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imagitory · 6 months ago

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Review: Inside Out 2 (SPOILERS)

Hey all! So earlier today my mum and I went to go see the sequel to one of my absolute favorite Pixar films, Inside Out! For a spoiler-free opinion, I'll just say that we both enjoyed it -- my mum enjoyed it more than I did, perhaps partially because she didn't remember the original as well as I did going in, but even if I didn't personally like this sequel as much as the first one, it's still a worthy continuation with very good humor and some great heart.

That being said, I think it's high time for some more spoilerific analysis. So if you're as anxious to get started as I am, read on!

The Good!

+Honestly, this film went to places that an Inside Out sequel was almost meant to go, just based on the ending of the last film. That puberty joke coming back and messing things up for Riley? Yeah, that checks out. Riley struggling with her emotions through her teen years? Sure! Makes for great drama! The emotions have to come to grips with the fact that change is inevitable? A worthwhile and appropriate lesson. This film's trajectory was a good pay-off for the set-up from the last film, so it never felt like this film's story was jarring or came out of left-field. It even makes sense for Riley to be so afraid of not having any friends and being alone in high school, considering that just two years prior (as seen in the first movie), she had to deal with such a traumatic move that resulted in her entire life in Minnesota being uprooted.

+The conflict between Riley's old and new emotions really does embody a lot of insecurities that teenagers go through! The thought of discarding our more immature, childish selves in favor of looking and acting more "adult" -- the disillusionment and diminishing of self-esteem -- the embarrassment, guilt and shame attached to your mistakes -- the intense desire to be accepted and praised -- the envy and longing to be more like "cool" older students -- the crippling self-doubt and anxiety -- the distant, sarcastic, sometimes even rude or angry shell you might form around yourself to try to hide your insecurities...I truly do think a lot of people will identify with Riley's struggles. My mum actually identified with Riley more than I did in this film, and this is when the first Inside Out became one of my top favorites in large part because how much I'd identified with Riley's struggle with depression! (I think this might be because my mum was both very sporty and a huge people-pleaser while growing up, while I -- oddly enough -- was kind of immune to peer pressure and was much more interested in being accepted for who I was, rather than in actively changing myself to try to "earn" acceptance from others.) I did, however, really feel Riley's perfectionistic tendencies, as well as her anxiety. Which leads us nicely into...

+The anxiety attack sequence. That scene, quite honestly, was a highlight of the entire film. It was a perfect concept that was both written and animated so evocatively, and Joy managing to break through enough to Anxiety to slow the panicked internal frenzy that made it so that Riley's emotions (and therefore Riley herself) couldn't see a thing was so well done.

+On that note, the concept of the threads of Riley's beliefs was great from beginning to end. I love that at the start of the film, Riley has a great sense of self-worth and a strong faith in the thought that she's a good person: something that, quite honestly, we all think until we're ideally forced to confront a more nuanced view of ourselves and the world around us. I like that when Anxiety started taking over (and planted only her memories in that underwater garden space), there's a shift in Riley that makes it so that she can only be happy if A, B, and C -- this idea that happiness is somehow both transactional and something one can only find in the outside world. It feels true to the emotion of Anxiety, and -- honestly -- to many real-life people. Self-love is hard to cultivate when one sees their flaws and shortcomings clearly, and finding happiness in one's own company as oneself can be even harder. The threads were well set-up by us seeing Joy and Sadness reaffirming their friendship from the last film by bringing their joint memory down to the garden, and the evolution of the garden and in Riley coming to grips with both the good and bad aspects of herself was fantastic. The part where all of the emotions embrace Riley's new sense of self, regardless of her flaws and shortcomings, was actually the most resonant moment of the film for me personally. I didn't cry, but it did make my own Joy and Sadness metaphorically hug each other.

+I'm really glad that Anger, Disgust, and Fear got to go on the psychological journey with Joy this time. I have some critiques on how it was done, and we'll get to that, but I am still glad that they got some more focus and time to shine, after Joy and Sadness got so much time to bond in the last movie. Fear pulling out that parachute was both funny and completely in-character, and I liked Anger "sticking it to the man" by swiping that pipe to shoot himself and the others up into the air and onto the top of the walls. It also was so very, very fitting for Joy and the others to trust Sadness to go back to Headquarters -- she would be the best equipped to help since she knows the manuals best, and she's also the emotion who'd be best able to get Riley help from outside should she need it, as proved from the last film. It really showcases how much stronger the core emotions' bond has become in the almost two years since the events from the first movie, especially the one between Joy and Sadness.

+There was some really, really good humor in this movie. The highlights for me were largely in the Deep Dark Secrets Vault -- I died laughing at Lance Slashblade multiple times. (Am I the only one who thought that that hooded Secret was totes Riley's gender identity? Because I'm sorry, I still love the headcanon that Riley is non-binary. For the record, yes, after further research into a post-credits scene I didn't stick around for, I found out I was wrong, but SHHH, I'm ignoring it because it's stupid.) The scene where Joy blew up at Anger, Fear, and Disgust was also both really funny and relatable for me -- I've been in that exact position before, and you're right, Joy: it is exhausting!!

The Ehhh...

+I know I'll probably be in the minority on this, but none of the new emotions grabbed me the way the originals did. They all had funny moments, sure, but Anxiety pissed me off way more than earned sympathy from me, at least until the end. I think it was the whole "we love Riley, really! All we want to do is change her into a completely different person" thing. It's really not that I think the new emotions don't care about Riley -- it's clear they do, and obviously they all learned their lesson -- but I guess I personally just don't ascribe to the idea that love is somehow conditional. If you love someone, you should love them as they are: there shouldn't be this expectation that the person you love (even platonically, as in this case) should change themselves for your sake. I know Anxiety in some ways could parallel Joy in the first movie, but in the first film, Joy sees the depth of her mistake through her adventures with Sadness and the growth she undergoes through it. She then more than proves how much she's willing to make things right in how hard she fights to get Sadness back to Riley's Headquarters. Anxiety -- just due to the characterization established for her -- doesn't really get the chance to redeem herself through passionate, proactive action in that same way. Instead she falls apart, Joy has to come to her rescue, and then all of the emotions come together to symbolically embrace Riley and calm her down. As for the others, as I said, they all had funny moments, but I didn't really latch onto any of them the way I did for Joy, Sadness, and Disgust in the first movie. Again, I want to emphasize that I don't think any of these new emotions are bad, by a long shot -- I just personally didn't like or resonate with them as much as the original five.

+The pacing in this film wasn't always that great. The journey Joy took with Fear, Disgust, and Anger seemed a lot less focused than Joy's with Sadness, largely because Joy didn't really get as much chance to bond with all three of the others the way she did with Sadness. In the original film, all of the obstacles and side adventures Sadness, Joy, and Bing Bong had to undergo on their way back to Headquarters had emotional relevance. They weren't just there for the sake of jokes: they also strengthened the bond between the characters and laid the groundwork for plot points later. Take the trip through Imagination Land in the first film, for example -- sure, the Riley's Imaginary Boyfriend machine was funny, but it was also reused later where Joy made a whole bunch of copies and then used them to both reach Sadness and launch herself and Sadness at Headquarters. But the trip to Imagination Land here was really more a tangent accenting Anxiety's unraveling and a meta reference to the state of modern animation studios, rather than something that lay the groundwork for a more emotional, clever payoff later-on. (It also seemed like it wasted time Joy and the others really needed to get back to Headquarters, as well as revealed to Anxiety that they'd escaped when it would've been more prudent for them to keep their heads down.) The "Sarchasm" was absolutely hilarious as a concept -- I laughed so bloody hard when it cropped up...but imagine how much better it would've been if Disgust had gotten the chance to show how to defeat it by simply not responding verbally to it? Perhaps Disgust's interest in make-up could've given her the ability to show off the power of a silent, condescending "Eyebrow Arch" in defanging sarcasm, which could've materialized as a bridge over the chasm or something. That could've put more ammunition behind the idea that Anxiety is wrong that Riley's old emotions are no longer necessary, rather than just an obstacle being thrown into the characters' way on a whim of the filmmakers to pad the run-time.

+This does actually lead to that one big critique I have about the focus on Anger, Fear, and Disgust -- where was my favorite green girl's chance to shine during this journey through the mind, huh?! Anger figuratively went "f*** it" and got the group up to the top of the wall. Fear saved himself and the others from the fall with his parachute. Joy's relentless optimism carried them all down their path. Where was Disgust using her individuality and named trait to help Riley? Disgust in particular is supposed to be there to "keep Riley from getting poisoned physically or socially" -- she has all the motive in the WORLD to be irritated at Anxiety and the other new emotions, considering she's responsible for Riley ditching her two best friends and poisoning her entire moral character. I do really wish Anger had been more righteously angry about this too, but at least he got some chance to take charge and get the spotlight by himself -- Disgust, in comparison to the other two emotions accompanying Joy, just got less focus.

+I guess this leads into really my only true hang-up with the film -- not that it was bad, but just that it didn't surprise me that much. Just like in the last film, Joy is trying to push away those things that aren't so pleasant supposedly for Riley's benefit. Just like in the last film, Joy has to come to grips with an emotion changing Riley in a way she doesn't like. Just like in the last one, Joy breaks down and exposes the vulnerable emotions she's been trying to hide -- in fact, this time, she does it twice, considering she loses it with Anger, Fear, and Disgust (in a very funny scene, but still) mid-way through and then has that more hopeless bit in the third act. Imagine how much stronger this film could've been if after Joy's first breakdown, she really does give up, or even if it had played into that terrible idea Joy has that "when you grow up, you feel less joy" and that (as a result) Joy is getting weaker or even is starting to disappear...and so, in response, Anger has to take charge of the mission, because he -- as the emotion who cares deeply about "what's fair" -- is furious about how Anxiety treated them and is trying to change Riley. Then we follow Anger as the emotion with a character arc. He's got that fire needed to defend who Riley is and prove that she is that good person she believed she was, but because he's Anger, he has difficulty moderating himself or staying focused. It's Disgust that has to help rein him in and show the power of silence in defeating the Sarchasm. It's Fear who has to save them from the Brainstorm. In this scenario, it'd be Anger rashly confronting Anxiety in that pillow fort in Imagination Land...and it would've been Anger who would've suffered burn-out, after all of his determined rage seemingly leads them out into the middle of nowhere with no way back to Headquarters. He would've cried tears of frustration and despair, feeling like a failure just as Riley did at the beginning of the film, and this would've been where Joy came to the realization that shoving down those negative memories doesn't diminish their impact. Then they would've ridden that avalanche back, and Anger -- seeing the state Anxiety was in -- would've realized that rage was not the way to help and insisted Joy help her, while he and the others try to fix Riley's Sense of Self. Helping Anxiety would've then also helped Joy too, and she would've rematerialized in full, just as bright as before: because Joy doesn't have to just be emblematic of childhood, but also in seeing the light after losing one's way. Sure, this trajectory would've in its own way mirrored aspects from the first film -- but at least we wouldn't have had Joy having to break down three times in two movies, and perhaps we could've given Joy and Anger's friendship the chance to shine the way Joy and Sadness's has.

+As the tiniest of nitpicks as well, I didn't think the score was that memorable, aside from the reuse of the original Bundle of Joy theme written for the first film.

I know my second more negative section has a lot of stuff written in it, but please, don't take this to mean I disliked the film! Truly, overall, I think it's quite good. I just didn't identify with Riley's struggles as much in this film as its predecessor, and I didn't think the script was quite as tightly written with set-ups and pay-offs either. Inside Out 2 is still a very enjoyable film, and I think just about any fan of Inside Out will have a fun time like my mum and I did! Even despite my minor critiques, my memory of this film is largely yellow.

Overall Grade: B+

#inside out 2 #inside out #reviews #opinion #analysis #disney #pixar #spoilers #inside out 2 spoilers #oh boy here i go

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sgt-scottymoreau · 6 months ago

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Beginning of the end, End of the beginning - CIAJ

Summary: A few years after the first kaiju came throught the Breach, more breaches appeared throught out the world focing almost each nations to make their own line of defense. In England, 4 SAS soldiers decided to join the Jaeger program. Throught hardship and derermination they built themselves a reputation and are known the TF-141. Camille, or Scotty to her friends, is freshly new arrived J-tech at the Plymouth Shatterdome. She has no trouble blending in the new crowd and make friends easily, even with the Rangers. But there might be something more going on between her, Soap and Ghost. Life is about to change for all of them, not in a way they expect.

Warning: None

Words: 4.2k // AO3 // Masterlist

A/N: Welcome to my new AU of an AU where I get to be a huuuuge nerd about Pacific Rim because, this my favorite movie of all time! This will be a multiple chapters project. I don't know how long or how it will evolve, but it will be fun to find out. Here is some more info I have about it before I started to write if you are curious. Althought some might change as I write as the post was sort a draft, take it with a grain of salt :)

Feet hanging down, she looked at the jaeger's core from a distance. It was always a sight to be seen. Although the Mark-4 didn't have the same feelings as the nuclear core of a Mark-3, Scotty was still in love with it. A quick glance at her watch, she had half an hour before her shift would start. She grabbed a piece of food from her tray and kept eating in silence. Or as much silence the maintenance area provided with the drilling, metal clinking, shafts and other mechanical engines roared in a harmonized cacophony.

Scotty had been transferred to the Plymouth Shatterdome six months ago. They needed extra hands and she proposed herself. After all that happened almost a year prior, she needed a change of everything. A new place to sort of start anew. At her arrival, she was assigned to Bravo Tanker, one of the two Jaegers of the TF-141.

TF-141 was composed of 4 ex-SAS members who joined the Jaeger Program a few years back. Johnathan “John” Price had been the oldest member as he was part of few people who piloted Mark-1. Lucky enough he didn’t for long before moving to Mark-2 who were slightly safer and didn’t leave terrible health consequences on his body.

Simon Riley, mostly referred to as Ghost by many, was a rather mysterious pilot. His academics, results and training were very honorable and an example to many. One of the best pilots. However the mystery around laid in the fact that the man would always be wearing a balaclava for a reason no one knew. He kept his past a secret to everyone and was a man of few words in his free time. He wasn’t cold or asocial per se, but he kept some interaction to minimum. But once you knew him, you would be surprised that he had a sense of humor and quite enjoyed his little army jokes.

Kyle Garrick, nicknamed Gaz by Price quote “he doesn’t talk much”, wingman of the ex-captain, he had a great tactical mind who often proved to be a great asset during deployment, he also had very good academic records. He held the record for the longest simulation training; twelve hours. Stable and came out feeling perfectly fine. He had a quick reaction time and would find solutions to many problems in a few seconds. He was reliable and someone you rather liked as a friend than an enemy.

John MacTavish, alias Soap, a name he got from his time in the military, was the fairly newer member. Always eager to jump in the cockpit to defeat the Kaijus. But his playful demeanor is only the tip of this iceberg. Under his optimistic charm was also a tactical man who knows his explosives and weapons like the back of his hands. He learned a few tricks from the J-Techs on how to fix small issues on the Jaegers if needed.

Price and Gaz were pilots of Bravo Brawler, a Jaeger made to fight in a close combat ranger, but was also armed with four missiles, two in each arms for distance. Soap and Ghost, Bravo Tanker, Jaeger build to endure hard blows and take repeated hits. Which means a very high maintenance mega weapon sadly.

On her first time at the Shatterdome, she quickly blended in with the crew. Two weeks later, the chief engineer took her under his wings as an assistant. He was impressed by her knowledge and there was a little something that felt that she knew more about Jaegers than she let know. Although she was very capable of fixing any part of the mecha, Scotty was assigned to the Conn-Pod or cockpit. Again, she surprisingly had a very good knowledge of everything that happened there. Being a J-Tech, Scotty never really expected to befriend pilots, it felt like an honor. For a while, she admired the TF-141 from afar, or close in her case when she would help them suit up or briefly pass them as she entered the cockpit for maintenance after their deployment, never really pushing herself to get to know them better. Until her third week at her new home.

She was elbow deep in grease, trying to fix one of the enormous ankle joints till she heard someone clearing his throat in the back. Hands still inside the construction, Scotty looked over her shoulder to see who it was. Mohawk and bright blue eyes stared at her with a smile. It was Soap. “Can I help you?”

“Oh, I’m just looking.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the metal, eyes looking inside the opening.

She stared at him a little longer before shrugging it off. “What would a Ranger do down here with the mechanics?”

“Learning. Is that bad? Never heard the other complain before.”

“Not at all.” She chuckled. “How much do you know about this big girl? For a Mark-5 she is impressive, don't you think?”

“Aye. Very smooth riding if I compare it to the Mark-4, but not by much, and a not so different interface. Definitely better than Mark-3.”

Scotty finally loosened the bolt she was working on, almost the size of her head, and turned to face him. “Someone seems to know his jaegers. That’s interesting. Ever been in a Mark-3? You don’t strike me like someone who did.”

“Are you saying I’m old, bonnie?” He scoffed. “I did, in during my training. They feel so clunky once you try a newer model.” And this is how their friendship started. Nerding over Jaegers, then went out to talk about what they did before the program.

Eventually, after a few days Soap invited her to sit with the rest of the team. Scotty was a little surprised by the invitation and honestly wasn’t too sure about it. She was so used to eating with her crew. Not that sitting next to the pilots was anything special, in the cafeteria you took the first seat you could find. It was talking with them and being so friendly that she wasn’t too sure; she didn’t want to look like she was privileged. It was some friends who pushed her to accept because honestly, it was obvious. They had seen her talking for hours with Soap, also opening up more to Ghost. It was more than just the regular crew and check up talks nowadays. She did accept the offer and was thrown under the spotlight by Soap who introduced her more informally to Price and Gaz. Because of his background, Scotty felt like she wouldn’t never be as friendly as she was with the Scotman towards Price. An old captain deserved more respect, but it wouldn’t stop her to warm up and tease the man along with Gaz. Gaz had been easy to befriend just like Soap. Being around the same age was actually an advantage. That and he was a nice person in general. It was nice to have some deep conversation of all and nothing during calmer moments. Just like now.

Gaz took a seat next to her, his tray in hand. “Mind if I join you?”

“Be my guest.” Scotty moved slightly to the side, although there was enough space for ten people around them. “Aren’t you and Price supposed to train?”

“Finished. I swear he really wanted to push the limits today, I’m done and hungry.”

She glanced at her watch again. Another ten minutes. Her eyes trailed to her own tray, half full. She grabbed whatever dessert was proposed, some strange sweet thing that resembled cake, but didn’t have inviting colors. Yet it tasted good. She handed him her left over. “You need more than I do. Make sure you have enough energy.”

He laughed at her remark, yet appreciated the extra ratio. They kept talking for a little longer till they sat in silence, enjoying the calmness. Her time was up and she had to leave to start her shift.

Her shift was assigned to the Conn-Pod today. Last Bravo Tanker’s deployment had been a little rough. A very hard blow to the head left some damage to the moving system. On the report, it was said that the left leg remained stuck for two minutes. It didn’t sound long, but in the middle of a fight against a twenty-five thousand tonnes monster, it was an eternity. Ghost and Soap were able to unjam it, but to say they didn’t feel fear for a hot second would be a lie. Toolbox at her feet, Scotty engaged the safe switch and jumped in the movement center, wiggling a little between the pipes and gears to reach the troublemaker. Her eyes looked one more time at the tablet. She analyzed the graphics and waves. The malfunction was definitely mechanical in origin as there was no misalignment registered from the pilots. Their neural handshake was almost perfect the whole time, even after the damaging blow and the panic that followed. They remained in control without flinching. It read the most beautiful thing. It brought back some memories, memories that she quickly pushed away and focused on her task ahead. It took five minutes to find the culprit; a rode had broken off from the walking mechanism and lodged itself between gears. From the look of it, it eventually broke off under the pressure, releasing the jammed leg. Not without damage. They would have to install a new rod and change two gears. That should take a whole shift or two, if they didn’t have the pieces yet. It will be a long night.

It was five in the morning when her head hit the pillow. Every muscle was painful and sore. The mattress was so soft and welcome. At least, this would be her last night shift for a few weeks and today was her day off. As usual, she would sleep a few hours before going on with the day. Maybe nap later depending on how tired she was.

Her alarm bipped around ten. With a groan, Scotty woke up and jumped in the shower. She didn’t stay long to ratio the water, but long enough to wake her up and give an appeased sensation to her body. She grabbed her phone, quickly looked through her messages. Some quick replies to her family, more technical answers to her colleagues who need another refresher on what had been done last night and where they should pick up. Mindlessly walking towards the hangar bay, always looking on her phone when she bumped into someone. “I’m sorry!”

“Don’t be.” Ghost replied unphased. “You shouldn’t look at your phone while walking though.”

“I was almost done really.” She shoved the device in her pocket. Soap popped behind Ghost.

“Where are you going like that, sweetheart?”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t call me that, sunshine. Well I’m off for today, I was thinking of going into town. Get some fresh air. What’s your plan?”

Ghost brushed off the casual flirting of these two. They had been at it for a few weeks now and he didn’t mind. “Training. As usual.”

“Tanker will be under heavy repair for another day at least. If anything happens, you won’t be able to deploy yet.” Scotty informed them.

“That’s why I was thinking after our workout, maybe we could all go out for a drink? Price and Gaz were up for it.” Soap smiled. “What about you?”

“Sounds good, count me in!”

The shatterdome being a few kilometers away from any big cities made the small town that was nearby thrive with all the workers. While the main base provided lodging and food to everyone, the town did provide the recreational aspect allowing the hard workers some possibility to unwind. Despite the Kaijus’s attacks, the civilians went on with the regular days. They became part of the routine. People would still go to work, go out with friends, do their grocery shopping, take a drink at the table outside the cafe as if nothing was going on. Of course when the alert rang across the land, they would all run to the nearest bunker and wait till the Jaegers took down the beast. For now, they could enjoy one of the rarest sunny days in a long time. Scotty wandered around without a goal. All she needed was to be out of the overcrowded building. Hear other sounds than drilling, welding, clanking. The birds, the kids' laughter, the car, the casual discussion of strangers. A change of scenery. A little after noon, she stopped in a restaurant to grab some food and then went on to walk along the coast.

There, it was truly calm. Only the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Sat in the sand, she allowed herself to close her eyes and let this moment last for as long as she could handle it. The breeze was soft today. Scotty shifted her position to lay down and look at the sky before closing her eyes again. It wasn’t the best idea but…

She woke up to the sounds of seagulls fighting somewhere. Half a mind present, her watch showed five. She must have slept for a good two hours! Her phone buzzed. It was Gaz saying they were on their way to their regular pub. They should be in town in half an hour. She decided to make her way there. She dusted off the sand on her clothes and returned to the center of the town. The sun was slowly setting in the distance, painting the sky in a bright orange blue color. Reflecting on the water that slowly disappears as she makes her way through the small street between the buildings. If at first she had been a little intimidated by forming a friendship with the TF-141, now she actually appreciated their time together. It brought back good old memories.

This was the seventh day of her day shift schedule and it was coming to an end. Not her best day in terms of repair. Bravo Tanker had been a breeze to fix recently thanks to the very little visit from kaijus. Bravo Brawler was a whole other story. A lot of the pieces needed to fix her had been late on the delivery and the Marshal wanted her fixed since yesterday. Didn’t like the idea to have one less Jaeger operational in case of. Their Shatterdome was yes the main base of the well known TF-141, but also three other Jaegers. It wasn’t like they didn’t have the ability to operate with one less team. But out of the three, two were new hence why he would rather send more experienced pilots with them than face the monsters alone. Because of this, Scotty had been pulling extra hours on fixing Price and Gaz’s jaeger. Help that was well appreciated by the crew who was being pushed in the back all the time. A quick chat with the person in charge of the night shift to explain what still had to be done and Scotty was on her way to her quarters. She could feel the sweat and grease sticking on her skin. She wanted a shower, now! However on her way there, she made a little detour to the Kwoon Combat Room.

As she walked toward it, she caught the noise of a familiar training. Someone was there. Maybe she could just look a little. Hidden by the corner, she leaned to see who it was. Ghost and Soap were in the middle of the mat, readying their stance from what looked to be another round. She watched as they began. Just for a minute or two she told herself.

Scotty didn’t mean to peek for so long. Neither peek in general. But watching them dance on the training mat, the sounds of the wooden poles knocking on each other, the soft silence except for a few grunt here and there, it reminded her of her pilot days. Drifting with someone was the most intimate thing of all, something beyond anything else. It had nothing to do with the romance or things you would keep behind closed doors. Being drift compatible wasn’t about this. It was about letting someone inside your head, share their memories, let them see your memories. All your secrets are bare to them to see. You had to trust your co-pilot more than anyone else. A wave of sorrow passed through her body as she was reminded of her previous partner. How they had such a strong connection, how she could still feel his fear when he died, how his last words were to his wife and kids. It broke her to be the one to tell them and not him. Yet as she cited his words, his voice echoed in her mind. This was the reason she wasn’t able to drift after that. She tried, but the memory was too strong, no matter how hard she tried to keep it out, it crawled back. She was always out of alignment with other pilots to the point that she simply gave up. Not wanting to stop helping against the Kaijus, she took a job as J-Tech and eventually landed where she was now. It was for the best that she didn’t know if she would ever let someone else in her head ever again.

It was obvious that Ghost and Soap were a good match. Her eyes could follow each of their attacks and parry with ease and it was easy to see that they knew each other well. She had also seen Price and Gaz training, it was the same. However there was something a little more about the pilots of Bravo Tanker. A detail she caught as easy as their fighting style. They had something going on between the two of them. That didn’t stop her from letting her eyes linger on their muscles. Who knew that a tank top and sweatpants would be so sexy. They were both a sight for sore eyes. Her cheeks turned into a soft pink as she caught herself thinking of that.

The room became very silent. Scotty realized that they had done their training and were looking at her. A wide smile on Soap’s face and she swore maybe on Ghost but it was hard to see behind his balaclava. “Enjoying the show?” The Scotsman laughed.

“Oh hm me? No! I mean yes. But not how you think!” She stumbled on her words.

“Relax, we won’t eat you.” Ghost shook his head.

As much as they were all up to keep going with the conversation, the alarm went off. A sound they knew too well. A kaiju had crossed the Breach. Ghost and Soap didn’t waste a second and hastened to the Drivesuit Room. Brawler still being under maintenance, they were the only available at the moment to support the other teams.

It took them less than twenty minutes between the suit up and being waist high in the water. One advantage of Plymouth Shatterdome was that it was enough on the coast, Jaegers could directly walk in the ocean, they didn’t have to wait to be dropped far away by helicopters. “What now, Ghost?”

“We wait.” The Brit contacted the other team to know their status. They were in the area also waiting for any sign of Kaiju approaching. Both Jaegers’s radar bipped steadily. They hated these moments. Standing still, being a perfect target for surprise attack. The LOCCENT kept updating them on the possible location of the threat. It was moving fast, coming South-East of their position one moment and then full East, back to South. Then West! Whatever this Kaiju was doing it was all over the place. They looked in all directions hoping to visually see something that radar had not picked up, in vain. The water remained calm.

“I don’t like that, Simon. Why is it moving so-” Soap was interrupted when their comms was flooded by the other team. They had a visual two klicks away from them. The water was slowly rising while advancing. It was their target! The Jaeger reacted fast, running towards it ready to attack. But as soon as they were in range to punch it, it slipped away quickly. The old Mark-3 was a little slower to respond to the pilots change of position; they didn’t have time to react to the clawed hand that pierce through the water behind them. It clenched, ripping all the back’s plates. The pain receptors connected to their suits send a signal so strong they surprised themselves to still be conscious. However, damage had been done.

“Bravo Tanker we are done! All systems are not responding! What the fuck! We need back up!”

“On our way! Stay put!” Ghost acknowledged. He lifted his right leg, starting to run in unison with Soap and the mecha eventually responded to the speed they wanted. They wouldn’t let the monster attack a second time. At the same time, Ghost and Soap locked the right arm to punch the creature. Their Jaeger reacted accordingly, landing a powerful blow at the top of its head. The Kaiju wailed before being engulfed under the water. They punched it a second time. On the third, the beast dodged by swimming away, its tail hitting the leg of the Jaeger. They didn’t flinch. Bravo Tanker was ready to chase it, but revised their plan when they saw the wake it made as it swam back in their direction with a lot of speed. They braced themselves for the attack, well aware of what to expect. The claws screeched on the metal, automatically the two pilots were met with a jolting pain on the chest. Nothing they couldn’t handle.They shook it off repositioning themselves to return the favor.

‘‘Hull is badly damaged, but still holding!’’ Soap shouted, dismissing the alerts that popped on the screen.

‘‘LOCCENT we need back up! I don’t know what this bastard is made of, but it is shredding us!’’ Ghost demanded on the comms.

At the Shatterdome, the Marshal weighed his options. He could send another Jaeger or two, but the more, the longer it would get for them to reach their allies. Could Tanker hold till then? However this Kaiju rendered one of his mecha inoperative with just one slash and his most resilient Jaeger was already fighting. ‘‘Tanker hold, help is coming. … Brawler, I want a fast deployment!’’

Bravo Tanker dodged another attack by a few meters. To last till back up, they used the blade weapons. With them they had been able to hurt the beast, but quickly it destroyed one of them. This fight was straining the pilots, physically and mentally. ‘‘I swear when Price shows up.’’ Ghost groaned. He could feel the sweat rolling down his forehead, his suit more sticky than usual.

‘‘What will you do when we show up?’’ The ex-captain voice came through the open channel. ‘‘Take a breath, we will handle it for now!’’

Bravo Brawler was being carried by helicopters. Price ordered them to release the cable who dropped them right on top of the Kaiju. The beast was crushed back into the water, wiggled its way out and went for its first attack on the newer opponent. Ghost and Soap only took a minute breather; the bastard was tough and they couldn’t let it win. Two against one was the upper hand they needed. Something the beast realized quickly and decided to hide underwater for surprise attacks. Thanks to their radar, both Jaegers avoided them. It began to circle them. Suddenly jumped on Tanker jaw open ready to take a bite. The fang pierced the Conn-Pod not so easily, but with a secured anchor, its claw dug deep in the chest and neck’s connector. The pilots were flooded by alarms blaring, pain in their whole body and view of the monster’s mouth. Its maw closed further onto the head, bending and crushing the metal. The mechanism which normally held the pilot in place was heavily damaged on Soap’s side. As Price and Gaz closed the distance to remove the beast, Soap was disengaged from the lock system and in the heat of being tossed in all directions, he was sent flying up and down, landing then in the back of the cockpit where the door was. Ghost didn’t have the time to realize what happened. All he felt was the sudden overload of pressure on his brain as he was now the only pilot in control of the mecha. It made him feel dizzy, his movements slowed as he raised his arm to grab the Kaiju and throw it away. With Brawler's help, he was free. Gaz refused to waste another second. He engaged the missile and fired two of them. An option they only want to use as a last resort. The beast was already damaged; this should be enough. Indeed the Kaiju went down in one last screech.

Sure that everything was cleared, Ghost disconnected his side as well before the load would kill him. With a heavy breath, he gave a quick sitrep of their situation, to which the LOCCENT replied they will have a medical team right away. Ghost scrambled through the damaged cockpit and found Soap lay, unconscious. His helmet was broken, blood tainting the suit and floor. ‘‘Soap? … Johnny!’’ He checked his vital signs; they were steady but very weak. He needed help now!

#cod fanfic #call of duty #pacific rim #cod oc #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #oc:camille scotty moreau #kyle gaz garrick #captain john price #au:cherry in a jaeger #ghost x scotty x soap #ghoap x oc

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angelofrainfrogs · 1 year ago

Text

Spend the Night: Ch. 23

~Coauthored by @zeitghest~

Fandom(s): Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach

Description: The familiar melody of Grandfather’s Clock chimes through the echoing halls of the Pizzaplex…

Charlie wakes up in her Puppet’s vessel yet again with one goal in mind: to stop William Afton’s reign of terror for good. She enlists the help of Glamrock Freddy, the emphatic leader of the newest iteration of the Fazbear Band. But there seems to be more to this bear than meets the eye—and the same goes for the mysteriously familiar kid the duo find tinkering with animatronics down in Parts & Service.

With some help from friends new and old, Charlie’s journey into the bowels of the Pizzaplex will unravel mysteries none of them ever expected.

Rating: T

Read on Ao3

I just can't stop running away I don't remember my name, I don't know where to go anymore… It's not my fault but I can't really do much These creepy monsters have me in their clutch

~Astray by Scraton~

“Speaking of bets—wait a second!” Mike exclaimed as everyone moved to the exit. He snatched Gregory under the arms as he ran past, using the momentum to toss the kid in the air and catch him with a laugh. “I promised Gregory he could ride on my shoulders if he beat me at a game—help him get situated, Fredbear?”

Freddy nodded, the grin on his face still prominent as he secured Gregory on Mike’s shoulders. Thankfully the boy didn’t seem to mind being handled so much at the moment—probably because this was a display of his prior victory, if his smug smirk was anything to go by.

“Alright, hold on tight—if you wiggle too much and fall off, that’s on you,” Michael joked. Holding onto Gregory’s legs to keep him steady, he stooped low to follow Charlie out the door, Freddy trailing closely behind.

Gregory barely had to lock his legs, as the robotic brother he always wanted was suited with a gyroscope to maintain balance. His hands gently rested atop Michael’s head, and Gregory made sure to acknowledge Freddy with a brief, “Thanks, Dad!” before they reentered the Pizzaplex and had to act like nothing more than a kid and his favorite robot.

“If you get an extra-large trench coat, do you think we could sneak into a movie?” Charlie asked, making fun of that old trope of two kids sitting on each other’s shoulders to worm their way into places.

“Hmm… you know, we just might be able to,” Mike conceded, glancing upside-down at Gregory for a second, before looking to Freddy with a questioning brow. “Does this place actually have a movie theater?”

“Yes—it is in the Daycare,” Freddy replied, keeping pace as they walked. “It doubles as a stage for live shows as well.”

“Huh… I’m not surprised.” Mike let out a short laugh, shaking his head gently so as not to dislodge Gregory’s hands.

As they walked past day staff, the group was met with even more confused looks than before. This was for two main reasons: as expected, people silently wondered why Freddy was out of his room, though no one was brave enough to question it. Mike reasoned that only Sophie might have the confidence to do that.

The other reason for the stares was because people were shocked to see the Afton heirs looking so happy—Michael’s reputation in particular had traveled fast in a short span of time, and those he came across were surprised to see him without a scowl or toothy smirk, let alone carrying around his cousin on his shoulders. Perhaps he wasn’t as cold as they’d been initially informed.

It both confused and delighted the staff to see the administration in a better mood. As long as Sophie didn’t see the group traveling with Freddy, they’d have a smooth outing with Papa Bear.

Despite the Daycare being a place for babies, Gregory wouldn’t mind falling asleep on those comfy, soft cushions—as long as Moon was locked out of the room forever, of course. It felt nice to be tall for once, too. He now towered over Charlie and by extension, Michael. He could even see over Freddy’s top hat.

All the workers looked at him with what Gregory assumed to be envy. They wished one of their friends was the pretend boss of this place and giving them piggyback rides!

Their happiness only grew upon entering the West Arcade. A hypnotic beat that pumped out of the speakers made Gregory somewhat antsy, so he played with Michael’s hair to cope with the thudding he felt in his chest. Charlie ran ahead to see who this DJ was, only to stop in her tracks as she rounded the corner. The sheer size of this animatronic alone had her frozen in place.

The DJ was awake, happily jamming out in his own world. One of his many arms was pressed against his headphones, while two others adjusted various knobs and dials on the soundboards. In this rare moment of downtime, he was working on some new remixes of popular, kid-appropriate songs that he’d excitedly show off to the next guests so they could dance their hearts out.

“Holy—” Michael cut his words off with a twisted frown, not liking the sight of the humongous, multi-limbed animatronic one bit. His grip on Gregory’s legs clamped down protectively, ready to bolt with the kid on his shoulders if that thing so much as looked at them funny. Freddy, on the other hand, wasn’t phased in the slightest.

“Hello, DJ!” the bear called, waving as he stepped onto the flashing, multi-colored dance floor. A cloud of fog swirled around Freddy’s feet, the smoke pumped into the room from machines set low to the ground to add to the party atmosphere. Upon catching sight of the bright orange bear, Music Man turned down the volume of his tunes and shifted to face him, his grin wide and static.

“Heeeey, Freddy!” The DJ’s voice was booming, acting as bass in its own right. It filled the room, made to be heard over the music at all times. As he spoke, his tone was slow and smooth, elongating certain words in what could best be described in a “chill” drawl. “I haven’t seen you in foreeeeever! Where’ve you been?!”

“I am sorry I have not had the opportunity to visit,” Freddy apologized, partially avoiding the question. He gestured to the trio lingering hesitantly at the edge of the dance floor, as far away from the huge spider-like animatronic as they could be without actually standing in a different room. “But I have some new friends for you to meet!”

Thank goodness he’s friendly, Charlie thought as she let out a long breath. She came closer towards the stage as they spoke, both impressed and horrified someone thought this monster of a robot was a good idea. Charlie felt as though the Music Man series was always so divisive amongst the children. They either loved the guys or hated them outright.

Gregory had gazed on to the DJ that towered before them, and was glad that at least in the morning, he really is a nice guy.

“Hey man, did you know you’re GIGANTIC?” Gregory asked, not in a way that came off as disparaging, but more in surprise. He just couldn’t comprehend how or why they needed a giant arachnid disc jockey. As long as the DJ remained cool, Gregory could be friends with the guy. “That’s rad; you’re like a spider!”

“Thaaaaanks, little man!” the DJ replied, his voice echoing through the room. It was loud, but somehow designed with just the right pitch not to blow out kids' eardrums—they had the music itself to do that.

“This Gregory, Michael, and Charlie,” Freddy informed the huge animatronic, gesturing for the boys to join Charlie and him near the stage. Slowly, Mike inched forward, clearly more nervous about the animatronic than Gregory. Once they reached the comfort of Freddy's side, the bear patted Michael's back reassuringly. “Do not be alarmed—Music Man may be large, but he is harmless!”

“Yeah, I'm not gonna hurt you!” the DJ reassured, though he tilted his head slightly as if in thought. “Althouuuuugh, I can understand people being nervous...” Usually it would be the little kids that looked like they might throw up at the sight of him, but in this case it seemed to be the boy's guardian. Wanting to avoid a biohazard incident on the dance floor, the DJ moved one of his many hands to a soundboard. “I could play you some tunes, if it'd make you feel better. What kinda music are you into? I've got a huuuuuuuge library!”

“OOH! Oh! Play Electric Light Orchestra!” Charlie shouted, feeling a sort of kinship with the DJ having been a very strange looking animatronic for most of her existence. She remembered hearing the song Showdown once at a roller rink, and she’d never been the same afterwards.

Gregory made a face, having never heard of the half-century old band. He’d shout a suggestion afterwards—if he really knew any bands. Unfortunately he hadn’t been given the opportunity to really explore music with his home life. So, instead, Gregory was forced to insist: “No! Play something that isn’t old people music!”

“Hey, that isn't 'old people music!'“ Michael scoffed, offended. His love of rock now winning out over his nerves, he looked up at the huge spider animatronic and requested: “Play some Guns n' Roses! Oh, or Journey, or Queen, or...”

Freddy let out a soft sigh as Mike began rambling off various bands, finding the argument more endearing than anything. Music Man gave a booming laugh, shaking the dance floor with the force of it.

“Tell you what,” the DJ said after a moment. “You're aaaaaall in luck—I can make a custom remix with oldies and newbies. There's a toooons of songs sampling 80s music these days, so I can find lots of things that gel perfectly!”

“...I suppose that'd be a good compromise; what do you think?” Michael questioned, glancing upside-down at Gregory, who in turn patted his fluffy mop of hair.

“Do the remix!” Gregory agreed, much to Charlie’s intrigue. Anything involving music she knew would probably be fine with her. She came to stand by him and Michael, holding her arms out.

“You wanna come down and dance, Gregory?” she asked, and though the boy readily accepted her offer to help him down, he made a face.

“Uh, I don’t dance.” Or rather, he didn’t know how to.

“Me neither,” Michael added quickly, cheekbones flushing as he shot Charlie a look that told her to keep quiet. Many a time had she caught him rocking out in his room to various metal bands, playing air guitar with a broom and pretending he was the rockstar he always dreamed of. But to the outside world he was too cool to dance, and this mindset still carried over after all this time. Besides, he hadn't tried such a thing in decades, so even if he did want to show off some moves he'd surely be rusty. In an effort to divert attention, Michael turned to the animatronic bear and asked: “Are you programmed to dance, Freddy?”

Charlie looked at Michael, surprised he'd even say that to her. She could recall several instances where she found him head banging, thrashing and pretending he was a rockstar. Those were funny memories, and she’d keep them to herself for now as she bit back a smile.

“To an extent, yes,” Freddy replied, realizing that Mike and Charlie hadn't actually seen one of the Fazbear Band performances yet. He wasn't sure if Gregory witnessed one before either. Hopefully, someday when things were put back to the way they should be, Freddy could see his family in the crowd. “I only have a set amount of moves, however, and they correspond to various songs I perform. I am not quite equipped to dance as you would in this sort of 'freeform' environment.”

“He's tried before, though!” Music Man piped up, still tuned into their conversation despite controlling three of his hands to get this remix programmed as soon as possible. The DJ let out another laugh as Freddy's eyes widened in what could only be likened to embarrassment. “It's sooooo funny watching Freddy try and bust a move! Oh, and put him and Monty together? Now that's hilaaaaarious!”

Charlie never danced very well at all. When she was a Puppet, Charlie was on a set of strings to make her dance. Even that was more like wiggling than anything remotely coordinated. But she shrugged anyway, setting Gregory down and nearly losing him in the fog immediately. Gosh, he was too short to go to a rave.

As Music Man mentioned Monty, Gregory looked somewhat nervous. He didn't think it was anyone's goal to let their new acquaintance get upset with the current MIA status of his friend.

“Oh, I bet!” Gregory lied, easily. “I can't wait to see that when the place opens up again...”

“We will be sure to visit,” Freddy said, making a promise to everyone here. This horrible situation couldn’t last forever.

No—Freddy wouldn’t let it.

Before long William would be defeated, his friends would be back in commission, and Michael, Charlie, and Gregory could finally have a normal day in the Pizzaplex, experiencing everything as it was meant to be.

While Freddy tracked Gregory through the misty dance floor, Mike couldn’t help his attention being pulled to the other side of the arcade where he’d spotted some games upon their arrival. A bright grin lit up his face as the first notes of Another One Bites the Dust blasted through the speakers. He could already tell this mashup was going to be a good one.

“Oh my god…” Charlie nearly swooned, she’d missed listening to Queen so much. The new tempo and beat made it fresh and exciting. “I want to go to a Queen concert…”

Gregory passed, kicking up the heavy fog in his path as he glanced up questioningly. “Huh? Isn’t the front man dead?”

“You mean Freddie Mercury? No, he’s probably just really old,” Charlie mused. “Really, really old.”

Gregory could see the hope leeching from her eyes with each passing second, and after a moment of consideration, told her: “Uh, yeah! Probably…”

Michael patted Gregory’s head in silent gratitude as he passed by, not wanting to upset Charlie either with the unfortunate news.

“Come on,” he offered, gesturing for the group to follow him. “Let’s check out some games—we’re still on a mission for tickets, aren’t we?”

“Let me know if you eeeeever want me to change it up!” the DJ said, pressing his headphones again as he bounced in time with the beat.

“We will; thank you, DJ!” Freddy replied, offering a wave which the huge animatronic returned. As he began following the trio he recalled a comment from earlier and paused, tapping Gregory’s shoulder to stall him as well. “Oh! Superstar, did you say you were looking for a specific game? If so, Music Man might be able to point you to its location.”

“Oh! Good idea, Freddy—” Gregory skidded to a stop, turning around and waving to the huge bot. “Excuse me? Mr. DJ Music Man? Could you help us find Princess Quest II?”

Maybe if he was extra nice to the DJ, the potential murder machine wouldn’t try and grind him to a fine powder tonight. He hoped. Though Sun was just as nice, yet Moon came after them as if the group stole all his glitter glue…

The music kept playing as the towering animatronic looked down at the tiny human. His back hands worked seamlessly to move the song into some current Top 50s Hit chart-topper that Michael and Charlie didn’t recognize.

“Princess Quest II? Hmm…” Music Man used a front hand to scratch his chin as he ran through the catalogue of arcade games in his attraction. After a moment, he shook his head. “Sorry, little man, I don’t think we have any game like that…”

“Maybe try just Princess Quest?” Michael offered, looking up at the DJ as well. “We found the first one in the East Arcade, so there have to be more.”

“Nope; there’s nothing with that title at all.” Music Man did his best attempt to shrug. “Although, there’s a huuuuge storage room with old and broken consoles up on the top level—maybe it’s in there? The area’s only accessible to staff, though… Not even Freddy’s supposed to go back there.”

“Guess we’ll just find something else to play,” Gregory replied, elbowing his siblings in their legs to get them moving. “Let’s go, guys—thanks DJ!”

The heel of his sneakers squeaked with his sharp turn, which turned into a casual walking towards the spiral staircase.

“We’re definitely finding this game,” Gregory murmured, chasing his hypothesis. “I don’t know about you guys, but don’t you think it’s pretty weird no one knows about a series that just explodes winning tickets?”

Even for all its flaws, 1,000 tickets per beaten game is unheard of for a monolithic company arcade.

“It’s definitely weird,” Michael confirmed, frowning slightly. “Especially the fact that they left the first one out when it’s clearly infected by all those glitches—”

Michael cut himself off with a start, frown deepening as his computer-chip brain worked overtime to piece together a theory. Hesitantly, he posed: “You don’t… think it has anything to do with him, does it?”

There wasn’t much to go on that supported this proclamation, though the weird glitching rabbits were pretty suspicious—not to mention that no one knew about this game, as Gregory pointed out.

“Why would he have anything to do with an arcade console?” Freddy questioned in a soft voice, not discounting the theory but clearly pointing out it was flawed like the game itself. Michael shook his head.

“I don’t know… I mean, Cassidy said he’d essentially been trapped in a fake one until he moved his consciousness into a new body without Charlie’s Gift, so I’m sure there’s things he can do that we don’t know—Ah, we… didn’t tell you guys that, did we?”

Gregory and Freddy were staring at Michael with alarmed confusion. With a grimace, Mike realized he hadn’t explicitly told them his father hadn’t always been in such a nice, upgraded Bonnie suit, but rotting away for decades in an original model. By the look on Freddy’s face, Michael wondered if Charlie ever got a chance to inform Freddy of the unfortunate fate of the Glamrock rabbit's suit—Freddy was the only one yet to actually see William, after all.

Michael heaved a sigh. “Okay, let’s just find that storage area—we can talk more where hopefully there aren’t staff around.”

“I'd bet my high score on Faz-Fighters your weirdo dad is behind this weird game,” Gregory replied. Only time could tell if his hunch was correct, and he slowly explained to the ursine robot at his side. “The working theory, Freddy, is that Mike's dad is traveling like a virus. Or—was. He, uh... Sort of took your friend and is using his body.”

Charlie could see how upset this was making Freddy, so she touched a hand into his. Since the bear grown more aware and expressive, she could see as clear as rain whenever he got upset.

“We're going to get him back. Remember?” Charlie always spoke confidently about these things. None of them actually knew for sure if they would come out on top. Not definitely... Though if it made her friends feel good enough to carry on, then of course she'd say it.

“He took... Bonnie?” Freddy clarified, his voice soft and tinged with hurt.

It wasn't hard for him to put the pieces together, as much as he didn't want to admit it. He might not fully understand why Bonnie was chosen yet, but it would explain the former bassist's sudden, random disappearance—and subsequent cover-up and quick replacement. The fact that William had somehow become a computer virus should've been harder to accept, but based on everything supernatural he'd seen over the past few days, Freddy came to believe this quite easily. His eyes widened as he processed his train of thought aloud.

“Oh my goodness... Vanessa has access to the Pizzaplex's computer systems, as well as working knowledge of the animatronics' programming. If Vanny is following William's commands, I bet she was behind the entire thing. She must have—”

He trailed off, clenching his fists by his sides. This revelation about Bonnie shocked Freddy to his core. He couldn't believe that his old friend had been decommissioned so unceremoniously for his body to be used as a host to one of the most evil souls in the world. It made him think back to the rumors of what happened to the rabbit, and that the only concrete bit of information Freddy had to work with was that Bonnie was last seen at the Golf Course. Based on how the others were acting at night, it wasn't a big leap for Freddy to assume the rumors about a certain gator taking Bonnie out held more truth than he'd wanted to believe.

“They made Monty decommission him...,” Freddy said slowly, his feet still moving heavily despite his mind drifting somewhere else. His hands clenched tighter, blue nails digging into the metal of his palms. “And Monty truly didn't remember, that's why he denied it, but... it was all just part of their scheme. They've been working on this for months, using my friends without any of us realizing...”

This plan was a long time coming. It explained why William hadn't given up so easily. He’d been lurking within the code since the inception of this very Pizzaplex. Gregory figured the group really hadn't had a chance to catch up on what happened exactly. He didn't even talk too much on what William almost did to him. Freddy didn't need to be burdened with that just now. He'd let the guy be angry at the fact his decommissioned best friend was being misused and mistreated while the soul of a digital serial killer puppeteered his corpse.

The room was far too dark to see. Gregory pulled his Faz-light from his shorts and illuminated their path. To their surprise, there were several 'play-tester' games lining the dingy office space.

“He's harvesting people. Kids specifically... I don't know why. It has something to do with that... That purple stuff...,” Gregory explained, his voice weening off as he thought about the needle that’d almost pierced his throat.

That fucking needle. Every time he shut his eyes, he could see it. The lights gleaming off the glass, it's medically sharp point staring threateningly back at him. Waiting to stab him and make Gregory apart of William's army of the undead.

“Remnant,” Michael clarified, placing a comforting hand on Gregory's back as the boy slowly moved his flashlight across the room. There were dozens of game consoles, most dark and empty, though a few flashed with dull ambience. They still had yet to find their prize, though. Michael shot Charlie a glance over his shoulder to see her still trying to comfort Freddy by sticking close to his side.

“I'm... not entirely sure of all the details, nor do I want to go into them right now, frankly,” Michael continued, wincing slightly as he thought of everything he knew and all the information he was not about to subject Gregory and Freddy to. “The only thing we need to keep in mind is that it seems to make people immortal. At least, I think that's the idea. So as far as Gregory—” Michael's hand moved to the boy's hair, running gentle fingers through the haphazard locks to preemptively soothe. “—or Evan, in this case, my father wants to prevent another 'family tragedy' using the Remnant.”

“What?!” Freddy practically hissed, his tone suddenly sharp with worry. His eyes frantically scanned the room, as if William was about to pop out of one of those strange holes in the walls. When his gaze fell upon Gregory with Mike's protective hand on his head, the bear relaxed slightly.

“We're not going to let that happen; don't worry,” Michael reassured quickly, feeling bad at making Freddy even more upset. Still... he felt the fatherly bear deserved to know why his son was so sought after by this crazed soul.

“I'll be just fine,” Gregory told himself. There was always a chance that they could fail. But he tried to think like his new big sister. He had to be positive. There were so many people around to protect him, and so many less robots apt to kill him went the sun went down thanks to their efforts.

Gregory slowed to a stop in the hall, waiting for Freddy to come closer to offer the bear his hand. “Promise. He's not going to get me.”

Charlie gave Gregory a lopsided smile. He was so good at being brave when he needed to be. Yet it made Charlie sad that he had to be like this so young. The maturity was far greater than most children his age had to act. And the saddest thought of all was how it reminded Charlie of herself not five years older than him... She was going to give some words of comfort, but Gregory shined his light ahead, pointing towards the back corner.

“Hey—let's check this one out. The one by the cutout,” he said, prompting the group to move closer.

Freddy's tension instantly released as Gregory offered a hand. The bear grasped it within his own—goodness, his little palm was so small in comparison—squeezing tightly and appreciating the warmth. It let Freddy know that his son was alive and well, and as long as those facts were still true they could get through anything.

“That's definitely it—good eye, kid!” Michael praised, mouth flipping into a grin as he walked up to the dusty console. It was situated against the back wall next to a cutout of what looked to be Bonnie in some pirate get-up. Michael noted with a mild shock that the game was lit up and ready for someone to play, despite it not actually being plugged in. He had a feeling that if they went and checked Princess Quest I, it would be the same situation.

“Oh, this is not right at all,” Freddy murmured, echoing Michael's sentiment. Seeing the console only confirmed that he had no idea where this game came from. Nothing about it was familiar, and the lack of actual power keeping it going was certainly odd, to say the least. The whole thing just gave off a bad vibe that even the animatronic bear could sense.

Gregory approached the gaming system, coin ready in hand. Charlie took the flashlight and held it for them to see more easily in the dark. As Gregory went to trick the game's coin slot, he realized with a queasy twist to his stomach that a credit was already loaded on the screen.

“Okaaaay...,” Gregory said out loud, wary but pressing start regardless. “I mean... Who knows—playing these might give us some clues on what to do next.”

The visuals were slightly more enhanced in this iteration. The Princess was still stuck inside the castle, overrun with black and purple goop with the shadowy bunnies on her trail. While she could fend them off after retrieving a short sword, it was still somewhat hard to maneuver around them on this isometric map.

And the glitches! Gregory tried to exploit them. But it was like the game didn't want to be beaten. He was lucky to finish this particular game with one of his lives left... It seemed like the more heart containers he collected, the stronger the enemies got. Even the Princess’s remark echoed a ghost of the same sentiment in the small dialogue box at the bottom of the screen.

“Everything about this game creeps me out,” Charlie put bluntly. Be it ambiance or design, she found a knot twisting in her robotic guts as she watched it. Charlie scooted closer to Mike, bumping him for comfort.

Michael slid an arm around Charlie's shoulders, the gesture completely instinctual as his gaze was fixed to the tiny screen. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what the hell this game was about. William was tied to it, that much was clear—now that they'd made the connection, there was no doubt in his mind as to what those glitching purple rabbits represented. But if they were meant to be William, then who was the Princess?

Suddenly, Michael let out a gasp, turning to the bear hovering by Gregory's side.

“Hey, Freddy��you said Vanessa wasn't always a security guard, right? Remind me what her old job used to be?”

“My employee records indicate that she was a beta tester for a Virtual Reality game Fazbear Entertainment tried to venture into through a partner company,” Freddy replied, blinking rapidly as he accessed the employee database. His gaze shifted to meet Michael's, head cocked slightly as he tried to figure out the man's train of thought.

“Do you know why she transferred?”

“No, although nearly everyone from that division was fired when the project was cut. The company went bankrupt, and the game never fully launched because of all the... glitches.” Freddy trailed off, his eyes widening. “Oh. You do not think...?”

“I do.” Michael nodded, glancing down at Charlie who he still held onto. “I don't know how exactly, but... what if that's how Vanessa was infected? And somehow... this Princess Quest series is tied to her, too?”

Charlie's face twisted into that of anger. The rage and despair she felt for Vanessa read so clearly on her face, and as Michael spoke to her attention snapped from the game to him in an instant.

“He thinks he's so clever,” Charlie snipped, agreeing subtly. “Hiding behind these dumb metaphors. William made a story, just like Cassidy… And hid Vanessa—the real Vanessa—in a video game.”

It was almost like William was taunting Cassidy in a way. Charlie could almost hear that twisted voice chortling, “Look what I can do! Not so special now, are we, Cassidy?” in that petulant and boasting demeanor he got when he was winning. He didn't care how many lives he ruined, or in what way.

Gregory had long-ceased speaking, more focused on the immersive colors as he slashed away at the ghost bunnies.

“It was so obvious. She's in the game.” Charlie shook her head, clicking her tongue in disgust. “For William to come out, he had to switch them. First he got in Vanessa’s head, and when he was ready for the new body, he just—left the missing half of her mind in the digital castle. Probably as some stupid failsafe; I don't know how, but... It makes as much sense as everything else in our lives. Michael—”

She garnered the attention of her pale-faced friend with a jostle of his arm. “—remember those robots in the basement around the table? The one meant to be your dad was dressed like a magician...”

The implication, clear as day now, was that he and his 'assistant' switched places. As if human consciousness was as simple as a parlor trick. William had been leaving clues about his own little crime right under their noses.

Charlie was shaking with barely contained rage now. She tucked in closer to Michael to distract from the poisonous emotion, burying her face in his shoulder so Gregory and Freddy wouldn’t have to see such an ugly thing.

“Fucking asshole,” Michael snarled. It was easy to feed off of Charlie's anger when it came towards his father. It took a moment of deep breathing to reign in his emotions enough not to march straight back into the Fazerblast hideout, and, if William wasn't there, turn the entire Pizzaplex upside down just to punch him in that stupid, smug rabbit face.

Although, now wasn't the time for that. He could get his revenge tonight as planned, but for now it was Mike's job to solve this mystery and comfort his friends in the process. He held Charlie close against his side, rubbing her arm to ground her in the present. He knew how easy it was for both of them to get consumed in memories and rage, and he couldn't afford to let that happen in a rare moment of respite from being actively hunted.

To Freddy's credit, he didn't bother chiding Michael for his rather intense curse. As crazy as his and Charlie's explanation sounded on the surface, it actually made a lot of sense in the context of the weekend. Hesitantly, trying to find anything positive he could, Freddy ventured: “So then... it stands to reason that if Vanessa's consciousness is trapped, perhaps there is a way to get her out?”

Not only did he hate the thought of the poor woman forced to do William's bidding, but Freddy worried what might happen to her after he was defeated since she was so consumed by his spirit. Would her old consciousness return, or would her mind simply... break?

Gregory had been listening vaguely, mind detached in a way as he focused more on the game. Still, he gathered enough to be able to answer as he neared the last level.

“If I had to guess—beating the game might do something. Uh... If that doesn't work…” Gregory paused, focusing a moment to get past a group of enemies he didn't think it would've been wise to fight. “We can always smash these crap-ass games.”

“Gregory—language.”

This time Freddy's anti-swearing protocol did kick in, for hearing such a thing in a child's voice was vastly different than a grown man's. It also meant that Freddy wasn't so distracted anymore, which Michael was glad for. He didn't want the bear to start having an existential crisis on them here and now.

Though when Michael's gaze was pulled down by movement as Charlie shifted a piece of long hair out of her face, he realized there was something they had yet to tell Freddy and Gregory that might prompt such a crisis... but for an ultimately positive reason.

“Right, we'll keep an eye out for anymore consoles,” Michael confirmed, speaking a bit quickly. He grinned, the idea of potentially cheering the fatherly bear and his little brother up in one go making him tap Charlie's arm excitedly. “But let's not dwell on the depressing things—not while there's still daylight out.” His smile widened even more when Charlie and Freddy looked at him questioningly. “Once Gregory's done with the game, Charlie and I have something to tell you that I think will make you both very happy.”

“Woah, a surprise?!” Gregory blinked, looking over his shoulder at Michael for a split second before his attention was pried away and back to the game. There was a short gasp, and Charlie looked back up to Mike as well.

“I forgot about that! Yeah,” she said, glancing now to Freddy with a smile. “You guys are going to love what we found in the basement.”

Charlie watched as Gregory passed the old king on the screen, only to walk into—

A security office.

“...I really hate that we were right about this,” Gregory muttered, regret in his voice as the game turned off, then loaded back to the main screen. There was no longer an option to put a coin in the machine; the whole image glitched out and it was impossible to select anything else.

“Really? A security office? For fu—reak's sake...,” Michael groaned, eyes cast high to the ceiling as he managed to divert the cuss in time. He didn't think he could avoid Freddy's wrath now that he'd pulled the bear's attention to him.

“We can only hope this will help Vanessa in the long run,” Freddy said placatingly, pulling Gregory over once the boy dislodged himself from the console. To everyone's relief, there was finally a smile on the bear's face again as he looked between Mike and Charlie expectantly. “I am very eager to learn what you found—please share!”

Charlie squeezed Michael in her side hug, reminding him not to curse so much in front of Gregory. The kid was beginning to pick up his sailor mouth. She brightened further as she glanced to Freddy and Gregory once more, both who looked fairly excited to hear the news.

“Get this—” Charlie said with a toothy smile, “—we figured out a solution for Freddy's power issue. My dad made another android; a spare that even he wasn’t sure what to do with.”

Charlie looked up to the bear, offering the human disguise. It was quite a staggering proposition, she knew. “Michael and I thought that maybe you'd want it, Freddy—so you can leave the Pizzaplex with Gregory!”

Freddy simply stared at her for a few seconds, jaw open slightly in an expression of pure bewilderment. In a soft voice, he questioned: “An android... for me?”

“If you want it, it's yours,” Michael confirmed, his own grin just as bright as Charlie's.

“Not that I do not appreciate the gesture, but... I am not like you.” Freddy gave a slight shake of his head. “I do not have a human soul, I mean—I cannot possess things as you can, so...” He moved his arm vaguely, as it seemed for once in his existence he was struggling to explain his thoughts.

“That won't be a problem,” Michael reassured. It figured the animatronic would immediately move to the logistics of the whole concept. He let out a small chuckle, shoving his hands in his pockets. “The body isn't meant to be for a human soul, unlike all the others Henry made. I mean, I'm sure one could always inhabit by force, but in a weird, cosmic way... we kind of think it really is for you, Freddy.”

His eyes softened, thinking back to their short but poignant conversation with his uncle. “Henry said that if we ever made it to this point, he'd want someone to watch after us and made an android that could do just that. Thing is, he’s yet to make an AI capable enough to be uploaded to it... But I think we can all agree that you definitely fit that bill.”

Gregory had been squeezing Freddy's leg in a near-crushing grip. The more Mike and Charlie revealed, the higher his hopes grew. Looking up to Freddy wide-eyed and dimple-smiled, Gregory felt the need to remind the animatronic of his technological prowess. “I could totally transfer your data into the new robot!”

Gregory didn't really care exactly what his dad looked like; he'd love the guy no matter what. In fact, he was certain he'd gain more friends if people knew his dad was Freddy Fazbear. It was all a matter of that damn battery issue the company installed. He wondered if they planned it like that in case someone wanted to steal one of the animatronics, or even on the off-chance the robots went rogue and tried to run. They were working with some pretty sentient coding, after all.

“You can come and go whenever you want,” Charlie added, happy to give Freddy the gift Henry so graciously bestowed over them.

“…If you don't want to leave, I understand,” Gregory muttered after a moment of silence, trying to play off the potential rejection as if it wouldn't hurt him to the very core. It was Freddy's choice after all. Yet Gregory would probably cry if the robot he called Dad turned out to want to stay with his old life instead of leave with him.

Freddy looked from Michael to Charlie, then finally down to the boy clinging to his side like the bear was his lifeline. In a way, Freddy supposed he was. Letting out a soft chuckle, he bent to scoop Gregory into his arms. “Now, how could I ever say 'no' to a face like that?”

“Yessss!” Michael cheered softly, pumping a fist at his side. “Like Charlie said—it's not like you have to leave and never come back. In fact, it'll be easier to visit since we won't be stopped every time we come and go by staff asking why we're taking their star out for a vacation.”

Freddy laughed at this, more heartily than before. “You make a convincing argument, Michael. I will gladly accept.”

Gregory let out a thrilled shriek, throwing his arms around his father's neck and hugging him tightly at the news. Charlie was clearly keeping in some contained excitement in the way she bit back a wide grin at Freddy's acceptance of their gift.

“Oh, man!” Gregory said with glee. “I wonder what your people-sona's gonna look like.”

Charlie chortled a little, telling the kid: “I don't think we should spoil it! He just looks like a dad; that's all you need to know!”

She would let Gregory decide what that meant. But Henry did seem to design a man with an immediately trustworthy face. Then again, Charlie's father was always very talented when it came to character designs—she supposed it wouldn’t be hard to translate that to real faces, too.

Upon their celebration, the sound of a door swinging into the wall ruined Gregory's mood. Startled, the kid jumped in Freddy's grasp and his mind raced at who might be coming into the vast room.

And who should it be but Vanessa, the source of their recent discussion. She didn't notice the group at first, pausing as the door shut behind her to lean against it with a heavy sigh, rubbing her temple with her good hand. Her arm still hurt like shit, but at least the constant migraines had miraculously started to clear. They weren't gone, not by a long shot, but they seemed less pinpointed and stabby and more of just a dull ache.

“Oh shit!” she exclaimed, jumping when she finally noticed the group of four staring at her intently, Freddy's bright eyes glowing eerily in the dimly lit room. She quickly stood up straight, clearing her throat and attempting to brush some unseen dirt off her shirt. “Um, I-I apologize, Mr. Afton; Ms. Emily, I... didn't realize you were in here.” Her eyes narrowed, the unspoken question of why they were in this random storage room of old arcade machines hanging in the air.

“That's alright,” Michael said. He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he turned Vanessa's silent inquiry back on her. “Isn't it early afternoon? What are you still doing here?”

“I left my things in this office last night,” Vanessa explained, pointing to a locked room off to the side that was more of a standard security office with monitors and electrical equipment. There was a jacket and bag resting on one of the chairs, and Ness pulled a key out of her pocket and unlocked the door as if to prove she was telling the truth. “I was just coming to grab them on my way out.”

“And your arm? The doctor said it was alright for you to work tonight?” Charlie asked. She’d already tried to subtly convince Vanessa that coming in was a bad idea. Unfortunately, the woman didn’t take her hint before and Charlie doubted she’d take it now. Still, they could only hope Vanessa would just stay home and give them less of a chance to hurt the poor brainwashed woman further.

Charlie couldn’t tell if Gregory was pretending to be stressed so the fact Freddy was coddling him looked natural, as the bear would try his best to console any upset child. Or perhaps he was genuinely upset with seeing Vanessa.

Truthfully, Gregory was secretly praying it would never come down to her life over their own survival. William had already split her mind up and shoved it into a video game; he’d certainly use her to obtain what he really wanted. If that meant getting her killed just to trap them, Gregory was distressed at the thought…

To their benefit, even though Vanessa worked the night shift and didn't get to see the daily interactions between kids and the animatronics, she at least knew that some of them just had a weird bond. As long as their guardians were okay with kids being picked up by giant robots, then who was she to say otherwise? Gregory clearly liked Freddy enough to cling to him in a death grip, and Ness certainly wasn't going to comment on the situation with his de-facto guardian in the room.

“I'll be fine,” she replied to Charlie, avoiding answering her question directly. The doctor actually told her to stay home for a few days and get some rest, but Vanessa couldn't leave the Pizzaplex right now with everything going on—she had to get to the bottom of this virus. Her job was on the line, after all.

Quickly slipping the duffel bag strap over her shoulder and gathering the jacket in her arms, Vanessa rushed by the group again with an attempt at a smile that turned out as an apologetic grimace. “I'm sorry I can't stay and talk—I really need to get some rest before my next shift. Please find Sophie if you need anything, alright?”

Before anyone could respond, the night guard slipped out of the storage area and slammed the door behind her.

***

Previous Chapter ~~ Next Chapter

Looking for more? Check out the Chapter Masterlist on Tumblr!

Or check out the entire Wires that Bind Us Series on ao3!

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whatyourusherthinks · 4 months ago

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The Crow (2024) Review

Pbbbbtt..... What can I say about The Crow (2024) prior to release? The only time I saw the trailer was on our ticket kiosks at work, so I just watched it, not listened to it. I never watched the original The Crow. The only thing I know about it is that was the movie that killed Brandon Lee. Roan the guy that shot Brandon killed himself don't joke about it. Sorry Buggnutz, this is the last time I'll mention it.

What's The Movie About?

Bill Skarsgård falls in love with a girl, and they get killed, then he's gotta be all moony about getting revenge instead OF JUST GETTING THE REVENGE DUDE YOU BECAME AN UNDEAD REVENANT YOU GO KICK SOME ASS ALREADY-

What I Like.

The action is really cool. I actually like it more than Wolverine and Deadpool due to the brutality and choreography. BLASPHEMY! Hey! Get outta here you red-letter miscreant! Anyway, the opera fight is the best part of the movie and is legit awesome, find it isolated on YouTube or something. The music, while not my favorite, fits the movie quite well. The way they showcase the Crow's regeneration was cool too. And I like that they don't back away from his sacrifice at the end. (Why is this like the only movie this year that's done that uuuuuuuugggggggghhhhhhhh...)

What I Didn't Like.

As my summary of the plot subtly reference, it takes FOREVER for Bill to actually become the Crow. The first 40 minutes are just him and this girl he's in love with being "cute". And when they finally get killed, He gets all wishy-washy about being a revenge zombie until the last 20 minutes! There's a lot in the movie that just seems pointless or is so dumb it is pointless. The movie opens with Bill as a kid trying to save a white horse from barbed wire, and the movie ends with the audience seeing the outcome of that first scene while the Crow is dying. I don't know why it's in the movie. The villain in this is the worst villain I've seen in a movie all year. His motivation is basic, but his methods and so vague and convoluted that I was not at all surprised to learn he was not in the original Crow, nor was he in the comics. Every single actor was sleepwalking through this. There's one or two shots where it looks like Bill was having a bit of fun, mostly when he's pulling crazy faces or kicking ass, but there's not NEARLY enough of it. I feel like you would complain if the plot was just "white guy gets violent revenge." Maybe, but one) I'd be complaining because movies like that usually feel like they are trying to justify that behavior and I think the premise of "immortal dead guy trying to save his girlfriend's soul" is outlandish enough that no one would realistically copy it, and two) I wouldn't get put to sleep by the movie watching it. I feel The editor was probably also sleeping while working on the movie, because the editing sucks. Scenes are jarringly pasted together. There will be a somber goth romance moment that leads directly into a loud club scene that might jostle you awake but isn't cohesive at all. And finally, the ending is stupid. Everyone I watched it with said it felt like a reshoot. Despite the stakes being "Kill the bastards so your girlfriend can go to heaven.", they go BACK IN TIME and resurrect the girlfriend. That was a joke my friends and I made when we saw the Crow steal the villain's DeLorean, I was not thinking that the movie would ACTUALLY GO THERE. What's next, the EMT is actually Jesus?

How I'd Fix The Movie.

Oh great, this is back. Yeah well bear with me, this will me this will be really quick. The best part of this movie is when the Crow is kicking ass, so make that the movie. The bad guys are just generic thugs or gangsters, cut out the stupid villain, and shorten the time we spend with Bill and the girl. Then fill the rest with the cool action. Maybe the Crow executes the bad guys with karmic punishments like the Spectre from DC or those punishments from the Hellraiser movies. Roan that sounds like the original Crow movie. Huh. *Looks into the camera like I'm on the office* How about that.

Final Summation.

The Crow (2024) is egh. It's not horrible, but I'm saying that as someone who has absolutely no connection to the original. My friend who does like the original was talking about all the changes and how much worse this movie was compared to it, but I kinda feel like this movie is different enough that a comparison is unnecessary. The same friend said that they should've not called it the Crow, it should've been it's own thing, but that wouldn't've saved this movie. It's bad.

#The Crow #Rejected Movies

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red-doll-face · 4 years ago

Note

Here is a request for slashers if they're open. My brain does a thing where I am affectionate w a person but if I get nudged away (even if it's just to readjust the position), it goes "oh no. They don't want u to touch them. Do not touch ever again or they will get mad at u. U disgust them." Even tho touch is my love language & it hurts, I just won't touch. If confronted, I will get confused & panicky cuz "u didn't want me to touch? Im respecting ur wishes? Did I miss something?" Its a mess.

Requests are indeed open, I’m sorry I take foreverrr to do these but i hope u enjoy! I don’t know what to call this tho. For simplicity’s sake I’m calling this nervous reader lmao, idk what else to call these.

Slashers x gn nervous Reader

Jason Voorhees:

Jason can very much relate to the feeling. When he first meets you, he’s sure that you’re frightened. He restrains from being too close to avoid coming off as overbearing, doesn't want to touch you because if you flinch he’ll be so hurt. He just assumes he disgusts you. Based on the reaction all of his other victims have when they see him, he’s sure you’ll probably be the same.

Once Jason is sure that you don't feel that way, he’s a cuddle monster. He wants to be close all of the time, holding hands, letting you sit in his lap, you name it. He’s so starved and quickly decides that touch is his love language too. He’s not even sure how he’s lived this long without it.

The only time I can see Jason maybe gently sort of setting you down elsewhere and walking off is when he senses strangers on the property of what once was Crystal Lake. He’s out the door before he can even see your hurt expression, Which is worse because this might lead you to jump to conclusions.

If you distance yourself from Jason, he immediately is thrown off. He can’t directly ask you if he’s done something wrong and when he tries to initiate affection with you and you don’t reciprocate whole heartedly, he’s at a loss.

He’ll get on one knee while you sulk on the couch and give you a silent plea to tell him what's wrong. You can panic and try and avoid it but he is certain there's something going on and he wants so badly to know what he’s done to put you off. You tell him and he immediately is shaking his head no, he could never be mad at you, never be disgusted with you. You’re the most breathtaking person he’s ever had the pleasure of holding, the first, most likely.

Jason nods because he understands how you feel. In the future, he’s persistent about how you feel when he untangles himself from you, making sure you’re ok.

Michael Myers:

In the later stages of your relationship, Michael is insatiable when it comes to being in contact with you. For a long time, towards the start of your relationship, he didn’t like it. It felt weird. All of the touch he's experienced prior was so clinical and sterile that he doesn’t quite know how good touch is supposed to feel. He’s so touch starved that he’s almost positive he doesn't even need it.

Slowly, he builds a tolerance for it, much like one does with alcohol, constantly checking his boundaries and letting him control the situation and he’s all for movie night, huddled up on the couch, or waking up with his head on your chest. His own personal pillow.

There are, however, moments when his need to make someone tremble with fear and then blodgeon them to death with a can opener from their own kitchen becomes too strong, so he tries to keep away from you. In the past, he might have used you to satisfy similar desires of a sexual nature and may have really hurt you but he knows that it’s not always enjoyable to you.

Then, you stop touching him. Much like Jason, he starts to think you’ve become sick of him. Sick of his coldness, his muteness, his withdrawn demeanor. Maybe you’ve moved on and he tries to tell himself he doesn’t care but he doesn't think he can see himself touching anyone but you now.

It gets to the point where he comes home one day and you look heavily troubled, expressions he’s seen on your face before, only in the event that something terrible has happened. You ask to speak to him and he obliges.

You explain that you don’t think this relationship is working, that you’re pretty sure he’s disgusted with you and how difficult this event is because you didn't even want to talk about it but it's been hurting you for too long.

His response is to stand up very slowly, pick you up and lay down with you over him, simply laying there. Hopefully, knowing you’re the one person he would ever allow to participate in this intimacy is enough to show you that you mean more than you think you do to him.

RZ Michael Myers:

This Michael is more perceptive to your touch than his counterpart, your touch sends little shivers down his spine and as soon as he gets pretty used to it, he’s eager for more. This also takes some time but significantly less. He’s enamored with the idea of returning to a somewhat normal life. Your affection grounds him in that fantasy as much as being a murderer might take him out of it.

As he establishes a relationship with you, he may even be the one to start touching you instead of the other way around. He’s read books and always wondered what it might feel like to have someone genuinely touch him without fear in their eyes. Without malice.

An unsuccessful ‘day at work’ might have Michael feeling a little het up though. He can be moody and more rageful. Neither you nor his hobbies can calm him. He seems colder than usual in these states and can come off as very standoffish.

So when you try and touch him and he shrugs your hand off his shoulder, he can’t or isn't in the state of mind to address your frown and worried look. Michael, instead stomps off somewhere to be alone for a while; maybe take his anger out on something else. Some unsuspecting soul or maybe even a poor animal in the wrong place at the wrong time.

After he’s calmed down some, he returns and almost forgot about that sad little gleam in your eye before he left. Michael remembers when he sees you blankly staring at the TV, pointedly avoiding his gaze even as you utter a weak welcome home. It’s not very welcoming. He sits stiffly beside you, watching you from the corner of his eye. You’re closed off from him and he doesn't like it at all.

Migrating towards you slowly, he eases you into a familiar hug, his big bear hugs that are a little tight but inviting all the same. His huge torso and long arms seem to swallow you in his warmth. You hardly reciprocate. You look a little surprised. Though he never addresses it verbally, (which is probably better for you) Michael offers a single glance that communicates everything he needs to say. Don't ever think that again.

Thomas B. Hewitt:

Thomas’ self esteem issues and self image are not good. He honestly doesn’t like to imagine what he looks like to other people unless it can be as a threatening man you don’t fuck with. Meeting you, he realizes that it’s good to protect his family but he’d rather you not see him as someone only capable of harm. Tries his best to get the point across that while Hoyt may be adamant that horrible things happen to you, he’s not going to let them.

Thomas has received affection but always a familial affection. A pat on the back from Monty, proud claps to his shoulders from uncle Charlie, and hugs and kisses from his dear Mother. Nothing so foreign as a strangers touch over his arm or a soft embrace.

Unfortunately, Thomas can get reactive when you attempt to touch him without his mask on. He’s absolutely settled on the false reality that you’ll see his face and immediately decide that you never want to touch him again. Interacting with you with his bare face? That's a no for Thomas.

He puts on his mask that covers the scarred skin over his face and you look dejected. He was preparing for you to pressure him but instead finds himself trying to find out why you won’t touch him now. It’s not his face, is it? You respond with your reasoning. Thomas is so confused. How could you think that you disgust him? That he doesn’t want you to touch him?

He’s quicker than the others and immediately sweeps you up into his arms and holds you as close as humanly possible. Feeling disgusting and like some sort of burden is a feeling he’s so familiar with and if he can take it away from you, he will.

Will aggressively initiate touch with you for the next week or so just to solidify the fact that he cares about you and won't reject you just as you didn’t reject him.

Bubba Sawyer:

Bubba is a great cuddle buddy and partner. Hugs are his favorite and he hugs his brother all the time, lifting both Nubbins and Chop Top into the air for some brotherly love. If you’re smaller than them he’s all about picking you up and perhaps a little rough housing with you. He’s careful though or at least there are attempts made to be careful

Bubba, though he could easily spend the whole day doing nothing and everything with you, has work. Chores, butchering. Cooking, and tending livestock. Plenty to do at the sawyer house and he does most of it. Suffice to say there are times when you want to lather attention all over him yet he has to go back to work.

So caught up in work that he doesn't get what's going on til way later, when you’ve had time to stew in your emotions, firmly telling yourself that Bubba is annoyed by you probably. He’s baffled and confused at your silence, your crossed arms. The little furrow in your brow. He can already tell there’s something upsetting you.

Honestly, Bubba is so affectionate I can’t see him being the kind of person even capable of alluding to the fact he might be disgusted by you. How, if all he wants to do is love you? You may bring it up as a joke that you thought he didn’t like you and he almost seems offended. Not like you?

Bubba can squash any feelings you may have about that and then some. He will not let you drown in insecurities, not on his watch. This man will do everything in his power to make you feel beautiful because you really are.

I’m sorry these are super long but thanks for requesting!

#slasher x reader #michael myers #michael myers x reader #halloween #rz halloween movie #rz michael myers #rz michael myers x reader #jason voorhees #jason voorhees x reader #friday the 13th #thomas brown hewitt x reader #thomas brown hewitt #thomas hewitt #bubba sawyer x reader #bubba sawyer #leatherface x reader #texas chainsaw massacre #slashers

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sweetsbfreex · 4 years ago

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that’s daddy!

read the first installment here!

last fic of 2020! thank you guys so much for all the love and sweet messages, i’ve only been here for a short time, but you guys have rlly gotten me through being able to post my writing publicly 💕

Summary: another mix up, but this time it’s 10x more embarrassing

Warnings: lil’ smut but not so smut

Pairings: Husband, Dad!Harry x reader

You and Harry had woken up five minutes prior. Your mumbles in both your sleepy, raspy voices of good morning and your morning pecks out of the way. Now the two of you were cuddled up in bed. You were lowered in bed, on your side. Your head under Harry’s arm, one arm by your side, while the other was tracing the butterfly on Harry’s chest absentmindedly.

Harry was on his back; one of his arm’s brought down– his fingers caressing the side of your face.

“Plans for the day?” you ask H, tilting your head back slightly.

He was blissed out and zoned out, his mind running a mile a minute. With that he had hummed, asking you to repeat yourself.

“Plans for the day, H?” you asked again.

“Oh, have to head to the set in a few. Are you and B still meeting me there?”

“Why? Do you want us to?” you tease.

“What do you think” he imitated, pulling on the hand that was once on his stomach to guide you upward and closer to him.

You smiled knowingly down at him, your body hovering over him. While he winds a hand to the back of your neck pulling you down quickly.

“Frisky, huh” you joked, pulling away. But you were hastily pulled down– Harry snakes his arm higher using his bicep now to bring you down all the way– your body now bonded to Harry’s. Your sleeping shirt rubbing against his skin.

Harry kissed you roughly and was rough during the time he rolled the both of you over, so you were encased in him. Your non-stop grinding figure causing the growling he was emitting. And it would’ve gone father if it wasn’t for the pitter-patter of small feet walking past your open door. (You had left open last night for Bia this morning.)

He pulled away, breathless. Looking over his shoulder, using the hand that wasn’t under your neck to hold his body up. Only to see the four-year-old bouncing at the end of the bed, her favorite stuffed animal (an off-white duck) clutched in both her hands in front of her.

“B, remember what we talked about” Harry reminded her sweetly, laying on his back next to her mother.

“Sorry daddy” she pouted, her figure still. “Morning!” she squealed, running till she was laying in between you and Harry. It was always so surreal how crazy her emotions had shifted, but not very surprising.

“Morning bunny” Harry replied, kissing her forehead.

“Morning B” you replied, kissing her cheeks until she was laughed out, begging for mercy.

“What? don’t like mummy’s kiss?” Harry had asked, tickling her side.

“No!” she quipped, a mischievous, a very Harry look on her face.

You gasped in make-believe at her statement, looking up at Harry a plan in your eyes that he had naturally understood. You were each assigned a cheek of B’s and at once attacked her with kisses.

She broke out into a fit of giggles, each of her tiny hands brought up to clutch onto each of your chins, trying with all her might to push the both of you away.

“Okay! Okay!” she yelled, but it took her awhile with all the laughing she was doing.

“You love mummy’s kisses?” you asked her

“Yes!” she screamed, adjusting herself so she was now laying on top of you. Her cheek rested against yours, which she had kissed before settling herself to down– to further persuade you. You wrapped both your arms around her instantly, one of hers coddling the lobe of your ear.

Harry shuffled closer to the two of you. On his side he used an arm to support his head.

“Angel, guess what?” he beamed.

“What Daddy?”

“You and mum are gonna be meeting on set today”

She was confused, and you could tell from the lack of emotion she let out at Harry’s information. She was four, so you couldn’t blame her for not understanding how exciting it would be to see her father live in action.

“B” you started, gaining her attention. “Me and you are gonna meet daddy at work and watch him act and meet everyone else...like Descendants how everyone is at the isle of the lost” you divulged, trying to make this exciting as possible for her.

“We’re going to the Isle of the lost?” she interrupted, her head tilting slightly in confusion.

“No no” you laugh “It’s like– you know what nevermind. Basically, we’re gonna go see daddy at work, but with movies”

“Were going to the movies?”

“Kind of, but instead we’re gonna watch how movies are made”

“Ohh” she dragged, still a bit confused, but she really only understood that she would be meeting her dad at work. Harry laughed at your attempt, knowing you were shit at explaining things and trying to explain something like this to a toddler was only harder for you.

“it’s okay B, you’ll see soon” Harry reassured her. “What do the two of you want for breakfast?”

Peeling off the comforter, he got out of bed stretching his back out. A deep, pleasurable groan leaving his mouth. Causing a giggle between you and Bia.

“Pancakes and strawberries, please” Bia requested.

“Can I have French toasts pleaseee” you beg.

“You got it” Harry replied, making his way out of the room after grabbing a shirt from his dresser.

He could hear the whispering between the two of you, most likely scheming against him. But when he had started making his way to the door, he heard a shrill voice filled with cackles.

“Thank you best daddy in the world!” B had recited. Harry had shook his head a great smile on his face, close to tears. He raised his hands high, making a heart with his hands catching the eye of the two of his best girls, that were still laughing, in his bed.

Only a few hours earlier you and B had kissed Harry a see you later at the door. Now it was only the two of you in the parking lot of the set, one of the employees from the movie, sent to guide you and B to your location.

You looked down at your little girl, who’s hand was pancaked with yours, skipping behind you. Her pony tails shifting and her shoes lighting up with each bounce.

“You excited miss Styles” you ask.

She hummed an answer, toi immerse into the song she was singing.

“I was requested by Harry to bring some goldfish and strawberries for Bia. Is that okay?” she double checks

“That’s perfect. Thank you so much” you smile as she stops abruptly in front of you, tapping away at her tablet.

“No problem, they’ll be inside” she smiled back, looking up “Here’s his trailer, if you need anything I’m once again Ximena” she waved a goodbye to you and Bia.

You climb up the steps, gently, Bia trailing closely behind you. Opening the door, you walk inside to see the spacious area.

The first thing you see when walking in is the platter of Cut strawberries and packs of B’s favorite varieties of goldfish on the coffee table, catching her attention instantly as she sprints towards the snacks. Getting herself comfortable on the sectional sofa in front of the tv.

You can see a counter, an array of cosmetic products settled on top. One chair sat behind the counter, facing a wall with a large mirror mounted on the wall. You walk farther in the trailer to see on the counter, a framed picture of the three of you on an impromptu picnic, your heart filled as you eyed the picture.

you loved that day

Lastly, all the way in the back you could see a large bed, probably a queen, which you could tell was laid upon earlier.

You walked over to Bia, taking a seat next to her, who shoved yet another strawberry into her mouth. You chuckled lowly, grabbing the remote from the coffee table. Putting something on just for her.

You were getting engrossed in the show when the door to the trailer flung open, Harry walking into his hands on his hips.

Bia had jetted off the sofa, running towards her dad, who had crouched down to pick her up. Spinning her around as she giggled, twinkling.

You paced towards him, flinging yourself softly onto him, as he was still holding B.

“Hi love, missed you” he said softly, bringing his right hand up to secure the back of your head, bringing you into a kiss.

“Why are you so out of breath” you asked, laughing. You could see the glimmer of sweat along his hairline.

“Ran all the way over here. I just finished a scene when they told me you two were here” jostling Bia a bit.

“You’re so cute” you said with a fond look, welcoming him for a quick peck. “And you look so handsome. Love when your hair is parted like this”

One of the first things that you had noticed was how dapper he had looked in the brown suit.

You tell him getting a cocky smirk in response. You take your finger and gently move a strand of his hair that hung in between his eyebrows, moving it so it was flowing to the right– as it should be.

“Thank you lovie, how about I show the two of you around.”

You were walking down the lines of trailers, The three of you linked together like monkeys in a barrel, Bia walking in the middle. As you walked down Harry showed her all the equipments, teaching her how things worked, helping her pronounce the tough words, and explaining what they were for.

“They’re shooting something right now. You want to watch?”

“Mhm”

You crouch to pick up Bia, her short legs slowing the two of you down if you had to be honest. She sat on your hip, now a bit farther away from Harry. He had been quick to drape his arm over his arm over your shoulder, bringing you both closer.

“Remember you have to be quiet” Harry reminded B, as you both walked closer to a scene that was about to start.

“I remember” she whispered.

It was only a minute or two that went by, when Bia let out a quiet groan. Frustrated to no end.

“Daddy” She had groaned again, her hand in a tiny fist. You looked down at her, face scrunched up.

“What is it baby?” he asked, grabbing her fist. Her hand now enclosed over his finger.

“My eyes. S’ too bright”

You and Harry smiled down at her, You watched as Harry opened one of the jackets. Slipping his hand inside one of the pockets, you assumed, pulling out a pair of sunglasses. He perched them gently on her face. So big they had slid down her nose.

“Better?” you asked, kissing the top of her head

She nodded her head, turning her attention, so she was watching the extras move around and the actors/actresses recite their lines.

The three of you stood there for another ten minutes, but had to go when Harry looked down at his watch. Smile falling not wanting to leave you both.

“I gotta go lovie, but I’m gonna drop off you both at the trailer first” he says grasping your hand, leading you both away from the ongoing scene.

“What?” you pout “I thought I would’ve been able to see you in action” you tease.

“I know, I know” he sighs, walking in front of you so he can clasp your face between his palms. Which were by now ringless, except for the wedding ring prop. His, from your wedding day, sat next to his journal on his night stand.

“But I’d not rather kiss another woman in front of B...Plus you’ll make me nervous”

“I make you nervous” you keen

“Don’t act surprised” he quips “Remember the time I spilled my drink all over your lap on our first date?” he asks, you nod in confirmation. “There you go! Now let’s get you two back to the trailer” he ended the conversation swiftly, grappling both your shoulders gently. Squeezing them lovingly as he guided you back to the trailers.

You and H had been entranced in a conversation when B had squealed letting out excitedly “Puppy!”

The sound of her excitement got both of your attention, looking down to see none other Dodger on a leash held by Chris freaking Evans.

“Hey Chris!” Harry greeted, putting his hands out for a handshake. Harry had let go of your shoulder as Chris pulled Harry in for what you called ‘manly man shoulder tap’. “You’ve met y/n, this” he pointed to B “Is Bia, my daughter” Harry, properly, introduced the squirming girl in your arm, trying so hard to pet the dog, pinching her cheek.

“Hi” you greeted Chris, clearing your throat afterwards.

You met Chris when the cast had got together for a bonding moment at a very fancy restaurant. But god, could you ever get used to the fact that your husband worked with Chris freaking-hot- Jamal Evans and you basically had access to see him whenever? No. Never.

When the news had broke out that Chris would be joining in as a cast member, you were probably more excited than Harry, as you had ran around the room in twirls at the fact that you were going to see two of the most handsomest men in the world in one movie. And you were married to one of them.

Harry could do nothing that day not wanting to burst your bubble with the slight jealousy he had felt as he laid back on the bed, watching your very familiar crazy behavior. A smile on his face.

“Almost as if you were the one acting with him baby” he teased you, making his way hastily towards you, throwing you over his shoulder a quick smack to your ass.

And the dinner was not any easier. Your hand in Harry’s hands, placed over the table. Which you was his way of slight possessiveness, while you sat across from Chris Evans himself, trying so hard not to act like such a fangirl. His eyes were so blue, so bright, it was hard not to get caught in those.

But you were married and had to calm down. Letting Harry know multiple times if this were Jennifer Aniston he would have all the passes he wanted.

“Hey how are you y/-” Chris had started, but the sound of an overly excited toddler had took all three of your attention

“Daddy!” she roared, a smile on her face, pointing towards Chris’ shocked figure.

It was like time stood, still at the tension–– mostly felt on you and Harry’s end. At the way Chris had dropped his jaw, eyes wide, his finger pointing at himself.

Harry was nothing but embarrassed, cheeks and ears heating up. His own daughter called someone who wasn’t Harry her father for christs sakes.

And you were nothing but the same, as all three of you stood there moths dropped.

“O- oh my gosh, Chris, I’m so sorry. I have no idea why she-” you started.

“It’s fine really” he chuckled. “I’m actually supposed to be on set in a few, so I’ll catch you guys later.” he waved, smiling, walking away from the three of you.

“Oh my gosh, Harry! I just embarrassed myself in front of Chris evans” you whined.

“This is your fault” he laughed “Told you I hated that joke, glad to see karma got you where it hurts”

“I hate you” you whine

Harry pays you no mind, a smug look over taking his face.

“Where’s daddy going?” Bia asks, her head turning at Chris’ walking figure.

if you enjoyed pls don’t forget to reblog or give feedback if ur up to it <3

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camxnoel-updates · 4 years ago

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Cameron Monaghan brought the character of Ian Gallagher to life on Showtime’s hit series, Shameless. The series aired for a total of 11 seasons after originally premiering in 2011. It ranked as the network’s no. 1 comedy, longest-running series, and had the youngest-skewing audience of any Showtime series. Monaghan also joined two legendary universes with roles in both Gotham and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, which I got to ask him about too!

The final season of SHAMELESS finds the Gallagher family and the South Side at a crossroads, with changes caused by the COVID pandemic, gentrification, and aging to reconcile. As Frank confronts his own mortality and family ties in his alcoholic and drug-induced twilight years, Lip struggles with the prospect of becoming the family’s new patriarch. Newlyweds Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey (Noel Fisher) are figuring out the rules and responsibilities of being in a committed relationship while Deb embraces her individuality and single motherhood. Carl finds an unlikely new career in law enforcement and Kevin and V struggle to decide whether a hard life on the South Side is worth fighting for.

Along with the final season, fans also got a six-episode series that featured new Shameless scenes juxtaposed with a retrospective look at each character’s journey over the prior 10 seasons, titled, Shameless Hall of Shame. The first episode followed Ian and Mickey, showcasing their unique relationship and its evolution from a teen fling into a loving, complicated marriage.

I was able to chat with the actor over zoom and ask him all of my burning questions regarding the series finale, Ian and Mickey’s future, the show’s open ending, the representation his character provided to those watching, what he kept from the set, his future projects, and so much more! Keep reading to find out everything he told me.

So first of all, I want to say a huge congrats to you for wrapping Shameless after 11 seasons and bringing this character to life, who has inspired so many and that so many relate to. I wanted to ask, what has your time on the show meant to you and how would you describe how it helped you grow as an actor?

Cameron Monaghan: I mean, it’s so difficult to distill 11 years into some sort of concise answer, but it’s meant a lot for so many reasons. I think that obviously it’s been important for my career and my life in a sense of how it’s not only given me exposure but also given all of us a platform as performers to be able to tell interesting and challenging stories and to really develop and grow. Obviously, we had a couple of old pros on the show– when I say old pros, I’m not calling them old, just that they’re professionals and they’ve been doing it for a long time, but like William H. Macy, Joan Cusack, and a number of people who had very storied careers. Then we had actors on the show who had never appeared on anything prior and for a lot of us, we were somewhere in the middle, where we’d been working for a number of years, but hadn’t been given the opportunities to really put ourselves out there in such a significant way.

So being able to get an audience over the course of 11 years– and the show grew steadily, it was a marginal success at first, but it wasn’t until like season 4 or 5 that it really started to be seen by people and really connect on a larger platform, and a lot of that had to do with Netflix. When that happens we had such an influx of people kind of saying how they related to it and I think that that’s something that I’ve really taken away– I think we’ve all taken away, to be able to hear a lot of other people’s stories and how they’ve connected these stories in entirely different ways. Everyone has had different favorite characters or storylines and they have brought their own personal experiences to that, but for people to say that they feel seen or heard in some ways by these stories, I think is very special. You know, the character that I was playing was an LGBT love story, as well as a story about mental illness, and coping and struggling with that. I had so many positive responses from people regarding those things, and it was amazing to hear people’s responses. So I think that not only was I able to grow as an actor but being able to hear that response and feedback helps you grow as a human being too. I guess that’s what one of my major takeaways is.

What was that final day of shooting like for you, and how did you feel when you officially wrapped?

It was a bit surreal. I don’t think it really set in at first. It’s always funny when you wrap on a project, I feel like it comes in waves, and with something like a TV show, you start to feel it on the last few episodes of like, “Oh, wow, it’s going to be over.” You start trying to find your little ways of saying goodbye to people and understanding that these conversations are obviously not the last for everyone; we’re still close with each other, but you start to recognize that within the context of the show they’ll be your last so that’s a difficult thing. I’ve never been particularly good at saying goodbye, you know? I feel like in general, I’m kind of a person that just likes to be like, “I’m just going to walk away from it cause I don’t know what else to do really.”

So, we were shooting pretty late at night and we were all there hanging out and cracking jokes, and it was just of like, “Oh, I guess that’s it.” We all kind of looked at each other like, “Well, what do we do now?” A bunch of us stuck around for a few hours afterward, we popped a bottle of champagne, and we sat in each others’ trailers and just kinda hung out until pretty early in the morning, the next day. Then we’ve all kind of just been hanging out and seeing each other since. Everyone’s been really busy, thankfully. So we’ve been traveling and going to different cities for work, but when we’ve been in town we’ve been trying to see each other. I had dinner with Jeremy and Ethan, who played my brothers on the show last week. Noel Fisher, I just saw yesterday. I’m going to see Shanola Hampton in a few days. We’re all still staying in touch with each other is what I’ll say.

Were you personally satisfied with the ending of the show? I think it was very open-ended, which was kind of nice and left a lot open for the future. And was there anything you wanted to see for your character that we weren’t able to?

Endings are difficult in general, but I feel like, especially with a show like Shameless, which is a show about a slice of life and sort of how existence doesn’t really fall into a perfect narrative; it tends to be messy and kind of just continue in spite of itself, and it’s a stream of these little victories and these constant mistakes. So you can’t really cap off a pure ending to a story like that. I think that what John Wells tried to do with writing it is not really conclude the stories. He concludes certain aspects, but the way that he explained it to us is he wanted it to feel like if you were walking through the streets of Chicago, maybe you might bump into these characters. Maybe they’re still out there and maybe they’re still doing things. Some of us had more resolution than others.

I would actually say that the Ian and Mickey storyline was one that did have a fair amount of resolution for the final episode. It was about their anniversary, how they were going to deal with their future, and they’ve kind of figured out some sort of life with each other. There are still large questions, whether or not they’re going to have kids and what the terms of their marriage will entail in the future, but those are questions that are lifelong questions, and ones that I think that we know these characters well enough and we understand their relationships well enough that we can draw our own conclusions for. I think there is something beautiful about the fact that the audience will project what their future for these characters will be.

I think it was a challenging final season because of so many extenuating factors in the world. All shows, businesses, everything was trying frantically to keep up with a changing landscape, and the fact that we were able to make it in spite of all of those things, I think is a victory in itself; one that we are all proud of and happy with. I do think there’s still a future, years out, where we might return to these characters and explore them further. I think that I’m happy putting them to bed for now, I think we all are, but I would like to maybe check in with these characters in 5 or 10 years, and just kind of see where they’re at and what they’re doing.

Kind of like a little Shameless movie, just to play catch up for a little bit.

Yeah, I think that’s something that is kind of more possible now with these streaming networks. They’ve done it with a few series, to sometimes success and sometimes mixed results, but I do think there is a possibility of a reunion season or something like that, depending on where the show fits into the public consciousness in a few years, you know? It’s an open question, but one I’d be excited to see.

How you would describe Ian’s evolution and journey on the show?

I think that Ian has come a long way in terms of confidence and assuredness in himself and his own decisions. I think that’s what a lot of the exploration of the character was, especially in the middle seasons between seasons like 3 to 8 or 9, are this guy who sort of just doesn’t necessarily know what he wants for himself and he’s dealing with a bunch of surprises about himself that he doesn’t necessarily understand, or hasn’t really come to terms with. I think it’s amazing to see Ian in these earlier episodes where he’s kind of getting kicked around by his relationships and by his family. He’s kind of a forgotten kid a little bit. He’s like a middle child, who’s just sort of– people aren’t really looking out for him. His brother does to a certain extent, but also his brother is kind of telling him what he wants for himself and Ian isn’t as active.

At a certain point, he starts to really come into his own as an adult and as a human being. I think it’s amazing how we see him as not only a big brother by the end of the series, but also sort of– there’s something a bit paternal about him. He becomes a bit of a father figure, even a little bit in his relationships. I think it’s interesting how Mickey was always sort of the commanding force and deciding factor for so much of the series; when Ian was really struggling with mental illness and down in the dumps, Mickey is the kind of guy who was looking after him, but by the end of the series, Mickey is a bit childlike in certain ways. Ian is kind of protecting him to a certain extent, and even with his older brother, Lip, Ian is sort of looking out for him in a slightly paternal way, which I think is kind of interesting. He really comes a long way in sort of being confident enough in himself to start looking out for other people that I think is a really great quality. It makes him a character who has made a fair amount of mistakes but mistakes that we understand, and I think that ultimately he’s a guy that I understand and really relate to because he does have this quality to him.

So I have to ask you some questions about Ian and Mickey. I personally love them together, they were one of the reasons I started watching the show. In the end, as you said, we kind of get some closure, but also an open ending with them and it’s a happy one; they’re together and celebrating their anniversary. In your head, what do you think that their future holds? Do you think kids are in the picture; do you think they’re going to be parents? Ideally, what is your version of their happy ending, if you could create it?

I think that they both still need to do some work. I would say that they need to do work as a couple in their marriage still of just defining the terms of what is it that they want financially, sexually, intimately, personally, all of these things. It’s a show full of people who aren’t great at communication or dealing with their own feelings– I mean to a certain extent, most human beings aren’t, but these guys, especially, come from a rough background and they have that tendency of just kind of wanting to push that stuff down. Ian has really opened up Mickey and Mickey to a certain extent has really opened up Ian over the course of the series, but I still don’t think they’re fully all the way there. Mickey has a lot of emotional baggage when it comes to parenthood, his father, and dealing with responsibility.

I don’t know if Mickey is fully there. Hopefully, he would be one day in the future. And hopefully, Ian would be patient enough to give him the space to make that decision and to not want to rush into it. I do think that it would be something in their future. Parenthood was a huge motivating factor for Ian earlier in the series, going so far as to steal someone’s baby at some point because he wants to be a father. I would hope that they would be able to provide that for him and for themselves, but there’s no way to know, we have to sort of make that assumption for ourselves, but I think so.

Ian and Mickey have been this fan-favorite couple that means so much to the LGBTQ+ community in terms of representation. What was the moment that you personally started rooting for them?

I think it was pretty early. I was rooting for Ian from the first episode, from the pilot, but the second that Mickey gets introduced to the show, he brought such a fun dynamic with him. Obviously, a massive amount of charisma that was coming from Noel Fisher. The scenes were always fun, exciting, and felt steeped in a lot of dramatic tension. Whether or not they were destined to be together was kind of a question that still was developing. In the first season to the third season, the Mickey character is pretty rough emotionally and physically; he is at points pretty, extremely abusive in a way that is great for a character and for a story, but if I was talking to Ian as a person in real life, I would probably say, “Get the hell away from this guy. He’s awful for you.”

But within the context of the story, we’re able to get the internal life of these characters and we understand them well enough to really want to be rooting for them and see them succeed. It builds into this pretty epic love story of these characters that really do feel kind of intertwined by fate and something greater. It feels like you have these forces pulling for them in a way that you want with every fiber of your being to see it work out for them because you care for them. So obviously, Noel and I had been rooting for these characters the entire time, but it was really fun playing some of the ridiculousness of the situations of the two of them, where they were just very at odds with each other at times. It was a joy bouncing off of each other in both the highs and the lows of the character.

Is there sort of a message that you hope their love story gives to viewers that see themselves in these characters?

Well, I think the aspects of the characters, especially for Mickey, that I’m sure a lot of people relate to, and it is sort of the greatest tragedy of the character, is how he is deeply in the closet and he feels that he can’t embrace his own self and also this beautiful love because of this situation that he’s in; a traumatic home life, specifically an abusive father, and also an environment that doesn’t allow him to be what he wants to be. I guess the message that I do hope that people who are relating to that get is that there are places where you can be accepted and there are better options for you, and sometimes that takes time, but as cliched as it is, it does get better. So hopefully people are able to find these safe environments for themselves to be able to improve the quality of life and to get better situations. I hope that people find hope in the story ultimately.

Another relationship of Ian’s that I have to discuss is his relationship with the whole Gallagher family; that was a focus of the series since day one. What was your favorite part of their dynamic and playing off that?

Obviously, the chaos of the family is always really fun to play. We had these scenes that were kind of an amazing balancing act of like 8 or 9 people in a scene, all messing around with these different storylines that are bouncing off of each other, intertwining, and you have this really biting sharp satirical dialogue that all had a very specific rhythm to it and was a sort of flow that was established early in the show that was kind of kept across the entire series; one that was a genuine joy as a performer to play. But I think that specifically the relationship that I’ve always been a fan of and I love from the start, is probably– it’s definitely one of my favorite relationships on the show– was the relationship between Ian and Lip.

There’s not a lot of depictions of brotherhood and intimacy between men that are deeply sensitive, close, and uncomplicated. Those are definitely scenes that I felt very personally moved by, of two brothers who have just had a world of shit, a lot of complicated and messed up things that have been dropped on their heads that they’ve been dealing with for the entirety of their lives, but they’ve sort of made a pact that they were just gonna be there for each other no matter what. If they weren’t there for each other, who knows if they would have survived. I think that there’s something really amazing about those scenes in that they’re just very open with each other, and that’s something that’s established right from the start and was kind of one of those key relationships for the show that survived until the very last episode and that I’m very proud of, cause I do think that those are some of my personal favorite scenes of the show.

Here’s a fun three-part question: most challenging, fun, and insane storyline for you as an actor?

Most challenging would probably have to be… we reached a point in the series around season 8 and they were trying to contextualize the characters in a modern way, put them into new circumstances, but try to retain what the characters were, but they’ve moved a lot from where they originally were. We were at a point where we were getting so many new writers onto the series, and the show I feel struggled for a second, which happens with any series that’s been on for a while. It felt like there was a point where they didn’t know what they wanted to do with Ian. There were a couple of episodes where I was kind of looking at the story and being like, “What are we doing here? It doesn’t really feel like anything is happening with him and we’re kind of floating across these relationships.” I wasn’t sure what we were trying to say, but that being said, that is kind of true to life, to a certain degree, where we do find ourselves sometimes in these ruts where we don’t know what we’re doing with our relationships, our lives, and ourselves. There is a little bit of a struggle there and that is kind of real to a certain degree, and I do think having those episodes make when they started finding the way with the character and relationships again, kind of more satisfying cause he sort of loses his way and he comes back. So it was kind of a challenge, but I think it all worked out ultimately.

Craziest would have to be… so this is one that no one would even know is like a thing really, no one would even think of it as a thing, but the scene in the pilot episode, Lip and Ian jump out of like a window and they run out of a house to escape an angry parent, right? And they’re kind of running in a rush. So they run out in their socks, down the street, and it’s the middle of January in Chicago and the streets are covered in mud, water, and ice. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever felt in my life that I actually thought my feet were going to like fall off. I thought we were going to have to amputate a toe because of frostbite. We did the scene a bunch of times, and because Jeremy and I were young, we were just sort of trying to be tough, just like, “Yeah, whatever, it’s not a problem. We can do this over and over, not a big deal.” Then I definitely learned a lesson of like, when something is a problem, you have to say, it’s a problem.

Most fun… I don’t know if I can distill it to just one scene. I think the most fun was just getting to interact with all of the wildly different personalities of our show, and just kind of get to sit around and hang out with everyone. There were times that we would just be laughing so hard that one of us would start and we just end up crying, laughing. Usually, it was because of Howey cracking jokes or something like that, but it could be just the dumbest to smallest thing, but it’s the kind of thing when you become so comfortable with people, it just starts to happen. Sometimes it was just the downtime and these little small kind of boring or mundane moments that really ended up being some of my favorite experiences.

Did you take anything from the set at all?

I did. So in the final season, there’s a storyline where Frank steals Nighthawks, the Edward Hopper painting, and that was actually done in cooperation with the Art Institute of Chicago and the Edward Hopper estate. They did these really high-resolution prints of it that were then painted over by hand, and they even took pictures of the back and mimicked the way that the canvas wrapped over, the small writing, and everything. It’s a pretty damn good forgery of Nighthawks. So I stole one of those and that’s hanging up in my living room. I also stole one of the mugs cause in the show we’re always having breakfast and drinking coffee, so there are these rooster mugs and I stole one of those.

Since you’re talking to The Nerds of Color, I have to ask you about Star Wars and Gotham. What stood out to you about Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order compared to your other work, and what did it mean to you to join that iconic universe?

I mean, what stood out pretty quickly was that it had a tone all of its own. Star Wars is a very specific tone. It has sort of its own language, pacing, style, and rhythm; there’s something very specific about it, something that I’m a big fan of. I grew up watching the Star Wars movies and that was definitely… you know, anytime that you’re jumping onto something with an active and passionate fanbase it’s going to be slightly intimidating. There’s no way around that. Thankfully, I’ve at this point done enough projects with really passionate fanbases to kind of understand what that entails, which is that there’s going to be a lot of opinions. A lot of people are really excited about things and no matter what, even the smallest things, someone’s going to be very, very angry about it. That comes along with the territory, but that’s kind of fun to a certain degree; it’s fun to hear such minutiae and being examined, and these conversations are ones that are being had on set too.

There’s so much conversation between the Lucasfilm story group, Respawn, and EA, who are the production companies behind the game, and also the cast, directors, and everybody involved are sometimes discussing, “How does a person stand? How does one get onto a speeder bike? What kind of sound does this monster make?” And there’s always a genuine deference and respect to the series. We know how much people care about it. We know because we care about it a lot, and everyone on this project are huge fans of the source material. So that was exciting to be a part of, obviously; I mean, that should go without saying. It’s so freaking cool to be a Jedi and to be the face of this massive franchise, and to be able to not only be a part of a really well-known property and part of this large project but also to be able to tell an interesting and intimate story within it. For as bombastic as all of the action is, and as big as the Star Wars universe is, I feel the story of Cal Kestis and the people that he interacts with is a somewhat smaller one and a more intimate one. It’s ultimately, at least for me, a pretty emotionally resonant one and a story that I actually very much care about and relate to. I think that was probably the most exciting part about it, was being able to within the framework of this big machinery of what Star Wars is, still tell a story that might actually affect people and make them feel things, I think was just really cool.

Could you describe how it felt to take on the role of the Joker?

Exciting, intimidating, an honor, and challenging; it’s a role that I didn’t take lightly. I understood what it was, which is that a lot of the people who were seeing me in the role had never heard of me and didn’t know who I was, and it was a way to prove myself and to show off my take of what I could do with this. It was really cool too with that show that we were getting to do something that had never really been done before with the character, which is to show multiple versions and possibilities of what that character could be, and to kind of tip our hat to some of the famous stories that came before, and then kind of give a unique spin and show off some new things with it as well.

Obviously, that show was heightened to a certain degree and kind of existed in this wacky over-the-top violent, but also slightly cartoony universe that was kind of its own little thing. That was really fun to play around with it and to totally get to do something kind of different with that, something that we hadn’t seen before. But I think it was specifically really intimidating because, at that point of casting when I performed the episode in the first season of that show, no one had played the role since Heath Ledger had posthumously won the Oscar for the role. So the only people who had touched it in live-action had been Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger, which are just massive, massive shoes to fill and two people that I deeply admired. Again, it’s just sort of a case of respect and wanting to kind of come in, just do my absolute best with the material, and to try to pay a certain level of honor to the people that came before.

Anything you can tease about what you’re going to do next? Any future projects?

Absolutely. It’s always difficult with this stuff because there’s only so much you can say. I can say that I just shot a film that hasn’t been announced yet, but I was out of town shooting it for a while. It’s the starring role in the film, and that will come out to theaters in the near future. I’m also working on another project over the course of the next year that I will be working on and off for. Again, thanks to the joys of NDAs, I can’t actually say what it is. I have a movie that I will be doing in June and then also I’m starting to move a bit behind the camera as well. So I’m working on producing and starring in a feature in August or September. And I’m writing a couple of projects right now as well. So it’s a loaded year for the next year, but it’s all very exciting that’s happening.

#LOVED THIS #cameron monaghan #shameless #shameless us #ian gallagher #gallavich #noel fisher #mickey milkovich #jerome valeska #the joker #gotham #jeremiah valeska #mr j #cal kestis #jedi fallen order #star wars

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scarofthewind · 4 years ago

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Slashers with an S/O with Kosmemophobia

A/N: This request was sent to me though my DM’s but I didn’t know if they wanted to keep themselves anonymous so here it is. Sorry it took so long but I hope you enjoy!

- [ ] Can request the slashers with a reader with Kosmemophobia i have it and hate it when people write the slasher giving jewelry to the reader cuz ew for me it goes same with small metal like keys and coins sorry if this doesn’t make sense

Warnings: None, Kosmemophobia

word count: 874 Tip Jar (every bit helps!)

Gifts you other items:

Bubba Sawyer: Baby boy doesn’t understand when you tell him that you don’t like jewelry and other flashy objects so he picks up the first thing he can find and brings it to you like a happy dog. “Bubba, what do you have there?” You ask, watching him fiddle with something in his hands before he sticks his hands out. “Rock.” He says, handing you the heart shaped rock that he spent hours trying to scrape your initials in.

Michael Myers: Surprisingly enough, Michael doesn’t mind your phobia but he also doesn’t really care for jewelry anyways. One day however, while you were at work, Michael browed through the nearest convenient store isles to find something you would like. When you came home and saw a basket full of your favorite snacks and a few stuffed animals placed around it, you laughed in enjoyment, watching as the corners of his mouth almost turned upwards, “Glad I did right this time.”

Norman Bates: He’s one hundred percent okay with your phobia and even makes it his job to keep those items away from you. When he does find the need to buy you gifts, he simply buys whatever you had mentioned needing or wanting in prior conversations. You were so happy to get the newest (book, movie, album) that you wanted, “You did only say how much you wanted that like a thousand times,” he’ll joke, pressing a soft kiss to your head.

Hates gifting jewelry anyways:

Thomas Hewitt: As much as he would love to finally pop the question and put a ring on your finger, he understands your fear so he waits and he doesn’t mind. Thomas usually likes giving you things he made himself like a pretty wood carving or a bunch of wildflowers he snagged from outside. “Pretty flowers for my pretty girl,” he’ll say with a grin, watching you take them and put them in a vase with a smile and blush on your face.

Vincent Sinclair: “I made this for you,” Vincent says quietly, watching you turn around to face him with a curious look on your face. When you see the small wax sculpture of what looks to be you and him, you’re heart melts faster than the wax itself. Vincent loves giving you stuff he made, it makes him feel appreciated and loved knowing his work was adored by his wonderful lover. He doesn’t care about the shiny stuff as long as you’re happy, he is too.

Jason Voorhees: There’s not much jewelry laying about in the woods so Jason doesn’t mind giving you other gifts anyways. Plus he thinks that no matter what size jewel you have on, it still won’t be as bright as you (sap). “What’s this?” You ask when Jason hands you something. When you look in your palm to see the small heart shaped wood chip that has ‘I love you’ scratched in it, your eyes water a bit knowing that it’s very true.

Doesn’t know what to give you:

Brahms Heelshire: Poor thing genuinely doesn’t know what to give you. He’s gifted you many books and so many nick knacks it’s hard to keep count of all of them. “What about this? Do you like this?” He asks, skidding into the living room from his hole in the wall and throwing himself down on the couch, showing you the magazine catalogue in his hands. He’ll flip through them with you for hours until you find something that he immediatley goes and buys. You can’t complain; you might even ask for a pony for Christmas.

Bo Sinclair: “How about I buy you and watch?” Bo will ask you and you give him a disappointed look which he nods at. He’s not the best at gift giving anyways so don’t expect much, if anything, from him. Just know if he manages to find something you like, he really put the time and energy into finding it. The best gift yet was when he took you out of town and you two went on a nice weekend vacation. (He just wanted to see you in hotel bathrobe).

Charles Lee Ray: He wants to shower you with all the gold and shiny things in the entire world. It’s very hard for him to not buy you these things and it takes him a while before he finally gets the hang of it. It starts off with small items like stuffed animals but then it grows to clothes shopping or other things. “Tickets to Paris for a week.” He tells you when you open the envelope at dinner one night, your eyes widening as he smugly drinks his wine, telling you to close your mouth or a ‘snake’ might mistake it for its home.

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simpz-art-stash · 3 years ago

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Late beginnings

Summary: Mac goes out for a drink, and happens upon some advice he takes into consideration about his skewered relationship with Wukong. Before finally taking some action to mend the long burnt bridge. (Author’s note: I barely did any beta reading for this so if it’s worded strangely that’s just how I write without the normal filter on. I’m country so HOWDY) Next Page ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The night was late, but he didn’t care, he might as well have been nocturnal with the way his whole life revolved around the whole stereotype of shadows and shit. He’d walked into a bar he’d passed through a few times before, donning his human disguise of course beforehand, and walked in without sparing anyone else a glance. Before planting his rear in one of the stools seated at the front bar, ordering a drink to get the night started. “I’m really looking forward to seeing that new Monkey King movie with the trailer they just released. You saw it too right?? The whole style of the film is on par with their most recent game- OH, you think they’re gonna make a game of it?? I bet you they wiiiill!~” Ugh, great, just what he’d come here to avoid.

Mac’s eyes glanced to the blabbermouth boasting about whatever new movie was being made about his ex, to see two girls residing a ways down near the other end of the bar a few seats away from him. Both looking to have had a fair night themselves already if any of the cups and plates hanging around their spot was anything to go by. “Probably. I hope it’s better than last game that came out on the Brick 360, the bugs in that thing were gross to deal with.” Their friend commented back. Before looking down at their phone and claiming that it was getting late and that they had to go. “Yeah I’ll see ya Monday!” The chick waved their friend off a lazy farewell after they’d paid their bill before going back to their drink, now taking less tedious sips as the mood seemed to smooth out from their conversation prior. “I see someone’s a pretty big fan of that ol’ man.” Macaque piped up from where he sat, earning the attention of the stranger he’d directed his comment towards. “The Monkey King yeah?” Sparks danced in the chick’s eyes at the recognition of the name, before the stranger perked up and beamed a smile back at him, “You betcha! I’m a total nerd for that legend.” ‘A legend, hah.’ “S’the whole reason I moved to China in the first place.” She jabbed a thumb at her chest, “All the way from America!” Mac whistled, “That’s a pretty far leap to take, even for a legend. What, you hopin’ you’ll get the chance to see em’ or somethin’?” He sneered, taking his glass and lazily swirling it in his hand. “I wish!” She laughed, “Nah I mostly just moved here for work. If anything though it’s cuz a them for where I am now. I’d never even heard of him till about five years ago!” Mac blinked, lowering his drink from his lips, “You’re joking…”

“Not at all! No one hardly knows the story back home. Only reason I found out was cuz I just started gettin’ into anything monkey-related as a hobby.” She pointed at him, “Don’t laugh either, it’s a wildly popular standpoint to have these days online.” Mac quirked a brow at that, he’d hardly touched the internet these days save for whenever he needed some quick info on something he couldn’t find elsewhere. He held his hands up, “Hey I ain’t judging…” He smirked a little to betray the look that he totally was though. It was kinda funny how ironic it was him being there right then. She squinted at him, “Anyways...Yeah, I’d seen stuff of him online, but I’d never paid much attention to it up until recently.” “What made you change your mind?” Mac boredly probed, taking a sip. She simply shrugged, “I was in a dark headspace, guy made me laugh.” He paused, “Wait, seriously??” “I mean have you HEARD half the crazy shit he’s done??” ‘Babe I’ve LIVED through half the shit he’s done.’ “Like, literally, the guy is HILARIOUS. My favorite story out of them all being one where he literally tricked THREE taoist immortals into drinking his own piss!!” She burst out laughing while Mac choked on his drink a little, not having expected to hear that of all things. Sure he’d heard a few of the shenanigan’s his peaches had gotten up to throughout his journey to the west but he’d never heard that one before. Nor had he the patience to read through all that mess of context that had been published either. “Ahhh man, it still gets me…” The chick sighed with a few leftover laughs as she wiped a tear from her eye. “What about you? What’s your favorite story?” She asked. And suddenly Mac felt like he’d been put on the spot as he stared back at her. “Come ooon, surely there’s one that’s gotten your gut rolling.” She pried. ‘Plenty, but there ain’t no way in hell I’d tell a soul.’ “Bahh...there ain’t the first one that comes to mind that I’d like. Honestly I’m not even much of a fan.” He waved his hand dismissively. “Whaaat?? Aw come on! There’s tons of cool n’ funny stories!” “Heh..can’t imagine what you find so charming about a guy who’s too good for his own friends.” Mac spitefully twacked himself mentally for spewing something so personal like that out. Ugh, and he hadn’t even finished half his drink yet… The chick sitting to his left seemed to tilt her head a little before she squinted at him. Her silence being what brought his attention from his drink to her as he blinked back with a quirked brow. “What?” “Your eyes, they’re like raging storm clouds.” She pointed out. He blinked, not really sure how to feel about that. The only one who’d ever really pointed that out to him before was… “...So?” “Nothing!...” She shrugged, turning back away towards her own drink as if no conversation at all had happened between them. Whatever...he had his fill of shit to drink to either way. The night might’ve been late but he was just getting started. “He makes me laugh though.” She pointed out, earning her a glance. “All his stories n’ stuff. If there was ever a man I’d want, it’d be one who could always make me laugh.” “Hmph, not one for strength?” He took a long sip. Ignoring the bitterness of others fawning over someone he’d come to love before he’d gotten so popular. “Strength is fine n’ all, but it can only take a relationship so far..you gotta have more pieces to put in that crockpot of a relationship if you wanna make it taste good. Stuff like patience, honesty, a little bit of everything to help it all come together to make it juuuuust right.” “Hm…” “It can’t be all just you putting the stuff in there either, it’s gotta be a contribution from both gardens. Otherwise you’ll just barren your lands and be left with nothing to spare yourself or others in your life with.” She glanced at Mac, “Relationships are tricky like that, but they should always be a 50/50 split~” She winked. That...actually sounded like pretty sound advice. Something he’d heard a little here and there before but never so simply laid out. Though it made sense from his standpoint, fairness n’ all that. But he’d been that way with Wukong before and it had never worked out, all the bickering and such, so what had gone wrong? “Can I...ask you something?” Mac inquired. “Shoot.” “What’re your thoughts on..a relationship that seemed fine, but then the other changed so much that everything about it fell apart?” “Mmm...care to sprinkle in a lil more context?” The chick eyed him. Mac’s face scrunched up a little, no idea why he was asking some random mortal for relationship advice of all things. “Hey man. We’re both probably never gonna meet again after tonight, so if you’ve got skeletons in your closet, your best place to let em’ out is here. Bartenders are known for being the most well kept secret keepers in all the world after all~” She winked at the bartender in question who simply looked the other way with a look that might’ve suggested such a fact as truth. “Hm…” Ah screw it, “Alright alright…” He sighed and put his drink down, “There’s..someone. We used to be real close, we were strong together but then uh..shit got real and he had to go deal with it. But when he came back he uh, wasn’t the same as before, an I might’ve sorta assumed he was cheating on me so…so we kinda fell out.” The chick nodded, “Ahh..the classic misunderstanding of change and cheating, a tale as old as time.” She seemed to hum a moment before she turned from where she was seated, if not to hop down off her stool and plop down on the one right up next to him. “Uh-” “Shhh, lemme see those eyes.” She squinted, leaning in and staring deep into his. It’d would’ve been really unnerving if she hadn’t said anything about them before, now he was a lil put off that he might’ve been asking a witch of all things for advice… “Right. Well, at least you feel bad about it. So there’s that.” He blinked and his brows furrowed, “Wh- of course I feel bad about it, it was his fault-” He suddenly had a finger pressed to his lips. “Nope! Nooononono, you do not get to throw all the blame elsewhere like that sweetheart. There ain’t no way in hell you’re gettin’ a second chance with them if you keep that up.” She pulled her hands back. His face scrunched up and he found himself crossing his arms, if he had his tail out it would’ve been irritably swaying behind him right then at just how annoyed he was getting at this weird lady and her words. “Oh yeah? An what do you think’s best then huh?” “I dunno if you’d be up for that kinda challenge…” She idly fiddled with an imaginative piece of lint off her sleeve, which only seemed to irritate Mac further at the thought of him not being able to handle Wukong of all people. Like sure he’d gotten his ass handed to him before but he could still hold his own! “Try me.” The chick glanced back at him with a smirk, which caught him off guard for a second before he shot her a glare back. “Alright, but it’s definitely not gonna be as quick or easygoing of a recovery as you might hope it’ll be. Nor is there even a chance of you recovering it in the first place. But, you at least got that spark enough to try so who am I to deny?” ‘Hmpt, dam right I got a spark.’

“First of all, no more blaming, if you’re gonna tackle this properly, you gotta do yourselves a favor an quit it with the blame placing. Sure it’s easy, but it ain’t gonna get you nowhere but back to square one. It’s all in the past, the now is now. So push forward to fix it and put it behind you two so you can focus on the more important things.” “Easier said than done…” “Hey man, even if they don’t follow the same ruleset at first you could always work things out to make it one later on. I’m just tellin’ ya right now so you won’t just go diggin’ yourself a deeper hole.” Honestly at this point he was pretty much six feet down under, death to him would’ve been a mercy right then. “Fine…” He rolled his eyes. “Next up, apologizing…” -----------~----------- “I thought I told you to stay off my island.” Mac didn’t really glance back from where he stood high up on one of the breathtaking ledges that which Flower Fruit Mountain bolstered. His arms crossed, eyes sternly held against the leftover warmth of the late afternoon sun as it shifted the skies hues from blue to blood red. Hopefully that would be the only tinge of red the Mountain would see after today. “I know.” “What, no witty remark? Give me one good reason-” “I just wanted to talk.” Mac stated plainly. “Why the hell should I give you the chance?” “...” Mac wasn’t sure if he could come up with a good enough reason after the shitshow he’d caused him the last few centuries, most recent being his spat with him between MK. “I’m sorry.” That seemed to catch the king off guard, as he paused in his vicious glare to stare at the other. “Excuse me??” “I’m.Sorry.” Mac turned finally to Wukong, that look of fiery malice having softened immensely upon meeting their eyes. “I was wrong for what I did and I’m sorry.” Wukong’s face looked like it had had a stroke with how frozen in place it was, almost like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Hurting everyone around you just to get back at you, I was wrong for doing that. And I just wanted to apologize.” Mac’s face twisted a little, the words coming out a little rougher than he’d liked, but he’d managed to get three steps in so far… “If you think a few sorry’s are gonna be enough to make up for all that crap then you gotta nother’ thing comin Mac.” Wukong finally shook off the surprise and crossed his arms with a steely gaze. “Nah I know they ain’t worth shit with as long as it's been...which it’s been..a really, really long time come to think of it..nearly 3000 years…” Fucking yikes. “What’s your point?...” Wukong raised a brow at him. “My point is...my point..” What was his point? To make amends and hope they’d get back together? To go back to the way things were? That couldn’t be done with the way things were now. Wukong had a successor, a moral compass, a lotta shit that Mac didn’t. A lotta shit that he wanted but never could figure out how to get his own. His face scrunched up a little and he sighed, “I..just wanted to make things right.” “Oh-hoh? After so long you finally decided to admit you were at fault? Sorry Mac, but it’s waaaay too late for that.” Wukong huffed, “Honestly, this is probably just another one of your stupid tricks if anything. The old Macaque would never throw himself down like that.” “Well maybe I’ve changed!” Mac exclaimed suddenly, his temper flaring a bit as his eyes flashed lightning. “3000 years later? As if…” Wukong rolled his eyes and turned away, “You’ve still got that same look in your eyes you always do whenever we fight. Do me a favor and just keep away from the hot springs this time yeah? The last time you were here you sent a whole dam boulder over there and smashed half the pools.” He waved his hand dismissively. “And I happen to take my once a month bath’s very seriously.” Mac’s nostrils flared a little at just how flamboyant Wukong was acting towards him and his attempt to make amends. How he just saw his attempt as a joke and nothing more, it pissed him off. Wukong had changed and everyone had accepted him, well not everyone, but still, why couldn’t the same be for him? Had he really fooled himself into believing that there was a chance he and Wukong could be together again? His shoulders slumped a little. Of course, who was he kidding. A 3000 year old pit of grudges wasn’t about to just up and disappear at the wave of a white flag. This was Wukong, the same guy who still playfully pestered the gods and demons around him for past conflicts that had happened between them. -----------~----------- “But you can’t just go, ‘ooo I’m so sorry for what I did.’ Nah, you gotta follow the five steps.” The chick claimed. “Yeesh, this a learning course now?” Mac tilted his head to the side. “It is if you wanna make things right.” She claimed matter a factly. “The five steps have never failed me before and have worked wonders for any an all my relationships. Might not quite have the same range of effect you’re going for but it’ll at least be a good start.” “Heh, you got the guts to back up that case?” Mac sneered. “I will if you don’t manage to screw it up.” The chick pointed out. “The five steps go as follows.” - express sorrow (I’m sorry) - own guilt (I was wrong) - name specific wrongs (I did X) - name impact (I hurt you) “And finally...” -----------~----------- “What can I do to prove myself to you?” Macaque asked finally. “What can I do to at least make it to where we can..not fight anymore..and just talk?...” Wukong stood there for a long moment, his features unreadable as their silence was muffled by the wind bellowing between them both from being so high up. “You really are serious about this aren’t you?...” Wukong’s head shifted ever so slightly, but not enough to where Mac could get a reading on his emotions. “I’m tired of fighting and waiting and thinking that if enough time passes things’ll go back to the way they were...when they never will. Trying to hurt you isn’t gonna make the old you come back, no matter how many times you beat me down...It’ll never be the same.” Mac admitted finally. A quiet gust settled down between them, before Wukong seemed to let out a dry chuckle and shook his head. “Can’t believe it took me 3000 years to beat the sense into you.” He turned and looked back at the other, where he no longer held a look of seething hate, but more akin to that of the same tired look just as the one Mac wore. Mac felt a sliver of guilt wriggle its way into one of the cracks of his heart and he glanced away, pulling a hand back and scratching his head. “Yeah well...your kid hit me pretty hard last time, enough to knock it in place.” A small smile crept a little onto his face. “Hm~ He’s gettin’ pretty good at hittin’ stuff with that old stick.” Wukong’s eyes glinted a little at the appeal of how proud he was for MK having taken Mac out the way he did. A little over the top and flashy, just like him.” “He’s got a pretty strong master to thank for that…” Mac found himself yearning a little for that same glint to be reflected on his memory the same way as MK’s. Not that he couldn’t see himself holding the same appeal for MK the way Wukong did, kid was strong, just a lil desperate in some of the cracks that shaped his outline. Something Macaque found that was easy enough to take advantage of, and something Wukong held a blind eye to. “Hm.” Wukong’s reply pushed him out of those thoughts for the moment as they shared a brief look between one another. A glimmer of reconsideration flashing between the two before Wukong finally turned his head away to drink in the sunset before them. “One chance.” Mac felt his heart nearly stop at that answer. “I’ll give you one chance, but if you screw this up, don’t even think about showing your face to me again.” Wukong replied, “I mean it this time…” Mac swallowed a little and nodded. Anything, he’d be willing to do anything to gain back what little trust he could from Wukong. “Good...you can start making up for it by apologizing to MK.” Mac blinked and sputtered a little as Wukong turned away and began to make his way back down the mountain. A smile playing on his lips while Macaque groaned to the heavens about his next trial.

#shadowpeaches #LMK #lego monkie kid #my fics #Sun Wukong #Macaque #AND MEEEEE #BECAUSE I SAID SO #>:3c

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robinrunsfiction · 4 years ago

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CAN I GET A FRANK X READER FIC WHERE THE BAND GOES OUT FOR LUNCH AND Y/N STAYS AT THE BUS AND SLEEPS IN FRANKS BUNK AND THEY GET BACK AND FRANK SEES HER AND JUST GETS INTO BED WITH HER AHD HOLDS HER AND ITS ALL FLUFFY

Hold You Here

Pairing: Frank Iero x Female Reader Rating: General Requested By: Anons Word Count: 2,000 Author’s Note: I’m combining this with another similar request, which resulted in a longer story! I hope everyone enjoys! TW for a brief mention of Gerard’s addiction struggles in 2004

To be in a band meant that your bandmates were your most intimate friends. Hours, days, weeks spent cramped together in small confined spaces meant that everyone saw each other at their best, worst, and everything in between. Platonic physical affection wasn’t an unusual occurrence and neither was sharing beds so that the fewest number of hotel rooms could be reserved to save money, curling up under a blanket together while watching a movie on the bus, not to mention all the on-stage antics, it was all taken in stride.

It also helped that everyone looked out for each other, but it seemed as if Frank looked out for you more than the others. When things became hectic, or when you were suffering from one of your migraines, he’d always be the one checking up on you to make sure you were okay. Spending hours up late at night talking with him was one of your favorite ways to pass time on the bus. You’d developed quite the soft spot for the chaotic guitarist.

The band had been touring what felt like non-stop for ages, but especially now that Three Cheers was out. It had been a very long, hot summer full of meeting fans, rocking out, and if you were being honest with yourself, way too much partying on everyone’s part. You were feeling pretty burnt out, but the success of the band made it worth it.

Now it was the last week of Warped Tour 2004 and you could tell summer was ending by how quickly the nights were cooling down. As usual when the tour was stopped over for a couple nights, both a bonfire, and most of the bands, were lit. You were standing as close to the fire as you could without melting the rubber on your chucks trying to keep warm.

“Hey,” Frank said, walking over to stand next to you.

“Hey, how’s it goin?” You asked

“Good. Cold?”

“Yea,” you rolled your eyes. “I decided to dress cute, and now I’m freezing my ass off.”

“Who were you dressing up for?” Frank asked, unzipping his hoodie.

“No one really,” you replied, watching as he took off the sweatshirt. “What are you doing?”

“Keeping you warm,” he replied.

“You don’t have to,” you started as he put it over your shoulders.

“Too late,” he replied with a smirk that faded into a soft smile.

You looked up at him, in the dim light of the bonfire and you felt your heart skip, like a switch had been flipped. That soft spot you held in your heart for him suddenly felt overwhelmed, like the quiet feelings were now screaming in your ears.

“I bet it’s warmer on the bus,” you suggested, deciding to lean into the moment. You just hoped you were gauging the situation correctly.

His eyebrows went up in surprise, but he nodded. “I bet you’re right, wanna go back?”

“Yea.”

The walk across the parking lot was silent, as your hands brushed against each other’s, shoulders bumping occasionally. Climbing into the bus, you wandered to the back and confirmed no one else was around, and when you turned back to Frank he seemed a little nervous.

“Ya know you do look really cute. Like not just tonight, like all the time,” he said.

“Thanks,” you replied, tucking your hair behind your ear nervously. You were in your 20s, why were you suddenly feeling like a middle schooler talking to their crush?

“Wanna watch a movie or something?” He offered after an awkward silence hung between you.

“Sure. Nothing scary though, I’m tired of horror.”

“How can you be tired of horror?” Frank asked with feigned shock.

“Because that’s all we watch and we’ve watched almost every movie we have 100 times over.”

Frank started flipping through the stack of DVDs that the band had accumulated through countless tours. “What about ‘10 Things I Hate About You’?” he asked.

“Yes,” you nodded eagerly, plopping down on the couch and pulling off your shoes.

Frank put the movie in the DVD player and turned off the lights, sitting next to you. You glanced over, trying to gauge what he was thinking. He glanced back and you snapped your eyes back to the tv. As the movie progressed, Frank casually put his arm over the back of the couch and you settled into his side.

“I wanna go play paintball, like real paintball, some time,” you said, watching Kat and Patrick’s date on the screen.

“We should go then,” Frank replied.

“Just us? Or,” you trailed off.

“Yea, I mean unless you wanna invite other people.”

You looked up at him, and he was looking back down at you. "No, just us," you said softly.

"Cool," he said with a goofy smile.

You had to bite your lip to keep from giggling, but in that moment, the energy between you shifted. Frank started to lean in and you closed your eyes as his lips met yours. At first the kiss was soft and tender, almost tentative. But then his arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer and your hand ran through his hair as he deepened the kiss.

When you finally came up for air, you couldn't help the smile on your face when you saw how happy Frank looked. "That was fun," you laughed.

"I've been wanting to do that forever," he said, running a hand through his hair, smoothing it down.

"Well we should do it again sometime," you replied.

Just then, loud, drunken voices could be heard outside the door to the bus and you both jumped apart.

"They're in here makin' out or something," Ray shouted over his shoulder with a giggle. You knew there was no way they could have seen you two just minutes before, but the joke still rattled you.

"No they weren't," Mikey said disbelievingly, as he and Gerard followed.

You glanced at Frank who was shaking his head at your bandmates before he changed the subject to something totally random. Things had literally just started with him, and it felt fragile. The last thing you wanted was to have it all fall apart like nothing happened, and be left wondering forever what could have been.

The next day, nothing about the prior night was discussed between you and Frank, but it had been a busy day of press, playing, and meeting fans. When you were climbing back into your bunk, completely exhausted, you spotted a folded up piece of paper on your pillow. You closed the curtain behind you and turned on the small light above your bed. When you unfolded the note, you immediately recognized Frank's scrawling handwriting.

(YN), all I've been able to think about today is how your lips felt on mine and wondering when I can feel it again. I can't remember anything that was said to me because I was thinking about how I'd rather just be talking to you. I hope sometime before the end of this tour we can hang out alone together again.

XO, frnk

You bit your lip to keep from squealing with delight.

The last few days of Warped Tour were just as much of a blur, and when that tour was over, you were quickly shipped off to another one. Gerard was struggling and the whole band was impacted. Everyone dealt with it in their own way, and luckily you had Frank to brush away the worried tears when your brain wouldn't quiet enough to let you sleep at night.

Soon after, Gerard got the help he needed and when he rejoined the band, you were immediately sent back out on the road. Everything felt a little brighter that fall.

You and Frank were as good as ever, but still keeping your relationship quiet. His hand would find yours when no one else was around. You'd each sneak into each other's bunks and spend the nights cuddled together. Then there was the series of excuses as to why you two should share hotel rooms, which included Mikey texting too much, Ray talking too much, and Gerard keeping the light on all night drawing, among others.

So when you were blindsided with a migraine one morning, you were not at all pleased. The pain throbbed through your head as nausea rolled through your stomach. You groaned as you slid out of your bunk and stumbled to the front of the bus, which was obnoxiously bright, to the cabinet holding the medicine.

"There's sleeping beauty," you heard Ray laugh, but you just grunted in response. You grabbed the bottle of Excedrin and silently prayed they'd do their job quickly as you took a dose.

"You ok?" Frank asked as you slumped down on the couch.

"No, migraine."

Your bandmates groaned, knowing how much of a pain, literally and figuratively, they were for you.

"So you don't wanna go grab lunch?" Mikey asked.

"Please don't make me think about food or I might get sick."

"Do you want me to stay back with you?" Frank offered. It didn't even register how much concern he was showing toward you.

"No, I just wanna sleep and hope it goes away before we have to play tonight."

"Ok, we'll leave you alone. Come on guys," Gerard said, shooing the guys out. You glanced up and saw Frank giving you a sympathetic look before leaving the bus.

You dragged yourself back to the bunks, closing the door to the main room behind you and looked at your bunk. There was no way in hell you were climbing back up into it. Instead climbed into Frank's.

You pulled his blanket over you as you curled up in a ball facing the wall. His pillow smelled faintly of his shampoo, but not enough to make you feel sick, or maybe the medication was finally kicking in.

It felt like no sooner you'd fallen asleep that you heard voices in the front of the bus. You wondered how long you’d been out, but didn’t care enough to check the time. Before you could drift off again you heard the door opening and closing softly. Shuffling steps stopped behind you and then you felt someone climb in the bunk behind you.

"Hey," Frank said softly, his arm wrapping around your side.

"Hi," you answered, a smile forming on your face for the first time all day, not that he could see it.

"Feeling better?"

"A bit. Not 100% yet, but better than earlier."

"Mind if I nap with you?"

"Please do," you replied.

Frank drew the curtain shut and settled in behind you. He brushed aside your hair and placed a soft kiss on the side of your neck before giving you another quick squeeze.

You drifted back to sleep for a while, and when you woke up again, your headache was mostly gone you were relieved that you'd be able to play that night without feeling awful. As you stretched your legs out, Frank shifted, pulling you tighter against him.

"Better yet?" He murmured sleepily.

"Yea," you said, not moving more, afraid of disturbing the comfortable cocoon you two were in.

“So at lunch the guys were talking,” Frank started.

“‘Bout what?” You asked, rolling over.

“Us.”

“Oh?” Your heart rate going up.

“We went to this café for lunch and I got you a cupcake, it’s in the fridge by the way. And they were just wondering if there’s something going on between us.”

“What’d you say?”

“I just brushed it off, they were just giving me shit.”

“Oh,” you said, suddenly feeling a little dejected.

“Do you still wanna keep us a secret?” He asked.

“I dunno," you mumbled. "Do you?”

Frank intertwined his fingers with yours. "It's been kinda fun this way. But I also kinda wanna tell everyone I know that I'm the luckiest dude in the world BECAUSE I'm with you."

“Let's decide later,” you replied. “For right this moment, let’s just enjoy this.”

"Good idea," he replied with a soft smile before leaning in and kissing you lovingly.

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