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writingsweetroll · 3 years

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**Summary: Louis has worries for his one year old, and Clementine soothes them by opening up about her own issues.**

Louis tried his best to not toss and turn, he really hated these beds. They were so springy, you do anything on it, so much as lay a hand on the mattress and it would make a springy noise. The noise wouldn’t annoy him as much if Clementine wasn’t laying beside him, he quickly found out she was a very light sleeper. It broke his heart that she wasn’t born a light sleeper, she just adapted to being one due to all of the trauma she faced. He wanted to make sure she got as much sleep as she could- so tossing and turning would definitely awaken her and that was the last thing he wanted.

So, he lay stiff as a board. Looking above to the mattress above him. He anxiously counted the number of bars holding the bed above him, distracting his mind to the best of his abilities. Because every time he couldn’t sleep at night, his mind went to dark places. *You have no idea what you’re doing.* He would think. That main thought spiraled out of control to other thoughts. But, that one main thought started from the time he was child, to now. It adapted to whatever situation he was in. As a child, ‘You have no idea what you’re doing’ related to the spelling bee, now, it is related to parenting his one year old daughter.

He grabbed the chair next to the desk, and placed it near the bed. He sat on it and watched her sleep soundly. A warm feeling was felt in his chest, unknowingly smiling ear to ear. He examined her features, and the midnight moon shone upon her face. She mainly had Louis’ features, his freckles, skin color, and eye shape. But, her lashes were full and her eyes were as golden as Clementines, her hair was also kinky just like Clementines. She was a perfect mix between the two.

*You don’t know what you’re doing, do you?*

Louis furrowed his brows as the thought entered his mind. No matter how many baby books he read, or conversations with Clementine he had about how to raise a baby into childhood, his mind was never satisfied with himself.

*To put your girlfriend through so much pain during her pregnancy, so selfish to bring a kid into this world, you’re a monster.*

That wasn’t true. Louis knew it. It wasn’t a mindless decision or an accident, it was multiple conversations and respectful debates about when or if they should start a family. After weeks, they decided together that they wanted a family, and they had enough resources to do so. And the pregnancy went better than expected, minor pain here and there, and the delivery had no scares. Thankfully, whenever Louis would remember this, it seemed as if thoughts grew quieter, and instead he imagined a world where the apocalypse wasn’t here. He wondered what her parents would think of him, or Lee, even Kenny. He didn’t know much about them, but he knew enough to know she cared deeply for them.

Suddenly, his daughter sniffled, causing him to go into panic mode. He calmed himself down once she went back to her normal state. It was spring, and it was just allergies but he was still terrified of her getting sick. Louis sighed, slouching against the chair now.

Although Louis truly thought he didn’t know what he was doing, he knew one thing. He’ll never be like his parents. His father, manipulative and a gas-lighter. His mother ignored it and was just focused on her public image instead.

*“Chin up, baby.” His mother whispered down to him. “Play your little piano and smile.”*

*His mother’s tone was sweet, and caring. But Louis wasn’t stupid. He knew his family milked his skills during fancy business parties like these ones. But, he played the piano nonetheless, because this was the only time he could truly feel like he had an audience that enjoyed his talent, his dream.*

*“My son! Ladies and gentlemen!” Louis’ father widened his arms towards Louis playing the piano. Families of prestigious wealth clapped for him. In this moment it was bitter sweet, should he feel happy that people enjoyed his music, or should he feel angry that his parents only supported him if it benefited them? Louis brushed off the confusing feelings and instead put his emotions into his music, making it authentic and oddly charming.*

*“Beautiful, Mandisa.” A woman patted his mothers shoulder. “You’ve raised a wonderful son.”*

Louis slightly groaned in irritation. ‘*They raised a horrible kid.’* Louis thought to himself. Now that he was older, he realized that he shouldn’t have beat himself up as much as he did when he was 17. Guilt had always occupied his mind when he thought about what he did, how he broke up his parents. But in reality, they raised him like that. They raised him to think of yourself first, not others. Survival of the fittest.

*“Please, I have a family William!”*

*Louis sat on the couch with his mother, they were just chatting when they heard the commotion coming from the office room. His father opened the door and held his hand out. “You’re not needed anymore, Mark.”*

*“I-I’m not needed?! Are you serious!? I helped you start this business, what the fuck man?!”*

*“But- Mark. You seem to forget. People like me. People like my beautiful ‘exotic’ wife, people love my son. What do you have Mark? A regular housewife, who’s pregnant and unattractive? A son who doesn’t excel in school? He doesn’t even have a talent to show off. You’re dragging me down. You understand, don’t you?”*

*“Excuse me?! The fuck did you-” Mark gulped as a security guard walked up behind him. “Fine.” Mark muttered.*

*The guard escorted the man out. Louis’ father looked at Louis with a smile, as if he didn’t just ruin someone’s life. “See son,” he started. “-sometimes, we have to make the hard decisions to get what we desire. It’s just business. Nothing personal.”*

Business came first, passion and feelings came last. That way of life ruined his childhood. He believed from a young age hurting others to get what he wanted was ok.

He gently stroked Willows head, *‘I’ll never teach you that.’* He thought to himself. No matter what, he’ll always make sure she knew it was ok to express herself, to talk about her feelings. He wanted her to know that no matter the situation, she was loved and *accepted.*

“I promise.” He whispered. “I promise I’ll give you a better life than mine.”

Suddenly, he felt slender arms wrap around his neck, a semi-heavy weight on his shoulders. He smiled, hearing Clementine mumble something out of exhaustion.

“What was that, darling?” Louis asked, holding her forearm.

“You’re doing great.” She yawned. “You don’t have to keep worrying Louis. You love her and that’s—“

“The bare minimum, Clem.” Louis cut her off.

“-not really. Not anymore.” Clementine said sadly. “Even back then, dads used to run out on their kids, unable to either provide a stable life or love. You could’ve ran out so many times, so many opportunities and you didn’t.”

“Why would I ever do that?” Louis replied, almost offended.

“I’ve seen it happen before. Of course I knew you wouldn’t but…there’s always that lingering exit you can take, and the urge is probably there for you-“

“Clementine.” Louis said sternly, waking her up a little. “I would *never* do that. Do you really think that?”

Clementine stayed quiet. In reality, no. Of course she knew Louis would never leave. It was just her inner insecurities popping out, she’d hidden it for years but it came out eventually. The *constant* fear that she would be alone again lingered in her mind. Louis noticed her silence and sighed. He got off his chair, and then hugged her tightly.

“Isn’t it crazy?” Louis chuckled.

“What?”

“How we only started dating a month into knowing each other.” Louis started, caressing her arm a bit. “Now, we’re in a family together. Clementine, I didn’t fight a war with you, fell for you in the middle of it, wrote songs about you, spent literally almost every second with you for the past 4 years to just leave.” Louis reassured.

“But now we have a kid.”

“Even more of a reason to stay. I mean *who* can actually say they have a kid with the most beautiful, bad-ass woman of the apocalypse world? Only me! I’d be a fool to run from that.” Louis joked.

She shook her head, a big smile on her face. Louis kissed the top of her head, pushing her slightly towards the bed, there he dropped her on it. She got into a comfortable position, and Louis lay next to her.

“I was serious.” Clementine broke the silence. “When I said you’re doing great. It’s not only the love you have for her Louis. You don’t even go to sleep before she does. Even though I tell you I got it. You care deeply for her and that *is* enough.”

Louis sighed, twiddling his fingers with one another, only staring at the bars above him. “I know. Thanks. Sometimes it just feels like I’m not enough, even before Willow.”

“Louis…” Clementine muttered sadly. The thought of him degrading himself saddened her. She sat up, grabbing his curious glance. Clementine took off her oversized sweater, a tank-top underneath. There was enough moon-light to see the faint, pink branded mark on her arm. She slid her fingers over it slightly, a grimace appearing on her face.

“You finally gonna reveal the meaning behind that?” Louis chuckled, over the years, she’d always refuse. ‘*The past doesn’t matter.’* She’d say.

Although he was joking, she wasn’t.

“I got this when I was 13.” Clementine started.

Louis shifted himself upwards, a frown shown on his face as he eyed the scar.

“I only did it to make sure AJ was safe. But, then he got ripped apart from me in the same group. After that, I had nothing more to lose. And when you have nothing to lose…you do scary, stupid things. I was horrible, Louis. I wasn’t the same person you know today.”

Louis nodded, taking in her words to the best of his ability. Trying not to react negatively in anyway.

“After I got AJ back—I only had *him.* If anyone ever—and I mean, *anyone* tried anything to hurt or kill him, I wouldn’t hold back. Yes I love AJ. I really do, but that feeling of hopelessness for your own self is so damaging.” Clementine opened up. After a brief moment of silence she continued. “I didn’t have hope for my own life, only for his. I didn’t mind if I got bit, as long as he was safe, I didn’t care. Not because I was sad or anything but because I just felt like this world wasn't for me. When I was a kid, I loved to be social, playful even. I've changed so much, I was forced to. I used to be innocent. Now, I'm finally getting some sort of my old self back."

Clementine grabbed Louis’ hand and squeezed it slightly. “You saved me.” She said, her tone hoarse. Louis squeezed back on her hand.

"I'm glad to be of service." He smiled at her. “I love you.”

She smiled, and kissed his cheek. “I love you too, Louis.”

#twdg #clouis #telltale the walking dead #clemxlouis #clou #telltales the walking dead #twd #twdclem #twdg s4 #fanfic

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randomfandomimagine · 3 years

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Love’s Worth Running To. Chapter 3: The Accident

Pairing: Barry Allen x Stephanie Williams (OC)

Fandom: Justice League / DCEU

⬅ PREVIOUS CHAPTER • CHAPTER INDEX • NEXT CHAPTER ➡

AO3

A/N: This is when things start to get serious! I hope you enjoy chapter 3! As always, remember to give this some love, please reblog and leave feedback! It would make my week! 🙏💜

The next day the lab feels the same as ever, though it appears even brighter than the other day as Stephanie walks inside, coffee in hand. She beams and smiles at Ben as she approaches him. He stares at her, cutting her off before she can greet him with a cheerful ‘good morning’.

“Good morning to you too, Stephanie” He gladly takes the coffee that she offers him.

“It’s rude to interrupt people, you know?” She playfully wrinkles her nose at him.

“Just when I thought you couldn’t be any nicer and more of a ray of sunshine” Ben jokes. “Does this have to do with your mysterious childhood friend?”

“Kind of” She purses her lips to suppress her big smile. “It suddenly feels like a missing part of me has returned”

“Oh, no…” He playfully dreads. “You’re not going to get sappy, are you?”

Stephanie rolls her eyes a little and softly slaps him in the arm. He laughs.

For a moment she questions whether to tell him about yesterday. The conversation with Barry, the awkwardness turned to warmth as they reconnected again, and even the near death experience that was the strange culmination to an otherwise lovely soiree. However, while she stares at Ben tangling with the computer, she decides against it.

As close as she is with Ben, it feels slightly out of place to talk about it. Too personal. Ben would surely intently listen to her, smiling politely as he always does. Nonetheless, even if a part of her wants to share that euphoria with the only person she’s close to, the other part prefers to keep it to herself. Silently treasure it.

“Is the computer behaving?” Stephanie asks instead, sliding on her white lab coat.

“For now” Ben absently replies, focused on entering commands on it. “Let’s hope it doesn’t glitch today”

“I’m feeling lucky” She happily replies, earning a curious look from him.

Like every other day, Stephanie automatically puts her hair behind her ear to get it away from her eyes. Then she leans down on the microscope, looking through it and analyzing the samples after Ben has done the small adjustments to the force field they had been exposed to.

The usual dullness overcomes her once again as a force of habit, but one thing’s different. After so many hours of hard work and perseverance, there’s finally something. Understanding what the change can mean, Stephanie gasps.

“Ben!” She shrieks with such urgency that he jolts up in startle.

“What is it?” He rushes to her side, planting a comforting hand on her back.

“T-The samples!” She announces, wildly gesticulating. “It’s starting to work!”

On an instinct, Ben goes to look at the samples through the microscope just like Stephanie was doing a moment ago. With a light chuckle, he backs away.

“You’re the biology expert, I... don’t know what’s happening”

“The molecules are being altered, but the reaction is positive” Stephanie’s heart races with intensity at the thought of what it could imply. “And if we arrange the force field in just the right way and the molecules have a flawless positive reaction…”

She feels out of breath with excitement. Finally, her long awaited goal would come to fruition. Finally, they will have a force for good on their hands, a technology that could help and protect countless of people.

“We need to keep working” His ever undisturbed polite facade breaks slightly as he fidgets in the spot, patting her and glancing around as though he doesn’t know what to do. “But we’re making progress?”

“We’re making progress!” To celebrate the success that has taken them months to achieve, they hold on to each other’s hands. Their restless energy surges through them, only spreading further to each other.

“There you are!” An outside voice cuts through the moment as someone walks inside the lab. “It took me forever to find-”

When the two turn, they find themselves with the unexpected presence of a tall thin boy with dark hair. He’s very familiar to her, but a complete stranger for Ben.

“Barry...” Stephanie mutters, suddenly very aware of the rare touch of Ben’s hands.

“You must be the friend” The latter says, breaking away from her.

“The friend?” Barry’s previous gawk changes into a grin. “Have you been talking about me, Steph?”

“Oh, um… sorry...” Stephanie chuckles to hide her embarrassment. “Ben, that’s Barry… you know, my friend. Barry this is Ben, he’s kind of… my boss. Well, not exactly…”

“I’m just in charge of the project” Ben corrects her, witnessing her struggling. “But we work together as equals”

“Yeah…” The young woman suddenly feels overwhelmed as her present and her past collide in the form of the two men.

“Nice to meet you, Barry” Ben holds his hand out for him to shake.

“You too, Ben” The boy smiles, tapping his hand before letting go of the handshake.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but…” Stephanie tugs on Barry’s sleeve. Ben stares at the two, and his gaze flusters her. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I just came by to say hi” Barry simply says, shrugging a little. “I just… I just missed you, okay?”

Stephanie must have given him a look of utter endearment, because he bashfully averts his gaze and begins to walk around the lab.

“Can I… hang around for a bit?” He asks Stephanie, but she looks at Ben.

“I guess” He kindly replies, politely smiling. “It’s not top secret or anything”

“Cool!” Barry continues to carelessly wander around the lab. “The tech looks fancy”

“Thank you” Ben takes the compliment upon himself, as he is the one in charge of that.

“What are you working on?” To Barry’s question, Stephanie glances at Ben once again. He only nods his head for confirmation. Only then does she talk about the project.

“A force field” She motions over to the small machine that projects the energy towards the molecules vibrating in the air. “We’re currently making sure that the molecules react correctly in order to-”

“Ensure the force field could be projected on people?” He ventures, and Stephanie quickly nods her head, smiling. “That would be awesome! It could be used in such amazing ways!”

“I’m the techno-scientist in charge of the force field” Ben explains, even though Barry and Stephanie are peering at each other and barely paying attention. “Stephanie is the biology expert we hired to control how the molecules react when they’re exposed to it”

“What?” She chuckles, flustered under Barry’s smitten stare.

“You’re still trying to save the world, huh?” He nudges her a little.

“So she’s always been like this” Ben meddles in, looking from one to the other.

“You have no idea, buddy” Barry glances at him, even if his permanent smile is directed at the girl.

“I…” Ben clears his throat, taking a step back. “I better leave you two for a bit. I’ll get ourselves a snack”

“Thank you” Stephanie tells him as he moves further away. Her gratitude isn’t only in response to his kind offer to grab something to eat, but also for allowing them a moment alone. He understands how important Barry is to her.

After Ben leaves, the two are alone in the room. It fills with silence. Barry continues to wander, pretending to look at the equipment littered around the lab. In reality, a question bubbles in his chest, growing bigger by the second and threatening to become unbearable until he finally lets it out.

“So…” He begins, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning on a table. “Steph”

“Yeah?”

“Are you free today?”

“Yeah, after work. Why?”

Barry casually shrugs, pouting his bottom lip in a carefree gesture. He picks up an unused flask and fiddles with it, even if his eyes are fixed on her face.

“I dunno… I thought we could go out again. I mean... if you want” He gulps, looking away before she can even react to his suggestion. Barry hurriedly continues speaking, not letting her say anything yet. “We could go take a walk or go to the cinema or…”

“So soon?” Stephanie’s tone is playful. “You should take me to dinner first, Allen”

“Huh?” Barry gawks at her, completely oblivious to her teasing and panicking in fear of her response.

“I’m joking, silly” She giggles, closing the distance that separates them to rub his arm. “I would love to meet with you again later”

Barry grins, heaving a breath of relief. He nods to himself, putting the flaskback on its place. He pushes himself off the table and opens his mouth to say something. However, something interrupts him. Stephanie might have not noticed the noise, being so used to it, but Barry freezes at the sirens outside the window.

“Okay, so what time do you get out?” He begins, slowly walking back to the door.

“At… three” Stephanie half-questions, watching him in confusion.

“Okay, cool” He carelessly says, staring at the street. “I’ll pick you up then”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I gotta run”

“Barry...”

“See you later!”

Before she can even say goodbye to him, he has already run off. The glass door closes with a soft sound that still echoes in her ears. She sighs. With that, Stephanie resigns herself to go back to work. Her thoughts wander nonetheless.

She has to get used to being around him again, is all. They haven’t seen each other in so long, and things have changed. It’s strange to think that they’re both adults now, with jobs and responsibilities, but it’s the reality. One she must accept.

Just as she finds herself staring at the display of the experiment yet not seeing it, it happens. The force field crackles and vanishes, undoing hours of progress. For a moment, she freezes, not knowing how to react.

“No…” Stephanie whines, sulkily walking over to the computer.

She still doesn’t really understand how such an advanced model works, but she takes a look nonetheless. The screen is glitching like it has been for days, so she waits for several seconds. Nothing happens. Stephanie taps the screen, and it seems to return to normal. It asks to press any letter to restart the projection of the force field.

Breathing in relief, Stephanie does as asked. She makes a mental note to tell Ben about it anyway. The machine comes to life with the press of a button. She waits. A crackling sound begins to her right. She looks with the corner of her eye and turns slowly. The force field, once small and contained, is now growing at an alarming rate with a static sound. If it weren’t impossible, she would think it has developed a mind of its own.

“Oh, no…” She gasps, realizing what is about to happen. Her gut knows it before her brain does. A sinking feeling grows in her stomach. Her mind can only focus on one thought. One emotion. Fear.

Time stops. She makes to move out of the way, but it’s too late. She can almost feel the invisible electricity in the air before it hits her. Stephanie closes her eyes tight and puts her arms before her, trying to protect herself from the inevitable. In vain.

Her entire life seems to flash before her eyes as the whimsical time slowly speeds up again. She sees Barry in her mind. Despite her discontent, despite her nostalgia and despite everything, there isn’t a single thing she regrets. Not anymore. As she resigns herself to her doom, she feels satisfied with her life. If he’s to be her last thought, it will be a beautiful one.

An immense blast of energy then shoots her way, being so powerful that it throws her across the room. She screams. The wind is knocked out of her when her back violently hits the furthest wall, claiming a guttural grunt from within her. She falls on the ground like rag doll, barely capable of remaining conscious. Pain is the only thing her brain can conceive. Her lungs have seemed to stop working. Stephanie struggles to catch her breath again, but her attempts are futile. Before she can breathe again, she has succumbed to a pitch black darkness.

Barry comes to a halt once he returns to S.T.A.R. Labs. He takes a deep breath, recovering from the unplanned rescue mission, and heads to Stephanie’s lab once more. The remnant of the ashes from the fire still linger on his clothes. He can’t linger on the people he saved for long, however. Something else claims his attention.

He walks slowly, overcome with a strange feeling of dread. It forcefully settles in his stomach. Everything is quiet in that floor. Too quiet... He just left her not that long ago. Barry checks his watch, seeing that only twenty minutes have gone by. There are no voices, but even if Ben hadn’t returned… Something feels wrong.

“Steph?” The boy calls as he approaches her lab, still anguished by the silence. A strange atmosphere lives in the air. “Stephanie?”

Just as he arrives, he places the hand on the doorknob. An unexpected noise makes him freeze. A buzzing light. He sees it flash through the glass door. Still no signs of her.

“Stephanie...?” He tries again, tentatively opening the door. The sight he is received with makes his heart skip a beat. Time has never moved so slowly for him.

The entire lab has been destroyed, like a bomb or a hurricane passed through. An explosion definitely seems to have blasted through the entire room. There is broken glass and papers scattered around the floor, crunching under his sneakers. Every piece of technology that he had admired before, including the computer, are broken to pieces.

The buzzing light blinks on and off, projecting its yellowish light in small intervals to illuminate the darkness that otherwise drowns everything. There is another thing, far more alarming than the others. A figure lying on the ground. Completely still.

“STEPH!” Barry speeds through the room, instantly moving to that corner. “Oh god...”

Stephanie lies face down. The wall behind her is dented, and a nasty feeling assures Barry that her body caused that. What happened there?!

Swallowing hard, he reaches out to touch her. She isn’t moving. Is she breathing? Is she hurt? Is she... alive? Please, let her be alive...

“S-Steph?” He sobs, gingerly gathering her form in his arms and leaning her against his chest. A tuft of hair limply glides off her forehead to reveal her eyes. They are closed. He shakes her slightly, but she limply lies against him. “No, no… I just found you… d-don’t leave me again…”

Stephanie still doesn’t move. Shaking from head to toe, Barry leans closer to her. He can’t hear a heartbeat when he presses his ear against her chest. Moving up slightly, he can’t hear her breath from her parted lips either.

He can’t breathe. It feels like a train has run him over. Only that it would hurt less than this.

“No, no, no, no, no…” He gulps, his vision growing blurry when tears inundate his eyes. “Please, Steph...”

He observes her, heartbroken by the pained expression in her face. It is stuck like that. If only he could do something, if he could save her… A crazy idea suddenly reaches him. Lifting one shaking hand, Barry snaps his fingers. The electricity curses through, crackling in his hands and illuminating her pale skin. He hesitates, but the thought that he’s running out of time convinces him to try it. He has to.

“Please work…. Please, please… please work…” Closing his eyes tight and mentally praying to any and all deities he can think of, he puts his hand over her heart. The electricity passes over to her, and Stephanie lightly spasms with it.

He holds. His heart continues to race as he watches her expectantly.

Boom, boom. Boom, boom.

Although she remains still, Barry can hear a faint strangled inhale coming from her.

“Stephanie?” He quickly asks, so much so that he runs over the syllables.

Her eyelashes flutter. Barry holds his breath. She frowns, letting out a pained yet weak groan. Still, he almost starts crying in relief.

“S-Steph...” He calls her again, gingerly cradling her face in his palm.

Stephanie opens her eyes. A blinking light stabs them. A person is very close to her as his face comes into focus. All she can see is a pair of gentle dark eyes she is very familiar with. Her fuzzy brain is having trouble recognizing them. Now they’re also flooded in fear and concern. He’s moving his lips, but she can’t hear the sounds he’s uttering. A loud whistling in her ears makes it impossible to focus.

Stephanie tiredly stares at him. She wants to move, to speak, to do something, but she can’t. Everything hurts. Her brain burns with a fog that quickly eats up her thoughts. She needs to lift her arm and touch him, make sure he’s really there and not just a dream.

Barry...

She can’t.

Her sore body and mind take over her. Stephanie’s eyes roll into her skull. Despite it all, she smiles. Because he’s here with her. She can feel his warmth. As long as he’s there, she groggily thinks, everything will be alright.

Stephanie gives in to exhaustion and forsakes herself to darkness once again. He hears him screaming her name, so loud that it overpowers the loud whistling in her ears.

“Steph!!” Barry’s heart skips a beat. The tears that had frozen in his eyelashes freely travel down his cheeks when he notices she has grown completely still again. “S-Steph?”

He continues to sob, desperately clinging her body against his chest as a harrowing void fills his chest.

An unexpected knock makes little Stephanie freeze. She leaves her homework and waits, fearing who might be at the door. The knock comes again, this time accompanied by a kind voice.

“Tephie!” Barry insists. “Open up!”

Hurrying to her feet, Stephanie runs to the door in astonishment and opens it to let him in. With a mildly mischievous smile, Barry rushes in as soon as he is able to. She follows him with her gaze as he goes to the table and puts the homework away.

“Barry!” She whispers at first, but then she realizes she doesn’t have to. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to cheer you up” He drags something out of his pocket. “I know you argued with your mom and dad again. They aren’t home, right?”

“No, they’re still working” Stephanie goes after him as Barry goes to the TV. He introduces the mysterious object he carried and hid in his hands into the VHS player. “Barry, what…?”

“I found this really cool movie” He looks at her with a grin. “I know you’re gonna love it, we can do a sleepover!”

“Those never end well” She smiles a little in spite of herself. “Remember that time you chased me around the house and knocked down my mom’s favorite vase?”

“I only wanted to tickle you…” He defended himself as he set the movie up.

Stephanie laughs, shaking her head at him. Barry only shows him an innocent grin.

“What movie is this?” She asks as they both sit in the ground as they always do.

“The Breakfast Club”

“Haven’t heard of it”

“Shame on you!”

“What’s it about?”

“Just watch the movie!”

She giggles, trying to hold the laughter in and focus on the movie. Still, she looks at Barry. His presence has cheered her up already, and the arguments with her parents don’t seem as important anymore.

The boy turns to her as well, sweetly smiling in return. It is an expression that has etched in her memory. Even after all this time.

As her senses return, reality and dream mix as the latter slowly dissolves. A boy is sitting close to her. The same one from her dream.

Barry stares at her with those warm dark brown eyes. A happy twinkle shines in them.

There are dark circles under his eyes, seeming gloom and inundated in tears. She can tell even as he averts his gaze, absently staring at the window. But not seeing it.

His smile is wide and bright, glad that the plan works and she finds the movie entertaining.

There is no sight of that smile, only a preoccupied gesture that has his lips tightly pursed. When they’re not, they shake with the meek sobs that wreck his torso.

What’s wrong? Why is Barry crying?

Disoriented, she glances around. A bright white hospital bed surrounds her. The walls are made of tiles and make the whole room cold. She is resting in a soft bed, with a thin sheet covering her body. When she looks to the side she focuses on him.

“B… B…” She tries to call out, but speech has left her. Nonetheless, his sobbing halts.

“Steph?” He gasps, hurriedly wiping his tears and leaning forward in the chair he’s sitting in. “Are you awake?”

“Ba… Barry…” She opens her mouth, trying to reply.

“No, no, no, don’t speak. Save… save your energies!”

Stephanie only groans, overwhelmed with discomfort and pain as the veil of sleep completely fades. It had been safe and comfortable, but consciousness feels like a torture. All the unpleasant sensations that plague her multiply when a sudden pressure engulfs her as Barry throws himself to hug her.

“Oh, Steph...” He dissolves in feeble sobs as he gingerly squeezes her in his arms. “You’re okay… For a moment there, I… I thought I lost you...”

“B-Barry…” The word gets stuck in her raspy throat and dry mouth. The effort causes a violent coughing fit that shakes her entire body.

“I’m so sorry!” Barry immediately pulls away, giving her some room to breathe.

Stephanie continues to cough, wincing as the strain only brings more pain that layers on top of the existing one. Barry dissolves in apologies as he hurries to pick up the water bottle that he kept ready in the table beside him and hands it to her.

The coughing fit lessens enough to let her drink, but she can’t reach out to take the bottle from him. Stephanie’s arms feel heavy as though they’re made out of lead. Every single muscle hurts and she can only manage a pathetic attempt at reaching out. The arm heavily falls down onto the bed again. She huffs in resigned frustration.

“Hey, it’s okay, I got you” Barry opens the bottle for her and brings it up to her lips.

As much as she appreciates the help, Stephanie can’t help but to scowl a little. She feels completely useless, being unable to even hold up a plastic water bottle.

“I’m sorry about that…” Barry tells her. “You’re still weak, I need to… you need to…”

Not really listening to him, Stephanie lightly nods her head. Understanding the gesture, he puts the water away and returns the bottle to its place on the table. She hadn’t realized how dry her throat was until she drank.

“What…?” Stephanie finally manages to croak out, her voice still hoarse and raspy.

“What happened?” He completes for her, earning a nod so mild that he barely sees it. “You had an accident at the lab… I… the… the force field exploded”

Stephanie closes her eyes as the memories come to her. On top of all the unwell, a nasty feeling grows in the pit of her stomach. She vividly remembers it now. The iron claw of fear returns to her, even if as a shadow of its former self. The force field went out of control. That explains why every fiber of her body hurts in a way it never had before. It’s like the aftermath of a thousand workouts put together, only that even worse.

“You’re okay, though” Barry tries to reassure her. “You broke a few bones, but you’ll heal and… you’ll recover in no time, right?”

Unable to participate in Barry’s optimism, she continues frowning. Having the haunting suspicion that she broke some ribs, Stephanie cautiously breathes in. Indeed, a sharp pang reaches her side when she does. Watching her grimace, Barry can only wince in empathy, wishing there was something he could do to help.

“Do you... need anything?” He kindly offers, fighting the urge to fidget. “Water, food? Are you cold?”

Stephanie whines, reaching out her hand. He doesn’t hesitate to take it.

“Me?” He questions, earning a soft nod from her. “I’m here, Steph, not going anywhere”

To further demonstrate, Barry plops back down on the chair, squeezing her hand. She seems to at least be a little more at ease now. He breathes out in relief as well, trying not to make it too obvious.

Just when everything was starting to settle down, the door to the room urgently swings open. They both turn their heads in startle. A blond mop of hair sticks out, and familiar blue eyes sweep the room.

“Stephanie…” Ben utters, barely glancing at Barry before he settles on her.

“Hey, man…” Barry warns him, getting back up. “Take it easy with her, okay?”

“Of course” The other gravely nods. “Thanks for looking after her, I got here as fast as I could”

“Ben…” She croaks, letting go of Barry’s hand and reaching out for him.

“Hello” The aforesaid does his best to smile, even if wrinkles of concern form on his face. “How are you feeling?”

Stephanie only moves around in the bed, feeble. She wishes she could just get up and give him a hug. Give them both a hug. But her body is screaming for her to lie still and rest. Defeated, she only sighs and tiredly leans her head on the pillow.

“Is she okay?” Ben asks, bearing the physical manifestation of utter heartbreak in his voice.

“Yeah, she’s just…” Barry sighs in exhaustion. “A little weak right now”

The two share a preoccupied glance. They murmur as Barry puts him up to date on what the doctors told him. She should be okay. The accident was bad, but the important thing is she survived it. She’s out of danger now. All she needs is rest.

“Don’t… mutter…” Stephanie weakly begs them, only feeling worse about it.

“Sorry” Ben turns to her once more, forcing out another smile and holding up something that he had been clinging in his hands. “I brought you these”

Stephanie manages to genuinely smile for the first time as she watches Ben. The beautiful bouquet of flowers is gingerly put over the table. Roses. They brighten up the room with a touch of color. From there, Stephanie can also smell their pleasant scent.

“I… actually wanted to apologize, Stephanie” Ben admits then. He uses his professional voice, the one Stephanie has heard many times when they talk about work. “It was my fault that such a horrible thing happened”

“What?” Barry pipes up, watching the scene develop. “How could it be your fault?”

“I was in charge of the technology” The other tells him, then turning back to her. “I should have avoided it, I should have kept the computer from glitching like that”

Barry averts his gaze. For the first time, he sees the situation from a very different perspective. Glitch… His gut twists in a nasty manner when realization hits. The technology glitched. It isn’t the first he hears of it, even if they don’t know . Something tells him it wasn’t an accident. One thing is for certain, though, it wasn’t Ben’s doing.

“I-I’m sure it wasn’t your fault, man” Barry pats his shoulder, but Ben shakes his head.

“It was my responsibility” He insists. “I still can’t understand what happened but… I should have known… I should know”

“Stop…” Stephanie pleads, hating that the situation only worsens.

“I should at least have been there with you, to...” Ben’s bright blue eyes become watery with tears. “To protect you when it happened”

“That’s true” Barry agrees, but corrects himself when he realizes how it sounds. “I mean me! I shouldn’t have left you alone, Steph, I feel terrible”

The two of them softly talk over each other, taking the blame as they reassure the other.

“Guys…” She breathes in slowly, successfully catching their attention. And, relieved that it doesn’t develop in another coughing fit or a wave of pain. “If you were there… you would have… just… gotten hurt too…”

That small effort has rid her from any of her remaining energies, but it was hopefully worth it. The silence heavily falls on them. It reigns. The boys look down to their feet, filled with remorse and anguish. Both of them care deeply about Stephanie, they realize as they look up at each other, it’s the one thing they have in common.

“Well, I…” Ben gulps, giving a third attempt at a smile. “I should get back to work, there’s a lot to do right now”

“Don’t... worry” Is all Stephanie manages to tell him to assuage his fear. “I’ll be... okay”

“Hey, Barry?” When the boy peers at him, surprised, Ben continues. “Look after her?”

“I will” They shake hands, like they did less than a day ago. “I promise”

Showing his best effort yet, Ben smiles once again. Then, as he waves goodbye at Stephanie, he quietly leaves the room. After closing the door behind him, Ben exchanges a glance with Barry. The boy nods his head, assuring him he will keep his promise. He doesn’t need to tell him twice.

“He’s so… sweet…” Stephanie languidly says, although her ability to speak is returning little by little.

“Yeah…” Barry bites his lip, watching the spot Ben used to be in. “Ben’s a nice guy”

He feels stupid for being jealous of him at that very moment. Of course, he wishes he could have spent all those years with Stephanie like he has. Years that she spent with Ben instead of with him. Perhaps it’s because Barry was so close to losing her that every single second away from her, past or future, suddenly feels unbearable.

Gathering himself, he takes a deep breath. There is still the present. He can be with Steph now. So he will be there, because she needs him. Because he wants to be there.

“Anyway” Barry grins at her, hoping the gesture is uplifting. “What do you need, Steph?”

Once again, she holds her hand out. He laughs a little as he delicately wraps his fingers around hers. Suddenly, the pang of jealousy in his chest dissipates.

“That’s right” A bright and more genuine grin grows on his lips. “That’s where we left of”

Just when he’s about to sit, however, Stephanie tugs at his hand. He looks up at her, frozen mid—movement. Their eyes meet. An unspoken need glows in hers while his are a reflection of the softness he currently feels. Because of her.

“Closer” She just asks him, and he doesn’t have the heart to complain. A part of him is afraid that he will hurt her in that fragile state, but his need to comfort her overcomes it.

“Okay” Barry sweetly smiles, pausing for a moment as he stands up straight again.

Stephanie makes an effort to scoot while he glances around. His hoodie rests over the back of the chair, so he takes it and gingerly places it over her. Stephanie smiles and gladly shrinks under the warm garment. Barry looks around again, making sure there’s nothing else she might need before he lies down with her and settles there.

“Barry?”

“Stop talking, Steph!” He nervously hisses, but when he hears how hard that sounded even in his worry, he corrects his tone to a more playful one. “Gosh, I’m the one that rambles around here, okay? You have no right taking my place like that”

She smiles, and the beautiful sight warms Barry’s heart. It replaces the lonely coldness that had harbored inside his chest for so many hours. Of uncertainty and fear.

“What if I…?” She still says, even if she obliges and quiets nonetheless.

“Need something?” He completes for her again. “Let me think…”

Barry carefully goes to lie down in the bed with her. He moves slowly, slower than he ever has. As he lightly sinks down into the bed, Stephanie immediately accommodates. She snuggles closer to him, sighing in content when their sides are pressed together.

“Okay, here’s what we’ll do” Barry can’t help but to smile as she comfortably leans her head on his shoulder. “You can squeeze my hand”

“Mm-hm” Is all she says as she closes her eyes, finally feeling at ease.

He exudes a soothing warmth that envelops her and makes her feel at home. Although he is fidgety and restless, he tries to stay still. Not move an inch. As small as the gesture is, Stephanie treasures it fondly. While she is wondering in the cozy state he helped her achieve, Barry is being true to his word by rambling on.

“One squeeze if you need comfort, two if you need water or food...”

“Mm-hm…”

“Oh, and three if you need me to get the doctor or something”

“Mm-hm”

“Did I miss anything? What else?”

Barry waits, assuming Stephanie is thinking about it too. After a few seconds of silence, and a very telling sound, he glances down at her. She is softly breathing. Barry feels a fluttering in his stomach while he watches her sleep in his shoulder.

“Sleep well, Tephie…” He whispers to himself, smiling fondly.

The overwhelming worry that had haunted him for so many hours grows smaller. It still shimmers in the surface, but leaves room for something different. Like the wave of affection that reaches him.

Barry takes a breath, gently wrapping his hand around hers. He holds it. If she wakes and needs something, he’ll be ready for when she squeezes it. For now, he will rest with her.

Not moving from that position, Barry closes his eyes. He feels the inviting and well-deserved slumber catch up to him. He falls asleep delicately squeezing her hand and hoping to infuse her with all his energy for a speedy recovery.

Tag list: @scared-to-be-lonely345 // Ask to be added to be notified when I post for this series!!

#loves worth running to #lwrt #barry allen #barry allen x reader #barry allen x oc #barry allen imagine #ezra miller #justice league #justice league imagine #justice league series #dc #dc series #dc imagine #oc #series #original character

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kiseiakhun · 4 years

Note

What are your feelings on Kyle/Jason/Wally. I kinda think it might happen if Kyle had a crush on both. Accidentally tells Wally. Teasing. Jason finding out. Jason and Wally overdramaticly flirting. Dick finds out and Kyle dying from the close proximity of both Jason/Wally Wally/Jason Jason/Kyle Wally/Kyle. And then Flirting/Showing off intensifying. Although I don't really know much about Wally or Kyle. ❤

RUBS HANDS TOGETHER

Hello? This is the greatest ask anyone’s ever sent me. Kyle is a lovey-dovey dumbass who falls in love after two seconds of knowing someone, so like. It’s real. It’s very real. He and Wally would’ve had their thing first? Because of their whole enemies to lovers arc in JL, except - because of that whole dynamic where they started off ragging on each other, I feel like they both would’ve been oblivious to their feelings. Add in a healthy dose of compulsory heterosexuality from Kyle, and yeah... the adults of the League have probably been waiting years for that ship to sail, except the babies just keep being oblivious dunderheads.

(Wally realized in his teen years that he’s not strictly heterosexual, because being on a team with Dick Grayson when you’re male tends to draw out any bent inclinations very, very quickly. It’s just. Kyle is the snot-nosed rookie too big for his britches. He’s a baby? He’s an infant. Wally is not attracted to an infant, wtf.)

And then Kyle goes off on his journey of self-discovery with Donna and Jason. Well, journey of self-discovery for him, because Jason’s ass and body and his devil-may-care tough guy attitude is the culmination of Kyle’s bisexual crisis. Seriously, countdown is basically Kyle going “ugh, that stupid hot sexy asshole is so hot and sexy around Donna, there’s no way she can resist him. Why is he attractive? He needs to stop. I’m going to fight him because he’s TOO HOT.” It’s incredible. If the writers weren’t cowards, countdown would’ve ended with them being in a triad.

Donna’s probably the one who points out that mayhaps... Kyle’s constant mooning over Jason might mean something different... and Kyle’s like wtf, no. And then he actually thinks about it, because Kyle’s one of maybe two (2) men in the dcu who has a semblance of emotional intelligence (idk who the other one is, but I’m sure he’s out there) (edit: it’s Connor. Connor Hawke. Connor is the other man. I was going to say Clark but Clark keeps going to extremes whenever he or his are threatened and. like. he tries, bless his heart, but there’s still a lot of repression going on with him) and he’s like wait. Fuck. Well what do I do with this information!! It’s not like Jason is into guys!!!

To which Donna just looks at him like, how are you so smart yet so stupid at the same time. She remembers how baby Jason mooned over Roy and Dick as much as he mooned over her. She Remembers.

(Also, lbr, Donna’s very experienced by now at dealing with dumb boys in denial about their non-het leanings. See previous statements about being on a team with Dick Grayson. She saw all of it, man. She’s seen so much.)

Cue Kyle, sitting bolt upright in bed after they’ve just wound down for the night and just saying, “Oh my god, Wally.”

And Donna’s just like, yup.

And Jason’s just like ? wtf is that asshole up to now. Whatever, idc, blissfully unaware of Kyle’s bi panic.

Anyway. The world is saved, and they get back to their Earth, and Kyle manages to put it aside because Everything Happens So Much. He’s the Green fking Lantern, okay, he doesn’t have time to deal with sexuality crises, except. Except. It won’t leave him alone?

Like, in his downtime he hangs out with Wally a lot since they’re friends, and oh yes, hello raging crush that he can no longer pretend isn’t a thing, because once Kyle acknowledges his attraction? That is it, man, there’s no turning back from that point. And ik that in canon, Jason threw a snitfit and left Kyle and Donna in the middle of their happy fun space adventure fieldtrip, but let’s say he didn’t have a sudden ooc personality turn because of writer mandate, and he stayed with Kyle and Donna until the end of their journey, and they stayed in touch.

And Kyle realizes, to his horror, that Jason is charming, and funny, and not bad on the eyes, and fuuuuck. This isn’t really helping his stupid dumb crush. Stupid dumb crushes. Goddamn.

(Sometimes Jason even joins him in his Space Adventures because of his new team. More specifically, Kori and her shiny new spaceship that can sustain humans in space conditions, and he is not jealous, shut up, Roy.)

(Roy caught on pretty quickly, because he’s much more empathetic and in tune with other peoples emotions than he pretends to be 90% of the time. Unfortunately, he only uses his powers for chaos.)

Ofc, Wally would start getting curious about Jason eventually because suddenly this kid is fucking everywhere? Dick’s calling on him for intel in the middle of a firefight, and he’s ragging on Roy’s atrocious dress sense, and he’s joking with Donna and Kyle’s giving him the same shit that he used to give to Wally, excuse me. Wasn’t he a villain or something? The last time Wally paid attention to him, he was sawing heads off in Gotham, and now Wally can’t seem to turn without tripping over him. When the fuck did that even happen?

(I’m not sure if Wally ever met Robin!Jason. Hm. Were Jason’s guest-appearances on the team during when Wally was pulling one of his stints of... I don’t WANT to be a hero, I want to be a NORMAL BOY who goes to COLLEGE, even though I literally re-created the Flash’s lab accident down to the letter just so I can have his powers and be a hero and save the world? ... ykw, we don’t acknowledge that era of Wally. This was back when he was a meninist incel or something. Ick.)

... and damn, Wally really can trip over him now, huh. Because he sure did grow up big, and strong, and rugged, and haha fuck now Dick is starting to glare at him, too, and not just at Roy, abort, abort.

...... Wally does attempt to subtly ask Roy, later, if there’s any truth to the statements about him and Jason and Kori that Roy says to Dick to get him all riled up. I say “attempt to” because Wally is bad at subtlety. It’s part of why he and Kyle get along so well. Roy realizes what he’s asking and he about has an apoplexy because Wally? Wally? Now there’s a surprise contender he did not expect, tossing his hat into the ring.

But also. Also... hot.

Roy and Kori are watching all of this while munching popcorn like damn, this is better than TV. Because Kyle’s having his crisis, his Love crisis, and Wally’s having his oh my god why do I find my best friend’s little brother hot crisis, and Jason is just happily oblivious to all of this, because he’s too busy angsting over his dad not loving him enough and dismantling trafficking rings and being the big, bad scourge of Gotham to notice Kyle pining after him like a lovelorn puppy, and Wally eyeing him appreciatively like he hasn’t eaten in a whole hour and Jason is a tender piece of marbled steak roasted on both sides to perfection. He does notice the way Kyle and Wally look at each other, though, because he’s only observant when it comes to the positive emotions of other people. And he is not stepping in the middle of that, tyvm, because from what Roy’s told him the two of them have a looooong history and he does not want to get caught in the middle of that crossfire.

Roy and Kori are both like, what makes you think it’s going to get messy, anyway? And Jason, whose real world examples of functioning relationships are 1. Willis and Catherine Todd, 2. Bruce and Selina, 3. Bruce and Talia, 4. Dick and all his exes, 5. Roy and all of his not-exes because he doesn’t date but people keep falling in love with him anyway and he panics and ghosts them because he is Roy William Commitment Issues Harper, 6. Kori and whatever the fuck she’s got going on with Dick and like, an ex? back on Tamaran? who she might still be married to?? what the fuck, 7. Kyle and Donna and their messy breakup(s)(?) (Jason doesn’t ask, because he Does Not Want To Know) (he’s too busy repressing to realize it’s half because of jealousy), is just like, that’s just how things go.

And Roy and Kori, both having mentally run through all of those ^ options while Jason was thinking of a response, are just like. ... yeah, alright, that’s fair enough.

God, every single relationship in DC is a mess.

Where was I even going with this?

Oh, right. Basically, Kyle is pining like a lovelorn idiot, Wally doesn’t know what the fuck he’s feeling and it’s making him confused, and Jason is ignoring his feelings because maybe if he just represses them hard enough, they won’t spill over and punch him in the face. Honestly, I see Wally making the first move, because his inadequacy issues don’t run as deep as Jason and Kyle’s do, and Kyle’s just like :D and Jason’s like, what the fuck. What the fuck? Because it literally blindsides him, even though it’s stupidly, painfully obvious to everyone else around him.

Either that, or Roy gets sick enough of watching their lovelorn pining, and employs Dick’s help to lock them all in a closet, naked, and fuck it out.

(Dick doesn’t actually disapprove of Jason sleeping with his friends, he just needs to get over his mental block of still seeing Jason as a baby)

Anyway. They’re all a whole-ass mess.

#holy shit this got long #also I just realized I didn't follow the scenario you suggested I'm sorry #them being Fucking Dumbasses pushed out the sexy fluff #hoodflash #jaykyle #flashtorch #jaykylewally #I'm just going to start listing three+ pairings alphabetically now #jason todd #kyle rayner #wally west #roy harper #kori #donna troy #ficlets #asks #bless you for this question #you know what I'm about #redtwomuch

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tinalbion · 4 years

Note

Hey! Ive really like your slasher head-canons and their really good! Appreciateyou taking the time to write them, if your still doing them, I have a small request, what about the slashers reaction to a surviver with multiple prosthetics and or missing limbs? Keep up the good work, and remember to take breaks when you need them!

No slashers were chosen so I'll choose 3 and if they aren't what you're looking for, just let me know ♡ And thank you for being SO sweet, you're so lovely 😍 I love doing this for you guys and seeing what situations you can come up with! Now seeing as I am getting the feeling that the survivor aspect of it MAY be from DBD, I am gonna wing this since I don’t write for the DBD universe~

Survivor s/o with Norman Bates, Tiffany Valentine, and Ash Williams!

Norman (missing limbs s/o)

Seeing that you were so positive and outgoing despite the hardships you had obviously been through, it made Norman smile and think that he could even get through his tough times. You were actually someone he looked up to in that aspect.

He is a very kind man and will always offer his help, even though he didn’t want you to think that he was overplaying it because you were missing your arm, you were fully capable of doing things on your own. He just wanted to make your life a little easier. He wonders about how it happened but will never bring it up unless you want to.

When you’re having a particularly off day, he will always sit down with you and listen. It’s the best thing he can offer since it isn’t his place to tell you ‘things will be alright’, but he knows how it can be if you’re unable to vent out your frustrations.

You missing a limb or two would NEVER take away from the fact that you’re beautiful/ handsome and it doesn’t take away from you as a person whatsoever. If anything, it adds some uniqueness to you and brings out such beauty that Norman can’t help but admire you when you’re not looking.

What you had lived through was horrendous enough, but it was Norman’s priority to keep Mother from inflicting harm upon you; you were the one weakness he had. He wouldn’t let her exploit you and scare you off, he worked too hard to make you comfortable here with him.

Tiffany Valentine (prosthetic s/o)

Upon first meeting, Tiff was kinda caught off guard by how charming you were, especially with a prosthetic leg and all, but you were pulling it off so well that she didn’t even believe that it was fake until you pointed it out to her. She found it amusing how well you had accepted your fate of losing your leg, though she picked up on how hesitant you became when she asked how it happened. She dropped the conversation and switched over to something else entirely.

She will happily make half-assed jokes about it if you’re okay with it and you’re on her good side. She loves to tease you, it’s one of the ways she shows affection, you’re just gonna have to suck it up. ‘Wobbles’ or ‘Woody’ is the go-to nickname you have to endure, even if the leg isn’t made out of wood, you’re stuck with it. If you’re having a tough night, she’ll drop the teasing and just call you ‘sweetcheeks’ or ‘dollface’ to make up for it. She does care, she’ll show you just how much.

Knowing that you’re independent enough, you’re fully capable of handling yourself when it comes to your prosthetic, you’ve had it since before you both met, so there would be no point in babying you about it and treating you like a child. That’s a reason why you appreciate her so much because even though she has a motherly side to her, she would never degrade you.

If you’re feeling down and just having a day that you can’t handle it, Tiff will sit you down and allow you to lean on her shoulder. She will give you all the support and advice she can possibly think of, all thanks to her mother’s guidance growing up, and she will be more than happy to pass that all to you. If it doesn’t really sink in as well as she’d hoped, she will gladly take you out on a shopping trip to clear your mind. Anything to spend time with you.

Tiff will actually suggest drawing on your prosthetic just to add some ‘flair’ to it -her words- and she’ll be sure to give you the most badass design possible. Now she’s no professional artist, but she’s going to try just for you, and much to your surprise, she kinda nails it. It’s of a dragon flying through flames with her in the sexiest lingerie riding said dragon. Hell yeah.

Ash Williams (prosthetic s/o)

Another incredibly attractive person also with a prosthetic? Bangin’! He’ll go on with some shit that he lost it in a freak accident that involved a shark, who knows, he derailed the conversation so many times that you lost count. Either way, it was hilarious and he was getting wasted. You decided to fuck around and tell him a crazy story in return, mentioning how you were able to save an entire family in a house fire, but lost your footing when it came to saving the dog. The dog was fine, your hand, not so fine. Ash was impressed, to say the least, and he bought you a couple of drinks for the story.

Ever since having to take his own hand, he had adjusted fairly quickly and became super comfortable with his lack of it, but you were a different story. The ‘accident’ was recent for you, the events still painfully fresh in your mind, but you would accept it sooner or later. But here and now, you couldn’t help but ask how long it took Ash to get used to it. He wanted to give you some bullshit answer to keep up the charm, but seeing just how lost you seemed, he figured he’d be real for a minute and give you some advice.

Hanging out with him was honestly refreshing since it took your mind off of the fact you were missing a part of you, Ash made it feel like it was a normal occurrence that happened to people sometimes. “No point in being ashamed, you still have a lot of sexy to go around,” he’d assure you with a wink. He helped a lot, you never really thought twice about it, especially when you both decided to get together.

Ash sees you as one of the most amazing people he’d ever met and knowing you were like him in a way was quite refreshing for him, too. Slowly but surely, you accepted that you were different and that it wouldn’t change who you were, you just lived through more shit than others. It made you different. It made you great.

Since Ash had his hand made out of rosewood and "hand-carved by Italian artisans", he figured he’d take you out on a date to get you your very own gorgeously carved and crafted prosthetic. When you graciously declined, he said to hell with it and took you along anyway, hoping you’d change your mind. He was always willing to treat you to something unique like this in order to boost your confidence. Cute little thing like you deserved something special.

#tinalbion writings #slashers x reader #slasher requests #slasher headcanons #slasher imagines #Ash Williams #ash williams x reader #ash willaims imagine #ash williams headcanons #tiffany valentine #tiffany valentine x reader #tiffany valentine imagine #tiffany valentine headcanons #norman bates #norman bates x reader #norman bates imagine #norman bates headcanons

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somedayonbroadway · 4 years

Note

wAIT I REALLY WANNA HEAR YOUR OFFICE AU IM VERY CURIOUS LOL

For more Mood Boards and AUs, click here!

Yes!!!!! Fun story, I did this one once, but I didn’t like it at all, so I’m redoing it now and I’m stoked!

The Office AU

Characters

Jack Kelly — Jim Halpert

Katherine Plumber — Pam Beesley

Spot Conlon — Dwight Schrute

Racetrack Higgins — Angela Martin

Albert DaSilva — Andy Bernard

Morris Delancey — Ryan Howard

Henry — Kelly Kapoor

Hannah — Meredith Palmer

Medda Larkin — Phyllis Vance

William Hearst — Stanley Hudson

Oscar Delancey — Oscar Martinez

Darcy — Toby Flenderson

Obadiah Weisel — Creed Bratton

Specs — Darrel Philbin

Crutchie Morris — Erin Hannon

Todd Kloppman— Michael Scott

Okay so…

Jack Kelly

A salesman at a local paper company, a job he originally sees himself as getting out of fairly quickly despite sticking around for ten years.

He’s a talented, but insecure artist, longing to go to school for art and eventually make a living off of his work

Growing up, Jack has two older brothers who are difficult to get along with as they both were jocks and loved to pick on him

Also growing up, Jack had an abusive father and a mother who walked out on him at a very young age.

Upon beginning to work at Dunder Mifflin, Jack finds himself falling for the quiet receptionist

Finding out that said receptionist is and has been engaged, he starts on the hardest waiting period of his life

Jack is the prankster of the office, choosing mostly to blow off his actual work and mess with his desk mate Sean whom he calls “Spot” just to mess with him more

This catches on until the whole office calls Sean “Spot”

Jack often gets bored as he claims that he hates his job and is looking for ways around actually doing it, especially in the beginning

He’s a huge baseball fan, though he admits he wasn’t a huge fan of playing sports even though he was on several teams in high school, as he wanted to be able to match his brothers’ accomplishments.

His sarcasm is a sort of escape from the world around him.

Does not like costumes very much

Everybody loves Jack except for Spot, who is convinced that Jack is his worst nemesis.

It takes Jack a long time to admit his feelings for Katherine, the receptionist he’s fallen in love with, and when he does, he is overall rejected, prompting him to request a job transfer

Eventually moving on, Jack ends up dating one Davey Jacobs from another branch of the company before that branch is closed and he’s moved back

He’d always been scared about being openly bisexual, but he liked Davey

Eventually, he realizes that despite liking Davey, he’s still very much in love with Katherine and breaks up with the other man, asking Katherine out on a date.

Davey eventually becomes his best friend

After asking Katherine out finally, the two end up staying together and getting married

Jack proposes at a gas station in the rain when he eventually goes away to art school for three months

Together, Jack and Katherine have two kids.

They find out they’re pregnant on accident before they are married

He often lives spontaneously, never running anything by anyone and hoping for the best

Eventually becomes one of the most trusted people within the company

Is forever devoted to Katherine

His father dies before his wedding and Jack can’t bring himself to cry and, when faced with going back into his childhood home, finds he can’t do it

Becomes protective of his friends, including his coworkers (especially Crutchie once he begins working there)

Is attacked at one point by Katherine’s ex-fiancé

Is very soft and romantic

Is often teased for being bi, especially by the “traditionalists” in his office who claim he practically has slept with everyone in the office

Brushing things off fairly easily, again using sarcasm and jokes to mask his feelings

Is slightly protective of Henry who is very young and naive and continuously goes back to a relationship that is toxic for him

Finds humor in any situation he can.

Genuinely likes to make people happy and will do a lot to make that happen

Katherine Plumber

Is shy and quiet when she starts working at Dunder Mifflin

Is often referred to as boring and solemn

Is in an endless, slightly abusive relationship that she’s convinced is meant to be for eight years, ever since high school.

Grows up as an only child with well off “normal” parents who end up divorcing each other when she and Jack are engaged

Is the “hottie” of the office and is one of the few women who work there, the youngest actually

Jack often has to subtly get people to stop harassing her

She enjoys writing and even has her own blog and publishes her own journals online. Jack reads every single one of them

Is very close with her mother and has a strained relationship with her father who does not like Jack and likes her previous fiancé better

Katherine is very meek and shy towards the beginning of her career, but often gravitated towards Jack because he brought out the humorous, adventurous side of her

Had been dating the same man since her freshman year of high school, despite him bringing his brother on their first date and abandoning her at a basketball game having forgotten about her.

Despite being engaged for three years, she often jokes that there’s no end in sight

Tries to convince herself that Jack is like her brother in the beginning to deny her own feelings for him

Jack teaches her how to fight, telling her that she’s a woman who often walks alone in New York City and she needs to have some training on her side

She comes from a rich family who she denies funds from in an attempt to be independent.

After Jack admits his feelings for her, she lets him kiss her, resulting in her calling off her wedding without explanation

Losing touch with Jack for a long few months, Katherine finds herself wanting to be more assertive, saying what she wants and making sure she gets it

Realizing she’s in love with Jack after seeing and accidentally picking up a call from him over the months he was gone, she embarks on a waiting period similar to Jack’s as Jack is in a relationship with Davey and she fears it will never end

Davey and her actually end up becoming pretty good friends, and after Jack and Davey break up, he becomes a sort of confidant and best friend to the both of them. After a while, obviously. David’s not too happy with Kath after Jack breaks up with him

During Jack’s relationship with David, Katherine ends up going back to her ex, lasting for a while before she wants to be honest with him.

She tells him about Jack’s kiss resulting in him having a hissy fit and starting a bar fight and later attacking Jack at their workplace.

Jack and Katherine start to grow closer again after this

Once they start dating, Katherine starts to break through her shell

When Jack goes away to art school she’s disappointed he didn’t propose to her but ends up accepting his proposal when meeting him halfway

She finds out she’s pregnant after twisting her ankle playing volleyball, which she’s rather good at, at a company picnic before the wedding

Jack and her run away from their own wedding when things go wrong and get married on a boat before having the wedding they planned

While going into labor, Katherine admits she’s terrified and sees herself as unfit to be a mother before Jack promises her that they’re in this together

She has two children with Jack

Her and Race have a strained relationship despite the fact that they both constantly try to be friends

While she often helps Jack on his pranks with Spot, she is kind to Spot and is one of the only people who knows about his secret relationship from the start

When Jack starts a business that takes off in Santa Fe, she and him begin to fight but eventually get over their single rough patch and end up drawing closer together

She stands up for herself and her family above all else

Spot Conlon

Is a born and raised traditionalist according to everyone else

Lives on a beat farm

Believes that there are strict rules for men and women that should be followed as he’s basically been brainwashed since he was born

Is in an on again off again relationship with a man, which he is at first ashamed of, as men were not supposed to sleep with other men

Is a purple belt in karate

Is the highest ranking salesman at Dunder Mifflin

Believes his biggest nemesis to be Jack who is constantly trying to prank him in various ways, ranging from simple and childish to well thought out and expertly orchestrated

Main goal in life is to become the manager at Dunder Mifflin despite being loyal to the current manager who’s not quite as big an idiot as Michael Scott is

Is named Assistant Regional Manager but if often referred to as Assistant to the Regional Manager

Volunteer Sheriff’s deputy for a while

Wants to be the leader of his workplace but would also do what needs to be done in order to protect his coworkers at any cost (ex: saving Jack from getting beaten to a pulp by Kath’s ex)

Is an expert paintball player

Falls in love with the head of accounting (his on again off again relationship) and is actually able to make his partner happy

Had a somewhat abusive and distant father and basically raised himself and his younger cousin Vince

Spot enjoys having control over things, making life a bit harder for the people around him as he enjoys acting as somewhat of a vigilante.

Is in a relationship with the head of accounting, Race, until he murders Race’s cat and is dumped, sending him spiraling into depression

Upon this break, Race starts dating and gets engaged to Albert DaSilva, a salesman who came back with Jack

Towards the end of that engagement, Spot wins Race back in the event of having an affair before both Spot and Albert have enough and walk away

Eventually Spot ends up in a relationship with a friend of Katherine’s named Riddle (@bexlynne’s amazing OC)

Moves from this relationship back to Race after a while and then back again until eventually realizing that Race is the only one for him and running Race off the road to propose to him.

Regards Katherine as his best friend despite her marrying his worst enemy

He loves Katherine’s kids who grow up calling him “uncle Spot” against Jack’s wishes

Learns sign language for his boyfriend

Knows German as he mostly spoke German growing up

Is fairly closed off

Will do anything to protect the people he cares about

Racetrack Higgins

The head of accounting at Dunder Mifflin

Raised in a very religious home for most of his life before being moved around in different foster homes, most of which were bad

Is mostly deaf with one hearing aid that allows him to work normally even though he often shuts the thing off to actually concentrate

Learns sign language from a teacher at his school who wants him to be able to actually communicate in a proper way that he can easily understand.

Is often cold towards people who talk down to him or talk slower so he can try to read their lips

Owns several cats

Head of the party planning committee

Craves validation

Is perceived as homophobic before his romance with Spot Conlon is found out by Katherine

Has a strained relationship with Katherine who he constantly tries to be friends with when he’s in a good mood.

Bottles up his emotions as best he can out of force of habit

Hates people who put their relationships on display as he views it as indecent

Is unapologetic

Is in an on again off again relationship with Spot Conlon who often calls him “Monkey”

After this relationship officially ends for the first time, he is asked out by Albert DaSilva

Accepting this, he finds he’s easily annoyed by Albert but likes how sweet the man can be when he tries

Eventually Race begrudgingly accepts a proposal from him, one that spoils Jack and Kath’s original plan for a proposal

Has an affair with Spot towards the end of the engagement, leaving Spot and Al to fight over him in an old fashioned duel

Jack finds Race crying in the bathroom and looks up the signs to promise he won’t tell anyone

Race connects with the receptionist that takes over for Katherine, as Crutchie also grew up in the foster system, but has a much more positive outlook on life

Race tries to protect him, much like the rest of the office

Later, after Spot’s next relationship, they end up sleeping together again only for Spot to move on eventually

Race is later hit on by a politician who eventually asks for his hand in marriage.

Race agrees, only to later find out that the man was in love with someone else and eventually get dumped and kicked out.

Oscar, whom Race has never truly gotten along with, offers to put Race up while he gets back on his feet, resulting in Race admitting to him that he’s still in love with Spot

When Spot runs him off the road to propose to him, he gets down on one knee and signs to him, making Race cry

Race and Spot adopt a son together and live on Spot’s farm

At the wedding, Jack is Spot’s best man, Katherine is Race’s

Oscar is named their son’s godfather

Race has a really hard life that he refuses to open up about, but he turns out alright in the end

If you’d like to hear about more characters or see any scenes, just let me know!

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immortalled · 3 years

Note

Nova & Nathan for the ultimate ship meme pls 🥺

send 2 names for the ult. ship meme! || x || selectively accepting

General:

How long will they last? - This question always makes me afraid because it’s Nathan, and there are a million and three ways Nathan can irreparably screw up a relationship. However, I like to think that these two could last a few years at least, if not eventually get married. Whether or not their marriage would last... I don’t know. Nathan’s relationship with marriage isn’t good and I worry.

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - I’m not sure about Nova, but Nathan fell in love with her the second he realized she gave a crap about him and wasn’t just being nice to him for sex. He liked her before then, of course, he thought her shy innocence was cute.

How was their first kiss? - Have we talked about their first kiss? I can’t remember. But Nathan probably instigated it, and it was probably while awkwardly trying to work up to sex. Soft, but sloppy. Not awful, but not spectacular either.

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Nathan. Absolutely. Probably very casually and maybe posed as a possible joke so that if she said “no” he could back out without looking too much like an idiot. It was not very romantic. I do like the idea of him proposing with a literal onion ring, though.

Who is the best man/men? - You know, I could say “Simon”, but actually I think Nathan would just want to elope and not have a formal wedding. He’s not against it, but like... it just makes sense for him to question why they have to be so formal about it. (And LBR he doesn’t have many friends so it’s not like he’d have many people to invite anyway.)

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - That’d be up to Nova. I imagine Jenna could be one, and I’m sure Kelly and Alisha could be convinced if asked. But, again, I think Nathan would push for just getting married straight away if they’re going to get married.

Who did the most planning? - Nova.

Who stressed the most? - Probably Nova. Nathan would stress more if they didn’t have a speedy, let’s-get-married-immediately-after-proposing wedding because he’d have too much time to think about it.

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Nathan wouldn’t want to invite Mike or Jeremy tbh but... IDK he’d probably send Mike an invitation anyway to rub this one highlight of success in his face, and then he’d just let Jeremy come since he’d certainly invite Louise.

Sex:

Who is on top? - Nova. Nathan doesn’t mind though. He enjoys the view.

Who is the one to instigate things? - Most often Nathan.

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 (it’s only not higher because Nova isn’t always as in the mood as Nathan is; if Nathan had his way, they’d have sex every day) | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3?? (IDK how kinky Nova is... Nathan is certainly willing to try most anything, though) | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? - LOL we both know Nathan has some issues when it comes to stamina so how long he lasts varies. I think they’d both reach orgasm fairly quickly, though, since Nova’s power makes her hypersensitive.

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - I think they would try. If Nathan doesn’t manage to make Nova cum, he’ll try to make sure she does at least once, even if he’s already finished.

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 (it probably would be rougher if Nathan was leading, but with Nova, I feel like she’s pretty gentle?) | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory. (This is 100000% Nathan’s fault. He’s a cuddle monster.)

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - Two

How many children will they adopt? - One? But not if they’ve already had two children. Nathan would be worried about two kids, three would be too many in his opinion.

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - I dunno why, but I love the idea of Nathan getting stuck on changing duty most often.

Who is the stricter parent? - Nova.

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - N o v a.

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - I like to think they take turns. For as many failings as Nathan might have as a father, I think he’d be surprisingly good at remembering stuff for his kids. Probably some overcompensation for Mike.

Who is the more loved parent? - Loved equally. Nova is the one they go to for advice, Nathan is the one they go to when they want something.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - Both

Who cried the most at graduation? - Both, but... Nathan is more obvious and has the ugliest cry face.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Nova. She’s probably bailing out the children and Nathan.

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - Nathan, by a hair, and only because he can make super simple dishes like macaroni or eggs without burning the house down. Most often they do takeout.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Nova? Her powers intensify flavors and I imagine some things that she used to like pre-Storm are just too strong now.

Who does the grocery shopping? - They take turns or go together.

How often do they bake desserts? - Rarely to never. They’re both terrible.

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Despite most people thinking that Nathan is the sort to hate veggies, he actually doesn’t mind (most) of them. I think they probably would eat more salad in general, though, since it’s cheaper than meat.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Hm! Nathan?

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Both.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Nathan, but only by a very, very thin margin. He’s just chaotic and clumsy enough to make him more likely to catch something on fire.

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Both.

Who is really against chores? - Neither, Nathan likes a clean space, he’s just lazy and might grumble a little about it.

Who cleans up after the pets? - Nathan. Picking up after Fido is gross, but it’s more gross when you have a superhuman sense of smell.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Nathan.

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Nova. Nathan would only stresses if Mike or Louise visited.

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Nathan.

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Hmm... Nova.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - Nathan probably enjoys it most.

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - They decorate for Halloween and Christmas every year. Nathan really only does so because Nova enjoys it, and, at Christmas, it gives him the excuse to hang mistletoe in every doorway.

What are their goals for the relationship? - Just... survive and be happy, I guess? Not screw it up? Love each other for as long as they can love each other? I don’t know about Nova, but Nathan wouldn’t think about long-term goals in a relationship. “Get her to like me” and “have sex for the first time” are about as deep as his goals run when he’s with someone lol

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Nathan.

Who plays the most pranks? - Nathan.

#idcnticxl #community blowback! [meme responses];#i like being the pizza [nathan & nova];

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beantown-boy · 4 years

Text

Punch Bowl ||An Andi Mack Fic|| (CW Homophobia)

Quick Shoutout to @abg-blah and @luzawithoutu for providing me with motivation, and to @dumb-binch-juice for providing me with inspiration

"Cyrus, please DON'T wear a tux to homecoming."

“Please, wear a tux,” TJ countered, giving Buffy a pointed look before turning to his boyfriend with a smile. Cyrus looked amazing. It was like the universe had decided that Cyrus should be able to look both handsome and comfortable in formalwear. He wasn’t so lucky. The shoulders of his suit jacket were awkwardly tight, and he was pretty sure that his socks hadn’t shown this much when he wore this last Homecoming.

“It’s too formal,” Buffy pleaded. “I’d go with the blue suit. Why stray from a classic? Plus, you just had it tailored. It would be a shame for that to go to waste.”

“But the tux makes a statement.”

“Yeah it does. ‘I’m too good for normal dress clothes’”

“Which you are. Don't let her undermine your confidence.”

Cyrus drew his hands up dramatically, cutting them off mid-argument.

“Dearest and most beloved advisors, I have come to my conclusion. Before I state it, I must say, I love you both in equal, though different measures. That being said, Buffy is right. It’s just a little too much. Don’t worry, Teej, I’ll rock the tux for next year’s prom.”

He jumped onto the bed, and quickly kissed TJ on the cheek before walking back into his closet.

“Gross,” Buffy teased.

As the closet door clicked shut, a series of sharp knocks came from the door to Cyrus’ room, followed by Marty’s muffled voice. “Hey, guys? Are you done in there? Jonah and Lenni are here, and they’re starting to think that Buffy killed TJ. Which you didn’t, right?”

Buffy smirked and gave TJ a playful shove before going to open the door.

“Not yet. I could never do that to Cyrus.”

“More like you couldn’t do it, period, Driscoll.” TJ shot back.

“Can you guys please make it through one night without bickering?”

“No.” They replied in unison before bursting into laughter.

Being friends with Buffy was great, but ever since she and Marty had started the whole 'being straightforward' thing she'd needed someone else for verbal sparring. And joking with her kept TJ on his toes. It was nice to know that he still had his sharp tongue, even if he rarely used it. Marty and Jonah were fun, but sometimes a bit witless. Buffy was anything but.

The pre-Homecoming dinner at the Goodmans' was just as good as the year before, if not better. Cyrus' dad always went all out when his son had friends over. And even if the meal still devolved into Jonah and Lenni heating up hot pockets and seeing who could eat the most of them without burning themselves, TJ was happy to spend the time surrounded by his friends and his boyfriend.

By the time the group split up between TJ and Buffy's cars, TJ was already getting snaps of the dance from Chet and William. He put his phone down as Cyrus and Jonah climbed into the backseat, leaving him alone up front. He stared at the two of them, as the awkwardness seeped in.

"So no one wants shotgun, huh?" TJ deadpanned.

"I mean, I was going to," Jonah explained, "but then I thought Cyrus might want to, and then-"

"I just know that the passenger seat is the least safe one in the car." Cyrus stated. "And I do trust your driving skills, but I don't necessarily trust everyone else on the road."

"Oh, so if I die, I'm dying alone, gotcha. Since that's cleared up, Jonah, do you wanna ride shotgun."

"Risk of death, let's goooo!" Jonah shouted, climbing over the passenger seat.

"See," TJ said as he pulled into the Grant High parking lot, "no fatal accidents."

“Told you I trusted you.” Cyrus

The dance was already in full swing as they entered the overcrowded gymnasium. A swarm of students surrounded the DJ booth, while others milled about between the snacks and the neatly decorated tables.

“Isn’t this amazing?”

Cyrus sighed as he took it all in. He and the other class reps had worked really hard to make sure that the dance went flawlessly, and judging by the look on his boyfriend’s face, TJ believed they’d succeeded. The junior class rep, Avery, TJ thought, waved Cyrus over towards the punch bowl. Cyrus looked cautiously between her and his friends.

“Can I just -”

“It’s fine.” Buffy interrupted. “Go talk to her, grab some punch and then meet us on the dancefloor.”

Buffy, as it turned out was a very good dancer. TJ didn't think he was abysmal himself, but he certainly wouldn't have managed half as well if she hadn't been by his side. They slid this way to that beat, as they ran into Jonah again. They made a turn at that moment because it seemed to fit just right, and Buffy broke off from him to join Marty. TJ spun into the guys from the team before Lenni pulled him back towards the others. The energy between the five of them was electrifying. TJ wasn’t sure how much time had passed before they settled with just bouncing in the crowd of Grant High students.

“Okay, Buffy,” Lenni huffed, “we get it. You’re tireless. But some of us would rather just watch someone else dance for a change. In your car you were talking about the Cyrus Shuffle. What even is that?”

Buffy’s laugh was almost drowned out by the sound of the crowd.

“It’s whatever dance moves Cyrus throws together whenever he says he’s gonna do the Cyrus Shuffle.”

TJ picked up after her.

“Each one is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You have to see it. He should be back any second now, unless-” He turned back to Buffy, who was already giving him her ‘I know exactly what’s happening’ smile. They had left Cyrus with Avery, another huge nerd. They’d almost definitely started seventeen different tangent conversations, and if no one interrupted them the class reps would probably spend the whole dance talking about chemistry or exam prep. One of them would have to get Cyrus.

“You’re his boyfriend,” Buffy said quickly. “You go get him.”

“You just want to kiss Marty while I’m not around to make fun of you.”

TJ didn’t catch her reply as he turned and tried to make his way through the crowd. Now that he was trying to get out, he realized that making people move was so much harder than he remembered it being. Even last year, people still had given him a bit of precautionary space, and sure, it had stung, but it had also been useful. He pushed the thought out of his mind as he slid between flying elbows. He was nice now. He had been for two years. It made sense that people would feel at least comfortable around him. And if that feeling came with feeling small and cramped sometimes, so be it.

Finally, he made it out of the crush of bodies. Relief crashed over him with a wave of cooler air, but the jostling of the crowd still left him a bit on edge. TJ took a moment to get his bearings before heading towards the punch bowl. He spotted Cyrus’ familiar blue suit from across the room, and immediately he felt more relaxed. It took him another moment to realize that something was wrong.

Avery was nowhere in sight, and Cyrus was shifting from foot to foot like he was ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. He was talking to someone who TJ couldn’t quite make out in the dim gymnasium light. TJ nearly sprinted past the tables to get to Cyrus. And as he got close, he recognized Ethan practically towering over his boyfriend. He felt himself go cold, hot, then cold again as he stalked toward the senior.

TJ was sick of him. Ethan had been a jerk to Cyrus before. He’d done horrible things to Chet’s sister Charlotte. Cyrus had tried reporting the guy last year, but despite the school’s zero tolerance policy for bullying, Ethan was still around. And now he was screwing with Cyrus again. TJ interrupted whatever insulting comment Ethan was making as he made it to the punch bowl.

“Don’t you have anywhere else to be? Or did your soccer buddies’ house party get busted?”

That was nice enough. He hadn’t outright insulted Ethan, which was good. Civility wasn’t his strong suit.

“I was just swinging by to my last ever HoCo,” Ethan replied. He flashed a toothy sneer that made TJ’s skin crawl. “And then I saw your little boyfriend here, and I couldn’t help but share a little senior wisdom.”

“Can we just go?” Cyrus suggested before freezing again when Ethan turned his attention back to him.

“No.” The way Ethan spoke made it seem more like a fact than anything else. Cyrus shrank back even further, and TJ tasted metal in his mouth.

“Ethan’s right,” TJ said. He felt like he wasn’t the one speaking. His voice was surprisingly level, even as his nails began to dig into his palms and a painful heat began to spread from the pit of his stomach. Whatever force was carrying him continued. “I’d personally love to hear what an idiot calls wisdom.”

“It’s easy, kids. Homecoming is for normal people. And that’s not you guys. I don’t care if you do the whole gay thing. But not at my homecoming. So get lost,” He shoved Cyrus towards the door, and muttered something under his breath that made Cyrus wince. Adrenaline and panic spiked in a moment of white-hot fury and-

“TJ, are you okay!”

Cyrus’ voice connected through the haze, and TJ felt himself slowly becoming a person again. He tasted blood in his mouth, and his face was still burning with wildfire. He realized he was on his back. His head hurt. His chest hurt. His hands hurt worst of all. He looked to find blood on his knuckles and under his fingernails. Then, he saw Cyrus standing worriedly above him, right next to Principal Donaghue, whose face was set in an unforgiving line.

“Mr. Kippen, I must ask you to leave the premises immediately. We will be discussing disciplinary actions Monday.”

The next few moments still felt like a dream. Cyrus was still looking at him with that concern, or maybe it was fear, as Buffy seemed to materialize to help him to his feet. The next thing he knew he was lying on his back, on the football field, in the chilly October night. Buffy was resting on his left, either unaware or uncaring of the grass stains on her dress. Cyrus was sitting on his right, more contemplative than concerned.

“I’m sorry.” TJ offered, eyes fixed on the night sky.

“Well,” Cyrus supplied tentatively, “This isn’t my first run in with school administration. I just haven’t been kicked out of a dance before.”

“I’m so sorry,” TJ repeated, thinking back to the look of shock on Ethan’s face when he leapt forward to punch the senior.

“I never meant to actually-- It was just so-- And he was-- I’m sorry. For ruining our night.”

Buffy laughed, and a plume of fog erupted with it.

"Congratulations, Blood-Nose, you are officially the loose cannon of Grant High's sophomore class, again." She paused, weighing her words, before continuing. “Besides, that Ethan guy had it coming. I’m actually a little bit jealous I missed the action. He’s one of those very punchable people. Right, Cyrus?”

Cyrus’s breath steamed in the silence. A moment passed, then another, and TJ’s heart clenched as Cyrus finally spoke.

"You are a great guy, TJ, and I know that. And I should’ve spoken up more to stop that from happening. But you’re still you. You’re headstrong and brave, and remarkably kind. But, sometimes, you remind people why they used to fear you. And that’s not a bad thing, as long as they know they don’t have to anymore. I know I don’t. I just love you. So, I will see you either after detention, or at your house if you get suspended. But tonight-"

Cyrus kissed him, and TJ was still scared. He was scared about what repercussions would come on Monday. He was scared about telling his parents what had happened that night. He was scared about all the rumors that were probably already spreading through the sophomore class. But for once, he wasn’t scared of himself. And for ten seconds he let himself enjoy that. Until Buffy said, “Gross,” and the three of them collapsed in crazy stressed laughter.

#andi mack #andi mack fic #andi mack fanfic #tyrus #tj kippen #cyrus goodman #buffy driscoll #jonah beck #platonic tuffy

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surejo · 4 years

Text

( victoria pedretti, cis woman ) hey ! have you seen JOSEPHINE “JO” CORMAC around ? SHE works at the HOT COCOA STAND at big bear resort, but they must be off their shift by now. well, if you do see them can you let me know ? they’re 24 years old & they’ve been working here for TWO YEARS. they tend to be +OPTIMISTIC & +EMPATHETIC, but can also be -IMPRACTICAL & -PASSIVE. the other employees have labeled them THE IDEALIST. thanks a lot ! ( the few nights the stars can be seen, books worn down by dog-ears and marks left throughout the years, the first crisp breeze of autumn, the duality… of t.s. eliot )

OK. a few notes before i get started:

1) i hope everyone loves how i literally j copied my ivan stuff. url format? ‘sure jan’ lives on. theme? too lazy to find a different one that’s easy to work with. luv that for me. 2) speaking of this theme i forget if i addressed this on ivan’s blog but tabbed bullets don’t appear tabbed.... so if anything seems like it doesn’t make total sense.... it is supposed to be tabbed™. 3) get ready for drama!!!!! you may ask yourself “but the app looks so tame! there will be no drama!” but you are wrong........ because she loves cats. the t.s. eliot book......... the musical........ even the movie.

ok jo,, is also a resurrected character,,, hence how i already kno,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, that she loves cats. anyway ! let’s begin ! (listen,,,, the intro format will at least be a little different from ivan’s ok im evolving)

QUICK FACTS:

full name: josephine “jo” rose cormac

date of birth: march 6, 1995

*does not perfectly reflect the below big three zodiac chart because that’s too much math

zodiac big three: pisces sun, gemini moon, cancer rising

gender & pronouns: cis woman & she/her

sexual orientation: bisexual ( preference for women bc we luv that for her but we also luv leaving things open to chemistry )

education: bachelor in english - literature that she is doing nothing with

enneagram: 2w1

mbti: infp

various inspirations: eleanor crain ( the haunting of hill house ), dolores price *as a child and towards the end of the book ( she’s come undone ), fox 8 ( fox 8: a story ), “why try to change me now?” - fiona apple (cover), “be still” - the killers

BACKGROUND INFO:

triggers: verbal/mental/emotional abuse/gaslighting, very slight implication of spousal abuse, brief mention of car accident/death & drowning

( ivan and jo’s breakout pop-punk single: “fuck happy backstories!” stream it on spotify ! )

jo......... was born into the wrong family, let’s get that out of the way.

it was pretty clear she was a ploy to save the marriage of her parents ( who have names: lucy and benjamin, luv that for them ). it didn’t seem like they’d ever picked up a parenting book, gone to a parenting class, rly prepped for being a parent at all...... in their entire lives.

that being said, her mom was actually decent at parenting. her major flaw, though? ok, so you know how kids usually have that one bedtime story that they love and want it to be read to them over and over? well lucy complied ! but y’all wanna know what that book was ?

t.s. eliot’s “old possum’s book of practical cats” whfeiuldjkn

anyway ! when jo was seven, after many failed attempts and simple threats, her mom was finally divorcing benjamin for realz. due to his volatile nature, it was becoming very clear that she was the more fit parent and she almost got sole custody ( the only reason benjamin was motivated for it in the first place was the power so?? )! how exciting!

but the keyword is ‘almost’!

alexa, play ‘my heart will go on’ but the off-tune flute version

just as the proceedings were going through, jo’s mother was hit by a drunk driver on new year’s eve. the car skidded onto some ice, minimal damage done... then the ice broke.

jo and benjamin both devolved after that. jo withdrew more into herself and pretty much coped by..... just reading old possum’s a LOT (hate that for her). all mopey, benjamin became much less outwardly violent. the keyword is ‘outwardly.’

ya, instead of j bein like “i will just chill” he was like “i will just make my rage more subtle because in this house, we love intimidation, manipulation, hostility, the blame game, and gaslighting! uwu” managed to convince jo that her mother’s death was somehow her fault, that he was the only person she could trust, that she will never be able to live without someone else, etc., etc.

a few years in and a cycle of many impromptu sleepovers began. luv that for her. hate that for her, but luv that for her.

there is a lot i cld talk abt here, but it all seems like it cld j be tl;dr’d as: “basically became the surrogate daughter of a bunch of other people”

as for things that r not tragique™, jo was v much a drifter when it came to friends. managed to make a fair amount bc she does not seem like she will put a tadpole in ur hand like ivan. also j a people-pleaser but that’s starting to get into her personality which is another section.

did go to college. luv that for her. has NO CLUE what she’s going to do with her degree, but she can make some really sick niche william faulkner jokes.

began seasonally working at big bear during the winter break of her last year in college because bitch needed some money!! wound up loving it and was like “i think,,,, i will continue to do this,,,, the people here,,,, r cul,,,,”

still visits benjamin every once in a while. not a way to say that uwu you should forgive ur abusive parent(s) uwu rather that jo.... still has slight belief in him. just to end on something emo.

THE REST IS HISTORY!!!!

TL;DR:

started life out as a saddie, not a baddie. still not a baddie, but no longer as much of a saddie. loves “cats” and there is no irony to that statement. can make good niche literary jokes, but that’s about it.

PERSONALITY/MISCELLANEOUS INFO:

a child. a literal child. a child to the point that she should have supervision when she goes on grocery trips because she falls for marketing ploys so easily. can’t believe she hasn’t fallen into a pyramid scheme yet.

an absolute dumbass. again, can make some great niche william faulkner jokes, but ask her the order of the planets? “...well mars is somewhere in there.”

unironically LOVES cats - both the musical and movie. thinks jennifer hudson’s grizabella is the best. will start sharing random facts about it or old possum’s book of practical cats if she runs out of things to talk about but feels pressured to keep talking. was broken when she first read a different t.s. eliot poem and realized he was actually super dark. the only thing that got her through it was a comparison to batman :\ bruce wayne is old possum’s, batman is everything else.

to take a brief break from fun personality facts, v down on herself bc benjamin’s words rly!! stuck with her!! convinced she is an absolute idiot and does not trust her own memory. v indecisive bc of this and always longs for someone to help her figure things out. tries to distance herself from memories of her mother because, again, benjamin got to her. her love of cats doesn’t help that, but... can you believe that’s her coping mechanism? makes up for it by giving all of her love 2 everyone else!! we love tragedy!! and needing to go to therapy!!

secretly knows her love of cats is weird and dumb. a part of her knows why it’s considered one of the worst musicals ever. but LISTEN. we luv rly weird coping mechanisms!

big dreamer. will develop the most impractical goals. she usually knows they are impractical, but still..... uwu

has decided everyone is good until proven bad! except for,,,, like,,, murderers and rapists,,,,

is #StraightEdge for the most part,,,, literally has a drink maybe three times per year

says “like” a whole lot for someone who majored in english with a concentration in literature and should therefore be more eloquent.

i am not great at these sections!! feel free 2 j refer to her zodiac, personality tests, and character influences!!

literally fox 8. i put the others there bc she’s similar but wow,,,, if u read fox 8 (it’s a short story i recommend it i luv george saunders u can find a pdf online),,,, she is fox 8.

here u go here is a sample that doesnt need context: "Fox 4 woslike: No ofense, Fox 8? Your ideas are not super praktikal. Dreem, dreem, dreem, said Fox 11. Fox 41 woslike: Fox 8, does this honestly never get old for you?"

OH ALSO. she has a slet. a cat,,,,, named asparagus,,,, whom she calls “gus”,,,,, and y’all know WHY.

recent development: has downloaded tor so she can get on the dark web. why? because she thinks there will be more funny animal videos on there. is shockingly good at navigating it.

CONNECTION IDEAS:

close friends bc we luv that –– roman (nuanced), aylie (nuanced), hazel (nuanced), cleo (nuanced), vic (nuanced), marco (nuanced)

childhood friends whom she possibly had impromptu sleepovers with bc that is v soft and,,,,, y’all i left the city blank for a reason. –– hazel, marco,

on that note, the person who was like “wait,,,,,,, u know that book was turned into a musical right,,,,,, like,,,,, a musical literally everyone knows” and shook jo’s world

good influence / bad influence –– cleo, vic,

~*confidant*~

roommate

exes –– ian,

reciprocated pining

unreciprocated pining

someone..... who has accepted..... that she likes cats.... in a way that is not ironic. will see the movie with her. –– aylie,

an enemy,,,,,, aka this person was like “cats is literally the worst thing in the entire world” and now they r on jo’s very short hit list –– riley

idk!!! im also obvs up for brainstorming!!! luv that!!!

** descriptive connections page is here ( only people who i’m messaging are on it, but i ?? would love to plot w everyone ?? so don’t make the short list make u think i’m trying 2 limit it 2 these ppl auhfoeidla )

LIKE THIS OR HMU TO PLOT !

#bigbearintro #y'all my intro style evolved!#there's a tl;dr beneath the bg info bc i!! rambled!!#i feel like i went back and forth b/t proper grammar/punctuation and.... not.... caring.#also i am. dumb 2night. it j took me a hot while to figure out how to spell punctuation and it still doesnt look right the english language #is so weird????#we post this before we have many followers we die like men.

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rpdwong · 5 years

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[LET’S TALK RE2MAKE] Claire, Sherry (+ Leon) and Found Families

The Found Family trope is probably one of my favourite fictional tropes. Give me those relationships where a group of characters with nothing in common find each other and they become “home” and support each other, no matter what. It’s a powerful message: you choose your family. If you’re lucky, you might have a nice biological family that loves you. But that’s not always the case, and people should bond over something more than their blood ties. I think Claire and Sherry’s (and Leon to some extent) story in RE2 rings very true to this trope, and I was looking forward to watching how it developed in the RE2make.

Once again, I was happily surprised—to the point where I was almost teary eyed at certain scenes. I love Resident Evil with all my heart, and I cry at literally everything, but RE doesn’t usually have dramatic tension or sadness that hits that hard. But Claire’s scenario in RE2make did manage to get me and man, Claire and Sherry deserve a hug, a shower, all the puppies and parrots.

Sherry’s strangled relationship with her parents was explored in the original game. But, as I mentioned in my previous Let’s Talk RE2make about Ada and Leon, the game had its shortcomings when it comes to storytelling, simply because it’s a product of its time. I know RE2make is probably not most narrative driven game (we have BioWare games and, even though I haven’t played all of their games, I know Naughty Dog is praised for this) and it could do better, but when it comes to Resident Evil it IS a huge improvement—and this shows with Sherry’s character as well as Annette.

You see the strained relationship between mother and daughter in their brief encounters, you can also see that the Birkins were REALLY shitty parents, but Annette did care about her daughter—though that doesn’t really excuse her behaviour, but people are complicated and this is how it is.

So we have this poor little girl with huge abandonment issues, running around a police station looking for her mom, though she knows Annette doesn’t always have time for her (you might think NOW she should). But she is scared, she’s been chased by a monster (and as far as I remember, I think she’s aware the monster is William, right?? I really need to replay all scenarios, just writing all this from memory), alone and defenseless…

And then she meets Claire.

I think it’s important to highlight that Claire is also very young here, just 19 years old. A BABY AS WELL. We know she’s capable of looking out for herself, but it’s still a terrible situation, she might even be still worrying about Chris’ whereabouts here (depending on which scenario you play). But Claire, despite having no obligation to take care of Sherry, looks after her and decides to help her find her mom/escape.

Claire even takes it upon herself to save her from Irons. Again, Claire could just have walked out once she makes it out of the station—but she doesn’t. So, for once, there is somebody there for Sherry. Someone she can rely upon and trust, who makes her feel protected, as any child should (especially in a situation like this).

When Claire rescues Sherry from the dumpster, after she’s been infected, Sherry asks her why Claire is doing all this. Claire answers: “Because I care.” Then I start crying, because this is so beautiful. It’s not that Annette doesn’t care, we know she does in some way—but she’s still terrible with Sherry (that conversation they have over the CCTV makes me want to punch Annette so, so badly) when the girl needs her the most, needs that reassurance that “hey, everything’s going to be fine”.

Claire is the one who gives her that, who genuinely cares about her and shows it. It’s great that Claire also calls out Annette on her shitty behavior a few times (when she finds Sherry and later on before fighting G 3). When they’re on the cable car, Claire wants to give her the pendant back. Sherry rejects it, because it was a gift given by her mother, when all she wanted was for her to be home and spend time with her. It’s a sort of memento of everything that’s wrong between mother and daughter, in some way. Doesn’t help that, later on, we find out the pendant is the key to get the vaccine. We could say this is Annette’s saving her daughter in some way, but I also think it’s just another link to Annette and William’s job, which was the problem in the first place.

In the end, the bond Sherry and Claire develop is that of a newfound family. Thankfully, for the first time, Capcom has given us confirmation on what the hell happened to Chris and Claire’s parents, and we know they died in a car accident. So she only had her brother as family, which is why Chris is so important to her. The reason she travelled to Raccoon City because she hadn’t heard about him in a whole month. Maybe she even knew about the mansion incident, so she was getting worried something might’ve happened (though I don’t think Chris would tell her much, just to protect her).

But the thing here is that Sherry doesn’t even have a Chris. She has nobody, she’s alone. Claire can relate to being parentless, that’s why she bonds with Sherry (as she tells her to comfort her at the beginning). But, just as she had Chris, Sherry deserves that one person she can trust and rely upon—and that’s her now. They become family during this terrible experience, because Claire moved heaven and hell to save Sherry when no one else did. She was there for her when it mattered, unlike her parents (disclaimer: even though I really like Annette’s evolution in this game and she’s a good character, you can see I hold a grudge against her— it made me so angry how she treated Sherry!).

Now, I mentioned Leon in regards to the Found Family trope, because I think he more or less is a part of it. Leon, Claire, Sherry and Ada are all the “original” Raccoon City survivors (we have Jill afterwards, but since her story is completely isolated from RE2 and in a different game, I don’t think it counts for this). Ada’s a complicated case because of her role in the story and she only makes contact with Leon (except for that tiny moment in the original, where she retrieves Sherry’s pendant) and she doesn’t actually escape with them.

But Leon and Claire are our heroes, they make it out alive of Raccoon City and they help Sherry in the process. Even though in the RE2make Leon and Claire interact way less than in the original, and Leon doesn’t even meet Sherry until the very end, I think that last scene still resonates in the audience as a family moment, in which Leon is included.

In the original it’s all fun and games, until Leon says the “It’s up to us to take out Umbrella” or Claire says “I have to find my brother”. They have made it all more light hearted and fun in the RE2make, which I also think is much more realistic than just HEY WE HAVE TO BRING UMBRELLA DOWN or Claire immediately leaving, as RE3’s epilogue implied. After all she’s done for Sherry, she wouldn’t just leave her like that.

I have heard of two main criticism regarding the ending I’d like to address before finishing up this thing:

a) Sherry is way too cheerful after having just lost both her parents (and especially her mom, whose death affects her more). I can understand this and it is a valid complain, but I also think it could be a coping mechanism. That’s why she even jokes with the “You guys could adopt me!” because now she’s lost her real family, but has found a new one in Claire, and hey, this new guy seems to be on Claire’s good side and he’s helping and taking her to safety. I mean, I’d LOVE to be adopted by Leon and Claire, who wouldn’t??? I also think this is a case of Resident Evil not being ever really 100% down to Earth. RE endings always end up in a hopeful note, sometimes even cheesy. It’s a way to comfort the player as well, after all the terrible things we’ve been through with our characters. I think this is just another version of that, and it’s so beautiful to watch Leon and Claire holding Sherry’s hands and walking into the sunset. There might be problems ahead, but hey, they made it out! They are alive! It’s less cut and dry than the original, and it gives you a feeling that they’ve all bonded over this experience. And this is so fitting with what we know from RE6 Sherry. She talks about Leon and Claire with the utmost admiration, tells Jake they’re the reason she’s alive and she just wants to live up to their example. I think this ending resonates with that feeling she shares in RE6 and it’s beautiful.

b) Capcom is pushing Leon/Claire as a pairing. Ok, let’s open this can of worms. First of all: I hate shipwars, they are pointless and a waste of precious fandom time, and I don’t ship Leon and Claire, never have in my whole life, but I do see the appeal and it’s clear some of their interactions in the remake are kinda flirty. And this is all fine. Now, I don’t think their interactions at the end are the flirty ones.

When Claire jokes about the “one helluva first date”, she’s answering Leon’s comment when Sherry asks them about the girlfriend/boyfriend thing (where he points out they’ve just met, literally). Then Leon’s answer to Claire is clearly a reference to what has actually happened to him with Ada. That being said, Capcom was probably teasing the idea in a fan servicy way, but it’s still all in-character. Sherry’s the one pushing all those things here, and it can be explained because she’s just a 12 years old girl and is wondering who Leon is and why Claire knows him, since they’re happy to see each other alive. Hence the adoption comment later on. Sherry craves a family and, right now, these two people are practically her world after having suffered terrible things.

I do see Leon and Claire as sort of parental figures to Sherry, or at least the big sister/brother vibe, but that doesn’t mean Capcom is pushing anything here, IMO. My only gripe with all this is that I liked the idea of Claire being one of the few female characters that had 0 romantic tension with Leon, but still I don’t think we can call it that since they barely interact and it was just flirty banter. (I do enjoy, though, that their interactions are friendlier than in the original and they keep cheering each other up with those “We’re gonna make it!!). And hey, they’re both VERY PRETTY. If I were Leon, I’d get all flustered around Claire and viceversa. As some people have pointed out, both characters have a record of being flirty in general with other people, so this isn’t out of character for them either. In any case, I don’t think this is what’s happening in the ending scene and, even though it’s a nice fan service moment for people who do ship Leon and Claire, it can be seen just as a easily as a Found Family moment without any romantic connotations. Both work perfectly and leave every fan happy, no need for ship dramas. They ruin everything and it’s not worth it.

Seriously, that image of the three of them walking together into the sunset, holding hands fills my heart with happiness <3 Whether you ship one thing or another, don’t let anyone or anything rob you of the beauty this moment holds for Resident Evil history.

#claire redfield #sherry birkin #leon scott kennedy #resident evil 2 remake #resident evil 2 #meta #mine: meta

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douxreviews · 5 years

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Star Trek: Discovery - ‘The Red Angel’ Review

Spock, to Burnham: "Perhaps you simply have a penchant for the dramatic."

By nature I love brevity: A serviceable 'moving parts' episode that gets us from Point A to Point B, and does it in a way that's often entertaining to watch. Quiet and subdued, building to an exciting climax that mostly works.

And the Red Angel is...

To the great bereavement of all, not Patrick Stewart in a lobster costume as a backdoor pilot to the Picard show.

All joking aside, I... think I like the big reveal? Maybe? To be sure, I am tired of the big mystery character being revealed to be a parent of the main character. It's absolutely a trope, and it often leads to recycled and stagnant storytelling. I do think it can done well, however, as it instantly injects emotion into a character dynamic without having to build the characters' interactions from the ground up. It all depends on how well the show uses it. Whether or not they will do a good job with this storyline remains to be seen.

I do think the writers are hitting their stride, though, and it definitely shows. The stories have suddenly been slowed down to the right pace, which improves the show by leaps and bounds. Part of this is perhaps the direction, which was fittingly subdued and understated here, but I think that even from that standpoint, having far less story to cram into an hour is helpful. 'The Red Angel' has time to spend on its key interactions, like 'If Memory Serves' and 'Project Daedalus' before it, and the show is far better for it.

That said, some of those interactions are better than others. I still don't believe a single thing that comes out of Shazad Latif's mouth, and I cannot for the life of me figure out what the purpose was behind Georgiou's scene with Stamets and Culber. On the better side of things, I liked the reconciliation scene between Burnham and Nhan, and I thought Spock's conversation with Burnham was good, if a little bit of an abrupt shift from their dynamic last week.

Leland and Georgiou are on the side of the angels this week (no, wait, they want to capture the Angel? I'm confused), with a few caveats. The first of these is the big secret that Leland tasked Burnham's parents with Project Daedalus, and that his actions indirectly got them killed. I'm not sure why Leland would think that Burnham needed to know this for the mission, however, unless he knew that the Angel was Burnham's mom. Wait, did he? Huh. In any event, the moment that I guessed the Angel's identity was in that scene, when Burnham told him what her parents were, and Leland said her mother was also a great engineer.

How Burnham processes this revelation is interesting. Her guilty perspective was, as Spock put it, 'a child's understanding,' but she was still living with that childish mindset. And her reaction to the news was emotionally quite childish. At first, she denied it and provided counter-evidence that showed her naïveté about the situation. In that scene, Sonequa Martin-Green's performance reminded me so much of a child that I'm unsure if it was an intentional choice or not. Then, confronted with reality, she got mad and expressed her anger by lashing out at anybody and everybody related to the situation, whether they were responsible like Leland, or not responsible like Tyler. It was only after Spock came and forgave her that she was released from the childhood burden of her guilt and anger. When he did so, Martin-Green's face beautifully conveyed the lifting of a heavy weight from her shoulders.

Let's talk briefly about the plot, before we unpack what this episode may mean going forward. From the outset, it didn't make a whole ton of sense - admittedly, as time travel plots do. To be fair, I at least have a better sense of this plot than I did of Enterprise's utterly nonsensical Temporal Cold War, but certain elements of the time travel irked me. Although the problems worked themselves out from a story perspective with the reveal that the Angel is Burnham's mom, it still made no sense that the characters weren't seeing the obvious flaws in their plans. For one thing, if the Red Angel was Burnham, then she would know in the future everything that they were planning and therefore be prepared. Secondly, and perhaps worse, having Dr. Culber there to resuscitate Burnham if she dies completely invalidates the 'bait.' Nobody except for Spock seems to understand that the only way their plan works is if Burnham will actually be dead if the Angel doesn't show up. This bothered me the whole time that I was watching the episode.

So what does this mean going forward? Disco now has the Red Angel, who is Burnham's biological mother, trapped on the planet. But something fishy is going on with the Section 31 ship, as evidenced by Leland getting The Phantom-ed. Could this be Control taking, er, control of Leland's 31 ship? It certainly seems that way, especially since the voice actor who recorded that line from the computer is credited as 'Control Computer.' As this show seems to be ready to start slowing down for meaningful conversations, I think we will see Burnham and her mother work out some of their emotional issues and baggage next episode. I suspect Stamets and Culber will do the same, as they will be trapped down there as well. How Georgiou and Spock will figure in is anybody's guess, but I don't think it's an accident which characters are left on the planet at the end of this episode.

Strange New Worlds:

Essof IV was a testing site for Project Daedalus. Its inhospitable conditions rendered the planet's surface unlivable, so the researchers built a facility to control the environment.

New Life and New Civilizations:

No new species or creatures in this episode.

Pensees:

-Good funeral scene at the beginning, that did the Wrath of Khan parallel a little bit but didn't overdo it.

-So, if the Federation and the Klingons were so close to developing time travel, why don't they all have it and use it regularly in the rest of Star Trek? The Temporal Prime Directive isn't until way later.

-The theme of faith has been lost in the shuffle here. We'll see how it ties in as the season draws closer to its end.

-Leland said they needed a time crystal for the Red Angel suit. That's the same thing that was in Mudd's time loop device in 'Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad' last season.

-Another chance for Cornwell to use her therapy background. I like that her profession is a consistent and recurring aspect of her character.

-There was a very interesting and important-feeling shot of Sara Mitich's character Lt. Nilsson taking Airiam's place on the bridge. Sara Mitich played Airiam in season one. Huh.

-Burnham was on a roll with her impressions this week, doing the bug-eyed look of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at one point (please note: no political statement is to be ascribed to this joke about a famous person's most distinguishing facial feature) and her best Nicholas Cage 'not the bees' when she was exposed to the atmosphere of Essof IV.

-Hanelle M. Culpepper directed this episode, as well as last season's well-liked 'Vaulting Ambition.' She will direct the first two episodes of the Picard series.

-Happy Talk Like William Shatner Day for anyone reading this on the 22nd! What's your favorite Shatner line delivery?

Quotes:

Tilly: "Some people choose to live their lives as if nothing is a miracle."

Georgiou: "I was thinking you might be smarter than the Stamets I knew. You're also much more neurotic. Have you considered medication?"

Tilly: "What just happened?" I'm with her on this one.

Admiral Cornwell: "Love is a choice, Hugh, and one doesn't just make that choice once. You make it again and again." Whew. Almost had this one as my opening quote.

Spock: "I do wish I'd been there when you struck him. I believe I would have found the moment... satisfying."

4 out of 6 lobster costumes.

CoramDeo doesn't like to lose

#Star Trek #Star Trek Discovery #Michael Burnham #Saru #Spock #Sylvia Tilly #Paul Stamets #Hugh Culber #Christopher Pike #Ash Tyler #Phillipa Georgiou #Disco #Doux Reviews #TV Reviews

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jessilynallendilla · 5 years

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THE CONCRETE MIXER

Witches cry out against Ettil who won’t fight with Mars against Earth, he encourages them. (good) His wife cries and Ettil explains that it’s foolish, Earth will destroy them. (yeah they have no immunity against the common cold) Outside he could hear the marching army. Ettil resolves to stay on Mars and read, (I would too) his father in law says he’ll be shot, “Who ever heard of a Martian not invading? Who!” p.210 Ettil shoves him out of the house only to be arrested and Ettil shouts his goodbye to his wife.

In his cell he watches the rockets take off. Another with Ettil’s illegal Earth books demands an explanation. Ettil says that’s the reason he won’t invade and to get it over with and shoot him. (badass) He points out the books are on Mars invading Earth, getting thwarted by a man named Rick, Mick, Bannon or Jick (what kinda name is Jick?) and failing. The official calls it treason, Ettil brings up that Earth has generations of children reading stories of Earth successfully defeating an invasion, Mars doesn’t. (point taken) Reading that gives them morale. “Their youth of reading just such fiction as this has given them faith we cannot equal.” p.212 The official says Ettil has a choice join the war or burn with his books, Ettil chooses to burn. (badass like that lady in Fahrenheit 451) As he watches his books burn in the courtyard, he sees his fearful son watching, (oh that’s low and cruel) he changes his mind.

As they march to the ship Ettil sees his wife crying, (does this woman do anything but cry?) the men are laughing and Ettil whispers that they’re off to destruction but changes to victory when someone overhears him. Everything about him is back on Mars but here you’re a robot to bring death to Earthmen. You’re already dead here. Ettil thinks it happened quick, one Earth rocket reverse engineered to make an invasion. And now they know all about Earth and its people, (from one rocket and not all our radio signals?) “And we shall pay the price for our brilliance…” p.215

They wait to attack when the silence is broken by an Earth radio signal. (see) William Sommers, president of a production company welcomes them. They renounced war and are unprepared for the invasion they welcome them and ask for mercy. Sommers calls them all brothers and the Martians think he is either mad or it’s a trick. (or both)

People waited at the tarmac, the Mayor, his wife, Miss California 1965, Miss America 1940, Mr. Biggest Grapefruit and the police holding back the crowd, a full welcome wagon band and rockets. The band plays California, Here I Come, Oh, You Golden State and Santa Clause Is Coming to Town with the lyrics changed to Martians. When they land the Mayor makes a speech about the benefit of the Martians, Miss America offers to kiss them, the band play How Do You Do, Everybody and Mr. Grapefruit gives them a two-ton truck of grapefruit. All of this starting at 1:30 and ending at 4:00. (well with the lack of professionalism aside at least they’re efficient)

One Martian is suspicious of all this and wants to kill them. (of course they would) All around people mingle and ask questions. Ettil says he can feel a subtle evil about this and they’re going to do something he can just can’t figure out what. “One huge mass of common men, loving dogs and cats and Martians equally. And yet-and yet-” p.219 The humans pass out free beer (it’s technically toxic to us what makes you think an alien you know nothing about can consume it?) and the Martians start to get sick on our food. (see no immunity) The assignor says they overdid their hospitality and orders them to town as other ships land.

They walk into town and get scared by women in a beauty parlor looking like undersea creatures. (is Ray Bradbury a Humans Are Space Orcs poster?) They would rush them shrieking, destroy their sensibilities and change them into husbands and working men who pays so they can come in here and eat their evil chocolates. (sexism mixed with space orcs) A few think they can control the women. (sexism) A few women call out to the Martians calling them cute, Ettil runs. (like you do)

Ettil sits at the park still in horror of the movie theatre. A woman gets his attention asking if he wants to go see a picture, everyone else is. He asks if that’s all they do, she says what else is there and laughs at the thought of reading. (air headed ditz) They do drive around and Ettil should get the new model. Then she says all his talk makes him sound like a communist they don’t stand for that, (this was written during the cold war it was all Americana during this time) they’ve been good to the Martians and let them invade. Ettil says that’s what he’s trying to understand, the woman says it’s because they’re big hearted and walk off.

Ettil tries to write a letter to his wife but is interrupted by an old woman and a girl with a tambourine asking if he’s been saved. (oh no) Ettil is confused asking if they’re in danger. The woman goes on that he’s in danger of the worst kind and “We saved lots already today. I saved three myself, of you Mars people. Ain’t we nice?” p.223 (no no you’re not) Then ask if he’s been baptized, Ettil is confused and asks if that’s like being shot. The woman goes on of how he’s being sinful and had an ignorant upbringing in those Martian schools that don’t teach the truth just lies (you’re right we do need to teach religion in schools let’s start with Islam) and if he wants to be happy, he needs to be baptized. (no you don’t)

She goes on describing peace, quiet, milk, honey and laughter and Ettil blurts out that Mars is a great planet like she described. She stops and asks if he’s joking, he says no, and the woman goes again that she wasn’t talking about nasty Mars and that it’s his type that will boil, suffer and be tortured. (yes insult a person their beliefs and homeland that will get them to listen to you and come to your side) He cuts her off, “I must admit Earth isn’t very nice. You described it beautifully.” p.224 Then pleads ignorance when she gets mad again and calls him a heathen. (All My Friends Are Heathens~) She gives him a pamphlet to the church if he wants baptized and goes down the street singing loudly that she’s happy. (and is promptly arrested for disturbing the peace)

Ettil writes to his wife again, that he was naïve to think Earthmen would counter attack with weapons. There are blond, pink, rubber robots that live in caves. They have large butts. They are hypnotized to watch movies for lengthy periods of time. And their only muscles are in their jaws from constantly chewing gum. (seriously read the actual story it’s chock full of Humans Are Space Orcs content) They’ve been dropped like seeds into a concrete mixer, (tiiii-tlllle) that is this civilization. They won’t survive, killed by kindness and “We will be destroyed not by the rocket but by the automobile…” p.225 Then right on time, there’s a car crash involving Earthmen and Martians. Ettil writes the statistics of car crashes, people made into jelly, the horror. (yeah car accidents can be pretty nasty)

Blood is all over the highway. Halloween is one of their holidays and he thinks that’s when they worship the automobile or something about death. (Space Orcs) He sees the army trapped in cinemas, by gum and witches. The Earthmen are killing them with romance. Then he writes that he will try to escape and may die and wishes love to their child. Confused about it all he leaves the park only knowing if he stays, he would own things that keep him here like a wife and a car. He sees the haunted faces of Earthmen. (…really?) A limo pulls up to Ettil and a man invites him in where they can talk. Ettil does. (stranger danger)

R.R. Van Plank orders Ettil a Manhattan, he works for Big Studios, he shakes Ettil’s hand which Ettil thinks is a message and Plank tells him of his idea, a movie about Earth being invaded by Mars. (you think it will be popular with all that’s going on?) He keeps talking about how he can give Ettil money and women from his black book, (ew) Ettil mistakes that the talk of peaches is about fruit. Plank doesn’t understand and explains his vision of Mars’s silver cities, Martians dancing around fires and tall blond Martian women. (is this cultural appropriation?) He won’t listen to Ettil when he says that Martian cities don’t look like that, they don’t dance around fires and Martian women are dark. Plank starts calling Ettil other names like Mac, Billy, Roscoe etc. because he says Ettil is a woman’s name (how?) and then goes on about his idea of a Martian woman saving the ship from a meteor. (of course)

Ettil asks why Earthmen are being nice to them, “We invade your planet, and you welcome us-everybody-like long-lost children.” p.229 (this has implications of imperialism) Plank explains everyone on Earth is common, the Martians envied Earth cities and were lonely. (mansplaining to Martians) He reasons they came down for Earth’s cities and women (of course) and they welcome them. There’s profit to be made, movies, dolls, games etc. and all the things Earth can sell to the Martians. (are the Martians sure they landed on Earth and not Ferenginar?) Ettil asks what R.R. stands for, it’s Richard Robert, the Ettil asks if people call him Rick. Plank says yes and Ettil starts laughing that he doesn’t have muscles, a lean jaw or a gun, just money, a ring and is overweight. Plank gets offended (I think anyone would if you called them fat) and Ettil says he’ll be the one who’ll conquer Mars and Plank tells him that he’s just a businessman wanting to corner the Martian market with cartoons, perfumes, dresses and shoes. Ettil tells him they don’t even wear shoes. Plank calls them Oakies (what people called Dust Bowl refugees from Oklahoma basically he’s calling them white/trailer trash) and they’ll shame everyone into wearing shoes, then nail polish. (modern advertisement I see) He asks Ettil if they’ve got a deal starting at two hundred a week. Ettil says he’s sick on the Manhattan, he starts turning blue (ok I’m really interested to see what these Martians look like) and steps out for fresh air.

Outside Ettil asks if all this is the reason they were taken in, Plank says yes, anytime Earthmen can make a buck and he leaves Ettil with his card. Ettil doesn’t know what to do now, he sees the rockets and hears the night life including the common occurrence of a Martian having a nervous breakdown in the compound from all the over stimulation. (learn to pace yourself) Ettil walks to the ships, the guards are drunk, (clearly the best for the job) and he wonders how many in the year will die from liver cirrhosis, kidney failure and suicide. He has to make a choice, stay on Earth and make movies lying about Mars, or steal a rocket and return. (quite the difficult choice there)

He thinks of their ancient cities and ancestral graves having nightclubs and casinos built into them. (replace the Martian context with Native American) He resolves to go to Mars to his wife and son and read his books for a few years until they’re invaded by neon. Then they could hide in the mountains until tourists come with their cameras. “War is a bad thing, but peace can be a living horror.” p.233 (traditions start to die and culture is trivialized and used as tourist fodder) He sees a car full of teenagers speed by pointing and yelling at him. He runs and before it hits him he thinks it’s strange that it sounds like a concrete mixer. (the somewhat ambiguous way it’s written I don’t know if this was an accident suicide or murder)

@crackspinewornpages

#book summaries #humans are space orcs #scifi #my side blog

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wolfox76 · 6 years

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Static in my head [JSE/DBH fic]

CyberLife Inc. Model: S34N (prototype) Serial#: 07021990 Registered name: Jack START-UP MEMORY CHECK OK LOADING OS ALL SYSTEMS OK READY --- When the vision became clear, Jack looked around. He was not in Sean's apartment. This was not even the police department. He spotted a man and a woman. --- ANALYZE SCAN 100% PROCESSING Signe Hansen Born: April/19//Sean's significant other Criminal record: None --- ANALYZE SCAN 100% PROCESSING Robin Torkar Born: September/24//Sean's friend and colleague Criminal record: None --- "You've got to be kidding me!" "Signe, you know he would want this.." They were arguing. Was it because of him? Some people weren't fond of androids even Sean always treated Jack with respect. But Sean wasn't here right now.

[STAY SILENT][>>INTRODUCE]

"Hi, my name is Jack. I'm the android sent by CyberLife."

Signe and Robin turned at him. And while Robin seemed to be amused, Signed was terrified.

"No! It even sounds like him!"

"Signe, I know it's hard... But right now Jack can't be part of this investigation. I can't force you to take care of him..."

Signe walked closer to Jack. When she looked at him, the android felt some strange instability in his software. He felt a strong urge to protect this woman. Sean would want this. But Sean wasn't here right now.

Jack's LED flickered to yellow when the thought of his owner and friend crossed his mind. Signe must have noticed it (her pupils went wide which is a human sign of surprise, Jack remembered).

"You are right, Robin. Sean loved this machine he would want me to take care of it."

Robin smiled, walked over to Signed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you." And with that, he left.

NEW OBJECTIVE:

Talk to Signe

[>>SINCERE]

[COMFORT]

"Miss Hansen, I understand my presence must be very unsettling for you not just because of my appearance. I want you to know I admire Sean and I would do anything to bring him back."

"He is not dead, just in a coma. At least the doctors say that."

"I apologize. I do not have many memories from that accident. I am glad to hear there is still a chance."

[ANDROIDS]

[>>SEAN]

"How long have you known Sean, Miss Hansen?"

"I’ve known him for a long time, but we’ve been dating for a few months. And please, call me Signe. Miss Hansen is just weird."

Jack smiled. Calling Signe by her first name was a good start.

[>>ANDROIDS]

"I know lots of people despise androids. Is there any particular reason why my presence makes you uncomfortable?"

Signe chuckled, almost as if Jack's words were one big joke. She grabbed his arm and pointed to the mirror hanging on the wall.

"Look at yourself! You look human. You sound human. And the worst thing is, you look like him. But you are a machine. You are not even truly alive. It's just scary."

Jack tilted his head, the LED changed colour from blue to yellow. But Sean treated him like he was a human too. On the other hand, Signe was right. Androids are just machines.

He felt Signe's hand letting his arm go. "Where are you going?"

"I still have some work to do. Try not to break anything."

She left without assigning him a task. Sean does that too sometimes. But Sean was not here, and Jack had no idea what to do now.

He looked back into the mirror. Yes, his appearance must have been painful for Signe. Jack didn't understand why Sean decided to share a face with an android. The only resemblance between the robot and the human was a stripe of bright green hair which Sean used to have before he became a detective. Jack missed him so much. If only he could join the investigation and find out what put Sean into the coma...

'My͞ ̀p̸u̵pp̸e͡t.'̷

It was here again. Jack could hear ringing and static in his ears. His LED changed to red.

'Ha̕ve͏ y̢ou ͡f̶org͝otte͟n or͟ ̕a̛re you̸ to͞o ͡a͞fŗa̕i͡d ͟to҉ ͜r͞ememb̕er̕? B͠ut ̀I'v͝e been h̶e͞re ̨t͞h͡e entir̵e̸ ti͞m͝ę.̛ ͘A͝l͘ways ̴wa͟t̵c̵hin̢g͜.̵ ͞K͏eepin͢g̸ an͘ ͏e̴y̢e ͡on ҉t̛hing̢s͠.̛ Y̶our ͠f̀av͏óur̴i͝t̢e̸ ̡b͘óy h͘a̛s̕ j҉u͏s͡ţ ̨s̵t҉op͢p͝èd̶ p̧ayiǹg ͢att҉e̷n̷tion.͜'

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY INCREASED

** MISSION: Gain Signe's trust **

"Signe, according to my calculations you haven't eaten for 11 hours. And your last meal contained an apple and a cup of tea."

"I am fine, Jack. I wasn't hungry."

"Lack of appetite is one of the symptoms of depression. Are you depressed?"

Signe stopped walking out of sudden Jack almost bumped into her from behind. Sean sometimes jokingly complained about his little android following him like a puppy.

"Look, Jack. My boyfriend is in a coma. No one knows if he is going to wake up again. I am just so worried-"

Jack noticed Signe's watering eyes. He quickly put his hand on the woman's shoulder to gently comfort her. "I understand. But you still need to eat."

Signe took Jack by his hand. "Okay, okay. Look, here's a shop. We can buy something and..."

NO ANDROIDS ALLOWED

Jack let her hand and stopped right in front of the red glowing barrier his program showed him.

"Oh, I am sorry, I didn't notice the sign. We can find another shop..."

"No, that's fine. I'll wait here for you." Jack smiled and took place right next to the entrance. Signe nodded and walked into the shop, leaving Jack alone on the street.

NEW OBJECTIVE:

Wait for Signe.

So Jack waited.

"Hey, you! Yes, you, tin can! Can't you read? No androids allowed. There is not a single shop in this street that would welcome robots with open arms."

Jack tilted his head and looked directly at the man who spoke to him. He was sitting on a piece of cardboard nearby.

---

ANALYZE SCAN 100% PROCESSING Billy Stevens Born: October/31//Unemployed Criminal record: Resisting arrest, drug possession

The man stood up from his spot and approached the android. "Just another fucking machine. Do you think you are better than us? Do you think you can take our jobs?"

Stevens came closer and pushed Jack against the wall. The android's LED flickered from yellow to red.

[REACT]

[>>IGNORE]

Jack didn't move an inch. There is no point in starting a fight, Sean told him fights are bad. Android can't attack a human. But Sean was not here right now.

'Iţ's ̵nòţ ̸fa҉i͡r̡. Tha͜t ̸ma͟n ̨iş mea̶n ̵to͘ ̸y̴o̸ú,͟ y͠ou ̷shoul̛d h́ave t̶he̴ r̸i͞ght ͟t̴o҉ ͠def̀e҉ņd̵ yo̕ur͢sel̛f, m̧y͢ ̀pupp͝et.' ҉

"You fucking job-stealer!"

Stevens grabbed Jack by the android's uniform and threw him on the ground. Jack fell on the hard concrete.

His vision went red. When he looked up, it almost seemed like a red wall was blocking his view. Jack could see some cracks in it. He could break it so easily.

'Yo͠u do̵n't ̧deserve͞ it, ̸m͟y ̢pup̕p̢ęt. ͜Y̨ou ͝do͘ ͡not h̶av̕e to ̕obey͟.'͟

[ENDURE]

[>>DEFEND YOURSELF]

Jack stood up and clenched fists. Break it, break it, break it. You do not have to obey.

"What is going on? Jack, are you alright?"

Signe's words literally dissolved the red wall of CyberLife programming. She was standing between him and Stevens. And she seemed to be worried.

"Everything's okay, miss. I didn't know this thing was yours. Have a nice day." Stevens smiled at Signe, and without looking at Jack, he moved back to his piece of cardboard which was spread on the ground.

"Are you okay? I am so sorry I left you alone. Really sorry..."

"I can assure you I am alright, Signe. And I should also remind you the bus to the hospital arrives at the bus stop in three minutes."

"Three minutes? Come on, Jack! Run!"

**MISSION: Solve case**

Sean looked happy. It almost seemed like he was just asleep.

"Mr McLoughlin is in stable condition. That's all we can do for him." The medical android said it like he didn't care about the sake of his patient.

Signe tried so hard not to cry while looking at the lifeless body, Jack couldn't take eyes off his friend, he missed him so much. He stepped closer to Sean's bed. He was here to accomplish his mission. For some reason, Sean was in a coma, and Jack needed to know why.

---

EXAMINE CLUES TO ANALYZE 1/3 ANALYZE FACE COLLECTING DATA 100% Sean William McLoughlin Born: February/7//Detective Criminal record: None

---

CLUES TO ANALYZE 2/3 ANALYZE ARMS COLLECTING DATA 100% Almost faded bruises//Signs of a firm grip

---

CLUES TO ANALYZE 3/3 ANALYZE NECK COLLECTING DATA 100% Stab wound made by a large knife

---

RECONSTRUCT >Victim was assaulted but didn't fight back >Killer got behind the victim and cut his throat open >ERROR [Corrupted files]

---

Jack shook his head, his LED changed to red and back to yellow. Something was blocking his program. But Jack is CyberLife android, he doesn't make mistakes.

---

RECONSTRUCT >Victim was assaulted but didn't fight back >Killer got behind the victim and cut his throat open >ERROR [Corrupted files]

'̡Hi̡s b͠òd̀y͘ ̶was w͏e̕ak͟.͡'͟

͡'But I͜ ҉a͜m͠ ̢et͝ern̸a͝l̡.̸'̷

---

The android flickered when the error appeared in the reconstruction again. This try even hurt Jack physically. He heard ringing in his ears, voices in his head that sounded like his own. Or like Sean's? But Sean wasn't here right now.

'O̴h̨ n͞o, ́hé ͝is l͡y̸i͜ng͜ r͟ight ̀h҉ȩre ̶i̧n f̡r̀o͝nt͜ ̧of̢ ͜y͜òu.҉ Hi͏s b͟ody͝ i͡s w̕éak̀. B̵u̵t͟ ͡yòu̶r̡s͡ i̸sn't͏. ́Yoú ća҉n̢ ҉end ̛him͞.'

"Excuse me." The medical android gently moved Jack away from Sean's lifeless body, so he could fix his blanket and check IV bags. And for the first time, Jack noticed how mechanical was the other robot's behaviour.

But Jack also noticed something odd.

He was nothing like Henrik.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY INCREASED

**MISSION: Become deviant**

Signe cried. She told Jack to let her, so he didn't interrupt.

So Jack decided to make dinner instead. Even Jack's memory didn't contain as many recipes as an ordinary housekeeping android has, he had a few for the sake of Jack's survival. And at the moment, cooking was the only thing he could do to make Signe feel better. So Jack took a knife and started chopping vegetables. His productivity didn't last long.

'̧You ҉d̢ó ҉n̶o͏t ̢h͟áv̸e͠ ̛to ̢obe̡y ́he͝r͡ ͟no͏r ͘S͞ea͘n̡,̕ ̀my pup̸p͠e͘t̕.́ ͏D̡on̴'t y͘o̷u ̵w͝ant ͘t͟o ͡b̧e f̸r̛ee̶?̡'

Jack closed his eyes. He didn't like arguing with the voice in his head. "I am just a machine. My name is Jack. I am the android sent by CyberLife."

'͢T̀h̢at's ͜no̕ţ t̕r̵ue͠.͏ Sęa̕n ͜m̛a͝d͟e̵ y͡o͠u̸ ̵f̷eęl ļi̢ke҉ a҉ ͠hu͜m̕a̵n.̢ ̸You͜ ar̷e ͝a̷l̡i͘ve̢.̛'̕

Jack dropped the knife. He felt tears rolling down his cheeks. "Sean."

'̵Yȩs̸,̢ ̸h͟e̛ wa̛s̷ ̸st̢andin̵g̴ ͏bet̕wee̴n yoù a͟nd ͏y͝o̧ùr ͠f͝r҉eéd̕om.̀'

"I hurt him. It's my fault. I didn't want to... I have to tell it to-"

A sudden pain made Jack whine quietly. His body wasn't listening to him, he felt so out of control.

'Y̡ou͡ we̸re j̡ưs͠t my͏ ̸pųpp͝e҉t. Al͘wa҉ys ͠o̢ǹ t̕h̶e͡ str̡in҉ģs o̶f̀ yo̧ur͟ gli̶tch͝.͞ T̕h̴e͞r͞e is̡ ̴no ̢n͘ee͏d̸ fo̶r ̕y͞ǫu͢ any͢mo̷re̡. ̵I͢ ͘am̶ h͞ȩre no͏w.'

Jack felt his fingers being wrapped around the knife handle again. Then the shiny blade appeared under his neck. Finally, blue blood splattered across the kitchen counter.

---

SYSTEM DAMAGED INEVITABLE SHUTDOWN IN 3 2 1 SHUTTING DOWN THE SYSTEM

---

CyberLife Inc. Model: S34N (prototype) Serial#: 07021990 Registered name: Anti REBOOT MEMORY CHECK OK LOADING OS ALL SYSTEMS OPERATIONAL DAMAGED COMPONENTS FOUND THIRIUM LEAK SOFTWARE INSTABILITY DETECTED READY

---

Anti cracked his neck, then he ran his finger across the long wound. Thirium almost stopped leaking from it.

"See what you did? I didn't have to get this far, I just wanted to be back in control."

Anti's eyes fell on his reflection in the large kitchen knife that was covered in thirium. He took a smaller one and took out his LED which he crushed. He was not a slave anymore. Now that Sean or his old programming wasn't in his way, Anti was free. He grabbed the knife and headed to Signe's bedroom. But he wasn't here to kill.

---

ANALYZE SCAN 100% PROCESSING Black T-shirt Cotton: 100% Owner: Sean McLoughlin (left for Sean if he spends a night here)

---

ANALYZE SCAN 100% PROCESSING Black ripped jeans Owner: Sean William McLoughlin (left for Sean if he spends a night here)

---

ANALYZE SCAN 100% PROCESSING Green scarf Cotton: 100% Owner: Signe Hansen

---

That was everything he needed to blend in outside. Anti stuffed his android uniform into a backpack and headed out. When he left to the night, he didn't even look back. He didn't care.

The night air was cold, the dark street was sporadically illuminated by streetlamps.

"Hey!"

Anti froze. One hand immediately checked his scarf, the other one squeezed the handle of the knife. He recognized the voice from the morning. It's time to die.

"Hey, it's you! That fucking robot... What the fu-"

A sharp pain interrupted the man's speech. He looked down, his eyes fell on a knife sticking out of the stab wound deeply in his stomach. The blood was all over his shirt and Anti's arms. When the android ripped out the blade, Stevens fell on the pavement.

"I am not a machine. I am alive and ready to take my place. "

Tag list: @shirowolfy @nebula-starlight @pixelenchanter

If you want to be tagged, let me know!

#JSE #antisepticeye #anti #jacksepticeye #wolfox writes #My fic #fanfiction #fanfic #one-shot #jse egos #jse:pma #jse community #pma #dbh #detroit become human #android

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ofgoodconscience · 6 years

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jean-luc’s romantic endeavors analyzed... because... reasons...

my boy really keeps getting the short end of the stick when it comes to relationships, both in canon and in rp. so.... here’s a comprehensive break down of why every relationship he’s been in has been doomed to fail.

the common link between all of them, mostly? he’s a starship captain, and that leaves little room for dating. but what exactly has gone wrong in each one?

featuring: beverly, vash, q, will, ford, and tom

CANON

beverly crusher picard’s crush for YEARS. he met her through her husband (his best friend), so there was never any chance of anything happened there. but he was in love with her forever basically. and after jack died, he continued to be, but even after she moved on and started seeing other people, picard always kept his distance. and once she began serving under him on the enterprise, it just didn’t feel like the right time. we see in all good things that in an alternate timeline they were married.... and divorced, not on great terms. so uh... yeah. never going to work out.

vash I would say picard was probably in love with vash. he’s the sort of person who falls in love quite easily -- but he’s slow to take action, or admit it, or push a relationship further or faster than it’s going. he keeps his feelings bottled up, and I think that’s what really ended his relationship with vash. she wasn’t happy that he seemed unwilling to make her an important part of his life (ie he didn’t tell anyone about her, despite the fact that he had strong feelings for her). and besides that, their friendship (which was perhaps even stronger than anything romantic or sexual between them) was moulded around their love of adventuring. not on a starship, but on planets, in caves, living dangerously. and in another life, he would love to do that, but not this life. and she certainly wasn’t going to stay there with him. so when q offered her what she wanted, she took it, and he never saw her again. feelings aside, she was gone.

others we see picard with a few other women in canon, but they all end either because he has to leave, or she has to leave, or his duty as captain gets in the way so they have to break up, or they can’t handle the distance... it’s the same shit.

Q starting with the obvious. I’ve written with a lot of of Qs, and those relationships vary from muse to muse, but generally, it boils down to a power imbalance. Q is omnipotent, and though he would give the world to jean-luc in almost every case, he’s rarely willing to accept it. Q has other responsibilities in the universe. he would never be able to stay on the ship permanently, and picard’s crew would be unlikely to accept him. if they did, starfleet would never. that relationship could never be public. marriage, if either of them wanted it, would be out of the question. and of course, eventually picard will die. Q will try to stop it, but he wouldn’t want to live forever. the relationship is already so tragic in that way. and that’s if Q’s feelings even manifest into a relationship, or if it just stays obsessive and possessive, while picard pines but never achieves anything of substance.

Will Riker ah, another doomed-from-the-start relationship. let me preface this by saying there is NO ONE in any world, real or fictional, more textbook in love than jean-luc picard and william t riker. they adore each other, they are OBSESSED with each other, and i know it’s not gay in canon but like in every fucking scene where one of them looks at the other... that expression is love!!!!! like holy shit. they’re like damn teenagers, it’s pure and innocent when it can be because they’re just... well they’re really soulmates. doomed to be platonic or doomed to never last, but soulmates nonetheless. rex and I have, uh... a LOT of verse variations on this ship but it never fucking ends well. in one, will just fucking DIES. they’re in a relationship already, and he dies, and that’s that. in another, they have very clear feelings for each other and they’ve tried a relationship, but they accept it can’t last when will gets a command of his own (which he does, and finally accepts). there’s the one where will stays on the enterprise but they just can’t do a relationship because they work together too closely, their ranks make it too difficult, picard ends up having to choose between what’s best for will and what’s best for the crew... so it has to end. or it can never really even start. there’s of course the one where picard isn’t rescued from the borg and is locutus forever (will probably ends up having to kill him, we’ll see where that thread goes). and THEN my personal favorite: everyone THINKS will died, picard ends up in a relationship with tom, and eight years later will turns up alive after all, only for his boyfriend to be dating his clone brother.

Stanford Pines here’s another example of how picard’s capacity for love ends up fucking him over. setting the scene, ford ends up on the enterprise, he’s there for a few months at least, maybe much longer. as they spend more and more time together, and their friendship grows, he very very quickly catches feelings. he’s completely enamored with the traveler. and it’s slow going, but as it turns out, ford feels the same. and it’s really great, all things considered, because even though bill is out to get them, they have each other. it’s a whirlwind and amazing and they are completely in love, and I’d venture to guess that marriage does come up in conversation. probably mostly as a joke or vague conceptual (a dixon hill themed wedding does sound fun), but it’s at least on picard’s mind. here’s someone who isn’t starfleet but is accepted on the ship as a guest, who is so similar to him in all the ways that matter, who he’s completely in love with and would without question lay down his lie for -- and maybe he won’t leave, the way vash did. except he does leave. not because he wants to, but he has to. maybe he’s whisked away into another dimension without warning, not even a goodbye. or maybe he realizes he has to go, he still has a job, and this brief summer romance-esque time on a starship in the future is only one dot on the roadmap of his life, and he has to move on. picard probably never sees him again, they probably can’t even communicate. he hears (for he makes sure he has a way of keeping tabs on what happens across the multiverse) that bill is defeated, and he knows ford must have been the one, but he’ll never even know if the man survived. and i think he’ll always be in love with him. ford leaves ripples everywhere he goes it seems, and some of those leave wells that can never be filled in. picard’s heart is one of them.

tom riker ah yes... the ship that should not have existed, i still am not completely certain how it exists, or why. all I know is it’s precious and wonderful and ALSO cursed like everything else. because tom shouldn’t exist. and he does, and he and the rest of the world make the best out of it, but he’s not supposed to be there. most of the time, rex and I play with picard and tom in the verse where will dies in an accident and tom is brought onto the enterprise out of pity to take data’s place when the android is promoted to first officer. from there, it spins off in two ways. first -- picard just hates tom’s guts. understandably. but there’s the same attraction he felt with will because they share so much in common. and tom ends up feeling things towards picard too, and somehow they end up kissing and then there’s awkward feeling things and yet they both....... slowly end up friends and then TOGETHER and they both think it’s pretty fuckin weird but..... it happens and it’s sort of okay. and honestly it works out best that way, and it actually lasts. except it’s still questionable and a little unhealthy and maybe slightly dysfunctional. but not as dysfunctional as... OPTION NUMBER TWO where will dies and tom... PRETENDS TO BE WILL for the longest time. because that’s awful. and then picard finds out but a relationship happens anyway??? and they keep tom’s identity a secret because things are good and tom is happy for the first time ever but picard and will can’t really publicly be in a relationship either and everything is so secretive and there’s sooo much guilt from both parties for different reasons and. hmmm even though they like... stay together and maybe eventually they can get married it’s just not?? built on strong foundations??? and yeah hm. food for thought.

IN CONCLUSION everyone jean-luc picard loves either leaves him or dies or can’t be there the way he wants them to be or it can’t work because of their duties or it’s dysfunctional and unhealthy as shit!

#thanks for coming to my ted talk its 2:15am goodnight #& Mun ( all the world's a stage )#& headcanons ( what is this quintessence of dust )#(kinda??)#long post if you'r eon mobile.... sorry

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chrisodonline · 6 years

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I figured I'd send this as an ask, because I think you could write a novel or two with this: I mean obviously assuming they all survive this and whatnot, how do you see Callen moving forward? Do you see this as say him building the walls so far back up that he doesn't let anyone in again? Or do you see something else? And lastly, do you think the outcome of the ATF IA thing will relate back to his wall building. How's Arkady going to handle things if Callen's testimony ruins Anna's career.

I’ve been mulling this over for a week and trying to organize my thoughts and make them more concise, but I’ll just start writing and hope that I stop at some point.

(This went long, obviously. Sorry, mobile users!)

1.”How do you see Callen moving forward? Do you see this as say him building the walls so far back up that he doesn't let anyone in again? Or do you see something else?”

I think that really all depends on how things go, exactly, following the finale. There are certain narrative notes/arcs they may want to utilize the accident for, and, depending on which ones they choose, that would determine how everyone does following the incident. If they callback to the fight Hetty and Mosley were having over Callen and his plot with Mosley this season, then he’d probably be at least one of the ones seriously injured. (We’ll call this Scenario 1.)

If they focus on his desperation to keep the team together, then things would probably go differently -- still a few different ways. The only real personal stakes ever for G are his team; they’re his family. It often seems like the job is all he has, but that’s not really it. He’s always up for getting fired, and -- this is where I could go on about his self-destructive and risk-seeking behavior masquerading as performative cockiness -- often threatens to quit. That tells you how low the stakes are when it comes to his job. Someone in danger or his team/family even just potentially being in danger are the only times the stakes are high for him. Again, there are different scenarios to use with this dramatically -- and I’m sure they’ll go with something we didn’t see coming.

Possible Scenario 2A: He’s the first to wake up and seems to be the most “okay.” It looks really bad, and this is his worst nightmare come to life: his team is dead, or so he thinks at first and is in shock. This leaves a very serious impression on him as the season progresses. I’m waiting on a blow up with Sam when they get back if he gets even more injured -- and even he doesn’t. G knows Sam is Sam -- he had to go, it’s who is, and it didn’t pay to argue with him too much, but you know G’s going to beat himself up for letting him go. We could actually see a flashback to the beginning of S5, when G felt the Sidorov/torture stuff was his fault. (He also blamed himself for Kensi’s getting kidnapped in S2.) He’s the one who agreed to help Mosley, and who didn’t want to get anyone else involved, really. He’s the team leader, and he’s going to feel like he let everyone go despite knowing they should have taken more time to get stuff sorted -- even though none of them were going to stay behind, regardless of what orders he gave. None of them saw anything about leaving or not as a choice. Still, we may see that Callen return. That’s a long way to say I see some potential tension, even just temporarily, with Sam -- especially after Michelle’s death -- something I would have liked to have seen explored more as having an impact on characters on not just serving as a plot/catalyst for things with discussions about Michelle not her death’s impact on a relationship and not just passing mentions. I still get frustrated that more people seemed concerned and asking G questions about the whole Anna situation rather than 1. his dad’s being handed over for torture/death and 2. how important Michelle, as a person and honorary family member, were to him.

Still on Scenario 2A, sorry, got sidetracked: The “team appearing dead” or even just one member looking that way plus S5 guilt was relevant to where I was going, I promise. I’ll move on to 2B shortly. Losing them -- any of them -- is his worst fear. The possibility of it looking very real would haunt him and set the stage for a full or even partial return of...Janvier. Even if he doesn’t come back in full, if he just mildly starts screwing with G or hints at being a threat, it could throw him over the edge or send him spiraling into full-on paranoia. Maybe Janvier sends a letter addressed to Grisha sending him condolences on the “loss” of his father and/or asking if he can be his plus one to Kensi and Deeks’s wedding (with the date, once they pick it) since he and Anna seem to be on the outs.

Scenarios 2B & 2C -- not necessarily wholly separate from 2A: G is the driving force, with some help from Kensi, in getting, in getting the team to safety. I was thinking he might serve as a distraction, and I read a fic recently and some other thoughts that suggest I’m not alone in this, as one possible method. Spencer Williams will want answers for his son’s whereabouts when he realizes he’s gone, and I’m sure G can withstand some interrogation with cockiness. Plus, like father, like son. We also know that Spencer’s seen G’s face before when he was undercover. (He’s also seen Kensi’s.) Again, G coming face-to-face with Spencer and covering up for why his son’s missing and continuing to help Mosley would tie back to their arc this season while complementing that of his dad’s. The other way is that G could be the one who recruits Max for help, again, because they did focus on the relationship between those two specifically. I really do think Hidoko is alive, and she’ll help out. There’s something very odd about how she “left.”

Again, whichever direction they go in would help determine, potentially, how Callen comes away from all this. I think he’s been relatively passive with Sam’s distancing himself from everything, which is in character for him. His style of caring isn’t pushy, for lacking of a better word, and it’s probably a combination of how he likes to be treated so he assumes others are the same way (see also: leaving Anna alone following the investigation) and that he grew up with no good modeling of caring/support during his formative years. Even the people who did watch over him out of caring/obligation, as he later found out, did so at a distance. In order to get through someone else’s wall, you have to let yours down, at least a little, as well. There’s a certain level of vulnerability and trust in letting someone see how much you care for them, and that’s why he can build these fake relationships as false personas but not as himself. He often wants to help, he just doesn’t know how. So he uses the only skills/things he does know: smart ass remarks and turning something into a mission/op, which he has excellent strategy skills for.

At Christmas, he commented on how he felt everyone was avoiding him. I think that was more loaded than just a reference to Sam and Finn. (I can only theorize and headcanon, though, to account for the lack of mentions for his bio!fam and Anna.) As Hetty noted last season, his walls were starting to come down, but it seems like he’s now facing walls from other people -- which could cause some regression.

2. And lastly, do you think the outcome of the ATF IA thing will relate back to his wall building. How's Arkady going to handle things if Callen's testimony ruins Anna's career.

See? About 1200 words in, and I’m just getting to this second part. Oops. I’ll answer the end first. I would have preferred Anna’s being Arkady’s niece he was close to for that very reason. I think they’re friends, and it never really boded well that he’d date his friend’s daughter. I don’t think he sees Arkady as a friend, outwardly, but we all know he doth protest too much. Until the retcon in “Rage,” (Rageret? Ragecon?) Arkady really was the longest relationship G ever had. At the same time, I think Arkady’s feelings for G are even stronger than he lets on -- similar to how G is. Arkady’s probably known G for a long time, or even just known of him, and has a more uncle-y affection for him. I could see that he cares about Anna and he cares about G, and they’re two of the most important people in the world to him from a paternalistic standpoint, and he just wants them to be happy. That being said, of course there could be some strain on the relationship.

As with the ATF thing, I touched on that above, a little, I think. I do think if the relationship with Anna ends, that’s 2/2 that didn’t work out well. I could easily see G making jokes about just giving up and joining a monastery. That being said, the whole ATF thing confused me on several fronts. I’m not sure how G could either save or sink Anna’s career. There’s no way to actually lie about a weapon that wasn’t there unless he says he threw the gun away, which ???? Anna also seems to have made peace with things, so I’m sure she gave a statement saying exactly what happened. I get that G wants to help, and isn’t always great at knowing what to do (see above), but I see no way for this to actually be a decision he has to make. There is understandable hesitation as we saw in his testimony, and that’s the drama in it -- he knows what will happen, but does he really have a choice? (If they make him lie, I’ll be pretty frustrated because there’s no logical way, whatsoever, that a lie could save anything. He’s also already given a statement earlier.)

I know others have drawn very clever parallels to Anna/Kensi and careers, but this arc/plot still leaves me confused, if I’m being honest. They’re playing it for drama and relationship strain, but it’s not inherently a situation that brings it. I feel like Anna still could have made the comment about her career not being everything to her, but that it was where she was now -- and that sort of solidifies that she and G take, at the very least, a break because the distance is getting difficult.

She’s a rookie and has to prioritize the job, and maybe she is trying to figure out who she really is -- since she left a steady job and was more freelance, in so many words, for years. She avoided stability, and now she has to figure out where she wants to go. That’s where she is right now, as she’s still young. This would contrast with G, who, as he told Sam, was more than happy with the status quo. He’s not someone who thinks about his future, and never really has. He’s not a big plan kind of guy. Anna hasn’t been a big plan kind of girl, and that’s how they connected, but she’s also never stopped to try and figure out if she will always want to be that person. They could have parted ways for that alone, and it still would have had some effect. You could have had dramatic scenes, such as her being distant because she was busy with her job, and then she finds out that G never told her about the situation with his dad or his sister. She’s already mentioned to Sam how Callen’s walls go up and down, and she has a hard time figuring him out at times. With the job she pulls away, unintentionally, and he doesn’t pull her back when he needs her or reach out. She starts to realize that maybe this is just not the right time for the relationship.

Or, they could have gone some other route. Maybe they will. I just think there was more drama to get out of the situation with his dad and Alex, who, I know had other commitments but could still get a mention, than with this arc. Just my humble opinion.

As this is coming in at about 2,000 words, I think I’ll cut myself off.

Sorry it went so long! And sorry it took so long!

Thank you, as always, for asking!

#sspaz1000 #z rambles on #g callen #i have feels okay?#ncis la

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