#i think sophie still see's him as a monster sometimes

[geeky-nightphilosopher]

Nightowl's Thoughts for the Night:

I might have mentioned this before, but I'm just gonna keep saying it-

Eliot's relaxed/innocent expression is perhaps my all time favorite look on him. Especially when he's around the team.

And I think it's because he finally realizes that he doesn't have to wear a mask with these people. He doesn't need to be a gruff/meanie 24/7/365. All Eliot needs to be is himself and I think that's why Parker and Hardison love teasing and harassing him. They want him to feel safe enough to show the real Eliot Spencer.

Parker and Hardison already know they are safe with him. They want Eliot to know he is safe with them. (And by what? Season 2? Season 3?) He does. And I think that's why it's a major shame they cut it at Season 5 of the original.

[dearstvckyx]

“That when a heart breaks, it ain't broken forever” - MV1

Pairing : Sierra Verstappen x Max Verstappen (Main) , Sierra Verstappen x Victoria Verstappen (Mentioned) , Sierra Verstappem x Blue Jaye Verstappen (Mentioned) , Sierra Verstappen x Sophie Kumpen (Mentioned)

Genre : angst , sad , emotional, just get the tissues okay

Mentions : drg use, addiction, death, character death, oc death

about oc : Sierra Verstappen ~~is~~ was the oldest sibling of the Verstappen Three (Her, Max and Victoria). Was a singer/rapper.

about : After her death due to an OD, Max is cleaning her house out and he finds tucked away in her office and cd holder with unreleased songs, one being Temporary.

Max sits at desk that used to alway occupy his older sister warmth and scent, staring down at the disc with his and Vics name he decides to put it into Sierra’s computer. The video begins with the camera low to the ground filming someone’s feet and Max, being the observer he is, notices it’s Sierra shoes. And as the camera pans up to familiar older girl with dyed dark blue hair and the blue eyes, he starts to get emotional seeing her face once more. And finally, He hears that voice that used to sing him to sleep, that used to stand up for him in school, the voice that would calm his anxiety down after a bad race or a fight with their father.

A lot of people ask me, am I afraid of death? - The truth is, I think what scares me the most - Is not being able to say all the things I wanna say to you - When I'm no longer here - So this song is for Maxie for when that day comes

Hearing not just her voice but calling him Maxie, the one who started that nicknamed, made Max tear up a bit. The video fake glitches, to a video of Sierra and Max when Max was a kid,

Where's Maxie? Where's he at?This ain't Maxie! Who is it? It's a monster (ahh)

Max laughed at the video from childhood, Sierra was the only one who could get Max into a video

I've been waiting all night for the sunrise - To take away the dark sky - You're the dad monster and them are the baby monsters and - I'm the mom monster - Oh - All it takes is a new day sometimes - To get me in a better state of mind - Give me a kiss, monster, give me a kiss - Love you (I love you)

Max takes notice that this part is talking about their family's dynamics and the hope that each new day brings healing. The video glitches once more to Max still pretending to be a “monster”. And hearing that ‘I Love You’ once more broke Max’s heart. Once the chorus is over, Verse 2 begins playing, the video cuts back to Sierra sitting in front of at TV that’s playing all and everything of the Verstappen Three (Sierra, Max & Victoria)

Yeah, so Maxie Emil, I wrote you this song - To help you cope with life now that I'm gone - How should I start? Just wanna say - Look after Vicky, Bluey, and Mommy dear - And, sweetie, be strong, I know I was your rock - And I still am, saying goodbye is just not - Ever easy, but why you crying? Just stop - Max, baby, dry your eye, this is not - Forever

Max hears the chorus began again before hearing,

Sissy - What? - When I used to have this when I was a little kid - Baby, are you okay?

Max was surprised to hear their mother's voice, but he was happy to hear it

Yeah, and you will get over me and move on - You can play me on repeat on a song - But don't you dare shed a tear, what'd I tell you? - "Straighten up, little soldier, " them times when I held you - Emilian, it'll be okay, baby, I'm here, Max - I'm watchin' you right now, baby boy, I vow - I will protect you, your guardian angel - As hard as this may feel, us parting is painful - And, darling, the rain will drive you insane still - You will remain strong, Maxie, just hang on - It won't be too long, I need you to move on - And remember, it will get better - 'Cause times heals and when a

Max realizes that, yes he can listen to her music but he wants to hear it person then a recording. Max remembers his fathers rage after a bad race of Maxs, which resulted in Max running away and sitting somewhere by himself crying before he felt the warmth and inhaled the strawberry scented perfume, he had relized his older sister was hugging him and talking him down from this panic attack. Max remembers the words “straight up little soldier. you did great and im still so proud of you.” That one word was one he really only heard from Sierra.

I know this big boy - And he’s really handsome - You know what his name is? - Maxie! - Maxie, how did you know?

Max laughs at his younger confident self,

Yeah, and if there's days where you wanna lock yourself in your room and cry - Just think about how when you were little, how you and I back and forth to the studio, we used to drive - You strapped in the backseat 'cause you were my little sidekick, yeah, sweetie, I know this hurts - Bean, I'm wishing your pain away - Remember this, Maxie Emil - There’s gonna be rainy days - I promise you'll get through 'em and make it regardless - Fuck it, Emilian, I'll be honest - I knew that you was gonna take this the hardest - Sweetie, get up, I know that is is breaking your heart, it's the hardest thing I ever wrote (daddy)Hailie, sweetheart, it's okay for you to let me go - Baby, I promise you that when a-

Max knows and remembers what his sister is talking about. Growing up if Sierra noticed Max was upset, stressed or tired, or just needing a break from karting or dealing with their father, she would take Max with her to the recording studio, Max was almost nearly the first one to hear her music before it was released.

And hearing that nickname Bean, The one Sierra created because Max hated green beans that he would throw them across the room. This part makes Max laugh once more, something he hasn't done in 3 weeks. And once again his bigger sister was right, Max is taking Sierras death harder then anyone, then their younger siblings, their father, their mother and the world.

What's your favorite song? My favorite song right now - Mine and your favorite song, - but I like this part, that's your favorite part, sis?

You're taping me, bitch - I got you on tape cussin' - Can you hear? -Yeah - No, bitch - No what? - No, I said, I said, no, bitch - Okay, no cussin'

Max laughs at this part, Sierra was more of a parent than Jos was to Max. Making him food before and after school, taking him to school, helping him with school work, going to any parent - teacher conferences. With this parental role Sierra had taken on she made sure Max did have some rules one was: No cussing. And Max remembers faking his sister out by saying words that sound close to the swears.

Max leans back, tears in his, and thinks for a moment before grabbing his sister’s phone and getting her managers number off it. Calling her, Max mentions he found the song and wants to see if they can release it, and they do. Max is happy for once these past couple weeks, he knows that she wanted him to find that song, to listen to it, to fight for it to be released. And Max knows Sierra is standing next to him smiling proud once more.

liked by landonorris everythingsierrav and others

maxverstappen1 i am surprised the new outlet haven’t said it before us, our sister Sierra Eliza Verstappen has passed away, today marks 5 weeks of her being gone and it’s something i’m not used to. i miss hearing her voice and her nicknames for me. i got in touched with her manager and label to release this song i heard when cleaning out her house, it’s called “Temporary” and in the words of my older sister, “i hope you enjoy, this masterpiece.” - Max Maxie

charles_leclerc she was a lovely person max ❤️

landonorris the big sister of the paddock

f1 the verstappen three !

victoriaverstappen she was proud of Max, of everything you have done and will do

sophiekumpen im so glad you fought for them to release this song son, you can tell Sierra meant every word

lewishamilton replaying this so many times

- comments haven’t been limited -

liked by sabrinacarpenter lewishamilton oscarpiastri and others

billboard Temporary by Sierra Verstappen sill stands at number one for the 34 week in a row, looks like being number one is a Verstappen sibling thing - Keep Streaming

- Comments Have Been Turned Off -

[dootznbootz]

I don't think Greek Mythology retellings/adaptions/inspired/etc. are necessarily "evil"...but I DO think people REALLY need to understand that there's a huge difference between the actual mythology and certain media.

I feel like people have to basically do a "Fandom ___" to say the different versions. Like "PJO ___", "Hades game ___", "TSOA ___". For it to be understood that these depictions are DIFFERENT. I'm saying this as someone who grew up reading PJO and still has a soft spot for it. But as someone who really loves Greek Mythology as well, I sometimes get really SAD.

I'm going to use the comparison of Howl's Moving Castle with it's Book Vs. Movie. I enjoy both!!! But they are honestly very different. In the movie there is no "sister swap", Markle isn't a young teenager, Sophie doesn't throw weed killer at Howl, and many more moments. But I enjoy both because even though there are changes they still keep components that are ingrained into the characters!

In some Greek Myth retellings/adaptations/stories/etc., characters are...SO different from the source material. That's fine...Choose what you want with your story... But folks should know that the modern adaptations are NOT the source material!!!

It bothers me that a lot of these wonderful myths and stories are twisted up and seen so differently because of a modern version of them. You can have that character be "awful" or a certain way in your story. But I almost feel that as fans, it's not good to generalize them or see it as "This is the truth". People are hating the mythological figure when it's only in that interpretation they are like that.

In PJO, Ares is "Zeus' favorite", isn't a good dad, a misogynist, etc. The actual myths? One of his Epithets is LITERALLY "Feasted by Women", in the Iliad everybody basically bullies him with Zeus literally saying he hates him. He cries when he learns one of his sons is killed in the war. He literally kills someone about to rape his daughter. Ares isn't perfect but it makes me sad with how he's viewed and talked about when it's only in PJO he's like that. Same with Dionysus. Read the Bacchae, you'll love it.

In Lore Olympus, Apollo rapes Persephone (noticing the fact that modern takes on the myths add rapes where there never were hmmmmm) when he never did in any of the myths.

In TSOA, Thetis is cruel when in the Iliad, she is such a loving mother to Achilles. She grieved alongside her son over Patroclus. Also with Agamemnon. In Ipheginia at Aulis, Agamemnon is a MESS. He adored his children.

In Circe, Odysseus is viewed as a selfish man who ONLY hurts others and doesn't care about his family when that is LITERALLY his one consistent character trait. HE is actually the one who is the victim of rape. Circe was never raped.

Medusa is only a victim in Ovid's, a Roman man, works. Not in GREEK mythology. She was just a cool monster. Leave Perseus alone. Poseidon and Medusa actually had a consensual relationship in Greek Mythology!

These adaptations/retellings/inspired by/etc. whatever anybody wants to call them, are not the real myths! They may be similar in some ways but to just generalize them or hate the deity/mythological figure because of something they did in the new media feels fucked up!

You can enjoy these new stories. There's nothing wrong with that!!! But know they're not the real myths. Maybe even label it as "I hate ____'s version of ____". As that makes it clear what version you're talking about.

[jttw-monkeybusiness]

Tell me there's part three, pleeeeee I NEED TO KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING!!!!

Jokes on U that was final chapter! >:)

But shortly I can tell describe what happens next: MC realizes that Sophie gives a lot of attention to Wukong and now he is experiencing that face-to-face with Sophie in disguise. He wants everything that Wukong has and sense his ego and narcissistic attitude is even bigger than Wukong, he decides to change his plans a bit. Originally he didn't expect Sophie to join to the group on the first place so that already put him on a loop to think his plan to take over Wukongs crown and his Buddhahood. First he planned to just kill Sophie right when they are alone for the first time until he get a lot of attention. Sophie reads to him, compliments him ect... and it's not helping that she is a pretty woman. Why let only Wukong to have this when he can take everything?

So after this MC 'studies' Sophie by testing his limits a bit. How far he can really push her mentally and how close he can get to her.

This comic was a moment when Sophie is not sure about Wukongs behaviour. He is mean to her sometimes but THAT was a bit much to her. In the end she let's that slide bc maybe he just went a bit too far and was genuinely a bit sorry but he was hiding that by saying "it was just a joke". Bust slowly the more time she spends with MC she can't help but feel that something is weird about him. She just can't put a finger on it sense everyone else are fine.

In the end MC decides to be a monster and kill one of the monkeys to eat them. He knows that his cover is over but real Wukong is not here and he is much stronger than the others, but he enjoys seeing Sophies horrified reaction to the point that she cries. He is still wearing Wukongs face while eating and that's messed up.

But you know the rest. Wukong comes with Sandy, after he came to a little visit bc and explaining Sophie Wukongs and Trips dramatic fight. Sophie had no idea that happened! Real Wukong has not showed up in weeks. Real Wukong comes and kills MC and he and Sophie have a soft moment. The end. Now go to bed, anon. It's pass your bedtime ✌️

[thebookishbruja]

Howl’s Moving Castle

Spoilers!!

So, I finished Howl’s Moving Castle (the novel) last night, and now I’ve been up since 4am going through the tags on tumblr. I saw someone say that in Howl’s Moving Castle, both Sophie and Howl are the beauty, and they both are the beast. It got me thinking.

This novel beautifully subverts two tropes: the Beauty and the Beast trope (girl goes to scary castle housing legendary monster and falls in love) AS WELL AS the Princess and the Frog trope (Wherein Sophie is the cursed and Howl is the princess longing for true love). 

Beauty and the Beast

So, I’ll be the first to admit that this trope isn’t normally for me. I absolutely understand its appeal. But it’s not for me. But this novel turns it on its head so delightfully I love it.

What is different about Howl’s Moving Castle is, first of all, the girl doesn’t go to the big scary castle against her will. She isn’t a tribute or sacrifice, and she doesn’t go there to free a kidnapped loved one. Nothing is coerced. 

This hat shop girl literally forces her way into the home of this terrifying beast (who kills girls and takes their hearts, mind you, oh and has a fire demon) because she wants to sit by the fire. Then she bullies him into letting her stay. It was hilarious as shit.

Secondly, he’s not a dick or emotionally abusive to her. He’s just annoying lmao. He just has normal flaws!! They are comedic in contrast to his reputation and appearances. This supposed terrifying man, this lothario who seduces women, is emotionally needy, melodramatic, vain, and he avoids his problems rather than confronting them. His house is messy, and it’s not even a castle, it’s an illusion. 

The descriptions of his tantrums are so fuckn funny and you just know...this comes from a place of experience and affection on the part of the author. And yes, in an interview, the author said that she didn’t need to invent Howl’s dramatics when he got a cold, that’s just what her husband (a medievalist/academic) acted like when he was sick. She was like...I just watched him and wrote it all down.

Another comment I saw in a tag of a tumblr post was someone saying...why do you guys like this guy (Howl)? He’s a mess!

Yes! And that’s the point! His fake castle, his hair dye, his fake reputation, it is all just a slightly heightened version of what we all are. We all project a front. We curate our image. (Can you IMAGINE how insufferable Howl would be if he had instagram???) We all have insecurities, and we all sometimes want more attention and validation than we get. 

Sometimes we all want to dramatically slink around the house going ‘oh woe is me, I need a bit of attention’. And so we smile when we see Howl just go for it lmao at least I do. Because of course, despite working overtime to seem more perfect than we are, we all just want to be loved for who we authentically are.

So then of course as Sophie gets to know the real Howl, she also finds out that he is kind. He undercharges poor people for spells, he takes in an orphan and an old lady looking for a rest, and he is very protective of his fire demon, and judges people based on how nice they are to Calcifer.

And again, that’s the whole point. We humans are bundles of kind, squishy hearts, as well as flaws. And we all work overtime putting up images, but in the end, we just want to love and be loved both for our good points, and our absurd, stupid, vulnerabilities and flaws. We want to find value in the soggy human condition.

The Princess and the Frog (where in Howl is the princess and Sophie is the frog)

So, Sophie is cursed into a shape that will (according to fairy tale villain logic) prevent her from finding love. And since the character is a girl, and this book has emotional intelligence, that shape is not a frog, it is an old woman. Women are still valued by society primarily for youth, fertility, and beauty, and are put out to the pasture of invisibility and irrelevance when we get our first crow’s feet. This ‘should’ have been (if Sophie bought into all that) the end of her life, so to speak.

But the absolutely amazing thing is, being an old woman turns out to be Sophie’s secret weapon, her path to self actualization. It gives her strength and courage. She is like...oh, old women can get away with just saying whatever they feel. Oh, people have to be nice to me. And she just gains all of this confidence. Maybe too much! Lol She gets pushier and nosier and more stubborn. 

Sophie has flaws too! But Howl falls in love with her too, and again in the theme of genuine love and inner beauty, he falls in love with her just like she is. He knows she is under a spell but he doesn’t know what she ‘really’ looks like. He just falls in love with who she is.

It’s like the polar opposite of the Little Mermaid (Disney version). In that movie, Ariel loses her voice, and the prince has to get to know her in the silence. In Howl’s Moving Castle, Sophie’s voice is amplified by her curse. She just comes tromping into his house, shouting at him. And he loves her for it.

Howl needs her honesty and her clear eyed assessments. He loves that she is protective of his found family (Calcifer and Michael). (They become her family too.) And, despite her complaining, she is very protective of Howl as well. She even goes to save the woman she thinks he loves, even though she is unbearably jealous.

And in the end, his love doesn’t break the spell. Sophie herself lets go of her ‘disguise’. Her elderly persona has become the armor that she wears to give her courage and strength. It is like assistance, or an aid to her personal growth, and when she grows strong enough on her own to make the choices she wants to make, (love Howl, embrace her magic, choose her own place in life) she lets go of it.

Another subversion to the Princess and the Frog is that Howl is the princess. I just love the gender fuckery of it all. Howl is the one who yearns for true love and relentlessly pursues it. It is Howl who wears jewelry, who primps, and who colors his hair. 

Men are told that if they enjoy anything associated with the feminine, then they are not men. I hate that. I want people to be able to express their gender however they see fit in their individual ways. So to have Howl be aggressively vain and embrace the trappings of femininity and for him to also be loved and the hero, Idk I just really like that. 

Sure, in the end, the fact that he rushes out to save her without doing his hair is a sign that he’s truly in love. But that’s just because he prioritized her wellbeing over his beauty routine that day to save her life. He doesn’t stop being Howl. You get the idea that he’s still gonna be traipsing around in dangly earrings and flashy suits for the foreseeable future. I’ve noticed that on tumblr, the bisexuals have embraced him and Sophie, which is right and good.

So yeah, I love the trope subversions and the idea that we can be messy, flawed, human beings and find humor, nobility, and love in that. All of us. Even princess wizards and even (if you can believe it) eldest daughters.

[fnf-beyond]

There are a lot of types of demons that exist.

Everyone knows this.

Whether they’re demons from the Bible, or some other religious source.

Everyone knows that demons exist in some way, shape or form.

Some… can even appear as human.

Some can hide away their true identities, whether to appear less threatening as a way to catch more victims, or to terrify those in their grasp.

Some are born killers, who get high from the process of hunting their prey.

Some can even be your best friend sitting next to you.

-

How did you like that little thing? I honestly just kinda came up with a general idea for it while listening to and working on my Followed Cover shit (which does have some lore implications in it, I should add, tis why I’m mentioning it here), and then bullshitted the rest of it just now lmao

Anyways, I’m feeling nice, so I will describe the demons types that have (or at least- I want to have) a purpose in the story:

The Seducers: typically referred to as Succubi and Incubi, they all appear very attractive to their target victims, usually with body types portrayed by media as “hot”, “sexy”, and “desirable”. They all have a human appearance, making it nearly impossible to tell if one is talking to one of them or not. The only tell when in their human appearance is the red glint in their eyes in certain lighting. In their demon form, they have ashen-purple skin, their eyes glowing red against a dark background, and dark, curving horn types. (Sophie, DD, and MM are this type)

The Illusionists: Never seen in their true form, whether because they’re unintimidating, or the opposite, is unknown. The Illusionist type can take on a whole host of forms with their distinctive ability of general illusions and hallucinations, but it is limited by the fact they cannot take on any human form to hide their demonic status. Along with their namesake’s ability, they also have the ability to twist the minds of humans and turn them into near-mindless pawns. (Monster is this type)

The Hunters: One of the larger types of demons, Hunters are called such due to their distinct love for hunting humans and other such creatures. They don’t hunt to feed, they hunt for fun, they are natural born killers. Their larger size and unnatural features makes them far more intimidating than some of the others, despite their lack of unique abilities, but at the same time, they can take on a humanoid appearance to lower their chances of getting spotted. Their disguise isn’t perfect however, their still slightly unnatural height and features being their giveaway, though… if you see it and recognize it for what it is, you’re already dead. (Convict is this type (if I even end up adding him in))

As with any inhuman being, there are going to be followers. These followers, depending on their level of devotion, will sometimes be granted lesser powers from their chosen leader to use, so long as they follow that demon without question. [Harvester is Monster’s follower. Convict also had a follower, but their identity is going to remain anonymous for now :) ]

Anyways, that’s it for the important ones. What do you guys think?

Abyssal: DATA UNKNOWN. CONTACT ————— FOR INFORMATION. ALL WE KNOW IS THAT EVERY 2000 YEARS A NEW ONE RISES. OUR ONLY GOAL:

FIND IT AND KILL IT.

[hopepaigeturner]

how do each umbrella member cope with what happens to John? and how their relationship with Lucy changes because of that?

because i’m sure Danbury tells them to act like nothing happened, in order to follow the lie they all tell her, but i also can imagine some of them, like Michael for example, can’t just pretend that didn’t happened, and it’s hard for them to even look at her without thinking about that evening

also, that was so cute and then so sad, i cried 🥺 can’t wait to read more about this au cause it’s just too good, and you’re such a good writer 👏🏼

Thank you for the feedback!! It really warmed my heart.

Oh you're absolutely right. John's death shakes the entire family to the core, they just cope with it in different ways...

Simon:

Nothing seems to have changed, apart from Simon being harsher and more millitant during training. He is much quicker to reprimand silly mistakes, scold bad teamwork or fooling around.

For years Lucy will wonder why Simon also seems one step away from her, even when he embraces her in a hug.

And for years, Lady Danbury is the only one who patches Simon's bloody fists after late night alley fights.

Kate:

As the eldest girl she comes alongside Sophie to comfort her siblings. She is the most active in reaching out to Lucy, allowing the girl to play with animals, feeling a sense of responsibility that she uses to smother her conlifcted feelings towards the young girl.

And then two months later her entire world turns upside down with the death of her father. And the laughing, smiling, soft Kate they all knew disappears.

Sophie:

Burrows away from her grief by giving everything she has to others and throwing herself into the training room. Other than the funeral, she never cries. Instead she holds Gareth and Kate. She quietens Penelope and lets Lucy slip into her bed. Tries to reach out to Michael but gives up afgter being rebuffed far too many times. Lady Danbury leans on her the most, seeing as she seems the msot adjusted to the change.

Yet Philip always makes sure that Sophie has time in his greenhouse where she can read a book or nap. For he recogises how Sophie;s features change at a rapidity not dissimilar to her days under Araminta's torture.

Penelope:

Wakes up with nightmares weeks after the event. And since that day when Lady Danbury asked her to utter those words, Penelope repeats her matnras. You had no other choice.

And from that day forward she can never look at Lucy for too long without the sickening guilt clogging her throat.

Phillip:

Hides away in his greenhouse with the plants, can't bear to look at Lucy due to the guilt and grief. He's never known how to help, but he knows Sophie, so eh makes sure she spends some afternoons with him in the greenhouse, where her features can settle a little more.

But a month or so after, he comes to the realisation that he knows how it feels to be treated like a monster, and from then on reaches out and cares for Lucy. Plays with her, shows her his plants and carries her on her back.

Michael:

For months he cannot bear to be in the same room as Lucy, otherwise an overwhelming anger runs through his veins and he wants to strangle her. Or because she is the reminder of his failure...his failure to save John.

So he stays away and runs away from the memories with boose and drugs. He bats away all those who try to help him, until its the one year anniversary of John's death and he screams to the sky and suddenly...

"What mess have you got yourself into now?"

And for the first time since that night, Michael's smile is genuine.

Gareth:

Suppresses the trauma until the details are hazy to his six year old mind. He cried at the funeral, and sometimes would stare at the wall for hours before falling asleep, but is soon running around the house, bouncing off teh walls, barely able to keep still.

Everything is fine, everything is good, for he didn't really know John and he still has his favourite playmate Lucy. Everything is fine. Everything is fine.

[anonofseasons]

When the boys are adults, will having been children so long affect their personalities? You've said Bee can be absent-minded and somewhat selfish as an adult, which says somewhat childish' to me. Do El and Howie have similar problems?

Oooh, this is such a fun question! Thank you for this ask! I think each boy will be impacted at least a little bit in his own way. For El, he's already an introvert, but he's been isolated for so long that his idea of friendship is all pieced together from books. He's stuffed his head so deep in fiction, he's a bit like Bee but doesn't use dolls to play out his stories. (In fact, he's quite embarrassed by the self-insert fanfics he writes in his head. Poor baby needs an AO3 in his world! And, er, internet for that matter.) Also this whole thing is the reason it was easier for Vivian to gaslight him with "Sophie's your imaginary friend"--not that Vivian knew this at the time. El's sacrificial "big brother" nature also comes from being so lonely for those years that--without the experience around peers--he'll probably be too oblivious at first to people taking advantage of that. He'll think he's aware because he read fiction with those themes, only to discover that it's harder to detect in reality. But the decades of him being an only child and young at that... it definitely is responsible for that. Howie is the one least affected. That might sound surprising, since he started as the main voice of this story. His personality--that insatiable curiosity--will benefit him in the long run. He's the only one who really stood up to the system at first (El followed because of a combination of the Sophie ordeal and finding out Vivian used his magic against Howie). He's been self-aware of what aspects of him might be seen as childish, and he was even consciously trying to seem more mature at times. Buuuut... Alright, so I had to snip out some superfluous bits of the story a while back, and there are some parts that showed he was more willing to be childish. But I honestly wouldn't see it as childish, just something society does, to have that curious wonderment. I love Howie for having it, honestly. Now Bee... He's complicated, but since I posted ch 40, I think I can now admit that yes, he doesn't want to grow up at all. He likes being five. He's had years to learn more than the average child his age, but his brain is still the same as a five-year-old's. And it has stagnated there for approximately 183 years. He knew he wasn't aging after a while, but did he have a problem? Did he question it? No. He loves toys and has normalized a lot of unhealthy shit. He's somewhat selfish and fickle and probably will reject vegetables his entire life. Not even telling him he can eat whatever he wants when he grows up is enough to sway him. And the shaving part? That does distress him! Bee doesn't handle growing up well at all. Not after all those years of being so little and being babied for so long. If I go further into it, I will spoil the epilogue, but this one has a journey to go through, and... yeah, I can't even vaguely mention what'll happen or I'll spoil it. But I hope that can sate your curiosity for a bit? :) And apologies I cannot tell you how far you have to wait for the epilogue to find out more about Bee... I'm still writing this monster. I hope sometime soon I'll know how many chapters are left. :') Thank you again for this question, it's something I have a lot of fun thinking about when I'm supposed to be sleeping (oops) and it's nice to share these bits with others!

[somerandomdude11]

I don't know why but I've always had these memories of Franklin, he was the monster under my bed that pretty much every kid had, at least in their heads. He was scary at first, he was very thin and tall with a ton of purple fur and some slightly crooked eyes and mouth, sometimes he'd be under the bed and other times he'd just be standing in the corner but I remember him gradually becoming that kind of imaginary friend that I thought every kid had, keyword "thought".

Over time I stopped seeing him in my room, I kinda missed the way he'd try to scare me but according to Mom & dad "That's just part of growing up", still I learned to live with it and almost forgot about him by senior year of high school. I had gotten home from school... 4:30ish I think? Mr. Buttersworth had given out another round of impossible AP Calculus homework so fully prepared to get into study mode and get it over with I walked past the kitchen planning to head straight upstairs as Mom spoke up.

"How was school honey?" She asked

"Fine" I shortly replied, already trying to work through the first homework questions in my head as I started climbing the stairs.

"Well make sure you get the trash out today hun, garbage collectors stop by tomorrow and I don't want you to forget-"

"Yeah yeah I got it" I tiredly said with bit of a dismissive wave, I don't really like it when I do that but my mind was somewhere else in that moment, I knew she probably wasn't happy with me after that though. I got into my room, thumped the bag down at my desk, sat down and got to work.

Several hours of trying to figure out what a 3rd derivative is later I'm still at my desk hunched over with the last of the twilight sun streaming through my window, I had gotten halfway through but it all just kinda turns into gibberish after a while. Exhausted, I slumped back in my chair 'I am so cooked tomorrow' I thought. Looking out the window I watched that last bit of the sun dip below the horizon I thought 'I wish I could leave this small town right now, just go to space and see the stars or something' My eyes lazily drifted down and to the left to where our driveway was and noticed it was empty. That was kind of odd, Mom & Dad had a big lego project going in the garage so the driveway was the only spot to park "One of them must be getting groceries" I murmured to myself, then I glanced down at my desk and... there was a loose tuft of purple hair on my desk.

"The hell?" I asked as I picked up the hair looked at it closer

I turned to the door to call for my sibling "Sophie did you leave your- OH MY GOD!"

I couldn't believe my eyes, Franklin was in my room again, but this time his back was against the door, holding it closed, a single claw-tipped furry finger across his lips in a shushing motion. I barely had time to process what was happening when I heard Mom calling from downstairs.

"Honey is everything alright?"

I was about to give her an answer when Franklin whispered across the room "that's not her"

I stood in shock for a couple seconds trying to understand what was going on when she called again, sounding somewhat close this time

"Honey?"

"Yeah Mom everything's fine!" I replied and hurriedly whispered to Franklin "dude i- how are you even here??"

"there's no time to explain, you gotta get out of here NOW" he quietly shot back.

"i think you have plenty of time to explain why I'm seeing my old imaginary frie-"

"imaginary?? oh whatever talk later escape now"

"what do you mean escape it's just mom-"

I was cut short as I heard a knock on the door

"Honey who are you talking to?" she said through the door

We both froze as she said that, I couldn't put my finger on it in the moment but something sounded... off

"N- no one Mom I'm just talking myself through some calc problems" Maybe a half-truth was enough for her?

"Oh alright, can I come in and check on you anyway?"

Now THAT wasn't normal, both Mom and Dad had made clear to both Me and Sophie that our rooms were ours and no one else could come in without explicit permission. I mean they'd usually walk in after a knock and a "come in" but Mom knows the kind of AP tests I'm studying for, if I'm locked in like that she leaves me alone with no ifs, ands or buts. In this moment I also heard another unusual sound: the car rolling in the driveway, I nervously peeked up over the windowsill to see who pulled in and... it was Mom, back with the groceries.

And then the gears in my head started turning more, the empty driveway, the off-sounding voice, I hadn't even looked at her when I walked in, who did I even walk past? Was garbage day even tomorrow? What about Sophie and dad where are they? My mind was racing more than it was earlier as Not-Mom sharply spoke:

"Open the door Spencer"

Full blown panic set in as I started looking around my room for exits or hiding places or... I don't know SOMETHING. I heard thumping on the door as I glanced over to Franklin bouncing off of it with each thump

"I SAID OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR YOUNG MAN!"

Not-Mom must've been wailing on the door as Franklin was holding it back with gritted teeth, he yelled

"THE BED! GET UNDER THE BED!"

"ARE YOU CRAZY? HIDING'S NOT GOING TO HELP!"

"THERE'S AN EMERGENCY ESCAPE HATCH UNDER THERE, TRUST ME!"

The thumping was even louder now as Not-Mom screeched in a furious tone

"YOU CAN'T SAVE THE BOY FRANKLIN! HE'S MINE! MINE YOU HEAR ME!? MINE!!!"

Nearly paralyzed with fear I had less than a second to consider my options, of which there were only 2: wait until whatever the hell was on the other side of my bedroom door busts through, or go with whatever hairbrained scheme my less-than-imaginary friend was telling me.

"OH FUCK THIS HERO BULLSHIT!" I screamed as I did probably the stupidest move I could think of: I leapt across the room towards Franklin, grabbed his hand and dragged him under the bed with me

The door blasted open in splinters in an instant as Not-Mom fell into my room with a heavy THUMP, the 2 of us were nearly frozen in terror as I looked up at the underside of my bed and saw... a perfectly circular metal hatch? I didn't really look down here much but last I checked my bed frame was wood... Regardless there was a keypad right next to it that Franklin was quickly trying to input some kind of passcode into and failing a few attempts with how much his fuzzy hand shook with adrenaline... was it adrenaline? Was Franklin even close to human? I had a million questions that I had exactly 0 answers for, and the shaking got worse as we heard something slither around the room. I looked over to a slimy, sickly looking yellow tentacle searching and probing around the room, I had to cover my mouth to muffle the gasp.., but it wasn't enough, the tentacle instantly locked on as I heard what sounded like a good beep from the keypad. The yellow tendril shot past me as I was suddenly yanked up into the hatch by some pulling force, I could hear echoing wails of despair from Non-Mom that ceased as I watched the hatch close as I traveled away from it.

I don't remember much of what happened after that, Franklin would later tell me that the hatch was some sort of transport thingamajig that used this... in-between space(?) as a way to get from one place to another. I don't really understand it but I remember it being vibrant with color that all blended together and overwhelmed all of my senses, and apparently forced my brain to reset as I faded from consciousness with tingling feeling of fur wrapped around my right hand.

Now in your mid teens, you forgot all about the monster under your bed. One night though, it wakes you up saying “You’re not safe. You need to get out of here”

[multifandomweirdo3]

Wings - Castiel | Dead in the Water

Chapter 3

Word Count: 4616

************************************************************************

Winnie hums quietly to herself as she looks through the half of the newspaper Dean gave her. She looks up as he nudges her, pointing to a section he circled in his.

"I think I got one. Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin-last week, Sophie Carlton, 18, walks into the lake, doesn't walk out. Authorities dragged the water-nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found, either. They had a funeral two days ago." He says.

"A funeral?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, it's weird. They buried an empty coffin for closure or whatever." He replies.

"Closure? What closure? People don't just disappear, Dean. Other people just stop looking for them." He scoffs.

"What is your problem?" Winnie asks.

"Something you wanna say to us?" Dean adds.

"The trail for Dad-it's getting colder everyday." He says.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" He asks.

"I don't know. Something. Anything." He tells them.

"If you don't have any ideas, shut up Sammy." She snaps, glaring at him. She grabs her bag and stands, walking outside to wait by the car.

****

"Will Carlton?" Dean asks once the door is opened.

"Yeah, that's right." He replies.

"I'm Agent Ford. These are Agents Hamill and Fisher. We're with the U.S. wildlife service." He says. They're lead outside, stopping before they reach the lake. Winnie shifts so she's farthest from the water, eyeing it as if it would drown her where she stands.

"She was about 100 yards out. That's where she got dragged down." Will tells them.

"And you're sure she didn't just drown?" He asks.

"Yeah. She was a varsity swimmer. She practically grew up in that lake. She's as safe out there as in her own bathtub." He explains.

"So no splashing, no signs of distress?" Sam asks.

"No, that's what I'm telling you." He says.

"Did you see shadows or anything breaching the surface?" Winnie asks.

"No, again, she was really far out there." He answers.

"You ever see any strange tracks by the shoreline?" Dean questions.

"No, never. Why? What do you think's out there?" He replies.

"We'll let you know as soon as we do." He assures him before walking away. Winnie sighs in relief and quickly follows.

"What about your father? Can we talk to him?" Sam asks before she can get in the Impala. She groans but turns to face them.

"Look, if you don't mind, I mean, he didn't see anything, and he's kind of been through a lot." Will sighs.

"We understand." He tells him. They get in the car and Dean drives away. "Since when are you terrified of water?" Sam asks, turning to look at his twin.

"I don't know, since always." She scoffs, rolling her eyes.

"What? Why?" He asks.

"It's dark, I can't hear or see anything when I'm in the water, there's nasty things in there, do I need to go on?" She answers.

"You're fine with monsters, but you draw the line at fish?" He teases.

"Yes, Sammy, they're gross!" She exclaims, making her brothers laugh. "You guys suck."

****

"Now, I'm sorry, but why does the wildlife service care about an accidental drowning?" The sheriff asks as he leads them towards his office.

"You sure it's accidental? Will Carlton saw something grab his sister." Sam replies.

"Like what?" He asks. "Here, sit, please." He tells them, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. "There are no indigenous carnivores in that lake. There's nothing even big enough to pull down a person, unless it was the Loch Ness Monster."

"Yeah, right." Dean scoffs, glancing at his siblings.

"Will Carlton was traumatized, and sometimes the mind plays tricks." He says. "Still, we dragged that entire lake. We even ran a sonar sweep just to be sure, and there was nothing down there."

"That's weird, though." He replies.

"This is the third missing body this year." Winnie adds.

"I know. These are people from my town. These are people I care about." The sheriff says.

"I know." Dean assures him.

"Anyway...all this-it won't be a problem much longer." He tells them.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"Well, the dam, of course." The sheriff answers.

"Of course. The dam." He replies, glancing at his siblings. Winnie gives him a 'don't look at me' look and he turns back to the sheriff. "It's, uh...it sprung a leak."

"It's falling apart." He corrects. "And the feds won't give us the grant to repair it, so they've opened the spillway. In another six months, there won't be much of a lake. There won't be much of a town, either. But as federal wildlife, you already knew that."

"Exactly." He agrees.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" A woman asks. "I can come back later."

"This is my daughter." The sheriff introduces as they stand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dean." He says, holding his hand out. Winnie looks at Sam, rolling her eyes at their brother. The woman shakes his hand. 

"Andrea Bar. Hi." She replies.

"They're from the wildlife service. About the lake." The sheriff tells her.

"Oh." She says.

"Oh, hey there. What's your name?" Dean asks as a boy comes to stand next to Andrea. He avoids eye contact before leaving the room, Andrea following behind.

"His name is Lucas." The sheriff tells them.

"Is he okay?" Sam asks as Winnie continues watching Andrea set her son up with paper and crayons. She'd always wanted to be a mother but had accepted that she wouldn't ever bring a child into this life. It was too dangerous.

"My grandson's been through a lot. We all have." He replies. "Well, if there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know." He continues, moving to the door.

"Thanks." Dean tells him as they leave the room. "You know, now that you mentioned it, could you point us in the direction of a reasonably priced motel?"

"Lakefront Motel-go around the corner, it's' two blocks up." Andrea says.

"Two-Would you mind showing us?" He asks.

"Such a moron." Winnie signs to Sam behind his back.

"You want me to walk you two blocks?" Andrea chuckles.

"Not if it's any trouble." He replies.

"I'm headed that way anyway." She tells him. "I'll be back to pick up Lucas at 3:00. We'll go to the park, okay, Sweetie?" She kisses her son's head before leading the way.

"So, cute kid." Dean says as they walk down the street.

"Thanks." She replies.

"Kids are the best, huh?" He continues.

"He can't think that's going to work." Winnie signs, shaking her head. Sam chuckles and Dean glares at them.

"There it is. Like I said, two blocks." Andrea tells them.

"Thanks." Sam says.

"Must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line." She tells Dean before walking away. Winnie bursts into laughter and Dean glares at her. "Enjoy your stay." Andrea adds, chuckling at Winnie's reaction.

"'Kids are the best'? You don't even like kids." Sam scoffs.

"I love kids." He replies.

"Name three children that you even know." He tells him. Dean opens his mouth but doesn't speak as he thinks.

"We'll be inside. Come find us when you realize that you don't know any kids." Winnie says, rolling her eyes.

****

"So there's the three drowning victims this year." Sam says, doing research as Dean and Winnie go through their things.

"And before that?" Dean asks.

"Uh, yeah, six more, spread out over the past 35 years. Those bodies were never recovered either. If there is something out there, it's picking up its pace." He replies.

"So what, we got a lake monster on a binge?" He asks.

"This whole lake monster theory-it just bugs me." Sam says. Winnie nods in agreement.

"Why?" He replies.

"Loch Ness, Lake Champlain-There are literally hundreds of eyewitness accounts, but here, almost nothing. Whatever it is out there, no one's living to talk about it." He explains as Dean looks over his shoulder.

"Wait, Bar, Christopher Bar-where have I heard that name before?" He asks.

"Jesus, Dean." Winnie scoffs, smacking the back of his head as she joins them. 

"What?" He snaps, rubbing his head.

"The victim in May-oh." Sam starts to say. The article loads, revealing a picture of a traumatized Lucas. "Christopher Bar was Andrea's husband, Lucas' father. Apparently, he took Lucas out swimming. Lucas was on a floating wooden platform when Chris drowned. Two hours before the kid got rescued." Winnie sighs, wishing the boy hadn't had to go through something so horrible so young. "Maybe have an eyewitness after all."

"No wonder that kid was so freaked out. Watching one of your parents die isn't something you just get over." He tells them. Winnie loops her arm through his and leans her head against his arm, silently comforting him. He kisses the top of her head before pulling away. "Let's go."

****

"Can we join you?" Sam asks Andrea.

"I'm here with my son." She replies.

"Oh. Mind if I say hi?" Dean asks, not waiting for an answer before walking towards Lucas.

"Tell your friend this whole 'Jerry Maguire' thing's not gonna work on me." She tells the siblings as they join her on the bench.

"I don't think that's what this is about." Sam tells her. They watch Dean interacting with Lucas for a few moments before Sam asks her about Christopher. They move away from the others for some more privacy.

"Lucas hasn't said a word, not even to me-not since his dad's accident." Andrea is saying as Dean joins them.

"Yeah, we heard. Sorry." Dean tells her.

"What are the doctors saying?" Sam asks.

"That it's a kind of post-traumatic stress." She answers.

"That can't be easy for either of you." He says.

"We moved in with my dad. He helps out a lot. It's just...when I think about what Lucas went through, what he saw..." She trails off, staring at her son.

"Kids are strong. You'd be surprised what they can deal with." Dean assures her.

"You know, he used to have such life. He was hard to keep up with, to tell you the truth." She tells them. "Now he just sits there, drawing those pictures, playing with those army men. I just wish-Hey, Sweetie." She interrupts herself as Lucas joins them. He keeps his head down, but holds a picture out for Dean.

"Thanks." Dean tells him, taking the drawing. "Thanks, Lucas." The boy turns and walks away, and Andrea watches him before staring at Dean.

"Have you considered sign language?" Winnie asks.

"No, I hadn't really thought of it." Andrea answers.

"I could teach you some basic ASL if you want." She offers. Andrea looks at her son and nods.

"I'd like that." She agrees.

"I'll see you guys later." Winnie tells her brothers before leading Andrea back to the bench. She spends the rest of the afternoon teaching Andrea the basics, giving her some good resources before they head their separate ways.

****

"So, I think it's safe to say we can rule out Nessie." Sam says as he enters the motel room.

"What do you mean?" Dean asks.

"I just drove past the Carlton House. There was an ambulance there. Will Carlton is dead." He explains.

"He drowned?" Winnie signs.

"Yep, in the sink." He answers.

"What the hell? So you're right, this isn't a creature. We're dealing with something else." Dean says. Winnie sighs.

"Yeah, but what?" He replies.

"I don't know. A water wraith maybe? Some kind of demon? I mean, something that controls water...water that comes from the same source." He suggests.

"The lake-which would explain why it's upping the body count. The lake is draining. It'll be dry in a few months. Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants, it's running out of time." Sam tells them.

"If it can travel through pipes, it can get to anyone. Great." Winnie groans.

"This is gonna happen again soon." Dean replies, standing from the bed. He moves to the chair at the table and starts putting his boots on.

"And we do know one other thing for sure. We know this has got something to do with Bill Carlton." Sam adds.

"Yeah, it took both his kids." Dean and Winnie agree at the same time. Sam rolls his eyes, though he's slightly jealous, as there was a time when he and his twin would always do that.

"And I've been asking around. Lucas' dad, Chris-Bill Carlton's godson." He tells them. Winnie sighs again and attaches her implants.

"Let's go talk to this guy then." She says.

****

"Mr. Carlton?" Sam asks as they approach him. "We'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."

"We're from the department-" Dean starts to say.

"I don't care who you're with." Mr. Carlton interrupts. "I've answered enough questions today."

"Your son said he saw something in that lake. What about you? You ever see anything out there?" Sam asks. "Mr. Carlton, Sophie's drowning and Will's death-we think there might be a connection to you or your family."

"My children are gone. It's...It's worse than dying." He tells them. Winnie grabs the backs of her brothers jackets, ready to pull them away to let the man grieve. "Go away...please." She tugs and they turn, following her back to the car.

"What do you think?" Sam asks.

"He's been through hell, Sam." Winnie scoffs.

"I also think he's not telling us something." Dean adds.

"So now what?" He asks. Dean pauses, looking at something.

"What?" Winnie asks, following his gaze to the cabin.

"Huh. Maybe Bill's not the only one who knows something." He tells them. Winnie peeks over his shoulder as he pulls out the drawing Lucas gave him, the drawing a match for the building in front of them.

****

"I'm sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea." Andrea says.

"I just need to talk to him, just for a few minutes." Dean argues.

"He won't say anything. What good's it gonna do?" She replies.

"Andrea, we think more people might get hurt. We think something's happening out there." Sam tells her.

"My husband, the others-they just drowned. That's all." She says.

"Is that really what you believe?" Winnie asks, gently touching Andrea's arm.

"If you think there's even a possibility that something else could be going on here, please let me talk to your son." Dean adds. After a moment Andrea nods. She gestures for Sam and Dean to go ahead.

"We're going to stop this thing. We won't let it take your son." Winnie tells her, recognizing her fear. Andrea nods and they head to Lucas' room. Dean enters and crouches in front of the door while they wait just outside.

"Hey, Lucas." He greets. "You remember me?" He looks through the drawings on the floor after the boy doesn't respond. "You know, I, uh...I wanted to thank you for that last drawing...but the thing is I need your help again." He says, shifting to sit on the floor. He pulls the drawing out and sets it on the floor. "How did you know to draw this? Did you know something bad was gonna happen? Maybe you could nod yes or no for me." He suggests. "You're scared. It's okay. I understand. See, when I was your age, I saw something real bad happen to my mom, and I was scared, too."

"Has Dean talked to you about that night?" Sam signs, looking at his twin. She shakes her head, wishing he would.

"I didn't feel like talking, just like you, but, see, my mom-I know she wanted me to be brave. I think about that every day. And I do my best to be brave. And maybe your dad wants you to be brave, too." He tells him. Lucas stops drawing and raises his head. He grabs a drawing and hands it to Dean. "Thanks, Lucas."

****

Dean holds up the picture, comparing the church in the drawing to the one they stand in front of. Then comparing the houses.

"We're sorry to bother you, ma'am, but does a little boy live here by chance? He might wear a blue ball cap, has a red bicycle." Dean asks the woman who led them inside the house.

"No, sir. Not for a very long time. Peter's been gone 35 years now." She tells them. She sighs, looking at a picture of the boy. "The police never-I never had any idea what happened. He just disappeared. Losing him-you know, it's...it's worse than dying." The siblings glance at each other, knowing Bill Carlton said the same thing. They also notice the army men Peter must have played with.

"Did he disappear from here-I mean, from this house?" Dean asks.

"He was supposed to ride his bike straight home after school, and he never showed up." She tells them, crying.

Winnie grabs a tissue packet from her jacket and hands one to the woman. She wipes her eyes as Dean looks around, finding a picture of Peter with another boy.

"'Peter Sweeney and Billy Carlton, 1970'." He reads.

They thank the woman and get into the Impala, driving back to the Carlton house.

"Okay, this little boy, Peter Sweeney, vanishes, and this is all connected to Bill Carlton somehow." Sam says.

"Yeah, Bill sure as hell seems to be hiding something." Dean agrees.

"The people Bill loves are being punished so..." Winnie tells them, trying to get them to come to the same conclusion.

"What if Bill did something?" He asks.

"What if Bill killed him?" Sam adds.

"You guys aren't as dumb as you look!" She exclaims. Sam turns to glares at her.

"Peter's spirit would be furious. It'd want revenge. It's possible." Dean says, ignoring her comment.

"Mr. Carlton!" Sam calls as they get out of the Impala.

"Hey. Check it out." Dean says, watching as Mr. Carlton drives a boat out into the water. The boys rush towards the dock and Winnie stays back, wanting to stay far from the water.

"Mr. Carlton! You need to come back! Come out of the water! Turn the boat around!" The boys yell.

Winnie gasps as the boat flies into the air, Mr. Carlton and the boat disappearing underwater.

****

"Sam, Dean, Winnie. I didn't expect to see you here." Andrea says as they enter the station.

"So now you're on a first-name basis." The sheriff says. "What are you doing here?"

"I brought you dinner." She answers.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I don't really have the time." He tells her.

"I heard about Bill Carlton. Is it true? Is something going on with the lake?" She asks.

"Right now, we don't know what the truth is, but I think it might be better if you and Lucas went on home." He says. Lucas whimpers and rushes to Dean. 

"Lucas, hey, what is it?" Dean asks as the boy tugs on his arm. "Lucas, it's okay. It's okay. Hey, Lucas, it's okay. It's okay." He assures him as Andrea holds him. He stares at Dean as his mother leads him out of the station. 

The sheriff heads into his office and Sam follows. Winnie squeezes Dean's arm as he stares at the door where they disappeared.

"We'll help him." She tells him. He nods and they join the others in the office.

"Okay, just so I'm clear, you see...something attack Bill's boat, sending Bill, who is a very good swimmer, by the way, into the drink, and you never see him again?" The sheriff asks.

"Yeah, that about sums it up." Dean says.

"And I'm supposed to believe this, even though I've already sonar-swept that entire lake and what you're describing is impossible and you're not really wildlife service? That's right, I checked. The department's never heard of you three." He continues.

"See? Now, we can explain that." He tells him.

"Enough. Please. The only reason you're breathing free air is one of Bill's neighbors saw him steering out that boat just before you did. So we have a couple of options here. I can arrest you for impersonating government officials and hold you as material witnesses to Bill Carlton's disappearance, or we can chalk this all up to a bad day, you get into your car, you put this town in your rearview mirror, and you don't ever darken my doorstep again." He demands.

"Door number two sounds good." Sam says.

"That's the one I'd pick." He replies.

****

"Green." Sam says.

"What?" Dean asks.

"Light's green." He clarifies. Dean turns right. "Uh, the interstate's the other way."

"I know." He replies.

"You didn't think we were actually gonna listen to that dumbass and leave, did you?" Winnie asks.

"Dumbass?" Her brothers ask.

"He's a man, so he's already dumb. Add the sheriff part and you've got yourself a dumbass." She says.

"This job, I think it's over." Sam tells them.

"I'm not so sure. Winnie isn't either." He argues.

"If Bill murdered Peter Sweeney and Peter's spirit go its revenge, case closed. The spirit should be at rest." He replies.

"Key word being should." Winnie says.

"So what if we take off and this thing isn't done? You know, what if we missed something? What if more people get hurt?" Dean asks.

"But why would you think that?" He asks.

"Jesus, Sam. For someone so smart, you sure are stupid sometimes." Winnie scoffs, rolling her eyes.

"Because Lucas was really scared." He tells him.

"That's what this is about?" Sam asks.

"I just don't want to leave town till I know the kid's okay." He says.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?" He teases. Winnie smacks his arm and glares at him.

"Shut up." Dean tells him.

****

"Are you sure about this?" Sam asks as they stand on the porch. "It's pretty late, man."

Dean presses the doorbell and the door immediately opens to Lucas, who is hyperventilating, clearly panicked.

"Lucas? Lucas!" Dean says, grabbing his shoulders. The boy rushes off and they quickly follow him upstairs as water streams down them. He pounds on the bathroom door and Dean passes him to Sam. Dean kicks the door in and Sam rushes inside, Winnie behind him. Dean stays outside, shielding Lucas.

They reach under the water and grab Andrea, struggling to pull her out of the water. They get her out and Winnie quickly grabs a towel to cover her. She assesses her, finding no problems and sighs, relieved she's okay.

****

"Do you recognize the kids in these pictures?" Dean asks, setting the picture album in front of Andrea.

"What?" She asks. "Um, no, I mean, except that's my dad right there. He must have been about twelve in these pictures."

"Chris Bar's drowning-the connection wasn't to Bill Carlton. It must have been to sheriff." Dean says. Winnie sighs.

"Bill and the sheriff-they were both involved with Peter." Sam agrees.

"What about Chris? My dad-what are you talking about?" Andrea asks.

"Lucas? Lucas, what is it?" Dean asks, watching the boy staring out the window. He moves to the door and heads outside. They quickly get up and follow him.

"Lucas, honey?" Andrea calls.

He finally stops, staring at the ground under his feet. He looks up at Dean as they reach him.

"You and Lucas get back to the house and stay there, okay?" He tells them. They grab their shovels from the car and get to digging, eventually finding Peter's bicycle.

"Peter's bike." Sam says.

"Fucking assholes." Winnie mutters, shaking her head.

"Who are you?" The sheriff asks, pointing his gun at them.

"Put the gun down, Jake." Sam tells him.

"How did you know that was there?" He asks, the gun shaking in his grip.

"What happened-you and Bill killed Peter, drowned him in the lake, and then buried the bike? You can't bury the truth, Jake. Nothing stays buried." Dean says.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." He replies.

"They always lie." Winnie scoffs, rolling her eyes.

"You and Bill killed Peter Sweeney 35 years ago. That's what the hell we're talking about." Dean tells him.

"Dad!" Andrea yells, rushing towards them.

"And now you got one seriously pissed-off spirit." He continues.

"It's gonna take Andrea, Lucas, everyone you love. It's gonna drown them. And it's gonna drag their bodies god knows where so you can feel the same pain Peter's mom felt. And then, after that, it's gonna take you, and it's not gonna stop until it does." Sam says.

"Yeah, and how do you know that?" The sheriff asks.

"What do you think happened to Bill Carlton?" Winnie replies.

"Listen to yourselves. You're insane." He says.

"I don't really give a rat's ass what you think of us, but if we're gonna bring down this spirit, we need to find the remains, salt them, and burn them into dust. Now tell me you buried Peter somewhere. Tell me you didn't just let him go in the lake." Dean tells him.

"Dad, is any of this true?" Andrea asks.

"No. Don't listen to them. They're liars, and they're dangerous." He answers.

"Something tried to drown me. Chris died on that lake. Dad, look at me." She says. "Tell me you-you didn't kill anyone." He begins to breathe heavily and she stares at him. "Oh, my god."

"Billy and I were at the lake. Peter was the smallest one. We always bullied him, but this time...it got rough. We were holding his head under the water. We didn't mean to, but we held him under too long, and he drowned. We let the body go, and it sank." He says.

"Let's just let Peter kill him." Winnie mutters.

"Oh, Andrea. We were kids. We were so scared. It was a mistake, but, Andrea, to say that I have anything to do with these drownings, with Chris, because of some ghost-it's not rational." The sheriff explains, trying to justify his actions. Winnie scoffs, rolling her eyes.

"All right, listen to me, all of you. We need to get you away from this lake as far as we can right now." Dean says. Andrea gasps and they turn, spotting Lucas kneeling at the edge of the dock, reaching for the water.

"Lucas!" The sheriff yells as they rush towards him. They yell for him, but he's dragged in as they breach the trees. The sheriff stops, gasping as he spots Peter in the water. The others rush past him and the boys dive into the water after Lucas. Winnie hesitates for a moment before ripping off her implants and diving in after them.

"Andrea, stay there." Sam tells her as she takes off her jacket.

"We'll find him, but you're safer out of the water." Winnie yells before diving under the water to look for Lucas. She continues looking, emerging in time to see the sheriff get dragged under the water.

The siblings dive again, Sam and Winnie emerging with no sight of Lucas. He shakes his head and Andrea screams for her son. Dean bursts from the water, carrying Lucas. He swims towards shore and Andrea rushes to meet them.

Sam swims towards Winnie, who'd began panicking after seeing Lucas would be all right. Sam grabs her and she clings to him, terrified of the water. He pulls her to shore and she scrambles away from the water. Andrea and Dean comfort Lucas as Sam moves to comfort Winnie.

****

"Look, we're not gonna save everybody." Sam says as Dean angrily throws his bag into the car.

"I know." He replies.

"Sam, Dean, Winnie." Andrea calls as she and Lucas walk towards them.

"Hey." He greets.

"We're glad we caught you. We just, um, we made you lunch for the road. Lucas insisted on making the sandwiches himself." She tells them. Sam quickly translates for Winnie, whose implants had gotten ruined by the lake water.

"Can I give it to them now?" Lucas asks. Winnie smiles when she sees him speaking, glad he's healing from the trauma he experienced.

"Of course." She replies, kissing the top of his head. 

"Come on, Lucas, let's load this in the car." Dean says, taking the food from him and leading him to the Impala.

"How you holding up?" Sam asks.

"It's just gonna take a long time to sort through everything, you know?" She replies. He sighs.

"Andrea, I'm sorry." He says.

"You saved my son. I can't ask for more than that. Dad loved me. He loved Lucas. No matter what he did, I just have to hold on to that." She tells them.

"You're tough as hell, and so is Lucas. You'll get through this together." Winnie assures her. Andrea smiles and they join Dean and Lucas at the Impala. Sam and Winnie's eyes widen as Andrea kisses Dean.

"Thank you." She says.

"Guys, move your asses." He tells them, moving around to the driver's side. "We're gonna run out of daylight before we hit the road."

They get in the car and the two wave at them as Dean starts it. They drive away and Winnie smiles, happy they were able to save Andrea and Lucas.

[dreamhous3]

Sierra 2100, Chapter 1 (2nd Draft)

Before I start working on the fourth chapter of this story, I wanted to go back and write another draft of the first three since there has been a significant gap between each of them. My writing style has changed and improved a lot since the first and I want to use better storytelling techniques for the rest of this (For example, Heavy Metal Cvnt was for fun but also a test of internal monologues). While being able to organise what I've done so far is cool, those posts just don't represent exactly what I want for this story (I am NOT deleting them though dw). This is probably the biggest thing I'm passionate about right now, and I really really want it to be good, even if that takes ages (the first ever draft I did of this story was written in October of 2022, and it's definitely going to take a few more years before it's done). These second drafts probably won't be much different if you read the first ones but I hope you're as happy with this go around as I have been so far.

1.

Sunlight set Sophie’s sleep ablaze. She leaned out of the bed with a sigh. The bedroom's cold hue imprisoned her. 

Lights.

‘Lights!’ Sophie demanded. 

Her small apartment came to life. A hissing pot beckoned her to the kitchen. Her hands dragged as she went about her routine. From the lounge, a muffled ringing was suffocated under a throw blanket. Sophie hesitated on her way over. She let the rays pierce through the blinds and into her skin.

You’re going in today. 

The ringing kept going, but she stopped again. Every sound around her was massacred by her focus on the phone.

Pick it up!

Its thin frame slipped out of the blanket like a strand of hair. Vibrations beat against Sophie’s heartless skin. She cut off the ringing with a flick of her thumb across the screen.

‘Hey, how you doing?’ It was Vinny. 

Thank god.

‘I’m coming in today.’ Sophie blurted out.

‘You sure? Still have a few more days left. I know the chief and all that are barking about you having any, but you don’t have to come back.’ His upbeat tone was at odds with his words. 

‘I do,’ Sophie swallowed, closing her eyes, ‘I do have to. You know I hate sitting around.’

‘Ok.’ An uncomfortable pause halted the conversation. ‘Have you thought about it?’ 

‘There’s nothing left to think about.’ 

‘Sophie…’ Vinny’s voice became a whisper. 

Let him in, just a little bit. Come on.

‘Sometimes I-’ A moment flashed before her again. Autumn leaves like her eyes. A splash where monsters tread. Laughs turned to-

No, no!

‘Hey, you alright?’ 

‘Yea I…’ A sigh collided with her palm, ‘I can’t do this now. I’ll see you at work.’

‘Ok, sure. Big case for us when you get here.’ 

‘Bye.’ The phone made a short dull tone when Sophie hung up. She chucked it back on the lounge, pressed her fingers under her eyes.

Fuck… 

Then continued her undead routine. 

The conveniently close but less than preferable tram station was thankfully desolate. Announcements, distant conversations, the humm of shuttles overhead, a wash of white noise in Sophie's colourless mind. A tram interrupted it with metallic screeching, clawing to a stop. Wind waved Sophie’s wrinkled formal shirt and blazer. The leather seats amplified the passengers' slight adjustments as they slumped down. Thick windows held back the metropolis of Sierra. A colony held in the jaw of its walls, separating the sharp teeth towers. The other sections stood out like a mirage. A nice, distant dream in the expanse of a recurring nightmare. It isolated the people, but it let their lies in. They spoke in every language still around, in advertisements, billboards, posters piling and ripping over each other. It all translated into the same empty promises. Between the neon that bled all over and the giant holograms that swam and danced in it, was a city with a green heart. Sophie looked over towards the scattered passengers. Torn shorts challenged swaying business attire. Stained hoodies folded next to silk blouses. Standing in the same tram but living in different worlds. 

‘Now arriving at Lavender Square.’ A hollow voice announced.

Sophie’s body dragged her out of the tram. Once she left the station she finally woke up, stretching her shoulders up as she walked.

I’m going in today.

The precinct looked down at her from the hill it weighed down on. Its carpet rolled out in wide, sandstone steps. Between the hike and Sophie's destination, many suits on their way to better paying jobs bumped past her. Sharp eyes raised just slightly out of rare metal eyelids, stabbing at Sophie. 

Flush cunts.

Her constant glare was unchallenged. Completely different styles of architecture stuck out of the ground, forming the corporate maze of Lavender Square. Privatised destiny with an air of authoritarian politeness. The agitating atmosphere disappeared as Sophie entered the vacuum of the precinct. Large glass double doors tangoed with the stream of people leaving and entering. Inside, a girl with bright green hair stuck her head up to a distorted screen imitating a window. A wide smile pressed her cheeks into the thin frame of her glasses. 

‘Sophie! Sophie!’ She frantically waved at her, even though she already had her attention. ‘It’s so good to see you back already, I thought I’d never see your badge again.’ 

‘Me too.’ Sophie clipped her badge off her belt and held it towards the receptionist. 

A cone of bright blue light shot out of her right eye. Its glow swam through the crevices of an engraved qr code.    

Still gets to have that hair. How many years in the field and I can’t even get a piercing? 

‘And you’re good to go.’ The scan blinked away into the shell of her glasses, and her smile returned.

Cute as hell though. 

‘Thanks, anything else?’ 

‘The captain needs to see you right away.’ Her gaze fell down to her desk, but quickly shot back up, the motion lagging behind the screen. ‘Oh and…’

‘Yeah?’ Sophie was already just a few steps from the elevator.

‘Sorry about-’

‘I know.’ A deep frown partnered with her scornful tone. The elevator dinged, and Sophie twisted back towards it. She poked the button for her floor and slumped against the back of the elevator. 

God I want this day to be over already. ‘Big case’ huh? I hope he was talking about the overtime. If it's any more shakedowns with a ‘warrant’, arresting ‘potential suspects’, I’ll take this place down with me. Wish I could just skip to the part where Vinny tells me about it. Of course I have to see the big dog first though. Getting fired would honestly be better than whatever he wants. Maybe that’s it. Couldn’t leave without Vinny though, he’d never forgive me. He needs me. 

She leaned her head back and sighed.

And let's be real, I need him too. 

In her mind, the breeze washed over her again. Waves of memory crashed against that moment. The trees breathed Autumn leaves, like her-

Stop! Fucking cut it out. 

‘Ding!’ The elevator shook her back into reality.

Sophie reached her head over the sea of cubicles looking for Vinny. All she found were agitated glances back at her from a variety of metal and flesh faces. 

He said he was here…

She gave up, and turned towards the chief's office. Suddenly, a weirdly tall officer bumped past her. 

‘Who-’ She spun around to see another following him. He had a short, stumpy build. The tall one had his nametag crudely stuck to his back for some reason. Sophie leaned her head slightly

‘C. Barker’? 

‘Sophie!’ The chief barked behind her. She groaned quietly, looking down. 

Here we go.

With a dishonest smile she looked back at him and walked over. 

'Two weeks, Detective Taureau,’ He leaned forwards with a sneer, starting before Sophie even closed the door, ‘you think that’s acceptable?’

‘I was only gone for like a week and half-’

‘Sit down.’

Sophie moved the chair a noticeable distance away from his desk before sitting down.

‘You’re going to make up for that time. With what we have to compete with out there, after how much we get outdone by those suits, you shouldn’t have taken any leave at all.’ 

‘As if we don’t work for them already.’ Sophie scoffed. 

‘Learn your place, Detective!’ He speared a finger at her. ‘Take this case with Lynelle, do what you’re told. If you have to reach for a suspect, you reach. If a third party tells you back off, back off.’

‘Who’s the ‘third party’?’  

‘Vargriff industries.’ The chief sat back with a smug grin.

You pig… 

Sophie grabbed his desk and pulled herself towards him. 

‘You want me to help out some mobsters you owe money? Sure, I don’t like it, but I’m getting paid right? You want me to help some suit get away with murder? Ok boss, your call. But them? No, fuck no! Not after what they did, not ever.’ 

‘She knew the rules, Sophie.’ He restrained his voice to almost a whisper. ‘She broke them, and couldn’t handle the consequences. Tell me, can you handle the consequences?’ His demeanour was suddenly still. Sophie’s right eye twitched as she gripped the gun in her holster, 

Put it in his mouth.

squeezing so hard her wrist ached. 

Put it in his mouth.

The chief's grin grew wider.

Paint the walls-

‘Dismissed.’ He finally said after an eternity of silence. Sophie stormed out immediately, the door left helplessly swinging about.

Outside the precinct, Vinny waved at Sophie from the bottom of the steps. A labrador-like smile stretched across his rugged face. Behind him, his sleek black shuttle rested against the concrete. 

There you are.

With a very brief grin back Sophie darted down the steps towards him. 

‘Sorry, I just left my office.’ He scratched the back of his head.’ But I guess you did too, hey?’

‘Whatever,’ Sophie circled around to the otherside of the shuttle, ‘let's go already.’ She quickly slipped in, not looking at Vinny once. 

‘Sure thing.’ He reluctantly sat down after her. The outside atmosphere shrunk as his door bumped close. Sophie closed her eyes for a strangely long time.   

'Hey, you there?' Vinny poked Sophie’s shoulder. 'Did you get any sleep, like at all?'

'Yes.' The answer punched out of her mouth at him.

‘Alright, alright.’ He raised his hands. ‘You just seem to be…somewhere else.’ 

‘I wish I was.’ Sophie held the bridge of her nose. ‘Couldn’t stay there though, not right now.’ 

‘I get it, I won’t ask about it, but I understand.’ Vinny looked back at the windscreen. ‘I bet it's been a real long day for you huh? Chief chew you up on the way over?’  

‘Something like that, old prick.’  

‘That’s him alright.’ Vinny chuckled. ‘At least we only gotta see him once we’re done with this. Let’s really abuse those smoke breaks this time.’

‘If you can afford it.’ Sophie smirked at him.

‘Hey, you know I’m good for it.’ He went to speak again, but a long pause haunted the shuttle. 

Just tell him about it already-

‘So, you know who we’re dealing with?’ Vinny broke the silence.

‘Yep, Vargriff.’

‘You…ok with that?’

Absolutely not.

‘I’ll be fine, Vinny.’ She said curtly. ‘Just a part of the job.’

‘Ok, I’ll stop pestering you, sorry. Anyway, they dabble in a few things, I’m sure you know. Mostly androids- Well, probably not anymore.’

‘Does this have something to do with that?’

‘It could, but from what the first responders found, it doesn’t sound like anything new. One dead, cause of death…’ Vinny sighed, ‘complicated. That’s the ‘big’ part of this. Two missing as well, wife and kid. There’s a witness, neighbour, but she won’t talk to anyone. Pretty shaken up apparently.’

‘Doubt she’ll talk to us either, but at least we have a witness this time. Anything else?’

‘Husband was in some kind of important position in the company, don’t think we’re supposed to know what though.’ 

‘But we’ll find out anyway, won’t we?’ Sophie smiled at Vinny. 

‘Great to have you back, Detective Taureau.’ He patted her shoulder and laughed. Vinny’s shuttle stuttered to life as he turned the key. It bounced and bumped slightly as it glided through traffic. Around them, skyscrapers shrunk to office blocks, apartments, then houses. The architecture became confused. Concrete and metal brutalism was overrun by suburban brick and synthetic wood. Unused chimneys held off steel extinction, while empty parks pleaded for visitors. As they approached the crime scene, Vinny’s shuttle crawled to a stop above the road, hovering next to the curb. It lowered and pressed into the ground with a hiss. Flashing red and blue decorated the plastic white neighbourhood like Christmas lights. Section Three’s famous mediocrity waited outside. 

‘Care for a smoke, madam?’ Vinny slipped a cigarette out of his coat and pointed it at Sophie.

‘Thanks.’ She winked at him as he lit it.

‘You reckon the suits involved will show up?’

‘Definitely not. At least,’ grey waves bellowed from Sophie's exhale, ‘I hope not.’

‘Let's bet on it.’ Vinny’s lighter glowed like a candle below his face. 

‘Why?’ She laughed at him. 

‘Come on,’ He involuntarily smiled back at her. ‘have some fun with me.’

‘Ok, fine. They won’t show, no way.’ She shook her head. ‘Those stuck up cunts won’t leave their office unless it’s to cheat on their partner or harass a barista.'

‘What if the victim was a barista,’ Vinny held a fist over his mouth, ‘who spat in a suit’s coffee instead of their mouth.’ 

‘Jesus, Vinny.’ Sophie tried to look mad at him, but they both exploded into laughter anyway. They finished their cigarettes at around the same time, putting them out in a compartment underneath the radio that definitely wasn’t meant to be an ashtray. Around the borders of the scene, a few patrol cops stood guard. No civilians around for them to shove away. The police tape blinked green, revealing its holographic nature, as Sophie and Vinny entered. It’s illusion of physical tape returned once they passed it. On the front steps of the white brick home was a twisted and contorted body of a thin man. A pool of blood sat under his head dripping down to the lower steps. The other side of his head looked cindered. 

Brutal… 

There was some kind of cable port there. Charred black splotched around the implant with an edge of bright pink skin.  

'Is that a neural link?' Sophie leaned down at the corpse.

‘Yeah, pretty standard for white collar people nowadays. Requires a lot of processing power to keep up. A corp like Vargriff would have a pretty inhuman amount to manage.’ Plastic gloves slapped against Vinny’s hands as he slipped them on. He began moving the head around, inspecting the damage. 

‘Is every employee vulnerable to something like this?’ 

'Well, all I can gather from this is what happened to his temple,’ Vinny tapped the burnt port, ‘where the link was slotted.’ 

‘Lit up like a stove, but that doesn’t explain the blood from the otherside.' She leaned over his shoulder. ‘Gimme a look.’

He turned over the corpse slightly, its head rolled over. 

Damn.

The otherside was a mess. Caved in, bruised, with bits of skin and flesh torn about as if someone tried to dig into his brain. 

'Blunt force probably, quite a bit it seems.' Vinne’s thumbs pulled the skin back slightly, and the crater leaked red.

'The burn looks more settled than that wound. This happened after, definitely. Killer was either sloppy, or especially sadistic.' 

'Both good theories, but the head trauma at least could still be an accident.’ A dense bump muffled under Vinny’s boot as he tapped the steps. ‘Very thick stairs after all.' He stood up, wiping his hands nonchalantly.

'What, you think the fall did this? Do you see how much blood there is? The body is all mangled too, which could happen after falling down the stairs, but not these ones. Way too short. Also, his head is resting here,' she pointed at a lower step, 'and his body is the wrong way for him to be going down. He had to have been burnt when he was still standing at the bottom of the stairs.’

'Then he turned around, tried to get back inside to warn his family, but ended up like this.’ Vinny stopped to think, scratching his scruffy chin with his metal fingers.’ Somewhat elaborate, but I see what you mean. It would explain a few things. What an awkward position to die in. Let’s get a second opinion.' He turned to one of the cops standing guard. 'Where’s the witnesses?' 

'She’s by the patrol car next to your shuttle.' He pointed towards a frail girl with her arms crossed. Her body shivered but her expression was distinctly still. Something about her made Sophie feel a familiar dread.

That day, I held that hand, I couldn’t move… 

'Any update on the missing family?’ Sophie asked him.

'Nope, nothing. There’s plenty of photos of them all around the house. All their belongings are still here. Letters everywhere too. School fees, pricey hospital bills, stuff like that. Nothing that could tell us where they went though.' 

'Guy gets burnt, thrashed about like this and his family gets taken without a trace…' Sophie shuddered.

'Hey, don’t jump to conclusions.' Vinny poked his finger at her. 'Technically, we don’t know that they were taken, just that they’re not here.' 

'It’s so obvious-' She cut herself off and rolled her eyes. ‘We’ll see I guess.’

‘We’ll see. Come on.’ Vinny waved her over as he approached the witness. 

The girl was stuck in a loop of animated shock. Her body's movement was the only sign of any life in her. Sophie slowed as she followed behind Vinny. The body language struck the same deep place. Up close it dug ferociously. She closed her eyes for a moment. 

Yes, that happened, now do your fucking job, Sophie.

With a hard swallow, she kept moving. 

'Evenin, I’m detective Lynelle, this my partner detective Taureau. Is it ok if we ask you a few questions?' He leant forward slightly, looking down at the witness with a soft look in his eyes.

'They took a child,' She whispered, 'he saw it all.' 

'What did he see exactly?'

'He-' Her voice shot up in volume, but stopped.

'He…what?' 

'So much screaming, they kept-' She burst into tears. Her hands reached for her face, clawing at it.

'It’s alright now, just-’ Vinny scratched his head and looked back at Sophie. 'Maybe you…’  

'Whatever.' Sophie shook her head and steered him away, then slumped down to her knees. He looked down at her with a confused frown, but didn’t say anything. She looked at the witness, 

I couldn’t move-

then felt a wave of sorrow choke her. She rubbed away the blue that fell from her eyes, then took the girl's hands. They became still in Sophie's grasp. Her eyes went wide and her grip hardened. Their gaze locked together.  

'What's your name?' Sophie's question melted the ice in the air.

'Angela.' 

'I’m Sophie. Could you tell me about your day?'

'Ok,' Angela wasn’t shaking anymore, 'well I got up, I went to work, at the gas station around the- the corner. Um, and then got a railcar home and…' Her head fell and her eyelids started to twitch. 

'Don’t tell me the next part, ok?' Sophie tilted her head slightly, following Angelas. 'I just need to know what they looked like, anything you can remember at all. Can you do that for me?' 

'Ok.' Her lips disappeared for a moment. 'It was two people, a tall guy and a short guy, kind of stumpy looking. They were in a van that had his company's logo on it, Vargriff. The guy they…’ She looked away for a second, ‘he worked for them, I don't know what he did, he never talked about it, I just know he worked there.' She looked at Sophie with shaky eyes. 

'Tall guy and a Stumpy, rigid guy?' 

'Uh, yeah. Shorter one made some joke about the tall guy's name tag or something like that.' 

C. Barker... 

‘Did they look like cops?’ The question shot out of Sophie.

‘Hold on, hold on,’ Vinny grabbed her shoulder, ‘what do you mean did they-’

‘Back off a second.’ Sophie's growling eyes swung at Vinny. He raised his hands and moved back slightly. 

‘I don’t…’ Angela started shaking again. ‘They were wearing vests and-’ Her eyes darted left and right.

‘What else?’ Sophie's grip became tighter than Angelas. 

‘Badges!’ She blurted out. ‘It was dark, but I saw their badges.’

Bingo. 

‘Goddamnit…’ Vinny turned away from them. 

‘Thank you, Angela.’ Sophie stroked her face after a long pause. ‘Come with me.’ 

‘Wait wait, please don’t kill- I won’t tell anyone,’ Angela started to cry again, ‘please don’t…please!’

‘We’re not going to,’ Vinny placed his hand on his gun, looking back at his colleagues, ‘but they might.’ 

‘Cover us, I’ll start the shuttle once we-’ 

Two cracks pierced the air. A round ricocheted off the patrol car behind them. Sophie yanked Angela down with her next to the shuttle. Six more shots screamed in the air, echoed in the bounce of spent shells. Sophie leaned down, peeping under the shuttle. She saw three officers fall down one after the other. One put a hand over a hole in his head before smacking hard against the ground. 

'You good Vinny?' Sophie shot a glance downward to check if she was hit.  

Nothing, phew. 

'I’m good,' He coughed, ‘fuck! Second shot hit me, I think.' 

Sophie looked over the hood to see a hole in Vinny’s vest, and she launched towards him.

'Stay down and cover Angela alright? Don’t move!' Sophie threw him down next to the curb side of the patrol car and opened a door to give him light cover. 

'Nah I got you Sophie,' He struggled to get back up, 'It’s just my plate. Oh man…' 

Before she could argue she heard footsteps behind them. Angla screamed. Darting back around, she saw another cop rushing them. Crack, flash, smack. A shotgun bounced towards them, a shoreline of blood kissed its stock. 

'I’m going to push ahead.' Red and blue lights spiralled softly over Sophie’s face. For a moment a still silence washed over. The click of her boots echoed as she swung her pistol between one side of the street and the other, watching the other patrol cars. What looked like a rifle stuck out in the corner of her vision. She opened fire in its direction. A burst of shots flung upwards, shattering a street light above Sophie. Fluorescent glass rained on her. While she desperately tried to shake it off another cop tackled her to the ground. She swung around, grabbed his wrist. Glass crunched between her palm and his skin. The cop yelled in pain. Sophie pressed her gun under his chin. He pressed his against her chest. Three shots. Thump. Sophie groaned as she pulled herself up.

First day back…shit.

She turned to see the aftermath. Vinny was leaning against the same car door, its window now shattered. 

'Like I said, I got…you.’ His head waved around for a second. 

'Jesus, Vinny.' Sophie pulled him in close. ‘I told you not to move.’

‘It’s alright, I didn’t get hit,’ He chuckled, ‘a second time. You ok?’

‘Yea, I’m ok.’ Sophie’s sigh brushed by his ear. ‘Thanks, man.’

‘Well, this is nice but,’ Vinny tapped Sophie's shoulder, ‘my ribs are killing me and that glass isn’t helping.’

‘Oh, I-’ It cracked against the ground as they separated. ‘Sorry about that.’ 

Sirens swam towards them, howling between the night silence. Vinny shook his head and leaned over.

'We got another minute right? I just need another-'

'No Vinny, we’re going.' She snapped at him, pulling him by his arm to the shuttle.

[place-holder-for-witty-username]

we need more men in media who treat their girl right. I think THIS is what the whole hot villain trope should be, not whatever the fuck was going on with le murder incel whiny emo manbaby kylo ren and rey solo. when i say want to read/ watch fucked up gothic/dark romance i don't mean that nonsense.

i want it more like the scary fella in The 300 having to look to his wife for a nod of approval before kicking your maneen down a well and yelling THIS IS SPARTA. i love men who respect their wives/ partners and treat them as complete equals if not superiors.

i have to say i am really tired of the common trope in romantic media at the moment being 'woman is forced to be subservient to man, man is rude and condescending to woman, man abuses woman, woman realises kink she didnt know she had, man takes advantage of woman, man and woman become power couple, woman now has agency which excuses everything that came before because he's hot now and redeemed' like in ACOTAR.

to my mind that's not beauty and the beast. thats like severus snape's wet dream and the reason why lily potter probably has a restraining order against him. it is, in my opinion, telling women that if you submit and grovel and endure enough, then your obedient love will inspire him to change. an attitude which in real life will make u end up dead. be like sophie hatter and take no shit even if you do love him. (bacon burning broomstick beating poison weedkiller throwing best suit cutting uping and hair do ruining optional but not advised for legal reasons)

they can be 'dark' and messed up and weird gothicy people without the narrative justifying things and not addressing the problematic elements and instead just glossing over them and excusing it.

i like my silly fictional melodrama gothic romance weird and drama to the nines but Consensual and not a woman emotionally bankrupting herself and compromising on her values to make enemies to lovers work. sometimes the bad guy wants a dark queen to rule the world with. sometimes she wants that too and they can be a fucked up little monster couple together. sometimes he's just three layers of narcissistic abuse in a trench coat and ought to check himself before he wrecks himself.

i mean cathy and heathcliff were a deeply fucked up evil couple of psychopaths who ruined everything for everyone and were a toxic co-dependent mess, but emily bronte didnt pretty it up. she acknowledged they were a nightmare bag of bastards and yet managed to write a nuanced exploration of their love for each other in a way that didnt make everything they did seem excusable.

anyways this just popped into my head. probably because i am frustrated that all the 'dark romance' recs are just jazzed up right-wing trad wife sex dreams and not 'he digs up her corpse just to see her face one more time after years of being haunted by her ghost, until he is driven to the point of madness and die of starvation only to be reunited with her spirit after death, where they still walk the moors as ghosts to this day scaring the shit out of little shepherd boys because psychological torture is their love language".

Oh, I will be cruel to you, Marya Morevna. It will stop your breath, how cruel I can be. But you understand, don’t you? You are clever enough. I am a demanding creature. I am selfish and cruel and extremely unreasonable. But I am your servant. When you starve I will feed you; when you are sick I will tend you. I crawl at your feet; for before your love, your kisses, I am debased. For you alone, I will be weak.

Catherynne M. Valente, Deathless

Being your slave, what should I do but tend

Upon the hours and times of your desire?

I have no precious time at all to spend,

Nor services to do, till you require.

Shakespeare, Sonnet 57

La Belle et la Bête (1946) / Wuthering Heights (1939)

[crymeariveronceagain]

Happy Halloween! Have some angst!

Little tiny fic ideas that I don't have enough of to write to completion.

Sophie Foster as a Frankenstein's Monster. She's science experiment, born of electricity and hubris, stitched together with parts of dead people, and she belongs to a man who refuses to be anything but her overlord, who sees her as an experiment. There's a part in the novel where Frankenstein's Monster watches this family, from a distance, jealous and hungry for the love he will never get. Sophie is stuck in that moment. She's the created monster, she's something people will never understand, never love, and from them on she's what terrifies children, what keeps them awake at night. And all she is is lonely. It's not her fault she was an experiment. It's not her fault she was created. She never asked for this. She never wanted to be this. Her life is borrowed, her fingers are people's who she's never met, and sometimes she doesn't understand why she was built. just out of pride? Lack of respect? Scientific advancement? To cater to the whims of those who play God over the life they create? She doesn't know. But she's fairly certain there's a reason her heart sounds funny to her own ears.

Fitz Vacker as a werewolf. There is a monster that lurks in his blood, waits, glittering like the full moon, for the perfect moment to spring out and destroy. It's ugly, his parents tell him. He transformed once and killed a man, they say. They can't let him do that. That's why there's chains in the basement and why they lock him up. That's why they're never going to be proud of him. He's always going to be a werewolf. It's the only flaw he has, that once monthly he gets possessed by a bloodthirsty monster. It's the only thing about him that his family hates, he's told, by everyone. Because it's common knowledge, at this point. Every member of his family knows, and they all hate him for it. he's brought disgrace on them all, hasn't he? It's his fault he got bitten. It's his fault he got turned. No matter how hard he tries, he's never going to be good enough. He's never going to be loved enough. He's never going to be accepted. Because every full moon they still lock him up in the basement, and he claws his sharp nails down the floor and over himself to try and get the monster out. He's bleeding, in the morning, as the moon finally wanes, and his mother unlocks the door. She hands him a new pair of clothes, but no bandages. There's some sort of symbolism there, he thinks, as he cleans the gashes he drew on himself, as he wraps the raw wrists that ache and burn with the feeling of chains. There's a symbolism to it, but he can't figure it out.

Keefe Sencen as a ghost. He died a long time ago, and his body was never buried. Maybe it's because no one cared all that much. Keefe hopes it wasn't. He wanders around, moving things in people's houses, turning lights on and off, and hearing them scream and call for a priest to bless their house. He paints on their walls in blue and green, and moves glasses around in the air. He's a prankster of a ghost, he'll admit it, but he's lonely. So lonely. He's not where he's supposed to be. The woman who owns the house is on the phone with an exorcist. He laughs until whispers of tears roll down his cheeks, exhausted and painful. Don't they know that blessing him won't solve anything? He's a ghost, not a demon. He's dead, not alive, and he's crying as a priest finally, finally, prays for the repose of his soul, and the ties of him to his restless body finally loosen. He's going home. Finally.

Linh Song as a Vampire. She's thirsty. All the time, and there's no escape. Animal blood can't satisfy her. Human blood makes her mouth water. She stares at her own brother and wonders if she could ask him for his blood. And she refuses to do it. She's not a murderer. She's not a blood drinker. She swears. She's a good person. But stars, she's wasting away. She's so hungry, so thirsty. It echoes through her body like tremors, like a slight breeze could knock her over. And it hurts, stings her nose with the scent of living, of breathing. She winds up walking through the streets, half in a trance, and she's at the site of an accident. There's blood on the ground, blood dripping down the tree from where the person fell. The person isn't there anymore, but the smell hangs heavy and delicious around her and before she knows what she's doing she's licking the stones, her body shaking and starving even more in response to the first real food it's had in years. And she doesn't cry, even as her nose prickles when she's gotten as much as she can, even when the empty, hollow ache has returned, a thousand times over. She is a good person. She is good. And if that means living in pain for all eternity, that's what that means. Tam hugs her, that night, and she shoves him away. His blood smells too good. She doesn't tell him that. His eyes ache with hurt. She runs to her room, and doesn't come out til the morning.

Dex Dizznee as a witch. He goes to the house of the Vackers, one day, to give Fitz a sort of check up. Fitz snarls that he's fine. Dex pats his head, and Fitz trembles, like he hasn't had anyone touch him in a very long time. Dex gives him a potion to try on his endless scars, and hugs the guy before he leaves. Dex doesn't see the way Fitz covers his face and cries about that tiny hug for the next half hour. He goes to the Song's house, and he finds Tam cursing at their parents. Linh's pale and deathly sick. Dex wonders if they know their daughter is a vampire. He brings it up to her. She flinches. "I don't want to hurt people." He blinks. "What have you been eating?" "Animal blood," she answers, her voice in whispers. "And it's not cutting it." Dex hands her a potion. "This might help. It's a supplement. Should give you more of the nutrients you need. Make it less painful." Linh nods, looking like she might cry, but Dex leaves, after telling her parents she'll be okay and that he gave her a potion to try. He walks home that night and hears something screeching from the depths of the woods. Birds fly up in a cloud. He sighs, wondering what the crazy scientist, Forkle is up to again. He'll have to go check on whatever he's done this time tomorrow. Dex collapses in the chair, and sets up the wards around his house with a wave of his hand. He rubs his face and makes himself some dinner. It's quiet, in his house. But he doesn't mind it.

[newtonsheffield]

I think you should share the drunk Kate abduction-story with everyone now :)

You are just determined to embarrass me for all of my drunk antics aren’t you? 🤣😂

I mean, I deserve it but still.

Yes, this is yet another one of my drunken disasters.

Matthew really didn’t mind being the designated driver for The Bridgerton Wives Club and Edwina (an honorary member he was assured). He wasn’t one of those men who thought that if his wife went out without him she was going to hook up with a stranger in a dingy corner. And he prescribed to the theory that it was healthy for partners to have friends outside of each other.

And Edwina had fun when she went out with Kate,and Sophie, and Lucy, and Penelope always coming back with some ridiculous story as she curled up against him afterwards, sleepily sighing against his neck, her hands pulling him closer. It was nice to see her have fun, her eyes bright with excitement making her look even more heartstoppingly beautiful than she already was. When she saw him approach in the bar and called out

“Matty! There’s my little goosey!” With a little honk, Her lips just a little sloppy on his cheek as she tugged him down until his head was against her chest. “You look so handsome, I just wanna-”

“Oop! Maybe you can tell me later, Honey!” He always cut across her.

So no, he didn’t mind picking up her and her friends, what he did mind was her sister. Matthew had a healthy respect,even affection of his sister in law, Kate. She was smart, and successful, and kind, and she made very nice barfi. But when she had been drinking, the smart, confident woman who had her life together disappeared, and a monster was born in her place. Kate had to be herded into the car like a startled cat to begin with, singing at the top of her lungs, several coasters and a glass from the bar clutched in her hands. And then she always asked very embarrassing questions

“Matt, is Edwina the best sex you’ve ever had?” Matt nearly swerved the car. “I’m pretty sure Anthony’s the best I’ve ever had. Sometimes when I see him, like honestly Matt, all I can think is Rail me Daddy.” Her eyes wide, her words a little slurred, and Matt’s cheeks red.

“Gregory’s definitely the best I’ve had. He’s very firm and gentle.” Lucy hummed beside her, and Matthew prayed for the car ride to finish soon, as Edwina’s hand was settled dangerously on his thigh. Just as Penelope and Sophie started to share there own stories.

It was always some variation on that theme, and Matt had thought that it honestly couldn’t be any worse. Until it was. Kate, mercifully fell asleep for most of the car ride, and Matthew got to enjoy his new wife’s filthy promises (that she certainly wasn’t going to follow through with tonight, but it was a little hilarious to hear) in relative peace after dropping the other girls home, always leaving Kate for last.

He pulled up in front of the house, watching as the curtain flicked at the window, and the motion seemed to wake Kate just as Matthew opened the door. Kate suddenly looked up at him, her eyes like saucers and let out a blood curdling scream. Matthew’s heart was pounding as he reached down for her,

“Kate are you hurt, what’s happening?” Panic rising high in his throat.

“HELP HELP HELP I’M BEING ABDUCTED!” her voice echoing through the quiet street, and Matthew panicked.

“Kate, it’s Matthew Bagwell, your brother in law!” He said, feeling more than a little ridiculous.

He heard the tell tale sound of the door slamming closed behind him, frantic footsteps and then he was shoved roughly backwards. “Get out of the way, what have you done?!” Anthony said harshly.

“I didn’t do anything she just started screaming!”

“HELP HELP HELP” Kate was still yelling, her arms thrashing around in a slightly ridiculous motion,

“Kate, honey, it’s Anthony.” Kate stopped moving immediately at the sound of her husband’s voice, her body reacting instinctively her face breaking into a slightly brilliant smile as though nothing had just happened.

“Oh hey, Handsome.”

It was all Matthew could do not to scream a loud expletive into the night. And it’s probably just as well he didn’t because a Police car pulled up at the curb, a terrifyingly large man stepping out.

“Sir, are you bothering this woman? We’ve had reports of a disturbance.” Matthew saw the curtains flick at the window of the Smyth-smith’s next door.

“I was just driving my sister in law home, she’s pretty drunk. Her husband will tell you.” Matthew said a little resignedly, gesturing to Anthony who looked back at him blankly, shrugged with a little glint in his eyes and said

“Officer I’ve never seen this man before in my life.” And marched Kate back inside.

And as she disappeared into her house with a wave and a honk, Matthew swore that would be the last time he ever drove Kate Bridgerton home.

It wasn’t.

[bytheangell]

Hi!!! If you still accept requests could you do a fic with Gabriel and Christopher Lightwood? Matbe when he was little? I think that when he found out his second child was going to be a boy woukd have been impctful as what he had to bear with his own father

I Think I’ve Seen This Film Before (And I Didn’t Like the Ending) (Read on AO3)

Gabriel isn’t sure where the sudden feeling of anxiousness comes from after Cecily has their second child, a boy they name Christopher. He hadn’t been this nervous when they had Anna, and he hadn’t been particularly worried leading up to the birth… but now that Christopher is here Gabriel can tell that something is different this time.

He just can’t quite place what that something is.

It isn’t until he’s holding Christopher one night, allowing his son’s tiny hands to explore and pull at pieces of his clothing with wide-eyed curiosity, that Cecily says something that makes it all click.

“He’s going to idolize you, I can tell,” Cecily says the words with a smile, obviously meaning them as a compliment.

Instead of smiling back, Gabriel blanches. The realization comes immediately

“I don’t want him to.”

Cecily frowns. “What?”

Gabriel shakes his head back and forth emphatically. It’s suddenly very obvious why he’s felt different with Christopher, and honestly, he isn’t sure why it took him this long to piece together.

“I don’t want him to,” he repeats.

“Whyever not?” To her credit, Cecily looks confused, but not upset.

“I idolized my father,” Gabriel says, the words a mere whisper.

And there it is. The reason Christopher is different is that he’s a son: a boy, who will turn into a young man meant to take after his father. To learn from him. To grow up and follow in his footsteps.

Except everything Gabriel’s experienced of how a father raises a son is selfishness, deceit, and self-indulgence. It’s raising a child to serve and reflect your own interests - a name to carry a legacy. What if he’s just like his father? That’s nothing to idolize. That isn’t--

“You’re not Benedict, Gabriel,” Cecily says gently, her words cutting through his quickly spiraling thoughts. She walks over to place a hand on his arm, her expression kind as she glances between him and their son, her smile soft and reassuring. “You’re a good person and a wonderful father. Just look at Anna.”

“She has you to look up to,” Gabriel points out.

“And so will Christopher. But that doesn’t matter, because she still looks at you like you hung the stars in the sky just for her, and rightly so.”

“I don’t want to make the same mistakes he did. He raised us to be heirs, not individuals. I clung to that for so long…”

Cecily knows about the sort of man Benedict Lightwood was, before he wasn’t a man at all. Gabriel told her most of what she didn’t hear on her own because he wanted her to know exactly what she was getting into when they started seeing one another romantically - but Cecily always took it in stride. She always supported him and every difficult step he took away from his father’s legacy.

“And then you let it go when it mattered most,” she reminds him. “If you won’t believe in yourself, then believe in me. Christopher is going to turn out just fine - because of you, not in spite of you.”

Gabriel looks down at Christopher, such a tiny bundle in his arms, and nods slowly. “I won’t let you down, Christopher. I promise.”

---

It takes a while for Gabriel to find a sense of balance with raising Christopher, often trying so intensely to not be like Benedict that he isn’t quite himself, either. But he gets there eventually, stepping into his own in ways he never imagined possible before.

He’s doing well, until the moment he isn’t.

It’s a bad day. One of those days were little things seem to go wrong one after another, mostly minor inconveniences until inevitably one of them becomes the tipping point for a proper explosion of the frustration that’s been building all day.

Unfortunately, that final straw comes in the form of Christopher coming home with violently green skin less than an hour before they’re due to set off for a formal dinner in Idris. Gabriel is upset enough when he thinks it’s another one of Christopher’s experiments gone wrong, but something in him snaps when he finds out it was actually a spell gone wrong from a warlock girl Christopher had been playing with, one he met in the Shadow Market the other day.

“It’s bad enough Tatiana’s stirring up trouble again, and now you’re going to show up looking like this and positively reeking of magic! Must you spend your free time consorting with Downworlders?!”

“The spell was harmless! She wouldn’t hurt me, father,” Christopher says.

“I don’t care how harmless the spell was, it’s how it looks, don’t you see?”

But of course, Christopher doesn’t see, because he’s Christopher. He’s trusting to a fault, and too eager to see the good in people that he never stops to question whether or not they may have ulterior motivations.

“I’ll tell the people at the dinner what happened, once I explain I’m sure-”

“No!” Gabriel feels an instinctive panic at the idea of anyone finding out what happened, putting him even more on edge. “You will not tell anyone what happened. In fact, I don’t want you spending time with that warlock girl anymore.”

“But James-”

“I don’t care what James does. He isn’t my son - he isn’t a Lightwood! People expect certain things of us, Christopher, and we need to do better!” Gabriel is only vaguely aware that his voice is rising and his words are turning sharper.

“What does being a Lightwood have to do with anything?!” Christopher asks.

“It has to do with everything!” Gabriel snaps, and then realizes what he’s doing.

Christopher looks upset and a little shaken, and it’s obvious that he hadn’t expected this sort of reaction from his father. Gabriel catches a reflection of his face in the glass of a curio cabinet and sees more of his father in himself than he ever has before.

Christopher turns and stalks to his room without another word, just as Cecily comes in after hearing the commotion.

“What was all that?” She asks, brows furrowed.

“I-” Gabriel begins, but words fail him at the moment. He realizes he’s a bit shaken up as well - he’s never fought with Christopher before, not like that.

“I messed up, Cece.” Gabriel looks down the hall after his son with a weight in his chest. “I said things I shouldn’t have. I’ve just been under so much pressure lately, and he came home green for Raziel’s sake, and I…” Gabriel sighs, long and heavy.

“You took it out on him.”

It isn’t a question, so at least he doesn’t have to answer it out loud.

“I’ll talk to him later. I should go to this dinner, would you mind staying home with them?” Gabriel knows better than to think Anna will come with him after he’s upset Christopher - she’s fiercely protective of him in all the best ways.

“Of course. Go put in your appearance, I’ll handle things here.”

“Tell him I said I’m sorry,” Gabriel adds, turning to leave.

Cecily shakes her head. “You tell him yourself when you get back.”

He will. He absolutely will.

---

Once he’s in Idris, Gabriel can’t shake his foul mood. It doesn’t take long for Gideon to call him out on it.

“I shouted at Christopher. I told him,” Gabriel huffs. “That we have to hold ourselves to a different standard because we’re Lightwoods.”

“You’re not wrong. You and I both know we’re going to be undoing Father’s damage for the rest of our lives.”

“Are you ever afraid you’re too much like him?” “ Gabriel asks, unable to help himself.

Gideon shrugs. “He wasn’t all bad, you know. He did love us, for what that’s worth in the end. He never wanted us to want for anything, and he always pushed us to be the best versions of ourselves. Those wouldn’t be the worst traits to emulate.”

It’s a fair point. Gabriel is so focused on not turning into the monster his father became that he overlooked the parts of their childhood that were good.

“It’s just, sometimes I see him in myself when I lose my temper and… honestly, it frightens me. It’s like I blink and suddenly all the progress I’ve made all these years is just gone.”

“If all that progress were gone, you wouldn’t be having this conversation with me now,” Gideon points out. “One mistake doesn’t undo years of good. Not if you fix it instead of letting it consume you.”

Some of the tension Gabriel’s felt since he yelled at Christopher eases ever-so-slightly, and he manages a small smile.

“Thanks. I think I needed to hear that.”

“I can’t take all the credit - it’s something Sophie told me once. Guess it stuck,” Gideon admits. “Now get out of here and go home. I’ll cover with the others.”

---

Gabriel leaves Idris early to make sure he’s home before Christopher falls asleep. He goes straight for his son’s room, surprised by the slight nervousness he feels. But that’s good, he reminds himself. It means he cares, and not just about himself, but about what really matters.

“Christopher, are you awake? May I come in?”

There’s a short pause, and Gabriel wonders if he’s too late and will have to wait until morning. Then he hears soft shuffling noises before the door swings open.

“I’m sorry-” Christopher starts immediately, obviously expecting a lecture, but Gabriel holds up a hand to stop him.

“No, I’m sorry. I’m not always right, Christopher. And I need you to understand that. I don’t want you to grow up blindly following in my footsteps, okay? You’re allowed to question me. And you’re allowed to tell me if you think I’m wrong - because I might be. I just might not always see it.”

“You were wrong to be mad that I’m spending time with Downworlders,” Christopher says slowly, as if testing whether or not he’s supposed to actually question his father or if that bit was just a trap to see if he would.

“I was,” Gabriel agrees. “The unsupervised magic could be dangerous and that’s something we’ll have to talk about, but not tonight. Tonight I just need you to know that I don’t want you to be different, or better, or anything other than your perfectly curious, kind self. I love you, Christopher.”

“I love you too.”

This isn’t the first mistake Gabriel’s made as a parent, and he’s certain it won’t be the last. He’s trying to be better than his father before him. Sometimes he fails, sometimes he succeeds, but every time he learns from his mistakes and picks himself up to try again… and he’s finally starting to realize with the love, forgiveness, and encouragement of his family, that he doesn’t have to be perfect so long as he’s trying to be better.

[lotusishere]

I agree with what you’re saying. You tore down. I always saw it as a generational trauma thing. The passed down trauma of having overwhelming pressure on you. Everyone’s eyes staring at you and what’s worse is that the”Vacker legacy” is already held high. So to be worthy or good enough you have to aim HIGHER. Which is hard to do because taking risks to do things others aren’t could put them lower (if it fails). Alden is a good parent in his own aspect. He provides support, shelter, food and water (I’m sorry I’m making his children sound like plants lmfao). But not every parent is perfect. As he is struggling with the pressure to be perfect so are his children. Because of what he’s been taught it’s not the BEST to pass down. But it’s all he knows. Which is a flaw on his own. The only time I thought he was jawdroppingly crazy was when they let Alvar go. The heavy side eye I gave the page was not cute. But at the same time i get it but SIGHHHHHH. I wish he would sometimes focus on the effect something will have on his children than their legacy or how people view them. I feel like that’s where he lacks as a parent. I’m not gonna say he’s a monster or the worst parent there cuz I think we ALL know WHO deserves that. COUGH COUGH KEEFE’S PARENTS COUGH COUGH.

They’re all good dads but they parent in their own way. Grady is a very different parent from Kesler and Alden. Kesler and Grady are kinda similar. They both just love their kids no matter how the world might see them. You see it with Grady and Sophie and the small scenes with Jolie he had. Grady is the type to give up EVERYTHING for his kids. If they go down he goes down with them. You saw it when he took the blame for Sophie in the first book saying he mesmered her.

Kesler is HUGELY different because I feel like Kesler tries to be a good dad more because of his upbringing. Kesler is talentless. He doesn’t have as good view on him already and when he had kids the possibly of them being talentless was there. It’s something he doesn’t want his kids to go through because of how exclusive their world is. So he loves them the best way he can to try to protect them. But at the same time he knows he can’t at the same time.

Alden’s parenting style is using tips he grew up with and passes them down. But he doesn’t really see how he grew up wasn’t necessarily the best. It’s not the worst but it’s still ehHhHh. They are all preparing their children for what the world has to offer. Grady’s protection physically, Keslers protection emotionally and Alden’s protection mentally.

What really balances them out or shows more of the parenting style is their partners though. They’re not parents by themselves. At least that’s how I see it. I ADORE talking about the parents in KOTLC.

i've seen a fair amount of people that have a take that's something along the lines of "alden isn't abusive/toxic/a bad parent but i like exploring that in fic, so i often characterize him like that anyway" and i'm so curious as to why these people are not extending this same purposeful character assassination to other parents, like grady, or even kesler, and why it seems to be an only alden thing /gen