The Melaswen Paradox (Read 319,454 times)

[André DiMera]

Wednesday - 9/1

SALEM UNIVERSITY
Claire, Chase, Maddox, Trix and Ciara sat at a table together.
CLAIRE: I’m so glad you decided to come back!
CIARA: Thanks. Me too, I guess. My leg’s getting better, but it’s gonna be a while before I’m able to do what I really want to do, according to your grandpa, at least. So, I figured I might as well further my education while I wait.
CHASE: Not a bad idea.
TRIX: And we’re happy you did, love.
Trix kissed Ciara’s cheek.
MADDOX: It’s good to be back here, and staying here full time. As much as I’m gonna miss my parents back in Bloomington, I can’t wait to start clinic duty!
CHASE: That’s gonna be great, dude.
Theo and Kennedy walked over.
CLAIRE: Hey guys!
THEO: Hello.
KENNEDY: Hi. Would it be okay if we joined you?
CLAIRE: Of course! Take a seat!
Claire pulled up two more chairs, and Theo and Kennedy sat down.
THEO: Thank you.
JOEY: Room for a few more?
The group turned as Joey, Alanis and Peyton walked in.
MADDOX: Always, dude!
They pulled up three more chairs, and Joey introduced Peyton to the group.
PEYTON: It’s nice to meet you all.
CHASE: You too. Welcome to Salem U!
Allie, Johnny, Manny and Meadow West showed up shortly thereafter. So they grabbed another table and some chairs, and pushed them together.
CLAIRE: I have a feeling this is gonna be a great year!

SALEM HIGH SCHOOL
Sydney sat in the gymnasium listening to Mr. Woods give his speech for the first day of class assembly. She was excited for a new school year, but not as excited as she had been the previous year. She had seen a few of her classmates and waved at them as they came in. At last, the assembly was over, and the students were dismissed to their first classes. They would have a shortened schedule for the first day to accommodate the assembly. She walked to her first class, Shakespearean Literature, and sat down. Several other students filed in both in front of and behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Silver walk in and take a seat a few rows back.
SYDNEY (thinking): I wonder if she’ll even want to talk to me. Guess there’s only one way to find out.
She was about to turn and wave at Silver when her teacher, a man in his late 30s with a nametag which read “Mr. Graeme”, walked in.
GRAEME: Valorous m’rning, mine own students!
A few of the students muttered some variation of “good morning”, while the others looked confused. Mr. Graeme chuckled slightly.
GRAEME: Let’s try again. Good morning, my students!
This time, more people said “good morning”.
GRAEME: My name is Mr. Graeme. Welcome to Shakespearean Literature. Raise your hands, how many of you have read any Shakespeare before?
A few of the students raised their hands.
GRAEME: Okay. How many of you are taking this class because you need a literature credit and you thought this looked interesting? It’s okay, you can be totally honest.
Several of the students, Sydney included, raised their hands.
GRAEME: That’s okay. That is actually less than in previous years, so we’re off to a good start. Hopefully by taking this class throughout the year, we’ll have helped you develop a love for the Bard of Avon.
Mr. Graeme took some time to go over the syllabus, and once he had finished, he clapped his hands together.
GRAEME: Now, I know it’s only the first day, but I want to start us off by doing a team exercise. I have all of your names in this hat on my desk, and I’m going to pull two out at random. The person whose name I pull out will be your scene partner for when we act out scenes from Shakespeare’s plays throughout the year. I’ll have you sit alongside your scene partner.
Mr. Graeme pulled out two slips of paper.
GRAEME: Silver West and Sydney DiMera.
Silver and Sydney looked at each other. Slowly, Silver got up and sat down at the desk next to Sydney. They waited as Mr. Graeme called out the rest of the names.
GRAEME: Now, please take the next few minutes getting to know each other.
Sydney and Silver turned to each other.
SYDNEY: Hi.

[tghca]

This episode didn't really appeal to me because the only thing I was even remotely looking forward to was The Tale of 2 Bradys because I was hoping we could finally get some more resolution on this because that's probably the only umbrella storyline that I remotely care about

But it seems things are picking up at Salem U with the young adult crowd

But at Salem High, you have Sydney and Silver but how long before Parker Jonas, Chloe & Daniel's son, is SORASed to be a part of this crowd?

[heroicmuse]

I just knew Silver and Sydney would end up working together!

Mr. Graeme made me think of Robin Williams' character in Dead Poets Society and imagined him in the role even though sadly that is not a possibility.

I'm excited to see the gang back together at Salem U! Can't wait to see what their school year is like.

Great chapter André DiMera.

[krw627]

Salem U looks like it's going to be a great year! I thought Peyton would be rooming with one of the girls from the group.

Sydney & Silver...can't wait for their conversation.

[Kpatch]

I love Shakespeare. I hope Sydney and Silver can make their partnership work.

[mae00]

Hahaha. I loved the every growing table arrangement. That sounds like some of the times I used to have with friends. Man I miss those days.

Uh oh. This is going to get very awkward for Sydney and Silver.

[André DiMera]

Thursday - 9/2

SALEM UNIVERSITY
ALANIS: So you guys are roommates?
ALLIE: Yep!
JOEY: That’s awesome!
Manny nodded.
PEYTON: So are we.
She pointed to herself and West.
JOHNNY: Oh yeah, I thought your name sounded familiar!
Just then, Kady walked over.
KADY: Hi, Claire.
CLAIRE: Hey.
KADY: Sorry to interrupt your first day of school and all, but I need to talk to you.
CLAIRE: Okay.
She turned to the rest of the table.
CLAIRE: I’ll be right back.
Claire got up, and she and Kady walked outside of the cafeteria.
CLAIRE: Is everything okay?

SALEM HIGH SCHOOL
SILVER: Hi.
SYDNEY: Guess we don’t really need to get to know each other, since, you know…
SILVER: Yeah.
Sydney bit her lip.
SYDNEY: Could we maybe talk, though?
Silver nodded.
SILVER: We probably should, since we’re gonna be working together on this project.
SYDNEY: Yeah. I’m sorry about the way things went down at the Last Blast.
SILVER: Why are you sorry? You can’t help how you feel.
SYDNEY: Thanks. That’s a good way to look at it. I’m glad you feel that way.
SILVER: I didn’t, at first. But I talked to my sister about it, and she helped me understand.
SYDNEY: Well, you can’t help how you feel, either. I’m sorry that I hurt you, I really didn’t mean to!
SILVER: I know. And yeah, it hurt for a while, but like I said, you can’t help how you feel, or don’t feel. And I’m okay now.
SYDNEY: That’s good. I meant what I said at the Last Blast, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had and I never wanted to hurt you.
SILVER: Thanks. Do you think maybe there’s a way we can still be friends?

BLACK PATCH
Theresa pounded on the door. John opened it.
JOHN: Something I can help you with, Theresa?
THERESA: You’re damn right there is!
She stormed in. John sighed and closed the door behind him. Brady II was also in the room.
JOHN: What’s on your mind?
THERESA: Brady. Specifically, where he is. He called me a few days ago telling me all about this whack-job who showed up a few weeks ago claiming to be him, and how you’ve taken his side! I couldn’t believe it when I heard. I mean, how could you do that to your own son?
JOHN: It’s not me, I checked both of them with a special blood-based ISA test, and the test revealed that the person we’ve known all of these years isn’t Brady. What I did tell him was that, whether we’re related by blood or not, I still consider him a son. Though I’m guessing he didn’t tell you that, did he?
THERESA: Nope. He seems to think you’ve all abandoned him. And now, I can’t find him.
She turned to Brady II.
THERESA: Who the hell are you?
BRADY II: The whack-job who claims to be him, better known as the real Brady Black. I’m guessing you’re the other Brady’s wife?
THERESA: First of all, you can’t be the real Brady Black. You don’t look a thing like him, for a start. Second, I’m not exactly his wife, but it’s only a matter of time.
JOHN: Brady, this is Theresa Donovan.
BRADY II: Donovan? Any relation to your partner Shane?
THERESA: He’s my father.
JOHN: And Shane’s now my boss, but that’s beside the point.
THERESA: Yes, it is. How could you do this to Brady? We have a son together. How could you just waltz right in and try to steal his life? More than that, how could you fake an ISA test?
BRADY II: I haven’t faked anything. Like I said, I’m the real Brady. Look, Theresa, I’m sure this is hard to believe, but I’m the one whose life has been stolen. I’m sorry that this is turning your life upside down, truly I am. But I’ve had a hell of a decade and-
THERESA: Oh, you’re sorry are you? Look, I don’t know who you really are, or how sorry you say you are! I honestly don’t give a damn! All I want from you is the truth about who you really are.
BRADY II: I told you, I’m the real Brady.
THERESA: And I don’t believe you!
JOHN: We have an ISA test to prove it, two as a matter of fact. The test has 99.99% accuracy. He’d have to be a literal genius to fake it…
John paused.
THERESA: What?
BRADY II: Dad?
JOHN: Of course, why didn’t we think of that before?
BRADY II: Think of what?
JOHN: DiMera.
BRADY II: What, Stefano? You think Stefano DiMera is behind this?
JOHN: No, Stefano’s long gone. André, though, he’s taken Stefano’s place and more.
BRADY II: André?
JOHN: Stefano’s nephew, or son depending on the day. Years ago, he had André get plastic surgery to look exactly like Tony. He’s posed as Tony off and on ever since. You’ve met him, actually. He’s the one that orchestrated that ordeal on Melaswen.
THERESA: Okay, what does Stefano’s creepy spawn have to do with Brady?
JOHN: Think about it. Dr. Rolf is, presumably, still on André’s staff. He’s the one that did the surgery to make him look like Tony, as well as create dozens of other look-alikes, clones, etc. According to a report by one of the agents on this case, the Brady you know, Theresa, is really a man from Harrisburg named Carter Bates. Brady was replaced with Carter while in Vienna with Chloe years ago. It’s entirely possible that this whole scheme was orchestrated by André DiMera.
THERESA: Or alternately, that André created this imposter to steal Brady’s life.
JOY: Not likely, based on the ISA tests.
Everyone looked over as Joy entered the room.
THERESA: Who are you?
JOY: Agent Joy Wesley. You?
THERESA: Theresa Donovan.
JOHN: What have you got for us, Joy?
JOY: Well, brace yourselves. This just got a lot weirder!
Joy handed her tablet over to John. Brady II and Theresa looked on.
THERESA: Well? What’s it say?

[heroicmuse]

I am so curious about what Joy found. I can't wait to find out!

Theresa's anger was so in character. But the thing is, she can still love this Carter guy even if he's not really Brady.

I'm glad Sydney and Silver are friends again. I hope Silver really is over her feelings for Sydney.

So Peyton and Meadow are roommates. That's better than it could have been. This'll be interesting.

Great chapter André DiMera.

[Kpatch]

I love how fiercely Theresa is sticking up for her Brady.

I think Silver and Sydney can be friends again.

[tghca]

I wanna know what it says...I think Carter Bates before the facial reconstruction, he looked just like how Brady II looks and that Carter and Brady somehow are twins separated at birth...that Isabella somehow gave birth to twins but that Carter was stolen at birth and sold on the black market to the Bates family who probably adopted him

Theresa is fiercely defending Carter

Sydney and Silver renew their friendship

Johnny just met his cousin Peyton for the first time...but I would have expected more out of this considering Peyton is a DiMera just like Johnny is

[krw627]

I'm beginning to think Theresa might be on to something. I can't wait to see what Joy found.

I'm wondering if Johnny knows West's roommate is his cousin.

Love Theresa defending Brady so fiercely!

[Trey]

I don't like Theresa. She's too pushy and mean, and super not helpful. Everyone is confused and I don't think she's helping. JMHO

I need to know what Joy found!!!

Glad Silver and Sydney are working things out.

[mae00]

Hmm. I wonder what's going on with Kady.

Oh I hope that Silver and Sydney can work through this. The conversation sounds like it's off to a good start but I feel like there is more to be said.

I don't like Theresa at all. Honestly, I think she may be more upset that this guy is potentially causing her to lose any claim/stake in whatever companies the Black family has.

Brady II acts like it was only his life that was disrupted and that really ticks me off. He has no compassion or concern that another man's life is being turned upside down in more ways than 1. If Brady I is really Brady Black, he just saw a lot of family turn on him and he's going to have a hard time overcoming that. If Brady I isn't really Brady Black, then he's lost 13 years of his life with his true family and friends and may actually have a wife and family that have been looking for him that he doesn't even remember. Then to add to that, he has Tate that will ALWAYS tie him back to this time in his life....no matter how much he may try to move past it. I'm not liking Brady II much right now.

I wonder what Joy found.

[André DiMera]

Friday - 9/3

SALEM UNIVERSITY
KADY: Yeah, grand. I just wanted to say goodbye.
CLAIRE: Goodbye?
KADY: Aye. Well, not immediately goodbye, I’ll still be in town for a bit while I’m getting things sorted, but it’ll be goodbye soon. I decided I’m going back to Ireland. I talked to my Da about what I told you a couple weeks ago. Talked for a long time, so we did. He was actually really understanding about the whole thing with my sister constantly getting on my nerves. I told him I really miss home and helping Granda at the Pub, even though I do love helping your man Max here. Also talked a wee bit with Ryleigh. She apologised, and eventually I agreed to come home. On the condition that I can have my own place, and that both Ryleigh and I work on not being total nightmares to each other.

SALEM HIGH SCHOOL
SYDNEY: I’d like to. Do you think we can?
SILVER: I hope so.
SYDNEY: ‘Cause I totally understand if you don’t. I don’t want to make things awkward for you.
SILVER: That’s nice of you, but I’ll be okay. I’ve worked a lot on myself over the summer, and I’m in a good place now. I think I can handle it.
SYDNEY: Good. I’ve really missed you!
SILVER: I’ve missed you too! So much!
SYDNEY: I want you to know that, even though I don’t love you in a romantic sense, I do love you as a person, as my best friend.
SILVER: I know. You’re my best friend, too! You’re the Anne Shirley to my Diana Barry.
SYDNEY: The what?
SILVER: It’s from a book I read over the summer, Anne of Green Gables. There’s a Netflix series based on it called Anne with an E.
SYDNEY: You’ll have to show it to me some time.
SILVER: Definitely!
SYDNEY: I’m glad we can be friends again!
SILVER: Me too!

BLACK PATCH
JOHN: Are you sure about this?
JOY: As sure as I can be. All of my sources on the dark web have come to the same conclusion.
THERESA: Would someone like to fill me in on what’s going on here?
JOY: According to what information I’ve been able to track down, though the Committee which Brady’s captors claimed to be part of doesn’t exist, which we learned a few days ago, it looks as though somebody made a website to make it look as though the Committee was real. But the page hasn’t been updated in a long time, actually since a few days after its launch. Whoever made it decided to put it up and leave it. Even more interesting, though, take a look at the list of members.
Joy scrolled down on her tablet. Brady II pointed to a picture.
BRADY II: That’s them! That’s the couple who held me captive for thirteen years.
JOHN: You know, it would be easy for them to just put up stock pictures and create fake names for members.
JOY: That it would. Which is why I ran facial recognition on these people. They’re real. Their names are real. My first investigation was wrong, there is a Committee. But it’s not a secret organization at all.
BRADY II: What is it, then?
JOY: A cult.

[heroicmuse]

Well, this is interesting. WHy was a cult messing with Brady II? And is he really Brady or not?

I'm glad Silver and Sydney talked and got over the awkwardness. Hopefully, they will continue to be able to rebuild their friendship.

I'm surprised Kady is leaving, but not exactly sorry to see her go.

Great chapter André DiMera. Will there be previews?