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kristalpepsi · 3 years

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Temptation Stairway Thoughts™ + Theory Discussion

TW: blood + Death mentions, Implied (forced/pushed) integration (systems), racism (against asians), unreality stuff bc the show is Like That, Trauma causd by therapy

TL;DR = I mainly talk about implied integration, n as some1 in a system tht! mkes me uncomfy! I mainly will talk abt wht I’m calling the multi-ena theory (n anothr theory ill call the Multiple/Multi-Enaverse Theory) thts been popping up n disccng how thts kind of the bggst thng keepng me on board! I won’t LIE I might b a little biased bc I rlly do like thise show b I am NOT blind so I will try 2 address som things. I also talk alot abt the Shepard n Phindol bc I love themb so much they make me very heart Big.

DISCLAIMERS:

Obviously Joel G Highkey/definitely/most probbly did not intend 4 any of thise, but media is very complic8d so u cn end up accidntlly making problmtc things or implyng not great things

I hav a typing quirkkkk so if u cant understand my post I rlly dont blame u! I’m sorry how I type is Incomprehensible™

Not an angry post, more like my brain is holding me host-ge until i talk abt everyth dskfjhd!!

DO NOT Send anyone in thise post hate or angry asks/messages or perish by my sword

OK so this recnt episde has me w vry vry mixd feelngs!!! I’m both happy n exctd! b litrlly 2 things is whts bothrng me. While I CLD jst say :I Am Lookng Away: i rlly do need 2 write it down. Under a Read-more bc im secure SKSJ

Part 0: I’m uncomfortable help

The Section wher i tlk abt n bring up othr ppl’s concerns

So fr most if nt all the frnds I hav who also wtch Ena ALSO has a vry “vr vry mixd feelngs now tht I’ve seen the episde!!” mood twrds Temptation Stairway! It’s 4 a bunch of rsns, like thise post (tw racism) mde by a frnd whch brings up a good point

Part 1: The Actual Intro

Episode 1 = Auction day (AD) Episode 2 = Extinction Party (EP) Episode 3 = Tempation Stairway (TS)

Who is Ena

Ena can b describd as an "abstract girl split in half, w 1 blue side n the other is her yellow side!" Each side (emotion/mood, 2 b specific) seems 2 hav their own voic actor credited along with seper8 credits 4 each mood! So far the canon sides r Ena (happy), Ena (sad), n Ena (drunk)! They seem 2 act accordingly: Happy acts happy n optimistc, Sad acts sad n especlly depressd, n Drunk acts confused n dizzy [In the Credits, it would look like thise: Ena (happy) by Gabe V., Ena (sad) by Lizzie Freeman, (drunk) Ena by Sam Meza

4 Episodes 1-2, thy follow thise pattern exctly! So we cn expect wht 2 see from them, n each voice actor is creditd accordngly as seper8 b all a part of Ena

On epside 3, Ena is seen as actng diffrnt!! She's suddnly less predictabl! I say thise bc Suddenly, her voic Actors r not stuck 2 Only their sides. Thise is also emphasized when looking at the credit list! No longer is it "Ena (happy) by Gabe V., Ena (sad) by Lizzie Freeman" it's now jst "ENA by Gabe V. and Lizzie Freeman"

Happy's voic can sound STRESSED n sad, Happy can tlk w Blue's side in mor control n Sad's voic can sound Really happy n optimistic. Somth's Diffrnt n Not The Same

Temptation Stairway Summary

Skipping 2 my point, The summary of the episode Temptation stairway is tht Moony and Ena have a bet 2 race 2 the Great Runas! The Great Runas, can grnt u any wish accordng 2 Moony n som of those Ena passes by on the wy. The wager, is tht "whoever reaches the top of the Great Runas n makes their wish 1st, has 2 pay the debts of the loser" (yes it’s phrased like that) As Ena journeys thru, The DIFFERENCES between Ena Temptation Stairway and Ena Extinction Party n Below, is mor obvious as the epsde progrsses, even 2 wher Happy's voic actor is the 1 screamng in agony 2 jst get murdered already. The Episode ends w Moony beatng Ena (but it's 100% possibl it can be the other way arnd, that ENA Beat Moony, b thats somth I'll discuss in a bit L8r). Moony splits in half, revealing that according 2 her, "she wished 2 be skinny" n a humanoid coms out of her previous form. As 4 Ena, Her blue side slowly dispprs n its not answrd why.

Theories so far, are:

Moony wished 4 Ena 2 b happy (or 4 her sad/blu side 2 go awy. 4 wht reason can b eithr wholsom or 2 Moony's advntge [like so she "doesnt have 2 deal w Sad Ena"]) - b if Moony wished 4 Ena 2 b happy/b rid of her sad side, tht wld mean perhaps she lied about wishing 2 be skinny (her new humanoid form may be how she is "paying her debt 2 the loser"). Unless the Runas can grant u more than 1 wish.

Ena ws the 1 who wished her blu side awy, whch is a little depressng tbh

If both the above r tru, it may b possibl bc it wsnt clarified (afaik) tht the great runas can only grant ONE person a wish (or more). I think we only get tht implica8ion bc we see 1 (open) door while in the distance, ther r more doors tht look like their eyes r closed. We hav 2 remembr Moony said "whoever makes their wish 1st whch means Ena n Moony can totlly mke wishes @ the sme time

Somhow, turning pure yellow/only happy is how Moony is payng her debt 2 Ena(??) (opposite 2 the 1st theory)

OR If Ena won the race, it can even b possibl 2 consider tht Ena did not make ANY wish, n her debt 2 pay 2 Moony is her sad/blue side removed (I do not subscribe 2 thise)

This info that was brought up 2 me is high evidenc that Moony won the race, n it explains how Moony surprises Ena whn Ena arrives. “I’m The Best and you’re the worst! I wonder who got the hair chest?” said by Ena, is a direct reference 2 a phrase usd by kids when they lose that goes “First is the worst, second is the best, third is the one with the hairy chest.”

“Whoever reaches the top of the Great Runas n makes their wish 1st, has 2 pay the debts of the loser.“ Might be phrased tht way as a weird way 2 pay 4 ur greed? (Last minute addition from me since some people wld think this is quoted wrong in and outside of the youtube comments)

i'm p sure ther may even b mor theories b i dont rmmbr them OOPS

Part 2: The Implied Integration Part AKA: How the System!Ena theory is affected by this episode

TW: Final fusion discussion, medical trauma (Is that the right word)

Disclaimer: This is 100% unintended by Joel G. That’s y the Alternative title 2 thise part is “How the System!Ena theory is affected by this episode”

2 GET IN2 the whole Implied Integr8ion part of my Essay™ I hav a theory calld system ena or sys!ena! (Check out my #system ena tag. This is in chronologicl order!) While thers no canon explan8ion 4 how Ena herslf is how she is, she mkes very intrstng n almst good accdntl Sys Represent8ion 2 me! They even show cofronting rlly well! I headcanon Ena as a system bc of the accidentl system!rep, but it explains 2 me y n how she switches! she has triggers 4 when she switchs 2 a diffrnt side, etc!

Ther hav been theories about Temptation Stairway in the past (before the episode cme out) wher ppl try 2 explain y the trailer Looks Like Tht. Besides theorizing abt the introduction of a new forme (I'm ok w just calling it Scared/Anxiety 4 now until 4rthr notic), 1 of the theories ive seen is tht Temptation Stairway's new introduced forme is due 2 being something akin 2 being "integr8d" (probably by force, accordin 2 the OP) (in other words, all her sides merge in2 one) n Ena being devast8td abt it

While tht theory is now DEBUNKED, bc the new forme clearly did not come out bc of being One Single Mind now, the "integr8ion" part of tht theory is unfortun8ly a littl tru

What is Integr8ion?

Integr8ion is not inherently a bad thing. In systems, ther are 2 definitions: "the breaking down of barriers 2 form healthy multiplicity, n then healthy communic8ion n less amnesiac barriers" and the othr, n mor FAMOUS definition bc its the oldest 1, is "final fusion"

Fnal Fusion is when all the members "fuse/merge" 2gether until ther is 1 single mind left. While not necssrlly a bad thng, final fusion n ther4 "integr8ion" is a scry thing 4 a lot of systems 2 talk abt, because in the history of Treatment, Final fusion is uslly somthng forcd on2 systems 4 the longest time :^(

Very valid 2 hav final fusion as a goal, b showng it as a desire n end goal is uslly seen as a sad n even scry thing 2 promote accdntly or not in media, bc of the previous traumas in the medicl/therapy world of system treatment etc

What's Worse. is tht if we apply the Ending 2 Temptation Stairway to the System!Ena Theory, thts wht hurts!!!

Scrolling back up 2 the possibl theories of who won the race and wht happened aftr, Either Moony or Ena wishing 4 the blue side/Sad Ena 2 go awy is rlly painful!

B I'll be honest, thts a RLLY biased n personal opinion i hav!! I've seen ppl think its rlly wholsom altho a bit Sad, tht the blue side disappears. I've seen ppl think its rlly sweet esp if it was Moony who mde tht wish

BSCLLY If I were to hold on2 the System!Ena headcanon while watchng the Temptation Stairway episode, its Hurtful, not rlly bc of the implied Integr8ion of Sides, but bc most top theories r that the blue side disappeard on Purpose either from Moony or Ena wishing her away or involvng the debt! It's like asking 4 ur sibling irl 2 Disappear and cease 2 exist. it's scary n rlly sad esp whn the audienc can c tht Sad, Happy, n Drunk cn almst b seen as their own persons n mite even b abl 2 interact w each othr (as seen by the many fanart of Happy n Sad having their own seper8 forms)

Ok so Now tht ive described my intro n Main Beef w the Episode, here's a theory I cn rlly get behind tht dsnt mke me wnna cry behind a Denny's. Prsnlly it's a rlly relievng theory even if it mite b hard 2 take in

Ther's no name 4 it, som call it the Enaverse, b just so it dsnt get confusd w other definitions (like, u wldnt call it the Marvel Cinematic Universe theory, the MCU is jst wht it is) I'm gnna call it the Multi-Ena theory! Bsclly, there's mor than 1 Ena in thise universe. But I'll get in2 a sub/partner theory tht is also possibl: ther is mor than 1 enaverse n somhow u may or may not b abl 2 travel between them

Part 3: The Multi-Ena theory

Something interesting I noticed was that the shepherds says “another ENA troublemaker?” Which definitely means more than one ENA/person has been there before.

(I blockd out the rest of the commnt not bc it ws bad, b i wantd 2 focus on this part of the commnt, but thise commnt will come up again L8r)

Not connected 2 System!Ena or the integr8ion issue I mentioned earlier, the multi-ena theory seems 2 b 1 of the top suggstd theories bc of many thngs! Bsclly n in short, thise theory believs tht in the series (or Enaverse), ther is multipl ena's! So fr i havent seen a post tht RLLY went in2 depth on thise so here is my attempt!

Evidence:

(See: above explanation on how the voic actors r credited 4 their roles individlly 2 explain my system!ena theory/intro) In episodes 1-2, Ena's diffrnt emotions/sides r creditd individually! In Temptation Stairway, Gabe n Lizzie Freeman r all creditd undr the sme nme, just as "Ena" (mening thise is a completely different Ena from the past)

Again, as said in my summry 4 Tempt8ion Stairway, thise Ena acts compltly diffrnt n is not follwng the sme "pattern" or rules as Ena did in Episodes 1-2! (Read above in my summary section) Either ther r stuff we've missd between Extinction Party n Temptation Stairway, or thise is a diffrnt Ena entirely. I'd hav 2 sy prsnlly tht I'm leanng 2wrds the latter bc of how the VA's are crdtd. but if ur not convinced, let me continu:

When we meet the Shepard in 7:52 of the episode, they say (verbatim) "Arghh... Another ENA trouble maker." which implies there r more than 1 Ena's

9:08 - 9:19 when Ena jumps in2 the "Holy Code" where we head undrwtr in2 a sea of diffrnt doors, we see floating Ena models (n the comment section seems 2 gravit8 2 callng them "dead bodies") (Honorary mention: You'll notic they glitch in2 Mannequins if u pay attention 2 them). This piec of info is Direct Evidence 2 the multi-ena theory, bc ther r Explicitly mor thn 1 ena's on screen! wht's concernng n unanswrd tho, is y do they glitch in2 mannequins? Does tht mean all the mannequins we sw on screen in the begnng of the video (n onwards) were all previously an Ena? Is it only an Ena tht can transform in2 a mannequin or cn othr chrctrs also become mannequins?

Not the strongst evidenc b i'll input it anywy: Ena's Action boxes (Like when she receivs or gives items) spell her nme her as ƎNA (with a backwrds E). The thing abt thise 1 is tht we can't compare it with Auction Day n Extinction Part bc they don't have any action boxes. BUT What we CAN compare is how she is spelled in the dialogue boxes of those speakng in diffrnt languages AND in the Credits! In Episodes 1-2, She's Spelled as Ena with this captialis8ion. In Temptation Stairway the dialogue and credits consitntly spell her as ENA in all caps. May or may not allude 2 her being diffrnt, b i will admit this is the most Strechiest piec of evidnc. Tru or not, I'd like 2 refer 2 Tempt8ion Stairway ena as TS!Ena or ƎNA, prsnlly 2 differenti8 her frm the othr episodes

Pronounci8ion: BUT 2 build on the above evidence, In the beginning of the episode, Moony DOES pronounc Ena's name in different wys a lot, startng w I-NA (ai-na), ENA (ehna), n finally JENA. And this isnt new! She’s been doing it sinc Auction Day (ee-nah/ii-na) n Extinction Party (ay-nah). Thise may or my not sggst that perhaps Moony's inconsistancy is bc these othr pronunci8ions or names cld b of other ena's she's met in the past w similr or diffrnt preferences! I’d say because of her constant switchng in the beginning of Temptation Stairway, it would lean 2wards that she may know different Ena’s @ once. Otherwise, c the Multi-Enaverse theory below

Note: Every othr charctr besides Moony (So far; Merci and the Shepard) Pronounces Ena as ehna (or ehna) so it might be that perhaps Eh-na is the universal way of pronouncng Ena?

Conlusions/thghts on this theory: I prsnlly like thise a lot!! It makes Enasonas Very Possible, b also tht any interpret8ion of Ena cn b corrct or possibl! It knda saddens me tho bc im not rlly sure if we'll ever return 2 the Ena we're used 2, I wldnt rlly want 2 b stuck w/o Sad bc I thnk her role is rlly neat n can b importnt, b im biasd. I also rlly subscribe 2 thise theory bc it means whtvr happend 2 TS!Ena ds not hav 2 be permanent in the long run; Again litrlly the only thng keepng me from gettng supr upset abt the ending of Temptation Stairway, is tht the prev ena’s r not the sme n wld possibly not do thise, or tht ther r othr ena’s out ther besides THISE episod 1, who wld nvr do tht, etc

Part 4: The Multiple Enaverses/Multi-Enaverse Theory AKA The Alternative In Defense of Moony Mispronouncing Ena’s name over and over

An alterntve 2 the Multi-Ena theory, is tht there is MORE thn 1 Enaverse! So bsclly, a multiverse theory. Primarily thise my explain Not jst Ena's sudden Shift in how diffrnt she is in thise episode b may also explain how Diffrnt Moony is actng in thise episode 2. While thise isnt the top theory i prsnlly subscribe 2 (sinc ther isnt explicit evidence besides it bein an explan8ion 4 Moony n Ena's weird/diffrnt behavior), it DOES open a lot of doors 2 intrstng things 2 thnk abt!

Bsclly Moony keeps mispronouncing Ena’s name a lot (in Tempation Stairway) n its Really Rude, esp consdrng she’s always said it properly (As in @ least 1nce in an episode n not switchng multiple times) b4! so 2 Explain her Sudden change in behavior, this is actlly a Different Moony, besides a different Ena. this is a whole different universe/timeline!

LIKE If not multiple Ena's, The different Loca8ions in Ena cn probbly b traversible across dimensions! The Holy Code may b the door 2 diffrnt enaverses. The Shepard's garden cld b an interdimensionl place tht is singular n deals w diffrnt beings passing thru! While i dnt hav mch 2 sy on thise, its RLLY Interestng 2 thnk abt

Like the Multi-Ena theory, thise also opens the doors 2 enasonas being vry possibl :^) Som ppl's evidences r all involvng Moony besides how Ena's rlly diffrnt

Moony can skateboard??

Moony's square shape hole can shrink 2 hold an item

while not strong ATM or frm wht i cn see, its still very inch restng!!! Tho I would sy it is VERY on par w the Multi-Ena theory anyway

Part 5: Honorary Mentions: Mini Theories

The Great Runas is actlly a play on the "Run As" Command! I'm not very Smart engh 2 break thise down vry well, b bsclly w all the allusion 2 "codes" n the Blood ID looking like a Chip, The Great Runas being abl 2 grant u wishes makes a lot of sense! This ws brought up 2 me from a friend (@ambercard)!

like its a command line. so then the great runas being able to grant wishes makes sense if its digital world like all the code stuff says Allows a user to run specific tools and programs with different permissions than the user's current logon provides.

Runas is a command-line tool that is built into Windows Vista. To use runas at the command line, open a command prompt, type runas with the appropriate parameters, and then press ENTER.

In the user interface for Windows Vista, the Run as… command has been changed to Run as administrator. However, you should rarely have to use the Run as administrator command because Windows Vista will automatically prompt you for an administrator password when it is needed.

and my friend who i was talking to said that probably explains what the password was for and the blood id being a login or something?

its possible using the blood id akin to using the run as administrator command since idk their name but one of the people ena met said the blood id didnt seem like her which is like. if she isnt administrator then it would make sense that using that command wouldnt match who she is

My response:

man do u realiz Ena uslly does not hav the corrct passwrd/admin privileges all the tme? Bc the guardian entity in extinction party askd her 4 1 b i guess it ws so Low Game tht it wsnt supr necsrry in the end

The Enaverse is all a computer code of some sort- most probbaly a game! AKA: This is a digital world

... If we were too treat this world as a video game this would make more sense since different play through bus and all that. Oh god this feels like a fnaf situation, taking a video that just wants to be a video and turning it into a big serious thing

Going with the whole ‘there are multiple enas representing the player’ theory, perhaps this ENA realized that she’s in a video game and isn’t taking it too well? But the game is kind of glitching out because of it.

Honorable Mentions: Random Info + Unanswered Questions

Ena seems self-aware of smth! (10:24 Ena screams "YOU'RE ALL LIVING A LIE!") May help the Run as command idea n the video game/digital reality idea! If not a video gme, they sure r Somewhere

What does the Great Runas look like?? is it the door? is ther mor thn 1 Runas?

What is Mariya n Gabo's Job? R they just like the Guardian Entity in Extinction Party but are assignd 2 this part/location of where they are?

In 6:30, wht does Ulysses mean by "Desires r never fulfilled nor quenched"? "You Will fail like the rest of them" Is he referring 2 the other Ena's that's passed by? who else have come n failed?

This Post Also brings up som good points I hvnt noticd yet!

Thise comment pretty much says everythng:

Standout things from this animation:

-This Ena switches between a male & female voice at seemingly random instead Happy speaking with a male voice and Sad speaking with a Sad voice. The text boxes noticeably refer to this Ena with a reversed E, and The Shepard says "Another Ena troublemaker", implying that there are multiple Enas. We also see some Ena corpses flickering into the mannequin bodies at one point. Third, at the end we see Ena's sad half turn from blue to yellow over the course of Ena & Moony's conversation. My personal theory is that this Ena is possibly 'broken' in some manner. -Moony either doesn't care or dosen't realize that Ena's voices aren't matching the personalities anymore. -The grey personality appears to come out when Ena gets too stressed out. Notably the transformation involves the happy half turning into static and exploding out, erasing Ena's face in the process. It also appears that some physical trauma (in this case, Brick Frog kicking Ena) is necessary to exit the grey personality, unlike the previously seen 'blackout' personalities which can possibly be switched by the other personality exerting themselves (in the auction episode, Ena enters her sad blackout/depressed personality, then switches to Happy!Ena, who apologizes to Moony about her depressed outburst). -Moony's hole is capable of closing to hold things, and she also knows how to skateboard. -Judging by Ena's reaction, Moony's transformation at the end is weird even by this universe's standards.

aaaand thats all 4 now! I really hope thats all my brain can think of skjsdhfsdfkh

Feel free 2 send me asks abt Ena theories n stuff! While this is a Comprehensiv post, it’s definitely mor focused on the Multi-Ena theory n my thghts on the episode whn it comes 2 how it affects the System Ena theory. I’m open 2 questions!!

Last Edit: Feb 19 2021 (GMT +8)

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nicklloydnow · 3 years

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“The album title, I suppose, could be a half-sarcastic reference to the truth contained within. All those themes of cruelty and suffering, victimhood, personal identity under duress. It's a truth passed on without interpretation. It's only the truth.

(What do you get? Facile entreaties to "reach out" to your friends, imagined as selfless emotional benefactors rather than ordinary human beings who are, in reality, sick of your gloom. Neurotoxic antidepressants and ten weeks of inane assurance from a well-meaning hippy in a carpeted room. A wilful and convenient blind eye turned to any relevant social, political or economic factors – "I dealt with depression," chirp the listicles by 23-year-olds with double-barrelled names. "Here's how you can, too." Tip one, I guess: don't live in the ringing silence of a chilly, damp and insecurely-rented shithole, hearing the footsteps of the upstairs pachyderm, feeling hunted, feeling hungry, knowing you'll never make a living again, and will never be forgiven for that. Tip two: make yourself more useful to the worst people in the world – or else.)

The truth... it's a motherfucker.

(…)

All this is just one part of a bigger, wider truth addressed in sections on The Holy Bible, one of the most astonishingly inventive and ambitious albums of the 1990s. But realistically, there's nowhere else to start. And realistically, there's nowhere else to finish. This probably isn't going to be much fun.

(…)

Well, not really. For one thing, every reckless claim or promise the Manics ever made contained the launch code for its own heroic or unheroic failure. That was part of the point. Besides, as Joan Robinson said, the misery of being exploited is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited.

(…)

The trouble was, Richey was either dismissed as a joke or followed as a leader – both of them terrible, terrible ideas.

I only met the man once. We exchanged polite hellos, and that was that. I'm not an expert. I wasn't a friend. I just knew what everyone knew. Simultaneously naïve and jaded, brutalised and blessed, he was all too obviously headed for some kind of personal cataclysm, but what was equally clear was that the source of that was also the source of this – this sudden eruption of magic, this lightning-fast articulation of broken perspectives, this acceleration, those tangled and terrifying lines scrambling over each other to make themselves heard, as though time were running out. Obviously it's tempting for people to try and make something more of this, as though the achievement were not, in itself, enough. Few absent rock stars are so easily mythologised. Richey was young and beautiful, his words were tantalisingly oblique, his style unique; the Richey Myth is easily understandable, as well as immovable.

And obviously, it's absurd and insulting. Rock & roll? Oh, please. The fact that Richey expressed himself through rock & roll – the simultaneous rejection, embrace and extension of rock & roll – only matters when The Holy Bible is playing. What the Richey Edwards story "tells us" is that sometimes human beings end up in places where rock and roll means nothing, or very much less than nothing, and to lose sight of that for a second is shameful.

(…)

And so, quite suddenly, the Manics' lyrics were more than what they'd always been: furious scribblings, side-splitting slogans, duff syntax without metre, shoehorned into trad-rock songs which buckled and bent to accommodate them. The words on The Holy Bible are more tangled and incomprehensible than ever – each line is a preposterous pile-up of syllables, a badly-packed suitcase which Moore has to sit on so Bradfield can do up the zip – but they're vastly better, stronger, more vivid. That occasional clumsiness, that extraordinary phrasing, it's part of what makes them work: they're never slick, or glib, or distanced.

Some of these lines are plainly ludicrous ("King cigarette snuffed out by her midgets – by her midgets!"). Some of them are almost profound ("I know I believe in nothing but it is my nothing"). Others are just appallingly beautiful ("I want to walk in the snow, and not leave a footprint" – from '4st 7lb', the album's finest and most frightening song, which interprets anorexia as absence, and interprets that as escape). What they are not is cliched or boring. And whatever else we might think of rock & roll, it can validate pretty much any ideas you throw at it, just so long as those ideas are neither cliched nor boring.

(…)

(The logic of The Holy Bible is the pure and colourless logic of depression. It's hard and precise, intensely alert, acute, compressed, reduced. But then we listen to music for a number of reasons, and not all of them are good ones.)

What does it all mean, though? What was it all for? Part of me wants to say this: nothing. That's the answer. That's the point. Nobody was saved or anything. The Holy Bible exists to bring you the honest truth, the only truth. The truth you already knew, but had convinced yourself might not be the truth. All your questions have the same answer, which happens to be the truth, and the answer is nothing.

And another part of me wants to say something else, because another part of me listens to The Holy Bible and hears something else... something, or someone. Someone who was really here, and it was terrible, but they were here; they happened. And what they left behind can still astound and chill, and tint the empty space with the suggestion of something that isn't love, but feels about the same.

Nothing, or the opposite of nothing. One of them must be the truth.”

#manic street preachers #holy bible #richey james #depression #suicide

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travllingbunny · 5 years

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The 100: 6x10 Matryoshka

Yes, that last scene was one of the most emotional, powerful and beautiful scenes of the season and arguably the entire show. And we all have been talking about it, posting gifs and obsessing over it the whole week.

I doubt that I have anything substantial to add about it that others have not already pointed out, from the fact that this was the first time Bellamy has actually said “I need you” to Clarke (she has told him “I need you” and “We need each other” a few times, but he has never expressed his feelings through words like that), without any qualifiers like “we all need you”, but only mentioning that he and Clarke’s daughter need her; to the ironic foreshadowing from 6x02, when Bellamy, under the eclipse psychosis, got into Clarke’s face and told her “Maybe you haven’t noticed, Clarke, but I don’t need you anymore”(of course, it was obvious that he was just protesting too much). I sometimes have mixed feelings about the phrase “the head and the heart”, because it has been overused and misinterpreted in the fandom, and has led to me oversimplifications of both Clarke’s and Bellamy’s character. But it was used beautifully in this scene. And yes, Bellamy’s CPR skills are crap and he seemed to be massaging Clarke’s belly instead of restarting her heart (while mouth on mouth actually doesn’t matter much compared to restarting the heart – it just looks good on TV) – but it wasn’t the CRP that brought Clarke back, anyway. It was hearing Bellamy’s voice in her mind, passionately telling her that he needs her and wouldn’t let her go, that he couldn’t lose her again, and that she’s a fighter and needs to fight.

If there still people arguing that Bellarke is not an epic romance, it must be incredibly difficult to argue that after Bellamy has actually brought Clarke back to life with his love. In 6x07, Clarke gave up and was going to let Josephine have her body while she dies, after Josephine had made her believe that Bellamy had given up on her and already moved on from her death. She changed her mind later, prompted by the part of her mind that is her moral compass and voice of reason, embodied by her mindspace version of Monty. But she really got strength to fight and defeat Josephine after hearing Bellamy’s voice and knowing that he needs her and has fought for her, and after he gave her strength with his voice. Proving that love is not a weakness – it can be an incredible strength.

However, I also enjoyed the scene of Josephine and Gabriel’s reunion and goodbye that happened right before the Bellamy/Clarke reunion, the scenes in Clarke’s mindspace – which I was so glad to return – and all the Clarke and Josephine’s interactions. And, of course, Bellamy coming to save the day (in a very similar way as he did when he saved the Delinquents from the Mount Weather guards in season 2), and the awkward hug between him and Octavia.

This entire storyline is great enough to put Matryoshka among my favorite episodes. But, to be objective, I can’t give it a perfect score, because the other storyline in the episode – taking place in Sanctum – while also good, wasn’t as great, and missed some chances.

The title of this episode is one of the The 100’s best ones. Russian nesting dolls are a pretty good analogy for the way that each new iteration of a Prime has, in their mind, memories of all the previous lives.

More thoughts under the cut...

I loved Clarke’s snark about how much Sanctum guards suck. Because, well, they really do. They have obviously never needed to fight a really dangerous enemy, as the Primes are used to having all their people brainwashed and docile, and their only real enemy before the Earth people arrived, the Children of Gabriel, are also rather incompetent. As Josephine pointed out, they have never managed to kill any of the Primes. They seem to have just killed a few of the potential hosts. The Primes have, in fact, been better at killing each other, since Kaylee killed Josephine, Josephine killed Kaylee, and then had the entire Lee family wiped. (This makes me wonder about the lifespans of the Primes in their previous hosts. It doesn’t seem that most of them lived to old age, going by how many of them there were over the course of 211 years, which begs the question what the causes of death were. Illness? More “accidents” like the one Josephine VII died in?)

Clarke and Josephine’s interactions in this episode were lots of fun and even featured some funny moments (a rarity on The 100), with Clarke snarking at Josephine a lot. Their relationship turned into more of a frenemy one, as they started to see some of their similarities and had some sort of almost-bonding… which, of course, was not going to last. That was obvious even when Josephine was trying to convince Bellamy that she and Clarke were friends – which he didn’t buy. Still, it was fun to see Clarke and Josie arguing like roommates or even sisters annoyed when one is leaving her things in the other’s room.

So much in this episode focused on the history between Josie and Gabriel, such as when she and Clarke were in the hatch where Josie used to come for “research” – and to have some fun with Gabriel. It reminds me of season 1, when Clarke used to go and research Earth, first with Finn, and later with Bellamy, as they found the depot with the weapons. But, unlike Gabriel and Josie. they never got to have a drink and other things together.

I like the way they continued to use drawings/books as embodiments of Clarke’s and Josephine’s memories, respectively, with the image of books lying around in heaps in Clarke’s side of the ship, as their minds started merging and Josephine’s memories spilled into Clarke’s mind. She didn’t need to go into Josie’s side of the mindspace to see glimpses of her memories, most of them from scenes we have already seen – such as that Dave guy killing himself right in front of her; Russell killing her during the Red Sun eclipse; Josephine waking up in Brooke’s body; or scenes that had been referenced and that we were meant to see – Josephine convincing Tai and his wife to give up their baby son to be sacrificed to the gods, telling them that his spirit will be with the gods. This is a scene that was deleted from 6x07 (as confirmed on Twitter by the actress who played the mother), and I now I wish it had not been, since this subplot played such a big role in this episode, but seeing a few seconds of it, at least, made up for it to an extent.

It’s interesting that the drawings on the walls of Clarke’s mindspace room have changed significantly since the last time we saw them, in 6x07. I noticed it as soon as Clarke woke up in her mindspace, because the wall right behind her bed was completely different and, most obviously, featured a huge drawing of season 5/6 Bellamy, to Madi in shock collar. (Not to be confused with another drawing of the same scene of Madi in shock collar, next to a drawing of a smiling Madi, which was and still is on the wall to the left of the door.) Another new drawing on the same wall is the season 4 scene of Jasper showing the Arkadians the list, and there are other drawings that have been moved around. After rewatching the episode, I noticed a lot of other differences as well. See the screenshots for comparison in this post.

The fact they reworked the entire room for this episode suggests that the changing walls reflect the way that Clarke’s mind works - some memories are more prominent than others, or are brought back from her subconscious, and they also cluster in different ways. But the main reason the prop department made an effort to change the drawings was most likely because they wanted to focus on different images this time. So the scene of Clarke waking up immediately shows, most prominently, Bellamy next to Madi – which may mean that Clarke is now letting herself think of Bellamy more and in a different way, knowing he is trying so hard to save her and how much she means to him – unlike in 6x07, when she was scared to face him and afraid that he could never forgive her.

Another reason for the reworked walls is so Josephine and Clarke can focus on the drawing of Tondc after the bomb, which was already there in 6x07, but is now in a different place and larger, covering the entire wall opposite of Clarke’s bed. (More on that below.)

One of the reasons Josephine was such an effective villain is because she was a "shadow " character to Clarke, with both many similarities and sharp contrasts. Josie is, in many ways, what Clarke haters (in universe and in the fandom) say that Clarke is. The show seemed to purposefully play with the parallels between them, between the Lightbournes and the Griffins, while the Gabriel/Josephine relationship was played as a parallel and contrast to Bellamy/Clarke, especially throughout episodes 6x09 and 6x10, even down to the casting of all the actors who played the former two characters.

Episode 6x07 Nevermind was mostly focused on loss, grief and guilt. Clarke’s spirit was almost broken by her trauma and her guilt over the deaths she caused directly or indirectly, especially those of people close to her (e.g. blaming herself for Maya’s death and for Jasper’s downward spiral it caused), or even those she almost caused (Blodreina blaming her for the times she left Octavia to die, but also for her greatest regret, leaving Bellamy to die in Polis). We saw that her darkest place was about the trauma caused by the deaths of her lovers, Finn and Lexa, the primal traumas that Josephine referred to, and Clarke uncovered Josephine’s primal trauma, Dave’s suicide. While we don’t know for sure what previously happened between Josephine and Dave, the way those memories were paralleled made me think he was Josie’s Finn, so to speak. (If you don’t think that comparison is fitting, remember that Clarke rejected Finn once he made up his mind about her, that he turned into a stalker by season 2, did something terrible and basically caused his own death, which caused a lot of trauma to Clarke, and her first retreat into the “Love is weakness” mentality.)

But this time, Josephine’s memory that was focused one of her and Gabriel, which represents love and happiness for her. It is my second favorite scene of 6x10, and it isvery beautifully done, with the music and the cinematography giving it a dreamlike quality and conveying the romance between those two, which we hadn't seen much on screen even though it plays such an important role this season. (The choice of songs used on The 100 is always on point – and the song “Apocalypse” by Cigarettes After Sex is perfect for the show in general, and contributed a lot to making this scene what it was.) It felt romantic and dreamlike because it is Josephine's happy place and a memory she didn't want to give up - but we were also reminded of the disturbing aspects of it - through Gabriel’s obvious discomfort and guilt (he didn’t want to be brought back, but after having killed at least 46 people to bring Josie back, he couldn’t have held it against her that she did the same) and the fact that neither of them were in their original body - reminding us of the fact that many innocent people were murdered to make those 160 years of romance and happiness possible.

Josephine looked lost in her memory, which made Clarke look at her in a different way, seeing some humanity in her, as it is the first time Josephine showed genuine love for someone. Clarke easily empathizes with people and is usually inclined to see the good in them (though she had almost lost that ability, as we saw in Eden: “There are no good guys”.), so she saw something she could relate to - it's no coincidence that she went on to believe, for a moment, that Josephine could get a second chance to be better.

Josephine: I wasn’t always like this.

Clarke: Trust me, I know the feeling. I mean, look around you.

Clarke: We can let the bad things that happened to us define who we are, or we can define who we are.

The scene of Tondc are the bomb are an easy visual way to convey the destruction that Clarke ended up causing while trying to save people she cared about - but it’s also arguably the first morally bad choice she has made, and the first time she genuinely started doubting herself and losing her moral certainty. It was also her letting a bunch of strangers die (and putting Bellamy’s sister at risk, which he blamed her for during their confrontation in 3x05) mostly to protect Bellamy. (Lexa, who convinced Clarke to do it, justified it with strategic reasons, which were her motivation, and, of course, it was also, by extension, about making sure that the mission of saving Delinquents from Mount Weather continues. But, for Clarke, it was mostly about removing a threat to Bellamy.) Is it meaningful that this is the bad memory Clarke brings Josephine’s attention to, right after seeing a memory of the romance between Gabriel and Josephine, which happened right after Josephine had brought Gabriel back, after he had brought her back - which meant murdering innocent people (two of the many) so the two of them could get their 160 years of happiness? Was Clarke thinking that maybe she could move on from the bad things like Tondc (and Mount Weather etc.) and do good in the future while also finding happiness, as Monty told them to?

And she was ready to extend that hope even to Josephine, someone she had previously seen killing babies and decided was so evil that she definitely needed to be stopped. For a moment, she thought Josephine could be stopped by some other way than destroying her. Wrongly, as it turns out - Josephine was defined by bad things in her past, as the last thing she did was try to kill Clarke in the exact same way Russell had killed her 236 years before, even saying the same lines: “Sanctum is mine”. Selfish, immoral people can fall in love and have relatable feelings, but they are still selfish and immoral.

One could say that Josie did feel responsibility for “her people”, as her reason for not letting Clarke live was because she thought Clarke would kill everyone in Sanctum. But her “people” she cares about really only consist of 12 8 people. We know she never cared about the rest of the people in Sanctum and never saw hosts as anything but bodies to be used, black blood gene carriers as anything but breeding cattle, and nulls are useless and disposable, or even vermin to be exterminated.

And no, Clarke would not kill everyone in Sanctum – not if there was any other way to save her people and stop the Primes. But people like Josephine are inclined to project and see the worst in other people.

Mindspace Clarke was in her season 5 gear this entire episode (unlike in 6x07, when she kept switching between looks from different periods of the show), but it’s interesting that she appeared as early season 5 Clarke, with pink streaks in her hair, when she fought Josephine in the end.

Eliza Taylor has really been knocking it out of the park all season, and she was fantastic again at the end of this episode – first playing Josephine in her reunion/goodbye with Gabriel, and later playing Clarke in her reunion with Bellamy. Chuku Modu was also excellent, and both of them did a great job convincing us that their characters have had a 236-long history, even though this was their first scene together. What made the ending even stronger was the parallel and contrast between Gabriel telling Josephine he still loved herm but that they had had their time, and he had to let her go; and Bellamy refusing to let Clarke go. Gabriel had to kill Josie, after having been the one to revive her the first time, while Bellamy brought Clarke back to life. The important thing there is that letting Josephine keep Clarke’s body – as Josie suggested to Gabriel, with her tempting suggestion that they use another life and then grow old and die together, taking out their mind drives - would have been morally wrong, while bringing Clarke back was the right thing to do. Gabriel had done a lot of bad things in the past – for over 160 years, he killed a lot of people to bring Josie back, he created the system of bodysnatching, and lived for a century as one of the Primes, before having his moral awakening. But better late than never. The look on his face as Clarke and Bellamy were hugging was a mix of many different feelings – he could easily relate to them, even though he had never met them before, and see the similarity with his determination to bring back the person he loved, and there was some sadness and maybe envy at seeing something he had but wouldn’t have anymore – but he also knew that, indeed, he and Josephine had had so much more time than regular people ever get, and should now let other people live and experience happiness.

It is nice to see Octavia acting like the old Octavia of season 2, with love and concern and happiness for her brother and for Clarke. But Bellamy’s awkwardness around his sister makes perfect sense, because he still doesn’t know anything about Octavia’s change of heart and personal growth, and she still hasn’t actually done anything to atone and show that she’s changed. He wasn’t willing to hug her back, but he did give her a little pat on the back, because he doesn’t really hate her, but you can’t just erase everything that happened between them.

Josephine is definitely dead now. As Gaia pointed out, the mind cannot be in two places at once. Just as there has been no copy of Clarke’s mind in the Flame, because she left it and Clarke’s mind has been in her own body since - Josephine stayed in the neural mesh instead of returning to the mind drive, so there can’t be a copy of her in the drive.

Meanwhile, in Sanctum…

Abby and Raven didn’t bring any reinforcements from the ship, because they had no idea about the things that have happened in Sanctum while they were away (Madi killing Miranda and attacking Delilah, Jordan’s injury, Russell arresting all the Earth people, Bellamy taking Josephine to CoG territory, or even the fact Clarke had been bodysnatched). They finally learned about Clarke’s “death”. Unfortunately, with the events happening so fast, we didn’t get to focus much on their reactions.

After reading the released script pages for the scene between the Earthkru in captivity, I think that it was a big mistake to cut some of the lines – Miller’s and Raven’s exchange about Jordan, and Raven’s comment that she is sure Clarke will also be fine, because she has Bellamy to save her. Both of these would have gone a long way to show 1) that our protagonists do care about Jordan and are worried about him and 2) that Raven does care about Clarke, which a lot of the fandom is doubting this season.

Raven seems to have had some subtle character development – she’s not inclined to be mean and judgmental to people as she was in the first few episodes, but is taking a cue from Kane and trying to be gentler and more compassionate as she talks to Murphy about him screwing up and about the importance of morality. (Are many Arkers religious? The idea of avoiding hell by doing morally right things certainly sounds like a religious one.)

Why are some fans now dissing Abby for her anger at Murphy? Fans wanted to see Abby upset over Clarke’s death, and now we see it, that’s not good, either? When she learned about Murphy’s betrayal, Abby must have also realized that it was Josephine, not Clarke, who convinced her to go with the plan of the Primes and put Kane in another body, so she’s aware that Murphy helped Josephine manipulate her, pretending to be Clarke and saying she’s doing it all out of concern for her. Of course she’s furious.

Emori is again trying to defend Murphy, by presenting his actions in the best possible light, but not lying: “He was trying to protect us all. When he learned she was alive, he did the right thing… Eventually.”

One of the things I love the most about the Sanctum plot is this episode is that it showed that Russell is really the worst. I’ve hated him from 6x03, but many fans believed he would turn out to be not-such-a-bad-guy. He looks sad as he does bad things, but then he does them anyway, and justifies his actions, and while he may appear less ruthless than his wife or daughter, in the end, he is just a bigger hypocrite. He is a megalomaniac who thinks he is better than anyone else. And oh, God, could he be more hypocritical? Dude actually thinks he and the Primes are somehow morally superior to the Earth people, calls them criminals and think he is doing justice by burning them at the stake. Justice for what, exactly? Because they didn’t take revenge when Russell and his wife tried to murder and bodysnatched one of them? When he (as he believed) murdered Clarke, he thought “Sorry” was good enough, but when Madi, a child grieving for her mother, lashed out in revenge and killed one of the Primes (who can come back), this is a crime that he needs to get “justice” for by executing one of the people who had nothing to do with it? Then he decides to burn them all, because one of his own people killed Simone after learning the truth about them, realizing that he had let them take and kill his baby son? I guess, in his mind, no one except the Primes qualifies as real people? (And not even all the Primes matter. He doesn’t seem to care that his wife and daughter wiped four drives and murdered the Lee family for good.)

Unlike Russell, who was obviously never going to turn around and be a good guy, Ryker is a character torn between doing the right thing, and being loyal to his family or ‘family’. (Priya is his mother, but Russell and the others are also the only family he’s had for 200 years, after he arrived to Sanctum as a teenage boy.) Which makes him wishy washy (although for understandable reasons) and a character whose actions can’t be always predicted.

When Echo told him: ‘Echo and Ryker “Admit it, it feels good to be on the right side”, she may have been talking from her own experience. But I’d expect someone like Echo, an experienced spy / assassin, to be more suspicious and careful and not so trusting as she was with him.

It’s very fitting that Russell is burning people at the stake (just as Cadogan, another cult leader, did) – as this was the traditional method of execution of “heretics”.

The episode was very tense until the moment when we learned all the Earthkru were going to be burned. All the tension was gone - one character dying is something that seemed likely, but all of them? That was obviously not gonna happen.

But poor Tai did get burned. And Ryker must be feeling pretty guilty now – he initially caused Tai to turn against the Primes by telling him the truth about them, although he didn’t predict Tai would kill Simone; and then he stopped Echo from assassinating Russell, who went on to burn Tai at the stake.

Echo remarked that Gaia only cared about Madi, even after she had banished her. But the truth is slightly more complicated – as a Flamekeeper who deeply believes in the Grounder faith, she cares only about Madi as the Commander, but she is also ready to consider killing Madi, if it saves people from a Chaotic Evil Commander, Sheidheda 2.0 (who was apparently so bad that it would make people long for the days of Blodreina). The relationship between Commanders and their Flamekeepers is complicated, and we learn that Sheidheda murdered three of his Flamekeepers (so, two more after his mentor), until he was killed by the fourth one. But the whole thing begs the question, even more than before, why does anyone think that putting the Flame into people, especially children, is a good idea? The idea is to help new Commanders use the knowledge and wisdom of the previous ones – but that doesn’t really work if one of them is incredibly evil, does it? All this time, we have only seen the Flame do something helpful once, and that was in 5x12 when it helped Clarke deal with her emotional issues. Other than that, it doesn’t seem to have helped a lot (especially with the Grounders somehow forgetting all the technology, in spite of having Becca’s memories). Other than that, we know that the previous Commanders were against Lexa abandoning the “blood must have blood” policy, and were not the ones to stop Madi from killing all the prisoners of war in 5x13. So, is it really worth keeping it, when it presents such a huge danger?

This is why I like this Dark Madi storyline – it really shows the dangers of making a child Commander and letting them have too much power, which season 5 glossed over, because Madi ascending was a means to an end. Now, contrary to what some fans have been complaining about, no one who is currently on the planet, other than Madi and Gaia herself, actually cares but the Grounder religion or considers Madi their leader, Bellamy and Clarke even left her sleeping while they took the team with them to the planet. But the fact is that is there are hundreds of people sleeping on the ship - the Grounder part of Wonkru – who do take Madi’s authority seriously and would follow her. Gaia pointed that out – the danger of what could happen if Madi goes back to the ship and wakes up her sleeping army, while she’s being demon child controlled/influenced by the Dark Commander.

Let’s take another moment to appreciate the fact that Simone wasn’t against burning a child, but only against wasting a potential host. Russell may have had an objection on the grounds of her being a child, but considering the fact he was OK with sacrificing newborn babies, I’m pretty sure he also is mostly concerned about not wasting a good host until she comes of age. The Primes are the worst.

Murphy saved the day with his quick thinking, suggesting a way to make new hosts, in order to stop the execution and saved all their lives, while Raven again proved to be a great problem-solver by coming up with a way to isolate and delete Sheidheda from the Flame and save Madi, and used bone marrow extraction as an excuse. It was very lucky that Russell was either suspicious, or just being himself, when he refused to be the bone marrow donor to save his wife, instead ordering it extracted from Madi – which will be a great opportunity to fix the Sheidheda problem. No, the Primes should not be allowed to create new hosts, but this is clearly a temporary solution, to buy time. (And BTW, contrary to what some fans think, bone marrow extraction doesn’t necessarily mean torture and certainly not death, people donate bone marrow to save people’s lives in real life, and no, the doctors who do it are not evil or Mountain Men-like. Nor did, for that matter, Abby’s experiments to find a solution to save the human race in Becca’s lab in season 4. Fandom seems to forget that the Mountain Men were killing the Delinquents only because 1) they needed too much bone marrow, and 2) they were d1cks and didn’t give a damn about other people’s lives.)

Questions and speculation for the rest of the season

Among brief glimpses of Josephine’s memories we saw spilling into Clarke’s mindspace, the one we have have not seen before or heard referenced featured a guy reading a book. In the end credits, he is called “Adjustor”. This must have something to do with the “Adjustment Protocol” from the title of episode 6x12, whatever exactly that is. The Primes have mentioned that a certain period for adjustment is necessary after waking up in a new body.

Why did Rose ask Clarke “Are you here to take us home” in 6x02? Will long-running mystery get resolved by the end of this season, or is it something for season 7?

What happened with Diyoza in the Anomaly? Or with Octavia? I think we’ll get a hint about that in the finale, but it will be the big theme for season 7.

Will Sheidheda be defeated by the end of season 6? Will Madi keep the Flame? If the Sheidheda problem/Dark Madi storyline continues long enough for Bellamy and Clarke to come back and learn about it, I expect Bellamy to feel very guilty about the consequences of Madi taking the Flame that he had not foreseen. (He never really gave much thought to the Flame itself, he just saw it as a pragmatic means to defeat Blodreina ensure peace and save the people he loves, and I don’t think he seriously thought it posed much danger to Madi beyond the danger she was in from Blodreina.) Fans have complained that this issue has not been addressed between Clarke and Bellamy this season, while we have seen Clarke feel guilty and apologize to Bellamy for leaving him in Polis.

Just how brainwashed are the majority of people in Sanctum and how long will they continue like this? They were obviously uncomfortable watching Tai die at the stake. We’ve seen what happened when Ryker revealed the truth to Tai. Delilah’s parents were similarly shocked and unhappy. But I’m afraid it would be too optimistic to hope that they all turn against the Primes, which would make the resolution way too easy, as there are currently just three active Sanctum Primes – Russell, Priya and Ryker. Gavin’s widow, for instance, is still fully loyal to the Primes, but she seems convinced that they are gods and that hosts get to be “one with the Primes”, rather than deleted from existence.

I’m sure Jordan will recover, but will he continue defending Priya, hoping to get Delilah back, or will he soon realize it is impossible, and what will his reaction be then?

(SPOILER) The synopsis for 6x12 mentions a “special Naming Day”. I like the idea that this will be the official ceremony for Josephine VIII – because it’s now time for Clarke to pretend that she is Josephine, just as Josephine pretended to be Clarke in order to fool the Primes and their loyalists, for a while. Clarke has a huge advantage there, as she’s gotten to know Josephine quite well.

Rating: 10/10

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twdmusicboxmystery · 5 years

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5x03: Humbug’s Gulch

Hi everyone! I’m just gonna dive right in today. ***As always, spoilers abound in this post for FTWD 5x03. Don’t read until you’ve watched! You’ve been warned!***

This episode of FTWD (5x03: Humbug’s Gulch) was awesome! I loved watching it because there were so many important symbols and set ups. I'm loving where this is going.

So, we start with our group traveling around, trying to take down all of the Red Rover walkers and marking where they are on a map. As they mark them, they realize that it's a perimeter of walkers tied up around an area of land in the center. They have no idea what's inside the perimeter of walkers. So, kind of an intriguing mystery.

One of the first symbols that caught my attention was that when they mark the locations of the walkers on the map, use Xs inside of circles. (X Theory.) It would only be that, if it had only been Xs. But they drew an X within a circle. Remember, we saw this exact symbol around Morgan on a tree in Coda. What that tells me is that

1) whatever's going on in the season, we can connect it to Coda. That's number one. And

2) whatever they’re planning for Morgan in the season has been planned since Coda and S5. That's awesome.

Also, remember the X within the circle is sort of a skewed version of the coda symbol. A coda is more of a T, straight up and down over circle, but the X is like a version of it that’s been turned on its side.

This episode is called Humbug Gulch.

It’s the name of the Western town they go to, which I’ll talk about more in a minute. But I looked up the meaning of gulch. It can be a V-shaped valley formed by erosion. It may be a small stream or dry creek bed and is usually larger in size than a gully. It just reminded me of the dry riverbed in 5x10, Them. If you keep looking at the definition, it means different things in different places, but is often associated with water. The actual definition of humbug is deception or something that's not true. Which is why Ebenezer Scrooge always said, “Bah, humbug.” It's his way of saying something is ridiculous or that's untrue. And of course, the most famous pop culture reference of the word humbug IS Ebenezer Scrooge saying it. Which makes it a Christmas reference as well. So, we have a reference to Christmas, and something that has to do with water and something we saw in Them.

In terms of the show, the phrase would literally mean ‘deceptive gulch.’ Something about this town they went to is deceptive. The meaning of the title, other than the fact that they went to a place called Humbug Gulch, wasn't obvious. But I’ll come back to this.

They mentioned a gas station when the group talked to each other over the walkie-talkies. John also mentioned their luck turning (Luck Theory). We saw a windmill at the Gulch, much like the one on Herschel's farm in S2. In most been a common symbol since then, and we usually see it in conjunction with Beth symbolism.

The intro was kind of interesting. It basically just showed a wind storm and a rolling tumbleweed. I wasn't sure what that meant. But as we get into the episode, John and June do have to wait at a windstorm. So, the reason for that became obvious as the episode progressed. Then we heard just a snippet of a voice on the radio. There was a lot of radio talk in this episode, and what happened at the end had a lot to do with speaking over the radio. When I heard that in the intro, it reminded me a lot of the phantom voice we heard at the end of TWD 9x16. I don't know for supposed to be connecting those, but I couldn't help but hear similarity there.

So, we had a heavy similarity here to 6X16. While attempting to take down one of the rows of Red Rover walkers, someone starts firing on John and June. They jump into their car and run for it. They ended up going to a little Western town called Humbug Gulch. This is one of those Western tourist attractions. Apparently, John used to work at one—not this specific one, but another one in a different city—so he knew what it was. Even though it was a tourist place, he knew they’d find real guns there.

I totally didn't register this on my first watch, but when the re-watch came on, I heard it, and my mouth dropped open. Right before he being shot at, John remarks that there must be some “serious people” behind these this perimeter walkers. June then says, "We’re serious people too." When they jump in the car, John says his line again about these being serious people. Obviously a Sirius/Dog Star reference, and it’s repeated three different times.

I’ll jump forward to mention that we saw Dwight in this episode. At this point we can't prove the Sirius reference isn’t about Dwight and Sherry, but I don't think the two of them necessarily qualify. They didn’t go out of their way to make the audience think either one was dead. In fact, they kind of went out of their way to set up this story of Dwight searching for Sherry, which suggests the opposite. I'm really hoping this means is that something about this arc will lead to the original character associated with Sirius symbolism. (Beth).

They get to the town, and we see some more interesting resurrection symbols. There’s a carousel with bright yellow horses with blue saddles that the camera focuses on for a minute. There’s also a light colored horse statue. (Looks like a palomino.) So, horse theory. And the light colored horse represents Beth and resurrection (“You’re still alive.”)

John leads them upstairs to a gun locker. June picks the lock. Inside, they find guns and ammunition. @wdway noticed little tins, two green and three yellow (both Beth colors) inside of it. Even more exciting, we see ammunition for .45 colt. Remember that issue 45 of the CBs is the one where Andrea is resurrected from the dead.

We also saw an “Exit” sign over the door, which reminded us of the one in Beth’s cell in 4x01. And the bag June carries out of the building has a B on it. Just saying. ;D

They had all kinds of fun with their Western themes in this episode. It was a really obvious old West/Outlaw/Sheriff kind of situation. So that alone is significant. John and June get the guns, but a windstorm picks up. June wants to wait it out, but John doesn't. He wants to make a run for their van and try to get back to the group. We thought John's bandanna looked an awful lot like Daryl's black bandanna from season four. An interesting callback, given all the other symbols.

When they make a run for the car, the phantom shooter starts firing at them again. John eventually comes face-to-face with him and June hits him over the head. Guess who? Dwight.

We've known we’d see Dwight this season, but I was still excited to see him. His first question to John is, "Where is she?" Naturally, John has no idea who he's asking about, but we, the viewers do. We know he's looking for Sherry.

Random detail, but I have to say I think it's adorable that John calls June, “June Bug.”

As I said, we saw something of a replay of 6x06, Always Accountable (major Beth symbolism episode). We had John and June doing their own thing, and then phantom people started shooting at them. That's exactly what happened to Daryl, Sasha, and Abraham at the beginning of 6x06. They were returning from Operation Lead the Walkers Away, and were fired on by unseen people. In that case, it was the saviors who fired at them, looking for Dwight. Then, in the same episode just a little while later, Daryl met Dwight. Here, it was Dwight (previously a Savior) who fired on John and June. Only a few minutes later, in the same episode, they met Dwight. Don’t tell me episode parallels aren’t a thing, y’all. ;D

In the next scene, we see a deer crossing sign. Yet another indication of possibly someone coming back from the dead. Again, this COULD be a Sherry and Dwight thing, but I’m not convinced of that. Unlike with Glenn, Rick, and Beth, they haven't gone out of their way to make us think either Sherry or Dwight died. They merely disappeared from TWD. Also, keep in mind that this wasn't an actual deer that we saw get shot. It was a deer crossing sign. It may not represent an actual resurrection, not like the deer we saw around Rick in 5x12. But it's a symbol of the resurrection arc. I'm interpreting it as something about Dwight in this arc leading to a resurrection.

Another call back to 6x06 comes when Dwight wakes up. He basically has the same conversation with John and June that he had with Daryl in 6x06, protesting that he held the gun to their heads and he didn't understand why they would help them after that.

He said that same thing to Daryl in 6x06, about how he tied Daryl up and put a gun to his head and kept prisoner overnight, yet Daryl still came back to help them. Lots of callbacks to a Bethyl-heavy episode.

We also see lots of infinity symbols here because of Sherry’s notes. And granted, we saw them between Dwight and Sherry before, so it’s nothing new. But still interesting, all things considered.

I also think it's interesting the way they set this up. Because John looked for June (they are also Bethyl proxies) John completely understands the lengths Dwight will go to to find Sherry. He's probably the one person in the world who would have given Dwight a break over this and even helped him find Sherry. I’m just saying the crossing of Dwight’s and John/June’s stories required a lot of planning and has probably been in the works for some time. I’m positive when the writers wrote John and June’s story for last season, they already knew the two of them would cross paths with Dwight/Sherry.

We noticed John and June played piano music to distract the walkers so they could escape. Not only a musical reference, but we can tie it to 4x01, in which they used music to lure the walkers way from the Big Spot. And of course Beth specifically played the piano in 4x13, Alone.

Rather than escaping to his car with June and John, Dwight ran to their van, which by then he'd shot the tires out of. They talk to him on the walkie and he finally admits that Sherry has left messages for him as she travels. The last one he found was written on the registration for a van that looks exactly like the one John and June were driving. That's why he opened fire on them in the first place. He thought that was the car Sherry one drove, which was why she left a note for him on the registration.

Okay, this gets super-interesting at this point. Look at this scene with Dwight in the van. Remind you of anything?

It looks exactly like the scene where Aaron and Daryl got caught in the wolf van in 5x16.

Walkers all around trying to get in, him trapped with no way out, and then Dwight has a moment where he more or less gives up.

He basically tells John to go on without him, giving up both on the idea of getting out alive, and on his search for Sherry. This is a combination of a couple of things. We could compare it to Daryl in 5x16. They had no way out and Daryl insisted on sacrificing himself so Aaron could get away. He was willing to die right then to save Aaron. Maybe even wanted to die because he was still so down about Beth. Of course, Aaron insisted that they would work together to get out, and then Morgan—*clears throat* MORGAN!!!*—saves them.

Something similar happened here. Dwight is alone in the car. He gives up, even looking at his gun as though he might shoot himself, but John and June talk him out of it. June tells him that giving up his search for Sherry would be just as ethically wrong as hurting someone. I think it's interesting that it's June—the once missing woman—who convinces the depressed man not to give up. Very Beth-ish. Then they help Dwight escape the van by shooting the walkers and creating a clear path for him. Much like Morgan did for Daryl and Aaron in 5x16.

Some of the dialogue was also important there. June says Dwight doesn’t feel like he deserves to find her and find happiness again. Dwight says it doesn’t matter if Sherry is alive or dead, because he’ll never find her. Never be able to make things right. He says that’s “who I am now.” Making things right is a callback to what Daryl told him to do in 8x16. I also think this dialogue could apply to Daryl at various times after he lost Beth. Interestingly, “Who You Are Now” is the title of the first episode after Rick disappeared (9x06) so we have a connection between this arc and what’s happening on the main show.

The other thing that this really struck me is that Dwight gets a version of Beth’s suicide arc. It obviously wasn't as long or protracted as hers, but the difference between Dwight in this episode and Daryl in 5x16 is that Daryl tried to sacrifice himself for something noble (saving Aaron). He didn’t simply decide to give up and shoot himself. So, this felt a lot like Beth’s suicide arc in TWD S2. Back then, she really did just want to give up and die. Much like Beth, Dwight came through his depression with a new resolve to live and find Sherry. Again, very Beth-ish.

Another detail I didn’t catch until the second time through? Remember that colt .45 I mentioned earlier, which points to Andrea surviving her gunshot wound in the comics? It was that gun Dwight contemplated killing himself with. John gave it to him to shoot walkers. Coincidence? Yeah, really not.

After rescuing him from the van, John tells Dwight he had the wrong car. He compared the VIN number on the registration to van’s VIN number, and they don’t match. Obviously, the make, model, and color of the van are exactly like the one Dwight was looking for, but he just so happened to find the wrong one.

I think all this car stuff is super interesting. Given that we think Beth was left in a car, and that we often see clues in car license place plates and car trunks, it’s just interesting that there's a car arc going on in this season of FTWD. Registrations have lots of numbers and letters in them. And the fact that he found the wrong car? I think that's significant. I wonder if something about this will end up playing out as part of Beth’s arc as well. They left her in the “wrong car” somehow. I have no idea, really, but it’s fun to contemplate the possibilities.

At the end of this episode, Dwight and Morgan meet and recognize one another. Morgan is instantly accepting of Dwight and he officially joins their group. One super-subtle thing I caught here was that Dwight went to Georgia before going to Texas. He just mentions it very briefly in passing, saying “Once she hit Georgia, everything seemed to drive her this way.”

No way that’s a coincidence. They could spin it many ways. Maybe Dwight already ran into Beth in his travels. Maybe he was wrong about Sherry going to Texas and will eventually return to Georgia. Maybe she’ll head back to Georgia for some reason and he’ll meet up with her then. Either way, this arc is subtly pointing back toward Georgia. And Grady, which we can only assume is still standing.

He tells them that he's never been inside the perimeter of walkers either, but he's walked all around it. He takes them to one particular place where they plan to break through and see what's on the inside. Just before they do, they hear something on the radio.

I haven’t mentioned Alicia’s minor arc this episode because it has less to do with Beth symbolism. She hears the kids they met in the first episode on the radio and keeps calling out to them, promising to help them in asking where they are. At one point, she hears Annie and Dylan talking on the radio, with Annie telling Dylan to hide because she can see “them.”

We don't know who “them” is. It's definitely interesting because it's the name of episode 5X10, so we could see it as another tie to Beth. It sounds like there are bad people that the kids are running from. In the end, the kids radio and ask Alicia to meet them at the truck stop where Morgan's group originally took them.

So, Morgan’s group doesn’t break through the Red Rover walkers right then, which means we can after little longer to see what's inside the perimeter.

On the way back to the truck stop, they see the van the kids were driving. Inside, Dylan is laying on the seat. He looks hurt, or perhaps just sad. He’s covered in either mud or blood (probably both) so it’s hard to say how injured he is. But he’s alone. Annie and Max aren’t with him.

The most interesting symbolic thing about this is that we once again have Morgan finding someone inside a car who's hurt. It’s pretty much the biggest symbol of Morgan finding Beth in a car that we have, and we've seen it many times now. Alicia asks Dylan where his brother and sister are, but he doesn't really say anything before the episode ends.

Then it cuts to Max and Annie putting up Red Rover walkers. So, as it turns out, these kids are the ones tying them across the roads. I'm of two minds about what this might mean.

The show implies there's nothing inside the perimeter of walkers. The kids just put them up to keep strangers away from the area. But I don't know if I believe that's true. Maybe these kids are just super- smart, but I don’t see them going to this kind of trouble to protect…nothing.

I also don’t think they could have put the walker heads up on the billboard by themselves last episode, and there’s still the question of who took Al. I don’t think it was them. In fact, Max says he wants to find out who took Alicia’s friend, so it wasn’t them. So overall, I'm not sure what to make of this yet. But it makes the mystery of this place intriguing and I'm excited to see where it goes.

So once again, we don't know if "them," is really a group of baddies, or just something created by these kids. I'm not even sure which one I hope it is. Having something crazy inside the perimeter of walkers would definitely be a cooler plot twist. But if there's really nothing there, the reference to Them becomes purely symbolic, which is good for us, too. Also, I’m wondering if the “humbug” in the title perhaps refers to the way in which these kids are deceiving Morgan’s group. Not sure how that will pan out yet, but it’s interesting.

Some final symbols: we saw Max drawing on a map and I noticed it said, “Broken Bridge.” So, not only Bridge Theory, but I feel like that’s a connection to Rick’s bridge in TWD S9.

So yeah, I really loved this episode. Lots of fun set-ups and I'm super excited to see where this arc, both with Dwight and with this perimeter of walkers, goes. Because they used Xs within circles to represent the perimeter of walkers, I really hope whatever is within the perimeter will lead to Beth. Thoughts?

#beth greene #beth greene lives #beth is alive #beth is coming #td theory #td theories #team delusional #team defiance #beth is almost here #bethyl

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hovercraft79 · 6 years

Text

Into the Great Wide Open

2nd in the Hecate’s Summer Playlist Series

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 14,900ish Fandom: The Worst Witch (TV 2017) Rating: General/Teen Warnings: Some mentions of past abuse Summary: Mildred desperately wants to attend a magical mom and me witches weekend – there’s just one problem: Julie Hubble has no magic. So, once again, she calls on her new friend Hecate to fill the gap. With the help of her dearest friend Ada, as well as Julie and a certain very pink witch, Hecate manages, and maybe even gets a better understanding of what makes a family.

Notes:

This story is a bit of a continuation of my story from week 1. It’s helpful, but not necessary, to have read it. As long as you can jump on the idea that Hecate and Julie are good friends, you’re ready to go. The title, of course, comes from the late, great Tom Petty song.

Also, I’m from West Texas. If I’ve used any word or phrase that is distractingly not British, please let me know. I’d rather fix it than have it wrong. Also, many thanks to Sparky, who graciously agreed to edit my works. Any mistakes still present are absolutely my own and remain over her vigorous protest.

Monday

“Mum’s fine, sisters are both fine.” Dimity took a sip of tea. “Me brother’s making me an auntie again, though! Newbie’s due around Winter Solstice.” Dimity had just returned to Cackle’s after a brief visit with her family so she could get ready for Selection Day.

“That’s wonderful!” Ada exclaimed. “Isn’t that wonderful, Hecate?”

“Wonderful.” Hecate knew she was expected to say more so she cast around her brain until she thought of something. “How many nieces or nephews will this make?” She smiled, pleased that she’d managed to come up with a perfectly appropriate question.

“Four! Can you believe it? It’ll be his second, and there’s one each for the sisters.” She turned to Ada. “The oldest one will be ready for Cackle’s before we know it!”

“And we’ll be delighted to have her, won’t we, Hecate?”

“Mmmhm?” she hummed, nodding vaguely. She wished, as she had countless times before, that Ada would not be so determined to include her in conversation. Hecate was perfectly content to sit and listen, and Ada well knew it. “Assuming, of course, that she meets the-” Hecate’s eyes flew open; something in her chest was vibrating wildly. Just as quickly as it began, the vibrating stopped. “What are you-” The vibrations were back, stronger this time. She glared at Dimity, but the younger woman was only looking at her in confused concern – no sign of mischief. She clutched at her chest and suddenly remembered. “Oh!” She raised her hand and a small black rectangle appeared. She glanced at the screen and saw Julie Hubble’s name on the caller ID. “I’m sorry, I need to take this.” She stood and stepped away from the others, frowning.

“HB? You have a cell phone?” Dimity glanced at Ada, who looked equally surprised.

“I don’t live in the 1800s, Dimity.”

“No, you just dress like you do,” the sports witch teased. “Where do you even keep it in those dresses of yours, anyway?” Hecate opened her mouth to replay, but Dimity raised a hand to cut her off. “No, I don’t want to know. How you get your cheap thrills is nobody’s business but yours.” She lifted her teacup in mock salute.

“MISS DRILL!” Hecate’s face flushed crimson. She took a step back towards Dimity, but the younger woman transferred away. A second later Ada’s teacup reappeared on the coffee table. She turned to her Headmistress in exasperation. “Really, Ada! Are you going to let her get away with that sort of… innuendo? It’s highly inappropriate.”

Ada wisely chose not to mention that she’d wondered the same thing. Instead, she simply shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not as though your skirts have pockets, Hecate.” Her deputy’s eyes looked like they would pop out of her face at any second. Time to wind her down, Ada decided. “She was just teasing you, Hecate. It’s what little sisters do.”

“She’s not my sister,” Hecate grumbled, tamping down the tiny flicker of warmth Ada’s words had started growing.

“Are you certain?” Ada smiled reassuringly. “I’ve always considered the staff her at Cackle’s to be my family. Surely you do as well?” She watched some of the tension leave Hecate’s body. “Don’t you need to answer that?”

Hecate glanced down at the forgotten phone in her hand. It had stopped vibrating. “May I?” She gestured to the mirror in Ada’s office, calling up Julie Hubble as soon as Ada nodded permission.

The image of the Hubble living room slowly emerged in the frame. Empty. Hecate switched to the mirror in Julie’s bedroom, but that was also empty. Finally, shifting to Mildred’s room, she found them. Julie was looking at her phone, typing in a message, so she didn’t see Hecate in the mirror. “Julie?” Hecate spoke softly, not wanting to startle her. “Can you hear me?”

Julie looked up and spotted her in the mirror, relief flooding her features. “Hecate! Thank goodness!” She spotted Ada in the background and realized that Hecate was in the Headmistress’s office. “I’m sorry, Miss Hardbroom. I’ve called you at a bad time, haven’t I?” She shifted her attention to Ada. “Well met, Miss Cackle. I’m sorry to interrupt.” Ada waved away her concerns.

“Is there something wrong?” Hecate asked. She hadn’t mentioned to Dimity that it had been only two weeks since Julie Hubble had pressed the phone into her hands, saying something about it coming with her plan and insisting she needed a way to contact Hecate, since Julie obviously couldn’t start a mirror call herself.

Julie nodded. She stepped a bit to the side and gestured to Mildred. “We’ve got a bit of an…issue over here.” Her voice hardened. “We seem to be on the receiving end of a bit of discrimination.” She looked away. “I am, anyway, and it’s hurting Mildred.”

Hecate looked at the girl for the first time. She was lying in bed, facing the wall. She was curled into a tight ball with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Even through the mirror Hecate could see her little shoulders shaking every time she took a breath. “What’s happened?”

Julie glanced at her daughter before turning back to the mirror and whispering, “Living room?” She closed Mildred’s bedroom door and went into the next room, waiting for Hecate to appear. “Have you ever heard of Madame Moonshade’s Magical Mother-Daughter Retreats?”

“I’ve heard of them, yes,” Hecate said, stiffening a bit. They didn’t stir up fond memories.

“Did you ever go to one of them?”

Hecate closed her eyes. “I didn’t have a mother to go with. My mother died before I was old enough to attend.” She opened her eyes, steeling herself against the pitying look she expected to see. Instead, all she found was kindness and sympathy in Julie’s eyes. Just like Mildred, she thought.

“I’ve been to one.” Ada stepped up to the mirror, discreetly patting Hecate’s shoulder. “My mother took Agatha and me when we were thirteen. It was a wonderful weekend and remains one of the few happy memories I have of my sister.” She smiled at the concerned look Hecate was giving her. “Are you planning on taking Mildred?”

“That’s just it,” Julie held the brochure up so they could see it. “Apparently, I’m not allowed.”

Hecate frowned and stepped closer to the mirror. Raising her hand for a transfer, she caught herself just in time. “May I?” Julie nodded, and Hecate flicked her wrist.

An instant later, Julie Hubble popped into Ada’s office. “Oy!” She sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly. “I thought you just wanted the pamphlet!”

“Please, Ms. Hubble, have a seat.” Ada patted the back of one of her wing chairs and summoned a cup of tea. “Have some tea and a biscuit.” Julie gratefully accepted the chair and the cup.

Hecate left the mirror channel open in case Mildred came looking for her mother. Taking the brochure, she eased herself into the seat opposite Julie. “What do you mean you aren’t allowed? Why would they send this to you if you weren’t meant to attend?”

“Well, they didn’t send it to me now, did they? They sent it to Mildred, who of course nearly split herself in half wanting to go. When I called to try to register us, I was told, in no uncertain terms, that a Magical Mothers and Daughters Retreat would not be appropriate for me.

“Appropriate,” Hecate growled. How she was beginning to hate the word appropriate. After a lifetime of rigidly adhering to what was considered appropriate, she was finally, finally starting to learn that appropriate did not always equal right. An image of Pippa blossomed in her mind and she wished, for the millionth time, that she’d learned this lesson thirty years ago. “Who are they to decide who is and isn’t appropriate?”

“The people who run the retreat, Hecate.” Julie stared at her cup of tea, then set it down without drinking any. “Is there nothing I can do here? No…magical dispensation or anything? I wouldn’t ask, but Maud’s going and even Enid’s mum is coming back from her tour for it. Apparently, these are a big thing when a witch turns thirteen. And if that weren’t enough, somehow or other that bloody Ethel Hallow’s heard I’m not allowed and has been sending Mildred all sorts of awful notes on that stupid maglet. She’s like a bloody Malfoy going on and on about being a pure-blood.”

“Oh, Ethel would definitely be a Slytherin,” Hecate agreed, pleased that she’d understood the reference. She peeked over at Ada to see her nodding in agreement.

Hecate started as Ada clapped her hands together. “Well, ladies, I can only see one solution if Mildred is going to be able to attend this retreat.” She smiled sadly at Julie. “I’m afraid it’s quite unfair to you, dear.”

Julie shook her head. “She needs someone else to take her. Someone with magic,” she flicked her eyes Hecate’s direction, “that’s why I’m here.”

“Ada…that’s…are you…” Hecate cut herself off with a deep breath. “A slumber party and a few movie nights, with Julie there, I might add, are not the same thing as spending,” she checked the brochure, “four days in the woods with just Mildred and I.” Suddenly, Hecate’s face constricted into a mask of horror and she stared at the brochure in her hand as if it was a severed head. “Bloody hell, is this camping?” The severed head wouldn’t be nearly so bad.

Ada choked back a laugh. “No, Hecate, it’s not camping. Those are cabins, not tents. They have beds, electricity, running water, toilets… You’ll be just fine.” She sighed and transferred the brochure to her own outstretched hand. “We’ll be just fine.”

“W-we?” Hecate looked at Ada, scarcely daring to hope.

“We, Hecate. I shall join you both – a buffer, let’s say. It will help to have someone familiar with the event with you.” Ada smiled brightly. “I told you earlier that I’ve always considered the Cackle’s staff to be a family. We’ll just pretend a bit extra. Besides, it isn’t as though I had a daughter of my own to take and you didn’t have a mother to take you. Perhaps we can think of this as a bit of a gift to ourselves, as well.”

“A gift?” Hecate felt confused.

“Yes, dear,” Ada smiled gently. “I’ve always considered time spent with you a gift.”

Even Hecate knew that arguing after a statement like that would be churlish in the extreme. “I’m sure we’ll have a splendid time,” she mumbled.

“We will, Hecate, you’ll see.” She clapped her hands again. “I have to admit, I’m rather excited about this whole thing. I think I’ll go see what I have to wear.” She turned to Julie. “Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, dear.” She moved to the doorway, generally preferring to walk when she could. “Please, feel free to visit as long you’d like.” She paused at the door. “I’m sure you’ll see that Ms. Hubble returns home safely?” Hecate nodded and Ada glided away.

Hecate and Julie sat in silence for several minutes, avoiding eye contact as well as communication. Finally, Hecate sighed. “This isn’t fair you know.”

“I know, Hecate, and I’m sorry. Truly. I didn’t want to ask you for another favor again. The birthday party was a big enough ask as it was.”

Hecate surprised them both by reaching over and placing hand on Julie’s knee. “I mean that it’s unfair to you, Julie Hubble. And unfair to Mildred. You should be taking your daughter to this event. Magic or no, you are still a witch and you are still Mildred’s mother. I feel like an interloper.”

Julie squeezed Hecate’s hand before it was pulled away. “Thank you for that. I wish I could go, too. I wish I could really see this other side to Millie’s life. But I can’t, and I know I can’t. And, unfair as it may be, neither of us can change that. This,” she gestured around Ada’s office, “this is Millie’s world. A magical place I can only visit, never live. I don’t have to like it, but I have to accept it.” She smiled at Hecate over a cup of tea. “It makes me feel better about the whole thing to know she has someone in this world looking out for her, sort of like having a magic mum as well as her ordinary one.”

“I don’t think anyone would describe you as ordinary, at least, not once they’ve gone disco bowling with you.” Julie smiled but looked away quickly. Hecate noticed she was picking at her fingernails – also one of Mildred’s tells when she was nervous. “What’s bothering you?”

Julie hesitated a long moment before blowing a gust of air into her bangs and standing up. “Well, I didn’t really want to bring this up until…at least until after The Goblet of Fire, but since we’re talking about magic mums, it’s occurred to me that Millie really does need some sort of…guardian when she’s not with me. Someone with the legal authority – in the magical world – to…sign forms or make decisions about medical care or even, God forbid, if something were to happen to me. I don’t want her ripped from this world because no one here has legal standing to speak for her.”

“You mean to give someone some sort of agency over her until she comes of age?” Julie looked at her, tight-lipped and tense, waiting for Hecate to work it out for herself. “You mean to give me some sort of agency over her until she comes of age?” The stiff nod told her she’d gotten it right. Hecate blew out a long slow breath and flopped back, uncharacteristically boneless, in her chair.

“I know it’s a giant ask, Hecate. But Pippa and Miss Cackle can help and-”

“I would be honored, Julie Hubble. I meant what I wrote in Mildred’s book. Besides, Ada’s right. What family do I have if not this one that I am making for myself? I’d be proud for Mildred to be a part of that, if only on paper.”

“Not only on paper, Hecate, she needs someone who understands the world that she’s going to live in. Now, before I start to cry…” Julie pointed to the mirror. “Do you see the blue folder there on the kitchen counter?” Hecate nodded. “Can you…” she lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers. Hecate transferred the folder at once, holding it out to Julie as soon as it appeared in her hands. “It’s for you. It’s all the paperwork for becoming a sort of guardian. Pippa helped me put it together; she’s done something similar for some students at her school. Will you read through it? And think about what I’m asking. It’s okay if you feel like it’s too much; I won’t be mad, and Millie doesn’t even know about this so it won’t hurt her feelings. You are free to say no, and I will still be your friend.”

Hecate lowered the folder to her lap, feeling both awed and terrified. “I’ll go through it before this weekend.” Movement in the mirror caught her eye. Mildred was wandering into the living room, looking for her mother. “I think it’s time for you to go. Tell Mildred to get packed for our trip.” Julie nodded, and Hecate transferred her away, ending the mirror call as soon as Julie appeared in the living room. The blue folder weighed heavily in her hands.

Thursday

As soon as she’d told Pippa about the retreat, Hecate should have known it would become a thing – which was why she now found herself squeezed into the backseat of Julie Hubble’s car with Pippa while Mildred fidgeted, squished between them. Tight as it was, though, she had to admit it wasn’t all bad. In an effort to make more room, Pippa had draped her right arm across the backseat, over Mildred and behind Hecate, where her fingers were now playing with the wisps of hair that would not stay in her bun, no matter how much she tried to magic them in place. Unable to suppress a shiver, she snuck a glance at Pippa, who simply winked at her and continued playing with her hair.

In true Pippa fashion, as soon as she’d heard that Julie was being excluded she’d decided right then and there that they would have their own camping trip, setting up in a park just outside of the retreat. At first, Hecate had scoffed at the idea of going camping when you didn’t have to, but when Pippa had transferred in wearing a pair of faded jeans, pale pink tank top and a pink plaid flannel shirt… Well, she’d changed her views about camping – with Pippa, at least - quickly enough.

Julie was driving, of course, while Ada sat in the front passenger seat going though the participants packet, asking Mildred about different activities she might be interested in doing. So far, Hecate noted grimly, there didn’t seem to be a single activity Mildred didn’t want to do. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the soothing feel of Pippa’s fingertips and humming along with the vaguely familiar song playing on the radio.

“Oh! Turn it up, turn it up!” Pippa’s fingers jerked away from Hecate’s neck and slapped the headrest of Julie’s seat. “This was one of my favorites! Hands, touching hands,” Pippa reached out and grabbed Hecate’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “Reaching out, touching me, touching yooouu!” She poked their linked fingertips into Mildred’s tummy until she giggled. “Do you remember, Hiccup? How we used to dance around your dorm room to this song, singing into our quills like they were microphones?”

Hecate froze as three sets of eyes were suddenly looking at her. Pippa give an apologetic lift to her shoulders, but summoned a quill to her and came in on the chorus, loud and strong. “Sweet Caroline,” she sang, then shoved the quill in front of Hecate, nodding in encouragement.

She glanced around the car before rolling her eyes in defeat. “Bup – bup – bah!” she sang, softly.

“C’mon, Hiccup, you can do more than that – Good times never seemed so good,” Pippa shifted the quill so that it was between Mildred and Hecate. “I’d be inclined…”

“BUP – BUP – BAH!” They shouted.

Pippa beamed. “Wonderful! To believe they never would, but now I…”

Everyone joined in now, certainly more volume than musical skill, even Ada. Perhaps, thought Hecate, this weekend wouldn’t be so bad.

Hecate knows that she is in hell. No, she corrects herself, gazing around their cabin. She is in hell’s broom closet. “W-we are all meant to be staying here? The storeroom of my potions lab is larger than this!” She couldn’t take her eyes off the bed - a bizarre contraption of a bunk bed with a twin bed for the top bunk and a double bed for the bottom. A tiny cupboard for clothes flanked each side of it.

“Now, Hecate, I think it’s quite…cozy.” Ada summoned their bags from the porch and floated them onto the bed. There wasn’t really floorspace to put them. “I suggest we put our clothes away and send the bags to vanishment for the time being.”

“Can I have the top bunk?” Mildred bounced on her toes, all energy and motion now that she was out of the car.

“By all means, dear,” Ada waved her on her way. She bumped into one of the two chairs tucked in front of the fireplace. Ada sighed. It was cozy, but that’s what happened when you were one of the last families to sign up for the event. She shuddered to think about what Hecate would be like if they hadn’t gotten the cabin but were in one of the tents instead. She settled her things in her cupboard as Hecate did the same on her side of the bed, each being careful not to bump their heads on the top bunk. One benefit to working at a non-fee-paying school that relied on donations, they’d at least had to share rooms and beds often enough through the years to be comfortable with each other. Ada looked askance at the very uncharacteristic blue stuffed teddy bear that Hecate leaned against their pillows, but said nothing.

“Look, HB! The table folds out from the wall! And the chairs are attached!” Mildred zoomed through the tiny kitchenette, opening and closing every cabinet door and drawer. It took only a few seconds. From there Mildred flung the door open to what appeared to be a small closet built out of the corner. “It’s the bathroom! It’s so small.” Hecate had wandered over, morbid curiosity getting the better of her. Mildred grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. “We don’t even fit! Look at the shower – it’s in a washtub like the kind Miss Tapioca puts her feet in! Isn’t this going to be cool, Miss Hardbroom?”

“That’s…certainly one word for it, Mildred.” Hecate said, resigning herself to a long weekend of shower spells. A knock at the door gave her all the reason she needed to escape the bathroom, but Ada was already at the door.

“Good afternoon, Hubble family! We’re so delighted you could join the retreat.” A young witch, dressed more like she was going on a safari than standing in the middle of a woods in Great Britain, smiled back at the three of them, clipboard in hand.

“As are we,” Ada checked the nametag pinned to the girl’s khaki top, “Poppy. We’ve just been settling in.”

Hecate’s jaw clenched even as she forced her lips into a smile. One more indignity – they were the Hubble Family this weekend. It was an attempt at anonymity since, in the academic world at least, Hardbroom and Cackle weren’t exactly unknown. Between the two of them, though, Hecate knew it was highly likely that at least one former student would also be in attendance, if not several. Still, she bristled at the loss of her name, even if it was only pretend, even if it was only for the weekend.

Refocusing on the young witch in the doorway, Hecate pulled Mildred out of the bathroom and placed both hands on her shoulders, trying to slow down her bouncing - with limited success. Poppy handed some papers over to Ada and waved at the others before announcing she’d be back in about half an hour to pick up the completed paperwork.

“Come on then, girls,” Ada waved the papers at them, “time to select our activities!” Mildred bounced up again, barely missing both Hecate’s chin and her left foot. “Here you go,” she murmured a spell and poked a finger at one of the chairs, stretching it just enough that Hecate and Mildred could both squeeze in to fit. She handed the papers over to Mildred. “You two choose whatever you’d like, after all, I’ve been here once before.”

Hecate looked over Mildred’s shoulder, trying to predict which activities the girl would choose. She rather expected that if she listed her preferred activities, it would turn out to be just the opposite of Mildred’s list.

Thirty minutes later, Hecate was pleasantly surprised when she looked over their activities. Mildred had surprised her by insisting that each of them take a turn selecting an activity. Friday morning they had a nature walk, chosen by Hecate, then arts and crafts (chosen by Mildred, of course). Somewhat surprisingly, Ada had elected to go swimming in the afternoon. Hecate had also suggested they attend the late-night star gazing party.

Tonight, though, they had no choices to make – a welcome dinner was to be followed by an orientation to the weekend and get-to-know-you games in the dining hall afterwards. The rest of the weekend was filled with set programs interspersed with their own selections. Hecate cast a quick duplicating spell and made three copies of the schedule before they handed the original back to Poppy.

Just before they left for the dining hall, Ada’s maglet chimed. Checking the message, Ada frowned and then looked up at Hecate, still frowning. “Hecate, dear, I’ve just received a rather harried message from Miss Drill. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about a certain Mr. Monkey’s whereabouts, would you?” She glanced meaningfully at the stuffed toy on the bed.

“I’m certain I don’t know what you mean. You can see that is definitely not a monkey.”

The maglet in Ada’s hand chimed again. She read the new message and peered over her glasses at Hecate. “It says here that Mr. Monkey happens to be a blue bear and that he’s a treasured childhood companion. It goes on to say that if Hecate Hardbroom harms one bit of fur on his little body, that Miss Drill will…well,” She handed the maglet over to Hecate with a glance at Mildred, “I’ll let you read the rest yourself, it’s not exactly fit for younger ears.” Mildred huffed in disappointment.

Hecate read the rest of the message, then threw her head back and laughed out loud before handing the maglet back to Ada. “Mildred, I need your assistance. Please fetch Mr. Monkey.” She waved her hands at the miniscule fireplace, and a perfectly laid stack of logs appeared, newspaper stuffed into the crevices. She twisted her fingers and a long fireplace match appeared in her hand.

“Hecate?” Ada sounded truly concerned.

“Remember what you said earlier this week? That little sisters like to tease?” She grinned like a familiar, just ready to pounce on one of the pond frogs. “Big sisters get to tease back.”

Mildred stepped back, clutching Mr. Monkey to her chest. “You, you aren’t going to burn Miss Drill’s toy are you, Miss Hardbroom?”

“Certainly not, Mildred.” She looked over her shoulder at Ada, who was still looking skeptical. “No, Ada, I’m not going to hurt it. We’re just going to…yank Miss Drill’s broomstick a bit.” She held her hand out, and Mildred reluctantly handed him over. “Now, Ada, may Mildred borrow your maglet?” She gave it over as Hecate knelt next to the fireplace, holding Mr. Monkey over the logs with the lit match in front of him, making it look as though he was lighting the fire while standing in the middle of it. “As soon as I’ve faded out, take a picture.” Mildred grinned and nodded, finally understanding the joke. As soon as the picture was taken, Hecate popped back into existence and transferred Mr. Monkey safely back to his spot on the bed. She tapped a quick message, from Mr. Monkey about stress and the need for holiday adventures and then sent it back to Miss Drill. “Thank you, Ada. I may need to borrow you maglet again.” She handed it over to her headmistress. “And you,” she leaned down and whispered, “you must help me find more adventures for Mr. Monkey to have this weekend.”

Later that night, they were back in the cabin, Ada and Hecate tucked into the bottom bunk, Hecate reading while Ada perused the information packet one more time. Mildred sprawled across the top one, drawing in her notebook. Lost in her drawing, Mildred didn’t realize her swinging leg was causing the entire structure to sway.

Hecate most definitely realized it, however. Unable to stand it any longer, she slammed her book closed and reached for Mildred’s offending leg.

“You know, Hecate,” Ada drawled, without looking up from the packet, “I think they’re doing things quite differently than they did when I was here before.” Hecate slowly lowered her hand. “I don’t recall there being quite such an emphasis on outdoorsy-ness.” Ada flipped the packet to the back page. “Oh, I see, it says here that one of the event directors, Veronica Darknight, spent several years in the ordinary world working as a Girl Guide. That explains quite a bit – the camping, the team-building. Oh, Hecate, this should be great fun, don’t you think?”

“Great fun,” she’d agreed, through gritted teeth. “All right, Mildred, lights out,” Hecate poked the bottom of the bunk overhead. “It’s early breakfast for those of us going on the nature walk.” Before she could magic the lights out, Ada elbowed her in the ribs, performing an indecipherable set of hand motions. Hecate shook her head in bewilderment.

After Ada’s second attempt to get Hecate to understand, Ada gave up, rolling her eyes at her Deputy and flinging the blankets out of the way. “Let’s get you tucked in, shall we Mildred?” Ada climbed up to stand on their mattress so she could tuck the covers around the girl, smoothing the hair off her forehead. She reached out a hand and summoned Mr. Monkey from one of the chairs. “Why don’t you see to Miss Drill’s friend for tonight. I’m sure she’d appreciate that someone was looking out for him.”

“Thank you, Miss Cackle, I’ll take good care of him.”

“Good night, Mildred Hubble,” Hecate called from down below.

“Good night, HB. Thanks again for bringing me.” Her voice was already beginning to slur with sleep. Ada fussed with the covers a bit more before clambering back down.

Hands on hips, Ada stared down at Hecate. “You too, I should think.” She transferred Hecate’s book to the cupboard. “Down you go.” Too confused to do anything but comply, Hecate scooted herself down the mattress until she was lying down. Ada crawled in beside her and tucked the covers around her Deputy, just as she’d done with Mildred. “Gran’s privilege,” she winked, smoothing Hecate’s hair as well. “Now, I think you need…” She held out a hand and a lumpy, well-worn zebra appeared, pink and black instead of the usual. “Zelda, isn’t it?” Hecate nodded and clutched the zebra to her chest. Ada pulled the blankets under her chin, transferred her glasses into her own cupboard and turned out the lights.

“How do you even know how to do that? To put her to bed? It didn’t even occur to me.” Hecate whispered.

Ada rolled over so she was facing Hecate. “No one ever really tucked you in when you were a girl, did they?” Hecate’s shake of her head confirmed Ada’s suspicions. “Then it certainly isn’t your fault you didn’t know how to do it. But,” she reached across and gently patted a pale cheek, “now you do. Peaceful dreams, Hecate.”

“Peaceful dreams, Ada.” She squeezed her zebra tightly and wished peaceful dreams to Pippa and Julie, wherever they were.

Friday

Hecate felt like today might turn out to be a very good day indeed. She woke up early, allowing her to savor a quiet cup of tea on their cabin’s tiny porch, watching the sun rise over the hill. She’d enjoyed some privacy in the bathroom, unlike last night when she’d been forced to brush her teeth at the kitchen table because Mildred absolutely, positively could not wait for the toilet. She’d also managed to transfer Zelda safely back to her rooms at Cackle’s because she was not going to explain to Mildred Hubble why she still had the thirty-five-year-old stuffed animal gifted to her by Pippa Pentangle during their third year of school.

The nature walk was also turning out to be most pleasant. Ada was picking flowers for their cabin, though she’d insisted on tucking matching daisies into both Hecate’s and Mildred’s hair, again claiming ‘Gran’s privilege.’ As they walked, Hecate pointed out various plants and flowers along their path and asked Mildred to identify them. She was quite pleased with the number Mildred answered correctly. From up ahead, Miss Darknight cautioned the hikers about a hornet’s nest just off the trail.

“Mildred, please fetch that stick over there,” she pointed, and Mildred hopped across the trail to get it. Hecate summoned Mr. Monkey and took the stick. “Mildred, you keep well back, please. Ada, would you do the honors?”

Ada told herself that she was absolutely not helping Hecate torment Miss Drill. That would be quite unprofessional. She was simply doing her duty for the health and safety of Mildred Hubble by keeping her a safe distance from the hornet’s nest. “Levitation before or after you go invisible?”

“After, I think. Snap it quickly, please Ada, I don’t fancy being a pin cushion.”

“Right, then.” Ada held the maglet at the ready. She glanced at Mildred as they watched Mr. Monkey float up to the hornet’s nest, ready to poke it with his stick. “Needless to say, Miss Hubble, this is not the sort of behavior I expect to see from one of my students at Cackle’s.” She snapped the picture, and Mr. Monkey zoomed to the ground. “I think we’ll caption this one ‘Making New Friends.’”

Hecate reappeared, grimacing. She waved her hand, and Mr. Monkey disappeared. “I hope you got it?” Ada nodded and flipped the maglet around so she could see the picture. “That’s well worth it,” she smiled, holding out a hand with two rapidly swelling welts. “Come along, Mildred, this seems as good a time as any to teach you how to make a poultice to soothe insect stings.”

During arts and crafts, Hecate still felt the day was going well. Mildred’s poultice had worked well enough, and their project – making a family portrait out of found materials – didn’t seem very taxing, especially since Mildred and Ada were doing all the work. Just as Mildred finished gluing a bright red piece of yarn to make HB’s lips, Charity, the arts teacher, stopped by to see it.

“Oh, that’s lovely, Mildred. You’ve done a wonderful job capturing your family. I love how you used dried flowers to make your gran’s sweater.” She pointed at the blonde figure standing next to Mildred. “Who’s that supposed to be?”

“That’s my other mum.” She smoothed down the yellow yarn that she’d used for hair. “She couldn’t come this weekend. That’s why Mi – why my Gran came instead.” Mildred kept working on her portrait, oblivious to Hecate’s frozen posture and saucer-sized eyes.

“I’m sorry to hear that Millie, but isn’t it grand that one of your mums could make it? And your Gran?” Mildred nodded. “And it’s wonderful that your family is so open!”

“It’s the bats, Miss Charity.” Mildred continued working on her portrait, oblivious to Hecate’s sudden state of panic.

“It certainly is.” Charity moved to leave but placed a hand on Hecate’s shoulder as she passed. “Hopefully, next year your wife can join us as well.”

Hecate clutched her pocket watch, trying to work out if her fake daughter, announcing her fake wife to her fake mother, had just outed one very real lesbian to the rest of the room. She closed her eyes as the room started to close in, her breath coming in shorter gasps as it became more and more difficult to breathe.

Two strong hands clamped down on Hecate’s shoulders, grounding her – keeping her from transferring away. “It’s all right, Hecate. It’s all right,” Ada murmured in her ear. “Look around the room. No one is the least bit interested in what kind of family we are or that you might fancy witches instead of wizards. Not them, not Mildred, and most certainly not me.”

Hecate’s eyes darted around the room. Ada was right; everyone else seemed engrossed in their own projects. She managed to slow her breathing and the room slowly expanded back to its normal size. “You aren’t…upset… or…embarrassed?” She waved her hand at the rest of the room.

“How could I be? I love you just as you are, dear. Just as you are. Besides,” she rubbed her hands across Hecate’s back, “it isn’t exactly news to me.”

Mildred had been watching them since Miss Charity walked away. “What’s the matter, HB? Did I say something wrong?” Tears shone in her eyes. “Should I have left mum off the picture?”

Hecate settled herself with a few more deep breaths. “No, Mildred. You didn’t say anything you shouldn’t have. I just…wasn’t expecting to talk about my…preferences.”

“Oh, is that supposed to be a secret?” Mildred scrunched her face up in confusion. “Because I don’t see what the big deal is. What difference does it make anyway, whether you like wizards or witches? Besides, it’s not like I put Miss Pentangle in the picture. Yet.”

Hecate hid her face in her hands, hoping with every fiber of her being that she would simply burst into flames. Ada actually had to walk away because she couldn’t stifle her giggles.

At lunch Mildred finally caught up with Enid and Maud. The girls compared schedules and found that they had swimming together both days as well as the star party and the survival breakfast.

“So, Miss Hard – Hubble…I see you managed to recover from the slumber party.”

“Please, call me Hecate while we’re at the retreat, no need to be so formal here.” And no reason for me to be called Hubble any more than absolutely necessary, she thought. “Apparently I didn’t recover my senses, because here I am at this retreat.”

“Maud told us why you’re here. It’s absolutely ghastly the way they’re treating Julie. You’re very kind to step in again.”

“Not so kind, Miss Spellbody. It’s just that Julie Hubble is particularly persuasive.”

Hecate Hardbroom knows she’s lost at least a year off her life trying to slather three overexcited little witches in enough sunscreen and shade spells for their afternoon swim. “Mildred Hubble, please be still. The pool will still be there five minutes from now. Maud, you have a white streak of sunscreen across your left cheek. Please rub it in so you don’t look like a striped whip toad.” What on earth had possessed Ada to agree to take all three girls to the pool while Enid and Maud’s mothers rested? And where was Ada Cackle anyway? As she thought it, Ada transferred into the changing rooms, already wearing her swimsuit, a cute little one-piece with a flowered bodice and flouncy skirt that hung halfway to her knees. It didn’t look all that different from her usual clothing.

“Surely, they’ve been coated enough, Hecate?” The girls nodded an enthusiastic agreement.

“I refuse to return Mildred back to her mother looking like a boiled crustacean.” Ada raised an eyebrow at her. “But, perhaps you are correct. Go along then girls, ‘Granny Hubble’ will keep an eye on you until I get there.”

Ten minutes later the girls were playing water witch ball when Hecate emerged from the dressing room. “Is that Miss Hardbroom?” Maud gasped, so distracted she didn’t even notice when the ball bounced off her head and into the water. “She looks like a movie star!”

Mildred and Enid turned around in time to see HB standing on the sidewalk, looking for spot to place her towel. She wore a black one-piece suit with a silver buckle at the waist and shirring across the stomach. Over it she had on a white flowing cover-up. A large white sunhat with a black ribbon and oversized black sunglasses completed the look. Her movie star look was only compromised by the rainbow-striped tote bag stuffed with all of the girls clothing that she had slung over her shoulder.

“I hope she put as much sunscreen on herself as she did on us,” Enid said, “I didn’t think anybody could be that pale and still be alive.”

“Be quiet, Enid,” Mildred chided. Miss Cackle swam up beside her. “Did you know HB could look like that?”

“As a matter of fact, Mildred, I did. She’s quite lovely, isn’t she?” Mildred nodded, and Ada leaned down so she could whisper in her ear. “That’s something to remember when we hear certain people gossiping that Miss Hardbroom isn’t glamorous enough for Miss Pentangle.” Especially when one of those people is Hecate herself, Ada thought. “You know girls, if you think Miss Hardbroom looks pretty, it’s perfectly fine to tell her so.” She watched Hecate settling onto her towel with a book in her hand. “However, I think we might need to encourage her to get wet, what do you say? Come with me.”

One at a time each of the girls snuck out of the pool and around behind Hecate, Ada bringing up the rear. Engrossed in her book, Hecate didn’t even notice they were out of the pool, at least not until three little witches cannonballed into the water right in front of her, drenching her and everything around her.

“Girls!” she sputtered, casting a drying spell on her book. “What on earth were you thinking? If I wanted to get - ” She was cut off by Ada’s cannonball, which produced every bit as much splash as the girls had. She wiped the water from her face “Et tu, Ada Cackle? Very well.” She waved her hands and murmured something under her breath. The girls looked at each other as the water level in the pool dropped about three inches until a tidal wave crashed over them, sending all four of them underwater. That earned Hecate a whistle from the guardwitch on duty, but it was worth it.

“Is that how we want to play it, Hecate dear?” Ada twirled her finger in the pool and a tiny waterspout began to grow, getting bigger and bigger the more Ada twirled. “Two can definitely play at this game. Or would you rather just join us in the pool?”

Hecate pretended to think it over before she flicked a surge of magic at Ada’s waterspout causing it to burst in her face, then quickly stripped out of her cover-up and hopped into the pool before Ada could recover. “Happy now?” She purred as she magicked the pins from her hair. She ducked under the water and kicked off the side, gliding smoothly past the girls and coming up just behind Ada, her long hair slicked back behind her. A couple of quick pulls of the breaststroke brought her back to the group.

“You can swim! HB! I didn’t know you could swim!” Mildred bounced in the water even more than she bounced on dry land.

“Certainly I can swim, Mildred Hubble. I was on a broomstick water ski team. They don’t let you do that unless you can swim.”

“Is that the one you were on with Miss Pentangle?”

Hecate’s whole body drew in on itself. “How do you know about that?”

Right away, Mildred knew she’d said something she shouldn’t. She could see Miss Cackle pulling the other girls away to play more water witch ball. “Uh…Miss Pentangle told me about it? At the spelling bee. She brought me Tabby while I was studying the night before the contest. She also brought me a donut, but when I asked how you two knew each other, she ate it…and she told me about the doubles display.”

“What did she say? Was she angry?”

“She just said that you were supposed to do it together, but you didn’t show up and she didn’t know why. She didn’t sound mad or anything like that. Just kind of sad.” Feeling brave, Mildred grabbed Hecate’s hand under the water. “I’m sorry if you didn’t want me to know about that. I haven’t told anybody about it – not even Enid or Maud.”

“Thank you for that, at least. It was not one of my finer moments.”

“But anyway, you’ve sorted it all out now so it doesn’t matter, does it?”

“I think it might always matter to some degree, Mildred, but, yes, we do seem to have moved past it. Learn from my shortcomings, though. Even if it’s difficult, it’s better to talk to your friends than to run away.” Hecate unclenched her free hand, knowing that if she looked she’d find four crescent-shaped indentations in her palm. It was time to put this subject to rest. “Come on then,” she tightened her grip on Mildred’s hand, pulling her through the water as she flopped her up and down. “Let’s go play some witch ball.”

The match was fierce – girls versus the grownups - of course the girls won. Too soon, the guardwitch blew the whistle, and it was time for their group to exit. All five of them crowded around Hecate’s towel, gathering their things. Hecate pulled her hair around front to wring out as much water as she could. As soon as she did, she heard Mildred’s gasp. She knew the cause in an instant – the pale pattern of crosshatched scars that dipped down one shoulder – a faded reminder of Broomhead’s angry, ugly magic.

Merlin’s balls, Hecate cursed to herself, was there no part of her life that would remain unknown to Mildred Hubble? She leaned over and spoke just above a whisper. “Please don’t concern yourself, Mildred, they’re from a long time ago. I hardly even think of them now.”

Mildred continued to look at her, wide-eyed and fearful. “But HB, those look like…” Her expression shifted to an angry indignation, and Hecate’s heart almost broke for it. “Did someone do that to you? Who would do such a thing? How could they?”

“As I said, it was a long time ago, Mildred.” She ran her hand down one of Mildred’s plaits, tugging it gently. “Let’s just say that there are some teachers harsher than I and leave it at that.”

“Like Agatha,” Mildred nodded. “That’s why you expelled me – you knew she’d still be cross with me from the first time we kept her from taking over the school.”

“I needed to keep you safe, Mildred Hubble.” She sniffed and straightened to her full height. “Now, lovely as these trips down memory lane have been for me this afternoon, it’s soon time for dinner and I don’t wish to spend the rest of the day smelling like chlorine. Back to the cabin.”

Dinner turned out to be delicious, once again, a penne pasta with grilled vegetables and Italian sausage. Mildred ate three helpings and asked at least twice if Ada would consider hiring their cook away to work at Cackle’s.

At nine pm sharp they assembled in the clearing behind the dining hall for the star party. By nine-thirty Mildred was asleep with her head in Hecate’s lap, and Ada was struggling to keep her eyes open as well. Surrendering to the inevitable, Hecate transferred them back to the cabin, expertly dropping a still sleeping Mildred onto her bunk. With a few waves of her hand Hecate had Mildred changed into her pajamas and under the blankets snuggled up with Mr. Monkey.

Saturday

Saturday morning proved to be unseasonably cool and blustery and Hecate’s nerves were frazzled before they ever arrived at their survival breakfast. Somehow, no one had managed to set an alarm spell, and it was only thanks to Mildred’s overactive bladder that they were awakened thirty minutes before they were supposed to be there. Nor had it been the most pleasant of awakenings. Climbing down from the top bunk, Mildred had not only dropped Mr. Monkey on Ada but had also somehow managed to step on Hecate.

Even more distressing was the fact that the instructions for the survival breakfast were quite insistent that skirts were inappropriate attire and Hecate had been forced to wear trousers. They weren’t even tailored dress slacks either, but horrible green cargo pants. Ada pointing out that they would probably be very useful for working in the gardens or gathering potions ingredients had not helped at all. To top it off, Hecate could have sworn that she’d heard the click of Ada’s maglet taking a photo at least twice since she’d put them on. She sighed and magicked her hair into its customary bun and Mildred’s into a braid down her back. Plaits were also not allowed.

They’d just managed to transfer to the site as Poppy was calling their name to come pick up their supplies. Mildred rushed up to get them, returning a few moments later with a small cool box and a large, empty commercial-sized food can. Once each family had their box, they were each assigned a fire circle and given the rules – or rule. All they had to do was work together to make breakfast without using any magic. Mildred didn’t seem bothered in the least, but the way Hecate’s left eye was twitching, Ada was worried she might have developed some sort of aneurism.

Mildred tore into the cool box as soon as she set it down in their fire circle. “Let’s see,” she turned the lid over and used it as a spot to lay out their supplies. “We’ve got six eggs, six bacons and six slices of bread.” She pulled out a zip top bag and examined its contents. “This looks like some salt and pepper, maybe some sugar, a little container of milk and…ooh, three matches. We’ll have to be careful with those. There’s also three oranges, some paper towels, three tin cups and three tea bags.”

“All of that has to be cooked,” Hecate drawled. “How are we to do that if we can’t use magic? We don’t even have a cauldron or a…skillet.”

“I believe that’s where the survival part comes in, dear.” Ada gathered their supplies and returned them to the box. “All right, Mildred, since you’ve been camping with your other mum,” she winked at Hecate, who made a very subtle rude gesture back. “What do you think we need to do first?”

“We need to build the fire, so I guess we need to gather some wood. We need all different sizes, mostly thin bits at first.”

“Why don’t I just summon the wood? We aren’t cooking yet.”

“No, HB, they said no magic! That’s like cheating!”

“Just for the wood, Mildred, they won’t even know.” Just as Hecate raised her hand, a great red puff of smoke erupted from Enid and her mum’s fire circle.

“And that’s what happens when you try to use magic, ladies.” Poppy shouted. “That red smoke is one of your breakfast ingredients disappearing into vanishment.”

Mildred reached up and dragged Hecate’s hand back down. “We don’t need magic, HB, honestly. I know what to do.”

Ada nodded in agreement. “Let’s go gather wood, shall we?”

Twenty minutes later, Mildred had laid as perfect a fire as she could and was just striking her first match. “Do either of you want to light it?” Both women declined, eyeing the remaining two matches nervously.

“You go on, dear. You’re probably better at it than we are.” Ada knelt down beside her. “Do I need to block the wind?”

“That would be great, Miss Cackle, at least until I get these grassy bits going.” She pointed to a pile of skinny sticks. “Once this gets going, HB, start adding more twigs, thinnest ones first, just a few at a time.” Hecate nodded and Mildred struck the match. As soon as it flared, Mildred held it under the grass, which caught fire almost immediately. “Now, HB!”

Hecate started sliding the sticks on, just a few at a time, gradually increasing the size of the sticks. Soon, they had a steady fire blazing in the middle of their circle. Even Poppy was pleased.

“Well done, Hubbles! How many matches did it take?”

“Mildred did it in just one, Poppy! Isn’t that something?” Ada beamed at Mildred.

“Congratulations, Mildred! That makes you a member of our One Match Club!” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a button and showed it to Mildred. It had a picture of a match enchanted to flare and burn over and over again, while the words ‘One Match Club’ flashing around the edge. Once Mildred had seen it, Poppy pinned it to the front of the girl’s hoodie.

“Good job, Mildred! Didn’t she do well, Hecate?”

“Yes, she did. It does make me wonder though, Mildred, how it is you can do this so well, but you can’t master a simple laughter potion?”

Mildred shrugged a shoulder. “I guess because my mum actually taught me how to do it. She didn’t just assume I knew how.” She didn’t say it with any sort of malice, or anger, just an honest matter-of-factness that cut Hecate to the bone. At that moment Maud raised her hand to ask what happened if they used all their matches. Mildred picked up their two extra ones. “I’m going to give these to Maud and see if they need any help.”

As soon as she was out of earshot, Ada spoke. “She didn’t mean anything by it, Hecate. You know that.”

“Shouldn’t she though? I know how I can be. You know how I can be. My biggest complaint when you first decided to admit her on a trial basis was that she had no magical background. It’s still her greatest weakness; she just doesn’t know things that I think she should. But she’s been with us two years now. What have I done to help her know things. How many of her scrapes come down to not knowing something the rest of us take for granted, Ada? Yet I’ve still left it largely up to Enid and Maud to fill the gaps.”

“It’s an easy enough fix, Hecate. Perhaps some basic magical facts would do her more good next time she’s in detention than a set of lines.” Hecate nodded.

Mildred bounded back into their fire circle. “You should have seen their fire! It’s no wonder they used up all their matches – Maud was trying to light the big logs first.”

“Well, I’m sure you showed her how to do it properly,” Hecate said. “Now, teach me how to cook on that tin can, I’m starving. It looks like we have all the makings of eggy bread, doesn’t it?”

The rest of the day passed pleasantly enough. They attended some set seminars that mostly focused on healthy beauty tips and positive body image and joined Enid and Maud at the pool. Hecate was relieved to make it through an entire session of swimming without dredging up any more unpleasantness from her past.

Finally, the trio arrived for their last session, Meaningful Meditations with Mothers and Daughters. Charity, their facilitator from arts and crafts, was apparently leading this session as well. Hecate felt her face heating up when she thought about the open discussion of her sexuality – with Ada and Mildred Hubble, no less. She still hadn’t worked out whether her real preferences and fake wife meant she’d been real or fake outed. It made her brain hurt thinking about it.

Charity clapped her hands for attention and summoned a colorful mat for each family, arranging them all into a circle. She had each mother sit cross-legged on the mats, daughters in their laps. Hecate worried that Mildred might not be comfortable enough with her for this and their charade might fall apart, but the girl plopped into her lap happily enough. The few grandmothers present were instructed to kneel behind the mothers, hands reaching over to rest on the girls’ shoulders. Ada muttered something impolite about having the oldest members of the families be on their knees.

“Okay, families, let’s all try to combine our magic. Just close your eyes and feel for the other’s magic.” She walked around the group, offering encouragement and the occasional advice. “We don’t share magic with others very often, so don’t worry if it takes a bit. Sometimes it helps to think of a really powerful memory.”

Hecate frowned in concentration. She’d certainly helped students manipulate their magic before but had never shared it. She hadn’t done that since she was a child, with Pippa. She could feel Ada’s magic, warm and serene, and she could feel her own, prickly and sharp. She could even feel the uneven tumble of Mildred’s magic, but try as she might, she couldn’t manage to bring them all together. They all felt incompatible somehow.

A pale green glow flared around the family to their left as their magic synchronized. They were quickly followed by three other groups, each glowing its own, unique, color. Hecate was beginning to get frustrated, and Mildred was beginning to fidget.

“Try thinking about the day Mildred was born, Miss Hubble. That’s got to be a big memory.”

“I wasn’t there,” Hecate ground out, before she could catch herself.

“Oh. Sorry. Wrong mum, then,” Charity said, slightly flustered. “How about the first time you held her then? Or her first steps?”

Hecate squeezed her eyes closed but not before she’d seen Charity’s puzzled expression – or the looks she was getting from the other mums. She’d seen those looks too many times in her life – the ones that said you’re a freak, you aren’t good enough for this. You don’t belong here. Hecate could feel her breath coming faster and faster. Lights started dancing in her eyes and her blood roared in her ears, blocking out everyone’s words. Worst of all, she could feel her magic raging through her, coiling in her chest like a viper getting ready to strike. “I have to go! I’m sorry…Ada…I need to…” She needed to get away from the crowd of witches before the white-knuckle grip she had on her magic slipped. “Mildred! You have to…GET UP!” When Mildred didn’t move fast enough, Hecate dumped her out of her lap and disappeared with a crack.

“Oh, dear,” Ada said. “That’s not good.” She checked to make sure Mildred was okay, reassured her that sometimes Hecate just did this sort of thing and asked Charity to keep an eye on the girl while she went to check on her daughter. Once that was settled, Ada judged that it had been long enough that she could see about Hecate. She gave Mildred one last wink, raised her hand and vanished.

Ada transferred herself just outside the cabin; she’d followed the trail of Hecate’s magic but didn’t wish to upset her further by appearing out of thin air if Hecate truly wanted to be left alone. She tapped on the door before edging it open just enough to poke her head inside. She spied Hecate sitting on the bed, knees pulled up as she cradled Mr. Monkey to her chest. “May I come in, dear?” When Hecate nodded, Ada stepped into the cabin, slowly taking in the broken table and scorch marks on the floor. With a few quick spells she repaired the damage from Hecate’s errant magic before making her way across the room. She paused at the foot of the bed and held out her hands. She could still feel the static of Hecate’s loose magic in the air.

“How’s Mildred?” Hecate wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“Confused, I think? Wondering what she’s done wrong, perhaps, but we can sort that out in a bit. I’d rather sort you out first.”

Hecate barked out a harsh laugh and clutched the toy tighter. “If that were possible, don’t you think we’d have managed by now?”

“May I?” Ada gestured to her side of the bed. Permission granted, she climbed in and sat next to Hecate, close enough that their shoulders were almost – almost – touching. “Do you remember when you first came to Cackle’s? It was a bit of a dark time for you. You would have those terrible night terrors.”

Hecate nodded. “You heard me one night. I’d forgotten to set the silencing spells.”

“Actually, I’d heard you several nights when I’d been on rounds. It took me a few times before I worked up the courage to knock. It occurred to me that one time might be forgetfulness, but by the fourth time…Well, I thought perhaps you didn’t actually forget the spells, rather, you knew you needed help but didn’t know how to ask.”

“You’ve always seen right through me,” Hecate smiled wryly.

“No dear, I’ve simply tried to see you. Do you remember what we used to do back then, when you needed to talk?” Hecate nodded, and Ada lifted her arm, drawing the younger woman against her side, tucking Hecate’s head under her chin. She allowed her Deputy to take a few shuddering breaths and settle in against her. “When you’re ready, would you like to tell me what happened tonight?”

Hecate nodded, gripping her pocket watch tightly. “All that talk about family…I don’t…I’ve never truly had that…It just…it got to be too much. Too many people, too much emotion and magic swirling in the air. I kept looking at all those other women, listening to them talk about the memories of their daughters and I…I felt like such a fraud. The first time I ever held Mildred was tonight, Ada. Mildred deserves… to have someone who’s not so…closed off, who’s not so cold. I can’t even manage to pretend for a weekend without falling apart and ruining things for her - and you. I’m not…this…I’m not enough…I’m just…a fraud” Tears streamed down her face, and she curled herself into Ada, wrapping her arms around her waist, trying not to lose control.

Shocked that Hecate had said so much, Ada gave the woman a moment to calm herself. “Dearest Hecate, you must know that you are the closest thing to a daughter that I will ever have. I could not love you more if I had given birth to you myself.” She felt more than heard Hecate’s sharp intake of breath. “I also like to think that in some small way I have been able to fill a tiny bit of the hole left by your mother. Do I feel like a fraud to you?”

Hecate shook her head. “Never. You’ve only ever been kind to me, Ada. Even when I’ve not deserved it and even when I tried to push you away, you never let me. I love you too, Ada, for what it’s worth, I have loved you since that very first night.”

“It’s worth a great deal to me, Hecate. You are worth a great deal to me. So, can we both agree that we are as much a family as any of those other witches, blood ties be damned?” She felt Hecate nod, hesitantly at first, then with more conviction. Good, she thought, we’re halfway there. “Now, what does it matter if tonight was the first time you’ve ever held Mildred? Are you truly going to sit here, reduced to tears because you’re afraid you’ve somehow failed her and try and convince me that you don’t love her?”

Hecate was quiet for a moment. “No,” she whispered. “I – I do…love her. Great Merlin’s beard, but I love that wretched girl. But, Ada, what if I’m not good enough? We aren’t talking about some potions lesson. Julie wants me to be responsible for her. What if I don’t know what to do and I make a mistake?” Just like tonight, she thought, the unsaid words hanging over them as if she’d spoken them aloud.

Ada gently nudged Hecate up so she could look her in the eye. “Dear, dear Hecate. Sometimes I wish I could set my magic to all those fools who made you believe that if you weren’t perfect you were worthless. You are good enough because you love her, and you will make mistakes because you’re human. And when you do, you’ll right them because you love her and she’ll forgive you because she loves you as well.”

“And because she’s Mildred Hubble,” Hecate said, sniffling still.

“And because she’s Mildred Hubble,” Ada laughed. She summoned a handkerchief and wiped the tears from Hecate’s face, smiling gently. “Shall I go full-on mother-mode and spit on it to get you properly shined up?”

“I’d rather you not, I think.” She took a deep breath and gave Ada one more hug, kissing her on the cheek as she did. “I think I’m ready to go back now. May I?” Ada nodded; in a flash they were back in the circle, sitting on their mat. Hecate looked over to see Mildred across the circle, next to Charity. The rest of the mothers were studiously avoiding making any eye contact.

Charity nudged Mildred, who was drawing in the dirt with a stick and didn’t see them appear. Ada moved back behind Hecate, squeezing her shoulders in encouragement. Hecate said nothing, only held her hand out, beckoning Mildred to come and take it.

Mildred hesitated, trying to work out how HB was feeling, but she couldn’t tell. She shuffled across the circle, taking HB’s outstretched hand once she got there. “I’m sorry for before. I shouldn’t have…”

“Mildred Hubble.” As always, her full name was enough to still Mildred’s lips. “You have nothing to apologize for. Now, please sit down.” Mildred moved to sit down beside her, but Hecate tugged her over until the girl practically fell into her lap. “It’s all right, Mildred.” She tried to reassure the girl, but it didn’t make Mildred any less stiff. Hecate’s insecurities started to creep in again until Ada, dear, sweet Ada, whispered into her ear that she’s doing fine and squeezed her shoulders again. It was enough. It made Hecate feel as though she was enough, even if it was for only these few moments.

Releasing Mildred’s hand, Hecate wrapped her arms around Mildred and pulled her back against her chest. “Listen to me very carefully, Mildred Hubble – none of this was your fault.” Hecate rested her chin on the girl’s shoulder, and spoke, her voice low and soft in Mildred’s ear. “Please do not feel bad or be sorry, because you did nothing wrong. My…difficulties… have always been my own. Your mother has asked me to care for you and nurture you, and I freely admit that I’m not very good at those things. No matter how…no matter how much I love you, I may never be good at those things. Therefore, I must beg your understanding and I’m sure your forgiveness – many times.” She felt Mildred’s arms tighten around hers, and suddenly her heart seemed to be working a bit better. “And when I make mistakes or when I’m cold or do something that hurts your feelings… I hope that you will remember that it is always, only, ever my fault.” Somehow, Hecate must have managed to say the right thing because suddenly Mildred twisted herself around and flung her own arms around Hecate’s neck.

Ada pulled them both into a tight hug, feeling their magic flare and mingle, just like the exercises had tried to make it do. She smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Hecate’s head, feeling as much like a family as any other witch at the retreat.

At last, Charity announced that the program was over and the groups were welcome to make their way to the stone amphitheater in the middle of the campsite so they could begin their last night campfire. There would be s’mores, music and silly skits to finish off the evening.

Hecate leaned into Ada and whispered, “Do you reckon the Girl Guide is in charge of this part?”

“I certainly hope so. It’s been years since I’ve eaten a proper s’more,” Ada said, eyes twinkling.

“Then we’d best be moving along.” Hecate helped Ada to her feet. They started walking towards the amphitheater, but Mildred grabbed Hecate’s sleeve, pulling them to a stop. “What is it, Mildred?”

The girl looked around, making sure none of the other women were in earshot. “We can go back to the cabin, Miss Hardbroom. We don’t have to go to the campfire.”

“Do you not wish to go to the campfire, Mildred?” Ada sounded surprised.

Hecate frowned. “Enid and Maud will be there. Don’t you want to join your friends?”

“I do, but,” Mildred poked at the ground with the toe of her trainer. “It’s just that it’s going to be loud and there’s going to be a lot of people there and I know that sometimes that’s too much for you, and so I thought that…” she trailed off, not certain what she wanted to say and worried that she’d already said too much.

“You thought that you’d spare me all of that because of what happened before.” Mildred shrugged, focused on the dirt she was shifting around with her shoe. “That’s very kind of you, Mildred.” Hecate reached out and lifted Mildred’s chin until their eyes met. “It’s a noble witch indeed that puts another’s needs ahead of her own wishes. But,” she patted the girl’s cheek, “in this instance, as long as I don’t have to have any more feelings, I think I can manage to survive.” She straightened up and held a hand out for Mildred, who happily took it. “Besides, after Ada’s reaction, I’m quite curious to learn about these s’mores Charity was going on about.”

Enid was the first to spot them, waving and shouting as though she hadn’t just seen Mildred at swimming that afternoon. A large bonfire blazed in the middle of the amphitheater, already surrounded by a dozen or more dancing witches. The Spellbodys and Nightshades had magicked up a smaller firepit off to the side, much more suitable for toasting marshmallows and keeping their eyebrows intact.

“Well met…Hubbles,” grinned Maud’s mother.

“Well met, Sisters,” Ada responded, pressing her hand to her forehead. She eyed the marshmallows greedily until Enid��s mother laughingly pressed a toasting fork into her hands. “All right girls, gather ‘round.” The girls stepped closer, and Ada motioned for Hecate to come forward as well. “Who all has had a s’more before?” Everyone’s hand shot up – except Hecate’s. “Oh, dear,” Ada shook her head sadly while Hecate rolled her eyes. “After all these years of Miss Hardbroom teaching you so many wonderful potions, I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to teach her the fine art of making s’mores?”

“Yes, Miss Cackle!” they chorused. Enid grabbed the toasting forks and the marshmallows while Maud snatched up the biscuits and chocolate bars. Mildred grabbed Hecate and led her to the fire. As usual, Maud was ready with instructions.

“First, put the marshmallow on your stick.”

“Wrong!” Enid interrupted. “First put the chocolate on the biscuit so it’s ready for your marshmallow.”

“Well, of course, Enid,” Maud huffed, “that part goes without saying.” Enid and Mildred shared a look and then rolled their eyes. They laid out their s’mores directly on the picnic table. Hecate made a choking sound before magicking paper mats under each stack of biscuits and chocolate.

Ada shook her head. “It’s meant to have a bit of dirt in it, Hecate.”

“Nothing is meant to have a bit of dirt in it, Ada.”

“HB!” Maud beckoned her back to the fire. “Now you’re ready to toast your marshmallow. You have to hold it just so,” she waved her stick, “close enough to the fire that it turns a nice golden brown, but not so close that it catches on fire itself.”

“You could do it that way,” Enid drawled, “if you don’t mind being as old as Miss Bat when it’s ready.” She shoved her marshmallow directly into the fire, pulling it out once it was in flames and waiting for it to be fully consumed. “That’s how you do a proper marshmallow.” She sandwiched it between the chocolate and biscuits and pulled her stick away, taking her first bite of s’more before Maud’s marshmallow had even a hint of color.

“That does seem faster, if you want to eat charcoal.” Hecate looked at Enid skeptically. The girl already had marshmallow smeared from one ear to the other.

This kicked off a spirited debate on the merits of toasting versus charring, pitting friend against friend, mother against daughter. It took an unseemly number of taste tests before they agreed to disagree and moved on to discussing other desserts that could be toasted over the fire.

After a bit, Ada noticed that Hecate had seated herself at the far end of the picnic table, putting as much distance between herself and the rambunctious girls as possible. She excused herself, winking at Mildred’s slightly worried look. Brushing her hands off on her khakis, Ada went and took a seat opposite her potions mistress. “I think it’s safe to say we’ve given them enough sugar that they’ll be bouncing around that bonfire for quite some time.” Even in the shadows Ada could see the tension in Hecate’s shoulders and the way she was rubbing her thumbs against each other in her lap.

“I rather suspect that’s true.” Her lips pulled into a tight smile. “I’m all right, Ada.”

“I know you are, dear.” She reached across the table and squeezed Hecate’s arm. “I also thought that our erstwhile tent campers might appreciate some s’mores as well. I hoped you might be willing to make a delivery?”

Hecate brightened immediately. “You mean take some to Pippa and Julie?” Ada nodded. “Of course, but…” she frowned. “I don’t know where they are.” She waved her arm at the bonfire. “With all this magic around, I don’t think a locator spell will work.” She tried not to look as disappointed as she felt.

Ada smiled and removed the brooch from her sweater. “This is a Twin Pin. I assume you’ve heard of those?” Hecate shook her head no. It was a pewter crescent moon. It felt heavier in her hand than it should. “It’s actually a bit of modern magic, quite clever, really. You see, this is just half of the set. If there’s someone you always want to be able to find, you wear one half and they wear the other. Whenever you want to be with the other person, you simply think about joining the two pieces together and transfer. It works more like a portal so it doesn’t matter how far away the other person is. When you’re ready to come back, just think about where you came from and transfer again.”

“Thank you, Ada.” Hecate pinned the brooch to her own shirt, just over her heart. “I think I will make that s’more delivery after all.” She held out her hands and summoned the two s’mores that Enid and Mildred had just finished putting together. They appeared in her hands, wrapped in silver tinfoil.

“No fair!”

“Hey!

“Sorry, girls! I’ve got an emergency delivery to make!” She imagined the two halves of the pin joining together and blinked out of sight.

She popped into a quiet clearing, no noise save the crackle of a small campfire.

“Hecate!” Pippa squeaked, her voice delighted.

“Shhh. Just give me a minute to enjoy the silence.” She stood, breathing deeply for a count of twenty before opening her eyes. “This is lovely.” The tiny clearing was just perfect. Their tent was tucked into the edge of the woods. Pippa and Julie sat in folding camp chairs by the fire, looking rumpled and comfortable in flannel shirts and sweatpants. “I come bearing gifts: s’mores.”

“That’s what we forgot!” Julie hauled herself out of her chair. “This is why I like her best.” She pulled a bottle from the cooler that her feet had been resting on and topped off the glass in her hand. “You deserve a reward for this. C’mon, Pip, poof her a chair.” She traded Hecate the glass of wine for the s’more.

Hecate accepted the wine gratefully, downing half the glass before lowering herself into the chair that had appeared next to Pippa’s. “Nice pin,” she said, eyeing the pewter star fastened to Pippa’s shirt. She handed over the remaining s’more.

“It is a handy bit of modern magic, isn’t it? Yours looks lovely on you.” She unwrapped her s’more. “Ooh, this one has the burnt bits. Perfect. She nibbled at the corner. “You remembered how I like things that are all dark on the outside, but soft and sweet on the inside.” She grinned and waggled her eyebrows.

Hecate blushed into her wine.

“All right you two, third wheel over here, let’s not forget.” She took a bite of her s’more. “I’ll tell you what’s lovely – these are lovely.” She swallowed another bite. “How’s it going at the retreat, Mother Hubble?”

“It’s been…touch and go, I’d say. Sometimes it’s been easy and even fun, other times, not so much.”

“You’ve just described motherhood, love.”

“Tonight there was a bit of an incident. I lost control, and I upset Mildred.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at Julie.

“What happened, Hiccup?” Pippa reached across the chairs and laced her fingers with Hecate’s.

“We were supposed to be sharing magic and talking about our feelings and… I couldn’t make the magic work and this infant of a facilitator kept trying to make suggestions and Ada had her hands on my shoulder and Mildred was in my lap…”

“Oh, Hiccup. No wonder you had a hard time. That sounds like it would be too much for almost anyone. What did you do?”

She drained the rest of the wine from her glass. “I hyperventilated, dumped Mildred onto the ground and transferred to our cabin – which, I might add, I nearly burned to ashes with my sparkers. You remember what that’s like.” Pippa nodded. Hecate looked nervously at Julie, surprised to find sympathy in the blonde’s eyes. “After a bit Ada came and sorted me out.”

“Ada’s been very good for you, Hiccup. I’m so pleased that you wound up with her at Cackle’s.” She squeezed Hecate’s hand. “And how’s Mildred?”

“We went back to the seminar and I…I put her back in my lap and told her that my problems weren’t her fault and that I was sorry and…anyway, she hugged me so I guess I’m forgiven.” She shrugged at Julie. “Right now, she’s so hopped up on sugar she probably won’t sleep until term begins again.” She pulled her hand free from Pippa and rubbed her temples before continuing. “I am sorry about upsetting her. I don’t know why I thought I could do this. About me being her…magic mum…clearly I’m not capable of it. I can help you find someone better suited…” Her voice failed her, and she scrubbed the tears out of her eyes.

Julie was across the campsite almost as fast as if she’d transferred. Kneeling in front of Hecate, she placed her hands on the arms of the camp chair, careful not to touch her. “There’s only one thing I want to say to you.” She waited until Hecate’s eyes rose to meet hers. “Congratulations, Hecate Hardbroom, it’s a girl.”

“I don’t understand. I yelled at her.” Pippa began rubbing soothing circles on her back, releasing soothing bits of magic into her muscles.

“Yes, you did. After you were frustrated and overwhelmed, then you took care of yourself and then you fixed it. Do you honestly think I’ve never done the same thing? I’ve yelled at Millie. I’ve been short with her, been frustrated and taken those frustrations out on her when she didn’t deserve it. Every mum does that at one point or another. Even me. Even you. The point is, you apologized and fixed it and you both moved on. That is why I absolutely want you to be the one that looks out for Millie in the magical world.” She patted Hecate’s arm and stood up, groaning. “Bloody hell, my knees are not what they used to be.” She crossed back to her chair and picked up a bag. “Now, this third wheel is going to go to the bath house and take a shower. I’ll make plenty of noise on my way back.”

“No need to keep calling yourself the third wheel, Mrs. Hubble,” Hecate sighed. She couldn’t believe she was telling them this. “Not since Mildred made a family portrait featuring both of her mothers.”

“She didn’t!” Julie exclaimed, gleefully laughing at Hecate’s pinched expression. “Are we married then?”

“Apparently so, at least as far as Charity and the rest of the mums in second session arts and crafts are concerned. They want me to make sure my wife can make it next year.”

“Little do they know that you’re married to the magicless black sheep, Mrs. Hubble.” Still laughing, she headed for the lodge. She turned back at the edge of the campsite. “Oy, Hardbroom! I want a proper anniversary present next year.”

They watched her leave down the small trail leading to the facilities. Once she rounded a curve, Pippa cupped Hecate’s cheek. “Are you feeling better, Hiccup? I can still feel your magic being all spikey.”

“It’s better now. The peace and quiet is helping. You’re helping. The wine is helping.” At that, she summoned the bottle over and refilled her and Pippa’s glasses. She leaned forward with a groan as Pippa started rubbing her thumb up the side of her neck, right where her headaches had always started. Did Ada really expect her to come back, she wondered? “You keep doing that, Pipsqueak, and I might not head back.”

“You’ll hear no complaints from me about that, darling. That air mattress is about the same size as our cots from school. Remember when we used to have sleepovers? We can make it work.”

“Hm, except we aren’t the same size as we were in school.” She sat up and rolled her neck and shoulders, feeling a satisfying pop as some of her joints clicked back into place.

“I suppose not,” Pippa said, sighing before taking another bite of her s’more. They sipped their wine in companionable silence, Pippa now tracing random patterns on Hecate’s knee, Hecate more than content to let her do it.

Finally, Hecate couldn’t put it off any longer. “I’m afraid I have to get back to the madness, Pip, much as I’m enjoying being here with you.”

“It is nice, isn’t it? Maybe we could come back here? Just the two of us?”

“I can’t think of anything nicer, Pipsqueak, truly.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Pippa said, suddenly looking a bit nervous. She stood, holding a hand out to help Hecate from her chair. “In fact, I’m so glad that I’d like to do something, if that’s all right with you.” She turned around so she was facing Hecate, only inches away. “I don’t want to frighten you…or make you feel obligated in any way. You don’t have to say or do anything and…well, if it makes you uncomfortable, we don’t ever have to do it again.” She reached up a trembling hand and lightly traced the curve of Hecate’s jaw. “But I think I might die if I don’t do this at least one time.” She leaned forward on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against Hecate’s.

It took Hecate a moment to realize what was happening, but then her hand was on Pippa’s waist, crushing the flannel shirt in her fist. Pippa’s lips were gentle and soft, sweet and a little bit sticky from the s’mores. Perfect, she thought.

Too soon Pippa was pulling away, eyes searching hers, filled with hope and longing. Hecate was too overcome to say anything, but she could smile and she did – full and bright and beaming back at Pippa. Suddenly, Hecate found her arms full of Pippa Pentangle, hugging her so tight she struggled to breathe. The fire sparked and flared, but she wasn’t sure if it was caused by her magic or Pip’s.

“Thank you, Hiccup. That was everything I’d been dreaming it would be for the last thirty years.”

Finally, Hecate found her voice. “You would have to do that when I have to go, wouldn’t you?”

Pippa laughed and sobbed at the same time. “I had to do it before I lost my nerve.” She stepped back and smoothed the collar on Hecate’s shirt. “Are you okay? Was that okay?”

“More than okay, Pipsqueak.” She tucked a bit of hair behind Pippa’s ear. “It was perfect. And we won’t wait another thirty years for the next one.”

Hecate popped back to their table, still grinning from ear to ear. “HB!” Mildred jumped up to greet her. “Did you go see my mum? And Miss Pentangle?”

“I did indeed, Mildred Hubble.” She leaned down and booped Mildred on the nose. “Your mother says thank you very much for the s’more.” She turned around to find Ada grinning up at her. “Ada! Here is your pin back.” She reached up to remove the brooch but stopped when Ada started shaking her head.

“That pin was always meant for you, dear. I was merely keeping it until you needed it.” She leaned in so she wouldn’t have to shout. “I take it you had a lovely visit?” Hecate grinned again and nodded. Ada took a whiff of her deputy and shook her head. “I see they have better beverages at their campsite. I should have delivered the s’mores myself.” She reached out and squeezed Hecate’s elbow. “I do hope, my dear, that the next time circumstances are weighing on you heavily, you’ll remember how you are feeling right now. Nothing bad could possibly compare.”

“I’ll try, Ada. I truly will.”

“Good.” She squeezed Hecate’s elbow once more. “Now that you’ve returned, I think old Granny Hubble is going to make her way to bed. I’ll see you two later.”

“Sleep well, Ada. We’ll be along shortly.” Once Ada transferred away, Hecate looked at the table where Mildred sat, watching her. “Where are the other girls, Mildred?”

“Out there,” she pointed to the bonfire. “They’re dancing.”

She looked to the fire where dozens of witches were dancing to what sounded like YMCA by the Village People. In a moment the chorus arrived and Hecate recognized the hand motions. Definitely YMCA. “Why aren’t you out there with them?”

Mildred shrugged. “I don’t really know how to dance, all I can do is play Dance Dance Revolution, but it isn’t really the same.”

“Well Mildred Hubble, tonight is your lucky night.” She dragged Mildred to her feet. “I know I told you earlier that there are things that I am not good at, but, thanks to one very persistent Pippa Pentangle, dancing is not one of them. Come along, Mildred, let’s teach you to dance – last one there has to eat an entire slice of Miss Tapioca’s pickle pie!”

Sunday

Dimity checked the clock again; she knew Hardbroom and Miss Cackle should be back any time and once they were, well, HB better hold on to her hat when she caught up with her. She’d just finished tea with Miss Bat, when she decided to stop by her rooms. When she opened the door, she spotted him, Mr. Monkey, sitting on her sofa, tiny arms posed into an obscene gesture Dimity didn’t even think HB would know.

She rushed to the sofa, scooping him up and inspecting him for damages but found none. “She didn’t hurt you, did she Mr. Monkey? That mean old Miss Hardbroom?” She spotted the maglet on the sofa, ‘Read Me’ written in… Miss Cackle’s handwriting? “Well I’ll be a bat without a belfry, Mr. Monkey, Hardbroom’s turned Miss Cackle to the dark side.”

Dimity tapped the maglet. It opened to the first picture of Mr. Monkey lighting the fireplace in their cabin, followed by him poking a hornet’s net with a stick, sticking out from a kiln, making a macaroni necklace, having extremely inappropriate relations with what appeared to be a taxidermied badger. The pictures went on and on, finally ending with a picture of Mildred Hubble, sound asleep with Mr. Monkey cradled against her chest. “Hardbroom, you old shrew!” She looked back at her stuffed animal. “You had a better bleedin’ holiday than I did!”

#hicsqueak #hecate hardbroom #hecate's summer playlist #pippa pentangle

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