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fighterkimburgess · 2 years

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What They Chose To Be

Summary: For @storiesofsvu's Fall Bingo, Trick or Treat square. When the truth about Walton's death is revealed, Adam decides a family vacation to New York is a good idea. A meeting with a texting acquaintance and a realisation Kim's case in Chicago has overlaps with New York pulls them into the fray, giving them serious thoughts about who they are to Makayla, each other, and what they do. Mostly Burzek, background Rollisi.

Words: 6.5k

Warnings: mentions of SVU cases (rape, assault), vague allusions to the Lewis arc and Kim's abduction, cursing, mentions of murder.

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After the discovery that she was safe, that there was nobody lurking looking for her and Makayla, Kim felt free. It was hard to explain the weight gone from her shoulders if she was asked.

Keeping the secret - that Voight had caused Hailey to shoot Walton, that he’d hidden the body - should have been hard. Her anger at the three who’d kept the truth from her was lessening, but she still felt betrayed. She’d get past it, she had to, but they could have made her feel better and they didn’t. And that realisation hurt.

So Adam, the reason she’d gotten through the last six months, the man who had proved his love and had loved her daughter with her, had surprised her yet again. With Platt as an ally they got a week of furlough off together, and he presented her and Makayla with plane tickets and a booked hotel room for New York over Fall break. A week together on a family vacation.

“I get to go on a plane?” Makayla asked, grinning when she was told yes. The three packed, two days until their flights.

Kim had been working on a serial rape case, handing it over to Hailey. It was tense between them outside of work, but in work they managed to keep cases going.

“Go on, have fun. And Kim?” She turned to her colleague. “I know it’s not enough, but I am sorry.”

“I know.” The words were stiff, but true.

The flight to New York was uneventful, Makayla leaning over Kim to stare out the window at the lakes and the Appalachians as they went across, marvelling at how high they were. When they were getting ready to land she grabbed each of their hands, holding tightly as they touched down again. As they deplaned one of the flight attendants who Kim had known when she was flying stopped her, telling her how well behaved her daughter was. It was a smile and a “thank you”, Kim grinning as they picked up the checked bag and got in the cab to their hotel.

Makayla was a city kid through and through, but New York surprised her. It was busier than Chicago, and after a day of wandering and taking tourist photos - some at Times Square and one in front of the theatre Hamilton was in - they sat in their hotel room with Chinese food making plans for the next day. It was a vacation for the three of them, but the biggest thing Makayla wanted to do was visit Central Park and see the leaves. So at ten the next morning they were in the park, Makayla swinging out of their arms as they wandered. She wanted to go to a playground, so a playground they went to.

Until they were walking and a yell of “RUZEK!” made Adam turn his head automatically.

“Adam Ruzek, what are you doin’ in New York?” The tall man walked up to them, Kim recognising him vaguely but still unsure how she knew him.

“Carisi! Is being an ADA not enough for you now? This is Kim, my girlfriend, and Makayla. We’re on vacation.” Kim noted the lack of descriptor for Makayla, but her daughter just smiled, slightly shy behind Kim’s back.

“Kim, I think we met when I was in Chicago before, you were patrol, right? Sonny Carisi, nice to meet you properly.” He held out his hand and Kim took it, memories of years ago fading into her mind.

“I remember, it’s been a while.” He bent down as she spoke, holding out his hand to Makayla.

“It’s very nice to meet you too. I’m Sonny. I’m over in the playground with Jesse and Billie, would you like to meet them? What age are you?”

Makayla looked up at Kim, who nodded. “It’s ok, he’s ok to talk to.”

“I’m seven.”

“Well Jesse’s nearly six, wanna come say hi?”

The four trapped across, Makayla instantly enamoured by the dog the two blonde children were playing with.

“Jesse, Billie, want to meet some friends of mine? This is Adam and Kim, and this lovely lady is Makayla. Want to play together?”

“Yeah! Wanna do swings?”

For the first time ever as soon as Kim gave the nod Makayla let go of her hand, running across the playground with Jesse, the younger girl - she assumed Billie - running behind as fast as her legs would take her.

“‘Manda, remember when I got back from Chicago and I told you about Ruzek? Meet Adam, and this is Kim. Both CPD.”

“It’s nice to meet y’all. Any reason you’re in Manhattan?”

“Vacation. It’s been a tough year, so we managed to get furlough at the same time to take Makayla off. It’s helpful having the desk sergeant like you. Kim Burgess.” Kim held her hand out to the blonde woman, and could see the moment her name registered with her.

“Amanda Rollins. Glad to see you’re doing better, I know Voight called Liv to let her know when you were found.”

“Yeah, we were all worried. Intelligence is close,” Adam interjected, trying to shut the conversation down. Amanda, to her credit, took the hint. They started talking about anything not work related until her phone rang, rolling eyes as she answered.

“Hey Liv. Yeah, I’m in the park with everyone. Didn’t Kat have one like that last week? You’re thinking serial. Ok, yeah. Yeah I can make it to Mercy. Of course. Carisi’s here, do you need an ADA or can he take the girls home? Of course. Thirty minutes, I’ll meet you there. Bye.”

“You gotta go in?” Sonny spoke in the practiced tone of someone who was used to it, Amanda nodding.

“Yeah. Kat’s rape from last week looks like a serial, we’ve another victim in Mercy. Raped, made to shower, and then he stabbed her—“

“Twice in the shoulder and once in the hip?” Kim finished, Amanda staring at her in shock as she did.

“How did you know?”

“Yesterday I was handing off my active cases, I had a rape trail that went cold two weeks ago. Four vics in Chicago, each a week apart. Raped in their bed, forced to shower, then stabbed three times. His third victim died, she was haemophiliac and he didn’t know. Is it the same guy?”

“The MO sounds the same…” Amanda trailed off, thinking. “Will you come to the hospital with me? Purely to observe, but we can see if it’s the same guy? If it is I might need to get my Captain to call in an official request for assistance.”

“Whatever you need.” The words came quickly from Kim’s mouth, but Adam’s hand on her shoulder told her that he was backing her with whatever she needed. “Makayla!”

“Yes?” She skidded to a stop in front of Kim, Jesse and Billie just behind her.

“I’ve gotta go with Jesse’s mom for a little while, ok? You and Adam are going to stay here. I’ll catch up with you later, is that alright?”

“Ok. Bye, Kim.” She felt the hug from Makayla, returning it gratefully.

“Be good for Adam.”

“I will.”

She turned, Adam giving her a brief hug and peck on the lips before separating. “Stay safe, and if you need anything you let me know.”

“Always. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

The two men watched their respective girlfriends walk away, the two women nearly identical in height and stature. Adam turned to Sonny, a smile on his face.

“Been a while, fill me in. When did all this happen?”

The realisation that they’d both started their relationships at similar times made them laugh, catching each other up on the last few years. They’d texted on and off, Adam had sent a card when the attorney made the jump from detective to ADA, but they’d never been in the same city at the same time since they’d met. Distance and timezones made friendship difficult, but they settled into talking quickly until they were interrupted by the three lights of their life standing in front of them.

“Uncle Sonny, can Mak and Adam come for lunch? Please? We’re having so much fun together!” Jesse pleaded, the two older girls holding hands.

“I was gonna take her somewhere for food if you three want to come? Plus, knowing our luck Kim will be needed on this.”

“Yeah, alright.”

He got Sonny to direct them to a diner he knew, with good burgers and food all the girls would eat. The Rollins girls sat with Makayla in the middle, the two men across from them as they tucked in. Adam’s phone rang halfway through eating, Voight appearing on the screen.

“Gimme a sec, gotta take this.” He walked outside, standing on the sidewalk for the modicum of privacy it involved away from the girls before answering. “Hello?”

“Ruzek, I’m sorry to interrupt your vacation. Benson was in touch with me, said the rapist Kim’s tracking is in New York now?” His fury rose at hearing his Sergeant’s voice. They wanted the week away, to decompress and come to terms. A week without the man he’d seen as a father causing Kim’s pain, where they could heal a little.

“I’m not sure yet. We ran into Carisi and Amanda Rollins, Kim realised the similarities and went with her to talk to the vic. I haven’t heard anything yet.”

“It’s been confirmed, our files are being FedEx’d across. I need to end your furlough and loan you out to NYPD.”

“No. With all due respect, Sergeant, we’re on vacation. We have Mak with us. This is her vacation too. What am I supposed to do with her?”

“Benson knows you’re on vacation, she said bring Makayla to the precinct. They’ve got a daycare there, it’s fall break this week and there’ll be kids her age there. We need this, Ruzek. You know the toll this case took on Kim.”

Not as much a toll as being lied to for six months about the man who threatened their daughter and left Kim for dead being alive did. But he took a deep breath, blowing it out through his nose, his hands itching for something to do.

“We don’t have badges or weapons. We’ve nothing identifying us as police.”

“That’s fine, Benson knows the circumstances. CPD is covering your hotel bill, and if you have to stay longer than your booking we’ll cover that too. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.”

He hung up, raising his face to the sky to let the weak end of October sun warm him lightly. Now he had to tell Mak about it. Arriving back in he could tell as soon as she realised he was called in, her face falling slightly.

“You have to work, do we have to go home?” She asked, Adam shaking his head.

“Nope. But a case Kim was working on is here now, so they’ve asked us to help out. They’ve got a daycare at the district, so you’ll be near us, ok? And it’s working with Jesse and Billie’s mom, so you’ll see them again.” Sonny’s cell went off with a text, and he ran his hands through his hair as he read.

“I’ve been pulled in as well on this case. Here, girls, we’ve gotta call Sienna and head home.” He was quiet for a moment before turning. “Want our nanny to look after Makayla too? She can stay at our apartment, if it runs late she can sleep there.”

“Not today anyway.” He hated disappointing the girls, the one thing he tried doing at all times was keeping Mak happy. But she didn’t have her platypus, it was a new place, and it was the recipe for a night terror. He wouldn’t put the nanny through it without having everything possible for her to have a good night.

“But in the fuchure can Makayla have a sleepover? Please Mr. Adam?” Jesse begged, Makayla with big eyes.

“We’ll see, girls. Just not right now.”

He got a cab to the sixteenth, his name left at the desk to go straight up to the Special Victims floor. Makayla was nervous, so he lifted her up into his arms.

“Remember what Kim and I always tell you. As long as you’ve got one of us there, it’s gonna be fine, right?” He murmured in the elevator, and she clung to him while nodding.

The squad room was open plan, fresh paint on the wall and they were clearly well resourced. Better than CPD ever was anyway.

“Adam Ruzek?” A tall dark haired woman asked, standing and holding out her hand. “And who’s this?”

“Yeah, nice to meet you. This is Makayla, she’s my daughter.” He could feel Mak’s smile in his shoulder at his words. It wasn’t legal, and maybe he’d never adopt her fully, but she was his daughter. He was on the school pickup list and an emergency contact, and he’d been called to the school to pick her up when they couldn’t get in touch with Kim. He’d asked her how she felt about him calling her his daughter, and her plaintive “I’ve never really had a dad before” made him want to cry. His promise that no matter what happened between him and Kim, he’d be there for her, made her realise she could trust him.

“Hi Makayla, I’m Kat. Kim told me you’d be coming over, she told me you’re a big fan of platypuses?” Makayla lifted her head at that, staring at the woman, “So I’ve a couple of pictures to colour in at my desk while Adam heads into an office. You’ll be able to see him across the room, ok?”

“Ok. Can I colour with Kat?”

“Of course you can, lil Darlin’. I’ve got you.”

He made sure she was settled before knocking on the office door and walking in when he was called. He closed the door behind him and took in the scene. Kim was standing in the middle of the room, four cops around her looking at her. They’d all turned to see him arrive, and Kim’s smile at seeing him set him at ease.

“Officer Ruzek, thanks for cutting your vacation short. Kim let me know about your daughter, we’ll make sure she’s looked after. I’m Captain Benson, call me live. This is Sergeant Fin Tutuola, Detective Amanda Rollins, and Detective Joe Velasco. You met Detective Tamin outside.”

“I don’t stand on ceremony, call me Adam. It’s nice to meet all of you, I’ve heard good things about SVU. Thanks for everything you did before for Nadia.” The memories of the last time CPD had travelled to New York would always be burned in his brain, Nadia’s death had hurt them all. There was solemn nods from the three who remembered it before conversation turned to their current case.

Three days passed with intense work, and Adam felt awful about not having the vacation with Makayla they were supposed to have. Olivia’s nanny had come down sick, so Amanda’s agreed to look after the four children. They explained Makayla’s needs, the night terrors that could come, a sanitised version of her history. Sienna listened carefully and promised she’d do everything she could. She went three nights without one, something her parents couldn’t be more grateful for. Adam was sitting at a borrowed desk, staring down at the files Kim had pieced together in Chicago. Everyone else had left for dinner, he volunteered to stay behind in case there was a call. Carisi walked in, a take out container of noodles in his hand.

“Amanda said you volunteered to be the man behind. Here, eat.” The ADA pushed it towards him, Adam nodding and spearing a piece of chicken with a fork, too tired to try use chopsticks.

“How’s Makayla doing? Jesse and Billie asked if she could be their cousin, they’ve become fast friends.”

“She’s doing ok. It’s been really hard. Really, really hard. How much do you know?”

“Amanda said you and Kim found her as a witness, she went to a cousin, cousin couldn’t cope and Kim took her in.”

He ran the attorney through all of Makayla’s history - the night terrors, the biological father trying to abduct her, her mother’s final words telling her to run and be brave. Kim’s abduction, the family they’d fallen into. He didn’t mention Walton, determined to keep that secret to the grave.

“I love her, y’know? I don’t care about blood, I don’t care that legally she’s not my child. She’s my daughter. When she has a terror she lets me comfort her, I go to parent teacher conferences with Kim. Her platypus got eaten by the neighbour’s dog and she had a meltdown so I left my poker night to go get a new one. And I’d do it again in an instant. I dunno how to explain it to others. I don’t care she doesn’t have my last name, I don’t care about the adoption. She’s my kid. She knows she can trust me and I’m gonna be there when she needs me.”

It was quiet between the two men for a moment, both eating and staring into space.

“I feel the same way about ‘Manda’s girls. I was the one who brought her to the hospital when she was in labour with Billie, I was the first one to hold both of them, I’m their godfathers. I will do anything in my power for those two. Billie’s dad sees her once every couple of months, but he’s an ass. Jesse’s is undercover working on human trafficking stuff. I’m the one who does the skinned knees, the school pick ups. I’m on the emergency contact list. That’s what we do. When my dad found out I was helpin’ raise them I told him I felt like a fraud. But he told me there’s fathers, who are biology. Then there’s dads. We’re the ones who are there every day, who know what to do, what not to do. I know that if I give Jesse anything with sugar after four she’ll be a demon for the rest of the day, and her favourite thing to do is to to help me cook. We’re dads. It’s not fancy, it’s not a big song and dance because we love them. But it’s what we do.”

“Yeah.”

It was a newfound quiet between them, the knowledge that they trusted each other and were on the same page helpful. Adam had never met anyone going through the same thing as him, but seeing Sonny do it easily and loving the girls as much as he loved Mak helped.

While they were speaking, a few blocks away a similar conversation was happening between Kim and Olivia, the older woman looking carefully at her.

“How’s motherhood? Hank filled me in that you’d adopted Makayla.” Kim couldn’t stop her face dropping at the mention of Voight, but tried to keep herself calm.

“Yeah. It was official last month, she’s a Burgess now. And we’ve got Adam basically living with us, he moved in when I was in hospital, he never left. We’re lucky.”

“If you want to talk about adoption, feel free to ask. I fostered Noah for a year before adopting him, so I know what it’s like. Not about the other things for Makayla, but I know a bit of it.”

“Thanks.” She took a bite of her burger before speaking again. “I always wonder if I’m doing the right thing. I love her, and we do everything, but it’s hard. There’s some places we can’t drive through because it increases her anxiety.”

“You just keep going and you remind her that she’s loved. It’s pretty clear how much you care about her. And how much Adam loves her.”

“He does. I’ll never say what happened to me was good, but it showed me my priorities.”

Liv nodded slowly. “I had something similar happen to me. I understand it. But keep hold of those feelings.”

They finished eating in silence, but there was something there. Kim had looked up to the woman since she’d arrived in the precinct. They’d trusted her judgment, and she didn’t feel like people were waiting for her to collapse anymore. It was a good feeling.

After they all got back to the precinct they had three leads, but it was too early to do anything until DNA came back from a blood stain in the most recent victim’s apartment. They were sent home, the five parents going to the Rollins apartment to pick up the kids.

When they got there they were pressed into service as an audience for a performance. Kim and Adam were used to Makayla’s shows, a purple wig on her head as she danced around. But this time she was doing actual ballet movements, Kim tearing up at how grown up her seven year old looked already.

They were in a cab back to the hotel when Makayla spoke. “We’re not gonna be home for halloween, are we? Noah said he an’ Jesse go trick or treating where their mommies work, can I go with them? I wanna be a ballerina. Noah showed me how to plie, it’s super fun.”

“You can be anything you want. We’ll pick up a ballerina costume for you tomorrow.” Kim checked her phone, realising it was Halloween the next day.

“I wasn’t gonna ask but then Jesse asked what I was gonna be cause she said Uncle Sonny’s gonna help her be a witch and Billie’s gonna be a bunny and Noah’s gonna be a ghost and they want me to come too. Noah said I’m good at dancing! He does classes.”

“That’s so cool. When we get home we can look at some classes for you if you like?”

“Sure.”

That night they spent watching TV with Makayla, eventually putting her in her bed in the other part of the hotel room. They lay in bed, listening and hearing complete silence.

“It’s the longest she’s been without a terror ever,” Kim murmured in Adam’s arms as the clock hit midnight. She rarely got them after she was in a deep sleep, it was only ever when she started to go asleep.

“I think this was good for her. We’ll need to organise FaceTime with everyone so she can stay in touch with Jesse and Noah. Seeing her make friends so easily was so sweet.” Adam just tightened his arms around Kim, holding her close. Their family was safe and happy, and it was what they needed.

The next morning involved Kim kissing Adam and Makayla goodbye as she went to find a halloween costume for her daughter, while Adam brought her to Amanda’s apartment. It was the third store she went to, but she found a costume at last in her size, a pink leotard and poofy tutu. Pink tights and a pair of flats from a Target completed it. Kim arrived back at the precinct just in time, a look on Fin’s face at the bag in her hand.

“We forgot it’s Halloween, we were supposed to be going home this morning. Hotel’s been extended and flights are now open ended, but we didn’t want Makayla to miss trick or treating, it’s her first Halloween with us.”

“I’ll take her around.” Kim turned to see Kat offering. “I already offered to take the other kids, she can come too. Every unit in the building has candy for cop’s kids, the kids come around, trick or treat, everyone knows they’re safe. I can put them in the break room then. Sound good?”

“You are amazing.”

They got a hit on the DNA profile, and Kim watched Adam and Fin break their suspect, getting a confession. She was so proud of her boyfriend holding his own with the experienced sergeant, and Olivia looked over at her.

“Hank will kill me, but if the two of you want to move to New York there’s a spot here for both of you. I’ve lost a couple of people in the last few months, and Kat just announced she’s leaving NYPD.” The mention of her sergeant sent a shiver through Kim’s spine, the memory of the betrayal, of the way she felt when he casually told her Walton was dead cutting through her. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, no, you didn’t. I just…we’ve got Mak to think of. If it was just Adam and I we’d jump at it, but she comes first. I’ve been thinking of leaving Intelligence anyway.” It was the first time she’d said it to someone who wasn’t Adam, but Olivia just nodded.

“After what happened I don’t blame you. Hank’s a friend of mine, but his leadership can be tough to deal with. But I do mean it, I’d love to see both of you in SVU. I’ll say it to Adam as well.”

“Thanks, Olivia.”

“Call me Liv. And even if you decide to stay in Chicago, Noah said he wants to FaceTime Makayla. She’s like the bridge between him and Jesse, able to help them get along easier.”

Kim could tell when Liv gave Adam the offer, his face taking on the same cast hers had. They’d discussed both leaving Intelligence, but they knew he’d be straight into Patrol. Kim might find a unit, but they’d probably both be on Patrol, and neither wanted to do it in a different precinct. But if they left, they couldn’t stay in the 21st. It was a catch-22 for both of them.

Before she could get too maudlin about her complicated feelings about her sergeant, the squad room became a riot of noise as four children bounded in, three nearly dressed for Halloween but one jumping with excitement. Sonny was ushering them in, holding a bunny onesie clad Billie in his arms, a rabbit ear hairband in her blonde curls.

“Kim! Did you get it?” Makayla asked, Kim holding up the bag and bringing her to the restroom to change. It didn’t take long and she was all set, twirling in her costume.

“You look so pretty,” Kim said, trying not to cry. When she’d fostered Makayla, when she’d said she wanted to adopt her, it had all nearly been lost. She didn’t know if she’d get this before. She thought she’d lose her family, but now she had everything she could have dreamed of. And she knew they were safe. It was so much more than she could have imagined.

When they exited the restroom Adam was there, taking photos of her on his phone. Makayla grinned, posing with her friends. Jesse’s face was coated in green face paint that Kim didn’t envy Amanda having to clean that night, Noah in a bedsheet with eyeholes cut out. Kat rounded up her troops, directing them to the elevator with their baskets to collect candy as the other adults finished filling out reports.

When they came back half an hour later they were weighed down by too much candy, grins on all faces as they were led to the break room to play and relax. Makayla was nearly asleep by the time they left, Adam carrying her as Kim carried her candy. They were flying back home the following afternoon, and still had everything to think about. But they laid her in bed with her platypus, watching her curl up with it and sleep soundly before going to their own room.

“Liv asked you what she asked me?” Kim said as she put her tank top on, Adam’s hands reaching for her waist as she did.

“Yeah. And if it wasn’t for Mak I’d take it in an instant. But she’s lost so much, can we take her from Chicago too?” Kim leaned back into him, looking at the two of them in the mirror. It had been nearly a decade since they’d met, and their faces showed the passage of time. But she’d loved Adam for nearly a third of her life, and she knew she was going to love him for the rest of it.

“That’s my thoughts. A vacation, yeah, fine. But I don’t know if taking her away from Chicago is a good thing. I don’t know if I can stay there much longer. Every time I think about it, about what he hid. I don’t regret their actions for a minute and I can’t, he threatened our daughter. But they lied to my face and said he was still out there. I told him about my diagnosis. They wanted me out of the field. If I’d known…Adam how am I supposed to trust him again? Hailey and Jay, it hurts but they followed his lead. That I can forgive in time. They didn’t know how bad it was. But he knew. He knew I’d begged for my life for Makayla. He knew Walton had threatened her. And he said nothing. He acts like we’re family but he let me hurt for so long.”

“I know, Darlin’, I know. I wish I could change it but I can’t, and I’m sorry. I love you, if I could fix this I would.”

“I know you would. And I love you too. You and me and Makayla, we’re a family. We’re each other’s people. And we’re always going to have each other, right?”

“Yes. I’m not going anywhere, Kim.” She turned in his arms to kiss him, and even with her thoughts worried about work and Chicago and seeing everyone, when she jumped Adam caught her, the same way he always had and would.

Watching Makayla say goodbye to her new friends was nearly physically painful for Kim. There was tears between Makayla and Jesse as they hugged.

“I promise I’m gonna get Kim to get me a card for your birthday. Pinkie promise.” The two girls did one before one final hug. Even Noah hugged her, Billie unsure what was happening but joining in the hugs. Kim and Adam said their goodbyes before getting in the cab to the airport.

This time instead of excitement about being on the plane, Makayla was quiet. Kevin picked them up from the airport and she gave him a hug, but they both noticed the change in her immediately. And that night, just after she went to bed, Makayla had her first night terror in months.

The week progressed with one every night, and it was sitting on the couch waiting for another scream that Kim said what she knew she and Adam had been thinking.

“I think we need to leave Chicago. She hasn’t been ok since we got back. She’s back in her shell, her terrors are back. We can’t let her be hurt like that.”

“Will you call Liv in the morning? Find out if the offer is still there, and if it is we’ll tell Voight we’re transferring.”

The next morning they got Makayla to school, smiles and the thoughts of a FaceTime with Jesse after school making her get up. They watched her walk into the school alone, still unsure, and it hit Kim that it was right. She needed it. Makayla needed it. And away from Chicago Bob couldn't haunt their thoughts anymore. It was right. So she pulled up the number in her cell, hitting dial and putting it on speaker.

“Benson.”

“Liv, it’s Kim Burgess. Adam and I were wondering, is your offer for a transfer still available? We think New York could be a good move for us, if it is we’re telling Voight today.”

“Yes. Definitely, we’d be glad to have you. Is Thanksgiving enough time for you to move?” It’d be tight, but they could do it.

“Yeah. Could you send on details about schools so we can sort things out for Makayla? And are we clear to tell Hank today?”

“Do. I told him I’d offered the two of you jobs. I’ll send the details through.”

It was a quick drive to the precinct, the two looking at each other before they got out of the jeep.

“We’re really doing this, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, we are.” Adam took her hand. “I think this is right. We can’t stay up there, and this week proved that Makayla needs away from here too.”

They stepped out and locked the car, heading up the back stairs. Voight’s office door was open and the two stepped in, closing the door behind them.

“How’re you both doing?” Voight asked, and Kim could feel her throat narrow. Being in the same room as him was hard. Every time she was she was filled with the memory of telling him about her diagnosis, that Walton being out there made it worse. But she didn’t need to speak, Adam did it for her.

“We wanted to let you know that we’re transferring out of CPD by Thanksgiving. Captain Benson in SVU offered us jobs with her, and we’ve accepted. Makayla needs out of Chicago, she needs to be safe and cared for. Since coming back she’s not ok, her nightmares are worse. We need to make sure our daughter is safe.” She appreciated every we and our, the proof that they were a team. They were a team and they loved each other and they were a family.

“She told me you didn’t accept the offer.”

“We called this morning to accept it. Makayla comes first.” Her voice was low, but speaking made Kim feel able to do it. “I can’t be somewhere where I don’t trust my Sarge, and Makayla needs out of Chicago. Two birds, one stone.”

“Burgess…you know it was—“

“I don’t want to hear it. You didn’t need to tell me, you could have told me I was safe. I’d have believed you. But I was in fear for six months because he knew I have a daughter. At least there she’s safe.”

“Whatever you need. I won’t stand in the way.”

Their transfers were announced that afternoon, after they’d cornered Kevin to let him know. He didn’t want them to leave but accepted it, hugging them both and making them promise to visit. Trudy hugged Kim, holding her close and telling her just how proud she was of the cop and mother she’d become. It was the one moment that nearly made Kim regret it.

The last two weeks of being in Intelligence involved the two staying back, running up leads and checking everything out. They were training their replacements, the two taking to the job easily.

The final day as Chicago Police Officers they left their badges on their desks as they walked down the stairs again, the familiar metal gate shutting behind them for the last time. There were drinks organised at Molly’s, Platt insisting they spend time at her bar one last time.

The five who had worked together for five years shared a table, clinking glasses and laughing. Kim cried hugging Kevin goodbye, Adam doing the same. He was the one person they’d both miss in Chicago, but they would never blame him for staying. They hugged Jay and Hailey, Hailey holding Kim close for a moment.

“I know I don’t deserve forgiveness, but I am sorry, Kim. I shouldn’t have done that to you.”

Kim looked into the blonde’s eyes, nodding once. “I forgive you. I know it’s not your fault.” It was a weight off her shoulders as they walked out of the bar hand in hand, hugs to their friends from 51 and Med as they left.

Voight was standing outside, and they nearly ran into him.

“Good luck in New York, both of you. And if you ever want to come back you’re always welcome.” Kim didn’t know what to say, but Adam squeezed her hand before speaking.

“With all due respect, of which there is absolutely none, I can safely say that if we ever come back to Chicago we won’t tell you. You were like a dad to me. You comforted me when Kim was on the vent, you told me that if I had to I could make the difficult decisions. You told me the FBI would find Walton. And you lied to my face about it. You made Kim’s situation even more difficult than it had to be. So I’m sorry, Voight, but I don’t want to ever see you again. I can forgive a lot, but I can’t forgive this.”

Voight looked at her, and Kim shook her head.

“I was begging for you to give me some clue that I could be safe. You gave me nothing. I told you he knew about our daughter, and you said nothing. I can’t forgive it. You never had to say what happened, you just had to tell us that I was safe. We’re smart people. But we’re done.”

They turned and walked away to the parking lot to go back to the apartment for the last night there.

Makayla was excited about moving, her and Jesse having regular online movie nights together. The morning of their flights she was jumping around, grinning. She was back to the girl they’d gotten a glimpse of in New York, and they couldn’t wait to see her grow more and more.

Kim had the bag filled with the papers they’d need to prove Makayla’s adoption but it wasn’t needed as they got onto the plane. Adam had one surprise for them, he’d upgraded their tickets to first class for the two hour flight. They sat in the fancy seats, Makayla grinning with her orange juice in her hand as they took off and landed.

The biggest surprise for all three was the sign for the “Burgess-Ruzeks” that was there, Sonny, Amanda, Jesse, and Billie waving.

“MAKAYLA!” Jesse yelled, running down the arrivals corridor, the two girls hugging and linking arms to come back. There were hugs among the adults, grateful reminders that this was right and good.

It took two weeks to find an apartment they could live in, moving in nearly immediately. Makayla got settled in school, having Jesse the grade below her reminding her there was someone there. And Kim found herself thriving, learning every day. She and Adam had disclosed their relationship from the start, she was partnered with Fin who taught her the ins and outs of NYPD politics and drama, showing her how to keep going with it all.

They’d been in New York for three months when Adam got down on one knee to ask Kim to marry him, at the spot in Central Park that Carisi had called them away from. Makayla was grinning as he did, her secret finally revealed. But she grinned even wider when Adam showed her the earrings he’d gotten her that matched Kim’s ring.

“I want to marry Kim, but I know marrying that means I’m always gonna have you around. And I want to prove that I want to be there. Is that ok with you?” He asked her, her hug immediate.

“I love you, Adam. And I love Kim and I love New York. Thank you.”

They walked out hand in hand, their daughter swinging between them as they did. They were free from their demons, free from the ghosts that plagued so many Chicago streets. Their lives weren’t easy, weren’t simple, but it was what they chose to be.

Taglist: @aruzlover @amandarrollins @morganupstead @adamruz @fullwattpadmusictree @redpoodlern @everythingaddictxx @write4life13 @lizlouisebrown @jeanjacketjesus @tuxieboy101-blog @thelittlepterophyllum @planecrazylex @sophiatellerrhodes @eternal-olicity @ossypooh @dissociation-writes @kimburgess-ruzek @thestarrynightslover @reidskitty13 @etamne @torreshalstead @itsnotpersonalbut @leymr @kellykidd @dedlund82 @pinkwhitebrown @mmacke3613 @sylvieshay @upsteadlovingheart @ittybitty-tittycommittee @thatoneblog3467 @bila1011 @multicouple-lover @burzekschicago @keenmarvellover @milfdeacon

#storiesofsvufallbingo #burzek #rollisi #kim burgess x adam ruzek #adam ruzek x kim burgess #kim x adam #adam x kim #kim burgess #adam ruzek #makayla ward burgess

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bleedinghearthalstead · 4 years

Text

SWAT!Jay / Upstead AU

A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH everyone for your lovely comments to my first fic, I’ve been overwhelmed by your positive feedback. That said, it has inspired me to write another one-shot. I will also crosspost these on AO3. Enjoy!

When his wandering eyes land on the front desk, he sees that the desk sergeant is giving him a look. A look that says, "don't you dare give me any trouble". Walking up to the desk, he gives her a friendly smile that slowly but surely morphs into a frown. She's squinting at him, looking him up and down, and granted, it doesn't look great.

With both of their schedules being terribly unpredictable, Hailey and Jay can go a whole week without seeing each other outside of their marital bed, one or the other having to sneak into their home in the middle of the night. So when Jay is given the afternoon off because his commanding officer is planning on adding a new sniper to their rotation and Hailey texts him that they just wrapped the case they have been working on for the last week or so, he decides to pick up his wife from the district.

Stepping inside the big double doors and walking up the front stairs, he takes a look around. You wouldn't really call it a beautiful building, but it sure feels like home. Most districts have been modernized and feel sterile and cold – hell, the SWAT base at Homan Square looks like a rundown storage facility–, but the 21st district has its own personality and you can practically feel the history within its walls. When his wandering eyes land on the front desk, he sees that the desk sergeant is giving him a look. A look that says, "don't you dare give me any trouble".

Walking up to the desk, he gives her a friendly smile that slowly but surely morphs into a frown. She's squinting at him, looking him up and down, and granted, it doesn't look great. Not really thinking about where he was going to go (well, technically, he is on his way home), he had changed into black basketball shorts and a Tool band t-shirt, his baseball cap on backwards. Looking down at his shirt, he realizes he does look like a bit of a tool.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"You must be Sergeant Platt." The minute eye twitch is the only tell that she is surprised he knows her name. She remains visibly unimpressed otherwise – she is wearing a name tag, so that wasn't very hard to figure out.

"Do I know you?"

"No, but I've heard stories about you," he says, conspiratorially leaning in closer.

"Oh is that so?" She narrows her eyes at him. "And who did you hear those stories from?"

"My cell mate at Stateville only had lovely things to say about you." He winks at her. There's that eye twitch again, which Jay counts as a personal victory. Just when he thinks that the woman is going to leap over the desk and/or shoot him, there's a buzzing sound to his right and Hailey is standing at the top of the stairs that go up to Intelligence, looking surprised to see Jay.

"What are you doing here?"

When he sees the sergeant's hand moving towards her hip, Jay throws his hands up. "Hey, babe!" Platt's eyebrows shoot up. His voice comes out slightly higher than usual. "I'm here to pick you up, didn't you see my text?"

Hailey glances between Jay and Trudy, Jay with his hands up and Trudy's hand hovering over her holster, and her eyes widen. "Jay, honey," she says, putting great emphasis on the endearment, "you should've called."

Slowly turning his head from his wife back to the sergeant, Jay carefully lowers his hands while maintaining eye contact, watching Trudy do the same. Ceasefire accomplished. Hailey comes down the rest of the way and goes right up to Jay, standing up on her tiptoes to give him a quick peck on the lips.

"Hey, babe," he repeats, this time softer – definitely less panicky and high-pitched.

"Hey, babe," Hailey parrots and gives him a coy smile, then turns to Trudy. "Trudy, this is my husband Jay." Trudy is still glaring at him, but at least she has taken a mental step back from shooting this man on the spot.

She raises an eyebrow at Hailey. "So Mr. Upton here is quite the comedian, huh?" Hailey in turn raises her eyes at the ceiling, asking whatever deity is willing to listen what the hell her husband has done this time.

"It's Halstead, actually," Jay interjects, "and yeah, it runs in the family, my brother's a total clown." Trudy waits for him to elaborate, but he doesn't.

Hailey rolls her eyes at him, ignoring the last part of his answer. "We were both too stubborn to change our names."

"And there were so many forms." Her husband shakes his head.

Trudy only nods. "Well, I hope you were joking about prison." Jay snorts and Hailey cusses him out under her breath.

"Sorry about that, I couldn't resist." He gives her a bashful smile. "Hailey said you were solid, so no hard feelings, right?" He reaches out his hand and after a second's hesitation Trudy reluctantly shakes it.

"Good to finally meet you, Mr. Halstead," Trudy says while pointedly looking at Hailey.

"Same here." He nudges Hailey in the side. "Shall we?"

"Let me just grab my stuff from upstairs." Hailey hesitates though, seemingly reluctant to leave her husband with Trudy, thinking of the absolutely idiotic things he could and probably would say if left to his own devices.

"Go on then." He shoos her away, then winks at her. "I'll be just fine here with Trudy." Hailey gives him a look telling him to behave himself, then excuses herself and hurries off, trying to give them as little time as possible to rip each others' throats out.

Once the metal gate closes behind Hailey with a clank, Jay leans his elbows on the front desk and gives Trudy a mischievous smile. "So what's the hot goss at the 21st?" Before Trudy is tempted to crack him over the head with the wooden clipboard she is currently holding, a voice next to them startles them both. Not that anyone would've noticed, both of their poker faces immaculate.

"Hey man, what are you doing here?" A patrol officer who has just walked up to the desk is beaming at Jay.

"What's up, buddy?" They shake hands, then Jay points his thumb over his shoulder to the gate that Hailey disappeared through a minute ago. "Just picking up Hails."

The officer hands a bunch of keys over to Trudy, who makes him sign a sheet. "Well, good to see you. I'll see you at the next game?"

"Yeah, man. Say hi to Jenny and the kids for me."

"Will do. See ya, man."

As the two men say their goodbyes, Jay has his back turned to Trudy, who catches a glimpse of the patch on Jay's baseball cap. "SWAT, huh?"

Jay swivels back to Trudy, a confused look on his face. Talk about an unexpected change of topic. At his reaction, Trudy motions at the top of Jay's head, whose mouth forms an 'oh' in realization. He reaches up and turns the visor of the cap to the front, the olive green SWAT patch now on full display. "Oh yeah," he chuckles. "Cat's outta the bag, I guess."

"So it's Officer Halstead, to be correct." It's not even a question, the way Trudy says it.

"Yes, ma'am." And if Jay stands up a little straighter, then that's a total coincidence.

Now that Trudy thinks about it, she does know the man standing before her. Well, knowing him is a bit of a stretch, but a long time ago she heard a story from an old friend of hers at the police academy, how a baby-faced recruit named Halstead tore through basic recruit training like it was a fun day at a children's playground, even showing up the instructors at firearms training. When SWAT got wind of the ex-army sniper, they started grooming him for an assignment with them before he was even out of the academy and even though he still had to go through his probationary period and had to serve three years before he could be officially considered for SWAT. If Trudy remembers correctly, he was occasionally allowed to join SWAT training cycles before he was permanently assigned.

Combining his track record with Hailey's meritorious promotion to detective, they are one hell of a force to reckon with. Trudy is actually impressed. She has to admit that she did misjudge him based on his albeit sloppy attire. Guess you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

Before long, Hailey comes bounding down the stairs again, carrying a large gym bag that Jay wordlessly takes from her as soon as she stops next to him, slinging the bright purple bag over his shoulder. "All good?" She skeptically looks between Trudy and Jay.

"Yeah, we're good." Jay smirks. "Right, Trudy?"

Trudy hums. "Quit while you're ahead, Officer Halstead." With that, Trudy goes back to the report she was working on before Jay waltzed into the district.

Glad that no heads started rolling while she was away, Hailey waves goodbye at Trudy before Jay has the chance to make another retort. Jay takes Hailey's hand in his and they walk to the doors.

"Oh, one more thing," Trudy calls after them, not even looking up, "approved."

Hailey frowns at Jay, who is sporting a suspiciously smug grin on his face. He doesn't say anything though, just tries to lead his wife outside. The corner of Trudy's mouth turns up in a half-smile when she watches the younger woman slap her husband's arm and hisses "what!?" at him. The older woman can only wonder what juggling married life between those two elite units looks like, when even she and Mouch barely see each other with their more moderate schedules.

* * * * *

They are driving home in Jay's jeep and heavy metal is blaring over the speakers, but Hailey's detective side needs know what happened. She turns down the volume and turns to Jay who is drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "What did you say to her?" Hailey looks at her husband, who still has the biggest grin on his face.

"Nothing, I swear."

"Did you bribe her!?" Hailey exclaims.

"What!?"

"What did she mean 'approved'? You made some deal with her?" Jay just bursts out laughing. "This isn't funny! Sergeant Trudy Platt doesn't just say 'approved'."

He purses his lips, trying to suppress his laugh. "She figured out I was SWAT, but she didn't really say anything else and then you were back already."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, you're still the only one with the childhood connection to her…" He pauses, then scrunches up his nose. "Unless I missed something." Hailey swears her husband isn't usually this obtuse.

"Alright, fine," she huffs.

When they stop at a red light, he turns to her, his expression solemn. "Babe." He lays his hand on her knee and rubs his thumb over it. "You're cute when you freak out."

"Shut up." Jay's grin is back at full force and Hailey can't help but grin back. He leans over to kiss her on the cheek before the light turns green.

"I'll try to be less embarrassing next time," he promises, then adds, "love you."

Hailey takes the hand on her knee and entwines their fingers. "Love you, too."

#upstead #jay halstead #hailey upton #chicago pd #swat!jay au #in case anyone was wondering #i like to believe married!jay is way more chill and goofy and less angsty than the version we know #don't get me wrong he still is a total killer badass but he also has killer jokes ba dum tss #also that is an actual tool shirt and i am laughing way too hard at this #bhhfic #watch me never write any swat action

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curious-minx · 3 years

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Bob’s Burgers most reliable holiday provides another lowkey enjoyable, but messy episode. Whereas the latest Simpsons strikes a really sore vocal node.

The second holiday episode of Bob’s Burgers’ 11th season, much like the previous Halloween episode, this one also fails to live up to the series’ even higher Thanksgiving standard

That’s not to say “Diarrhea of a Poopy Kid” is not a good episode, but it does fall into the category of Bob’s Burgers episode I typically respond to the least: Character-based storytelling vignettes. The writing on these segment driven episodes tend to be looser and playful bending the show’s reality, but much like every time the other Fox family leaves the Springfield plane of reality into a pastiche styled playground for the writers to plug the characters into.

The overall animation and visual-based gags on this episode offers some of the best moments of the season and series in general. Having the Belcher stories revolve around action movie pastiches of 90’s action movie schlock like Air Force Once, Armageddon, and late 80’s Predator are extremely punny and really grasping hard for satire. The walk to Louise’s Breadator is succinct and makes total sense for Louise’s character to tell this kind of story, whereas Tina drawing inspiration from Air Force One for her story sags the episode down. This episode also has the gall to bring in Gayle, a character that usually elevates all of her episodes nothing much to do until the third and best segment told by Bob. Teddie is also frustratingly nowhere to be seen and Teddie is one of those characters that really only needs a small scene explaining away his absence like in the episode “Gayle Makin’ Bob Sled,” which Variety and I consider to be among the best of Bob’s Thanksgiving episodes.

Nitpicks and reminiscing on past glories aside, what’s most impressive about an episode as conceptual and overstuffed as this one, an episode that’s also poopy and gross-out from the very beginning, still manages to pack undeniable heart. Seeing a character as relatable and sad sack-y as Bob Belcher be passionate about his one favorite holiday reminds me of the everlasting and evergreen Ray Bradbury remark about how everyone is capable of writing poetry as long as you ask them to talk about something they are truly passionate about. Seeing how this episode climax revolves around Gene and Bob’s love of food and proves a powerful sentimental moment. Bob’s Burgers sentimentality works because the show’s core is silly absurdism, light and fluffy gross out gags and quirky twee-ness. Introducing the action movie element feels like the series trying to branch out its audience and try to catch some eyeballs of viewers looking for something more like Archer, American Dad, Rick and Morty, or even Treehouse of Horror style genre exercises. Bob’s Burgers and action comedy feels like putting garlic pesto on cinnamon toast, but Ryan Reynolds doesn’t think so.

Yes, that’s right. The biggest news out of the Bob’s Burgers camp…probably ever…is that the Molyneux sisters, the writers of this very action packed episode, have been hand selected by Mr. Detective “VanWilder” Pickachu himself to be head writers on the upcoming third Deadpool movie. Seeing that we live in a post Russo brothers world and how Dan Harmon was conscripted to punch up Doctor Strange scripts none of this should really surprise me, but I am still very much surprised by this development. The Deadpool 3 creative team and Reynolds is still promising to deliver an R-Rated Comedy, a rating and promise that is very much why Deadpool is the sensation that it is.

In the current media landscape the only way a big budget R-Rated comedy can get made is if it’s attached to something like a mega superhero sized brand. At this point in time Deadpool is the closest thing kids have to a Mel or Al Brooks and it is what it is. If anything Ryan Reynolds personally choosing the Molyneux sisters for a project like this makes me like Ryan Reynolds a little bit more. And he’s a man I previously had no real feelings or opinions about. The only other thing about Deadpool I know about is that the franchise has developed a particularly shitty reputation in terms of its treatment of main female characters and literally freezing them out of the plot. The future of comedy is being driven by the significant increase of women gaining these kind of writing gigs and it’s a beautiful thing to finally see witness. Especially when a company like Netflix has been really shitty to both of its own female driven comedies: Glow and Tucca and Bertie.

Sigh. I am thankful for all the sad little boys and girls wearing too much or maybe the right amount of eye shadow that will inherit this flaming Earth.

Three and half pear shaped pals out of an Oedipus Rex Complex.

////

Nerds! Nothing but a lousy rotten sniveling dweeb! You dorkus-rex! You body pillow huffing geek get over here and let the Simpsons set some things straight for you: A Comic Book Guy driven episode of the Simpsons is often where the show goes off the rails. The Comic Book Guy marriage episode is was one of those late day Simpsons that feel like a bad piece of dreamed up fan fiction that you found on the cutting room floor. Is the show interested at all with the fact that comics and being nerdy have become as mainstream as the Bible? No? They’re still treating geek culture as some sort of low hanging piñata fruit lousy with cheap references in place of actual jokes? Good! I don’t know why I would ever allow myself to think for a second that the Simpsons would challenge its own status quo 32 seasons in, but I keep coming back.

What I should really do is back up. The title of this episode is “Three Dreams Denied.” Ah, Dream Denial! That’s exactly what anyone watching an animated sitcom hopes for: dreams being crushed. This isn’t some kiddy Davy and Goliath feel good wholesome fable, this is the Simpsons where characters are given dreams, and those dreams get denied. The next part of the title I want to break down is the fact that there are specifically three dreams that being denied. Three! That’s a comedy number! As long as you have three of anything you’re doing comedy. Plain and simple.

During the Robert Zemeicks arc of the Blank Check podcast Griffin Newman, co-host and comedian extraordinaire and someone I generally admire a lot, has been bringing up the fact that he’s been spending a lot of his Quarantine rewatching the entirety of the Simpsons. By the episode of Used Cars Newman has already gotten past the Movie era and is in the 20th seasons. One observation he made about later day Simpsons is that these episodes have a tendency to end abruptly on a pile of unusable and reality bending plots still in the process of tying themselves up. And there’s no better/worse example of this than this episode.

Comic Book Guy goes to a comic book convention. Bart becomes a voice actor after befriending the comic book guy’s temporary replacement. Lisa feuds over her saxophone chair in the school orchestra with a new pretty boy voiced by the underwhelming Ben Platt. One of these plots is not like the other. This used to be the signature of a quality Simpsons episode that managed to tweak and divert expectations from the typical A & B sitcom storylines. This episode fundamentally fails to deliver on any of the three storylines and what makes it worse is that it’s an intentional choice.

Now I know I have spent this review harping on Comic Book Guy, but he’s not even why this episode for me is such an abomination. And it’s not because the cutesy, flimsy Lisa subplot either (although I do find it noxiously amusing that a week after an Yeardely Smith took issue with the Queer Interpretation of Lisa would feature her going moony eyed over a boy voiced by a defiantly queer actor), no, what tips this episode into the territory of the truly terrible for me is the Bart becomes a voice actor subplot.

The only defining quality of season 32 that I can discern is that the flagrant trolling on behalf of the writers. Can you believe we had three vignette driven episodes of the Simpsons in a row? Can you believe we would have meta reality breaking voice actor related moments back to back? When Lisa Simpson’s voice actor Yeardley Smith voiced the real world character of herself in the previous Podcast based episode it was clumsy and awkward as hell. Having Bart become a voice actor that ends up voicing a character of the opposite gender is the sort of kind of a funny thing that resembles a joke that the latter day Simpsons revel in. The characterization of voice acting work in this episode is downright insulting and explains exactly why this show suffers.

The character of Phil that serves as the Comic Book Guy’s replacement is a working voice actor. He let’s Bart know this by doing a series of completely basic, broad and unremarkable impersonations that Bart is seemingly impressed by. All you have to do to become a successful voice actor is do a silly voice and you’re golden. Maybe from the perspective of a series as lazy and indulgent as the Simpsons is when it comes to voice acting. The complete denial of Julie Kavner’s deteriorating voice that at this point sounds like gentle elder abuse. There are times when Kavner is downright incomprehensible at times. The other oldest member of the Simpsons voice talent, Harry Shearer was wrongheadedly trying to defend his right to voice Characters of Colors because in his words, “the job of the voice actor is to play someone who they’re not.” Obviously these words were not spoken by someone that thinks very highly of acting either. There is no one job an actor has to do, because the job of an actor is always changing from job to job. The character of Phil is not even attributed to anyone! I have spent over thirty minutes getting testy with IMDB search engines and reading another website’s recap and no one can tell me who did the voice of the Voice Acting Character on Simpsons. Lovely.

Much like the Comic Book Guy the Simpsons heart is in bad shape. This is a show whose entire existence seems to be made out of spite. Or to garner enough funds for Matt Groening to prevent him from ever having to serve any prison time for his exploits on the Lolita express. Great, see I’m bringing up the Lolita Express at the end of a Simpsons review. This episode really left me in a bad mood, but thankfully that’s what Bob’s Burgers is for.

SKIP. The only people that should watch this are people teaching a screenwriting class that need examples of what happens when you break your episode by haphazardly shoving three plots into one episode. If you can’t tie up one story in a satisfying manner then you really shouldn’t be telling a story at all. There’s also one really magnificent visual joke involving Homer and beer tea that is absolutely wasted on this episode.

#Bob's Burgers #Deadpool #MCU #2021 #TV series #TV review #TV #The Simpsons #voice artist #voice acting #rant

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jinxthequeergirl · 5 years

Text

Songs from my playlist to base fics on

~~~~~~~~

Fluff:

First date- blink-182

She looked so perfect- 5 seconds of summer

Grow as we go- Ben platt

11:11- waterparks

Tear in my heart- 21 pilots

Love like winter- AFI

Last of the real ones- fallout boy

Still into you- paramore

Bones- the killers

Lucky people- waterparks

Happy together- the turtles

Please never fall in love again- Ollie MN

Easies my mind- Ben platt

Come out and play- billy eillish

Smile like you mean it- the killers

Roller coster- blink-182

Change your mind- the killers

Shape of my heart- backstreet boys

Bigger- backstreet boys

Extraordinary girl- greenday

Dustland fairytale- the killers

Strang love- simple creaters

Sidelins- wallows

Untangled love- Brandon flowers

Angst:

Dustland fairytale- the killers

Always- blink-182

Miss atomic bomb- the killers

Like to be you- Shawn Mendes

Too good at goodbye- San Smith

Blow me (one last kiss) - pink

Ohio is for lovers- hawthorn hights

When the parts over- billy willing

Bad habit- Ben platt

Read my mind- the killers

Wake me up when September ends- green Day

Between me and you- Brandon flowers

When you where young- the killers

House of memories- panic at the disco

Please never fall in love again-Ollie MN

Nicoten-panic at the disco

I miss you- blink-182

Are you bored yet?- wallows

Never get you right- Brandon flowers

Beautiful trama- pink

Unwell- matchbox twenty

Without me- halsey

Others/ideas for series:

-Serise

Leave the burban on the shelf/ midnight show/ jenny was a friend of mine - the killers (murder or obsession/ in that order)

Me.Brightside miss atomic bomb- the killers (in that order/ tragic romance)

New prespective- panic at the disco (based on Jennifer's body)

Dustland fairytale- the killers ( base on video)

-Other

Lonely town- Brandon flowers

Ready to go- panic at the disco

Sympathy for the devil- rolling stones

The adventure- angels and airwaves

Wilson- fall out boy

Beliver- imagin dragons

My blood- 21 pilots

Sex and candy-Marcy playground

Welcome to my life- simple plan

My hero- foo fighters

Wonderful-everclear

Musicals:

Fluff:

Light my candle- rent

I'll cover you- rent

If I could tell her- dear evan Hansen

Only us- dear evan Hansen

All I ask of you- the phantom of the opera

Two player game- be more chill

Helpless- Hamilton

Guy that I'd kinda be into- be more chill

Voices in my head- be more chill

Seasons of love- rent

As long as your mine- wicked

Quiet uptown- Hamilton

I should tell you- rent

Angst:

Almost everything from Hamilton

Good for you- dear evan Hansen

Not that girl- wicked

No good deed- wicked

Take me or leave me-rent

I'll cover you (reprise)- rent

Reqium- dear evan Hansen

Michael in the bathroom- be more chill

Disaper- dear evan Hansen

Words fail- dear evan Hansen

Good bye love- rent

Feel free to send in requests with these!

#writing promt #writing #otp prompts #dialogue prompts #playlist prompt

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bipercabeth · 5 years

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i love love loved your breakdown of Lover & i agree with so many aspects of it!! my favs are lover, paper rings, and cruel summer. the album makes me go absolutely feral at some of the lyrics and it’s so lovey dovey my heart can’t handle!! i was wondering what other artists or albums you really like???

oh man you have no idea what you signed up for with this question. i am taking this ask as an excuse to go fully music nerd up in here and i am doing so with no regrets. i’m gonna start with artists because there are a lot that i love that i can’t just pick one album or even a favorite.

frank turner - i literally have a tattoo of his be more kind album art on my arm. he’s got an insanely diverse discography while still staying true to his punk rock roots and i think his evolution as an artist is so admirable. i’ve gone to a songwriting workshop he ran and it was the most eye opening experience. in may i went to his music festival in boston (lost evenings, look it up! he headlines every night, puts together a setlist of his favorite musicians, etc. it’s amazing) and it literally changed my life. every song of his has a point, and every single word drives that point home. his albums aren’t necessarily concept albums, but they’re all thematic and the songs drive home the point of the album as well. when i look at my playlist of favorite songs, his name pops up the most.

bleachers - we knew this was coming. if u have looked at a single one of my posts about music, they always come back to bleachers, specifically dream of mickey mantle. jack antonoff is an incredible songwriter, performer, and producer. i can listen to a track and tell you if he worked on it. i am so ride or die for this man. bleachers has a unique style that i really can’t put my finger on with the exception of their heavy use of synths. seeing their set at riotfest was one of the highlights of whole ass life. their lyrics are sneakily profound, they don’t always hit you upon first listen. jack antonoff has absolutely mastered the art of simple songwriting and how to make the simplest lyrics absolute gut punches.

okay i’m putting the rest under the cut bc i have a lot to say

julien baker - when people ask me to describe my music taste, i usually opt for saying “sad ladies with guitars” and that’s largely due to julien baker’s impact. she is unafraid in her exploration of her own suffering mental health, and it’s absolutely devastating, but it’s also so comforting. it’s the type of sad that tells you you’re not alone in your struggles, and i think that’s where her power is. it’s expression of her struggles without romanticizing them, and i think that’s incredibly important.

will varley - i got into him when he opened for the first frank turner show i went to and absolutely fell in love. best songwriter i have ever heard hands down. i need to give a few examples of my favorites because i do not have the words to describe his talent and do it justice. “Birth, death, weddings and wars / That's all we are good for / If all of the past was played as a song / Our lives are a beat of the drum” “Well playgrounds look like prisons the day after you leave school / And exes look like angels the day before they fall” “He got so many chains wrapped round his eyes that he cannot see / And he'd rather be blind than to realize he's never been free”. I could go on and on just quoting my favorite lines of his, but he’s so incredibly talented. it’s just him and his guitar onstage, but his albums have more production and instruments. very folk/bluegrass in sound. i would die for him.

albums:

punch // autoheart - this is such an emotionally diverse album, i always know i can find something to match my mood both tonally and lyrically. there are slow, melancholy songs like january and santa fe, bops like anniversary and moscow, hauntingly beautiful and profound songs like agoraphobia, and absolute gut punches like sailor song. i listen to autoheart’s other work, but this album is such a distinct work of art that i find myself gravitating towards it regardless. it’s one of the few albums among my favorites that isn’t a concept and doesn’t have a narrative, but i think that speaks to its strengths.

sister cities // the wonder years - this is the one punk album that everyone i’ve introduced to it has liked regardless of their musical preferences. the lead singer’s vocals are absolutely INSANE (and just as good live) and his capacity for emotion is unparalleled. this album deals with a lot of guilt and baggage over the death of a loved one, and it encompasses every aspect of that on at least one song. it tells a clear story and every line works toward driving home the narrative, but never at the expense of honesty. this is a painfully honest album due to how specific it is, and how that specificity gives it universality. the wonder years also have mastered the artistic use of the word fuck, which i admire. there’s nothing wrong with just throwing fuck in a song for the fuck of it, but they write in a way that the word fuck is necessary to convey the emotion they’re trying to get across. “i drew a line in the sand with these worthless fucking hands,” “It's been over a year now / April turns into May / I barely stopped moving / I've been so fucking afraid,” etc. also i could write a whole essay on the ocean grew hands to hold me, but maybe another day. my favorite song on the album. perfect closer. they close their concerts with it and it’s PERFECT. also dan campbell (lead singer) said this is the song they’ve been trying to write since they started writing music and i cannot express how soft that makes me.

routine maintenance // aaron west & the roaring twenties - the good thing is i don’t have to stop talking about dan campbell! aw&trt is his solo project, two concept albums about a man (aaron) who essentially has the worst two years of his life. the first one (we don’t have each other) covers him losing his dad, his wife miscarrying, and then leaving him. heavy shit. but THIS album is about him getting back on his feet, finding music, and eventually making his way back to his family. i have a soft spot for music about healing, and this hits that spot right on the mark.

after the party // the menzingers - more punk! the menzingers are an incredible band, but i love after the party the most because of the narrative (can u tell i like albums that tell a story?). it’s about aging, nostalgia, and self-improvement, and all are really well done, especially in the song lookers. also mastered the artistic use of fuck (”i will fuck this up, i fucking know it”)

sing to me instead // ben platt - i already made a whole post about this

lover // taylor swift - listen i know i just did a breakdown of this too but it’s my favorite ts album okay

stranger in the alps // phoebe bridgers - similar to julien baker in how achingly sad some of the songs are, but phoebe’s music is just a little inexplicably softer. she explores topics other than mental health too, like toxic relationships, normal breakups, and a few abstract songs from another perspective. the album itself is less of a narrative, but there are common themes throughout it!

#music #anon #iris messages #U ARE MY FAVORITE ANON I HOPE U KNOW THIS #THANK U FOR ENABLING ME THIS WAS SO FUN

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simonaamerica · 4 years

Link

Simona America Industries create products primarily for industries type such as chemical processing, semiconductor equipment manufacturing, outdoor living, food and beverage processing, playground, bathroom partition, retail display and sign, and medical orthotics and prosthetics.

#thermoplastic manufacturers

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cordellarecords-blog · 5 years

Photo

JARED ALEXANDER ABRAMS ☆ TWENTY-FOUR☆ PHOTOGRAPHER

Also Known As: Jared Abrams

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York City, New York

Gender: Cismale

Sexuality: Closeted bisexual

DOB: December 13th

Job on Tour: Photographer

Voiceclaim: Ben Platt

A LITTLE ABOUT...

Jared has always been a quiet kid. He usually kept his head down, his grades up, and stayed out of trouble. That’s not to say he’s a bore; those who become close to him realize just how insightful, funny, and genuine of a person Jared truly is.

Photography started as a hobby when Jared was quite young. It started around his 5th birthday, when his parents bought him an instant camera fit for someone his age (spoiler alert, it was a Barbie camera). But he loved it. Admittedly, his first photos weren’t all that impressive: cut off faces, corners of tables, the dogs rear-end. But as he grew, so did his skill and love for the camera. He loved being able to capture exactly what he saw; a little moment in time that would live on forever.

New York offered him the perfect playground, between the graffiti of the city, street performers, skylines, architecture, and most importantly just New Yorkers themselves, Jared was able to build up a giant portfolio. He started posting his pictures on a blog around the time he was 16, wanting to just see if there was any potential in making this a career.

He came back lucky, getting messages from random magazines or other blogs asking if they could use his pictures. By the time he was 18, word of mouth had spread enough that he had made a nice little name for himself. He started freelancing, working his way from New York, to Chicago, to Memphis, to Dallas, and eventually, by the time he was 23, Los Angeles, with a number of publications under his belt.

He got referred to Cordella Records by a magazine he was working for. He was hesitant at first, especially once he heard about the reality tv part of it all, but the chance to see more of the country called out to him, as well as trying his hand at a new environment. Being that his specialty is candids, Jared likes to stay in the background. He doesn’t want to get in the way of the crew or the acts themselves, both because he doesn’t want to taint the picture, but also because he doesn’t want to screw up anyone else’s job.

While not his main focus, by any means, Jared does sing and write his own songs, and pretty decently. It’s just something he does in his downtime. It’s possible to catch him singing, but if he notices you, he’ll stop immediately. He hates being the center of attention and more importantly, that’s not why he’s here.

#taken #all #takenmale

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playgroundfind · 3 years

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Groundbreaking ceremony is another step toward North Platte Community Build ...

Groundbreaking ceremony is another step toward North Platte Community Build …

It also meant the community-designed project, overseen by Playgrounds by … They hope the playground can be ready for use by mid-October, … more info…

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agane-mc5 · 3 years

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artist statement

The other day my style was described as a “thoughtful randomness”, what I think was really accurate. I like to explore, mix and discover while I am doing the piece as if my ideas came from divine madness (as Plato would say).

But really “WHO AM I?” That is a question that I have made myself a lot at times and this is the best I got so far:

You could say I am Insecure and a little bit obsessive, when I am interest in something have the constant necessity of knowing and learning everything I can find about it (this themes are usually: Ancient Greek and Rome, art history and physics), and also when an idea gets in my head I won’t stop working until I have done it.

And like everyone I have my little eccentricitys like for example don’t call my self an artist nor I call my creations art, because I find the definition of “art” ambiguous and highly subjective which makes it inexact.

I am also a really pragmatic person (I don’t really agree with the “l’art pour l’art” French expression) and I love facts and I deeply appreciate knowledge and the capacity of thinking of the human beings. Moreover I’m am not a really passionate person, and to finish this brief summary of my personality you could call I am a social person even tough I love to be alone with my thoughts and ideas

This (great and not so great) part of myself have shaped my creations, in a way that the knowledge I have acquired is in some metaphorical way a playground where my ideas can grow.

So maybe now you would like to know why do I make my pieces, well here you could say Ben Platt stole my words when he wrote “Someone to quiet the voices in my head and makes to sing to me instead” in my case that “someone” are my little creations, sometimes I use them to express ideas and thought in new ways, other times are a way of “freeing myself” or my thoughts at least, by this I mean when I’m too stress, nervous and overwhelmed drawing and creating helps me focus, breath and think.

On them I like to explore social and scientific paradoxes (or at least the fact that we try to understand illogical things, which leaves a lot of room to creat and elaborate, like for example the Sprites paradox in which the line of small actions and consequences is really thin) , geometry and dualities (mostly when they are opposites and one can’t exist without the other like freedom and limits or good and evil).

Where do I get my inspiration from? My inspiration sources is like a little collage with things from everywhere from Euripedes’s tragedies, to music, to the Doppler effect. I am also inspired of some long and short dead artist like Vermeer’s use of light and darkness, Botticelli’s color and themes , Mondrian’ composition or Malévich’s use of shapes.

To sum up I guess you could say that my creation are a little parts of my likes, dislikes but mostly my thoughts.

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architectnews · 3 years

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University of Central Lancashire highlights ten student architecture projects

A glassmaking studio that also works as a community centre and a creative hub that produces ceramic lamps are featured in Deezen's latest school show by students at the University of Central Lancashire.

The projects, which are all located in Blackpool and explore themes of inequality, sustainability and tourism, also include exhibition spaces and a model-boat workshop.

University of Central Lancashire

School: University of Central Lancashire, Grenfell-Baines Institute of Architecture Course: BSc (Hons) Architecture Tutors: Lee Ivett, Adrian Friend and Eddie Blake

School statement:

"Based at the university's Grenfell-Baines Institute of Architecture, we provide an innovative, creative and critical architectural education that explores the pressing issues of our time from a local and global perspective. This provides a comprehensive grounding in design, theory, history and building technology."

"Post-industrialisation, poverty, sustainability, inequalities, tourism, the relationship between town and country, digital media and emerging technologies are amongst the issues explored in the course. We have an active dedication to enlarging and diversifying participation in the subject and profession of architecture."

Made in Blackpool by Robyn Platt-Lambert

"This building offers a space to learn glassmaking skills and allows artists to promote their work via a shop.

"The proposal offers a community space that engages, educates and empowers. It is a space where artefacts are made and is a place where artists can design, learn and sell their work.

"The project proposes the retention of the external fabric of a derelict series of guesthouses. It introduces a new wooden structural frame into the void of the building as a means to organise the programme in plan and section.

"The introduction of what is new is ambiguously expressed as an architectural language on the building's facade – an approach continued through the reuse of brick and other demolition materials."

Student: Robyn Platt-Lambert Course: BSc (Hons) Architecture Tutors: Lee Ivett and Adrian Friend Email: robynlambert17[at]gmail.com

The Backyard by Ayomini Oredugba

"The project is a space to make, learn and celebrate the memory of 'having a good time in Blackpool'.

"It is a means to empower marginalised communities and bring tourists and residents together while learning about the consequences of a 'good time drinking in Blackpool.'

"The project is an open-plan exhibition space with plinths and a threshold space connecting three streets. It also includes a workshop for producing artefacts on a separate block with manufacturing facilities.

"What makes the programme compelling is how the different areas of the building are physically detached but socially integrated."

Student: Ayomini Oredugba Course: BSc (Hons) Architecture Tutors: Lee Ivett, Adrian Friend and Eddie Blake Email: oayomini[at]yahoo.com

Blackpool Ceramics Studio by Isabella Robinson

"This project explores the existing economic, social and environmental experiences in Blackpool. It aims to provide a design that supports and enhances the lived experience of residents who the area's declining economy has let down.

"A new creative production hub that produces handmade ceramic base lamps is an opportunity for the town to enjoy a facility that promotes sustainable employment opportunities and a connected community.

"The design creates and activates new public spaces that connect newly pedestrianised streets in the town centre. Ceramics are used as a facade across the hub, expressing the programme while referencing Blackpool's traditional architecture."

Student: Isabella Robinson Course: BSc (Hons) Architecture Tutors: Lee Ivett, Adrian Friend and Eddie Blake Email: izzyrobinsonart[at]gmail.com

Blackpool Textile and Print Studio by Ellie Watson

"Watson has developed a personalised screen-printed tote bag. Here, visitors can develop their design and learn the process of sewing and screen printing."

"This project also explores the idea of creating a workshop space for the local children to learn and create. This proposal provides a landscape that includes a playground and additional seating that acts as a middle ground between maker space, pub and residential housing towards the back of the site.

"As well as developing a space that can be used for teaching, the site also has direct access to neighbouring schools. This allows children to use the workshop facilities, providing space and opportunities for local people to learn and improve their skills."

Student: Ellie Watson Course: BSc (Hons) Architecture Tutors: Lee Ivett, Adrian Friend and Eddie Blake Email: ellienwatson[at]outlook.com

Stanley Park Model Boat Workshop and Clubhouse by James Horrocks

"This project explores Blackpool to understand the characteristics that constitute a place. It also analyses how to create ideas for new creative and productive building typologies.

"The souvenirs I have chosen to produce in my community 'maker space' are small model boats. These model boats can be produced by all ages and abilities.

"The boats can be customised and themed to your personal preference with your choice of colours, imagery and size that best describes your Blackpool experience.

"The creative space will also cater for competitive model yachters. A clubhouse and workshop for members will be added into the community maker space."

Student: James Horrocks Course: BSc (Hons) Architecture Tutors: Lee Ivett, Adrian Friend and Eddie Blake Email: j.horrocks[at]talktalk.net

Guesthouse Retro-fit by Patrycja Wolak

"This project aims to build upon knowledge of Blackpool and continue a critical and creative analysis of its territory.

"Located in the centre of Blackpool, the place for crafting aims to appeal to local families, providing guidance, education and opportunities for future employment.

"Lino prints are produced as souvenirs in the form of postcards and posters that are made and sold on-site.

"The strategy for this design was to minimalise carbon dioxide production in the construction process by engaging in the reuse of the existing buildings on site and usage of environmentally friendly materials."

Student: Patrycja Wolak Course: BSc (Hons) Architecture Tutors: Lee Ivett, Adrian Friend and Eddie Blake Email: patrycjawolak1[at]gmail.com

Made in Blackpool by Morgan Yates

"This project integrates the act of making into an area of Blackpool that is at the intersection of working-class and suburban housing typologies.

"The building provides workshop, studio and retail space to create metalware brooches using recycled aluminium. The theme of reuse is continued with the adoption of three existing terraced houses into the wider scheme.

"The visual language of this project references and accentuates the local roads, alleyways and the skyline created by the chimneys."

Student: Morgan Yates Course: BSc (Hons) Architecture Tutors: Lee Ivett, Adrian Friend and Eddie Blake Email: morgan.reece.yates[at]gmail.com

Blackpool Urban Art Park and Workshop by Michael Lasslett

"This project is derived from observing existing graffiti and urban art culture in Blackpool through the documentation of large scale murals on buildings adjacent to the site.

"The building establishes a new public space on a derelict site currently used as a car park. This space utilises a language of temporary structures through the application of fake temporary work infrastructure and scaffolding.

"These structures become a device to host large scale canvases, walkways and platforms for local and invited artists to produce work with the local community.

"This work is then translated into smaller-scale pieces using the screen printing studios and workshops provided within the new building. The building references the previous entertainment complexes that have stood on the site and Blackpool's 'fake facades' along the promenade.

"Scale and grandeur is returned to what was previously a prominent corner in the town but with a subversive attitude centred around artistic agency and empowerment."

Student: Morgan Yates Course: BSc (Hons) Architecture Tutors: Lee Ivett, Adrian Friend and Eddie Blake Email: mjl99[at]outlook.com

Donkey Run by Rainer Townend

"Craft and carpentry with a 'hint of the ridiculous' inform the design of a new town centre typology. It provides carpentry workshops, retail space and living accommodation and is centred around the production of a new game.

"The game called 'donkey run' references the seaside culture in the nearby amusement arcades.

"The building develops an architectural language through the considered and creative integration of painted steelwork found on the piers and rides with the glazed brick and fence facades of Blackpool's historical civic and retail typologies."

Student: Rainer Townend Course: BSc (Hons) Architecture Tutors: Lee Ivett, Adrian Friend and Eddie Blake Email: rainert123[at]gmail.com

Courtyard and Colonnade by Ace Santiago

"The experience visiting, working and living in Blackpool informs this proposal.

"This project revolves around resin casting and the display of these objects to the public. This project gives visitors and residents a chance to learn about, create and take home a piece of the 'Blackpool experience'.

"The architecture is formed of three main spatial and formal elements: a tower, arcade and courtyard.

"Each is used as a device to establish territory whilst also inviting an engagement with the functions, activities and amenities of the building."

Student: Ace Santiago Course: BSc (Hons) Architecture Tutors: Lee Ivett, Adrian Friend and Eddie Blake Email: ace.santiago[at]hotmail.co.uk

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of Central Lancashire. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post University of Central Lancashire highlights ten student architecture projects appeared first on Dezeen.

#Architecture – Dezeen

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