#jUST HAS A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT JOEY DREW I GUESS

[emeraldhypothesis]

If I can request another:

Seto Kaiba! And my favorite third rate duelist with a fourth rate deck, Joey Wheeler! ^^

Kaiba:

My GOAT

Why I like them/why I don’t

I mean God, where do you even start with Kaiba? What's left to say about how he's one of the coolest characters ever? One of the most iconic rivals in shonen media and arguably fiction, Kaiba has left an undeniable impact on pop culture

What I like about their appearance

The drip is immaculate with Kaiba. His glittery Duelist Kingdom Manga Coat, the iconic white trenchcoat that all rivals must at least homage to this day, that funny purple coat the filler arcs put him in, his glorious six-pack in DSOD, his defined arms, and piercing gaze that sees through to your soul...

sorry what were we talking about again?

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?

Same name so no contest.

Voice wise though... this is so hard. This is still Kenjiro Tsuda's defining role to me, even as modern shonen fans rediscover him through characters like Nanami from JJK or Kishibe from Chainsaw Man. His vocal evolution during the series is fantastic, where he gradually lowers his voice so by the end Kaiba has a baritone that's as smooth as a jazz solo, and don't get me started on what the decade between DM and DSOD did for Tsuda, Kaiba's voice afterwards is like a siren's song.

But Eric Stuart is also just defined by Kaiba. While Tsuda plays Seto as more of dormant volcano that can erupt to show Kaiba's rage and passion, Stuart portrays him like a wild hurricane that will lash out at anyone who provokes his ire. It's interesting that he maintains a lot of Kaiba's youth in DSOD, where in the more emotional moments it lets Stuart portray Seto as what he is- a young man trapped in the maelstroms of grief, desperately chasing for any sign that he can get the one person who got him back for one more game.

You can't make me pick. I love them both.

OTP

Pride, no question. Even before DSOD was basically a two hour grieving session on Kaiba's behalf about Atem, Kaiba and Atem's rivalry is one of the defining examples of shonen rivalries sounding more intimate than a dying man's love letter. Seriously, the manga goes places with how Kaiba describes the feelings that Atem generates in him.

With the context of DSOD though- holy shit. Holy shit man we won so fucking hard in 2016. "You have your bond with him... and I have mine."

Honorable mention to, of all things, Kaiba/Tea which I had a brief dalliance with in 2021. I think she'd be one of the few people who can put with him and bring him to heel.

NOTP

Besides Mokuba, I'll repeat what I said in Yugi's section that I don't think either of them would fall for the other because of Atem's lingering shadow.

OT3

Well he's got three Blue-Eyes, so that's the easy joke.

Favourite card they use

Look I know it's easy. I know everyone says it, it's the go-to pick BUT COME ON, BLUE-EYES WHITE DRAGON IS JUST THAT COOL.

YOU DO NOT WRITE A SCENE WHERE KAIBA SACRIFICES GOD FOR THAT DRAGON WITHOUT SIX YEAR OLD EMERALD HYPOTHESIS (or however old I was when I watched Battle City) LOOKING AT THAT DRAGON LIKE HE FOUND RELIGION.

Favourite moment they were in

Picking one is so hard. I just wanna gesture at practically every moment he's on-screen and being so over-dramatic he rides the impossible line of being cringe and being jaw-droppingly cool.

I guess I'll just list a few because I legit can't pick:

Tapping into the Rod by accident to get a glimpse of his past with Kisara, letting him stop himself from losing to Ishizu and breaking destiny as a result.

His amazing comeback against Seigfried, one of the few redeeming scenes of the KC Grand Prix.

Willing Obelisk to his hand in DSOD.

But emotionally I'm super fond of his speech to Mokuba in Virtual World where he reveals that Blue-Eyes is based off a dragon Mokuba drew as a child that Seto resolved to earn as he grew up, ending with him tearfully asking Mokuba if he's become a man worthy of that dragon yet.

Least favourite moment

You know in retrospect, telling Yugi to get over Joey's death post-Marik Duel because he wanted his rematch? Bit of a bitch response.

Would I fuck, marry or kill them

Same deal with Ryoken- I marry for the money with full knowledge that he is thinking of Atem the entire time.

Joey:

JOEY MY FRIEND JOEY FUCKIN' WHEEEEEEEELAH

Why I like them/why I don’t

Everyone loves an underdog, and Joey is the underdog of fiction. He's cast such a shadow that all of the Best Friend Characters- Syrus, Crow, Bronk, etc.- have to match, but Joey was just a character in a league of his own. You can recreate Kaiba's success, as seen with great rivals like Kaito, Reiji and Ryoken, but I'd argue it's much harder to recreate what made Joey work- I think because you do see him start from rock bottom (both as a Duelist in the anime and as a person in the manga), whereas usually the best friend characters start out as generally decent people and know their decks well. Joey has that full journey that makes him stand out from his homages to this day, and it stands to him. He's not just probably the best for nostalgia, is what I'm trying to say.

What I like about their appearance

Joey has such a great set of designs. I love his green jacket in Duelist Kingdom that makes his hair pop, and then the white shirt for his roaming in Battle City, but I think my favorite Jou design is his DSOD look which combines the two to show his maturity and how he's developed- alongside the white and green just working together really well.

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?

Dub, no contest. I saw a Tweet once (before Twitter went to shit) that remarked on how ubiquitous certain anime localization names/terms have become, with the particular examples listed of Ash Ketchum, and Joey Wheeler.

I have to actively work to remember to call him Katsuya if I'm using sub names- and even then, I will slip and say Joey.

In terms of performances, I have to again say that dub just runs circles around the Japanese. Hiroki Takahashi is an incredibly talented actor, it must be stressed, but Wayne Grayson just makes Joey his own. His accent, his mannerisms, the little sounds he makes, it's all just so effortlessly charming and personable. I know most people praise Dan Green and Eric Stuart especially for their roles in the dub, but man Grayson is such a gem as well.

OTP

If I don't look at the age gap between Mai and Joey, it can't hurt me...

Otherwise I have a very fond soft spot for Joey and either Atem or Yugi, both of them have such good bonds with Joey that carry throughout the series, and I'd be a sucker not to highlight the docks duel for this exact reason.

(also like. That AMV that 4Kids made for the Joey vs Yugi duel in Duelist Kingdom? I remember that)

NOTP

I don't super enjoy the power imbalance between Kaiba and Joey, so while I can enjoy Puppyshipping in very specific contexts... it's not something I would ever seek out normally.

OT3

You look me in the eye and try to tell me Yugi's friend group hasn't had one night where they all tried making out with each other for fun.

Favourite card they use

Much as I hate how a lot of Joey's deck has been turned into "Bad Red-Eyes Legacy support," Red-Eyes is a hell of a cool dragon. That said, I find Time Wizard adorable.

Favourite moment they were in

Oh, what a toughie. I feel he has so many good moments, like him fighting to the bitter end against Valon in DOMA, fighting against Marik during the dockyard duel, managing to pull off some impressive plays against Bandit Keith and make Yugi work for a win in Duelist Kingdom as the climax of his arc, he's got so many.

Think I'll go with him tanking Ra's rage though and making Marik stress-vomit from how close he came to losing. Respect to Joey for that one.

Least favourite moment

I'm not fond of how arrogant he's made to be in his duel against Duke, and I really don't like that Joey's final duels in the series happen in the KC GP and see him barely beating Solomon and then made to job to Siegfried after opening a brick hand. It's a bit of a lame spot to end Joey's record.

[nayialovecat]

The Ink Demonth 2023 - Day 25. Cycle

Day 25. Cycle Crossover: Cube Escape Me: Bendy. No. Bendy: But it's a good idea! Me: No, it isn't. They are corrupted soul. You have corrupted body. Minus and minus don't make a plus in this case. Bendy: :c

If anyone doesn't know what this is about, I'll explain. Cube Escape is a series of point and click games created by Rusty Lake and telling the story of a very messed-up family... There is a lot of brutality, a lot of dreamlike things and metaphors, and the whole thing revolves around Rusty Lake - a lake where memories melt and get lost. The entire series is, so to speak, a psychological reflection on the consequences of our actions, dwelling on the past and tormenting ourselves with bad memories. Also reincarnation in contex corrupted soul. Bad memories can corrupt the soul, and corrupted souls... well... are creepy. Really, really creepy.

My first game in the Cube Escape series was, if I'm not mistaken, The Mill, and then I played Seasons (second one, first one is The Lake), and then I tried to play it in order. The plot is very complex and with each subsequent game we discover more fragments of the past of the Vanderboom family (and people associated with them). Certain recurring motifs and a feeling of anxiety create a unique atmosphere - a bit of horror, a bit of crime-story, a bit of psychological drama plus a very oneiric narrative. Is it enough if I say that after playing Case 23 (which, nomen-omen, I never finished), I had nightmares and was afraid to go to the toilet in the dark? And I played it when I was a grown woman X"D

I love this series and am looking forward to the next parts. We already know the history and fate of individual characters - but new threads are constantly emerging. I'm honestly waiting for the next chapter of Paradox (I hope there will be one more) and I just noticed that Underground Blossom, announced some time ago, has been released... Guess who won't be able to complete all the Ink Demonths before September? XD

I decided to have some fun here and make a gif. Art has a lot of symbolism - firstly, it is a perfect square. Secondly, the colour changing from white to black - also corresponds to the theme of black and white cubes (with bad and good memories). Plus both textes of Corrupted Soul come from "Cube Escape: Seasons" in inverse order :) I highly recommend the game. It's really great.

Bendy and the Ink Machine (c) Joey Drew Studios Inc. Cube Escape (c) Rusty Lake Sammy and the Ink Machine (c) Nayia Lovecat

[angelofthepage]

24 Bendy Questions/Opinions!

So user BeninjaLIVE over on Twitter has this Bendy thread happening that asks a bunch of opinion questions, and you know what? I'm feeling a little playful tonight, so we're gonna answer them here. If you didn't have a baseline of where I stand as a Bendy fan before, well here you go!

1. Which is your favorite game? feel free to say any of the unreleased ones too!

See this is already hard. XD I really love the original BATIM for its story and characters, definitely my favorite story, but I've enjoyed the experience of Dark Revival a ton too. I've probably been exposed to it more times as a result of friends casually booting it up to play in calls, and the fan service for the original was great, Chapter 4 still breaks my heart. But I am a lot harder on its storytelling since, I don't think it did as good of a job as Ink Machine, especially in terms of how fleshed out its characters were. So I guess, Dark Revival for overall experience.

2. out of all the games, Which Character is your favorite?

I think my answer is still a tie between Sammy and Malice. XD They are my beloveds.

3. Which character installs the most fear / is the most horrific?

That depends on the context! From a gameplay perspective? Carley scares the crap out of me (I love you ghost girl, I want to give you a cookie, even though you're mean to us). From a writing perspective? The ink demon is pretty horrifying both in that he's this terrifying monster and was horribly mistreated within his backstory. A victim turned predator.

4. If you were in charge of directing the new Bendy game, what would change? (new features, new characters, changed gameplay, etc)

This is a dangerous question to ask me. X'''D I would put more focus on story and have more time spent with characters so that we get to know them and care about them a bit more. If we're specifically talking about The Cage, I want more of Sammy and Joey (and Boris, I would kill for a Boris reunion). I want to get to know them (if we're continuing the "Joey Drew learning to be a better person arc" I want him to try and be kinder to Henry and mess it up in his own Joey way). I want to know Henry's feelings about what he's going through. But most importantly, I would be putting Archie Carter, Evan, Buddy Lewek, Constance Gray, and/or Abby Lambert in this game. It doesn't have to be big, but for the love of all that is good and Bendy, PLEASE give us a book character cameo in this game, I beg of thee Meatly! We literally just had a book release involving a ton of Gent stuff, please give us an audiolog from one of these guys while going through the horrors of it, I would be SO HYPED for that!

5. What is your LEAST Favorite Character

This is the silliest thing, but there's only one Bendy character I actively dislike, and it's that puppet in the mop bucket from the prologue of BATDR. That thing creeps me out. I'm so sorry. ^^''''

6. smash or pass the ink demon

Neither, I'm extremely ace and not here for smashing, but I'm not passing up on interacting with him. I'm instead inviting him over for some cookies and hot cocoa.

7. Opinions on Bendy and the Dark Revival? this goes for gameplay, lore, characters, everything.

Already covered this one earlier, but to reiterate, I like it! I just wish we spent more time with the characters. I do have some issues with the way the story was handled. As much as I loved Chapter 4, I do kind of wish we got the reveal that Audrey was the daughter of Drew sooner, or at the very least, gave her more time/scenes to grapple with it. Because love the ending as I might, Joey's speech about her being born of darkness just, doesn't hit for me when she doesn't seem to feel that way about herself at any point? Like we see her struggle with it once and then never again, it needed some more build up and punch. But overall? I loved it. I loved this cast, I love the atmosphere and locations, I loved the expansion of the ink demon's character, Memory Joey was a hit despite doing some things that kind of lessen the horror of the previous game, and Twisted Alice, as nonsensical as her plan was, was such a treat, I was so glad to have her back and have her be such a menace. XD

8. Do you have high hopes for any new bendy games? (mainly Bendy - The Cage)

I have a reasonable level of optimism and curiosity! I'm sure it'll be an interesting entry. Curious how they'll handle more disturbing horror after how disturbing the last game was. I'm trying not to expect too much, going in with fewer expectations makes for a better experience for me personally.

9. How did you feel about BATIM's ending when it first came out?

Mostly confused, but really excited that Henry didn't die. X'''D No joke, when Chapter 5 first came out, I was so freaking anxious about what was gonna happen. A friend got on call and watched a playthrough with me so I didn't like lose my entire cool. X'''D Still one of my fondest memories in this fandom. The ending wasn't everything I hoped for, but I still appreciate it and the rest of Chapter 5 as a result of the experiences I had with friends during it.

10. looking back on it now, how do you feel about Chapter 3 of BATIM?

When the original came out, it needed some balance and bug testing badly. But in its current state? It's not as bad as people make it out to be, but it is tedious. I get so lost in it as someone who's directionally challenged, but like, -gestures at Malice- my GIRL! How can I not enjoy it at least a little when my queen is right there giving some of the best and most informative dialogue of any character in the game?

11. if you could change / improve ONE THING about Bendy and the ink machine (the singular game) , What would it be?

This is going to sound ridiculous, but I would want it to have some gyroscopic control on the Switch port. I'm sorry gamers, I don't know how you play games where you have to aim with the analog sticks, I can't do it, I'm so bad at it. X'''D I use motion controls for stuff like aiming my view in Splatoon, give me that as Henry and I will be unstoppable.

12. Opinions of MAlice Angel / Corrupted Susie Campbell?

She is everything, she is the moment, she is my beloved, and I want to bake for her and tell her she's beautiful, because she IS! She was such a fun antagonist and I want more of her backstory! Like she has been an enjoyable part of every game she's been in. Boris and the Dark Survival with the Milla Tapes? Underrated Alice moment, she was GREAT there.

13. Do you think Sammy dying, and THEN coming back was good or bad?

I don't think I can classify it as good or bad, but I did enjoy it! Like hey, ink creatures don't necessarily stay permanently dead, and they can have some really interesting mental things happening when reforming, that was cool world building! And then when we got to see under the mask, and he's ready to kill us? Oh MAN, oh that was a thrill. Would not trade that brief Sammy boss fight for anything, that's my GUY right there!

14. On a Scale of One to Ten, how convoluted do you thing Bendy's lore as of Present Day?

Eh, gonna roll with the devil's number and say a 6.6. It's not that bad. BATDR convoluted it more than BATIM did, and there are some book moments that puzzle me, but it overall? It's workable, and I only drive myself a tiny bit nuts over it (I say as I've been going "NOTHING IS TRUE THE CANON IS A LIE" for like two weeks trying to assemble a series timeline and classify ink creatures).

15. Opinions / on a scale of 1-10 on the Bendy Books?

Dreams Come to Life - 7/10, needed more clarity in parts, had some good moments with returning characters, Dot we love you, JACOB WE LOVE YOU

The Lost Ones - 7/10, was a little weird not seeing most of our studio cast and being so far removed from the studio itself, but it's an enjoyable read, really liked our new characters and swapping perspective, living for that Wally intro, and I have a lot of questions about what ink can do to your brain and Tom's mental state in 1946

Fade to Black - 9/10, by far my favorite, great balance of old and new, Joey Drew was DELIGHTFULLY UNHINGED (something something that's the Joey I knew), Rose was fun, Evan was fun, DOT HI I MISSED YOU, Archie Carter was THE BIGGEST SURPRISE and I ADORE HIM, never thought we'd get a YouTuber cameo audiolog character as a MAJOR PART of a book, Wilson was a treat, and the studio sections of this one destroy me, I love it love it love it

The Illusion of Living - 7/10, the greatest Joey Drew character study to ever exist, which is great but difficult to read when he jumps all over the place and rambles about who knows what for pages at a time, offered some really great moments that I can't imagine the series without, and it solidified my love of Abby, please give Abby a spot in the games, this book made it very clear she is important to the Joey and Henry backstory, and I am so frustrated that we have not referenced her ONCE in these games when she's one, the head of the art department, and two, the one with the braincell of this trio, also Detective Sinclair's murder mystery was fun, I didn't know I would enjoy that genre so much, also Sammy and Jack were GREAT in this book

Employee Handbook (the original) 6/10 - It's a game guide mostly, but I go back to this thing often since it's one of the few things in the series that ACTUALLY GIVES US DATES for when things happened.

16. Opinions / on a scale of 1-10 on the Crack up Comics?

Crack Up Comics is a solid 9/10 for me, it was genuinely fun to read. Sucks that so many comics got spoiled for me on Twitter (much like the ending of DCTL, still sore about that), but the art is really cute, there's a small bit of lore, and the characters are written in such a fun way. Bendy you little scamp, I love you. Hindsight being what it is, I'm still a bit sore there was no cameo appearance for Carley in this book, and I feel the same way about all the toons from this book not appearing anywhere in Dark Revival. What is the point of having fun cartoon characters if they're not at least making a small appearance on a wall poster or something? That is such a missed opportunity.

17. Best Toon Character? (Out of Bendy, Boris, and Alice)

Alice, by far. Don't get me wrong, I love Bendy and Boris too, but Alice has such a fun character, especially in the comics, I LOVED her.

17 (2). Best Butcher Gang Member? (toon)

Edgar. I've warmed up to Charley a lot over the years, but Edgar is my baby boy, I want to hold him and squeeze him and love him, he's so SWEET.

18. Not a question; but SHOW US YOUR / AN OC!! FEEL FREE TO LORE DUMP !!

So hiiii, this is my girl Bella Ewe, a young woman who got roped into Joey's shenanigans as an apprentice animator (after he accidentally broke her leg), and accidentally ends up in the cycle. She gets sacrificed by Sammy, ends up as a searcher that steadily evolves, he has regrets about it, and now with Jack, they're working as a trio called The Shepherds to try and help break the narrative that everyone's been forced to play a part in. Her dive ability allows her to plunge into the depths of the ink, where she talks to people to try and help them regain their humanity. She goes from timid and hopeless to fiery and surrounded by found family, and she is my beloved sheepy daughter.

19. Best Human Character? (Out of Henry, Joey, Audrey, Wilson)

Oooh, that's hard. I'm gonna have to say Joey. I love Henry and Audrey, but the two of them don't get a lot of characterization. Joey however, we get to know him throughout multiple stages of his life AND an inky memory of him, and all of them are such a fun time to explore.

19 (2). Best Human Character? (Out of Wally, Nathan, Sammy, and Bertrum)

Okay that's not fair. X'''D Sammy is my favorite, I love his human iteration just as much as I love his inky one, but Wally is also high up there. He's a fun comedic relief.

20. Best Inked Creature? (Out of the ink demon, Malice, Sammy, and Buddy Boris)

This also isn't fair, how dare you make me pick between my wife and my husband. X'''D But I'm gonna have to say Alice. She's got the more compelling story, but Sammy is also really good as our first introduction to what can happen to a human tainted by ink, he's the one that pulled me into liking Bendy in the first place.

20 (2). Best Inked Creature? (Out of Shipahoy Dudley, Lost Ones/Searchers, Allison, and Tom Boris)

This is hard, but I think I'm gonna say Searchers and Lost Ones. Back when BATIM Chapter 4 dropped, you know that part where that one Lost One goes "when can we go home" and then you open the door to see a room FULL OF THEM? Shivering and miserable? That broke me, I just kept whispering "I'm sorry" as we went through there. (Also Porter and Heidi are great, I hope we see them again someday.)

21. Whats the best ink demon variant?

BATDR, hands down. He is a much more intimidating monster, the voice gives me chills (thank you Sean), I can't get over his silly little hooves, he's great. Still love all the others though, they're good in their own ways.

22. The Better gloves? three lines or two dots?

I prefer the two dots for Bendy, but it doesn't really matter. Alice got infinitely cooler gloves, I'm sorry. X'''D

23. Did you prefer Wally being Boris, or Buddy being Boris?

I'm a Buddy Boris kind of gal. Buddy stole my heart in the books, and I love him a lot. That said, I think they both have merit, and I can appreciate fan content that explores both of these options. When the original game was in development, and Wally and Boris were the characters that were left, all the others we could make pretty reliable guesses about the fates on, so him being Boris was a process of elimination theory that people tried to justify with details like him knowing his way around the vent system. And it would have been so sad as a twist since his whole thing was "I'm outta here," him not getting out would be the unfortunate punchline. I get why it was popular, and like I said, I enjoy a number of fan works that use it. But I won't lie, it didn't ever feel like that was the canon for me, not enough information to back it up. I mean Buddy has a similar problem, but at least we know he's a Boris. Whether or not he's Henry's Boris friend is the inconclusive part. Regardless of canon, that's how I write him at least.

24. Did you like Joey being inky or the newer lore?

I'm not sure what this is asking, but I get the sense this has to do with the old theories about Joey being the Ink Demon vs. what we have now with Memory Joey and the human Joey being dead? I'm okay with it to be honest. Would I have liked Joey to be the big bad that also suffers as a monster for his crimes against his co-workers? Yes, that would be very satisfying. But I think in a lot of ways, his current lore can still be satisfying too. It's no secret that I have some mixed feelings about his slideshow presentation, but let's reiterate for anyone who doesn't know me, because I think it ties into this in an important way.

I struggle with the decision to change the lore for Henry and Allison, and it affects my feelings about Joey. Memory Joey is a great character, he's a Joey Drew that's trying to be a better person, and that's what I like about him. He's imperfect, because he's a Joey and Joey is far from perfect, he's going to make mistakes and botch things up, but he's trying. He cares about Audrey, he's trying to help her through the studio without overstepping the boundaries, because again, he's still figuring out this whole "being a better person" thing. And ultimately, that was what endeared me to him. You don't need to change the lore of the previous games to give Joey Drew a redemption arc. All we needed was Joey choosing to try and be better. It doesn't erase his sins and all the bad stuff he did along the way, it doesn't change how he treated people, it doesn't change the literal murder and chaos he caused, the lives he ruined. And it shouldn't. Redemption arcs aren't about a character being forgiven or given a pass, they're about a character choosing to be better regardless of how the world sees them, and that's what's SO POWERFUL about Memory Joey! Joey Drew in life was so concerned with how the world saw him at several stages, so much time is spent being stuck in the past, despite his insistence that he doesn't want to think about the past. And finally we have an iteration of him that has tried to move past what he was before, and I am SO PROUD OF HIM!

That was all we needed, we did not need Henry and Allison being clones to soften his crimes. That does not help with Joey's redemption arc, in some ways it kind of cheapens it for me. Instead it has caused more confusion on whether or not ink creatures require a soul, lessens the horror of the original BATIM for Henry's characterization, brings about SEVERAL questions about who is and isn't a clone now (looking at you Tom), and just like, it's been really weird when it comes to Joey's murder and victim count. Like, the guy has been responsible for multiple deaths in BATIM and the books, why are we deciding now that these two aren't part of that? Also the one note about the ink children that came before Audrey, that is also a can of worms and I'm very exhausted thinking about it.

Overall, I like Joey as he is now. As stated before, I think Fade to Black has some of the best Joey writing in the entire series (as does TIOL, even if it was a bit of a slog to get through). I like Memory Joey a lot, I mean I wouldn't have made a doll of him if I didn't. X'''D He's alright.

Thank you for these wonderful questions! You guys, if you made it to the end and wanna go engage with the original, here's the link one more time, just so you don't have to scroll to the top. XD Have fun.

[inkdemonapologist]

Without much warning, he wrapped his free arm around Susie’s waist and pulled her closer, leaning into her ever so slightly and continuing to look at them in the reflection. She let him, even leaning into him a bit in turn. Yes, they didn’t look as perfect as they had when they’d left their room, but they looked good together. Was this what it was like, to be… normal? To just have a girl beside you and be just like every other guy he shook hands with in the room that night? Could he and Susie… be normal? … would he even want that?

(writing by @inkyvendingmachine) Art from the most recent Cthulhu rp chapter!! THIS WHOLE BIT JUST PUNCHED ME IN THE GUTS and I couldn't stop thinking about this scene so I, uh, got very carried away drawing it........

[halfusek]

Since the new Chris Portal documentary showed the true and nasty side of KB/Mike and TheMeatly, are you still gonna Say "we don't know the full story"?. We as a fanbase were treated as shitty as the employees they fired and abused, they don't deserve respect anymore.

uh i dont know where you've been but that video hasn't uncovered much new to me aside from some details from the two interviews near the end of the vid but like all of that stuff has already been known, it is just the first instance of someone compiling it into a coherent video (like the stupid games for kids said by mike we already knew in 2019 which i would not exactly say is the same as experiencing work abuse lol)

and idk why you're being so hostile at me, i've never been one to defend mike nor meatly but tried to find and share as much of the information as i could find about their wrongdoings, like dude i was fucking there pointing out that a lot of employees dont have "kindlybeast employee" in their twitter bios which then got screenshot and that post went on reddit where actual ex employees started sharing stuff (which freaked me out cuz i didnt want to have my "face" on the post dedicated to that) so like maybe turn that down a little

i feel like there's a lot of people new to some things unraveling in this controversy but as for me i've already made up my mind what i think of it, so i'm not so up in arms to scream about things that we already screamed about 2-3 years ago and that might make people think that i don't care or wanna brush it off which is not true

kindly beast / joey drew studios inc / mike and meatly deserve all the criticism aimed towards them, and on the day it was known about the lawsuit i laughed that karma finally got to them because i had thoughts "for all the shit they did to people, they deserve to fail and lose everything, to start over"

but i also think this is an opportunity for them to improve, learn and do better, sooooo i'm just kind of waiting for the next thing to happen i guess

in case they don't improve, welp, they can honestly fuck off

death of the author, whatever, it is anyone's personal call if they wanna keep on supporting some creators or not, and well as for me i think there's so much more and worse stuff that we (we as... gaming community... fandoms...?) tolerate that this seems just... small in comparison. i'm NOT saying it's not a big deal, it has me wishing lowkey that i just wasn't into batim lmao so i could just go. like for example i'm much more disgusted at sc/ott caw/thons wrongdoings cause they actually influence politics so i'm actively trying to keep myself away from engaging with fnaf or that one pirate gay show that i was like holy shit a cool gay couple but then read some yikes things about a character being based on actual real life guy who was a slave owner and that just had me nope out. i guess what i'm saying is i try not to support problematic things but if i were to suport only those purely unproblematic thatd kinda leave me with nothing idk society capitalism something something so you know i just try to weigh if something is actively harmful to people or if there is something that happened that i absolutely cannot forgive and based on that i get into something or not

does that make me a hypocrite? maybe but if i focus on boycotting what matters in the grand scheme of things and indulge a little in indie game fandom that's rapidly losing popularity i think i can personally live with that

sorry for going off about this, truth be told there's a lot of things happening in the world right now that put me in a very doomer mode lmao i mean we all see whats happening, shits pretty fucked and it was hard for me to even spare some focus on this, its really not good to get so desensitized so i also apologize for the harsh tone but yeah

anyways, i agree that we should make them feel like they need to apologize and do better, meatly still havent said a word publicly about anything that has happened and that fucking sucks

i still do not like harassing them over releasing batdr, thats part of crunch culture and all that jazz and i think we shouldnt lower the standards for that for anyone because [insert that image of you doing something bad to someone you dislike but it deflecting into someone you like]

but we should keep them on their toes and not let them think that we will just forget and let them get away with it because wow they've been massive assholes

[hello-im-not-a-possum]

A Secret Leak: Storyboards, Scripts, and Spirits.

There were pros and cons to working on 'the Joey Doodles Hobby' at her workplace; nobody suspected that the book and story boards inside the book were anything unusual or extraordinary, she could work in peace in a place that was comfortable and was easy for her to get information on the past workers in Joey Drew Studios. And the people who noticed her side-projects might have pointed out that a few story boards were a little dark for a family show while others didn't make sense, but Audrey was quick to explain away that they were just concepts put on paper, nothing too big or serious.

The cons? It was easy to mix up "Ink Studio" work with "Archgate Studio" work. While the information on Joey Drew Studios workers itself was easy to find, there was still very little surviving information on the people (aside from Joey himself) at Archgate so there wasn't a lot she could use for them. And while many dismissed what Audrey was doing as just a hobby, unfortunately, some people also got interested in said hobby.

"The little devil looks pretty good in that suit," Audrey froze like a deer in headlights when she heard the Art Director's voice behind her. "What special occasion is that for?"

"O-oh nothing!" she closed the sketchbook "I'm just practicing drawing pinstripe clothes and figured he'd look cute in them..."

"Fair enough, he'd look adorable in anything!" the Director chuckled. "But Audrey, there's something I want to talk to you about regarding other things you've drawn that I've been told about... the unsettling things that... bear a striking resemblance to what was found in the storyboards that were uncovered from Joey Drew's home."

"I guess I've found his concepts fascinating to think about." She shrugged. "They might be a lot gorier than what Bendy's known for, but it's not like it comes out of nowhere. Alice's temper can get the better of her, so her going too far isn't out of the realm of possibilities Bendy might be a timid demon who only pulls small pranks in the show, but he's still a demon at the end of the day, he can be capable of a lot more than what meets the eye."

The Director raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, obviously I don't recommend broadcasting this to the public, but taking his final works and expanding on them in private would've been something he liked to see..."

"...And it's in the same vein as Archgate Pictures itself being a labor of love made in his memory?"

"Yes! Exactly!"

"Fascinating, I'll go talk with Mr. Arch about that and see how he feels, who knows, maybe we can use one or two of those ideas in a Halloween special if we tone them down."

"He does love a good Halloween episode." Audrey nodded in agreement.

"And I'll go ask our animator Wilson to see if he can work his magic. He might not be the most talkative or social person, but he has a real knack for subtly uncanny features as well as detailed designs. They might not work the best with that sailor boy character he's trying to push, but maybe he can help with designing a one-off villain."

"Greeaaat..."

Audrey held onto a fake smile while cursing under her breath. She can't believe she forgot about Wilson! She was so caught up trying to handle the balancing acts of work, the Ink Studio, and trying to help Bendy adjust to the real world that the lying, creepy, son of a gun who sent her to the studio in the first place and wanted to murder her to bring his stupid sailor boy to life was just an afterthought!

How does she explain what happened to him without sounding like she completely lost her mind? That he was dead? That he died in the ink world and his body would most likely never be found? Worse yet, what if he didn't die? Or rather, he didn't stay dead..?

"Mind if I borrow your sketchbook?"

"Yes, I do mind, there's still a lot of stuff that hasn't been finished yet." She hid the book behind her back and took a small step back. "Maybe later."

"I see, well I hope we get to talk about this more often. There's some interesting ideas in there."

"Only time can tell. Now if you excuse me, I really need to... ...go grab some lunch! I was planning on meeting someone for it and I really can't miss it."

"...It's five o'clock."

"Better late than never!" She chuckled while heading for the door. "It's a... very long lunch."

Not caring whether the Art Director believed her or not anymore, she went to clock out. Breathing a sigh of relief when she was alone yet taking a glance behind her just in case she wasn't being followed.

"Audrey...."

She flinched and her blood ran cold when she heard him. Turning back to the machine to check out quicker, she was mentally making a plan on what to do; She was no stranger to ghosts in the studio, but they were pretty much harmless for the most part, only scaring people if they bugged them. But Wilson? Wilson was a different case. Oh the stupid machine! Why won't it work?!

"Auuuudreeeeey...."

He wasn't an unlucky lingering specter who stuck around because he had nowhere else to go, he wanted her soul, that was the last thing he wanted in life. It wasn't too far of a stretch to assume that in the afterlife, he'd want her dead. She didn't know how close he was to her right now, what he was capable of as a member of the undead who had been fused with magic ink, or even what he looked like now... Yes! Finally, the damn thing let her clock out! Now she can leave-

"Auuuuuuuuuudreeeeeeeeeey...."

The voice was right behind her now! She could practically feel his breath on her ears!

She felt an ice-cold, four fingered hand on her shoulder and smacked it off while turning to face what Wilson had become-

-Which was a cartoon version of himself but with a halo over his head, most likely to indicate that he is in fact dead as he is the LAST PERSON who deserved to go to heaven. His missing eye wasn't even ominous, it looked more like somebody forgot to draw it on him. He wasn't even an uncanny mesh of human and toonish features like his Wilson-esc form was.

That was... a *lot* less intimidating than she expected. She would've burst out loud laughing if she didn't know what he was capable of. Her mental image of what he was turned into was that of a mangled corpse with globs of ink instead of guts or blood.

"Okay then." She stated without a hint of fear in her voice. "I'm just gonna go now. I have errands to run, see you on Monday unless others can see you like that."

The cartoon man's expression soured as he watched her go from scared to an unreadable (yet obviously not scared expression) just carrying on like nothing happened.

"...My dear, you do realize that I am going to kill you, right?"

"No, you're going to try to kill me." Audrey corrected while heading to her desk to get her stuff, not caring if Wilson followed her or not. "There's a big difference."

"And what makes you so sure I won't succeed...?"

"Past experience, you don't have your Keepers, the Ink Machine's nowhere in the studio..." she listed off. "And Bendy-"

"Wait! What did you say about the Ink Machine?!"

"According to Nathan, it was taken in by the GENT company for repairs."

"...And did he get a deadline for when he'd get it back?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"That stupid old man..." Wilson shook his head as he cursed under his breath. "Doesn't he know any better?!"

"If he knows what it can do, then he wouldn't want it to break when he doesn't know how to fix it. And if he doesn't know what it can do, then it's still important to him and he wants it maintained." She shrugged as she double checked her bag. "If something you put in a museum broke, where would you send it if you wanted to get it fixed?"

The toon opened his mouth to retort but shut it as he couldn't think of a proper comeback.

"Now if you excuse me, I have a train to catch..." Audrey took her bag and left the office, leaving the toon man to stew in his bitterness.

[steve0discusses]

S5 Ep 30 pt 2: So Yami’s Dad Totally Killed That Village

Last we left off, everyone decided to dive directly into Yugi’s horrible mind prison.

In a nice little touch, we only see all the doors and walls when Yugi wakes up. It could also just be editing and the fact that the bg painter didn’t know they were in an Escher maze when he drew that first bg and was only going off of someone else’s loose storyboard.

But it’s a nice touch.

“Seems bigger than last time, Yuge, did you do some redecorating?” was the actual line from the show, and honestly says a lot about how many times Joey has been in this bean, and how ridiculously accepting Joey is of his best friend’s horrible Mind Parasite Problem that would scare off most people.

Back at Kaiba Corp, Seto is getting no work done.

(more under the cut)

Look how left out this boy is because Yugi didn’t invite him into his horrible Mind Prison Labyrinth.

What I love about this shot are

-Seto giving the orb an appropriate amount of space

-that it is night time, inferring that a full day has passed and that for 12 hours or so, Seto has been awkwardly hovering around his desk unsure of what to do about the tiny hell orb.

-That the shot is blocked by a door and a couch and a bench, which is a fun filmic technique that builds tension or makes the viewer feel uncomfortable. (In this case, it’s the first time we’ve ever seen furniture in front of this desk.) and here it does make Seto appear to be a little bit helpless about this teeny, tiny little orb.

-That the animators decided to render the orb at all because we’re so far away they could have just not. But no, they put that mini orb on there in a scene you barely see for more than a second.

Anyway, back in the past, everyone whisks out their over-rendered arm bangles and reveals they were in fact, weapons.

That’s right, it’s the hardest duel disk to draw yet. This is hell. Who decided to do this? Who would ever do this to a team of animators? It’s so unbelievably cruel. Just...man looking at the linework on this is giving me second hand tendonitis.

The idea of a past-duel-disk of course being that we have a Dartz type of temple full of tablets, and when they want to use a monster, it hails a bright ass beam of light from the temple to put a monster into this room. Must be impossible to sleep at night in this town. But it looks cool.

And then Bakura finally decided to just let it out:

The Death Count is pending on this one. It’s still on the table that Bakura might be making this up, and we also don’t know how many people were in the village, it might go up by a fair number.

Also, kind of amazing that Bakura has been holding it in for all this time (4 years apparently) that Yugi’s ghost’s Dad killed his family. Like I’m fairly sure that Ryou probably doesn’t know that, but the feelings from the ghost must have been there, right? Like when Bakura shows up and immediately killed Yugi in S1 that seemed like such a wild thing to do, but really it was Bakura being like “oh it’s this bastard? I’ll do the world a big favor on this one before it becomes an actual problem later.”

And we just had that season with Dartz where Dartz was saying “you were a tyrant, Yami, you were a complete asshole” and while Yami initially believed him, eventually Yami was like “Actually, I was probably not terrible! :)”

and I guess we should have paid more attention to Dartz and not gone back here to find out exactly the deets on what Yami’s family was up to. Albeit, destroying entire villages was very common in ancient Egypt. But that doesn’t make it OK, especially if you were an awkward schoolkid blissfully living in Japan and playing card games just yesterday.

I also want to point out that Bakura is wearing this outfit with his knee raised like that, and it would absolutely upskirt this entire room, which is how you know a man drew this scene because girls know you can’t just DO this position. Like the animation team put little boxers under there...which is hilarious, it is 3000 BC. Have fun finding spandex.

Wonder if Gozaburo and Yami’s Dad would’ve hung out in Hell.

I’d watch that spinoff.

On any other kid’s show I’d be like “wow, what a lie!” but this is Yugioh. C’mon. They gotta do it. It’s way too enticing. They gotta murder that little village.

Anyway, Yami gets off his ass and also upskirts everyone in the room while his legs are fully down. A difficult feat to do, but he is one strong breeze away from indecency.

Honestly, I don’t think this team is used to drawing Pharaoh without full length pants and are not entirely sure where to put his waist. Like this kid usually has thin Tim Burton legs, but I guess Odion took him to the gym at some point in the distant past because he’s like all gams now.

How renaissance painting is this shot, PS? Look at that gasp on Shadi, haha.

This was such a funny little scene because Bakura took one foot and just pushed the casket over like the floor was made of ice. This is like the world’s most slippery casket covered in butter.

Anyway, Grandpa is deep in the propaganda sauce and is having a hard time with this deep cut about the past Pharaoh.

Now in this angle, he kinda has like...a little bit of Gozaburo vibes and it would be kind of funny, if we ever get a head on shot of this guy, if Gozaburo had a past life as Yugi’s Dad. Really freakin weird, but also funny because man this show is going all ham on reusing characters in this past sequence.

Like I’m very impressed that Yami’s Dad isn’t just straight up Joey Wheeler.

This is like the only time we haven’t seen Yami cry when he’s supposed to, by the way. I have seen him cry at so many games, but over his own Dad? Nah, he has no memory of who the hell this even is.

Anyway, Pharaoh has a slight hallucination from the casket, who actually has a voice deeper than Pharaoh’s which is saying something.

TBH He also has the Katamari Damacy Dad vibes.

Like...you know?

That, or the Dad in Katamari Damacy has Gozaburo/Roland vibes.

Maybe also it’s because this one of the few characters that is drawn to be older than 15. Anime be like that.

Anyway, it’s time for Yami to prove that he is the real King by using God Cards, which thankfully he’s done like...kind of a lot of times by this point...

Because one of the only things really left of Pharaoh is his magic. Which, we went over at the end of S1, that his name Yami, is just the name of his power. He’s been slowly growing into his own being but he’s still kinda like...not full there. And, while I don’t know if the show will go in this direction, it makes you wonder if these people in the past don’t actually look so much like people of the present, or if this is just Yami’s interpretation because there’s so little of the original him left.

Something to think about later, I guess, because in the present, Seto is being confronted by the past, which is doing so in the form of this golden eyeball.

In a weird turn of events, when Bakura used the Blue Eyes power, it sent the sound to Seto in Japan through the eye?

And then even weirder, the screen panned out to Egypt, where lo and behold, his past girlfriend is staring longingly at the city. A little bit of shipping for the fans, I guess.

...but it was really tangential in this scene because we’ve never met this girl, and the scene happened so quickly my episode changed, and I didn’t cap it in time and I was too lazy to go back.

So I guess that storyline is really happening. Seto having deep thoughts of this girl...friend? Problem is, she lives in a simulation in a necklace connected to Yugi’s brain so like....

........I feel like that will make dating kind of complicated.

...And not going to lie if she exists in a simulation made by the Pharaoh that we did by turning Yugi’s mind into an awful broken mind palace...

...who the hell is he even dating at that point?

I mean no one, that’s the answer to that question, Seto is dating no one at this point, but man...it was a lot less complicated when he was pining over a paper card.

anyway, till next time, here’s the list to read these in chrono order from S1:

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

And hope y’all have a good one

[asktwocupsandademon]

Cuphead, Mugman, what did you think when Bendy told you his backstory? Were you scared?

Cuphead looked around to see if Bendy was in the area before answering. “Honestly, nah, not really. When we first met him we thought he was an actual demon, like, from Hell. Between that and how cagey he was about his past, we were honestly expecting somethin’ worse. Like, that he had done somethin’ terrible to people and now regretted it. But a lot of terrible things happened to him instead. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not happy that all that horrible stuff happened to ‘em, and I would kill Joey Drew if he wasn’t already dead, but it definitely didn’t scare me.”

“No! I wasn’t scared.” Mugman answered. “In fact, it made feel worse about being scared of him originally. I get why that upsets him so much now. Like Cuphead said, I thought he was an evil demon originally, when that couldn’t be further from the truth. I don’t know why he didn’t say something earlier, especially when we had that big fight. He could’ve shut me down when I was saying how demons don’t have friends, that they were soulless, by telling me that he wasn’t technically a demon, but he didn’t. I guess he’s just that ashamed of his past.”

“I really don’t get why.” Cuphead chimed in. “It’s not like he did anythin’ wrong. Plus he was a movie star and has some really cool powers! Why would he keep that stuff a secret?” Mugman shrugged.

“I guess if you’re told that you’re a monster enough, you start to believe it.” He replied.

[mwolf0epsilon]

BATIM for the trainwreck thing. (Sorry if this is the second time I sent this- I forget if I did or not.)

Joey Drew - Need I explain? He can't even not lie to himself about how he feels. He's a jaded old man with a warped perception that's ruined him.

Grant Cohen - His office is an indicator of that...

Henry Stein - Trainwreck, sometimes has 0 braincells, and eats 30 year old spoiled soup like it's mana from heaven. He's good at hiding how much of a wreck he is tho...

Sammy Lawrence - It's Sammy.

Susie Campbell - Girl needs therapy.

Buddy Lewek - This poor kid has been through so much, of course he's a bit of a mess!

Shawn Flynn - Seeing your lover become a shell of his former self is definitely not gonna make him anything but a wreck. He's just spiteful enough to carry on as if everything is fine.

Emma LaMonte - They took her legs chief.

Abby Lambert - She was friends with Joey. That's enough of a reason to come out messed up.

Bertrum Piedmont - He's a giant head in an amusement park ride. Take a freaking guess.

Thomas Connor - Guilt.

Allison Pendle - She's done some things that keep her up at night.

Jack Fain - Everything is a mess and he needs a hug.

Norman Polk - Despite everything Norman is dealing with it in his own way. Could do without the instinct to bash his problems over the head tho...

Wally Franks - Mix between survivors guilt and an intense protective love for his family. He's functional.

Doc Hackenbush - Well at least he's learned a lot from watching all these other train wrecks?

Detective Sinclair - He's got guilt weighing in his shoulders but surprisingly one of the least messed up people here.

Lacie Benton - She has to deal with these idiots. Help her.

Dot - Glad she escaped after interviewing everyone post their escape.

Linda Stein - She looks like perfection compared to everyone else. She's going to adopt and mother so many people...

[realm-sweet-realm]

A Worthwhile Investment, chapter 2

Please enjoy this Shawn x Grant story. It is a part of my canon.

Thankfully, Shawn and Grant were able to sneak out undetected. Shawn knew the warehouse Norman had told them to meet at- the one Lacie worked in, roughly two blocks from the studio and not visible from it. From there, they called a cab to take them to a bar (as Norman had promised and Shawn had reminded him) and declared themselves safe.

“Uh, sorry the raid was a bust,” Shawn said.

“It wasn’t.” Norman held up a set of keys. “I can go anywhere I want in the studio now, whenever. And I saw Sammy Lawrence wearing a Bendy mask. I knew it. I knew he was a part of this. I’m gonna crack this if it kills me.”

“Sure you will,” Lacie drawled. “Mind telling us why this is your choice of hobby? Like, why are you like this?” Shawn could tell that she was using her friendly cold, judgmental tone, which was different from her genuinely cold, judgmental tone. He hoped Norman could, too.

“Like I’d tell you. What, you think I’d ask for your life story just like that?”

“I’ll tell it. I ain’t got nothing to hide. I was born to two crack-addicted pieces of shit, so I learned to rely on the parents of neighbourhood kids on days they decided not to care for me. It was like that basically my entire life before my sister sorted herself out and I moved in with her. But it taught me I could take care of myself, so I didn’t mind moving with Bertrum wherever he went, and I didn’t cry when he retired.”

“And it’s a good thing he retired, or I might not’ve met Lacie when ah did. Bein’ an immigrant, away from home for the first time an’ barely speaking teh language- it woulda been real lonely otherwise. Of course, Ah make friends easy, but I’m still glad she was one'a them.”

Lacie’s sharp eyes landed on Grant. They’d only met once before and neither had been too comfortable with the other. “And what about you, Grant? Anything interesting in your past?”

“Oh, no. Normal upbringing. Parents who loved me. Nothing special.” It was lame, but it was the truth.

The four of them kept chatting for about an hour.

How did I end up surrounded by the three strongest people I know? Grant wondered. Most of his friends growing up had been cousins or kids of family friends, and his social circle hadn’t diversified much since, until he met Shawn and Norman. Comparatively, these three were freaks. But they were all so respectable, and honestly, Shawn and Norman were some of the best friends he’d ever had.

Life in general had given Grant a lot to be thankful for as of late. The early thirties had been hard on him- after the stock market crashed, he’d gone through a job loss, the collapse of his marriage, some domestic abuse, his divorce, and losing custody of his children. But now? Things were alright. He had a new job, and the studio was, generally speaking at least, holding steady financially. Against all odds, his daughters seemed to be fine living with their mother- maybe she had been serious about working on herself for them. Grant cherished the time he did have with them, and though he hated to admit it, he was much happier divorced. And of course, now he had these two. It was while he was there, listening to the three of them talk, that he realized that he was currently the most content he’d been in years.

Shawn had had a few drinks by that point, and leaned on Grant as though he intended to fall asleep on him.

“I think I should take Shawn home. Norman, can we talk about something tomorrow? In the projector booth.”

“Of course,” Norman said. Something in the way he said it told Grant that he already knew what it would be about.

---

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Norman asked, as if he didn’t already know.

“It’s about Shawn,” Grant started. How much to say? He figured that Norman knew he was gay- very little escaped Norman’s notice, after all- but maybe Norman was only okay with that because he didn’t act on it.

“You know Sammy Lawrence?” Norman mused, looking through the window into the music room. “For a long time, he was dating his- very much male, I should mention- lyricist. I saw them making out once- this gorgeous pretty boy and this middle-aged marshmallow- I guess love is blind and all that. I’ve got no damning evidence of it, but I’d bet anything that Joey Drew is gay as well. And I could go on! This studio has more queer people than you would believe, and my powers tell me about more than just existential dreads.” There was a pause. Norman turned back to look at Grant. “So. As a living lie-detector, one of the best gaydars you’ll ever see on a straight man, and your best friend of over half a decade who would never betray you... you can tell me anything about what’s going on with him.”

Grant gave a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you’re okay with this. And yes, I’m considering dating Shawn.”

“Great. He likes you- I could tell.”

“Thanks. But I already knew- he kissed me suddenly about ten days ago. I didn’t know how to react, and I kind of froze up, and I told him that I liked him, but I needed to think about whether we could be together. Up until last night, I thought I’d tell him ‘no-’ I just hadn’t had the willpower to yet. And then I had an epiphany.”

“What was the epiphany?”

“I realized that I respect a bunch of very unconventional people- yourself included- so it’s okay that I’m not perfectly conventional. But... even if it’s not inherently wrong, the idea of acting on it still scares me. If my mother ever found out, it would break her heart. My father would be humiliated if anyone else knew about it, and he might not want to speak to me again. And if it got to my ex-wife, she’d do anything she could to keep me away from my kids- she might even report me. I don’t have to worry about any of that if I don’t act on it. I don’t know... is it even responsible to risk it? These are people I have obligations to. Is it worth it?”

“Well, only you can choose that. But don’t you want a chance at actual love? I mean, I sure like having a loving partner. Why give that up over the risk that someone else might find out?”

“I guess you’re right. Shawn could be my only opportunity for a while. I really don’t know if I want to get involved in whatever culture gay men have going on. If the stereotypes are true, I’d be walking into a group of dangerous people looking to take advantage of a naïve outsider. Of course, they might not be true, but I don’t want to just walk in without knowing. And anyhow, I wouldn’t know how to find anything like that if I tried.”

Norman nodded, taking some time to process everything he’d said. “Alright. Look- you’re overcomplicating a bunch of simple problems by rolling them together into one big problem. Just take it one issue at a time. You want your family to be happy? Make them happy, and don’t worry about something that won’t hurt them. Any partner you might have will know that this kind of thing has to be kept secret, and New York is a big city- you can hide it. You want to date Shawn? Date Shawn. I can tell he makes you happy. You don’t want to get into gay culture without knowing what it’s like? Then don’t. I don’t know anything about their culture, but you have no idea how many gay men are here at Joey Drew Studios. Plenty of people you can ask about it to decide if it’s your thing.”

“Wow. Thank you. You really made that all sound so simple.” Norman had a way of cutting straight to the point.

“Yeah. You’re gonna be okay. Heck, even if you decide not to have a love life after Shawn, I’m glad you’ll be doing it because you’re risk-adverse and not because you’re still ashamed.”

“Thanks again. Now I need to go find Shawn.”

In the end, Grant couldn’t find Shawn before it was time to get back to work, so the next day he left a note in his locker with some flowers. Like a schoolboy. Ridiculous. But that was how Shawn made him feel.

Over the next few years, their relationship went on, and off, and on again. They fought, probably more than the average couple. But overall, they were glad to have each other. It was worth it.    

[whatyouwantedmetosee]

Thoughts on some Jack X Joey??

Boy howdy do I have a lot of thoughts!! (I actually love this ship, whoops.)

Disclaimer: a lot of my thoughts are from before the Illusion of Living, but now that I know the IOL stuff, I can’t not factor that in to my thoughts. So, various slight spoilers for the Illusion of Living under the cut!

Secondary Disclaimer: My information about the books is via other people, so I may have slight information wrong. This is a lot of headcanons anyway so please excuse any inaccuracies!

(It’s also honestly a lot of rambling character analysis rather than ship thoughts, so I guess if you want to hear my TED Talk on Jack Fain’s personality that’s in here too.)

SO! Obviously this one isn’t exactly like... an Obvious Pairing. But it’s one I think could, theoretically, be pretty nice.

First off: So like, I’m honestly just, gobsmacked, the amount of fuel for my sorta niche ship that showed up in the Illusion of Living? Joey Drew and Jack Fain have coffee and chat, that’s cUTE??? (Also apparently the audiobook puts weird emphasis on Joey enjoying their... meetings, which IDK, it’s probably intended as a like “haha yeah it’s a work meeting even tho we’re actually just having coffee for most of it” but tOO BAD I MADE IT QUEER NOW.

Anyway, on to actual thoughts, which I have split into mini chapters because I am physically incapable of being succinct:

Part One: The Accidental TED Talk About Jack Fain (Or At Least How I View Him)

A lot of my thoughts on this ship are affected by how I view Jack as a character, I think? I see him as someone who’s soft, and nice, yeah, and overall very chill, but I don’t really see him as a pushover, really? I feel like, Jack’s a character who can tell what people want, and then sorta... gently steer them in a direction, rather than just going with what they want.

So like, with Sammy - Sammy is real direct and blunt and rude, and somehow Jack manages to work with him well. This is actually sorta how I view that one IOL scene where Jack interrupts Joey and Sammy’s Gay Reminiscing:tm: - he sees Sammy getting off track and distracted, and decides to step in to keep things back on topic.

I feel like this probably is also how they’re able to work together so well, because Jack can tell when he needs to step in to keep Sammy on track, while also understanding how Sammy wants him to act and doing what Sammy wants him to do. (And as a side note, I honestly feel like Sammy probably knows this and appreciates it? Helps keep things running smoothly. Probably why he isn’t as much of an ass to Jack as he can be to other people.)

Basically, I see him as having a pretty good skill at like, working out people’s systems, working out how to please them, while also coming to compromises that help him also get his point across.

I also feel like, I’m not sure how much of Jack’s Big Attention Seeking Energy is him, so much as him filling a role to do what needs to be done? I don’t think he necessarily hates it, but like... Working with Sammy, someone has to be doing that role. He knows how to work with people, work an audience, get the attention the duo needs to be successful the way Sammy can’t. (Sammy outright doesn’t want attention, but alas, that doesn’t really pay the bills.)

But then, when you hear about Jack at JDS, he tends to get away from everything and be more chill - and I read that as more like, now that he doesn’t need to draw attention for his job, he’s able to settle down a little in that regard. Writing is a lot different from pleasing a crowd, so he doesn’t need to maintain that persona, and can slip into more comfortable habits, get some more peace as he works on writing.

(Also, wrt the one audiolog he has about not being too bothered about that one award being in Joey’s name - I feel like, if he doesn’t actually want the attention so much, I could see him... like, legitimately just not minding it that much, actually, rather than being passive aggressive about it or anything.)

Anyway!!! Those are my thoughts on Jack, so now we can move onto...

Section B: Jack/Joey? On This Blog??? It’s More Likely Than You Think 

So then, with regards to like... shipping with Joey. Note that we’re now sliding into even more headcanon-y territory.

I feel like at the very beginning, Joey probably misreads Jack a lot. He’s still kinda expecting that showy, charismatic, crowd-pleasing persona, the like... what he reads as wanting attention. (Which, true, Jack was seeking that out - because the job required it, not because he, specifically, wanted it.)

So, what he gets is a bit more of a surprise - a bit more chill, calmer. But, he still has that ability to work with people, even though he’s not using it on a crowd.

From the sounds of things in IOL, it seems like, the meeting stuff between Joey and the Music Dept. Boys goes pretty smoothly... but like, I get the impression that later on in the studio’s timeline, things go slightly less well between Sammy and Joey. (Stares at the conspicuous lack of Jack Fain in DCTL. Hm.)

But yeah, I like to imagine, Jack in meetings with Joey and Sammy, helping like... smooth things over more when changes need to be made or the music isn’t working out quite how Joey wants it to. Jack knows enough about Sammy to know how to appeal to his side of things, while also compromising enough with Joey’s side of things, incorporating the changes Joey wants but suggesting ways it could work better, helping tone down Joey’s helpful suggestions that wouldn’t work as well as he thinks they would.

I’m a big fan of the concept of like... Joey originally has a big crush on Sammy, he’s so mysterious, what’s going on in his head, etc. - but then, a lot more slowly, he gets to know Jack better, spends more time with him, slowly works out how Jack actually works. Learns to appreciate that more subdued charisma he has, the way he can tell how people work and work with it.

And then, it’s just nice to imagine a nicer more chill Joey ship. Have some nice meetings, get coffee together, casually make out in Joey’s office. That’s some good content.

(It also works nicely because I feel like... IDK, I don’t think Jack would just put up with Joey’s Being Joey, I don’t think he’s that much of a pushover. So like, IDK, in this scenario Joey learns to be a bit less of a jerk, maybe things don’t go so bad. Or, I mean. Stares some more at the conspicuous lack of Jack Fain in DCTL. Hmmmmm.) 

...

Also like, this is also good opportunity for a Joey/Sammy/Jack OT3, give Joey the best of both worlds. Jack cares a lot about Sammy, Joey is infatuated with Sammy and slowly grows to understand Jack, Jack helps Sammy and Joey clash slightly less and work together better, etc. It’s a different ship, but also good.

Act III: Okay But What If I Added Some Angst? Eh? Any Takers???

So, first up, consider: this very good post of Jack Fain thoughts by @inkyvendingmachine. Now hear me out:

Jack Fain, who (through whatever nonsense) ended up with his office nice and tucked away in the sewers where he has some peace and quiet. Due to Some Reason, be it poor memory on Joey’s part or unclear instruction when he demanded that the Ink Demon be locked up...

The Ink Demon gets locked away in the Infirmary... but, unbeknownst to Joey, Jack is still in there. Things don’t go well. Joey realises, and...

Well.

Add in some previous Jack/Joey shipping, and Joey suddenly realising what he’s caused, unintentionally or no. Lead that into either Joey losing it and turning to his weird ink nonsense, or Joey going further than he meant in attempt to somehow reverse what he did.

Throw in some additional: Jack is no longer there to help balance out Joey’s Joeyness. He’s also no longer there to help out with Sammy and Joey interactions - a Sammy who can tell something’s happened with Jack, but Joey sure isn’t going to just tell him what happened, and that certainly isn’t helping things here.

...

maybe i put something like that in my requirement au. just a little. its fine. i lov to cause myself pain

[eventidedaydreamer]

What is everybody's strengths and weaknesses in your Bendy Au?

:) oh >:) okay

Joey Drew: 

Strengths 

he knows a lot of things, 

Intelligence

he can be very charming and can win people over easily, 

he’s the kind of person that you immediately like when you meet him, 

he knows how to leave a good impression.

If you actually get to know him he can be very bubbly and excitable.

Weaknesses 

he can’t read people, 

he’s brain smart but he isn’t emotionally smart, 

he doesn’t get it when someone shows emotions in a way he isn’t familiar with. 

He lashes out when he’s reminded of unpleasant things.

He knows how to turn everyone into ink creatures through sacrifice but he doesn’t stop to think if he should.

His coping mechanisms are not very healthy

Jealousy, clingy, its hard for him to consider that people can have more than one friend

Henry Stein:

Strengths 

He’s very tough (have you seen how much he falls?? and he’s OLD) 

Probably broke some bones when he was a kid so now he has stronger bones. 

He can handle a LOT of pain, 

he’s cool under stress and pressure, 

he’s a hard worker and a very talented artist.

He has a good memory

Weaknesses 

He has trouble expressing himself 

He’s a people pleaser and has a hard time saying no (something he’s worked on and is better about after he met his wife), 

He underreacts to things and overthinks a lot (overthinking is another thing he got better with after he met Linda)

Wally Franks:

Strengths 

One of the FRIENDLIEST people you will ever meet, 

and hes really really funny

He somehow knows everyone’s name even if he only met them once three years ago, 

It’s like he’s living life at a different speed because it seems like he spent the whole day with you but he also had time to see ten other people the same day?? 

He seems innocent and as if his perfect bubble of the world would pop if you mentioned something upsetting but the reality is he’ll listen to anything you need to get out and then give really good advice followed up with his usual humor.

He trusts that there is good in everyone and gives people second chances

Weaknesses 

He does really stupid things a lot

He’ll connect pipes wrong, resulting in later damage and messes

He’s always getting himself hurt, jumping too many stairs at once, making someone really angry and running for his life (Sammy’s the main one that’ll actually chase him down)

It’s like he has no sense of self-preservation 

(HOW IS HE NOT DEAD?!)

He is really trusting and some people take advantage of that

He opens himself up to everyone and forgives a little too easily

Sammy Lawrence:

Strengths

He knows how to stick up for himself and others

Hardworking

He is damn good at his job and won’t let you forget it

Sarcastic

Honest

Mature

He can hear the music as he’s writing it, feel it in his head when he sees sheet music

Very independent 

If he considers you a friend, he will go to extremes to get back at anyone that hurts you (Just ask Jack, he’s been friends with him the longest!)

It is unknown how many instruments Sammy can play, the band make guesses all the time and Jack is asked on a weekly basis but refuses to comment

its an ongoing discussion 

Determination, he’s the only one that will actually chase Wally til he catches him

Weaknesses

He’s angry almost constantly

The glass is half empty

Doesn’t hold back snide remarks (but if the remark is about music in some way you better listen there’s advice hidden somewhere)

Yelling, but it’s mostly just a very loud “WALLY FRANKS!” followed by running footsteps and Wally’s giddy laughter

I N S O M N I A C

constantly has bags under his eyes

A Perfectionist, Only the best can come from the office of Sammy Lawrence even if he forgets to eat while doing so

yeah thats another thing, he forgets about things like eating, sleeping, ya know, human things

He’s intimidating, the string of constant negativity doesn’t make many friends

Workaholic 

He’s become dependent on the few friends he has to break him out of his  work until its done mode and remind him to eat and sleep (Jack, Wally, Norman and Susie a little.)

because :) it would be a shame :) if one of them :)  went missing :) huh?

Susie Campbell:

Strengths

Hopeful and optimistic

Friendly

She has a really pretty face, shes really pretty in general

she gets a lot of attention because of it

shes tougher than she looks and uses it to her advantage

she is really clever

Flirty and a romantic 

an exciting storyteller, she can make a trip to the refrigerator sound interesting

Weaknesses

Possessive

she wants to hear all the gossip until its about her

is really jealous of the smallest things

she may seem like a little innocent flower but she’s the thorniest rose in the garden and you are growing a little too close to her

Alice Angel means everything to her, its the best way to distract her from anything else :)

the second best way is to mention her star-shaped birthmark/freckle

Norman Polk:

Strengths

Observant 

He’s very good at guessing things correctly

He seems to know something about everything and everyone

A really great listener

He also just has good hearing in general, easily eavesdrops 

Physically strong, he can lift anyone with ease

Wise and careful

he has some pretty sound advice in him if you ask for any

has a very good control on his temper and is calm and cool even in heated arguments or dangerous situations

a good people reader

is very understanding

Weaknesses

He’s scary, just how he likes it

People get the wrong ideas about him (He’s just sitting there! Is he watching me?)

to be fair, he might be

He doesn’t attempt to get to know people unless he sees a reason to

gets into other peoples business 

He’s always lookin’ for trouble

too curious for his own good

doesn’t talk about his feelings

Jack Fain:

Strengths

He’s so good at rhyming that he does it subconsciously on a regular basis

Creative

Empathetic

He’s not afraid to show emotion

Forgiving

Generosity

Gentle and soft

Humble

Patient

Selfless

Weaknesses

He can be really emotional a lot of the time

He spaces out a lot

he can seem like a crybaby

Doesn’t take credit for things he should

Lies about how he really feels to make other people comfortable, he doesn’t want to be a bother

puts himself down to make other people look better

Really shy

doesn’t stick up for himself

too passive

worries a lot

Johnny:

Strengths

He really loves his job

He’s a romantic at heart

very sweet and considerate

Loyal and devoted

Sees the best in people

Weaknesses

He falls in love way too easily

ignores flaws even when they’re concerning

can easily become an emotional mess

fears being rejected more than anything else (bro just love him he’s too sweet)

Shawn Flynn:

Strengths

He’ll tell someone off when they’ve done something wrong

believes in karma and justice

likes sewing while he’s talking/doing something else

really good at multitasking

Luck of the Irish

like he misses getting injured by mere inches

this makes him the perfect Go and Do Something Stupid companion with Wally

He’s really proud of his heritage and his work

Weaknesses

Shouts a lot

He can be too prideful and overconfident

isn’t into mercy or forgiveness 

can and will turn anything into a rivalry if its the last thing he does!!

the downside to being his friend is that its dangerous to hug him because he puts needles through his clothes so he can find them later

he says its built in protection

and Wally says ow

Thomas Connor:

Strengths

He’s been good with anything technical since he was little and only got better at it with age 

Honorable

Hardworking

Mature

Weaknesses

He believes in a one strike and you’re out ideal, leaving him to not trust some genuinely nice people (but he also doesn’t trust some questionable people so he sees it as justifiable)

Reserved, doesn’t attempt to get to know anyone

he can work too hard

Pessimistic

Allison Pendle:

Strengths

Boy can she give an inspirational speech

She’s very generous

Brave 

Levelheaded

She’s a lot stronger than she looks

you should hear her belt out a song

Weaknesses

prefers to fix other peoples problems rather than deal with her own

she’s really competitive 

she gets herself hurt a lot

can be a little too fierce

Grant Cohen:

Strengths

Math, he’s good at math

he was like yeah i can do numbers I’ll be an accountant! (bro im sorry u got Joey as a boss)

He’s a good singer (which seems random unless you know)

Weaknesses

A N X I E T Y

really cannot talk to anyone

his words get all jumbled up

if he had the internet he’d constantly be searching things like, how to explain to your boss that his decisions are putting the company in dept? how do you stand up to your boss?

has bad panic attacks

Bertrum Piedmont:

Strengths

He’s super confidant

Not afraid to get his hands dirty

Even though he almost always is dressed up nice

He makes sure he looks presentable

He acts like a dad to people he likes

Cultured

Very determined 

He can and will do anything out of spite and you can’t stop him because that will only give him more reason to

Weaknesses

Really prideful, gets offended over little things

is pretty arrogant as well

it’s really hard for him to change his mind after he’s made a decision 

refuses to lose, even if it’s really obvious that he has

he can be condescending 

doesn’t like or participate in humor, he’s always deadly serious

He can be over dramatic a lot

Lacie Benton:

Strengths

nothing seems to surprise her

calm and chill

a really good listener, the kind that you know can keep a secret

doesn’t take herself too seriously or anyone, (Bertrum finds her company to be one of his favorites after he figures that out)

shE WEARS WHATEVER SHE WANTS BECAUSE SHE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT YOUR OPINION SHE JUST LIKES WEARING PANTS

Weaknesses

stays quiet about important things, she ain’t no snitch, who cares if she witnessed someone stealing something

Super apathetic about life

kinda isolated (Norman says hi)

Lazy but only because she can do it really fast and well so you can wait for her

Linda Stein:

Strengths

It’s a good thing she’s so confidant else Henry would have just looked at this pretty lady and never introduced himself

shes like really good at gardening, talk about a green thumb!

Affectionate 

knows when to be gentle and when someone needs tough love

and shes good at distributing both

shes so brave

Eager and excited easily

super patient 

Understanding

Weaknesses

she can come off as too forward and a little too fast

can get a little frazzled

Forgetful (Henry helps with that)

she doesn’t want to invade anyone’s boundaries but doesn’t ask what they are so its a tug of war within her

Sorry this took so long, I wanted to really think about it and do it justice! :D

[angelofthepage]

In general / in your interpretation of her, what would you see as Susie Campbell's greatest flaw? (feel free to pick an AU Susie if you'd rather!)

Oh golly, this is a good question! I've been pondering this as I've been organizing things, and the best answer I have for now is that Susie's greatest flaw is she cares too much about what people think of her, and that trait fuels her shift into being more manipulative. In some ways, I almost see her and Joey as two sides of the same coin. This is a long one, so we're hitting this with a read more.

Susie's always read to me as someone who is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but horribly insecure. She's filled with so much hope and enthusiasm for her work, she's eager to please, and she takes things to heart. When you're kind to her and talk well of her skills, she's over the moon and thankful for it, but when you have moments like Joey replacing her and whatever the heck happened with Sammy, where her world came crashing down, I get the sense her confidence took a huge hit. She acts all tough in her audio log before meeting with Joey about that "opportunity", but I get the sense she's really insecure about it deep down.

She's an actress in more than just her voice, she knows how to put on a face and act out the part incredibly well, but ultimately, she's trying to get the best result, be it validation, attention, good pay, what have you. And I'd argue that the biggest shift in her becoming Malice is that she goes from worrying about what people think of her to wanting to control what they think of her. She plays herself up as being powerful, intimidating, a force to be feared, she controls how you see her now.

And it's that particular notion that makes me think she's not so different from Joey Drew. With his Illusion of Living and need to have people think well of him, and control the narrative, they have a lot in common. Ultimately the need for control, when they felt those in control failed them, is both of these characters' undoing, and it'd be really interesting to see them come to that realization together. I forget where in BATIM it is, or if this is just something I read in a fic (if anyone has a clue where it's from, please correct me), but there's a quote somewhere about 'you're either put in someone's pocket or you're putting them in yours,' and that sums up the attitude pretty well to me. And honestly, I'd like to see her learn to trust people again, as well as be someone trustworthy, but that's something I'll have to write for myself. Heck, it IS something I'd like to write within a couple of fics actually.

Of course, that's just my general overview, I tend to write her a little bit differently when it comes to AUs. Namely, if we were to touch on MOTW Susie, she differs. She's paralyzed by some things but more proactive in others, but her greatest flaw in my mind is that she doesn't have a good balance of when to trust people and when to be confident in her own abilities. Particularly in our last couple of sessions, she's taken a step back and let the others do the talking, even though she's got more than enough charisma to charm her way into the answers, the whole 'being new to magic' thing has her afraid of everything, best let her friends who know more about this handle taking the lead. She's so stuck in her role as the nurturer that she's not sure how to handle taking the leap and doing something daring, she's afraid of making things worse. I just want to tell her 'girl, you gotta be more confident, you've got this! Go with your gut, don't second guess yourself!' Now granted, being gentle and cautious isn't a bad thing, but there's a time and place for it.

[operationcavill]

Professionals 4 - August Walker

August Walker is hired by Parker Industries to protect the companies most important assets; Mr. Stephen Parker himself and his workaholic, do-it-all executive assistant. 

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 

“Wayne?” He knows that’s not all; he can see it on her face.

“He called her a few days ago to see where I was, but she didn’t know. Now, no one can get a hold of him.” 

August stands up and starts pacing, “You were right.” She scrunches her nose, “I’m fucking pissed.” 

She tries to stay positive, but the doubt is grave in her voice, “It’s ok.”

“No, Y/N, it isn’t.” He runs a hand through his hair, “Last night, someone tries to get onto the property and your ex-boyfriend, who happens to be a threat to you and the company your family owns, is missing!” He gets dressed in a hurry and leaves her bedroom without saying another word. She feels like a scolded child until he comes back, angrily stomping back in to kiss her forehead, “I’m sorry,” then quickly leaves again. 

It isn’t until around noon that Y/N sees August. She’s sitting in the study with her uncle, talking about Jack, “Did you tell Walker about Jack?” 

“I told him we were together,” she shakes her head.

“But did you tell him what he did?”

Y/N takes a deep breath, “No, I can’t imagine he’d take that news well.” 

“Gin, you need to tell him.”

“What’d he do?” Oh, no, this was not the setting she planned to tell him; she knows he’ll be angry. He sits across from them, elbows resting on his knees.

Parker nods at her, assuring her that he’s there for her, “Jack isn’t a good man.” August’s eyes narrow at her, urging her to continue, “I didn’t want to mention what I went through because honestly, I refused to believe it.”

He’s tilts his head to crack his neck, “What are you telling me?” 

Y/N fiddles with the hem on her shirt, and Parker speaks up, “He beat the shit out of her, Walker.” The harsh words cause Y/N to shift in her seat.

August stands in an instant, walking over to her and immediately going from investigator to soldier. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Y/N has tears in her eyes, and she reaches for his hand but pulls back as Parker continues, “She broke it off with him, and the prick didn’t take it well.” Y/N leaves and heads to the kitchen; she doesn’t want to hear it nor talk about it. “She agreed to meet him at her apartment to talk about things, but he had other plans. He just left there. She begged me not to tell the police or take her to the hospital. The only way I could get her to go to the doctor was by promising her I wouldn’t contact authorities.” 

August is fuming, his face turning red, and his hands are in tight fists, “You could have told me about this!” 

“Mr. Walker, it is not anyone’s place to talk about abuse if the victim isn’t ready to speak on it. You will not turn this around on Y/N or anyone else, you hear me? This is Jack Waynes doing.” 

August relaxes, realizing his temper is getting the best of him, “I needed to know this. I needed to know this to keep her safe.”

“You do, August. You’ve been incredible to us all, but you do need to understand that Y/N keeps a lot to herself, she’s always had trouble with it. She needs her family right now. I want you to meet with your team and increase measures. Wayne has money, more money than I do. And when men like him have money, they know no bounds.” 

“I should go check on her,” Parker perks his head up, “I need you to call Annie, tell her to pack a bag. I’ll send her a car; I think if Y/N needs someone right now, it’s her. Call Jacob and check on him and Joey.” 

It clicks with Y/N’s caring and nosy uncle that there be something else going on, “She’s more than the job to you, isn’t she?” August doesn’t respond; he straightens his posture, “If I were a younger man, I’d happily punch you in the jaw.” 

“I understand.”

“We’re going to talk, sit down.” August sits across from him, hands clasped together. Mr. Parker is not an argumentative or particularly angry man, but he would fight until nothing left in him when it comes to his niece and nephew. “You know Y/N is a strong woman, I’m sure that was part of the attraction. She is strong, but she is vulnerable, and I will not have any man wrong her or take advantage of her in any way, ever again.” August nods but doesn’t get a chance to speak, “Whatever it is that you think you feel for her or whatever you’re doing with her, end it.”

“I can’t.”

“Excuse me?” No one usually dares to tell Stephen Parker ‘No,’ and they certainly do not disregard what he says about his family.

August shakes his head, “I can’t do that.”

He huffs, “You can, and you will.”

“I love her.” His admission takes them both by surprise. He hadn’t intended to say it aloud; he hasn’t even said it to himself.

“What?” They both jump, and August stands, shocked to see Y/N standing there with a glass of water and a handful full of ginger candy.

“I—uh,” He has no idea how to react, and her expression is unreadable.

Before they can say anything, Parker speaks up, “I need a drink,” Y/N looks at him but still can’t muster up any words.

She stands there wholly frozen, “Did you just say you love me?”

“Yes,” August speaks shyly.

“No, you don’t.”

He’s taken aback, “Sorry?”

“Shut up,” Y/N snaps at him.

Parker addresses Walker, “Good Luck,” then leaves the study, allowing them to have a moment to themselves.

Auguste clears his throat, “Well, now you’re just being rude.”

“No, I mean, What?” She finally sets down her glass and candy on a table beside him.

“What do you mean ‘what’?” His arms slightly raise in frustration.

“We barely know each other.” While this is true to an extent, August is a studier. He learns until there is nothing left to learn.

“You’re forgetting that I know everything about you. That’s the job,” Y/N picks at the polish in her nails, “I don’t expect you to feel the same. I don’t,” he stops and tries to think of the right thing to say, “I’m not someone who, who just allows himself to do these things.”

“I’m not sure what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. You can tell me to fuck off if that’s what you want, but I’m still here to make everything as safe as I can, to make it safe for you. How I feel won’t get in the way.”

“I think, uh, I’m just going to go back to my room, ok?”

He nods, “ok.” 

Y/N sits at the window seat in her bedroom, trying to take in everything. She was overwhelmed and couldn’t ignore it, not this time. Jack was missing, and he knew how to get to her. He knew how to hurt her in more ways than just physical. She tries to focus on the rain tapping on the window, but nothing can drown out the sound of August’s voice. I love her. And in classic form, he knocks on her door. She opens it to find a somewhat disheveled looking August. His hair is in his eyes, his shirt is untucked, and he looks tired. 

He sighs and begins to ramble; “I went into the system at 6 when my mother died. I graduated high school early, and went into the marines. I can speak French, Spanish, and Japanese,” he gives a small shrug, “I hate sweet potatoes,” he walks into her room, settling on the foot of her bed, “I’m a music snob, and I don’t know why. I have a mustache because I’m too tired to shave it. I’ve ignored relationships because I don’t want distractions. My whole life has been about a job. I have been left and alone in every sense of the word, and it’s mostly my fault.” He finally looks up to see Y/N in tears again, “I’m sorry, bun. I’m sorry. You know that?” 

She welcomes his embrace when he goes to her. “I’m not crying because you love me,” He’s confused but can’t bring himself to let her go, “I’m crying because of everything else.” 

“I will fix this, I promise.” 

“Gin?” Their eyes go towards her door to find Jacob, who also looks like he’s seen better days. “Are you ok?”

She reluctantly pulls herself away to greet her brother. “I’ll be ok,” then it hits her, “wait, why are you here?”

“Steve called. He said it was best we come here until things settle down.” He nods toward August, her eyes landing back on the handsome yet pitiful looking man in her room. “Joey’s asking about you guys. I can tell him you’re asleep.”

She shakes her head, “No, no, I’d love to see him.” Y/N takes a deep breath and makes her way to the stairs as the two men follow her. 

Joey smiles and holds up a picture he drew. It’s no doubt a sweet portrait of her an august in stick figure form, “Daddy said you and Mr. August were sad, this is for you!” She wraps her nephew in the tightest hug and kisses his forehead, “Why you sad, Mr. August?” Joey looks at him with such concern. 

August Walker, a man who takes pride in not showing emotion, has tears in his eyes, “Sometimes things get a little sad is all.” Joey shuffles towards him and puts his arms up. He hesitantly picks the boy up and wonders what happens to us, when do we lose the sweetness that children have?

His small hand rests on August’s cheek,” Don’t be sad. I brought my trucks. You wanna play trucks?”

He pats his back, “I would love to.” Oh, how he would have loved to have been like Joey.

Y/N steps aside with her brother, trying not to melt at the sight of her sweet nephew, “Where’s the nanny?”

“She quit weeks ago. I told her I liked her but unfortunately, her girlfriend was not too happy about that.” 

“Oh, sorry, how’s Joey handling it? He loved her.” 

“Thanks to your video calls, you and Walker are all he seems to talk about these days.” 

“Really?” She asks in genuine curiosity. 

“Walker doesn’t come off as a kind person, but I guess you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.”

“That’s for sure,” Jacob gives her a questioning look,

“So, what’s going on there?”

Y/N tries to play dumb, “Huh?”

“That shit’s not gonna work with me. What’s up with you and the soldier?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He rolls his eyes, maybe a trait that’s genetic, “You’re doing the whole I-don’t-need-anyone thing.” Y/N scowls, “I’m not going to pretend to understand what you went through, but I know it was hard.”

“Fine, I’ll talk to him later.” 

He hits his shoulder with his own, “He must not be all that bad.”

He points toward August and Joey on the floor, where joey shows him all of his favorite trucks. “Daddy said you like my Y/N.”

“I do like your Y/N,” He trades him a yellow truck for a red one.

“You’re nicer than Jack.”

“Oh, I am?” August tries his hardest not to react.

“He never played trucks, and he made her cry.” His small finger points to Y/N. 

“Was Jack ever mean to you or your daddy?”

He shrugs his little shoulders, “No, but he pushed me down at Uncle Steve’s birthday party and told daddy I fell.”

August can barely muster up words, “What?”

“He said I was in the way.” Joey shrugs it off, not realizing that the incident wasn’t an accident.

“I’ll be right back.” August smiles at him before stomping toward the siblings. “Did you know that mother fucker knocked Joey down?”

In unison, they (almost) shout, “What?” 

“Joey just told me that Jack fucking Wayne pushed him down at a party Parker had.”

Jacob walks over to his son, “Joseph, did Mr. Wayne hurt you? Why didn’t you tell me he pushed you?” 

Joey’s bright eyes become glassy with tears, just as most children’s do when asked such tense questions, “I don’t know.”

“It’s ok; I just wish I knew.” Jacob hugs his son and pokes his nose.

Finally understanding that something is wrong, Joey wipes his eyes, “Is he scary?”

All of them have a brief moment of heartbreak for this child, he’s having to learn that there are scary people in the world. Y/N sits with Jacob and her sweet nephew, “Sometimes people can be scary, but you don’t need to be scared of him. You know why?”

Joey smiles, “Cause Mr. August is here.”  

She wasn’t going to answer with that, but he’s rights, “Yes, August is here.”

A familiar raspy voice comes from the hallway, “Where the hell are you guys?” 

Oh, Annie to the rescue, they could all used her right now, “And so is your Yaya, go get her!” Annie adored this house and the children within it. She quickly and gladly took the role of Joey’s Grandmother. She loved him as if he was her own.

Joey runs, tripping over his toys, “I’m ok!” and hops back up to meet Annie. “Hi, Yaya!” They all can’t help but grin at the precious resilience of a child.

“Hello, my little love. I see you’ve been having some fun in here.” She spots the small trucks and dozens of crayons strewn about, “Why don’t you draw me something, eh?”

He nods and runs back to his disaster area. “Now, you, come over here.” August looks toward Y/N and expects her to walk forward, “Huh-uh, handsome, I’m talking to you.” 

[Tagged: If you’d like to be tagged, just shoot me a message or ask!]

@igotkatiepowers  @xxxkatxo  @lunedelorient  @heartfelt-pen  @omgkatinka  @viking-raider  @summersong69  @hell1129-blog  @lilzebub  @mansaaay  @henryobsessed  @harrysthiccthighss  @cavillshmavill @wheretheriversrunintothesea​ 

[elizaisthetruehero]

Stranger with my Sister's Face Chapter 1

Someone at the DOD has a cruel sense of humor. That’s the only explanation Jo can think of for why her brother Tony is standing in front of her, being introduced as the new DOD liaison for Eureka and GD. Tony takes in his new assignment in stride as well as he can, though he has some trouble reconciling the person in front of him with his little sister. She just seems to have a little too much practice keeping secrets from him, starting with the boyfriend.

AO3 Link

Sunlight came streaming in through the windows and was glinting off of the data pad Zane was pushing in front of Jo. "Come on, one more problem, and then we'll take a quick break. You've got orbital and flight mechanics down, and you know the ship inside and out. I know you can do this. Let's just make sure everyone else knows it too."

Jo leaned back in her chair, where she was sitting at Zane's kitchen table, with more data pads and textbooks spread out in front of them. "And what were you thinking of for a break?"

"Well," Zane placed his hand on her arm, gently caressing up towards her shoulder, "you should probably have a snack, feed that brain. I've got the stuff for smoothies if that sounds good. Then", he leaned in and pressed a kiss to where her jaw met her ear, "I should probably make sure you get nice and relaxed. Studying while all tense can't be good for memory retention, I'm sure there's a study on it." He continued to press his lips along her jawline, marking a trail to her chin and back to her ear.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, someone in educational psychology has probably done studies on the length of the cramming session" another kiss was pressed to her jaw, "the proper environment" his nose nuzzled at the side of her face, "and what mental state the student should be in." He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and drew back, smirking. "I think a snack and a few minutes away from the books will be just what the doctor ordered."

Jo raised her brow and tried not to smile at his familiar antics. "I think you want an excuse to get me out of my clothes."

"Now Miss Lupo, who said anything about taking off your clothes? Besides, that dress looks so nice on you. It'd be a shame to take it off." Zane said while looking up and down her body, grinning appreciatively, his eyes lingering.

"I had church before I came to see you."

"I'm not complaining JoJo, just complimenting."

Jo's PDA buzzed, and she pulled it out to check it. They've got to be kidding me. "Shit, I gotta run."

"What happened?"

"The new liaison from the DOD came early. They sent someone active duty military, and I have to give their briefing and finish their clearance."

"How long is that going to take?"

She stood from the table and started looking through the papers for her wallet and keys. Where the hell did I put those? "Probably about an hour or so, I'll make Larry settle them into housing and everything else, I just have to handle the security aspect. It would have gone faster if they'd given me their information beforehand like I asked, but the DOD keeps to their own schedule. If it takes much longer than that I'll grab dinner from Café Diem for us on my way back. Does Thai sound good if I have to do that?"

"You don't want to make them sweat while you finish this last problem?"

She smiled at Zane's pouting face softly. "I'll finish up with this guy as quickly as I can and then I'm all yours to torture with orbital mechanics and rocket ship engineering for the rest of the weekend." Jo kissed him slowly, bringing a hand around the back of his neck. Zane pulled her to him, both arms slipping around her waist, a tongue licking into her mouth. She smiled against him then pulled away. "I'll text you when I get out of GD."

"Fine, go, do your job. Make sure that the DOD didn't send a complete moron our way."

"Or a Consortium spy."

Zane furrowed his brow in confusion. "Shouldn't they have already checked that?"

"Yeah, but my background checks are more thorough. Even if the DOD objects to them. Apparently, it's rude to request those records for a sitting Senator. But some lowly grunt is fair game." Jo grabbed her keys from the dish on the table beside Zane's front door and tried not to think of how she'd automatically tossed them there when she'd gotten there a few hours ago, how easily she'd slipped back into the habits built from two years together.

She drove off to GD, parked, grabbed the extra blazer she kept hanging in the backseat of her car, putting it on to look a little more professional and pulling her hair into a ponytail, now grateful that she hadn't changed after church. Her heels clicked on the floor as she made her way to the conference room off to the side of the rotunda.

Jo saw Daisy Lowell, one of her overnight and weekend security guards standing outside the conference room and nodded in greeting. "New liaison get in okay?"

"Uh, yeah, he just got here. His files are all here, and I ran the checks you like when he showed up, as soon as I got the name. No security concerns, no red flags." Jo heard a slight shuffle, looked down and saw Daisy's left leg shuffling, a tell that something was off with her.

"Is there something else you'd like to tell me?" Jo kept her tone light, but her eyes on the shifting leg.

Daisy kept her gaze forward but avoiding Jo's face. "One thing you should know Ma'am. When I saw his record, I noticed that it was someone who, well, uh, would be familiar to you."

Jo turned her eyes upwards to Daisy's face. "Someone I served with in the Rangers?"

"He was a Ranger." Her voice was tight, clearly taking care not to betray anything.

"Lowell..."

"Look, I didn't say you were the Chief of Security, and he didn't say anything, so I think he'll be just as surprised as you. Just go in there, do the briefing, and maybe schedule in time to catch up." Daisy handed her the file, moved out of the way of the door, and Jo pushed it open.

She first saw Senator Wen sitting at the head of the table, and the back of the new liaison. Crew cut, tan skin, the muscles obvious through the army dress uniform, but not particularly broad, though from what she could tell while sitting, fairly tall, at least six feet. She began cycling through the men she'd served with, trying to place him without the face or voice. Maybe Matteo Garcia, or Joey Pesci. Hell, if Adam Johnson had been serving somewhere sunny before coming here, he might be tan enough to fit the bill.

Senator Wen noticed her enter the room. "Ah, Ms. Lupo, glad you could join us." The new liaison's head swiveled around, and he almost toppled out of his chair getting up. Jo realized that all of her guesses were wrong, that while this man had been a Ranger, he hadn't served with her.

"Hi, Tony." She did her best to act blasé, though she was sure he would be able to recognize the surprise on her face.

Tony just blinked at her, looking just as he had when they'd been caught trying to sneak out to go to a concert years ago, "I, uh, Jo? What are you doing here?"

"You have a security briefing. I'm the Chief of Security here. Do the math, you're going to have to do a lot of it here."

"I thought you said you were working private security for some tiny tech company."

Jo drew her shoulders back and tried not to sound too smug. "You are familiar with the concept of top-secret and need to know, right? Cover stories? I do hope so, or else I'm going to have a hard time approving your clearance."

"Ah-hem." Jo and Tony turned to Senator Wen who had a slight upturn to her lips, almost a smile. "Evidently you two don’t need me to introduce you to each other."

Jo smiled, "No, that won't be necessary. That was taken care of a long time ago."

"You were irritating and loud from the moment we met," Tony smirked.

Jo chose not to respond verbally and simply backhanded him in the gut. "Senator, with all due respect, how long have you known my brother was coming to Eureka?"

Senator Wen did smile now. "Oh, a few days now. I thought it would be a nice surprise for the two of you." She walked around the table. "I'll let you get to work now. He already got an overview briefing in DC, he just needs the details of what's going on right now and security procedures."

"I'll take care of it." Jo and Tony each shook the Senator's hand before she left.

"Pleasure meeting you Major Lupo. Oh, and it goes without saying, but he will not have any say in the selection of Astraeus candidates. Washington was very clear about that." The senator left, and Jo tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach, the one that said that her brother's placement in Eureka had something to do with her.

"Well?"

Jo turned back to her brother. "Right, let's get this started. So, what were you told? I just want to make sure we don't miss anything."

Tony looked at her incredulously. "No no no, back up, let's take a minute. When one goes months without seeing one's siblings, it's customary to express some form of affection. Acknowledgment that we're not complete strangers. That sort of thing." He held his arms out and cocked his head.

She rolled her eyes and hugged him. "It's good to see you too Tony."

He chuckled. "Why did that sound like it hurt a little?" He squeezed her tighter, and Jo pushed her face into his neck smiling, taking in the familiar smell of the god-awful musky cologne he'd always worn. She hadn't smelled it since before 1947.

"Don't be a jackass."

"There's only so much I can do about that." They separated from the hug and sat down at the table. "We should probably get started."

Jo opened his file on the table and checked which briefing and checks he had gotten in DC and what Daisy had already taken care of. "Okay, so you know the basics. Eureka was founded as a place for the greatest scientific minds in the US to gather, collaborate and redefine the cutting edge. We get funded by the DOD, and they get military projects and inventions. You're the military liaison, so you're going to be focused on the projects with military applications and finding military applications for others, mostly weapons projects, but also infrastructure, energy alternatives, medical advancement, etc.

You'll have meetings with department and lab heads, but you should schedule those. These scientists are very busy, and their experiments often have delicate timetables. They can't drop everything to chat with you. I do not want one of their pet projects blowing up because you forgot how to work a phone. Is that clear?" Jo fixed her brother with a look that made it clear she was not making a suggestion.

"Yeah, crystal."

"I also see you were told about the Astraeus mission."

"Yeah, they mentioned the 20 Billion dollar space project. I'm still confused as to how it travels, but apparently, it's been tested and works, and last I checked, understanding how these things work wasn't my job."

"Yeah, it's a 6 month mission to one of Jupiter's moons, Titan. I'm sure the DOD will find some use for the research done on it. And no, no one expects you to understand the details of the science and the experiments done here, though you will probably pick some things up. The people here like to talk about their work, and you're going to be pressed for company that doesn't already have multiple PhDs."

"Okay," Tony looked over the paperwork he still had to sign and then asked, "What did Wen mean when she said I obviously wouldn't have any say over the candidates. I figured the DOD would want a little more say over who goes on this thing."

"You'd get accusations of bias." Jo drew her attention to the papers in front of her, looking for the different disaster procedure outlines for him to sign. If Larry lost them again, she'd kill him for real.

"Why would I get accused of bias? I don't know any of the geniuses trying to get off the planet."

"Tony," she drew her shoulders back and sat straighter, the way that she'd been drilled to in Basic training, the same way her brother had been drilled too, "I'm one of the candidates for the Astraeus mission."

He blinked. "That's very funny Josefina."

"I'm not kidding."

"Seriously." He paused, staring at her in shock. "You want to go into a never tested spaceship, that has a barely tested, still experimental engine that travels through creating wormholes, and hang out on another planet for six months doing what exactly?"

"First of all, I just told you, Titan is a moon, not a planet. Second, the researchers are going to be doing their experiments around Titan and out of the atmosphere at various points and will need an experienced pilot to handle the mission shuttle. Third, in case you forgot, I went to West Point for Mechanical Engineering, and since coming to Eureka, have gotten a more thorough practical education. I know what I'm doing, I know how the ship works, and am damn good at wrangling those geniuses when something goes wrong, which it inevitably will. And for the love of God, it's the opportunity to go to space! This is what everyone dreams about! I'm not turning that down."

Tony shook his head. "This is Uncle Ralph's fault."

"What are you talking about?"

"If he hadn't gotten you those books on space when you were a kid, this wouldn't be happening."

Jo couldn't believe what he was saying. "Oh come on."

"Nicky always told us the space phase would come back to bite us in the ass. We didn't believe him, but what do you know, crazy shit happens."

"I know what I'm doing. This is what I want, and I'm good at it." Jo tried not to be annoyed at Tony, but he was making it difficult. "Look, can we have this conversation later? We have a lot to get through."

"Fine." She knew that she wasn't going to be able to avoid this conversation for very long, and Tony would probably try to talk her out of the Astraeus mission at least a few more times. Stubbornness was a shared Lupo trait after all. "After we finish the government's business, is there somewhere around here to get take out? My briefing in DC mentioned an apartment, but to be honest, after the flight, I don't feel like cooking. And it would be nice to catch up."

"Yeah, I can grab us something from Café Diem while Larry gets you settled." Jo's gut twisted. She wasn't going to be in and out of this like she thought. She took out her PDA and messaged Zane and turned the non-emergency ringer off. Briefing going to be taking longer than I said. Won't be available until after dinner, later tonight. Sorry.

"Everything okay?" he nodded toward her PDA.

"Yeah, I just had plans. Going over stuff for the written science background test for Astraeus with a friend. I was just letting him know I had to cancel."

"Uh-huh. And uh, did these plans have anything to do with why you're wearing a dress?"

That got him a glare. "I had church this morning and I didn't bother changing afterward. Do you want to finish this after midnight, or do you want food at some point?"

Tony looked like he wanted to argue, then thought better of it, "I would like food at some point."

"Then shut up."

Paperwork was completed, Larry showed up, and Jo handed off Tony to him, noting the wide eyes as Larry processed who the DOD had sent. She quickly ordered some pizzas and salad (ignoring Vince's eyebrow-waggling, since he probably thought she was bringing them somewhere else) and brought them back to the one bedroom apartment that the DOD had arranged for Tony while Larry was leaving with the completed paperwork. He unpacked his bags, which had been brought when he arrived. Jo and Tony spent the rest of the afternoon and evening catching up, Jo retelling some of the stories she had already told him over the years with the details filled in, now that he had clearance.

She excused herself around 8, saying she had work in the morning, and still needed to take care of things, and drove over to Zane's apartment. Jo knocked on the door and forced herself to keep calm while waiting. It's not the end of the world. It's just Tony and Zane living in the same town. Working in the same building.

Oh God. The end of the world would probably be less explosive.

Zane opened the door and waved her in. "How long did it take to sign in some DOD bureaucrat?"

"Signing him in didn't take very long. Catching up is what took up most of the afternoon." She wrung her hands together and turned to face him, her skirt swishing against her knees. Zane closed the door behind him and leaned against it.

"They send someone you served with?"

"I wish," Jo scoffed, then ducked her head. "Someone at the DOD has a sense of humor, and decided to give my brother Tony the job".

Zane stiffened, then cracked a strained smile. "Big Brother sent big brother?"

"God, I'm going to be hearing that one for weeks aren't I?"

"Oh yeah." Zane came closer, and wrapped an arm around Jo's back, pulling her to him. "So what does he know?"

"Tony has access to all labs but will need prior authorization from myself or Fargo before entering Section 5. He does not get to harass the scientists, and we're trying to make sure he doesn't disturb the work done."

"Jo…"

"He knows about the Astraeus, and that I'm a candidate, and let me tell you, he is not happy about that, thinks I'm an adrenaline seeking idiot for going to space, and he doesn't want to have to tell"

"What does he know about us?"

Jo paused. "What, that his little sister is screwing the town felon? Funnily enough, that question didn't come up."

Zane ducked his head down to meet her eyes. "He's going to hear about it. Your brother is going to be here until at least the launch, if not longer, and people in this town talk. Zoe heard about us while she was on the other side of the country. How long do you think we have until someone mentions me to him?"

"Carter didn't find out for over a month."

"Yeah, and once it got out, it spread. Everyone knows, and everyone's a gossip. He's going to find out we're sleeping together some way or another."

"Look, I just need you to behave yourself around him, okay? Tone down the flirting, don't blatantly discuss the fact that we're sleeping together in front of him and try not to stare at my ass. Or my chest."

"Why should I?"

Jo stilled when she heard him, not understanding what he was saying. "What?"

"What motivation do I have for behaving? You're insistent that we're just friends, so why should either of us care what your brother thinks of me?" Zane ran his hand up and down her spine softly, trying to get her to relax. "I don't know what the Zane Donovan you knew was like, but I have a reputation for spitting in the face of authority. If I start sucking up to some DOD schmuck for no reason, well, someone's going to think I'm up to something."

"Or maybe they just think you're turning over a new leaf. You know, becoming an actual grownup."

Zane leaned back from Jo, and pulled one arm away from her, propping it up on the counter. "Maybe, but maybe he wouldn't."

Jo raised an eyebrow "You realize it sounds like you're asking me to introduce you to my brother at my boyfriend, right?"

He shrugged, "If that's what you want to call it, fine by me. If you want to tell him we're just having meaningless sex, which, need I remind you, has been your call, that's your choice. If you want to look your big brother in the eye and use the phrase Friends with Benefits, go for it, I will back you up. But you and I both know that's not the only thing that's going on here.

We have dinner together most days. I spend most of my free time with you. You spend most of your nights in my bed. Honestly, you really should start keeping clothes here at this point, there's going to be a Eureka disaster at some point. Do you want to show up in yesterdays' clothes or better yet, mine?"

"Zane,"

"I have no intention of going out or being with anyone else right now, and I don't think you do either. What's the harm in telling your brother what he's going to hear anyway? At least this way I'll see it coming when he tries to shoot me."

She stepped back and wrapped her arms around her chest, looking away from Zane, not knowing how to explain the relationship between herself and her brothers. "The last time I would have introduced a guy to my family in this timeline, would have been my junior prom date. They were so overbearing and overprotective and just awful that I told them the next time I introduced them to someone I was dating would be when I was handing out wedding invitations."

"In this timeline?"

"I'm assuming so anyway. Based on conversations I've had with them, they never met anyone I dated."

"What about the other timeline?"

Jo turned her gaze toward the floor, away from his bright blue eyes. "In the other timeline, we had been dating for two years before you met my dad and my brother Nicky. You- He, never met Rico or Tony." She felt him staring at her.

"Tony's the one who the DOD sent, right?" She nodded. "Two years, popped the question, I never met two of your brothers?"

"You'd talked to them on the phone, skyped a couple times, but not in person. You were supposed to come with me to meet Rico and his family when he was home on leave, but you were stuck in the Arctic on a project."

"So I still got my ass frozen off in that timeline too? Good to know some things stayed the same."

"Yeah." Jo tried to look anywhere that wasn't Zane. I almost lost him both times then.

Zane crossed his arms over his chest, and Jo tried not to notice his shirt pulling at his biceps. "So, what are we telling your brother?"

Jo slipped off her blazer and draped it over the couch. "Well, if he asks, I guess we're telling him you're my boyfriend. But only if he asks."

Zane smiled, and unbuckled his belt, slipping it off before shoving down his jeans. "Of course. I'm not looking to get a bullet in my head if I don’t have to."

[realm-sweet-realm]

How would Joey Drew use these scps for his own game. 049, 096, 006, 500, 035 and 106?

Oh man, there are a lot of SCPs here that Joey could use for his own gain!

I think that 006, the fountain of youth, is the most interesting one here to be sure! Obviously, he'd drink from it- it's much easier, less expensive, and probably less dangerous and immoral than his current use of blood sacrifice and God knows what else to keep himself healthy, youthful-looking and alert on limited sleep.

But. He could also use it to start a limited little cult for himself. He could find desperate ill people who would do work for him in exchange for its waters, and as a result, he could have far more people working on his ink machine. The only thing keeping Joey from starting a full-on cult would be that his main focus is and always has been his animation studio, and there are only so many hours in a day!

Joey would want to study the waters themselves too, quite extensively. He does want to cheat death after all, and this? This isn't that, since he could still be killed through injury. But it's close.

SCP 500, the magical healing pills, would be similar, but they have less usability. Joey would keep a few aside for himself in case he or a loved one gets sick and needs one. He might force one on Sammy once he gets ink-infected, and wouldn't have to live with the fear of someone he cares about (like Abby) getting infected. Maybe, as a last-ditch attempt to save the studio, he could sell some of the pills to the very ill and very rich. I think Joey would be above poisoning such people with ink to make it happen, but I'm not sure.

---

As for the rest, I can see Joey wanting to work alongside the plague doctor. He'd be fascinated by the fact that he can apparently bring the dead to life, and would want them to exchange their paranormal secrets. Of course, there's no guarantee that Doc would reciprocate those feelings, and there's a good chance that Joey would find himself "cured" if the doctor thought he had the pestilence or found him morally repugnant enough.

Same with 035, the mask, and 106, the old man. Joey would want to work with the mask because of its occult knowledge, but the mask would just kill him, since that's what it does to everyone. He'd want to learn Larry's secrets, too- Larry has the appearance of a corpse, so does that mean he escaped death somehow? And honestly, I don't see why Larry wouldn't humour him for it.

How would Joey interact with Shy Guy? Man, I don't think he would, honestly. He's far too volatile to be used as a weapon, and I'm not sure that Joey is looking for a weapon anyhow. There's no guarantee that he has a usable soul, either. I guess if someone just dropped 096 off on the studio's doorstep with a bag over his head and a note that read, "use this or else, and do not remove the bag," Joey could try sacrificing him.