(exclusive & streaming):
Inspector Koo (netflix, 2nd timeslot premiere),
Walking Dead: World Beyond (AMC+),
[**notes:
SEAL Team (CBS|Para+) broadcast ending with ep#4 tonight,
followed by ep#5 on Paramount+ latenight;
season 5 continues weekly only on streaming.]
(hour 1):
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (ABC),
The Equalizer (CBS),
Call the Midwife (PBS),
BMF (Starz),
The Circus (SHO),
Legends of the Hidden Temple (theCW)
(hour 2):
Supermarket Sweep (ABC),
NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS),
Grantchester (PBS),
Hightown (Starz),
Chapelwaite (EPIX, limited series finale),
Succession (HBO),
"Buried" (SHO, part 4/4, docuseries finale),
Fear the Walking Dead (AMC, ~66mins),
Halloween Wars (FOOD, season 11 finale)
(hour 3):
The Rookie (ABC),
**SEAL Team (CBS**, part 1 of 3),
Baptiste (PBS),
American Rust (SHO),
Insecure (HBO) /
/ Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO, ~40mins),
Walking Dead: World Beyond (AMC, ~70mins),
The Osbournes Want to Believe (Travel, preempted)
(hour 4 - latenight):
Desus & Mero (SHO),
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO, late start)
[preempted by MLB World Series:
The Simpsons (FOX) /
/ The Great North (FOX),
Bob's Burgers (FOX) /
/ Family Guy (FOX) ]
[NFL note: CBS shows are scheduled for regular start time, but Eastern time zone may require padding for possible delays.]
Chapter x - (This is actually out of order to the other chapters already posted but I was SUPER proud of writing this, even if it doesn’t make much sense.)
------------------
"You're going to forget." BD folded his hands, gazing down at his crossed thumbs. "Now that you know, you're going to forget again."
"Why would I forget?"
"It's happened before. You found out the truth and you woke up claiming it was a dream. We… we thought it was your way of protecting yourself. A Way to keep yourself from going insane. You're human.. Your mind is human. Mortals aren't meant to hold all of this information all at once. If the soul is protecting you… it makes you forget…"
"I'm not going to forget."
BDC smiled, a quiet sort of motion that didn't shine as it normally did. "That's what you said before." Their voice was quiet.
Patcher slid the door open, maize turned toward the sound. She breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the familiar form.
"Sorry to interrupt." The slender medic said in a comforting tone. "But Bobby should be resting, and you still aren't fully recovered yourself, Marigold. If your heart rate goes up too much…" There was a subtle warning in the doctor's tone.
Maize reached out, taking BDC's hands in her own as she stood up.
"I won't." She smiled reassuringly at them.
Patch led her out of the room with gentle touch to her shoulder, reaching up to push his hair away from his ear. "Back to bed, Miss Marigold."
BD watched them leave, the last ray of light from the hallway vanishing as the door closed behind the pair.
Patcher helped Maize to settle into the soft bed, offering a small glass of lychee drink to the young woman. The air in the room was thick with ley-infused incense hat swirled in thin glowing stripes all through the air. They reminded her of dragons chasing each other all through the room. "To settle your mind before sleep."
"How long have you known?" Maize knew the answer, but she didn't want to sleep just yet. Afraid of BD's assurance that she'd forget everything she just learned. If she confirmed it…
She took the drink, sipping the thick and sweet liquid.
"Most of your life." He said quietly, settling gracefully on the stool by the bedside table as he watched Maize sit down with the glass. "From the moment Bobby saw you and gave up their mission. It's been an adventure worthy of legendary tales keeping you safe.." A slender hand gestured to the drink, indicating her to drink it entirely. The sweeping motion turned into a gentle offering of the folded blankets. "You need to rest and regain your ley."
"BD said I was going to forget." Her hands closed around the now empty glass tightly. Resisting the urge to yawn.
"It may be better that you do." Patcher reassured, watching the girl before him. "And for you to return to the same place you were before this happened. It may be easier for you." His voice was quiet, almost musical.
The dragons of smoke and ley dances through the air around Maize's head, chasing one another, and diving through the air on invisible trails.
"Less concerns. You could return to your belief of how the world works. Unencumbered by the truth of ley, and your own broken soul." The voice seemed to trail along with the dragons in Maize's vision.
She yawned, shifting down against the plush pillows. Patch pulled the comforter up, the weight enveloping Maize.
"Unconcerned with a war you have no place in. Protected as you are." He continued, taking the glass and setting it aside. "All you need do is sleep. And it will be a dream again."
Maize's eyes dropped, feeling drained and heavy.
She didn't want to forget. Not this time.
Maize stood before the abyss she had faced before. All around her, the world was grey, with dark streams of colour sweeping by in crackled forms. A voice rose from the yawning maw of darkness before her.
"You can give them to me."
As she peered into it, a face formed in the darkness. Faint, similar to her own but… different. Rounder, flickering in and out of sight.
"Give what?"
"Your thoughts. You could give them to me. I'll hold them."
Her heart ached and a tightness grew in her chest.
"Why would I do that?"
"They're heavy." The figure in the dark said matter-of-factly. "And you aren't strong enough to carry them."
Maize stiffened across her shoulders, spite rolling down her back at the statement. "Who says?!" She snapped back.
"You did… You said it was too much. You couldn't take it."
"I'm stronger than before." She assured the not-quite-herself in the darkness.
"Maybe." The voice was mocking. "Are you sure? It's easier to toss them in here like before." The figure in the darkness waved a hand toward the depths. "It's easy to come in too… You wouldn't have to handle everything anymore"
Maize clutched her hands together, remembering the sensations from before. The pull at her core, beckoning her into the depths where the pain would vanish.
"Who are you?" She demanded sharply.
The figure tilted her head, eyeing Maize with deep violet eyes. It didn't respond immediately, smirking with a mouth full of too many teeth that were just a bit too sharp.
"I asked who you are." Maize steeled her shoulders, glaring now at the bestial figure as it rose from he abyss. A dim glow surrounded it, illuminating features that were Maize's, but wrong. Twisted and sharp with eyes that bore into her soul.
"Are you strong enough now?" The creature asked, leaning in with hot sweet breath. "Better wake up then!" The creature shouted sticky breath blew across her face, making her wince. The shout made her head pound.
The room was too warm. Her ears were ringing. The sound wasn't entirely in her ears. Small bells were tingling from somewhere. She forced her eyes open a bit. Glowing ropes of smoke hovered through the air.
"… dragons…." She murmured.
The bell's chiming paused a moment, then sounded again, further away.
She squinted, hen closed her eyes again, turning in bed.
"Go back to sleep Maize." Patcher's voice was lyrical at her side. She felt her hand lifted, the familiar sensation of him resting two fingers against her wrist. "You aren't ready."
Her arm felt heavy, but she pulled it from his hand. "Let go of me, Crane." The name was all but spat out.
Patch recoiled. "What did you call me?"
Maize was trembling slightly as she pushed herself up, the weighted comforter falling to her lap. "Crane." She snipped the name short again.
Patch sat back, drawing his hands to his chest, palms upward. "You remember." He stated quietly, eyes now watching the bleary eyed girl ahead of him. "How much do you recall?"
Maize blinked several times, raising a hand to her temple and squeezing her eyes shut tightly for a heartbeat. After a moment she dropped her hand down. "You made me forget." Her voice was quiet, an angry accusatory tone. Her eyes lifted to glare at the medic. "You were making me forget again."
Patcher lifted his chin defiantly, gazing down at Maize with the cool expression of confidence. For the moment, he said nothing.
Maize's voice cracked briefly. "Why!? Why would you make me forget?! Why would you erase something that important!" She gripped the blanket in her fists, wondering if she could throw the fabric at the medic.
There was no guilt or regret in the man's tone or expression. "Because you're mortal." He stated, as if he were reading a clinic note. "And you aren't meant to know how the world of divinities works." He eyed her, lifting his chin a moment to keep one eye trained on the bed-ridden girl as if she were a threat.
"I'm strong enough." She bit back sharply.
Patch tilted his head the other way, silver hair falling over his shoulder in a cascade until it pooled against his side. "And what gives you that idea?" The medic was watching every motion the girl made carefully. Prepared to take drastic measures if the situation called for it. Though he didn't relish the explanation that would have to follow to BDC. Slowly, he stood up. Maize's shoulders were trembling, her hands were white-knuckled on the blanket and yet… her ley levels were stable.
She was glaring at him, poised to release the sharpest words, he was sure. Yet her ley was stable. Focused even.
Just as she opened her mouth, Patcher's slender hand snapped out, snagging her jaw and pulling her forward. Her cheeks pressed in a tight hold as he drew her in close to gaze directly into her eyes.
Maize inhaled, ready to unleash a torrent of angry words at the medic. Ready to demand an apology, an explanation, to lay into the person she had trusted so often with her life. She felt betrayed, memories flooding past her thoughts- each time she'd been assured she'd had an anemic spell. Just as she was about to berate him with decades of hurt, she was suddenly drawn forward.
A startled squeak left her throat in place of all the things she wanted to say at Patch. She tried to pull back, but the fingers holding her nose to nose with him tightened against her jaw. He turned her face up, staring down into her eyes with a burning intensity she'd never seen in the usually easy-going medic.
"You're meant to be asleep, your memories of this entire day to be sealed alongside the unstable soul attached to you." The words were nearly hissed out, a harsh tone in Patcher's voice. "What did you do this time?"
This time? Maize pulled back, raising a hand up to pry Patcher's grip off of her chin. What had she done this time?
A brief memory of the figure from the darkness and the pull at her chest. Her hand pressed against her chest instinctively. The conversation with the not-her ringing echoes in her mind.
"I'm stronger now." She closed her hand into a fist, glaring at him.
She never wanted to forget BD and the truth again. A vague memory crossed her mind; crying, breaking down and holding her head upon being told in the past who she was, what she was. What her powers entailed.
Patch watched her self assured response. Eyes narrowed in concentration as he scanned along her face and down her shoulders. Ley was dancing around her in lines, barely controlled, ready to burst but different from the wild and unrestrained ley she carried before. With perhaps a little more force than initially intended, he pushed her back, releasing her chin.
"Stronger?" Patcher leaned forward, the word hissed dangerously past his lips. "You're actively using the ley from the monkey king's soul. You are controlling it for the first time in your entire life and it is fighting your control like an ill-trained mongrel. The remmenents of that soul have been unbound and uncontrolled for a melellinia. And you are wrangling it in with pure willpower." Patcher's eyes were nearly wild, deep dark pools of void with an emotion Maize couldn't pin. It was anger, excitement, or fear.
"So I ask again, Marigold. What. Did. You. Do?" Each word was punctuated sharply.
What had she done? Maize flinched back. Beyond the abyss, the voice of the creature that wasn't her echoed. Hit him. It insisted with a hiss. No. She snapped in retort.
A warmth flowed around her hands, up her arms, across her shoulders, and finally into her chest. "Back off Patch." She commanded. Trails of warmth wound around her chest, up her back and encircled her throat. Her head pounded heavily with the dull roar of her own heartbeat.
Patcher's eyes went briefly wide, watching the ley wrap around his patient. When a tendril wound around his neck, pulling him back and away from the girl he didn't fight it, only straightening his back and taking a slow, centering breath. When sufficient distance was between himself and the girl, the ley retreated to a pulsing aura around her.
"My apologies." Patch's voice took a cooler, calmer tone. A motion from his hand cleared the vision of the ley beast lying in the room from his eyes. The apology was genuine, and as the medic centered himself, he closed his eyes, then opened them slowly, without the emotion of before. Calm, collected, and professional.
He lifted his chin, little of the haughtiness of before in the motion. His voice was even, carefully controlled now with a dull tone. "Mortal wills are not meant to control divine powers." The statement was absolutely true. Never in all of the healer's years had he ever seen a mortal capable of control of an especially powerful ley source. And while a divinity's soul was not something to be picked up by a mortal form, it would stand to reason that when they couldn't handle a strong spirit, a divine one should burn the body out.
"Mortal minds burn themselves out, mortal bodies break down with exposure. You've had to forget in the past about it because conscious knowledge of the power within your core has threatened to destroy your mind, your sanity, and your body. Every time we've believed you could handle it in the past. You broke down, your life energy was leeched away." His gaze leveled on the young woman. "And you died." The last bit was pressed forward.
Not nearly.
Not almost.
Died.
Patch recalled the several times in the past when they had attempted to teach her control. The wild tendrils of unrestrained ley that burned away at her life force like an uncontrolled wildfire. The physical burns left behind along her veins. The weak and broken body that had resulted before and his own frantic work to contain her spirit, to force it back into a mortal form and the rituals to restore her body.
The time it had not entirely taken and the scars left behind for the endeavor.
The promise of never allowing her to suffer in such a way again.
Maize trembled. Her hands clutching the comforter across her knees.
Died?
In her mind, past the abyss, the not-her laughed shortly. A sharp hiss resonated in her ears and flashes of memory pierced through her mind. Agonizing burns, pounding headaches. A voice, mocking, from within her own mind as she had struggled to contain it. Bells, incense, fire, water…
Tears on her cheek and the recollection of holding a pale, trembling hand.
Oh I've killed you plenty of times. Her eyes closed as she could see the jeering expression of the faintly glowing being that wasn't -quite- her own image.
Why? Maize demanded back at it. Why then and not now?
You never took responsibility. It snapped harshly, baring its too many, too sharp teeth. You always used me, lashed out at others, and had the audacity to cry, whined about how it was too much. You wanted only the parts of me you could handle, and rebuked the rest. It leaned back, tilting its head in a condescending manner as if eyeing her up. You didn't run away.
The being faded from view, and Maize gasped for air. Her chest felt as if she'd been drowning. Patcher reached forward in the clinical manner he typically did, laying a hand against her neck and feeling her racing pulse.
"What happened?" He asked shortly.
Maize didn't think much, her voice quiet. "I remembered."
"Sit back." Patcher eased her back against the bed again. Concern rolled across his slender shoulders.
Maize lay back, suddenly exhausted. She let Patch tuck the blanket around her chest and chin, the weight falling around her gently and comfortingly.
"Don't…" she started, words silenced by a brush of Patcher's hand against her temple.
"The ritual wouldn't work now anyway. Just rest." He assured quietly, giving a sharp flick of his fingers that dimmed the lights in the room. "Don't worry." Before his eyes, the pulsating beast of ley surrounding her was visible, wrapped around her and winding through the air. It had a form now, more defined than it ever had been in the past.
Patch stepped to the counter on the far end of the room, maneuvering through the dimly lit room with a practiced ease. He browsed the boxes, withdrawing an old wooden box. With a murmur in a tongue that mortals wouldn't understand, he pulled a short stick of black, oily incense out and in a quick, fluid motion, lit it.
A charred scent rose from the dense smoke that flowed down to the floor and pooled around the healer's feet. Disconnected ley, swirling through the air before, began to sink into the dense smoke, dimming even in his vision before vanishing in the pool. Yet the powerful aura around maize only barely flickered, dulling in only the barest sense as the wild undulating force slowed and seemed more docile.
Peacefully and blissfully unaware of the beastial aura around her, Maize was sleeping. Patch found his own movements slowed by the charred black smoke's sapping and dragged himself out of the room, closing the door firmly behind himself.
"Plans will have to change." He said to no one in particular. "Henri had better be finished."
I knew there had to be a term for what Patcher is. But I’m not positive it’s the correct term so correct me if I’m wrong...
Patcher - an EMT-trained medic, and unofficial ‘doctor’ for the Pact Rats.
Patch is genderflux, consistently changing their presentation depending on those around them, presenting themself as whatever gender they feel will put those around them at ease.
Patch has a mysterious past, with the only constant being that they “trained as an emergency medic”. (if you ask them, at least) Though they often will get a vaguely faroff look.
Patch has long shiny black hair past their shoulders and dark black eyes. Their body shape is lean but strong, standing at just under six feet tall. Patcher has a sharp tongue and is unafraid of telling someone off for their decisions.
Whatever their true history is, BDC and Patcher have known each other for at -least- BDC’s entire life, similarly, Patch has been Maize’s unofficial doctor since she was a child. They have an extensive knowledge of Ley and its workings, control, and abilities. They also appear to have an extensive network of allies similarly knowledgeable in ley and ley technology.
Taisho - A country to the west of Jamark. Famous for it's media and food exports while being infamous for its stifling leadership and general paranoia toward outsiders and influence. Due to being a large and popular country, however, many family have settled in other parts of the world over time.
The nationality is known as Taishon and the language is notoriously difficult to master owing to its contextual nature. But the limited phonetic alphabet and pictographic written forms are easily picked up by others and so it's often offered as a secondary language in schools.
Sofretta - A southern country to Jamark, known for agricultural economy and products, farmland, and pictuesque landscapes while being infamous for its closed-mnded thinking and bloody, racist, history. It uses the same language as Jamark, and long ago was part of the same mother nation before a civil war broke the country into two, splitting it into modern Jamark and Sofretta.
Clinging to its own history, Sofretta has largely stagnated in its ways, with new generations often indoctrinated and pressured to take up family businesses and farms rather than pursue improvement or higher learning. Though not unheard of as new generations do go on to higher education, but usually focus on agricultural and business sciences. A shift has begun in more recent times to erradicate the old racist monuments and move away from clinging to the past. But pushback from older generations and traditionalists have prevented wholly letting go and advancing.
Jamark - The largest and most centrally located country on the continent. Overall the government is largely a figurehead, allowing city-states to govern themselves within reason. A country military and education system aims to benefit its people as a whole and its most known exports are labour, military, and raw material resources. Jamark touts itself as a fresh and free country to the rest of the world, boasting on few government regulations, and a strong, open, military. It's infamous among other countries for its open classist society and lack of self restraint. Though its people are often seen as a strange dichotomy of willing to fight, nosey to the point of irritating, and first to lend a hand. As a strange juxtaposition happens from a country where individual communities are considered more important than the country as a whole. This disconnect in thinking creates a friendly overall people with classist entitlement stemming from the wealthy cades and a strong desire to build community with strangers for self preservation from the lower cades.
In a small, dark room filled with the sweet smelling incense from several censers BD squeezed their eyes shut tightly, groaning quietly from the bed. They mumbled several curses and cautiously lifted a hand up to the side of their throbbing head.
"Ah-ha, and our second patient comes around. Welcome back to the world of the living, your majesty." Patcher's slightly raspy voice joked quietly, she crossed the room to the recovering Pact Rat's bed. "I would ask if we learned anything from this encounter, but I suspect our answer will be a resounding 'no' and you will, despite my advice against it, repeat this."
BDC mumbled a few more curses. Then attempted to sit up.
Patcher gently placed a hand on BD's chest with an admonishing click of her tongue. "Ah ah ah… several broken vertebrae and a concussion dictate you keep still until your healing takes care of it. So stay down. I'll raise the bed." She pressed a button on the side, bringing the head of the bed up just a bit more comfortably.
BDC eased their eyes open. "My leg…" They winced as they were shifted.
"Also broken, my liege. But it has been set, like the others." Patcher dragged a stool to the bedside, sitting down and crossing one long leg over the other as she gazed as the bedridden patient. "Another day or two and you'll be as fine as always."
BDC cringed at the news, but nodded just slightly. "Fuck…" They groaned out.
"An adequate phrasing for the situation, yes." Patcher chuckled leaning back slightly. "You shouldn't have tried to fight him on your own."
"He was killing Mai-.." BD's eyes widened, before they could make a reactionary move, Patcher had planted a firm hand on their sternum, preventing sudden movement.
"She's fine, a little ley-starved, but recovering. Same as before. Getting a nice healthy dose of energy to replenish the loss. I told her she had another anemic event." Patcher eyed BD, ensuring they were going to remain in bed before removing her hand. "Want to tell me what happened? I've only gotten parts of the story from some of the others…"
"That same gang from last time showed up. Followed Maize and Juan into the food court. I caught sight of 'em tailing." BDC took a careful breath, wincing at the crack that rattled through their back and across their chest. After taking a moment to settle their mind they continued.
"I got their attention." BD smiled toward the medic.
"So you crowed like a dipshit."
"Eey…" BDC raised a hand, pointing a mocking finger gun at her. "It worked. Maize raised the call, got the innocents out of the line of fire. They came at me and Juan pretty hard. Left her alone… at first." BD frowned, brow furrowing in thought.
"At first?" Patcher prompted, leaning forward just a hint.
"Tripp and the Trio showed up, started body checking the jumpy shits. Took part of the main group out. Two of 'em stood out. I couldn't tell who they were, but they weren't mortals. One pulled a knife on Juan, was going after him with a fucking vengeance. She's -someone's- favourite pet, Patch."
Patcher tilted her head quizzically, eyeing the bedridden BDC. "Oh? What makes you think so?"
"She took a goddamn boot to the head, I heard the snap. She fucking fell like a sack of rice."
"He killed her?" Patcher's eyes widened, leaning back in shock and distress.
"She should'a been. She was breathing and got carried out of there on one of the others' shoulders rubbing her neck like she had a crick. "She's either immortal or indestructible."
"Neither option is great." Patcher frowned darkly, flexing her left hand in and out of a fist as if it'd help centre her thoughts on the information. "You skipped part." She finally said after a long moment. "Why'd Juan go for the head?"
"She turned the knife on Maize." BDC said coldly eyes showing no remorse. "Juan got there before I did was all." BDC added bitterly. "Apparently thought she could turn the fight by going after her. Didn't apparently expect for him to manage to suck ley out of Maize and go full goddamn Monkey God on her ass." BD frowned darkly.
Patcher's expression matched the dark look in her patient's. "So… he knows?"
"Fuck yeah. Figured that shit out real quick. I think he suspected, some kind of pull or link when he first got there. Just like you and Henri thought would happen. And just like -I- thought would happen he immediately fucking abused the link and damn near killed her!" BDC slammed a closed fist on the bed's rail rattling the bed frame.
Patcher calmly watched BD, letting their frustration flow. "Then we need to see if Henri finished the commission we ordered." She said. "Is that why you fought with him?"
"As soon as the invaders were tossed, he drained her like a fucking battery and took off with her. Me and the others caught 'im up at the semi-park. Lucky he was still feeling it. If he'd jumped a ride we'd've lost her. I told him to fuck off, he babbled like a shithead, and got all high and mighty. Stock grabbed Maize and took off. He got cut off before he fucking drained her completely. I had him down to rights when someone clocked me from the side like a fucking train."
"Who?" She prompted again, ticking thoughts off on her fingertips.
"Dunno. Caught a glimpse of someone huge with long hair. No way that force was mortal though. I'll bet it was another of them on his side." BDC concentrated on breathing evenly, feeling some of the broken bones knitting together in their back.
"Huge and hairy, huh? Sounds like it could just be a pet gorilla."
"You're a fuckin' riot, Patch." BDC smirked, despite themself.
"I do try, Majesty. Part of my job description as an advisor."
"Fuck off with that shit." The subtle crackling BD could feel in their back was proof enough the divine healing was taking well. "Back's knitting…"
Patcher stood up, gently putting a hand at the top of BD's spine before feeling her way down their back. "Nothing's out of place so far. Give it a few hours to settle before you try to get up." She stood straight, turning to the bedside table to retrieve a glass of the same tea she'd given Maize. "And drink your tea. You burned through a fair bit, yourself."
"Yeah yeah…" BD waved a dismissive hand at the medic, but took the offered glass, downing half the contents in a single gulp.
Patcher shook her head, reaching up and pushing her hair out of her face and behind her ears. She gave a deep bow to the bedridden BDC before leaving the room to allow them their necessary recovery.
