#Kenny Liu

[witchthewriter]

The Townspeople: Tell us your backstory Victor.

Victor (closing his eyes for 12 minutes, opening them, exhaling long and loud): No. I gotta go.

[brotherconstant]

From 3.01 Shatter "You said this place couldn't break you. Do you remember that, Boyd?"

[its-tenrose]

From + Tumblr Text Posts

[fromville-divorce-lawyer]

Incorrect From Quotes

[idontwikeit]

我真係唔想你去。你應承我萬事小心。平安咁返嚟。 I wish you would stay. Promise you'll be careful. Promise you'll come back.

[dietbridgetjones]

"I couldn't help her, I couldn't, but she was brave, Kenny."

From | S03E02 | When We Go

[taiturner]

It's okay. I understand. That first day, when I saw you in the church... my heart broke for you. I thought, "He seems so sweet, so kind." I was like that once. I think... maybe we're exactly what this place looks for. People who just want to help.

FROM, 3x10 "Revelations: Chapter 2"

[kennys-friend]

Here are some FROM posters I created for Randall, Jade, and Kenny!

[kathrynmhahn]

She said there were people there, people who were lost. And afraid. Who found themselves living inside a nightmare that they couldn't escape. Fighting a battle they knew they couldn't win. She said they were holding onto hope, and when that hope was gone, they held on to each other.

FROM 3.02

[sgt-dignam]

yeah. yeah, of course. thank you.

FROM 3.02 - When We Go

[gratelove]

I Can’t Lose You

Kenny Liu x Reader

You head out to do a perimeter check before darkness falls. Night comes too quickly and you find yourself stuck, having to hide to survive. Kenny is worried sick all night, thinking he may have lost you. When morning comes, Kenny realizes life is too short to hide his feelings for you.

The night came faster than you anticipated. What had started as a quick run to check the perimeter of an abandoned house on the edge of town turned into something far more dangerous. The door you had come through was jammed, and the other exits were either boarded up or too risky to try without attracting attention from the creatures that roamed outside.

You were trapped.

Your heart raced as the sounds of the night grew louder, the telltale signs of the monsters creeping ever closer. You had no way to get back to the station. No way to let Kenny know what had happened. And he was expecting you. You had promised him you’d be back before dark, and now…

Now it was too late.

You curled up in the farthest corner of the room, your flashlight flickering as it threatened to go out completely. You weren’t sure what scared you more—the monsters outside or the thought of Kenny thinking the worst. He’d worry. You knew he would. But all you could do now was wait for morning, praying the creatures wouldn’t find you before then.

Kenny paced the station, his anxiety twisting tighter with every passing minute. You should have been back by now. The sun had long since set, and the darkness outside was alive with danger. Every sound made him jump, imagining the worst. What if something had happened to you? What if one of those things had found you? What if you were hurt, trapped, or worse…?

He slammed his hands down on the table, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He had to find you.

Grabbing his rifle, Kenny made for the door, his mind racing with a single thought: Find her. Now.

But as he reached for the handle, Boyd stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “Where do you think you’re going?” Boyd’s voice was stern, but there was an understanding in his eyes.

“I have to find her,” Kenny snapped, his panic rising. “She’s out there, and I can’t just stand here—”

“Kenny, you leave now, and those things will kill you before you even get halfway across town.” Boyd’s voice was steady, but firm. “If she’s alive—and I believe she is—then you need to be here for her in the morning. Going out there now won’t help her.”

Kenny clenched his fists, his body trembling with frustration and fear. “I can’t just do nothing, Boyd. I can’t just sit here and—”

“You need to stay calm,” Boyd interrupted, his voice softening. “If she’s smart—and we both know she is—she’s found somewhere to hide. She’ll make it through the night. But you need to be here when the sun comes up. If you go out there now, and something happens to you, how do you think she’ll feel?”

Kenny’s breath caught in his throat, the truth of Boyd’s words hitting him like a punch to the gut. If something happened to him, if he didn’t make it back… He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving you behind. Not like this. Not without…

He sighed, dropping his head, his heart still pounding in his chest. “I just… I can’t lose her, Boyd. I can’t.”

Boyd placed a firm hand on Kenny’s shoulder. “You won’t. But you need to be patient. Wait for morning.”

Kenny nodded, though every fiber of his being screamed at him to run out the door. But Boyd was right. He had to wait. For you.

The night dragged on, every creak, every distant sound twisting the knot in his stomach tighter. He barely slept, his mind racing with all the terrible possibilities. What if you didn’t make it? What if this was your last night in this cursed town, and he hadn’t even told you…

Told you how much you meant to him.

As the first light of dawn finally broke through the dark, Kenny didn’t hesitate. He grabbed his jacket and bolted out the door, his heart pounding as he raced through the town, calling your name. He didn’t care if anyone heard. He didn’t care if he looked desperate.

“Where are you?” he shouted, his voice raw with panic. “Please, answer me!”

The pale light of morning filtered through the cracks in the boarded-up windows, and you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding. You had made it through the night, somehow. You didn’t dare move until you heard the faint sounds of life stirring outside, the nightmare of the night beginning to fade with the daylight.

You pushed your way through the stuck door, your muscles aching from the cramped position you had stayed in all night. Stepping outside, the cool morning air hit your face, and you took a deep breath, grateful to see the sky again. But as relief washed over you, a familiar voice cut through the quiet of the morning.

“There you are!”

You turned just in time to see Kenny sprinting toward you, his face a mixture of panic and relief. Before you could even speak, he was there, his arms wrapping around you in a tight, desperate hug that knocked the air from your lungs.

“Kenny—”

“I thought I lost you,” he murmured into your hair, his voice trembling. “I was terrified. I thought… I thought you were gone.”

You could feel him shaking, his grip on you tightening as if he was afraid you might disappear if he let go. Your heart swelled at the intensity of his emotions, and you hugged him back just as fiercely, your own relief spilling over.

“I’m okay,” you whispered. “I’m here. I’m safe.”

He pulled back just enough to look at you, his eyes searching yours as if he needed to see it to believe it. His thumb brushed across your cheek, and for a moment, the world seemed to fall away, leaving only the two of you standing there in the morning light.

“I can’t do this,” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. “I can’t keep pretending I’m okay with all this—pretending I don’t care. I care about you. More than I’ve ever cared about anyone.”

Your breath caught in your throat as his words hit you, your heart racing in your chest. “Kenny…”

“I lost my dad,” he continued, his voice urgent, like he needed to get the words out before they escaped him. “And last night, I thought I was going to lose you too. I can’t keep waiting. Life in this place… it’s too fast, too uncertain. I don’t want to wake up one day and realize I never told you how I feel.”

You stared at him, overwhelmed by the depth of his confession. The pain, the fear, the love—it was all there, raw and real. And in that moment, you realized you had been holding back too, afraid of what might happen if you let yourself feel too much in a place like this. But now, standing here with him, there was no more holding back.

“I feel the same way,” you said, your voice barely a whisper. “Kenny, I’ve felt it for a while now. I was just too scared to admit it.”

His eyes softened, relief washing over his face. He let out a shaky breath, and then, without another word, he pulled you into a kiss. It wasn’t hesitant or unsure—it was filled with all the things you both had kept inside for too long.

When you finally pulled away, breathless but smiling, Kenny rested his forehead against yours, his hands still holding you close.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen next,” he said softly. “But I do know that I want to spend whatever time we have… with you.”

You smiled, your heart full. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

And in that moment, with the sun rising behind you and the horrors of the night fading into memory, you felt hope. Maybe not for the town, maybe not for everything, but for you and Kenny. For whatever came next. Together.

[witchthewriter]

𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 🐦‍⬛

⤷ gender neutral, ambiguous race, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!

a/n: I've added Victor into this, but I want to have a conversation about if he can be a romantic partner - or he will always be platonic?

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ | ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ ᴵᴵ

You're still in Fromville, not having escaped yet but making the best of it.

𝑩𝒐𝒚𝒅 ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

・Domesticity to Boyd is so much different in this town compared to the 'real' world.

・For example, he would be awake before you, no matter the day just so he could surprise you with your favourite drink and a pastry each morning.

・The chores would be split 50/50, with Boyd usually picking up any slack (he doesn't mind at all)

・He loves doing the laundry, folding your clothes with so much care.

・But here... his actions to show his love are limited and it kinda pisses him off

・But you constantly remind him of all the good he's done here and how he keeps everyone together.

・You celebrate every win, even the small ones.

・Boyd is big on DIY, and loves fixing up things for you. Anything you ask - you want a different type of curtain, or you want part of the window patched up - he does NOT let you do it. That is HIS job.

・Massaging his shoulders at night, feeling how taught he is. This town is so hard on him. It constantly makes you wonder, why him?

・You do have one rule though: last one in bed has to make it!

・Boyd seems like the type of person to keep everything about himself to himself. But that isn't true. He likes telling you things, he enjoys opening up to you.

・One really important factor in your relationship is the challenges of town and its mysteries.

・Many people in town were basically betting how long you two would together.

・But what they didn't know, was that the horrors STRENGTHENED your bond. It made you both rely on each other so deeply.

・Having a partner means so much to him.

・Boyd loves you so much. He would never burden you with what he knows, but he loves when you have random conversations.

・It makes things feel just a bit more normal. It gives him hope.

𝑲𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒚 ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

・Mornings and nights are especially special to you both

・Slow, careful, mindful, warm and cosy.

・Touching each other in some way - hugging each other from behind, pinkies entwined, cheek kisses, forehead kisses, rubbing noses together - if anyone else saw you too they would gag (ITS CALLED LOVE)

・Kenny LOVES tucking you in at night.

"You comfy now?" As he wedges the blanket under the side of your body.

"Yes Kenny! Now get in bed you loser!" You answer laughing.

"Okay, okay, I'm just looking after the most important person in my life thank you very much."

・You love listening to him; to his stories about his childhood up until he came to town.

・One of Kenny's favourite things is when you read to him. Even if you don't have a book in front of you, he just wants you to recount as much as you can from books you have read.

・Might be kind of painful, but you two like talking about how life would be like together outside of this hell.

・Owning two cats, two dogs, maybe some fish.

・Whenever you hear the creatures screeching, you automatically cling to Kenny, you can't help it. You HATE the noises.

・But you always feel safe around Kenny. Always.

"I've got you. I swear to god I'll never let anything happen to you."

𝑱𝒂𝒅𝒆 ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

・Every morning he gives you a kiss on the head and 'tip toes' out of the room, trying not to disturb you.

・You usually yell at him to get back in bed

"My looooooove, I have important business to attend to!"

・The bed is pressed up against the wall, and Jade says if someone/something were to enter the room, he would be the first thing they see

・From then he starts his daily ritual of figuring out how to get the hell home

・Jade teaches you A LOT of stuff. And you're always surprised by how well he does at teaching. He's patient (only with you but you don't know that), and takes his time to teach in ways you'll understand (once again, only for you...)

・He is like a walking computer at times. Really good with dates and great with measurements.

・But one thing he is terrible about is the fact that he's a repeat offender blanket stealer. Absolute criminal.

・No matter how much you tug and pull, or wrap yourself in it, Jade somehow unravels you in his sleep and takes the blanket.

・When you both wake up, you've practically snuggled underneath him...

"Babe, what are you doing?"

"You stole the blanket again and I got cold," you reply muffled beneath him. He's very warm.

"Oh god, sorry! We ah, we should probably get more blankets then... god why didn't you wake me?"

"Wake you? Ever since we got our own place, you've slept like you've never done so in your life!"

・It was quiet before he replied, and then he wrapped his arms around you.

"That's because I haven't sleep properly before I met you."

𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒍𝒍 ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

・Your relationship with Randall is one that surprises you. Constantly.

・People don't see him the way you do. At times they start to though.

・But only you get to see his true soft side. The side that moves the hair from your face, kisses your forehead, nudges his nose against your own.

・You are the ONLY person to make him laugh.

・He knows so much about you - the way you like your clothes folded or hung up. He knows which books are your favourite, which song you could listen to on replay.

・Music is a big thing to Randall, and the fact that he can't just randomly play something on his phone gets him really down.

・So one night you guys make a list of every song you like, when you heard it and what it made you feel

・Making each other guess who you were before arriving in hell.

"Hmm... you were ... a ... farmhand on a ranch..."

"What the fuck Y/N."

"What? Were you?"

"Oh yeah sure, you hit the nail straight on the head sweetcheeks," and then he rolled his eyes.

・You laugh, loving when he gets 'annoyed' (you know he can never really be annoyed with you right?)

・You know each other's favourite tv shows, colours, smells, literature and so on. You whisper to each other through the night, trying to take your mind off of the screeching coming from outside.

𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒔 ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

・Always the last to get up, sometimes he wakes before you but he'll still lay in bed, watching you sleep. Sometimes blowing air on your face when it's been a few hours and he gets bored

・Leaving sweet notes in unexpected places, they range from:

'hey baby, went down to do some work in the greenhouse, love you xx' to 'yo sexy honey see you tonight ;)'

・And you keep every single one of them. You have a sort of time capsule thing underneath the bed in one of your bags. Just small photos, letters written to each other, etc.

・Side note - Ellis is a cheeky man who loves to rile you up. Push your buttons. Make you red in the face.

・But he knows when enough is enough; he's extremely intune with your moods and doesn't have to ask when the days get too much.

・LOVES MAKING UP RANDOM SONGS ABOUT YOU, they are terrible but they make you laugh

・CONSTANTLY setting up spontaneous things for you guys to do. Seeing a smile on your face is the best thing he has ever seen.

・Literally puppy love.

・You guys seem to be able to talk to each other mind to mind. Glances from across the room are easily read by one another.

𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

PSA: As I said above, I'm not sure if Victor can be a romantic partner - I would love everyone's thoughts on it and maybe we can come to some kind of agreement??? Anyway, read this how you like ⟡☾⚝☽⟡

・Home...this town is the only home that Victor had ever truly known.

・How could you show him that the way he'd been living was not normal? That he should be able to feel safe, he should have gone to school - maybe even his drawing could have evolved into something astonishing

・So, in little ways you introduce this life to him

・He can't remember his birthday (so you help him choose one) and the two of you, along with Ethan, Tabitha and Julie celebrate

・...home decor projects are mostly just Victor's drawings. The really scary ones, you ask to be put away and he obliges <3

・Victor is used to living with other being, but not sleeping in the same room as another person.

・You would also need to get used to his blatant honesty. It isn't like he's trying to hurt you but he can just be brutally honest.

・Picnics in your room where you scavenge whatever food you can and talk about the funniest things you've seen people do

"I saw Jim ... trip over today," Victor says in a hushed voice, a cookie halfway to his mouth.

You burst out laughing, even snorting as you imagine the uppity Jim Matthews take a tumble.

"God, I wish I saw that."

・At first Victor didn't want another friend. He didn't want to get close to someone, he knew something would happen to you. You'd be taken away from him.

・But you swore to him that you would always be there for him.

・In town, and when everyone leaves. You've told him that you can be his home, his family.

[brotherconstant]

From 3.10 | Revelations: Chapter Two He said the children were born in the dark. And then they were murdered… in the dark. But someone who loved them told them a story. The story gave them hope. And when the children laid on the stones, they poured their hope into the roots that made the symbol, and those roots became the tree.

[lumillsie]

ೃ⁀➷ what kind of partner would suit the from characters best? ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

includes: tabitha, jim, kenny, jade, kristi, marielle, randall, donna, boyd, ellis, fatima, sara, nathan

a/n : here's my formal plea for you guys to send in from requests with more characters ! this is just my take and a little exercise in showcasing how I view these characters, but it was fun to write regardless! the order I wrote them in was boyd, sara, randall, jim, fatima, marielle, nathan, tabitha, donna, jade, ellis, kristi and then finally kenny - and you can probably tell that my inspiration started dropping of at the end with how the ellis part turned out, but I still tried my best with all of them <3 I really hope you guys enjoy these, and if you have any constructive criticism and tips on how to improve my portrayals, please let me know

I would also like to thank my friend carla ( @divorcingjimmatthews ) for looking over all of these preferences as I was writing them and helping me make sure that my portrayals stayed rooted in canon, as well as assisting me when I was writing jim's part by providing me with a different perspective on his character. I am so so incredibly grateful 🩷🩷

⚠️ major spoilers all the way up to 3x10 with mentions of canon-typical horrors !!

- ', ꒱ ↷ tabitha.

╰┈➤ tabitha is one of the characters most connected with the strange place the residents of the town are trapped in - from her childhood dreams of the three red stones to the spectral, hyaline children only she and jade can truly see, she's shrouded in mysteries to which not even she herself has an answer. someone curious and with an open-mind, willing to assist her and help find answers and uncover the truth of what's going on would be a person she could easily find herself bonding with. jim's single-minded refusal to come to terms with the fact that circumstances in their personal hellscape don't have to make sense was what severed the marriage already hanging on by a thread and tabitha couldn't handle being with another partner who resists understanding that and tries to back away from all the strageness of their environment. her potential partner should be someone who wholeheartedly wants to know the same answers she's trying to discover, and who would contribute to her search with their own time and effort. from minor things like bouncing ideas of what something could mean to standing by her as she decides to venture into the underground cavern where the monsters rest - the ideal partner for her would be one that could face it all, with her.

╰┈➤ this is a woman that yearns to be listened to, and as the relationship between her and a potential partner develops, tabitha will need to feel seen and understood. her partner encouraging her to share her grief with them and taking the concerns she shares with them seriously would allow for the dynamic between her and someone else to develop from a platonic one to something different. listening to her doesn't simply mean absorbing the things she say and validating them but consequently doing nothing about them - no, it means standing by her as she makes decisions and venturing into the unknown by her side. someone attentive and decisive could do both of these things and that would allow her to realise that they're someone she can share the burden on her shoulders with.

╰┈➤ it's pretty obvious that tabitha doesn't want an overprotective partner - jim's attempts to be that didn't go over well, and all it did was widen the chasm between the two former spouses. she's an adult woman, and standing by her as she ventures into danger would be preferred to attempting to keep her away from potential threats. she will go near them regardless - she needs to. she's decided what her purpose is, what she needs to do and she's strong-willed enough to not be deterred to it. regardless of who her partner is, that won't change. on the other hand, tabitha would appreciate the person she's involved with wanting to protect her children - and trying to bond with them. despite the distance between them, caused by thomas' death and exacerbated by everything that followed, her love for them is infinite and they mean the world to her. no partner of hers should strive to take jim's place in the children's lives - they wouldn't respond well to it, the love they have for their father is immeasurable - but they wouldn't be opposed to having a friendly and even a somewhat familial relationship with their mother's new partner. if they came to know about this relationship after the events that followed jade's violin performance under the bottle tree, they may be initially resistant to said partner - but they would come around to it as long as their mother's partner was respectful to their father and what they've experienced.

╰┈➤ I can see tabitha as being particularly drawn to intelligent people who are well-educated in one field. her first husband was an engineer, and the reincarnation of her first self's husband used to be a successful software developer right before him and his childhood friend made their way around the fallen tree. whether the person she was involved in specialised in a stem science or something else, she would love the way their mind works - the connections they find in the most unassuming of things and the wild, unthinkable ideas that few would be capable of executing. when she listens to them speak, she can imagine a future in which they can simply relax and rant to her about whatever brilliant idea they have in mind. if she succeeds in rescuing the children, perhaps they will someday be able to.

- ', ꒱ ↷ jim.

╰┈➤ a man whose primary priority is his family, I can see jim with somebody who's more family-oriented - whether that be an individual who ended up in town with their family and is fiercely protective of them or simply someone who refuses to give up on returning home in hope of reuniting with their loved ones. while he's not always on the track to a father of the year award, and his actions often come across as misguided and counterintuitive, his love for julie and ethan is undeniable and I can't see him with a partner that doesn't put in effort to bond with his children. spending quality time with julie and coming up with stories with ethan are the way to his heart. if his partner was a single parent themselves, he would do his best to help them out and try to fill that role of a second parent for their child - after all, the role of a family man forms a large part of his identity, and someone who wants that from him would suit him well. dancing to that particular tune - aside from any potential children, whether the family his partner is close with consists of parents, siblings, other relatives, children or even chosen family in the form of friends that became such, jim would put effort into getting to know them well.

╰┈➤one of the main reasons his marriage to tabitha came to an end is ultimately the fact that that they had an incredibly hard time communicating after the passing of their youngest son - grief impacts different people differently, and it wasn't until they were stuck in an unavoidable situation that they discussed it. henry's advice and jade's call-back to reality were what encouraged him to change his outlook and prioritise communication, as opposed to his previous manner of dealing with issues by burying his head beneath the sand and simply doing what he thinks is best for those involved. with this in mind, jim needs to be with someone who's capable of communication, especially when stuck in a death-trap town and navigating boundaries with tabitha as a woman he still cares for as the mother of his children and figuring out what kind of role his partner would have in the lives of his two children. he's recognised what's doomed his first marriage and he's determined not to repeat his mistakes - but he cannot work issues out by himself. the right partner for jim would be one that is open with him and actively talks about the things that bother them and pushes him to do the same.

╰┈➤ jim is the protective type that worries about his partner and while he has learned to take a step back - he'd still fare better with a partner that doesn't mind said protectiveness. he's not going to revert back to threatening other people into staying away from his significant other or discourage them from doing what they think is best for them, but he'll need to be allowed to linger near - to alleviate his fears and lull him into a sense of security. he functions better when he's in a situation where he thinks he can protect his partner, even if that may not necessarily be true in reality. and while he may not even be aware of it himself, he would benefit from someone being protective over him as well - he's used to being in the self-imposed role of the protector and he won't abandon it, but he truly does need someone to look after him tell him that things will be okay, just as he's always convincing the people around him that they will be.

╰┈➤ both him and tabitha have both felt misunderstood and unheard in the final stages of their marriage, and I truly think jim needs to feel valued by the individual he chooses to commit to. seeking out his opinion, keeping him in the loop with what they're up to, doing little things for him and reminding him that they love him are things that would make him feel more secure in the relationship and help him heal from the wounds of the past. eventually, he may even feel seen enough to open up about thomas' death, and his partner may contribute to healing the emotional chasm between him and tabitha and help establish a friendly dynamic that is free of resentment. the support that this kind of relationship with his partner brings helps him to swap out his poorer traits for better ones and to improve as a person. the people that know him best can see the positive changes in him - and they know whose responsible for them. they are grateful for it, just as he himself is.

- ', ꒱ ↷ jade.

╰┈➤ whether they were a resident of the town before he arrived or ended up there with him, any potential partner of jade's would need to be abundantly patient with him in the days following toby's death. from his convinction that the entire situation was a practical joke set up by his childhood friend through his visions of bloodied men all the way to his fixations on the radio, the symbol in christopher's notebook and the bottle tree, the person who wants to be with him can't be someone that gets easily frustrated. early on he's often running around and trying to solve one mystery or the other, and it will take time for him to adjust to the situation - and when he does, he'll be seeking out his partner's assistance to help him untangle the muddled web of mysteries the town is deeply engulfed in.

╰┈➤ jade needs a partner with whom he can be on the same wavelength as. someone who can keep up with his frenzied train of thoughts and come back at him with theories and ideas of their own. additionally, someone brave and bold enough to venture out into the woods and explore to try and discover something new, like boyd fell into the cave with the talismans or kenny and jim stumbled upon the food, would be the perfect match for him. this kind of partner would be courageous enough to venture into the tunnels victor and tabitha found themselves in with him - but reserved enough not to attempt venturing into a faraway tree like dale did.

╰┈➤ up until recently an entrepreneur who had just made it big, jade would prefer a genuine and honest partner as opposed to someone who would sugarcoat things or tell him white lies to spare his feelings. if they think he's acting in a way they don't agree with - whether it's him snapping at victor for refusing to talk to him or skipping town meetings, he'd rather they tell him directly than keep their feelings to themselves. aside from disagreements, this applies to their feelings towards him and the situation they're in, he'd rather be aware of what they're going through than have them suffer through it without a word - even if at times he may not be able to help, he'd do his best to try. in addition to that, he'd find it easier to confide in someone he finds trustworthy - and someone who doesn't lie to him would be just that.

╰┈➤ out of all the townspeople, I see jade as the one who would benefit most from having a significant other whose love language is quality time. he's always up in his own head, plagued by scribbled symbols and haunted by the imagery of the departed, such as the civil war soldier and christopher. his partner knowing when to put their foot down and drag him away from all of that to give his brain a much-needed break would benefit him greatly. whether it's helping out tian chen at the diner, gathering something in the woods or just sitting in their room together, it's still a break regardless. the first few times he actually allows himself to take a break he feels as if he should be doing more, his hands twitching to arrange bottles and his eyes darting around the room at all times. once he realises how much lighter he feels after simply sitting with his partner as they talk about the most mundane things, he initiates these little breaks himself. he finds himself staring at the person he loves as they talk about ordinary things - the food they miss from home, what they managed to help out with around town that day, how they're considering taking up wood-carving. for a few brief moments, all the noise in his head quiets down.

- ', ꒱ ↷ kenny.

╰┈➤ the town's deputy is one of the very few people that was trapped with his entire immediate family. with the language barrier between his parents and his father's progressing dementia, one of kenny's primary goals is to keep them as safe and comfortable as he possibly can. I can see him developing feelings for somebody who bonds with his parents before they bond with him, whether that be someone who helps kristi and gina look after bing-qian or assists tian chen and sara in feeding the townspeople. his parents' fondness of them would naturally make him consider the person a friend, but it would be his own interactions with them that would lead to the formation of romantic feelings.

╰┈➤ kenny is one of the few characters I could see falling in love with a more reserved and withdrawn partner. being the town's deputy, he's one of the few individuals in town that comes into contact with most of its trapped inhabitants - and he's one of the few people that gets the chance to properly meet even those who find themselves unable or unwilling to take the leap to befriend or pursue someone. he's a helpful young man, in the role of boyd's right-hand man out of the pure desire to make life easier for those around him and try and keep this hellish place together. he'd take the effort to get to know someone who doesn't really talk to people much outside of their responsibilities, but who still comes off as a good and kind soul. eventually, they'd let open up to him and let him know who they truly are - their own qualities and flaws, as well as his desire to feel wanted and needed would result in him falling in love relatively quickly.

╰┈➤ his partner needs to be somebody kemny can consider trustworthy - sara's involvement in his father's death and boyd's decision to keep her out of the box and at his side have impacted him profoundly, not to mention shattered his faith in the people around him. his partner should be someone who isn't opposed to keeping him looped in in all of their major decisions and who can share all discoveries they consider important with him. he's not too affected by white lies and sugar-coating - but he does place a great deal of faith in his significant other, and it would be cruel to let him down. obviously, he'd appreciate his partner placing that same level of trust in him, and I can't imagine him doing anything to betray it.

╰┈➤ an aspiring polyglot, an individual with an affinity for learning languages, would be just the right kind of partner to try and help keep kenny tethered. he's one of the few characters with ties to his origin - his language and his culture, despite the fact that he went by an anglicised name to fit into his texan community. learning mandarin would bring his partner close to both him and his family - and bring him and his partner closer as he deals with loss after loss. in the evenings, when the curtains are drawn and the lamp's yellowish hue envelops the room, his partner would sit with their back resting against his chest as they try their hardest to memorise words and phrases - he'd correct then gently when they made a mistake, a warm feeling in his chest and a sense of pride at their effort. alternatively, if his partner was a native mandarin speaker themselves, I can see him having conversations in it more often - hopeful that he'd never really lose that connection to his culture as long as they're around. when death comes knocking and the monsters take the lives of his father and afterwards his mother, his partner knowing at least the basics of his native language allows him that closeness to his parents that nobody else can give him. they've left their impact on his partner too. the conversation he could have in his native language and his mother's unmatched recipes haven't left with them, they live on in him and the person he loves - the person that's now become his only living family. his partner was family to his parents as well - even if they never got to say it outloud. he'll protect what's left of that unit. he'll do it because he loves all of them, because he's not sure he could survive another loss.

- ', ꒱ ↷ kristi.

╰┈➤ a third year med student at the time of her vanishing, kristi's a character painfully aware of what she's left behind and how much she has lost. she's not going to dive head first into a relationship - and if feelings do form, she's going to suppress them out of respect for her estranged fiancee. a friendship with someone who doesn't immediately develop feelings would be the ideal first step towards forming a longlasting bond with her. there initially being no romantic undertones would help her feel more comfortable around this new individual - but them being someone she can freely confide in and emotionally there for her would be the turning point in her developing feelings for them.

╰┈➤ kristi could benefit from a humorous partner who can make her laugh - she's got a front-row seat to all the grim, grotesque aspects of life in the town, from minor things such as sprained ankles and broken bones to the horrifying ones such as burial preparations for mangled corpses and monster autopsies. if anyone needs some light in their life, it's the town's resident nurse. she enjoys listening to them regardless of whether they're silly pick-up lines her partner blurts out at random or exaggerated anecdotes from their life before the township. she may not always have the strength to laugh at them, but when her eyes light up and her lips turn into a half-formed smile - her significant other can rest assured that their attempts at humour have been successful.

╰┈➤ if her and her partner are already involved when the bus comes into town, they'd need to understand the situation and give her some space. marielle is her fiancee, and their relationship didn't end because either of them wanted it, but because they were separated by whatever entity or force has been dragging people into the town. she's naturally going to need some time to figure out how to proceed, and the depth of her feelings towards her new partner coupled with the unresolvable tension between her and marielle would ultimately bring their relationship to its conclusion. that being said, her partner would still need to be someone compassionate, who can respect her past and the fact that her former fiancee is an important part of her life. the pediatric nurse fell back into addiction while dealing with kristi's disappearance, and a partner who can keep a respectable distance from her but still care about her well-being and support kristi in navigating this new dynamic between her and the only person she knew before she was trapped here would be truly a great partner for her.

╰┈➤ circling back to the fact that kristi is one of the few people in town that truly has to see all of its horrors up-close, her partner would need to be someone with a comforting nature, who knows how to offer her reassurance and solace even in the darkest of times. there are times where humour truly isn't going to be anything but a hindrance, and those are the times where she's truly going to need someone to fall back on. I can't see her wanting to be touched in those moments - the images of guts, blood and death overwhelming her thoughts. that being said, I can see her accepting small gestures from her partner. a hot cup of tea, made with herbs randall's found down in the forest. the one blanket she has, draped over her shoulders as she shivers. the gentle murmurs of her partner's voice, spoken so quietly as to not disturb her while she's processing the monstrosity she's had to look at most recently. she's been building a wall between them since day one - they've been tearing it down little by little. at this point, they know exactly how to do it.

- ', ꒱ ↷ marielle.

╰┈➤ a young pediatric nurse battling an addiction, marielle ended up in the inescapable town on her way to a rehabilitation centre. in a world where her and kristi's relationship doesn't survive the turmoil of kristi's disappearance and marielle's subsequent relapse, I can see her being drawn to someone she considers reliable. someone who offers to help her sort out supplies from the ambulance, double-checks all the windows to make sure they're shut as sunset gathers and silently supports her as she navigates life in an environment where murderous monsters are an every-night occurrence and the only person she knows is her ex-fiancee. being able to rely on somebody aside from kristi alone helps her transition into this strange situation and provides her with a support system - while it isn't the same as the proper help she'd receive in a rehabilitation sense, it is still something that makes her want to fight and resist the urge to dig through the medicine cabinet.

╰┈➤ marielle wouldn't want to be with somebody who is constantly hovering over her or constantly fretting over her struggle with addiction. she struggles to acknowledge how much impact it has had on her, and she desires to be treated like any other regular person - she's doing her best, she's a nurse and she wouldn't deplete the little resources they have and she couldn't stand it if someone she cared for deeply, trusted and respected thought otherwise. in addition to that, kristi is still an important person to her regardless, and she doesn't want her to feel responsible for her relapse, and she doesn't want to discuss it with people other than her partner to begin with. it's completely normal for her significant other to be concerned with her wellbeing, but they need to respect her boundaries when it comes to a matter as complex as this. she can confide in them in the moments where she feels at ease enough to talk about it, but she shouldn't be pressured to do so unless her partner notices a genuine cause for concern.

╰┈➤ as the only medical expert in town aside from kristi, marielle has a lot on her plate in her day-to-day life - most notably fatima's strange non-pregnancy. her significant other being a perceptive and helpful individual would help alleviate some of the burden off her. taking note of which medicinal herbs are missing and venturing out to retrieve them from the forest and making sure to drag her out to the diner for a proper meal and a well-deserved break are all gestures that may appear small, but mean the world to her in the long run. little things like these make her life easier in the long run, and it makes her feel supported and cared for. she's grateful for these gestures, and she does her best to make sure she lets her partner know how much she appreciates them and the things they do for her.

╰┈➤ keeping what I said in the second paragraph in mind, I do still see marielle as an individual who would benefit from and enjoy having an affectionate and touchy significant other. she's been starved of physical comfort ever since kristi went missing, and seeking out a new relationship was the last thing on her mind back in the real world - now, however, it's one of the few luxuries she can afford. during late evenings, she buries herself into her partner's embrace with her head tucked tightly into the crook of their neck. death still lurks beyond the front door, but the curtains are drawn and their voices are incomprehensible, and it allows her to shut it all out. the night nicky is killed and she has to patch up randall, her partner holds her hand wordlessly - knowing that no words could truly comfort her in that moment. the morning after she has another nightmare about what she, julie and randall have endured, her partner gently strokes her back and waits for her to start speaking. it's in these touches that she finds the strength to believe that everything might be okay - that they may just make it out of there alive.

- ', ꒱ ↷ randall.

╰┈➤ while randall may initially come across as brusque, aggressive and overall disagreeable, an individual prone to seeing the good in others may take note of his willingness to help jim search for tabitha in the aftermath of their basement caving in or his foolish yet well-meaning attempt to force donna to open the diner door in an attempt to save the distrustful people outside from the dangerous monsters lurking within the dark. a more optimistic individual would be able to look past the rough exterior and see him not as a loose canon and a potential threat, but rather a man worth getting to know.

╰┈➤ upon his arrival to town, he's incredibly distrustful of everyone around him so I think an individual who knows how to keep their distance initially but still lets him know that they're willing to help him adjust would be the kind of person he'd most willingly let in. taking the time and effort to let him know that the offer to show him around the town or talk to him is on the table but still not constantly approaching him enough to make him suspicious of your role in what he originally perceives as some sick experiment is the most successful path to take for him to first tolerate, and then later on enjoy their company. as stubborn as he is, in a situation as horrifying as the one he's trapped in - very few would choose complete isolation over companionship and some semblance of normalcy.

╰┈➤ randall likes his personal space, but as a partner I see him as quite protective, constantly looking out for the person he's involved with. coupled with the fact that living on the bus with no curtains to separate him from the human-like creatures slinking around the town at night, he'd be more likely to want to move in with his partner not long after the relationship is established, and someone who is open for cohabitation relatively soon into the relationship would suit him better than somebody who would like to take their time with it. that way, not only is he able to get away from the creatures, but he's also able to keep an eye on his partner and ensure their safety throughout the night.

╰┈➤ he's one of the few people in town to be directly impacted by the music-box monster, and the only person the monsters left alive after torturing. he survived the worst threats the townspeople've encountered firsthand, and it's plain to see that he felt abandoned by boyd on the night that the ambulance came into town. if he was protective beforehand, afterwards I think he'd prefer to be with a partner who seeks him out all the time and after being left for dead in favour of other people, he needs to feel as if he's somebody's priority. and for the person that does give him that lifeline, that seed of trust they've placed in him would grow exponentially - the person whose priority he is would ultimately be his priority as well. whatever the future holds, whether they're trapped in that hellscape or make it back to the safety of the real world, they're in it together. wherever they go, randall will follow.

- ', ꒱ ↷ donna.

╰┈➤ aside from boyd himself, donna is one of the town's authority figures as the leader of colony house. those that choose the flower and choose to live under her roof, choose to life for today because tomorrow isn't guaranteed - and I can see donna falling for a partner who shares that stance. she's seen so much loss - from her sister's screams that still ring in her ears to the massacre that followed kevin foolishly opening the window for a monster he'd found himself besotted with, tomorrow is truly never guaranteed. someome spontaneous and lively, who makes the days a little less bleak and the nights a little more bearable may be just what donna needs after all the tears she's spilled in secret. pulling her aside for a lunch date at the edge of the woods and convincing her to take a day to the brundles every once in a while may be just what she needs to soothe her soul.

╰┈➤ following tense situations such as the colony house massacre, the arrival of the bus in town and the harvest of rotten crops, donna's significant other needs to be her rock - someone truly dependable whom she can rely on when the entire town is relying on her. she's rarely ever vulnerable - and when she breaks down, she deserves the luxury of being able to do it in someone's arms. while she does hold a position of authority in town, her hold over the people isn't quite as firm as she would like it to be during times of frenzy and despair. if her partner was to disagree with one of her decisions - it would be wiser to discuss their stance with her away from the mass of people who may already be hesitant to follow orders they have doubts about.

╰┈➤ donna considers the people of colony house to be her family - and her partner would need to integrate themselves as a part of that. they don't need to necessarily agree with or be friends with all of the people there, but they need to have some respect for them - and look out for all of their safety, just as the other colony house members would for them. that's truly one of the things that matters most to donna and it would make her happy to see her significant other accept that way of life, and the only family she really has.

╰┈➤ donna could truly benefit from a partner who often verbally reassures her. I don't think she hears the praises she needs to hear enough - and while I think she initially may scoff and dismiss them, after some time she would come to truly accept them. she doesn't receive much gentleness in her role as the leader of colony house and while all of the residents of colony house defer to her, I would argue that only a few are truly appreciative of all she does - very few take the time to express it, which is understandable given the situation they're in. her partner reminding her that they love her or declaring that they're proud of how well she's handling things despite all the adversity surrounding her may be things that she's not used to hearing, but they are things that she realises she needed to hear. her sister's screams are still ringing in her ears - but a familiar voice pops up every once in a while, repeating declarations of love. these sounds represent two polar opposite memories - and yet, they both urge her to keep going.

- ', ꒱ ↷ boyd.

╰┈➤ as the town's leader, boyd is expected to shoulder the weight of the world - the people look to him to be their symbol of home, to find a way out, to reassure them when the going gets tough. it's a heavy burden, and he needs somebody to share the weight of it with him. he can put up a front to the people around him, but when the night falls and the monsters come knocking at the windows, somebody needs to be there to guide him away from their whispers and the depths of his own thoughts.

╰┈➤ being sympathetic to the losses he's had to endure would go a long way. abby and father khatri both meant a great deal to him, and he's haunted by the memories of them. trapped in a perpetual circle of death and arrivals, it's not like he's had much time to deal with his own grief. being willing to listen to him talk about them, even asking him a couple of questions about things he's never really found the space to talk about could help him start to process all that he's been through. what was abby like before you got here? how did you and father khatri go about convincing the people that the talismans worked?

╰┈➤ the former soldier is also the town's most prominent authority figure, but that's not to mean that his reasoning isn't without flaw. somebody who can present themselves as authoritive and a voice of reason would help boyd with thinking some actions through. when in agreement with boyd, they could help to keep the townspeople safe by echoing and further solidifying his orders. when he's intent on keeping people in the dark to prevent frenzied panic, his partner should be there to remind him to bring donna up to speed - even suggest when the people are relentlessly yelling at tabitha for not seeking help, his partner should be there to reinforce the notion that they don't know enough about faraway trees to attempt trips down through them.

╰┈➤ boyd is fiercely protective of his family, and he would expect the person he's with to care for them as well. ellis and fatima mean the world to him, and he's willing to step over the moral boundaries he's set for himself to protect them. I can't see him with somebody who wouldn't take the effort to befriend his family and I can see him being more drawn to a potential partner who behaves in an approachable manner toward his most beloved. if his partner is around before the arrival of the matthews family, he'd be likely to confide in them about the regret he feels over his torn relationship with his son, as well as rejoice with them when ellis reaches out to attempt to repair it. boyd may have very little time to participate in the impromptu wedding by walking fatima down the aisle, but his partner helping her get ready and lending ellis a listening ear to recite his vows would ultimately draw them into the fold of this small family and solidify their place by his side.

- ', ꒱ ↷ ellis.

╰┈➤ the sheriff's son is an artistically inclined character, and I could see him connecting with someone who also finds comfort in some form of artistry - whether that be painting, writing, pottery, music or a completely different art form. he'd be incredibly supportive of them if they refused to surrender their passion and insisted on perfecting their craft regardless of how long they've been stuck in town, not to mention that it would cause his respect for them to grow exponentially. I can see ellis keeping an eye out for and bringing his significant other supplies - be that cutting down his own stack of paper and coal or discovering clay and gathering some for them.

╰┈➤ ellis is quite possibly the most romantic soul in town - and the most devoted. he'd enjoy spending a vast majority of his time with his partner, and the person he's with should be someone who truly wants to spend most of their time with him as well. he'd plan out dates as often as he could, and they'd range from preparing breakfast in the kitchen together while laughing to cozy, quiet morning strolls in the woods as him and his significant other simply bask in eachother's presence. often, he couldn't care what they're doing - as long as they're together.

╰┈➤ as is made obvious with his appreciation for fatima, ellis has a soft spot for kind and amiable people who try to be helpful and welcoming towards others. an individual that goes out of their way to help new people adjust and lends those struggling a listening ear would be just the kind of person who he'd find himself falling in love with. he would consider himself very fortunate to have a partner like that, not to mention that his significant other would be the person he'd always turn to when he needs to get something off his chest or when he simply needs to feel comforted by holding them close. while his partner shouldn't meddle in his relationship with his father too much - I can see him reaching out to repair it with their support and guidance.

╰┈➤ circling back to the topic of artistry, ellis' is the sort of guy to make his significant other into his muse once he's well and truly head over heels in love with them. he's another character whose love language would be quality time - but in the sense that he could spend hours painting his partner and trying to transfer every feature onto the canvas. he'd try to immortalise whichever features he could - the precise hue of their eyes, the curve of their lips, the bridge of their nose. a partner who could sit with him for hours as he does this, or to be more precise, a partner who is comfortable being his muse would truly suit him better than any other. not only is he immortalising the person he loves, he's immortalising his love for them through his craft. they could both disappear from the world any day now - whether that be at the hands of the vicious creatures that lurk outside the windows or to an unknown entity, but the love they have for one another will remain on the canvas he left behind.

- ', ꒱ ↷ fatima.

╰┈➤ from her first introduction, this beautiful persian woman is presented as welcoming, humorous and full of light. if her future partner was to arrive in town after her, chances are that fatima would be one of the first people to catch their eye. and while she's admired by many, I can see her developing feelings for someone confident, with inner strength to match her own. while setting themselves apart from the other people she's admired by through expressing their interest in her isn't something that would guarantee her reciprocation, it would be something that makes them stand out to her next to all of the other people she's formed strong bonds with. fatima is widely-beloved by her community and the people in it are all very comfortable with her, so if somebody wants her to see them in a romantic light, they have to take the first step towards it.

╰┈➤ fatima is loving and generous, and her character is best seen through her countless gestures to help julie adjust to town and her gifting trudy her favorite sweater. with that in mind, I see fatima's ideal partner as someone truly compassionate - I don't think she would function well with an individual lacking empathy or who has managed to fully distance themselves from the humanity of others, not when she herself feels as deeply as she does. someone who keeps an eye on donna when she's got a lot on her plate or defends victor when new people misunderstand him is likely someone she could connect with much easier than someone whose solely out for themselves and their closest ones. at the centre of that compassion would still be their love for her, and in an environment like their inescapable town, even a person that appears carefree as her needs support. a partner that encourages her to talk to them about how she feels and relentlessly tries to motivate her to keep going, to stay the person she's trying to remain would make life more bearable, even if only by a little bit.

╰┈➤ the daughter of a cleric murdered for his outspoken nature back home in iran, fatima vowed not to allow monsters anywhere in the world to prevent her from living the life. the monsters may come out during the night, but during the day - she's determined to live her life. a romantic partner who puts effort into beautiful gestures would help her truly hold onto that promise. making her laugh with cheesy jokes or organising picnic dates and decorating them with flowers by the brundles are not unachievable - and they ground the relationship as something more than a temporary connection made during distress.

╰┈➤ she would be an incredibly supportive significant other - if her partner was keen on holding onto their passions despite the dreadful situation they find themselves in, she would encourage them to keep pursuing them. whether they were an artist or writer spending the evenings with traces of coal on their fingertips, an aspiring medicine practicioner often revising the things they were taught or striving towards anything else, fatima would be right by their side. she'd take the time to pose for their portraits or to read through their works, to quiz them on the theory of their practice and to make sure that they don't lose hope in those things still being possible. after all, she wants a future with them - and she wants it to be the best one imaginable for both of them.

- ', ꒱ ↷ sara.

╰┈➤ a haunted young woman with an incredibly eerie presence, it's strongly implied that her brother helped her scape an abusive relationship shortly before arriving to fromville. with that in mind, I think sara would appreciate a potential partner who wouldn't immediately insist on a romantic relationship, but rather be her friend first and foremost. she's glad to be out of that situation, but she'd prefer to take things slow, as opposed to rushing into a new relationship. a partner who's content being her friend first and allow for a relationship to develop organically would suit her more than a partner whose immediately prepared to jump into a relationship.

╰┈➤ sara is one of the very few people in town with whom the entities of their entrapment communicate with directly, and it's safe to say that her day-to-day life is directly impacted by this circumstance. an observant partner who can notice the subtle changes in her could help her navigate the struggle of the whispers constantly circulating through her mind. pulling her aside and waiting for the voices to subside, letting her share them with the person she trusts the most makes her feel less alone, finding a way to distract her from the chaos within her mind are all things that could make her life just a little more bearable.

╰┈➤ a figure more feared than she is loved, sara knows she can't take back the things she's done. she can't bring back tobey, gina or bing-qian. she can't undo what she tried to do to ethan. worst of all, she can't bring back nathan - the only family she had. she's riddled with grief and regret, and she can understand the animosity of the people that once considered her a friend and the whispers of people who will only know her as the maddened woman with a trail of blood following her. that doesn't make their loathing and fear any easier to stomach. a partner who doesn't fear her, and reassures her that she can still do good - that she isn't a lost cause, a murderous beast beyond salvation could have a profound impact on her. someone strong-willed and loving, who stands by her even when the entirety of this small world they're stuck in is determined to keep her away.

╰┈➤ sara has little left to remind her of life before her and nathan ended up stranded in town. all she really has to her name is a clumsily pieced-together christmas ornament. being loved by somebody who is creative and fond of gift-giving could provide her with memorabilia to ground her and help remind her that somebody actually cares about her. whether it's a scrap of fabric crafted in a vague shape and hung on a thin string or a wooden box made to keep the little snowman she's kept safe and tucked away, little things would help her feel more 'at home' in a partner's presence and tether her to them as her proper, true home - a patch of salvation in a neverending nightmare.

- ', ꒱ ↷ nathan.

╰┈➤ the caretaker for the town's barn animals at the time of the matthews' arrival, nathan doesn't appear to be close with anyone in town with the exception of his sister. due to this, I can imagine his potential partner being somebody who has a pre-established connection to sara - whether that just be a coworker at the diner who drops by their house when she's forgotten something or a close friend his sister spends a lot of time with. seeing as his proximity to them would make this person somebody he encounters on a daily basis, he'd begin to notice them - and while exchanging pleasantries and taking the time to have a quick conversation with him as they go about their day would endear them to him, it's the little things he takes note of over the course of time that ultimately end up drawing him towards his future partner.

╰┈➤ his potential partner would have to be quite friendly and even the slightest bit assertive to really get anywhere with him, as I don't really see nathan as the one who would take the first step to establish a relationship. finding excuses to come talk to him throughout the day and openly admitting that they enjoy his company would draw him towards them, and he would reciprocate that effort by finding some time to go and talk to them, as well as by checking up on them throughout the day.

╰┈➤ while I see nathan as a quite withdrawn and reserved individual, I can imagine him becoming involved with a more outgoing partner - one that would regularly encourage him to get out of his shell. for the most part, that does simply consist of heading off to the diner with him and roping him into a conversation with whoever may be there - but nobody can claim that those attemps were in vain. while the people he's closest to are still his sister and his significant other, he has grown closer with several other people and started considering them close friends - the most notable of those being kristi and kenny.

╰┈➤ a relationship with nathan could be properly defined as 'private but not secret'. the people around him don't really know much about the details of his relationship, but all of them know that both him and his partner are off limits. I see him as the type to enjoy keeping the private details of his relationship between him and his significant other, and I can't quite imagine him with a partner who would mind that. in public, the farthest he'll go is a gentle peck on the cheek or holding onto their hand - but that's not to say that he comes across as cold or uncaring, not at all. the manner in which he talks about the person he's involved with, even if the things he's saying appear mundane, make it painfully obvious how deeply he cares for them - if the thinly-veiled adoration in his eyes and the slight curve of his lips are anything to go by.

[ellisstabwound]

[givekennyabreak]

Irreplaceable. (Kenny Liu x gn!reader)

Summary: A cop arrived along with Tabitha, and she thinks she owns the place; you think it's time to teach her how to be humble.

Rating: T

Warnings: whole lotta cursing, canon-compliant violence, spoilers for S3E8 of From, survivor's guilt, mourning, Acosta slander, reader is jealous but for a good reason, mentions of blood, mentions of gun. Acosta is her own warning.

Word count: 2.15k

Tabitha was back.

She went through the tree, got into a lighthouse, went outside and wound up back in town. She was hurt - scared, you could see the way she looked around with wide eyes at every waking moment.

You talked to her once; it didn't go far, though, as Jim arrived a couple minutes after you finally got the poor woman alone, telling you whatever went on in their life wasn't any of your business.

You flipped him off.

"If you ever need to talk," you told Tabitha, eyes as gentle as possible. "I'm at the station."

Not only did Tabitha come back, she brought in Victor's father with her (by accident, she said. Of course.). Henry, he said his name was, was a gentle man through and through. You could see how much he cared about Victor - the way he tried his best to be patient and reconnect with his son.

He never berated the man, listened to whatever he said with the utmost patience and always tried to remain calm, although you're all only human - he panics a few times, too.

He went to the goddamn caves with Victor.

If that isn’t love, you don’t know what is.

Victor, your first friend in this hellspace; one of the four people you trusted with your life - the other three, obviously, were Boyd, Donna, and Kenny.

The man was a gentle, misunderstood soul. If anyone asked you who was the person who wanted to leave this place the most, out of everyone, Victor would be your answer. He was used to it, yes - but he didn't like the place.

He was tired.

You were tired.

That's why you tried to help him as much as possible.

(Victor told you how he tried to remember what happened with Christopher and the townspeople at the beginning, but it didn't work - he was going to see Sara.

"Does it have to be her? Do we have to do this?"

"Yes."

"Dude, c’mon. She-"

"I know. But it’s gonna get scary, and she’s the scariest person in town."

You blinked up at him. He blinked back.

You sighed.

"Fine. But I'm taking a knife with me.")

Yet, there was a third party who got in town with the two good parts; and, as all is never well in this place, the woman was an absolute menace.

Acosta was her name - surname? Who knows -, a policewoman who refused to change out of her uniform, going around asking people invasive shit and managing to piss you off more times than you can count by berating Boyd, of all people.

Her last stunt was to come up to the station as you were talking to the sheriff about the kinds of food you managed to find with the last group of people who went foraging, demanding him to give her gun back.

She did so without even acknowledging your presence, trading insults back and forth while you watched the scene, flabbergasted; Boyd, tired of her shit, actually gave it back to her without the ammunition (this is why you trusted him so much), and she walked out of the station, without as much as a glance towards you.

"Am I invisible?"

Boyd sighed. "To her? Most people are."

And then - there went your last straw.

Just as you arrived at the diner, ready to give your boyfriend a tight, much needed hug, you caught sight of a blonde ponytail and blue uniform.

"Oh, hell no."

You swung open the inner door, and walked up to the stools just as Kenny poured hot water into a mug.

"Yeah, they… they do that sometimes." He said, as the jukebox played by itself (again.).

Acosta looked at him - really looked at him. “Is that something else you get comfortable with?” A pause. “Look, thanks for the tea.”

He looked down at the mug. “Uh, you didn't even...”

She stood up, body almost colliding with yours. “Excuse me.”

And then, Kenny looked up, eyes locking with yours. He brightened up immediately - his smile widened, and he put the pot back in its place, just to beckon you over with his free hands.

"Good morning, my love." You said, ducking under the opening to the back of the counter. When you straightened up, your boyfriend was already by your side, arms wrapped around your shoulders, drinking in your presence.

The blonde turned around, now staring at you, with furrowed brows and a scowl on her face.

“Mornin’.” He swooped down, lips connecting with yours in a chaste kiss. A sigh left your body, arms encasing around his shoulders, and you heard a scoff sound from behind, followed by the door opening and closing.

You stayed there for a couple of minutes, in each other’s arms, just enjoying the peace and quiet – the rarest thing to happen when in town. You nosed at Kenny’s throat and he inhaled deeply, red creeping up the side of his neck.

“I missed you.” You whispered. He stayed silent for a few seconds, squeezing you tighter.

“You saw me last night.”

You could hear the smile in his voice; this is it, you thought. This is a good change.

Kenny was hurting.

Kenny was mourning.

But the town – the people, didn’t give him the time he needed to go through this, so the best thing you could do to not see him fade away was stay by his side and not let him wither.

(You missed Tian-Chen, too.

She treated you like her own. She loved you, and you loved her.

She told you to stay with Jade and Victor that night.

You shouldn’t have.)

“It’s a few hours too much, still.” You replied, grinning.

Kenny let go of the embrace first, in favor of throwing away the – now – cold tea. "You're veeeery cheesy."

"This is how you love me, anyways."

"Yeah." He sighed, leaning back onto the counter, arms open again. He didn't need to ask - you gladly embraced him, arms around his waist this time, as he leaned down and hid his face near your collarbone.

"I do."

You stayed there for God knows how long, fingers carding through Kenny's soft, thick hair; humming a song you knew he loved, whispering about how your mornings went, and the dreams you had.

You both had given up on the house after Tian-Chen passed away, and Jim permeated the place with his presence (although you knew he meant no harm, the place was suffocating). Kenny moved into colony house, while you stayed at the station with Boyd. Victor would have no qualms about you moving there with him, seeing as he had the safest room in that place, but Henry was there with him, and you didn't mean to intrude.

The both of you left the diner together, hand-in-hand, ready to face the day ahead.

Shortly after, Boyd assigned you with the task of helping him around - there were more people now, and he could use some help figuring shit out. Ellis was panicking - something happened with Fatima -, and the man wanted to help his kid, so you left to do some of his own chores.

Night came.

You slept in the "archive room", a little nook used to store boxes in the station; Boyd had helped you get a bed in there, and that was good enough. There was one little window on the upper side of the room, and, even though you kept it tightly shut (you nailed it, as a precaution), the whispers and giggles still seeped into the space and made it harder for you to sleep.

The sun rose with a golden hue. The orange glow shone through the clear glass, straight onto your face; with a groan, you rose up from the mattress, stretching as your body slowly woke up.

Another day where you got up, did your shit and hoped for the best - except this time, there wasn't even any hope to begin with.

"Tillie's dead." Boyd told you as you got to colony house, a few minutes after him. "We don't know who did it, but it wasn't a creature."

Ellis fidgeted beside his dad; it looked like he wanted to say something, but held himself back.

"You okay, Ellis?" You asked, with furrowed brows. "Is Fatima okay?"

Ellis inhaled sharply. Boyd glanced at him, and back at you.

"She's fine." The young man replied, nodding his head. "Aside from the nausea, and the, uh. The other stuff."

The ultrasound issue.

"Oh. Make sure she's safe, okay?" You said, nodding at the sheriff. "'m going in."

Boyd shook his head no.

"Wait here, please. Kenny and Acosta are inside, questioning the folks."

A burning feeling made its way up the back of your neck, up to your cheeks and forehead - although it was commonly associated with red, you knew what this was: green.

Jealousy.

Now, you wouldn't consider yourself a jealous person in any way, no; but the lingering glances, the manner in which she scoffed with no shame at your affection, how she thought she was the crispiest fucking fry of the batch?

Oh, fuck no.

Boyd and Ellis rushed away while you steeped in your own anger. Not long after, you heard two sets of footsteps walk out of the house, and there they actually were - your boyfriend, and the blue-uniform menace.

Kenny had a troubled look on his face while Acosta - what the fuck was her name, again? - yapped away with no regard to his feelings; obviously, no one would walk on eggshells here when it came to other people's feelings, but this was too much.

"Was what that guy said about Sara and your dad true?"

Enough is enough.

"It's not that simple."

You trailed off behind the duo, your own brows furrowed and fists tightly closed as you breathed in and out slowly.

Do not fight her. Do not throw fists. Do not. Refrain.

"Okay, you didn't think it was worth mentioning the girl that already murdered two people?"

"Look, it's just, uh, she's different now, and Boyd trusts her."

"Who gives a shit what Boyd thinks, okay?"

"Hey!"

They stopped at your shout, turning around. Turns out you were closer than it seemed; four steps were all it took for you to walk up to her stupid face and swing a fist straight to her jaw.

Kenny yelped, rushing to your side as Acosta doubled over, hand cradling her face; wild, blue eyes stared into your own as she straightened up, raising her own fists. Your boyfriend tried to step in, but you walked around, pushing him behind your own body.

"Come on, hit me." You said, ready for a blow. She hesitated, and then - you spoke up. "You're walking around like you own this place. As if you're mightier than anyone who has been stuck here."

Kenny moved, but you lifted up your hand, placing it on his chest. "Hun, please. Sit this one out."

Acosta scoffed. You faced her, seeing the way she looked between you and Kenny.

"Yeah, we met here. Yes, we fell in love here, we got together here. Yes, this has become our routine. Do you think we wanted to be here? You think we chose to stay?" Her eyes softened. "No, we don't. But we're trying our fucking best to stay alive and sane, because that way, we can think and figure out how to escape."

Your fists shook, angry tears threatening to fall.

"You have no idea what it feels like to witness the people we love wither away and get lured in by those fucks by night. So, at least, try to be a little more considerate of these people's feelings, won't you?"

Kenny took one of your closed fists in his own hand, slowly opening it and lacing your fingers together.

"That way, you might be able to actually help someone." You finished, staring at her bruising jaw. "Sorry I punched you."

Acosta swallowed deeply, glancing between yourself and Kenny.

"I never thought about that." She said, eyes finally settling on your own. "I understand. Apology accepted."

Kenny squeezed your hand, leaning down to whisper in your ear.

"Well, that's better than nothing."

You held in a snort, bumping your shoulders together.

"Are you going to come with us?" She asked, tilting her head towards the forest.

You nodded your head. "Yeah. What did you guys find out?"

Just as she opened her mouth to answer, a shrill yell echoed through the place.

"Help!"

Ethan.

Everyone looked towards the boy, as Kenny rushed to ask him what happened.

Acosta looked at you, and nodded; the both of you ran, and you sure fucking hoped this was the beginning of a good teamwork.