#and Alex does *most* of the comforting on Terror

[tsarjozinzbazin]

Crying over TikTok today, so could I please have your idea of how each of the doctors provides emotional support to a patient? (Even if it’s just Stanley as the standing-man emoji, I could use a good laugh. Thank you.)

Harry's definitely the best at comforting his patients. He tries to get to know them on a personal level (which Stanley does not approve of) and definitely has a gentle way of putting things. Some men absolutely despise this, as they feel like their health is in the hands of a 'mary ann'

Alex is definitely quite good with his bedside manners, much like Harry. However I imagine he brings almost a fatherly comfort to them, treating the crew as if they were his sons.

John is a weird one but definitely not too uncomfortable to be with. He doesn't speak when he doesn't need to so he may come off as cold, but he is quite gentle in his mannerisms and a wonderful listener if the patient needs to talk.

Stephen's bedside manners are absolutely atrocious (if it wasn't clear from him cutting Le Vesconte's toes off without even batting an eye). He never quite comforts his patients, more so scolds them for being reckless. But however mean he is, he is a very skilled surgeon and a doctor. Even if he screams and yells at you, you know you're in good hands.

[frost-queen]

Headcanon | Mad as a hatter

Requested by: Anon Forever tag:@missmelodramatic, @merlin-dahlia, @alex--awesome--22, @elllie-does-the-posts, @floatlosers, @merlieve, @queen-of-books, @glimmering-darling-dolly@denkisclown, @wildieflower, @meyocoko, @bubblybrianna, @justanothercoco@subjecta13-thefangirl, @m-rae23, @harleyquinnswifeyfrfr, @swampthing07, @melsunshine, @panhoeofmanyfandoms, @venomsvl, @the-uncoordinated-house-cat, @rosecentury,  @imagines-by-her,  @evilcr0ne, @vviolynn

Summary: Imagine being Alice's sister & following along her adventures. In the end you decide to stay in Wonderland with the one you love.

Family relations

Alice was the first one to discover Underland or as she loved to call it Wonderland. As always she was the first to do so. After her first trip she excitedly told you about all the wonders it had to offer. How cake could make you grow and a drink make you smaller. At first it sounded a bit bonkers to you, but soon you found yourself going down the rabbit hole with your sister. Entering the glooming wonders of the underland. While Alice met the white rabbit first, your first encounter was with the March Hare. That goofy looking hare. It bounced around and spoke fast with gibberish. You found the March Hare extremely funny. He would be the one to invite you to your first tea party.

"Tea for two, two for tea. Sugarcubes and milk. Half a cup or a cup a half." - he would goof out sounding like a halfwit.

Wonderland

Years later after you had forgotten about your childish adventures, you were back at it. Having followed your sister down when she ran away at the party. Before you knew it, you saw her fall down. It took you but a moment to head after her without thinking. She was your sister after all. The only one who didn't presumed you mad. Once down it occured to you just how much wonderland had lost it's wonder. The place dark and gloomy. The March hare a tat more bonkers than usual. He was mumbling to himself, correcting himself as if speaking to a second person. The door mouse was ready to poke your eye out if the Mad Hatter hadn't stopped her. He immediately recognized you making his bow flutter open like a butterfly.

"Y/n!" - he would say pleasantly. A warm smile on his lips. You were relieved that someone recognized you. From up till then you had been treated like a stranger. - "You've returned." - Mad Hatter would continue. He jumped up on the table with a funny chuckle. Making his way over, knocking over cups and teapots in the process. A bit of cake flew right over the doormouse's head making her glare grumpily at the Hatter. Hatter jumped down on the other end. Bowing and kissing your hand teasingly. Upon the arrival of the red queen you lost track of your sister. Scurried off in a haste. The March Hare leading you away in secret. The queen couldn't have both of you. The Chesire cat appearing out of nowhere to give out directions.

While Alice found her way at court with the Red queen were you forming an alliance in the background. Gathering all your friends to make them rebel against the red queen and end her reign of terror. Tweedle dee and Tweedle dom, Chesire cat, doormouse, March Hare, white rabbit, the Mad Hatter, Bruno, Caterpillar, .... All wanting to reclaim their home and set the right queen on the throne. During your time grew Hatter and you closer. Closer than ever.

After Wonderland

You hated saying goodbye's, but goodbye's were in order. The Jabberwocky had been slayed and Alice was victorious. You were rather the victor in the background, allowing your sister to shine. Saying goodbye to the Hatter was the hardest you ever had to do. There were tears. Tights hugs and cherished moments. While you couldn't stop crying, the Hatter was wiping your cheeks saying comforting things to you.

"No matter where you are Y/n, you will always be my favorite person to style a hat for. The most perfect head you have." - he would say. - "Our adventures will forever be ours and I know in my heart you will find your way back soon. No matter how long it might take or how you find your way here, I just know you shall do so."

The following weeks at home was Alice the happiest. Having discovered a new part of her. While you remained inside crying your heart out to all that you missed. The world you were from no longer feeling like home. Home felt like wonderland, like your friends and the Hatter. Specially the Hatter. He felt like home and without him it felt like you were homeless. No matter how hard Alice tried to comfort you, she just couldn't. Wishing she could do something to ease your pain.

Return to Wonderland

The news was like a shock. A shock knowing that the Hatter, your Hatter was fading away. Losing himself in the process. When you first saw him, pale as snow, you cried. What if you were the reason for his fading? What if the reason for you leaving him made him fade away? Guilt took place in you as you wanted to reverse time. Time... you never expected for Time not be a what but rather a who. Back in Wonderland your sister and you dabbled with Time in the hopes to make it all right. To stop Hatter from fading and returning to his old self. On your journey you learned a new side of Hatter when he was younger. Understood him more.

When your sister and you finally made things right it felt like another goodbye again. Yet this time you had other plans. Turning towards your sister Alice, you gave her a big hug. Alice returned your hug with a deep breath, knowing what it meant. Hatter was confused seeing you hug your sister. - "Why are you saying goodbye to each other? Are you seperating?" - he asked. Alice kissed your cheek, wishing you well as she would miss you dearly. You then turned to a confused Hatter. - "Yes silly, for I am staying here." - you told him.

"In underland? Here?" - the Hatter would exclaim.

"Yes silly, here, there, everywhere. Wherever it is you are." - you answered moving your arms around him. The Hatter grinned sheepishly. - "Does this mean I get to keep you?" - he questioned. You would nod with a smile. - "Yes, I believe I have gone mad for staying." - you laughed out. - "Completely bonkers." - Hatter would respond before sealing his words with a kiss.

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

Read more of my fics on my Masterlists!  

[luvforemikai]

Comfort In Ending

Alex Summers x black!fem!reader

summary - your time recovering after your Fiance Alex's death

warnings - very very slight mentions of smut

---

You sit in your now deceased Fiance's bedroom while looking at the specs of rain slam again his window. Everything in his room reminds you of him. The butterfly necklace that was on his nightstand. It was originally yours but he took it with him everywhere you weren't, to remind him of you.

The chair sitting next to his window. You'd sit with him on the brightest of days, looking over the area.

The blanket sitting right next to it. He'd use that for surprise picnics. Eating strawberries and drinking lemonade while looking at the flowers bloom. Not a care in the world.

And his bed. Where you two had some of the most intimate moments together. Whether it was rubbing his hair softly while he dozed off to sleep. Him massaging your back after a long day. Or the two of you making love like there was no tomorrow.

You look around the room crying, because everywhere you look you see him. You smell him. You taste him.

You may have had your fights but deep down there was nothing that could drive you two apart.

You sit at the corner of his bed, your black dress soaked in tears when you hear a knock at his door.

"Come in." You say weakly. Scott opens the door and there's a sliver of silence before he speaks up, realizing you won't. "You ready?" He whispers.

You take a deep breath as you stand up with a crinkled piece of paper in your hands, walking towards Scott and taking his hand.

You both leave the x-mansion as the rain clears and the sun peaks through the dark clouds. You're led into a beautiful but wet field of flowers. The same field he led you on days you had no classes or training.

You're brought to his casket. Dark blue and brown. Everyone is standing with their heads low, yours being the only one held high.

As everyone gives their share of flowers, lastly, you neatly place a note on top, rubbing his casket, then leaving.

Dear Alex.

I never expected this to happen, but who does in times like these. You already know how I feel about you so there's really no reason to write it. I've told you every day since we started dating. I just never knew hate would be one of those feelings.

Though I don't hate you, I could never, no matter what. I hated how you were always so brave when others weren't. I hated when you were drafted and came back with night terrors every single day. I hated how you had to always be the one to take risks when the only risk you needed to take was loving me. Spending your life with me.

We almost made it, you and me. We were so close. And then this happened. I don't blame you. Matter of fact, I don't blame anyone but myself for getting so attached. You were the reason my heart fluttered every single day. You were the reason my stomach twisted and turned at every single kiss. You were the reason I'd feel weak at every compliment. And you are the reason I will never experience that again. I wrote my heart in this, so it will get buried with you, and you'll feel my love forever. I know I will never feel the comfort of your touch again. But maybe there will be

comfort in ending.

[pink-apollo]

hi! i'm not sure if you just do writing for Ghost/Soap/Alejandro, etc, but if you don't--- I was wondering if i could request an Alex Mason X Reader imagine where the reader is struggling to sleep and is like turning constantly, and Alex just ends up pulling them against his chest and snuggling them :(((((( I HAVE SO MUCH ALEX BRAINROT RN ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY and if you dont wanna do it with him, maybe with Ghost???? tysm!!!

I honestly miss Alex so much❤️

Or perhaps both?

I am so sorry this took me…so long. I’m better state of mind here so I hope you enjoy :)

🖤Alex himself tends to have trouble sleeping when he finally comes back home. No more odd positions of being cramped up, no more uncomfortable cots to lay on, or solid ground that makes his back act up. Just a nice comfortable bed to lay on, or so until his s/o starts to toss and turn

🖤Has woken up a few times due to you shifting around so often, even kicking him in the back because of how chaotic your dreams are. But no matter what he still loved you

🖤Although this particular night, your movements seemed more rapid and fidgety than normal. Being away from mason for a long period of time took a toll on both of you, sometimes you more so than him. He was your comforter during the night, his strong arms wrapped around you as his head rested on top of yours, his breathing helping you to relax and calm down to finally sleep after months of being apart

🖤Alex just about on the brink of sleep until he felt your side of the bed move…and then once more, and yet again with you sighing into the pillow as you pulled the covers closer to your body. He peaked an eye open and saw you curled up wide awake looking up at the moon that was shinning through the curtains

🖤Alex then wrapped his arms around you, pulling you closer to his chest before flipping you over so you were now facing him. He placed your leg so it was over his and rested his head upon yours before closing his eyes once more and laughing at the situation

🖤In all honesty you would think it would be him doing the shuffling around but it’s actually you. Not moments later you were fast asleep in his arms, no more moving.

🖤Alex placed a kiss on your temple just before going to sleep himself, before hearing a faint “I love you.”

🎀Ghost is a all around sound sleeper for the most part. Some nights he shifts due to night terrors but is always back to sleep once again as he sees you there laying with him with your head on his chest. Most nights in fact you two end up always like this, snuggled up against one another

🎀Simone has noticed that when you’re not pressed up against one another that you tend to be fidgety, just like him. Adjusting your pillows a lot, trying to find that perfect spot to lay down on, blankets slowly being pulled over to your side

🎀But the moment that you start to toss around a bit too much is when he’s fully awake and watching you try to get comfortable. Laughs a little at the ordeal seeing that you are just like him, needing physical comfort from your partner

🎀Will allow you to turn a bit before decided wither or not to finally pull you against him which is exactly what he does every night

🎀Pulls you to his side of the bed, back up against his chest as his hand finds his way into yours, his face nuzzling into your hair as he settles down once more before drifting off to sleep. It seems every night is the same thing, starting on your own side of the bed before making your way to each other

🎀When Simon is away from you he can’t get a wink of shuteye unless he has something of yours that smells like you which he does on occasion to trick his mind into thinking you’re there, minus the actual physical touch, and little does he know that you do the same thing when apart

[amourlyns]

❛ HEY VENGEANCE. ❜ ➜ ⁽ masterlist ⁾

✧ 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕: In which Price comforts Farah while Alex is in the hospital.

✧ 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: Imagery of war, gore and death.

✧ 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔: Dedicated to Dil.

⟡ ⠀ | STERILE, COOL AND BLEAK. There is the familiar sound of an IV drip. Complimented by a dreary, dull environment. A clock ticks somewhere in the distance. John takes in his surroundings. Sterile, clean, and pristine.

John Price does not belong here. He knows that.

John Price belongs somewhere in the dirt, with a set of shattered bones and bloodied knuckles.

Where his joints ache and cry out, and his ears are ringing because of the sound of explosions. He should be awoken from his slumber because of the sound of gunfire and shrapnel ripping through flesh.

Why is he here? Sitting down and relaxing? There is a war to be fought. There always is.

John Price couldn’t stay put.

In reality, there’s a silent storm building happening right in front of him. And here he is, thinking about the world around him. The anxiety should settle in his stomach.

‘Will Alex wake up?’ It’s what Farah has been asking for the last forty five minutes. John has never heard nor seen Farah in such a state. She’s still somewhat composed, shifting within her seat in short increments.

Good God, Farah hasn’t been like this since Hadir’s death. She was a solid woman, stronger than anyone should be. And if Price could do anything to less the burden Farah felt upon her shoulders. He would. A heavy arm wraps around Farah’s shoulders.

They keep silent for a moment, she’s stiff in his embrace. Touch (…) would be the bane of Farah’s existence. A touch she’s been avoiding since she was a child. Eventually, she gives. Letting the flood gates open.

A few tears cascade down thick lashes, staining her flushed cheeks. John reached for a handkerchief in his pocket, offering the cloth to the Commander. She graciously accepts, excusing herself from John’s side and leaving to Alex’s.

John would stay up the whole night watching them if he had to. He would swear it. And so, he does.

Farah protests against this, but she can not dissolve John’s steely resolve.

Farah Karim falls asleep by Alex Keller’s side that night, under the watchful eye of John Price. There are blankets adorning her frame, placed by the Captain.

Pillows are tactically placed against the back of her neck. John does not sleep that night, but he lets the chill of the hospital room nip at him.

The warmth he feels is within his heart, the sight of Farah’s hand on Alex’s chest. John Price would’ve frozen himself to death if it meant Farah could feel at peace by Alex’s side. He meant it. Whole heartedly.

John is restless that night, roaming through halls. Patrolling the premises, memorizing escape routes.

John needed something to do.

He was already restless as is. His mind keeps him awake most nights, and he was having night terrors more often than not. So, he smoked. And that’s just what he did. Being outside gave John a peace of mind.

Things seemed much clearer. Each inhale sends a fuzzy, euphoric buzz through his lungs. And a sharp bite in his throat. Being outside like this, watching the stars on the horizon. Reminds him of Pripyat.

A door clicks somewhere in the distance, Farah. Her footsteps resonate somewhere in Johns heart. One, two, three, one, two, three, stop. Light, mindful, steps make their way to John’s side. She brought his lighter, she lights his cigar. Silence.

❛ I’d never let anything happen to you or Alex. ❜ Farah knows that already, but she can’t find it in her to speak back. She lets John inhale and relish his cigar for two seconds. ❛ You stayed all night. ❜ Farah muses.

John Price never breaks his promises. He stubs out the cigar, heading inside with a new found grief. A guilt. Farah watches the Captain, and she watches how his shoulders seem to sag. How his stride slows, and how exhaustion seems to seep into every pore of his.

This was the morning Farah Karim realized John Price was a broken man pretending to be something he was not. Now, did she know what he was doing? No. But then again, some days (…) She didn’t know her own purpose. Farah would watch John’s figure, hovering around Alex’s body. Pale and moon—laden. He would pace, patrolling the premises once more. John Price was a man of repetition, pattern and habits that would follow him to his grave.

Unfortunately, this was instilled within her too. And she was still waiting for the day she too, could find her habits admirable like John Price. She assumed they were anyways. John Price, the man who saved her.

John Price, the man who carried himself with a sense of pride, confidence and grace you could only compare to the grand heroes her baba used to tell her about.

All heroes fall.

Bile rises into her throat, she ignores it. But images of Hadir, her father and Alex’s face appear in her mind. Farah is so consumed with fear she even pictures herself. John Price does not appear when she thinks of death, the idea of the man dying feels like a myth.

Truth be told, the stories Price unraveled over the years of their friendship only seem like tall tales a hero could survive. He was Achilles in this world.

Did he really have a heel?

She doesn’t want to find out.

The movement of his chest rising and falling seems to lull her to sleep once more. Farah is used to early mornings but Price insists on her sleeping. Claiming she deserved it. She hears John, shuffling to get her another blanket. Embracing her with a touch only a father could possess she craves this.

But it’s a fleeting, flimsy thought. He’s nothing more than a mentor to many. An inspiration to all. John leans in, muttering something off in the distance. It’s barely audible. Like a secret he was telling to himself.

❛ I’d stay all over again. ❜ Farah’s breathing shifts, John can tell. It hitches, inching to a stop. Why would the old man continue you this now? ❛ It’s not about saving everyone, I know that. But if I can, and if I could (…) just give everyone my all. My whole being. I would. ❜ And he does. Every day

Farah can sleep soundly at that.

[shadowscommand]

ooooh farah and alex, do you have any headcanons and thoughts on them? i hope we get to see them back in the new season raid!!

oh my god like a million. i really do think about them a lot but since they're very sweet i don't tend to post about them a ton y'know I'm bad w fluff :P. but YEAH alexfarah (sfw mainly but some nsfw at the end):

Alex had to be coerced to actually admit his feelings to her. not because he doesn't love her but bc he was too worried about bothering her bc she's Constantly busy. once he was healed and working with warcom they still were not together. only because of talking to Mara and Morte and Wyatt did he get the courage to ask her out.

she sends him good morning texts ! every day ! it's part of her routine. shes p much always awake before him so she never misses apart from missions and things.

ive said this in a post before but i think alex is very interested in music. he listens to new artists often and sends songs farah's way when he thinks she'll like something.

farah in general doesn't have a ton of interests (she doesn't have the TIME or the focus to get deep into something that isn't work) but alex does. she loves listening to him explain the layers of a game, a tv show, or music just to hear him talk about something he has genuine care for.

farah makes great, great coffee. alex cant have coffee made by anyone else because he constantly just thinks 'meh. not as good as farahs.'

she doesn't baby him about his leg but she is very serious about him taking care of the skin on his stump. she will avidly remind him to get lotion for the skin there so it won't be dry and cracked and irritated when he goes to put his prosthetic on. she does also sometimes help him bathe (he doesn't need the help but he is not going to say no to taking a shower with farah)

farah isn't huge on pda and alex really isnt either. at most they hold hands and sit closer than most others. in private though, farah almost always has a leg or two over alex's. hes very much the little spoon.

farah does suffer from night terrors and sleep paralysis. she normally does Not Sleep well bc of these but its nicer when alex is there with her. he tends to her after she wakes up either in a panic or frozen in place.

nsfw section (tw for very vague mentions of past sexual assault):

farah has trauma related to sex so she likes to stay mostly clothed during. tank top/t shirt staying on is a must. alex is unbothered by this and tries to stay very conscious of how farah is feeling in the moment.

alex is very open-minded in terms of things hes into. he dabbles into bdsm and degradation kinks/name calling and such but he doesn't bring that up to farah very much for fear of unsettling her.

however, farah does not like to feel babied. she does not like to think alex is holding back for her sake. she grew very comfortable with alex very quickly and that includes calling him out when she feels like he's making decisions for her during sex.

BUT ! because of this their sex life is very healthy. alex knows what farah is curious about. he himself was very excited to get farah into pegging and he gets pegged every chance they get. strap game off the charts.

[summerstrash]

Options for how Alex is the secret traitor in the upcoming X-Factor #2, given the solicit that dropped yesterday:

Option #1: Genuinely Scheming

Option #2: The Other Alex

Option #3: Down Bad Again

Option #4: Possession/Brainwashing

See below the readmore for my more lengthy thoughts about each, but right now, my money's on option #4.

Option #1: Genuinely Scheming

This is the option for Alex genuinely agreeing with Lorna's goals and feeding her info. This is technically possible given the way the solicit is worded, but it feels unlikely because Alex never chooses the non-institutional side of a conflict of his own free will. He will always choose a comfortable bed and incrementalist change within the system over liberationary terrorism when given the choice; it's just who he is. So I can't imagine him playing spy on purpose in a way that would risk his creature comforts.

Option #2: The Other Alex

This option is for Alex's dissociative disorder from Hellions coming back with a vengeance after the fall of Krakoa and whatever events put him in the gutter in Malibu, and while vanilla Alex has no idea he's dissociating, his violent, ruthless counterpart is feeding Lorna and her group info and possibly working more directly with them. This is possible, but I doubt it because Alex's disorder didn't really manifest in a way conducive to this kind of plotting before, because alter!Alex is kind of an immediate action violence kind of guy, not a schemer.

Option #3: Down Bad Again

In this option, Alex has reunited with Lorna in some fashion and is giving her information about what X-Factor is doing, not knowing she's using that info to further her group's goals, and thus the reveal in #2 is that Lorna has been leading this group and using him. This is entirely possible, considering Alex's down-badness is chronic and terminal, and all Lorna would have to do is act like she needs him, and he'd roll right over. I don't like it, though, because Alex/Lorna is my least favorite Alex relationship, and rehashing it again is not something Lorna deserves to have to endure. She's a fucking PhD now, she shouldn't have to have her role in the story be about how she and Alex are fucking again and it's causing him problems.

Option #4: Possession/Brainwashing

In this option, someone in Lorna's camp, with or without her knowledge and blessing, has possessed or brainwashed Alex in order to infiltrate X-Factor. I think this is the most likely option, because it keeps Alex from doing anything ethically dubious while still allowing for the betrayal plotline, and keeping it from Alex's knowledge that he's doing this. Alex also has a long and storied history of being brainwashed and used against his teammates, so like, it's kind of a classic trope for him now. My specific sub-theories here are:

A) Malice has joined up with Lorna and is doing what she does best, possibly without Lorna's knowledge. I like this theory because Alex being possessed by Malice would mirror the nostalgic 80s & 90s Malice possessions, and it would inevitably give me more lesbian Alex subtext to work with.

B) Alternatively, The Exes Have Unionized, and Maddie is manipulating Alex psychically because she and Lorna are working together to further Lorna's liberatory goals. If this is what happened, it's entirely possible that Maddie dumping Alex, which i think is what lead to his Malibu gutter era, was part of the plot, and I think that's a strong possibility, given the way Maddie treats Alex in Dark X-Men as a sort of pet or object, and how we don't really have an in-built reason for her to decide to dump him.

Either way, I'm curious as to which option Russell's chosen here, and nervous about what Alex is about to be compelled to do, but I'm feeling a little more positively than you might expect, given my typical opinions and thoughts.

I'm just hoping that, whatever happens, Alex gets some, like, genuine characterization and development out of it, rather than just reiterating everything the Krakoan Era did with him, which was to use him as a plot device and crutch for other characters' development rather than his own.

But, well, we'll see, won't we.

[lilacmoon83]

Operation Castle

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Premise: Season 2 AU. Regina and Emma are unable to stop the trigger and it explodes, destroying Storybrooke. However, instead of perishing, most of the citizens of Storybrooke are scattered, ending up with new lives and memories in New York. Except Rumpelstiltskin, who is discovered by the NSA.

After three years in a government facility, the NSA makes a deal with him to help them combat the residual consequences of the trigger's explosion. The others are recruited and awakened. The deal is they form a taskforce and help fight the magical entities that have been unleashed on the world and keep their freedom as a reward.

Face Claims:

General Shaw: Idris Elba

Agent Alex Casey: Adam Baldwin

Agent Alivia Becker: Katee Sackhoff

Operation Castle

Prologue

"Mom…Dad…" Emma said, her eyes full of tears. They were stunned, as that was the first time she had ever called them that and now they were about to die. Snow and David hugged her between them and Henry too, as they prepared for the end.

"Nothing can stop this…" Regina said tearfully, as she looked at Henry.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, just before her magic failed and there was a blue flash. Storybrooke was incinerated and seemingly everyone else along with it. The shockwave didn't stop within the borders of Storybrooke, for there was no longer any barrier keeping any magical radiation inside. The shockwave reverberated far into the Land Without Magic and would have consequences yet to be discovered…

Three Years Later

Washington D.C.

Rumpelstiltskin heard his cell door open in the tiny cell that had been his home for the last three years. How he had survived the destruction wrought by the trigger that erased Storybrooke from existence, he had no idea. But as he had learned, he was not the only one, though he had no idea who else and it still baffled him. They had only told him bits and pieces of things, but from what he gathered, the NSA knew way more about them than he had ever imagined, but who he was apparently was being kept a very guarded government secret. Today though, something in the air and mood felt different and he wondered what it held.

"Mr. Gold…" a man said, as he sat down across from him. He was a black man in a military uniform and though he was firm, he was more humane than he would expect from such. He was fed three meals a day, provided a comfortable cot, allowed time outside, and given any book he wanted from the prison library. That meant one thing. They wanted something from him.

"General Shaw," Rumple answered curtly.

"It's time to make a deal, Mr. Gold. The ramifications of that little magical explosion have had consequences like none of us could imagine. We've been gathering intelligence and intel. Have you ever heard of someone called the Dragon?" Shaw asked.

"Can't say that I have and what…ramifications do you speak of?" Gold questioned. He smirked.

"All in good time. The Dragon is an old mage in Hong Kong. He's been allowed to operate without interference from us for a long time. Fleecing people of their hard earned money is shady, but his high end clients were mostly the people in power and they liked what he produced. At first, he was unwilling to cooperate and so was the Chinese government, but for the right price, we were able to make a deal for his information," Shaw explained.

"And what does this have to do with me?" Rumple asked. Shaw pulled out his phone and played a video for him. Rumple was stunned at what he saw. It was a troll, terrorizing people in the streets of some big city, from the looks of it.

"Do you know what that is?" Shaw asked.

"A bridge troll…a really nasty one," Rumple replied.

"Yes…since your little explosion in Maine, magical beings and supernatural occurrences have been happening all over the country, the highest concentration being in New York. It seems to have had quite the effect and I suspect if I removed that cuff from your wrist that you might be able to eventually figure out how to use magic," Shaw said.

"Are you saying this land has magic now?" Rumple questioned.

"Not like the place where you come from. The Dragon explained it all for a big fat check. He told us about the land you're from, the Dark Curse, and magic. He says it's here now…but it works very differently," Shaw said.

"And what deal is it that you want to make with me?" Rumple countered. He smirked.

"We want you to work for us. In exchange for your freedom and compensation to live on, you take care of these problems for the country," Shaw purported.

"That sounds like a lot of work for one man in a land where magic only works when it feels like it," Gold retorted.

"Oh, you won't be doing it alone…you'll have your own taskforce. Once they're awake," Shaw said. Gold paused and looked at him, as he placed several file folders on the table.

"You weren't the only one to survive the blast in Maine, but none of them remember anything. They were all given new lives and are living new lives, ignorant of any of this. A bi-product of the magical explosion, we believe," he said.

"You would have been too, had we not found you," he added, before he opened the first folder.

"David and Margaret Nolan. He's an NYPD rookie detective and she is an elementary school teacher. Married for several years, with a baby now, completely unaware of their adult daughter," he said, as he opened another folder.

"Emma Swan, bail bondsperson, formerly from Boston and now NYC," he added, as another folder opened and Rumple sneered.

"Detective Killian Rogers, Nolan's partner," he said, as another file opened and Rumple glared. This was her fault, after all.

"Roni Mills, a bar owner. Quite a step down from Queen, I'd say," he commented, as another file opened.

"Lacey French…a librarian," he said, as he stared at the picture with longing.

"Have…have others survived?" he asked.

"From what we can tell, most of the citizens of your town did, but we don't intend to wake them all. The Dragon assisted in helping us with the right concoction to do so, but we only have enough for this taskforce and we chose the strongest and most prominent people," he said, as he opened a metal case and showed him the potions.

"We'll need weapons, equipment, vehicles…" Rumple said.

"Then you agree?" Shaw asked.

"My options are this or more prison, correct?" Rumple asked.

"Yes…and the other prominent ones would be brought into custody and given the same choice as well, including her," Shaw replied.

"Then I accept the terms of your deal, with the stipulation that we get our lives back once we've dealt with all the anomalies," he said.

"You'll have them," Shaw replied.

"One more thing…" Rumple said, as Shaw listened.

"What became of the boy?" he asked. Henry was, of course, his last link to Baelfire.

"He's with his mother…his real mother," Shaw answered and Rumple was relieved at that. Henry was alive and with Emma.

"There is a serum for the boy as well. Having his mother awake and him asleep is too risky," he added. Rumple nodded curtly.

"Where do we start?" he asked.

"You get showered and changed. Then we board a plane to New York," Shaw replied.

"We?" Rumple asked.

"I am overseeing this operation…your taskforce answers to me ultimately, but you will have two handlers and field agents helping and leading," he replied, as he left the room. Gold was soon collected and allowed to get cleaned up, before putting on a black suit and gold tie, similar to something he would have worn to work in his shop. It was familiar and he breathed in the air of freedom, as he walked on the tarmac toward the private jet awaiting them.

"Welcome to Taskforce Magic," Shaw said. Rumple raised an eyebrow.

"Taskforce Magic?" he asked incredulously.

"The name needs work…I'm sure you and your colleagues will come up with something better.

"My grandson is the best with names…I'm sure he'll know what to call us," Gold said, as they boarded the jet…

[moonshinemusings]

i really enjoy your headcanons! Can you pleeeaaassee do it for my baby boy Alex :,) i love the ones with Alex. Love youu!!!

Thank you, I'm really glad you like them! Here are some more of my thoughts about Alex :)

---

General Alex Keller headcanons (Pt.1)

Warnings: slight mentions of canon typical violence

A/N: there are so many mentions of food in this?? I'm sorry, I just have some very specific thoughts about him lol

• I'm a firm believer this man runs hot like a furnace no matter the season. In the summer he should be suffering, but somehow he's used to the heat

• Dog person. When people say dogs look like their owners they are talking about him. He probably owns a beige labrador or a golden retriever

• He's good with most animals, but bigger ones like cows or horses kinda intimidate him. Only at first though, when he gets to spend some time with them he really enjoys their presence

• The only animals he really dislikes are birds. No specific reason, he just does

• He's somewhat an artistic soul; he likes to write song lyrics (although he can't really sing), design new tattoos for himself, try to scribble poems

• Alex loves specifically the pink cotton candy. As a kid he used to eat them often and they are still a comfort food of his

• Despite that, he likes salty and savory things over sweets

• An exception is vanilla pudding because he could eat it for the rest of his life. His second favorite is the caramel flavour

• He also looks like the average honey-mustard chicken enjoyer. With pasta. You know what, I think he LOVES any kinds of pasta

• He's also a fruit lover, his favorites are tangerines and strawberries. He totally eats his apple slices with peanut butter too

• Loves pizza even when he knows it's stereotypical. His mother used to make really good home made ones when he was younger and he never really grew out of the "I can eat a whole pizza in one sitting" phase

• Also, when he's drunk he always craves pizza, no matter where they are or how much he had to drink

• Speaking of, he can hold his tequila but weak to beer. Shots do almost nothing to him, but a few beers and he's down

• When he's drunk and gets together with Gaz and/or Soap, everyone is going to suffer from their volume and pranks. The amount of bullshit that can come out of their mouths those times is honestly impressive

• Still, he's king of respecting women tbh. If there is someone who's going to be polite and won't cross any boundaries even when in a pub shitfaced, it's him

• Alex is one of the worst when it comes to gossip because he wants to know all the tea. It's hilarious when he tells something he just heard to Farah and she already knows

• He's naturally easy-going and laidback, most know him for his friendliness as a close second to his abilities

• He's really good with kids. Alex is like the fun cousin you only meet at family gatherings, but those times he teaches you some tricks and tells the best stories you will forever remember

• He has one specific sniper rifle that he has gotten from his father at a young age. It can't usually be with him on missions because he has an assigned weapon, but when he can he takes the chance to use it on the field

• His favourite colors are green and red

• Most of his tattoos don't hold any deep meaning, only a few represent something/remind him of something/someone

• The codename Echo 3-1 is really close to his heart for some reason, if he could he'd keep it forever

• He's not a big fan of coffee, but still drinks it for the caffeine and out of habit

• He has occassional nightmares and night terrors (which soldier doesn't), but they are not as frequent as they used to be when he was younger

• Opposite of what others may believe, his hair takes like 5 minutes to style in the morning. Sometimes he puts some gel on it when it has already started to grow a little longer, but otherwise he just ruffles it and let's it do what it wants

• Some has told him before that he'd be a great leader, but Alex always denied it. He doesn't feel like he's cut out for that kind of responsibility

• He often bickers with Price, but only outside of missions. He's a pro at knowing when to take something seriously or joke about and that makes him really efficient in the field

• Alex often puts others before him, which almost cost him his life a few instances before. He doesn't think it would have been in vain though

• He loves to spend time in the nature, going on hikes, camping or hanging around the beach all day. Doesn't matter as long as he's outside

• As a kid, he tried to play football but hated it

• He used to be really good at math, but somehow as he got older he just gradually became worse

• In school he was the best at geography, communications and for a while math (as mentioned)

• He doesn't per se have a problem with flying, but would much rather travel through cars or other vehicles on the ground. They are much more comfortable, even if he likes being high up (hence his sniper position)

• When he was a kid, he didn't think about joining the army, although his father was a marine. He thought he was going to get a scholarship somewhere with his sport abilities or just land a decent place at a regular university. Turns out life had different plans, but he didn't regret it one bit

• He's totally the type to use emojis like 💀 and🧍🏻‍♀️ or the crying one when he laughs at something

• He's great at household chores and keeping the place running

• Alex can't exactly cook, but he can adjust just a few ingredients in a boxed food mix. It always turns out heavenly and no one can tell he didn't make all of it

• Deals well with horror movies but doesn't really like them

• Okay this last one if really specific and random at the same time, but he 100% eats the little chocolate roll things out of this wafer mix and no one can convince me otherwise

[angrelysimpping]

i’m the anon who asked for the reverse au hcs,, and yes!! that’s exactly what i’m talking abt!! sorry for not elaborating further,, i saw a few fanarts a couple of months ago in the subreddit basically like a concept of a reverse au or smth and i’d really like to know ur personal thoughts or hcs abt it!! the fanarts only consists of the school trio tho so there’s really not much we can work with :[[

Thoughts!

Alex terrorizes Remy's farm, trying to expand further and further, wanting to show up all their siblings with their successes. Tries to make excuses to keep you on the farm.

Avery desperately looking for love. Not sex, not control. Love. You could do just about anything to them if you can convince Avery that you love them.

Bailey is a good caretaker. Doles out a weekly allowance. Sets a curfew, makes you do chores if you break it.

Eden still lives in the forest but they only forage things. Not a vegetarian, exactly. They just can't stomach gutting and cleaning what they catch. Gentle giant. Still very horny, but they're put off by sexual acts. As a result, they are constantly sexually frustrated and on edge. You have to initiate things until they get comfortable around you, then they become insatiable. Starts using their spare garden plot as a flower garden after you show up. Likes adorning you with flowers.

Great Hawk taking you to their tower and demanding you be their mate. Has to be bribed to teach you how to fly.

Kylar flat-out ignores you. Makes you beg for their attention. A loner who doesn't want anyone to talk to them, at all.

Leighton is a giant softie. Gets embarrassed by how turned on they get when they have to punish students. Does amateur photography and it's actually quite innocent. Blushes behind their camera if you take things further.

Remy, all sweet and gentle. Takes such good care of their cattle. Punishments are mind-melting orgasms. You just have to stay on their farm and be a good beastie, they'll take such good care of you.

Robin forces your head between their legs and demands you give them head while they play video games. Pays you back at the most inopportune times. Tries to guilt trip you into giving them things.

Already corrupt Sydney? You have to bring them back into the folds of the temple? Or as a delinquent? Uses their status as a teacher's kid to get away with all sorts of shit.

Whitney is still popular, but they're not a bully. Quiet, a bit reserved. Hardcore sub with a small dominant streak. Sees you and falls hard. Wants you to absolutely wreck them. It is not sex if Whitney isn't marked up. Probably gets your name tattooed onto their neck of something without telling you first v

Wren's known for their way of brute-forcing things. Takes and takes and takes and never gives back.

[Bonus]

Briar fiercely protective of their workers.

Darryl turns a blind eye when people harass their employees.

Doren catches you jogging at night, pressing their body up against you and inviting you to their apartment.

Landry taking the seat in the booth next to you, presses into your side, hand high on your thigh. You later find their phone number slipped into your pocket. Don't text them? That's fine, Landry has a way of finding your number.

Mason tugging you into their lap at the pond, sliding their hands under your swimming clothes despite your protests. They see the way people look at them, how you look at them, and they like it. They use it to their advantage. You're not the first student they've fucked, but you are the first they showed this pond.

[oddballwriter]

What about… the EMH and/or MH boys nightmare comfort hcs? Those are always cute to me

- 🫧

Warnings: None that I know of

Author's Snip: Oh my god, Bubbles! I love this ask so much! It’s also so great to see a request for the MH guys too. To the rest of you, don’t be afraid to request anything or anyone from my roster, all I ask is that you stay to my rules. You can be anonymous or maybe be a emoji anon too. 

Notes: If you don’t already know, jay is canonically gay so if you don’t identify as male/masc then you can skip over his.

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy!

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

Marble Hornets 

Tim

He suffers from nightmares too

They’re more like night terrors to be entirely honest 

But you know what I mean, he understands

He wouldn’t really know you had a nightmare unless he noticed that you were tossing and turning a lot as you tried to fall back asleep

He’d ask if you’re awake and if you were alright

He’ll then ask if you want him to hold you so that you feel safe

Tells you to take deep breaths to help yourself calm down

He’d ask if you want to talk about it once you’ve fully calmed down 

For the most part he’ll hold you gently but firmly and quietly tell you that your okay and that everything is perfectly fine

You two would honestly fall asleep like that

He seems like he’s nice to cuddle with

Jay

Once he notices that you’re having a nightmare, he’ll gently shake you awake

You’d probably still be frightened once you get woken up so he lets you know that it’s just him

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. It’s just me. You’re okay.” 

He’ll rub his hand up and down your back to help you calm down 

He makes sure that you manage to get rid of all the stress that the fear induced and don’t have a panic attack

He keeps on reminding you that your safe 

Brian

He doesn’t shake you awake when he notices that your having a nightmare 

Instead he just gently lays a hand on you and tells you that you’re okay in hopes that your able to maybe hear him in your nightmare

If you wake up still scared then he’ll gently hold you and shush you

It’s like he’s scared that you’ll break like glass if he hold you too tightly and the slightest of noise will frighten you

He just stays there like that with you till you calm down or at least get a grip

Once you get a grip he’ll hold you tightly and rub circles on your back

He’ll ask if you want to talk about it and allows you to let it all out 

If you start to get upset when telling it then he’ll remind you that you’re okay

“You’re okay. I got you.” 

Alex

He kinda doesn’t know what to do

He settles on shaking you awake since you’re probably not having a fun time in the nightmare

When you wake up obviously scared be does the same as Jay and lets you know right off the bat that it’s okay and that it him

“Woah. Okay. It’s okay. It’s alright. It’s just me. I’m here.”

Tells you to take deep breaths and keep your eyes on him

Once you calm down he asks if you’re okay now

He won’t ask about what your nightmare was about unless you’re still really distressed about it or you say that you want to talk about it. 

EveryManHYBRID

Evan

As soon as he notices, he gently shakes you awake so that you don’t have to be stuck in that nightmare anymore

He also lets you know that you’re okay and that you were having a nightmare

“Hey. Hey, babe. It’s okay. It’s just me.”

Asks if it’s okay if he can hold you

If it is then he’ll hold you gently but still firmly so that you feel safe

He wants to make sure that you feel safe and wants to help you calm down

Asks if you want something like tea or water 

Honestly whatever you need, he’ll get it for you

If you want to talk about it then he’ll gladly listen to you 

He’ll let you treat him a teddy bear and cling onto him till you fall asleep

Vinny

He shakes you awake once he notices you having a nightmare

Just like Jay and Alex, he lets you know its just him

He genuinely doesn’t know what to do 

He waits for you to calm down by yourself and then asks if you want something

He also asks if you’re okay too 

He makes sure that you’re okay for the most part

Jeff

Very similar to Evan in which he wakes you up and helps you calm down

If this has happened enough, he’ll already know what you want 

So once he knows you’ve calmed down enough then he’ll go do that thing

Falls asleep with you once you’ve completely calmed down

[inimikal-archive]

No  rping,  just  neurodivergent  info  dumps.  This  is  from  a  response  I  made  explaining  my  thoughts  on  Wesker  &  motivations  he  has  +  why  that  I  am  sharing  publicly  as  I  think  its  very  important  to  my  blog  &  portrayal.  Going  WARN  upfront  that the  N*zi  party  is  mentioned.  Just  briefly  touching  on  something  Capcom  said.  I  also  want  to  make  it  very  clear  that  I  DO  NOT  support  Wesker’s  views,  I  don’t  think  its  cool  to  kill  a  vast  majority  of  the  population  because  things  suck  or  anything  like  that,  lmao   &  I  don’t  believe  in  the  eco-fascistic  ways  or  the  eco/bio  terrorism  he  employs  to  achieve  & enforce  his  goals  against  all  human  kind  ━  I  do  not  condone  it,  like  OBVIOUSLY,  however  I  don’t  believe  Wesker  believes  in  what  Spencer  did  in  the  exact  way  he  did  &  so  this  post  is  merely  an  explanation  of  Why  Wesker’s  Like  That  Deluxe  Edition. Do  not  take  this  post  as  excusing  his  actions,  sympathising  with  him  or  whatever,  its  only  an  explanation  for  WHY  &  a  reference  for  how  that  works  on  this  blog  /  my  portrayal. ONCE  AGAIN  please  continue  reading   with  caution  because  as  mentioned  this  post  may  briefly  touch  on  some  sensitive  stuff  &  also  touches  on  some  popular  discourse  within  the  fandom. 

So,  anyway  Wesker's  Uroboros  bullshit  is  “interesting”  for  a  lack  of  a  better  term  in  the  sense  that  I'm  not  sure  he  was  doing  it  for  the  same  reason  someone  like  Spencer  was.  I  think  something  to  note  was  how  Spencer  was  just  ... Extremely  classist  &  racist.  He  hated  most  people  because  he  viewed  them  as  inferior  to  himself,  due  to  being  raised  with  extreme  wealth  &  privilege.  He  had  access  to  education   & comfort  that  others  did  not,  especially  in  his  time,  but  instead  of  viewing  this  as  a  privilege  granted  to  him  by  money  he  decided  to  view  this  as  himself  being  inherently  superior  to  everyone  else  because  why  take  accountability  for  your  privilege  if  it  means  acknowledging  you’re  not  better  than  everyone  else,  you  just  have  money.  He  was  in  an  age  where  this  kind  of  backward,  hateful  thinking  was  the  norm. Because  racists  &  rich  people  have  been  like  that  always,  basically.  

In  a  similar  way  to  Excella,  he  thought  himself  to  be  superior  to  others  out  of  pure  arrogance  &  with  Spencer  particularly  some  very  uncomfortably  real  world  prejudice.  Capcom  tried  to  sort  of  “hide”  a  lot  for  the  sake  of  game  sales  but  initially,  people  like  Spencer  were  supposed  to  represent  real  life  backward  ass  eugenic  ideals.  Spencer’s  own  shit  draws  from  the  same  places  as  the  kind  of  shit  Hitl*r  & the  N*zi  party  were  on.  It's  admittedly  a  direct  reference  according  to  Capcom;  the  nonsense  of  the  Ary*n  race  &   "the  superior  men”  is  all  there  particularly  emphasised  from  Spencer’s  ideals.  Capcom  have  said  this  is  what  they  were  going  for;  they’ve  even  gone  on  to  say  that  Albert  himself  looks  the  way  he  does  because  of  this  concept  of  the  “superior  man”  being  a  tall,  blond  hair,  blue  eyed,  pale  skinned  individual  that  Spencer  adhered  to.  Though  Capcom  did  dial  these  things  back  a  bit  references  &  allegories  for  these  things  are  still  clear  within  the  canon.

So  yes.  This  is  exactly  what  Spencer  was  going  for.  Wesker’s  appearance  is  supposed  to  allude  to  what  Spencer  actually  represents  &  what  his  intentions / goals  really  were.  So  while  Spencer  may  have  fully  planned  &  intended  for  Wesker  to  look  like  that  (& possibly  for  all  the  Wesker  children  to  look  like  that)  Wesker’s  looks  weren't  Capcom  condoning  Spencer’s  beliefs,  just  trying  to  clue  us  into  the  inspo  behind  his  bullshit.  This  is  also  shown  in  Alex  Wesker.  It's  not  a  coincidence  that  the  only  Wesker  children  we  know  of  &  get  to  see  are  two  tall,  white,  blond  people  with  blue  eyes.  Its  also  not  a  coincidence  that  the  “straight”  cis  man  was  the  apex  of  the  whole  fucked  up  project  via  capcom’s  attempt  to  clue  us  into  what  Spencer  represented.  You  can  find  implications  of  this  same  thing  in  characters  like  Alfred  &  Alexia  Ashford,  & again  it  is  not  a  coincidence  that  ALL  FOUR  of  these  characters  were  literally  created  by  Umbrella  heads.  Alfred  &  Alexia  are  literal  test  tube  babies  &  Albert  &  Alex  were  the  fruits  of  some  supremely  fucked  up  selective  breeding  programme.

As  a  result  Umbrella,  Spencer  & anyone  associated  with  that  circle  fetishized  Wesker  to  an  extreme  because  of  what  he  represented  to  them---  but  another  thing  to  keep  in  mind  is  Wesker  isn’t  Spencer  &  the  way  in  which  Spencer  actually  failed  is  that  he  didn’t  really  make  a  copy  of  himself  who,  despite  his  best  efforts,  believed  all  the  same  messed  up  shit  he  did, or  at  least  not  in  the  same  way.

This  is  how  I  personally  come  at  things  in  my  own  take  of  Wesker,  anyway,  so  though  it  is  almost  impossible  for  Wesker  to  not  share  some  of  Spencer’s  ideas  since  they  were  literally  programmed  into  him  from  birth  &  Wesker  didn’t  reject  Spencer’s  “New  world”  entirely,  he  tried  to  make  it  make  sense  BECAUSE,  IN  HIS  MIND,  stupid  shit  like  being  white  or  rich,  for  example,  does  not  make  you  superior  to  any  other  human  being.  Wesker  understands  that.  He  does  not  champion  for  genocide  toward  a  select  group  of  humans  because  of  some  shallow  prejudice.  Nor  did  he  intend  to  specifically,  personally  tailor  people  to  look,  think   &  act  any  certain  way  that  he  deemed  “superior.”  So  no,  Wesker   himself  does  not  hold  the  same  views  as  Spencer  in  the  racist,  classist,  messed  up  way,  per  se.

I  think  it's  interesting  how  he  talks  about  Alexia  in  his  report   &  his  own  anger  & annoyance  he  felt  toward  the  higher  ups  of  Umbrella  &   the  other  researchers  for  putting  her  on  a  pedestal  just  because  of  her  family  name  +  wealth.  She  hadn’t  done  jack  shit  for  Umbrella  to  be  applauded  the  way  she  was  (Unlike  William  Birkin)  but  the  researchers  couldn’t  get  over  her  because  she  was  from  a  well  known,  aristocratic  family  that  had  founded  the  company.  You  could  even  argue  from  things  in  Wesker’s  report  2  that  Wesker’s  disillusionment  with  Umbrella  &  his  ever  growing  contempt  for  it  & its  shit  started  as  far  back  as  his  time  in  the  training  school  which  is something  I  personally  believe,  particularly  due  to  his  friendship  with  William  Birkin,  who  is  implied  to  not  really  fit  the  “Umbrella  Mold”  outside  of  his  pure  genius  intellect.  Further,  Wesker  is  noted  as  one  of  the  few  among  the  Umbrella  staff  who  found  Spencer’s  desire  for  a  virus  to  infect  all  organic  matter  &  the  location  of  the  Akrley  lab  as  somewhere  that  could  rapidly  spread  infection  due  to  the  high  volume  of  organic  matter  the  virus  would  infect,  insane  &  dangerous.  

This  is  literally  where  Wesker’s  discomfort  &  suspicions  toward  Spencer  personally  began.  He  also  talks  in  his  little  note  about  Uroboros  being  beautiful  because  it  doesn’t  discriminate  based  on  shallow  human  prejudice. (  although  we  could  say  this  is  true  of  all  viruses,  which  is  a  thing  he  romanticizes  about  them  because  he  was  born  from  some  really  backwards  believes  that  he,  himself,  does  not  follow  &  as  a  biologist  he  finds  to  be  quite  stupid  & shallow.  But  do  keep  in  mind  RE  world  science  & real  world  science is  not  the  same. )

Which  we  see  with  Excella.  Excella  believed  she  was  worthy  because  she  was  beautiful,  rich  & powerful.  But  none  of  those  things  stopped  her  from  mutating  into  a  horrible  monster.  Urobous  wouldn’t  choose  people  based  on  how  pretty,  how  rich  they  were.     how  white, or  what  their  sexuality,  gender  or  religious  faith  was  ━  it  would  simply  choose  people  it  deemed  right  by  unique / random  genetic  make  up  &  this  could  be  anyone  of  any  gender,  any  faith,  any  sexuality,  any  race.  In  fact  it  is  noted  in  canon  that  the  only  other  humans  who  had  achieved  “god hood”  in  the  “same”  way  Wesker  had  were  black  Africans.  Thats  a  pretty  sexy  fuck  you  to  a  white  s*premacist like  Spencer.

Which  is  the  major  difference  between  Wesker  & Spencer.  Wesker's  hatred  of  humanity  doesn’t  come  from  a  sense  of  twisted  privilege  &  prejudice,  &  its  not  directed  specifically  toward  select  individuals,  even  though  he  was  basically  born  from  this,  due  to  being  one  of  Spencer’s  designer  babies.  Wesker  didn’t  grow  up  to  believe  skin  colour  or  wealth  made  you  inherently  better  or  smarter.  He  doesn’t  think  there  are  people  in  the  world  that  are  superior  to  others  because  of  shallow  bias  such  as  those.  With  Wesker  It  comes  from  a  really  weird  sense  of  altruism  cobbled  together  with  extreme,  contradictory  pessimism  from  everything  he’s  experienced.  Again  not  to  excuse  him  or  say  he's  a  good  person  bc  ultimately  he’s  very  twisted,  selfish  &  delusional  & hes  not  coming  back  from  that.  If  Wesker  ever  had  a  SLIM  chance  of  being  considered  even  “morally  ambiguous”  like  someone  like  Ada  it  was  lost  when  he  betrayed  S.T.A.R.S  &  lost  his  humanity. 

However,  Wesker  has  seen  up  close  &  personal  the  absolute  horror  humans  are  capable  of  inflicting  on  themselves  &  others  &  for  the  fucking  stupidest  reasons.  He  was  essentially  forced  to  participate  in  human  experimentation  as  a  child  (16-17)  to  the  ends  of  creating  horrific  B.O.W’s  that  would  presumably  be  used  by  the  world's  militaries  to  wipe  each  other  out.  In  the  name  of  human  pride,  greed  &  prejudice.  He  believes  that  this  is  pretty  much  all  humans  have  really  done  for  hundreds  of  years.  Kill  each  other,  steal  from  each  other,  &  fuck  things  up  for  the  planet  itself  &  every  other  creature  that  lives  on  it.  He’s  come  to  view  humans  as  flawed,  dangerous  creatures  that  if  left  unchecked  will  destroy  the  world.  However  again,  he's  not  trying  to  cull  or  cultivate  any  certain  group  of  people  because  of  a  fucked  up,  racist  sense  of  aesthetic,  unlike  Spencer  &  I  cannot  stress   this  enough  because  this  is  where  the  fandom  fucks  up  for  me. 

Furthermore !  Of  course,  Wesker  has  been  given  power  beyond  comprehension.  He  calls  himself  a  god  to  great  mockery  but  if  we’re  being  honest,  what  else  does  he  have  to  compare  himself  to ?  There  is  nothing  like  Wesker  out  there,  particularly  not   anything  known  about  at  height  of  his  activity  &  the  time  of  his  death.  Moreover,  I  should  mention   again  that  the  only  “beings”  like  Wesker  who  ever  existed  where  the  “evolved”  African  “god  Kings”  of  Ndipaya  mythology.   AGAIN  This  to  me  further  illustrates  the  fact  that  Wesker  himself  doesn’t  exactly  adhere  to  White  S*premist  ideals  &  his  entire  existence  is  more  a  dunk  on  people  like  Spencer  who  did,  as  Wesker,  a  white  man  obtaining  this  status  through  the  Stairway  of  the  Sun,  was  so  far  an  anomaly.  Meanwhile  we’re  aware  it  wasn’t  undocumented  that  black  Africans  were  able  to  achieve  god  status  through  progenitor  infection  as  per  Ndipaya  mythos,  Wesker  is  the  only  white  person  who  did  “”naturally”,  despite  Spencer  having  lined  up  HUNDREDS  of  specially  bred  &  selected  candidates  who  carried  his  racist  ass  aesthetic.  

 I  think  this  goes  to  show  Wesker’s  intentions  with  Uroborus   ( A  virus  engineered  directly  from  the  progenitor )  was  not  to  cleanse  the  world  of  any  select  race  or  races,  but  to  instead  wipe  out  the  vast  majority  &   leave  only  the  “Most  choice  humans”  ( his  quote )  to  evolve  &  inherit  the  earth.  These  humans  would  not  just  be  white  or  share  his  “”personal  DNA””  ( idk  what  ppl  are  talking  about  when  they  say  Urobous  was  somehow  only  safe  for  Wesker’s  DNA .... Its literally  got  nothing  to  do  with  Wesker’s  DNA.  It  was  JILL’s  antibodies  from  her  infection  with  T  that  was  used  to  engineer  it,  but  its  not  connected  to  her  DNA  specifically  either.  Thats  not  how  viruses  work. )  Anyway,  Urobous  was  about  individuals,  not  races. But  I  digress,  Weskers  powers  are  truly  extraordinary. There's  no  way  anyone  gets  power  like  what  Wesker  got  &  doesn’t  crack  in  some  way.   If  anything  he  was  holding  it  together  pretty  well  until  his  confrontation  with  Spencer  &  his  discovery  of  the  Wesker  project  which  is  what  really  sent  him  “over  the  edge”  in  my  opinion. 

None  the  less  Wesker  doesn’t  believe  he's  doing  something  evil.

"Every  day,  humans  come  one  step  closer  to  self-destruction.  I'm  not  destroying  the  world, I'm  saving  it!"  "War  and  pestilence  wherever  you  go!  Nothing  but  loathsome  humans!"

Some  of  the  stuff  he  says  in  re5  when  you  fight  him  shows  that  Wesker  thinks  he's  ultimately  doing  the  right  thing  here.  Again,  he's  given  an  insane  power,  him  alone,  of  course  he  feels  as  if  he  SHOULD  play  god  with  it  because  everything  up  till  now  has  shown  him  Humans  Are  A  Danger  To  Themselves  & Everything  Else,  plus  he  was  groomed  by  Spencer  &  umbrella  to  believe  in  things  like  Might  Makes  Right  &  Survival  Of  The  Fittest.  He  further  doesn’t  think  of  himself  as  god  as  a  ruler,  but  as  a  creator.

In  Wesker’s  head  he  was  chosen  to  be  the  Messiah,  he  is  the  hand  of  god  who  judges  the  corrupt  humans  &  sorts  the  good  from  the  bad  or  rather  “the  worthless  from  the  worthy”;  only  he  has  the  power  to  accomplish  this  &   this  is  how  he  makes  sense  of  that  power &  why  he  alone  has  it,  &  with  Uroborus  he  has  the  tool  to  strip  everything  back  to  its  basics  &  begin  anew;   "The  human  race  requires  judgment!"  “The  din  of  six  billion  screams  will  close  the  book  on  humanity's  ignoble  past.”  The  only  humans  that  would   be  left  alive  by  Uroborus  would  be  those  randoms  who  were  genetically  compatible  with  Uroborus  &  therefore  “better”  &  again  Uroborus  wouldn’t  discriminate  on  race,  gender,  sexuality,  class  or  faith  which  is  what  we’re  told  via  canon.

SO  yeah,  that  is  why  the  mass  human  extinction  event  lived  in  Wesker’s  head  &  why  he  went  that  way.  &  while  he's  WRONG  in  his  intentions,  his  motivations  don’t  exactly  come  from  the  same  place  as  someone  like  Spencer's  apparently  did,  HOWEVER,  its  not  wrong  to  acknowledge  &  criticise  Wesker’s  character  as  a  type  of  allegory  for  white  s*premacy  even  if  the  character  himself  may  not  have  believed  in  this  in  that  particular  way  &  thats  not  literally  what  the  text  of  the  story  is  displaying.  Keeping  in  mind  Wesker  believed  the  human  race   as  a  whole  was  unworthy &  he  planned  to  allow  the  virus  to  choose  which  individuals  had  the  correct  genetic  makeup  to  ‘evolve’  leaving  the  humanity  he  grew  to  hate  behind.

My  biggest  criticism  for  the  RE  series  is  that  in  the  RE  universe  it  has  been  established  there  is  humans  who  are  “”superior””  to  others,  or  at  least  its  very  easy  to  view  it  this  way,  which  is  what  muddies  the  water  when  it  comes  to  discourse  about  this.  While  the  story  with  Wesker  serves  to  show  that  these  “superior”  humans  are  not  necessarily  “Ary*n”  &  this  doesn’t  seem  to  have  been  Wesker’s  belief,  the  science  in  the  resident  evil  world  is  not  real  &  doesn’t  reflect  real  biology. HOWEVER,  that  also  being  said  the  RE  universe  has  already  demonstrated  with  Wesker  &  other  characters  who  were  able  to  “”evolve””  beyond  humanity,  that  having  genes  compatible  with  the  virus  or  parasite  or  what  have  you  was  pure  luck  &  isn’t  all  its  cracked  up  to  be.  There  is  almost  no  B.O.W  characters,  for  all  their  gifted  “”biological  superiority””  who  survive  to  live  normal  lives. Their  minds  &  bodies  are  eventually  destroyed  by  the  virus/parasite/whatever.  Even  though  Wesker  was  the  closest  thing  the  RE  series  ever  had  to  reaching  “”god hood””  aside  from  Mother  Marinda,  who  was  infected  with  a  whole  different  thing,  the  virus  was  STILL  destroying  him.  I  intended  to  write  a  post  about  why  I  believed  this  was  the  case ,  outside  of  y’know,  the  innate  horror  in  ones  body  being  hijacked  &  co-opted  by  an  invading  force  even  if  that  force  just  happened  to  give  you  neat  super  powers  for  a  short  time,  I  just  haven't  got  to  it  just  yet.  ( Update:  I  finally  did  it,  here  it  is )

Wesker  is  an  unhinged  bioterrorist  &  shameless  misanthrope  to  an  extreme,  but  NO   he’s  actually  not  a  white  s*premacist,  racist,  or  neo  n*zi   in  my  opinion  or  portrayal  BUT  yeah  he  is  a delusional  misanthrope,  he  is  NOT  a  good  person,  &  its  perfectly  fine  for  people  to  point  out  HIS  CREATION  BY  SPENCER  alludes  to  white  s*premacist  ideals  because  it  truly  does.  Its  not  wrong  for  people  to  be  uncomfortable  with  this  either,  imo.

He  was  designed   &  groomed  by  someone  who  had  an  underlying  racist  aesthetic  &  vision.  While  Wesker  seemed  to  not  believe  in  this  vision  in  quite  the  same  way  I  think  it  makes  sense,  from  his  POV,  why  he  tried  to  co-opt  the  idea  of  lower  humans  & better  humans,  into  “wicked  primitive  humans”  vs  an  enlightened,  evolved  race  of  godlike  beings  who  would  rise  from  humanities  ignorant  &  evil  ashes  to  claim  the  earth  &  make  it  a  better  place.  I  also  have  to  say  that  while  Wesker  seems  to  have  good  intentions,  or  at  the  very  least  he  likes  to  think  he  does,  the  reality  is  he’s  very  selfish  so  I’m  not  saying  this  isn’t  insane,  out  of  touch  &  delusional,  can’t  stress  this  enough  bc  another  thing  I  have  written  about  &  touched  on  briefly  is  the  fact  he  basically  never  saw  the  good  in  humanity  &  was  instead  lead  to  view  humans  in  a  very  negative  light.  Even  when  he  was  human,  Wesker  was  deprived  of  much  of  the  ability  to  actually  associate  with,  relate  to,  &  really  BE  a  human.  By  the  time  Wesker  was  free  of  Umbrella,  the  damage  had  already  been  done  &  there  are  VAROUS  events  through  canon  that  solidified   Wesker’s  views  on  humanity  as  opposed  to  allowing  him  to  see  more  than  what  he  had  experienced  &  beyond  the  insidious  idea  that  had  been  implanted  in  him  during  his  time  with  Umbrella   that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  “good”  people.  

SO  that  being  said  I  will  never  be  sympathising  for  him  or  trying  to  portray  him  as  someone  who  is  “”worthy””  of  “”redemption””,  &  I  do  not  hope  to  portray  him  as  someone  good. 

 I  study  why  he  is  what  he  is,  why  he  thinks  what  he  thinks,  how  its  wrong   &  maybe  “tragically”  misinformed  &  thats  kinda  the  purpose  of  this  portrayal  of  him.  Like  I’m  not  gonna  police  people  if  Albert  Wesker  is  their  blorbo  or  whatever  but  don’t  think  I  don’t  know  exactly  what  Wesker  is. 

 I  know  the  games.  I  know  the  canon.  I  understand  the  allegories,  etc.  Its  fine  if  you  take  away  anything  different  or  feel  uncomfortable  with  this  character  but  I’m  not  in  support  of,  excusing,  or  trying  to  support  anything  heinous  or  malicious.  I’m  just  an  rper  &  RE  is  one  of  my  hyper-fixations  &  I  am  playing  Wesker  because  he  was  a  huge  part  of  the  series  &  I  am  good  at  playing  shitty  evil  little  men.

[ Repost  from  here. ]

[transdemigod]

Cutting Yourself Off from the Entities: A Comprehensive Guide

I am once again overanalyzing the Magnus Archives for fun. This topic is super interesting to me, and I haven’t seen it explored as much as other theories, so here we go.

So, you’ve pledged yourself to one of the Dread Powers, but decided that you’ve had enough of terrorizing others. Not to worry, there is a way out. Melanie King did it and lived all the way to the end of the series!

Here is the summary, though I’m sure a full explanation will be more satisfying:

To escape the Buried, lose yourself to the emptiness. To escape the Corruption, kill what loves you. To escape the Dark, give yourself to the sunlight. To escape the Desolation, choose kindness. To escape the End, cut yourself off from dreams. To escape the Eye, blind yourself. To escape the Flesh, give up control of your body. To escape the Hunt, tear out your teeth and claws. To escape the Lonely, bind yourself to others. To escape the Slaughter, remove your emotions. To escape the Spiral, destroy your voice. To escape the Stranger, make yourself known. To escape the Vast, trap yourself in a small place. To escape the Web, give up your autonomy.

The rest is under the cut. Let me know if you have any ideas that you think I missed, I would love to discuss theories.

We know for sure that the way to escape the Eye is to gouge your own eyes out. The other entities have less information, but we get a few clues here and there. In the season 4 Q&A, Jonny and Alex joke about leaving the service of the Stranger by running naked through the streets. They also mention that the Desolation can be left by an act of true altruism. With these details, as well as other details in the rest of the canon, we can make a list of criteria that must be satisfied for an act that will cut someone off from each of the 14 Entities.

Firstly, it isn’t enough to just stop feeding your god. Daisy and Jon both tried to abstain and ended up wasting away, and it is implied that they would have died if they had continued. Dying is certainly one possible way to escape the service of a Fear, but we’re going for living out the rest of your natural life here.

Secondly, there has to be some sacrifice made that relates to the specific power. This is where the Desolation’s explanation kind of falls apart; doing one good act doesn’t stop you from just continuing to be destructive, so the act must also include giving up the thing that ties you to your Entity. In the Stranger’s case, one could argue that exposing yourself does count as giving up your anonymity, and there are several Stranger avatars that seem to thrive on being unknown. My theory is that each Entity has a draw of some kind, a power that it gives its followers, which you would have to completely give up if you are to leave it for good. Jon mentioned that the blinding has to be permanent, so I’m assuming this applies to the others as well. Basically, the avatar who wishes to leave must give up something that one who does not wish to leave would never want to.

Third, the change can be physical or symbolic. Obviously blinding yourself is a very physical change, while committing acts of altruism or making yourself known are less so. Some of the Entities will have pretty clear parts of the body that connect you to the power, others will need a bit more of an explanation. In special cases where a person gets their power from an artifact or a Leitner, destroying the thing would probably be enough to cut them off from that power. And of course, if you are as lucky as Georgie Barker and manage to completely get rid of your fear, that would probably be enough to cut you off from them as well.

So, here are my explanations for what you would have to do to cut yourself off from each of the 14. I’m basing it on examples we get in the series, the few rules I have decided to set, and what would seem thematically or symbolically appropriate. Realistically, each individual would have their own personal journey and each avatar is different, but it’s more fun this way.

The Buried- The draw of the Buried is a little difficult to narrow down, we’ve heard about restfulness, the comfort of enclosed spaces, the desire to be a part of the earth, etc. The thing Buried avatars seem to dislike the most is wide open spaces, though I don’t know how that would translate to something you can change about yourself. How would a person cut themselves off from the earth? You could move to a place that is very open, but you could also just leave. I’m not sure if there is a way a person could give up the concept of space, so I’m probably going to have this same problem when I get to the Vast. Probably the only thing you could give up that makes sense is the type of space the Buried is tied to, so you’d have to keep away from enclosed spaces. However you’re supposed to do that, I have no idea. This one is just going to have to be a less satisfying answer, unless I find another idea later.

To escape the Buried, lose yourself to the emptiness.

The Corruption- Most people who get into the Corruption get filled with bugs, and we know from Jane that it is appealing because you have a sense of belonging and purpose. The Corruption focuses a lot on toxic love, and I think communities specifically because the things we think of as infections are multitudinous: insect hives, bacteria, fungal colonies, etc. Even in the case of that one guy with the beetle wife, it was implied that there would soon be many more beetles. So, I think to stop being fed by the Corruption, you have to get rid of the infection in whatever form it takes. The one woman in the statement about the cult ended up leaving, but she wasn’t a full avatar, so I think that would require a bit more drastic action. If Jane had wanted to leave, she would probably have had to kill every worm inside of her. Knowing what we know about her, she would never want to do that, but she also had no regrets about becoming the Hive. Someone like John Amherst would have to get rid of all the diseases inside of him, so it might be as simple as a hospital visit and getting pumped full of antibiotics. If you got hollowed out by bugs, you might have to fill in the space somehow to be able to move, but I’m sure you could find a way. Maybe some help from the Flesh? It does seems to be in opposition to the Corruption in many ways, so that would work thematically.

To escape the Corruption, kill what loves you.

The Dark- Another abstract one. What’s the opposite of blinding yourself? The Dark, aside from the literal definition, includes things like weird science and unknowable things that lurk in the dark. Seeking knowledge would be a good opposite to darkness, but that’s not making a sacrifice or a permanent change. It’s not very clear what avatars of the Dark would hate to lose. Manuela Dominguez describes hating the light, how traditional divinity and knowledge are unnatural as opposed to the dark state of the world. This might be another location based one. Apparently, the sunniest places in the world are in northern Africa and the southwest parts of America, so moving there might do it. There isn’t an easy permanent change to make, but committing yourself to being in the sunlight as much as possible would probably work. Change your sleep schedule, move somewhere sunny, just avoid the dark in general. Maybe even start worshipping the sun; that would be in opposition to the cult following the Dark has.

To escape the Dark, give yourself to the sunlight.

The Desolation- We know it’s an act of altruism. I think it might need some adjusting, though, to make it more of a sacrifice by the person who serves the Desolation. This fear is all about sacrifice and loss, so it’s a bit tricky to think of something a Desolation avatar could give up when they’ve already committed to giving up everything. Well, everything except themselves. Many avatars, like Jude Perry, have shown themselves to be selfish, but I don’t think even they would be opposed to going out in a blaze of glory. No, the hardest thing for them would be to settle down and live a prosperous life. This one probably would have to be continuous effort instead of one grand sacrifice. It doesn’t fit with the others, but it does fit the theme of the Desolation. Yeah, I’ve just gone in a big circle. Altruism does make the most sense. Just make sure that selfless gesture counts. It’s not a real choice if you don’t mean it. I guess that would be really difficult if you’re used to burning everything around you, so maybe it’s more of a sacrifice than I thought.

To escape the Desolation, choose kindness.

The End- We actually already have a canon answer for this one: lobotomize yourself. Adelard Dekker found an End avatar that was killing people with carbon monoxide through their dreams, and he stopped him by cutting through his pre-frontal cortex- the part of the brain that lets you dream. It’s implied that this didn’t completely work, but I think the reason for that is that the avatar was not the one to make the choice. It’s emphasized again and again that serving the fears is all about personal choice, so it makes sense that any attempt to cut someone off wouldn’t take if the person hasn’t decided to give up their connection. The End is associated with dreams in most appearances, so I believe that a person who chooses not to dream would no longer be bound to it. Oliver Banks could see those whose deaths were coming in his dreams, which directly led to him becoming an avatar, so if he had decided to stop dreaming, that would be it. This procedure might be a bit difficult, I can’t imagine performing your own lobotomy would go very well, but I’m sure getting someone else to do it would count if you were the one to make the decision. Of course, Terminus would still have you in the end, but that will happen no matter what you do.

To escape the End, cut yourself off from dreams.

The Eye- This one is already answered. The draw of the Eye is the power to watch, so you have to give that ability up. Simple, straightforward, and definitely fits the theme.

To escape the Eye, blind yourself.

The Flesh- Oh boy, this is a weird one. We have dysphoria, consumption, body horror, I can’t say this one sounds very appealing. But it must be, or else it wouldn’t have people serving it. A lot of the draw to serve the fears could be interpreted as dishing out what you can’t take. You don’t have to be afraid of being watched if you do the watching, you don’t have to fear harm if you harm them first. Maybe the appeal of Flesh is making others share that fear that you are nothing but meat. I don’t think it’s really possible for people to give up their corporeal form, unless it’s metaphorical but I have no idea what that could mean. I think those who serve the Flesh thrive on being “more” than others. More body parts, more mass in general. You could go on a diet or become a vegetarian, which I think the writers may have joked about once? I want a more concrete solution, though. Diets are easy to break. You can’t fully give up food without dying, so I guess you could give up the control of food. Giving up your sense of taste would be interesting, but I’m going to keep it more general. No easy answer for this one either.

To escape the Flesh, give up control of your body.

The Hunt- People are drawn to the Hunt by that deep, primal desire to chase and attack. Humans have both predator and prey instincts inside of us, so you would have to completely leave the predator behind to escape the Hunt. I think a good way to do this would be the get rid of your teeth, or nails, whichever you use to cause harm. Daisy was able to temporarily leave behind her power in the Buried, but as soon as she got out, she started starving. I think this is a good argument that you could partially cut off your power by using a power that opposes it in some way, but you would have to give up a part of yourself to make it stick. As soon as she had the freedom and ability to hunt again, that was when the urge came back, and she eventually succumbed to it. Getting rid of the parts of your body that do harm wouldn’t completely stop you if you were dedicated enough, but it’s the choice to do so that matters. This one is a bit more of a symbolic choice, and you could probably do something else to your body that would prevent it from hunting, but I am going with the cooler option.

To escape the Hunt, tear out your teeth and claws.

The Lonely- Probably all you have to do to escape the Lonely is just…be around other people. I’m sure this is easier said than done, but there are lots of ways to commit to other humans. Get married, join a club, make a blood pact and permanently bind yourself to another human. The possibilities are endless! This one, I think more than the others, would require a bit more of a continued effort. I know that the whole point is to make one drastic, permanent change, but the Lonely feels like something that’s easy to relapse into. Maybe it’s the depression metaphor, I don’t know, but I don’t think this one has as easy a solution as the others. It’s hard work forcing yourself to stay connected to others, and it’s something most people in real life struggle with. Giving up any of these powers is a difficult choice, which is the whole point. Life is hard, and we have to make tough decisions. Anyway, I’m okay letting this one be a bit more abstract.

To escape the Lonely, bind yourself to others.

The Slaughter- This one is very similar to the Hunt in terms of actions, so I think the solution might be similar as well. Destroying your weapon would fit well, but it is just way too easy to pick up something else and continue hacking and slashing away. To give up violence entirely, you might have to destroy a significant part of your body. For the Slaughter, I think we should go with a less physical act. The opposite of violence is healing, so maybe become a doctor? You would have to really commit to helping others instead of hurting them, and that is too easy to go back on. I think the sacrifice made here would have to be emotion. Anger and the desire to hurt would go away if you couldn’t feel anymore. I don’t know how you would do this, except through drugs, but that isn’t permanent. There is probably a part of the brain you could destroy that causes emotion. It’s not the same as the prefrontal cortex, which we destroyed back in the End section, so at least it’s not the same solution twice. Honestly, the drugs could work if you did them long term, it’s about the choice anyway. However you do it:

To escape the Slaughter, remove your emotions.

The Spiral- The draw of the Spiral is the power to lie and deceive. There are many ways to do this, and there are probably just as many ways to stop yourself from doing it. However, there is one way that I think fits very well and is absolutely a permanent change: destroy your voice. This is actually the first one I thought of because even though it’s not technically the only way to stop yourself from lying, it fits very well thematically. Michael as the Distortion calls itself the Throat of Delusion Incarnate, so what better way to break yourself off from the same power then by tearing out your throat? It’s not perfect, but I like it so much that I’m going to pick it. I don’t know how one would go about destroying one’s voice, except with very careful surgery. Or screaming for a very long time.

To escape the Spiral, destroy your voice.

The Stranger- We got our answer to this one in the Q&A. Run naked through the streets, and make sure to engage with everyone who talks to you so that you can’t hide. Utterly terrifying. It makes perfect sense though; we heard from the Not!Them that beings of the Stranger hate losing their anonymity. Whether by switching skins, tricking the mind, or looking so generic that no one can remember your face, being known is antithetical to the Stranger. There are probably other ways to go about losing your anonymity then running around naked. You could get up on a stage somewhere and pour your heart out, or publish an autobiography. Basically anything the Eye would like. As long as you are putting yourself out there in a way that you can’t take back, you should be able to successfully cut yourself off from that uncanny fear.

To escape the Stranger, make yourself known.

The Vast- This one might actually be easier than the Buried, because it’s not purely spatial. It includes things like longevity, our insignificance in the face of a massive universe, and large scary things in general. A Vast avatar would hate to be enclosed, but they would also hate to be made responsible. They enjoy making others afraid of their insignificance, but what if they were important to the universe? What if the world was actually very small, and they fit neatly into it instead of being lost? There’s a lot of different ways to go here, so narrowing down one sacrifice might not be the best answer. I can’t really think of any one action that makes a person feel as though the world is small and trapping them. Giving themselves to the Buried would, probably. A direct contrast is the easiest answer.

To escape the Vast, trap yourself in a small place.

The Web- Avatars of the Web are manipulators, through and through. There are so many ways to manipulate a person that no one action could prevent you from doing that, so this one would likely vary a lot between individuals. That movie director who had people puppet him in his own house comes to mind, I think giving up your freedom like that is a good way to do it. Being paralyzed wouldn’t stop you if you used your voice to control others, and giving up both would suck, but if that’s what you need to do, then I guess it’s your choice to make. Maybe all you would need to do is let someone else tell you what to do, and fully trust them. That would be difficult, coming from the Web where everything is tied together and you know how easy it is to manipulate you.

To escape the Web, give up your autonomy.

[badgirlcovenrep]

atlas

Alex Chen × Steph Gingrich fluffy comfort one-shot

(I was talking to a friend about the game and we were discussing how Alex is probably still carrying a lot of trauma. And even after everything that happened at the mines we still don't see her really grieve for the whole situation and herself. So- I had to write it, you know?)

Enjoy!

TW: mentions of suicide, death and mental health issues.

It's two months into their relationship now, and they are somewhere in a Californian town, living in a tiny apartment close to the beach. They play together in small venues and underground clubs. Alex bartends and Steph referees for DND campaigns at a nerd bar they found by chance on their first week there.

They're happy. As happy as Alex remembers being since she was- well, maybe nine.

Every day, it's a little like waking up into a dream. Living in an apartment with her first girlfriend, listening to music as they cooked dinner together. Getting to kiss her just because Alex felt like it. Because her heart went a little loopy inside her chest when she smiled. Because she knew Steph would hold on to her waist and make her feel like she was full of electricity.

The 'falling in love' business felt overrated before Steph.

But Being in the middle of it now, Alex doesn't think there's anything better.

Although a part of her still felt quite numb - she guesses it's not something that will go away that easily - and day by day, Alex felt a little bit more like she could breathe... like she was finally letting herself go, at least a little bit.

****

Now that she could comprehend and use her powers, it also seemed as if she'd started to become even more of a magnet for all sorts of emotion around her. And apparently Alex could do it in her sleep too.

The nightmares came in clusters most of the time, a badly cut-together mess of voices and feelings. The lady that lived under them, who lost her son when he was little. The couple from down the street, who were going through a hard time in their relationship. Even the little girl from upstairs, who had terrible night terrors of sharp-teethed monsters reaching from under her bed.

They all mixed inside her head until she woke up gasping for air and sizzling with emotion.

It was rare that she'd have a full dream, one that made sense and completed itself, but when she did they were always about Gabe. About sitting together at the rooftop of the Lantern and sharing a beer. Or climbing trees, like they used to do when they were little.

It was a relief from the usual doom.

And that dream was supposed to be nothing different. Or at least she thought it wasn't.

****

In it, they were at the ravine. A world of twinkling stars shining above their heads. The Colorado mountains all around them creating a landscape that was just as beautiful as it was bittersweet. Alex could see the log she'd crossed, still standing between her and the tiny outcrop of stone Ethan had been stranded on.

She hadn't dreamed of the ravine since leaving Haven Springs, but while she was there, Alex dreamt of it every night. She would see it when her eyes were closed. She could hear it, - the sirens, the terrible, deafening rumble of the ground splitting beneath them. The panic, pounding into her ears.

But this is different. Because when she looks around, Alex realizes she's standing over the elevated plateau, tied to the waist and leaning all her weight against a sturdy piece of rock.

Looking at her from below is Gabe. Lying on the cold ground. A cheesy smile spread across his face.

"Why are we switched?" Alex asks because that's all she can think of asking, as she stares at the rope that anchored her to the ground... to Gabe.

"Beats me. This is all your brain, not mine." He says, and Alex huffs in annoyance, "you know what's going to happen, but you keep coming here."

"I don't have a choice."

"Hmmm..." Gabe hums, but there's some humor in his expression as he stares intently back at her, "and that's exactly why... I'm here because I should say goodbye."

A coldness spreads over Alex's limbs. Around her, the very fabric of the dream dims into darkness as a strong breeze blows past them. She suddenly feels like throwing up.

"What- what does that mean?" It's a stupid question. This is her dream. Alex knows what it means.

Deep down, she knew she'd been conjuring him up for her own sake. Trying to bring back any morsel of relief into the giant hole he'd left inside her heart. However, Alex also knew at some point he'd be gone- she just didn't expect-

"You don't need me anymore, Alex." He says. As if it's that simple. As if she'd ever-

"I'll always need you, Gabe. Of course I need you." The words stumble out of her mouth, and she can feel the hot, angry tears falling down her face.

It feels like a hot iron pressed to the very top of her chest.

Like lava, boiling up into her bloodstream until Alex wants to punch something. The steam that prickles from under her skin, fighting to break free.

Anger always comes first when people feel cornered. It's something she noticed a while back. Out of all the emotions Alex had dealt with the past few months, that, at least, hadn't changed.

"Shit, Gabe. When you died I needed you more than ever."

"But we can't fix that, can we?" He asks, and another wave of anger rips through her. She looks anywhere but him, because Alex feels that if she does, she'll tackle and kill him all over again. But when he says nothing and they're left in the same pocket of silence - the one right before the whole world collapsed - her eyes eventually fall back to her brother. Tied to her and laid on the ground beneath. Looking at her like just as much the goofy asshole she missed so much.

Anger always felt urgent and fast, like a flash going through her body and leaving everything inside it in disarray. It demanded to be completely felt, but only for the moment it took for Alex to decide it wasn't worth launching the nearest object at a window.

Or trying to kill her dead brother.

"You might have needed Gabe. But you don't need this Gabe anymore, Alex. You can do it on your own now."

The fear and sadness that came after? They were usually much, much worse.

"But this is the only Gabe I have."

Those emotions, when mixed, turned into a horrible harmony that paralyzed her lungs and darkened the sides of her vision. They felt just as urgent as anger, but complacent. A beast staring at her from the very bottom of a pit. Tied to her by the waist and trying to lure her down into the abyss.

And, for Alex, the abyss was as deep as a ventilation shaft for a Colorado mining site.

"No, it's not. You'll always have me, Alex. And you know that." Not in the way that matters. Alex wants to say, but it's so redundant. He's the ghost. He should already know that. "And you have Ryan now, and Eleanor, Riley, Charlotte, Ethan... Steph..." he gives her a cheesy smile in the last name, wiggling his eyebrows back at her teasingly.

"Oh, God, way to ruin the moment." Alex can't help but chuckle a little through her tears. Is she blushing? You can't blame her for blushing, right? God, she feels like Diane.

"Hey. Let me have it. One of my only regrets is that I never got to tease the hell out of Steph for dating my little sister... and for being whipped as hell."

"That would have been so funny."

"I knew she'd get along with you but I guess I didn't expect... that. Shame on me. Should've had more artistic vision."

Alex chuckles as more tears run down her face. It's so bittersweet it hurts from the very inside of herself.

"All jokes aside. I'm glad you have her, and that she has you. She's good. Just make sure you tell her I'll haunt her from the grave if her dumb ass breaks your heart, okay?" Alex nods, and her body starts shaking with strangled sobs. So much emotion she just can't let go of. Because if she does, Alex is afraid there'll be nothing left.

"Hey. Don't cry. You can do this, Alex. You know how to live life now."

"I don't want to lose you again, Gabe."

"You'll never lose me. You'll just have to look a little harder." He smiles up at her, pulling jokingly on the rope, "now play your part - or is it my part? You get it."

And then- too soon. (Same as it was that night.) The sirens blast through the mountains, and somewhere above them, a giant explosion blows her eardrums, and boulders the size of cars come tumbling down the mountain.

She barely has time to blink. Barely has time to breathe one last time. Seen as she's Gabe, when she looks up all she sees is the giant rock, flying towards her, hitting her across the torso so hard, before she knows, she's flying way above the ravine, and one last glimpse of the stars catches hold over the veil of her memory before everything turns black.

****

She wakes up in bed, desperately clawing at the top of her chest as she gasps for air. Her lungs feel like they're made of lead, and all around her, she can feel the weight of the rocks, the explosion, the debris, weighing down her body.

Alex pats across the mattress for Steph, who is not there. Another wave of panic washes over her. So strong her mouth turns dry and her head aches as she tries to breathe in, but her lungs can only handle tiny, torturous gasps of half-breath.

Alex dispels a world of curses towards herself inside. Willing her own body to just calm down. In the bathroom, she can hear Steph singing softly to herself- she must have come home late from the DND tournament. Alex told her she'd swing by, but she'd had a long shift and ended up just passing out as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Alex hadn't had an incident like this in very long. She could control it now. Most times. It wasn't easy, with being on the road and constantly surrounded by people. Sometimes, she still got more than she could bargain. When she walked across a depressed person on the sidewalk, or heard one of their multiple neighbors yelling at each other through the walls, and suddenly she felt as if the world blended out of focus into a tsunami of feeling.

Feeling that wasn't hers but still felt so much like it was.

Steph helped whenever it happened. For a sarcastic punk rock mess, she was surprisingly stable and so very reassuring.

Just the fact that she can hear her voice. That Steph is there in the apartment with her, is enough to calm some of her nerves, and while Alex still can't keep herself from pulling in gasps of air as she tries to hold in any kind of oxygen, she at least has a plan.

Water. Water will make her feel better, right?

Almost as soon as the idea crosses her mind, Alex's half-delirious brain commands her to get up, but her body feels so very heavy. Like she's really been trampled over by a wave of giant boulders. And as soon as her feet touch the ground, her legs give up under the weight, and she falls onto the hard floor with a loud, heavy thud.

The girl's hands fly up to hold her weight against the bed, and thankfully that means she doesn't face plant the ground, but it sends her heart into a neck-breaking pace, and all air Alex'd been able to gather so far escapes her in a single huff until she's hyperventilating again, hot, angry tears running down her face.

You're so weak. You're such a fucking idiot. Of course, you had to go and lose Gabe twice, who the fuck would want to stay with such a mess-

"Alex, are you okay?" Steph's voice comes, as she opens the door to find her girlfriend sitting on the ground, looking like she might pass out from just trying to get her lungs to work, "Alex!"

In a second she's crossed their room and kneeled by her, both hands going up to her cheeks on instinct, smearing away her tears.

"Breathe with me, okay? We've done this before, you can do it." She always gets just a tiny bit of a scared aura around her when Alex gets like this, never for long enough that she can read it, but it's still there, the tiny flutter of fear, "come on, breathe."

Her eyes go up to find Steph's, her strong, glittering green gaze. Alex might be the one with superpowers, but it was Steph who could so easily reach in and soften her edges like it was nothing. It was Steph who could just lean in and hold Alex's hand against her chest, letting her feel the determined rise of her lungs. Strong. Stable. Even Alex couldn't possibly understand how she did that.

How she always made Alex's breathing slowly come to shaky, deep breaths, crawling painfully out of her dry throat, but still better than gasping like a fish. Inside her, Alex feels the furious hurricane of emotion, twisting itself into the bottom of her lungs, taking hold of every bit of her until she felt like she could throw up.

"Wait here, I'll get you water," Steph says, and Alex wants to complain, she doesn't want to be alone, even for a second.

But before she can, Steph has left their bedroom for the kitchen, and Alex feels as if she's stable enough to crawl into bed, so she does so at a glacial pace. She grabs Shu-Shu, holding her close to her chest as she sits and waits for Steph.

She eventually comes back in with a glass full and Alex gulps it down in silence, unsure if whatever dam of emotion that has taken place inside of her will break if she tries to speak. So she sets the glass back and lies her head down on the pillow, facing away from Steph and the rest of the room as she tries to reel herself back in.

She can hear Steph taking off her boots and climbing into bed, one arm winding around her waist as she pulls Alex in closer.

"Was it the lady from upstairs?" Steph asks, eventually, after they sit in a few long minutes of silence.

"No." She replies, and it comes out so strangled, so broken, a few more tears run down her face. Steph pulls her even closer, a tight, steady pressure.

"The couple again? I swear to God I'll call the police on that asshole this time."

"No." Alex says, and she detaches herself from Steph just enough so she can turn around and look at her, "I had a dream about Gabe." Simply saying his name makes her whole body shake. Steph is looking at her so intensely, Alex has to close her eyes, holding on to the fabric of her shirt with all she had not to explode in whatever terrifying, dizzying bomb of emotion she could feel brewing inside herself.

Alex felt so much from other people it overwhelmed her multiple times a day, and even then, it was nothing compared to this. Nothing compared to how much sheer strength it took from her not to let it blow.

It scared her. More than anything.

"He wanted to say goodbye." She says eventually, "it was- I don't know. This- I- this isn't coming from anyone- How do I get rid of it? It's like it's all inside of me and it's taking up so much space and I don't know how to fix it" The words come tumbling out before she can stop them, and she's rambling through tears.

Steph sighs. And Alex can feel the love and sadness mixed together, blowing from her in waves as she holds Alex's chin, bringing her up so they can look at each other.

"Baby..." there are tears in her eyes now, as she pulls her closer until their foreheads are touching, and they are so close Alex can smell her lemongrass shampoo, "This is all yours."

And such simple words shouldn't hit her this fucking hard.

But it all suddenly makes so much sense-

Alex was numb after her dad left. She felt nothing for months. It was one of the most terrifying feelings in the world, a deep and powerful depression that threatened to overtake her at any given point.

Like her whole body was nothing but dead weight and her brain was way too tired to even try and keep up.

Young as she was, Alex guesses she never realized the first time she felt anything at all after that was when she discovered her powers. The day a boy came to the orphanage and he was so angry it blew her across the hallway. Ever since then, everything around her was a cacophony of feeling. Coming from every direction. Every street corner, every store, every park.

Every moment of her life since she was eleven, Alex could only feel for others.

"I- I forgot." She realizes, half surprise and half so much sadness another sob breaks through her throat.

Now it made sense, the anger, the sadness, the fear, a hurricane of emotion so very powerful it made her ears ring.

"I'm scared." She admits. Because for someone who had been so focused on learning how to exist among other people's feelings, Alex had no clue how to handle herself, "what do I do with all of this? How do I fix it?"

"Alex. Look at me." Steph brings her face upwards until they are so close, Alex can see the speckles of blue in her eyes, "Gabe died just four months ago, and you were there to see everything- then you got shot and thrown down God knows how many stories into a dark abyss that you somehow walked out of, but not before also finding out about your dad's tragic death - and I haven't seen you cry, actually cry, for yourself, even once."

"I- I can't, it's too much. I don't know how, Steph." Alex had learned her lesson. She'd seen her life as it was and survived it. Deep down she knew it wasn't her responsibility anymore - that it never was her responsibility, to begin with - to hold herself together for others. She knows.

But old habits die hard, and Alex guesses it'll take a while before she starts feeling it too.

Because right now, it still felt like the world might collapse if she wasn't there to hold it together.

"Just- give it to me. Everything you have, I can carry it for you." Steph says, with such determination, Alex actually believes her, but she takes her eyes away, trying to avoid the bubbling of tears threatening to jump out through her throat "Let it go, please, Alex. I can't watch you carry it alone anymore."

At that moment, Alex glances at her again, and there's so much pain, so much love in her eyes, that inside Alex, the dam finally breaks and she's choking on sobs. Tears start running down her cheeks as Steph leans in and pulls her closer, one arm around her shoulder and one on her hip, squeezing tight in reassurance.

If she didn't know better, Alex would've guessed Steph was the one with the superpowers, with the way she coaxes wave after wave of emotion out of her with nothing but her steady presence and quick, light kisses she leaves on Alex's head and hair as she holds on to her shirt for dear life.

It overwhelmed her more than anything she'd experienced so far, and for what feels like hours, she just sobs as Steph holds her.

She cries for her mom. Dead before her time, trying to hold them together to the very end. She cries for her dad, dying a slow death deep underground, a picture of the two children he'd never see again dangling around his neck. She cries for Gabe, for the time they'd never have, for the time they did have.

Above all, for the first time, Alex cried for herself. For being the last out of all of them. For the little girl that had to love and lose every single one of them in succession.

And in the middle of all of it, like a speckle of golden light hidden under all the darkness, for the first time, she feels that it could all start to feel alright.

[softcallofdutyimagines]

An oddly specific hc:

Weaver, Mason, Woods, Adler, and Hudson with an S/O who likes to give+recieve cuddles. (Guess whose love language is physical touch? Is me.)

DJDJDJSJ LITERALLY ALL OF MY HUSBANDS IN ONE ASK !!!! You know, love languages for the squad might be an interesting one, one day! I feel you tho, mine is words of affirmation but physical touch is a super close second 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

Phew I went kind of all in on these, so sorry of they're really long or rambly, but I hope you enjoy them!! Weaver and Woods even feature a little dad bod action bc ik that's our thing 😌😌💅🏻

Adler

Honestly, at first he's not use to it

In fact, you'd be forgiven to think he didn't like it at all

However, he never shuts you down either...

If you persevere for long enough and are able to gain his trust, you'll be rewarded to find that he actually quite enjoys your touch

Well, more then enjoys I'd say

Adlers job is a lonely and thankless one, and although he could hardly bring himself to admit as much...

The loneliness takes a toll on him

He is only interested in receiving that kind of affection from someone he has a connection with, so as you can imagine, it's harm for him to get that need fulfilled without you

In a way, he grows rather addicted to you

You're the first thing he goes for when he comes home after time away

All in all, he's down for whatever you've got to give, but his favorite thing to do is to hold you

Whether that be while cuddled up and or just standing in place, it doesn't matter to him

In turn, he particularly likes when you stroke his jawline or pepper him with kisses

He's very sensitive about his face and scars as you know, doubly so after the torture and rescue stuff he went through

So when you show extra affection to that spot, not only is it a huge sign of his trust in you, but it also just so happens to make him melt

Hudson

Hudson is an extremely similar case to Adler in that, although you wouldn't guess it, he craves physical touch

In fact, Hudson might be even worse off

I would argue that at least Adler works with his task force members, but Hudson???

He's more or less forced to stick to the shadows and only speak to others on a more or less need to know basis

Given that cannon Hudson has a whole wife and kids, I get the feeling that he just wants to be loved damn it!!!

So all this to say that, unlike Adler, I don't think Hudson would be even remotely as coy with his desire for affection

I mean, if you've managed to snag a relationship with him, he must trust you a whole lot already, so why not just clear the air, right?

However, I will say that I think he might be a little shy about it

What if he comes across as too needy or something? Not a good look for a grown man, surely

As a result, if he has nothing more pressing to attend to, he'll be your shadow around the house all day long, from one room to the next

Of course, he does his best to not follow you step for step or do anything else that would obviously give him away, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out what he wants

You'll have to invite him to come to you most of the time

And good thing too, bc when he's with you, it's like heaven

He's fond of simply collapsing into your lap when your seated, or across your torso when laying down

From there, you can do whatever you want

If you really wanted, you could balance a damn book on his back and just read in silence for all he cares

As long as he can have that physical connection to you, it doesn't matter

This is another area where he's a step up in extreme from Adler

While Adler wants you, Hudson needs you

You're like his one place of rest in the whole world, the only place he can be safe and forget about his work, and you have no idea how much that means to him

Mason

Personally, I think Alex is probably the one most (relatively lmao) well adjusted adult of the group

He of course loves receiving physical affection from you, but he doesn't need to rely on it as some sort of coping mechanism

While he can be a little clingy, its a usually only after times that he has to be away for a long while

Personally, I feel like Alex is the safest for me to say that he probably also has physical touch as his love language as well!

He will often come seek you out just as much as you so for him, and he has no problem requesting some snuggle time

Mason is perfectly confident in his masculinity after all, so asking if you wouldn't mind cuddling him is a simple task in his eyes

The height of his interest in touch comes when he's trying to sleep though

He's prone to pretty awful night terrors given all that he's been through, so I'd say that's the only real time that he truly does rely on you and your gift

Even if it's just something as small as holding his hand while you lay next to him, any little bit helps

He definitely notices more difficulty sleeping when you're not around, so he's thankful for you for sure

Mason is also pretty big on pda I think lol

Like holding hands, hugging, and kissing...

None of that bothers him!

Although he enjoys nearly all forms of touch from you, he'd have to admit that he loves it the most even you run his back or hold his hands

It's... Comforting

Weaver

Off, poor Weaver, he's a mess

Imagine someone who burns with an all consuming desire just to be touched damn it !!! like Hudson does, and yet has ten times the reservations and insecurities about it as Adler does

That's close to what Weaver is like

He's extremely shy around you, just to start off

In fact, he's probably still star struck that you actually wanted to be in a relationship with him in the first place

And so, he's not sure how to act...

He really is a big softie on the inside, and yet he's not sure if you'd like that

After all, he's the big, tough Russian guy to everyone else

That's who you met, so it would make sense that that's what you want, right?

While Hudson would warm up after a while and, albeit awkwardly I'm sure, ask you for some cuddling time or some such...

... Weaver almost never asks, but will instead make it painfully obvious that he wants it lol

It definitely does not help that he's quite insecure with his appearance

These days, he's a just a touch more soft and round then he use to be, and that's on top of his missing eye and greying hair

If you are of the opinion that such things only make him more suited for cuddling, warm and comfy as he is, it will take him an awful long time to believe you

Buuuuuuut...

Although he loves to pretend he only tolerates his at best, he does rather enjoy it when you give his chest or tummy some affection

It's sort of like Adler and his scars: Weaver loathes the state of his abdomen, amongst other things, but he must admit...

He likes that you like it

Woods

Geez, Woods is probably as opposite from Weaver as it gets

I once heard the phrase "a dog in human form", and honestly?

It doesn't get more accurate then that

This man lives for attention and the fact that you want to give it to him, drives him crazy

He's pretty shameless, and is down to be touched or felt basically whenever

It's to the point that he's taken up walking around the house shirtless just in anticipation of any cuddling or rubs to be had

He's a bit performative about it, which can be either entertaining or annoying depending, but he never misses an opportunity to show off his muscles to you and let you have a feel

Really though, anywhere you want to touch, however you want to do it, go ahead baby! He'll eat it up lmao

Of course, if you catch him at a time in his life where he's going the route of Weaver and developing some dad bod...

Totally different story

If that's the case, he's extremely adverse to letting you touch places like his thighs, chest, and of course his stomach

Really, just anywhere that's filled out

Which in his mind, could very well extend to his body as a whole

Needless to say, this creates a very powerful inner turmoil between his desire to be near to you and impress you, and his fear of rejection

With this Woods, it'll take a loooot of gentle touches and reasurace to bring him around

But once he trusts you, he's be right back to how toned Woods would act

Bare chested, tummy out, and ready for some lovin 😌

[imagine-that-one-thing]

Harry is in the middle of peak season, and he hasn’t had much time to sleep. Most of his nights are spent working once he puts Alex to bed. Elise is off in New York on a business trip, and Harry is doing his best to hold down the fort.

Harry types away at his laptop, writing up a proposal with a cup of tea to his right and his phone to his left, patiently waiting for Elise to call him. It’s currently four in the morning for him, but it’s around eleven for her, around the time she sends him her goodnight texts.

It’s the sudden cries that startle him, the shrieking of Alex’s voice as he desperately calls for his Daddy. Harry springs to his feet and wastes no time hurrying down the hallway to his son's room.

As Harry enters his son's room and turns on the light, he finds Alex sitting up in his bed with his covers to his chest and tears streaming down his cheeks, “What’s wrong? What happened?” Harry is quick to glance around the room, making sure nothing is out of the ordinary. Finally, Harry looks back towards Alex and sits down on his bed, “Bad dream?” Harry asks as Alex pushes the covers off his body and crawls into Harry’s lap.

Harry wraps his arms around his son and holds him close, “It’s okay, daddy’s here,” Harry whispers, hiding own panic that he had when he heard the cries of his son. As much as Harry is a tough CEO who doesn’t take anyone’s shit, the sounds of his son's cries are enough for him to turn into panic mode.

Harry picks Alex up and proceeds to walk out of his bedroom, making his way into the hallway, “Was just about to make some warm milk, care to join me?” Harry offers, still holding his son as Alex keeps his face buried into Harry, mumbling his response. Harry walks down the stairs and into the kitchen, where he effortlessly manoeuvres his way around, managing to warm up some milk without having to put Alex down. He has gotten good at managing to do things with Alex attached to him. If Alex isn’t attached to Elise, which is very, very rare, Alex is attached to Harry. It isn’t the sort of attachment that’s overbearing or clingy; Alex just likes to be around Harry or Elise. He likes to do his own thing but finds comfort knowing Harry or Elise are very close by.

“So, since it’s pretty early in the morning, I don’t think you’ll be falling asleep too soon; how about after we have some milk, we go upstairs, and you sleep with Daddy? We can turn the alarm off.” Harry offers, feeling the tiredness himself. At four in the morning, Harry has no desire to get up in two hours to get Alex ready for Pre K, nor does he want to get ready for work. The idea of sleeping sounds a lot better.

“No school?” Alex softly asks as Harry places Alex to sit on the kitchen counter to pour the milk into two cups.

Harry shakes his head, “No, let’s have a daddy day, we can sleep in, and we can watch some movies and relax, think we need it,” Harry responds with a small smile, handing Alex his cup of milk, “Think you need some rest, pal, this is the third time this week you’ve woken up scared. Care to tell me what has you worried about?” Harry softly asks, not wanting to assume it’s just a bad dream or night terrors.

Alex lifts his shoulders into a shrug, “Was it a dream?”

“I don’t remember,” Alex responds, “I was scared,” he simply responds, giving Harry no context to work with. The only other thing Harry can assume is that when Elise isn’t home, Alex has nightmares. Elise isn’t the one to travel often. Usually, it’s Harry, so Alex is used to his Daddy being gone for a night or two, and jr doesn’t seem to bother him… but as soon as Elise is gone for more than a night, Alex has trouble sleeping.

“Okay, pal,” Harry nods, not wanting to press too much, “Let’s go upstairs. It’s warmer in daddy’s bed than down here,” Harry scoops his son up off the counter and uses his free hand to hold both of the cups, “Now, we don’t tell Mummy about our late night milk sessions, right?”

“Right, it’s secret…” Alex trails off, unsure of how to finish the sentence, “What you say it was?”

“Secret man's business,” Harry chuckles, aware that the day Alex uses that line on Elise is the day Elise beats Harry with a pillow.