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#and because jackson also is kind of putting on his best face monty at first thinks he's part of -- like -- the royal theater company

slytherinbarnes · 4 years

Text

Sub Rosa [54]

ix. DNR

Pairing: Bellamy Blake x reader

Word Count: 3.9k

Warnings: fighting, violence, death, language, self harm (kind of? not really? but wanna include this just in case, you can message me if u need more details), blood.

Summary: the discovery of the Second Dawn bunker leads to tensions in Polis, and Clarke struggles to keep the peace.

a/n: the taglist for this series is open! I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think!!!

previous chapter // season masterlist // series masterlist

March 25th, 2150; just outside of Polis

After the discovery of the bunker, things quickly become chaotic as planning for the survival of the human race picks up again. Meetings are held around the radio, discussing what tech and materials from Becca’s lab need to be brought to the bunker, what materials need to come from Arkadia, and how to get nearly 400 Arkadians from Alpha Station to Polis in a timely manner. Kane decides to stay behind in Polis with the bunker, while Jaha and Monty go back to Arkadia to prepare the others to leave. On the Island, Raven, Murphy, and Emori stay behind to pack up everything you can’t take on the first trip, while the rest of you head to Polis with the rover and the truck, taking as much stuff as you can in one trip.

Miller drives the truck, seated alongside Jackson, while your mom, Roan, and Clarke sit in the back amongst the tech and supplies. Luna hitches a ride from the island in the boat, but parts ways with all of you as soon as you reach the other side. You drive the rover by yourself, talking to Bellamy over the radio most of the way, both of you excited to see each other soon. Once he arrives in Polis with the rest of your people, you’ll finally be reunited after five long days apart.

As the truck pulls to a stop in front of you, you stop the rover, watching as Jackson and Miller immediately jump out of the front and head towards Kane, who is standing near the entrance to the tunnels. The open back of the truck allows you to peer in, and Clarke and Roan start to stand, but your mother must say something to her, because Clarke lingers as Roan jumps out of the back and follows the others over to Kane. Your mom says something to Clarke, and her reaction is instant, her face pulling into a frown. Her eyes flash to you, and you reach for the door handle, sensing that something is wrong, before your mom’s words upset Clarke even further and she turns back towards her with a look of shock.

Clarke jumps up and heads for the back of the truck, holding her hand up at you and telling you to stay put as she jumps out of the vehicle and jogs after Roan. Your mom scrambles out of the vehicle and follows her, trying to catch up, as you open the door to the rover slowly, sliding out of the vehicle as quietly as you can. You leave the door open in case you need to make a quick escape, and you creep towards the front of the truck, using the large vehicle as cover as you peer around it and look at the scene unfolding in front of you.

Roan stands halfway between your mom and Clarke, and halfway between the rest of the group, his sword drawn. Trikru guards come stalking out of the trees, heading towards the Ice King, as Roan holds out his sword and yells, “What is this?”

Kane yells back, “There doesn't have to be any violence.”

Before the Trikru warriors even make it halfway to Roan, they are all hit with arrows that fly from the trees around them, killing them. Seconds later Azgeda warriors appear from the darkness, making a beeline for everyone in your group. Your eyes fall to Clarke, panicked, and she must sense your presence because she turns around and locks eyes with you, shaking her head once, and mouthing, “Run!”

Conflicted on what to do, but without a gun to help you, you watch as all your people are pulled to the ground and restrained. You watch on, working on a plan in your head when someone asks, “Where is Wanlida?”

Your breath stops in your throat and you don’t wait for an answer before you take off running back towards the rover, thankful you left the door open and the vehicle running. You hop inside and immediately put it into reverse, as arrows whiz past, aimed for you, and your tires slide in the snow as you sharply turn the rover away from danger. You can hear more arrows dinging and bouncing off the back doors, but you’re able to outdrive them easily, speeding away from them with reckless abandon.

Your hands are tight on the wheel as you speed towards Arkadia, checking the mirrors every few minutes, waiting to see any sign of Ice Nation warriors on your tail. Instead, you find nothing, giving you enough relief to frantically call Bellamy. “Bellamy, come in, do you copy?”

Static answers you, leaving you alone, and you frantically repeat, “Bellamy, come in! Do you read me?”

You glance at the radio in your hand in frustration, waiting for his response. “Arkadia, this is rover one, do you read me? We are in danger, someone answer me, damn it!”

But still, you hear nothing but silence. You slam down the radio in frustration, and turn your eyes back to the road, keeping your quick pace and hoping that everyone is safe as you head towards back up. It’s not long before the familiar roads around Arkadia come into view, and soon, so do the front gates. The guards let you in as you approach, recognizing you through the glass, and you park the rover just inside the gates before jumping out and yelling to the guard closest to you, “Give me your radio!”

He pulls his radio off his belt and tosses it to you, and you nod at him in thanks as you run through the camp, heading towards the Chancellor’s office, speaking into the radio. “Bellamy, do you read me?”

Bellamy’s voice comes through instantly, muttering your name in confusion. “How are you on this channel? This is for the short range walkies.”

“Meet me in the chancellor’s office.”

“Wait, are you here?”

You push past a crowd of people heading towards the hangar bay, bags in their arms, already beginning the packing up process. “Yes, I’ll explain when I see you.”

“Copy that.”

You run the rest of the way to the office, happy to see that Bellam is already inside, waiting for you. You close the door behind you as you step inside, and Bellamy turns towards the source of the sound, his face splitting into a grin when he sees you. You both run towards each other, the danger that the others are in temporarily forgotten as Bellamy lifts you in his arms and spins you once. He sets you down and kisses you, long and slow, until you're dizzy and breathless from the spin and his lips. He pulls away, his eyes bright with love for you, and whispers, “You smell good.”

You grin at him, thinking of the bottles of soap in your backpack, snuck off the island so you could share it with him. “I found soap. Good soap, not the recycled Ark soap we’re used to.”

He starts to open his mouth to respond when the radio behind him comes to life with Clarke’s voice. “Come in, Arkadia. Bellamy? La lune? Do you copy?”

You run over to the radio, the earlier danger coming back to you in a rush. “Clarke, I'm here, are you okay? What about the others?”

“We’re okay, for now. Indra was with Kane when they found the bunker, and he promised to share it with Trikru if they stood guard over it. Azgeda and Trikru are refusing to live in the bunker together, and they’re on the brink of war. I'm holding things down the best I can here, and we’re supposed to meet with Indra soon to see if we can all work something out, but tensions are high. You need to get back here as soon as you can.”

You turn to Bellamy. “When are we scheduled to leave here?”

“First light.”

You run calculations in your head, figuring it’s a few hours until then, and hop back on to talk to Clarke. “We’re scheduled to leave in a few hours, but it’s nearly a day’s walk from here to Polis, especially with the entirety of our people with us. Me and Bellamy can try to come ahead if you need us to, I have the rover.”

“No, our people are important. You both need to help Jaha get them here safely. Just get here when you can, and be prepared for a war zone. I’ll keep my radio on me, even through it’ll only work when you start to get closer. Just check in every hour as you walk this way, until we figure out the range on these things. I’ll keep you updated then.”

“Copy that. I’ll keep someone in here on the Chancellor’s office radio, call us here if anything big happens and you need us.”

“Copy. See you soon.”

“Be safe.”

You put the radio down, and Bellamy turns to you, looking shocked and confused. “What was that all about?”

“Roan was ambushed at the meetup point by Trikru, and then Trikru was ambushed by Ice Nation, who also took our people hostage. I managed to get out of there before they got me. I tried to radio on the way to warn you, but I couldn't get a hold of you.”

“I was packing up the armory with the others, I’m sorry.”

“Luckily, everyone is okay for now.”

“In that case,” he motions towards the door. “We should pack our bags. I already took care of everything else, except our room.”

You step towards the door, tuning to look back at him as you pull it open. “Niylah agreed to get Clarke’s stuff, we just need to get mom’s things too. My pack is in the rover.”

Bellamy nods and follows you that way, letting you take the lead back to the rover to grab your bag. You grab the guard from earlier and put him on radio duty before you and Bellamy head to your mom’s room to pack her things first. There’s not much she asked you for, just the few clothes she owns, and a few pictures she has that Clarke drew her, which you carefully pack in a file folder so they won’t get ruined. You and Bellamy head to your shared room next, making quick work of the few belongings you have as you update him on the luxuries of Becca’s Island. Once you finish, the two of you plop down on the bed beside each other, taking a quick break before you go find Jaha and update him on everything.

As you sit side by side, Bellamy looks at you, watching you closely. “So you’re a Nightblood now.”

He doesn't say it like a question, but you respond like he does. “Yes. Although Clarke says we should be careful about admitting that around the Grounders. Blasphemy and all that.”

Bellamy hums, and you look at him, trying to read his expression. It takes you a second to realize it’s curiosity. “You want to see?”

“What? Oh, no, that’s okay.” But you're already pulling your knife from its holster as he answers, and before he can object, you cut a small line on the palm of your hand, watching as black blood rises to the surface and pools into your palm. “Woah.”

You smile at him and his fascination. “I know right? Bummer that it’s untested, it would have been kind of cool to turn everyone into Nightbloods.”

Bellamy rips a strip of fabric from the sheet on the bed, wrapping it around your hand and tying it in place as he muses, “Guess I'll have to add that to the list of things that set you apart from everyone else.”

You smile and bump him with your shoulder. “Oh, stop it.”

You stand and offer him your non-injured hand, which he takes, and you pull him to his feet. Both of you grab your packs and head towards the door, stopping one last time at the exit to look over the space you shared together. You smile at it, thinking of all the wonderful memories you have here, before whispering into the empty room, “May we meet again.”

Bellamy reaches for your hand and squeezes it. “Onto bigger and better things.”

He leads you from the room and you walk down the hall together, hand in hand, searching for Jaha. You finally come across someone who tells you that he’s outside the hangar bay door with a group of guards, dealing with “unruly kids”. The phrase makes you look at Bellamy in confusion, and he shakes his head. “Jasper.”

You both make it to the hangar bay just in time to see one of the guards pounding on the closed doors, while Jaha and a group of guards watch on. On the other side, inside the locked room, Jasper turns up the music and turns away from your group, happy and drunk, and completely uncaring. The guard pounds again, and when that’s unsuccessful, he tries to pry the doors open, with no luck. He turns to Jaha with a glare. “It's jammed, same as the others. But this is the door to blow.”

Jaha looks at the guard, considering the plan. “How many gas canisters do we have?”

You and Bellamy both turn to look at them, not quite believing what you're hearing. “You can't be serious.”

Monty materializes from the crowd, coming to stand on your other side. “In Mount Weather, we beat the gas by using water. Jasper will be ready for that.”

Bellamy looks between Monty and Jaha, holding his hands up. “Just slow down, let me talk to them.”

“Bellamy, we have over 400 people ready to march.”

You and Bellamy ignore Jaha and head closer to the door, knocking on the glass. Jasper turns and sees you, his face lighting up a little at the sight of you, and he turns the music down slightly before walking over and pressing his hand to the glass of the door. Written on his hands are three letters that make your stomach drop. The guard behind you reads out, “DNR? What does that mean?”

You turn to look at Bellamy, saying the words to him, but making sure you're loud enough that the others can hear. “Do not resuscitate.”

The words make Bellamy panic a little, quickly turning to press the button for the speaker on the other side. “Jasper, open the door.”

“We're not coming out.”

Monty sees Harper walk into view, his girlfriend and his best friend both behind that door, and he walks over to the intercom, pushing Bellamy aside. “Are you really willing to die when there's a way to live? Are they?”

“That's just it. We don't think it's a way to live.”

Monty looks at them, in disbelief that they're choosing this, and Jaha turns to the guard. “We're wasting time, set the charge. You can go to guns. Do not fire unless fired upon. Is that clear?”

You and Bellamy spin around, both of you protesting Jaha’s orders, “No, just wait!”

You press the button, looking Jasper straight in the eye. “Jasper, people will get hurt. I know you care about that.”

The guard steps on your other side, sticking the charges on the door as Jasper looks back at the others, worried. “If you don't want anyone to get hurt, don't open the door.”

Jasper turns away and Harper follows, and they turn the music up again, drowning out anything else. You and Bellamy look at each other, lost at what to do, when the guard announces, “We're all set. We should clear the hall.”

Jaaha walks over to the intercom, and announces, “Mr. Jordan, I will not leave children here to die.”

You turn towards him, a flash of anger passing through you as you give him an incredulous look. “You sent them down to die! All of us were expendable to you then. The only difference now is that they have a choice, and so do you.”

Monty looks at you, not understanding. “What are you talking about?”

Bellamy, though, he understands what you’re trying to say. Because as much as it breaks your heart to leave your friends, your delinquents, your family behind, this is the choice that they made. Bellamy meets your eyes, then glances at the partying teenagers, and then locks eyes with Monty. “This is what they want.”

“They're wasted, they don't know what they want.”

Jaha considers this, long and hard, and you see him peering into the room at the teenagers. You see a flash of something pass over his face, and though you aren’t sure what it is, you get the distinct feeling that he looks like he’s seen a ghost. You briefly wonder if he’s thinking about Wells, which brings a pang of sadness to your heart, but you don’t get to think about it for long before the former Chancellor speaks up, his words surprising you. “Stand down, get ready to move out.”

“Yes, sir.”

Monty shakes his head, trying to stop Jaha. “What? No, you can't!”

“I'm sorry, son, but they’re right. We can't save them if they don't want to be saved.”

The guards follow Jaha as he leaves, leaving you, Monty, and Bellamy as the last ones in the hall. You and Bellamy peer in the door again, watching your partying friends, and Monty scolds you both. “If Octavia was in there, would you let her stay?”

“If Octavia was in there...at least I'd get to say goodbye.”

He turns to you, his last ditch effort. “And if it was Clarke?”

“It would break my heart to lose her, but you can't force people to do what you want. Especially this. Forcing their hand in this will only build resentment.”

You reach out and squeeze his arm, apologetic that you couldn't offer him anything more than that. Before you turn and walk away, you look at him. “We can leave the rover behind for them, in case they change their minds.”

Monty nods, “I’ll go unload it then, before I meet up with the rest of the group.”

You and Bellamy nod before you walk past him, maneuvering through the halls until you meet up with Jaha again. “I’ll lead them, you two bring up the rear and make sure no one else gets lost or left behind.”

“Will do.”

And then the exodus begins.

Jaha announces to those waiting that it’s time to go, and you and Bellamy stand in the hallways, waving people in the right direction for the next few minutes, periodically announcing important information. “Remember, right now it’s raining, but it's not black rain. It can turn at any moment, so keep the person with your assigned chem tent in sight at all times!”

The last few stragglers come into view, and you nod at Niylah as she walks past. You and Bellamy start to follow the group towards the door, but you both stop and turn around when you hear footsteps behind you. Jasper and Harper walk down the hall towards you, and you both start to walk closer to them, while Bellamy says, “Not too late to change your mind.”

“Yes, it is. You can still stay, you know.”

Bellamy shrugs, “I'm not a quitter.”

Jasper smiles, “Thanks for understanding.”

Harper looks around, searching for her boyfriend. “Where's Monty?”

You smile at her, “Unloading the rover. We're leaving it behind for you, by the way.”

Bellamy gives her a sad look, “He didn't say good-bye?”

She shakes her head, then whispers, “Take care of him for us, will you?”

“You know we will.”

She reaches out and hugs you, while Jasper and Bellamy hug, and then you switch, pulling Jasper in for a tight hug, your throat choking up with tears. “Thank you for the laughter, Jasper.”

He pulls back and smiles down at you, whispering, “Don't forget to laugh after I’m gone.”

You nod, and you and Bellamy step back, instantly reaching for each other’s hands as you crave each other's comfort. Bellamy looks between the pair and gives them a small smile, “May we meet again.”

“We won't.”

Bellamy counters, “Whatever the hell you want.”

You both give them watery smiles, trying to fight back your tears as you take one last look at your friends, before you turn and walk out the door, into the rain and onto the path of salvation.

You spend the first hour of the walk crying, your tears hidden from the others by the rain. Bellamy, however, is not so easily fooled. He comforts you the entire time, careful not to alert the others to your sadness. Each hour after that is increasingly less eventful than the one before it. You mark the start of each hour with an attempted radio call to Clarke, and it takes a while before you finally get through to her, but when you do, the only words she offers you are, “We’re safe, but things are worse than we thought. I’ll explain when you get here.”

The words leave you puzzled and eager to find out what she means, but it’s another few hours of walking before you find out. It takes a whole day of walking, and when you finally arrive, it’s late, well past midnight. Still, you get your people situated before you and Bellamy are led to a bedroom in the tower of Polis, on one of the lower floors. You throw your stuff down immediately, and follow the Ice Nation guard down the hall to Clarke’s room, who lets you in as soon as she sees you. “Let’s go to the balcony to talk. It's more private there.”

You nod your heads, following her to the balcony, and as soon as she's sure you're alone, she launches into an explanation of everything that happened since you left her nearly two days ago. The almost war between Trikru and Azgeda, Clarke’s attempt to stop the war by trying to become the next commander, Roan stopping her would be Ascension and proposing a Final Conclave, the winner takes a bunker. The news that Raven, now dying, has chosen to stay behind on the Island so she can take one last spacewalk and die in peace. That news saddens you, and you hate that you didn’t get to say goodbye to her. The last few days are full of loss, and you aren’t sure how much more you can take.

Clarke looks out at the dark city as she continues her explanation. “The entire city is the battlefield. No time limit, no guns. One warrior from each clan fights until only one remains.”

Bellamy looks at her, his jaw clenching, not pleased with this idea. “And the winner's clan takes the bunker, just like that?”

She nods, letting him know those are the rules, but he shakes his head. “Without guns, and without anyone trained in Grounder combat, there's no way we can win.”

“We fight or we die.”

You all peer out at the silent city, wondering what you’re going to do, when the sound of hoofbeats clap on the stone ground. You all look towards it, watching a familiar horse ride down the street towards the tower. She stops just below Clarke’s balcony, the answer to the problem you were debating less than a minute ago. Octavia Blake, trained in Grounder combat, full of bloodthirsty rage, looks down at the Flamekeepers that surround her. “I'm here for the war.”

And just like that, Skaikru has a champion.

next chapter

#the 100 #bellamy blake #bellamy blake x reader #the 100 rewrite #the 100 4x09

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sir-silly · 4 years

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The Last War fan review

So, our beloved show has ended. And while I wish things would have gone differently, I did cry with relief when Clarke looked over and saw everyone already waiting for her.

Anyway, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the finale.

1) Going right into the title sequence kind of shocked me. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but I was just immediately like “oh.” It was a bitch-slap in the face that they left a gap in the credits for Bob Morley. Why you gotta do us like that?

2) Murphy screaming “come on” while they used the defibrillator on Emori was heartbreaking. And his little whispered encouragements were so freaking cute.

3) Clarke rampage? Yes, please! I love me a badass woman. However, unlimited ammo is a sin in writing. The moment Octavia picked up the sword was a big “oh yes.”

4) Did Cadogan not care about his son like at all? Lmao. Why is he so hung up on Callie and not his other kid (who I can’t even remember the name of). I don’t care if they explain in the prequel, that’s still a shitty parent choosing favorites. Along with his wife, like, was she not his greatest love? It was Callie? Kinda fucked up.

5) Why the fuck could Jordan figure out it was a test and not a war in 5 seconds when the Disciples were studying that shit for decades? I know he’s Monty’s son, but he’s not a genius or anything.

6) Thoughts on the test: I think Cadogan would have failed and the human race would be destroyed. Why bother asking questions if you already know all the answers?

7) Why wasn’t Gaia in the finale like at all?? Like, what the fuck. She was hunting??? For what?? That really annoyed me because I’ve grown to really like her and there was no point in her not being involved in the last episode. They seriously couldn’t have thrown her in there? Like, come on! Even Niylah was there! (not saying that I don’t like her, it’s just that Gaia has felt far more important to the story than her).

8) I do think that Jasper and Hope are cute together, and I know they spent the majority of their lives either alone or only with their parents, but GOD I can’t stand how awkward they are. Also, I know ya’ll have feelings for each other and shit, but is now really the time to be making out?? Why do people think that’s okay in literally the worst situations? I know it’s a show, but come on.

9) And how the fuck did Jordan throw and catch that sword? He’s a child who’s never fought a day in his life. Unless they suddenly want to tell me that Harper and Monty were secret ninjas and taught him all their tricks, I don’t believe that.

10) I’m being pissy and bringing up things from the past, but I don’t care. Why the fuck couldn’t Harper and Monty gone into cryo? I know they were happy and shit, but I’M NOT. How the fuck did it take so long for him to get into the files for Sanctum? His ass has done that shit a thousand times before in about two minutes and suddenly it takes him 80 years? Bullshit.

11) I’m still being pissy, but how the fuck does Jordan know what a magician is? “For my first trick, I will make an army appear.” Bruh, no. Monty wouldn’t have known what a magician was either. If they weren’t being taught what a Navy Seal was, there’s no way they knew what magicians were. Calling bullshit on that one as well.

12) I was pretty surprised that the Disciples didn’t start firing on Wonkru immediately. Like, this is the war they’ve been gearing up for forever and they don’t attack as soon as possible? Also, where the fuck did Wonkru get their war paint? Do they just constantly have it on their person? Or did their asses literally spend time making their paint before going to Bardo?

13) I fucking love Miller and Jackson. They’re freaking adorable. Murphy’s flat “I am glad you are safe” was so fucking funny. Also, saving Emori in one scene just to kill her in the next is bullshit. They should have just killed her the first time and done the same thing anyway. Murphy screaming at Jackson to do something and sobbing was heartbreaking. Fantastic acting on Richard Harmon’s part.

14) Octavia putting on Lincoln’s same warpaint again was once again, so sad. I miss that man. He was too good for his own good. And while I do think that her and Levitt are very cute together, I’ll always prefer her with Lincoln. But I think that he would be really happy that she has found someone new to love.

15) Apparently whatever Echo “did” to Levitt was so forgettable that I don’t even know what she’s talking about. Bad writing. I shouldn’t forget that in just a few weeks, I should remember as soon as I see the two of them in the same room.

16) Lexa. Just all of it. There were some suspicions that she would show up for the last episode, but I didn’t really believe them because I didn’t understand how she would be integrated. I’m glad that they did bring her back, but I’m also not. It was amazing to see her back by Clarke in all of her armor and glory, but knowing it wasn’t actually Lexa was just a punch in the face. It wasn’t her mind, so it’s almost like they didn’t bring her back anyway. I honestly would have preferred if they used someone else for her Judge, because that just really didn’t do it for me. Their hug was sweet, but it didn’t even count as her returning. I personally think that her Judge should have been Bellamy or Madi instead, as they both certainly could fill the role of “the subject’s greatest teacher or the source of their greatest failure...it can be their greatest love.” This is just my preference. Believe me, I know how much Lexa meant to Clarke, but as a fan, bringing our favorite Heda back in that way wasn’t the best way to do it. As a writer, it makes sense, but it doesn’t as a fan. The writers can’t just think of what is the best storytelling, they have to think of what those watching will think.

17) I’m confused about the mindspace? Why did Clarke wake up in her solitary room with her memories painted all over the walls, but Emori woke up in the castle with a view of the desert? Why wouldn’t it have been her and Murphy’s cave? Is there a reason it was the bedroom and not the cave?

18) I know this isn’t canon in any sense, but could you imagine if Murphy and Emori fought over John’s body and she won, and then suddenly woke up with a penis? How fucking funny would that be? Just had to throw that out there.

19) Can I just again reiterate how fucking cute Miller and Jackson are?

20) I’m curious about the location of the test. Why did Cadogan’s take place on a pier, while Raven’s happened on the Ark? If it was their favorite place, wouldn’t Raven’s have been actually out in space? Like during a spacewalk? I’m confused about that.

21) I knew that Raven was somehow going to be involved in the test just because of the trailers we got for the final episode. My two guesses for who the judge would be were Finn and Abby. Though I am happy that we got to see Abby again, I would be curious to see if the scene would have played out any differently if it had been Finn.

22) Where was the full line that was given in the trailer? Because that was amazing. “We’re selfish, and we’re violent, and we have destroyed too much, but we survived.” I loved that line far more than what we got instead, which was simply, “Have we made mistakes? Yes. Clarke, me, all of us, but we were just trying to survive.” I definitely would have chosen the former over the latter. Poor choice on the editors’ parts.

23) How the fuck did Octavia and Echo go out to the field and get Levitt with Echo only being shot once? With all the bullets, the three of them should have been torn apart, I don’t care how much Indra could cover Octavia. Calling bullshit on that as well.

24) Bringing this up kind of late because I’m giving my reviews as I’m rewatching the episode, but what they had Eliza do was really fucked up. Her and Bob suffered a miscarriage during the filming of season seven, so the scene of her holding Madi and crying “my baby” is like 10 times more heartbreaking. If they made her film that after having a miscarriage mere days, weeks or few months before, that’s really, really messed up.

25) They really played-up Sheidheda’s bringing back of “jus drein jus daun” in the trailer. In reality, it was far less intense. I would have preferred what I had been expecting, which was him coming to help convince Wonkru that they would be able to win. However, I am super glad that he is dead and Indra finally got to kill him. I love how that bigass gun just turns people into mist lol.

26) The beginning of Octavia’s speech was literally like “what the FUCK guys” and it was hilarious. And I swear to god if I hear her say “we are Wonkru” or “you are Wonkru” another time, I’m gonna scream. I know it was legit the last episode but I’m sick of it by now lol. When Indra was like “I hope you know what you’re doing,” Octavia’s face was just like “omg me too” and it was really funny.

27) Bellamy. His situation was a whole problem itself. He deserved a hell of a lot better and wHY DID HE CUT HIS HAIR I LIKED IT THE LONG WAY. Anyway, you can bet your ass I’ll be writing a different ending where he didn’t die because FUCK THAT. When I do, I’ll be sure to share it.

28) I’m fucking confused about Murphy and Emori both transcending. Because, what the fuck. Emori died. The dead don’t transcend. Her mind wasn’t even in her body, it was in Murphy’s. So how the fuck did she end up alive and in her own body again. I’m glad she’s alive, but I just don’t understand. It would have made way more sense to have either not had her die in the first place, or to have Murphy, Miller, and Jackson keep pumping her heart so she technically “lived” anyway like Echo.

29) If Madi had decided not to transcend, would she still have been paralyzed? I mean, I would assume not because Levitt and Hope’s gunshots were healed, as was Emori, but I’m curious. Also, wouldn’t Raven’s leg have been fixed? Because if they only fix recent wounds and not old ones, that’s stupid.

30) On the point of Madi deciding not to transcend, why did she? Why didn’t so many other people choose not to? Like, not one Eligius prisoner or person from Sanctum chose to live? No one else from Wonkru? Why didn’t anyone else other than the main cast and guest stars not transcend? I totally understand the Disciples transcending, but seriously, nobody else wanted to live? That’s really weird. Madi and her friends really couldn’t have chosen to live on Earth with Clarke and the others? I just think it’s really unrealistic that not one single person outside of the group chose not to transcend.

31) I was really surprised that Murphy and Emori chose not to transcend, because as the Judge said, they would eventually die and not join them in the infinite. It shocked me due to their fear of dying and wanting to be immortal, but I’m really proud of them.

32) I’m disappointed that those who don’t transcend can’t have children. There were suspicions that Emori might have been pregnant (which were never confirmed), but the idea of her and Murphy having a kid together was adorable. They’d have their teeny tiny families with those two, Hope and Jordan, and Octavia and Levitt.

33) This isn’t as much me pointing out a problem as me wondering, what was Clarke going to say to the Judge when she turned around? What else did she have to say or ask? Was it about Madi? Or maybe Lexa? Or just transcending in general?

34) It’s pretty shitty that some of our questions went unanswered due to the fact that there will be a prequel. On the other hand, I live for lore, so I’m just glad that they eventually will be answered. But still, that doesn’t excuse shitty writing.

35) I want to see a stupid edit of Picasso taking the test where the Judge is Madi.

I think we all know that season seven was really not what we wanted it to be. We’ve been really disappointed by the writers and unfortunately, this is what we got out of it. I believe they really could have done a better job, but I am at least glad that everyone ended up together.

The writing was lacking. Too many questions were left unanswered, I don’t care if you’re making a sequel or not. Plot holes. It really could have been a good season if it was done better.

My ranking of the seasons is as follows: 3, 2, 4, 1, 6, 5, 7. Seasons 4 and 1 are kind of interchangeable for me in spots three and four, as are 6 and 5 in the two spots behind them, whatever the order may be.

But I still love the show. I love the characters, their development, and many things about it. It has been quite the journey and I am glad to have been a fan of the show.

May we meet again.

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ramblesofadreamerofthestars · 4 years

Text

The 100 said Live Fast Die Young, Bad Bitches Do It Well, and they were Right

We were so fed this episode with women kicking ass, it’s what we deserve. As always, spoilers for the most recent episode (7.06) of The 100

Indra becoming the commander of Wonkru, you love to see it. Like we’ve been saying this shit for years now, destroy the fucking flame and let Indra lead. Shout out to Adina Porter’s amazing acting skills (again), because every scene she’s in she absolutely kills and I am constantly in awe of everything she does. I understand where Indra was coming from with trying to get Madi to unite Wonkru again, the flame and the commander is all she’s known, but it was still,,,, Not Great! I’m so happy Jackson, Murphy and Emori showed up and put a stop to that shit, and I love how much they genuinely care for her. Side note, while I love getting to see Madi being a kid and getting to experience being normal, the fucking whiplash I got seeing Duncan/Quigley Quagmire on screen was a Time. “Yes I was a null left out to die, no I don’t want to fight you”, this kid is so Tired already I love him and want the best for him.

Beyond that incredible scene of Indra taking control of Wonkru (complete with “Can I at least watch?” ‘No.’ “I’m going to watch” and Murphy’s little clap, fucking amazing I love every moment Memori is on screen), the Sanctum scenes Once Again Dragged On. And now we added another plot? Technically we added it on a couple episodes ago but I’m already So Tired of Hatch’s girlfriend whatever the fuck her name is. “Tell Raven Boom Boom” fuck out of here with that corny ass shit, you are the Least important storyline in the clusterfuck that the writers have created. I kind of hope they all just get like...sent to a different planet I don’t Care about it.

Sheiheda (finally spelled that bitches name right I think) is so....one dimensional. Like, I get it it’s the increased tension with the believers and Wonkru fracturing and what not but he’s so fucking evil for...no reason?? He’s like, “everyone wants power blah blah blah power is the greatest weapon you could have, I’ll teach you how to gain power” whoop de fucking do. You’re not special, you’re not even an interesting flavour of evil I’m so tired of your shit. Penn getting the best line of “please Shut Him Up” was the audience taking over his body for a hot sec. Nelson I had hopes for you but like....b u d d y. “Hmm, I have dedicated my entire life to taking down corrupt leaders who take away people’s free wills so they can stay in power, but I guess I’ll listen to you, who won’t shut up about how people want power (self project much?) and also just give off bad vibes” like b r u h.

THE DIYOZA-BLAKE FAMILY IS BACK IN ACTION BITCHES!! When Diyoza appeared I was so fucking happy I have Missed Her. The montage of her being as inconvenient as possible and rescuing herself to a kickass soundtrack? Art. I love them all getting to reuinte and the little moment of comforting Octavia when she said Bellamy was dead (just you fucking wait babe). I think it’s fairly obvious which direction they want Echo to go but I’m still hoping against hope she gets some good character development before the series ends. Diyoza agreeing with Echo killing that old man picking flowers but Octavia not liking it, Interesting.

And Levitt!! He’s Not Dead!!! I am still very concerned for him and also slightly suspicious of him but I really really hope he’s as genuine as he seems. His and Octavia’s little moment, beautiful I loved it, Levitt really said punch me in the face it’ll be awesome huh. Not like, super thrilled with Gabriel’s choice but whatever they needed them to stay on Sanctum I guess.

(fuck you for mentioning the native Bardoans again without letting me see them or giving me more information Let Me See The Crystal Giants.)

And finally, our lord and saviour, Clarke Griffin and her team of planet hopping idiots. Did Not enjoy the spiders, just right off the bat, not a fan of those. However, Nakara being the human garbage disposal is so fucking funny to me and the fact that the caves are a living being (with an anomaly stone in it like fucking what??? Did this bitch eat that too???). That smash cut between Russel saying “Then you take out the enemies Queen” and Clarke Griffin, poetic cinema. I love her so much y’all and I love her and Raven’s little moment. ALSO! I would die for Niylah and her stupid puns I love her and want her protected at all costs. Jordan geeking out over aliens continues to be a delight, this is what we deserved from Monty and Harper’s kid. Remove the impressionable youth from the shitty influences and would you look at that, Much Better. And Miller continues to be a delight and a whole ass mood in every episode, just here for Clarke and to get their people back but complaining the whole way because of the batshit insanity they go through, I Love Him. So many “side” characters got like, three lines this episode and that’s really great for them, would love to see them say more some day.

I will say I wish Raven apologized to Clarke for what she’s said and done in the past, but her line of Clarke Griffin doesn’t break was really indicative of how the rest of the deliquints saw her, as their leader yes but also someone who could kill without falling apart when in reality we know it nearly destroyed her inside. I really hope that Raven continues to grow and understand and her and Clarke get to where they should have always been. Also, Raven talking about killing twelve (12) people and how it feels like her soul is breaking or whatever and I can just imagine Clarke’s inner monologue of “Remember that time I killed an Entire Mountain Of People and y’all got mad at me for leaving to process that, good times good times”. It’s definitely the start to a better path for Raven and I really really really hope it continues.

Overall, this episode while the plot was kind of boring was saved by just how amazing the ladies were, kick ass take names and look incredible doing it, I love them. The acting continues to be incredible (once again shout out to JR Bourne for doing the Most) and even though I despise some of the storylines, the actors should be given praise for making it compelling stories to watch with how far their characters have come. Fuck Sanctum though.

Next Episode Emori getting her time in the spotlight? You love to see it. I will say I’m incredibly worried for her (JRoth if you kill her is2g) but I am also So Ready to see her go off. I think this is the episode of Murphy with a gun to his head comes from? Idk should be interesting even if it’s dealing with whatever the fuck her name is crazy lady. Also, trouble with the Diyoza family, which will be Extremely interesting to watch as Diyoza has to come to terms with the fact that Hope has grown up without her, but also trying to make sure she doesn’t make the same mistakes Diyoza made.

When will Bellamy return from the war. When we get the Bellarke reunion I’m going to lose my mind y’all already know I’m a clown for them and I miss him (once again the character not the actor because Once Again, it is Completely understandable for them to prioritize their mental health first). I feel a little like Kronk watching these episodes like “oh ya, it’s all coming together” I can’t Wait for all the OG’s to reunite for the final season

#The 100 #the 100 s7 #the 100 spoilers #I know I didn't mention the Second Dawn #this post is already so long and I'm tired #but Miller saying It has to be a coincidence is dumbass representation baby #like ya ok it's a Coincidence that sounds logical #bellarke #because i'm literally always a clown for them #let Madi play soccer 2kwhateveryearitis

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takaraphoenix · 4 years

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For the fake exes prompt, Hijack with the house egging prompt?

‘im egging your house for a dare but your parent is a cop and they’re yelling at me so i told them that you were my ex and you wronged me and now you’re coming outside and please go along with this i don’t want to go to jail’ au

It was Halloween. Not necessarily Hiccup's favorite holiday, it was just too loud. He had never been much of a fan. So he was laying on his bed, sketching dragons while his younger step-brother was pacing the room, trying to put on his costume.

"You're a... marshmallow?", asked Hiccup curiously.

"What. No. I'm a robot", grunted Hiro offended. "You know, that big thing Tadashi is building."

Putting his sketch-book down, Hiccup took a closer look. "Right. You kind of do look like Baymax. Heh. That's adorable. Somehow, I expected something... less adorable from you."

"Why? He's our adorable little baby brother, Hiccup."

Hiro turned to glare fiercely at Tadashi as the oldest Haddock-Hamada brother was leaning against the doorway of the bedroom. Hiccup smiled faintly at them and picked his pencil up again. He loved his brothers very dearly. They had met through Hiro, who kept getting into trouble and kept getting himself and Tadashi, who always tried to bail him out, arrested. Repeatedly. Stoick Haddock, Hiccup's father, was the captain of the police station. Him and Cass Hamada started talking, about being single-parents, about their nerdy sons. And then they started talking outside of the police station, started dating. Now, Hiccup had a loving mother and two brothers.

"But you're not using Halloween as an excuse to go to another one of your bot-fights, right?"

"Tada—ashi, have some faith in your adorable little baby brother!", exclaimed Hiro offended.

Both Tadashi and Hiccup gave him an utterly unimpressed look at that, until he cracked. "Okay, okay, your accusations are not unfunded, however I actually do have plans with my friends."

"Friends", echoed Tadashi in disbelief, shaking his head. "My little baby brother, finally having friends. What are your plans then, Hiro?"

"Miguel is having a karaoke party at his place. Ever since his grandma stopped hating music, it's always a blast at their place", replied Hiro excitedly, bouncing a little.

"...Who's all going?", asked Hiccup curiously, exchanging a look with Tadashi.

"Well, Cupcake's coming. And Pippa. Monty. The twins, Caleb and Claude...", drawled Hiro.

"A—and Jamie Bennett?", asked both Tadashi and Hiccup at the same time.

"I mean, of course he is", grumbled Hiro, trying to hide his blush. "Whatever. I have places to be and cool people to hang out with. You two... stay here, be nerds, whatever."

His older brothers laughed while Hiro stormed out of the room. Teasing him was most definitely the most fun. Tadashi tilted his head as he looked at Hiccup, until Hiccup put his pen down again.

"What is it, Dashi?", asked Hiccup.

"Nothing. Just... wondering what your plans are", replied Tadashi casually before sitting down on the edge of Hiccup's bed. "Fred's throwing a costume-party. Everyone will be there. You could... come along too, you know. They'd be happy to see you."

"They're primarily your friends", grunted Hiccup and rolled his eyes.

"Okay. And why aren't you doing something with your friends then?", challenged Tadashi.

Hiccup paused at that. He had friends. But... if he was being honest, contact with them had kind of... run out, a bit. All his friends – Astrid, Snotlout, Tuffnut and Ruffnut – had gone to the sports-college. Astrid even had a boyfriend now; Eret. Hiccup should probably spend more time with his friends, but he felt like they were drifting apart; different interests, different colleges. As happened a lot with high school friendships, guessed Hiccup. Fishlegs, he was attending SFIT. The two had always been best friend, but nowadays Fishlegs was quite distracted with his new girlfriend – Heather, a girl Astrid had befriended in college. Hiccup... had a crush; one that wasn't going to lead anywhere anyway either so that wasn't an issue.

"C'mon, Hiccup. You can't spend all evening cooped up here", prodded Tadashi. "It's Halloween."

"You say that like it means something to me", drawled Hiccup dryly. "I am... not a fan of this day. You, go and dress up and have fun with the others. I'm happy right here."

Tadashi heaved a defeated sigh. "Okay, okay. I give up. Enjoy your solitude."

Hiccup rolled his eyes as Tadashi finally left. He was perfectly fine being right here. He didn't need to be among many people. He knew if the twins were there, there was going to be a lot of alcohol and nonsense and also it was kind of a frat party... which... especially when one wasn't even from that college, didn't seem very appealing. His mind wandered a little. His kind of crush had asked him to go trick or treating, but Jack was going with his own friends and Hiccup would feel awkward being kind of a fifth wheel there. Still, the idea of seeing Jack in a costume – any costume...

Hiccup blushed and glared at his drawing. He had been drawing Jack. Again. He kept doing that. It wasn't his fault; Jack was... amazing. Jackson Overland-St. North. The adopted son of their newest teacher at SFIT – Nicholas St. North, an absolute genius inventor. Jack was attending the art-college, where Honey Lemon was going too (and Cass insisted Hiccup should go too, but Hiccup focused on his education at SFIT, dual studies seemed just too much).

Jack was breathtaking, with his sparkly brown eyes and messy hazel hair, that mischievous, impish grin of his. And oh, he was so talented. And cheeky. Whenever he came over to SFIT, mostly to visit his adopted father and bring him lunch. They talked. Sometimes, Jack and Hiccup. And Hiccup, he had developed the biggest crush on Jack, only that he didn't know how to say it.

His pen scratched sharply over the paper as he heard loud noises from downstairs.

/break\

"I dare you to egg the house."

"Eugene, no", sighed Rapunzel, shaking her head at her boyfriend.

Eugene just grinned broadly and kissed his girlfriend's cheek before turning toward their shared best friend. "C'mon, Jack. It totally is your turn. It'll be fun."

And Jack allowed himself to be dared into it. Only that when the owners noticed and came out, there was a brief moment of utter terror overcoming both Jack and Eugene. That was the police captain, Stoick Haddock. Not only captain of the police station where Jack and Eugene may or may not be semi-regular guests for entirely unjustified reasons (minor pranks! And graffiti should not count as vandalism in Jack's opinion), he was also a wall of a man, so tall and broad. His upper arms were the size of Jack's head! Absolutely terrified did the boys stand there.

"What is the meaning of this?", barked Stoick out.

His wife, Cass Hamada (oh no. She was friends with Toothiana. Jack was never going to hear the end of this!), was right behind him, looking both concerned and disappointed. Eugene winced and tried to hide behind Jack, who just rolled his eyes at him. This was a problem. It became even more of a problem when Hiccup Haddock joined them outside – and oh. Maybe Jack should have seen the relations between Captain Haddock and Jack's crush... Jack winced.

"Did you brats seriously just egg the house of the police captain?", grunted Stoick unimpressed.

"I... I... I...", stammered Jack in distress. "I did it because Hiccup broke my heart."

Everyone stared at him in utter surprise at that, especially Hiccup. Jack tried to convey his intention to the other boy. Maybe Stoick would have pity with him – Cass certainly would – if they thought this was about a bad breakup. Please. He couldn't be taken to the precinct again. Nick and Toothiana had a limit to how often they were willing to bail him out...

"What? Hiccup!", exclaimed Cass, sounding very disappointed. "Why would you-"

There was silence for a moment as Hiccup stared at Jack pointedly, before he caved. "Yes. I... broke up with him because there was this... big project I had to work on. I had no time for distraction."

"Distraction?" The disappointment seemed to grow. "Hiccup Haddock, you will go and apologize to this boy and right that. I know your studies are very important to you, but you can't keep neglecting your social life. I expect that boy to come over for dinner next week!"

She ushered Hiccup outside before, impressively enough, dragging Stoick back inside before he could put his two cents in. Hiccup looked kind of lost as he approached Jack, Eugene and Rapunzel.

"That is one way of getting a boyfriend", noted Eugene surprised. "I mean, she definitely expects the two of you to 'get back together'. Come on, Raps, let's check on Lance and leave them to it."

Rapunzel smiled amused at Jack before the couple left. Blushing, Jack ducked his head when he noticed how much Hiccup was staring at him. And okay, he did look different. White-dyed hair, blue contacts, make-up to make him look paler than normal.

"Who... are you?", asked Hiccup softly. "I mean, the costume."

"I'm... Periwinkle", muttered Jack embarrassed, tugging on his fairy-wing. "Jamie's little sister wanted to be Tinkerbell but she didn't want to do it alone. My little sister dressed up as Bobble. You know, from the Tinkerbell movies. Periwinkle is Tinkerbell's snow-fairy-twin."

Hiccup nodded, his own cheeks red too. "That's... really cute. I mean, of you, for the girls."

"Yeah, we took them trick or treating. They're with... Eugene's friend Lance", nodded Jack slowly. "So... all of that was very embarrassed. I'm sorry, that was the first thing that came to my mind."

"It's... okay. I don't know how to explain to my mom that we 'didn't make up', but..."

"I mean we could just... you know...", suggested Jack with a daring look on his face. "Get together."

"...What", whispered Hiccup stunned.

"Do you wanna go out with me?", clarified Jack, cheeks red. "I... uh... like you."

"I like you too", replied Hiccup, ruffling his hair. "I'd... heh. I'd really like that."

Smiling brightly, Jack leaned in to kiss Hiccup's cheek before taking his hand. "C'mon. We're trick or treating and afterward, we're meeting at Moana's."

"What? I'm not even in costume, I-", protested Hiccup, just to be tugged along.

"Why? You're dressed as Hot Nerd. It's one of the top costumes of the year", teased Jack.

Hiccup simply sputtered as he was being pulled along, unable to argue with his boyfriend.

#HiJack #FrostCup #Hiccup Haddock #Jack Frost #The Haddock-Hamada Family #How to Train Your Dragon (2010)#Rise of the Guardians (2012)#DreamWorks #Anonymous #Phoe's Tumblr Drabbles

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immortalpramheda · 5 years

Text

The 100 6x05 ‘The Gospel of Josephine’

Josephine was Clarke for half a day and managed to do such a bad job at it. She let Madi go to school when she made it very clear last episode that her answer was no. Shares a little too much about her night with Cillian to Bellamy, leaving him highly confused. Wrote with the wrong hand. Called Murphy ‘John’. Had a confused look on her face whenever anyone spoke Trig.

Bellamy picked up on it pretty quick. Once they’d seen the video in the lab, and Clarke didn’t seem against the whole body snatching thing, he started talking in Trig to her. He hoped he was wrong, and Josie did a decent job at trying to understand what he was saying (as she’s fascinated with languages), but the look on her face was a dead giveaway.

The look of horror on Bellamy’s face as he realise that Clarke is gone, that he’s lost her again, was heartbreaking. Lying there paralysed, unable to to do anything.

Kaylee and Josie were best friends when they first arrived on Alpha. But after Josie killed a friend of hers (in her defence it was a ‘sacrifice’), Kaylee pushed her down the stairs, killing her, and made it look like an accident. So as revenge, Josie flat out kills Kaylee, and steps over her body like it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

It took 25 years for Russell and Gabriel to bring Josephine back. They started off inserting the Mind Drives into young kids and teenagers, but they all died. The key was using a host with a mature brain. This time it worked, and Josephine II was born.

They wanted to bring Josephine back because Russell felt guilty about killing her during the eclipse. They just wanted to bring her back and that was it. But I think Josie was the one who took things further. When she learnt how they did this, she remarked that it was brilliant. She seemed utterly fascinated by the fact that they’d conquered death.

Gabriel saying ‘I got old’ basically confirms that he must be the ‘Old Man’. He just wanted to bring Josephine back, but once she took things too far he couldn’t be a part of it anymore.

Josie is a self proclaimed visionary. She’s lived many lifetimes and has had infinite time to learn whatever she desires. She a genius and has written countless books (including the children’s book about the eclipse). But as Abby says, the things written those books are monstrous. What they did in Becca’s lab was bad, but what she writes about in her books are much worse. Josie looked so offended that someone would criticise her work like that (which was quite amusing!).

Josie mentions her ‘breeding program’ idea, which I can guess is to ensure that only Nightbloods are born. What is seems it that she wants a ‘pure bloodline’ because she believes the Primes are the superior species and the only ones that should be alive.

From the short time we've spent with Josephine, she seems like a self absorbed, careless sociopath who does whatever it takes to achieve her desires. Similar to in the flashback (remember when she tested potentially poisonous plants on kids and didn’t care what happened to them?), but now her personality seems to be an even more extreme version of that.

I wonder if each time they get brought back, they loose a piece of themselves. And overtime more and more is chipped away until eventually they have no humanity left. We don’t know how many hosts Josephine has been in (I don’t think?). Maybe she’s gone through more than anyone else and she doesn’t care what happens to the bodies. Because when you can live forever, what do you have to lose?

Jordan is so much like Monty. When no one would take his concerns seriously, he decides to go off snooping on his own, breaking into the palace and finding the skeletons of the previous Primes, and the secret operating lab.

I loved Jordan bringing up that he prefers heart over head Bellamy. If it was someone Bellamy cares about in danger then he’d act with his heart wouldn’t he? Just like Jordan is now because he’s worried about what happened to someone he cares about.

Abby is desperate to save Kane. As she tells Jackson, unlike them, he is a good person. He’s the only one who tried to stop Bloodreina in the bunker. They just sat by and watched. On the the one hand, I understand her point of view. They did nothing to stop these things from happening so technically that makes them just as bad as the person actually doing them. But they did what they had to do to survive. Yes, Octavia shouldn’t have taken away their choice, but in the end they survived. Everyone who was in the bunker is screwed up in some way. Abby thinks that if she saves Kane that will give her some kind of pass for what she did? Not sure how I feel about that, but trauma can effect people differently. Now that she’s off the pills, I guess this is how she’s dealing with everything.

Josephine noticed in the lab that Murphy seemed somewhat envious of the fact that they’re immortal, and so she offered him a chance to be like her. Now that she knows Abby can create Nightblood, she needs someone to help her imitate Clarke. And who better to offer a chance at immortality than a cockroach?

I don’t think Murphy actually is on board with the offer. He always does what is necessary to stay alive. But it is possible that he was so haunted by what he saw when he ‘died’, and if he can’t die, then he can’t go to hell. But I’m leaning more towards he’s just playing along so he can survive.

Octavia sinking in the goop/quicksand because she keeps struggling to get out was very typical of her, always fighting even when there’s no reason to. Meanwhile Diyoza was staying clam. I am loving this team up. Diyoza understands her, she’s been there before, she knows what it’s like to hit rock bottom and to have everyone hate her. She’s in the history books alongside the worst people who have ever lived after all. She’s even tried to kill herself, but yet she’s still standing now. She tells Octavia that as long as she’s still breathing, there’s a chance to turn things around. I hope that hit something in Octavia and made her realise that there is still hope.

The ‘temporal flare’ (which seems like it might be an offshoot of the ‘temporal anomaly’?) seems to cause things to age. Time moves rapidly to whatever it comes into contact with. The trees have all turned to stone and the goop has crystallised over. Octavia decided to put her head under to save herself. She survived, and when she comes out in a way it’s like she was reborn.

I love the little nod she gives to Diyoza, acknowledging that she does want to live. Deep down she doesn’t want to die despite the way she’s been acting lately. Maybe now, after being symbolically reborn, she’s heading in the right direction to turn things around.

Her hand is now all wrinkly and old. The goop protected her mostly, except for her hand which seems to have been exposed to the flare. Is it going to spread to the rest of her body??

This episode was more lighthearted than usual, I found Josephine’s attempt to imitate Clarke quite hilarious! But it’s also advanced the plot in some seriously cool ways. As much as I love to hate Josephine, I hope they find a way to get Clarke back soon.

#the 100 #the 100 6x05 #the gospel of josephine #the 100 review #the 100 recap #the 100 spoilers #6x05 #t100recap

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travllingbunny · 5 years

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The 100 rewatch: 4x05 Tinder Box

Murphy’s Law (not the episode, the actual Murphy’s Law) is the guiding rule of The 100: everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Well, not exactly: sometimes you think a situation will explode into a disaster – the “tinder box” here first seems to be the imminent war between Sky people and Azgeda over Arkadia as a shelter from the upcoming radiation disaster, but everything gets resolved peacefully… but then another disaster strikes no one (or almost no one) was expecting, and it all becomes a moot point by the end, when Arkadia gets blown up by a third party for an unrelated reason.

Meanwhile, Raven’s big storyline of season 4 starts, and we get some important world building info that will be crucial for seasons 5 and 6.

Ilian finds Octavia and takes her to Arkadia, claiming he ran into her on his way home. Octavia manages to warn everyone about Azgeda troops coming to take Arkadia, before losing consciousness.

Another character who has found herself in Arkadia is Niylah, returning for the first time since 3x11. She has been coming to do trade. Clarke tries to make her stay there, whether that’s just because she wants to renew their FwB relationship, or whether she’s thinking about potentially saving her, but that’s unlikely – it’s not she’s likely to get a chance to participate in the lottery? But maybe she could be saved with the Nightblood solution.

Since Azgeda doesn’t have the element of surprise anymore, they find themselves surrounded by Arker snipers, as a backup to Clarke, who proposes to talk to Roan. It reminds me of the season 1 bridge meeting, on a larger scale. Roan orders archers to target Clarke, but Arkers surround them and target Roan and the rest. Clarke is shocked to see Bellamy and Kane as hostages – well, mostly Bellamy. Echo says it could be a trap, and Roan points out that it is, and they are already in it, so he agrees.

Bellamy’s state of mind completely changes when he realizes that Arkadia has been warned – which means that Octavia is alive.

Roan and Clarke have their argument in a cave, negotiating over the places in Arkadia, and arguing over Roan’s distrust in what Arkers say they are doing with the Nightblood. When Clarke tells Roan that she is trying to save everyone, Roan utters probably the most puzzling lines in the entire show “You grieve for Lexa, but you haven’t learned anything from her. She rose above loyalty to the clan..” Wait, what? Didn’t he get it all backwards? Also, since when is Roan a Lexa stan? The guy tried to convince Clarke to murder Lexa in 3x03 and claimed she was awful and worse than his mother. Clarke was the one trying to save everyone in season 2, when Lexa betrayed her and left Arkers to die at the hands of the Mountain Men, under the justification “for my people”. She then tried to make everyone including the Arkers a part of her coalition, but that’s not “rising above the clans” if you’re trying to make everyone accept your authority – that’s expanding your power. And while she was doing that, Roan was claiming she’s awful and trying to make Clarke murder her. What has changed and when? The fact she decided not to take revenge and start a war against Arkers for the killing of her army? She did that because Clarke convinced her to. This all seems like fanservice/desperate attempt to appease Lexa’s fans for killing off their favorite character in a rather crappy manner, which resulted in over-compensating with these idealized references to her that bear little resemblance to the real character we saw in seasons 2b and 3a. The only way this makes sense is if you interpret it as Roan bullsh1tting as a manipulation tactic. Which, to be fair, is in character for him.

He also calls Clarke Wanheda, Commander of Death, as a way to insult her, and I’m so over the people, especially Grounder leaders, doing that. Oh, you mean Clarke is bad because she managed to defeat and kill all the Mountain Men, as the only way to save her people from being horrifically murdered, after you guys, Lexa and all Grounders minus Lincoln, betrayed her and the alliance and left Sky people to die? The nickname she got because she actually was able to do it – because you would have probably killed all the Mountain Men, too, if you could have, only you wouldn’t need to be backed into a corner to decide to kill them all indiscriminately, because you have the “Blood must have blood” thing and are always threatening to kill everyone – you just weren’t ever able to defeat or even seriously threaten the Mountain Men without the Sky people? I’m never going to be over this.

Anyway, Roan wants half of the places, literally 50:50, and threatens to execute the hostages, Kane and Bellamy, if she refuses. Clarke tries to bluff, reminding him that she was willing to let her own mother die to stop ALIE. Roan says, I was OK with mine dying to help you (was he? It wasn’t exactly his choice) and then he’s like. OK, then it is war, and Clarke folds. Roan may piss me off a lot of times, but at least he’s smart – he remembers what happened when he threatened Bellamy’s life in front of Clarke in 3x02, and knows to what lengths those two would go to protect each other, and he was able to use Clarke’s “weakness” to get her to do what he wants.

Meanwhile, Riley, who is obviously suffering from PTSD, goes rogue and obviously wants to kill Roan, because he had been enslaved by Azgeda for months and had just been freed. Harper points out he shouldn’t be there. Exactly! Why is he there? Are these people so dumb? Monty goes to talk to the Azgeda warriors to stop the war. Bellamy says Riley shouldn’t be there (exactly!) – at least he has learned something since season 1, when he didn’t realize the guy who had been speared by the Grounders shouldn’t be guarding the meeting with a gun. Bellamy manages to convince Echo to take him to talk Riley down, she says they put chains on Monty instead and make him the other hostage

One of the best parts of the episode is Bellamy getting to demonstrate his new way of thinking, and what he has learned from his mistakes in season 3. He points out to Echo that the whole tribalism thing, “my people”, “my king”, is pointless, as Praimfaya doesn’t care about which clans they are. Echo says that Queen Nia used to say “War makes murderers out of all of us”. Oh, how profound… not. Coming from Nia, it obviously meant ‘oh well, we kill people in war, so then it’s OK to do any kind of awful thing with the excuse of war, right? Like blow up civilians, kill children, enslave people… why not?” But Bellamy successfully talks down Riley, by paraphrasing that line and saying ‘War made me a murderer” and that Riley should not allow himself the same, that the freedom he has now should be used in a better way. Echo seems affected by this. If this is supposed to be buildup for their relationship, it’s very one-sided and unsatisfactory, because we see how and why Echo could fall in love with Bellamy eventually, but there’s no setup whatsoever, in the entirety of season 4 for Bellamy falling in love with Echo – we’re supposed to take this a completely off-screen time jump thing.

Everything has been agreed on and no one died, but then disaster strikes – thanks to Ilian, who is on his “destroy all technology” war path, and after destroying tech in Polis, has come to Arkadia, which has a lot more tech. Octavia wakes up (the framing of the scene where she wakes up and sees Niylah’s face is interesting, it’s also similar to how she saw Ilian’s face earlier) and realizes that Ilian just used her as a way to get into Arkadia, and immediately tells Niylah that the server room is the simplest way to destroy all tech. Octavia is too weak and can’t even walk, Niylah has to carry her. Octavia tries to talk down Ilian, but her efforts are in vein. Which is not surprising, since her choice of arguments is pretty poor “This won’t bring your family back”, “I was a prisoner on this ship and hated it, but now we need it” – how about you tell him why it is needed? Tell him about Praimfaya and that it is needed as a shelter! Try that! I hate it when character doesn’t use the best argument. Ilian says she can’t understand if she has never been in the City of Light, and blows up Arkadia.

He doesn’t target people, though, so saves Octavia and Niylah and carries them out, Bellamy takes care of Octavia , while Clarke does so with Niylah before checking out on Octavia, and everyone else gets out and just stands and watches Arkadia go out in flames. Only Ilian has a happy look on his face. Everything has been for nothing and the B-plan for saving people just blew up. It’s all about the Nightblood now.

Meanwhile, in Becca’s lab, Raven has hallucinations, feeling like she can spacewalk in the lab, and knows things she would have no way of knowing, and has a seizure. It turns out that the EMP ALIE used on her to upgrade her brain means she still has some of Becca’s mind in her. Does that mean she now an upgraded half-AI like the Commanders? She thinks they can use the space pod from the lab to synthesize the Nightblood in space. Bad news – it will probably kill her.

First mention of Eligius Mining Company and that Becca was synthesizing Nightblood for them – the Nightblood was supposed to help the convicts they used as labour withstand radiation caused by two suns. (Later, Becca used Nightblood to ensure that the human body could accept the chip.) This is info relevant for both season 5 and season 6.

Jackson figures out that Abby also has upgraded mind just like Raven, though she denies it. She ends up having a hallucination of Clarke dying from radiation and telling her they’re out of time.

Body count: No deaths! This is the first time ever? Bellamy even puts it in words: “no one died today.” But Arkadia being blown up means that at least 100 people who could have survived Praimfaya now won’t.

Rating: 7/10

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shiorita · 5 years

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The 100, 601,

I need to write about some stuff, but today I watched the 601 so, let's go first with the review. I'm going to play it again not to forget anything, so this is going to be chronological. (They are 43 points).

1) The 100 intros are one of my favorites ones among tv shows. They tell us a lot of information with it, practically every place they are gonna visit and on which characters they are going to focus. This one is also refreshing because we stop watching the same places we already know (Polis, Arkadia, Allie laboratory, etc.) It's nice to see new locations. About characters, they put Shanon Kook and Henry Ian Cusin on credits, so I guess Kane is going to appear again. And they are going to focus on Jordan! YAY! (I miss Mondy and Harper already).

2) Raven being a bitch part.1. (I address to this later, but let me express my thoughts during the episode). You kept your humanity because of people around you were eager to risk their souls from maintaining intact yours. I'm not sorry for not forget that Finn went to jail and send to the ground to die because you wanted to spacewalker even when you know that the lack of air kills people in the ark.

3) Zaven. Just because. Ok. Whatever.

4) Jordan. Jordan tries to be attentive to everyone on the ship. I loved that Marper used Clarke's parenting book so he knows the good things about everyone and he's not prejudging. I think every time I see Jordan, I'm going to scream internally: Give me Monty and Harper back! I miss them! Also, I can't wait to see his face when he eats something that wasn't an alga. It'll be marvelous!

5) Emori, nobody asked you! Clarke wasn't even interested in talking with you guys, so leave her alone. Moreover, you accused a random guy of torture you, so they try radiation on him because you were scared, and I pretty sure that if the guy wasn't there, nobody touched you because Murphy was on your side and Clarke would be on Murphy's. I get you were scared but so was Clarke, so back off.

6) Echo is cool. My Bellarke heart hurts because of Echo sides with Clarke.

7) Bellamy's face when Clarke comments about him putting O on coma shows guilt. Interesting.

8) Abby looked at Jordan as he was a magician. Who's the 100 deus ex machina? Of course, it's the purest and impossible to forget Monty Green.

9) Echo being cool, part. 2 (I trust Monty)

10) Bellamy is now the leader, and it's kind of funny because he already agreed with Clarke to go down and check the planet, but since Echo agrees with that too he decides to send everyone down.

11)Raven being a bitch, part 2. Ok, girl, it sounds you are on the defensive.

12) Bellamy-I-am-your-father, part 1. (You stay with the kids until you know how to behave appropriately)

13) ECHO! I love this girl. She doesn't even care that Octavia hates her. She wants Octavia being near Bellamy. She called Octavia "one of their best warriors," and she's damn right but also she's brave because, well, yeah, Octavia has a right to hate her. (Echo being cool, part 3)

14) What do you mean late, honey? Because I think Echo is not thinking about surviving but forgiveness. She doesn't want Bellamy dies before he could get on terms with his sister. Love this girl.

15) Miller! I was mad at you last season, but it says a lot about you to say sorry to Bellamy. He forgives you because I think it's easy for him to blame Octavia for everything (ey, Octavia used to do precisely the same. I don't know why it's easy for Blake siblings to blame each other. I guess because at the bottom of their hearts they know they are always there while if they get mad with other people, they lose them).

16) I saw many gifs that show how Bellamy and Clarke look to each other while they descend to Alpha, but I think all of them are looking at Zach like: save us, please! Not the Bellarke moment I was waiting for.

17) I got that feeling from gifs, and there is it again: Echo rolls her eyes while Clarke talks to Bellamy. I'm sure she knows about their story, but it can help. How the hell is she not going to fall in love with Bellamy?

18) I thought the "he'll come around" goes for Murphy. I don't mind if Zach doesn't come around. I don't care what he thinks about Clarke at all.

19) Has anyone anything better than "we're back, bitches"? Thank you, Monty.

20) Raven, if you want to forgive Abby, do it. If you don't want, don't. But using her guilt to make you feel better because you expect her to disappoint you, it's not healthy, and it's going to solve anything. I get you are mad, but you have been upset since your first appearance, so it's up to you.

21) Octavia and her little tear. Where's my brother? (So many parallels with these two I can't wait for a Blake hug)

22) Emori, Bellamy and Clarke's faces when they see Murphy is okay. They're going to kill him one day.

23) It's sweet how Bellamy looks at Echo like "do you want to go to the lake" and she is like "no." They remind me of Finn pulled Clarke to the first lake the delinquents found in their first trip.

24) Jackson and his "oh my god. We are aliens" was priceless. If only he could spend time with Monty, the two couples could have a good time together. I suddenly remember how well Miller and Harper got on. And now she's gone, and Miller can't repair the damage. Poor kid.

25) When you realize how poor your choices were, you can be honest about yourself and try to be a better person. I'm not talking about forgiving yourself but not being a jerk to anyone. If Miller did, the rest could do it.

26) I think the forgiveness thing is not a Bellarke thing anymore. Not only because it's the main reason Becho begins but because everyone needs that. They need to learn how to forgive others if they want to be able to a)forgive themselves and b) be happy. So, guys, if you need forgiveness, it's okay, I give it for you!

27) Yours too, Murphy! Clarke is kind of tired of your shit. Just give her a moment or leave her alone. By the way, I want my sarcastic Clarke to come back. I still remember how bad as she was in the first season when she didn't weight the future of the human race on her shoulders.

28) I love to see how they grow up. Like, they are not these bunch of kids that are sent to the Earth to survive (or not). Like, they are prepared for everything. It also reminds me at the beginning of the second season, when they are ready for the poison smoke.

29) And of course, Clarke has to jump into the danger to save Zach. Do you want acts? They there are. At least you can say thank you. But okay, you open the Raven's development arc. May we meet again.

30) Raven, honey, what's it come from? If you don't want to be near Abby, don't interfere in her business. It's simple. Stay away. The fact you go on and on, it's because you want to hit where it hurts. And that's not only self-destructive, but it also makes people around you leave you.

31) Talking about people who like to hit where it hurts. I like Miller is on Clarke's side.

32) I loved Emori's face when Bellamy said he trusts on her on being a pilot.

33) I want a spin-off about Becca.

34) It's kind of weird to see them dealing with a civilized place, not just forest and ruins.

35) Hello, kleptomania.

36) I still remember the lesson Jaha gave to Octavia. He explained everything so well that it makes "easy" to forgive him. But yeah, she's kind of right about Kane and Abby. They chose to hide behind the rulers (Jaha, Octavia) to make their own treaties with the enemy but when they were their own enemies (on the bunker, on the ark), they forgot about their responsibilities even when they were the ones the rulers chose to trust on the most. I get Octavia's fury, and I like to see that she does not enjoy seeing Kane suffers and tosses blood. By the way, I think she burnt the farm because the perspective to spend another day in the bunker was making her sick. She understood how hard was for everyone to survive, so she took the responsibility (My sister, my responsibility; I bear it, so they don't have to) and blamed, if and when Wonkru could leave the damn bunker. If Kane and Abby can forgive Clarke, Bellamy, and Jaha, the hell they can't forgive Octavia.

37) Raven is waiting for Abby to disappoint her (at this moment, I can't think that it's a disappointment. You girl want Abby to be an addicted again, only to make yourself feel better. I leave you to figure out what's your problem. And... Abby decides to be done with Octavia and Raven's shit and stand for herself. "Never again" Or what you want to think about me, it's up to you, I'm done.

38) Knocking On Heavens Door is on the playlist. Murphy! Sing that song!

39) Murphy singing was priceless. It remains me that time, in Bellamy's all-terrain, when Monty and Jasper were still alive, and Bellamy and Miller were also there, and they only sing. The beginning of season 3. One of the few moments I saw them enjoying being alive.

40) People who live here left everything so well that it seems they were waiting for someone to appear and survive for its visit. Just in case. Where the hell are they?

41) Bellaaaaaaaaaaaarke. Ok. Calm down. So, he said the I'm sorry, and I love how Clarke panicked when she realizes that he knows and he can judge her. I think she realizes that she was in love with Bellamy at the end of season 5 so she's not ready to confront him yet. And I guess he always believed that his love was a one-sided one, so she will never like him as he likes her, even they are very good friends. So they try to be cool to each other but... it can't help it. They're flirting. As in the Unity day episode.

She is the only one he could talk about Octavia, the one he could trust in being this hurt brother who still loves his sister. I wish Octavia would've (go to school). He speaks to Clarke about Octavia in a softer way than he did with Echo because only Clarke had seen him trying to approach his sister uncountable times before. "She'll come around," Clarke said, and she was right, but now Bellamy feels that if he did things in another way, his sister would never become who she is now. He thinks that part of her dark development is on his fault and he only wants to admit it with Clarke.

42) Bellamy calls Echo to show her the book, and he gives it to Clarke. Suddenly he forgets about Echo being there... I understand why Echo crosses her arms, which it's usually a sign of protection or defensiveness.

43) Clarke is the first one to realize Emori is attacking Murphy and she runs toward him. Guys, you don't deserve that girl.

Conclusions? I think we are going to see a development for Raven, who, by the way, has sex in the first part of the episode and has a blood test in the second part, and I watch so many tv shows to understand that as... is she going to be pregnant? Because if it's true, well, finally, her love life is not going to disappear because an actor signed a contract and she might understand how it was for Clarke when they put Madi on risk.

Who the hell took their ships? The good news, at least for Echo, is Octavia is already wake so she can defend everyone.

I completely in if the season is about characters talking about each other. These people need lots of psychological treatments. They need professional help. Why are there only three doctors in the damn place? Why don't they train anyone? What would happen if Clarke, Abby or Jackson disappear? At least Monty taught Jordan to be an engineer.

See you next week. I still want to talk about other stuff, but I've been writing this post along an hour, and I need a break (Also, English is not my native language, so it's kind of tiring)

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downstvged · 5 years

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s u r v e y : p e y t o n p e l l e g r i n o.

what’s this? there’s something paper clipped to the page... a stick of juicy fruit. how thoughtful.

basic information

FULL NAME: jamie claverton peyton pellegrino PRONUNCIATION: PAY-ton pell-eh-GREEN-oh MEANING: noble, royal REASONING: his kidnapper father said he always looked like a peyton. strong, wise, dignified. NICKNAME(S): pey, pellegrino, pillsbury ( monty ), sparkles ( tess ), etc. PREFERRED NAME(S): peyton BIRTH DATE: july 24, 2000 AGE: 18 ZODIAC: leo GENDER: cismale PRONOUNS: he/him ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: heteroromantic SEXUAL ORIENTATION: heterosexual NATIONALITY: american. ETHNICITY: italian-american. his father’s got pellegrino pride.

background

BIRTH PLACE: milton, delaware HOMETOWN: milton, delaware. his dad said he was born in ohio. everyone thinks he’s from cali, when they meet him. SOCIAL CLASS: upper-middle. FATHER: presley claverton. matthew pellegrino. fire chief. 52. west ham’s most eligible and charming single father. and peyton’s best friend. faceclaim. MOTHER: theresa claverton. francesca milluzzo. peyton never knew her. his dad said she deserted them shortly before his first birthday. SIBLING(S): none. BIRTH ORDER: first of three. the clavertons needed to fill the void. first and only. PET(S): none. but he adores anything fluffy. OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: n/a PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: n/a. he’s always been too scared of his own shadow to ask a girl out. ARRESTS?: squeaky clean. PRISON TIME?: not unless you count double-shifts delivering pizzas.

occupation & income

SOURCE OF INCOME: works part-time as a pizza delivery boy at one of west ham’s most beloved pizza joints. CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THERE OF)?: very content, usually! people tip well and peyton enjoys the small talk. PAST JOB(S): assistant life guarding at the local pool in middle school, but that quickly ended after he had a panic attack on duty. SPENDING HABITS: peyton’s pretty frugal! his idea of a fun time is boarding around town with monty, or grabbing a scoop of ice cream at one of the local places. he’s not too big on driving, if he doesn’t have to. longboards almost everywhere. his dad’s job gets them ample cash, being fire chief, but they live modestly. pellegrino men are humble. MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: his longboard. unfortunately, his anti-anxiety meds.

skills & abilities

TALENTS: deduction, longboarding, mock trial, stage lighting, studying, making people smile. he’s mario kart champion and he’ll never live that down. SHORTCOMINGS: overthinker. often, he limits himself just by thinking in circles. he... finds the good in people. assumes the best. LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: english, and enough italian to get friendly with the kitchen staff. DRIVE?: yes. JUMP-STAR A CAR?: yes. CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?: yes. RIDE A BICYCLE?: yes, but longboards are way better. SWIM?: yes. PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?: he has a guitar and plays it decently well. sometimes he’ll hum a little tune and strum a few chords, but it’s nothing too major. PLAY CHESS?: yeah. BRAID HAIR?: ha! him? able to braid hair? he wishes. TIE A TIE?: he can double-knot his shoes. PICK A LOCK?: no.

physical appearance & characteristics

FACE CLAIM: noah centineo. EYE COLOR: deep hazel, primarily chocolate with pools of mossy green. HAIR COLOR: dark brown. HAIR TYPE/STYLE: wavy/curly. it does what it wants, and he rarely styles it, unless it’s for a mock trial competition or a student gov event. reference. GLASSES/CONTACTS?: he has a glasses prescription but always wears his contacts. DOMINANT HAND: right. HEIGHT: 6′1. WEIGHT: 165 lbs. BUILD: lean, trim, athletic. EXERCISE HABITS: he’s co-captain of the lacrosse team with monty, so they have daily team workouts. he goes for runs a lot, and likes HIIT training. does longboarding count? it should. he’s boarded all over this town countless times ( it’s also how he chooses to deliver pizzas, when the weather’s alright. ) SKIN TONE: tanned, smooth. reference. TATTOOS: none. he can’t handle needles. PEIRCINGS: none. MARKS/SCARS: a few on his arms and legs from nasty longboarding falls. NOTABLE FEATURES: his wild hair. million-watt smile. USUAL EXPRESSION: peaceful, welcoming. CLOTHING STYLE: reference. leather bracelets, cuffed jeans, lots of solid colored and colorblocked tees. when he dresses up for mock trial, the girls kinda swoon. boy looks dashing in a suit. has a glasses prescription but always wears contacts. his dad says he looks sharper that way ( but it’s actually because, with glasses, he looks too similar to the claverton family. ) beat up chuck taylors, kind of untied on purpose. he’s got that whole loosely kept together, sleep deprived look down pat. JEWELRY: leather bracelets. sometimes he’ll wear a thin chain. ALLERGIES: n/a. BODY TEMPERATURE: the standard. he runs a little warmer than most. DIET: lots of pizza. mountain dew. juicy fruit gum’s basically a whole other food group. PHYSICAL AILMENTS: n/a. he can be a bit jumpy, sometimes, if he’s feeling on edge. his left pinky kind of clicks funny when he makes a fist, from when he broke his hand his freshman year.

psychology

MORAL ALIGNMENT: lawful good. TEMPERAMENT: phlegmatic. ELEMENT: earth. MENTAL CONDITIONS/DISORDERS: anxiety disorder. SOCIABILITY: very approachable. warm. kindhearted. there’s a reason he’s the one tasked with getting class dues, as class treasurer. there’s a reason why he leads the lacrosse team. EMOTIONAL STABILITY: typically very levelheaded. his anxiety can make that fluctuate, though. PHOBIA(S): having another panic attack in public. he hasn’t had one in front of anyone besides monty in a year. ADDICTION(S): does juicy fruit qualify? DRUG USE: none. very straight-edge. ALCOHOL USE: occasional, as much as you’d expect. PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: not at all.

mannerisms

QUIRKS: peyton shoves his hands into his pockets when he’s nervous. he always looks for monty or tess in a crowded room, to get grounded. whenever he wears a flannel or a sweatshirt, he always pushes the sleeves up midway to his elbows. HOBBIES: lacrosse, longboarding, mock trial, reading, parkour ( a phase in freshman year ). watching football games with his dad. trying out weird recipes. HABITS: biting the edge of pens. turning his head to the side when he’s listening. offering people pieces of his lunch until he realizes there’s nothing left for him. NERVOUS TICKS: not knowing what to do with his hands. trailing off. looking at the ground. laughing. counting his own fingers. biting the tip of his tongue. DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS: he genuinely wants to see people happy. he wants everything to run smoothly and willingly along. FEARS: his meds will stop working. he’ll have a panic attack in front of his classmates, who are supposed to see him as calm, collected, put together. he’ll never get to know more about his mom. it bugs him. POSITIVE TRAITS: benevolent, bona fide, conscientious, suave, tenderhearted. NEGATIVE TRAITS: anxious, critical, restless, self-limiting, yielding. SENSE OF HUMOR: puns. wit. a lot of inside jokes with tess and monty. DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: not really! he’s more likely to say frick or flipping than anything bad. CATCHPHRASE(S): “ oh shit ! ” & “ dude ! ” & “ what’s good ? ”

favorites

ACTIVITY: longboarding, hands down. ANIMAL: he’s got a super soft spot for rabbits. BEVERAGE: mountain dew or 7-up. BOOK: growing up, he loved the percy jackson series. CELEBRITY: stephen hawking. COLOR: green. DESIGNER: designer? he guesses, like... is gucci the right answer? he’s not really plugged in to that. FOOD: does juicy fruit count? FLOWER: he’s learning more about flowers, but he thinks sunflowers are pretty nice. kelly’s teaching him more about those. GEM: tiger’s eye. HOLIDAY: christmas. that’s when the famous pellegrino slutty brownies surface. MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: longboarding !! MOVIE: original star trek. MUSICAL ARTIST: saint motel. QUOTE/SAYING: “ we’re dead ! we survived but we’re dead ! ” – dash, the incredibles. SCENERY: rolling hills. sunset. SCENT: cinnamon. SPORT: lacrosse. SPORTS TEAM: in connecticut, he’s surprised he hasn’t been vilified for being a chicago bears fan. but he and his dad spent some time there, and going to those games became a weekly tradition. they watch them now, and it’s like a little piece of their story. TELEVISION SHOW: saturday night live, honestly. WEATHER: that golden-hour sunshine, just before sunset. lukewarm. mid-60′s. VACATION DESTINATION: hawaii. he’s always wanted to longboard down those colossal volcano-side roads.

attitudes

GREATEST DREAM: go into tech/lighting design for broadway. ask cassandra pressman out, for real. GREATEST FEAR: his dad won’t be able to function without him in west ham next fall. he’ll panic in front of people when he needs to seem strong. MOST AT EASE WHEN: he’s with his squad, the belugas. LEAST AT EASE WHEN: he’s allowed the time to overthink. when his dad doesn’t come home from his fire shift on time. when things don’t feel right. BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: the west ham mock trial team won the state championship this spring. BIGGEST REGRET: he never pressured his dad more about finding his mother. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: he had a panic attack in the middle of his treasurer speech freshman year. someone pulled the fire alarm right as he couldn’t breathe. to this day, peyton has no idea who that was, but he’s so friggin’ thankful. BIGGEST SECRET: his biggest secret’s not even known to him yet. matthew pellegrino isn’t his father; he’s his kidnapper. peyton pellegrino’s fake. doesn’t exist. TOP PRIORITIES: having monty and tess’s backs. taking care of his dad, since he’s still reeling from peyton’s mom leaving almost 17 years ago. bringing the lacrosse team to the state championships. making sure every single thing he does for west ham high’s theatre department is flawless: making art on that stage. finding out how to... conquer this anxiety. finding out how to muster up enough courage to make a move before it’s too late.

#newhamhq: task #🍂 –– shallow graves for shallow hearts ! isms.#🍂 –– there's no place like home ! psyche.#yoooo..... cackle at that header image bc i'm still laughing

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douxreviews · 5 years

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The 100 - ‘Red Sun Rising’ Review

“Isn’t this your home?”

This was all about fear.

What is everyone afraid of? Are those fears valid? What reactions are these fears going to bring to pass?

On the moon

Poor, poor Emori. I have to start here because it really broke my heart. She still has such deep seeded anxiety about being on the outside and the people that she loves turning against her. I hate that. I’d say I hope Murphy gives her a real big hug when she comes out of it but things aren’t exactly looking great for him.

How nice for Murphy that he got to be the one that was immune or at least not hit the hardest. It just fits that the ultimate survivor would be the one not overtaken by paranoid rage. Too freaking bad he’s been seemingly infected by something, of course he has survived much worse. He was called out last season for liking being the hero and I think he just proved that point again. He went to Bellamy to try and subdue him before his friend was able to hurt anyone. It would have been more self-preservational to hide and wait it out. In the past, I could’ve even seen him standing guard over Emori before putting himself in Bellamy’s path but he did the hard thing for the good of his friends. Even with Clarke, he was able to recognize that she wasn’t a danger to him and he took the time to talk her down and be responsible for her even though he’s still pissed and needed to get back to subduing Bellamy. It’s a little crazy how much his character has grown on me over these past years and more than a little impressive how effortlessly that character growth has been building and how well Richard Harmon has been at playing this incredibly intricate character.

Of course Clarke is only a danger to herself during the eclipse. She truly always comes from a place of protection and with her own guilty conscience and Murphy constantly reminding her the pain that she’s inflicted, it makes sense that to protect her friends, she’d want to take herself out of the mix. To protect them. What was really interesting though was that it was Abby her mind used to try and convince her to take her own life. Is that saying something about what Clarke thinks motherhood is? Or does it speak to her still holding a grudge against her mom as well as herself? Is her subconscious telling us what’s been nagging at me for these two episodes? That we don’t forgive the good doctor yet for her serious lapses in judgement last season.

Bellamy’s rage and paranoia almost made a beeline to Clarke. I’m not surprised. He probably isn’t surprised. She wasn’t surprised. I just hope it was at least therapeutic for him.

All my gold stars go to Echo. She’s the only one that had to face her demons and was able to overcome them long enough to tranq herself. I’m still shocked at how much I’m finding myself liking her. It wasn’t that long ago that she was on the way opposite side of things than team Bellarke. She was smart and levelheaded. I don’t know why I’d expect anything less from a professional spy, but either way I was very impressed.

Then we had Miller scared of his new home turning on him. I think that’s what the fake bugs crawling into him represented. Maybe the way being in the bunker turned out to be a psychological prison and not the safe haven everyone originally fought for? And Jackson was scared of not being able to save his boyfriend. Of not being a good doctor. He does have a lot to live up to following in Abby’s footsteps. Unless I’m interpreting this whole thing all wrong. I still don’t understand the joint hallucination part of it all.

The way the hallucinations manifested themselves in itself was telling about how these characters perceive themselves. Clarke, Echo and Miller turned everything inward because they see their past actions full of guilt. As much as they tell themselves that they didn’t have choices at the time, they still feel the weight of those choices on their backs dragging them down and in some cases dragging other people down with them. But Bellamy and Emori turned their paranoia outward. They are holding grudges against people that they love. They both have long-held and seriously earned trust issues and are always waiting for the next big betrayal; no matter how surrounded by love and family they are, it can be ripped away. It can turn out to be a worthless lie. Your family can shun you, your sister can sacrifice you, your mom can be killed, your friend can abandon you when you need her.

In the sky

First, there was Octavia. She was putting on quite the stoic face but in the end, she was literally asking to be killed. I guess that might also explain that hard exterior in the first place. Either you’re in Wonkru or you’re the enemy of Wonkru, right? She hasn’t stopped picking fights with people since she thawed out. Even calling them cowards for not killing her. It’s nice that we are finally seeing her struggle with the facts of what she did in the bunker. Everything she did was in the name of survival. Clarke and Bellamy have similarly outlandish skeletons in their closets made in the same name, but regret should be a part of the journey too. It’s human to be able to look back and see the mistakes you made but she isn’t really capable. Probably because she was never taught to take responsibility for herself or her actions. She was only ever taught to react and respond to the way other people see her. She was an illegal stow-away since birth as ‘the girl in the floor.’ Then she was Bellamy Blake’s sister when she got to the ground. Then she tried to escape that life altogether and join the grounders only to become ‘sky girl.’ She never even wanted to be the leader in the bunker but Indra twisted her arm and then Abby manipulated her into becoming ‘Bloodreina.’ She clearly isn’t innocent here but I’d like to see her deal with the fears and become a whole person once and for all. Tricking everyone around her into kicking her ass instead of looking for the ship's onboard therapist is the easy way out.

Then so much of Abby’s fear is tied up in Octavia’s every move. She is rightfully scared of how people will react if they find out that it was her the pressured Octavia into enforcing the mandatory cannibalism rule. It’s probably much easier for her to pretend not to remember what she did when everyone’s anger is focused mostly on Bloodreina. Which made it all the more poignant when she stepped in to stop that Wonkru member from taking Octavia’s life. Bloodreina’s death would mean the end of the possibility that her little secret would get out. That’s a far cry from the junkie that tortured Raven, but she still has a ways to go to be the respected doctor we met her as.

Which brings me to Raven. Oh Raven. I’m starting to worry that she is on the Jasper/Monty/Harper train. It feels odd to lump them altogether given that they handled their depression at the loss of faith in humanity in such vastly different ways, but they all went on a spiral that they couldn’t come back from and that is not the future I want for my girl Raven. Okay? Waking Diyoza was the absolute best bet for taking back the bridge and freeing her friends, giving them back the upper hand. But what was the cost? Their ship was invaded and she was technically working in defense of herself and the others, but if they weren’t in real danger, does that matter? Three people still lost their lives and there is no telling what kind of consequences remain to be seen from these actions. And for a character suffering under questions of morality and right-and-wrong and being a good person, these are the questions that will keep her up at night.

Strong episode. 3 out of 4 terrifying children’s books

Bits and pieces

Sanctum is the Latin root of sanctuary.

I liked Josephine and the flashback. It did a good job of priming us for what was about to happen without having it overexplained.

Last week Bellamy said that they wouldn’t shoot first. Then Diyoza shot three people that hadn’t hurt anyone up to that point.

Bellamy kept everyone’s keys. And Clarke kept his. Talk about symbolism for where everyone’s heads are at.

Clarke’s hallucination included a mention of her dad being floated. Talk about a callback.

I have to give it to Diyoza. She really doesn’t suck at negotiation and strategy.

The hijackers noted Octavia has red blood. They were also fairly adamant that something particular be done with the bodies. We have to wait to find out what exactly. Ugh. I can’t take another human experiment or cannibalism plot. I CAN NOT.

Where were those children hiding? Why have restraints in the building if there is a good hideout somewhere?

Are those kids products of the embryos that horny scientist guy was talking about in the flashback?

Will Clarke and Octavia introduce themselves to the Sanctum folks as the Commander of Death and Blood Queen?

Remember back in season one when The 100 ate the nuts that made them all act like they were at a rave? This reminded me of that. Times 5.

Clarke: “What the hell do you want from me, Murphy? I'm sorry, okay? For all of it. I never meant for you to get hurt, but no matter what I do, someone always does. Is that what you want to hear? That I'm the bad guy? Fine, I'll be the bad guy. When I'm in charge people die, isn't that what you said?”

Raven: “You can't leverage dead people.” Diyoza: “You can, if they don't know they're dead.”

Octavia: "If not for you, I would have delivered us safely to that valley. Our sins would have been washed away. McCreary and Diyoza would have surrendered to me. Everything I did would have made sense. Now nothing does."

Laure Mack

#The 100 #Clarke Griffin #Raven Reyes #Octavia Blake #Bellamy Blake #The 100 Reviews #Doux Reviews #TV Reviews

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oktorpg · 3 years

Text

Stop sleeping on the job - Storyline 3 – Together - Part One

= Raven =

My body was once again in pain, the peace I’d felt when I was unconscious had gone, and now was replaced with the same sharp pain in my leg riding up to my hip. And the dull throbbing behind my eyes was back, it was as though someone had a hot needle and had been pushing it into the back of my eye, over and over again. My head starting to have a numbing sensation to it, and it wasn’t the kind that took the pain away. It was the kind which let you know things were not right inside, and you couldn’t see the damage that had been done.

When I closed my eyes, I could recall the place I was in, and the blue forest which had surrounded me. How the beautiful butterflies lit up my path towards where I finally found Finn stood waiting for me. His voice and eyes were still so vivid, with everything he’d said, begging me to stay with him. Asking me to finally allow myself to be at peace and to give up the fight. This in itself I knew too well was telling of the dream I was in and I’d believed at the time to be true.

I didn’t want to be back there, I was content with the choice I’d made to come back and keep fighting, but the longer I was kept in the biolab. The more I wished I was back in the forest.

With the realisation we’d lost the fuel we needed to go to space to make the nightblood, playing on my mind. It felt like I was letting my family down. When I should be with them working out the next steps, I was stuck here unable to leave without consequences.

The beeping sounds of the machines were starting to annoy me. I’d been told to stay in this bed, or they would tie me down to it. But right now, I’d rather the brain melt take me for good, than me having to stay here in this bio lab for another night. Shifting onto my side I glance over to #Luna who was sat on the ground next to my bed with her eyes closed. I could only guess that she once again was in her meditative state of mind.

‘Ai na ai op Yu Reivon’ (I can see you Raven). She whispered in her calming voice. My eyes widened a little at her declaration.

“How is that even possible?” Her lips curled up into a smile as she opened one eye clocking me watching her closely.

‘Ai yu don Ai edei’ ( I have my way ). There was nothing else to it, she had chosen to keep her ( ways ) a secret from me and the rest of us. I knew she found it funny how we all were always taken aback by her skills. She was a stealth ninja in the best possible way.

“Luna, I need to move, to get up from here, these machines are too much for me to handle. I’m going crazy listening to the beeping.” I moved to shift my weight off my good hip, which also had started to hurt because these lab beds were not the most comfortable.

“We need to work out what the next plan is -- ” I drifted off because it was all starting to fall back into place. It was the news of us not having the fuel to take the rocket to space to make the nightblood which caused my seizure and my blackout. I was starting to remember the looks on the faces of the people stood around me as I fell to the ground and then it all went dark.

‘Raven’ She stood up and moved closer to my bed, her hand resting on my shoulder. ‘They are already working on finding the next plan. Abby and Jackson have been working hard to see what the next steps are. And Bellamy, Clarke and the Chancellor are trying to understand the impact of the—’ She stopped short of saying it. ( The impact of me not taking Abby to the space station to make the nightblood ). But it was when she said ‘The Chancellor’ my eyebrows raised, and I moved to sit up.

“Wait, Marcus is here? On the Island? Here?” #Luna’s expression changed a little, she was unsure of what to tell me if I had to guess. “Luna? Jos tell Ai beja” ( Just tell me please ) I wasn’t even sure if I had said it correctly. But I was trying to learn, and she and John had been the ones to teach me.

‘For now you need to rest, we can talk more once you are no longer in pain.’ She places her arms on my shoulders and moved me back to the bed. I wanted to tell her, that there was no day I was without pain. But I knew it would just mean she’d try harder to keep me down. I needed a way out of here, to find out what was going on and to find out how we planned to help everybody now.

(Music: Waves – Dean Lewis )

youtube

John pinned me with a reaper stick me again.

“Still sleeping on the job, Reyes.” He gave my hand a squeeze.

“C’mon, you know they can’t solve this without you. You got to come back; we need you.”

“You really do like to make an entrance, don’t you?” he gave a short laugh filled with relief.

= John =

I’d only been gone for a while; I’d gone down to the main floor to meet #Monty; after giving him a short list of things to bring from the house. “Are you sure all of these things are a good idea?” Monty pressed, handing the bag over. “She’s dying Monty, there are no bad ideas. She might as well be comfortable.” I grinned at him. “Thanks.” He looked shocked at the gratitude.

When I came back in I could see Raven had made an escape attempt. “Ha’s honon-de?” I said to #Luna. (How is the prisoner?).

“Em’s trana breik we.” She said without opening her eyes. (She is trying to escape.)

“Tof’melon.” I retorted with a laugh. (Stubborn)

A smile broke across the Zen Master’s face, I set the bag up onto the bed; and pulled out the pillows first, the ones on the beds in the house were much more comfortable than the ones on the lab beds. I stood at the centre of the bed and tapped her waist lightly. “Up.” I said with a grin and when she lifted her hips; I put my hand under her and held her up a little more so I could slip the pillow under her hips. I tried not to touch her arse as I did, because I really didn’t want another slap in the face. I threw the second pillow at her softly to let her make herself comfortable. Next was the blanket from the end of the bed she’d claimed in the house, then a change of clothes.

“#Monty grabbed these so if it’s not your style… well, suck it up; it’s an apocalypse.” I shrugged and set them on the chair by the bed. Then I pulled out the booked she’d read three pages of and abandoned. “Your favourite?” I grinned and then slipped her the ancient-looking tablet. “There’s more on this.” Then I gave her a wide smile and pulled out the music player and some headphones, handing it to her. “Yes, I know… I’m your hero. But we knew this already. Thank me later.”

I tilted the bag up and showed her the bottle of wine in the bottom, I had added to the list; for when Abby finally decided to go to sleep. I winked at her and put the clothes to the side so I could fall back into the chair. “Don’t say I never had your back, Reyes. You’ll be out of here in no time.” I smiled at her, pleased with my attempt at kindness. Considering everything she’d been through since the City of Light the gesture was a drop in the ocean, but it was all I had to offer.

= Raven =

My glance moved towards the door and I wondered just how far I could get before #Luna would tackle me to the ground. Would she do that, or would she just drag me back by my hair? I made myself laugh, moving my eyes to the ceiling. It was becoming a chore just to lay still. And Yet my body was so tired that I could crash if I allowed myself to close my eyes.

The sound of the door opening brought me back to the now, John walking in with a bag in his hands. I frowned a little listening to John and #Luna talking. I didn’t catch the full gist of it, but I wasn’t a fool. I knew they were talking about me. “I. Am. Right. Here!” I scowled towards them both. “And what’s this about a Tough Melon? Isn’t that a fruit from the 21st? Do we have some of that to eat here?”

#Luna stood up laughing again, to join John on the opposite side of the lab bed I was laying on. He looked too pleased with himself.

“What are you up to Murphy?” I question before he started to empty the contents of the bag.

For once I didn’t question him. He said ‘Up’ motioning to my hips, and I did as I was asked. Putting my weight on the good side of my body and the pillow was right there taking the pressure off my spine. Catching the next pillow when he threw it at me, I placed it behind my back to the left side, again taking the stress off me a little. When he placed the blanket over me with some help from #Luna, I was speechless. I recognised it from the bedroom I had been sleeping in. The clothes, the book, the tablet the music and headphones. And the bottle of wine? “Abby will kill us if she sees me drinking that.” I smirked. “When can we open it?”

“Was this your idea Luna?” My eyes moving to her and she shook her head her glance shifting over towards John.

‘It was the Hia Skat’ (Stupid Boy), she said taking a step back away again. I was in shock; John Murphy had taken it upon himself to make things better for me? Was he really here? Or was this a dreamland I was walking in without knowing?

“I am never going as far as to call you my ‘Hero’, but I will ask.. Who are you and where is the real John Murphy? You know, the one who takes pleasure in poisoning my eyes with an onion, or telling me I’m a pain in his arse?”

Once he took a seat, I threw the book at him. “You know there is no way in this lifetime I will read that book. Three pages was enough to make me want to kill myself.” I turned my attention to the tablet to see what Becca had loaded in there, hoping it wasn’t a load of sexist writing, telling girls they needed men to save them.

“This girl knows how to save herself, and the men in her life too.” I mumbled under my breath. “And by the look of it John Murphy, you are going so soft on me. Got my back? Really? You sure you aren’t positioning yourself to kick me on the arse when I’m not looking?” I had to tease him. It would shock him to death if I said a simple ‘Thank you’ at this point.

= John =

“Luck.” I laughed hard. “Melon means Luck . I was expressing my sympathies that she has the poor luck to be stuck with you, Reyes.” I grinned at her.

“I’m just making you more comfortable, so you’ll be less of a pain in my arse.” I smiled. I couldn’t admit that I’d felt bad for making a run for it the minute she was in that bed and surrounded by the others. Seeing her laying there with the sickly sheen on her skin again, almost as pallid as she had been when she’d nearly bled to death courtesy of the Digital Devil… I couldn’t bear it. I still didn’t understand it. Carrying her up those stairs, even though I had helped this time, it was all just too familiar. I wasn’t sure if she knew I’d left yet. But she was going to find out when the others finally had a moment to ask about how the Chancellor got here.

“As soon as the Doc finally gives in and sleeps, we’ll open it.” Her eagerness surrounding the wine was funny. Was it a good idea? Hell no! But a few stray brain cells weren’t going to cause more damage than those fits she was having. And the more relaxed she was the less they happened. I’d seen it by the pool that night. She came close but we managed to steer her onto a different path. Then the day she built her weird moonshine maker, she had made the whole day with only a few small spells of pain and dizziness.

“It was an onion! It happens to everyone. You were a little drama queen about it.” I laughed. “And he's still right here, he’s just trying to give himself an easier life. Don’t go getting used to it.”

I laughed at her complaining about the fickle woman in Becca’s books, we’d had this conversation before. They were nothing like the women that I’d known growing up, living and loving at the whims of the men in their lives. Waiting to be saved, I remember in history they called it the gender gap. It was baffling to all of us; where you smuggled your junk was never a factor on the Ark. You were expected to contribute equally; depending on where you excelled and if you didn’t excel at anything in particular, they found a way to make you useful. I’d managed to get my arse locked up before they could force me into scrub duty like my mother.

“There’s one in there-“ I pointed to the tablet. “Called Cinder. I think it would appeal to you. She has a cybernetic leg and computer chips in her brain.” I smirked and prepared myself to block whatever she was going to throw at me. “And sherescues the Prince.”

= Raven =

The way #Luna’s eyes flickered to John when he stated the meaning of ‘Melon’ told so much. Murphy clearly wasn’t giving the correct translation of it. Making a note to ask her later what it really meant I repeated the word in my mind to memorise it. ‘Tof’melon.’ Rolling my eyes, leaning back into the pillows he’d given me, helped with the pain in my hip and back to subside a little.

“Luna would rather be stuck here with my beautiful face, than having to sit look at your mug for the rest of the evening.” I joked, but I was noticing the energy in my voice was lacking. Taking a moment to pull myself together, I knew I needed to make a better show of feeling ( okay ) if I was going to get my freedom.

“Now, there is the John Murphy we all know.” I wasn’t under any illusions; I knew full well that I’d not been the kindest to him over the time we’d been here. But it was becoming easier for us all to laugh and joke were ever we could find a second or two in the middle of everything that was wrong with this world and our lives. These two had gone from just looking out for me, to now becoming full time guards by the looks of it.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll still find ways to make your life a little difficult as soon as the Zen Master here lets me step a foot off this bed.” My hand had reached out and I wasn’t sure what it was until I threw it at him. Of course, he thought the book about some girl with a cybernetic leg and computer chips in her brain could appeal to me. Then again, maybe it would. But hell, if I was going to let him know I could be into reading it.

I was astonished at how fast #Luna moved sometimes. Like a flash her hand extended out and caught the cup I’d thrown before it hit him.

“Raven, no hitting the nurse. He just did all of this for you. Even if he says he did it for himself and his peace.” #Luna gave John a look, and I wasn’t sure what it was about.

“Now you want me to be nice to him too. Come on. Where is the fun in that? The guy just called me a ‘Drama Queen’ after he clearly tried to kill me.” I teased watching #Luna sitting herself down on the desk cross legged and placing the cup she’d caught by her side.

Looking towards John now again. “You know there is something simple here you both could do to make your life easier.” I gave them my best cheeky smile, and my gaze moved toward the door and the glass wall. I knew there was something happening on the main floor. There had to be.

“Get me off and out of this place. I’m awake. I’m talking and I’m becoming a pain in your arses. All signs point to ( She is Good ).”

My fingers curled around the tablet he’d provided as I spoke, and I scrolled the list until I came across the one, he’d said to read. Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Without really thinking about it I opened the file and read out the first line.

“The screw through cinder’s ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle...”

= John =

Her sarcasm was nowhere near as convincing as mine. I saw her nestling back into the pillows and smirked a little with self-satisfaction. I couldn’t help the guilt each and every time I saw her dragging that injured leg behind her when the pain was too much for her, now. It had been there before but I was always able to blame that all on Bellamy and the others. If they hadn’t tried to hang me; I wouldn’t have killed those kids and the whole thing that led up to her getting shot wouldn’t have happened. I couldn’t do that anymore, and I couldn’t understand why.

I knew that it wasn’t all me, not anymore. Not since the mountain men drilled a hole into her hip, at the time I thought it was sadistic that they chose that hip when her leg was clearly braced. But now I wondered if maybe it was a blessing. Thinking of when I was helping her on the beach when we got here and how she was able to move faster with someone to lean on, using her good leg to pull herself towards the trees. Maybe one badly damaged leg was better than two moderately damaged ones.

“The more escape attempts you make the longer you’ll be stuck here. You know that right?” I raised my brow at her, but before I could finish the quip #Luna had snatched a cup out of mid-air before I had the chance to process that Raven had thrown it. She was scarily quick. When #Luna set the cup back in front of Raven I just laughed. “And don’t forget to drink plenty of water. I am not giving you alcohol if you’re dehydrated.”

I shook my head at her suggestion about letting her out of here. “I might be able to convince Abby to let you go back to the house in a few hours. But there’s no hope of you getting set loose around the lab anytime soon.”

= Raven =

I wanted to tell him to ‘Jok of’ ( Fuck off ) but I thought better of it. There was no point in trying to play ( nice ), and then to show him that he’d gotten under my skin. Sitting up a little once again I turned to face the two of them. Moving the weight off my hip as I did it. Holding on to the tablet and keeping the pillows in place.

“And now he has gone from being the nurse to becoming the alcohol monitor too?” I rolled my eyes, making a point to lift the empty cup #Luna had put down and turning it upside down. Showing them, it was empty which could only mean that I have drunk the water from within it. “See, Reye’s knows when to behave.” Also, I didn’t know why but I’d been so thirsty since I’d woken up from this ( nap ) of mine. And they still hadn’t told me how long I was out for this time.

“What is the point of me going back home? They need me and my brain here John. There is no time left for us to be wasting babying me when we all need to be getting on with things. Luna said they are working on the backup plan. Or trying to come up with the next thing we all need to do. I can’t help with that if I’m at the house.”

My eyes rolled again, I was frustrated, and I knew it was at the wrong people. Or was it? I’d noticed how protective #Luna had become of me these past few times I took my ( naps ). And John was too I guessed, but really, I could swear that all he wanted was that I not die on his watch. Not that I could blame him for that if it was his motivation. I could see the trust Abby was putting in him these days, and it was changing him and the way he spoke and acted a little. But them He was will the cocky git sat smirking at me just as he was right now.

“Since when did you both become the boring rule followers of the crew here anyway? Wasn’t I the one always trying to keep you in line John?”

= John =

I laughed at her and stood up to refill her cup with water, giving her a look that screamed, DO NOT throw this at me, then I moved back to the chair and took my seat again. I shrugged at her complaint that she couldn’t be useful at the house. “Whatever they are working on is medical… Even your super-brain can’t help with that. It’s not Becca’s formula by the sound of things.”

She was annoyed and frustrated, I couldn’t blame her. To her this was hell, wanting to help and not being able to, or allowed to. But it was necessary to keep her alive. “You do realise you almost died today? And Abby and Jackson have been awake for… far too long.” I couldn’t even guess how long at this stage. “Trying to keep you alive and work on this new plan. So maybe… you should try and think about that. Don’t let them have wasted that time and effort because you don’t feel like staying in bed for a few hours.” I tried not to sound like I was lecturing her. But telling her she needed time to recover wasn’t going to keep her in that bed. But guilt just might.

“You’re calling the man that snuck alcohol to you in your hospital bed, boring? Should I turn the bottle over to Abby?” I raised my brow at her and pointed at the tablet. “Oh… by the way, that thing has no wireless access. So, don’t even try it.” My self-satisfied grin was even wider now.

= Raven =

When he stepped up, I sat up a little, readying myself for whatever pay back he thought he may be able to get away with. But my mouth dropped open a little when he refilled my glass and put it down before me. “You are brave.” He could end up wearing the water if he planned on babying me much longer.

“I may not be able to help with the medical stuff, but I can still read the data.” My eyes moved back towards the door and then to the tablet in my hands.

My face dropped at what I was hearing, how could I have been so foolish not to have known this without having to hear it from him. I glanced to #Luna and her look and body language was in agreement with him too. Abby and #Jackson had been up all that time not just dealing with the crisis at hand but dealing with the burden of keeping my ungrateful arse alive too. And this was how I was repaying them, by complaining about not getting things my way. Rubbing my forehead with the back of my free hand I looked back up to the ceiling trying to work out how long I was out for, because they weren’t telling me.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and rest my head back down in the pillow. It was soft, clean and comfortable. When my eyes opened again, he had yet another grin on his lips, and I wanted to punch it off his face. “No, I’m calling the guy who wants to tell Abby about the alcohol boring, and the guy who still hasn’t given me a glass of it.” Reaching out I picked up the glass of water. “A boring person would fill this up with water and leave it for me to drink.” Looking into the glass I smirked trying to hide the fact that I hadn’t thought about them when I was being a bitch from hell. “Oh, Look it’s water. And Who filled this glass Luna?” I asked and she points to John. “Bingo!”

I took a sip of the water as the glass was in my hand and then set it down. The bright Idea I’d had only moments ago all shattered the second he told me the tablet wasn’t able to access the wireless in the lab. “You foresaw that didn’t you John? You gave me the tablet knowing I’d try to access the server, and you made sure that it was impossible?” which it really wasn’t but everything I needed to change that, was downstairs on my workstation, which I couldn’t get to thanks to my two bodyguards.

“I swear John Murphy, if you hand that bottle over to Abby. I will kick your arse. You can not bring a girl a gift of wine and then go and hand it over to Mama Bear. That’s just ( wrong ).”

= John =

I could tell by the look in her eyes that something I said had landed. I could see the cogs turning when she realised that other people were also invested in her health, and if she caused herself another episode like this they would be back here doing it all over again.

“You think I want to be that guy?” I asked with a quirked brow. “I told you. When Abby is asleep or distracted we’ll open it. One of them will be in here to check on you soon and if you smell like wine you’ll be busted. Don’t try to out badass the original badass, Reyes. I know what I’m doing here.” I threw my feet up on the end of Raven’s bed and opened the book she had rejected.

“Do you think this is my first day? Pfft!” I screwed up my face and shook my head. “I know better than to give you something you can hack into the lab’s system with. You can try to code your heart out all you want I had #Monty pull out the Wi-Fi chip. The thing is practically useless… Other than the reading material.” I grinned again. “And the selfie camera, of course.” I added with a not-so-serious, serious face.

“Behave yourself and I won’t have to hand anything over to anyone.” I flashed a wicked grin as #Jackson walked into the room with a tablet of his own. ‘Hand what over to who?’ he asked looking from me, to Raven and then #Luna. He spotted the tablet in Raven’s hand. ‘Oh, no, no, no.’ He held out his hand for the tablet.

‘Nice try, Raven.’

“Hey, Doc Lite –“

#Jackson rolled his eyes at the nickname. “It’s fine. I had #Monty make sure all she can do is read.” He gave me a look like he didn’t believe me and spotted the book I had left lying on my chest as I reclined in the chair, my feet still on her bed. ‘Interesting choice.’ He pointed to the picture of a half-naked, very buff man holding his damsel in distress, in a compromising position on the cover. “I’m just getting in touch with my feminine side.” I smiled and he knocked my feet off the bed so he could walk around and start Raven’s exam.

I could see the smile peeking through on #Luna’s face while she tried to look Zen as always. Jackson made his notes and asked his questions. I saw him pause when he noticed the pillows and blanket, he looked directly at me. I tried not to acknowledge the look. ‘You’re sure about the tablet?’ He asked as he got ready to leave.

“I have #Monty’s solemn nerd oath that the thing is completely worthless. It’s almost as analogue as this.” I picked up the book and waved it at him, he rolled his eyes at me and left the room.

“Nice poker face Zen Master!” I laughed and rolled my eyes.

“Poko feis?” (Poker face) #Luna looked confused. “Slip… face?” she wrinkled up her nose in concentration and I burst out laughing.

= Raven =

“Do you really want me to answer that question and tell you ( what ) guy you are John?” With the roll of my eyes I didn’t push on the need for the wine. Really, I didn’t want a drink, it was more from the boredom and the need to do something to take my mind to another place. The Blue forest was still trying to seep back into my head and whatever happened I didn’t want my mind to go there right now.

“You can be a real arse sometimes John, you do know, that right? What am I meant to do with a Selfie Camera, and while I’m at it. What the Fuck is a Selfie Camera?” I wasn’t joking, my gaze was on the tablet and I couldn’t believe he had the foresight to think that far ahead. “How did you even know how to ask Monty to remove the chip? I mean. If I didn’t know you better, I’d be a little impressed by this.”

I muttered under my breath about never finding the need to behave these days. What was the point if I was in my final days on the planet? But I kept those thoughts to myself, with all these guys had put into keeping me alive. I’d noticed that #Luna and John didn’t take kindly to the jokes about my death these days. My train of thought was interrupted with the glass door opening and #Jackson coming in. once again I rolled my eyes.

“Hell Jax, not you too. I thought you and I had an understanding man?” He smiled once he made it past John and his legs hanging on my bed and stood beside me. ‘Not if it means you will have another one of your ( naps ) as you call them Rey, we can’t afford to let you have too much fun with tech.’

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw the satisfied grins, and eye contact the two bodyguards were sharing as #Jackson did my work up. The same tests that Abby had John do three or four times a day. The questions still hadn’t changed but now my answer was “You tell me” because it was all a blank for me as to how long I was out, if I was seeing things, was I hearing things. Had I wanted to harm anyone? To the last question my reply had been “Does wanting to Kill John count?” Which made #Jackson laugh and then he was happy with the service the bodyguards were providing me.

“Of all the things in the world, what is up with you both?” I eye them once the door was closed. You’re both having too much fun torturing me here!”

= John =

I didn’t acknowledge her question about whether I wanted her answer or not, I knew her opinion was somewhat biased. And #Jackson’s arrival had validated my argument for me. Her next question was just insulting. I rolled my eyes at her. “Hey, I may not be a tech genius, but I’m not completely thick either.”

#Jackson gave me a look when she asked about wanting to kill me. I rolled my eyes again, hard and turned to him. “I think she’s on the mend Doc Lite. That’s pretty much her baseline mood.” I run my hand through the air in a straight line. When he leaves, I control my laughter at Luna’s misunderstanding? “Looks like you still have some Gonasleng to learn Wise One.” I give her a grin. But I didn’t elaborate on what poker-face actually meant.

“Oh! And to answer your question from earlier.” I smiled and moved over to Raven’s bed, abandoning the book I’d only pretended to read, tapping the camera icon on the tablet, showing Raven her own face. Then I dared to shove mine into the frame and grin before I tapped the shutter. “That’s a selfie camera.” I laughed. “These people really liked to look at themselves.”

I turned my back to the window and took out the of bottle wine and uncorked it with the Swiss army knife I’d lifted from a traveller during my days on the road with Emori. She’d always been of the opinion ‘the bigger the better’ when it came to knives. I picked up three of the white cups stacked by the bed so we couldn’t be caught from afar with the dark red, elicit substance and filled them, handing one to Raven. “As promised.” I grinned and tucked the bottle into the cupboard below the bedside table.

I handed the other cup to #Luna who shook her head. I left it next to her on the floor. “Don’t be a buzz kill! Have a drink; I doubt one could dull those keen reflexes of yours.” I picked up the music player from the side of Raven’s bed and unplugged the headphones; I scrolled through and took my time selecting a song as I sipped the wine. Then set it aside with the volume up halfway.

(Music – Anew by Hollow Covers )

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= Raven =

“Somebody has been paying attention to the nerds while being stuck with them I can see.” I gave them both a smile. Seeing them joking with one another wasn’t rare anymore. We’d moved on from always trying to kill and snap, to now and then allowing ourselves to joke and have a laugh. I called it taking the small wins. Sometimes when we cannot stop the madness all around us. We had to take the small moments between us all and make the most of them.

The Zen Master was still smiling, which was a sign that she wasn’t as worried after #Jackson came to check on me. She let herself relax.

“No matter how much the ( Wise One ) has to learn. This Truth Teller isn’t going to be far to point it out to her.” I spoke to #Luna and pointed towards John who was walking up to my bed again now. “Always there to tell us what we don’t know. He thinks he is so clever.” I teased but I hoped they could see I didn’t mean it.

Shifting away a little when he lent in to play with the tablet, I raised my eyebrow watching him tabbing the screen and it came alive. He moved in again and I frowned at him and when I looked back that was the image on the screen. I laughed turning it over to show #Luna and she shook her head. ‘People were vain back then.’

“Finally starting to keep your word John. You are really trying to kill Luna and I with shock here tonight.” Taking the wine from him. I played with the glass, watching him again. The sounds of the monitors had been lowered so the beeping wasn’t as prominent. I took a sip from the glass, the music started to play and #Luna stood up. Picking up the glass beside her ‘Oso gonplei nou ste oden’ ( our fight will never be over ). She held the glass up and took a drink, walking around pulling John with her. ‘We need a selfie’.

I didn’t know if that was a good thing ( Our fight will never be over ). She was saying we should keep fighting, and I had Finn in my head telling me to give up and rest. How different it was all. From the land of my dreams to my reality.

Laughing I did as the Zen Master asked and tabbed the camera. “I can’t believe this is what my life has come to.” When I saw the three of us in the frame, I hit the shutter and there was a still of my bodyguards and I looking back at us. “Locked down in the moment.” I smiled looking at it and listening to the music.

From the far side of the lab, where the lights had gone dim, I saw movement. I knew there was nobody else here with us. But I could also swear that somebody had been stood there watching the three of us. Closing my eyes tight, I felt the two of them moving away again and I push the light dull pain from my eyes back as far as I could. I knew how to hide it well now. Taking another sip from the glass I put on a smile again.

“Got to give it to you John. You know how to find a good song.”

= John =

I roll my eyes again and laugh. Fuck, this girl was rubbing off on me. “No wonder your brain is melting, Reyes. I’ve rolled my eyes more in the last ten minutes than I have in my life and my eyes are hurting already... It’s a miracle you survived this long.” I teased her. #Luna was chilling out a little; I even saw her take a drink of the wine. She pulled me into the frame, and I didn’t resist. I seemed to spend all of my time with these women lately. When I wasn’t sneaking off the Island to covertly transport Chancellors from the mainland to be assaulted and used as human guinea pigs. But it seemed right to commemorate Raven’s survival; even if she was choosing to be blind to how close to death she’d come. But honestly, I knew Abby would never let that experiment happen, she wasn’t the mad scientist type. And #Jackson… he doesn’t have the balls to try something like that without a direct order.

“You’re starting to look human again Raven.” I grinned and straightened up. My eyes followed the quick flit of hers. She thought she hid so well, but I didn’t miss much. There was nothing there. “I had a lot of time with nothing more than #Becca’s music and crappy books for company. Certain ones stick in your mind. At least she had pretty good taste in music.” I hadn’t meant to bring that up, I felt my insides clench and pull in to try and make myself smaller at the thought of my confinement. But I shook it off quickly.

I held up my glass to them both and proposed a toast. “Gon kiken thru.” (To surviving.)

“Gon kiken raun.” (To life.) #Luna corrected me, I laughed but nodded and tapped my glass to hers and then Raven’s and repeated after her.

“Gon kiken raun.”

= Raven =

“Only because you are nowhere close to being a pro at the eye rolling thing.” And to prove the point I give him and #Luna an extra special eye roll with a flourish. #Luna smiled at me with another sip from her glass and gave me a ( Zen Master ) eye roll. “Somebody else just joined my club.”

Tilting my neck to the side I shook off the sensation of the dreamland or the darkness as #Luna called it. My eyes concentrating on the flash of a small light from a monitor across the room, once again there was movement to the side of me and once again, I knew nobody was here but the two hovering around my bed.

“That’s me.” Pointing my finger to myself and waving it over my head. “Didn’t you know I’m a miracle all around? You both should rub my arm and see if it washes off on you.” I mused with yet another eye roll. “Crap! I do, do these a lot.” Nine out of ten times, I didn’t even know they were happening. It was just my body’s ( Go To ) when dealing with all the A Team and some of the questions and ideas they would come up with.

My eyes moved from the light I was using to steady my mind towards him when he spoke of being in confinement, letting the comment about me looking ( human ) again go. ‘You survived it John, that’s the thing you need to keep reminding yourself’ #Luna had of course picked up on his discomfort too.

“Gon kiken raun.” (To life.) I called out to change the subject, I didn’t know much about John. But I knew he didn’t really like to talk about his time in the bunker on this island. I didn’t respect much when it came to keeping crap to yourself, being a believer in sharing can help us move past it all. But then again, I wasn’t great at taking my own advice when it came to these things.

“As far as I know, I just toasted to having Great Sex!” I joked lifting my glass to theirs before taking a sip myself. The gaze from #Luna was priceless, and I burst out laughing. “It was a joke Zen Master.” She smirked at me.

“Don’t let Jas hear me say this again, but this wine is much better than the shine they make.” Looking into the glass and taking another sip from it. My eyes flickered towards the glass door once again.

I knew so much had to be taking place out there and down the steps, and here I was stuck in this place drinking wine and listening to music which was over a hundred years old. And both things weren’t bad to have to pass the time. Pulling the blanket up a little when a shiver passed over my skin.

“May I have some more?” Holding out the close to empty glass. “I may have drunk that one a little too fast.”

= John =

“Should we start calling you The Miracle Girl now?” I laughed and looked at #Luna. “What was that word? Nemiyon.” She nodded. “Nemiyon Gada.” (Miracle Girl). I took another sip from my cup. I didn’t want to get drunk tonight, after what I saw earlier with Kane and Abby anything could kick off. Plus, I wasn’t sure if Raven would have any more fits or seizures.

“Take it from the guy that had to sedate you again, and then carry you up those bloody stairs… I do not want that kind of luck.” I wondered if maybe that was why she kept tilting her head and moving her neck. I hadn’t exactly been gentle, I was only thinking about getting her the dose as fast as possible before she hurt herself. I moved over to her again and leaned in to look at the small bruise on her neck; the needle mark was hardly visible. “Is your neck hurting? You should have mentioned that to Doc Lite before he left.”

#Luna’s words about ‘surviving it’ stung. She had no idea why they had finally let me out; sometimes I still felt the cold press of the revolver to my chin. I only acknowledged the words with a slight nod of my head. I shook it off and laughed, choking on some wine when Raven made her ‘Good Sex’ comment. “It’s a toast to life, Raven.” #Luna said with an unreadable expression when Raven laughed, so did she. She was loosening up. And Raven’s cheeks had more colour now too. I had to agree with her about the wine, it tasted a lot better.

“It’s a pity you have to drink so much to get buzzed though. The moonshine goes straight for the brain cells.” I took her glass and crouched in front of the cupboard I had hidden the wine in, so I didn’t have to lift it out. Just in case someone came by… I poured her a glass. I was still working on my first. “You cheated death today, Reyes. You earned it.”

I handed her the cup and the next song started to play and I knew she’d remember it; I played it while I was cooking a lot but this one was a little bit different.

(Music: War of Hearts (Acoustic Version) · Ruelle )

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= Raven =

“I do believe I could live with that as a new title. Nemiyon Gada.” I say the words a few times, each in a different way making #Luna laugh at what I was doing. It in turn made me whisper to myself “Small wins” Taking the glass of wine from him I smiled taking a sip from it.

My jaw clenched a little when he mentioned the need to sedate me again, from nowhere the anger flushed over me and there was that voice in my head saying, ‘He was trying to hurt you’. The first time he did it I didn’t have a choice in the matter, but he knew how that stuff made me feel.

“You Reaper Sticked Me Again Murphy?” My voice a little louder than I intended it to be, but I didn’t have control of it at the same time. Sitting up a little in the bed again I turned to the side where he was checking my neck and I punched his arm. It wasn’t hard, but only because I didn’t have the energy to spare right now.

“You know how that crap makes me feel. It was probably the reason for the dreamland and all the shit I lived--” I stopped; in my tirade I’d said too much. I had no plans to share where I’d gone or what I’d seen with anybody. They would all think I was losing my mind.

‘Raven! Stop.’ #Luna was on her feet again. ‘He was trying to help you. This isn’t you right now, I can see the darkness in your eyes’. She stood beside John and I lowered my hand.

“—I’ll live. It’s only a little sore, the discomfort should be gone in a couple of days. You may have hit me on an angle which is why it still feels like something is sticking me in there.” Rubbing my fingers over my neck when he moved back, I shook my head a little. “No, not telling Jax a thing. It’ll become another reason for them to keep me locked up when I don’t need to be.”

Frowning at myself my glance moved to John. I’d gone and done it again. He’d tried to save me, carried me up the steps to the biolab. “I’m sorry. That was ungrateful of me. I really am sorry for that John. Forgive me?”

Rubbing my free hand over my forehead my frown changed as the song started to play and I knew it. The words washed over me the same way they did the first time I’d heard them. It was the first time I’d gone to the mansion with John and #Luna. That was the time when #Luna had been drained from a day at the lab giving blood. John had put this song on. “I know this song… But it sounds different.” The anger was disappearing, and my body was relaxing again, as I listened remembering #Luna asleep on the couch next to the kitchen, and John dancing and cooking. And I started to whisper the words as I remember.

“Stay with me a little longer, I will wait for you, Shadows creep, and want grows stronger, Deeper than the truth. I can't help but love you. Even though I try not to, I can't help but want you, I know that I'd die without you.”

#Luna placed her hand on my shoulder, and I knew shame filled my eyes not looking at John.

= John =

"I had no ch-"

I was cut off by her punch; I was caught a little off guard. But, mostly I worried at how weak the punch was. #Luna was on her feet next to me, quickly and I just shook my head at her, trying to silently tell her it was okay. I knew it was her mind working faster than her body could process, or at least that's what I was telling myself.

Her comment about a 'Dreamland' didn't go unnoticed. I knew she was dreaming. The brainwave monitor had shown it. But I wasn't going to ask her about it now, I didn't want to stress her out, or send her back off to this dreamland of hers.

I smiled at her when she apologized and chuckled a little when she asked for my forgiveness… until I saw her face. She was serious, my eyes dropped for a second. "Don't worry about it, Raven. I hardly felt it. You still aren't back to your usual arse-kicking self." I laughed. I knew #Luna was concerned with the deeper meaning of why she was lashing out. But sometimes that was just what we needed to do. "And #Jackson won't keep you here for a bruise on your neck." I couldn't help but smirk and tease her. "Just tell him it's a perfectly circular hickey."

I laughed when she recognised the song. "Yeah, it’s the one I played after your first seizure. They call this the acoustic version."

I could see her beating herself up still. I stepped up right next to the bed and caught her hazel gaze. "Raven. Seriously, it's okay. I know it's not really you; you'll get this under control. You will." I lifted the glass and took a longer drink than I had been taking tonight.

= Raven =

#Luna walked closer to me now, slowly moving my legs to the side being careful not to hurt me. She climbed up on to the bottom of the bed and sat with her legs crossed under herself. The glass of wine in her hand, and her eyes not once leaving me. I knew she was searching my eyes for whatever it was that gave her the heads up that I was going to the place of darkness.

I knew I’d messed up with one stupid knee jerk reaction, my mind not being able to control my emotions as well as it should, and with so much around me being processed so fast, and without the ability for me to think clearly. I should have known that these actions of mine like any other had the equal and opposite reaction, anything to even out the universes, just this time it wasn’t from me. All John had done to make #Luna relax had been destroyed by me in a split moment. I was the one who was now impacting #Luna and John, and not in a positive way at all.

Closing my eyes, I listen to the music play and the words somehow were able to ground me in a way I didn’t think it was possible. The next time I opened my eyes, I saw how #Luna’s shoulders relaxed and she took a sip from her glass.

“John the point is not that you can handle it. The point is that I swore to myself that I wouldn’t lash out at yo—” I stopped and corrected myself. “—That I wouldn’t lash out at anybody because of this.” I tapped the side of my head.

‘What is a ( hickey )?’ #Luna asks with confusion on her face, and her eyebrows pulled together.

Turning my attention fully towards John, the hint of a smile playing on my lips. “Yes, Branwoda goufa ( Foolish child), What is this hickey you speak of?” feigning ignorance. If he was the one who had the ( bright ) ideas, and cocky comments, he could be the one to explain them to the Wise One.

= John =

I watched #Luna and Raven have their silent conversation; I’d had some similar ones with her myself. She had a way of making you see things you never would have before, without saying a word. Almost like she could plant a seed of an idea in your mind and then sit there and watched it grow. She did it only yesterday at the dinner table when Raven was insisting, I had a thing for #Luna.

One look from the Zen Master had sent my mind into a tailspin and Raven came so close to a seizure while I went off to deal with the madness in my head. I knew then; I needed to cop on and focus on the job Abby had given me. It wasn’t even a full day later when I failed at that and ran the second things went bad, again.

As soon as I knew she was in the bed and surrounded by her friends; I just left.

“You stopped yourself from hitting me in the face, right?” I smiled at her, trying to make her feel better about it. This thing was killing her; it wasn’t going to be easy to learn to control it. She probably wouldn’t before it finally… I stopped the thought before it fully formed. The idea of this thing killing her was strangely unbearable. “You’re getting there. You’ll get it under control.”

I lifted my glass to my lips and took another long drink; only to spit it out the second #Luna voiced her question. I covered my mouth with my hand, the dark red liquid running over my chin and my fingers. I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and my hand on my pants.

“Ai nou bilaik goufa, skaipeka.” I teased her. (I’m no child, Little Bird.)

I laughed and leaned in close to #Luna’s ear and whispered what a hickey was. She wrinkled up her nose like she didn’t know what I was talking about. And I wondered for a moment if her peace-loving lifestyle was also a celibate one. I took another drink, waiting to see if she’d work it out.

“You mean hefsticka?” She turned to me with a little smirk, and yet again I spat wine. Translating the bastardized version of English, the word man and brand stuck together is what they called a hickey?

“Seriously? That’s what you call it?” I laughed hard and #Luna just shrugged. I turned to Raven and explained.

“It means Man-brand… It’s apt… I suppose.” I couldn’t stop laughing.

= Raven =

“Only because your face was too far of a stretch for me to reach without falling out of the bed.” I teased with a small grin on my lips as I took a sip from my glass.

The tension in the room had changed once again in the blink of an eye. And yet there was more in his eyes then he was letting on. His words said, ‘You’ll get it under control’ and yet his eyes said something completely different. Here was a skill I was slowly picking up from #Luna. ‘Read the eyes’ she’d told me, ‘Words don’t always tell the full story.’ And how right she’d been when it came to me, and now John too.

Moving the pillow from under my hip I placed it over my lap. Putting the tablet on top of it with the book still open which I would read at some point I was sure. John had changed the back to the bed so that I could sit up taking the pressure off my hip all together for now. I sat sipping on the wine much slower this time, I knew I’d have a fight on my hands if I asked for another glass, so I needed to make this one last for now.

The dull throb behind my eyes was slowly coming back, which meant that the drugs #Jackson had giving me were starting to wear off. But I made sure not to let John and #Luna see the change in my ( pain free mask ). I watched the two of them talk and laughed with them. But my mind was on the shadow at the far side of the room in the darkness looking at us. I wanted to go and see what it was, but I knew that wasn’t going to be possible right no.

#Luna’s voice brought me back from the far side of the room to the conversation they were sharing, and I laugh. “John!” Covering my face when he spat the wine out and it was all over him, but specks of it fell on me too. “Take a step back if you are planning on showering us both with wine here.” But it was funny to see reaction.

It took me a moment for two to gather and re-join and understand what it was that I’d missed when I zoned out. Remining myself ( Hickeys ) we were talking about hickeys when I zoned out. “Skaipeka?” I asked

#Luna jumped in. ‘You know this one Raven; he has called you this a few times now.’

I think a little as John cleans himself up. And then I rolled my eyes when I remember what #Luna had told me it meant. “Little Bird?”

She laughed again. ‘Yes’

I felt a little proud of myself for remembering the word but then they both lost me again with ‘Hefsticka’ Until John sap out his wine again and this time both #Luna and I laughed so hard that tears were rolling. In the moment I told myself again ( Small Wins ). In all the madness, sadness and the world coming to an end. These two had found a way to me and themselves laugh.

“Wait a minute, is it the same is a girl gives a guy a Hefsticka?” I asked wiping my eyes, seeing wine dripping from Johns mouth down his chin. It can’t be a ( Man-brand ) if I’m giving it to somebody right? Or is it that same thing?” And Yes, I knew it when I said it. They world as we knew it was coming to an end. And I wanted to know now what a ( Hickey ) was called if a girl gave one to a guy. Like I keep saying ( Small Wins ). The music changed as the next song started to play.

(Music: Fleurie -Chasing All the Stars )

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= John =

I laughed; she was almost herself again, making sarcastic jokes and slightly hollow threats. I knew there still a chance I’d get a slap. Maybe not like the ones where her intentions were hijacked by the Darkness as #Luna called. Just a good, old fashioned smack upside the head.

I just laughed and said “Whoops!” with a shrug of my shoulder when I accidentally spat wine on Raven. It was #Luna’s fault anyway. I grinned at the Trig lesson happening in front of me. “Keep this up and there’ll be no more secret conversations #Luna.” I remembered talking to her about Raven in front of #Jackson. Then it hits me that I just gave Raven’s theory that I fancied the Zen Master more ammunition. I shook it off, it wasn’t important.

Seeing them both laughing was great. I took it to mean I was doing my job well; keeping Raven relaxed and distracted yesterday seemed to help manage her pain, or at least make her think of something else. Even when she did finally get her hands on the computers and start coding, she still didn’t seize.

“Most of their language is very male-dominated.” I was thinking out loud. “Which is kind of strange; because they seem to prefer female leaders, the words don’t change for male and female. Like ‘Em’ means he and she…” I cleared my throat and stopped talking; I was giving away more than I normally would, so I refilled my wine again, hoping they’d not paid attention.

I’d forgotten that song was on the device. The first verse had never really caught my attention until now.

“There's a letter sealed and unopened for you.

All the words that I can't seem to get out in person

I'm bad with that but you know that all too well

There's a moment set aside for you”

Something Luna had said about listening and looking inside came back to me. There were a lot of thoughts and feelings in my head I didn’t even have words to describe to myself, let alone to say out loud. It was maddening, feeling like I didn’t know my own mind. But then I’d think of Raven, and I knew if you multiplied mine by a thousand it still wouldn’t come close.

= Raven =

My ears plucked up and my lips curled up into a big trouble making grin. “Secret conversations you say? And how often would you say, you like to have these ( secret conversations ) with our good-looking Zen Master over here?” I teased, because I knew it. He did have a soft spot for #Luna, he was just fighting it.

#Luna smirked with an eye roll, watching me at the same time as looking at John and whispered ‘Tu krei koken kru’ ( Two very crazy people )

Bringing my glass up to my lips I take a long slow sloppy drink from it, but before I was really done I choked at the way #Luna rolled her eyes at me and I was now the one spitting out the wine. Just managing to save myself from splattering out over John and #Luna.

Before #Luna and I could say anything, our full attention was on John. “John Murphy? Have you been taking notes while Luna has been giving the rest of us lessons?” I asked wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

‘For somebody who said he didn’t care to learn, you know a lot about my language Mofi (Murphy)’ #Luna sat leaning back a little, resting the weight of her body onto her hand resting on the bed behind her.

“This only means that he’s been keeping it a secret just how much of your language he can speak and understand Luna. I do believe the boy is maybe trying to impress you.” I tease.

“He has some—” I had to think back a little to the word. “-- Tof’melon?” I asked, “That is tough luck, right? Letting it all slip like this in front of us now.” Laughing now I held my glass out towards him when he was filling his and #Luna did the same.

“More please?” We both gave him the most innocent of looks we could muster between the two of us. Two was most definitely better than one right now. I could even get used to the tables turning and for once we are tag teaming him. And not the two of them ganging up on me.

I didn’t even know I was doing it, but I started to hum along to the song. I didn’t know it or the words, but they were sinking in as I listened and they were resonating with some part of me, that calm was washing over me again. When I looked across the room the shadow was gone for now.

= John =

“Every time you piss me off.” I offer her an expert eye roll at her question. “Or when you try to kill yourself, or when #Jackson and Bellamy are around.” I chuckled, I knew it annoyed those two that I was better at this than they were, it amused me.

There wasn’t a lot to amuse yourself with around here. I was a people watcher. But there weren’t many of us here, and the ones that were… were predictable. Other than Raven, and apparently Abby after that slap she dished out.

“Yu shak op twin bigwoda en osir koken?” I laughed hard. (You live in the middle of the ocean and we’re the crazy ones?)

I smiled at them both and shook my head, laughing when Raven spat her wine now too. “I don’t need lessons. I’m a survivor, I pick up what I need to get by.” She was definitely still on the #Luna thing. I took a mouthful from my cup.

“I’m impressive without trying, Reyes.” I quirked a brow at her, taking her cup to refill it, then #Luna’s. They flashed the doe eyes at me like I was the alcohol monitor and I toyed with the idea of being a buzzkill. But, Raven was relaxed right now, she wasn’t wasted or drinking too fast so I didn’t see why not. She’d almost died; she might as well live a little while she could.

My eyes followed Raven’s to the same corner again as I handed #Luna her wine. I was hyper-aware of it now, especially after the Doc’s episode earlier.

= Raven =

There was a light buzz glowing in my head, a few glasses of the wine and there was a feeling of freedom. I didn’t want to think of the Blue forest out here with people around me, and yet I couldn’t help it too. This was the same way I’d felt when I was in there. The sensation of calm had washed over me, and it felt like the weight I’d been carrying around with me was gone.

The sound of their laughter pulled me back and my glass was full once again. John looked at ease and Luna looked relaxed once again too. “That’s just boring, I was hoping there were some sweet nothings being said in a different language.” #Luna rolled her eyes once again, and I smirked at her and him.

“Impressive? Is that what we are calling your key skills now John? I mean the MasterChef thing and now the added Nursing skills, you are a sort after guy.” I smiled taking another sip from the now full glass.

“We can get three goats and maybe, if we barter well even a buffalo for him Raven” Luna laughed hard and hit the side of her thigh as she sat cross legged.

“Oh Wow? Really? I wouldn’t have asked for more that maybe one goat, it’s a good thing the Zen Master knows your true worth here John.” Winking over at him, I moved to rest back and stretched out my good leg. The bad one was in place and I was happy to leave it were it was laying. “But it would mean that we’ll have to eat porridge Abby makes and maybe if we are lucky some kind of slop.”

Reaching out I grabs the arm of his shirt. “Please Wise One… Can we keep him a little longer? Just a day or two?” I couldn’t believe I was able to joke and laugh. But it was all in the small wins that made the fight worth it in the end.

= John =

I took another mouthful, rolled my eyes at her and shook my head. It irked me more than it should. But part of me wondered if it was better to let her keep thinking that as opposed to having insight into the other crazy things in my head. At least this little fantasy of hers kept her distracted.

“Careful Reyes.” I gave her a cocky look. “Anyone would start to think you were jealous.” I laughed at her comment about my nursing skills. “Yeah well… someone has to keep you from working yourself into the ground and judging by the way the Dream Team were manhandling you back into bed earlier -- ” I shook my head. “You’d swear they’d never even met you.” Simply telling Raven that she needed to stay in bed wasn’t going to work; I’d been there and done that. I failed. But I learned, they didn’t seem to get the message.

I smiled at #Luna when she talked about my worth. “At least she knows a good thing when she sees it.” I laughed and stood by the bed as she fidgeted a little. “So, you’re only willing to keep me around for food… not the fact that I’ve saved your life how many times now? Three? And that’s not counting the seizures you didn’t have because of me.”

It was strange that she reached out and grabbed me like that. Lately, anytime her hand came in my direction I assumed I was going to get hit, even if it was just a small irritated slap. I stood next to her bed and looked at the way she was laying.

“Are you comfortable? Want to try getting out of the bed for a little while?” I glanced over at the chair next to the bed. I knew it wasn’t much, I figured if I offered an alternative when she wasn’t fighting me on everything, maybe she’d stop looking at me like I was her jailer.

= Raven =

Choking on my wine again. “Are you trying to kill me now? After everything you and Luna have done to keep me alive John?” Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

“What is there for me to be jealous of?” I half laughed, “I have no skin in this game.” I pointed between the two of them with a raise of my eyebrow suggesting they should jump before the world was over. “It’s because ( she knows a good thing when she sees it) as you put it so well, that I am saying this.” Waggling my eyebrows, I took another sip from my glass.

That cocky look he always gave me was back and oh how I wanted to punch it. But I was past that. I had ( grown ), gotten better at controlling myself. ( Or at least that was what I wanted to believe. )

‘Branwoda gada, taim jos Yu don get in’ ( Foolish Girl, if only you knew ). #Luna took another sip from her glass, but her eyes were on John now. I looked up at him confused, I’d worked out the first part of it. She was calling me Foolish, and I could give her that one. Hells I’d been called a lot worse in my time. But the rest was a pass for me.

Leaning into John, he’d moved closer and I was still holding his sleeve. I whispered knowing full well she could hear me. “What did she just call me? Foolish and then?”

I shifted letting his arm go now, I knew I was all over the place before. For Abby, John #Jackson and #Luna seeing me after my ( naps ) wasn’t something new. By now they all knew what was happening to me. But for the rest of the crew. The so called ( Dream Team ) as Jasper would call us. They didn’t know how to help or what to do. The more they tried to help, the more it was getting to me. I felt like the walls were closing in on me and I pushed out at them. Not one of my finest moments in time.

‘John, Emo jos gaf in bilaik hir gon em’ ( John, they only want to be here for her) #Luna moved a little forward resting her hand in her lap, holding her glass. And she smiled towards me.

I held my hand out towards him to say I was fine, until he spoke of me getting out of the bed. Sitting up right away, giving my head a dizzy spin, I stopped. Stilling myself enough to hold out the tablet on my lap and the glass of wine.

“Yes! You are right. I need out of this bed. It’s so uncomfortable!” Anything to move a step closer to the glass doors and the downstairs. “Have you seen my brace?” Somebody had removed it from my leg, and I couldn’t see it in my eyeline.

= John =

She choked again and I laughed. But at the very least what she had to say next was proof I wasn’t the only one losing my mind. She always found a way to spin my words, but I didn’t contradict her. The words were there, trying to escape and let her know in terms that couldn’t be misunderstood; I had no interest in Luna; it was my job to look after her.

But that wasn’t exactly true either, I wanted to make sure they were both okay; but if I let myself think that; I’d run.

Abby gave me a job, she trusted me to do it and so far, my screw-ups didn’t kill anyone.

She flashed a cocky grin and I laughed because it was a new look on her, she was enjoying this too much, but I laughed despite myself. Luna’s words made my eyes shoot towards Raven, searching for understanding in her expression. “Luna… Beja, jos kilr en of.” (Please, just let it go.) Luna looked down into her cup for a second; this woman was too insightful for her own good… and mine.

“Basically, she said you’re way off.” I took another swig from the cup. “And I have to agree, the Zen Master’s only love is the sea.”

Luckily it seemed like the distraction of getting out of the bed had put it out of her head. I shook my head when she asked about her brace. “What do you think this is… my first day? The minute you get that back there’s no hope of stopping you getting out of here.”

“if you want out you need to let me help you.” I gave her a look that said I wasn’t joking. “And that goes for with, or without your brace; Abby will kill me for letting you out of the bed at all.” I moved the blanket down two her knees and stand next to the bed holding out my arms, offering to lift her out and lower her into the chair right next to me.

But I waited to give her the option to tell me to fuck off. “It’s not like it’s the first time; just the first time while you’re conscious.” I was curious if her desire to get out of this bed was strong enough to accept my help.

= Raven =

I wanted to knock his hand away from me. I didn’t need his help. Who the hells did they think I was? Out of nowhere rage built up in me and my jaw clenched hard. My eyes narrowed and I was seeing red again. That voice in the back of my head whispering ‘You are their prisoner’, playing on repeat. I wasn’t sure what it was that kicked it into play. The fact that he was offering to help me like I was an invalid, or that they had taken the one thing from me that would allow me my freedom from this place?

‘Reivon’ (Raven ), Her voice was a whisper, and I didn’t dare look at her or him right now. ‘Taim Lufa au tiya Yo en’ (Look inside yourself.) Of course, she saw it. she picked up on the change in me before I knew what was happening at times.

“I know, I’m trying.” I whispered back and pushed the shadows and the voice away. Whispering to myself “You aren’t real. This is real.” My hand fisting up into the side of the bio bed. This thing wasn’t going to get the better of me. I wasn’t going to let it or me strike out at the people who had been trying to help me. I knew if I hit him again, I’d not forgive myself.

Finally, when I looked up to see them both, my eyes were mine again. “I’m sorry” I whispered when I knew my voice was my own too. But still seeing his hand out to help me, it was hard for me to take it. I knew this wasn’t the first time. He’d carried me a number of times. Hells he’d carried me and ran from the Devil in the Red Dress in Arkadia. The way he helped to save me on the beach when we arrived. The number of times he saved me from myself when I was over working my melting brain. And All he got for it in return was verbal and physical abuse.

“Thank you” I had to bite back everything in me that said, ‘You don’t need help from anybody.’ To reach out my hand and put it in his.

= John =

I knew she hated it, I would too if our places were switched. She almost died, she needed to take the help but, I hope that getting out of this bed even for a little while would give her a bit of a boost and make her feel like she wasn't just a patient. She was whispering to herself again… my eyes shot to Luna to see if she had noticed it too. Her eyes were glued to her, so I assumed she had.

"It’s okay." I whispered to her, taking her cup to set it aside. "You'll be back on you're own two feet before you know it, Reyes." I took her hand when she reached for mine, slipped my other under her knees to help her swing them over the side of the bed. It was shocking how much easier it was to pick her up when she was awake, it was like she weighed half as much, she was a tiny little thing... but unconscious humans no matter how compact; were not easy to carry.

I had to turn my head to the side, she was sitting up and awake, having my face too close to hers felt like an invasion of her space. Especially when she was already feeling like she was being held prisoner.

"Luna grab the I.V. st -- " I stopped she wouldn't understand, so I just nodded towards the stand. "That around this side of the bed, please." Luna climbed off of the bed and moved around the head of it pushing the stand and lifting the tubes, so they didn't catch on anything, she left it next to the chair.

"I'll ask Abby what they did with your brace," I said as a turned us both, and eased her down let her feet touch the floor even though I didn't let her put any weight down. I ease her into the chair, which I couldn't do without leaning over her and really getting in her face. I muttered.

"Sorry" and stepped back, clearing my throat. I picked up her wine again and handed it to her. When I looked at her sat there still not able to get up and move around freely, I realised how ridiculous the idea was, this was just a different view of the same prison. But I forced a smile.

"See... One step closer to freedom."

The music changed on the device still laying in the bed.

( Music: Demons (Philosophical Sessions)

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= Raven =

The Feeling of helplessness is one I wouldn’t wish upon anybody, not even my worst enemy. I know everybody told me that I was strong and that the damage to my hip and leg had done nothing to stop me. But imagine being the girl who was always ahead of everybody else. They all pushed hard to catch up with me. They all wanted what I had. My speed, my body strength, my intelligence. And now slowly I was losing it all. Everything I once was so proud of, that was once my identity was slipping away from my hands like grains of sand.

John lifted me off the bed in his arms and I placed my arms around his neck. When he moved to set me down on the chair, I turned my head away from him. He was having to carry me as it was, and I was in his personal space. After nearly lashing out at him again. I closed my eyes and took in a few deep breaths before looking at him and #Luna again.

“Thank you both, I’m really sorry. For—Everything I’m putting you both through.” It’s all I could say. Shame from my actions was drowning me without the need of water.

“Step closer to freedom” I whispered, my eyes down to my leg taking the glass of wine from him. The highs and lows now hitting as fast as a switch being turned on and off. There was no build up to it anymore. But the sound of the music and the change in song were the things I was trying to put my concentration into, listening carefully to allow the anger to disappear fully.

“I thought my demons, were almost defeated

But you took their side, & you pulled them to freedom

They know my secrets & won't let me go, won't let me go”

“How true can a song from over a hundred years ago be for somebody who wasn’t even born when it was created?” I whispered again to myself and the shadows growing around me.

= John =

I felt the pull in the room as some of the fight drained from her in that moment; I knew she’d get it back. She always did but it was hard to watch. Without really thinking I rested my hand on her shoulder, I pulled it back when I realised, I was the last person she’d want comfort from. Even if it wasn’t for our past, I was the one keeping her here. I was the one picking her up because she couldn’t stand on her own right now. Luna climbed back up onto the bed and gave me one of her looks as I jerked my hand back.

I didn’t tell her not to apologise again. She heard me before, but she was feeling like a burden and repeatedly telling her she wasn’t was just going to reinforce that idea. “You’ll be back on your feet in no time, Raven.” I fully intended it as a supportive statement but it falls flat. Just another empty sentiment that none of us really had the right to offer, because any minute now that next seizure could come along… with or without a trigger and she could be gone. Or worse, alive and trapped like a prisoner in a body and mind that couldn’t function at all.

“John is right. Yu laik gona.” #Luna said. (You’re a warrior). “Yu na ge yuj nodotaim. You’ll be strong again.”

She translated for herself. I leaned back against the bed; not sitting up on it. I tried not to make it obvious that I was putting a little space between myself and #Luna. It was nothing to do with the nightblood, she never touched me unless it was a brief comforting squeeze on my shoulder… or she couldn’t stand. Hell, she hardly got close to me. So, why did I care?

I drained the cup and restrained the urge to refill it right away, only because I had an audience. There was a short silence and the music changed, and I let a smile slip across my features. “That’s better!” I chuckled. “Now it’s a party!” I knew 21st-century music was strange to #Luna; as she listened, a crease form between her eyes.

(Music: Señorita - Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello )

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= Raven =

There was nothing to it. I had no way to change the outcome or the path I was on to get to it. ‘So, give into it’ Becca’s voice was back, and I shoot a glance around the room. The shadows moved slowly forming the outline of a body. I closed my eyes and let my head fall forwards. It was the touch on my shoulder that make me jerk my head up. It had been comforting and then it was gone too soon. It wasn’t until I saw him moving away did, I place the fact that the touch belonged to him. ‘Well, who else would it be?’ Becca’s voice mused in my head again.

This time it was #Luna’s voice that pulled me back from the dark hole that was trying to drag me in. I knew she meant well. but telling me I was a ( warrior ), didn’t do much for the mess I was in right now. ‘Pull yourself together Reyes!’ I told myself and waves my free hand in the air and downed the wine left in my glass in one.

“Whatever and whomever I am or was. I know for sure that I’m still a girl who is up to party.” With a fake smirk I lifted my glass towards him again. Pushing my luck, I knew it, but what was the worst that could happen? He’d say no? So, I’d try again in five minutes.

“I know this song! Harper and Monty were dancing to it in the kitchen a couple of nights ago!” It had been good to watch the two of them lost in one another. Laughing and dancing, not a care in the world for the time the song was on and playing. They were just lost in one another and nobody else mattered. “Could you turn it up? We can’t start a party with the music down low.” But mostly if the music was up, it would make it harder for me to hear the voices.

= John =

I could see on her face that my plan was not as ingenious as I thought it would be. It was idiotic, but the intent was oddly pure, even in my capacity as a nurse. I couldn’t help but look down at my hand and wonder why I did that. Seconds before I was acutely conscious of the fact that I was invading her personal space and then I was deliberately touching her and deluding myself that it would make her feel better. I was losing my mind.

I thought of what the worst would be if I let her have another. She seemed to have a handle on her pain, I knew it was there… hiding behind those hazel eyes of hers. But it wasn’t just that she was hiding it well. She was coping; with the physical pain at least, but there was more going on back there. I refilled her glass with a grin and offered to top up Luna’s, but she covered hers with her hand and I refilled my own.

I exaggerated a shudder. “#Monty… Dancing?” I laughed, hard. “I’m glad I missed that.” I cranked the volume up full and #Luna was starting to look like she was enjoying the song. “Raven Reyes… party girl.” I mused out loud remembering the parties in the unused storerooms in Factory Station. How she was always with Finn back then. “I seem to recall some legendary evenings back in the day.”

= Raven =

I watched #Luna relaxed and enjoying herself again, and John looked a little lost in his own mind once again.

“You know what, you’d be surprised to learn the guy can move, and the fact that he was lost in #Harper, it was so them.” I know that look they gave one another. I’d walked in on them one too many times to have seen it first-hand and there was no way to miss it now. Smiling I shook my head. “I need to learn to knock on the door before going to find those two.” I mused.

I was in shock when he refilled my glass and did not give me a look or a ‘This is it’ comment. I wasn’t going to say something smartarse to him, as I may want more later and anything that came out of my mouth in this moment could and would hinder my plans for later.

“Legendary” I mused sitting back in the chair. Bringing the glass to my lips and taking a sip as I thought back to the time on the Ark. “Finn used to have to bribe me to go to those things. He’d hide my books and tell me how sad it would be if my books went missing forever.” Shaking my head, a little. “He knew too well that once I got to the party, I’d have fun, but I wasn’t one of the ones rushing to be there.”

Taking another sip from the glass I moved my shoulders and head slowly to the sound. It was different to any of the other songs we’d heard. And even on the Ark I wasn’t sure if I’d heard something like it. “And Before you make some smart-arse comment, I know I was a nerd okay. And I am not embarrassed by it at all. You don’t become the youngest Zero-G Mechanic by missing classes and partying all night long.

= John =

I shook my head, still not wanting to picture it. “I’m shocked he actually pulled it off.” I laughed but I meant winning #Harper over in the first place. “He had his eye on her since she got locked up on the Ark. Not that we had many opportunities for co-ed fun.” I looked into my glass. I hadn’t been paying all that much attention to them in Arkadia when they first hooked-up. “I’m guessing #Harper made the first move, right?” I looked to Raven; if anyone knew the answer to that it was her. I’d seen it coming for a long time. I chuckled at her comment, I remember #Monty grumbling the same thing about her a few times.

I gave her a look when she was talking about the parties. “Believe me, I know. Do you have any idea how many times we asked Finn to get you to help us break into the storerooms? He said no every time. Luckily, we had Monty… when he wasn’t stoned. So, you had all the fun and none of the risk.”

Of course, I left out the fact that he said she was far too brilliant to risk lock-up over something as stupid as a party. Right now, I was glad he was so insistent, if she’d been in lock-up she wouldn’t have gotten the training she did and we’d probably all be dead already.

“Way to suck the fun out of it, Reyes!” I teased her, but in a harmless way. “Besides my jokes are far more sophisticated than calling someone a nerd!”

“You would be imprisoned for a social gathering?” #Luna asked with her brow pulled low. I cleared my throat.

“If there were too many people, or we were in a restricted area… or if we were caught with alcohol. It was illegal to make or drink alcohol up there… and every crime no matter what got you locked up or floated.”

I saw #Luna. “Why were you a prisoner, John?”

This time I cringed, and my eyes darted to Raven, she’d know this story by now. At least the way everyone else told it. “I um… cringe I set a fire.” I didn’t go into the details that I set the fire in the quarters of the bastard that arrested my father and (in my opinion) was the reason my mother drank herself to death out of grief. #Luna looked at me like she knew there was more to that story, but she wasn’t going to ask, and that’s how I wanted it to stay.

= Raven =

“All the fun?” My eyes moved to the glass in my hand and I was swirling the wine. Watching as the liquid formed small circles in my hand, I knew just the right pressure to put into keeping the movement of the wine just so, so not to spill anything. But my mind was back on the Ark now. On Finn and on the many conversations he and I shared..

˜”*°•. On the Ark .•°*”˜

Finn sat before me on my bunk handing me another textbook, he’d somehow managed to acquire to help me study. This would mean I didn’t need to stay late at the reference ports to study and could put in the time from my quarters. When I asked him how he got the book, he flashed me a smirk.

“Listen Little bird, I have big plans for you, you need to pass that exam before you do anything else. So, I worry about where the book came from and the next meal. And You keep your head down and learn everything you need and want to know about becoming a Mechanic.”

˜”*°•. Back in the Lab .•°*”˜

I shook my head free from the memory and took a sip from my glass. “That’s my given name did you not know John. ‘Suck the fun out of it Reyes’. Smirking now towards him.

“You know it was Harper. Can you see Monty stepping up to a girl as beautiful and strong as Harper? All he did from the moment he set eyes on her was to stare at her.” I couldn’t help but smirk at a conversation I’d had with one of the younger kids when I first came to the ground. I ask the kid what was happening there with Monty as he stood pining after Harper.

“I’m not the local biographer, but from what I remember of the guy’s joking and messing with them. Hooking up was something Harper wanted to do because we were two days free from somebody trying to kill us all. I guess it was her idea of a celebration. And You know Monty didn’t mind taking part in her party.”

I stiffened a little at #Luna’s question or was it a statement? Who knew, I was the one here with the fried mind finding it hard to keep my head in one place to follow a thought from its conception to its death.

Then again, I wasn’t surprised that #Luna would think it crazy that people were getting locked up on the Ark for things the grounders took for granted. They had no laws or enforcers outside of the clans, and #Luna as the leader of Floukru I could imagine the Zen Master was pretty easy going on her people.

“Things were once put into place to keep the people of the Ark safe, but as time went on the tables were turned. It ended up becoming about surviving. So, any rule, big or small. If it was broken. There were no second chances.” My voice low and a little strained as I spoke.

Finally, when I did look up, I caught the way John cringed at #Luna’s question asking him why he was in lock up. And my eyes widened at his reply. He wasn’t telling her the full truth there. I’d heard so many stories of what, how and why John had done such a stupid thing on the Ark. But it was an overheard conversation between #DavidMiller (#Nate’s dad) and my old boss #Sinclair which gave me the true story there. Why John had set the fire and what he must have been thinking. But I kept my thoughts to myself, this was John’s story to share. If and when he felt the need to do so.

Shaking my head. “And he said I am the one putting a downer on these little impromptu celebrations of my not dying this time around? Man! We need to up our party skills people!”

The music changed again, and again the words started to speak to me.

(Music : Skylar Grey - Love The Way You Lie )

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= John =

I watched her drift off in her own world and I couldn’t hide the way my body stiffened. I readied myself to jump up and get her back into the bed if it happened again. #Luna seemed to react to me more than her; like she knew there was nothing wrong with Raven. At least, nothing that required springing into action immediately. Then she made her joke and I sighed with relief a little too loudly. I didn’t go into her comment; she knew how to enjoy herself back then… Not the same way we did but still, she found her fun. But on the ground, she spent her time trying to save us, protect us or prepare for the next crisis. She never really cut loose.

Even those two days she spoke about, were days she had spent searching through ALIEs code. “I don’t think Harper was ever the hooking up type. She liked him, I don’t think she noticed him until Mount weather though, I wasn’t around. But the last time I saw her before that she was always watching Jasper… after he became a hero for shooting those grounders.”

I laughed at her implication that I was the ‘Debbie Downer’ or had she meant #Luna for asking that question of all questions. That was a faux pas among us delinquents, after the first few weeks. The music changed like it was determined to have me reveal my secret. “Hey, who doesn’t enjoy a good bonfire every now and again?”

The words brought flashes into the front of my memory. ‘Just gonna stand there and hear me cry’. I remembered the crowds that gathered outside my mother’s (and mine though I’d not slept there in weeks) quarter’s when my screams drew then in after I found her body. Facedown on the floor with a bottle of illegal moonshine a few feet away, I could still smell the booze and the vomit. Fuck! I hated her… and fuck! It hurt so much to lose that stubborn, hateful bitch! A lump grew in my throat.

‘Just gonna stand there and watch me burn. Well, that's alright because I like the way it hurts.’ I remembered standing and watching that son of a bitch head back inside his quarters, still in that guard uniform of his. I saw myself toss the matches through the door before it swung closed behind him. I’d swiped them from earth skills a long time before… because, well you never knew when something like that would come in handy. And this was that moment.

I grabbed the music player and swiped through it, stopping the song halfway through and changing it.

(Music: I'll Be Good – Jaymes Young )

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= Raven =

#Luna looked to me, and I to her before we returned our gaze to him. The sigh he took was a little too loud to be to show me he wasn’t impressed by my ( Partying ) skills back in the day. And then I saw it. He was lost in his past just as I had been moments ago.

We all have nightmares, we all had something we left behind that came to us when we least expected it. Some of us were better at hiding it than others, but with so few of us here on the island. Without the need to always be looking over our shoulders for the next attack. Some of those nightmares were starting to show.

So, why did I expect it to be any different for him? He was in the same boat as the rest of us, even if he didn’t want us to know about it.

“Listen here Debbie Downer, I know you didn’t mean it the way it sounds. But you know you just said that #Harper was chasing the glory. She was no different to the rest of those swooning girls in Arkadia back then. She just figured out what/ who she wanted and went for it. I’d glad she did take the first step. There’s no rule saying the guys have to step up and say ‘Hey, You. Me. Let’s Go.’ It’s all about the power us girls have now”

I had to laugh because I had witness that exact move and words taking place before my eyes in Arkadia and the girl did follow the guy. “Those ( Damsel in distress ) type just get on my last nerve”.

Both #Luna and I exchanged a glance again watching him change the song, and I would normally take the opportunity to make fun of him for it, or even fight him to put the song back. But something told me that he needed this. So, I let him have it. The next song I’d heard him play before. I was sure he didn’t know I could hear it, but sound travelled on the ground floor of the Mansion. And sometimes when the others were all busy it was hard to miss these things no matter how much you tried to give someone their privacy.

‘I like this one. Turn it up?’ #Luna was in her way telling him he wasn’t alone.

= John =

I tried everything to shake it off, but the feeling had dug in. I stared into the now empty cup in my hand and considered refilling it, but the image of the empty bottle on my mother’s floor flashed up and I simply set it aside. I focused on Raven’s next words and let them pull me out of the hole I was sinking into. I forced a convincing laugh, at least I hoped it was convincing.

Just one more reason we needed to figure out a plan. All this sitting around and waiting was leaving me with far too much time to think, too much time to dwell on the ghosts and the nightmares.

“I wouldn’t have ever called #Harper a damsel in distress.” I smirked. “That girl was always a bit of a dark horse. It took a while for her to show it, but she’s one hell of a survivor too… or she was before…” I sighed softly and didn’t talk about the suicide pact she’d made with Jasper and the others. I couldn’t judge, I’d been there myself and in the end, she chose to survive. They both did.

I turned up the volume again when #Luna asked and looked to both of the girls, peering over the rims of their glasses. “Anybody want another top up before Doc Lite gets back and kills the party?” I grinned and picked up the bottle.

= Raven =

His laughter wasn’t fooling me, and when I looked sideways towards #Luna, she saw right past it too. The Zen Master had a way to make you know that you were seen, even if all you wanted at the time was for the ground to open up and swallow you whole.

“I can’t disagree with you there; Harper is one of a kind. And its good to see her coming into herself finally.” I hadn’t meant that #Harper was a damsel who wanted saving. I’d meant she was unlike those girls who did want that from their life. But I didn’t correct him. He was a little lost in his mind, and again I wondered how much of that was due to him being stuck here with me.

He didn’t have to ask us twice; my glass went up right away. I wasn’t going to miss the chance of having one more before my ‘You survived another ( Nap )’ party was shut down. And to my surprise I saw #Luna do the same.

‘Na nou drop of drein daun” (Cannot lose the drink ) #Luna says. And she didn’t really even drink.

I let my eyes settle on John again. Part of me wanted to ask if he was okay. Ask if he wanted to tell us what he was thinking about. But that was such a ( Chick ) move. ‘Oh, share with me. Tell me all your secrets I want to know.’ I rolled my eyes at myself. They were ‘Secrets’ for a reason. If people wanted to share, you would know about them without the need to ask.

I shifted on the chair, leaning back a little when I felt a shot of pain going up the side of my hip. Maybe sitting up wasn’t the best of ideas. But to hells with it, I wasn’t about to tell John he was right. This earth would have to freeze over before that day ever came. And on top of it, I knew if they saw me hurting, they would have me up and in that bio bed before I could fight them for it.

“Are you hiding anything to eat here too? I could do with something.” I said it because I knew talking about food always made his baby blue eyes lighten up a little.

= John =

I smiled and split what was left in the bottle of wine between the girls' glasses, keeping my resolve that I was done for the night. Telling myself I couldn't get too buzzed when I still had to get Raven back into her bed and stand watch until she was on her feet again. At least until the next shit-show put her into another extended nap… as she called them.

I hid the empty bottle back in the cabinet but, I figured our little Celebrationwould be discovered the smell of the Wine was all over the room now. Not that it was something to complain about, it was an improvement over the antiseptic scent and the overly filtered air pumped through the vents. But there was nothing they could do about it once they found out. They would expect no less from me anyway, and no one would blame Raven or Luna for partaking in the rare treat after everything they'd been through since we arrived on this luxurious, hell-hole island. I'd try to keep #Monty out of it for being the middleman if I could.

I smirked at Raven and moved to where I'd left the bag and hunkered down. I pulled out the sealed bags of preserved meat and foil-wrapped crackers, and a jar of peanut butter. And one thing I added to the list, I'd read about it in some of Becca's books in the bunker, but seeing the sticky brown goo in the jars in the pantry it was not at all appetizing so I'd not tried it yet. I pulled the wheeled table closer and left the food down. Along with the jar of chocolate, I smiled at the two of them. "Take your pick ladies, I highly recommend the peanut butter."

= Raven =

Both #Luna and I sat up seeing that he wasn’t joking with us. “Are you for real John? You have food in that bag too?”

#Luna shifted on the bed to the top end by my side leaving room for John to sit where she’d been if he wanted to. When he started to set out the food, #Luna went to open the meat right away.

Opening the crackers and the peanut butter myself , I’d seen someone on one of the shows Becca had do this. I pushed the cracker into the peanut butter and took a bite. Covering my mouth, I couldn’t take the wine buzz smile off my lips.

“Okay that is a good idea. You guys have to try it.” I laughed doing it again and putting the jar down for them to try. “I can’t believe how hungry I am all of a sudden.”

I hadn’t been before at all. I’d only asked for food to help take John’s mind off whatever he’d been thinking about.

‘Chit ste dei de?’ (What is that?) #Luna asked pointing to the jar with brown stuff inside of it. Picking it up next, I glanced over to John for any indication of what it could be.

“I’m not sure Wise One. Shall we see?” Opening the jar, I took a look inside, narrowing my eyes seeing that it was sticky and brown in colour with a sweet aroma coming from it.

“It looks like slime. How are we meant to eat it?” I put a broken cracker into it and scooped it the same as I did the peanut butter. Bringing it up to my nose, before letting the tip of my tongue lick a little of it. My eyes widened straight away, and I took a better lick of it and then a bite of the cracker.

“Hells! This is so good!” taking another cracker I filled it and handed it to #Luna. “Try it.” and she did. A smile forming on her lips when she chewed on the cracker.

“John here.” I did the same for him. But when he came in to take the cracker I by passed his hand and took it up to his mouth and then splatted it all over his nose and cheek. #Luna fell back in the bed laughing hard and I fell back into the chair. “No getting lost in your mind, unless you take Luna and I with you.”

Licking my fingers watching him with a waggle of my brow. It kind of bugged me when he was lost or sad. I guess he was starting to become a friend.

= John =

I laughed and put my hand on Raven’s shoulder to stop her jumping up with excitement. “You think I was gonna risk Abby’s wrath, for getting you drunk without at least feeding you?” I chuckled and gave her a real smile. I watched her dip the cracker into the peanut butter, something I’d learned in the bunker. Though there hadn’t been much there, it was one of the first things I’d finished. I had no regrets. I did the same and felt the peanut butter stick to the roof of my mouth, it was glorious.

I grinned as the girls eyed the jar labelled chocolate spread; according to the books in the bunker (that weren’t full of science crap) this stuff was practically magic, and highly effective –supposedly- on calming the nerves of unruly women. But it looked disgusting so; I hung back and let them be my guinea pigs. I took the space #Luna had made for me and watched Raven’s eyes go wide, part of me was stunned and the other part waiting on her to have some kind of allergic reaction. It used to happen all the time on Earth and pretty much everything we touched or ate down here was something we’d never encountered before. It was bound to happen to someone at some stage and Raven wasn’t having the best luck lately.

Then her whole face brightened, and I was a totally different kind of stunned, joy flashed over her features. I could swear there were tiny flecks of gold in the hazel of her eyes, just for a moment. When she spoke again, I got a grip of myself and waited for #Luna to try the stuff. I saw the smile and that was it; I had to try this ugly stuff… it did smell good though. I supposed the peanut butter wasn’t an attractive colour either, but it looked like some of the nutrition packs on the Ark so it was less suspicious to me.

As I reached for the crackers Raven was already stretching over the table with one in her hand, I reached out but she kept moving. The gold in her eyes glittered again and she smeared the stuff over my face, I jerked back.

“Cute, Reyes!” I tried not to laugh but, what did I think was going to happen? She was going to hand feed me? Yeah, right! I licked my lips and wiped my face as #Luna rolled around laughing.

“Oh!” My eyes widen just like the girls did. “Damn.” I sucked the stuff off my fingers. “That is good.” If the peanut butter was glorious this was heavenly.

I narrowed my eyes at Rey. “Dison bilaik wor!” (This means war!) I grabbed the chocolate and jumped up; moving to the stand at the head of the bed with the medical supplies and grabbed the wooden tongue depressors and tore it from the paper. I loaded one end with the chocolate, grinning evilly; a little delighted she didn’t have her brace. I held her shoulder so she wouldn’t try to escape and smeared the chocolate across her cheek, then stuck the wooden stick to the end of her nose, the sticky, sweet-tasting goo holding it in place. #Luna was gripping her sides and rolling around the bio bed with her knees pulled up to her chest.

“Paybacks a bitch!” I smirked and sat the chocolate back on the centre of the table and grabbed another package of crackers. The song changed again, and I smiled. “Yes!! Now it’s a party.” Her words hadn’t gone on heard, they still rattled around in my head. Sinking in. I didn’t have to stay lost.

(Music - Sugar · Maroon 5 )

youtube

= Raven =

“I’m as cute as they come Watcher.” I couldn’t stop laughing. “Right? It’s good right? You’ve been holding out on us John!” His reaction to the taste was worth it all. But seeing him jerking back after thinking I was going to feed him had me in stitches. Then again, I knew, when he’s eyes softened and his mouth opened for me to feed him, it was all an act on his part. He was just playing along with my madness.

It felt as though forever had past since I’d heard these sounds coming from the three of us. Since we’d gotten to the Island and since my first nap. These two had been stuck to my side like glue. At first it was a thankless job, and I know because I was the thankless fool who’d not made it easy on them. But now. Things were slowly changing, we were laughing, joking, nothing (mostly ) was said with malice. And I’d even started to become a little nicer to John.

“Wait, What?” #Luna moved fast to curl back on the bed to the far side hearing John say ‘Dison bilaik wor!’ and it was taking me a moment to work on the words. By the time it had fallen into place that he’d said, ‘This means war’. I leant forward and moved to grab a hold of the jar of chocolate, but he took it then moved away before I could.

“John!?” I called out, watching him rush off to the medical supplies not sure what he was looking for until he turned back around.

#Luna was out of the way and John was making his way back towards me. With a little too much delighted in his baby blue eyes and that grin on his lips. His hand moved to hold my shoulder back and he was stood over me now.

“Don’t you Dare---” My words had been cut short by John’s actions. The stick in his hands full of the sweet brown stuff was all over my cheek and nose now. “JOHN! NO FAIR!” I exclaimed but I was laughing too.

With the stick glued to my face. I snapped my teeth at him. (That was a first. I’d witnessed him doing that in the pass, clearly, I was spending too much time with him now.)

But the Peanut butter was still there on the table. I could pick it up and put it in his hair or on his face, but that would be a waste. So, I sat there taking the stick off my nose and licking it laughing at the mess I must look like to them. And from the reaction of #Luna still curled up laughing. I was game.

“What a waste of all this sweet goodness. Hand me a cracker too man. I need to eat this.” Point to my own face.

Using my finger to wipe some of the chocolate from my cheek I sucked on my finger making a low humming sound. “This stuff is heaven and then some.” I teased wiping my cheek again and sucking it off my fingers.

“So Good!”

The music had changed, and it was fun again. The sadness was gone for now and I was grateful.

= John =

“I wasn’t holding out… I just didn’t want to be the first to try it.” I laughed. “It looked gross.” The look on her face when I came at her with the chocolate was comical. But she had forgotten where she was for a moment, a short respite from the stress of all of this. I took a cracker from the package and handed the rest to her, stretching over the table only as much as I had to, craning my head back as far as I could to protect my face from retaliation.

It was the first real laugh I’d heard from either of my charges. Though I wasn’t sure I was taking care of #Luna any more than she was taking care of us, especially Raven. I could see the stats on Raven’s monitors rising, but I only briefly glanced so I didn’t draw anyone else’s attention to them, and I figured the look on my face wouldn’t give anything away. When even I knew the numbers were good. I watched Raven scrape the chocolate off her face and suck it off her finger; exactly like I had but still, I teased. “Savage!”

I let my shoulders move to the song as I scooped up more chocolate on a broken cracker and licked it off, unable to decide if I liked it better on its own or with the crackers. The peanut butter was definitely better with them; the chocolate was so amazing both ways that it was hard to decide. And it was kind of mind-blowing that despite the shit storm coming our way we had a moment to think about what food we liked best and not wonder when we’d see our next meal.

#Luna gave me a curious look as I rocked the bed a little with my ridiculous attempt at dancing; but that made me move even more and sing along. “C’mon, you are telling me Natblida’s can’t dance?” I grinned at her then crooned the words of the song. “I want that red velvet, I want that sugar sweet. Don't let nobody touch it. Unless that somebody's me”

= Raven =

“He was holding out and was chicken too Luna! I think we need to walk him to the pond at the back of the house and push him in. How long have we been here? Days! That’s how long. And Not Once did he think ‘This looks bad, let me get one of the idiots to try it.’ I mean come on.” Shaking my head at him and still really talking to #Luna

“The way his Master Chef skills have us all eating his food without questioning it. It would have been so easy John. I’m disappointed in you. Ai believe Yu are going soft ona yumi. (I believe you are going soft on us.)” I know I got that so wrong mixing the two languages. It was Savage! And #Luna busting out in laughter was all the proof I needed.

I smiled and laughed all at the same time cleaning the brown stuff off my face and taking the crackers from him. Mouthing ‘Chicken’ at the way he was trying to keep himself ( Safe ) from me.

Rolling my eyes at him when he called me ‘Savage’ clicking my tongue at him, with my eyebrow raised. “You know Watcher, I'm a Savage (yeah), Classy, bougie, ratchet (yeah), Sassy, moody, Nasty!” Biting into the cracker and letting the crumbs fall over my chest. Laughing at myself with a shake of my head. “Okay not a joke. I think I like the brown thing, with the peanut think both on the crackers together. I’m doing it my own way here now.” and I got to work.

‘Ai na dula'm op’ ( I can do it ) #Luna jumped up off the bed and grabbed a hold of John’s hand tugging him along with her. The song was playing, John was singing ( or trying to anyway ), I sat chewing on the new creation I’d put together watching them both.

“Small wins” I whispered to myself. It was becoming two words which had so much more meaning behind them. The song changed but it didn’t stop #Luna from showing off her moves.

(Music: Uptown Funk – Bruno Mars https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=tYvFa2ARD24&feature=share )

= John =

I rolled my eyes. “More talk like that and you’ll never see that brace again, Reyes!” I shrugged at her next words. None of the books ever had this in it as an ingredient. I think more of a dessert or snack thing.” I picked it up and read the label but the only thing familiar was milk. “Ai fig raun yu gyon kwelnes gon osir.” (I believe you are going soft on us). I corrected her… and wondered if I’d just insulted myself, or her Trig skills. Or both?

I had to shake my head when she sang the lyrics of a vaguely familiar song. But there was a grin plastered on my face while she still had bits of chocolate on her face. I leaned across the table to grab the tongue depressor I’d stuck to her nose to try her idea but, #Luna grabbed my hand and pulled, not hard enough to drag me from the bed but enough to silently say ‘Get up and dance!’. Honestly, I was in too good of a mood right now to say no. I knew it could change at any minute, so I wasn’t about to hasten the process.

I got up and started to dance with her, singing the lyrics until the song changed. It was another of my favourites in the kitchen, so I kept dancing and made a point to shake my ass in Raven’s direction… since there was very little, she could do about it. #Luna looked hysterical, waving her arms and upper body around as she circled the bed. I sang along to this one too. “Come on, dance, jump on it. If you sexy then flaunt it. If you freaky then own it. Don't brag about it, come show me.”

= Raven =

“Why does it feel like you would really do that John?” My eyes moved around the bio lab once again. But my brace was nowhere to be seen. What the hells had they done to it I wondered.

“Show off” I muttered at him when he corrected my mess with Trig. But I had the choice to blame my lack of Trig skill also the fact that we had been drinking the hundred plus years old wine for a little while now. I wasn’t going to hold it against myself. Whereas if I was sober, I knew I’d be upset with myself for getting it so wrong.

“Okay wise arse.. Ai fig raun yu gyon kwelnes gon osir.” (I believe you are going soft on us). Happy? It still stands.” I laughed again watching them dancing and him singing. It was for sure better than laying in the bio bed watching the monitors telling me I was sick and dying and losing my brain. I shook my head and pushed those thoughts way, way, way back and out of the way. I wasn’t going to change my mood. This was fun, a carefree fleeting moment that would disappear soon enough.

When John started to shake his arse in my direction, I reached out picking up the lid to the jars and I pelleted it towards his head, hitting the back and it made me laugh again. “If I want to see a bony arse, I’ll ask Jax to bring up the skeleton from Becca’s office thanks.

#Luna danced her way around to the side of the bed and started to move and sway from side to side, and with John singing again, I had to wonder if this was the first time these two people had actually let their hair down?

“Babysitting me sucks.” I whispered to myself, picking up my glass of wine and taking another drink from it.

“Dance Monkey, Dance!” moving my shoulders from side to side, I let the stick up my own arse out for the moment.

= John =

I winked to confirm her suspicions that I’d keep her brace from her. Even on my worst day that would be low, but I wasn’t about to give up my bargaining chip. “Nowe!” (Never!) I called over the music when she said I was going soft. “I’m too badarse and you know it.” #Luna rolled her eyes as she danced.

Something hit the back of my head and my hand flew up as I shot around and saw the lid of the jar skitter across the floor. “If people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones then it tracks that people without their leg brace shouldn’t throw… Well, anything!” I gave her a warning glare but resisted the urge to smear more chocolate on her face. “And this arse is amazing, thank you very much. You wish you could get a squeeze, Reyes. Don’t lie.” I jumped a little and spun around.

#Luna had just pinched my arse. “Seriously? You want to add fuel to her delusions?” I shook my head at the nightblood. She shrugged and laughed. “I wanted to see what the fuss was about. Ai sin mou beda.” (I’ve seen better)She went back to her dancing and I glared. “Where? On the oil rig? Slim picking in the middle of the ocean.” I scoffed at her.

“Dance, Monkey, Dance” I heard Raven tease. “Wait… I’ve heard that one before!” I laughed and grabbed the player again and scrolled through, flashing a grin as I hit play. This was the most ridiculous song I had ever heard but it was annoyingly catchy.

(Music: Dance Monkey · Tones And I - https://youtu.be/Hx4nWW9z0ig )

= Raven =

“Badarse in the kitchen, sure. I’ll give you that. But –” I teased smirking taking another bite of the cracker in my hand to finish it. “—The rest is debatable.”

My jaw dropped open at him not even hiding the fact anymore that he wouldn’t give me my brace back. “That is called holding somebody hostage Murphy.” I may have used his surname, but it was in no way in the same malice as it once used to be.

Out of the side of my eye I saw it all taking place in slow motion. #Luna danced her way around the bed again and towards John, as he messed with me about his arse being ( squeezable ), #Luna’s hand came out of nowhere and boy from where I sat it looked like she really copped a good feel of him. I spat out the wine I’d just sipped on and burst out laughing at his reaction.

“Oh, she so wants some of what you are offering. I can cut the tension with a knife.” But then #Luna’s face said it all. She was not impressed with what had been in her hands. And I laughed again at the way the two of them were bickering. “Hey, don’t drag me into your little arse squeezing fetish there. This isn’t one of my many delusions. This is happening before my eyes.” I pointed between the two of them, waggling my eyebrows at them both.

Once again, he moved but this time with some excitement to change the music that had been playing, but there was nothing of that lost look in his eyes this time. “What is this?” I asked when the song started to play making a face, and yet quickly #Luna was sipping her wine and dancing again. The words caught on a little too fast.

“Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh, oh, oh

I've never seen anybody do the things you do before”

“Do you know every song on that thing?” I asked over the music, but now I was singing along too. Refilling the wooden stick with some more of the chocolate to eat.

“They say move for me, move for me, move for me, ay, ay, ay

And when you're done, I'll make you do it all again”

= John =

I heard her call me Murphy, but it didn’t sound like it used to, or like it did when anyone else said it. It wasn’t laced with disgust or disappointment. It was strange, so I tried to ignore it. I lifted my arms and dropped them against my side with a soft slap.

“See what you did now!? Koken Natblida.” (Crazy Nightblood). I jumped back as Raven sprayed wine everywhere feeling a few drops hit my hand and my leg.

“Nice! Reyes, so graceful.” I swatted #Luna away. “Will you stop feeding into her delusions please!” I was annoyed but damn!... I was still having fun. I chuckled and smiled at both of them. “You’re both hopeless!” I teased and grabbed another cracker, I broke it in half and scooped up some peanut butter on one half and chocolate on the other and pressed them together. I took a bite and closed my eyes.

“Mmmm! So good!”

I laughed at Raven when she asked about the songs on the music player. “Three months in that hole, Raven. And all I had were Becca’s stupid sex books or the science crap… so yeah. I know a lot of these songs.” I took a seat on the bed again. I looked over at Raven, she was still laughing and smiling; I was feeling a weird warmth, I glanced over my shoulder as #Luna gave up on dancing and sat up next to me on the bed crossing her legs.

The song changed again; my eyes drifted back to Raven as I listen to the soft music and powerful lyrics. The soft start led into the louder and stronger lyrics, they slowly took over the room, sinking in. I tried not to let on I was watching her, but honestly… I wasn’t sure I cared if she noticed I was watching her right now. Maybe… I shook my head a little because it couldn’t be. But; did I want her to notice?

(Music: I Just Know · Jacob Lee - https://youtu.be/Cg6DTpT7Qtk )

= Raven =

‘Nou, en na teik em lol au’ ( No, it makes her laugh ) #Luna teased as she sat herself back down on the bed beside him. ‘But you know, I’m not going to attack you in your sleep. Yu are klir ( You are safe )’ She winks at him and takes a pointed sip from the glass in her hands, reaching out and stealing what was left of the cracker in his hand, popping it into her mouth and chewing. She turned her attention to me, giving me a wink for the creation of mixing two gooey things to make something good out of it.

“I believe you are giving me way too much credit there Luna, but I’ll take it. Even if the Watcher was the one to bring the good stuff to us in the first place.”

It felt good, it felt easy and it felt as though we didn’t have to work on this. Whatever this was between three very unlikely people who were thrust together, who normally wouldn’t have meant to get along. Don’t get me wrong, John still knew just how to push my buttons ( case and point my missing brace ). But sometimes in the most unlikely of times, you found a connection with people who you would pass by without looking twice at. And I knew that was true of them too. They would never had been sat like this with me unless we where pushed together.

“John, I may have been called a number of things. I may also have been accused of doing many things.--” Wiping my lips with the back of my hand. “—But hells graceful has never been attached to my name. Don’t let this all give you a misconstrued idea of me. I’m the mess before your eyes, and by hells I’m so proud of it.”

Sitting myself back in my chair, #Luna was watching the two of us and then she half lay herself back on the bed her legs still crossed beneath her.

“Three months underground is a long time, but I also know you spent the time well reading all those so called ‘Sex Books’. And still you are low on the game.” I teasingly look towards #Luna.

This was now becoming too much fun for me to let it go. It bugged him we could see that, but hells that was where the fun lay in it all. “You should have paid more attention to the Nerd books, could have helped you in the messed-up world we are living in.”

When the music changed, we all seemed to fall silent around the same time. The words and the sound of the music calmed the room down a little.

“The world isn't big enough to live it on your own

I see fire in your eyes, and I feel fire in my soul

You're gonna make it through this I just know”

My mind was running freely, just for a little while, but nothing that could pull me down and out of this cocoon #Luna and John had helped to create.

I found myself lost in my thoughts, once again the words ringing home I just wasn’t sure of what that ‘home’ looked like anymore. Out of the side of my eye I saw him. John. His baby blue eyes moved on me, and I guessed he was searching for the darkness just as #Luna did so often.

= John =

“Ah… Ai laik stringboba, hir gon gei yo op?” (I’m a puppet, here to amuse you both?) I eyed #Luna and even she was impressed with that one. I grinned; they were both having far too much fun with this now. I just rolled my eyes when she promised not to jump me in my sleep.

“Good to know.” I scoffed, but I was still smiling. At least until she stole my food. “Seriously?” I huffed at her as she popped the cracker in her mouth. She shrugged and winked at me. “Will you please stop flirting with me? I know it’s hard… but no means no woman!” I teased her and turned back to Raven jerking my thumb in her direction. “Talk about mixed messages, right?”

A crease formed between my brows when she brought up my so-called lack of game. “Please!” I scoffed. “I’ve got game… Hell, this one is feeling me up and winking at me and I’m not even trying.”

I gave Raven a near comical, flirtatious look running my eyes over her deliberately. “Are you jealous? Would you like me to turn my charmonto you, Reyes?” I was half-laughing but when my eyes rested back on hers, I was suddenly flushed. A heat slipped over my face, I broke away from her eyes instantly keeping the cheeky grin on my lips, so I didn’t give myself away. My heart gave a handful of ill-timed thumps before settling again.

That last glass of wine was a mistake. I’d barely eaten all day what with watching over Raven and the trip to the Mainland overnight. That was it. Right? Spending all this time with these girls when they were sick and in need of care, despite their insistence they didn’t need it was messing with me. I told myself once she was back on her feet again everything will be back to normal again.

= Raven =

“Em ste Ain nau” ( It is mine now )#Luna said licking her fingers with a small flourish that was more to tease John then to piss him off. And it just made me smile. They were becoming a comedy act and they were entertaining.

“Nou mean sha?” ( No means Yes? ) Again #Luna said it with such a straight face that I could have fallen off my chair from laughing as hard as I was now.

“Oh.. Burn Watcher! I think it’s never going to stop. I mean you may feel like you are getting, ‘Mixed messaging”, but I believe its pretty clear from where I am sitting, you know. Without my brace” I may as well get it in there, in case he feels sorry for me and goes to bring it back to me. That would be a step closer to their freedom from me.

With a roll of my eyes I took another sip of the wine I had in my glass; it was nearing the end, so I was taking smaller sips to make it last now.

“Jealous of you?” I laughed again with a shaking of my head. Clearing my throat, I put the glass down and placed both my hands over my chest. “Oh John--” I said in the sweetest of voices I could pull together right now. “—Please. I don’t know what I’d do with your smiles and charm. Please John. Save Me!” Putting the back of my hand on my forehead and swooning back into the chair as if I was fainting. And then I burst out laughing as did #Luna.

“That’s the crap out of those Sex Books, right? Just not my style Watcher. Good Luck ever charming a girl like me.”

I shifted seeing his eyes on me and the way he pulled them away right as I catch him. I wondered if I’d said something to upset him. “Sorry, it was just a joke John. I’m sure your charm will work on Luna just fine.”

Dammit, even when I was trying to be nice, I had to pull his leg at the same time.

= John =

“Really, Raven?” I rolled my eyes at her when she made her, ‘no means yes’ comment. “You know… #Harper shot me down in lock up a few times. Maybe I should pay her a visit?” I regretted it instantly; like it wasn’t enough she wanted me to hook up with #Luna. I heard the crack before I even realised the nightblood had slapped me across the back of the head. The stinging followed it quickly. “Ow!!” I said pointedly to #Luna. “I was kidding!”

“Em don hon op emon niron.” (She has found her love.) #Luna glared.

“KID – DING” I clarified again.

I looked back to Raven. “Seriously though, I don’t know where they put it. But I’ll get it for you if you sleep again soon.” I made the promise with my eyes, but I didn’t say the word; because it wasn’t something I was used to saying.

Even her teasing didn’t pull me out of my deep moment of confusion, not until she used my name again in a less jovial tone. I blinked and shook off the thoughts. “Hmm…” I let the last few seconds replay in my head.

“Oh! Pfft!” I scoffed at her and motioned as though my heart had just been ripped out of my chest. “Yeah, your words cut so deep, Rey. So deep.” I sighed dramatically, causing the girl next to me to roll her eyes and mutter.

“Hai Skaiskat!” (Foolish Sky boy.)

I looked at Raven apologetically before I even open my mouth to speak. “I think it’s almost time to get you back in bed Little Bird. Before the Doc comes in here and kills me.”

#Luna whirled on me and gasped. “Wait! Abby didn’t say she could get out of bed yet?” And there was another slap.

“She just sat in the bloody chair! It’s not like I took her on a hike!” I protested rubbing my head, again!

= Raven =

I shrugged my shoulder as to say; ‘what did I do?’ at his ‘Really Raven’ comment. Of course, I knew simply fine what it was that I’d done and said. But did I have to admit it to him? And the answer I got was ‘Nope’. Picking the glass up and downed the last of what was left in there and shifted back into the chair.

My eyebrows arched. “Harper shot you down and your go to is to try again when she is with Monty?” I knew he was joking and something told me that was a line that he’d not cross, let alone the fact that #Harper knew how to use a gun, and I could bet that Johns arse with become the practice target if he did ever go there.

But again, it was the fact that I saw something coming before he did. #Luna moved up to sit and her hand clocked him in the back of his head before he knew it was there and before he could duck away from it. I knew I should laugh and roll on him, but this one left a stinging sound in the air.

I knew from speaking to #Luna that she took this ‘Couples’ thing really seriously. For her even joking about such a thing deserved, well, it deserved what John had just got.

“Owch!” I echoed his word. “I felt that from here.” I bit on my lip , pushing my fingers threw my hair.

I’d not expected him to look at me again with his blue eyes. And this time there was no teasing to be found in them. When he told me, he didn’t know where my brace was, I believed him. Some part of me told me that if he knew he’d have gotten it for me by now.

“Don’t worry about it John, I’m sure it’s the A Teams insurance policy to make sure I don’t start running a marathon around the lab and or island.” Waving my hand in the air to brush it off. There was no point in me throwing my toys out at these two. They were stuck here if I was by the looks of it all.

His over dramatic performance had me smirking and rolling my eyes all at the same time. And I saw #Luna had the same reaction. “Oh please—” but I stopped mid conversation, blinking my eyes and tilting my head a little. That was the first time John had called me ‘Rey’. It was always ‘Reyes’ or ‘Raven’. I shook my head and #Luna gave me a look, that was before she hit him again.

I held my arms out but I was too far to do anything. “I’m okay, look just sitting here eating the good stuff, and drinking wine.” And I felt for him now. I saw that look he gave me, the one to say, ‘I really don’t want to, but we have no choice.’

The music changed, this song was a slow one and I’d heard it before in the main house. “Even the music is hinting that it’s time to put me back into jail.” I half smiled trying to joke a little. And again, I found myself listening to the song. Really listening to it.

( Music: Sam Smith -To Die For- https://youtu.be/POIK1H3L86k )= John =

I shook my head at her when she joined the teasing about Harper. But there were no intentions there to go and try anything with #Harper and I knew they got that too. #Monty and Harper had this intense trauma bond thing going on that seemed to be working for them.

“Everyone was worried, and things were crazy. I’m sure it just got left in the lab.” I held my hand out when Raven said she was just sitting there. “See! She’s fine. She got a break from the bed, had some laughs… and some food. How is any of that bad?”

“You should wait until the healer says it’s okay to move.” #Luna deadpanned. I tried to ignore the lyrics of that song, but they were striking chords and sinking into my mind, I knew right away I had them memorised even though I only heard them once.

“Would you?” I raised my eyebrows at her, knowing only too well she was moving around too soon after they had taken too much blood. #Luna shrugged but didn’t deny it. “Exactly! And Raven’s got this, right?” I hopped off the bed, grinning at her. “She’ll be out of here in no time.” I glanced from the bed to the chair and the realization hit me. I wouldn’t be able to get her back into the bed the way I got her out. The bed was too high for her to pull herself back up without straining anything and with one functioning leg. I was going to have to completely pick her up.

I knew she was going to like this even less then she liked me helping her into the chair to start with. I turned to #Luna. “Do you want to do the honours this time?” I asked her. I knew she was plenty strong enough to pick Raven up and set her on the bed. But the nightblood shook her head firmly. “Not with all the stuff connected to her.” She pointed to the monitors, and wires and I.V. lines. I huffed.

“I’ll need to actually pick you up this time, you know that?” I looked down at her apologetically.

= Raven =

Closing my eyes, I found myself lost in the music once again. This was becoming a thing for me down here on Becca’s Island. I wasn’t this into listening to music on the Ark. Okay that was a lie, I did like to listen I just never had the time to take it in. There was always something I needed to get on with. Something I needed to study or something I wanted to learn. Listening and truly taking in music was a luxury I didn’t have. But now, even with there being a battle to fight each day, I was beginning to find time for this small pleasure.

Their voice brought me back out of the world I was imagining around the sounds and the words. And I sat watching them for a moment or two. They were really doing this, with me sat right here?

Rolling my eyes, I brushed my fingers over my forehead as the two of them spoke to one another. About me, as if I wasn’t even here, or I was a child who didn’t actually get a say in what was taking place. Pointing my finger to my own head with my eyebrows raised.

“I am sat right here—” waving my hand in the air. “—Raven Reyes, here, you know the girl you are talking about? Unless I am not here, and this is all a dream? Oh.. Wait.. Or I’m invisible?--” Picking the jar of chocolate up I bring it to my face and talk into it. “--Hells, are you magic? Did you make me invisible here? Does that mean I could get up and dance my way around the lab with nobody seeing me?”

Okay so maybe that was a little too far. But hells, it would be nice if they at least tried to pretend I got a say in what happened to me maybe? Also, I had a feeling the buzz in my head from all the wine was readying me for a fight, or at least a tease and a laugh with them both.

“I’m more than capable of getting myself up into bed--” I started to say until I looked over to the bio bed. “—It wasn’t that high when I got off it? Did you moved that thing up Watcher?” Pushing myself forward in the chair and reaching out for the table, I was plotting my escape from the chair he’d sat me in. “If I pull myself up here, use the table, and it rolls so I will move it by the bed there—” I pointed to the side of the bed where he was standing. “—You need to move John or I will roll the table over your foot, and I’m not even going to say sorry, because really.. You should know better and should have moved.---” Okay I was sure between the brain melt, the sugar rush and the wine, I was talking 90 mph and not really stopping to breathe. “—Then I’ll stand on the side of the bed and pull myself up and ( BOOM ) I will be in bed, reading Cinder until I am ( napping ) again!”

It was a perfect plan in my head, and I could see it working without a hitch. “I’m bloody awesome and so got this!”

= John =

I muttered an apology to Raven when she pointed out that we were talking about her, like she wasn’t here.

Then I rolled my eyes when she started talking to the chocolate, I eased the jar from her hand and screwed the lid back on. “Okay, I should have cut you off on the last glass.” I teased her.

I rolled my eyes when she asked if I raised the bed. “No.” My brows pinched together. “Helping you put your feet down was one thing Raven, but.” I stopped and clamped my hand on the edge of the table when Raven reached for it; so it wouldn’t move if she leveraged herself to her feet. “Raven!” My eyes widened at her words and fear lanced through me; when it should have been irritation. “Yeah, Raven… it rolls, so the minute you lean on it, it’s going to move and you’ll fall.”

I stood firm when she told me to move, making sure my expression showed that I wasn’t joking. “No chance, Raven. Between the wine and not having your brace there’s no…” I stopped and huffed, pinching the bridge of my nose. If it was only a few days ago I would have just picked her up by now and had her in the bed, and probably added a bruise to the collection that was, shockingly enough, starting to heal. No one had tried to kill or hit me in a few days now.

“Okay… I’ll find out what the Doc did with your brace.” I deliberately pushed the table out of her reach. “Just…” I looked back at #Luna and back at Raven immediately. “Stay here until I get back. Please?” My feet planted in front of her waiting for her answer, pleading filling my light blue eyes. “No crazy escape plans.”

(Music: Skeletions – James Arthur - https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=B6grOoF5HLQ&feature=share )

= Raven =

I didn’t sober up, but I was as close to it as I could get due to the words and expressions on Johns features. The apology was completely unexpected, to the point that I was left speechless. I knew it wasn’t something knew, we bantered back and forth, we teased, and we really knew how to push the other persons buttons. But for him to stand there and apologise.

The shock had taken me off my guard so much, that I didn’t even fight him to keep the jar of chocolate and just let my fingers drop away from it without a fight. My lips opened to talk and were stilled by all he was saying and doing.

The look in his baby blue eyes, the way he was rubbing his nose and then the fact that he was right about 98.8% of everything he was stating. I backed down slowly. I didn’t need to look at #Luna, I could see her out the side of my eyes smirking. It was as if her eyes were saying ‘Finally’ and I didn’t know to what exactly she was referring to?

The fact that he wasn’t taking my stupid and letting me run with it. Or that he was laying out the facts on how I could end up injuring myself even more than I was right now. The bump to my head, the pain in my legs, back and hips was enough to keep a grown man down. Let alone me adding more to the list.

“I was joking.” My voice was low as a moved back into the chair, letting the table go. “It was just my mind throwing out the plans and the steps I wasn’t going to do it John. I know how much you and Luna have done for me. I know that I am hard work and I don’t even want to be. Hells I wish you both would just Tell Abby you are done with the ‘Babysitting’ and be done with me.”

I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself, Hells I was feeling sorry for the two of them. “And NO! I don’t want you to go and ask Abby.” As he offered to go to find the brace it occurred to me. “If you go looking for it, they will know that I’m out of the bed and that you helped me down.” Once again, the same as I felt that day when I was making Debbie Downer. I didn’t want him to get a roasting because of me.

Sliding my arse forward in the chair. It killed me, and this was the hardest thing for me to ask and do. It was making me fight every urge in my consciousness to admit and ask.

“Please could you help me up into the bio bed?”

= John =

I shook off the thoughts, of course she was joking. ‘Idiot!’ I berated myself internally. I wanted to apologise to her again, but I didn’t know how to do that without admitting I was worried about her. I had no idea how to say that out loud, I processed the words she said slowly. “Are you sure?” I asked as my brain worked over the words ‘Be done with me’… they stung. “She’s right downstairs; it’s not a big deal. I won’t tell them anything.” But I knew she wasn’t wrong they’d ask questions, not that I really cared if they found out I’d given Raven a break from the bed.

With a resigned sigh I moved towards her, she was asking for help and I couldn’t try and convince her not to, I needed her to start trusting me if I was going to be the one looking out for her. I knew it wasn’t easy for her to ask. Especially when I was the reason, she needed the help in the first place, that thought was like a punch to the gut.

#Luna had picked up the music player and was examining it like she was trying to figure out how it made sound. But I knew she was trying to make us think she wasn’t paying attention. She looked fascinated regardless ; maybe a little less fascinated than when she heard music from the hidden speakers in the Mansion. I glanced at the bed and the blankets were still turned down. I crouched and slipped my hand under her knees; it was easy now that she had shifted out to the edge of the chair. I moved my shoulder under her arm with the I.V. so she could hold on to me without the line getting caught between us and took hold of her.

I was reminded again of how much easier it was to pick her up when she was awake. I tried to keep my eyes focused anywhere other than on her; but it proved impossible, especially when I had to lift her a little higher and her body tilted towards me so her face was inches from mine for a few seconds, before I settled her onto the bed. I slid my arms out from under her slowly and reached around to make sure I hadn’t gotten twisted up in the EKG wires. “See.” My voice sounded strange. “Quick and painless.” I cleared my throat and turned her arm over to examine her I.V. line; after all the moving around, there was no trace of blood in the tube or under the dressing.

I leaned in a little but not too close and spoke softly. “I’m not here because Abby asked me to be. I’m here because she trusts me to watch over you… and I think I can do it. Even if my ideas on how to look after you aren’t exactly things Abby would agree with.” I pulled back and tugged the blanket up to her lap and wheeled the table back over to where she could reach it. It wasn’t just medical care and being reigned in when she over worked herself that Raven needed. She needed something that made her want to take it easy every now and again, she needed to have a little fun, a break from the horror and stress. So, she didn’t feel like she was being ‘baby sat’ all the time.

= Raven =

“Yes, I am sure, and it is a big deal to me. Luna and you have done more than enough for me. I don’t think I could stand by and watch as you are berated for doing something, we all know was really my idea in the first place.” Looking up at him. “You wouldn’t have to say anything, with the number of Where, What and Why questions you will be bombarded with, will give them all they really need to know that 1. I’m out of bed, 2. I am just a little drunk and 3. I haven’t been asleep the way they wanted me to be right now.”

He sighed and then moved towards me, my eyes shifted to the ground and I cursed myself for making such a big deal about being in the bio bed. He didn’t want to do this, of course he didn’t. John Murphy had been playing nurse for Raven Reyes a little too long. I wanted to apologise to him again, wishing the chair could have been a little closer to the bed so that I could pull myself up onto it with my own strength.

As John moved down and closer into me, that feeling of helplessness had returned. And there was a soft low voice in the back of my head saying;

‘You are such a burden on them, look how he has to help you. You are useless to them.’

Some part of me knew it to be true. I always fought it in the past, but now even the smallest amounts of coding and I was taking naps for hours and ending up like this, needing to be lifted in and out of a bed.

Out of the corner of my eyes I saw something moving behind John to the far side of the room again. The dark shadow dancing on the wall and the voice telling me to follow it. Telling me to get away from #Luna and John and find my own freedom.

‘You don’t need to worry about all of them, be selfish it’s time.’

Words I’d heard before in the Blue forest. And I told myself ‘This is in your mind. It is not real. This is real, John and Luna are real.’

It was in that moment that Johns arms moved around me and out of instinct my arms moved around his shoulders and neck. I went frigid feeling his touch, and then reminded myself to relax. It was John; this would be over soon. My eyes pulled back from the far side of the lab, I didn’t mean to but found myself looking at him. The side of his face had a little stubble on it. Seeing his blue eyes full of concern, when his eyes met mine and I turn to look away from him. He lifted me up a little further and my body fell into him and I was looking at him again, trying to keep my face from touching his, with a little awkwardness between the two of us.

Once he set me down on the biobed, I let go of him and shifted into place on the top of it until he took a hold of my arm. “Quick and painless” I whispered back to him. I watch as he checked my I.V. line, there was something different in his voice, again there was that unease and again I wished I hadn’t asked for the help now. “You don’t have to do all that John, I’m sure the lines are fine.” But I didn’t pull away from him, letting him check the dressing.

I tried to keep my gaze away from him, and then his attention and voice pulled my concentration right back again. My jaw tensing a little as I clenched it listening to him, my eyes blinked trying to understand what he was saying. In a moment or two, he’d just proved everything that had been ruminating in my mind and felt in my bones to be false.

My gaze moved over to #Luna who’d finally put the music player down and was stood with a few of the pillows in her hand, She wasn’t watching us and made a point to stand back giving John the space he needed to talk.

“John--” Biting on the lower corner of my lip I couldn’t pull my eyes away from his. “—You are going above and beyond what you should have been doing here with me. And I just want you to know it’s okay to say, ‘I’ve had enough.’ And I-- I’m just sorry for all I’ve done to you and said before. It was all said in a joking manor, even if I pushed it too far.”

= John =

I kept my eyes on her, she didn’t seem to be looking away either, so it seemed like the right thing to do. I inhaled deeply and planted my hands on the side of her bed. “I know, Raven. And if that time comes, I’ll let you know.” I laughed a little spotting a tiny dried in streak of chocolate on her jaw just by her ear. I turned to the cabinet by the bed that held the medical tray and picked up a folded wad of what looked like gauze. I dipped it in the jug and reached over to rub it away. “Missed a bit.” I explained and showed her the brown smudge on the swath of white.

“And I know you were joking tonight… I just.” I exhaled. “I guess my mind drifted a little tonight, but it wasn’t you.” She knew better than anyone what it was like to be haunted by the demons of your past. There was a pull inside me to tell her that what happened after she suggested her crazy plan to get herself into bed, wasn’t about her. It was all my own worry and anxiety but how the hell was I supposed to say that out loud? I wouldn’t even know how to find those words.

I put my hand on her shoulder without even thinking about it. “You should try and sleep a little. You’ll be out of here before you know it.” I offered her a smile and it wasn’t until I squeezed her shoulder, that I realised my hand was there and the impulse to yank it away didn’t come. I slipped it away slowly. Like a normal person would. I glanced at the music player that #Luna had stopped fiddling with after changing the song - I assumed accidentally.

“Do you want me to turn that off?”

(Music: Look After You · The Fray - https://youtu.be/SDh22NNXt9w )

= Raven =

My first instinct was to jerk back away from him when he brought the damp gauze up to my face, and I felt myself moving but then I made a point to stop and still. ‘Just wait, it’s okay. Just John. It’s okay.’ The whisper in my mind on repeat, telling me something I knew.

“Thank you. I half smiled once I saw the remnants of the chocolate on the fabric when he brought it back into my sight. “You know I was saving that for a midnight snack Watcher, but there you go stealing it away from me.”

Listening to the music changing again and it truly made me smile and relax. “New deal John, from now on, we all say what we think and let the chips fall where they may. With the three of us spending so much time stuck—” I stopped and corrected myself “—I mean with us spending this much time together, let’s not second guess and worry about what the others are thinking. We should know it. I’ve never been one to mince my words, so no more eggshells.” I stifled a yawn, fighting the heaviness in my eyes and body now that I was back in the bed.

‘Branwoda kru’ ( Foolish people ) #Luna muttered walking around to the opposite side to John, holding the pillows out. Rolling my eyes at her, and I was smiling too. I took them one at a time I placed them under my hip, the knee of my bad leg and then one under my head. She pushed the button to lower the back of the bed so that I could lay down a little. ‘Nau close bilaik blinka’ ( Now close your eyes ) her hand brushed over my hair to move it out of my way. and I shook my head.

“You both should go get some rest. I promise, no stupid moves from me. I’m here for the night.” Or at least I believed it to be night. “No, leave it playing please John. I like this one. Reaching out I pulled the blanket up to my chest and turned my body. Closing my eyes. “Go, find a bed to sleep in. I’m fine. Just need a nap.” My voice was trailing off, but I could still hear the words to the song:

‘It's always have and never hold

You've begun to feel like home yeah

What's mine is yours to leave or take

What's mine is yours to make your own’

= John =

I laughed and pulled the table a little closer. "Stealing?" I scoffed jokingly. "I was saving your dignity from eating melted chocolate off the side of your face like a savage, when there's at least half a jar left." I tapped the top of the jar and screwed the top on the peanut butter too. I grabbed the empty cracker wrappers and swept the crumbs into my hand. I dropped them all into a little yellow bin and turned my attention back to her when she started to talk again.

"If you want to hear about all the skeletons in my closet, I'll tell you, Raven. But I can't guarantee a fairytale, and first... you need to sleep. Assuming you want out of this bed for real sooner rather than later."

I watched #Luna tuck Raven in; setting the pillows under her bad hip and I smiled at her. I left the music on but turned it down a little and moved to the panel on the wall by the door. I dragged my finger halfway down the bars on the side; the light dimmed but didn't go out.

"We'll sleep, don't worry about that." It was weird to hear a soothing tone in my voice. I turned to #Luna and said softly. "Ai na teik fos' setnes. Ron yu bida riden." (I'll take first watch. You get some sleep.) And again the Zen Master looked at me like she knew a secret I didn't. Her hand moved to the handle of the door and she gave one last look to Raven and then back to me, still a glint of a secret in her eyes.

"Nach yu na, Jon. Ai komba raun gon fou nabit." (Of course, you will. I'll be back in four hours.) She said softly before she left the room, and I took a seat in the chair next to the bed.

= Raven =

Drifting off to nothingness is all I hoped for. The sound of their voice felt like they were miles away from where I lay in the bio bed now. My eyes were closing slowly and the words from the song were becoming lost, and mixed with the sound of the monitors they still had connected to me.

My body started to feel like the tension was dissipating, however it was nothing like the sleep I was in before. The dull pain was still there, and as to prove it to myself I shifted my body to the side and the sharp stabbing made my head and eyes flitter open for the briefest of time before closing again.

≋ Dreaming ≋

The smell of dampness filled my nose, my arms, head and legs were hurting, It was dark and I couldn’t see anything. “Hello? Is there anybody there?” My voice was strong as if I was ready for a fight, I was ready to hit back hard, but I wasn’t sure what or who I was going to hit.

With a blink of my eyes the surroundings all changed. Now I found myself in an underground cave with all our people lined up to the far side, everybody’s arms tied above their head. Abby, Marcus, #Nate, #Kyle all screaming, trying to free themselves, looking on as I lay there on the bed.

My body fighting, the taste of blood in my mouth from the ear I’d just bitten off from the guard trying to tie me down. I knew then that I was going to die, that I’d failed Bellamy and Clarke. I knew they were trying to get into Mount Weather and here I was about to be tortured.

I refused to scream, to show pain until my body could no longer take it. The sound of the drill wasn’t just heard by the ears, but it was felt in the back of my jaw too. And the screams I could hear now were coming from me. The thin drill was digging into my flesh and then it hit my hip bone.

≋≋≋≋

“NO!!!!!”

My body jerked up off the bed and the pillows fell to the ground. Strands of my hair stuck to my face with the beads of sweat from the fear and the pain that was so real in the moment. As my eyes frantically search all the way around the dimly lit lab. My eyes were seeing the lab, and yet my mind and heart were telling me that I was stuck in Mount Weather.

My hands darted up to my neck searching for the collar, I rubbed my wrists looking for the bounds.

“No.. Not again.. Not…”

Pushing myself up and off the bed my body hit the table and then my legs gave out from under and I hit the floor hard.

“Not again.. Not again..”

I tried to pull myself up, to drag myself across the ground, to get out of here. I needed to be free from it all.

= John =

The music did sort of soften the harsh tone that the regular rhythmic beeps of the machine hooked up to the mechanic. After a while, her breathing got a little deeper and I knew she was finally and really out.

I moved back to the side of the bed silently and rested the back of my fingers to her forehead, stepping away when she didn’t feel too warm to the touch.

I couldn’t stay sitting for long before I felt sleep trying to take me over. I got up and moved around the room, watching for movement or any signs of the others, not because I wanted to see them… but what else was I going to do? Stand over her while she slept?

#Jackson appeared at one stage and spotted me through the glass. When he saw Raven sleeping; he just left - after giving me a look that said to call him when she was awake. I dismissed him with a tired nod.

I probably should’ve had #Luna take the first watch, but I knew my subconscious was already working on reasons why I didn’t need to go when she came to relieve me. I just had a bad feeling that something was going to happen when I finally did close my eyes. Whether it was here or in one of the offices.

I had returned to the chair, I sat forward so as not to fall asleep. It felt like eight hours had passed, but it couldn’t be, #Luna said she’d be back in four and she wouldn’t be late.

My elbows were propped on my knees and my head was buried in them. I closed my stinging eyes, just to give them a short break from the low light. I felt myself start to tip forward, and I wasn’t sure what it was that brought me around. The feeling that I was about to fall out of the chair or Raven bolting up in the bed.

The terror on her face was unsettling, it was a look I’d seen before, the same one that people have right before they realise, they were moments from death.

“Raven!” I called to her as I lurched towards her; she practically flung herself over the other side of the bed and hit the floor with a sickening thud. The machines she was attached to rattled and tilted forward almost falling, before the E.K.G wire snapped free from the sensors stuck to her and the monitor flatlined.

I shoved the table out of the way and moved around to her as she pulled herself across the floor, repeating “Not again.” It could mean so many things, this woman had experienced more horrors than all of us combined. I dropped to my knees and grabbed her arms, pulling her against me.

“Raven, It’s okay. It’s John.” I tried to ease the panic out of my voice and soften it as #Luna did. “You’re safe. It was a dream.” I leaned back against something cold, I pinned her arms to her sides and wrapped my legs around the lower half of her struggling body.

“Ai giv ai op.” I whispered to her. “Gon nemiyon, kom Lanik-de.” (I give myself up to the miracle of the sea.)

I took a deep breath myself, feeling my lungs expanding in the non-existent space between my chest and her back.

“Breathe, Raven. Say the words.” I whispered.

“Ai giv ai op… gon nemiyon… kom Lanik-de. Yu's kilr.” ( I give myself up to the miracle of the sea… You're safe.)

= Raven =

The smell in my nose was so potent, I remembered everything from the time. The taste of the blood, the fear from what was to come and the sights of all those I cared about who would be next, followed by the helplessness of it all. My nightmare had pulled me in so deep that knowing the difference between the now and then was difficult.

“No.. No.. Let Me Go” I pushed and Punched out. My arm was being tugged back and then my eyes honed into the I.V. needle under my skin, and I pulled it out to free myself from it. Before I knew it, I was being pulled back again.

I wanted to free myself, to run towards the shadow to the far side of the lab calling me towards it, and yet these arms around me took a hold and wouldn’t free me. “Let Go!” I shrieked needing to get away. That was when I felt my back being pulled into somebody’s arms and into their chest. Legs came around me to keep me in place. I tugged and pulled until the whispers from a far came to flow in my ears. ‘ “Ai giv ai op gon nemiyon, kom Lanik-de.” (I give myself up to the miracle of the sea.)’ I knew those words. I knew the voice. But it wasn’t the one I was expecting to hear.

“Luna?” I whisper over the hiccup of tears now rolling down my cheeks, and the heaving in my chest. And then I heard it again. “John?” I just managed to part my lips to allow the words out. My chest was in pain and my mind was slowly starting to calm, my adrenalin had been spiking with my fight or flight still trying to make me move.

My eyes focused on the foot of the bio bed, the pillows on the floor before me, the arms holding me and the voice trying to pull me back towards it.

“Not there, Safe. Safe.” Again, my voice was raspy as I allowed John to calm me. Telling myself to listen, I knew that John was here, he was with me and he could be trusted. I was safe. I was rocking back and forward, my hands resting up on the arms holding me as I blinked back the tears.

“Ai giv ai op Gon nemiyon, kom Lanik-de.” (I give myself up to the miracle of the sea.). Whispering it as I had done so many times before. I knew now that I was indeed safe. “Just a dream.” A nightmare trying to pull me out of the safety of reality and into the darkness.

Slowing down, my eyes, mind and heart now all in the same place. My glance darting all over the room and I remembered where I was. “I’m sorry. I’m okay.”

= John =

When I saw the flash of blood on her arm from her ripping out the I.V. I clamped my hand around the crook of her elbow to try and stop the bleeding, there didn’t seem to be enough blood to worry too much about. But, she could have torn the vein to shreds. I should have been faster; I shouldn’t have been half asleep. #Luna would have been faster.

She started to calm down; the heart monitor was still flat-lining next to the bed. Then she said my name. “It’s me, Raven. You’re okay.”

She whispered the words and I unwrapped my legs from around her, still keeping my arms across her chest. “There’s no such thing as just a dream.” I whispered. I wasn’t a stranger to powerful nightmares, when they came, they were impossible to shake off.

“You’ve nothing to be sorry for.” I eased my hold on her and turned her slightly so I could peel my hand away from the cut on her arm, the semi-dry blood sticking my skin to hers. I turned to face her, as close now as they were when I was carrying her to her bed… but this time the thoughts of invading her space, or awkwardness were completely overshadowed by the need to look after her.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” I offered as comforting a smile as I could muster.

There were heavy footfalls in the lab now. I slipped my arm under Raven’s knees and twisted myself to lean my shoulder against the metal cabinet. I clambered to my feet as smoothly as I could manage with her in my arms, carried her back to the bed and lay her back down. Then hit the button to raise up the head of the bed a little.

The footsteps reached the tops of the stairs. I took Raven’s hand and place two fingers into the crook of her arm and bent her elbow up. “Keep the pressure on that for a second.”

I made my way to the door and blocked the others from rushing in all at once. #Harper crashed into me. “No! We are not doing this again. Jackson... Luna…” I nodded into the room and they squeezed passed the others. They all knew what I meant, the way they all crowded and grabbed for her when she first woke up.

“Raven is fine. The rest of you can go.” I pushed the door closed as the others moved back out of the room. I went back to Raven’s side. I watched #Jackson as he checked her over and jabbed the power button on the heart monitor until Doc Lite decided if he was going to reattach it or not.

= Raven =

I didn’t trust my voice not to betray me of the fear that was coursing through me in that moment in time. When my glance dropped to my hands they were shaking, and he was slowly letting me go. His legs unwind from around mine, and even though he was still holding me around my chest I felt his hold loosen ever so slightly.

John’s voice was easy, calm, and cool. Something I could hold on to and count myself down from the ledge I’d found myself on. ‘There’s no such thing as justa dream’. I couldn’t disagree with him on such a point. It wasn’t a Dreamit was a nightmare, one of many which haunted me and never let it’s hold go from around my neck.

My body shifted, his arms back around me and then I was off the ground. He had me pressed up against his chest again and I had nothing to do, say or think about this time around. “I—” my voice was shaking still, so I stopped to pull myself together and tried again. “—I’m sorry, that was stupid of me.”

He placed me on the bed my elbow bent, and I put pressure on the place my I.V. needle had once been connected as he asked. I was slowly coming down from the pains of uncertainty.

I didn’t dare look up at the sounds coming from the door, instead I closed my eyes seeing the flash of the guards’ face when I did that. My eyes darted open and I overheard the conversation taking place.

‘Reivon, chit ste Disha? (Raven, what is this?)’ #Luna had rushed in and like a flash she was stood by the bed and was checking me over. Only when she was sure that I was okay did her eyes leave me to frown at John.

#Jackson was closely following her, bypassing the monitors to check my face, head, my arm and then he scowled. ‘Have you been drinking?’ His eyes moving to John.

“Yes, I have because I’m grown arse and I can drink if I want to. And really.. It’s nothing, would you both stop please. It was nothing and it wasn’t Johns fault. I just jerked out of the bed, the mansion with the big beds it’s spoiled me.”

I wasn’t attempting to be rude to them both, I was just trying to take the attention off them looking at John in the way they were. He’d done nothing wrong; he was trying to help me. #Jackson stepped back and disappeared before returning holding a tray with some alcohol and bandages on it. He took my arm and started to clean the blood away to see if I’d caused any real damage.

“I’m sorry guys really I am.”

= John =

“It’s okay.” I whispered when her attention was drawn to the bloody spot on her arm. “After my first stay here, I almost crawled right into a campfire. If it wasn’t for Emori I wouldn’t be this pretty anymore.” I offered her the most comforting smile I could manage.

I wasn’t sure why, but I needed her to know she wasn’t the only one that carried around these demons, that came out to terrorize us in our sleep. So far Emori was the only one to witness it, she was the only one that was ever close enough to, while we travelled together, and she thought the tricks of her trade.

I took a place standing next to #Luna when she asked what was happening. “Reskripa.” (Nightmare.) I whispered to #Luna. I didn’t think Raven would mind her knowing; the pair seemed to share a bond. “Ai don bilaik lagas. Em don hon laksen.” (I was too slow. She got hurt.)

The nightblood rested her hand on my arm and squeezed before her full attention went back to Raven.

“It was just an accident #Jackson.” I tried to back up Raven’s story and change the subject. “She’s had no fever… there were no tremors. It wasn’t a seizure.”

“Yeah, accidents happen when you’re drunk.” #Jackson muttered, and we both rolled our eyes for different reasons.

“She wasn’t-” I shook my head; I gave up there was no point arguing with him. I knew the wine had nothing to do with it. If her dreams were always this bad it was probably the only reason, she got to sleep at all. I gave Raven a look that pleaded with her to leave it alone. I didn’t regret sneaking in the bottle, the food. Raven relaxed, had some fun.

The doctors had one goal: how to keep her alive as long as they could. I saw my role a little differently; yes, trying to keep her alive was one, but we knew she was dying and I was trying to balance keeping her alive with keeping what life she had left worth living.

If that meant a few dirty looks from #EricJackson… then so be it.

I heard Raven’s apology and just as I rested my hand on the wrist of her uninjured arm, #Luna leaned over her and brushed her hair back off her face.

“It’s okay.” I said with a smile. Luna seemed to be keeping her eyes away from #Jackson; I knew she hated to lie unless it was absolutely necessary.

“All that matters is you’re safe.” #Luna whispered to her and my own words from moments ago, were mirrored back to me, I felt the same pang in my chest, as I did when she was fighting to get away from whatever it was that had her so afraid when she woke up.

= Raven =

My eyes were darting around the lab, the dark shadow was back and moving and hiding with the others standing around me. They were talking and I could see it didn’t want to be seen. But could they even see it or was it all me? Had something followed me out from the Blue forest? What did it want? Why was it here? All questions running through my mind. But more so I felt it was being feed by the fear from the nightmare I’d live again.

The pain behind my eyes was back once again, I was sure whatever pain med’s Abby and #Jackson had been giving me when I was out had worked their way out of my system, the I.V. was gone and I wasn’t going to give #Jackson a reason to reattach it to me again. Without the I.V. holding me back I could free myself from here. The more I looked around the more the urge to run had started to develop.

It wasn’t until I heard John say ‘It wasn’t a seizure’ to #Jackson did I realise that I’d drifted from the now and back into my mind. My glance moved down to my arm and I was shocked or surprised, I’m not sure which one to find John holding me. But then again, after what he’d just witnessed, I was sure he didn’t want to take any chances of me falling out of the bio bed again.

Closing my eyes when #Luna’s fingers touched my skin and she brushed away my messy hair. I just nod. They were trying to comfort me. But it was #Jacksons dig that fired me up. My hands fisted and that rage was in my eyes. My heart spiked and I knew this was not me. This was not me, I repeated to myself. my jaws clenching tight I repeated John and #Luan’s words to bring my down from the steep cliffs of the darkness before it consumed me once again.

“Jax! – “ I saw John shift himself into my view and in his baby blue eyes there were unsaid words. He was telling me something just as #Luna did without the need of words. But the fact that I understood them shocked me into stopping myself from continuing. Pulling my eyebrows together I swallowed back my anger. “—Please just drop it.” Is all I said to him, but I found my gaze back on John questioning as to why he didn’t want me to correct #Jackson. Why was he taking the blame for something he didn’t do? Something that wasn’t his fault?

= John =

I tried my best not to follow her eyes around the room and draw #Jackson’s attention to it. Which was crazy, he was her doctor, if she was seeing things; that seemed like kind of important information. Information that could change the tests and treatments that they gave her… but nobody was working on a solution for what was happening to Raven. Whatever Abby was working on now was something to do with nightblood. Something to do with why Marcus was here… why he used me to get here without anyone knowing until it was too late.

Not that it bothered me that he used me like this… it was something I would’ve done in his place; it had given me a whole new respect for the man if I was honest. Raven started to protest again with #Jackson. But then seemed to drop it; with my urging. It wasn't worth an argument... What was he going to do? Scowl at me. I restrained my grin at the thought.

Once he had the cut on her arm taken care of, he started to assemble a few things on a tray. "I'll be right back with more fluids." He went to move past me and I cleared my throat to catch his attention. "Is that necessary? She's awake; she's well able to keep herself hydrated." I could tell that #Jackson wanted to say something snippy about the wine again, but I flashed him a charming (More condescending) smile.

"Yes, it is. She's still recovering, we need to-"

"We need to get her back to work... And out of that bed. She's in pain from staying in one place all day. We need to get her moving again. Not thinking about other ways to keep her in the bed." I was still smiling like I was asking a close friend for a favour. #Jackson looked from me to Raven; I could see him overthinking it. "Give her something for the pain now, wait a few hours and if you aren't happy with her condition then you can hook her up to whatever you want. She's had food and she’s drinking plenty of water too." I stressed the word because denying she'd been drinking wine was pointless at this stage.

Doc Lite sighed and I knew he was caving; I also knew Raven would not be happy about taking the painkillers. But I knew she was hurting; I could see the heaviness in her eyes and the thump she made when she hit the floor was still replaying in my head and sickening my stomach. I knew it had to have hurt. I didn't think she needed to be in the bed eight more hours with another saline drip and after what had just happened, I didn't think that she'd like the restriction it caused. I had a feeling she wouldn’t sleep easily if she was hooked up to it again.

#Jackson moved back to the side of the bed, picked up a bottle of pills and gave Raven a look. "I need you to take two of these and drink plenty of water." #Jackson set the pills in her hand and filled a cup from the jug by the bed.

"Oh!" I added with a hint of a grin as he stood and waited to see if she would take the pills. "And she needs her brace... just so she can use the bathroom in peace and everything. Don't worry... we'll help her, but seriously? At least let her pee in private... she's not a prisoner." The look on #Jackson's face was stern but one corner of his mouth curled up, almost like he was impressed.

= Raven =

My hands fisted up as the darkness reared its head again. I didn’t know what it was that #Luna saw in me when it happened, but her hand was on my leg and she squeezed it to pull my attention to her. When my gaze was on her, I saw her lips moving. Mouthing the same words repeatedly. I didn’t need her to say them out loud, this was the mantra she and now John used to bring me back so often that I didn’t need them to say it out loud.

“Ai giv ai op Gon nemiyon, kom Lanik-de.” (I give myself up to the miracle of the sea.). Repeating it a few times and just like that the sensation of calm eased its way all around me.

By the time both #Luna and I turned our attention back to the room the conversation between John and #Jackson had taken a turn. I shifted myself to sit up straighter now, ready for a fight with #Jackson on being put back on the I.V. But John was on a roll.

#Luna and I gave one another a look and then we both at the same time turned to watch the two men talking. I could feel my jaw dropping open listening to how John was actually defending me to #Jackson. The way he was counter reacting to the points #Jackson would make and sometimes he was ahead of the game too.

I had to watch closely and see how every now and then #Jackson would look uncertain of his words, and it was astonishing to witness. I had to wonder if this was how others viewed me when I was at my best and using my mind at ‘full power’ to build an idea into something real?

‘We need to get her back to work’ Now John was pleading my case and taking my side on the need to work?

‘Out of that bed.’ After all he’d done to keep me in bed on days when I just wanted to be rid of him?

‘We need to get her moving again. Not thinking about other ways to keep her in the bed.’ My jaw was on the ground now and my eyes wide open. Who was this guy and where was John? Was I still dreaming? Or was this a nightmare dressed up as a dream to make me feel comfortable before the rug was pulled out from under me?

If John and #Luna hadn’t been holding me, I was sure I was going to fall out of the bed again. John asked for my brace back. He wasn’t joking before when he said, he would go and try to find it, and that he didn’t know where it was.

Once #Jackson handed me the pills, then gave me a glass I looked at them. The pain was never gone for me. But I didn’t want the medication for a few reasons, the main one was that I didn’t want to take these pills away from somebody else who really could need them more than I did right now.

‘Rey’s that’s the deal. You take the pills and I will bring you your brace. It’s up to you.’ Begrudgingly I placed two pills on my tongue with a mouthful of water and swallowed them down. #Jackson stood there watching me closely.

“Do not dare ask me to open my mouth to show you. I won’t waste medication in that way Jax.” He seemed pleased and finally excused himself. My attention moved fully to John as had #Luna’s.

“Who are you and where is John? Also, don’t think about how and where I need to pee. Dude! That’s just wrong in more ways than one.” I grimaced before both #Luna and I bust out in a little laughter.

= John =

I couldn't help but smirk, with one short speech I had managed to get #Jackson to agree to give back her brace and not 'Tie her down'... I knew hooking up another I.V. wasn't the same. But after a nightmare like that, I knew she needed to feel free to move when she needed to, and I got Raven to take something for her pain. I'd just need to find another way to get her to take it easy until Abby cleared her to move around the lab.

I smiled as #Jackson headed out of the door. "You need to make sure she doesn't do too much too fast." He made sure to say as he passed. "I'll be back with your brace." He called back before the door swung closed.

I laughed at Raven and shook my head. "Hey... I'm getting you your brace back! But... You still need to listen to them, okay? I know they are babying you a little. But they just want to slow whatever is going on up here." I had moved back to the bed and tapped my finger to the middle of her forehead for a split second.

I looked up to make sure #Jackson wasn’t coming back yet. "Are you okay?" I examined her more closely than I had a chance to before everyone had shown up at the door. "You hit the ground pretty hard. I'm sorry I didn't get to you before you fell." A stab of guilt penetrated my side and I dropped my gaze to somewhere around her knees.

The only marks I could see on her other than the bandage on her elbow was the redness starting to show on her other arm and I couldn't tell if it was from the fall or me when I restrained her. "Looks like you'll be getting a bruise." I motioned to the arm that would have otherwise been uninjured.

I knew it wasn’t bad… and I knew I had to calm her down before she did even more damage to herself. But I had caused this girl so much pain… adding to it now… I couldn’t wrap my head around that.

= Raven =

Giving #Jackson a small nod, I wasn’t sure if he really would bring me my brace, and now I was wondering whose idea it had been to take it away from me in the first place? Moving my eyes back to the far side of the lab, the shadow was still there but right now it was silent which I was thankful for.

The taste of iron/ blood still in my mouth from the nightmare? From the nightmare in which I relived biting off a man’s ear. Knowing full well it was a nightmare I lived in my short life on this earth. But when I moved my tongue around in my mouth, I realised that I’d at some point bitten into it. The edge of my tongue had started to swell up a little.

#Luna returned to my side with John and she held out another full glass of water. ‘Drein daun Ogeda kom Disha’ (Drink all of this). The look she gave was a little sterner than normal. ‘You have to listen here now Raven. We can’t and will not stand by and watch you in pain. You are not going to joke about the end, and you are not going to lie about your pain.’

I didn’t have time to reply to her before John was by my side again too. I closed my eyes listening to them both and once again. “I feel like a kid being scolded here.” The voice was a whisper and I kicked myself for letting my thoughts out like this.

“I am okay, or I will be.” Glancing over to the door to make sure nobody was there. “It was a nightmare, not the first and it won’t be the last. I’m sorry if I scared the two of you. And John.” Looking at him, I tugged on the sleeve of his shirt. “This wasn’t your fault, none of this was on you. Please believe me.”

Turning my attention to #Luna “And the same goes for you Wise One. Please don’t take this on your shoulders.”

My gaze fell on the bruise John had been pointing out and I rubbed it. “It’s okay, it has plenty of company. It won’t feel alone on my body.” Bruises from the brace, from the knocks I got on the job, from the scars all over my skin. It was a shock to me if I looked down in the shower and I couldn’t find at least two or three of them.

= John =

I could see her watching something, following it around the room with her eyes and it was worrying. Worrying wasn't the right word... it was terrifying.

To think that there was something in her so strong and dangerous that it was manifesting itself even while she was awake.

I saw her jaw work and a little wince of pain, there was something else wrong. I nodded when she spoke, but I had been battling sleep instead of watching over her. Now I couldn’t sleep even if I tried. “Yeah… well, maybe when they let you out of here, you’ll get some better rest back at the Mansion. At least the beds are more comfortable.”

Really what I meant was bigger, and lower to the ground so even if she did jump up and fall it wouldn’t be as far, and she’d land on the thick carpet, not…

I physically shuddered as the sickening slap of her body on the hard, glossy floor, replayed in my head, followed by the flat-lining heart monitor. My attention flitting to the spot where she had ripped out the I.V. but there was no blood on the floor that I could see. ‘Shake it off!’ I told myself.

I knew she was trying to be comforting pointing out that she had plenty of bruises. “Tell me about it.” I tried to sound as normal as I could. “Since arriving here I think they’ve actually started to heal.”

I looked down at myself as if the ones that littered my body were visible but other than the scars on my hands they were all concealed by my clothes. Her blood was still caked, dried now, on my hands; I must have rubbed them together at some point. My split lip had healed quickly, it was barely noticeable now, and I couldn’t feel it anymore. “I think this is the least injured I’ve been since we landed.” I was sure there were a few brown and yellow bruises still to fade away here and there… but barring any more fights. I could probably be bruise-free and another few days. As I spoke, I poured a little water onto some of the cotton #Jackson had used to clean Raven up and started to clean the blood away.

“I am sorry about that one though.” I said, not putting too much emphasis on the apology. After all, she had just ripped a needle out of her arm and with the state she was in; there was no telling what she might have done next. That was when I heard the door open again and #Jackson stepped inside with the brace in hand.

I smiled at him, a little smug and took it. “Thanks, Doc Lite.”

He looked passed me to Raven and started to speak. “Just don’t go runnin—“

“It’s fine Jackson. You’ve done your job. Let me do mine.” I cut him off and with a loud huff, he left muttering something about ‘Why the hell they brought me along?’ but I didn’t quite catch it. I just laughed. I held up the brace and beamed. “Told you I’d get it back.” I set it down on the chair…

“But only for when you need it. At least, until the Doc releases you.”= Raven =

“Home” The word was another whisper. In so long I’d not allowed myself to feel the way I had here on Becca’s Island. With the knowhow that we were safe here, that there was food to eat and wine ( I mean Water ) to drink. That we had a place to rest our heads without the need for keeping one eye open all the time. It was becoming clear not just me, but the rest of the team too were starting to let our guard down a little.

There were times when I thought of it and how we were living here, when the rest of our people still lived in fear. That I thought we were fools because this peace and the mansion were going to have to be left behind at some point. And then what would we do? Sleeping on hard cots and or the ground, eats slop or rationing what little we had to share with everybody. It was going to be a shock.

“Maybe it’s time for me to get used to sleeping in small spaces again. There are no beds the size of the ones in the mansion in the bunker I am sure of that.” Shaking my head, the voice of #Becca from the Blue forest was in my mind. ‘You need to go out in a blaze of glory Raven Reyes.’ Which I knew wouldn’t happen in a bunker underground.

As he cleaned his hands I frowned. “You have nothing to apologise for John, trust me it’s going to be fine.” I glimpse up at him when he spoke of his bruises and my eyes were on his lips. Not for any other reason but to see the faint mark left there from when I punched him in the face.

Thinking back to that day, the sound of our fighting, me screaming at him. And the way my fist hit his mouth. I winced and shifted on the bed. But before I could say anything the door behind John opened and #Jackson walked in. my glance moved to his hand and what he was carrying with him. I couldn’t help the smile forming on my face at the sight of my brace.

“There it is.” Again, John was stood between #Jackson and me and I raised my eyebrow. What was going on with him. Once again, he jumped on everything #Jackson was saying and practically dismissed #Jackson from the room.

‘John you need to stop that, Jackson is only trying to help Raven.’ #Luna said after #Jackson had gone. She was telling him off, but I could see she was a little proud of him at the same time.

“Thanks John, you are on a roll today, coming through on your promises man. Keep it up!” Without thinking I was rubbing my hands waiting for my brace to be given to me.

But when he didn’t give it to me, I frowned a little. “Wait! What happened to ‘We need to get her back to work’ and ‘We need her out of that bed’? Why can’t I have the brace now?” He had taken the brace from #Jackson and instead of giving it to me, he put it on top of the chair I’d been sitting in just out of my reach.

“What if I really Promised not to Run? Not like I can do that anyway. I’m more of a hop, skip and jump kind of a gal these days really!” I tried to joke; my eyes set on the brace.

= John =

I tried to ignore the weird feeling when she said the word 'Home.' But the Mansion had become a place of calm, at least since the last time Raven and I screamed at each other. But that seemed like ancient history now, in reality, it was only days ago.

But it was fully stocked with food, so much so that everyone could eat until they were full. The turn of a tap and you had water... and showers. Hot Showers! Clean clothes... music. Maybe that was the right word.

Everyone seemed to be at ease there, even moving freely and unarmed. I even saw #Harper walking around barefoot one morning. My boots didn't come off unless I was showering and then they went right back on. I had to be ready to get up and run at a moment’s notice; because that was the nature of the world, we lived in

"Raven... you'll adapt no matter where you go. Enjoying the momentary comfort, we have here is not going to make you soft."

I cleared my throat when #Luna told me to go easier on #Jackson. Being an ass to him wasn't without its entertainment value, but there was a reason for it too. I needed him to leave so I could bring up the elephant in the room. I turned to Raven and scoffed at her. "You don't need the brace right now; you need rest." I moved to the side of the bed and rested my palms flat on the hard mattress of the bio bed.

"And I need you not able to run so we can talk about what else is going on with you. I know it's not just nightmares, Raven. I've seen you... following... something with your eyes. It's happened a few times now. What are you hallucinating?" I kept my voice slow and even, there was no accusation or hardness in my tone. #Luna looked up at me as my eyes flitted to the last corner, I had seen her fixate on and then back to Raven. "We can't help you if you don't tell us what's going on."

= Raven =

#Luna’s eyes had moved to the far side of the lab and then back on John and then me. ‘Yu seintaim? Ai yu don ai op em dula'm op seintaim’ ( You too? I have seen her do it too. )

#Luna moved my leg a little to the side, making room for herself to sit cross legged at the bottom of the bed. They were both watching me now, trying to find something in my eyes, in the way I twitched at the realisation that the #Watcher really hadn’t stop doing his thing, even with the world falling apart around us. Then again, we had to give him some credit, he and #Luna were taking this newfound role as my guardians seriously.

“What—” for the first time I didn’t have words to say. Okay that was a lie, I had words. Lots of words to say, I had enough words to fill the City of Light around hundred times over. But could I spout any of those out to them? The extent of my melting brain was not a secret from these two people. They had witnessed the highs and the lows. My gaze moving to Johns lip again and the mark left from one of the times he witnessed a low. And again, it made me cringe at the sight and more so the memory of what I did.

“I don’t – “ licking my bottom lip, ‘—Know what you are talking about’ was what I wanted to say. But I couldn’t make the rest of the words flow from my mouth. I wanted to tell them/ him it was ‘nothing’, until I remembered my own words to John about not hiding, about us being a dysfunctional family. About being better now than we had been when we came to Becca’s island.

Dropping my eyes from the two of them. It was hard, too hard to keep up the eye contact with these two people. When my mind was thinking of lying to them. After all they had done for me. Could I lie? Couldn’t I laugh it off and tell them it was them who were clearly seeing things?

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath looking back up when the decision was made. My eyes bypassing the two sets of eyes glancing back at me, and mine were on the shadows dancing over the walls.

“I don’t know what it is. So far, it’s a shadow, with A.L.I.E’s voice.” Dragging my fingers over my messy hair. “No. Becca’s voice.”

= John =

My eyes turned to Luna. “Hod op… Yu seintaim?” (Wait... you too?) I had seen her following Raven’s darting gaze, but I wasn’t sure she figured out it was a hallucination. #Luna gave me a curt nod before she sat crossed legged on the bed with Raven again.

I could see the battle raging in her, the want to release the burden of it all. The anxiety: maybe even a little fear of what it would mean to say it out loud, how things would change once it was known. I knew people would look at her differently if they knew. Hell, even I would. I could try not to but, could I do it? I had no idea. Would I always be waiting for the flicker in her eyes that told me so loudly that there was something out in her world that the rest of us couldn’t see? Did it frighten her? Did it mean her death was closer than we thought? Did it hurt?

Maybe it was me she couldn’t tell. I couldn’t blame her after everything I had done. I should leave her with #Luna and let her get it off her chest, maybe if she talked about it she’d realise it wasn’t real and be able to manage her visions. I made the decision, I’d leave. I’d leave the girls and let them discuss it, let #Luna work her Zen magic. But no words came out of my mouth to tell them so. My feet stayed planted to the floor and my hands flat on the edge of her bed. I couldn’t even move my eyes towards the door.

Then she was talking.

And the words that came out of her mouth were more terrifying than anything I could have imagined. A.L.I.E. made sense but she thought it was Becca? That was petrifying. I heaved a sigh and stepped closer to the head of the bed, closer to her and locked my light blue eyes on hers. It felt oddly intense. “Raven, Becca is dead. Becca was not in that code it’s the Bitch in the Red Dress. You know that.” She had to know that. “You cannot trust a hallucination.” Telling her this seemed far more important than finding out what the voice was saying.

I knew she admired Becca. Misguided as she was… the woman was a bloody genius. But the idea of Raven believing she had Becca in her mind when it was most likely A.L.I.E. was scary. That psychotic A.I. had a survival instinct and Raven was a key factor in her destruction. She had blown up the world, I believed her very capable of revenge. Clarke was untouchable to her once the Flame was removed, but she still had her digital claws in Raven. All she had to do was squeeze. The Flame… that sparked a memory.

“Becca is in the Flame, Raven. Not A.L.I.E’s code.”

= Raven =

His eyes landed on me and I flinched back into the pillows behind me. I wanted to look away from him. Hells! He was too close for me to hide the uncertainty I didn’t want anybody to see in me. I couldn’t pull my hazel eyes away from him. And at the same time, I could feel the glare of #Luna on me too. Her hand was resting on my leg and she squeezed it, if I had to make a presumption, it was to tell me I wasn’t alone.

I was the strong one, the one who always used my brain and not my heart as much as the rest of my friends. But with my brain melting what role did I have? None. And now with them knowing or starting to see that I was walking a thin line between reality, fantasy and madness, how could they trust in anything I said or did going forward from here?

“John, do you believe I am unaware? that I don’t know how this sounds? I know Becca is dead. And I know the AI is in the code. But—” How could I explain this to him. To them? They weren’t there in the Blue forest with me. They didn’t see how Becca had fought to pull me out from that darkness. How she had guided my path back here to them.

“—Where do you think the code from the Flame and the AI came from? Where do you believe that code was stored before Becca downloaded it to the chip for the flame? Where do you think she thought about all those things and came up with the plans?” My free hand moved up all around us to the lab we had been in for days now. “It is all here, and it is all here.” I tapped the side of my head.

“I don’t know how she is doing it, or why. But Becca had the mind of a genuine GENIUS!” I hadn’t really put much thought into any of this, #Luna and John were getting the raw dump of my thoughts as they were forming. Between my so called ‘Nap’ and with everyone hovering all over me since I’d woken up, I really hadn’t had the time to think and work anything out.

“I know I sound crazy, I know that you both will think I am losing it. Whatever 𝙞𝙩 is. But I am not. I promise you I have a strong hold on this. I will work it out.”

There was no way I would tell them that I was planning on holding out as long as it took to save the all. There was no coming back from this for me, but hells. I was going to fight to save my friends one last time.

= John =

I listened and kept my eyes on her, she seemed to be a healthy mix of calm and frustrated, I didn’t pick up any defensiveness that made me feel like she was hiding something. But when she said, “Do you believe I am unaware?” I could see she was fully aware. I nodded and broke eye contact just for a second.

“Okay, Raven. If you’re sure it’s Becca…” I shrugged and exhaled. “Then I believe you, I mean no one knows A.L.I.E. better than you.” I shuddered; the voice when she spoke to me in Arkadia after the psycho computer program made her slit her own wrists, came rushing back. I had only ever heard the Digital Devil speak in the mansion here, but the eerie similarities, the slow modular pattern and emotionless inflexion of the voice as it left Raven’s lips… I would never forget it. The way she shrieked fought in the trading-post all came rushing back, then the sickening pop when she dislocated her shoulder and tried to bash her head in by her sheer force of will. I tried to shake off, but the memories clung to the forefront of my mind.

“Just please, keep doing the Reyes thing… and use your logic when it comes to whatever you see or hear.” Then I sighed, I knew I had to bring up the next thing on my mind and I knew it was going to be a controversial topic. But maybe we didn’t need to talk about it right now.

“At some stage, we need to talk about telling all of this to Abby.” I kept my eyes fixed on Raven.

“She’ll understand… she’s seeing things too. She hasn’t admitted it but I know… You saw how she reacted to Marcus. She wasn’t sure if he was really here or not.”

= Raven =

My eyes widened at two facts, 1. He believed me? He was taking my word for it, when I said that I knew what I was hearing. Hells I wasn’t even sure I knew. But the assumption was there for me. I had the same feelings when I heard this voice in my mind as I had the never-ending night in the blue forest. So, how could it not be her trying to speak to me now after all that happened, she was trying to mess with me or trying to help me who knew at this point?

And 2. The fact that he wanted to tell Abby? What was he thinking about? Was he thinking at all right now?

I moved my glance towards #Luna, but she was unreadable. The Wise one was back on top form once again.

“Are you joking right now?” My voice came out a little louder than I had intended it to do. “No, no way. Do you know what she will do if she finds out? No. No. Not Happening John. No!” I was shaking my head, sitting upright and tugging at the blanket which had been moved to cover my lower body partly.

‘Jon ste ait, Oso souda gon tell em Reivon’ (John is right, we must tell her Raven). I shook my head.

“You are agreeing with him too?” Why were those two intelligent people not understanding the situation? “They will stop me from doing anything. They will stop me from helping all of you. They will make me sit here and watch as the world is consumed by the death wave and then what will that do to me? How do you both expect me to sit back and watch it all fall apart all around me? We can 𝙉𝙤𝙩 tell Abby, or Clarke, or well— Any of them downstairs.”

Dragging my hands through my messy hair again, I tried so hard not to pay attention to the movement on the far side of the lab. I couldn’t give them anymore reasons to bench me from the end game we all were here to fight.

= John =

I watched her closely; I was scared she’d have another seizure, maybe something worse. I was grateful for #Luna’s back up, she trusted Abby and I knew that. I wrapped my fingers around Raven’s wrist and tried to unfurl her fingers fisted in the blanket. “Raven, we’re just talking about it.” My blue eyes found hazel ones and bore into them. “We just want you to think about it, please? Maybe we can hold off until we find out why Kane is here.”

I let go of her, I had no idea why I kept thinking it was okay to touch her. Sure… it was just her hand, but still... I couldn’t figure out why it was the first thing I did when I wanted to calm her down. If anything that was going to upset her even more, or just piss her off.

“I not going to promise you that I won’t tell them.” I admitted with a sigh. “But I will promise to tell you before I do it. And if you have another…” I shuddered I couldn’t say it, so I skipped the word. “All bets are off if you don’t wake up after.” I meant it too, but I knew it would be better if they heard it from her. I didn’t know why she was so adamant. Abby was seeing things too… she would understand and as much as I hated to admit it. With the rocket rendered useless; the bunker was our last option.

I couldn’t understand why no one was looking for a way to save Raven. She had spent every second in this place searching for a solution, figuring out how to get to space and back with the cure safely. She’d almost killed herself doing it, too. Why weren’t they looking for a way to get this crap out of her head? Why hadn’t they told us what they were working on yet?

= Raven =

My eyes darted down to my hand as he tried to make me let go of the blanket. I did it, I let the blanket go. But I pulled my hand away from him too.

Was he trying to Manipulate me into believing he was on my side? Because his words affirmed, he was anything but. Holding my hand out. “May I have my brace? I’m done with this conversation. It’s not like I have a say in what is private to me and what you all want to gossip about. All of You treat me like I don’t know what is best for me. You will soon start to treat me like I am a liability. When I know I am nothing but an integral part of this team!!”

My voice had stayed calm, but the darkness was bubbling up inside of me. The voice whispering in my mind ‘I told you, they will never see you in the same way. No matter what you do or say. You are spent, your Brain is spent, and they don’t have any use for you anymore.’

I closed my eyes and my hands moving to cover my ears. Looking down at the bed it was all starting to go dark before my eyes. The pain was shooting up behind my eyes.

“No. You don’t know what you are talking about. I am. I am.”

Growling, my leg jerked and then I felt a hand on it holding it in place. ‘Breathe, Raven. Breathe. John, hold her.’ It was #Luna’s voice but it was so far away.

“No! Don’t touch me! Don’t hold me. You cannot keep me locked up!!!” I cried out.

The pain felt like hot daggers being dug into the back of my head and eyes. Searing through my flesh and my eyeballs.

“FUCK!”

= John =

Shit! Shit! Shit! What the hell had I been thinking? Everything had gone pretty well since she woke up and in twenty seconds, I undid it all. “Raven, wait!” I tried to calm her down, not touching her this time. I knew I screwed up.

“You’re not a liability Raven, no one thinks that.” She was gone; I could see it in her eyes. Then all of a sudden she wasn’t talking to us anymore. Fuck! She was going to seize again. I turned to get her brace, keeping her confined now was only going to stress her out more and bolster what this shadowy voice was telling her, that had her scrambling for her freedom.

When I turned back #Luna was telling me to hold her back. Her hand pinned the woman’s leg to the bed. “Nou, Luna. Lus em au.” (No Luna. Let her go.) I called to the Nightblood and she looked at me and the brace in my hand as I approached the bed, confusion all over her face. “Wich ai in, beja.” (Trust me, please.) Luna released her and stepped back; I placed her brace on the bed and stepped away, but not too far in case she fell.

“Okay… Raven no one is keeping you here.” My gut twisted painfully; the agony was clear on her face. “Just breathe.” I nodded to the door and #Luna opened it. “You’re not locked up, no one will stop you.”

I knew all too well what it felt like to be locked up. I spent all my life in some form of captivity. The Ark, the SkyBox… the prison camp; captured again by grounders after delivering a biological weapon to my people. Then Camp Jaha (before the name changed); while I listened to Raven endure spinal surgery completely conscious.

The bunker.

I wasn’t about to chain her down. All I could do was hope that she would take a second and think before making a run for it.

TBC...

#The100 #The100RP #OKTOrp #RavenReyes #Rey #Stargazer #JohnMurry #Murry #Watcher #AU #Stories #WrittingRP #Youtube

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ragnarssons · 6 years

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the 100 ask game

I was tagged by @nightbleeder ty <3 (even tho half of the fandom won’t like my answers, yikes) 1. What would you get arrested for on the Ark? as the things were on s1? Probably punching Kane in the face just for being around... or probably stealing some supplies for people I care about. Or murder, because sometimes the urge is strong, it has to be even worse on a very limited space like the ark. 2. Would you take off your wristband when you landed on the ground? ehhhh uuuuh, no, especially not with Bellamy’s ways of doing things at the time. Yeah, when Bellamy started to forbid people from eating unless they take their wristband off, is the only time I sided with Finn... 3. What would the necklace Finn would make for you look like? (Clarke: deer/Raven: a raven duh..) a fist in his face? Idk, Finn would have never made me a necklace because I wouldn’t have liked him at all to begin with. But if it has to come to that, maybe a tree leaf or something that simple. 4. If you could resurrect any MINOR character who would it be? *big breath* SINCLAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIR 5. Create a squad of 5 characters to go on missions with. Who are they? Bellamy “eyes sharp” Blarke, Clarke doctor Griffin, Monty, Roan (because broanlarke and also their mission was badass), and Raven “it won’t survive me” Reyes. I have guns, swords, brains, abs, technology, and medical support. 6. Minty or Briller? Briller. I’m actually looking forward to see what they did with Jackson and Miller tbh.... 7. What would your name be in Trigedasleng? (example: Octavia=Okteivia…just make it up!) ehhh, Mari? Yeah kinda like Madi, cool. 8. Thoughts on Finn? Some people hate him, and others love him, so I’m curious Who? Listen, I didn’t hate him at first, when I started the show. To me watching the first eps, it was THAT simple, Bellamy was the “bad guy” and Finn was “the good guy” the storyline sides with every time. And Clarke and him are the “rightful couple”. But delving into the show it gets more complicated and even tho I shipped Bellarke and Bellamy was by far my fav over Finn, I was “mehhh” with Finn. I didn’t care about his ass tbh. When he died I didn’t care. And then I rewatched the show. And I re-rewatched it. And re-re-rewatched it. And I HATE Finn. There is no more self-righteous character (except Octagon), and yet he’s the most basic douchebag you could ever put on a tv show. He’s lying, he’s cheating people, yet for a long while (5 episodes is still a long while) the narrative makes us want to be like “yeahh Finn ur so gooood”. And when there actually is the “love triangle” he goes all weak ass about it, being “sorry” and yet doing NOTHING to atone for what he did. He sleeps with Raven while it’s SOOO OBVIOUS that she’s just fucking him because she’s desperate and sad and just running away from things. SERIOUSLY? You don’t love her, she loves you, but you sleep with her??? And the way both Raven and Clarke had to be the “bigger person” for his sorry ass. I’m glad they worked things through and got an awesome relationship even tho he was here, with his “sad puppy eyes” dumb face. And the way he’s stalking Clarke wherever she goes, questioning and criticizing all her decisions. AND when on Unity Day he put CLARKE’S ass in danger, then went all “youuu should have truuusted meeee” when Clarke got her ass saved by Bellamy, BECAUSE his idea was dumb to begin with (and also because he kinda “forced” her hand to speak with the Grounders while she NEVER wanted to do that in the first place... why didn’t he go himself ehhh if he’s sooo smart? And after that he acted all schocked because the Grounders came with weapons - DUUUUUH). Do I hate Finn enough here? 9. Be honest. How willing would you have been to take the chip without knowing all the horrible things it does? Not. I’ve known really hard times, but never in my life I have thought about “turning my feelings/pain off” in a superficial way. And idk, kinda knowing it’s some kind of computer thingy (do they know?) “taking control” over you, ehhh no. I don’t do drugs. 10. What character do you relate to most & What character do you like the least not including the obvious ones like Pike, etc… I relate to Bellamy the most. Idk, yeah I don’t have a little sister who was my duty for all my life. But on a larger spec, I’d do most of the things he did. I know I’d kill only if it were necessary and I know I wouldn’t be able to live with it and trying to atone for it. I know that I’m true and impetuous and impredictable like Bellamy. And the ones I relate with the least are Octagon and Mur.hy (let’s not tag him because heeee). 11. Describe your delinquent outfit. (Would you wear something like Murphy’s jacket with the spikey red shoulder patch or have a trademark like Jasper’s goggles? Be creative, yet practical) I’d be a basic bitch. With Clarke’s good earth cleavage because I can rock it too. 12. Favorite type of mutant animal? I loved the idea of the deer (also on s1 Lincoln actually has a “mutant horse”). I think Pauna is ridiculous, tho. I’d like to see more of these, on the other hand. 13. What would your job be on the Ark? Janitor? 14. Would you have willingly pumped Ontari’s heart if Abby asked? I think so. I know that when my adrenaline kicks in, I am able to push back a lot of my discomforts. Even tho I HATEEEEEEEEE everything related to surgery and stuff like that. To save Clarke, I would have, yeahhh... 15. If Lxa wasn’t Heda, but she’s still alive right? then who would make the best commander? No one? Idk just destroy this autocratic way of ruling. Wells would have been a good leader *side eyes*. Idk at least the Chancellor is elected, but I really disagree with the whole Grounders’ politics soooo I really don’t care about all this. 16. If you were a grounder, then where would you live and who would be your mentor? I’d love my mentor to be Lincoln. And ummm as for the clan ummm, I don’t care?? Trishanakru? The butterflies are nice, you know. 17. How would you act if you ate the hallucinogenic nuts like Jasper and Monty? Monty. I too want to give the Earth a giant hug. 18. How would you have dealt with Charlotte’s crime? A more John Murphy approach or Bellamy Blake? I would have given her some therapy cuz I don’t know why Wells had to die because she was seeing Jaha in her nightmares. Like?? Logic?? Where are you?? I really don’t know what I would have done but certainly NOT what they did to Murphy but also NOT what he would have done himself had he caught Charlotte (or what he did through the episode). Banishment seemed like a good idea, but she’s still a kid. Gosh I have no idea. 19. Who should be the Chancellor, if anyone? Someone from the lower ranks on the Ark. Like Sinclair? Given his relationships to a lot of characters, he would have been a good Chancellor, yeh. Or Ginger Dad. 20. Mount Weather had a lot of modern commodities. (example: Maya’s Ipod)What is the one thing you would snatch while there? Dante’s art collection. 21. Do you think you’d have caught the virus spread through camp or would you have been immune like Oct.via? Since my headcanon is that the virus was like “a moral compass” (since only the good characters got it), I’d say that I wouldn’t be immune. (I’ll never buy this bs saying that Octagon and Finn are “the strong ones” LMAO) 22. What would your grounder tattoos look like? Hairstyle? War paint? type Aloy on Google and that’s it. Aloy is bae. I also loved Lxa’s back tattoo tbh. And no war paint (idk all of these, on the show, are ridiculous). 23. Favorite quote? “For all its faults, Earth is really beautiful” also “We save who we can save today”. I also love the Traveler’s Prayer. 24. Can you forgive Mur.hy for his actions? How about Bellamy? About Mur/hy it’s gonna be a big NO. Like, sorry, I still have zero empathy for this character. People call him “complex”, to me, he hasn’t changed ever since the beginning of the show (he literally abandoned his “buddy” Bellamy on 401 like ehhh??). And the way he’s so judgy and “sassy” while he’d morally have ZERO right to be. I think the fandom works way more to make me dislike him, how everyone integrated the fact that he’s a bs human being and act like it’s normal and it’s a reason to like/love him. Bellamy has changed a lot from s1 to s4, I’ve never seen him NOT atone or try to do better after his screw-ups. That’s the main difference to me. Starting as a certain person, distrusting the others, okay, it’s one thing. Never buging from that? Nop. Several characters showed a lot of care for Mur.hy and he never did (apart from the very last moments of 413 so who knows, maybe coming from that, my PoV will change, but from s1 to s4 my PoV never changed on him). I honestly like the idea of the show integrating a character like this in the story, it’s “different”, yes. It’s just not characters I like and/or relate to. I also feel like the writers don’t (didn’t? until now) know how to put him in a narrative close to the people he could evolve with (because they... didn’t want him to evolve?). He was just alone on lots of times, aaand very often, sadly for him, related to SLs I didn’t like (Polis, Jaha’s quest, the mansion and all). I don’t like the “in it only for myself” kinds of characters. (if it can help, I also disliked both Bellamy and Kane when they seemed to be “just that” as well... but they evolved). 25. If one of the characters was in the Hunger Games, who would have the best shot at winning? NOOOOO ALREADY SO MUCH DEATH NOOOO One of the Grounders most likely. And unless it would be Lincoln then I wouldn’t care. 26. Least favorite ship? Favorite ship? NOT INCLUDING CL OR BC anything including Octagon. Also anything including Finn. My favorite ship is Bellarke and I ain’t gonna bend the truth *shrugs* I care very little about any other ships on here lmao (except Monty and Harper, they have my thumbs up). 27. A song that should be included in the next season, like when Radioactive was? If there had to be another guest star like Shawn Mendes on the show, who would you want to make a cameo? Some Olafur Arnalds, let’s suffer. 28. What would you do if you were stuck in the bunker with Murp.y for all that time? Honestly? All the data he had about the past in that thing? I would have watched it all. (or did it have only the one video with ALIE and Becca? I don’t remember) 29. Opinion on Emori? Roan? I loved Roan when he was an ally, but I do think he had a manipulative side that he played on Clarke a lot. I think he could have had way more potential than what they did with him. As for Emori... I like her, I’m glad she’s still alive as in, I hope they’ll delve into her more to make me like her more. Because I liked how she started to develop a “care” for Clarke and the others after ep408. Before that, I also didn’t like her, the “Bonnie and Clyde” thing she had with Murp.y didn’t interest me. 30. Would you want to be an extra that is killed off in a brutal way? Eh, yeah why not. 31. A character you’d like to learn more about and get flashbacks of? MONTY, I mean? Why did he never get flashbacks?? Also Harper, Miller, Jackson, idk the Sky People ya kno. 32. A character you’d bang? Look, “Satisfied Girl” and Bree are my girls goal. @head-and-heart @bellamynochillblake @bellsbeard @captainheroism @grumpybell @bellamyslaugh @perhalta @bobnorley @foolish-nymeria ehhh if anyone else wants to do it, let’s go!

#ask games #about me #also sorry to anyone who likes mrphy lmao #i don't #and ya kno since i'm not that vocal about it #let's say i'm nice and u shouldn't unfollow me

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theusagirl · 7 years

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Arkadia Has Fallen(Section 2)

Chapter 3

“Greetings Reyes” Murphy told Raven, who was bent down trying to fix something, she wanted to protect everyone from the radiation since the explosion on the Arc, and she was in no mood for small talk.

“Hey.” Raven said, without looking up from her post.

It was the next day, and people were moving all around, gathering as much items as possible, she wasn't gonna sit around and wait for Clarke, she was sick of Clarke of waiting for her orders, she was gonna take matters into her own hands, whether Clarke liked it or not, why should Clarke be chancellor, Raven had much better brains, despite her disabilty, she could have this project running up in no time, and luckily, she had all the equipment she needed.

“You need some help?” Murphy asked.

“You could've helped by not shooting me in the first place” Raven said, in a slight tone.

“Look Reyes, let's not start that again, I'm sorry for what I did to you, I regret it, at least you're alive.”

“Barely.”

Raven knew that deep down Murphy was just trying to help, she was starting to a different side of Murphy that she hadn't seen before due to stubborness, maybe Murphy was finally changing.

Raven got up from her post and turned to Murphy: “Look Murphy, I'm sorry, I'm just really stressed out and I need this fixed by tonight, and I just hate when things go wrong.” Taking a cloth wiping the beads of sweat on her forehead.

“What can I do?”

“What you can do, is help me get some fuel and oil and try to grease this up, or else we're never getting this thing to work, and it looks like we have an electrical problem ever since the explosion happened.”

“I think there's some oil around, I'll go look.”

“I'll come with you.”

“Murphy was glad that Raven was coming with him, but winced when she saw the pain from her leg when tried getting up from her post.”

“Come on, I'll help you up.” Murphy pulled Raven's hand, almost losing her balance, he caught her so she won't fall down.

She looked at him intently for a moment, then quickly turned away.

“Are we gonna go or not??” She pushed him to side and waited for his response. Murphy didn't say nothing, but he followed her, he said to himself, “This is gonna be a problem, a real problem.” He was not the kind of guy to have feelings for someone, let alone Raven, they were both from very different worlds, but both of them were feisty, she was smart, and he was sarcastic, he regretted every day for shooting her leg that day, and he wished that he could turn back time and prevent it from happening, but for now, it was a bad moment to release his feelings towards her, it woud be too awkward, and love wasn't in the cards, this was something no more than a simple crush, or so he thought.

Chapter 4

“He's stronger today, this is good!” Abby said, checking Jasper's vital organs, “he's gonna pull through”.

“We lost him twice.” Jackson said, writing notes on the charts.

Jackson was right, Jasper lost all strength last night, twice, his pulse dropped to a dangerous level causing his heart to stop, after reviving him, and giving him more IV's, his body was able to regain strength and the alcohol that he had in his system was slowly starting to diminish, he still didn't have enough strength to wake up as of yet, but Abby hoped that he would, after all, he did make it through the night.

“Jasper's a survivor, this kid has been knocking on death's door more than once, he somehow, always pulls through.”

“Incredible.” Abby told him, looking at Jasper's face, which was covered with a little bit of dirt, she adjusted the oxygen mask and double checked everything to make sure things were running smoothly.

“So far, so good??” Jackson told her

“So far so good.”

Abby and Jackson were gonna step out of the room to get a quick lunch, leaving Jasper in the room, little did they know that Octavia was hiding in the next room, she wasn't supposed to get up, but she felt that she was rested enough and was eager to see Jasper, nobody was telling her anything, and she wasn't gonna wait for Bell to come by to keep babysitting her.

When Abby and Jackson left, she made her move, she saw Jasper lying down on the bed, with his eyes closed, beeping sounds and some tubes here and there, trying to be as quiet as possible, she moved the chair that was next to Jackson's desk and pulled it so she can sit next to Jasper.

Her heart broke from the sight of him, he looked so exhausted, but according to the monitors, she could see that everything was in order, right where they should be.

“Jasper??” She whispered “Can you hear me??”

Placing a hand over his head, she got a cloth that was next to him and used it to wipe the dirt from his face.

“I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I really miss you.” Silence, only sounds that were heard were the monitors.

“I hope you wake up.” She continued. “Things have been hard, I don't know what has gotten into your head for ending up in this situation, but I really hope you don't make another stupid decision like this ever again, do you hear me??”

Silence still.

“I was pretty hurt too, I was sorta stabbed, by I'm doing okay, I'm more concerned for you though, you can't leave us, Monty needs you, we need you...” She paused for second and held his hand for a moment. “I need you.”

With that, she felt a twitch from Jasper's hand, she gasped when felt movement, followed by a slight groan.

Taking her hand back, she quickly got up from where she was sitting, “Jasper?? Jasper??

She saw the monitors, they still seemed so normal, until then she saw Jasper's eyelids just flutter slightly.

Octavia let out a sigh of relief, “You're awake...”

“I am??” Jasper told her weakly.

Chapter 5:

A few days later

“For the last time, I won't overdose on alcohol again, God!” Jasper argued who was still being thoroughly checked by Abby and Jackson.

“Good, cause you got lucky this time...” Jackson wrote all the notes on his pamphlet.

“I'm always lucky, I still think that I have some sort of curse, I'm always avoiding death somehow and yet death always manages to find me, strange huh?”

“You aren't ready to leave us Jasper, you are stronger and you know that.” Abby mentioned.

“I guess.” Jasper told Abby, who was getting into a set of clothes, he wasn't able to go outside just yet because he was too weak, but now that his vitals were in check he was able to.

Monty, his best friend was glad that he was able to pull through, he has been keeping him informed of what was happening outside, he overheard that they were supposed to move out of the area, due to the excessive dust and fall of Arkadia that has just occurred, and they were about to head out tomorrow and take what they could carry.

Jasper, also liked to have Octavia as company, during the time he was too weak to do anything, Octavia sometimes sneaked in, despite her own body being injured, and wanted to help Jasper, by feeding him some vegetable soup that she found in a burned out kitchen, the two of them regained their closeness, its been a while since they rekindled their relationship, both suffered a traumatic loss, in which Octavia lost Lincoln, and Jasper, lost Maya, it was too soon for Octavia and Jasper to settle into something serious, not in this state, but the familiar friendship that they once had, felt right.

Jasper headed out of the room, Monty was sitting in the waiting area, getting up quickly to help his friend.

“Come, you're hungry?”

“Am I ever.”

Monty gave Jasper a few items of food that he had saved, Octavia told him about the place where she was able to get food, so this was a big help.

Jasper opened the bag and found of piece of cake, and he scarfed it down.

“Careful don't eat so fast.” Monty chuckled.

“This is the best cake I have ever tasted.” Jasper said, in between mouthfuls.

While walking down the hallway, towards the exit, he could see everyone else packing up the last of their things, heading ready to leave the area to a higher ground, most of them would walk on foot, others would take the Rover, they would each have their own set of weapons, Jasper suddenly felt afraid, despite his cowardness, he always had a sense of bravery and wanted to put his life on the line to help others, but now, he couldn't think he could do that, despite falling into a deep pit of depression after losing Maya, the sudden presence of Octavia started to make him feel like himself again, it was hard, he thought that nobody cared for him, and they did, they just seemed too distant and he felt at times that he was talking to a brick wall, he admit that he shielded himself after Maya's death, and blamed everyone for it, Maya was the only girl that gave him happiness, after he thought, Octavia didn't care for him anymore, but all that changed, and deep down, he thinks that him and Octavia are meant to be.

“Jasper? You're finally out the room, how you feeling?” Octavia said, who was outside with her brother Bellamy and Clarke, the three of them were reading a map, that Raven found while getting some fuel with Murphy the other day.

“Getting there, thanks for asking.”

“Ok, if we take the Rover here, we can go there.” Bellamy pointed at the map.

“Stone Mountain?” Clarke looked on the map.

“Yes, Stone Mountain, we don't know what we're up against, it could be a new town, new challenges, but we are prepared for whatever obstacles we may face, and we all must stay together, understand?”

Bellamy looked at Octavia, “Especially you, O.”

“What?” I'm not going anywhere.”

“Since we have two Rovers, one can follow the other one right?” Jasper spoke.

They were surprised and glad that Jasper expressed his thoughts, it was a good sign, that Jasper was thinking clearly, something that he couldn't grasp in the last couple of months.

“Exactly.” Bellamy added.

“Right, it would be me, Bellamy, Raven, and Murphy, then, Monty, Harper, Jasper and Octavia, and we need some room to put the rest of the equipment.” Clarke explained.

“Settled then?” Bellamy told everyone.

They all nodded in agreement.

“Ok, let's pack up our things so we can leave first thing in the morning.”

“Take what you can carry.” Clarke told them.

The crew agreed and they went to the gather the rest of their belongings, and waited for whatever challenges they may or may not face, when they'll arrive on Stone Mountain, the next morning.

#JohnMurphy RavenReyes RichardHarmon LindseyMorgan OctaviaBlake JasperJordan DevonBostick The100 Fanfiction

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travllingbunny · 5 years

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The 100 rewatch: 2x13 Resurrection

This is one of my favorite episodes of season 2. It feels like the second part of a two-parter, continuing right where Rubicon left, and dealing with the fallout, both in the physical and emotional sense. The episode is very focused, and features just two storylines in two locations: the aftermath of the bombing of Tondc, and inside Mount Weather itself, where the Delinquents and Bellamy are continuing to fight and even finding new allies. Both storylines build up tension towards the apparently inevitable final showdown between the Grounder/Arker army and the Mount Weather leadership. But the storyline about the Delinquents is in Mount Weather is simpler, more straightforwardly heroic (as is Bellamy’s role in most of season 2), while the storyline centered around Clarke and the bombing of Tondc feels very dark and morally ambiguous. Some of the crucial quotes relevant to the themes of season 2 and the show as a whole are from this episode.

Rating: 10/10

The aftermath of the bombing of Tondc and the devastation are strongly portrayed, especially in the opening scene: Clarke seesa horse on fire and a woman holding her own arm that was ripped out, before collapsing. Clarke spends most of the episode obviously feeling horrible about what happened and about herself and her decisions (not even remotely the last time she’ll feel that way!) and trying to find a way to deal with her feelings of guilt and shame.

One of her early reactions, the easiest one, is anger at the Mountain Men and desire for revenge. “I want the Mountain Men dead. All of them.” I can see what you’re doing show: Bellamy and Monty have also said similar things in anger– Monty after seeing the Harvest chamber in 2x06 (Maya: “Look, without the treatments, we die. What were we supposed to do?” Monty: “Die”), Bellamy in the cage, after being tortured, in 2x11 (“I’m gonna kill everyone in this mountain”) –these things were said in anger and not literally meant which now feels like foreshadowing to what they will actually end up doing in the season finale, out of the lack of options, and which they will be very unhappy about, to put it mildly.

But after that, she becomes determined to find and kill the sniper, who is killing the survivors and making it impossible for anyone to engage in rescue missions. All she can do is try to something good to make up for what she failed to do. Lexa is meanwhile following her around, observing her with her apparently cool demeanor, and telling her that everything will be fine when they fight and beat the Mountain Men, and telling Clarke to focus on the future instead of dwelling on guilt about past actions, which seems to be Lexa’s MO in general. She says platitudes like “Victory stands on the back of sacrifice” and tries to give Clarke more of her leadership lessons, but Clarke is at this point pretty fed up with them (I can relate) and tells her to shut up.

Meanwhile, Abby and Nyko (working together), Octavia and Lincoln are all trying to save at least some of the wounded people, while Kane is trapped under the rubble - one of the several “Kane in danger” plotlines in the show. Abby tries to help him, but gets trapped herself as well, resulting on one of the longest and deepest Kabby conversations, and brings those two even closer together. Abby tells Kane the truth about Clarke, which she finds shocking. But Kane points out that they didn’t exactly give her great examples growing up on the Ark, with all the terrible things they did. He mentions the culling – which obviously still haunts him – and executions of people for “crimes” like stealing food or medicine, and Abby agrees with him and mentions herself betraying her husband. It’s the first time she describes it as “killing the man you love”. Back in season 1, when they still hated each other, Kane was saying he would do anything for the humanity to survive, and Abby insisted that she cared that they “deserved to survive”. Their current views are much more similar:

Kane: “We all have to answer for our sins.”

Abby: “After everything we’ve done, do we even deserve to survive?”

Lincoln decides to kill the sniper, but gets caught by him, and Clarke finally gets to save Lincoln and kill the sniper, Whitman, making it possible for the rescue mission to proceed. This is a really good scene – when Whitman uses Lincoln as a human shield, and Lincoln tells Clarke to kill him if necessary just to take out Whitman, so she could save her people, Clarke replies “You are my people”, making a point that what someone’s “people” are is not determined by origin or tribalism. This episode has several great lines.

But when Lexa asks her “Did that make you feel better”, Clarke replies “No”. Whatever good thing you go on to do, it doesn’t wash out the bad thing you did – it will always remain and you cannot undo it.

Indra gets a bit of character development throughout the episode and becomes less prejudiced: she was constantly shunning Lincoln and calling him a Reaper, and apparently that was the treatment he was getting from a lot of Grounders, but at the of the episode, she recognizes his help and heroism and hugs him.

On the less interesting (for me, at least) side, there’s also a mini-arc about Octavia, who’s now Indra’s chief second, managing to gain respect from the other seconds, who were all Grounders and were first not very happy to take orders from her. Which is not surprising – why would they, when she joined them a few days ago, and their mentor already gives her a higher position than them! That has to be annoying. But, as usual, because this is The 100, Grounder characters give stupid reasons instead of reasonable ones, and it’s usually something about like hating Sky people : one of the guys says they are “bringers of death”. Really? Because I was under the impression that the Grounders had been constantly at war and killing each other and that the Mountain Men have been killing them mercilessly.

Anyway, he probably changed his mind when a group of Sky people, including Sinclair and Jackson, arrived from Camp Jaha to the survivors, helping rescue Kane and Abby and others.

Clarke is very relieved to see Octavia alive, but their nice greeting is the last time they get along this season, because Octavia will figure out the truth and be very anti-Clarke in the next episode.

Lexa proves again that she has no problems using the deaths for propaganda, when her people start shouting “Heda” and she gives a rousing speech about getting revenge against Mount Weather for the dead. Clarke is standing silent and probably embarrassed, but Abby is so disgusted that she yells for everyone “That’s enough!” (I’ve never liked her more than in this moment), explaining that they have to focus on saving the other survivors.

While Lexa seems pumped up about winning the war (“With our two people together, we will win this war” – she’ll change that tune in 2x15), Clarke doesn’t seem happy at all. But her priority is the same – saving her friends from Mount Weather, which is why she refuses her mother’s suggestion to stay to help the wounded, and goes with the army to war with Mount Weather.. She’s realized that the treatment work, because the sniper wasn’t wearing a hazmat suit, and what this means “They are going to kill all of my friends”. While her relationship with Bellamy is in a *cough* special category, at t this point in season 2, if not before, I felt that Clarke’s feelings for the Delinquents were almost as if she was their mother figure, in spite of being about the same age. It’s that feeling of being responsible for protecting someone, which both she and Bellamy feel about the Delinquents.

Abby, concerned with Clarke’s apparent new acceptance of ‘ends justify the means’ methods, “Don’t forget we’re the good guys” – a line that will be referenced in the season finale.

I love the last scene of this episode – it has one of the best uses of a song on the show (“Couldn’t Stop Caring” by The Spiritual Machines), and it feels really epic, as we watch the army start its march towards Mount Weather – Lexa, Octavia, Indra etc. and with the close-up of Clarke, close-up of concerned Abby staying behind, and again Clarke’s solemn face, to the chorus of “It’s all for you/Take it to depths they never knew/I couldn’t stop, couldn’t stop caring” – which would be a fitting theme song for season 2.

……………

In Mount Weather, things start in a very dark way, as we see dead bodies of two drilled Delinquents that are still lying around. Since Monty is watching through the security camera, the Delinquents learn that the treatments are working, by seeing that some guards have no hazmat suits. The Delinquents have barricaded themselves in their form in Level 5, and are, for the time being, able to successfully defend themselves – which is made easier by the fact that the guards are not allowed to kill them – in order not to waste the bone marrow (as Tsing explained in one of the previous episodes, the window for bone extraction after death is quite short). However, the guards manage to take Fox, which devastates Jasper, because he promised her she would be fine (he is now playing the leader role that is usually reserved for Clarke and Bellamy), and reacts by killing a wounded guard – the second time in consecutive episodes that we see dark, vengeful, angry Jasper. The show had to put in danger one of the named Delinquents we kind of know, to try to raise the emotional stakes a little bit. Fox lives (for now – she still gets killed in the finale of season 2!), because Bellamy, still dressed as a guard, saves her. The reunions between the Delinquents and Bellamy are very sweet to see (before this, he only revealed himself to Jasper briefly to smuggle him the gun) – Fox recognizes him and happily hugs him.

Maya takes Fox to her father, Vincent, to hide her, and we find out that Maya’s mother refused treatments out of ethical reasons, and died as a result, when Maya was just 5. Her father shares the same beliefs, but, as he tells her, he needed to be alive so she would have at least one parent.

Cage finds a new bargaining chip – threatening Maya’s life to force Jasper and others to surrender (probably thinking all he needs is to make Jasper decide to do so), but instead Monty tries to find a way to save her. In the end, thanks to Bellamy, they manage to save her and all of them get away from the dorm through the trash chute, duping Cage and Emerson. The reunion between Bellamy and Jasper is marked by another hug, but also a rather awkward moment when Bellamy tells Jasper about Clarke coming with an army of Grounders, which leads to Jasper asking if Finn finally got his peace talks, with Bellamy replying “…Something like that”, as it’s obviously not the time to tell them that story.

Most importantly, Delinquents get help from other rebels, those of the Mount Weather residents who are secretly against Cage’s plan of killing them to get their bone marrow, and who are going to hide them at their homes. Bellamy tells them: “Stay alive and be ready to fight. War is coming.”

This all feels so hopeful and idealistic. This is a huge thing, the fact that, here in Mount Weather of all places, where we find the worst villains and the most evil society in the show, there are real rebels and revolutionaries ready to fight for what is right at the cost of their lives, rather than doing everything for their own survival, or caring only about their own “people”, even if their own are in the wrong and doing awful things to others. Maya tells Bellamy that she’s not a natural born revolutionaries as he calls her, she’s just trying to do the right thing, but this is what makes her one. She reminds me of Lincoln, who helped the Delinquents in season 1 so they wouldn’t be slaughtered by a Trikru army, explaining that he’s doing it because “what my people are doing to your people is wrong”.

But it’s all so sad to watch now, knowing how things will turn out, and that the cost of victory will be the deaths of Maya and all the other rebels who helped the Delinquents, which is one of the things that hurt the most, together with the deaths of children.

Timeline: This episode starts in Tondc pretty much immediately after 2x12, on the same night, right after the attack, and lasts about a day (since most of it takes place the day after, and the last scene is again at night).

Body count:

After the deaths of about 250 people (Grounders and Arkers) from the missile, a number of people are killed by Whitman by a sniper.

Whitman himself is eventually killed by Clarke

12 Mount Weather guards (10 killed by the Delinquents, 2 shot and killed by Bellamy while saving Fox). This means that 13 Mountain Men died in this episode, and 352 are still alive.

#the 100 #the 100 rewatch #the 100 season 2 #the 100 2x13 #resurrection #clarke griffin #bellamy blake #jasper jordan #monty green #maya vie #vincent vie #lincoln kom trikru #abby griffin #marcus kane #indra

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instantdeerlover · 4 years

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The London (Quarantine) Dinner & A Movie Guide (1) added to Google Docs

The London (Quarantine) Dinner & A Movie Guide (1)

Food and film is one of life’s great combinations. And though you can’t plan on which restaurant or what cinema right now, you can still invest far too much time in choosing what to stream and where to order from. Because, at the end of the day (not that we know what day it is), there isn’t much else to do. So that’s why we’ve written a guide on some of our favourite takeaway and movie combinations. With our current viewing schedule we’ll more than likely be updating this regularly.

THE SPOTS Karolina Wiercigroch Royal China Club £ £ £ £ Chinese in Marylebone ££££ 40 Baker St Not

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Yet

Film Pairing: John Wick 3 (Netflix)

“If you’ve ever seen any of the John Wick films, then you’ll know that John Wick is not a man to be messed with. He’s loved, he’s lost, he’s avoided multiple lynchings. John Wick is an all-or-nothing guy. As in, he’ll kill all and nothing is safe from being transformed into a weapon of murderous potential in his hand. So with that in mind, we’d be terrified to see what he could do with a pair of chopsticks from Royal China. But his unforgiving approach is helpful when ordering from this stalwart Chinese spot. Just as he picks off bodies on screen, you’ll want to be picking off cheung fun, siu mai, and prawn rolls. All the dim sum menu, and some more. Show no mercy. He certainly doesn’t.” - JM

Mac & Wild £ £ £ £ British in Fitzrovia ££££ 65 Great Titchfield St 8.2 /10

Film Pairing: Celeste and Jesse Forever (Amazon)

“If you’ve ever been through a confusing break-up, you should watch this film. Because if red wine’s match is cheese, then this film’s match is listening to five solid hours of Robyn whilst dancing. And when I say dancing, I mean, manically weeping. This modern break-up number is about two best mates, who also happen to be a couple in the midst of divorcing each other. There’s romance. There’s comedic heartbreak gold. And there’s an exceptional scene where Rashida Jones drowns her break-up blues in ranch dressing and burgers. Fuck it, do the same. Get involved in the venimoo burger kit from Mac and Wild. The salt from your tears will really make that bearnaise sauce pop.” - HLB

Giulia Verdinelli The Camberwell Arms £ £ £ £ British , Pub in Camberwell ££££ 65 Camberwell Church St 8.4 /10

Film Pairing: The King (Netflix)

“I wouldn’t describe myself as pro-monarchy or anything, but I do loyally and unflinchingly serve my king. And if that involves rewatching all 140 minutes of The King, just to see Timotheé Chalamet emerge from the sea, sword in hand, looking like the bowl-cut lead singer of a confusingly medieval mid-2000s indie band, then so be it. The fact of the matter is that this Shakespearian butchering is actively bad, even with Robert Pattinson doing his best Monty Python-ish French accent. But it is good to look at, so you may as well make a meal of it with a medieval serving of beef, ale, and bone marrow pie from The Camberwell Arms, and enough booze to lead you confidently into war with an enjoyably subpar film.” - JM

Homeslice Pizza Fitzrovia £ £ £ £ Pizza in Fitzrovia ££££ 52 Wells Street Not

Rated

Yet

Film Pairing: Just Go With It (Netflix)

“Let’s be real. You’re going to feel good watching anything with Adam Sandler in it. But Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston? Is it possible to feel too good? Answer no. This light, hilarious, and adorable rom-com is all about pretending. Hiring your assistant to pretend to be your ex-wife, putting on a pretend British accent, and pretending to love your fake kids. But most of all, it’s about family. So order the ultimate family sharing food, a couple of 20-inch pizzas from Homeslice and share it with your quarantine family, whether that’s your parents, your flatmate, or your house plant. And while you’re at it, order one of their bottled cocktails, add a colourful umbrella and in true Just Go With It fashion, pretend that you’re also in Hawaii.” - RS

La Mia Mamma £ £ £ £ Italian in Chelsea ££££ 257 King’s Road 8.1 /10

Film Pairing: The Martian (Netflix)

“A Ridley Scott film all about a person stranded alone, tending to a bunch of plants, and eating ketchup out of a mug. Honestly, I can’t relate. Only rather than being in a North London flat surrounded by cacti and condiments, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is stuck on Mars after a space mission goes awry. He has 50 days worth of food left. I need to try and stop myself from eating 50 days worth of food in the next hour. Our plights, similar. But both of our problems would be solved by the huge La Mia Mamma survival kit that involves everything from charcuterie, to handmade pasta, pizza dough, wine, cannoli, and more. Although the Italian mammas behind this great little place might not have mastered intergalactic shipping (yet), they are delivering across the whole of London.” - HLB

Rob Grieg Taquería ££££ 139-144 Westbourne Grove

Film Parining: What If (Amazon)

“My reasons for encouraging you to watch this film are two-fold. Reason one: Adam Driver’s face. Reason two: Adam Driver saying the iconic line, ‘I’ve just had sex, I’m about to eat [shouting] nachos. This is the greatest moment of my life’. An indie rom-com situation following Harry Potter (sorry, Daniel Radcliffe) as he tries to work out the whole being in love with a best mate thing. Which is lovely, but again, this is about Adam Driver. Be like Adam. Eat like Adam. Order some nachos, plenty of tacos, and obviously the churros, from Notting Hill’s Taqueria. And yes, Adam would approve of ordering a hibiscus margarita too.” - HLB

Yauatcha £ £ £ £ Chinese , Dim Sum in Soho ££££ 15-17 Broadwick St 7.7 /10

Film Pairing: The Platform (Netflix)

“Although The Platform is equal parts dark, twisted, and disturbing, something about watching other people’s lives depend on how much leftovers they can eat in two minutes, makes you kinda hungry. Which is why you should pair this movie with Yauatcha’s ‘Blossom Menu for 2’. You’ll have enough dim sum to make you feel like you’re on Level 1, and it’s not on the meaty side which you’ll realise is not a coincidence once you’re about 26 minutes in. And order some cake from Yauatcha patisserie, you’ll want it when the panna cotta takes centre stage.” - RS

Hash E8 £ £ £ £ Diner in Dalston ££££ 170 Dalston Lane Not

Rated

Yet

Film Pairing: Phantom Thread (Netflix)

“Phantom Thread is a serious film. But you don’t need to take it too seriously. Sure, you could enjoy it - if you’ll excuse me coming over a bit Sight & Sound for a moment - for the thrill of having your expectations of co-dependency in creative relationships masterfully subverted, but there’s also a lot of fun to be had. There are grand yesteryear-ish locations, a magnificent array of socks and ascots, and of course a series of intolerantly withering glances that lead character Reynolds Woodcock, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, shoots at anyone who dares to butter their toast too loudly. But then there’s that legendary breakfast order. You don’t need to use it as a basis for your selection from Hash E8 - I’m not even sure they’re delivering Welsh rarebit or pots of lapsang - but if you end your order with the totally random addition of sausages, you’re basically my hero.” - OJF

Dominique Ansel Bakery £ £ £ £ Cafe/Bakery in Victoria ££££ 17-21 Elizabeth St 7.8 /10

Film Pairing: Marie Antoinette (Amazon)

“God I wish Sofia Coppola was directing my quarantine. I’d probably have some kind of groundbreaking fringe and exceptional pillows. For now, I’ll settle for watching her film Marie Antionette - a pumped up, rock and roll take on the life of a French queen and more importantly, historical cake supporter. If you’re able to watch the trailer without daydreaming about getting a bit feral with a salted caramel éclair, then you’re a stronger person than I am. But if you do fancy a luxury cake slice and some viennoiserie stat, then Belgravia’s Dominique Ansel is delivering their signature pastries, as well as pasta hampers, and fresh focaccia. Heads up, the soundtrack is a real winner too.” - HLB

Giulia Verdinelli The Compton Arms £ £ £ £ British , Pub in Islington ££££ 4 Compton Avenue 8.0 /10

Film Pairing: Jurassic Park (Prime)

“Not everyone needs an excuse to do a dinosaur impression - my Mariah Carey-inspired velociraptor numbers are similar enough to the sound of foxes making love for them to go unnoticed - but if you’re looking for one, then order in from Four Legs at The Compton Arms. The first time I ordered their sensational cheeseburger in, I trundled up and down the stairs to collect it, caused multiple ripples, and inhaled it quicker than Samuel L Jackson does a Marlboro Red throughout this Spielberg masterpiece. Like cheeseburgers, fried chicken, and chocolate chip cookies, Jurassic Park is a classic. So it’s only right you pair accordingly.” - JM

Zia Lucia ££££ 157 Holloway Rd

Film Pairing: The Terminal (Netflix)

“A classic warm and fuzzy Spielberg tale of a man who is forced to stay within the confines of JFK after a civil war in his own country means he can’t return home or leave the airport. As you can tell, I’m quite into films that depict people living through isolation at the moment. What can I say? I like watching Tom Hanks process loneliness, so I don’t have to. Anyway, there are plenty of scenes involving Hanks attempting to create a meal out of free ketchup sachets and crackers and I immediately thought ‘dear god, get this poor man a pizza’. Instead, I got myself one. Zia Lucia are delivering their 48-hour, slow-risen pizzas from Islington, Hammersmith, Wembley, and Aldgate East. Also, clap clap clap, there’s burrata too.” - HLB

E. Pellicci £ £ £ £ Cafe/Bakery in Bethnal Green ££££ 332 Bethnal Green Rd 8.6 /10

Film Pairing: Snatch (Netflix)

“Back when you thought fake IDs and liquorice Rizla were life essentials is around the time when you thought Snatch was the greatest film ever made. And though Guy Ritchie’s Brylcream-slick style can grate the older you get and the more Nike adverts you watch, this gypsy crime caper is still a hugely watchable and quotable film. Short of eating jellied eels, a whole pie or a tray of cannelloni from E. Pellicci is the closest you’ll get to matching the geezer-ish antics on screen. Safe to say that, like Tyrone, you won’t be getting away from much after a tray of the caf’s legendary lasagne.” - JM

Giulia Verdinelli Quality Wines £ £ £ £ British in Clerkenwell , Farringdon ££££ 88 - 94 Farringdon Road 8.0 /10

Film Pairing: Sour Grapes (Netflix)

“Halfway through watching Sour Grapes for the first time round I paused, started mixing Blossom Hill with Ribena, and asked my housemate to intermittently blow cigarette smoke and crumble bits of earth into the concoction. Sadly I never sourced an empty bottle of 1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and thus my career as a wine forger ended with a muddy, blackberry-flavoured, ashtray. Minus $35 million and a few decent-looking dinners, this is, in essence, a not dissimilar story to the one told in the 2016 documentary about wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan. It’s an engrossing (and weirdly inspiring) story that’s best matched with gildas, focaccia, terrine, and a whole lot of burgundy from Quality Wines.” - JM

The Cheese Bar £ £ £ £ American , Sandwiches in Camden ££££ Unit 93 North Yard Not

Rated

Yet

Film Pairing: Aloha (Netflix)

“This is a dreadful film. Like, awful. But it has a stellar cast and I was ripely hungover, at altitude, when I first watched it. As such, the story of former US Air Force Officer Bradley Cooper being rehired by ex-boss Bill Murray to build some military thing in Hawaii while he battles past feelings for Rachel McAdams, and burgeoning ones for bolshy young Captain Emma Stone, holds a fond, if Bombay Sapphire-and-diazepam influenced, place in my heart. Should you watch it? Probably not. Will you? Yes. It’s linear, it’s predictable, and a fondue from The Cheese Bar feels like a suitably cheesy thing to eat with it.” - JM

Giulia Verdinelli Beer + Burger £ £ £ £ Burgers in Hackney ££££ 464 Kingsland Rd Not

Rated

Yet

Film Pairing: Erin Brockovich (Netflix)

“Erin Brockovich is a tale of justice, redemption, determination, and the power of a push-up bra. Based on a true story about a David vs. Goliath lawsuit, it stars Julia Roberts at her curly-haired, strappy-sandal-wearing, American hero best. Order in a different American hero, the cheeseburger. More specifically, the double cheeseburger from Beer + Burger, who are delivering from Notting Hill, King’s Cross, Dalston, Willesden Green, and The O2 Centre. Bonus points if you can time it so you take a big, satisfying bite of dirty fries just as Julia knocks out the line ‘that’s all you got lady, two wrong feet and ugly shoes’.” - HLB

Karolina Wiercigroch Mr Bao £ £ £ £ Taiwanese in Peckham ££££ 293 Rye Ln 8.1 /10

Film Pairing: Midsommar (Prime)

“You don’t need magic mushrooms to fully enjoy Midsommar, just like you don’t need to join a Swedish cult, or be continually gaslit by your partner. But in lieu of those things, you’ll want to order Mr. Bao’s teriyaki-marinated shiitake mushroom bao, complete with miso mayo and crispy shallots, to add a little necessary fun(ghi) to the experience. In fact, throw in some sweet potato fries, tenderstem broccoli, and some golden kimchi and you’ll have a multi-coloured, psychedelic experience of your own.” - JM

L'ETO Caffè ££££ 155 Wardour St

Film Pairing: Matilda (Netflix)

“If recreating the chocolate cake scene from this Roald Dahl adaptation isn’t on your bucket list, then we’re going to assume that you haven’t seen Matilda. Or you were too busy trying to move the TV remote with your mind to take in just how huge and sickeningly satisfying it looked when Bruce ate it with his hands. And if eating a chocolate cake the size of a car tyre is supposed to be a punishment, then why has it been in the back of our minds since we were six years old? And where can we get one? L’eto Caffe’s Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake is where you can, and should get one. Think chocolate sponge cake, with chocolate cream and raspberry layers and a shiny chocolate glaze. Eating this cake while watching Matilda is the ultimate power move. Do it for your six-year-old self. Eat the cake.” - RS

Hide £ £ £ £ Modern European in Mayfair ££££ 85 Piccadilly 8.7 /10

Film Pairing: The Wolf Of Wall Street (Amazon Prime)

“This whole Scorsese film is basically just one big cluster fuck of greed, drugs, and Leonardo DiCaprio spitting. I love it. And you know what, there just aren’t enough films with lion cameos these days. The Wolf Of Wall Street is also about living the high life and it doesn’t get any more ‘I’ve made it’ than eating Hide’s seriously excellent fine dining food at home. I’m talking freshly baked madeleines, glazed salmon with white miso, soft-shell crab tempura, and a wagyu meatloaf. Honestly, the signature £24 black truffle croque monsieur is tasty enough to make you think ‘hmm, fraud, technically not great, but if I did dabble in just a teeny-tiny bit of money laundering, I could eat this for breakfast everyday’. Of course I’m kidding. Kind of.” - HLB

Gloria £ £ £ £ Italian in Shoreditch ££££ 54-56 Great Eastern Street 8.3 /10

Film Pairing: Nights of Cabiria (Curon at Home)

“Gloria is a ridiculous, over-the-top, life-affirming, thoroughly joyous Italian restaurant in Shoreditch that’s offering delivery or collection. Nights of Cabiria is its perfect film pairing. Mostly because it’s got all those qualities in spades, but also because it’s thoroughly heart-breaking, and who doesn’t like to cry into a lasagne for four (for one) or a tiramisu for six (also for one). Be prepared to fall in love again and again with this mesmerising and irrepressibly optimistic Italian masterpiece. Just don’t come complaining to me when every other movie you watch for the rest of your life pales in comparison to its fun and energy.” - OJF

Fish Central £ £ £ £ British in Clerkenwell ££££ 149-151 Central St 7.0 /10

Film Pairing: Four Lions (Prime)

“Before Kim Kardashian broke the internet, four wannabe jihadists from Sheffield planned to blow it up. Chris Morris’ suicide bomber satire is, like the best British films, a story of poignant and fatal farce. Crows are detonated, bleach is bought, and mini Babybels are insulted. It’s the kind of comedy that could only come from these shores and, with that in mind, a trip down the chippy feels like the most fitting combination. Fish Central offers the classics and a little more, thanks to things like skate wings, scampi, and a prawn cocktail we can never say no to.” - JM

Juliet's ££££ 110 Mitcham Road

Film Pairing: The Apartment (Prime)

“I remember watching Some Like It Hot at school, but when I discovered the rest of Billy Wilder’s filmography, I had to put a firm hand on my own shoulder and tell myself to stop. Don’t gorge - I told myself. One day you’re going to need these... Little did I know that I would be right. That one day, the world would close and we’d all have stay at home for weeks on end. Fortunately I heeded my own words and have a stash of Billy Wilder films to watch and cheer myself up with. That said, I keep coming back to The Apartment. Not just because I relate to Jack Lemmon’s CC Baxter on a near cellular level, but also because it’s just so damned funny, and lovely, and lonely, and hopeful. It’s perfect. Pair it with a four-course meal kit for two from Juliet’s. It comes with a bottle of wine and crumble for dessert. Make it a theme evening by ordering a couple of marshmallow, chocolate and sea salt cookies and you get extra points.” - OJF

Giulia Verdinelli Meatliquor W1 £ £ £ £ Burgers , Diner in Fitzrovia ££££ 37 - 38 Margaret Street 7.4 /10

Film Pairing: Fractured (Netflix)

“How to describe this movie… you remember that time when you lost your card holder on the Victoria line and how stressful it was? Now imagine the same thing, except this time you’ve lost your wife and six-year-old daughter. Yes, very stressful. Which means you’re inevitably going to want to be eating something that requires minimal attention and both hands. We’d go for the cheeseburger, halloumi mushroom burger, some deep-fried mac ’n’ cheese, and probably some buffalo wings. Plus, whatever our roommate wants.” - RS

via The Infatuation Feed https://www.theinfatuation.com/london/guides/dinner-and-a-movie-delivery-london Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://trello.com/userhuongsen

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emmagreen1220-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on Literary Techniques

New Post has been published on https://literarytechniques.org/hyperbole-in-a-sentence/

Hyperbole in a Sentence

Hyperbole is funny: just think of all those “yo mama” jokes (so ancient and universal that you can find some even in the Bible and in Shakespeare) or Monty Python’s “Four Yorkshiremen” sketch (Reference). Hyperbole is also passionate: it is, quite possibly, the literary device angry young men and new lovers tend to use most frequently. Finally, hyperbole is often the only way one can express the extent of his admiration for one person or the degree of his disapproval for another. Witness all of these functions—and then some—in the 10 sentences we’ve selected and analyzed for you below.

10 Examples of Hyperbole in a Sentence

#1: Cicero, Against Verres V.56.145 (70 BC)

After long lapse of years, the Sicilians saw dwelling in their midst, not a second Dionysius or Phalaris (for that island has produced many a cruel tyrant in years gone by), but a new monster with all the old ferocity once familiar to those regions. For, to my thinking, neither Scylla nor Charybdis were ever such foes as he to the ships that sailed those same narrow seas.

This is one of the examples Quintilian uses in his Institutes of Oratory to illustrate the power of hyperbole (Reference). It is taken from one of Cicero’s speeches against Gaius Verres, a former governor of Sicily with a notoriously bad reputation, during his trial for corruption and extortion. Cicero hyperbolically describes Verres as not merely a “second Dionysius or Phalaris” (both Sicilian tyrants themselves) but as a “monster” even more ferocious than Scylla and Charybdis, two mythical creatures that posed an unavoidable trait to sailors. Needless to add, even Verres’ defense advocate didn’t bother to stand up for his client after this kind of an accusation; really, he didn’t.

#2: John Keats, “A Letter to Fanny Brawne” (July 3, 1819)

I know not how to express my devotion to so fair a form: I want a brighter word than bright, a fairer word than fair. I almost wish we were butterflies and liv’d but three summer days—three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.

When you are passionately in love with someone, there’s no other way to express your emotions but in an abundance of hyperboles. John Keats uses them so often in his letters to his betrothed Fanny Brawne that scholars haven’t stopped at merely identifying them, but they have also tried categorizing them (reference). For our example, we’ve decided to go with one of his positive hyperbolic intensifications and, arguably, the most beautiful of them all. As you can see, Keats himself comments in the first sentence above that ordinary language is not enough for him to articulate how deeply he is devoted to Fanny. And that’s always a cue for a hyperbole; in this case, one as romantic as any formulated before or since.

#3: Captain William Mattingly, “A Reply to a Truce Offer” (October 13, 1863)

I will fight until Hell freezes over and then fight on the ice.

At about 4:30 AM, on October 13, 1863, a Confederate army of 800 people led by William Lowther Jackson secretly attacked the strategic fort at Bulltown, West Virginia, guarded by Captain William Mattingly and his 400 Union soldiers. After successfully advancing against the fort, and entirely convinced in his own superiority, Jackson sent a flag of truce with a demand to surrender or face annihilation to Mattingly. Mattingly declined; a few hours later, Jackson repeated his offer. This time, even though already wounded in the thigh, Mattingly replied with the words quoted above. “I will fight until Hell freezes over” is hyperbole in itself, awash with dogged willpower; however, the addition “and then fight on the ice” brings both the hyperbole and Mattingly’s determination to a whole other level. Unsurprisingly, after 12 hours of fighting, it was Jackson who had to step back.

#4: Eugene Field, “A Society Note” (1882)

Colonel G.K. Cooper went swimming in the hot water pool at Manitou last Sunday afternoon, and the place was used for a skating rink in the evening.

Eugene Field is now best remembered as the “Children’s Poet,” the author of such tender and beautiful poems as “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” “The Duel,” and “The Little Boy Blue.” However, in his time, he was also a feared journalist, famed for his sarcasm and wit. This is how he described the aloofness of a certain Colonel G.K. Cooper, a local dignitary, on the pages of The Denver Tribune. You have to agree that the sentence depicts Cooper’s coldness in such a hyperbolic manner that it sounds as if taken out of a modern stand-up comedy show or even a roast.

#5: Fred Allen, “A Letter to Kenny Delmar” (1950s)

All the sincerity in Hollywood you could stuff in a flea’s navel and still have room left to conceal eight caraway seeds and an agent’s heart.

Fred Allen was one of the most popular American comedians during the Golden Age of the Radio. The sentence above—taken from a now-lost letter—is an excellent example of how skillfully he could build a hyperbole upon hyperbole to make absurdist claims which, nevertheless, reveal something essentially true. There is also a slight allusion here to Matthew 13:32 where Jesus says that the mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds; apparently, you can put eight of them in the navel of a flea—in addition to “all the sincerity in Hollywood” and “an agent’s heart.”

#6: John Kennedy, “Remarks at a Dinner Honoring Nobel Prize of the Western Hemisphere” (April 29, 1962)

I think this is the most extraordinary collection of human talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House—with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.

“There is in all men a natural propensity to magnify,” claims Quintilian, and it seems that this is especially true in cases when one wants to say how exceptional or admirable another human being is. At an April 29, 1962 dinner honoring 49 Nobel Prize winners of the Western hemisphere, then-US President John F. Kennedy greeted his distinguished guests with the remark above. There is already an exaggeration in the first part of Kennedy’s statement (made subtler by the use of “I think”), but it is the ironical twist in the second sentence which makes this such a quotable and unforgettable hyperbole.

#7: Mary McCarthy, “An Interview on the Dick Cavett Show” (October 18, 1979)

Every word she writes is a lie, including ‘and’ and ‘the.’

Mary McCarthy was a popular American female author of the war- and post-war period; and so was Lillian Hellman. However, the former couldn’t stand the latter, thinking that Hellman was not only “tremendously overrated” writer, but also—and this part bothered her the most—“a dishonest writer.” How dishonest? Well, apparently so much that she had to further inflate the numbed-down conventional exaggeration (“every word she writes is a lie”) with the caustically funny: “including ‘and’ and ‘the.’” Mary McCarthy’s memorable one-liner shows, yet again, how hyperbole is oftentimes a companion of wit.

#8: William Safire, “The Fumblerules of Writing” (The New York Times, November 4, 1979)

If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, resist hyperbole.

The above is one of the numerous so-called “fumblerules of writing” compiled by William Safire for the November 4, 1979 issue of The New York Times (specifically, for the “On Language” column). In the introduction, Safire describes these “never-say-neverisms” as “perverse rules of grammar,” because, as is clear from the example, each of them is written in a way which is a blatant violation of the rule it states. Perhaps his point is that, well, rules are meant to be broken; you get bonus points if you can make people laugh while doing it.

#9: Katie Wales, A Dictionary of Stylistics (1989)

Hyperbole is often popularly assumed to distinguish female from male speech… But there is no firm evidence that women exaggerate more than men do. It’s an absolutely preposterous claim.

Ever since Samuel Johnson made fun of his own job by defining the word “lexicographer” in his monumental Dictionary of the English Language as “a harmless drudge,” many compilers of glossaries have tried replicating the act, planting quite a few hilarious Easter eggs in their, otherwise, exhaustingly unbiased works. It is always great when one happens upon such an example in these much-necessary compendiums of knowledge. The above sentence, for instance, is taken from the entry for “hyperbole” in Longman’s Dictionary of Stylistics. The funny thing about it is the enigmatic incongruity between the neutral style of the first two sentences and the personal tone of the third one. Namely, after pointing out matter-of-factly that “there is no firm evidence that women exaggerate more than men do,” the author concludes the paragraph with an exaggeration utterly unusual for a dictionary: “It’s an absolutely preposterous claim.” But the author of the book is a woman—and that makes this hyperbole just about outrageously funny.

#10: Robert A. Harris, Writing with Clarity and Style (2003)

Nevertheless, it can still be an effective tool of writing, if used carefully. In fact, hyperbole is the most important, most powerful, most useful rhetorical device ever invented, a billion times more impactful than any other device, so you absolutely must learn and use it all the time or your writing will be a futile exercise in tragic banality, mocked and scorned by every reader on the planet, to put it mildly.

Here’s another funny example similar in manner and tone to the previous two—though out-hyperbolizing both. After pointing out that “we are exposed to constant barrage of hyperbole and have become numb toward much of it,” Robert Harris suddenly makes the strangest of claims in his handbook Writing with Clarity and Style; namely, that hyperbole is “the most important, most powerful, most useful rhetorical device ever invented.” It is only after the obligatory second of confusion and bewilderment—”what about metaphor or simile?”—that a reader can realize that Harris is merely pulling his/her leg, using hyperbole after hyperbole to illustrate his previous point; the real icing on the comical cake, however, must be the lovely four-word appendage: “to put it mildly.”

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