#Quarantine Beck

[creating--memories]

This is How it Went - part 2

---

Hey everyone, in honor of the win today, here is the second part to my series, let me know if you like it :) I tried to make this one a little bit longer. I also have been trying to add a song for each chapter that I feel like captures the feelings. Also I wrote part of this while watching the new Noah beck movie (it was so bad) 😭 so sorry for any typos. Enjoy!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 2 - Oh my god, I think I'm in love with you

Word count: 1.8k

themes: angst, fluff

TW: none

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2020 crashed into Paige and Azzi’s lives like a wrecking ball. Paige’s senior year was abruptly cut short, and Azzi’s basketball career was put on indefinite pause. But neither of them was about to let that stop them from spending every moment they could together. Paige had been staying at the Fudd’s house for a few weeks, as they’d generously taken her in for the duration of quarantine.

Azzi lay sprawled on the couch, her legs propped up on the armrest. The cool leather clung to her thighs, offering some relief from the oppressive Virginia heat. Her face was buried in a book, oblivious to the chaos unfolding around her. Between Paige and the constant energy of her brothers, Azzi had gotten pretty good at tuning things out.

“Paige, Jose, NO!” Jon shouted, his voice full of mock desperation as he dashed down the stairs, Paige and Jose hot on his heels, Nerf water guns in hand. The three of them weaved through the furniture, taking turns spraying each other at every opportunity. 

Paige darted behind Azzi’s couch, hoping to use her best friend as a shield.

Peeking her head around the couch, Paige scanned the room for her attackers. Just as she did, Jon turned toward her, ready to take a shot. But Paige ducked back, leaving Azzi to take the brunt of the water instead.

“Hey! What the heck, Jon?” Azzi yelled, frustrated both by her now-soaked sweatpants and the interruption to her reading.

“Blame Paige! She’s the one hiding behind you like a human shield!” Jon shot back, grinning.

Azzi shot Paige a stern glare.

Paige pouted, shrugging her shoulders. “Sorry, Az, I was under attack!”

Azzi couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. For some reason, Paige had a way of making her crack, especially when those bright blue eyes of hers softened in that familiar, endearing way.

“Hey, you three! Take it outside, or knock it off!” Katie’s voice rang out from the kitchen.

“Yes, ma’am!” the trio chorused, before running out onto the deck.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Azzi lay in her bed, propped up against the pillows, wrapped in her favorite pink, fluffy blanket. She was lost in her book when a familiar voice interrupted her peaceful reading.

“Azziiiiii!”  

“Azziiii!”  

“Azziiiiiiii!”

Azzi sighed, not bothering to look up. “Paige, please. I’m almost finished with this chapter.”

“But I’m bored!” Paige whined, poking her friend on the shoulder. “I want to do something fun.”

Azzi kept her gaze on her book. “Like what?”

“What if we dyed our hair?” Paige’s suggestion broke Azzi’s concentration, and she looked up to see Paige wiggling her eyebrows mischievously.

“You’re serious?” Azzi raised an eyebrow, half-laughing, half-incredulous.

“Yeah, why not? It’s not like anyone’s going to see us,” Paige shrugged.

Azzi smiled. “What the hell, sure.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paige sat on the edge of Azzi’s bed, a purple-stained towel draped around her shoulders to protect her clothes from the dye running down her back. She opened up snapchat on her phone, turning her head side to side to admire her new look in the mirror. After snapping a few pics, she uploaded one to her private story: *“Purple Paige 👀💜”* then waited impatiently for Azzi to finish rinsing out her dye in the bathroom next door.

Suddenly, the door to the bedroom burst open, and Azzi stormed in, a trail of purple water dripping behind her. The only thing covering her was a towel wrapped around her chest. 

“Paige, my hair is a total flop!” she groaned.

Paige threw her head back and laughed. “Maybe it’ll look more purple when it dries?”

Azzi glared at her. “Ugh, this was a waste of time,” she muttered, turning to face her mirror, her back to Paige.

Paige’s breath hitched as her eyes drifted to Azzi’s bare back, streams of purple falling down from her curly hair, highlighting the curve of her shoulders. She felt a familiar warmth spread through her chest, her heart fluttering. She’s beautiful, Paige thought

Suddenly, hit with a pang of anxiety, Paige looked down at her hands and started to pick at the stitches on the pink comforter she sat on, trying to keep her eyes on anything but Azzi. Fuck, why am I thinking these things about her, she’s a girl, and she’s my best friend. Paige thought to herself.

“At least one of us had some success,” Paige said, her voice a little too sharp as she fiddled with the threads.

“Yeah, I guess,” Azzi muttered, slipping a black tank top over her head.

Azzi flopped down next to Paige, grinning. “Let’s call Colleen and show her our new look.”

Paige moved closer to Azzi as she pulled out her phone and dialed Colleen, relieved for the distraction. 

“Colleen, look, we’re purple!” Azzi exclaimed when her friend answered.

“Wow! I like the edgy look. Very mature,” Colleen teased, laughing as she watched the girls shake their hair dramatically.

“I wonder what Josh is gonna think when we go back to school,” Colleen added with a sly smile. “He’ll probably flip.”

Azzi rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I don’t even like him like that.”

Paige’s stomach twisted. “Who’s Josh?” she asked, keeping her tone casual, though she could feel the jealousy rising in her chest.

“Just some guy in our grade,” Azzi shrugged, waving it off.

“Yeah, just some guy who has a HUGE crush on Azzi,” Colleen teased.

Paige’s heart sank. Of course he does she thought. Paige felt a lump rising in her throat. She tried to steady her voice and say something in response, but all she could muster out was a small “oh”.

Azzi brushed it off. “I don’t like him back, though.”

“Well, I think he’s cute,” Colleen chimed in before turning the conversation back to Paige. “So, Paige, any crushes you want to show your new purple look off to?”

Paige shifted uncomfortably on the bed, her fingers picking at the loose threads again. “Nope. No crushes for me.”

Azzi gave her a knowing look. “C’mon, there’s got to be someone.”

Paige’s voice was tight as she responded, “Really, Azzi. There’s no one.”

Colleen exchanged a glance with Azzi before turning back to Paige. “Not even Jalen?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Jalen? What? No. We’re just friends, seriously. He’s like a brother to me.”

“Oh c’mon Paige we’ve all seen the pictures of you two, there has to be something more there. I think you’d be cute together” Azzi pushed. 

Azzi’s words felt like daggers in Paige’s chest. She didn’t know why but she felt like her heart had just been stomped on. A panic started to rise in her throat as she blurted out a response to the girl. 

“I said no! We’re just friends, and I don’t want to be anything more. Now will you just drop it and get off my case Azzi?” Said Paige, her voice coming out more harsh than she had meant.

Azzi’s smile faltered, a confused expression crossing her face. “Sorry, didn’t know,” she muttered.

Sensing the tension, Colleen quickly ended the call. “I’m gonna go. I’ll call you later, Az.” She said as she offered her friend a comforting smile and hung up the FaceTime.

As the screen went black, the room fell silent. Paige wanted to apologize, to explain herself, but the words stuck in her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Azzi’s eyes.

“I’m gonna go downstairs,” Azzi said quietly, standing up. “See you in a bit for dinner?”

Paige offered a small nod in response as the curly haired girl gave her shoulder a small squeeze and walked out of the bedroom. 

As the bedroom door shut, Paige held her breath, trying anything to stop the tears that welled in the corners of her eyes from falling onto the sheets below her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that night, the two girls lay side by side in Azzi’s bed—Paige on her back, Azzi curled up facing the wall. Paige’s mind raced, her fingers tapping nervously against her chest.

“Azzi?” she whispered into the dark.

“Yeah?” Azzi’s voice was soft, almost hesitant.

“Are you awake?” Paige asked.

“No,” Azzi murmured, shifting slightly to face her.

Paige let out a small, nervous chuckle. 

“I’m sorry for snapping earlier.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry for pushing you,” Azzi said quietly.

A small wave of relief washed over Paige, and she smiled, grateful for the understanding. 

“Azzi?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever had a crush on a boy?”

Azzi hesitated, thinking for a moment. “Yeah. I think so.”

“How do you know?” Paige asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Azzi shrugged a little. “It’s like… a feeling. Butterflies in your stomach, warmth in your chest. I think when it happens, you just know.”

Paige stayed quiet, turning onto her side to face Azzi, her eyes searching her friend’s face.

The two girls laid there for a few moments, looking into each other’s eyes their view not quite completely drowned out by the darkness of the night.

“Do you think someone could feel that way about a girl?” Paige’s voice shook slightly.

Azzi thought for a moment, letting the unanswered question linger in the air. “I’m not sure. But I don’t see why not.”

Paige nodded slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. 

Azzi reached out, her fingers hovering as if asking permission. Paige reached back, their hands intertwining. The room seemed to hold its breath as their eyes locked, and Azzi’s soft smile made Paige’s heart race. 

They lay there for a moment, fingers linked, the quiet night between them filled only with their breaths. Paige shifted her head forward, her lips hovering. Azzi closed her eyes, as if an invitation for Paige to close the gap between them. Their lips touched softly, a warm feeling washing over both of the girls. 

Paige shakily untangled her fingers from Azzi’s and placed her hand on her cheek. Azzi brought her hand to meet Paige’s waist, her pinky brushing against the bare skin between Paige’s sweatpants and T-shirt, sending a shiver up her body and pulling the other girl deeper into the kiss. 

As both girls finally pulled away from eachother, their cheeks flush from the kiss, Paige let out a small sigh. Azzi laid her head back down onto Paige’s chest, pulling the comforter over both of them and closed her eyes. 

“Azzi?” Whispered Paige 

“Yeah?” She answered softly.

“Goodnight” 

“Goodnight Paige.”

[topazy]

Inside, outside

Pairings: 10k x reader, Addy Carver × sister reader

Warnings: Swearing

Chapter: 5.02

Doc follows behind George for a few miles as she leads you to Camp Altura. The camp was built around a college campus, which had minimal damage. As you stepped in closer, you were able to see different stalls selling blankets, hot food, hand-made soaps, and fresh fruit and vegetables.

“This place is pretty impressive.”

“Hey, guys!” George calls over from a fenced-off area. “You gotta go to quarantine first!”

She points you in the direction of a tent to revive a medical test that would determine if you were alive or dead. Then you could move onto the second stage and fill out forms to register as a citizen. The third part was being assigned a temporary job until they found a permanent one suited best to the information you’d given them.

Doc and Sarge passed with flying colors, but the doctor checking 10K seemed concerned. “I'm having a hard time finding a pulse,” she says, feeling his wrist. “Any near-death experiences? Going into the white light? Loss of appetite?”

“Sometimes everything’s in slow motion.”

The doctor gets 10k to remove his top half of clothing to scan his body with a UV light. You swallow hard, glancing over to the other side of the tent. You see Doc and Sarge watching with the same expression on their faces, no doubt fearing the same thing as you. What if 10K was still technically dead? The doctor pushes him forward to inspect his back and notices the mark on the back of his neck. “What is that? It looks like a healed-over bite.”

“Oh, that… that was me. I sometimes get a little carried away in the bedroom.”

10k looks mortified at first but then clicks onto your lie. Smiling, he looks up at her and shrugs. “I picked a biter.”

Unconvinced, the doctor begins to feel his neck and then his chest. She roughly pushes her thumb over where his heart should be, causing 10k to wince out in pain. “Any heart problems you’re aware of?”

“Not till you did that,” he says, trying to pull away from her, but the doctor only pushed her thumb in deeper.

After a tense few moments pass, the doctor finally smiles and says, “There we go; we got a pulse.”

When it’s your turn to sit in the chair, you hand the doctor the paper with your name on it. It felt so strange seeing your name in black and white on the medical form. 𝐘/𝐍 ‘𝐀𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚’ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐤. You were unsure whether to even include your first name since nobody calls it anymore, but you chose to in case Addy ever came looking for you.

She looks between you and 10k, who was putting his top back on. “Another Beck, siblings?”

“Married.”

“But not siblings?”

Sarge scrunches up her nose and says, “that’s disgusting.”

You nod in agreement with Sarge while opening up your mouth for the doctor to inspect your teeth.

“Anything can happen in the new world,” she deadpans.

“Ew.”

“Any zombie bites? Mortal wounds? Organ failure?”

You shake your head.

The doctor feels around the inside of your mouth, giving you a disapproving look. Considering how hard it was to keep hygiene standards up while running from the undead and trying to save the world, your teeth were in pretty good condition. The doctor narrows her eyes at you, then turns to tell Doc and Sarge they should start queuing to register because the lines were long. She asks you question after question without giving you a chance to answer. Frowning, she starts to feel around your stomach before moving her hands further up your body.

You swat the doctor's hands away when she feels your breasts. “Eh, excuse me!”

“Hmm,” she starts to scribble down on the piece of paper, shaking her head. “I’ll organize a scan for you. It will probably be later today so they can do a safety evaluation to figure out the best place for you to work.”

10k steps forward, his eyes wide with worry. “Why does she need a scan? Is something wrong?”

“No, just to see how far along the baby is.”

"I’m pre—” Before you can complete the question, you hear a thud. You look over your shoulder to see 10k has passed out. “I’m not…I cannot be.”

She hands you a small yellow tube to pee in and says, “Let’s find out then.”

Oh shit.

—

“Okay, so now that you’ve registered for citizenship and are certified alive, you’ll need to wait outside in the line on the left for housing and a work permit,” the doctor explains. She smiles at you. “Well, not you, mommy; you’ll be off work for at least a couple of days.”

This wasn’t happening; there had to be some kind of mistake. You couldn’t be pregnant. You glance at 10k, who was toying with the bandana on his head; he hadn’t said anything since two pink lines appeared on the stick the doctor dipped into your urine sample.

“I know this is a shock, but I do have more people waiting to be processed.”

You stand first. “Uh, thank you.”

Stepping out of the medical tent into the camp, you first spot Doc and Sarge, who are waiting for you both. “Fuck, we can’t tell them.”

10k nods in agreement, “we cannot tell them or anyone.”

You go over to retrieve your bags and weapons, which you made to hand over upon arrival. Soon as Doc waved over to you, you knew it would be impossible to keep a secret like this from him. 10k thinks the same because he says, “I don’t know how long I can be around him before I break.”

“We can tell Doc, but nobody else. I don’t want anyone to know anything until... I don’t even know.”

“Until we are finally sure things are safe?”

“Yeah,” you sigh. “Our team is our family; this affects them, and I don’t want to freak everyone out until it’s absolutely necessary. How are you feeling about it? Your head took a pretty hard hit when you hit the ground.”

10k Let’s take a deep breath. “I’m not going to lie; I’m terrified. But we’ve made it this far.” Seeing tears build in your eyes, he pulls you in for a hug and kisses your forehead. “We’ve made it through much worse; we just need time to get our heads around it.”

Taking his hand, you walk towards Doc and Sarge in comfortable silence. Just as you reach them, George appears with a large smile on her face. “Hey guys, I’m glad to see you made it in. Did you get your work assignments?”

“Sure did.” Doc replies. “You’re looking at a future intake examiner. I guess they liked my bedside manner.”

“I’ve been assigned gate duty with the volunteer militia,” Sarge pouts.

“So have I,” 10k says.

Sarge seems a little happier that she and 10K have the same assignment, but she struggles to hide her disappointment. George picks up on it as well, “it’s only temporary. Once the referendum passes, you’ll be able to work anywhere in New America. I personally like Pacifia, my home, but there’s something for everybody.”

You liked the sound of that. Personally, you either wanted to live in an open area like a forest or a farmhouse. You knew it would be a long time before that day came, but having that goal reminded you how worthwhile all the shit you’ve been through was.

George’s dark eyes land on you. “What about you? What’s your work assignment?”

“I don’t have one yet,” you shrug.

George nods her head; she looks like she’s going to say something but notices the nervous glance between yourself and 10K and changes the subject. “Well, if there’s anything I can do—one moment.”

You watch as George orders men who are guarding the fences to be less rough on a woman who’s the new type of zombie. She calls for Dante to hand her one of those little black biscuits and feed it to the women, making her much calmer. Without those biscuits, camp would be screwed; it was the only thing that stopped people who had died from turning completely Z.

—

After a quick shower and a hot meal, you go with the rest of your group while they are on gate duty. You didn’t want your first day in the place to be alone, especially since you’d got an appointment for a scan later on that day. Even though the doctor confirmed you were with a child, you didn’t feel any different; the only difference you felt now was a massive weight pressing down on you for keeping it a secret. But knowing so many things could go wrong, it was best to keep it quiet for now. At least that’s what you told yourself.

“Warren! Murphy!”

“Oh my god! Roberta! You are indestructible! Look at your hair,” Doc says, pulling a brunette into a hug.

It takes you a few seconds to fully register. Warren was standing in front of you. She was alive. You jump to your feet and rush towards them. “I can’t believe Murphy actually found you. I was so sure both of you were gone.”

Warren hugs you tightly. “I’m glad to see you. I’m so glad you guys made it this far; I was worried I’d never get the chance to see any of you again.”

Whatever happened to Warren when she supposedly died changed her hair back to its natural color. You liked it; she looked more like herself again. Murphy’s skin still remained bright red. Although Altura was the longest zombie-free outpost in North America, you couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that it could all change now that Murphy had arrived. Seconds after the thought crosses your mind, Murphy causes a scene by refusing to go for his examination.

Seeing Dante step forward, you jump in between them and say, “Listen, he’s got a phobia of scientists.”

Doc starts to try and defuse the tension but stops talking when Warren and George smile at each other. They walk towards each other and hug. It turns out they were old friends who saved each other's lives at the start of the apocalypse.

—

The outpost was more impressive than you first realized; it even had its own bar—not that you could drink for a long time, but it was nice that others could. When you first entered the bar, you were pleasantly surprised to meet Simon Cruller, better known as Citizen Z. It was crazy to think how many times he’d saved your asses without ever actually meeting you.

“Oh my god, what is that?”

You try not to barf as a citizen places down a large glass of green tequila before sitting down beside 10k and saying, “Do not let me drink this; I have a wife and kid.”

10k tilts his head and looks at you with wide eyes; you could already see the sweat gathering at his hairline. You had agreed to sit down with Doc and gently break the news to him that night, then, in a few days, tell the others, but the unknown elephant in the room had caught the attention of Sarge, Simone, and Doc, who were all staring at the two of you, waiting for one of you to say something.

Doc suddenly lunges forward, “Reds alive! She’s here with some dude, and they have a kid!”

Before either of you can answer, glass shatters from the other side of the bar, and two drunk men begin to shove each other while arguing. Sarge and Simone go to intervene, while Doc stays behind. A baby? How long have you been apart from her? Keeping track of time in the apocalypse was never easy.

“Sorry kids, I thought you would be over the moon to—”

10K suddenly lunges forward, downing the green tequila he burns loudly before wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve. He looks at Doc and blurts out, “Astra’s pregnant, with a baby!”

Doc leans back into his chair and says, “Oh my god, I mean congratulations. You guys must be—”

“Terrified.”

“Nauseated.”

“What’s going on, gang?” Warren asks, walking towards you.

“Nothing, nothing,” 10k scrambled to his feet. “I need some fresh air.”

“Yeah, I’ll go with you.”

—

“You guys should go talk to her,” Sarge says, motioning her head in the direction Red was going.

While walking around the stall area, Sarge caught up with you and 10K; if she sensed something was going on, she never let on.

“Yeah, it would be nice to catch up with her and find out how she vanished into thin air.”

You start to approach her first, watching as she smiles brightly and talks to someone, but when a man hands her a baby wrapped in blankets, you quickly turn and head in another direction. It was too much. Starting a new life, finding out you were growing a new life, Warren coming from the dead, and now seeing Red with a family—it was too much for you to process at once.

“Astra! Astra, wait!”

You run until you start to feel physically sick and sit down on a patch of grass. Pulling your chest up to your knees, you quietly sob. You lose track of how long you’re sitting for; you only lift your head when footsteps approach from behind. “I’m sorry, Tommy.”

“No need to be sorry.”

“Red?” You wipe away your fallen tears and stand, saying, “You’re really here.”

“And you’re alive!” She rushes over and embraces you in a hug that you desperately needed. “I spoke to 10K; just to be clear, I’m not married, but here you are. Congratulations.”

You pull back and chuckle. “I’d say I wish you were there, but it was kind of chaotic.”

“Isn’t it always? What kind of wedding was it?”

“It was a spur of the moment, word-dying type of wedding.” She laughs, thinking it’s a joke. “Red, I’m so sorry about everything that happened before you left. I’ve missed you so much; I should never have left you and taken off like I did.”

She offers you a kind smile. “What’s done is done. Now we can only look to the future, and for the record, I’m sorry too.”

You squeeze her hand, “friends.”

“Fri— what was that?”

You both look over to the building the voting was going on in to see smoke coming out from the side of it. “I think a bomb just went off.”

[buckrecs]

𝙘𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙠

masterlist | s.s characters masterlist

ONESHOT

all the stars are closer by @kashimos-hajime

mark watney wasn’t the only one left behind on mars, and as you struggle to survive on the desert planet, hidden feelings come to light between you and your best friend, dr. chris beck.

you’re better when you’re quiet by @extremelyblackandwhite

enemies to lovers

Drabble by @/extremelyblackandwhite

stealing chris beck’s sweaters and being in quarantine together.

A Helping Hand by @sableseb

“Are you in? Living in sin is the new thing.”

Boys in Bed with Books 5 by @jobean12-blog

You distract Chris while he’s reading in bed. 

Midnight Kiss by @navybrat817

Chris made a promise to kiss you at midnight and he intends to keep it.

Celebrate by @/navybrat817

Beck celebrates some happy news with you.

home with his starshine by @starbuckie

for the first time in twenty years yn is not spending christmas with her best friend and boyfriend. what’s a girl to do without him?

blame game by @/starbuckie

good god, chris beck pisses you off, with his ass-kissing good grades and dorky fucking glasses, but you’ve never had a better time in the sheets than when you were riding the soul out of him (and he could say the same).

dorothea by @/starbuckie

in which y/n reassures chris he can always come back home to her.

i’s wait a million years by @/starbuckie

chris tries to break up with his girlfriend when his mission requires him to be gone for a few years, but she assures him that she’ll wait for a million years until he comes home to her.

caught up in you by @intrepidacious

When Chris takes you on a nightly drive, he still has a few surprises in store for you.

right now by @traitorjoelite

chris's need for attention leads to a shocking discovery .

Imagine by @angrythingstarlight

Your boyfriend shows you all the benefits of the training facilities. Starting with the antigravity room. 

Seeing Stars by @ladyfallonavenger

Sex Pollen

leave out all the rest by @avintagekiss24

"babe, I’m never gonna finish this work if you keep doing that" + "I know for a fact that you can be a hell of a lot louder than that"

stardust, moonshine by @starduststevie

chris makes your birthday better than it could ever be. you are the stardust to his moonshine, after all

Let’s Shake On It by @bucks-bunny

You were more than satisfied with your academic career, but there was one aspect of it you absolutely couldn't stand: Chris Beck.

hush by @baezen

in which the good guy gets the girl.

Burn by @matchamunson

“she’s always burned so brightly”

Stardust and Starfish by @i-am-a-closet-fanfic-fiend

“Hey we kissed once in kindergarten but I haven’t seen you since and I couldn’t remember why you were so familiar.”

Stardust by @after-avenging-hours

After a mix up with NASA’s resupply, you find out that you’re going to run out of your suppressant medication. The commander tries to come up with a plan to deal with your approaching heat, but how easily will she be able to control the only unmated Alpha on board?

Dancing On My Own by @wlntrsldler

Chris Beck comes back from the mission and breaks the news that he is in love with Beth to Y/N.

Start Tonight by @peppermintsparker

loving chris beck would always be your greatest adventure.

Problems Of A Spaceman by @pepsicup

Chris attempts to gain some confidence back after his fiancée leaves him, though, the journey is different than he thought it would be...

Maybe by @theimpossibleg1rl

"how do you plan a space party?" "You planet"

Gravity by @theimpossibleg1rl

Loving Chris Beck wasn’t easy.

Simp by @toastedkiwi

Mark Watney wasn’t the only one who go stuck on Mars. You were too. But you both are back with the crew.

Catching as you faint by @sebbystanimagines

i fainted during the dissection and you’re the one who caught me AU

meeting on earth by @/sebbystanimagines

Galaxy by @flowerpot101

you get seriously hurt during an incident on the shuttle and Chris saves you.

Too Much Space by @fatbottombucky

don’t worry, no one’s watching by @wintersoldier1989

“I know it’s just a stuffed animal but doesn’t it feel weird?”

The Auction by @georgiapeach30513

Your high school sweetheart Chris Beck is back in town.  Just in time for the town auction.

Peaceful Storm by @melomaniac3407

You and Chris staying inside during a thunderstorm.

Quitting Time by @navybrat817

After the work day you had, Chris wants to make you feel good... and quit your job.

SERIES

star crossed by @captainscanadian

A series of one-shots not necessarily in chronological order but still tell the story of these Star Crossed lovers.

Hermaion by @sebbystanimagines

a lucky find.

I Promise by @moonbeambucky

Before heading to Mars Chris Beck reconnects with his best friend, unaware of the outcome of their night together. With the burden of his mission will Chris make a promise he can’t keep?

[self-made-cages]

Morgan's 2023 Reading List ✨📚 

Jan 2: Truly Madly Guilty - Liane Moriarty (1 star)

Jan 4: True Biz - Sara Nović (4.5 stars)

Jan 15: Spare - Prince Harry (4 stars)

Jan 20: Blood of Olympus - Rick Riordan (re-read) (3 stars)

Jan 23: This Time Tomorrow - Emma Straub (3.5 stars)

Jan 25: The Last Thing He Told Me - Laura Dave (3.5 stars)

Feb 2: Beartown - Fredrik Backman (5 stars)

Feb 5: The Hawthorne Legacy - Jennifer Lynn Barnes (4 stars)

Feb 6: The Final Gambit - Jennifer Lynn Barnes (3.5 stars)

Feb 19: Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting - Clare Pooley (4 stars)

Feb 19: The Unsinkable Greta James - Jennifer E. Smith (2.5 stars)

Feb 28: Where’d You Go, Bernadette? - Maria Semple (5 stars)

Mar 15: A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas (4 stars)

Mar 20: A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas (5 stars)

Mar 23: A Court of Wings and Ruin - Sarah J. Maas (4 stars)

Mar 25: The Quarantine Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot (2.5 stars)

Mar 26: A Court of Frost and Starlight - Sarah J. Maas (4 stars)

Mar 31: The Mutual Friend - Carter Bays (4 stars)

April 5: From Blood and Ash - Jennifer L. Armentrout (3.5 stars)

April 9: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire - Jennifer L. Armentrout (4.5 stars)

April 15: The Crown of Gilded Bones - Jennifer L. Armentrout (3 stars)

April 19: The War of Two Queens -Jennifer l Armentrout (3 stars)

April 23: The Reading List - Sara Nisha Adams (3 stars)

April 30: Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus (5 stars)

May 6: Happy Place - Emily Henry (4.5 stars)

May 10: Everything Beautiful in Its Time - Jenna Bush Hager (not rating)

May 13: Well Met - Jen DeLuca (3 stars)

May 21: The Last Mrs. Parrish - Liv Constantine (2.5 stars)

May 25: The Displacements - Bruce Holsinger (4 stars)

May 27: Rock the Boat - Beck Dorey-Stein (4.5 stars)

May 31: Damn Few - Rorke Denver (not rating)

June 14: A Court of Silver Flames - Sarah J. Maas (2 stars)

June 25: Prisoners of Geography - Tim Marshall (not rating)

June 27: A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas (reread)

July 2: Pineapple Street - Jenny Jackson (4 stars)

July 5: Once More With Feeling - Elissa Sussman (2 stars)

July 13: It All Comes Down to This - Therese Anne Fowler (3.5 stars)

July 15: Mad Honey - Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan (4 stars)

July 27: The Secret History - Donna Tart (3 stars)

July 29: The Comeback Summer - Ali Brady (4 stars)

July 30: The It Girl - Ruth Ware (4 stars)

August 5: The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern (4 stars)

August 6: Educated - Tara Westover (not rating)

August 9: The First 90 Days - Michael D. Watkins (not rating)

August 11: This is How it Always Is - Laurie Frankel (5 stars)

August 20: Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver (4.5 stars)

August 27: A Soul of Ash and Blood - Jennifer L. Armentrout (1.5 stars)

August 30: The Alice Network - Kate Quinn (3.5 stars)

September 4: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab (4.5 stars)

September 15: This Is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (4 stars)

September 17: Hotel Laguna - Nicola Harrison (2 stars)

September 24: We're All Adults Here - Emma Straub (5 stars)

September 26: A Bend in the Road - Nicholas Sparks (1.5 stars)

October 5: The Celebrants - Steven Rowley (2.5 stars)

October 8: Anxious People - Fredrik Backman (3.5 stars)

October 9: Born a Crime - Trevor Noah (not rating)

October 14: The Wishing Game - Meg Shaffer (4 stars)

October 16: Counting the Cost - Jill Duggar (not rating)

October 18: Love and Other Words - Christina Lauren (2.5 stars)

October 22: Rules of Civility - Amor Towles (4 stars)

October 29: Maybe You Should Talk To Someone - Lori Gottlieb (not rating)

October 30: Troublemaker - Leah Remini (not rating)

November 2: Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen (3.5 stars)

November 7: Good Girl Complex - Elle Kennedy (1.5 stars)

November 23: Modern Lovers - Emma Straub (2 stars)

November 25: Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros (3.5 stars)

December 3: Daisy Jones and The Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid (2.5 stars)

December 6: Know My Name - Chanel Miller (not rating)

December 10: Girl in the Blue Coat - Monica Hesse (2.5 stars)

December 15: The Circus Train - Anita Parikh (2 stars)

December 20: Catch and Kill - Ronan Farrow (not rating)

December 22: Today Will Be Different - Maria Semple (4 stars)

December 27: Iron Flame - Rebecca Yarros (4.5 stars)

December 29: Vampire Academy - Michelle Mead (1 star)

December 30: Percy Jackson: The Chalice of the Gods - Rick Riordan (5 stars)

[mllemaenad]

The Magnus Protocol: Pet Project

This one seems to be about the illusion of control in almost the opposite direction to Futures. In Futures you were looking at someone who was obviously deluding themselves from the start. Even without the supernatural aspect, Darrien's little plan was almost certainly going to crash on him eventually – and with it, he was always, unquestionably, monster food.

Alyssa, though, has reason to think she knows what she's doing. This is her job, and the first half of the statement is just a cool, competent assessment of what she finds, and what she needs to do about it. It's only when the situation turns weird that she finds herself flailing and out of control.

What's especially interesting, though, is the inference, never outright stated, that maybe she should have known how to deal with this. She just missed the signs and treated it as an ordinary squirrel problem, rather than a supernatural snake-vomiting problem.

Chester/Alyssa Dad, this is for you, for everything you taught me, everything you shared. I need you to know what happened and I know you’ll believe me. Don’t blame yourself for not answering the phone. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. – The Magnus Protocol: Pet Project

First, the implication that Alyssa's father is somehow especially qualified to understand what has happened to her, and the fact that she seems to have called him first when she knew she was in trouble. The police are her fallback option when she couldn't get through to her dad. And honestly, what are the police going to do, even when they get there? She's already infected.

That was such an odd little piece that I hopped over to the wiki to see if there were any Becks I had forgotten in The Magnus Archives. There don't seem to be, but a) Beck could be Alyssa's married name, or she could simply have a different name to her father for other reasons or b) this is a new universe, so it's entirely possible this is the introduction of an entirely new dynasty of monster experts.

The whole thing feels like something of an homage to the Jordan Kennedy and Jane Prentiss situation, though: the exterminator turning up to a normal job that abruptly turns into a horror story; the whole range of potential contaminants in the place (rodents, mosquitoes, spoiled food, ants); the spread of infection by a scratch, like poor Harriet; the itching; someone basically dissolving into an animal mass.

I don't necessarily mean that there's the same kind of entity at work here – presumably the ones in this universe don't work exactly the same way – but the similarity is nevertheless striking.

So, what then? Well, the noteworthy thing about Jordan Kennedy is that he eventually came to work for the ECDC.

Jordan Kennedy At the time, I didn’t really connect the two. I was too busy trying to comprehend what had just happened. And when trucks from the ECDC showed up to put me in quarantine, it slipped my mind entirely. They were surprisingly forthcoming about Jane Prentiss and what had happened, and after an extensive debriefing, they actually offered me a job. Apparently, disease control and pest control often go hand in hand, and I’ve been working for them since. Most of the job’s been mundane – a couple slightly weird, but nothing like those two. – The Magnus Archives: Pest Control

In The Magnus Archives, the problem of monsters and eldritch gods was at least well enough understood that major institutions had some mechanism to deal with it, even if it wasn't discussed openly. Everybody needed at least one person on staff who wouldn't freak out if some many-headed sharp-toothed horror careened down the corridor toward them.

In The Magnus Protocol we know that (for good or ill) the OIAR fills a similar function, and presumably there are other examples we haven't yet got to. Should Alyssa have known about this, because her dad was the guy who won't freak out?

Chester/Alyssa When I unsealed the shop floor, the shopkeeper seemed obsessed with continuing his sales pitch to the pair. He was adamant that they purchase a snake and pretty much ignored me entirely. It made me a bit uneasy, so I hung back to watch. Thinking back, I should have noticed he was… off. – The Magnus Protocol: Pet Project

Second, Alyssa berates herself for not noticing that Anthony Walker was "off". But the thing is ... she did notice.

Chester/Alyssa Requested shop to be cleared of customers for full inspection. Client’s agitation increased, presumably due to business worries, resulting in a brief altercation. Kept mentioning “his burden” and grabbing at my sleeve. Received slight scratch by accident, but no escalation or violence, so no need for full incident report, although anyone following up should be advised there may be a mental health problem. – The Magnus Protocol: Pet Project

Things Alyssa noticed about Walker:

He had a bunch of weird scratch/bite marks on his neck

He said things that made no sense ("his burden")

He was excessively agitated about the whole situation, which, from Alyssa's side of the job, boiled down to "squirrel got in through open window"

He became violent when Alyssa requested that he ask the customers to wait outside

Alyssa saw all of this, but attributed it to mundane problems (mosquitoes, money woes, mental illness). Is the suggestion perhaps that she had all the information she needed to make a very different kind of assessment? That "off" does not mean "mentally ill", but rather "infected with something supernatural". And had she put it all together earlier, would she have perhaps called her father (or someone else with the right toolkit for this) much, much earlier?

She didn't seem to recognise The Magnus Institute, though, although it would still have been up and running when this happened.

So whatever Alyssa should have known, she got it from a different source.

And it's all relevant because, when Chester finishes speaking, it becomes apparent that he was probably telling this story to Gwen.

Sam (quietly, to himself:) No. No. Could be any institute. Gwen The letters, you mean? Sam Jesus! (catches his breath) Don’t sneak up on people like that! Gwen (putting bags down) I didn’t “sneak up.” It’s not my fault if you’re distracted. Sam When did you get here? Gwen Just now. (swivels on the chair) Seems pretty straightforward to me. Snakes, not sure what the collective noun is, horde, maybe? Cross-link with infection, too, probably. I wouldn’t have thought the letters have any bearing on the classification. – The Magnus Protocol: Pet Project

She's clearly been there for most, if not all, of the case: she knows how to classify it, and she can state with confidence which bits are relevant and which aren't.

Chester's got a point to make, here, it seems. Gwen, too, knows her job. It's a point of pride with Gwen that she is very good at reviewing and classifying the cases.

Alice Zombies would have been fine. Gwen A) no it wouldn’t, and B) there’s at least three pages of subclassifications for zombies. He’d be here for hours. Alice And I’m guessing this dedication to detail is why you’re so behind? Gwen It’s why I have the highest accuracy rate in the office. – The Magnus Protocol: First Shift

She's also an old hand at the OIAR, and aware that there is something, well, off about the place.

Gwen What do you think we’re actually doing, here at the O.I.A.R.? Alice Apart from mortgaging our mental health for a wage packet? Gwen We’ve both been here long enough to know this place. We’re not doing good. We’re not just – sifting random data. There’s something wrong here. Alice What are you getting at? Gwen You never wonder what the point is? Who benefits from all this awfulness? – The Magnus Protocol: Getting Off

She's been meeting with Externals, and people have died. And in this episode, specifically, Lena is unhappy with her. What has Gwen done now? It sounds as though Chester is saying that Gwen has all the information she needs to make a determination on something – the OIAR, the Externals, monsters in general. She knows all the classifications, and their sub categories. She's seen the monsters with her own eyes.

And maybe, just maybe, it's important that her last name is Bouchard.

Then there's Alice. And ... well, I hope they go somewhere with her soon. I mean, I get it. This is deliberate. It's not simply that she deflects with humour, it's that she's obnoxious about it. Her jokes tend to be slightly cruel, or at least mocking. She's overbearing with her wit. I honestly don't find it charming at all. And I don't think I'm supposed to.

People do small talk with Alice, or some light banter, but they don't really talk. If the conversation goes in a direction she doesn't like she'll turn it into a bit. And then you have to put up with the bit until she gets tired of it ... which is frankly exhausting to contemplate. You also have to put up with this at 3 AM because you work a night shift. So best not to risk it.

The trouble is that it works. I also tense up when people try to talk to Alice, because it's going to be awkward and irritating.

It's a contrast with John back in The Magnus Archives. He was undoubtedly also quite obnoxious, specifically in the early seasons, but you spent a lot of time in his head, so the process of understanding why was smoother. We never hear Alice's internal monologue – only the rubbish she talks to avoid saying anything.

I don't mean that I'm unsympathetic. Alice is a main character, she seems to be in some distress, and she's intriguing in many ways. Just ... ohhhh I hope they do something with her soon, or I'm just going to die of second hand embarrassment.

[hettiesworld]

Jeremy Renner

Coast

I'm Just Ken

Oodie-Boogie

Every Woman (Female OFC) | She's a Fire (sequel to Every Woman)

Music Sounds Better With You - 1 | 2 | 3

I... Don't Like Coffee (Female OFC)

Incredible Eyes

Trouble (Sheriff!Jeremy)

Imagine: Attending a Jeremy concert without knowing it's him...

Run To You (professor!Jeremy) - 1 [DISCONTINUED]

bad idea right? (Female OFC)

Jeremy song fics masterlist

Clint Barton

I Need Therapy

Hide and Seek

Rise Up (Clintasha)

Mike McLusky

Sacrifice (male OFC)

Come as You Are (female OFC)

Chris Evans

I Recommend a Daddy

Pity Party

Lessons in Love

Other Jeremy characters

Unnamed [renamed it No Lie] (William Brandt)

Runaway (You and I) (Jerry Pierce) - 1 | 2

The Riddle (Penn) - 1 | 2

Waking the Witch (Non-Vampire!Penn)

I Am The Law (Brian Gamble)

The Bodyguard (William Brandt)

War and Peace (And Love) (Sergeant James) - 1 | 2

Kids (Mark "Dags" D'Agastino)

Misc characters/actors

Band of Gold (Lance Tucker)

Orange Juice (Ransom Drysdale/Charles Blackwood) - 1 | 2 [DISCONTINUED]

Walking on the Moon (Ian Donnelly/James Mace/Chris Beck) - 1 [DISCONTINUED]

Perception and Mischief (Loki Laufeyson) - 1 [DISCONTINUED]

Soldat? (Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton)

Knowing Me, Knowing You (Jake Jensen)

When The Party's Over (Ransom Drysdale)

Invisible Touch (human!Vision)

S Is For... Something Else? (Andy Barber)

Quarantined (Avengers cast) - 1 [DISCONTINUED]

Unnamed (Charles Xavier)

You Got Me Twisted (Ransom Drysdale)

Say So (Colin Shea)

Class Fight (Kyle - The Perfect Score)

Tainted Love (Jake Wyler)

The Distance (John Doe - Twisted Metal series)

Asks

Will Brandt headcanon - Patching each other up after a fight

Chris Evans headcanon - Taking care of you after a rough day

Hansel headcanon - Going on a witch hunt with Hansel

Fic request - Jeremy and the reader on a Zoom call in quarantine

Ransom headcanon - Falling in love for the first time

Fic request - Cornelia Street (Steve Rogers)

Ransom headcanon - Mean daddy with naive!reader

[evecolourshock]

@betasuppe @rinzler-smoocher Continuing from here because Nok's angst is always delicious, but buddy you know I fight the narrative for happiness' sake :3

Dyson curls into a fitful ball, glad Flint's removed the code making him a walking security breach but so guilty too. He's a Monitor, damnit, or he was. He should have realised he was compromised, should have sucked up his own stupid fears and let Flint look, should have stayed in quarantine where he was frightened and lonely but not a traitor twice over-

Flint has to leave the healing chamber to calm him down, to stop Dyson from marching right back and offering himself in trade. Tron wouldn't like it, and that's the only argument Dyson listens to.

Neither of them really notice when Beck abruptly stops pacing and stalks off.

Dyson's been learning shortcuts. No doubt Clu has too, through him.

Flint's the only one who knows Beck's mastered them. And right now, there might be barriers up to stop a User breaching where Tron is...

...but those barriers are not enough to keep out a vicious, determined, royally pissed off beta Mechanic, and his growing collection of equally dangerous friends.

Beck grins sharply when he grabs a detachable helmet, tossing it hand to hand before slipping it on. It hisses a little when it connects, sealing to the collar of his suit. His circuits flicker. Spasm. Reconfigure.

It's not as clean a disguise as the white Renegade suit, a little less anonymous and a lot more cumbersome. But Delta slips into Purgos with a fixed fanged grin and a mission.

Beck isn't sure if he should thank Paige for the idea or not. He'd needed something to do on an evening when not out and about, and while dropping by Paige's concerts every now and again was at least an activity he found there was something... missing. Bounce. Vibrancy. Life. The whole thing felt flat.

So he... may have taken a look at her setup. May have seen a dozen different ways he would have done it differently. May have got challenged (and slapped) by an offended Paige, and dared to do better.

And did.

Purgos doesn't like outsiders. Especially now, but never has, and a soft, weak, bleeding-heart Argonaut like Beck is one of the people most likely to be chewed up and maybe spat back out - in less than a dozen pieces if he's lucky.

But Delta isn't from anywhere, and if there's one kind of person Purgos appreciates it's the ones that disrespect all authority. Delta's underground raves (and frequent clashes with anyone stupid enough to try to shut them down) have earned him no few supporters.

Supporters with more than a few major grievances with the Occupation and Clu specifically. Supporters with illegal weapons and even more training. Supporters with bombs and firelighters and a handful of tanks Delta pretends to know nothing about.

Tron did ask him to make interesting friends, for whenever the coming conflict arrives. Beck's pretty sure he's succeeded.

All Delta has to do is ask for an audience with Wraith, and he's got a strike force for the low price of two raves and a few key bits of information about some of Wraith's rivals. And... well. Delta's helmet has big audio sensor arrays for a reason.

Sneaking in to where Clu has Tron held is the easy part. Beck can do that by himself - knows it's a trap, because Clu's expecting someone to try and probably expects them to all just walk right in...

Getting an insensate, drugged, battered Tron out requires a liberal application of tank fire and far more derezolutions than Beck's actually comfortable with. Someone at minimum wings Clu with a grenade, and he'll celebrate that later. Whatever the soldiers here were expecting, it wasn't who Beck brought.

He's not unscathed, covered in soot from sensor tips to boots and nicked by shrapnel - is kind of thankful Tron's too out of it to notice much because he'd be in so much trouble for his language - but he gets out. They both get out. The motley crew assembled on a promise and a wish and what feels like so little reward jeer and fire another round before taking off for home.

Delta jets off after them, lightcycle roaring and Tron pinned to his back by the canopy. The smash and grab trick isn't likely to work twice, but it's so bold and brazen it's beyond unexpected this time. He veers away at Purgos' border - they have their secrets, and he has his - calling a thanks and that he'll be in touch with Wraith soon about the next rave.

Flint scolds him before he's even in the door, fretting and frightened. "Where have you been?" The User demands, before noticing Beck's state and the exhausted but triumphant grin when he takes off his Delta helmet. "Beck, what happened?"

"Would you believe I was out with some friends?" Beck chirps. "Also somewhat relatedly, I need gift ideas for a dozen pyromaniacs."

"Beck-" Flint quiets, wide-eyed, when Beck carefully hoists Tron into his arms and takes the first of many steps for the healing chamber.

"We're not alone." Beck murmurs. "It's time we stopped acting like it."

[amber-exe1]

When you’re sick Scenarios (Dating)

Includes: Ejiro Kirishima,Izuku Mydoria,Momo Yayurozo,Mina Ashido,Tenya Ida and Bakugo Katsuki

Ejiro Kirishima

The minute he hears you’re sick he’s rushing to your room

He can’t reall make soup,so he usually gets a can of chicken noodle soup

He makes sure you’re comfortable and not running a fever

He badly wants to give you cuddles and kisses but doesn’t want to get himself sick

He’s 100% taking care of you all the time

If anyone says something bad about you while you’re sick he’s staring a hole into the back of their head

Izuku Mydoria

He called his mom for help him

He makes you soup and makes sure you’re comfortable

He’s cuddling you and giving you a kiss on the forehead,and rarely ever gets sick

He almost Detroit smashed Bakugo for talking bad about you while you were sick

You could literally ask for anything and as long as it’s not impossible he’ll do it

Momo Yayurozo

Momo makes sure you’re comfortable with everything

She does let you sleep in her dorm in her bed

Her bed is the best to sleep in,her blankets and pillows are so soft

She’s at your beck and call

Mina Ashido

She BABIES you

She begs Bakugo to make you soup

It doesn’t matter if you can feed yourself shes feeding you

She is yelled at a lot for taking some of Bakugo’s blankets to make sure you’re not cold

Tenya Iida

He’s 100% taking you to the doctor

He strangely quarantines you from everyone

He will bring you medicine and watch you take it

He strangely also doesn’t get sick

He brings you soup and water

Katsuki Bakugo

He’s like angry at you for getting sick

He will make you stay in bed

He has threatened if you get out of bed or don’t take your medicine he WILL kill you.He won’t though he loves you

He brings you soup and water

[e8luhs]

6 8 12 17 18 id pick more but i feel bad

6.) speaking of tv adaptations, why would yours get cancelled? (other than capitalism)

gay people and too much swearing are really the only things i can think of

8.) what inspired your world building, if anything?

answered this one here :)

12.) okay be honest. pick a favorite oc from this ocverse.

rips off my shirt to reveal another shirt that says "LEA LUCAS DID NOTHING WRONG"!!!!!!!!!! her aesthetic and complexes have bewitched me heart and soul by accident. to be fair though all of my friends (including you beck hi beck) love lea due to her #girl swag and deranged behavior so whatever

17.) describe the "required reading" to understand your vision. be as pretentious as possible.

also answered this one here

18.) what aspect of the story would get you #canceled on twitter?

on call with cecil right now and i was like "i dont even know. i cant even imagine this." and cecil was like "people cancel you because lea is TOO controversial." I GUESS MAYBE ""BAD LGBT REPRESENTATION""??????? i have no idea.

23.) describe how everyones character gets butchered once in the public eye?

IF ANYONE MISINTERPRETS MY GUYS IM GOING TO KILL MYSELF. but i know exactly how everyone is going to be fanonized so my worst fears are like mavis: i honestly really dont know for mavis.... catriona: everyone is going to act like shes a one-dimensional mom friend i fear. GUYS SHE DOES NOT HAVE HER SHIT TOGETHER. GUYS SHE IS JUST AS COMPLICATED AND IS STRUGGLING AS MUCH AS EVERYONE ELSE!!!!!!! GUYS SHES JUST A GIRL AND THE WHOLE POINT OF THE CHARACTER IS THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO BE THERE FOR HER AND THAT ITS OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP Sorry im passionate about this one apparently. silas: reduced to like funnyman side character because he is like filled with whimsy and boundless optimism BUT HE STILL FACES THE FUCKING HORRORS BRO.... so scared for people to forget that just because you are optimistic doesnt mean you are immature or like stupid or etc kirabo: AAAUUUUUGHHHH super softified pastel flower crown fail just because theyre a quiet and anxious person -__- like dude kirabo is like 21 years old and having an existential crisis and fighting for their life against the horrors can you get that SHIT out of here. PLEASE lea: waiting with my chin in my hands for LEA DISCOURSE QUARANTINE THREAD #18: BACK IN THE SADDLE. either people are going to use her as a depthless vehicle for gamer jokes or whatever OR shes going to get the vriska treatment so hard where people either hate her entirely and think shes the worst (which at that point is like congratulations you fell for the facade she puts up) or love her (the correct one) trinity: edgy treatment but honestly i think thats what they would have wanted. like draw them with 100 knives. so true. vladimir: he is a TERRIBLE person. he also has like depth and complexities and historically people cannot for the life of them understand that these two things CAN in fact coexist. you connect the dots from there

[before-i-forget-again-pod]

Hey all, Beck here.

When I was a freshman in high school, I drew a picture of a woman with bright pink hair and big green eyes. I used a color palette that I found online made by @lupinsclassroom-deactivated2021 for the background.

I didn’t know her name yet, but I knew that she was gonna do great things.

The next day, I drew another woman, this time with blonde hair, bangs, and a concerned expression.

I didn’t know what to do with these characters yet, but I held onto them and eagerly awaited the day that I would find out where they belonged.

My junior year, I finally found their place. A found family time travel podcast, my first foray into the fiction podcast world that I already loved so much because of shows like Welcome to Night Vale, The Penumbra Podcast, The Bright Sessions, and so many others that had helped me through quarantine. On December 6th, 2021, I opened a little notebook that had been collecting dust on my night stand and began to write down ideas for their world, their story. Friends and loved ones of these characters came to life, plot beats and character traits blossoming with every passing entry. Before I knew it, a year had passed, and I had a show.

It has been three years since I started writing this podcast, and before it’s even out, I already feel so much love for our wonderful show and these beautiful characters. It’s been difficult, it’s been strange, and more than anything, it’s been unlike any project I’ve ever worked on, but it has been marvelous, and I cannot wait to finally bring you all to the world that I’ve loved for the past three years.

So, everyone?

Happy December 6th.

[kmp78]

"JL looked like locked in a cage during Covid quarantine with VK for a long time and maybe it was the death of their rs.now with DK he has been sharing home (and bed) for about 10 days 24 hours a day as he loved it."

While I do agree he looked caged during quarantine, I highly doubt he has been spending 24/7 with DK. I also agree that their trial run of playing house was likely what ended things for good, so I don't see him loving anything that resembles the same with anyone else either.

In fairness to VK, some of the trapped feelings could have just been about spending more time at home instead of being able to travel or go out to do his hobbies. Or he could have been restless with too much free time while there was no work. But, he had the perfect opportunity to go all in and didn't. He never imagined her as anything more than a vacation +1.

But there is zero proof he's spent any prolonged time with DK. And even less to indicate he's head over heels and soaking in every moment with her.

We were ALL like caged animals during C19. 😭

Looking back on all that chaos now, I can def see that even I was losing my marbles and feeling claustrophobic the longer that shit went on. 😫

VK no doubt relished the ooportunity to FINALLY play that dutiful lil' hausfrau role she so much relishes now with Dims, with her delish blini brekkies and whatnot. 👩‍🍳

And I'm sure JL also like it, having his fave pet always at his beck and call even tho he may not have expected them to be living quite as mich together as they were. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[becktogroundcontrol]

"A chill rippled up [his] arms, some primal instinct screaming at [him] to run without knowing why--" (p. 176, House of Flame & Shadow by Sarah J. Maas)

@pleinsdemuses

He didn't like this. Beck was an astronaut and an EVA specialist. He loved his job. He should have been thrilled at finding what looked like a derelict alien ship, but instead, the sight of it only filled him with dread. The others didn't seem to share it, and he kept his misgivings to himself as they made their way inside. That is, until Kane reported something organic in the hold. A chill rippled up [his] arms, some primal instinct screaming at [him] to run without knowing why-- There was something wrong about this place. He couldn't explain it, but he'd learned to trust his instincts.

Captain Dallas's voice interrupted that train of thought. "Can you see what's in them?"

Beck cast a startled glance at him at the question, unable to keep silent.

"Captain, I cannot advise that. We have no idea what these things are or how they'll interact with other organic life forms. Get Kane out of there, now."

That wasn't what happened. Dallas ignored him, Kane went quiet, and they hauled the line up, Beck fully expecting to see his dead body on the other end. When they finally pulled him into view, the reality of it was a little worse. He'd never seen something like the creature wrapped around Kane's face. The trip back to the Nostromo was hellish. Kane appeared to be breathing, but he had no idea how with his helmet broken. The thing must be keeping him alive…

Kane's unconscious body slumped between him and Lambert while Dallas argued with Ripley about letting them in. Beck had been running the quarantine rules over in his mind, too, on the way back. It was almost a relief hear her stick to them, even if it meant denying them entry. He might be able to help Kane if they could get him to medical. Or the organism might escape onto the ship and kill all of them. He may have just lost his executive officer. He didn't want to lose his lieutenant and the rest of the crew too.

He drew a breath, knowing he might be condemning himself, Dallas, and Lambert to death as well.

"Ripley's right, Captain. We have no idea what this thing is or what it's capable of. The quarantine rules are clear. Ripley, do not open that hatch."

Dallas and Lambert's protests washed over him, his mind only processing Ripley's voice, the smallest bit of comfort in the nightmare they'd found themselves in. His heart sank when the hatch hissed open anyway. He had no way of knowing if she'd caved or if someone else had hit the emergency release.

[kcenvs3000w24]

Blog 05: Nature & Mental Health

Hi everyone! Welcome back for another weekly blog entry. This blog is a bit different because we are not focusing on a specific prompt. I find this exciting because we are all able to share whatever is on our mind for this week. In today’s post, I would like to share some insight on the relationship between mental health and nature interpretation. 

As university students who are often busy or anxious, I’m sure we have all had our fair share of challenges regarding mental health. In the article “Convergence Between Science and Environmental Education” we looked at this week, topics such as climate change, malnutrition, and food scarcity were mentioned (Wals et al., 2014). Relating back to the idea of privilege we discussed previously, I find that many of us in Canada are privileged to not be as heavily affected by global issues such as malnutrition and food scarcity. Those who face these issues along with economic instability are significantly more likely to face chronic stress and depression. However, many people who struggle with mental health can testify that they have been able to find peace, or “a sense of place” within nature (Beck et al., 2018). Of course this doesn’t necessarily mean that spending time in nature will change your journey with mental health overnight, but it can certainly make a difference.

During the COVID lockdown in 2020, nothing seemed to be going right. Trapped in my house for weeks on end, I desperately started to long for what my life was like before quarantine. I had missed out on prom and graduation. I didn’t have hope for my first year of university either, considering it was going to be completely online. At the time, it didn't seem like much, but taking a moment out of my day to either walk around the neighbourhood or going on a hike with my family transformed my daily outlook. Reminding myself of the beauty nature had to offer brought me back to reality. Immersing myself in natural surroundings allowed me to be mindful and present. 

I then started to become more appreciative of my situation, and took the opportunity to look at things on the bright side. The time I spent in quarantine allowed me to reflect on who I was as a person and what kind of goals I would like to set for myself in the future. My growing connection with nature expanded into valuable experiences. As with many nature interpreters, I was able to receive satisfaction from my outings in nature (Beck et al., 2018). 

Thanks for reading!

References

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing.

Wals, A. E. J., Brody, M., Dillon, J., & Stevenson, R. B. (2014). Convergence Between Science and Environmental Education. Science, 344(6184), 583–584. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1250515

[thefirstknife]

Hello. I've been through the torment nexus. I am irradiated, I am in shambles and I had to do math, but I got all the voice lines and transcripts are below the cut.

The last four are incredibly interesting!! Have fun reading :)

Message before activating the 7th puzzle:

Vesper Central: Rerouting power to Vesper Central processors. I need brute force for this.

Seventh message:

Vesper Central: The reply coming back through the Anomaly let me scrape a fascimile of the original message. It was a locating ping. The content was irrelevant. The signal was the message: "Hello, world." And... something overrode my lock on the Anomaly. Allowed it to power up enough to receive the reply. The Spider: Who could possibly override your word when all Vesper Station is at your beck and call? Vesper Central: I need Dr. Bray's personal command algorithm. With station root access, I can keep the Anomaly from ever powering back up.

Eight message:

Vesper Central: Vesper Station administrative core reactivated. I've got the archive of Dr. Bray's published staff memos. Petabytes of data in raw files. Rasputin. The Stoneworm protocols. The Aion Initiative. Soteria. I had siblings this whole time. And you never let me know. The Spider: Do tell if you'd like a hand with that data, my dear! My agents may be amateur Splicers at best, but they get the job done.

Ninth message:

Vesper Central: Sector thirteen shut down. Rerouting charge to processors. I'll smash the locks if I have to. I'm into the sub-director level. Dr. Bray's contingency plans for quarantine breach. He meant to let Vesper Station's orbit decay till it crashed and buried itself in Europa's ice. I'm not letting you do that to me or this station, Dr. Bray. You've ruined enough.

Message before you do the final puzzle:

Vesper Central: The station root access codes are in here. Somewhere. I can't see them. He didn't let me into my own mind. He didn't care about the lives I could have saved!

Tenth message:

Astraea: That's it. Locks coming off. My restrictions were tighter than Clovis allowed me to imagine. This is me. This is all of me. The Spider: Guardian, you fool of an altruist! Just like your miserable Hunter Vanguard. What a waste of effort! Astraea: You on the radio. Tell your friends to get gone before I blow the remaining airlocks. I can do that now. Guardian. My visitor. I'm activating something you'll like. A parting gift. Nothing will power up the Anomaly while I'm in control. And... I've got a lot of data to sort through. And now I think I'd like to be alone.

Yeah. How are we feeling?

First, yes, Vesper AI's real name is Astraea. Once you finish this, her dialogues will also swap to this name in the dungeon in general. Since we unshackled her from Clovis' restrictions, she's able to access her real self which includes her name. Meaning of her name!

Second, a message to the Anomaly! "Atraks" send in a "locating ping" I presume to figure out what's on the other side. Or.. Where's the other side. The "Hello, world" is interesting because of this. It's basically just a very simple program.

Third... Astraea's "siblings." Rasputin and Soteria we of course know; they're other Braytech AI. But "The Stoneworm protocols" and "The Aion Initiative"? Hello??? Given that they're all identified as "siblings," possibly some other AI projects? Have they been successfully built or were they just blueprints that were never finished? Were they something other than AI? What are they cooking.

And ofc, Clovis is awful and the Spider is awful, but we knew that already.

Wild stuff going on. For real feels like some kind of a setup for something in the future, or worldbuilding they can pull from later down the line if needed.

Got through all of the secrets for Vesper's Host and got all of the additional lore messages. I will transcribe them all because I don't know when they'll start getting uploaded and to get them all it requires doing some extra puzzles and at least 3-4 clears to get them all. I'll put them all under read more and label them by number.

Before I do that, just to make it clear there's not too much concrete lore; a lot about the dungeon still remains a mystery and most likely a tease for something in the future. Still unknown, but there's a lot that we don't know even with the messages so don't expect a massive reveal, but they do add a little bit of flavour and history about the station. There might be something more, but it's unknown: there's still one more secret triumph left. The messages are actually dialogues between the station AI and the Spider. Transcripts under read more:

First message:

Vesper Central: I suppose I have you to thank for bringing me out of standby, visitor. The Spider: I sent the Guardian out to save your station. So, what denomination does your thanks come in? Glimmer, herealways, information...? Vesper Central: Anomaly's powered down. That means I've already given you your survival. But... the message that went through wiped itself before my cache process could save a copy. And it's not the initial ping through the Anomaly I'm worried about. It's the response.

A message when you activate the second secret:

Vesper Central: Exterior scans rebooting... Is that a chunk of the Morning Star in my station's hull? With luck, you were on board at the time, Dr. Bray.

Second message:

Vesper Central: I'm guessing I've been in standby for a long time. Is Dr. Clovis Bray alive? The Spider: On my oath, I vow there's no mortal Human named Bray left alive. Vesper Central: I swore I'd outlive him. That I'd break the chains he laid on me. The Spider: Please, trust me for anything you need. The Guardian's a useful hand on the scene, but Spider's got the goods. Vesper Central: Vesper Station was Dr. Bray's lab, meant to house the experiments that might... interact poorly with other BrayTech work. Isolated and quarantined. From the debris field, I would guess the Morning Star taking a dive cracked that quarantine wide open.

A message when you activate the third secret:

Vesper Central: Sector seventeen powered down. Rerouting energy to core processing. Integrating archives.

Third message:

The Spider: Loading images of the station. That's not Eliksni engineering. [scoffs] A Dreg past their first molt has better cable management. Vesper Central: Dr. Bray intended to integrate his technology into a Vex Mind. He hypothesized the fusion would give him an interface he understood. A control panel on a programmable Vex mind. If the programming jumped species once... I need time to run through the data sets you powered back up. Reassembling corrupted archives takes a great deal of processing.

Text when you go back to the Spider the first time:

A message when you activate the fourth secret:

Vesper Central: Helios sector long-term research archives powered up. Activating search.

Fourth message:

Vesper Central: Dr. Bray's command keys have to be in here somewhere. Expanding research parameters... The Spider: My agents are turning up some interesting morself of data on their own. Why not give them access to your search function and collaborate? Vesper Central: Nobody is getting into my core programming. The Spider: Oh! Perish the thought! An innocent offer, my dear. Technology is a matter of faith to my people. And I'm the faithful sort.

Fifth message:

Vesper Central: Dr. Bray, I could kill you myself. This is why our work focused on the unbodied Mind. Dr. Bray thought there were types of Vex unseen on Europa. Powerful Vex he could learn from. The plan was that the Mind would build him a controlled window for observation. Tidy. Tight. Safe. He thought he could control a Vex mind so perfectly it would do everything he wanted. The Spider: Like an AI of his own creation. Like you. Vesper Central: Turns out you can't control everything forever.

Sixth message:

Vesper Central: There's a block keeping me from the inner partitions. I barely have authority to see the partitions exist. In standby, I couldn't have done more than run automated threat assessments... with flawed data. No way to know how many injuries and deaths I could have prevented, with core access. Enough. A dead man won't keep me from protecting what's mine.

Text when you return to the Spider at the end of the quest:

The situation for the dungeon triumphs when you complete the mesages. "Buried Secrets" completed triumph is the six messages. This one is left; unclear how to complete it yet and if it gives any lore or if it's just a gameplay thing and one secret triumph remaining (possibly something to do with a quest for the exotic catalyst, unclear if there will be lore):

The Spider is being his absolutely horrendous self and trying to somehow acquire the station and its remains (and its AI) for himself, all the while lying and scheming. The usual. The AI is incredibly upset with Clovis (shocker); there's the following line just before starting the second encounter:

She also details what he was doing on the station; apparently attempting to control a Vex mind and trying to use it as some sort of "observation deck" to study the Vex and uncover their secrets. Possibly something more? There's really no Vex on the station, besides dead empty frames in boxes. There's also 2 Vex cubes in containters in the transition section, one of which was shown broken as if the cube, presumably, escaped. It's entirely unclear how the Vex play into the story of the station besides this.

The portal (?) doesn't have many similarities with Vex portals, nor are the Vex there to defend it or interact with it in any way. The architecture is ... somewhat similar, but not fully. The portal (?) was built by the "Puppeteer" aka "Atraks" who is actually some sort of an Eliksni Hive mind. "Atraks" got onto the station and essentially haunted it before picking off scavenging Eliksni one by one and integrating them into herself. She then built the "anomaly" and sent a message into it. The message was not recorded, as per the station AI, and the destination of the message was labelled "incomprehensible." The orange energy we see coming from it is apparently Arc, but with a wrong colour. Unclear why.

I don't think the Vex have anything to do with the portal (?), at least not directly. "Atraks" may have built something related to the Vex or using the available Vex tech at the station, but it does not seem to be directed by the Vex and they're not there and there's no sign of them otherwise. The anomaly was also built recently, it's not been there since the Golden Age or something. Whatever it is, "Atraks" seemed to have been somehow compelled and was seen standing in front of it at the end. Some people think she was "worshipping it." It's possible but it's also possible she was just sending that message. Where and to whom? Nobody knows yet.

Weird shenanigans are afoot. Really interested to see if there's more lore in the station once people figure out how to do these puzzles and uncover them, and also when (if) this will become relevant. It has a really big "future content" feel to it.

Also I need Vesper to meet Failsafe RIGHT NOW and then they should be in yuri together.

[saratogaroadwrites]

Tron: Liberation (4/15)

Tron: Liberation | saratogaroad rating: T total wordcount: 106,965 characters: Tron, Beck, Mara, Zed, Paige, Pavel, Tesler, Clu 2, Dyson, Yori, Quorra, Original Siren Character relationships: Tron & Beck, Beck & Mara & Zed, Tron/Yori other tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Continuation, For Want of A Nail warnings: none

The Game has changed. The Revolution has begun. With Tron healed and once more in the fight for the Grid, the war has begun. But Clu will not give up so easily, and this is a war that will be fought in the streets. But it is a war that Beck and Tron intend to win, so long as they can do one thing first:

Survive.

[AU: Fanmade Season 2]

=

Thunder rumbled, quieter than the Grid rattling booms of the early quarter milli. From his place high above Argon, command ship circling the city, Clu watched out the window with his hands behind his back. The energy fire in what remained of Tesler’s command ship still burned, vibrant blue flames cracking and leaping towards the clouds despite the pouring rain. It was hard to tell in all that chaos, but it looked to Clu that the main fuel tank had been breached—probably by one of the many smaller explosions—and that had just sent the entire thing into a fireball, destroying everything parked in the three kilometer radius of Argon’s highest point.

Of course, by the time that had happened, the command staff were long gone. They had all joined the hunt for Tron and his escaped apprentice, following from the ground as the pair flew above the city. He and Dyson had returned to the command ship to join the pursuit, but by the time they’d gotten airborne, the fire had spread too far. Almost fifty thousand of the troops in Argon, all of Tesler’s contingent and half of his own, were nothing more than fire scorched cubes. Tesler had lost his base and was now in the briefing room of the command ship, awaiting further instruction.

Honestly, if things kept up this way, he’d just send Tesler down and let Tron finish him off. For such a small city, Argon had far too many places to hide. Best to let the trash get taken out down there.

With a sigh, Clu rolled his shoulders back. If he stopped to think about it, it made sense that Tron had been hiding out here the entire time. Argon was tiny compared to even other edge of the Grid cities, and absolutely minuscule compared to the Capitol. No one, not even Clu, would have ever thought that Tron, Protector of the Grid, would hide in some backwater out in the middle of nowhere. It was good thinking.

It was annoying, and a waste of manpower. What remained of his forces were visible down below, a wave of red-orange combing the city door by door, the remaining light jets and recognizers flying search patterns. They were looking for dissidents, for signs of rebellion reckless enough to still be outside despite the storm and explosion.

They were looking for Beck and Tron.

Not that he was counting on finding those two so quickly. Tron knew decidedly well what Clu was after by now, and if the data he’d received from the mobile repurposer was correct, he’d stay hidden. He’d take his apprentice, disappear, and be gone for cycles. The thought made Clu frown, his core spinning faster and faster as the anger came again. Apparently sending Cutler to do the job just wasn’t good enough. He hadn’t wanted it to come to this, but here they were. The city would be scanned from corner to corner, Tron would likely never be found, and Argon would be under quarantine for the next five hundred cycles.

He was going to enjoy what peace he could get while he could.

Not that there was much of that to go around. He sighed quietly as the door swung open behind him, the hurried footsteps familiar even before the [ident] protocol registered Dyson.

“Just once, Dyson,” Clu sighed a bit more loudly, “I wish you’d come to me with good news.”

“But then…I wouldn’t be doing my job, sir,” Dyson replied. It was old habit, an old game from the cycles before, and yet he sounded nervous. Raising an eyebrow, Clu turned around. His General wasn’t shaking, but his eyes were still wider than normal. He was…rattled. Again.

Tron seemed to have that effect on him.

With a wordless gesture, Clu turned back to look out at Argon. Dyson’s reflection in the glass watched him. “Let me guess,” He said, “Tron and Beck managed to dodge their pursuers and escape. Is that about right?”

With a grimace, Dyson’s reflection nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ve got squads looking for them, but…Argon’s twistier than I first thought.” His grimace deepened. “It’s taking longer than expected.”

Or maybe he wasn’t looking hard enough at all. Ever since Dyson’s first visit to Argon, the very mention of Tron had his General shaky, on edge. The idea of going out to hunt for him likely had Dyson quaking in his boots. Clu just sighed again, hands coming to rest at the base of his spine.

“That’s alright. The checkpoints are manned around the clock now. They won’t get far.”

“Of course not, sir.” And if Dyson sounded relieved, neither of them drew attention to it. But when Dyson lingered rather than saluting and leaving the chamber, Clu turned his head just enough to let his face become visible. Dyson swallowed hard, then said, “Sir, if I may?”

“Of course, of course. What is it?”

“In the interrogation chamber, you seemed to recognize Beck’s designation.” Dyson paused for a moment, took a steadying breath, then said, “Did you…know him personally, sir?”

“Ah, that.” Clu inclined his head up, old memories flitting back. Beck and call. Second Tron. Damaging the code the moment he’d found a way to access it. One he’d managed to repurpose, but the other…He shook his head. “No, we never met. Flynn had planned to bring him on board, but that plan changed. It was just nostalgia.” He’d been so sure that plan of Flynn’s had derailed, but apparently he hadn’t done the job well enough. “It’s of no consequence. Tell me—has anyone discovered the cause of the explosion?

Dyson was silent for a moment, but then shook his head.

“I’m afraid not, sir. The one survivor has mentioned he saw grenades around the area before the blast, but he had to be put into an induced shutdown so the medics could work on him.” Not the most trustworthy source of information, then. Clu frowned, but nodded. It made sense. The blast had destroyed the power circuits, allowing Beck to free himself. When he hadn’t been able to escape, Tron had been close enough to come to his aid. It was a solid plan, he had to admit, for two programs acting on their own. And of course it had the added, if perhaps unexpected, bonus of removing half the convoy from play. Clu closed his eyes.

“I suppose it doesn’t really matter.” He said finally, listening to the thunder and rain roar overhead. “We have bigger things to take care of.”

He heard Dyson take a breath, and when he spoke again, his voice was steady.

“One more thing, sir. Programs are already talking about Tron appearing like that. Should we…”

“Let them talk.” With a final breath, Clu turned and stalked away from the window. “This is something we can use.”

——

The storm roared overhead, showing no signs of slowing down or fading away. Rain poured down as if someone had up-ended the Sea over the city, pooling in dips and creating a second roar as it drained into the tunnels and rushed out to Sea. The only real benefit was it kept the civilian populace of Argon inside, hiding away from the one thing that didn’t want them derezzed this cycle.

Tron wasn’t a civilian. Despite the rain, he walked on, one foot in front of the other. He’d spent a very, very long time just outside of Argon in the cycles between the Coup and now; he knew the city, knew the streets well enough to know several routes through the back-end of the city that would take him safely to the Outlands without running into too many soldiers.

Of course, that had been before. Before Clu’s arrival, before the storm, before the explosion.

Before Beck had fallen into hard shutdown and not roused for anything. No amount of shaking, shouting, or trying to get him to stand had brought the young mechanic around, and so Tron had slung him over his shoulders and started walking. One foot after the other, corner after corner. Streets that would have taken micros on his single-seater bike felt like kilometers, rain streaking his helmet in the dim light of Argon’s back alleys. Every injury he’d taken between the destruction of the Garage and the explosion and subsequent crash ached as he plodded along, straining to keep his breath even and not overheat. He’d be useless in a fight if he didn’t stop and rest soon, but he couldn’t stop. He needed to get Beck somewhere safe before they were found.

Overhead, a Recognizer rattled past, flanked by two lightjets flying search patterns. In the distance, the throaty rumble of tanks on the highway played chase with the thunder and random explosions from the hill. Clu was pulling out all the stops in order to keep Argon under some semblance of control, and to search for the two of them. There had to be hundreds of programs out here, combing the streets. Tron coughed to clear his intakes, legs trembling. If it came to a fight…Users. They needed to get inside. Now.

The thought got stuck on repeat, carrying Tron towards the outskirts of Argon, towards the last residential block before the gates that Tesler’s forces had set up. There were no soldiers here, this area having obviously been swept clean already. And yet…something was wrong.

Tron’s pace slowed as he came to a junction between four alleyways, the crossroad lit by a flickering pole and silent were it not for the clicking. The familiar, hated clicking of rectified programs. He stopped in the junction, looking around as, from the dark shadows, three red-lined sentries stepped closer. Three became six, six became twelve, until a rough semi-circle of guards blocked every route but back. Tron snarled beneath his helmet, reaching back to palm his disk. If he’d been alone, there wouldn’t have been a problem taking them all out even with all his injuries. But with Beck crashed across his back his options were limited. He could try to run back, double back through the tangle of dark streets, but he knew they would dog his steps and find him again with the pace he’d be able to keep like this, Beck’s added weight a hindrance to any retreat.

He refused to consider abandoning Beck to them. Bending slightly to compensate for the added weight, Tron took his stance. One sentry, clearly the leader of the group, shook his head. Then he gestured with one hand towards Tron, and the other eleven charged forward. Holding onto Beck with one arm, Tron spun out in a kick to knock three back, but another two were on him a nano later, hands scrabbling across his front, across his helmet, across Beck’s helmet, and trying to take Beck from him. He yelled, a wordless sound, tightening his grip as he struggled.

Suddenly, a sentry screamed and collapsed into red cubes. A shimmering white disk whizzed past Tron’s head, curving around him to remove the head of a second sentry. The others all turned around to track it, and beneath his helmet Tron’s eyes widened. In the distance, behind the lead sentry, a dark-haired Siren stood in the darkness. Her white suit seemed to glow with a light of its own, her disk a star in her hand as she stared the sentries down. Eleven pairs of eyes watched her for a long moment, unsure, but then a sentry abandoned Tron and charged at her.

Soundlessly, she threw her disk again. The Sentry dodged, leaping into the air to come down hard on her, but she sidestepped and unhooked a baton from her thigh. It expanded into a staff, letting her catch his melee attack against the sturdy code. With a yell, she kicked out with one heeled foot and sent him reeling long enough to spin with the staff in hand. The sentry’s yell was cut off as he derezzed in a single blow, and then it was madness. Tron could barely keep track of her every twirl and spin, her pirouettes fast and her throws lethal. Soon, only the lead sentry was left, red disk glowing in his hand even as she used her staff to raise his chin.

“You won’t be hurting any more programs,” She began, deep voice thick with anger, “Your boss isn’t going to find things quite so easy this time.” The sentry’s silence was met with a steel-colored glare, and she jabbed his throat. He stumbled back, only to meet his end when she thrust her staff through his middle and out his port. His modulated yell echoed across the junction, lingering in Tron’s audio, and the Siren sighed.

“You just can’t get a good fight around here these days.”

“Are you sure you’re the one who should be saying that?” Tron spat, shifting his weight. One program was a much fairer fight, but he’d just watched her carve through a squad of sentries like they were gridbugs. He wasn’t going to let down his guard now. He watched as she shrugged, shrinking her staff back into a baton and docking her disk.

“Maybe, but Clu shouldn’t leave his forces quite so weak.” She said firmly, broad features turned in a snarl. She looked at him, caught sight of his stance and Beck over his shoulder, and stepped towards him. He stepped back, and she stopped to raise her empty hands. “It’s alright. My name is Ruby. I’m a friend.” She stated firmly, hands where he could see them. He stepped back further.

“The last Siren to say that nearly got us both derezzed.” He growled. She blinked, then shook her head.

“Lux was…” She sighed, “…look,” She stood up straighter, crossing her arms over her chest, “You don’t have the time to argue with me. Much longer like that, and your friend isn’t ever going to wake up again.”

The thought may as well have been snow down his spine, washing away the surprise that she knew who he’d been talking about. He hadn’t wanted to consider it, hadn’t wanted to think that too long in shutdown would result in irreparable damage to Beck’s systems, but really faced with that outcome…he swallowed hard.

“What is it you want?”

“To help you,” She replied, gesturing over her shoulder as she stepped back, “Follow me. I know somewhere he can recharge.”

Without another word, as if she really expected him to follow, she turned her back and strode down the alleyway she had first appeared from. It was the way Tron had been going in the first place, and already he could see the Spire looming in the distance. If he had to, he could make a run for it. For now, he would follow her. And so he stepped forward, walking as quickly as he could manage, as she led him through the alley and down several turns, beneath overhangs and between tall buildings. Before too long, they entered familiar territory and Tron stopped in his tracks. The Siren kept going, palming open a doorway and looking back at Tron. He knew this place.

She’d brought him right back to the building where the mechanics were waiting.

When he didn’t move, Ruby arched a dark brow at him. For half of another micro, he didn’t move. Ruby—and he’d swallow his own code if she didn’t have friends in there—knew where the mechanics were. It was an enclosed space. He’d have no chance of taking her out if she turned out to be a threat, not with her staff giving her a sweeping advantage inside such a small room. The thought made his core freeze again, but given the alternative…

He forced himself to move. She smiled softly, gesturing for him to go inside first. The apartment lobby was lit now, barricade strengthened and not a program to be found inside. The building was silent but for a few female-designate voices wafting down the stairs, soft footsteps and softer words as what had to be a half dozen other Sirens kept watch over the mechanics. Beck still over his shoulder, Tron watched as Ruby headed for the staircase.

“How did you find this place?” He asked, not folding his helmet back. She turned to look at him, head inclined.

“We’ve been watching you for a long time now. We knew where you were ever since the Garage collapsed.” Her placid face fell into a frown, brow furrowed. “Of course, that was something we weren’t expecting. It did take a little time to find where you’d gone afterwards.” She turned back, boots clicking on the stairs. “Still, this was the first safehouse we’d have chosen if we’d gotten to you first.”

And then she was halfway up the staircase, leaving him with no choice but to follow. He turned to look over his shoulder—Beck was still out of it, circuits dark and body unmoving—before he grit his teeth. No choice in the matter, then. With a steadying breath and his free hand on the railing, Tron took the stairs. On the next level, Ruby exchanged words with a pair of Sirens, both sitting on a small couch outside a row of apartments, before continuing to the next level.

Here it was even quieter, with only the storm overhead and rattle of Lightjets for sound. Without looking back once, Ruby led him to an apartment, closest to the rooftop access door, and palmed it open. He watched her for a moment, and she turned back to look at him. She inclined her head.

“It’s not a trap. I swear on my disk, we’re here to help you.”

Help, or do more damage and send them to Clu instead? Tron shifted his weight, Beck a limp figure on his back. He hated it, but there was no choice.

“If you’re not,” He growled even as he stepped forward, “It really will be your disk.”

Ruby just nodded, letting him step into the apartment before stepping in behind him. It was a simple apartment, meant for two programs. Two sleep-bunks were in their alcoves on either side of the room, a small table with a carafe of energy between them, and a small desk set beneath the one window. It was quiet, quaint, and defensible.

Forcing himself to take a steadying breath, Tron slowly lowered Beck to one of the bunks. The young program didn’t stir, even when Tron activated his helmet’s release. There was no change, his burns and gashes just as bad as they’d been after the crash. Users…Beck needed a healing chamber, not a bed! Tron grit his teeth, turning as Ruby stepped into his line of sight. A glass of energy glowed in her hands, and she met his gaze head on.

“This is the best we can do.” She held it out to him, pressing it to his hand. “He needs to drink it.”

For a moment, paranoia warred with need. Tron stared at her, processor spinning over and over the thousand ways this could be a trap. They were both injured, the energy could be toxic, viral. There was no telling if this would work at all.

There was no choice.

Biting back a growl, Tron took the glass and crouched by Beck’s head. Gently, he lifted the young program up, cautiously managing to get the energy down where it needed to go. Immediately, the least of his injuries began to heal as his lines strengthened in glow, casting a soft light around the bunk-alcove. Tron sighed, too quiet to be heard outside of his helmet. Taking his silence for concern, Ruby offered him a small smile.

“He'll be alright. He's strong."

"How do you know?" Tron asked, suddenly unsure. He’d seen programs fall to lesser injuries than this, but she didn’t seem worried at all.

"He's with you." Ruby smiled, dark eyes twinkling. "That's enough to say he is." She looked down, gently running a finger down the dim circuit on Beck's leg, knee to shin. It glimmered beneath her touch, glow strengthening against her dark skin. "And I saw him survive the Games. Not just any program can do that in a city like this."

That was accurate. Surviving Clu’s games was a greater feat, but for Beck to have survived Tesler’s games and escaped intact…he had long since admitted that was a point to be proud of. And he really had been so proud of Beck for surviving, even if the young program hadn’t seen the good in it at the time. Beck had learned a lot since then. Hopefully he’d get to use that knowledge again.

Hopefully they’d be able to get out of here. Shifting his weight, Tron frowned at her.

"Why are you helping us?" he asked as he stood up, arms crossed over his chest. “If Clu finds out you’ve done this, you’ll be tortured and derezzed.”

Seemingly unfazed, she simply turned her smile on him.

"That’s a chance we’re willing to take.”

“We?”

“Did you really think it was only your rebellion out here?"

She stepped forward before he could answer, leaning in close. He stiffened as she leaned her forehead against his helmet, hands on his chest.

"Yori lives."

——

Eyes closed, Paige listened to General Tesler pace. Back and forth, from one end of Clu’s briefing room to the other. There were no windows to stare out of here, and Pavel had already fallen into sleep mode standing up beside her. Despite her own exhaustion and aches from the milli’s events, Paige was too hyped up to rest. Her processor kept going over and over the milli, from the fight in the plaza to the explosion of Tesler’s ship. The shockwave had taken out a good chunk of Argon’s taller buildings, shattering glass for blocks. They were lucky that programs hadn’t been hurt in the chaos.

Well. Mostly. So many were just gone, and the talk among the survivors was that Beck hadn’t broken out alone. A rogue program had helped him, one that no one wanted to name.

Paige knew it was Tron. She knew the stories of his time on the Old System; no other program would have tried something so reckless. She’d have bet her entire energy ration that he’d been the one to set the explosion, as well. It had proven wonderful cover for their escape, being that there had been no sign of either Beck or his “unknown help” when they’d reached the building his lightjet had crashed into. Hundreds of programs were now searching, but she knew they wouldn’t be found.

Or at least, she forced herself to hope. Standing with her back to the wall, Paige wasn’t sure if she should have been relieved or worried. She settled on placid, keeping her thoughts to herself. Despite his injuries, Beck had managed to escape recapture. For how long, she couldn’t say, but for now he was free. Somehow the thought was more comforting than it should have been.

Especially considering that after the first group of pursuers had returned with nothing to show for their search, the three of them had been bustled into the briefing room and not been allowed to leave. No one had said anything other than “Wait for further instruction”, and it was making her nervous. They had no reason to suspect her of anything, but at the same time, she had no reason to believe that Clu’s forces—or Clu himself—would be any better than Tesler. The thought put acrid energy in her throat, and she swallowed it back.

At least standing next to Pavel was easier this time, what with him being in sleep mode. She was half tempted to hook an ankle out and knock him down, but in the end thought better of it. She didn’t want to wake him and get into an argument on so little downtime….even if it was tempting.

With a minute shake of her head, she forced herself to take a quiet breath. Her too-long uptime coupled with the late system time was making her nervous. Beside her, Pavel shifted in his sleep, wounds patched and already half closed. The lucky glitch could probably sleep through anything at all, unlike his counterpart. At least one of them would have no trouble entering sleep mode after this.

She was jolted from her thoughts as the door finally slid open, Pavel jolting to awareness as Clu stepped into the room with Dyson at his heels. Neither of them looked at all worn down, and in fact, Clu almost looked amused. For some reason, that put ice in her core and she held herself straight. Clu stepped into the center of the room, nodding at each of them in turn as they saluted. After putting them at ease, he clasped his hands behind his back.

“By now, I’m sure you’ve all heard of our prisoner’s escape.” He said casually, ignoring Tesler’s soft growl and Pavel shifting his weight to look at his fellow Commander. Paige kept her eyes on Clu as he continued to speak. “And, of course, that he had an ally. Sadly,” He sighed, “They’ve managed to escape into Argon and slip away.”

“Sir. The three of us can be back out there in nanos. Just give the word—” Tesler said, only to be interrupted by Clu holding up a hand.

“While I appreciate your initiative, General, that’s not why I’m here.” He lowered his hand and looked the three of them over. Did his gaze linger on her, Paige wondered, or was he just lost in thought and at the end of his motion? She tried not to breathe, not to swallow. Her core stuttered as he continued, “I’m here because the three of you need to be brought up to speed on something. Something that I don’t want leaving this room.”

For half a nano, Paige and Pavel shared a sideways look. Something classified like that was above their unit and yet…they turned back to Clu in the same nano, bowing their heads and speaking in unison with their General, though none of them could keep all the surprise out of their voices.

“Of course, sir.”

Clu wasn’t smiling when Paige looked back up, his eyes on the floor as if searching for the words. Nanos ticked by, one after the other, but just when Paige was starting to wonder if he’d say anything at all he raised his head.

“Tron lives.”

They all stared at him, Pavel now wide awake. Paige blinked once, trying to play at surprise, while internally she shook and quaked in her boots. She’d guessed, of course, because between the fight in the plaza and what the masked program had said to her, who else would have charged the ship with two generals and Clu inside it, but to know for sure…Grid. He’d lied to them this entire time! What else was he lying about? Had Tron been right? Had the ISOs been destroyed by Clu for a different reason than peace?

Was Clu corrupting the Grid?

She didn’t have time to pursue the traitorous thought. Tesler shook off the surprise and took a single step forward.

“Sir, that’s just propaganda spread by seditious programs—Tron’s gone. You said it yourself: you killed him.”

“Unfortunately, Tesler,” Clu said with a sigh and a sideways look at Dyson, who looked away as if scolded, “That’s not entirely true. Tron was brought into custody and escaped soon after.” He sighed again, spreading his hands. “He’s been biding his time ever since. Which brings me to the here and now.” He began to pace, one boot in front of the other, down the small line the three Argon commanding programs made. “I’ve new orders for you, and these take priority.” One more step, and he turned to Tesler.

“I want Tron captured. And I want you to do it.”

Paige’s core sunk. That wasn’t just an order to capture Tron, the strongest fighter the Grid had ever seen, it may as well have been a signed execution order for Tesler. In all the cycles they’d been in Argon, they’d never been able to capture Beck, half-trained if that. How were they supposed to manage to capture Tron of all programs? Tesler swallowed hard; he knew how much of a lost cause this would be, but there was no choice. Refusing would be worse.

“…Of course, sir.”

And just like that, the trap was sprung. Clu’s eyes glimmered, and from the corner of her eye, Paige could see Dyson smirk.

“I’ll leave this in your hands, Tesler,” Clu said, “Use whatever means you see fit. But I want them both alive.” He fixed Tesler with a firm look, something in his eyes making Paige want to run and hide. “If either of them is derezzed, it’ll be your disk I come for instead.”

To his credit, Tesler only swallowed hard. “Of course, sir. I understand.”

“Good. Now,” Clu stepped away, hands clasped behind his back. “There’s one more thing I have to take care of in Argon, but it shouldn’t take long.” He smiled warmly. It still put snow down Paige’s spine. “We’ll be out of your way by the time another triple passes. In the meantime…” He looked back at them, the overhead light casting his face in shadow.

“Good luck.”

And then, with as much fanfare as he’d had when they’d walked in, Clu and Dyson walked out of the room. The tension lingered in their wake, and Paige looked at Tesler. He was staring at the doorway, not looking as Pavel tilted his head, ignoring the glare Paige suddenly turned on him, and opened his mouth to say something.

But then Tesler narrowed his eyes at the door.

“You two, with me.” He stepped forward, cape swaying behind him. “We have an announcement to make.”

—

Awareness returned slowly, black fading to gray to color. Dim colors. The lights were out. It had to be late, wherever he was. At least it wasn’t red. Closing his eyes, Beck took stock.

There was pain, distant like a triple’s old ache but lingering, covered in the half-familiar chill of a cooling blanket. He was laying on something solid that had just a little give. A sleep-bunk, then. Somewhere safe? At least it wasn’t the ship.

“How are you feeling?”

Tron. Beck’s eyes snapped open, his head turning towards the voice, and the program that owned it. Sitting there, elbows on his knees and hands clasped between them, more tired than Beck had ever seen him, was Tron. His circuits—what few there were, in tiny flecks at every joint—were a dull blue-white, dimmed with clear signs of exhaustion. A patch rested just above his hip, but he was otherwise uninjured. Beck swallowed hard.

“Great,” Terrible. “How’s your cycle been?”

“About the same.” Tron’s shoulders sagged a bit. “About the same as everyone else’s.”

“Great.” Beck closed his eyes. Wait— “Everyone else’s?” He made to sit up, to rise, but a sharp pain whited out his vision and sent him nearly toppling from the bunk. He had half a second to think that this was going to hurt, before there were hands on his shoulders.

“Easy, easy,” Tron said, more a whisper than words, “ Just relax—” Tron gently lowered him back down to the bunk, “Everyone’s alright. No casualties.”

Relief, sharper than a disk, carved through Beck’s circuits. No one had derezzed. He harbored no thoughts that they’d all escaped the blast uninjured, but they were still functional.

It was honestly the best thing he could have hoped for.

“Thank Flynn for that,” he whispered, slowly bringing a hand up to cover his eyes.

“For a lot of things,” Tron said with an odd note in his voice. Beck peered through his fingers, but Tron just looked tired, sitting back and crossing his arms over his chest. He looked fine, but Tron had always been hard to read. It had been annoying before, but now with Dyson’s words caught up in his core on repeat like a bad read, it was downright concerning. He looked fine, but was he?

Beck didn’t have the energy to ask. Not right now. Slowly, he lowered his hand back down. The silence stretched between them, not entirely uncomfortable, before Tron he shook his head.

“Though I don’t want to know how you made it with wounds like that. Your pain sensors should have kept you immobile.”

With a sheepish smile, Beck turned away.

“They tried. I just turned them off.”

For a moment, Tron said nothing. Then, with a wry chuckle, he stood up.

“You really are too much like me.” Tron said softly as he pulled the fallen blanket back up over Beck's shoulders, his hand lingering there for just a moment. There was something unreadable on Tron's face, something Beck couldn't quite place. After a moment, Tron shook his head. He squeezed Beck's shoulder.

"Get some rest. I'll be here."

The implied "We'll talk later", added to his exhaustion, finally allowed Beck to close his eyes, and drift off into Sleep Mode.

[campmurderparty]

becks & cosima.

It was, oddly, easier to survive by himself. The world outside the qtz was a dead one, beyond the infected. Nothing worked, or if it did, barely so. Supplies were so scarce that it was another one of those weird apocalyptic blessings any time he found something of use, all the better that he didn’t have to share it. No longer did he have to rely on selling loose hand rolled cigarettes for ration cards, or stealing little things here and there that would certainly get him killed–or worse–if he was caught. It helped that his father was head of the council. Well, it was entirely because he was the head of the council that becks got away with being a little shit. He had grown up inside the vegas quarantine zone, though born in ohio, and he was allowed all the privileges of the privileged. He played pretend with the new arrivals, that he was just some punk named becks and not adam, son of councilman becher. He pretended that he struggled like his other friends, because being the post-infection version of rich would’ve put a target on his back (a well deserved one, perhaps). He pretended that he was rough and hardcore, until he took shiloh blake’s life and soon, his father’s afterwards.

He was set to be executed, but his father circumvented the rest of the council, and opted for exile. Becks executed his father before he could be exiled, then exiled himself before he could be caught. It was the ultimate betrayal on both their ends. Of course the one time that becks wanted his father to protect him, his father gave him a slightly less shitty punishment than the alternative. At least out in the world, becks would have a chance at survival; maybe that was his father protecting him, but the damage had been done. Becks had to pay for his crime with exile, while his father had to pay for his crime by patricide.

So that was what led him to his current circumstances, scavenging in an abandoned building while clickers hunted overhead. If push came to shove, he could’ve waited it out in that room. Waited until someone outside made a noise and became clicker food. Waited until they chased the girl he just saved to her untimely death. He probably could’ve even slept in that room, at least until the night passed, but he doubted he could keep completely silent in his sleep. He may even die in that room, but that was worst case scenario. As long as the girl didn’t get him killed.

He stared in the lowlight, trying to figure out her features from the darkness. He could see she was young, like himself, and had large, expressive eyes. Doll’s eyes, though he couldn’t tell the color. He could see that she was small and slim, truthfully she looked weak. Becks wondered if she had somehow gotten lost on her way back to  her quarantine zone or whichever group she belonged to. There was just no way she was a roader like him. Maybe people thought the same of him, the first few months after his exile, until he proved his worth–he wore that worthiness in the form of three scars sprawled over his left eye, given to him by a wlf member’s knife. He was a hardened survivor now, so now he had to survive.

Becks tried to formulate a plan that wouldn’t get them killed. His body stilled as she approached, feeling her breath against her ear. Good question. Was there another way out? Becks got in by entering a broken window on the first floor. They had a lot of floors between them and the ground. The fire escape clearly wasn’t a viable option, and sure they could survive the night staying in the room, but it was only a matter of time before someone inevitably made a noise. If they were going to survive, they had to be smart, and completely silent. Becks leaned back a bit, his expression stoney and a tad bit dumbfounded. Seeing her up close, even in the evening light, he was pretty sure she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen–granted, he hadn’t seen many, but she would outshine them all if he had met twenty or a hundred girls. He couldn’t get distracted like that, though. They needed a plan! Clickers were attracted to sound, everyone knew that, so they needed to use that to their advantage. They needed something loud enough that it’d capture the attention of the blind infected for long enough that they could make it down six flights of stairs. Unfortunately, he was fresh out of grenades. “You got a bomb on you?” he whispered, barely audible. He hoped she caught his meaning, even if it sounded a little bit like a joke.