#next scene is gonna b Quite the thing. im hoping that i can get it done Quickly

[orcelito]

Still not done with the scene 3, but I've reached 10.1k words. Just a steady march through it, ALMOST done with this scene. I'd say scene 4 is a quick bout but that's gonna b the longest scene of all probably lol. At least that's what it is in concept.

This is gonna be a long chapter.

[moonshine999]

Spill your post trailer Helaegon ideas with us please😩

hellooo, I will try my utmost best to articulate them.. sensibly

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as the teaser stands, the performances by Tom and Phia genuinely look phenomenal. It seems stealing the spotlight worthy, especially Phia. Since this is the first season we get to explore her character and also her last season because damn you writers, it looks like she’s really giving it her all and I’m genuinely so excited to see that. details? Love that they grew Aegon’s hair out, the Helaena shot of her looking up might be one most ethereal shots I’ve witnessed, the aegon strut was legit everything. things I am not much a fan of though is the costuming (for them, more so Aegon because we haven’t seen any Helaena dresses in full, at least officially). Because though I love the sunfyre embroidery on his outfit now, it literally looks no different from the coronation costume at first glance. Sure it is dark green instead of black but like cmon. Give aegon pretty costumes 😌. Also sad we didn’t see Sunfyre, Dreamfyre is understandable but come on, we see Syrax and not the most beautiful dragon in the world? Not the dragon who had the strongest dragon-rider bond in history with Aegon? Not the dragon who ends up killing Rhaenyra?? THE FUCK.

but I’ll stop complaining because the teaser is nice and these are just nitpicks about the definite bias. .

. Okay the next things I’m gonna cover are more so ideas for scenes rather than a breakdown or analysis cuz we literally got 2 shots of each of them 🥲

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🕯️Helaena’s visions

I did see quite a few posts saying/implying that we will dive more into Helaena’s visions this season. So I do think it would be interesting to understand that dynamic with her and Aegon when she has them. Like has he matured enough to understand that even though he can’t comprehend his wife, she needs his help OR he still thinks that she is acting idiotic as he did in s1. The leak that said something along the lines that Aegon will first be seen at the council, bored but then is called to attend to his queen could also tie into this. Maybe Helaena isn’t crouching over due to pain of pregnancy ,as some have speculated , but due to the suddenness or pain of one of her visions.

(also I have put a one shot surrounding this in the W.I.P folder along with the thousand others lying there so expect it in about 80 years 😃)

🕯️just them handling being king and queen

this is a pretty vague thing but literally just show them. Just show them getting along, sitting at councils, dragon riding, sleeping in the same room, all before b&c rips everything down. Even one scene of them together handling this can work, in fact just one scene of them being soft with each other would just go to show what it was like and what it could have been like had the war not happened. Just adding more tragedy to their story.

🕯️flashbacks

another pretty vague one. But as I said in this post , I really do think we should have seen them as kids, how they get along and especially their wedding. They could perhaps fit it in, in the episode of the funeral. Aegon or Hela looking back on that day, when things were arguably simpler and their only concerns were stopping Aegon from crying during sex. (IM SORRY, WE ALL KNOW IT HAPPENED)

okay more seriously though, them reminiscing on the past i.e. the day their union was first formed on the day it all broke apart. They as parents should be allowed to feel that grief, with each other and I genuinely hope we don’t get robbed of that. speaking of them as parents though…

🕯️the kids

it is actually so unsettling that half the fans didn’t even realise that they have kids until b&c started being talked about.

Again I beg, SHOW THEM. show them talking to Jaehaerys about becoming heir, how Aegon would go back to his memory of his mother doing the same to him (could also come under flashbacks). Show them trying to stop Maelor to stop crying, show them sitting with their kids at the feast, show them trying to manage their duties as well as their kids.

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but alas it’s just speculation, half of them just wishes. Let’s hope we get some glimpse of their dynamic is season 2 because my god helaegon nation is starving.

[secretbangtnn]

Best Of Me| Two

Pairings : →ot7 x reader, poly!BTS x reader

Genre : → vampireau, yandere!au, age gap, gore, obsessive behavior, ddlg/caregiver, poly, fantasy, supernaturals

summary : It’s quite unusual to find a little baby on your doorstep, especially that their area was not of the poorest - you could say that a vampire town was efficient with money and snobby creatures. However over time the first idea of just giving back the little girl seems more and more radical and those moody vampires slowly start perceiving deeper feelings to human they even wanted to kill.

previous | next

notes ~ I did it!!! Omg im so happy I finished it, hopefully the next one are going to come sooner. The first chapters are going to be with a baby oc - im sorry if its boring, but after it we can start with the real plot, the things are gonna get dark. Hope that you will like it, and remeber to give me some feedback - im whore for a comments and ask and beside they motivate me very much

taglist :

@missseoulite @gukkculture @silscintilla @the-falling-star @apollonshootafar @mwitsmejk @lovinggalaxies @b-e-t-x-s-o @jisoosbitch @ariverflowsonthemoon @maboiisuga @peachescream1723 @sichajeon

Cries everywhere. Sobbing so loud that all the birds disappeared from their little birdhouse outside the window. And as funny the view was, a big ball of stress and nerves started collecting itself in the rather calm manor. Reason of all this mess was just one, so easy to notice.

“Jungkook!” Just like a ball of nerves now the big ball of dirty blankets and clothes hit the young vampire, making him stumble a little. Obvious disgust on his face with a piece of distaste on his tongue which just a second ago had been caused by the same thing he now fisted in his hands.

“You didn’t have to throw it at me!” Barked Jungkook staring at the broad shoulders of his oldest brother. Child now a little calmer, however still sobbing slightly, keeping the atmosphere at bay.

“You have brung the kid so you will hold the things he made. Be happy that I'm not forcing you to change the diaper instead.”

Disgust on all of their faces is now being something normal, having kids in the same room as them, definitely does not go well with hundred years old vampires. The only one without a gag reflex seems to be Seokjin, acting like a pro mother, just after her 3rd pregnancy with the next on the road. However all of them agreed with the statement that it was all but Jungkook's fault, which came with consequences for said boy.

Thus now sitting on the couch, five of the ramaing vampires, looked with a bored expression at the panicked and nearly vomiting jungkook. Youngest of them always had a soft stomach, never being the one to clean after disasters, forcing people to basically clean after him, and maybe that's why all of them felt such a satisfaction upon them while staring at the shitty situation.

Literally shitty.

Stumbling a little from the intense smell, Jungkook started to try getting rid of the used diaper in his hands, holding it with his fingers dingling it as far from his face as he could. Maybe the smelly object was not the only thing that should be named like a feces, knowing that a person who should just throw the diaper away, purposefully walked closer than intended to a couch with older vampires, stumbling not that accidentally and making the thing in his hand fly straight to a lap of a reading Namjoon.

A moment of silence, only lasting for a short second. Namjoon was never the one to shout or get mad, rather prefering to act calm and well put together, believing in a peace making and solutions not requiring usage of violence but when the heavy baggage on his lap suddenly started to warm his lap, he completely crushed his persona as well as book in his hands.

“Ups...hehe.” Jungkook laughed awkwardly, knowing well his fate. Doe eyes looked at the tall man, standing a little farther than him, just behind the couch. Jaw tightened so were the hands, keeping the last strings of calmness that were floating on very dangerous water.

“Listen, before you actually do something think of the time when you destroyed my ps4 and

I did not even complain.” Hands just before him similar to the way you would to with a wild animal, and in Jungkook's opinion, it was not that far from the truth, observing how Namjoons jaws nearly crushed from the tension.

“Okay okay, we all need to calm down, It was just an accident.” Cut in red head, standing in the middle of the war zone. It was stupid idea, definetly not the brightes of the sunny vampire, even if it came from the good intentions. Hoseok, just like an innocent child that got stuck in a big people argument, was the one that got hurt in the end.

And everybody knew that when Hoseok gets mad it's the extremity that anyone in this room is scared to experience once again. There is silent agreement between the rest of the brothers that was made after one of Hoseok's outburst, promising that no matter what the devil can’t come out.

The apple of discord laying now upon redhead’s feet, innocent like a little kitten that just waits to be petted, but in this case it wasn neither a fluffy ball of fur and definitely not something that should be touched.

Silence so loud, banging in their ears with an uneven breath. Second after second, rest that were not included in the middle, counted sitting on their heels with nerve wracking feelings.They stared as Hoseok’s shoulders rose and went down with each puff of air from his flared nostrils, neither of them dared to move, preferring to stay in a safe zone.

Just as red headed one wanted to take his first kill, a loud laugh echoed in a room, coming from a little child in Seokjin's arms, that probably just came back from being cleaned up. A fresh smile on its face, eyes sparkly looking straight at the scene.

“What are you doing, idiots?” Asked Seokjin, a visible vein on his forehead, sticking out under his free hand that now pinched a bridge of his nose. His eyes catching a glimpse of the used diaper, right on his favorite carpet. “You had one thing to do, one thing Jungkook.”

“It was an accident I swear on my ps4!” He tried explaining, shaking his arms. Seokjin saw to much lived too long to believe it, everybody knew it but even than they acted like bunch of idiots when something like this happen.

“Namjoon destroyed it, you said it yourself.” Spoke Jimin, sitting on a couch with a happy smile, pleased with himself. Younger's head immediately halted in his way, a look of betrayal on his face.

“You midge…”

“I don’t care, just clean it up, in the meantime me with the little snack are going to cook something, right my little cutie?” Cuted the older while caressing the child in his arms, turning his voice in a baby one. And just like this the scene came to the same point, the only difference was that neither Namjoon or Hoseok were in the room, probably running away as fast as Sekojins came.

Jungkook sighed, squatting down to take care of the said thing. Again the disgust and a feeling of nausea hitted him with a side giggles of his blonde haired brother.

Going into the kitchen he spotted the child that looked at him as soon as he appeared. Little smile and sweet laugh, making him soft and mushy for a while.

“I hope you know that you gave us a big problem with bringing a human child there.” Seokjin spoke, not looking from a cutting board, himself to immersed in said action

Jungkook knew, earlier thinking of it like a mere action, something that they can get rid of as fast as a lollipop wrapper. But it was not, and now looking at the kid, he realized how his careless behaviour could weigh down not only on his family but the whole society of vampires.

“I’m-”

“Don’t just apologize, we need to take care of it as fast as we can, in the meantime doing everything to not harm it. If someone finds out it’s going to be a bigger problem, probably even straining the relationship with human - and that’s something we do not want.” Cuted older, in the end turning around pointing the sharp knife on Jungkook.

It was true, the delicate stattlement between those two societies is still new, fresh and hot, ready to burn anyone's fingers, anyones who is to carless. The today is a better world, something that all of the brothers know, remembering dark times - some of them being not older than mere hatchling then. World was a dangerous place to live in, vampires hunting humans, humans hunting vampires, a competition that never got settled, and they hope it never will.

“Try feeding it and come to the living room after you are done. We will discuss the next actions - good luck.” A little wink at the end, Seokjin wiped his hands off on the way patting the younger's back, harder than normally.

“Wait what?! You are not being serious right now, right?” Asked confused Jungkook, fastly turning around to an already disappearing figure. Cold sweat on his body as he looked at the smooth face of the older, that defended a flying kiss to his shocked self. “Why can’t you do it?”

“I can. But the human seems to take a liking to you.” And how absurd it sounded, the baby really looked at Jungkook like some god, sparkly eyes always following his bigger figure.

“Seokjin! Don’t leave me please, I can’t do it.”He whined, looking for the said man, to his luck he was nowhere to be found. It was going to be alright - he tried to believe in those words now clutching baby spoon, that he was sure they did not have, and a mashed food, looking more like dog food than actual meal.

His Eyes staring right into the sparkly and to obnoxious happy, making him even more irritated. In the end, Jungkook hated little children, being and acting like one himself

Little hands stretching towards him with a toothless smile on the side, getting bigger as Jungkook came closer. That was it, taking a big breath he come to the other side of the table - almost touching the stool where the human sat. Ready and determined to get the task done, treating it similar to a quest in the game, he took the little spoon with some of the smashed food, and started to get closer to the child's mouth.

And as the brothers again started to live their normal life, thinking that at least for now, everything is settled, a very obvious squeal shook the while house.

“HYUNG!...IT WANTS TO TOUCH ME! GET IT AWAY, GET IT AWAY!”

___

All of them now sitting on the couches and armchairs, taking nearly all of the space. Some of the observing the crawling baby with prominent couriousty some of them with disgust even fear, not knowing what future the baby will bring.

Namjoon although feeling the little distaste, knew or better had a plan with what to do.

Smile on his lips not reaching his eyes, however stumbling on the way of eye contact with some of his brothers.

“Okay so, definitely we need to do something with...this.” Said Jimin, look on his face full of distress and disgust resting on the child, that as if it knew of Jimin’s attention looked back full of giggles and reaching hands.

“That is obvious, we can’t keep human child.” Barked Yoongi, the one which rather prefered to stay quiet in those metters.

“Jungkook should take care of it, It’s not my fault he is to stupid to not question a left human on a doorstep.” Smug smile now on Jimin's face, as he gave the side glance to the said male, happy with triggering the younger temper.

“As If you woul…”

“Okay we get it Jimin, it was Jungkook's fault, but still it can affect us all, so try to be at least a little bit helpful or shut up” Interrupted Seokjin staring at both of them in turn. The oldest obviously tired of all of the drama, massaging his scalp, to relieve the tension a little. “Let's start one by one, any ideas?”

Silence, a loud silence throwing the tension to the already burning fire. Seokjin's vein once again appeared on his forehead, making Jungkook nearly knock from a terrifying sight of it. It was pulsating, green and bumpy.

“Maybe let’s put it back?” Asked the quiet voice, Sekojin ready to snap at the stupid idea thinking that some of the youngers don’t know limit of the unfunny jokes, only to find innocent eyes of Hoseok.

“That’s … well that is AN option, thank you Hoseok - keep it up. Any other ideas?” Seokjin’s hands molded into a thump, giving the tired smile to Hoseok, knowing of his still busing nerves.

“Why are we even trying so hard, throw it away i say.” Jimin mumbled while staring at the little child going his way, quickly putting his feet on the couch, scared of a chance of being touched by the human.

Tired sight left mouth of the olders, his vein fading a little - to Jungkook luck, and his hands now clenching his blonde lock. He was helpless, disappointed in his brother's ideas and intelligence. He was sure that, that was indeed an end, his family will be arrested for keeping human, and vampires are going to lose a peace they fighted for.

Everything because Jungkook wanted to take unfamiliar child to their house.

“What about the orphanage that opened like one month ago, can’t we just leave it there?” Cuted Namjoon, making everyone snap their head. Seokjin nearly crying, wanting to kiss his brother as much as choke him for his slow process of thinking.

“Couldn’t you say earlier?!

[honkhonkrichard]

Theory: Stanley Uris was Murdered.

Tagging @vvanini I hope you can follow this okay it’s very word vomity lol

Okay So TW because this post will touch on Stan's death ad the methods behind it

I propose that Stan Uris was murdered. by IT. In his home on that fateful night. I think that Stan posed the biggest threat to IT and therefore IT felt the need to take him out before the battle even started.

Allow me to explain.

Okay, so, I need to lay out some basic "rules" or "facts" before I make my case. They are as follows.

- IT planted it's roots in Derry, and finds it difficult to leave, but still can at it’s own wil.  If you read the book (I honestly don't blame you if you haven't) You'd know that once the Losers kill IT for the final time, Derry (the Physical town) is obliterated. Buildings explode, sinkholes appear, things are flooded. The town is in ruins by the time that the Losers leave the sewers. The movies don't adapt this so If this is news to you thats fine. the bottom line is that destroying IT destroys Derry, like ripping a tree out of the ground with all it's roots. Because of this, we can make the claim that while it can Leave Derry (as it does every 27 years) it probably takes tremandous amount of power to do so, which is why IT only goes when the cycle is over. Why does this matter? Well, what if IT left Derry to get to Stan? The murders had stopped for about a week when they're all in the Jade of the Orient. Plenty of time for IT to cross from Maine to Georgia. Side Note: We KNOW IT leaevs Maine to elsewhere in the world because of King's extended universe all interconnecting. it's not far off at all to make the claim that IT is the same evil that haunts, say The Shining's Overlook Hotel, which is in Colarado.

- IT is omnipresent This is also a given, IT lives everywhere, and can fuck with time and space in godlike (or maybe eldritch like) ways. in IT: Chapter Two, when Mike claims "IT Doesn't know I know what I know" he's unfortunately wrong, because we know that IT can be in A) Multiple places at once, B) can manipulate anything on the drop of a hat (See: Stan being teleported away from everyone else in Chapter One, Everything about Neibolt, etc) and C) Knows everyone's deep fears. This is further proven by IT Saying things like "Beep Beep Richie" (although this is Horribly Horribly executed in the films, ugh.) and so on and so forth. On top of all of this, We can make the claim that IT can exist outside of Time as well, given that IT is immortal. SO, what's stopping IT from Knowing Mike was going to call them all back (Espically considering that IT TOLD Mike to do this?). Even if we keep IT's omnipresence to the location that IT inhabits (in this case Derry) IT would still have knowledge of where the losers are through Mike. And if you take the Lucky Seven/Chosen Seven route (oh my god I got theories on that too) you could argue IT knows where they are inherently due to their cosmic status.

- Stan is the "most Powerful" loser So, obviously all the Loser's are powerful, espically considering they're the ones who Defeat IT (Again going on to the Lucky/Chosen Seven theory). This next claim is going to be less focused on what the 2019/2017 Movies do because they are Bad Movies and that's a whole other rant. However, in the book, Stan is (to my knowledge feel free to correct me on any of this) the only loser to Actively ward off and 'defeat' IT on his own without running away. He uses his belief in this what is Real (birds) to ward off what is "not real" (IT). The other losers do manage to take down IT in their own Right, but Stan is ultimately the one to Really get IT. This is because Stan's character revolves around Belief and Willpower. These are, in some form or another, the ways to Defeat IT. the ritual of Chud is a battle of Wills. in the book, Bill takes IT down and Eddie does the final blow. In the Remake (ugh) the losers can defeat it Technically using the belief that IT isn't as powerful as it claims because IT's "just a clown" (Ihatethatfuckingendingsomuchugh). Stan being much more skeptical than the rest of the group in his ability to understand Reality vs IT's illusions is a powermove, and IT knows that ability doesn't go away as Stan grows up, but rather he gets more powerful. Stan is the Only loser out of the 6 who left that has any sort of knowledge about IT, where the other losers have nothing. Bev has nightmares, yes, but she still forgets them. We're told in his chapter (Chapter 3, Six Phone Calls (1985), Part One: Stanley Uris Takes a Bath) that he has some hazy knowledge of his place in the Lucky Seven, and even goes so far as to MENTION it sometimes, even if he doesn't quite remember or understand any of it, his knowledge of IT and Derry is worlds more prominent than that of the rest of the losers.

(page 52 of IT:  "Stanley, nothing's wrong with your life!"  "I don't mean from inside." he said. "From inside is fine. I'm talking about outside. Something that should be over and isn't. I wake up frmo these dreams and think, 'My whole pleasent life has been nothing but the eye of some storm I don't understand.' I'm afraid. But then it just... fades. The way dreams do." OR  page 45: He had been smiling a little. Now the smile faltered, and for a moment he seemed puzzled. His eyes had darkened, as if he looked inward, consulting some interior device which ticked and whirred correctly but which, ultimately he understood no more than the average man understands the workings of the watch on his wrist. "The turtle couldn't help us," he said suddenly. he said that quite clearly.)

So, Stan has some cosmic knowledge of IT and Maturin and his role in the battle against It. What does any of this have to do with his death? Well, let me point out some other things about Stan's death that always stuck out to me. - His death chapter is narrated by his wife, Patty, rather than himself. The other chapters - almost all the other chapters - are narrated by their respective Loser (the caviot for this is Ben, but Ben is also wasted out of his damn mind so its understandable.) - Stan's personality is few and far between in the book, but we know he has a weird little sense of humour and that he's incredibly logical. I think that this logical part of him would be able to understand that Suicide is Never Ever the answer, and that it would cause FAR more problems than it would solve. (the 2019 movie tries to reexplain his death and it's crap and i hate the letters i hate the letters so much im gonna explode) The other losers try to rationalize his death by saying "He would rather Die Clean than Live Dirty (Page 506, Chapter 10, The Reunion, part 3, 'Ben Hanscom Gets Skinny') but he had already BEEN Dirty when he defeated IT the first time, and I think he would've recognized that. - upon finding him, Patty (in her narration) notes that Stan's head is bent back over the edge of the bathtub, so from his sight she would have been upside down. If Stan DID kill himself, why would he be positioned like that? It's unnatural, like someone Posed him. - the cuts on his arms are two length wise cuts. I'm no expert but.. that's suspicious. That's weird. - IT is written in blood on the wall. Why? Why would Stan right THAT of all things? You know who DOES like to paint with blood? IT.

Alright, returning to my thesis statement, Stanley Uris was murdered. Do I think Stan genuinely was going to take a bath at 7pm (which we're told is weird for him)? Yes. I think that's absolutely a thing he could have done or planned to do. Do I think he slit his wrists and commited suicide so he wouldn't go back to Derry? No. Not even remotely.

Let me paint a New Picture.

It's May 28th, 2016, or 1985. Stanley Uris gets a call from Mike Hanlon. Stan is incredibly hesitant to go to, and says he needs time to think about it. Or tht he'll try. He can feel the starts of a Panic attack, and as he's remembering the circles of Hell he went through as a child, he tries to hold himself together. He doesn't want his darling wife to see his break, so he says "I think I'll take a bath" and nothing else before going upstairs. he hides in the bathroom. He closes and locks the door, because, well, he's panicking. Locking doors is one of The Small things he does. Is it usually the bathroom door? no, but still (OCD is a bitch, and even with medication, but this is a special case). He looks in the mirror and tries to breathe. This is fine. He can do this. They killed IT once before and they can do it again. He thinks about his younger self, the promises made, and how he could explain all of this Patty in time to catch a flight to Maine. It's terrifying, but if his friends are going to bite the dust, he wants to be there with them, wedding vows be Damned. Then he looks at his reflection again. A younger, rotted version of himself stares back at him. IT crawls through the mirror. Stan freaks out, obviously. This isn't real. This Can't be real. But IT utilizes this notion against him. It digs it's claws into his arms, and forces him to bleed out in the bathtub. IT then sets the scene nicely. Razorblades on the counter, a bloody signature on the wall, a horrible posture of Stan's neck. So on and So forth. and then IT returns to Derry. IT's a little weak, yeah, but Stan is dead. That's what matters. the Lucky Seven has now Officially broken, and the balance shifts in favour of the clown.

So that's the theory. feel free to correct me on anything or engage I have plenty of theories on this story and I like discussing this stuff :).

[anonil88]

Malcolm and Marie live blog

I don't usually do liveblogs for movies but yea.

Spoilers ahead!!

I love that its modern timed but very 70s stylized.

A tune indeed.

When you are high and drunk on success and

How the white critic reacts is why I feel like gatekeeping my scripts. At the same time some things I do make are about race or involve.

Marie sitting on the patio smoking is a mood whenever men are talking.

So he's pretentious and unaware.

Whoever chose the music for this, I feel like we would be Spotify mutuals.

Can this nigga stop pacing.

Also can he stop talking;

Marie is so tired and unimpressed.

Also little booties matter and are to be bitten.

Oooo the tension and the jazz.

Title Card over mac and cheese.

Shitty boxes mac and cheese but still mac and cheese.

Tbh i always wonder if spouses/significant others get upset when their spouses don't acknowledge them during speeches.

John sounds so much like his dad but I really hope his acting style differs from his dad a lot.

Guilty confession?

He did not profit off of his partners backstory and then not even acknowledge her.....I.....

If that ever happened to me catch me cussing my partner out during the beginning credits, the end credits, in the car, and at home.

GASLIGHTER!

The way I'm excited for Zendaya to give me some, oooo can she work with Regina King. Please on my knees I pray.

Um no that's not your job to coddle your lead.

He's a dick and the type of dick who makes himself look like a good person around other people.

If Sam Levinson is trying to make his viewers more of misandrist, it's working.

I feel like Marie has her flaws probably a lot of them and we will surely see as this continues, but Malcolm needs to learn how to apologize sincerely.

70s vibes! 70s vibes!

Them kissing and talking about criticism and dreams makes me miss a partner. A partner that I've had and haven't had.

Women really are behind every great man.

Yea sir you fucked a happy moment.

Oh visual allegories for looking in from the outside and cat and mouse chasing and looking from the outside in.

She's saying she doesn't feel noticed by you.

Gas lighter :0 he called her an emotional support dog, bruh.

I would LOVE to co-write or take a writing class held by Sam Levinson. The fights i write are very much in this same realm of reflection and anger and monologue.

Sam.....sam.....are all the sides inside of you doing okay sir?

The ugly side of dating and being in a relationship with someone who struggles with their own demons.

Honestly I could close my eyes and listen to this script being read without seeing these characters visually. Just close my eyes and get a sense of these characters like it was a radio story.

Oh. Oh this is a new wheelhouse of Zendaya acting; a different voice is like breaking through here and her expressions aren't the same we are used to. You can literally hear another character in there....hmm.

Mans is outside really fighting with his invisible demons lmfao.

Selfish ass, how after everything she said you came out of it thinking about your own craft and self instead of how you hurt her.

So she's conditional.

Me: did sam (a white man) say nigga this many times in his script or are the actors adding their own inflections. Not just the lingo used but the topic of race and directing etc. being written by a white writer about black characters is always gonna be a critique when you're writer is a white person.

Alexa play Broken Girls by Saba

He is so hurtful.

A clown nigga a clown look in the fucking mirror you bozo head ass looking like you need some Mehron clown white and a size 16 in clown shoes.

John is doing a really swell performance and reading of these lines.

He is reading her for her insecurities by bringing up his experiences with other women and that.....is yikes.

Arguments can get messy like this in real life but it takes a lot of maturity and control to either not let it get to this point or have a healthy conversation afterwards.

This film is really shot on some very crisp lenses.

They sitting there like 🚬🧍‍♀���🧍‍♂️.

Leftover Mac and Cheese and unfinished cigarettes.

The nyt etc. pay walls are so annoying, but there is a work around look at the articles on incognito or add a period at the end of the url.

He sounds like his daddy so much here, weird, this is the only part I'm eh on the dialogue it feels real but a bit out of pace in how they are bouncing off one another.

Nail scissors? So the end is not the only part he based off of Marie. 🙄

ITS A GOOD REVIEW YOU DINGUS but also its a full review they are going to critique things. She isn't wrong though he did profit off of a woman's story that was not his own to profit from.

Yes Malcolm because unfortunately all marginalized people look through a lens of life that is inherently political because of the world they live in.

He is so mad and upset and had a lot on his chest. But I think he Malcolm and Sam are talking about something thats an issue and a non issue. Being critiqued for you art is hard but also Malcolm is not super self aware. He's like a stand in figure of for example rich depop sellers who wanna be oppressed so badly they yell at others instead of examining their own personal behaviors and ethics.

Oh Marie, when you know the spark is gone and you pick fights because.

He ain't even ask her to read?

One critic I have for most of hollywood actors is they learn their cry and that is it. A change from this is Margot Robbie, I adore her fluctuations of crying being similar but the crying is carried differently for each character. If I had to say any actor that does a cry scene amazing its this woman right here (Amy Adams)

You stole her story from her and gave it away, she has a right to be upset and angry and a rubber band ball of emotions.

Citizen Kane, not the cinematography, but the story is it even that good? (Unpopular opinion but meh, maybe in my rewatch it will be better.)

But that is what people want authenticity and whatever authenticity means to them. What is real for one is false for another.

To be honest look at the criticism of Euphoria, well earned, but a lot of people were like this isn't real even though he literally wrote about his own life. People said it was inauthentic like....wtf.

Ahh the smoking is just a habit, he quit and she didn't.

CAST ZENDAYA IN A HORROR MOVIE PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING. Get Lupita and Zendaya and some more black actors preferably less known ones in a horror movie. One with a interesting script and story, directed by Regina King. Please and thankyou.

I love Marie yep that was amazing.

Behind every great man is a greater woman, one that deserves her credit for how she has stood behind. I wonder the stories of those women, what they have sacrificed or not sacrificed. Their thoughts and feelings when the world is surrounding their partner and views them as a plus one. (I'd write a short script about this but I think do I have the time, can I, or am I equipped ?)

He is a shitty person for bringing up his exes, like she even said I don't wanna know any of that.

Imagine being on anti depressents and rarely having a sex drive and then when you do your partner starts talking about their exes and tearing you apart for all your faults.

I love when you see peaks of Zendaya's cadence in roles.

Tension, what if's and he didn't even bring her up in his speech.

Marie to herself and the audience:

He is not afraid that he will loose her but as my character says in my unreleased story, "i can't wait til you give me a fucking reason to leave your ass." Malcolm expects everything in order for not even doing the bare minimum and she is only asking him for something as simple as consideration. She just wants him to be considerate. He wants to get married and considers their relationship like rolling down a hill at full speed and he cannot apologize, he cannot be considerate, and he cannot admit his wrongs. He can only offer her I love yous that he probably does mean but he does not back up outside of what he's done for her in the past. The past which was more of her experience than his and he sees his part in it as a burden. He doesn't use his own vantage point of the past to further his career he uses her. He does all of these things without a real apology or thankyou because he is not afraid to loose her.

The restrictions of quarantine and the panorama have made Sam's writing very no frills. I wonder how other films from other directors and writers that are filmed in small contained crews like this will be structured. But this was a very good movie gonna add to my letter box 3.3-3.5

Oh shit this is my song,

Ratings/overall thoughts:

Script is like a C+, B- : I could go into my heavier big brain thoughts on the script but I don't feel like it. You catch hints of it above it centers conversation on race and privilege, mainly the writers and questions i have that won't be answered but Sam did make me grow disdain for Malcolm over a short time. Which is sometimes hard to do because im one sympathetic person but the sympathy i have for Malcolm is at 0. Maybe a 2 at some scenes but then it quickly goes back to 0. Some parts of the dialogue miss the mark or hit the are off balanced. While some of it like Malcolm's bathroom speech albeit mean is really strong or their conversation when he comes back from peeing really shines for me.

Performances: B+ to A- because they carried the script further than it could of gone with less talented actors. The monologues do well to showcase their current skill levels which are already high af and leave room for anticipation in where these actors go next.

Zendaya holding a knife: A+ with a gold star. That switch on and off and on is delectable.

John being a shitty boyfriend but following Marie like a lost puppy: B+ with a good job written at the bottom of the paper, Malcolm being nervous a frantic dialed up with more realistic nervousness would have sold me completely on Malcolm's anxious waiting.

Cinematography: A and a participation award.

The mac and cheese: A+ for the easy mac. Wish it was like Annie's or Velveeta.

Cigarettes: Participation award and their picture hung up for student of the month. Why the grill lighter? Everytime Malcolm opened up his mouth Marie was like sparks fly.

The music: A++ with a prize. Whoever picked the music probably makes good Spotify playlists.

[bakusdumptruck]

Dabi Headcannons

hello :3 i hope you enjoyed your day today :) bUT ANYWAY here are some best friend Dabi headcannons!! also it’s a quirkless au so instead of his scars he has hella tats and piercings :)))

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Warnings: cussing, implied sexual themes (barely), nudity, marijuana, sexual assult

I tried to make this as gender neutral as possible! 

Ouuuu I hope you all are ready for this shit 

SO you and emo boy have been best friends since kindergarten 

After meeting, the two of you basically grew up with each other and were inseparable 

Throughout middle school and high school every one thought you both were dating since you’re together ALL THE TIME. 

Don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say all the time

You’d drive to school together, have the same classes, sit with each other at lunch, then go home together. 

Biittcchhhh you’d even have detention together

But anywayyyyyyy time skip to college days 

OFC you and Dabi are roommates

Living together was a ✨d r e a m✨

You both planned days where some of your other friends would come over and everyone would drink, smoke, and hangout 

During these hang outs tho Dabi would keep a close eye on you 

Baby boy is possessive. Even if you two aren’t dating you’re his and his only 😡no one can lay their eyes on you or even BREATHE near you... unless he trusted them 

Ouu bubs one day yall threw a party, invited all your friends and told them to invite who ever the fuck they wanted 

Bad idea 🤩

As you were sitting on the couch talking to a couple of close friends, a drunk fucker came up to you and got all up in your space

Baby you are a BAD BITCH, but you were too high and drunk to function at the moment 

The bastard came up to you reeking of booze and weed. The mf could barely stand and crashed on the couch next to you 

They started hitting on you and touching up on you without consent

hah. The fucker was boutta die. Dabi was watching the whole time.

(sorry the next part might be bad, but im trying :’-))

“Heyyyyyy babyyyy you lookin real scrumptious tonight” 

you and all your friends looked at him like 👁👄👁

“W-what are you doing here a-all hehe all by yourself?”

Normally sober you would’ve laughed in this bastards face and walked away but babes you were fucked up 

“u-uh I’m not here by myself silly hehe, my friends are sitting right in front of me”

Your friends already saw Dabi watching so they decided to just let the scene unfold, unless something bad happened before he could get to you

“Hmmm I don’t see anyone. How bout me and you go find a room and h-have some f-freaky time” *mf squeezes your thigh*

“E-excuse me I d-didn’t say you c-could touch me”

oop Dabi’s getting closer 

“C’mon baabbeeeee, just a little fuck won’t hurt 🥴I mean you’re dressed up like that so you must be asking for it. s-stop being a t-tease”

uh-ohhh they invaded your nono square 

“G-GET THE FUCK OFF ME”

you may be wondering what your friends are doing, but keep reading sweetie. I promise you’ll love it 🤩

“Stop being such a b-” WHAACKKKKK BOOM BOOMM

You best believe Dabi hit the fucker straight across the head with an empty bottle 

But thats not the only thing he did uh-uh nooppeee

Dabi pushed the fucker off of you, kicked their no no square, then quite literally threw them out of the apartment

After that situation he kicked everyone out 

During the whole thing you were still on the couch in a daze thinking about what happened and lowkey trying to bring yourself back to earth

When Dabi had everyone out and finished cleaning he went to you to see if the bitch did any damage before he got to you

“Hey bub (yes he calls you bub fight me) are you doing all right?”

You stared in his eyes and said 

“You’re pretty ya know that?”

He chuckled and carried you bridal style to bed

“You must be fucked up if you’re complimenting me so easy”

“It’s only the truth bitch 😤”

The next morning you woke up with a deadly fucking headache not remembering anything that occurred the night before.

Turning over you caught Dabi staring at you

“👁👅👁”

“fuCKING SHIT DABI WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STARING AT ME LIKE THAT”

He rolled off the bed laughing his ass off 

After his little episode he got you some medicine and food 

Baby, after yesterday you felt nasty as fuck

you smelled like a whole frat party, so ofc you decided to shower

Dabi insisted on showering with you just in case your headache came back and caused you to “slip and split your head open” 

He convinced you and its not like you two haven’t seen each other naked anyway or messed around 😗

Sooooooo ya’ll step into the shower

It was pretty big so there was some space between the two of you

you’re there minding your own business washing your face until Dabi said 

“...Since when did you get that ass” 

“😃 why are you staring at my ass”

You turned your head around to see him still staring 

“It stared at me first”

He poked it. He didn’t pinch it, grab it, smack it. No. He poked it.

“Dabi... what the fuck are you doing :D”

“Sorry... it just looked soft”

After that you both switched places and his ass was on full display

Smirking to yourself you brought your hand back and-

*SMAAAACKKKKK*

He froze and turned to look at you 

“Harder.”

And thats how you both ended up a laughing screaming mess trying to hold yourselves up in the shower 😭

“D-DABI AHAHAHAH WHY THE HELL-”

“IM SORRY AHAHAH IT JUST CAME OUT AHA”

“OUT OF EVERYTHING THO- I CAN”T FUCKING BREAATHEE AHH”

“WELL- well I mean if you’re gonna smack it at least go all out 😏”

“bye 💀”

The shower lasted about an hour due to making jokes and screaming out sad music at the top of your lungs

“AANNDDD IIIIII HOLY SHIT- WILL ALWAYS-LOVE YOUUUU- OUU FUCK”

When you two got out of the shower Dabi said “pose for the camera we look hot as fuck” 

He took out his phone and opened snap

This fucker captioned the pic “Normalize showering with the homies 🥵🥶”

Theres never a dull day with this bitch. 

[konaizumi]

A Tale of a Thousand Stars ep 10 thoughts/reaction

here we go

damn, phupha’s really been whipped from the start, huh?

awww, tian leaving the sticky notes for the next teacher

i can’t handle this, why are goodbyes so sad

you know what? im usually crazy about child characters very much but i would absolutely die for each of the children

meejoo wanting to be a teacher like tian 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

even khama tearing up at having to say goodbye and the rest of the village crying, how could tian ever leave them???

“this might not be as good as your designer clothes” ofc its not its way better

phupha you told him to leave forever and don’t even have the guts to say goodbye

the way tian’s voice wavers when he says 1 2 3

if his parents could see this group hug they never would’ve made him come back home

the parallel of him crying as he walks away from the villagers as he loses them once again

tian really said this is my jacket now

i called it, last week i predicted tian would finally see torfun’s wish and it would turn out that he had already fulfilled it

tian writing about all the things he doesn’t have to do anymore despite the fact that he is now doing those things

the product placements used to be horny but now they’re just sad

it’s the little details, like tian going back to having the parted bangs when he’s in bangkok that are a bit more stylish but when he was in pha pun dao (and when he’s back in the post credit scenes) he didn’t style his hair

tian, i’m glad you found a love for northern food but i can’t help but be reminded when your doctor specifically told you not to eat spicy food

tul knows what’s up

character A talking about character B then the scene cutting to character B sneezing is one of my favorite troops in asian media lol

dr nam also knows what’s up (and everyone else in the village)

i think i understand tian a bit better bc i feel like last ep i was kind of confused why tian just accepted leaving when there wasn’t anything truly forcing him to do so, but i think it’s bc tian has always had this mindset of following what his parents want so he thinks of that future with his parents as somewhat set in stone even if the path there is flexible, so even though i wish he hadn’t had to leave the village i do think it’s important that he had this period of realizing that he can choose his own future

i like mr winai, he’s cool

the metaphor of the flower being tian, when he’s coddled too much by his parents he withers, but when he really experiences life and faces it he blossoms

also “the place that fits you will make you grow”

it must be so frustrating for tian to have gone through all that, to have finally put his all into something, to have experienced all the ups and downs and then to have everyone reduce that experience to just “a rich kid having some fun pretending to struggle for a little while”

okay but how prestigious a university do you need to go to for teaching tho? like not to reduce the difficulty of teaching or anything but does he really need to go overseas?

what with nam flirting in the eearly episodes, i wish he and the show had treated the wedding more as his wedding than just an excuse for phupha and tian to reunite, like marriage is kind of a big deal

“are you having a date?” yes

lol he’s marrying p’amp

unpopular opinion maybe but phupha’s suit is lowkey kinda ugly

on the other hand, yod and rang look fantastic

now i do think it was important for tian to finish his degree and spend the two years teachings but in an ideal world they would’ve reconnected at the wedding and kissed and gone back to pha pun dao together

poor tian tho, thinking phupha is specifically avoiding him, that shit hurts

i still can’t tell if phupha was actually avoiding him bc i feel like if he was he wouldn’t’ve come back and he seemed surprised to see tian

yes, good job nam, get his phone number

phupha, you coward

the song that plays when phupha comes is so good and the lyrics fit the situation so well, honestly this whole sequence of phupha staring at him then tian returning back home while this song plays was for me one of the most emotional scenes this ep

“it keeps my heart warm”

tian, no amount of distance will make you forget phupha

more sad product placement

in ideal world #2 phupha would’ve goon to the airport to stop him not just send him off

also, tian in the black turtleneck with phupha’s jacket is a look

that phone call though with the long silences as neither is quite sure what to say and they’re too emotional to say more

the whole airport scene has really got me fucked up

just everything about it

phupha saying he wouldn’t be able to forget him and he doesn’t want them to forget each other

that hug tho

and then the second one

and the mom’s reaction has me cracking up, poor woman is the only one with zero context for this whole interaction

kiss him on the lips you coward

okay but the rangers taking over as teachers while waiting for the new one is adorable

also the kids teasing phupha about tian some high quality content

“where is the angel now?” “In the US probably” “he just avoids saying it directly” im gonna say it again but i would die for these kids

i think my biggest complaint about the ending is that we never see tian’s reunion with the kids, i kept waiting for that

okay but did tian suggest faking the security threat or did one of the other rangers suggest and tian was like “perfect”?

its sweet that he buried the notebook on the cliff, that’s where torfun would want to be put to rest

phupha, what did you see your endgame being if it wasn’t tian returning to pha pun dao?

also, earth looks really good in the lighting of the sunset

then earth’s softer version of the OST in the background (i still like aye’s version better bc its amazing, but earth’s is nice too)

lol phupha used a pick up line on tian

the post-credit scene gave me life, it is everything

the hug from behind

tian just stepping on phupha

tian’s “beg me”

phupha is so fucking whipped and tian knows it

“just sleep?”

when gmmtv decides to make our skyy season 2 there’d better be 50 whole minutes of just scenes like this for them

the way they’re laying in bed parallels the first time they slept next to each other

i can’t believe it’s over, y’all, like what a journey, i truly wasn’t expecting the story to be so emotional and dramatic but i really have loved it so much and while i’m glad we’ve finally gotten to the happy ending, i’m so sad to say goodbye. i don’t think fish upon the sky will be quite as good or be so impactful, but nevertheless i’m excited to start that next week and i hope it will be a good addition to frigay and give me something new to be excited about each week

[turkishdreams]

before i get to giffing this week’s episodes..

i normally don’t do write-ups for baht oyunu or ada masalı but i just had some thoughts that i really wanted out of my head. this got a bit out of hand and became longer than i intended oops 😅 and ofc, beware of spoilers!

so this week’s episodes of both baht oyunu and ada masalı dealt with quite a lot of pain and heartbreak, which really put my shipper heart thru the wringer. but that’s what we get for clowning and investing as much as we do, right? 🤡

i really wanted to give a special shoutout to AM for finally having all the cards on the table. a lot of the times with dizis they tend to drag out the miscommunication and lies to no end, but seeing them confront all the lies and deception in one go was so flippin’ refreshing. not to mention, that scene where haziran and poyraz were locked up in that hotel room and just hashing everything out.. that deserves all 👏 the 👏 awards👏 their acting was so well done, i had tears in my eyes by the end. 

and you know what? i also really appreciate that the writing gives haziran a lot of credit for trying to fix her mistakes and still wanting to stick around as opposed to her moping around and leaving the island out of self-pity, which is what we normally see. even just her locking both of them up in the hotel room just so she could have a chance to present her side of the situation was legendary behaviour, but for her to step out afterwards and claim her mark on this island, knowing she would be ostracized and heckled was the cherry on top. im HERE for this queen shit 👑 they really don’t write female characters like this so i'm just so excited that we’re going somewhere new that i personally haven’t experienced before in diziland.

also, thank god that 🐍 hakan got exposed for the lying cheat that he is as well. i was so worried that he would still get away with all his crimes and just blame it all on haziran, but he also got what was coming for him and i’m just so pumped about that. sure he got away by the end of the episode, but that ass-whooping was SO satisfying.

of course, the next couple episodes are gonna be pretty intense and filled with a lot of pain, but they’ve ripped off the bandaid at this point and now everything just has to settle down and heal. which means they can get back to falling in love without any more hurdles and lies!! what a win, right??? like honestly, as a viewer & fan, i feel respected in a sense bc they’re not wasting our time with any more intricate lies and we’re finally getting down to the bottom of things, we’re not beating around the bush anymore.

which leads me to baht oyunu..

trust me when i say i actually enjoyed this latest episode a lot, purely for the angst. but at some point, the can of worms has to come out, right? and the lies just keep piling up, there’s no end to it. the worst is that SO many ppl are becoming involved, right down to ada’s prof - who’s a real one btw - for not clarifying with bora that ada never graduated.

i hate to compare, but after seeing this week’s ep of AM, it’s hard not to wish for something similar to happen in BO bc as a viewer i’m starting to get confused about who’s in on all the lies and who’s not. as far as i can tell, the major lies seem to be that a) ada’s married - happily and b) ada graduated, but because of these lies, a lot of smaller lies have stemmed like selin being married. 

i know with a show like BO where everything is more light-hearted, we can’t expect the same sort of fallout like poyhaz had in AM but man it would be really cathartic. i just want all cards on the table, i want everything cleared up so that adbor can also move on and fall in love without anything burdening them. with the way the show has been going so far, i really thought they would be switching things up and having a confession earlier on, but i’m starting to think we’re gonna have to wait for it just like every other dizi. i hope to god i’m wrong tho. 

also, if we really think about it, why would bora even be personally affected by these lies? like she basically just lied on her resume and got the job, and is amazing at her job. if bora wasn’t already falling for her, would this really be that big of an issue to him? it shouldn’t matter, right? the most this would be is a breach of contract, a breach of trust, but the longer they drag it out, the more involved he becomes (unnecessarily). she didn’t exactly do him dirty by lying and getting the job, she got the job for her own means, not as a favour to him or anything.

the fragman for next week’s ep doesn’t really make me feel any better, but obviously i’ll still be around, esp to see jealous bora lol. idk, i just feel like it’s really unfair to both ada and bora’s characters to have all this be so dragged out, esp considering how much all this is weighing on ada's conscience and how supportive bora has been this whole time. 

bora continues to surprise me with how he's ALWAYS there for ada and notices the tiniest things about her. he's becoming one of my fav characters in any turkish dizi. which is why im equally as jumpy to see how exactly he would react when all the truths are exposed. i highly doubt he'll be as erratic as poyraz, he'll more likely be very emotional and disappointed. and he's been trying to connect the dots since the beginning instead of being totally blissful so when exactly do we get to see the outcome of that? atp im more impatient than he is for everything to be laid out 😅

all in all, these episodes were still fantastic and we better gear up for more pain coming our way before our mains get the peace and love they deserve 🥲 im gonna get to giffing tonight so if you have any requests pls hit me up (that is if any of you are still reading). also if you like these write-ups, i might do more in the future 😊

also also, im lowkey thinking about making a twitter account so that i can be engaged in the dizi fandoms in a different way and possibly share more of my thoughts, is that something you guys would be interested in seeing or nah?

EDIT: i did end up making a twitter account, check it out @ xturkishdreams if you wanna give it a follow!

as always thanks for the support, until next time 💖

[theabysswatchers333]

The Walten Files Theories:

I rewatched the series and I have some new theories and my guess on the timeline. If anyone saw my previous theories about Jack being in Boozoo. I take that back. I struggle to see faces and I got Charles and Jack confused. Anyway with theories from my brother I think I understand the Walten files a lot better now. But of course these are just theories or guesses to the story. I went all out and spoke on all my theories because I think that's what your supposed to do. Since the story of bons burgers isn't told in a traditional sense. My brother also helped me generate ideas so I want to give him some credit too, enjoy!

Firstly I want to cover two big mysterious. Jack and Charles. Their fates are really left to mystery. But I think we get enough clues that the peices can be put together.

Charles is the most unknown important figure in the entire series. We know what he looks like and who he was stuffed into but otherwise we don't get much else. I have a few theories on him. With the casting of Boozoos ghost and the fact that everyone Felix killed was an employee, I think Charles was an important or high ranking employee under the founders. My guess would be that either he made the animatronics, he was the person who handled the buisness side of things, or he was the highest ranking and most loyal Tech support. I think he may have been close to the founders. So close they set up opening day to be on Lily's birthday (I assume Lily was close to Charles, a daughter or a neice) I picked up on this when Linda called Lily by name in her letter. If it was someone she didn't know she would've said "opening day" or just "a birthday party" she had probably met Charles and Lily at least once to know this info. And at this time the company wasn't off the ground yet. So with that established I think Charles was killed for one of two reasons (or a mix of both) A. Jack set it up so that if something happened to him Charles got his part of the company and become a founder or B. Charles was the one who told the authorities about what happened at Bons burgers. If you remember in Rosemary's section there is a shadow that follows behind then slowly and walks in as shes stuffed. That couldve been charles. He may have picked up that Felix acted strange around his female employees (I always thought it was odd aside from Jack and Brian the majority of the deaths were woman) plus the "nows shes beautiful bit" which may have gotten Charles to keep on eye on the other employees and watch over them. But that eventually got him killed. Both theories are things Felix wouldn't have wanted to happen. When Jack is dead he acts as if he barely existed and even capitalizes off his disappearance. I think Felix while caring for the Waltens also had a big ego. Thinking he was above everyone and obsessive about his image. Which probably lead to all the deaths but especially Charles.

That leads me into my next theory. No one is in Bon. Bon is the face of the company. I think Felix's ego is to big for him to ruin the animatromic that is the company's brand. I think all the murders that happened when Bons burgers was open were entirely Felix. Even though we're seeing the bon animatronic. If you notice in Rosemary's part, bon had human hands. Separate from the suit

See? The suit is covering someone human. At this point Felix couldve been wearing the suit. But later it was probably impossible for Ashley and Brian to be killed by Felix. Which Leads me to my next part.

We can tell by Ed and Molly possessing their rabbit that the bodies don't have to be inside the animatronic for them to be possesed. While Felix obviously didn't die he still could've possesed Bon in some way. Like a poltergeist situation, where his guilt was so extreme. Plus his heightened emotions when he killed wearing the bon suit. It left Bon possesed by his energy. I think this makes sense as Bon is clearly hunting for Sophie. However he doesn't know what she looks like and is just randomly attacking employees that have the same uniform. So it doesn't make sense that Jack or Felix are actually in the suit.

I actually think that after Bons shut down the bodies were removed from the animatronics. All the animatronics have the same large holes in their chests. Which don't look like regular wear and tear. This is probably also why they could be reopened and reused as the biohazard was removed before they were stored.

Billy is dirty but doesn't have any holes, as he wasn't stuffed with a body until after he was put into the storage facility. Bon probably had blood on him from Felix and had to be cracked open, Sha was also opened. If your curious as to why Police didn't just take off the top layer and expose the exoskeleton. The inside of the animatronics probably had evidence that they took in. Like hair, blood, nails, or if you think some were stuffed alive (like Susan), scratch marks.

Now after those linked thearies let's go back to Jack. A lot of people wonder why Show bear wasn't apart of the show stoppers. But with the estimated timeline were shown. Jack was probably murdered first after Ed and Molly died. I theorize that A. Jack is in showbear and B. Showbear was in the showstoppers but Felix became paranoid or because it was his first kill while drunk he wasn't able to hide the body properly so he dumped the whole animatronic in a well. Probably just off the Bons burgers property.

With all those theories laid out im gonna give my estimated and theorized timeline

Jack and Felix co-founder a restaurant and name it Bons Burgers. They start to hire employees before it opens and set up the opening date to be on Lily's birthday. Which is Charles Neice or Daughter. Charles was close to the Waltens and Krankens and probably did behind the scenes work on the buisness or was a loyal friend they hired as an employee. Before opening day Felix is asked to take Ed and Molly to a school dance and drop them off at home. He takes them to the dance and drinks while he's there. He then starts to drive them home. Combined with his drunk driving and the loose laws on seatbelts in the 70s; Ed and Molly are killed in a car crash. Where Felix survives. Felix buries Ed and Molly, who go on to posses their stuffed rabbit even though their still buried. Jack kept calling Felix more and more panicked. Felix probably lied and said he took them to bons burgers and lost track of time. That he felt dizzy and needed Jack to come pick them all up. When Jack got there Felix probably attacked him and thought he killed him and roughly stuffed him in showbear. But because of his drunken state he couldn't quite do it right. So instead he dragged showbear to a nearby well and threw the animatronic inside. Jack was probably alive still. In his later messages he begs for help, stating that he can't breath. Rosemary or Felix reports all three of them missing. Opening day comes around, it seems it went smoothly but for some reason Susan is killed and stuffed inside Banny. Probably alive, per the "the rabbit is starving" section. Bons burgers continues operating until Felix tricks Rosemary into the back rooms. Wearing the Bon suit. He dismembers her alive and stuffs her in Sha. Charles walks in or he's already gone to the police so he's also killed and stuffed in Boozoo. Along with presumably Susan screaming at night still alive and begging for help. Bons burgers is closed for good. Felix still wants to kill Sophie to ensure that he is never caught but he never manages to do so. The animatronics are inspected and all bodies are removed. Everything is moved to the storage facility as the case is investigated. The case probably went cold, or at least the bodies weren't buried yet as Felix was never found out. With all of them having unfinished buinsess they still continue to haunt Bons burgers. Most of the showstoppers don't seem to reanimate. Instead finding their way into employee tapes, cartons, and the arcade games like bunny farm. Bon possesed by Felix's negative energy from his murders, attempts to hunt down Sophie. Eventually after the case is either dropped or goes cold. Attempts are made to reopen Bons burgers as the characters are still successful. The relocate project start up and the three employees are sent to try and fix the animatronics. Ashley goes into the backroom and is killed by Bon and stuffed in Billy. This shuts down the relocate project for a while. Brian is hired to try and fix the animatronics again. But is stopped by Bon and is hunted down and mauled left to die. Until eventually it appears the project is successful as Sophie and Jenny seem to be new employees handling the machines in a different setting. While playing Bunnyfarm Sophie starts to, and eventually remembers her family.

Stepping back from the lore and story in their universe. I feel like there is another angle you could see the story in. I also think the Walten Files could be being told from Sophie's perspective, possibly in thearpy. These seemingly meaningless tapes suddenly Jolt memories and flashbacks. Which would also explain the random music, dates, distorted pictures, and disjointed conversations. Honestly some parts in the Walten Files remind me of my own memories and flashbacks as a person with memory problems like Sophie. However there isn't much evidence for that. But it is still possible. From that Angle the sequence of events still play out the same but instead of the tapes being haunted its Sophie's having flashbacks as she remembers bits and peices.

That's all I have! Sorry it ended up being such a long post, I hope it makes sense. Have a good day, thank you for reading!

[obx-imaines]

Wise Words - John B x Reader

Warnings: Cursing, Cliche, Father Absence, Not Edited 

Summary: John B and your relationship had gone through a lot, the three most important times you needed each other the instance was sealed by wise words. 

Word Count: 1.6k

A/N: Hey y’all sorry I didn’t post for a while, I was on vacation and now school is starting again so I need to prepare, however I have a Rafe imagine coming soon as well, I love you all so much and have an amazing rest of your week!

(Gif by toesure!!) (There is a KeepReading bar)

The Pogue Group was not a normal group. It had a bond that couldn’t be broken. It was like a mini family in the midst of the crazy land that was the Outer Banks. You came along just before sixth grade. You had lived on the island your whole life but you were homeschooled so you never really had too many friends. And you were okay with that. You mother stayed home with you while she worked online and your father worked down by the boardwalk. Your father had a brother, his name was...actually you didn’t know his first name. You just called him Uncle Shoupe. You thought he had the best job in the world so you would go down to the station and just spend as much time there as you could. So there you were, watching The Simpsons on your phone, waiting for your mom to take you home or until you were tired enough to fall asleep on one of the chairs. It was normal until you heard a boy yelling at your uncle to let him go. You looked up and saw this blonde boy who looked around your age thrusting into your uncle’s arms. Raising your eyebrows you watched as Sheriff Peterkins came in and started to calm the boy down to explain everything. Once he was half way through the story of how he was just “jumping a fence”, another boy with shaggy short brown hair walked in and demanded his friend be let go. It was a funny situation really, two boys around sixth grade trying to fight two cops. Before you knew it a snicker left your lips and everyone looked at you. You just sat there. Until you coughed a little and smiled sheepishly. The boy with brown hair was still looking at you and had stopped yelling. He came over and sat by your side. 

“What’s so funny?” 

“Nothin’ “

“Uh Hu”

“Wanna watch The Simpsons with me?” The boy looked at JJ who was staring in disbelief at how John B could just leave him for a girl who snickered at their attempts to be left alone. 

“Sure, I’m John B by the way” 

“(Y/N), but why not just John?”

“Because, now start the episode,” 

Soon, you were introduced to the rest of the group and school started. The Pogues were formed. Sleepovers together every Saturday, turned into parties and illegal drinking, and those turned into living at John B’s. Your parents didn’t mind if they were being all that honest, you got all A’s and as long as you stayed at their house on school nights and didn’t get arrested they thought life was good. Staying at John B’s took its own path in your relationship. Before anyone knew it, you both were dating. This was your third year together, how did you last that long? A lot of perseverance and tests for your faith in the relationship. 

The First Time 

You walked into the Chateau after spending a girls night with your mom. No matter how old you would get, those were always your favorite nights. 

“AYO AYO GOOD MORNING MY PE-” You paused after you saw Jonn B walk out of his room looking like a mess. “Hey baby what’s wrong?” You said holding out your arms to see how bad it was. If John B wouldn’t hug you then something was very wrong. And after around five seconds where all he did was shift his movements so he was on the door frame. He started to sniffle, wiping his nose he just shrugged. “No, don’t give me that what’s up?” After those words left your mouth he started to cry. John B never cried. He started mumbling nonsense still on the door frame with you leaning against the kitchen counter. “I can’t hear you baby” 

“HE'S GONE” He looked up at you while he yelled. His eyes were bloodshot, from alcohol or crying you couldn’t tell. 

“Who’s gone JB?” You tried to stay calm because he obviously wasn’t.

“My dad…” Those words hit you like a ton of bricks. Big John. Just gone?

“Okay, it’s okay,” 

“No, no it’s not “okay”, ITS I DON’T EVEN KNOW (Y/N)” There was silence, you didn’t know how to comfort him. So far, you hadn’t made a move to hug him. You were too scared to see what would happen. After what felt like 10 minutes, John B spoke again. “Everyone says he’s probably dead,”

“Do you think he is?” 

“No. He can’t just be dead,” At that point you walked slowly to him and hugged him. He didn’t hug back, but to be honest, you didn’t plan for him to hug you back. You just slowly shifted him to where you were both lying on his bed. Playing with his curly brown hair you hummed a song lightly. You two stayed there for maybe an hour. No words where said, what could you say? “Do you think he is?” The words John B spoke were barely above a whisper, too scared for your answer. 

“I don’t know. I will help you to the best of my abilities to help you find him. Anything that can help I’ll do, but you need to understand that he could be gone. John, don’t prepare for failure, but don’t expect success okay?” At your words he turned around to face you, his eyes were glossed over. The picture of him laying in front of you right now was too much not to hug him impossibly tighter. At some point he needed to know someone was there. 

The Second Time 

You were sitting in the Chateau, trying to make a rainbow loom bracelet from the kit you found in your room from when you were 8. Fiddling with the bands you almost scream as the screen door shuts from outside. All the other Pogues were talking about something you couldn’t quite make out, stepping into the porch they all turned to you.

“Um….” You say not really sure what to make of the scene in front of you. “I’m going to go back inside and work on my rainbow loom, y’all have fun out here and don’t smoke too much,” You finished. That was meant for the whole group but you were mostly looking at JJ. 

“Yeah, yeah,” He said while motioning you to go back inside. They didn’t tell you things sometimes, they knew each other longer and you accepted that. It wasn’t a big deal, if it was you would find out sooner or later. It must have been an hour before John B walked back in the house.

“I don’t know how to say this….” You gulped at his words, he couldn’t be break- “I may or may not have snuck into that dead guys hotel and found a bunch of cash and there could or could not be some gold and-”

“JOHN YOU BETTER RUN” You yelled. He snuck into a hotel room, found money, and there could be gold.

“OKAY OKAY HOLD UP!! That could be why my Dad disappeared and maybe if I find the gold I’ll find him.” He said holding his hands up in defense, trying to explain the reasoning behind his idiotic decisions. 

“Fine. Fine. I support you and all that you do. John B you know that. But I’m not putting myself in that position okay? I’ll help as much as I can while staying in this house,” You finished going into hugging him. 

“I love you” John B mumbled into your shoulder while you pulled him tighter into your chest. 

“I know, and hey this is amazing, I know what’s going on in your head though, all I can say from now on is never prepare for failure but don’t expect success.” 

“Wise words (Y/L/N)” 

“What can I say? I try” You say giggling into his shoulder. He laughed along releasing you from the hug and bringing you back outside with the rest of the other Pouges. 

Not The First Or The Last Time

“(Y/N) IF YOU DON’T GET DOWN HERE IN ABOUT TEN SECONDS IM STARTING THE VAN WITHOUT YOU” John B yelled from your front door. It was always unlocked, everyone on the island knew that. You sniffled a little from your room walking to the steps and going half way so John B could see your frame. After he caught a glimpse of your swollen eyes and crimson cheeks he rushed to give you a hug. You hugged back, tighter than he was hugging you. “What happened baby?” John asked, giving you a worried look. You stuttered out your words, trying not to cry.

“He- He’s- He’s gone….”

“Your dad?”

“Mhm….Mom said he was in bed when she fell asleep last night but by the morning he was gone...no possessions were taken, no note, just our boat….” John B’s breath hitched. You knew what he was thinking and frankly you thought about it too. He probably died just like John B’s dad did. 

“It’s okay baby, it’s all good. We’re gonna find him and when we do it’s all gonna be just fine,”

“What if we don’t find him John B??? He could just be gone…”

“Hey hey hey, you’re preparing for failure…”

“Don’t prepare for failure but don’t expect success.” You said going in for another hug. All you wanted was for everything to be alright, you knew it wouldn’t work like that though. So all you could do is hold on to the next best thing. 

“Wise words (Y/N), Wise Words”

A/N: I hope y’all enjoyed!! <3

[manage-mischief]

Regulus Black and The Darkest Shadows: Chapter 4

Read on AO3 or FF.net

A/N: CHAPTER TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF PAST ALCOHOL ABUSE! END OF CHAPTER! I really enjoyed writing this chapter! Hope you all like it! Thanks so much for the kind reviews, and thank you to my amazing beta @leah-ravenanne !

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 4: Misery Loves Company

September 13th, 1978

The next morning, Regulus left the Slytherin dorms early to avoid any undesired interactions. He made his way to the Great Hall to find McDrew. When Regulus arrived, he scanned the long house tables for a sign of the beefy Quidditch Captain.

Regulus finally spotted McDrew sitting halfway down the Slytherin Table with a couple of other students. McDrew noticed him staring.

“Oi, Black! C’mon, I’ve saved you a seat!” He gave a great wave and a large, goofy grin. Regulus sat down awkwardly.

“Here, Reg, let me introduce you to some of my friends. They’re not all Slytherins, but, then again, not everyone can be so lucky.” he laughed, cheekily.

“Can it, Woody!” The dark, curly-haired girl sitting across from him rolled her eyes. She glanced at Regulus warily. Regulus had a feeling that McDrew had instructed his friends to be nice.

“I’m Wilhelmina Young. Hufflepuff,” she introduced herself hesitantly.

“Oh yeah. You’re in my year,” said Regulus. “We had Care of Magical Creatures together.”

Wilhelmina nodded, warming up a bit. “I didn’t know if you’d remember. We were partners when we had to take care of that nasty Flobberworm in 3rd year.”

Regulus cringed at the memory.

“And you know Marlene McKinnon, I’m sure. She’s a Gryffindor.” McDrew continued the introductions, gesturing to the pretty blonde girl on his right.

Marlene narrowed her eyes. Regulus gulped. He was quite aware of Marlene’s feelings towards him. “Yeah, we’ve met,” said Marlene. “Although, I’m more familiar with your brother. He and I were…close…for a bit.” Marlene grinned while the rest of the crew cracked up. Regulus didn’t know how to respond to that. Sirius had been quite...active...before he’d realized his true affections for fellow Gryffindor Remus Lupin. Regulus wondered if they were still together.  

Marlene stared at him once again, sizing him up. “Well, I guess you’re alright. As long as you don’t go around preaching about the ‘Noble and Most Ancient House of Wankers’, we’ll get along fine.”

The girl sitting next to her chuckled and kissed her cheek. Regulus recognized her as fellow Slytherin Dorcas Meadowes. “Wotcher.” Dorcas nodded in greeting. “Sorry, ‘bout my girlfriend. She doesn’t know when to shut her mouth.”

Marlene playfully shoved her back and exclaimed, “You weren’t complaining about that at Madame Puddifoot’s last week!” The table erupted in laughter again, and Regulus joined them. He was shocked by how easily Marlene and the others had accepted him. Maybe things were looking up. Maybe, this whole turning his life around thing wouldn’t be so hard.

Just then, Regulus saw Woodrow wave towards the Great Hall Entrance. “Ah, here they are, late as always.”

Regulus looked over his shoulder to see who had arrived. His heart dropped. Three Ravenclaws were walking towards them. Two boys—one of whom Regulus recognized as George Fleet, the other he didn’t know—and one girl. A tall, brown-haired girl with clear plastic glasses and a fiery expression plastered on her face. Desdemona.

The three newcomers sat. Desdemona glared.

“Oi, Woody.  I thought you were joking when you said Black’d be joining us,” Desdemona said, pretending as if Regulus wasn’t there.

McDrew shot Regulus an apologetic look. “Des, c’mon. He wants to change. We’re gonna help him!”

Desdemona huffed. “‘Wants to change,’ my arse! You know what his lot did just a few days ago? That little girlfriend of his hexed Broderick in the middle of the hallway for no bloody reason! Called ‘im a Mudblood!” She gestured to the boy sitting next to her, who suddenly became very interested in his bowl of porridge. Broderick was clearly not in the mood for confrontation, or for Desdemona’s angry tirade.

Regulus quickly defended himself. “I didn’t know anything about that! And, anyways, you turned Ginger’s hair green. You got her back.”

Desdemona pounded her fist on the table, causing silverware to fly into the air. “OH RIGHT! BRODERICK HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL WING! But, my, my, I’m so sorry poor little miss Death Eater Queen had to suffer with green hair for a few hours. Poor baby!”

People around them had begun to stare. McDrew put a hand on the tall girl’s shoulder. “Listen, if Reg says he wasn’t involved, he wasn’t involved. I believe him. And you more than anyone should respect the fact that he’s trying to turn over a new leaf. As long as that’s the case, we’re going to help him do it. Understand?”

She looked like she wanted to retort, but thought better of it. She nodded, frowning, and muttered under her breath, “Fine.” Desdemona glared at McDrew, but didn’t argue. Instead, she turned to Wilhelmina. “Can you pass the toast?”

The group of friends let out a collective breath of relief. Regulus got the feeling that McDrew was the leader of this little gang. At any rate, anyone who could convince Desdemona Lewis to tolerate Regulus was impressive.

---

After the meal ended, Regulus, Broderick, Desdemona, and Wilhelmina headed down to the dungeons for Potions. The atmosphere was still tense and a bit awkward.

“So,” Regulus said, trying to break the tension, “What d’you think Slughorn’ll have us make today?”

“I don’t like you, Black,” Desdemona snapped, not even looking at him.

“You don’t like anyone, Des,” Wilhelmina replied casually. Broderick laughed. Desdemona pouted.

“I just have high standards, that’s all,” she said haughtily.

“High standards? Is that what they’re calling ‘being a judgmental bitch’ nowadays?” Wilelmina teased back.

Regulus cracked a smile, but his amusement seemed to really set Desdemona off. Broderick stepped in front of her to try and hold her back. “Des,” he said in a soothing, deep voice. “Remember what Woodrow said? We’re trying to help Regulus. He doesn’t want to be like the rest of those Death Eaters anymore. He wants to change. Remember, Woodrow told us. We have to be empathetic. We have to understand.”

“Understand? I understand! I understand that his little cult wants to eradicate Muggle culture! They don’t think people like you and me deserve to be at Hogwarts, because my mum’s a Muggle, or because I can’t prove my dad was a wizard, or because I was raised by Muggles or whatever! And I’m supposed to just accept that he’s changed? I may be judgmental and choosy about who I trust, but it’s for good reason! Because if we put our trust in the wrong person, we could end up dead!”

Desdemona stormed off ahead of them, leaving Regulus feeling as awful as ever. Despite his dislike of Desdemona’s unpleasant attitude towards him, she was completely justified. She had every right to hate Regulus. Was he being an idiot? Was it really possible for him to cut ties with his past, when his past involved such hurt and pain?

Broderick patted him on the back. “Hey, mate. I’m Muggleborn, and I still have faith you can change. If we don’t allow people from You-Know-Who’s side to change their minds and join us, we’ll never win the war. It’s just Des. You know, she’s got quite a temper and, between you and me, a ton of anxiety. She’ll come around, though. And I can tell, you’re not as off-your-rocker as that Ginger chick.”  

Regulus was shocked at how kind of a person Broderick was—how kind all of McDrew’s friends were. Here Regulus was, asking them to accept him despite the awful people he’d aligned himself with, despite the awful things he had done. And they were willing to give him a second chance he knew he didn’t remotely deserve.

Regulus forced a small smile, still considering how he was ever going to fit in with this new group.

---

Despite a rocky start, Regulus’s attempts to gain new friends had been growing more and more successful with each passing day. By the end of the week, Regulus had taken to studying in the library with Broderick during their free periods, had accompanied Woodrow and Marlene on an adventure to visit the House Elves in the Kitchens, and had even managed to have a thirty second conversation with Desdemona that had not ended in screaming or cursing.

By Friday night, Regulus whistled happily in his dorm while he put gel in his hair before the year’s first Slug Club dinner. He had felt freer and happier than he had in a long time.

As Regulus strolled towards Slughorn’s office, he heard a strange whimpering. Curious, he followed the noises down an unfamiliar corridor, where he discovered their source—Desdemona. She was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, quietly crying. She was dressed up for Slughorn’s party, in a midnight blue dress and silver shoes. However, her makeup was running down her face, ruining the aesthetic. Her fingers were tapping noticeably at her side. Regulus was about to back away from the scene when she looked up and noticed him watching. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

“What the bloody hell are you looking at?”

“Um, I was just…going…I’ll leave you to it,” Regulus sputtered. He felt a pang of regret in his chest. Sure, he and Desdemona mixed about as well as oil and water. Sure, they had been hellbent on outcompeting and insulting each other for six years now. However, in the moment, she seemed vulnerable. He sighed, sure he would regret his next decision. But, he was trying to turn over a new leaf. And that included rectifying his past mistakes. Maybe, this could be a start.

Slowly, he approached her and slid down the wall, taking a seat onto the cool stone floor beside her. He awkwardly patted her shoulder. “Er…everything ok?” He winced at his tactlessness. Clearly everything was not okay.

For a moment, Regulus thought Des was going to snap at him. Then, her face melted and she took a deep breath. “Do you really want to know?” She asked, leaning her head back against the wall and staring up at the ceiling. She tapped her fingers together more rapidly. Regulus didn’t quite know how to respond, so he simply nodded his head, inviting her to continue.

“My mum. She…ah…she died.”

Regulus’s heart sank for her. He was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say to comfort the girl? “Oh. Sorry,” was all he could muster.

She shook her head and laughed emptily. “No. I shouldn’t be shocked. In fact, it’s a surprise it took her this long.”

“Was she sick?” Regulus asked.

“In a way.” Des furrowed her brow, as if considering whether to divulge any more private information. “I guess I can tell you. Since I’ve been ordered to be your ‘friend’ now.”

“I’ll ignore the sarcasm,” Regulus quipped, hoping to put her more at ease.

“What a shame,” she replied. After a brief pause, she continued: “My aunt always says it’s best to share your thoughts and emotions. ‘Don’t let yourself be controlled by them.’ I tell her that’s bullshit. If people knew half the things that went on inside my head…”

She paused, stopping herself. “Well, anyways,” said Desdemona, returning to the story. “My mum kind of…lost it…when my dad died. She had run away to the States to be with him. Given up everything. The family hardly approved, but she was head over heels. Hippies, the pair of them. Hence the name,” she gestured to herself.

Regulus chuckled. “Oh right. Desdemona Rain.”

“Awful, isn’t it? Anyways, dad died—I don’t know how, none of my family does. Mum wouldn’t tell them. After that, she brought me back to England. She started drinking. A lot. And then, one day, she left me with my aunt and uncle while she went to the store, and she never came back. I hadn’t heard from her in over ten years. Last my aunt had known, she was in some sort of rehab center up north. She…she didn’t want to see any of us…she didn’t want me to visit…” Desdemona took another deep breath. “The center…they—they called Aunt Eliza yesterday and said she had been released, then relapsed and OD’ed. I just found out.”

Regulus watched her as she attempted to steady her shaky breath. “I’m sorry. Do you…do you want me to walk you back to your dorm or something?”

“No, no,” she said, “Please don’t be nice to me. It makes me feel pathetic when you’re nice to me.”

Regulus laughed lightly.

“And besides,” she continued, wiping the makeup from under her eyes and smoothing her dress, “I can’t very well go back knowing that you’ll be hogging the time of whatever influential person Slughorn has brought for us this evening! Git.” Pulling out a small pocket mirror, she examined her reflection and dabbed away the remaining black streaks on her cheeks.

Regulus stood and hesitantly offered a hand to Desdemona. To his surprise, she took it and pulled herself up. Regulus awkwardly dropped her hand and spoke. “I’m sorry, Desdemona. Truly. I know that the things I’ve said and the people I’ve associated with in the past have hurt you. I don’t know what to say besides I’m sorry. I like to tell myself that I never really believed those things, that I was trying to fit in and make my family proud. But, I didn’t try to stop it. And any pain I’ve caused you—directly or indirectly…You don’t deserve to be bullied or put down because of who your parents were or how you were raised. But if it makes you feel any better, I’ll say this: you’re an amazing witch. Probably better than any of the rest of us.”

“Wow. Can I get that in writing?” She joked. Then, seriously, she said, “Please, call me Des. I think I can allow it, seeing as you’ve unlocked a piece of my tragic backstory. I expect you to return the favor someday.”

“Come on, we’re already running late. Let’s go…Des.”

[modern-oedipus]

Total rant that may trigger tpn fans, also spoilers

Oh god, the new chapter.

It does look action packed but I’m almost sure we are fooled again and everyone will be just fine. Emma being Emma and saying “Let’s go to Grace Field”, like, I know they eventually would but the same repetition over and over is getting too sour and making me bored. I bet everyone will be saved flawlessly and it’ll be all happy dovey. Also, Noremma scenes, b r o I just dooooooon’t like that ship, like, I’m not obligated to like that ship, I love Emma & Norman as characters but seriously, this is yet another lame thing, but like; since TPN getting very lame plot wise, I don’t think it’ll be a big surprise if they end up together, since that’s lame and predicted as well and hence quite suitable to the plots after goldy pond arc.

There ARE scenes I loved though, such as appearances of other characters like oliver, lambda gang, everyone in shelter, Don, Gilda etc.; a crowd kept chapter dynamic and drawings were good. Also the way they make the story flow in drawings & their plot line is good. It’s the plot itself that’s very disappointing, but Demizu did best she could to draw whaever she was supposed to; and she’s good, I don’t think Shirai is a bad writer either, I really don’t think, so maybe there are outside forces that makes the story have a stupid turn like it happened back in when Bleach was rushed to end (absurdly) by shonen jump? Maybe they are worried that now that they have a community it would not sell if they made big plot changes? I can understand, they make MONEY from tpn after all, they must have been seeing many more parameters; but like, why... I really, really don’t like the story and the chapters anymore, and it’s making me sad. I want to love them, I want to love TPN again, but all these gross Emma scenes that are based on zero logic pure author-favors-protagonist mood are just... killing my vibe so much... I can’t even take this show seriously anymore. How many times did the chapters end in a cliffhanger for nothing to happen later? Like, The Queen rised behind norman as a cliffhanger, then, it was Cislo who got his leg cut off, and then Queen died, so no danger. We panicked seeing everyone in shelter were lost but in the end they were brought to Grace Field, which means they all will probably be saved and we are just FAKED into an excitement again, no real issue going on. Even Norman’s breakdown was brushed away, like, not completely thankfully, but it... just... sorta... happened easily? Like how queen died by herself lol. Like, after building shit up for 150+ chapters maybe we expect some real thing to happen, lol. Or maybe that’s the message they are trying to give— “you dont need glorious shonen jump actions to do this,” etc, but idk.

Long story short TPN is disappointing again. I’m just sick of being annoyed as I read chapters where they leave a cliffhanger, solve the cliffhanger with NO PROBLEMS in next chapter, and leave another cliffhanger, and the cycle continues. Wasnt this supposed to be a psychological thriller or something lol. we are not kids, and clearly the audience isnt kids (wellll i wouldnt want children to watch tpn like wtf are they gonna do??? Fear their lives??? Tpn should be at least teen and up audiences, do u know how much trauma it could give to a kid if they learnted that technically, moms could sell them as food), but all the plot recently is like they’re directed to kids.

That’s why it’s best if I had no expectstions. I usually have no expectations on something unless I really love it. But ugh. Guess that’s what I get. I think I won’t read the next chapters until I prepare myself to accept disappointment.

And I hope, I H O P E, there comes a day where I reblog this post with good manga caps saying “GUYS I WAS WRONG, I WAS FOOLED, HAHAHA LOOK THEY DID THIS BRILLIANT PLOT TWIST AND WOW IM AMAZED”, but I really think that’s n out gonna happen. Either I’m being very fooled by Shirai or plot is super lame.

Not tagging shit except spoiler tags cause I don’t really wanna start a discussion, just wanted to vent my feelings for the shitty chapter

[cruddyborderlandstheories]

omg okay so i was totally ignorant but now i am enlightened because the brilliant @h00f sent me the booth video recording and im dying over it so here we goooo. i recorded it and uploaded the vid into davinci resolve so i could zoom in and also go through frame by frame.

tl;dr: so its all good its all good UM TYREEN’S TATTOOS WENT MISSING ON HER FOREARM AND THEN SHE SUCKED A MONSTER AND THEY REAPPEARED so it’s all good it’s all good im not having a crisis. im not. i thiiiiiiiiink we see the Vault of Promethea (the one with the cranes, but lilith also says “wherever the hunt for the vaults takes us” which throws me off a bit. still kinda think it’s promethea tho).

so not what i was expecting to be doing at 2:32 am but you know what? this is okay, borderlands gives me literally infinite energy

and new content? HOH BOY i am going to go so fucking in depth. hold onto ur horses. i was working on my mock intro to the game but this is so much better

UMM?? HOLY SIHT????

THAT’S THE SAME TILE AS THE ONE IN THE TEMPLE

I THOUGHT THIS WAS ON EDEN-6???

same tile on the wall on the right there

those guardian statues have staffs!!! that’s so rad, like the Watcher and shit, they also have less big necks?? or they might be bowing down. they look a lot more humanoid than the guardian/eridian statues im used to!!!

like as far as i can see they don’t have the butt spikes? maybe these are just super well preserved and thus not broken/spiky/cracked!! I do think the staffs are awesome! I know the Watcher carried one and so do some in TPS (I don’t recall seeing any in bl1 with staffs? im pretty sure they used their energy claw things) so maybe these are a higher tier of guardian than the ones we see in bl1? (which, if the Eridians wanted us to open Pandora’s vault as punishment for stealing fire the tech on Promethea, then that would make sense)

AND THE CRANES! and the buildings!!!!! is this Promethea’s vault? there’s something in the sky near the moon (?) so i thought maybe that was the asteroid belt but... it’s only condensed in one area..? 

it looks like a rocky place (you know, the quasmarian quarry Typhon mentions?!), i could see it, it looks super well-kept!!! my only problem?? it’s not underground/next to a cliff or anything. i guess it’s actually possible with those cranes and shit that it’s been excavated completely

i think we walk out of a temple here, which makes me think this is connected to the temple with all those monster dudes in it (also i can’t be the only one who thinks the blue sparkles on the statue on the far left makes it look like it has a shiny thicc butt. i CANNOT be the only one)

you know this one

well ACTUALLY in the We Are Mayhem trailer we DO see one of these guys!!! he’s on Maliwan’s side as the VHs are running across the bridge and im pretty sure that is Promethea!

IM PRETTY SURE

the neon lights and shit make me think it is in fact the city!!! maybe a part of the city that’s been totally overrun by Maliwan??

okay im certain this is promethea, those turrets we 100% see in the gameplay reveal trailer (below)

i thought i recognized that silhouette!

so unless maliwan is carting those demon dudes from a different planet to use in their army, I’m going to guess the huge ass temple was excavated from when Typhon found it (explaining the cranes and buildings) and Maliwan maybe took control with the CoV and somehow?? got control of those big demon boys. not quite sure tbh

OKAY SO THIS IS SO AWESOME ASDFGFHGJFK IM NERDING THE HELL OUT I LOVE ERIDIAN STUFF AAAA OKAY SORRY IM JUST ADSFSGFHYDJUK

AND THIS ONE LOOKS SO TINY?? I AAAA I KNOW IT’S NOT BUT??

THIS FEELS LIKE IT WOULD BE THE VAULT ON ATHENAS (IF THERE IS ONE) THOSE STAIRS (??) ARE GIVING ME THE VIBE. THERE IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT A LOT TO WORK OFF OF HERE, BUT THE PROJECTION THING IT’S DOING IS NEATO!! 

okay so this is either paint or light. and i can’t tell if that’s a person up there or a statue or something? I feel like i can’t almost see a cross or something so...

THEN IT CUTS TO THIS? AND HOLY STARGATE VIBES BATMAN I LOVE IT

i have a huuuuge feeling at least one of these Vaults is going to appear in like a cutscene of a flashback where Rhys and/or Fiona describe what happened at the end of Tales. The reason I’m bringing this up right now is because this Vault is just... in a void. There’s nothing around it except that gradient which is really bizarre to me.

JUST

ALL OF THIS

HOLY HELL THAT LOOKS LIKE A FORTRESS IN THE BACKGROUND MAYBE THAT’S WHERE THE TWINS ‘LIVE’? I IMAGINE THEY HAVE SOME SORT OF PLACE TO SLEEP AT THE VERY LEAST

it has the mouthpiece shape on the top up there? although i guess that could also be a VERY crude statue of someone raising their hands to the sky?? but it looks like the mouthpiece symbol. 

another shot of the HBC

intro to the rc

what i am assuming is the back area of the RC? but uh... given what we saw above, maybe this is in their fortress area???? imagine lilith teleports away because the twins stole the key from us and we have to sprint to their fortress base and when we get there it opens into a cutscene and Lilith is crawling on the ground away from them

mhmhmhmhmhmmm

heyo look at those shapes and colors on the left there. you know exactly what im gonna say

im gonna say it anyway

inhale atlasatlasatlasatlasatlasatlasatlasatlasatlas

okay i think i got it out of my system

it could also be dahl architecture (because it looks very very similar to the RC) painted with the colors of the CoV. Could also be that. 

i do think it’s interesting because this is almost the exact same shot as this!!

which means this is here

and i can 100% see this being in their fortress (???) and not the RC. The RC has that huge area in the back we don’t explore yet, so it could be there but... now I’m thinking... what if that’s just so we find the clue that the sun smashers gave the key to the twins in the HBC? Like i know i said the room Shiv comes out of is gonna be it but... maybe the whole area is just for quest stuff? or there’s a loot room or smth. idk. it’s good to keep ur mind open to alternative possibilities, is all

we get to learn what color Tyreen’s power actually is! ... I think? I’m pretty sure. like im hopeful this happens before she steals Lily’s powers...? but?? anyway although the vid is washed out, if we look at the shot from the dev trailer, it seems to be purple/red. I thought it was straight red, but guess not. Unless this IS after she stole Lily’s powers and that’s why she’s looking at it like that LMAO. i don’t know!!

Troy with a little robot buddy! Did he build that?! it’s adorable! it reminds me of the one in the RC but without a snake body. I wonder if his body mods/arm/neural implants let him control it. that’d be so rad

... why did the background start glowing???

ty in the hbc!!!

same shot with troy. i think this is the same cutscene as the reveal trailer one (VS the Calypso Twins) just at a slightly different angle/animation

oh shit is that a demon boy in the background? i think it might be

definitely looks like the temple area!! those spikes look like they could’ve been part of one’s wings, you can even see the thin skin bit stretched out on the left next to tyreen. also... is that an eyeball on the part in the middle there? that’s horrifying. no thank you.

so far, literally the closest we see Troy near one. This is 100% after he shed the monster skin like a snake. ... I’m kidding. mostly.

also i can’t believe my art of the twins giving the rock on symbol is actually legit. i posted that literally the morning before their personalities were revealed in the demo, im so happy

if this is not the video we see in Shiv’s room I’m gonna be so disappointed. is that a sword behind the box? Also i think i understand why the Map Machine Broke now. I am under the assumption this happens before they steal lily’s powers, but it’s entirely possible it’s after! this looks like the area they steal them in, so maybe lily sees it on live stream and is like “NOPE FUCK THIS” and teleports in to steal it. that’d be really interesting... still hoping they steal her tats after the HBC tho. im gon b really upset if they dont lol (not really, because it’s fucking bl3, but like... why would u then go put the map with mouthpiece... why...)

troy has his tattoos here! that or his skin has been peeled off and he’s losing a lot of blood. let’s say he has his tattoos so i can sleep tonight :)

cuts to him catching the key? almost want to say this is a different scene entirely than the previous one. same area, probably though

hmhmhmhmhm the fortress (?????) doesn’t seem to be connected to a rock wall at all (it’s elevated on like a plateau) so you know what, maybe this IS in the RC afterall!

fuckin mlg over here

oh it stops glowing again. you know maybe its on like a timer/pulsing or something. maybe that’s not important lol

back at the monster. why does tyreen look nervous/in pain? AND WHERE DID HER FOREARM TATTOOS GO???

OH MY GOD

THEY ONLY START REAPPEARING AFTER SHE DOES THE SUCK ON SOMETHING BELOW HER

WAIT HOLD UP

 UMM 

wTF???

i think that’s the horn or part of the monster they were sitting on/had killed???

holy shit. are tyreen’s tattoos/powers temporary and she has to continuously suck the life force out of stuff to keep them going??????? maybe stronger stuff = longer battery life??? holy shit.

troy in jakobs manor! explains the psychos with tv heads being hung everywhere

i was about to say this was the HBC but its not. ‘HOLY CHILDREN’ maybe this is where the VHs are walking forward with the giant spike head behind them. you know, this area?

altho that would be the outside of it. ACTUALLY maybe this is the entrance to the fort?? the walls like like castle walls lol

what in the holy fuck is that thing??

it looks like a fucking dragon??? sitting on a wire ball?

where the heck is this? in the temple area maybe? i don’t ever remember the floors glowing, but they do look similar. 

oh and the twins shake forearms again. maybe Tyreen is giving Troy half her powers or something and whenever she does her tattoos start to disappear so she has to suck more energy from other stuff to keep them present??

to this shot, so it’s a possibility. maybe they figured out how to “activate” stuff or something! And i am kinda thinking this is on Promethea now because of the Vault being similar? and the big demon boys appearing. but again like... the Eridians were kinda EVERYWHERE so it’s hard to say for certain even if the architecture looks similar. of course it would, they were goddamn everywhere. still curious as to why Little Blue gets that book, though. is it typhon’s book? a siren’s book? a researcher’s book? one of her ancestor’s books? i don’t know! lol

another shot of this. is this actually a vault???? it seems small and tbh the vaults are usually like... not shaped/designed like this? maybe it’s a statue. idk this feels wrong saying it’s a Vault. it doesn’t even have the inscriptions. maybe the academic district on athenas has a statue of a vault bc they’ve got a bunch of weird shit like Amara’s tattoos on a building and a vault symbol for a door so why the heck not this too lmao

the circus area with the ferris wheel! im so excited for this area. hype hype. it looks like it’s next to the motorcade. maybe this is where the big face arena place with pain and terror is, too!!! i could see the whole arena type deal being in a giant red circus tent

oooo where the fuck is this?? im interested. my first thought was a spaceship bc of the machinery (?) in the back but... maybe not?

maybe some part of the CoV spaces we’ve already seen? the railing in the back makes me think so.

back in the HBC!

space shot of Promethea (the asteroid belt and city lights)

it was at this point in the vid i started crying (like for real lol)

god im so ready for this game

Sanc-III!

colors check out 

im still wondering where that blue ship is...

they have totally different paint designs and the blue one is on the cover art as well!!! what is UP with that gearbox?!

anyway, this is TAKE OFF and also a nice shot of Elpis in the background. the crackening lava seems to have died down over 7 or so years. good for her.

“Pandora”. i love the sky, holy shit that’s gorgeous. what’s in the sky there by the moon? i don’t know! maybe sanc-iii actually DOES have a cloaking device. damn, i was kidding, but that’d be amazing

eden-6! with the jakobs manor in the background. this looks vvvv similar if not the same area we got the moze gameplay in

Promethea!!!!!!! wow this place is gorgeous holy shit

as this shot appears lily says “wherever the hunt for the Vaults takes us” which is likely implying this isn’t promethea. athenas, then? It’s possible, we see Maliwan has occupied at LEAST the academic district so i could see them excavating a Vault.

THERE’S A BIRD where do we see birds??? on eden-6, but this 100% does not look like eden-6 to me... it would explain the temple, though....... because tannis has the floor tile in her office the same time she’s crawling around inside a dino so... maybe???

we’ll have to see! I kinda hope it’s promethea, seeing large buildings and cranes and shit would only really fit my views of Promethea and Pandora.... the whole area is giving off weird blue sparkly effects, maybe it has been teleported or summoned or something? i don’t really know what’s up with that tbh.

it cuts off on this shot

wondering if this is like a character selection screen or smth it reminds me of the persona “press start” screens haha

also the art in the background is pretty rad. anyway that’s all for now folks

im gonna go pass out now, it’s 4:12 in the am. gnight

edit: i got my acronyms for the hbc and rc messed up bc i am a v tired.

[jackrackhams]

twdg take us back thoughts (forgive me if any of this is out of order, i’m doing this from memory)

-the game took 10 minutes to download and those were a wild ten minutes i’ll tell you that -right off the bat i was worried clem was gonna get bit -i tried to shoot lilly at first, then i saw it didn’t work and wished her well. that’s just my s1 lilly fan’s final breaths of air right there -LOUIS SAVED MY LIFE THANK YOU I’M SORRY ABOUT YOUR TONGUE -god louis’s little smile though oOF -VI I LOVE YOU -THE OTHER KIDS ARE ALIVE -vIOLET INITIATED KISS!!!! (adding a read more bc this got LONG)

-uhhhh i’m pretty sure i’m not the only one who was left with some post-ep3 lilly vibes with minnie. like fuck u for expecting some kinda redemption arc with any character we are going to make them go Batshit the next episode -like i really thought we’d be able to help her or something when she was fighting off those walkers. i mean i get she was totally brainwashed but c’mon man. she’s a kid. but fuk that ig -walker james man. i sorta justified not going back and killing lilly last ep by saying this was what james would’ve wanted (also it’s my playthrough i do what i want), and now that i know what happens if you do save him uhhhhhhh.... i’m glad i made the choices i did tbh! it’s what james would’ve wanted. -i spent so long in that cave looking for “something to light on fire” -i decided to trust aj. i figured a) that could possibly save my life (it didn’t lol), b) it would make him feel good about himself, and c) i’ve taught him pretty well up to now so i trust him. -MEETING UP WITH VIOLET AND OUR LITTLE FAMILY HUG WOW CAN I JUST SAY THAT SHIT’S THE GOOD SHIT -i low key wish i’d named the school castle violet, but i figured it was more important to give her the choice. texas two squad, gang gang -fighting minnie on the bridge i was thinking ‘ok minnie’s gonna get a lot of shit for this lol’ -speaking of Bridge Scene, that shit was INTENSE if nothing else -like SHIT -when minnie cut me, i thought ‘oh fuuck, something’s gonna bite that’ -i also thought ‘hey clem’s gonna have a big leg scar to match her big arm scar’ but i was wrong about that lmao -i’ve never been more stressed that someone was gonna bite me than in this ep lmao -i also thought the scene from the trailer where you try to grab aj’s hand was gonna be here on the bridge, not on the rocks -oof when tenn died i was upset, but i feel more secure in that than if it were violet who died. only because that was tenn’s choice, and tenn was another person, like james, who had seemed to make peace with the walkers in a way. plus he died with his sister, which seemed to be what they both wanted at the time. that’s not so say that i wish i could’ve saved him without killing vi (or louis), but i do feel satisfied with what i got here (rip tennessee, you were a cool kid) -and then vi jumps over a fence ok bye violet -climbing up the rocks, i knew this was when it was gonna happen. but still. i cried lol -when i uncovered the bite, i was reminded of the s2 game mechanics. oof -as soon as she was bitten i said ‘you have an axe! cut it off now! do it!’ and when they didn’t i died -the next bit was reminiscent of lee making his way to the marsh house in s1 -actually, clem’s limp reminded me of a new day when lee got into that car crash lol -and when clem and aj were closing the doors to the barn and clem said to get something to block the door, i was expecting her to continue and say something like ‘something strong and sturdy’ like lee said when they were blocking off the pharmacy in s1 bc that scene gave me strong pharmacy vibes -and then strong jewelry shop vibes bc why tf not -playing as aj. that was rough. he’s FAST tho oml -that was when i went ‘ok so clem is dying for real’ and cried a lil bit more cuz you know me -switching between clem and aj. DUDE that got me so emotional -also aj using clem’s trick (that used to be jane’s trick). GO KIDDO -seeing clem looking more and more dead fuckt me up (like how did she get from that to the end of the ep i don’t get it. like even if it was because she waited shorter to cut it off or because it was her leg rather than her arm or what. it doesn’t matter because by the time lee looked like THAT his arm was (determinantly) long gone. but hey, not gonna analyze it too much lol i’m just glad my girl clem’s alive) -okay when clem was talking to aj that also got me crying -and when i told aj to leave clem, i was thinking ‘okay, maybe she’ll link up with james. or tenn, but like hopefully not minnie at this point. and lEE maybe she’ll find lee. or luke. or her parents-’ -and then he picks up that ax and i was like ‘woa ok did you just kill her??’ -and then the flashback. lemme be real and say i thought that was the afterlife or something, and that those floaty specks were Afterlife Dust -but then i remembered ‘oh right the ranch’ -lemme just say i didn’t think the ranch was gonna look like that lol -not 100 percent on what was going on at the ranch tbh -like who were those people and why did we kill all of them? one would assume that clem would first try to get aj back peacefully -oh wait they were at war right -also i really liked the design of like all of those people -and the LAVA GUY HOLY SHIT -obviously i mercy killed him -also wait, was clem with the people they were fighting? i couldn’t tell -ALSO also, was. was that eddie? from 400 days? checking the wiki real quick -yea i think that was him. rip eddie you didn’t deserve That. i mean i was happy he was back nd then we were just forced to kill him oof sorry man -felt bad about killing that woman also, but hey, she had aj in a tiny locker, so i didn’t feel super bad about it after finding him -also lemme just say -little kid aj?? -SUPER CUTE OML -he’s like the perfect mix of anf aj’s face and tfs aj’s face. kudos to whoever designed little aj -also when clem was talking with him in the car. i felt like it was sort of unrealistic little kid talk, but not so much that it distracted from anything going on -never go alone god rule number one had me crying -and then we’re aj fishing! -i didn’t catch any fish as aj lol -also i LOVE how they changed the dialogue options for aj to be a lot more childlike if that makes sense? like fuck yeah that was a really nice call -ROSIE IM SO GLAD YOU’RE OK -i didn’t scratch out the v+m heart because it’s history, and it’s not mine to scratch out. same reason i didn’t make clem spit on marlon’s grave -CLEM’S HAT GET IT -GET IT GET IT -OH GOOD GIRL ROSIE YOU’RE A GOD -oh a walker -oH THAT’S A TENN WALKER SHIT -well i’m not gonna kill him Again -also i don’t want the other kids to have to see him -i was so glad when i got the option to throw the rock -he learned from james what a good boy -RUBY HI -god ruby’s the best lmao -my thoughts when they’re talking about the hat ‘...aj hasn’t put it on... they haven’t talked about clem in the past tense.... is she.... possibly.... not dead?’ -lmao and when the next scene started, the trees + sky reminded me of the st john’s dairy and i wondered if we had another lee dream or afterlife or something but nope -is this take us back?? -hOLY SHIT IT’S TAKE US BACK!!! -okay and walking home, seeing everyone. god i was so sjfsakjfa there -like when i saw aasim run up to ruby i was all !!! and when they held hands i was all !!!!!!!!! yknow?? and then when i saw omar and WILLY and then on the gate there was VIOLET (i was so glad she was ok lmao the last thing i wanted for my girl was an offscreen death) god that was so good with the music i was crying a little again -need to make another bullet to stress how happy i am for ruby and aasim. like i would’ve been happy either way but they were portrayed as such a cute couple in the few seconds we got of them, so like. consider me a fan now i guess -i was worried for louis at first cuz i didn’t see him -i thought maybe this was the end of the game because we closed the gate and stuff and i was thinking ‘oh, like closing the story’ but NOPE -sup omar. up and cooking again i see -lmao my sleep-deprived brain found it hilarious that we just put the empty bucket down next to him -uhh what came next the graves or clem?? i forget -WAIT IT WAS THE GRAVES BECAUSE THE TIRE SWING WHICH IS SO CUTE AHH -well tenn’s grave made me :( but then CLEM -so glad my hunch that she was alive was right lmao -but also i thought that was determinant it was a lot less satisfying when you realize that no matter what she lives -i mean i get why they did it like that, they didn’t want anyone feeling left with the “bad ending”, their thing is that their games are tailored to how you play and there IS no bad ending but still. a little variation on that front would’ve made it a lil more satisfying -also where did they get those crutches -i love talking as aj. so much. -he’s just a funky lil guy! -that convo with clem on the steps, when she asked if she did a good job... like FUCK YEAH you did a good job, I’M YOU, you think i’m not happy with how i raised me?? -aj saying ‘are you crazy’ when clem asked that made me smile -okay i know ppl have been saying this. but. siblings aasim and willy rule. -and then the meal!! -i was super hoping for a card game but what we good was good. not great, but good. also, card game as aj would probably not be quite as fun. or it’d be very fun. honestly, it’d probably just be a different kind of fun. -when we panned over the table i saw a flash of louis and i went all ‘louis!!’ in my head -louis’s little note sadfasf that was so cute -and honestly everything about louis in this scene i love you louis -actually, just this whole scene was cute. willy and omar were adorable, and then ruby, and willy asking for seconds, and everyone just being Soft in general like. yall deserve this happiness -vi and clem talking Strategy dude sign me up -i love how clem trusts aj now. and i trust aj too tbh, a lot more than i did initially. i think i taught him pretty well. -violet and aj duo let’s go -slightly worried abt that caravan that was mentioned, but hey. the game left off on a high note, so NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN TO THEM EVER. YOU HEAR THAT?? -vIOLET INITIATED KISS PART TWO!!!!!! CHEEK KISS EDITION!!!!!!!! IM SOFT!!!!!!!!!! -okay that hallway with the snb team’s names all over the walls?? dude oof. they worked so hard it made me so happy to see their mark on texas two -haha texas two -ANYWAY -obviously i looked at all the collectibles i had, AND pet rosie, because i knew that when i ran out of things to do, the game would be over, and who wants that? -aj: *places human skull* *looks at animal skull* wow clem really likes skulls -kiddo i hate to break it to you but -seems like you’re taking after her in that regard -good girl rosie -lmao aj and his magic powers -it’s like louis in a box -hanging up james’ walker mask made me :(( -he is watching over you aj. and he would like that -ok guys i am BEGGING you. if you haven’t already, PLEASE repeatedly click disco broccoli until you can’t anymore. it’s great. -and then i finally had to put down the hat -”thank you for playing” GOD THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME -I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS SERIES IS OVER -I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M SAYING GOODBYE TO CLEM -i mean i still have my louis route BUT IT’S NOT THE SAME AS A FRESH EPISODE YKNOW?? OKAY FINAL THOUGHTS: -FIRST OFF I JUST FOUND OUT VI CAN GO BLIND -honestly im in favor of that i rly like blind violet au and now it’s not au -rip her eye honestly -new tag to match my rip louis’ tongue -also i left violet feeling loved FUCK yea i did i love violet -OKAY ACTUAL THOUGHTS -looking at this episode afterwards, is it just me or is it a little... lacking? like, a little off? i mean obviously it’s good in the moment, super intense, but there were just a few things that make me feel like it’s the weakest of the season -also lmao i guess fuck minnie james and lilly, their storylines all felt kinda like a middle finger to their fans if that makes sense -but holy shit was that minnie stuff haunting. like HOLY SHIT -also, for a game that’s been focused a lot around clem’s interactions with the other characters, there was a lot... less of that in this episode. no card game, barely any interaction with anyone other than louis/violet, tenn, minnie, aj, and james. and two of those people are fighting you. one of them is even determinant. i was just expecting a little more on that front, because this season’s been really good with that sorta thing -also i would’ve loved a little more time with violet/louis. but that’s just a personal thing and not necessarily a problem lol -again, i feel like it would’ve been a little more satisfying for clem to survive if there were an option where she didn’t. but again again, i totally get why they didn’t go that route -in that vein, i’d really enjoy a little more time with the person who wasn’t on the bridge with you. i miss my boy louis :( -idk there’s just something a little off about this episode. -that’s not to say i didn’t love it (because i TOTALLY did just look at all that stuff above haha) -like i know i didn’t love the minnie part, but like i said, that shit was INTENSE -i can sorta see why they went that route -and i can’t speak for living!james but walker!james was oddly peaceful to see. like, there was a feeling of ‘this is what he would’ve wanted’ -and okay i loved the violet initiated kisses. so much. -also ruby and aasim that was pretty cute -and obviously im happy clem isn’t dead that’s always great -OH and i loved the scene with the snb team’s names on the walls. like that was so good. -finally, the end scene was so satisfying. it ended the series the right way. with clem’s hat :p

[mittensmorgul]

Today’s entire TNT loop in one post, because I’m tired and there’s only three episodes:

3.14, Long Distance Call. This is what happens when you mess with the phone company, dillweed!

I've written a bunch in the past about how this episode relates to communication and keeping secrets, which is still relevant:

https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/159234156395/314-lies-and-secrets-and-its-deans-turn-to

and

https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/171381786235/not-meta-just-interesting-im-rewatching-314

But because the voice on the phone when Dean starts getting Calls From The Beyond (which aren't from the beyond but a manipulation by a creature who wants to lure Dean in to eat his soul) is John, providing words of comfort, encouragement, and instruction to Dean at a time where he feels like he's running out of time and options, Dean is led down a completely wrong path. "John" tells him he can get out of his deal and save himself from Hell by trapping a specific demon, but of course it's just the crocatta luring him to his death (but of course Dean figures that out before that can happen).

But Sam, meanwhile, THINKS he's told Dean what the monster actually is, but that information never reached Dean, leaving him confronting the crocatta by himself... RIP Stewie. Sam calls Dean and gets his voicemail (This is Herman Munster, leave a message), but his whole previous call with Dean wasn't even really a call with Dean...

SAM: What are you doing? CLARK: I'm killing your brother. Or maybe I'm killing another guy. We'll just have to see how it goes.

and most terrifying:

CLARK: Well once I made you two as hunters, it was easy. I found Dean's number, then your number, then your father's numbers. Then emails, voicemails, everything. You see, people think that stuff just gets erased, but it doesn't. You'd be surprised how much of yourself is just floating out there, waiting to be plucked. SAM: Dean's not going to fall for this. He's not going to kill that guy. CLARK: Then the guy kills him.

The crocatta was a monster who preyed on human communication, twisting words to his own benefit and manipulating people into believing what he needed to lure them to him. He had Dean convinced killing this innocent man would save him from Hell, but the other man was convinced that Dean was the man who'd killed his own daughter. It was all a distraction to keep Dean from learning what was really going on-- that Sam had effectively figured out what the monster was, and that it was the monster luring Sam to his lair, using Stewie as bait.

At the end of the story, everyone lost. Dean lost hope that they'd find a way to save him from Hell. Which drives Sam to pull a bit of a manipulation of his own...

in 3.15, Time Is On My Side.

This is Sam's last stand, his last hope to save Dean. Not by defeating the demon that holds his contract, but by gaming the system. His logic-- if Dean's can't die, he can't go to Hell. But the way Sam wants to make Dean immortal is... horrific at best. And something tells me the hellhounds wouldn't care if someone scienced their physical body into effective immortality, and would've collected Dean's soul anyway. But Sam needed to believe in something, as is his wont. When he loses hope, he loses it hard. Look at mid s13 for a reminder of that, specifically in an episode with a heavy thematic and tonal comparison to this one-- 13.11 Breakdown.

Meanwhile, Dean goes in a different direction, getting a lead on Bela and hoping to get the Colt back:

DEAN: You're not helping! You forget that if I welch on this deal, you die. Guess what, living forever is welching. SAM: Fine! Then, whatever the magic pill is, I'll take it too! DEAN: Oh, what is this? Sid and Nancy? No. It's just like Bobby's been saying. We kill the demon who owns the contract and this whole damn thing wipes clean. That's our best shot. SAM: Even if you had the Colt, Dean, who are you gonna shoot? We have no idea who holds the ticket. DEAN: Well, I'll shoot the hellhounds then before they slash me up. Now, you coming or not?

Sam decided... not. He stayed to try and figure out Benton's immortality formula. He does find it, but Dean doesn't want to live like that:

SAM: Dean, don't you want to live? DEAN: What he is isn't living. Look, this is simple. SAM: Simple? DEAN: To me it is, okay. Black or white; human, not human. (DEAN walks back to stand in front of DOC BENTON) See, what the Doc is is a freakin' monster. I can't do it. I would rather go to hell.

Well, heck, we know Dean doesn't really see anything as "black and white," and the real issue isn't "human or not human" anymore. But he does have a line he will not cross, and whatever Benton is is way too far across that line for Dean. And thank heck... Preserving life at all costs that way? At the cost of his own essential humanity? Yeah, that's horrific.

We meet Rufus, who eventually does provide Dean the lead to find Bela, but he also echoes Dean's attitude we've seen over and over again:

RUFUS: I know ain't no peashooter gonna save you. DEAN: What makes you so sure? RUFUS: Cause that's the job, kid. Even if you manage to scrape out of this one, there's just gonna be something else down the road. Folks like us...there ain't no happy ending. We all got it coming. DEAN: Well, ain't you a bucket of sunshine? RUFUS: I'm what you've got to look forward to if you survive. (Smirking and raising his glass again) But you won't.

Survive this round, just wait for the next one, because there's always a next one... Thanks, Rufus!

But of course Bela doesn't have the Colt anymore. Dean does learn that she sold her soul and her deal is about to come due. She's in the same boat he's been in all along...

DEAN: Is that why you stole the Colt, huh? Try to wiggle out of your deal, our gun for your soul? BELA: Yes. DEAN: But stealing the Colt wasn't quite enough, I'm guessing. BELA: They changed the deal. They wanted me to kill Sam. DEAN: Really! Wow, demons untrustworthy. Shocker.

Because no matter what, the demons were NEVER going to let Dean out of his deal. No matter how many demons they killed, no matter who they bargained with, no matter what, they needed him to die and go to Hell to fulfil their prophecy and break the first seal on the Apocalypse. And that's what s3 boiled down to in the end...

This was the long con that s4 would do to freaking perfection, but s3, with all it's structural deficiencies for having been 6 episodes shortened because of the writer's strike, manages the same...

So that brings us to 3.16, No Rest for the Wicked.

The one where they think they finally gained the upper hand on catching the Big Bad Demon who holds Dean's contract, and don't yet know the entire setup was a trap laid just for them. The fact the payoff on this information doesn't come until the end of s4, with other little hints along the way-- like Dean learning what Sam's been up to while he was in Hell, like learning about angels and the breaking seals of the apocalypse, like being given the runaround as heaven and hell both use Sam's desire to get revenge on Lilith for perceived wrongs against them and is willing to turn himself into a monster to achieve that end... when all along it was exactly what the angels and demons both wanted them to do...

S4 will become the template for Cosmic Manipulation of the Winchesters as part of the Grand Story of the Universe. But all the seeds for it were already planted in s3.

Well, except for Cas. He's the wild card, and isn't that the wildest thing ever?

I wonder how Chuck accounted for him? Bring on Team Free Will, breaking Chuck's story again and again until they'll finally force him to drop the curtain in 14.20...

ETA, because I always do this... I’ve written some about Ruby’s manipulation before, like in this post from May 2018, after the s13 finale aired:

https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/174230167715/since-your-anons-are-on-the-subject-there-is

SAM: And you decided to tell me this just now? RUBY: Um... demon. Manipulative's kinda in the job description. Fact is, is that you would have never considered it. Not until you were – SAM: Desperate enough?

and when Sam has doubts, and he’s so close to wanting to trust Ruby out of desperation?

DEAN: Don't you see a pattern here? Dad's deal, my deal, now this? I mean every time one of us is – is – is up the creek the other is begging to sell their soul. That's all this is, man. Ruby's just jerking your chain down the road. You know what it's paved with and you know where it's going.

And yep, that’s exactly it. The Winchester Family Sacrifice-Go-Round. All in the name of keeping Chuck entertained.

ETA FOR THE SECOND TIME: Lilith. Pretending to be a seriously twisted little girl, controlling this entire family for her own horrific idea of “fun.” Kinda similar to Chuck’s own MO, always playing a persona-- Chuck the trashy novel author, Chuck the prophet of the lord who doesn’t want to be, Chuck the super cute guy who was delightfully enamored by humanity enough to want to be human himself, at least for a little while... But all of it is part of his own incredibly long game, thinking he’s got the Winchesters exactly where he wants them, being on the scene to watch his plan play out, only for it to all go sideways.

ugh and yet another ETA: Dean, only when he is very close to death, a side effect of that is that he can literally see things he wasn’t able to before:

DEAN: I could see its face. Its real face under that one. SAM: So what, now you're seeing demons? DEAN: I've seen all kinds of things lately but... nothing like this. BOBBY: Actually it's not all that crazy. DEAN: How's it not that crazy? BOBBY: Well you've got, just over five hours to go? You're piercing the veil, Dean. You're glimpsing the B side. DEAN: A little less new age-y please. BOBBY: You're almost hell's bitch. So, you can see hell's other bitches. 

What a strange way to finally see through the illusions to the truth, you know? Dean got all the way through Chuck’s endless parade of misery in s14-- losing hope against Michael only to lose hope for Jack, and himself-- to that final moment where he was able to glimpse the B side, as it were.

ugh again... this is what I get for posting stuff before the episode is over...

How close to killing an innocent little girl did Sam come here? While her own mother begged him to do it, because as far as they knew, the girl was still possessed. But Dean saw the truth, the demon was gone.

Sam’s ready to do whatever “Ruby” wants him to to save Dean, but it’s already too late. Ruby isn’t even Ruby anymore. Dean hadn’t noticed the switch until it was too late, again. Always too late. All part of the long manipulation.

[krustywhore]

goodbye until tomorrow

the long-awaited sequel to i could never rescue you

guys i spent so long on this and i really can’t wait for you all to read it. first of all, i have to dedicate this to my lovely friend wet @wetcoffeejpg because she kept me so motivated throughout the whole writing process with teaching me how to write her lovely oc skip, as well as how to maneuver scenes, come up with events, and get me out of so many writers block pits. i can’t thank you enough boo and i really hope i did our daughter justice;)

anyway, find it on ao3 here!

(also this thing is so goddamn long that since tumblr erases all italics, i’m just not going to redo them here. i would recommend reading this on ao3)

Jack woke up with a start that next morning. His dreamless sleep was interrupted by a jolting scream as his hazel eyes snapped open.

Snyder’s sadistic sneer was the first thing he saw as he fully took in the man pinning Race to his chest with his free hand clamped over the boy’s mouth. Race had tears pouring down his cheeks as he thrashed and shook under the old man’s grip.

Jack felt his stomach drop as he scrambled to his feet, stumbling half-awake after Snyder as he practically threw Race through the door and slammed it in Jack’s face.

“Jack! Jack help me! Please, I can’t-“

Race’s screams through the door stopped abruptly and Jack stood, pounding and kicking at the door before sinking to his knees, banging his forehead against the cold metal.

Just like that, everything had fallen apart in seconds and there was nothing he could do.

His chest felt heavy and his breaths became shallow until a small voice spoke up and he whipped around on his knees, stumbling back against the door.

“Where’s he takin’ ‘im?” A small girl stood before him with deeply-rooted fear behind her eyes as she rocked back and forth on her heels. “Is he…is he gettin’ outta’ ‘ere?”

The horror quickly turned to wonder as Jack chuckled humorlessly.

“Nah, kid. It ain’t that easy,” he sighed, too exhausted by the rocky start to the morning to traumatize a little kid. “But he…he’s gon’ be fine, don’t ya’ worry ‘bout him.”

He plastered on a fake smile as the little girl nodded, not seeming to believe Jack in the slightest.

“But he was crying! And…and screaming,” she spoke, the fear returning to her voice as Jack picked himself up off the floor and followed her back to the bunk she had been staying in.

“Yeah, kiddo, but I’m gonna’ try ta’ make sure he’s okay. I guess you’s right, maybe he ain’t okay right now, but I’s gonna’ make sure Snyder ain’t gonna’ lay another hand on ‘im,” Jack spoke, sitting beside the girl as he crossed her legs in front of her.

She nodded, tucking a strand of her short brown hair behind her ear as she shifted awkwardly in her position. Jack coupld practically hear his own heart pounding in his chest.

“So who is he then?” The little girl asked, folding her arms over her chest.

Jack sighed deeply, glancing back up at the door. “Tha’ guys back home, we all call ‘im Racetrack. Race for short. His name’s really Antonio, though.”

“Oh, so’s ya’ already knew ‘im?” Jack chuckled and told her yes. “Then why’s he ‘ere?”

Yikes.

“Well, he’s a good guy, ya’ see. He ain’t done nothin’ wrong. Actually, he was savin’ one a’ our friends from gettin’ thrown in ‘ere,” Jack spoke, an overwhelming amount of admiration in his voice.

“Why are you here, then?” Her twinkling green eyes reminded Jack quite a bit of himself back when he first entered the refuge. All he had wanted to do was meet all of the other kids and learn their stories. He still remembered almost all of the friends he made back then.

“Well, you see,” he started, noticing a few more kids around him start to listen in as he chuckled lightly, pulling off his cap to run his hands through his hair a little. “I’s one a’ them newsies that sell papes for the paper companies across the city. The pro’lem is that the bosses a’ the papes, they’s not too fond a’ us kids. So’s the raised the price we had ta’ pay ta’ get the papes by a whole dime.” The kid seemed blown away.

"Really? They's can jus' do that? But that ain't fair!"

"Yeah, we know, kiddo. That's kinda' why we's fightin'," Jack finished simply, a small smile on his face as he stood, turning away from the little girl.

Jack, like some sort of machine controlled to move, went back to the window. He sat on the ledge, leaning his head against the bars as he watched the door across the room, trying to decide if he wanted the door to open again.

On one hand, the door opening up again would likely mean getting Race back.

On the other hand, getting Race back meant whatever Snyder or his goons did to him was real.

So, he just sat there and waited. He had no idea how long it had been, but the moment the walls felt paper thin and the giant metal door felt like nothing, he could hear the screams.

“No! Get the fuck off a’ me! You can’t-do-this! Ugh, you dick! Jus’ let me back in, fuckin’ hell!”

Race’s voice was only slightly reassuring. Yeah, the words he spoke made Jack feel sick to his stomach, but at least he was alive, and at least he was conscious, and at least he seemed to be back to his typical fiery attitude.

He scrambled off the window ledge and moved across the concrete floor, motioning to the kids around the room to stay where they were as the heavy metal door scraped across the floor. There was silence as the door slowly creaked open, but just as Jack was about to go dashing through looking for Race, the boy went flying across the floor, face down and crumpled.

Jack slid across the floor on his knees situating himself by the boy’s head as he grabbed his shoulder and rolled Race onto his back.

“Fuck, Racer,” he breathed as the boy groaned, reaching up to his face as he wiped his hand under his nose, cracking his eyes open and groaning at the blood covering his hand. “Did he…what tha’ fuck did he do?”

Race just shook his head, covering. His eyes with his hand as he rubbed his temples.

“Don’ worry ‘bout it, Jackie,” he slurred, wincing as he made a move to sit upright. “I’s fine, jus’ help me up, will ya?”

Jack mumbled out a string of useless curse words as he slid his hands under Race’s back and lifted him slightly as the boy folded his legs in front of him.

Considering he had already been in pretty rough shape before, he looked terrible. His nose was probably broken, not to mention the left black eye he was already sporting seemed to have somehow gotten darker. The blood from the gash on his chest was seeping through his shirt, showing that it had reopened, and he seemed to be sitting a little awkwardly, likely meaning there were more things that Jack couldn’t even see.

“Alright, I ain’t gonna jus’ let ya’ bleed out ‘ere on tha’ ground, c’mon,” he mumbled, sliding his arms around the other and carefully lifting him across the room. Race slung one arm around Jack’s shoulders, but held tightly to the buttons along the boy’s shirt with his other hand.

“P-please, jus’…jus’ don’ l-l-leave me, Jackie,” Race mumbled, a little blood dripping from the corner of his lips. “H-he…I c-c-can’t go back-k there.”

Jack shuddered as he gently lowered the boy onto one of the sagging mattresses, making sure to be as careful as possible.

“That okay, kid?” Race nodded, shutting his eyes tight as he covered his face with his hands “You sure?”

Race paused, not responding before a weak whimper broke his lips and his hands flew to grab onto Jack’s shirt, pulling him onto his knees beside the bed.

“N-no! It…It ain’t fine! Snyder he-he made me take all my clothes off b-b-but when he saw my chest, h-he said I was hopeless n’ jus’…said he was gonna’ ‘get it ov’a with’,” Race cried, his voice a terrified whisper as his trembling hands gripped the front of Jack’s shirt tightly. “He kept t-touching me, touching my chest, Jack! H-he said he wanted ta’ make it worse so’s he could get it ov’a with…I don’…what’d he mean, Jackie? H-he didn’t…is he try’na get rid a’ me?”

His eyes were wide and bloodshot as he leaned in close to Jack’s face, whispering harshly.

Jack shuddered, his eyes flicking down to the growing patch of blood seeping through the boy’s short and almost gagging as he covered his mouth with his hand. God, he couldn’t think. Everything was just so, so much happening at once and he couldn’t breathe right because if he took a second to breathe then maybe he’d lose Race again and they’d be done for.

So he settled for hazily shaking his head and not meeting the boy’s eyes.

“Jack…,” he whispered, letting go of the boy’s shirt as he sank back into the old mattress, tears building in the corners of his eyes. “Jack, I’s so scared. H-he’s makin’ sure I ain’t gettin’ outta’ ‘ere in once piece.”

Jack nodded, inhaling sharply as he shakily sat down on the edge of the bunk and wrapped a hand gently around the boy’s shoulder.

“You’s gonna’ be okay. I don’ know how, but you’s gonna’ make it outta’ this shithole. Me n’ you, Racer. We’s gettin’ out a’ here together,” Jack whispered, a shy smile on his face as he turned back to look at the boy. Race sniffled, rubbing the tears out of his eyes as he nodded, grinning as he caught his breath. “Good. I’s gonna’ let ya’ sleep in jus’ a second, I jus’ gotta’ get a look at ya’.”

Race hummed in acceptance, but whined the moment Jack had almost peeled his shirt off completely. He motioned for Jack to keep going, but shoved his fist in his mouth to keep from screaming as the gash was exposed. There were both old and new beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as he went pale, looking away the moment he saw the damage.

“Hey,” Jack started, gently turning the boy’s head to look over at him instead. “Look at me, kid. It…it ain’t that bad. You’s gonna’ be jus’ fine, I swears it. Don’t even look, I’s gonna’ take care of it.”

Jack tore at the edge of the ratty, old bedsheet before he ripped loose a suitable sized piece to clean up the boy. Within seconds it was bright red. He was able to get rid of most of the blood, but the problem was that after that, he could really see how much shit they were going to have to deal with.

Yeah, it was pretty badly infected. He had a feeling it had been for a while at that point, but as much as he hated to admit it, there wasn’t much he could do. They didn’t really get access to more water than they needed to drink, they didn’t get a chance to shower and clean it out, and they definitely didn’t get any medicine, so they would just have to wait it out and hope for the best.

Hope for the best, he scoffed, rolling his eyes as he leaned up against the bunk bed ladder, Race already fast asleep beside him. Yeah, I’ll just hope for the best that I’m not carrying that kid’s body out of this hell-hole.

“I thought ya’ said he was gonna’ be okay?” A small voice shocked him out of his frustration. Amelia, the little girl who had come up to him earlier that day now stood in front of him with her small arms crossed over her chest.

Jack sat down on one of the lower rungs of the ladder as he tried to keep the growing anxiety subsided as much as possible.

“Don’ worry ‘bout ‘im, Ames, he’s gonna’ be fine,” Jack sighed, running a hand through his hair.

She didn’t seem satisfied with that answer. “You said he was okay, but you was lyin’! He’s all…all hurt n’ bloody!”

Jack rolled his eyes and climbed off the ladder, tucking his hands into his pockets as he headed for the window. She practically dove after him, skipping animatedly to catch up as he sat down on the window sill.

“Woah, slow down there, skipper,” he chuckled, grabbing the girl’s shoulders to steady her as she plopped down beside him in a cross-legged position. She beamed, looking up at the older boy. “What, ya’ like that? Skipper?”

Skip shrugged and nodded casually, but the pride blooming across her face from her new nickname was blatantly obvious.

“So, Skip,” Jack exhaled, teasing a little before he leaned back against the window and picked at a patch of dried blood on the cuff of his sleeve. “I’s been in ‘ere quite a few times before n’ it ain’t easy ta’ explain this, but I think you’s ready for it.”

She nodded and Jack glanced around the room before starting, his eyes lingering on Race for an extra moment as he watched the boy’s chest rising and falling slowly.

“Nobody that comes in or out a’ this place is exactly ‘okay’ or ‘not okay’. Maybe if I get outta’ ‘ere one day, I’s gonna’ be okay on the outside, but maybe I’s still gonna’ have nightmares about this place for a while. Maybe you’s gonna’ be okay inside when ya’ get outta’ ‘ere, but maybe you’s gonna’ have a few scrapes n’ bruises on tha’ outside,” Jack explained, not really wanting to look at anything other than his fingers as the bloodstained fabric slowly began to fall apart in his fingers. “Racer ain’t okay right now, but that’s jus’ today. We don’t got any idea how long it’s gonna be ’til he’s okay, but I’s gonna’ make sure he is, so you don’t have ta’ worry ‘bout anythin’, okay, kid?”

Skip seemed to understand as she nodded, looking over at Race for a second before hopping off the window ledge and skipping over to the bunk bed. She slid to her knees beside where Race remained peacefully asleep and carefully reached out to poke at his face.

Jack just about flew over there, but Race was already stirring by the time he appeared behind Skip, who still had the proudest grin on her face.

Race groaned as he rolled onto his side, cracking one eye open to squint at her as Skip waved to him.

Race opened his eyes fully, looking to Jack for a second as the latter just shrugged.

“Hey’a kid,” Race grumbled, rubbing at his eyes gently enough to not irritate the bruises.

Skip looked up at Jack behind her, pleased with herself before she hopped onto the bed, startling Race a little as he chuckled nervously.

“Uh, you got’s a name, don’t ya’?” Race seemed to be trying his hardest to not be rude in what was, frankly, a very annoying situation.

Skip just tucked her legs in front of her and she rested her arms on her knees, balancing her chin on top.

“Skip,” she spoke curtly, not doing much but staring at him. “Jack tol’ me ‘bout you.”

Race scoffed dryly, turning to look over at Jack, who shrugged.

“Can I sit?” She asked, already sitting.

Race chuckled weakly, running a hand through his hair. “Well, I see’s you’s made ya’self at home ‘ere already, Skipper.”

Skip rolled her eyes, but readjusted herself to be more comfortable nonetheless.

“So,” Race coughed, rolling onto his back as he tried to plaster something other than pain onto his face. “I’s gonna’ take a lil’ nap, but you’s welcome ta’ join me if ya’ feel so inclined.”

Right, so apparently near-death didn’t apply to his spirit.

Jack chuckled and dig into his sock before pulling out a small stick of charcoal.

“You’s ever tried drawin’ b’fore?” Jack asked, already keeping his voice down after hearing Race’s gentle snores beside him. Skip shook her head but he waved for her to follow him back to the window. He carefully pried it open and reached through to pull out a single newspaper page that Spot had left behind. Jack had already read it over a few times, it was a documentation from Specs about all of the injuries and problems from the strike after all, but the other side was nice and clean. He folded it up into a small rectangle before holding it up and sketching the little girl.

“So, Skipper. What brings ya’ in ‘ere? If ya’ don’t mind me askin’, that is,” Jack pondered as he drew, carefully capturing the slight curve at the end of her freckle-covered nose.

“Oh, uh…I uh ran away a coupl’a months ago,” she mumbled, a nervous blush growing on her cheeks. “My parents, they’s real rich, but I guess afta’ my brother died, they didn’t feel like wastin’ any more a’ they’s money on me, so I ran away.”

Jack sighed and nodded, reaching over to ruffle the girl’s dark brown waves.

“Snyder found me tryna’ get some food off a’ some cart in a farmers’ market n’ he took me ‘ere,” she finished. “That was ‘bout a week or two ago. I can’t r’member.”

“Good on ya’, kid. You’s tough,” Jack smirked, blowing off the excess charcoal dust before handing over the paper to the girl. Her eyes widened as she gazed at the portrait, the light from the setting sun making her young eyes twinkle with wonder.

“You pictured me? Jus’ like that?” Skip beamed, a new look of admiration on her face. “Are ya’ an artist?”

Jack chuckled, carefully sliding off the windowsill as he held out his hand, helping Skip hop down the same.

“It’s more like a hobby, but sure, if you’s bein’ vague ‘bout it,” Jack remarked, the girl’s awe of his talent making his cheeks go pink.

Skip simply skipped back to the bunk and gently crawled up beside Race. She was careful not to disturb the boy, but she quickly tossed her cap onto the thin mattress and used it as a pillow.

“Get some sleep, kid. Don’t hesitate ta’ get me if ya’ need anythin’,” Jack whispered, ruffling her hair before returning to the other side of the bunk and quickly pressing his hand against Race’s forehead. The boy was burning up and the beads of sweat matting his hair down to his forehead were collecting in rapid fashion. There were darkening circles around his eyes where the bruises had started to fade and his skin had gone sickeningly pale.

Goddamn, if things started falling apart already, there was no way they could make it much longer. They were just two days in and Jack could already tell that Race’s infection was catching up to him. Sure, Skip would be fine without catching it, seeing as it was almost certainly from his chest, rather than an actual contagious illness, but he didn’t want her to get worried. He would get her out of there if he could, but in all honesty, Race was his priority and if it came down to getting one person out of the three of them, he’d at least make sure it wasn’t him.

So, as the sun began to set on just their second day, Jack kept his back against the bedpost with his hand wrapped around Race’s shoulder and his eyes trained on the door. He didn’t sleep much, but he had more important things to do. Sure, he knew that if Davey knew he wasn’t taking care of himself, he’d flip out, but Jack understood these things better than his friend. Being in and out of the refuge his whole life gave him the intel he needed to know exactly how to protect the people he needed to protect and how to keep himself around for nothing more than to do his one job.

He stared out at the nearly completely silent room and sighed, tugging his cap down over his eyes and hoping at least closing his eyes for a little while would be close enough to sleeping.

The next morning, there was a rapid knocking on the window. The old glass pane rattled and Jack practically flew out of his seat. He was at the window in seconds, face to face with a small group of his friends. He fiddled with the latch through the bars before he slid open the window and threw his arms around the boy, not really minding the bars in between them.

“Davey, I’s so sorry,” Jack whined, gripping onto the boy’s vest as they separated. Davey’s eyes were raw and his cheeks were bright red, breaking Jack’s heart to think that the boy had cried for him. “I should’a done somethin’, I’s s’pposed ta’ be tha’ one takin’ care a’ you guys, but I’s tha’ one stuck up in ‘ere.”

“Shh, shh,” Davey shushed him, gripping Jack’s shoulders. “We’re going to be fine, you just worry about getting out of here in one piece. We’ve got things handled just fine, but you…you just need to keep holding your ground. Specs and I, we can handle the kids back at the house. Besides, the strike’s about to be handled now.”

Jack’s terrified eyes widened as he let go of Davey in shock. He looked through the small trio, relieved to notice nothing more than scabbing cuts and fading bruises. Davey, Albert, and a very nervous looking Katherine picking at the cuff of her blouse in the back.

“You’s all okay?” Jack asked, his voice soft and concerned as awkward nods filled the group. “Ya’ ain’t hurt or nothin’?”

Albert sniffled a little, lifting his eyes as he glanced behind Jack, looking into the room.

“W-where’s Race?” Albert shyly asked, a primitive fear in his eyes that Jack knew all too well. He put on a smile, hoping to ease some of that fear, even just for a moment.

“I ain’t gonna’ sugar coat it, he’s here. He’s still a bit worn out from the other day, so’s he’s still asleep, but he’s gonna’ be fine, don’t worry,” Jack sighed, hoping he wasn’t lying. That didn’t seem to ease his friends much, but it was something. “Albert, he told me ta’ tell ya’ thanks for what ya’ did last night. Really helped.”

That got a small smile out of the boy as he shifted off his toes, properly sitting back down.

“You okay, Kath?” Jack seemed to startle the girl, who hadn’t looked him in the eyes the entire time.

Her head shot up, her curls bouncing as she stammered out a response, “Y-yes! Yeah, um, yes. Yeah, I’m fine.”

Jack snorted, a more genuine smile filling up his face instead.

“Yeah right, you’s actin’ jus’ like you was when I first caught ya’ on tha’ streets,” Jack teased, hoping to get the girl to stop looking at him like someone just kicked her puppy.

“Sorry, sorry,” she rambled, her hands mindlessly smoothing out her hair as she flattened out her skirt. “Sorry, I’m just…a little stressed out.”

Jack smiled sadly as he reached through the bars and placed a hand on her knee.

“Kath, tha’ only thing worth worryin’ ya’ pretty little head ‘bout is keepin’ these hooligans in line n’ gettin’ out a good story. I’s gonna’ be fine. Albo, keep ya’ head on ya’ shoulders, Race’ll be fine. Jus’ be safe, all a’ you’s got nothin’ ta’ worry about ’til tha’ strike’s over,” he rambled, trying to make sure that they would be done in time to get Albert back to the lodging house and Katherine and Davey back to their families. He couldn’t stand the possibility of Snyder and his goons catching any of them on their way sneaking out. “Ju’s be careful gettin’ outta’ ‘ere. Snyder’s got a few guys that wait outside when tha’ sun goes down, jus’ make sure ta’ keep ya’ head down n’ try not ta’ call attention ta’ ya’self.”

Jack made sure to get a nod out of each of them before he let himself relax, only to almost fall off the stoop when Skip plopped down beside him.

“Jack! Jack, ya’ gotta’ come quick!” Her half-whisper, half-shout was too much for Jack to hold back a chuckle as he ruffled her hair, scooting over so she could have a proper seat on the windowsill.

“Skip, these are my friends; Davey, Albert, n’ Katherine. Guys, this is Skip,” Jack quickly explained, brightening a little when he saw his friends quickly take to the girl. “What’s goin’ on, kiddo?” He turned to her completely as she stood up just as quickly as she had sat and grabbed his hand, attempting to pull him up off the window.

“C’mon, Race is awake, finally,” she sighed dramatically as Jack felt the knot in his stomach unravel slightly. The group started to perk up slightly as Jack let himself be led by the girl back to the bunk.

Race was in a coughing fit, his face buried in the crook of his elbow as his free arm held himself up on his side. Jack quickly slid to his knees to be level with the boy, brushing the hair out of his face and easing him up to be able to sit upright. With less pressure rushing to his head, Race’s coughing subsided and he now resorted to a drowsy state of weak movement, almost as if he was about to fall asleep again in a matter of seconds.

“Hey,” Jack spoke softly, his tone gentle as he placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Hey, kid, ya’ with me?”

Race nodded weakly, his wiry curls not bouncing like the usually did, instead staying matted down to his forehead with sweat.

“Can I…can I get a quick look at ya’ chest, Racer?” Race let out a small noise of disapproval, but nodded anyway as Jack’s hands carefully began to unbutton his shirt. The skin around the gash was all yellow and purple like a fading bruise and no matter what they did it seemed impossible for it to scab over. To be honest, it looked even worse.

“S’ infected,” he grumbled, already reworking all the buttons. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, Ant. You’s gonna’ be fine.” Race didn’t seem very convinced and honestly, Jack didn’t blame him, but he had to try to help at least a little. “C’mon, let’s go say ‘hey’ ta’ our friends,” Jack muttered, sliding an arm around Race’s torso as he slung the boy’s arm over his shoulders.

“They...they’s here?” Excitement filled the boy’s face as he looked over at Jack.

“Yeah, they’s here, kid.”

Sadly, the smile that lit up Race’s face when he saw his friends was almost ruined by the look on all of their faces. Yeah, Race probably looked awful and maybe Jack was just used to it at that point, but Race looked almost heartbroken.

“H-h-hey guys,” he mumbled, suddenly much shyer than he originally had been just minutes ago.

“Race, what the hell happened?” Davey practically seethed, his eyes wide and terrified like the mama-bird friend he was and Race felt oh, so small. “Did...did Snyder do this?” It seemed like he almost didn’t really want to know the answer.

Race just shrugged his shoulders, acutely aware of how even the slightest movement made his chest sting.

“No, not really I guess,” he mumbled. “S’ from tha’ strike, but I guess Snyder didn’t make it any betta’.”

Davey motioned for him to sit on the windowsill and Race carefully lowered himself down, gripping the bars until his knuckles were white. Katherine reached through the bars to brush away a small collection of dirt on his cheek and Race almost flinched away from her completely. She frowned at the boy’s hesitance, but was gentle as she gave one last little tweak of his curls before slinking back into her previous position.

“You’s all okay?” He whispered, more hopeful than he had thought it would be. Katherine, as expected, was fine and Davey only had a few visible cuts and bruises on his face and arms, but he had no way of know just how bad everyone back at the house was.

Davey and Katherine looked at each other for a moment before they both shrugged and nodded.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. They’re all pretty scared, though,” he added, a weak smile on his face that didn’t even come close to reaching his eyes.

“They’s scared? What for? Spot tol’ me ‘imself, Brooklyn’s joinin’ tha’ strike, n’ tha’ rest a’ tha’ city, they’s pro’lly gonna’ join too n’-“

“They’s scared for you two,” Katherine interrupted, not looking up from her hands that rested carefully in her lap. “Those kids...they don’t know how this works. Most of them have never been so scared in their lives because for once, they had a family that loved them and they just lost a pretty important part of it.”

Race sniffles and nodded, feeling his heart swell with longing to be back home too.

“I miss ‘em,” he whispered, staring out past them as night fell over the rest of the city. “If I...if I don’t make it outta’ ‘ere, please jus’ promise me ya’ won’t make those kids hold on. Don’t try ta’ make ‘em all remember me or nothin’, I don’t want anybody gettin’ sad over somethin’ that ain’t they’s fault.”

No one said anything for a long time after that. Some kids had started going to bed and even Skip hand curled herself up to Jack’s side, but no one else dared to move.

After lingering for longer than any of them would like to admit, Katherine pressed a quick kiss to the top of the boy’s head as Davey squeezed his hand, following behind her as they carefully climbed down the fire escape.

Race fell asleep right there on the window sill as Jack carried Skip back to the bunk and sat right back down on the floor beside him.

Outside, Davey and Katherine reached the ground and were met with a trembling and petrified Albert waiting right at the base of the ladder.

“Albert? Hey, hey it’s okay. It’s okay just breathe. Deep breaths, okay?” Davey tried soothing the boy as he gripped his shoulders and tried to ground him but Albert just shook his head.

“N-n-no, that’s not-t...th-that’s no-“

“Shh, shh, just breathe. Just focus on breathing right now, yeah? You can try and talk to me about it later, but for now just breathe,” Davey coaxed, easing the boy down until he could see his friend relax a little.

“Th-that’s...not...my...best...friend,” he breathed, his tears beginning to fall from his tired eyes. “It-it can’t be, I don’t...”

All the two could do was hold him and hope that maybe, just maybe, he would be okay soon. They had no way of knowing anything, but even if they did get Jack and Race back soon, there was no telling how they would change.

“You again.”

Snyder’s deep, brooding voice woke the two boys with a start as they both shot up, Jack suddenly very relieved to have placed himself in front of the other boy.

The man sauntered towards them, reaching for Jack and lifting him up by the collar of his shirt. Jack reached at him, fists swinging left and right, but none with any real power.

“I thought ya’ learned your lesson tha’ first time I snatched ya’ little friend,” the man hissed, his saliva spraying in Jack’s face as he squeezed his eyes shut tight.

“Yeah, I did,” he spat back. “N’ ya’ ain’t layin’ anotha’ hand on ‘im ever again.”

Snyder laughed curtly, his snide voice bringing a chill to both the boys. Jack cracked open one eye to look past Snyder, slightly relieved to see Skip still fast asleep. In fact, most of the kids seemed to either be still asleep or to know to stay down and pretend that they were.

“You’s just as snarky as I remember ya’, Kelly,” Snyder drawled, tossing the boy back onto the ground, Jack instantly moving himself back against the wall and standing himself up in front of Race. The latter grabbed a fistful of his shirt and held on tight with shaking hands. “Ya’ really thought I wouldn’t find out you’s tryna’ break out? In case ya’ didn’t notice, I’s got it barred up now. It ain’t gonna’ be easy like last time, kid.”

Jack gulped, steadying himself back on his feet as he retained his composure, not letting his anger waver.

“We ain’t tryna’ get out, he jus’ needed some air. Ya’ see, my friend ‘ere, his chest’s got real infected n’ he jus’ needed to get some air so’s he don’t get sick,” Jack smirked, proud of how the response seemed to baffle the man.

“Right, n’ I’s s’pposed ta’ believe ya’?” Snyder huffed comedically, stepping to the side as he attempted to step around Jack, stopping when the boy moved to cover his friend immediately.

“You won’t touch him again,” Jack countered, not wavering for a second as he stood his ground. He stood as still as he could manage, carefully calculating exactly what to do in his head as dozens of situations filled his mind.

“Ahh, ya’ see, Jack,” he spoke calmly, simply casting the boy aside as Jack swung at him. “That’s why you’s in ‘ere n’ I’s out there. I can do whateva’ I want wit’ you two. So, you’s gonna’ step aside n’ let me do what I need ta’ do, n’ then you’s gonna’ cooperate when it’s your turn.”

Jack only backed up even further. He wouldn’t budge left or right as he held his hands in fists at his sides. “No.”

Snyder rolled his eyes and glared back at the boy. He took one step towards Jack and gripped the boy by his wrists as Jack swung his fists at Snyder’s head. Fear was pulsing through his veins, but all it took was a sweep at his legs and Snyder socked his head into the concrete floor. Jack was out like a light.

Race screamed, as much as his voice would let him, as Snyder grabbed him. The man held his back to his chest with his arms locked tightly around the boy’s stomach. Race squirmed, kicked, and flailed; anything that might give him a chance at getting away from the man, but to no avail.

He screamed for his friend, never taking his eyes off Jack’s crumpled form, and only giving up when the door slammed shut in his face, with Race and Snyder on the outside.

His throat wracked with sobs and coughs as he was dragged down a hallway of closed doors. He shut his eyes tight, focusing on anything but the sound of the man’s work boots squeaking on the floor, but suddenly Snyder stopped at an open door.

The next thing he knew, Race felt a kick to his back and he fell to the ground. His head smacked against the unforgiving concrete floor and he finally found a way to stop crying.

When Jack finally opened his eyes again, he was faced with a tiny room, long and narrow, with nothing but the light from a window high above and behind him to fill the space. He shifted on his knees to get a better look, but froze as he felt the shackles around his wrists. His heart sank as he realized just how screwed he really was.

He was alone, he couldn’t move, and all he could see were claustrophobically close walls and a door that felt too far away, yet too close all the same. His voice was hoarse as he cleared his throat, panic rising in his chest as he tugged at his wrists behind his back, pounding the restraints against the brick wall in an attempt to make them at least looser.

He let out a string of curses as he felt the cold metal cutting and bruising into his skin, but he couldn’t stop. Tears were rolling down his cheeks and he could hear them splattering on the ground, but he didn’t stop. The clanging metal was the only constant comfort he had at that moment.

Jack was out of options. He couldn’t get out this time, he was sure of it. He would die in that room and no one would ever know.

Hell, Race probably would too and he would never find out. In all reality, he could already be dead, but there was no way to know.

He felt sick to his stomach just thinking about it, but with hardly any food in it, his nausea just lingered.

He sat back against the wall, leaning his head against the harsh brick, and looked up at the small window above him. No bars. Just a window right above his head.

It was almost too easy.

It was more than big enough for him to fit through and the refuge building wasn’t very tall even though they were on the second floor, and if he just stood up and opened it, he could be free. Simple as that.

But he couldn’t stand up. The restraints around his wrists were far too short to even come close to a standing position.

It was like torture looking up at what was almost the perfect escape.

He pulled his knees into his chest, rested his forehead against them, and finally let himself cry.

Race wasn’t really sure if he was alive, to be honest. He was stuck in almost complete darkness and his head felt so dizzy he couldn’t even be sure if it was dark, or if he just couldn’t see.

His body ached so much he could hardly move, but he still felt…alive? Honestly, he wasn’t sure. It was freezing cold and, as he shifted around a little, he felt concrete beneath him. Right. The refuge.

He groaned, rolling onto his side as he pressed himself up with his minimal arm strength. He shifted into something that resembled a sitting position as he tried to blink himself into some sort of night-vision state.

“Jack…?” He croaked, instantly embarrassed by the sound of his groggy voice.

Silence. He wasn’t sure how big the room he was in was, but maybe he was just farther away.

“Jack?” He called a little louder that time. Still nothing. He shakily stretched out his arms and legs, trying to gauge the size of the room a little.

He couldn’t feel anything at least within arms reach, but by the way he heard his own voice, he was sure it wasn’t a very large room.

He went silent, hoping maybe there would be something he could hear that could tell him where he was, but there was nothing but dead silence.

“Jack?” He could hear the cracks in his voice as he pleaded, but still, no response came. “Jackie, please! Please, I…I’s scared Jack.”

He cried, curling himself up into a ball to the best of his ability. His chest was killing him, he could feel it. It hurt just at the faintest touch and still, after what he knew was at least three days, hadn’t scabbed over. It never seemed to stop bleeding, and if he didn’t know better than to waste his energy on what would ultimately be hopeless, he would try to repair the tourniquet Jack had made him. But he knew better.

At that point, he didn’t want to stall anything he already knew was coming to him.

Skip woke up that morning like any other. She poked the feet hanging off the bunk above her own and climbed off the thin mattress.

The window ledge was empty. She remembered her new friends had been sitting there when she had gone to bed, but when she saw the vacant ledge, she assumed that they had moved to sleep somewhere more comfortable.

She wandered around the room, glancing at every bunk, but the boys were nowhere to be found.

“Ey’, Blues!” You seen Jack?” She asked, jostling the shoulder of a kid sitting near her and picking at the laces on his shoes.

“Jack? Nah’, I ain’t Neva’ heard of ‘im,” Blues answered, only looking up at skip for a second before going back to picking at his laces.

Skip sighed, flopping down beside her friend dramatically.

“Oh c’mon! Pro’lly tha’ oldest guy ‘ere, brown hair. I think he’s got a blue shirt or somethin’,” Skip rambled as the kid seemed to understand.

“Aw, yeah! I’s seen that guy! He’s gone now, though.”

Skip looked dumbfoundedly at the boy.

“Whaddya’ mean he’s gone?” Jack and Race wouldn’t just leave her, would they? They…she didn’t think they would. “He’s…he’s really gone.” She asked shyly.

“Yeah, he n’ that otha’ kid. Snyda’ came n’ took ‘em this mornin’. They ain’t come back yet,” Blues finished, clearly not as concerned as the girl was as she sprang up and marched over to the main room door.

She huffed, taking a deep breath and gathering up every single ounce of courage she had left. She pounded on the door with both fists, rattling the cold metal and echoing throughout the room. The entire space full of kids all snapped their attention to her, but she didn’t flinch.

She stood as tall as she could, holding her breath as she heard approaching footsteps and the faint jingle of a ring of keys. She gulped, stepping back away from where the door would swing, and stood her ground.

Snyder creaked open the door, a frustrated look on his face, and Skip felt the possibilities filling her head. It had likely only been a few hours since he had taken their friends, but clearly, he hadn’t thought to change his clothes. There was a darkening red smear of blood across his shoulder and Skip felt sick to her stomach just looking at it.

“Where are they?” She bellowed fiercely, anger coursing through her veins. “What did you do to them?”

Snyder smirked, sauntering into the room and crossing his arms as he stood before the little girl.

“Ahh, Amelia,” he chided. Skip felt her blood boil at the name.

For the longest time, only her parents and older relatives would call her Amelia. She hated the name, always had, but it was her name and there wasn’t any way around it. That is, until her older brother started calling her Millie. She adored it, mostly because her brother, William, had given it to her, but they were as close as close could be and he quickly adopted the name ‘Willie’ to her ‘Millie’. They were never allowed to use those names, but the kids did in secret, knowing neither of them liked their given names.

When Amelia Crawford lost her brother, Millie died with him.

“Don’t call me that,” she spat, interrupting the man who let out a quick chuckle as he rolled his eyes.

“N’ what would ya’ like me ta’ call ya’ then, sweetheart?” There was nothing understanding about his tone. He was cruel and sarcastic and Skip knew he wouldn’t take her seriously, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

“Skip,” she spoke firmly. Snyder sighed, exasperated by what he viewed as childish games, and placed a hand on her back, leading her through the door.

Skip immediately shoved him away, stepping away from the man and folding her arms around her torso.

“Don’ touch me,” she hissed, speeding up her steps to stand a more comfortable distance.

“Amelia, darling, don’ you know I’d never hurt ya’?” His voice was snide and gave the girl chills, but she refused to respond.

The funny thing was that she did know he wouldn’t hurt her. She had been in the refuge for a few months at that point and she was the only one there that Snyder had never laid a hand on. She was always given her food and water rations first and Snyder even announced to the other kids that she would be allowed priority to use the small bathroom in the main room whenever she needed. It took her a while to understand why, but one night as she and a few other kids were out in the hallway doing their chores, she overheard the man and one of his guards discussing something. She stood outside his office listening in and it only took a few seconds for her to discover that they were talking about her. Or, more accurately, her parents.

The Crawford family was one of the richest in the city. They owned multiple of New York’s largest trading ships and were practically famous as far as local standings went.

The Crawfords had two children, William and Amelia, who were rarely known to the public for they were kept inside the family’s lavish apartment almost exclusively. The public heard stories from every newspaper in the city when both children were born, but hardly anyone had ever seen the brother and sister.

Over years and years of neglect and aversion from their parents, William fell sick and his parents simply couldn’t be bothered to waste their money on his medical attention. They had plenty, more than most could ever dream of, yet not enough to get their son decent medical services. They told the children and their series of nannies, butlers, and maids that it was nothing, and that he would likely be fine in a week or so. They never said a word about all of the telltale signs of polio.

Amelia Crawford lost her brother when she was barely nine years old. Afterwards, she didn’t even last a month in that house before she ran away.

She was trying to get some food when he found her. A kind old woman had been taking a stale loaf of bread out to the garbage on the curb and she had simply asked if she could have it since the woman didn’t want it. There was no harm done, even the woman agreed and even offered the little girl a chance to come inside for a while, but she was stopped in her tracks by a man grabbing her arm from behind.

She had been too focused on trying to get away to hear what the man had been telling the old woman, but she could make out a few words.

Runaway. Thief. Criminal.

She wasn’t any of those things…was she? No, she didn’t think so, at least.

So as the man took her away, she watched the old woman head back inside her house after she simply tossed the bread to a group of pigeons on the sidewalk.

Amelia Crawford ended up in the refuge just like dozens of kids before her had, but she stayed for a completely different reason.

The moment the man brought her in, she gave them her name when she was asked for it and that was the first time she met Snyder. He sat her down in his office, asked her about her family, and promised her he would keep her safe.

It had taken a few weeks for her to find out what he was really doing.

She was a ploy. A hostage being held for ransom, basically. For whatever reason, Snyder and his men were convinced that if the Crawfords found out that he had their daughter, they would pass up some large sum of money to get her back. The problem was, they had no idea how little Skip’s parents cared about their children.

So she gave up hope that she was ever getting out of the refuge. That is, she did until she met Jack, but now he was gone and so was Race.

Still, she held her head high as she followed Snyder out of the main room. She already lost one brother and there was no way in hell she was going to lose two more.

Jack was lost. Not lost lost, he knew exactly where he was, but he had no idea what he was doing. At that point, he had no clue what day it was, how long he had been alone, or anything other than there was still light shining through his window. Either he had only been there a few hours or it could’ve been a whole new day. He couldn’t decide which one would be worse.

He sat up properly, adjusting his arms as much as he could as they stayed behind his back, but he stretched his legs out as far as they could go.

Plenty of room to spare.

For the first time, he was grateful that the room was so goddamn small.

He kicked at the wall as hard as he possibly could, but nothing happened other than the faint echo of the smack through the next room over. Nothing.

Well, at least he knew the room to his right was slightly bigger than his own.

And hopefully empty.

He did the same on his left, kicking at the wall with all his strength as he waited, hoping and praying for any sort of response. Just as he was about to curl back up against the wall and accept defeat, he heard a kick back.

It made him jump, both from the unexpectedness of it, and the fact that is was so loud from the lack of echo.

“Race?” He practically sprung up and slid as close to the wall as he could get.

Nothing. He knocked lightly on the brick, stinging his knuckles, but the pain didn’t matter to him much at all.

“Racer, is that you?” He kept thinking Snyder would burst through the door and just laugh in his face, but no one came. No one burst through the door to bind his feet too and tell him to give up because his friend was dead and there was no way he was ever getting out of there again.

But then he heard it.

“Jack?” A very, very faint voice that Jack was sure he wouldn’t have heard if he wasn’t as close to the wall as he was, but he could feel the relief flood over him. “Jack, ’s that you?”

He swore the weight of the world had just been lifted off his shoulders. He didn’t care that he was trapped, he didn’t care that he probably hadn’t eaten in ages, and he didn’t care that he was probably never getting out of there.

He finally had something to hold on to.

“Race, oh my god it’s me. I’s here. I’s right here,” he rambled breathlessly. Dragging himself as close to the wall as he practically could. His arms were dragged straight back behind him, his wrists burning with pain, but none of that seemed to bother him.

He took a breath, still in disbelief that he wasn’t alone. Race was here. Was was still here. He was alive. He was alive and right on the other side of the wall and Jack felt like he could finally breathe again.

“I…I’s so sorry, Antonio,” he sniffled, not bothering to try to wipe his face as he watched the puddle of tears beneath his face get bigger and bigger. “I’s so sorry, I dragged ya’ into’ this whole mess wit’ tha’ strike n’ everythin’, n’ now you’s stuck up in ‘ere wit’ me n’ I’s sorry but I don’t think I can keep thinkin’ we’s gonna’ get outta’ this place.”

Jack sat through silence for a few moments, nothing but the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears.

“I know,” Race’s quiet voice spoke up after what felt like the longest comfortable silence they could bear. “As long as you’s here, that’s okay wit’ me, Jackie.”

Skip was mad. All Snyder had done was take her back to his office where she had signed in all those months ago. He was sitting in front of her, simply flipping through paperwork while Skip sat in an old wooden chair, shifting in her seat to make the wood creak.

“Please, jus’ tell me where ya’ took ‘em!” She burst out, tired of sitting in silence. “I don’ wanna’ do this anymore, jus’ tell me!”

Snyder sighed and pulled out a single folder from the bundle he had and laid it down on the desk between them.

“Amelia, darling, I’s goin’ ta’ tell ya’ about somethin’ ya’ proudly don’t wanna’ know. That Jack Kelly you’s taken so well to…well, jus’ read up,” the man spoke, standing and dropping the file into her lap. Skip opened it tentatively, seeing the boy’s name scrawled right across the top.

‘Jack Kelly. 17 years old.’

Her brown eyes skimmed over the page, widening at the list of offense after offense. Stealing, loitering, trespassing, breaking and entering, and more things Skip had never even heard of before.

This…this couldn’t be Jack. At least not the same Jack she knew. The Jack she knew slept on the floor while Skip took his place on the mattress. The Jack she knew would stand up to Snyder for any of the kids in this place without a second of hesitation. The Jack she knew wasn’t a criminal. There was no way.

“Where is he?” She screamed, tossing the file onto the ground and standing up to face the man.

Snyder sneered, his crooked yellow teeth filling her stomach with disgust.

“What, you wanna’ join ‘im? I’m sure I’s got an extra set a’ chains ‘round ‘ere somewhere,” he said, Skip’s blood running cold as her jaw dropped a little.

“N-no, I…I don’-“

“Just as I thought,” he growled, circling the desk to stand behind the girl and in front of the door. “Now, I’s got some boys to check in on, so’s you better hurry your pretty little head back in tha’ main room, yeah?”

Skip chewed on her lip, contemplating her options before she stood up and left without another word.

The walk down the corridor was almost otherworldly as she creaked open the main door and a whole room full of kids snapped their heads up to her. There were few strangers to the fact that Snyder had never hurt Skip in the near-six months that she had been in the refuge. Most kids would stand up for themselves enough to receive a beating in at least the first week, but Skip never did. She had the attitude of anyone else that had ever been in there, but no matter what she did, Snyder would never lay a hand on her.

So when she returned to the room after standing up to the man yet again without a single scratch, the collective group quickly returned to what they were doing. Skip crossed the room back to the window ledge, pressing her legs up on the wall as she leaned her head against the bars, watching the fire escape carefully. The slow cycle of people walking down the street was almost mesmerizing as she stared in complete silence for ages.

It was almost midway through the day when she felt the window start rattling. The sound of creaking and shaking metal broke her from her trance-like fascination and Skip was anxiously backing off the window ledge. She could see someone climbing carefully up the stairs, but she ducked behind the adjacent wall before she could tell who it was.

What if it was Jack? What if he broke out? What if he was coming back to get her? What if he came to rescue her?

The thought seemed almost too good to be true, but she let herself hope for the best as she heard the sliding of fabric against the metal grate flooring. A few taps on the window and she peeked her head around the corner, already fantasizing about who else it could be.

But this was someone she definitely didn’t know. He had short, dark hair that curled around the edges of his cap. A faded red shirt with the sleeves cut off covered his tan body and worn gray suspenders ran across his chest. Everything about him was screaming ‘bad’ but Skip took one look at his face and saw something completely different.

She took her seat back on the window ledge, working from the inside as the boy began to open the window. His dark brown eyes had bags around them, the lack of sleep blatantly displayed in his features, but Skip simply stared.

“Whaddya’ want, kid?” The boy grumbled, sighing heavily as he looked past her into the room.

“Well uh,” she stammered, unsure of what to do without her friends behind her. “Are ya’…are ya’ here for Jack?”

The boy shifted a little, an unsure smirk on his lips.

“Yeah, sure. Somethin’ like that,” he chuckled dryly. “Jus’ have ‘em come ‘ere, will ya?”

“Oh, uh, they ain’t ‘ere anymore,” she mumbled, afraid to meet his eyes after everything that Snyder had said.

The boy seemed to take great offense to that, rolling his eyes and gripping the bars over the window as his eyes searched the room.

“Answer me, kid,” he whispered, his voice hushed yet still carrying every ounce of fear the Skip felt prick her skin. “Where’d they go? Where’s Race?”

She felt her breath hitch as she shrunk back a little.

“He, um…he n’ Jack…Snyder took ‘em. He took ‘em away somewhere, but I dunno’ where,” Skip shuddered, her own anxiety spilling out. “They’s been gone all mornin’! I-I tried ta’ get ‘im ta’ tell me where they was, but I jus’ sent me back!”

The boy stared down at his hands for a long time. He picked at some dried blood on his knuckles and Skip was sure she heard a little sniffle.

“Are…are ya’ okay?” She spoke softly, assuming this guy was at least a friend of Race’s, if not Jack’s too. She could probably trust him. Hopefully.

The guy quickly brushed his face, sniffling some more before he sat up again, blinking away his red eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’ worry ‘bout me, kid,” he answered simply. “My, uh…my name’s Spot. I…I’s gonna’ help ya’.”

Skip smiled a little at that. At least someone here was brave enough to do something for once.

“Good,” she finished. “I head Jack tellin’ they’s otha’ friends yesterday that he thinks Race ain’t got much time left ’fore things get real bad, so’s we better’ get on it!”

The words didn’t seem to phase her much, almost as if she didn’t understand the darkness of the things she had just said.

“H-he…what?” Spot’s tone was entirely different. He was terrified as Skip looked back at him. His face went pale and his lip quivered and she instantly panicked. Had she said the wrong thing? She was just telling Spot exactly what Jack had told their other friends.

“Yeah, he’s, uh, been real sick accordin’ ta’ Jack,” she explained, watching as she just seemed to make things worse and worse.

Spot seemed to be panicking even worse than she was.

“Wha-fuck, uh, what’s ya’ name, kid?” He stumbled over his words, shaking like a leaf as his knuckles turned white from gripping the bars so tightly.

“Skip,” she mumbled quietly, confusion, fear, and anger all swirling through her head.

“Right, okay Skip, here’s what we’s gonna’ do,” he started. “I’s gonna get a coupla’ my guy ta’ steal some tools. We’s gonna’ start pryin’ off these here bars. As soon as we’s got the bars off, I’s gonna’ sneak in n’ we’s gonna’ break ‘em out, n’ then-“

“No!” Skip burst out, starling Spot slightly. “No, I…I tried that. He checks tha’ window every night when he puts everybody ta’ bed. He’d find out too easy, we’s gotta’ do it from tha’ inside.”

Spot did not look very pleased with that idea.

“Nah, there’s gotta’ be some otha’ way, I can’t jus’ leave ‘im, I can’t-“ He stopped, a pained sound breaking through his stream of consciousness speech with something that sounded so, so terrified. “Fuck this, I’s gonna’ get ‘im out, I need ta’ get in ‘ere. I’s jus’ gonna’ get myself caught n’ bust ‘im out.”

He turned towards the fire escape stairs, but Skip launched her hand through the bars, grabbing the boy’s wrist.

“Wait! Jus’…wait, please. I…I think I's got an idea how we's can do this.”

Keeping track of time in complete darkness was proving to be increasingly difficult. Race wasn't sure just how long he had been alone, but he hoped it wasn't long. Without any light, it was hard to keep his eyes open, and the mind-numbing aches throughout his body didn't help much either. He was in and out of sleep every few minutes.

He hoped Jack wouldn't do what he did. He had tried to be the hero for Crutchie and look where that got him.

Not that he regretted it! He'd take this position for any of his brothers, but if anything happened to him, he knew the guilt would eat that boy alive. He knew it would ruin Jack. He knew how badly it would destroy him if Jack ever had a chance at getting out of there without him. Still, he probably wouldn't even take it if he did.

And poor Albert. God, he had yelled at Race as he dove after the bulls. He told Race it would be a bad idea. That Crutchie knew his way out of the refuge and he'd be fine, but Race didn't listen. Race never listened.

And Fuck, if he never saw Spot again...there wasn't a single kid in Manhattan that would feel more guilty. He knew the guilt of not joining the strike would tear Spot apart, no matter how much good it did for his borough. He wouldn't care. For fuck's sake, he told Race he loved him.

He loved him.

It was unreal. Spot Conlon, the boy who Albert warned him would probably throw him off the Brooklyn Bridge the first time they 'went out' together. Spot Conlon, the boy with the unsurmountable fortress around his heart that not a single person had been able to break since he was a kid. Spot Conlon, who led the borough with the highest rate of new kids brought off the streets per month. Spot Conlon, who let Race sell on his turf for years just so they could go to the Sheepshead afterwards.

Hell, even Race felt a little bit guilty for getting himself caught. It was his fault for letting himself get close to people. If he just sold his papes and kept his mouth shut, there wouldn't be a single person to worry about. He would be sitting in that cell without a single fear of how the outside world would take it.

But none of that felt as good as seeing the smiles on his friends' faces. None of that felt like the blossoming pride of the day Jack asked him to be his second in command. Nothing was as sweet as the young nights comparing freckles with Crutchie's, trying to deduce who had more. Nothing would ever make him smile the way his and Albert's never-ending banter did. And nothing, nothing, would ever compare to those three words that Spot uttered that first night.

Those three words that filled his heart with weak hope as he drifted off to sleep again.

Jack wasn't sure what he could do. Race had stopped talking what felt like ages ago. He was alone. With no one to talk to, it was almost like the seriousness of the situation started to become real.

It was real. He was in the refuge again. Race was in the refuge. They were there together...and now they weren't.

It couldn't be real. He refused to accept that that boy was dead. It was horrible to keep telling himself something that he was almost sure, deep down, wasn't true. Race was gone and it would be real the second Snyder opened the door at the end of the room.

So he waited. He wasn't sure if he just wanted to get it over with or if he was hoping Snyder would kill him too, but the moment that door finally opened, he knew that definitely wasn't what he was expecting.

When Snyder came back, Skip had everything planned out. She wasn't sure why she trusted this Spot guy so much, but she definitely couldn't do this on her own, so right now he was her only option.

He would be back to deliver breakfast first thing in the morning and likely take a kid or two with him. She knew she was probably on thin ice after the day before, but honestly, she didn't care. She would fight tooth and nail if it meant she got out of that room. It was the only way.

So, as the huge metal door creaked open that morning, she was flying off the bed and up to meet the man. She plastered the most furious look she could muster on her face and waited until after he set out the small platter of rations.

"Ahh, mornin' sweetheart," the man greeted her, making Skip slightly sick to her stomach at the affectionate name.

"I wanna' see Jack," she spat, not wasting a single second. Snyder looked surprised for a moment but then he took in Skip's obvious anger and let a small smile creep onto his disgustingly evil face.

"Oh, do ya'? What, ya' finally ready ta' give 'im a piece a' ya' mind?" Skip nodded, the same deep-set frown still painting her face. Snyder turned, leading her out of the room with a hand on her upper back as she glanced down at the ring of keys on his belt, jingling with every step. She was almost confused when he stopped at one of the rooms down the hallway just outside where she had been seconds ago, but then it hit her. Here. They were right outside the whole time.

Snyder pulled out his keyring, taking off a single key as he handed the rest of the loop to Skip and unlocked the door. She looked through the ring with minimal interest until she saw Jack.

He looked awful. He curled back against the wall as far as he could, squinting and shielding his face from the light coming from the hallway. He was sickly thin, covered in bruises and dirt, and his wrists were wrapped in metal, holding him back against the wall.

She instantly pulled a key off the ring as Snyder closed the door behind them. It was small, no longer than the length of her hand, but the only reason she knew it was this one was the disgusting splotch of dried blood covering it. She knew the man wasn't watching so she rushed to Jack, tucking the key in one of his hands before standing back up.

"Jack, you...ya' lied ta' me," she whimpered, her face showing not a single sign of anything other than excitement and hope. "Ya' said I could trust ya', but...how can I? You's a criminal!"

Jack's face was nothing but confusion.

"I thought I could trust ya', but ya' lied! You's a liar Jack Kelly!" She could feel her smile widening as Jack carefully fiddled with the key in his hands. Skip raised her voice as she kept going, hoping to muffle any sounds of Jack unlocking his restraints. "You's nothin' but a dirty street rat! I can't trust ya' wit' nothin'!"

He kept his arms behind his back, mouthing the word 'one' as he switched to the next chain. The moment he heard the click, Skip just yelled at the top of her lungs in fake frustration. Jack almost burst out laughing, but instead, he gently laid all of the metal pieces back on the ground and wiggled his wrists, the joints cracking and stretching.

"Alright, ya' good kid?" Snyder chuckled, stepping forward to place a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Skip smiled one more time at Jack, nodding at him as she gestured to Snyder with her hand and they were golden.

Jack pressed himself off the ground, jabbing his legs at Snyder's knees and sweeping the man off his feet. The man let out a harsh yell as his back fell hard against the concrete floor, cracking and filling Jack with pride. He didn't care one bit if he broke that man's back just then. Nothing could possibly compare to the pain he had put dozens and dozens of innocent kids through for decades.

So the two kids were on the run, slamming the door shut behind them with Snyder inside and they were finally free. Skip tossed the keyring to Jack as the boy frantically worked away at the room right beside his. He was half a dozen different keys in when the lock finally clicked and he froze. God, he didn't know what he'd do if he opened that door and saw something he knew he wouldn't be able to handle.

"Jack...?" Skip stood beside the boy, watching him carefully as his hand hovered above the doorknob. His fingers were shaking as they slowly curled around the metal. "Jack, he's gonna' be okay, we jus' gotta' get outta' 'ere."

Jack seemed to shake off whatever thoughts he was entranced in and flung open the door.

And there he was.

Race was curled up on the floor, his back to Jack and Skip, and he looked so impossibly small for a kid as tall as he was. Jack practically flung himself onto the ground, sliding on his knees to situate himself beside the boy as he quickly rolled him over onto his back. Jack felt so incredibly sick just looking at him.

His cheeks were hollow, much like Jack's own, and the chain of bruises that never seemed to end only seemed to get darker and darker. His eyes were closed softly and his lips were barely parted, but the chapped skin was bleeding in places and he couldn't even bring himself to look down at the boy's chest. Jack raised a trembling hand to the boy's neck, pressing his fingers gingerly to find a pulse, but he could barely keep his hands long enough to tell the difference between the boy's pulse or Jack's own pounding heartbeat.

Still, he held his breath for just as second and a faint string of beats pounded through his fingers. Jack, for once in his life, didn't try to hold back his tears.

"C'mon kid," he whispered, a relieved smile covering his face as tears streamed across his lips. "C'mon Racer, we's gettin' out a' here."

Race still didn't stir. Jack shook him by the shoulders just slightly. His head lolled from side to side. Jack thought he might throw up.

He choked out another sob. "C'mon Higgins, I know you's still wit' me, I know you's still got it in ya', jus' please."

Skip carefully took all of the keys off the keyring, tossing the loop to the ground as she slid them all into her pocket. She would leave the boys be as she did one last thing.

Jack felt like he was in limbo. They were so close to getting out, there was nothing left stopping them, but then...then there was. Sure, he could just scoop Race up no problem and carry him out of there, but he knew Race wanted this just as fiercely as he did. He knew that boy would've wanted to see them walk out of there together. To do the impossible.

He at least had to keep trying.

"Antonio I swear, I ain't leavin' unless you's leavin' wit' me. We's gonna' walk outta' those there doors together, me n' you's. We's gonna' do it jus' like you said, but ya' gotta' wake up, kid," he mumbled, brushing some of the boy's hair out of his face. He just wanted his baby brother to be okay. "Race, please, jus' do somethin'. Jus' open ya' eyes or somethin', jus' let me know you's okay, please."

And he did. Slowly but surely, Race pried his eyes open to look up at Jack hovering above him and there was the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

"I's dead, right?" A groggy and hoarse voice whispered, and Jack had to bite back a laugh. he buried his face in his hands, thanking every possible divinity before sliding his arms around the boy's shoulders and knees as he lifted him gently and held him to his chest. They were okay. They were getting out of there and they were going to be okay.

"Nah, not quite, kid," Jack sighed, taking a second to breathe as he finally looked around him. Two tiny rooms, one with light, one with chains, and one little girl that somehow found a way to do what they had given up trying to do.

Race sighed, shifting a little in Jack's hold, but gripped onto the boy's shirt with one hand. "Good."

The left the room, Race shielding his eyes in Jack's shoulder as they slowly adjusted to seeing light again. Jack followed the hallway until he saw Skip standing outside the cell Jack had been locked in. There was a tiny piece of paper in her hands and she could barely take her eyes off of it.

"Hey, Skipper, ya' ready ta' go?" Jack asked softly, giving the girl a small smile of reassurance.

She nodded, tucking the paper into her pocket. "Yeah, I already let tha' rest a' tha' kids out. I jus' wanted ta' grab one last thing."

Jack nodded, shifting Race in his arms so the boy latched his legs around Jack's waist and held on with his arms around his neck.

"Good. C'mon, let's get outta' 'ere, shall we?" Skip beamed to match Jack's grin and she stood to leave when the door swung open again.

Snyder lunged, still not standing, but he grabbed the back of Skip's shirt and she screamed. Jack froze, tightening his grip on Race as he turned around and stood his ground.

"Get ya' hands off a' her," he spat, feeling the pride bubbling in his stomach from how fiercely he had sworn to protect the boy curled up in his arms. Race was his little brother, and after all the things she had done for the two of them, Skip was a better little sister than he could've possibly asked for. "You let 'er go n' we ain't gonna' call tha' bulls. Jus' let go n' we leave quietly. Won't even tell a soul what ya' did, we's jus' gonna' go."

But Snyder only yanked once more, pulling the girl back as she fell.

Jack knew he had three options. He could run, get Race and himself out of there as fast as he could and never look back. He could let Race down against the wall, get Skip back, and hope that even one of them would make it out alive.

Or he could find a way to get everything he wanted.

"Race, can ya' stand if I promise it won't be long?" He whispered into the boy's ear, feeling the nod against his shoulder as confirmation as he gently let Race's feet hit the ground. He steadied himself on the wall beside him and nodded to Jack that he was okay.

Jack, however, was already on his way to get that girl back.

"I tried ta' get ya' outta' this tha' easy way. My offer still stands if ya' jus' let 'er go, but I ain't afraid ta' give ya' what I's been wantin' ta do since ya' first threw me in 'ere when I was seven. I ain't afraid a you's anymore, old man," he admitted, a confident smile tugging at his lips as he saw Skip's terrified face brighten.

But the man didn't budge.

"I need 'er," he slurred, likely still delirious from when Jack knocked him out not even half an hour ago. "I neva' even hurt 'er."

Jack scoffed, kicking the man in the stomach to see if he might let go, but he simply took Skip by the wrist instead. She winced as he tightened his grip, surely leaving what would soon become a quite painful bruise.

He glanced down at his own wrists, still bloody and bruised themselves, and kicked again.

"Why? What tha' hell makes ya' think I's gonna' leave 'er here wit' you's?" Jack hissed, continuing his kicks across the man's body. "She don't deserve ta' be stuck 'ere forever! None a' them kids do!"

But Snyder only exhaled shakily, clutching the girl tighter.

"She's got parents. They's one a' tha' richest in tha' city," he spat, staring daggers at the boy. "Tha' only reason I ain't neva' hurt 'er is 'cause I's expectin' a hefty reward if they's eva' gonna' want they's little baby girl back."

Skip had tears running down her cheeks and Jack was ready to just knock that man right out again, but he couldn't risk him hurting Skip before Jack could even do it.

"Well maybe they's don't even want me back!"

Skip's wail echoed through the hallway. She refused to meet Jack's eyes, sniffling as her tears collected in a puddle on the ground below her face.

"Maybe...tha' whole reason I left 's 'cause they don't even want me," she whimpered, wiping her eyes with her free hand. "They didn't want me when they Will instead, n' afta' they lost him, they wanted me even less. He's tha' one they wanted. Or...I guess I thought they wanted."

Skip took a shaky breath, sniffling slightly.

"They ain't gonna' pay you nothin'. I don't need them anymore," she smiled weakly, looking up at Jack. "'N they don't need me."

Just when Jack was ready to let all hell break loose, the main doors burst open and he couldn't believe his eyes.

Spot Conlon, leading a whole gang of Brooklyn kids, burst through the door with fists flying left and right until Jack looked up and Snyder was gone, the cell was being locked shut, and Spot held Skip tightly on his hip. His eyes, however, were locked on Race's. The taller boy was wobbling on his feet and Jack was afraid he was about to collapse at any second.

"Get 'im. I got tha' girl, jus' don't lose him," Spot spoke with a sort of steely assertion, but Jack could still hear the fear in his voice. He nodded, carefully throwing one of Race's arms over his shoulders as he held him by the waist, keeping as much weight off of the boy's own legs as he could.

"Jus' hold on, kid. We's gettin' out. We's almost there, jus' hold on a little longer," Jack spoke in a shaky whisper, his eyes watering. Race replied with a disapproving murmur as he shook his head gently against Jack's arm. "I know it hurts, Racer. I know you's tired, but jus' keep goin' for me, please. Do it to say we made it outta' here when we all thought it was gonna' be impossible. Make it outta' here jus' ta' say you's strong enough ta' do it, because I know you are. You's tha' strongest goddamn kid I's ever known Antonio Higgins n' I ain't leavin' 'ere unless ya' do it wit' me, okay?"

Race looked up, his drooping eyelids being held open so painstakingly as he let small tears flow, and nodded. He smiled in a way that was so small and so pained that Jack knew it wasn't real yet, but as they stood in that doorway and started down those steps, he saw the dimples deepen on his cheeks and he saw that boy smile for real as they hobbled out the front doors of the refuge, together or not at all.