#i think kate's full name is just kate in canon but i very much like the idea of it being short for katherine
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công chúa
(ghost x könig's-sister!reader)
summary: You're just a student trying to make through med school with your sanity intact. That last thing you needed was to be kidnapped to serve as a hostage for a half-brother you've never met.
At least the special forces operative here to help is cute.
originally posted on ao3 (wordcount: 3.8k)
Rating: T
Relationships: Simon "Ghost" Riley x Reader, Kate Laswell x her wife (I call her Jean), König & Reader <- PLATONIC
Ao3 Tags: meet cute! in a prison camp / First Meetings / tries to follow canon characterization / less so canon events/timeline / so some things (like the villains) are VERY vague / Past Suicide Attempt / Undercover Simon "Ghost" Riley / Unmasked Simon "Ghost" Riley / (Temporarily) / reader has a name & backstory but I tried to make it unobtrusive
this is a part of a series
Author's note: I do write this story with a specific OC (check the series masterpost if you want a full breakdown of her) in mind just so characterization is consistent, but I tried to make it possible for you to replace her with whoever you imagine. I do have to explicitly mention details unique to the OC (most obvious example here being her ethnicity and name [Elise Veidt]), but for the most part I'll try to keep things open ended (ex: using "your hair" instead of "your dark hair").
Also, as I mentioned, the OC's ethnicity (half-Vietnamese) is pretty plot relevant this chapter, but if that disrupts your reading flow, feel free to mentally replace it with whatever makes sense for your own personal read-through. I'm not used to writing in second person, so the verb tenses are kinda screwy.
Also this is in the tags but TW: DISCUSSION OF A PAST SUICIDE ATTEMPT (character has for the most part fully recovered)
công chúa:
People could be so fucking stupid sometimes. Bold and stupid. Newbies especially. New recruits—or in this case, new criminal organizations—always think they’ll be special. The exception to the rule.
Take for example, this new group who had the bloody brilliant idea of trying to control special forces (and a handful of top PMCs) by kidnapping anyone ransom-worthy they could get their grubby little hands on. Which meant a lot of missing parents, kid siblings, and SOs.
Ghost couldn’t tell if they actually thought that would work or if this was just some distraction. Perhaps an intimidation ploy or a small part of some greater plan. Either way, in reality, all they ended up with was a whole bunch of pissed-off—and very well trained—soldiers, many of whom were willing to do anything to get their loved ones back. Even allying with their greatest rivals. Ghost didn’t predict to end up working with KorTac of all bedfellows, but even their lads weren’t safe.
In the past month, he'd had to bear witness to his comrades and competitors getting wrecked, worried sick over their nearest and dearest. Laswell might’ve single-handedly revived the tobacco industry and he’d never seen Johnny so torn up.
Ghost himself had been spared any grief. He would’ve liked to pretend that it was because his mask had protected his identity so well, but the reality was much simpler and bleaker. He had nobody to take. Tommy and Joseph and Beth and Mum were all already six feet under. Nothing would ever change that.
That being said, the mask wasn’t useless.
The hostagers had done extensive research into all their personal lives. They needed to in order to find out who they could kidnap and how. They had become intimately familiar with every combatant their cobbled alliance could send—with one glaring exception.
They certainly knew about Ghost, but not even they knew Ghost’s face—at least according to the dossier smuggled to the Task Force.
After that was discovered, going undercover was less of a choice and more of a duty.
----------
“Jean?”
The woman’s head jerked up at the whispered sound of her name. Finding no one in front of her, she swiveled. Her eyes landed on an idle balaclava-ed guard.
“Don’t look at me,” the guard commanded. He followed his own advice, keeping his gaze trained on the horizon. His voice was low and rough. Familiar.
Jean Laswell hazarded one last glance at him. She squinted, trying to place where she'd seen him before.
A stifled gasp rang out as her eyes widened in recognition.
“Ghost?”
“Keep your voice down, I’m undercover.”
Jean tried to keep her body language innocuous, eyes now glued to her own clasped hands. The last thing she wanted was to blow Ghost's cover.
“It’s good to see your face— or er, hear your voice.” Pleasantries aside, she went straight to the first question on her mind, the one that had plagued her sleepless nights. “How’s Kate?”
"Smoking like a chimney, but otherwise holding up. She misses you."
"Are you here to…"
"Not yet. KorTac and the team are planning a mutual offensive, but we need more intel before exfil becomes viable. Intel I was tasked with collecting."
His tone didn't reassure her.
"But…"
"I ran into a little roadblock. I was supposed to receive, memorize, and orally deliver crucial information about the compound’s layout and security flaws. We’d had some limited online communication with our informant, but couldn’t get anything sensitive past the security systems. So I volunteered to get it directly. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that our informant only speaks Vietnamese, Cantonese, and some very broken Russian. The dictionary he’d been previously using isn’t complex enough for the level of detail we need. Our shared Russian skills aren’t much better. I can’t leave until I have the intel memorized and I can’t memorize it until we find a translator."
"Could you leave and come back with a translator? A digital one maybe if you can't get anyone else past the guards?"
Ghost shook his head, “They know that we're trying to infiltrate them. They’re very strict about what technology gets in and out. Besides, my cover is only so good. I should be able to get a believable excuse to leave camp, but the scrutiny required for re-entry would compromise it.”
Jean pursed her lips in thought, running over the possibilities. She paused, half thinking out loud.
“I think the princess speaks Vietnamese.”
“Princess?” Ghost’s eyes widened beneath his mask. Shit, no one told him they'd taken someone so high profile. That significantly complicated security procedure. “I thought all their targets were lowkey.”
“No, no, she’s not royalty. She’s a med student. It’s just a nickname,” Jean hastily corrected with an embarrassed laugh. “We have a lot of those here. We get kinda bored.”
Ghost silently thought back on his own POW experiences.
“Things could be a whole lot worse than boredom.”
“The perks of being a hostage," Jean responded dryly. "Need us in one piece.”
“So where’s this ‘princess’ of yours?”
“There,” Jean pointed at the upper level of the compound's eastern turret. “You can see where the nickname comes from. She’s in solitary, but she has a window that we talk to her through during yard time.”
“What'd she do?” Unless the hostage takers were worse than he thought, they wouldn’t put someone in solitary for shits and giggles.
“She’s… a special case."
“Who’s she tied to?”
“That’s the thing. We don’t know. Not even she knows.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I know I’m here because of Kate. Ritchie’s here because of his uncle. Troy because of his brother. Eileen… could be her nephew, but it’s probably Soap. But Elise—that’s her name, Elise Veidt. Do you know any Veidts in Special Forces or KorTac?”
“Not to my knowledge, no. Could it be her boyfriend?”
Jean shook her head, “No. The common theory is an uncle or half sibling. Both her parents were civilians, but her father had family and an ex-wife on the other side of the Atlantic. She has no idea where they are now or if they’re even still alive, but it seems the most likely—if not the only—possibility. Plus she was single when she was discovered.”
Ghost's brow furrowed.
“Discovered? What do you mean by that?”
“There was… an incident. It ended with her being taken into custody.”
Ghost wanted to press for more detail, but Jean flashed him a look that stopped him in his tracks. She was married to Laswell, and that doesn't happen without being able to hold her own in an argument.
“It’s not my story to tell." Her tone was measured, but Ghost could tell this was non-negotiable to her. “She’s a good kid. Just got in a bit of a rough patch. Along the way she had her blood tested and it must’ve pinged… something. Next thing she knows, she’s getting transferred. They refuse to tell her where. When she resists, she gets knocked out and wakes up here.”
“That still doesn’t explain the isolation.”
“We think that whoever she’s related to, it must be someone important. Or someone very dangerous. Someone they’re scared to anger.”
“Then why did they kidnap her if they’re so bloody afraid of pissing the bugger off?”
“Taking her was probably a calculated risk. Returning her damaged a death sentence. They wanted to make sure she doesn’t get hurt, either by her own hand or someone else’s.”
----------
Ghost cautiously approached the cell door. According to the directory, this was “Detainee #934287: VEIDT, Elisabeth.” He peered through the grate, careful not to get too close to the opening—he knew firsthand how solitary confinement could warp the mind and liked having both his eyes intact.
From what he could see, the cell had a tiny cot, stripped of its sheets on the left. On the right was a wash basin and bucket. In between was a small window—just large enough to stick your face out of. It wasn’t the worst cell Ghost had seen, but it wasn’t homey either. It also appeared to be empty.
“What the—” he muttered under his breath.
The low rumble of his voice almost made you jump from your position, sitting leaned against the door. The window was your only connection to the outside world, but it also made your cell freezing so you tried to stay as far away from it as possible when there was no one outside to talk to. You paused, confused then intrigued. You didn’t think they had a British guard. Slowly, you got up.
He was closer than you assumed. Right up against the door, you almost had to suppress the urge to jump again. You silently mourned the fact that such a pretty pair of eyes were wasted on some terrorist dipshit.
Still, you were bored enough that anything seemed intriguing.
“You’re new.”
“You’re Elise, right?”
Your lips quirked with all the cockiness of someone who knew they couldn’t be touched.
“Shouldn’t they have already debriefed you on that?”
“The only person who’s briefed me on you was Jean.”
Your eyes narrowed. You may have only been able to communicate through a tiny window, but you trusted Jean. You knew her. She wouldn't rat on you, not without a fight.
“What did you do to her?”
“Nothing,” his voice grew even gentler. Soft in a way that commanded you to hang on every word. “I’m here to help.”
Attractive voice and eyelashes aside, you were still unimpressed.
“Really?”
“I'm on a reconnaissance mission for Special Forces. I was supposed to memorize this file. I wasn’t told it was going in Vietnamese.”
You perked up at this. Finally, things were making a little sense.
“I speak Vietnamese.”
“So I’ve heard.”
You took one last look at him, trying to figure out if this was a trick or some sick game. Then again, if it was, what would they even do? Your captors didn’t seem allowed to punish you physically, and mentally there wasn’t much more they could do. Fuck it, you had nothing to lose.
You reached out your hand, “Gimme.”
He slipped you a folded up piece of paper. You unfolded it to reveal an annotated set of blueprints.
“Pen or pencil?” For all you know, he could be picky about that sort of stuff.
The man stood up to dig for something in his vest. You quietly realized that he’d been bending down to look you in the eye. This man, whoever he was, was tall.
He passed you a pen. You noticed that while his hands were gloved, a whisper of a tattoo peeked out as his sleeve rode up. It looked like it could be the bottom of a skull. Or a very small picket fence. Probably the former.
You figured he'd turn away and leave you to your work, but he doesn’t.
“Are you going to…”
“No,” he responded firmly. “If either of us get caught, at least two of us are screwed. I know I can get myself out of it, but our informant can’t. I won’t have his blood on your or my hands. So I’m going to keep watch.”
It’s slightly awkward with him just standing there, but you did your best to lay the blueprint flat against the wall and start scribbling away. Still, you couldn't help but let your eyes flit to him, now with his back to you, standing guard.
“Where are you from?”
“Hmm?”
“Your accent, where’s it from?”
“Shouldn’t you be focusing on your work?”
“I could do this with both hands tied behind my back."
He made a doubtful noise.
You let a cheeky smile grace your lips, “Pen in my mouth, paper on the floor. Handwriting might be chicken scratch, but it’d still be legible.”
If you could see his face, you would’ve noticed his eyebrows raise as he tried to picture it. You on your knees, leaned forward with your ass in the air, hands bound, tongue twisted around the p—
“So, the accent? Where?”
“That’s classified.”
You tilted your head in thought, “It’s Northern, right? British, not Scottish. You don’t sound like Eileen.”
He bristled, quiet in a way that tells you you’re on the money.
“Look, how about this. For every question you answer truthfully, I’ll do the same. I won’t ask you anything I know you can’t tell me, not even your name. I just... wouldn’t mind a little conversation. They’re kinda in short supply here.”
A beat passed.
“Manchester.”
“I knew it!”
He made another noise. You think it was a laugh. You think it sounds beautiful.
“My turn. How do you know Vietnamese?”
“My mother. She immigrated from the South when she was young. Judging from some of his vocabulary, I’d guess your informant is from the North, but the dialects aren’t all that different, especially in script. What food do you miss the most?”
“Anything that isn’t an ORP.”
“An ORP?”
“Operational ration pack.”
If your hands were free, you would’ve crossed them.
“That’s a cop out.”
“Fine,” he relented. “I could go for a Nando’s takeaway.”
“What sort of food is that?”
“Chicken. Flame grilled with this Peri-Peri sauce and—”
He groaned. It’s a noise you want to hear again.
Mimicked him in commiseration. The plates the guards slid through your food slot were pitiful, to say the least.
He starts to ask you something but seems to stop himself.
“What?” you asked.
“It’s… I shouldn’t.”
You were many things, but you weren't a coward.
“I can always choose not to answer. Hit me.”
His voice was still hesitant as he asked, “What did you get arrested for?”
You were worried that the question would be gross or embarrassing, not utterly nonsensical.
“Arrested?”
“Jean said they found you because you were taken into custody.”
“Oh,” your cheeks flushed. “It wasn’t that type of custody. I was 5150-ed. Or more accurately 5250-ed.”
“Pardon?”
“I tried to kill myself. I failed.”
The man froze. He turned around, trying to get a glimpse of you—and any wounds—through the grate.
“Do you need medical attention?”
“No,” you reassured. “I stole some valium and then drank myself silly. I was found in time and they got me help before any irrevocable damage happened. If they hadn’t spotted the note they would’ve just written me off as some foolish party animal, pumped my stomach, and let me be on my merry way.”
You haphazardly glanced at him, expecting him to be stone cold. A proper soldier. To your surprise his eyes, those stupidly beautiful eyes, are trained on you with more care than you've seen in the last three months combined.
“Were you a user… before?”
You shake your head but your eyes remain locked. You couldn't bear to break contact.
“No. Too busy with school. But then my mom died and suddenly everything was… too much. Going to med school and becoming a doctor was what she wanted. The loans, the sleepless nights, the blood, sweat, and tears. It was all for her. Not me. I wanted to make her proud. Happy. And now that will never happen. Without her, I didn’t really see the point of continuing to put myself through hell. I tried to drop out, but the program wouldn’t let me. So I figured might as well cut out all stress in my life instead.”
“Are you planning to try again?”
“No,” the answer is honest. “I’m not giving these bastards the satisfaction. Plus I need to find whoever put me in this situation in the first place and give them a piece of my mind.” You turned back to the blueprints, gently trying to shift the tone back to the comfortable rapport you had earlier. You missed it and you need him to stop looking at you like that or you might do something stupid. “That was like three extra questions. It's my turn now. Any hobbies?”
“Hobbies?”
The very word sounded foreign on his tongue.
“You know. Do you have a secret passion for knitting or something?”
“Embroidery, actually. And that’s no secret.”
“So, anything you do outside of… espionage or whatever your job is?”
“I dunno. Football. Tattoos.”
“Giving or receiving?”
“The latter, though I have been curious to learn it.”
“Got a steady hand?”
He smiled, thinking about something you know he won’t tell you.
“You could say that.”
“Anything else?”
He paused for a moment. You can tell there’s something on his mind. He just hasn’t resolved whether you’re worth it to tell to.
“There’s a bare knuckle boxing club I like to go to when I’m on leave.”
You haven’t seen him in combat, but there’s something in the coiled posture of his stance that tells you he knows how to handle himself.
“I bet you kick their asses."
He says nothing, but you swear he almost preens.
"Could you teach me?"
His lips quirked.
"How serious are you being?"
"Pretty decently. They got me this time. I won't let that happen again. Not without a fight."
"If you're ever in Town, visit Stuart’s and ask for Simon. Might be able to give you a few pointers."
You look up at him, grinning.
"Simon, eh?"
He smiled. His gaze was still intense, but its stifling mixture of pity and worry was replaced by something warmer that made your chest flutter.
"Can't promise I'll be there, but the lady at the desk should be able to tell you when I'll be back."
You folded the blueprints, neatly passing them through the cell bars.
"Well, Simon. Here's your translation. Give them hell."
----------
Chaos. Complete and other chaos.
Smoke and bombs and bullets. You agonized over whether or not to look out the window. The unknown of what was happening was almost scarier than the reality. In the few furtive glances you spared, you caught the bodies. So many bodies. The only relief was that all of the dead seemed to be guards.
You thought back on Simon, dressed in the guard’s garb. These are probably his people. He must’ve gotten out and they must’ve gotten the intel. By now he’s probably on his next recon mission. You were able to learn a little about military structure from what the other hostages told you about their families. If his specialty was infiltration they probably weren't going to waste him on a direct assault like this.
Manchester. Stuart's. Simon.
You didn't need to see him before then. You just needed him to stay alive, wherever he was.
The cacophony slowly grew closer. You didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing.
A loud buzz rang out as the power grid malfunctioned and the hallway outside your cell was plunged into darkness.
Something was happening and all you could do was sit back and listen.
There were screams. Some seemed to be of pure joy, others of painful death. Many you couldn’t tell apart.
There were gunshots. Often followed by gurgles and the sickening sound of someone falling to the ground. There were footsteps. Heavy ones. Slowly drawing nearer.
Someone jostled the cell door. You froze, holding your breath. Maybe they wouldn't even notice you.
The darkness outside your cell moved. A single blue eye peered through the grate, surrounded by black.
"Stay back," the eye commanded. You were all too happy to oblige him.
There was a quick bang and the cell door swung open, revealing a man. A large man.
He bent down to enter the cell before standing up to his full height. Clad in black with a mask you'd expect on a cartoon executioner, he unfolded like an eldritch piece of origami. He just seemed to keep on going.
“Are you Elisabeth?” Hearing it again, you realized his voice was accented. Up close, his demeanor transformed. He seemed... nervous. Incredibly so, barely even able to get the words out.
“Yes,” your voice is almost as hesitant as his.
“I— I am— Ah—” his feet shuffled about anxiously. Any bravado he had from battle has melted away, leaving him almost curled against the wall. You catch sight of a patch on his left side. Red. White. Red. The Austrian flag.
“Sprechen Sie Deutsch?” ( Do you speak German? ) you asked. Maybe talking would be easier in his native language.
The man perked up, surprised but excited.
“Ja! Du auch?” ( Yes! Do you? )
You nod, “Mein Vater war Österreicher.” ( My father was Austrian. )
You knew this was a possibility. Even with the covered face and the giant height difference. Still, his next words caught you off guard.
“Ich weiß. Ich bin dein Halbbruder.” ( I know, I’m your half-brother. )
----------
The tall man, your brother, escorts you out. He promises to tell you everything and more once you’re away from this wretched place wo die Wände haben Ohren ( where the walls have ears ).
After being cooped up for so long, your legs protest the walk, but you pushed through. You were a free woman and you would never take that for granted again.
The exhaustion was worth it to step into the daylight with your own two feet.
Once your eyes adjusted, you realized that two portable camps had been set up on the perimeter. As predicted, there was no sign of Simon. You did see a couple familiar faces though, along with a plethora of heavily-armed strangers (including a man wearing a skeleton mask of all things!). Eileen was deep in conversation with a mohawk-ed man, but she threw you a warm smile as she spotted you heading to the other wolf-emblemed camp.
"Are you alright?" a voice called out at you. It was British: Northern, but rougher and gruffer than Simon's had ever been. Still, you allowed yourself to revel in the fantasy for a moment before you had to face the speaker and ruin the illusion.
You didn't know who you were expecting when you turned around, but it certainly wasn't the skull-masked man.
Up close he was even more striking. You could just barely make out his shaded eyes, alone in a void of black and white. He was shorter than your brother, but still tall by any measure. Even at that size he managed to sneak up on you two.
Your heart was racing. You didn't know why.
"Ye—yes," you managed to stammer out.
Your brother noticed your distress. It seems to give him a confidence to act that he couldn't summon for himself.
He wrapped a protective arm around you and began to lead you away.
“She’s with KorTac,” he said, like that explained everything.
During your confinement, you had plenty of time to think about what you would say to whoever got you into this mess by joining the military. You had dreams of really digging in and tearing them a new one. All of those dreams flew out the window now.
It wasn’t like you couldn’t or were afraid to antagonize someone as big as your brother. But, seeing him… you didn’t want to do that, or anything that could hurt him.
You wanted to talk to him. To get to know him. To—silly as it was—protect him.
After all, he was about the only family you had left.
#simon ghost riley#simon riley x reader#ghost x reader#platonic König & reader#platonic konig & reader#König#konig#cod#call of duty#fic#fanfiction#công chúa#cong chua#die Prinzessin series#die Prinzessin au#cod mw2#modern warfare reboot
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The Tie Which Linked My Soul To Thee
Summary: Welcome to Horseshoe Overlook
Ao3 Wattpad Masterlist - All Chapters Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.4 Ch.5 Ch.6 Ch.7 Ch.8 Ch.9 Ch.10
Tags: Arthur Morgan/Original Female Character, Widowed, Original Character, Mutual Pining, Slow Build, Eventual Smut, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, High Honor Arthur Morgan, Friends to Lovers, Child Loss, Trauma, Canon-Typical Violence, Arthur Morgan Does Not Have Tuberculosis, Arthur Morgan Deserves Happiness, Chubby Arthur Morgan, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Ch 3 - The Suns Low Down The Sky
Arthur escorted Kate to Dutch’s tent first, where the other gang members looked on curiously. Jack leapt into his mother's arms, as she eyed the mystery woman who rode in with her son. Arthur explained the situation to Dutch, introducing Kate as a traveler heading west, planning to stay for only a few days.
“Nonsense!” Dutch laughed heartily. “Drifter, outcast, or outlaw, whatever you may be, Miss McCanon, you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like. We only ask that you pitch in with meals and chores.” He smiled, taking a puff from his cigar.
Kate nodded gratefully. “That's very kind of you, Mr. Van der Linde,” she replied.
“Please, call me Dutch,” he insisted. Kate reciprocated the informalities.
Dutch continued, “Arthur, show our new friend here where she can settle her things. Then come find me afterward; I’d like to discuss these Pinkertons you’re so worked up about.” He spoke casually, as if discussing the weather.
��Arthur led Kate to a small clearing next to the ladies' tents, where they whispered among themselves. Though Kate felt like an outcast among the group, she hoped to get to know them better, especially the other women. It had been a long time since she’s had the company of fellow girls. Even though she was still unsure about just how long she would remain here.
“You get yourself settled,” Arthur said warmly, “I’m gonna go speak with Dutch. I’ll come find you for dinner.” He bid her farewell, Kate nodded and set to work unpacking her few belongings—a tent cloth, bedroll, and a small bag of clothes. She chose to travel light, since she had no wagon to pull.
From the adjacent tent, two heads peeked out with nervous giggles. One woman had a head full of curls and a face full of freckles, while the other was dark-skinned and wore a vibrant yellow dress. They whispered amongst each other before addressing Kate.
“Hello,” Kate said, feeling a hint of sudden nervousness, it really had been awhile since she was around so much company.
“Hi Miss,” said the curly-haired girl, “are you Arthur’s new mistress?” She asked with a giggle.
Kate’s eyes widened in surprise and her cheeks tinted red, she hadn't thought about what the situation looked like to the other members. A strange woman riding in with one of the men, of course they would think she was a prostitute. Yet she was a little flattered, she did not feel nearly as pretty enough to be considered as such.
Kate used to be all “ladylike” back in the days when she was tending to her husband and daughter. But she's always been more on the rugged side, she stood about 5 foot 10 inches, and had wide shoulders and thick thighs like sturdy tree trunks. All the years on the open plains she's gained muscle in places she didn't even know she had. But the beginning of her journey west is what really hardened her, she shuddered at the memory.
“No, no, I assure you it’s nothing like that,” she clarified. .
“Oh, quit it, Mary-Beth,” the girl in yellow scolded, stepping out from the tent. “My name's Tilly. Nosey Nelly over here is Mary-Beth.”
Kate chuckled softly, relieved by Tilly's playful interruption. "Nice to meet you both," she said, offering a warm smile. "I'm Kate. And no, I'm not Arthur's mistress. Just passing through, like he said.” She restated, taking a good look at the two girls, she noticed they were incredibly young. Tilly couldn't be much older than 18, and Mary-Beth only looked a handful of years older. The faces were full of youth, and eyes still bright with hopes and dreams. She wondered how two beautiful young women ended up with a gang of outlaws. She prayed it was nothing nefarious.
Mary-Beth blushed, realizing her bluntness. "Sorry about that," she mumbled sheepishly.
Tilly waved off the apology with a grin. "Don't mind her. She's a hopeless romantic always jumping to conclusions," she explained, shooting a teasing glance at her friend.
"It's alright," Kate assured them, continuing to unpack her belongings. "I'm just grateful for a place to rest for a few days."
"Well, you're welcome here," Tilly said warmly. "We might be a ragtag bunch, but we look out for each other." The girls smiled in unison. It was clear they were eager to make a new friend.
Kate nodded, feeling a sense of security and camaraderie with the girls already. "Thank you Tilly. I really appreciate it."
“Can we introduce you to the others?” Mary-Beth inquired. Kate put down the bed roll she was spreading out and wiped her hands. She took a look around the camp and saw people milling about doing all sorts of activities. Some were cooking, some cleaning, others sat by a fire while two played dominos at a nearby table. She couldn't see him, but she knew Arthur would be inside the large canvas tent with Dutch and Hosea discussing the encounter by the river.
“That would be nice,” she answered with a nod. Mary-Beth lept at the opportunity and linked her arm with Kates, the gesture took her by surprise.
“Oh, it's so nice to have another woman around here. C’mon, I’ll introduce you to the girls first,” Mary-Beth exclaimed, her excitement infectious.
Kate couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm; this was slowly becoming exciting for her too. Together, the three of them strolled a short distance to a larger tent near a crackling fire. Jack sat on the ground, drawing shapes in the dirt with a stick, his eyes lighting up when they approached. Kate recognized the woman beside him as his mother from their earlier encounter. She wore a worn blue dress covered by a long plaid-brown trench coat, busy sewing Jack's sleepwear.
“Hello, Miss,” Kate greeted politely, acknowledging Abigail's tired smile. “I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your boy already. He's a wonderful kid.”
Abigail nodded gratefully, the weariness evident in her eyes. “Jack told me all about his adventures,” she paused her sewing to shake Kate's hand. “I’m Abigail.”
Kate returned the handshake warmly. “It's a pleasure, Abigail.”
As they moved on, Mary-Beth leaned close to Kate's ear, her voice hushed. “Abigail’s been under a lot of pressure lately,” she confided. “Her husband, well, I guess they're not technically married. Anyways, John hasn’t been the best father to Jack. She worries about her boy a lot.”
Kate's sympathy for Abigail deepened. Motherhood was challenging, even under the best circumstances, and she couldn't imagine the strain of raising a child in their risky situation. She wondered if this had anything to do with why Arthur took Jack fishing. Maybe he was trying to give his mother a break. She hoped to offer her support to Abigail when the opportunity arose.
Approaching the tree line, they encountered a blonde woman holding a rifle, evidently on guard duty. Kate noted the caution in her stance, understanding their wariness toward strangers.
“Well, who do we have here?” the woman greeted, her tone wary.
Mary-Beth took the lead in introducing Kate. “This is Kate, she’s our newest member!” she announced.
Karen eyed Kate suspiciously, her grip on the rifle tightening slightly. “Newest member, huh?” she said bluntly.
Kate raised her hands in a friendly gesture. “I’m just passin’ through, only staying for a night or two,” she explained. “I’m uh - a friend of Arthur’s.” She wasn't sure why the words came out so strange.
“I’m Karen,” she replied tersely. “Sorry if we don't take kindly to strangers. It's been real hard these past couple weeks.” Mary-Beth nodded in agreement. “I best get back to my lookout, holler when dinners ready.” She added, turning around and heading back into the thicket of trees.
As they returned to camp, the aroma of meat stew filled the air, and the fire crackled brighter with the encroaching darkness. People began claiming their seats by the fire's warm glow. Kate scanned the camp but saw no sign of Arthur, she figured he must still be with Dutch. She hoped he was alright after his encounter with the Agents, though she understood his agitation. If he truly was an outlaw, then any government official would probably trigger his flight or fight. She wanted to ask him about it, and ask him what happened.
She longed to hear his side of the story, but she knew it wasn't her place to pry. If he chose to confide in her, she would listen eagerly. After all, sharing stories was what kept her journey alive, each encounter offering a new perspective and enriching her travels. In return, she kept their memory alive, as they lived on through her.
As Mary-Beth led her to a spot by the fire, a formidable older woman with a head full of gray hair strode over, her voice carrying the weight of authority.
“Mary-Beth, I swear to the Lord above if those clothes aren’t washed by tomorrow morning I will—” she halted mid-sentence, her gaze landing on Kate. “Oh, hello dear. Who might you be?” Straightening her dress and tucking a stray hair behind her ear, she composed herself before the stranger.
“Miss Grimshaw, this is Kate McCanon. She’s going to be staying for a few days,” Mary-Beth introduced, a hint of hesitation in her voice.
Kate realized that Miss Grimshaw must be the matriarch of the camp, responsible for keeping things in order. She offered a warm smile. “It's a pleasure, Miss Grimshaw,” she said, extending her hand for a shake. “I’m very grateful to be welcomed here. Whatever you need me to do will be done, be it cleaning, cooking, hunting—you name it. Anything I can do to repay the kindness.”
Miss Grimshaw seemed pleased by Kate’s graciousness. “Well, my oh my, if only the other girls had as much responsibility as you, young lady, then maybe we wouldn’t be living in this dump,” she chuckled. “Well, enjoy your evening, dear. The work can wait until tomorrow.”
Kate nodded her thanks, noting Mary-Beth's subtle eye-roll as Miss Grimshaw walked away. As the dinner bell rang, a heavyset man by the chuck wagon announced that dinner was ready. Mary-Beth informed Kate that he was Mr. Pearson, the camp cook.
The two of them lined up and filled their bowls, then settled by the fire. Kate found herself between Mary-Beth and Tilly, enjoying the warmth and the chatter of the camp. As the commotion continued, she spotted three men emerging from Dutch’s large tent. Among them was Arthur, making his way over to join them at the fire.
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Arthur left Dutch’s tent feeling irritated. He laid out the entire situation to him and Hosea—the Pinkertons, Milton’s offer, everything. He stressed that they were being watched, that danger lurked closer than they might realize.
Dutch had questioned his decision to refuse the offer, which Arthur found absurd. Why would he betray his own for a deal with the devil? He was raised not to trust the government and this camp was the closest thing he had to a family, and he’d sooner face down the law than betray them.
The conversation echoed in his mind, “ What's our move, Dutch? ” Arthur had asked, desperation creeping into his voice. Dutch's response was predictably vague, “ We do nothing, son, ” he asserted, “ They want us scrambling, like headless chickens, but we will stand our ground. We just need a bit more cash, then we’ll set sail east. ” Hosea sighed in resignation—“ Have faith ,” Dutch added, as if it were a magic word.
Arthur had never once doubted Dutch or Hosea, they were the people who clothed him, fed him, and protected him from a very young age, but he was beginning to wonder when the robbing and running would end. They had already lost Mac, Davey, and young Jenny. This life was not a safe one, and everyday he wonders if it will be his last.
He bid them farewell and exited the tent, he made his way towards the fire and spotted Kate eating dinner and integrating herself with the gang. He noticed her smile as he tipped his hat in greeting, and sat on a log opposite from her.
“Looks like you've made yourself at home, Miss McCanon,” Arthur remarked with a friendly grin, not revealing any of the stress that weighed heavy on his shoulders.
“Kate,” she corrected him, casual and warm, “and yes, everyone's been lovely. I’m grateful for the company,” she replied, spooning up some stew.
“So, where is it you come from?” Lenny chimed in, initiating the conversation.
“I was born up north, near Boston. I lived there for about 20 years before traveling southwest,” she answered truthfully. Arthur noted this must be why her accent was different from most people around these parts.
“Long way from home!” Javier exclaimed, joining the conversation, “I’ve always wanted to see the north, I hear it's beautiful,” he looked up, picturing the image in his head.
Kate nodded and hummed an answer as she remembered her home, “it's very green and mountainous.”
Lenny’s voice chimed in again, “what brought you out this way? If ya dont mind me asking.” He said politely.
Kate inhaled a breath and shook her head slightly, “it's quite a long story. Suffice to say, there’s nothing left for me up there. Ain't got no family, no land or property.” She said as her expression darkened briefly.
“How come a pretty thing like you ain't married eh?” The Irish man, Sean, quipped from his seat across from her, his voice lubricated with ale. He was more than a little tipsy, already on his fourth beer of the night. Arthur tensed at his comment, Sean had a knack for stirring trouble with his loose tongue. To his surprise Kate laughed and met his banter with her own.
“Well, you see Sean, I’m just waiting for a man who can match my charm. But they seem as rare as a sober Irishman in a pub.” She shot back with a playful wink. Arthur couldn't help but chuckle.
Sean let out a whooping laugh and slapped his leg, “oh she’s a feisty Lass!” he hollered, “what’s a woman like you doing with a grumpy old bastard like Arthur? Maybe you’d like to take your chances with a handsome young gentleman such as myself.” Sean shimmied his body insinuating something nefarious. Kate only laughed and shook her head.
Arthur couldn't help but join in, “I shoulda let you hang,” he said with a snicker, masking his annoyance, “and we met on a job a few weeks back. Ran into her again down by the river when I was fishin’ with the kid.” He explained, taking a swig of his drink, he didn't want Kate to think he had any ulterior motive based on Sean’s comment.
They continued to chat together, but the conversation shifted from being about Kate to whatever absurd tale Uncle was telling. Arthur’s peace was interrupted for the third time that day by the sound of hooves approaching.
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Kate leaned back against the log and placed her empty bowl beside her. Content after a warm hearty meal. She listened with content as the other members of the camp shared stories amongst each other.
Her gaze lingered over to Arthur, who seemed lost in thought whilst looking deep in the fire. He wrung his hands together and Kate noticed he did not grab dinner for himself. Before she could offer to fill him a bowl they all turned to the sound of hooves.
Three men were returning to camp, with a woman following behind them. She noticed, unlike the other ladies of the camp, the woman was wearing trousers, and carrying iron on her hip, she made a note to introduce herself later. Next to her, Tilly pointed out the new arrivals. The one with shaggy black hair was John, Jack’s father and Abigail’s not-so husband. He dismounted and immediately went to his tent, where Abigail was eating with Jack. The other two men were heavier, and rougher looking. Tilly said their names were Bill and Micah. The one called Bill helped himself to the stew, while the one she called Micah caught Dutch’s attention and they entered his tent together. That just left the woman, Tilly explained that she was a widow they rescued in the Grizzlies. O’Driscoll’s had killed her husband, and Micah accidently set her cabin aflame. She dismounted and pulled a white envelope from her satchel.
Approaching Arthur she held out the paper, “for you.” She said handing him the letter, “from a woman, uh, Mary Linton, I think.” He nodded and took the envelope, opening its contents. Kate was suddenly curious about this Mary woman.
The woman, Sadie, tipped her hat at Kate and Tilly before grabbing a bowl of stew and retreating back to her tent. A woman of few words, Kate recalled.
She tried to watch the fire and go back to listening to the stories, but her gaze lingered on Arthur, whatever this woman said in her letter gave him a sorrowful expression. Abruptly he stood up, shoving the paper in his back pocket, and walked away. Kate was a little disappointed he didn't say goodnight, or give any acknowledgement. She had the idea to bring him some food later to cheer him up.
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Over an hour had passed and Kate was confident she knew all the camp members now, after everyone shared tales and fun memories of one another. The only people missing were Charles, who Tilly informed her he often went out hunting, and Kieren, who hasn't really integrated himself with the others yet. It was getting late, and she needed to feed and tend to her horse before resting herself. She bid her farewell to everyone and made her way over to her beloved mare Lorena. Briefly stopping by her tent to grab an apple for her, and a peach for Arthur. She would have to pass his tent on her way, so she figured she would offer the food then, if he wasn't already asleep.
To her surprise he wasn't on his cot, perhaps he went for a ride she thought. She continued on to find her mare with the other gang's horses near the entrance to their camp. Lorena greeted her excitedly, it had only been a few hours since she last saw her, but her baby had always been clingy.
“How ya doin’ girl,” she cooed, scratching her snout. She reached around and undid the saddle strapped to her back, “let's get this heavy thing off ya so you can rest properly.” She said pulling the saddle down. Lorena let out a happy huff in response.
Kate reached into her satchel pulling out a small blade, she tenderly cut small pieces from the apple and fed them to her horse. While she fed her she sang a soft tune, almost like a lullaby, to ease her mares nerves and settle her in for the night.
This house, she’s holding secrets.
I got my change behind the bed,
In a coffee can I can throw my nickels in.
Just in case I have to leave.
She sliced another piece of the apple and Lorena lapped it from her hand, nudging her snout into Kate’s hair, making her laugh. She continued on with her song as the quiet of the night sang its own gentle tune.
I will go if you ask me to,
I will stay if you dare.
And I go, I’m goin’ shameless.
Let my hunger take me there.
Lorena let out a soft, breathy whinny, her body growing visibly relaxed. Kate watched the other horses as she sang, most of them paid her no mind, lazily grazing on the little tufts of grass that the overlook had to offer them. She noticed Arthur’s mare, Belle, standing near a tree about a yard away. She watched them wearily, probably interested in the apple Kate was feeding. She was a beautiful white Arabian, and a stark contrast to her own black beauty, as Arthur had called her.
She paused her tune and clicked her tongue, inviting his horse to join her. Lorena stomped a hoof in protest but Kate ignored. She wanted to feed his beautiful horse, and get to know her.
“Nice to see you again, pretty girl,” she said when Belle came around the tree she was hiding near. She cut another slice of the apple and Belle sniffed her palm before gently taking the piece from her.
While feeding the two horses and gently running her fingers through their manes, she finished her song.
I will go if you ask me to.
I will stay if you dare.
And if I go, I’m goin’ crazy.
Let my darlin’ take me there.
Kate doesn't remember how she discovered it, but since the day she’s had Lorena her voice always had an effect on her horse. Maybe it was because she was the first to show her mare kindness, being rescued as a young filly taken from her mother too soon. Kate had always been a bit of a singer, her father taught her to play guitar, and her mother would often sing lullabies to her siblings when they were little. She picked it up somewhere along the way in life, it was a comfort for her. One of the last things she has of her family was their love for music, and she always carried that with her.
“That was real pretty,” a rugged voice said from the ground, a few feet away from where Kate stood. She yelped and jumped back, in the moonlight she could just barely make out Arthur’s figure resting against the tree that Belle had been standing by.
“Arthur, you scared the shit out of me! I’m surprised Lorena didn’t take off again!” She scolded. Grabbing her mare’s reins as if she were about to bolt.
He chuckled and stood up, brushing his jeans, “well Lorena already knew I was here,” he said in a hushed voice, almost teasing.
Kate blushed and realized he was right, the horses knew he was there, she was the one who didn't look down. “Sorry,” she admitted, “but you really did scare the daylight out of me,” she laughed, feeling less embarrassed now. “I um, noticed you didn't have dinner with us tonight,” she said changing the subject.
Arthur sighed and scratched the back of his neck, “uh yeah, just wasn't hungry is all.” He said bluntly.
“Are you alright?” Kate asked flat-out, Arthur blinked in surprise at her question, “the letter you received earlier, I noticed it made you upset.” She explained.
Arthur let out a breath, “oh that, it’s…complicated,” he admitted.
“I see. I won’t pry if you don’t want to talk about it,” she said, reaching into her satchel and pulling out the fresh peach she had brought him. “I brought you a snack, in case you were hungry. I was gonna bring it to your tent but you weren’t there,” she smiled handing him the treat.
Arthur’s heart leapt at the gesture. It had been a long time since someone paid attention to him like this. Sure everyone at the camp always asks how he is or how his day went, what he’s up to and what not. Aside from his short talks with Tilly and Mary-Beth. The rest of the gang never seemed to notice when he doesn't eat, or when he’s not at camp. When he was in a sour mood they avoided him like the plague, and when he was upset Dutch would just say, “chin up, boy.” He was the right hand man of the gang leader, but he always felt invisible. Like he was nothing more than a big dumb strong arm.
“That really for me?” He said, unable to hide the smile in his voice, “peaches ain’t even in season, where'd you get this?”
“A man from Georgia came through Emerald ranch the other day, he was selling a bunch of fruit so I bought some peaches,” she explained. She went back to cutting slices of her apple and feeding them to Lorena.
Arthur held the peach in his hands as if he were admiring the plushy soft flesh, “thank you,” he said sincerely.
“Don't mention it,” she replied warmly. Arthur held the peach and watched Kate feed her horse while he stroked his mare with his free hand.
“I meant what I said earlier, ‘fore I scared you,” he said quietly, “the song, well, your voice, is real pretty,” he complimented again.
Kate laughed quietly, “thank you Arthur, It's something I've always found comfort in.”
“I heard you singin’ for her when we was back at Emerald ranch,” he continued, “you must have a special bond with that horse.” He looked at Lorena who was breathing quietly and closing her eyes as Kate scratched under her jaw.
“Lorena and I have a complicated history,” she began, “she was just a filly when I got her, scared and alone, and I was, well I was pretty much the same,” she added quietly, not wanting to reveal too much emotion in her tone, “I guess her and I needed each other more than we realized.”
Arthur sensed her discomfort and began telling her about his own mare, “well that's more than I can say about Belle,” he started with a half laugh to ease the tension, “She found me in the Grizzlies about a month ago, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place when,” he paused a moment and looked somber as he reflected on the memory, “when my old horse Bodasia didn't make it through the snow storm, I thought I was going to die too.” He patted Belle affectionately. “That's when she found me, I could barely make out between her white coat and the snow. But she wasn't scared of me, came right up to me as if she was sayin’ follow me, I’ll get you out of here .”
Kate watched as Arthur nuzzled his horse lovingly, it always warmed her heart to see people have such deep bonds with their horses. They were incredible animals, and very in tune with their owners' own emotions. For Belle to trust Arthur from the beginning, and stand by his side since, he must be a very special man.
“That's beautiful, she chose you Arthur. That bond is stronger than anything you could have bought from a stable or caught in the wild.” She said somberly.
Arthur nodded in agreement, the two tended to their horses in a comfortable silence. The sound of the night’s chorus around them.
After a moment, Arthur spoke up again, “the letter was from my old flame, Mary,” he began, his voice tinted with quiet sadness. Kate realized he was comfortable enough to open up to her about it, she dared not interrupt. “She's….she's askin’ for my help.”
“What kind of help?” Kate asked softly.
Arthur sighed and shook his head, “She's in a tough spot,” he explained, his gaze distant as he recounted Mary's plea for assistance. "Her family's facing trouble, and she's desperate for someone to turn to."
"Sounds like she trusts you," Kate remarked, offering him a sympathetic look.
Arthur nodded, his expression conflicted. "We had our moments," he admitted, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "But things didn't end well between us."
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she spoke.
He sighed heavily, his gaze drifting to the ground. "Yeah, well, sometimes things just don't work out the way we hope," he replied, his voice tinged with regret.
Kate could sense the weight of his words, the burden of past regrets bearing down on him. She reached out a hand, placing it gently on his arm in a gesture of comfort. "You can't blame yourself for everything, Arthur," she said softly. "People change, circumstances change. It's just a part of life."
For a moment, they sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts as the night enveloped them in its embrace. After a while, Arthur spoke up again, his tone more subdued. "I don't know what to do, Kate," he admitted, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Part of me wants to help Mary, but another part...well, another part just wants to leave the past behind and move on."
Kate nodded sympathetically, understanding the internal struggle he was facing. "It's not an easy decision to make," she acknowledged. "But whatever you choose, just make sure it's what's best for you."
Arthur let out a weary sigh, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Yeah, easier said than done," he muttered, his brow furrowed in contemplation.
"You'll figure it out, Arthur," she reassured him, her voice filled with conviction. "If life didn't give us second chances, then we would all be alone. We rely on each other, lean on each other, to make it through the tough times. Helping others isn't a weakness, it's a testament to our humanity. Even if they've hurt us in the past.”
Arthur offered her a grateful smile, "Thanks, Kate," he said softly, his voice tinged with gratitude. "I appreciate that more than you know."
With a nod of understanding, Kate squeezed his arm reassuringly before returning her attention to Lorena. Together, they sat in companionable silence, the sound of the forest as their backdrop. After a moment, Arthur retrieved the peach from his satchel, its juicy aroma filling the air as he bit into its sweet flesh. Lost in thought, his mind wandered to the woman who had unexpectedly entered his life and stirred emotions he thought long buried.
#arthur morgan x original female character#arthur morgan x reader#arthur morgan#red dead redemption community#x reader#red dead redemption 2#rdr2 fanfic#rdr2 community#rdr2#dutch van der linde#hosea matthews#john marston#jack marston#angst#fluff#oc x canon#arthur morgan x oc#ao3 fanfic#ao3#wattpad#fanfic
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Room 34
A/N: a lil part of the AU I've been working on for a bit. Featuring Tommy & Bee when they are quite a bit older! I do plan on making a second part to this. <3 Tommy is 89 and Bee is 79 in this one. Yup. Cute lil old couple :') warnings: language, smoking. not canon. a part of my tommy x bee sutton!au. 1.8k words. I take no credit for the gif!
1979 - London, England
Thomas Shelby, 89. Birmingham, England.
I didn’t get far into the paperwork sitting in front of me in regards to this patient, Mr. Shelby, when a middle aged woman with black hair, and an older woman with the most beautiful skin and gray hair I’ve ever seen walked in the door, bickering.
“Mother, really, I don’t see why re-doing the trust when he is in here would be a bad idea!” the younger of the two said, eyes not leaving who I now knew to be her mother.
“Kate!” the older woman seethed, voice just above a whisper. “I told you why! I will not discuss this further,” she cut herself off in the middle of the sentence upon seeing me at the table already. “Oh, dear, I am terribly sorry! We didn’t think you’d be here early, I apologize,” she said, flashing me a smile.
I shrunk under her gaze, her presence. She held herself with the dignity of a woman of importance–power. She was dressed from head to toe in the finest clothes I had ever seen. Her hands were adorned with diamond rings and her necklace was the most stunning gold heart locket I’d seen, with an emerald in the center.
“I’m Bee Shelby,” she held out her elegant hand to me, and I took it. Her grip was surprisingly strong for a woman of her age, and she smiled at me again, her dark eyes alight with life. “This is my eldest daughter, Kate Breckenridge,” she motioned to the middle aged woman who stood behind her.
Kate was striking in an odd way. Her hair was the darkest black, almost blue, I’d ever seen with a very distinct stripe of white hair in the front. Her cheekbones were possibly the highest cheekbones I’d ever seen, and her eyes were an electric blue. She eyed me with a certain amount of uncertainty before holding out her hand.
She shook my hand hesitantly as Mrs. Shelby removed her coat, draping it over the back of her chair. “Well,” she said, folding her hands in her lap. “Please, tell us about yourself.”
“Well–” I stammered, overwhelmed by these women. “My name is Andrea Little and I am training to be a nurse, but right now I am just a nurse's aid. I have worked in nursing homes before as nutritional aids and with the activities department–”
Mrs. Shelby put her hand up. “Sweetheart,” she interrupted me. “We don’t really care about your qualifications,” she said, her eyes soft in a sweet, motherly way. “We’re wanting someone to sit with him, talk to him, listen to him. Keep him company. You see,” she readjusted herself in her seat. “Mr. Shelby has been full throttle for the last sixty years and it is time he slowed down, this fall is evidence of that. He is here to recover and to be under the watchful eye of nursing staff and doctors,” she explained. My brow furrowed. “Unfortunately, we are incredibly busy in Birmingham and will not be able to be here as much as we’d like, so we wanted someone to come and spend a little time with him. The company is very busy right now, we just had an expansion into Munich and we’ve all been traveling back and forth quite a bit.”
“You must understand,” Kate interjected. “He is a very important man to all of us, but his health is of utmost importance, and it’s time he was put first, instead of all of us and him dead last.”
Mrs. Shelby nodded, eyeing her hands in her lap, adjusting her rings. They told me of the pay, of the expectations and my heart skipped a beat at the numbers they were proposing to pay me. I agreed and signed on the dotted line of their contract.
“Please, don’t be discouraged by his somewhat brutish behavior,” Mrs. Shelby told me, a glimmer in her eye. “He’ll come around.”
They walked me down the hallways of Muriel Rose Nursing Facilities to Mr. Shelby’s room. Mrs. Shelby knocked on his door, #34, and he grunted a greeting.
“Thomas,” she said in a sweet voice. “It’s me and Kate,” she said, walking towards the smaller, old man sitting in an armchair by the window, cigarette between his fingers. He wore navy blue slacks, a button down shirt with a tie and a cardigan, one of the snappier dressers I’d seen at this nursing home. He had a gold watch on his wrist, a thick wedding band on his left hand and a signet ring on his pinky on his right hand. He wore circular, gold wire rimmed glasses. His eyes were a blue that matched his daughters, hair completely white, skin like alabaster, spotted with age and sun spots.
His eyes softened when she approached him, a small smile on his face. “Darling,” he said in a low voice. “Are you here to take me home?” he asked, reaching for her hands. They held hands while she explained that he had to stay here for a while longer until he was recovered, his face falling. “Who’s that?” he asked, pointing at me.
“Lovey,” she cooed, brushing her hands through his hair. “That is Andrea, she will be helping you while you’re here. She’s a lovely girl. She’s about Jade’s age. We’re just a phone call away if you need us, my love,” she said, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
“Yeah, a fucking phone call and an ocean away,” he mumbled, rolling his eyes at his wife. “I know you’ve got a flight scheduled for three hours from now to take you both to Munich,” he said, wagging a crooked finger at them.
“Who told you?” Kate asked, hands on her hips.
“Who do you think?” he asked, a smirk on his lips.
Mrs. Shelby and Kate looked at each other before sighing and grunting a joint, “Anthony."
Mr. Shelby smiled, exhaling smoke before reaching to stub out his cigarette. “He is my greatest ally in this world,” he smirked. “Pain in my ass that he is.”
Mrs. Shelby rolled her eyes. “Pain in all our asses, my love,” she corrected him, reaching down to press a kiss to his lips. “I’ll see you as soon as I can, Lovey,” He grumbled something I couldn’t understand, but Mrs. Shelby giggled. “I love you too, Thomas,” she smiled. “We leave you in Andrea’s capable hands!”
And so it was, just me and Mr. Shelby.
An awkward and uncomfortable silence fell for a while after Mr. Shelby’s wife and daughter left, leaving the two of us alone. I sat in the chair opposite him while he read. Poetry, I was surprised to see. When he was satisfactorily finished with poetry, he switched to a compilation book of Edgar Allen Poe’s writings.
“Do you read much, Ms. Little?” he asked, setting his book down in his lap.
“A little,” I admitted.
He let out a dissatisfied “Hmph,” and went back to his book.
I looked around his room, trying to find something, anything to spark a conversation with him about. But he seemed to be the kind of man who didn’t want to just have small talk. As if he could read my mind, he said, “I am comfortable in silence, Andrea. Don’t feel the need to fill the void.”
My heart hammered in my chest. “Yes, Mr. Shelby,” I said, trying to think of what I was supposed to do with this grumpy man for the foreseeable future.
He continued on reading his weathered paperback.
Around six he dismissed me, saying he had enough of hearing my heavy breathing. I retreated to the library before it closed, in an attempt to find out everything that I could about this mysterious man. And I found out quite the story.
The next morning, I arrived a little after ten. He was sitting up in his chair, a notepad and pen in his hand, carefully writing something down. “Good morning,” I tried to cheerily say.
“Don’t try to be a morning person, it doesn’t suit you,” he said, not looking up from his notebook.
“I am not a morning person, you’re right,” I admitted, closing the door behind me. He had unpacked a few of his personal things. Thick, leather bound photo albums with worn spines were now on the small kitchenette table. A few picture frames were on his bookshelves. Photos of what I assumed to be his children when they were little, his wife and him when they were younger. Worn paperbacks with cracked spines and dog eared pages were on his nightstand. A large print date book sat on top of his bed, opened to this month's calendar, little notes scribbled on each date.
“Can I help you unpack anything?” I asked, shrugging my jacket off.
He grunted. “Let me fucking finish this,” he grumbled. I rolled my eyes, continuing to look around the room. He had a suitcase airing out on the coffee table, his pants, sweaters, shirts and ties all hung neatly in the closet. Shades of blue, gray, black. He had hats sitting on the top of the closet. A case, which I figured held watches, cufflinks, rings, sat underneath a hat.
He closed his notebook, replacing the cap on his pen. “I want the books on the shelf,” he gruffly said. “How fucking long am I supposed to be in here? My wife, as much as I love her, sometimes I think she babies me with me getting old fast,” he rolled his eyes.
“I think three more weeks, Sir,” I said, going over to his nightstand to retrieve the books.
“Three fucking weeks, eh?” he asked, reaching for a cigarette. “Fucking torture and she knows it. All of them know it,” he rasped.
“All of who?” I asked, my back turned to him to avoid his eyes.
“My fucking six kids,” he said, throwing his lighter to the table with a clang. “Fucking six of em,” he shook his head.
“Who’s your favorite?” I asked with a smile.
He smirked. “Can’t have a fucking favorite.”
“But you do,” I smiled. “Even the best of parents do.”
He chuckled, exhaling smoke. “I was not the best parent. My wife–she was the angel to them.”
I shrugged. “That’s fairly normal for most families I think, Mr. Shelby.”
“My favorite when they were little was Peter. My favorite now is Anthony,” he adjusted to pull out a photo from his wallet. It was old, crinkled at the corners and small. “These are my children once they were all adults,” he beckoned me over. “This is Peter,” he pointed to a man who looked similar to the younger photos of Mr. Shelby himself. “My eldest, and Kate, who you met,” he said. “These are my twins, William and Isabel,” he pointed to a blonde woman and a brown haired man. The woman tall, and the man shorter. “This is Claire,” he pointed to a woman who looked similar to Mrs. Shelby. “And that is Anthony,” he pointed to a young man with broad shoulders, a tall frame and one of the most stunning men I’d laid eyes on.
“They look lovely,” I smiled.
“They’re my life’s second greatest accomplishment,” he sighed, setting the photo down before returning to his cigarette.
“And your first?” I asked.
He sighed. “My Bee.”
tag list: if tumblr isn't allowing me to tag you, please see this link for reasons why the tags aren't working. (most likely #3)
@peakyltd @cctoma @lyarr24 @shelbyteller @mrsnshelby88 @skydisneylover @babygaga67 @mariarozasworld @kemillyfreitas @cyphah
#tommy shelby x bee#tommy shelby x oc#tommy shelby#tommy shelby x ofc#tommy shelby x bee sutton#thomas shelby x oc#thomas shelby x ofc#thomas shelby#tom shelby#peaky fookin blinders#peakywomen#peaky blinder fanfic#peaky blinder imagine#sneakyblinders#my au <3
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YOU HAVE SUMMONED ME honestly I was worried that this was super late but then I saw the time stamp on your post and I was like 😀 tis still shenanigan time!! HALEY!!! aka BITEWING!!!! sweet angel baby puppy love of my life. she’s adorable. she only has three legs! when dick rescued her from getting abused by some random jerks in the street she BIT HIM hard enough that he needed STITCHES. and he said “oh i’m gonna take her to the pound tomorrow” and babs and tim were like 👀 uh huh, sure you are dick… and next thing you know we see he’s got toys for her and a bed and a bowl with her name on it. her name was voted on by readers and is a nod to haly's circus! (which writers occasionally forget that dick owns now, but that’s a whole other tangent) she is a tiny menace and I love her! just in canon we’ve seen her try to play with/tear up important papers, she ate dick’s tv remote and tore up his couch, and she has daydreams about fighting crime as bitewing 🩵 she very much strikes me as an ankle biting menace while she’s still a puppy, and I feel like lucky would literally have to scruff her to pull her away from a fight… which honestly also feels right for kate and dick in some cases 😂
This is amazing I am sobbing I am weeping Kate and Dick with their disabled doggos
(Also Dick and Clint lowkey soulmate vibes???)
I was imagining Kate losing Lucky at a dog park (full disclosure I have no idea how dog parks work, maybe just a regular park?) and she's getting pizza to lure Lucky (and potentially also Jeff???) back to her, she's not super worried, she's chatting to Cute Tall Guy who is ALSO missing his dog. He's not getting pizza for doggo, just for him. Anyway SUDDENLY A RUCKUS and Kate and Tall Guy hear Barking! And individually they are thinking, well, my dog might have just started a gang war
again
This is fine
It turns out puppo Haley has found a stray cat mama with a new litter of kittens and has planted herself between the cat and some other dogs who are clearly VERY poorly behaved, but she is a hero and that's! what! heroes! do! However Haley is a pup and also missing a leg she could use some backup basically, and Lucky, who has never met a disaster he doesn't love, decides to ALSO plant himself between the mean dogs (who are lowkey trying to bully Haley) and Haley and the cats. Jeff might be there but mostly for the Drama bc he's a messy bench like that
Anyway Dick and Kate proceed to RIP INTO the other dog owners and then look at each other askance like wtf are we supposed to do with the cat?!?!?! Who has decided Haley is just a big dumb kitten she lost and has adopted her (very bruce-coded of the cat tbh). And kittens?!?! One of them is orange and has something going on with an eye and Kate is like oh NO this kitten is a cat Lucky I can't believe I have at least one cat now
(clint: you know you don't have t--
Kate: who am I to argue with the cat distribution system)
Dick is frantically calling up his favorite animal expert (it's Damian) about how to safely move mama and kittens? And where? Vet??!?!? Animal shelter?!?!?! Tim?!?!
To be fair Dick could have probably figured it out if he was alone but Kate is there and his brain makes dialup noises when he looks at her for too long yes he's WEAK leave him alone
At some point Kate winds up sitting on the ground and Haley flops into her lap and passes out because it's been a big day for a puppy and Lucky and Jeff give Kate the BIGGEST SADDEST BABY EYES because that's their spot?? Why is this interloper hogging the Pizza Girl? Lucky turns Sad Dog Eye on Dick like Dick is just going to remove his darling puppy from her nap spot? Sir. Please be serious.
Idk where i was going with this but also Lucky the hardened established dog hero and Haley his young impetuous sidekick dog, Jeff finding missions for them working out of Batcow's barn. BITEWING!!! I am dead. Pandemonium is their business.
lol for some reason Haley is giving me cat vibes a little. Lucky is like, this is Pizza Girl. Protecting Pizza Girl is my sworn duty. And Haley is like I am BITEWING. This is my human sidekick, Nightwing.
(Also for some reason I'm lowkey vibing Clint and Babs???? For this???? I think they are besties regardless but just seeing them watching their favo disaster birds getting parent trapped by their DOGS like "are you seeing this? I'm not the only one seeing this right????")
ANyway maybe Clint has custody of Lucky so Kate and Jeff are moping hanging out at a park (Jeff is an extrovert and he is LONELY he wants FRIENDS) and one of two things happens:
Haley bolts and Dick is chasing after her and hears someone go "Don't you BARK at him, he didn't do anything! He just wants to be friends!" which makes Dick have the simultaneous thoughts of "oh no what did my dog do" and "how DARE you yell at my dog!!"
he rounds the corner and sees Haley looking as chagrined as a chaos pup can look before scootching closer to the other dog and licking its...nose. Snout?
"That's a shark," Dick says. The shark in question is now dragging out what appears to be a rotisserie chicken and is sharing it with Haley.
"What?" Kate says. "No, he's just a rare breed of dog. The, uh. The Chilean Hairless....land...shark."
OR Haley is Not Afraid! She decided she and Dick were playing fetch with one of his escrima sticks and she took OFF so now Dick is yelling for her hoping she comes back with the same stick she left with.
So Dick is hollering for her and Kate answers back "Haley is over here! Uhh assuming Haley is a dog and not a child, or a bird, or a lizard of some kind?"
And that's when Dick sees his dog playing with his escrima stick with a shark??? who is leaving dents in his weapon????
Kate isn't even looking at Dick when she's like "hey, do you come here often? Jeff has been really lonely and she's the first dog we've met that isn't terrified of him, so that's pretty cool, anyway hi my name is Kate...." and THEN she looks up (and up, and up) at Dick and is like. oh my god. is this why Gwen said we should try this park today??? Because of beautiful dog dad man?
either way Jeff REFUSES to leave Haley which means Dick and Kate have to spend most of the day together. At some point MODOK tries to steal Jeff back and Haley plants herself in front of Jeff and growls at MODOK and she's actually pretty intimidating but it's still the cutest thing ever. Jeff and Haley are ride-or-dies, like Jeff will be mad at Dick when Haley has to go to the vet.
#kate bishop#hawkeye#dick grayson#nightwing#dickate#bitewing#lucky the pizza dog#jeff the land shark#my stuff#dc brainrot#dc brainrot anon#honestly if you want a different name tag lmk 😂#tim and damian arrive to help and dick is like D: no pay attention to me again#haley and lucky wind up on patrol and thats how the secret identity reveal happens#dick and kate getting parent trapped by their dogs#no idea why i'm lowkey obsessed with kate and batboys and animals#it's becoming a thing#like i have a battleworld/beyond thing where damian gives kate a horse#it's a whole thing#dick DOES own the circus?!?!?! *frantically scratching out things in my dickate fic*
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about your tags on my post, explain to me anything you want about your bmc aus I'm curious
(rubbing my gay lil hands together) you've opened the floodgates i hope you know, so i'm sorry in advance for the walls of text incoming aha.
BUT ANYWAY!!!!
this week (oct 9 to oct 13) is THE exact same dates as the week my LIS AU "Life is Weird" takes place (in 2017 tho), so this infodump will be ALL about that AU in particular!!! also bc the 6-year anniversary of the blog was last month ♥
my icon on this blog is my art from that AU too :]c
EDIT: putting this under a cut actually, so i don't have a mile-long post lol. also, i think i'll make a pinned post with a list of all my other AUs for reference! i have a LOT of half-baked ones i'd love to talk about as well
so:
Life is Weird is a Life is Strange-inspired AU i created in 2017!
the askblog it started with (@asklifeisweird) follows Michael as the protagonist (a la max caulfield), and Jeremy as the equivalent to chloe price.
there's a couple more roles that were originally fairly 1:1 (squip as jefferson, rich as nathan, chloe as victoria, christine as kate, dustin as rachel), but over the years they've mostly grown away from being "reskins" as me and my boyf keep developing the au!
i've also stolen several characters from the BMC book– either entirely or just in name– to fill the background space/chars, since LIS has a whole world of characters and BMC as a musical kinda... didn't, at least back in the day :'D now there's more named bg chars, but keep in mind this AU started before even the 2017 Exit82 revival, so we had uhhh about 11 characters and a book. anyway.
while the askblog itself hasn't exactly gotten very far in the story yet, the au has grown to include more LIS-based ideas as That franchise grew, alongside a lot of our own brainstorming ofc!! there's SEVERAL other stories planned following other characters besides Michael, and a lot of different timelines i'd LOVE to explore (some during blog canon, some just in side stories)
not to mention: since conception, the blog has gone through so many styles of getting the story out there that i consider it a multimedia project at this point. askblog with square panel comics in between, full-on comic pages, writing/fics... and most recently, bust-sprites with different expressions and text in between. i'm also working to add interactive fiction into the mix!!
Michael's story (nicknamed "Redshift" behind the scenes) mostly follows the same beats as the first LIS game, but the further in we get the more we've added to it. i'm especially excited for the LIW-equivalent to the alternate timeline LIS1 shows in (iirc) ep4, as well as the timeline post-Redshift that's inspired by the LIS1 comics :)
shifting tracks, i mentioned this was started Before the first musical revival. because of that and the revival coming out like 2 months later, a lot of the original character designs were based off the 2RT/2015 cast, the E82/2017 cast, or entirely headcanon-based. since then, as more productions happened, appearances have shifted or changed completely!
off the top of my head, some of the more notable ones are:
jeremy: 2RT for current, E82 for younger
brooke: E82 for current, 2RT/NYC for younger
dustin: originally all headcanon, now mainly E82 with some hc
jenna: originally 2RT, now mainly NYC
jake: originally 2RT, now NYC + clothing insp from 2RT
i'd like to take inspiration from other productions as well tbh, but i can't change full appearances much anymore since i've done the fullbody sprites already and i don't wanna completely redraw anyone if i don't have to XD
ok so. i WOULD keep talking but i've realised i have to get ready to see the BACCP production today!!! so i'll leave you off with the AU blogs if you wanna know more or read it or whatever! or feel free to send me more asks, i love this AU with all my heart :]
@asklifeisweird (main/ic askblog)
@bemorestrange (extra content/ooc sideblog)
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thoughts on the main bridgerton couples we’ve seen so far?
Ooooooh you've given me an opportunity to yap. Thank you kindly!!
Oh when I started season 1, I was sooooo excited for Daphne and Simon's fake dating plot. I wasn't expecting anything deeply profound. Just gimmicky trashy fun. And I really did enjoy them!! I liked watching them interact with each other. They were very sweet and charming.
Except uuuuggghhh!!! Their sexual dynamic made me so uncomfortable. Like I had so much fun watching the numerous scenes where they fucked like happy happy little rabbits and wished that was as far as the show took it. BUT the power imbalance was awful.
I understand historical accuracy of regency era women being less sexually educated the men and are sometimes completely clueless but GODDDD that doesnt mean I have to enjoy watching it. Bridgerton is supposed to be some stupid swoony sexy romance. But personally I don't find the virgin and slut trope to be all that sexy or swoony or romantic at all.
I don't like Daphne having to be taught how to masturbate by her love interest like she's a child
I don't like how her naivete is exploited by her husband
And I do NOT like how Daphne sexually assaults her husband out of SPITE. Its absolutely depraved. Its disgusting. Sick to my stomach.
Devastated by how fun Daphne and Simon initially were and then it all veered into creepy squirmy terrible territory. I wanted to enjoy them so bad.
The next is Kate and Anthony and. Hm.
I think Kate has the most compelling character set up out of everyone in the cast. I like that she's so much older than the typical female protag in these kinds of stories. She's still very young (26) but according to the era she lives in, she's ANCIENT for a woman. I quite like stories like that. About older women who think they've lost their chance of finding love years ago but receive a happy surprise. She's brainy and loud and stubborn and opinionated and gets on people's nerves but she's also so pleasant and funny and so full of love for her family and she's fucking GORGEOUS.
I don't have any strong opinions about Anthony except he's a bit of a cunt but the actor plays him so melodramatically that I do find him entertaining.
I was excited for the enemies to lovers thing. They both have such strong flammable personalities. I wanted mess. I wanted fire. I wanted her to tear his throat out.
But the romance itself was kinda....underwhelming. I dunno, I felt like they didn't have enough interactions to really loathe each other to the extent that they did. And then, again, they didn't have enough interaction for that loathing to morph into love. Like the fact that it states that they're "in love" when they've only had a few scenes together feels very unsatisfying. It didn't seem earned. At least with Simon and Daphne, they were hanging out with each other every day for weeks. Kate and Anthony were only having sporadic meetings every once and again.
ALSO the two of them crumbled into hopeless love way too fast for my liking. It felt like a jumble of fanfic scenes but with none of the substance of the Canon material to make the fanfic meaningful. I dunno man, Kate has been completely unreceptive to romance for her whole life and Anthony is stubborn and arrogant and completely against the idea of love. The evolution of their relationship seemed quite rushed. I think the burn should have been much slower, yknow? Taking down each others barriers one brick at a time.
ALSO. They should have just as many unapologetic sex scenes as Simon and Daphne. It anything, they should have had more. At least Anthony and Kate felt like they were on equal ground. I would much rather see a 26 year old woman getting railed than a 19 year old girl.
Are there any other main bridgerton couples? Hm...there's Eloise and that guy I've forgotten the name of. Hate it. Hate it a lot. I find Eloise to be quite an insufferable character and I do not even remember the guy's face. I'm mad that Eloise has a love interest in the first place. I'm mad that a love interest had to be tied in to a subplot about Eloise becoming involved in women's rights in order to make it interesting. I'm mad I'm mad I'm mad.
Uhhhh Colin and Penelope. Hm.
They're both going to be very sexy in the new season. I know they will be sexy. They are both sexy.
I love to see a fat girl get a kind decent man who's obsessed with her.
But MAN. Man....I so badly wish they didn't have Penelope wrong Marina in season 1. It was so vile. So cruel. So despicable. At least in my opinion. Penelops and Colin's relationship is probably never gonna sit right with me after that. There is NO WAY a decent man is going to forgive a woman for doing that to his previous girlfriend?? Right??
Well we know that he WILL forgive her. And he will fall in love with her. So Colin kinda sucks too.
Anyway those are my thoughts. I love bridgerton because I love mess and drama but there is nothing good going on here
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Can you tell us about your full-length Hunter x OC fanfic? The inspiration for it, when/where it takes place, a brief summary, and what you love most about it?
Do you like writing one-shots or full-length more?
Favorite character?
Favorite trope?
Currently reading?
How's life these days? :)
Thanks, Freesia!! 💜
Well, my Hunter x OC fic is "Sun and Rain" and it's about a woman from Tatooine named Kimber that the Bad Batch rescue and she eventually becomes part of their squad. In the midst of going on adventures with them, she falls in love with Hunter and develops special relationships with all the boys, especially Echo and Crosshair. It starts off with all original stuff and then later connects to the events of the Bad Batch show and is mostly canon compliant, as of right now. Obviously while weaving Kimber into the story, which I find very fun!
The inspiration for it? Not entirely sure, it was just an idea that came to me. Kimber was originally supposed to be for, like, a one shot idea, but then she developed into a totally different, more involved character. I love the personality she has and how much she's grown in the 2 years I've been working on the fic. She's strong and a fierce fighter without being OP or a "Mary Sue" and she's very in touch with her emotions and cares deeply for the Clones and anyone else she considers her friends without being too emotional or coming across as weak. I like to think I've given her a good balance in making her a good character 😊
I do love to write longer fics just cuz my mind just goes wild with ideas and it takes a lot of effort for me to keep one shots short lol
My favorite character...well, if you're referring to Bad Batch, it's Hunter, of course 🥰 If you're talking just in general from any fandom...well, how much time you got? 😜 currently, it's Gajeel from "Fairy Tail" (cuz I'm rewatching the show) and Astarion from "Baldur's Gate 3".
My favorite trope is enemies to lovers or friends to lovers! Good shit right there!
Currently reading: nothing 😅
Life these days is pretty good! I'm getting ready to go to FanX Comic Con in Salt Lake City this week and I'm SO excited!! 😆 I can't wait! I'm meeting Ashley Eckstein, Katee Sackhoff, Zachary Levi and John Rhys-Davies and maybe, hopefully Jim Cummings and I am beyond ecstatic! It's my first time going to a comic con, too. I'll be sure to post pictures of my cosplay as well 😊
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💥 Miguel & Kate 🕸️
Ship name/tag: 💥 bite me
Anniversary: June 8, 2023
F/O source: Spider-Verse Trilogy
My backstory: While working as a librarian, I am bitten by a radioactive spider. This causes me to gain a few powers including (most significantly) enhanced strength. Instead of becoming a super hero, though, I end up going the route of MMA and start training to enter professional fights.
However, a side effect of the spider bite is anger issues, and that leads me to getting banned from professional tournaments after I severely injure an opponent during a fight. I'm later approached by a manager and join in an underground fighting club for money.
After my partner is killed by a rival, I'm sent down the path of for-hire vigilantism; I want to avenge my partner and end up deciding to start a "business" of sorts. Thankfully, before I can go down any worse of a route, I am approached by Jessica/Spider-Woman, who invites me to speak with her and Miguel about the other Spider-People.
That leads me to wanting to better myself as I learn of others who have gone through something similar to me, so I declare myself a superhero and join the Spider-Society, wearing a spider-web bandana around my face to disguise myself (full body suits freak me out so nooo thank you).
Later on, I end up becoming the host of a symbiote who (thankfully) doesn't immediately try to kill me; we end up reaching an agreement to become "friends" (basically not causing the other's death) which later evolves into an actual friendship. When Stalemate takes over, he stands at 7'2", mostly black with dark red bits here and there and quills down his back. He's heavyset and built like a strongman.
How we meet: I meet Miguel for the first time when I'm introduced to him by Jessica.
First impressions: I'm not the biggest fan of him because of how cold he is, but figured a formal relationship a la coworker would be fine. He's attractive as all get out, too, but no, best to keep it professional.
Miguel thinks nothing particular of me; I'm just another face in the Spider-Society (maybe cute, too... but if you say anything, he'll vehemently deny it; he's not about to fall for a "coworker").
Getting closer: As I get more settled into the Spider-Society, I start to befriend various members and get to know them better. It's nice to be able to talk with others who get it - the whole "great power great responsibility", canon events, etc. Miguel and I start running missions together during this time as well; this helps me learn to control my strength better and also helps us get to know one another better.
Beginning our relationship: The start of our relationship is fairly straightforward. I end up approaching him to go on a date as my attraction to him at this point has grown into romantic desire. He accepts, reciprocating my feels, and we start dating.
A few weeks after we go on our first date, we decide to become an official relationship. Miguel brings me a small gift, asking if I would like to become his romantic partner.
Ship trope(s): Anger Born of Worry - both Miguel and I become angry with the other when either of us is in danger/hurt.
Aesthetics: Neon lights, cities, teeth
Our song(s): None ATM
Favorite kind of date: Quiet. Dates where we're not expected to talk to one another or be around noise and can just relax. Usually this means we'll watch a familiar movie together at home; it's a fun way for us to spend time together.
Ways we comfort one another: Miguel isn't one to open up about how he feels, so the best way for me to comfort him is sitting with him. Talking is not necessary; just being with him and letting him know I'm there is very comforting.
What we love most about each other: What I love most about Miguel is his caring for others. He's very much one to protect those he is close to, whether that's something small or big. That's where the Anger Born of Worry trope comes in for us - he sometimes endangers himself looking out for others (and the multiverse) which often makes me upset. I would be devasted if he was ever severely injured or even died.
Miguel loves my openness. Not only am I honest with people about how I feel (and I do my best to ensure I'm not being rude/mean), I'm also open about my own life experiences and struggles. This is something he is not usually great at so he admires how we balance each other out in that manner.
F/O headcanons:
None ATM
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Do you thinkDC have been downplaying Tim's romance with Stephanie and their relationship in general such as saying bernard shows Tim there was more to him than he was 'settling for', saying Stepanie was a reminder of how Tim avoided "examining himself on purpose and that is why he was invested in the romance",
only letting Stephanie interact with Tim only insofar as it comes to bernard such as aside from that cringe meeting which used her as a prop when writing steph in issue 4 of tim's solo the only thing she ask's abouthis life is bernard and their other dialouge is case exposition for the Batgirls, and in issue 8 in tim's flashback of hanging out with the batfam stephanie only shows up to dance over tim/bernard. that's it
Like we saw tim ask, dick, kate, darcy and babs to help him move into his boat (there was also this line in issue 1 about how Stephanie would HATE his boat after a mention of how much Tim liked it there and it represented him getting his own space and being true to himself) but not steph(edited) and dick showed up in the flashbacks more than once and he and steph are the closest to tim in the batfamily. We are told they are still "close friends" but it doesn't seem like it
Maybe. But I feel like they tend to do that when they have one specific love interest in mind in general. Sometimes that just naturally happens because if someone’s sticking around you have make them operant to the present. Bernard’s not really important anymore so I think that’s thankfully trapped to Fitzmartin’s writing who I think was trying super super hard to create like an iconic romance right out the gate instead of letting something grow to prove the point she wanted to.
Honestly I don’t think it’s a very good point anyway. For better or worse there’s something just a little off about using other people to represent change or something significant about life yk? It’s like they can be a part of it but “Bernard being the future and Stephanie the past” really isn’t good for either when you think about it. Neither is “examining” versus “settling”
And it kinda shows because no one is interested. As much as Chip loves Tim, he really didn’t care about Bernard. I don’t think he was even mentioned. But Steph got her moments (few and far between) in the current Batman run. Obviously Bernard’s position as a civilian changes things but like…say his name. Tim had a whole thing where his new dad was possessed and he had a dramatic moment of remembering his parents’ deaths by seeing an alternate version of his mom alive? Maybe call your boyfriend for emotional support. Doesn’t even have to be the full truth. He could be like “hey I’m having a really bad time can we hang out or something.” Idk
But again, it’s kind of trying too hard. Like the boat thing I guess “Stephanie would hate this.” Like no shit she has a point most of the time it looks like a floating health and safety violation. 
But anyway, in general, it is a common thing with canon ships. DC does it with Bats a lot. Like Kory and Dick’s relationship becomes a “teenage fling” when they were canonically going to get married. Writers get to put their misogyny into Babs as to avoid getting in trouble and I know that people don’t like that point but it’s kinda true. People basically do the same the other way around too. Or like typical BatCat versus BruTalia. When we really wanna prop up Selina, Talia’s like the worst person ever. On the off chance (nowadays) we wanna prop up Talia, Selina’s just a jewel thief. And then there’s the third option of Bruce’s other love interest that they’re all completely useless bimbos only good for a cover story when he also cared about them.
I think Clark and Lana are like the only ship I can think of that doesn’t get complete disrespect. I mean people are so weird about comparing her and Lois, but like they could still be friends and both of them can move on with their significant others that they’re happy with and they also like to make stories with them. but that’s just my opinion.
This isn’t hate toward any ships involved. Some toward writers and weird fans though
#I know there’s some mess with Clark Lana and Clois but I don’t think it compares to some of the other ships#like everything else is a consistant cycle of people claiming they support marginalized groups and becoming bigots when it affects them#suddenly their ship or fav is called into question or something and the gloves are off#they were probably never their to begin with but still#tim drake#bernard dowd#Stephanie brown#dick Grayson#koriand'r#Barbara Gordon#Bruce Wayne#Selina Kyle#talia al ghul#Clark Kent#lana lang#Lois lane#dc comics
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Vixen: NYC is set in the same universe as WFA and Mari literally doesn't even have the same name, let alone the same backstory as most of her main series counterparts. Zatanna and the Ripper is set in the same universe, and Zatanna is specifically 21 in that continuity, which makes it impossible for Bruce to have dated her while he was training with her dad - not to mention how much older than her that makes Constantine this time. The Webtoons are a different version of the story from the comics.
I mean, not that the comics are a single universe. There's Crisis and then there's New 52 and Rebirth didn't quite put everything back but it did revert most things. But we're in the middle of a soft reboot now that's reshuffling some things, and doesn't always explain them? Terry's mom and brother are back and they're fine and I don't even know if Mattie is supposed to have been Robin now. Steph's dad is back and set up to be evil at her again. I don't think Bruce and Selena are meant to be divorced or even engaged anymore I think their relationship is moving back to the beginning now. JJ is back but not in an alive way he's just rewritten into the backstory of the comic, but Babs is still Jim's daughter and not his niece. Do you guys know about Alfred's first origin? What about Lance?
The BtAS universe is also a separate one, in which Tim is a poor kid with a mob dad and Jason doesn't even exist. Babs is older in that one, more like her original incarnation, and fell in love with Bruce. Talia died and Ra's took over her body when the Pit stopped working on him, and while Ibn Al Xuffasch might exist, Damian doesn't. Harley and the Joker have both kids and grandkids. Leslie also has a much more central role, even if no screen time.
In Batwoman, Bruce has been dead for years, as has Lucius, and while Alfred exists it's entirely unclear whether there's ever been a Robin, and strongly implied there's never been a Batwoman or Batgirl. Kate has a whole extra sister, and a close friend that's never been mentioned before. Luke is an only child, though.
In Titans, Bruce kills the Joker. He doesn't even take much convincing, because he's always desperately wanted to kill in that universe. He forced Dick to become Robin by making him fight rabid wolves with a machete. Jason was sixteen when he became Robin, and only dead for a few days. Steph, Harper, etc. canonically exist as photographs in a database and don't have anything to do with superheroes. Tim becomes Robin but he's never even met Bruce. Also his parents are very loving and protective people who run a Chinese restaurant that Tim works at with his cousin, an original character. He built an entire bunker full of computers in order to stalk the Batfamily.
In Gotham, all the supervillains appear much earlier than Batman. Babs' mom turns evil and then reforms. There's two Jokers. Bruce is significantly older when his parents die, and isn't friends with Harvey at all. Leslie runs the mafia. Alfred's father abused him into becoming a butler for his entire childhood. Also in that universe the nazis won and everyone travels by zeppelin.
In the Harley Quinn show, everyone is dead. They just kill off everyone. Clock King is mlm and married to Riddler. Damian is a whiny little kid who just wants to play video games and hang out with his friends, but enjoys being super cute for attention on TV. Harley and Ivy live in Catwoman's house with a thousand cats. Joker is the mayor. Babs is just starting college. Alysia is straight. Half the characters simply don't exist.
In Gotham Knights, Steph is an ultra-rich socialite lesbian. Dick might or might not exist, but the rest of the Wayne kids for sure absolutely don't. We're concerned with Turner, who's sort of Jason, except he never knew anything about Batman until he died. Which, Bruce Wayne is dead again. Harper and Cullen are cat burglars for hire. Cullen is trans and found someone to do his top surgery a couple years ago despite the fact that he's supposed to be like sixteen and on the run from his legal guardian. Steph is rich because her dad actually does run a successful quiz show, btw.
In Young Justice, people's ages are flipped around willy nilly. Kaldur is the inspiration behind Jackson, except Jackson is gay, so following that they retconned Kaldur to be bi. Cass was raised entirely by her mother who somehow managed to be even more evil and abusive than her father and literally sewed her mouth shut - also she can't read body language because she was never taught that. There are at least two Roys. Billy was raised by his loving uncle in a comfortable middle class household, but also still became a superhero as a baby somehow. Nothing happened to the Martians, Martian Manhunter just moved to Earth for some reason.
In Batman '89, Dick has an older brother, and that loss is a significant portion of why he wants revenge so badly and is so reticent to develop new relationships. He's also almost eighteen when this happens, and doesn't need a guardian except technically. Babs is not related to Jim, but instead Alfred. Selena is blonde. Bane is Poison Ivy's pet, and Ivy herself had a simple lab accident which expanded her mind hallucinogenically and gave her evil self-confidence. Everyone drag races.
In Birds of Prey (02-03) Selena died when Helena was young but Bruce would have nothing to do with her, so Babs adopted her. Later they take in Dinah, who's a teen runaway, and inherited her Canary Cry from her mother, who went missing in a grand mystery that left Dinah in a vulnerable position. Harley Quinn is completely sane, dresses in modest business attire, still works as a psychiatrist/psychologist but in a private practice, and has been working to spring Mr. J all along.
And let's not even get started on the Shark-Repellent Batspray.
People pick and choose details from all of these all the time. Parts of one will make their way into another, things osmose into the comics and meander back out again. But a universe where the Batkids are closer in age, Damian is still a baby, and they enjoy spending time together? That's beyond the pale? What for???
Begging people to understand what AU means.
Alternate Universe!
It has the same characters as canon but their background might or might not be the same! You cannot complain that the AU doesn’t use the canon content, of course it doesn’t! Is an entire ALTERNATE UNIVERSE!!
#sorry for the long response OP the idea of a single unifying canon really gets to me#look i said something#this is not even getting into how radically different the various out of continuity comics can be#or like. Midnighter. Blue Eagle and Dynomutt. SW Manor. Nightwing and Flamebird. even Ollie. where do they fall in all this?#batman
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the west wing professor au
i feel like this has been done before, but i can’t find it if it does exist. if this is your au, please know that i did not intentionally copy any ideas because, again, i’m not sure if this really exists.
also before i start, i don’t know how other people’s colleges work, so just in case: a capstone class is a sort of cumulative class for seniors (i’ve also heard it called a senior seminar). it’s usually a very small class size and either discussion-based or research-based. what’s required for the class varies by major.
dr. joshua lyman (ratemyprofessor score: 4.5): chairman of the political science department. also teaches one capstone class per semester. it is the single most sought-after class in the department (which strokes his ego. also, he literally does not have time to teach a second section).
dr. josiah bartlet (ratemyprofessor score: 4.7): the only econ professor anyone likes. his classes fill up very quickly, given that he’s a nobel laureate and all. he’s kind of a hard grader, but he’s very kind and enthusiastic.
dr. claudia jean cregg (ratemyprofessor score: 4.9): teaches communications. she loves her capstone classes because they give her more one-on-one interaction with the students. she’s taught several influential people who cite her as one of their sources of motivation and inspiration.
dr. tobias ziegler (ratemyprofessor score: 3.7): teaches comp. you either hate dr. ziegler or you love him. no in between. praise in the margins of your papers feels like winning the lottery.
dr. samuel seaborn (ratemyprofessor score: 5.0): teaches english and creative writing. if you’re attracted to men, it’s practically a rite of passage to have a crush on him. he’s so sweet and enthusiastic and encouraging that it’s nearly impossible to not.
dr. leopold mcgarry (ratemyprofessor score: 4.5): teaches psychology. fairly universally beloved for his dry jokes and in-depth lectures. he gives a little half-smile easily, but sometimes he smiles with teeth and it’s enough to make everyone want to cry.
professor donnatella moss, m.a. (ratemyprofessor score: 4.9): teaches music theory and choir. sweet, encouraging, knows how to foster talent. don’t disappoint her or make her mad. she’ll break your heart and you’ll never forget it.
professor charles young, j.d. (ratemyprofessor score: 5.0): adjunct professor of civil procedure, also practices human rights law part time. every student loves him to pieces (he’s a genuinely good teacher, but the weekly bonus point opportunities certainly don’t hurt).
dr. abigail bartlet (ratemyprofessor score: 4.2): teaches biology capstone classes and anatomy. a little bit of a hardass, but she really does want students to succeed. even if her classes make you want to die and reconsider your major, you can’t help but love her.
dr. william bailey (ratemyprofessor score: 4.3): teaches astronomy, and his eyes just light up when students ask thoughtful questions. a little bit of a mess, but he’s pretty endearing (and a pretty easy grader–if you get the concept, you get most of your points).
ms. katherine harper (ratemyprofessor score: n/a): head rotc coordinator. has personally visited high schools across the country to speak on her experiences with rotc. when students come to her, she takes them very seriously. has made many a girl wonder if they liked girls (spoiler alert: they usually do).
dr. annabeth schott (ratemyprofessor score: 4.3): adjunct professor, teaches public speaking and advises the student theatre group. makes her students do silly exercises to loosen them up. fairly well-liked. does some media consulting on the side.
dr. amelia gardener (ratemyprofessor score: 4.0): teaches women’s studies. tough as nails, but clearly knowledgeable and passionate about her subject. not very good at answering student emails, so it’s best to go to her office hours.
dr. josephine lucas and mr. kenneth thurman (ratemyprofessor score: 4.3): joey is second chair of the political science department and teaches statistics for political science. she generally uses power points so she can click to the next slide and have both hands free to sign while kenny interprets. students adore both dr. lucas and mr. thurman.
dr. matthew santos (ratemyprofessor score: 5.0): teaches humanities with a specific focus in government and global relations. is just the most enthusiastic, fun guy on campus with so much passion for his subject. includes corny jokes in his power point slides.
professor ainsley hayes, j.d. (ratemyprofessor score: 4.2): teaches constitutional law. loves nothing more than civil debate in class. a tough grader, but leaves lots of constructive feedback. she only wants her students to be better.
professor daniel concannon, m.a. (ratemyprofessor score: 4.4): teaches journalism. enjoys teaching well enough, but takes semesters off at every opportunity to go cover stories worldwide. his assignments seem hard, but he helps the students work through them.
margaret hooper, carol fitzpatrick, ginger webster, and bonnie parikh (ratemyprofessor score: n/a): grad students working as ta’s. margaret teaches psych under leo, carol teaches comms under cj, ginger teaches chemistry labs, and bonnie teaches creative writing under sam.
bonus:
everyone knows that dr. and dr. bartlet are married--they’re the campus power couple who literally promote their spouse’s classes (”and if any of you are biology/econ majors, you’ll probably have my wife/husband”).
however, it’s somehow several years before any student figures out that there’s something going on between dr. lyman and professor moss.
they both have wedding rings on, but they don’t necessarily talk about their personal lives in class, so nobody really thinks much of it until a particularly gossipy student runs into them (holding hands, no less) at a local theatre’s production of a tennessee williams play and it spreads like wildfire.
so now everybody knows they’re married (and have impeccable taste in theatre).
cj and toby have been having an ongoing affair ever since his divorce, but they keep it very quiet.
sam is painfully aware that his students have crushes on him, but he keeps it incredibly professional (besides, he has one eye on that cute astronomy professor).
one of the girls who met kate and wondered if they liked girls was ainsley (and, spoiler alert: she did). there was a faculty/staff mixer at the beginning of ainsley’s first year teaching, and when they shook hands, ainsley forgot how to breathe for a second.
josh and joey went on one date during josh’s first year after he started teaching at this university, but it didn’t really work. however, they remain close friends.
#in my heart their ratemyprofessor scores are all 5.0 but we have to be realistic i guess#i think kate's full name is just kate in canon but i very much like the idea of it being short for katherine#i have this weird obsession with full names#also as far as i can tell ginger and bonnie don't have last names in canon so i'm just using their actresses' last names haha#and normally to keep up the pattern i would have ginger teaching under toby but she just gives me such a strong chemistry vibe#i honestly love sam/will so much#my disaster speechwriters <3#also yes i'm projecting about leo's smile what about it#bianca spills the tea#the west wing#tww#west wing#josh lyman#jed bartlet#cj cregg#toby ziegler#sam seaborn#leo mcgarry#donna moss#charlie young#abbey bartlet#abigail bartlet#will bailey#kate harper#annabeth schott#amy gardener#joey lucas#kenny thurman#matt santos#ainsley hayes
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Sorry to burst into your asks like this, but I'm really interested in the exocolonist datamining-can you tell me what/where to find the file you looked through?
So! Number 1 thing!! You never have to apologize for asking me to talk at great length about something I love. I am extremely autistic. This is one of my favourite kinds of social interaction.
Now then!!
I play on linux, so all the files are just out there in the open and most of them are plain text files with custom file endings.
I don't know what the file structure looks like on windows, but since the game seems to have been written in java, probably basically identical. Assuming nothing is encrypted on windows either, I would say this game is the most beginner friendly for data mining I've ever seen.
So for me, the files are in ~/.steam/debian-installation/steamapps/common/Exocolonist/Exocolonist_Data/StreamingAssets/ and then in the Data and StreamingAssets folders.
On windows, that would be in your steam folder, then steamapps/common/Exocolonist/Exocolonist_Data/StreamingAssets/
You can also just right click on the game in steam, and go to Manage > Browse Local Files. That will open you to the main Exocolonist folder, so you'll navigate to exocolonist_data/StreamingAssets/
The data folder is where you will find the bulk of the writing for endings, character profiles, cards, card abilities, etc. If you want to modify how much a particular card is worth, view the full names of characters you only see mentioned briefly, etc, this is the folder you want.
The Stores folder contains the actual "gameplay" parts, in the sense that the buildings, locations, jobs, combat calls, etc are in it. That includes mid-game dialogue!
There's also a specific file in Stories called 'unimplemented memories' that shows the specific coding syntax for modifying the game, to ensure any changes you make look and play correctly!
Between that and save files being basically plaintext with a button on the 'load game' menu that will take you directly to them in your file system you you can edit them even easier, this game is a GREAT choice for learning more about how to datamine or mod a game. Everything is so straightforward.
I mean, the code is fully commented, with all human-readable variables and methods. That's insane! I didn't even code shit that tightly when I was in school, actively being graded on it!!!!!!!!
The endings are all written out in Exocolonist - endings.TSV. I mean that's. That's SO straightforward!! You can open TSV files in any spreadsheet editorfor a more visually pleasant experience, or in a plain text editor if you're hardcore for the sake of being hardcore.
Oh, save games are actually located in your documents folder (I think?) on windows, and in the home folder on linux. The folder is helpfully called "exocolonist/save_games" so it's very simple to find. You can edit your save files (which end in .JSON) in any plain text editor. For windows, I like notepad++ since it will automatically color code the formatting. For Linux, I use Kate but any of the ones that come pre-packaged will do just fine.
Some of my favourites so far from fucking around where I don't belong:
The "releasing endorphins" card you get for distracting Tangent from her Big Government Project by fucking her is called "TangBang" in the data. This is, to me, the single funniest phrase on earth. I can't stop saying it.
Unimplemented Memories contains tons of non-canonical filler text including gems like:
"Git outta me bloody face, ye sodding nullshite!" Vace yelled, as Rex blew him another kiss.
~set bg = pinup_tammy_saved WOW you saved Tamtam! Tammadammadingdong lives!
Anemone Enhancement: Scaly lizard lady. > facts
marz: "Ho ho ho welcome to _my_ bridge which _I_ am totally the boss of." dys: "Ug Marz this place smells funny." marz: "He who smelt it dealt it, Nerd."
But, most importantly of all, the dog-like creature that tries to kill you/Anemone in the opening sequence??
Is named Doggo.
#asks#ask answers#drmobiusvanch#Exocolonist#I was a teenage Exocolonist#Spoilers#Exocolonist spoilers
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awful general summaries of the gandor family members.
keith : the actual don of the family ; eldest brother of berga, luck, and claire. speaks minimally, about five words per month. has an absolutely piercing stare, but is ultimately in the background most times. is actually very strong, do NOT fuck with him. also has 52 joker cards up in his suit sleeves for some reason and is implied to have bought 52 separate card decks JUST to take the jokers out. married to kate. (passive) maria enabler #1.
berga : second eldest brother. is not very smart but what he lacks in brains he makes up for in muscles. so many muscles man. very, VERY loud. constantly forgotten though because he suffers middle child syndrome. does not who julius ceasar is. went to firo’s casino & just straight up ASKED if he could make the slot machines easier. getting in constant extreme fights with claire, there is so much fucking property damage. once basically revealed his cards to Luck and immediately wondered how Luck knew what his cards were literal seconds after, i’m not shitting you. a big bear. married to kalia. (active) maria enabler #2.
luck : the youngest brother, but is somehow the one doing almost all the work? smart, too smart, knows so much knowledge. can’t fight for shit though. you think he’s the most normal guy ever, but no, he’s a Little Fucked Up Actually. canonically revels in the screams of men who fuck with him & the family, i feel we as a society just gloss over that. he is kind AND a little insane. apparently very empathetic . . . which just makes him even scarier honestly. do not be fooled by his smiles he is PLOTTING your death i guarantee it. unmarried bachelor. chronic maria disabler.
claire : technically not a Gandor Mafia member, but a Gandor Family member nonetheless. adopted step - brother. has WAY too many names, you need less names dude. thinks he’s the shit, literally god. also thinks he can’t die. this is HIS world, we’re all just living in it. INSANE feats of strength & acrobatics. unfortunately, he IS just a regular fucking dude, like, there is NOTHING there, he is just that good. ran away to the circus like the clown he is. will just outright propose marriage to ANYONE he finds attractive don’t ask him for romantic advice, honestly. you will never win a fight against him ever. also he likes trains.
tick : the Gandor family’s torture technician & one of Luck’s subordinates. cheerful, but fucked up little dude. ended up being traded in to the family by his step - father when he was a child. Luck is literally the same age as him, but apparently a son figure nonetheless. FASCINATED by scissors, he’s got a whole bunch of them. looks like a florist. so many scissors dude, i can’t emphasize enough on the scissors. is actually really kind & sweet, but still just snips - snips at human intestines. wants to see how unbreakable or breakable human bonds are ‘cause he can’t see them. little weirdo, i like him. maria enabler #3 and probably her best friend.
maria : Gandor family assassin. the most energetic of them, probably. it’s kinda cute, if it weren’t for the fact she was mentally a child running around with 2 katanas at all times. oh, yeah, she has 2 katanas. they are apparently alive & full of bloodshed (debatable). she can & will slash anything in her way. even if that’s Gandor property. she is here to cause fights & property damage. everything else is secondary to that. the swords call when the swords call. most of the time it is property damage, because Luck won’t let her kill at random. c’mon, amigo, let her kill. just one little fight. just a little blood for the blood swords. begrudging daughter figure to Luck (somehow?)
nicola & edith : they’re literally just here, dude. they are the most normal people here. one’s just a capo & the other is just a waitress. please help them.
kate : wife to keith. EXCELLENT pianist. very lonely though. she plays at the Coraggioso sometimes. literally the nicest person on this list with nothing else fucked up going on for her. her only crime is marrying a mob boss. will invite you to dinner & give you food. you better accept or Else. loves her husband very much.
kalia : wife to Berga. we know absolutely nothing about her in canon except for 3 things : she’s hot, she’s the one to have proposed, and she gets into arguments with Berga a lot. i think it’s a crime we DON’T get to see her or even meet her. she sounds incredible, i am begging you, Narita, please introduce Kalia in 1935-E. i don’t even know how or why, i think she should absolutely be there. also absolutely loves her husband.
#( hc / meta. ) i’m all talk with a thorn in my side.#// this is literally just to be silly with them because i think the family is insane#// they're just the most bizarre grouping of people how do they even DO anything
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OH BOY DO I HAVE A LIST (apologies for it being so. but tim is my fav ever and i have So Many Thoughts about him)
Putting them under the cut bc 1 there's. a lot. and 2 there are major spoilers for s3 and s4
not putting everything bc i have 200 songs on my tim playlist and that would be insane but I'll link the playlist under the cut as well if anyone wants that (I'll leave it at the top)
dear god this got away from me but do enjoy
bear with me i am bad at working tumblr
playlist! the preview looks to only show the first 100 songs but trust me There Are More
list! (some are very sad, others are very not sad, and others are a fucked up in between)
(ALSO preemptive CW for suicidal ideation for a lot of these songs {this is a Tim playlist, after all}, marked with Tim's shitty mental health)
1. Army Dreamers - Kate Bush (this is both Tim about Danny, and later {post mag120}, others about Tim)
2. The Stand - Mother Mother (Tim in his slut era, what more is there to say)
3. Against the Kitchen Floor - Will Wood (slut era but angsty this time- Tim and his canon shit mental health while never having a stable relationship and just meaningless hookups with leads)
4. Lent - Autoheart (honeslty I originally put this on my playlist for the lyric 'I don't want to be your personally assistant' and the general Jon + Tim dynamic in s2-3)
5. Cryptid (Mothman) - Ratwyfe (part of my gender non conforming Tim agenda, also just a song I think he would enjoy)
6. Montreal - Penelope Scott (canon typical Tim's shitty mental health BIG TIME what more can I say (also the lyric 'It's nobody's fault but I think we all know That I won't make it to Montreal' and 'Go get laid in Montreal The world's so big and I'm too small You guys are different you could have it all I hope you make it to Montreal'))
7. A Sadness Runs Through Him - The Hoosiers (title is pretty self explanatory, canon typical Tim's shitty mental health)
8. The Main Character - Will Wood (back to fun! my fav god complex song and also very much the person that Tim pretends to be in s1, happy song, sad context)
9. It Gets Worse Every Minute - The Taxpayers (Very applicable to TMA as a whole, but also just very much the vibes I get from Tim in his descent into full on Shitty Mental Health in s3)
10. Crack a Bottle, Run a Bath - Shayfer James (sort of serious one but not really? It's a song I feel is very Tim vibes, although the lyrics aren't 100% him)
11. Juliet - Cavetown (added specifically for the first line 'can't get your name past my lips like a slur' and Tim's reluctance to even talk about Sasha even though he loves and misses her in s3)
12. Danny Boy - Celtic Woman (oh boy. Oh Boy. this song genuinely makes me sob when I listen to it and think about Danny)
13. Rule #4 Fish in a Birdcage - Fish in a Birdcage (It's a song about brothers with a faint hint of tragedy, what more can I say)
14. No Children - The Mountain Goats (canon typical s3 Tim's shitty mental health, him just giving up and wanting to leave but also still caring about Jon and Martin even when he'd rather just be able to die without regrets)
15. Girls & Boys - Blur (Tim Stoker being canonically bisexual, what more can I say)
16. Brave as a Noun - AJJ (Canon typical Tim's shitty mental health, 'it's sad to know that we are not alone and it's sad to know there's no honest way out', very unable to leave the institute vibes and also the whole song is just. god I've sobbed to it)
17. Shutup You're Stupid - That Handsome Devil (back to silly slut era Tim again, this song just makes me giggle 'shutup you're stupid just hold my friggin hand' COME ON giggling so hard and kicking my feet)
18. Long Time Friends - The Living Tombstone (anger as a long time friend, pushing people away and giving in to the need for revenge, very Tim's shitty mental health)
19. That's Not How The Story Goes - A Series of Unfortunate Events (no one gets a happy ending in this podcast, this song really goes for all of TMA)
20. Chaotic Gender Neutral (once again pushing my GNC Tim agenda, what more can I say)
21. Murders - Miracle Musical ('All for nothing at all' Tim's sacrifice being for nothing, the Unknowing would have stopped anyways without him dying. sobbing.)
22. Foolishly Wrong - Autoheart (this is in between because the song itself sounds upbeat but the lyrics are so heartbreaking, very JonTim {either platonic or romantic} starting to fall apart from s1-3, makes me sob)
23. Born2Run - Penelope Scott (it's kinda silly but also Tim losing trust in everyone in s2-3 and his world collapsing around him while struggling to keep his anger in check)
24. Just Take My Wallet - Jack Stauber (Not!Sasha, 'you took away my friend, my buddy')
25. Have a Seat, Misery - Shayfer James ('have a seat, Misery, of all of my friends, you are the one I like best', canon typical Tim's shitty mental health)
26. Come Over (Again) - Crawlers (added for the specific lyric 'take her name out of your mouth you don't deserve to mourn,' Tim at anyone who brings up Sasha, especially Jon)
27. Wrecking Ball - Mother Mother (Tim always being self destructive, not really caring about his own health or safety, Tim's shitty mental health but he's being silly about it)
28. November - Sparkbird (a lot of this song, but especially the lyrics 'can't pick them out can't press them in, I'll never hide my scars' and 'familiarity breeds indifference' and the last line 'can I explode now', very s3 Tim's shitty mental health {kinda})
29. Ex's & Oh's - Elle King (back to Tim's slut era, him canonically romancing pencil clerks for information is so special to me)
30. Mostly Major Chords - Shayfer James (Tim and Sasha, a hypothetical relationship over the years, not necessarily romantic TimSasha, also works platonic, feels hopeless, like a big 'what could have been')
31. Lone Star - The Front Bottoms (specifically the line 'if you still believe in the lord above then get on your hands and knees and pray for us', and that one Wolfy animatic with Tim and Jon and that song that made me cry, Tim's shitty mental health)
32. Cocaine Jesus - Rainbow Kitten Surprise (the whole song is a bnager, but specifically on here for the line 'When you find an old picture of us, and you clear away the dust, I hope you miss me sometimes,' very Sasha and Tim once again, they make me sob)
33. Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (THE TimSasha song, both platonic and romantic, makes me feel so happy and sad and nostalgic at the same time that I explode on the spot every time I hear that whistle intro)
34. Dani - Madilyn Mei (while the song is technically about a girl, it is very easy to listen to it as Tim talking about Danny and it makes me feel so sad I'm physically ill)
35. We're Alive - Cavetown (this whole song makes me sob {are we sensing a pattern} but it's also just so hopeless and at the same time so hopeful? and for some reason my brain just connected it to Tim and Would Not Let Go)
36. Rule #16 Movies - Fish in a Birdcage (Both happy and sad, a sort of 'what could have been' for Tim, what he wishes his life might have turned out to be if his brother didn't die and he didn't get sucked into the institute)
37. Screwing in a Lightbulb - Everybody's Worried About Owen (VERY Tim's shitty mental health, also a sort of letter to Sasha after she's gone, wishing she was back, specifcally the lyric 'ever since you left, you wouldn't be aware of all the things that change', does go more into breakup sounding, but shhh we don't have to see it as a breakup)
38. Kiss Goodnight - IDKHBTFM (indulgent TimSasha song, technically can be read as platonic? idk man I'm aroace I just see a song and vibe with it, but also it's sweet and reminds me of them circa research era)
39. Welcome Home, Son - Radical Face (I have never sobbed more times to a single song, so many connections to Tim and his relationships all falling apart as people die or move on and god I'm listening to it currently and there's tears in my eyes I can't see my computer)
40. Your Voice, As I Remember It - AJJ (very self explanatory title, very Sasha and not Sasha, the lyrics speak for themselves: 'I long to hear your voice as I remember it, but now I have no choice but to remember it, no recordings were made, no mp3s, no AACs, no WAVs')
41. So Alright, Cool, Whatever - The Happy Fits (Tim being a hopeless romantic lowkey, this song is just half silly half giggling half Tim banging his head against a wall {don't check my math} and I just love this song)
42. Until it Doesn't Hurt - Mother Mother (this song has had me in a VICE GRIP ever since I first listened to it, it's very Tim being self destructive and Desolation/Slaughter Tim coded)
43. No Longer You - Jorge Rivera-Herrans (Tim's shitty mental health, he's not making it home and he's coming to terms with that, 'a brother's final stand', also shout out to @/formerly_darth on tiktok for this amazing edit to this song and TMA, seriously please go check it out and check out their account the edits they make make me want to scream /pos)
44. Tongues & Teeth - The Crane Wives (Tim growing more and more angry over time, pushing people away, thinking he's just going to ruin every relationship and knowing he's not going to make it out the other end)
45. drip drip drip fall - Ewy (Tim's shitty mental health circa late s3, anger at both Jon and Elias, references to bitterness around the Eye, in lyric 'I'm starting to ponder what you head would like like on my wall? Would the blood just drip drip drip drip fall, I'm getting in your head, I'm ten moves ahead, you can't kill me, I'm already dead')
46. leave me for dead - GAYLE (Tim's shitty mental health, very JonTim in late s3 and a hypothetical s4 in which Tim is haunting Jon and wanting Jon to just put him out of his misery, also found this song because of a Wolfy art that made me genuinely lose my mind and almost throw up because I thought about Tim too hard /vpos)
47. Innocently Annoying - Elysewood (s2-3 canon typical lack of trust and Tim's shitty mental health, VERY much Tim's hatred of Jon and Elias and just wanting to be a nuisance to them and sarcastic and a prick but in the way only Tim can be)
48. Where the Devil Don't Go - Elle King (in my head I have the perfect fix it fic where Tim finds out a new way to get out of the Institute and he gets to go 80mph down a flat midwest interstate while listening to this song. I just think it would be cathartic for him.)
49. My Ugly - Cloudfodder (very much s2-3 bitterness towards Jon and Elias but mostly Elias, just Tim being an annoying bitch /pos and sarcastically flipping him off with words alone)
50. I'm Going to Forget you Exist - Lillian VanDaam (NotSasha and Tim losing Sasha, oh my god this song is so perfect for them I'm half convinced it's a a fan song because jesus christ, lyrics 'What a killer costume, you look just like her, but some twisted horror novel tone deaf blur, what a killer performance, but not on the stage, you have a smile covered in poorly painted rage')
okay uh. that. was more than I intended to add. apologies (for the deception) for the lengthy post, but I hop you at least enjoy the reqs?
PS! I also have a Tim's Kayaking Playlist if that's more your jam- more songs I think Tim would listen to—some more believable than others—while kayaking or just in general, some are very jokey but like in the way that Tim would be jokey (ex. that one song from Titanic) also the first track. uh. real comedian i am. honestly forgot i did that til this playlist just loaded up on here. whoops?
Okay Tim Stoker nation I need your help. I’ve made character playlists for both Jon and Martin and now I wanna make one for Tim. Give me any Tim coded song recs you have 😈
#anyways tumblr please add more text colours so i can colour code more effectively in my long posts#god i have so much to say about tim#i want to write a full essay about him#i could#i have so much to say i genuinely probably could#there were even mroe songs but i figured 50 was already pushing it so enjoy the playlist for even more songs#im so unwell#god i love tim stoker#tim stoker#love of my life tim stoker#i need to put him in a hydrolic press#spinning him around in my head in one of those human sized hamster wheels on a lake#tma#the magnus archives#long post#whoops#this really got away from me#i did not mean to make it this long#im so sorry#apologies for the deception#hi rhys#yapping about tim again babe
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Stranger Things Original Character: Sylvia Young Headcanons
Warnings: NSFW stuff, mentions of toxic friends and bullying
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- first off, she and Eddie have known each other for years (Sylvia was 8, Eddie was 10)
- they met when Sylvia and her mother first moved to Forest Hills and Wayne and Eddie came over to welcome them
- was kind of scared of Eddie at first but after he stood up to some bullies for her, they became best friends
- Eddie was a little pissed off at her when she got to high school and decided to join the cheer team, he felt betrayed
- Sylvia is really only friends with a few, like Chrissy and then some other decently nice girls named Veronica and Jane
- ends up quitting the cheer team before senior year because of the bullying
- after quitting cheer she joins Hellfire full time, Eddie makes her a special pink Hellfire shirt
- Sylvia super girly with a quirky twist
- her fashion icons are Molly Ringwald and Mia Sara
- her favorite book is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
- she was named after the author, her mother is a very eccentric feminist that Sylvia adores
- best subject is English (duh)
- has a walkman that Eddie got for her for her 18th birthday
- Sylvia’s birthday is July 2, 1967
- Sylvia’s favorite album is Bella Donna by Stevie Nicks
- Other than Stevie Nicks, she likes Blondie, Fleetwood Mac (duh), Kate Bush, The Beach Boys, Journey, and The Beatles
- Eddie got her into some more hardcore bands like Black Sabbath, Dio, and Metallica
- her favorite movies are The Outsiders, Footloose, and Sixteen Candles (…guys I almost put Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and then stupid me remembered Shannen Doherty is literally in that movie…)
- sits with Hellfire everyday, lost her seat privileges one time because she dissed Lord of the Rings
- Sylvia and Gareth are lowkey besties, they have a sibling friendship type of thing
- Because of her friendship with Dustin and Mike through Eddie she becomes decent friends with Robin, Nancy, and Steve
- Ok to canon timeline
- Chrissy goes to get the drugs because she asks Sylvia, they are still friends despite Sylvia not being on the team anymore
- Sylvia somewhat knows what’s going on with Chrissy’s mom and then the ED, but is too scared to say anything (much like Lucas with Patrick)
- of course we all know what happens to Chrissy :(
- Eddie and Sylvia both get blamed for the murders, Jason makes up some batshit idea they sacrificed Chrissy together
- they have to hide together :( poor baby is still in her cheer uniform too
- Sylvia feels MEGA guilt for Chrissy, especially for running away and not saying anything to help her
- while in hiding they end up confessing their feelings
- Y’all saw that coming don’t even lie
- they have sex for the first time in the boathouse, it’s sweet even if it sounds rlly gross
- when they get stuck in the Upside Down it’s really scary
- and when they have to go fight Vecna? Horrifying.
- in this universe Eddie lives because I do what I want!!! And Hopper comes back and clears both of their names :)) and Jason is dead!!!
- Sylvia goes to Chrissy’s mother after the ordeal, screams at her for being a horrible mother
- I’m sad now back to happiness
- Scared to perm her hair but a few times a week she wears curls her hair all big with an iron and wears curlers to bed so she gets the big curls
- Eddie has multiple polaroids of her with them, she thinks she looks stupid but he thinks they’re adorable
- Wayne adores Sylvia, and Sylvia’s mother Laura adores Eddie
- they celebrate holidays together!!
- for their anniversary Eddie get’s her a ring that match’s his :)))
- That’s all I just love them sm
#eddie munson#eddie munson x oc#stranger things season four#stranger things#eddie munson x female reader#eddie munson x reader
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any more thoughts on 'clarke and lexa make a porno'?
🤔😏
Part 1 Part 2
“Last but not least, worry no more, citizens of Capitola: after a grueling week of searching, our very own superhero Jasper Jordan has finally found his cape. He was wearing it all along.”
“It’s so good to know that he will be able to go on keeping Capitola safe.”
“Yes, what would we do without Jasper Jordan here to protect us? And from now on, you’ll be in Lexa Woods’s hands. Also, such good hands those are. She’s got very long fingers.”
“Oh. Well, I never actually noticed, but I guess they are. Thanks, Clarke. And now, perk your ears for the new hit single from our very own global country star, Harper McIntyre. It’s called Call Me Harp-by. She’s a creative genius!”
-
Lexa’s first instinct when she hears the studio door open is to hide. She checks her options: Monty is holed up under his desk playing on his GameBoy Color, Octavia has barricaded herself in a corner with actual hand-carved sticks and is roaring at Bellamy in a strange language, and Murphy is probably peeing into a bin behind the pillar on the far side of the room.
She’s too slow to think of a solution in the end and she can’t do anything but flush when Clarke strolls in and heads over to her, smirk plastered on her face. Lexa only has time to save her miniature Baby Yoda from Clarke’s weapon of ass destruction before her coworker sits on the edge of her desk.
“Hey, Lexa.”
Lexa forces a polite smile, trying to focus on her outline for the day rather than the butt cheeks planted on her desk, the body attached to them, or the face looking down at her with a sly grin. “Hello, Clarke.”
“What do you think of Harper McIntyre’s new song?”
The topic confuses her, but she trudges on with a brave face. After all, she’s got opinions on Capitola’s Taylor Swift rip-off and if Anya is going to make it a point of leaving the room every time Lexa so much as mentions them, then she’s going to take this opportunity with both hands and pull out all the receipts. “Uninspired. Derivative. Oddly reminiscent of Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.”
“Yeah...” Clarke nods pensively, letting the subsequent silence drag on for a few more seconds. “I like your fingers.”
Lexa starts at the sudden topic change and struggles to keep her blush under control under the brazen intensity of Clarke’s stare. “Yes, I- I noticed. You mentioned. On the radio, for all of Capitola to hear. Thank you, I guess?”
Clarke hums, before clicking her tongue and hopping off of Lexa’s desk. She roundabouts it until she’s right next to Lexa, thigh brushing Lexa’s arm.
Lexa tries and fails to swallow down the knot in her throat as Clarke sits on her desk again, this time on her side, crossing her legs so her feet touch Lexa’s leg.
“So a little bird told me we’re starring in a porno together.”
Lexa almost yelps, scrambling out of her chair to fasten both hands over Clarke’s mouth. “The whole world doesn’t need to know, Clarke!”
Clarke rolls her eyes, but Lexa can feel her smile under her hands. Their eyes lock, a tacit understanding passing between them. Clarke's eyes are a vivid blue, like a cloudless sky or the color of Lexa's highlighters before Anya dunked them all in a bag of manure, and it's hard not to drown in the depths of them.
"Glad to see you two getting intimate already."
They spring apart as though they were burned. Lexa sits back down on her chair, while Clarke takes a seat at her desk, which to Lexa's chagrin is right next to her own. Anya chuckles as she sinks into her own chair, propping her feet on Lexa's desk, crossed at the ankles.
"Anyway," she slams a hand over a stack of papers, making Clarke and Lexa jump in their seats, "can you guess what this is?"
Clarke and Lexa look at each other with raised eyebrows, then at Anya. Lexa shrugs.
"This is your fucking Bible," Anya says, not waiting for them to guess. "Your Dianetics.Your Loose Canon. Your gospel." At her companions' still expectant stares, Anya heaves a dramatic sigh, throwing her arms up. "It's the goddamn screenplay."
Oh.
Oh.
It's like the snap of an elastic band. Lexa and Clarke shoot out of their chairs to snatch the script from Anya's desk. Lexa gets there first (going to the gym does pay off after all), dribbling around Clarke, and lets out a triumphant cry before sinking back into her chair, thumbing through the pages of the heavy tome.
She stops on a random page and feels Clarke press closer to read over her shoulder.
-
INT. BLONDIE'S KITCHEN - TWILIGHT
Enter Lulu. Plumber by day, detective by night. She stops by the island and twirls a lead pipe in her right hand before sheathing it like a cowboy's pistol.
LULU
It seems it's time to read your...
Lulu puts on her shades. ZOOM IN.
LULU (CONT'D)
...Anya rights.
-
Lexa balks, peeling her eyes from the page to gape at Anya.
"Anya rights? Anya rights? You can't just... Arbitrarily rename the Miranda rights. They have that name for a reason."
Anya rolls her eyes like Lexa just said something obnoxiously stupid. "I didn't just rename them, you dumbass. I fucking changed them. If you'd read the whole thing, you would know that the suspect has the obligation to remain silent. No more fucking cry babies in cuffs."
"This is..." Lexa opens and closes her mouth like a fish, trying to find a thread of logic in the midst of... Whatever fever dream she's living in right now. "I thought we were filming a porno, not a sexy cop movie. Plumber by day, detective by night? That's- it's not even remotely realistic."
"Lexa... Suspend your disbelief."
"I think it's really good stuff," Clarke chimes in, her breasts still firmly pressed to Lexa's shoulder blade.
"Thank you, Clarke!" Anya exclaims, throwing her hands up and letting them fall on her legs with a loud clap. "At least someone appreciates my genius."
Lexa rolls her eyes, but fine. Fine. She will read more; she will give Anya a chance. She opens the book on a new page, several scenes ahead.
-
INT. BLONDIE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Blondie rubs her lover's love button like she's scratching at a turn-table, making Lulu scream louder than Saoirse Ronan in Ammonite when Kate Winslet was eating her out with her neck.
LULU
Oh, fuck! You're so good at this! Almost as good as my awesome best friend and mentor Anya, even though I've never had sex with her because that would be totally gross.
Blondie stops her ministrations to look up at Lulu and smirks.
BLONDIE
I know. After all, they don't call me DJ Diddles for nothin'.
-
Lexa stares incredulously from the two hundred-odd pages to Anya, wondering how grave a sin she must have committed in a past life to deserve this.
"What are you, a sex-deprived straight guy?"
Anya scoffs, yanking the script from Lexa's hands before she can do anything to stop it. "I can assure you there is no deprivation in that department."
"After reading that I am seriously starting to doubt that you've ever even seen a vagina."
"I thought it was good," Clarke pipes in once again. This time, Lexa turns to her with a raised eyebrow.
"Is she paying you to say that?"
Clarke tsks with a smirk. "I'm just smart enough to know better than to get on the lead producer's bad side."
Anya snaps her fingers and points at Clarke approvingly, and Lexa has never regretted a decision so deeply in her life.
"Anyway," Clarke resumes, standing up and grabbing her bag. "This has been fun, but I need to get going. Anya, stay classy. We'll work out the schedule this week. Lexa," she adds, her voice dropping a tone to turn into a seductive purr. She leans down, and it's all Lexa can do not to focus on how her breasts squish together and seem to become fuller and more inviting. She loses the plot when a pair of lips presses to her cheek in a kiss that is chaste, yet way too slow for propriety. "See you tomorrow."
Lexa's throat is dry as a desert as she watches Clarke leave, her hips swaying more than usual. She jumps in place when Anya clears her throat next to her. This time, she can't avoid her friend's shit-eating grin.
"No chemistry, you say?"
"Shut up, Anya," she grumbles, focusing back on her work. She has a full, five-minute newscast to prepare, she can't dawdle and joke around gossiping like some people. But then a thought pops up in her head and she turns to Anya, eyes narrowed. "Is this some elaborate plan to get us together? I refuse to be your little Love, Actually experiment."
Anya's stare is fifty shades of unimpressed. "Lexa. Don't take yourself so seriously. It's a bad look on you."
Lexa buries her face in her hands with a long-suffering sigh. Why is this her life? Why is this her best friend? Why is she hopelessly attracted to the worst, most unprofessional coworker on the planet?
"Why couldn't you find a normal hobby? Something that doesn't include me? Like baking. Baking would have been so much better."
"You know," Anya drawls almost nostalgically, "I actually considered that, but the criminally inclined baker niche was already taken up by Martha Stewart."
"She is surprisingly niche," Lexa says, intrigued.
"Indeed."
"But she's also able to appeal to a larger audience."
"Uh-huh."
"Fascinating."
"I know. It's like Punkya. You'd think a lesbian erotica magazine would only appeal to queer women and depraved straight men, but it's been selling surprisingly well amongst the straight female demographic."
Hm. Are all women secretly queer?
"Interesting," Lexa concedes, before veering the topic back to Anya's passion (and Lexa's torture) project. "So when does principal photography start?"
And there it is again, that nefarious gleam in Anya's eyes. It grows along with her Cheshire cat grin, curling and curling until it's pure, unbridled evil.
"Next week."
#calmap#clarke and lexa make a porno#my fics#clexa#clexa fic#clexa fanfic#clexa fanfiction#mine#ask#anon
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