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m34gs · 8 months

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In your opinion, what are the five most memorable/iconic traps in the Saw franchise?

Oh boy, friend, what a floodgate you've opened....mwahahahaha. Thank you for this ask, I'm rather excited to answer it! It'll be tough to choose just five, but I can do it! :D

I'm going to set myself criteria, because there are a lot of traps and many of them are very interesting; both in the motive behind the trap as well as the mechanics of it. So, I will be judging based on if I have seen fanart of the trap/how often I see fan art of the trap, if I see other people on social media discuss the trap in detail, if I've heard other people discuss the trap irl, and if the trap makes reappearances in sequel movies (either on new individuals, or as a flashback). I will not be doing large traps; that is traps where the person involved has to complete multiple traps in order to progress through a building and get out, but I will include the individual traps within those traps...if that makes sense (this will probably make more sense when I get to explaining the traps I've chosen). I think that's a fair starting point. We do have 9 movies of traps to work through.

Remember, this is my opinion, and is by no means The Golden Standard. If people don't like my opinion, that is fine, but make they can make their own post about it please.

I'm putting the rest under a cut, because this is Saw. There is a copious amount of gore and torture, and even just discussing it could make people not used to it queasy. (though I'll be doing my best not to be too over the top with the horror talk lol) For trigger warnings, read the post tags first. Also; people should just assume spoilers for any Saw 1-9 are possible in this post.

5. Needle Pit: The Needle Pit starts us off at number 5. Not one that usually gets a whole lot of discussion surrounding it, but I have seen a fair share of memes about how people cringe when they watch this one, and I have actually come across fanart themed for it, usually focused mostly on Amanda, the trap's victim, but still involving the trap itself; so it counts. Because I don't expect people who don't watch to know what all the traps are, I will explain them all briefly.

Here we go: Eight people are trapped in a house where they are exposed to a neurotoxin in the air. The Needle Pit trap is a part of the house, a trap within a trap (hopefully now my earlier distinction makes more sense). A pit full of syringes...with the needles all attached. Among them is hidden a key that needs to be dug out within a time limit. If the key is not found prior to the timer going off, the door it opens will be sealed forever, making one of the antidote doses for the toxin unreachable. The Needle Pit was not meant to be Amanda's trap; it was meant for a drug dealer, as atonement for preying upon the struggles of people addicted to drugs. However, Xavier isn't about to climb down into the pit himself, so he shoves Amanda in instead. Every fiber of my being cringes when she lands in the pit of needles. I've heard a lot of people say they find that one of the hardest to watch.

4. Glass Coffin: The Glass Coffin coming in at number 4! This trap never fails to get me, honestly. I'm always yelling at the screen, telling Strahm to just get in the damn box. He never does. Though it's not as often as some of the others on this list, I've seen this trap referenced in fanfiction, in memes (specifically about Hoffman and Strahm as a ship) and I honestly find it one hard to forget.

Peter Strahm is at the scene of a trap, hoping to catch Mark Hoffman, a Jigsaw apprentice undercover as a detective. Peter enters a room, and in the center of the room is a coffin made of glass with broken glass scattered inside of it. There's a recording to listen to; it tells him to climb inside, but he gets distracted by a noise in the hall. Instead of listening further to the tape, Strahm hides and waits for Hoffman. He shoves Hoffman inside and the coffin locks. It's only after the door to the room shuts behind him that he realizes his error and listens to the rest of the tape. The glass coffin lowers into the floor, keeping Hoffman safe. The walls of the room close in on Strahm. In my opinion, this is also one of the worst traps. In a lot of other ones, the death is instantaneous if you fail. In this one, you can do nothing but watch the walls draw ever closer at a steady pace, waiting to be crushed. It's also one of the most frustrating because if Strahm had just listened to the tape and followed directions, or fought Hoffman in the hallway, or even immediately ran out of the room after shutting the coffin instead of staying to taunt Hoffman, he would have survived. (Strahm and Hoffman are also a ship pairing for the fandom, which is fun!)

3. Brazen Bull: I brought this one in because if there is ONE trap that most people seem to agree is fucking unfair, it's this one. Not unfair as in "inescapable" (you know I could do a whole nother list just dedicated strictly to those), but unfair as in someone totally innocent is punished for a man's lies. I've seen/heard a lot of people rant and rave about how this trap is bullshit because of that. And honestly, it really is. I hate it so much. Which makes it really unforgettable.

The trap: So, the Brazen Bull takes place in the seventh Saw movie. Bobby Dagen is a man who lied about being a previous Jigsaw survivor for the fame and money. Ironically, he gets Jigsaw's attention and has to go through a series of traps to save not only himself but also the people who lied with him (his publicist, his lawyer, and his best friend). He's been unsuccessful. When he gets to the last part, it's based off the trap he claimed he escaped before...with a twist. He has to pull himself up using chains that he has to hook into his flesh and reach an extension cord. Plug in the cord, and save his wife. His innocent wife who never knew he lied because she only met him after he became an alleged "survivor". His sweet wife who fell in love with him and was just trying to support a man she thought was traumatized from being a victim of Jigsaw's games. If he fails (he does), she will be roasted alive inside the Brazen Bull, which is based on an alleged historical method of torture and death. Most fans I personally know hate this trap.

2. Bathroom Trap: The Bathroom Trap comes in at number 2! Honestly, how could it not? It's the entirety of the first movie. It's the entire reason for Chainshipping. It's got so much fanart, so many references in text posts here on Tumblr, and it's impossible to forget because you'd literally have to forget the entire movie while remembering the rest of the franchise. You don't need to say "Lawrence and Adam in the bathroom" or "The first Saw Movie with the Bathroom", you literally just say "The Bathroom" and the fandom knows what you are talking about. We know. There's so much discussion around it, so much dissecting, so many edits, it's truly one of the most iconic in the franchise.

Lawrence and Adam wake up in a dingy bathroom with no windows and only one door out. They are each chained to the bathroom, on opposite ends. Between them lies a body in a puddle of what appears to be blood. The only way out? Saw off their legs with one of the rusty saws provided and crawl to freedom. What makes this so memorable isn't the trap itself; it's the way it was done. Lawrence knows nothing about Adam, Adam knows he was hired by someone to take photos and essentially stalk Lawrence. As the story unfolds, we learn more and more about them, and we see them start to develop some sort of camaraderie because they are trapped together. The ending, of course, ripped a hole in the heart of Chainshippers. Lawrence is able to escape. Adam is not. (he is alive and well in my HEART)

Honourable mentions: Razor Wire Maze (Saw, 2004) - crawl through a maze of razor wire (barbed wire), Pendulum Trap (Saw V) - crush the hands to stop a pendulum blade from dropping steadily lower and cutting the body in half, Public Execution (Saw VII) - three people, involved in cheating on each other, are in a large box in public; two tied to saws and one suspended above...they must decide which two survive, The Bedroom (Saw IV) - a rapist must gouge out his own eyes using a machine and hold the mechanism in place long enough to prevent his limbs being torn off, Shotgun Collar (Saw III) - a surgeon must keep Jigsaw alive long enough to watch another trap be completed; if his heart stops before the gun collar around her neck is removed, it will blow her head off (this trap also has a ship: the surgeon, Lynn, and Jigsaw's apprentice, Amanda), Shotgun Carousel (Saw VI) - six people are strapped to a carousel and it will stop each one of them in front of a gun at one point; the only way to stop the gun from going off is for their boss (who is forced to watch) to press a button which will drill into his own hand...and he can only save two.

Reverse Bear Trap: No one is probably shocked by this. This is it. This is the iconic trap. It's THE trap. It gets used and referenced multiple times in the series, there is so much fanart of characters in the trap, or even just the trap itself, and it's so easily recognizable.

The trap itself is simple. It's a bear trap that is reversed; instead of swinging shut, it explodes open. A metal piece is placed in the victim's mouth, ensuring that if they do not find the key and get it off in time, their head will be ripped open.

This trap appears in Saw (2004) as the trap Amanda Young is in prior to her becoming an apprentice to Jigsaw. She manages to get her key, unlock the trap, pull it off her head, and escape. It appears in Jigsaw's workshop in Saw III. It gets used on Hoffman in Saw VI; and he escapes even though he is not meant to, as it was meant to be a betrayal by Jigsaw's wife Jill. In Saw VII, Jill falls victim to the trap as revenge from Hoffman, and she dies. But, before all of that, The Reverse Bear Trap is in a short film, the short that predates the entire rest of the series. Referred to often as Saw 0.5 (2003), the original short film features the Reverse Bear Trap as it's only trap. It is actually almost the exact scenario Amanda faced, but with a man named David being the victim instead. It's a 9 minute film that was used to pitch the idea for Saw (2004). It can be found on YouTube, which is where I watched it.

So, yeah, the Reverse Bear Trap is very ingrained in the franchise. Anyone in the fandom would recognize it. There's even people who haven't seen any of the movies who have heard of it.

Hope that was entertaining and not too graphic for you! Thanks for the ask, I had a lot of fun answering!!!

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alienqueen4 · 1 year

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(*Erwin comes in to his office as he surprisingly got a surprise visit from Loba*)

Loba “Well there he is”

Erwin “Loba, to what do I have the pleasure of your visit”

Loba “I see you haven’t changed this mediocre of a school”

Erwin “Well this was your home”

Loba “No it wasn’t”

Erwin “…What are you doing here”

(*Loba throws top secret files*)

Loba “I been digging up top secret files of mutant cases and the most recent one is a mutant which I find out one of your students is in here”

(*Erwin surprised to see Erin’s name*)

Erwin “Erin? How could you be sure-she is not involved in any crime”

Loba “As a matter of fact her creator is targeting her…there’s been several incidents of robberies, specifically DNA testing centers that are conducting toxin research”

Erwin “…Why would her creator wanna target Erin”

Loba “You never knew? Erwin your student is an extraterrestrial from an unknown universe she could be dangerous-“

(*Erwin slams his fist on his desk*)

Erwin “I did not came here for you to talk bad about one of my students”

Loba “I’m not saying it that way just please hear me out Erwin…..her creator is a well known scientist Dr. Mason and he’s been working under the White House to capture mutants”

(*Erwin finds photos of dead corpse of mutants and the autopsy shows they all been killed by toxins*)

Erwin “Well what do you suppose this Mason wants with Erin”

Loba “I’m not sure but whatever it is he won’t stop until he gets what he wants, you need to protect Erin”

(*Erin walking down the halls still feeling sad wiping away her tears till she bumps into Chris*)

Chris “Geez watch where your going”

(*Chris kools down when he saw Erin crying*)

Erin “*sniffles* Sorry….what are you doing up here anyway”

Chris “…Nothing I needed some air”

Erin “Whatever”

(*When Erin decides to walk past by Chris he suddenly transitions into a sudden vision contact of the future visioning anti-Mutant people invading the entire school kidnapping all the kids in the school then kidnaps a student crying for help that are targeting someone and turns into a vicious 10 foot monster attacking the people and sees a mysterious man in the vision*)

Chris “*gets nervous*….”

Chris “…Wait”

(*Erin already left the halls to go back to her own dorm*)

Erwin “You really think this Doctor Mason could be capable of experimenting on Erin and make her mutant powers more dangerous”

Loba “It is possible, your talking about an extraterrestrial toxin mutant here that could destroy anyone or anything”

(*Levi knocks opening the door*)

Levi “Oh I’m sorry am I interrupting something? Loba nice to see you here again”

Loba “Tch you know you love me darling”

Levi “In your dreams”

Erwin “Are the kids alright”

Levi “Yeah they’re all good, they’re just watching a marathon of movies just hanging out nothing unusual”

Erwin “Good…well I must finish up my final task of the day, Loba if you would excuse me”

Loba “Don’t say I didn’t warn you”

Levi “I’ll clean up what’s left in the dining room”

(*Downstairs*)

(*During the movie marathon all the kids enjoying their little get together when suddenly a knock at the door rings when one of the kids decides to go open the door*)

“Heyo! Did somebody came in through the back door or something?”

(*Walter and Jake Sully suddenly freak out realizing the security has been breached*)

(*A little kid suddenly sees flashing lights aiming at the entrance of the house when Jake and Fuse ran after the kid when Jake hold on him into his wide arms and Fuse activates fire crackers from each direction before they shot trampolizer darts*)

Fuse “I’ll take care of these blinkers!! You get the kids to safety!!”

Jake “Let’s go let’s go!!”

(*Jake gets the kid along with him to grab the kids to safety as mysterious fegutives are breaking in the school surrounding the hallways*)

“Stop where you are!!”

(*The kids become scared as Jake fights back head blocking one of them and kicking another*)

Jake “Come on!! Down the basement everyone!!”

(*Jake runs towards the entrance of the basement to get the kids to safety*)

(*A sudden man sneaks behind Jake Sully to beat him up until a surprise from Ruki camouflage his skin behind a wall to attack him down*)

Jake “Thanks kid”

Ruki “What’s going on professor Sully”

Jake “I don’t know but whatever it is I need you to protect the kids down the basement”

Ruki “But I wanna help”

Erwin “Jake!! What’s going on”

Jake “We have unknown breach going on! I have the kids down the basement”

(*Kids started to scream downstairs when anti-mutant officers are kidnapping all the mutant students*)

“Sleeeeep”

(*A mutant demonic creature puts the students to sleep as the officers gather all the students to their custody*)

“Hehehe my what adorable children”

(*Jake Sully lands down the basement seeing the officers take the kids*)

Jake “Hey stop right there!!”

“Sleeeeep”

(*Jake got distracted when he is put under a deep sleep transition spell by the mutant*)

Ruki “Professor Erwin the kids are gone!”

Levi “What?!”

Erwin “…Oh no”

Erwin and Levi “Erin!!!”

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gryficowa · 2 years

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For a long time I thought it was strange that I call the musical Beetlejuice as "Baby of several thousand"

But then I knocked it on tumblr, discovered that some crush it, and some ship it with …Lydia

Well at least now I can feel like I'm not as weird as I recognize myself but I don't know if it's good or not

Because I still remember the beginning of my phase and it still embarrasses me all

And some on the Internet (Of course, in Polish, because you can find so many toxins elsewhere? Apart from Rowling's profile), it was irritating that I had various associations with memes and sent fanarts stolen from google, and one individual wrote that he was disgusted by fanatics I remind you that I didn't even send porn, so that in itself says one thing: Wait, are you disgusted by Beetlejuice in a summer T-shirt and shorts?

Fortunately, after a while I left this page on the Internet (As I once mentioned, this page was with memes, there were also games and a dead part with jokes)

Well, unfortunately, this site was a breeding ground for the right, or rather the "Left" (Although I was not at the stage like today) was rather poorly received, do you react to harmful memes? You know you have a stick in your ass

Yep… Another post that serves the purpose of: Gryficowa has an existential crisis again and like any "Normal" person, she uses the keyboard to think about it all in her head, because that's the only way she can correctly come to the strangest conclusions

But what to do? The musical version helped me during mourning, because in 2020 my grandmother died, and in 2021 (February) it all started, so yes, it's all been going on for a year, as if I came across "Say my name" and a fan animation in 2020 (Before the death of the aforementioned people), but I bounced off her because I had the following: Really? A musical based on this movie, who has brought nothing to my life? (I did not know then that this "Film" is considered a classic, I still do not understand why, the only thing that comes to me are the lyrics and that's it, although someone will probably start explaining to me that it is for a different reason… I don't know, not much I remember, but I remember the ending when Lydia was riding a bicycle and I had this "Really? Is this how you end it?"

And I found out about the cartoon because for some reason it started to appear on the main page, I know, songs from the musical Beetlejuice, the name obliges, but I found out about this version in an interesting way, I still haven't watched it, because it has four seasons, and as you know, I can not focus and watch anything, but from what I saw, looks good, the line seems specific, but I really like this graphic style and let's face it, the cinematic Beetlejuice was terrible (No, it's not about looks, because he was never really handsome, okay, those who crush him will think otherwise but that's another matter although, as in the musical Barbara called him "Handsome pervert", I fell)

It's not my fault that I don't get the scheme of a chaotic / weird type with powers who is a villain, because yes, I know, it's supposed to be explained, but it really doesn't get to me and let's face it, Adam and Barbara as the main characters yes They pull the film poorly, I know it's strange, but it doesn't hit me, not because that it was created before my birth (As boomers would like to think), but because it is not for me, now I also look differently at GF and Bill Ciper, who also, unfortunately, but fell into this pattern

Because I really liked him, but when I started to wonder, this theme is harmful, because the real evil wears a mask and it probably doesn't belong to the genre "I'm a weird type, I don't know, your old man with a carton of milk instead of a head", I say it as chaotic freak, although I have no power, but still I am and according to this pattern I am evil because I don't agree with what has been said for years, it doesn't suit me very well

And after the stage on "Beetlejuice the musical", my look at this pattern is felt, because I have mentioned many times why I don't like it and who is the "Real evil"

The musical version influenced me so much that I did a reset on my OC, which I don't know why it was supposed to be bad (His function before that was: Evil helper, what next? I don't know, but he has a nice red and yellow striped suit and interesting shoes, so don't ask), through the phase I had the following: Wait, why should he be evil? He might as well have been used because he was naive, but it was not his fault, and whoever did it to him, because he did not have the conditions to see the other side's intentions, and Hedro was the first person to notice him and to she talked to him, he had dealt with creatures who did not speak before

So yes, this phase helped me during mourning and in creating my own OC which already existed but wasn't a very interesting character at the time

Sometimes she surprises herself with how much I can write...

I started with a fandom and ended up with my thoughts on one phrase

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devilsfrown · 2 years

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Reminders of Him

My first sexual assault encounter occurred when I was 7. He was a family member. My second encounter occurred when I was 19. I was drunk, maybe it was my own fault. The boy I liked made his friend switch places with him. We were in a dark room, my hands were touching him, he laughed, I realized it was not who I thought it was. My most recent sexual assault encounter occurred when I was 23. He was my friend. I’ve replayed that encounter over in my head more than any other moment in my life. I don’t understand that. There were so many more memorable moments. Moments that I could live in forever. But instead that’s the one I continue to live in. I remember it was October. It was a few months after I had gotten out of an abusive relationship. One that changed me as a person. It was so easy for people to judge me after that. The weight gain, the change in my attitude, in my body but they don’t understand that I almost didn’t recover. I remember sitting in my car on the side of the road crying, contemplating getting out. I knew that in a split second I could make all the pain go away but then my mom texted. She doesn’t know it but she saved my life that day. Fast forwarded to October. I was still recovering. 5 years later I am still recovering. He knew that. I was always transparent about that relationship because I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy. He was a mutual friend of my ex and I. He knew I was broken, hurting, tarnished but that didn’t stop him. He had wanted to come over, for no reason other than sex. It had happened once before with him. An awkward encounter to say the least. But I told him no. I read the messages over and over again wondering if in any part of them I confused him, if I had slipped up but I just kept saying no. I could’ve stayed in bed, not gone and got me, maybe I was asking for it by doing so. No maybe didn’t mean anything to him since I went out of my way to pick him up. But he was my friend. We had hung out many times before. Nothing happened. He had been drinking. I could smell it on him. Again, I reassured him that I just wanted to watch a movie. The moments after that are a blur. I remember laying there, unable to move, I remember the weight of his body on mine, I remember when he got off. I rolled over, we didn’t say another word to each other. I tucked it deep away in the back of my mind but for a year I didn’t let anyone touch me. I thought it was normal. That I just wanted to make sure the next guy was the right one but the truth was that I felt filthy, disgusted, shameful of the body I once took pride in. I told him what he had done to me, years later, in an Applebees booth. He said he was sorry, I believed him. But sorry doesn’t undo an action so vile that when you’re 27 and living out your dream that you no longer let your boyfriend touch you because a man who was suppose to be your friend took away the one thing you felt powerful about. We spoke briefly after that. It is easier to pretend that someone is good than to accept the bad they’ve done. But you can’t hide the pain forever. It seeps into your veins, a toxin, waiting to kill you. It took 5 years for me to delete him off social media out of the guilt I felt about the situation. The unwavering idea that it was my fault. That I confused him. That I in some way invited it in. But I laid there and my body screamed for him to stop and I don’t understand how he didn’t hear the silence and the discomfort and not know. So now, five years later, broken, bleeding, filthy, yearning, I no longer accept the blame and it’s the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever done in my life to finally accept what he took from me.

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notstilinski · 2 years

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The Amazing Spider-Man Starters !

Taken from the 2012 movie, The Amazing Spider-Man! Some of these have already been edited. You can change them however you see fit!

“I’m not going to take the picture, man.”

“My house, 3:30? I hope you’ve been doing your homework because last time I was very disappointed in you.”

“I thought it was great what you did out there. Stupid but great.”

“No, I know your name. I just want to know if you know your name.”

“Since when don’t you like spaghetti and meatballs, huh?”

“Remember when we were stupid and dangerous?”

“Uh, hey, where’s the flood?”

“Yes or no — Do I have to call somebody’s father?”

“Don’t tell (Name), I pity the kid who has to suffer their fury.”

“But, after that night, we never saw them again. They never even called.”

“Are you having trouble finding yourself?”

“Wherever I go, you go. That’s the basic rule.”

“I work here. I don’t. I was gonna say I work here, but it seems, in fact, that you do. So you know I don’t work here.”

“They don’t have time. (Name) is dying. Save him, or we’ll both lose our heads.”

“I’m sorry I kept you guys up. I’m insensitive, I’m irresponsible, and I’m hungry.”

“He took the frozen Mac and cheese.”

“I’m afraid I can’t help you much. I don’t know why they left or where they were going.”

“How much would the foreign special take over? What would be the side effects?”

“No, but I should have. Watch your back.”

“So, all of these was about getting even. If so, you must feel pretty good about yourself, right?”

“They’re a pathological liar. They thought you were someone else.”

“What if it was loaded with a toxin? What if you wanted to opt-out? You can’t run from a cloud.”

“Careful, I don’t want to stick you by mistake. Human trials aren’t until next week.”

“They believed that if you could do good things for other people, you had a moral obligation to do those things.”

“It feels better, right?”

“Okay, they’re not a vigilante, they’re an anarchist.”

“You know, in the future, if you’re gonna steal cars, don’t dress like a car thief, man.”

“My weakness, small knives. Anything but knives!”

“No one seems to grasp the concept of the mask.”

“So, thirty-eight of New York’s finest versus one guy in a unitard. Am I correct?”

“You don’t have to wait up for me, you know?”

“Where do you go? Who does this to you?”

“Secrets have cost. They’re not for free. Not now, not ever.”

“You don’t know, or you don’t want to know?”

“You’re toys can be taken away, too, you know?”

“No, that’s impressive. They held together very well.”

“He’s clumsy, he leaves clues, and he’s dangerous.”

“What do you think we do all day? Sit around, eating doughnuts with our thumbs up our assess?”

“I’m sorry. I thought they were going to arrest me at one point.”

“Put it on — The mask. It’s going to make you strong, trust me.”

“Does it scare you? What you can do?”

“It was real big. Too big to be human.”

“Just asking a question. I got— I got school stuff.”

“Let me ask you a question. Do I look like the mayor of Tokyo to you?”

“Okay. I just remembered someone saying last week their fantasy was to live in a chocolate house.”

“Every day, for as long as I can remember, I didn’t know if they were going to make it home.”

“All these souls, lost and alone. I can save them. I can cure them.”

“I’m going to throw you out the window now.”

“You Mother Hubbard. Are you serious?”

“The cops are evacuating everybody. Who the hell cares?”

“Your boyfriend is a man of many masks, I get it.”

“Look at me. You need to stay with me. Helps on the way, okay? You need to…”

“You’ll make enemies. People will get hurt. Sometimes the people closest to you. So, I want you to promise me something, okay?”

“Everyone was there but you.”

“They made you promise, didn’t they? To stay away from me? So, I’d be safe.”

“(Name), if there’s one thing you are, it’s good. Anyone who has a problem with that can talk to me.”

“Those things send us down a road. They make us who were are. And, if anyone's destined for greatness, it’s you.”

“You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them.”

#rp meme #roleplay meme #sentence starters #sentence meme #starter sentences #ask meme #ask prompts #inbox memes #inbox prompts #movie sentence starters #the way i love andrew's spiderman btw ...

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guqin-and-flute · 3 years

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Episode 73: Koala Chlamydia Is A Problem [My Brothers, My Sister and Me Excerpt]

[MBMSAM AU] [First Installment] [Podfics!] [Ao3 Link]

[COVER ART BY THE FANTASTIC LITTLESMARTART]

Jin Zixuan: Do we want another question?

Qin Su: Sure, yeah, got one right here. 'When I was younger, I was really skinny and weak'--hey! Hey, now, negative body talk, much! That's super judgmental of yourself!

Mo Xuanyu: And of us people who are skinny and weak right now! [teasing] Right, Yao-gege?

Meng Yao: [calmly] I'm not affiliated with you.

[crosstalk] Mo Xuanyu: [cackles]

Qin Su: 'When I was a kid, I was really skinny and weak, so I made it my mission to get as jacked as possible so people would take me seriously. I put in a lot of hard work, changed my exercise routine and diet and it worked. But now, as an adult I'm a 6 foot 7 dude--'

Jin Zixuan: [incredulous] 6 foot 7 ?

Qin Su: Just a mountain of a man. '--6 foot 7 dude with serious muscle mass--'

[crosstalk] Jin Zixuan: [sotto voce] Good God .

Qin Su: '-- and a pretty intense resting face. I routinely make children cry just by existing and everyone shoots me nervous looks in the grocery store. It gets to me sometimes. I’m not a bad guy! I just look scary. What are some ways that I can make myself less intimidating?’

Mo Xuanyu: Huh.

Qin Su: I mean, let’s see...puppies are unintimidating. Can you devise a system where you carry a few around with you at all times? Maybe in some saddle bags, everywhere you go?

Mo Xuanyu: The movies, the gym, on dates… .

Jin Zixuan: Sure, until they start pissing down your legs. Then you’re not just unintimidating, you’re the guy no one wants to stand next to at the bus stop.

Meng Yao: I mean, it still does the job, doesn’t it?

Mo Xuanyu: You could get a butterfly tattoo, like, directly on your forehead.

Meng Yao: Okay, please explain to me your thought process on how exactly that would make anyone more approachable.

Qin Su: They still want to be able to navigate human society, A-Yu.

Mo Xuanyu: Ew, why?

Jin Zixuan: Let’s see...what makes someone approachable….Who is the least intimidating of all of us?

Qin Su: [immediately] You.

Meng Yao: [affirming] Mm.

[crosstalk] Jin Zixuan: [incredulous] What?

[crosstalk] Mo Xuanyu: Oh yeah, you’re like...you’re like a poodle. Or a--

Jin Zixuan: [highly offended] Excuse me! I'm the oldest and definitely the tallest one here!

[crosstalk] Meng Yao: [ill concealed snort]

[crosstalk] Qin Su: [pityingly] Oh, da- ge .

[crosstalk] Mo Xuanyu: Or a golden retriever.

Qin Su: Please don't tell me you think that being tall translates into you actually being scary. You’re tallest by, like, 3 inches. At most, that’s just part of the equation of being scary.

Meng Yao: And the rest of Zixuan’s equation is just filled with collared polo shirts. Which absolutely tanks the intimidation ratio.

Mo Xuanyu: That doesn't tank yours, though.

Meng Yao: I wear button downs. It’s not the same. [Vaguely disgusted undertone] Collared polos.

Jin Zixuan: Excuse you, polos are weekend wear and there is nothing wrong-- I can be intimidating!

Qin Su: [doubtfully] Ehhhhh…

[crosstalk] Mo Xuanyu: [badly stifled snickers]

[crosstalk]Jin Zixuan: I can! Just because I’ve never had to intimidate you --

Qin Su: Let's just say; citation needed

Mo Xuanyu: Please, jiejie has you beat.

Jin Zixuan: [indignant] Wha--

[crosstalk] Qin Su: He's right, gege; an unopened jar of mayonnaise has you beat. And I'm no unopened jar of mayonnaise.

Mo Xuanyu: That shit is opened .

Meng Yao: That’s a Tinder profile quote.

Qin Su: What? 'Spicier than mayo?'

Mo Xuanyu: [half singing, half chanting] ‘My mayo brings all the boys to the yard, and they’re like-- [normal voice] this is really underwhelming.’

Meng Yao: [musing] ‘Saltier than soy sauce, spicier than mayo….’

Qin Su: Why do we always come back to food? Are our Skype calls haunted by starving Victorian ghost children? Are we possessed?

Mo Xuanyu: [mournful, high pitched, bad British accent] ‘My name is Bartholemew and I’m starving. Please, spare some mayo.’

Meng Yao: It’s your own fault if none of you bother to eat before we record. You all had the schedule.

Mo Xuanyu: [crunches loudly near mic]

Meng Yao: [falsely happy] Hey, thanks! Thank you so much, A-Yu, love the level spike on that one. Editing mouth noises out of our podcast makes my day brighter.

Jin Zixuan: [under his breath] Just...unbelievable….You all….

Qin Su: [smiling] I think we broke him.

Meng Yao: [laughing] Zixuan is limping behind the conversation indignantly, brandishing his cane….

Mo Xuanyu: [sympathetically] Awww.

Jin Zixuan: I--! I am a high powered businessman! I am trained in martial arts and archery and swordsmanship --

Mo Xuanyu: [mouth full] Oh please, gege, you’re a pod caster.

Jin Zixuan: [forcefully] I am a CEO--

[crosstalk] Qin Su: [ignoring him] I think Yao-gege is somehow the most and least intimidating out of all of us at the same time, if we're all being completely honest with ourselves and our place in the world.

Mo Xuanyu: Aww, I thought I was at least a contender!

Qin Su: Honey, you're feral. There's a difference.

Mo Xuanyu: What does a kid have to do around here to be intimidating?

Meng Yao: Learn how to chew with your mouth closed, for one.

Jin Zixuan: [indignantly] A-Yao? Are you not going to deny this?

[Brief silence]

Meng Yao: [calmly] I don't think I'm scary.

Qin Su & Mo Xuanyu: [instant uproarious laughter]

Jin Zixuan: Oh, come on! He's like...a little koala bear or something! How is that scary!

Meng Yao: [offended] Excuse me--

[crosstalk] Mo Xuanyu: [still laughing] I’m gonna pee --

Meng Yao: -- koalas have smooth brains and eat poisonous leaves all day. Are you calling me a poisonous idiot bear?

Qin Su: [wheezes] Only in private.

Mo Xuanyu: [laughter trailing off] Wait, wait, hold on. Don’t all koalas have chlamydia or something?

Qin Su: [renewed laughter]

[crosstalk] Meng Yao: [startled laugh] What?

Mo Xuanyu: Chlamydia! I think that I read--!

[crosstalk] Jin Zixuan: Oh my god, I think I’ve actually heard that. The plague, the bubonic plague, isn’t it? Or that--Some sort of--that disease people used to get where bits of you fall off?

Qin Su: Beheadings?

Meng Yao: [voice strangled from laughter] Yes, A-Su, that ancient disease the French Revolution that all koalas have--

[crosstalk] Jin Zixuan: [snickering]

Mo Xuanyu: [loud and close to mic] LEPROSY .

[crosstalk] Qin Su: Ow--

[crosstalk] Jin Zixuan: Holy shit--

Mo Xuanyu: It’s leprosy and you’re thinking of armadillos, da-ge.

Jin Zixuan: [muttering] Aren’t we all….

Qin Su: [solemnly] Armadillos and guillotines. Every damn minute of every damn day.

Mo Xuanyu: And I googled it, I’m right; koala chlamydia is a problem.

Meng Yao: And we’ve just found the title of this episode.

Qin Su: If most koalas have chlamydia, I feel like they have other problems they have to deal with.

Mo Xuanyu: Those pesky, promiscuous koalas!

Qin Su: Get them some damn sex ed! Use those eucalyptus leaves for protection!

Meng Yao: [pleasantly] That’s just about the worst thing I’ve heard all day.

Mo Xuanyu: Eugh, that menthol, though. Like Vicks for your dicks!

Meng Yao: I hate it.

[crosstalk]Jin Zixuan: [pained] PSA: don’t do that. Ever.

Qin Su: The voice of experience?

Jin Zixuan: I don’t think you actually want an answer to that, meimei.

Meng Yao: You people make me hate learning and also knowing things.

Mo Xuanyu: Also I've been looking it up and mountain lions are the ones that can have the bubonic plague.

Meng Yao: Choose your fighter; chlamydia ridden koala, leprosy ridden armadillo, or mountain lion with the Black Death.

Qin Su: Well, at least the mountain lion could inflict some damage. Use it like a poison delivery system, like an anthrax letter to secretly infect people.

Meng Yao: [patient teacher tone] ‘A mountain lion is to an anthrax letter, like a koala is to a…?’

Qin Su: [mock frustration] Oh, man, I know this one….

Mo Xuanyu: 'I can't come into school today, I got attacked by a mountain lion.'

Qin Su: [acting concerned] 'Oh my God, are you okay? Are you gonna have scars?'

Mo Xuanyu: 'Worse. The Plague .'

Jin Zixuan: Okay, glad we got our animal infections all sorted out--back to what we were talking about. So, riddle me this--

[crosstalk] Mo Xuanyu: [delighted, Riddlemancer voice] Rrrriddle Me Piss, kids--!

[crosstalk] Meng Yao & Qin Su: NO!

[crosstalk] Jin Zixuan: Oh my god --

Mo Xuanyu: [laughing] I don't actually have anything today--

[crosstalk] Meng Yao: A blessing .

Mo Xuanyu: --but I'll get you next time.

Jin Zixuan: No, I need to know, genuinely, this is not a bit-- why do you think A-Yao scarier than me?

Qin Su: I mean, what's not scary about a smooth brained bear full of toxins and chlamydia?

Meng Yao: [disgruntled] Uh huh.

Mo Xuanyu: Technically, they’re not bears, they're marsupials! And I think Yao-gege is more of an armadillo--hard on the outside--

[slight crosstalk] Qin Su: --And full of leprosy on the inside.

Meng Yao: [further from mic, keyboard tapping] 'And to Mo Xuanyu...and Qin Su...I leave... absolutely nothing, except...this bag of dog shit and...spiders…..'

[crosstalk] Mo Xuanyu: [laughing]

[crosstalk] Qin Su: Awww, A-Yu, we're being written out of his will again!

Jin Zixuan: Listeners, am I wrong? Am I crazy? He’s the size of a toddler--

[slight crosstalk] Meng Yao: [still away from mic, keyboard tapping] ‘And to Jin Zixuan...I leave--’

Jin Zixuan: He looks like a sugar glider baby that got turned into a human man--

[slight crosstalk] Meng Yao: ‘This box...of useless...tetanus filled screws….’

Qin Su: Da-ge--

[crosstalk] Meng Yao: ‘--that i...encourage him to use…--’

[crosstalk] Mo Xuanyu: [snickering]

Meng Yao: ‘As acupuncture needles.’ There. Sent to the notary. Now, what were we talking about, again?

Qin Su: Da-ge, all those things might be true--

[crosstalk] Meng Yao: [flatly] Wow.

Qin Su: But here’s a test. What would you do to someone picking on A-Yu in school?

Jin Zixuan: [immediate, sounding businesslike and slightly aggressive] I would contact their parents and set up a meeting with the school officials and make it very clear that they are never to do that again.

Qin Su: [grinning] Okay. Yao-gege, what would you do to someone picking on A-Yu in school?

Meng Yao: [calmly] Absolutely nothing you could prove in a court of law.

Mo Xuanyu: [bursts out laughing]

[crosstalk] Qin Su: I mean--

[crosstalk] Jin Zixuan: Uhhhh--

Qin Su: You see? Also-- [quick sing-song voice] 🎵 This is a joke, for legal reasons, this is a joke 🎵 [normal voice] He’s got that--that--

[crosstalk] Mo Xuanyu: [lingering laughter] Yeah, it's that menace. Da-ge, you’re like--you’re like if a duckling--okay, you remember when I brought you to Hot Topic? You were like a duckling at a Death Metal concert.

Jin Zixuan: [defensively] The music was so loud--

[crosstalk] Meng Yao: [pityingly] Oh, Zixuan.

Qin Su: You're like if a golf course got turned into a human.

Meng Yao You're what would happen if you gave mac and cheese a social security card and keys to a lamborghini.

Jin Zixuan: [unamused] Okay.

Mo Xuanyu: [laughing] You're the lightly salted almonds of people.

Qin Su: You're like a wholesome Hallmark movie fucked the concept of the suburbs.

Jin Zixuan: [unamused] Sure. Sure.

Meng Yao: You emanate the peril of a box of lethargic kittens.

Jin Zixuan: Wow. My own family. This is coming from the physical manifestation of a My Chemical Romance song--

[crosstalk] Mo Xuanyu: [smug] You say that like it’s a bad thing.

Jin Zixuan: -- and the woman who cries at the Land Before Time every time she watches it. I think this is a case of glass houses, here. Let ye who are intimidating...

Qin Su: Oh, so we’re not roasting Yao-gege back?

Meng Yao: Not sure how me being compared to a STD riddled marsupial for about 5 minutes straight escaped your notice, A-Su, but alright.

Jin Zixuan: I feel that you are all being...heinously short sighted, here. Are you seriously trying to tell me that A-Yu is scarier than me, a full grown man?

Meng Yao: I would certainly be more warranted in my concern about him stabbing me than I would about you.

Mo Xuanyu: Oh my God, gege, that was like 5 years ago and I already said I was sorry--

[crosstalk] Jin Zixuan: [loudly] What--

[crosstalk] Qin Su: Did we actually help this person? I mean--

Mo Xuanyu: We always help, jiejie.

[crosstalk] Jin Zixuan: Hold on--

Qin Su: We learned a lot about exactly how disturbing the animal kingdom is, but….

[crosstalk] Jin Zixuan: No, go back--

[slight crosstalk] Meng Yao: Dress like a middle aged accountant, share minion memes on Facebook, and buy your son a puppy so you have an excuse to talk to the dog and not people. There you go. Done.

Jin Zixuan: No, rewind--Xuanyu, you stabbed our brother?

[brief silence]

Qin Su: [brightly] Well, that's going to do it for us today, folks--!

Jin Zixuan: A-Yu!

[crosstalk] Mo Xuanyu: It was only a little!

Jin Zixuan: How can you stab someone a little ?!

[crosstalk] Qin Su: Thank you so much for listening in this week--

Jin Zixuan: With what ? Why?!

Mo Xuanyu: It honestly wasn’t that bad, he made it sound like--

[crosstalk] Jin Zixuan: That's not an answer --

[crosstalk] Meng Yao: [begins laughing]

Jin Zixuan: A-Yao--!

[crosstalk] Meng Yao: [still laughing]

Qin Su: [brightly] We hope you enjoyed our enlightening romp, here! We want to thank Sister Sledge for the use of the song We Are Family. A-Yu, how about that last Yahoo?

[crosstalk] Meng Yao: [farther from mic, clearly grinning] Ohhh, boy.

Mo Xuanyu: Okay, okay--anonymous Yahoo Answers user asks….[exaggerated, desperate voice] ‘I can’t afford a freezer. Where do I put my deer meat?’

[Outro music begins quietly]

Qin Su: [laughs] I’m Qin Su.

Jin Zixuan: [sighs, disgruntled] I’m Jin Zixuan.

Meng Yao: [grinning] I’m Meng Yao.

Mo Xuanyu: [sheepish] I’m Mo Xuanyu.

Qin Su: And this has been My Brothers, My Sister, And Me! Thank you to everyone, see you next week and remember; send your trash dad straight to jail!

#my stuff #my fic #mbmsam #au #modern au #jgy #jzx #mxy #qs #text #ALSO THANK YOU LITTLE-SMARTASS FOR THE IDEA FOR THE THEME SONG I added that on the AO3 version because I FORGOT

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lucientelrunya · 2 years

Text

Like a lonely house pt 13

@thesporkidentity: I dedicate the entire vaccination-scene to you :) @gaiahenshin: Yes you did, or well, not entirely aro because he is demiro but he doesn't know that yet :) And yes, Ba Ye needs to get some sense into Rishan any way he can ^^°°° @nope4ever: This one has just a little softness for you, I hope that's still okay? @kholran: Yes, he is. And yes, you should worry, because just as promised I'm gonna hurt him.

Okay, I think this part might need some warnings... I promised I was going to hurt Rishan, and I will start now: We get more hallucinations, nasty insect toxins and Rishan heading right for a bunch of other nasty things (among them the Chens, survivor's guilt, repressed grief and maybe a nervous breakdown? Definitely a breakdown of some sort.)

*runs off to hide*

~*~

After two evenings spent mostly dozing on the couch while Ba Ye watches different movies about time travel, Zhang Rishan is getting the sense that that might be the true purpose. Liang Wan knows that he does not care much for movies or tv shows and this does feel like something those two might come up with. It’s something about the flickering lights that is strangely calming, and fake people and fake stories rarely manage to capture his attention so he tends to doze off even if he isn’t tired.

It’s not real sleep, part of him is always aware of his surroundings, to alert him to any danger, anything that is happening outside of that screen. But sounds and light from the TV don’t bother him in his dozing, just like Ba Ye moving around next to him doesn’t disturb him. Probably because he knows Ba Ye would never do anything to hurt him and trusts him enough to put even his subconscious at ease. He would still react if Ba Ye said anything or touched him, but he never does, he sits there quietly and never wakes Zhang Rishan.

It’s impossible that Ba Ye just doesn’t notice, he has always been so perceptive, so this must be something he intends. Zhang Rishan is not entirely sure if he likes being manipulated like that, but he agreed to spend time with Ba Ye and if this is how he wants to spend it, then that is okay with him. Especially since there doesn’t seem to be much to learn from those movies except that time travel is dangerous and mostly sucks. Because there are so many consequences and things that can go wrong. And Ba Ye will always sum up what he thinks he has learned, so he doesn’t really miss anything.

That he really tries to go easier on the research again has at least made Ba Ye agree to wait for the next hallucination and see if the headache had anything to do with it or was really just stress. Zhang Rishan likes to think it’s the latter because those hallucinations are one thing, if they come with headaches now that makes them so much scarier. So he will deny any connection until it happens again.

It doesn’t, but the next hallucination already happens after seven days again, when it should be eight. This starts another round of worrying from everyone around him. Luo Que once even almost causes an accident because he was checking the rearview mirror too often, checking on Zhang Rishan and later admits ruefully that he now worries whenever Zhang Rishan sits too still for a longer period of time. Which is utterly inconvenient because he tends to do that.

It takes them another three weeks to realize that the rhythm is flowing backwards, seven, eight, six and seven days again. Being able to calculate it again makes the whole thing a little easier, even if he wonders what will happen when they reach the end of that backward flow. One hallucination every day? More than one? Will he end up trapped in that maybe-memory-maybe-illusory world of the cave and the dancing shadows of people with burning torches?

He tries not to think too much about that and no one has brought up something like that as of yet, so he hopes none of them have thought about it. Liang Wan suggests quite the opposite, that maybe they will vanish just as suddenly as they started once they have reached the end. Because she still doesn’t have any medical explanation for them so why should they not just vanish as magically as they appeared? It’s definitely a far less worrying theory than his own.

But the whole thing still ends up causing another almost-fight with Ba Ye on that same day, because Ba Ye keeps putting off and rescheduling different things he wanted to do with Liang Wan. Or things Liang Wan wants him to do, like get him fully vaccinated so she doesn’t have to worry about that anymore. And since that’s going to involve needles Ba Ye had used every reason to reschedule. It’s almost strange to have Liang Wan not on Ba Ye’s side in an argument since all of this started.

It’s another tangle of worrying for each other, because Ba Ye finally admits he is not that scared of the needles but of the chance of needing to stay at the hospital for an undefined amount of time. Of leaving Zhang Rishan on his own during that time. He finally caves when Liang Wan promises to move into his room and stay as long as he might be gone in the absolutely unlikely case of something happening and also reminds him that Luo Que will always be willing to help in any way, too.

She actually gets him to agree to just get it over with the very next day, even if that means Zhang Rishan won’t be able to come along, because he has a meeting with the Chens. And he doesn’t have that many options to deny them on such short notice without drawing unwanted attention to things he doesn’t want them to know or make it any more obvious that he doesn’t really like them.

At this point he doesn’t even know why they want to meet with him, it’s not a Jiumen-meeting because they did not request Huo Xiuxiu’s presence. But it’s probably better to just get it over with. For both of them. Ba Ye picks up on that and tries to joke, “So why don’t we switch places? I can meet up with the Chens and you go and have some fun with the needles?” And he would actually rather get poked by some needles than to meet up with the Chens and find out what they have come up with this time.

“I don’t think the Chens are going to be okay with this trade?” Liang Wan jokes and Ba Ye makes a face and sighs again, long and heavy. “Fine, fine. I’ll go. But you will need to make something special for dinner, as compensation for leaving me all alone to get poked. I get to choose!” It’s not such an unusual demand that Zhang Rishan won’t agree and by now he almost expected something like that, so he just nods. Liang Wan seems very amused at the exchange. “You two are so adorable,” she says and ducks away from the pillow Ba Ye throws at her, laughing even more. “But since we are all in agreement now, can we go back to this? I was winning.”

As it turns out, the Chens want to talk about their family tree and the tomb beneath it. Chen Jinshui obviously took the book they found there with him to Gutong Jing and it was lost just like his life was. But the book had been about Gutong Jing, so no one had a use for it anymore anyway. And the rest of that tomb had been about Gutong Jing, too, it’s all useless now. But they still want to explore it, for some reason and this time they seem to be a little smarter by coming to him to ask about the dangers. The Tu Shi and the Shibie.

Zhang Rishan does not ask why they want to explore that tomb, it’s their land and they can do as they please. He really doesn’t want to get involved, so he tells them what they want to know about the Tu Shi and the Shibie and warns them that they won’t find any treasure hidden beneath that statue, because that was already taken by people of the Wang clan (and it had never been something anyone else could make use of anyway). It should probably worry him that they don’t seem to mind that, but he already has enough things to worry about and he doesn’t want to think about anything relating to Fo Ye and the Wang clan right now.

All in all the meeting is not as annoying as he had feared, but he is still glad when he can leave and go home. Liang Wan didn’t text, so he doesn’t have anything to worry about and can just wait for Ba Ye to come home. He doesn’t have to wait long to hear the key. And obviously everything really went well, because he can already hear Ba Ye whining unintelligibly at the door, even before Luo Que holds it open for him to go in. Both their expressions are really telling how glad they must be that it’s over, for very different reasons.

“Aiyah! Don’t just stand there! Look how badly hurt I am!” Ba Ye whines at him now, raising his arms just a bit in a way that clearly shows he thinks they are way too heavy to raise them any further. Zhang Rishan follows the request without really thinking about it and isn't surprised by how Ba Ye just lets himself stagger forward overly dramatic after slipping out of his shoes, trusting that he will be caught. “She stabbed me to death with her needles!” he whines, leaning most of his weight against Zhang Rishan, letting his arms hang mostly limp at his sides so Zhang Rishan has to wrap his arms around his waist to hold him up.

Over Ba Ye’s shoulder Zhang Rishan can see the exasperated, long-suffering expression on Luo Que’s face that telegraphs with absolute clarity: 'How can you live with this man?!' He can't help but smile, because it reminds him of himself yet again and he nods his thanks at Luo Que for taking Ba Ye to Liang Wan and back home. Luo Que raises an eyebrow with the tiniest hint of a smile before he nods back and leaves without a word.

And indeed, how can he live with this man? Thinking back, he remembers how much he had disliked Ba Ye’s antics in the beginning. Not exactly the physical part, Ba Ye had always been a tactile person. He liked to cling to arms or grab someone (mostly Fo Ye or later Zhang Rishan, too) to hide behind them but at the same time holding on to them like a shield when he was scared. But even outside of that he liked to pat shoulders or pull on someone’s arm to get their attention. He just liked to touch people close to him, that was part of who he was. It had been a strange thing getting used to but Zhang Rishan had never exactly minded it, as long as Ba Ye was not actively trying to keep him from doing something he needed to do.

The whining about such insignificant things was a whole other story. It had really annoyed him in the beginning, the actual reason why he was unhappy with being ordered to look out for Ba Ye. Always whining and trying to hide away from the things Fo Ye wanted him to do. Especially in his first months with Fo Ye, Zhang Rishan had never understood why Fo Ye always sent for Ba Ye, when he could do it himself just as well. But sooner rather than later he realized that Ba Ye was very good at what he did and that he knew so many things.

What life until then had taught him, in a way he could still recall even without memories, was that you had to be useful in some way. With the northern Zhangs that obviously meant be a good fighter or be a useful tool. Or both. Even better if you could be both. So, since Ba Ye was absolutely no fighter, he had to be a useful tool. Even if Fo Ye didn’t seem to put people in those categories, like his ‘family’ had done. The way he treated everyone around him was very different from what Zhang Rishan expected someone in his position to do.

Ba Ye had not seemed useful to Zhang Rishan in the beginning at all, more like a burden. Someone that needed protection. Someone that overdramatized little scratches and bumps and enjoyed whining about them way too much. He had been so young then, and so foolish. If Fo Ye had taught him anything it was that everybody had value, no matter what they were good at. And that he seemed to draw those people in.

So even if Ba Ye liked to make himself seem weak and meek and helpless and overall useless, he was really not. He was a quick thinker and had an incredible eye for details and people. He could read people so well. Even the way he was able to talk himself out of things was actually another valuable ability. And he knew perfectly well how to use those things to his advantage.

Now these antics just make Zhang Rishan smile and shake his head slightly. He wonders at what point in time he stopped thinking of it as annoying. Now it's familiar and strangely endearing and somehow he thinks he might even have missed it a little in all those years he spent alone.

“I cannot take another step, I’m too weak!” Ba Ye is whining against his shoulder even more dramatically. He lets his head fall forward, so that his forehead is resting against the bare skin of Zhang Rishan’s throat. It does feel a little warmer than usual, but Liang Wan had warned him this might happen. He also knows that Liang Wan wouldn’t have sent him home if there was something to worry about, so he doesn’t.

“You can’t take three more steps to the couch?” Zhang Rishan asks a little teasingly and Ba Ye draws back a little to pout at him. “Or did you want to go to bed?” Somehow that makes Ba Ye pout even more and he steps back to stagger to the couch and lets himself fall onto the cushions just as dramatically as before. “You should really have more compassion for me! I have to endure this whole torture again next week! And then again two weeks after that!” Groaning he rights himself just enough to put his glasses onto the table and then hides his face in the cushions.

Zhang Rishan watches him for a moment, but he doesn’t seem to want to get up again or move at all. “You should take off your coat, at least,” he says and Ba Ye groans again, turning his head to look at him reproachfully. “My poor arms are way too heavy to get out of this coat,” he half-mumbles against the fabric of the cushions. It makes Zhang Rishan shake his head again, but with a little smile and he helps Ba Ye out of his coat. It’s a small fight with much more groaning and whining, but in the end Ba Ye can lie back on the couch and Zhang Rishan can hang up his coat.

“Do you want some tea?” Ba Ye just nods weakly so Zhang Rishan makes tea for both of them. Ba Ye gets a pot of fresh ginger tea with honey, because he likes sweet tea. When Zhang Rishan puts the pot on the coffee table he also uses the chance to place his hand on Ba Ye’s forehead, but his fever doesn’t feel that high. “You do have a slight fever, but Liang Wan said that was to be expected. You should sleep it off,” he says and Ba Ye cracks one eye open to look at him.

“Slight?” he repeats disbelievingly and a little offended, like Zhang Rishan is obviously underestimating how much he is suffering. “The least you can do is cover me with that blanket so I won’t get worse!” He huffs and pouts even more when his obvious annoyance is amusing to Zhang Rishan. But of course he gets his blanket. “Anything else?” Zhang Rishan asks, lifting a brow and for a moment Ba Ye looks like he wants to say something, but then he pouts again and shakes his head.

“Good. I’ll be just over at the table anyway,” he adds, because he still remembers that one time where he had to feed Ba Ye his noodle soup because he wouldn’t stop whining about how his arm hurt too much to hold his chopsticks and how he was still so hungry and had worked so hard and didn’t deserve any of this. So he goes back to researching while Ba Ye dozes on the couch for most of the afternoon. He manages to hold his teacup by himself, although there is also a lot of moaning and groaning involved whenever he has to sit up and reach for it. Zhang Rishan frequently looks over to check on him and most times he is dozing, but a few times he finds him just quietly watching him. It’s a little strange, because he doesn’t seem to want anything (like more tea or more blankets) or maybe he just doesn’t want to say.

When it’s time for dinner Ba Ye wants to stay on the couch and he keeps sulking until Zhang Rishan joins him there with his own bowl of soup. But he eats the lotus root and chicken soup he had chosen all by himself without whining about his arms being too weak to hold the spoon. But he supposes a spoon is easier to hold than chopsticks and that was maybe why Ba Ye wanted to have it. While Zhang Rishan cleans up the dishes Ba Ye goes to his room and he assumes it’s to go to bed and get some real sleep. But Ba Ye actually comes back in his pajamas to lie back on the couch and snuggle under his blanket.

After he is done with the kitchen, he sits back at the table to continue his research, but Ba Ye doesn’t seem too pleased about that. “You have been reading that book for the last two hours, you can do that just as well here on the couch,” he grumbles. Which is true. So Zhang Rishan sits with Ba Ye instead, who instantly uses his thigh as a pillow and murmurs, “That’s better.” He sighs contentedly and doesn’t seem to mind that Zhang Rishan uses his chance to put his hand on his forehead and check his temperature again. It’s still a little warmer than usual, but already better.

The rest of the evening goes by mostly in silence, with Ba Ye dozing and Zhang Rishan immersed in his still fruitless research. He only realizes how late it already is when Ba Ye starts snoring softly and seems to have drifted off to actual sleep. He should probably go to bed, too. For a moment he contemplates letting Ba Ye sleep on the couch, but sleeping in bed would be better for him and he might wake him when he gets up anyway.

Gathering him into his arms to carry him to his bed is the logical thing to do, especially when he is already cradling Ba Ye’s head to get up. It just feels - strange. They have slept in close quarters so often, he has watched over Ba Ye sleeping just as often, he knows how Ba Ye looks when he sleeps. He had slept on his lap just now. People tend to look softer and younger and more vulnerable in their sleep, he knows that. Ba Ye is no exception. But the way his head rolls against Zhang Rishan’s shoulder from picking him up elicits a sudden and intense rush of protectiveness he is utterly unprepared for. It’s completely illogical, there is no war, no Wang clan, no imminent danger, nothing Ba Ye should need protecting from. And he had protected Ba Ye from a lot of things that were actually dangerous without ever feeling like this.

Sighing quietly about his own thoughts he rights himself, finding his balance with Ba Ye’s additional weight. He really seems to have drifted off to sleep or he doesn’t mind being carried and trusts him enough to not even stir. The apartment is not that big, so the distance to Ba Ye’s room and his bed are no problem. Normally he wouldn’t just go into Ba Ye’s room without being invited, but he’s not gonna stay and look around. He has another utterly strange moment when he doesn’t want to let go of Ba Ye immediately, because some part of his mind argues that it would be so much easier to keep him safe if he just kept him in his arms. Where he would be safe.

Shaking his head at his ridiculous thoughts and wondering where those even come from, he carefully puts Ba Ye down on his bed and pulls the blankets over his sleeping form. He gives in to the need to check his temperature again and it does feel mostly normal again, so he should be back on his feet tomorrow. Ba Ye doesn’t stir once, his face completely relaxed from sleep and it really does make him look soft and in need of protection. Not that he needs any more reasons to want to keep him safe, anyway.

Zhang Rishan is still confused at his own strange thoughts and absolutely not prepared to find a silver chain at the side of the sink, both of Fo Ye’s rings strung onto it. Had Ba Ye been wearing them like that, beneath his clothes? He carefully picks it up but the weight on the palm of his hand feels too heavy. He closes his fist around the rings on their chain and chases away the memory of the pattern leaving angry red imprints on his palm. That’s not something he wants to think about ever again. Carefully going back to Ba Ye’s room he leaves the chain on his nightstand so he will be able to find it again in the morning.

But now he is no longer tired and he doesn’t think he could find any sleep, even if he tried. He contemplates going back to reading, but he doesn’t think he could focus on that now, so instead he goes to the roof to get rid of this nervous energy. It’s what’s worked best for him to empty his head of unwanted thoughts in the past.

It does help and he might get just very little sleep that night, but he still feels better. Ba Ye also seems much better the next day, only whining a little about his arms still hurting. But apparently not enough to keep him from going back to his books and scrolls like he wants to make up for lost time. Just working side by side like before thankfully keeps Zhang Rishan from any more strange thoughts, at least until Ba Ye remembers his meeting with the Chens and asks what they wanted.

He feels strangely reluctant to tell Ba Ye what the Tu Shi made him see, so he just mentions that they cause hallucinations that kill people without saying he had also been affected. As far as he knows Wu Xie had told Ba Ye most of the things about Gutong Jing already, albeit a little reluctantly, so he doesn’t have to go far afield. That trip hadn’t given them much in terms of Gutong Jing anyway, even if Chen Jinshui found that book, but it had at least saved some lifes. Who knew how many more they would have sent there to die. Ba Ye’s focus seems to be on Fo Ye’s statue as much as on how Chen Jinshui betrayed them in the end and left them to die.

It makes Ba Ye like the Chens even less than he already apparently does, which really shouldn’t be surprising. Zhang Rishan hasn’t painted a good picture of them so far, there is nothing for Ba Ye to like about them. But he obviously tries to not think about the Chens too much and asks about Fo Ye instead. Why he would build a statue of himself there and what he had been doing in Gutong Jing in the first place. It’s not exactly Zhang Rishan’s favorite topic either, too many people had died in Gutong Jing and too much of it had to do with the Wang clan, but he tells Ba Ye anyway. Even if he looks sad afterwards again.

And one quiet, normal day is apparently all they get. The next morning, just after breakfast Zhang Rishan gets a message from the Chen clan again, requesting his presence on their land as soon as possible. It sounds really urgent, not unlike the message he got when they requested his help before and after they just asked about the Tu Shi and the Shibie living under their tree he can vividly imagine what this is about. They will need most of the day to get there, and he really doesn’t want to be with the Chens on a hallucination day. But there is no way around it.

He calls Luo Que to pack his things and come get him. “Let me come with you!” Ba Ye says as soon as he has hung up, looking worried but also determined. “Absolutely not.” They are both surprised at the fierceness of his tone, but he hopes his surprise is not as visible as Ba Ye’s. “But those are the people who left you and Luo Que for dead the last time!” Ba Ye protests and his surprise already shifts to annoyance.

“Yes. Which is exactly why I don’t want you anywhere near them.” Just the thought of taking Ba Ye there and putting him in unnecessary danger feels so utterly and completely wrong. They had barely made it out alive last time, if anything like that were to happen again he would never be able to forgive himself. He needs Ba Ye to be safe and that’s not something he would be in that place. And he can see that Ba Ye is taking those words the wrong way, but he has to go, there is no time to argue.

It’s absolute chaos when they arrive late in the evening. People are running around and no one can find Boss Chen or tell them what exactly happened. And then the whole ancestral tree just explodes, wood and earth and stone raining down everywhere. They are still too far away to be affected by the explosion or the debris raining down, but the toxin gets them.

It’s almost like the first time, but it doesn’t help him in any way that he knows what causes this or that this is a hallucination. It feels too real. He sees Fo Ye in his perfectly spotless, green uniform again, leaning against his desk with folded arms. The cap is resting on the desk this time, but the look of disappointed anger is the same. His anger is not about Gutong Jing this time, it’s about Ba Ye and how Zhang Rishan was supposed to protect Ba Ye, to keep him safe. And how he utterly and completely failed at that task and instead caused him irreparable harm by having him ripped from his home. By having him lose everyone. By taking him away from Fo Ye.

Just like the last time he doesn’t move at all when Fo Ye raises his gun, because he knows he is guilty of every single thing Fo Ye said. And he knows he deserves to be punished for that. It’s so much worse than the last time and he tries to ignore how much his eyes burn when he closes them and just awaits his punishment. What he doesn’t know is if that is what makes him wake up again, that he just accepts the death this hallucination is presenting him with and doesn’t try to fight it or to run away.

He gets back to his feet, hiding his face in the crook of his arm to get at least some protection from the dust still in the air. Telling himself that it’s the dust making his eyes burn and tear up and not the hallucination. Luo Que has been hit by the toxin just as hard and he has no other way than to knock him out so he can pull him up and drag him away from this mess. There are a few other people that either haven’t been affected by the toxin or have managed to escape it just like he did and they are smart enough to cover their faces with masks so they don’t inhale anything.

Somehow they manage to get the few survivors out of the crater, but apparently most of the people have been swept down into the tomb by a landslide caused by the explosion. And they should be grateful the hole covered itself up like that again, because the Tu Shi are one thing, but it would have been so much more terrible if the Shibie got out. Zhang Rishan can’t even muster the energy to be angry anymore, but the idiotic current boss of the Chen clan just died with his people anyway.

It’s the kind of mess that would have been terrible on any other day, but now he is already spread so thin that he can barely handle it. His mind keeps bringing up the picture of Fo Ye’s hand, young and healthy, the fingers with the rings wrapped around the edge of the desk. Tapping slowly against the wood while he is listing Zhang Rishan’s many failures. And the other one, where his hand is old, wrinkly, the rings loose around the thin fingers. The one he tried so hard to unsee.

If they wanted to get into his good graces by unearthing the statue with an explosion (and that is exactly what some of them are saying), they achieved quite the opposite of that by their stupidity and he lets them know in as few words as possible that they are to leave this place as it is. No digging. No more explosions. Let the statue and everything else stay buried.

Luo Que finds him sitting at the edge of the crater the next morning, exhausted and just staring at the dark earth that had just swallowed more than twenty people. There is nothing more they can do here, it’s up to the Chens to care for their wounded and to do the sensible thing for once. He dusts himself off and is thankful that for once there is nothing more than that on his clothes and hands and he can wash it off easily.

“Are you good to drive back?” he asks Luo Que quietly, who just nods, concern already creeping into his eyes. “Then please take me back home.” Luo Que just nods again, but he keeps stealing worried glances in the rearview mirror once they are on their way. Especially after Zhang Rishan blanks out to his own cave with dancing shadows and burning torches causing strange patterns all around those shadows. At least that didn’t happen in front of the Chens. Luo Que doesn’t say anything and just keeps on looking worried while he drives them all the way home again. Which is everything Zhang Rishan wants for now. Go home, sleep, forget.

In the car he dozes off just for a bit, because even that lightest of sleep gets disrupted by memory-nightmares and he doesn’t need Luo Que to see that. As soon as they get close to Beijing it starts to pour, which slows them down further. At least he doesn’t have to walk through the rain when they finally arrive at his building, but he can still feel Luo Que’s worried stare on his back.

When he finally opens his apartment door Ba Ye is still sitting at the table, his open laptop in front of him. Ba Ye looks up and already looks very angry, jumping up from his seat at the table and clutching the backrest tightly enough to make his knuckles stand out white. But he at least waits until Zhang Rishan has closed the door until he says, “‘Zhang Da Fo Ye died alone in a veterans’ home’!”

The sharp words make his head jerk all the way up reflexively to stare at Ba Ye. That was not at all what he expected Ba Ye to be angry about. Why does he say that now? How does he even know that? “You told me you were with him till the end! Did you lie to me? Why would you lie to me? To make me feel better?” His voice trembles with anger and his eyes are shiny with frustration and betrayal as he stomps towards Zhang Rishan with quick, angry steps.

“I did not lie to you. I was with him till the end,” Zhang Rishan answers, looking down at his hands again. This is going somewhere he does not like at all and he is already so exhausted. He had packed that memory away so well, into the box labeled ‘unbearable’ that he is not supposed to have. Buried deep, deep down, somewhere where he would never have to look at it again. He knows Fo Ye is dead, has been dead for quite a while now, he does not need to remember how or when or where. The fact alone is terrible enough.

Until this moment he had been convinced that he had managed it, that this memory had been locked away tightly enough. But parts of it had already seeped through some cracks, right back into his sight. And suddenly it’s like he is there again, like another vivid hallucination painted by Tu Shi toxin. Sitting at that tiny bed in that dimly lit tiny room. Holding onto Fo Ye’s wrinkly, old and far too frail hand, the rings digging into his palm almost to the point of pain, leaving an imprint he will be able to see even after he lets go of the cold hand. The smell of old and sick and dead permeating everything. Fo Ye telling him in his weak, old voice that they are not done with their fight against the invisible enemy yet. It feels impossible that this man could die like this, after everything he has done. It’s not fair. This is not how it is supposed to be. It’s so hard not to cry, but he can't, he just can't, the moisture would disturb the mask and he can never be seen here. No one can know that he is still alive. He has to endure it and sit here trembling, not allowed to cry.

It feels like losing him all over again.

How could he ever forget that horrible moment? He tries to shove the memory back into its box, but it’s too terrifyingly large and vivid now and he is too worn out to fight it properly. There are too many cracks for it to seep through. It feels like it just happened and his heart aches so fiercely that he can’t breathe for a moment. It’s an impossible thing to focus back onto the here and now, but he owes Ba Ye an answer. He owes Ba Ye the truth.

Blinking hard against the sudden moisture in his eyes brought forth by the memory he repeats, “I was with him.” There is a strain in his voice he can’t suppress. “But I had to hide.” He had shown Ba Ye all the masks, he should understand what he means by ‘hide’. Wear the face of someone else, live the life of someone else. “He was not alone.” At least in his moment of death.

Ba Ye stays where he is, one arm’s length away. He is quiet for a moment, fidgeting with his hands against his sides. “You said he had a good life….” It’s not really a question but Zhang Rishan understands what Ba Ye is asking. If he lied about that so Ba Ye didn’t feel bad, when he already omitted so much. That Fo Ye had to spend that last part of his life in a veterans home does not sound like a ‘good life’ and Zhang Rishan had hated every minute of it. But he had hated a lot of the things that had happened before that. And after that. What he felt about these things had never been important anyway. And he owes Ba Ye an answer to this too. He looks up through his lashes at him, but he at least looks calmer than before, staring at a point on the floor between them.

“He died knowing he did his best with what he was handed. Of course his life was not easy, how could it be in those times and for someone in his position? He had to make decisions that broke his heart, but he always kept going. He always believed he did all that he could to protect his people. Of course it could have been better, it could have been easy. It could have been peaceful, full of children and laughter and happiness, without all the responsibility he had to carry. But that’s not what we get. Wouldn’t you say it’s a good life when you look back at the end of it and know you did everything you could do to make things better?”

Now his eyes are really burning and he looks away again, turning his head to the side even though it won’t help much because Ba Ye is right in front of him. It was a hard life, but it was spent doing the right things, they can't expect any more. Ba Ye must see that too, he has to. It doesn’t help that Ba Ye still doesn’t say anything, just stands so still. And Zhang Rishan can't take the silence, not now, he needs Ba Ye to say it's right. That it's true. Because if not, then what was the point of any of it? That would be too cruel.

Only when he moves to pass by him and leave does Ba Ye move, grabbing his arm to hold him back. He still doesn't say anything. And this time Zhang Rishan doesn’t want to be held back so he slips his arm out of the hold. “I wouldn’t lie to you about this. I wouldn’t blanch it over to make you feel better.”

Frustrated with himself he wipes at his cheek, wiping away the tear that slipped out despite his effort to blink it away. He only manages a few slow steps away from the door before he hears Ba Ye turn and follow. When Ba Ye touches him, wrapping his arms around his shoulders from behind, he doesn’t evade the hold a second time. “I’m sorry,” Ba Ye says, tightening his hold. Zhang Rishan closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Ba Ye’s face feels too warm where he leans it against the bare skin of his neck.

“I’m sorry,” he repeats, a little muffled from the way he presses his cheek against Zhang Rishan. “It’s just… you keep me safe, you always keep me safe, so I thought this might be something you would want to keep me safe from, too.” Oh he tries that, he tries so hard to keep him safe, because that is what he needs. He hadn't managed to keep Fo Ye safe, no matter how hard he had tried, there was no way to save him from time. And did Fo Ye not just tell him that he hasn’t managed to keep Ba Ye safe, either?

He feels the way Ba Ye has to swallow before he can continue, “I was angry because Fo Ye deserved better than that. But you are right, it’s the best any of us can hope for. Can we- can we just sit down and talk about this?" Ba Ye is lightly tugging on him and normally it would be enough to turn him around, make him go over to the couch and sit down. But right now he does not want to sit down and look at Ba Ye. He doesn't think he can bear to be looked at. Not right now.

"No," he says, the strain back in his voice. It should probably feel good to be held and comforted like this, but guilt is rearing its ugly head again, reminding him that he technically shouldn’t be allowed to have this. That he took this away from Fo Ye. And he already had the longevity that Fo Ye deserved far more than he did, why does he get to have this, too? If it hadn't been for him making wishes Ba Ye could have still been alive and with Fo Ye. If it hadn't been for him Fo Ye wouldn't have to be so alone in the end. And maybe that is the thought that does it, the too much he can’t take anymore.

“I can’t, not right now,” he forces out, freeing himself from the embrace. Part of him knows it’s unfair, that he is just hurting Ba Ye more by running away, but he can’t do this, he just can’t. This time nothing can hold him back from leaving. Even if part of him knows it’s pure flight, that it’s childish and weak, he doesn’t care, only stops when he is in his bedroom, leaning against the closed door.

Why is this so hard all of a sudden? He had known all those things. Not for the first time he wishes he could just take a bottle of wine and drink his pain away, take the edge off of everything. But alcohol had never helped him forget things, it mostly made him even more sad and the amount he would have to drink to get wasted enough to not care anymore just isn’t worth it. Fucking Zhang legacy. So instead he forces his body to get up again (and when had he even sat down on the ground?) and goes to the roof to use training to shut up his mind again. It’s still pouring but he isn’t bothered, he doesn’t mind the chill and the sound is useful to hide any unusual sounds he might cause.

He uses almost every weapon he has stored there, his body automatically falling into the steps without him having to think about it, even though it’s already protesting the lack of proper rest. But his mind just won’t shut up, the utter exhaustion of his body doesn’t do anything to exhaust his mind, too. He has no idea how long he is already up here, but he keeps on swinging and slashing until all his muscles are trembling and he would be drenched in sweat if it wasn’t still raining. Until Ba Ye manages to sneak up on him and take the weapon out of his hand, because he is too exhausted to sense his presence or react to it appropriately.

The dao clatters to the ground because Ba Ye carelessly tosses it away and the sound makes Zhang Rishan actually flinch. In his mind he can almost hear Fo Ye berating him that he shouldn’t treat a perfectly good weapon like that. But Ba Ye is gripping his shoulders tightly, shaking him a little and he is talking. Zhang Rishan should probably listen. But it takes so much energy to focus.

“-alk to me. Rishan, please. Now you need to tell me how to help you.” He doesn’t know that. How would he know that? He has no idea what to do himself. How could he tell Ba Ye what to do? Ba Ye usually knows these things, not him. He doesn’t even know why he is on his knees on the ground suddenly, pressed too tightly against Ba Ye’s chest in a bone crushing embrace.

“I asked Wu Xie and while I think he may not know the whole story, he told me that there was an incident where Fo Ye lost almost all members of his family. That you were listed among the dead, too. That Fo Ye and Xie Jiuye had a power struggle because Fo Ye was closely working with that so-called ‘IT’ that turned out to be that Wang clan. It’s not true, is it? All of that was a ruse in the fight against the Wang clan, right?” Of course Ba Ye understands it without him having to say anything. He knows Fo Ye. Still he nods against Ba Ye’s shoulder.

“He sacrificed all of his family, even you, for this fight. And no one knew.” He nods again and the burning in his eyes is back full force. “He let everybody think he was the bad guy.” Another nod and he doesn’t know at what point he hugged Ba Ye back, but his fingers are gripping Ba Ye’s clothes so hard that it hurts. And now he is actually crying, breath hitching on painful sobs.

“You’re right, his life could have been easier. But he spent it doing what he felt was right and fighting for it. To change things for the better. That’s good. It was a good life, Rishan.” Some strange, strangled sound escapes his throat at those words and Ba Ye gently strokes the back of his head, still holding him close. No one has ever done this, no one has ever held him while he cried. In fact he doesn’t think he has ever cried in front of someone. But somehow it doesn’t feel wrong or like something he shouldn’t do.

“It’s okay, just cry, everything will be alright,” Ba Ye is murmuring quietly, still stroking Zhang Rishan’s head and he is so exhausted. But maybe, just maybe, Ba Ye is right. Maybe he can make himself believe that everything might be alright after all.

#zhang rishan #ba ye #qi tiezui #fuba #mystic nine #dmbj fic

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philip-ks-dick · 3 years

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Philip K. Dick, For Dummies.

I’ve been researching PK.D for a few years now, as he’s my father’s favourite author and I’ve been watching movie and show adaptations of his work for the longest time. I have personally only read the books listed, here’s the order (I think) you should read them in, based on difficulty level and the knowledge you need of the PKD canon to understand the books that follow. This is purely my opinion based on knowledge of the author. by philip-k’s-dick (lol)

Beginner. (These books and stories allow readers to explore Dick’s pet themes and stylistic quirks without falling too far down the rabbit hole)

The Short Stories: Over the course of his life, PKD wrote somewhere in the range of 150 short stories. Naturally, it would be silly of me to dump all of them on you at once, but undeniably, the shorter format allows the big ideas of Dick’s work to come through more clearly, and even the screwier stories conform to relatively coherent shape, making them an excellent jumping off point, especially for an author who wrote almost nonstop throughout his life.

My Favourites:

In The Days of Perky Pat - In this novel, survivors of a global thermonuclear war live in isolated enclaves in California, surviving off what they can scrounge from the wastes and supplies delivered from Mars. The older generation spend their leisure time playing with the eponymous doll in an escapist role-playing game that recalls life before the apocalypse — a way of life that is being quickly forgotten. At the story's climax, a couple from one isolated outpost of humanity plays a game against the dwellers of another outpost (who play the game with a doll similar to Perky Pat dubbed "Connie Companion") in deadly earnest. The survivors' shared enthusiasm for the Perky Pat doll and the creation of her accessories from vital supplies is a sort of mass delusion that prevents meaningful re-building of the shattered society. In stark contrast, the children of the survivors show absolutely no interest in the delusion and have begun adapting to their new life.

(Elements of the story were later incorporated into Dick's novel The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, written in 1964 and published in 1965, in which a Perky Pat simulation game is induced by drugs and miniature models instead. Palmer Eldritch is not a continuation or sequel however.)

What the Dead Men Say - Death is followed by a period of 'half-life', a short amount of time which can be rationed out over long periods in which the dead can be revived—so that, potentially, they can 'live' on for a long time. When attempts to bring back important businessman Louis Sarapis fail, it's clearly more than mere negligence. Sure enough, Sarapis starts speaking from beyond the grave. From outer space, in fact. Yet no-one seems terribly bothered, other than those directly concerned in the plot mechanics. Eventually entire communications networks (phones, TV, radio) are blocked by Sarapis' broadcasts

(Philip's later novel Ubik is a continuation of What the Dead Men Say)

Autofac - Three men wait outside their settlement for an automated delivery truck. Five years earlier, during the Total Global Conflict, a network of hardened automatic factories ("autofacs") had been set up with cybernetic controls that determine what food and consumer goods to manufacture and deliver. Human input had been lost, and the men planned disruption to try to establish communication and take over control. They destroy the delivery, but the truck radios the autofac and unloads an identical replacement, then prevents them from reloading items. They act out being disgusted with the milk delivery and are given a complaints checklist. In a blank space, they write improvised semantic garble—"the product is thoroughly pizzled". The autofac sends a humanoid data collector that communicates on an oral basis, but is not capable of conceptual thought, and they are unable to persuade the network to shut down before it consumes all resources. Their next strategy sets neighbouring autofacs in competition with each other for rare resources and seemingly succeeds, but there is a hidden level

Beyond Lies The Wub - Peterson, a crew member of a spaceship loading up with food animals on Mars, buys an enormous pig-like creature known as a "wub" from a native just before departure. Franco, his captain, is worried about the extra weight but seems more concerned about its taste, as his ship is short of food. However, after takeoff, the crew realizes that the wub is a very intelligent creature, capable of telepathy and maybe even mind control.

Peterson and the wub spend time discussing mythological figures and the travels of Odysseus. Captain Franco, paranoid after an earlier confrontation with the Wub which left him temporarily paralyzed, bursts in and insists on killing and eating the wub. The crew becomes very much opposed to killing the sensitive creature after it makes a plea for understanding, but Franco still makes a meal out of him. At the dinner table, Captain Franco apologises for the "interruption" and resumes the earlier conversation between Peterson and the Wub - which now has apparently taken over the Captain's body

Human Is - Jill Herrick and her husband Lester are in the middle of an argument. Lester deflects his wife’s claim that he is “hideous” with cold indifference. He tells her that he will not allow their child in the house and will have him removed to government custody because he is interfering with his research. Before the distraught Jill can pass this onto their son Gus, Lester gets news that he will be taking a trip to Rexor IV. Despite Jill’s desire to go there and see the planet, Lester insists that he will go alone.

Later Jill tells her brother Frank and she is going to leave Lester. She explains how happy she has been with Lester gone and how he seems to be getting worse every year of their marriage. More cold and more “ruthless,” not to mention the incessant working.

Lester comes home a very different man. He praises Jill’s cooking and expresses disgust with his work on Rexor IV studying toxins. He says he prefers Terra and being home with his wife.

Jill reports these changes to Frank, while Lester is playing in the room with Gus. Frank has Lester brought to a lab for more studies under the guidance of the Federal Clearance agency. Before long they realize that Lester has had his body taken over by a Rexorian.

The Hanging Stranger - The protagonist, Ed Loyce, is a store owner who is disturbed when he sees a stranger hanging from a lamppost, but finds that other people consider the apparent lynching unremarkable.

He finds evidence that alien insects have taken over, manages to get out of town, talks to the police commissioner, who believes him, and after getting all the information about what Ed knows, explains that the body was hung to see if anyone reacted to it, anyone they didn't have control over. He then takes Ed outside and hangs him from a lamppost.

The Commuter - Ed Jacobson is a railway worker at Woking station. His life takes a turn for the worse when his son, Sam, begins experiencing psychotic episodes. When he is selling rail tickets at work, a young woman named Linda asks for a ticket to a destination called Macon Heights that is not listed on any map.

The Minority Report - In a future society, three mutants foresee all crime before it occurs. Plugged into a great machine, these "precogs" allow a division of the police called Precrime to arrest suspects before they can commit any actual crimes. When the head of Precrime, John Anderton, is himself predicted to murder a man whom he has never met, Anderton is convinced a great conspiracy is afoot

Full Books:

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter for the San Francisco Police Department, is assigned to "retire" (kill) six androids of the new and highly intelligent Nexus-6 model which have recently escaped from Mars and traveled to Earth. These androids are made of organic matter so similar to a human's that only a posthumous "bone marrow analysis" can independently prove the difference, making them almost impossible to distinguish from real people. Deckard hopes this mission will earn him enough bounty money to buy a live animal to replace his lone electric sheep to comfort his depressed wife Iran. Deckard visits the Rosen Association's headquarters in Seattle to confirm the accuracy of the latest empathy test meant to identify incognito androids. Deckard suspects the test may not be capable of distinguishing the latest Nexus-6 models from genuine human beings, and it appears to give a false positive on his host in Seattle, Rachael Rosen, meaning the police have potentially been executing human beings. The Rosen Association attempts to blackmail Deckard to get him to drop the case, but Deckard retests Rachael and determines that Rachael is, indeed, an android, which she ultimately admits.

Clans of the Alphane Moon - War between Earth and insectoid-dominated Alpha III ended over a decade ago. (According to the novel, "Alphane" refers to the nearest star to our own system, Alpha Centauri). Some years after the end of hostilities, Earth intends to secure its now independent colony in the Alphane system, Alpha III M2. As a former satellite-based global psychiatric institution for colonists on other Alphane system worlds unable to cope with the stresses of colonisation, the inhabitants of Alpha III M2 have lived peacefully for years. But, under the pretence of a medical mission, Earth intends to take their colony back.

Against this background, Chuck Rittersdorf and his wife Mary are separating. Although they think they are going their separate ways, they soon find themselves together again on Alpha III M2. Mary travels there through government work, Chuck sees it as a chance to kill Mary using his remote control simulacrum. Along the way he is guided by his Ganymedean slime mould neighbour Lord Running Clam and Mary finds herself manipulated by the Alphane sympathiser, comedian Bunny Hentman.

The Man in the High Castle - In 1962, 15 years after Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany have won World War II, Robert "Bob" Childan owns an Americana antique shop in San Francisco, California (located in the Japanese-occupied Pacific States of America), which is most commonly frequented by the Japanese, who make a fetish of romanticized American cultural artifacts. Childan is contacted by Nobusuke Tagomi, a high-ranking Japanese trade official, who is seeking a gift to impress a visiting Swedish industrialist named Baynes. Childan's store is stocked in part with counterfeit antiques from the Wyndam-Matson Corporation, a metalworking company. Frank Frink (formerly Fink), a secretly Jewish-American veteran of World War II, has just been fired from the Wyndam-Matson factory, when he agrees to join a former co-worker to begin a handcrafted jewellery business. Meanwhile, Frink's ex-wife, Juliana, works as a judo instructor in Canon City, Colorado (in the neutral buffer zone of Mountain States), where she begins a sexual relationship with an Italian truck driver and ex-soldier, Joe Cinnadella. Throughout the book, many of these characters frequently make important decisions using prophetic messages they interpret from the I Ching, a Chinese cultural import. Many characters are also reading a widely banned yet extremely popular new novel, The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, which depicts an alternate history in which the Allies won World War II in 1945, a concept that amazes and intrigues its readers.

Frink reveals that the Wyndam-Matson Corporation has been supplying Childan with counterfeit antiques, which works to blackmail Wyndam-Matson for money to finance Frink's new jewelry venture. Tagomi and Baynes meet, but Baynes repeatedly delays any real business as they await an expected third party from Japan. Suddenly, the public receives news of the death of the Chancellor of Germany, Martin Bormann, after a short illness. Childan tentatively, on consignment, takes some of Frink's "authentic" new metalwork and attempts to curry favour with a Japanese client, who surprisingly considers Frink's jewelry immensely spiritually alive. Juliana and Joe take a road trip to Denver, Colorado and Joe impulsively decides they should go on a side-trip to meet the mysterious Hawthorne Abendsen, author of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, who supposedly lives in a guarded fortress-like estate called the "High Castle" in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Soon, Joseph Goebbels is announced as the new German Chancellor.

Intermediate. (These are the books to pick up once you have the basics of what makes a PKD novel down. They’re obtuse enough to hit a little heavier, but don’t provide the full dose of surrealism Dick was capable of serving up. This is also good spot to jump in if you’ve experienced weird fiction before.)

Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said - The novel is set in a dystopian version of 1988, following a Second Civil War which led to the collapse of the United States' democratic institutions. The National Guard ("nats") and US police force ("pols") reestablished social order through instituting a dictatorship, with a "Director" at the apex, and police marshals and generals as operational commanders in the field. Resistance to the regime is largely confined to university campuses, where radicalized former university students eke out a desperate existence in subterranean kibbutzim. Recreational drug use is widespread, and the age of consent has been lowered to twelve. The black population has almost been rendered extinct. Most commuting is undertaken by personal aircraft, allowing great distances to be covered in little time.

The novel begins with the protagonist, Jason Taverner, a singer, hosting his weekly TV show which has an audience of 30 million viewers. His special guest is his girlfriend Heather Hart, also a singer. Both Hart and Taverner are "Sixes", members of an elite class of genetically engineered humans. While leaving the studio, Taverner is telephoned by a former lover, who asks him to pay her a visit. When Taverner arrives at her apartment, the former lover attacks him by throwing a parasitic life-form at him. Although he manages to remove most of the life-form, parts of it are left inside him. After being rescued by Hart, he is taken to a medical facility.

Waking up the following day in a seedy hotel with no identification, Taverner becomes worried, as failure to produce identification at one of the numerous police checkpoints would lead to imprisonment in a forced labor camp. Through a succession of phone calls made from the hotel to colleagues and friends who now claim not to know him, Taverner establishes that he is no longer recognized by the outside world. He soon manages to bribe the hotel's clerk into taking him to Kathy Nelson, a forger of government documents. However, Kathy reveals that both she and the clerk are police informants, and that the lobby clerk has placed a microscopic tracking device on him. She promises not to turn Taverner over to the police on the condition that he spend the night with her. Although he attempts to escape, Kathy confronts him again after he has successfully passed a police checkpoint using the forged identity cards. Feeling in her debt, he accompanies Kathy to her apartment block, where Inspector McNulty, Kathy's police handler, is waiting. McNulty has located Taverner via the tracking device the hotel lobby clerk placed on him, and instructs Taverner to come with him to the 469th Precinct police station so that further biometric identity checks can be performed.

Time out of Joint - Ragle Gumm lives in the year 1959 in a quiet American suburb. His unusual profession consists of repeatedly winning the cash prize in a local newspaper contest called "Where Will The Little Green Man Be Next?". Gumm's 1959 has some differences from ours: the Tucker car is in production, AM/FM radios are scarce to non-existent, and Marilyn Monroe is a complete unknown. As the novel opens, strange things begin to happen to Gumm. A soft-drink stand disappears, replaced by a small slip of paper with the words "SOFT-DRINK STAND" printed on it in block letters. Intriguing little pieces of the real 1959 turn up: a magazine article on Marilyn Monroe, a telephone book with non-operational exchanges listed and radios hidden away in someone else's house. People with no apparent connection to Gumm, including military pilots using aircraft transceivers, refer to him by name. Few other characters notice these or experience similar anomalies; the sole exception is Gumm's supposed brother-in-law, Victor "Vic" Nielson, in whom he confides. A neighborhood woman, Mrs. Keitelbein, invites him to a civil defense class where he sees a model of a futuristic underground military factory. He has the unshakeable feeling he's been inside that building many times before.

Confusion gradually mounts for Gumm. His neighbor Bill Black knows far more about these events than he admits, and, observing this, begins worrying: "Suppose Ragle [Gumm] is becoming sane again?" In fact, Gumm does become sane, and the deception surrounding him (erected to protect and exploit him) begins to unravel

Ubik - By the year 1992, humanity has colonized the Moon and psychic powers are common. The protagonist, Joe Chip, is a debt-ridden technician working for Runciter Associates, a "prudence organization" employing "inertials"—people with the ability to negate the powers of telepaths and "precogs"—to enforce the privacy of clients. The company is run by Glen Runciter, assisted by his deceased wife Ella who is kept in a state of "half-life", a form of cryonic suspension that allows the deceased limited consciousness and ability to communicate. While consulting with Ella, Runciter discovers that her consciousness is being invaded by another half-lifer named Jory Miller

Difficult. (This section comes with a caveat: within these novels you will encounter numerous hallucinations, drug trips, an entire trilogy about gnostic spirituality and mental illness, and more than a little unabashed nightmare fuel. It’s normal to get tangled up in what goes on in these books. It’s also normal to be weirded out. But with proper grounding, you’ll make it though with your faculties intact. Probably.)

The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch - The story begins in a future world where global temperatures have risen so high that in most of the world it is unsafe to be outside without special cooling gear during daylight hours. In a desperate bid to preserve humanity and ease population burdens on Earth, the UN has initiated a "draft" for colonizing the nearby planets, where conditions are so horrific and primitive that the unwilling colonists have fallen prey to a form of escapism involving the use of an illegal drug (Can-D) in concert with "layouts." Layouts are physical props intended to simulate a sort of alternative reality where life is easier than either the grim existence of the colonists in their marginal off-world colonies, or even Earth, where global warming has progressed to the point that Antarctica is prime vacation resort territory. The illegal drug Can-D allows people to "share" their experience of the "Perky Pat" (the name of the main female character in the simulated world) layouts. This "sharing" has caused a pseudo-religious cult or series of cults to grow up around the layouts and the use of the drug.

Up to the point where the novel begins, New York City-based Perky Pat (or P.P.) Layouts, Inc., has held a monopoly on this product, as well as on the illegal trade in the drug Can-D which makes the shared hallucinations possible.

The novel opens shortly after Barney Mayerson, P.P. Layouts' top precog, has received a "draft notice" from the UN for involuntary resettlement as a colonist on Mars. Mayerson is sleeping with his assistant, Roni Fugate, but remains conflicted about the divorce, which he himself initiated, from his first wife Emily, a ceramic pot artist. Meanwhile, Emily's second husband tries to sell her pot designs to P.P. Layouts as possible accessories for the Perky Pat virtual worlds—but Barney, recognizing them as Emily's, rejects them out of spite.

A Scanner Darkly - When performing his work as an undercover agent, Arctor goes by the name "Fred" and wears a "scramble suit" that conceals his identity from other officers. Then he is able to sit in a police facility and observe his housemates through "holo-scanners", audio-visual surveillance devices that are placed throughout the house. Arctor's use of the drug causes the two hemispheres of his brain to function independently or "compete". When Arctor sees himself in the videos saved by the scanners, he does not realize that it is him. Through a series of drug and psychological tests, Arctor's superiors at work discover that his addiction has made him incapable of performing his job as a narcotics agent. They do not know his identity because he wears the scramble suit, but when his police supervisor suggests to him that he might be Bob Arctor, he is confused and thinks it cannot be possible.

Donna takes Arctor to "New-Path", a rehabilitation clinic, just as Arctor begins to experience the symptoms of Substance D withdrawal. It is revealed that Donna has been a narcotics agent all along, working as part of a police operation to infiltrate New-Path and determine its funding source. Without his knowledge, Arctor has been selected to penetrate the organization. As part of the rehab program, Arctor is renamed "Bruce" and forced to participate in cruel group-dynamic games, intended to break the will of the patients

(If this one seems difficult to wrap your mind around, that's because its a fictionalized account of real events, and you may need to read about Philip's life at the time to understand the autobiographical nature of the book.)

The VALIS Trilogy

(Fictionalized account of religious experiences in PKD’s life.)

VALIS - In March, 1974, Horselover Fat (the alter-personality of Philip K. Dick) experiences visions of a pink beam of light that he calls Zebra and interprets as a theophany exposing hidden facts about the reality of our universe, and a group of others join him in researching these matters. One of their theories is that there is some kind of alien space probe in orbit around Earth, and that it is aiding them in their quest; it also aided the United States in disclosing the Watergate scandal and the resignation of Richard Nixon in August, 1974. Kevin turns his friends onto a film called Valis that contains obvious references to revelations identical to those that Horselover Fat has experienced, including what appears to be time dysfunction. The film is itself a fictional account of an alternative-universe version of Nixon ("Ferris F. Fremount") and his fall, engineered by a satellite called valis. (The plot of the fictitious film Valis was that of Dick's then-unpublished novel Radio Free Albemuth.) In seeking the film's makers, Kevin, Phil, Fat, and David—now calling themselves the Rhipidon Society—head to an estate owned by popular musician Eric Lampton and his wife Linda. They decide the goal that they have been led toward is Sophia Lampton, who is two-years old and the Messiah or incarnation of Holy Wisdom (Pistis Sophia) anticipated by some variants of Gnostic Christianity. In addition to healing Phil's schizophrenic personality split, she tells them that their conclusions about valis (which Fat had previously termed "Zebra") and reality are correct, and more importantly, that we should worship, not gods, but humanity. She dies two days later due to a laser accident caused by Brent Mini. Undeterred, Fat (who has now resurged) goes on a global search for the next incarnation of Sophia.

Dick also offers a rationalist explanation of his apparent theophany, acknowledging that it might have been visual and auditory hallucinations from either schizophrenia or drug addiction sequelae.

Characters:

Phil (Philip K. Dick): Narrator (first person), science fiction writer, author of Man in the High Castle, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and Three Stigmata.

Horselover Fat: Narrator (third person), a schizophrenic modality of Phil himself. (Philip in Greek means "fond of horses"; dick is German for "fat".)

Gloria Knudson: Suicidal friend of Fat's who Fat is unable to save.

Kevin: Cynical friend of Fat's whose cat died running across the street, based on K. W. Jeter.

Sherri Solvig: Church-going friend of Fat's, eventually dies from lymphatic cancer.

David: Catholic friend of Fat's, based on Tim Powers.

Eric Lampton: Rock star, screenwriter, actor, a. k. a. "Mother Goose"; a fictionalised version of David Bowie.

Linda Lampton: Actress, wife of Eric Lampton.

Brent Mini: Electronic composer, a fictionalised version of Brian Eno.

Sophia Lampton: Two-year-old child (personalised incarnation of Holy Wisdom within some variants of Gnosticism), said to be the daughter of Linda Lampton and valis and the "Fifth Savior".

The Divine Invasion - After a fatal car accident on Earth, Herb Asher is placed into cryonic suspension as he waits for a spleen replacement. Clinically dead, Herb experiences lucid dreams while in suspended animation and relives the last six years of his life.

In the past, Herb lived as a recluse in an isolated dome on a remote planet in the binary star system, CY30-CY30B. Yah, a local divinity of the planet in exile from Earth, appears to Herb in a vision as a burning flame, and forces him to contact his sick female neighbor, Rybys Rommey, who happens to be terminally ill with multiple sclerosis and pregnant with Yah's child.

With the help of the immortal soul of Elijah, who takes the form of a wild beggar named Elias Tate, Herb agrees to become Rybys's legal husband and father of the unborn "savior". Together they plan to smuggle the six-month pregnant Rybys back to Earth, under the pretext of seeking help for Rybys' medical condition at a medical research facility. After being born in human form, Yah plans to confront the fallen angel Belial, who has ruled the Earth for 2000 years since the fall of Masada in the first century CE. Yah's powers, however, are limited by Belial's dominion on Earth, and the four of them must take extra precautions to avoid being detected by the forces of darkness.

Things do not go as planned. "Big Noodle", Earth's A.I. system, warns the ecclesiastical authorities in the Christian-Islamic church and Scientific Legate about the divine "invasion" and countermeasures are prepared. A number of failed attempts are made to destroy the unborn child, all of them thwarted by Elijah and Yah. After successfully making the interstellar journey back to Earth and narrowly avoiding a forced abortion, Rybys and Herb escape in the nick of time, only to be involved in a fatal taxi crash, probably due to the machinations of Belial. Rybys dies from her injuries sustained in the crash, and her unborn son Emmanuel (Yah in human form) suffers brain damage from the trauma but survives. Herb is critically injured and put into cryonic suspension until a spleen replacement can be found. Baby Emmanuel is placed into a synthetic womb, but Elias Tate manages to sneak Emmanuel out of the hospital before the church is able to kill him.

Six years pass. In a school for special children, Emmanuel meets Zina, a girl who also seems to have similar skills and talents, but acts as a surrogate teacher to Emmanuel. For four years, Zina helps Emmanuel regain his memory (the brain damage caused amnesia) and discover his true identity as Yah, creator of the universe.

When he's ready, Zina shows Emmanuel her own parallel universe. In this peaceful world, organized religion has little influence, Rybys Rommey is still alive and married to Herb Asher, and Belial is only a goat kid living in a petting zoo.

In an act of kindness, Zina and Emmanuel liberate the goat-creature from his cage, momentarily forgetting that the animal is Belial. The goat-creature finds Herb Asher and attempts to retain control of the world by possessing him and convincing him that Yahweh's creation is an ugly thing that should be shown for what it really is. Eventually Herb is saved by Linda Fox, a young singer whom he loves and who is his own personal Savior; she and the goat-creature meet and she kills it, defeating Belial. He finally discovers that this meeting happens over again for everyone in the world, and whether they choose Belial or their Savior decides if they find salvation.

Characters:

Herb Asher: audio engineer

Rybys Rommey: mother of Emmanuel, sick with MS

Yah: Yahweh

Elias Tate: Incarnation of Elijah

Emmanuel (Manny): Yah incarnated in human form

Zina Pallas: Shekhinah

Linda Fox: singer, songwriter, Yetzer Hatov

Belial: Yetzer Hara

Fulton Statler Harms: Chief prelate of the Christian-Islamic Church (C.I.C), Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church

Nicholas Bulkowsky: Communist Party Chairman, Procurator maximus of the Scientific Legate

VALIS: agent of Yahweh, disinhibiting stimulus

The Transmigration of Timothy Archer - Set in the late 1960s and 1970s, the story describes the efforts of Episcopal Bishop Timothy Archer, who must cope with the theological and philosophical implications of the newly discovered Gnostic Zadokite scroll fragments. The character of Bishop Archer is loosely based on the controversial, iconoclastic Episcopal Bishop James Pike, who in 1969 died of exposure while exploring the Judean Desert near the Dead Sea in the West Bank.

As the novel opens, it is 1980. On the day that John Lennon is shot and killed, Angel Archer visits the houseboat of Edgar Barefoot, (a guru based on Alan Watts), and reflects on the lives of her deceased relatives. During the sixties, she was married to Jeff Archer, son of the Episcopal Bishop of California Timothy Archer. She introduced Kirsten Lundborg, a friend, to her father-in law, and the two began an affair. Kirsten has a son, Bill, from a previous relationship, who has schizophrenia, although he is knowledgeable as an automobile mechanic. Tim is already being investigated for his allegedly heretical views about the Holy Ghost.

Jeff commits suicide due to his romantic obsession with Kirsten. However, after poltergeist activity, he manifests to Tim and Kirsten at a seance, also attended by Angel. Angel is skeptical about the efficacy of astrology, and believes that the unfolding existential situation of Tim and Kirsten is akin to Friedrich Schiller's German Romanticism era masterpiece, the Wallenstein trilogy (insofar as their credulity reflects the loss of rational belief in contemporary consensual reality).

The three are told that Kirsten and Tim will die. As predicted, Kirsten loses her remission from cancer, and also commits suicide after a barbiturate overdose. Tim travels to Israel to investigate whether or not a psychotropic mushroom was associated with the resurrection, but his car stalls, he becomes disoriented, falls from a cliff, and dies in the desert.

On the houseboat, Angel is reunited with Bill, Kirsten's son who has schizophrenia. He claims to have Tim's reincarnated spirit within him, but is soon institutionalized. Angel agrees to care for Bill, in return for a rare record (Koto Music by Kimio Eto) that Edgar offers her.

The Transmigration of Timothy Archer is one of Dick's most overtly philosophical and intellectual works. While Dick's novels usually employ multiple narrators or an omniscient perspective, this story is told in the first person by a single narrator: Angel Archer, Bishop Archer's daughter-in-law.

Characters:

Angel Archer: Narrator, manager of a Berkeley record store, widow of Jeff Archer.

Timothy Archer: Bishop of California; father of the late Jeff Archer and father-in-law of Angel. Dies in Israel, searching for psychotropic mushroom connected with Zadokite sect. Based on James Albert Pike, Dick's personal friend, who was an American Episcopalian bishop.

Kirsten Lundborg: Timothy Archer's secretary and lover. Dies from barbiturate overdose after loss of remission from cancer.

Bill Lundborg: Kirsten's son who has schizophrenia, and who is obsessed with cars.

Edgar Barefoot: Houseboat guru, radio personality, lecturer. Based on Alan Watts.

Jeff Archer: Son of Timothy Archer, and deceased husband of Angel. A professional student who was romantically obsessed with Kirsten.

Thank you, if you read all of this. it took me six hours today to write this all

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intercoursefluids · 3 years

Text

The Impromptu Sleepover Part 2 (Final)

One day. All she asked for was one normal day. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? A single completely average day is not too much to ask for.

Unless of course, you are Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Then it’s impossible.

People around Marinette start crying as Scarecrow walks into the room, mothers hiding their children behind them as everyone holds onto each other, scared of what’s to come.

Marinette shudders at the pure animosity radiating from the man-turned monster.

Adrien, ever the faithful friend, mistakes the slight shake as fear and shifts so he covers her from the villain’s view.

Everything is quiet before Scarecrow starts on his evil monolog (not that anyone cares).

Tuning him out Marinette looks around, trying to come up with a plan to get everyone out before a shrill scream and crying fill the air causing her to snap back around.

Some of Scarecrow’s goons are holding a woman back as a small boy is dragged up to the monster himself.

Grabbing the boys are he holds the trembling child painfully tight before reaching behind him and pulling out a canister.

Seeing as how Marinette planned this whole trip she made sure to know all about the local heroes and villains.

And the knowledge of what that bastard was going to do to that poor kid squashed any sense of self-preservation Marinette had.

Rushing forward she manages to make it past the few armed men standing between her and Scarecrow and rips the kid away from him just to get blasted in the face by the fear-toxin.

Ringing fills her ears as she collapses to the ground, voices shouting from the corners of her mind.

All of them shouting how they failed her, she should have done better. That she never should have been chosen.

One voice rings out crystal clear amongst all of the other roaring voices.

You said you would save me, M’lady. I should have known better than to trust someone like you. After all, you aren’t even worth the Ladybug miraculous. I have to say, I’m disappointed in you Bugaboo.

Her head jerks up at her partner’s voice, tears streaming from her eyes as she comes face to face with someone she never wanted to see again.

Chat Blanc.

Voices surround her as explosions sound in the distance. Her parents, her friends, everyone. All screaming at how she failed them, how she should have stopped when she had the chance.

Children’s cries fill the air around her, only these are different. They don’t echo from within her head, instead, they come from around her, slowly grounding her. Reminding her that this is just some monster’s trick.

The fear is still there, prominent as ever, but now her focus is on getting everyone out. She hasn’t failed yet.

Slowly uncurling from the ball she had formed she looks around. Forcing herself to see past the bloodied faces of people she failed to save.

All around her everyone is still the same, the hostages in the same places, same as the gunmen (even if they look smug at her suffering).

The only one missing is Scarecrow himself, and turning ever so slowly to face Chat Blanc her fears are confirmed.

In Scarecrows place stands her beloved kitty.

Pure unadulterated rage fills her as he dares wear her kitten’s face.

Lunging at Chat Blanc she hears the startled screams as she attacks him before the rushing in her ears takes over, leaving her deaf to the sound of shattering glass as the heroes arrive on the scene.

Having the advantage of surprise on her side she manages to pin him fairly easily tying his arms behind his back with her visitors’ pass before spinning around to help take down the rest.

An arm wraps around her, trapping her arms to her side as she struggles, a hand coming up to cover her eyes as she tries to getaway.

Quiet shushing and words of reassurance reach her ears causing her struggling to slow.

“W-who are you?”

Marinette winces at the tremor in her voice as she takes stalk of her surroundings.

Her head is tucked under their chin as their surprisingly strong arms hold her in place, one hand still firmly over her eyes.

“My name is Damian. I’m trying to help keep you calm until they can get you the anti-serum.”

She chuckles even as she shakes in his hold.

“It’s not normally a good idea to grab a girl from behind if you want her to calm down.”

He tenses slightly.

“Right, I didn’t think that through. Most people see what they are most afraid of so I thought if I took that away it would help you calm down.”

Marinette doesn’t reply for a while, opting to try and match his breathing instead of replying. All the while subconsciously leaning more against him.

“It’s working I’ll admit, you just went about it horribly. Can we sit down? I feel like my legs are about to give out.”

She feels him loosen his hold and fumble with something behind her before the hand over her eyes is replaced with a piece of cloth. He takes her hand leading her over to a wall before sitting and pulling her with him, tucking her into his side and draping something over her shoulders as her shaking picks up again.

“I’m sorry, can you tell me about yourself? It’ll help me keep my mind off of the panic.”

She feels him nod shifting again so she's leaning more against his chest.

“I have 3 older brothers. Richard, but everyone calls him Dick, Jason, and Tim. I lived with my mother until I was 10 so I’ve only known them for 6 years. They are all adopted but I don’t think anyone even remembers that half the time.”

Marinette can’t help the soft smile that takes over her face as she wraps her arm around him (why is he so warm???).

“You sound like you love them.”

He scoffs.

“Not in a million years, they’re annoying. Grayson is overly dramatic and a hopeless romantic, Todd is a trigger-happy hothead, and Drake is an insomniac, workaholic with a caffeine addiction.”

Marinette can’t help but giggle, her overwhelming fear slowly receding enough for her to think.

“They may be ‘annoying’ but they’re your family, I can tell you care about them.”

Damian makes an offended noise even as he wraps his arm around her rubbing her arm up and down.

“The only person in our family that I actually like is Alfred, he’s our grandfather and the only reason any of us are still alive, but, I guess they aren’t as bad as they used to be. Not that I'll ever admit that to them. Their egos are big enough as is.”

Marinette is about to respond when another voice cuts her off, causing her to cling to Damian as her heart rate picks back up frantically.

“Too late, I brought the anti-serum for your frie- Hey is she okay?”

Damian pulls her into his lap, rubbing her back even as he scolds the other person.

“She’s still being affected by the fear-gas dipshit! I just got her to calm down again, give me that!”

One of his arms leaves her body as he reaches away from her, he starts whispering to her again as something pricks her upper right arm.

It only takes a minute for the anti-toxin to work, causing Marinette to sag in relief against Damian as he keeps his arms around her.

“Seriously Todd! You should have known better than to startle someone like that!”

Marinette takes deep breaths of air, slightly surprised by the smell of Damian’s cologne before realizing she has her arms wrapped around his neck and her face buried in his shoulder.

“Yeah, you’re right. My bad demon-spawn.”

Damian scoffs adjusting Marinette in his arms so he can sit up instead of leaning against the wall.

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to, nitwit!”

Marinette sits up slightly kissing Damian’s cheek as she takes the makeshift blindfold off before returning to her earlier position.

“Thank you, Damian. You didn’t have to help me, much less stay with me and calm me down. You’re really sweet, you know that?”

His arms tense around her before cackling fills the air.

“Demon-spawn? Sweet?! I don’t know who you’re calling sweet but it’s most definitely not my little brother.”

Damian groans as ‘Todd’ keeps laughing, instead directing his attention to Marinette.

“Do you think you’re okay to walk? The cops will probably want to take a statement.”

She nods and they slowly rise, Damian, supporting her the whole time. Once she is finally standing up straight she turns to look at the boy who helped before coming face to face with the greenest eyes she’s ever seen.

Her breath catches in her throat as she meets his electric emerald eyes for the first time since they met.

They stand there, in complete silence before a camera flash breaks through their quiet bubble.

Turning towards Todd, Marinette studies his features.

Pale skin, blue eyes, and black hair with a tuffet of white at the front.

“What do you think you are doing,Jason?”

Todd now dubbed ‘Jason’ grins stepping away from his brother.

“Ooh, the first name. You only use that when you’re pissed. And I’m sending this to the group chat, no one will believe me if I say that you were civil with another human being!”

Damian glares.

“You have ten seconds to run, Todd.”

Jason wastes no time running away as quickly as humanly possible.

Damian goes to follow him but stops when Marinette grabs his arm.

“Help me over to the officers? I’m still a little shaky.”

His sharp glare softens as he leads her over to give her statement.

10 minutes later, they are both sitting on a bench waiting for the police to finish getting statements from the rest of the hostages and for the armored truck that will transport Scarecrow to arrive.

“One time when I was 11, Todd and Drake decided it would be a good idea to kidnap my turkey Jerry and hide him away after buying a raw turkey and cooking it for dinner. They said they found it wandering around outside and decided it would be a good idea to cook it.”

Damian shakes his head in fond exasperation.

“That is the closest I had ever come to crying in front of my brothers. I ended up running and telling Grayson what they did and he got so mad. They ended up fessing up that it was just a prank and they didn’t mean to actually make me upset. They ended up going out and buying a bunch of junk food and pizza before we had one big movie night together.”

“We all ended up falling asleep in the living room all piled on top of each other. Father was so surprised when he came home and he didn’t even send us to bed. He got changed and joined us in the living room. We all ended up sleeping in a giant pile on the floor that night while Alfred took the couch.”

Marinette smiles up at Damian, he had been telling her about himself ever since she had asked him to and she honestly enjoyed it.

“They sound wonderful Damian. Hey, when do you think they are going to-.”

“Mari!”

Marinette is cut off by one of her favorite blondes as he latches onto her body.

“When you rushed forward I tried to follow you and ended up getting hit with the gas and had a panic attack, and then when they gave me the serum I couldn’t find you and had another panic attack, and they couldn’t calm me down for a while and then they had to take my statement but I still couldn’t find you and I’ve been freaking out the whole time. What the hell were you thinking? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!”

By the time Adrien finally stops rambling his head is in Marinette’s lap and his arms are wrapped around her waist.

“I’m sorry for worrying you, but you shouldn’t have even followed me, that was dangerous and stupid and your dad would destroy me if anything happened to you.”

Adrien snorts.

“If you don’t want me to follow you then don’t take off running.”

Marinette groans, not acknowledging the fact that she is still leaning against Damian.

“Adrien, you are far too ride or die for your own good.”

Adrien sighs, leaning back to look at his best friend.

“Yeah well, Chloe is probably gonna kill us both if we don’t get back to the hotel soon. She heard what happened and has been blowing up my phone since I came to. Ms. Bustier won’t let her leave though.”

“We are so dead. She’s going to actually kill me this time. Damian? Would you like an invite to my funeral? You’ll need a tux.”

Before Damian can even try to respond Adrien cuts him off.

“Oh! There's another person here… Who saw me acting dramatic…. Oh no.”

Adrien's pale face contrasts brightly with Marinette’s, which is bright red from restraining her laughter.

“Okay, okay this is fine. It’s fine. We have two options here, A: We kill you so you can’t spill our secrets or B: You become our friend and are kept under surveillance.”

Damian raises an eyebrow at him not even bothering to acknowledge how dramatic he is still being.

“No.”

Marinette finally breaks, cackling like a witch she rips a piece of paper from her ever present sketchbook and writes her number down.

“Here, this is my number in case you want to stay in contact. Come on Adrien, Chloe is going to kill us.”

She grabs Adriens arm and starts to run, ignoring his protests of ‘He knows too much to be left alive!’ in favor of trying to make it back to the hotel with her other favorite blonde.

She didn’t see the soft smile Damian sent her way as he puts her number in his phone…

But Jason did, and soon will ever other wayne if the video he sent to the family group chat had anything to say about it.

#daminette #I don't now how to tag #marinette x batfam

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morgansunflower · 3 years

Text

Sister

Four time's Y/N helps her brothers and the first time they help her

Dick Grayson X sister-reader!

When Dick is Robin and gets fear toxin from Scarecrow

I came to the Manor missing home I knocked Alfred opened

"hey Alfred"

"Ms Y/N always lovely to see you back home. Your father is at work Master Richard is taking much needed time asleep"

I walked in wait why's Dick asle-Scarecrow! Shit! No! No! No! I can't believe I forgot!

"I'm the world's worst sister!"

I ran upstairs remembering, Dick got injected with fear toxin last night he had called me last night acting off. I asked Bruce and he told me. I knocked not hearing anything come on bud open up

"hey Birdboy it's your sister Dick little bro.. OK I'm opening the door"

I slowly opened the door the lights off. The sunlight shining in from the window. I saw him laying with a blanket wrapped around him, he was shaking, mumbling and crying. I ran to his side touching his shoulder

"Dick! Buddy please open your eyes"

He carefully opened his eyes he saw me he jolted back terrified. It kills me seeing him like this

"Dick buddy it's OK it's me it's your sister you're OK you're here" I said calming

He quickly wrapped his arms around my neck crying. I rubbed his head my heart breaking. Oh, Grayson.

"shhh shhh it's OK"

He crossed his legs around me

"I'm so sorry I wasn't good enough"

"Dick honey you are a great kid. You are my brother ok nothing is going to change that I promise you. You are more than good enough"

I sat on the bed he hugged my neck crying. I rubbed his head rocking back and forth he kept crying

"shhh it's OK Birdboy"

I use his nickname again to help pull him out of his panic attack. He finally started calming down. He's OK.

"there that's better" I softly said

"hey sis" he asked his voice brittle

"yeah buddy"

"can I have some ice cream"

A wave of relief crashes into me. I smiled in relief he's going to be OK my baby brother is going to be OK

"of course"

Jason Todd X sister-reader!

Jason worries he will lose Y/N the same way he lost his mom

I headed to the my place from grocery shopping. I pulled in seeing my kitchen light on. Did I leave the light on? I grabbed the groceries I went inside and screamed. I dropped the groceries, Jason!

"Jason what hell?! Are you trying to scare me to death?!"

He just stood there not looking at me

"hey what's wrong, Jaybird"

He shrugged his shoulders what is going on with him. I picked up the groceries and put them away. I turned folding my arms

"spill it" I demanded

"c-can you promise me something?"

"if you ask me first"

"you would never do.. it right"

"what's it, Jason?" his eye's swell he's trying not to cry. I want to hold him and tell him everything's going to be OK. Though Jason's not Grayson it's best to let him express his feelings before smothering him with affection "Jay?"

"N-nothing forget I said anything" he puts his hands in his pocket

"Jason come on now what is it?"

"never do.. Drugs" I'm shocked

"Jason Peter Todd! Of course I would never do that it's wrong and I love you all too much too even put you through that"

His lip trembling. I can't stop myself. I put my hands on his shoulders he wouldn't look at me

"sometimes the people you love are not good enough" he disappointingly stated

"Jay, what do you mean not good enough"

He shakes his head and he mumbled something

"Jason have you been doing--" he cut me off

"fuck no!" he sighed, good that's a mountain in my gut leaving "I just....forget it"

"Jason, buddy talk to me. I'm here you can tell me anything about what's going on with you"

"I - yesterday was my mom's anniversary of when she died OK... I just didn't-don't I--"

Oh buddy I hugged him tight he wouldn't hug me back. I didn't care. I finally felt him wrap his arms around me. I heard him crying

"Jason. You listen to me when I say that I am not going anywhere. I promise you I will never do that to you ok"

He nodded we parted I kissed his head he sniffed

"geez I sound like a baby"

"you sound like you needed to get things off your chest. You want to stay here tonight we can watch Harry Potter and LORD Of The Rings. I got honey buns"

He smiled drying his tears and nodded. I dried his tears with my thumbs hugging him again

Tim Drake X sister-reader!

Y/N gets a call that her sister died she rushes to the Manor to make sure her little brother Tim is OK (the picture is from when is dad died but I thought it'd work for the moment)

Stephanie died last night Dick just told me as of a few moments ago. My first worry Tim. I went to the Manor rushing to Tim's room I gently knocked. Please be OK

"hey Timmy.. It's me Y/N.. Dick told me what happened" I feel tears threatening to fall "I just want you to know that I am here for you.... Can I open the door?"

I hear him take a deep breath I opened the door his room completely trashed the lights off it wouldn't be if.. Stephanie saw this. A lot of things would be different I turned the light on. He lays on his bed. I looked at his face his eyes bloodshot, watering, swollen like he had been crying for hour's. He started sniffing he rubbed his nose and eye's

"you ok? "

"I'm fine... you need help with something?" he asked

"Tim you know you don't have to be that way not with me"

I sat on his bed he huffed shutting his laptop

"I'm fine Y/N I just need to be left alone right now"

"Tim you've been through so much you can't expect me to just let you go through this alone. I'm your sister rather if you like it or not"

"just promise me you won't leave me too sis"

"of course Timmy"

I hugged him he buried his head in my neck sobbing holding on to me tight

"I love her Y/N h-how am I supposed to live without her I was going to spend the rest of my life with her. She was my life, my happiness, my everything.. H-how am I sup-posed to go on with life without her"

"Tim I don't have the right advice but I promise you that you are going to get through this, your strong. It may take time but you are going to be OK I promise"

Damian Wayne X sister-reader!

Damian feels guilty for how he treats Y/N before he died. She's trying not to crowd him through it causes little Damian to think she doesn't care about him

I sat on the couch trying not to cry Dick just got off the phone with me telling me that Damian's alive, he's OK, he's not OK, but he will be. I hear my door open and see little D. Don't bombard him he just got back I'm sure Dick's been giving him a million hugs. Damian, folded his arms

"tt I see my sister's house hasn't been properly taken care of"

"well sometimes people grieve differently"

He looked at me shocked he looked away from me. He looks at the door. What should I do?

"father has requested that I return with you home"

"that's fine I'm feeling home sick"

Damian just stood there I grabbed my keys worrying about him. We left to go to the Manor. That evening Damian went to his room refusing too see anyone. I sat on the couch. Dick walked in he sat down next to me

"he's feeling guilty, Y/N"

"guilty! About what?"

"for how he treats you, did treat you He's afraid you don't see him the way you see me, Tim and Jason"

"Aww, Damian!"

I quickly got up I ran to his room and knocked

"hey Dami... Little D can we talk"

"there is nothing to speak of!" he snapped

"come on Damian please let me talk to you I want to see my little brother"

"I don't want to say anything to you"

"OK then just listen"

"tt fine I'm listening"

I sat against the door

"Damian, I should have told you year's ago that I love you... You are my little brother, no one can ever change that, not your grandfather, your mother, your father, not your siblings. Absolutely nothing will change the fact that I love you Damian. You are always going to be my little brother...I was a wreak Damian losing you broke me knowing I failed to say you are not a bad kid, I didn't get the chance to say goodbye, I love you little brother, I'm sorry" I broke down sobbing remorse is all I feel

Damian opened the door. I hugged him wall on my knees I stood he held on to my neck crossing his legs around me. I kissed his head he cried. That's all we both needed.

"I love you too sister"

Bat-brother's X sister-reader!

The boys help their sister

I sat on the couch my arm's bandaged, my hand wrapped in bandaging, and my legs bandaged. A sling for my broken left arm. I look like hell. I heard my phone Dick I used my good hand but I kept shaking fuck. I'm still sore. I put the phone on the table answering. I put him on speaker and laid on the couch

"I'm here"

-"hey where are you at sis"

"ho-me"

-"Y/N, what happened? Are you ok? Are you hurt?"

"P-patrol"

Fuck it hurts to talk

-"you need us to come get you?"

"I-I d-d-don't n-know" I stuttered

-"I'm on my way with our brother's"

"hmm m"

Dick hung up I laid there. I hear the car pull in. Damian, abruptly opened the door and slammed it behind him. He ran to me a glare on his face

"dammit sister!"

My head throbbed. I groaned the rest of my brother's walked in. I tried to set up

"hey take it easy sis" Dick said

Jason put pillows behind so I could sit up with ease. They all looked at me not a single smile

"wo-uld y-you guy's p-please not look at me like th-that"

"Y/N, try to quit talking" Tim said

"f-food I-in" Dick cut me off

"Y/N you've taken care of all of us for a long time it's time we help you.. Now please rest"

I took deep breaths laying down. The boys sat in front of the couch. We watched a movie eating snacks. It makes me feel better knowing they are OK and safe. I ruffle each one of their heads

"I love you boy's" they each respond with 'I love you too' in their own way

"yeah, but don't ever fucking get yourself this fucked up again!" Jason added Dick elbowed Jason. This is home. My family, is my home.

Bruce's P. O. V

Night had fallen the boys did not come for patrol meaning Y/N is not OK. I drove to my daughter's house looking for the boy's and making sure she's OK. I made it I opened the door quietly. I saw the boy's asleep on the floor leaning on the couch and each other. My daughter sound asleep. Her breathing evident she's in pain. My heart drops. I laid a blanket on the boy's. I kissed her head she touched my hand. She opened her eye's. I softly smile, shushing and shake my head intending to let her know to stay quiet. A rare occasion to have my son's and my daughter together with silence. It's pleasant.

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dr-spencer-reids-queen · 3 years

Text

L.D.S.K: Part Three

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader

Word Count: ~2k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill, and angst, fluff

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there is any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated.

Feedback is gold, and it’s the only currency I take

Hotch wants everyone to reenact the shooting at the park to get a better idea of where the unsub was located. One of the cops is playing the unsub while the BAU team is on the field where the other victims were. With the help of the cones as well as your abilities, everyone has a place to call their own. The only people not on the field are Detective Calvin, Hotch, and Gideon.

Elle is standing where the father and son were playing catch. You, Spencer, and Derek are standing where the guy was flying the kite. Other officers are standing where the last victim was shot as well as bystanders. Everyone has comms in their ears to communicate with the agents at home base. They have cameras everywhere to get a good idea of where everyone was. You hold your camera and scan the area to see what your victim might have seen.

“Elle, Jerry Middleton was facing a little further south. Can you give it to us?” Hotch instructs over the comm.

“How’s that?” she asks when she turns the camera more to her right.

“Perfect. Hold your camera right there.”

“It doesn't look like Jerry Middleton had a clear view of the sniper's vehicle when he was shot. The tree branches were in the way,” Gideon observes.

“I do have a clear view of the vehicle from here. Tim Reilly would have seen it if he'd looked down from the kite,” Spencer informs.

“Good. Have the unsub pop the trunk. See if Reid can see it,” Hotch orders.

A few moments later, and the trunk of the car pops open big enough to get the barrel of the gun through. You can see it, but only because you know that’s not how the unsub did things.

“No, sorry, I can’t.”

“Hotch, I don’t think he popped his trunk,” you blurt out.

“It’s the only way to stay hidden from everyone else.”

“That depends on the kind of car the unsub uses. Didn’t the really old cars used to have their gas tank behind their license plate? That pops open.”

“We’ll keep that in mind. Thank you. Okay, everyone, move to position two.”

While everyone was shifting to the next positions, you take a few steps to your left to approach Derek. He’s looking at Spencer as he scans the area, and you nudge his arm.

“You have to go easier on Spencer.”

“What are you talking about?”

“A couple of mornings ago? You know how he feels about failing, and it feels like you’re kicking him when he’s down.”

“I was just teasing him. He knows that.”

“There’s a difference between teasing and being mean.”

“Why do you care? You got feelings for him or something? I heard about the two dates you’ve been on.”

“So? We just went to see a movie,” you shrug.

“That’s not what I heard. A little birdie told me you two kissed.”

“It was the cheek, and damn it Penelope,” you curse.

“How’d you know it’s her?”

You just give him a look that screams, “are you kidding me?” You turn back to the car where Officer McCarty is playing the unsub. You look off the right to see JJ, Gideon, and Detective Calvin hassling a news reporter. Something isn’t right. The Detective walks over to Hotch who is on the phone with who you presume to be Penelope. Something is definitely not right.

A SWAT team approaches the car McCarty’s in from behind. They get out a smoke bomb and unleash it so that McCarty’s view is tainted. Shit, something is definitely wrong.

“Derek, Spencer, get down!” you hiss and grab both men’s sleeves.

You yank them to the ground as you get down. They yell out in shock, but once they see the smoke, they are on full alert. You can’t hear what’s being said, but McCarty throws out the assault rifle and his sidearm out of the trunk. He gets out with his hands in the air, and once it’s clear, a SWAT member takes him down to handcuff him. They get him up, and as they are leaving, someone shoots McCarty in the head right between the eyes.

“Get down!” Gideon tells once the shot is fired.

You reach over to place your arm over Spencer’s head as if to protect him. You look up and notice a car lingering in the back. The license plate is gone until it’s shifted back into place. You can’t read what it says, and the car peels out of there quietly before you have a chance to see or do anything.

However you did get one thing… a flash of a hospital. That’s when it all clicks into place.

You knew it.

“Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, right?” you ask Spencer once you get back to the office.

“No. I’m fine,” he whispers.

“How did McCarty end up playing the unsub?” JJ asks.

“Weigart punished McCarty for mouthing off during the profile briefing by making him the unsub and sticking him in the trunk of the car all afternoon,” Detective Calvin answers.

“Wait, then how did the unsub find out about the reenactment?”

“Come on. Cops talk. Pissed-off cops talk loud—at home, at the bars, at gyms, and to anyone who'll listen,” Derek sighs.

“What do we know? Our unsub went from wounding civilians to executing a police officer, so he's escalated. He's not staying on script,” Gideon thinks out loud.

“Sometimes, it's what they don't do,” Hotch points out.

“He did not pick McCarty at random,” Spencer adds. “He didn't take the gut shot.”

“Why?” Hotch asks the group.

“He wants to send a message. ‘Nobody takes credit for my work’. His ego won’t allow it. He feels under appreciated. He doesn’t have contact with the media, but he does have contact with the victims. He’s not a police officer,” you just get started.

“Go on,” Gideon encourages you.

“I saw something out there. I saw a car. I wasn’t able to get a license plate number, but I did see the license plate shift back into place which confirms my theory of how he shoots the victims. When we got here, I mentioned something about where the victims go when they get shot.”

“Where do people who get shot go? The hospital. Was he getting away to get there to see the chaos, or is there another reason entirely?” Spencer repeats what you said word for word.

“Right, that,” you say slowly before getting back on topic. “The shooter isn’t a cop because he’s a surgeon. He wants to play the hero when the victims come in for surgery. He doesn’t kill them because he wants them to die, he does it to save them. It’s what fuels his ego.”

“Alright, thanks,” Derek says into the phone before hanging up and rejoining the group. “Garcia nailed down the geographic profile. The crime scenes are centered on two separate locations.”

“The hospitals,” you and Hotch say at the same time.

“I believe it's a case of hero homicide,” Gideon says.

Detective Calvin is driving with Gideon up front with her and you and Spencer sitting in the back. The rest of the agents are in another car following.

“What's that?” the driver asks.

“The best-known case was hospital nurse Richard Angelo. He would inject toxins into his victims, then wait for them to crash so that he could run to the rescue and save them. He killed 25 people, and that's just what we know of,” Spencer explains.

“If he attacked then to save them, why'd he kill 25 people?”

“He wasn’t very good at it,” you shrug. “And hospitals don’t keep records of people who almost died.”

“So, what's the profile on one of these guys?” the detective asks.

“Arrogant, conceited, and feels superior to everyone around them,” Gideon answers quietly.

“You've just described every surgeon I've ever met.”

“Landman,” Gideon says suddenly.

“Who?” you wonder.

He doesn’t answer but instead takes out his cell phone. Whoever is on the other line picks up quickly, and Gideon doesn’t waste any time with pleasantries.

“Let’s start with Landman.”

Before going to the surgeon in question, most of the team gathers in a conference room to discuss Dr. Landman in detail as well as a course of action. The only person who isn’t here is Hotch because he’s checking out Landman’s car.

“Okay, courtesy of Garcia,” Derek says when he takes the piece of paper she faxed over. “Landman was in the army, and started out in M.P. School.”

“There’s your law enforcement,” you scoff.

“But he was smart, got a degree on Uncle Sam, and ended up a doctor with special forces. He bounced around from hospital to hospital since his discharge in 2001,” Derek reads from the paper.

“Has Dr. Landman been under any unusual strain? Has he had a reprimand? Has he had any kind of major blow to his ego?” Gideon asks as he stares out the window.

“Last month, he was passed over for chief of surgery,” the woman in charge, Cheryl Marston, says.

“Let's get a warrant for his house. Let's see if we find the weapon.”

“Okay,” Derek nods and gets up to do so.

“What can I do to help?” The stranger asks.

“You can tell me where he is right now.”

One look at the suspect in question, and you knew he isn’t the shooter. You saw bits and pieces of what the shooter looks like, and Landman doesn’t have any of the distinctive marks. How can you tell this to the team? How can you prove it wasn’t him? How can you make them see what you see?

As Gideon is talking to the surgeon, Hotch approaches everyone from behind. You, Spencer, and Elle are standing outside of the glass watching the interaction.

“You get anything from his car?” Elle asks the older agent.

“It's a red 2-seat Maserati.”

“It’s not him,” you say.

“How do you know?” Hotch asks.

He claimed earlier in the week that he wants to understand what you can do, and this is your opportunity.

“Remember when we checked out the crime scene at the park before the re-enactment? I saw the car pull up to the spot. A man got out. I didn’t see his face because there were three black holes where his eyes and mouth were supposed to be. Everything else was distinctive. Landman doesn’t have the same build as the person I saw. Landman has a full head of hair. The shooter doesn’t.

“It’s not all in my head. I don’t see things because I want to see them or because my mind is twisting things. I see them for what they are. Landman isn’t the shooter. No matter how arrogant he may be. It’s just his personality.”

“Okay, I trust you. Where is he?”

“Dr. Pate isn’t the only person who thinks I’m a God,” Landman practically shouts so that everyone on the other side of the class can hear.

“This way,” you instruct and walk away from the group.

“Let’s go, Reid,” Hotch says and takes your crush with him.

“Check out Dr. Pate if it’s necessary. But I can say with 100% confidence that it’s not Landman. Richard Angelo wanted to be a hero because in his everyday life, he was a nobody. Landman’s a great surgeon, and with that, comes with respect and power all on its own.”

“Yeah, but you know, surgeons are a different breed. There are stars in the field, and Landman is definitely not one of them,” Spencer spits out.

You three approach the nurses desk where a gentleman is standing with his back turned to you. You stop short in your tracks as the vision of the car comes into your mind.

“Excuse me. I'd like to speak with Dr. Pate,” Hotch says and flashes his badge.

The nurse turns around, and it’s like the whole picture is cleared up for you. The man you saw in your vision becomes clearer to match the person in front of you. The black holes disappear to show the face of the man standing before you. He looks at the three of you before nodding.

“Yes, sir. I'll go find her for you,” he says and walks off.

Your eyes stay glued to the man.

“He’s not a surgeon,” you whisper fearfully.

wanna be tagged? add yourself to this document! if your tag doesn’t work, find out why!

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cybernaght · 3 years

Text

Lost Tomb Reboot aka Reunion: The Sound of Providence Season 2

I swear I wasn’t actually planning to write this thing, instead just opting for random picture spams of the season, starting with every time this show got Zhu Yilong’s Wu Xie wet, because that was a trend I had not expected and kind of lived for.

All that will still happen eventually, but here’s also my five cents on the season, because it is very very important for you to know just how worthy of love it is.

You see, Season 1 was silly and fun, and definitely, undeniably, enjoyable.

Then Season 2 swooped in, and completely won my heart. I cannot even express how much I adored it. Everything about this show is extremely extra in the best possible way; it is likely to have been the most charmingly over the top thing I have ever seen.

(Vague spoilers for : specific monsters, narratively significant moments, fate of the certain characters, including the protagonist.)

Some of it comes from the pace, which speeds up dramatically early in the season, and only slows down marginally to allow characters some breathing room. It’s not just gripping because it makes you want to hit play on the next episode, it also keeps you engaged because you can’t wait to see how the next wild set of events may be resolved and then topped. At about episode ten I was questioning how they could possibly produce a sense of further escalation. At episode twenty, I was wondering if anything can top dramatic impact of whatever was occurring only two thirds of the way through the season.

I need not have worried: every single incredible character moment, every mind-boggling turn of the plot, every single bizarre threat would be blown out of water by the next one.

Partly, this seemingly has to do with the writers attempts to ground the material. I am not sure what the novel contained, but I can discern that it was something along the lines of ghosts, ghouls and various supernatural circumstance. But when you are told “this is a curse”, your reaction is naturally to go, “ah okay, so curses are a thing, and this is one of them, gotcha”. When you are told, “this is a heavy metal poisoning combined with a neurotoxin affecting the victim’s central nervous system and making them violently hallucinate”, your reaction is to question whether this is how metals, toxins, poisons, or, indeed, central nervous systems work in any version of reality.

The show does this a lot. From human shaped swarms of killer moths, to flying brain-penetrating eels, to probably my favourite monster of the moment: the murder clams.

Seriously, I cannot stress enough that this show has murder clams. They move with their clam mussels. They jump with their clam shells. They will murder you in cold blood.

There are ancient “laser corridor” style set-ups, there are shapes made out of fog recording its memory, there are group hallucinations generated by the sound of thunder, there are Mission Impossible style full face masks. There is a character who walked off a gun wound and sarin gas poisoning in order to die in the arms of his lover who looks like his dead sister. And by “looks like” I mean, “played by the same actress”.

There is a whole character of Doctor Churros, who saves our hero from imminent death by washing his lungs with oil.

This, I suppose, ultimately, is how The Lost Tomb Reboot (Season 2 in particular) lures you in. It turns what I saw as the show’s fault in season 1 into its biggest strength by establishing the world in which nothing is too outlandish and everything is possible. It so thoroughly breaks your expectations barometer, you grow to willingly accept whatever is thrown at you.

The most beautiful thing about all of it, is that the fun and games and moments of barely controlled hysteria do not lower the stakes whatsoever. Moreover, somehow this show makes me believe that it could just about do something as irrevocable as, perhaps, killing off the protagonist

You know how you can watch, say, a super hero film, and then the “all is lost” moment happens, and you kind of have to struggle to care because you know that they will pull through. It’s curious to see how that happens, but you don’t doubt for even second that it will. Well, when that moment arrived here, I found myself between ugly sobbing, and going into speculation overdrive to try and figure out how the Reboot would deal with that. By then I have seen that show be an high octave action movie, a supernatural mystery, a horror thriller, a buddy comedy and a spy flick: it was not a massive stretch to imagine it turning into a revenge tragedy.

Wu Xie dying had been building up since episode one, so you had hours and hours and oh-so-many hours to brace for it, and when the tragedy does not strike, the relief is visceral.

Despite all the moments of hilarity (whether intended or otherwise), despite the chaotic turns of the plot, despite how utterly off the charts this show is tonally, when it matters, the narrative is pulled together in a way which not only makes complete sense within the world of the series, but is meticulously set-up, satisfying resolved, and delivers lovely emotional impact. Considering that the moral of the story is a very common “live in the moment”, paired up with “greed is bad”, it was surprising how much resonance its delivery actually created.

Ultimately, however, this show is about found family, and, more specifically, about Wu Xie’s ability to create this family for himself and for every single member of it. He starts as one of the trio, and ends as one of a large group of old allies, new friends, and people he has graced with so much kindness that they follow him until the bitter end.

Lost Tomb Reboot ensures that you get to know them all, and it’s pretty damn hard to not love this misfit group of adventurers in its entirety.

(The only thing I could say is that I wish the series spent more time making sure the viewer knows and likes Zhang Qiling, but it seemingly had little purpose for him apart form sweeping in as an avenging angel every now and then. I get that he is a well established character in the series, and that his whole thing is being deadly and enigmatic, but considering that you got to know the other two legs of the famous Triangle so well, it’s a shame that this one was reserved to mostly being Xiao Ge Ex Machina. It would have been nice to know what he was about apart from “really damn cool”.)

Bai Haotian remained my favourite character. She is cute, sweet, romantic, and, for the lack of a better word, “girly”. She is not shy about her crush on Wu Xie, and is prepared to do a lot of reckless, dangerous things for him. None of the above undermine her intelligence, cunningness and authority. Xiao Bai is a young woman in a position of power, and she absolutely knows how to handle herself; for every time she is a damsel in distress, she gets to be the rescuer. For every time she puts herself in needless danger, she learns to collect herself and plan ahead. For every time she is bossed around, she turns and takes charge. Her journey is not the centred around getting the guy, but around discovering her self-assertion; she finds her place within his team not by being a romantic interest, but through her personal strengths.

My absolutely favourite moment for her came when an antagonist used her affection for Wu Xie to get an upper hand on her, and she gets restrained, knife to her throat. Xiao Bai swivels away, knocks the attacker out and goes to town kicking him, to a great astonishment of this team, as she states that liking someone does not make her weak.

And it doesn’t. Being in love has nothing to do with weakness or strength. Being a young, and excitable, and a woman does not equate to weakness either.

I’m not saying that this show is a feminist manifesto, because it is definitely not that. Every other prominent female character suffers a pitiful fate in service of creating motivation for the men of the story. But it does spend a lot of time making sure you, the viewer, know its heroes well enough to mentally befriend them. And if this means giving the female lead complexity, I cannot possibly be mad at that.

So, this was it. This was the Lost Tomb Reboot. It brought me a ridiculous amount of joy and I will miss it a lot.

And yes, the picture spams will be 100% an excuse to rewatch at least some of it.

PS. Said spams miiiiight be gif based if I figure out a way to colour correct the damn things.

#lost tomb reboot #reunion: the sound of the providence #review of sorts #now with gifs #the gifs are bad though

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peppersonironi · 3 years

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Duke Thomas/The Signal Fic Recs

This is for @capttain-emo who saw me reblog this wonderful rec list by @stories-from-the-batcave , and asked if I knew any more. (I highly recommend those, btw, I love all the fics on that list! Yes, that includes the one I wrote in there) Duke Thomas is my favorite Batfam member, so I have a bunch! Unfortunately, there isn’t as much Duke content out there as I’d hope - people just don’t seem to like him as much for some reason? It’s sad. So, there are gonna be a couple here written by me. Rest assured, I have way more Duke content on the way - including a WIP coming out this week! (Ao3 linked out at the top of my blog)

I love recommending Fics, so hit me up in my inbox if there’s a trope or character or relationship (platonic or not) that you’d really love to read! I also write fan fiction, and my requests are always open!

1. Siblings: The Truth of the Matter by Me!

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & his siblings

Duke had a strange family. Two of his siblings had been raised from birth to be assassins. One was born in a circus. One had been a crime lord for a time. Yet another was the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company by the age of seventeen. All of them dressed up in spandex every night to punch bad guys.

So when he was woken up by icy water being splashed in his face, tied to a chair in nothing but his boxers, he wasn't surprised. Now, that's not to say he wasn't worried. Duke was definitely worried. Especially since it was these two.

AKA Duke gets tied up and questioned by his siblings, all while drugged with Truth Serum!

2. Bliss by Me!

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Damian

Duke walks in on a sleeping assassin child in need of comfort, and takes a chance. Brotherly bonding ensues!

3. An ever growing family of birds and bats by alicecrow6

Rating: General Audiences/Teen Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Damian

a series of Batkids Age Reversal fics where Damian comes first, then Harper, then Duke and so on.

4. look at me, all the things I can do by Aelig

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Cass, Duke & Bruce

"Duke took a bite of his toast, gaze still on Bruce. His foster father was sipping at his coffee, eyebrows frowning. To an outsider, you would think he was reading the morning news on his tablet, like always; Duke knew better. Bruce's look was a little away from the screen, his lips downward.

It was almost funny, to watch Bruce internally panic."

OR: It's the morning, and Duke is going back to school for the first time since his injury.

5. The Batchair(s) Issue by NightFlier

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen w/ background ships Relationships: Duke & Cass, Duke & Steph, Steph/Cass Trio & Batfam

Duke Thomas feels like an outsider, and not just because he's part of the new Outsiders team roster. He's the newest member of the legendary Batclan and hasn't yet formed the close bonds that the others share. Not to mention, he's the only active Meta on the team. As if it wasn't hard enough to relate with people with such colorful, unique backgrounds.

But it's okay! Duke has a plan and it'll probably work for a while before crashing & burning. BatShenanigans ahead.

6. All That Glitters is Gold (Unfortunately) by IndefiniteIceCube

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Tim, Duke & Steph

The world is gold and Duke can't breathe.

He can't breathe.

He was sitting in AP World History just a minute ago.

Was it a minute ago? It seemed like a minute ago but it could have been hours because all he can focus on is that he can’t breathe. His lungs won’t fill and- and he’s trying he swears but he just. can’t. breathe.

And the gold—

-----

Duke's powers emerge.

It doesn't go well.

7. Be the Light that Helps Others See by Ace_Corvid @ace-corvid

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Batfam

Duke didn't really know what to expect from movie nights with the Bats.

He could only assume they approached this with the same determined intensity as they approached everything else. They were all so extra it was like their gauge for normal was completely broke. He wasn't really prepared for this.

And yet here he was. Surrounded.

(Alternatively; Batkid's have a movie night.)

8. I've Made a Million Mistakes by Sohotthateveryonedied

“Y’all need Jethuth.”

Rating: Teen Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Batfam

“Don’t worry,” Dick says, throwing his arm around Duke’s shoulders. “Everyone in this room has had their teeth knocked out at one point or another. It’s a rite of passage around here.”

“I don’t know how to tell you thith, but that doethn’t happen to normal people. We acthually prefer to keep our teeth, believe it or not.”

“Wait until you get your first major battle scar. Trust me, they’re cool.”

“Y’all need Jethuth.”

9. Children (All of Them) by TheFalconWarrior

Rating: Teen Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Batfam

In which Tim is not stupid but Jason might just be, Damian is furious, Dick kind of feels like he should be doing…something, Steph is ecstatic, and Duke wonders how long he can survive.

10. In the Dark of the Night by Aelig

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Jason, Batfam

"Duke was woken up by someone sliding into his bed. Someone big judging by how the mattress shifted.

Because Duke was a well-trained vigilante, his first reflex was obviously to kick whoever was being creepy right now and push them out of his bed.

It was only when the someone landed on the floor with a yelp that Duke realized that he was at Wayne Manor, which was incredibly secure – normally. He could recognize the voice, too."

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: none

OR: The Batfam and their way to deal with nightmares.

11. Welcome to the Family by angstyelephant

In which Duke Thomas goes back to the beginning.

12. Family-- by incorrectbatfam

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & batfam

“Your assignment over the weekend is to write a poem about your family.”

13. I'm Still Climbing(Even When the Rest Have Fallen) by anidear

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Dick, Duke & Damian

After his first exposure to the Fear Toxin, Dick checks in on Duke.

14. The cat and the newcomer by Fleur_de_Violette

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Alfred the Cat

Duke always found people talking to their pets about their problems silly. And yet here he was.

15. Duke-napped by NightOwl1600

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Bruce, Duke & batfam

The others don’t really bother Duke with his business. They all care about him, he knows, but outside of the vigilante business, they don’t really care to ask aside from the typical “How was school?” or “Can you buy me some chilidogs after you’re done with whatever you’re doing?” So he’s a bit concerned if they’ll even notice when he’s been kidnapped as Duke Thomas, Bruce Wayne’s newest ward. But he’s not about to panic; as the others seem to be so determined that traumatizing new experiences are part of Bat-initiation.

Meanwhile, the rest of the family freaks out because “Did anyone go over the do’s and don’ts of getting kidnapped with Duke?!”

16. Nightmare/Hallucination by FearfulKitten @fearfulkittenwrites

Rating: Teen Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Jason

Duke found himself staring at the ceiling again. His heart was no longer racing, but he wouldn’t exactly say that he was calm either. This is the moment after the end of a race you lost, when all of the adrenaline is starting to wear off and the hopelessness sets in. That’s it. You’re out of the competition, buddy.

Except that this isn’t a race, and Duke hasn’t just lost his spot for the finals. He had simply lost sleep.

17. Jason Todd, Big Brother Part 8792 by Gemini_00

Rating: General Audiences Category: Other Relationships: Duke & Jason, Duke & Damian

Robin and the Signal sneak along the Outlaws mission in order to steal a bazooka and hang out with Kori. Jason has to deal with two little brothers and feeding a team of outlaws. He's putting this on Bruce's credit

18. "What's wrong? What's happening?" By FearfulKitten @fearfulkittenwrites

Rating: General Audiences Category: Other Relationships: Duke & Tim

Duke runs into trouble during his daytime patrol, and ends up needing some back up. The resident over-productive insomniac bat picks up the call.

(A little bit of and Duke interaction for a nice tumblr Anon :) I hope you like it!)

19. Nightmares by FearfulKitten @fearfulkittenwrites

Rating: Teen Category: Other Relationships: Duke & Dick

Filling the nightmare square on my bingo card with the help of an anon on tumblr who asked for a fic where Duke has a nightmare and asks for the help of one of the older batboys!

"Duke checked the time again. Two minutes had passed.

Time was ticking too slowly. He was tired, but sitting alone in the dark was definitely not a good idea right now.

He’d have to ask for help."

20. Brothers in Arms by TheFalconWarrior

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Batfam

...possibly against each other. Batkid prank wars are the worst.

Duke is learning. Tim is evil. So is Damian. Dick is embarrassing. Jason is dramatic. Steph is brave. Babs is all-knowing. Cass wants in. Alfred is a little amused, and Bruce is so. Tired.

21. First rule of Robin, right? By ALzzza

Rating: Teen Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Damian,Duke & Dick

"Nothing’s going to hurt you—you got that, nothing.”

Duke doesn’t have anything better to do but it’s not like that matters. Hell, he’d drop everything and run—always in time to catch this little bird.

Or, Damian’s Been Having Nightmares, Duke To The Rescue—Dick Always With The Reassurance

22. Duke's Diary by fiery_day

Rating: Teen Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Batfam,Duke & Dick

This is a couple of journal entries by Duke as he learns to become Signal. He relates his thoughts on the batfamily and aspects of the vigilante life he now leads.

23. Significance of a Gala by nxttime

Rating: Teen Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Batfam,Duke & Jason, Duke & Tim

This year’s Wayne Gala would be Duke’s first, and he had no clue how to feel about it.

25. The cloud that looks after each other by Batmango

Rating: Teen Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Bruce, Duke & Goliath

Duke wakes up the Bat cave after a fight with the Joker.

For MashpotatoeQueen5 as a thanks for using so many of my prompt in the excellent January Jot-Downs.

Prompt: a hurt comfort after an injury/illness? Or just cuddles. I love me some cuddles.

26. The One You’ll Know By by Redrikki

Rating: Teen Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Bruce, Bruce & Alfred

After losing his memory, Bruce asked Alfred not to tell him about his vigilante life, but he's beginning to think his butler left a few other things out. Like, say, his kids.

27. Duke Thomas Hates Bullies by Gemini_00

Rating: Unrated Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Steph, Duke & Tim, Duke & Bruce, Duke & Damian

Everyone loves that Duke Thomas isn't like all those other crazy Waynes. Everyone loves that the Signal isn't trying to get himself killed. Duke may not see Bruce as his dad, but he is definitely part of the bat family. and nobody is going to bully his family. Or, Duke Thomas Kicks Ass.

28. batman is dancing to fortnight and this might as well happen because vigilante life is already so *Goddamn* weird (Duke Thomas: A Memoir) by MashpotatoeQueen5

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Bruce, Duke & Batfam

You may not have time to unpack all that, but Duke Thomas does.

(He doesn't get it either.)

(He loves his new crazy family nonetheless.)

29. In a World Where You Can Be Anything, Be Kind by RedHoodie1723

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Bruce, Duke & Batfam

Day Six of Batfam Week 2020: Take Your Child To Work Day

It was Duke's first time visiting Wayne Enterprises, and he couldn't help but be intrigued by the Martha Wayne Foundation.

30. You’re My Brother by blackpercy

Rating: General Audiences Category: Gen Relationships: Duke & Dick

Duke's missing his parents a lot and Dick comes in to help his little brother.

And that’s it for the list! I hope you enjoy these thirty works! Once again, send me an ask if you have requests for fics, recs, or if you have general questions!

#duke thomas #the signal #batfam #duke fic recs #batfam fic recs #fanfiction recs #dc comics #batman comics #fanfiction #request

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