#yes the last timeline point sounds ominous

[leviiackrman]

“What if he stares at you every time you look away?”

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[ponds-of-ink]

FNAF Security Breach: Analyzing Vanessa’s Therapy Tapes With Violet-Tinted Glasses

Or at least an attempt to, as we’ll see shortly.

My main goal for today is to show what we could learn if—emphasis on that if—William Afton was controlling Vanessa at certain points of these sessions. Both for Vanessa’s character and for William’s.

This is also assuming that someone (or something) else is controlling Patient 46 in order to avoid a conundrum.

Buckle up once again. This is going to be even wordier than last time, and a whoooole lot more in head-canon territory rather than actual theory. Below is a summary of each session with certain parts of dialogue being discussed.

——

Tape 1

This is what I’m going to call “The Benchmark Tape”, as this is Vanessa at her most… Well, I say normal, but she’s still pretty irritated.

Cone to think of it, I can’t tell if her defensive tone is because of her genuinely not knowing why Fazbear’s has called her in or not. If I recall correctly, she had a similarly aggressive tone in the FNAF movie. I know that’s a very different timeline, but I can’t help but wonder…

Anyway, it turns out that this isn’t her first time here. She was actually brought in for anxiety sometime prior to—I can only assume—Glitchtrap’s antics in Help Wanted 1.

Her new issue is “sudden” and had “come up unexpectedly”, according to the therapist. I assume this is about the encrypted conversation she’s having with Glitchtrap and/or 46, but I suspect there’s something else too. Something I’ll get to in the next tape.

Vanessa does admit to talking to Luis from the marketing department. She thinks “he’s nice, I guess”. Keep that in mind for later.

Before I move on, however, there’s one thing I have to confess: I honestly thought that Vanessa’s voice went flat only a couple of times after this tape. And, thusly, it was a good indicator for when William is the one actually talking.

Turns out she’s actually deadpan for nearly the rest of the recordings.

Soo.. Yeah. That wasn’t a good strategy after all.

Thankfully, FNAF Wiki’s transcript of the CDs and @kevciaran’s William Analysis came in clutch. I’ll be combining both of their methods and using them as tools: The Wiki’s use of marking Vanny’s fainter lines, and anything that lines up with what Kev noticed in his Sister Location segment.

Anyway, onto…

Tape 3

A new therapist has replaced the old one. Vanessa, though obviously more “tired”, is aware enough to notice. The new woman, however, isn’t all that worried. According to her, all this research she’s been doing makes it feel like they’ve “known each other for weeks”!

Therapist 2 recaps on something we haven’t heard about before: her dad Bill. She double-checks on the name, but all the only answer she gets is muttering… For a second. Then we get our first response from William.

“I try to do what I’m supposed to do.” - I want to say he’s ignoring the question (as he did in Sister Location), but.. He sounds so tired, I can’t tell if it’s intentional. He might actually be just thinking out loud or—dare I imply it this soon—even deflecting for entirely different reasons? Either way, it’s.. even more ominously morose than that one Scraptrap line. Which is a feat.

Therapist 2 unwittingly agrees with “Vanessa”, then goes back on topic. She walks through the custody case, understandably badmouthing her (“her”?) dad along the way. She concludes the gentle-as-possible recap with relaying the fate of Vanessa’s mom— Which, although censored out by an audio glitch, does not bode well. What also doesn’t bode well is this sudden response:

“I was supposed to be a good girl” - Yes. The Wiki’s ‘faintly’ method implies that it’s William saying it under the guise of Vanessa. Considering that this is unprompted as well (along with the even more noticeable voice crack [and now I’m getting even more concerned for the man’s wellbeing]), I can only assume that William was having some… worrisome memories and was trying to get his thoughts out while staying in character.

Thankfully, Therapist 2 comforts Vanessa as best she can. It wasn’t Vanny’s fault, after all. Yes, she did provide the testimony that caused her mom’s apparent demise— But, again, it’s her dad that should be blamed here. Not her.

Or… “her’, if the whole custody case thing was the sudden issue that came up. Given the fact that the previous therapist didn’t bring it up at all in the Benchmark Tape, the fact that Vanessa suddenly gets all deadpan from here on out, and Patient 46’s introduction into this narrative… Call it a wild hunch from left field, but I now have my suspicions.

Tape 5

Therapist 2 confronts Vanessa about her texting a non-employee during work hours. A manipulative non-employee at that. When she asks about who this person is, Therapist 2 hears this response:

“I get a lot of messages from friends. I like when Luis writes to me, he's funny.” - William not only dodges the question (again), but he also attests to texting Luis. …That, or he’s trying to match up with how Vanessa acts again. Either way, he thinks Luis is funny— Even cracking a half-smile of sorts, which I wasn’t expecting. Make of this what you will, I guess?

Therapist 2 is having none of this. She warns Vanessa that her files are being hacked. Files with a whole bunch of details about her life on them. And what does Vanessa answer after being asked about the ramifications?

“I'm not in the tech department. I just type on the computers.” - …Yet another deadpan dodge by William. Given his prior work in both business and technology, he’s gotta know the actual answer to that.

Therapst 2 agrees with “her” again, but once again issues a word of caution: This stranger definitely knows a lot about her. And the reply?

”Lots of people know more than I do. Sometimes I need to listen.” - Okay, now we’re back to William just thinking out loud. This is pretty telling, however. It almost implies that William’s confidence has dwindled a bit since UCN… Though, again, it’s also possible that he’s trying to impersonate Vanessa for currently unknown reasons. I’m definitely not ruling that out.

Tape 7

Therapist 2 is out [blame Patient 46], and Therapist 3 is in. However, this time, neither Vanessa nor the therapist seems bothered by this. In fact, they have a very brief talk about candy before they start. Therapist 3 offers some, but “Vanessa” answers:

”No, thank you. Those have thirty-five calories a piece.” - …Well, I’m not completely sure if this is William answering here, going by the lack of indicators. However, given the fact that Vanessa apparently orders cupcake cookbooks according to a scrapped FNAF AR email (and, y’know, the fact that she later has a job that requires her to run up three floors), I’m going to assume that’s the case. This does imply that William is bizarrely health-conscious… Which makes a lot more sense when you remember that one description of him from the Silver Eyes. Guess he doesn’t want to look “fat and affable”, even as a ghost haunting someone else’s body ..

As the rest of this session concerns inkblot tests, I’m going to assume Vanessa quickly regained control here and move on. Her answers are something to note, being “a tree house” and “a beetle”. There is also ‘I like to sit outside and read’ in response to one of the questions, but this really could be either of them.

Tape 9

This session starts with Vanessa smelling some flowers that Therapist 3 has set out. They then have a one-sided conversation about gardens and hobbies, which reveals Vanessa apparently doesn’t have hobbies. Therapist 3, always being the chill kinda person, offers up her craft space in her basement as a place to do stuff. “Vanessa” refuses, saying this almost as an aside:

”I don’t like dark basements” - Given William’s history with dark and empty rooms, this one’s actually not that surprising. Dark basements, though? …I’d say this is a reference to Sistsr Location and brush this off, but that bunker had plenty of lighting. Maybe—dare I say it—we have another hint that William’s childhood was miserable??

Tape 10

This one is short, but at least it gives a hint as to what Vanessa actually looks like when haunted by William.

Case in point: Therapist 3 notes “Vanessa’s” comfy posture, even stating ‘It looks like you could take a nap’. Guess Will really likes the chair.

Therapist 3 also brings up Vanessa’s discussions with the Encrypted Individual, mentioning that it’s getting more serious. She asks if it’s distracting her from her work, which prompts this:

”My work is important. There's a non-disclosure agreement.” - There’s not only a grit of her teeth during ‘My work is important’, but there’s also a slight smugness in ‘There’s a non-disclosure agreement’. For a second, the William we’ve seen for the past ten years comes back in full force.

Key words there: For a second. As we’ll see in the next tape, things quickly become less smooth-sailing and more “oh no” inducing.

Tape 11

This session begins with Vanessa admiring the blue sky, which Therapist 3 comments on. The conversation quickly changes once Therapist 3 brings up Vanessa’s search history. Therapist 3 inquires if Vanny’s been doing private searches on company time, which leads to:

”I get breaks” - Short, sweet, to the point. Also completely dodging the question. Again.

Therapist 3 tries again, but from a different angle. She brings up the fact that Vanny is ordering some stuff to make a costume. She asks “what are you going to make?”, which gives us the return of the indistinct muttering.

Therapist 3 (with much better hearing than Therapist 2, I reckon) catches a part of what Vanessa is saying. “Did you say the costume is a secret?” she inquires in genuine confusion. “Why is that?”

“Vanessa” panics.

“I can't talk about this. He said he would always be watching. He could be here or there or anywhere in between.” - …As if I wasn’t concerned about William’s wellbeing already. Not because he sounds paranoid here, but because there’s a very high chance he’s right. Patient 46 has had a habit of being the cutting off point for the last two therapists, and Therapist 3 hasn’t been cut off yet…

Therapist 3, unfortunately, doesn’t take this as a warning. She assumes that this is about Vanessa’s dad and advises Vanny to resolve the issue. Vanessa seemingly pushes William aside and yells about “locking ‘him’ away” (most likely referring to Glitchtrap). Her voice finally breaks the deadpan threshold, only to sink back into it a few seconds later.

The tape ends with Therapist 3 and Vanessa talking about facing a memory head-on. This could be narrative foreshadowing somehow, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Side Note: I can see William saying “I have! I compartmentalized him. He's locked away.”; but Vanessa sounds like she briefly regained control there. If that’s the case, then it could be inferred that William got too scared and ‘let go’. Maybe.

Tape 12

Unfortunately, it’s time for Vanessa to go to the Pizzaplex. Therapist 3 offers to continue the sessions away from Fazbear Entertainment, but the offer is shot down by Vanessa:

“I'm needed somewhere else now. Thank you.” - Short, bittersweet, and absolutely ominous. For Vanessa, we know where she’s heading. But William? No idea. What we do know is that Vanessa definitely regained most of her control by the time Security Breach happens. So that probably means William’s haunting was only a temporary procedure. And, until we get more explanations, we’re not going to know exactly why.

(Also: It’s kinda heartwarming to imagine William thanking this therapist with a geniune half-smile. Vanny’s tone is seriously so warm, yet so tired.)

(And, by the way, Therapist 3 disappears after this tape. Somehow, Patient 46 strikes again…)

Final Notes

William, as expected, is not up for answering questions directly. Unlike in Sister Location, however, he seems to not take pleasure in this. There’s no smile in his words here, save the occasion ones that I’ve mentioned. Just a general sense of weariness.

When he does show emotion, it’s mostly just panic and/or self-loathing. He could still be trying to act as Vanessa, sure, but he did also crawl out of UCN. Maybe it broke his confidence enough that he can’t even trust himself anymore…? To the point where he’s also in danger of being manipulated? I mean, it did happen with him in Fazbear Frights epilogues…

Tangent aside, he is definitely not the same after the FNAF 6 fire. There is not a lot of bragging. There is not a lot of smiling or hinting at plans. He even mutters a few times, which is something he’s never done up to this point. He’s officially reached the same levels of brokenness his son Mike had, whether Will wants to admit this narrative irony or not.

Also, Vanessa apparently has enough trust to let him talk during the majority of these sessions. I dunno why that’d be the case, but maybe it’s just a temporary truce.

TL;DR on the whole thing: I’m very concerned for both of them, if this turns out to be true. It’s one thing to have an innocent bystander get mentally hijacked by a bizarre virus. It’s another thing entirely if the bystander and the ghost that’s haunting her are in agreement about being in absolute peril. Especially if it’s the ghost of an absolute villain whose entire livelihood once centered around making others suffer.

[mrs-bartowski]

Brace for impact y'all cuz my brain is being Extra Rude this fine Sunday. OKAY, so...

What with Lena's new unemployment status, obviously we have all these hcs about her being unable to afford the penthouse and moving in with Kara.

Then of course we have all the accompanying hcs about Lena's time in the apartment between now and when Kara gets back (blanket sniffing, inability to sleep in Kara's bed, ready-to-pack corner of belongings so as to not alter Kara's home, and all those other super fun things that make me wanna cry).

I see all of those (and love them) and I raise you one: the Mxy tapes.

So, we see right after Mxy leaves when Kara picks up "The One Where Lena Decided To Work With Lex" which is what, in combination with her realization that telling Lena the truth always has "huge" consequences, motivates her to make that super OOC decision to absolve herself entirely of her guilt and tell Lena she'll treat her like a villain if she works with Lex, yes?

Now, what if that wasn't the only tape Mxy left behind? What if he left a recording of each of those alternate timelines because, after seeing Kara twist what she learned to fit her frustration over Lena's continued cold shoulder and hearing what she said to Lena, Mxy decided she might want to watch them again at some point to remember the real takeaway: she's fighting for the relationship that saves the world...

Kara found the tapes stacked on the coffee table when she got home, with a note that said "You found the magic. Now don't lose it." She wanted to get angry, but instead she just put the tapes in a box on the shelf under the TV and tried to forget about them.

----------

Lena's hand shakes slightly as she slides the key into the lock, feeling the ghost of Alex’s hand rest gently on her shoulder as it had when she’d pressed the cold metal into her palm a few hours earlier with a silent offer and an encouraging nod. The door swings open slowly, and Lena is hit by a sudden wave of cold. Not temperature, but energy. It’s too quiet - no NSYNC on the speaker or Bachelorette on the TV. It’s too empty - no smell of fresh (slightly burnt) bread or yarn strewn all over the counter from Kara’s various crochet projects. It’s too...Kara-less.

Lena shakes off the feeling and slides her bag off her shoulder in the corner by the bookcase, careful not to knock Kara’s favorite cinnamon candle off the stool beside her, as she tells Alexa to play Nina Simone. She zips open her bag to pull out her favorite copy of Mrs. Dalloway and finds it missing. Realizing she must have left it in her desk drawer at LexCorp, Lena makes a mental note to send Brainy in after it tomorrow with the promise that he can change all of Lex’s passwords one more time before they leave the game for good.

Lena stares at the blank TV screen for a moment, dreading the thought of watching anything in this room without Kara’s head on her shoulder or in her lap. So, she crouches to look at the shelves of the TV stand, hoping to find at least one of the books she’d gotten Kara for her birthday last year wedged between the latest issues of CatCo Magazine and the recipe books Alex had gotten her in the hopes of spending less money on pot stickers every week.

She’s just zeroed in on The Color Purple when she notices a box she doesn’t recognize laying across the tops of the books on the other shelf. She reaches for it on instinct, then hesitates. She hasn’t touched anything of Kara’s since their falling out, and what if Kara’s “what’s mine is yours” rule no longer applies to her now? She considers leaving it alone and waiting for Kara to get back and explain, sliding The Color Purple toward her without taking her eyes off the box, before her curiosity gets the better of her and she caves, tossing the book onto the coffee table.

She opens the lid and starts at the sight of VHS tapes. Hasn't she taught Kara better than this? They'd converted all her old tapes to DVDs months into their friendship ("Kara, these things deteriorate so easily and the picture quality becomes awful, don't you want something that will last?"). She picks up the first tape and reads the label on the side: "The One Where Lena Doesn't Make It Back In Time." Her brows furrow as she stares, unblinking, at the title - demanding answers she knows only one person can give her.

She glances around, but doesn't see a VHS player anywhere, so she sets the tape on the floor beside her and picks up the next one. "The One Where Lena Can't Save Sam Or Herself." Lena shoves down her growing horror and discards the tape, hoping the next one will be less ominous. She picks it up and chokes back a sob as she reads: "The One Where There Are No Survivors."

Lena can't wait for answers anymore, so she gathers the tapes back into the box, grabs her purse and Kara's key, and heads to the closest library. Lena finds the old CRT sitting on a rolling cart in the back corner of the library, tucked between the stacks of kids' books. She pulls the first tape out of the box and slides it carefully into the slot.

30 minutes later, with tears and too-cheap eyeliner streaming down her face, Lena picks up the last tape. "The One Where Lena Was Never Your Friend." And here she'd thought things couldn't get worse. Lena takes a deep breath as she inserts the tape.

At the sight of the ruin that meets Kara and Mxy, Lena stifles the urge to laugh. Of course this is what a world without her best friend looks like. This exactly how it feels now, and she's only been gone a few weeks.

Lena's breath catches as she hears herself ask "who's Kara?," the mere thought of a world where the reporter had never believed in her, never cared enough to love her, almost too much to bear. Her hand drifts absent-mindedly to her chest as she watches herself reveal a kryptonite heart, and for a moment she can hear the sounds of her own screams as her mother's experiments rob her of the last of her humanity.

She presses her hand closer to her heart, sure that it's stopped beating at the sight of Kara on the ground, in pain at her hands but still refusing to fight her. Feels it shatter when her worst self says exactly the same words she'd said to Kara in the Fortress when asked why she had pretended to be Kara's friend for so long.

And she thinks it might kill her, this agony that's filling her body like acid. She wonders for a moment if this is what kryptonite feels like to Kara. Because it sure feels like her skin is getting seared off her bones and there are nails in her blood and it sure seems like she won't survive watching herself kill her best friend as she lies helpless and desperate on the floor.

And when Mxy pulls them out, Lena's breath returns full force until she's hyperventilating because Kara is gone and she doesn't know how long it will be until they get her back; and she was terrified of what she'd become when she lost Jack but she survived because of Kara; and if this is what losing Kara without ever having her in the first place looks like, Lena has never been more afraid than she is as she realizes what will happen to the world if she doesn't get Kara back. What she'll do to the world if it dares to take Kara from her.

So, when she gathers the tapes and goes to return them to the box and finds a note at the bottom that says "You found the magic. Now don't lose it," Lena promises herself that, for as long as she lives, she will do everything in her power to keep the magic that is Kara Danvers in her life.

----------

Alex knocks on the apartment door three days later and finds it unlocked. She pushes the door open and her hand drifts to her gun, but relaxes as she sees Lena's sleeping form curled up on the couch. Alex approaches a box she knows the contents of all too well and finds it open and empty on the table before she notices the VCR player and tapes strewn across the floor. She smiles softly as she recalls the image of Kara in the exact same position months earlier. And, as she carefully plucks the handwritten note from Lena's clutched fist, she smiles at the knowledge that, once Kara returns, no force in the world will be able to keep them apart again.

UPDATE: Ask and ye shall receive

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

[psychewritesbs]

Chapter 160: How much of Yuji’s life has been orchestrated? + Megumi the stage-five clinger

Happy JJK-Sunday!

If I had to describe chapter 160 with as few words as possible, I would say: Oh f*ck...

My favorite moment was, of course, Megumi acting like a stage-five clinger. His interaction with Yuji in this chapter is especially ominous in light of Yuji being adamant of protecting Megumi from Sukuna.

A second favorite was Sasaki showing up in this chapter because of the implications moving forward.

Let’s jump right in. 

How much of Yuji’s life has been orchestrated by Kenjaku?

We start the chapter with Kenjaku talking to none other than Sasaki, one of the members of the Occult Club at the high school in Sendai that Yuji used to attend.

Of course, the bomb that Gege dropped on us in this chapter is when Kenjaku thanks Sasaki “for getting along with my son”. 

Like... excuse you?

Not only does this 100% confirm that Kenjaku used Yuji’s mother’s body to give birth to him, but this specific moment + some foreshadowing from previous chapters also opens an interesting can of worms about Yuji’s life: just how much of Yuji’s life has Kenjaku orchestrated?

For me, the implication is that Sasaki had an assigned role to play in Yuji’s life that would inevitably lead to him eating Sukuna’s finger. 

I am assuming this because although we don’t see Kenjaku’s interactions with the other people in Sendai, we get to see that, in addition for thanking her for getting along with Yuji, Kenjaku is incredibly kind to Sasaki. We also learn that she’s the only one who has received a special message from him (thanking her).

Ready to make this whole interaction more ominous? Someone pointed out that the kanji in Sasaki’s name means assistant. 

All of this brings us right back to Yuji’s free will--or lack thereof?

We already know that Kenjaku claims he made Yuji “ingest” Sukuna’s finger and that Megumi is rightfully concerned with this idea because he witnessed Yuji eat Sukuna’s finger “of his own free will.”

It’s also becoming increasingly obvious that Yuji was "created” solely for the purpose of becoming Sukuna’s vessel. 

What this new reveal about Sasaki does is that it makes everything feel like certain events have been part of Kenjaku’s master plan all along. While this still feels a little farfetched, it will come down to how Gege works this idea into the story moving forward.

Come to think of it, even Yuji’s grandfather’s dying words to Yuji take on a new meaning since we know Wasuke knew something was definitively up with Yuji’s mother.

Another possible bit of foreshadowing all the way in chapter 1: While the intersection in the second panel below could be ANY intersection in Japan, it sure looks like the Shibuya crossing:

A quick note on the importance of kanji meanings in JJK before moving onto the next section: knowing the meaning of Sasaki’s name tells us that names are important in JJK. If you haven’t, I recommend you read my break down on the meaning of Megumi’s FULL NAME. His first name is important, but so is his last name.

The plans moving forward

Going off to Tokyo Colony #2 are Panda and Hakari. 

As the strongest, Hakari feels like he should take on Hajime. As for Panda, it looks like his focus will be on hunting down Angel.

Side note: I love that Hakari is still calling Megumi names. Guess Senpai can’t help himself.

I must admit I was disappointed to find that Kirara will stay behind to report, but it is what it is. I am assuming Gege could see no use for Kirara and decided to leave the character out of the action for the time being. 

As for Megumi and Yuji, they’ll be heading to Tokyo Colony #1 to target Higuruma, everybody’s new favorite Law & Order boss. 

This brings us to Megumi’s current state of mind...

Megumi the stage-five clinger

I had a hard time coming up with the title for this section because what I see happening is that Megumi is starting to feel the pressure of the looming deadline for Tsumiki joining the Culling Game. What his behavior shows, however, is that he needs Yuji with him and is clinging onto him but won’t come out and say it--opting instead for aggression towards Yuji, the very same person he needs most. 

His behavior reminded me of how Megumi could be mean to Tsumiki even though he clearly adores her. Apparently that’s the meaning of being tsundere. I’ve read about the term tsundere before but it never “clicked” until this moment and I just love Gege’s interpretation of the trope through Megumi’s character. 

It goes without saying that it was REALLY interesting to me to see Megumi’s dynamic and interaction with Yuji in this chapter because it looks like Gege is letting us know Megumi’s state of mind continues to be one of desperation--remember that dogeza bow from chapter 157?

The thing about Megumi is that he looks stoic on the outside, but he’s actually an incredibly emotional person who doesn’t often show how he’s feeling. 

I hadn’t caught on, but in chatting with @justafrenchlondoner​ about the chapter, they pointed out Megumi’s behavior in his dynamic with Yuji appears nervous and aggressive.

Upon a second look I have to agree that Megumi is acting out of character and aggressive with Yuji when all that Yuji really wants is to protect Megumi from Sukuna.

And yes, let me go ahead and sound like a broken record as I remind you of Yuji’s rather ominous words from chapter 143 yet again:

And this is the part of the chapter that knocked the air out of me: Megumi telling Yuji to stfu about Sukuna but Yuji thinking to himself “as long as I’m around you will suffer” back in ch143 is so damn ominous.

Oh f*ck...

But this is what REALLY gets me about this whole interaction and why I’m calling Megumi a stage-five clinger...

Even though Megumi is calling Yuji selfish, in reality, the one being selfish is Megumi.

This is, of course, my own interpretation of the situation, but to me it feels as though Megumi is clinging onto Yuji’s strength for dear life. 

It’s almost like Megumi needs not just Yuji’s physical strength, but also his unwavering conviction or mental strength.

If you think about it, Megumi has only recently started fighting to win. Remember how unsure he was of himself when fighting Sukuna for the first time? It wasn’t until he went up against the Cursed Spirit from the Yasohachi bridge that he let go of his inhibitions.

Megumi’s battles during Shibuya were the pinnacle of his growth as a character in that moment. If I remember correctly, according to the timeline of events, the Shibuya incident happened around two weeks prior to the current chapter. You could say that although he is more comfortable in his strength than before, Megumi is still growing into his strength at this point.

The thing about Megumi is that everybody and their Divine Dog believes in him and sees his potential except for him. As Gojo tells him “you undervalue yourself.”

Looking back, the way Megumi asks begs Yuji for help in chapter 143 is very enlightening of how Megumi needs Yuji’s strength: 

I initially had read this to mean Megumi needed Yuji’s physical strength. Upon second look, however, Megumi has always seemed to have admiration for Yuji’s conviction.

With the looming deadline for Tsumiki’s vow to join the Culling Game, as Megumi starts to feel the pressure to make his plan work, who better to keep around than the person who will always go for the home run and whose strength he admires?

In other words, like hell he’s going to let Yuji leave his side. Which, again, only makes it more heartbreaking to think Sukuna is up to no good regarding Megumi and Yuji wants to protect him from that.

Oh f*ck.......

The panel below feels like a bit of a lighthearted and comical moment, but it’s also interesting to note that this is the second time they “fight”.

The first “fight” having taken place during the Cursed Womb Arc.

If you will remember, Gege used the Cursed Womb Arc and the Origin of Obedience Arc to show us how much our favorite trio had grown. 

Not sure Gege is going to parallel something here again, but just interesting to note.

Oh f*ck...

Ya, please excuse the French.

Despite the many words I’ve shared here, this chapter left me mostly speechless. 

I feel like I’ve been trapped in Gojo’s limitless domain expansion and all I can think is “oh f*ck” or “halloween” (if you catch my drift).

Chapter 160 was incredible because it looks like Gege has finally finished putting all his pieces into place and is ready to go for the kill by: 

Starting to unravel the story bit by bit, giving us all of the twists we both saw and did not see coming, and

Ramping up the stakes. Taking into consideration the estimates that JJK is somewhere around 60-70% done at this point, It’s not a matter of whether some of our beloved characters will die, but about who, when and how they will die

One last detail

I love the last four panels of the chapter showing Panda, Hakari, Yuji and Megumi all wearing their uniforms (barring Panda) and getting ready to become official participants of the Culling Game by entering their respective barriers.

Knowing that Gege is a very talented artist capable of showing and expressing emotions through his art, I feel like these panels tell us a lot about what the characters might be thinking and I thought I’d expand on that. 

Bear in mind this is my personal interpretation as an artist:

Panda looks excited and ready to fight, perhaps even confident. Panda is saying “bring it!” with his body language

There’s a hint of something I can’t describe in Hakari’s face. It’s almost like he’s coming face to face against how big of a challenge this is going to be and yet he’s resolved to walk straight into “the depths of hell itself”

Yuji looks focused, determined to go in and give it his best no matter what comes his way--that’s just who he is

And then there’s Megumi. I’ve been drawing Megumi recently, and one thing I noticed is that he has very specific micro-expressions. In his panel, he’s warming up his wrists as though he’s getting ready to fight, he has a focused look on his face, but the shadows around his eyes say he might be feeling like he is carrying the heavy burden of the uncertainty surrounding the situation he’s going through

With all that being said... the Culling Game is officially starting and we’re in for a one-way ride straight to hell.

Thank you for reading and happy JJK-Sunday!

What about you? What did you enjoy most about chapter 160?

[candychronicles]

yes sir // i. midoriya

A/N: my take on the bnharem workplace au collab! this is pretty much porn with plot, there’s no real interesting background. i just wanted to write sexy times with midoriya hehe

CHARACTER PAIRING: Izuku Midoriya x F!Reader

WORD COUNT: 2,765

WARNINGS: an obnoxious amount of pet names, soft-ish dom, dubcon maybe?? if you squint??, power dynamics, possessive izuku

SYNOPSIS: an infatuation with one of your bosses turns into something much more interesting. 

Click here to go to work on admiring all the other pieces!

work was never fun but when you directly responded to three equally attractive ceos, it tended to make things easier. despite them all being incredibly attractive, you found yourself particularly drawn to one man in specific: Izuku Midoriya.

he was the face of the operation, the one who greeted the media with a smile and ran lectures, pep talks and gatherings with the employees. not only did he have the charm, but he was smart and analytical, something that came in handy when dealing with other businesses and creating interpersonal relationships. he strived to make everyone feel like they belonged and that’s why you never put any thought into the bright smiles and big waves he gave you as he passed your office every morning.

Bakugou was who you usually worked under, the man being brash and loud but incredibly intelligent and covering a lot of ground when it came to running the company, especially when it came to logistics and timelines. you weren’t his secretary and yet often found yourself in his office helping whenever he called. you would say it was annoying except it meant that he favored you and you often got added perks because of that, like a flexible work schedule and unlimited premium coffee from his personal stash. 

Todoroki was a man who you seldom interacted with but had nothing but pleasant things to say. he was cold and standoffish at first but as you chatted he became more relaxed and willing to talk. he handled a lot of the behind the scenes, keeping up with IT and using his connections from his wealthy family to bring in new business. nonetheless, he was a pleasant man and tried to interact in his own odd way at any appropriate chance he got.

you never realized you had any special treatment outside from your own boss but it became more apparent over the months that they had all taken a liking to you in some form or another. you became absolutely ecstatic when you learned you had a chance with Midoriya, an awkward and yet sincere drunken love confession thrown dramatically your way outside of a business gathering. since he wasn’t technically your personal boss and you harbored a secret crush on him, it was all too easy, with the alcohol flowing through your veins, to say yes to a date with him.

despite his inebriated state the night before, he stayed true to his word and took you to a relaxed and private restaurant, one that you were sure wasn’t cheap as there wasn’t even prices on the menu. he told you to not worry about it and just enjoy the night and enjoy you did. after some awkward laughs here and there, you really got to know him and what he was like: funny, charming, truthful, determined, emotional, raw and bursting with the desire to be understood the way he understood other people. 

you took his truth and ran with it, confiding in him about anything you could think of that was appropriate for a first date and then some, over time learning all there was to know about one another. you spent many a night laid on his chest, confessing your hopes and dreams, listening to his own and promising each other that you would both work towards your desires as hard as possible. 

things outside of the bedroom, however, stayed incredibly private. you understood that he was a shy man by nature and was nervous that your position would be undermined or belittled by the other employees if they found out that you two were together but as time went on, you grew more and more frustrated about him keeping you a secret. all of his reasons, he claimed, were to protect you but you didn’t care and if he didn’t tell you the honest truth soon, you were going to burst.

it only took a few more weeks before things took an interesting turn. you had yet another argument with Midoriya, begging and pleading with him to not hide you anymore, to wear you on his arm with pride and shower you with even the tiniest of affection, but he was not budging, claiming he didn’t want you to get hurt and sad over the other employees judging you despite him not being your actual boss. when you confirmed to Midoriya that this wasn’t a real relationship and cut things off, you were intrigued to find Todoroki at your office door with a bouquet of flowers asking you on a date.

whether it was out of spite or a sheer desire to be seen and acknowledged, you accepted without any hesitation, donning your best dress and heels for the icy man. he took you to a much fancier and flashy restaurant than Midoriya did, flaunting his wealth without a care in the world. you tried some of the finest wines and foods, enjoying the live music and chatting casually with Todoroki. outside of his awkward demeanor, it was a good first date and you had fun, certainly appreciating all that he did for you, but you realized it didn’t matter because you were still head over heels in love with the green haired guy with the golden heart. every little thing Todoroki did, you caught yourself comparing and contrasting with what Midoriya would’ve done and with a sad smile, told him you had fun but that you were going through some personal problems and needed some time before trying anything else. he was nothing but a gentleman and insisted that it was okay but despite his words, you still felt a pang in your heart, guilty for leading him on in the first place.

work the next day was rather uneventful, time spent chipping away at paperwork and organizing events for the next day, Bakugou sliding into your office with an unusually sad look on his face as he handed you your favorite coffee and slid back out, not acknowledging you otherwise. you hummed appreciatively nonetheless, savoring every sip like it was your last. just as you were walking out the door, the last person in your department to stay behind, you got a text from Midoriya asking you to meet in his office to discuss something.

you swallowed thickly, knowing there may be another argument approaching and hoping your heart could handle the pain. with a soft knock to the large wooden doors, you stood, waiting for him to invite you in. 

the door creaked ominously open before you were yanked into the room, wood slamming heavily back into place as he crashed his lips against your own without any warning, harsh and fierce and nothing like he had ever been before. 

you tried to create some space, some sort of distance between you two in order to process the situation but he was relentless, attacking you with such fervor that you had no choice but to follow along, desperate to know what he was thinking.

you didn’t have to wait long before he slowed down, pressing his forehead against your own, breath fanning against your face as he collected his thoughts.

“you went on a date with Todoroki,” he stated simply, eyes shut as he focused on you, your body movements, the way your heart leapt into your throat and your pulse point jumped at the comment. 

“i did,” you replied, squinting your own eyes at him as best as you could in your position, trying to figure out what his next move was.

“why would you do that?” he questioned, hurt laced in his voice.

you contemplated for a few moments on what to say, finally deciding on the truth: “i was hurt and thought that maybe i could get over you by going out with him but i couldn’t. i just wanted someone to show me off for once, not be ashamed to be seen with me.”

“sweetheart,” he sighed into your mouth, lips ghosting over your own. “i was just trying to protect you from the judgement you’d get being with me, but if you’re that insistent in being shown off, then let me show you off.”

one gentle kiss after another was placed on your face, from your temple to your nose to your cheeks to finally your lips, sealing them with yet another searing kiss. you whined into his mouth, enamored by the taste of coffee and mint on his tongue. he pinched your ass and smiled when you squealed, taking advantage of the sound to pick you up against the door, hiking your skirt up to your waist and pressing one experimental finger to your clothed slit, noticing each and every breathy moan that left your body.

“let me take these off, yeah?” he asked, not waiting for a response before he not so delicately ripped your panties off your body, assuring you he’d get you a new pair after you protested against his actions. 

he walked casually over to the desk, setting you down and spreading your knees apart as he kneeled, face cooing over your cunt. you tried to squeeze your knees together in embarrassment but he only pulled them open again, tsking as he brought his thumb pad up to your clit, rubbing delicate circles around the bud as he watched your mouth open into an o.

he continued to rub in circles, changing the pace and pressure as he analyzed your every move, watching to see what made you feel the best. when he was satisfied with the pace, he brought his other hand up to delicately insert a finger into your dripping hole, curling to try to find the place that made you see stars behind your eyelids. it only took a few moments before he hit the spot, your head fallen back and toes curling in pleasure. 

“look at me and nowhere else or i won’t let you cum. do you understand?” he asked, forcefully grabbing your chin.

“y-yes sir.”

he nodded, satisfied with the eye contact before resuming his movement, eyes boring into your own as he watched you struggle to breathe and watch him back, his cock straining in his pants as he watched your eyes water, tears spilling over your cheeks as he brought you so incredibly close to your orgasm.

“sir, please let me cum. p-please, i don’t think i can hold on any longer,” you finally begged, giving into what you knew he secretly wanted.

“my sweet angel wants to cum? i guess she’s been such a good girl that i’ll have to indulge her,” he cooed, picking up the pace and inserting another finger, making it just enough to have you unravel in seconds. 

your head remained still, eyes locked on his own, but your body shook from the mere exhaustion you felt as you forced yourself to not throw your head back in pure ecstasy. he helped you ride your orgasm out with steady thrusts, his long, scarred fingers hitting all the right ridges. 

“look at you being just a doll,” he murmured, opening your mouth to stick his dripping fingers in, pressing down harshly on your tongue, smiling when you gagged. 

“i think my sweetheart deserves a bit of a reward for being such a good girl, hmm? what do you think?” he asked, removing his fingers from your mouth to allow you to speak.

“please sir, please, i need,” you stopped, hiccuping, not realising you were crying as you begged for him.

“you need what angel? c’mon, use your words.”

“i need your cock, please, i need you inside of me. i’ll be good, i’ll be so good, i promise. just please fuck me.”

before you had a chance to realize what was going on, he pulled you off the desk, flipping you around so that your ass was on full display. he gave it one appreciative slap before his belt was being unbuckled, his pants falling to the floor as he pulled out his cock, aching to be buried inside your wet cunt.

“relax for me sweetheart. i’ll take care of you.”

the tip had you instantly pressing yourself into the desk, but as he continued to push into to you, you relished in the way he stretched you out, making you feel so full and warm.

“more, m’need more, please,” you begged, squirming around as you tried to fill yourself up with as much of him as you could.

he obliged without hesitation, sheathing himself fully into you, eyes rolling back into his head as he felt you squeeze around him, pulling him impossibly closer. he placed his hands against your hips to steady himself, pinching the flesh and breathing deeply through his nostrils as he attempted to control himself but once you started begging again, hands gripping the other edge of the deck as you attempted to ground yourself, he lost all control.

“don’t say you didn’t ask for his angel.”

his hips snapped out before surging forward, thrusting hard and deep, his tip kissing your cervix and fingers bruising into your flesh. you cried out, not sure what you were feeling but incredibly happy anyways. his cock pounded in and out of your squelching cunt, your cream dripping down your thighs and his. you felt every little vein, the curve of his shaft, how he fit into you so perfectly, how he was made for you. your vision went white and you held onto the desk for dear life as your legs gave out from under you, your cunt clenching aggressively around his cock as you came.

“i’ve got you, just relax.”

your body went limp as he leaned over you, propping you up against the desk as he continued to thrust into you, moving smoothly as your liquids pooled around his pelvis. your hands kept gripping the desk for dear life as you tried to catch your breath but with every snap of his hips, every nip to your shoulder, every searing hickey left on your neck, had your head reeling and the coil in your stomach building once again.

“‘Zuku, i don’t know how much longer i can hold out. m’gonna cum again,” you whined, breathing heavily as you tried to prolong it for as long as possible.

“c’mon sweetheart, you can do it one more time, just cum for me, it’s okay. i’ve got you.”

it only took three forceful swirls of his fingers on your aching clit to have you squirting all over his cock, your cum gushing everywhere as you arched your back and dug your nails into the glass of the desk. as you squeezed around him, you felt Midoriya cum, burying himself deep inside your pussy, head coming down to rest on your shoulders.

without saying anything, he pulled out gently, wincing as he saw the disheveled state you were in. he helped you sit back on the desk, pulling out some napkins to clean you and then himself up, offering you some water and helping to pour it in your mouth, wiping away your mascara stained cheeks.

“are you okay?” he asked once you had settled down a bit, pulling down your skirt and shakily standing on two legs.

“what are we Midoriya?” you replied, not wanting to let the post sex haze ruin what you had orignially come for.

he sighed, walking over to you and holding your hands in his own, bringing them up to kiss them before responding, “i wanted to protect you but i see how selfish that is now considering the fact that you didn’t care. i’m sorry i didn’t listen but i won’t hide from you anymore and i won’t hide you from the public, no matter what.”

you nodded at his response, eager to be with him again and not be held in the shadows. 

“but in order to do that, i have got to put a few mutual friends in place.”

quizzically, you watched as he sat down in his computer, motioning for you to sit in his lap. he tapped away at a few folders, watching in confusion and then embarrassment as he pulled up a video, one of the encounter you just had. 

“i’m sending this to Bakugou and Todoroki. they always talk about how they could fuck you better, how they could make you scream louder, make you listen, make you theirs. this will prove otherwise. you want me to show you off, have you be mine unconditionally? well you’ve got it babe, loud and clear. you’re mind, understood? and nobody will get in the way of that, not even them.”

[ohmygoodnessgraciouss]

Reality Check - Chapter 6

Summary: Y/N and Wanda were very close after returning in 2023.  The two bonded over the loss of their partners.  It wasn’t enough to keep Wanda grounded after she found Vision’s body though, and Wanda wants the best for her friend.  Unfortunately for Y/N, this means she’s going to be thrown into a reality she wasn’t expecting.

Notes: Thank you all for your love and support!!  I love you guys so much and your feedback makes me smile.  It’s hard to reply to everyone but I’m keeping tabs on the taglist as much as possible.  I’ve noticed a few usernames are not being tagged on this post, so I’ll be sure to contact them.  Tumblr decided not to tag them I guess lol!  

Anyway, enjoy this new chapter.  I changed things a little bit.  We’re going a little off course of what I had before, hence the reason why this is late.  The chapter I had written at first is only being stocked away for the next chapter, which means it’ll be out sooner than this one did.  I promise! 

Happy Falcon and the Winter Soldier day, everyone! 

“Well Wanda, I gotta skitty before Loki starts wondering where I’m at,” You chuckled nervously.  Watching her fix the wall was incredible.  It was unlike anything you’ve seen before.  So unusual yet so familiar. 

Wanda smiled lightly at you.  “Alright, I understand.  But please feel free to come by anytime.  Whatever you need,” She said.  You smiled back at the woman. 

“Of course!  Maybe I’ll swing by in a couple of days to see the boys!” You waved goodbye to her and opened the door. 

You took your leave, closing the front door behind you.  Vision turned to see you come outside moments later, a confused look on his face.  “Vision?  What’s wrong, buddy?  You look paler than a ghost.” 

Vision turned to look back at the fence, where Herb and Agnes once stood.  The two had left a while ago, but he seemed frozen in place.  “It’s nothing,” He smiled.  

“Are you sure?” You asked, looking back at the fence that he seemed to stare at before he looked at you.  It was cut nearly in half.  From what, you couldn’t tell. 

“Absolutely.  I suppose I’m just rather nervous about becoming a father.  It feels like it happened so quickly.” 

“Well, I’m sure it did, Vision.  You’ll be fine though.  You’re a good man and remember, Wanda’s going to be there too.  Like I said before, it’s not like you’re doing it alone.  You’ve got this whole town.”  

“That’s true.  This town seems to be quite... Supportive.” 

“Sometimes too supportive.  It feels like everyone’s connected sometimes!” You two shared a nervous laugh. 

“Oh yes, everyone here is quite connected.  Sometimes it is almost concerning.  This town is nothing like I have ever seen before.  I feel as though you can’t keep any secrets around here.” 

“Yeah, I know how you feel.” 

~

“What do you mean?” Loki asked, trying to figure out what’s going on.  The blade was pressing against his skin, close to piercing it.  His eyes scanned the man’s face, unable to determine who he was. 

“I won’t ask again.” 

“I don’t even know who you are,” Loki replied, now glaring at the man.  

Scott revealed himself to Loki, green magic engulfing his form.  He wore the same suit as he did before, but his hair was longer now, reaching down to brush his shoulders slightly.  His green eyes were sharper now, and his face was far more defined.  Loki watched as the man morphed into a mirror image of himself.  “Do I look familiar now?” He spat out, annoyed by the impostor.  

“Quite,” He said stiffly.  Loki pushed him back while “Scott” wasn’t paying that much attention.  He walked to the other side of the room, giving the two of them space between one another.  “I am Loki.  But who are you?” 

“That’s impossible,” Scott said.  “This reality’s version of me was supposed to die in 2018.” 

“2018?” Loki questioned.  “The year 2018?” 

“Yes, the year 2018,” Scott rolled his eyes.  “What other year would I mean?” 

“What year is it now then?” 

“2023.  You’ve been dead for 5 years and yet you’re here.  The T.V.A didn’t tell me about this.  Of course they wouldn’t.”

“The T.V.A?” 

Scott ignored his question.  “Now I’m stuck in the Scarlet Witch’s fake reality with another version of me.  But they told me he died.  Is it possible?” He was thinking aloud, causing Loki to grow even more confused. 

“What are you talking about?” 

Scott shook his head.  “It doesn’t matter.  I have a mission to carry out if I want to get out of there.  Plans have changed.” 

~

Ten minutes later you found yourself walking to Ellis Avenue.  It was close to the edge of town, and very few people lived there anymore.  The sun may have been shining and birds may have been chirping, but you felt like the air was icy as you got closer to the border.  The sign “Leaving Westview: We hope to see you again soon!” looked old and rundown, as if no one had touched it in decades.  An image of a family playing in the park was shown next to the lettering.  Perhaps once upon a time it was a cute sign.  Now it seemed ominous. 

A sense of dread and misery started to seep in as you continued walking closer to the end of the road.  It was like you couldn’t control your own thoughts anymore.  Or perhaps, it was the other way around.  For the first time this week you felt like you were gaining control again.  

Making your way to the border, you noticed that there was not a single person in sight.  The road continued on, making its way through the forest that was only a mile away.  The trees swayed with the wind soundlessly.  A part of you almost seemed to beg to leave the town.  

So you kept on walking. 

It felt like some sort of energy was trying desperately to pull you away from it.  You couldn’t understand what pulled you to this town, what kept trying to pull you back into it.  You hardly remember anything before Westview.  What was on the outside? 

You were abruptly stopped by a barrier.  It was glowing red, much like the other objects you saw a few days ago.  The vibrant color seemed to pulse and move as you walked closer.  It was an electrifying feeling, being this close to the magic that kept everyone trapped inside.  Some part of you begged, screamed for you to stay back.  The other part of you asked for the exact opposite.  

You touched the barrier, a shock running up your arm when you did.  You almost pulled back instantly, but something protected you from it.  You stared in amazement as blue shockwaves seemed to surround your hand.  They disappeared, fading off into the red barrier.  

You turned around, looking to see if anyone was nearby.  No one seemed to be in sight, but you felt like you were being watched.  You turned back to the barrier, pushing your hand further in.  It hurt, but something egged you on, daring you to cross it.  

You took a step in, watching the red engulf your entire body.  You couldn’t think, couldn’t hear, couldn’t even see anything that was going on.  You had two options: Go back into the town that you’re trapped in or see what’s on the outside.  

It seemed to last forever, but it was probably because you could hardly move while you were in it.  It felt as if you were frozen solid.  Whatever it was didn’t want you to get out.  Memories were starting to seep in though.  Memories of the distant past, and memories of what had happened only two weeks ago.  

You gained feeling back in your hand again.  You had to be close to the end if you could feel it.  In just a split second you were thrown out of the barrier.  You collapsed onto the grass, taking a deep breath.  It felt like someone splashed cold water on you.  

Lights began to blind you as you heard voices all around you.  “Put her in custody, and someone get a doctor!” You heard one say.  It was distinct, clear, loud.  Whoever it was sounded like the leader. 

You felt several people pull you up from the ground, placing you on a softer surface.  A gurney, probably.  You blinked several times, squinting to see where you were.  Someone familiar stood next to you.  It was Geraldine.  Was that her name?  

At that point it didn’t matter.  Your head was in too much pain from everything else that was going on to care.  

“You’ll be okay, Y/N.  We’re going to get you checked out,” The woman reassured you.  She smiled slightly and you tried to smile back at her. 

You started to doze off, choosing to sleep and recover from the traumatic experience you just had.  For the first time in a long time you were able to dream.  These dreams weren’t normal though.  

They were memories. 

Memories of everything before Westview. 

Scott watched Loki’s body slowly disappear.  Clearly, he was just an illusion.  Something set up by the Scarlet Witch to keep Y/N in control.  He contacted the TVA on his communicator, sending them a message as he watched the body dissolve.  

He was told that this reality was created by the Scarlet Witch and that he had to get the timeline back on track.  They never told him about Y/N being involved.  They didn’t even tell him that an illusion of himself would be in it too.  

The plan would have to change if he wanted to make sure this worked.  They didn’t even give him an idea of how to set the timeline right.  Now that he knows what’s going on, he has an idea. 

And now, he’ll make sure he gets out of here in time. 

And he’ll be sure to give the Time Variance Authority hell.  

~

Wanda smiled down at Billy, sitting next to Vision who held Tommy.  She felt something turn in her chest.  Something was wrong.  Her eyes widened, and she looked out across the room, zoning out.  

Vision noticed that she seemed distracted, trapped in her thoughts.  He reached over slightly to touch her hand, bringing her back.  She turned to him and smiled.  

“Is something wrong, my love?” He asked. 

“No, nothing at all.  Everything is just fine.” She said, looking down at Billy once more.  

She wasn’t going to concern him with the fact that she knew something was wrong. 

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

@emberfulclass @momoneymolife @high-priestesss @hailey-the-heathen @mochminnie @dpaccione @intricate-melody @lindseyrae20 @storminateacup15 @ilovemollyweasley @bookgirlunicorn @chims-kookies @austynparksandpizza @yikesdameron @littleladdty @three-eyed-snail @kymera-casterwill @justsomerandompersonintheworld @followthepastelcloud @11mb0 @carolinesbookworld @from-hel-i-with-love @grimalkynslee @boywivlove @prettysbliss @youreobsessedwithmarvel @th3gl1tt3gram3roff1c1al @luthien-t @lokilove3000 @treblebeth @weclassygirl @justfangirlingaround @drpepperobsessed @how-does-this-work @prideofnewberk @matterdontminduntildone

[dessarious]

What Makes a Family? Pt7

As previously stated, DC can’t figure out their own story and timeline so I don’t have to either. lol So, yes I’m aware that this doesn’t fit with canon. No I absolutely don’t care. :)

AO3  Beginning   Previous   Next

“You’re the one that requested to speak with me alone, so what is it you wanted to tell me?” Marinette watched as Alfred hesitated over the question.

“To be honest I thought you’d have questions you’d want answered and even if you trust your friends a family I still think it’s a good idea to give you the information and let you choose how and when to share it with them.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “Especially questions concerning the circumstances of your birth.” Well that didn’t sound ominous at all.

“Does he really want to meet me? Or does he just want to make sure I’m not a liability to him and his company?” It obviously wasn’t the question he’d been expecting. Alfred didn’t show much expression but that actually caused a pained look that softened into concern.

“He wants to have a relationship with you. Master Bruce has many flaws, and given the way some of the others turned out it may be for the best you were raised by someone else, but he loves his children.” Children? She hadn’t even thought about that. She’d been an only child her whole life and it hadn’t even occurred to her that it might change.

“I have siblings?” Was she supposed to be happy or worried about that? “Do they want to meet me?” Oh Kwami, what should she do? How should she act? She’d have to make them all gifts but what if they didn’t like them? What if they hated her? Suddenly Alfred was holding her hands.

“Deep breaths. That’s it.” She gave him a sheepish smile. No one in the family was going to want anything to do with her if she kept up at this rate.

“Sorry. I just never even considered… It’s a lot to process.” He squeezed her hands and gave an encouraging smile.

“It’s completely understandable Miss. As to your question, they don’t know yet. Master Bruce wanted to see if you wanted contact at all first. The last thing anyone wants is the boys descending on Paris without warning.” His dry tone got a laugh out of her.

“I thought we were done with this ‘Miss’ nonsense Grandpa Alfie.” He was trying to hide smile so she knew he didn’t actually mind her persistence. “So how many siblings do I have exactly?”

“That gets a bit complicated. You have two half-siblings that we’re aware of, as well as multiple officially and unofficially adopted siblings. Officially it would be three adopted brothers, Master Damian - who is your half-brother by master Bruce - and Miss Cassandra is your twin.” Wait what?

“I thought you said two half siblings.” Her voice was weak but she couldn’t help it. Twin? If Bruce Wayne didn’t know about her how did he end up with her sister?

“And that’s another part of why it’s complicated. You and Miss Cassandra shared a womb and have the same mother, but the embryos were fertilized by two different men.” She could only stare at him for a moment as her brain tried to process any of that.

“Wait, if we have different fathers then how did she end up with mine?” The man had more than enough money to do a DNA test, obviously, so if their mother just dropped the wrong baby on his doorstep surely he would have checked. Right?

“I don’t know that I can give you the full explanation right now, but Master Bruce adopted Miss Cassandra in her teens. None of us knew about the pair of you. I know it probably seems unbelievable, but it is the truth.” Her teens… no, that actually made perfect sense.

“She was thirteen wasn’t she?” The surprised look on Alfred’s face was all the answer she needed. If she had to guess it was within a week of when she got her Miraculous. That was concerning, on so many levels. “I need to meet her as soon as possible.” Alfred was frowning at her.

“I’m sure we can arrange something, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea to just set up a meeting without-”

“I appreciate your concern but I really need to meet her. I’d like to get to know all of you, but I have a feeling we’re supposed to be together.” And she needed to interrogate a couple Kwami in the meantime but that was another matter entirely. He looked rather taken aback at being interrupted and she winced at her shortness. “Sorry. I’m sure it sounds strange…” He actually rolled his eyes.

“Not at all. I have a feeling you’ll fit right in. And you at least won’t destroy my kitchen.” She laughed but she could see the strain on his face. “At the same time, there are some things I should warn you about with Miss Cassandra… as well as your birth mother.” He watched her expression but she didn’t know for what. “Unless you’re already aware of who she is?” It was that searching look again and she was just confused by it.

“No. All I have is the note she left with me. My parents never met her as far as they know. They just found me on their doorstep with all the documentation they needed. As far as the legal system is concerned I’ve never had any other parents.” Was it strange? Incredibly so, but it wasn’t even surprising at this point. Alfred actually looked relieved.

“That is for the best.” His tone was… she couldn’t place it and that worried her. He also seemed at a loss of how to continue but she just waited. She wasn’t sure if it was out of respect for him or because she wasn’t certain she wanted to hear what he had to say. “Once your DNA test hit the system Master Bruce wasn’t the only one to find it. Your mother actually contacted us as I was preparing to leave to make sure we would help protect you.” It took everything in her to keep a straight face. Protect her. If only he knew.

“From what exactly?” He didn’t want to tell her, she could see it. The question was how much was because he didn’t trust her?

“Have you ever heard of the League of Assassins?” His tone said he expected her to say no.

“League of Assassins? As in Ra’s and Talia al’Ghul?” She winced as soon as the words came out. She absolutely should not know that. Granted the shock on Alfred’s face was almost worth it. Almost.

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[passionate-reply]

Great Albums is kicking off Pride Month with a special feature on one of the weirdest and wildest queer artists of the New Wave era: the one and only Klaus Nomi! Combining glam, synth-pop, and opera, of all things, Nomi’s tragically short career is nothing short of mystifying. Check out the video or read the full transcript, below the break!

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! In this installment, I’ll be looking at the self-titled debut album of one of the most unique, incomparable, and unforgettable artists in music history: the one and only Klaus Nomi. What is it that makes Nomi so noteworthy? Perhaps the most obvious thing is his background as a classically trained opera singer. While a lot of pop vocalists have some degree of classical training, it’s rare to find one who worked so hard to bring ultra-mannered, literally operatic lead vocals into an otherwise pop context.

The other thing I should mention is that Nomi’s voice part was the “countertenor,” giving his vocals an even more unusual dimension. Countertenors are men who sing in a high range usually covered by women, and even in the operatic tradition, they weren’t necessarily all that common, particularly since the rise of opera coincided with that of the infamous castrati--male singers who were castrated to preserve their prepubescent voices. The combination of partially electronic, New Wave compositions with these bizarre, but ultimately “traditional” vocals results in something that sounds simply otherworldly.

Music: “Total Eclipse”

“Total Eclipse” is probably Nomi’s best known track, due in part to being featured in the seminal concert film Urgh! A Music War, which sought to capture the diversity of the early 80s New Wave scene. Like a lot of classic songs of this era, it tackles the subject of nuclear annihilation, albeit with a nearly depraved, gleeful tone, that makes it feel like more of a party. For the verses, Nomi adopts a sort of rhythmic speak-singing, which was much more par for the course for “New Wave” music, only to shockingly explode into a powerful operatic rendition of the refrain. It reminds me a bit of how, in musical theatre, tension builds through spoken dialogue, before characters are so emotional they feel compelled to burst into song--or, of course, how recitative blossoms into arias in opera. In the context of this particular track, it’s easy to interpret it as an embodiment of how “cold wars” can suddenly burst into flame. While “Total Eclipse” was a new composition, written specifically for Nomi by Kristian Hoffman, this album also features several covers of past hits, such as “You Don’t Own Me.”

Music: “You Don’t Own Me”

Nomi’s covers of the Midcentury pop ditties “Lightning Strikes” and “You Don’t Own Me” repeat the structure of “Total Eclipse,” showing that this signature pattern of increasing tension leading to increasingly mannered vocals is just as effective when retroactively applied to pre-existing compositions. What’s also significant about “You Don’t Own Me” is that it was originally written for a woman, Lesley Gore, and its defiant assertion of self-confidence has long been associated with women’s liberation. Being openly gay, Nomi sees fit to leave the lyric “play with other boys” just as it is, and could be interpreted to be deliberately emphasizing that last word, intentionally queering his rendition of the song. Nomi’s ability to sing in a traditionally female voice range, combined with his eccentric, gender-bending personal aesthetic, makes the interrogation of traditional concepts of gender an integral part of his art. Some of the other covers on the album are even older than the Midcentury, coming from the golden age of opera, such as “The Cold Song.”

Music: “The Cold Song”

Also known by its opening lyrics, “What power art thou?”, “The Cold Song” is a rare operatic aria that was actually designed for the countertenor voice part. It was written by the English composer William Purcell, a noted fan of countertenors who lived outside the influence of the Italian castrati, for his 1691 opera King Arthur. Well, King Arthur is actually what’s sometimes called a “semi-opera”: not all characters sing, and those who do often tend to be supernatural entities. “The Cold Song” is sung by a winter spirit called the Cold Genius, when reluctantly awakened from icy slumber by Cupid. His lines are sung so as to stutter, as he shivers from the freezing cold of his surrounds. Unlike the pop covers on the album, the arias are actually played pretty straight, almost as if they serve as evidence of Nomi’s actual chops doing traditional opera the old-fashioned way. “The Cold Song” is certainly a great fit for Nomi’s unique stage persona, which presented him as a fey or elfin non-human visitor from some mythical Otherworld, or perhaps an extraterrestrial from outer space. This theme is addressed most directly by the one track on this album composed entirely by Nomi himself: “Keys of Life.”

Music: “Keys of Life”

“Keys of Life” is the album’s opening track, and perhaps serves as Nomi’s personal introduction to the people of our realm--a sort of musical “we come in peace” message. Its lyrics seem to portray Nomi as a benevolent visitor, but one with a dire warning for mankind: we need to get our act together soon, for our actions now are of great import, as we humans “hold the keys of life.” Perhaps Nomi’s mission is to prevent climate catastrophe on Earth, or, given the context of “Total Eclipse,” a nuclear apocalypse. With its warbling synthesiser backdrop, and Nomi singing fully in the operatic style throughout, “Keys of Life” is arguably the most experimental piece to be had on the album, and putting it as the very first track certainly pulls no punches.

It is, of course, difficult to fully address the significance of Nomi’s persona without getting into his visual identity. The cover of Nomi’s self-titled debut features his most iconic outfit: an oversized plastic tuxedo, with hugely exaggerated shoulders, and a pointed hairstyle with a bit of Streamline Moderne flair. I mentioned earlier that Nomi’s work seems concerned with gender, and in that context, I’ve often interpreted this look as a sort of caricature of masculinity, parodying men’s formalwear and calling attention to Nomi’s receding hairline. There is certainly something absurd about a high-pitched, perhaps feminine-coded voice emerging from a ludicrously masculine sort of character. The use of thin, shiny, reflective plastic, and the aforementioned Midcentury feel of the hairstyle, make me also consider interpreting it as less of a parody, and more of an alien’s bad attempt at adopting the appearance of an “ordinary,” upstanding, conservative human male in attire, using space-age materials to cobble it together.

The oversized, geometric appearance of Nomi’s garb reminds me of the great Dada poet, Hugo Ball, founder of the legendary Cabaret Voltaire. Ball was the inventor of what he called “sound poetry,” and enacted lively readings of poetry that consisted of entirely nonsensical words. He did this while wearing a strange, cylindrical-shaped cardboard suit, said to restrict his movements so much that Ball needed to be ceremoniously carried off stage when he was finished reciting. Given their shared German heritage and cabaret avant-gardism, I can’t help but wonder if Ball’s striking costume was something of an influence on Nomi here.

This album is, of course, self-titled, but that, too, is an artistic choice that can be analyzed. The artist was born Klaus Sperber, but adopted the stage name “Nomi” for his creative endeavours. In the context of the track “The Nomi Song,” the name is often used punningly in comparison with the English phrase “know me.” Nomi’s choice of stage name is almost a dare or a challenge, a request for us to attempt to know and understand this seemingly inscrutable being before us. As with many other portrayals of queerness as alien or otherworldly, the messaging here seems to be that Nomi may seem different at first, but his intent is ultimately benign, should mere mortals like ourselves be kind enough to give him a chance.

Nomi’s follow-up to this debut album was 1982’s Simple Man, an album which is much more similar to its predecessor than different. It has a wider variety of contributing musicians and different instruments employed, but it’s got a similar overall feel, and mix of tracks. You’ll find more covers, like “Falling In Love Again” and even “Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead,” more original compositions, like the Hoffman-penned sequel to “Total Eclipse,” entitled “After the Fall,” and even some more arias, like this stunning rendition of another work of Purcell’s. Referred to here as simply “Death,” it comes from Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, and is sung by the titular Carthaginian queen, Dido, as she prepares to commit suicide. Also called “Dido’s Lament” or “Thy hand, Belinda,” its darkly descending melody is as captivatingly ominous today as it was when it was written, over three centuries ago.

Music: “Death”

Sadly, Nomi became gravely ill at around this time, and his own untimely death was just around the corner. He died of complications of AIDS in 1983, at the age of just 44, leaving behind an unfinished opera of his own creation, Za Bakdaz, which would go unreleased until 2008. That, and a posthumous live album released in 1986, would be the only other works under Nomi’s name. As with all artists who die tragically young, we will always be left wondering what else Klaus Nomi might’ve accomplished in the ensuing decades. I find it hard to imagine a timeline in which this sound ever became particularly mainstream, but anything else Nomi came up with would have undoubtedly been fascinating.

My favourite track on Nomi’s debut is “The Twist.” Yes, this is indeed Chubby Checker’s “The Twist,” another one of those Midcentury covers that Nomi was so fond of. But compared to the rest of Nomi’s covers, this one is much more of a deconstruction, perhaps even a “piss take,” featuring a sparse instrumentation, centered around a lethargic bass guitar, and the overall pace is slowed to a crawl. Add in Nomi’s piercing vocals and some nearly demonic, chittering laughter, and you’ve got a track that turns a fun, light-hearted dance craze into a surreal nightmare. As difficult as it is to be the strangest track on an album like this, I have to give that honour to “The Twist.” That’s all for today--thanks for watching!

Music: “The Twist”

[jewels2876]

Always. - A LOKI finale synopsis

So I thought I could write something magical or be inspired by the Loki finale for @the-th-horniest-book-club as it's their last day of celebration.

And it hit me. I can't.

Here's what I can do: dissect this episode down to its heartbreaking ending because at the end I still have a million questions and it's gonna take a cartoon What If?, a Spiderman movie, maybe a Hawkeye show?, and a Dr. Strange movie to answer them all and I'll STILL have questions after that.

Consider for just a moment what happened to 2012 Loki when the TVA captured him way back in Episode One - what the hell did removing Loki do to the MCU timeline? Thor: The Dark World never happened. And no I don't mean you can pretend Marvel put it out there because they did, and it's one of the worst Marvel movies, there I said it. But if TWD didn't happen, what else could have been affected?

And with that disturbing thought we begin...

The opening credits HAVE AUDIO! Every tag line uttered as the characters flash on the screen, EVEN LOKI gets his "We have a Hulk" in. It is awesome; it is glorious; it is expected with EVERY Marvel creation going forward.

Loki and Sylvie should know better than to stare at a door; they always seem to open on their own when that happens. Miss Minutes pops up out of nowhere, scaring the bejesus out of 70% of people, the other 30% wanted to see her one last time. And she's not the same Miss Minutes we first met. She's edgy, she's less peppy, and she gives our duo an offer. Honestly, she should have known the result but 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ravonna is doing something in her office; if she's cleaning it's a piss poor job. Miss Minutes shows up and tells Ravonna she gave her what she needs. Ominous.

Back to Loki and Sylvie who finally meet "He Who Remains." Now we all know guys with names like "He Who Must Not Be Named" are bad news. Guys, to answer the question asked in the show, I'm a little disappointed. The disappointment lasts about five seconds... The office they get transported to reminds me IMMEDIATELY of a certain movie and certain buildings we've seen before (insert duh at this point because you too have seen every Marvel movie ever.)

****** Side note: anyone know if Tom takes his tea with only two sugars? No? Yes? Okay getting back to other things ******

At this point, we get back to Ravonna and her lack of cleaning when Mobius shows up with the pruner (it has to have a cooler name! side side note: nope just glowing batons) and we get a nice little flashback to Original Ravonna (maybe?)

****** 2nd side note: since when did everyone who's not a Russo brother start using OHIO for origin stories? Seriously, go watch Black Widow. I'll wait.******

Now back to Loki, Sylvie, and He Who Remains, hereto known as HWR, who pulls the same trick we saw in the first episode with the "read and sign" guy with the adorable kitten. HWR needs a kitten, a pet at the very least. "You can't get to the end until you've been changed by the journey." HWR s is winding up for a pitch and also summarizes the show too. Loki asks if it's a manipulation; HWR finds the word interesting and I do to. Here's why:

Odin manipulated Loki's abandonment to his advantage

Thanos put Loki under mind control and used him

This is the 2012 Loki as a reminder, so he hasn't been subjected to imprisonment on Asgard or the brotherly banter/squabbles he and Thor have escaping Asgard, nor “Get help” from Ragnarok so it should come as no shock that Loki looks angry. After all, Odin and Thanos kind of killed any hope in Loki of feeling wanted or needed. Aren’t father figures supposed to instill hope, instead of disgust? Yeah, I can answer that one but that’d be an entire other post.

Now we’re back to Ravonna and Mobius and they spat over who was more betrayed - news flash: it was Mobius. But Ravonna has to do for the digs. “Those variants?” “You threw it away for a couple of Lokis.”  Mobius tries to reason with Ravonna, sounding exactly like Glenda and Elphaba from Wicked (his “together” is spot on Glenda!) Ravonna opens a portal looking for “free will” after giving Mobius one last beatdown.

And we’re back to Loki, Sylvie and HWR. HWR gives them a bit of his backstory; I have a suspicion he’s glossed over some of it (he admits being called a conqueror for cryin’ out loud!) He has a maniacal moment, standing on his desk, voice getting a little shrill and thin. He also admits he’s probably the saner of his variants (my words not his.) Then after his real-man-behind-the-curtain routine he makes them an offer. Take his place. Loki, who has been remarkably non verbal, asks why HWR would give up control. Good question from the guy who wants to be in control yet was meant to thrive on chaos he creates. If anyone is keeping score, questions have been asked but not a single ANSWER has been given! Sylvie isn’t believing a single word while our Loki’s wheels are turning.

****** 3rd side note: the acting has been PHENOMENAL this entire series. Forget what Marvel promised and didn’t deliver (fluid Loki) and a scene we’ll be getting to, Tom and company have been nothing short of an Emmy, which I expect next year.******

HWR finally gets fed up with Sylvie and tells her to grow up. Because she took her pruning personally. Now I’m not going to say she shouldn’t be upset about her pruning; Marvel made it A POINT of showing her playing, content on Asgard, when they took her. But HWR has a point. He’s offering an option that allows Loki and Sylvie to do whatever they feel is best and it’s the wrong time for Sylvie to get in her feelings. Of course 99% of us know that’s EXACTLY when feelings choose to surface.

Then something happens - we don’t know who or what did it. Was it Ravonna and her leaving? Did Ravonna meet someone we suspect? Was it Mobius? Miss Minutes? The agents? We may never know exactly but now HWR is actually in the dark. Mr. Know-It-All suddenly doesn’t know it all.

Sylvie thinks she has her opportunity to fulfil her quest but it’s our Loki who protects HWR. Loki doesn’t tell her she’s wrong or right, just to stop and THINK. And now we get a glimpse of 2018 Loki:

See the bigger picture

Let’s talk about it

I believe HWR

What fills the void of a dictator?

What if we unleash something worse than HWR?

Now here’s where Marvel gets an B+ in character development. They took the 2012 Loki hell bent on destroying Earth to rule it and gave him just enough growth to become the 2018 redeemed Loki ODINSON, willing to sacrifice himself to Thanos (even if he did think he wouldn’t die.) It’s not a perfect arc by any means, but Marvel got there and this is one thing I applaud.

Sylvie now thinks Loki is lying to her to get to a throne and is clearly upset they are not seeing eye to eye on this and another point to Marvel. Loki, for only seeing a few videos that Mobius showed him, still has more life experience in his SINGULAR moment with Thanos to know that there is ALWAYS something bigger, badder, WORSE around the corner and he does NOT want to make the wrong decision. Wow.

To trust or not to trust. 

It’s a beautiful sword fight that HWR sits back and watches like it’s ESPN. The lighting is gorgeous behind the action and is leading up to my next OMG moment: STOP.

Loki asks Sylvie to stop, almost like a child. Like someone who knows exactly where the fight leads, where it goes, and where it ends. And he says as much to her as well. Sylvie feels like that person who just wants the fight to be over; she hunches into Tom’s space and the lighting suddenly stays green and blue. Guess who’s green? Guess who is blue?

This goes back to my Emmy mention. Even if it’s ONLY for technical work, it’s so deserving. Sylvie, in green, tired, emotional, struggling with something we aren’t supposed to know just yet. Loki, in blue, almost as if his Jotun form has taken over, strong, sensible, relatable, empathetic.

And then that damn kiss!  Marvel missed another opportunity here. Two Lokis had the opportunity to show self-love, familial love, friendly love, ANYTHING BUT A DAMN KISS!!! I’m not saying they couldn’t have feelings for each other, but it NEVER has to be romantic just because it’s a guy and a girl. **dramatic sigh goes here**

Sylvie pushes Loki through a portal she has opened, then turns to stab HWR through the chest, as he predicted. HWR actually chuckles, which makes me wonder if he expected this exact turn of events. As if we’ll ever know for sure.

Of course the timeline is going nebular and we’re treated to a shot back to the TVA. Mobius and B-15 exchange words as they watch the timelines grow and grow. Loki is sitting on a couch at the TVA and decides he’s not done? You’re supposed to guess the motivation because everything seems normal at the TVA. Loki finds Mobius and B-15 and admits to everything. Loki calling HWR terrifying is terrifying all on is own. And this of course is where it ends.

The post credit scene is just a “Loki returns in Season Two.”

Guys, this season was a mixed bag. There was some good, there was some not so good; there were laughs and a couple of tears. But it also has me SO HYPED for what’s to come. More Loki, more Marvel content, more... everything, I hope!

[shiny-procrastinates]

(re)Watching Magia Record S1 - part 12

part 11 here

Hello and welcome back everyone to this kinda watch-along of Magia Record s1. Last time, Mifuyu invited our girls to a lecture about the "salvation" her cult is preaching and took the opportunity to make a psychological attack on Yachiyo, who's now avoiding her team. Oh, and also Momoko was going to tell the truth to Rena. How will the girls react to learning the truth about magical girls? Why did Yachiyo suddenly start distancing herself from the others? We can only find that out by watching, so let's get on to this penultimate episode!

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story: Magia Record S1 episode 12

Yachiyo's seriously not having a good time since she saw Mifuyu. After talking briefly with what I guess are the illusions of old companions of hers and denying that the girls are her friends, Yachiyo decides to follow after Iroha and co. with the excuse of being unable to ignore other magical girls being fooled.

pft, what a callback, I can't believe she's still tracking Felicia. Yachiyo, please, you look like a stalker lol

Back at Memory Museum, Iroha's having a not very pleasant reunion with one of her best friends (also Felicia's growling at her haha). Iroha refuses to accept the reality that Touka's a Magius, since she thinks that the Touka she knows would never do that, but Touka really doesn't remember either her or Ui.

While Touka Mary Poppins around, Mifuyu steps in on their little argument, reminding Touka that she's supposed to be giving them a lecture, and Iroha also pulls herself together to do what she actually went there for.

Oh, that's a nice transition to the op, I forgot that happened. I forgot this ep had the opening at all.

Back at the bridge, Momoko's about to let Rena in on the truth about magical girls, when a certain person joins them.

Kaede! Long time no see. Normally, I'd be glad to see her back, but there's just something very ominous about her showing up now of all times, with a black umbrella and smiling, after what happened to her.

While that's going on, Iroha's team is getting a very handy educational slideshow on Magical Girls, courtesy of Touka. First, she proposes the scenario of a Soul Gem breaking, asking our girls what would happen in that case. After Sana and Tsuruno get it not wrong but not exactly right either, Touka gives them the answer: The Magical Girl dies.

Alas, that's a very Touka slideshow indeed, condescendingly giving a lot of synonyms for "death" just to make sure you get it. Thanks, Touka.

Back at the bridge, I wasn't imagining it, there really must be something weird going on with Kaede. Did popping a witch really break her this much? Rena hugs Kaede, who apologizes and promises they’ll be together forever now... in any other situation, I'd say that's really sweet, but right now it's really disturbing. Then, Kaede-

Kaede? KAEDE? Why and how do you know about that already?! Did Momoko tell you? Momoko's also acting suspicious. Just what the heck is going on here?

Thanks for this shot anime. Yes, Touka does very much sound like the white weasel here.

In Memory Museum, Touka explains what exactly a Soul Gem is, to the very understandable shock of Iroha and the others. After complaining about their inability to keep up, Touka urges them to move on to the next part of the lecture: "Magical Girl Theory: About Witches". Ohh man here we go.

Exactly what part of being a magical girl is exciting escapes my understanding. Maybe "scary" or "hopeless" would be a better descriptor. That aside, no wonder the rumor says you'd be affected by the memory you saw. Vicariously experiencing it is a whole 'nother deal...

Except that they don't. Unlike the game, they only get to watch the memories, not take part in them. One has to wonder why the script even bothered having Mifuyu say that if they weren't going to do it after all.

In Mifuyu's memory, just like Touka had described earlier, Yachiyo's group, who at the time was her, Mifuyu and one of the girls Yachiyo had hallucinated earlier, Kanae, are having a hard time against a powerful witch. When taking an attack from the witch head on, Kanae's Soul Gem ends up cracking and breaking so, although she managed to reflect the attack and kill the witch, she dies.

So that's how Yachiyo and Mifuyu learnt the truth about the Soul Gems, and now the Mikadzuki girls were proved that through their memories (though it's specifically Mifuyu's memory).

Back at the entrance, Yachiyo has finally caught up with the group (kinda). Touka tries to talk to her, maybe to buy some time, but Yachiyo gives absolutely zero cares and just slides down the rope like she's in some video game. Girl has no chill huh, didn't even wait to hear Touka's name, which means she has no idea that that’s one of the people Iroha was looking for.

Continuing the "practical part" of the lecture, Iroha's now seeing Mifuyu's memories from some time (years, I think) later. By this time, she and Yachiyo already had a new team with Tsuruno, Momoko and Mel, one of the other girls Yachiyo had seen the illusion of earlier, and Mikadzuki Villa was basically back to normal.

That day, when Tsuruno was busy, Yachiyo and team went to hunt a witch who had moved all the way from the east to their own ward. Like in the previous memory, the witch was powerful and her team was having a hard time, so Yachiyo told them to run away while she distracted it (remember Seance Shrine?). However, Yachiyo ends up in a pinch and Mel, the day's lucky girl, ignores Yachiyo's order and comes in to save her.

The result, too, is very much like Seance Shrine. Mel used up all her magic on saving Yachiyo and, before they can go find a Grief Seed to purify her Gem, Mel ends up witching out.

I have to say though, even though it's her own memories, Mifuyu's being pretty damn cold about this. Man, how can you watch this smiling? Are you alright? (from the point she's a magical girl, probably not.)

Rena, who probably just heard this very same story, is having the expected reaction.

Back then, Momoko was indignant to learn this truth, pressing Kyuubei for answers. The stupid cat-rabbit, however, gives the very same explanation he had given on the og about magical girls and saving the universe.

With this, Iroha's team has also learnt the truth behind Witches, whether they wanted to or not. I feel Kyuubei would like to complain about that statement saying that he's fooling someone, considering his stance is "no one asked".

That was the end to that part, but it seems there was still more to be learned here, since the lecture is not over and we continue seeing Mifuyu's memories from after that.

Mifuyu felt pretty damn miserable after what happened to Mel and couldn't get over it even after half a year had passed. Momoko tells her to just forget it already, but Mifuyu just can't. Momoko also says they shouldn't tell Tsuruno, which explains why she didn't know.

Unable to forget and unable to tell anyone about it, Mifuyu ends up witching out... or, that's what should happen normally, but instead of witching out for real Mifuyu releases her impurities to an outside form, just like Iroha, Kaede, the Amane twins and Alina all did throughout the series.

At this point, Touka cuts in to continue her lecture, now on exactly what is this event that we had been wondering the whole series about. Thanks, Touka.

According to Touka, these crystallizations of a magical girl's impurities is called a Doppel and she's the one that created the system that makes them possible. That, itself, is the proof of "salvation" that the Magius are preaching, and their goal is to reject Kyuubei's system, releasing all magical girls. Well... that's fine and all, but 1: how are you doing this; and 2: why do you need Rumors and witches for that? Still fishy.

Poor magical girls indeed.

Oh, oh no Kaede also entered the cult, she's now repeating the salvation spiel!

At the same time, Iroha and co. are also at their last stop.

I really, really like how this last scene fells like Mifuyu is inviting us, the viewers, to join the cult too. Almost makes you want to root for them... almost.

Because being meguka is suffering.

- x - (if you have been reading this as a hamster face, you're right)

Aaand that's it for episode 12! Finally, FINALLY I can call doppeling out by what it is without it being a spoiler, thank god... but now it doesn't matter because there's only one episode left, dammit >:v

So yeah, there's the explanation, kinda. It's not like they were breaking any rules (if we ignore the fact this universe shouldn't exist at all thanks to Madokami), but more that Kamihama is a special place. And yet we still have no idea of how exactly the cult's doing this, what is a Rumor, why exactly are they collecting emotional energy like Kyuubei would... actually there's one more thing that makes the cult not much better isn't it, Touka's saying they reject Kyuubei system and yet they're doing the exact same thing as them, that's super shady. Also there's no way there's no consequence to doppeling out when this series works on equivalent exchange, there's definitely gotta be some con to it. SO MANY QUESTIONS.

Talking about questions, I'm always curious about the exact timeline for this story. Whenever they talk about Mel's incident, they say it was "one year ago", and then half a year later Mifuyu's still not over it and it seems like she doppels out at this point, but in the game they say it takes another half year before that happens, I think(?). Which always left me the question of: When exactly did the Magius start acting then? It should've taken some time to get the organization as big as it is now, so one has to wonder how long ago did the incidents in Kamihama start, since by the time Iroha shows up the magical girls here already seem used to it. This always leaves me feeling like this “one year ago” is closer to “almost two years ago” rather than “a bit over a year ago”. At least by this time in the story, it should be.

Knowing exactly when did The Wings of the Magius start would also let us guess at how long Iroha herself has been a magical girl, since Touka was probably still hospitalized when she made her wish. If Iroha's really been a magical girl for over half a year, that'd explain why she was already used to it by the time she came to Kamihama, despite being weak. Rather, that'd mean she's done a great job surviving thus far considering how she's only been shown sucking at battles lol (I’ll probably never get the answer to this, tho)

By the way, we STILL have no clue as to what happened to Iroha's little sister... I don't think we're making any progress on this front this season anymore. Poor Ui, even the show forgot about her.

So yeah, that was ep 12. Next episode, hopefully, we'll get more on the reactions of our girls upon learning the truth, and see what Yachiyo plans to do, if she had a plan at all coming here... which I suspect she doesn't, she's in fact even too late to do anything about it. I told you she'd regret it! The next episode's also the last one for this season, so you can look forward to having some awesome thing to tie it off *wink*

This is it for this post, hope to see you again on the next one. Have a good morning/afternoon/evening and remember to stay hydrated!

[time-machine-fart]

Steve Rogers Soulmate AU

Pairings: Reader x Steve 

Timeline: After Age of Ultron. 

Warnings: The reader is subjected to a little bit of violence by HYDRA agents. Also a little mention of depression I guess??

Words: 3420

Summary:  All you see is darkness. Your face, your home, the sky... everything is in black and white. You wonder when will your soulmate touch you and finally get to step into the brightness, to see colours. But then one afternoon at the Stark Tower you meet him in the most unfortunate circumstances. Will you join him or let him go?

There are millions of ways you could start a story. You could start it by saying a random stranger tipped you $500 dollars.You could start by saying you were suddenly transported on a crashing airplane. You could start by saying you woke up to your cat singing Shake It Off.

Or…you could start your story with a bomb explosion.

Well, because that’s what happens in this story.

An eardrum shattering bomb explosion is what broke you from your trance. An immense force of energy threw your body to the hard floor. You look behind with your panic-stricken eyes to see Pepper Pott’s once enormously opulent office batter down to rubble and dust. The door, the paintings and the flower vases that lined the entryway were obliterated to pieces.

Your head banged against Pepper’s mohagony table. You heard her chair scrape the floor as she got up and hurriedly ran around the table to help you up. With a grunt she pulled you up and in no moment you were standing on your two feet. Her eyes looked just as confused and scared as yours did.

“What’s happening?” you ask her breathlessly, yet you know she knows just as little as you do.

“No idea.” She looked around her office. Now that’s a question she can’t answer. She must have had experience with this kind of thing, you thought, after all she was Iron Man’s wife. Her husband invited danger at their footsteps with open arms.

But you were normal. The only reason you were in the most secured building in the world in the first place was because you had come to interview Pepper on her new charity project to help the victims of Ultron’s attack.

The magazine is going to have a gala time when they hear what happened here, you thought, if only you get home alive, your voice ominously added.

You felt hard to breathe. You clung onto the desk as you calmed yourself. But everytime you thought it was gonna be okay, the realistic part of your brain told you that you won’t because the bomb was strategically placed outside the office, which means whoever bombed the floor wanted to kill everyone in this room. Clearly it didn’t. Now they are coming for us.

Pepper looked at you reassuringly. Do something! your eyes pleaded.

She whipped out her cell phone and franctically typed the digits on the keypad. As she waited for someone to pick up her call, you wondered if you both would even get out alive. She has a better advantage at surviving, you bitterly thought.  For one, she can see in colours. She had found her soulmate. And second, her husband is Iron Man. He is probably on his way here right now, even though he’s at the other side of the country at the moment.

“Happy? What’s happening outside?” she screamed into her phone. The voice at the other end of the line answered in the same urgent tone, yet they seemed to have a control in their voice. Pepper shut her phone and rubbed her temples.

“What happened?” you asked her impatiently. Before she could answer you, the sound of shattering glass engulfed your ears.

A loud ring settled in your ears as you turned around to see the entire wall of glass that overlooked the New York City shatter to bits and 4 armed men in black uniforms in harnesses stand before you, with menacing faces.

Two stepped forth and harshly pulled you up. You thrashed against their grip but no avail. They were twice the size you were. You alarmingly turned your head to check on Pepper. The man had taken off his goggles and now was holding her at gun-point. ‘Rumlow’ said the name tag on his uniform. You shuddered internally when you saw his mask. He looked like a Death Eater that escaped a Harry Potter cosplay.

“Give me the access to your files now or get your brains blown out.” he said with gritted teeth.

Pepper looked at him dead in the eye. “No,” she said.

Even though you were in the most dire situation you could ever be in, you couldn’t help but admire her more.

Rumlow cocked his gun. “I’ll count to five. I want the files NOW!” his loud voice reverberated across the room.

Pepper smirked. “You know I’m the only one who can give access to the files. You kill me, and you’ll never get them.”

Your insides jumped with joy. Yes, Pepper! Take that, Rumlow! You wanted to laugh at his face.

But then Rumlow withdrew his gun. He let out a dark chuckle.

“Fine, I won’t get the files if you are killed,” his body casually ambled towards you. “But what if I killed her? Would you give it to me then?” Suddenly his gun was now on your forehead. Your legs turned to jelly. You never would have thought you’d see a gun so up close, but now you could smell the gunpowder. You wondered how many life did this weapon claim before it would claim yours.

A feeling of hesitation flashed across Pepper’s eyes.

“Kill me.” You say abruptly. Pepper looks at you with wide warning eyes and Rumlow’s eye twitches with annoyance. You didn’t know why you said that. You didn’t even know what Pepper was hiding. But they clearly are the bad guys, and if they get the information even more worse could happen. You had to die.

“It’s fine, Pepper. Don’t give them whatever they are demanding from you, I’ll be oka—” You stopped speaking because Rumlow had slapped you hard across your face. You gasped in pain. You wanted to fall down. But the two men dug their fingers harder in your arms, forcing you to stand, yet your back limped.

This is how it’s gonna end for me now, you thought. But then a flash of black mass whizzed past your eyes and before you could comprehend what happened, Rumlow had fallen to the ground, and a tall, muscular man was standing on top of him.

Before you could look at him properly, he was already off fighting the other man who was standing besides Rumlow. The two men pushed you away as they fired at him. Right when you thought that was going to be the his end, he whipped out his shield. Bullets clattered at his feet. You widened your eyes in realization. He was Captain America.

You stood back as he fought with the other two men. His moves were fast and strong, the two men who first looked so bulky to you when they first came in, now looked like dried raisins. They laid defeated in less than 2 minutes.

He turned to look at Pepper. “You okay, Pep?” he hastily questioned her. Before she could respond, you let out a squeal as someone roughly grabbed your hair in a fist and dragged you to the broken windows. You were now dangling on the edge, just an inch away from a 200 floor drop.You steadied your breathing. “I’m warning you, blondie. Give it, or she’s dead” Rumlow threatened them, and you wondered what did ‘blondie’ mean.

You managed to turn back a little. Captain looked at you hesitantly. “Don’t give it” you manage to get the words out. Rumlow’s grip on your hair loosens but instead he pushes you over. You scream at the top of your lungs as your body dangles above the city. You desperately try to catch anything other than Rumlow’s hand. You grab the rubble and pull yourself over the edge, enough to look at the captain. “LAST WARNING!” He yelled. Captain looked threatened. No no! He should not worry about me! You think.

“Don’t give it to them!” you yell.

There was a momentary silence. Captain seemed flustered. Even a flash of movement in his eyes would mean Rumlow would drop me. You closed your eyes. This can’t go on forever. You braced for your death, because it was going to happen at some point or another. But then Pepper, who was silent all this time lifted the fallen gun and shot 3 bullets into Rumlow’s chest.

Rumlow’s lifeless body toppled over, taking mine with him too.  You scream and shut your eyes, preparing for the inevitable when a rough hand grabs your own. Captain America pulls you up and you crash into his chest. Your legs seemed to have given up as you fall down again, but this time he wouldn’t let you fall. You sit down away from the window, your back supported by his left arm and you notice his right hand still was entagled in your own. His arms were protectively wrapped around you.

Before you could thank him, something happened.

First you thought it was blood on his chest. But then it turned bright. And then his entire chest glowed. You shielded your eyes, it was that bright. Now you understood why people never looked at the Sun.

Then your chest glowed. Warmth spread through your body. You looked around. The world was slowly morphing itself from dark black hues to bright colours that you didn’t yet know the names of. You momentarily forgot how to breathe. You looked around. Everything was so beautiful, you could cry right there and then.

And then you looked at him. You saw his eyes. You saw his face, you saw his body and you saw his hand entangled in yours. He was looking at you with awe. He is so handsome, you shamelessy thought.

“You-you are my – are you my –?”

“Yeah I-I guess.” He broke in. “I am Steve Rogers…and I guess I am your soulmate now.”

________________

________________

Steve Rogers. The man who saved New York City 3 years ago from an alien attack, the man who was frozen in ice for 70 years, the man who took down HYDRA singlehandedly and who saved the city of Sokovia and the entire planet from mass extinction was your soulmate, a journalist from Brooklyn who’s only special “quality” being your double jointed elbows.

Your cheeks felt hot. You had to look away sometime. With your hand still in his, and a couple of ‘ouch’s and ‘thank you’s later, you managed to get up with his help. “I’m Y/N” you say. His eyes twinkled in recognition. You felt he wanted to say, something but an urgent voice interrupted the trance you were in.

“Steve!” Pepper called out. She was looking out the window with terrified eyes.

You almost forgot Pepper was standing right behind you both, and you internally kicked yourself for looking like a dreamy puppy in front of her and Steve.

Steve ran towards where she was standing, and your hands missed his warmth after he dropped them.

Steve cursed under his breath as he looked below.

You too went that way see what they were so troubled about. You couldn’t see it at first, but then you noticed. A black parachute with some logo on it was rapidly dropping to the ground. Rumlow. How did he get out alive?

“Bullet-proof vest” Steve said, like he could read your mind. You noticed his demeanor changed completely. He looked alert and focused again.

The sound of static interrupted your thoughts. “Falcon. Rumlow is escaping. Do you have a 20 on him?” he talked into his earpiece. He stood silent as he heard what this ‘Falcon’ was telling him.

“I have to go.” Steve abruptly said. Before you could ask him where, a sound of missile approaching filled your ears. Your heart started racing as you thought of this room exploding into a ball of fire and the flesh of your bodies melting but then you realized that it wasn’t a missile. It was Iron Man. He landed where Pepper was standing. He ran into Pepper’s arms before even his mask would come off.

His hands cupped her cheeks and he softly asked her if she was okay and she said yes. He sighed and turned to Steve.

“Would you mind explaining why did a bomb go off in front of my girlfriend’s office and why did I see a parachute with HYDRA logo on it?” he said sharply.

“I don’t have time to explain. We have to stop him. He’s Rumlow, a HYDRA agent. Follow him.” He briskly walked past me, towards the door.

“Wait, and where are you going?” Stark called out to him.

“There are more down the corridor, holding people hostages. Wilson needs my help.” And with that he was gone.

“I’ll be okay” you heard Tony say to Pepper and with that he was gone too, leaving you and Pepper alone again.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  

He was gone 14 minutes. Yes, you counted. But those fourteen minutes felt like 14 years. You flinched every time you heard a gun shot and you wondered if that bullet was the one that would claim the life of your soulmate.

You were surprised at how little you could do in a room full of rubble, broken glass shards, a file in a computer that you were going to sacrifice your life for, and a woman who was an Avenger’s girlfriend. You finally understood what 'blondie’ meant. It was her hair colour. She told you her hair colour was called 'golden’. She pointed to the sky and told you it was blue. She said a lot of colours after that, and your head was swimming with new words that were trying to be implant themselves in your vocabulary. You didn’t know what else to ask her. You, a journalist, who’s job revolves around asking questions, could not even bring one word out of your mouth. But your head was racing with questions.

HYDRA was still alive? You remembered reading articles about SHIELD taking down HYDRA two years ago but you didn’t know that some escaped. And you just saw Tony Stark.

You would look up to him as an idol even before he became Iron Man. You would use his qualities of perseverance and wisdom as a motivation to study. You used to marvel at his intelligence. You still do.

But all these questions and words, no matter how urgently you wanted to tell Pepper, you couldn’t. It didn’t feel like a time to ask those questions. Her soulmate was out there fighting, and yours too. You never felt more anxious.

But then Iron Man came back. Before he could say anything to Pepper, words came out of your mouth before you could stop them. “What happened? Did you capture him yet? Is Steve okay?” you hurled your questions at the man. He turned to you, his face contorted in confusion. “Do I know you?” he asked impatiently.

“I- I am a journalist. I was interviewing Pepper before those HYDRA people attacked us –”

“Liar,” he interrupted. “You’re a SHIELD agent too, aren’t you? What, is Natasha taking interns now?” he said.

Before you could reply, Pepper interjected. “No, Tony-Tony, she’s just a journalist, she’s not lying. And please be nice to her! She almost sacrificed her life to protect those files!” she scolded him.

Tony’s expressions softened a little. “Alright, sorry.” He sighed. “Look, you need to go home. It was very brave, whatever you did, but now you need to go somewhere safe.”

“What about Steve?” you hesitantly asked him.

He looked at you with pure confusion. “What…about him?” he asked.

“She’s his soulmate, Tony.” Pepper informed him.

He looked at you again, but now with plain shock. If you weren’t in this situation now, you would’ve laughed.

He turned to Pepper and they bickered under hushed tones. What are you talking about? You wanted to ask them.

“What’s your full name?” he was now in front of you.

“Y/F/N” you say.

“Okay, with that information I can access your address,  your phone number, your social security number and even your kindergarten report card. Don’t worry, I won’t do it though,” he said when you looked at him with a horrified face. “Basically what I’m saying is Steve will know where you are, but right now he’s chasing a bad guy. You need to go home. I’ll call you a driver.”

Before you could say anything more, “Uh bup bup bup. No more questions. Take the staircase. Bye!” He interrupted you, and with that you were out the door. I guess that conversation is over.

You followed the protocol, and an evacuation team brought you out of the building. You find the driver, and before you sit inside you look up at the building and wonder where he was. Probably not even there anymore. Dejected, you sat in the backseat and wondered when would you see him again.

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

You forgot what sleep was. It was 1:07 am and you didn’t sleep a wink. You were pacing inside your living room, holding your third can of Red Bull. What was in those files? Why did Rumlow want them? Where was Steve now? Your scolded your mind for thinking about him too much. You flipped through all the news channels, but none showed where Steve was. All they showed was a clip of a white van being chased by Steve on a bike, which was recorded by a pedestrian. That’s it. Nothing more.

Your office called you after they saw the news. You assured them you were fine. They told you to take a day or two off, and you gladly obliged.

But your insides were gnawing away your soul. You wanted to tell someone about everything that went down today.  You called your parents, and told them what happened. You left the part out about where you were willingly letting HYDRA kill you like a sacrificial lamb, and the part about Steve Rogers. You weren’t ready for them to know about him yet.

But you still wanted someone to comfort you, to hug you and ask if you were truly okay. You wanted to cry, you wanted to laugh and you wanted to be excited with someone. But you couldn’t, because no one was there for you.

Your heart fell heavy when you thought of your best friend. No, stop thinking about her, your voice echoed weakly. She’s gone.

You just couldn’t rest. There was so much that happened today. You could see colours. Every place you went, even in your apartment, seemed completely new. You went on the internet to learn the colours, though they were the least important thing on your mind. But you had to distract yourself. You found out Steve’s suit was red, blue and white. Just like the American flag. You snorted at how extra he was.

You also saw everyone differently. You noticed the doorman’s skin colour was dark and rich and you noticed your neighbour’s dog was white in colour. You looked in the mirror and the person looking back at you seemed someone else, someone new.

Maybe this was the concept of soulmates. You become different after you meet them. You even see differently after meeting them. It’s a beautiful concept, you think. Your hand touched your chest where it glowed golden 8 hours ago. You recollected that warm feeling that spread throughout your body. You caught yourself smiling as you thought of it. That feeling brought you happiness.

A phone ring reverberated across the living room. You get up instantly and grab your phone. It was an unknown caller ID. Like a nervous child who never spoke on a phone before, you practised the 'Hello?’ in your head.

Stop being a child! You scold yourself.

“Hello?” you say after finally picking up the phone.

“Y/N?” the voice says. It’s him. You bite your lip, trying not to smile too much.

“Hi” you say politely.

“Are you home right now?” he asked. You could figure from the noises at the other end of the line that he was out.

“Yeah, why?” you ask.

“Look out the window”

Your stomach leaped with joy. You looked out the window to search for his silhouette. You found him across the street, leaning on his bike. He wore a dark brown leather jacket and a small smile on his face.

He raised his hand to wave at you.

“Hey” he said softly.

“Hi” you replied.

_______________________

Thanks for reading! Should I make this into a series? Idk lol

[aion-rsa]

Marvel’s Loki Episode 5: MCU Easter Eggs and References

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This article contains Loki episode 5 spoilers.

Marvel’s Loki episode 5 is a big one. Yes, we know…last week felt like that. And the one before it, too. But this one really IS, with the entire episode taking place (as DoG’s Kayti Burt put it) on top of a literal “trash pile of MCU and Marvel Comics Easter eggs.”

With that in mind, let’s have some fun with all the incredible Marvel references they managed to sneak into Loki episode 5.

Journey Into Mystery

You probably already know this, but Journey Into Mystery was the book that first introduced the Marvel Comics version of Thor, with Loki following shortly after. The title eventually was just renamed Thor since the Asgardians had become the primary focus of the book for years by that point. However, Journey Into Mystery was revived a few years back, with its primary focus being on the adventures of Kid Loki this time around.

Thanos Copter

The Lokis pass a helicopter with “THANOS” on the side. This is a reference to Spidey Super Stories #39 from 1979. The all-ages comic featured a story of Spider-Man and the Cat (Hellcat) taking on Thanos, who was on the hunt for the Cosmic Cube. He flew around New York City in his own helicopter with his name on the side. The reference comes up as a joke here and there, including an issue of Deadpool. Even Thanos’ giant two-sided blade weapon from Avengers: Endgame has been considered by many to be a sly reference to the Thanos Copter.

Ecto-Cooler

While the Lokis are all drinking wine, Kid Loki is shown drinking Hi-C Ecto Cooler. The Slimer-based citrus drink was a tie-in to The Real Ghostbusters cartoon of the 1980s and lasted into 2001 due to its popularity. Afterwards, it became a fondly-remembered relic to time. Ecto Cooler made a brief return in 2016 to coincide with the Ghostbusters reboot. Sadly, there’s no news of it coming back for the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie.

Speaking of Kid Loki…

Kid Loki

Kid Loki seems to be wielding a flaming sword, which looks an awful lot like Laevateinn, the sword he wielded in the Loki: Agent of Asgard comics.

Polybius

In the background of the Lokis’ lair, we see a Polybius arcade machine. Polybius is a long-running urban legend. Supposedly, back in 1981, an arcade machine was set up in Portland, Oregon, watched over by various men in black. The game was so addicting that it caused fights to break out and horrible side-effects to its players. We wrote more about the decades-old mystery of Polybius right here.

Pretty sure there’s an old Williams Space Pinball machine in there, too but that’s not as wild as Polybius.

The Void

Fittingly, the realm where all the pruned victims end up is called the Void. In the comics, the Void is a dark, inexplicable, and possibly biblical entity that acts as the evil side to the Sentry. During the storyline Siege, the Void murdered Loki, which facilitated his rebirth as Kid Loki.

Alioth

Alioth first appeared in Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #1, the same 1993 comic that also introduced Ravonna Renslayer to the world…and one that features Kang as its central villain. Hmmmm…

Oh, and Alioth was co-created by Mobius M. Mobius inspiration/model Mark Gruenwald, who gets another shout later in the episode.

Vote Loki

The “politician Loki” who we see leading (inasumuch as they can/want to be led) the loose coalition of Variant Lokis is modeled almost exactly on the version of Loki from Marvel’s Vote Loki story by Christopher Hastings, Langdon Foss, and Paul McCaffery. In it, Loki ends up running for President, with his ridiculous campaign built on the “honest” deception of openly lying to the American people inadvertently aided by a credulous news media. It’s a good read and you should check it out.

This episode also engages in the old MCU/Star Wars tradition of someone getting a hand cut off…in this case it’s our pal, “Vote Loki.”

Frog Thor

A frog resembling Thor is shown in a jar labeled “T365.” Wouldn’t you know it, Thor #365 is the issue where Loki transforms Thor into a frog. Yes, it was a whole thing. Walt Simonson’s run on the Thor comics is really spectacular.

“Frog Thor” also got a mention in Thor: Ragnarok, during the “play within the movie” seen as “Loki” apologized to “Thor” for turning him into a frog.

You know, there’s even an independent wrestler with a Thor Frog gimmick. Life is beautiful sometimes.

Classic Loki

So it appears that Classic Loki is basically what would have happened if “our” Loki survived the opening of Avengers: Infinity War, which he did by allowing Thanos to kill a duplicate while he disguised himself as some debris. Classic Loki went into hiding and developed a taste for brighter greens and yellows, and aged into Richard E. Grant, before he was pruned by the TVA and found himself here in the Void.

Classic Loki’s line about “the god of outcasts” comes from 2019’s Loki #5, by Daniel Kibblesmith and Andy McDonald:

“I am Loki. God of outcasts. They see themselves in me. And I in them. All of us, alone together. It’s why my stories always end with someone trying to put me in a box. And begin with my spectacular escape.”

Later in the episode, Classic Loki and Kid Loki literally “exit stage right,” in what feels like a very deliberately “stagey” moment that plays on the Shakespearean overtones of all of this.

The Living Tribunal

On the ground in the Void there’s a large severed head…and it’s that of The Living Tribunal, a cosmic entity created by Stan Lee and Marie Severin back in 1967. The presence of a Living Tribunal (even one who is dead at this present time), whose entire purpose for being is predicated on the existence of a multiverse, means that the TVA is trying very hard to cut all ties and any evidence of the fact that the multiverse is already out there.

U.S.S. Eldridge

The USS Eldridge was a real Cannon-class destroyer in the U.S. Navy in use from 1943 to 1992. It was supposedly sold for scrap after it was decommissioned but Loki posits that perhaps it was an unwanted Variant in the Sacred Timeline. Perhaps this is because the ship was rumored to be subjected to the “Philadelphia Experiment” that was supposed to render it invisible to the human eye. The story is sadly probably a hoax.

There’s a not exactly great 1984 movie called The Philadelphia Experiment which adds time travel to the equation, making this little callback even more Loki appropriate.

Is That Stan Lee?

At about 9:38 there’s a mural in the TVA headquarters. On the right there’s a guy in prescription shades, with a familiar moustache and salt-and-pepper hair. We’re not saying that’s Stan Lee, but…

The Castle

Yes, we know, that ominous castle sure looks like Doctor Doom’s  home of Doomstadt, but…it’s probably not (or is it?). More likely, this is Castle Limbo, home of Kang the Conqueror (or…is it?).

We unpacked these possibilities some more here.

The Music

The “heroic Loki” theme at the end sounds like it’s about to break into Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.”

Speaking of, the regular Loki theme is very similar to the part of the Delfonics “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love)” that was sampled for Missy Elliott’s “Sock It To Me.” The original (also sampled for the Fugees’ “Ready or Not” and Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.”) was about the inevitability of love, and Missy’s song was about sneaking into somebody’s house to get your back blown out, so basically the same thing. Could have some bearing on Loki and Sylvie’s story.

The music that plays during the “Loki brawl” is this show’s equivalent of Scooby-Doo chase music. That’s a good thing, by the way.

Pixar, is that you?

Was that the Pizza Planet truck? Mobius’s ride, a station wagon with a slice of pizza on top, immediately brought to mind the popular Pixar easter egg/elaborate timeline mcguffin that has appeared in every Pixar movie to date. Also, very nice touch having Lightning McQueen himself drive it.

An even nicer touch is the license plate on the car Mobius is driving: GRN W1D. As in “Gruenwald.” As in (say it with us, kids!) Mark Gruenwald, the Marvel writer and editor who Mobius is based on.

Ant-Man

At one point on the ground in the Void we can spot a gigantic Yellowjacket helmet. Yellowjacket is the codename for several size-shifting superheroes in the Marvel Comics, but is best known to MCU fans as Corey Stoll’s Darren Cross from the first Ant-Man flick. 

Guardians of the Galaxy

There’s lots of crashed spacecraft, one of which kind of looks like the Dark Aster (Ronan the Accuser’s ship in Guardians of the Galaxy), and there may be a Helicarrier hanging around. There’s also a flying saucer that vaguely resembles the ship from John Carpenter’s The Thing, and a pirate ship that if Doctor Doom were actually the villain of this show (he isn’t…or…is he?) would make us think of that character’s very first appearance in Fantastic Four comics, where he sent Ben Grimm back in time to become Blackbeard. No, really.

Miscellaneous Time Variants

The fate of the Lokis is reminiscent of What If? #12, otherwise known as What If the X-Men Had Stayed in Asgard? At the end of the story, after tasting defeat yet again, Loki begged Those Who Sit Above in Shadow to allow him to rule Asgard. They agreed by sending him far into the future at the end of time. As reality started to break down, Loki went out laughing in the face of oblivion.

The bus ad at the beginning is for Calum Ross, who is an editor on the show. 

The shot of all the Lokis walking as the camera swoops overhead is very much reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies.

Loki and Sylvie are cold in The Void. But wait a minute, aren’t they both Frost Giants? Why then would Loki conjure a green blanket? Unless he wants a convenient excuse to cuddle up with his Variant…

Loki is drinking “RoxxiWine” pinot noir…out of a box…which is a nice touch.

Is that weird, very large plant in the bowling alley hideout supposed to be a Variant Yggdrasil? Or wait…what if that’s Plant Loki?!? He’s green, isn’t he?

Next to Alligator Loki’s kiddie pool there’s a copy of The Mystery and Lore of Monsters, a 1930 book by Charles J.S. Thompson.

The tower we all keep thinking is Avengers Tower is in fact Qeng Tower, the headquarters of Qeng Enterprises, the company that Tony Stark (mistakenly) sold the old Avengers tower to in the comics.

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Spot anything we missed? (Probably, right?) Let us know in the comments!

The post Marvel’s Loki Episode 5: MCU Easter Eggs and References appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[langdxn]

salvation part v: doomsday | outpost!michael x witch!reader

SUMMARY: The final confrontation between good and evil comes to its end. Will Michael survive?

WARNINGS: Angst. So. Much. Angst. Deaths, meddling with original timeline, a crying baby and a sneaky Xavier reference.

WORD COUNT: 1.6k

A/N: Strap yourselves in guys and dolls, the finale is here! I’ve adored this story since day one and your support has meant the absolute world to me, thank you to every single person who’s read, liked, reblogged and commented over the last few weeks. I may write an epilogue sometime but this is the end... for now.

part i | part ii | part iii | part iv

Michael stood frozen to the spot beside the birthing pool, staring intently at the space where his wife stood not seconds before.

His thoughts darted around frantically, trying to piece together what he had just witnessed. Desperately searching his memories for any hints over your years together, anything that could explain how you suddenly knew how to transmute.

She was a witch all along?

He shook his head aimlessly, dismissing his thoughts. He would’ve known, he must’ve known. He could sense every witch in the world, down to their last known location. You never once let on, in fact he never searched you for any suspicious activity because he had unquestionably trusted you ever since you first met. No spells could pass anywhere near him without his express knowledge, that’s just how his powers worked.

But you. You blocked everything. You placed a shield around you, an impenetrable curtain that kept out the Antichrist himself. There was only one explanation for you being able to subvert his powers.

You were more powerful than Michael Langdon. More powerful than the Alpha. More powerful than the Supreme. 

More powerful than Satan.

———

Miriam mewled peacefully in your arms, wiping her closed eyes with her tiny balled fists. Michael would do the same thing each and every morning, particularly if his alarm summoning him to another mundane Cooperative meeting invaded his dreamscape.

You hardly had time to process her arrival, your guiding light in the darkness finally making an appearance after nine exhausting months. Your legs could barely carry you, your body aching in places you didn’t know existed, your head faint and fuzzy as you lost more blood in the last few minutes than you ever had before. 

Your transmutation landed you in another unknown room in the endless corridors of Hawthorne, no indication of how far you’d travelled or even if you’d reappeared in a safe location. You hadn’t exactly had time to practice your spells over the years, there were more pressing matters at hand - the end of the world, for instance.

Spinning around in the room bathed in ominous yellow candlelight, you spotted a cluster of precarious tall pillar candles, a dark armoire in one corner and a plush velvet king-sized bed in another; crisp and tidy as if it hadn’t been slept in. Unleashing a sigh of relief at the seemingly peaceful atmosphere here, a metallic scent scorched the back of your throat. You made your way across the room to search what you assumed was the en-suite bathroom, but your stilettos slipped ungracefully on something wet beneath your feet. Clutching onto Miriam tightly, you regained balance and your gaze shot to your feet.

A gratuitous pool of fresh blood rippled beneath your heels. Perching Miriam on your knee, you crouched to dip a finger in the crimson liquid and your eyes rolled into your skull to initiate a vision.

A blonde woman in extravagant dress entered the chamber, ushering a masked, cloaked figure behind her. The woman dropped to her knees, grappling at the figure’s clothing. The figure removed their black mask to reveal a man’s weary features.

Brock.

“I know all about you, Coco,” he commanded. Tears pricked at your tear ducts as realisation hit - the scene you were reliving was the culmination of Brock’s arrival at the Outpost, what brought him to his death mere moments ago.

“Oh my god, Brock! How the fuck did you get in here? What happened to your face?” The woman scowled, examining his features.

“Radioactive fallout, cancer, cannibal attacks, infections that never heal,” he anxiously revealed.

“Oh honey, there wasn’t a minute in a day I didn’t think about you,” she pleaded with faux innocence. Coco protested weakly, tentatively grabbing his boil-ridden hand.

“I’m so happy,” she lied. “You’re back. You’re alive... you’re so angry.”

Without a blink, Brock sank his knife directly into her forehead, snarling as blood gushed from the wound almost instantly. Coco collapsed on the floor as the blood loss claimed her life, her eyes fixed open as crimson poured down her porcelain face.

“Happy Halloween, bitch,” Brock smirked.

Miriam’s disturbed cries bolted you back into the room, initiated by what sounded like raised voices in the corridors beyond the bedroom. You shushed the baby gently, a familiar, brash voice filling the silence left behind.

“Die again, fuck face!” Coco snapped from outside the bedroom door. Again?

You stepped quietly toward the door, pressing an ear to the wood.

“Normally that’d work,” Michael seethed at her, “but I’m nothing like normal.”

Anguished yelps, obscene squelching sounds of ripping wounds and the snapping of bones indicated Michael had indeed extinguished more threats to his survival.

This is it, you warned yourself. Time to step up. You paced to the bed and wrapped Miriam in its luxurious velour throws, planting a gentle kiss on your daughter’s forehead.

“Mommy will be right back for you baby, I promise. I have to go help daddy and you really won’t want to see this,” you cooed reassuringly, trying your hardest to communicate to a minutes-old baby that crying in this situation could threaten the safety of the world as you knew it. 

Placing a tender kiss on her impossibly small forehead, you burst out of the bedroom and clicked the heavy door shut behind you. A muttered incantation and a waved hand assured you nobody could reach your baby in your absence.

———

You scanned the golden corridors pointing in every direction, desperately hoping for a sign to point you towards your husband.

Catching a glimpse of Michael’s black boots stalking around a corner ahead of you, you paced gently behind him and tucked yourself into a doorway.

“How did you think this would end?” Michael scoffed, standing his ground in a marble doorway. “Prophecy is inevitable.”

“I was always going to win, Miss Supreme.”

“Not on your own,” a female retorted. “You’ve been led by the hand, coddled the entire way. By your father, the warlocks. I look at you and I don’t see a man. I see a sad, scared little boy so pathetic he couldn’t even kill me with a thousand nuclear bombs.”

“But I never expected to,” Michael sighed. “Like a cockroach, I knew you’d survive the nuclear fallout. I wanted you to. And now I’m gonna have the satisfaction of watching you die, knowing you failed.”

“You still don’t get it, do you? Even now. You think there’s only winning and losing, success and failure. But failure is when you’ve lost any semblance of hope. You will get to watch me die, but you won’t find it satisfying.”

A knife Michael clutched tightly suddenly floated away from him towards the Supreme.

“Satan has one son, but my sisters are legion, motherfucker.”

“Yes, I suppose we are, Cordelia,” you chimed.

The clacking of your stilettos shattered the silence between them as you took your place beside your husband, his jaw dropping as you entwined your fingers with his.

“Remember me, Ms Goode? Fourteen years ago, you begged me to come to Robichaux’s with you, hone my powers, discover my gifts, harness my talents... follow your lead.”

You cocked your head sarcastically, stepping forward to shield Michael in case the caped blonde lashed out at him in a last-ditch attempt.

“You knew I had potential even then. Your powers started to fade as soon as you stepped towards my house, you felt your dominance slipping through your fingers as soon as you laid eyes on me. The only reason you haven’t dropped dead already is because I refused to conform; to follow your lead; to shape myself into a perfect Cordelia carbon copy.”

Cordelia searched your face for answers, unable to comprehend a word. She was convinced she had won the battle and the war, as if the end of the world was as straightforward as good against evil. She stared at the dagger in her hand: helpless, powerless, alone.

“Go ahead, try it,” you tempted her. “See if sacrificing yourself will help your golden girl rise up. Don’t be surprised if it doesn’t work though, we both know tempus infinituum requires a potential Supreme to even make a half-assed attempt at it.”

“It would be a shame if the rising Supreme were... oh, I don’t know. Me?”

You raised a flat palm towards Cordelia, waggled your fingers in a facetious wave and a force compelled the Supreme to raise the knife in her hand, pointing to her chest.

“Ple-please, please don’t do this,” she wailed desperately as she stared at her hand moving without her consent, molten tears scorching her cheeks as the tip of the blade edged nearer her heart.

“Your sisters showed no mercy to Brock, Ms Mead, my husband. I don’t do mercy, Cordelia. I am the next Supreme.”

The blade slowly tore its way through her chest, a blood-curdling scream pouring from her ruby lips as she stumbled backwards, her eyes widening as she lost her footing and fell backwards to her death.

The shattering thud of Cordelia’s body hitting the bottom of the spiral staircase behind her commanded a stark silence. You gasped sharply as a bolt of energy burst through your chest, the bronze lights above you flickering wildly as they witnessed a transition of powers.

Michael’s boots clacked their way towards you and his arms snaked around your waist, turning you to face him as he leaned his forehead against yours. As his bloody fingertips gripped your hips reassuringly, an overwhelming relief tinged with amazement washed over his blood-splattered, exhausted face.

“Bitchin’ kill, babe. I call next.”

------

One final tag team! @codyfernmorelikedaddyfern​ @psychobitchtess​ @theinevitableprophecy​ @leatherduncan​ @abbyjforman​ @melodylangdon​ @shadyrindt​ @hplotrfan​ @littlegirlsdontplaynice​ @bluebirdbts​ 🖤🖤🖤

[israltale]

Weird Cookie

Dust scooted even closer in between the walls, all only for one purpose… feel a bit safer. Papyrus was floating around him. 

“I told you they would leave you alone, BROTHER.” He cooed floating close to Dust. 

“They don’t need you. They never wanted you.” Dust tried to make himself smaller, he wanted to escape Papyrus sharp Gaze. 

The Point of Breaking down was drawing closer and closer… All because his supposed friends… were gone. It all had started like a normal day… He woke up and went to the dining hall, normally all of them would meet there to eat together… Not this day, a day he will forever FEAR. 

Dust was normally never the first to enter, but this day the Dining Hall had been empty, Nightmare’s castle had felt even colder as usual. Dust was sure that maybe Nightmare had been busy and the others simply overslept, so he waited…. 

But nobody came.

Dust stood up and started to roam the Castle, searching for his ‘Friends’. The Office their BOSS normally was, was deadly empty, not even dust was there. 

“They left you, Brother…” Papyrus had started to say, while Dust searched the Castle.

“They wouldn’t… They wouldn’t…” He chanted, more to himself and to calm his nerves of being left ALONE. After a long search he stopped dead, his Home… was empty. 

Dust shook his skull. “No… no no no no no no no no .” Papyrus scooted closer to him. 

“They don’t need you anymore… They left you, BROTHER.” 

This had been a few days ago, the agony rose since then, but even after all the waiting and hiding in a corner to try and ignore his Brothers whispers… they haven’t returned. 

“You see it now, don’t you. No one wants a Brother Killer.” Papyrus said, his whispers becoming more and more aggressive. 

Dust shivered in his little corner. Then suddenly a spark of hope rose within him, a desperate attempt to proof his Brother wrong! Dust jumped up. 

“They wouldn’t!” He said, but what if they can’t return? What if they were hurt somewhere, needing Dust to find them? 

Of course Papyrus tried to whisper to him again, that it would be meaningless, that they wouldn’t want him anymore. Dust had to make sure, he needed to search for them. With some Food in his Inventory, he went out to search for his Teammates.

That little desperate spark driving him, that they are out there unable to return. Papyrus still whispering after him. Dust ignored it as good as possible, fixating on the Voices of his Friends and Teammates, calling for him. Even if there were no voices for him to hear, he still believed they called for him. Not knowing that in this Timeline, his Teammates long have turned to dust. 

Dust ventured for days, weeks… even months in search for his friends in this Timeline… But there was no place with any sign of living, if he ventured to one Place in search for his Mates… He only found nothingness or piles of dust. 

“No matter where i go… it only looks like a Genocide timeline.” But it wasn’t him, nor had it the handwriting of his Mates. Nightmare wouldn’t have anything of it… Murder raised only a short Boost of Agony and Grief, only a short boost of negativity. There was something else going on… 

“Oh? What a cute little fella.” A rumbling Voice resounded. Dust turned in a swift move.

A Man stood there, large Horns sprouting out of his head.

“Wouldn’t have thought to actually find someone here.” He said, coming closer to Dust, but the Skeleton went into a defensive stance. 

“Easy. I’m here to Help you.” He said with a strange Smile. 

“Brother, He smells like Danger!” Papyrus growled, only for Dust to hear. 

“Where are my Friends?” The man tilted his Head. 

“Your friends? Not sure i saw them… how they look?” Dust hoped… he WISHED that this Man maybe saw his Mates. 

“They are skeletons like i am, one has a whole in his skull, right here. One has black tar running out of his sockets.” The Man grinned even more strangely, while Papyrus tried to warn him.

“Ah those! Yes yes, i saw them!” Dust stepped closer. 

“Really? Where?” The Man chuckled.

 “I can take you to them, no problem! They are in a Town close to my Home!” He chirped, but it made Dust feel weird. 

“Don’t go with him, Brother!” Papyrus warned him. But the Man said he saw his mates. 

“There was also one covered in strange things. like… hmm liquid…” Dust blinked. 

“Nightmare!” He had no doubt that this Man knew where his mates are. 

“Bring me to them!” The Man laughed darkly. 

“Sure!” He grabbed Dust roughly.

“You will see them SOON.” He chuckled, dragging Dust along with him.

Dust had no Idea where they went, but suddenly the scenery had changed, after they went through a portal.

Large and lush Trees around him, the air smelled lively. But the Man had no patience. Roughly dragging Dust along with him. Until they stopped at a House, a horned Woman inside.

“Ooooh, My Love! What are you bringing there.” The man laughed  manically. 

“A new Skeleton, my Dear.” He brought Dust inside a house, but before the Skeleton could have reacted he was smacked out coldly. The lights went out for Dust, he only could hear the Ghostly voice of his Brother, before he lost all his senses.

The Man grinned at the knocked out Skeleton. 

“What easy prey he was.” He said, his wife purring softly. 

“Yes, i like him!” She said, before her Husband brought the Skeleton down in the Basement. Dust wasn’t their first prey, a lot of dust already piling in a corner, but they wanted to make him the most enjoyable so far. The Man laughed, after securing Dust to the Bench they had down there. 

“Be a good plaything and we might reward you.” He whispered to the knocked out Skeleton. It would take a While before Dust would wake up, but it will be not to something pleasant. 

Dust woke a bit later with a hurting Skull and his Brother whispering to him.

“I told you he is suspicious, Brother.” Papyrus whispered. Dust started to look around in worry, only to see a Woman coming down the stairs.

“Ohhhh You are awake!” She said with a sickening smile. 

“where… what?” The Woman bend over him with an ominous grin. 

“Oh i will enjoy to see how much pain you can handle.” She said, walking over to a table. 

“The others my Husband got for me… they didn’t hold on long…” She said with a disappointed sigh. Dust felt a shiver run down his Spine. The Man said he saw his Mates… did… did they do something to them?

The woman came over, having scissors in hand. “You won’t need your clothes, Darling.. .they are only in the Way for what i want to do with you.” She said, softly chuckling which made Dust feel weird. He wanted to throw up.

He couldn’t do much, while she cut his Clothes open, seeing the Glee on her face was disturbing. “Look at this amazing white BONES! Ah the last i had was so goopy and disgusting… but his Soul was such a deliciously treat.” 

Dust’s eyes widened. She was talking about Nightmare! She did something to his Boss! 

“Get away Dust… Use your magic and run!” Papyrus urged, but Dust was not able to use his Magic. 

“Don’t even try, Sweetheart. Your magic is canceled here.” She said calmly. 

“AAAAH!” Dust screamed, that disgusting Woman had slammed the Scissors down into his Leg. 

“I will enjoy your pain so much!” She said with a radiant grin, it only made Dust fear more for his Life. She had a lot planned for him, and it was not for his entertainment. It didn’t take long to fill the House with Dust’s cries of agony and pain. Dust can’t remember how long he was here already. How long that Woman was away, before returning down to the Basement. He barely got food, even less to drink. But after she broke almost every bone on him and shoved things where they don’t belong… she would leave for a while, not long after that her Husband would come, ripping out his soul, forcing some healing into him and leave Dust to shiver in pain and fear. 

Papyrus would whisper to him, that he should escape, murder them all and then dust himself. Dust could hear the Footsteps and his bones rattled in fear. Was it time already, but then he listened closer… it was not the heavy footsteps of the Husband, nor the scratching of the Woman’s shoes… No it was far lighter, far softer… Dust was not sure if that evil Woman had invited someone to torture him…

“Oh no!” He stopped dead, shutting his Eye Sockets. But this voice he heard was so soft, so young… Then he felt tiny hands on his naked Bones. 

“I knew it… I knew she does evil things!” It was so strange… it sounded so much like a child… but… somehow not? 

“Please hold on a little longer! I will get Help and free you.” Dust finally allowed himself to look to the side, looking at the one who was now down in the Basement. The child next to him had long black ears with blue fur inside the ears and a large black tail that faded into blue. 

“My name is Cheria, please hold on a little longer!” She said, her ears wiggling. 

“Kay…” He said barely. Her ears twitched. 

“I have to go now… i will return soon, i promise.” She said, disappearing fast, as the scratching started to draw closer.

Dust waited for her finally to come down. 

“I returned, Sweetheart.” She said, coming over already with a Hammer in Hand, but there was also a Nail. He feared, he feared so much. The Woman chuckled. 

“Let’s play, yes?” She said, walking behind him. This thing he was strapped on could be easily prepared for her to access the back of his Skull and have him sit. She exactly did that, before he could feel the Nail on the Back of his Head. 

“Please… please no…” He begged, Papyrus whispering to him again, making things not better. 

Then he heard the hitting of the Nail, before the searing pain hit him immensely. His scream echoing through the Walls. The pain was searing into his Skull and even more in his soul. He felt dizzy, everything went Fuzzy for him, so he couldn’t hear the Breakdown of the Door. 

“MOVE!” A deep Voice ordered harshly. Only faintly could Dust hear the heavy footsteps of a few people. Before his Vision faded out completely, he could hear the angered screeching of the Torture Woman.

Cheria hurried down, after the Soldiers had broken down the Front Door, she needed to check on the Poor Victim. The Woman was screeching loudly at the Soldiers, cussing and cursing them for interrupting her. 

Cheria gasped, the Skeleton was not in good Condition, a Nail driven deep into the Back of his Skull. 

“General! We need to Hurry!” She urged the Man coming down with her. He was a Tall Skeleton with Sharp teeth and deep dark green Eye lights. 

“Let’s bring him fast to the Royal Doctor!” He said, urging his Men to keep the Pair in Check, while he and Cheria would get the Skeleton out of there. Freeing the bound Skeleton to bring him fast into safety.

Cheria ran next to him as they hurried to the Castle. The Skeleton still out cold, and they weren’t able to remove the Nail without killing him.

The Royal Doctor looked at them as the General came in with a naked, deeply hurt Skeleton. He started to examine him. Cheria walking nervously up and down.

“Can you save him?” The General tried to Calm her down a bit. 

“Sadly… No… His only option would be the only two capable of saving such heavy injuries… But… His state won’t allow it to bring him there… Nor can’t they come here.” Cheria’s ears flopped down sadly. 

“But… But…” She wanted to complain, too scream, but mostly to rip that Woman apart. 

“There is no saving him…” The Royal Doctor said. The General put his large Hand on her Shoulder.

“Cheria… do me a Favor…” She looked up to him. 

“Yes, Reeve?” She asked softly.

“Go to the Vicinity of Chaos… Meet my Brother and ask him to bring you to her…” Cheria looked at him.

“But…” Reeve shook his Skull. 

“We can only save his life in turning him into a Hybrid… but once that happened… we need to get him out of here. The only place he can go then is to HER.” Cheria blinked… She looked to Dust one more Time, before nodding. 

“On your order, General!” She said, hurrying out of the Room. The Doctor looked at Reeve. 

“Are you sure?” Reeve nodded. 

“I want to give him the Chance to life… if he doesn’t want to then She will help him move to the next realm.” 

Cheria ran as fast as possible through the darkened Forest, that will bring her to the other Vicinity. She stopped dead as there resounded the Sound of scratching Metal. 

“Please Wait!” Cheria screamed. 

“Cheria?” Cobra looked at her in confusion. She got down to her knees. 

“Sir Cobra, General Reeve send me to speak with My Lady!” She said in distress. 

“Reeve? But… Alright… Follow me.” He said, getting to the dark Castle in the Distance. 

Narish raised an Eye brow as Cobra entered with that Girl from the Order Vicinity. 

“What is going on here?” He asked sharply. Cobra bowed to him. 

“Cheria was send on behalf of my Brother… There is a need to Talk with the Guardian.” Narish sighed after a while… 

“If they have to… Kiros, bring her.” He said, the skeleton with Tar running down his Face bowed to Narish, before Leaving. Narish was very protective of their Guardian. It had a good Reason, she was taken already once.

Kiros returned with her after some time. 

“Cheria?” The little Girl Bowed. 

“It is good to see you, My Lady.. General Reeve send me, because we have an Urgency happening.” Millenia looked at her. 

“Is it regarding to the New born Hybrid a few minutes ago?” Narish turned to her, even Kiros and Cobra starred. 

“Yes, My Lady… We found a Skeleton heavily tortured from a Pair of Pure Bloods… His Condition was to heavy to bring him here safely…” Millenia nodded. 

“I see…” Narish growled at them. 

“Now what?” Cheria bowed deeply. 

“We wish to bring him here, where he is safe from the Kings Laws.” Kiros looked to Narish. 

“Boss…” The Black, four tailed Skeleton growled, his Cyan eye fixed on Cheria. Millenia turned to him. 

“Narish…” He snapped his eye to her. 

“Please let us fetch him, see how he will fair here.” Silence ruled the Room. “Alright… Cobra, i ask you to pick up this New Hybrid and bring him safely to our Castle.” Cobra bowed. Millenia went to Kiros. 

“Dear, can i ask you to fetch Caim for us? He will be in heavy condition once getting to us and needs Medical surveillance.” Kiros nodded. 

“Leave it to me, Guardian.” Narish huffed, watching as Cobra and Cheria leave to get that new Hybrid.

“What if he won’t survive?” Narish asked, watching as Millenia drew closer to him. 

“Let Caim check on him first…” Narish pulled her closer. 

“But… What if he doesn’t want to survive?” Millenia softly stroked his Skull. 

“Then i will guide him. It is hard for us all yes, but it is better to let him leave if he wishes.” Narish nodded softly. 

“Alright… I… should tell Alure and Solei.” He mumbled. Millenia nuzzled him. 

“Let Caim first check on him, to see how he is faring.” Narish squeezed Millenia closer to him. He had seen so many Halflings die at the Hands of the Order Vicinity… Millenia soothed him softly. 

“First we need to do our best for him… then we shall see Revenge carried out.” She said. 

Cobra was shocked as he came to fetch the new born Hybrid. Not only had he already went through the Changing's… no he was in really bad Condition. 

Cobra was careful as he brought him back to the Chaos, Kiros waiting for him already, to see that Dust was brought to Caim. The Doctor had purple hair and deep purple eyes, but he looked at nothing at all, as they entered. 

“On the Bed with him.” He ordered.

“Caim… can you help him?” Cobra asked, once he had put down Dust on the Bed. 

“I’m not sure… his Aura is weak and barely detectable… i may need your assistance.” Cobra sighed, he had feared exactly that. 

“Alright.” He answered, as Caim slowly moved closer. Kiros went out of his way, even if the Doctor could see the flickering of his Aura. 

Caim carefully moved his Fingers across the faint Aura glow. 

“Torture marks…” He whispered. Cobra nodded. 

“Yes, My Brother told me he was tortured heavily, they removed a Nail out of his Skull after he turned… The Crack… did not heal.” Caim nodded. 

“Obviously… But it was a good decision. Removing it before hand surely could have killed him…” He said, then stopped, his eyes moving to the Door. 

“My Lady is approaching.” Cobra blinked. 

“Arisa?” The door Opened a bit after Caim said it. 

“Excuse my Intrusion Caim.” The other Chuckled. 

“Oh please, it is always a balm to my restless soul to see the black and purple glow approaching.” Millenia chuckled. 

“You flirt, but please… how is he?” Caim sighed. 

“His aura is very weak, Reeve made the right call to turn him before informing us.” Caim said, slowly moving. Each and every time Kiros met the Doctor he was heavily impressed. 

Caim was blind, the only thing he was able to see is the Aura of living beings, but stuff like a Bed was dead and had no Aura, so he had to carefully navigate his way through the room. It took him a long time to examine Dust fully. 

“I will prepare medicine for him… The Cracks on his Body can maybe heal with it… but the Crack on his Skull and the Cracks in his Soul can not… He will need a lot of food and even more water to replenish what they took from him.” Caim said, making his way through his herbs, smelling and feeling them to find the right Plants. 

“What about the spark of Surviving?” Cobra asked. 

“He still has it… But i don’t know for how long…” Caim mumbled. Kiros turned to Millenia.

“Boss and i may be able to help him.” Millenia looked to the red horned Skeleton.

“His Name is Dust… he was Part of the Crew i was in before coming here… While i changed i am still somehow a Version of his Crewmate Killer…” Caim blinked. 

“You should give it a Try at least.” He said, turning to offer the Medication.

Millenia sat at the Lake, it has been days since Dust has been brought here. Alure was laying close to her, his head resting in her Lap. 

“How is he doing?” He asked carefully. 

“He is barely awake, Alure… And if he is awake longer he screams and mumbles… Kiros is trying his best to calm him.” She said softly. 

“I want to kill them.” Alure suddenly said. 

“The pair?” The smaller Hybrid nodded. 

“Yes…” Millenia wanted to answer, as she heard footsteps. 

“We shall have it, dearest Alure…” Narish said. Millenia turned, impressed to see the new Hybrid with the Leader. Dust still looked confused and weak, but he wanted to see a little bit of the Place he was brought to. Alure jumped up. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked carefully, only to see the others eye Lights dart around in distress. 

“So… so many voices… stop them… please stop them!” He begged, shrinking as much as Possible. It didn’t took that long until Millenia’s soft Voice filled the Air with a soft Melody. Dust finally relaxing.

Narish looked at Alure who nodded and took Dust away. “Kiros told me about it… Seeing that i never had them..” 

Millenia turned to Narish. “Right… But what?” Narish went next to her, watching Alure show Dust the Lake. 

“Dust… He killed all the Monsters in his World and was then picked up by Nightmare to join the Bad Sanses… But the Guilt of killing his own Brother gave him Hallucinations.” Millenia sighed. 

“Those turned a million times heavier as a Dragon.” Narish nodded. 

“We should ask Caim for something to calm this.” Alure helped already a lot in showing him around and with his sweet personality keep the voices at bay. It gave them Time to consult Caim. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alure looked at the new Hybrid, from Kiros he knew that he still had his old Name. 

“Dust?” the other cooed softly. It took a while before the purple horned Skeleton looked at him. Alure had some Flowers in his Phalanges. 

“I know it is hard for you… getting used to this new life… settling with all the Stuff going on… but.” Alure looked again to him. 

“Won’t you try at least? Give yourself a new Name, like we all did.” Dust wanted to say something. 

“They just leave you all alone again, BROTHER.” Papyrus distorted, multiple Voice resounded in his Head, it felt like a Million People were talking. 

Dust winced in Pain, trying to hide again from everything, only to feel small bones over his own. He slowly moved his mismatched Eye Lights, only to look in the calming deep purple Alure called his own. 

“Don’t listen to him. Don’t let them pulverise your Mind.” Alure said softly, but it broke through all the Voices. It was as if Papyrus and all the others Faded away. 

“Pul… Pulvis…” Alure almost chuckled. It sounded like Dust wanted to say pulverise but lost some of the Letters. 

“Pulvis? It sounds good, should we make it your Name?” He asked, to give the other reassurance. Dust liked the sound of it, how Alure spoke this Name, before he slowly nodded, earning a bright smile from Alure. 

“Yo.” Kiros walked over to them. 

“Hello Kiros! Our new Friend finally picked a name for himself!” Kiros set down next to them, once close to Dust the voices went even more Silent. 

“Oh? So what we gonna call you from now on?” Kiros asked Dust. He blinked, while he behaved as a little Child, tortured by voices, all of the Hybrids made a fine Point to speak to HIM and not to one another… it felt… nice. 

“Pulvis.” He mumbled. 

“Heh, i like it. Ready to see the Doc, Pulvis? He want to Check on you.” Pulvis nodded.

Kiros walked with him back to the Castle. Pulvis preparing to meet Doctor Caim again, but he didn’t like him much, he never looked the Hybrid in the Eye Lights. 

“Killer…” Pulvis asked. 

“HE IS NOT KILLER!” The Voices screamed at him, he flinched back, only for Kiros to grab him. 

“It’s fine! Call me Killer as long as you need.” He said. Pulvis could easily break free, but it would mean facing his voices. 

“So? What is troubling you.” They all were painfully aware of the Voices, not only knew Kiros from his own Dust as he was still about and kicking, but also Millenia could feel their flickering, faintly but she still could. 

“Why…. Why is the Doc never looking into my eye lights?” Kiros blinked, he almost had a Panic attack because of that? Oh boy. 

“Because the Doc is blind. All he can ‘see’ is the flickering of Aura, your magic, your soul, but that is all, other than that he is Blind.” Pulvis blinked. The Doc… was blind? But he went through the Rooms as if he sees everything.

“o…. oh..” Kiros smiled at him. 

“You wouldn’t think that, right? He moves as if he sees, but it’s because everything is in the same spot in the rooms he moves around.” Kiros explained. It finally made sense to Pulvis and he could move on. 

Caim already waited for him, strangely enough… Narish was there as well. 

“How are you feeling?” Caim immediately asked, as Pulvis came closer. 

“Better.” The Doc nodded, waiting for Pulvis to sit down on the Bed. The others were silent, while Caim asked and examined Pulvis. 

Narish watched them like a Hawk.

“And?” He said after Caim stepped back. 

“His Aura is far stronger, seeing how weak it was as he was brought to us.” Caim said, while Moving to his Table. 

“But also has the distortions.” Pulvis flinched softly. Kiros stepped to him. 

“It’s fine Pulvis.” He cooed to calm the other. 

“Ah so he decided on a Name? Welcome to the Vicinity of Chaos then, Pulvis.” Narish nodded. 

“Doc about the Distortions.” He sighed. 

“There is no way to remove them completely, not even in this strengthened Form… BUT!” Caim said immediately, before Narish could interrupt him. 

“There is something that may help him.” He searched through some things. 

“If he has a Panic Attack or the Distortions get to heavy then let him have this. I’m not sure how efficient it is in his State, but it is worth a Try.” Pulvis listened to him. 

“Want to try it, Pulvis?” Kiros asked, Pulvis nodded carefully. 

“Yeah.” Narish nodded. 

“Kiros, i will leave Pulvis to The Guardian, you and Alure…” Kiros nodded. 

“Sure, Boss.” He said, Pulvis felt immediately that familiar smug grin on Killers Face, but Kiros was a bit different. Alure poked his head in. 

“Nari? It’s dinner time.” The Leader nodded. He didn’t mind Alure to call him Nari, he never did. Narish was different as his alternate, very different. Pulvis found the small differences and it made him feel easy around the little Dragon Hybrid, or the others in General.

They all went to the Dining Hall, like it was before it was here custom as well to Eat together. It made Pulvis feel warm, but also worried. Kiros had warned him to not approach Solei alone, Pulvis still didn’t know why. Not knowing that he would learn… soon. 

The Dinner was mostly calm, some jokes here and there, a bit of Talking, nothing unfamiliar to Pulvis, only one thing was out of Place… Solei starred at him. 

“I like your eyes.” He said suddenly. 

“Uh… Thanks?” Solei grinned at him. 

“I wanna see them in tears, while i make you come apart underneath me.” Pulvis flinched. 

“He is the same! They are all the same, BROTHER!” Papyrus alarmed him. 

Pulvis doesn’t want to experience this again! He doesn’t want to be hurt again and again. Papyrus distorted Voice and a lot more got louder and louder. Pulvis was unable to hear what the others said. 

“SOLEI STOP!” Alure shouted. 

“But… Brother.” Solei said with a small whimper. 

“No! Leave Pulvis alone! Don’t try your tricks on him!” Alure growled at him. The smallest Hybrid sighed, before the rattle of the Chair and the hurried footsteps alarmed them all of Pulvis fast escape. 

“I’ll take care of this.” Kiros announced, standing up to follow his panicking Friend. Alure watched the other Leave, before turning to Solei. 

“this was UNNECESSARY!” Solei flinched back. 

“I… i didn’t mean to… i just…” Alure huffed at him. 

“You just wanted to force your Greed on him! Leave Pulvis alone, Solei.” Alure was mad, everyone could sense that. 

“To be honest… I like it when Alure is mad.” Narish mumbled. Cobra shook his Skull, while Millenia chuckled. 

“I know, it’s damn sexy.” Narish huffed amused. 

Kiros went down the long hallway, he was sure Pulvis had run somewhere and was following his Trail. Luckily for the red Dragon he was a Hunter, his gained Dragon Magic granting him some neat tricks to follow any Prey. 

Pulvis Trail leaded to his Room, where Kiros could hear him whimper in Pain. He couldn’t wait until the other may calm down enough, so he just picked Pulvis lock to get into the Room. The red Hybrid still had the Stuff Caim had given them, as he went to the Bed. 

“Pulvis, it’s fine. No one will hurt you.” Kiros cooed softly, climbing on the others Bed. 

“Here, take a bite of this, but chew good.” Kiros slowly and carefully eased Pulvis into taking the strange smelling herbs. It took a while and Kiros finally understood what Caim had given them. 

Strangely enough to see that Weed was helping a Hybrid with his Hallucinations. It took some time but it helped. Pulvis slowly went calmer after this huge Panic Attack. 

“Please don’t leave me…” He whimpered, while Kiros eased him into the Bedsheets. 

“I won’t… Hell we all won’t. This Vicinity is now your Home, no one will leave you.” Kiros whispered to him. 

While the Red Hybrid took care of his new Teammate, the others went to clear something. Alure huffed.

 “I want to rip out their Guts!” He said sharply. 

“Easy Alure… while we got approval form Reeve, we still need to be Careful at all means. They are Pure Bloods after all.” Narish said calmly. 

“And that does mean they can torture anyone?” He hissed. 

“No it doesn’t.” Narish cleared out. 

“Alure.” Millenia stepped into the Leader office. 

“I know you want to punish them, but we need to do this as secretly as possible, while making sure it looks like Suicide.” She said calmly. 

“But…” Millenia kneeled down. 

“I know Alure… But if the King of Order finds out about this… he will try to destroy this little Place we build.” Narish nodded. 

“I agree. We all want to Punish them… but we need to be smart.” Cobra sighed. 

“Then let’s move in the night, i know all the secret Paths around the Order Vicinity.” Alure looked to the Skeleton. Narish nodded. 

“I will leave this matter to you and Alure. Revenge our Friend.” Cobra bowed to the Leader. Alure did the same. 

“On your order.” He said and left with the other. 

Kiros woke up the next day, Pulvis cuddled close to him, resting finally peaceful. It seemed the distortion went lower with the Herbs and a Friend close helped him sleep. A Good thing to Know and he would inform Narish about this. But now Pulvis should gain the needed peace, he was missing until know. 

Even if that meant… Kiros was in for a very boring day, while staying with Pulvis and let him sleep. He would learn about the successful revenge later, once Alure gathered them all for Breakfast. 

“Kiros…” Pulvis mumbled. 

“What is it?” He answered. 

“I want to learn about Herbs…” Kiros blinked. 

“Then let’s ask Caim later… He can teach you all he knows about them and how to make medicine with them.” Pulvis nodded. 

“Thanks.” Kiros chuckled. 

“Seems like you found something to do for the Vicinity… You’ll be someday our Master Herbalist.” Kiros said, while Pulvis drifted off to sleep again.

“You will help yourself with it as well.” Kiros whispered, only to see that tiny smile gracing Pulvis. He was on a good way to get better.

[khoicesbyk]

The Good Captain.

Author’s Note: This is my version of what book 2 of Distant Shores should be like. Y’know the book 2 that we readers of Distant Shores rightfully deserved! One more thing: in this fanfic, the MC’s last name has been changed to Bennett but; in the game it’s Carter. I decided to change it from Carter to Bennett; because Bennett sounds better to me. Also; her original occupation has been changed as well.

***Rated: Mature 18+. Contains sexual content, nudity, some violence and strong language.

***Bolded and/or italicized words are conversations and thoughts of the characters.

***Characters: Captain Edward Mortemer (LI), Kyra Bennett (MC), Robert Finnegan (Main Antagonist), Charlie, Ginny, Jonas, Maggie, Samuel, Octavia, Henry, Axton, Adelia, Kendrick and Oliver Cochrane (Side Characters)

***Disclaimer: All character names (except MC) and/or some dialogues belong to Pixelberry.

Current Word Count: 2,784 words.

To make this chapter, a little more accurate; I’m timing this around winter 2019/early 2020.

Chapter 2: The Revelation…

As the sun sets; Captain Edward Mortemer gazes over the ocean and watches the colors blend into one another. She’s on his mind again. Her smile. Her eyes. The touch of her skin. He clenches his fists; in order to fight back the emotions and tears that were creeping up on him. She was just in his arms then she was gone.

He missed her. He longed for her. He wanted her back. He loved her.

“I knew I could find you here!”, a familiar voice called out to him. It was Charlie coming to check on him.

“Aye. I’m here.”, he replied.

“Thinking of the lass again?”, she asked.

“Always, Charlie. Always…”, he told her.

“She’s out there Edward. You’ll find her.”, she said reassuringly.

“Aye. I will find her. Wherever she is. I WILL find her.”, he responds. Charlie pats him on the back and leaves him to his thoughts.

“Kyra…wherever you are. Just know; I will not stop until I’ve found you. I will not give up until you’re in my arms again.”, he tells himself before making his way back to town.

She’d been gone for almost 3 1/2 months, at that point. Just vanished into thin air. And poor Edward; the man drove himself crazy, endlessly searching for her. He never got to tell her; what she truly meant to him. He never got to tell her; that he would move heaven and earth for her. He never got to say the words “I love you”. That’s what he wanted. To tell her, that he is MADLY in love with her. He had to find her. No matter where she was. He was GOING TO find her.

But for now, he had to shift his focus to this mysterious Captain Finnegan he’d been hearing about. Apparently this new captain and his crew; had been terrorizing many across the Caribbean. And always at night. This new captain sailed aboard the Dios Del Mar. He and his crew were effective and brutal. Leaving nothing behind; but terror and destruction.

They had even struck down the first of the Seven Lords of The Sea.

Whereas Edward and his crew sailed aboard The Jewel Of The Sea. It was slightly bigger and more agile of a ship than; The Revenge. It did the job he needed it to do.

By the time he reached the tavern; the sunset had turned to night but a ominous dark cloud started to form. He couldn’t put his finger on it but; after looking at the cloud for a brief time something didn’t sit right with him. An eerie feeling was in the air; and he and the crew were about to discover why.

After ordering pints for everyone; Edward settled into, what supposed to be a night of being with his crew. They were his family. Even though; Samuel and Octavia had crossed and mutinied against him. He forgave them. He welcomed them back into his life, his heart and his crew once again. They were all sitting around Kendrick, singing the shanties of old, drinking and laughing. It brought joy to his heart; to see the family he created together again.

That’s when thunder started to rumble; and the winds picked up. It sounded like a hurricane was brewing outside. But as Edward and his crew would discover; this was no ordinary storm. A violent wind blew into the tavern, dousing all the lamps. And then suddenly; they were reignited and when they reignited, a familiar figure stood before Edward and the crew.

“Hello everyone! What a time to be alive!”, he exclaimed.

No one could believe who it was they were seeing. It was Robert. He was alive. He had returned.

“What witchcraft is this?!”, Charlie asked. She was the first to shake herself of the initial shock.

“Ahhhh my dearest Charlie! Such a quick one, you are.”, he replied.

“You’re supposed to be dead! You were killed by the Admiral!”, Edward says to the man who was his former first mate and friend.

“And yet; here I stand before you, boy! As nimble as ever! And with my own crew to boot!”, he replied as he gestures to the crew behind him.

“You can’t be alive! You’d have to be a God to have survived.”, Edward said to him. His hand wrapped tightly around the hilt of his sword.

“I’m not a God my boy. Well; at least not yet.”, Robert casually replied.

“This is impossible!”, Edward exclaimed.

“You know, that’s funny. She said the same thing.”, he answered.

“What are you babbling about?”, Edward asks.

“Ohhh I think you know exactly what I’m referring to Edward. Or should I say; I think you know exactly who I’m referring to?”, he replies.

“Robert…”, Edward sneered. His jaw clenched tight.

Robert merely rolled his eyes.

“Kyra, my dear boy.”, he tells him. Edward froze in his place.

“You…you’ve seen her?!”, he asks.

“Ohhh yes! We had lovely little conversation in future. That’s how I got this!”, he says before producing the golden compass, “although, she might not be happy that I stole it from her.”

“If you did anything to harm her; I swear I will have your head!”, Edward growled as Charlie and Jonas restrained him.

“And there in lies your problem, boy. You’ve always let your emotions cloud your judgement!”, he replied.

Edward was livid. But, Robert once again just rolled his eyes.

“Calm down, boy! I never touched her!…Pearson did!”, he said with sly grin as he gestured to his first mate.

“You bastard!”, Edward hissed, clearly ready to pounce. He was going to kill Robert.

“Would you lot like to see her? That way Edward can finally calm down, about the girl he clearly loves.”, Robert asks the crew, clearly overlooking Edward’s fury. Most of the crew nodded their heads.

“Very well! Mari! Be a dear and show them the girl, will you?”, he commanded one of the women in his crew to do.

“Sí, mi capitán”, she replied before waving her hand, and producing a screen that gave everyone a view into the future. The tavern was mostly empty at that point; save for the two crews.

And there she was. She was alive and judging by the look on her face; clearly troubled. She was sitting down but he wasn’t quite sure what; but it looked like she was in some kind of room, surrounded by strange contraptions. Edward couldn’t believe what he saw. He thought he’d never see her again, but there she was. And although he was rightfully furious at Robert; he was thankful and his heart overjoyed to see her.

“Are you happy now?”, he asked, obviously annoyed at this point.

“When was this? Where was this?”, he replied with questions of his own.

“When? About a month ago. Where? A doctors office.”, he replied.

“Doctor?! Is she sick?”, Edward replies; clearly trying to hide the concern in his voice.

“Watch!”, Robert replied.

Just then the door opened.

“Good afternoon Miss Bennett! I’m Dr. Everett. I’m here to take good care of you.”, he said as he greeted her with a handshake.

“Thank you Dr. Everett.”, she replied sheepishly.

“I know you’re nervous Kyra, but I can assure you that I will do my very best; to offer you the best care possible.”, he tells her.

“I know…I’m just…I guess I’m still in shock.”, she replied.

“I can understand that. But as I said; I will do my very best; to offer you the best care.”, he says with a warm smile.

“Thank you again doctor. So; what do the results say? I can’t be that far along can I?”, she asks.

“You’re actually a lot farther along than you think, Miss Bennett. You’re currently at 11 1/2 weeks.”, he tells her. That was right on time with her timeline.

“Holy shit…”, she thought to herself before asking the doctor, “so, what happens now?”

“Well today, you’re scheduled for an ultrasound. We have to calculate what your due date will be.”, the doctor replies.

“Okay. I can…we can do that.”, she said.

“Excellent! Right this way!”, he says as he gestures for her to follow him.

“That’s enough for now Mari.”, he tells her. That’s when the screen vanishes.

“Happy now? She’s fine! Well…as fine as she can be; given her condition anyway.”, he tells everyone.

“I don’t understand. What condition she be in?”, Henry asks clearly confused.

Robert lets out an aggravated sigh.

“You lot never were all that bright. So, allow me to put it plainly: she’s with child. More specifically; she’s with his child.”, he replies, nodding towards a now very pale looking Edward.

“M-my child?”, he asks.

“Yes, my dear boy. She’s having your child. You’re not only a captain but soon; you’ll be a father as well. The doctor she went to see, helps new mothers give birth.”, he explains.

Edward was stunned into a dead silence. Kyra was having his child; and he wasn’t there with her. She was in the future and he was currently in the past.

“My God…”, he said still trying to process this new information.

“I’d order you a celebratory pint buuuuuut seeing as how the tavern is empty; I’ll just have to owe you one.”, Robert says to Edward.

“So, you’re doing all of this was to torture me?”, he asks Robert.

“No not at all, my dear boy! I’m only here to offer peace…and to get you and the crew to stand down.”, he replies.

“Stand down?! For what?!”, he asks Robert. That’s when he gave Edward and the crew, the rundown of the legends of Atlantis and Poseidon’s Trident. He told them how he was going to find the the trident, and use it to become the greatest pirate of all.

“Yer mad Robert! Absolutely mad!”, Maggie exclaimed.

“Why thank you Maggie darlin’!”, he replies with an icy smile.

“Captain Robert sir, I’d like to point out that; we all know the legends. And we all know that; the trident as well as Atlantis can never be found. Sir.”, Samuel quipped.

“That’s why I intend to be the one to find it. To prove you all and the world wrong. The trident will be mine!”, he proclaimed.

“Robert what the hell happened to you?! You used to be brave and smart and strong! And now? Yer babbling about old legends that ain’t true!”, Charlie says to him. That’s when he shows them the first of the seven key fragments. “But it is true! As you can plainly see! Once I have all the key fragments; it will only be a matter of time!”

“We will stop ye!”, Ginny yelled at him.

“My little one! Ever the fierce protector you are!”, he replies sarcastically as she sticks her tongue out at him.

“Enough! This madness ends now!”, Edward growls as he draws his weapon. And when he draws his; Robert’s crew draws theirs as does Edward’s crew. All ready to strike at one another.

“Don’t be daft boy! Think of your child! What will Kyra think if she were to find out that you died being foolish?”, he asks him.

“You blackguard! You won’t touch her!”, he sneered back.

“You’re right. I won’t. But if you die here; neither will you.”, he tells him.

“What are you talking about?”, Edward asks.

“Callie hand the boy the amulet, won’t you?”, he tells one of the women with him. With a flick of her wrist; she tosses him an ornate amulet. “This is the amulet of Atlas. It’s one of three amulets. I have the amulet of Orion. Can you guess who has the other one, my boy?”

“Kyra has the other one?”, he answers.

“Aye. That she does. I gave it to her. They give you the power to transport you to the future and to the past. Consider them as presents from me and my crew; to you and her on the impending birth of your child.”, he tells Edward.

“You’re lying!”, Edward told him.

“Mari! Show him please?”, he commanded. Once again the screen into the future was up. “This was ohhh…about a week ago.”

There Kyra was sitting at her desk; clearly showing the biggest sign of pregnancy: her stomach had grown. She was going through stacks and stacks of papers, scrolls and books in both English and Ancient Greek. She was trying to figure out two things. 1.) how Robert got his hands on that key fragment; and 2.) the legends of Atlantis and Poseidon.

That’s when a noise startled her from her studying. She knew that it wasn’t good.

“Not again. Not now.”, she muttered. She knew not to leave her office; but she had to find out what that noise was.

And there stood Robert and his evil company. “Why Kyra! You’re pregnant and glowing! How are you doing dear? Are you alright? I hope the last time we spoke; didn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth.”

“Go fuck yourself!”, she snapped at him.

“Quaint as ever I see. Well you’ll be happy to know that; I’m not here to steal from you. I’m here to give a gift, actually!”, he explained.

“Thanks but no thanks! If it’s coming from you; it’s a curse not a gift!”, she replied.

“So, you’re going to be defiant, eh?”, he asks her.

“I think the term you’re looking for is stubborn; and yes I am!”, she said to him. Although she’s pregnant; and clearly in danger, she was not about to back down. She then asked him, “What do you want?”

“Callie? Be a dear, won’t you?”, he commands her. And just like with Edward she tosses Kyra an amulet. “Now pay attention girl! That is the amulet of Triton. It’s one of three. The others are the amulet of Orion and the amulet of Atlas. I have Orion. All of them, give you the power to travel back and forth in time. To use it; think of the place and time you want to be or the person you want to be with; and the amulet will do the rest. I discovered that in my studies; as I’m sure you will in yours.”

“Why would you give me this?”, she asked him.

“Don’t you think Edward should know, that you’re pregnant with his child?”, he replied with a question of his own. “I mean unless of course you’ve already told him…ohhhh wait!”

His crew snickered behind him. She stood there fuming.

“You really are a sick bastard! You do know that, right?”, she told him.

He merely shrugged. “You may see it that way; but to answer your previous question; I’m giving you that amulet for the same reason, I’m going to give the other one to your beau: to get you both to stay out of my way!”

“So this is a threat, is that what I’m to understand?”, she asked.

“Think of it as a promise my darling girl. A promise that if you get involved; you, your child, your dearly beloved and even the crew might not survive.”, he sneered at her.

“I will stop you! And even if I don’t; I know that Edward and the crew will!”, she snapped at him.

“It’s adorable to see how loyal you are to them. And I’m sure when I see them, they’ll be just as loyal to you. Well I don’t want to keep you; I know you’re busy studying, so we’ll see ourselves out. Goodbye for now! And ohhhh! At least, think about my promise to you?”, he says to her; before disappearing into the shadows with his crew.

“What am I gonna do?”, she says to herself while clutching the amulet to her chest and holding her very growing belly.

When screen vanishes again; Edward is furious. “You dare threaten her and my child?!”

“I’ll tell you; as I told her. It’s a promise not a threat. As long as you and the others stand down; no one will be hurt. But if you get involved no one will survive!”, he says to him. Clearly annoyed by the defiance he then asks, “let me guess my boy, you’re going to stop me?”

“We all will!”, Charlie growls. Edward was poised and ready to slice Robert’s head clean off his shoulders.

“I was hoping to avoid this but; so be it! If you plan to stop me you might want to do it fast…like right now!”, he says before a lightning strike hits the tavern; setting it on fire and trapping the crew inside. Edward had to get out. He had to see her. The amulet was his only hope…

Stay tuned for chapter 3! 😘

K. @txemrn @choicesficwriterscreations

[rhosyn-du]

Title: A Wonderful Institution Artist: @bidnezz​ Pairings: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, various background pairings Word Count: ~53k Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, discrimination against Downworlders, reference to rape, Clave-typical homophobia, implied character death, minor character death Summary: Magnus doesn’t have time for this bullshit. Warlocks are disappearing in New York City—five people in less than three months—and Magnus is determined to find them and protect the rest of his people from whatever took them. He doesn’t have time for politics, and he certainly doesn’t have time for whatever nonsense the Clave is proposing about marrying a Shadowhunter to a Downworlder as part of the new Accords. He doesn’t really have time for a pretty Shadowhunter who’s surprisingly kind to warlock children, either, but, well, he’s always been good at multitasking.

Alec always knew he couldn’t have what he wanted, but he’s spent the nearly four years since the newly-appointed Consul recalled his parents to Idris without explanation making the best of what he can have. When life suddenly offers up almost everything Alec actually wants on a silver platter, he can’t quite bring himself to trust it, especially when it comes with a million caveats and a side of impending disaster. But he knows how to handle disasters, even if the return of the Circle on top of Clave secrets that could destroy the Accords is way beyond the disasters he’s used to fielding. Hope, on the other hand? He doesn’t know what to do with that.

This fic was created for the @malecdiscordserver​​ Mini Bang 2020.

Chapter Six

“Knock knock, big brother,” Izzy said, opening the door to Alec’s office. 

Since their parents’ departure hours earlier, Alec had hidden himself in his office, citing the need to fill out all the paperwork required to officially install him as Head of the Institute and to plan a wedding that was apparently happening in less than a week. In reality, he’d gotten almost no paperwork done, as lost in thought as he was, and he’d only considered and then immediately abandoned the idea of texting Magnus about the wedding planning at least a dozen times.

“Come in,” Alec said, sounding just as exhausted as he felt. 

“I didn’t realize paperwork could be quite so taxing,” Izzy said, entering the office and shutting the door behind her. “I thought you’d be happy to finally have some recognition that you’ve been running this place for years. Or is this just what wedding planning does to you?” 

“I wish that’s all it was.” It wasn’t a decision he needed to think about, not really. There were two people in the Institute he knew without question weren’t working for Valentine, and Jace was too caught up in his new obsession with the redheaded mundane for Alec to trust his judgment at the moment.

“That sounds ominous,” Izzy said, perching on the edge of his desk. “What’s up?”

“Valentine Morgenstern is alive and searching for the Mortal Cup in New York. The Consul believes the Circle may have already infiltrated the Institute.” He considered telling her the rest, about Consul Dieudonné and about their parents, but he was still too angry to talk about it. “We need to keep that last part quiet, because I don’t know who we can trust, but we have to find the Mortal Cup before the Circle does.”

“Then we’d better get to work,” Izzy said. “Do you think this could have anything to do with the Circle members who came after Clary Fray?”

Alec wanted to say no, because the last thing he needed was for Jace to think he’d done the right thing in bringing the girl to the Institute without even consulting Alec first. “I don’t know,” he said instead. “It would be a pretty big coincidence if they’re unrelated, though.”

“Then we should talk to Clary,” Izzy said. “She just woke up. That’s what I was coming to tell you. Jace is with her.” 

“What has she said?” Alec demanded. “If she is involved, it’s possible she’s a spy for Valentine.”

“That would be a really complicated way to send a spy,” Izzy pointed out. “And I doubt she learned much while she was unconscious.”

“She still showed up out of nowhere right when we got word the Circle is in New York,” Alec said. “And she was supposedly raised as a mundane, but she can bear runes and use seraph blades? That’s all kinds of suspicious. There’s no such thing as new Shadowhunters.”

“Maybe there is now,” Izzy said with a shrug.

“All right, let’s find out what this not-a-mundane has to say for herself.”

They found Jace and Clary Fray along with yet another mundane in the ops center. 

“Why is there another mundane in my Institute?” Alec demanded. 

“Please excuse my brother’s lack of manners,” Izzy said, stepping forward. “This is Alec.” She held out her hand to the new mundane. “And I’m Isabelle.”

“Lewis,” the mundane said, looking more than a little dazed. “Simon, Simon Lewis. Two first names. Am I still talking?” 

“Unfortunately for all of us, yes,” Alec said. He looked at Jace. “What’s going on here?” 

“There was a Circle member outside looking for Clary,” Jace explained, “and the mundane saw. He’s her friend, or whatever.” 

“Of course there was,” Alec muttered. If the girl was a Circle spy, this was a good way for Valentine to give her cover, pretending the Circle was after her. If she wasn’t, though, that meant the Circle really did want her, and if the Circle wanted her, then Alec was going to do everything in his power to keep them from getting her. And then there was the matter of what his parents said about Circle members looking in New York for someone who knew the location of the Mortal Cup. 

“I need to find my mother,” Clary said. “Jace said you guys could help me.” 

“If the Circle really is hunting you,” Alec said, “then our first priority is keeping you out of their hands. Do you know why they’re after you?” 

“The thing at our apartment, the demon, it said something about a cup?” Clary answered. “But I don’t know anything about any cup.” 

Dammit, dammit, dammit. But this put them one step ahead of Valentine, at least, because they had Clary, and that meant the Circle didn’t. Assuming she was telling the truth.

“And what is this Circle you all keep talking about?” Clary continued. “Why would they want to take my mom?”

“A group of rogue Shadowhunters,” Jace explained. “Almost twenty years ago, a man named Valentine Morgenstern led the Circle in an Uprising to stop the signing of the Accords between the Clave and the Downworld.”

“The Circle didn’t just want to stop the Accords,” Alec added. “They wanted to wipe out the entire Downworld.”

“That’s horrible,” Clary said, “but I still don’t understand what that has to do with me or my mom.”

“The Circle is looking for the Mortal Cup,” Alec said. “And if what that demon said is anything to go by, it sounds like they think you know where it is.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Clary said. “I don’t even know what a Mortal Cup is, let alone where to find it. Why would the Circle think I do?”

“That’s what we have to figure out,” Izzy said, putting a hand on Clary’s shoulder. “But if the Circle wants you and your mom, then we’re going to keep you safe and get her back.”

“I had a dream about my mother,” Clary said, as if suddenly remembering. “But I don’t know if it was an actual dream, or… I have dreams sometimes that I think might actually be memories. I’ve had a bunch recently, some of them with a man who my mother tells to take my memories. And this was like that, but different. I think… I know this sounds crazy, but I think maybe I was seeing my mom as she is now. She was asleep, and there was a man I didn’t recognize. And Dot was there, but she was in chains, and I think she and my mom are in serious trouble. You have to help me find them.” 

“A man taking your memories could have been a warlock,” Jace suggested. “They have spells that can take a person’s memories. That might be somewhere to start.” 

“For that, we’d have to find the warlock who took her memories,” Alec pointed out. “And if the Circle is looking for her, it could be dangerous to go looking. Especially if the Circle is somehow involved in the recent warlock disappearances.” 

“Maybe another warlock could at least tell if it was a warlock who took Clary’s memories,” Izzy said, looking at Alec. “You could ask Magnus.” 

“I’m not going to just start asking Magnus for favors,” Alec said. “That would set a bad precedent.” 

“Wait, Magnus?” Clary said. “In my dream, my mom called the man who took my memories Magnus.” 

Izzy gave Alec a long look, as if to say I told you so. 

“Fine,” Alec said. “I’ll talk to Magnus and see if he’s willing to help. But not at,” he checked the time on the nearest screen, “four-thirty in the morning.” 

“But who is Magnus?” Clary wanted to know. 

“Magnus Bane is the High Warlock of Brooklyn,” Alec said, at the same time Izzy said, “Alec’s fiancé.” 

Alec shot his sister a fierce glare. 

“Oh,” Clary said, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Um, congratulations?” she offered Alec. 

“I’m going to catch a few hours of sleep,” Alec said, ignoring her. “You two, keep the redhead out of trouble and inside the Institute.” He looked at the other mundane. “And do something about that one, while you’re at it.”

Magnus had been surprised but not displeased by the text that he’d gotten a few hours earlier— I need to see you, are you busy? He had, of course, been busy, as he always was these days, but he was able to finish up what he was doing sooner than he’d anticipated, giving him nearly two hours to wait back at the loft to wonder what Alexander wanted.

It was probably about the drastically shortened timeline for the wedding. Magnus hadn’t been pleased at all when he’d received a fire message about that at some ungodly hour of the morning. And what a way to be woken up. He both hoped and feared that with the wedding suddenly impending, Alexander was having second thoughts. It would, of course, cause a bit of a scandal, and might delay the signing of the Accords if one of them were to pull out now, but Magnus was fairly confident that he could smooth things over with the Clave. 

He hated that a part of him was disappointed by the prospect.

Magnus was so lost in his thoughts that he jumped when a knock came at the door. He took a moment to straighten his waistcoat before opening the door wide.

“Alexander!” he greeted with a wide smile. Then he took in fact that Alec was very much not alone, and his smile faded into a confused frown. “And friends. This is a surprise.” He stepped back into the loft, gesturing the group inside.

A short, redheaded girl stopped in front of him and glared up into his face. “So you’re the one who stole my memories.”

“Who—” Magnus started, and then recognition hit him. She was older than last time he’d seen her, but there was no mistaking that face, especially not with her chin raised in defiance in a posture so like her mother’s it was uncanny. “Clary Fairchild,” he said. “You’ve grown into a beautiful young woman.”

“Clary Fray,” Clary corrected, and Magnus simply nodded. Jocelyn’s secrets weren’t his to tell.

“Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression when I texted,” Alec said. “We’re here about Clary’s memories. We have reason to believe she might know where the Mortal Cup is, and the Circle is hunting both Clary and the Cup.”

“I had heard something to that effect,” Magnus said.  “I hadn’t realized you were involved, Alexander.”

“Can you two catch up later?” Clary asked. “I need my memories back so I can find my mother.” She turned to Magnus. “What will it take for you to give them back to me?”

“I wish I could retrieve your memories,” Magnus said carefully, “but I no longer have them.”

“What?” Clary demanded. “Where are they?”

“I fed them to a memory demon for safekeeping,” Magnus explained.

“And why the hell would you do that?” Jace demanded angrily.

“To protect Clary and the Cup,” Magnus said with forced patience. “If the Circle ever captured me, they could torture Clary’s memories out of me.”

“And if you give them back to her, they can torture them out of her,” Alec said. “It wasn’t a bad plan, but now we need to know where the Cup is so we can keep it safe. So, is there a way to get the memories back?”

 “We could summon the demon I fed them to,” Magnus said, “but it would be dangerous. Summoning such a powerful demon could be lethal.”

“I’ll do anything to save my mother,” Clary broke in. “Where is the demon?”

Magnus regarded her for a long moment. He wasn’t sure this was a good idea, and he in no way liked the idea of handing the Mortal Cup back to the Clave, but if there was any Shadowhunter he was willing to trust with it, it was Alec, and he couldn’t find it in his heart to deny Clary’s desperate request. He knew what it was like to lose a mother, and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

“Get your team ready,” he told Alec, then turned to Clary. “Come with me.”

They could use the guest room for the summoning. His office might be better equipped, but Magnus had already started to clear out the guest room in case Alec really did move in, so the space was relatively empty, while his office was most decidedly not.

“A lot of people want the Mortal Cup,” Magnus said as he led Clary into the guest room. Once he was sure the Shadowhunters weren’t paying attention to the conversation, he added, “Don’t trust anyone, especially not the Clave.”

Clary looked at him in surprise. “Don’t trust the Clave? I thought you and Alec were—”

“Alexander is not the Clave,” Magnus interrupted her, and he wondered when exactly he’d come to that conclusion. “But just because I trust him doesn’t mean that you should.”

Clary considered that. “Then why should I trust you?”

“You shouldn’t,” he told her. “Only trust yourself.”

“I don’t understand you,” she said, shaking her head. “You tell me not to trust anyone but myself, but you admit to trusting Alec. If it’s so dangerous for me to trust anyone, wouldn’t the same be true of you? You helped my mother hide the Mortal Cup by taking my memories.”

“Who I do and don’t trust isn’t your concern,” Magnus told her. He picked up the set of chalks he used for drawing sigils and handed it to her. “Let’s get to work.”

Summoning the demon that had Clary’s memories proved both easier and more difficult than Alec expected. Easier, because the danger Magnus had warned of never materialized. More difficult because each of them had to give up a memory of the person they loved most, and the feeling of having given up something that precious but not being able to remember what he’d given up was distinctly unpleasant. Not to mention that the entire process left Clary delirious and barely conscious. 

Alec watched Jace hover over Clary on the couch, reflecting on how much more difficult this would have been a year or two earlier. Before he’d taken over the day-to-day operations of running the Institute, before he and Izzy had really grasped that their parents weren’t coming back from Idris, at least not in any kind of permanent sense, he’d thought he was in love with Jace. It had been easy to believe. Jace had been—still was—beautiful and intense and a highly competent Shadowhunter. It was easy to mistake an adolescent crush for love, especially with how close the two of them became as they trained to become parabatai. But then Alec’s parents had gone away, and suddenly he found himself with the responsibility of running an Institute, and effectively acting as a parent figure to Izzy, and he was able to start seeing his infatuation for what it was.

His younger self would have no doubt been jealous of the attention Jace paid to Clary. Now, at least, he only had to worry about his parabatai’s obvious feelings for a girl who was at best someone being hunted by the Circle. He didn’t want to think about what it would do to Jace if Clary turned out to be a Circle spy.

He felt Magnus step up beside him. “You should sit down while Clary recovers from having all those memories dumped back in her mind,” Magnus said. “A summoning like that can take a lot out of you.” 

“Shouldn’t you be taking your own advice?” Alec asked, turning to look at him. Magnus somehow didn’t look nearly as drained as the rest of them. It was possible he really was less tired, but Alec suspected it was just his uncanny and deeply unfair ability to look good in any situation. 

“I do this kind of thing all the time,” Magnus said with a shrug. “The rest of you aren’t used to it.” 

“I’ll sit down if you do,” Alec offered. 

“Fine,” Magnus said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. “If you insist.” 

They made their way over to two empty armchairs in the living room, seated close to one another. Izzy was already seated in one of the other chairs, closer to the couch. 

“This gives us the opportunity to talk about the wedding, anyway,” Magnus said as they sat down. 

“Do we have to?” Alec asked with a pained face. “I think I’m suddenly feeling that exhaustion you were talking about a minute ago.” 

“Alec spent half of last night looking over the Clave’s proposals for the wedding,” Izzy chimed in. It wasn’t exactly true, but he had looked them over briefly, and it felt like he’d done it for hours. “You should have seen his face.” 

“Always a lovely sight,” Magnus said, and Alec was too tired to fight the flush in his cheeks. 

“What did you want to talk about?” Alec asked, hoping to change the subject from his looks. If it meant talking about the wedding, so be it. 

“Mostly that it’s happening so soon,” Magnus said. “When you contacted me earlier, I assumed that’s what you wanted to see me about.” 

“I would have contacted you about that,” Alec said, “but I got a little distracted by Clary Fray.” 

“Fairchild,” Magnus corrected. “She’ll remember this now, I’m sure, but her name is Clary Fairchild. Her mother is Jocelyn Fairchild.” 

“Fairchild is a Shadowhunter name,” Izzy said, and she shot Alec a smug glance. 

“Indeed, it is,” Magnus agreed. “Jocelyn was a Shadowhunter. Is a Shadowhunter. She was unfortunate enough to at one time be married to Valentine Morgenstern, and when things got bad during the Uprising, she left him and went into hiding. Even after the Circle was vanquished, she stayed hidden. I don’t think she was ever as confident in Valentine’s death as the Clave was.”

“Even if she thought he was probably dead, she might have been afraid at even a chance he wasn’t,” Izzy said. “If Jocelyn knows where the Mortal Cup is, that could be why she never came out of hiding.” 

“Or perhaps she merely wanted to protect her daughter,” Magnus said. “I’m not sure having me take Clary’s memories was the best way to do that, but Jocelyn did seem very concerned for the girl’s safety when she brought her to me.” 

“We’d better hope Jocelyn doesn’t know where the Cup is,” Alec said, “because from what Clary saw in her vision, it sounds an awful lot like the Circle has her.” 

Magnus frowned. “Clary’s vision? What vision?” 

Alec and Izzy gave him a quick rundown of what Clary had told them back at the Institute about her dream that didn’t seem like a dream. 

“And she saw Dorothea with them as well?” he asked. “This is bad. Dot stayed with Jocelyn and Clary to protect them. If she’s been taken, as well, then we really are all that’s left to protect Clary from the Circle.” 

“Clary did say Jocelyn was sleeping in her vision, though,” Izzy reminded him. “And it seemed like the man was trying to wake her up. Maybe she did something to herself, to keep the Circle from being able to force her to reveal the location of the Cup.” 

“Perhaps,” Magnus said. “If so, let’s hope it was nothing permanent. I’d hate to think Clary has gone through all of this to find her mother only for her mother to be unreachable when we finally do find her.”

“I don’t realize this would hurt so much.” Clary’s voice, soft and trembling from where she lay on the couch, was more unsure than Alec had ever heard it. “There’s so much here, and it’s so hard to sort through it all.”

“Take it easy, Biscuit,” Magnus told her, rising to join Jace by the couch. “Don’t push yourself. It’s good that you’re as lucid as you are so quickly. The rest will come in time.”

“I can't—” Clary shook her head. “I can’t remember anything about the Mortal Cup. I’m trying to remember, anything at all my mom said about a cup, but I’m coming up blank.”

“Take your time,” Jace told her.

“I don’t have time!” Clary snapped. “I have to find my mother before something terrible happens to her!��

Jace made a placating gesture, but Alec spoke before he could say anything.

“What about Valentine or the Circle? Do you have any memories of your mother mentioning them?”

“I think,” Clary said slowly. “I think she did mention Valentine. More than once. Never when she knew I could hear, but I remember her talking to Dot. Not enough that I could understand. I wasn’t paying attention and I didn’t realize it was important. But there was another time when she was talking to Luke, and she thought I was asleep and—” She stopped, suddenly pale. “Oh no. No no no.”

“Clary what is it?” Jace asked, resting a hand on her arm.

“It’s all right, Biscuit,” Magnus soothed. “Tell us what you remember.”

“It’s Valentine,” she whispered, looking up at Jace as though he could fix whatever horror she’d discovered in her own memories. “He’s my father.”

Clary looked absolutely crushed, but Magnus nodded like he wasn’t surprised by this information. Which, maybe he wasn’t, Alec reflected. If he’d known this whole time Jocelyn had been married to Valentine, maybe he’d already suspected Clary was Valentine’s daughter.

Alec’s mind was racing. Clary being Valentine’s daughter should have made it more likely she was a Circle spy, but Magnus corroborated her story of lost memories, and Alec didn’t believe for a second that Magnus was working with Valentine. Which meant that the Circle really was hunting Clary, even though it turned out she didn’t know anything about the Mortal Cup. But maybe that didn’t matter to Valentine. Maybe he wanted his daughter as much as he wanted the Cup.

“There’s something else,” Clary said. “Another time I remember Mom talking to Dot about Valentine. Dot said she couldn’t make the potion Mom wanted, that it wasn’t her area of expertise, and Mom said she needed it in case Valentine found us.”

“Jocelyn never asked me for any potion,” Magnus said, frowning.

“Dot said she knew someone who could help, and she mentioned a name.” Clary’s brow creased as she fought to remember. “Ragnor Fell.”

“Ragnor Fell?” Magnus asked, looking affronted. “He’ll ignore my invitations for over a decade, but he’ll do jobs for a Shadowhunter? I see how it is.”

“I don’t really think that’s the most important thing here,” Jace commented.

Magnus threw him a withering look. “Which just goes to show how little you know. But I’ll contact Ragnor and see if he made a potion for Jocelyn. If it was some kind of protection against Valentine or the Circle, it might give us some clue to finding her or the Mortal Cup.”

“Or if we’re lucky, both,” Izzy added.

“We can’t count on luck,” Alec said. “Now that we know who Clary’s mother is, we might be able to find something useful in the Clave’s files.” Or maybe his parents would know something about Jocelyn that could help find her. He wasn’t ready to talk to them again, but if they’d been in the Circle, surely they’d have known Valentine’s wife.

“And Clary will be safer back at the Institute,” Jace said, earning himself a dirty look from Magnus. 

Privately, Alec agreed, but he wasn’t about to say it out loud.

“Thank you for your help,” he told Magnus instead. “We wouldn’t have Clary’s memories without you.”

“I’d do a great deal more if it meant keeping the Mortal Cup out of the Circle’s hands,” Magnus said.

“If you’re not too tired from the summoning, would you make us a portal back to the Institute?” Alec asked. “Under the circumstances, it’s the safest way to get Clary there.”

“Alexander,” Magnus said, “a little summoning of a greater demon isn’t enough to keep me from creating a portal.”

“We appreciate it,” Alec said. “And if you send your bill directly to me, I’ll see that it gets paid. I’d rather keep this quiet for now.”

“Of course,” Magus said, as though it were the most reasonable thing in the world that Alec was keeping secrets from other Shadowhunters at his own Institute. “And I’ll contact you as soon as I’ve had a chance to talk to Ragnor.” He paused, eyes flickering away for just a moment in what Alec almost thought might be nervousness. “And maybe we can discuss the wedding then?”

“Yeah,” Alec agreed. “If we don’t talk about it, then the whole thing is just going to be what the Council wants, and I doubt either of us wants them writing our wedding vows.”

Magnus made an exaggerated wince, but he seemed more relaxed. “I shudder to imagine what they might include.”

After portaling back to the Institute, Alec helped Jace get Clary set up in one of the empty rooms. If she was going to be staying at the Institute for a while, it only made sense that she have her own room. Jace offered to stay with her while she continued recovering from having her memories returned, and Alec couldn’t think of any reason to tell him not to that wouldn’t start a fight, so he agreed.

When he returned to his office, Alec was unsurprised to find Izzy leaning against his desk. He closed the door behind him.

“Are you convinced yet that she’s not a spy?” she asked, tone almost teasing.

“Yes,” Alec said, “but that doesn’t mean she’s not trouble.”

“Are you talking about the Circle, or the way Jace looks at her?”

“Both,” Alec said, dropping into his favorite chair. “Plus, you know, that whole thing where she’s Valentine’s daughter.”

“Jace is a big boy,” Izzy said, easily pinpointing what he was most worried about. “He can take care of himself. Besides, you should be happy Jace is interested in someone besides himself for once.”

Alec made a noncommittal noise, not wanting to talk about it any further. Izzy walked over and sat on the arm of his chair, leaning against him in a gesture of support. Alec leaned back, grateful for her presence.

“So,” Izzy said after a few minutes of silence, tapping his leg with the toe of her boot, “Magnus looked nice today.”

“Magnus always looks nice,” Alec said without thinking, then immediately tried to cover it. “I mean, he’s very good at dressing himself.”

Izzy burst out laughing. “He’s very good at dressing himself, really?” Her laughter faded to a soft smile. “It’s okay to think your fiancé is hot, Alec.”

“It’s not like that,” he protested, looking away. “This marriage is about the Accords. That doesn’t change just because the person I’m marrying is Magnus.”

“Doesn’t it?” she asked, and he hated how unsure he was of the honest answer.

“It can’t,” he told her. “Whatever is or isn’t between me and Magnus, it has to be separate from this marriage. I can’t let my feelings jeopardize the Accords.”

Izzy looked like she wanted to argue, but she just leaned over and kissed his temple before standing to leave. “Just don’t forget while you’re busy doing things for everyone else that it’s okay to do things for yourself sometimes.”

Alec didn’t have the heart to tell her he didn’t even know what it meant to do something for himself anymore.