep,” 

“Still sounds as creepy as ever,” Jasper laughed. “But good, I’m glad,” He settled back into his seat. “By the way? What do you have playing?” 

“Oh, it’s an old friend of mine’s music,” Eight explained. “They never got popular, but they were amazing while they were around, it turns out a more than average amount of fingers really helps when playing piano,” 

“What happened to them?” Jasper asked. 

“They were burned for supposedly being a spawn of Satan,” Eight said nonchalantly. “Truthfully, they were, but it was still quite unfair,” 

“When was this?” Jasper asked, more confused. 

“Oh, about a decade ago, odd things do happen in the sparsely populated areas of North Dakota,” 

“So, let me get this straight,” Jasper said. “In a sparsely populated area of North Dakota, a many fingered Satanic spawn began playing and composing piano music, then was burned for being a Satanic spawn? By who?” 

“A few church leaders and a couple of devout followers,” Eight said. “They were quite lucky that it didn’t light any brush or trees on fire, would’ve been a right mess then,” 

Jasper groaned. “This is too much information for me to process, I just got up,” 

“You are the one who asked,” 

“I did not expect this result,” Jasper said. “So I could not have asked for it,” 

“Well, would you like me to change it then?” Eight asked. 

“It’s fine,” Jasper said. “But if you want to, I have a playlist specifically for this,” 

“Of course,” Eight let a tentacle slip out to change the music, and pulled it back into its form. “What have you even put on this one?” 

“You’ll see,” 

As soon as Jasper had stopped speaking, Animal by Neon Trees started playing. 

“I’m usually alone on long drives,” Jasper stated, a bit awkwardly. 

“It’s fine,” Eight smiled. “You should’ve met one of my previous partners, sang such things, quite obscene, for the time at least,” 

“Really?” 

“Quite so,” Eight said. “Still remember them, quite sad they were eaten by an acquaintance of mine. Lovely human, and alright horror. Such a shame they both had to go,” 

Jasper blinked. “Please warn me when you are about to tell me a story that ends like that,”

“You should be used to it by now darling,” Eight teased. 

“It’s still jarring when you just tell me your ex was eaten and then you killed the thing that killed them,” Jasper sighed. 

“Fair enough,” Eight said. “But you also do pull your horrifying tale out of nowhere from time to time,” 

“Still,” 

“I’ll try,”

“Thanks,” Jasper smiled, and Everybody Talks by Neon Trees began playing as they continued on. 

-

“Pull over there, Eight,” Jasper said, gesturing to the gas station off to the right. “We need fuel, and to stretch,” 

“I’m doing fine, we don’t have to-”

“You’ve been sitting for the past six hours, you’ve already pulled out your tentacles twice, as well as another mouth,” Jasper said. “And I need to stand as well,” 

“Alright,” Eight did as asked. 

“I’ll go in and pay, you just stay here and do your thing,” Jaser said as they pulled in. “I don’t think I’d be able to explain if you did it outside,” 

“Fair, go ahead love,” Eight was already deformed the moment the car stopped. 

“Have fun,” Jasper smiled, stepping out and shutting the door behind him. 

-

“Hi,” The clerk greeted Jasper as he walked in. “Welcome to...um, welcome,” 

“Hey,” Jasper said. “I’d like to put fifty on eight,” He set three twenties on the counter, and then a pack of cinnamon gum. 

“Alright, uh, sure,” The clerk, who’s name tag, which was actually a sticky note on top of the actual name tag, read Ethan, took the money and gum. “So...you from around here?” 

“No, travelling for work,” 

Ethan nodded. “Travelling alone?” He asked, not realizing until after that it sounded a bit strange. 

“I’m actually here with my partner,” 

Ethan seemed to perk up at the word. “Oh, that sounds nice. You two going far?” 

“Pretty far, a few states away,” Jasper said. 

“Well, I hope you and your partner have fun,” Ethan smiled. “Here’s your change, and gum,” 

“Thanks,” Jasper smiled, taking the items. “Have a good day,” 

“You too,” Ethan said. “Stop by if you ever come around again, I’d love to say hi to your partner,” 

“Will do, I’m sure it’d love to say hi to you as well,” Jasper waved before leaving. 

- 

“Alright Eight, move over,” Jasper said after he had finished filling up. “I’m driving,” 

“You sure?” Eight asked, reforming. 

“Yeah,” Jasper tossed the pack of cinnamon gum to Eight. “Even got you some gum to help with the long bouts of sitting, managed to find your favorite flavor too,” 

“Oh, thank you love,” Eight smiled. 

“Of course,” Jasper climbed into the car. “You might have heinous tastes, but I love you,” 

“Excuse me, it’s good, you just haven’t tried it,” 

“Wanna bet?” Jasper challenged. “I promise you that if I tried it, it would still be disgusting,” 

“Alright then,” Eight offered a piece of gum to Jasper. “Try it, and if you don’t hate it, you have to kiss me,” 

“If you want a kiss you just have to ask,” Jasper laughed. “But I accept your challenge, if I hate it, you have to accept it’s terrible to everyone with taste,” 

“Accepted,” 

Jasper took the piece of gum and popped it in his mouth. He chewed for a moment, not saying anything. 

“So?” Eight asked. 

Jasper sighed. “I don’t like it, I really don’t...but it’s not the worst thing I’ve tasted,” 

Eight grinned. “That means I have won darling,” 

“You have, you have,” Jasper groaned, then spitting the gum out into a garbage can. “It’s still bad,” 

“Still, it’s not as bad as you’ve been saying,” Eight grinned. 

“You’ve earned your kiss,” Jasper leaned over and kissed Eight softly. “You’ve won,” 

“Mm,” Eight hummed. “Very satisfying victory,” 

“Alright, you’ve had enough of that win,” Jasper laughed. “Let’s get going,” 

“Unfair,” Eight playfully pushed Jasper’s shoulder, but yes, let’s,” 

Poker Face by Lady Gaga began playing as they pulled out of the gas station, and continued on their trip. 

-

They had arrived at the place fourteen hours later, in the dead of night. Eight pulled to a stop in the hotel parking lot, and looked over to it’s sleeping partner. 

“Love, we’re here,” 

Jasper stirred a bit, but didn’t wake. 

Eight smiled. It came around and gently lifted Jasper from the seat, careful not to wake him. 

They could get their bags in the morning.

[soncfseed]

reposted from my old blog

i want to post some links so people can better understand what bpd is and what a personality disorder is and is not. then, i’ll do a quick rundown of the 9 bpd symptoms and which ones ethan has/displays and how they manifest for him.

here is a quick ref of some common misconceptions about the disorder. tldr version: a lot of people think bpd isnt real, or that people with bpd are just crazy assholes but its a legitimate mental health problem that has multiple factors including ones that seem to be genetic and environmental.

a personality disorder is defined by the mayo clinic as: “a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving. A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people. This causes significant problems and limitations in relationships, social activities, work and school. In some cases, you may not realize that you have a personality disorder because your way of thinking and behaving seems natural to you.” basically, its not that a person has a bad personality in terms of poor character or is intentionally acting in a way that may seem irrational or explosive, but rather that the person has functional differences in how their brain reacts to things. personality is defined as:  “the combination of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that makes you unique. It’s the way you view, understand and relate to the outside world, as well as how you see yourself.” it isn’t just behaviour nor is it something people consciously control 100% of the time. borderline personality disorder has been linked to physical differences in the brain and its functioning, particularly of neurotransmitters and brain chemicals similar to mood disorders like depression. it is a type of neurodivergence, not a skewed moral compass, a choice, or something that people with bpd typically enjoy. the symptoms are very stress inducing and cause a lot of turmoil for the affected person, and when poor coping skills have been ingrained and then create further stress or complications in the person’s life, particularly in interpersonal relationships.

ok now we’re gonna hit the 9 symptoms and 4 domains of bpd and how ethan fits into it. the dsm-5 requires 5 symptoms out of 9 for a person to be diagnosed with bpd. ethan displays, in my opinion, 8/9 symptoms and would be a candidate for diagnosis in my experience.

domain a - emotional regulation 1) “Affective (emotional) instability including intense, episodic emotional anguish, irritability, and anxiety/panic attacks” ✅ generally, this is episodes of intense sadness, anger, irritability, insecurity and self doubt for ethan. he doesnt usually have anxiety or panic attacks, but he has had a few in extremely stressful situations. his symptoms of an anxiety attack tend to lean more towards irritability and emotional outbursts.

2) “Anger that is inappropriate, intense and difficult to control”  ✅ while ethan does become rightfully frustrated when the captain returns the book, the fact that he has what seems like a minute long complete meltdown including hitting/smashing objects, that would be a good example of the kind of situationally inappropriate anger and displays of temper ethan has. his anger spikes rapidly and it makes it hard to control his actions at times.

3) “Chronic feelings of emptiness”  ✅ while we don’t necessarily see this explicitly in game, i’d argue that’s part of his experience of bpd. he often feels a lack of purpose, a lack of self, and substitutes that with his role as the leader of new eden.

theres additional symptoms described as such: “In addition, if you suffer from borderline disorder, you may also experience emotional hyper-reactivity (“emotional storms”),  or emotional responses that are occasionally under- reactive, and frequent episodes of loneliness, and boredom. “ ethan definitely experiences emotional storms, and episodes of loneliness particularly. thats amplified by the fact that hes not particularly close to anyone in new eden besides maybe the judge. between a lack of substantial interpersonal ties with his community and his disorder, his episodes of loneliness are often very intense and distressing.

domain b - harmful impulsive behaviors 4)  “Self-damaging acts such as excessive spending, unsafe and inappropriate sexual conduct, substance abuse, reckless driving, and binge eating”  ✅ ethan deals with this to an extent, but not these specific self damaging behaviours. for ethan, its usually not eating or not sleeping for periods of time, or going on particularly dangerous missions to find the book. hunting also serves as an adrenaline rush, but because it sustains new eden its less impulsive than it is an acceptable way of spending a day

5) “Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, threats, or self-injurious behavior such as cutting or hitting yourself.”  ❌ ethan has suicidal ideations, but doesn’t have a history of engaging in self harm or suicide attempts.  

though not an explicit symptom, dangerous impulsivity that affects the self or others is a common symptom, and one ethan does deal with. his decision to turn new eden over to the highwaymen was in part spurred by his impulsive thinking and behaviour.

domain c - perceptions of self and others 6) “A markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of yourself (your perceptions of yourself, your identity)”  ✅ ethan definitely experiences shifts in this realm. this is part of why he ties himself so strongly to his identity as the leader of new eden in light of his poor relationship with his father (which will come up again). when that is threatened, it sends him spiraling because of his unstable self image. this applies to ethan’s image of himself as a person morally, his worth relative to others, and even how he feels about his body and appearance.

7) “Suspiciousness of others thoughts about you, and even paranoid ideation, or transient and stress related dissociative episodes during which you feel that you or your surroundings appear unreal.”  ✅ ethan is absolutely suspicious of others and it goes beyond his learned suspicion of outsiders that all of new eden seems to have. he is particularly suspicious of his father, and of people within his own community. some of this is completely rational, but it often extends beyond that. he experiences, in my hc, dissociative episodes and bouts of depersonalization where parts of his body don’t feel real or don’t feel attached to him/belonging to him.

“Other symptoms in this Domain include split- or “all-or-nothing” thinking, difficulty “pulling” your thoughts together so they make sense, and rational problem solving, especially in social conflicts.” ethan deals with all of these issues generally speaking. this is in part why his decision to burn down new eden was so extreme; he has difficulty at times with regulating what is rational and what is not (and making nuanced decisions), particularly when under extreme emotional duress like during an explosive emotional episode or mood swing.

domain d - unstable relationships 8)  “You may engage in frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.”✅ this is part of why he looked so hard for the book, why he pushes himself so hard to be the leader of new eden and why he turns on them so aggressively at the end. sometimes this can manifest as lashing out, a way to “get them before they get me” mentality. he has particularly strong responses to feeling abandoned or ignored.

9) “Your relationships may be very intense, unstable, & alternate between the extremes of overidealizing and undervaluing people who are important to you.” ✅ this is definitely something ethan struggles with, especially with his father. this is also why he was willing to let new eden burn and its people suffer with it. he had swung too far back from feeling rejected that went completely into “new eden bad”, undervaluing everyone there to the point that he was able to rationalize destroying the place at the expense of the people who lived there.

none of this is meant to excuse his poor decision making, but in the context of my hc for him, it explains why he can act so irrationally at times, and so extremely. in reality, people with bpd are more likely to hurt themselves through self harm, suicide attempts, impuslive behavior, and self destructive behavior. ethan seed is 1) not a real person and 2) living under some very intense and unusual circumstances with probably the WORST person to parent someone with bpd, joseph “i talk to god and he says your soul is tainted” seed. he also doesn’t know he has a disorder and doesn’t have the knowledge or resources to get mental health treatment for his disorder. as it stands, however, he’s made some pretty bad and pretty horrible decisions, and at times can be a bad person. this doesn’t mean, however, that he is 100% bad or always awful, or that bpd is the sole cause of his behaviours. it isnt. lots of people (including myself) have bpd and we haven’t been directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of anyone; we’ve never burned down our hometowns or tried to get our fathers killed. ethan’s display of bpd is more of a tool to explain and contextualize his behavior and character rather than to condemn him, condone him, or excuse his actions.

tldr ethan has bpd and so do i thanks 4 listening to my ted talk

[wildwhiskey236]

OCtober Day 1

This prompt was taken from @oc-growth-and-development‘s OCtober prompts. I’m really excited for the rest of the month too!

I’ll be writing these for my WIP Hunting Witches as part of my NaNo prep and to get into the habit of writing so much a day for NaNo.

1. Beginnings- Colin’s POV

When I first saw Cassia, everything seemed to stop. 

For a castle full of people in the midmorning fall, that was quite an achievement. In the halls servants and soldiers stopped to watch what would have been a perfectly ordinary young woman, if not for the head of of light silver hair. 

“That’s not natural.” I heard women whisper as I continued walking down the hall, away from the silver haired girl. “She’s got to be my daughters age with the hair or my grandmother.”

“I hear she’s a witch.” Boys whispered in the stables, swapping stories that she had walked in through the eastern gate on foot, the stories growing and expanding to say she cursed women and enchanted men with forgien magic. They said she would bring a better harvest, or a worse harvest, or a bad winter. They said her hair was a sign of magic, of divine blessing, of evil. All bullshit of course, but all of Kaersworth seemed to think that nothing was more important than a silver haired girl. 

“She’s an apothecary.” Ethan said, bringing his sword down on me. With a simple sidestep I was out of the way and tapped his exposed side.  “Alina saw her working with Morrigan.”

“If you don’t protect your side, you’ll have to go see her.” I commented, wiping sweat from my brow. “Or get stuck with Morrigan again.” 

The very idea caused Ethan to grimace, his footing getting immediately better. We sparred for a little while longer in the early fall sun, the day growing warmer and warmer. Prince Tobias came to watch us for a while, looking on with the Knight Captain. The Knight Captain gave me an approving look as he watched on, winking when I managed to disarm Ethan and push him to the ground.

“Come one, aren’t you at least a little curious?” Ethan asked again as we changed and washed up from the training.

“What, are you going to just walk up to her and ask her why her hair is silver? Does it even matter?” I pushed. “What answer are you even expecting? That she was cursed by a witch and sent to be raised with forest spirits and animals?”

“You said it, not me.” 

“Everyone has lost their damn minds over this today. Go do what you want, I’m going to find lunch.”

I was about to do just that, walk away and move on with my life when Ethan muttered something under his breath and a fist came swinging at me, catching my face with a flood of pain and blood.

“What the fuck, Ethan!”

“Oh no,” Ethan said with false sympathy. “You’re bleeding. You should go see the apothecary.”

“You fucking broke my nose to go see a girl?”

“I didn’t break it,” I heard him cough with a ‘probably’ said under his breath. He threw my dirty, sweaty shirt at me to use for the blood. “Let’s go.”

As we walked to the other side of the castle, I decided I was going to kill Ethan. I’d have to send my regards to Alina, but I was sure she would understand. 

The apothecary was, at the time, my least favorite place in Kaerworth. Don’t get me wrong, the room itself was nice. A fire always burned, but the room never got too hot in summer or too cold in the winter, it seemed. The smell of old books and plants always wafted through the room, a sense of serenity and quietness always falling over me as I entered the room. The problem was that it was all washed away by my least favorite person in all of Heidyll.

“I don’t have time for stupid problems.” Morrigan said as we entered the workroom. She was standing at one of the tables in the middle of the room, two books open beside her and a cauldron in front of her. Morrigan held different plants in her hands and scattered across the table, not looking away from pulling off leaves from stems as we walked in. 

“We had a training accident. Colin was worried I broke his nose and ruined his pretty face.” Ethan winked at me. I returned the gesture with a much ruder one as Morrigan sighed. 

“I’m not sure it’s possible for his face to be any worse than it is now.” Morrigan stirred the pot, finally looking at us. “And I hope you didn’t just come to stare at my assistant like half the castle already has.”

Ethan shrugged, but it wasn’t convincing. 

“Cassia, could you take a look at this?”

From the other room, the silver haired girl walked in. She had her hair pulled up in a braid, the lighting of the room making her look more blonde. I could physically feel Ethan’s disappointment until her hair caught sunlight from the window, the silver shining through.

It wasn’t her hair that stood out to me though. The closer she walked to me, looking intensely at my face, it was her eyes that caught my attention. Brown eyes framed by long lashes and pale skin shouldn’t have been that pretty, especially when staring at my blood gushing face, and yet as she lifted a hand to move the shirt and examine my nose, I almost thought I’d let Ethan get away with it.

“You can stop staring.” The girl, Cassia, said, making me blink. But her brown eyes turned from me to Ethan, who was looking bug eyed at the coil of hair on her head. “Staring doesn’t change the color.”

“Why is it like that?” Ethan blurted out, earning another loud sigh from Morrigan. For maybe the first time ever I agreed with her, scowling at Ethan but still hyper aware that Cassia had her hand on my shoulder, guiding me to sit down in a chair so she could better see my face. “I mean-”

“It’s okay.” Cassia said, placing the shirt on a table and getting a clean rag. “When my parents were with child, an old woman came to them looking for shelter. They let her into their little cottage and gave her everything she wanted- food, new clothing, a bed and such. Her demands grew larger, asking for money, a horse, ownership of their farm, and finally- she wanted their child.”

As Cassia talked, she dabbed my face gently with a wet rag, hopefully wiping all the blood off my face. It was difficult to focus on her words as she did so, but I noticed a slight edge to them, her hands shaking ever so slightly. 

“Of course, my parents refused to hand over their only child to the woman, and she revealed herself to be a witch and cursed them. She told them their child would be born unnaturally and spend her whole life answering stupid questions from gullible men who will believe anything someone with silver hair will tell them.”

Ethan looked confused as I fought a grin from rising to my face, the act slightly painful itself. Yet looking at Cassia’s little smirk as realization dawned on Ethan’s face I couldn’t help it, a wide grin making its way to my face when Cassia’s eyes met mine, giving me a wink.

“So…?”

“I was just born with it. It happens.” Cassia said, moving the rag and gently applying pressure to my face. It hurt, but not like a broken nose did.

“I liked the story about how your mother only ate the whites of eggs better.” Morrigan commented, still stirring her pot. “That poor pregnant girl is going to eat so many egg yolks today.”

“She needed the nutrition anyway.” Cassia brushed it off, looking down at me now. “You’re fine, other than some bruising and all the blood on your shirt.”

“S’fine.” Was pretty much all I could get out with Cassia looking at me. 

“Eloquent as always, Colin.”

* * * Cassia’s POV

“Eloquent as always, Colin.”

Colin  looked away from me, standing up. Maybe it was from the blood or just being hit in the face, but his face was red and part of me considered that it was a blush. 

“I can take care of your shirt for you.” I offered impulsively, getting him to look at me again. Colin was maybe one of the few people, especially men, whose eyes didn’t got straight to my hair when he looked at me. His friend has yet to meet my eyes, but I had already made eye contact with Colin more times that anyone else I’d met today, except maybe Morrigan. But Morrigan hadn’t given me the most breath-taking smile I had ever seen at my stupid story. “You can stop by and pick it up tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” Colin smiled again, once again meeting my eyes and leaving the shirt on the table. A really strange feeling filled me as him and his friend walked out of the room. A few moments after they closed the door, I heard the sound of a fist making contact with something, and a grunt of pain. 

“Oh yes, invite the most annoying person in Heidyll back here more often.” Morrigan commented, looking to one of her books for instruction. “I have time to waste.”

“He can’t be that bad.”

“Just wait. One day you’re going to walk into the kitchens and he will be there with that god forsaken lute and you’ll understand.”

That was the first time I met Colin, where it began. And she had been right- he was annoying, always talking or joking. He was terrible at playing the lute. But what was special was that stupid grin that lit up his whole face when I told him so, or how he spread the stupid stories about my hair, making them more and more ridiculous every iteration. What was special was that when I was with him was I forgot that my hair was ‘weird’ because I didn’t notice if anyone was staring- I was too busy staring at him. 

I never wanted that beginning to have an end.

[rookieinbflat]

Two Person System

Ethan x MC (Levin Stern)

WC: ~3200

Tags: @writerapprentice @vickypoochoices

Summary: This is the first part in a series of Levin and Ethan’s story now that they’re colleagues, which is a struggle because love is a two person system.

Dr Levin Stern sat in the front seat of Dr Ethan Ramey's car and wondered how she was going to crack this one. Levin knew she shouldn't do this, not again, trying to crack boys who didn't want to open up. She had learnt her lesson from her ex-boyfriend, well, she should have. Not to mention the stakes were much, much higher now, now he was her direct supervisor. She had the job of her dreams, the job she thought would take years to get to, but now, she had it all within reach. She was a firm believer that no man was worth her education or her career and those two things often went hand in hand. Levin had been debating the options over and over again in her head these past few weeks. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place, Ethan being the rock, obviously.

They were on their way to Albany for a medical conference and the hospital had taken too long to book flights and there were no seats available, so Ethan offered to drive. What a joke. If only some idiot hadn’t rear-ended her car the week before then they wouldn't be in this situation. A whole three-hour drive to get through. Fate had stabbed them and then twisted the knife.

Things had been understandably awkward between the two of them since she started on the diagnostics team. Levin had tried to maintain her professionalism, but it wasn't normal for her, she was used to goading Ethan, trying to make him smile and stop taking things so seriously, but she felt like she couldn't do that anymore, she felt like he couldn't be herself around him anymore. They had slept together thinking they would be colleagues at best, not with Ethan as her direct supervisor. It had only been a few weeks, maybe they just needed time to settle into the new situation they found themselves in.

"So," Ethan started after letting out a soft sigh, "how's life?" Levin smirked a little at how the tables had turned, just last year she had - somewhat awkwardly - asked him that same question when they were on the hunt for baby Ethan Hudson's stuffed frog toy.

"Um, it's good, I'm still getting used to things," Levin's voice is slow, she looks down to her lap and fiddles with the end of her scarf, "the whole office thing feels strange," she gave a short laugh.

Now that she was a junior fellow, Levin was given her own office in the hospital, right across the hall from Ethan's, albeit, hers was not as large and extravagant as his, but she did manage to find a good quality but a cheap coffee machine for her office.

"Yes, you'll need to find a comfy couch for between-shift power naps," Ethan smiles as he changes lanes, they were out of the city now and on the interstate, "and some earplugs, the walls are pretty thin,"

Levin coughs awkwardly, wondering if he realises the subtext of that statement, "God, maybe I should just move in there, I spend more time at the hospital than the apartment I actually pay rent on," Levin scolded herself internally, what the fuck was going on, this wasn't like her, Levin was the least awkward person in Boston, she prided herself on being able to make conversation with anyone, her ability to make people feel at ease and comfortable. It’s what made her a great doctor. Now, here she was, in the front seat of Ethan's car, second-guessing every word that comes out of her mouth. "Do we have to listen to this?" She says without thinking, the question catching both of them by surprise.

Ethan's mouth hangs open slightly, but he catches himself quickly and furrows his brow. There's a concerto playing and whilst it's beautiful, it's making Levin extremely sleepy, she didn't get much sleep last night between the constant study and also constant distraction of a certain surgical resident. "You don't like my music, Ro- uh, Dr Stern?" Levin sighed, he doesn't even call her Rookie anymore.

She looks over to him, "It's not that I don't like it, but I'd like something a bit more upbeat, I'm tired and this isn't really helping," she tells him truthfully and he glances over at her quickly before turning his eyes back to the road.

"Alright, you can put something on, let's see what sort of music you've got on there," he gestures to her phone and turns the Bluetooth in the cars sound system on.

She connects to the cars audio but takes a few seconds looking through her phone, she had playlists for every occasion: sad songs, party songs, Disney songs, 2009 songs, songs for the shower. She took a moment and figured her study playlist would be a pretty good option, songs that were catchy but still not too distracting. If Ethan is surprised or impressed or feeling any form of emotion right now, he doesn't show it, but soon he taps his fingers against the steering wheel and Levin can't help but feel like she's won this round.

She ties her long chestnut hair in a small bun at the nape of her neck, pulls her legs up onto the seat so they're crossed and retrieves her iPad from her handbag. Levin had downloaded all of her medical textbooks and journals onto it as well as dozens of medical apps, the device was practically attached to her hip at the hospital and she had bought it along with her this weekend so she could get in some much-needed study. While she had been getting some amazing practical learning done on the diagnostics team, she felt like she hadn't been able to study as much because of all the energy she was directed into working with Ethan.

"We're going to be at a medical conference all weekend, you're really going to study right now?" Ethan asks and she doesn't look up, pulling out the devices pencil to take notes along the sides of the pages.

"If you were me, wouldn't you be studying?" She says back, but she doesn't feel like she's paying much attention to her attending, the playlist has pretty much conditioned her to be in full-on study mode as soon as she hears it. Ethan doesn't reply and that's how she knows he agrees with her statement.

The next two hours that go by are relatively uneventful, Ethan had filled the gas tank before they left the city and Levin had her eyes glued to her textbooks the whole way down. They arrive at the hotel and retrieve their bags from the back of the car and just as Ethan hands the keys to the valet, an older man in a tailored navy suit stops him to question Ethan about the new book he's writing. I didn't know he was writing a new book, Levin thinks to herself but quickly shakes the feeling away, he didn't need to tell her, that's not her place. She slips off quietly, she wants this weekend to go by as quickly and painlessly as possible, getting caught up in conversations with Ethan is not apart of her plan.

Levin walks over to the reception desk in the foyer, she gets the key card to her room and makes her way over to the elevator, keeping her head low and her walk quick. Pulling her phone out of her bag, she catches up on any messages or emails she'd missed while it was on silent in the car.

Bryce Lahela (7 new messages)

Levin rolls her eyes, she's not surprised, Bryce has no shame in double or triple texting, he messages anything and everything that goes through his head, their text chain was basically a tour through his mind.

4.26pm: have you left already?

4.27pm: have you left already??????

4.30pm: ?have?you?left?already?

4.31pm: !!!!levin!!!!

5.02pm: hows the trip with dr. Terminator?

5.18pm: why aren't you taking me seriously

6.12pm: ugh and you say I'm annoying

How he had time to text her all these messages she had no idea, she knew he was at the hospital today, they'd all eaten together in the cafeteria at lunch. She laughed and typed out a quick reply before stepping out of the elevator, sorry, studied the whole drive over, the soundtrack would've made your ears bleed :(

Levin enters the room, sets her travel bag on the armchair and closes the blinds, she hasn't decided what she's doing for dinner yet but she does know she needs to change out of her crumpled travel clothes. Levin pulls on a long red skirt, that falls around mid-calf and has a long split up the thigh, a black top and pair of boots, she puts her phone and other necessities into a small shoulder bag and turns the lights off before walking out into the hallway, where she unexpectedly crashes into something, or rather someone.

Ethan's hands reach out and he grabs Levin by her elbows, steadying her before she falls back into the door, "Uh, sorry, I should've been looking where I was going," he says as he pulls her back up so she's standing straight. He watches her as she brushes down her outfit and hikes her bag back up onto her shoulder, "You were going somewhere?" He asks, brows furrowed and she looks like a teenager that's been caught sneaking out of the house.

"Um, yeah, I was just going to get some dinner, the hotel restaurant doesn't seem too appealing and there's a really nice place a few blocks from here." Levin shrugs and looks up to meet his gaze, he's studying her carefully, like her can’t figured her out.

"You really left me struggling back there and now you're going to leave me to eat in this crappy restaurant?" He laughs shortly and even though he covers it well, Levin can see that he's slightly offended.

"You're welcome to join," she offers even though she really doesn't want to, but luckily Levin is much better at hiding this than Ethan is.

"Let me put my bags in my room," He says and she tries to hold herself back from staring at his ass as he walks away. He was making it really hard for her to control herself. Levin rested against the wall and scrolled through social media as she waited for Ethan to sort himself, checking some emails and making a mental note of what she had to do when she got back to the room tonight, she was interrupted by the sound of a door opening, Levin had to contain herself when Ethan walked back out of the room, wearing a casual white button down and blue jeans.

Oh fucking fuck he looks so good, Levin thought to herself, this is going to be a long night.

They are barely out of the front door when Levin's phone starts ringing: Mom. "Sorry," she looked at Ethan, "I should take this," Ethan nods in agreement, and she answers to hear the usual array of noise in the background.

"Levin, babe, do you know where I put Edda’s medical folder? I can't seem to find it after the move," Levin rolls her eyes as her mum continues to rattle off all of the other things she's lost over the past couple of weeks, her mother was the sort of person who would lose her own head if it wasn't screwed on. Every week it was a new call or text asking about files or paperwork or the password to her email.

Levin didn't need to rack her brain, "Mum, it's in the filing cabinet, where it should stay, stop taking things out and leaving them all around the house," She had spent so much time moving into her mother into their new house in Fairhaven just over five years ago, she'd taken two weeks off of her college break to help her. Her mother seemed to be hellbent on turning the beautiful, organised home Levin had made into a glorified rats nest.

"Oh sorry babe, it's just been so crazy with the kids on break and starting the new job,” her mum continues to rattle off and Levin lets out small mhm’s and ahh’s when necessary. Her life was like this often, putting out fires at the hospital and putting out fires at home, her mum called her whenever something went wrong, no matter how big or small (often small) which meant she was constantly looking at her phone to see what the next big emergency was this time.

Once her mum has found the medical records, her house keys and successfully sent Levin into a disorganised rage, she hangs up the phone. Ethan and Levin have reached the restaurant by now and they’re greeted with friendly smiles. “Levy!” The stout man walks over to her with his arms outstretched, a smile stretched across his face, “so good to see you! When the others told me you were stopping by for dinner I had to come back in and see you!” He places his hands firmly on her shoulders and pulls her in for a hug.

“Thanks, Trevor, you know I can't come to town without saying hello and carb loading to the Max,” Levin smiles, stepping back to introduce him to Ethan, “this is Ethan,” she gestures to the tall doctor and Trevors eyes twinkle.

“The is the first time she’s brought a boy arou-”

“My boss,” Levin interjects and Trevor make a small ‘o’ with his mouth.

“I see, well a pleasure to meet you anyway,” he stretches his hand out to shake Ethan’s and Levin can tell he's impressed by the firm handshake, the nice dress shoes and Tommy Hilfiger button down, “we don’t get to see our Levin much now that she’s a big shot doctor down in Boston, so tonight’s meal is on the house!”

Ethan starts to protest, he can afford a meal and doesn’t want to put them out of any revenue but Levin makes a face that tells him not to, Trevor loves to accommodate old friends and will not let them pay a dime, Levin gets around this by leaving a couple of twenties in the tip jar.

It’s a Friday night and the restaurant is crowded and after a short catch up, Trevor finds them a nice table outside by the fire, surrounded by leafy plants and intimate lighting. Levin didn't mean for this to be so romantic, but she didn’t want to ask for another table at the risk of coming off ungrateful. They take their seats and order some wine to start, Ethan looks over at the young doctor curiously, she looks gorgeous in this lighting he thinks, he dark chestnut hair is somehow shining even in the dim lighting, and the outfit looks gorgeous on her tanned skinned. Ethan tries not to stare but he's finding it harder than usual, she has one leg crossed over the other and is facing the small band playing in the corner of the room, the slit in her skirt leaves most of her leg uncovered and Ethan can feel his heart race.

“You’re a regular?” Ethan asks, voice cutting above the chatter of the people around him, Levin turns to look at him, a small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth.

“Trevor is an old friend of my dad’s,” she tells him, “we spent a lot of time here growing up so I always try and visit when I’m in town,”

The waiter comes over to take their orders, Levin orders a glass of Riesling and pasta, Ethan orders some Malbec and pizza. The two of them share some arancini and bruschetta.

Ethan takes a sip from his glass, "You've never told me about your siblings," he looks at her with an eyebrow raised,

"You never talk about your family," Levin points out, but then shrugs, "I didn't realise I've never told you about them, I normally talk about them all the time. I have eight siblings so our house was pretty crazy growing up," she chuckles and takes a bite of arancini, the small ball of rice practically melts in her mouth.

"That is a lot of kids, your mother must have been running on fumes," this time he laughs too, "what are there names?"

"Um, well, I have two older brothers named Basil and Sepp, two older sisters named Evia and Sera, three younger sisters named Marti, Edda and Isa, and a younger brother named Jos,"

"Wow, those names are..." Ethan trails off, not really sure what to say so Levin finishes for him.

"Unusual?" Ethan's makes a face that conveys the sort of agreement he didn't want to admit, "My mum is super into traditional Swiss names, she even went to court over my sister and I's names," Levin laughs and takes a sip out of her wine glass.

His jaw hangs open slightly, "To court? For what? Over baby names?"

"Yeah, in Switzerland you're not really supposed to give traditional boys names to girls, so Levin and Marti were choices that the birth registry didn't initially accept, but then my mother took them to court and argued her case, she's pretty stubborn and didn't go down without a fight,"

Ethan looks at her with a small smile, "Well, now I know where you get your tenacity from," his voice is sincere, taking Levin by surprise, luckily the waiter arrives with their food before she makes things awkward. "You were born in Switzerland?" She wonders what questions he's got stored in his brain, as she pushes her food around on her plate.

Levin hesitates to answer, but nods, she feels weird sharing these things with Ethan now. She knows they need to grow together as a team but how can she do that when she has such strong feelings of affection towards her attending? Levin chews on her lips before she tells him the answers to all the questions he asks. She tells him about their three dogs growing up in Switzerland then moving to North Carolina for her dad’s job, she tells him about boarding school and almost getting kicked out after being caught sneaking into the boy's dorm, she tells him about her undergrad and the late night study sessions, bar fights, ski trips. He’s curious, she’s lived a very full life for someone so young, only twenty-five and she’s seen so much of the world, but he also knows that she’s seen so much pain. He’s heard her talking to Lahela and the other interns, stories of her mother's post-partum depression and the years that followed with a shell of a mother, there but not really. When they finish their meals, a silence falls between them and Ethan can see that she’s caught up in her own head, running her brain on overdrive, a brain running on anxiety. He quietly clears his throat before he does something he hasn’t done in a long time, he opens up.

“I’m an only child,” Levin’s eyes snap up, meeting Ethan's gaze, his bright blue eyes are soft, “my parents never wanted a big family,” he says the words like she’s got a knife to his throat, each word coming out at a glacial pace.

Levin smiles at him, before reaching over the table with her hand outstretched, he places his hand in hers and gives it a light squeeze.

[moodyvalentinestories]

O Thomas Hunt, Wherefore Art Thou My Professor? | Chapter 19

Summary: Filler stuff... and some Hunt.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As we left the building, I noticed Ethan was uncharacteristically quiet. "Everything okay with you?"

He looked up from his phone. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm good."

"You sure? Because you seem kind of down."

He sighed. "I'm not. It's just... you got that job on your own. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you got it. I just... wish I'd gotten it for you."

"You did the best you could last night. You were just... aiming a little high, I suppose," I said, shrugging. "I'm not dropping you any time soon if that's what you're afraid of."

He forced a smile. "You better not. I'm going to get you so many jobs. Just you watch!"

"I can't wait," I said. "And, by the way, I would have absolutely not understood jack shit of what was in that contract if it wasn't for you."

The smile on his lips became genuine. "So I'm not totally useless?"

"Not at all," I said, looking at my phone to check the time. "Hey, do you want to grab a bite to eat? I kind of haven't really eaten anything today and I'm starving."

"Oh, absolutely," he replied. "I know this cool new burger joint just around the corner that I've been meaning to check out."

"That sounds amazing," I said and followed him to said restaurant.

It was a chill place with lots of brick and wood, the decorations a combination of rustic and urban. Very hipster chic. Naturally, the only music they played were indie covers of popular songs.

"You reckon they have any real meat in their burgers?" Ethan asked sceptically.

I laughed. "I mean... I kind of doubt it, but you might get lucky and they have one. Will probably give you a dirty look for ordering it, though."

We sat down nonetheless and gave our order to the server, who, unsurprisingly, was sporting a man bun.

"This place is so LA," I laughed.

Ethan huffed. "I thought hipsters weren't, well, cool anymore. You know, now that it's all mainstream."

"Oh, come on. It's not so bad. You got to order a real burger. With bacon! And no one told you you're a murderer... yet."

He rolled his eyes, then froze. "Uh-oh."

I turned to look in the same direction just to see someone walk through the door. It was the weekend and, yet, I couldn't have a single day without seeing the man. Of course fucking Hunt would eat at the same place as me on a Sunday evening. Naturally. How could it be any other way?

Before he could spot me, I looked back to Ethan. "Just ignore him. I'm sure he won't notice us if we don't draw any attention to ourselves."

"Has that ever worked for you?" he asked but averted his eyes as well.

"One can hope," I said, significantly less cheery than before. Maybe he really wouldn't notice us, but I doubted it. He kind of had a way of finding and annoying the hell out of me. Then again, we weren't on campus so he probably wouldn't expect to see me here. But did I really want him to not notice me? Maybe that wasn't it. Maybe I did want him to see me. To come and say hello. Make some remark that would annoy me. I'd have some bratty comeback that may or may not push his buttons. I hated to admit it, but I fucking loved when I got a reaction out of him. Any reaction that proved to me that I wasn't quite as irrelevant to him as he'd said I was.

Before I could pursue that thought any further, the server came back with our orders. A bacon burger for Ethan and a seitan burger for me. I'd never tried it before but I thought it was funny that it kind of sounded like Satan. It didn't taste bad, either.

Ethan brought me up to speed on all things expulsion-prevention. Apparently, he'd convinced Lisa Valentine to be one of the three industry professionals to vouch for me at the hearing. I had most certainly forgotten about that so, once again, I was incredibly glad to have him in my corner.

We finished our burgers -- my meatless one was better than expected -- and walked towards the exit. I would have almost forgotten about Hunt at this point, but we'd walked past his table, which was fairly close to the door. I didn't think he'd say anything, but just as Ethan opened the door, I heard him speak.

"Miss Fields," he said and I squealed on the inside. Jesus, I really was acting like a stupid schoolgirl with a crush. Which... was kind of what I was, I guess. "Could I have a word?"

"You going to be okay?" Ethan asked. "I kind of have to get back..."

"Go ahead," I said and hugged him. "See you tomorrow?"

He nodded and went on his way while I turned around and walked to Hunt's table.

"What is it?" I tried not to sound hostile but, somehow, I always defaulted to this tone when speaking to him. Not all to surprising, given the type of conversation I usually had with him. 

"Sit. Please," he said.

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Tags: @silversparrow02

[keyofjetwolf]

The Chosen: All the notes and answers to shit you wondered about for years

Hey. Hi there. How are you? I’m good, thanks for asking.

So, you remember when, at the beginning of the year, I said I was officially retiring my Buffy the Vampire Slayer continuation, The Chosen? If this is the first you’re hearing of it, a) SORRY TO DROP THAT ON YOU, and b) you may want to read this post first.

All caught up? Awesome.

I told you guys I’d share my stuff. This right here is that. I’ve searched through countless backups, terabytes of data, the remnants of three computers, AND MY SOUL (not really my soul; it doesn’t have a convenient find option), and I think this is everything. If there’s anything left of The Chosen that isn’t contained here, then it’s almost certainly lost to time and I wave it a fond farewell.

But don’t worry. There’s a lot here.

What I have for you are all the notes, plans, and ideas that I had written during the time when The Chosen was pretty much my entire world. From late 2003 to mid 2005, I was on my Buffy creative shit, and OH THE PLACES I WANTED TO GO. I’m not sure I’ll ever not be sad that, in the end, I couldn’t do it the way I wanted. Still, I’m glad to finally be showing you where we were heading.

I’ll try to give this as much order as I can, but my notes were strewn across a mass of files, and in some cases, I straight up can’t remember what the fuck I even meant any more. Feel free to ask if you have questions! Just be prepared that the answer may have to be an apologetic shrug.

I’m not sure what to wish for you all in the reading here. Closure, of some kind, I suppose is what we’re really all after. So closure it is! Happy closing, friends.

Thank you so much for allowing me to have captured your interest and attention, and for accompanying me and these characters I loved on the journey toward the ending I hoped for them.

** Any comments from present-me will be marked in this format. Otherwise, everything is untouched from how I wrote it whenever-the-fuck ago. Section headers are either as I named them at the time, or taken from the file name.

S8 Ideas

General Ideas

Rogue Slayer girl ' 'Full Circle'; Faith-centric.

Possessing demons ' personification of control ' W&K breakup episode.

Xander gets powers, but in exchange for his humanity. Comes to realize that his humanity is what his friends need, and he gives up the power.

Dawn's key powers are reawakened ' ability to unlock and enter doorways to parallel dimensions/realities and back again. Episode where this happens and she visits a parallel world (where she is the Slayer?). Possibly triggered by Doc, seeking to reawaken Glory?

Monster that eats body parts to rejuvenate them.

Emotion sucker.

Incubus that tries to seduce Buffy in her dreams.

Siren/rock group ' playing in club.

Faith/Buffy/other Slayers hunted for sport.

Super Slayer, enhanced by the DC. Big Bad? Guinea pig.

Legion of Super Slayers, created from life force of girls who reject the offer to join the DC.

Things to Name and Figure Out

The name of the new town.

New town is in center of three-Hellmouth triangle, consisting of Cleveland, Ohio, Syracuse, NY, and Washington DC. The gang is settled in a fictitious town in Pennsylvania, not far from Williamsport.

Name derived from three? Trinity, Trillium, etc.

The name of the Bronze replacement. (The Vortex?)

The name (and personality) of Kennedy's new Watcher.

The name (and personality) of the turncoat (the girl Giles talks to in Ep #1)

The name (and personality) of the girl Faith recruits (future cannon fodder)

Better name for the Dark Council.

Better name for the Dark Coven.

Assorted Ideas and Quotes

Scene: Someone shopping at a local bulk warehouse place. How much to Slayers eat? A LOT.

Possible use for the drug from "Helpless" that neutralizes Slayer powers?

Scene: Junior Slayers fighting monster. One says "You ARE the weakest link... Goodbye!" The others make fun of her for using such an outdated pop culture reference. She pouts that they should add a class about banter to the Slayer curriculum.

QUOTE: "D'you ever think sometime we should, you know, run AWAY from the blood curdling screams?"

QUOTE: Buffy doubts Tara's return. Willow: "What, you hold exclusive resurrection rights?"

QUOTE: Tara and Dark Coven guy. Tara: "She'll kill me. After I do this...Buffy will kill me." DC: "After you do this, will you care?"

QUOTE: "Excessive? I think you and excessive have already met in a head-on collision and exchanged insurance information."

QUOTE: Tara talking about doing stuff with Dawn: "You know, shopping, getting our hair done ... girl things." Willow: "I like your girl things."

QUOTE: Someone's sick, but denying it. They cough, get an accusing glance. "I just have something stuck in my throat." "Yeah, it's called ILLNESS."

QUOTE: Faith to somebody, possibly a young Slayer, who goes on at length about what they're going to do to a bad guy or deal with some serious challenge or something similar. "You're full of crap, you've got no idea what you're talking about. (beat) But you mean what you say, so that's gotta count for something."

Notes

1st ep

fate of SS's

Dawn's powers

X taking Watcher's courses

G distancing

W going to grad school

B/T going back to school

prophecy bits

G gets ring

Buffy bit - blood

Ante released

Season 9 Ideas

based on 7 samurai - group of people want to come in and hire the seven to clean something out

something happens where buffy or dawn disappears and the other goes to find them

core four have notoriety as evil forces (four horsemen) with some other community

sdhs reunion episode

"Demon that draws strength from guilt, hate, love, etc. Especially bad if it gets hold of Faith..."

---

I had a really cool thought about Buffy and relationships while I was in there though, which I think I'll have to work into The Chosen.

A common thread in each of her big relationships (Angel, Riley, Spike) is that when she tells them she loves them, they don't believe her.

Well Angel does, but he doesn't think she loves him enough. When he leaves, it's despite her telling him over and over that she loves him enough that him being a vampire and them not being able to do "normal" things doesn't matter. He doesn't believe her, and so leaves.

Riley tells Buffy during their big pre-him-leaving fight, that when she says she loves him, he "doesn't feel it". His disbelief in her and her words causes him to leave.

Then there's Spike. Final episode, Buffy finally tells him that she loves him. "No you don't. But thanks for saying it." And then he dies.

At this point in Buffy's life, there are a lot of reasons why Buffy wouldn't want a relationship in my opinion. But not the least of which is the fact that she MUST be able to answer the question of why none of these guys she loves ever believe her? (Even if you don't think she did love Spike, to Buffy I doubt that would matter -- HE didn't believe her EITHER [and how dare he not believe me, by the way!]).

It's a concept I just managed to sort out (in the shower, of course), and I don't think it's an "obvious" connection, but I do think it's an extremely valid one. I think before I'm done, I'll have to work this into the story somehow. And not resolve it, because I don't think it's easily resolved, and I think it's an issue outside the scope of what I'm trying to do, but I think the issue should be raised.

Season 9 Episode Ideas

Episode where everybody speaks in rhymes. Possible reintroduction for Faerie character?

De-aging episode, Giles' 50th birthday. Courtesy of Ethan Rayne. ("Many Happy Returns"?) Zaps Giles, Willow, Buffy and Xander back to four or five or so, leaving Tara, Faith and Dawn to look after them.

Episode dealing with the murderers in the group: Faith, Willow and Giles. Finch's son/daughter hunts down Faith to (confront? get revenge?) for his death. Sub-plots for Willow/Warren and Giles/Ben. Interesting to note that Faith is the only one who has ever shown any regret for her murder.

Herculean labors parallel. Xander? ("Labor Day"?)

Seven deadly sins with each main character embodying one of the sins? The one least like themselves?

Buffy: Greed

Willow: Sloth

Xander: Pride

Giles: Envy

Tara: Wrath

Dawn: Lust

Faith: Gluttony

Some other Slayer in the past, fighting an enemy that arises today. The gang have to read through the old Watcher's diaries to learn about him and how she defeated it. Shows this old Slayer and her Watcher via flashback. Maybe our Big Bads?

The characters get sent into Faerie Tales where they're forced to sort of act out the tales they're in.

Inanimate creation of some sort (puppet like) who makes other inanimate objects come to life. Specifically mannequins, by switching them out for real people. Some Scoobies, of course, fall victim to this.

Xander getting set up on blind dates. Amusing segment where Xander explains to date after date about what happened to his eye, each reason becoming more and more outlandish. Finally he just gives up and tells the truth - "It was gouged out by a crazy preacher man." The date laughs: "You're so funny!" Could end with Xander getting fixed up with the girl we introduced in S8 and possibly have seen a few times since then - Xander's love interest.

Revisit ideas: nameless, faceless army for the good guys, what are we doing with our army?

Tara dealing with family issues. Why am I back? Madrigan as new father.

Banan the collector

Alt world where Core4 seen like 4 horsemen (Title: "The Four"?)

Conversation where some characters are guessing who would've been the next successor to the Slayer line.

"Other side" episode with dead characters

Buffy/Dawn ep about Buffy's role in Dawn's life. Seeing the others intreract with her, wondering what her place is in Dawn's life. Parallel with flashbacks about VS and her sister. Starts with Buffy finding Grip and Dawn making out, leads to Buffy giving Dawn "the talk" and failing miserably. ("Sometimes, after you and a guy ...... they CHANGE.") Dawn learns nothing, goes to Tara from there, who knows nothing about having sex with a guy, but is supportive and encouraging. Buffy overhears and then begins to try to find how she fits into Dawn's life. We learn at the end that although B/D are vastly different from the VS and her sis, the bond is still just as strong.

Willow (and Tara) meeting up with Willow's parents again.

Big Bads

Vampires, return to the simpler times a bit. Not apocalyptic, but personal. Female vamp with a real mad-on for Buffy. Pissed because Buffy failed to save her? Also possibly some sort of vampire army. Fem is a modern-day Sun Tzu, right hand to this guy in charge of everything.

Addition (3Jul04): After some discussion, we're leaning toward making the femvamp a Slayer who was turned waaaay the heck back when. Possibly held or captured by some other vampire later on in life, and she was released by the head of the army, thus earning her allegiance. Maybe she's Japanese and thus very honourable? If we take her from 1600 or 1700's Japan, that might work out well. Might also give added weight to why her soul has no bearing on halting her quest for vengeance - honor demands that her sister's death be avenged. Possible imagery: maybe she was tortured by whoever held her? The mental image of big ol' cross scar over her eye is intriguing.

Season 9 Episode Chart

Notes

Need to work out (soon!) everybody's hell stuff so it can be incorporated into earlier episodes.

Willow versus hacker vamp idea. Why? What's at stake? Possible fill for humour ep at 9x16?

Corollary: Replot Willow's arc through S9 and possibly into S10.

Get new prophecy for Giles.

Work in at least one other prophecy stanza this season. Important to figure out soon. Who, when, how?

** This was a chart which doesn’t translate well to Tumblr, so I’ll break the cells apart and show column separation with ||

Updated - 22 June 2005

Ep # || Monster/Conflict || Plot Developments || Focus

9x01 || Vamps || Buffy kills Hitakno || Group

9x02 || Dante || Faith comes home || Faith

9x03 || Slone || Sunnydale HS reunion in LA || Group

9x04 || Vamps/Demons || Yuugana arrives in Trillium, Xander quits the Council || Xander

9x05 || Belastung || Tara goes home. || Tara

9x06 || Ethan || Giles birthday, Scoobies regressed  || Giles

----------------- NOT YET AIRED -----------------

9x07 || Slayer || Demon girl on run from Slayer. Buffy and Slayer at moral odds. Dawn key powers awaken fully. || Buffy/Dawn

9x08 || Amy || Amy cashes in on Willow's debt. (Fake) Buffy accompanies. || Willow

9x09 || D'Hoffryn || Xander makes a wish that Anya hadn't died. || Xander

9x10 || The Furies || The Furies drive Finch's child to revenge. While they're here, they decide to spread the love. || Faith/Giles

9x11 || ??? || Funny episode - Camping trip? || Group(??)

9x12 || Yuugana || Faith visits Hazel's parents (Xander accompanies). Upon return to Trillium, is attacked and nearly killed by Yuugana. || Faith/Xander

9x13 || Yuugana/General || Sister's parallel. Buffy and Dawn, Yuugana and Hitanko. Yuu's backstory. General arrives, drains Willow and Dawn. || Yuugana/Buffy

9x14 || Yuugana/General || Buffy insists that the gang re-ensoul Yuugana. They do so; it makes no difference. Buffy attacked, put in coma. || Buffy/Group

9x15 || Antediluvian || In an effort to save Buffy, Tara, Xander, Dawn and Kennedy go in search of Ruth, and the Antediluvian. || Tara/Group

9x16 || ??? || Funny episode - ??? || Willow(??)

9x17 || The General || The General's plans come to fruition. || Group

9x18 || Giles' Demon || A demon Giles thought defeated years ago comes back to continue their arrangement. || Giles

9x19 || 7 Sins || The Seven Sins are unleashed on the Scoobies. || Group

9x20 || The General/Yuugana || The General releases Yuugana and they formulate a new plan involving Dawn. Yuugana kills the General and takes Dawn as bait. || Group(?)

9x21 || Yuugana || Part 1. Yuugana takes Dawn into the Private Hell place where she was recently kept. The Scoobies must follow. || Group

9x22 || Yuugana || Part 2. The Scoobies fight their way through their personal hell. Buffy vs Yuugana. || Group

Original Chart

** “VS” stands for “vampiric slayer”, so Yuugana before she had a name.

Ep # || Monster/Conflict || Plot Developments || Focus

9x01 || Vamps || Buffy kills the VS's sister || Group

9x02 || Serial killer || Faith comes home??

9x03 || ?? || Sunnydale HS reunion in LA || ??/Group(?)

9x04 || ?? (vamps?) || VS arrives in Trillium || ??/Group(?)

9x05 || ?? || Tara goes home. VS denied immediate revenge. || Tara

9x06 || Amy || Amy collects on debt. Wants Will to help her get a book. ||  Willow/Buffy

9x07 || Ethan Rayne || Giles birthday/regression || Giles

9x08 || Doc || Dawn & Doc - Key powers fully awoken || Dawn

9x09 || Finch's child (furies?) || Murderers haunted by past || Faith (lesser: W, G)

9x10 || D'Hoffryn || Xander's wish (Anya) || Xander

9x11 || VS/?? || Sister's parallel episode || Buffy/Dawn

9x12 || Monster in woods || Camping trip (Tara and blade of grass) || Group

9x13 || VS || Buffy vs. VS -- VS ensouled, Buffy drained || Buffy

9x14 || VS minions(?) || Buffy injured. Group goes after Antediluvian || Tara/Group

9x15 || ?? || "Labor Day" (Kenn still around) || Xander

9x16 || artifact || 7 Deadly Sins || Group

9x17 || Computer Program || Willow and the computer program || Willow

9x18 || ?? || Faith visits Hazel's parents || Faith/Xander

9x19 || Demon || Demon that's possessed Giles. Comes every 10(?) years. || Giles

9x20 || General || Fight with General - General loses || Group

9x21 || Demon Dimension || Four Horsemen ("Four"?) [Abortive attempt by VS to separate Buffy from her strongest allies?] || B/W/X/G

9x22 || VS || Big battle -- Buffy vs. VS || Buffy/Group

Yuugana

need: how does Buffy come to believe what she does about Yuu? Conversation beforehand? Difficult. Why doesn't Yuu just kill her? Could make threat, but then Buffy is gambling with everyone, and makes no sense why Yuu nearly kills Buffy later. (Especially as threat will come when Buffy falls unconscious.)

Buffy must be able to draw conclusions ahead of time. Paint picture of Yuu that Buffy will be privvy to. Draw parallels b/w Buffy's life and Yuugana's life. Buffy will internalize.

NEED: When/How will gang find out that she is Yuugana? When will this name be dropped? How? May be good if we can draw General as being very, very powerful. They're afraid of him. Getting Yuu on their side would be huge in fighting him.

Idea: General nearly kills Dawn, draining key powers. Yuu saves her. Buffy thinks it is because Yuu knows what it's like to lose a sister. In truth, Yuu isn't ready for Dawn to die yet - that will be the most painful blow of all.

buffy believes -- utterly believes -- that Yuugana will be good if given her soul. Spike was good, Angel was good ... maybe all vampires can do good if given the chance? Who is she to be judge, jury and executioner?

Internalized: this could be me. What would I do if someone killed Dawn?

** I found two sets of Season 9 character arc notes. The first set are what I think what I was mainly working from, but I’m not 100%.

Character Emotional/Plot Arcs – Season 9

Season Theme: Consequences

Buffy

Will be target of the Big Bad’s wrath as a consequence of killing the BB’s sister early in the season. Buffy’s primary emotional arc will be in the realization that every action, even the most seemingly natural or inconsequential, has far-reaching repercussions, that affect not just Buffy but those she loves.

Willow

Willow’s emotional arc returns to one that was never resolved or given enough attention (or mangled thanks to magic=crack) – control issues. Throughout Willow’s history on BtVS, she’s exhibited time and again a deep NEED to control the things around her. Her need for this never changed, save for her becoming so paranoid she was afraid to breath for fear of killing everyone in S7. Her catalyst for these deep-seeded emotional problems re-emerging stem from a few basic changes. 1) Tara’s back, and Willow doesn’t think she can take losing her again. 2) The Big Bad has made things very, very personal. And Willow remembers only too well what happened last time a Big Bad vampire took things personal. 3) This Big Bad is smart. Really smart. In some ways, even smarter than Willow. And for all the enemies they’ve faced, Will’s never had to go against someone who’s been able to out think her before. And she freaks.

We’re going to have to be careful with this one, though, because we don’t want a return to “Willow Uses Way Too Much Magick” again. We’re therefore going to have to find others ways in which Willow exercises that control trigger finger. Her computer skills could certainly help out to a degree, as well as her smarts, but we’re going to have to be careful. We definitely don’t want a rehash of S6’s problems. Willow is – or very much should be – wiser than that now. And while Will has sort of always had a bad case of “the ends justify the means”, we don’t want a rehash. So care is needed.

We could help to show this by maybe having Willow do something like casting a really powerful protection spell that somehow backfires. What will be vitally important here is taking care to make it very clear that Willow isn’t relying on magick for every little thing (no spells for decoration or closing curtains) … the magick is simply her most powerful tool for keeping everyone safe. This should NOT be about black magick, but about a need for control.

NOTE (4Jul04): After discussions, will probably meld Will's character arc with the fact that Buffy and others (Tara and Giles probably excepted) don't fully appreciate or realize the pressures they put on Willow to come up with the answers and be the big gun, while simultaneously not wanting her to go too far. Magick is bad, except when they need it. They don't accept their own consequences for the actions they push her toward. This still feeds into Willow's character flaws above - her need to protect everyone, to be the best, to keep the nasty stuff at bay.

Xander

Xander, being the human element, will have the root of his emotional arc derive from one of the most basic of human desires: to live forever. Not in the biologically immortal sense, but by wanting to live on long after he’s died. Xander realizes that of all his friends, he is the one that history is least likely to remember. The odds on him being studied in school centuries from now are next to nothing. Buffy will be recalled as the world’s most successful Slayer. Willow as the witch whose spell changed the world. Giles as the founder of the new Watcher’s Council (and new world order?) Any history mentioning Willow is almost guaranteed to include Tara as well. Dawn and her Key potential is fascinating and going to be mentioned … but Xander? There’s nothing so remarkable about Xander, he feels, and thus begins his quest to somehow ensure his own immortality to history.

This might somehow be triggered by the emergence of a new sort of threat. With Slayers all over the world, there’s absolutely no way that NOBODY is going to notice them. Even if people in the Buffyverse have shown time and again that they’ll simply ignore what they either can’t or are unwilling to understand (gang related, PCP), not everybody is so willing to pull down the veil. Thus begins the emergence of a conspiracy theorist, someone who somehow has managed to trace his story to Slayer Central. In doing so, he somehow manages to put a level of importance on each of the Scoobies … except Xander. Which stings.

Xander would eventually come to realize that while history may not remember him, those he loves certainly will, and when all’s said and done, that’s enough for him.

Giles

Giles’ arc will come out of an inevitability – his age. One of the earliest episodes will be reflecting on the fact that Giles is now 50. He’s done such a good job with the Council that much of the bureaucracy continues without his direct involvement. He’s not really keen on that side of things anyway, so he’s not sorry to see it go. But what he does want to do instead is get into the thick of things physically. But, unfortunately, he simply can’t anymore, and it’s a lesson he very much doesn’t want to learn. Giles will ultimately come to realize, however, that while he can’t swing a sword to match the Slayer, what he DOES have is his incredible mind, which will certainly be put to great use in the confrontations with the Sun Tzu-like Big Bad. The fight could not be won without Giles’ intellectual input.

Tara

Tara will spend much of her arc wondering about her place. When she was alive, she had some difficulty in fitting in. And it wasn’t until just before her death that she really started to come into her own. A year and a half has passed now, however, and things and people have changed. Tara aspires to be more than just an extension of Willow, and as voiced in “Family”, she wants very much to feel useful to the Scoobies.

But Tara’s need to find where she fits extends beyond simply within the Scoobs. Tara has a very definite sense of nature and balance, and her being brought back from the dead is something of an abhorrence to her. She can’t quite shake the feeling that in order for her to have been brought back, something had to go out in her place to keep the balance. What that may have been disturbs her beyond words.

How exactly these issues become resolved is currently unclear. Tara should certainly remain the moral and emotional center of the Scoobies. She has more power now, but power was always Willow’s contribution, not Tara’s. On the death thing, perhaps something mystical helps her? Maybe the big Wicca chick we bring in at the end of S8 can help somehow? Show that Tara’s coming back was, in its own way, as natural as her passing was UNnatural. Her return is, in and of itself, a righting of the scales.

Dawn

This is a big year for Dawn. She’s a senior in high school. She’s turning 18. She’s becoming an adult. Oh, yeah, and she’ll finally figure out that she’s got all those Key powers still. Dawn’s story will be about transitions. From childhood to adulthood, from being just a normal (as normal as she could be) girl to having all those powers as the Key and whatever that implies for her. We will also need to decide this year where Dawn’s going to college (her awakening Key powers could be a good excuse to keep her local).

Faith

Faith’s story is going to be about guilt. Hazel’s death at the end of the previous season happened right before we ended the whole thing, so at that point we will have gotten to see precious little carryover. This is the time to dwell on that. Faith would feel tremendous guilt over Hazel’s death – Faith is the one who recruited Hazel, who brought her there. She was Hazel’s mentor, and Hazel sacrificed herself for Faith. We don’t want to retread over the “do I belong here?” line, since we’re dealing with that in S8, but Faith should certainly be questioning whether or not she should be leading little girls into dangerous battles. It’s one thing for Faith to risk her life night after night, but another entirely to be responsible for the lives and deaths of others. Unsure how this will resolve, but it seems the logical arc for Faith given the closing of the previous season.

Big Bad

NOTE: We’re going to have to come up with a really good reason why Willow just doesn’t ensoul the vamp chick … or she does and it makes no difference at all. Could be an interesting commentary about vampires and souls. Hm.

The more we’re discussing this, the more we’re liking this idea. The notion of souls in the Buffyverse has always been sort of hazy at best. Loosely, they seemed to be of the opinion that getting a soul somehow made you good … but there are countless number of humans in the world (and the Buffyverse – look at Warren) who are human and, one therefore assumes, have a soul. Yet they are still capable of great evil. Even more so than some demons that they encounter. So despite however neat and pat Buffy likes to make it sometimes, a soul does NOT automatically mean that someone is going to be good. And maybe that throws her for a hell of a loop. Willow ensouls the BB, but it doesn’t make one bit of difference. Vengeance is, after all, as much a human emotion as anything else, and the BB still wants Buffy to suffer horribly for what she’s done. At most, the BB may feel some measure of guilt for the people that she’s had to kill over the past 300 or 400 years (however long she’s been vamped), but as it turns out, she doesn’t. She looks at it with the detached, cold impracticality possessed by Slayers – she did what she had to in order to survive. Maybe she wasn’t a fan of torture (we’re painting her very logical and such, so this should work okay), and simply did what she needed to. The Slayer in and of itself is very predatorial and most definitely a survivor – there’s not necessarily much difference between them, and this will further demonstrate that fact.

This could also further add to Willow’s continued feeling of being out of control. This SHOULD have worked and didn’t.

Season 9 Character Arcs

Buffy:

Buffy's arc will deal with a continuing gray area between what is good and what is evil. What is a soul really? Does having a soul make you good by default? The vampiric Slayer will prove that's not necessarily the case. Additionally, Buffy will be trying to sort out a few things about her life. What does she ultimately want to do? She could very well be the first Slayer in history to die of old age. Does she want to be involved with that all her life, or does she want more? Would Buffy maybe like to return to school? (Might be fun to have her and Tara going back to school together.) Around midway point, Buffy is nearly drained to death by vamp Slayer, she must rely on others to take care of her - doesn't always have to be the strong one.

Willow:

Willow will come to the realization that her magick is of no use against the Big Bad this year. What is Willow without her magick? What else can she contribute? Progressively, other things may fail as well, so that Willow is systematically deconstructed and having to find her true purpose and how she can contribute outside of her raw power.

Xander:

Xander will explore his roles this season. He's said that he won't be forgotten or shoved aside, so then the question becomes, how will he contribute? It's up to Xander to answer this question. He tries his hand at a variety of roles - maybe a Watcher, maybe a husband (though he's already "failed" at that one). Come the end, he realizes that his role is support, and it's the role he's always fallen into naturally.

Giles:

Giles is pulling away from the others. He's beginning to see the Slayers as nameless, faceless people. He realizes that he'll have to sacrifice them - and some part of himself - again at some point in the future, so he's subconsciously distancing himself from the pain. He's slowly becoming the Old Council. Comes to realize that while he may have to distance himself from the body as a whole, it doesn't mean he shouldn't have any attachments at all. And that he can be those two people - the one that can love them, but still sacrifice them for the greater good if necessary (which will work, as Giles will ultimately sacrifice himself, NOT for the greater good but because he doesn't want them to die).  ** Which may be a good time to point out that I was going to kill Giles next season, kisses.

Tara:

Tara's quest this year will be for her place. She's died and come back, but this isn't "right". There is a balance in things, and she feels she's upset that balance. She'll explore her past and her family to find out why, in a grander sense, she's back and how she fits in now.

Tara and Willow:

Tara discovers that Willow has somewhat enshrined her as a result of her death and return. Willow caves to Tara almost constantly, and it's beginning to affect them both, but Willow can't bring herself to fight with Tara as a result of what happens every time they fight. She doesn't want Tara to go away again. They must fight, they have to learn that it's okay. Tara pushes it with Willow and makes it happen. Maybe when Tara goes to visit her family, that's the catalyst.

Dawn:

Dawn becomes victim of the time-old adage, "be careful what you wish for". She's always wanted to be a Scooby, but now that's beginning to conflict with her other desire to be a regular teenaged girl and her other big desire: to be an adult. All these worlds are colliding and Dawn's not sure which is more important. Blows off Scooby things for friend-things sometimes. Blows off friend-things for Scooby-things.

Re Grip: They're getting closer, but she keeps having to put off things with him due to Scooby situations. Grip notices and (kindly) confronts her, wondering if she really just doesn't want to see him anymore but doesn't know how to tell him. When he finds out about the baddies, he'll back away, needing time to process. Poor Dawnie.

Faith:

Faith will spend the season getting back onto the redemptive path she's been on for years. She doesn't feel bad that she killed Judith and is wondering what the means (somewhat like when her mother died). She'll learn that just because she's stumbled doesn't mean she's fallen. She begins in England, hiding out from Trillium. Thinking she should go solo, it was easier when she didn't have anyone else to worry about. Doesn't want to go back, but Kennedy pushes her. Once back, Faith avoids everyone. Should Giles maybe get Faith into therapy?

Buffy agitated that Faith isn't really being punished. Faith points out that a lot of people around Buffy are killers and they've never been punished either. Buffy needs things black and white, Faith is another shade of grey and it's getting harder and harder for her to do her job.

Xander gets to the heart of things too much, and Faith doesn't want to deal with that. Finally it's Willow who lets Faith know that there's someone who DOES understand. It's the first step in getting Faith back into things, but she still doesn't want to teach.

Maybe at some point in the season, Faith takes off? If so, Xander should probably pursue. (Might tie in nicely to Xander's "what's my role?" arc. Perhaps he has a job interview or something that he can't miss out on that will further define him, but he misses it because he has to help Faith, and that's the choice he makes) Could be where Hazel's death gets resolved. Goes to Hazel's house and parents for that?

Faith's murder issue will probably come to a head when she's face-to-face with Finch's child. Kid wants revenge, and Faith understands that. States how it won't make anything better, but gives up and says that if s/he wants it so bad, just take it. S/he doesn't, of course, which would probably disappoint Faith to a degree.

Maybe show Faith just starting to teach again at the end of the season, rather than some big culmination. Maybe she's forced into it when the VS keeps the other Slayers occupied? Buffy would be elsewhere at the time.

  The Big Bad

** These are some of my earliest notes, as reflected in how I’m using my placeholder names like “Dark Coven”. A lot of it deals with what happened in S8, but it outlines the larger arc, which would have come to a head in S10.

What the Bad Guys Want

The Dark Coven is seeking to reawaken The Old Ones. As per Giles in “Welcome to the Hellmouth", the Old Ones were driven out when the lost their "purchase" on this reality. The last vestiges of the Old Ones fed on a human, mixed their blood, and created the first vampire. This proves that humans were around during the time of the Old Ones. He also states that vamps, demons and some magicks are leftovers from the time of the Old Ones.

The Dark Coven is a group that has been around since the time of the Old Ones. They are in allegiance with them, and are currently seeking to free them. In their current incarnation, they are very, very close (comparatively speaking). The Old Ones are sealed away somewhere by a series of extremely intricate locks, well nigh impenetrable. But they actually are already well on their way to opening them.

More than anything else, the DC is a master of manipulation with OODLES of patience. They've been working on freeing the Old Ones since their imprisonment. As is eventually revealed, they have been twisting events with the Scoobies for years, bringing them to the point where the Old Ones are ready to be freed.

When the Old Ones Roamed

They were, quite simply, lords of their domain. They are few in number, but unfathomably powerful. As with many nigh-omnipotent beings, however, they became bored and complacent. They began to tinker with things and began creating demons, unleashing them on the world. The demons, however, were little more than slaves, and no matter how evil, nothing much likes being enslaved. The demons, together with humans (quite possibly including the Shadow Men from "Get it Done") were able to ensnare the Old Ones -- you can't kill them, but they were imprisoned. Once the Old Ones were gone, their power slowly vanished, diminishing their partners/lackies/etc. (like the DC), and leaving the created demons and humans to fight over the rest of the land.

Season 6 Manipulation

The DC, although powerful, are themselves, collectively, unable to open the remaining locks (if they could ever open any at all). However they soon discovered one girl, Willow Rosenberg, who had the innate ability to channel the energies necessary to set things into motion. She just needed the right motivation to get the power.

Exactly how far their manipulation into these events goes, we don't know. What is for certain is that they fixed it so that Tara would be shot and killed by Warren's stray bullet. (The reasoning for this idea: there's absolutely no way the bullet could have possibly killed Tara in the way it did. Warren was in the backyard, running away and shooting upwards. Tara was standing by the bedroom window on the second story. The bullet shot through the glass, and through her, at no angle at all. Obviously in-show this was done for dramatic purposes, but they left a door open for outside creative interpretation and I’m going through it.)

As they knew it would, this prompts Willow to become hell-bent on revenge and absorb enough power to destroy the world. She goes to Kingman's Bluff, raises the effigy of Proserpexa, and begins to funnel her energies into it. Had she done this enough, she would have raised one of the Old Ones herself (or Proserpexa could have take the next step in unlocking one of the doors), however Xander interceded and saved Willow before this could happen.

NOTE: Perhaps Xander's interception is what was actually needed here? I always found it interesting that he completely blocked and seemingly absorbed all that power Willow was throwing at the effigy without even blinking. Was this maybe super-charging him for something? Could this maybe be key to what they will need to save him from later on? (S10 stuff.)

The Proserpexa angle maybe have been removed, but the DC didn't mind -- Willow had now unlocked enough of the power within herself to open another lock.

Season 7 Manipulation

This stems from a whole lot of S7 never really standing up to much scrutiny. Take, for example, the scythe. Caleb and the First spend SO much time and energy in uncovering the scythe, claiming to know how very important it was to NOT allow Buffy & Co. to get it -- when if they hadn't even been trying to get it, Buffy wouldn't have ever known it was there. This in and of itself seems to make ZERO sense, particularly since it never seemed to be that the First could use the scythe himself -- it was all about keeping it from the Slayer. So, very stupid to not only sit on the darned thing, but to ACTIVELY BRING YOUR ENEMIES TO IT (the "trap" in "Dirty Girls" leads Buffy and the Slayers to the vineyard, They never would have bothered going there otherwise).

My reasoning: The First is also an Old One. And he set his plan up specifically to fail. He himself is immortal, he cannot die. And he doesn't really give a crap about ubervamps and Bringers. Their plan all along was to make the Scoobies unleash the scythe to awaken all the Slayers.

Why? As mentioned in "Get it Done", there is a well of Slayer power. That well is usually filled nearly to capacity. It was, after all, only being used by Buffy, and then Faith. The fact that the emergence of a second Slayer did nothing to diminish either's power indicates that it's not shared on that kind of level. In addition, the awakening of all the Slayers at the end of "Chosen" didn't seem to cause any sort of power drain. Instead, we theorize that the well is deep, but has a finite capacity. When Willow did the spell, she in essence pulled the stopper on the well and drained it dry. This well, however, happens to be one of the keys to freeing the Old Ones, and once it drops to a certain level, the "door" that it locks is open.

Moving on -- The Chosen

When Slayers die now, one is not called in their place. There is a finite number of Slayers in the world now. When they die, their Slayerness returns to the well. Only once it reaches a certain level (presumably it's "default" state, pre-spell) will the "natural" process resume. The DC obviously don't want this to happen, as once it "refills" to a certain point, the door will close again. Hence their working with the Assemblage of Merodoch (previously, "Dark Council"); by harnessing and funneling the Slayerness into an already existing Slayer, it does not return to the well, hence no refill.

But that isn't the only reason the DC are working with the Assemblage. The AoM also has another key: an angel that they're keeping chained up in the deepest sublevel of their headquarters. This angel has, perhaps, been around as long as the Old Ones themselves. Perhaps he even aided in imprisoning them. He was captured shortly thereafter, however, and has remained that way ever since (we're talking pretty close to pre-recorded history here, as long as the Slayer line has been in existence, possibly longer).

Idea: The angel can only be freed by a descendant of one who imprisoned him in the first place. Maybe a Giles?

He is a key -- maybe something he says? His true name, perhaps? The DC want him, but the AoM have him and won't give him up. They have said, however, that once Order is restored to the world, they will provide the DC with the means to do whatever they need to do with him. The DC is okay with this -- they're currently getting something from the Council (someone to alert them to the need to funnel Slayer energy and someone to keep all that tiresome business together while they focus on the really important stuff).

Like good ol' Willow Rosenberg.

They call Willow "The Sangerand" ("the bloody"), and they should absolutely not be done with her yet. Willow's independent further role, we don't yet know, but she commands their greatest amount of attention. Her, and Tara. ("The Curat", or "the pure"?)

When they resurrect Tara, it is ostensibly under the guise of killing Willow. However the true reason is to fulfill Tara's part of this prophecy (which includes her death, resurrection and making the choice to not kill Willow), possibly including the sharing of power that Willow will need to do to save them.

Thinking on it, it would be cool to have each Scooby play an important role somehow in all of this. Sort of like their being together in this way was a fated thing. "The Chosen" indeed.

**ADDENDUM** I really like this idea of each Scooby playing a particular role. This could still lead up to the eventual death of Giles, which in and of itself will provide the beginnings of the Coven's downfall. They do whatever they're doing to Xander, which will kill him - but that won't matter because his role in unlocking the door will be done. Will is going to be doing the spell to save him, which will kill her in turn, but that's okay too because her part is also played in releasing the Old Ones. Giles, however, has NOT yet done his part, and he completely surprises everyone when he takes Willow's place, thereby saving both Will and Xander. This totally throws the Coven for a loop, though obviously they must still be able to do what they need to without Giles, else their plans are over with right then and there. It's crucial that his sacrifice NOT be part of the DC's plans, else it takes away from its poignancy.

Will need some sort of prophecy-type thing detailing what is needed to be done to release the Old Ones. Should be nice and vague, but with meaning once you figure it out.

Scooby Designations

Willow: The Sangerand ("the bloody")

Tara: The Curat ("the pure")

Xander: The Vedere ("the sight"), The Asar ("all-seeing eye") -- "The Baani" ("The Architect" - Urdu)

Buffy: The Kusari ("the chain"), The Revenire ("the returned"), The Gula or The Bau ("Lady Who the Dead Bring Back to Life")

Giles: The Verhaal ("the history"), The Shoukin/The Infria, ("redemption"), The Shin'ar ("Land of the Watchers")

Faith: ("the dark"), ("the restrained"), ("the wild")

Dawn: ("the cherished"), ("the gateway"), ("the portal"), ("the key")

The Prophecy

Opening Quatrain

Buffy :: The Trimarga :: Three Path A heartbeat thrice begun A death mark thrice given All roads lead to the town of three When her spilled blood shall spill again

Willow :: The Sangerand :: The Bloody Blood flowing, blood taken Forces awoken, decline and ascent Blood given, life exchanged Freely, she will fall

Xander :: The Baani :: The Builder Grief and rage, life's destruction Mind and body, life's cohesion Heart and spirit, life's devotion Melding, merging; essence anew

Giles :: The Tezan :: The Way Forger of paths, the first and his kin The demon wields the plague of black Summoner, banisher Pierce the barrier, paths renewed

Tara :: The Curat :: The Pure Birth and rebirth, the cycle complete Connected to evil, untainted Power innate and power borrowed Through the light she will free the ancient one

Dawn :: The Amelatu :: The Gatekeeper Living energy made flesh and form Younger in life, older than death Truth altered, life shed And the walls will fall

The Slayer Well Solitary hunter, night's enemy She alone will stand When the well is drained and strength is shared One becomes Many

Closing Quatrain And so it is written Seven locks hold fast The masters expelled, the world cleansed Until the Chosen play their part

Seven keys for seven locks From the first to fall, five score and one If all locks turn, the door lay open And the Old Ones shall reclaim the Earth

Buffy: The Trimarga ("three path" :: the triple path of Knowledge [jnanayoga], Devotion [bhaktiyoga] and Action [karmayoga]). Three times her heart has started beating, three times she's been marked by a vampire (Angel, Dracula and the Vamp Slayer [yet to happen) and in town of threes(??). Something to do with blood - some of it needed to open the lock. Blood of a Slayer is already potent, and Buffy's was obviously enough to close the portal in place of Dawn.

Willow: The Sangerand ("the bloody"). Willow will cast a blood-sacrifice spell, that will enable her to willingly exchange her life for another. It has to be this spell based upon how Mads and the others are killing Xander. Very, very powerful, only she can do it. The flow of the energies will open the lock.

Xander: The Baani ('the builder"). Xander is the "incuabator" for two very powerful magicks. They don't impact him directly, but it is his nature - his very self - that will enable them to merge within him to create something new. The first blast came from Willow on Kingman's Bluff. The second, from the orb destroyed in "Win, Lose or Draw". Madrigan will take Xander around the mid-point of S10 to extract the magicks from him. It will kill him in the process, but that's of little concern.

Giles: The Tezan ("the way"). Giles' role is to obtain a ring that has been in his family for generations upon generations. Unknown to those recently, the jewel of the ring actually contains a demon - a demon that was the original cause of the Black Plague in the 1330's. Giles' ancestor, a powerful warlock for the Council, was the first human to pierce the barrier between this dimension and a demon dimension where he summoned a demon and bound it to his service. The demon was sent to China, where it was supposed to take out a group of other demonic creatures trying to open a Hellmouth there. It did indeed do that, but not before starting the plague. The Council, rather than destroy the ring and banish the creature, said "We'll control it better next time." The ring's purpose was eventually lost,. Giles is supposed to release and then banish the demon, again piercing the dimensional barrier and opening that lock. ** He dies instead, sacrificing himself to save both Willow and Xander. Oops.

Tara: The Curat ("the pure"). Tara's lock will open upon her freeing the Antediluvian. The Antediluvian is an angelic creature that was captured by Robespierre's ancestors. Its imprisonment means the lock is sealed - its freedom opens it. Tara is able to free it due to her lineage as a witch, her purity of spirit, her completed cycle of birth and rebirth, and (by binding with Willow) her immense white magick power creating the necessary conditions. Ruth, Tara's grandmother or great-grandmother, was also thought at one time to have been the Curat, but was not. However she does recognize the qualities within Tara. (Perhaps the Antediluvian, despite its imprisonment being a good thing, can do great good if it's released?)  ** Later in S9, Tara and Co. would have freed the Antediluvian to save Buffy after Yuugana’s attack.

Dawn: The Amelatu ("the gatekeeper"). Dawn herself is able to open the lock. Not a lot of detail here. We'll need to sort out somehow or another that Dawn will do this ... or perhaps she already has? There seems to be little better time for Dawn to have opened the necessary lock than when all the dimensional walls were coming down.

Additional Lock: The well of Slayer power being drained. This was done by Willow in S7, but is not Willow's specific key.

Additional Info: Once any lock falls, there is a "timer" of 100 years for the rest to fall, or they all lock again.

** It may not escape notice that Faith is not part of this prophecy. That became by design, not oversight. I loved how this idea of “The Chosen” worked into the larger series theme, but I also hate the ideas of fate and destiny being controlling factors. Faith was going to be my argument against all that. When all the prophecy pieces were revealed, Faith would (rather defeatedly in her Faith way) note that she had no part to play. But she is the embodiment of being Chosen, as the characters choose to have Faith by their side and fuck prophecy anyway. Their unreserved acceptance of Faith, and Faith’s acceptance of THAT, would have been the culmination of her character arc in S10 (and my series).

S10 Ideas

Something to do with tarot cards, with each member maybe being a particular card?

Several characters get thrown back in time to an earlier season. Dawn especially should go, as she wasn't around then.

stained glass idea. couples. Buffy left free. Valentine's day ep.

"The Impossible Dream" - Man of La Mancha lyrics

Faith having conversation with Kendra -- result of illness, injury, or prophetic dream

** An episode I was definitely going to do, but frustratingly can’t find any notes for (making me feel there must be SOMETHING else out there somewhere but fuck me if I know where) had Willow and Tara going to Los Angels and visiting Lorne’s bar, Caritas.

S10 Ending

Everyone ends on a thematic note, their actions in the final battle bringing together 10 years of development:

Giles's sacrifice makes victory possible - by finally following his heart rather than his duty he saves the world.

Xander, by virtue (and surprise) of simply being Xander, strikes the final blow.

Willow succeeds only by keeping herself in check, refusing to break and believing that she can win.

Buffy's victories come from not only sharing herself (mentally to Willow and physically to Faith and Kennedy) but truly, finally, accepting that she's not in this alone.

Dawn makes the sacrifice she was destined to make from the moment she was created.

Tara is the touchstone, giving the strength and support to everyone else and the lifeline that ultimately saves Dawn.

Faith has no greater role handed to her by fate -- but she's here and kicking ass so screw you, fate.

(work on Kennedy, she ends up fighting w/ Buff and Faith, but does she start there? maybe she and Faith start with Tara and Dawn?)

IDEAS

Seneca final battle. He's winning. Standing over Buffy, gloating smile. Then he finally speaks. Something like, "I've waited a long time to--" Then he gets skewered (Faith or Kennedy, maybe both.) He can't say anything else, just gurgle.  He dies, and the Slayers stand over him.

Buffy: "Blah blah blah. You know, just once I'd like to meet a bad guy who knows how to keep his mouth shut."

Kennedy: "No lie. Still, I wonder what he was going to say?"

Faith: "Who the hell cares?"

Buffy HAS to be part of final Madrigan fight. She goes initially with Xander and Willow. Xander gets struck down by Mads, seemingly dead. Buffy gets nailed too. Willow needs Buffy to get through this though, and Buff gives Will her strength (flashback to "Same Time Same Place" as well as early Chosen w/ Willow and Buffy being so attuned -- see, not a throw-away plot point! Planned all along!) Leads to good "final" conversation/bonding with them as they search for Madrigan in the mental plane.

Earlier in the season, Madrigan extracting the magick from Xander. Very painful for Xander. Madrigan talking to him though, very chatty, very casual. Xander trying to dig for info, Madrigan clearly seeing through it. He likes the cliche though (exposition while acknowledging how clunky and stupid it is to have exposition here). Mads being real bastard (passively though) to Xander this whole time, noting how Xander isn't even really important in and of himself, it's only what others do with him that counts (maybe include little side wink-nudge point, it's what's inside Xander that matters). Mads ends the conversation by apologizing. "Sorry dude, this has gotta suck for you. Hey, you know what I like to do when I'm down? TV! You like 'Murphy Brown'? I've been Netflixing it." He and Seneca proceed to sit down and watch while Xander is essentially tortured behind them. Mads just turns up the volume.

Season 10 Final Fight

Buffy, Kennedy and Faith will go after Seneca.

Willow and Tara will be walking along in the facility when they're attacked. Tara is thrown away from Willow, who is then going to be caught behind an impenetrable shield with Madrigan. He wants to face her alone on an astral plane of sorts. Tara can't join her. Willow is depowered somewhat as a result of the spell she was casting to save Xander. Madrigan wants to fight her, however. Will surprises him - she thought like him and figured he would do this. As a result, Xander is piggy-backing with her, and she's not alone. Madrigan says that he knows Xander, and Xander won't kill him. He's wrong. X: "He don't know me very well, do he?"

Meanwhile, the door to release the Old Ones is opening and they can't stop it. Or they think they can't. Dawn realizes that she, being the Key, can. She begins to do so, but it's taking so much power, it's essentially killing her. Dawn is reverting to pure energy form. Buffy screams at her, tells her not to, but Dawn says she's spent the past five years wondering - feeling, even - that she should've died on that tower. Now she knows that she wasn't supposed to die, she was supposed to live to do this. "This is the job that I have to do." Buffy can't stop her. Tara fights though, won't let Dawn go. Tara eventually passes out and Dawn disappears. The energy is gone and so is Dawn, but the door is closed and locked again.

Not long after, Buffy goes home. Willow and Xander are with Tara at the hospital (she’s drained but okay). Buffy seems to be alone. She's completely dispirited - Dawn is dead. She enters her room, only to find Dawn there. B: "What are you doing here?" Shades of Dawn's first appearance. Turns out (as we'll learn in the final episode) that Dawn has given up all of her Key powers - for real this time. She is now, completely and utterly, a very real, very normal girl.

** And finally, I give you all with this. It’s a rough sketch of the scene after Giles has died, so would have come about 2/3rd of the way through Season 10. I wrote this in 2004, about a week after the death of my grandfather. I like to think that, if I’d gotten that far, this would have been one of those moments that would have stuck with you. I certainly would’ve tried.

Giles Death Reactions

These are a sequence of silent scenes.

We first see Faith in a darkened training room. She's punching a punching bag.

We're in Giles loft, the lights all dark. The door opens, and Hannah's standing there, on the threshold. She doesn’t enter.

We're in a hospital, private room. There are two beds. The one on the far left contains Xander. He looks gaunt, pale, near death. But breathing. His heart monitor gives a steady readout. Dawn sits next to him, inbetween the two beds. Tears are streaming down her cheeks – simply falling, she's not sobbing. She watches Xander with a fearful, worried expression, then turns to the next bed. There's Willow, also pale and drawn. She doesn't look well either, though not quite as bad as Xander. Tara sits on the other side of the bed, as close to it as she can possibly get. One of Willow's hands is held up in both of hers, Willow's fingers resting on Tara's lips. Tara's eyes are red – she's obviously been crying too. She meets Dawn's gaze. Neither smile.

We're in Giles' office. Buffy is standing in the doorway. Her face is blank.

We're back in the loft, Hannah's position mirroring Buffy's. She walks inside and finds herself drawn toward Giles' stereo system. She runs her hands over the CD collection, full of albums and songs from their past.

Faith's punching of the bag increases. She's venting, her jabs more vicious, more focused. Over her shoulder, we see Kennedy watching.

The hospital. Dawn runs a hand through her hair and wipes her eyes after watching Xander intently. She turns to Willow and watches as Willow opens her eyes and blinks. Dawn watches in surprise, and Willow seems to sense the scrutiny. She turns to Dawn and smiles – just a small smile, a pained one, but it's something. Dawn's face breaks into an expression of pure joy and relief, and she says something. Tara has either been locked in thought or asleep, Willow's hand clutched to her forehead, but her head jerks up at Dawn's words. She focuses on Dawn for the briefest of moments before her eyes go back to Willow. Willow is already looking at her, and she smiles again, a bit stronger this time. Willow says something too, and it causes Tara to laugh. The laugh turns into a sob of relief though, and Tara kisses Willow's hand several times then leans over and kisses her forehead. Will is weak, but is able to give Tara a one-armed hug, kissing her on the cheek, then turning to Dawn and extending her other arm. Dawn is there in a heartbeat, also crying in relief.

Giles' office. Almost trancelike, Buffy moves further into the darkened office, which is lit only by the lamp on the desk. As she walks, her eyes are drawn to things. The rows and rows of books that Giles surrounded himself with. The bookcases that Xander built, not only filled with books but also decorated with knickknacks – various small statues and effigies and an Owl plushie. She looks to the opposite wall, where hangs a variety of pictures, but dominating them all, easily the biggest and with the proudest placement, is a picture of Giles, snapped at a moment none of them were expecting. He was obviously the victim of a random group hug attack – Buffy, Willow, Xander, Tara and Dawn, all hugging him fiercely. Giles has that look on his face where he's trying hard to be annoyed with them, but is secretly loving every moment. Buffy's movement into the office hasn't halted, hasn't slowed from its already snail's pace. She's at the desk now. Bathed in the warm glow of the lamp, she sees a cup of tea, only half-drunk, as though Giles will be returning any moment to finish it. Most prominent, however, are the sealed envelopes on the desk, several of them, each bearing a name. We see Buffy's name on the top one, and can see hints of other's beneath: Willow, Xander, etc. Giles' glasses rest nearby.

Faith is almost in a frenzy of kicks and punches now. Her teeth are clenched and she looks like she wants nothing more than to have the bag turn into the Grim Reaper himself so she can pound the crap out of him. A hand rests on her shoulder, and Faith whirls around to see Kennedy there. Faith looks like she might just start beating the shit out of Kennedy as well, but then Kennedy takes Faith's hand and puts a stake in it. Faith looks down at it questioningly, then looks to Kennedy. Kennedy holds up her own stake. Faith's eyes narrow and she nods, just slightly.

Hannah's by the window in Giles' loft, simply looking out, looking at nothing in particular. She hugs herself and her head drops as she starts to softly cry.

In the hospital room, Willow casts an anxious look at Xander still motionless in his bed. She looks first to Dawn, then Tara, who says something that causes Willow to relax considerably. She smiles, but soon realizes her smiles aren't being returned. She again looks questioningly from one to the other, but neither speak. She's getting really worked up now, scared, and Dawn starts to say something. She doesn't get far, though, before she can't speak any more. Willow turns immediately to Tara, who picks up where Dawn left off. Willow watches, still afraid. Then the fear turns to disbelief. She's starting to cry now and she shakes her head in denial. She looks to Dawn, looking for someone to tell her that what she's heard isn't true, but Dawn can only cry. Willow looks back to Tara again and says something, begging for it not to be true. Tara can only look at her with sympathy and matching pain as Willow dissolves into tears.

Giles office. Buffy is sitting in the corner, her back against the wall, curled in on herself. We can't see her face, but her shaking shoulders tell us all we need to know. She's hugging the Owl plushie for dear life. 

CUT TO BLACK

** And that, my friends, is that.

[douxreviews]

Supergirl - ‘Crime and Punishment’ Review

Supergirl: "Years of helping people, wiped away with one lie."

This is one of those episodes where I simply enjoyed, or at least appreciated, nearly every moment of the various storylines.

I felt the profound dismay of Supergirl at how she is currently being called a traitor for something she did not do. Even when she rescues someone who was trapped in a car that was about to explode, he turns on her.

I appreciated Mehcad Brooks’s excellent acting when he was being treated for PTSD, especially the terror with which he reacted when the doctor tried to approach him and to reassure him. Of course he’s having some other problem (becoming a real superhero?) due to the super drug that Lena whipped up for him. Can we hope that Lex is also having some after effects?

I admit I didn’t enjoy Ben Lockwood’s appearances so much. That doesn’t mean that his appearances, or President Baker’s scenes, were not well done. I think that’s because I’m reacting viscerally with negativity to the characters.

Brainy had an off moment when he shouted his intention of being clandestine (by now he should know better) but the rest of his scenes were excellent. It was fun watching him make his way to the restricted area, how he tricked the security systems and then bluffed his way past the guards. But what was better was his hesitation when he was about to do something illegal. He doesn’t know if his action could backfire.

I thought the thread showing how Alex asked James’s sister Kelly for advice about how to work with her boss was also excellent. The advice apparently backfired; Colonel Haley saw straight through Alex and knew she was being manipulated. Nevertheless, at the end, Colonel Haley finally came down on the side of the good guys. I would argue that the manipulation actually worked. Note to everyone: when you’re trying to persuade someone, don’t expect instant conversion; often your efforts need a little time to take effect. Haley’s speech at the end was a little on the nose (Supergirl is not especially subtle) but it was also cathartic.

The scenes between Brainy and Nia Nal were enjoyable and witty. I liked how, while holding a pastry, she said that she was suffering and couldn't eat (obviously able to eat). Still, I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that Nia Nal refused to help by dreaming for him. I suppose her refusal to help (or rather, her delay in helping) was needed for the episode, but it felt unnecessarily petty.

I thought Stryker’s prison, with the corrupt warden, and all the other prisoners, was very well done. We met the warden earlier (and now he’s dead, so we never will again). Lex’s cell was over the top (of course) and so was his manipulation of his half-sister from afar.

The best new character was Steve Lomeli, the man who is in prison for releasing DOD documents. That was a crime (and such things have to be crimes) but he did it out of overall conviction. I liked how he can’t stand Supergirl but has a tremendous amount of respect for Kara Danvers. The best moment for Steve Lomeli was when the prisoners were all dropping to the floor, and Lomeli reached out his hand to hold the hand of another prisoner who was trembling with terror.

And then, my favorite bits of the episode: Supergirl turning back into Kara Danvers for some interactions in the prison, and how she ends going back to Stryker’s to speak with Steve Lomeli, another member of the fourth estate.

Title musings: “Crime and Punishment” is the title of the episode, and it is also the title of a book by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Admittedly it has been decades since I read the book, but the episode doesn’t strike me much like that particular book. However, there are plenty of crimes and plenty of punishments to go around.

Bits and pieces

Ethan Hunt, referenced by Brainy, is the name of the protagonist of the Mission Impossible series.

At the end of the last episode, J’onn J’onzz was seen flying off in his shapeshifter spaceship to go to Mars to bury some sacred objects, so he wasn’t around in this episode. As much as I enjoy David Harewood, I think this was good. Following another storyline on Earth would have been difficult – J’onn hasn’t been that integral to the main plot ever since he left the DEO – and I really didn’t want to try to become invested in a whole bunch of new characters on Mars.

We also didn’t see Lex Luthor or Red Daughter. I’d like to see how Red Daughter is reacting after her attack on the White House.

There’s been no mention for a while now that Supergirl cannot let her dear sister know that she is both Supergirl and Kara.

Of course "Stryker's Island" was created to sound like "Riker's Island."

Quotes

Lena: Justice. What a crock!

Supergirl: If the government wants to stop me from helping people, let them try.

Brainy: Ah, spruck! There is a perfect 50/50 chance that what I am about to do is absolutely wrong.

Kelly: You can’t change people. But you can appeal to who they are.

James: I’m Guardian. And I protect people. … I feel like I shouldn’t need help. I feel like I should be strong enough to get over this. Of course, if you have a magic pill, I’ll take it.

Nia Nal: What does your gut tell you? Brainy: That decisions should be based on facts, and not on intestinal inclinations.

Overall Rating

I feel as if the series is working particularly well now. Part of this is due to the introduction of Lex Luthor, as having a worthy villain is always good. But Lex Luthor, with all of his contraptions, can sometimes be over the top, and although his influence was felt in this episode, he didn’t make an appearance. I think the tension is due to the fact that our main character, Supergirl, has great conflict going on. Her whole thing is saving people, and that is being taken away from her. I love, too, how she is going to fight back – using her arsenal as a reporter. Even though this episode had a few minor flaws, I’m giving it four out of four mighty pens.

Victoria Grossack loves math, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.

[moustacheimpossible-blog]

The Hunter

CHAPTER 7 - A CRY IN THE NIGHT

Lane had indicated Walker where to meet up with Frankie, but when an unknown man shown up at the warehouse Lane had told him to go, Walker began to grow suspicious.

"Where's Lane?" He demanded the tall Russian man.

"The girl!" Asked the Russian man.  Walker snorted at the man, shaking his head in disagreement.

"No, that's not how it works. I was supposed to meet Solomon Lane, not some mediator!"

The Russian man cracked his fingers and approached Walker to intimidate him.

"Really? You think I'm scared of you? I'm not here to fight, I'm here to do business. If you don't have my money, I'm not giving you the girl... Simple as this!"

Walker breathed out loudly as he explained to the man that he wouldn't give Frankie without getting his hands on the money.

"I don't have the money with me, Lane is the one who'll transfer you the money."

August tilted his head to the side, still not agreeing with the 6'4" man.

"Nah, I don't think so... Now you're gonna go back to Lane and you'll tell him that I want the money at the exact same time that I'm giving you the girl... No Money, No Girl!"

The Russian man winked at Walker and the next thing August knew, he was being shot at from afar. The Russian man then pulled out his gun as well and aimed at Walker, but missed him as Walker ran away, not wanting to be shot at.

August rapidly rushed back inside the Range Rover, avoiding the rain of bullets intended for him. When the CIA Agent returned inside his vehicle, the Russian Man yelled at his other men that were hiding near the warehouse to stop shooting at the vehicle since Frankie was in there.

Walker was fuming as he departed the location of the warehouse, teeth clenched and anger plastered all over his face. It did seem that Lane had tried to double-cross him. August hated to be used this way and he felt like Lane had used him to achieve what he had in mind, but without paying for the job. If that's what Lane had in mind, Walker would make sure he'd never get his hands on the young woman as a way to punish him.

He drove as far as he could, in order to escape the Russian man and his other men. Walker decided to stop at the motel he had previously stayed the night before and parked his SUV nearby the outdoor pool. He knew she was awake, he could hear her breathing faster and he didn't know what to do anymore with her. His plan hadn't turned like it was supposed to. Unfastening his seatbelt, Walker glanced at the young woman lying on the backseat, trembling and obviously not feeling good at all. He recalled when she told him that she was sick, and he realized that she was probably cold.

"Please, bring me back home, I won't tell anyone. Please... I'm so cold!"

She was begging him to bring her back home, but August knew that once he would return Frankie to Luther, she'd probably reveal Hunt who had kidnapped her... He shook his head at Frankie and he saw the deception in her blue eyes. Tears began to stream down her warm cheeks and Walker knew at that very moment that he should've refused Lane's job. Stepping out of his SUV, Walker looked in the trunk for a blanket or something big enough that would cover Frankie, in order to keep her warm. Once he had found a small white cover, Walker returned to a tied Frankie and put it on the trembling woman that was still crying.

Shutting the rear door, Walker stood outside, checking around him, making sure he was alone and that no one had followed him. He dialed the number to reach Lane on his secure line and waited for the man in glasses to pick up the call.

"Here you are... You didn't give him the girl Walker, why is this?"

Walker snorted, not amused at all by Lane's words.

"Are you kidding, did you try to double-cross me, Lane? Where's the money? Did you really think I was going to give you the girl without getting the money?"

Lane's raspy annoying voice echoed all over Walker's smartphone as he treated Walker badly.

"You're a coward Walker! My men said that you ran away with the girl!"

He couldn't believe it, Walker had heard enough! Doing business with Lane, was this time a real disaster.

"I ran away with her because your men were shooting at me for Christ sake. They wanted me dead in order to get the girl without paying me, you think I haven't seen your little game Lane?"

Lane could be heard chuckling behind his phone, ridiculing Walker.

"Now, what are you going to do with the girl? You're stuck with her. Imagine if Sloane found out that you kidnapped Ethan's niece, you can say goodbye to your career at the CIA... Still there, Agent Walker?"

It was true though, he was stuck with Frankie and there's nothing he could do unless he'd try to win her trust and release her by after, hoping she'd never say a thing about him...

"I'm still there Lane... And you know what, forget about her, I'm going to hide her somewhere! If you warn Sloane about our business, you can rest assured that I'll find you and kill you Lane!"

Lane couldn't help mocking August as this last one revealed what he had in mind for Frankie.

"Oh,  You want to hide her? If I were you, I'd be careful Walker, don't fall for her, you could regret it! She's not on the same side and you know it. She knows who you are by now!"

Having heard enough, Walker hung up on Lane and tossed the smartphone on the ground before stumping onto it with his heavy boots, breaking it into pieces.

Walker returned to the vehicle and checked on Frankie. She was holding the cover high over her. Only her face was visible at this point, and she had stopped crying. He could tell she was very ill from her droopy eyes and pale lips. He knew that what he was about to do, would either work or not. When he extended his arm at her forehead to touch it with his large hand, the young woman jerked as he brushed her boiling forehead, he didn't blame her though... It didn't take long for her to restart the same song, once again begging him to bring her back home.

"Ok, listen to me Frankie, I get it. You're sick, you're scared of me but know one thing, I won't hurt you, ok? I can't bring you back home for now! It's too dangerous. Now, how about we return on the road and find a nice place for the rest of the night? You'll be able to get some rest and even eat something if of course, you do feel like it... Is that ok  with you?"

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

Pregnancy didn't keep Rebecca Ferguson from 'Mission: Impossible' action

“Mission: Impossible — Fallout” is, like the rest of the films in the franchise, filled with mind-boggling stunts, many of them performed by Tom Cruise.

And some by Rebecca Ferguson, who returns as Ilsa Faust, sometime foil and sometime love interest for Cruise’s Ethan Hunt. While Ferguson didn’t do much of the nail-biting motorcycle racing herself — “I'm not the world's most incredible stunt motorbike driver,” she said, “but I do ride that bike a little” — she did most of the high-powered fight scenes herself.

And she had a pretty good reason for not doing the others.

“I was pregnant for some of it, so I had ... my stunt double who jumps in and does a couple of throws,” she said from Washington, D.C., where she was about to attend the film’s U.S. premiere. “That was not my choice, because I would have done it. However, health and safety — AKA Tom Cruise, because he is so worried about everyone else but himself — comes in and goes, ‘I don’t think you should be doing that one.’ And I’d go, ‘Get him off my set.’ ”

“I was pregnant for some of it, so I had ... my stunt double who jumps in and does a couple of throws,” she said from Washington, D.C., where she was about to attend the film’s U.S. premiere. “That was not my choice, because I would have done it. However, health and safety — AKA Tom Cruise, because he is so worried about everyone else but himself — comes in and goes, ‘I don’t think you should be doing that one.’ And I’d go, ‘Get him off my set.’ ”

“I didn’t really know what it entailed, doing these incredible action films,” she said. “When I watch anything, whether it’s any of the Marvel films or if it’s ‘Wonder Woman’ or if it’s the Bourne films or Alicia Vikander in (“Tomb Raider”), I now get the amount of training that goes behind what you see for a minute and a half, or whatever stunt it is you’re watching. There’s so much respect that I feel for everyone who’s a part of it, and also jealousy because I know that they’re doing things that are so much fun. Because it is. We’re training, we eat well, our bodies kind of become our temple for that moment, so that we’re able to do these scenes, to be able to not injure ourselves. That’s why we train, and why we have massages and why we stretch so much, etc. And it’s a part of the film, and it’s what we’re being paid to do. It’s incredible.”

Ferguson is, of course, well aware of the #MeToo movement, and she sees progress in terms of equality.

“I think I’m very lucky that I’m a part of what’s happening now,” she said. “It’s an extremely exciting time that we’re living in, where both men and women desire equality and we’re just getting a tiny taste of it right now. It’s the tip of the iceberg. And also it’s universal. It’s reached every industry. It’s not only the film industry that’s discussing this topic, thank god.”

But within the film industry, roles like Ilsa in the “Mission Impossible” films — particularly “Fallout”— mean it’s not just talk.

“We’re doing it,” Ferguson said. “It’s happening. There are consequences, which is bloody important. And characters — I’m reading incredible scripts ... It’s women being portrayed as human beings (laughs). It shouldn’t shock me. It shouldn’t surprise me. But right now, it’s making me very happy.”

www.azcentral.com

[praphit]

MI6: if you're not peeling off your face and eating waffle ice cream... you're not living.

　

We have gotten some great action this year, haven't we??!

First we got Liam Neeson, literally jumping from train car to train car. One train car simply didn't contain enough bad guys to beat up. Seriously, picture Liam Neeson getting bored on the train, (due to already beating everyone up), crawling out the window, climbing up top of the train car, so he could jump to another car to beat asses - that's how this year started!

Then, we got Thanos - who beat up an entire universe; let that soak in. Not only did he beat up a universe, but a universe full of superheroes. He beat them in humiliating fashion, and then made them disappear. I don't know if anyone in history has ever known such defeat.

We had Black Panther, fighting for all black people. I could have sworn I saw someone walking through the mall wearing a BP outfit; that's accepted as normal now. Black Panther is now part of our culture/heritage.

And of course we had about five movies with The Rock in them (prob five more to come). He has been beating up anyone he can find: gangs, giant gorillas, wanna-be super villains - the last movie I saw him in he jumped from one building to another building (on fire, mind you... the building was on fire... though it wouldn't have surprised me if The Rock had also been casually on fire as well) - he had a prostetic leg, which was coming off - so a one-legged Rock jumped from one tall building to another, through a window, so he could beat up this burning building.

That's a whole lot of action! - and I love it!

But, my man Tom Cruise says - "Pssh, you call that action? - All of that CG, all of those "super powers", all of those fake explosions and stunt men. I do it phorealz! Let me remind y'all how it's really done."

- Though we may say "But, Tom, you're 55 years old!"

TC: "55 years young, baby... 55 years young."

BOOM! All in yo face with the action in "MI6: Fallout"

Here we find Ethan Hunt (TC) once again accepting a mission. But, this time, he seems sad about it. This time he's battling inner demons. He's thinking to himself, "Man, I'm tired. I've been making these movies for so long. I've lost count on how many bones I've broken trying to entertain you fools who won't go to see my Oscar worthy performances anymore. Plus, how many loved ones have I put in danger by choosing to accept these impossible missions?"

All of this doubting and self loathing is "falling out" and compiled on top of failing a mission, and BOOM! - we're on our way!

I'm not gonna waste time here - I LOVED THIS MOVIE! TC knows what I love! Not just what I LIKE, but what I LOVE!

I like Burger King (double whopper, are you kidding me?? Onion Rings... and those french toast sticks... lip smacking good), but I LOVE this new place I discovered in Hampden (Baltimore), MD. It's called "Waffie" (if you care about enjoying life you'll google it and go) - Waffle/Desserts, and even ice cream action. I'd go there every day and every night if I could. I may get a job there... I'm going to own that place one day.

Oh my goodness... each bite takes me to Heaven.

Gonna get married in that place. My wife will give birth in that place. And yes, I will be buried in that place too... with a ice cream waffle in my mouth....

But, anyway.... people may say, "John Praphit, that sounds like obsession to me." To that I say, "You don't know what love is!" If it's not border line insane, it's not love!

LOVE, people! TC gives it to me with these MI movies. You never get tired of what you love:

　

Masks - Why aren't more movie makers putting face-peel-offs in their films?

They make any movie better!

Think about The Titantic! Remember when Leo asks Kate Winslet to kindly strip down so he may wholesomely paint her? What if after she undresses... BAM! - face peel off! Maybe she's an elderly black lady under there!

It'll even work for a cartoon. Remember "Inside Out"? - the character "Joy". As we get to know Joy and how joy works in our lives. The other emotions start cheering Joy, the camera zooms in and... BOOM! - face peel off! Now, she's not an emotion at all, but a cocaine addiction. YES! - see that?? - layers!

Action -

There is a bathroom scene in here that has one of the best action sequences of all time! In fact, this changes the game. Everybody is going to do their action in the bathroom from now on. The Rock's next movie, on his way to fight some sorcerer, he'll prob jump out of a plane, through a ceiling, into a bathroom for an epic battle.

There's also a helicopter scene in here (TC actually flying) - it's kickass, and somehow while it's all so amazing with the action, the shots of the scernery are equally as amazing. This director was able to entertain me with more than bullets and karate, but with a beautiful sunrise.

It was like - "Damn, your face is ALL effed up! But, that part of the mountain is so vivid... it's a shame someone is about to blow it up."

Lastly (with the action), there's a scene where Tom sprints for like 15 minutes straight. TC is a good bit older than me... I have never ran that well in all of my life, and I used to run track & field. TC should be running in the Olympics.

　

Espionage (& music) - I was once again hyped that I can accomplish anything in life as long as I assemble the right team. And that music! You can tell whether the mission is going to fail or succeed by the music. You know that MI tune :) I wish life were that way. Let's all start praying that God adds some cool music to our personal lives; when it cranks up we know we're on the right track.

This movie is really all about the team, not just TC! - that's prob why it works so well. Everyone has their chance to shine. That's the prob with peepz like Denzel and The Rock; they never have the right team assembled... they usually never have a team at all. Tom doesn't really have to carry these movies (though he's a great actor) - it's all about the mission, the friends, the suspense, and the face peel offs, baby! Denzel and The Rock ain't got none of that (though I love them both).

I recently saw Denzel's "The Equalizer 2" - decent action flick, but it was only good when Denzel was on camera (by himself, cuz other people just dragged him down). Learn from MI movies! It's about the team!

You may say, "But, Praphit, what about The Avengers?" Aaaah, they've got the team, but they don't have TC's tenacity; his utter craziness to keep doing his own stunts. Captain America and Iron Man and Thor and all of them play it too safe; that's why Thanos won. If TC were leading them, they would have beaten Thanos to an awesome soundtrack, and someone would have ripped off their face! Maybe Black Widow... to reveal she has been Stan Lee the whole time.

Grade: A

I'm sure they'll make another one. TC doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Are there any young action heroes anymore? - apparently it doesn't matter, but I can't think of any (Vin, The Rock, Liam, Charlize, Denzel, Will, Keanu, Gal, Scarlett, Sly) - not that these peepz are... you know... OLD (well some are), but no twenty somethings. Action heroing is an old persons game! It takes time to develope kick ass moves, to find ridiculous scripts, and piss bad guys/gals off.

Tom Cruise (and others still putting your bodies through this madness at an older age), I salute you. May your craziness and dedication never waver in making these silly movies for us.

I want to see MI10, with Tom in his 70's, still sprinting and peeling off his face.