#caulfect

[nprescott]

[SMS: Max Caulfield (@caulfect)] you see this message?

[pavlovianpanic]

josh 🤝 max over unhealthy codependency

[prosperae]

﹙ SMS. ﹚ image attachment.

@caulfect ♡'d for a text message.

[arcadiastormed]

@caulfect gets a plotted starter!!

It had been a tentative and rocky thing at first, finally getting back in touch with Max after all of their time apart. To be honest, Chloe was more than a little anxious about this planned visit to Max at her new job. The campus was thriving, snow everywhere. Chloe thanked the heavens that for once she was dressed for the weather as she trapsed through the snow.

She was supposed to meet Max at some place called The Snapping Turtle...? The hell kinda name was that? Whatever the case, Max swore by that place. Blue hues darted around until they finally settled upon the building. Chloe's legs suddenly felt like the equivalent of jello. What if it all went horribly wrong all over again? What if it turned into some kind of fight? Steeling herself and taking a breath, she finally entered and looked around.

"Max...? You in here?"

[mvnces]

𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐑𝐂.

corruption arc.

so. you got worse. and i'm not entirely sure i can blame you for it. maybe it was in you all along, hidden and waiting, or maybe someone planted it in you and watched it grow. either way, it's there now and you hold it in your fist like a second heart - this blood, this hunger, this thrill of having teeth and using them. perhaps you are right to. you are a mirror for the hardness of the world, and a mirror that we could all stand to look in more often. it's hard to watch the bleeding bring about more blood, but it is undeniable that you are very good at wounding.

STOLEN FROM: @saturnmused TAGGING: @kurjaks , @hvndredbattles , @monenblogi , @caulfect , @kindofuneven , @ontrgt , @windhcld , @monenblogi

[nprescott]

// sitting at work and needing to go shopping when all I want to do is respond to that post game thing with grimm

[pavlovianpanic]

a rumor about max goes around that she doesn't know how to read, gets back to nathan, and he's like "well that makes sense, i always knew that about max, she's an idiot, whoever started that rumor is right on the money" and then remembers later that night that he's the one that started the rumor.

[pavlovianpanic]

very curious about chloe being a conduit to people with powers! i think you mentioned that somewhere, so any further thoughts would be cool! ( for the vocaroo thing )

we haven't listened to it, it's just raw dogging this question for 7 minutes and also forgetting the question a couple of times ( @caulfect )

[pavlovianpanic]

❝ yo, mysterious @caulfect. strike a pose. heh — oh wait, lemme guess ... you only take selfies? come on. ❞ he's holding up his expensive camera, and the courtyard is oddly empty as if allowing a space for only them to exist in. like everyone else is just too busy to notice nathan prescott talking to max caulfield. probably for the best, right? for both of them. ❝ don't be like that. ❞ she hasn't been like anything. not yet, at least. he's barely given her time to react. ❝ i know you have your camera on you. hey ... i'll take yours if you take mine, huh? what do you say, pixie hipster? ❞

[nprescott]

@caulfect sent 🎶 for a playlist!

Main Verse

i. young & tragic - dead man's bones (general) I wish that we were magic / so we wouldn't be so young and tragic

ii. courtesy call - sixx am (nathan's pov) Well you found me, but I don't know / Why you wanna save me…/ Well, God is great and God is good / But God didn't help me when he could / And life dances so lonely by

iii. disarm - the smashing pumpkins (nathan's pov) And what I choose is my choice / What's a boy supposed to do?/ The killer in me is the killer in you

Vortex Club Verse

i. animal - neon trees (nathan's pov) Here we go again / I kinda wanna be more than friends / So take it easy on me / I'm afraid / You're never satisfied

ii. 3am - rosé (if they actually had a romantic thing) Talk shit about the world with me all day / And even when I'm putting you through hell / Say I'm not like anyone else / Slowly, words roll off my tongue / You're everything I need and it's so dumb / And even when you're putting me through hell / You're not like anyone else

iii. never let this go - paramore (max's pov) I'll never let this go / But I can't find the words to tell you / I don't wanna be alone / But now I feel like I don't know you

Post Game

i. all is numb - 32 leaves (both of them about different things lol) All is numb / I've been lost too long / My fate's been mistakenly chosen / All is numb / Yeah, I've done you wrong / My fate's been mistakenly chosen

ii. various storms and saints - florence + the machine (mostly max's pov) You saw the stars out in front of you / Too tempting not to touch / But even though it shocked you / Something's electric in your blood / Can people just untie themselves / Uncurling like flowers / If you could just forgive yourself

iii. 88 - sum 41 (nathan's pov) I know you make mistakes, yeah, but / I hope someday you have it all / 'Cause I feel like a prisoner trapped inside this broken world / While / I'm playing the victim again, running in circles / To me, it's all the same, and though nothing's gonna change, still / I hope someday you have it all

[nprescott]

@caulfect said: 🙌 fair’s fair !!

send 🙌 to grab my muse by the throat

Just like the noose he could feel tightening around his throat. The strings that he had handed to Jefferson (even without his own knowledge) that he had used to control him had wrapped around his throat. Tighter... tighter... Until Nathan couldn't breathe.

She was smaller than him. Her grip wasn't as strong as when his father had bruised his throat or when Jefferson's fingers touched its flesh. But it wasn't about that, was it? Those memories stirred in him and it was enough to make his eyes wild for a moment.

(Don't touch me!)

He was not sober. Hell, he could hardly remember the last time he had been totally sober since Kate walked onto that rooftop. He didn't want to think about anything. And so it takes him longer than it should to respond aside from wide eyes and a racing pulse she could likely feel beneath slender fingers.

This was deserved, in a way. After all, Nathan had grabbed her by the throat in fury when they first met. And so despite the fear and the rage, Nathan almost laughs. Wouldn't that be funny? Max Caulfield chokes him out here at school before Jefferson can get the chance to take him out? He had left his gun in his room for just a few minutes. But hey, it was probably for the best. By how angry she had made him only moments before, he probably would have shot her (even if he didn't actually want to do that). He had grabbed her before she stepped on his foot and got him into this position.

Kate's revenge. Rachel's too.

The shriveled up remains of a soul speaks to him. Tells him to let it happen. But he knew Max wouldn't seal the deal. She wasn't that kind of person, unlike him.

"Get off of me!" Look what he had done, he had made her violent. That is what he is. Violence. A poison that corrodes all that it touches. Blackwell, The Vortex Club, Rachel, Kate, even Max. Eyes stare are her as if they see two things at once. Max now, her scrawny body holding him down and slender fingers bruising his neck and a past that haunts him. Memories and the present meld together for a moment and he can't tell who or what is choking him. He shuts his eyes, accepting his fate. If he just takes it, it will stop.

But this isn't his father or Jefferson. He has to remind himself again. And he attempts to pry her fingers from his throat. He's bigger than her. Stronger than her. But he took too many pills, washed them down with alcohol. His limbs feel weaker. His head is spinning.

"Don't fucking... touch me...!"

[nprescott]

@caulfect (sc)

"I'm not your friend or anything, damn."

[pavlovianpanic]

beep beep : haven’t had the chance to write yet, but consider me awed at how well you juggle multiple characters and their very distinct, unique voices. i can hear jefferson’s words and josh’s words like it’s actually in-game dialogue and i find that immensely impressive! you’re just absolutely amazing at it, seriously, and this goes for all the characters you’ve been writing recently. as a fan of until dawn and lis i heavily enjoy seeing your takes and reads of these little guys on the dash … you clearly put a lot of thought into everything, especially your crossover verse, and it’s inspiring to read about. lots of love there for the inherent struggles of different mental illnesses, on top of the fact that you’re not afraid to play a villain, which is also such a delight. ( and btw as a passive admirer kate/josh is absolutely fascinating and big brained, kudos to you and ottersden for that amazing dynamic! )

how's my portrayal? • always accepting • @caulfect

in seeing your posts, i believe we are pretty like-minded if that's not too hasty to say. i see a lot similarities in the way you dissect things about the media we're all interested in, and i find it very refreshing. it all feels intact, and natural, and stems from a source that i can understand (ie the canon) while also giving your opinions and thoughts that make it more well-rounded and not flat / too much fact not enough feeling or vice versa. it's balanced and i also appreciate how lengthy your discussions are, there's a lot to say and i like seeing someone else that isn't afraid to really dig their heels in and devote themselves to some media dissection. also your integrity to max through double exposure is admirable, i loved double exposure so :))

as for your immensely nice submission, i'm really flattered, and not even just flattered but very grateful? it's nice to see i'm reaching people, i always kind of assume i'm screaming into the void and banging pots and pans in everyone's ears lmao so i'm glad it's not like that! i really enjoy meta specifically, and all this ic writing is not usual for me all at once but it's been oddly inspiring to come back to LIS after all this time, i've always written LIS-UD in tandem since like 2015 so the fact that it still resounds so heavily means ... idk it means something, i guess, idk what but something, and that's important. to me, they are sister series.

as for kate and josh, thank you ahaha i'm so glad! i really have always thought they vibed, and while we wrote it hard in 2015-2017 era times, we never got the chance to do so much with it like we are now. the perks of growing up! unlike ... some cast members. rip.

[pavlovianpanic]

i don't want to have this conversation. ( fun bonus : @theytry to sean! )

the silt verses (pt. 1) • accepting • @theytry ( @caulfect )

❝ well, i do. you've been screaming my name in public enough. time is running out, nathan. we've had this discussion before. ❞

sean is growing agitated. the hand that feeds nathan feels the bite hardest.

❝ are you taking your medicine? properly? you're acting out of control. [ ... ] i ask so little of you, nathan. and what do i ask of you? what do i demand that you find so fucking impossible? i gave you blackwell, i keep the police away for your little parties, and i fucking raised you, boy, so have some respect. my father only had to tell me something once, and if that wasn't enough? i spent all fucking night figuring it out. you lack discipline, which is my own fault. i allowed you too much time with your mother. you know, i never told you this, but i find that this might be the time: when you were born, i held you and thought ... this is the happiest moment of my life. there was no greater joy than watching you come into the world. BUT YOU CAME IN SCREAMING IMMEDIATELY. i didn't know what to do with you then / i don't know what to do with you now. you're a man today, nathan. you beg me to treat you like an adult, so tell me: what do i need to do? what do you want, son? because i have given you everything and more. everything i do, i do for you. you want me to be proud? make me proud. you want me to love you? earn my respect first. ❞

[pavlovianpanic]

❝ you wanted to talk, @caulfect? as your teacher, i'm here to listen to all your scholastic anxieties. although ... i have to admit, i'm a little surprised. i thought you were avoiding me, but, i am glad you decided to seek me out now. heh, look, i know the lectures can be a little intense, but you'll get used to them, i promise. [ ... ] well, i'm your captive audience, max. what is it you wanted to talk about? ❞

[pavlovianpanic]

oh, @caulfect, you just activated my trap card. i'm no third-rate duelist with a fourth-rate deck, i'll answer them all:

josh and principal wells. i know. a little nothing burger but given wells’ relationship with nathan ( essentially having to let nathan do as he pleases, sucking up to him, etc ) i’m very curious how their bond would be since josh is a fellow rich kid.

actually, this is very interesting to me, as well. i think josh is sort of a ... like, he's not a problem directly. the things he does that are troublesome aren't things that need to be expunged too much. it's more goofery, pranks, skipping, etc. the partying can be a bit of a problem, but josh is coming into that party self, so he's still able to be tamed a bit. plus, he has chris, who wells likes, i think. good kid. smart. both make the school look good. plus, josh's dad is trying to fund more dorms for blackwell, more programs, etc. he's competing with sean, naturally. wells is sort of caught in this. but josh has a good record, a good gpa, and overall? he looks good for the image of blackwell. he's a former child actor (my headcanon) that's now going to school here with this sort of breezy attitude and a bit of a chip on his shoulder ... but doesn't do too much "wrong". he's had to be scolded, especially in ways i think nathan doesn't have to be. josh has a bit of a different pressure not being white, having to really present himself in a way that nathan doesn't even care about tbh. josh has an image that actually needs protecting. his dad will do anything to protect him in that way, even with how absent bob can be tbh.

for wells? josh is a dream compared to nathan. bob is also much more reasonable and personable (he has to be), though he isn't a pushover. blackwell is wells’s priority, josh is bob's. that's very clear.

so ... josh gets some privileges for sure ... but unlike nathan, he shares them with the kids like max, kate, etc. he's not there for anything other than to do his thing, have a good time, and like ... do bible study LMAO and be friends with max?

- any de dynamics <3 safi and maya, safi and moses, safi and vinh, safi whoever! i’m always very interested in those thoughts

a) i love moses and his kettle. i literally talk about it all the time, idk why. i think the warren is moses comparisons are very lame tbh. they are so, so different. moses is his own man and so is warren, but i think they would actually get along in a weird way? warren might be ... a lot at first, but also warren himself should be allowed to grow, and as he gets out into the world, sees things for as they are, has relationships, he could like ... work with what moses desires in a friendship and cater to it? even with his nosiness and sort of "in your face" vibe he can have (or did as a child lmao), i think he could reel it in for sure.

safi and vinh .... this is so interesting to me. she saw something in him she liked after maya, that's for sure. he definitely sought something in her that she provided that he couldn't get over. there's this bond between them that i think even they don't undrestand, but they fall into this ... failure to launch situation. okay, it launched ... but it crashed. but i think she's definitely his type for sure, and i find safi (to me) to be more dominant in the bedroom, which pairs well with him. she's not super extreme, but she knows what she wants and how to get it. she was not afraid to sleep with him. i think it took him off guard tbh. she wants him? it was an ego boost, too. it gave him this confidence for a while that became sort of hard to manage, if that makes sense? like ... it was there and then suddenly it ... wasn't anymore.

just to gush about max in this game ... a) love her look, b) love her voice still to this day and how it's her but like grown, and c) i really think this game is a second parter to what was going to be a three parter, if that makes sense. you don't watch game of thrones season 1 and then the last one and skip the middle?? double exposure is the middle, imo. so, max's story isn't even done.

and diamond ... oh, i love her. i really do. i thought her part was so subtle, so smooth, but she was there, you saw her. the end caught me for sure. i wasn't expecting it to be her tbh. but it fit? in this weird way? and i think is so well deserved idk. it means a lot to me that she got this recognition, even if the next game wasn't her and safi, i hoped maybe a dlc would be. i need this dynamic. it's so ... refreshing. i love mentorships, too.

- i know you don’t consider bts canon but i think i saw you offhandedly mention having thoughts about samantha and nathan so! very curious about those as well

i should talk about why that is tbh it's mostly like it conflicts with so much LIS canon that it hurts my head. and is weird on the characters? except chloe, who is pretty constant. but that's bc they has ashley consult bc strikes blah blah she didn't va but she did consult the team about chloe's character and also the va on how to voice chloe, so like ... ah, it's hard.

okay, this is where i go way off bts canon ... a) nathan has to be older than her, a grade above her, so he's ... the older guy here. she's very "innocent", and i think if anything?? she could have been his first girlfriend. why isn't she there? since it's neither truly confirmed or denied if that samantha is the same samantha from the dark room, but i get this vibe she might have moved? or something? and i think before she left, nathan probably pressured her a lot to "be" with him finally. because he's her first love, right? so she'll want to remember him. that kind of thing. she really was what sparked his interest in that way, what really stoked that fire in him. it's not a good thing. it's a toxic first love, and i think once she leaves, she realizes that. he wasn't good for her, he didn't love her, but she probably "loved" him in the way that she could understand. it's hard for her to compartmentalize. nathan thinks of her sometimes. he has photos of her, of course. they spent time together. but it's hard to say how deeply he felt. he still did wrong by her.

- chloe and kate? :0 chloe mentions knowing of kate so i’m always curious about that. similarly, chloe and warren! i could think of more but here are some ideas lmfao

chloe does mention something like how kate is a cool girl, and i am all for that. i know chloe gets mad about kate at first, but she admits to that (character growth is getting heavy for sure here). personally? oh, i could love them so much. i am all for a chloe/kate ship, okay? but i know that's not what was asked necessarily, but just know ... that vibe? aesthetic? i love that. let girls be in love, i always say.

but yes! i think like ... chloe is so proud of max if she succeeds in the kate situation, and chloe mourns kate if the worst happens. it's ... eye-opening, especially kind of putting together everything, their similar trauma?

chloe would have some ... not shame but something like that for how she got away, but kate didn't. it's sort of inferred chloe was right after kate, so super close. nathan was active that weekend.

chloe likes girls like kate, i think. while they aren't the type she just seeks out? they kind of seek her out, i would say, and she responds. kate is just ... nice. chloe isn't always used to that, but it's so welcome. she probably teases her a lot, but it's all in good fun.

chloe and warren need their own post tbh, which i will do.