#i also chose linda's middle name because that's my best friend's middle name!! i wanted to give her one for the proposal

[goldendoodlerlockerlove]

I finally wrote the next part of my Pre-Canon Boblin series!! :D

Bob finally proposes in this one~

Oh yeah, and Linda is pregnant--

[lilywave]

oh believe me i will be expanding on this

below the cut bc i have SO MANY THOUGHTS ON THIS (this post isnt even all of it btw, just the first details of this hc)

so, we have four siblings. we have linda, the eldest, the only one who still regularly speaks to their father. she changed her last name when she married gerald, which is why she’s not a murray anymore (this part is actually canon). i think she’s probably the oldest by a good amount (but not too much), maybe five years older than the middle sibling and eight years older than the twins. she was sixteen when their mother mysteriously disappeared after winning the honey queen pageant.

we then have a deceased middle sister who i have not yet named or developed (bc my autism brain somehow cannot handle having my ocs interact with canon characters. it just does not work in my head) BUT i do know that she was married to gary goldstein (real name gary lipschitz, but the alliteration sounds better for business/marketing purposes), and had a son, richie. i really don’t have much for her tbh this is just how i fit the uncle paul hc into this. she was five years younger than linda and three years older than the twins, eleven when their mother disappeared.

and finally, the twins. paul was born first, then karen. they were eight when their mother disappeared, and it hit them the hardest of all. karen buried herself in religion to cope, and paul just isolated himself. their sisters had other shit to deal with, and roman wasn’t exactly father of the year, so they could either rely on each other or no one. they were never as close as they were before their mother’s disappearance, but they were still the closest two members of the family until they were 16, when paul came out to karen as bi and karen, deep into toxic religion and roman’s definitely homophobic bullshit (and her own poorly-repressed lesbianism oop), completely shunned him. paul eventually moved out when he went to college, and the two have only spoken a few times since, though both are missing the other and wanting to reconcile, though not sure how. karen and mark are best friends, but are only really married to maintain both their images in the church and in town. she knows her husband is stepping outside of the marriage with ted spankoffski, but she can’t really be bothered to care as long as they’re discreet, mostly because she’s been feeling certain things for charlotte sweetly lately… but she has grace to think about, and she has to prioritize her daughter. it’s certainly nice that she’s been reconnecting with her cousin richie lately.

paul’s sisters all changed their last names when they got married, but why is his last name not murray? well, he and roman really don’t get along. like, at ALL. paul started using his middle name, matthew, as his last name once he moved out to avoid being associated with roman. if he had any desire to leave hatchetfield, maybe he wouldn’t have changed it, but because we wanted to stay in town without sharing a name with roman, he chose to change his name. he eventually legally changed his last name to matthews, since it’s how he had been introducing himself since he was 18 anyway. on the note of paul actively avoiding the insanity of his family, i also think that’s why he went to sycamore, even though linda went to hatchetfield high. even though sycamore sucked, paul chose to go there instead of hatchetfield high to avoid being associated with roman (or in that context, more likely linda). by the time he realized it REALLY sucked at sycamore and he would’ve been better off at hatchetfield high, even while carrying his family’s reputation with him, his stubbornness wouldn’t let him ask roman to let him transfer, and he stuck it out. i think another influencing factor on paul changing his name was constantly being pestered about his mom’s disappearance by people in town, especially kids his age who heard about it from their parents. it doesn’t help that his father acts CRAZY suspicious all the time. even though the fervor died down eventually, it stuck with him and he wants to avoid that association however possible. his only involvement with his family now is taking care of his nephew richie whenever gary (a busy lawyer and single father) needs his help.

i know it’s really, REALLY far out there, but i think these three and roman (and the other characters that get roped in with them) are such a wild and fun dynamic to think about. sorry for the long post i’m just obsessed with them

paul matthews, linda monroe, and karen chasity are all siblings actually they told me themselves

[ayeshintheclouds]

I don’t really have a platform or any sort of public voice, I know. But there’s something that I want to talk about anyways because it’s really important to me and if even one person understands it or even sees it and keeps it at the back of their mind, it would make a difference in my opinion.

I want to talk about one of my best friends’ dads, Dr Hasan Gokal. You may have seen him all over the news, labeled “thief” by our lovely sensationalist media. I was really hesitant if I want to include him being my friend’s dad because I know it adds an element of bias to my argument. But I think it adds another perspective, another angle that the media can’t cover- I’m far enough that I have no obligation or pressure to go out of my way to support his cause. I’m close enough that I truly do see his side of it- the whole story unfold from before it ever hit the media: the struggle, the confusion, the misunderstanding and the pain that family is going through. My point is- I wouldn’t be writing this unless I truly believed him to be innocent.

Dr Hasan Gokal is accused of stealing vaccines. But he didn’t. Not really. He used up the remaining doses that were about to expire because he was ordered from higher ups to simply ‘find arms’ and use them all up because there was a shortage and we couldn’t afford to waste any. He filed all the appropriate paperwork, he asked permission from the highest higher-up available at the time. The word stealing implies the worst image: someone breaking in and stashing them in their bag and running. Which I know, is a technicality and it might technically be ��stealing’ legally- but the way the media took that phrase and ran with it is extremely harmful to someone’s career. It is slander and deceitful, fueled by the media’s obsession with sensationalizing and demonizing people of color, especially Muslims. Especially someone who did something heroic and brave where he absolutely didn’t have to.

Dr Gokal was looking at the bigger picture, what truly mattered at that time, which was saving as many lives as possible as fast as possible. Each of those vials in his hands could have been someone’s life. Every arm out there was another person who could have caused another chain of infection. How could he bear to toss them in the trash? And I know- I know very well that protocol is important. The government, the healthcare system, they claim to take care of the bigger picture, “just do what we tell you, don’t think too much, too hard”

And I also know if everyone applied their own morals and ethics and ignored the system in place, there would be chaos. But in healthcare, you have to admit that there is a clear, clear grey area for unexpected situations such as these. These are unprecedented times, times with barely any frame of reference to look back on. All the protocol, all the rules, seem hastily made and vague and self contradicting. There’s orders from superiors to “find arms, waste nothing” And there’s orders from superiors saying to waste nine out of ten vaccines. Which are you supposed to follow? Dr Gokal was in an extremely grey area, and he made the best judgement call he possibly could have, given his time limit and his situation. He literally called and reported it to his superiors and filed all the necessary paperwork the next day. A ‘thief’ or anyone who believed what they did was wrong would not have done that.

Legality should not determine morality- wildly inhumane things were once determined legal by our country such as literal slavery.

This is not to say abandon all sense of propriety and do what your heart says- but I think Dr Gokal did an excellent job of balancing legality and morality. He did what he believed was right despite it being unconventional AND he followed all protocol- asking permission first as well as filing it in immediately after.

Admittedly, it may have been not the smartest thing to remove the vaccines from the site and administer them at people’s houses. Even so, it’s something that could have been cleared up with a fine or strict warnings. A court case and firing is very extreme for someone who was only going above and beyond to only do what the government and the hospitals were encouraging in the first place, to not waste.

Some aspect of racism definitely applies here, especially with the comment about “too many Indian names” brought up in court. The only reason he vaccinated many people from his cultural community was simply because they were the first ones he could reach. He called as many people as possible, his only goal was to just find arms. This would not have been brought up at all if the doctor were white and he vaccinated his friends Debby and Charles and Linda and Bob. No one would’ve raised an eyebrow and said “wow an awful lot of white people you vaccinated there.”

Well obviously? Maybe he was white and he knew many white people or lived in a white area? The sad truth is, that if it were a white man, he would be celebrated as a hero, not a criminal.

The racist comments I’ve seen are literally insane. I’ve seen people say Dr Gokal must be mailing vaccines to middle eastern terrorists- Please what?? I believe all logic goes out the window when some Americans see someone a few shades darker than themselves.

The biggest argument I’ve seen by far is- it’s not fair. But. How? These vaccines were being trashed. Wasted. They were not going to someone who could’ve deserved them more. They were being crushed when they were most needed, most precious. And most importantly- every person who got that vaccine was one hundred percent eligible. As in, if Dr Gokal hadn’t given his friends and family the about-to-be-trashed vaccines, they’d be in line within that next week anyways, consuming another entire set of vials. He could’ve gotten his people fresh new ones, but he didn’t because he felt it would be a waste of resources when there was already such short supply. This man prioritized you all’s health over his own family and community’s. He gave his people, his ‘inDiaN nAmEs’ the almost expired ones so there would be enough for the rest of the city. For all of you.

For every person he vaccinated that night, there opened up an empty spot in line the next day. A spot for your grandmother maybe, for your sick child maybe.

Someone could be alive today from his actions.

Dr Gokal helped conserve vaccines and he’s being labeled a thief. This is how our country rewards heroes. This is what our healthcare system prioritizes- petty legal formalities above human life. In a time when people are dying left and right, this is what they chose to focus their attention on. Hunting down a man who went above and beyond with zero regard for himself or his own gain and blasting him on social media and news as a criminal.

I’ve seen what it’s been doing to their family. They are so so tired of the stress, of the pressure. They don’t deserve this.

He is not a vaccine stealer. He is not some strange man from another country. He is American, just like all of you out there. He texts his daughter to please study and he plays hide-and-seek with Mikey the cat and he fixes our bikes when they break. He did the right thing and our blasted system is making him pay for it because we are so caught up in the details we hardly know right from wrong anymore. We are willing to let people die- as long as all the precious paperwork is filed, as long as our maze of systems remain perfectly in place.

Justice for Dr Hasan Gokal because he did what no one else could- care for his people. And maybe if our country cared half as much as he did, billions of people wouldn’t be dead today.

Please please sign this to help his cause

https://www.change.org/p/harris-county-district-attorney-kim-ogg-the-prosecution-of-dr-gokal-is-unjust-and-da-kim-ogg-should-stop-his-prosecution?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_27323511_en-US%3A4&recruiter=826836508&recruited_by_id=6d273550-c08c-11e7-8bf0-510c1cf8213e&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial

For the full story of what actually happened that night in detail:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/us/houston-doctor-fired-covid-vaccine.html

Thank you for reading it means a lot🤍

[wouldpollyapprove]

Farmer’s Daughter

Requested: Could we get a soft but strong!OC or Reader with Arthur and have her softness be appealing to Tommy so they are friends as well! I did not like Linda from the moment she came into the show. 😅

Arthur Shelby x Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Waringings: Language, alcohol

A/n: This feels like the start of something, so I might not make it a series but do small add ons to it. Maybe? Let me know if I should

Masterlist 

Part Two

Farms are quiet. That was the basis of them. They are meant to be quaint and peaceful, the perfect place to settle down and raise a family. That’s what Y/n’s father decided to do. Farming the only work his family had ever known and when given the chance to take a job in a factory, he chose what he had always known. He’d seen what factory jobs did to men. They created violence, allowed companies to kill innocent young men, and the sane to be driven crazy. It was a line of work that he didn’t want to be apart of, one he didn’t want his children to be apart of. 

So, George Y/l/n took over the family farm once his parents died, starting a family that he hoped to pass it down to.

Y/n had never known any life but that of the one her parents had given her on the farm. With her siblings, she went to the small school in the village nearby, played in the large fields that the cattle grazed in, and went swimming in the pond across the road. It was a happy life. Her loving parents stopped at nothing to make sure that their children had everything they could ever want. They gave and they gave and they gave so that their kids could go out into the world with all the knowledge they would ever need. 

Stretching her arms above her head, Y/n let out a sigh as she stretched her muscles. God only knows what time she had woken up that morning, she found it better to not look at the clock. But she was up before the sun, that was generally the best time to get up and get chores done. In the early morning, it wasn’t too hot, maybe a little chilly, but you could always but a coat or shawl on. Y/n also found it a better time to work as most of the animals weren’t awake yet and she wouldn’t have to worry about them getting in her way. 

She brought her arms back to her side and searched the barn for a large pale that her brothers had used the day before. She knew it wasn’t going to be where it belonged, because why would they want to put things back where they belonged. She was just about to give up when she heard a car out in the distance.

Y/n peaked her head out the barn door, spying an automobile a ways down the road. It wasn’t odd to see vehicles pass by, but it was unusual. Many people in the area still used horses and donkeys to get around, it was just easier. They used them on their farmers and what else were they supposed to use to pull their wagons. The only people in the village nearby that had cars was the owner of the tavern. He often went into Birmingham and bought supplies for everyone.

The car slowed and turned down the lane to the farm. It looked expensive, a shiny blood red color. Four men were piled inside and they all looked like businessmen with gray suits that matched their gray peaky caps. They weren’t from around here, Y/n could tell that much. The car came to a stop, the men stepping out, the tallest of them walked up the front door of the farmhouse. Y/n wondered if they were debt collectors or something like that.

But her family had no debts.

Her mother opened the door a second after the man had knocked. There wasn’t a smile on her face like there normally was. A blank expression stared at the men before moving aside and allowing them in the house. 

Once they were ushered in and the door was shut, Y/n hurried out of the barn. She knew it was best to mind her own business, that’s what her mother would tell her if she asked about it. But there was in harm in going to the house for a bite to eat. She’d had a small breakfast anyway, so having a snack would be good for her. 

Y/n entered the house, careful to keep the door from squealing and revealing presence as she shut it. The kitchen was empty, her mother probably off doing the laundry. She opened the cabinet a pulled out a jar of jam and then opened the bread box. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a knife and she was about to cut a piece of bread, the conversation in the parlor caught her attention.

“I haven’t heard from in years, Thomas, I would have told you if I had,” George said, voice filled with sympathy. 

Someone sighed and said, “You know this is important, George. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. So I’ll ask you again, have you seen James Withney?”

Y/n raised a brow, who was James Withney. 

This time, her father sighed and she knew he probably ran his hands through his thinning hair as he did so. “As I said before, I haven’t heard from the man in ages, but that doesn’t mean that snake hasn’t been in the area.” There was a pause. “Damon McCall and him used to be good pals before the war, they probably still are because they’re both fucking bastards. He’s probably heard from James.”

A smile spread across her face, her father never swore. Well, he rarely did. Y/n’s mother found swearing distasteful so it wasn’t allowed in the house, but that never kept it off George’s tongue. It made Y/n wonder, then, what these men had done to get her father rilled up.

“Where can we find him?” a different man asked, his voice rough like sandpaper.

“The tavern in the village,” her father replied. “My daughter can take you there.”

Wide-eyed, Y/n took a bite out of her jam covered bread. How about no. There was no way she was taking anyone anywhere.

“That won’t be necessary,” Thomas told him.

“Oh, yes it will. The people around here don’t like outsiders. If you’re not with a local, you’re not getting anything you want.” 

“I-”

“Violence won’t get you anything around here, Thomas Shelby,” George interrupted and stood up.

The floorboards creaked under his weight, telling his daughter that he was heading to the kitchen. He was probably on his way to the barn to tell her what she was about to do. Y/n stuffed the rest of the bread in her mouth and decided it best to dash out the door and at least be outside. Anywhere was better than being found in the house, she didn’t want to know how mad her father would get if he found out she was eavesdropping. Quickly, she was out the door and made it as far as the flower bed outside before her father was out of the house. 

“Y/n, I need you to do something,” he told her, walking up to her.

A little winded from her not so mad, mad dash, she nodded and took a deep breath before asking, “What would you like me to do?”

“I have some friends here that I would like you to take to the tavern.”

She nodded, already aware of this information, but for the sake of playing along, she said nothing. “Do they own the car outside?”

He nodded, “Yeah, they do. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

George turned on his heel and walked back in the house, Y/n right behind him. From the conversation she had heard, Y/n wasn’t so sure she wanted to meet these men. It wasn’t like her father to get tangled up with bad people. He was a good man, a catholic that believed in love and kindness. The men in the parlor, they didn’t sound like the type of men he would want anything to do with.

They entered the house and headed straight to the parlor. Entering the room, the four men from the turned, standing to their feet. Y/n stayed behind her father, normally a confident young woman, she didn’t want to expose herself to the men before her. There was something about then, their clean-cut suits and blank, tough expressions that were off-putting. All the men seemed to be in their thirties from what she could tell, one was younger, probably not even twenty. The youngest one should have caught her eyes, he was attractive, but one of the older ones, he looked to be the oldest, held her gaze. 

There was something about it.

He held a stern expression, dark ginger hair, falling to the side of his face. Y/n’s eyes darted away from him once she noticed him looking her over.

“This is my daughter, Y/n,” George introduced her to them, moving so she could step forward.

Y/n smiled lightly, doing as her father instructed. 

The men all gave her light smiles, probably not something they usually did. But this interaction wasn’t usual, she guessed. They probably were from the city based on their clothing and car, and they probably didn’t deal with dainty girls in dainty dresses in the middle of the English countryside. 

Her father turned to her. “This is Thomas-” He pointed at the taller of the four men. “-John-” His finger moved to the one next to Thomas, with a dorky smile plastered on his face. “-Arthur, and Finn.”

Arthur.

The man who’d caught her eye was Arthur. What a lovely name. It reminded her of the stories of King Arthur that her mother used to tell her before bed. This Arthur, perhaps, he could be a king.

“You will be occupying them to the tavern. Make sure people stay out of their way,” he continued, giving you an encouraging smile.

You nodded, not sure if you were ready for this adventure.

*~~*~~*

Thomas brought the car to a stop in front of the tavern in the little village. People in the village square stared as the men got out of the car, Arthur helping Y/n get out. Once they saw her, though, they all went back to what they were doing. If they were with Y/n, all was well or so they assumed. 

“Whatever you hear-” Thomas turned to her. “-stay calm.”

She gave him a puzzled look but nodded anyway.

“Let’s go,” Arthur said, lightly pushing her towards the tavern.

Y/n led the men into the tavern and pointed out where Damon was. He always sat in the back office so he could go over bills and orders. Everyone knew, though, that all he ever did back there was drink. Thomas told her to wait behind while they did their business, so Y/n went up to the bar and ordered a drink.

She wasn’t one for pubs, but where else could she go. As long as she was in the building, she knew that no one would start anything with the four men. With a woman in the room, no one wanted to start any fights, that was just against their morals. So, she sat at the bar, stirring her drink while she waited for the meeting to be over.

It couldn’t be over soon enough.

Charles Dearin took a seat next to her. A sigh of annoyance leaving her lips once he turned toward her.

“What are you doing here, Y/n?” he asked and grabbed her drink, taking a sip.

Y/n closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering. “That’s my drink, thanks,” she said, snatching her drink back. “And I do whatever I want, you know that.”

He smiled at her, the same smile that he used to get whatever he wanted from the ladies. Too bad it stopped working on her a long time ago. “Come on, Y/n, don’t be like that.”

“Don’t be like what? A bitch that doesn’t want to be your whore?” She rolled her eyes and knocked back the rest of his drink.

In a second, Charles grabbed her arm, nails digging into her skin, and pulled her close. “Watch your tongue, Y/n,” he whispered.

She didn’t even think twice when her free hand-formed into a fist and connected with his jaw. Charles was knocked off the barstool, falling to the floor. Y/n should have done that a long time ago. He was always an asshole, trying to get any woman he could, harassing those that wanted nothing to do with him.

The commotion from his fall caused Damon’s office door to open, Arthur stepping out with his brothers behind him. 

“What’s going on behind out here?” he yelled, eyes landing on Y/n.

She smiled and hopped off her barstool. “Oh, nothing, but I do believe it’s time to leave.”

Arthur nodded and lead the way out of the tavern, Y/n walking beside him. He leaned toward her, “What happened?”

She shrugged. “Oh, just an arsehole being an arsehole.” She looked back to see Charles picking himself up off the floor.

Arthur smiled to himself, now she was a woman. He didn’t know anything about Y/n, but he liked what he’d seen, the fire in her eyes, the smile on her lips. She was definitely someone he wanted to get to know.

“Did you get what you came for?” Y/n asked as Arthur helped her into the car. 

He nodded, “Yeah, we got that and more.”

*~~*~~*

Let me know if you would like to be added to the tag list.

@amirahiddleston

[queenofcats17]

Possible prompt idea (if you're not busy)

by @magicalmonsterhero

“The police found a body not far from the studio, one that had been there for several years before ‘Joey’ went crazy.” Susie took a deep breath. “According to records…that body is the real Joey Drew.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Sammy said, staring at her. “You’re kidding. That can’t be right.”

“I wish I was.” Susie shook her head. “The police just called today.”

“Why are you telling us this now?” Henry asked. “It’s been years since any of us were in that studio.”

“It’s also been years since we’ve seen Norman.” Susie said. “Or Wally.”

“I don’t know how I feel about going back.” Henry admitted. “That Joey and I…We didn’t exactly leave on good terms. It won’t be happy to see me.”

“Well someone has to.” Susie stood up and began pacing the room. “We need to figure out just what Joey brought into this world.”

Sammy sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “You’re not giving this up, are you?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

.

They all drove over in Henry’s car. Henry drove while Susie and Sammy sat in the back seat.  The ride over was quiet. There was a feeling of grim determination in the car. None of them were sure that they were going to make it out of this alive, but dammit they were going to try. It had started to rain when they pulled up in front of the studio.

“We’re really doing this.” Henry said, his hand still on the steering wheel. 

“We are.” Sammy nodded, opening his door. “Now let’s go.” They walked in silence to the door and pushed it open. The dim lights of the studio interior greeted them. 

“Guess he never fixed the damn lights.” Sammy rolled his eyes.

“We didn’t come here to critique his budgeting choices.” Susie said. Sammy put his hands up and continued walking inside. Henry brought up the rear, with Susie squarely in the middle. Most of the avenues they walked down turned out to be boarded up, and there were ink puddles everywhere, eliciting quite a few choice words from Sammy. Then they found Boris’ corpse. 

“What the everloving fuck?” Sammy muttered. 

“This can’t be real.” Susie clung to his arm, her eyes wide. “It can’t be!”

“Just what were you doing here, Joey?” Henry said. 

“Joey…” A voice came from the hallway behind them. “Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.” All three heads turned in the direction of the voice, and they scrambled to find the source. It led them to an office, one that might have been Joey’s, none of them could remember. There was a light under the door and the radio was playing a jaunty tune.

“Joey?” Henry asked, knocking on the door. 

“Joey Drew is dead.” The voice, so much like Joey’s, came from the other side. “If you’ve come back you must know that.”

“If you’re not Joey, then who are you?” Sammy asked. A chuckle trickled out from the office. 

“A friend.” The false Joey said. “Not of yours, though, nor Joseph Drew’s.”

“That doesn’t answer my fucking question.”

“I forgot how much I missed pushing your buttons.” Not Joey laughed. “I see 20 years hasn’t lessened your temper, Sammy.”

“Please, who are you?” Susie asked. “We want to know.”

“Everyone always says that.” The radio turned off. “But no one ever likes the answer they get when I tell them. So I think I’ll let you find out what I’ve done with your coworkers first.” Then the light turned off and they were able to open the door. They found nothing inside but a bunch of bacon soup and the radio. 

“What do you think he meant by that?” Henry asked. 

They found out soon enough when they ventured to the lower floors. They discovered Allison, twisted and warped by this false Joey as she tried to become the perfect Alice Angel, one that could surpass Susie. Susie reeled at this, clinging to Sammy as they ran deeper into the studio. They found Norman, sans a head and his sanity. And they found Wally, mute and bound in the form of Boris the Wolf. All three of them trembled with rage as they made their way back to the first floor with Wally/Boris in tow. And there, standing in the hallway to the exit, stood Joey Drew. He looked just the way Henry remembered him, with his tidy suit, neatly combed hair, well-kept beard and moustache. But this Joey had black eyes. 

“I see you’ve found your coworkers.” The false Joey said, smiling and revealing sharpened canines. Wally/Boris whimpered and clung to Henry, trying desperately to make himself smaller. 

“You bastard!” Sammy tried to rush the man, but Susie held him back. The false Joey laughed, throwing his head back. It was Joey’s laugh, but devoid of all mirth. 

“Well, I suppose you through won’t be open to my proposals, then.” He said, wiping a tear away from one black eye. 

“What proposals?” Henry asked. “What are you?” 

“A demon.” Susie whispered. 

“Always a clever one, aren’t you, Susie?” The false Joey smiled warmly. “Yes, I am a demon.”

“So, what? Joey summoned you and you killed him?” Sammy asked. “Pretty damn ungrateful if you ask me.”

“I wasn’t ungrateful.” The demon said, looking rather insulted by the notion. “I gave your friend the offer of a lifetime. I could have made his every dream come true. But he didn’t have what it took to pay the price.”

“The price?” Henry asked. 

“All things come with a price.” The demon said. “Especially when it comes to dealing with demons. I offered him everything he could have ever wanted. In return, I wanted your souls.”

“The souls of everyone in the studio.” Sammy repeated. “Seriously?”

“I have quotas to meet.” The demon shrugged and grinned. “Besides, it was a small price to pay for having his dreams come true. He couldn’t do it, so I killed him and took over his life. I thought at least one of you would want to make a deal, but you’re all so stubborn. Not a single one of you would sacrifice any of your coworkers. Not even jealous little Allison.”

“You bastard.” Susie snarled, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. “You destroyed their lives because they wouldn’t take your deal!” The demon waved a hand dismissively. 

“That’s how it works in my business.” He said. “They were weak. But you three…” He smiled. “You three are strong. You survived the studio, you conquered your formers coworkers. And so, I’m prepared to offer you a deal.”

“If it involves selling anyone’s souls, we’re not into it.” Sammy sad flatly.

“No no. Nothing like that.” The demon shook his head. “This time it would just be your souls.”

“No.” The three of them said together. 

“But you haven’t even heard my pitch.” The demon furrowed his brow. “I can even turn Wally back if you like.”

“Don’t do it!” Wally signed desperately. “Your souls aren’t worth it!” 

“Damn straight they aren’t.” Sammy said. 

“You could at least pretend to consider it.” Wally said. 

“Okay, yeah, that was mean.” Sammy admitted. “But I’m not selling my soul for anything.”

“Anything is a strong word.” The demon smiled. “I could make you the most famous music composer in the world. Everyone would know your name. You would be rich beyond your wildest dreams. And, you, Susie,” he turned his attention towards her. “I could give you Alice back. You could play her for as long as you like, have her popularity soar.” Sammy and Susie clung to each other, faltering slightly under the promise of these extravagant gifts. 

“I could give Wally his body back, good as new.” The demon continued. “I could bring them all back. Even Joey. It could go back to the way it was for you, Henry, only better. He’d listen to you now, Joey would. After everything he’s been through, he’d be much more receptive to other people’s suggestions. You’d all be happy here if you chose to stay.” He smiled Joey’s smile, the one that had dragged Henry into so many stupid plans. He could have his life back. He could be happy, doing what he loved. He’d have his best friend back. Surely a soul was a small price to pay for all that, wasn’t it? 

“He’ll find some way to twist the deal in his favour. You know that, right?” Wally pulled Henry back a little. 

“Yeah. I know.” Henry said quietly. It was too good to be true. He looked up at the demon, still wearing Joey’s face. 

“If I say yes, will you leave everyone alone?” Henry asked. 

“A bit presumptuous of you to assume your soul is worth all the others combined, don’t you think?” The demon raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching up further. 

“Answer the question.” Henry said. 

The demon laughed again. “Very well, Mr. Ross. If you’re that desperate I’ll take your soul in return for the freedom of the others. But know that Joey will still belong to me. Even if I bring him back, his soul remains in my possession.”

“Henry, don’t you dare do it.” Sammy snarled. “Don’t you dare play the hero, you bastard.” But Henry was already walking up to the demon, hand outstretched. 

“Tell Linda and the kids I love them.” He looked back, smiling sadly. 

The demon quickly closed the distance between them and shook Henry’s hand. “It’s a deal, Henry.” 

Almost immediately, the room erupted into white light. When the light faded, Wally, Allison, Norman, and Joey Drew stood in the front room of the newly restored studio. Henry and the demon were gone. As soon as Sammy saw Joey he ran up and hoisted the smaller man up by his lapels, yelling at the top of his lungs at him. Joey didn’t protest, his head lowered. 

“M-Miss Campbell?” Allison took a step back. “W-What are you doing here? I-I didn’t hurt you, did I? I’m so sorry! I just wanted to do well.”

“It’s alright.” Susie said. “I’m not blaming you, honey.”

“What happened?” Norman asked. “Where’s that thing?” 

“Henry…Henry made a deal with it.” Wally leaned up against a wall, staring down at his hands in wonder and horror. Joey deflated even more at that. 

“I never meant for any of this to happen.” He said. “I swear. I just wanted to make people happy.” 

“Well, you fucked up big time.” Sammy dropped him. “C’mon, Susie. We’re going home.” 

“Let’s drive Allison home too.” Susie said, gesturing for the girl to follow them. Allison nodded. She’d begun crying soon after Sammy had started yelling. Susie was really starting to feel bad for the poor girl. 

“You coming, Wally?” Sammy looked to the janitor. 

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” Wally shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “We’re bringing Norman too, right?”

“Don’t know how we’re all gonna fit in the car, but fine.” Sammy muttered. Joey was excluded from the conversation, but they dragged him out anyway. Once everyone had been returned home, they went to talk to Henry’s family. Joey was forced to be the one to explain the situation to Henry’s wife. It was his fault, after all. Linda listened quietly for the entire explanation, then calmly stood up and backhanded Joey. 

“Get out of my house.” She said. Joey nodded and followed Susie and Sammy out. 

“Wait.” Linda grabbed Susie and Sammy’s hands.

“Yes, ma’am?” Sammy asked. 

“Did…Did he say anything?” She asked. “Before that thing…took him.”

“He said to tell you and the kids that he loves you.” Sammy put his hand on hers. “We’ll find some way to fix this, I swear.”

“There isn’t one.” Linda said. “Demon deals aren’t meant to be broken. And if you do break it, all the others go back to the way they were, I’m assuming. My husband knew what he was doing.”

“We’re sorry.” Susie said. 

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” Linda let go of their hands. “He would have gone eventually, with or without you two. He’s stubborn like that. Was stubborn like that.” She corrected herself. “You can go now. I…I need some time alone.” Sammy and Susie nodded, making their way back out to the car where Joey was waiting. It was strange, seeing him so dejected. Joey was always so full of life, so boisterous and unceasing. 

“I’m sorry.” He said again when they entered. 

“Sorry won’t bring Henry back.” Sammy snapped. For once, Susie didn’t stop him. Joey just nodded, looked at his hands, and cried.