#implied they're going to split up (bye)

[asterssunzephyr]

TP&TS!Nature Wives angst, maybe? 👀👀👀

THERES SO MUCH I COULD GIVE YOU OH MY GOD?? They are the main couple after all(..One of the only ones, actually. Looking at Desert Duo & ShadowBeans being split up bc one is dead.. then looks at NW & FH.. hm..)

CW: Alcohol, Bars

Implied gay thoughts about your best friend's best friend

Implied Flower Husbands

Implied Bisexual Ren

Implied Gay Thoughts™️ about tp&ts!Gem from tp&ts!Shelby

-----

"You hurt Jimmy, why are you in my house."

"To talk to you-"

"Talk?! What is there to talk about, Shelby?!"

"A lot! I didnt- I didnt mean to hurt him!"

"Then why did you?!"

"I dont know!"

"Bullshit! Get out of my house. Get out, and dont return."

"But-"

"Out. and give me the key back."

"Sweetheart-"

"Dont. You dont get to call me that anymore, leave."

He stared at her, at the way she still looked so ethereal while pissed at him, but gave the key up with a sigh. They had no right to stay here, not at 2 in the morning when Katherine probably just got back from the heroes base after working with Gem all night.

Okay, she didnt know if that last part was true but from how tense and stressed Katherine looked, Shelby assumed!.. They walked to the door and took one last look at the love of their life, friend, enemy her and left.

That night was spent in the closest bar to Katherines house since she didnt want to go half way across town to the small apartment in Boatem.

"What are you doing this far across town."

They shot their eyes up to the person who slid into the booth across from them. Brown eyes and blonde hair; Jimmy. Why was he in this bar?

"..I wanted to talk to Kat, she didnt wanna hear it. Didnt want to walk all the way back to Boatem at 2 am."

A sip of the liquor in the glass and Shelby finally looked the taller in the eyes.

"I get that," A sip from his own glass, "Scott dragged Gem and I here."

"Gem's here?"

"She is."

Shelby looked for the hint of a lie, but knew better. Jimmy would never lie about Gem's location, not when he cared about her like he does.

"Shelby!"

Another voice, and an arm around her shoulder. Scott, and Gem sliding into the booth on the other side next to Jimmy.

Now, Shelby knew 3 things about themself and their feelings:

1. They're hopelessly in love with Katherine

2. They liked women, and honestly women only

3. Feelings are confusing

One thing he didnt know, however, was to stop staring at Gem who currently looked outright beautiful. Now, she is one to lie quite often, but if shes calling someone beautiful, it's because she means it; well, gods be damned does Shelby mean it.

Apparently, Gem hasn't noticed the staring to they quickly focused on their hands and the drink in it before downing the rest of the glass and calling for another.

See, for a long time, Shelby's known about their feelings for women and how its nothing how Ren felt for women, or men. She's always struggled with feelings, and for a long time coming to terms with being asexual was a lot; dont get the poor guy wrong, hes hopelessly in love with Katherine and knows it, but goddamn does Gem look great.

-

He focused back in on the conversation when his 2nd, 3rd, fourth drink arrived and took a slow sip out of the glass. Just now, had Shelby realized, Katherine was there and glaring daggers from the end of the table. They made eye contact and Shelby knew she was in trouble, apparently so did Scott with how fast he moved to let Katherine take his place next to the short villain friend.

"How many have you had."

"Uh-"

"She's had four."

"You were keeping track?!"

"I have to drive Scott and Gem home, of course I have. Weve been here for two hours, Shelby."

"Two hours?!"

Shelby winced at Katherine basically yelling next to them. Yep, big trouble.

"Thats it, come on."

"Where are we going?"

"My house, so you can sober up and sleep."

"Im not drunk!"

"Do I look like I care?"

"Well- No, but-"

"No. Cmon."

Shelby stumbled out of the booth as Katherine dragged them and he waved bye to the trio who just waved back; Scott with a "knowing" smirk.

-

"Are you fucking stupid?!"

"What?"

"Going to a bar, alone, at two in morning?!"

"Like going to boatem wouldve been any better?"

"Not-.. Not what Im saying."

"I just needed to clear my head, Katherine."

"If you wouldve said something-"

"You wouldnt let me! You were so pissed off at me that you wouldnt let me speak!"

"So were both in the wrong!"

"What have I done?!"

"GO TO A BAR, ALONE."

"AND?"

"Gods be damned youre an idiot."

"I tried to talk to you! You wouldnt let me!"

"Then you shouldve told me to shut up!"

"And risk being punched in the face?! Look, Its happened once before and I dont take too kindly to having a busted lip!"

Katherine rolled her eyes and threw a hoodie, a yellow one, at them and stormed off. Shelby simply took this as a sign to go take a shower before Katherine sends her back outside.

------

They both go to sleep angry that morning:). Gem, and Scott, wake up with hangovers btw LMFAO

[ashkav]

Rock a bye baby (where am i?)

I was re-watching the trailer again after getting pretty far into a new playthrough of DS1 when something clicked. we've heard the lullaby at the very end of the trailer before, in DS1:

(starts at 9:25 in the trailer, and a couple seconds in in the second video)

when we meet Mama and her BT baby the exact same section of the exact same song is playing as the trailer, but a little extended and with more melodies going. and the song is pretty significant even in DS1 without connecting it to DS2: this is the only other lullaby we hear in the game that isn't BB's theme. and it plays directly before we meet the third most important child character in the game, after Lou and Sam. and the order we hear BBs theme and rock a bye is even the same! the first trailer, Higgs sings a warped version of BB's theme, which we hear in DS1 near the very beginning after hooking up to Lou for the first time and seeing Cliff sing a section. the second trailer, a warped version of rock a bye, heard for the first time about a third of the way through the game when first meeting Mama.

the song is slower and simpler in the trailer compared to in DS1, with a very old almost broken down sound. the octopuses on the mobile seem really relevant considering just how many references to tentacles we've seen in the trailers so far: Elle Fanning's sucker arm, the tar-cat's tongue, the DHV Magellan's logo. and we know some time has passed since the end of the first game. could the song be coming from the same mobile?

thematically, it would be a fitting gift, if it was given as a gift to Sam - if the theories are right and Lou is haunting the BB pod then it'll be an object shared between two impossible BT babies. LockneMama would be the literal best person for Sam to get in contact with again, being the only person (people?) to actually have gone through something similar with a dead not dead daughter. (and it's a completely impractical gift for a living baby with squishy skin, being metal and likely to cut or injure a grabby infant.)

I don't know. i think it would be a really neat narrative parallel if Mama played a role in DS2, but since Margaret Qualley has not been mentioned in any promotional material I doubt she'll be in the game in any major way. that doesn't necessarily mean the theory is wrong; the character could still interact with Sam through emails but the reduced presence doesn't seem

ok wait had a brain wave does Shioli connect to this somehow? complete hunch based on nothing but the first song was obviously the song that connected Lou and Sam, as they're both BBs and the theme is used for both of them. we've seen absolutely nothing of who Shioli is despite knowing she must be a major character based on her poster and her name on the credit list. is rock a bye the song that connects Lou and Shioli's character?

her character poster:

rock a bye baby is about a baby being 'lost' - "when the bough breaks the cradle will fall/ down will come baby, cradle and all."

euphemistically, it can be about child death due to negligence or instability, but going 'down' in the case of death stranding also immediately brings to mind tar, the sinking and the rising. is she 'down' at the beach?

'cradle and all' seems to me to imply there's other things related to cradles that are all going down with the baby, blankets, toys, etc. lots of mobiles attach to cradles.

maybe i'm grasping at straws with the Shioli connection, but the lullaby is the only part of the trailer that doesn't seem to obviously link back to or directly relate to the known characters. and since Mama isn't going to be a major player, maybe Shioli will fill the same thematic presence in this game as Mama did in the last - Mama, too, was lost in a sense, her Ha and Ka split when her baby died and untethered when her psychic link to Lockne broke. Mama was an inversion of the stillmother - maybe Shioli is an inversion of Lou?

[robertdowneyhiddlesbatch]

Change of perspective {1/2}

Triggers: implied baby loss

Summary: Stephen's girlfriend takes a pregnancy test and reminisces how they got together.

The stick with the two lines on it was maybe the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Eliza was a realtor, so that was saying a lot. She loved, and got paid for, finding hidden jewels. That's how she had found Stephen in the first place. 

Eliza Gonzales was a top tier realtor, and true to her career, a pompous ass. Half the cast of Selling Sunset were her best friends. So when she set her sights on Greenwich Village, she wanted it. 

“Hello,” the familiar looking man answered before she even knocked on the door.

Eliza quickly tried to recall who he was. “You're… famous, aren't you?” She pointed an inquisitive finger at him. 

The man smirked. “You new to Greenwich?” his smirk told her he was intentionally being smug, and it irked her. 

Eliza chuckled to cover the scowl growing on her face. “Sort of. You haven't always lived here, have you?” For some reason, he didn't look like he belonged in an old money neighborhood. He looked like he would appreciate a penthouse better. 

“I haven't personally, no,” the man humored her and took a look back inside the house. “But it's been in the business for, well, forever.” 

Damn. “I see. Well, I was just walking by in the neighborhood and I am absolutely in awe of this beautiful brick stone. I'm sure it's equally gorgeous inside. Mind if I can get a little peak?”

“It's not for sale,” the man held the door and pulled it behind his shoulder. 

Eliza’s jaw dropped. “But I didn't…”

“I'm quite familiar with your type…”

“Well that's rude,” she didn't even try to hide her grimace as she folded her arms. 

“Says miss intrusive. Buh bye now,” he closed the door and she found herself in front of her car. What the?

Oh, did she hate this man! And she would never let him live it down. She was groveling about it for days, so her friend insisted on taking her out on a double date. Eliza dressed up to humor her friend and went, only to be blindsided when her friend's date was the man from Greenwich.

“Stephen, this is Eliza, my best friend. Izzy, this is Stephen Strange, and this is Matthew Perrywood. They're both doctors!” Janice introduced the two men. 

Eliza ignored Greenwich, who was clearly her friend's date, and smiled as she introduced herself to the one she was set up with. The plan was to not even acknowledge him, but halfway through the night, they could only acknowledge each other. Not positively, of course, as every topic of conversation was an opportunity for passionate argument for both of them. Janice tried to intervene at some point, but gave up and redirected her attention to Matthew. At some point, Janice and Matthew hit it off and left, leaving Eliza and Stephen with the bill.

After realizing they were ditched, Stephen and Eliza finally settled into silence. Stephen asked for the check and Eliza took out her wallet to split her meal, but the former doctor waved her aside and paid off the entire meal. Eliza blushed and reached out for her wallet, blindly putting her card back in before tucking her wallet back in her purse. 

“Thanks for footing the bill,” she told him as they were walking out. 

“The least I could do after ruining your date,” Stephen said, acknowledging the events of the night. 

“Well, clearly they didn't mind,” Eliza chuckled. 

“At least someone had got something out of it. I'm not really one for blind dates.”

Eliza gasped. “You didn't know her?” 

“Not before tonight. Matt dragged me out.”

“Oh. I see what happened. You were something once, weren't you?”

“Once,” she noticed he put his hands in his pockets.

“I…it's getting late. I should let you go. It's a drive back to Greenwich from here.”

“I'll catch a cab. How about you?”

“OH, I drove us here. I'll be fine. Have a good night, Dr. Strange,” she bid, heading toward her car.

“Good night,” he replied. 

She was keying into her car, parked in the lot beside the restaurant, and she saw him still standing there. He whistled, and a cab obediently pulled up, as if it was waiting for him. Eliza shrugged as she got into her own car. A cab in the first call, in New York city, was almost magic. 

The next morning was a Saturday, and she had planned to get up late, if the doorbell would let her. She groaned when the knocks started and threw off the blanket.

“I'm coming! I'm coming,” she shouted as she went down the stairs to get the door.

“Yes?” She asked sternly as she opened the door, not caring for whoever it was.

It was Stephen. 

“W-what are you doing here?” She asked, rubbing her eyes to clear up and make sure she was seeing right.

“I'm here for my wallet,” Stephen replied.

“Excuse me?” Eliza retorted.

“You took my wallet last night,” he explained.

Eliza scoffed. “Oh, you are so not accusing me of stealing!” She exclaimed and stormed into her kitchen to get her purse.

“W-well, you see how I got here…” he didn't get the chance to show her wallet in his hand. 

“Now look here, mister!” Eliza shouted as she was back with her purse.

“Doctor,” Stephen corrected her. 

“Whatever! This is clearly not,” she whipped out a wallet and thrust it in his face, but was able to clearly see it herself, “my wallet.”

Stephen smiled as she turned bright red in embarrassment of being caught in the wrong. 

“I… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to take yours. I thought I had grabbed mine!” 

“Oh, I wouldn't usually mind. It's just this one, it's an heirloom,” he pointed at the red and black checkered wallet she had again put back in her purse. 

“Ah, sorry. I'm still sleepy. Here's your wallet back,” Eliza finally handed him his item.

“Thank you. Here's yours,” he returned the favor. 

“It's still early. Wanna come in for breakfast?” She stepped aside to invite him in. 

“I won't say no,” Stephen smiled and helped himself inside. 

“Kitchen's down to the left. I'm just gonna go change real quick.”

Eliza ran upstairs to freshen up and put on some real clothes, and came downstairs to breakfast. He always made breakfast for them now, and had pared down her pompous realtor personality and made her smell some roses. Not that they didn't still quarrel. She actually loved the snide quips they shared. 

And she absolutely fell in love with the main staircase when he finally invited her in. 

But then she fell down it. And she hated it. Because it had taken away the two lines. The worst part of it all was that she was home alone.

Stephen had gone on another mission saving the world, and here she was losing hers. She had no idea how she would tell him. And if she would tell him. Normally, she didn't make an issue of him being gone most of the time. She figured that since she was busy with work too, it didn't matter much. They had made it work. 

But now her perspective had changed. Being physically alone, and then also emotionally all by herself, had her reevaluating their arrangement. Maybe he should've been home more. Maybe he should've given her more time. More attention. Maybe she wouldn't be going through this alone. Or maybe, he would have caught her when she tripped. 

But he wasn't there.  

Stephen was never there. And now it was a problem.

[pollyna]

Headcanon/fix-it of sort: contains spoiler of No Time To Die.

And then death will come by water. James doesn't know, doesn't remember who wrote this words, or if he just made them up, but nothing could be more true. Water took away Vesper, water drowned him away and saved him after Istanbul eben when he's not sure who came back after he woke up, water drowned slowly all the tears he wasn't crying during M's funeral and water took away his chance to save Felix. Not long after he will learn that water, freezing water, will forever link Madeleine and Safin. Water is where Safin shoots him so many times he doesn't know how he still finds the strength to get up and to finish the mission. Q voice is a balm for his soul even when staing awake is a constant struggle.

And then death will come by water he whispers while M is talking in his ears and Moneypenny is doing the same and then Madeliene is there too, telling him he can come back now, that everything is going to be okay, that they're safe. But all James wants to do is sit down and watch the immensity of the ocean before it's going to take him away too and he hopes, he really does, that his soul will find Vesper and Felix's because water took away one people too many from him and it can pay him back talking him to them now.

Water isn't how death comes to him in the end, at least for now. Death doesn't come to him at all. He wakes up and everything is white and shiny, nothing hurts and someone is holding his hand. Death isn't going to come by water James, not until I have something to say about it that someone whispers in his ear and sleep comes to him sounding like a blessing and a promise of a future the water isn't going to touch, until they're going to be together.