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honorhearted · 1 year

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Unusual Muse Questions

Which way do they hang the toilet roll, over or under? Seeing how in the olden days, they would usually use rags or corn cobs to get the job done, this is definitely just for modern verse lol. In modern, Ben hangs the TP over.

How do they sleep? Do they have any routine that they must do first? Do they steal the covers, etc? His sleep is very fitful. Ben tosses and turns, and more often than not just gets back up again to tend to other duties. In his mind, his work is never finished, which largely aids in his restlessness.

How do they hold a pen? Do they have any writing quirks? Ben uses a quill, but only exhibits noticeable quirks when he’s anxious. In 4x9, for instance, when he told Anna he was writing a fake love letter for her, he couldn’t stop tapping his finger against the quill. He gets very fidgety when under pressure. Other than that, his handwriting is slanted and relatively neat (basing this off the love letter shared on T.witter).

What traditionally unconventional features do they have (acne, crooked teeth, unibrow, etc)? Ben has very crooked bottom teeth, and a couple skin-colored beauty marks (one on his chin and one above his upper lip). He also has abnormally large hands (long fingers, in particular).

What is their shower routine? There were no showers in the past, but if there were, his routine would be much the same as it is with his bathing. Ben is very busy, so he prefers to “get in and get out”; this is why he opts more for bathing with a washstand (meaning, he just rinses and pats himself down). Submersion baths are rare and a luxury in camp. Despite his tendency to rush with bathing, that doesn’t mean he isn’t well-groomed or careful with his appearance. He definitely takes time to shave and be presentable, seeing how that’s part of his duty as an officer.

How do they deal with illness? Ben would rather push himself towards death than ever admit he’s ill. He considers being sick an inconvenience, and if he’s physically capable of moving about, he’s definitely not going to stop just because he’s unwell. This is very evident in S4, in particular, when he just keeps burning the candle from both ends.

Are they a visual learner? Kinesthetic learner? Auditory learner? It’s a mixture of visual and kinesthetic. Ben tends to learn mostly from reading and demonstration, and in result, is fond of teaching in this manner as well.

What do their hands look like? Large with long fingers and callouses. Despite his relatively high station in life, he works hard and has endured manual labor during his childhood. His father believed it would build character rather than getting servants to do the work for them.

What mundane bad habits do they have (do they always let food expire, don't wash their hands, chew with their mouth open, etc)? Ben is definitely someone who fidgets constantly. His most common way of subconsciously showing anxiety is rubbing his thumb on the pommel of his saber, as well as lightly tugging on it. This is a grounding technique he uses without truly being aware of what he’s doing.

How do they usually spend their birthday? Ben isn’t really one to enjoy being fussed over, so he treats it like any other day. If he’s up to it, he’ll happily spend the afternoon with family and friends, but for the most part, would prefer that he not be treated any differently than usual. His religious upbringing also aids in this attitude; he doesn’t want to feel elevated for any reason since to celebrate himself feels sinful.

What is one common misconception or incorrect fact that they completely believe? Definitely that he’s always right lol.

What are their red flags or their #cancellable trait? Probably his period typical m.isogyny. I wouldn’t say it’s overtly bad or anything, but he definitely gets confused and frustrated when the women he deals with don’t obey his orders. Ben conveniently forgets that they’re not beholden to follow his commands, unlike his men, so his brain gets all *dial-up noises* whenever dealing with Anna and Mary, in particular. He also has a HUGE temper when he’s stressed.

Are they the type to make a shopping list, get what they want and leave, or meander? Do they try to carry all their bags at once or take a few at a time? He'd definitely make a list and get in/get out. He tries to be as efficient as possible.

What is their go-to curse word? Ben doesn’t really swear too often, but he tends to gravitate towards “dammit,” “hell” and "arsehole," with the occasional “bastard” sprinkled in.

What do they collect (candles, bottles, coins, shiny rocks)? Books! Ben LOVES books, and will happily read about any topic, simply because he wants to learn as much about the world around him as possible.

Do they like to plan things in advance? Or are they the type to show up somewhere uninvited? Ben is definitely a planner. Sometimes, his plans will get derailed *cough* ABE *cough* and he gets extremely nettled when he has to rework his plans.

What's one thing they think they're talented at that they really, really aren't? This is a tough one. Ben is genuinely pretty good at a little bit of everything. He’s very smart and well-educated, and he’s also self-aware enough to know when he’s bad at something (i.e. singing and dancing (he’s so-so at the latter)), so for this one, I guess I’ll take Anna’s, line of, “Sometimes you ask too much of people,” because Ben doesn’t seem to realize his limits. And because of that, he has a difficult time seeing others’ limits, too. In his mind, everyone should workworkwork and just focus on the outcome rather than the journey, so he doesn’t often stop and consider the negative impact so long as the ends justify the means. I know that’s not really what the prompt asked, but I genuinely can’t think of anything that Ben believes he’s good at, but isn’t.

tagged by: @luckhissoul (Thanks! :) You tagged me in January and I took like 3 months to do it, lol!)

tagging: YOU! <3 ALL OF YOU! <333 WHOEVER'S READING THIS!

#about ben #//icb i just had this sitting in my drafts for eons #anyway hopefully this was worth the wait #(i say despite literally no one waiting on this LoL)

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maxwell-grant · 3 years

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Excuse Me what is pulp and why is it importan?

Good question! And probably one I should have answered sooner. Time to put on the historian hat for this one.

"Pulp" is a term used mainly to describe forms of storytelling that sprang out or were dominant in 20th century cheap all-fiction American magazines from the 1900s to the 1950s. The pulp magazine began in 1896, when Frank Munsey's Argosy magazine, in order to cut costs, dropped the non-fiction articles and photographs and switched from glossy paper to the much less expensive wood pulp paper, hence the name. The pulp magazines would mainly take off as a distinct market and format in 1904, when Street & Smith learned that Popular Magazine, despite being marketed towards boys, was being consumed by men of all ages, so they increased page count and started putting popular authors on the issues.

It was specifically the 1905 reprint of H.Rider Haggard's Ayesha that not only put Street & Smith on the map as rivals to Argosy, but also inspired other companies to start publishing in the pulp format. Pulps encompassed literally everything that the authors felt like publishing. Westerns, romance, horror, sci-fi, railroad stories, war stories, war aviation stories. Zeppelins had a short-lived subgenre. Celebrities got their own magazines, it was really any genre or format they could pull off, anything they could get away with.

Nowadays, although they came quite late in it's history, the American pulps are most famous for it's "hero pulps", characters like The Shadow and Doc Savage that are viewed as a formative influence on comic book superheroes. The pulp magazines in America lasted until the 1950s, when cumulative factors such as paper shortages, diminishing audience returns and the closing of it's biggest publishers led to it dying off, although in the decades since there's always been publishers calling their magazines pulp. That's the American pulp history.

But pulps are a phenomenon that spans the entire world and has a much bigger history to it, because pulps have become synonymous with cheap fiction magazines and those have a much bigger history. In America, before the pulps, you had the dime novels, the direct predecessors of the pulps, as well as the novelettes. England had it's penny dreadfuls and story papers, and continued publishing pulp-format magazines past the American 1950s, and that's how we got Elric of Melniboné. France and Russia arguably got to it first with it's 1800s coulporters, chapbooks and particularly the feuilletons which lasted all the way to the 20th century and created characters such as Arsene Lupin, Fantomas and The Phantom of the Opera. The Germans published pulp under the name hefteromane. Japan also published pulp magazines both original as well as imported, and the current "light-novel" phenomenon started off as an equivalent of pulp magazines (it's even on the Wikipedia page). China has wuxia, Brazil has cordel, Italy has gialli. There were Indian, Persian, Ethiopian, Canadian, Australian pulps and much more. Look anywhere in the world and you'll find examples of "pulp" happening again and again, under different circumstances and time periods.

Even if we stick to American fiction, it's impossible to state that all pulp heroes must come from the 1900s-1950s pulp magazines, because that forces us to exclude some of the most popular pulp heroes like Indiana Jones, Green Hornet, Rocketeer and The Phantom. Pulp may have once been a term meant to refer to pulp magazines exclusively, but it's morphed and lost structure and it's become the closest thing we have to a general umbrella term that allows us to try and consolidate these under a shared history. It's a lot, as you can see, and it's why several pulp historians that broaden their scope outside of 1930s American fiction have adopted Roland Barthes's definition of pulp as "A Metaphor With No Brakes In It", which is still the closest thing to a true working definition we have.

Why is it important? You tell me. I don't like to stake claims about stuff being "important", everyone's got their own priorities in life. Surely a lot of people would scoff at the idea of old populist fiction published in what was functionally equivalent to toilet paper having any sort of "importance". On the other hand, some people definitely want to talk big about the pulps as a cultural bedrock of fiction, something that's baked into the lifeblood of all fiction as we currently know it. Which it is, mind you, but I don't like to talk about pulp fiction's value being derived mainly from merely the things it inspired.

There is definitely a historical importance to be had in cataloguing them. According to the US's foremost pulp researcher Jess Nevins, 38% of all American pulps no longer exist, and 14% of all American pulps survive in less than five copies. Many libraries have very scant, if any, records on them, many collectors are hard to locate and are uncooperative when it comes to sharing information and letting outsiders view their collections. A lot of them are bound up in legal complications that prevents them from taking off in the public domain, and a lot of them ARE public domain but are completely inacessible as research material. And that's the American pulps, foreign pulps have fared far worse in posterity, with records inaccessible to people unfamiliar with the language or locations, many existing merely in mentions on decades-old records, and hundreds if not thousands of them being completely gone beyond recovery or recall.

Gone, dead, wasted, destroyed. They can't be found in barbershops or warehouse or bookstores, not even in antique stores. Hundreds, thousands of characters, stories and creators, gone. Time and posterity have crushed them to dust, forgotten and ignored by their successors. Unfettered by pretenses of respectability that repressed their glossier counterparts, in packages meant to be destroyed after reading, proudly announcing itself as trash. Things that should have never even lasted as long as they did have died many times now. It's heroes peripherical shapeshifters, nearly all of whom seem dead, quite dead, as dead as fictional characters can possibly be.

But they do not die forever. Many of them have, maybe most of them have, but many of them linger on.

"The strange red flickering of 1930’s fiction seems distant now. You hold in your hand the product of a time too remote to recall, and feel a slow stir of wonder. The smell of pulp pages, an illustration, an advertisement, these fragile things mark the slow hammering of time and display what it has done. About you are today’s machines, today’s shadows.

Outside the window, leaves hang against the sky, as did leaves during the 1930’s. The sound of voices are no different then than now. You hold the magazine and feel something quite delicate slipping past. These solid forms surrounding you are all insubstantial. Time’s hammer will also pass across them, leaving little enough behind." - Spider, by Robert Sampson

Many of the things people call dead are just things that have been sleeping for a while or haven't had the chance to be born. Pulp fiction is dead on the page, inert, unless your imagination breathes live to it, and every now and then, one way or another, these characters dig themselves out of dustbins. Maybe it's a brief revival, maybe it's a successful reboot. Maybe they find publishers, or maybe the public domain allows them to find new life. Maybe new creators do interesting things with them, and maybe, just maybe, they live again because some won't shut up about them online. Some curious impulse led you to me, did it not?

We all have our Frankensteins to obsess over, and these are some of mine. As someone who's lived a life perpetually restless over pursuit of knowledge, pulp has lured me like a moth to flame, because I literally never run out of things to discover within it, I never run out of possibilities. As the years pass and the public domain starts being more and more open to the public, more and more narrative real state is brought forth for writers and artists and creators to play around.

Pulp is the dark matter of fiction, the uncatalogued depths of the ocean, the darkest recesses of space. It's the box of your grandfather's belongings, the treasure you find in an attic, a body part sticking out from an old playground. It's the things that don't work, don't succeed, the things that don't fit, that are out of place. That shouldn't live and succeed, and did so anyway. The things that slither in the cracks, the shadows behind the curtain.

Aren't you interested in peering on what's behind the curtain?

The exquisite workmanship of the head, of a pre-pyramidal age, and the hieroglyphics, symbols of a language that was forgotten when Rome was young–these, Kane sensed, were additions as modern to the antiquity of the staff itself as would be English words carved on the stone monoliths of Stonehenge.

As for the cat-head–looking at it sometimes Kane had a peculiar feeling of alteration; a faint sensing that once the pommel of the staff was carved with a different design. The dust-ancient Egyptian who had carved the head of Bast had merely altered the original figure, and what that figure had been, Kane had never tried to guess.

A close scrutiny of the staff always aroused a disquieting and almost dizzy suggestion of abysses of eons, unprovocative to further speculation. - The Footfalls Within, by Robert E Howard, quoted by Stuart Hopen’s The Mythic American Culture

#replies tag #pulp heroes #pulp fiction #argosy #h rider haggard #ayesha #robert e howard #solomon kane

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goattypegirl · 3 years

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Harrow the Ninth Live Read: Chapter 6-11

Con: It’s been a while

Pro: We finished part 1!

Con: this post is hella long now.

Chapter 6

Eighth House icon. Oh no. Gotta say, not a fan of the characters from the Eight House in Gideon the Ninth, whose names I now forget. There was Big Dude and Mayonnaise Twink.

OH OK WE’RE STARTING OFF WITH SOME LOCKED IN SYNDROME SHIT.

So, panicked person wheeling Harrow is given the title “Sacred Hand.” I vaguely recall seeing that before; is that a title given to Lyctors? Is this one of the OG Lyctors finally making an appearance? Wheeling the frozen Harrow to the Emperor to “unfuck accordingly?” Well, maybe not. Presumably another Lyctor would be able to “unfuck accordingly” themselves.

Oh disregard it is a Lyctor! And if we go back to the Dramatis Personae, this should be... Mercymorn! Originally of the Eighth House! She seems nice.

“It was his order that she not be touched.” Did the Emperor do this? But hwhy?

Calling Harrow and Ianthe babies is kind of hilarious. Aaaand Mercymorn just knocked this random person unconscious. OH wait is this the person the Emperor said to make static-y noises at? Survey says... maybe? They were called the Saint of Joy, which seems a unique title?

The whole description of the Lyctor and the way she visually dissects Harrow is so poetic, but something else catches my eye here. Harrow says her eyes did not have such a startling transition, which helps confirm my theory that Harrow is suppressing or undid the Lyctor process.

Also using the power of Cringe, Harrow partially(?) undoes the paralysis spell done to her. “An emotion was playing out over her face that was- not unfamiliar to you- but nonsensical; you discarded it.” Eh? What emotion could this be referring to? Confusion over what Harrow did? Awe? Fear? All of the above?

OH okay before I forget, Harrow formed a bone hook inside of her to do that, and she made that bone sheath to hold on to the sword, so maybe her necromancy isn’t being suppressed? Well, maybe. That feels more... internal? Like she hasn’t grown any full ass skeletons from bone dust yet.

...Why is Harrow afraid of telling Mercymorn her actual age? Why is the Body telling her to lie? Why fifteen??

Relief? That’s what flashed across Mercymorn’s face? Oh, duh, because Harrow did that and didn’t immediately die. Duh. Also she straight up said “hiss”? That is weird. Also, thinking back, it is weird there wasn’t an age requirement in the Lyctor trials. Also Mercymorn took Ianthe too???

“You’re not as pretty as Anastasia.” Anastasia being the member of the Ninth House listed with the Lyctors, but not as one of the Saints. Doing this liveread has its advantages, namely that I can remember shit that happened earlier!

OH WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT. “AS Anastasia,” not “As Anastasia was.” Implying Anastasia’s still alive? Matches her name not being struck through in the Dramatis Personae, and Mercymorn said there were 3 OG Lyctors now. Which matches with Anastasia not having that line about being a Saint! I’ve connected the two dots!

Okay there’s a lot going on here. Why is this normal necromancer so fascinating to Ianthe and Harrow? What she’s doing is pretty dope to be fair. Mercymorn called Ianthe 12... which... huh. More on that in a second. First, I need to google what the fuck an animaphiliac is... probably in an incognito window. Oh, okay, it’s just a style of necromancy in this universe okay thank God. Mercymorn also said Ianthe wasn’t as attractive as Cyrus... which is weird... And it reminds Ianthe of being with Mummy... I assume she means her mother, comparing her to Coronabeth? Oof.

So, back to the lowballing age thing. Mercymorn assumes Ianthe is 12, probably because she’s super old and has forgotten how mortals age. Harrow seems to have subconsciously picked up on this, which is why she lied about her age. I’m still in the camp of the Body being non-supernatural in origin. Yes, she has Gideon’s eyes, BUT, she spoke in the voice of Harrow’s mother and Aiglamene. SO, my theory is that the Body is a product of the trauma Harrow’s gone through, that’s kind of externalizing Harrow’s inner thought process. Like I said earlier, I’ve read Twig, and this is reminiscent of that.

OH hey we’re headed to the frontline apparently? Because 3 warships got shot down suddenly? Which begs the question I’ve had in the back of my mind since first picking up this series, who the fuck are they fighting??? Probably not Ressurection Beasts, given what we know about them. Other humans, probably? Dominicus (probably) isn’t Earth or humanity’s home planet.

Okay, hold up. The Emperor is trying to get to the frontline now, Mercymorn wants him to return to “the Mithraeum”, which is presumably the capital of the Empire outside of the Dominicus system? Also, Emperor’s been on the ship for 80 years, and been away from the Mithraeum for 100... Once again, the math’s not adding up...

Okay, so God hugs Mercymorn, she freezes, he confirms that he is leaving, and that he knows exactly who shot down 3 warships???

Okay cool we’re not headed to the fronline, we’re headed to the Mithraeum, whatever the fuck that is.

Ohhh and the Cohort necromancer girl died, or committed suicide? And the Emperor brought her back? ...There’s a story there.

Ohhhh Mom and Dad are fighting.

OKAY ONCE AGAIN A LOT TO UNPACK HERE BUT THE MITHRAEUM CAN ONLY BE REACHED BY ONE MEANS???? AND IT MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH BEING A LYCTOR???

...Hey. So. Here’s something. In the description of Mercy’s sword, it says it has a white knob at the end of, and I quote “-you didn’t know the exact technical word. It was a pommel though.” There’s a disconnect there, between Harrow’s knowledge, and the narrator’s knowledge. This has happened a few other times, like just a few pages ago, Harrow says a room is used for bodily functions, but the narrator jumps in and says no one in the universe would call it that, it’s a toilet. And this is going to sound kind of batshit, but like 6 years ago i was in to Undertale, and there was a popular theory that the narrator in that game was a separate character from the PC and... a lot of the points used in that theory kinda ring true here... even the use of second person narration...

So the narrator is a separate character from Harrow? Now, whether this narrator exists in-universe, or if this is a really cool stylistic choice, is another story. Right now I’m leaning towards... I don’t know. Well, hm. If the Body is a kind of externalization of Harrow’s inner thought process, maybe the narrator is an internalization?

That makes no sense.

Something to keep in mind.

Anyway, the shuttle detaches. There’s a sort of irony, in God being tired of people martyring themselves for him, but giving a speech saying “hey if you die in my service I love you.”

OKAY I think we’re about to go faster than light using necromancy? This should be good. OH OKAY WE’RE TAKING A SHORTCUT THROUGH HELL. COOL.

...so what was their original method of faster than light travel that turned out to be unusable? did it have to do with neutrinos in italy?

okay I love Mercy and the Emperor’s dialogue here. Again, objectively, I’m sure they’re bad people who have committed several warcrimes... but the way they bicker is just hilarious.

I’m googling hyperpotamus, and i’m only getting other Harrow the Ninth livereads, so it appears to be a term made for the book. But I have a terrible feeling it’s a pun on hippopotamus.

There are so many quotes here that I absolutely love, including “said the Lord of the Nine Houses, who apparently existed within a complex power dynamic.” and “The magma metaphor falls apart from here.”

...Oh. Okay, serious time. Even at the very start, just post-Resurrection, two of the Lyctors fell to the Resurrection Beasts. Well, one died, and one was “removed from play.” Which sounds horrifying.

So we’re dipping into Hell because you can move fast there. Hell is full of angry ghosts. This explains the ghost ward. Lyctors have hacked the system, and so can kind of survive there. And we learn what happened to Cassiopeia, one of the deceased Lyctors. (Interestingly enough it says she baited physical portions of the Ressurection Beast. Not a beast. Nor is it given a number...)

ALright so entering the River physically sounds fucking horrifying. I’m very glad we only have to do it this once and it definitely won’t come back later in the book nope definitely not.

“and that you felt alone in your head.” ;_;

Chapter 7

Sixth House icon.

There’s not a lot to say here, besides how freaky this is. How much do you want to bet that the faint wail Harrow hears is coming from the coffin with Cyntherea’s body?

JOHN. GOD’S NAME IS JOHN?? #NAME LORE UNLOCKED. IM JUST SO HAPPY I FINALLY HAVE A WAY TO REFER TO HIM WITHOUT STRUGGLING TO SPELL EMPORER EVERY FUCKIN TIME.

Also, Mercymorn knowing his like actual human name further implies some stuff about the timeline of the Ressurection, which I was wondering about previously... but that’s a discussion for later because Harrow’s in Hell!

Not a lot to say here besides

fuck.

A few things. One. I think they’re going to get out of this okay? And by okay I mean alive? We know Ianthe, the Emperor, and Harrow live up to the point of the Prologue, and I don’t think Mercymorn is going to die already.

Two. Cassiopeia was from the Sixth House, going by her Cavalier’s last name, which explains the chapter icon.

Three. The lights? The last page or so is very metaphorical, but, at the beginning it says Harrow perceived herself as a “sickly radiance”, and that she perceived the others on the ship as a light as well. She later said she was an “ova cluster of two hundred pinpricks of light.” So I think in this deep part of the River Harrow accidentally sent herself to, souls (maybe?) are displayed as lights. Harrow’s own soul is literally made up of the hundreds of dead House Nine kids, which is. Spooky. But then, at the end, when they jump out of the River, they bring 5 lights with them. So... either something hitched a ride with them, or it has something to do with Harrow suppressing Gideon and the Lyctor ritual. Everyone else on the ship has undergone the Lyctor ritual (or something similar, in John’s case), and they only have 1 light each. At least to Harrow’s eyes. BRUH IDK WHAT”S GOING ON.

Chapter 8

No further answers here, this is a flashback chapter! So, sheared skull = flashback. And this chapter is going to feature the Fourth House, apparently. Who was Fourth House again? Oh no it was the kids. Oh no. ;_;

So, we are continuing through Harrow’s re-imagination of the events of Canaan House, with her Ortus OC in tow.

Of course Harrow is overwhelmed by normal tea, and of course Harrow thinks dressing up skeletons is stupid.

AND of course Harrow would have a private prayer wishing doom on anyone that looks at her with any kind of emotion.

Hold up, the Anastasian tomb? Reserved for warriors? And presumably derived from the word Anastasia, the mysterious not-Lyctor of the Ninth House??

I can already tell Anastasia is going to become my Pepe Silvia.

Ohhh this is going to be a lore bomb about the timeline of the Ressurection and I’m going to need to pull out my copy of Gideon the Ninth to see if any of this shit actually happened.

TEN? TEN NORMAL ASS HUMANS? AND FIVE NECROMANCERS?? BUT THERE WERE SEVEN LYCTORS. THE MATH DOES NOT CHECK OUT.

Okay so I checked and none of this shit actually happened! In fact, Teacher actually said there were 16, 8 necromancers, 8 cavaliers. Where the fuck is Harrow getting 10 from? Who knows! And rather than explicitly saying “hey check out the basement labs to see how to become a Lyctor,” Teacher actually said fuck if I know. Not actually. But still.

Oh of course it’s called the Sleeper!! I had Kill Bill sirens playing in my head when I first read that.

So, had a whole ass monologue here, but this is already very long and im sleepy, so to very quickly summarize, the Parahumans series had an entity known as the Sleeper that was intentionally very mysterious and raised a lot of questions amongst fans, and the fact that there’s another entity here known as the Sleeper is flooding me.

So, I’m spooked. Again, this entire conversation did not actually happen. Teacher’s dialogue is precious. “go where I durst not go: because I love my life, and I love noise, also.” and “I do not know the answers to any of these questions, only that, already, you are being too loud.”

So, the rest of the chapter plays out with Ortus complaining to Harrow. Intriguingly, he says that Harrow doesn’t have much of an imagination, when she says there was no one else to choose as her Cavalier... And then one of the skeletons says, “Is this how it happens?” harkening back to Parodos, when the Body says something similar. There’s a lot to unpack here. One, like I said previously, because Ortus, and apparently the entirety of Canaan House, is a product of Harrow’s mind, they can maybe give some insight into Harrow herself. However, the fact that Ortus seems to break character and chastise her for her lack of imagination is... I don’t know.

Okay, theory time. “The Work” alluded to in the letters is not only the suppression of Lyctor-hood, it’s also the erasure of Gideon, and the creation of these false memories. Meaning Lyctor!Harrow somehow crafted them; there was conscious effort behind it. Which means we can totally pick these scenes apart to gain further insight into Harrow! The skeleton and the Body asking if this is what happened, and Ortus breaking character (maybe) are her subconscious breaking through... Maybe that ties into my idea of the narrator being an internalization or compartmentalization of Harrow’s trauma? Hmm...

Chapter 9

Seventh House skull, and not a flashback. I’m guessing this is because we’re going to inter Cyntherea’s body here.

Okay, so time seems to have passed. IDK how much of the River Harrow remembers here. It seems like she recalls it like a bad dream. Ianthe’s here, and they’re in a chapel made of bone. Or at least one absolutely covered in bone.

Here’s a question. The necromancy Harrow excels at, that’s creating a whole ass skeleton from a single bit of bone. Is she actually creating a new skeleton? Or is she reforming one. Like if she had two teeth from the same skeleton, could she use that to make two new skeletons? In the last chapter the Ressurection was described as not creating anything new... does that apply to all of necromancy, or just what the Emperor did?

Also another side note, Harrow says the stars glow with an unearthly light, which matches what the Emperor said, that they restarted the stars near the Mithraeum with thanergy, so they’re weird now. Except... wasn’t Dominicus restarted the same way? Or is the Dominicus system a hybrid of thanergy and thalergy? I’m getting my energies mixed up.

Anyway yep it’s Cyntherea’s funeral, and Harrow is checking the fuck out.

Okay we have a new Lyctor... and I’m guessing it’s Augustine, since he and Mercymorn are fighting.

Okay and John’s giving a speech and giving more lore about the pre-Ressurrection and it’s confirmed that this guy is Augustine and-

First gen? Second gen? Sixth installation?? Valancy? ANASTASIA?

bruh im so flooded and this is supposed to be such a reverent moment.

Ohhh this is awkward now that they’re pulling Ianthe and Harrow forward. Okay we get a formal introduction to Mercymorn and Augustine. Augustine trails off before the third... and asks if he, the third surviving Lyctor, knows about the missile strikes...Is the third Lyctor the one leading the people who shot down the warships, which is sounding increasingly like a rebellion rather than a battle against others? Who’s the third again ah fuck it’s ORTUS.

ORTUS is apparently interested in “you-know-what”. Which I don’t know what. Please elaborate.

ORTUS is here and he’s skeletal. OH AND SO IS RESSURECTION BEAST NUMBER SEVEN.

FUCK.

(bruh what the fuck is a pseudo-Beast)

Okay yep time to fight an eldritch god.

Speaking of which, God’s name is John confirmed.

And Harrow bled from the ear and fell unconscious, hearing the name ORTUS.

Chapter 10

Pog we’re almost done with part 1. Fifth skull, sheared, so it’s flashback time.

I don’t recognize immediately where we are; apparently this is in the library in Canaan House? Though I don’t remember one from Gideon the Ninth. We see a bit of personality from Ortus, when he complains about Fifth House poetry, which is nice.

Oh, wait, never mind, that was Magnus speaking. Ortus remains as boring as ever.

Hehehehe dick jokes.

Hey so no fake vow of silence in the false memories of Canaan House! That’s interesting. As is Magnus and Abagail being here, and them being pretty fleshed out characters. As are these cooking instructions from the Lyctors...

HOOOOOOOLD the phone here. The cooking notes mention an M and Nigella... which was the first name of Cassiopeia’s cavalier... How would Harrow know that? The easy explanation is that this is a note that Harrow actually found, and is placing here in her fake memories... The other explanation is that something funky is afoot...

Ooohkay Magnus is asking if this is how it happens now. The simulation is breaking down. AND ABAGAIL CAN TELL THAT HARROW IS A LIVING WAR CRIME. PANIC.

Okay now we’re getting Ortus emotion! He is a grown ass man Harrow. At least, he would be, were he not a figment of Harrow’s imagination.

HEEEEY

WHAT THE FUUUUCK

WE’RE CONTINUING ON THIS DYING EGGS THING

PROBABLY WILL BE RELEVANT LATER.

Okay and the simulation breaks down further when Ortus says “you did have a cavalier with a backbone, I’m not them.” Interestingly enough, it’s hours later Harrow realizes something’s weird... Huh...

Chapter 11

Seventh House skull.

Literally just a paragraph saying Harrow sleepwalked and stabbed Cyntherea’s body.

...She sleep walked... the Sleeper from the fake Canaan House...

#harrow the ninth #harrow the ninth liveread #harrow the ninth spoilers #the locked tomb

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weightlossfitnesssinfo · 4 years

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You Can Feel Good With A Healthy Massage

Would you want to provide higher massages? Are you conscious of what goes into a very good therapeutic massage? When you do not, learn on. These suggestions will make it easier to enhance your individual private massages.

Try to make use of your whole palms while you interact in your therapeutic massage, together with your thumbs. Your thumbs are a powerful a part of your hand so you should use them to stimulate the muscle mass. But it's best to by no means push too onerous. You do not wish to damage the individual on the receiving finish of the therapeutic massage.

Speak with a therapeutic massage therapist and/or buy a guide that gives you with details about set off factors for those who discover that your muscle mass ache repeatedly. Trigger factors are tiny knots that seem in tight muscle mass. These set off factors are identified to make ache and different issues happen in numerous areas of the physique. A guide about set off factors, or your expert masseuse can present you ways these factors will be massaged away.

Getting a therapeutic massage is a wonderful technique to relieve pains and stress. Chronic again ache calls for normal massages that will help you cope with the ache and hold therapeutic. Find somebody to provide you an excellent therapeutic massage or go to knowledgeable masseuse.

When massaging, keep in mind to make use of these thumbs! Thumbs can push deeper extra simply than different fingers can, and so they actually get into the recipient's muscle mass nicely. Do not push too onerous and ensure your nails are well-trimmed to forestall discomfort.

Keep your therapeutic massage space quiet. Reduce exterior noise to create a peaceable, serene surroundings. A therapeutic massage ought to be as enjoyable as potential. Pick a unique time of day, or discover a location that's not so noisy. You will instantly discover the distinction while you do that.

Scented candles are an excellent addition to any therapeutic massage. They're good as a result of you may flip down the lights and provides the therapeutic massage by soothing candlelight. The aroma will be light and enjoyable throughout the therapeutic massage, too. These components, mixed with a top quality therapeutic massage, may help facilitate an exquisite expertise.

In order to provide an excellent therapeutic massage, it is vital that you simply fastidiously watch your topic. Carefully observe muscle actions and facial expressions that they make throughout your therapeutic massage. If you apply for a time, you may finally have the ability to use your hand to learn the physique. When their muscle mass tense, you're possible urgent too onerous.

Knowing physique language will assist together with your therapeutic massage. You must see how they develop into tense and what their facial reactions are. As you progress in your approach, your capacity to learn the physique via your palms will improve. Understand that when your shopper is tense, you will have to ease up a bit.

Do not hesitate to pose questions as you obtain a therapeutic massage. Your therapeutic massage therapist will welcome questions. Your full consolation is the purpose, so ask any questions that come to thoughts and acquire the required info.

If you're giving massages you have to be conscious that what sort of stress used could make a distinction when used to attain sure outcomes. If your companion's physique feels knotted and tense, it's best to use a sluggish steady stress to release the strain. Maintaining constant stress will assist to lower stress. This is a crucial a part of such a therapeutic massage.

Set apart any anxiousness or self-consciousness about your physique while you schedule a therapeutic massage. Wear as little clothes as potential so the therapist can do their job. A therapeutic massage therapist is skilled with protecting you lined nicely with sheets. You do not have to fret about what the masseuse thinks about your physique.

Don't rush to face up following a therapeutic massage. You have been mendacity down for nearly an hour. This can go away you feeling dizzy or lightheaded while you stand up, so be sure to do it slowly.

If your therapeutic massage spa doesn't supply foot baths upfront of your appointment, be sure you wash your individual toes. You don't need germs that you have picked up in your toes to be unfold to the remainder of your physique by the therapist. You can go to the toilet and wash your toes as a final resort.

If you're interested by getting a therapeutic massage, be sure you set up some chemistry together with your therapist. You can be extra relaxed throughout your session for those who set up a belief together with your therapeutic massage therapist. Spend slightly time chatting with the therapist beforehand and be sure you really feel safe earlier than you start.

You cannot simply develop into an excellent therapeutic massage therapist in a single day. Begin with asking people who belief you for those who may give them massages and permit them to provide you suggestions. Once you get higher, transfer on to others.

Sports therapeutic massage is a well-known matter for skilled athletes. This can also be good for whoever likes to train. Sports massages don't calm down you, however their intention is to construct up your physique, promote therapeutic and to forestall new accidents.

A Shiatsu therapeutic massage provides a end result that's considerably like acupuncture, besides that fingers are used, not needles. Your masseuse will apply stress, which can immediately calm down your physique. The purpose of a Shiatsu therapeutic massage is to extend an individual's power stage and nicely being.

What space must you consider with a therapeutic massage? Wherever the ache is! Begin on areas of your physique that ache, after which radiate outwards. You could uncover a brand new supply of discomfort; give it the eye that it deserves as nicely. When you stop feeling pleasure, the therapeutic massage can cease.

Become pleasant together with your masseuse. If you belief your masseuse, you should have a extra enjoyable expertise. Spend a while speaking together with your masseuse earlier than beginning to make sure you really feel protected.

Have a bathe available for these you utilize oil on. The bathe will be additional soothing and it'll assist them really feel extra snug, too. This is important for the pores and skin too, because it retains pores from clogging and blemishes from growing.

Any athlete who participates in onerous exercises may be very accustomed to sports activities therapeutic massage. Those who take pleasure in train, even when they aren't a professional, can benefit from a very good sports activities therapeutic massage. This sort of therapeutic massage helps to construct your physique and strengthen it in opposition to future damage along with repairing your present damage.

Make certain you heat the oil earlier than you place it on somebody's physique. Cold oils don't really feel good on the pores and skin, and the therapeutic massage won't get off to the very best begin. Rub the oil collectively or use warming oil on the pores and skin. The warmth generated by the friction warms the therapeutic massage oil, making it the best temperature.

Where do you rub when doing a self-massage? Where it hurts! Begin with areas which have aches and pains and head outwards from there. If you find new ache, work that out as nicely. When you are not feeling good in that space, it is time to cease the therapeutic massage.

Massaging your muscle mass and different tissue after train will enhance blood circulation and assist your physique recuperate extra rapidly. Prior to exercising, carry out a therapeutic massage together with your fists in a pommeling movement to your legs and arms. Use your palms or fists to rub muscle mass towards your coronary heart after exercising.

When you're giving somebody a therapeutic massage, take care that your palms are following the contours of your companion's physique accurately. Balance the therapeutic massage work nicely between each the palms of your palms and your fingers. Anytime you rub somebody's bony areas, solely apply a small quantity of stress together with your hand so that you simply forestall ache. You can use the tip of your fingers to therapeutic massage your muscle mass and penetrate the deeper layers of your pores and skin.

Prenatal Massages

A therapeutic massage that may assist your toes to really feel higher is to rotate your ankles. Put your hand beneath your heel and maintain your foot. Then rotate your foot together with your palms in each instructions.

If you're pregnant, it may be very useful to have common prenatal massages. Massaging will increase the circulation of blood to the unborn child and gives rest. Women who partake in prenatal massages usually tend to have infants that develop faster.

Be certain to get a sports activities therapeutic massage for those who take part closely in athletics. You will truly carry out higher for those who eliminate stress and pressure because of one in every of these massages. A sports activities therapeutic massage consists of much more stress than different types of therapeutic massage remedy and is designed to enhance your circulation.

Massage remedy may help you if you're coping with arthritis and different aches and pains. Massage will be the very best factor for joints and muscle mass that repeatedly ache. Massages can even assist cut back stress and improve circulation.

Do not hesitate to use stress and even thump on the tense muscle mass you're massaging. Talk to your shopper to make sure you aren't inflicting any ache. By fastidiously concentrating on the muscle, including stress will assist relieve the tense muscle mass. Don't use these strategies close to the backbone.

Do you assume you could have the information to drastically enhance your capacity to provide a therapeutic massage? Keep the following tips in thoughts and use them in your subsequent therapeutic massage. Do slightly every time to take advantage of use of your palms when doing a therapeutic massage.

Let your therapeutic massage preferences be identified. Some therapeutic massage therapists overdo stress on the physique, some do not put sufficient, and it's important to allow them to know, to allow them to do what you would like them to do. You're paying for the therapeutic massage, so it's best to get what you are in search of.

The blog post You Can Feel Good With A Healthy Massage was first seen on Weight Loss Fitness

from Weight Loss Fitness - Feed https://weightlossfitnesss.info/you-can-feel-good-with-a-healthy-massage/

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weightlossfitness2 · 4 years

Text

You Can Feel Good With A Healthy Massage

Try to make use of your whole palms while you interact in your therapeutic massage, together with your thumbs. Your thumbs are a powerful a part of your hand so you should use them to stimulate the muscle mass. But it’s best to by no means push too onerous. You do not wish to damage the individual on the receiving finish of the therapeutic massage.

When massaging, keep in mind to make use of these thumbs! Thumbs can push deeper extra simply than different fingers can, and so they actually get into the recipient’s muscle mass nicely. Do not push too onerous and ensure your nails are well-trimmed to forestall discomfort.

Keep your therapeutic massage space quiet. Reduce exterior noise to create a peaceable, serene surroundings. A therapeutic massage ought to be as enjoyable as potential. Pick a unique time of day, or discover a location that’s not so noisy. You will instantly discover the distinction while you do that.

Scented candles are an excellent addition to any therapeutic massage. They’re good as a result of you may flip down the lights and provides the therapeutic massage by soothing candlelight. The aroma will be light and enjoyable throughout the therapeutic massage, too. These components, mixed with a top quality therapeutic massage, may help facilitate an exquisite expertise.

If you’re giving massages you have to be conscious that what sort of stress used could make a distinction when used to attain sure outcomes. If your companion’s physique feels knotted and tense, it’s best to use a sluggish steady stress to release the strain. Maintaining constant stress will assist to lower stress. This is a crucial a part of such a therapeutic massage.

Don’t rush to face up following a therapeutic massage. You have been mendacity down for nearly an hour. This can go away you feeling dizzy or lightheaded while you stand up, so be sure to do it slowly.

If your therapeutic massage spa doesn’t supply foot baths upfront of your appointment, be sure you wash your individual toes. You don’t need germs that you have picked up in your toes to be unfold to the remainder of your physique by the therapist. You can go to the toilet and wash your toes as a final resort.

If you’re interested by getting a therapeutic massage, be sure you set up some chemistry together with your therapist. You can be extra relaxed throughout your session for those who set up a belief together with your therapeutic massage therapist. Spend slightly time chatting with the therapist beforehand and be sure you really feel safe earlier than you start.

Sports therapeutic massage is a well-known matter for skilled athletes. This can also be good for whoever likes to train. Sports massages don’t calm down you, however their intention is to construct up your physique, promote therapeutic and to forestall new accidents.

A Shiatsu therapeutic massage provides a end result that’s considerably like acupuncture, besides that fingers are used, not needles. Your masseuse will apply stress, which can immediately calm down your physique. The purpose of a Shiatsu therapeutic massage is to extend an individual’s power stage and nicely being.

Have a bathe available for these you utilize oil on. The bathe will be additional soothing and it’ll assist them really feel extra snug, too. This is important for the pores and skin too, because it retains pores from clogging and blemishes from growing.

Any athlete who participates in onerous exercises may be very accustomed to sports activities therapeutic massage. Those who take pleasure in train, even when they aren’t a professional, can benefit from a very good sports activities therapeutic massage. This sort of therapeutic massage helps to construct your physique and strengthen it in opposition to future damage along with repairing your present damage.

Make certain you heat the oil earlier than you place it on somebody’s physique. Cold oils don’t really feel good on the pores and skin, and the therapeutic massage won’t get off to the very best begin. Rub the oil collectively or use warming oil on the pores and skin. The warmth generated by the friction warms the therapeutic massage oil, making it the best temperature.

When you’re giving somebody a therapeutic massage, take care that your palms are following the contours of your companion’s physique accurately. Balance the therapeutic massage work nicely between each the palms of your palms and your fingers. Anytime you rub somebody’s bony areas, solely apply a small quantity of stress together with your hand so that you simply forestall ache. You can use the tip of your fingers to therapeutic massage your muscle mass and penetrate the deeper layers of your pores and skin.

Prenatal Massages

If you’re pregnant, it may be very useful to have common prenatal massages. Massaging will increase the circulation of blood to the unborn child and gives rest. Women who partake in prenatal massages usually tend to have infants that develop faster.

Massage remedy may help you if you’re coping with arthritis and different aches and pains. Massage will be the very best factor for joints and muscle mass that repeatedly ache. Massages can even assist cut back stress and improve circulation.

Do not hesitate to use stress and even thump on the tense muscle mass you’re massaging. Talk to your shopper to make sure you aren’t inflicting any ache. By fastidiously concentrating on the muscle, including stress will assist relieve the tense muscle mass. Don’t use these strategies close to the backbone.

Let your therapeutic massage preferences be identified. Some therapeutic massage therapists overdo stress on the physique, some do not put sufficient, and it’s important to allow them to know, to allow them to do what you would like them to do. You’re paying for the therapeutic massage, so it’s best to get what you are in search of.

The post You Can Feel Good With A Healthy Massage appeared first on Weight Loss Fitness.

from Weight Loss Fitness https://weightlossfitnesss.info/you-can-feel-good-with-a-healthy-massage/

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sleepofgiants-blog · 7 years

Text

Object Permanence (Batman and Raven #2)

A dark hallway of Wayne Manor. A warm light is carelessly thrown out of a faraway room. Dialogue boxes indicate a conversation off panel. We only hear one side. Bruce dialogue box “No, I know.. Yeah. It's.. I don't know anyone else. It was different for me and Alfred. Right..” We move to the kitchen where Alfred and Rachel are sitting at the island eating sandwiches and veggies and watching The Grey Ghost on a small TV. Rachel's backpack draped on the back of her stool. First week of school. Bruce dialogue box “I’m not asking you to be a mother. I need help, Zee. Can you talk to her? No, I know you're busy with the tour. Your father hasn't materialized yet? I'm sorry. Listen, he'll turn up, he always does.” We now see Bruce leaning against the wall at the back of the kitchen with a phone in his hand. Alfred is glancing over. Bruce is out of range but Alfred knows the look of relief in Bruce's face. Bruce “One day. You know me, I can have you here and back before anyone can miss you. Sunday? Zee, you're the greatest. I can't wait to see you again.” Close up of Bruce's head, eyes closed. Close up of Rachel's eyes. Her golden eyes. Pan out. Girls room. A caption reads “EARLIER THAT DAY”. She's in a stall. Sitting on the toilet with her knees up, crying all four of her eyes out, pressing her special emergency super hero watch that her super hero daddy gave her if she was ever in danger. Bruce's voice comes through Bruce “Rachel? Rachel, what's wrong!” Rachel “Dad! I don't know.. sob Come get me at school. I'm in the bathroom. I'm at school!” Bruce is in a fancy car in a fancy suit. Bruce “I know, honey, daddy's on his way, okay? Stay there.” Quick panels of Bruce getting out of his poorly parked sports car, the school gate checker is asking for identification. Bruce throws his hands out and exclaims “I'M BRUCE WAYNE.” like the guy's an idiot. Bruce runs towards the school. Cut to Bruce running down the hall yelling “where's the bathroom?” and a kid with a hall pass points dutifully. Bruce enters the bathroom and calls out for his daughter and gets a tiny response from the stalls. “Dad..” Rachel opens the stall. She's beet red and her head is crested with a elegant crown of horns. She's starts transitioning from deep pink to a more normal little girl color. They hug. Bruce “Baby, I'm sorry. You're okay. I'm sorry.” Rachel “What- wha-” sob Later.. Rachel is lying belly down on a sofa, with her arm draped over the edge. She's balancing a book on its corner on the floor below. KNOCK KNOCK Bruce comes in and sits. Bruce “I know you have so many questions. I'm sorry I haven't told you anything about your mother or how you came into my life. And I'm even more sorry that I still can't tell you. All you need to know is we love you. So much, Rachel.” Rachel “Will it ever go away?” Bruce “No. I won't lie to you. But you will get strong enough to make it easier.. Hey, I have a friend that I think you would really like to meet. She can do some of the things you can do.” Rachel perks up. Bruce “She'll be coming over tomorrow for lunch.” Rachel “What if it happens again? What if she gets scared?” Bruce “Oh, she's definitely not the scaring type. You'll be fine.” Exterior shot of the manor at midday? Caption says “Sunday”. Close up of a manicured lady's finger pushing a doorbell. “Ding dong!” Alfred opens up. Alfred “Miss Zatanna, enchanted to see you.” Z “Not yet.” Alfred raises an eyebrow. They hug. Cut to Sunday brunch and tea in the garden. Rachel is doing hand stands and cartwheels for the company. Bruce is wearing sunglasses? Fun young cool guy? Bruce “It started with small things a few years ago.. Things moving around the manor, drapes and furniture changing color. One day all the hedge ways and shrubbery had been expertly shaved into animals and fairytale creatures.” Z “Right. Small things. Bruce, it took me years to work out basic matter manipulation. This is just.. Wow.” Rachel is FLYING around the garden and laughing. Bruce “She was born with the red skin, but it hasn't come back until recently. I noticed a change once when she was having a nightmare, but the other day was the first time she has seen it for herself..” Z “So, what, you hoped a little girl power would boost her confidence and keep her ivory complexion rouge free?” Bruce “I can only give her so much. She needs someone like you to show her that magic isn't a terrible thing. I think that if she can better understand her connection to the supernatural, she will subconsciously keep her humanity in the foreground. I believe her emotional temperature toward her nature is becoming more unbalanced with the time she spends at school with non-magical children.” Z “She feels like a weirdo and she hasn't even gotten to junior high. What a brave new world.” Later in.. Rachel's bedroom. Not overly little girly. Some stuffed animals, but they are arranged on a bench. Instead of kid things, there are PILES of books everywhere. Rachel and Zatanna are sitting on the floor. Rachel “I.. like to read.” Z “Most kids your age are still just looking at the pictures.” Rachel casually floats a foot off the floor, still in a sitting position. Z “Right.” Rachel “I don't know who you are. Like, why did my dad tell you to come here?” Z “Well.. The things you can do.. I can do things like that, too. Not as good as you- but that's not the point. I taught Bruce- your dad.. huh.. I taught him everything I could about magic.” Rachel “So you want me to teach you how to do what I do?” Z “What. No- Could you? No. Do you know how you do it?” Rachel “I just.. I dunno, I just feel like I want something to happen. To change. And it just happens. Sometimes I have dreams about doing things, but.. like, I'm not sleeping. Is that part of doing magic?” Z “Not in my experience.. What kinds of things do you do dream about doing?” Rachel “I think I'm going to the movies. It feels like when me and dad go to the movies, anyway. Everything is red. I hate red. It's like, so mad or something. All of the other colors can be talked to at least!” Single panel of Zatanna staring blankly. Rachel “There's a guy that I see sometimes.. He's red and mad, too.” Z “What is he mad at?” Rachel “Me.” Rachel is crying. Rachel “I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING! Why do I have to be red, too?!” Zatanna wraps around Rachel as she sobs into her chest. Z “Rachel, I'm so sorry..” Rachel “He's just there all the time, even when I don't have my eyes closed. Why is he so mad at me?” Zatanna holds her at arms length so she can look Rachel in the eyes. Z “You know your dad would never let anyone hurt you? Your dad is strong..” Rachel rubs tears away with her sleeve. Rachel “I know how strong he is.. Don't tell him. Promise! I read all the books in Alfred's library during the day, but.. I read books from the other library when dad's at work.” Z “Other library? Like the one in the city?” Rachel “No. The one in the basement. Dad locks it with really big locks that make the floors rumble, but, ya know.. I can do magic, so..” Z “What kinds of books are they, Rachel?” Rachel “It's weird. Alfred writes them! I remember the way he writes my notes for teacher. I thought they were ideas for movies at first. Do you know he used to be in movies? They're really old. We got him to play one, but he got shy and turned it off, but I know he was really happy.” Z “And the books, Rachel?” Rachel “Oh yeah. I think they're diaries. They're about dad, but he's like The Grey Ghost. He runs around and beats up bad guys. Alfred even drew pictures of dad in a superhero costume.” Outside Rachel's room. Alfred is pressed up against the door frame, light illuminating the thin center of his body. His hand across his mouth. Eyes wide. Bruce “Really?” Alfred is startled, then haughty. Alfred “I had suspected she had been sneaking about during the night, but had I known..” Bruce “No. No, Alfred, she would've caught on eventually. We aren't exactly the average family.” Alfred “I certainly could never have expected when your parents hired me.” Rachel's bedroom door opens and light spills into the hallway leaving Bruce and Alfred looking like canaries stuffed with feathers. Rachel “Dad?” Bruce “Let's go to the gym!” Pommel horse, salmon ladder, weight sets, a big tire and a sledgehammer. Anything you want to draw that would make up a Wayne home gym. I'll probably color it with seventies blues and maroons. We see Alfred and Bruce sitting on the side, while Z and Rachel train in a panel montage. Rachel lifts weights with her t.k., shoots an arrow from a bow with black smokey ghost hands as well as her own, practices backwards magic with Z by making objects appear and disappear. Bruce even joins in. Rachel “Why did Zatanna teach you how to do magic, dad? How come you never use it?” Bruce “Remember when I told you about my mom and dad and how they aren't here anymore? Well, I felt really lonely and sad. I went around the world looking for new and exciting things to fill my time until I could be happy again. I learned a lot of new skills before I came back home.” He looks to Alfred when he says this and they share a warm smile. “I don't use magic all the time, because I like to work harder towards my successes.” Zatanna smirks and rolls her eyes. Rachel “Do you think I should stop using magic?” Bruce “Magic is a natural part of who you are. You get to choose who you want to be, honey.” Rachel “Good. 'Cause I really like to fly.” Splash page! Rachel is flying high in the gym and everyone is looking up. She is beaming. Close up panel of her eyes swirling into yellow on the following page. [Thundering disembodied voice] YOUR LIFE IS MINE Rachel seizes in the air and surrenders to her demon form. She falls into a menacing pose in front of the humans with force to break the ground around her. There can be a dbz style aura field if you'd like. We'll probably have to hand write this demon stuff because it should be in that classic rumbly lettering. Like old Darksied dialogue. Mysterious voice “Having fun with your doll, cattle?” Bruce strikes a hero pose, preparing to advance toward an unseen threat. Mysterious voice “I can play, too.” Rachel launches into the air, creating a bat like black energy field around her. Z “DERFLA TCETORP!!” Alfred is encased in a bubble and is blasted through the roof. Z “EDOM ELTTAB” Go hot bonkers with the design. Make all of your Final Fantasy dreams come true and put Z into a crazy suit of armor. We can come up with a weapon, too. Bruce “THAT'S MY DAUGHTER, ZEE.” Bruce steps in front of Z and the demon strikes and slashes his back with an inky tendril and laughs. With Bruce on the ground, Z lunges ahead and Z “REH DNIB” Ribbons appear from Z’s hands and wrap around the demon's arm. Z races a circle and ties the demon up and it falls to the floor and writhes. Bruce gets up. The bundle wriggles at their feet and starts to smoke. The smoke forms into a little girl shape with glowing yellow eyes and smiles and evaporates. Rachel cuts herself from the bundle of ribbons with a blade if black energy. Bruce “Rachel..” Bruce and Rachel hug tightly, and Zatanna keeps her guard up. Exterior shot of the mansion. We see Alfred in the yard, up in a tree, still encased in Zatanna's protection spell.

#batman #raven #teen titans #justice league #fanfic #fan fiction #dc comics

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