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crystalninjaphoenix · 1 month ago

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Remember Me?

Switch AU

A JSE Fanfic

I almost forgot to queue this for today XD But luckily I remembered just in time! Did you guys think that everything would be alright for the Switch guys once they escaped IRIS? Well someone is here to remind them that he exists! The group is hiding out somewhere new, and have brought Will and Michelle to stay with them, just in case. They decide to test some spells Marvin can do with his cards, and everything seems to go well until a certain gray man interrupts them... Been a while since I've written Distorter, I've forgotten how fun he is fjdkaslh Anyway, have fun reading :3c

More of This AU | | First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Read on AO3 under CrystalNinjaPhoenix

———————

Anti paced back and forth in front of the sofa. Jackie, sitting there, watched him walk back and forth, moving his head but nothing else. “You look as nervous as the day you adopted Will.” He laughed. “I-it’s funny that you’re once again anxious to see him.”

“Of course I am.” Anti shook his head. “IRIS had me convinced for a bit that he didn’t even exist. A-and I... well, it’s not... We’re on the run! I want to see Will as much as you want to see Michelle, but do you think it’s safe? What would IRIS do if they found them?”

“I don’t know if IRIS cares about children,” Jackie said slowly. “I-I hope they don’t. But honestly, I think they’ll be less safe on their own. Besides IRIS and Distorter, there are all the normal things that are a threat to eleven- and nine-year-olds. Like kitchen appliances. That’s an exaggeration. I know they’re smart enough to not mess around with that. But you know what I mean.”

Anti nodded. He continued to pace across the living room. The group had found an apartment to rent in this new city. It was small for them, and more expensive than the hotel room they’d stayed in for the first two days, but they needed more space with how many people they had in the group. Even with Aoife insisting on returning to and staying in Mirygale, they still had eight people—and now ten, with Rama picking up Will and Michelle.

The apartment had two bedrooms, one with a queen-size bed and one with a bunk bed and a single twin-size bed. Jackie and Rama claimed the former, while Marvin, JJ, and Schneep shared the second. Anti and Jack were stuck on the sleeper sofa in the living room. Stacy was the wild card, not sure where she wanted to stay, but eventually decided on buying an air mattress and sleeping in the room with Jackie and Rama. Right now, all the others were crowded into the two bedrooms, wanting to give Jackie and Anti space to reunite with the kids.

Jackie fiddled with his hoodie strings. “Do you think we should get some new phones soon? I-I’m really nervous about Rama going off on their own... I know we have the flat’s landline, but... it’s different.”

“We only have so much cash,” Anti said. “I wouldn’t put it past IRIS to track card purchases or withdrawals, so I don’t think we should get more until we absolutely have to.”

“Yeah... and do you think we’re getting to the point of ‘absolutely have to’ yet?”

“No. We can put off the phone purchase. And when we eventually have to buy stuff, we should take out small totals a little at a time, adding up to the big withdrawal.”

Jackie tilted his head. “You, uh... Do you have practice with that? When you... were on your own?”

Anti paused. “I never got to the point of people wanting to track my cash. But... well, uh... When I was desperate, I used... cards. And I learned that... big purchases wouldn’t go through.”

“Oh, Anti,” Jackie breathed.

“I-I regret it now,” Anti said quietly. “Like I do most things from my past.” He looked at Jackie nervously.

Jackie sighed. “Well... that’s bad, but I guess people could get new cards. It’s not the worst thing, huh?” He smiled. “Don’t worry, Aodhán, I know it’s different now. I just... I hope none of us have to resort to that.”

“We won’t,” Anti said firmly. “I promise. If I promise anything, it’s that we’ll never be desperate enough for that.” He looked away. “I... promised myself that. For Will. W-when I adopted him.”

Jackie nodded. “I-I think I understand that now,” he said quietly.

“...and I’m glad you do,” Anti said, even softer.

They fell silent for a few minutes, until there was a knock at the door. Anti immediately hurried over to open it, hand instinctively going to his pocket—even though his pocket was empty, no knife inside to comfort him with its defense. He pulled the door open a crack, and saw Rama on the other side. And with them, two little faces. “Hi, Uncle Anti,” Michelle whispered. She glanced around conspiratorially, like she was pretending to be a spy. “Can we come into the secret place?”

“Of course you can,” Anti said, and opened the door wider so they could all come inside. Jackie stood up, Michelle rushed at him, and he hugged her tight. They started to talk, Rama joining in, but Anti’s focus wasn’t on them. He closed the door, and looked at Will. Had he always been this tall? He was just about the height of Anti’s shoulder. Anti stared at him, and cleared his throat. “I-I don’t think we’ve really, uh... H-hey—”

Suddenly, Will rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Anti, squeezing him tight. Anti gasped, unsure how to respond to this. Will wasn’t normally a hugger... he would, the same as any other kid, but... Anti didn’t expect it right now. But here he was, and he could feel some wetness getting on his shirt from where Will’s face was buried in it, and a similar wetness was coming to his own eyes. “I... I missed you,” Will breathed.

“...I missed you too, bud,” Anti said, wrapping his arms around Will and hugging him tight in turn.

The two of them stood there for a while, just holding each other. Until, finally, Will wriggled out of his grip. “Um... so.” He fidgeted awkwardly. “R-Rama didn’t explain much. Just that we were like... on the run. A-are the police going to get us? Or... the gray man?”

Anti winced. “Maybe the second one. But we’re actually more worried about... D-did they tell you about IRIS? About... where I disappeared to?” He hesitated to share this. But he wanted to be honest with Will. If the height was any indication, he’d grown up quite a lot. He wouldn’t share everything. There were some details a child didn’t need to know. It probably wouldn’t help Will to hear about some of the ‘tests.’ But he deserved to know the big picture.

The two of them sat down on the sofa and talked. Jackie and Rama got up, showing Michelle around the apartment, small as it was. After that brief tour, they went into the bedroom with the queen-sized bed and started blowing up a second, smaller air mattress for Michelle to use when she wanted.

“Do you get all this?” Anti asked, finishing off his explanation.

“It’s like a science fiction show,” Will said. “So... this IRIS company wants to get the gray man. Distorter?”

“Well... I think so, at least?” Anti said. “But it’s more complicated than that.”

“They want to test what he does and that means testing you guys, too. I get that part.” Will nodded. “And JJ has magic, which they’re curious about too.” He paused. “Do you... do you think that means they’ll come for me and Michelle, too?”

“I don’t think they care about kids,” Anti said, repeating what Jackie said earlier. “But there’s a chance that something will happen while you’re on your own. You know?”

“Like... Distorter,” Will said quietly. He pulled his feet onto the sofa and folded his legs.

“Yeah.” Anti nodded. “Has he... been bothering you at all? Have you had any bad dreams?”

Will narrowed his eyes. “What’s the password?”

Anti smiled slightly and leaned over. “Minecraft,” he whispered.

Will nodded. “No... I-I don’t think so. But I do think that... I’ve been remembering stuff while I’m asleep. Stuff about when Michelle and I were in his house.”

Anti sat up straight. “Oh? Do you... want to talk about it?”

“I-I don’t... think so...” Will trailed off. “Um... things were weird in there. The rooms kept changing. Michelle was freaked out. I-I tried to keep her... keep her safe.”

“I see.” Anti nodded. “That’s... very brave of you. I-I’m proud you did that. Now... i-it’s time for the rest of us to keep you and her safe.”

Will smiled slightly. “Th-thanks, Dad.” He looked around. “So, uh... a-am I sleeping with you on the sofa? Like when I was little with nightmares?”

“Probably,” Anti said. “But Jack’s also been sleeping on the sofa. We don’t have much room, so it might be the three of us sharing it. But if you’re not comfortable with that, we could buy another air mattress today for either you or Jack.”

“Um...” Will thought about it. “I-I’ll try it for tonight. But only if I get to be on the edge and you’re in the middle.”

Anti smiled. “Hey, I don’t blame you for not wanting to sleep next to Jack. He’s a kicker.”

“What did you say about me?” Jack walked down the hall and poked his head into the living room.

“I said you kick in your sleep, dumbass,” Anti said.

“Hey, well, you toss and turn and hog the blankets.” Jack looked at Will. “Hey, Will.” Sam hopped out of Jack’s hoodie pocket and flew over to Will. “Ha. Sam’s happy to see you, too.”

“Wicked.” Will grinned. “Where’s Sam sleep?”

“Well, they don’t really sleep at all, but I make a little nest for them out of my hoodie and they rest in there when they want,” Jack explained.

“Aww.” Will’s grin softened into a smile, and Sam landed on his shoulder.

Anti felt his eyes start to water again, but he took a deep breath and pushed that back. “Are you hungry? We have some groceries. Not much, but we could make mac and cheese.”

“Ooo yeah!” Will’s eyes lit up.

“Ha. I’ll get started on that, then.”

———————

Marvin sat cross-legged on his bed, staring at the cards before him. The joker cards were face-up. He’d made sure to carefully scratch away the fake X over the runes over the past couple days, and now the angled spirals were in full view.

Schneep rolled over on his own bed nearby, peering down at Marvin; he’d taken the top bunk on the bunk bed, while Marvin had the single twin bed. Jameson was left with the bottom bunk. He’d tried to sleep on the top bunk the first night they were here, but he’d had a terrible nightmare, tossing and turning, and the other two insisted that he take one of the beds on the ground for the rest of the stay here. Marvin couldn’t climb up the ladder to the top bunk, so Schneep was left to sleep there for as long as they stayed in this apartment, and Jameson decided to claim the bottom bunk, as he feared Marvin might also have trouble with the lower bed. “Marvin?”

“Oh? Did I wake you up?” Marvin asked, looking up at him. “Sorry ‘bout turnin’ on the light. I wanted t’look at the cards, an’ the light from the window jus’ wouldn’ cut it.” They had the curtains drawn all the time, afraid that someone would be able to look in and somehow let IRIS know where they were.

“No, I was waking up anyway,” Schneep muttered. “Mein Gott... my sleep schedule is fucked.”

Marvin laughed. “I think all of ours are.” He looked down at the cards again. “Did you talk to Michelle and Will at all when they showed up yesterday? Or were you sleepin’ the whole time?”

“I think... I was sleeping the whole time,” Schneep said slowly.

“T’at probably isn’ a good sign,” Marvin said. “You’ve been sleepin’ so much lately.”

“My body needs to recover, I suppose.” Schneep sat up. “Perhaps I need to get out of the house. But...” He trailed off.

“Afraid?” Marvin asked. “Me too. Stacy and Jack are real lifesavers, bein’ brave enough to go out.” He paused. “Maybe... maybe I coul’ be brave enough to try, too. If I... can figure something out wit’ t’ese cards.”

“Hm.” Schneep leaned on the guard rail around the edge of the top bunk. “I would go with you, if there was some magic to protect us. What are you thinking?”

“The problem wit’ the cards is t’at it’s easy to mess them up,” Marvin said. “Knock one out of place, and the spell will end. So I was t’inkin’ if I taped them down to a board of some sort... we have packing tape an’ a cutting board t’at coul’ work.”

“You checked?” Schneep asked, the corner of his mouth twitching.

“Yes. But it’ll be awkward walkin’ around wit’ a cutting board. So I want t’be sure the combination works.” Marvin hesitated, then pushed aside the jokers. He wouldn’t need those for this, he was pretty sure. Maybe if he used the eye-like runes on the red fours? Somehow?

Schneep climbed down from the top bunk. “Should I ask the others if they want to go out for fresh air?”

Marvin nodded. “Go on. T’ough I don’ t’ink I can handle too many people at once.”

“I’ll talk around.” With that, Schneep headed out into the hallway.

Marvin frowned, biting his lip. The name of the game is hiding... Maybe these ones on the black eights, then? The rune on them means ‘darkness’ or ‘secret.’ Maybe if he used them to cover the eye runes... and then used the ace of clubs or ace of spades...

In the living room, Stacy was busy making a sandwich for lunch, while Anti, Jack, and Will played a card game on the counter. Anti was pretending to sneak a peek at Will’s cards, which made Will grin as he made sure to hide it. “Hello, you all,” Schneep said. “Marvin is thinking about doing some magic to protect us while we are out. If he succeeds, would any of you want to come with the two of us?”

“Huh?” Anti looked over. “Like, where would you be going?”

“...we did not talk about that,” Schneep said slowly. “We only vaguely mentioned going out... Well, it is circumstantial based on if he can figure something out, anyway.”

“Uh... well...” Anti looked at Will. “It has been a while since I went on a walk or something. But...”

“Y-you can go out if you want, Dad,” Will said.

“Are you sure?”

“Mm-hm. I can hang out with Uncle Jack and Stacy.”

Anti still looked uncertain.

“How about I go ask the others first?” Schneep offered. “They are all in the bedroom.”

“What, you don’t think me or Jack will want to go out?” Stacy asked jokingly.

“...Do you?”

“Nah, I go out often enough.” Stacy shook her head. “But it’d be nice to be asked, you know?”

“Yeah, I feel the same,” Jack said. “I’m good with staying. If Anti goes on whatever walk you guys are going on, I’ll stay here to watch the kids.”

“Got it.” Schneep nodded, and went back down the hall towards the second bedroom.

Inside, JJ was entertaining Michelle with some magic tricks. The two of them were sitting across from each other on the floor. JJ was causing small flurries of crystalline magic to appear on the floor between them, growing like a flower and then shrinking, only to grow again in another formation. Michelle was laughing, asking him to do one that looked like a star. Meanwhile, Rama and Jackie were sitting on the bed together, snuggling. Jackie lifted his head. “Yeah, Volt?”

“Marvin thinks he may be able to come up with some sort of protective spell so that we can walk about at our leisure,” Schneep said. “If he came up with something, would you all want to come on a walk or some such?”

Rama shook their head. “No, I drove a while all yesterday, I’m tuckered out. Jackieboy?”

“Maybe...” Jackie said slowly. “Maybe, uh, Michelle can come?”

“Huh what?” Michelle looked up. “Where are we going?”

“Probably just around outside,” Schneep said.

“Oh, there is a park nearby you can visit, maybe?” Rama said. “A small one, but it does have swings for the kids. Maybe you can take Michelle and Will with you, Jackie. If Anti wants to go with and bring Will, I mean.”

“I think he wants to get out of the apartment, but is worried about Will,” Schneep said. “Bringing him along might be a good solution.” He looked at JJ. “Jamie? What about you?”

Jameson shook his head. I don’t think... I’m ready for that. As he signed, his hands shook slightly. But if you and Marvin are, I’m proud of you guys. He smiled a little.

Schneep smiled back. “I am too.”

“Aw, t’ank you, Jems.”

“Gah!” Schneep jumped into the air—literally, grabbing onto the side of the doorway and bracing his feet against it to keep him suspended two feet off the ground.

“Oh, very impressive!” Marvin was suddenly behind Schneep, holding a handful of cards.

“What the—Marvin?!” Schneep gasped, and dropped down to the ground. “What are you—h-how did I not hear you?!”

“I t’ink I found a combination t’at works.” Marvin held up the cards. “But it’s six cards. T’at’s quite a powerful spell, an’ it seems the tiniest movement will upset it. But hopefully once we tape them down, it’ll all work out.”

“Are you going to cover the cards in something?” Jackie asked. “Because it seems like a bad idea to just apply packing tape directly to their surfaces.”

“...I woul’ve t’ought of t’at eventually, I’m sure,” Marvin said slowly. “In any case, anyone who wants to try t’is out wit’ me shoul’ gather together, I need to see if t’is’ll effect multiple people at once.”

The people interested in going outside gathered in the living room, where Jack and Stacy watched and reported on if the cards were working to truly make them disappear. They found that the cards provided a circle of invisibility—an “AOE effect,” as Anti called it—and if you got too far from the cards you would no longer be invisible. They also found that using half the cards would still provide invisibility, but in a smaller radius—and sound would still be heard, whereas sound in the six-card’s circle would not be heard by people outside.

Having determined all this, they went about trying to find a way to keep the cards secure in one position. They settled on putting the cards on a cutting board, wrapping it and the cards in saran wrap, and then covering that in packing tape. Luckily, all these supplies were on hand in the apartment, thanks to Stacy and Rama going shopping. “I think the tape was one of your guys’ suggestions, though,” Stacy said once all was said and done.

And with that settled, it was time to actually test it by going outside. Anti and Jackie were coming, along with their kids. Obviously Marvin was too, and Schneep—though he was a bit paranoid about it. And with it starting to get late, he insisted that they postpone this until tomorrow. The others agreed. Marvin was starting to feel fatigued, anyway. And going tomorrow would allow them all time to mentally prepare. Going outside while IRIS was looking for them was nerve-wracking to Jackie and Marvin—and Anti too, though he tried not to show it, for Will’s sake. But all of them were determined to try. Not just for fun. But because if they were going to eventually drive IRIS away, they’d need to sneak around them or confront them or something.

The group had dinner, then all went to their separate sleeping areas for the night. The cutting board with the cards was left at the end of the hall near the bathroom. Meaning anyone who wanted to go to the bathroom would be temporarily invisible as they passed into its circle of effect, but there wasn’t really anywhere more convenient to put it. So it was left there until the morning.

———————

A morning which dawned bright, but quiet. It seemed not many people were taking advantage of the sunshiny day. Then again, this apartment wasn’t in the best part of this city. It was clear that the neighborhood wasn’t maintained that much, judging by the chipped paint and faded signs and general grime of everything. But it was better than being in IRIS.

The six of them—Marvin, Schneep, Jackie, Anti, and the two kids—set off around midday. Schneep had the cards and cutting board shoved into a backpack on his back, so the others tried to stick close to him. Luckily, today was a good day for Marvin, so he was able to keep up... though he grumbled about how IRIS still had his cane and the wooden one they picked up from a petrol station felt less good in his hand. Jackie patted his shoulder and assured him that the park Rama had spotted wasn’t too far.

The park wasn’t as good as the ones they were used to back in Mirygale, but after so long being stuck in IRIS’s clinical rooms, and then being cramped into a small apartment, any amount of greenery was amazing. The small square of grass was walled in by a waist-high brick fence, and had a couple trees growing in lines down the middle and sides. There was an iron swing set and sandbox for the kids, along with several benches. And though the swing set had rusted chains and the benches had rotted wood, Michelle and Will were excited anyway. “Dad! Dad Dad Dad, can you push me when I swing?!” Michelle asked, tugging on Jackie’s hand.

Jackie smiled. “Of course, pumpkin.” He looked at the others. “Uh... sounds like you guys will have to hang out close by.”

“I can... go on the swings too,” Will said. “And Dad can... push me.” Clearly, he didn’t want to admit how eager he was to swing.

“Yeah, I’ll do that, bud,” Anti chuckled. “No problem. Just know you won’t get too high. You’re getting pretty big.”

“That sounds like quitter’s talk.”

“Ha! It sure does.”

Schneep glanced at Marvin. “I suppose that means we will take turns sitting on the last swing in the set?”

“No, I’m takin’ it th’ whole time,” Marvin said, hurrying to catch up with the others. Schneep burst into laughter.

The kids took their places on the swings, and Anti and Jackie pushed them. Michelle yelled and whooped in delight every time she reached the height of the swing arc. Will was a bit more subdued but he still couldn’t keep a big grin off his face. Marvin sat in the last empty swing while Schneep leaned against the pole supporting the swing set and watched the kids go. The ground was plain dirt under the swings, and their feet occasionally kicked up dust, but that was all part of the fun.

It was nice.

So why did Schneep have a creeping feeling that there was danger around the corner?

He shook his head. No, he was just being paranoid. There were no problems. They had nothing to worry about.

After a while, Jackie took a step back. “Alright, pumpkin, my arms are getting tired. I’m going to take a break for a bit. You can push yourself, right?”

“Yeah, Dad!” Michelle said cheerfully. She kicked her legs back and forth, keeping up the momentum. “I’m gonna go to the mooooon!”

Jackie laughed fondly. “Anti? Wanna sit down for a break too?”

“Nah, I’m not a pu—coward,” Anti said, and Will giggled.

“Jackie, you have to be careful not to leave the range of the spell,” Schneep said. “The benches are too far away for you to sit on.”

“Oh... yeah, you’re right.” Jackie paused.

This rule about staying so close to the spell seemed stupid, didn’t it? It wouldn’t hurt if he was visible for a few minutes.

Jackie shook his head. Even if the rule was a little too strict, he wouldn’t want to upset his friends by breaking it. “I’ll just sit down over here,” he said, walking a few feet away from the swing set and sitting down on the grass. “I’m still in range here, right?”

Marvin glanced back at him. “I t’ink so. You sure you want to sit behind the swings?”

“Well I’m not sitting in front where shoes can go flying off,” Jackie said. “I learned that lesson when Michelle was little.”

“Mm. Good point.” Marvin shrugs and turns back around. But Schneep looked uneasy. He didn’t say anything, but Jackie could tell.

It’s fine, though. Nothing was going to happen. This was the better place to sit anyway.

Jackie watched Michelle swinging from behind. Her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail that swayed in the wind, and she continued to laugh and shout. It was so good to see her again. What was he thinking, staying with IRIS? Did he really think it would be better if she didn’t see him? Or... did IRIS just convince him it would be? Was he just that scared? Looking back on it, being trapped with Distorter had really messed him up. Once IRIS was taken care of, maybe he should ask JJ or JJ’s magician friends if the magic community had therapists as part of it. Because though he’d tried normal therapy, it was difficult to really explain everything when he was trying to hold back on the supernatural elements...

Do you remember the house well, Jackie?

Of course he did. There was no way he’d ever forget it. The oppressive air in there, the way he felt dazed and confused all the time, and though it was a small house, he never really seemed to know where he was within it. And all the things Distorter had done...

Keep thinking about that.

He didn’t want to. But he couldn’t stop. His thoughts were dredging up old memories and images against his will, and he was falling downwards into a deep expanse of them, feeling almost physical pain as they invaded his mind. The freezing, the burning, the drowning, the blades, the chemicals—No! Stop! Stop this!

I can make it stop. Just... smile for me.

A gray fog started to seep into his mind. Jackie started, scrambling to his feet, a warning shout forming in his voice—

Or I can make it worse.

And instantly, he wasn’t outside anymore. He was in a kitchen in a plain, ordinary house, lying on the cold tile floor, his vision growing fuzzy as he stared at all the bottles of household cleaning chemical lying on the floor next to him, the taste of them still choking his throat.

Your choice.

The fog returned, and instinctively, instantly, Jackie ran into it.

“Jackie?” Schneep turned to look at him. He’d stood up. “What is it? Did you want to... leave or something?”

But Jackie didn’t answer. He only stared, his eyes glazing over... and dripping blood.

“Shit!” Schneep cursed. He rushed over to stand in front of Michelle. “Marvin! Anti! He’s here and he’s got Jackie!”

Anti’s head snapped over, and he immediately rushed into action, grabbing Will and pulling him off the swing. “Schneep you protect the kids!” he hissed.

“I’m not going to hurt the children.” That was Jackie’s voice saying that, but... the words clearly weren’t his. “I like the kids. We had fun together. And I’m a better father than you were, anyway, Aodhán.”

“Don’t you dare make Jackie say that!” Anti snapped. Michelle had also scrambled off the swing, and now she and Will were staying behind him, staring with wide eyes.

Marvin got off the swing and reached into his jacket pocket. “Volt, where is he?!” He asked, pulling out his cards.

“I—” Schneep’s head darted around wildly. “I-I do not see him!”

“Of course you don’t.” The corners of Jackie’s mouth were pulled upwards, forming a smile that was not his. “You think I have to be nearby to affect you all? I’ve been in all of your heads for so long now, I know the way in no matter how far apart we are.”

“You’re lying!” Anti shouted. “We know there’s a limit to your range!”

“But it’s one that can be widened with time.” Jackie’s body took a staggering step forward. Schneep and Anti spread their arms out, trying to block his way to the kids in unison, while Marvin scrambled through his cards, fanning them out and staring at the runes. “And like I’ve said, I’ve been with all of you for so, so long now. I don’t have to see or hear you to know where you are. So good job on the little spell of yours. It will work on IRIS, but not on me.”

Marvin’s face went pale. “You—I-I won’ let you—”

“Yes you will.”

And suddenly, Marvin was not out in the park. He was back in the house on Aspen Street, back in the basement... back in that box. Held up by strings, listening to applause as his body shook with pain, his leg in agony.

Anti yelled out in shock as he saw Marvin collapse to the ground, cards spilling everywhere as blood started to pour from his eyes.

“You too.”

And then Anti was not in the park, either. He was young, stuck in his childhood home, freezing up in his attic room while the sound of loud shows on the TV blared through the floorboards. He was young, but getting older, the room shifting to a bar that reeked of a sharp scent—

He stumbled, breathing heavily. No! No, he wouldn’t fall. He wasn’t there anymore. He was here, in the park, with his friends and his son.

Schneep had gone to help Marvin up, but he spared a glance to Anti, watching as blood trickled from one of his eyes as he fought to stay standing. “Dad?” Will said, clinging to his side. “C-come on, Dad! Don’t—d-don’t—” The boy couldn’t finish his sentence, trailing off in fear. Michelle was frozen in place, staring at Jackie.

“You... bastard,” Schneep growled, looking around for any sign of Distorter. “In front of the children?!”

“It’s upsetting for me too,” Distorter whispered through Jackie’s voice. “To know that they’re upset. But don’t worry. I can make sure they’re happy afterwards. They’ll forget all their struggles and they’ll just be happy.”

“That isn’t fucking healthy for them, you—Show your face, coward!”

Jackie’s forced grin grew wider. “No, I don’t think I will. It’s not cowardice to try and avoid a fight, you know. It’s just common sense. Besides... it’s not fair that you’ll be the only one fighting. It’s not fair that IRIS fucked your head to make you into their special weapon.”

Schneep winced. He looked down at Marvin, limp in his arms, and tried to shake him awake.

“How does it feel, not being able to know what’s inside of your body? How does it feel, knowing that when IRIS finds you again, they’ll do all they can to beat your personality and will out of you?”

“Shut up!” Schneep shouted, his voice cracking as tears came to his eyes. “Get out of my friend’s head!”

“Why? He wanted me here. So I listened, like any good friend would.”

“He would not want you to control his every action!”

“Ohhh, but Volt.” The nickname sounded wrong as Jackie said it, used in a different inflection than Jackie would usually use it. “That’s so much easier than not doing it yourself. And I’m so much nicer about it than IRIS is. So you should really let me try it out on you—oh no wait, that’s not even an option anymore.” Jackie—Distorter giggled. And then suddenly lunged forward.

Michelle shrieked. Schneep managed to scramble backwards, pulling Marvin with him, and Will pulled Anti back as well, causing him to gasp in shock. Distorter laughed again, and lurched at Schneep and Marvin, practically falling onto them. Schneep’s reactions kicked in. He pushed him away, grabbed him, and shoved him to the ground, pinning him down. And there he froze, conflict in his eyes.

Distorter grinned, the expression unnatural on Jackie’s face. “Are you going to shock your friend?” he whispered. “This is fully him, you know. It’s not like there’s a ghost in his body. It’s him. Are you going to attack him anyway, like a good little weapon?”

Schneep flinched, drawing back a bit—but then Jackie’s hand shot out and grabbed Schneep’s wrist, pulling him back. Distorter made Jackie press Schneep’s hand to his own chest, continuing to grin the whole while.

“Fucking do it, then. It’s what you’ve been made for, after all.”

For a moment, everything was frozen. Schneep was in shock, finding himself unable to move.

“Y-you...”

Schneep looked towards the sound of the voice. And so did Jackie, Distorter turning his head curiously.

“Y-you...” Anti said again, struggling. “You... fuck... right off.” He shook his head. “You... do not control me. You... cannot control Schneep. You... fuck off. Jackie. Jackie!” He shouted. “Tell him to fuck off!”

Distorter laughed through Jackie’s voice. “Are you serious? Oh, what are you trying to do, Aodhán?”

“Don’t you fucking call me that,” Anti hissed. “He’s not me anymore. And you are not me anymore, either. Do you understand that?”

Distorter blinked. “I was never ‘you,’ what the hell are you talking about?”

“Oh no, but you wanted me to be. You wanted me to be whatever you are—whatever you had been before. The man who did something unspeakable and then ended it for himself. That’s what you wanted me to be. You want me to hurt my friends, and then myself. You told me as much.” Anti’s unbleeding eye flashed with rage. “Well guess the fuck what, bitch? I’m not going to let you. Because you do not control me. I’m done letting you control me. I know I’m more than that now.” He staggered forward towards Schneep and Jackie, collapsing to his knees next to them. “And if I can fight you off, then Jackie definitely can. Because he’s so much stronger than I am. You hear that, Jackie?! If I can do it, you can do it too! A-and if you can’t do it right now, that’s o-okay! Because m-me and Schneep are here to help you!”

The glazed look in Jackie’s eyes flickered. “A-An...ti?”

Anti looked past the two of them. “You too, Marvin! You’ve been through so much with this fucker, you can pull through this, too! W-we’re here o-on the other side, w-waiting to help you.”

Marvin blinked slowly. The blood trickle coming from his eyes seemed to pause for a second.

Jackie made a choked sound. His back arched, eyes rolling back. Schneep scrambled away to give him space. “Y-you think that this... this...” Distorter hissed. “This power of love bullshit will overcome me?”

“No... I know it will,” Anti growled. “Because I know what you really are, Distorter. Not who you are—or should I say, who you used to be. I know what you are. I know what overcame him. I know because I’m very familiar with it myself. And that’s why I know you can’t stand up against this.”

Michelle took a few steps forward. “D-Dad...?” She whispered. “I... um...” She hesitated, unsure what to say. “I... love you.”

Jackie’s eyes welled with tears. Tears that spilled over the edge, washing away the blood. He suddenly gasped as the glazed look in his eyes disappeared. “M-Michelle? G-guys?”

Michelle ran forward, toppling over on top of Jackie and hugging him tight. Jackie let out an “oof!” as his breath was knocked out of him, then sat up, hugging Michelle to his chest.

And a second later, Anti saw the images taking up half his vision—images of his past—fade away, along with the pressure and fog trying to fill his mind. Marvin suddenly sat upright, gasping for breath. Schneep looked back and forth between them all. “Is... i-is it over?” he asked hesitantly.

Jackie wiped the blood from his face. “I... don’t really know what just happened, but... I guess?”

Marvin groaned. “Fuckin’ hell... why now? Bastard.”

“He wanted to remind us he was still watching,” Anti muttered. “If he wanted to put up more of a fight... he could have. But this was just him testing the waters.” He looked around uneasily.

Schneep cleared his throat. “Should we... reconsider taking care of IRIS first?”

“I think we need to ask Jackson and the others about that,” Anti said. “And for that... we need to get back to the apartment.”

“I woul’ be ready for t’at,” Marvin said, gathering up his cards. “But... we can’ jus’ stay in the apartment all the time. Even if... Distorter is out here.”

Jackie looked at Michelle. “You ready to go back yet, pumpkin?”

“I, uh...” Michelle bit her lip, considering that. “I-I liked swinging. And I like being out here. And he’s gone now, right? So... maybe we can just... be out here for a bit longer?”

“Y-yeah.” Will nodded shakily, holding onto Anti’s hand. “Let’s just... hang out for a bit.”

Anti chuckled. “Well, who are we to deny kids what they want? When it’s something like this.”

“...I suppose that Distorter is not likely to be back,” Schneep said slowly. “But he still may be nearby. A-and that...” He trailed off.

“We can’t let him control us, Henrik,” Anti whispered.

Schneep took a deep breath, and nodded. “You are right. I suppose we can stay out for... a bit longer. But not too long.”

“We need t’see if t’ere’s a laundromat nearby,” Marvin said, putting his cards back in his pocket. “Look at us. Me an’ Jackie covered in dirt.”

Anti laughed. “We’ll look around on the way back, I guess. Might be hard to use one if we’re still invisible to others, but hey, for the future. Now... what are we doing while out here?”

“I have an idea!” Michelle raised her hand. “Let’s draw stuff on the ground. We can do tic-tac-toe or something!”

Jackie smiled. “That’s a great idea, Michelle. Or what about hangman?”

“Yeah!”

Anti sat down on the ground. “Games it is, then.”

And so, the next hour or so passed by playing small games, drawn in the dirt, and also by swinging and going on walks around the park, looking at the trees and picking up interesting rocks. Distorter had slowly faded from their minds... but the memory of the encounter lingered in the back of their thoughts.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #antisepticeye #programmer anti #jackieboy man #dr jackie parker #dr schneeplestein #von voltage #marvin the magnificent #1920s marvin #chase brody #distorter #brigid writes fanfiction #septicswitchau

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asofterepilogue · 7 months ago

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Qu’est ce que vous trouvez à melechon ? Et qu’est ce que vous pouvez critiquer chez lui ? (Ce n’est pas une critique, c’est juste que je suis jeune et que je ne connais pas bien son parcours) qu’est-ce qui fait de lui un grand homme politique ? Merciii

C'est difficile de décrire ce que je pense de Mélenchon sans parler aussi de la dimension émotions plus personnelle 😅 Est-ce que tu étais assez grande en 2012 pour suivre la campagne ?

J'avais 17 ans, mes parents avaient voté Arlette Laguiller toute ma vie sans jamais militer et sans vraiment y croire, ma seule éducation politique c'était mon expérience personnelle de fille d'immigré pauvre et les discussions très générales de ma famille. Quand on a allumé la télé ce printemps là et qu'on a écouté Mélenchon parler avec autant de conviction de ce que pourraient être nos vies, ça a été une révélation. Il y avait quelqu'un, quelqu'un qui était même parfois pris au sérieux, qui dénonçait ce que je haïssais et proposait de le changer. Qui le disait avec passion, sans faire les simagrées du PS, sans refuser de prendre position, en argumentant rigoureusement, parfois avec des références à des livres que je pouvais lire, souvent sans insulter l'intelligence de son public, en faisant des liens que d'autres avaient sans doute fait avant mais jamais là où je pouvais les entendre. J'avais toujours connu la gauche faiblarde, traîtresse, dont on ne pouvait attendre qu'un sursis. Pour moi c'était vote "utile" pour le PS et affiliés, ou vote complètement inutile mais cohérent pour l'extrême-gauche, sans autre possibilité, sans espoir. Et là il y avait autre chose. C'est pas par conviction que l'autre flanby a balbutié son fameux "mon véritable adversaire, c'est la finance" - c'est parce que l'aile gauche de la gauche lui soufflait dans le cou. J'ai entrevu autre chose pour la première fois, et un autre chose qui semblait même assez directement atteignable. J'ai imprimé des tracts en douce avec l'imprimante familiale et séché des cours pour les distribuer - gros acte de rébellion pour moi à l'époque. J'étais sûre que ça allait arriver, en 2012 ou la fois d'après, ça ne pouvait qu'arriver.

Je ne vais pas faire semblant que tout ça n'influence pas mon opinion de Mélenchon. Évidemment que ce souvenir m'encourage toujours à être un peu plus indulgente.

Mais je crois aussi sincèrement que le projet qu'il défend est un projet qui nous rapprocherait d'un monde plus juste.

Impossible de séparer Mélenchon du LFI, alors parlons de ça. Je ne vais pas refaire le programme, mais c'est le seul qui propose une alternative avec un plan d'action concret et plus ou moins immédiat. Et j'ai peut-être tort mais, si LFI ne propose pas en soi de sortir du capitalisme, j'ai toujours pensé que sortir du capitalisme serait plus facile avec le modèle que propose LFI qu'avec le modèle actuel. J'ai parfois même encore la naïveté de penser que c'est le but final, juste à horizon très lointain.

Toutes les critiques que je pourrais faire sur Mélenchon ou LFI, je peux les faire sur la plupart des autres personnalités et partis politiques.

Je trouve leur ligne sur les droits des femmes très faible (mon plus gros problème ; malheureusement pas plus faible qu'ailleurs), j'aimerais qu'ils se battent ouvertement pour la mise à mort du capitalisme (comme je le disais, certaines de leurs positions me laissent penser qu'ils n'y sont pas opposés, mais si c'est le cas il faut être plus clair, et si ce n'est pas le cas c'est une déception ; mais là encore, à moins de regarder vers l'extrême-gauche, ils remettent plus en cause le système capitaliste que les autres partis), et je pense qu'ils passent un peu trop de temps sur certains sujets qui n'ont pas lieu d'être ou qui n'aident pas sur un plan purement stratégique (mais c'est aussi le climat actuel qui veut ça).

En ce qui concerne Mélenchon lui-même, il s'emporte parfois trop. C'est la principale critique qu'on peut lui faire, et qui lui est faite d'ailleurs à longueur de journée. Mais est-ce que c'est le plus important ? Lors de ses interventions, il est la plupart du temps posé malgré les interruptions intempestives et la mauvaise foi chronique de ses interlocuteurs. N'importe qui finirait par s'énerver !

Quant à ses "phrases polémiques", que dire ? On lui a récemment reproché d'avoir dit que l'antisémitisme est résiduel en France. Sans rentrer dans le commentaire de texte, les mots qu'il a employés exactement sont "l'antisémitisme reste résiduel". "Reste" ; or il n'a jamais, à ma connaissance, nié l'Holocauste, donc le sens le plus probable de "résiduel" ici est bien "qui persiste de quelque chose en dépit de tentatives faites pour l'éliminer". Étant donné l'autre sens du mot et la malhonnêteté ambiante, il aurait dû choisir un autre mot, mais de là à utiliser cette phrase comme preuve d'un antisémitisme débridé... On sait tous de toute façon que le problème ici ce n'est pas un quelconque antisémitisme à gauche, mais le refus de LFI de soutenir à 100% le génocide qu'Israël mène contre les Palestiniens.

La vérité c'est que même les sorties les plus stupides de Mélenchon passeraient inaperçues dans la bouche d'une autre personnalité politique. Le problème ce n'est pas vraiment ce qu'il dit, ou comment il le dit, mais c'est qu'il est le chef de file du parti qui a le plus de chances d'ébranler la dictature de la bourgeoisie en France. S'il se retirait, la prochaine tête de liste serait accueillie exactement de la même manière.

Ni LFI ni Mélenchon lui-même ne sont parfaits, mais si l'on admet qu'ils sont généralement de bonne foi, pourquoi ne pas essayer de les pousser à mieux au lieu de tout condamner ? Ils ont déjà changé d'avis sur certains sujets, ils peuvent le faire encore. Il y a des différences entre le monde qu'ils dessinent et celui que je désire, mais ils ne sont pas si incompatibles qu'il faille tout balayer.

Bref, je n'aime pas trop parler de "grand homme politique" pour plein de raisons (ça a aucun sens, on y met tout et rien, etc.), mais on peut lui reconnaître qu'il n'a pas vacillé malgré un acharnement politique et médiatique de plus en plus intolérable, qu'il a redonné de l'espoir à une grande partie des électeurs de gauche qui ne croyaient plus (2012, j'étais loin d'être la seule, et après la catastrophe Hollande encore plus), et qu'il est vraiment très bon orateur.

#après si tu veux son parcours politique c'est grand admirateur de mitterrand au ps (😔) > alliance pcf (avant la saucisse roussel 😔) > lfi #il a beaucoup évolué sur plein de questions et dans l'ensemble pas en se droitisant comme le reste de ces clowns #donc ça aussi c'est un point positif pour moi #(il me semble qu'il est tjrs fan de mitterrand malheureusement mais bon. je choisis de pardonner ce méfait aujourd'hui)#je mets de côté l'extrême-gauche parce qu'ils ont jamais eu aucune chance aux élections+c'est mm pas leur but premier+leur programme est svt #pas assez concret pour que ça donne qqch immédiatement ou en tt cas pour qu'on puisse facilement imaginer sa mise en oeuvre #pr moi l'extrême-gauche c'est les idéaux et lfi c'est une marche vers ces idéaux. encore une fois c'est mon avis naïf lol #ça aide aussi que j'attende rien d'autre que le moins pire de la part des politiciens en ce qui concerne les femmes... :/#french side of tumblr #upthebaguette #mine

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