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wecantseeyou · 4 years ago

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a word on color - how line of duty series 6 uses wardrobe color to frame narrative (pt 4)

Author’s note: this is the conclusion to my essay on wardrobe color and how it’s used to inform narrative in series 6 of line of duty. Previous parts can be found here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. This part covers episodes 5, 6, and 7. Heads up, my analysis of episode 7 is actually quite short because of my focus on Jo, but I have many, MANY thoughts on Kate’s second to last scene and the general wardrobe choices for Kate in this episode.

Thank you to everyone who has been willing to entertain my ramblings here. While I have a background in theatrical production, this kind of meta analysis was quite new for me. I was relieved to see (most) of this theory actualized in the finale. Now, this part is nearly 8k words, all four parts together clocked in at over 20k words and nearly 40 pages, single-spaced, so I’ve officially written a third dissertation (after the other two took me 10 months…).

Regular warnings apply: I’m American and therefore may be missing certain cultural context. Spoilers abound, but I stick to Jo’s storyline for the most part, and don’t include my thoughts about the finale writ large (I may write an analysis of the series 6 storytelling separate from this, if there’s interest).

Read on below the cut.

EPISODE 5

Episode 5 opens with Lomax briefing Jo and Kate about connections between the armed robbery and Gail Vella's murder, showing them results for an industrial estate that matches the description given by one of the robbers. Jo is wearing the same outfit she ended episode 4 in, the orangish brown sweater and navy suit, while Kate is wearing a grey jacket over a white shirt, buttoned all the way up. A side note - this grey jacket does not fit in with the rest of the wardrobe Kate has been in all series, and from a meta perspective, this is because they have to conceal the firearm Kate is now carrying. Ryan watches from the other room, again in a call back to the way Jo was watching Kate in episode 3. Kate tries to talk to Jo, but she's quickly brushed off, much to Kate's chagrin.

Jo’s outfit, which we’ve seen her in numerous times, again demonstrates her pull between what’s right and pressure from the OCG. After all, Ryan has just threatened her twice. She knows that the investigation is heading in the right direction, which she both wants and is afraid of, and she is panicking. At the same time, she’s wary of letting Kate get too close lest she suspect something and acts on it, putting them both in danger.

Kate’s outfit actually shows some of that forced distance Jo is causing. We’ve seen her wear a white shirt buttoned all the way to the top once before - when she spoiled the raid of MIT by AC-12. That outfit showed her pull between Jo and AC-12, and we’re seeing that here again. This time though, the grey jacket shows that she’s leaning AC-12.

We see this in the next scene where Steve, in his grey suit with a white shirt and red tie, is directly paralleling his former partner’s wardrobe. Kate visits AC-12, and it's been revealed that she has permission to carry a concealed firearm because of the threat Ryan Pilkington poses. Now, call me crazy, but I believe we’re meant to understand he’s a threat to her at least in part because of her relationship to Jo, but I’m uncertain. When Ted asks for an update, Kate notes that Jo has become "cold and distant" toward her, and the team reveals Jo has been put under surveillance, which Kate isn't happy about. It's then revealed that Jo is related to Tommy Hunter (from series 1 and 2) through incest, which is of course horrifying, though we don’t know the full story of it quite yet.

Back at her apartment, Jo checks the laptop to find out the OCG won't let her go because of AC-12's continued investigation, which she promises to take care of. She’s surrounded by her blue flat, in her navy and orange outfit, her actions and heart still at conflict with one another. She’s distraught, and stuck.

Later, Kate and Steve meet in an underground car park in their matching navy coats. Steve shares that Lakewell gave him information off the record, which is that Gail Vella had been looking into the death of Lawrence Christopher at the time of her death. He also tells Kate about his discovery that Hastings gave Steph Corbett the missing $50k of supposed bribe money (from series 5). The former partners match here because they are coming closer to being full partners again, working in tandem and trusting one another with information. They have been at odds this series, particularly when it comes to Jo, but they have remained on the same page in their disappointment in the gaffer and belief in finding justice for Gail Vella.

Back at MIT, Kate is looking into the industrial parks that may hold an OCG workshop. As she researches, she repeatedly looks over at Jo in her office and seems to have an idea. She then steps out of the office and calls Steve, though we don’t see the details of their conversation. Kate returns to the office and goes into Jo's office, telling her that they may have found the OCG workshop. She asks to brief the team immediately to avoid leaks, which Jo allows while glancing out at the bullpen. We can see once Kate leaves that she was looking at Ryan, who is watching her closely.

We don't know it yet, but Kate has found a way to test Jo’s loyalty and her belief that Jo isn’t bent. She tells the team about 1 location, makes them hand up their phones (which pisses them all off), and Jo makes them all stay within the MIT offices just as Ryan is about to step out. As the briefing ends, Kate goes to Jo’s office once more and demands to speak with her, despite Jo’s rude and annoyed response.

It’s later revealed that Kate then tells Jo there are 3 total locations to be looked at, but they’re starting with just one. Meanwhile, AC-12 surveillance teams are stationed at all three locations to see if people are tipped off and by who.

In these scenes, Kate is wearing a navy suit with a light blue shirt buttoned to the top, while Jo is wearing a grey suit with a grey turtleneck. For both women, the high necklines that fully encircle their throats indicates their discomfort and their desire to have a wall up for their own protection. We see Kate in all blue as she’s on a crusade to prove the truth - Jo isn’t bent, and this will reveal who is (as she suspects Ryan). Jo, meanwhile, is uncertain, and her monochrome grey outfit reflects that. Normally, this is the type of thing she would be expected to tip off to the OCG (as she did with Carl Banks), but Kate has cleverly made it so she can’t. She’s trying to push Kate away, but Kate keeps pushing herself right back in. She’s meant to be wary of Ryan, but she stopped him from an opportunity to send out a warning - and that’s before she knew there were three potential locations. All Jo knows is that she wants out from this lie and constant threat she’s lived under. She’s in all grey, not true blue but certainly not a warm tone, because she hasn’t decided what her next step is yet. Temporarily neutral.

The initial raid is not a success, so Jo informs the team that they'll move on to the other locations instead, revealing that she and Kate did not give them all of the information. Lomax is pissed off, and directs that anger at Kate. From his perspective, the boss just told them she doesn’t trust him or the team and treated them all like a potential rat, and he chalks that up to the former AC-12 officer’s involvement. In an interesting parallel, Jo and Kate are wearing the same outfits under their body armor that we saw them in during the raid in the first episode - Jo in her black jacket and Kate in her green jacket.

During this raid, Ryan snuck out to call in the danger to the OCG from a burner phone, an act which was recorded by Chloe “the only real detective” Bishop. Steve, at the real OCG workshop, rushes in with his team which results in the deaths of two suspects. Jo and the MIT team arrive on the scene not long after, and Jo and Steve come to disagreement over jurisdiction, and she ultimately forces him to stand down using her rank (which we’ll see her flex once more later in the episode). I have to say, I have loved watching Jo and Steve come to blows in this series in part because Jo is so much better at it than he is. Steve truly has been Jo’s foil, contradicting her at every point. We see this even in their clothes in this scene. While Jo is wearing a grey turtleneck (typically in the AC-12 color palette), it is hidden under her black jacket, and Steve is wearing a blue shirt under his body armor. On the visual face, they appear to be working at opposite ends to one another, and in this moment they are.

Back at AC-12, Kate debriefs the team on what happened and let's them in on the honey trap* (*not really) Kate set for Jo, which she didn't fall for (but Pilkington did). The team is taken aback, and Hastings points out how risky a move that was. "As far as I'm concerned, that's proof she's not bent," Kate replies, stubborn to the end. Steve has a different interpretation - Jo assigned herself to the raid on the location with the workshop, and took control of the crime scene from him. "That doesn't fit with what I've witnessed firsthand. I needed to know one way or another." Kate will not back down from her staunch belief that Jo is not bent, an unfortunate foreshadow to Jo’s eventual betrayal. Hastings sides with Steve, but Kate clearly still disagrees. However, Steve does believe Ryan should be removed from MIT, even as Hastings wants to keep him there. This raises their suspicions because Kate had originally talked the gaffer out of bringing Ryan in, but the reality of the matter is that Ted feels he’s on a ticking clock with his forced retirement, and wants to handle this fourth man situation before he goes.

Kate and Steve are again in coordinated outfits here, dressed head to toe in blue. We’ve seen this before, the former partners in clothes that parallel one another while seemingly at odds. Sadly, this is because they’re again both right about Jo. She is using her position (and even Kate’s trust) to manipulate the investigation, but that manipulation stems from fear for her own safety as she herself is being manipulated and doesn’t want to do what she’s done. She’s like a cat stuck in a box - bent and not bent.

On the Hill, Kate gives the team the low down on the OCG warehouse and their next steps. Jo congratulates the team and tells them to get to work collecting forensic evidence while Pilkington sends laser eyes her way. This time it’s Kate wearing a turtleneck, this one in black under an olive suit jacket, while Jo wears a grey suit with a grey-green sweater and a blue shirt buttoned all the way to the top. Again, the high necks of these outfits demonstrate the discomfort and reservedness both women are feeling, but we also see a subtle connection with the green tints of their clothes. As usual, green represents the pull between two different compelling interests. For Kate, the pull between Jo and AC-12, for Jo the pull between Kate and the OCG.

Wearing these same outfits, Jo catches up with Kate outside of Hillside, where she confronts her about AC-12's knowledge of the raids. Kate tells her she tipped them off because they're making a lawful inquiry. "Look, I'm telling you the truth Jo, because I trust you with it." Jo takes advantage of Kate sharing the information with AC-12 and tells Kate to put in a transfer request, saying, "I wouldn't want to harm your career, Kate. It's best if you request a transfer." Kate is taken aback and asks "You've been distant with me for days. Is this personal?" Jo denies this, pulling rank the same way she did with Steve, "I'm your senior officer, I should be distant." Kate seems confused and concerned with her response of "But I thought we were friends. What's happening here?" And here we see Jo’s fear crack through her irritation, just for a moment, when she says, "So you can tell AC-12?" As much as Jo is pushing Kate away in order to get her out of the picture, she also has a real fear that Kate continuing to share information with Steve will get Jo killed. She’s playing up Kate’s betrayal to explain her anger, but she’s also hurt and she wants her to know that. Jo trusts Kate, even if she doesn’t trust her enough to tell her the truth on her own. Up until this point, Kate has worked with her and told her about AC-12’s work, even helping her get a leg up on Steve. Now Kate’s helping AC-12 get a leg up on her.

But Kate is nothing if not determined. "No, I wouldn't tell them personal stuff." Kate refuses to take the transfer, and Jo leaves in frustration and anxiety, leaving Kate confused yet again.

Back at Jo's flat, she's on the OCG laptop again. She tells the user she can handle AC-12, but they claim she can't because of Fleming. Jo tries to ask for more time to sort it, but time's up. "Get rid of her." Get rid of Kate, the last person Jo trusts, the one who just broke her trust.

And here is Jo’s betrayal. "As long as it's my last job." She looks devastated after she sends it, and she is. What she’s about to do is unforgivable. But scared and vulnerable people often do unforgivable things to save themselves. Jo just wants to be free, and she’s willing to pay a price for freedom.

Steve, in his iconic grey suit and navy tie, goes to visit Ian Banks in prison and learns that Ted is the one that disclosed John Corbett's identity that later got him killed. He later calls Kate to tell her the news. Matching Steve, Kate is in a navy shirt, but is wearing a black suit, only the second time we’ve seen her in this suit. The first was in episode 2, when she gave Jo the information about AC-12 and they later had dinner together.

Kate heads back into Hillside after her conversation with Steve and runs into Jo in the hallway, who asks to meet with her outside of work to discuss their 'personal issues'. Jo specifically looks at officers further down the hall to confirm they're leaving before speaking to Kate. She also lowers her voice at her own mention of personal issues, adding an extra layer of privacy to an already empty hall.

Checking to make sure there alone is something that Jo and Kate have done frequently throughout this series. In the handhold scene, they break apart when officers step into the hall. They mention how it’s easier to talk outside of work during both of their dinner scenes. When Kate tells Jo about Ryan’s spying, she dismisses Chris first, and later in that conversation when Jo puts her hand on Kate’s arm, they pull apart when they hear officers approaching.

Kate is surprised at Jo’s sudden change in behaviour from the past few days, but she agrees to meet with Jo after work. As Jo walks away, Kate clearly knows that something is up with her, but seems willing to find out what it is when they speak.

What Kate is sadly unaware of is that Jo walks away to lock herself in the bathroom and have a breakdown, distraught at the machination she has set in motion against Kate. Her hand shakes as she locks the stall, she falls to the ground, she looks around desperately for salvation. Jo’s mask, one that she maintains so strictly, falls for just a moment (not dissimilar to her breakdown in her car after framing Farida). Thirty seconds in a toilet stall to breakdown, to think about the consequences of her actions, about what she’s done to Kate. But she takes a few deep breaths, wipes away her tears, and we watch as her mask slips back into place.

Back at AC-12, Chloe “my back is worse than Steve’s from carrying this investigation” Bishop has uncovered more about the racist gang that attacked Lawrence Christopher, including the investigators, Buckells and the current Chief Constable. This was the story Gail Vella was looking into when she was murdered, and appears to be the reason for her death. Steve is wearing the same grey suit and navy tie as when he spoke with Kate, and while he’s grateful for Chloe for digging everything up, he’s also concerned that the young Black woman had to learn so many details about the lynching of a young Black man. [Note: to be incredibly clear, the death of Lawrence Christopher as described by the script was a lynching, and the narrative did not do enough to reckon with that fact for anything more than relevance to the global racial justice uprisings reborn in late May of 2020. More than willing to discuss this further if anyone cares for my thoughts.] As they discuss the case, Patty Carmichael walks in with gusto (and damn if that voice isn't an incredible acting choice). She’s taking over AC-12, and she’s cancelling the surveillance on Jo and Ryan.

That night, Kate arrives at Frederico's to meet Jo, who calls her the moment she’s locked her car to ask to meet somewhere less public, for claims of privacy. Kate is immediately on alert, especially after her attempts to convince Jo to stick with the original plan. But after a small plea from Jo, she acquiesces, but not without caution. Kate immediately knows something is off - this is not how Jo interacts with her. Little do we know, Pilkington is skulking in Jo's backseat, coaching her actions.

As an aside, this is also the only time we see them meeting out of work while they're both wearing casual clothes, not just the clothes they wore to the office.

Kate drives to the lorry park and calls Steve, because she's both an idiot and a genius. He’s wearing the same suit as before, grey with a navy tie. She learns that surveillance was pulled on Jo and Ryan, and explains Jo's odd behaviour, forwarding him the address. Unfortunately, their conversation is cut short by Carmichael, which immediately sets Kate on high alert and she ends the call. Just as Kate is about to leave, Jo pulls into the lot, and the tension escalates.

Steve receives the address and immediately informs Hastings and Chloe, ordering the team to get a unit ready. The team starts to rush out and Carmichael asks for calm, which Ted isn't gonna do when one of his people is in danger. AC-12 isn’t about to let Kate down.

At the lorry park, a distraught Jo gets out of her car and approaches Kate’s car. Kate tries to convince Jo to go somewhere else, but all Jo can say is that she's sorry. Kate is confused, but that goes away pretty quickly once an armed bent bastard steps out of Jo's car. He gloats to Kate, saying "Jo wanted to give you a way out. Should've put in for that transfer." Kate tries to convince Ryan to put the gun down, that the authorities will find him, but it doesn't work. Which is when Kate makes a gamble - she tells Ryan about the surveillance on him and Jo. Ryan tries to blame Jo for their situation, but she acts none the wiser (even though Kate told her about Ryan’s surveillance in the previous episode).

"Why would she come here otherwise?"

Sure, Jo is playing down her relationship with Kate for Ryan’s sake, but it isn’t quite that simple. Jo doesn't want to believe Kate had any faith in her. She wants to believe she was pretending, because she has no faith in herself. Her reaction does provide enough of a distraction for Kate to be able to pull her own weapon, and the most tense standoff ever begins...

One of the most key color choices of any outfits so far on the show are the clothes Jo and Kate wear to the lorry park where Jo sets up Kate to be killed by Ryan. Jo is wearing her grey coat, a blue sweatshirt, and a red top. Kate is wearing a blue coat, and a blue striped sweater with a band of red in the middle. These two outfits are ultimately the thesis statement between these two women. Jo is wearing red as her last layer, the one closest to her, but is surrounded by cool tones through her sweatshirt and coat. Meanwhile, Kate’s sweater has a stripes of red and orange surrounded by shades of blue.

But it doesn’t matter that Kate is being visually connected to Jo, because Jo is about to be responsible for her death via Ryan ‘the bent bastard’ Pilkington.

EPISODE 6

Nevermind though, no death for our beloved Kate!

Now, I’m going to take the next parts of the episode slightly out of order in order to tackle Kate and Jo together before their ultimate confrontation with Steve and AC-12. First, a run down of the AC-12 crew: Hastings is in full uniform, which represents his ultimate faith in the system, despite the bad actors and groups that try to destroy it. Carmichael is wearing a grey coat, aligning her with anti-corruption, but it’s piped along the edges with red, which shows how she’s opposed to AC-12 (though not necessarily corrupt). Steve is in his classic blue on blue on blue under his body armor, which shows his dedication to justice and also his faith in Kate. Carmichael confronts him directly about Kate’s whereabouts, which he fastidiously denies having any knowledge of, but unfortunately Hastings is forced to admit that Kate was permitted to carry a concealed firearm for safety. Steve doesn’t trust Carmichael, and this is shown back at the office when he tracks what Patty C is up to, mobilizing Hastings when she’s on the move.

At first glance, Kate and Jo’s red and blue outfits read as a visual metaphor for AC-12 closing in on their location, but I posit that these outfits are also indicative of Kate's belief in Jo, despite her anger that Jo has just set up her death. It’s clear at this point that their simple flirty banter from the beginning of the season has evolved into a deeper connection, which is part of what makes Jo’s betrayal so painful - Kate has been on her side the whole time. Jo just didn’t know it. [note: wrote this before the finale so guess who has egg on her face now…]

After a time jump (of nearly two hours, based on someone else’s analysis of time stamps and radio calls), Kate and Jo arrive at Steve's apartment. Jo asks if Steve can be trusted, and Kate leaves no doubt. Jo also asks why the surveillance got pulled, and Kate informs her about the chief and Carmichael. Jo denies having any part of it, but Kate isn't sure if she can believe her given the whole, you know, attempted murder thing. In a desperate bid to prove her loyalty to Kate, Jo asks for her gun, intentionally putting her prints on the murder weapon. Again, their coordinating outfits are the outward manifestation of their connection. Kate, while still angry, seems to accept what Jo is offering to her, but is clearly trying to maintain distance in the moment.

Jo then tries to see if things between them were real, but Kate refuses to entertain the conversation. What Jo is completely unaware of at this point is the lengths to which Kate has gone to prove that Jo isn't bent, up to and including risking a crucial raid on the OCG workshop. To Kate, it's a question that doesn't need to be asked, [the egg on my face remains] but Kate is also in disbelief that Jo would question her feelings when she's the one who was nearly killed by Jo. It’s an inappropriate time to have this discussion, and Kate lets that be known. They find Steve's personal car, a slate grey Mazda because this show is nothing if not subtle with its vehicular choices - even their personal vehicles tie in to their allegiance with AC-12’s mission.

Driving in Steve's car, Jo asks again if Kate was pretending with Jo, and Kate diverts the conversation away from herself. Was Jo lying to her when she hired Kate because she was ex-anti-corruption? No, she was hoping Kate, with her anti-corruption background, would stop her. Would save her, really. They discuss Jo's ongoing work for the OCG, and Jo's fear that she'll be killed if she turns, just like Tommy. She insists that she's not bent and Kate implores her to prove it.

Kate is pissed [for the non-Americans, she’s very angry, not drunk…] in this scene, as she should be. She believed in Jo, she still believes in Jo, but she betrayed her in a major way. And now, when Kate is sticking her neck out for Jo again, she's still too scared to reveal what she knows. Jo does reveal that Tommy was her uncle, and that her father was a bent cop, which of course doesn’t align with what Kate knows. At Kate's further insistence, Jo directs them toward Gail Vella's house, and finally to the old print shop the OCG had used in the past that is across from Terry Boyle’s flat.

Kate and Jo arrive at the print shop, and Jo is finally about to reveal the truth to Kate. This act, coupled with putting her prints on the gun, earns Jo back a little bit of the trust she lost, and this is shown when the two women share the same shot. Most of the scenes between Jo and Kate have been over the shoulder shots where one woman is the primary focus, and this scene pivots to end with both of them together as the focus. This change happens in time with Kate dropping some of her much-deserved hostility toward the other woman.

But before they can step out of the car, flashing lights and sirens appear behind them - they've been found. The fact that they've been tracked shocks Kate, but she spends no time dwelling as she throws the car into drive and speeds away. AC-12 AFOs have set up an intercept point, which Kate ignores in a truly badass handbrake turn, no matter if it makes any sense that they could have possibly known the route Kate would take in order to set up a kind of road block.

Handbrake turn or no, the Mazda has been intercepted and Kate and Jo are stuck. Kate is still confused that they've been found, but Jo knows the jig is up and tells Kate she's going to say she forced her to drive. It isn't until Jo tells her they have no other choice that Kate gets out of the car. Once out, Jo puts her hands up, but Kate refuses. Just then, AC-12 arrives with Carmichael, and Kate is in shock. "Jesus Christ, Steve's in on it" - cut to Jo's panicked face. This is the man Kate said they could trust, and now he's after them too.

What follows is a very tense standoff between the two fleeing detectives and AC-12. Jo surrenders, but Kate refuses. First Carmichael tries, then Hastings (at which point Kate tells Jo she learned some shady stuff about him), and then finally Steve walks up to them. Jo begs Kate to surrender repeatedly, but the DI believes she’s onto her second major betrayal of the night and she isn’t willing to give in that easily. She thought she could trust Jo, and she nearly killed her, and to her mind she trusted Steve and he turned her over to Carmichael.

Kate is prepared to tear him a new asshole, but he swears up and down that he has no idea how they got tracked, he wouldn't do that to her. Once he promises to get the two women into safety, Kate surrenders. As he walks them in, Kate shared Ryan's confession of murder and Jo's clue about the print shop. To the end, Kate believes in justice and will pursue it.

We then see a disillusioned Kate in her all grey Fruit of the Loom being walked into her jail cell. She sits down on the plastic mattress, looking at a total loss.

Later that night, Steve and Hastings are discussing the events of the previous few hours. Steve is in a grey suit with a blue shirt and tie, same as he had been wearing during the chase. The gaffer questions why Steve didn't tell him about Kate, and Steve claims it was to prevent putting him in a difficult position with Patty C, who walks in with the same question. Apparently, the former partners have keys to each other's houses and vehicles, in case of emergency. Carmichael taking Steve's phone would've read to Kate as an emergency. Steve refuses to back down, and she appears to drop it for the moment.

Now, onto Jo’s interrogation. A lot happens in this thirty minute scene, but to boil down to the important points: Jo is wearing her best Fruit of the Loom, stripping her of her identity and any affiliations she has. The lighting in this scene is cold and sterile, completely cool in tone. Steve sits with Carmichael and Hastings on the other side of the table, dressed in a navy suit, white shirt, and red tie.

Something very important to note in this scene is Jo’s reliance on Steve. He speaks with her gently, acknowledges her pain, and encourages her to be truthful even when it is clearly very difficult. She takes Kate’s trust in him at face value and decides to trust him too. His outfit actually reflects this truth. He’s wearing the same red and blue that Kate and Jo wore while they were on the run - blue surrounds the red. As much as Jo is trusting Steve here because of Kate, Steve is being kind to Jo here for the same reason. His partner and friend does the right thing nearly always - if she was willing to go to these lengths to defend Jo, he owes it to her to learn the truth. Nothing exemplifies this more than when the conversation turns to Pilkington’s death.

Jo refuses to answer at first and actually waits for AC-12 to show its hand first. She notices that Steve hesitates when Carmichael instructs him to talk about the evidence regarding Kate's gun, and she realizes this is her in, this is how she can prove herself to Kate once and for all. It's only after this that she claims to have shot Pilkington and completely shifts the blame from Kate to herself. This catches both Steve and Hastings up, and they react in obvious shock, which changes how Hastings treats her through the rest of the interview and cements Steve’s belief in Kate’s trust. Afterwards, she looks to Steve, who nods. He understands what she just did for Kate, and Jo is relieved to see his comprehension. The questioning continues, and Jo only admits to what she can take direct responsibility for, but nothing that involves the larger network.

Once Carmichael and Hastings leave, she quickly turns to Steve and says a desperate "I'm so sorry." Sorry for hiding evidence in Operation Lighthouse. Sorry for framing Farida. Sorry for what she’s done to Kate.

And Steve, gentle when he can be, gives her a kind "Yeah, me too," in reply. I’m sorry you were groomed into the OCG. I’m sorry you were scared for your life. I’m sorry you hurt Kate, too.

Patty C goes to talk to Kate, and lets her know she won't be charged for Ryan's murder - Jo will be. Kate has a look of relief on her face as she processes the information. But Patty C notes Jo isn't firearms trained, and Kate is. She's telling Kate she knows what really happened, and she's letting it slide. This time. Kate is well aware that Carmichael isn’t stupid - she knows Jo was lying and is only letting Kate get away with it because it better serves her interests. Kate is free, and she sighs with relief and the knowledge of what Jo did.

Steve, still in the same outfit from the interview, and Kate, in a navy pea coat and yellow sweater, meet in an underground car park. once she's been released. A quick note on Kate’s coat: I’d love to say there’s a deeper meaning for the shift in her coat, but I genuinely think it’s just because filming was originally in the spring, then was moved to the fall and continued until November, so it was simply colder. The cut and color of the coat are generally the same, despite the style changing.

Steve offers to lend an ear about the shooting, and then Kate asks about Jo's interview. Steve tells her they didn't get enough information out of her, and Kate tells him that Jo told her that her dad was an officer. "She's scared, Steve. After what happened to Tommy, Dot, Lakewell, nevermind John Corbett". Kate’s anger seems to have dissipated at least a little at this point, because here she is, defending Jo by explaining why she wasn’t forthcoming with a lot of information. This is most obvious through her yellow sweater - still affiliated with Jo, even through everything else. Steve lets her know that Jo is in a secure cell with extra monitoring, which seems to appease her. Kate then informs him she's been made SIO at MIT, and will guarantee cooperation with AC-12. Lomax calls Kate, and the two partners are back working together.

Kate and Steve meet Lomax at the OCG workshop, where he goes over the forensic findings so far as MIT’s resident plot reciter. Kate tells him they need to look further, and orders him to dig up the floor, ruining the poor man’s plans for the evening.

Chloe calls Steve with an update on Thurwell. Then we get a weird scene of darkvision Spanish police apprehending Thurwell. Truly hate it. He's dead. It's a deadend. Clever writing, Jed.

The episode ends with Jo in her navy blue jumper being put into her cell at Brentiss. Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, Lindsay Denton’s besties, walk up threateningly before Jo is led into her cell and the door is shut. I do love the shot here of Jo through the door, caught in a small tight space that’s almost closing in on her.

EPISODE 7

Before I fully jump into Episode 7, please be aware that I am doing a textual analysis. I’m not going to go into the fourth man reveal and its logic or even greater meaning (particularly because I’m looking at this show from a different political context as an American), and I’m not going to speculate on things not seen, at least in this analysis, because the focus is on wardrobe. You can trust I have many thoughts, particularly around race and the writing around female characters, some of which I’ve included but most of which I did not. It took me 9 full days to write everything for this one episode, and was shockingly exhausting. Forgive me if it doesn’t live up to my other ramblings.

We’ll jump right into things. I'm gay but Steve looks so good here in his AC-12 uniform. Anyways, Steve is watching Hastings' old interview with Carmichael about Ian Banks. His concern about Hastings is clear. He’s in pursuit of justice, even if justice puts him up against the gaffer.

Later, Steve and Kate discuss the gaffer and his suspicious behaviour, and he informs her that Ted is slated for retirement. Steve wants to let it go, but Kate refuses. She asks if Steph Corbett knows anything more, and suggests she may be blackmailing Hastings, but Steve is dismissive of it. This causes Kate to raise an eyebrow - oh god Steve's done it again. Steve pleads "It's not like that, mate, it's different," and Kate has never looked more disbelieving and annoyed. She responds, "She's a person of interest,” and their conversation is cut short when Chris calls Kate with an update. Steve is still in his navy suit, and Kate in her yellow sweater. The lack of coordination in these clothes show Kate isn’t quite on the same page as Steve yet, but they’re getting there.

Lomax tells them there was a case found in the floor of the workshop, much like the one holding Gail Vella's computers at the abandoned print shop that Jo led them to. No comment on the OCG’s evidence techniques.

Steve, who kept skipping his occupational health warnings, is in therapy. I didn't cover the OH stuff throughout this analysis since it didn't relate to Jo, but this manages to tie in later so here it is now. It ends in him agreeing to temporarily give up his firearms license. I'm not going to discuss the rest of the meeting, given that Steve seemed to kick his pill addiction and reliance on alcohol and pain relievers to deal with his back pretty damn quickly and it's a storyline of entirely no relevance except as something Ted holds over Steve in a moment of manipulation later. Steve also admits this to Hastings before Occupational Health can tell him. This entire storyline is frustrating. Moving on!

Kate is watching Jo's AC-12 interview at her desk on the Hill, specifically rewinding to parts concerning who Jo believed her father was. She pauses it on a frame of Jo’s face, the terror clear. Kate is dressed in a black suit and a light blue shirt, back on the side of AC-12 and in pursuit of justice, not only with regard to the OCG, but for Gail Vella and Jo.

Steph calls Steve again, and he ignores it, because he's being a bit of a dick. Then he steps out of his car and has a back spasm. This only comes up so Kate can ask about it later and show that Steve, wearing a blue jacket, listened to what she said about getting close to a person of interest. Would truly love to know why Steve parks by an underpass by a river for this scene, but needs must, I guess.

Back at Hillside, another Lomax briefing! Because Chris, Chloe, and sometimes Kate are truly the only people who do any detecting in the entire series!!! Anyways, Chris tells Steve and Kate about the contents of the box under the floor of the workshop. Conveniently, it held four murder weapons (can Jed Mercurio spell deus ex machina?) and neatly tied a bow on Corbett, Bindra, and Vella's deaths, and in a nice series 1 throwback, Jackie Laverty's murder! Kate is wearing a grey turtleneck which coordinates beautifully with Steve’s grey suit, blue tie, and blue shirt. This shows that they’re back on the same page and on the same team, despite their ups and downs this series.

Kate and Steve return to AC-12, where Kate in her new navy pea coat shares that the proceedings against Terry Boyle will be stopped. Except, to my knowledge, Jo already handled that...? They literally made a point of it in her interview. Anyway, Chloe, like Chris, did all the detective work and tells them that the IP of the OCG laptop is in the UK, not Spain as previously believed. Amanda from forensics, the only other person who does any real work, interrupts with a message that shows Jo is about to be targeted. Definitely is spelled wrong. I give up. They feel the need to spell out what JD and BP mean, but spend 3 episodes never explaining what a CHIS is. Sure. Chloe is tasked with finding the fourth man via spelling.

Also I'm truly not being funny by why is Kate on the investigation board in AC-12. Like. What. Was she a suspect? She’s not with the other victims!

A very forlorn Jo in her blue Brentiss jumpsuit is sitting in her prison cell before being collected for transport to Hillside. Jo is very aware that something must be wrong because she’s a damn fine detective. She's mad suspicious as they head out to the van, and lo and behold, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are on the transport team.

En route to Brentiss, they learn that Lomax and Kate's signatures were forged on the production order for Jo. Meanwhile, Jo is too smart for her own good, and questions the guard during the transport about the requesting officer. Tweedle Dee plays dumb.

And then… nothing happens. They intercepted the van in advance, removed Jo, and planted Steve and Kate on the van. Because Steve is such a great choice what with his being an UNARMED OFFICER AT THE TIME. They arrest everyone. Steve ends up with a gun. Ok.

In an interrogation room, Kate and Steve explain what happened to Jo. Hastings looks on. Kate tells Jo she can apply to witness protection, and that all of her notes will show that she was under coercion from others, giving her a shot at the life she never had, but only if she reveals who the top man is, aka her father. Jo begins to cry, and Steve reminds her those OCG men were sent to kill her - this man doesn't care for her. Jo begins to tell them that she had no reason to believe Tommy was lying to her, all while speaking only to Kate. Steve encourages her further, telling her she's not bent. Kate asks her one last time for the name, and we see Jo resolve to say something before the scene cuts. Heaven forbid we show something happening instead of faking built suspense.

Now, I need to pause here for a small moment of rage. Kate should have been the one who got the call back line by telling Jo she's not bent. Not for any romantic reason, but because their little run from the police stunt was done at least in part under the auspices that Jo could prove to Kate that she wasn't bent. In fact, Kate pleads with Jo to do so. It's just frustrating, and gives Steve an emotional beat he hasn't truly earned with Jo, or at least hasn’t earned as much as Kate.

And Jo gives them a name! They search a prison cell, and find nothing. It's really built up to seem like it's Fairbank, who is revealed to be a confused old dude. Why Jo thought she was communicating with him this entire time is simply never addressed. Whatever. They ask about the murders and cover ups, and he offers nothing. Kate asks about Jo, and after some more pushing, Fairbank implicitly agrees that he and Tommy Hunter convinced Jo he was her father. Hastings is pissed, but Chloe calls to save the day (again).

Chloe "I should be Chief Constable" Bishop brings the team up to speed on the text search for incorrect spellings of the word definitely. Which they've apparently managed to do in a matter of hours, even on handwritten reports from 17 years prior! Because Jed has definitely never needed to do a text analysis by hand before. They then proceed to NEVER NAME THE SUSPECT. FOR 1 MINUTE AND 10 SECONDS.

Oh but don't worry, because this is the perfect opportunity for our realigned partners to confront Hastings about the bribe money and his conversations with Ian Banks. Can't reveal who the fourth man is when the head of the investigation is also a bent cop, silly audience. And it's revealed that Ted leaked Corbett as a UCO because of Corbett's role in the attack on Hastings' wife. But it's okay because he's sorry about it!

To be hella clear: Hastings, an anti-corruption officer who prides himself on following the letter of the law, took actions he knew would result in the death of John Corbett and Kate later forgives him for it. Jo was under threat of death from the OCG and tried to get rid of Kate via transfer and then led her to an empty lorry park to be killed while she thought Ryan was under surveillance that could likely intervene, and we in no way see Kate react to that experience in this episode. Cool!

Finally, we get the interview with the fourth man, which is revealed 8 minutes and 32 seconds after the characters themselves learn the information. For some reason unknown to God or man, Kate is there despite not being involved in Buckells' case since she works for MIT, not AC-12. Frankly, not gonna delve into it. Kate is wearing a sweater we've yet to see her in, a blue crew neck that is frankly more feminine than anything we've seen this series so far, and moreso matches what she's worn in previous series. It’s unsettling. Steve is in his classic AC-12 uniform.

Just a quick q for the kids at home - if Buckells only ever communicated with people via a secure browser on burner devices, how in the hell did he get a laptop in prison? Also, why did he not break himself out of prison by having someone else plant evidence of some kind, especially since he supposedly had a lot to blackmail Jo with?

At what I can only assume is their local, Steve and Kate congratulate themselves on doing nothing beyond sit in interview rooms to catch Buckells. Kate might go back to AC-12 - even though she left because of the gaffer's actions which turned out to be WAY WORSE THAN SHE PREVIOUSLY BELIEVED? Sure, Jed. They have a chat about what's been happening with Steve and his painkiller addiction. Kate implies he should drive up to Liverpool to see Steph, which he doesn't think is a good idea. But don't worry, they've got each other, mate. Platonic soulmates forever (no romantic underscoring in this analysis).

And then, with no previous discussion in the script or even telegraphing by the camera, Kate is in therapy. Which is great, because she truly needs it, girl has been through a lot. She mentions her ex, and Josh who is apparently her reason for living but she's texted about him once and mentioned him offhand to Jo to tell her he'd be with her ex, and then her great friend and partner, Steve (which is true, but the romantic framing is gross and out of character).

Not being funny, Kate is wearing a truly horrendous mauve top here, over a white shirt. We've never seen her in a color like this, it doesn't fit in with the rest of the color palette in her wardrobe, up to and including all of the orange and brown she wore at MIT. It's honestly frumpy, and in no way aligns with the characterization shown to us through her wardrobe in the rest of the series. The last time we do see her in an outfit like that is during the interview with Jo. Jo left and took Kate's excellent sense of style with her.

Kate and Steve meet with Patty to discuss Darren Hunter's involvement in the murder of Lawrence Christopher, and discuss how there's more corrupt officers to be uncovered. Patty C isn't gonna do anything about that tho. Hastings strolls up to chat with Patty C, and we learn that Buckells will get immunity. The trio are about to leave when Ted storms back into her office to confess to his actions leading to John Corbett's death. He gets one more speech about carrying the fire and bad apples in policing before they all leave.

For the final outfits we may ever see them in, Hastings is wearing a blue shirt, Steve is wearing a grey suit, white shirt, and green tie, and Kate is in a white turtleneck with a navy pea coat. Again, this turtleneck is more effeminate than anything we’ve seen her in this series. Hell, even Patty C is wearing blue to show she’s aligned with anti-corruption and just kind of a bitch, not actually corrupt.

Finally, to the blessed epilogue. Shoutout to Terry and Farida for getting some closure to the bullshit they’ve been through.

Jo steps out of her little stone cottage in the country, dressed in a casual sweater of grey and blue, breathing in the fall air deeply. Her layers of clothing are gone, her hair is down and soft. Her Icelandic sweater shows that she’s finally free to honor her heart, and no longer feels trapped by her family and who she thought they were.

And then, a dog trots out after her, and we see Jo bend down to hug the retriever and kiss its head. This is the most free affection we have ever seen Jo give. A set of legs appear in the doorway behind her, and a redheaded woman steps out of the cottage to meet Jo and the dog. Jo smiles at her, oh so freely after the tension she carried for 21 years, and they clasp hands, walking down the country road away from their home. Because Jo is free, and she can freely love and live without fear in her new life.

Now, from a purely logistical standpoint, very little affection between anyone could be shown from episodes 3-7 because of COVID filming protocols (which seem to be far more strict on physical distancing than American and Canadian productions). The production team actually did a brilliant job using forced perspective and interesting over the shoulders to make people seem like they were closer together than they were. From a film nerd perspective though, they broke the 180 rule so frequently that I nearly lost my mind (glass boxes are great but they ignore all rules of perspective).

All that aside, the logistics of filming in COVID mean that moments where we do see physical distancing broken are all the more important. Kelly filmed this scene with an actress who she has not been working with for months, because it is so, so important to see Jo come out of the other side of her tragic life intact. It also matters that her partner is wearing a warm hat and has red hair (intentional casting or otherwise) and that their home has a red door, because it shows that those warm tones represent something different for Jo now. They don’t represent fear and betrayal and being trapped - now they represent home.

Additionally, there are a lot of comparisons made between Jo, Dot, and Ryan. All three had been groomed by Tommy Hunter since childhood to work for the OCG, all three were put into the Central Police to act as inside men, and all three committed terrible acts in their own interest. But there are differences here. Ryan was a little shit as a kid and he clearly had a terrible home life - his mom was the worst. He gravitated to an authority figure who offered him something different and who gave him power. He is a victim of circumstance - but he also found power and enjoyment in his terrible actions. He gloated about Maneet Bindra and John Corbett’s deaths, and he enjoyed wielding power over Jo when he was threatening her.

Dot is the blend between Ryan and Jo - he too was groomed by Tommy to enter this world of crime, and did many awful things without regret, including killing people who threatened to expose his identity as the Caddy. It’s not until his friendship, and burgeoning relationship, that his behavior changes. He almost gets away from the Central Police, despite Kate hopping on a lorry for a free ride to track him down, but when faced with the reality that this would mean Kate’s death, he sacrifices himself and gives her a final clue to dismantle the OCG within the police.

Jo, from what we’re shown, felt regret after everything she did, and the show made it a point to demonstrate Jo as a victim of her family and genuine fear for her life if she didn’t continue following the actions of the OCG. We never saw Ryan or Dot with a gun to their head or with a dozen locks on their door. We never saw them break down in bathroom stalls, or even framing people and discrediting them instead of killing them. And it’s ultimately her relationship with Kate that changes things for her - she tries to use Kate at first to get caught, and when they get close she tries to push Kate away in order to protect her, right until she thinks she has no other choice but to let Ryan kill her.

It’s interesting that all three characters meet their end with Kate (and a damn shame the show never chose to address that fully). She quite literally kills Ryan, has a standoff with Dot that ends with him sacrificing himself for her and giving a dying declaration, and goes on the run with Jo to give her time to prove she isn’t bent and who plants evidence against herself to protect Kate. Later, it’s Kate who convinces Jo to give up everything she knows about the OCG and the man who claimed to be her father, and Kate who offers immunity and witness protection. Finally, in their last scene together, Kate manages to save one of the people corrupted under the thumb of the OCG. She completes a task she first set out for in series 1, the first time she interviewed Ryan and tried to get him to realize there’s a better life out there for him.

Kate does what Jo was hoping she would: she saves her, and gives her the life she never thought she could have.

I wish I could end this with a perfect bow that ties the wardrobe threads of this series together, but frankly I can’t. On a macro level, cool tones remains the symbol of anti-corruption and the pursuit of truth and justice, and warm tones represent any force opposing those ideals. On a micro level, Steve’s clothing choices and what they represent remain consistent throughout the series, as do Jo’s. However, the character that ties Steve and Jo together, the person who believed in the truth of Jo despite what face value was saying, that person’s wardrobe gets thrown to hell in the final episode. Kate’s colors remain cool, and it’s understandable that the warm tones that represented her connection to Jo disappear as Jo turns on the OCG, but the actual physical clothing is completely different from what she’s been wearing before and doesn’t fit her characterization.

I think it’s crucial to note that her femininity is only played up when she’s back on a team with men, where her earlier androgynous dress became suddenly unacceptable. It’s a damn shame, because the emotional payoff for Kate’s growth outside of AC-12 could’ve been really spectacular, and she was stymied in the end in favor of her male colleagues.

#line of duty #kate fleming #jo davidson #steve arnott #flemson #kate x jo #lod spoilers #line of duty spoilers #It took me a long time to finish this because I struggled with the absolute 180 degree turn the show took tonally in the final episode #It honestly threw off quite a few of my conclusions #and I had to rethink the analysis #but thank you to everyone who stuck with me #enjoy!

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sml8180 · 4 years ago

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Party

Day 31 for @huffletrax YuleTube prompt list! I had a lot of fun writing these stories, honestly. A few of them even let me expand the Chaos is Normal universe a little bit, which was really fun.

This story does include some mildly suggestive content (roughly to the extent that “Dark” had, so it isn’t anything major, but I thought it would be a good idea to give a heads-up).

Party

Roman was excited for the New Year’s Eve party he and Remus had pulled together. They had finished decorating the smaller ballroom in the central castle in the Imagination. It had been determined that this would happen even before Janus had revealed his name, but it was even bigger now that his joining the main group was being celebrated, as well.

Roman straightened out his ascot and secured it with the tie pin that featured his logo. He knew Remus would be in a similar outfit tonight; they’d planned that out, after all. The Prince pulled on his vest and buttoned it up, before sitting on the bench at the end of his bed and pulling on his tall boots, lacing them up and tying them. He tucked the ends of the laces into the boots, and stood once more, adjusting his hair in the mirror before straightening up, smiling a bit to himself. His boots were black, as he usually wore. His pants were white, and fit close to his frame. Roman had on a red dress shirt, with a white ascot, and over that he had a white vest with gold roses embroidered in. Over everything, he pulled on a red tailcoat. He rarely wore this suit, finding it far too formal for most events, and especially before Remus was accepted, he hated wearing it, as it made him stand out a bit much even for his own liking. But, Remus would be in a similar suit, which comforted him.

Roman came into the ballroom to find the castle staff setting out different food and drink options, and Remus setting up a few smaller things off to the side. Remus was in a similar outfit to Roman, though his clothes were black where Roman’s were white, green where Roman’s were red, and instead of gold roses, Remus’ vest had silver thorns embroidered in. Remus’ mustache was trimmed and neat, and his hair, though fluffy, was actually combed, and the white streak was freshly touched up, going by just how brightly it stood out from the rest of his hair.

“Looking good, Re,” Roman praised with a smile. It wasn’t often Remus would clean up like this, so it was quite a sight.

“Right back at ya, Romano,” Remus smiled. “Matthew keeps trying to get me to put on my damn crown.”

“I almost forgot about the crowns,” Roman mused. “Would you wear it if I wore mine?”

“They’re still dumb.”

“We’ll look dumb together, then.”

“Fine.”

Almost immediately, a pair of castle staff approached the pair, one carrying a gold crown with red jewels set into it, and the other carrying a silver crown with green jewels set into it. The crowns were set on each twins’ head, and the two staff bowed and took off to assist with final preparations. It didn’t take long for things to be completely ready, just in time for the other residents of the Mindscape to enter.

Logan was first, unsurprisingly. They were dressed in a fairly simple suit, with black shoes, dark blue slacks and matching jacket, black shirt, and a two-toned blue tie consisting of a dark blue base color, and lighter blue circuit-board patterning. Their hair was combed back neatly away from their face, and they actually looked a bit intimidating.

Entering next was Janus. He was in a set of black shoes and black slacks, a yellow dress shirt, black bowtie, and a black suit jacket with an intricate snake embroidered into the left side with metallic gold thread. As usual, he had his yellow gloves, bowler hat, and capelet on, as well. As always, he looked put together.

Patton and Emile entered together. Patton wore the grey suit he’d worn in the courtroom before Lee and Mary-Lee’s wedding, though his jacket had hearts and swirls embroidered into it in light blue, and he had a small frog pin on his lapel. Meanwhile, Emile wore a tan two-piece suit, white shirt, and a light blue tie with a light pink paisley pattern on it. It was a new tie Patton had just given him for Christmas, and Emile seemed to love it.

Virgil came in next, dressed in black skinny jeans, black heeled boots, a purple dress shirt, black tie with shimmery purple spiderwebs patterned on it, and a black vest with his usual purple and black patches and white stitches. His eyeshadow was more glittery than usual, and had a purple tint to it, and he was wearing proper eyeliner, as well.

Remy and Dice came in last, entering together. Remy had on his dark sunglasses, like he always did, along with a set of black shoes, black skinny jeans, a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a tie the color of coffee with a bit of cream added with a pattern of white Zzz’s all over it, and matching suspenders. Dice, meanwhile, was wearing black shoes, black slacks, a dark grey turtleneck, a dark plum suit jacket, and a scarf made to look like a strip of film. To say they both looked good would be an understatement.

With everyone now in the ballroom, the party was able to properly begin. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, chatting, eating, drinking, and getting up to various sorts of shenanigans. Remus pulled Logan aside to dance, Remy was seemingly playing a game with himself to see just how bright he could get Patton and Emile to blush -which at some point the other two seemed to join in on and retaliate, trying to make Remy blush as bright as they could get him to-, Janus was chatting with Dice about various movies, and Virgil and Roman were joking and chatting.

By the time midnight was approaching, just about everyone had shed at least one layer of their clothes. Remus and Roman had both ditched their tailcoats, many of the others had shed their jackets, Dice had also taken off his scarf, Janus had taken off his capelet, hat, and jacket, and untied his bowtie, Remy’s suspenders were no longer on his shoulders, but rather hanging from where they were secured to his pants, Virgil was walking around without his shoes on, and even Logan had taken off their jacket and loosened their tie.

Patton, Emile, and Remy were growing fairly handsy with one another, and Remus and Janus were in a similar state. Virgil half-joked that it wouldn’t be surprising if people had various bruises in the morning. Roman had simply swept him into another dance in response.

Time practically flew until they were approaching the final countdown to the new year. Roman attempted to get everyone’s attention, though over the noise his words were lost, until Remus got up on a table, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted.

“Hey, horny bastards, listen up!” Remus called out over the group, catching everyone’s attention and directing their eyes to him as he cackled.

“To be fair, you’re a horny bastard, yourself,” Logan stated, pushing their glasses up the bridge of their nose.

“Yeah, but that’s my natural state of being,” Remus shrugged.

“Put a pin in that, for now,” Roman stated. “I just wanna say, before we ring in the new year, that this year was quite a ride. We’ve helped Thomas, helped each other. Hell, there’s no more Dark Side to the Mindscape! We’re all together, now. Thomas met a cute guy, we accepted Remus,” he paused and looked at his twin, smiling a bit as Remus looked back up at him with a smile of his own. “Logan came out of the closet, and we finally learned Janus’ name. Sure, Thomas skipped out on a massive call-back, and went to a wedding where he felt like he was just another face in the crowd, and, he burnt himself out… But, we’ve all learned from all that. This coming year will be better, I know it,” he finished, as the others murmured their agreements.

Soon, the group had all pulled themselves together enough to head out onto the balcony and join the final countdown to the new year. Roman had Virgil held close, an arm around his shoulders. Remy had Patton and Emile held close to him, and Remus held Janus and Logan around the shoulders. Dice was leaning against the wall near everybody else, seemingly unbothered by the fact he wasn’t being held close by someone else.

Finally, the countdown began.

“Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven… Six… Five… Four… Three… Two… One… Happy New Year!”

The Sides all joined in, cheering as fireworks began to go off overhead. There were kisses exchanged, laughter, and just a wave of joy coming over everyone. It was enough excitement to turn Virgil’s eyeshadow a bright, glittery purple as Roman pulled him into a kiss.

It was another hour or two until everyone finally started to head to their own rooms. Roman and Remus simply snapped away the mess left behind, before leaving with their partners to go back into the main Mindscape. It had been quite the party to welcome the new year, and everyone was hoping that things would look up in the coming year. In the morning, they would all be talking about the previous night, once they started to recover from the late night and drinks. For now, though, everyone was off to likely either fool around, or simply rest, crashing half-dressed on their beds.

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josiecarioca · 4 years ago

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On Severus’ robes, wizard and muggle clothes and the importance of fashion in “Post War”

In my post about Evelyn's teenage crush and Severus wizarding robes (makes sense in context), @hayalee8 asked me wether Evelyn will, at some point, wear wizarding robes.

Imma just take this opportunity to ramble a bit about fashion in “Post War” (because I was supposed to be doing something else, so this is what I´ll do now).

Some of you may have noticed that fashion is kind of a big deal in this story.

Evelyn- I have talked in another post about how Evelyn performs her “traditional” femininity as a way to assert herself. Basically she dresses to feel powerful, and in some ways to control how other people react to her, She dresses up for business meetings, parties and events in the same way a warrior would put on a suit of armor to go to battle. When she has lunch with Pavel/Dmitri to discuss the book deal she wears a hyper tailored purple dress (purple being the color of royalty, and the meticulous tailoring as a display of power). In her two first “official” dates with Severus she choses contrasting outfits: a white lace dress with a pink princess style coat (she´s meeting him in a church on Christmas, and goes for something that looks angelic, and makes her look more approachable) and for Severus birthday she wears a form-fitting emerald green dress with a plunging neckline (green is his favorite color other than black, the cleavage shows off the silver-green crucifix on her neck, slytherin colors, and by then their relationship has taken on some sexual elements, so the dress is more provocative. Through the story she wears bright colors, particularly shades of red, high heels and bold jewelry in stark contrast to Severus who wears the same simple shapeless black outfits. She’s like a force of life bursting in when Severus is trying to figuratively “remain dead” . In the chapters that take place in Spain (when she and Severus are in a established relationship) her fashion choices also change slightly, she still wears loads of red, but there´s less structure and more sensuality: bare shoulders, long sundresses, sandals, loads of stark white, splashes of orange and blue and loads of rich, flowy fabric and flamenco inspired cuts.

Severus- Severus’s fashions are much simpler but they also tell a story. He starts the narrative wearing mostly slacks or jeans and turtlenecks, all in black (or very dark denim for the jeans). After the war,he´s left Hogwarts, and has lost much of his identity: he´s no longer a spy, no longer a teacher, and he´s hidding from wizard society, so in a way he´s no longer a wizard. But he doesn’t know how to be anything else, he´s built his entire persona on being a spy, a teacher and a wizard. Living among muggles he can no longer wear his robes, so he wears a “muggle version” of them, a sort of mockup. The black turtlenecks not only hides his neck scars, but they aslo serve as a simplified version of his teaching robes and figuratively keeps him “buttoned up”. The long sleeves and jackets hide the dark mark, but also cover him up in a way a cloak would have done before. When he leaves the house all he does is add layers, as if trying to protect himself from the outside world: scarves, jackets, boots. All black or grey, all clunky, shapeless and heavy. Is like he´s trying to turn himself into a shadow, to disappear. The first subtle change is the jumper Evelyn’s mother gives him as Christmas gift. It´s a moss green woolen Aran sweater with Evelyn´s family pattern on it (each family has its own knit pattern and this is an early indication that Severus will be part of this family soon). Originally it was meant for Evelyn´s father, but he died before it was finished, so in a way this foreshadows that Severus also symbolically steps into his shoes as a male presence in a family that currently has none (as all men in the family passed away). From there on Severus receives small, subtle additions to his wardrobe. As his relationship with Evelyn grows closer the turtlenecks are replaced by button-up shirts or boatneck long sleeved shirts. Navy blue, lighter greys and different shades of green start to appear. Sometimes he rolls up the sleeves, leaving his forearms bare. Then, much like it happens to Evelyn, we get to the Spain chapters and his style changes significantly. He switches his color palette from dark blues, dark greens and dark greys to lighter blues, lighter greys and blueish greys. The Black is still there (pants, shoes, belts), but now there´s the final addition of white. It starts with white shirts and t-shirts, but then there’s *THE* white linen suit. This is Snape in all white. This is Snape ready to transition into a new life and come clean about his past. It´s a rebirth of sorts.

Soooooooooo...when he goes back to wearing wizarding robes, It IS going to be a big deal. Because this will be Snape reclaiming his old identity, but under new terms. He´s not a spy or a teacher, he’s a war “veteran”, a hero, and now he’s inequivocally one of “the good guys”. Also, with Dumbledore gone, he and Minerva are as close to a moral leadership as the trio and te former Hogwarts alumni have. More importantly, he´s the man Dumbledore trusted literally with his life. In a way, Dumbledore’s near “sanctity” has rubbed off on him a little. He won’t be wearing teacher robes, instead he´ll be wearing regular robes which have more color and richness to them. He doesn´t need to hide in all black now. He´s not Dumbledore´s shadow anymore. He is himself, finally with his own independent identity.

Which brings me back to @hayalee8 ´s question: Will Evelyn ever wear robes?

Evelyn’ s persona, her sense of self is expressed through her clothes. It´s an important part of how she build her identity, and how she feels safe and confident to move in life. And those clothes are and have always been muggle clothes. That´s what she wore her whole life, it´s the “suit of armor” she´s comfortable with, and she knows exactly how to use and manipulate it to her own advantage. She *KNOWS* clothes and their impact, be it color, cut, lenght, pattern...So getting her into wizarding robes would be complicated, at least at first. It´s too foreign to her, too unlike what she´s used to, and the fact that her body is a huge part of her self-expression would mean that hiding it under yards of fabric would throw her off at first. HOWEVER, the magic world is also part of her ancestry, something she´d been chasing after her whole life even without knowing and her relationship with Severus reiforces the fact that this is her world too. She descends from wizards and witches, and she´s in love with a wizard. She can´t *just* be a muggle anymore. And as I said, Evelyn KNOWS what looks good on her and what impact she wants it to have.

So to answer the question: Yes, she will wear robes, but they will not be what an average witch would be wearing. They´ll be tailored to her, to the cuts, colors and patterns she knows work best from her experience with muggle fashion, and they´ll have a lot of muggle elements to them.

#Snapedom #Severus Snape #snape discourse #fanfic discourse #Evelyn black #fashion #Post War #My fanfiction #Post War Headcanon #long post #a bunch of ramblings nobody asked for #but I wrote anyway #because I'm bored

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barschter000 · 4 years ago

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FANGAN CHARACTER DESIGNS YO HOLLER

I have been encouraged to post some of my fangan peeps' appearances and I shall do so with gratitude

Baiko Omori - Ultimate Lucky Student

Fitting his talent, Baiko looks average. His skin is tan from working in the sun and under his clothes, he is built quite wiry. He has an oval face and clean skin. His slim lips are always curved into a mysterious, blank smile and has a small, straight nose; the rest of his facial features are hidden by his bangs. He has rectangular, attentive, deep and soft blue eyes that display his emotions very clearly.

Baiko wears a dark blue turtleneck sweater and a used-looking light brown trench coat with a stand-up collar and big buttons that reaches his knees. Latter belonged to his grandfather. The collar of the turtleneck conceals an old scar across his throat that was stretched as he grew. He wears straight dark brown suit pants and shiny brown business shoes. He also carries a golden pocketwatch around his neck.

Baiko has long, dark brown hair and his slightly-tousled bangs reach over his eyes and up to the middle of the bridge of his nose. His hair dips a little into the collar of his coat, then bends and continues outside of the collar until his waist. He has an ahoge which curls to a square with soft edges.

Ei Hagakure - Ultimate Ghost Whisperer

Ei is a tall and lanky girl. She has dark skin and in her underweight phases, her bone structure becomes visible. She has a long face with half-closed eyes that make her look smug. Ei has three earlobe piercings on each ear. There are a hanging golden star and moon, a glob of green goo, an eyeball, a cartoon ghost, dango-like puffy balls colored gradient purple and a button.

Ei has dark-brown, almost black, frizzly hair that she keeps in two big buns on her head. Strands are falling into her face and framing her jaw. Inside her two buns, she keeps the antennas of her gear. They extend when she is scared.

Ei wears a lab coat that she has dyed pink. The symbol of her university is printed on the coat's lapel. Under her coat, she wears a loose t-shirt with a light-blue and yellow batik design that is stuffed in her pants. Her sweatpants-like pants are dark purple with a sand-colored strap and (the area on the end of a sweatpants where it tightens around the leg).

Ei's ghost detection device hangs around her neck. It is a vintage lunchbox with a surreal motto on it. One side is filled with a monitor, the other with three speed-indicator-like displays and a foldable keyboard.

Etsuya Iwata - Ultimate Opera Singer

Etsuya has an average body build and a slim face. He wears make-up, dark lilac-blue eyeshadow and thick eyeliner. He also added an artificial beauty mark above his upper lip. Etsuya has brown, rectangular eyes, so dark that they seem black.

As for clothing, Etsuya wears a mix of costumes for his roles. He wears a white loose shirt which is stuffed inside a dark red long and wide skirt with a golden vine pattern. A golden, glittery matador jacket is draped over his shoulders. A tag saying “Prop for: Etsuya Iwata'' is attached to its collar. Additionally, he wears dark brown slippers.

He has blond hair and styles it to round, big curls into a ponytail. A rose is tucked behind his ear.

(Etsuya is kinda just entirely based on the opera "Carmen" aksjjs)

Hideaki Yukiyama - Ultimate Mathematician

Hideaki is a small, thin boy. He has a round face and big, circular bright green eyes. He has a button nose and is usually seen with a wide grin. Hideaki styles his red hair to part in the middle and stick to the side like a clown or an owl.

Hideaki’s daily attire consists of a button-up shirt that looks three sizes too big for his frame, shorts and mid-calf high socks. The shirt is half black and half white, the black part is made out of velvet and has arithmetic operators in all colors and sizes on them. A cheap squirting prank flower is attached to the collar. His socks are green and red striped. His shorts and shoes are part of the uniform of his boarding school, his shorts are therefore strictly gray and straight and his shoes neatly shiny black.

(tbh I'm not satisfied with Hideaki's design yet. His early design was way too bright and chaotic but this one is kinda.... too dark and gray when I imagine Hideaki? I can recolor the shirt in also green/red but I fear that that's too much on the eye??? Idk man I'm an absolute fashion disaster and so is Hideaki am9sjehe)

Ichini - Ultimate Robotics Engineer

To be honest, I have a vision of Ichini but I don't have details since I haven't really done much with robots before. What I know that Ichini is absolutely massive and mostly uses angled shapes. Xe is a robot from the neck down. Xe has square, bulging shoulders, thick arms and giant hands. Instead of feet, xe just has flat metal clumps. In general, xe is very unproportional, wide torso, slim hips, short legs, also considering that xir head is still human and way too small for the rest of xir body. Xir hair is jet black with a cyan stripe, it's styled into one giant spike or multiple spikes that stand up from the back of xir head.

Jun Nagao - Ultimate Escapologist

Jun is of nearly average build, just a little thinner and smaller. His complexion is sickly. He has a round face. Due to his facioplegia, his expression is always stern, almost annoyed. His thin, straight eyebrows, slim lips and empty, light-gray eyes play a role in that. His brown hair is shaven. At the back of his head is a bald spot where the weapon hit that knocked him unconscious.

(The same weapon (probably a bat, a pipe or a baton) caused his head injury that lead to the paralysis of his face. It was the first abduction incident.)

He wears a long-sleeve shirt which is a bit oversized and of a yellow that almost seems dirty. The sleeves end in black leather and have a leather strip with a small buckle attached to them. The leather ends are folded up as not to hinder Jun's hands. The sleeves can be fixated like a straitjacket like a belt on several points on his chest and back, the other straps lined up in two rows like trench coat buttons. The leather looks used.

His tight pants are black and gray striped, horizontally but swirling down his legs. They're held up by an old brown leather belt with metal-rimmed holes on the entirety of it. On each belt loop hangs a different type of lock. Jun wears a chain around his neck like a necklace. The keys hanging from the chain fit the locks on his hip. In between the keys, two bobby pins can also be found.

He wears clunky-looking black boots that reach a little over his ankle, so that the ends of his pant legs disappear in the shoe. The black and yellow shoelaces are tied strangely and differently on each boot.

Kaida Tsutsumi - Ultimate Stock Broker

Kaida is small for her age and has inherited the classic looks of her family: slim, blonde hair and semi-rimless glasses. Her hair is cropped short and parted to a formal side parting. Her clothes are very formal as well: She wears a full, dark green suit, a white shirt and a tie that is held in place by a silver tie pin.

(Hm, I feel like Kaida needs more details in her designs and I really don't know what since they gotta relate to her talent somewhat.)

Kyo Kido - Ultimate Horror Author

Kyo is tall but his bent posture decreases his height. Though he is lanky, he has broad shoulders that don't quite fit him.

Kyo has a long face with slim features and high cheekbones. There are dark circles from tiredness under his white eyes. His hair is straight and dark blue; one side of his head is shaven, the other grown out to his shoulder.

He wears very casual clothing, a black t-shirt with a grey skull on the breast pocket stuffed into black ripped jeans, and worn, dirty white sneakers. Over the t-shirt, he wears a blue checkered flannel shirt. The t-shirt and jeans have strange red stains on them.

(idk if I'll add that as "OfFicIaL" but I just had the most random thought, what if the stains were soup stains that didn't wash out and that's why he doesn't like soup kjwjeheehe, everyone is like "Oh my God, that's probably blood on his clothes, eek, that's so creepy!" and Kyo is just standing there with his soup stains)

Maxis von Läuterbach - Ultimate Knight

Maxis is tall and wiry, however, seems slender. Because they are half-German, half-Novoselic, their complexion is accordingly Caucasian. They have yellow eyes with slits which makes them look dragon-like. They also have a big hawk nose and slim lips. Their hair is of a rather dirty blond, reaches to their chin and is parted in the middle. A golden circlet is placed on their brow.

Maxis' outfit is inspired by German medieval fashion and is mostly in blue and green. They wear a light blue tunic with a damask pattern and a golden belt where they keep their sheathed sword, a long cape, tight leggins, and loose brown leather boots.

(For reference, I searched up some medieval clothing, found this and took inspiration from the guy with the green cape in the bottom right corner. Fun fact, that guy is labeled with "Fürst" which translates to "prince", so yeah even in their clothing, Maxis goes full "You have reached the house of unrecognized talent.")

Miyoko Iwata - Ultimate DJ

Miyoko dresses in loose, mostly white clothing that is splattered with neon green, blue, yellow and pink paint. Her outfit consists of an old jeans jacket, a loose top, and wide ripped pants. She has styled her white hair into many independent ponytails. Most of her face, meaning half of her forehead, her eyes, and half of her cheeks, are covered by her visor. It is a black display with a white rim that displays kaomoji-like eyes in correspondence to her current mood. She has brightly painted nails.

(Yeah, Miyoko just goes >o<. Also when she is so utterly disappointed by something that she doesn't even have words for it, I imagine her visor just displays "......" Also I may or may not have stolen that visor idea and design from Godot from Ace Attorney but yeah, I did.)

Rokuro Nakatani - Ultimate Fraud

Rokuro has a slim, femininely shaped body and a chiseled face. He has slick black hair, one strand is falling into his face. In the style of a true con man, he wears a black suit without a tie and a long coat with a fur collar over his shoulders. His eyes are colored like emeralds and there is always a smug smile on his thin lips. Rokuro wears elaborate earrings and a myriad of big rings with gemstones set in them.

Shiori Ishimaru-Owada - Ultimate Team Captain

Shiori is tall and is built athletically, so she has broad shoulders and is decently muscular. She has an angular face, round eyes and short bushy eyebrows. Her eye color is a sort of pinkish. She has thin faded cut scars on her entire face. Her hair is brown-blackish, sorta shaggy and tamed into the stump of a ponytail. Bangs still fall in her face.

Shiori is dressed according to her talent and mostly in the colors of her ice hockey team: blue and orange. She wears a training jacket with the name of her team on the front and her surname and her number, 11, on the back, orange sport shorts which expose her toned legs, blue sneakers and a simple white shirt.

In addition, she has an elastic sport bandage around her left ankle and blue boxing bandages around her wrists and palms.

Tamae Shiroma - Ultimate Whistleblower

Tamae is a small, chubby girl. She is snuggled into comfortable clothing: a dark blue hoodie, black sweatpants and sneakers. She mostly wears her hood up and under it, a baseball cap that she can pull into her face to hide it. Under her cap, some of her locks spring out onto her forehead. Her hair is dyed lightly purple and she has an undercut at whose sides the dye is fading and her natural hair color, black, is coming through. Most of her hair is hidden under her cap though.

She has a round face, a big nose and squinting ink-black eyes. Her eyebrows aren't dyed and bushy and slightly bent upwards.

#fanganronpa #fangan #fangan oc

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artisticaromantic · 4 years ago

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I just realized that with the first episode of the Rolls of Fate ttrpg/MOTW podcast I’m a part of came out a couple days ago, i can finally start posting the art for it here. (though I suppose I did post some of the art on a separate blog a while ago, this is where I’m more officially posting my illustrations for the podcast as more episodes come out).

If you’re interested in learning more about the podcast, check out our blog for it at @rollsoffate

[Image IDs:

The first image is of Briar Valentine, a brown-skinned individual with freckles, natural black hair, very light stubble, purple eyes and a scar across the middle of his face. He is wearing a light brown trench coat with a silver buckle over a dark brown turtleneck sweater and brown pants. He has a small teardrop shaped lapis pendant, three silver piercings on his right ear, and a black ring on his right ring finger. He is also wearing round glasses with red lenses and brown frames. He is holding a recording decide in his left hand as if he was in the middle of speaking into it. In the background is a much less detailed pine forest

The second image is of Evie Castle, a young pale-skinned trans girl vampire with freckles, short purply-red hair with an undercut, glowing orange eyes and fangs. She is wearing a short brown jacket with gold buttons over a cream colored shirt and blue jeans. She is also wearing a black choker, a necklace with a silver skull charm, and her nails are painted black. She is holding a flame-bladed sword with a fancy hilt with a blue gem at the bottom. In the background is a much less detailed pine forest, at night this time.

The third image is of Iris, a tan-skinned individual with deep blue hair, brown eyebrows, and sunglasses. They are wearing a black trench coat with blue trim over a grey dress shirt, blue tie, and dark grey pants. In their right hand they are holding a battle axe, in their left hand they are holding a knife, both weapons are on fire. In the background is a much less detailed pine forest, this time covered in fog.

The fourth image is of Moss Curtis, a dark tan-skinned individual with messy blond hair and olive green eyes. They have a scar across their left cheek, and the left side of their neck. They are wearing a dark red jacket over a dark grey button up over a brown sweater and black pants. They are also wearing faded red sneakers, a red bandana, and a white choker. They are crouching while holding knives in each hand. The background shows them in a pine forest at sunset, and they are crouching next to a log on the ground.

The fifth and final image is of “The Lorekeeper” Lindsey surrounded by bubbles with characters in them. Lindsey has pale skin and purple gradient hair, her eyes are mostly hidden by the hood of the dark blue cloak she is wearing, though there is a magical blue glow where her eyes would be. The inside of her cloak resembles a dark purple galaxy, and the cloak is held together by a clasp that resemble’s a green dragon’s eye. Under the cloak she is wearing black pants and a dark grey shirt with flowy sleeves. She also has a brown belt worn over the pants, and she is holding a book in her right hand. On one side of the book is the same eye as on her cloak, and on the other side is the words “Rolls of Fate” in gold inking. She is also wearing an earring that resembles the eye from the cloak and book. Her left hand is clenched into a fist and is surrounded by blue magic. Surrounding her in bubbles is Grandma Joan (a tan-skinned woman with freckles, white hair, brown eyes, glasses, and a red sweater over a white shirt), Briar (shown in the same outfit from Image 1 but now he’s holding a gun instead), Sus Mora (a pale-skinned individual with ginger hair, green eyes, and a dark blue suit jacket over a lighter blue shirt and black pants), Evie (shown in the same outfit from Image 2 but now she’s holding her sword in front of her), Iris (shown in the same outfit from image 3 but now they’re just holding fire in their left hand), Martin Field (a pale-skinned man with brown hair and blue-green eyes, wearing a brown jacket over a black shirt and waving with his right hand), Valencia Orenna (a transparent, pale-skinned woman with blond hair and purple eyes, wearing a white dress and clasping her hands in front of her), Moss Curtis (shown in a brown coat with the same red bandana and a knife, they are turned to their side so only their left side is shown), and Silvia Montero (a brown-skinned woman with brown hair and dark olive green eyes. She is wearing a black jacket over a red shirt.) There are also three bubbles that are completely clouded over.]

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jericholeader · 3 years ago

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[unsolicited headcanon question] Does Markus have a particular taste in fashion? How would he define it and what is he influenced by?

Thank you for presenting me with the opportunity to talk about Markus' fashion and general clothing choices!

I'll start to say, he isn't generally influenced by much except his own taste, within reason. I-... asked him and he says, “Myself.” unironically, because he tends to... not envy other’s fashion or let it change his. He likes what he likes.

He does stay within the general expectations of the sphere he works in - business casual to business to formal, heavily leaning on the casual when he is not attending interviews/meeting with officials and being flat-out asked to where formal business wear.

He developed a preference toward clothing with angled seams, zippers, and collars (a style he didn’t ‘learn’ from Carl; Carl’s own clothing is actually quite different and more traditional, compared to the choice of a more modern/angled style in Markus’ clothing, even prior to deviation, leading me to believe it was a preference Markus eventually expressed).

1. He likes to be warm. When it’s not summer, he regularly wears sweaters - specifically cowl neck and pull-over sweaters with asymmetrical lines & turtlenecks (as an underlayer; at which point a thin-turtleneck will suit him) and over-sized turtleneck sweaters & open house-sweaters (this one, specifically, is brown with blue-flecking; it is thick, soft, and his favorite to wear around his and Connor’s apartment)

(He doesn’t like hoodies with kangaroo pockets; he likes two, separate pockets on the sides of his sweaters if there are pockets at all).

2. He likes to layer. Two, is that three layers, you see? Yes. Yes, it is. Markus, when it is not warm, will layer. He will start with a comfortable long-sleeved, thin turtleneck (or long-sleeved t-shirt), over which he will wear a sweater, over which he will wear a coat.

3. Long-coats. He has preference for coats no shorter than down to his thighs.

4. T-shirts & flannels. He wears t-shirts to bed during the cooler/cold months. In warm months, he may wear as ‘little’ (lol) as a t-shirt and jeans around the house (and socks, because Connor... prefers people to wear socks around their house). When hiking/traveling recreationally around Detroit for reasons other than his work at New Jericho, he may wear jeans (w/ a belt) and a long/three-quarter sleeve flannel over a t-shirt or thin long-sleeved shirt. He opts for darker blues, blue/grey, or very dark red for his flannels.

5. Suits & Ties. Blue/dark grey/dark tan/black suits are his preference. He does not like ties, but when he has to wear them he prefers ones with a pop of complimentary color. He prefers to wear suit coats over turtlenecks in a hybrid business casual look, that is both warm and more comfortable.

6. Button-ups. Not his go-to, but he will wear them with suits in a work setting. He likes to keep the top buttons undone, because it is more comfortable and his preference. Blues/deep reds/even orange are his preference for button-ups, instead of traditional white.

Lastly, as for how he would define his fashion sense? Semi-modern (angled seams, zippers, lines, etc) and casual (also warm xD).

#aboutmarkus #this is who I am//headcanons

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simons-temple-of-eros · 3 years ago

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wip thingy

so, here’s a little taste of what i’m working on. i may accept some constructive criticism, just keep in mind that this is mostly a self indulgent pet project i’m doing for fun.

|| Chapter 1 - A Good Title ||

You stand before the door of the apartment. It looked more like a large mansion, dark and old and covered in moss, and yet despite all this the enormous building instead filled you with a sense of curiosity.

You weren't sure if you thought of yourself as any sort of special person, as someone who was particularly 'clever' or 'bright', often too distracted by the little pieces of the world and missing the bigger picture, a lone writer in the plastic beaches, publishing stories for nobody.

Yet the invitation that arrived at your door, sealed with a rose like something out of a story book, begged to differ. Addressed to your name, it explained that the sender had read some of your writings about the world, complimenting your writing ability as well as your 'ability to see beyond what your eyes could perceive' which was a compliment you didn't hear everyday but still made you feel appreciated.

Making your way to the small Oregan town was a surreal affair, watching the scenery outside the windows of the buses and cab you had taken morph from the dry browns and oranges of the heat-stricken wastelands to the dark jewel tones and cloudy atmosphere of the woods.

Rereading the curly script of the letter, you considered the possibility that it was all a scam. Or a prank. Some Prince-of-Nigeria-esque scheme to rip-off a local writer and make them think they're going to be invited to some high caliber meeting of great minds only to rip the rug from underneath them and record their reactions for internet cred. It'd be a lot of effort for a cheap laugh, that's for sure. But as some nobody in silicon valley, you figured you had nothing to lose by checking it out.

Once you had stepped out of the cab, you were greeted by the cool, woodsy breeze which was a stark contrast to the oppressive heat of your previous home. Taking in the scent of morning dew and pine needles, you figured you could get used to this.

Then came the moment of truth. Preparing for the possibility of being laughed at and going back to the concrete hellscape you came from, you approached the dark walnut door and, taking a breath to steady your wits, gave the door a good knocking. Not just a knock, a good few gay knocks.

After a few moments, you could hear approaching footsteps from inside and the door swung open to reveal a greying man in a very showman-like suit. The kind of suit you'd expect on a magician type or similar such event, all red and black.

"Hey, you're not part of the IRS, are ya?" He had questioned in lieu of a greeting.

"Nope! The IRS are a tool of the bourgeoisie." You had answered, mostly unfazed by the strange man's question. Because hey, what was some harmless tax evasion in the grand scheme of things?

((Author's Note: I am a good citizen and always do my taxes. Remember to stay in drugs and say no to school, kids!))

"Mm, good enough for me." The man grunted in reply. He then turned towards the inside of the mansion and called out, "Hey Sixer, your nerd friend is here for your nerd sleepover!"

Your curiosity was further piqued as you heard another, less gruff voice call back, "It's not a sleepover, Stan, for the billionth time!"

In just a few moments, you were greeted by the sight of another male. He appeared to be related to the man who opened the door as they shared many similar features. However, this man's hair appeared to be fluffier, sporting a lighter grey stripe across the middle. He also seemed to have a more chiseled chin and rather than wearing a magician like suit, he sported a dark maroon turtleneck paired with some black pants and accenting the look was a long, cream colored coat.

Normally you'd wonder why he was wearing a coat when he was inside, but damn if he didn't pull it off.

"Hello there! You received my letter, I assume? My name is Stanford Pines, and the man you just talked to is my brother, Stanley Pines." He greeted enthusiastically, reaching to shake your hand. You didn't hesitate to give his hand a shy shake as you gave him your own name in turn.

"You must be freezing out there, do come in. I'd like to show you around." Pulling your jacket around your shoulders, you were all too happy to oblige, following the man into the warmth of the strange house. Little did you realize just what you were getting yourself into...

.｡❅*⋆⍋*∞*｡*∞*⍋⋆*❅｡.

#wip excerpt #my writing #self shipping fic #work in progress sneak peek

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fancyfade · 5 years ago

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Batfam Height - core members and batfam height - everyone else by Fade31415

This has been in my WIPs for months, but I’m finally done! Technically I’m not sure if everyone here is “officially” batfam, since I view Renee as more of an independent agent but I’ve heard her be listed as Batfam and I wanted to draw her. so :P

okay so this is going to be a super long post, so the decisions for why I drew who with what is just going to double as an image description, since I’m not sure it makes sense to write [image: barbara gordon wearing her armored new 52 batgirl costume end image] and then follow it with “I decided to draw the Batgirl version of babs in her new 52 costume because I liked it better because of the armoring.

anyway: everyone’s heights and outfit decisions under the cut!

Alfred Pennyworth: (first Alfred is present day, balding and 65, second Alfred is when he just met Bruce, with a full head of black hair). Alfred is 6'0" like it says he is on his wiki page. He’s got his regular butler outfit, which seems to be a suit with those two hanging down things on the back? IDK what its called.

Cassandra Cain/Batgirl: Cass is 5'5" like it says she is in the back of Batgirl: To the Death. I combined her Batgirl and Orphan suit because I love the lightly armored aesthetic on Orphan, but I also prefer her as Batgirl. Her civilian outfit is just an outfit she wears in I think the start of Batgirl: To the Death? A crop top and black pants basically.

Bruce Wayne/Batman: Bruce is 5'7" which is NOT canon, but I put him a little short in my headcanon. This isn't for any real reason but last time I drew him not tall I got a whiny fanboy complaining he wasn't physically intimidating enough, so I'm specifically not changing it because of that I still do try to draw him with like... actual muscles so he can do stuff, because he's a very physical character. His outfits are just batman outfit and then the regular suit he wears all the time. Nothing exciting there.

Dick Grayson/ Nightwing/ Agent 37: Dick is 5'10" like it says he is on the wiki. He's got his nightwing rebirth costume for the superhero version, which is mostly all black with slight blue accents and fairly skin tight, cuz that costume was just beautiful, though I did add a little bit of armoring like he has in teh animated movies for practicality. Then he has his Grayson outfit for his 'civilian' clothes (even though it's not really civilian clothes I like how it looks). Khaki pants a gray T shirt and some pouches for spy stuff. He’s also got his escrimas in both forms, cuz signature weapon.

Barbara Gordon/Oracle/ Batgirl: Babs is 5'11" like it says she is in the back of Batgirl: To the Death. Even though she never got magicured in my headcanon, I drew her new 52 batgirl outfit because i like the armored aesthetic better. Her civlian clothing is just the skirt and black turtleneck she wears in BTAS. Her Oracle outfits are a tanktop (so we can see her buff arms) and then my favorite outfit she wore in the comics (jeans and a leather jacket). She has buffer arms and thinner legs as Oracle, because she is using her arms way more than her legs.

Damian Wayne/Robin: I drew Damian once at 10 years old, when he just started being Robin, and then at 13, like he is in the present. I chose his Batman and Robin (2011) costume over the 2009 one, because i liked how it looked better, and Robin: Son of Batman costume over Rebirth because Robin Son of Batman is my FAVORITE costume for him. both costumes have a red tunic and black pants, the batman and robin 2011 one has a yellow cape and black hood but the son of batman one has a black cape with gold trim. He's 4'6" at 10 years old and 4'11" at 13. His civilian clothing is a simple suit at 10 and the yellow sweatervest he wears in Robin Son of Batman #6 at 13.

Onyx Adams: Onyx is 5'9" like her wiki entry says. Her civilian outfit is the monk outfit (a long loose orange robe). Her superhero outfit is what she seems to fight in, which is just a crop top and black pants.

Kate Kane/ Batwoman: Kate is 5'11" like her wiki entry says, and I let her be a little broader around the shoulders and hips after seeing a broader Batwoman drawing I really liked. She's wearing her rebirth costume, mostly black with a red bat symbol and red trim, and got her rebirth short hair on her civilian outfit. her civilian outfit is black pants, a black vest, and a button up white no sleeve shirt.

Stephanie Brown/Batgirl: Stephanie Brown is 5'5" like her wiki entry says. I can't remember why I put her in her Batgirl costume instead of her Spoiler costume (maybe because I haven't drawn her as Batgirl before?) Either way, her Batgirl costume is black with purple trim. her civilian outfit is jeans, a purple shirt, and a leather jacket, which I think I saw her wearing in one of her batgirl issues but it’s been a while.

Tim Drake/ Red Robin: He is 5′6″ like his wiki entry says, though that might have been referencing when he was younger because it also listed his weight as 125 pounds. But I figured some guys are allowed to be short :P he has his first red robin costume (black pants, red tunic, cowl that covers his face except for his mouth and chin like batman’s) and his civilian outfit is just jeans and a white button up shirt.

Duke Thomas/Signal: I couldn't find Duke's height on the wiki so I guessed and put him at 5'9". He’s a little lean cuz he’s 16 and still growing. his superhero outfit is his bright yellow and black signal outfit with the motorcycle helmet with bat ears. His civilian clothing is an outfit he wore in Robin War (jeans, red shoes, a red hoodie).

Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael: Jean-Paul is 6'2" like his wiki entry says. In Batman: the Sword of Azrael, he seemed to be drawn leaner before becoming Azrael and buffer afterwards, so maybe his Azrael training/programming gave him guns? IDK that's why I drew both a thin version and a buff version in the civilian clothes, which are a white T shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.

Azrael outfit only gets the buff version though. I combined the 90s outfit and his new 52 outfit because... I'm gonna be real I LOVE his 90s outfit, even though it is very 90s. But I also had a hard time drawing it in my style, which is why I borrowed some from new 52. so he’s got golden boots like in new 52, but otherwise red, mostly skintight outfit, a golden chestplate, large shoulderpads and large gauntlets, like in the 90s. with his cool wrist sword. obviously.

Jason Todd/ Red Hood: I was actually conflicted as to whether include Jason because my all time favorite appearance for him (after his intro, when he whacks batman on the stomach with a tire iron) is the Red Hood movie, where he is decidedly not batfam and rather an enemy. But lots of people count him as Batfam and he’s an ally in the current continuity, so I drew him. Jason is 6'0" like his wiki entry says. He's just got an outfit inspired by his under the red hood movie outfit - black cargo pants, brown leather jacket. his civilian clothing has a grey T shirt and his red hood outfit has a black chestpiece with a red bat symbol and a red face covering helmet.

Helena Bertinelli/Huntress/Matron: Helena is 5'11" like her wiki entry says. She’s got her dark purple hooded Rebirth costume, and her tiny crossbow. I drew her as she appears in Grayson for the "civilian" version (black shirt with a white cross on it, reddish pants), to match the Agent 37 Dick on the other chart.

Renee Montoya/ the Question: Renee is 5'8" like her wiki entry says. She was very inspired by how Cully Hamner draws him in Pipelines, because I love Cully Hamner's art (reffed her outfits here: link). her civilian outfit is a white crop top and blue work out pants, and her question outfit is a leather jacket, black t shirt, fedora, and jeans. she’s holding a nunchaku in both.

Renee is a member I'm not sure "counts" as Batfam, because i view her more as an independent agent, but I've heard some people count her in it and I wanted to draw her anyway

Luke Fox/ Batwing: Luke Fox is 5'10" cuz i messed up and made him 1 inch too short (his wiki entry says 5'11"). He's got the blue polo he wears in Batman: Bad Blood in his civilian clothes, even though I consider comics Luke to be more "canon", but I couldn't think of what to draw him in from Comics luke's civlian outfits His batwing outfit is comics luke's batwing outfit as well -- all black and armored, covering every inch of his body, with the blue bat symbol and shiny blue eyes.

David Zavimbe/ Batwing: I like Luke, but David will always be the Batwing of my heart :P David is 5'8". It didn't say his height on the wiki so I had to guess, and I guess I let him not be super tall because there are already a ton of tall people in the Batfam. His civilian outfit is the uniform he wears in his day job (police officer), kind of green almost army looking clothes, and a black hat, and his batwing outfit is his first batwing outfit from the comics -- dark grey armor, domino-esque mask that has giant wing motifs coming from it, etc.

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typinggently · 5 years ago

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1) unanswered text messages, a crush, a golden sunset for superbat?

Oh, thrilling request!! Thank you! I’ve been very into the whole tired-slim, black turtleneck, RobPat-inspired Bruce look lately and I haven’t had much opportunity to write something for him, so this was a great opportunity!

Bruce in general isn’t the biggest fan of giving out his actual phone number (Brucie has his own phone that Bruce curates for one hour every morning and that’s honestly all the social media and interpersonal contact that he can stand). But what’s even worse is the concept of his “colleagues” having his number. Especially now, when they all don’t know each other all that well yet. All possible things could happen.

They could make a group chat, for example. They could send him messages.

Truly terrifying concepts.

Anyhow. Two weeks in, they all exchange phone numbers. It’s not like he really has a choice. And it’s not like he can just give them the Brucie number. So with a heavy heart, he adds six new contacts into his phone.

That, of course, is only the beginning. It all gets messy from there.

At first, not much happens. There are some minor things like “I’ll be late” messages in the group chat (terrifying concept), but other than that, most things had been quiet. Until. Until one day, Clark and Hal get into a friendly discussion about cows that turns into a heated debate on cows. Bruce misses parts of it, mostly because it doesn’t seem all that important, but some hours later, Clark posts a photo in the group chat. Bruce, alarmed, opens the message only to find that it’s a portrait of three cows. It’s early morning in Kansas, apparently, and the colours are still a little washed out, even though the long cow-lashes of the cow-ladies are already tipped in gold. They’re all smiling for their portrait (as much as cows can smile) and look warm and soft, curls around their big ears and pink muzzles. One of Clark’s hand is resting on the cheek of one of the cows and she seems to be pressing her face against his caress. He looks tan in comparison to her off-white, cream colour, his hand big and gentle.

“See?” He writes, “Very pretty!”

“Such beautiful eyes!” Diana says in response.

Barry goes “very nice!!!!!!”

Hal sends a line of emojis, most of them rolling their eyes, and ends with “fine, fine”

Arthur is typing…

Bruce closes the chat and checks his alarm once more before closing his eyes, determined not to dream.

That’s how the group chat starts becoming more active. Bruce saw it coming, now he can’t do much about it.

Usually it’s just the odd message or photo here and there. Sometimes the others share newspaper articles they stumble across (Bruce saves those), sometimes they discuss restaurants or take-out places (Bruce deletes those and drinks his shakes).

But naturally, it gets messier. Because while Bruce is fine just ignoring the group chat, another most unfortunate event takes place: Clark texts him. Privately.

It happens at 4am. Bruce’s eyes hurt from staring at the screen of the BatComputer for so long and his mouth tastes like caffeine. When his phone buzzes, he blinks owlishly at it. At first, he assumes it’s a mistake and turns back to his screen, but Clark doesn’t delete the message and doesn’t send one into the group chat. So an hour later, when he’s made his way from the screen-glow dark of the cave to the blackout-curtain dark of his room, Bruce reluctantly opens the new chat. It’s a photo of the Kent farm - Bruce assumes, it might be any old farm as far as he’s concerned - at dawn. The grass is high and looks cool and wet, the house itself is still a sleepy grey-pink. But the sky is slowly warming and the first hints of gold shimmer in the windows of the barn and the leaves of the apple tree to its right.

Kal-El (or Clark, or whatever) wrote “:) since you probably didn’t get to see it!” and that’s enough of that. Bruce drops his phone and rolls around to face the other direction.

It doesn’t stop. At least once a week, Clark sends him a photo of a sunrise. Bruce never answers, but Clark apparently doesn’t care. He sends photos of the farm, the skyline of Metropolis, but sometimes also other places. The green horses drawing Victory’s carriage on the Brandenburg Gate gleaming and caressed with pale sunlight, the windows of the Eremitage flooded with gold, White Hall glowing pink. At one point, there’s the Earth itself, glowing as it turns towards the sun, light flooding the continents, the ocean.

Bruce doesn’t know what to say. When they meet in person, Clark doesn’t seem to treat him differently, so Bruce doesn’t bring it up. Instead, he just keeps his eyes on his notes or on Diana and goes through the meetings as if nothing’s wrong. About 5 minutes in, though, he feels bad. Every time. So he subtly squares his shoulders a little, causing their shoulders to brush. It’s a nice point of contact, Clark running hot even through the suit and Bruce’s Kevlar, and it becomes so familiar that Bruce finds himself standing close to Clark, too, his cape brushing Clark’s.

This goes on for a number of weeks, but suddenly, the photos stop. First, Bruce thinks Clark just missed a day, but when there are no new pictures for a whole week, he feels oddly stranded. Not that it was an actual conversation, Clark didn’t write anything after the first pic, but still, he got used to the little photos just before he goes to sleep. And the problem is, he can’t talk about it with anyone. It’s too late, if he were to explain to Alfred that he’s been ignoring Clark’s messages for one month and a half, Alfred would no doubt look at him disapprovingly and choose one or two cold words. So that’s not going to happen.

And naturally the others are no option, either. He likes Diana, but he’s not going to explain this to her.

So he’s stuck, staring at his phone, unsure what to do. Another week goes past, then Bruce can’t stand it anymore. He has to do something.

“If someone were to send you photos, what would you do?”

Dick puts down his milkshake. “You know, it was lovely talking to you and all, but I think I have to go. Right now, actually-“

Bruce shakes his head and leans over the table to take hold of his arm just before he can slip away. “No, wait. Listen.”

Dick makes a pained face. “I’d rather not, actually. I mean-“

“It’s Clark.”

“Oh.” Dick’s eyes widen. “Oh!” He sits back down. “No way. What kind of photos?”

“I don’t think that matters.”

“Oh my God. Is Superman sending you- You know what, no. Good for you, but I don’t think I want to- I mean, I kind of do want to know. But no.”

“It’s sunrises. He sends me pictures of sunrises.”

At that Dick raises a brow. “Sunrises.”

“Yes.”

“Is that a metaphor?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

“What do I do?” Bruce hisses, finally annoyed by the lack of progress this conversation is making.

“Oh, I mean. Send one back?”

Bruce sighs and runs a hand through his hair, gaze lost in his coffee.

It’s been a long day. Clark’s hair is still a little crunchy with salt after he took a dip into the ocean at noon to pull up a sinking oil cruiser, but he doesn’t feel like taking a shower just yet. After dinner, maybe. He drops his messenger bag on one of the chairs around the kitchen table and wanders over to the fridge to check on the leftover potato gratin. His stomach grumbles just as his phone buzzes on the table. He closes the fridge and carries the gratin over, putting it down next to a stack of as of yet unopened mail to pick up his phone.

It’s a photo from Bruce. A library, or a study, maybe an office? A room with a ceiling so high it doesn’t show on the photo, walls covered in dark, glistening wooden shelves. Rows and rows and rows of books. A tall window through which the golden light of the sunset spills on an ornamented carpet, stacks of paper. Dust is dancing in the honey-thick light. And out of the window, the leaves of a copper beech, glowing in rosy red. “just woke up” it says and “(not really, but bats are nocturnal)”, followed by a little bat emoji.

Gold pumps warmly through Clark’s veins. He sends a “:)”.

Thank you SO much!!! This was so much fun to write!!! :) I love soft, awkward Bruce.

#drabble #superbat #clark kent x bruce wayne #DC

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s-ultry · 6 years ago

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i’m speaking to your boss - joe mazzello imagine

[ CEO!Joe ]

A/N: heyo my fellow bad bitchesss, so yeah here’s one i’ve been desperate on writing and completing. + its my bday so like why not bless yall with this fucking dADDY. hope you guys enjoy! REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

WARNINGS: JUST YOU BEING A TOTAL BADDIE! + teasing lol why not.

SUMMARY: Your boss has been nonstop bothering you about your work methods, and your late (but in reality early) arrivals. Joe noticed your stress and decided to talk to your boss, your boss not knowing you’re actually married. ;)

It was yet another morning of torture, you had just arrived to your desk when you heard your boss scream your name from her office. Her voice was loud, as your desk was a hallway away from her luxurious office.

You scrambled to her office with her morning ginger and espresso shots, which was a very weird mixture right at the break of day. Being an assistant wasn’t very easy, especially Mrs. Cordelia. Your dream was to be a fashion magazine art director, for your name to be known for your hard work and creativity.

But, you were stuck with an assistant job.

“Y/N?!?! Where have you been! I have been waiting all day!” The blond haired lady frantically screamed at you as she was typing on her smartphone.

“Mrs. Cordelia I-,” you tried to explain, but she cut you off. “No, Y/N. Save it! I am too nice to you by letting you come in at 10! Be here tomorrow at 9:30! I have a visitor and I want to make the best impression, do you understand?”

“Yes, Mrs. Cordelia.”

“And buy some new work clothes, the black button up makes you look fatter, which is impossible cause the colour black makes you skinnier,” she sternly judged glancing at your normal work outfit.

“I’ll get right on it, madam.” You internally huffed closing her office door behind you.

After what felt like a light year, you were finally done with work and decided to head to the mall to get some new clothes for Mrs. Cruella De Vil. You bought new shirts, which were white and made of silk with a matching black pencil skirt.

You drove to your shared house with your husband, Joe. After the success with his recent movies with his 3 best friends, Joe built an empire and is now the CEO of a fashion company.

Of course, he offered you a job. But, you wanted to earn your spot rather than get it out of pity. You finally drove up to your driveway and thanked the universe for getting away from the epitome of the devil, you couldn’t wait to change out of your clothes and cuddle with Joe.

Your shared home wasn’t too big, but it was the perfect size. You had a small library connected to the office, an underground gym, and two floors. It was perfect for a family, which you were hoping to consider soon.

You removed and placed your heels by Joe’s loafers, running up the stairs you rushed to your room and kept the bags on your grey couch that was in front of your king sized bed.

You promptly entered your walk in closet and changed into an oversized knit sweater with matching knee high socks. Those pants were unbearable, so you decided to let your legs breathe without wearing anything.

You headed to Joe’s office where you can hear his fingers tapping quickly on the designated letters, you lightly knocked letting yourself in. He looked up and saw the tired look on your face, without any words, he ushered you to sit with him. Well, on him.

“What’s wrong, my love,” your husband weakly smiled combing his fingers through your hair. Joe then pulled you closer to him, with your legs draping across his thighs.

“Mrs. Cordelia,” you huffed as you snuggled into his neck. His scent intoxicating you, you whined as his hands smothered your body with love and affection.

“It’s okay, kitten. She’ll be better,” he whispered into your ear as his hand trailed closer and closer to your inner thigh. Your whimpered as his hand past by his most prized possession, making its way to your neck.

Joe gently grasped your throat forcing your gaze to meet his, you knew that he was going to say something that’ll make you orgasm on the spot. The way his eyes were hooded with lust and dominance, he was a CEO after all.

“No one overworks you, sugar. Only I do,” he growled. Your breathing got heavy, you loved it when he teased. But, you were an absolute mess above and under him.

He then gently grabbed you closer, placing his plump lips against yours. Yes, it’s year 2 of your marriage, but damn you always had explosives in your stomach when he placed his lips against yours.

“Go sleep, my love. You’ll be needing your energy for another day with her,” Joe sincerely announced carrying you to your shared room.

“It’s only 10!” You squealed as he tickled your sides when you were gently put onto your bed. The brunette then tucked you in lovingly, placing a kiss onto your forehead.

“Goodnight, babygirl,” his words ran down his lips with warmth, making your heart flutter as he turned off the lights. Your sleepiness then made its attack as your eyes closed quickly making you fall into a dreamless slumber.

It’s the next morning, and you wake up groaning into your pillow. It was 7, and Mrs. Cordelia demanded you to bring coffee for her and her visitor, apparently they booked for an early meeting.

Glancing to your side, you realised that your lover was not snoring lightly like he always does. But, a note was there instead.

Had to go to an early meeting, see you when I get home. I love you.

- Joe

You read the words a loud, you smiled in content because he knew how much you worried about his departures. Especially when he got to work from home, which was most of the time.

You then walked into your bathroom getting ready for yet another gruesome day, basically everyday. You decided to elegantly curl your hair, seeing that you have the time in the world.

You mainly focused on your eyes with makeup, just winged eyeliner and a light brown eyeshadow shade. With your face, you always went for a glowy look, but not too obvious.

You were done with getting ready, and now it was time to get changed. You were going to go for the set that you recently purchased, but thought about a black turtleneck with the black pencil skirt paired with red heels. A chic yet not too vibrant look.

You ran downstairs when you came to the realisation that it was 5 minutes to 9, and the coffee shop was far from the office. You saw that your husband made a to go bag, and you couldn’t be more blessed with this man.

You hurdled to your car, racing out you made your way to the coffee shop to get your boss and her guest two macchiatos. You speeded your way through the cars and into the parking garage, you ran to the elevator and prayed that you weren’t even a minute late.

9:29 AM

You basically fell over your desk with the coffee cups in both of your hands, you also got scones because you knew she’d scream at you if you didn’t get her guest “something to eat”.

Your alarm buzzed as the time struck 9:30 AM, you sighed in relief as you made your way through the cold hall towards a cold blooded snake.

You faintly knocked on the door, hearing her reply for you to enter, you made your way to her large meeting table and placed the order down. Looking down, you didn’t realise the visitor until he coughed loudly.

You glimpsed at the man with the black suit, his white dress shirt unbuttoned to buttons down revealing skin. His brown hair fluffly tossed around. his cufflinks shining as the sun hit it, and his extremely large hands.

Hands that you were oh so familiar with. There he sat, your husband in all his glory as he glanced back at you. Your cheeks were greeted with a deep red tint as you stood by Mrs. Cordelia.

“Oh, Mr. Mazzello, I forgot to introduce you to my assistant,” the blond announced staring daggers into you to introduce yourself.

“Hi, Mr. Mazzello. I’m Ms. Y/F/N,” you smirked shaking his hand. Joe knew the exact game you were playing, using your maiden name instead of your shared one. And, you definitely knew you were going to get punished for this, but who cares, right?

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Y/F/N,” the CEO weakly smiled at you. “Oh, you’re so kind. Joe,” your boss laughed touching your husband’s arm, stroking it gently.

This is when you were furious, no one could touch your husband. Well, Ben can cause they’re stuck together like glue, but other than him. No one.

Your heart escalated, Joe knew exactly what you were going to do, and he didn’t mind watching a show.

“Y/N, get me next week’s issue so I show Mr. Mazzello a sneak peak,” she fakely smiled at you demanding you to get her the files. The desk wasn’t that far from the meeting table, so you could hear their conversation.

“Mrs. Cordelia, I’m flattered. But, I have a wife,” your husband spoke sophisticatedly.

“I don’t see your wife around,” Mrs. Cordelia seductively teased. This is when you sharply turned, you growled as you saw your boss’ hand riding up Joe’s thigh.

You then strutted to the meeting table, throwing the files onto the table you slapped her hand off of your property.

“How rude, Y/N! Hitting your own boss in front of her guest! Would you want me to fire you,” she shouted grasping her hand as though she was hurt.

“Why are you touching him, he has a wife!”

“Why do you care so much, huh? She’s not around! I bet she’ll love talking to me about her creative, sexy, and smart husband,” Mrs. Cordelia smirked standing up to reach your height.

“I don’t think she will,” you hissed crossing your arms so you wouldn’t throw a punch at her jaw.

“And why is that?” Your boss cackled as she stepped closer to you.

“Because,” you smirked evilly as you pushed her hair back gently. Your lips made their way up to her ear, the silence spoke louder than the both of you.

“You’re talking to the wife,” you whispered with venom laced around your words, and a smirk plastered Joe’s lips as he saw you dominate someone else who’s twice your size.

“Sit down, Cordelia,” you spat making her sit down. She wasn’t scared at all, which made your blood boil even more.

“Listen up, bitch. I get that my husband is creative, sexy, and smart. But, the last time I checked, I have the rock on my finger. You’re too fucking blind to notice my last name is Mazzello, and not Y/F/N,” you then moved to tower her fragile little body that you broke with just your eyes.

“Plus, you were touching MY property. Oh! I totally forgot! You have a husband right? What if I told you that you made a move on his ally, ruining his company and making ours strive higher.”

“Y/N, I can fire you. Well, you’re already fired for threatening your boss,” she smugly replied crossing her legs.

“That’s a threat to you? I feel sorry for your enemies, that’s a threat? Let me tell you a threat. Lay a finger on my man again, and trust me the only thing that’ll be going down that throat of yours is your last paycheck,” you growled as you felt a hand wrap around your waist.

“And, Cordelia. I talked with your bosses, as of now, I bought the whole company. Don’t you dare insult my wife, ever, you understand,” his voice now deep and dominant.

You couldn’t help but squeeze your legs together, your arousal to his voice created a knot in your whole body.

“Leave my office, and don’t think about your stuff. We’ll have someone send it for you, with your paycheck wrapped around a tiny dildo, maybe that’ll make you cum faster,” you barked as Joe’s grip grew tighter onto your waist.

“Behave, little girl,” your husband huskily growled in your ear as your former boss left the room in tears. She deserved it, after years of torture, you finally got your revenge.

“What if I don’t want to?”

“Then, I’ll have you over my lap with your perky ass up in the air for me. You’ll get spanked so hard that you won’t be able to walk into your new office that I just got for you, or wear that tight little skirt that you’re wearing right now,” he placed both of his hands on your waist and slapped your ass lightly.

You whined as you glanced up at him with your innocent eyes, you pecked his lips and fluttered your eyelashes.

“Take me home, and fuck me.”

“What’s the magic word, baby.”

“Please, Joe,” you whimpered as his breath fanned over your clothed neck.

“Your wish is my command, doll. But, you’re getting punished for being a bad girl,” he whispered in your ear as you made your way out of the office.

And that was when you couldn’t wait to go home.

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the-friendly-anonymous · 6 years ago

Text

Cuts & Bruises

Chapter 1: Red, Bandages, and Pills

Okay so brief little announcement, hi, yes, I’m the author behind the Septic Ego fic Cuts & Bruises! It’s about time I upload it here, so here we go!

TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: Alcohol Abuse, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Self Harm, Blood, Death

Summary of Cuts & Bruises: Chase, struggling with his alcoholism and depression, tries to find a new way to get rid of the pain. Little does he know that this minor change will cause the downfall of the Septic Egos.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase trudged back into his rental apartment and flopped down onto a barstool along his kitchen, rubbing his eyes. His filming day for his next trick shot video didn’t go as planned, and by the time he went to go edit it he could already tell it was trash.

Why was his stuff already becoming so pathetic? His first video was a success: the fans loved his work! It shouldn’t be too hard to make something new, everyone already loved him for his personality alone.

But now everything just didn’t seem right. Nothing was better, he wasn’t getting better, anything wasn’t getting better. He wasn’t getting any income to keep his rental afloat, Stacy was getting stricter on letting him see the kids, and his work was getting more terrible by the minute.

Depressed enough with himself by this point, he got off the stool and made his way to his fridge. He swung it open with a lot of force and found himself face to face with a lot of beer bottles, a good majority unopened. He quickly grabbed two with one hand, grabbing by the throat of the bottles, and swung himself back over to the bar as the fridge closed.

As he sat down he quickly opened up the one and starting chugging it down, not going to savor the bitterness of the alcoholic drink. He just needed to drink the pain away, that’s all he needed to do. First he found himself completing the first bottle, then shortly the next. Then three more. Then five more. He laughed at his tipsy state. A couple more. He found himself giggling like a crazy person. Was he going crazy? No, right? But he could still feel that pain in the back of his head. More booze wasn’t going to stop this.

Slowly and clumsily he walked over to a drawer and pulled it open. There he found a collection of silverware he used, but after a couple a seconds he found it. He giggled and pulled out a larger knife, and trudged himself to the bathroom.

He stood overtop his modern-looking sink, a drunken and crazed smile on his face, a glazed look in his eyes, hunched over looking at the knife in his right fist. He then looked up into the mirror plastered onto the wall, and slowly lifting his fist up he let the cuts well over his left arm. First one, then two. Then two more. Then four more. He lost count. Blood dripped into the sink, onto the floor. Then the other arm. Over, and over, and over again. He stared at his work and laughed, the pain dying. He looked back up to himself in the mirror and swore his eyes turned green. Just drunken hallucinations he told himself. He swung his arms around, satisfied, and heard a bottle hit the floor. He turned back around and just saw it was his depression pills, to which he just shrugged. On the floor now, useless, spilled all over just like his thoughts. With a high pitched giggle, he walked out.

He then found himself collapsing onto his bed, his open cuts undressed.

~~~

Chase woke up to the sound of an alarm clock blaring very rudely in his ear. Did people still use alarm clocks anymore? He shook the thought away and sat up right, and the first sight he saw was his arms. He cursed silently, wondering why he did this to himself. Then he did the same, wincing at his hangover causing his headache.

Slowly rising out of bed, he picked up his signature cap that had fallen onto the floor and made his way to his closet. He quickly changed his shirt into a black graphic design shirt with small stars, and then staring at his arms he decided to throw on a hoodie as well. It was a royal blue J!NX Game Over zip hoodie, the same company that his hat came from. The company gave it to him after his video came out, thanking him for the promotion of their clothing line. He disposed of his original very dark gray shirt into a corner, and quickly changed his black-ripped pants into another fresh set from his drawer, except this one had some slight bleach marks due to a laundry incident.

Happy with his hidden up look, he decided to finally dress up the wounds on his arms. He made his way to the bathroom and rolled his sleeves up, then found some rolled up bandages and went to work. With quick pace, he was finished and quickly rolled the sleeves back down. He then heard his doorbell ring.

“Coming!” shouted Chase, and quickly dashed for the door before passing the bar. He cursed silently and quickly grabbed all the bottles and stuffed them back into the fridge, and then opened the door. Standing there was the good doctor himself.

“Henrik!” Chase exclaimed, then winced as the light burned his eyes. “Oh geez, sorry. What are you doing here?”

Henrik cocked his head in confusion. “I’ve come to pick you up. Remember? Vee planned to hang out vit zee others today.” He straightens his lab coat and adjusts his turtleneck, something he started wearing after the incident with Anti. “I figured it might be best if you vere drinking last night.” He adds with a quick sniff. “Seems I vas right.”

“Oh, right, duh, sorry! Let’s get going then, right?” Chase says in a chipper tone.

Henrik nods and pats his friend’s back as they walk towards the good doctor’s car. “Yes, vee shall.” Once they’re in the car, Henrik mentions, “Nice hoodie by zee vay. It suits you vell.”

Chase nods in agreement and laughs a bit as the car takes off. “You think so? I might try wearing it in some future videos.” But on the inside he’s kicking himself over and over again, hiding his pain and scars like a coward. “By the way, I might need some more an-“ he cuts himself off. “Depression pills.” He decides to say instead, not trying to mention the cursed “A” word. “I can’t seem to find them anywhere.” He lies, not willing to admit he had spilled them all over the floor in a drunken haze.

Henrik makes a turn and briefly glances over at his friend in the passenger seat. “Really?” He tuts. Chase shrugs, to which the German sighs and pushes his glasses up on his nose. “Very vell.” He smiles instead. “How are Stacy and zee kids?”

Chase sighs and lets his head hit the back of the seat. He sinks down and rubs his eyes again. “It’s alright, I guess. The kids seems to be doing fine. Grey is starting fourth grade soon which is exciting, and apparently he’s taken up basketball lessons. Sammy will soon be going into first, and all she talks about is apparently me.” Chase finds himself smiling. “Stacy isn’t proud of that obviously. She’s gotten stricter on letting me see them, I don’t know why.”

“Hmm.” Henrik thinks aloud as he pulls to a stop. “Zhat is very strange.” He then shrugs. “As long as zee kids are happy, I guess.” The light turns green and he starts again.

Chase nods. “Yeah, I guess so.” He then looks over to the doctor and sits back up. “How about you? How’s your wife and daughter?”

Henrik smiles, trying his best not to laugh, another side effect of his possession encounter. “Ahh, zhey are doing just fine. Maria is now dedicating her full time into looking after Sally, but zhat’s what she says. Turns out she ended up cutting herself on a rock when she was climbing some near our house.” Chase flinches at the word “cutting,” but he does his best to stifle it as just a quick shudder. “Scared the sheisse out of me. Had to patch her back up, thankfully it vasn’t deep.”

“Thankfully that was nothing serious!” Chase remarks with a fake smile. “It would be a shame if little Sal got terribly hurt.” Again Chase was kicking himself mentally. He had no right to say something like that when he was guilty of it. He stuffs his hands into the pockets of the hoodie and quietly huffs to himself. “So where are we going again?” Chase asks.

Henrik shakes his head and stops the car, parking it. “Is your hangover zhat bad?” He pulls out some Gatorade and some cereal bars. “As bad as it is, electrolytes help. Also sweets. Drink up quickly, ve’re going bowling.” He steps out of the car after handing him the items and slams it shut. Chase’s head rings, and he swears he can hear laughter outside the car. He self consciously itches at the bandages, then realizes what he’s doing and stops. Following Henrik’s advice he chomps down on the bars and swings down some of the sports drink. He stuffs whatever he doesn’t finish in the pockets of his hoodie and realizes the time: two o’clock. Had he slept that long?

~~~

“STRIKE AGAIN BABY!” Jackie announces with a fist pump, and the rest of the Egos groan, except Jamie, who just throws his head back and arms up in exaggeration. “Guess who’s gonna get that bet money after all!!!” He points towards the others as the pins behind him are automatically reset. He plops into the seat next to Marvin, wearing some ripped jeans and a red Spider-Man hoodie, his casual wear. Marvin ruffles the hero-in-disguise’s hair as he sits down, trying to shut him up.

“Alright alright we get it JB, sheesh.” Marvin retorts, and stands to go next. He takes a quick glance at the scoreboard, noticing they’re on the seventh round. Jackie had 67 points, Marvin with 53, Jamie with 46, Henrik with 59, and Chase with 51. Marvin picks up a shiny blue ball, and goes to wind up his arm. It was weird not seeing him with his cape and cat mask in public, just his regular blue dress shirt and black pants, but it’s not like they wanted to show off themselves today. Today they were just brothers, in a way, hanging out and having fun.

Chase was glad to be here with the others, as his mood was already lifted. He was drinking water to help his hangover even more, and found it was dulling really quickly. He just needed some more food in him. “I’ll be right back guys, gonna go grab some food.” Chase says, and with a tip of his hat stands up and goes to find a vending machine.

Thankfully he finds one really quickly, filled to the brim with candy and chips. He eyes a particularly big M&M’s bag, and decides that. “I need sugar after all, sweets help according to zee great doctah.” Chase says to himself, mocking the German’s accent at the last part. As he pays and watches the candy drop down, he sees a brief reflection of himself and yelps in fright. He sees himself, but his eyes flashed green and he smiled wickedly at an almost inhuman rate before going to normal, almost like a… His train of thought is interrupted when the bag of candy hits the bottom, and he snatches it up fast and walks away, spooked.

He sits down in his seat which was between the doctor and the mute man, but he looks up to see that Henrik is up, Marvin now up to 62 and Jamie up to 53. He opens up the M&M’s and pops a few into his mouth, then turns the bag to Jamie. “You want some JJ?” Chase asks politely. Jamie shakes his head, but tips his own hat in thanks. “Alrighty, whatever ya say mustache!” Chase teases, to which JJ mimes a laugh following with wiggling his mustache.

“FICK!” Henrik swears as he stomps the ground with a huff. Everyone looks up to the board to see he rolled a gutter, which makes Marvin chuckle. Henrik’s score, 61. “Zis game is RIGGED!” He shouts as he drops down into his seat. He fiddles with his turtleneck and pats Chase’s arm. “Your turn Brody.”

“Oh you shush I’m in last Schneep!” Chase laughs at Henrik’s huffiness. He picks up the bowling ball, a really shiny green one, and pauses when he looks at it. He can see his reflection again, and what he sees makes his blood go cold.

It’s him again, but his eyes are pitch black, red tears flowing down his cheeks, blood. He’s grinning with an unnatural happiness, his teeth sharp and unusually white. His reflection points at him, then with the same finger drags it along his neck, opening the signature cut.

Chase finally comes to his senses and screams, dropping the ball onto the ground. His feet quickly dodge it and it drops straight into the wooden paneling, making a noticeable dent. The others rush to him, worried.

“Chase?”

“Vhat’s vrong?!”

“Come on buddy, speak to us!”

Jamie quickly signs, asking if he’s okay.

All of his friends’ voices swirl in his head, and he feels his body start to shake. He grips his hand above his heart and starts to breathe heavily. He can’t take it: they’re too close, voices are too loud, everyone is watching. Eyes. Watching. All. Are. Watching.

Henrik grabs Chase’s shoulders and shakes him, and when their eyes meet Chase can swear the room is swirling. “Henrik, I need to leave.” Is all Chase can say, before his body starts to shake even more violently. He wants to expose his cuts and itch them open, they’re burning so badly. Eyes are staring into his soul. The floor is sinking him in, he can’t think, he can’t move, he can’t breathe.

Henrik quickly nods and grabs his hand and drags him back to his car with a quick wave of goodbyes to the others and sorry’s. They both get in and with a quick start up they drive off back to Chase’s apartment. Chase’s panic attack is already starting to calm down. He’s decided to not look at any of the other mirrors or possible reflectors and focus on his breathing. He’s still shaking and his arms feel like they’re on fire. However, Henrik doesn’t seem mad at all, and with a quick press of a button he plays some relaxing music. “Made zhis after mein incident.” Chase let’s the sounds fill his ears and sinks down, trying to relax. He closes his eyes for the rest of the trip and once they’re back, Henrik lightly taps his shoulder. Chase quickly gets out of the car before quickly hugging his friend and thanking him.

His hand fiddles with the door knob but once he’s inside he locks the door and runs back into the bathroom. He takes off his hoodie and looks back at the mirror, and his image keeps flickering between himself and “himself.”

“What’s wrong with me?!” Chase screams, and then his body shudders and lets out a high pitched giggle. His voice doesn’t come out the same.

“Isn’t it obvious, our f̶av̵͏̶o҉̨r͘i͘͡t̷̕͢e̸̛ ̵b̵̛ó͢y̛̕?! You led yourself to your own D̢́E̸̴̢̢̨M͘͜͏I̵̴͟͢͞Ş͝͡E̴̡.” His voice is filled with static and changes in pitch. His arms rise up, and his eyes see the bandages.

“Such a shame I can’t play the d̨҉ép̴͝r̶͝͝e̸s͡séd̶̡ any longer… But you’ve given my position away, and that needs to be F͏Ì̕͢X̕͜͜͞͡E҉̶̨͡D̨̨́͢.”

Then Chase feels his body fully taken over, and Anti laughs as he takes full control. He rips the bandages off of his arms, and quickly grabs the knife that was left there the previous night, stained red with dried blood. He then goes hacking away, red draining from his skin. His body stumbles around, life draining. Everything, draining. He keeps laughing, and keeps cutting away at other locations at his skin. And to finish it off, he pulls off his signature sign, and slices it deep across his neck.

Chase’s body dies and falls to the ground, among the red, bandages, and pills.

#tefawrites #cuts & bruises #c&b #jacksepticegos #chase brody #dr schneepelstien #marvin the magnificent #jackieboy man #jameson jackson #tw blood #tw alcohol #tw death #tw self harm #tw depression #tw suicidal thoughts

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