#interactions; Sarah

[worgengel]

some traditional ink doodles from The Crow 🌧️

[kazz-brekker]

was reading the blurb for an upcoming fantasy novel that says that the main character became a librarian in order to avoid dealing with people which is like. the MOST obvious way the author could possibly show that they have never worked in a library themselves.

[darkthare]

”making my long distance bf into a cookie” meme but it’s Janosh and it’s “carving my long distance bf out of a sausage (he’s in prison for battery)”

Free my man!!

[princesspawzzz]

Sarah and duck⭐🌱🫧🐛🌈🦆

⭐

⭐

⭐

I dunno if anyone else is gunna has watched dis show buh I found it on yt kids and it's vv low stimulation and soo good fur eepy time!! It makes mi feel safe n cozy n I fall sleep to it almost every nini..

💤🌱⭐🐛🦆🌈☁️

[little-pup-pip]

Hi, big fan of your moodboards!! if you have the time I'd really like a "Sarah and Duck" themed one 🫶🏻 any gender & no paci please

- @pawtrolling

Here you go!!

[quinnverse]

[ first time ] sender leans in and kisses receiver for the first time - @honorhearted

When he returned to the room, Sarah let out a breath of relief. For a moment, she worried he had found the opportunity to escape, using the bathroom excuse as the perfect moment to slip away. Having Miss Wynter chaperone the meeting wasn’t ideal, but Sarah preferred Anne’s presence over her mother’s watchful eyes. Her family's governess was clearly more invested in his actions than she was in Sarah's, so when she didn't return with him, the Pleinsworth girl's mind tried to think of what could've possibly happened in the hallway.

“Mister Tallmadge, is everything alright?” She furrowed her brow, rising to meet him, noting the subtle look of exhaustion on his features. Before she could think to say anything more, his lips were on hers and, for the first time, Sarah felt speechless. When he pulled away, Sarah’s fingers rose to her lips, feeling the sudden absence of his touch. Did he just kiss her? Had that been his plan? To wait for their chaperone to leave and take advantage of her? A strange rumbling appeared in her stomach and it takes her a moment to find the strength to speak.

“I—” Her cheeks flushed furiously, unable to meet his gaze as her lips tingled from his kiss, her mind dizzy off of the sudden exchange. “What… what was that for?”

[morbethgames]

The Final Part of Chapter 4 Mostly Is Now Live!

So, you guys are probably wondering what the mostly is about. Simply put, there’s a subroute in the final part that I still need to write. Not very long, it won’t be too big of a deal later on, but this scene was blocking me hard. After working on it for 2 months straight I just wanted to move on. Needless to say, if I had to write one more set of variations for how the PC fights the suspect, I was going to go insane. That being said, it is all mostly there. There’s simply one greyed out option is all. I’m going to come revisit this scene when it’s more fresh to me again and when I don’t have to push myself so damn hard and force myself to write it. Along with the final part, I’ll probably be adding a bit more variation to it in general. But, now that that’s out of the way, let me get to the patch notes!

Patch Notes:

Added most of the rest of Chapter 4, which includes another Text Box Investigation Scene!

Added an unlockable extra story of Ryder’s PoV before the after funeral scene.

Multiple gender variable mistakes have been fixed.

Fixed a mistake where Alvarez and Ryder were being referred to as ‘mommy’.

Added a small dialogue variation to Ryder’s train scene where, if you’ve already talked to Alvarez, the PC won’t ask Ryder to clarify details about Alvarez’s age.

Added a small dialogue variation to the talk with Hawks in Dennis’ Office where, if the PC didn’t answer the phone for their brother in Chapter 2, it will reflect that choice.

Fixed the error on my part where the hoplite in the painting in Hawks’ office was being referred to as ‘Roman’ instead of ‘Greek’.

Fixed a bug where, if you chose to talk to Lance first on the train, it wouldn’t give you the option to talk to a second person.

Thank you all so much for sticking with me while I’m pumping this stuff out! It feels like such a weight off my shoulders to be able to just moved on from this scene, and to give myself the room to just come back to it later. Expect the Patreon to pick back up to two posts a week again as I get to start writing all the in between stuff for Chapter 4.5! If you like this story, and you want to support either me or this story, head on over to my Patreon where you can get an early look at extra stories, audiobook readings of this story and other IF’s, original short stories with original characters, and so on.

Patreon Link ←

We’re getting close for sure everyone. Hopefully, bare minimum, by the end of the year, this story will be completed. I’m excited, scared, and worried all at the same time.

Thank you all again so much for sticking with me.

Stay Brilliant, -Vi

Demo Link: https://dashingdon.com/play/morbethgames/the-bureau-wip/mygame/

The Bureau forum page: https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/wip-the-bureau-chapters-1-3-550k-total-words-updated-03-14-2024/99993

[nastasjasstuff]

Finally, my beloved Steph and Sarah 👰‍♀️👰‍♀️

[casscainmainly]

Any opinions on Barbara Gordon? Maybe some headcannons?

I LOVE HER OMG. I know I usually talk about her in context of Cass (Babs-Cass is top relationship of all time) but I really do love her on her own!! I'm like. lowkey in love with her in a way I'm not with any other character 😭😭. Seeing this panel does something to me:

BARBARA GORDON WILL YOU MARRY ME

I'm not well read on her so this might be an uninformed take, but I LOVE her personality. She's not super easy to get along with, she can be angry and stubborn and manipulative, but she's so COOL and she cares so much. Her mentoring relationships are awesome, but I also do love her (POSTCRISIS) relationships to Dick, Jim, JPV etc.! I think BG 2000 Babs is more explicitly maternal than she usually is, but I love both sides of her. I like how in Oracle Year One she's allowed to be truly angry about what happened to her, and how in 90s/2000s Bat books she's so intelligent and vital to the DC community. I miss Oracle Babs every day - on top of the ableism, Oracle!Babs was so vibrant and alive in a way modern Babsgirl isn't to me.

What I love most is how she sticks to her ideals/beliefs. I think about the time she decides to stay in Gotham in No Man's Land. Then in Oracle Year One:

"My life is my own. I embrace it, and the light, with a deep, continuing joy." She embraces her own agency and control of her life with joy, something she shares with the other two girls who carry her mantle. She has lost nothing that matters. As long as she has her indomitable will, she will rise and overcome any challenge.

Headcanon-wise I don't actually have much! I adore her plushies and I think she might've made them herself, I'd like to think she owns one of each of the Batfam members she likes! I also do miss her professor days from the BG '09 run, I think she has a low Rate My Professor score because she's a harsh grader and a woman but the students who love her LOVE her. I hope you enjoyed this answer!!

[touchedbydestiny]

@painofhumanity requested a starter (still accepting) || sarah & tom

         sarah sat alone on one of the tables outside duke university's cafeteria, the lunch break’s chatter a distant hum. she had already taken her food, which was half-eaten in front of her, but her attention was currently focused on something else. her sketchbook rested on her lap, pencil idle, as she tried to bring her recent idea town to paper just so that she doesn't forget it later one when her friends finally have their lunch break. eventually, someone sat down on the other side of the table, prompting sarah to look up. "sorry, the places are already taken–" she got quiet however, when she took the man in: is he fucking serious?

        she slammed her sketchbook shut, her voice sharp, cutting through the courtyard’s calm. "stefan, what are you doing here?" she demanded, glaring, her body tense with anger. "i told you — no contact, no visits, nothing. i'm out of it and want nothing to do with you!" her tone was fierce, eyes blazing, assuming stefan had tracked her to duke, ignoring her clear boundary.

[redibinch]

Captain Laserhawk Actor au

Dolph orginally went into modeling as a kid and ended up being lead in his first acting job

Rayman was previously on a huge show several years ago, tries not to look annoyed when constantly gets brought up in interviews

Bullfrog is also a stunt coordinator

Rayman and Bullfrog are cgi (voiced by human versions of themselves respectively) and other Hybrids are prosthetic costumes.

Sarah actually really hated all the fake blood, and grimaced having to hold Dolph. He chased her down for a hug.

Dolph, Sarah and Jade frequently kick and throw the pre-production placeholder puppets

Stunt choreographer/coordinator Bullfrog was encouraging Dolph to straddle and man-handle Alex more during the rooftop scene but that was cut :/

Rayman and Dolph dated prior to being cast, after months of rumors and headlines of a nasty rivalry, they announced they're engagement a year after the show aired

Interviewers ask other cast members about Rayman and the cast give up and slowly devolve into PR nightmare trolling

Dolph and Bullfrog were seen going home together after the wrap party

Rayman and Bullfrog went to the premiere dressed up as their respective characters as a surprise.

Dolph: It's like they came to life, this is terrifying.

[belle-dingle]

honestly it's a bit ridiculous that sarah was never involved with the john storyline at ALL. i mean she's literally his niece who's got all these chronic illnesses, you'd have thought john would have been itching to get to know her so he could exploit that to play the hero

[patheticrafeenjoyer]

hm didn't know "crew" meant "zero friends but one guy you're in a love/hate thing with who blows your back out on the regular". learn something new every day ig.

[small-z24]

Love in the Shadows Pt. 3

Summary:

Azriel's growing feelings for Y/n have not gone unnoticed by the Night Court. As his friends become curious about the change in his behavior, Azriel struggles to keep Y/n a secret, cherishing the peace she brings him.

Word count: 649

Warnings: None

Whispers of the Night Court

Azriel stood on the balcony of the House of Wind, staring out at the twinkling lights of Velaris. His mind drifted to Y/n, as it often did these days. Her presence had become a source of comfort and calm, a stark contrast to the chaos of his duties. He found himself smiling more, his shadows less restless.

But the Night Court had begun to notice.

"Azriel, are you even listening?" Cassian's voice broke through his reverie.

Azriel turned, finding Cassian and Rhysand watching him with curious expressions. "Of course," he replied, though he knew he had been caught daydreaming.

Cassian exchanged a glance with Rhysand, a smirk playing on his lips. "You’ve been distracted lately, brother. Care to share what's on your mind?"

Azriel shook his head, attempting to deflect. "Just thinking about the last mission."

Rhysand arched an eyebrow, his violet eyes gleaming with amusement. "Really? Because it seems like there's something—or someone—else occupying your thoughts."

Azriel felt a pang of anxiety. He had worked so hard to keep Y/n a secret, to protect the sanctuary they had built together. "It's nothing," he said firmly. "Just...a lot on my plate."

Mor entered the room, her eyes lighting up with mischief. "Oh, come on, Azriel. We all know something's different about you. You're...lighter."

Azriel frowned, his discomfort growing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"He's been sneaking off to Velaris more often," Cassian teased. "And don't think we haven't noticed the smiles."

Rhysand leaned forward, his tone more serious. "Az, if there's someone important to you, you don't have to keep it a secret from us. We're family."

Azriel's jaw tightened. "It's complicated. And it's personal."

Mor placed a hand on his arm, her expression softening. "We just want you to be happy, Azriel. Whoever she is, she must be special."

"She is," Azriel admitted quietly, his defenses lowering just a fraction. "But I need to protect what we have. It's...fragile."

Cassian's teasing demeanor faded, replaced by genuine concern. "We understand. Just know that we're here for you, whatever you need."

Azriel nodded, grateful for their support but resolute in his decision. "Thank you. But for now, I need to keep this to myself."

Later that evening, Azriel found himself back at the library, where Y/n was waiting. She looked up from her book, a smile spreading across her face as he approached.

"Busy day?" she asked, her voice like a soothing balm.

"You could say that," Azriel replied, sitting beside her. "They’re starting to notice."

Y/n frowned. "Notice what?"

"That I've changed," he said, taking her hand in his. "That I’m happier. They’re curious about you."

Her eyes widened. "What did you tell them?"

"Nothing," he assured her. "I want to keep this—us—just between us for now. You bring me peace, Y/n. And I don't want to disturb what we have."

She squeezed his hand, her expression softening. "I understand. And I’m glad I can be that for you."

Azriel leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "You’re more than I ever expected, Y/n. And I don’t want anything to change."

As they sat together, the library quiet around them, Azriel felt a sense of contentment he had never known before. He knew the Night Court meant well, but this was his sanctuary, his solace. And for now, he would protect it fiercely, cherishing every moment with Y/n in the quiet shadows of Velaris.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this continuation of Azriel and Y/n's story. Feel free to leave comments and let me know your thoughts!

[starkeyshirt]

Manipulated

little! rafe cameron

caregivers! the pogues

in which rafe is manipulated by more people than just his father.

tw//: manipulation, low self esteem, guilt, feeling unwanted, pushing, talk of drug use (cocaine).

<<•>>

When people hear of Rafe Cameron, their minds drift to the cocaine addicted, polo shirt wearing, bad tempered young man with a rich dad and a pretty sister. Those who know him better think of a cold blooded killer, the guilty suspect in Sheriff Peterkin's murder and an accomplice in several others. But truly, do any of those people really know Rafe Cameron?

Rafe Cameron is a boy with a complex personality, substance abuse issues, and a devotion to his father. It's hard to look at such a bad person and think, "Hmm, maybe he's just misunderstood." But the truth about Rafe is that he isn't a bad person; he's a lost boy with daddy issues to a point causing damage beyond repair.

Throughout his entire life, Rafe has wanted to please his father. He wanted to draw the pictures in art class he thought his father would like and do good in the subjects his father enjoyed. He wanted to beat his sister in making his father a father's day breakfast or in buying him a new watch. Rafe wanted to hear his father tell him he was proud of him. He wanted his fathers trust and love, he wanted to be useful and needed with every step he took.

Rafe was never a mean kid. When he was a little boy he didn't have many friends and he didn't like going to school. The other kook boys were loud and obnoxious and uncaring, and Rafe was quieter with a lazier personality. When he first started kindergarten, being his father's only child attending school at the time, he cried every day when his father picked him up and clung to him for dear life. He couldn't tell anyone why; it was that childish urge to hold onto your parents and cry and never let go. He didn't want to be in school wearing polos and khaki pants, he just wanted to be at home with his daddy.

Then one day, when Rafe came crying to his father at the end of the school day, Ward Cameron didn't bend down and scoop his distraught son into a comforting hug. Rafe could tell his father was on the phone, and even though he took his hand and led him to the truck, his father paid him no attention whatsoever. As Rafe sniffled in the backseat, he listened to his father's phone call. It was something about Sarah being upset with whatever babysitter had to watch her while their dad was at work. When they picked his crying little sister up and his father cuddled her and talked to her and comforted her the whole way home, little Rafe felt anger for the very first time. He hated his sister and his father for liking her more.

That night while she slept, Rafe cut a chunk of her hair out with safety scissors.

Rafe was never the same after that day, and he was suddenly aware of the dynamics in their household. Sarah always came first, Rafe was always second. Sarah didn't have to compete for anything, but Rafe sure did. He learned to really and truly hate his sister, to take everything from her that he could in hopes that his father would someday realize he was just as good of a person.

As he grew older, Rafe also grew erratic, impulsive, and emotionally unstable. He received little to no love from his father by the time he was nine, but he still spent every waking moment trying to receive that praise that only Ward could give him. And we all know how things went from there.

Rafe was aware of the things he's done; he knew he was wrong and the guilt ripped away at him everyday. But there were things about Rafe that nobody knew; people controlling him who weren't his father.

•••

Rafe didn't know what he was supposed to do. His brain was short circuiting, but he knew Barry was pissed.

"You do realize what you did, right man? By hurting the guy, you're putting a target on my back, Country Club!" Barry yelled, shoving his finger into Rafe's chest. He watched him quiver.

"I- I didn't know what to do! He was gonna kill him!" Rafe stuttered back, shoving his arms forward in a weak attempt at proving his point.

Barry laughed and rolled his eyes. "That's what you signed up for!"

"I changed my mind..." Rafe mumbled, rocking forward to place his head in his hands. Tears welled at his eyes and his chest was stinging.

Barry knew how to work Rafe. He had his brain wired so he performed when he needed him to but also in a way that Barry could trigger when he crashed. And Barry liked to think he was the only person who could control Rafe in that way; he helped Rafe discover that softness, and he was the only one who could access it.

Rafe's abandonment from his father caused strains on his mental state. A lifetime of fighting for his father's praise, competing for his love - well, that left very little time for a childhood or any way to relax. Barry saw it before Rafe even knew it happened. When Rafe reaches his breaking point and emotions spill from his eyes, that's when Barry can see his mind drifting away; it's a clear switch of mindsets, of headspaces, that Barry recognized well. Something he has used for leverage in many deals, and he could use said leverage to control Rafe.

The first time it ever happened, Rafe was terrified. He couldn't understand what had changed; one second he was freaking out with frustration tears flowing down his cheeks and a heat in his chest, and the next he was being shushed on the drug dealer's shoulder, soaking his shirt with sobs.

Rafe had never let himself be so weak in front of anyone before, not since that last time in kindergarten when he cried on his father's shoulder. He didn't understand what was different either, he didn't feel the switch in his brain - and if he did, he didn't understand it. All he knew was suddenly, he was encapsulated in a warm embrace much like the one he daydreamed about for many years and he had a distinct warm, calming feeling in his chest. His mind was quiet, and things were peaceful until he woke up the next morning and lost his shit again.

Things only became routine when Barry threatened him. When Barry turned him in because he was trying to be resilient against whatever mind games were being played on him, but Rafe learned his lesson. Barry was in control and he had proved that, and when he returned to the Outer Banks, Rafe came back to him like a kicked puppy with his tail between his legs.

Since that day, Barry has felt like a god; he held the remote to control Rafe Cameron, the rich and completely mentally unstable young man with a bad temper and a quick impulse to shoot a gun. Every time he visited Barry, he was freaking out. And every time he was freaking out, Barry did the same thing he did that night before he turned him in: Barry held him and let him cry into his shoulder, he whispered soft things into his ear and Rafe's mind melted away. Rafe would hug Barry tight and embrace himself in having at least one person he felt he could hold onto.

And then Barry would let him sleep in his trailer, he would share his bed and let Rafe lay with his head on his chest. Rafe didn't talk much when he felt like this, but Barry made up for it. He talked nonsense and told him stories Rafe would forget when he woke up in the morning. Rafe would never admit that he enjoyed the relaxation this weird situation brought him, but every morning after, when he was snapped out of his little daze and back into reality, he was always scared and furious. He always felt out of control of his own body and he usually had to break something to feel better.

Rafe felt the familiar fog in his chest starting to well up as he avoided Barry's gaze. He had never felt that way when Barry was angry before; he had only ever fallen into that mindset when Barry was hugging him or saying nicer things. Rafe didn't know what to make of himself, mostly because he didn't trust his mouth to say what his brain wanted it to and partly because he was afraid Barry would hurt him.

  "Are you even listening? Nah nah, don't be starting that baby shit with me, Country Club. Get the hell out of here, man!" Barry shoved Rafe away from his trailer by his chest.

Rafe stumbled, glancing at Barry with a dull and blank look of confusion and highness, but layers of sadness and guilt hid underneath. He could hear Barry shouting as he stumbled away, although he couldn't make out what he was yelling; he was far too busy watching his own far away feet to notice. He felt like he was drunk, his vision blurring and his mind not comprehending right. Rafe didn't know where to go, either. He couldn't walk back to Tannyhill from Barry's, it was much too far. And he didn't really know anybody who lived on the cut.

Rafe started thinking about the things Barry used to talk about when he felt like this. He mumbled to himself about sea animals and the beach, making up little stories as he stumbled along in a childish attempt to keep himself awake and on his feet. Sooner or later, the kook found himself walking up the driveway of the pogues' chauteu, ready to fall over his own feet or fall asleep standing up.

If Rafe was in his normal mindset, he would have never risked going to the pogues with everything going on, but with that fuzzy feeling in his chest and the cloudiness in his head, he found nothing wrong with it. It was Kiara who opened the door after he stumbled up the steps and knocked on the door. Her face dropped into a scowl once she saw him. Rafe flinched and angled his eyes down, something normal Rafe would never do.

"What the hell are you doing here, Rafe?" Kiara hissed. Rafe saw JJ come up behind her with the same scowl on his face.

"I- I didn't know where to go." Rafe stuttered, suddenly very aware of the way his words slurred and how his tone was higher than usual.

Rafe refused to watch either of their faces, but he took the silence as his response; he was not welcomed there, just as he should have assumed. The oldest started to back himself up, still refusing to make eye contact. How could he have expected anything more? After everything he'd done to them he deserved a rightful beating, too.

   "Wait," Kiara blurted just as Rafe had turned to step off the steps. Rafe hesitated to turn back around, but he did just in time to watch JJ punch her in the arm. He looked confused. Rafe didn't blame him. Rafe hated himself too.

   She too hesitated before continuing, "This isn't normal, so please inform us on what the fuck is going on."

   Rafe flinched a little. He didn't know why. He hated how out of his mind he felt. It was like he was high without the bliss, he couldn't function but instead of enjoying it he felt vulnerable and useless. And very tired. "I-"

    JJ looked fed up with his stuttering. He pushed past Kiara, despite her protests, stomping over until he reached Rafe. He then didn't hesitate to shove him with great force down the chauteua's stairs. "That's for messing with us. Now get yourself off of our side of the island."

   JJ wasn't a mean boy, but he protected what little he had and Rafe knew that. He respected it, deep down. He just never showed it and that led to actions that disrespected JJ. Rafe hated everything he'd done. He hated that he helped his father steal the gold, he hated that he stole the cross from Pope, he hated everything he ever did to hurt anyone. Rafe didn't know why he did the thing he did. He wishes he could change.

  Rafe didn't move from the dirt at the bottom of the chateau steps, shaking from his position on his hands and knees on the soggy ground. Wet earth smushed in between his fingers and made him feel real gross on top of everything else. Rafe felt his lip begin to quiver and his breathing grow rapid, and even as much as he tried to hold back the fuzzy feeling in his head, he caved. The blond boy fell forward onto his elbows in the mud, salty tears beginning to slip down his cheeks. He pressed his forehead into the mud, heaving as the floodgates opened and he was left a sobbing mess.

  Rafe just couldn't help it. He hated himself so thoroughly that he might actually do something to himself if he wasn't so afraid. He felt so lost and alone, he had nobody to go to and he didn't even understand what was going on with his body. He felt used and manipulated by everyone, he felt abandoned by his father and like a useless toy of Barry's. Still, he missed them both. As he cried in the mud Rafe wished his dad was next to him, rubbing his back and telling him, "You're a good boy, Rafe. A good boy." He wished he was in Barry's arms instead of on the ground by himself. He even wished Barry was making fun of him for being such a baby, because even negative attention would be some attention.

  Rafe was choking on his saliva and sucking in oxygen roughly and desperately when he felt two grounding hands being placed on his shoulders. He panicked initially, flinching away and diving his face into the mud even more. When the hands didn't move or hurt him any further, he subconsciously dropped his defenses and leaned into the contact. The hands pulled his upper body over and Rafe didn't resist. He still had his eyes closed when the hands placed his head on a warm lap, crying harder with the thought that he might never feel such loving gestures again - he  didn't have anyone who loved him so kindly, and he didn't even know who these hands belonged to. Rafe dropped his butt from its nearly downward dog position, flopping into the mud entirely out of pure exhaustion. He was just so, so tired. So sad and so tired.

  Rafe slowly calmed himself as he felt the mystery hands run themselves through his hair and over his neck in rhythmic motions. They were so gentle and so kind, Rafe questioned who would treat a monster like himself with so much love and care, even if it was just for a moment. As his breathing slowed and the waterworks died down, Rafe came to his senses enough to hear that whoever the hands belonged to was humming softly to him. It wasn't a tune he recognized, but that made it even more comforting.

   Shamefully, Rafe opened his eyes and lifted his red face from the lap that he had properly soaked with his tears. He felt guilty just for that. Looking up, Rafe was met with concerned eyes belonging to none other than Kiara Carrera. "Rafe? Can you hear me?"

  Rafe heard her, but he was terrified. He didn't know how to respond. Glancing over, he was met with the wide eyes of none other than JJ, John B, Pope, and his own sister. He was mortified.

  "Rafe?" Kiara, while in no way liking the other male, couldn't help but be concerned when he collapsed in a full meltdown after being pushed; Kiara had seen him function fine in far worse fights than that. Rafe didn't seem right, and although he never truly did, she knew Rafe enough to know that this was not what normal out of his mind Rafe was like. No, this was very different.

  Rafe shifted his eyes down and nodded, closing his fingers together in his lap. Kiara was just glad for some acknowledgment that he had heard her. She sighed lightly.

  "Okay, good. Can you help me understand what's going on?" Kiara asked kindly. She didn't intentionally start speaking to Rafe like he was a scared child, but when he wasn't answering her, she didn't know how else to talk to him.

   Rafe wasn't sure how to explain what he felt. He felt like he was broken and this wasn't a normal thing to feel. Without looking up, Rafe spoke quietly. "Fuzzy."

  Kiara scrunched her eyebrows together. "Fuzzy? You feel fuzzy?"

  Rafe nodded and then paused. Even quieter this time, he spoke again. "Broken."

  Without a second thought, Sarah intervened. No matter how much Rafe did to hurt her, she couldn't watch her own brother sit in the mud any longer. "Hey, Kiara? Why don't you bring him in to change."

  Kiara sent Sarah a grateful smile. John B, JJ, and Pope made no effort to help, but they separated off to the side to give the girls a clear path into the chateau. Carefully, Kiara stood herself up, extending her hands back down for Rafe to grab onto. Hesitantly, Rafe did just that, He grasped Kiara's hands clumsily, using them to support himself on wobbly legs as he stood. It took a lot of supporting from Kiara and a lot of focus from Rafe to make it up the stairs.

   Pope and John B seemed very neutral; they were neither helping not being ignorant to Rafe. JJ, on the other hand, still sent nasty glares towards him. Rafe physically flinched away from JJ on his way through the door, stumbling into Kiara and almost making them both fall.

  "It's okay," Kiara spoke kindly. "he just doesn't understand that sometimes people aren't what they seem."

  Rafe had merely nodded, but her words meant a lot. He wanted to hug her, but he didn't think she would like it and he didn't want to make her muddier.

Sarah led them both into what Rafe assumed was John B's bedroom. Most of the items in there seemed like they would belong to him and some of Sarah's stuff mixed in with it. Sarah passed Rafe a towel, which he held in his right hand while he shivered. The blond girl then went from drawer to drawer in the dressers, pulling out some shorts and a shirt she thought would fit her skinnier older brother. He was much lankier than John B, but she figured it would just have to do.

"Here you go," Sarah passed Rafe the clothing. "the bathroom is the next room to the right, you're welcome to clean up in there if you would like."

Once again, Rafe adverted his eyes back down to the ground with a slight nod. He then shuffled slowly out of the room and the girls waited until they heard the bathroom door click to move or do anything.

Kiara turned to Sarah. "Have you ever seen him like that before? I mean I know he tried to drown you and all, but something really seems to be up there. "

Sarah nodded. "No, I completely agree. Something's up, and if we want to be even average human beings and try to sort things out, the boys have to be on board."

"Let me handle them." Kiara made a finger gesture to the kitchen.

Sarah smiled fondly and copied her gesture, directing hers towards the bathroom. "And I'll check up on him."

Sarah approached the bathroom door, gently pressing her ear against it for any signs of her older brother still getting himself cleaned up. She was met with silence. Drawing her eyebrows together, she knocked lightly and spoke up. "Hey, Rafe? Are you okay in there?"

On the other side of the door, silent tears slipped down the dirty blond boy's face as he struggled to unbutton his khaki pants. He knew how to unbutton them, he did it every day! So why couldn't he do it now? Rafe let out a frustrated whine as he yanked on the pants to no avail.

Sarah heard the small whine, knocking on the door again. "Rafe, are you okay? Do you need help?"

Rafe sniffled loudly and nodded his head, despite knowing his sister couldn't see him. "Help."

Sarah opened the bathroom door as soon as she heard his small voice, nearly melting at the sight of her older brother clad in just his ruined khakis and his socks with tear tracks down his cheeks and a pout evident on his face. She wasn't sure where this soft spot had came from, but she was pretty sure this is how she remembered Rafe before their father created a drift between them. It strangely made her happy to remember him this way. "Oh, Rafe."

Sarah watched his bottom lip quiver as he adverted his eyes to the ground. "It's okay, buddy. I can help you."

And she did just that, quickly unbuckling his pants for him and allowing him to do the rest. She gave him as much privacy as she could, turning around to grab the new pair of shorts for him, only needing to help him further with buckling those properly. John B's surf shirt somehow managed to still be a bit short on Rafe but also hugely baggy around his shoulders. Sarah giggled about it to herself, finding it funny how two boys of the same height could vary so much.

Rafe was getting very, very tired. At this time of night when he felt this way, he would normally be reading bedtime stories in Barry's camper, all curled up into his side. He let out a yawn. Sarah led Rafe back to the main area of the chateau, where the rest of the pogues were spread out along the floor or the couches. Rafe shuffled his feet as he watched all of their eyes shift to him, feeling guilty and insecure with himself all over again. Kiara elbowed John B, and he awkwardly spoke up. "You can sit over here if you want to."

Rafe looked to Sarah, seemingly asking her to confirm he was being genuine. She smiled and nodded, ushering him forward to sit on John B's right. Sarah took her seat on the couch on the other side of her brother, with Kiara by her feet. JJ and Pope were sat on the other side of John B. Lamps illuminated the space and allowed for a golden glow, the TV quietly playing the news in the background. JJ and Pope were talking amongst themselves about something Rafe couldn't bring himself to find interest in, and Sarah and Kiara did the same. John B was kicked back in his seat with his feet propped up on the coffee table and his arms folded behind his head. His eyes were closed and Rafe studied his face. He thought he looked pretty funny.

Hesitantly but curiously, with a childish hue clouding his brain, Rafe lifted up his fingers and touched John B on his nose. When the other boy's eyes opened in confusion, Rafe leaned back and erupted in a fit of giggles. Despite his better judgment, John B felt himself smiling, too.

"What, is that funny?"John B asked Rafe, a chuckle of his own escaping his lips.

Rafe smiled proudly and nodded. "Funny."

Pausing to watch Rafe for a second, John B could've sworn he had seen these very same mannerisms before. The same giggles and simple happiness that shone through Rafe's eyes; John B knew he had seen them through someone else's, he just couldn't figure out who's. Then, it hit him.

"Hey, JJ?" John B shifted his attention to his blond best friend. Rafe still watched John B intently, like a bored small child.

"What's up, B?" JJ replied, shifting his baby blue eyes from Pope to John B.

John B sighed, "Do you remember that time your cousin was being manipulated by his old dealer? Years ago, before he started his own operation?"

JJ immediately nodded. "Yeah, the dude like, controlled his head. He could shift his headspaces pretty much with a snap of his fingers. It was fucked."

John B raised his eyebrows and looked over at Sarah and Kiara, who seemed to be brought to attention like John B himself was. "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

Sarah nodded slightly. "He does buy from that Barry douche. But JJ, how did your cousin act? Rafe seems to be acting like he did when we were younger, as far as I can remember, anyway. "

"Yeah, my cousin did too. It was just like he was a little kid again, and he couldn't come out of it willingly. I don't remember how he got over it, but maybe he never did." JJ put the pieces together in his head, too. It made sense; most of the dealers on this island were all the same, with the same mind games and tricks that they would use to both protect their operations and keep them running. Since Rafe was undeniably hooked on cocaine, it seemed almost certain that what side of him they were seeing was triggered by Barry.

As the others continued to chime in around him, Rafe grew very tired of having no attention. He was trying to be patient, he really was! But it was hard; he was tired and bored and starting to get hungry. Rafe brought his legs up in a crisscross on the couch, shifting around to face his younger sister. Gently, he tugged on her hoodie sleeve and started to fiddle with it between his fingers. Sarah smiled at him, bringing her other hand up to his hair. She rubbed gentle circles in his short hair, and he relished in the feeling by leaning into her touch.

"Well," JJ spoke up. "I would say we have our best bet on what happened, and the only thing left for us to do is keep him comfortable."

"What do you think, brother? You want to crash here for the night?" Sarah asked Rafe, ruffling her hair.

Rafe smiled brightly and nodded with enthusiasm. "Food?"

Kiara giggled. "Yes buddy, we can find some food."

[spider-mand]

Something something parallels. Perry's therapist would be proud (and surprised) to see he's apparently been paying attention.

2.15 'His Story' & 4.05 'Her Story'