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hazel-of-sodor · 7 months

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Day 1-A Day OFF

Traintober 2023

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Day 1-Free Day

A Day Off

Gordon awoke early as he always did. Sixty years of waking early to take the morning express made it nearly impossible for Gordon to sleep in. However, he usually didn't mind, after all the express must be pulled, came rain, shine, sleet, or hail. Today was not usual. Today he had a day off. Although the concept of engines being given time off had come to Sodor several years before, Gordon couldn't say he truly understood the appeal. Oh he didn't begrudge those that enjoyed the days off, he could certainly understand the goods engines' need for time away from their troublesome charges, but he was an express engine. Express work was difficult, requiring speed, precision, and stamina. It was perhaps the most difficult task an engine could be given. It was also freeing. Nowhere else did Gordon feel alive in the same way he did while at speed with his coaches, racing the wind itself towards his destination.

While the Express had occasionally not ran at times over the years, or it had been given to another engine, he had never missed the express because he was taking the day off...until now.

To his left, he could see Gracie being prepared by her crew for the express. It wasn't jealousy that had him feeling oddly out of sorts this morning, no matter what James said...or at least not as it once would have been. The steam turbine was a friend and had been his running mate for nearly two decades before she was moved to the Vicarstown-Mantauo run. So while he would admit to being envious of her, it was a weak and fleeting emotion, easily brushed aside in favor of his true discontent with being forced to take a day off.

He had nothing to do.

When Henry had oh so helpfully asked what Gordon had enjoyed doing, his answer of "pulling expresses" had somehow only further convinced Sir Topham Hatt that he needed a day off. Gordon was an engine of action, and while listening to opera recordings while he waited for his next train or as he settled in for the night was enjoyable, he could not see himself doing it for longer than those periods.

He had briefly considered going to the works for maintenance and perhaps a repaint. Unfortunately, he had been recently given a tune-up, and any maintenance that could be achieved within a day was already done. Repainting wasn't an option either, while he had no doubt he could be repainted if he wished, his current coat of paint was still fresh enough James was using his reflection in it to check his own paint for blemishes.

He had known that approaching his shed mates with his problem would have only led to teasing, and likely would not have produced any usable results, so he had instead approached another engine. Their enthusiastic response had in no way encouraged him.

As if summoned by his thoughts, a quiet peep peep came from the yard as his guide for the day approached. Thomas rolled happily into view, oddly chipper for the early hour considering Thomas was famously not a morning engine. He was pushing a small flat track with an odd bucket on either end with pipes coming out of them towards the ends of the truck.

"Good morning Gordon."

"Good morning Little Thomas, you seem to be in high spirits for such an early hour."

"It's a wonderful morning," Thomas hummed contentedly, as he buffered up to Gordon.

Gordon raised an eyebrow.

Thomas's driver snorted as she climbed down from his cab, "it's the coffee," She explained.

"Coffee," Gordon repeated dubiously. Whilst he was not as disdainful of human food or drink as certain red engines, he couldn't say he was an enthusiast by any means.

Thomas happily nodded, "A shop in Ffarquhar opened that served engines as well as people." The tank engine took a long sip from the pipe facing him, which Gordon now realized was straw for engines. "It's wonderful," he said with a happy sigh.

Samantha snorted as she coupled Gordon to the truck, "It certainly helps out with your mood in the mornings."

Thomas gave the engine equivalent of a shrug.

"I feel better with it. We also got one for you Gordon!"

Gordon eyed the container before him with suspicion.

"It's fine to drink." Samantha said, "Thomas has one every morning and the only side effect is an improved mood."

"Then Gordon needs three," Henry called as he rolled past on his way to the docks to collect the Flying Kipper.

Gordon wheeshed at him, but he only chuckled.

"It's okay if you don't like it." Thomas said seriously, "I know you're not the biggest fan of human food, but I tried to get something I thought you'd like."

Gordon sighed at his friend's nervous expression, knowing he'd at least have to try the drink.

Gordon took a slow hesitant pull from his straw. He expected it to taste like his firewoman's smelled, overpoweringly sweet and creamy. Instead, he got a rich, bitter, and dark flavor, nearly biting in its intensity, and pleasantly hot. When he had finished his sip, he eyed Thomas thoughtfully, "You say you get one of these every morning?"

Thomas nodded, "Yes. Sir Topham Hatt arranged for it to be ready when I arrive for my first train."

Nicole snorted from Thomas's cab, "but yours has enough sugar and creamer to drown someone.,

Gordon considered his coffee thoughtfully, "...I would not be averse to a similar arrangement."

"I knew it!"

As Thomas happily chattered away as he pulled Gordon from the sheds towards his branchline, Gordon let a fond smile grow on his face. Perhaps a day off wouldn't be amiss after all.

#ttte fanfic #rws fanfic #TTTE Gordon #ttte thomas #Prompt-Free Day #Traintober #Traintober23 #Traintober 2023

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randomfoggytiger · 8 months

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The X-Files: Son of Egypt

First fic of all time (barring dabbles in my younger years off the internet that don't count.)

All credit goes to @television-overload's intriguing idea-- Samantha adopts and raises William Mulder-Scully (post here)-- with a Prince of Egypt-esque twist~.

Will Van de Kamp couldn’t remember how old he was (and couldn’t begin to take a guess now) or even what he'd said when his mother’s wistful, yearning look stopped him in the middle of a protest. “Your father said that to me, too,” she’d murmured, before quickly walking them away from the conversation. It was then he understood: Samantha Van de Kamp was his mother, Carl Andrew Van de Kamp was his brother, but the man he called “dad” was not his father.

~~~~~

He had just turned twenty-two when Will was finally allowed to join the raids.

Their base's Consortium quarters had been quiet, eagerly quiet as the Van de Kamp men represented their request. Will may have felt aged in his soul-- a cobweb weighed down with dust and filth and dead parts-- but he was young in their eyes; and against this fading generation, who had seen wars and brokered peace before their species was extinguished, Will had to prove he could handle the great risk, the heavy responsibility, the implied future work this one task would set him up for. That was easily done as he parroted back their secrets-- a young boy with a quick mind and a listening ear could learn a lot, particularly when firmly transplanted from his childhood farm into the middle of a Syndicate compound. And a boy who could turn that threat of exposure into a boon for his lords and masters was a gift to be cultivated and groomed. He was approved. In passing, a few half-remarks (“Perhaps he should have been left on the farm. To know so much of our inner workings and with so much history--”, “It was necessary. There was no other way to keep Mulder from--”) snagged at his mind, vaguely recognizing a few names and situations mentioned before; but his attention was caught by Van de Kamp’s reassuring grip and a few curious members striding over to weigh him in the balance for themselves. Later.

Later came sooner than expected.

The raid had been going smoothly. It wasn’t even a raid, Will discovered, but a routine drive-by meant to intimidate a specific helper or informant: a preening “you’re still in checkmate” boast. Elevated desperation reeked from their current victim, choking Will as thickly as Van de Kamp and Henderson’s ruthless satisfaction did. The interrogation ended badly: Henderson was knocked aside and Van de Kamp warned away from his charge by the muzzle of Henderson’s gun. Will Van de Kamp had his own weapon out and aimed at the man’s chest before he could become a hostage; but Will could not pull the trigger. The background noise faded out as both opponents faced each other, equal fear in their eyes. Then the man jerked the gun away, swiftly putting a bullet in his own skull.

Another half-remark haunted Will’s footsteps from the scene. “Can’t change a Mulder,” Henderson hissed under his breath, hand wrapped around his twisted fingers.

~~~~~

The Consortium appreciated the concept of genius but withdrew from his own. Bad blood on all sides, Will assumed; the dark, overcasting shadow of his late grandfather providing contrast to the spark of his intelligence. Eidetic memory was a negative in this den of bloated jackals, gluttoned as they were on easy power and declaring victories when they hadn't even fought wars (though against whom or what no one could point to.)

When Van de Kamp had told the family they were moving permanently on-base, everyone had assumed it was because Andrew had caught the Syndicate's attention. Cunning was prized by a group who had to lick their own wounds one too many times; and Will’s older brother had it in spades. It was ridiculously easy for him to spin anything to his advantage with everyone except Will-- the two brothers knew each other too well for those games to be ended between them in anything other than a fight, a good laugh, and another adventure. Andrew's harsher struggles trying to live up to his grandfather's legacy in the Consortium was harshly contrasted by Will's greater negligence in the name of freedom; and both brothers grew closer and further away as the group's requirements necessarily pushed and pulled at their relationship. There was love, Will knew; but suspicions this intense could only be dealt with alone.

“What’s eating at you? We all don’t take that first shot, it doesn’t mean--”

“Teach me to hack in, not get caught.”

Another tussle, another patch up, another bargain.

Will only gained fringes of information from slipping into those dangerous territories (most of the information having been kept offline since an incident in 1995, he gleaned); but two important pieces were worth the risk: former Special Agent Fox W. Mulder (recently exonerated) had continually entangled himself in Syndicate business while on a madcap search for his sister; and that sister was Samantha Mulder. Samantha Mulder, Samantha Van de Kamp.

He had to find those files.

~~~~~

It took longer than Will was willing to admit to recall where Van de Kamp stored his important documents, cds, and drives. Nocturnal adventures were not unusual for him, even with a mother who quaked with worry and a father who quietly guided him back to his room any time after 10 PM. With the tiniest flashlight he could find in one hand (being invisible was an essential skill to survive when surrounded by betrayals layered with suspicions) and a phone in the other, Will picked his way through the attic, recognizing various names or codes from his notes. Eyes growing strained in the darkness, he finally found a promising box: folder piles, papers filed together, pictures, notes… the X-Files. Or copies of them.

Will flipped around, brusquely set aside, and grabbed for stack after stack until he found his mother’s file. Although she was younger in this photo than any in the house, they still reassuringly shared the same nose (pinched at the bridge, widening out at the tip.) For a brief moment he wondered what his uncle’s nose looked like; but the word “Found” arrested his attention. Everything froze with him in shock, coming back to life only after he sputtered on a choked, belated gasp. Closed… found… 2000… died…starlight. Died.

He clutched as many files and cds as he could; then a box of them; then set everything aside, shaking, as he ruthlessly sorted between importance and paramount importance. Remaining undetected was the goal: it wouldn’t matter how much evidence he collected if he were caught.

~~~~~

Uncle Fox, Will discovered, was a fascinatingly transparent opponent to the Syndicate. He'd never hidden his motives or intentions, often defying the shaved-down FBI report regulations to get "the Truth" out-- conferences, interviews, even an odd media appearance (Cops was one of the notes he underlined.) The smaller, more humanizing details of his life were gathered through safer searches, having been expunged from the Consortium record for their unimportance. Special Agent Fox Mulder (Uncle Mulder) was always accompanied by his partner, Special Agent Dana Scully. And, fittingly he assumed, when Will saw them both for the first time it was together: his uncle’s wide smile and her serious frown captured on-site of one of their cases.

Former Special Agent Dana Scully was still being monitored by her enemies (likely a more indirect way to monitor her former partner): now a doctor at an Our Lady’s Sorrow hospital, her hair was longer and her face relatively unchanged, if the newest articles about her work were to be believed. It was a short leap from those articles to the sensationalism rags about her past, and an even shorter distance from that to tumbling into revelation after revelation: exoneration in 2008, fleeing the law with her partner in 2002… and adopting-out her son, also in 2002. William Mulder-Scully.

The thought flitted and was brushed aside; then slammed back with ringing clarity. Will scrambled for baby Mulder-Scully’s birthday and breathed a sigh: he was born in 2001. Five years too young to be himself, but a cousin nonetheless. He hoped wherever the boy was that it was far from where he was.

But “Closed… found… 2000… died.” wouldn’t leave his mind. Samantha Mulder was buried in North Carolina with a Teena Mulder; and, to Will’s shock, was briefly joined by Uncle Mulder himself for three months. The files he had on hand confirmed the public report, which left him shaken and reeling.

Closed… found.. 2000… died…. Resurrected?

And if closed, found, 2000, died, resurrected was a possibility, then there was an equal chance that born, adopted, given a new identity could be true as well.

A frantic, thorough, and looping search confirmed it: the Will Van De Kamp born to Samantha Van de Kamp existed only after William Mulder-Scully was adopted out. Thinking back, Will couldn’t personally prove his existence after his alleged birth in 1996. The life they lived had never allowed for natural curiosity or too many questions with silence so easily bought and paid for. Until now, he assumed “the work” was dangerous and fearfully weighty, something to be talked of obliquely or not at all. Now he wondered what sort of kingdom he and Andrew were being raised for.

~~~~~

Clones and hybrids and tortured children and harvested women and broken men.

That was their empire.

His mother, a tool of the Project. Carted out against her knowledge and against her will for her father’s (her creator's) means and goals, paraded before a brother she thought she had and married to a man that may or may not know she was inhuman. A string of children lost and born and dead before Andrew survived to carry on her creator's legacy. Complicit in the lie of Will's birth and parentage.

His brother, a tool of the Project. Elevated as its prince, honed to a weapon, and all-but-in-writing handed the keys of the Conspiracy. Immune before immunity was no longer required. Cunningly grasping for that power and for Will, unable to keep both but refusing to lax his grip all the same.

The Project: fruitless lies upon lies that saved no one, having merely benefitted from two opposing alien factions’ war and stalemate. Bullies left with too much aimless power and ashes at their feet.

Will knew he needed to leave. Soon. Immediately.

~~~~~

Andrew was furious Will was leaving without warning and almost without a goodbye. Their ensuing fight was left unresolved-- perhaps forever-- with the punctuating slam and screech of an angry driver venting his pain on the road. Will wondered if his family was doomed to be continually torn apart; and if Andrew would ever start or never stop looking for him.

His mother, Samantha, simply stared, silent tears marking the many years she'd chosen ignorance over truth. A soft then more desperate hug said everything for her; and she quietly slipped into the backroom, giving him time to grab what he needed and leave.

Van de Kamp barged in before Will left, breathless with pain. He, too, was silent; and he, too, allowed his son to leave.

Will knew all three wouldn’t betray him; but how much of that was motivated by love, loyalty, or a twisted sense of duty he couldn’t say.

~~~~~

Doctor Dana Scully was easy to locate but harder to follow, the Consortium’s search for him making it nearly impossible at first. Her frown was still serious and her hair was still long, but her spark was gone. He could only watch this new mother from afar, drifting in her wake-- hungry as she ate, parched as she drank, exhausted as she slept. He couldn’t approach her, the bereft ache in his last mother’s eyes always on his mind, foiling his best attempts to forget. Perhaps former Special Agent Dana Scully and he were not meant to be, or perhaps meeting her in person would turn her from a figment into flesh. Until he could be certain, he waited.

Former Special Agent Fox Mulder was nowhere to be found.

It was a week before Dana Scully led the way to her second home, a ramshackle abandoned house in the sticks. Will knew about this property, even came to scout it out once; but it looked dead from the road, and he’d hurried back to his previous task. By now, he should have learned that appearances are deceiving.

He left his car in the woods, slinking up the porch easily by crouching under the tall grass. The house was still dead-- no hum from the power, no creaking of the pipes, and no shuffling from the steps inside. Half remarks, easy to recognize from a lifetime of training, trickled outside; and Will inched closer to catch them.

Dana Scully’s voice-- harder to hear from where Will was positioned-- was softer than he’d imagined, especially when contrasted with the solemn expression that settled perpetually on her face. “...out here… this house… alone.”

“Well, you know me, Scully,” Special Agent Fox Mulder’s (Uncle Fox, Mulder, Father's) voice rang out, falsely cheerful. “You predicted how this’d go years ago.”

Will caught a mournful murmur.

“‘Catatonic schizophrenia’, I believe you called it.”

“Mulder.” He heard that loud and clear: no nonsense endearment. Amused and trying not to be.

“Though I think our story ended better than theirs. Though not by much.”

Although Dana Scully’s (Scully's) heels clicked close, Will could tell she was only drawing closer to Agent Mulder (Mulder.) There was a long, deep silence, a few deep reassuring breaths, and what sounded like affectionate ruffling.

“You’ll find your way back, Mulder. I believe that.”

Retreating from this intimate moment between two sad, broken people, Will felt fifteen years old for the first time in his false twenty-two.

~~~~~

Will didn’t leave Mulder’s house. He spent the next week or two losing track of time in the rhythm of Mulder’s world: quiet except for the wind moving through the trees, the grass, or slamming up against the lifeless windows. Food was easy to forget when he subsisted on various nonperishables; and the hours were whittled away plowing through various copies of unredacted files. Low profile didn’t seem to have existed in Mulder and Scully’s orbit, with more and more press and eyewitness accounts to corroborate or validate the various outlandish claims they’d both signed their names to.

It also gave him time to think. Losing his family was concrete and understandable even if it was gut-wrenching and grueling. But to have stripped him of his identity, of so large a factor as his age, was as baffling as it was appalling. Will had lived through each milestone, had graduated, had taken other secondary education classes and courses; and now he was left to second-guess everything he thought he knew. Tutelage tempered with lies under the Syndicate could mean anything: how effectively was he taught? Did he even graduate? Likely not, since a fifteen year old brain could not fit the knowledge required for a twenty-two year old collegiate. Had the Consortium fallen so far that they were sloughing off a piecemeal education on their next generation, not caring if they learned so much as they obeyed? If so, the whole structure would collapse within a generation; but then, what structure did they have left to uphold? The selfish men who bought and sold for power were dying out, and the next generation might be willing to take what they could from the scraps. But then why--

And underneath all of those thoughts was the one Will was trying to isolate from but kept finding over and over in the files, typed up plainly in Dana Scully’s neat sentences: “...if it’s only by knowing where he’s been that he can hope to understand where he’s going, then I fear Agent Mulder may lose his course; and the truths he’s seeking from his childhood will continue to evade him, driving him more dangerously forward in impossible pursuit.”

~~~~~

Mulder stepped out of the treeline, gun in hand.

Will realized, as he stared at this man chiseled by regrets and promises, that he had been disappointed in his father a week or more ago. He’d wanted to respect him, had even thought he loved him in a way; but had still withdrawn from the concreteness of his father's weakness, just as his father had. The Mulder standing before him was every inch the former Special Agent Fox Mulder he'd read about: danger in his stance, fire and fairness in his eyes. He’d never met Fox Mulder, but Will was glad to have him back.

Mulder stopped his string of succinct commands when his eyes fell on the files, breath catching as he looked erratically from one copy to the next before flying back up to Will’s face. There was fear in his eyes-- good fear, alive fear-- and his words caught a few times before he asked, “William?”

Fox Mulder, Mulder. Dana Scully, Scully. Will Van de Kamp, William Mulder-Scully. He could live with that.

There wasn't anything to say, so William did what Samantha Mulder had taught him, letting his smile say everything for him. Mulder's face split into the exact same, wide-open beam: he, too, had taught William in his absence. And William knew-- he just knew-- that Scully had passed on her ability to read the layers of emotions dancing across his father's neutral expression. And he could live with that, too.

William watched his father's smile slip as he swallowed back crashing emotions. "I tried looking for you, years ago. When you were a baby. And later, when...." Mulder paused, miserable in his failures.

There was only one thing left to say. "You did."

~~~~~

Acknowledgements: Thank you to @television-overload for coming up with the original idea and for naming Will's older brother. ;)))

Thank you to @ghostbustermelanieking and @o6666666 for creating short, beautiful AU fics that ultimately helped me flesh out the format for this one.

Thank you (in no particular order) @baronessblixen, @welsharcher, @agent-troi, @dd-is-my-guiltypleasure, @suitablyaggrieved, @pianogirlxf, @samucabd, @herdingcats12, @cecilysass, @amplifyme, @slippinmickeys, @enigmaticdrblockhead, @annablume, @spidey-is-tired, @two-microscopes, @spidey-is-tired, @mariaann, @chavisory, @medicaldoctordana, @ibringyouasong89, @cyb3rpeach, @mindibindi, @two-birds-alone-together, @invidiosa, @jessahmewren, @living-in-unreality, @mollybecameanengineer, @tossingmyglossymane, @demon-fetal-harvest, @settle-down-frohike, @storybycorey, @thescullyphile, @scullys-scalpel, @perpetually-weirdening, @teenie-xf, @captainsugarcane, @frogsmulder, @paperheartsarts, @unremarkablehouse, @cutemothman, @my-spookybunnies, @lindz-dude, @sonictacocat, @freckleslikestars, @kiivitaja, @today-in-fic and more for always being willing to engage with my work (and enjoying when I engage in yours.)

Thank you to every single one of the fic writers out there. Your work nudged me gently along to this point; and without your leaps I wouldn't be making these steps.

And thank you to each and everyone of my mutuals and lurkers-- keep on keepin' on~!

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

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lizardtheartist · 11 months

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So I came up with a concept of my own multiverse night at the inventory thing, featuring ghost max….

We have 10 players in total: Sam, Demon Sam, Swap Sam, Samantha, Werewolf Sam, Max, Saint Max, Swap Max, Maxine, and our beloved Ghost Max.

The Sams and the Maxs both play at their own tables, talking to their own groups, like that extremely awesome Ao3 Fic, credit to the writer for coming up with that idea/srs.

Info about these certain multiverse sams and maxs:

Sam: just your average canon Sam, he’s been through all the stuff that happened in the games/cartoon/comics, he’s the Sam ever. Just this time, with a dead Max and an alive Max companions.

Demon Sam: After becoming the new ruler of the underworld, he’s decided to take it easy in life, or unlife? He doesn’t have as many Satan-y responsibilities as he thought he would, so he just hangs out with his very adorable angel husband. He has a more stern demeanor but he means well, I think? Him and Saint Max are called the Freelance Holy Ones. (Despite how unholy the two can really be)

Swap Sam: Sam but instead of being a more levelheaded detective, he’s almost just like normal Max in every way possible, yes, even height wise. Swap Sam is everything you could ever want in a rabid dog, he even probably has rabies. He loves to run around and cause trouble, he gets mistaken for a puppy sometimes due to his height and chubby physique. Him and Swap Max are still called the Freelance Police.

Samantha: Samantha (Sam for short but that gets confusing fast.) is literally just Sam but he’s wearing more feminine clothes. Honestly you could look at em and just assume it’s Sam in his drag persona. Samantha acts a bit more feminine than Sam as well, but not too much to make it obnoxious. I like to think she has a very nice and smooth middle age woman voice? I’m not sure how to explain it. Her and Maxine are still the Freelance Police as expected.

Werewolf Sam: This Sam has been a werewolf ever since he was little, inherited from his parents, he had the ability to transform into a werewolf during a classic full moon, but recently, as he’s gotten older, the werewolf part has since become more prominent and now he’s more werewolf than normal dog. He doesn’t entirely mind this, even though he has violent tendencies more often, he’s still a very wholesome and sweet guy, Max calls him his big ol’ dangerous teddy bear. Max is his werewolf caretaker, after formerly being a werewolf hunter, he decided to give up the job in order to support his Sam.

Max: Everyone’s favorite little lagomorph, he’s the same ol’ max from the ending of 305. We all know him, we all love him.

Saint Max: Saint Max is everything holy and good in the world, which is what he likes to think he is. Saint Max often acts nice and chipper, always seeing the best of EVERYTHING ever but underneath that thinly veiled self, there’s a thirsty little bastard gremlin who can be a brat sometimes. People think that some of Demon Sam had rubbed off on Saint Max, but no, that’s how he’s always been.

Swap Max: Swap Max is basically just Max but with Sam’s personality, but I made this personality slightly more edgy like Noir Sam. Why? Cus I thought it’d be interesting. Swap Max is still a rabbity thing, but he’s much taller now, he’s also bulked up slightly but not much. He still has a comedic side like Sam but it comes out a little less, but one thing I do know, is that he uses long winded words and sentences just like any normal Sam would.

Maxine: Maxine is EXACTLY like Max, in almost every way, she’s just Max with a bow around her neck and some yass queen earrings. Her voice is slightly raspier and her mannerisms have a touch of feminine traits, but she’s still just Max in a cute lil bow.

Ghost Max: Ghost Max is just Max before 305, coming back down from space, he hangs out with Sam and Max as their “ghost buddy” because they still haven’t gotten it through their thick skulls that the ghost is just Max. Ghost Max can play with both the Sams and the Maxs, because no one actually sees him, they just see floating cards that he’s holding. He’s equipped with a red marker, he can write simple words and drawings on a notepad or something. It’s supposed to look like blood but he didn’t have any spare blood on hand. Ghost Max has the ability to cheat and switch cards around. If this poker night game was a real thing, the player would probably be Ghost Max himself.

A quick look at the cast themselves:

(All credit for the multiverse poker idea goes to SofiaTheRandomDemon on Ao3, if you see this Sofia, your shit is written so well on GOD) (also credit to @impostorwhipplesshow for the insane idea of ghost max joining in on the poker stuff)

#sam and max #lizard rambles ig #I’m so happy I’m finally able to show off the S&M aus ive made!!!!

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beanghostprincess · 3 months

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Why is shanks/buggy so underrated in this side of fandom? It’s much more loved in Japanese one, one of the most popular for shanks. I feel like this one prefers other mlm options for him and I don’t get it. It got better after OPLA I think but still. Sorry for my English!

Oh! This is actually such an interesting question. I was talking about this the other day and I came to a conclusion with my friend about this. Basically, there are a lot of things to take into consideration here. The screentime, the age of the characters, the chemistry, how they're perceived by the fandom and canonically, etc etc etc.

The first thing I thought about was the screentime, honestly. Shanks and Buggy grew up together and they have a deep bond, however, we've only seen that through flashbacks (one in quite literally episode 8 of the anime, another one in Wano that isn't even about them and they're just side characters in this flashback, and in chapter 1082 of the manga. But it's not even a proper flashback because we already saw that when Shanks talks to Whitebeard about Buggy, it's just Buggy's interpretation of it) and we only have like one scene of them together that isn't even two minutes long. So, quite obviously you'd think "well, the ship isn't as popular as other ships because they barely have any screentime" and I think it's correct but also not quite. And also, this would also have to apply to the Japanese fandom at the end of the day. Fandoms don't give a single fuck about screen time if the chemistry is right, really, but there's always this factor, y'know. Lawlu has less screentime than Zolu and yet it's more popular somehow because people absolutely love their dynamic. Then, if you stop to think about it, both Satosugu (Jjk) and Soukoku (Bsd) have the same dynamic and concept as Shuggy, but they're by far the most popular ships in their fandoms. They're basically the same ships but Jjk and Bsd give them proper development and story because they're shorter series. One Piece is a long show and we still have many things to see, even if we know it's gonna end soon, so I guess that we'll still have to wait to see more of Shuggy. Once we do, I'm sure it'll become more popular. Also, Shanks' personality is very diverse because he's all mysterious and all, so I kind of understand why people don't want to make content because they still don't have him figured out.

But then again, screen time isn't really the problem. It's just one of the factors. If they had more screen time, they'd be more popular for sure, yes, but it's not exactly what makes them less popular in this side of the fandom. Otherwise, it'd be equally as popular on the other sides too. The Japanese side of fandoms is different from this one and tbh they often don't take into consideration things like cancel culture and proship discourse or the standard beauty regarding age because they just post whatever they want and scroll past what they don't like (god I fucking wish we were like that because I am so done with these things). Besides, isn't Buggy like a very beloved character over there, aside from Oda's favorite? At least from what I've seen, they take his character way more seriously than this side of the fandom does, honestly. And it bothers me because he's such a complex and great character, and people never see it because they use him either for memes or to keep saying "omggg turns out the clown is hot!! Can you believe I want to fuck a clow-" yes, Samantha, we know you want to fuck the clown. It's not weird. It's not new. Do you even like the character, at least, or you're just using him to say how kinky and quirky you are? (And I don't even care about the sexualization of characters because, again, fictional characters are fictional characters and you don't have to take everything so seriously. I have tons of characters I don't like that much but only stan because I find them hot and that's alright. But damn, it bothers me sometimes).

Anyway, with this, I wanna say that there are other things to have in mind when talking about this.

Recently (I know it's not exactly new but in fandom years? Recently) there has been a huge thing surrounding the term "old men yaoi". People are so down bad for middle-aged men and they see two of them together and they instantly go "omg they're soo married" but that's- That's it? That's just it. They don't even ship them, they just find the concept of older men hot because "omg he's such a dilf" and they want to fuck both of them. But they never end up doing anything with it. They try to be so groundbreaking like "ohh I am SO woke by shipping these two old men! See? Breaking stereotypes!" because both irl and online, age has always been a very stigmatized thing. Apparently you can't be in a fandom if you're older than 25 because then you're weird, and if there's an actress older than 50 she's instantly useless for the industry.

What I want to say with this is that most people in the fandom are young. They're young and they like attractive, young, hot people and they don't want old, unconventionally attractive men. They don't want them unless it's to give a "hot take" and to be super progressive and woke. Do you know what they like? They like Dilfs. They like Shanks because he's conventionally attractive and good with kids and he's the standard for a Dilf. Because he's hot and mysterious but also silly and quirky and "he's almost forty that is so hot something something daddy kink". And they don't want to see him fucking someone his age because God forbid this man has a personality outside being a Dilf. Younger people in the fandom constantly read y/n fics regarding Shanks because they want him to fuck them and not Buggy. And they can't project in these old men, so they publicly say "oh, Shanks and Buggy are so married" because it's just a fact the fandom made clear, but they don't really like the content. Because liking Buggy sexually, apparently, is just so weird. Or as a character. Nobody wants to say their favorite character is the failguy clown. It's a hot take when you say that Buggy is hot because people keep being all weird about it when... Uh... He's- He's just a clown. Guys. It's not weird. Or bad. Who raised you to think that? God, I find Monet extremely hot and she's half-bird. Could we please normalize these things? They're fictional characters. And also, stop reducing Buggy to his jokes or the fact that he's a clown because his character is GREAT and complex and it just bothers me so much.

This makes me think about this whole "background couple" thing. Which are basically couples that are canon or that are so popular and obvious that people, instead of making content for them (because why would you make content for a canon couple?) just place them in the background instead. There are so many fanfics in which Shuggy is a background couple. Or studies in which, instead of analyzing them, they're used only for parallelisms. This happens with, idk, Saboala? Frobin? Yamace? People don't like couples that everybody agrees on. They don't like m/f ships because they can't be woke!!!!! And queer!!!! (when they easily could but whatever). They don't like ships that everybody likes because!!!!!! They're canon already and why would you write about them???? And so, Shuggy stays a bit more as a side couple instead. For being old and unconventionally unattractive and not having much screentime, but being extremely popular. Not in a "content" way, but in a "knowledge" way. Even the general audience thinks their bond is crucial to the story, c'mon.

One of the differences that this side of the fandom has with the Japanese one, as I mentioned before, is the cancel culture and proship discourse thing. They just don't have that concept. And that's perfect, honestly, I wish we could just scroll past what we don't like too and live peacefully because the discourse is getting tiring. And also you have to admit that, because of the anti propaganda going around, now fandoms have turned into the most puritan thing in the world. Beware! Sex! Age difference between fictional characters that have a consensual and healthy and mature relationship! Oh! God forbid teenagers have sex with people their age! Ohmygodjustshutup. And so, Shuggy isn't a problematic ship. Not even close. But inside the OP world, people do say they are brothers. They keep talking about each other like that, too. And I don't even think it's the typical "we say they're like brothers so you don't think they're gay because they're both guys and guys can't kiss" (I am having flashbacks from the IT fandom). They do have the same parents. Like- We all agree Shanks and Buggy were both raised by Roger and Rayleigh and they consider them, if not their dads, parental figures at least. Right? And you're aware that doesn't make it incest, right? Both things can coexist. Foster families are a thing. Lots of people who grew up together and consider the same people their parental figures end up dating because they don't see each other as siblings. Well, most people don't see it this way and hear the word "brother" and run from it like it's a fucking virus. The Japanese side of the fandom doesn't give a fuck because they're fictional and because they're y'know, not brothers? And even if they were, cancel culture and proship discourse is so fucking stupid to them because they follow the "don't like don't look" thing. But on this side of the fandom, a lot of people see them as brothers and the other half sees them as a divorced couple and apparently nobody knows how to fucking read this manga and have a proper fandom experience without jumping to each other's throats at the minimum disagreement.

So, to summarize: People on this side of the fandom don't like Shuggy THAT much and it isn't such a popular ship in comparison to the Japanese side, because young people don't like older men together, they don't focus on unconventionally attractive characters, are afraid of any little possibility of cancelation, and also, well, Shuggy doesn't have much screentime anyway so there's not much we can do with that.

#oh shit this is long #and i think i got a bit carried away #but yeah i am surprised the ship isn't more famous tbh #also have in mind that people read the manga but a huge side of the fandom are anime only and chapter 1082 is quite important for shuggy #and please PLEASE if you start discourse right now for the proship/anti thing i am going to jump off a bridge do not do that it's dumb #i got a bit angry at the end i am sorry #one piece #shuggy

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respectthepetty · 1 year

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Maybe it's because I'm always in the "Eat the Rich" camp

But Gun is giving me strong Samantha James vibes with this not-an-apology apology

Sir, this was not the move.

Like...Gun admitted that Thyme came up with the concept for the game, and Gun told Thyme he could take it when he left the company for NOT VALUING HIM OR HIS IDEAS, which Thyme reiterates here, yet...Gun says Thyme was jealous of him?

Yeah. He Thyme was pressed! Thanks for noticing, Gun! Thyme is upset and jealous that Gun, the money man, continues to use money to control situations even though Thyme is the brains!

I like this show and Gun, but I need y'all to make this plot point make sense because my petty ass does not understand. I'm on the poor man's side on this one.

Thyme wants Gun's actions to match his intentions, and unless Thyme is homophobic or drowning puppies, I do not see how he is in the wrong instead of being the one who was wronged.

Help me, mi gente.

#a boss and a babe #forgiveness?#it's not just saying sorry #gun x thyme #I'm on Thyme's side here

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spnscripthunt · 1 year

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https://give.thetrevorproject.org/spnscripthunt1306

*** tl;dr For every $10 you donate to The Trevor Project, you will be entered in a raffle to win a script autographed by one or more Supernatural cast members. The more total donations we receive, the more scripts will be made available as prizes. ***

The Supernatural Script Hunt* came from humble origins, a handful of fans banding together to collect and preserve our fandom history, making as many scripts as possible accessible to fans worldwide. Since acquiring our first script nearly three years ago, and then branching out to involve so many fans supporting the work in the years since, it was always our intent to give it all back, and then some.

On April 9, 2021, we bought the Writer's 2nd Draft of Tombstone. It was always intended to someday benefit The Trevor Project. And just like Cas finally returning from the Empty and being welcomed back to his family, the day has finally come. It’s been autographed by Misha Collins and Jensen Ackles, and it could be yours.

When we began this project, the fandom collectively had six scripts from five episodes and a single network outline. In the three years since we bought our first script to add to that collection, the Supernatural Script Hunt group has amassed a total of 153 scripts from 138 episodes, casting sides from 50+ episodes, 50+ call sheets, arenas from 18 episodes, and other related documents. A complete list of items in our collection is on the SupernaturalWiki**, for a closer look, click here.

The time has come for us to offer everyone a chance to own their very own priceless souvenir of the show we all love so dearly. In doing so, we also want to honor the largest (hopefully!) legacy of our fandom: using our collective power for good. Which is why we're offering up some of the most treasured scripts in our collection in a raffle to benefit The Trevor Project, an organization near and dear to the hearts of so many Supernatural fans.

For every $10 you donate to the Trevor Project, you will be entered in a raffle to win one of the autographed scripts listed below. The more total donations we receive, the more scripts will be made available as prizes.

When donations reach $1000 total:

8.19 "Taxi Driver" - Production Draft (to be signed by Osric Chau at SPNNASH, 2022 Dec 16-18)

8.21 The Great Escapist (to be signed by Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins at SPNNASH, 2022 Dec 16-18)

9.23 "Do You Believe in Miracles" - Call Sheet and Script Sides: Day 1 of 8 (signed by Tahmoh Penikett at SPNDC 2022)

12.02 "Mamma Mia" - Production Draft (proxy cover signed by Ruth Connell at SPNDEN 2022)

12.08 "LOTUS" - Production Draft (signed by Ruth Connell, Mark Pellegrino, and Mark Sheppard at SPNNJ 2022)

12.10 "Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets" - Blue Draft and three pages of concept art (script signed by Misha Collins at SPNDC 2022)

13.02 "The Rising Son" - Blue Draft (signed by Alexander Calvert and Misha Collins at SPNCHI 2022)

13.03 "Patience" - Yellow Collated Draft (signed by Alexander Calvert at SPNVAN 2022)

13.04 "The Big Empty" - Yellow Draft (to be signed by Misha Collins at SPNPHX, 2022 Nov 11-13)

13.05 "Advanced Thanatology" - Production Draft (proxy cover signed by Misha Collins at SPNDEN 2022)

13.07 "War of the Worlds" - Blue Collated Draft (signed by Misha Collins and the director of the episode, Richard Speight Jr., at SPNCHI 2022)

13.14 "Good Intentions" - Studio & Network Draft (signed by Jim Beaver and Samantha Smith at SPNNJ 2022; Sebastian Roche at SPNCHI 2022)

14.14 "Ouroboros" - Production Draft (signed by Alexander Calvert at SPNORL 2022)

When donations reach $2000 total:

13.06 "Tombstone" set

Writer's 2nd Draft (signed by Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins at SPNVEGAS 2022)

Production Draft (unsigned)

Stretch goals:

If donations reach $3000 total:

12.19 "The Future" - Production Draft (signed by Misha Collins at SPNORL 2022)

12.23 "All Along the Watchtower" - Production Draft (proxy cover signed by Jim Beaver and Mark Sheppard at SPNNJ 2022)

If donations reach $4000 total:

15.03 "The Rupture" - Pink Draft, Yellow Revision Pages, Green Revision Pages (signed by Alexander Calvert, Misha Collins, and David Hayden Jones at SPNTOR 2022)

15.08 "Our Father, Who Aren't in Heaven" - Production Draft, Blue Revision Pages (signed by Jake Abel and Rob Benedict at SPNDC 2022)

15.09 "The Trap" - Production Draft (signed by Jensen Ackles, Rob Benedict, Misha Collins, and Jared Padalecki at SPNDC 2022)

If donations reach $5000 total:

11.10 "The Devil in the Details" - Blue Collated Draft, Yellow Revision Pages (to be signed by Jared Padalecki at SPNPHX 2022, Nov 11-13)

11.18 "Hell's Angel" - Production Draft (to be signed by Misha Collins at JIB11, 2023 Feb 23-25)

12.11 "Regarding Dean" - Blue Draft (to be signed by Jensen Ackles at SPNPHX, 2022 Nov 11-13)

12.12 "Stuck in the Middle (With You)" - Production Draft (signed by the director, Richard Speight Jr., at SPNORL 2022)

15.12 "Galaxy Brain" - Yellow Draft, Goldenrod Revision pages (signed by Rob Benedict and Kim Rhodes at SPNDC 2022)

Winners will be drawn by a random number generator on December 5, 2022. We require an email address to contact winners. If you donated anonymously but would like to enter the raffle, please email your receipt to [email protected] before the drawing date. Winners will have 72 hours to respond, and will be required to provide their physical mailing address and to cover the cost of shipping (currently $10 for priority mail insured inside the US, international rates to be determined as necessary).

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU ARE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE AND WISH TO DONATE, PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE PRIOR AUTHORIZATION FROM CREDIT/ACCOUNT HOLDER.

As Castiel once told a patron of the Gas N Sip buying a lottery ticket, good luck!

The Trevor Project is the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) young people.

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among young people. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth are more than 4 times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers. Up to 50 percent of all trans people have made a suicide attempt - many before the age of 25.

For the last 21 years, Trevor has worked to save young lives by providing support through their free and conﬁdential crisis programs on platforms where young people spend their time online and on the phone:

TrevorLifeline — The only nationwide, 24/7 crisis and suicide prevention lifeline offering free and conﬁdential counseling for LGBTQ youth, available at 1.866.488.7386

TrevorText — A free, conﬁdential, secure service for LGBTQ youth to text a trained Trevor counselor for support and crisis intervention. Text "START" to 678-678. Available 24/7. Standard text messaging rates apply

TrevorChat — A free, conﬁdential and secure instant messaging service that provides live help for LGBTQ youth by trained volunteers. Visit thetrevorproject.org/get-help. Available 24/7.

*We are not affiliated in any way with the production of Supernatural, the writers of Supernatural, Kripke Enterprises, WB or the CW. We're just a cooperative of fans who had a mission to preserve our show's legacy and history in a concrete and tangible way, and organized the heck out of assembling our collection.

**The SupernaturalWiki is run by fans, for fans. They do not accept advertising, the web hosting fees and technical support are supported by donations from fans. The materials on the site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial License. SupernaturalWiki is not our web host, our collection is hosted off-site.

#if you've enjoyed reading our collection please offer a token of appreciation to #the trevor project #and/or signal boost this post #we'll have the raffle open for a month #let's goooo #admin: lets-steal-an-archive #tombstone side of the collection #next year will be the red meat side #supernatural #spn #i see you lot are trending here so i'm starting the post here

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steddiecameraroll · 2 months

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for WIP game 💜 I'm curious about: Hoarder

This came out of seeing an episode of Hoarders that made me bawl my eyes out. Concept is it’s filled with steddie relationship flashbacks while Steve, with the help of their kids, cleans out their hoarded home Steve filled up after Eddie’s death. Basically the most depressing thing ever.

“Dad, let us help you.” Samantha grabs Steve’s hand and squeezes it tight.

“I can’t believe I let it get so bad.” Steve chokes on tears, embarrassment and hurt flooding through him.

“It’s ok. We’re going to help you go through it. You don’t have to do this alone.”

The pair stand in the middle of Steve and Eddie’s California home, surrounded by piles and towers of new and old items.

“He would be so mad at me.” Steve’s voice shakes as he takes in the massive hoard surrounding them.

“Dad, come on, he wouldn’t be mad. He’d probably give you shit for it, but I don’t think Daddy knew how to be mad at you.” Samantha rubs her hand gently across Steve’s shoulders.

“Oh honey, your father definitely knew how to be mad at me.”

#steddie #fic wip #steddiecameraroll posts #I think I’d have to buy a pallet sized quantity of tissues to get through writing this

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blackwolfstabs · 7 months

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30 Day Writing Challenge: Day 10

GAME NIGHT

To get some quiet, 11-year-old Sam agrees to play hide & seek with four rowdy 6-year-olds, except all doesn’t go as smoothly as anticipated.

(side note: Tara's technically still 5 bc her birthday's in December and this takes place in September...)

Sam unleashed a heavy sigh that was 40% annoyed and 60% tired as she glanced away from the clock. 7:02 PM, and she had at least 30 more minutes of listening to Tara, Chad, Mindy, and Wes run around like a pack of hyperactive puppies. It was already dark outside, and they had been at it since 3:30 that afternoon… Didn’t they ever get tired? She was beginning to regret agreeing to watch all of them extra late today… Even during, dinner they hadn’t settled for some quiet, regardless of her telling them that it’s not polite to talk with their mouths full or play with their food. And speaking of which…

The thought reminded Sam that she hadn’t put away the leftover macaroni and cheese that didn’t get eaten. At least that would kill some time. She got up from the couch and went to the kitchen, where she threw away the parchment paper that the chicken nuggets had been on first, before going to find a plastic container to conserve the other half of the meal.

Halfway through scraping the macaroni into the tupperware, shouting came from upstairs. It was the kind of shouting that was a mystery as to whether it was the good kind or the bad kind. But it didn’t stay that way for long, for as Sam tossed the used pot into the sink and went to put the leftovers in the refrigerator, a door from above flew open and the noise grew louder.

“Tara!” Mindy called from inside the room they had been in.

“That wasn’t fair!” Tara’s voice cracked in that way it always did when she was starting to cry.

“Look what you did, Chad!” Wes barked.

Chad answered, “What? I won, fair and square! You’re just being a baby about it, Tara!”

The youngest’s voice came from the top of the staircase, seemingly intent on making her way down to go pout about whatever she didn’t win, “Shut up, stupid!”

Now, Samantha shut the door to make way to the stairs as she heard her sister storming down. “Hey!” she snapped, making all four go silent. She found Tara’s teary eyes and crossed arms. “We don’t say that, Tara, it’s not nice,�� her voice softened from yelling, but stayed firm.

“Well, Chad’s being mean,” she returned, stomping her foot for emphasis. Then, the so-called bully came to join her.

He defended himself, “No, she’s just mad because I won!” Behind him, Mindy and Wes appeared but stayed quiet.

Sam looked from Chad to Tara. “Tara, what did Chad do that was mean?”

The girl twisted her body in frustration, refusing to look at her friend and her sister as she tried to come up with something. But the truth was, she was just angry that she didn’t win. She always won, and she was proud of that. “Nothing…” she mumbled, while scuffing the floor with her foot.

Her older sister could take some of the blame for her attitude. She always let her win, even when it wasn’t fair. So, she was used to it. There was only a spare amount of times when Sam would stick to her guns and keep Tara from getting what she wanted, but that was usually when she was trying to take something away that she was playing with. Their mother had reminded her that Tara needed to understand the concept of sharing, so every now and then she would make sure her baby sister faced the fact that she couldn’t have everything she wanted when she wanted it. “Okay, so you owe Chad an apology,” she told her, “Tell him you’re sorry for saying mean things to him.”

However, Tara just tightened her crossed arms and turned away from the boy on her right with a whine. “I don’t want to.”

Sam shifted with a semi-aggravated sigh. She knew all 4 of them were overtired, which would encourage them to exhibit inappropriate behavior, but it was giving her a headache now. “Tara, if you don’t tell him you’re sorry, I’ll tell Mom and then she’ll put you in time-out when she gets home,” she warned.

The other’s expression changed a little, and she forced herself to turn around. “Sorry, Chad…”

While it seemed like she was being genuine, Sam wanted it to be sincere by the way their parents taught them. “Mean it,” she said, “Give him a hug.”

And she did. Chad embraced her back with a smile. “It’s okay, Tara,” he accepted her apology. He then stepped back to further promise her, “You’ll win next time.”

Oh, God and if she didn’t? The eldest of the group fought back the temptation to run her hand over her face in dread for what might not come in her favor. However, before they could insinuate another game, Mindy leapt onto the steps.

“Hey, Sam, can you play with us this time?”

Sam’s initial thought was no, absolutely not, because it would just turn into her trying to rein in the 4 of them bickering about who was going to do what or how the game should be played, and she was not in the mood to handle a meltdown. She was sure she’d walk out of the house and leave them to figure it out. But when she looked at them, they each seemed excited at the thought of her getting involved. Just 30 more minutes hopefully… she could keep them entertained for that long, right? She sighed, “You know what, sure.” She turned around to make way back to the living room, aware of the stampede of little footsteps following her, “But I get to pick the game, got it?”

“Okay!” was the unison reply.

Once they were all gathered by the couch, the alpha turned around. “We’re gonna play Hide & Seek. You all are gonna go hide, and I’m gonna seek,” she told them, “Whoever is the last to be found gets to be the next seeker. Sound fair?”

The twins nodded eagerly, while Wes and Tara voiced their acceptance.

“Yeah!”

“Uh-huh!” Then the small Carpenter pointed in the direction of their parents’ room. “You go count in Mommy and Daddy’s room, because we can’t go in there.” She bolted for the stairs again, shouting to her friends. “Come on!”

As Samantha started for her parents’ room, she called out to them, “Stay out of my room, please!”

“Why?!” was Mindy’s questioning voice.

They were at that age where everything was answered with why? “Because I said!” she replied.

“Okay!”

“Count to 100!” Chad told their seeker, before vanishing out of sight.

So, she did. To get a little over a minute-and-a-half break, Sam laid down on her parents’ bed, while counting to 100 in her head, like instructed. For hiders, the quad of kids weren’t very quiet. Thumping and footsteps could be heard both upstairs and downstairs, but to be fair—and keep them hidden for as long as possible to pass the time—she pretended not to hear it.

96, 97, 98, 99…

100.

All was quiet by the time she had reached 55, so she figured everyone had picked a spot and stayed there. There were countless times when she and Tara would play, and Tara would come out of her hiding spot because she’d changed her mind and made Sam go back and recount again. “Ready or not, here I come!” she announced the game’s script, even though she knew they had to be ready otherwise they were just going to be found first. She never really understood why saying those words were necessary. Just some sort of acknowledgement that the seeker is on the hunt should suffice, because saying ‘here I come’ just sounded a little weird, but whatever…

She searched the living room first, checking the cabinets beneath the TV as well as the storage space of the ottoman. Nothing. Then, she moved the curtains and opened the closet. Still nothing. So, she moved to the kitchen.

Clearly, there was no one underneath the table, and the only other place that a small person could hide would be the bottom cabinets. However, not a trace of life was present. Sam turned at the far end of the kitchen island, catching the two places of exit on the same wall. One went into the formal dining room, while the other went to the mud room. Beneath the jackets hanging, there was subtle movement and a pair of small lavender shoes that weren’t familiar to the house.

Mindy.

She came around quietly, like a stalking cat, keeping the essence of the game alive as she ducked into the shadows. She grabbed the black cover-up and pulled it aside, where she found who she guessed was there. “Found you, Mindy.”

The girl laid her hands out in confusion, “How?! It’s so dark in here!”

Her genuinely disbelieved tone actually made Sam laugh with a shrug. “Maybe wear darker shoes next time,” she suggested, as she held the jacket aside and waved her to come out into the light.

She obeyed, nodding at the feedback. “Yeah, that wasn’t very smart of me…”

Immediately, the older female jumped in to assure her, “No, don’t say that about yourself. You’re very smart.” Being Tara’s big sister taught her how important building self-worth was. She had struggled to do it for herself, but with Tara’s already weakened condition from her asthma, she always made sure that Tara never looked down on herself for things she couldn’t control or things that weren’t important. It’d become a habit. “I’ll tell you what,” she began as she leaned down to Mindy’s level. When she received undivided, curious attention, she went on, “How about you continue to look for the others down here and I’ll search upstairs? You’ve got a really good eye, so I know you’ll do really good.”

Meeks-Martin brightened, that sparkle that she was famous for finding its way to her eyes as she gave a small hop of excitement. “Okay!”

“Alright, let’s go!” Mindy’s thrill of being praised encouraged Sam’s thrill of being involved in the game as she turned around to run for the stairs. “We’re a team now, so let me know if you find anyone!”

“I will!” The other’s voice dictated that she had already raced away to begin her new job.

Sam prowled the second floor, checking every closet and behind every door. Her door had stayed shut, so she assumed they had listened to what she said about staying out of there, thankfully… However, Tara’s room hadn’t been off-limits. It would’ve been too predictable for Tara to hide in there, but not Chad or Wes. This thought led her to the threshold for her next stop. Nothing seemed to be moved around from when the 4 had been playing in there earlier, but she had learned a thing or two about kids their age being sneaky. Hell, she was quite the fox when she was that age.

She scanned the bed, behind the curtains and in the closet, but… nothing. She gently kicked some abandoned puzzle pieces aside, before kneeling down for the last place she hadn’t checked. The depths of the most feared place of all children: under the bed.

Not a soul lingered… but there was an empty Goldfish bag.

Sam sighed. “Tara…” They weren’t supposed to eat upstairs, yet this had been there for some time. She slipped the bag into her pocket to continue searching, planning to throw it away in the bathroom trash can. When she got there, she turned on the light and tossed it into the bin, only to be caught off-guard by the shower curtain flying open.

“Rraahhh!”

Not expecting someone to hide in the shower, the growl-like outburst had her flinching with a yelp, but as pleasured giggling followed, she dropped her cringed demeanor. “Chad!” Her jump-started heart took a minute to recover as she shook her head. “You’re not supposed to come out of your hiding spot,” she covered up her alarm with an objection.

But the boy didn’t care as he leapt out of the bath/shower combo. “I know, but I knew you were gonna find me, so I wanted to scare you,” he defended himself.

Samantha just smirked and rolled her eyes. “I’ve already found Mindy, so now we’re looking for Tara and Wes.”

“Oh, Tara’s up here!” he blurted and darted out of the bathroom. “Come on!”

While it was technically against the rules to tell the seeker where the other hiders were, the pre-teen went with it anyway and followed him into the guest bedroom, where he went straight to the pile of pillows at the head of the bed.

Chad leapt up onto the mattress and pounced on the stash, earning a muffled squeak from beneath. “We found you, Tara!” he called in a sing-song voice as he ripped the pillows away to reveal the hider’s curled up body.

From the side of the bed, Sam braced herself for her sister to erupt into an attitude, shouting that Chad was cheating for already knowing where she was. But instead, the young girl busted out into laughter and jumped up from her crouched position.

“Hi, Sam!” she greeted her with a big smile and shining eyes.

Her hair was a mess from being tucked into a ball, which made her older sister giggle as she put her hand up, “Hi.” The two children then slipped off the bed, leading her to inform them, “Wes is the only one left. Let’s go see if Mindy has had any luck.” But right as she said that, the mentioned girl’s voice came bellowing through the house.

“Sam!”

She didn’t sound right though.

This sent the called being’s heart into a race as she turned around and fled out of the room. She could already hear Mindy’s running footsteps coming to the staircase.

“Saaaam!”

“What, Mindy?! What’s wrong?!” She nearly skidded on the stairs, having to stop herself from slamming into the child, who met her a quarter of the way up.

“Wes is stuck in the tree!” she shouted.

It took a brief moment for Sam to process what she had said, but she soon found herself heading for the backdoor with Mindy, Chad, and Tara on her heels. “He’s not even supposed to be outside,” she hissed as she threw the door open and ran into the night. And just like the older twin had said, Wes was clinging to a branch up in the tree in the middle of the yard.

A high branch, at that…

As she approached the trunk, she called up to him. “Wes, you know you’re not supposed to be outside! What are you doing up there?!”

He whimpered, clearly upset with being so high up but also with the fact that he had done something wrong. “I just wanted a good hiding spot…” he confessed, the tears in his eyes becoming present to the rest through his voice. “B-but I can’t get down! I’m scared, Sam!”

If she was older, she’d curse… because she did not want to climb that tree. Being an older sibling, she had been forced to outgrow many of her fears, but she was never able to shake her fear of heights. However, she was the oldest one there right now. Her parents, and Wes’s mom, and Mindy and Chad’s mom were depending on her to make the adult decisions. She was going to be 12 years-old next May, and it was the end of September now. She was the only one who could do this. She couldn’t just leave him in the tree until their parents came. She should be able to handle this… shouldn’t she? “Um… okay,” she didn’t realize she was agreeing to this until she was agreeing to it. “Okay, it’s okay, Wes! Uh…” She glanced around as if there were going to be some ladder or something that would magically spawn out of nowhere. But there wasn’t, just the 3 faces of the other kids staring at her. That told her that they were depending on her too… She looked back up to the boy in the tree. “I’m… I’m gonna come get you! Just hang on!”

The last time she had climbed this tree, she had been in the same situation as Wes was in now. She and Tara had been playing this same game, and she had the bright idea to climb the tree because Tara couldn’t get in the dang tree. That’s when she got very familiar with her fear. Tara had to go get their father, who had to climb up to get her down.

Now, here she was…

Samantha paced up to the tree trunk and took a deep breath. “Oh, God, okay…” she exhaled and lifted her gaze to the obstacle course above. ‘Don’t look down, now,’ she told herself, before grabbing ahold of the lowest branch. This was it.

From above, Wes bit back a cry. “S-Saaam…”

Before she could reply, Tara answered to him from the ground. “It’s okay, Wes! Sam’s coming!”

And that’s when her big-sister-instincts kicked in. Sam dug her nails into the bark and pressed the soles of her shoes into the dips the trunk and limbs provided. Grabbing each branch one by one with a grip as tight as hers had the skin of her palms ripping and her fingers burning like she was touching a hot stove. She swallowed back a whimper as the pain ran deep, but she kept her eyes fixed on Wes. He was her main priority. She threw her arm towards the last branch and grunted as she pulled herself up. Her foot slipped a little, which provoked a startled gasp from her, and she had to stop for a moment to recover.

‘Don’t look down. Whatever you do, don’t look down.’ She rehearsed the words over and over again in her head, her anxiety of falling making tears of her own threaten to take hold of her.

She tried to think of the way she’d seen animals move and climb in the cartoon movies she and Tara watched and tried to mimic that. It seemed to work well, so it couldn’t be terribly different for people, right? She remembered what her father had said when he had saved her from this situation.

‘ "Just breathe, Sam. I’ve got you." ’

She was clinging to his neck when he’d said this, shaking while crying into his shoulder.

‘ "As long as you hold on tight, you won’t fall." ’

Sam took a deep breath and raised her chin, blinking her lurking tears away. Wes didn’t know what she knew, so she had to tell him herself. And the only way to do that was to make it to him and be confident, just like her dad was. So, she did. She clawed her way to where he was and assured him as he jumped onto her. “You’re okay,” she positioned herself to be able to caress him with one arm, “I’ve got you.”

“Yay, Sam!” Mindy shouted from below.

“You did it!” Tara accompanied, while Chad was too busy watching.

Wes was trembling against Sam as she took a moment to collect herself. She was going to have to do things a little differently than what her father did with her because of her youthful strength. “Wes, listen to me, okay?” She kept her balance for the time being. “You’re gonna have to get on my back, so I can climb down. Can you do that for me?”

But he just sniffled with a shudder. “I… I want my mom,” he whined, clutching her shirt as if the rest of the world was out to get him.

“I know,” she tried to soothe him, “I know, and she’ll be here soon. But I’m here right now, and I will get you down.” She could feel the warmth from his tears soak her shoulder. “I promise.” The longer they stayed up there, the more anxious she became. “But you have to do what I say, okay? As long as you hold on tight, you won’t fall.”

The boy nodded and eased away from her figure to do what she told him. Sam kept one arm against him as he made his way onto her back and fastened his arms around her neck. “You ready?” she asked.

“Mm-hmm…”

“Alright. Here we go…” Having the added weight onto her back made the older Carpenter feel twice the strain on her hands as she began the climb down. Not to mention, his hold on her neck made breathing difficult, and the way his legs wrapped around her torso had his shoes pressing uncomfortably into her stomach. However, the most important thing was for him to hold on tight, like she said, so she didn’t hold it against him.

And right as her feet hit the ground, the back door opened.

“What are you doing out here?!”

“Mama!” Tara was the first to turn and flock to her mother’s voice. “We were playing Hide & Seek and Wes got stuck in the tree, so Sam had to get him down,” she explained.

Christina looked up from her youngest daughter to find her oldest kneeling on the ground to let Wes off of her back. Behind her, Judy appeared to speak before she could.

“Well done, Samantha!” the officer praised as her son came running up to her. She picked him up and set him on her hip. “But didn’t I tell you to stay out of trees, Wes?” Her tone dropped when she spoke to him, but softened once more when he nodded and leaned against her shoulder. As the twins and Sam came to join them, she nodded to the eldest, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Sam replied, regardless of the marathon her heart was still running. She then glanced over to Christina, expecting to be scolded for not being more clear on giving the kids proper directions. However, instead, her head was pet with a soft hand.

“Good girl, Sam,” her mother spoke with a smile.

And all of the sudden, Sam’s heart slowed, and she found herself smiling back, a sense of pride and self-achievement flooding through her to drown out the fear. Tara’s weight then slammed into her side as her waist was encased by her little arms.

“You were so brave!”

She chuckled, “Thanks, Tara.”

Judy cut in to dismiss herself and her son, “Alright, it’s getting late, so we better get going.”

Christina nodded. “Of course.” She then waved the rest to follow them in. “Come on inside! Chad, Mindy, your mom should be here any minute.”

The twins and Tara raced inside, while Judy followed with Wes, and then Christina and Sam.

It had been one hell of an eventful night… and it all started at 7:02 PM.

Okay, so it was one hell of an eventful 30 minutes.

this took me way too long to write rip.

I'm pretty sure I had more to say but I'm lowkey brain-dead atm soooooooo

All my best and blessings to you! ♡ - parker

#scream #scream v #scream vi #sam carpenter #tara carpenter #carpenter sisters #chad meeks martin #mindy meeks martin #wes hicks #christina carpenter #judy hicks #30 day writing challenge #game night #AU: The Way I Am

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smolmakerel · 9 months

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You know what? I live for the Black Widow AU that I saw floating around some time ago (I don't know if it's still a thing). It's such an interesting concept, and it got me thinking of another AU.

Captain America AU

Imagine, it's the early 20th century and WW2 is just starting, but women were allowed to fight in the army. There in NYC are the Carpenter sisters.

Tara Carpenter is a sickly little thing. She has asthma, was born early, and is always ready to pick a fight with people much bigger and stronger than her. She looks up to her sister Sam and is desperate to fight in the war with her when Sam volunteers.

Samantha Carpenter is a perfectly healthy woman. She's been working her way up the ranks of the U.S. military to become one of the people to put an end to the war. She worries that if she doesn't hurry, the opposing side might nuke the United States and Tara -

Tara might die.

But Tara wasn't afraid of death.

It took a lot of perjury, but Tara managed to enlist in the army with the help of a certain doctor (whose name I'm too lazy to look up rn). Seeing such a thin, sickly girl in the army, the other recruits and higher ups don't believe in her.

Despite their lack of faith, Tara has heart. And with her heart, she was recruited for a secret program. She was going to become a super soldier.

She signed on to be a lab rat of sorts. It hurt, the administration of the serum, but she came out...

Looking exactly the same. But on the plus side, she has better reflexes, stamina, and no asthma! Sam was going to be so proud of her when they finally met up.

Only for disaster to strike.

Sam, trying to protect Tara, ended up being thrown from a train and off the side of a mountain. Tara, devastated with the loss of her sister, was determined to end it all.

And end it she did. Only, Tara didn't expect to wake up nearly a century later in modern America. S.H.I.E.L.D. was eager to recruit her into this "Avengers Protocol", or whatever.

She also didn't expect H.Y.D.R.A. would come back with a familiar brunette on their side. Her left arm shines with metal, and her eyes became hardened over the years.

Tara knows this is Sam, her older sister who she thought she lost forever. The person she would die for.

They call her the Ghost Face now, but Tara knows Sam is still in there.

Why would the Ghost Face hesitate multiple times to kill her otherwise?

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the-antiapocalyptic-man · 6 months

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(open world!) What would be the concept of your Elseworld?

The most recent one I came up with involves Dr. Calvin Clark and his long time research partner Alex Lane investigating a top-secret alien alloy code named “K-Metal”. However, Calvin is plagued by nightmares of a bizarre doomsday creature he calls “The Superman” that he increasingly believes is connected to the K-Metal, as well as another being made out of blue electricity

Otherwise there’s the Green Knight (a mash-up of Ollie, Alan, Bruce, Dinah, and Pamela fighting for nature in a world of all-consuming sentient cities), a world where Linda Park founded the Young Titans as the first Kid Flash, Larry Trainor as Negative Lantern of the Justice Patrol, Samantha and Bruce as Batgirl and Batboy working against a corrupt Mayor Wayne and his mysterious enforcer Doctor Hurt, Themyscira being on the Moon so Diana and J’onn grow up together…

#ask game #elseworlds

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direwolfrules · 1 year

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Star Wars Rebels + Star Trek: Voyager AU Part 2

So just some random things for this AU:

Kallus only leaves the aeroponics bay for the purposes of betting on relationships. Biggest J/C shipper on the ship, just beating Chakotay himself. He absolutely uses Zeb’s replicator rations for his bets, which Zeb allows because he’s a) not using them and b) glad that something is getting his boyfriend away from the fertilizer fumes for a few hours. Plus Zeb ships it too, it kinda reminds him of his first few weeks on the Ghost when Hera and Kanan tried to hide their relationship.

When Resolutions happens Kallus is absolutely insufferable. Imagine being a J/C shipper and only knowing that the Captain and Commander spent several days alone on a planet and came back with even more romantic tension. What happened on the planet Captain? Commander? I’m not saying that if Kallus found out about the bathtub that he’d have a stroke, but I’m also not not saying it.

Kallus also spends his time trying to get various crew members together. The Delaney sisters and their forays into the dating world are always entertaining. Tom and B'Elanna have that will they won't they tension that is just so delicious. Ensigns Bennet and Macormak though, they're his second favorite. He loves those oblivious idiots so much. Especially after Macormak keeps Zeb from running off ahead during a fight with the Kazon. So when Bennet dies, well, it shatters Kallus a little.

Hera and Samantha Wildman occasionally have girls nights. Those nights either Kanan takes all parenting duties (like Hera does when Kanan wants to hang out with his dad friends) or Zeb or Neelix watch both Jacen and Naomi Wildman so Kanan can also get some time away. Less often Ezra and Sabine watch the youngest Spectre, because they’re helpless in the face of Jacen’s lothpuppy eyes. One time Captain Janeway watched both kids and long story short both children came back with tiny command uniforms and breathe that smelled suspiciously like coffee.

Sabine and Ezra are both younger than the rest of the Voyager crew (Harry’s only older than Sabine by about a year but he’s clinging to that like a child clutching their safety blanket) excluding the literal infants. They’re basically the babies of the Voyager family, and the crew talks about them accordingly. More than once they've gotten separated from their fellow crew on shore leave causing Tom to run up to the local authorities and put out a missing child alert. No one (openly) finds this amusing except Tom.

Sabine figures out how to replicate beskar right before they encounter the Borg. Sabine hates the Borg. She hates them as a concept, hates them as a reality, just hates them. There's just something about an enemy that's able to so completely strip you of your personality, your individuality, that activates the primal fear part of her brain. Her brief mental debate if she should use her knowledge of beskar replication for the crew (it's sacred and not meant for outsiders) ends the first time she sees a crew member breakdown remembering Wolf 359 (I am making one of the background crew a Wolf 359 survivor, sue me). Voyager's crew has become family and what is beskar for if not to protect family?

Voyager gets beskar hull plates and bulkheads.

Tuvok, Ayala, and Joe Carey give Kanan advice on how to be a good dad. Naturally, it's all correct, yet they also all contradict each other. Tuvok's advice (based on what to do with telepathic Vulcan babies) actually works really well, which strengthens the friend part of his and Kanan's frenemies dynamic.

Ezra and Kanan (and to a lesser extent baby Jacen) set Q’s teeth on edge whenever he shows up. Unfortunately, this just seems to make Q show up more often. The Q Continuum has a love-hate relationship with Force sensitives because they’re living reminders of three Q who ran off to a Galaxy Far Far Away, decided to live as a creepy family, and gave some mortals phenomenal powers. No one wants to be reminded of their weird relatives.

I just want to say that at one point thanks to Q Hondo Ohnaka and Lwaxana Troi are on the ship at the same time. There is a considerable amount of chaos, fire, and firey chaos.

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fine-nephrit · 12 days

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🥏 TXF Fic Rec #29: "To Carthage Then I Came" by Annakovsky

Today’s fic is one of these stories that leaves you marveling at its originality in concept and technical brilliance in execution. Without revealing too much of the plot, it unfolds when Mulder is on the run, separated from Scully and William, and in a seriously messed up state. It’s creepy and unsettling in a wonderfully crafted manner, and the ending is truly a chef’s kiss. This short fic is a clever, daring, unforgettable little gem.

---

🥏 on AO3

author: @annakovsky length: short, 2,000+ words season: season 9 pairing(s): Mulder/Samantha, Mulder/Scully tags: sci-fi, angst, Mytharc, Samantha Mulder rating: mature/R

#x files #nephrit's fic rec #favorite #len: short #season: 9 #mulder/other #genre: sci fi #genre: angst #arc: mytharc #samantha mulder #rating: r #by: annakovsky

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unpleasantcompany · 19 days

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The Dolls Came In

I don’t know how my mutuals here feel about the concept of “energy” and whether or not objects can hold onto feelings and emotions but… oh my god, when I opened the box and saw those two dolls that one of my best friends, one of my favorite people, grew up with? I started to tear up.

Elizabeth is in such good condition, she has her earrings, her wee hair curls, and no marks anywhere on her. I can tell my friend LOVED her as a kid and took the absolute best care of her.

The other is more beat up- but no less loved, perhaps just in a different way. Her limbs are loose, she has a few marks, and her hair is a bit dry at the ends.

She also threw in a few extra books, a movie, a mini Felicity, Felicity’s accessories, and Samantha’s Winter Cape that she found around the house.

I’ve gotten second hand dolls before that had that same “mmm someone loved you, now it’s my turn” vibe- but these? I *know* the person who loved them, and I love her, so it makes me love these dolls even more. It’s just different and difficult to explain, but I’ve never felt this before and I wanted to share.

#american girl dolls #american girl doll #personal ramblings #american girl #pleasant company

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jerzwriter · 2 years

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A Quite Carrick Halloween

FICTOBER 2022 - DAY 1 - "I CHOSE YOU."

Fic Type: Fanfic

Fandom: Choices – Open Heart (Post Series)

Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey MacTavish)

Rating: Teen

Category: Holiday Fluff

Summary: It's their first Halloween with baby Samantha, and they're wrapped in sugary sweet domestic bliss - but with these two, there's always a side of something extra. 🎃

Words: 1465

A/N: This was based on a prompt ask from this list. “imagine your OTP handing out candies in amusing couple costumes.” I think I went a little “cuter” than amusing, but Tobias & Casey pack their own amusement into every event, as you’ll see 😊 I am participating in @choicesmonthlychallenge Spooktober - Candy / @fictober-event - day 1 - "I choose you" - and @choicesficwriterscreations Naugty & Nice Event - "Want to see what I turn into at midnight."

CHARACTERS BELONG TO PIXELBERRY STUDIOS

It was the perfect Halloween day. The sun was shining brightly in a clear blue sky, and the air was crisp, though not yet cold. There may have been more leaves on the Boston streets than on its trees, but those that remained scattered on branches helped paint a beautiful fall scene.

Casey stepped outside and paused on their townhome’s top step. Tossing her head back and shutting her eyes, she took a deep breath until the cool autumn air filled her lungs. A genuine, joyful smile spread on her lips as memories of Halloweens from her younger days flooded her mind. The memories were precious, but the future was even more dear. A new mother herself, she was about to create new ones with her own baby girl, and she couldn't have asked for a more perfect day to start.

She sat on the steps, smoothing her royal blue dress and placing the large bowl of candy on top of her lap. It wasn't her first choice of costume. But not having a family costume on their first Halloween as a family was not an option. Tobias had been calling Samantha pumpkin practically since conception, so her costume was a given, but her parent’s choice was not so simple.

"I got it!" He ran into the kitchen exuberantly. "Peanuts! Charlie Brown. Lucy. DONE! Sammy is the Great Pumpkin. It's perfect!"

"Sammy is a generic pumpkin, honey, not the Great Pumpkin. Besides, Lucy was so… mean in that show. Do you think I'm mean?"

"Well…” he smirked, “you do have your days." He pulled away before she smacked his shoulder. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and lavished her neck with ticklish kisses. The rest of the night was spent doing things they had to be careful about if they didn't want Sammy's sibling on the way.

Casey never came up with a better idea, and that’s how she ended up sitting here in her blue dress and Mary Janes, eagerly awaiting her husband and daughter’s arrival.

Tobias was simply bubbling over, more animated than the character he was supposed to be. Decked out in his bright yellow shirt with a black zig-zag and matching shorts, he beamed from ear to ear as he spoke jibberish to the bouncing baby pumpkin on his hip. Casey's heart filled with joy watching them, but she couldn't help but chuckle.

"What?" he queried, quickly turning back to Sammy with a sing-song voice. "What? What's Mommy laughing at Sammy? Do you think she's laughing at you or me?"

"Oh, you," she assured. "A thousand times you!"

"Gee, thanks, babe!”

"It's not bad. I'm just thinking it wasn't too long ago that you were this playboy doctor. Mr. Non-Commitment and never settling down,” she joked. “Halloween activities were probably far more naughty than nice then… but now look at you. You're a natural. It's like you were born for this life."

"Well, maybe that's because I was," he said, sitting next to her and meeting her lips with a warm, tender kiss. "I just needed to find the one who could make it feel like a gift instead of a prison. I knew it was you the moment you came along and, well… when deciding between my old life and you, it was a no-brainer. I chose you."

"Awww," she giggled, snuggling close to his side. "That is so sweet. I'd say you were trying to butter me up for those naughty favors later… but then again, you know I'm a sure thing."

"Casey!" He exclaimed with feigned anger. "In front of the baby?"

"She doesn't understand us yet," she winked as her husband shook his head in bemusement.

"And this is just one reason I love you. But while Sammy may not understand yet," he pointed a few doors away, "those kids will. Now let's behave, baby girl; it's time to hand out some candy!"

Within minutes their steps were overtaken by neighborhood children. Sammy clung to her Daddy’s t-shirt, thoroughly unimpressed with the strange children, but her parents were another story. Tobias & Casey excitedly greeted each child, inquiring about their costumes as they dropped candy into their sacks. Witches, ghosts, a princess, a baseball player or two, the Carricks made a fuss over each and every one.

The day was winding down when a little girl showed up with her mother.

“Trick or treat,” she said with a soft voice.

Casey beamed as Tobias informed her that he knew she was Casey’s favorite costume of the day. Blue scrubs, a white lab coat, and a stethoscope on her neck.

"Oh my goodness!" Casey squealed. "You’re a doctor! Do you want to be a doctor when you grow up?”

The girl's dark curls bounced around her face as she nodded. Shyness getting the better of her, she moved against her mother’s leg.

“That’s all she talks about,” her mom grinned. “I used to think it was a passing phase, but now I’m starting to think I should save up for med school!”

“That’s not the worst idea,” Casey smiled, squatting down to talk to the child at her level. “Hey, you know I’m a doctor, and my husband here is a doctor, too. I think you will make a wonderful doctor one day.”

Pleased with the little girl's bright smile, Casey turned to Tobias. “Hon, give her a little extra candy. She deserves it for all that studying she will need to do.”

“You got it! But if you want, I’ll run inside and get my stationery. We can drop a letter of recommendation in there.”

“Oh, we may take you up on that in another fourteen years!” Her mom laughed.

Tobias looked at the little girl. “I went to Hopkins, the best med school in the country. They love when they get letters from people who went there. I’ve got your back.”

Casey turned to him, unamused. “The best! You were ranked fourth last year!”

“Still better than Perelman's sixth,” he winked.

Casey turned around and placed the candy in the child’s bag. “Sweetheart, when you are a doctor, you might want to think twice before marrying another doctor.”

“HEY!” Tobias yelled, sending little Sammy into a litany of babbling. “See, our daughter isn’t happy with that statement either!”

Standing up with a chuckle, Casey wished the little girl and her mom well before reclaiming her place at her husband’s side. She took Samantha in her arms and snuggled her close. A warmth he never thought he’d experience filled Tobias’s chest as he wrapped them both in his arms. They sat in silence and let the moment linger, each sharing the same thought. This was pretty much perfection.

“I was only joking,” Casey finally spoke. “Marrying my doctor was probably the best thing I ever did.”

“Probably!” He sneered. “I know marrying you was the best thing I ever did, and if I forget, I always have my mother to remind me. But you go ahead and think about it.”

Casey silenced him with another tender kiss while Samantha began falling asleep in her arms.

“We should get her inside. I don’t think we’ll be getting more trick-or-treaters today.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, “and Sammy is tuckered out. Besides, I want to pull those med school rankings up to prove you wrong.”

“Are you kidding me?” Casey laughed.

“Second in my class!” He said, picking the empty candy bowl up from the steps. “From the best med school in America. Where were you, dear? Sixth? Seventh?”

“FIFTH! And you know it! That’s from an Ivy League med school. Is Hopkins an Ivy?” she placed her pointer on her chin in mock confusion. “Hmm. No, it’s not.”

“Ivy Schmivy!” He said, opening the door, “did I tell you I was the most published student in Hopkins history?”

“Only seven dozen times… by our second date. But, Tobias?”

“Yes? Samantha is going to be out for the count any minute now. Is this really how you want to spend the first alone time we’ve had all day?”

“Heh,” he snickered. “Screw Hopkins. It was overrated. Now, the important questions. Do you have that other little Halloween costume we picked out?”

“Yes,” she smirked. “Operative word being little.”

“That’s the one! Why don’t you go put that on, and we’ll see what I turn into at midnight?”

“Sweetheart,” Casey teased. “Samantha can hear you….”

“It’s OK. She doesn’t understand us yet.”

“What are we going to do when she does?”

“Got me,” he shrugged. “But my Mom already has a trust fund set up specifically for therapy bills. She said with us as parents, Sammy’s bound to need it.”

“No arguments here,” she laughed.

“Good…” he winked, “now go get changed. I’ll put Sammy to bed, then we’re about to have an extra Happy Halloween!”

Perma Tags: @a-crepusculo @aishwarya26 @animesuck3r @annfg8 @annoyingmillenialnewbie @bex-la-get @binny1985 @bluebelle08 @bluerosesbloom @cariantha @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @danijimenezv @different4strawberry @differenttyphoonwerewolf @doriopenheart @fayeswiftie @forallthatitsworth @genevievemd @inlocusmads @jamespotterthefirst @jennieausten @kingliam2019 @liaromancewriter @lilypills @lucy-268 @mainstreetreader @mysticalgalaxysstuff @ofmischiefandmedicine @onikalover @openheartforeverinmyheart @peonierose @peonyblossom @potionsprefect @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @schnitzelbutterfingers @secretaryunpaid @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @toadfrog26 @trappedinfanfiction @uneravine @youlookappropriate @zahrachoices @jerzwriter-reblogs-asks @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

#choices fanfic #tobias carrick #open heart fanfic #tobias carrick x mc #fictober2022 #choices monthly challenge #cfwc naughty & nice #cfwc fics of the week #tobias x casey #open heart choices #playchoices fanfi

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