꣑୧ ݁.﹒𝓜𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝓜𝐄 𝓗𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐖𝐀𝐘 .ᐟ

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐧 ┆ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝

ઇ ˚ ݂ ֹ ꒰ miguel o’hara 𝓍 fem!civilian!reader ꒱ ! ۟ ׅ ♡

˒ ♡ ៸៸𓂃  𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚  ˖  ׁ ⁩ .ᐟ  miguel visits your place but finds you’re not there. news breaks out that an anomaly is on the loose, a certain green goblin. put the puzzle pieces together and the answer is revealed: you are missing.

˒ ♡ ៸៸𓂃  𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕  ˖  ׁ ⁩ .ᐟ  angst, mentions of kidnapping, violence, throwing shit around, swearing, feral!miguel

꒰ previous chapter ꒱ ⋅ ꒰ masterlist ꒱ ⋅ ꒰ next chapter ꒱

after a long mission to catch a scorpion variant, miguel decides to take a break. yes, it’s unusual for him to take breaks because of the workaholic he is known to be. it surprised everyone, especially peter and jess but they don’t question him. they knew exactly why he’s taking a break, or where he’s taking a break with a certain someone. it’s obvious miguel likes you, has a thing for you but is in denial like the stubborn man he is. jess and peter see it, they hope he gives in. but in all honesty, he truly deserves a break. being the leader of an acclaimed society and protector of the multiverse is stressful.

after filing his report, he opens a portal by his gizmo and walks in. peter and jess are left in charge until his return. exiting out of the portal, he finds himself on the same rooftop of the building across from your apartment building. it would be easier for him to just portal himself into your apartment but he doesn’t want to scare you or daisy. oh god the last thing he miguel wants is to be barked at again for being an intruder. the annoying voices of young spiderlings still rings in his ears. he doesn’t need barking either.

using his webs, he swings towards your building until he lands on the balcony like tradition. like usual, he stands by waiting for your arrival so you can allow him in. after about 5 minutes, you don’t show up. perhaps you’re listening to music with full volume like always. miguel waits another 5 minutes until a strange, unsettling feeling starts creeping in his body. leaning closer towards the glass, he looks inside to see if you’re there. no sight of you nor daisy.

where are you? are you busy?

it’s the weekend, you don’t have work.

inhaling a deep breath, miguel has no other choice but to walk inside. patience isn’t a quality he carries so he has to inspect the issue. he expects daisy to come rushing at him and start barking but he’s only met with silence. now that worries him. those crimson eyes inspect every inch of the apartment, searching for any signs of your presence. he scouted to your bedroom. his eyes narrow at the sight of your absence but finds daisy in the corner. the fluffy dog softly barks and runs up to him so quickly, her poofy tail wagging. she’s here but you’re not. he began realizing you haven’t been here in a while. your bed seems to be untouched, the sheets still tucked and no creases that show you were laying down.

where the hell are you?

miguel crouched down to reach daisy and gently pet her head. “where’s your mom?” the dog only whines as if she was scared which isn’t a good sign. panic starts consuming his mind. his breathing grows heavy, chest heaving and fists clenching at his sides. the rate of his heart increases drastically.

“lyla.” miguel calls out, the ai assistant magically appearing on his shoulder. “has [y/n] been here recently?” a hint of concern in his tone.

she scans the room for any footprints or traces of your dna. “she was but about 10 hours ago after she left HQ. the odd thing is there’s no trace of her leaving the apartment.”

that frightens miguel. you were here hours ago then suddenly left with no trace. that doesn’t make sense. “what do you mean she left no trace?” he asked sternly, raising a brow at the ai.

“there’s no indication she left her apartment yet she’s not here.” she elaborated.

it still doesn’t make sense. how could you be here one minute then the next you’re gone without leaving a trace? however, the fearful look in daisy’s eyes tell him something is wrong about this. plus, the untouched bedsheets and your purse that’s still here chilling on your nightstand adds proof to lyla’s claim.

then, the puzzle pieces came together.

you were kidnapped.

all miguel saw was red. breathing heavily and loudly through his nose. teeth and jaw clenched. repeatedly opening and closing his fists. a prominent forehead vein that’s on the verge of exploding. rage began boiling in his veins. someone took you; kidnapped you. oh he’s gonna fuck up whoever did this.

“miguel?” lyla looks at her boss with a huge concern look, examining his sudden change in behavior.

the furious spider-man doesn’t answer as he opens up a portal and retreats back to HQ. he grabs daisy and your abandoned watch on his way out. stepping back into his office and setting daisy down on the floor, miguel walks up to his desk and throws it across the room with a scream. the desk shatters into pieces. poor daisy whines and trembles in fear but his anger blocks out her sounds.

lyla secures the office, blocking entry so no one could enter. she sends out a message at all spiders as a warning to not contact miguel. the poor ai fears for her furious boss and you. this isn’t good.

miguel stands still with clenched fists and tensed back as his furious mind consumes him.

who took you?

who took you from your home?

who took you from daisy?

who took you from him?

oh the amount of unspeakable things he will do to this fucker. miguel actually feels bad for the motherfucker who conjured up this idea.

but right now, all he could think about is you. are you alive? are you hurt? are you… dead? no. that’s the horrible part — not knowing. that increases his anxiety, his fear of losing another person close to him. he can’t bare another lost; not again.

god he has so many regrets that it hurts. regrets not being there to save you. regrets involving you with the society. regrets not sharing his feelings about you. regrets meeting you only for you to end up in his mess. you don’t deserve this. that breaks his heart.

“lyla…” venom laced in his tone which frightened the ai as she appears on his shoulder, anxiously waiting for his command. “gather a search team.”

     ━━━━━━━━ ִ  ۫   ꒰ ♡ ꒱  ۫   ݂ ━━━━━━━━

after the restrictions of his office were lifted, lyla called in the search term. it consists of peter b, jess, gwen, ben, and hobie. the team enters his office with fear flowing through their veins as they look at the demolished office. they all stop in front of the platform, awaiting for miguel’s orders. he still stands in the same position form earlier, clenched fists and tensed back. after taking a deep breath, he turns around and meets with the group.

“i summoned you all here for a mission. an important mission that involves an innocent life at stake.” miguel states firmly, crimson eyes glaring at each member of the group.

tension and anxiety fills the room. that last phrase sent shivers down each of their spines. he was serious. this was a different mission.

“what happened, miguel?” jess asks.

miguel averts his gaze from all of them, looking down as he continues clenching his fists. “[y/n] was kidnapped.” that statement made everyone freeze.

“by who?” gwen asks, concern laced in her tone.

he sighs heavily. “i don’t know—“

“boss, anomaly detected.” lyla interrupts him.

miguel looks back at her confusingly. “what?”

“it’s not just an ordinary anomaly… it’s that green goblin variant who attacked neuva york a few weeks ago.” she explains.

another piece to the puzzle.

that son of a bitch is the one who took you. it makes sense now. oh miguel can’t wait to beat that goblin’s ass once again, hopefully permanently this time.

“track his whereabouts, it’ll lead to [y/n].” he states.

“on it, boss.” the ai salutes before vanishing.

he turns his attention back to the group. “i have a plan and you all will follow accordingly. no questions asked.” hints of anger in his tone.

“but miguel—“ jess starts but his glare silenced her.

“do we agree?” he points the question to everyone, speaking through gritted teeth. he watched each of them nod their heads in silence. “let’s move.” and with that, he opens a portal to their first destination.

he’s going to find you and bring you back. he is going to do whatever it takes, no matter what.

     ━━━━━━━━ ִ  ۫   ꒰ ♡ ꒱  ۫   ݂ ━━━━━━━━

a sudden sensation of coldness awoke you from slumber. blinking a few times to adjust your eyes, consciousness comes back to you. your mind feels dizzy as you slowly move to sit up. rubbing your head, you examine your environment. you lie on the cold floor with nothing, no bed or cushions but a pair of chains secured around your ankles. as you look around, it seems to be an abandoned warehouse. slowly rising onto your feet, you do a 360 scanning your surroundings, as much as the chains allow you.

where the hell are you? why are you in an abandoned warehouse? what’s the deal with the chains? so many questions ran through your fatigue mind.

“ah you’re awake.” a tenor voice captures your attention. there is very low lighting and it’s nighttime so it’s difficult to see who’s speaking but you know he’s definitely standing in front of you.

“who are you? why am i here?” you rushed out questions, demanding for answers out of anxiety.

a low mischievous chuckle sends shivers down your spine. “perhaps the serum truly did knocked you out for good.” the voice approached closer.

you stand still in anticipation but also fear. sudden realization kicks in. you were kidnapped. you remember coming home from HQ then suddenly attacked by someone. now you end up in a strange abandoned warehouse with your captor.

“who are you?” you ask again, a bit stern this time.

footsteps grew louder as they approached closer. they finally stop in front of you as the low lighting finally reveals the face of your captor.

“harry osborn. nice to meet you again, miss [y/n].”

ᡣ𐭩ㅤㅤ ݁. 𝓣𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓  ˖ ࣪ ༘  @loser-alert @keepitreal001 @iamperson12280 @nostalgicdaira @flordelalunas @oharasfilipinawife @cho-coquette @lavenderslemonade @palesatan @awkward-d3rs3-dr3amer @lilscast @beanieboy23 @dorck26 @kakabskbskdnd @4crew @deputy-videogamer @36namey @sin4tra @holographicang3l @migueloharasoulmate @darlingz99 @opalesquegirl @freehentai @rinverse @colorfulbluebirdpainter @razertail18 @shadowzena43

© teenidlegirl. don’t steal, plagiarize, or translate my work. ♡

About that medieval fantasy AU for underdog quartet... I have ideas:

- Rory is the bastard daughter of an excommunicated princess (Lorelai). Lorelai ran away to a neighbouring kingdom to not get punished/lose Rory, and she raised Rory as a commoner (a commoner who is more literate than some great scholars in her country, yeah, but still). Christopher’s parents put a curse on her so that if she ever sets foot back in the kingdom the whole land will descend into magical chaos. The AU might start with her and Lorelai already having entered the kingdom again (Kingdom of Hartford?) and trying to find a way to break the curse and reunite with their family.

- Paris is a high ranking lady within the kingdom. She wants to take her lands to new hights and make the history books as the greatest lady they ever had, and has therefore set out on a solo journey to learn as much as she can about the kingdom and how to best run it. She’s loaded with gold, quills and self defense taught by her local knights.

- Lane is a commoner who ran away from home to join a troupe as a musician. Some outside conflict separated her from the troupe and now she’s wandering as a lone bard in search of her band of brothers or her mother’s house (whichever she finds first as she misses both dearly). She has no magic or fighting skills, but she’s good at stealth and catching gossip.

- Jess is a rogue wizard who’s never really belonged anywhere. His mother dragged him from village to village with little ability to plant roots, and eventually left him with her long lost brother before joining a travelling merchant on his route. Jess quickly left his uncle’s care and has travelled on his own, stealing to survive and sticking to himself. He’s seen the instability of sell-sword groups and criminal collectives, and frankly doesn’t trust anyone enough to share a bonfire with them.

- Approximately thirty seconds after Lorelai and Rory set foot back in the Kingdom of Hartford the curse sets in. This signals their return to both Emily and Richard and Christopher’s parents, who both send troops and notices to find and collect them. Lorelai and Rory are thus on the run across the kingdom trying to find a way to break the curse before the soldiers find (and possibly kill) them. At one point they end up in a village called Stars Hollow and seek refuge in Luke’s tavern. But they are spotted by a group of soldiers hired by Emily and Richard, and Lorelai gets caught but manages to help Rory escape. They assumed that the soldiers were from Chris’ side of the family, as their soldiers are more prevalent and up front.

- Like I said both sets of grandparents seek out the Lorelais, but in slightly different ways for very different reasons. The Haydens want to imprison the Lorelais and possibly execute Rory for the crime of cursing the land (a curse that they made but that’s not relevant!). They’re the ones who make wanted posters and dispatch troops all over the land. Rumours and legends spread about the bastard princess who has cursed the kingdom with her return. Emily and Richard, on the other hand, want their daughter back (partly because they do love her and partly because she’s their only heir) and want to find a less violent way to break the curse. They don’t announce their hunt for the Lorelais out of fear of starting conflict with the Haydens, but dispatch undercover groups and sellswords to find and bring back the long lost princesses.

- Alone and afraid, Rory returns to Luke’s tavern and hides there for a while. One day both Paris and Lane make their way to the tavern — Paris in schedule for her educational roadtrip, Lane finally finding her home village and preparing to reunite with her mother. They end up talking and bickering downstairs while a shadowy figure sneaks by them and up to Luke’s quarters. Jess was just supposed to steal some food and pay in gold he found in a dead dragon’s den, but instead he finds a blue eyed stranger. Rory thinks she’s caught and runs downstairs. Jess is curious and follows, breaking his stealth from Luke. Rory crashes into Paris who starts interrogating Luke about the tavern being a secret whorehouse, and the five are descending into verbal chaos before Rory spots Hayden guards and hides behind the cupboards. Lane picks up on the danger and makes an impromptu distraction with Paris while Jess sneaks her out the back. Once outside he asks Rory what’s going on, and he’s soon followed by Paris and Lane. Rory brings up a cover about being cursed by someone and the soldiers hunting her in relation to said curse. The other three buy the story and decide to join her on a quest to cure her.

- It honestly takes so little time before Rory breaks and explains that she isn’t cursed but rather is the curse. Paris is angry at the lie, but little else changes but the motivation to help Rory. Jess goes from «I’m bored and directionless» to «I really like this girl and could finally do something that matters». Lane goes from «I’m procrastinating on facing my mother» to «I’m helping my new friend and have a new chance at adventure (and still procrastinating on my mother)». Paris goes from «This could be relevant for my future occupation» to «This could be even more relevant to my future occupation, also I have a friend now».

- Paris gives Rory the cover of one of her stewardesses, but most of the time the four travel by foot or bought horses as unknowns. Jess does scouting and trap laying for threats while the girls alternate on getting food. 

- When it comes to gathering information, Lane and Paris are the best at gathering intel from other people - Lane through gossip and Paris through interrogation. Jess is great at breaking and entering and stealing important texts for research, and him and Rory are the best at deciphering the texts (much to Paris’ frustration). 

- The key to breaking the curse could be something like “when substance stronger than blood is spilled for the unworthy”. Rory actually gets found by Emily and Richard before they can break the curse and there is a short period where the four are separated and Rory thinks maybe the lands will have to live with the curse unless she sacrifices herself. Then Lane overhears a plot to assassinate her and warns Jess and Paris. The three storm in just in time to warn king Richard and queen Emily, but the accusation of two commoners and a lady against the royal Haydens is obviously considered a crime. They declare to strip Paris of her title and are about to execute Jess and Lane when Rory steps in and stops the axe. She gets deep cuts in her hands and bleeds. It is revealed that her choosing to spill her own blood - which becomes the symbolic substance of her love for them - for commoners (who royals deem “unworthy”) is what breaks the curse. 

- So the happy ending: Paris gets her title back and she, Jess and Lane are pronounced heroes of the kingdom. The Haydens apologize for the curse and get no consequences because that would mean a war declaration and oh boy do we not have time for that. Rory is legitimized and becomes next in line after her mother. 

- Lane gets the title of “royal bard” and returns to Stars Hollow to finally face her mother. Mrs Kim must admit that she is proud of her daughter but has most of all missed her, and after the mandatory bickering the two reconcile. She has also reunited with the troupe at some point before the climax, and they are now a full troupe with tight connections to the crown. 

- In addition to her title and hero-status, Paris gets a place in court. She makes mentors of the king’s advisers and now works to become a royal adviser to both Lorelais.

- Jess is offered knighthood but declines. He tells Rory that he needs to go on a journey of his own and leaves. He returns to Stars Hollow and Luke, and gives Luke a whole chest of gold and the title to Lord of Stars Hollow (courtesy of princess Lorelai). He goes dark for some months, then appears at night in the castle on Rory’s window-ledge. They talk for hours until the sun rises and then agree to make Jess an official scout for the kingdom, travelling around and figuring out the magic and creatures of the land. 

- Rory’s first move after the reunification of her family is to get to know her estranged relatives and upgrade her education through the royal masters. After Jess returns she convinces her mother and grandparents to let her join Jess as an ambassador for the kingdom. She uses Paris’ argument of wanting to truly know the country she is supposed to rule one day, and the whole band gets back together for new quests.

Episode Review: ‘Together Again’ (Distant Lands, Ep. 3)

Airdate: May 20, 2021

Story by: Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang, Hanna K. Nyström, Christina Catucci, Jesse Moynihan, Adam Muto

Storyboarded by: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Iggy Craig, Maya Petersen, Serena Wu

Directed by: Miki Brewster (supervising), Sandra Lee (art)

Across Adventure Time’s ten season run, the show explored a bevy of “mature” themes and story ideas—topics, like love, sexuality, depression, and grieving. The show also touched upon death, but the emphasis was usually placed on the emotional toll of a loved one dying, not really what happens when you die. We knew there were Dead Worlds and Death. We knew that there was reincarnation. But how does it all fit together? What does it mean? How does it work?

With “Together Again,” we finally have many of the answers.

This special opens with a marvelous fake-out episode simply called “Finn & Jake,” that sees the two steal a magical cartoon of 50-flavor ice cream before rescuing Turtle Princess and LSP from the clutches of the villainous Ice King. This is all deliberately anachronistic and over the top. Ice King is back to his season one ways, Finn has both arms, and he is still wielding his golden sword that he lost in season two’s “The Real You.” There’s lolrandom dialogue and silly monsters; it’s like a parody of seasons 1-2. But then, this adventure starts to get all wonky, and in time Finn realizes that he is in a some sort of trance or illusion: one that ends with Jake being buried in the ground. Suddenly, Finn awakens from his reverie. He’s an old man. And he’s dead. We’re then presented with a new title card that lets us know the episode is actually called “Finn & Jake Are Dead.”

Holy Glob! They actually went there.

Turns out Jake died years before Finn, so naturally Finn is super excited to see his best bud. But something’s wrong—he cannot find Jake!! They planned to spend eternity together. But all that Finn can find is his very own psychopomp, Mr. Fox (voiced by Tom Herpich, whose purposefully stilted line readings are the epitome of delightful). Finn rightfully assumes that Jake is in a different Dead World, and so, being the ball of spunk and energy that he is, he demands to meet with Death, only to discover that there’s a New Death in town (voiced by Chris Fleming). The episode eventually explains that New Death was the son of Death and Life, and after New Death killed his father, he became the sovereign of the afterlife. New Death hates his job and decides to just blow up all the Dead Worlds so he doesn’t have to deal with it all. (I won’t get too much into the details here, because there would be a lot of story to parse out.)

Finn soon learns that Jake has reached nirvana in the 50th Dead World, where there is nothing but peace and serenity. Finn nevertheless tracks down Jake, pulls him from paradise, but in doing so, accidentally lets New Death in, who promptly obliterates Elysium, sending all the enlightened souls—including those from different levels of the afterlife—to the 1st Dead World. This gronks up the afterlife, temporarily halting the reincarnation process.

Well, Finn and Jake are rightfully ticked, and so they haunt the material plane looking for Princess Bubblegum. She’s not home (more on that later), but Peppermint Butler is! After Ghost Finn and Ghost Jake explain the situation, Peppermint Butler tells them what to do: They need to find Life and explain the situation. The duo manage just that, and Life is rightfully angry that her kid has stopped the transmigration of souls. After Life gives Finn a McGuffin sword that can hurt Death, Finn and Jake return to his abode. A brawl ensues wherein we learn that New Death has been possessed… by none other than that spirit of the Lich.

That’s right, it’s the Lich! He’s back, and boy is he evil.

The Lich explains that by possessing Death, he can destroy the afterlife, thereby destroying a key aspect of reality. Naturally, Finn and Jake are not cool with this, and they engage in combat. After Mr. Fox grabs the McGuffin sword and uses it to annihilate the Lich and New Death, he is proclaimed the New New Death and sets everything right. Finn is slated to be reincarnated, and Jake is slated to return to the 50th Dead World where he and Finn will one day be reunited. As Finn is pulled into the wheel of souls, Jake suddenly decides to go back with Finn, too, “Just for fun.” The episode ends with a card letting us know that the episode is neither called “Finn & Jake” nor “Finn & Jake Are Dead.” Instead, it is “Finn and Jake Are Together Again.”

As they say, “And there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.”

If you were to tell me several years ago that the last episode to star Finn and Jake would revolve around them dying, I think I would’ve been upset. Not simply sad, but rather frustrated because “they all died” can feel like a cheap ending. But with “Together Again,” it all works. And a large reason that it works is because the show goes all in with their ideas. Finn and Jake don’t magically leap back into their old life (no, no, they very much do bite the dust). Instead, the special emphasizes the cyclical nature of life through the transmigration of souls. The episode ends with a beautiful scene of Finn and Jake, bound together as soul-brothers, being reborn into a new, mysterious (possibly Ooo 1000+?) world. It’s both aesthetically and emotionally pleasing; it doesn’t feel off the way over finales might. This is right. This is the way life works. “Round and round as nature goes,” and all that jazz.

I loved the series explanation of how death works. It seems that souls land in a specific Dead World, where they ‘marinate’ for a bit, presumably being rewarded or punished based on their life in our meat reality. After a time, they are then reborn. This process repeats, with each soul reaching higher and higher levels of enlightenment until they hit nirvana, which is the 50th Dead World. So in a sense, Adventure Time has a roughly Buddhist cosmology with a dash of Greco-Roman mythos thrown in for flavor. (As to what happens after a soul stays in the 50th Dead World for a long period is anyone’s guess, but I’d speculate that when all the souls in the multiverse have been purified and land in the 50th Dead World, they will all collapse into one another and form one perfect Monad. Perhaps this is the sphere of perfection that the beings who merged into Matthew thought they were connecting to? Who knows! It’s anyone’s guess!) I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see who Death, Prismo, Life, etc.’s boss was, but perhaps that’s a mystery better left up to the imagination!

One minor thing that I loved about this special was the number of characters who made cameos as well as all the callbacks that were made to previous episodes. Regarding the former: Finn and Jake’s canine family show up (including the oft-forgotten Jermaine!), as do Tree Trunks and her myriad husbands. Tiffany plays a major role in all these shenanigans as a “death cop” of all things. There is a delightful rogues gallery stuck in the 1st Dead World (including, among others, Maja, Sharon from “The Gut Grinder,” and Wyatt). In the 50th we find Ghost Princess and Clarence happily at peace next to Booshy, the weird spirit mentioned in the Pen Ward classic “High Strangeness.” As far as callbacks go, perhaps my favorite is the clap (from “James Baxter the Horse”) that Jake taught to Finn in case they ever do get separated in the afterlife. And of course, there are myriad references made to “Death in Bloom,” the episode that planted the seed for what this would grow into.

Going into the special suspecting that it would involve Death, I was curious how they were going to handle Miguel Ferrer’s character. (In case a reader is not aware, Ferrer played Death in episodes like “Death in Bloom” and “Betty,” but he sadly passed away a few years ago). The producers’ choice to feature him in a non-speaking cameo—despite playing a relatively significant role in the story—was wise; I’m not sure if I can articulate the exact reasons, but something about his role felt appropriate and not gross, as some post-mortem memorials can be. Speaking of which, the wonderful, lovely Polly Lou Livingston was featured for the last time in this episode as Tree Trunks, happily in heaven with her literal harem of husbands. It was funny, it really was, and I’m sure that Polly Lou would’ve gotten a kick out of seeing it on screen. (Also, this is a pro-Tree Trunks safe space. Any Tree Trunks haters will be chucked into the 1st Dead World with Wyatt.)

The biggest mystery in this whole thing, for me at least, is the question of Princess Bubblegum and Marceline. Several years ago, I wrote an essay about what could’ve happened to them in the Ooo 1000+ universe. I speculated that they peaced out and left Ooo behind. In this special, neither Bubblegum nor Marceline are to be found in the Candy Kingdom—Peppermint Butler seems to be the one in charge, given that he is now wearing Bubblegum’s crown. Likewise, the duo aren’t anywhere in the Dead Worlds either. Maybe the two of them skipped town and got a duplex in the Nightosphere? Who knows… I just want my favorite gals to be OK!

All things considered, “Together Again” was a marvel: An episode that managed to feel like a series finale even more than “Come Along with Me” already did without taking away from the series itself. An episode that managed to make the idea of dying funny. An episode that brought back the Lich in a way that wasn’t forced. An episode that made Mr. Fox the New New Death. An episode that gave us a beautiful ending to Finn and Jake’s story… as well as the beautiful beginning to a new one. I said it on Twitter, and I’ll say it again here: “Together Again” was the end of a sentence in a book with infinite pages. Truly, the fun will never end.

Mushroom War evidence: Everything takes place in the Dead Worlds, so not really. Perhaps a more eagle-eyed viewer can inform us...

Final Grade: That’s right, I’m gonna do it...

Post-script, I actually messaged Jesse Moynihan to ask about his writing credit. He told me that it was for an unused story idea that he had developed. I’m not certain, but I’ll bet it was a part of the cancelled TV movie they were trying to make during season 5, since that would’ve seen Finn and Orgalorg journey to the various Dead Worlds.

all gone, all gone, all gone

part 4: well, no, i don't feel lighter

my crackfic is back, y'all!! and here to break my 3rd-chapter curse, in which every fic i've ever written ever, i've given up after exactly the 3rd chapter. hopefully the amnesia fic and the 5+1 can follow suit. i wanted to post something for thomastair week/alastair appreciation day, and this doesn't fully fit but i have too many WIPs and this was the closest thing. I've written most of part 5, which has some great thomastair action, so maybe i'll try to post that tonight as well

content warnings: suicide attempt, magical manipulation, implications of domestic violence

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Masterlist | AO3

They will never help you. Not even your sister takes your side, not in many months, years even. Do you think they would take you back now, like this? They preferred you floating dead in the Thames than fighting beside them even before I got my hands on you. They would use you and discard you in seconds. You are nothing to them, you never had been. Do you think your own mother would take you back knowing what you’ve done?

Alastair was clean again, free again. Those were the first words Belial had said to him after giving him a second chance. They repeated in his head now, deep in battle with the people he’d betrayed, the people who would betray him without hesitation. The people he should hold no loyalty towards.

But something else played in his head as well: a memory. He was 11, maybe 12, his sister slightly younger. They were playing hide and seek in the forest beyond Cirenworth. Alastair knew it was because his father was drunk and angry, and his mother had told him to get his sister out of the house. He was worried that she would get hurt attempting to calm him down, but Cordelia wasn’t. She was happy, she was laughing. She had no idea that anything could be wrong. She was elated for her brother to be playing with her. She wanted to run around and pick berries and eat them next to the lake a mile from their house.

He held tightly to the memory, as if it were a street he was sprinting down and if he made a single turn, he would never be able to find it again. It was the last thing he thought of before Belial returned to him, and it was a message he easily understood: this was the reason he was loyal to her, even when she betrayed him.

He had been so focused on his anger, his death wish, all of his own pain and heartbreak that he’d lost sight of what had sustained him all of his years: his sister. He survived on the knowledge that whatever happened to him, whatever abysmal fate was before him, his sister could have better. She deserved better. He could give it to her in whatever way possible.

He’d become distracted in his own pain, and Belial had preyed on that. Now, Alastair understood. It didn’t matter if Belial killed him or if he was sent away to the Basilias to waste away for the rest of his days or if he was stripped of his marks and never allowed to see his family again as long as Cordelia walked away in one piece.

Belial twirled Cortana in the air. “Good thing we have another Carstairs to wield it. Take care of her.” The blade flew into Alastair’s grasp. Cordelia winced and Lucie shrieked, charging towards Belial. They locked each other in a battle of magicks, but she wouldn’t last long, not against a Prince of Hell.

Alastair thought back to that memory, to the sound of her shrieks of laughter, of the flashes of deep, dark red hair between the trees as he chased her. He would rather die a thousand agonizing deaths than hurt her again. His mind told him that it was illogical, but he knew that it was correct. “You always wanted to be a hero, isn’t that what you said?” She looked hurt and confused, but more than anything, terrified. She needed to understand. There was only so much he could do; she needed to believe. “Do you believe you are a merciful hero?”

Realization flickered in her eyes of that memory from many years ago. “I try to be.”

Alastair couldn’t throw a sword and expect it to land safely in Cordelia’s grasp and without any demonic interception, nor did he wish to be within slashing distance of his sister with Belial in his head. Instead, he threw the sword upward.

Cordelia held out her hand and the blade flew into it, just as it had back in Devon. It fit firmly into Cordelia’s grasp just as Lucie collapsed.

“What-” Belial began. Alastair felt himself lifted into the air by an invisible hand around his neck. “-did you do?” Before he could answer, Cordelia started to move forward. The grip around his throat tightened and he couldn’t stop the strangled sound that followed. “Move another inch and I’ll snap his pretty little neck,” he warned. Cordelia froze.

“You should- have killed me-” Alastair choked out. “After Thomas.”

“You tricked me.”

“You wanted me- to give up. Should have known- I’m a talented- actor.” He could feel himself getting lightheaded attempting to speak, sacrificing the little air that he was still able to breathe.

“You think you’re so brilliant-”

“No. You’re- a fool. You- miscalculated.” He heard a shout down the corridor. If Cordelia was still holding Cortana when James arrived, there would be no way for Belial to win. Now was his only chance.

He heard a shriek as he flew through the air, colliding with a brick wall in a sickening crunch. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground. He opened his eyes just in time to watch Belial disintegrate at Cortana’s blade.

The world was blurry, and everything hurt. His body, but also - him. He was free. He was dying, but he was free.

Each breath hurt more and more, and he could taste blood in his mouth. He had at least several broken bones and a concussion, in addition to broken ribs and any internal injuries. He attempted to sit up but the bit of effort made his vision go black. Perhaps more than a concussion.

Suddenly, his sister's face was above him. "Stay with me," she begged. "Please, I need you. Please, hold on. Everything will be okay. We'll get you to the Institute and they will heal you and then we will figure out the rest. Please, I need you. I'm so sorry. I love you. I can't do this without you. Please, hold on, for me."

She should not be apologizing, he thought. I was the one who left her.

He tried. He tried to hold on. He had brief memories of the carriage riding, slipping in and out of consciousness.

Stay with me, she repeated.

I will, he tried to tell her, but no words came.

Then, he saw nothingness. The emptiness with which he was so familiar.

Then, he woke. He was in the infirmary. His whole body ached. He felt his stomach lurch as he remembered all that had happened the past two weeks.

Cordelia was sitting in a daze, not fully asleep, but not fully awake.

"I suppose this whole ordeal means that I am either very hard to kill or very bad at dying," he said weakly, startling her out of her stupor.

She glared at him. "Don't joke about such things! I would smack you were you not injured. I still might yet." She hurried to him and embraced him tightly. His body ached at her pull but he did not comment.

"How long has it been?"

"Three days since the fight."

"Is Lucie okay?"

She nodded. "It took her a bit to recover, but she's alright. There were other injuries, but somehow we all made it out in one piece."

"I'm so sorry, Cordelia," he said quietly.

"Shh, don't start that. It's alright. I just-" Her breath hitched for a moment. "I wish I had been able to see how much pain you were in. I wish I could have helped."

He shook his head. "No, I wouldn't have accepted it." He reached to cup her face in his hand but realized that his wrists were bound to restraints. Of course. He'd worked for Belial. He'd carried out unspeakable deeds for him. He'd kidnapped Thomas, even if he had freed him as well.

"They- they said they had to, that until you woke and they could assess the situation it would be necessary. I-"

"It's okay," he told her. "I understand."

"What are you going to tell them? About how... about what happened with Belial?"

He exhaled. "The truth. I will simply tell them the truth."

* * *

The Consul was apprehensive about allowing Alastair to take the Mortal Sword so soon after waking from his injuries, but he insisted that he would not speak without it. He only wanted to do this once. She reluctantly agreed, bringing the sword to the infirmary, along with the Inquisitor, the head of the Institute, and Sophie Lightwood as witness. He was unsure of how she’d gotten involved, but her presence somehow terrified him and soothed him at the same time. Cordelia was allowed to stay as well, as long as she did not interfere with the questioning.

The Mortal Sword burned through his body, aggravating his many wounds, but he’d felt worse. He answered their questions, explaining how Belial had held him over the Thames, threatening to drop him into the river as he brokered a deal with him. He conveniently left out the part that preceded. He attempted to describe what it was like to be under Belial’s spell, under his curse. He told them that he never wanted to hurt anyone. It was the truth, even under Belial’s influence.

“Thank you, Alastair. We’re almost finished,” Will told him. Alastair was unsure why he was asking the questions, he was sure that was meant to be the task of the Inquisitor, but whatever Will had done to earn the privilege, it seemed like he regretted it now. He was simply too empathetic. “Please allow me to clarify a few details. Belial, using Jesse Blackthorn’s body, pushed you off of Tower Bridge?”

Alastair grimaced, his answer burning in the back of his throat. He had hoped they would overlook this part. “No.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was already over the edge of the bridge.”

“I don’t understand.”

Alastair looked over to Cordelia who seemed ready to jump in on his behalf, though they both knew she was not allowed. “I- I jumped,” he confessed, relief washing over him, though he did not know if it was because of the sword. “I attempted to kill myself, but Belial stopped me.”

The Consul and Will Herondale looked at him in shock. Sophie Lightwood appeared guilty, but he had no idea what for. The Inquisitor was indifferent.

Will attempted to speak, the pain breaking through his eyes, but could not. The Consul stepped in instead. “I see. Is there any other information relevant to this ordeal?”

He was about to respond when Sophie spoke up. “What did Belial tell you about Barbara?” Ah, he realized. That was why she was here. That was why she was guilty.

“Sophie!” the Consul scolded.

“Mrs. Lightwood, that is entirely-” The Inquisitor began, but it was not a question Alastair was opposed to answering.

“Nothing,” he told her. “But I overheard him speaking to Tatiana. He called Barbara’s death his gift to her.”

Sophie’s solemn expression did not hold the surprise of the Consul’s or Will’s. Alastair was merely confirming what she already knew.

The Consul nudged Will forward to take the sword back from Alastair. “I believe we’re finished here. We will discuss the matter and return to you shortly.”

There was an uncomfortable silence as Will put away the Mortal Sword and they left the room, Sophie casting an apologetic glance back at him. The silence stayed between him and Cordelia as they waited. He believed before that if he could skirt around the truth, there was a chance he would walk free, even if he did not deserve it. Now, knowing that they knew the full truth, his stomach twisted at the thought of their decision.

Cordelia looked pale, and he knew she was thinking something similar. “I’m going to go get some water,” she said finally. It wasn’t even a convincing lie.

“Cordelia, what are you doing?”

She didn’t answer as she left the infirmary.

if any of this seems unrealistic, i don't care! i made this mess and i can deus ex machina it if i want to!!!

taglist (ask to be +/-, this is a different taglist than most of my content because of the triggers): @jem-nasium @littlx-songbxrd @fortheloveofthecarstairs @cant-think-of-anything @shadowrunner2000 @writeforjordelia @jurdan-my-beloved

Part 5

Redoing my titles + writers spec

So, with the new information, I’m trying to update my spoiler speculations accordingly. 

13 - The Gauntlet: Dana Horgan (story) & Jay Faerber & Brooke Pohl I had this down as a Lena/Andrea and maybe the point where Lex re-enters the picture. Lena/Andrea is still a possibility but so far it doesn’t look like Lex is back yet unless they are hiding him really well. 

This is also contains the test of course. If it really totem = a person, and courage = Alex that could fit with my take that Faerber was involved in writing Welcome Back Kara. 

14 - Magical Thinking: Derek Simon & Karen Maser Well, it at least confirms a very small thing about my theory that writers like to bring back stuff they introduced, with Karen Maser being the one who introduced Esme and who now brings her back for this episode. 

Derek Simon has written a bunch of strong Lena action girl episodes ( most notably Trinity ) or strong Lena contributes episodes (like Man of Steel) so I kind of assumed that his influence would be dominant. (note that both Derek Simon and Karen Maser are co-executive producers though I think Maser has been one for longer). 

I guess there is a chance that this is another Kelly centric episode where Kelly = humanity? Or it is more Lena centric with Lena = destiny? Or it’s destiny, but destiny is one of the few totems Nyxly manages to get? 

15 - Hope for Tomorrow:  Robert L. Rovner (story) &  Emilio Ortega Aldrich & Nicki Holcomb Now that we know about the totems we know that this is likely about the totem of Hope and naturally Hope = Kara. I guess it makes sense that this warrants attention from the big guy Rovner.  Other than that I had this tentatively scribbled down for maybe Brainy or Nia stuff based on the writers, but we really know very little about the episode. 

16 - Nightmares In National City: Rob Wright & Jess Kardos

Based on the title I would assume that this is about the Dream totem and hence would expect this to be Nia focused. Which would fit with the writers, they also wrote the prom episodes which were rather Nia heavy in addition to Kara and Alex heavy. 

Okay, originally there was a rumor that 17 would be called Truth and Consequences and 18 would be Believe In A Thing Called Love. 

Later the writers guild of america site was updated to have 17 as I Believe In A Thing Called Love with Dana Horgan &  Nicki Holcomb as writers. It should be noted that the WGA has wrong information on it, it has two episodes called Lost Souls rather than having the correct info on Prom Again. 

Personally, I still think that: 

Truth and Consequences is a perfect Lena/Andrea/William title. And either of them would be a really interesting choice for the truth totem. Also Dana Horgan to me strikes me as a though not exclusively so but still fairly Lena centric writer. So to me the perfect combination would be 17 + Truth and Consequences + Dana Horgan and Nicki Holcomb as writers + it’s about the truth totem. 

With 18 being about the totem of love, maybe containing a Dansen engagement, which means that Kelly or Dansen (or even little Esme!) would be love and somebody else could be/would be humanity (maybe Lena as humanity in 14? though that seems a bit weird to me if they just made her a witch, wouldn’t declared normal person Kelly be a better representative for humanity?). Though I guess it’s possible that it could be Brainy’s love for Nia? Or J’onn’s love for Kara and Alex? Or if you are true Karamel believer you could hope that that’s where Mon-El returns. 

But I have to at least entertain that my “OMG, Truth and Consequences is a perfect title for a potential Lena or Lena&Andrea episode” issues are not indulged. and really 17 is Love and 18 is Truth. One thing that could come of it would be what if they shot stuff heavily out of order near the end and the “love” is a Dansen wedding or engagement and the “consequences” is the death and funeral of William, explaining why Alex is wearing a ring at the funeral? (I still think that episode 20 is way too stuffed to contain a big battle AND a funeral AND a wedding AND various wrap up scenes AND a big speech AND potentially the reintroduction of guest characters, so shooting stuff out of order with the special guest stars like James makes a ton of sense to me, like have a wedding or engagement party in 18 and James is present for it) 

But yes, I can also entertain that 17 = Love = Lena centric beacuse of Dana Horgan. 

That would leave William or Andrea as the most likely candidates for truth in episode 18. (I still really like the concept of William passes the test of Truth, dies a hero’s death and passes the totem on to Andrea who feels so humbled by his sacrifice that she becomes a better person) But with us not knowing who wrote it there isn’t really much to go on except a potential title and the concept that there has to be a truth token and me thinking that truth fits those characters the best (Wlilam tries to find the truth, Lena of course was very hurt by truth being kept from her, Andrea is William’s boss and just recently had some lines about truths and secrets) 

There are also rumors that episode 19 is called Last Gauntlet. So this would presumably be where they retrieve the last totem. Based on the episode title game, it would have to be either destiny and humanity. My main instinct was that humanity would be considered most important and would be last. But I guess it could also be destiny if Kelly = humanity = episdode 14. 

What this leaves out is the return of Lex. We know he is back in 19. 

I originally had him penned down for him showing his presence again in episode 13 because of 

1.) the writers involved  2.) It would make a lot of sense to bring Lena and Wiliam in contact for 14 3.) Melissa mentioned that the return of Lex would play a role in Kara and Lena letting bygones be bygones and we know they work together in 14. 

But unless they are hiding him intentionally from the spoilers for surprise reasons, it doesn’t seem likely to me anymore. Since we now know that Lena’s ritual in 2 has something to do with Nyxly not Lex. I guess it’s possible that Lena and Kara have a different disagreement later in the season that then is put aside due to the return of Lex? Death of William? Misuse of power? Lena withholding information on Acrata? 

Anyway, if it is not 13 where Lex start working from the shadows, my second guess would be 17 because of Horgan. Or 15 because of Rovner (since his presence implies important episode). Which would make some sense if like teaming up with Lex causes Nyxly to become more powerful, allowing her to unleash a NIghtmare On National City.  I don’t really buy that they can add him back that late into the plot as just 19. I feel like at the very least you would have to feel his presence whether Lex himself is present (like in the garbage island episode) for it to feel satisfying that he is the one in the big last battle. But with how they gave Nyxly a different sidekick I guess there is less need for him, since she already has a sidekick who acts as her guide to this world and who she can explain her plans to. 

@peggystormborn there is a rumor that the title of the last episode could be “Kara”, made me think of you and your neither Kara Danvers nor Kara Zor-El nor Supergirl, just Kara theories. 

Some Passing Thoughts on the New Miraculous Episodes

Finally got around to watching the fansubs of the Shanghai special and “Truth” (I’m still waiting for the other episodes to come out before watching Furious Fu).

Miraculous World: Shanghai – The Legend of Ladydragon

I have to say, I might change my mind later if the Prodigious proves to be more crucial to the overall lore of the series, but right now? Yeah. This special is a major skip for me. 

I did not connect with Fei the way I fell in love with Jess and Aeon. I am so pissed at the set-up the writers came up with to GET Marinette to Shanghai; her reasoning is the most selfish thing we have ever seen her do and it is such an injustice to her character. Plus, it is like neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir learned anything from the New York trip as they both show up in Shanghai kind of spur of the moment (i.e. didn’t tell the other they were leaving Paris). In fact, Marinette - again, going back to my hatred for the setup to get her to China - didn’t even CONSIDER the fact that Paris would be left unprotected; that Ladybug would be MIA. Granted, it was stated that Hawk Moth was surprisingly inactive, but shouldn’t that put her on hyper-alert; waiting for the other shoe to drop and Hawky to release something big that he was building up to? Instead she just lowers her guard and doesn’t even consider her superhero duties when planning on following Adrien. 

Another annoying thing is that the writers didn’t seem to learn anything from backlash against the episode “Kung Fu.” They just once again have Adrien be the one offering to teach Marinette Mandarin; not her mother (whose Chinese name Marinette never even knew), nor her great-uncle. Another writers flub was in the battle against Roi Argent. Ladybug questions Mei Shi’s suggestion that revenge does not equal justice (if that was translated properly), and... I’m pretty sure Marinette already showcased in previous episodes such as “Silencer” that she very much knows that revenge doesn’t equal justice??? She’s the one who corrected Chat Noir that Silencer coercing Bob Roth to admit he stole from Kitty Section and Marinette isn’t justice; it’s revenge. So???? HUH? NOW she magically feels like Fei’s revenge on Cash is justice for what he did to her? 

If all of that wasn’t bad enough, the pacing of this special was in complete overdrive as well. You didn’t have any of those emotional moments - both heart breaking and fluff-bombs - that you had in the NY special. The focus was largely on Fei, and I didn’t even really like her. She didn’t have the heart and the fully-fleshed characterization that Jess or Aeon had.

I’m also confused about Gabriel spending the past 15 years planning this whole thing. HOW!? WHY!? This is before Adrien was even born, or VEEERY shortly after if we skipped over his 15th birthday in the series. This was LOOOOOOONG before Emilie’s illness, which is presumably why Gabriel started using the butterfly miraculous in the first place (as showcased by Gabe in Origins asking Nooroo to remind him how the powers even work before using them for the first time in a corrupted state on Adrien’s first day of public school). So, if getting the Great Power of the Prodigious was something he was planning on doing literally all of Adrien’s life, why present it as “I found something that can finally give me an edge against Ladybug and Chat Noir”? I mean, what was his original endgame going to be? He couldn’t have possibly known that he’d be in dire need for the cat and ladybug jewels but struggled to take them from two teenage superheroes. It’s like the writers are trying to set him up as some mastermind akin to David Xanatos from Disney’s Gargoyles, but they are failing miserably. The whole Hawk Moth plot just doesn’t make sense to me.

Honestly? The only things that made this special worth it for me were: 1) Finding out a bit more about Sabine and her family (I love that she probably picked the name Sabine because it sounded like the pronunciation of her Chinese name) 2) Seeing Gorilla be his action figure nerd self a bit more (and the action figures of Uncanny Valley and Eagle) 3) Mei Shi in Renling (?) form, who was hella adorable! I need him as a plushie STAT 4) Adrien being the precious bean that he is. Just every moment he’s on screen was adorable (complete with him STILL having the picture of Marinette that was sent to him in “Evillustrator” saved to his baton and using that to try to find her) 5) Seeing the world through the eyes of a kwami for the first time and learning a touch more non-crucial lore 6) Mei Shi in statue form reminding me of the Dragon costume on The Masked Singer.

(I know, seeing them side-by-side now, they really aren’t that similar after all, but it’s been about a year since Dragon was on The Masked Singer, and he’s still what I kept thinking of as I watched Mei Shi on screen)

While I obsessively watched the New York special at least a dozen times, I’m really only seeing myself re-watch this special once more when it’s in English, and maybe whenever I do a full-series binge (which is super rare that I take the time for that).

Not impressed. Sorry.

Truth

“Truth”, on the other hand? Hhhhhnnnnnngggg. My heart! It breaks! Poor Marinette. Poor poor Luka. I mean, silver linings at the end there, but also BIG OOF. (Also, why wasn’t Adrien around at all whenever Truth made people confess that Marinette’s secret was her love for Adrien? xDDD)

I’m also a bit confused about the Adrien pictures. She had them taken down pretty much since “Troublemaker”, and yet her walls are once more papered with Adrien’s likeness now that Marinette is trying to get over him and date Luka? How does THAT make any sense outside of the writers going “we need an awkward phone call between Marinette and Luka. Oh! I know! A picture of her Adrien-covered bedroom walls is accidentally sent to Luka!” >3> Also.... what is UP with Luka’s animation again!? The kid was so pale it’s like they forgot to add any color to his model in this episode. WHY CAN’T THEY JUST ANIMATE MY PRECIOUS SON LOOKING HANDSOME EVER!? FIRST NO EYELASHES, AND NOW NO SKIN TONE!? WHYYYYYYYYY!? Personally, I prefer “Silencer” to “Truth” both in overall story and in Luka’s akumatized form design. Also, side note, did anyone else notice that Ladybug was hit by Luka’s attack and couldn’t speak for most of the battle both times? And that she needed Chat Noir to help her set up her Lucky Charm both times? And that Luka’s drive both times was to get to the truth?

I did still enjoy this episode very much. It showcases the new stresses Marinette has to face (totally unfair; I agree. However, it’s a standard trope in most teenage superhero stories such as Teen Titans and Spider-Man, so I was expecting it). It showcases how hard it is for her to figure out a balance between life and superheroing (again, re: standard teen-superhero trope). The fans get confirmation on a fantheory that’s been circling pretty much since Luka was introduced (ESPECIALLY after the episode “Desperada”). The Ladynoir shippers are well fed, and it’s great to see LB and CN praise each other - including Ladybug’s love of Chat Noir’s humor. 

I hope this isn’t the end of us seeing Luka in the show (that would break my heart even more) and it feels lame to build up the Lukanette “love rival” arc only for it to die off before it really goes anywhere. There was so much story potential there where Marinette could grow to learn what it truly means to be in love, and not just idolize and romanticize someone you’re infatuated with. Instead, all she learned is that she is alone aside from Chat Noir, and I feel like that’s SUUUUPER railroading the Ladynoir ship. And, frankly, I’d much prefer to see the Ladynoir side grow naturally, as it has been, instead of forcing Marinette’s hand because Chat Noir is the only one she can be MOSTLY honest with (secret identities notwithstanding).

It’s been a long hiatus. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to dodge fandom salt, but still get a larger dose than I intended to have in my fandom diet, so maybe my views are a bit tainted from that. However, this special and season premiere feel a bit like the writers are stumbling. I don’t know if the pandemic somehow affected their writing flow, or if they feel pressured by the fans to tell the series’ story a certain way and are scrambling to do so, or if they are rushing to an ending instead of taking their time and letting it naturally unfold as they had with the first few seasons. But, regardless of their reason, I hope they re-find themselves; the ones who told great stories in seasons 1 and 2 and (poor writing for Marinette notwithstanding) really good stories in season 3. I hope they can step up their game for the remainder of season 4. 

It’s been a long break, and we all deserve something good to feed us. We don’t need another GoT or HIMYM final season. Especially when this isn’t even supposed to BE the final season of the series.

Guess it’s time to wait for “Lies” to come out, and hope for the best.

Toons for Our Times: Star Vs: Demoncism

Halloween Havoc BEGINS! And with Tomtober this same month, i’m taking another of my on and off looks at Tom! Tom tries to tackle his literla nd figurative  personal demons the natural way: by having a creepy anti-demon cult that’s never explained suck them out of his body. For some reason Star has a problem with this. We also get Ponyhead in a robe, the wonders of reflectcor and free toys from the toychest for being such a good boy. Face your demons under the cut. 

Welcome boys, ghouls and that bootiful technicolor rainbow inbetween, to halloween havoc! MUAHAHHAHA.  You might be wondering a few things. What the hell that is, isn’t that also the title of a bunch of old wcw pay per views, and have I gone insane. In order it’s usually my catchy term the past two years and this current one for my binging of halloween films and logging and reviewing them on my leterboxd account, but I decided to expand it to here since while it’s not my first halloween on here it’s the first both reviewing animation and planning ahead, I decided why not reuse a good title here.  As for the wcw thing.. well yeah. It’s a great title, neither WWE, who I think still owns the copyright, nor WCW”s Heir Apparent AEW are using it right now despite being one of the best recurring Pay-Per-View titles either promotions had. Maybe not in actualy MATCH QUALITy but that name.. it just sings to me so i’m using it for my weird blog. I’m not making any money of this so why not. And as for my sanity that left a long time ago. So prepare for a month of ghouls, ghosts, goblins, lichs, scooby doo parodies, long forgotten characters, and some suprises and pies of all sizes. THIS... IS....

So to start us off, every year my pal @jess-the-vampire​ does a monthly event known as tomtober, a celebration of all things tom lucitor. And since I started hte tomtropsective for that and still am behind, I figured why not celebrate that, and the fact I can’t draw so I can’t do day 1 as a chat or anything, by continuing the tale of everyone’s faviorite teen demon.  Thankfully unlike last time, or next time wink wonk, there’s not a TON of other plot stuff to fill in. There is one important bit not to this episode but to the series as a whole: Eclipsa is here, since Moon trying to screw her out of the deal she made backried once toffee actually died... as did you know keepiung him alive instead of dealing with eclipsa being free and having the comissoin to back her on it. Nice job moon. Real nice. So yeah Eclipsa’s around.. dosen’t effect this episode but given tom’s involved in two of the biggest plot important episodes in the show, AND one deals with the direct fallout of one of those episodes i’m probably going to have to cover her soon to get to more tom anyway so might as well prepare for that now. 

So yeah this episode’s entreily a straight line from last time and opens picking up on the end of that episode: Star is calling tom wondering when their gonna get that Cornshake. Thankfully she gets an answer. Unthankfully.. it’s from a VERY sweaty ponyhead. 

So that was my own personal hell. Anyways she’s so.. sweaty.. GAHHHHHHH, because she’s keeping a secret and much like me she can’t keep her mouth shut about something she wants to talk about for very long, so we find out what she knows: SHe ran into tom who swore her not to tell Star he was getting a Demoncisim. Which suprises me.. not the demoncism thing the fact Pony would actually listen to anyone else.. Star included. LIke it’s the one thing about this episode that dosen’t quite fit: She’s such a selfish, toxic asshole, though Jenny Slate bless her makes her at least entertaining at times but even she has limits, it just dosen’t track she’d care what Tom thought unless we saw it for ourselves. Pony is ONLY capable of carring about star so while I could see tom framing it as for her own good, it’d be nice if the episode just came out and said that. It’d also be nice if we didn’t get sweaty ponyhead because that’s probably someone’s fetish and I.. OH GOD. 

Okay now i’ve mentally snapped from that revelation, Star lasso’s pony when she tries to escape, and we find out the demoncism is pretty self explanatory: A cermony that removes demons from one’s body.. and given tom is you know, a demon, this could end bad. So with no idea where it’s being held and it going on now, giving them little if any time to figure it out, Star suggests going to pony’s ex.. she dosen’t remember which one and apologizes for how bitchy that sounded, but we find out it’s Seahorse, Pony’s love intrest for the rest of the series and a hardcore emo rocker who even made her a song.. which is just him destroying everything and screaming. Eh i’ve seen people in emowear do far dumber. 

If those are m and m’s their pretzel. Trust me I’m a professional lardass, I know my delcious candy coated choclates. Anyways our dynamic-ish duo head to Seahorse at his job at a relfectcor store, basically a phone store, and is basically a hollowed out shell of a human being with no real personality or free will of his own.. so THAT’S how we got Ted Cruz. Ponyhead natrually breaks down when he dosen’t recognize her at all, which is one of the few time’s i’ve actually cared about her feelings: I mean having your ex just.. forget you exist.. tha’ts rough buddy. I feel bad for her.. I didn’t know she had emotions. I thought her heart and brain were both a black hole.. mostly becasue I thought ponyhead’s hearts and brains were the same organ. Star does however manage to get the map they need to Tom. 

Our heroines find the Demonicsim site and a bunch of creepy guys in robes iwth red glowing eyes.. who are never explained honestly. More on that in a minute. So ponyhead distracts them with one of the greatest  gags in the series history

I mean just.. look at it. The way the robe drapes, the way her nose sticks out much like a certain penguins, the way she decides to distract everyone with petty minute like voting on robes.. it’s fucking great. I may not like pony a LOT but she can be really damn funny> The issues that she often isn’t funny enough to ofset her jackassery. Here though even with my jabs at her.. she works and I like it.  So Star confronts Tom, wondering AGAIN if this is another half assed tactic to win her back.. and her flip flop attitude with tom is starting to annoy me. It fits her personality, and don’t get me wrong as i’ve made abudnatnly clear in past reviews his actions in blood moon ball and ESPECIALLY mr.candle cares were super not okay, so i’ts okay NOT to forget how badly things went last time when your considering getting back together with someone. It’s NOT okay however to hold it over someone’s head forever like any moment their going to snap back into being a manipulative doucheweasel when they’ve left you alone for around 8 months.. and Id id my calcualtion. The timeline of the show is pretty solid up to season 4: Season 1 was star’s 1st semister at echo creek academy, season 2 was her second and as it turned out final one, and season 3 covers Summer , fall and part of next spring. Though again how another summer dosen’t happen until towards the end of season 4 is dumb and I’ll probably rant about that at a later point. Point is since MCC was at the start of season 2, that means it happened around say january or feburary, with Demonicsim probably happening around say march. So he’s left you alone for around 8 months, silver bell ball included. It’s unfair to assume he’s still schemeing when he let you go months ago. H’es made it obvious via his .. everything he’d take you back in an instant, he’s just being patient and not pushing it because he’s no longer as big an asshole, and trying to be respectful. Cut him a break.  Thankfully this gets put down quick with Tom explaning he wants to be better for himself: Like last time he was inspired by her trying to be better herself, and wants to.. but as we’ve established.. he dosen’t know HOW to be nice or a better person. He wasn’t raised in an enviroment that was really condusive to that as nice as his own parents are. Their the exception to the underworld being mostly dicks not the rule, as we’ll see next time. I.. can relate with my own issues with anxiety , depression and, yes, anger. I too have trouble keeping it in and hate feeling bitchy all the time or depressed and just want it to stop. I think anyone with a mental ilness just wants it to STOP to be gone and to be able to live a happy life. But there’s no magic button that fixes your issues, your traumas or your mental health like that. No pill that can fix it just ones that help ease it down to managable. And as i’ve learned the hard way YOU have to work at it, YOU have to make the effort. There’s no easy way out. And while Tom thinks htere is here, it’s very clear it’s a huge risk, and Star’s right that he shoudlnt’ go thorugh with it and that he could seriously hurt himself. But Tom’s in pain and just wants to be happy, to be normal, to be not angry anymore and I gotta tell you if , even if it was risky, there was a way to cure my depression or anger issues or anxiety, not my atuisim tha’ts part of me and not something that needs a fucking cure just more understanding and awarness, but if I could cure those other three things? I would. It’s paart of me sure but it’s a part of me I HATE. So I understand why tom’s doing this even despite the danger: because he’s at his wits end, desperate and this will help he hopes.. it can’t get WORSE, so why not? Evne if he’s wrong here i’ts hard not to understand why he’s so stubborn about it , for me at least.  Star leaves, and takes Ponycloak with her and they go to punch trees: Both to relive and because Pony hates tree. Probably because she went to tree court once and they tried to send her to tree jail. 

I mean she’ll probably get thrown back in there for this but still. Anyways the exerocisim comes. And NOW we can talk about this cult and.. while I understand why they never came back, they were really only necessary for this, I wish they had. I mean a mysterious cult with the power to restrain someone as strong as tom, acess to anti-magic chains the ONLY time we see something like this outside of the comission, and a hatred of demons includign referring to Tom as “Son of the blight” meaning they clearly hate and would destroy Wrathmelor if they could, yet also function as a perfectly legal orginzation the comission or the lucitors themselves haven’t swatted yet. There’s a LOT to unpack here they never did. The leader is also hliarious alteranting between creepy overlord and your dentist after a long apointment as a kid. But the ritual begins and it .. dosen’t go well with tom getting glowy blue lines and thrashing about.. just like me when i watched Ridciulous 6. I also felt my soul was leaving my body but that was just wishful thinking. The cultists run and star runs back to Tom and we get a truly powerful and romantic scene. Unable to free him, Star just.. holds him and is there for him as he goes through this. If she can’t help him she’ll be there for him. And it’s really touching.  We then cut to the hosptial tent at the cult, where the leader goes back to dad mode. Tom feels .. well worse, he just had surgery, as someone who had a tooth yanked out last month I can relate, and is suprised to see only one tiny soul demon as the sum of his anger. But it turns out, NOPE, being you know, the son of a rather powerful demon with a rather pwoerful b loodline, he’s FULL of them, and it woudl take 13 years to do this.. and tom’s naturally bummed because no one wants the equipvlent of having a wisdom tooth pulled a week for over a decade. Also because he now can’t get better.. but Star gently reassures him he’s already on the right track just by wanting to. As I said with most mental issues.. there’s no easy way out but it can get better if you put the work in and tom realizes.. there’s no quick way out after all. Just a long road.. but h’es not alone on it anyomore. But he at least gets a tiny demon in a jar and a toy out of the toychest for being a good boy.. and that’s nto me making shit up that’s the actual episode with him and star taking pinwheels and holding hands to Ponyhead’s annoyance. Which okay yeah they had a bad time last time I get tat Pony.. but your the last person to question ANYONE’S life decisions. Still I wish we’d had ane pisode of pony growing to accept them so we at least know WHY she’s so against it but oh well. 

Final Thoughts: This was a good one. Is it hte best the show’s put out? Probably not as the first part drags slightly but the second half at the demoncisim is just good character stuff, good comedy, and has a good payoff. I honestly like this way more on the second watch.  Though part of that is the context of the time: I admitted to being a starco shipper and having her get back with tom just felt like your standard “put a character in a relationship to complicate the main pairing” bullshit I always hate at this stage. Before anyone relaizes they like each other? Sure but at this point it was clearly just to drag things out. However with Marco getting progressivley worse and the two having good chemsitry.. I grew to like em.. and by the season finale, I just shipped all three together, before pivoting to marco and kelly. This couple grew on me for reasons w’ell geti nto as we go, even if it ended bad for reasons we’ll again get into. Oh we’ll get into them. With a knife. But yeah overall a great episode with a great concept, good character stuff, and some REALLY fucking funny gags. The show is damn good at comedy and I forget it sometimes. Next time we look at Tom, he’ll be in the background as Marco tries to help Kelly with a breakup. And sometime this month we’ll be looking at the halloween special which i’ll be watching for the very first time! So stay tuned, stay safe and Happy Halloween. 

your head canons are just perfect. What are some random ones you have for Dinah Lance and Bette

Uhhhh gonna be going off the top of my head here (& under the cut because guess who wrote a load whooo) but

Dinah

Dinah is trans!!! I liked it Bombshells, I’ve decided its canon across all universes because you know what? It’s amazing

Dinah’s metagene got activated because Alan the JSA accidentally irradiated her throughout her childhood. Barry got lightning, Dinah got a weird family. It’s equality

She adopts Mia!!! Her & Ollie do, since I don’t think that officially happened in comics even though we all know it should have

Hal/Dinah/Ollie is absolutely a thing that I need. They’re in love, there’s nothing you can do to disprove it

Though, like, personal headcanon for Dinah’s relationship is that her & Ollie are in an open relationship, Hal’s their third & Dinah is dating Babs but Ollie is not because. Could you imagine. Oliver Queen. Dating a bat. The thing nightmares are made of, I tell you

When Hal dies, his ring goes to Dinah. I’m sorry, I don’t make the rules, this is just how it is

Ollie & Dinah have a third wedding since their other two were, uh, messy & technically not legal in the new timeline. No supervillains attack & it doesn’t take place in a hospital, so she considers it a win

By the time she dies, she’s in the top five fighters on the planet

Dinah (with the help of Ollie) once attempted to assinate the Guardians of the Universe

She & Zatanna dated

Babs brings up the Ra’s Al Ghul incident whenever she wants to win a dumb fight. Tragically, Zinda & Helena have picked it up too. Will Dinah ever escape her shameful past? Probably not, the Birds refuse to let her live it down

Thanks to her dip in the Lazarus Pit, Dinah’s eyes like... glow in the dark. It’s not very noticeable, but when it’s pitch black, her eyes are a really faint green

She can’t cook. At all. In the Arrowfamily, your options for food are Ollie’s chili (a safety hazard, 50/50 chance you burn to death) or Dinah’s unspeakable, ungodly creations that are probably an insult to the Presence himself. Or you can beg Connor to make you some delicious vegan thing

She’s got a little coffee addiction. It was really bad when she was on tour, a lot better now, but yeah, if you approach this woman before she’s had her first cup, she’ll scream in your face

This woman is bi & there’s nothing you can do about it

Dinah runs Sherwood Florists in Star City & all of the fam help out

Look, not technically a headcanon, but I want to make one thing abundantly clear: while Dinah Laurel Lance will always be a metahuman to me, I like Dinah Drake-Lance to be cursed by a wizard. I just think it’s fun

Bette

Okay, again, she’s bi. Like, we all know it, it’s not a secret, no cishet is working her original Flamebird costume

Bette loves glitter but even she knows that’s a little unsafe & never incorperates it into her costume. One day, though, one day...

She goes back to Flamebird around the same time Steph becomes Nightwing which is definitely inspired by @dykegreenlantern‘s death, but, yeah, she works as Flamebird again for a little while

When Kate retires, she suits up as Batwoman. It’s an awkward transition, but she makes it work

Oh, you think Tim has a caffeine addiction? He has nothing on Bette. Bette’s been in beauty paegents, winning tennis tourements, maintaining a 4.0 GPA & running around in a costume. Do you honestly believe she achieved that without caffeine? No. This girl is wired 24/7, there’s nothing that can be done about it

She came out to Bruce first. It would’ve been Kate, but Kate was in the army at the time & they hadn’t talked in years, so. Bruce

Bette’s one of the most forgiving members of the Batfam. Just look at how many of her friends turned into supervillains. She’s, like, yeah, okay, you’re evil now, are we still on for movie night? No? You have an evil scheme planned? Well, cancel it, we’re watching Mean Girls

I know Bette didn’t show up at Zero Hour, but she should have. Exclusively to judge Hank. He’s trying to destroy time but it’s very hard, she’s pulling the ultimate ‘I am disappointed in you and you have brought shame upon this team’ face & they haven’t even been a team in years. It’s not fair how does she even do this the Bats are weird. And then Parallax just. teleports her away. She’s too distracting to Extant, goddamn

I maintain that her & Terra II would’ve eventually become friends. Maybe even enemies to friends to lovers, since Terra II is a lesbian

She isn’t as huge on the whole no-kill thing as Bruce. Like, she’s never killed anyone herself, nor does she plan to (people like the Joker excluded), but she also doesn’t mind if her teammates cross that line

Her fights with Slade are always petty. She took Addie’s side in the divorce, okay, she’s gonna go in for the (emotional) kill when they’re fighting

She makes a lot of quips & is one of the best people at getting Batman to smile. Like, specifically Batman, and not Bruce. She’s seen him crack a grin at one of her puns, she swears

Artemis Crock is her ex girlfriend

Jesse Chambers is still, like, iffy on Bette after she... accused Jesse’s mother of murder. What a fun team up that was

I don’t know how or why it would happen, but Bat-Girl absolutely worked with the original Green Lantern at least once. Got no reasoning behind this, they’re just two of my favourite characters. I don’t think they’d get along (see: anything with Alan in it ever) but... it’d be an interesting team up, that’s for sure

She also knows Jason Blood but instead of being a fun adventure, that was more ‘okay yes I understand that Hank’s gone a little insane, he’s gonna be a future dictator, he’s committed mass murder, etc, but maybe you have some magic to undo all that? Pretty please?’

Her endgame relationship... I honestly change this all the time, but right now I’m on Bettenelli. Strong arguments have been made for Holly Robinson & we cannot ignore the possibility for a Bat/Cat next gen relationship, we simply can’t

Bette Kane deserves to be a doctor, screw what the N52/Rebirth said. Military Bette is gross & we do not support that in this house

Science! Christopher and Grace. Takes place after Chain of Gold so will have spoilers!

Art by JemlinCreations

Christopher took a deep breath. Normally,he wouldn't get so nervous when making some experiences in the lab. He was used to people looking at him when he did.

Usually,his friends would be with him. Thomas helping him in whatever he needed. James would usually make questions in order to test Christopher's attention,and Matthew would just chat with them and help in absolutely nothing.

Henry would also be around,since he and Christopher had that special connection in common. Their presence would always make things a lot easier for Christopher.

Right now,it wasn't like he wished he were alone,but a certain presence there was really messing with him.

Grace Blackthorn. Christopher wasn't very sure why she had asked to see him working at the lab. It was certainly an unusual request coming from a lady to a gentleman. Even more if the lady was Grace.

They had gotten closer in the last few weeks. Besides Cordelia,Grace was the only other girl friend that he had. Lucie was his cousin and Anna his sister,so they did not count.

They had not danced together in a ball. Christopher just couldn't bring himself to do it. He was awful at dancing,every single Enclave lady made sure to tell him that. He was quite afraid that Grace would ask that of him.

He had absolutely no idea what kind of things girls did to spend their time,and he surely would not ask Lucie or Cordelia. He didn't wanted them to know about his friendship with Grace yet.

As a matter of fact,no one did.

He had a test tube in his hand,full of a purple liquid. Grace had asked him to make anykind of interesting science, something that would impress her. She didn't seemed to mind in waiting.

But what if she was bored? What if she was only pretending to please him,as a friend would do?

Christopher looked at her.

-Grace. Are you absolutely sure that you are not dying of boredom?-He asked,his glasses almost falling from his face.

Grace seemed surprise with his question.

-I am not in the least bored. I am sure that whatever you do will be quite entertaining.-Grace said.

But how could he be sure? She certainly deserved more consideration coming from him. She was the only one who never said that his love for science was stupid,unlike the other girls from the Enclave.

But that didn't meant Grace had any liking for science.

Christopher turned his attention to her. The test tube with the purple liquid fell on something else.

-Ugh,i am doing this the wrong way. Matthew always told me that i should never bring a girl into my lab,except if she were my wife,which clearly is not the case.-Christopher said.

Grace's expression changed in a subtle way,but Christopher did not realized that.

-I see no problem in your lab. Why would it be a bad place for me or any other girl?-Grace asked.

-It's not that! It is just...I don't really know how to explain. I want you to have fun,like you had when you were with James or Charles.-Christopher said.

-I had no fun when i was with Charles. He was like an open book of politics,he could not talk about anything else. James and i only talked. My mother would never have let me see James properly.-Grace said.

-But all of this must be so dull for you! Perhaps a walk in Regent's Park and a picnic? Would this be more fitting for you? I really want you to have a good time Grace!-Christopher said.

And if she knew how serious he was being. He knew about how she used to live,thanks to his mad aunt Tatiana. Always trapped inside the Chiswick House or the Blackthorn Manor. Now she was free of Tatiana. She deserved better than his silly science.

-Do not worry so much,Chris. I am having a good time. You are always so busy being with your friends. Not that i think you shouldn't be with them,but i barely have friends. I really enjoy being with you.-Grace said.

Christopher blinked. Did she really mean that? He would never have expected something like that coming from Grace. He liked their friendship,but to her,it did seemed to be much more special.

But it was for him as well. Perhaps that was the reason he was so afraid of letting her down.

-You are sure? You must be sincere with me Grace. I can barely pay attention to anything,and when it comes to girls,i really lose it.-Christopher said.

A memory of Rosamund Wentworth came to his mind. It was at the ball in the Institute. She had refused to dance with him,saying that it was because of his lack of attention and skills.

But Grace wasn't like Rosamund. She had always been nice to him. She had even listened to him when he told her all about bacteria!

-I am being Chris. You must relax a little. You seem tense.-Grace said,as she approached him and massaged his shoulders.

Christopher relaxed immediately. Grace's hands seemed to be magical. He could really get used to having her around the lab to keep him company.

"Chris". She was the only one who called him that. Everyone else seemed to like Kit better. It was good in a way,"Chris" could be Grace's nickname for him,and no one else's.

-By the Angel Gracie...Your hands are miraculous.-Christopher said.

Grace looked at him,Christopher appeared to be looking at the ceiling,but his eyes were closed. He really seemed to be enjoying what she was doing.

This seemed to be the first time a man was enjoying her company without the use of her powers. Of a man that wasn't Jesse,at least.

-Gracie. My mother and Jesse never gave me any nicknames.-Grace said.

Christopher looked at her.

-Did you like it?-He asked.

Grace nodded.

They began to close the space between them,their faces approaching more and more...

Suddenly,Grace's lips were on his. Christopher put his hands on her waist,and her hands were already on his shoulders.

He pulled her closer,deepening the kiss. Grace had such a sweet taste,almost like tea and vanilla.

They broke the kiss,since both needed air. Grace had a smile on her face.

-I'm sorry if that was improper,but i could not resist anymore.-Christopher said.

-Don't say you are sorry if you don't regret it Christopher.-Grace said.

-I don't regret it one bit.-Christopher said.

Before they could kiss again,a loud sound echoed in the lab. Christopher and Grace both turned their attention to the destroyed table behind them. What was left of it was covered in ashes. There was also broken glass on the floor.

Christopher had let go off Grace,and looked at the mess he had made,in exasperation.

-Oh bloody hell! Of all the foolish things! Why would i even mix...I am so sorry that this ruined our moment,Grace...-Christopher was saying,he was more than prepared to apologize to Grace.

But she wasn't angry,nor she seemed startled due to the explosion.

Grace was laughing. And Christopher began to laugh eventually as well.

At least his science could make her laugh,it could put a smile on her beautiful face.

And that was more than enough to satisfy him.

Chain of Gold Book Review

Chain of Gold Book Review by Cassandra Clare 

I know what you’re thinking.

Oh. My. God. Another one?

How can she possibly be cranking out these 5,000 long page novels year after year after year?

I think the exact same thing and yet….

I still read them. Every single one. Well, except for some of the companions, guides, and novellas that accompany them because come on nobody has that much free time. And we don’t talk about the show Shadowhunters that Freeform monstrously created. Ever.

Except for Cassandra Clare maybe, since, you know, she wrote them. Or co-wrote them. Or kinda wrote them. Whatever, the true authorship isn’t important here.

What is important, however, is that there is a new Shadowhunter series on the horizon and THAT IT IS NOT TY AND KIT. I REPEAT. This new massive compendium is not the next installment of the Dark Artifices. Instead, it is an entirely new-but-not-new-Cassandra-Clare style book for the newly developed The Last Hours series in which no one asked for nor expected.

You might be asking yourself: do I need to have read the other 76 books in order to understand this one? Cassandra Clare and others will have you believe no. They’ll say, “Nahhhh, don’t stress, it’s a new cast of characters!”

They are dead wrong.

I mean, I guess you plausibly could but you would be horribly confused and befuddled for the entire sequence. I was largely confused and befuddled for the entire sequence and I have read most of the other 76 books-which, is a joke, of course, except not really, since the current canon world spans 14 main books across multiple timelines (all of which are the opposite of miniature by the way) and at least five companion novels and counting that are more important than they let on.

It is extremely, extremely daunting for new readers.

That being said, as we are all stuck at home quarantined due to coronavirus, you probably have a lot of time on you. Just gonna say that Amazon and Barnes & Noble deliver, folks, jump on it. E-books also exist if you do not have room to house these monstrosities, a problem I do not blame you for.

Now that all of that is out of the way, what is this new book about and how did I feel about it?

Well. To start, this new series takes place in the late 19th century in London, a setting we’ve seen before in The Infernal Devices, the first of the canon spinoff series.

This new series mainly tells the story of the children from the first spinoff, with highlights on Tessa, Will, and Jem. As most of Clare’s books, this one also has alternating POV’s. This particular installment switches mainly between Cordelia Carstairs, James Herondale and Lucie Herondale with little snatches of others in between.

To make this overly large series very, very simplified and contained, here is my plot summary:

Girl moves to London. Girl is in love with her best friend’s brother (a little cliche, but okay, Clare). Brother is a special little nugget that can see the demon world because his mother is a warlock (cue Infernal Devices here). His sister, the other special nugget and said best friend from above, can talk to ghosts, but not only that, she can also command them. The applause sound goes here. 

There are demon uprisings. Some shadowhunters get poisoned while everyone runs around incompetently trying to find a cure, but don’t worry it’s none of the main characters so you don’t really care. The brother special nugget from above is also pretend in love with a girl with a very dark home life that reeks of manipulation (cough cough obviously the bracelet is bewitched in some way) and is somehow enchanting him to do her bidding, but is really in love with the new girl that’s in love with him. Gasp. 

Special nugget also has a best friend that is most likely a bisexual alcoholic and the girl who moved to London has a drunkard father who’s currently in prison and a brother who was previously a bully becasue he was gay (amongst other reasons) and is not as much of an asshole, but is still an asshole. Unrequited love is also strewn about handomsely.

Yup. That about sums it up.

If you’re confused, then that’s okay, as the book is confusing.

Plot aside, this book was enjoyable to me for one main reason: it’s a shadowhunter book. Despite all the jokes I’m making on its behalf, I do love the series. It’s expansive and interesting and angsty and romantic and most of the characters and action and plot twists are really incredibly good.

Truly.

However, this book, for me personally, was more on the burdensome side of the Sahdowhunter lore rather than the uplifting one that added to it, even if I did buy it the first day it came out.

Clare throws so many characters at you in this first installment that it’s actually impossible to keep track, primarily because no one other than the true main characters are ever clearly defined or characterized or shown significance in any way and also because THEY ARE ALL DAMN RELATED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER AND BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME FUCKING NAMES.

I’m not even kidding. How Clare got to her original series and The Dark Artifices series without having incest galore is a miracle to me. The same people in the same families fall in love every damn time that at this point they all have to be interconnected Slytherin pure-blood style.

We didn’t need a sickly sweet epilogue of Tessa and Will’s wedding day at the end of the book. We needed a well drawn out and thoughtfully labeled shadowhunter family tree in full color because this shit was so confusing.

This was a big turn-off for me. It was almost as if Clare was suffering under the expansiveness of the world she had built, which is why the book was over 600 pages when it really could have easily been half. The last 90 pages read as an annoying epilogue that should have been twenty at most but just kept going and going and going like a Geico commercial.

She has so many characters with so many names and so many little tidbits about them that it was actually alarming. I get it if Clare knows who everyone is, that’s great. She’s the author. The point is, however, is not so that the author understands, but the readers do too. I can say with 100% certainty that no one understood who everyone was unless they study the main series every night before they go to bed, which is largely impossible.

In addition, this particular story is just...fine. It’s fine. It’s not the best of Clare’s work (Dark Artifices, baby!) or the worst (I don’t know...maybe Red Scrolls of Magic) but it gets the job done. I don't hate the characters like I have some others of Clare’s creations, but I don’t love them either. 

James seems to be like every other male character that Clare has ever created, Cordelia seems...okay. Lucie is rather annoying, as is Grace and her mother Tatiana, who are so evil it’s stupid. Thomas and Christopher don’t matter in the slightest and neither do the parents, which is a shame considering they were the main cast in Infernal Devices. Jesse was...alright.

 Honestly, the best characters in my opinion were Matthew Fairchild and Anna Lightwood. I would have loved a saucy, dramatic Oscar Wilde inspired entourage where they were painting the town red and smashing stereotypes all over the place.

But no. We get the main love story of James and Cordelia, the new girl and the best friend’s brother. Which has never been done of course. Super unique idea.

Cue eye roll.

In the end, odds are, if you are going to read Chain of Gold, you were going to read it to begin with because you’re a Shadowhunter fan like me and you’ll gobble up anything Cassandra Clare throws at you, whether good or bad. If you’re interested in picking up a book, this is not the book to start.

 If you want a super long, mostly tantalizing read that will take over your life for the next few months then I recommend starting with the OG City of Bones and painstakingly making your way from there. You’ll most likely not regret it, even if your bank account and your heart will be crying by the end.

Recommendation: Shadowhunter fans unite! Chain of Gold is out and ready to be devoured! Everyone else, either stand back or pick up a book and get reading because this book is on a train that will keep chugging and chugging forever.

Score: 6.5/10

you were infinitely mine

Jester has waltzed through life assuming it’s like living out a story.

Now she stands before a real beast, more ancient than she can comprehend, and she knows real life is different. She’s known for a while, whether or not she’s wanted to admit it. Adventure is gruesome and terrifying and sad. These are not things she’d ever imagined nor things she’d planned for.

Nothing has felt less like a story than the moment Jester sees Beau dangling limp from the mouth of the dragon.

...

or: The Nein's encounter with the white dragon ends in a fatality, and the resulting ritual

alternatively, read on ao3 and leave a comment

Jester has waltzed through life assuming it’s like living out a story.

If pressed, she’d say it was because of all the time she spent alone in her room, weaving increasingly elaborate tales to the paneled walls; painting towers that reach the clouds, acting out the moment she slays the dragon and saves the day, envisioning one of her beautiful imaginary friends dramatically professing their undying love for her. These were the things she clung to when the world felt small and she felt the most alone. When she is set free, these fantasies are the only sense of reality she has. 

Now she stands before a real dragon, more ancient than she can comprehend, and she knows real life is different. She’s known for a while, whether or not she’s wanted to admit it. Adventure is gruesome and terrifying and sad. These are not things she’d ever imagined nor things she’d planned for. And sometimes it is easy to ignore, when a mission is completed without a scratch or afterwards when she laughs with her friends in a tavern and recounts the battle. It feels nice to walk through her childhood fantasies, even if for a moment, even if it’s not true.

Nothing has felt less like a story than the moment Jester sees Beau dangling from the mouth of the dragon.

See, if this were a story, the moment would be in slow motion. Jester would catch the movement of the dragon, she would know (because she always knows, when it comes to Beau) what it planned to do, she would know just the spell to stop it. Beau would wink in thanks, Jester would blush, and later tonight in the darkness of their room Beau would say You saved my life, Jess, it… it means a lot. That’s how it goes in her novels. No one is hurt, the beast is slain, the night ends with riches and laughter and tentative sincerity.

But this is not a story, Jester’s life has never been a novel. As it is, she doesn’t see the dragon strike, only catches a flash of familiar blue swinging from it’s jaws. She spins in terror just in time to see Beau’s body dropped, crack against the ice and skid to a halt. Too still, eerily still.

A flash of fire from the other side of the cavern draws the dragon’s attention, and only then does Jester regain her senses enough to think: What were you doing you could have stopped this get to her now she is hurt she needs your help--

“Beau!” The scream tears from Jester’s throat before she realizes she’s opened her mouth and she stumbles forward, frantic. Her knees slam against the cavern floor: a solid sheet of ice that sears the scrapes criss-crossing her legs and makes shreds of her tights. 

Her shaking hands hover, unsure and terrified. There are horrible, gaping wounds ripping through Beau’s beautiful Xhorhasian clothes. Jester thinks blood, there should be blood, before realizing it’s all frozen over from the temperature of the dragon’s teeth, like scabs of frost stretching across her chest.

With a deep breath, Jester casts cure wounds. It’s enough to wake Beau up, at least. She’ll see how the rest of the party is doing with the dragon, then she’ll see if she can get her back on her feet. Scary, but nothing she hasn’t done before. It’s fine, it’s fine.

The magic spills from Jester’s palms and spreads across Beau’s body. One moment--two, three four--and there’s no sign of movement. Confused and losing time, Jester tries again. Expends more of her energy, more of her magic, why isn’t this working? Instinctually and thoughtlessly Jester rests two fingers to the pulse at Beau’s neck, fully expecting a beat beneath the surface, which is why when she doesn’t find one she chokes. Unwittingly, tears spring to the corners of her eyes and she cannot believe that this is real, that this is something that is happening. She grabs at Beau’s wrist and checks there--nothing. 

“Beau,” she says quietly, holding her fingers and waiting. “Beau.” Nothing. “Beau, Beau, Beau, oh my god, oh my god.” The tears finally spill over as she scrambles for her pouch, clawing through for diamonds. She cries out when she can’t find them and yanks off her entire belt, sending components scattering across the icy floor, but it doesn’t matter because there they are, beautiful and glittering in the dim light.

Jester grasps them victoriously in her hand and frantically scatters the gems across Beau’s body. With a deep breath, she closes her eyes and calls out to the Traveler for the power to complete the spell. “Bring her back please,” she pleads over the grunting and yelling coming from deep inside the cavern.

His abrupt presence brings with it a wave of sweet relief. She feels him here before he even touches her, like a phantom limb. His hands curl around her shoulders and he leans in close to her ear. “I’m sorry,” he says regretfully. “I cannot.”

Jester pulls from his touch and spins to face him. “Why?! It’s just like Caduceus, we did that before. We don’t need the Wildmother, you’re powerful enough on your own I know--”

He reaches out a cloaked arm and cups her cheek in his hand. “My sweet Jester, it’s been too long. She’s beyond my reach with that spell. I am truly sorry.” He sighs and before Jester can argue, he’s gone.

Fear seizes her heart as she turns back to Beau’s body. She tries to breathe (she is panicking, this she knows for certain) but the only thing that comes out is a hollowing gasp. She waited too long. She waited too long and because of that Beau is dead. Beau is dead and she can’t bring her back.

In the stories, good people don’t die, and this is the sealing fate on all her fantasies.

Somewhere behind her, the dragon dies. Jester’s violent sobs are masked by victorious cheering, and they echo in harmony down the cavern; cruel mimicry of each other. A mockingjay’s song.

She presses the diamonds into Beau’s chest with all the strength she has left, harder and harder and harder, until they begin to leave indents in her skin. Jester pushes outward again with the magic she used to bring life back to Caduceus. She is a healer, this is what she does, this is her job, this is her only job, this is the reason she’s here and sometimes she’s shitty at it but sometimes she’s good too and she needs to be good this time, this time and no other time if that’s what it takes, because nothing has ever mattered more than this and she’s trying so hard, she’s giving everything, but Beau is just laying there, still and cold and dead.

Jester grabs the diamonds in her fist, throws them against the cavern wall, and screams. 

Though the world around her is muffled, like someone has put their hands over her ears and started to squeeze her skull, she can tell the cheering has stopped. Now there’s a pounding of footsteps in time with her heart and they’re beating ever closer.

She pulls Beau’s head into her lap and grasps her face with both hands, thrusting any healing magic she has left into her. “Traveler, please!” She begs between incantations. “Please, I need you, she needs help, please, please, please Beau wake up.”

Jester’s hands slip further down, thumbs pressed against Beau’s jawline as her fingers curl around the back of her neck. Gently, she brushes against the pads of her fingers against the short hairs of Beau’s undercut. It’s as soft as she ever imagined, but this isn’t right, this isn’t how the stories go. This is wrong, this is all wrong. They were supposed to have more time.

“You promised!” Jester yells to the open cavern, tears flowing freely. “You promised and where are you?! I need you! I need you to heal her, Traveler, I’m not strong enough, but you are. You are so strong, you can fix this, you can bring her back to me. Please I’ve done everything you’ve ever wanted, just--”

The footfalls of her friends finally come to a skidding stop. Someone’s hands grasp her shoulders and try to pull her back, but Jester wraps her arms around Beau’s neck and cuts herself off by screaming “No, Beau! It’s Beau I can’t heal her she’s- she’s--”

“Jester, Jester listen.” That’s Fjord’s voice, pulling the imaginary hands away from her ears and sharpening the world back into focus. It’s his claws digging into the skin beneath her collarbones, not enough to hurt but enough to keep her present in her own mind. “Caduceus can help her, but you have to let go.”

“The diamonds don’t work, I tried. I tried so hard, Fjord.” Jester’s voice is gruff and muffled against Beau’s neck. A shiver passes through her when her lips brush where there should be a pulse, but instead the blood lays still beneath the skin.

“I know. I know. But Caduceus has another spell that will work.” A beat. Neither of them move. “Jester, there’s not much time, let go. She’ll be fine if you just let go.”

He couldn’t pull her away from Beau even if he wanted to. He doesn’t have the brute strength Jester does, nor half the willpower. They both know it.

“I promise,” he says. His voice sounds raw.

She lets go.

There’s a flurry of motion as she sinks back on her knees. Though she’d hoped he’d stay, if only to keep her upright, Fjord pulls his hands off her shoulders and hurries to Caduceus’s side to aid in preparing the spell. The firbolg begins to pull components from his various pouches, Caleb hovering at a safe distance and providing what he can. Nott scurries over and positions Beau’s limbs closer together, less askew. She catches Jester’s eye and says, lightly, “More like she’s sleeping.”

Nott doesn’t know that when Beau sleeps, she takes up the entire bed. Arms spread to either side, legs kicked apart. Nott doesn’t know that when the room is small and they have to share one mattress, Beau apologizes, says she’ll take the floor, and Jester can’t tell her it’s fine fast enough. On those nights their limbs tangle together, Beau’s fingers always find themselves threaded through Jester’s hair. It’s the best she ever sleeps, curled into her best friend, flung out across the sheets. Nott doesn’t know that. She doesn’t know, she’s just trying to help, she’s just trying to make it easier. Jester bites her lip to keep the sob lodged in her throat from escaping.

Reani emerges from the chaos and kneels next to her, looping an arm around Jester’s shoulders and pulling her close to her chest. Jester feels horribly selfish for expecting comfort when her friends are preparing to revive Beau, but still feels a weight lifted from her chest when the aasimar whispers “She was good. Samliel doesn’t kill the good. Not before they’ve served their purpose, anyway, until they’re very old and very grey and Beau is neither, she’s in great shape, actually. Still super attractive. Pinkie will do his job and she will live. It’s okay, it really is.”

Through her tears, Jester gives a watery laugh. She wants to keep Reani forever; siphon some of this surety to keep for herself.

“Hm, okay,” Caduceus says, abruptly. “I think it’s ready now.”

With bated breath, they watch as he calmly cites the incantation. A handful of runes around Beau’s body flare, then go dark. Jester recognizes this, she recalls the balmy evening on the sea when the Traveler taught it to her, it’s revivify. She feels sick when she reaches inside herself and realizes she wouldn’t have had enough magic to cast this spell, even if she’d remembered it’s existence.

But she does remember enough, now, to know what comes next. Caduceus looks around at each of them in turn and says “Three of you need to contribute to the ritual.”

“Contribute?!” Nott says in a low, whispery screech, as though she could wake the dead. “What, with like our blood?”

“No, no, nothin’ like that.” Caduceus sighs, wary and placating. “More like gifts. Or words, if that’s easier. Something to convince her to come back, is all.”

There’s another prolonged silence where they all glance at each other, tight-lipped and nervous. None of them want this burden. It’s so heavy.

Finally, Fjord lurches forward. “I’ll go, then.”

He sits awkwardly on his knees beside Beau’s body, hands clasped in his lap. He swallows once, adam’s apple bobbing, then clears his throat. “I, uh, I don’t have anything to give you. Nothing material, anyhow. And I am not entirely sure how this is supposed to work,” he breathes out in something like a laugh, “but I know that you’ve been there with me since the beginning. Through everything with Uk’otoa and my powers vanishing, our time at sea, saving me from Yasha. You’ve never left my side, no matter how rough things have gotten.”

Fjord pauses and takes a deep breath. He tentatively reaches out and places a hand on Beau’s shoulder, bowing his head. His voice is low, a mutter indicative of his embarrassment.  “We, uh, we had a saying, back on my ship. You’ve gotta be willing to put as much faith in your first mate as you do in the boards beneath your feet, otherwise you’re setting out to sink. And it--heh--it sounds ridiculous now, but what that means is that you can’t be expected to make any journey without someone to fall back on, to put your trust in. You’ve been that for me, keeping me in line, doing right by me no matter how much I seem to fuck things up. You… you can’t go before I get to return the favor. You and I, we promised to check each other. This is me telling you it’s not your time, first mate. There’s still work to be done.”

Jester’s heart constricts. She wants to touch him, but he sits across the ritual and she can’t bring herself to reach over Beau’s body, no matter how sad he sounds, how horribly lost. So she stays still and lets her tears wet the torn skirt of her dress. Reani links their arms together and whispers “That was very sweet, Fjord.”

Her words seem to knock him from a daze. Fjord squeezes Beau’s shoulder once before shuffling back and crossing his arms over his chest, a blush rising in his cheeks. He looks to Caduceus. “How was that?”

“We’ll see,” Cad replies, but he nods approvingly. “Who’s next?”

Jester feels the pounding of her heart in her throat. She knows Beau better than anyone else, here and maybe anywhere, she should be volunteering. All her friends are watching her, they’re waiting on her, they’re getting confused. It was Jester they found cradling her body, begging her god to bring Beau back. Jester is her best friend. Jester always has something to say. Why is she so quiet now? 

Here it is: she can’t speak. Even if Jester had an answer, she wouldn’t be able to say it, her chest tight and vision blurry. There are so many things she wants to tell Beau, the little moments, the small comforts, what they all meant to her. Bits of her heart she’s only ever shared with the Traveler. But she’s messed up so much these past few months, neglecting her healing and making things strange with Fjord and that stupid letter to Astrid, putting her mama in danger. Beau is something she can’t afford to ruin. She’ll never, ever forgive herself if she does.

Caleb kneels in the same place as Fjord and catches Jester’s downcast eyes. He bows his head, just slightly, and raises his eyebrows. She feels more tears prick at the corners of her eyes and shakes her head vehemently.

“I’ll go,” he announces, not breaking her gaze. 

Caleb sees her for who she is in this moment, broken pieces all exposed, and that is enough.

He grabs the two the two splintered pieces of Beau’s staff and holds them together, sad eyes darting back and forth between the monk’s slack face and his own bloodied hands. Two lodestones gathered near him, he begins to mutter something indistinguishable. After a silent minute, the wood grows back, reaching across the break and mending the staff.

“This won’t be enough. This will never be enough,” Caleb says with ferocity. “Not for what you’ve done for me. For listening, for caring enough to argue. Even when we are not on good terms you show me compassion. It has not been… common. In my life. To have someone who holds and refuses to let go. You have done that for nearly as long as this group has been travelling together. You are what makes us a family, ja? All of us on our own, we are strong, but you are the one who keeps us from spiralling out of control. You are the glue.” 

Caleb’s voice thickens with emotion and he clasps Beau’s shoulder, both in the shadow of Fjord and the hundred other times he’d done to previously: grasping at Beau when looking through Frumpkin’s eyes, a pale hand on blue fabric, her fingers wrapping over his to keep him steady. Jester hadn’t ever thought she’d paid all that much attention, but the memories come to her in vivid clarity. 

Children of the Empire, realizing they may have been on the wrong side of history all along. Children of the Empire, pulled from the asylum, pulled from the monastery, set upon this path. Children of the Empire, all grating personalities and heated arguments turned vows and sibling affection. Children of the Empire, grounding posts for one another.

“I-ah-I owe you so much, more than a bit of wood or words. You are still needed, Beauregard. More than you know.”

Caleb bows his head, takes a deep, shuddering breath, and stands. With a blink of a tentative smile towards Jester, he shuffles back into the shadows, eyes darting across the scene. Even from her spot by the ritual, Jester can see his forearms are more irritated than usual. He continues to scratch at them vigorously, pale red against bright white scars. 

She has to remind herself that they can heal. They can heal. 

“I’ll go,” Jester murmurs, and her friends glance to her sharply. She looks up at each of them in turn. “I’ll be the last contribution.”

No one motions her forward. The air has been sucked from the cavern. This is the last chance to get their monk back. They all know it and it hangs over them, dark and heavy as storm clouds.

Careful not to smudge the runes, Jester pulls away from Reani’s embrace and grabs Beau’s limp hand in her own. She doesn’t know what is too intimate and what is not, she’s never had to think about before, never cared for anyone like this. It’s always come so easy but now she’s Beau’s last hope and the feeling of her best friend’s fingers intertwined with hers is at once not enough--never enough--and so excruciatingly overwhelming that she wants to let go, scorched with want.

But she doesn’t, despite the whisper in her ear that says this is going to spiral out of control. Instead, she brings Beau’s hand to her lips and whispers please against the skin, barely a breath. Gathering courage.

Her voice an octave higher than normal, thin and close to shattering, she says: “Hi, Beau. Wish you were here. I mean, really here, all of you. Heh- what is a body without a soul, amirite? Not much it seems, uhm- I-” Jester breaks herself off with a sob. “I need you here Beau. I know I said that I would be the one to protect you and I failed and I’m sorry, I am so so sorry, but you need to come back because I’m pretty sure you’re the one who’s always protecting me and I don’t want to be without that anymore. Since we left my mama it’s you who’s made me feel the safest; every time, Beau. Even when it’s a little comfort, or even just a joke, I feel like I am home again, y’know? I mean, the Menagerie Coast is always going to be my real home, obviously, but you’re my home now, too. You’re where I am at ease.”

Jester gives a watery laugh, tucking herself in as close to Beau’s body as she can come. Her voice comes out in a whisper, as though this were no different than the nights they spent awake in the darkness their room, vulnerable and raw. “I’ve never had a best friend before. I’ve never had any friends before Trostenwald. Beau- Beau maybe that’s why this was so hard for me to figure out, y’know? I don’t know a lot about love, not like, romantic love. I mean, I read a lot of smut, but I feel like that’s definitely not the same thing? At least it’s not anything like the way I feel about you, which is just so much more in every way. I don’t know. I don’t know. I needed more time to figure it out, okay?! I needed you to stay here and continue to be smart and beautiful and kind and then maybe I would’ve found a good way to say it but now you’re dead and it’s all my fault and I need you to come back so I can do this right. Please, Beau. I’m just- I’m asking for this one more thing--”

Breathless, Jester drops Beau’s hand, grabs either side of her face, and kisses her. 

It’s nothing like she imagined. It’s still and cold and terrifying, but as Beau’s lips move and she sucks in a breath, Jester knows it’s enough. She pulls away, but leaves her hands, just enough to get a good look at her best friend’s--her something’s--face, renewed with life. 

“No way, that works?!” Nott exclaims at the same time Caduceus says “Well that isn’t something you see every day” and Beau murmurs “What the fuck?”

“You’re back,” Jester whispers. She couldn’t stop the grin growing on her face if she tried. “You came back to us, just like I knew you would.”

Beau blinks, eyes trying to focus on Jester’s face at such close range. “Did you just kiss me?”

“Uh- well- y’know, we all really wanted you back--”

“Do it again.”

So Jester does. 

She thinks that out of all the stories she could have possibly told, reality may be the best one yet.

All Hallows’ Roswell New Mexico Fictober Challenge

Week 4: Occult (All about magic, and witches, and warlocks)

Rated M for Graphic Violence

***

               “You look troubled, my dear.”

               “Hm?” Mimi looked up. Her mother’s old friend, skin as white as snow and hair as grey as a storm cloud, frowned at her. “Oh, it’s nothing Aunt Margarite.”

               “Mimi,” her mother, Lily, frowned, her hands around her mug of coffee. Her dark eyes still twinkled as brightly as Maria’s when she looked at her daughter. “You don’t think I can tell when you’re upset? Has someone bothered you?”

               “It’s Maria,” her aunt Sophia shook her head. “Don’t bother yourself about it, baby, it’s this whole generation. All they do is sleep with one another and get drunk off their chairs, they don’t have time to spend with their parents.”

               “Maria’s working,” Lily said with a rather stern look at her sister. “It’s not like she’s off lollygagging.”

               “It’s not Maria,” Mimi said. “It’s Alex. I’m scared for him.”

               “Dakota’s son?” Margarite’s eyes widened. “What on earth for? Has he been hurt?”

               Mimi shook her head. “It’s the alien forces, the ones we feared. He got his hands on a spaceship, and I’m afraid it’s already started affecting him.”

               Lily frowned. “No, that’s not possible. Alex is one of the saviors destined to save the alien race, he couldn’t be hurt by it.”

               “Not by it alone,” Sophia said. “But that boy has always been on a very thin thread between light and darkness.”

               “What about that Michael Guerin character? He certainly seems to be on a thread!”

               “Guerin has a temper,” Lily waved her friend off, “but his heart is pure. Alex, on the other hand…. If the potential for evil inside of him wins –”

               “He and the aliens he was destined to protect will suffer,” Mimi agreed. “And he keeps everything so close to his chest, the poor boy. All the pain, the misery, the anger – it could devour him –”

               “You told him to let it go, didn’t you?” Lily demanded.

               “Of course I did!” Mimi said, her eyes burning with the thought of her Alex flinching with pain, his eyes shut tight as he tried to carry the weight of that heartache all by himself. “I just worry,” she whispered, “I worry that, after so many years of suffering, it may not be enough.”

               Lily shook her head, her eyes filled with hate. “Damn that man. He should never have been allowed to be a father.”

               “If you’re talking about Jesse,” Margarite started.

               “Who else would I be talking about?” she snapped. “Look at his youngest son! Look at what he’s endured, and now, he is forced to endure again! I never liked him, I told you I never liked him!”

               “Mother,” Mimi sighed. “Can we focus please? What do I do about Alex?”

               “Aren’t his friends helping him?”

               Mimi hesitated. “He doesn’t speak to Maria anymore. They think I don’t notice, but I do. Nor does he speak to Michael.”

               “Great,” Sophia groaned. “Wonderful. Maybe the one person who could’ve helped him, and he and Alex aren’t even speaking?”

               “Too much has happened,” Mimi said with furrowed brows, her eyes shut. “I’m hazy on the details.”

               “Well, what about you? That magic you inherited, what did you think it was for? Growing daisies?”

               “My magic isn’t as powerful as yours was,” Mimi said.

               “You may not be a witch, Mimi,” Margarite said. “You’ve inherited too much of your father’s human blood, but you still have magic. So long as you have something to fight with, fight. Fight for your son.”

               Mimi nodded, and swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I keep waiting for Alex to come to me. I’ll have to pay him a visit myself. I admit I’m a little scared. If I can’t save him –”

               “You will,” her mother said, covering her hand on the table with her own. “You’ve got a coven on your side, Mimi, no matter how small.”

               “You’re right,” she said. “You’re right.”

               “Mom?” Maria stepped into the kitchen, her brows furrowed. When she saw her mother, she smiled hesitantly. “Um – who’re you talking to?”

               Mimi looked around the table. Lily, Sophia, and Margarite looked at Maria with a fondness and longing for a life they no longer had. Mimi wondered if someday, she would carry that same look. “Your grandmother,” she said, “and some friends.”

               Maria’s expression faltered, and Mimi’s heart jumped. Could it be her daughter could finally see what she could? Did Maria have the magic of their family?

               “Oh,” Maria finally said, smiling. “Okay.” And she left, taking Mimi’s hopes with her.

               She heard a sigh behind her. “What’d I tell you? It’s the generation,” Sophia said. “Blind to everything.”

               Alex stood at the door to the bunker. The sun was high in the sky. Alex looked down at his hands; the violet, blue, gold, and orange in his veins bright and vibrant. He closed his eyes. He knew they were of the same color. He clenched his jaw, took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw that the coloring in his veins had vanished completely. He smiled.

               Alex pushed the steel door open, and stepped inside. The place was cool, normally biting into Alex’s skin and chilling his bones, but this time, the airman hardly noticed.

               He clicked a few buttons on his computer, and Michael’s mugshot shone on the screen. Alex felt a pang in his chest. He gasped, his hand over his heart.

               “Whoa, soldier,” he huffed a chuckle. “He’s the enemy, remember? I’m trying to protect you from him.” Alex looked up at the curly-haired cowboy. He sighed, letting his hand fall limp to his side. The pain didn’t last longer than a second. It felt like a victory. “And I will protect you.”

               The bunker door opened, and Kyle stepped in. Alex remembered the way he would hurry to hide how he felt, destroy the evidence of any emotion he had, of any love he might’ve carried for Michael Guerin. Now, he felt nothing.

               No, Alex thought. That’s wrong. I’m excited.

               “I’ve looked over all my dad’s journals, I can’t find anything I haven’t already…” Kyle’s words trailed off as he set his bag on the table, and looked up to see Michael’s face on the computer screen. “You – uh – you good?”

               Alex raised a questioning brow at him.

               “Come on, Alex,” Kyle said. “You don’t have to put up the act for me.”

               And Alex felt anger surge through him. Act? Was he meant to be devastated and falling apart because of someone who’d chosen one of his best friends while he’d waited on a chair with his bad leg for hours in the cold? Was he meant to cry for the man who’d blamed him for his father’s mistakes?

               It made his blood boil to have his brother now, of all people, question whether or not Alex could survive disposing of someone so toxic.

               But he mustered the best comforting smile he could, a smile filled with the same guilt and pity and fear that had always haunted him, yet he knew deep down he had never deserved to feel.

               “It’s tough,” he croaked. “Obviously, I-I’m devastated, but, you know, I have to keep working. I have to stop my family’s crimes.” He inhaled a shaky breath for dramatic effect. “No matter what.”

               Kyle nodded. “Whatever you want, Manes. Just remember I’m here.”

               Alex smiled appreciatively, then, when Kyle turned away, rolled his eyes.

               He searched through the files, the locations where aliens had been spotted since the crash-landing, unidentified heat signatures that continued to come up years later, paths that led to Caulfield, as well as other places.

               Weak, Alex thought. What a pathetic race his turned out to be. They had powers of destruction, powers to turn the world on its back, and they just cowered away. None of them had had the anger Alex did, none of them the great potential for destruction.

               Alex grinned. “You see, little soldier?” he muttered. “See how well we fit together?”

               Alex’s mind and heart hammered, and he could feel the old Alex fighting back. It didn’t matter, he thought. It was only a matter of time until the airman saw things his way. Once he ripped off Michael Guerin’s head, once those who had turned their backs on him were pleading to be spared, then Alex would find the satisfaction he deserved. Alex would know true power, and he’d be happy to have it. Alex would love his darker counterpart, and he would welcome it in with open arms.

               “Only a matter of time,” he repeated.

               “Hm?”

               “Oh,” Alex looked over his shoulder at his friend. “I’m just reading some of this stuff out loud.”

               “You find anything interesting?” Kyle asked.

               Alex made a pensive face as he looked back at the screen. “I think so. Look at this coding here, it’s so familiar. I think it might be a poem, but… it’s hard to tell for sure until I can compare it to your dad’s journals.”

               Kyle’s expression faltered. “You mean the poems he wrote when he was –”

               “—losing his mind,” Alex finished, and saw his friend flinch. He backtracked. “I mean, slowly – because of the illness. Poor guy.”

               “Yeah,” Kyle said with an unreadable look on his face. “Yeah. Here, let me look through his writings. Can you figure out which poem it is?”

               “Yeah, let me just… what the hell?” Alex feigned surprise as the computer screen began glitching. He felt the heat and electricity running in his body surge through the keyboards and every bit of equipment.

               “What’s going on?” Kyle tried touching a key, but it electrocuted him and he stepped back, holding his hand.

               “I have no idea,” Alex pretended to click a few buttons, and through his fingers, the virus continued to eat away at everything, the glitching getting worse and worse. Only Michael’s mugshot was left on the screen before it, too, glitched and disappeared. The computers all turned black, the lights flickered, and then stayed off. Alex and Kyle were left standing in the dark.

               “What the hell just happened?!” Kyle pulled his phone out, and turned the flashlight on.

               Alex beat at the keyboard, but the computers stayed off. “I think something just wiped out our hard drive.”

               “Wh – you can bring it back, right?”

               “It’s a covert operation,” Alex said. “All the information we had was all the information we had, Kyle. And now it’s gone.”

               Kyle shook his head. “Do you – I mean, do you think it was your powers?”

               “How?” Alex said. “I got rid of those.”

               “Here, let me see your arm,” he said, leaning the phone against the table so that the light shone on them.

               With a sigh, Alex unbuttoned his shirt. Kyle seemed momentarily taken back, and Alex remembered that he wasn’t usually the kind of person to strip so easily.

               Still, Kyle searched his skin, and found no trace of any abnormal coloring.

               “Like I said, I got rid of it. All that stuff that was eating away at me is dead.”

               Or it will be.

               Kyle nodded, his thoughtful eyes searching Alex’s face. Finally, he sighed, pressing the bottom of his palms into his eyes.

               “Well,” he finally said, “at least we still have the journals.”

               Alex gave him a small smile. “At least.”

               Kyle patted his friend’s shoulder and headed outside, the light flooding in through the open door. Once he was gone, Alex faced the black computer screen, his smile falling off his face.

               “Let’s see how long you survive, cowboy,” he hissed, “when I’m not there to save you.”

               Kyle didn’t think he’d come back to the Wild Pony so soon, but he needed a drink. He had made the resolve not to answer any of Maria’s questions about Alex. Alex wouldn’t have wanted him to.

               It turns out it was something he had to worry very little about as his thoughts had been so entirely consumed by what had happened that it was only when Mimi touched a cold glass of water to his cheek that he realized he was being spoken to at all.

               “Your mind’s running,” she said with the kind smile she always wore, though her eyes held something else that Kyle couldn’t read.

               “Mimi,” he breathed.

               “What’s going on, Kyle?” she asked. “Two women have already tried speaking to you, and you hardly noticed they were even there. What are you worried about?”

               Kyle tried huffing a careless chuckle, though it sounded forced even to his own ears.

               “Me? Come on, I’m never worried.”

               “Kyle,” she said softly. “Whatever you tell me stays between us. I promise you that much.”

               Kyle hesitated. He ought to have said no, ought to have assured her there was nothing wrong, but he remembered the way she’d held on to Alex when he was in pain, the way she’d cared for him. Kyle didn’t remember much of Alex’s mother, but he was sure that Mimi came pretty close.

               “It’s Alex,” he finally said.

               Mimi tensed. “Is he alright?”

               “Yeah, he says he’s fine,” Kyle shook his head, “but I don’t know, something just feels off.”

               “Off how?”

               “I can’t explain it,” he said. “Today, all of our computers in the bunker were wiped clean. Everything we had on Michael Guerin, and Max and Isobel, it’s all gone, and… Alex didn’t really seem to care that much. He nearly burned his own house to the ground yesterday, but when I checked his arms today, everything was normal. The danger’s just gone. Is that even possible?”

               Mimi frowned, her brows furrowed as she stared at Kyle.

               Kyle sighed, staring into his drink. “Like I said, I don’t know. I’m probably just worrying too much.”

               “Alex’s history with Michael – it’s strained, isn’t it?”

               Kyle frowned. “Are you saying Alex didn’t care because he doesn’t want to help Michael anymore? No, I can’t believe that. Alex wanted to stop Project Shepherd from the beginning because it was hurting the aliens. He wouldn’t abandon them just because he broke up with one.”

               “That’s not what I’m saying,” Mimi said. “You don’t think I know what Alex is like? I know what he’d risk, I know the sacrifices he’d make to protect the people he loved, and whether or not he ended things does not change the fact that he does love Michael. Not caring about someone is not the same as hating them, Kyle.” She looked into the distance, her eyes darkening. “If Alex doesn’t care, then we have a problem.”

               “What does that mean?” Kyle asked, and when she didn’t answer, he leaned in, his voice quieter. “Mimi, is Alex in danger?”

               “I –” she started, but her words were cut short by the sound of a large crash.

               “Damn!” a man in a cap, obviously drunk out of his mind, laughed hysterically as a woman cowered against a corner, shards of broken glass in her hair. “Did you see her fall? Like a rock!”

               Some of his friends, it seemed, were trying to pull him back, but he kept fighting them. Kyle stood, ready to pin him to the ground, but Maria had already directed one of the men to toss him out the door.

               When she was sure the woman on the floor was alright, and had dusted the glass shards off her (thankfully, they’d left no mark), she made her way towards the bar, huffing. “I should call Max, have him arrest Joel before he does anything he’ll regret tomorrow.”

               Kyle raised a brow. “Does Joel ever really regret doing anything?”

               “Fair enough,” Maria muttered, and disappeared into the backdoor as she dialed the sheriff’s number. She looked like she hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep all night.

               “Get up,” Mimi suddenly said, throwing her scarf over her shoulders. “We have to go.”

               “What?” Kyle hurried after her. “Go where?”

               “To save Alex,” Mimi said. “Before he does something he’ll regret.”

               Alex had known exactly where he would go after destroying the files in the bunker. And he knew exactly where to look. He could feel the alien power of the spaceship consuming him, and he welcomed it. Power led to power, and it was as Mimi had once told him; everything looks for its home.

               That was where the voices echoing in his head were leading him. Home. Alex thought of that drunken idiot he’d seen only moments ago when he had first stopped by the Wild Pony, hoping to catch a glimpse of Maria through the window. To his satisfaction, she looked exhausted.

               Guilt-ridden, he thought with a grin. As she should be.

               Of course, he’d been irritated with Joel who had failed to cause her the slightest bit of harm. The dimwit had had half a broken glass bottle in his hands, yet he’d been unable to do more than cause Alex’s ex-friend some inconvenience.

               When he’d stepped out of the bar, Alex was waiting for him. He looked down at his bloodstained shirt, and turned his jacket collar up to hide it. Not that there was anyone around to see it in the desert.

               He thought of the way his anger at Joel, anger at Maria, anger at everyone had surged from him through Joel. How the pressure was too much to take, how Joel’s nose began to bleed, then his ears, then his eyes, and how his whole head had burst like a balloon.

               Alex felt the urge to laugh, so he did. He had been so frustrated with the idiot, so frustrated with Kyle for talking to Mimi of all people, so frustrated with everything. And he’d let go so easily. It was such a relief.

               He neared a bunch of caves, and let the power coursing through his veins guide him through one. He found the pods almost instantly, and his smile widened.

               “There you are,” he cooed. He touched the surface of one ship, and sighed deeply at the way it rippled under his touch, reacting to his body. He chuckled. “Let’s see if you break as easily as I remember you do.”

               “Alex?”

               Alex whipped around. There Kyle was with a frown on his face, his eyes looking from the pods to the airman.

               “What’re you doing?”

               Alex blinked. “The pods, they radiate some heat signatures that I thought might match the ones in our files, or what’s left of them anyway. I told you I would look into that, didn’t I?”

               Kyle’s frown deepened. “I don’t really –” he shook his head. “Look, I’ve been searching for you. I’m worried.”

               “What’re you talking about?”

               “There was a murder outside the Wild Pony,” Kyle stepped closer. “His head had just exploded. Max thinks it was an alien attack.”

               Alex gasped softly, his eyes widening. He covered his mouth with his hand, subtly pulling his jacket collar further up. “Another alien?”

               “Yeah, and when I couldn’t find you in the bunker or the cabin, I figured you already knew, and you’d gone to Guerin, but he said he hasn’t seen you since yesterday.”

               “No,” he said. “Oh man, I – I had no idea. I don’t even really go near the Wild Pony anymore, I thought you’d know that.”

               Kyle stared. “Alex, are you sure you’re okay?”

               Alex scoffed and shrugged a shoulder. “Do I look like I’m glowing to you?”

               “No, but you don’t have to be for something else to be wrong.”

               He smiled tightly. “I’m fine, Kyle.”

               “Alex, I’m just –”

               “And, by the way, all of these checkups are getting kind of annoying. Michael and Maria weren’t really my life source. Believe it or not, I’ll learn how to live without them.”

               “But you loved Guerin.”

               “I don’t even know why,” he said with a clear edge in his voice. “He never deserved anything I’d done for him anyway! He could end up just like Joel tomorrow, with his head splattered against the pavement, and I wouldn’t bat an eye. Good riddance.”

               There was a moment of silence when Alex returned his attention to the pods, his back turned to Kyle. Then –

               “Alex,” his voice was barely below a whisper.

               “What?”

               “I never told you the victim’s name.”

               Alex froze. His hands fell limp to his side, and he stared at the cave ceiling. “Damn it.”

               When he turned to face Kyle, the doctor was pointing a gun at him. “I knew something was wrong. I was right. You’re not Alex.”

               Alex rolled his eyes. “Put that away, Valenti, you and I both know you’re not good with it.”

               “Who are you?”

               He shrugged. “I’m Alex.”

               “No, Alex is good. You murdered someone.”

               Alex scoffed. “This is a treat, it really is. Kyle Valenti finds me out? Seriously? Well, then again, you are the only one who’s ever been family to me.”

               “I’m Alex’s family,” Kyle seethed. “I’m not going to ask again. Who are you?”

               “Oh, okay,” he huffed. “But only because you’re so sexy when you’re angry.” Alex took a deep breath, allowing every bit of anger and resentment inside him to surface. As he did, his veins changed color, spreading like a glittering spiderweb all over his body. His eyes, he knew, had changed to that same violet, blue, orange, green, and gold color.

               Kyle’s gun nearly fell out of his hands. “No,” he whispered. “Alex killed you.”

               “That’s the rule, isn’t it?” Alex grinned. “No body. No death.”

               “I saw him get rid of you! He beat you!”

               “Why would he want to do that?” Alex asked. “I’m the only one that gives him the freedom to breathe, to feel what he wants to feel!” He scoffed. “‘Do this, Alex, do that, Alex!’ No appreciation, no one cares how he feels or what he’s going through! Everyone just needs him for something. I actually love him. I’ll actually protect him!” He huffed. “Even from you.”

               Kyle felt like there were chains around his heart. Even now, with Alex possessed by whatever he was possessed by, Kyle could still feel his pain. The airman really had been suffering for too long a time, but even so –

               “He’d never choose you,” Kyle said, and Alien Alex seemed startled at the certainty of that statement. “He’d never choose darkness. He’s a hero.”

               “Is he?” Alien Alex said. “Because according to everyone else, he’s the villain. Nothing is enough, nothing is right, nothing is good about him. What’s the good in being good if no matter what you do, you’re always at the bottom of everyone’s list?” He sighed. “He’s tired, Kyle. You know he’s tired. He deserves a family who loves him, doesn’t he?”

               “I love him. Mimi loves him, and so does Liz and –”

               “Who’re you kidding?” he barked a laugh. “No one loves him.” He shook his head at Kyle with a look of disgust. “And you? If you don’t understand that this will help him, then you’re no different.”

               Before Kyle could understand what that meant, Alien Alex raised a hand at him, and he went flying into the cave wall, his breath knocked out of him. He struggled to sit up, his gun flying to the other end of the cave as he tried reaching for it.

               He looked up at his friend with blurry vision.

               “You know,” Alien Alex said, “I should thank you. Pretending to give a crap about any of those assholes was getting really difficult, really quickly.” He started laughing. “Alex really hates them, especially Guerin. I mean, he hates him.”

               “You’re wrong,” Kyle breathed, though even that sent a crushing pain through his chest.

               “Yeah?” he knelt in front of Kyle, hands rested on his knees. “How do you figure that?”

               “Because when Alex loves,” Kyle tried, “he loves with everything he has. That’s why he forgave me. Because he loves me. And I love him.” He reached out and grabbed Alex’s arm. “And I’m not the only one.”

               Alien Alex’s brows furrowed, and just as he opened his mouth, Mimi walked in. She flicked a finger at Alex, and he went flying across the cave, hitting the wall hard.

               “Get out of my son,” Mimi hissed.

               “DeLuca,” Alex said with a bloody grin, though Kyle could see the fear that flashed in his expression. “Never thought I’d see you again. I thought you would’ve gone crazy in some mental hospital by now. Tell me,” he slumped against the wall, “how are the hallucinations coming along? Can you even recognize your own daughter anymore, or do you still see one of the Dream Girls? Because that’d be hilarious.”

               Mimi pointed another finger at Alex, and Kyle didn’t miss the way he flinched. He’s afraid of her, he realized. All of these years, Kyle could never imagine Mimi hurting so much as a ladybug. Now she towered over the bravest man Kyle had ever known. It was both relieving and heartbreaking at the same time.

               “You’re not getting to me, you demented piece of space dust,” she said.

               “Fine,” Alex grinned. “Then how about this; If I can’t have Alex, no one will.”

               Mimi’s eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t.”

               “Wouldn’t I? I’ve fought your coven once before, but this time I have leverage. You see, I love Alex too much to give him up now. So if you so much as try to get me out, I’ll kill him from the inside, and we’ll die together. Poetic, isn’t it?”

               Mimi glared at him with more hate than Kyle had ever thought it was possible for her to have.

               “What’s it going to be, witch?” He scoffed. “My bad. I meant bitch.”

               To Kyle’s, and evidently the alien’s, surprise, Mimi leaned forward, brought her hand gently behind Alex’s head, and pulled him in to kiss his forehead. “I love you, Alex,” she whispered. “And I promise we’ll save you.”

               The alien frowned. Mimi tapped two fingers to Alex’s temples, and he suddenly closed his eyes, falling back against the wall.

               Kyle stood, his eyes wide. “Did you just knock him out?”

               “I only know a few spells,” Mimi muttered, wringing her hands together. “They’re small, but effective.”

               “Spells, witches, aliens,” Kyle groaned, rubbing his face. “One of these days…”

               “I don’t have nearly enough power to pull that alien out of him,” she said.

               Kyle leaned down, brushing Alex’s bangs from his eyes. The coloring in his veins had yet to fade. He sighed. “Sorry, Alex, but we’re doing it my way now.” He pulled out his phone and began dialing.

               “Who’re you calling?” Mimi asked.

               With his eyes on Alex, Kyle braced for what he knew would be the longest night of his life. “Guerin. I’m calling Michael Guerin.”

***

I don’t think I’m very good at this. I realized, about a week ago, that I might’ve been better off creating an au type of thing because I don’t really think I’m following the prompts particularly well.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed reading. Halloween’s coming up, and I’m very sad because I can already feel the season and holiday slipping away. Still, I plan to enjoy what’s left of it, and I hope this little piece of mine gave you the spooky feels as well. Happy Halloween 🎃👻🦇🧡

Another long SPN post

This time it’s notes from my WIPs. I never actually really wrote any of these, but tags and titles are included. Anyone can use these as starting points for a fanfic, have fun

Henry/Balthazar Summary: When Henry’s mentor, Benny, doesn’t return from the war Henry is saddened. He refuses to believe Benny died. Won’t even entertain it. On the way to find his missing mentor/father figure, he meets Balthazar. A strange man with a british accent and a habit of flirting with everyone, especially him. He finds Benny. He finds love. THen Balthazar tells him he’s from another time period and has to go. The last chapter is Balthazar saving Henry from Abaddon. Side note: Henry has blue eyes that Balthy apparently likes to wax poetic about Chapter One The day’s circled on his calendar. ‘Benny comes home’. That would be today. Or, it would’ve been. He had gotten the letter a week ago. ‘Benjamin Lafitte died in the war. We send our condolences.’ The letter, of course, wasn’t actually as cold and unfeeling as that. But it didn’t matter. Because it felt like that. It felt like someone had taken him and shoved him in an ice bath. He couldn’t believe the letter. He wouldn’t believe the letter. Benny had promised he’d live through this war. And if he had to find him, then by golly he’d find him. Even if he had to do it on his own. Henry snuck out of the bunker that night. A pack of food was the only thing he brought with him. That, and a picture of him and Benny. No one caught him on the way out. He knew the passages too well. He stole a bike from the garage, and left. There would be no note left in his absence. No trace of where he’d gone. Because if he’d left one, he worried that they’d try to find him. Find him and drag him back. But he couldn’t go back. Not now. Not without Benny. New section He’d been on the hunt for four days now. Had traveled from Lebanon, Kansas to Chattanooga, Tennessee and was slowly making his way to the Georgia coastline. His plan was to check coastal cities first. Then he’d work inwards till he covered all of the US. He only hoped Benny would return here and not go to another country. This is where he runs into Balthazar It’s when he’s asking a bartender if he’d ever seen Benny, while showing his picture Balthy comes up to him and says “Are you from around here, because you’re a perfect ten.”

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Don't Make Bets With Love Goddesses Five chapters Alternative meeting, canon divergent, Gabriel is Loki, Aphro has her son arrow multiple people, but Gabe bypasses them all “You cheated!” “That never seemed to matter to you before, now how did I cheat?” “Eros shot Sam with an arrow!” “My son’s arrow never touched the Winchester.” Everyone has what the humans would call a ‘soulmate’, not everyone finds them and they're not always romantic. It looks like Gabe found his, though.

Chapter One Explains how Loki has messed around, yet has never fallen in love “I will never fall in love” the Norse god boasted. He was talking out of his ass, and Aphrodite knew it. Loki bets Aphrodite that he will never fall in love She accepts with a wicked twinkle in her eye Aphro has never been able to pass up bets, especially when they deal with love He was close once, with Kali, but it ultimately fell flat It didn’t even actually fall flat with Gabe, but with Kali who could sense his growing attachment and cut off their involvement before it could happen. They had made a promise to each other that their thing would remain ‘no strings attached’. Then years where nothing happens

Chapter Two Sam enters the scene He’s tall and handsome; funny, sarcastic, witty. And he’s one of the only people Gabe has ever met that won’t take his crap. That will see right through it. Gabriel vows right then and there that he won’t fall in love with Sam.

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Different Circumstances Summary: Where the first meeting isn't of a boy with demon blood and an archangel, hidden as a trickster god, disguised as a janitor. Nor is the second meeting, or the third, or even the fifth. Until suddenly it is and the world seems just that much more messed up. Six chapters Tags: Canon divergent, Canon universe, 5 + 1 format, fluff, angst

Chapter One High school Gabe is the ‘bad kid’ They bond over pranks, and Gabe teaches Sam a few tricks

Chapter Six Sam connects all the dots and realizes the few people he had met in his life, the ones other than Jess that he had clicked with on automatic, were all the same person. Where all the trickster, Loki the god of mischief, and Gabriel the messenger of God. He hadn’t even clicked with Jess as quickly as he had seemed to click with each and every version of Gabe he had met. And now he was gone.

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To Heal A Soul Summary: Castiel isn't the only angel who tried to save Sam Winchester from the Cage. But while Castiel got a body, the other found only a soul. Tiny and broken, frayed at the edges, yet still somehow alive curled up in the corner of the Cage. Gabe keeps and heals Sam’s soul until he feels that it could be replaced with minimum consequences, when he does replace it there is still a battle. Gabe can’t help him with this battle, none of Team Free Will can. Gabe's dog is Max Chapter One Gabe gets Sam’s soul, just his soul, from the Cage because he knows what’ll happen if he puts his soul back in his body after Lucifer had ripped it out Sam gets a different… form type thing. Like, I don’t know Gabe uses pagan magic to give Sam a body like his own Explains to Sam the situation

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Stacy’s Dad (Lafittz) Tags: help me for i know not what im doing, i love this song and had to do this though, babysitter!garth, single father!benny, female teen oc, benny is older than garth by a few years, dilf!Benny, Notes: I'm sorry for the dilf tag, but I thought of it and it was too funny to me to not include it. Garth’s turned twenty a day ago, and is babysitting Benny’s kid (she’s twelve, so it’s not exactly babysitting) Benny’s thirty (his wife and him had Stacy when they were eighteen, they married right out of high school) Garth asks Benny out, saying that he promised him when he was eleven he’d go out with him when he turned twenty Stacy and Garth go to the pool, where Benny may work as a lifeguard Or, Stacy met Garth during her freshman year and they hit it off immediately as friends But Stacy liked Garth, and when he met Stacy’s dad it was practically love at first sight. (Because he's mushy like that) Or Benny and Andrea had her at sixteen, and Benny was estatic. Sure, it was early and he wasn't sure if he was ready, but he'd be damned if he didn't try to be a good father.

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Scarecrow Summary: Remake where Cas is a “hunter” who Dean picks up on the way to ----, he's working the same case and they decide to pretend to be a couple to solve it. Also, instead of Meg, Sam runs into Gabriel because he picks him up on the road before he got to Meg. Sam’s part is inspired in part by the honeythief amv. Tags: s01e11 Scarecrow, rewrite, i tried, canon divergent, canon hopping, beginning unchanged, fake/pretend relationship, bonding(????) Dean picks up Cas either along the road (a parallel of their brothers) or at the food place he and Sammy split A man slid into the seat Sam had vacated, black hair Dean could only describe as bedroom hair, piercing blue eyes, and a trenchcoat. “So you're going after the missing couples, too?” The other couple isn't there, instead the people there immediately assume they're a couple Cas immediately goes with it and when Dean asks about it later he simply shrugs and explains that this job seemed to require some falsehood

---- Short ficlet where they find Narnia. “I thought you'd already been to Narnia given how deep inside the closet you are,” Gabriel joked.

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Sabriel Anniversary Sam: Gabriel, I figured we could go where I first fell in love with you. Gabriel: Sam, I'd rather not… Sam: Why not? Gabriel: I have bad memories there. Sam, in surprise: Bad memories? I mean , sure we tried to kill you Gabriel: Lucifer killed me. Sam: Oh… Oh! You were thinking Elysian Fields? I meant Crawford Hall! Gabriel: What? Sam nervously rubs the back of his neck while looking away: Yeah… Could never really get you out of my head after that. *looks back at him* Even when I really wanted to. ----

Everytime they find Gabriel again, Sam wants to ask Gabriel to help. He wants him to stay. Though he tells himself it's not for him, but the world. But then they leave him behind in that ring of holy fire. And he… dies. At the hands of Lucifer. Sam thinks that's it. But then he shows up again, only to save him and leave him. (But it wasn't just him- it was Castiel as well, he has to remind himself for the next few weeks till it sticks.) So this time Sam swallows everything down, and he tells himself it's okay. Gabriel would've never stayed. And that's fine. Then Gabriel's back again, and he finally agrees to be on their team. He finally agrees to simply stay, even if it isn't for him. So of course he has to die all over again. ----

A rebound. Gabriel knows that's exactly what this is. After knowing Sam for all these years, he can read him. Read him easier than he can read himself. Heck, he knew Jess and Sam’d date the second he saw them together. And just as he knew, a month later they were dating. So yeah, Gabriel knew how to read Sam and how he felt about others. Romantic feelings just weren't there for him. Sure, Sam sounded sincere. He truly believed he liked Gabriel, and Gabriel knew that. But he knew his best friend and he knew the feelings were just his body’s half-assed attempt at fixing whatever hole Jess had left him with that he refused to recognize.

“I'm not ready.” It's not a lie. Gabriel isn't ready to date anyone, even if he loves Sam with all his heart. But he refused to be a rebound. He told the girlfriend Sam has before Jess- Ruby- as much when she gave him her twisted blessing after Sam broke up with her. If Sam knew that's what he was looking for in Gabriel, it would crush him. The poor kid would feel terrible, and Gabriel knows it. That is something he won't allow. Sam deserved happiness, but it couldn't be with him. Not now. Maybe not ever.

---- Crime Cleaners crime scene cleaners sam and dean who get roped into something well above their paygrade by two particular Novaks, possible villain being Luci and Lilith, who is his 'queen' they definitely get help from their friend Bobby and the Novak's friends Charlie, Rowena, and Rowena's girlfriend, the coroner Billie Or, serial killers God and his Righteous Man, who are secretly Dean and Cas. Gabe and Sam are the ones trying to find them.

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John Winchester and Chuck Shurley meet the parents thing. John first meets Cas, and Dean explains that Cas is his husband. Then he meets Gabriel, Sam’s bondmate-husband- and an archangel. When he mentions how weird this is, Gabriel is the one who points out that “If you think it's weird that your son in laws are angels, just remember that their father in law is literally God.”

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Normal au, Gabriel shows up out of nowhere because he has to do a blood sugar test to check for diabetes or some shit and he just grabs Sam: “I need your blood.”

Jac & Amelia

Jac: what did you do that for Amelia: What? Jac: the presents Amelia: I had to go 🎁🛍 for my parents and it took like 10 minutes Jac: you went to three different shops, at least Amelia: yeah because what else was I going to do before they picked me back up Jac: study for your theory Jac: be one Amelia: 🥱 Jac: I ain't got you nothing Amelia: I don't want anything Jac: then that's a present in itself, I guess Amelia: yeah, you getting another from me by taking the out you were just given Jac: it was already 3-1 do you really have to add to your score Amelia: Always Jac: 🙄 Jac: were you invited then Amelia: to? Jac: Is' party Amelia: Yeah Amelia: but I don't know if it was by Is or her mum Amelia: or if we're talked enough that she'd really want me there Jac: yeah Jac: interesting choice, on her part Amelia: If I get there and her mum engineered it or it's obvious Is doesn't want me around I'll just give her the 🎁 and go Jac: you're going? Amelia: I have the 💌 I think I have to Jac: unlucky then Amelia: don't worry, I won't insist that you're my date Amelia: as a favour Jac: to her, so that's not another gift to me Amelia: it definitely is Amelia: you don't want to go Jac: wasn't invited Jac: but I do have somewhere better to be, which is unlucky for you Amelia: I'm not inviting you or mourning the loss of not having you with me Jac: well I was going to invite you to a party that wouldn't be sad as shit Jac: but if that's how you feel then alright Amelia: no you weren't Jac: Why would I say I was if I weren't, weirdo Jac: you know those really cool twins in 6th, Nat and Vee? Amelia: because I've already said I have to go to Is' and I don't really want to and you want to make me feel even worse Amelia: here's what I could've won Jac: Rude Jac: At Christmas, you have to tell the truth Jac: I thought you might wanna come and stare at them Jac: that's all Amelia: my parents literally lied to me about 🎅 for 8 years so no, you don't Amelia: and I don't know who you mean Jac: you can't lie about myths Jac: he could be real, they can't confirm nor deny Jac: anyway, yes you do Jac: Vee especially is pretty gay looking, she's Bi, I think Jac: [sends her these gals pictures] Amelia: if there's mistletoe I'll come Amelia: after I've been to Is' Jac: they throw really good parties, so I've been informed Jac: don't waste too much time then Amelia: okay Jac: I knew you'd like her Amelia: you sound like a really creepy mastermind in a lair Jac: I do live below ground now so Amelia: you can be mole, I'll be rat Jac: I suppose you've just been as insulting to yourself Amelia: 😂 Amelia: I'd have bought you that 📖 too but I know you've already read it Jac: It's good to have as many classics under your belt as possible Amelia: How did you know I'd like her? Jac: I've got eyes, don't need to be a huge gay Amelia: you just need to be hugely 🥴 Jac: Nah, I fucked their brother Amelia: I meant to 'like' anyone, I don't want or need to know that Jac: 🤷 Amelia: I'm serious Jac: Alright whatever Jac: and it's not true anyway, if it was I wouldn't be in this fucking mess would I Amelia: what mess? Amelia: you're going to need to be more specific Jac: ha ha Jac: if I only liked people when I was wasted, literally would not be here having this conversation Amelia: you're having this conversation because you can't bring yourself to say thanks for the gifts, Amelia Jac: If you expected a thank you, you wouldn't have given them to me Jac: if Sav was still here, this wouldn't be happening at all, is the point Amelia: we're dancing around it, that's okay, I'm a good dancer Jac: you aren't that good, humblebrag Amelia: at Christmas, you have to tell the truth, supposedly Jac: what, your ego is big but not big enough to deal? 😏 Amelia: giving me a compliment won't cause you to immediately wither and die, I'm sorry Jac: Precisely why I'd never bother, my dear Amelia: you've done enough anyway Jac: have I Amelia: I'll get loads at the parties Jac: cocky Amelia: I'm thinking they can't all be unwanted ones, naïve or optimistic if anything Jac: probably Jac: least you won't have to help Isabelle blow out her candles Amelia: if her mum made the cake they'll probably be lopsided and a 🔥 hazard Jac: true Jac: they usually tasted pretty good though Amelia: true Amelia: I'll stay for some Jac: don't offer to get me a party bag then Amelia: I'll just do it, whether you say you want one or not Jac: gift giving is your top love language, I get it Amelia: I just know you, that's all Jac: you know that I'm fat, is it Amelia: oh please Amelia: I'm not giving you a compliment that easily or obviously Jac: I'm probably not in the mood to work for it Amelia: 🤷 Jac: 🥱 Amelia: if you've got something better to do, go do it Jac: getting ready for the party, aren't I Jac: avoiding my family Amelia: right Jac: everything's always an ulterior motive with you Amelia: no it's not Jac: why can't we just have a conversation then Jac: we've done worse Amelia: because you're not in the mood evidently Jac: you're the one that's got fuck all to say Amelia: everything's always my fault with you Jac: I'm bored and you're doing nothing about it Amelia: that isn't my first priority Jac: then I'll find someone who's it is Amelia: okay Jac: 👏 Amelia: Sav's not here, remember Jac: don't bother coming to this party Jac: and if you show anyway, don't bother coming to find me Amelia: It wasn't about you, it's about the hosts Jac: I invited you, not them Amelia: and now you've uninvited me so same difference Jac: doesn't magically mean you're wanted Jac: I'm not gonna just turn up at Isabelle's house Amelia: I'm used to the feeling by now, so again, it's not going to bother me Jac: you're all being extra infuriating today Jac: jesus christ Amelia: yeah well Amelia: I don't know what to say to Is or to do Jac: you can't do anything Jac: but she's literally the most forgiving person to doormat degrees Jac: you'll barely have to say anything and she'll happy cry Amelia: Please come Jac: She won't wanna see me Amelia: re-read what you wrote before that Jac: it's different Jac: I'm not going to make her be my friend and forgive me, just because I know she would Jac: you didn't do anything wrong, really Amelia: I walked away, that's worse than anything you did Jac: it really isn't Jac: I'm too drunk now even if Jac: I'd only be a bitch by accident if not on purpose Amelia: at least wait for me then Amelia: we can go to the other party together Jac: Jesses got a show tonight Amelia: I know, I was invited to that too Amelia: everyone is Jac: not me Jac: I can't be here when they're leaving or everyone will try to force me and I'll die Jac: Jude is bad enough Amelia: Go to my 🏠 no ones there Jac: where are your parents Amelia: some dinner party thing Jac: alright Jac: thanks Amelia: I'll be back to get you after Is' Amelia: and my parents won't get back until we've left Jac: I can be gone before you, I just don't want to be here Jac: and Jude owes you her life so you can cash that in whenever you want Amelia: I don't want you to go without me or before me Jac: as long as it's for the right reasons Amelia: what are they? Jac: you know Jac: I'm just saying, if you're just saying that because you think I need to be on suicide watch or something too then I'll just have to hit you instead Amelia: I'm saying it because nobody shows up to cool parties early Jac: okay Jac: I'll wait Amelia: if you go through my 🎨 I'll be the one hitting you Jac: you shouldn't have said that Jac: but alright Jac: your parents are going to think I'm robbing you if they come back Jac: your mum better not get one of her famous migraines Amelia: I'm in danger of that if anyone is, don't worry Amelia: and it's clients of my dad's so she can't Amelia: he needs the 💸 Jac: take a nurofen and shut the fuck up 🐠 Jac: gotcha Amelia: 😂 Amelia: it's beyond unfair that she pretends to get them and I actually do Jac: it's because you're gay Jac: [that article 'cos it's true lmao] Amelia: oh my god Jac: actual proof of punishment from god or something else, you decide 🤔 Amelia: shhh Jac: oh, I'm sorry, is it your head Jac: I'll be quiet Amelia: no exorcist-ish apologies tonight will do fine Amelia: the dark room is being supplied Jac: at least you got one Jac: Jess is probably still waiting Amelia: he can hold his breath for a really long time 🏊🏼 Jac: helps with the singing Amelia: the show'll be online right? Amelia: I totally want to see it Jac: no doubt Jac: everything is Amelia: yeah, I figured Amelia: does that girl who's like obsessed with him still help him edit or did he finally pick up on her weirdness? Jac: I think she's still around Jac: I don't really ask Amelia: she's intense Jac: I hadn't really noticed but yeah Jac: I guess she is Amelia: maybe that's because I'm gay too Amelia: I could solve crimes Jac: no because it's only 'cos I was so into Sav that I don't know anything about it Amelia: that makes sense, I was so into you that I know too much about it Jac: that's not about me Jac: sounds like part-timer energy tbh Amelia: he's your brother Amelia: in your ⚪ Jac: if you say so Jac: maybe you're obsessed with him and you want rid of the competition Amelia: 🤢 Amelia: I'd more likely be obsessed with her and he's the competition so no because he's still living if not breathing while he holds his breath Jac: well I'm not even sure she exists now Jac: this is all some fantasy in your 🧠 Amelia: 👻 editor! Jac: ha 🤓 Amelia: 😎 Jac: yeah, I'll forward that to Vee, you'll be so in Amelia: you can't because I already wanna die Amelia: I'm so underdressed for this Amelia: everyone's 👗 Jac: what are you wearing, excuse the creep line Amelia: 😏 Amelia: but literally 👖 Jac: oh Amelia Jac: I've got more on to come sit at yours alone Amelia: it's because I'm gay, isn't it? 😕 Jac: yes but you always have been Jac: I doubt Is was expecting you to put on a party frock Amelia: she did say she liked my birthday one and that does haunt me Jac: well I think she was in a state of shock Jac: for good reason, as we all were Jac: myself not included, of course Amelia: 👧🏻 Amelia: thanks to my mum for everything Jac: cold ears for christmas Amelia: ear muffs gay or beanie gay? a fun quiz Jac: you want to be beanie but you're ear muffs Amelia: true Amelia: you're oversized scarf Jac: blanket but make it fashion Jac: duh Amelia: 🤗 Jac: Is is those massive felt hats everyone wears in Autumn Amelia: that's so accurate Jac: I know Jac: it's what I'm going to use my Psychology degree for Amelia: 😉 Amelia: what else is all that debt good for Jac: builds character Amelia: her 👗 is great though Amelia: I wouldn't but she won't be devastated that she did Jac: yeah? Amelia: Yeah Amelia: unlike me she doesn't seem to be having a really shit time Jac: has she talked to you? Amelia: not yet Jac: that's rude Amelia: Obviously she's said hi and thanked me for coming but I assumed that isn't what you meant Amelia: do you think I should leave? Jac: who's there Jac: is Kiersten with the braces Amelia: how did you guess? Jac: 'cos she's wanted to be mates with Is for ages but she thinks I'm stuck up Amelia: THAT'S rude Jac: she probably heard me and Savannah talking about her in Chemistry Jac: so she's got grounds Jac: who else, Gemma with the frizzy hair, Paige who told on you that time and got you your first detention... Amelia: Okay, before I tip this drink subtly over her, what did you say? Amelia: yeah and yeah Jac: it would've been Sav she overheard Jac: I'm quiet Amelia: and she's 📢👄 Amelia: sound probably really carries in Sligo Jac: I think she's got a boyfriend already Amelia: of course she will have Amelia: what else is she going to do at Catholic school when she isn't doing homework Jac: don't Amelia: I'm sorry Amelia: it's this, being here, I shouldn't have Jac: I don't think you can just leave though Jac: she probably doesn't want to talk talk like right now and ruin her party Jac: at least say you will, book in and a coffee in or something Amelia: it's not just that, it's too weird Amelia: there's like no place for me Jac: she's moved on hasn't she Amelia: yeah Jac: I shouldn't have made you walk away from her Amelia: you didn't Jac: I still feel like I did though Amelia: well whatever way you want to look at it, she's got new friends now Jac: so do you Jac: or could still Jac: Jess said everyone knows what your ex was like Amelia: he could've warned me Jac: I told him so Amelia: it doesn't matter, I don't have the energy Amelia: like you said, I should study more for my theory Jac: if it's any consolation, I am totally alone, and not just literally right now Amelia: you've got me, excuse you Jac: no, not friends, remember Amelia: ugh, fine Amelia: what are you doing though? Jac: I was about to ask if your parents were still as militant with their drink stash Jac: idk how they kept such a close eye on levels, crazy Amelia: they are but I'll be taking the risk and the punishment when I get there so feel free to start without me Amelia: as long as you don't get too drunk to go Jac: doubt they're so cool they need bouncers Amelia: I mean, I'll give you a 🐷y back or hold your hair but if you're 😪 there isn't much I can do Jac: 😇 Jac: me, you, you decide Amelia: me, clearly Jac: 🙄 Jac: braceface would HATE you Amelia: she can join in with Paige who's blatantly whispering about me Jac: she's the biggest goody-two-shoes Jac: she'd thrive in catholic school Amelia: She'll be plotting how to get me in trouble with Is' mum since school's out and there's no looming detention for me Amelia: I know how to make that really easy for her Jac: you'd think she was 7 not 17 Jac: what are you gonna do? Amelia: shut her up, the same way I always do Jac: don't, come here instead Amelia: but she's so annoying Jac: I know she is but I want you Jac: so come here before I change my mind Amelia: okay Jac: okay Jac: make sure you tell her you'll talk to her later Amelia: I did Amelia: 😇 Jac: good girl Amelia: I didn't get any 🎂 though Jac: I'd make you one Jac: but I might burn your house down so Jac: I have an idea though 💡 Amelia: what is it? Jac: hang on Amelia: no, I'll start 🏃 Jac: ta-da Amelia: 😳 Amelia: thanks for not telling me that's what you looked like when I was talking about being underdressed earlier Amelia: and for having that 💡 so I don't care anymore Jac: you always look perfect anyway, it doesn't matter what you wear Amelia: you do Jac: you too Jac: and you won't feel underdressed when you undress me Amelia: I look 😍 but I'm fine with it Amelia: as long as my parents don't get back before me Jac: I'm quiet, remember Jac: it's fine Amelia: it's not you I'm worried about Amelia: but I'm not that worried Jac: 😍 Jac: you're so adorable but also so hot Jac: it's rude Amelia: says you Amelia: you're the rudest person ever if that's the criteria Jac: oh no, Kiersten was right Amelia: she can have that one thing Jac: only if I can have you Amelia: there's no if Amelia: you have me Jac: good Jac: I need you, you know Amelia: I need you more, not because you love a competition, although if you do want to get competitive about it, that's cool too Jac: We can make it into a competition but what would I win? Amelia: 🤔 Jac: I can't think, I want to see you too badly Amelia: I get it, trust me Jac: You're the prettiest Amelia: no, I'm not Amelia: but I do love you the most Jac: don't be mean to yourself Jac: 😣 Amelia: sorry Jac: I can make you believe me, don't worry Amelia: I'm not worried about that either, I know you can Jac: you don't need to worry about anything Jac: not now Amelia: not now Amelia: I promise Jac: 😇 Amelia: 🥰 Jac: have you got a headache? Amelia: you don't need to worry either Amelia: not about me Jac: I just wanna know if I need to make that go away first before letting you touch me Amelia: I do have a headache but I would literally come back from the dead to see you so Jac: 🥰 Jac: still means I get to go first 😈 Amelia: 😇 if anything Jac: see what you think when we're waking up your neighbours Amelia: I'll be thinking the same thing because nothing's changing my mind about you but okay they'll probably think 😈👹👻👺 Jac: I've never heard you, properly Jac: either we have to be quiet or it's too loud to hear anything Amelia: but you know how hard I find trying to be quiet Jac: I wanna hear everything Amelia: you won't want me to 🤫🤐 once you have though Jac: yeah? Amelia: we'll have to find new places Jac: or I'll work out ways to make you louder at parties Amelia: okay Jac: only okay? Amelia: emphatically Amelia: like ! Amelia: like that's the best idea I've ever heard Jac: my nerdy baby Amelia: well now I don't want to correct it to 😎 Amelia: you win Jac: 😄 Jac: come here and be my prize Amelia: [will let you show up gal cos why not you've been running like a needy gay and it's not that far] Jac: [enjoy hens 'cos this is gonna be intense] Amelia: [the softness and love never lasts soz ladies] Amelia: [more importantly soz to these neighbours] Jac: [💔] Jac: [but love that lmao] Amelia: [thank god her parents aren't coming back yet because there is no being quiet if their lives depended on it now] Amelia: [I had an idea that while Jac is getting ready because even if she doesn't change her outfit she'll probably wanna fix her makeup etc whereas Amelia isn't wearing any she should start a new portrait, this time of them doing something intimate but not saucy lol because 1. that's gay 2. they're at her house so all her art stuff is right there 3. she can make it fit whatever vague af prompt she was given for holiday homework] Jac: [that's a good idea, I won't Katy Perry spoil it rudely, but just like, it better be vague enough that everyone in Art won't be 👀 lmao] Amelia: [don't worry gal we won't out you but actually those Katy Perry dramatics would be a good idea to remember if we ever want them to have a big row haha] Jac: [there is always time lmao, though for tonight I think it's easy enough to have the level of drama we want because like this all happens but then you're not allowed to be together at the party like you aren't even friends still so it's like the base level of getting along at a party vibes, which would obvs be upsetting every time, poor Amelia] Amelia: [agreed we'll keep it in our back pocket for later because tonight has enough going on, like literally every time you have moments like this and then she pushes you away after would be 💔] Jac: [let the fun commence] Amelia: [we all know she's kissing that girl under the mistletoe but is there anything else you want to happen] Jac: [I've got a picture to post in jealousy to that but nothing is gonna actually happen on her end, just pretending luvs, as for other party goings on, literally anything could, she's probably gonna blank their brother which will probably give Amelia that false hope] Amelia: [love that by which I mean hate that lol cos she's already got false hope from Jac inviting her to the party instead of just going on her own] Jac: [I know, the gag is it isn't really false hope but like it still is 'cos we aren't coming out at this party obvs lol, even if they can be more friendly 'cos it's not their year or their usual crowd] Amelia: [I like that because it's a less messy and more friendly vibe even though it means it'll hurt more the next party they go too that won't be like that/when shit hits the fan in like 2 days because of Savannah's love life] Jac: [just waiting for that confirmation hens, bit rude to ruin xmas but there we go] Amelia: [how dare you Savannah you know blocking someone means nothing because you have blatantly also stalked Jac to see what she's doing] Jac: [oh gals, i hope you think some boy is buying her channel] Amelia: [oh she do and that's one of many reasons we're getting with this boy now after hinting all month] Jac: [sorry to dis man but nah] Amelia: [he's not a sweetie like Ty we don't stan] Jac: [when you said one time that he reminded her of Jac LMAOOO] Amelia: [nobody is having a good 2 years is the point but I am DECEASED] Jac: [this is true, you're all going through it, that's the point] Amelia: [Sienna and Is are the only ones thriving] Jac: [god bless lol] Amelia: [can we say they go back to Amelia's after this party and then Jac has to sneak past her parents in the AM for the lols or is that too friendly, like the spare room does exist and I feel like she doesn't wanna go home after missing Jesse's gig] Jac: [yeah, I feel like tonight we would because the family drama is more than the amelia drama rn so we're not gonna turn down the spare room, it will be amusing and also, less funny, can worry the fam some more about where we are, ahh the joys] Amelia: [soz JJ soz everyone but I shall cackle because it's probably more like the afternoon when they wake up so Amelia's parents are just there living their vanilla life] Jac: [hope you don't use your spare room as a dressing room or something babes lollollol] Amelia: [they're just casually eating lunch while Jac tiptoes away] Jac: [oh god bless, at least you did have normal clothes to change into and you won't be in your hoe outfit to walk of shame] Amelia: [or have to borrow clothes off Amelia like this is awks but] Jac: [still a prepared bitch even at our lowest] Amelia: [virgo energy] Jac: [we can skip to them if you like, now we've got the energy of the night] Amelia: [fine by me boo] Jac: did your parents see me Jac: or hear Amelia: No, I captured all of their attention with that loud explanation of my 🎨 Jac: can put it on the fridge Jac: 👍 Amelia: not until it gets graded Jac: it's an As only appliance, gotcha Amelia: 😂 yeah that's why looks nothing like a gallery Jac: even imagining the sound of a 🎻 rn is making my head wanna burst open Amelia: if you're going to keep checking it, turn your phone brightness down Jac: why would I be Amelia: I'm such a great conversationalist Jac: so I hear Amelia: 😏 Jac: don't 😏 @ me Amelia: *😉 Jac: idiot Jac: how was she then Amelia: who? Jac: don't who at me either, you know who Amelia: okay but I don't know what you expect me to say Jac: then I don't need to check my phone, thanks for saving me Jac: and as I gave her to you, that makes us 2-4 Jac: I'll even the score later Amelia: you didn't give her to me, you gave yourself to me Amelia: and I gave her my number Jac: cute Amelia: why do you want to hear this? Jac: It's a while back to mine, even catching the bus Jac: got time to kill and nothing to kill it with Amelia: you should read the 📖 I gave you once the 🤯💊 kick in Jac: I doubt I'll have time with the bollocking I'll be getting once I finally get back Amelia: probably not Jac: looks like Jess' show is online though Jac: no one phantom'd him so there you go, there's your entertainment 'til she texts you Amelia: she might not Jac: yeah right Amelia: parties make everyone 😍🥰😘 Jac: she's definitely full time gay Jac: not gonna pretend she don't know you now Amelia: no, you were right the first time about her being bi Jac: same thing Amelia: it isn't Jac: when you're fucking her, it'll feel the same Amelia: it was just a 💋 Amelia: I don't even know if that'll happen again Jac: do you want it to Amelia: I don't know Amelia: why I do and why I don't are the same reason Jac: sounds confusing Amelia: Yeah Jac: couldn't be me Amelia: like I said, what do you expect me to say? Jac: nothing you haven't Amelia: you're not the only one 🤯 you know Jac: don't moan Jac: go outside Jac: fresh air helps Amelia: you're repeating advice my dad already gave Amelia: at least he's asking for 🛒🍌🥚🥕🍞🧀🍅 Jac: what the fuck is he making Amelia: that's not the full list Amelia: artistic licence if anything Jac: 🙄 Jac: not really A for effort Amelia: you're going to start marking me now, are you? Jac: maybe Amelia: okay Jac: it's cold Amelia: is that why you wanted me to go outside? Jac: to freeze to death or confirm that statement? Jac: neither seems worth it, so no Amelia: how far away are you? I don't have a blanket scarf but I can bring you something Jac: no Jac: you're right, Is' dress was quite nice Amelia: I'm right about you not needing to freeze to death too Jac: says you Amelia: it doesn't have to be like this Jac: like what, an Irish winter? Amelia: you're as stubborn as an Irish winter Jac: artsy Amelia: I'm supposed to be the dramatic one as well Jac: I'm not going to die of consumption on the bus home Jac: you're still the dramatic one, you can mope about how I won't accept help if you like Amelia: and you're getting the wrong kind of inspiration from the classics you've read Jac: have I spoiled the ending of this book? Jac: I'll pass it on, like Amelia: I'm not telling you the ending, read it Jac: you want me to write a book report so you can grade me too? Amelia: 😂 maybe Jac: 🤓 Amelia: ❌ Amelia: and it's not moping, it's caring Jac: no one asked you to either way Amelia: it's really cold Jac: the bus has heating, it's only gonna be a few minutes wait, then I can run back Amelia: I could wait with you Jac: why would you do that Jac: obviously not Amelia: because you're right about fresh air Amelia: and it might  🌨⛄️ Jac: then go to the park with all the other little kids Amelia: you want to know what kissing her was like, it was the opposite of this Jac: talking would get in the way of it Amelia: that's not what I mean and you know it's not Jac: I don't care what you meant Jac: I'm not threatened by Violet McLaughlin Amelia: it's not about her Jac: not for me it ain't Amelia: you make everything 10x harder than it needs to be Jac: if you can't cope Jac: then you don't need to worry about that, because we're not friends Amelia: for fuck's sake Jac: just go Jac: the supermarket is gonna be full of frantic people fighting over sprouts Amelia: if we're not friends there's literally no reason for me to make things that easy for you Amelia: so no Jac: we're not friends so I'll happily tell you to fuck off if you come anywhere near this bus stop Amelia: you either want me to 🛒 or you don't Jac: for god sake Jac: can your parents not take you Amelia: the whole point is he wants me to get out Jac: could he not come with so you don't go do some more reckless shit Jac: lazy parenting, tbh Amelia: he doesn't know about most of the reckless shit I do Jac: 🙄 case in point Jac: but don't worry, I won't call yours Amelia: it doesn't matter to me if you do Jac: I'm not interested enough to get you in trouble Amelia: unlike you I talk, it's no challenge for me to say whatever they need to hear Jac: you want an easy life Jac: I don't Amelia: I want a fucking life Jac: and the dramatics, right on cue Amelia: right Jac: you want a life, go do something about it Amelia: I already told you I'm not leaving Jac: we all will before you know it Jac: then we'll have no reason to stay in contact Amelia: we'll always have a reason Jac: How is it that Is has got it before you? Jac: she didn't need either of us at her party Amelia: I'm not Is, and guess what, I'm not Savannah either Jac: Yeah, you're not Amelia: they're gone and I'm not going anywhere, keep tipping your hourglass over and pretending like it'll be any different any time soon Jac: oh, fuck you Amelia: the bus stop is way too public for you Jac: you're not funny Amelia: it's not a laugh out loud kind of moment Jac: don't come here, get the next bus Amelia: I'm not going to, I've got 🎨 to finish Jac: Good Jac: because I would have to slap you even if it is a hate crime Amelia: you'd try Jac: I'm not fucking bragging, I wouldn't know what else to do Jac: I don't, these days Amelia: me either, I would still stop you though Jac: maybe Amelia: try it Jac: I'm not saying I want to either Jac: just leave me alone Amelia: no Jac: I'll leave you alone Amelia: that's never been what I want Jac: then it can be a threat Amelia: yeah, and it existed ages before you bothered to say it Amelia: it's all I think about already Jac: You knew what this was before it started Amelia: and? Amelia: I still know what it is Amelia: that doesn't mean it's okay Jac: then you should say no Amelia: You knew how I felt before this started Amelia: I can't Jac: and I'm committed to being a shit person Jac: I can handle that, if you can't then you have to address it Jac: I'm not doing it for you Amelia: I got that, you're not doing anything for me today Amelia: in the cold light of Jac: That's how it's been from the start Jac: it's not changing Amelia: it did change, last night was different Amelia: for a bit Jac: you just want that to be true Amelia: you just want to keep lying and gaslighting Amelia: I'm not stupid Jac: I was so drunk I can barely remember any of it Amelia: no you weren't because if you had been there would be nothing to remember Amelia: nothing would have happened Jac: you don't like being accused of things, neither do I Amelia: the predatory lesbian angle is tired, that's all Amelia: so am I Jac: I didn't wake you Jac: your parents dancing 'round the kitchen like this is a rom-com did Amelia: I know that Amelia: and you knew what my parents are like when you decided to sleep in the guest room Amelia: maybe 🧔👩🏻👧🏻 is their rom-com Jac: needs must Amelia: exactly Jac: I didn't say shit about your parents Amelia: we're not fighting about them Amelia: why would you? Jac: Then can you get to your point Jac: because this is tiring, and unnecessary, agreed Amelia: I've made them Amelia: points multiple Jac: Cool, bye then Amelia: 👋 Amelia: I've got no interest in dating Savannah Moore Jac: That's good, she's straight and gone Amelia: you sounded just like her Amelia: everything she said to you, repeated more or less word for word to me Jac: So? Jac: and you don't know what she said to me, you weren't there, you have no idea Amelia: so goodbye then Amelia: you told me, remember, that she said how beautiful you were etc Amelia: you're becoming an echo Jac: It isn't the same Amelia: she hurt you because everything she said didn't mean that she wanted to kiss you, be with you, any of the things you wanted Amelia: this is the same for me Amelia: you'll never kiss me how Violet did, you won't even take my fucking coat when it's about to snow Jac: it's different because she's fucking straight and you know I'm not Jac: but if that isn't enough for you then yeah Jac: bye Amelia: I know loads of things but how can it be enough when you spend have the time trying to make me doubt them Amelia: half* Jac: There's nothing I can or will do about that Amelia: you could be honest with me Jac: I have been, for fuck's sake Amelia: no, you lie to hurt me, that's literally the opposite Jac: No, I've told you loads of things, things I haven't told anyone else, and you admit that because you know them Jac: what you want, Amelia, is for me to come out and declare my love for you Jac: and I have never, ever, said I would do that Amelia: what I want, is you Amelia: not the person you're pretending to be to everyone else Jac: If I could be that person still, don't you think I would Jac: I'd do it for me, not you Jac: it's like I'm dead Jac: there isn't a switch where I can just bring that me back, she's gone Amelia: sometimes you are, so even if there's no switch, there has to be something Amelia: I'm not that crazy and you're not that dead Jac: well if you work it out, let me know Amelia: obviously Jac: It's not the same Jac: you can say it's fucked Jac: but you aren't being led on Amelia: okay Amelia: I'm sorry Jac: it's fine Amelia: it's not, I know you don't want to talk about her Jac: it's not how you think it was Jac: no one else would get it Amelia: it's between you and her Amelia: I don't have to get it Jac: yeah Amelia: has the 🚌 come yet? Jac: I'm going to town instead Jac: I'll buy a cheap coat, don't worry Jac: but work is open 'til Christmas eve, and they didn't expect me to work after term-time, but I'm gonna go offer Amelia: did the 🤯💊 really work that well? Jac: I think it was the cold more Jac: and I still don't wanna be there yet Jac: you know how big a thing Christmas is with my family, everyone will be coming over from wherever the fuck they reside, it's too much Amelia: yeah Amelia: at least your uni app will benefit Jac: and my pockets Jac: no presents really means I could save up Amelia: not if you spend all your money on coats Amelia: I'll bring you one, I'm serious Amelia: to work or wherever you are now Jac: likewise if you waste all your time on me, your 🎨 will never get finished Amelia: my 🎨 is technically a bigger waste of time Amelia: and when I go to uni I won't have any time for it anyway Jac: but still, a really good grade will help you get there, even if the subject isn't totally relevant Amelia: I'm already getting a good grade in that subject Amelia: are you out of excuses why I shouldn't help you now or what? Jac: Ugh Jac: you're so stubborn, it's rich you're trying to have a go at me for it Amelia: you're just annoyed that I'm giving you something else, but it's a borrow Amelia: I'm not 🤶🏻 Jac: maybe God can be a woman but Santa categorically is not Jac: what does his wife even do? Amelia: discipline the elves because he's a soft touch, obviously Amelia: are you still at the bus stop then? Jac: no, the bus came, but they're pretty regular, even from yours 🏡 Jac: assuming they'll have me for this shift...you can meet me whenever you get to this part of town, they're really good at giving breaks Amelia: I'm familiar with the bus schedule, my parents don't drive me EVERYWHERE, just a lot of places Amelia: okay then Jac: you're an only child, it'd be weird if you weren't a bit spoilt Amelia: it would mean I was an accident but I'm literally the opposite so Jac: n'awh Amelia: at least they cherish me Amelia: you literally do the opposite Jac: 😂 Jac: you aren't a miracle in general you know, only to them Amelia: rude Jac: sometimes you have to hear these harsh truths Amelia: ear muff gay remember Amelia: you'll have to sign it Jac: [video saying something offensive that Amelia should remember lol] Amelia: 😂 Jac: 😏 Amelia: Jess doesn't deserve all the free advertising he'll be getting on this bus ride but I'm not going back for my 🎧 Jac: You're so common Amelia: after what you just signed Amelia: hypocritical Jac: unless someone has their 👀s on your screen, I'm fine Amelia: or on you as you did it Amelia: which they probably did Jac: this bus is packed Jac: fucking Christmas Amelia: people look at you, it doesn't matter where or who else is around Jac: you make it sound like I'm something special Jac: people look at you too Amelia: it's not the same Amelia: people are usually looking at me because I'm doing something I'm not supposed to Jac: nah, it is Amelia: 😳🚏 Jac: you'd notice if you weren't so busy looking at me Amelia: if that's the criteria I don't want to notice Jac: such a line Amelia: No, you're SO nice to look at, is a line Jac: I know you're too much of a 🤓 to ever think you're smooth Amelia: I haven't got the misplaced confidence of a teenage boy, if that's what you mean Jac: you aren't your ex, yeah Amelia: I fucking hope not Jac: all the girls I've seen you go for Jac: have really dark hair Amelia: I guess Jac: and are ethnically ambiguous, but like, more noticably than I am Amelia: where are you going with this? Jac: it's just what I've noticed Jac: you have a type but it isn't me Amelia: or you are my type and they're not Jac: I knew you'd say that Amelia: because it's true Jac: saying I defy all types would be more of a line Jac: so I'll believe you Amelia: Do you want to get ☕ with me? Jac: I can't Jac: like, genuinely Jac: we got up late, now I'm here begging for work, I better actually do some Amelia: okay, I'll bring it to you Amelia: and there'll probably be loads of people from school everywhere anyway Jac: yeah Jac: loads of people in our year reckon they're trying the pubs Christmas eve Jac: as if half of them look serve-able Amelia: are you going to go? Jac: I don't think so Jac: it's just for the brag of getting in and getting served, they're especially militant this time of year Jac: easier ways to get drunk we use every other day of the year Amelia: true Amelia: but you do love a competition Amelia: and a brag Jac: if I wanted to get served that bad, I'd go to my granda's Jac: I dunno Jac: are you gonna go? Amelia: I doubt my mum will let me break tradition for that Jac: of course Amelia: though I should probably go see your great grandad before they notice how much of their drinks cabinet we raided Jac: 😬 Jac: can't exactly break my no present rule to buy them a bottle or two Amelia: that'd be offensive, you won't break it for me Jac: spoilt brat 😂 Amelia: we missed a really good show 🎸🎵 Jac: I can't believe you're listening to it out loud Amelia: of course you can Amelia: it's exactly the kind of thing I'd do Jac: I'd be so embarrassed Jac: I'd move Amelia: if you were here I'd be able to steal your 🎧 Amelia: you never forget anything Jac: it's not hard Amelia: I was rushing Jac: you just really wanted a ☕ right Amelia: why else Jac: indeed Amelia: I can't believe how hard creepy editor is going with some of these close ups Amelia: it's really ruining it for me Jac: disgusting Jac: I won't be tuning in Amelia: if only it was so easy for you to avoid him in person, right? Jac: it's pretty easy Jac: though unfortunately he keeps all his music crap downstairs so Amelia: have I ever mentioned how great it is being an only child? Jac: 😒 Jac: fuck off Amelia: 😂 Amelia: I'm going in the wrong direction to Jac: I punched the wrong sibling though Amelia: what? Jac: not close enough to clock the concealer 👎 job editor Amelia: you did that? Jac: yeah Amelia: what happened? Jac: he tried to stop me going out Amelia: why? Jac: 'cos he's an idiot Amelia: okay Jac: I didn't think he'd actually try to stop me Amelia: it doesn't seem like something he'd usually do Jac: everyone's stressed Jac: obviously Amelia: has he tried to stop you since? Jac: I think we've mutually done our best to ignore each other Jac: it was a while ago, actually Jac: after your birthday Jac: time is weird Amelia: Jac Amelia: that was ages ago Jac: not THAT long ago Jac: what's your point? Amelia: I don't know Amelia: I feel stressed now Jac: why, you didn't punch him Jac: or make me Amelia: 😕 Jac: Come on Jac: calm down Amelia: this bus doesn't have a calming atmosphere Jac: how many screaming kids Amelia: they're the majority Jac: ew Jac: I have too many cousins Amelia: me too and I don't have hardly any in comparison Jac: I'm dreading it Jac: xmas Amelia: I wish we could just skip it Jac: same Amelia: my parents think I'm oblivious to the fact they're planning to use their New Year's party to set me up with someone Jac: that's cute Jac: how have they even found another gay for you Amelia: they've found more than one, it'll be a speed dating event with my entire extended family in attendance Amelia: that's not cute Jac: no, it's not, it's weird Jac: but I was trying to be polite Amelia: you're nicer to my parents than you are to me Jac: you'd have a go at me if I weren't Amelia: 🤔 Jac: what are you 🤔 about Amelia: if I should have a go at you for acting like I have a go at you all the time Jac: go ahead and answer your own question Jac: then you'll have a go at me for making you have a go at me over whether or not you're always having a go at me Amelia: 😣 Jac: 😏 Amelia: am I? Jac: just now Jac: but I treat you like shit so if you weren't it'd be more damning Jac: not before Amelia: oh great Jac: what do you mean? Amelia: I mean what I just said, I'm thrilled to hear that Jac: 🤨 Jac: okay Amelia: Where do you want me to meet you? Jac: I'll come out Jac: you remember where it is, my work Amelia: Yeah Amelia: I only have a couple of stops left Jac: I thought you were getting me coffee Amelia: there's a place right near there, I remember that too Jac: fair enough Jac: carry on Amelia: I'm not THAT hopeless at geography Jac: your memory is decent, you can have that Amelia: thanks Jac: don't mention it Amelia: 🤫🤐 Jac: I'll pay you back, for the coffee Jac: can't afford any more gifts from you Amelia: feel free to put the money in my coat pocket when give it back Jac: good idea Amelia: maybe I'll find something else I had no idea was in there when I do the search Jac: knowing you Amelia: yeah, a miracle, we all know ✨ Amelia: next year I'll just get you one big 🎁 Amelia: then we can have ☕ together Jac: if you pull 🥖🐟 out of your pocket, that's gonna seem more disgusting than miraculous Jac: at least next year, we'll both be able to drive Jac: and this will all be that much closer to being over Amelia: I'll actually know what I'm doing with my gap year if buts and maybes, that'll be weirder Jac: will it be backpacking in Thailand or building orphanages in Africa Amelia: my parents would still prefer 🥖🐟 Amelia: so if they get their way it'll be neither and nothing Jac: if you're gonna do it you have to do it properly Jac: or it's just a waste of time Amelia: the entire point is to waste more time after 🎓 and before 🤓💻📝 Amelia: it's a stalling tactic Jac: 🙄 Amelia: 😏 Jac: you're gonna be 2 years older than half your class by the time you get there Amelia: so? Amelia: it's not a speed dating event either Jac: so they're all going to seem really immature Amelia: boys always are Amelia: I've coped with that all through school Jac: Uni is about not dealing with that Jac: having a fresh start Amelia: exactly, I'll be there to 🤓💻📝 Jac: yeah right Amelia: not much of a fresh start otherwise Jac: exactly, you aren't going to have a personality overhaul in a year or two Amelia: 😂 Amelia: I'm thrilled you don't think 💔 has changed me Jac: only for the worse, obviously Amelia: you sound like my mum now Amelia: she's texting me 'please don't act like this when your grandparents arrive tomorrow' Amelia: like what? 🤶🏻 okay Jac: ooh, no 🥛🍪 for you Amelia: 🥺 Jac: you'll be fine Jac: just don't ruin christmas by being gay Amelia: that was last year's drama Jac: precisely why you don't need to go for 2 Amelia: why I'd find a new way to ruin it if I was going to Jac: 👍 Amelia: it was Is who copied you, I'm fine with letting you do your own thing Jac: they'll be too busy to care Jac: and not talking isn't ruining anything Jac: enough loudmouths running about Amelia: if you leave it at that Jac: what else would I do, shit in the christmas pudding Amelia: punch one of your other family members Amelia: just an idea I pulled out of nowhere though Jac: only if they get in my way Jac: which they're unlikely to do now Amelia: Jude isn't Amelia: getting in your way is her number 1 skill Jac: and mine happens to be avoiding her Amelia: it's in the top 10, I don't think I'd put it first Jac: I've managed not to punch anyone since Jac: it's fine Amelia: you were threatening to hit me not long ago Amelia: but alright Jac: because you were threatening to get in my space Jac: everyone just needs to leave me alone when I tell them to Jac: it's not hard Amelia: it's my fault, that's really what you're going with? Jac: yes Jac: you were going to get in my face when I explicitly warned you not to Jac: I didn't just attack you, and I didn't just attack Jess Amelia: okay Jac: fuck's sake Jac: it's alright for you all to push me and ignore my boundaries Amelia: because I can't keep up with what your boundaries are Jac: no, you just think you can push through them Amelia: no, you keep moving close to me and then away Jac: and you only accept one of those Amelia: so do you Jac: whatever Jac: this is pointless Amelia: any time I try to do anything that looks remotely like moving on, you know exactly what you do, so don't pretend this is all me Jac: I weren't talking about that Amelia: no, you were talking about how much you want me to fuck off Amelia: come outside and I can Jac: [does] Amelia: [we giving her this coat and coffee like okay bye as if we didn't come all this way/have anywhere else to be, oh gal] Jac: [kissing her on the cheek like we would've done without thinking as friends but now it's a big deal, but then running like bye] Amelia: [we're all dying and running away nbd]

Bechloe and Salem witch trials for the au game please. Thanks!

I had one idea for this but then completely switched it after like 3 parts so here’s that second version:

(please excuse my exaggerations about how the Salem witch trials went down it’s for narrative not factual purposes i know it’s not right)

(also please excuse the fact that this is approximately 1 year late!! i’ve been, how shall we say, Going Through It)

1.)

Chloe Beale is the daughter of the most famous and well-respected Deacon in Salem, Massachusetts. Her father’s status means that she is held accountable for her actions in a way few other women of her time are. Ever since she tottered her first stumbling steps, she has had a list of duties — not chores so much as necessities. There are certain responsibilities she must complete, certain behaviors from which she must demur, certain reputable people she is expected to socialize with, and certain disreputable people she is expected to avoid as if they carry certain death on their person, ready to infect should she happen to wander just a step too close. “Pray remember, daughter,” her father would whisper with his hand vice-like digging into her shoulder, “do not allow womanish fribbles to lead you to distraction. Your actions reveal my judgment, and the sanctity of the Congregation. You will not be an embarrassment.”

And she has not been an embarrassment. Though she is a girl just shy of twenty, her moral fortitude — her piousness — is unmatched, nearly unparalleled. She spent so many hours of her girlhood kneeling on the floor of their house that her knees were oft rubbed raw, red and smarting like she had been punished. But it was not earthly punishment, rather penance. “Christ knows how many Devils there are in his Church, and where they walk.” Her father’s eyes would glint, sharp steel. “Corruptio optimi est pessima.”

“Corruptio optimi est pessima,” Chloe would repeat with solemnity, head bowed low towards the ground. She could barely feel the stinging in her joints anymore. The blessing of God’s love was more than enough to evacuate the worst of her ailments.

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2.)

Chloe has run into only 2 problems with her father and the Church since her childhood. The first is her lack of marital prospects. Being a woman of nearly twenty and still unmarried is not ideal, and she can expect a near daily barrage from both of her parents to accept the offer of one of nearly a half dozen men who have already asked for her hand. Luckily, as none of the prospects have been irrefutable (Barnabas Allen was odious — and Catholic on top of it; Benajah Applebaum’s family was both too poor and too Jewish to be a viable option; and rumor had it that Jesse Swanson had asked 3 girls to marry him within the same year, which did not bode well for his faithfulness), Chloe has managed to dodge answering any of them. She knows her situation cannot last much longer, however. It’s only a matter of time before her father brings her a husband she cannot refuse.

The second problem involves her choice of companionship. Chloe does not have many close friendships — she never had the desire — and until very recently, has spent most of her free time (those hours when she is not in prayer nor doing her household duties nor delivering alms to the poor) in the company of one young lady: Aubrey Posen, the daughter of respected Captain Jeremiah Posen and Chloe’s closest confidant since infancy. Their parents happily approve of their continued association. The Beales are a family of status and power and influence, the Posens of money and respectability and ties to England. Chloe knows that her father hopes, through the Posens, Chloe may meet a suitably pious husband (perhaps even an English Lord, or a businessman with a respectable if not excessive fortune).

Aubrey is a reputable, respectable companion.

Rebecca Mitchell, suspected practitioner of dark magics and the wicked pagan arts, is not.

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3.)

Rebeca Mitchell is not a witch. Chloe knows that she isn’t. Or at least, she believes that she cannot be. Rebecca — or Beca, as she insists Chloe call her — is a quiet, thoughtful woman. She has no family, no station, nothing to speak of except a small homestead she operates alone. She tends a small garden in the back of her property — right at the boundary of the dense wooded forest that surrounds their small town — where she grows her own herbs and food. She is prone to night-time walks, particularly under bright skies and full moons. It is for this reason that some of the residents of the town of Salem suspect that she is a witch. A woman residing alone, without the livelihood of a husband or father sustaining her, who is sometimes seen walking about on her own on bright, cloudless nights, is not a woman to be trusted.

Beca, curiously, seems oblivious to how she is perceived. Chloe finds this facet of her personality fascinating. Her entire personality is fascinating. For their friendship only exists because Beca has so little regard for conventions — the only young woman Chloe has ever met who exhibits such blatant disregard for what the Church considers upright. Beca is the one who initiated their meeting, their ensuing conversation, and the numerous occasions they have had to casually, ‘accidentally’ run into each other since. In the street, when Chloe is on her way to the market; in the fields through the first thicket of woods where they retreat on warm Saturday mornings in the spring, dew staining the hems of their skirts as they trek through unruly terrain; in the strawberry patch behind Old Man Elias’ cattle field every Tuesday in the summer, picking side-by-side and sneaking plump fruit swollen with juice that stains fingers and lips and chins alike. Beca has not been to Chloe’s home and Chloe has not been to hers. They forgo all talk of family, obligations, and the several dozen reasons they have that should mandate they immediately and unequivocally cease all further interactions.

(Of course, they do not cease their interactions. If anything, they only grow in both frequency and length.)

So you see, Chloe knows Beca cannot be a witch, because witches have no friends, no love; they work in darkness, and madness, magic and manipulation. Chloe has not been cursed, she has not suffered fainting spells, witnessed ghostly apparitions, or been forced to do the Devil’s bidding. She has not been sent into fits of convulsion or hysteria.

Beca cannot be a witch because Chloe is unaffected, and witches do not allow their acquaintances to go unaffected. Though they continue to see each other and Beca continues to have ample opportunity to bewitch her, corrupt her, she does nothing — nothing except smile when she says Chloe’s name, her head tipped low in deference. Nothing except pluck wild flowers from the field on the days they can manage to sneak away together; ties them into a bouquet with blades of long, cutting grass. Nothing except press her lips to Chloe’s cheek, close to her ear, breathless and warm as she whispers her farewells.

Beca cannot be a witch, because witches are evil, and vile, and inhuman. They are beasts, creatures of malice, followers of Satan himself. They cannot love, and they are unloveable.

(Beca cannot be a witch, because Chloe loves her, and she cannot bear the thought that it may not be reciprocated.)

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4.)

The first words Chloe says upon entering Beca’s homestead are: “This does not look like a witch’s home.” She winces, already regretting the tactlessness of her conversation.

Beca merely scoffs. “Witches,” she sneers. “You spend too much of your time listening to your father. He is filling your head with lies and frivolities.”

The house is small, just one room. A table with a single chair in the center, a small fireplace built into the wall furthest from the door, a small cot tucked in the corner. Beca perches herself on the single chair, leaving Chloe no other choice but to stand or sit upon the bed.

She sits, and says, “I do not think witches are frivolous.”

“They are not real. If not frivolity, what else could they be?”

Chloe picks at the thin bedspread beneath her fingers. She does not answer. Beca had not been looking for an answer anyway. Instead, Chloe lifts her head, and asks the question that has been at the forefront of her mind for the past several months, as long as their acquaintance has been growing.

“Why did you approach me?” Chloe asks the still room.

“Pardon?”

“We did not grow up together. I never knew of you, except the things whispered by others.”

Beca laughs. “You mean gossip.”

“Gossip, yes. But worrying gossip all the same.” A pause, then. Chloe tips her head. Beca’s attention is on her hands folded in her lap, and she sits very still. “We never had reason to meet. Yet you crafted a reason.”

“And you believe that was… suspicious.”

It is not quite a question. Still, Chloe evades. “My father thinks your interest in me is corrupt.”

Beca’s head jerks up. Her eyes seem to blaze. “Corrupt?”

“He does not trust you.”

Beca’s spine is stiff in her chair. “I have been accused of nothing.”

“He is suspicious of everyone,” Chloe attempts to demur, worried she’s said something inappropriate, something shocking and distressing, worried she’s shattered the tenuous serenity they’ve managed to found together over the past half-year. “It is nothing serious.”

But Beca is unswayed. “It is serious if it’s stopping us from seeing each other.”

“I’m here now, am I not? He has not stopped us.”

“You’re twitching like a newborn pup, you can hardly sit still.” Chloe flushes bright and stills her hands. Beca continues to stare at her, expression unreadable. “Why are you here, Chloe?”

It’s a question to which she does not have an answer. The simple truth — that Beca had invited her, and Chloe had been curious enough to accept her invitation — is far too mundane. She knows if she were to propose it to Beca now, she would be caught immediately in her fabrication. But she cannot explain the reasoning behind her actions. She seems to have so little reason, these days.

She stands from the bed and walks to the other side of the house. Beca watches her and does not move to follow. Chloe gazes out the front window with unseeing eyes, her hands twisting themselves into the fabric of her dress, her jaw working over unspoken words. Finally, she says, “I cannot seem to help it.” She turns back around, feeling miles away. “It’s as if… wherever you go, I feel compelled to follow.”

Chloe hears Beca swallow loudly. She takes a breath, as if stealing herself, and looks up to the ceiling. “I heard you singing.” Chloe frowns, not understanding. Beca glances at her and then glances away. “That is why I approached you.”

Chloe cannot help but laugh, but Beca does not laugh with her. The smile slips from Chloe’s face, and she frowns. “Is that true?”

“I used to hear you sing in services. When my parents died I stopped going to church, and I couldn’t hear you anymore. But then you started cutting through the woods, on your way home from schooling, and… The first few times it was merely an accident, but… your voice is so beautiful. I’ve never heard anything like it. And you sing when you walk alone. I thought… I thought your songs were kind, and I wondered if you were, too.”

“You followed me?”

Beca turns a lovely, delicate pink. “I know it is strange of me to admit this to you now, to have spied on you without your knowledge. I apologize, it was not my intention. It’s as if… something came over me. A possession, a madness. I… I felt I had to know you. I was gripped by a force I cannot comprehend, and I was powerless but to obey.” Beca’s blush darkens, and she turns her head. Her hands are fisted in the front of her skirts, and she tugs on the coarse fabric restlessly. “I sound foolish.”

“You do not sound foolish,” Chloe whispers, her own eyes bright. “I… I know the feeling.” She takes a tentative step forward and raises trembling hand to Beca’s cheek. Her thumb brushes, Beca’s eyelids flutter, and something tugs in Chloe’s stomach. “It’s like a bewitching.”

Beca’s eyes snap open. “I have not bewitched you,” she says quickly.

Chloe laughs. “Nor I, you. I could not even if I wanted.”

“Chloe,” Beca’s voice remains serious, “listen to me: I have not bewitched you.” There’s something to the weight of Beca’s gaze, something that makes Chloe pause. She does not move. There is an electricity between them; the air crackles, charged like the sky before a summer storm.

“Okay,” Chloe whispers, her eyes locked to Beca’s. She cannot look away.

The kiss Beca presses to her lips is soft and unexpected. Chloe has never been kissed, has never even desired the feeling. She always imagined an unpleasant, wet, uncomfortable experience, trembling against the stiff body of some faceless man with rough hands and rougher skin.

But Beca’s skin is soft; her body yields when Chloe falls into it. Her hands are sure and focused as they trace her neck, wind into her hair, push her dress off her shoulders, but they are not rough and incessant; they guide her gently onto the cot. Her lips leave fire in their wake as they skirt Chloe’s cheek and down her chest. Her tongue traces Chloe’s breasts, sneaks a sinful path up bare thighs.

Beca’s fingers slip inside of her. Her breath is hot on Chloe’s lips and her eyes seem to burn straight through her. Chloe gasps like the breath has been stolen from her chest and trembles like she’s going to shake apart.

“Convulsions,” Chloe say breathlessly, her chest heaving. She is entirely exposed to the world in front of another person — another woman, no less — and has just committed a cardinal, lustful, adulterous sin. She feels nothing but rapture. “Is this how it feels to be cursed by a witch?”

“You think too much of witches.”

“I cannot help it. What we just did… it was supernatural.”

Beca laughs and rolls onto her stomach. She throws an arm over Chloe’s hips, presses kisses to Chloe’s bare shoulder, and Chloe shivers from the pleasure of it. “You believe it was dark magic?” Beca murmurs teasingly into her skin, her fingers tickling Chloe’s ribs.

“M-magic, perhaps,” Chloe, flushed and panting and skin slick, is nearly gasping, “but not dark. Nothing that feels like this can be evil.”

“I think I’ve fallen in love with you.” Chloe swears her heart stutters to a stop and hangs, still in the moment before painfully restarting. “Is that even possible? Is it… am I too bold in my pronouncement?”

“No,” Chloe whispers back at her. “Not too bold. I think I have fallen in love with you, too.”

.

.

.

.

5.)

She leaves Beca the next morning with a swift kiss and flushing cheeks. Beca beams at her as Chloe slips away from her, sneaking off through the woods and towards her own homestead.

She holds her breath as she sneaks inside and tries to make as little noise as possible. The ground beneath her feet is solid but smooth, and her shoes glide over it nearly soundless. Her mother and sister might still be asleep — she is unsure of the precise hour — or else they’ve already gone to market. Father must surely be in service already. If he was in a hurry he might have even left without noticing her glaring absence. Chloe sends up a short prayer to the Almighty that that is the case.

But of course, she is not so lucky. She never has been.

“Where have you been?”

Chloe freezes mid-step, her heart already turning to ice. She swallows thickly and turns slowly. Her father is seated in the kitchen, his hat upon his knee and his face empty save for a few dark shadows. “F-father,” Chloe straightens her spine, does her best not to tug at the skirt of her dress. “I was just… calling on Mrs. Hawthorne. You know she has two little ones both ill with diphtheria.” Her father stands and makes his way slowly towards her. Chloe holds her ground and continues speaking, as calmly as possible. “They haven’t been resting, so I went to see what little relief I could provi—”

Smack. The back of his hand connects with her cheek and Chloe stumbles, nearly crashing to the ground. She grips at her smarting cheek and turns her fearful gaze up at her father. He stands over her, fully glowering, now. “You lie,” he snarls at her, and it’s all Chloe can do to shake her head.

“I… no. I’m not lying. I haven’t been—”

“You did not come home last night. Tell me, harlot — in which young man’s bed did you spend your wicked night?”

“There is no man, father, I promise—”

“Captain Posen spotted you with Rebecca Mitchell yesterday.” Chloe falls silent, and curses her fair complexion and the way it so easily draws a blush. “Is that who you were with?” His words sound near-murderous.

Chloe shakes her head again, but he only seems to grow larger in front of her. He towers above her, a fire gleaming in his eyes. “You spent your night cavorting with that witch?”

“She is not a witch, Father! She is kind, and generous, and she loves me.”

He looks down at her with unbridled disgust and spits at the ground by her feet. “No one can love you.”

.

.

By the time she makes it to Beca’s home, she’s already too late. The door stands ajar, creaking on its hinges in the early-afternoon breeze. Chloe doesn’t even bother trudging through the gate to peer inside; she knows with a certain inevitable heaviness that there is nothing there for her to find.

She follows the sounds of revelry all the way through the outskirts of the village, picking her way in some sort of daze through empty streets and past dark cabins. The sounds grow louder and Chloe stumbles towards them like a moth to a flame.

When she gets to the center of town she feels the world crash back into consciousness. What looks to be the entire town has gathered near the steps of the church. Parents with small children perched upon their shoulders, housewives and mothers still with aprons tied around their waists from working in the kitchen. Chloe pushes her way through them all, ignoring the looks and hissed words tossed her way.

Her father’s voice trickles through the crowd towards her, and Chloe hones in on it and stumbles, breathless. “The Devil is using this woman to lead astray the youths of our village with her little sorceries. With her black magic she has controlled the mind and possessed the body of many young women from our good Congregation, forcing them to submit to her vile evilness. She threatens the sanctity, the chastity of our daughters! For her crimes she has been arrested, and now will face the Judgment of the Vengeful and Almighty Lord.”

“No! Father, no, please, you can’t—”

“I can and I will!” He grabs Chloe’s face in his hands, squeezing her tight. His eyes are wild, mad and unseeing. Chloe wants to recoil from him, pull herself from his grasp, but his grip is too strong. His fingers leave bruises along her neck, her jaw, and she bites her tongue hard enough to taste blood to stop from whimpering from the pain. “We are God’s chosen people,” he whispers, his words meant only for her, “but we have fallen from His grace. He sends us these witches as a temptation, a scourge on our town. In order to return to His favor we must eradicate the disease.”

“No.”

He shoves her away from him, turning back to the swarming masses. “For her crimes, she has been arrested. And for her crimes, she will burn!”

There’s a roar of agreement from the crowd. Chloe fights back a wail. She can see Aubrey off to the side of the frenzied mass, her face pale and her jaw trembling. She meets Chloe’s gaze with eyes full of tears and turns away almost at once, like she can’t bear to watch.

Chloe fumbles upright, her feet and hands scrabbling in the mud. Her dress must be a hideous sight now but she hardly cares, can barely spare a thought for the ruined fabric. Beca is tied to a pyre in front of her, her head tipped back, her eyes closed to the sky. Chloe feels tar in her stomach. Her feet sink into the ground like the earth itself is grabbing hold of her, refusing to let her go.

She cries out, “No. NO!” But her screams are drowned out by the roaring of the crowd. Her father lowers his torch towards the pyre, and Chloe rips her head away, already ill, unable to look. The wood catches with a sickening crackle, and the jeers only grow louder. Chloe barrels away from the scene like she’s the one at risk of being burnt. She stumbles from the town square on legs that cannot support her, crashing blind through unfriendly bodies until she finally breaks free. The pathways are dark and twisting, and she allows her feet to carry her without thought to her destination.

She crashes through the door to the empty house. It is dark inside, and cold; there should be a fire burning in the hearth but there is no one left to tend it. A wooden plate sits on the table with a half-eaten loaf still perched upon it. Chloe thinks they must have grabbed her while she was unawares.

She feels next to nothing. She would cry, she thinks, were there any breath left inside of her. Instead she stumbles forward, tripping over her own feet, and falls face-first into the hard cot. She shivers violently but does not move to pull the quilt over her trembling body. She wraps her arms around her stomach and does not move and hopes, hopes that she’ll stop breathing.

.

.

.

.

+1.)

She awakens in Beca’s bed many hours later. The sun has long set; the world is in darkness now, and will remain as such likely for a few hours longer.

Beca’s house is dark. Of course it is. She was the only inhabitant, and now she’s—

The door is unlocked. It always is. Beca once told her she had nothing to fear from the outside world. If only she had known…

The moon outside is full. It illuminates the world, casting long and twisting shadows upon the ground. Chloe shivers as she peers out at them, for reasons she can’t quite explain.

The shadows are moving. Chloe blinks and rubs at her eyes, sure she must be seeing things, but— There. Right by the forest, where the path meets the trees, there’s… a figure, shrouded in black. And it seems to be creeping this way.

Chloe fumbles, her back slamming against the wall behind her. She clutches Beca’s bedroll to her heaving chest, her mouth frozen open in a silent scream. A demon is approaching, or perhaps a dark spirit; there is something wicked out in the woods, something haunting. It claimed Beca’s life earlier today and now it is here to claim hers. She’s set up residence in a dead woman’s home and the Devil is not pleased with her for it. He’s come to take her, to pull her soul from her body, to bewitch and entangle her in the dark magics.

She fumbles, her hands trembling so badly they can barely hold the flint and steel. She strikes once, twice, thrice, each movement more desperate than the one before. Finally, on her fifth attempt, a spark flies onto the candle by the bed. It catches fire, and Chloe can see inside once more.

She whips her attention back to the window, her eyes searching, her heart pounding heavy and pressing in her chest. She’s breathing hard, already in a panic, and she feels light-headed. But there is movement neither outside nor in. Chloe rubs at her eyes but it does little to calm her nerves.

“A trick of the light,” she mutters to herself. “A trick of the light and the illusion of a dream. That is all it was. No specter or ghoul, just… just my imagination.”

A shadow passes over the door, and finally, Chloe screams.

The door crashes open with a loud bang, and Chloe screams again, higher this time and louder, a wrenching shrill that tears at her throat and burns at her lungs and the figure races into the house, its taloned claws reaching for her face, and Chloe twists away from the horror and kicks out as hard as she can.

Her heel connects with something soft and pliant, and the demon buckles with a soft “Ooph,” like the breath has been torn from its lungs. It collapses onto the ground wheezing, and its hood falls from atop its gruesome head, and

“Beca?”

“You struck me.”

“I… I thought you were a demon.”

“No demon, just a foolish woman hoping to silence your screams before they drew the whole village to us.”

Chloe stares down at her, her mouth wide open. “I thought you had died.”

Beca shakes her head, clambering slowly to her feet. “I seem to have dodged death twice today.” She rubs at her middle, still wincing. “Was your father part-donkey? You kick like a mule.”

Chloe can’t believe this is happening. She can’t believe it. She saw Beca die this afternoon. Or… well, she saw her father light the woman on fire. That’s not exactly something you can just walk away from. The only explanation could be— “You… you are a witch,” Chloe says, breathless.

Beca winces like she’s been struck again. “Please, Chloe, hold your tongue,” she hisses. “And put that light out. If any of the nearby homesteads discover—”

“H-how did you survive? I… I saw… They lit a fire under you.” Beca ignores her, turning to a large trunk at the foot of the bed. Chloe frowns. “What are you doing?”

Beca is rummaging through her belongings, throwing together everything she can carry into one canvass sack. “I cannot stay, Chloe. You know that as well as I. They’ll have my head, next. The fact I escaped today was luck; nothing more than that.”

“I… But I saw you.”

“You saw nothing.”

“They set you aflame, yet you did not burn.”

“A trick of the light, that’s all.”

Chloe grabs her by the arm and wrenches her around. “Do not imply that I am mad, Beca. I am not my father; I am not the men of this village — I am not prone to wild, feverish bouts of anger and accusation. I do not mean to accuse you, only to confirm what I already know.”

Beca stares at her, eyes cold and expression unreadable. “And what is it you think you know?”

“You’re a witch. There is no other way you could have survived that fire were it not for—”

“For what?” Beca snaps. “God’s intervention? A pact with the Devil, with goblins and ghouls?”

“For magic.” Chloe breathes the word like a prayer, and it pauses Beca.

She swallows. “Would it matter? If I was a witch?”

“Are you working on behalf of the Devil?”

Beca scoffs. “No. How ridiculous.”

“If you were one of Satan’s minions would you be inclined to tell me?”

“If I were one of Satan’s minions I would already have your soul in hand, would I not? It matters little which power I serve.”

Chloe takes a moment to think. She quirks her head. “Can you guarantee that you will not get caught? That the next town you find yourself in will not chase you from its borders with pitchforks and flames?”

Beca swallows again and says, quieter and more seriously, “No. That is not a guarantee I can provide. When I leave here tonight, there is a very good chance I will be dead in months. We will not see each other again.”

Chloe takes a deep breath. “Can you teach me to be a witch, too?”

Beca’s eyes grow impossibly wide. “You—”

“If I wish to learn magics, are you able to teach me?”

“I… yes. Yes, I can teach you.”

Chloe finally takes Beca’s hand in hers. “Then let us go, quickly; before they think to search for you.”

They dash off together into the night, Chloe’s dress flapping behind her in the wind and Beca’s dress, a little singed ‘round the edges, catches on twigs and branches and the debris of the forest floor.

The moon is full in the sky, the air is crisp and clear, and their feet move so swiftly across the ground that Chloe swears they must be flying.

The Adventures of McCree Holmes and Sigma Watson- Vol. 1

Settle around, y'all. You've wanted to hear my stories for some time. It's about time I got around to tellin' em. There's a lot of interesting stories in this world, with witches in the wilds, and kings with their castles, but I believe I have my own unique view of things.

Back in my youth, I was never the smartest type. Nor was I the normal type, or the bully type, or any other kind'a type. For I knew I was different. I always had a nose for justice that needed servin', and boy, was I eager to serve it. My first official case was on the elementary school playground, helping Ms. Sally Watson of the second grade find her missin' dolly. After a long, investigative trail over several recesses, it turned out that the school bully, Norma Jane of the fifth grade, had taken dolly and was holdin' her for ransom. I socked that brat Norma square in the jaw. But I digress. The much more interesting stories I have to share are in my later years. My method of dispensing justice, turns out, was needed in all of these local towns around here. People went missin' all the time. Others, murdered. And so they called upon me, Detective Jesse Sherlock McCree Holmes, to solve their mysteries and to dole out justice to those who tried to shirk it. It's been an interesting job, to say the least. Sometimes, the culprit shined as clear as day, and it was obvious who deserved to go for a tumble. Other times, the mystery went on for days. Weeks. Even months. There's still a few that I haven't been able to solve to this very day. And there would be a lot more of those unsolved ones if it wasn't for the partner I met along the way. Fate is a funny thing, ain't it?

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

"Detective McCree Holmes! It's good that you have finally arrived!"    The mayor of the village was a short and stout man. Rumor had it that he spent most of his days in his workshop, tinkering away with gadgets and gizmos rather than run his town, but McCree Holmes was not one to judge a man by his rumors.    "Howdy, Mr. Lindholm. What seems to be the problem?" The mayor's face fell. "There's been a murder. That's why I sent out messengers to bring you here. Our local sheriff has the suspect detained, but-"    "If you've already solved it, then why did you call me?" McCree Holmes interrupted. Time wasters were always such a drag.    "Because something doesn't add up!" The Lindholm stomped his foot. "I called you here to do your job. You will be rewarded. I could fix up that gun for you, for example." McCree Holmes laughed and brought his pistol out of the holster on his hip. He gave it a quick spin. "Peacekeeper here is in no need of repairs. But, I'll still check out this case for you."    The mayor gave a relieved sigh before leading him to the scene of the crime. The torchlights flickered in the streets, and a hollow wind blew through town. No one was out and about. That was always the first sign that the killer was still loose, even if it seemed the culprit had been caught. An individual person would deny it, but people as a whole group always knew it in their guts when something was wrong.    They approached the front of a tall building that seemed to be a restaurant. The lights within the building had been dimmed, as if the fire and torches had went out on their own. No one had been in it for a few days, at least. The reason for that was just outside the front door.    The outline of a small body, done crudely in hay, was still stained with blood. It looked as if the body had been sprawled out when it had fallen, suggesting a sudden drop as the person panicked and tried to catch themselves. Hmm.    "Last night, one of my children-" The mayor stopped to sniff. "-One of my children suddenly fell."    "Fell?" McCree Holmes raised an eyebrow.    "As if from the sky!" The mayor cried.    "So, they were pushed off the roof, you think?" It made some sense, with how the body was laid.    "No! Why would my child have been up on the roof? That doesn't make sense. No, it was almost as if he had been picked up and thrown back down by the gods, or something. . ." The mayor trailed off again, tears in his eyes. "But! We have a suspect!"    "Can you show me this suspect?"    The mayor lead him again to the sheriff's office. Instantly, the logo on the sign was familiar to McCree Holmes. It was the sheriff's badge of Talon! He could never figure out why any town worth their salt would employ Talon to help police their towns, but he supposed that some folks didn't know any better. Literally, some people didn't know what Talon was, and what their agenda was. Mayor Lindholm was likely too caught up in making tools to realize. If Talon was involved in all of this, then things just got a lot more interesting.    They entered the office and were greeted by red-bandanna-faced guards. Typical Talon. McCree Holmes shot them a short glare as he passed by.    "Sheriff Ogundimo, Detective Holmes has finally arrived." The mayor shouted into the building.    From the back, McCree Holmes heard familiar footsteps. Out from the shadows (seemingly,) stepped Doomfist. Their eyes met and they gave each other a knowing, glaring look.    "Ah, Jesse." Doomfist's deep voice reverberated throughout the building. "It is. . . a pleasant surprise to see you here."    "Don't mention it. I'm here for the case only." He replied sternly.    "Good, then I believe we can work together. Although, I have already found the culprit of the crime." Doomfist walked leisurely over to a group of cells in the far corner.    "Is that so?" McCree Holmes said under his breath. He followed.    The first two cells were empty, but in the third sat the figure of a man, curled up and shivering in the corner. Was he weeping?    "The suspect, soon to be confirmed as a criminal by your superior judgement, you see," Doomfist's voice dripped with a sarcastic edge, "is the town madman, only known to the world as Sigma."    At the mention of the name, the man in the cell looked up. He muttered something under his breath and gave them a nervous glance. His eyes were frenzied and sunken into his face. His head was bald, McCree Holmes now noticed, and his body thin. He was a pitiful sight, that was for sure.    "So. . . you're saying that this crazy old man pushed a child off a building?" McCree Holmes looked back to Doomfist. "What's the motive?"    "He doesn't need a motive, can't you see that? He is insane. His lunacy disconnects him from reality. And, he didn't even push the child."    "Case closed, then?"    "No." Doomfist looked him in the eye. "Sigma, in a fit of mania, lifted the child above his head and pounded them back into the ground, with only a twitch of his hand."    That was enough to make McCree Holmes gasp out loud. Magic? This old man had magic? Magic was a discipline, an art. Someone just throwing magic around was highly unusual.    "You've got to be kiddin' me." He shook his head. "This ol' fellow can't have magic. The building was just nearby. Someone could have easily pushed the child off."    "Mr. Holmes, with all of your brilliance," more dripping sarcasm from Doomfist, of course, "you must be able to see all of the evidence. Talk to the eyewitnesses of the murder. They all saw what he did. The case is closed. The rest of Talon will arrive shortly to take Sigma away to a place where he can properly be detained."    That was it. Talon definitely had an outside motive here to get the old man arrested. McCree Holmes steeled his resolve. Somethin' fishy was going on down here, that he could feel. He looked back into Sigma's cell. Something didn't add up here.    The mayor bounced with impatience. "Um, if you two are working on the case, I think I'll go now. I do have a funeral to plan, and, um, I'd rather not be around my child's murderer."    McCree Holmes turned to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Of course, Mr. Lindholm. I'll get everything figured out for you. I promise that whoever it was that got your child is gonna pay. That I swear." --------------------------------------------------------------------- Everyone in the town I asked said the same damn thing. That last night, at around ten o'clock, they heard the Lindholm child screamin'. They looked out their windows or looked down the street to see the child falling. They also saw Sigma floating near the corner of an alleyway, lifting both of his palms in the air and humming some kind'a song. After the child hit the ground, he had floated back into the alley. So, the eyewitnesses had come to a unanimous conclusion, it seemed. The only inconsistent detail I picked out was where Doomfist had been during the whole situation. Some said they saw him on the street, chasing after Sigma as he ran. Others said they saw him up on the roof, trying to catch the child when the kid had been floating up. Another person, the bartender, said he had been in the neighboring bar before the whole thing had started and had stayed there with his drink! Still, something bugged me. Call it what you will. Intuition. Fate. The Universe (in the words of my future partner), whatever. But something wasn't right. I decided that I was missin' an important perspective. So, I went to go ask the suspect himself. ---------------------------------------------------------------------   "Why don't I talk to the man himself?" McCree Holmes was back at the sheriff's office, gesturing inside the cell with the man.    "You would get hurt. He is dangerous. If you wish to subject yourself to him, though, be my guest." Doomfist gave a grim smile, and turned to get the key.    As McCree Holmes set foot inside the cell, Doomfist locked the door behind him. The noise of the door opening and closing startled Sigma, who was now staring directly at him. Something about the man's expression seemed to draw McCree Holmes in. Despite everything that had been said about the old man, he seemed more scared than anything. McCree Holmes felt a pang of sympathy. He walked over and sat down next to him.    "Hey." He gave a simple greeting as he looked over.    Sigma flinched away from him, scooting himself further into the corner. He was by no means a small man, so the fact that he had managed to crunch himself into such a tiny space was a feat within itself.   "I heard that something happened to you." McCree Holmes tried a lighter tone. He tugged his serape over the gun holster on his hip.    "I-I." Sigma began. "I couldn't save him."    "You couldn't save who?" he asked.   Sigma's hands trembled. "He was falling, the small one. I couldn't catch him. I couldn't catch him in time."    "Couldn't catch him? Do you know why he was falling?"    "I couldn't catch him. I couldn't catch him! The universe wouldn't cooperate- no, I was unwilling to cooperate with it, o-or." Sigma brought his hands up to his face. "I couldn't focus and I couldn't save him and it's my fault."   McCree Holmes reached over and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, hey, slow down there, pardner. It can't be your fault."  "No no no, you don't understand, it would have been so easy, but my focus slipped." he hissed the last word. "Everything slips away from us. Our time, our sanity, our dreams, our focus. . ."    "Did you make the child fall?" McCree Holmes tapped his shoulder.    Sigma looked into his eyes again, with the same panicked and frenzied look. "I could not catch him! Of course it was my fault!"    "But was the kid fallin' before you thought to catch him?" McCree strengthened his voice, causing Sigma to flinch.    "Well, um. . . yes. Yes he was. From the roof." His voice was almost a whisper.    From the roof. Of course it was from the roof! The one thing none of the spectators had told him was from where the child had fallen. Doomfist had insisted that Sigma had picked the kid up, but none of the eyewitnesses confirmed that theory.    "Listen, little buddy." McCree Holmes realized that Sigma was at least thirty years his senior, but that didn't matter at the moment. "You did everythin' you could. You tried your best. It's not your fault that the kid's gone. I'm gonna to get to the bottom of this, I promise."    Sigma stuttered out a few syllables, but nothing was incomprehensible. He gave up at his attempt at words, and gave a small, cautious smile instead.    "Just one last thing," McCree Holmes returned the smile, "could you be so kind as to tell me why the kid fell off the roof in the first place?"    "Oh!" Sigma shook his head once and his eyes focused again. "Of course. The man who let you into my cell pushed him off." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Of course the damn bastard did! I only knew of a few fellows who would do such a twisted thing, and Doomfist was right at the top of that list. But, unfortunately, all the evidence I had for that conclusion was the words of a possibly crazy old man who everyone thought was the murderer and the feeling in my gut. That wasn't exactly evidence to persuade the villagers of the town that their current sheriff was a lying cheat. I had to find more. I mentioned earlier that the eyewitness testimonies as to where Doomfist had been during the incident had been spotty. So, I decided to check all of the places that had been mentioned in their descriptions. I checked the bar, I checked the alleyway, nothing. The most important spot, of course, would be the roof of the restaurant. I had a bit of difficulty getting to that one. . . --------------------------------------------------------------------    "Nope. I can't let you up there."    The bartender stood in front of the stairway, her arms crossed.    "Mrs. Lindholm, ma'am," McCree Holmes pleaded. "Please. I'm trying to solve the murder of your kid-"    "The murderer has been found, hasn't he? Go home!" She pointed to the door.    "It wouldn't be right for the real killer to get away, now would it?!" He took a step back. "Just let me onto your roof and I can make a quick jump over to the restaurant's. Quick and easy. I wouldn't be poking around in none of your business."    "The real killer was that horrible man, Sigma! Our sheriff has already arrested him. Go home." She repeated, less stern this time.    Call it intuition. Call it fate. Call it the universe. Something wasn't right here either. In the corner of his eye, McCree Holmes noticed two shady looking fellows positioning themselves near the door. Other than them, the bar was empty. A table near them had been turned over on its side not to long ago, with beer stains still wet on the ground. Funny, shouldn't that have been cleaned up by now?    "No. I don't think I will." He eyed the two people behind him. "There's something going on here, ma'am. I won't leave it be."    The bartender's posture dropped, and her voice was a whisper. "Just go. Get out of here. Doomfist doesn't like anyone meddling in his business. Leave, before. . ."    The two people by the door reached into the necks of their jackets and pulled red bandannas over their faces. Their right hands reached down to deep pockets on their hips.    McCree Holmes whipped around. Peacekeeper was already in his hand. He pointed it at the two cloaked figures. "I don't like where this is going."    Instantly, the two figures darted behind the tipped table, using it as cover. McCree Holmes fired a single shot, but the table was too thick to pierce all the way through. Reaching back and grabbing the bartender's hand, he ran towards the cover of the bar. Shots echoed through the air, but none of them hit their mark.    One they were behind the bar, McCree Holmes threw the bartender down and motioned for her to stay quiet. He ducked down as well, narrowly avoiding some bullets that pierced the air where his hat would have been. He sent a quick prayer of thanks to his lucky stars that Talon goons had such pathetic aim.    But, bullets were still bullets, and still quite deadly. A person was a big target. One would find their mark eventually. McCree peeked above the counter and fired a few more shots, only to have to duck down again when the fire was returned. This was going nowhere.    Underneath the counter, there was a bottle of some sort of alcohol. Perfect. He grabbed the bottle by its neck and undid the cork. The bartender gave him a questioning stare. McCree Holmes smirked and took a sip of the bottle. He then got out a thick string out of one of his pockets, and stuck it in the bottle. He put the cork back on.    "I hope you fellows don't mind sharing a Molotov cocktail. I've only got one!" He called out as he crawled to the edge of the bar.    He rolled the bottle across the floor, and its momentum stopped just past the tipped-over table. There was screaming, and both of the Talon goons ran out from behind the table. McCree Holmes stood up and gunned them both down as they ran.    The bar was dead silent. He blew the smoke from the barrel of his pistol, before walking out from behind the bar. He first went over to the front door and locked it. Then, he walked over the bodies of the goons and over to the table. He picked up the bottle of alcohol from the ground, uncorked it, tossed the string away, and took another swig.    The bartender slowly and shakily stood up behind the bar.    "Hey, how about we talk about what just happened over a cuppa?" McCree Holmes gestured with the bottle. -------------------------------------------------------------------- It turns out those Talon goons were stationed their by Doomfist, to keep anyone from getting up to the roof. Mrs. Lindholm was threatened by an anonymous source not to let anyone up there, otherwise more of her kids might suffer from "accidents". Just thinkin' about what Doomfist did makes me spittin' mad. You're gonna have to get me a drink if you want me to calm down enough to continue with this story. That's better. Anyways, over a cup of whiskey, she broke down and told me about the threats, Talon, and everything. She also cried a lot about how much she missed her kid, about how sad all of her other kids were over their dead sibling. She said that their oldest, Brigitte, was taking the news the hardest. After our little talk she told me she felt much better. I considered giving Brigitte a visit to provide a bit of my therapy as well, but I decided that I couldn't endanger another Lindholm like that right now. Doomfist was after my hide, that was certain. Especially after I found what was on the rooftop. --------------------------------------------------------------------    The restaurant was higher up than most other buildings in the town, even the mayor's office. It was still quite a climb to get up to its roof even from the top of the bar. Supposedly, when the restaurant was built, it advertised "sky high views" as a part of the dining experience. An interesting tidbit, but nothing important to the case right now, other than the fact that it meant the roof was tall enough to be a lethal fall.    McCree Holmes grunted as he pulled himself up over the side of the lipped roof. He rolled onto the wooden planks and sat there for just a few moments more, before sitting up and wiping the sweat off his forehead with his hat.    He looked over to the far edge of the flat roof, the edge facing the street. Just behind the big sign advertising the restaurant was a table, covered in paper notes. He approached it.    The papers were written in some sort of code, but the Talon logo was plastered all over them. He'd have to decipher it later, though that process might take days-    "Perhaps this will help?"    McCree Holmes flinched around, drawing Peacekeeper and pointing it in the direction of the person who spoke. Right in his sights stood the old man, Sigma.    "Please, don't shoot!" Sigma winced and closed his eyes.    McCree Holmes lowered his revolver. "What in the sam hill are you doin' here?!"    "I don't know what a sam hill is, but I got worried about you. Doomfist is not a nice man. He has a tendency to hurt people to get what he wants." Sigma replied.    He thought back to the goons in the bar. "Yeah, I know. But what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in a cell."    "Well, yes, but," Sigma scratched the back of his head, "the lock really wasn't that hard to bend, and-"    "You could be in serious trouble for breaking out." McCree Holmes wanted to tear his hair out. "I'm trying to clear your name! You ain't making this any easier!"    Sigma flinched and turned away, looking up into the sky.    "How did you even get up here?"    "Ah, you see, that's an interesting story." Sigma turned back to face him again. "I felt that there was something that I could do to help! So, I sneaked out of my cell and over to Doomfist's desk and-"    "Get to the point." He finally holstered his gun.    "I grabbed this."    Sigma extended his hand to offer a crumpled piece of paper. McCree Holmes took it, and spent a good minute or so folding it back straight. On the paper was a list of letters, and a list of corresponding symbols. He turned around to the Talon papers again. The symbols matched up perfectly.    "Is it what you needed?"    He turned back to Sigma, who still hadn't moved.    "Yeah, actually." He blinked. "How did you know to get this?"    Sigma relaxed into a neutral stance. "The universe told me." -------------------------------------------------------------------- The universe. It was a phrase I would learn to get used to, but in that moment I was understandably incredulous. In all reality, Sigma had probably just overheard Doomfist mentioning the code at some point. In the future I would learn that not everything he did could be so easily justified, but back then I was a different man. I needed a reason for everything. Anyways, the sheet was a perfect deciphering tool. It even had Doomfist's name signed onto it! Talon and its hidden bureaucracy. Sometimes its stupid little procedures were exploitable. The papers had a full, detailed disclosure about the plan to frame Sigma. It was the perfect evidence. I only had to worry about the citizens of the town shooting my new friend Sigma on sight. That, and despite the fact that I had evidence, it was still Doomfist's word against mine. That, and Talon was after Sigma, for reasons that weren't entirely clear. They were coming for him, soon. I had to make my stand before then. --------------------------------------------------------------------    "Hear ye, hear ye!" The mayor shouted throughout the square. "Sheriff Ogundimo is about to make his final proclamation about the murder!"    The citizens, all tucked together in one big crowd, stifled to silence. Doomfist stood at their very front, and despite having nothing to stand on, still commanded the event like he was on a stage.    "Townfolk of Ironclad," Doomfist addressed them, "I have indeed found out with certainty the answer you all were expecting. However, I have also found another shocking revelation."    McCree Holmes hid in the side alley and peered around the corner. Sigma floated in the air next to him ("Just a nervous habit," he said while apologizing).    "The town madman, Sigma, is the murderer." Doomfist continued.    The crowd went mad with booing and hissing. Sigma audibly flinched.    "But also. . ." Doomfist quieted them again with his smooth tone. A tone full of deceit and lies. "The ragged detective, McCree, helped him escape custody yesterday!"    The crowd gasped. Babies started crying.    "So, if you see either him or the criminal, you have my permission to shoot them on sight." The last words dripped with icy poison.    The time was now. McCree Holmes leaped from the alleyway and into view of the square. The crowd gasped again. One person pointed and shouted his name.    "Now wait just one mighty second!" He shouted to the crowd, waving his arms even though he already had their full attention.    "Look! A criminal appears!" Doomfist pointed.    "WAIT!" McCree Holmes shouted again. "Hear me out, like the decent folk you are!"    The crowd settled into an uneasy silence. He noticed that many of the folks in the crowd had a hand on their holsters.    "And what would you have to say for yourself?" Doomfist said coyly.    McCree Holmes pointed at him. "You. You lie to the people of this town. You know who really killed the Lindholm kid."    "Don't we all?" Doomfist gestured to the crowd.    McCree Holmes gave a quick signal to Sigma in the alleyway, before pointing to the crooked sheriff. "It's YOU!"    A bundle of papers was thrown out from the alleyway with unnatural speed. The bundle hesitated in midair, before exploding over the crowd. Papers, all of the Talon papers, were scattered to the people. Each one had been translated, with a copy of Doomfist's signed code key attached to the front.    The crowd all reached for the papers, and soon everyone had one. Their shock was audible as they read on. However, Doomfist didn't react. The same, smug grin still crossed his face.    "Is that all you have, detective?" He sneered. "Some fake papers to slander my name with?"    "These aren't fake. Otherwise you wouldn't have threatened Mrs. Lindholm to keep them secure, would you have?" McCree Holmes retaliated. He frantically scanned the crowd for her face. She was there, next to her husband, in the back. She looked away at the mention of her name.    "And did I threaten her?" Doomfist looked to her as well.    "I would say stationing two Talon goons to watch over her bar is enough of a threat." He really hoped that the bartender would back him up. He needed her.    She stood silently, holding her husband's hand. The crowd grew louder and louder with anticipation. McCree Holmes fired a single shot into the air to silence them.    Mrs. Lindholm finally lifted her head up. "The sheriff told me not to let anyone onto the roof. Then two men in Talon attire came to my bar and wouldn't leave. When the detective tried to go up to the roof, they shot at us."    She burst into tears and the crowd went wild. Everyone was shouting, everyone was pointing fingers. For just a moment, panic entered Doomfist's face. That was, before he raised his hand in the air and snapped his fingers.    A shot rang out. McCree Holmes dove back to the cover of the alleyway as Talon goons came pouring out of nearby buildings. Most of the civilians in the square started running away. Mr. and Mrs. Lindholm grabbed their children and held them close.    Back in the alleyway, McCree Holmes pulled out Peacekeeper once more. He didn't even remember Sigma was there until the old man tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to flinch.    "I can help." He said simply. "Do you want me to?"    McCree Holmes looked back for just a moment. "No. Stay here. It’s not safe."    "Alone in an alleyway where no one will see me if I get grabbed, thus rendering your mission to clear my name completely fruitless?"    "Okay, good point." He conceded. "New plan. Follow me, and don't get shot."    McCree Holmes looked both ways before peeking out of the alleyway and firing a few shots. One managed to hit its mark, and a single Talon goon fell over. There were about fifteen more to go, not counting Doomfist.    More bullets whizzed into the building they were hiding against. He looked back to Sigma. "Damn! We're pinned. You said you could do magic, right? Got a distraction?"    "Hold on." Sigma closed his eyes.    A rather strange feeling filled the air, and McCree Holmes struggled to keep down his lunch as it felt like he was falling. However, the feeling quickly faded. More noticeable was a glow of blue surrounding Sigma's now extended hand. The air around it warped, before something akin to a blue screen popped into existence in front of him.    "Here's a barrier! It's been so long since I’ve. . . I can't hold it forever, but hopefully it is useful." Sigma gestured to it.    The barrier extended out past the alleyway. McCree Holmes only paused for a moment before following it. The bullets of Talon pinged against it but did not get through. He entered a familiar shooting stance, and like clockwork, aimed down multiples of the goons, one falling after the other. However, the barrier began to shake and wobble after a few seconds of sustained fire, and McCree Holmes dived behind a nearby tree. He quickly reloaded his revolver.    It was then that Sigma came floating out of the alleyway. Only a few of the goons remained, but they all fired upon him. However, Sigma was never hit. McCree Holmes noticed that the bullets were actually being stopped in midair, just a few inches short of piercing any skin.    The enemies were just as distracted as McCree Holmes had been, so he used the opportunity to gun the rest of the down.    The only person left in the town square was Doomfist.    "Well, well, well. It seems you've outsmarted me this time, detective." He called out to him. "Would you like to come out to receive your prize?"    McCree Holmes came out from behind the tree, aiming Peacekeeper right at him. "We've got you. Put your hands up."    "Mr. detective, I believe you are pointing your gun at the wrong man. The criminal is over there." Doomfist gestured to Sigma.    Sigma visibly recoiled at the mention.    McCree Holmes did not move his aim. "Come on now. I'm not falling for that. Hands up."    "I am merely an acolyte of Talon, working to make this land a better place. That man over there is a weapon. Dangerous." Doomfist's lips curled into a smile. "He's been a murderer for a long time."    McCree Holmes looked over to Sigma for just a moment. The old man avoided his gaze and seemed to curl smaller still, hugging himself tightly and shaking his head. Tears streamed down his face. When McCree Holmes looked back over, however, Doomfist was already slipping into an alleyway. He fired a few shots in his direction, but it was pointless.    He did one final check of the area and holstered his revolver. Sigma was still suspended motionless in the air. He was muttering incessantly.    "Hey, pardner." McCree Holmes approached him slowly. "You okay?"    Sigma shook his head, and he dropped lower in the air.    "We did it. Doomfist and Talon are gone." He tried to smile.    Sigma lowered himself completely to the ground, but his knees buckled, and he fell forwards. McCree Holmes was too far away to catch him as he hit the ground. McCree Holmes rolled him over onto his back, only to find that his eyes were closed. He was out cold. -------------------------------------------------------------------- So, after all that, the mayor came up and congratulated me. It turns out the reason he had invited me here was because he had also been threatened and harassed by Doomfist. Inviting me was his last act of free will, and according to him, I had done swimmingly in convincing the rest of the town of Doomfist's crooked lies. A town holiday was declared and a celebration held in my honor. Despite that fact, I had to practically beg the town's doctor on my knees to get her to take Sigma in and make sure he was alright. People cheered for me in the streets- they always did- but my buddy didn't have the same luxury. All they would give him were nervous stares, as if he was gonna leap up and bite them, even when he was being carted on a stretcher past them. Sigma was fine, luckily. No injuries, no bullet holes. That was good. The doctor said that he was "drained" and didn't elaborate further. Something to do with his magic, I suppose. But while he laid there, unconscious, I made up my mind about something. --------------------------------------------------------------------    The room in the doctor's office was dusty as hell. Sunlight streamed in through a small window, catching on the particles that floated in the air. McCree Holmes had to pinch his nose to keep from sneezing. It didn't matter. A room was a room. He was lucky he was able to get one for the two of them.    Sigma was laid down on a lightly cushioned bed. His chest rose and fell softly. His eyes darted behind his closed eyelids, as if he was dreaming something exciting. After a while, though, his breathing increased slightly, and he started to move.   "Hey, pardner." McCree Holmes said softly.    Sigma's eyes fluttered open. He blinked rapidly for a few moments before looking around. "Where am I?"    "Don't worry, pardner. You're at the doctor's. You're okay, but she was gracious enough to let you stay until you woke up." McCree Holmes put a hand on his shoulder.    Sigma absentmindedly reached up and put his own hand over his.   "Say, you aren't that well-liked around here, are you?" McCree Holmes continued. "Something tells me that."    He let out a shaky breath. "You could say that. Are you leaving now, detective?"    "Perhaps." McCree Holmes smiled. "But first, I have something to settle with you."    "Did I do something?" He looked around nervously. "I'm sorry if I did something. It tends to happen-"    "No, no. Don't worry. It's a deal of the more personal sort."    Sigma began to tremble.    "Relax, relax, pardner. No need to get yourself in a twist. All I wanted to say was. . ."    He trailed off. Sigma sat up in the bed, and crossed his legs. He looked him in the eye and waited patiently for a response, like a child at school. He was funny like that.    ". . . I want you to come along with me." McCree Holmes finished.    Sigma's eyes went wide. "You want me with you? Are you certain?"    "Absolutely, pardner. You've got an eye and an intuition perfect for solvin' mysteries." He gestured.    "Are you sure about this? You're not just offering this because you think I'm dangerous?" Sigma grew quiet.    "Heavens, no!" McCree Holmes nearly laughed. "What got that idea into your head? You don't seriously believe what Doomfist said, do you? You don't look like you could harm a fly."    Sigma's expression fell. "I. . ."    "It doesn't matter is all I'm sayin'. The decision to come with me is up to you, of course, but I think hittin' the road would be a lot better than shulking around this tiny town for the rest of your life." McCree Holmes got serious again.    "If you're really, truly sincere, then. . . I accept. If you don't think I would be a burden." Sigma was apologetic again.    "Well, the first lesson in traveling with me is that I mean what I say, and that I say what I mean. Don't doubt that." He wagged his finger at him.    "Sorry. Of course."    "Lesson number two- stop apologizing so much. You haven't done nothin' wrong yet."    "I'm sor- I mean, okay."    They paused and looked at each other. After a period of tense staring, they broke out into laughter. McCree Holmes slapped his knee.    "Well, pardner, I have a feeling we are gonna get along just swimmingly." He smiled.    Sigma simply beamed back. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Call it intuition. Call it fate. Call it the universe, if you're my buddy Sigma. But from that moment on, he and I were joined at the hip. Partners. It was good to have a partner again, after spending so long alone. He had a much better eye for the subtle connections of everything than I did. Sure, he had his off days, days where the universe didn't talk to him right. Days where he couldn't or wouldn't stop muttering about mysterious things in either his past or what he thought the future would be. But most of the time, he was a good detective, a good man, and a good friend. I'll tell you another story, the story about the time he managed to sniff out how a scoop of peanut butter was connected to three previously-thought-to-be unrelated murders, another time. The night is growing old, and that drink you gave me was mighty strong.