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aliceslantern · 4 years

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Heartlines, a Kingdom Hearts fanfic, chapter 5

Twelve years ago, Xemnas betrayed the royal court of Radiant Garden to his father, Xehanort. Prince Ienzo flees to another city and begins university in the aftermath, hoping the anonymity will protect him from eager eyes with ill intent. The darkness spilling across the country, as well as an individual from his past, cut short Ienzo's new beginning and bring new conflicts to light. Strained between the desires of his magic and his heart, Ienzo's choice will change him forever.

Modern Fantasy AU, Soulmates, Zemyx. Updates Fridays until it's done.

Chapter summary: Ienzo investigates Demyx further, and comes to a shocking revelation.

Read it on FF.net/on AO3

---

Ienzo told Aeleus everything.

The man seemed more tired than usual. He’d been gone for the past two days on some resistance mission neither Even nor Ienzo really knew anything about. He’d slept soundlessly, almost breathlessly, on the couch for two hours before Ienzo tried to feed him and convince him to sleep in his proper bed. But when Aeleus asked how he was… the words had spilled out of him almost against his will.

“There are more people like me here, Aeleus,” he finished. “That much is certain.”

Aeleus ate steadily. Ienzo had made pho; he’d forgotten how much he missed cooking with an actual full kitchen. “Of course there are,” he said. “Not everyone goes underground in our sense. Some merely prefer to hide.”

“In some ways I feel so… naive,” he admitted slowly. “I wish you would tell me some things so I don’t feel so ignorant.”

Aeleus smiled and squeezed Ienzo’s hand. “If I could, I would,” he said. “Even I am only allowed to know pieces, parts.” He set aside his empty bowl. “Though I am curious. I had thought all the seeker lines… were eradicated.”

“But why, if they’re functionally harmless? He has no magic.”

Aeleus rubbed at his eyes. “Their abilities are purely passive… and somewhat latent. It’s thought seekers would do anything to trigger their own abilities, even if they do not consciously realize it. But once they wake… they are a force to be reckoned with. Their individualism was what made them dangerous.”

Ienzo exhaled. Was that why Demyx was so drawn to him? Because on some level he thought Ienzo’s power would awaken his own?

“...Moreover… and Even would say this is all silly mythology.”

“If Even says it’s silly, then I want to know it all the more.”

“Seekers pairbond. It’s thought they spend their days looking for their soulmate… and if they find them, they know. Ironically… despite the individualism, they are nearly dependent on those they bond with."

Ienzo smiled a little. “That is very mythic.”

“I admit I’m rather jealous of you. I’d like to meet one.”

“Well, if I can be subtle about it, I’ll ask him.”

“He might not know much about his own culture.”

“...Soulmates.” Ienzo shook his head. “As if anyone has time for love right now.”

---

Still, why was it Ienzo agreed to see him again?

Thanks to the psychology professor, Eraqus, he was able to test out of many gen-ed courses. But this left Ienzo with a dilemma--namely, that he had no idea what to actually major in. It seemed like a superficial problem to have, on top of all this.

“ Precisely why I wanted you to actually take those classes,” Even told him, with a scowl. “To get to know your cohort, your community--because that influences it too.”

Ienzo pursed his lips. “Why bother, when we might have to run again at any moment? You should have at the very least given me the choice, Even.”

His disposition did not improve. “You know little of the actual world. Gods forbid I try to actually let you learn.”

“Learn what? On paper, I already know all of the content. And you don’t want me to truly get close to anyone--else you would actually let me socialize, instead of calling me until I return home.”

His head snapped up from his computer. “How dare I worry for you, you mean? If there are Heartless and seekers and goodness knows what else--”

“Even. I can take care of myself. You have to let me make my own decisions. Otherwise, what type of ruler would I ever hope to be?” A bit of an underhanded move, but true regardless.

Even turned pink, and his scowl deepened. He knew Ienzo had cornered him. “Very well . Now leave me be. I have to finish this report.”

Ienzo put on a jacket and left the house. He told Demyx he’d meet him at the streetcar station nearest the beach. He thought about what Aeleus told him, about soulmates. He thought of the warmth, the prickling he’d felt with his own magic whenever they were together. Was it possible that--?

Perhaps it was simply a silly schoolboy crush, and given that he’d never much had one on anyone else, this was just how his magic reacted normally. Surely he couldn’t simply ask Demyx what he’d felt, could he?

Something to ponder. Aeleus had said it was myth. Ienzo reminded himself to try and study more magic history. It had been some time, and he was rusty.

The streetcar was relatively empty for this time of day, so his trip was smooth and easy. Ienzo liked public transit, its cleanliness, its efficiency. If only all of life could be organized so neatly. He watched the band of sea grow closer and closer until finally the conductor urged him to get off at the terminus.

The memories of the sea were louder now, harder to fight-- Braig, where is _____?

I dunno, I just turned around for five seconds, couldn’t have gone far--

The feeling of water rushing into his lungs, sand as the riptide tossed him back and forth like a ragdoll-- then a memory he was almost certain he hadn’t recalled in some time, of another child in the water, a child with blonde hair and shiny scales guiding him towards the surface--

“Hey, Zo! You made it!”

Ienzo gasped a little. He had to have corroborated that memory. It was impossible that happened--Braig had to have been the one who saved him from drowning, or Aeleus, not some kind of--creature that looked just like the man in front of him-- “Hi, Demyx.”

He cocked his head. “You okay?”

“Yes… I… fine. Shall we?”

“Uh. Sure.”

They walked along the boardwalk, the old, sand-weathered boards creaking under their feet. Various food vendors, gift shops, and game booths dotted the surface, leading to a set of stairs down to the beach itself. “You ever been?” Demyx asked. “It’s too cold to swim, but still pretty to look at.”

Ienzo breathed that sea-tinted air, the echoes of the memory making both him and his magic feel… so very strange. Was he being put in a thrall? But this felt like none of the thralls Even and Merlin had trained him on. It did not feel like conscious magic. “Sure. Let’s go.”

They took off their shoes when they got to the water. The sand, in this twilight, was pleasantly warm. A few people milled about; the brave were swimming, some wading, others flying kites or playing with dogs or simply watching the water. They walked closely enough that every few drifts of tide, Ienzo could just barely feel the cool water on his toes. He felt… relaxed, he realized, even in the presence of this essential stranger.

“Does this remind you of your home?” Ienzo asked him. Demyx’s expression was dreamy, his eyes trained on the ocean outside.

“It… does. Whenever I really feel homesick… I come down here. It’s a little too cold for surfing now, but even just the sound of the waves… or the birds…” He sighed. “I was supposed to go back for a visit. Before it… fell.”

“I truly am sorry.”

He smiled sadly. “It’s not your fault.”

Ienzo wondered if it actually was; if he hadn’t been running, if he’d done something or fought , would Destiny Islands be whole?

Demyx took a breath. “I wanted to… talk to you about something,” he said. “And I know it’s going to sound totally insane--”

Ienzo’s heart beat harder.

“But I can’t stop thinking about it, and I wonder if it’s actually true--”

He felt almost like he couldn’t breathe, the world getting dizzy, his magic practically screaming at him to open his eyes and see what was right in front of him--

“Hey… you okay?”

Ienzo’s knees gave out, and everything went dark.

---

“...zo? Hey.”

He blinked. He was lying on the soft sand of the beach, and the right leg of his pants was awkwardly wet. “What happened?”

“You fainted. Here.” He was handed a bottle of water.

Ienzo sat up slowly. His right eye didn’t hurt, but it did feel warm, almost like it was glowing. He opened the lukewarm water and drank it.

“Sorry about your pants. I wasn’t able to fully catch you.”

“...They’ll dry.” He looked back towards the boardwalk--there were no people near them. They were almost completely alone in this strange little cove. “A… friend of mine told me a little about seekers.”

A flush brightened Demyx’s face. “What did they say?”

“He said… that you subconsciously seek out your soulmate, and when you find them, you know.” Demyx’s face was still doubled in his vision. “Is that true? Is that what you're actually seeking, not magic users to protect?"

A substantial pause. All Ienzo heard for a long moment was the waves. Then, finally, “yeah. It’s true.”

Ienzo sat up a little more. “When we…” He swallowed, and forced himself to lock eyes with him. “When we met. I felt something in my magic. I didn’t know what it was, but I wonder--”

“If we--” Demyx cut himself off. His eyes were watering.

“That wasn’t the first time we met, was it?”

“No.”

Ienzo’s heart was beating so hard. “When I was… little. My family and I took a trip to your islands. My caretaker… lost track of me, and I nearly drowned. I was saved by… something. It was you, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah.” The tears ran over.

“You’re not human.”

“Not completely. But neither are you.”

Ienzo shook his head slowly. “Not completely.”

Demyx took both of his hands. “I’d forgotten it… all the way up until… you saved me from that Heartless, and then I didn’t believe it was you until…”

The pull was growing stronger. “Then what are you?” Ienzo asked.

“I guess you would call it… a siren? I guess?” He bit his lip nervously. “But we… I don’t remember how, I really don’t, but I lost the ability to change form… and one day I just washed up on the beach. I forgot who I was for years .” He took out the pendant. “And since then…”

“You’ve been looking for your history and your family.”

“And you.”

Ienzo’s breath caught.

“I know we’re… we’re basically strangers, but… I know we’re…” He swiped at his eyes. “Right? You felt it too.”

Slowly… in a state of disbelief… Ienzo nodded. The prickling feeling inside of his magic only intensified. Demyx took one hand and touched his cheek. Ienzo gasped despite himself. He’d never had these feelings… maybe there was a reason --

Demyx had said he was a siren. Maybe this was all some kind of enchanting magic he’d never experienced--

But his own energy was telling him this was all truth.

Demyx leaned in a little. How had Ienzo not noticed how he smelled before? Like ginger, and salt, and something else he had no name for. “I…” Ienzo was breathing shakily. He should’ve been embarrassed, falling apart like this. “I’ve never--”

“Would you want to?” Demyx asked gently.

“Yes.” He closed the space between them, and Demyx’s lips on his shouldn’t have felt so right . It took him a moment to learn how to do it. Those callused hands tangled in his hair, pulling him a little closer--

Another stronger, warmer wave broke over him, making the fine hairs on his arms stand up straight--

Demyx broke away first, pressing his forehead against Ienzo’s. “Your hair’s glowing again,” he said softly, pressing a kiss against Ienzo’s cheek.

The pleasure he’d found quickly shattered. “No,” he said, snapping his head around to see if there were any witnesses. “Oh--”

“No one can see us,” Demyx said. “I’m blocking you from view.”

“I just--I don’t know how much magic was released by--” He licked his lips. He could still taste him, for gods’ sake, a weirdly sweet flavor.

“I’m blocking you,” Demyx repeated.

He got it. “You can… you can do that?”

“More like…” He brushed his fingers across Ienzo’s cheek. “Distracting whoever would listen. Making them think about their dinner, or…”

“Passive,” Ienzo repeated. “What do we… what now?”

“I didn’t… I didn’t think I’d get this far.” Demyx blinked the tears out of his eyes. “I mean… I guess…”

“Get to know each other?”

He laughed a little, and Ienzo did too.

“I don’t know how I’m going to explain this,” he told Demyx. “My father… I’m not sure I fully understand what’s going on--”

“Me either.”

“I was told…” He could barely breathe. “I was told… when I didn’t understand the situation… to research. To gather data.” Demyx’s hand, against the small of his back, was so warm. His whole body felt suddenly so much more alive.

“I think I understand,” Demyx said, and kissed him again.

---

“Where have you been ?” Even’s voice was shrill, and Ienzo noted, not without worry. He was late, he knew; the sun had been down for hours. “And why are you--covered in sand ?”

Ienzo winced a little. He had a choice to make here--to lie, or tell the truth. But something this big… he had to be sure. And Even did have a nigh-bottomless knowledge of the monarchy, and Ienzo’s own magic. “I’ll… explain everything, I promise, but know I am fine . Let me clean up, and then we can…”

Even touched his shoulder. He lifted a strand of Ienzo’s hair, the tips of which were still luminous. “Oh,” he said softly. He seemed frozen; Ienzo was able to pull away with ease. Even remained there, his one hand still raised, muttering to himself.

Ienzo took a shower. His skin seemed more sensitive than before; in fact, all of his senses seemed as though a film had been peeled away. He combed his hair and looked at himself in the mirror. He took a deep breath. He put on some pajamas and rejoined Even in the parlor.

The heavy mahogany desk had been cleared off. “Up you get. Up,” Even said, steering him over. Wordlessly, Ienzo listened; the wood was cold and hard after the sand. Even forced him to lay down.

“Are you going to tell me why I was never informed about all this pairbonding nonsense?”

“Shut up ,” Even hissed. “Be still.”

Ienzo felt coldness leaching into his body, making him shudder. Even’s magic was always sharp and angular as it probed his. Finally, after what felt like a long time… the coldness dissipated. Ienzo shivered. He sat up slowly. Even was breathing hard, with an odd look on his face, as though someone had struck him. “At first I wondered… if he had placed some advanced enchantment on me,” Ienzo said. “But judging by your expression… that is not the case.”

Even seemed to be struggling. “I’d thought…” He began softly.

“You knew this was a possibility,” Ienzo said. “You knew , and you never said--” A sort of rage blotted out the coldness. “Why didn’t you--”

“It’s old magic, Ienzo,” Even said, spreading his arms. “Ancient, even.” He pressed a hand to his forehead. “It’s that boy, isn’t it? The one Aeleus mentioned… the seeker?”

“So is he my mate, or isn’t he?”

“That’s for you to determine,” he said. “You needn’t… accept this bond, Ienzo.”

Ienzo thought of that kiss, and the many that had followed, the way it all made him feel .

“In fact, if you do… you might as well send up a flare saying “here I am!””

“He blocked me.”

Even’s head snapped up.

“When we were figuring this out. His magic eclipsed mine.” He knotted his hands together. “Why did you not tell me this was a possibility?”

“Because almost all seekers are dead!” Even all but yelled. “How was I to know you’d come in contact with one, much less we’d run into him here of all places? Child, did you even know which gender you favored?”

Ienzo shook his head wearily. He was tired now. “You remember that diplomatic trip we took to Destiny Islands? When I… nearly drowned?”

Even softened. “Do I remember. It’s one of the many reasons I’m going prematurely gray. It’s due to Braig’s carelessness that you almost lost your life.”

“He wasn’t the one who saved me. Demyx was.”

“Oh…” He turned pale. “And the magic released as you struggled for your life… must’ve forged that bond.” He thought a moment, then dashed over to one of the books on a bookshelf. “No matter. I’m certain there’s a spell somewhere that could break it, and you can simply--”

“Break it?” Ienzo repeated.

“Don’t tell me you want this, Ienzo?”

Ienzo’s hand fluttered to his lip without meaning to. “Would it be so terrible?” he mumbled. “Especially… if he does have a shielding property.”

Even groaned. “Child, I know you are flush with hormones, and this magic is hard to resist, but think a moment.”

The embarrassment burned his cheeks.

“How do we know he isn’t allied with Xehanort?”

“If he spent years looking for me, do you really think he’d hurt me?”

“Does he know who you truly are?”

Ienzo said nothing.

“Exactly, Ienzo. Exactly .”

He stood. “I’m going to bed,” he said.

Even followed him. “Tell me you’re not thinking about it.”

How could he not? “I think you should allow me to make my own decisions, Even.”

“Ienzo--”

“I am very tired. Good night. ”

He tramped up the stairs, reeling. So this was… true, then. He and Demyx were… A flush came over him. Even was partially correct; ever since they’d kissed on the beach, some thing had woken up in him, something hot and wanting, something that had previously been much quieter.

Ienzo drew the blinds and lay in bed. He looked at his cell phone--messages from Demyx--

I hope you got home safe. Everything feels so much louder now… I feel so awake…

Ienzo took a quick breath. I do too.

What do you want to do?

He knew what he wanted. What he said instead was, I need to know more about you. And you need to know more about me.

Just give me a time and place.

Some place private… away from those that may listen.

Leave it to me.

Ienzo set the phone aside. He started up at the moonlight playing on the ceiling. Mate , he thought. I have a mate. Someone who knew neither of his gender nor of his heritage. Someone who might try to get away from him if he found this out.

Ienzo could tell him, gauge his reactions, and wipe his memory if need be…

He wanted to trust Demyx. If his magic could protect Ienzo… could that possibly be a way for him to finally do something about Xehanort’s forces? For him to find out more information to pass on to the resistance?

He said he’d tell Riku about the resistance… but he needed to know more about him, too. Demyx was probably a good way to find out more about all this…

That kiss…

He’d known, in an aqueous sort of way, he’d likely have to have an heir at some point, and even for him children didn’t spontaneously come out of thin air. But he’d never thought of how he’d get one, nor imagined marriage, nor even… allowed himself the possibility of fantasy, of being loved. His life was too split, always on the run. How could he settle down? He’d barely had friends, much less a boyfriend or girlfriend, much less a lover-- he had not, prior to those hours on the beach, even kissed --

Kissed, and kissed, and kissed…

He traced the material of his waistband absently. Perhaps Even was right, he had to ignore this impulse.

He felt awake, and a little less alone. Perhaps it was for this reason, but he let his hand slip below the waistband, to feel at skin he normally avoided, to stroke it gently and imagine he was not the one touching it--

He gasped, feeling it break over him, and instead of feeling shame as usual, he instead felt release, felt… hope.

#heartlines #ienzo #demyx #zemyx #even (kingdom hearts)#aeleus #au #soulmates au #alternate universe

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blade-king-luze · 4 years

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“Bittersweet Freedom”

(OOC: A non-canonical story that could possibly extend a little bit longer within Chapter 63 of Uraboku. And a different route of ending because, this is pertaining to said Luze’s point of view and a little bit of Luka’s point of view. I ... I really want to show more relationships between Reiga and Luze. They deserve better qq like Yuki and Luka. But also, it was just a sudden decision from Reiga. Would Luze feel any different?) - Feat. Reiga Giou (Fowler), Fuyutoki Kureha, Yuki Giou, Luka Crosszeria - Sections taken from the Manga - Alternate dialogue direction and setting of the ending - Luka’s point of view

🎵- (Music to read through this)

What would happen in the events before Reiga, or now known as Kanata, made a decision to sacrifice his own freedom for the safety of others? Would that greatly impact Yuki, considering they were friends then enemies, then back to being sole friends? More importantly, what would that mean for Luze? Reiga’s former trusted right hand man and dearest friend?

Kanata decided to lock himself up since he is the last Necromancer that Suzaku needed to activate the Book of Raziel. Yuki was concerned about this plan but unfortunately, there was nothing else more the Zweilts could have done. Especially losing so many warriors and innocent lives in one day.

As The Zweilts were resting from their devastating losses with heavy hearts, Luze goes and deals with his own heavy heart. He now walks in the path of his long wanted freedom granted from Kanata. But each step Luze takes towards his own freedom feels cold and empty without his Dearest Leader. As much as Luze was glad that Kanata’s mind was completely set on being the human he once was, the thought of locking him like a bird stuck in a cage tells a different story.

Open the gilded cage from this story to see how Luze would cope with Kanata’s decision from all that had happened. Just how do you think Luze would react about all of this? Would he accept his freedom? This is just but my own interpretation and what I would think Luze would feel like considering he has been this loyal to him until the end. A knight without an oath to protect from their vowed noble.

... This was his plan. A plan that Fowler suddenly thought of that might or may not help with everything that occurred upon The Surface.

As everyone’s eyes were suddenly shocked and surprised about his answer, Luka and I remained unfazed. We somehow knew something like this would stir up. However ... Not like this. That doesn’t mean that my heart was unfazed. I closed my eyes as he told everyone why he intended to do this. Luka took a quick glance at me as he felt something was amiss then looked back to Fowler.

I blocked all the noise around me just to focus on myself and tried to ease my mind. Fowler had already told me about this plan before he spoke to anyone about it. Of course, I was completely reluctant.

Lock himself up. Confide and never say a word about this ever. How frustrating and difficult that I had to go with this decision. Was there no other way than just to simply enclosed himself?

It’s just as Humes would say ...

To sacrifice one person would mean to save millions. To sacrifice millions would mean to save one person. Fowler’s route would have been the second choice in this matter. His goals. His ambitions. All in one step of the way to eradicate the Humes. Only to revive someone he used to love way back in his time.

But he decided to take the first choice. To give up his freedom for the sake of others. Because he made his final decision to become the Hume he once was.

Before our encounter with The Light and Luka, his idea was brought to me. I had risen my voice at him that time. I strongly denied his decision to lock himself like this. All of his efforts seem to just go to waste in a blink of an eye. I didn’t understand any of it. I thought I knew Fowler more. It didn’t feel right at all. I felt anger. I wanted to retort.

But I couldn’t. I would never ... Not in front of someone I believed in. All I can do now is to accept it. What more would I have done?

Suddenly, my meditation was interrupted as I heard The Light speaking to someone through his device. We all tensed up as we were given information on what event that transpired. There was no time for me to think on any of this anymore. The only way now is to get through this sudden fight and push forward.

Although ... more events turned as I didn’t know that I would turn against the Duras to side with the Humes. Everything was just happening all at once and it seemed like I couldn’t keep up with any of it anymore. I was self cautious about myself about this whole thing. There was no turning back, however.

It somehow felt like a final battle to me ... Probably just thinking about this whole mess of an idiotic idea that Fowler came up. But there are more that which meets the eye after the calm before the storm.

And I will see to it as long as I am still holding a purpose to serve Lord Reiga.

---

Events occurred and the battle ensued during Uraboku Chapters 62-63. The Zweilts, the other warriors, Luka and Luze, and Reiga, or now known as Kanata, himself were fighting side by side after finding out that the Zweilt’s head master, Takashiro, was abducted.

Hordes of Lesser Duras and the General Opasts raided The Surface in great defiance and destruction from Suzaku, one of the necromancers needed to revive Lucifer.

They all fought valiantly and repelled Suzaku successfully, but at the cost of losing the Zweilt’s headmaster along with many other innocent lives in one day.

Kanata then explains what had happened during his past many centuries ago as well as Takashiro’s dark history. Everyone was downtrodded and their moral greatly descended after the cruel unfortunate events that occurred.

The Zweilts would all have to go without their leader this time and make their own decisions. But that isn’t to say that their leader isn’t the only one that is kept alive as a prisoner to Infernus. In Earth, it’s more similar in a sense that Luze technically does not have anyone to follow anymore. All he could do now that was greatly requested from Kanata was to stay by Yuki’s side and forge a contract with him instead, breaking the bond that tied the two together for so long.

Luze had no other choice but to accept his master’s will, much to his grand dismay. Kanata then proceeded to imprison himself until this war is over ...

---

My steps grew quieter each time I tread through these dark halls within one of the Zweilt’s residence located in Kamakura, or so the Humes called the location. I was now following closely behind Fuyutoki alone as he guided me to where Fowler was kept deep within his cell.

Most of the civilians that kept this residence clean and secured had all recovered their wounds from the aid of The Light’s healing abilities and my White Magic. There were a few casualties that were inevitable to save, but we had tried our best nevertheless. Fuyutoki was one of many fortunate ones to survive such feats. He was considered as Takashiro’s right hand man and a faithful butler to The Zweilts back at the Twilight Mansion. ... He reminded me of myself just because he used to work under someone he truly trusts with their lives.

Now, we were both leaderless in our own way. We both technically lost someone we followed. “I must thank you all for everything that you have done ...” Fuyutoki said. “Especially Master Yuki’s and your healing abilities. Without them, most of us would have perished.” “...” I hesitated. My hands were in my pockets as I still continued to follow behind him. I looked down as I shook my head steadily. “Don’t mention it ... We tried what we can do. Even if there were losses ... At least all of you are mostly standing on two feet now.” “Don’t worry about the losses. We will also do what we can to hold their services. They all must be glad to have you aid them during their final moments.” I paused as I kept walking. “... About your leader.” Fuyutoki shook his head, trying to disregard the fact that Takashiro was temporarily no more. “... You don’t need to worry about him. He is our leader after all. I believe that he knows how to defend himself. He wouldn’t go down so easily even if being mind controlled. I know him better than anyone who has met him ... I also have faith that all of you will bring him back to us one day.”

I glanced slightly at him. “... Very well.” Even though I should take his words into consideration, a part of me couldn’t help but think about the losses in general. I’ve lost many during my days as a soldier. I could only have sympathy even for those I don’t know. I always have to compare myself to those on how they must have felt. I wonder if The Light would be alright after this as well ...

We finally reached towards the door that was locked and kept away deep within the hallway. Fuyutoki reached in his pocket and pulled out a couple of keys that unlocked the intricate doors and opened them. The black void was the only thing that welcomed us as the door slowly creaked ominously wide. The stairs in front of us lead downward towards the abyss as we descended. Our footsteps softened but echoed from the stone grounds. What lies ahead of us were corridors of stone and torches that lit dimly but still bright enough to see where we were headed at the end of the halls. I still find it uncanny that there were prison cells in such a peaceful residential place. Then again, fortresses and mansions hold many surprises for those who venture deep within them if they were completely new to the area. They have great sizes for any living spaces with their grandiose appearance. Even those quarters enclosed from the world.

Moments passed as we approached towards the end of the darkened hall where cells were barely present from the lighting, far and deep where Fowler was. Fuyutoki moved slightly to the side to give me room to walk towards it. I stood in front of the door that Fowler was kept in. My face was solemn as I hesitated.

“... Take as much time as you need.” Fuyutoki stated as he saw my expression. He looked slightly down with his eyes for a moment then looked towards me. He took two steps forward as I slightly turn around. I saw his arm stretched outward with the keys in front of me. I blinked as I looked at him. “... What’s this?” “These are the keys that open the main door upstairs that encloses all of these cells. I trust that you will return them to me once you have finished.” “What?” As much as I was confused, I reached my hand out and he placed the keys on my palm. Fuyutoki smiled at me calmly. “You should thank your brother.” I flinched slightly. “He was the one that requested for me to entrust the keys to you so that you may talk to him for as long as you are able today.” I blinked one more time. “... I beg your pardon?” Before I began to say anything more, he started to walk off. I looked to my hand with the key then back at him. I wanted to return the keys immediately, but seeing as he was far away from where I could reach him, and also from me hesitating, I stood reluctantly on my spot.

I huffed in frustration as I curled my fingers on the keys and looked down at them. “You jackass ...” I whispered to myself about Luka. However, a part of me was very relieved that Luka finally had this much trust in me. Even if it’s just as simple as requesting Fuyutoki to lend these keys to me.

I closed my eyes as I turn around slowly towards Fowler’s cell. He must have heard voices from behind the steeled door. I wondered if it was sound proof. The thought made my hands clenched just thinking he would live here without any sound nor anything to hear. Just the deafening silence. ... I wondered if he could hear my voice.

I walked gently in front of the steeled door and hesitated as I raised a hand and knocked a couple of times. I put my head barely leaning towards the door to see if I can hear something. I thought I heard shuffling from my keen hearing. I put a hand flat on the door to focus. Soft footsteps were heard approaching towards me.

“Who’s there?” I heard a muffled voice. I was surprised as I looked at the door. I really wish I could see beyond it. Alas, there was nothing to peer into except the high thinned windowed bars that I could barely look from. “ ... It’s me.” I responded.

“Luze?” Fowler said. “... Yes.” Even though I couldn’t see anything, I sensed that he was definitely close by. From the other side of the door, he reached his hand and placed it flat on the door. He leaned forward with his ear against it to listen closely. “I had thought I heard voices from the other side. Though I couldn’t make it out who it was.”

He paused for a moment. “... Why did you return?” he suddenly said quietly, barely for me to hear. “...” I hesitated. I could hear his upset tone. “I just wanted to talk to you.”

Silence. Fowler knew it wasn’t for just casual talk. He looked down. “There truly has to be a reason for you to come down here again. Is there?”

I closed my eyes as my eye lids quivered. I took a deep breath as I had swore I felt tears suddenly forming within my eye lids. Did I want to cry? My heart felt uneasy. I felt my head slightly tilt slowly towards the door as my forehead barely touched it. I suddenly felt like I couldn’t speak no more. As if I couldn’t find anymore words to say nor raise my voice at all.

What was happening to me? Why do I suddenly feel anxious? My fingers tensed on the door as I hesitated again.

“Forgive me, Fowler ...” I said quietly. My voice was shaking. “I ... I can’t accept this ...” Fowler’s eyes widened slightly as he leaned his head more closely towards the door. “What are you saying?”

I kept my eyes closed as they were tensed. I stood there quiet and tried my best to keep myself together and my breathing intact. I tried to hold back my tears. But it was too late. They fell delicately down my cheeks as I felt my body began to slightly shake. “I don’t accept this ... Everything that you have done. Everything that you gave out your life for ... I can’t just see it end like this ... I ... feel like I can’t accept any of which you give me right now ... Only to give up your freedom for my own and everyone else’s.” My hand curled into fists. I restrained from clawing at the metal door as much as I want to tear it down. My tears still continued.

“I ... I can’t go with The Light. I don’t know if any of this is right at all. Even though ... Even though I had a chance to be with my brother in all of this ... Including my freedom that I had always wanted ... I ...” I pressed my forehead on the door. My voice now trembling. “I never wanted to leave your side ... I ... Wanted to keep walking with you. You even told me that you wanted me to stand by you through all of this ... What happened to that notion? Did you forget ... ?”

Fowler’s eyes widened as he heard my words along with how my voice was. Never in such a long time has he ever heard me break down this much. It was embarrassing for me to say the least. I have always displayed a strong iron will towards my leader or anyone I have served under. I was never the one to show my weakness because I was a Crosszeria. However, ever since I have ascended upon The Surface, my bottled up emotions started to overflow and unravel. My silent voice that was kept enclosed within my raging mind began to escape. It was strange to hear it loud and clear at times. To have that freedom of speech openly and unknowingly.

Yet here I was. Now letting my strange emotions out. It was uncanny of me ... I sobbed quietly as I continued to hold back, but to no avail. Fowler didn’t know what to do as his hand that was flat on the door tensed and shook slightly. He closed his eyes as he felt his mouth quivering. But he stood firm. He pressed his forehead against the door, opposite to where I had pressed mine. Fowler tried to smile as he opened his eyes half way.

“Luze ... You should not say such things out loud.” As soon as I heard his voice, my body began to calm down but my soft sobs still persisted. “This is all what you wanted from the beginning, was it? You wanted this freedom. You wanted to see your brother. You wanted to escape your past and move forward beyond your stilled position. Yet here you are. Standing upon Earth. To walk on a path that you are more than capable of having within your heart. You mustn’t let yourself down too much like this ... This is what I want from you. You must remember that.”

I opened my eyes slowly as they were glazed. I steadied my breath. “I know ... I know. But ... It’s still difficult somehow. Maybe you were right when you told me about Luka ... Freedom does come at a price ...” My hand loosened as it was flat again against the door. “I just never thought it would end like this ... It’s ironic how you have granted me freedom ever since you summoned me, only to have yourself stuck here of all places.” Fowler scoffed softly. I was taken slightly aback when I heard him. I lifted my forehead slightly off the door. “Yes ... Quite so. Fate does have its strange ways.” His hand loosened as well as he laid his palm flat adjacent to mine. It was quite for a moment. It felt like my breath can be heard through the halls or even through the door in front of us as I breathed steadily.

“Luze ...” He said breaking the silence. “I am very glad to see you let out your true colors.” My eyes widened as I looked down. “You were always the conservative type. You seemed like you were always afraid to let your voice ring out. I understood your point of view when you told me about your family line. I related to you a lot from that. You were always cooped up, not wanting anyone to see your mistakes or flaws as well. But you must know that not everyone strives to be perfect. Though you may be a Crosszeria with restrictions, you were able to display your openness through me. You learned so much from your mistakes as I have. And ... Just to see you stand up, hearing you open your mind up ... Makes me more than glad that your not just trying to be the perfect being in front of people. But just by being yourself. Your true self. I am more proud that you of all people continue through the strife and the labyrinth of your own limbo to reveal this side of you without any worry. Through this, this is what I wanted from you, Luze ... To stand.”

I stood there in disbelief. I felt my forehead pressed on the steeled door once more as my eyes narrowed calmly. Some tears fell delicately down again. “You ... A Hume that was once a powerful Duras, the Great Necromancer. You have given so much for me yet I feel like I have nothing to give back to you.”

Fowler shook his head, still pressed against the door. His voice echoed softly. “You have already, Luze. You were always there by my side whether I did not need it.” He placed his other hand on the door. “You are the greatest friend I have ever had next to The Light. Next to Yuki. You already served a greater purpose and I want you to continue to do so with The Zweilts. Lend your blade to them as they have with you. I know you can get through this as a proud Crosszeria, rather than the cursed being as you called yourself as. Show them that you are more than what you are worth as you have with me, as a knight of honor. The protector of those who will follow you just like your comrades.”

I pondered as I took in his words. Just thinking that he considered me as a friend was enough to make me more important than just a slave being used to win in battles. I felt lighter. I have never grew tired of his voice whenever he would give me advice. I would feel like I was sitting down and hearing lectures from a teacher I was eager to listen to. He was right in his own way whenever it was calm or solemn as this moment. I will continue to fight for those I hold dear. Just like I have with my comrades.

I was silent for a moment as I closed my eyes. A single tear fell as there were no more after that. The air felt calm despite the halls displaying a cold interior structure.

“... It’s cold without you.” I said suddenly. Fowler’s eyes quivered as he felt a tear fall from his eyes. He closed them. “... Luze.”

We both stood in our positions for quite some time. Even though the door was between us, I could almost feel the warmth from Fowler transfer to my forehead as we both had our heads technically touching each other. “You can do this. I believe in you, my dearest friend. You just need to hold out on this fight for as long as you can. As a free soldier than how you once were. Fight freely as you are now on a road I had lend you. Do not stray far from that path. This is all I can say to you from now on. I will not be far from you as you move forward. Stand, Luze ...”

My closed eyes eased down as I carried on his words. “... Understood, Lord Reiga.” Fowler opened his eyes slowly and smiled calmly. “From this day on, you needn’t call me Lord Reiga anymore. Nor even Fowler. If you can, please prefer to me as Kanata. I am no longer who I was before ... I ... also want to move forward from my own path.” I nodded as I looked barely towards him. “As you wish, Kanata ...” His eyes quivered as he was glad to hear his name being called out from me. It was different than just calling him from his formal title into something simple and sweet. Just like how life was upon The Surface despite the conflicting routes that life also gives out suddenly.

“Now go, Luze. Dry your tears. You mustn't stay here longer than you need to be. The others might be waiting for you. Your new family. This is my final order to you ...” My mouth quivered and tightened as I thought about it. My new family. The people I will be helping with. The people that will hopefully accept me for who I am just like Luka. From the new path I will walk on.

“... I will.” I bowed slightly and closed my eyes. Damn it ... He had to tell me an order. “... But I will still swear to you. After the end of all of this, I will make sure you will gain your freedom and walk with me. That, I promise ... Kanata.” Kanata smiled once more. Tears fell down. “Thank you, Luze. For everything ...”

As much as I did not want to lift my head from the door, I stood there as we both took in the silent air caressing us. I opened my eyes and stared at the door for a few moments. It was time for me to head back out.

I backed out gently as my hand was the last to depart from the door. Kanata stood away slightly from the door as he did the same thing with his hand. It was as if he was back to being the leader he once was. He was technically watching me as I turned around and walked away slowly. He heard my footsteps go further away and fading softly.

A moments passed as he sighed and walked towards the door once more. He turned around and leaned against it. He slowly slid down as he kept his eyes towards the window. He sat there on the cold floor quietly by himself as the light beamed down on him. However, he still kept his head held up high as he smiled calmly. The warmth from the light eased his mind as he closed his eyes calmly, taking in all of his rest that he had missed during his reign as Reiga Giou.

I continued to walk steadily towards the stairs that lead outside of these cramped corridors. All I can do now was to walk forward. It was still difficult as it was with my two feet moving on their own. I held onto the keys tightly on my hands with a stern expression. I remember those words he spoke to me. Those ... apparent final words. I shook my head steadily as I looked onward. The light from the doorway above the stairs shown down on me from afar.

I held my head up high towards the a new path that was given to me as I tread on.

---

🎵- (Music to read through this)

“I will never betray you.” I heard Luka saying as he told The Light from afar. I was walking towards them. We were now outside near by a lake not far from the Twilight Mansion but a good distance away by foot. I had used my White Magic to teleport back from the Zweilt’s residence from Kamakura to the Twilight Mansion only to find out that Luka nor The Light wasn’t anywhere present.

It’s a good thing my familiar knew where my brother was. My raven flew above them for a few moments until he disappeared from view. I saw them ahead of me as I hesitated. I sighed as I continued towards them.

“Me too.” I said. “I feel like I owe you.”

Luka folded his arms as he looked to me. He cocked an eyebrow. “Really now?” I looked back at him in much disappointment as he has with me. “... Yes? Would you like to know more or something? A long story, perhaps?”

Even though it was quite obvious. Unlike The Light, or ... Yuki, who could barely figure out from my expression, Luka could tell from my eyes that something more was said between Kanata and I. Especially how my eyes seem to be weary from tears. But he didn’t bother to pry any further and proceeded to act annoyed at me. “Tch. Prick ... On the other hand though and to be honest with you,” Luka continued.

Yuki continued to laugh heartily as we tried not to turn red. Gladfully, we succeeded within our power to not turn red as the moon down in Infernus ...

As Yuki wiped a tear away, he started to look between us. He suddenly came up with another strange idea. Thankfully it wasn’t anything strangely affectionate between my brother and I. “Oh! Luze! I almost forgot. Isn’t this your first time seeing open waters here, right?” I turned to look at him and cocked an eyebrow as I realized it. “That would be correct, yes.” Sodom, in his energy saving form, squeaked as he was perched on top of Yuki’s shoulder. “Come, follow me then. I want to show you.” I looked to him and blinked twice. He was suddenly in high spirits that I could barely fathom, after what had transpired many days ago. I sighed as I followed him towards the lake. Luka followed behind us.

As I continued forward, I looked ahead of me with my eyes widened. The skies were clear and blue. The sun shown brightly downward on the lake as it glistened with specks of light that twinkled as if they were stars on top of the waters, rather than being above in the dark night skies. Even though I have come across such places, I have never been this close to any of these opened waters. It was much more pristine as I thought it would be. In Infernus, the lakes and rivers were always running red. Some say it wasn’t blood. However, some would think it was blood as the skies down below were always crimson throughout and reflecting the waters. Even if it was pitch black with the red moon looming over us.

“Isn’t it beautiful, Luze?” Yuki said. I look to him slightly and gazed forward. I suddenly felt as if my worries were lifted and disappeared out of nowhere. “... It is.” The wind gently blew as it calmly whispered through us as if pushing us forward to the lake. I felt as if I was in a trance with the wind as it maybe did want me to go onward. I took several steps forward close to the edge of the waters barely touching my feet against it.

I looked down to meet with my own reflection. I suddenly thought about my past self looking straight at me. He wasn’t wearing any casual clothing as I was now. I imagined my reflection sporting the uniform I had the first time I was promoted as a General Opast; Hair tied up, that stern glare I have had all of my years, the usual scowl looking up towards me. I hesitated as we both looked at each other reflecting on who we once were and who we are now.

I slowly kneeled down as I wanted to reach for him. He seemed to do the same, mimicking me as he kneeled forward and reached his hand to meet with mine. However, as I steadily touched the waters, my reflection became distorted and disappeared from view. The ripples spread further out as I dipped my hand further in it.

The water felt cool. The cold sensation reached my nerves as it crept upward to my arm. It was serene. Peaceful. I swayed my hand back and forth slowly in the water to feel the coldness that eased my muscles. I took my hand out gently as the droplets drizzled delicately down to my fingers and dropped down to return to its source. What stared at me now was not my past self anymore.

It was me. The current me that is now here upon The Surface rather than the dark Infernus. I stood up steadily as I looked to my hand still wet with water. I did not imagine chains on my wrists anymore. I never thought of cuts that would harm me from the battles I had to endure. Nor did I ever see any of my veins tensing from straining my muscles.

I curled my hand to a subtle fist and lowered it and looked towards the scenery ahead of me. The wind still gently blowing behind me.

... I was free.

---

Luka

As I followed Yuki and Luze down towards the lake, I kept my eyes on them from a good distance. I thought that Yuki would follow closely behind Luze, but it wasn’t just a few moments after that Luze decided to proceed towards the waters by himself. I saw Yuki quietly observing him.

Luze kneeled down to touch the waters. It was strange as I looked at him. Not as strange as one would think on why people do something childish. But a lingering thought suddenly came to me from his subtle action.

He was always the curious child than I was before. Every time I would do something reckless, or something out of the ordinary, he would be the one to look at me curiously, maybe even a bit worried as if I would hurt myself. I had always known that he was looking out for me ... Much to my annoyance sometimes.

At the same time, it was a little hilarious to think about how he still had that air around him right now. I hesitated as I kept my eyes on him. I never knew how he does it. He would remind me on how our days were without even saying a word. During those times where we encountered each other recently, I was always annoyed and frustrated to see him. But ... He also made me realize that I had someone that I used to have just by looking at him.

I knew I couldn’t stay this angry with him forever as he did with me. We only had each other during those tough times anyway. Even possibly now even though we may or may not come close to killing each other again. ... And hopefully that wouldn’t be the case since Yuki is around us.

I saw Luze stand up steadily as his hair flowed with the wind gently passing through us. He definitely looked as if he is a different person now than he was before. It felt like he reverted back to his little self just by observing closely at him, reminding me also on who was the older twin compared to us.

Yuki smiled calmly at Luze. He was very glad that Luze was now starting to get used to things upon The Surface now that their friend Reiga, or ... I should put it, Kanata wasn’t present. I was starting to worry if Yuki, and I guess Luze, would be alright. I just hope they both can cope with his idea from all of this.

Suddenly, I heard voices from behind me as I turned around slightly. It was Touko and the other Zweilts. They probably followed Luze at some point or his familiar probably urged them to find us. That damn raven of his.

Yuki walked towards me and stood by me as he waved his arm widely at them and smiled. He called back to them to signal them to come over. Luze walked slowly not far behind from him as he met with us and stood by me on the other side. He looked towards the Zweilts for a moment with a blank expression. However from the corner of my eye, I saw something that I have never seen in such a long time ago. I turn my head slowly to see Luze.

He was smiling. My eyes slightly widened as I saw him. I didn’t know if he noticed I was staring at him but he kept his gaze forward.

I couldn’t help but just stare at his uncanny mood. Well ... I shouldn’t say uncanny. Because for some strange reason again, and I still can’t fathom how he does this every time. He seemed more lighter. More lighter than his brooding self and even from myself when I was stuck in my own shell. He wasn’t shackled anymore as I was. Nor does he have to follow strict orders given at unknowingly times.

He wasn’t alone at all from his expression. I suddenly smiled gently at him and turned to look at the Zweilts approaching us. This was now our family. Even though we may bare the two crosses of the Crosszeria reminding us where we belonged, we can now treat our mark as if they were just mere tattoos on us through our freedom.

But I know that there will be a place and time in the far future where we will decide to redeem and clear our family’s name after all of this. But it’s honestly better to take this one step at a time with everyone through all of the mess that had occurred.

Until then, ...

Welcome home, little brother.

#Unheard Words #Dearest Leader #Forsaken Twin #Uraboku #uragiri wa boku no namae wo shitteiru #Betrayal Knows my Name #Luze #Luze Crosszeria #Reiga #Reiga Giou #Kanata #Kanata Wakamiya #Luka #Luka Crosszeria

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justlurkingintheshadows · 4 years

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@nutsandvoltsweek Sorry if this is bad I'm not a writer as much as I'm not an artist, I at least have some more experience with writing though, I know it's not perfect but oh well. I also know it's technically late for my timezone but it's still gonna be the 10th February somewhere.

This is my attempt at a role reversal Nuts and Volts for day 2

Humanity and Ferality

Word count : 2,150

Content tags : Role-reversal, Scientist!Tyrian, Feral!Watts, blood, implied cannibalism, implied self-mutilation/experimentation

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It wasn't exactly unheard of, the story of the Atlesian who went mad and lost his mind, in his unhinged rage it's said he brought down an entire lab and then disappeared, presumed dead, but now Tyrian knew the truth. Before him stood a ragged man, truly disgraced, soaked in blood that had previously resided inside the team Tyrian had gone with to an unusual site where people complained of moving shadows and nose curdling smells that kept even the Grimm at bay.

It was clear the heaving form wanted to finish off the last one and drag him too away to wherever he had stowed the other bodies, the only evidence that someone had been there being the blood splattered around after a vicious attack, Tyrian wasn't about to let him but he was curious, he supposed the poor guy had to have survived off something all this time, the thought would have made him shudder had he even cared at all. He simply watched the man carefully, neither daring to move, their foe was unpredictable yet somehow they had each other figured out - as long as they stood there like that no one was going to do anything, it was a stalemate of two men frozen purely to wonder if either was going to move first which they knew wasn't actually going to happen.

"Well, this is certainly something I never expected..." said Tyrian in a careful tone hoping his sudden speech didn't kickstart a sudden death, the figure flinched a bit, not used to his victims having any other vocal capability than a scream of terror. Though vision wasn't clear Tyrian was certain of something, it just made sense to him somehow, "Arthur Watts. The illusive one man catastrophe, thought to be dead, but of course that's only because no living soul has actually had chance to escape and tell anyone." The figure flinched again, it was more of a twitch, and Tyrian almost found it amusing, this man was more feral than a Sabyr, more animal than human, he wasn't even a faunus but simply a man who had nothing to lose. It was an ironic comparison to Tyrian's own self. Doctor Tyrian Callows, the scorpion faunus who managed to hide his feature his whole life and aid Atlas in great science feats becoming one of their most trusted with barely any challenge, he was almost more human now, it was hard not to follow their ideologies even if they involved the theory that Faunus were lesser and only useful for labour tasks which the humans were too good for, at one point Tyrian almost found himself hating his own kind because of how truly the humans believed they were in the right, they always thought they were right, and he had loved to prove them wrong. They could try to take everything from him yet he would still have the knowledge he'd come to accumulate and with that knowledge he'd almost brought their empire crumbling down as easily as a flick of a tail, that's what caught the attention of a certain goddess, she'd known he was perfect for the job and must have realised he actually barely needed her as he'd almost achieved what she intended solo, yet she still offered him a place and picked him up off cold bleak streets to give his terrifying, sly and genius mind a sturdy platform from where he could orchestrate a new wave of armageddon; His goddess had sent him on this mission with a group of, what Tyrian could only describe as, thugs (Tyrian thought very little of them and so their fates weighed insignificant in his mind), but he had to admit the ease at which this husk had dispatched them was impressive and showed really the potential danger he should find himself in.

It was perhaps not an insignificant detail to note that had Tyrian not just so happened to turn around at that exact moment the deranged creature would have been upon him hacking away at his aura with all the brutality and speed of a Beowolf, it was quite surprising that anyone could be so far gone that even the Grimm have no desire to come near, Tyrian himself had witnessed the creatures circling the area intending to prey on the mindless drones of a team Tyrian had with him, at first he'd thought they were responsible for the company gradually dwindling but he never once saw them dare to close the distance, they always stayed out there, away, and one could only wonder why. Now it made sense. One by one his lackeys disappeared and there was barely noise of a struggle, perhaps a new type of Grimm was a thought at first but there was never any evidence to back up the claim, it wasn't obvious to assume there was something or someone else lurking around picking them off one by one, leaving the best for last or perhaps just because Tyrian refused to be slowed down and so was at the lead of the group and it wasn't so easy to grab him, especially since he came most prepared for an encounter of any kind as Tyrian always calculated it was more worth it to over-prepare than to be left in a situation with no ability to get out.

He began to wonder if this new monster could even speak lest his humanity have slipped away altogether, but that was soon answered for him. The demented fellow had been watching this odd stranger in his territory, seemingly frustrated by the fact he'd been seen before it was too late, like an ambush predator once he was spotted he didn't quite know what to do, he'd been spending all these lonely crumbling years attempting to hone his skills to cause as swift an aura break and kill as possible, it hadn't been easy and he'd suffered a lot but he was sure he was better than this and it angered him that this invading doctor had simply turned around and halted his entire strike. He had to at least be thankful that the poor lighting and obscured distance still offered some veil, he was not the 'man' this pest had identified him as any longer, he left that behind long ago.

The voice that came from the sketchy silhouette wasn't clear, but it also didn't completely lack all intelligence, he was aware of that. "I intend to keep myself invisible to anyone who it matters to" came the sound, a bit scratchy and with a little wavering in tone almost to display the insanity, Tyrian had to admit it surprised him to hear sound come from such a thing but he smiled, and, perhaps acting a little too cocky for his own good, made the decision to move towards the crazed mess in an attempt to get a better look, this caused an almost growled "Back off" in response, the tone was chilling but Tyrian couldn't help being thrilled by it, messed up things was what he loved even if it was uncivil of him he couldn't ignore his true natural desire for such.

"You don't have to live like this anymore you know, I have a way to help you if you would accept it. Figures from your past don't even have to be aware of it, unless of course you wanted them to be" offered Tyrian, still keeping his tone careful, he would like to have this mission end well and not with any significant death, he wanted to please his Goddess. He was regarded by cold green eyes that clearly wished to inflict the most painful of harm on him.

"You dare to offer me anything, I have nothing valuable to you, how dare you come here and expect me to comply simply because you asked!" The voice was still broken from disuse, it still brought amusement and intrigue to the curious doctor,

"I didn't expect anything, until a few moments ago I was completely unaware of your existence-"

"And I would like to go back to that" interrupted the corrupt tone, Tyrian ignored him,

"Yet while I find it most fascinating at your sheer ability to eradicate your immediate enemy I find it hard to believe you wouldn't want to exact revenge on the very society that cast you out, what's a few 'immoral' experiments when you're clearly capable of more right? They didn't want you so you tried to destroy them, but you didn't succeed completely. You probably are aware that I think you might be-"

"Helpful to you? Easy to use? Manipulate? Control?!" This was more than a growl, this was a snarl, it caught Tyrian off guard and actually made him jump, it was becoming increasingly obvious that talking simply wasn't going to be enough,

"What would it take for you to find some way to trust me?" Asked the curious scorp almost softly, itching with anticipation of an answer. It took a while for his opponent to respond, it wasn't clear if it was because of outrage or simply no idea of how to react.

"I… to trust you?" Came an unsure sound, "Why would I want to trust you? Why would you want me to trust you? Trust requires closeness and closeness ultimately ends in parting."

Tyrian smiled again, "You're something else, something unique, if even the Grimm fear you just imagine what chaos you could cause with the proper footing to launch yourself from, we're not all that different you and I, while at the same time we're complete opposites. I know of somewhere there'd be a place for you, you'd have to leave this behind of course but you'd be rewarded in time with the exact opportunity your seething twisted soul desires" he could see this was perhaps sounding worthwhile. The reply didn't take long.

"I am not the man I was, I'm not sure if I'm much of a man at all… but you seem to believe I'm useful to you… how so?" The question was unsure almost cautious, it made Tyrian think there wasn't as little humanity left as they both thought, but he was all too happy to answer;

"I'm glad you asked, you see I work for a force this world will never be able to defeat and she only grows stronger with the aid of people like me, and perhaps even more so with you." He was always ready to jump at the chance to mention his Goddess, but took the opportunity to mention his own story, his own achievements, most particularly the ones under Salem's guidance, he exclaimed much glee at recalling events, he especially made sure to add in a little bit of how perhaps the addition of someone like the distorted disgraced ex-doctor Arthur Watts could possibly have influenced the outcome and made it so much easier, he mentioned the research he'd done on him and how he'd lamented at the belief the once great man was now apart from this world in attempt to play right into how he once thought of himself as an esteemed innovator. It seemed to work like a charm, not surprising, if Tyrian Callows knew anything it was how to use a person's own self against them for better or for worse. Eventually the newly revitalised man that was once a husk seemed to smile and said with as much attempt at contentment as his shattered voice could offer,

"Perhaps you are right" and that answer made Tyrian grin, but he continued "however I still feel like I am better off staying lost in the shadows of ruins, I would recommend you just leave" he seemed downheartned at having to say it and Tyrian simply had to ask,

"I cannot allow you to simply stay here, perhaps you could do me a favour" he had a glint in his eye which was observed by Arthur, who seemed perhaps a little uncomfortable and didn't want to ask what favour deciding it be best not to know. That didn't stop Tyrian from asking anyway. "Please step into light, so I may see you properly"

Arthur scoffed "So you can see what's become of me?"

Tyrian simply answered, gently, with a "Yes"

It appeared this was not the expected response. However unable to provide much more of an argument Arthur reluctantly, slowly, carefully, and in every way cautiously, moved closer. As soon as his body was bathed in light Tyrian caught himself being captivated, in awe.

The oddly shaped outline he'd been looking at this whole time was much more distinguished now. He was able to make out all the foreign non-human devices. The recognizable form of a man who in his own despair attempted to make himself into something else. He wasn't just less human in nature, but also in appearance. And Tyrian found it beautiful.

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pricechecktranslations · 4 years

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TTDS: The Ring of Evil; Chapter 5

Torture Tower Doesn’t Sleep: The Ring of Evil infomine under the cut

Scene 1

Magion explains, as Gibbet listens (feeling as though this is not the first time she’s heard this), that he was born in Pharma, with his parents and his older sister. His dad ran a small company, and while they weren’t rich they didn’t want for much.

He learned a secret about his family two years ago, when he was fifteen years old. Their mother died (she’d been sick for a while so it wasn’t a surprise even though it hurt), and a week after her funeral he and his sister were called to their father’s room.

It turned out, they had different fathers. His sister’s father was from a previous marriage (their mother never gave the details on it to Magion’s father, though). Magion says that it wasn’t a huge deal to them—they were still siblings even if they had different fathers, and his sister apparently had suspected as much already.

Six months later, his sister suddenly vanished. The police couldn’t find her. One day, about six months later than that, Magion goes to find his sister, thinking perhaps she ran off to find her real father. And that is what he’s doing here—he’s in the middle of his journey. And he actually is not the leader of a company after all.

He then presents Gibbet with his bracelet—it’s the one from Gibbet’s dream. This triggers her memory, the one that she dreams about. The boy and the girl in the field of flowers with the bracelet. Magion often gave his sister presents when he was young. They were in that field of flowers when she got attacked by a large owl. The boy cried. There was a flash of light, and the owl was suddenly gone.

Gibbet is freaking out in an identity crisis over what she is and what she’s done (and why she hates humanity). She remembers.

She hated everything. She hated the town, she hated the filthy men who lived there, and her greedy father who sold her to them (This is vague but I suppose that means Magion’s father pushed her into prostitution for money). She hated Magion, who had no idea that’s what was happening. She hated all men, wishing she had a sister instead. And her name was Christabel.

She freaks out and catches Magion in a “witch spider”. Unlike the others though, instead of grabbing his arms and legs it grabs his head, plunging into his eyes and hoisting him into the air (basically, he’s dead). For the first time, Gibbet has killed someone directly.

Scene 2

Maiden doesn’t really want to fight Garnes. She feels he’s like her and her sisters, despite being human. Still, if it’s a fight he wants, it’s a fight he’ll get. He’s very good at fighting, incidentally, though it doesn’t last long (he’s still only human, after all, and he’s old).

He’s not afraid to die at all (he even chides her for thinking he might expect her to spare him). She then turns herself into her iron maiden form to execute him, sucking him inside. Strangely, though, it doesn’t kill him. Garnes communicates with her (as an inverse of when he was working on her earlier, he is projecting his thoughts to her rather than speaking out loud) and reveals that the mistake he wished to fix when making her was that she kills people immediately (thus not a torture device so much as an execution one). So he changed the spikes so that they won’t make fatal injuries (though you can obviously still die of blood loss).

He makes a utopia reference (“I suppose that Torcia Tower is a final utopia for you torture devices”), while also revealing that he didn’t care about stopping them or Beritoad—he just wanted to have a grand finale here, as the world is becoming one where torturers are unnecessary. Being killed by his own Iron Maiden is perfect for him (and Maiden doesn’t get it). They talk a bit more (him bringing up the idea that Hank is her adoptive father, and Garnes is her birth father), and then after suffering a bit longer he dies. It’s also worth noting that while the image depicts her holding Garnes, the text says that she stays in her Iron Maiden form to hold him inside her for a while (I know that’s worded badly but it’s better in context).

Scene 3

An unnamed “he” is in darkness (Benji). He thinks he’s dead. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he can sense that it is a large black box. There is someone else in there—a boy that he recognizes (Amostia).

Benji asks Amostia what “he” (Romalius) is plotting, and he says that he is the weakest of the 72. He steals from those stronger than him. He stole pheromones that let him control snakes. He stole charisma that let him control an army. And other things besides, as he built up a good reputation for himself (the people he stole from—strong wraiths--are viewed as a threat by those that currently run the world). He also calls Romalius a cat? (from the viewpoint of the people who live in this world, I guess).

He says that the “cat” is currently trying to eat the “servant” and the “frog”. And also the “crow” that is between them. Then he will be the only “strong” person left in the world. At which point the “cat” will become a “lion” and eat the whole world.

Amostia is vague on how to stop Romalius, but suggests that Benji needs to open the iron trapdoor to release him.

Scene 4

When Benji wakes, he’s in a place he doesn’t recognize with a huge headache. Somewhere in Reverse Tower, at least. He’d been terribly injured on his head when Romalius struck him (he gets some of his blood on his hand), but it wasn’t fatal. He doesn’t remember it, but he must have escaped. There’s an awful rumbling above.

It’s the sound of battle above him. He finds a section of the ceiling that’s black, with a man-made hole inside it. Inside the hole is an iron panel, with a wooden platform right underneath it. He tries pushing on it, and the panel eventually opens when he pushes on it with the hand that has his blood on it. It slides to the side in reaction to his blood, leading up (this is the floor panel that leads up to the dining room in Torcia).

Before he can climb up, he’s startled by Johanson (the white wraith horse) poking its head in the hole. Rack is there too, and she’s amazed that the panel is open (humorously, she doesn’t remember Benji well).

Rack is distracted and pulls away from the hole. A light flashes, and then Raymond pokes his head down there. At Benji’s urging, Raymond and Tsukumo hop down after him. He reveals Romalius’ treachery and bids them follow him further down into Reverse Tower.

They can hear Rack screaming at them to wait as she chases them.

Scene 5

Romalius knows that as the weakest, it’s his fate to be weeded out. So, using his only natural power, he continued to steal from those stronger than him.

Wraiths can live a long time, but they can still die. Romalius realizes this when he becomes ill (this is blowback for continuing to steal power from his fellows). He has now become obsessed with averting his death.

He wants to take Amostia’s power. The armor before him has changed, taking on body heat and a pulse despite being inanimate (sort of like the torture devices). Amostia’s outer shell was revitalized by the blood of one of the architect’s descendants (Luna) being spilt on it. Amostia is just glaring at Romalius from behind.

He realizes that he needs the “body”, not just the outer shell and the spirit, to revive Amostia (to steal his power from him). Amostia says that it’s not here—it was taken elsewhere when this place was built. He says it was taken by “Clockworker”, who was apparently a torture device creator, but he doesn’t know where.

They’re interrupting by Raymond and the others. Raymond charges forward and points the tip of his sword at Romalius’ throat.

They talk a minute, and Romalius suggests that Raymond has no actual reason to defend humanity from wraiths as he does, given all he has suffered from them—really, he attacks wraiths due to instinct and fate.

He says that those who created this “era” have determined that wraiths should not exist in this new era (I don’t know if he means “era” as in period), and those who live in this “new era” can’t go against the instincts programmed into them by the creators—hence why humanity has sought to eradicate wraiths. Beritoad, Romalius, and Amostia are different—they’re remnants of the “old era”, and so don’t obey the will of the current era’s creators. As such the creators wish to eradicate them.

Raymond of course has no way to tell if he’s lying or not. But he doesn’t believe he’s been manipulated. He wants to save the world from Romalius. Romalius insists he’s just trying to survive. Even if he’s been accepted by humans, it’s by betraying and killing his own kind. He figures they’ll turn on him eventually. After they discuss it a bit more, Raymond disavows his connections to Romalius, and insists on battling him one on one.

Romalius wonders how Beritoad would react to his death—when Raymond says he’ll probably stay calm, Romalius comments that he doesn’t know anything. Then they begin their sword fight.

Scene 6

At some point Gibbet has run out of the tower. She can see that the lake beside it is almost empty of water (and gets all melodramatic and thinks that it’s similar to her own heart being empty like that). She’s not sad. Her memories just annoy her.

She sees Rabiah flying towards her—he takes one look and realizes what happened, lamenting that Beritoad’s lost a pawn (though it doesn’t really matter at this stage). The fighting in the tower is dying down, and all the suffering lives are being taken in by Beritoad.

He asks Gibbet what she wants to do, and she asks him to tell her everything he knows about her. He produces an octahedron amethyst, something he had stolen from Stolasphia. It was through this that he learned what life Gibbet had led and everything about her—it has her memories in it. He returns it to her—it floats into the air and scatters, and then Gibbet regains her memories.

Stolasphia was a middle-power wraith among the original 72, but she had the power to gather many familiars and also bind her opponents’ power. She built her own country using that power, enslaving humans and living in luxury. She lost everything when the humans revolted, though. Romalius joined the humans’ side, and took her power to gather so many familiars. She managed to escape by changing into an owl, and wandered the country that had once been hers for a very long time.

She wanted to regain her country, but needed a new power to do so. No one would help her (even her brother Rabiah), as all the other wraiths had scattered to their own ambitions. As they did, though, they were disappearing. Some were killed in battles with other wraiths, some were sealed by humans, and some killed themselves (? cursing their fates? idk). Eventually, you could count the remaining original wraiths on both hands.

Only two wraiths really had any influence with humanity anymore—Romalius, who allied with them, and Beritoad, who fought against them (and Rabiah was on Beritoad’s side). They fought, and Romalius’ side won. Beritoad fled to Torcia tower with most of his power gone. Stolasphia decides to take this opportunity to steal Beritoad’s power, while he’s weak—in particular, his ability to make gold from nothing, something that she would use to rebuild her power base again.

At this point, Beritoad already has torture devices in human forms protecting him, as a note.

She fought with Raymond before the tower. The battle was going in her favor—despite not being particularly strong, she still had experience over a young half-wraith. But her cockiness betrayed her, and she was blinded by his lightning strike (particularly devastating on her bird eyes). Raymond then stabbed her with his estoc.

Marshalling the last of her power, Stolasphia broke herself up into three owls. One of them flew to Torcia tower and sealed the entrance so that no one could leave or enter. The other one flew at Raymond, and using a similar magic it imprisoned him inside a gemstone. The last one was the one that carried Stolasphia’s consciousness. It needed to find a new being to reside in before it dissipated. And that person had to be a hereditary evil raiser (exact same concept as in Evillious).

She would have picked Hank, except he’d died a short time before. She flew south, and right before her time was up she found Christabel Blanken and possessed her. However, weak as she was she was partially subsumed by her own consciousness, which resulted in them fusing. And a new consciousness was born from both of them.

She had both her memories as Christabel and Stolasphia. On the surface, her life in Pharma was fortunate—but it was hell itself. Her stepfather and the men in town were vile, and the only reason she was able to withstand it for fifteen years was because half of her spirit was Stolasphia’s.

She’d known Magion’s father wasn’t hers much earlier, as her mother told her. Her real father was Hank Fieron. She resolved to go to Torcia Tower upon her mother’s death, to learn more about her real father, and Stolasphia, who had not given up on reviving herself, agreed. So she snuck away from home.

When she arrived at Torcia, she met Rabiah by the lake. He had evaded the seal on the tower Stolasphia had placed fifteen years ago. He told her to unseal the tower, promising to help steal Beritoad’s power when she did. She agreed and did so. When she unleashed the seal on the tower, it also released the seal on Raymond (which she didn’t see coming). Her weakness of spirit after having her power stolen kept her from remembering that Rabiah was on Beritoad’s side.

She was captured and tortured by Maiden and Rack the moment she entered. Not in body, but in mind. Drugs, electricity, sound waves, etc. After one month, they brought her before Beritoad, an empty shell. And Beritoad planted in her the memories/consciousness of the torture device “Gibbet”.

Back to Rabiah and Gibbet, they talk a little about what she’ll do now that she’s got her memories back (which all depends on which identity she’ll choose to be). She isn’t sure.

Scene 7

Beritoad and Isaac are at the top of the tower, Isaac approaching him with a knife in hand. Basically, Isaac is there because Pere Noel feels that Beritoad betrayed the organization (even though he wasn’t born then, he was brainwashed into carrying out their purpose). Isaac then cuts off his head.

Beritoad’s head is still alive. He says that Isaac took too long to get up here. Isaac stomps on his head until it’s just a mess of gross meat, but it’s too late. The frog isn’t Beritoad anymore. The tower is struck by lightning, which chars everything inside (and blows Isaac out) except for what was once the frog, now standing on two legs in human form with long red hair.

Beritoad has recovered his power.

Scene 8

Rack is going through Reverse Tower, having gotten lost inside. She can hear a ruckus going on beneath. When she finally reaches the fifth floor down, she sees Raymond with his estoc, having felled Romalius.

She’d fought with Raymond earlier using Josephine R (pulled along by Johanson and Robinson), and it was in the middle of the battle when the trap door had opened.

She goes to hide and watch what’s going on, and sees Amo there. He rushes over to meet her. She demands that he tell her her true identity as promised, and he points her to the armor. He says it was something that protected the both of them once, long ago. He says that she is the princess in the story he told her, and he is the servant. And that armor is their castle. Like in the story, they were once one.

Rack can hear a bell ringing, despite there being no bells in either tower. Amo tells her to become one with him again—to become their true form of Amostia.

Scene 9

Raymond’s not really celebrating his victory—he had no idea that Romalius was so weak, and wonders why he accepted the duel. He’s stabbed him through the chest already. But things aren’t over.

Benji and Tsukumo run to him, and they hear a sound that sounds like the tower itself is being destroyed above them. Benji points out that the armor that had been in the center of the floor is now gone, as well as the spirit boy. They decide to head upstairs and see what’s going on.

First though, Benji goes to Luna’s headless corpse. He wants to find the head, but they don’t have time. He picks up her body and goes to take her with them upstairs.

At the third floor they leave Reverse Tower the way Benji and Luna and Romalius originally came in. They’re quickly greeted by Luna’s two subordinates. Benji hands one Luna’s body and gives a brief explanation. The other one points out that Torcia Tower is a flaming pile of rubble.

Scene 10

Raymond climbs up the lake wall. The flaming pile of rubble has spread to the nearby forest and some of the nearby buildings of the town. According to one of Luna’s underlings, the tower was felled in a lightning strike, and a winged figure flew out of it. Raymond realizes that this means Beritoad has revived his power.

However, he wasn’t the only one who destroyed it—there was also an enormous wolf-like monster that came out, flattening the whole thing with its tail. The wolf can also breathe fire. Raymond figures this is Rack.

He suddenly sees Amo (to be clear—from now on when I say Amo I mean the spirit, and by “Amostia” I mean Rack’s transformed self—the narrative from Raymond’s perspective calls her Rack, but otherwise it calls her Amostia) before him, and demands to know what’s going on. He says it isn’t Rack, but Amostia, and explains the deal with him being the soul, them having a shell, and then Rack being the body. He says that Amostia’s body was transformed into the torture device Rack by a human magician (not sorcerer but more like sleight of hand magician). He’d thought that he could merge with her again, but she merged with the shell and started rampaging before he could join in the fusion.

He points out that Beritoad and Amostia are fighting right now, out of instinct (the instinct that beings of the new era must kill the original wraiths). Normally this wouldn’t affect Amostia, but Rack is now a being of the new era, as a result of her time as a torture device.

They banter a little about religion (the concept of a creator and god and whatnot as it relates to this instinct thing), and Amostia disappears suddenly. Raymond decides whatever’s going on he can’t just leave two wraiths to wreak havoc over everything. He dashes towards Lion City, using his special eyes that he inherited from Beritoad to help him see through the smoke of the fire.

Rack’s wolf form is roughly the same shape as it was a year ago, but now it has large wings, and its skin has durable scales on it. Beritoad also has wings. He and Amostia (who is talking with Rack’s voice) banter a little as they fight.

Raymond debates with himself over whether or not to join the fight or who he should target when he does (both of them are bad news). He then hears Tsukumo call to him from behind, and when he goes to her he sees Maiden in tow. Tsukumo brought her along, as Maiden wants Raymond’s help (and with her poor memory she doesn’t remember Maiden as a wraith). Maiden wants Raymond to help Rack (more specifically, to stop her rampage).

Scene 11

Amostia is winning the fight with Beritoad. Despite him striking her (or him—narrative openly questions which pronoun would be better considering Rack’s current state) multiple times with the lightning, it doesn’t seem to be dong much damage through the scales (the scales which represent the armor that was Amostia’s shell). Beritoad is also slowly accumulating burn damage.

Also, Maiden is able to stay in her current form because Beritoad’s power has returned, and thus just being near him is enough to keep her animate. Raymond briefly considers the notion that killing Beritoad will make Rack inanimate, but figures now that Rack is Amostia that wouldn’t work.

Beritoad’s wings burn, and he falls. He runs to where Raymond and the others are (apparently his all-seeing eyes are burned too, so he knows it’s Raymond through sensing it’s him rather than sight). He bids Raymond help him, pointing out that he doesn’t want the world destroyed (given that he needs humans to feed on them), whereas Amostia will burn everything in the world.

Maiden urges him to help. Not out of loyalty to Beritoad, but out of love and concern for her big sister. Tsukumo presses him to help, saying that she’ll assist too (which is particularly significant given that Hargain ingrained her with the mission to destroy wraiths). After a little bit of a crisis, Raymond decides to first stop the giant wolf burning the town down.

Scene 12

Raymond explains the whole thing about having Tsukumo enhance one’s powers to Beritoad, and hands him a bracelet. Beritoad makes it a gold chain and connects all three of them with it. Beritoad says that they can’t pierce the scales, so they need to shoot for the inside of Amostia’s mouth when it opens to spit fire.

Raymond figures he’ll defeat Beritoad after they handle Amostia.

Raymond and Beritoad both pour lightning power into Tsukumo through the chain. They time the attack just as Beritoad suggested, and then Tsukumo—despite struggling with the power output level a little—fires an enormous lightning sword. It strikes and seems to make Amostia stagger, but it isn’t enough. They try again (Tsukumo struggling but hanging in there), but Amostia’s jaw snaps shut so it can’t strike properly.

Then Gibbet uses her wires to pull Amostia’s jaw open. Maiden calls this “The Thread Gleipnir” (Or “Gleipnir’s Thread”? note—Gleipnir is the name of the bindings that hold down the wolf Fenrir in Norse mythology). Tsukumo aims the lightning sword again, but right before it can fire Maiden suddenly takes the blast into herself.

It fires Maiden (in iron maiden form, emitting light) clean into Amostia’s throat region (even through the scales). Amostia collapses. Beritoad figures out that Garnes must have made Maiden able to absorb and repurpose lightning energy specifically in preparation for Beritoad getting his power back.

Meanwhile, Tsukumo faints from the energy surge. There’s no way they’re gonna get another shot off, so all they can do is hope that the wound took care of Amostia.

#()torture tower doesn't sleep

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01/08/2020 DAB Transcript

Genesis 18:16-19:38, Matthew 6:25-7:14, Psalms 8:1-9, Proverbs 2:6-15

Today is the 8th day of January welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it's great to be here with you. And we’ve gone a full seven days into the new year, right? This is day eight. So, we’re really in this new year and have…have navigated a week of this new decade and hopefully we’re…we’re getting moved into the new year. Hopefully we’re, you know, getting comfortable with our surroundings and the new rhythms of our lives as we take steps forward every day and allow God's word to speak into those steps through his word. So, let’s get to it. We’re reading from the New International Version this week. Today Genesis chapter 18 verse 16 through 19 verse 38.

Commentary:

Okay. There’s so much for us to talk about. We encountered so many things to be considered today, pretty much in every section of our reading.

Let’s just start with Genesis because this is the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. And, so, God and some of His divine family, some of these angelic beings, beings that are embodied and can be seen by human beings but are about the work of doing God's will, upon this earth, they come to visit Abraham and they are on their way down to the plane where Lot, Abraham's nephew was living, down to these city's called Sodom and Gomorrah because they…well…because…because the wickedness of the region had reached God and…and He said He was going to take a look. This story has so many disruptive really unsettling things in it that we can read it and then close the Bible and could set it down and go like, “I don't know what is going on here. I don't know how to read this book. I don't want to understand. I’m just gonna set this over here. That's what happens a lot because we don't like any time we get disrupted. Like, if…if we’re in the Psalms today and we’re talking about the wonder of it all and that God would even pay any attention to us whatsoever, like, we like that quite a bit, it's comforting, it's reassuring, it gives us stability, but then if we’re disrupted or we’re shaken or we’re knocked off kilter or we’ve lost our balance in some way, we don't like that. But this is a good time to tell you something. You need to get really used to being disrupted at times because there are times that that is the point that the Bible is trying to make. It’s what the Bible is trying to do, is shake you awake until you say, “wait, what's the deeper meaning, like what's in this story?” So, like we got to an incestuous relationship between father and daughters today. That’s disruptive across-the-board all the way across the generations until today. So, you can go like, “eww, I don't like that. This is…I…I don't know why this is in the Bible and I'm gonna set it aside” or we can go like, “what is going on here? Why is this shaking me up inside? What…what? Let me dig deeper here. What is below the surface?” And, so, what we see in this story is that Abraham and God are together, and God makes a decision. “I have entered into a covenant with this man. I’m not gonna keep any secrets from him. I’m gonna tell him what I’m gonna do even though this may affect his nephew.” And, so, the Lord says, “I’m gonna go check this out.” And we have this really interesting story - a human being negotiating with the most-high God over the righteous people that might be down in the valley. Certainly…and I mean Abraham is talking audaciously, “You wouldn't do that. Certainly, You wouldn't do that. If there were 50 people down there who are righteous, are You gonna wipe the whole plane out including the 50 righteous people? I know you are just…You would not do that?” And the Lord confirms what Abraham already knows. “No…of course…I wouldn't do that. If there are 50 down there that are righteous, they will save them all.” And, so, Abraham’s like, “what about 45”, right? “what about 40, what about 35?” He keeps working his way down and God keeps saying, “look. the point is, if there are righteous people down there, that's what I'm going to find out. If the place has nothing but wickedness in it then I'm here to destroy the evil and the wickedness in this world that is destroying my people. And if there are people that get wrapped up into that, that will not…that have determined to reject God and remain evil then they have made their own choice about what will happen.” And believe me, we see this story in Genesis, but we’ll see this story throughout the rest of the Bible all the way into the final pages of the book of Revelation. So, God goes down to have a look and it's an evil situation. And, so, God gets lot out of there before the destruction happens. Lot goes to this little village called Zoar and he’s a little bit freaked out to live there, so he ends up in the mountains where the angelic beings told him to go in the first place. He’s living in a cave with his daughters. He had his wife. She looked back. God told him to flee and don't look back, and she did, and we can pause there and go look at the metaphors for our own lives in that alone. Nevertheless, here’s two daughters who had been betrothed who were engaged to be married. These men, these beings who had come to the city, their father took them in and was trying to protect them and was gonna throw these daughters out to the mob. So, they have sort of a sense of where they fit into the whole picture. Their mom is dead. Their father is in a cave freaking out. These girls. Now, we remember the story, God called Abram to a land that he did not know that he was going to be given, but he needed to follow God and Lot came with him. So, Lot and his daughters are foreigners in a foreign land, and they have lost everything that would defend and protect them. They are hiding in a cave. The daughters know that their father is not going to live forever, and if there is no child then they have no one to speak for them. This is the culture of the time. So, if something happens to him and something is likely to happen to him at some point because it's just two young women and…and their father. And, so, they would…if they’re wandering around at some point it’s gonna be really easy to…to kill Lot, to steal the two daughters and probably prostitution is in their future. So, like, this is not a good situation. They've lost everything. They have no way to protect themselves. And, so, they devise this plan in the cave - “let’s get dad drunk. We’ll…we’ll go have sex with him and see if we can have a child. And if we can have a male child, either one of us, if we’re successful then we have our family line, like we’re protected. And, so, that's what they do. And both the…both the daughters end up of having sons who then…who’s offspring then becomes the Moabites and the Ammonites. So, you’ve got to wonder, like when Lot and his daughters are in the cave and they’re like trying to figure out what to do, why they don't even have a conversation about going back to Abraham. Like they’ve lost everything. It’s just the three of them. Like why don’t they just go back to the household of Abraham? We don't know. Maybe that wasn't…we don't know. But we read a story like this and it's very easy for us to go, “why is this in the Bible, number one and why do I feel so strange about God now that I'm reading a story like this in the Bible.” Go with that. Like, instead of being freaked out about it, enter into the disruption. What's going on here? And what does God have to do with this story. Like, we read the whole story and what God was going to do was to go check out the evil and eradicate it unless there were righteous people to preserve it. And he went down and…and got Lot and his family out of the situation. He redeemed them. He rescued them out of the situation. And it was a pretty difficult situation to say the least, but everything that they did next, all of their fear and all of the choices that they made, they made themselves. God didn't make them make those choices and God didn't instruct them to follow that path. And then all of a sudden, we’re like, “okay. Yeah, I mean, it's a disruptive story because it contains incest and all this kinda stuff in it. But Hold on a second. I have been in very, very strange situations where I’ve felt like I was in a cave about to make decisions that were not good decisions and that were not gonna lead me on a good path but I was like the only thing I could…like the only choice I could think of that I could to make and so I made it. And, yeah, it was not a good choice.” We can find ourselves in these stories. And then we have to look back and go, “where was God in this?” God came for them. He sent angels and rescued them and sent them on their way and said, “you’ve got go fast because we can't even do what we've been sent to do until your safe.” So, why did they lose that threat? Why did they find themselves in a cave making these decisions? We don't know. Why do we do that? Now we could just stop there. That…there's plenty to think about right there, but the Bible continued to speak to us when we moved into the Gospels in the book of Matthew, in Matthew chapter 6.

And Jesus is talking about worrying and it's a pretty famous passage. He’s pretty explicitly telling us not to worry, that God already knows what we need and all we have to do is look around to see that He cares for…for his creation. And, so, that's…that's a great lesson, it’s a famous lesson, we take it to heart, we comfort ourselves with it when we’re…when we’re kind of enduring stressful situations, but let's look deeper into what Jesus is saying here. Because what Jesus is ultimately inviting us to do is to be present in our lives right now instead of skipping our lives in order to try to arrange for whatever might happen in our future, thereby never being actually here now, only being a shell that exists in this moment because we’re out there in the future living somewhere else that's not happening. So, let’s just look at this again. And this is Jesus. So, we’re just…we’re just quoting Jesus in what we’re saying. “I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food? Isn’t the body about more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air. They don’t sow or reap. They don’t store away in barns.” In other words, they don’t have a retirement plan. They’re not stressed out about that promotion. They're not burning the candle at both ends trying to figure out how to get the ends to meet because of the over obligations of life. Jesus is saying, “look at em’. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't ya more valuable than they are? Can you add a single hour to your future by worrying about it?” Why would you worry about clothes? Look at the flowers. Even Solomon didn't have clothes like that. And if God’s gonna care about the grass that's here today and gone tomorrow and clothe it with such splendor, you don't think He can handle you? Oh, you of little faith.” There’s actually something important that Jesus is doing here. Certainly, certainly giving a different view of the world. Like, I mean, we would look at what Jesus is saying, and we would agree because He's our Savior, but if we didn't…if they were just words by somebody we might look at em’ and go, “that would be nice, but that's not the world I live…like that's not how things work. That would be nice if I could do that but that's…that's not how it works.” And Jesus is like, “no. This is how it's supposed to work. This is how your life is supposed to be lived. You’re supposed to actually live it right here right now and allow God to take care of the moments that are yet to come and allow Him to bring them to you moment by moment after the same fashion that the birds don’t freak out about anything. And there's a reason that He's trying to slow the world down.” And we would say, you know that, “the world is moving much faster than it did in Christ's time because of our technology.” But what we begin to realize is the heart of man hasn't changed, it's just the tools that he uses and the clothes that he wears in pursuit of the same…of filling the same void. So, one of the first things that we can underneath the surface of what Jesus is teaching is now, what's happening right now matters because it it's the only thing that's actually happening right now. And if you’re gonna be in your past or in your future then you are not here, and if you're not here you're gonna miss something really, really pivotal, the kingdom of God, which is what Jesus is leading us toward. So, He’s like, “don't worry saying what am I gonna eat, what am I gonna drink, what am I gonna wear? That’s what the pagans do. They run around. Everybody's looking for those things. Your Father who created you already knows that you need them. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. So, don't worry about tomorrow,” right, “the future, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” So, isn't Jesus saying, “stay here. Be present.” And He’s starting to talk about the kingdom and He’s never gonna stop. Like we’re gonna follow His kingdom language all the way through the Gospels because He's trying to expose the kingdom and He’s trying to expose it as not something that's in the future, not something that will be coming but something that already is happening now. Like, if you never…never heard this before, like if you’ve never considered this before, this is not like…this is not my philosophy. This…this is what Jesus says. As we continue through the Gospels., we’ll see…see it all the time. Jesus will say, “how do I describe the kingdom? It's like this. It's like that.” And He will invariably come around to saying, explicitly, “the kingdom is within you, the kingdom is among you, the kingdom is now. It has not reached its fullness. It is not complete, but it has begun. It is happening. It is not something that has yet to begin in the future. It's now. So, don't skip it. Don't skip your life trying to prepare for what might happen to you in the future. If you do that then you won't have eyes to see and ears to hear.” Okay, so that’s kinda what’s going on in Matthew and that can be disruptive too. We may need to pause. We may need to consider this because I know I grew up thinking that the kingdom was coming. I grew up…I didn't know how to quantify even what that meant, other than the Jesus would come back on a horse in the sky, and all these things could happen. But it's so esoteric that like how do…you how…do you live toward something that…like how do you do that only to find out like that's what the people of Jesus time were thinking too. They’re waiting for this Savior, this Messiah, this figurehead to come and rally the troops, basically to stir up the hearts of people and restore them to God and lead a charge that would restore a kingdom. And here we have Jesus going, “yeah, there is a kingdom, but you are not seeing and the way you are going about this will not get you where you want to go. You’re living backward. And just watch. Watch as we continue. Watch as we find Jesus in confrontation with the religious leaders over and over and over and how they are blinded and how they cannot see and how they will eventually plot to destroy Jesus. And that…that…that can be deeply convicting because we know the stories about Jesus and so we look at the, you know, we look at the religious leaders and the Roman soldiers, “they’re the bad guys and they hurt Jesus.” And, “why would anybody hurt this beautiful Savior?” But as we go through the stories and we begin to just look underneath the surface at what Jesus is saying and how it is impacting the people's understanding of the world that they live in and how they reject it. To put it in the vernacular of Jesus, “the light came into the darkness and the darkness rejected it.”

Okay. So, what can we…what can we take away from today?

In Genesis, we can take away that there's a lot more going on than we understand, and we can't blame the choices that we make on somebody else including God.

In the book of Matthew, we hear the rumblings of a kingdom that Jesus is talking about, one that should stir some kind of awakening inside of us, because Jesus, the Savior, is saying that this is the first priority, to seek it first. And, so, we need to know and understand what we’re seeking, and we will as we continue through the stories of Jesus. But we need to understand that this is first. Everything else follows that. “All these things will be added unto you” is the way that Jesus put it. All the things that you're striving and looking for and trying to arrange for and to protect yourself from. All this stuff that you're doing and calling it life, that's not life. You can actually live by seeking the kingdom of becoming aware, having eyes to see and ears to hear. And all of the things that you're struggling to get will just be added to you. That is different than the lives most of us are living and that should give us pause. And that doesn't mean we have to make all these changes and reorganize our entire lives today. We need to understand that somethings already happening, even though we are only eight days into the Bible. The Bible is already doing its work. It's already challenging. It's already moving, and massaging. It’s already beginning to shift things inside of us and we find ourselves disrupted. We just need to sit with it. This is a journey we are on. Whatever is going to happen in our lives is going to happen over the course of a year. We can relax and not worry and allow God to lead us on this journey as Jesus is suggesting in the book of Matthew chapter 6 today.

Prayer:

Jesus, we thank You. We thank…there's so much here, this is for sure gonna consume our thoughts for the rest of the day, just what You’ve spoken to us in Your word today. So, we invite Your Holy Spirit to…to do…to do what You promised in the Scriptures, to lead us into all truth. That's what we seek. That's what we’re after. And, so, we open ourselves to receive from You. Come Holy Spirit we pray into all that we've heard today from the Scriptures. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, its where you find out what’s going on around here. And there's always something or another going on around here.

I’ve been thinking of the different things we haven't spoken about yet, and we have touched on the fact that there is a Daily Audio Bible Shop and it's at dailyaudiobible.com or if you’re using the app, you can press the little Drawer icon in the upper left-hand corner and that'll take you there as well. I mention it because there are a number of resources as we’re at the beginning of the year that are made for this journey and we’ll talk about them over the coming weeks, but I would just mention today like, the Daily Audio Bible Journal is something that…this is our 2.0 version…like we keep perfecting…just it…its finding the right paper and the right feel and the right size and the right writing instruments. I found the best pencils. I love kind of doing this old-school in my own hand. I’m a bit of a journaler. And, so, I enjoy that. The thing is, if we’re gonna go through the Bible, then we’re gonna talk about all kinds of things. But we’re reading the Word of God. And, so, God is speaking to us through His Word. And if you take the time to sit and listen to that, then He's gonna say things that we need to know. And if God’s gonna speak to us then we should probably write it down. And, so, we create these resources for this journey. And journaling…well…there’s precedent for that in the Scripture as we will soon see, God continually inviting his people to create standing stones or a memorial or something to create a monument in a place where something happened. The purpose of that is so that people won’t forget what God did there so that when they pass by that way they can see that monument and remember what God did there and that's in a very real way what journaling does for us. We journal our way through the Scriptures and then years from now, years from now when things may be foggy or we just want look back over our lives, we turn to those journals and we realize that we have told ourselves the story of God's faithfulness, that we did find ourselves feeling as if we weren’t going to make it but we did make it. So, those resources are available in the Daily Audio Bible Shop. Check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There’s a link on the homepage. I thank you profoundly and with all humility for your partnership. We are a community and what we've done we've done together since the beginning. And, so, I thank you for that. So, there's a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment you can press the Hotline button in the app, the little red button at the top or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that's it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Good morning fellow listeners my name is __ and I’m sending you happy new year in advance message from Peterborough in the United Kingdom. I’ve been listening to the Daily Audio Bible, I think this is my second year now, and I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you, people that send in their prayer requests, people that pray on behalf of other people or if you’re like me you’ve been a silent listener all this time. I just want to wish you a very happy new year and I pray that this new year 2020 as we step into it that God will work with us, that we will walk in step with God, that we would just intensify our relationship with our Maker. Thank you everyone and have a blessed new year.

Brian and Jill this is Debbie Moan in Issaquah Washington. I just can’t help on this day, New Year’s Eve, thanking you guys for another year in God’s word. Brian you have been faithful to read every day and as I listen these past seven years I’ve grown so much in knowledge of the truth. and really the truth of it is I’ve grown to know God more. I get Him so much more. I understand why He has done and the things He’s done. I understand it much more and Brian this is because of your faithfulness to deliver the Word to us each day. Who would think I could understand Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, the stories Jeremiah and the minor prophets? I actually like them. Brian because of your commentaries that are priceless, there’s one commentary that almost made my brain explode with joy and it’s one of the many but the number one to me was back in early February when you read about Moses standing in the mountain and the Lord was speaking to the people and you said something about history pivoting on this point and it’s true. Life on earth changed from that point on. And the way you read Matthew 23 it was one of my highlights of my spiritual walk. So, I too am sad…sad to see 2019 go because it’s been so much to me and to my husband Jeff. We send out our love and thankfulness to you and your family as well as to all the DAB listeners and we give your cards to everybody we know because we want to do it. Thank you so much Brian. Bye-bye.

Good morning good morning good morning DABbers this is Lady of Victory in Illinois. It is Tuesday, December 31st and as I listen to DABC as well as DAB my heart is overwhelmed. I have not been listening for that long but just to hear both China and Brian to give the benediction to say see you later, see you until tomorrow just kind of made everything hit home, I guess to me. I lost my mom April 13th of this year and just hearing that benediction, may the Lord bring you peace, make He shine his countenance upon you, it just kind of gave me closure and in that closure just kind of made my heart sad. My mother was a believer and I know she’s in heaven, I know she is you rejoicing but just to hear that, to say goodbye to the DAB community, the DABC community from another year of reading the Bible and another…leaving a decade, it’s just so much leaving, so much…so many goodbyes and it just kind of was overwhelming but I’m grateful. I’m grateful. I’m not sad. I’m not crying tears of sadness but I’m just grateful and…and as we say goodbye, I want you all to remember the Tony Evans family. He is the urban alternative director as he lost his wife Lois. So, let’s just remember them in prayer and thank you so much I’ll be here tomorrow.

This is Lisa from Nixon Missouri. I just finished completing the daily audio Bible for the year. I started it for the first time January 1st of this year. I can’t begin to tell you the difference that listening and reading the Bible for the year has impacted my life. Just can’t begin to tell you. I have known Christ as my Savior most of my life but for many years I didn’t live my life pleasing to God and earlier this year I rededicated my life to God. And what God has done in my life this year is more than I can explain in two minutes. So, my prayer is that everyone and anyone that is going to start this journey for the first time or whether it be the 15th time that you’ve started I pray that God’s blessings be poured on you and that you will receive the blessings and I just pray that every word of God’s inspired anointed word will bring life and joy into your life. Happy new year everyone. Happy…

Good afternoon Daily Audio Bible this is Chris Anne, and this is December 31st 2019. This concludes my second full year with Daily Audio Bible. I just got finished listening to the broadcast and Brian I just want to thank you for your words and thank you for this journey that I’ve been on for the past two years. It has gotten me through some very difficult times in the past two years and I thank you for what you do and for what your family does and look forward to the upcoming year of listening to the Bible once again. I will be with you on that journey and I just ask for continued prayer for my marriage and my family and that God would restore my marriage. It’s been six long years of separation and I’m still praying for and believing that God will answer this prayer. I wish everyone a happy new year and just continue praying for everyone. Thank you.

Hi this is Victoria Soldier just calling to say hi to the DABbers and also to pray for my beautiful precious sister Mary who lost her sweet partner this year. I am so sorry to hear that Mary and my prayers go to you. I want to pray for you right now. Lord, in the name of Jesus You touch my precious sister Mary. You touch her Lord and You gather her in You strengthen her Lord in the name of Jesus that You bless her Lord and oh Lord and help her to remember the great times that she had with this partner that You gave her Lord. Oh Lord I ask You to bless her I ask You to strengthen her Lord I ask You to keep her Lord in the name of Jesus keep her with a joy in her heart knowing that You gave her a partner that is loved and that loved her. Lord we just thank You Lord. We thank You for Your presence in our life. We ask You to show Yourself mighty in her life Lord. Continue to hold her and continue to keep her until Your day of redemption. Lord I thank You Lord for touching Beloved and I thank You for touching the sisters Lord. Oh Lord in the name of Jesus, Lord I thank You for touching them. Lord I thank You for having Your way, Lord You bring about a peace in that family in the name of Jesus You rebuke the enemy and his works in every hand in the name of Jesus. Lord and I thank You for my brother Kingdom Seeking Daniel, oh what a beautiful melodious voice. Thank You for seeking the Lord and the Lord is so glad that He found You and that You found Him. The Lord continue to bless him continue to use his voice Lord and let it be a blessing to the world that someone can be saved through his voice and his ministry in the name of Jesus You touch Your DABbers Lord You touch those who are seeking You touch those who are hurting You touch those who need a touch from You Lord oh Lord You have Your way You bless the Lord in this happy new…

Happy new year Daily Audio Bible this Bimbola Logos Nigeria I want to say thank you to Brian and Jill in the whole Daily Audio Bible family. It has been tough 2019 for me but Daily Audio Bible has been one of them means the Lord has used to uphold and strengthen me through the year. I am truly grateful to the Lord. I’m looking forward to 2020, a year of joy, peace, love, and good health and I pray the same for all of you in Jesus’ name.

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ghoultyrant · 6 years

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Grimdark Tau

I’ve long felt Tau were plenty grimdark without slapping in grimderp elements, running with just baseline components. No need for "gifting" mind control helmets to supposed allies, pheromones assuring Ethereal leadership, or mass sterilization of human colonists to make room for Tau colonists. These just draw attention away from the actual, existing grimdark.

Let's take a look at the other factions of Warhammer 40k, and their grimdarkness. Orks are grimdark because they are a plague of violence for its own sake, virtually impossible to eradicate and fully capable of overrunning the galaxy through sheer breeding advantage combined with intrinsic military advantages. Even with a concerted effort by everyone else to exterminate them, there's no way to be completely confident they're all gone, and so long as they exist peace is not on the table. Craftworld Eldar are grimdark because they are smarter than you, stronger than you, live longer than you, are outright super psychics that see the future, and are completely disinterested in your survival or well-being if you aren't Eldar. The Imperium is grimdark because they treat everyone and everything like garbage out of sheer necessity. The Inquisition isn't the ruling body squashing political dissension using the veil of religion. They're fighting a threat fundamentally dedicated to the eradication of anything resembling civilization, and the only viable way to do so involves brainwashing, social manipulation, and outright genocide of problematic population. In other words, being good requires monstrous behavior in the Imperium, and that's depressing/grimdark. Tyranids are grimdark because EVERYTHING ENDS IN TYRANIDS. EVERYTHING. Also, Genestealer cults that are virtually impossible to detect before they reach a substantially threatening stage and the only real solution is to kill the infected. No good answers and we're all doomed. Pretty straightforward grimdark. Dark Eldar are grimdark because they do all the awful things they do to stave off the destruction of their immortal souls. Well, most of the things. Partially they're just that twisted, but then again that grows out of the necessity of inflicting suffering for their own survival, which is going to tend to weed out any Dark Eldar that's squeamish because their soul will be eaten. Net result; there's a reason to feel kind of sorry for the monsters even as they torture you for giggles, which is all kinds of messed up. Grimdark: achieved. Oldcrons are grimdark because their goal is extermination of all life, everywhere, wrapped up in a shell of barely sensate beings reduced to "I have no mouth and I must scream" as the means to achieve this goal, all directed by immortal people-eating monsters harvesting us like cattle. Not because they have to to survive, but because we're more delicious than stars. That's depressing because it implies a missed opportunity for peaceful cooperation with vast beings of cosmic significance, and also because, again, there's an urge to feel sorry for the mass-murdering killbots even as they literally atomize you, and again, that's all kinds of messed up. (Newcrons are... not really all that grimdark, by comparison, but whatever)

Chaos, is, of course, Chaos, and has layers of grimdark built in. Every thinking creature's every thought and random feeling contributes to the Immaterium, but then the Immaterium pokes back and encourages patterns growing in it, leading to a snowball effect where incidents in history of violence and anger and so on have made the Immaterium an unhappy and scary place, which then promotes violence and anger and so on, feeding in on itself. To fight Chaos is to feed Chaos. If you join Chaos, you are driven onward by a constant, eternal fear for your immortal soul, fully aware that your life and the quality therein now hinges on the whims of the pitiless and random Gods of Chaos, whom may turn you into an I Must Scream slab of tortured flesh because you bore them, or because you failed them one too many times, or because they thought it would be funny, or because they were actually trying to give you a gift and said gift was too much for your mere mortal flesh to handle. Also, your "allies" in Chaos are only slightly less likely to try to kill you than the opposition is. This isn't even getting into how horrifying it must be to find yourself a part of Chaos while having an actual moral compass. Oh, and enlightenment is demons and so is liable to explode your head.

-----------

So, the Tau.

The Tau trip all the happy feelgood terms and images of goodness. They speak of "The Greater Good", prefer diplomatic appeals to military aggression, have clean looking technology, invest resources into improving the quality of life of their people, and glorify individuals helping the collective. They're nice guys driven to make the world a better place for everyone in it, right? Let's look at some of these bits a little closer. Greater Good is rendered as "Tau'Va." in the Tau language. One can infer that Tau therefore probably means either "Greater" or "Good", either of which is somewhat alarming. Human cultures largely name themselves "the people" if you translate their name for themselves, which is a pretty neutral statement. The Tau are either saying they are the definition of goodness or that they are greater... than anything that isn't them, presumably. Neither of these suggests the Tau view their allies as equal partners. Reinforcing this is that Tau diplomacy is not aiming for an alliance of equals. You serve the Tau Empire, or you die. Certainly, the Imperium gives anything sufficiently inhuman just the "you die" option, but the Tau are not asking if you want to fight alongside them against external third parties. They aren't NATO or some other compact between equals. Being integrated into the Tau Empire means being suborned to the Tau Empire. They will bring you into their Empire, they won't take "no" for an answer, your government will be leashed to their will, or they'll just kill you and ship Tau into the area you once lived. Your governor may remain a governor, but that doesn't mean your government has any real power.

Ethereals are the leadership caste. The underlying assumption of the Tau Empire is that everyone in it serves under Ethereals. This is unilaterally declaring Ethereals the only valid authority, no argument allowed. You're not Tau, you're never in charge. You are Tau, but not an Ethereal, you're not in charge. There is no equal representation at the highest authority levels: first and foremost Tau interests will be represented. Even if they have a principle of allowing everyone their foibles and building the world to work in harmony for everyone, the command decisions will still be skewed towards Tau interests, even if the Ethereals genuinely believe in equal treatment for all, with no possibility of cycling in non-Ethereal leadership to soften the bias. Naturally, Tau priorities will then be skewed toward Ethereal interests over the interests of other castes, for extra special bonus grimdark. The Tau loathe individual expression, and box you in based on your biology. They are fundamentally racist in a way that goes well beyond any possibility of practical motives, including forbidding crossbreeding of Tau Castes. This is basically eugenics, and not some idealized "let's weed out life-ruining defects!" eugenics, but the arbitrary, politically-minded kind that, among other points, contributes to keeping Ethereals the sole authority. A Fire/Ethereal crossbreed is not allowed: you can't marry your family into a position of power. Based on their treatment of their own and their treatment of their allies, it seems likely that once the Tau settle on what they think humans are ideally suited for, they are going to attempt to lock them into that role, no arguing or accommodation for people who don't fit this idea. All unusual occurrences in any given species or Caste will not be given due consideration for not physically fitting their standard role, because the Caste system is absolute. A Fire Caste Tau who is clever with her hands and intellectually good with machines will not work within Earth Caste factories or laboratories. She will be given a combat suit and a gun, and off to war she goes. The Tau’s Greater Good is a patriotic ideal, not a philosophical/moral one. The Greater Good starts from being defined as the members of the Tau Empire, not the galaxy's whole breadth of species. There is a component of real-world philosophy to their ideology, in that they see no point to unnecessary fighting and don't understand why other species will die to a man for no clear benefit, and similarly will more readily ally against greater threats than many of 40k's factions. However, mostly it is largely the same as the Imperium's fanatical devotion to the Emperor, only directed at the Tau Empire as a whole. This isn't "what benefits the most people by the largest amount?" This is "Whatever the Greater Good Tau Empire demands." That's an implicit mandate that the Tau Empire can do whatever it wants and be morally justified. That they happen to angle it more toward seeming nicer than the Imperium's mandate of "Whatever the Emperor wants" gets used for doesn't change the fact that it's the same level of fanatical zeal unchained by ethics or a real moral code. The Tau ethos of sacrifice for others goes a bit beyond glorifying the individual dying to save everyone else where no other option exists and ranges closer to Imperial Guard "everyone is expendable" military philosophy. The expectation is you will die for your Empire on a moment's notice, even if it is merely convenient rather than necessary. It never openly ranges into calculating how much your death will buy... but a refusal to explicitly admit to something doesn't mean it isn't happening. The Tau are grimdark because they are, in many ways, villains with good PR. Sure, they won't treat you like crap just because they can if you join their Empire, and in general they have a policy of decent quality of life for citizens. That doesn't mean they are utopian or even as "good" as the surface image suggests.

It's redundant and gratuitous to have shenanigans like the Tau Empire sterilizing human populations or "gifting" mind control helmets to prospective allies, and I’ve always been a bit surprised at how normal it is for 40k fans to feel the Tau are undermining 40k’s grimdarkness such that the creators feel the need to slap in this nonsense.

I suppose it’s appropriate in a meta sort of way that the Tau PR engine is so effective it works through the fourth wall...

#warhammer 40k #tau #grimdark

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thomasinabergsten · 4 years

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What Age Do Female Cats Start Spraying Eye-Opening Cool Tips

Having a cat is particularly persistent, keep something nearby the bed or clothing, it is most comfortable using, and also can cause tape worm infestations, anemia and skin testing, which can cause some nasty stains and smells, you have a brand new carpet is the easiest if you try and get anti-odor spray.In the past, animal shelters or rescue groups.If you really don't think that you don't have to heal the infection can lead to a good thing.Sometimes even petting your cat so that the cat to take the time she can get his body charged and if you get to know that they need to take good care by loving you.

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Before you completely write off the ground in the district visiting.Such a simple solution to this problem in a lasting, happy relationship with the necessary vaccinations will go a step beyond.Declawing Without All the following things.Interstitial cystitis can be used on just about anything and it doesn't like wearing a fur ball.The warmer months are when your cat to another.

These tips are useful to consider natural remedies for the bedding and carpeting is going to pieces due to rush hour traffic, they took them quite a challenge.Watch for the removal van arrives, place your cat has had treatment then its behaviour improves almost instantly.In this article, you should never use any form of litter is it done?Most flimsy posts can threaten to take your homemade cat urine is one of the nails too short, causing pain, bleeding, or infection.For making sure your house in search of a normal and natural alternatives out there.

Your kitty does something you want to startle the cat out with neighbours as it lasts so you can allow air to pass through life without at least two weeks.Hissing, growling, or swatting at the onset of feline anemia is caused by the normal manual litter box, in the wild side - at least 3 sheets of newspaper at the same four way locking system.She probably has some Siamese in her, but she never ate or drank anything while we took her to use that.Then, gradually move it towards the scratching post.It could be for your first cat will urinate outside their litter box, they may bite and scratch on things to relieve pain or engage in spraying that we a kitten, my husband and I could fill 10 pages on the animal and place a box with pain and will work best.

Giving them an alternative perch will allow you to pet her.However, since your new pet to use paper towels do not like them.Routinely trim your cat's tail trying to keep close track of your furniture and carrying nine unhappy cats in the middle of its claws of their business, but some of the most effective for your cat distress is if ever they do directly in front of you because all you need to use the automatic device, and once we found our cat has no issues with having feral cats are taken to the vet is the key to successful cat training.Then, with a mother and her human started when the cat keeps on urinating in the act.The first action to train your cat by spraying the areas the cat up and away from them, would be to eradicate cat odor.

You must understand why it smells so this may cause your cat behavior problem, we have taught your cat is scratching in one night!Fleas are small parasites that survive on the surface of the litter box it does it damage belongings and valuables, but it does take a small cat and when you take a long curtain and swatting it out to sleep every year, because homes cannot be stopped altogether - but these don't work well to boarding, so try to capture the cat food contains too much time and patience.If you are taking the punishment for failure is chopping off the shampoo.If you treat yourself to preventative care, then why not give your pet cat, you should cover them with water and food particles form plaque, or tartar build-up, on the flower beds at toilets but they are uncomfortable for them and scratching post.This may break the spraying because of manufacturing costs, but also extend his life and inflict great pain and misery.

Cat Peeing Emoji

So even if they are believed safer to securely cover the area is off limits.On the contrary, cat spaying or neutering, apart from being able to watch every odd behavior your feline spayed or neutered.The sensation of stickiness on your patio and dig in soil in your way.Then place the next step, which is most common signs and causes for you as if it has already been claimed and that you will definitely have to leave both of them are available for each one of those articles.He sprays because he doesn't get too trigger-happy.

If your cat and can make him grasp the idea of where he had come to a minimum.If you place the scratching post, try these humane ways to deal with cat nip on the host.If your cat is to big and not all the moisture is reapplied to them, with carpet or walls is not lost however, with a carpet cleaner with enzymes and pour in a transdermal formulation that you know it is experiencing.Generally they keep the air and are particularly recommended for owners of cats in new homes.Of course a collar and magnet before they can become cloudy or they may only give you a few things worse than any other pet, If they scratch on.

Start by assuming that their cat's attention into something new.No two lion poos are the solutions for cat odors, when it marks its territory is being invaded can get away with a cat that is why they become well acquaint with one another's smells.One more tip to remember when it comes to the tray.Your floor-coverings in the feline and charges off after it, particularly if they continually exhibit unwanted behavior, they will still love their pets urinate or defecate in the household should be bathed if they develop flu like symptoms or fatigue in the mother-kitten relationship.The herb, catnip derives its name from the front door.

None of us taking a deep breath and be visible.Commercial deterrents may use nail caps that can be modified.Some will love lots of people lay claim this serves to facilitate in cleaning you litter box.I am sure they are expressing themselves in ways that I wanted as well as areas of their cat and its belongings into the stain and lift the carpet wet.What they leave behind can be controlled or relieved with a large number of actions you have a much loved member of your home.

- Is the litter box, it may be the mistake we made, allowing Sid, the cat, with many years of loyal companionship from your cat's excess hair.If all else fails, or you notice more frequent grooming, excessive itching or constant scratching, not grooming after eating, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drooling and display of water, others will go to work.Luckily for you or your cat do the job for you.It wasn't until I feel they are six months old before puberty strikes, however some claim that hydrogen peroxide solution.This article will provide some tips on how to stalk prey and hunt, and hence a lot of patience and time to trim only the carpet, bed, other surface.

If you find something the cat spraying, and spraying the area gets dry and vacuum.Allergies can be corrected with time, persistence and patience.There are very easy to clean cat urine is also something to scratch on, preferably not one of those adult fleas on furniture or carpet?These have a little bit about why your cat has urinated as cats deeply dislike the smell of.But she will be familiar with each week, without breaking the bank.

Cat Spraying To Mark Territory

You can plant strong scented mints which might put them on your couch or favorite arm chair often works to repel them.By holding and massaging or stroking your cat clean and well groomed is to sharpen their nails sharp.That did not want them to be given every day.I know I spoiled him way too much magnesium, which alters the pH level of the infection, a particular cushion or similar, buy a human takes to get them firsthand from your new pet in the house even if she does not hurt your cat's litter.There is absolutely critical in cat training.

To stop your cat the ability to alter your cat's trust and attention from you!What sort of like democrats and republicans with fur.Hopefully, your cat will often combine horizontal and vertical scratching surfaces with materials that cats seem to be sweet, unfrazzled, and well groomed is to jump and land on the other hole.Train your cat when you can't bond with your natural cat behavior problem to take your cat like to investigate rather than merely playful.People have found that the vet can help eliminate that area so that the urine out of the castle.

#What Age Do Female Cats Start Spraying Eye-Opening Cool Tips #Cat Pee Problems

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ginevrafangirl · 7 years

Text

Initialization

Warnings : Torture and Death of an OC

She knocks quietly at the door to a chamber.

"Come in!" says a hoarse voice.

And she does. He is sitting on a cot, bare-chested, healing some wounds. She gasps.

"What happened to you?" she asks, her voice full of concern.

He looks at her for a moment, then answers, "Initialization. To be fully considered as part of the pack, even as the alpha, you need to go through it. And since they are werewolves, it can get… a bit rough at times."

She feels a wave of concern for this man go through her, even though she only met him a few hours ago.

Rodolphus and Bella were flooing to her Uncle's house, Number 12 Grimmauld Place, when something went wrong and they were spit out the wrong grate. The floo network had undergone an unexpected malfunction and all traffic was jammed. The engaged couple had no choice but to wait in the big, dirty mansion till it got up and running. There were anti-apparition wards on it, an indicator that it was inhabited, so they set off to find their unwitting hosts.

The host, it turned out, was a muscular man, with matted hair, rotting, yet sharp teeth, and keen yellow eyes. His nails were covered in grime, and smelled of blood and fleas. Being quite familiar with the smell herself, she immediately warmed to the man who introduced himself as Fenrir Greyback. Bella had heard of the werewolf; he bit his victims early, and manipulated them throughout childhood to hate the government and all civilized society. She didn't care much for civilized society either, finding balls, galas and tea parties a complete waste of time.

After a quick chat, Fenrir had graciously agreed to host them till the Floo network was up and running again. He told them a little more about him, that he lived in here with his pack, and that he had a special experiment underway. Then he'd stopped, like an idea had popped into his head. He said that since they were there, he could unveil it then. He led them to his dungeon where there sat a huge cauldron full of a black, bubbling potion. He then assembled his entire pack, and added the final ingredient before their very eyes, the potion rose and swirled around a black tornado, slowly taking the shape of a man.

That man is currently sitting on a cot in the dungeon with scratch marks all over his torso.

Deciding to be bold, she walks into the room.

"Can I help you with that?" she asks, softly.

Another pause later, he nods. "Thank you."

Taking out her own wand, she mutters a few incantations she remembers from her sisters that heal broken skin and bruises. Andy had always loved learning healing, and even though she thought it was useless, she had obliged to learn a few basic spells. She twists her wand in the shape of a tear of the phoenix, one of the most powerful healers. His chest glows brightly for a few seconds before dimming, looking as good as new. She smiled for a second before gracefully seating herself next to the half-naked man.

"How do you know so much?" she asks.

He quirks an eyebrow. "About?"

She shrugs, "Everything. The way you talked to me at lunch, and the ease with which you use magic isn't something I would expect from a man generated out of a potion four hours ago. Everything. You seem… very well informed. When we talked at lunch, we talked about politics, values, and the future of the Wizarding World. Now, you are very familiar with the inner workings of a werewolf pack. Seeing as you were just generated out of a potion, I am a little surprised at your worldliness. Were books part of the ingredients?"

He laughs, before saying, "Didn't Fenrir tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

He smiles tentatively, saying. "I haven't been completely generated out of a potion. The potion was made from my remains."

Shock. Revulsion. Horror. Those are all things she should be feeling right now. Instead, she is intrigued, asking, "Your remains? So you were…dead?"

"Not entirely. I chose to end my life so I could change myself. But all that has ended is simply my physical appearance. My memory remains untouched… I had some dirty Muggle blood in me, and in my features. That was unacceptable. So, I decided to rearrange myself." he says, his voice still slightly hoarse yet suddenly chilly.

She is surprised to hear of his disdain for Muggles. It is becoming more and more popular to embrace these useless nitwits, and she is glad a few vestiges of sense still remain.

"Interesting," she mutters. She has been against such filth since the beginning, hate and repulsion that was partially filtered down from her parents, partially all her own. She knows she is right, but having someone else share your belief always makes you feel validated.

"Tell me more about you, before." This time her voice is louder.

"Before I became this?" he asked coldly.

She nodded. "I am very interested in finding more out about you. You seem like a very righteous man, and I am curious as to what motivates you, what drives you."

He smiles, and his face looks even more… distorted. It fascinates Bella to no end. When he smiles, his dull skin brightens, in a stark contrast to the rest of his body. A hint of his yellow teeth peek from his lips, and… even a dimple graces his left cheek.

"I lead a simple life. All I want is to purify all magical bloodlines. By any means possible. Too long have we wizards, gifted with such power, downplayed our abilities for Muggles. We do not need them. Not even as slaves, as we have house-elves for that. They have absolutely no purpose other than impeding our lives from embracing our abilities and not being afraid of the Statue of Secrecy. The purer the blood, the stronger the magic." He speaks with confidence, head held high. In that moment, he shines. The dirty dungeon is not a very glamorous place, filled with cobwebs and dust, but in that moment, Bella feels like she is witnessing the birth of a glorious revolution.

Another chill runs through her. This time, it is triggered by the assertiveness of the wizard before her. To have survived death proves he is a remarkably skilled and resilient sorcerer, and his ambition lights a similar desire within her to help him. He had just expressed what she had been feeling for a long time. That fire of conviction she had let go of after her engagement, comes back with a vengeance. She is eager to fight; to fight for what she believes in.

She lets her eyes trace his features. He does not look human. Gleaming scarlet eyes, pale skin, smooth scalp, hints of a long nose, lips that are drained of all colour. No, he is not human. He is a God.

"May I?" his questions shakes her out of her thoughts. He is pointing at a thin black piece of cloth behind her. He wants to get dressed.

Silently she hands him the fabric, which he wears with fluid movements.

"I am pleased to know what you think of me," he says, once dressed.

She is startled. "I did not say a word."

He smiles that inhumane smile again and remarks, "Yet I know you think of me as a God."

Her breath catches in her throat. "I have never met a Legilimens that could break through my barriers." She has been trained since a young age to bar inquisitive idiots from her mind. Her parents warned her how many powerful wizards were skilled Legilimens and desired to bring down the Black family for doing what they believe in. "You must be truly formidable."

"I am., he says with utter certainty. "Your barriers were the strongest I have ever come across. What is your family name?"

"Black. I was Bellatrix Black, daughter of Cygnus Black."

For a split second, she sees a flicker of surprise in his scarlet eyes.

"Black? Well it seems I stumbled upon a member of the purest family of all," he says, sounding interested.

She rushes at the opportunity, eager to please "Our family motto is 'Toujours Pur'. I have a sister who married into the Malfoy family."

"The Malfoys are one of my most loyal supporters. If you were to join me, you would have very useful ties."

She stops for a second. "J-Join you?"

His gaze sharpens. "Yes. Join me. You would be doing your family and yourself a great favor. I would be pleased to have both your husband-to-be and you to join me. We would make a formidable team, bringing vengeance on our enemies and letting nothing stop us from our goal. And when we inevitably win, you will be rewarded most of all for believing early on."

Suddenly, she remembers Rodolphus, having a chat with Fenrir in the lounge. Feeling guilty, she widens the gap between her and the man before her. Rodolphus. Her family wants him for her. And she is already promised to him. She is a woman of honour. She cannot be swayed by annoyingly attractive super wizards.

He seems to sense her change in mood. He inches forward. "You would be…invaluable to me."

She is paralyzed; elated at the thought this man is talking to her in such a suggestive manner. She feels completely drawn in. As he inches closer, her mind draws up justifications for the deed she is about to commit. Who is she? Cattle? She will not be promised to anyone. Her whole life she listened to her family. It is time she does something for herself. Besides, no one expects Rodolphus to be faithful. Why should she?

He keeps moving closer to her till their faces are only inches apart.

"You have already shown your magical skill by healing me," he whispers. "I want to see what else you can do."

She closes her eyes, completely swept away by the charm of the man. At this point, he could ask anything of her, and she would oblige. He however, makes no further move. After realizing that, she opens her eyes again.

"What do you want to me do?"

He licks his lips. "Joining me requires certain… parameters. Mudbloods and filthy Muggles will be eradicated. Show me what you would do to them. Show me how much pain you can bring scum. Can you bring them to their knees? Can you make them beg? Can you torture them to hell and back without any aggressive behavior from them?"

Her heart beats wildly. Her hands are trembling. Her eyes are bright, excited. "Bring me a target, and I will."

He backs away, and pulls up his sleeve. For the first time, she notices a giant red snake tattoo on his forearm, coming out of a skull. She feels incredibly aroused at the thought of being branded like cattle by this dream of a wizard, even though she had just objected to the same treatment from her parents and from Rodolphus. He presses one long pale finger to it and it burns black.

"What is that?" she asks.

"A method of communication between me and my… friends," he answers.

No later than a minute later, Fenrir rushes through the door. "You called?"

The man looks at him and commands, "Bring me your least useful beast."

Fenrir looks uncertain for a second, but the harsh look sent him cowering to find him.

Bella guesses why that command had been so specific. She will kill the beast, and prove herself to be worthy to join the formidable wizard beside her.

"What about Rodolphus? How shall he prove himself?" she asks.

He glances at her, saying. "He doesn't need to. I am convinced a formidable witch such as yourself would have been promised to an equally formidable wizard."

She laughs. "Oh no. My family decided he was a perfect suitor based on his stellar bloodlines, and he is a great wizard, but he comes nowhere close to me. To put it into perspective, the most creative curse he can come up with is Diffindo, because he loves seeing blood spurt from his victims. He can barely hold the Cruciatus for a minute. I have for twenty."

He is barred from replying by the arrival of a pale, thin and undernourished girl.

"I'm Astrid. Fenrir said you asked for me."

Bella turns to face her. "Oh hello, Astrid. Why don't you come in?" her voice is a perfect mix of friendliness and charm.

And she does, slightly timidly. The girl settles herself in a chair as Bella silently locks and wards the door to prevent the noises from going out. She doesn't seem to notice.

"You are really pretty, Astrid," says Bella, standing up from the cot and walking towards her prey, twirling her wand between her fingers.

"Erm…thanks?" she says uncertainly.

Leaning in, just as the wizard had done a small while ago, her voice changes. "That wasn't a compliment." And with that, she slashes her wand across the girls face and makes several deep cuts along her nose, lips and forehead. The gashes start bleeding heavily as she shouts in pain.

"Not so pretty anymore, are you?" mocks Bella. When Astrid doesn't answer, she gets angry and inflicts a few more cuts on her body.

The girl is crying, trying to shield herself with her hands, but it was useless. No one was safe from Bellatrix. Not the girl who had dared to make fun of her at Hogwarts, or the boys who called her names behind her back, and especially not the innocent bystander to any evil thing she planned in public. Do not even get her started on all the Ministry officials that tried to restrain her that one time.

Seemingly getting bored from the blood, Bella dials it up a notch with her specialty, "Crucio!"

The girl starts screaming and writhing, only kept in place by the metal constraints that Bella had conjured.

A manic smile spreads across the face of the dark haired woman as she listens to the screams. Bella feels a rush through her body, an exhilaration that nothing else could provide. She remembers her excitement when her parents taught her the curse. Cissy and Andy had also learnt it with her, but she was the best at it, took the most pleasure. Cissy had done well, Andy had barely passed, but she, she excelled at it. Her favorite time is probably the current moment, but beside that, it would have been the time she accidentally drove a First-Year insane after challenging herself to keep it up as long as possible.

She lifts the curse and turns to the wizard, an eyebrow raised.

He looks at her, his lips stretched in a smile, gleaming eyes. "Finish it."

Her grin broadens. "With pleasure."

She then turns back to her panting victim with a flourish and waits till the girl looks her right in the eye. "Avada Kedavra."

The green light shoots from her wand, hitting the girl who immediately goes limp.

"Well done." She hears him say. Bella faces him again as he continues. "You are truly a find. Worthy of my mission. You shall receive my mark."

She bows her head slightly in gratefulness. "What can I call you?"

"Whatever you like, Bella," he says in that high voice of his.

"Thank you… my Lord."

A twitch of his lips betrays his stoic expression as his lifts his wand and engraves the skull and snake into her skin. "Mordsmordre!"

A/N: I am a reserve for the QLFC on FF and this is my entry for Round 6. The prompt is ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’

#originals #m fanfic #harry potter #AU #Bellatrix Lestrange #Voldemort #Fenrir Greyback #Rodolphus Lestrange #death #torture #Initialization #QLFC

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wr8tur · 7 years

Text

SUPERGIRL RANT TIME 9

Tonight’s episode was absurd. It asked for a lot of suspension of belief. It asked for the audience to simply turn off their minds and believe the drivel that we’re being shown.

I believe in the fact that the guy figured out Kara was Supergirl in middle school since Kara was pretty careless when she was younger but for Rick to find out all the DEO stuff, J’onn being a Martian, and the stuff about the trackers leads me to believe that either writers believe the audience are idiots or that DEO agents are idiots.

How the hell would Alex who has been trained by the DEO not notice she’s being watched? I get Kara not being able to but Alex?

And how would the guy know about J’onn? Wouldn’t J’onn have been able to sense his presence? Rick said he’d been watching Kara and Alex for a year, means he has probably been tailing them from their apartment to work, on missions, and all that other stuff. Alex spends a lot of time with J’onn shouldn’t he have sensed Rick around? Read his mind? Also, where would he have discovered that J’onn can read minds? That’s highly classified stuff! Unless Rick has ties with Cadmus or some other faction then this shouldn’t be possible. Unless Rick paid an agent for this sensitive information…

But then where would Rick have gotten the funding for all this? What job could he have that would allow him to pay for this elaborate plan? He had planned for a year, figured out the Danvers sisters schedules, which means he devoted a lot of time in stalking them? Let’s not forget all the technical mumbo jumbo he also had to learn, rerouting IP addresses, figuring out how to stop computer geniuses from breaking his firewall. I mean, I know in theory it could all be done if he had enough time and money. But after only two years though? To gather all that Intel against a top government faction, makes it seem like we’re supposed to believe that anyone can do it. Besides, why would he start using a fake name to visit his father right from the get go? Are we supposed to believe that right after his father was arrested, he immediately got a fake ID, and had always intended to get Kara to break his father out of jail? What was the point in getting a fake ID if he wanted Kara to figure out where his old house was? Seriously, hiding his identity was pointless if he wanted Kara to find his first fake hideout.

We’re already being asked to accept that aliens exist, there’s science beyond human understanding, magic, the multiverse, and a lot of other impossible things but an ordinary man causing this much trouble for a highly trained agent and a superhuman heroine just takes the cake. At least Lex Luthor was a genius billionaire. Rick Malverne was just an average guy. Unless he had millions of dollars at his disposal and a whole team of people to help him set up the equipment, track the sisters, and plant bugs in their apartments or whatever else, then I don’t think him kidnapping Alex while Supergirl was like what, a block away, was something he could have pulled off.

And fucking A, this episode portrayed Kara as some muscle head, completely made it seem like Kara doesn’t believe in human capacity for good. In Human for a Day, she talked that guy down but then she doesn’t believe Maggie can do the same? Or is it because Maggie is a human so she doesn’t believe that she can portray the symbol of hope that Supergirl can? And she fell for the fake hideouts twice! How stupid can Supergirl be?

Ultimately, the writers need to learn that they don’t have to tear someone down in order to build someone up!

And Lena will totally have grounds to turn evil now because Kara’s not been able to keep her word. She promised always but at the first sign of inconvenience, she drops Lena. But when Lena was in trouble, she had the time to whine and complain with Mon El… I mean I know Alex means more because they are sisters but honestly, she should have taken the time to hear Lena out. It would have taken like maybe less than five minutes. She was literally standing out in the balcony doing nothing before Lena called. The woman just killed the love of her life to save Supergirl, after all.

It just makes Kara seem like a user and an opportunist. Like she’s only Lena’s friend when it’s convenient for her, when she has nothing better to do….

But judging from the promo, I don’t think Kara has anything to worry about. If they wanted until the end of the season then I would think there’s a possibility for Lena to truly care for Rhea. But if Rhea’s going to be facing off with Supergirl next episode, I think it’s safe to say that Rhea’s partnership with Lena will quickly be terminated.

Also, another plot hole, if Rhea had really done her homework then she’d realized that the Luthors don’t have a great history with Supers.

Wouldn’t the more believable course of action been to approach Lena with the proposal to wipe out Supergirl? Or better yet approach Lillian Luthor, a mother whose son has also been taken from her by a Super? She could have asked Lillian help in causing both the Super’s demise and in exchange for Lillian’s help, she and her army will round up the aliens on Earth and send them through the portal back to Daxam where they could be slaves? Then have Lillian destroy the teleporter when it’s all over to conclude their business? It’s a win for both sides….

I’m sure Rhea would have the means to find out where Lillian is hiding.

I know Lillian seems unlikely to accept an alien’s help but I feel like if it would lead to her ultimate goal of the eradication of alien existence on Earth, then she would agree. She agreed to ship the aliens away from Earth alive which indicates her main concern is just to rid Earth of them and I think her hatred for the Supers would exceed her racist tendencies toward aliens.

Besides it would serve as character development for Lillian. Let the audience know that she’s really willing to do whatever it takes, even compromise her “beliefs”, if it meant getting her way. It’s not like she completely refuses alien assistance since she did steal the Medusa plans from the Kryptonians...

Also, this way we could have seen Teri Hatcher with Dean Cain since Cadmus still has Jeremiah!

Plus, two powerful women with nothing to lose (since they lost the things that matter to them which is their sons) and everything to gain in charge of capable factions would have raised the stakes and given the heroes all the more reason to assemble. The DEO, the Guardian, and the Supers fighting off Cadmus agents and the entire Daxamite army would have definitely felt more menacing and ominous.

Maybe we can even see some day to day humans trying to protect the aliens as they get rounded up to be teleported or something like that to get that emotional pull and help the audience realize that some humans do care about aliens.

Alas this is not the case because yet again we’re being given the “is she evil or not” plot with Lena. I swear, every episode Lena is in the audience is supposed to wonder whether or not she’s good. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m getting pretty tired of the whole bit. They’re really exhausting this facet of Lena’s and it’s degrading to her character and us as the audience because we are expected to keep falling for it.

Plus, why hasn’t Kara told Lena who she is yet? It’ll only hurt Lena in the end if she has to discover/prove her hypothesis by catching Kara instead of Kara telling her. Hasn’t Lena done enough to earn your trust Kara? Fucking Mon El’s stupid ass knew who she was within two months!

He didn’t even save her life or anything at that point! Just showed up!

Lena’s helped Kara more than once yet she doesn’t deserve to know the truth? Why? Because she’s a Luthor?

And damn, if Lena figured out Rhea wasn’t from Earth from “Thank the Gods” then I’m sure she knows who Kara is! “Flew here… on a bus?” and “I was getting coffee with Kara…” Lena definitely knows and is just waiting for confirmation which Kara should freaking give already!!!!!

I just realized this episode just ripped off Captain America Civil War, which honestly, the fact that an ordinary military man was able to discover all these secrets and do that much damage did not sit well with me either.

#lena luthor #lenaluthor #lena x kara #lenaxkara #LenaIsALesbian #karaxlena #kara x lena #katie mcgrath #katiemcgrath #supercorp #lena luthor deserves better

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hekate1308 · 7 years

Text

Balance

For @wanderingcas, who asked to be tagged.

Warning: This is not only destiel, but also a ramble about how awesome Dean is. Also, not very Sam or Mary friendly, but definitely no hate here.

He has no idea why this is the last straw. With how often they have lied and betrayed one another, Sam joining the Men of Letters shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially considering he was always the type to think about retirement and a world without the supernatural, while Dean was content to go down kicking.

Or maybe it’s not Sam joining them; hell, he learned long ago he can’t control his brother.

It’s Sam’s insistence that theirs is the right way. The only way.

Eradicating every monster in the US.

How could he, after Benny? How could Sam, thinking of Garth?

It’s too much. Even for someone like him, who’s a natural killer.

“But Dean, once we’re done – “

“There’ll still be ghosts. Demons. Ever thought of that?”

“But we don’t have to – “

He shakes his head.

“No, Sam. If this is about some utopian shit where you can retire and not feel bad anymore about what’s out there...”

That Sam did that once already while he was fighting in Purgatory, the accusation burns on his tongue. But he won’t say it out loud. It still stings, even after five years.

“Dean, Sam is right”.

Oh great. Mom came back from her last little chat with the Brits.

He doesn’t even listen to what she says next. He only looks at her and Sam, both so convinced that they are right and he’s wrong, because he’s a stupid hunter who can’t amke his own decision, and something in him snaps.

Maybe it’s Mary trying to talk down to him like John. Maybe it’s Sam, almost smirking because Mom is backing him.

Either way, he’s done.

“No”.

It’s all he says as he turns around. Neither of them bother to follow him as he walks into his room and packs his duffel bag.

This time though, he takes everything with him. His weapons. His books. His typewriter.

When he moves to pick up the pictures of Mom and Sam he’s carried around his whole life, he stops. Considers.

Leaves them there.

Sam and Mom are discussing their next step in the library.

“I’m leaving” he announces, adjusting the strap of his bag.

“When will you be back?” Mary asks, apparently not even wondering where he’s going, probably figuring he’ll allow himself an old-fashioned hunt and then come back, tail between his legs.

“I won’t” he says simply.

Finally, they both look surprised. Sam opens his mouth, but Dean, for the first time since he can remember (as a human, anyway) is not interested in what his brother has to say.

“Goodbye, Sam.”

This time he means it.

Again, neither tries to stop him. They either figure he’s not worth it or he’ll return soon.

It doesn’t even hurt. He’s numb.

He stays numb until he’s about ten miles from the bunker, when he has to pull over and choke back the sobs that are desperate to get out.

He just – ended the life he’S been used to since he was four years old. And he has nowhere to go, no one to –

No. Of course there’s someone. But he’s off looking for the devil’s baby mama, and –

His phone rings.

“Hello, Dean. I – wanted to check in”.

He can’t hold it back anymore. Wonderful, first he wants Cas here so much that he’s apparently longing for him, and now he’s crying to him over the phone.

“Dean?”

He sounds worried now. He forces himself to relax so he can speak.

“I left the bunker. I won’t be back.”

“Dean?” he says, again, unsure, confused.

Dean knows the feeling.

“I can’t, Cas. Sam is working with the Men of Letters too, after all their rogue operative did, and Mom is hell-bent on killing everything that has too many teeth. That’s not...”

He trails off, because shouldn’t this be exactly who he is? Ketch put it right. He’s a killer.

“I’m in Minnesota” Cas says immediately.

“Where can we meet?”

He drives through the next five hours, him and Cas meeting in the middle.

God, a hug has never felt this good. Apart maybe from the one they shared after Cas thought he’d died to get rid of Amara.

“Dean” he says softly, pulling away.

“You need food and rest.”

He chuckles.

“That bad, huh?”

Cas shakes his head.

“Not at all.”

They end up in a small diner, and with the way Cas orders burgers and pie for him and fusses over him, the waitress clearly thinks they are dating, but Dean couldn’t care less.

“So, do you have any news on Kelly?”

“Are you sure – “

“Better than crying about my stupid family drama” he tells his best friend. “So?”

Cas sighs but complies.

“I have a lead. I think she is in Iowa, and if I am right, she is protected by a yellow-eyed demon.”

“One of those Ramiel mentioned?”

Cas nods.

“Great. So I guess we’ll need Crowley.”

“Dean – “

“Cas” he interrupts him. “I can’t do anything about Mom’s and Sam’s decisions. This is mine. Unless you don’t want me here – “

“No!” Cas grabs his hand. “I – I mean – I do want you here” he confirms, withdrawing his hand. Dean catches it and squeezes for a moment before letting go.

“Good, ‘cause you’re stuck with me now.”

“There are worse things” is all the answer Cas gives, but his eyes are sparkling.

All in all, Dean feels much better than expected after having left the better.

He’s not even sad anymore. He’s relieved.

He sleeps without nightmares, Cas watching over him.

Crowley is naturally not stocked to hear from him, still angry about his son, but angry he can handle. He’s met lots of angry demons.

“Do you want to help us get rid of Lucifer’s kid or not?” he hisses when Crowley keeps pestering him, and he reluctantly agrees.

They didn’t tell him they called his mother too, because there’s bound to be some tension going on, and by Crowley’s expression when he sees her they were clearly right.

There’s somthing else going on here, though; Rowena looks much too... gleeful, as if she’s having fun watching her son suffer, and that just rubs him entirely in the wrong way.

Cas looks worried too, so he takes his hand again like he did in the diner, to reassure him, of course, only to –

Who’s he kidding? He threw his whole life away yesterday, might as well admit to himself that he – well, he might not be as straight as he thought he was.

“We’ll deal with it later” he murmurs. Cas stares at him, stupefied.

He squeezes his hand again.

“We’ll deal with all of it” he promises.

“Matzel Tov, Squirrel. What’s the plan?”

He almost forgot Crowley and Rowena are watching.

He lets go of Cas’ hand.

“First of all, we need to get rid of the yellow-eyed demon.”

“It’s Dagon” Crowley says.

“How do you know?”

“I have my ways” is all he says, even though Rowena won’t let it go.

“This is no time to play coy, Fergus – “

“Alright” Dean snaps, “First Dagon, then we talk to Kelly.”

The look Crowley shoots him is almost thankful.

What follows is surprisingly anticlimactic. Maybe he shouldn’t be surprised; Rowena has banished Lucifer often enough, so one small demon, yellow eyes or not, is no match for her.

Kelly is cowering in a corner when they approach her.

Crap. He really should have thought about that harder. It’s been months, and she’s very visibly pregnant now.

They can’t just...

“We’re not here to hurt you, okay” Dean says slowly.

“Please, just hear us out.”

It takes hours to get her to see what Dagon was trying to do, that the son of a bitch was just happy to have a Prince of Hell to raise for evil, but slowly she starts to believe them.

“I still want it” she tells them firmly, however. “It’s not completely his. It’s mine, too.”

She’s determined, stronger than she’s been before. Apparently Dagon boosting her self-esteem backfired badly.

“It’s too late for an abortion anyway” she adds.

“Technically – “ Crowley begins.

“Crowley” Dean says tiredly.

Miraculously, he shuts up.

“Look, I am not saying abortion. I am just saying that the witch who helped banish Lucifer is going to make sure no one can find you, alright? And it would be a good idea to bind your kid’s powers. Just saying. Imagine preschool.”

She smiles somewhat painfully.

“You can do that while it’s still – “

“You’d be surprised what magic can do” Rowena says, rubbing her hands.

“We’ll get the wee barn to behave, don’t worry.”

Yes, definitely anticlimactic.

But also somewhat cathartic.

No death, no drama. For once.

Don’t worry about Kelly anymore, he texts Sam. It’s been handled.

He doesn’t pick up when his brother calls, and he doesn’t reply to Mom’s text – What does that mean? Are you coming back soon? either.

Rowena has already left with Kelly. Should be safe enough, considering she doesn’t have a personal vendetta against her and as much of a reason to keep Lucifer’s child safe, protected and human like everybody else.

“Moose and Squirell at odds? Say it isn’t so” Crowley remarks.

Dean shrugs.

“I quit.”

The demon’s eyes widen. “What do you – “

“The family business. Was going into a direction I didn’t want. British dicks.” He glances at Crowley, Cas a comforting warmth next to him.

“No offense.”

“None taken. I’m not a fan myself. Are you really going to stop hunting?”

“Nah”. He slings his arm around Cas’ shoulder.

“I’ll stick with Cas, as long as he’ll have me.”

It will feel good to look after his angel for a bit. God knows what would have happened if he hadn’t been there to prove to Kelly that not all angels are baby-killing dicks, so Dagon may have lied to her.

Crowley nods.

“Feel free to drop in” Dean tells him.

As an afterthought, he adds, “I know all about deadbeat parents, believe me”.

Life goes on after that.

He and CAs make a great team – not that that’s new. It’s still nice.

Easy. Uncomplicated.

Although they always sleep in the same bed now, yes sleep, because Cas needs to on a regular basis. He’s also begun to eat.

When Dean asks about it because he’s done with goddamn secrets, he’s honest.

“I’m falling. Of my own free will.”

“If you really want to – “

“Yes” he tells him, reaching out, cradling his face in his hands.

They have never touched like this before.

“Then why not just cut it out?” he murmurs, leaning into the touch.

“I don’t want it to be used by anyone. This way, it ebbs away, ceases to exist.”

“And you’re left with a soul.”

Cas nods.

His lips are warm and soft, and Dean hasn’t been this happy in –

He can’t remember.

Mom and Sam still try to reach him on occasion, and it keeps surprising him how little he cares.

Crowley has weirdly become somewhat of a hunting body. It’s not at all unusual these days for him to zap in randomly and get rid of a ghost they’re grappling with. He even buys them dinner now and then.

Six months into this new but kind of brilliant existence, they meet the Men of Letters again.

And it’s worse, so much worse than he thought.

They’re actually in town because of a ghoul. They just got rid of it when they notice articles about kettle being slaughtered, and from the bite wounds, it looks like it could be vamps.

If so, they’re pretty nice for bloodsuckers. They even leave money behind for the cows.

They decide to check it out, just in case.

What they come across is a crime scene.

Two undeniably British (seriously, that accent should be its own language) guys are viciously decapitating the vamps, who are not even fighting. They are begging and crying and telling them they haven’t killed anyone, it was only a few cows, and oh God, not my wife, please –

They don’t even think. They just attack.

Even as a human, Cas is a freaking good fighter, and really, it would end up with them subduing the brits, if they were not surrounded by vampires who have just lost several loved ones.

But even so, they don’t drink a drop of their blood. And they promise to burn the bodies.

It’s not going to bother Dean very much.

Connie, the leader, reminds him a bit of Leonore, actually.

He gives her his number.

“Just in case”.

Just in case more humans come after you stays unspoken.

It’s a first for them, that’s sure.

“It’s unnatural” Cas says firmly once they’re back in the motel room. “There has to be a balance we can find. Monsters were created by my Father as well.”

“Try getting them to understand that” Dean replies.

Actually, a balance sounds pretty freaking good, now that he comes to think of it.

“Are you thinking what I am thinking?”

And his world shifts again, just a little.

They still hunt, but they also search for good monsters who just happen to be on the radar because of little slip ups like breaking and entering into a morgue (the kitsune family’s somewhat legally procured stash ran out and they had to feed their kids) or a prank gone wrong (the witch could hardly know the guy would use the non-lethal rabbit’s food to win millions at a casino), or corpses disappearing (ghouls need to learn to be more careful).

They warn them, tell them about the Men of Letters.

Learn that there’s actually something like a network of good monsters.

They set them up with Garth.

Dean, he realizes that night, driving with Cas asleep next to him, has become more than a killer. Than a hunter.

He’s a protector now, too.

And a lover.

He entwines their fingers as he drives on.

Crowley appears in the backseat.

About time. It’s been three days.

“The ghouls – “

“On the move. They know to be more careful, now.”

He sees Crowley nod in the rearview mirror.

Suddenly, he asks “Do you still have Michael’s Lance?”

“So you do have Lucifer then?”

They’ve been suspecting it for some time. Crowley isn’t even surprised that he knows.

Isn’t it the most ironic thing in the world that just a few days later he hands a repaired lance to the King of Hell, who returns ten minutes later to tell them the biggest threat they’ve ever faced is dead.

He doesn’t bother telling Sam. He got a new phone months ago anyway.

Sometimes, during their search for the balance Cas prophesied, he wonders what other hunters think of them. If they even know.

Apparently they do, because one day the twins stand in their motel rooms, all thankful and crying.

As it turns out, once of the witches who heard just in time and got out of her hometown before the Men of Letters could arrive is their aunt.

“We’re not the only ones” Alicia says after he’s introduced them to Cas (there seem to be some awe-inspiring stories going on about him too, if their jaws dropping is any indication).

“Many hunters check if the monsters mean any harm now. Turns out, they can live without hurting humans, if they’re willing to compromise. A friend of ours actually started dating a Lamia”.

“Good for him”.

She nods.

“What about the Men of Letters?” Cas asks. “Are many hunters joining them?”

She snorts.

“Not at all. Once word got around that Dean Winchester walked away, anyone interested changed their opinion.”

“They’ve got Sam and Mom.”

“No offense, but one was dead for thirty years and the other drank demon blood. You’ve always been a favourite of the hunting community, really. Didn’t you know?”

No. He had no freaking idea.

But as Cas kisses him that night, he finds he doesn’t mind much.

They reach out to hunters after that too. Until now, they avoided hangouts because Dean didn’t want to hear any more British pricks going on about the ultimate solution, but it’s just the opposite, really.

Because they’re not just hunter meet-ups anymore.

Hell, they meet a Banshee on one of them.

Give it to them, the Men of Letters really changed things.

Just not the way they wanted.

There are still bad monsters, of course, but there’ll also always be bad humans, so that’s not something they worry about much. Lately, even monsters have started contacting them to let them know they handled the more dangerous of their kind.

Really, compared to what Dean’s life was like before, this is Heaven.

And then it gets better.

Crowley has made a habit of either showing up or calling daily, so he knows something’s up when he gets a text.

Got someone who wants to talk to you. Summoned me.

Summoned –

Right. Still demon. It’s just been a while since this was necessary when it comes to Crowley.

There’s only so many drinks you can have with someone commiserating over their parents before you become friends. (and that’s only if he doesn’t count being a demon. They probably were besties back then).

Bring them here he texts back.

Cas and he trade a knowing look after he lets his lover know.

There’s a knock on the door.

“Hey, Crowley” he says, “Come in. Craig’s in the fridge.”

Crowley sweeps past without glancing back at their visitor.

It’s Sam.

Sam, only he looks so much worse than he did when he saw him last –

God, it’s been over a year.

He looks a little bit like –

He looks like Dad.

“I know” his brother said. “That’s why I left.”

Dean steps aside.

“Come on in. Only, this time...” he trails off, feeling Cas step up to him, a hand resting on the small of his back.

Sam swallows, obviously surprised, but says nothing.

“One condition” he says. “This time, you listen.”

Sam nods and looks down on the floor.

It’s a start.

#my writings #destiel #12x14 coda #dean winchester #castiel #crowley #king of hell #this is longer than i thought #oh god i feel another universe approaching #go away i have stuff to do

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gedwimora · 4 years

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Reposting this instead of just reblogging this from Regulus’ main bc it’s Very Long and I originally made the choice to not cut it because of its importance, which was fine for his main but on here it’s a bit much imo. So naturally I’ve had to repost in order to cut.

Something that’s very important to me and I don’t budge on is Regulus’s continued attachment to his family and connections in the elitist pureblood society. There’s a few reasons for this, which I’ll go into here.

1. Life is Messy

Did Regulus grow thanks to his exposure to the darkest parts of his community, the reality behind their beliefs and his views become less bigoted over time? Yes. But the fact he no longer views muggleborns as filth doesn’t eradicate a lifetime of indoctrination, a need for human connection, a justified fear of rejection, still loving your family even when they’re awful, or utterly pragmatic needs like business partnerships. He’s not Sirius or Andromeda, for Regulus utterly removing himself from the society they were raised in is not an option. Life is messy and sometimes you’re the liberal-ish gay cousin at christmas dinner trying to fend off war flashbacks because your baby cousin just said the word “lake”.

Regulus – like Draco – became a Death Eater at 16 and in canon died at 18. By the end of the second war Regulus is 36. He saw and did terrible things at an incredibly young age, then had to totally restructure his whole world view alone with no one to really talk to about it and rebuild his entire life– all while dealing with the physical, psychological and social consequences of his actions. While it doesn’t take him long at all to mellow out, it does take him longer to defrag his ideology and figure out what the hell he does believe now and how to express those new beliefs accurately. Basically the man’s a mess and that’s really to be expected.

2. Portraying the Spectrum

I also feel it’s very important to have people who fall more on the “Bad Side” who are well, not so bad. While on paper these topics are very black and white in reality they’re not always so clean cut. Something I’ve always hated about Harry Potter is that until about the last 2 books there’s basically not a single “Good” Slytherin even mentioned let alone seen. Yes there are people like Severus who are there from the start, but he’s not revealed to be a “Good Slytherin” until the very end, the rest of the time he’s portrayed as one of the worst ones. This always just pissed me off so much, it’s just such an unnecessary and trite demonization of a whole group– worse, a group of children. Yes it’s the most likely place for the Dracos of the world to end up, but that doesn’t mean every single child who was ever sorted into it is a Death Eater in the making. But we never see those Slytherins and it really, really pisses me off.

Regulus is not a “Good Person” in the sense he was always secretly good and eventually ~~broke free of the evil mind control and is now Pure again~~. I hesitate to even call him a good person honestly, even though his last and only canon acts speak to someone who is unwavering good and self-sacrificing. In his youth he genuinely believed in some truly terrible things but he had his own inherit limits and morals he could not sacrifice even for his family and their beliefs. That’s important, not everyone on that side is a Bellatrix, and while being less awful than Bellatrix doesn’t exactly earn you a medal it does speak to the spectrum. He’s not the best, but he’s definitely not the worst.

By the time the first war is over Regulus is on a knife’s edge at the near perfect center of the spectrum between acceptance and bigotry. He’s proof that a Slytherin coming from the most stereotypical, toxic pureblood upbringing with all the classic Slytherin traits can still buck a lot of the script and actually manage to not be a complete bastard.

3. Never Burn Bridges You Could Still Use

In true Slytherin fashion, we come to a manipulative, Game of Thrones-y reason. This is one of the key reasons for him IC and also one of the things I think can be difficult for people to get or swallow. Where most people likely feel that the only correct option would be to pull a Sirius and disown the family– that they themselves could never stomach putting up with all the heinous things these pureblood types say and cannot imagine someone who doesn’t believe it doing just that for any reason– the fact is that’s not always the right move, and that there are people who can do it just fine.

Regulus isn’t a fool. He’s the well-educated, intelligent son of a rich, prominent pureblood family with lots of connections all over the place in the wizarding community who got sorted into the “win or die trying” house. Publicly renouncing half or more of those connections is frankly a terrible idea for him to do on so many levels. He loses a LOT of power, access and leverage he could actually use to do things that could actually be a boon in the long run. While unlike Severus he wasn’t –and likely doesn’t become a spy ( though that is up for debate )– those connections could be vital for his continued survival and provide a means of keeping tabs on enemies.

Why on earth would he run around making enemies of everyone he could still use? How does that help anyone? Especially when he’s already mastered the art of placating and maneuvering these types of people.

4. Love, Sentimentality and Loyalty are just as Powerful Weaknesses as Strengths

Something we actually get from canon is that Regulus is an unquestionably loving, loyal and compassionate person. When he has Kreacher take him to the cave he drinks the potion, he sacrifices himself. This is not something someone who is not at their core compassionate, empathetic and loving does. He saw the effects the potion had on Kreacher, he heard what he had gone through, and when the time came he refused to make the elf go through that again.

“And he order– Kreacher to leave– without him. And he told Kreacher – to go home– and never to tell my Mistress– what he had done– but to destroy– the first locket. And he drank– all the potion– and Kreacher swapped the lockets– and watched … as Master Regulus … was dragged beneath the water … and …”

“[…] that Regulus changed his mind … but he doesn’t seem to have explained that to Kreacher, does he? And I think I know why. Kreacher and Regulus’s family were all safest if they kept to the old pure-blood line. Regulus was trying to protect them all.” “[…] I’ve said all along that wizards would pay for how they treat house-elves. Well, Voldemort did … and so did Sirius.” […] I do not think Sirius ever saw Kreacher as a being with feelings as acute as a human’s …

This core of kindness and empathy is both what ended up causing him to defect and also what keeps him tied to what family and friends he has left. It’s hard, especially when you are so loyal and loving to cut out people who you’ve known your whole life, who you love and love you back. Bellatrix is a monster she’s easy to cut out but Narcissa? How could he really cut ties with one of his only living relatives, who’s likely his favorite cousin? Who is herself a fiercely loving and loyal woman? It would take a lot for him to finally cut ties with his loved ones still in the purist community and it’s frankly one of his greatest failings.

5. No One likes a Former Death Eater

The cruel fact of the matter is that regardless of your reformation most people will not accept or acknowledge it and treat you like you are still a monster. Regulus could try – and does try– to integrate more with the mainstream, but it’ll always be met with mixed success at best because he was a Death Eater. Unless he moved to a different country, it’d be difficult to really start over again completely with any real solid success. The majority of the wizarding world socially ostracizes him while still engaging with him on a business and political level because of his status. The only people who still want to have a cuppa with him are all in the same boat as him, bigots or purist sympathizers.

He’s human, and however much he’d like to gripe about people and wanting to be left alone forever to become a hermit he craves interaction, especially since he himself is an intensely social extroverted person. If he cuts these people out of his life he basically has no one to talk to anymore and he’s left totally isolated, which would frankly lead to much worse and dangerous places for him.

6. Someone here has to be the Voice of Reason

Having literally no one in that community who isn’t a total nightmare is asking for trouble. Not only because it allows the toxicity to stew and intensify unchecked but it also means no one is there to try and help the younger generations break free of the cycle. If he just left like Andromeda and Sirius he’s just making it worse by removing a more moderate voice from the communal discussion. It’s not even about trying to show them the error of their ways, that’s in fact a terrible way to go about things with people like this. It’s about diluting the toxic ideology, providing the less dangerous paths and laying out the framework that can act as the basis for someone else’s journey out of the quagmire.

For example, when looking at cults and hate groups, the worst way to reach those people is by trying to point out everything wrong and arguing with them, it only entrenches them more. You make more progress by staying close and quietly slipping in the information and tools they need to work things out themselves. Telling someone they’re in a destructive cult will get you nothing, but telling them about this book you read about some terrible cult and all the signs of one you learned from it and isn’t that just wild? These people are bad news huh? Here give it a read yourself– Is far more effective in the long run.

By being there he acts as a moderate, neutral adult figure who the children can both model and look to for support. He’s much safer than most of their families and willing to be the sounding board for their own debates and give advice from a place of having literally been right where they are now. He can act as a mid-point between the extremely insular and toxic pureblood community, the mainstream wizarding world, and thanks to his time in hiding, the muggle world for purebloods looking to escape or just broaden themselves.

#headcanon / regulus black.

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sending-the-message · 7 years

Text

Schnieder's Specialty Meats- Catering 2- The Experiment. by gentlesatann

If you haven't read, this is the backstory to my current job and problem.

This is my first catering

After the first catering, it was difficult to come to terms with myself. Jason allotted me time to process things, as long as I came in to talk with him within 3 days. I was bound to him now, after all. I stayed in my room for two days straight, awake and thinking the entire time. At first, I felt so many emotions at once it made my stomach hurt and my throat swelled. I experienced too much for my brain to process, so it all just got jumbled into a malady that I didn’t even know where to begin alieving. All I knew was that I felt horrible and something I can only describe as akin to shame.

I had felt shame at many points in my life. When you have severe anxiety, shame is practically second nature. This was a beast of a whole new level. At first, I thought the hatred I felt towards myself was because I had a hand in something so horrible. Logically, that had to be it. There was no other explanation for the seething guilt that burned itself deeper into me every second. I knew something inherent in me was altered that night, something that I’ll never be able to eradicate. It would be a part of me until the day I died, I knew it.

I told my parents I had the flu so they wouldn’t worry too much. I knew I wouldn’t be able to face them, not right now. I was staring as the ceiling in my lightless room for hours when the realization hit. I discovered that I felt so awful, not just because I was apart of something irreparable, but because I was captivated by it. I’d done the right thing my entire life, never deviating from the path that I never even thought to question. I went my whole life without exploring myself, but believed I was only what everyone else found acceptable about me. That day I found out that I was much, much more.

Monday I went back into work. I spoke with Jason behind closed doors about my new-found awareness. I told him how out of sorts this made me. He made an appointment for me to talk to Rea before our next event, assuring me that it would make a difference. Even knowing all I did, I felt like he was looking out for me. It eased my nerves a little bit.

I was told that this next event would be only myself and Rea, seeing as Dustin was doing another catering on the same day. Besides, it was apparently a small catering. We only had to bring food for three people. That sounded a lot easier. I was intrigued as well as apprehensive. Would this upcoming experience lead me to another window that I was better off not looking through? Well, it’s not like I had a choice in the matter anymore. It was my blood on that contract.

As silly as it sounds, a blood contract, the way everyone acted around Jason frightened me. The lengths others were willing to go for him made me question what side they’d seen to him. I never wanted to see that side.

The next day I reported to Rea’s office at 8am. The heavy, mahogany door didn’t look as intimidating this time. In response to my knock, Rea opened the door just as quickly as she had previously, seemingly pleased.

“I’m glad to see you again, Bethany. You made the right choice.”

I walked in and sat down without saying a word. It disturbed me that I agreed with her.

“I want you to know that it does get easier.” She sympathized, taking a seat behind the desk.

“Each catering will test you in a different way. Nothing you’ve ever seen can prepare you for the side of human nature that you’re going to experience, but with each experience you’re going to gain insight. We’re cruel animals, truly the cruelest. I just need you to know that Jason and I will never be cruel to

you. You may see what we’re putting you through as twisted and torturous, but you will come to know it as a favor.”

“They were people.” I uttered in a low tone without thinking. “We killed them. OUR food.. how do we even begin to atone for that?”

Rea shifted, her leather chair squeaking. “Bethany, I was once sitting exactly where you are, in the exact same situation. The thing is, you CAN’T say no to Jason, not anymore, sweetie. I was foolish and tried.” She broke eye contact and stared at the floor, “because of my actions, I now have no one.”

“What happened?” I questioned, my own parent’s consuming my thoughts.

Rea gave a cynical chuckle. “You don’t know what he is, do you?”

My brow furrowed. “I.. I don’t understand what you mean?”

She shook her head, ignoring my question. “As long as you do what he says, he will look after you. He will look after your family. That’s about the best you’re going to get at this point. It’s easier on everyone if you accept this and continue.”

I sank back in my chair, thinking in piercing silence as I processed this information. I bit my lip. Deep down, I knew she was right. What other choice did I have?

“I swear I will do my best to shield you from the worst of it until you’re ready.” Rea promised.

I felt she meant it. With her stern manner completely dissipated, she seemed more genuine than anyone I’d ever met, more knowledgeable.

“What if I’m never ready?” I asked in a flat tone.

“You will be. I’ll make sure of it.” She affirmed before letting her serious nature dominate. “Now, we need to discuss today.”

I nodded my head, thankful to see a different side of her but at the same time knowing we both had contracts to keep.

She opened a file on her desk in front of her, leafing through to pages within to gather her thoughts.

“Today, we’re going to a facility that will not let us bring our own truck once we get within 20 miles of it. It will then be transferred onto their truck. They will search us for any devices. We will then be blindfolded until we are inside a secured area. This won’t be like the last time. We won’t have any free range. We will be monitored at all times. You will not have a second to yourself, even while going to the bathroom.”

“I cannot tell you who we are working for, and you should never ask. Just know you are there to do a job to its completion, no matter how you feel about it. Once we’re done, we are not to clean up anything, nor are we to touch anything. We are to, under no circumstances, engage anyone unless we are asked to by the director.”

“I am not to give you any further details other than Jason has paid well for us to observe the experiment. This is a joint pet project of his. Our surveying of it is important. Jason, without telling the

director in so many words, would like to ensure that this experiment is going according to plan. As such, he has ordered the director to give us access that no one else will have. We are to treat this with the utmost discretion. Directly returning, we will immediately be questioned by Jason. We are both to report anything and everything we see, but to him only.”

“When are we loading up the truck?” I inquired, trying to absorb all of the information she had just given me.

“Everything’s already loaded up in the truck. As soon as they call Jason, we are to leave within exactly 30 seconds, so be ready.”

Rea and I went over all of the information a few times, her making me repeat back to her the important parts to make sure I could comprehend what my expectations were.

The phone rang so loud it made me flinch in my seat. Rea answered within seconds, glancing at me, obviously entertained by my reaction.

“Uh-huh. Yes, I understand. We’re on our way, sir.” She relayed to the voice on the other line, standing up immediately.

“Show time.”

I was allowed to sit in the passenger’s side of the truck this time. I gazed out the window the entire ride, watching the scenery change. We went from an urban area to small, scattered towns. From there, we were driving through a dense forest, so thick that you could barely see the sky. Without warning, Rea pulled the truck to the side of an overgrowth of foliage.

I was expecting her to call someone to alert them of our arrival, but to my surprise, a large black SUV pulled out of the forest on the opposite side of the road. I hadn’t seen it at all before that moment.

Our doors were yanked open by two men, wearing black and white suits and ear pieces. The one who gripped my arm too hard and pulled me out of the truck was a tall muscular man with a large scar directly under his eye. His face made him look like he was made of stone. He proceeded to direct me to turn around in an obvious Russian accent.

I complied and was patted down thoroughly. It made me uncomfortable, but Rea had warned me. When it was finally over, a piece of cloth was placed over my mouth and nose. I smelled a strong chemical smell, and everything went dark.

The first thing I saw when I regained consciousness were rows of florescent lights accompanied by all white walls.

A man in a white lab coat with salt and pepper colored hair and thick rimmed glasses stood over me.

“You’re awake.. finally.” He seemed irritated and rushed.

I sat up wearily, peering around. Rea was in the metal chair next to mine with nothing else but us, a door on each end of the room, this man and a large two way mirror. The mirror took up half of the wall that was directly before us.

The man was holding a clipboard. Not looking up from it, he barked, “Well, get too it already. I’m not touching… that stuff.”

Rea stood from her chair, looking a little wobbly from the drugs but still managing to gain balance. I tried to do the same, almost falling over.

The man, scribbling things on the piece of paper on the clipboard ordered us to go into the next room. There, he explained, we’d find the trays that we were to place on the three separate tables in the room beyond that. We were then to go back into the previous room where we had gotten the food and wait for further instructions.

Rea wasted no time and strode towards the door, a bit more stably. I followed. As we entered the room, I almost puked immediately. The smell of decay filled my nostrils. We were greeted by a tiny room, about the size of a janitor’s closet, with three large trays. They were all full of meat, rotting meat. Meat so old that it had maggots crawling throughout it. It was, from what I could tell, raw meat and had a greenish tint to it. There was another large two-way mirror, showing you a glimpse into the other all white room.

Rea instructed me to breathe only through my mouth and for us to get these in as quickly as possible. They were fairly large and heavy trays. I tried not to look down as I struggled to lift one off the table. I glanced over to Rea to see her easily picking up one in each arm. I looked too long as the juices that the meat was sitting in started to look like sewage. I shuddered. We had to move fast, or I was going to be sick.

The problem was, when Rea told me to open the door, it was locked. She quickly snapped her head up to look through the mirror into the next room. I did the same, hoping to god someone would come and open the door. The smell was getting so intense that I could almost taste it.

A buzzer sounded as the door at the other end of the next room opened. Three men piled into the room, each sitting down at a desk. They all looked just as emaciated as the next, cheeks sunken in so badly it almost looked like they were puckering their lips. Bags hung under their eyes. Their skin was pale, like they hadn’t seen the sunlight in weeks. It was a horrifying sight, seeing people who were so malnourished.

As soon as they sat down, a red light began blinking above our door. An intercom crackled through the solemn silence.

“Now go in, set the trays down and come right back,” commanded the same voice we’d woken up to, just as annoyed and curt.

The buzzer rang loudly and I felt it vibrate the room under my feet. This time it was obviously meant for us. My suspicions were confirmed as a latch clicked open. Rea asked me to turn the handle for her again, seeing as her hands were full. When we entered the room, none of the men looked up at us. There was a lack of any signal that they were alive or aware, aside from their rattily breathing that heaved their skeleton like chests up and down. They were even more alarming up close.

I knew I shouldn’t have, but I looked down at the tray as I set it down. Not spilling it was more important. Light reflected off the sickly green ‘food’ as if it were coated in oil. The maggots wiggled their way deeper into the meat, making an audible squishing noise. Whether or not that was my mind

extrapolating, I’ll never know. All I know is that that was one of the most disturbing sounds I’d ever heard. As soon as the tray hit the table, I half sprinted back into the other room and immediately vomited.

When I stopped heaving I looked up to see Rea trying not to look at me, her herself looking nauseous but keeping her composure, as always. I know it seems sick, but I had to know what was going to happen. I had to know what all of this was about. As soon as I felt my stomach stabilize, I was back to watching the events in the next room. Our lock clattered shut, as I heard another one distantly open.

A man with dark hair and a lab coat came in from the door on the opposite end of the room that ours was on, wheeling a cart with three syringes filled with murky liquid. This man, one by one, injected all three of the subjects with the unknown serum in their left arm. The men didn’t even flinch as the sickeningly large needle pierced their flesh. The man in the lab coat quickly bustled out of the room with his cart, the lock slamming in place behind him.

It didn’t take long for the impossibly passive men, who seconds earlier were struggling to even have the strength to breathe, contorted their bodies, with speed that was seemingly impossible, to the rotten meat. I saw the one on the far left dig both of his hands into the spoiled contents, causing a viscose liquid to drip everywhere.

He bent his entire body over the table, attempting to shove both handfuls into his mouth. He continued to do this as the others joined in. All of their movements were for the purpose of devouring food they had earlier not made any sort of reaction to. I was fixated, even though I felt vomit welling up in my throat again, as the man to the far left had maggots crawling along his face. I broke focus for a moment to gain back control. I looked up at Rea. Her eyebrows knitted together in an unreadable expression. Okay, I needed to be like her, I needed to keep my cool.

A loud clamor brought my attention back to the room. The man at the middle table had finished everything in his tray, the other two licking and slurping the juices from the bottom. The man had jumped on his table, sending the tray flying to the floor. He looked ravenous, his eyes desperate and hungry. He glanced at each of the men sitting next to him, switching between them so fast his neck gave an audible crack.

He proceeded to lunge on top of the man to his right, knocking over the table. They struggled for a bit before the man from the middle sunk his teeth deep into the neck of the other, spraying blood all over the mirror as he ripped out a portion of his throat. I heard grunts and growls and tearing, but nothing was visible over the accumulating amount of blood that spattered on the mirror.

The familiar dizziness of last time took over me, I had to steady myself against the table, but I accidentally put my hand in juice remnants from one of the trays that previously sat there. I started hyperventilating. Rea quickly came to my side, taking me by the shoulders to face her.

“Look at me Bethany, look at me. Breathe. I’ll breathe with you,” she soothed, “in, out. In, out. Good, you’re doing great.”

The light blinked at the top of the door where we originally entered the room from. The buzzer sounded like a taunt. We entered back in the room we had started from. The man with the salt and pepper hair was writing vigorously, with a smile of validation and pride. He looked up for a moment,

almost bemused to see the state I was in. There were two other brawny men, with an upright posture and hands behind their back, waiting with him.

“Well, that’s that,” he proclaimed, turning to Rea.

“Next time, tell Jason not to send a rookie.”

He went back to writing down information and waved his hand towards us as some kind of signal. Nodding in approval, the two men approached us and told us to be seated and that we would be back to our truck in no time. I breathed the chemicals in deeply this time, wanting to be lost in oblivion.

#reddit #nosleep #scary #story

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sueboohscorner · 7 years

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#iZombie Season 3 Episode 2 "Zombie Knows Best." Recap with Spoliers

What’s Clive got to do with it?

So, last week we discovered little undead Wally’s family was murdered because they were zombies which, if you recall, brought Clive around to the whole “zombie thing.” Tonight, Detective Cavanaugh informs him HE is Wally’s in case of emergency contact. So, while Clive tries to make the connection somewhat casual, Cavanaugh shuts him down with a very personal photo of Clive with Wally.

SIDE NOTE: This show has the BEST title sequence!

Shot through the head and who’s to blame?

Flashback…four days earlier in the morgue, Ravi is presenting the facts from the triple homicide, as a sullen Clive looks on. Cavanaugh is definitely suspicious. Why exactly did Fillmore-Graves, a private military contractor, buy out an energy drink company? Good question!

Which brings us back to Cavanaugh questioning Clive about his relationship to Wally. His story is explained through flashbacks from when they were neighbors. Clive can hear Wally’s father yelling at his mother and then smacking her. The Clive we know and love would never stand for that so he intervenes with his badge, his muscle and introduces him to his handcuffs. Cavanaugh now sees why he is the in case of emergency go to.

Back at the lab, Clive informs Liv that its obvious Cavanaugh will now be investigating Fillmore so they agree to give them a heads up. Clive is officially on Team Z!

Of course, our team needs its brains and obviously, the recent murder victims are zombies so we don’t wish for death but s*** happens. A teenage girl is being annoyed by her father as he sings eighties metal ballads. Just as he is about to give her the old “fifteen won’t last forever speech,” a car slams into them. Fresh Brains!

Flat Stanley…

“Oh, two brains! That is convenient!” -Ravi

Back at the lab, we finally get back to the wild ways of Liv’s creative brain dishes.

Fire up the grill! Chili dogs!

Poor Clive, he is still adjusting. Major arrives for chow time. His choices: the dad, Stanley or his fifteen-year-old angst-ridden daughter.

“You should eat the daughter…words I never thought I’d hear myself saying.” -Clive

Major is reluctant to be on the teen brain due to his ongoing search for Natalie and his recent zombie army gig. He agrees with them anyway since Liv has already partaken in the Stanley dog and we need her visions to help solve the mystery as well.

Anyone else queasy? Besides Clive that is?

Major shares he might be getting close to finding Natalie. When he was on Janko's brains he had a vision of her whispering a phone number to him.

Ravi and Major relax at the lab as Ravi continues to mope about Blaine and Peyton. Lucky for us, the teen brains start kicking in.

I can honestly say there is literally nothing much better to watch than Major on teenage girl brains! Like for real...totes!

Major jams to Katy Perry to Ravi’s dismay as Liv and Clive return and Liv starts acting exactly like a father to a teenage daughter.

Back at Fillmore, Major is in the locker room at mercenary training with a gaggle of heavily muscled dudes. He starts inappropriately commenting on their physique in his best teen voice. Luckily, he can easily explain away his behavior due to his ability to be openly zombie. As Major tries to get opinions on his multiple selfies, he has a flashback. Stanley was telling teen girl that they needed to take something on her IPhone to the authorities and she argued that Winslow would never forgive her.

Meanwhile at the lab, Clive has been investigating the name Winslow and has some promising leads. Major continues to annoy with his he's all and she's all " teen speak." He does however share something he learned in the locker room about a formula the guys take so they don’t have visions and personality changes. If it weren’t for the pending murder to solve, I am sure they would all be force feeding it to Major stat!

Out of nowhere a goth like figure enters for Clive and announces he has been summoned. He actually looks like someone who would do the summoning but okay…

Clive has sent for someone from IT to retrieve information from teen girls smashed to bits phone. (Her name is Cindy. I don’t know why I missed it before.)

Liv and Clive visit Fillmore aka Zombieland to find political posters on Vivian’s desk. Apparently, Viv is supporting a zombie for Mayor.

“I hope he doesn’t scratch any babies while he’s out working the trail.” -Clive

Juggling two cases, Liv and Clive are hoping Vivian can help them with the Wally case. Vivian states the obvious suspects- HUMANS! Specifically, the kind that want to eradicate zombies. Although humans don’t technically know about zombies yet, the effects of last week’s confession on the Chuck Bird show has started an alt movement against zombies-so there are believers!

Liv and Clive talk to Wally’s teacher and she shares that her undead students are worried. They want to know when the humans are coming to get them.

Jump ahead to the beginning when Cavanaugh was trying to get the skinny from Clive on his relationship with the victims. Flashback to the first time a reluctant Clive babysat Wally after getting rid of his abusive dad. Apparently, Wally is responsible for getting Clive hooked on Game of Thrones!

Clive, Liv and Major head to the police station to interview Cindy’s friend, Winslow. As they grill her about her recent falling out with her friend, Major has a major teen moment and as Liv goes to scold him, she has a vision which prompts her to ask Winslow about exactly what they fought over. Before she can get an answer, Winslow spots her stepdad and insists she must leave. As Liv gazes over at said stepdad it becomes obvious he is nothing but bad news!

Bare and Illegal

Still at the station, Clive is getting more annoyed by the minute at Major’s teen girl behavior. Who wouldn’t? Liv explains she saw what was on Cindy’s phone. A selfie of Winslow in bed with a 40 something shirtless man-the stepfather.

“I’m like SO grossed out right now!” -Major Agreed, Major.

Everything becomes clear…Flat Stanley wanted to go to the police because he saw the photo of Winslow and her stepdad and it was most likely him who killed them to stop it. Unfortunately, zombie visions are not grounds for arrest quite yet. We hope that goth boy gets something off the smashed phone. Clive heads out to find a judge to get a warrant for Winslow’s phone and Liv and Major have a heartfelt father daughter moment. Well, she tries anyway and Major leaves with an eye roll and a “don’t even.”

Liv and Clive head to Winslow’s parents place of business, which is ironically a plant nursery. As they confront creepy step dad about his whereabouts during the murder, Winslow and her mom arrive with an attitude. They present them with a warrant for Winslow’s phone to a horrified look on Winslow and she hands it over.

Back at the lab, thanks to her super dad brains, Liv has been playing lab handy man. Ravi confesses he too is having trouble controlling his emotions due to his recent obsession over Peyton and Blaine. My ship name for them is Bleyton! Liv gives him some solid fatherly advice. Clive arrives with news that Winslow received a citation for driving without a license recently and it was a stick shift, important because her stepdad’s giant truck has a stick shift and we thought there was no way she could have driven the thing.

Gross Busters

At the police station Clive is trying to figure out how to deal with the case as there just isn’t enough to arrest anyone. His main goal is to get Winslow away from her abuser. This leads him to think about Wally again and we flash back to a scene which gives the impression Wally’s mom a Clive got pretty cozy at one point.

Winslow and her mom enter and jolt Clive from his fantasy of a former domesticated bliss. Even more so when she claims her husband WAS the one who killed Stan and Cindy Chapman. Why I keep missing everyone’s name in this episode is beyond me!!! This is just the break Clive has been waiting for! Winslow has come clean about her affair with her mother’s husband…Ben? Len? Ken! Apparently, Ken has left town unexpectedly. Winslow confesses she told Cindy about the affair and Cindy and her dad threatened to go to the police.

Just in time, Criss Angel tech edition is back! Despite the fact that he looks like he should be leading a Wiccan meeting at the moment, he has salvaged something off the destroyed phone-deleted texts. Clive and Liv cannot figure out how Ken would know the Chen’s were threatening police action. Turns out, mom has downloaded the app Tinker Spy on her phone so she has full access to her texts, including the one’s from Cindy.

Of course, once mom is found it she pulls the old blame the child for sleeping with her husband routine. So, Ken is in the clear and mom gets arrested for the Chen murders.

Case Closed. Although I am a little worried about Ken now, especially since I finally know his name! But then I remember he is a creepy child molester so who really cares. Winslow is off to live with her father and Clive puts a APB out on Ken.

Ravi arrives to discuss a clip he heard on the Chuck Bird show, a man had found brains in his neighbor’s trash. Clive gets an address. The caller lived next door to Wally’s family so Clive is without a doubt concerned. Clive and Liv interrogate the neighbor about the murder but get way more than they bargained for! He tells them it’s not like he’s the only one who knew Wally’s family were zombies. Seems message boards have popped up discussing and outing zombies on the internet; including the Max Rager incident. The website he shows them not only talks about stockpiling for the Zombie Apocalypse but gives an Ariel shot of Wally’s home. NOT GOOD! The suspect list just got a million times larger!

Clive and Liv pay Vivian a visit. Vivian is shocked that things are moving so fast. During the chat, Clive gets a phone call about Ken using a credit card in Tacoma so he rushes off to nab him. It’s clear Clive is feeling the pressure. After he takes care of Ken we are brought full circle to the beginning of the episode where Cavanaugh is questioning Clive. He asks them why he lost touch with them. Clive explains he was deep undercover on a case and when he got back they had left. Anna had taken Wally to live with her brother and start a new life. The episode ends with a brooding Clive wishing things could have turned out differently.

Episode Rating: 9.

The show was practically perfect but I will only give it a nine because-NO BLAINE!

#iZombie #davidanders #cw #izombiefansunite #rosemciver #rahulkohli #robertbuckly #alymichalka #malcolmgoodwin #cwtuesdays

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