#the book keeps talking about how sophies life is like insane and crazy | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

obsidianfr3sk · 4 years

Text

Rise of the Renegades (Chapter 7)

Summary: Heroes come from the most unexpected places. Heroes sometimes feel a little too different, a little too scared, a little too alone. But heroes also know when enough is enough, and that before saving the world, they need to save themselves. And they cannot do it alone.

They were going to be the hope of the world. They were going to call themselves the Renegades. Even if they didn’t know it yet.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26246812/chapters/65983648

Alo (? Today’s chapter is up early lol and it’s about Gay-Girl alliance (?

Thanks for the reblogs, comments, nice tags and likes. They help me to keep writing!

Tag list: @nodrianbcyes @healing-winston-pratt @dawniebb @cerenoya @bluraspberryoff-secretary @ marissagustrerbenson

Nothing is better than superheroes

Frankly, I feel insane,

but you say you feel the same,

and suddenly, it’s like, "Hey, I’m not crazy".

Don’t kill me, 'cause I’m just the messenger.

I’ve never seen someone quite this strange before.

You’re just like me, you took all your vitamins.

You’re just like me and you take delight in it.

Georgia

It was very difficult to be in the city at night. There was no light, but she wasn’t sure if it was because almost everyone was sleeping or because there was no electricity in that neighborhood.

Probably the first thing. It was... a little late.

She had forgotten how good it felt to fly.

In the sky, Georgia was free to do as she pleased. She would flip, shout at the top of her lungs, sing old songs that her father had taught her, curse everything she could not curse anywhere else, and laugh for real.

Anarchy was insignificant when seen from above.

Freedom. That was freedom. And what a sweet taste it had.

She wondered if one day, everyone could taste it.

Finally, she arrived. Or so she thought.

She went down in a tailspin and stopped before touching the ground. After looking around, she realized all the windows were closed and the lights were off.

She was safe.

The mailbox of the house at her right had written over it the number 4480. She looked at the notebook again. It said 4491 Atha Drive.

Close.

The street was empty. She kept flying from there, quietly begging that no woke up for a midnight snack and decided to look through the window.

It took longer to think that than to get to 4491. It was a pretty small house, blue on the outside, with the window frames and the door painted white. They also had a mailbox, but Georgia was sure it wasn’t big enough for the notebook to fit there.

That house just felt so full of mystery...

The hell with this. She was going to leave it in his room.

Georgia felt like Santa Claus. Or the tooth fairy. Like she was one of those creatures that only children with a lot of imagination believed in. Though she doubted Hugh E. wasn’t one of those kids.

Hugh

Simon left before the sun went down. His aunt asked him if he wanted to stay for dinner, but he said his little sister was alone in the house and someone needed to take care of her. Hugh decided to go to his room. He wasn’t hungry anyway.

He left his books on the old wooden table that served as his desk. Hugh felt so angry just thinking about his backpack. It was pretty new. His aunt had saved money to buy it for him and even had a key chain made of corkscrew that Sophie had given him as a gift for being her brother’s best friend. He had been so moved by that gesture…

And the bastards had taken it.

That’s right, he said bastards. So what?

Hugh wasn’t scared anymore. When they took his backpack, they also took away his fear. Now, Hugh could only feel anger and helplessness.

If only he had fought a little more, if only he had used his powers for what they really were…

Hugh had always known his powers were dangerous. He was old enough to remember how people talked about prodigies before the Age of Anarchy. Prodigies were freaks. Prodigies were dangerous.

And sometimes those messages made him wonder if that’s why his parents didn’t want him. If it was because they thought he would grow and become a danger to everyone around it.

That is why he had spent his whole life trying to be nice to the world, even if the whole world wasn’t nice to him. He wanted to prove to everyone, even himself, that prodigies were not dangerous. Or not all of them.

He knew that if he had used his powers against those particular villains, it would only make him turn into a villain himself.

And Hugh was not a villain. He was never going to be one.

However, he also knew that if he had used his powers against them, he probably would have found Simon before that freaking kid hurt him.

Hugh would have been there for him.

He fixed his gaze on the superhero drawings he had on the wall. Some were from before the Age of Anarchy. He liked to have them next to the newer ones, to feel good about all the progress he had made.

They always made him feel good but that time, they didn’t. They made him feel like an idiot.

He would never be like them. They took the initiative. They did fight a little more. They were themselves even if others didn’t like it.

They didn’t feel like dangerous freaks because they had never been told they were ones.

Comic book superheroes didn’t have to bottle all the anger fear left when it went away. What could Hugh do with it other than keeping it in the depths of his soul and wait for it to die with him?

He put his hands on one of his drawings.

How easy it’s for you.

Georgia

She stayed a few inches above the ground to not make any noise. They didn’t have a fence. She took it as a good sign.

Maybe you’re welcome here.

Georgia flew into the backyard. There was a square window. She approached to make sure it was a boy’s room.

It was late when she realized that it was, in fact, a boy’s room and that this boy, blond, with glasses and wearing blue pajamas, was still awake.

Hugh

Just as he was beginning to tear the edges of the sheet of paper, a shadow blocked the moonlight that entered his room.

Hugh turned his back.

A woman in white clothes and a yellow jacket floated across his window, looking at him as if she were the one who was surprised by him.

She was hugging a red notebook. His notebook.

He didn’t even notice it was missing.

Hugh opened the window. The woman backed away slightly frightened. However, as soon as she looked into his eyes, she recovered immediately.

She gave him the notebook. There was a piece of paper between its pages. He opened it and realized it was his drawing, but it was no longer broken like the last time he saw it.

The woman had taped it back together with strawberry washi-tape.

He never thought something like this would make him feel almost as happy as his drawings did.

Hugh looked up to thank her and recognized her immediately. It was the girl from the store.

The moonlight made her look like...

There was no other explanation. She just had to be that.

She could not be just a girl.

Georgia

The boy was the first to speak. “Are you an angel?”

Georgia cringed a little. Of course that boy would believe in angels.

She laughed under her breath. “No. I am not.”

He turned his head slightly. “Then what are you?”

And it sounded like he really didn’t understand who or what Georgia was.

It’s okay. I’m also having a hard time understanding who or what are you.

“I am a...”

Georgia began to look for an answer inside her head.

Just invent something, Georgia.

“I am a superhero.”

The boy smiled at her, but not as he had smiled at the Roach that afternoon. It was more like he was smiling at an ally. To an acquaintance. Or an old friend.

It was a prettier smile.

“That’s better. There’s nothing better than superheroes. You know why I know that?”

More mystery.

She shook her head. “Why?”

“Because I am a superhero too.”

Georgia smiled back at him. But of course you’re a prodigy, Hugh E. Of course you are.

She was beginning to understand him. And he seemed to be beginning to understand her, too.

Hugh

It took him a while to remember his manners. “My name is Hugh, by the way,” he said offering his hand.

Don’t squeeze it too hard.

The woman shook his hand. “I know. I saw it in your notebook.”

He felt he was turning a little red, but her nervous laughter calmed him down a bit. “My name is Georgia. Georgia Rawles.”

“How did you find me, Georgia?”

Georgia took the notebook and showed him the inside of the cover. “You wrote your address here.”

“Oh, I see.” He suddenly remembered that day. Simon had been in a particularly good mood. He had liked that. Simon wasn’t always in a good mood. “Maybe I should stop putting my personal information in my notebooks.”

“On the contrary, I think you should do it more often,” she replied. “What’s going to happen when you lose a notebook again?”

He shrugged and laughed.

“Hey. And what’s this comic about?”

At first, he was very surprised that a girl wanted to know what a comic was about. However, he gradually realized that what actually surprised him was that she didn’t read comics.

“You don’t read comics?”

“No. I’m more of a book person. Mysteries, crime novels, and so on.”

“I don’t read,” he confessed.

Georgia thought for a moment. “I think comics count as reading.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes, I heard it once in class,” she clarified.

Despite the darkness of the night, Hugh noticed that Georgia trembled slightly. That jacket wasn’t protecting her from the October cold at all.

“Do you want to come in?” he asked.

Georgia raised her eyebrows. “Does your mom let you have girls in the room?” she asked with a trembling voice.

“I don’t know what my mom would say, but my aunt is asleep.” He got out of bed to make room for her when it happened. “Come in.”

Georgia suddenly looked slightly uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, I didn’t remember— I didn’t know about your mom.”

“Ah! No, it’s— Come in, seriously.”

Finally, she agreed to it. The cold got to her. It was all right; he didn’t like the cold either.

Hugh rushed to turn on the light. Georgia closed the window and pulled the curtains.

He immediately regretted not cleaning his room a little better. It wasn’t that messy, but it definitely could be better. Girls were more delicate with that stuff, weren’t they?

At least it wasn’t Simon’s room.

She looked at the drawings and then to her right. “Is that... the comic?” and pointed to a bunch of comics he had on his nightstand.

The comic. He knew what she was talking about.

“That is the one,” he replied. He took it and showed her the broken back cover. “See?” Georgia shuddered. Hugh doubted it was because of the cold, but he asked her anyway, “Would you like me to give you an extra jacket?”

“No, I mean... I’m fine,” she muttered. “It’s just... well, this afternoon was pretty crazy, wasn’t it?”

Pretty crazy didn’t even begin to describe how the afternoon had been.

But Hugh didn’t have the time or the words to explain it to her. He wished he did though.

“It was pretty crazy,” he recognized. “Were you scared?”

She took the comic book and started flipping through it. “But tell me... what are these comics about?”

Hugh sat next to her. “They’re about this guy Aaron who has hydrokinesis-powers.”

“He controls the water?”

“Yep. He is a prodigy. Although they never say that word in the entire comic book.” Georgia nodded, interested in that detail. “And he hides it from everyone. But then one day he goes to the beach, he meets a mysterious old man who gives him a silver spear because he is the chosen one who’ll save the world of the ocean and the land. Wonder Man accepts and every time he takes the spear and says the magic words, the spear gives him a super-suit and his powers become stronger. And all goes well during the first numbers, until at the end of the number before this one—” he raised the comic book over his head “—that old man, who became his tutor, reveals to him something... shocking.”

Hugh went quiet all of a sudden. He forgot he didn’t know if Georgia wanted him to tell her everything or if she was just being nice.

But Georgia looked genuinely intrigued. “What happened?” she asked, frowning. “What was the shocking revelation?”

I can see you like mysteries, lady.

“Ah, well... Wonder Man wasn’t the chosen one,” he replied, raising his feet to the bed. “There are many other people like him all over the world. Only that he was the first to accept the proposal.”

Georgia covered her mouth with one hand. “Wow. Brutal.”

“Yes, he didn’t take it well,” Hugh continued. “He felt betrayed because now there was nothing to make him special. And that made him miserable so he stopped being Wonder Man. But then Ace Anarchy came out of the darkness—”

“Ace Anarchy?” Georgia asked.

She wasn’t confused at all. She was... nervous.

Although less than a normal person would be if they heard that infamous name.

Interesting.

“Yes, the one and only,” he said quietly. “And he went and killed his tutor. Wonder Man found him when he was bleeding out on the floor. His tutor apologized for lying to him.”

“But... why did he lie to him?” she wanted to know. “Why didn’t he tell him the truth from the start?”

Hugh remembered the page number where that happened. He looked for it and read it out loud. “I wanted to know if you had what it took to be a hero, Aaron. I had to know.”

Georgia took the comic.

“And do I?” she asked reading Wonder Man’s dialogue.

Hugh felt chills. That question had felt so real.

He didn’t need to read from the comic book to know what followed that line. “That’s a question you need to answer by yourself, Aaron. Do you have what it takes to be a hero?”

Georgia turned the page and Hugh was able to visualize perfectly what she was seeing because it was something he had seen hundreds of times since he had bought that number.

Wonder Man stood up and came out of the cave where his tutor lived, with his spear covered in the blood. He lifted it to the moon and the waves of the sea began to rise.

“And here it says: 'Yes, I do'” Georgia read. She closed the comic book somewhat violently. “It doesn’t make sense. What a stupid mystery.”

Hugh was slightly offended. Just... slightly . “Why do you say that?”

“How did he know he has what it takes to be a hero?”

“I don’t know,” he answered, shrugging. “He just… knew.”

Georgia sighed. That wasn't the answer she was expecting and Hugh knew it. But he wasn't quite sure what else to say to her.

He supposed they were going to explain it in the next number. Only there was never going to be a next number.

Hugh wasn't going to lie: he felt a little bad that he couldn't give Georgia an explanation. He couldn't even give it to himself.

“How did you know you have what it takes to be a hero?”

He turned to see her. Had he heard her right?

Since Georgia didn't say anything else, he assumed he did.

Yes, he had heard right.

A few hours ago, he would have been more flattered than ever. But in those moments, he just said, “Me? I don't think I am a hero. I think you are though.”

“Me a hero?!” she asked. She also wanted to make sure she was listening well. “Really?”

Well, at least she was flattered “Really!” Hugh assured her. “You came all this way to give me back my notebook, and you fixed my drawing, and you talked to me ... That is pretty heroic.”

“Well, that's funny because... seriously, I think you are the hero here.”

Hugh was still asking the same question. “But why?”

“You stood up to those villains this afternoon!” Georgia exclaimed pointing at him. “You were the only one who said no to them and who wasn’t scared of them at all. That is pretty heroic.”

Hugh was overcome by the urge to smile. Georgia smiled more, showing that she wasn't backing off her words.

Well… he had to admit that maybe there was something heroic about what he had done, even if it didn’t go the way he wanted.

However, he couldn't take all the credit.

“Maybe we're both heroic.”

“You think so?”

Was she starting to stop believing it?

Not on my watch.

"I think so," he replied, grabbing his pillow and putting it on his lap. Distracted, he began to fiddle with the thread from his gray-striped sheath. “I have a friend. He's pretty heroic too. It’s just that… he can’t see himself as such.”

But I believe in him for both of us.

“I get that friend of yours,” she replied. “Sometimes things are not that simple. I also have a friend who doesn’t see herself the way I see her.”

“As someone heroic?” he wanted to know.

Georgia thought about it for a bit and then just smiled. “Yeah, let's put it that way.”

He wondered if it would be wise to ask her a little more about it but immediately imagined Simon next to him kicking him to shut him up in the most discreet way he could think of.

“Do you know if he beat Ace Anarchy in the end?” she asked.

Hugh shook his head with an apologetic smile. Although he knew it wasn't his fault he couldn't beat him.

The only one responsible for Wonder Man not being able to defeat Ace Anarchy… was Ace Anarchy himself.

“I imagined it, ” Georgia murmured. “But—”

She bit her lip before finishing the sentence.

Do you want to say what I think you want to say?

He moved a little closer to her. “But what?”

Georgia looked him straight in the eye. She had a huge hopeful smile when she asked:

“But what if we did?”

Thinking about it was one thing.

But hearing someone else say it, with the same desire to believe it as him, was something a thousand times better.

He threw the pillow on the floor and took Georgia by the shoulders. “That was exactly what I was gonna say!” he exclaimed.

He immediately reminded himself to lower his voice. He didn't want to wake his aunt up.

Hugh removed his hands from Georgia's shoulders and hid them behind him. Georgia was kind of amused.

She stifled her laughter with her hand. “Jinx,” and she offered him her pinky.

Hugh found that gesture adorable. Girls are really nice. “Jinx,” and laced his pinky through hers. “No, but seriously, do you really think so?”

He just wanted to make sure one last time. Just one last time before he completely believed in her.

She got serious again. “I want to believe someone has to do something about it,” she sighed. “And I am tired of never being that someone. I want to be that someone. I want to do something about it.”

Yes. Yes to everything you say, Georgia. It is true.

I also think that.

“Me too, Georgia, me too!” he exclaimed, putting his hand on her fist. “Georgia, I also want to be that someone! We could be that someone! The three of us!”

Her smile didn't fade, but it tensed a bit. “Three?”

“My friend. I'm including my friend,” he explained.

Georgia relaxed. “Oh sure, sure. Okay, but we're going to be four because I'm including my friend too.”

“Perfect! The more the merrier.”

And he meant it.

Four prodigies against Ace Anarchy.

Suddenly, things didn't look so complicated.

“So… are you saying we can like… get together here to plan our next move against this cruel world?” Georgia asked him.

Hugh was about to say "yes" when he remembered his aunt. If she found four people gathered in her living room, Hugh would have to give a lot of explanations that he wasn't prepared to give.

Hello, aunt, we are planning to destroy the status quo.

She would surely laugh at them, tell them to stop trying to be heroes, and kick out Simon, Georgia, and their friend. And Hugh would never get the chance to be a hero again.

He loved his family very much. But he couldn't risk his chance like that.

Someday he was going to tell her. However, for the moment it was better to keep the secret.

He could keep a secret.

But then where are we going to meet?

A light bulb went on above his head.

That place was perfect.

“Yes, we’re getting together to plan our next move against this cruel world,” he replied, getting off the bed. "Just not here”

He took a pen and tore a page out of his notebook. Georgia tried to look over her shoulder as he wrote down an address. Then it occurred to him that perhaps he could give her a… little gift.

To thank her for returning his things.

He drew a quick doodle of Wonder Man smiling at them, doing finger guns with one hand and holding the silver spear in the other. A text bubble came out of his mouth, asking them: "Do you have what it takes to be a hero?"

Hugh knew they did.

Even if he wasn't sure what it was.

He quickly wrote “This Friday, 6:30 am” and handed the folded paper to Georgia. “4480 Atha Drive,” she read. “It's pretty close from here.”

"Yeah, it's my friend's address,” he answered. “I bet he won’t mind. His dad leaves his house before we go to school. So we’ll be safe.”

Georgia stared at the paper, looking at it a little… worried. “Hugh... you are going to be there, aren't you?”

Hugh scoffed. “Why wouldn't I?”

She shrugged.

“Would you like a guarantee? Because… Look—” he took his blue hoodie from over the chair and handed it to her “—my favorite and only hoodie. It is very warm, although it does not seem like it. Maybe more than yours. Put it on, and that way you won't get a cold when you get home. You can return it to me when we meet again.”

Georgia put it on. It fitted her perfectly. “How chivalrous of you,” she said. “I'll give back to you on Friday then.”

“Friday will be.”

On Friday. Everything was going to change on Friday.

Everything was finally going to change.

Georgia stood up and floated to the window. Hugh stared at her from his bed.

“Hey,” he called her. When she turned around, he offered her his pinky. “We're going to be heroes, lady. I believe in us.”

Before leaving, Georgia laced her pinky through his, looking at their joined hands as if they were the most precious thing in the world. “I believe in us too, captain. I believe in us too.”

And how good it felt to have someone by his side that believe in them as much as he did.

#renegades #archenemies #supernova #renegades trilogy #georgia rawles #hugh everhart #OG renegades #rise of the renegades #ao3 #fic #the gays and the girls are going to change the world

11 notes · View notes

anotherdayinchuckletown · 4 years

Text

They’re Funny That Way, Chapter 1

Hey, guys! How’s it going? I’ve been writing for about ten years now, but this is only the second ever fic I’ve shared anywhere, so I’m super nervous!!!

This is basically my take on a Harley Quinn origin story tailored to the universe of Joker (2019). It’s going to be Harley like we’ve never seen her before, with lots of Arthur, lots of Sophie, lots of original characters, and lots of twists and turns.

I’m SO beyond excited to finally share this with you guys, and I hope you all enjoy! Please like, comment, reblog if you do so that I know if you guys love reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it! This fic is also posted to my AO3 account (https://archiveofourown.org/users/marie_deneuve), so you can also read it there if you’d like!

Without further ado, heeeere we go!!

Chapter 1

The apartment building at Eleven-Forty Anderson Avenue is an eyesore situated in the midst of a likewise ugly city called Gotham. A pimple on a face only a mother could love. A pariah among pariahs.

Management has long since stopped caring about its maintenance, leaving it a patchwork of leaking ceilings, cracking foundations, and broken windows haphazardly boarded shut. Even the most seasoned resident of Gotham City would quicken his pace when passing the telltale archways which separate the apartments from the rest of the city.

Sophie Dumond is currently doing her best to avoid saying any of that out loud.

“It’s really not that bad,” she lies. “Definitely a far cry from where you’re living now, but once you get used to it, it’s not the worst.” Although she is on the phone, she looks down at her shoes anyway, so as not to look her guilt in the face. A crack in the tile beneath her feet stares back accusingly.

“Really? My brother told me his appliances never work, and the maintenance crew is impossible to reach,” the voice on the other line replies skeptically. It belongs to another young woman by the name of Emma Boulanger – Emma Scott, actually, ever since her marriage – who has been Sophie’s best friend since the two of them met in elementary school. She is also the godmother of Sophie’s five-year-old daughter, which was an unpopular decision she had been made to justify more times than she would have liked (honestly, though, her sister could call her if she ever became less of a pretentious bitch).

This phone call marks the first time Sophie has heard from her in one month, two weeks, and six days. Not that she’s been counting or anything.

It’s just strange not to talk to her, as she’s always the first to know of any big changes in her friend’s life. Emma is certainly the first to know about changes in Sophie’s life as well. She’s there when they both open up their letters of acceptance into Gotham University, whooping and cheering and dreaming of finally, finally leaving this shithole, getting glamorous jobs in the big city. She’s there when Sophie is curled up on her bathroom floor, crying and clutching a positive pregnancy test, wanting the best for the child growing inside of her, yet fearing she would never be able to provide it.

That’s why it’s so odd when Emma’s twin brother is the one to mention in the hallway one day that his sister has filed for divorce. And furthermore, that she’s returning to Gotham to live with him until she gets back on her feet.

“Like I said, Emma, it’s not perfect,” she relents. “But hey, at least it’ll be nice to hang out again. It’s been way too long.”

“Yeah, it really has! I moved, what, almost two years ago?” Emma’s voice brightens marginally, and Sophie can nearly see the lopsided grin spreading across her face, so familiar is she with every tic, every tell, every minuscule inflection to her words. “Metropolis is boring as hell, by the way. I almost miss Gotham - call me crazy.”

Sophie huffs, knowing full well that Emma is playing it cool - trying not to let on how much she dreads moving back to a city she called a living, breathing prison for so many years. Best to keep things lighthearted then. Empathize with her, acknowledge her feelings, but never, never pity her. “You’re definitely crazy, Em,” she shoots back, raising an eyebrow. “What exactly does it for you, the enormous rats or the graffiti dicks?”

An almost imperceptible chuckle filters through the receiver. “Well, no one ever really escapes Gotham, do they? I figure I might as well develop a little Stockholm Syndrome.”

Sophie doesn’t immediately respond to the bleak sentiment. It’s simply a joke, of course, and as a matter of fact, very on-brand. But there’s enough truth to it to cause a momentary lapse in the lightness of their conversation.

Sophie has found gradually that Emma was right growing up. Gotham truly seems less like a place and more like an entity. It has a certain way of taking, taking, taking from a person, and when that person has nothing left to give, taking just a little bit more. The citizens meander like restless spirits, doomed to wander to and from their low-wage jobs for eternity. The air is heavier out there, tugging their faces down into sour expressions, aging them prematurely. A reflection of their surroundings.

Sophie often wonders if she looks the way they do.

If Emma notices the shift – which she certainly does, she always does – she politely ignores it. “I guess beggars can’t be choosers… It was nice of Eddie to let me stay with him on such short notice.” Fondly, she adds, “He may be a bit of a shithead, but he’s a good brother.”

Before Sophie can stop herself, she laughs aloud. “No comment. We do live on the same floor, you know.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. Do you two ever hang out?”

“Not particularly.” Sophie doesn’t dislike Eddie – quite the opposite, in fact. She always chalks up her lack of chemistry with him to simply having nothing in common. He and Emma share nothing but a birthday, a head of golden hair, and a pair of striking ice-blue eyes.

Rapid footsteps make their way into the foyer, breaking Sophie out of her reverie. “Mommy, look what I drew!”

Muttering a quick “hang on a second” into the receiver, she turns toward the source of the sound, and a sheet of paper is practically shoved in her face from below. She is met with a mish-mosh of various shapes and colors, one large brown figure taking precedence in the middle of the page.

She smiles warmly. “Wow, that’s very good, Gigi! What’s that a picture of?”

The artist beams with pride. “It’s the roach you killed in the bathroom yesterday!”

Son of a bitch.

“Can we put it on the fridge, Mommy?”

Blinking owlishly, Sophie scrambles for a response. They really don’t teach her this shit in those parenting books she sometimes finds at Gotham Central Library.

She settles on, “Honey, you already have so many nice ones up there, I just can’t decide which ones to keep! Let’s put this one away for now, and I’ll think about it, okay?” She offers her free hand to take the drawing so that she can accidentally misplace it later.

It does the trick. “Okay!” her daughter chirps, proudly handing over her portrait. Encourage, then swiftly change the subject – a motherly sort of manipulation that works in everyone’s favor.

“Holy shit, I haven’t even asked about Gigi yet!” Emma exclaims. “God, she must be getting so big! She starts Kindergarten this year, right?”

“Yeah, in the fall. And she comes all the way up to my waist now, isn’t that insane?” Unmistakable pride colors Sophie’s response.

“That’s so awesome! Did she miss me at all?” comes over the receiver as Gigi simultaneously begins an onslaught of “who’s that, Mommy, who’s that?”

“Miss you? Are you kidding? Listen to this.” Sophie crouches next to her daughter, holding the phone away from her ear, but nearby so that Emma can hear. “Gigi, your Aunt Emma’s on the phone. She’s coming to live here again soon, isn’t that great?”

The resounding shriek is a good indicator that she agrees. And that Sophie is going to have to bring the neighbors another gift basket so they don’t complain about her to the landlord.

“Can I talk to Aunt Emma, Mommy? Can I, can I, please, please, please?” Tiny, impatient hands grapple for the phone as laughter pours in from the other line.

“Come on, if I let you talk to her now, we’ll be stuck here forever.” A quick glance at the clock reveals that it’s nearing eight o'clock. “Besides, aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for bed soon?”

Gigi wrinkles her nose in distaste, and Sophie cuts her off before the complaints can begin. “No arguments, Gigi. Go start your bath – I’ll be there in just a minute.”

She receives a defiant huff; nevertheless, Gigi stomps her way to the bathroom, and Sophie waits for the sound of running water before she returns to the previous conversation.

“So anyway, Eddie tells me you’re holed up in a hotel room until the weekend. I’m guessing that Daniel didn’t take the…the breakup news very well?” she asks, somewhat cautiously. Talking about Emma’s husband – now ex-husband – is a mixed bag, even back when they were dating.

“You could say that,” Emma responds sheepishly. “It wasn’t pretty, let’s leave it at that. I thought it would be best for me to get out of the house right away, give him some time to himself.”

It makes Sophie nervous that she is skirting the question, but then again, Emma’s in a vulnerable position at the moment. And she’s rarely one to talk at length about her own emotions in the first place – she’s much more of a listener.

Sophie would like to ask what she means by “it wasn’t pretty”, but decides against prying. She would also like to ask why she ever married that jackass in the first place, since their relationship had been obviously strained from day one. It was always as if the two of them were tightrope walking over a volcano – bubbling quietly, boiling and threatening to swallow them both whole. The smallest change in the wind, the most harmless comment about Daniel not picking his towel up off the floor could send them tumbling into the inferno. She supposes one of them finally fell.

Something about that man has always creeped her out, but she gave up voicing her discontent with him after about the thirtieth time Emma brushed her off. She won’t say “I told you so”, since she wouldn’t want to belittle whatever pain Emma is going through. Still, she can’t help but feel a little relief – that doesn’t make her a terrible friend, right?

All of this can wait, though. It can wait until they’re seeing each other face-to-face again. Until Sophie isn’t on a strict time limit. She needs to wrap up the current conversation quickly because if she doesn’t, she could possibly be dealing with a flooded bathroom shortly. Five-year-olds do not generally care about the cost of repairing water damage if it seeps into the downstairs neighbor’s ceiling.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay, with…you know…everything.”

“Of course!” Emma reassures her. “I’m perfectly fine. Like I said, I’m looking forward to being home. Honestly.”

Sophie is not convinced, and frankly, it sounds like Emma is not either. She wonders if her friend has been checking in on the worsening condition of their hometown from Metropolis. The homeless population is growing by the day, and the working class is becoming more and more restless due to low wages and poor working conditions in the inner city. Rumor has it that sanitation workers are chief among the dissatisfied, and a garbage strike is all but guaranteed by winter.

So much she wants to say. So much she can’t say. “That’s good. I’m happy for you.”

_______________________________________________________________

Emma remembers around this time last year taking a trip to Paris, France. She saw the premiere of a musical there called Les Misérables – it was based off of her favorite book by Victor Hugo, so naturally, she begged and begged to go.

And what a payoff! The show was spectacular, from the costumes to the stage design to the music. Oh, the music! Despite being there with her then-husband, she had the most fun she’d had in years, letting the melancholy chords turn her as light as the air and the lyrics carry her far, far away in the wind.

Even more than the music, she was captivated by the plot. She could practically feel the plight of the poverty-stricken citizens. One of the opening scenes depicted the starving masses singing of their grief over the way they were snubbed by the wealthy, left to rot in the streets.

That is the scene Emma finds herself stepping into today. Only this time, she is not a passive observer, watching the events unfold without being affected. From today on, she is one of the characters.

From the moment she arrives in downtown Gotham City by taxi, the tension claws at her with icy hands. It digs into her ribcage with each glare aimed her way, even in the mild September breeze. She knows she sticks out like a preacher at a Pride parade in her obviously expensive skirt and heels. It’s not like she had time to go digging around her closet for something more appropriate that night she left her house.

Handsomely tipping her driver, she climbs out of the car and rushes underneath a set of archways and inside the apartment building where she’ll be living for the foreseeable future. She doesn’t look very closely at it from the outside, so desperate is she to get off the street and away from whatever the hell that smell is.

Emma uses the opportunity to finally look around a bit, taking her surroundings in with narrowed eyes. The lobby is dimly-lit, with no color to it whatsoever. The walls are painted a chipped-up brownish yellow, which could have been white many years ago. It reeks of mold, to the point where the smell outside might be the lesser of the two evils.

Leaning carefully against the nearest wall, she mutters, “Not that bad, my ass.” From her purse, she retrieves her recently-purchased copy of a new novel titled Jumanji, and she waits.

And waits.

…

Emma’s eyes snap open - she hadn’t consciously closed them to begin with. She realizes with embarrassment that she almost fell asleep standing up. God, she’s more exhausted than she thought. How long has she been standing down here anyway?

“I’ll be home from work around four; I just need a little time to tidy up before you head over,” Eddie had said on the phone the night before. “I’ll meet you in the lobby and walk you up at six, okay?”

“That works,” Emma had replied. “As long as you’re actually there at six.”

“Hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ve never exactly had a reputation for being punctual.”

“Jesus, Em. You think I’m gonna leave you hanging out down there alone?”

“We’ll see.”

Shutting her book, Emma checks her watch.

Six forty-five. That fucking flake forgot.

She groans, pushing herself languidly off the wall and scanning the room for assistance. No one at the front desk - in fact, there hasn’t been anyone there since she arrived, making her wonder briefly if she’s even in the right building.

Her eyes next land on the myriad of mailboxes against the opposite wall, closed off from the rest of the lobby by rusted wrought-iron bars, most likely to protect the postman. She walks through the open gate tentatively, and upon closer inspection, each mailbox has a sticker labeling the residents by apartment number. Bingo!

It doesn’t take long to find what she’s looking for. On the eighth floor, perfectly spelled out for her, she sees both S. Dumond in 8B and E. Boulanger in 8H. Why not visit the one who didn’t leave her stranded for an hour first? She could always call Eddie on Sophie’s phone anyway - the asshole probably smoked a joint as soon as he got home and passed out on the couch watching Magnum, P.I.

She heads for the elevator and presses the call button. As it whines slowly and almost menacingly down the shaft, she hears someone softly trudging along behind her, the very first sign of another life in here. As she enters the elevator, she politely holds the door open, and makes room for the clown getting on after her.

No, not a silly person. An actual clown. Painted face, red nose, neon green hair and all.

Of all the weird people she might expect to see in a place like this… Not even two hours in Gotham, and the evening is already shaping up to be quite the roller coaster.

Emma can’t help but stare as the doors shut and the clown punches the button for, coincidentally, the eighth floor. She settles into the far corner as she discreetly analyzes him. His posture, his defeated gait, the pitiful expression underneath his painted-on smile… His aura permeates the entire space, seemingly enough to weigh them both down, causing the elevator to drag slowly up the shaft like molasses, screeching all the way.

This is without a doubt the saddest clown Emma has ever seen. And she’s seen Pagliacci.

Around the third floor, there’s one long, particularly loud screech. Emma’s heart leaps to her throat as their ascent suddenly comes to a complete halt, and the lights in the tiny elevator space flicker on and off once. Is a three-story drop enough to kill a person her size? She prays that this isn’t how it ends - in this dingy elevator, terrified, with no one but a fucking clown. A clown who hasn’t moved an inch this entire time.

Thankfully, after a few seconds that seem to drag on for a lifetime, they start to slowly crawl up the shaft once more. Emma breathes an audible sigh of relief, and the clown seems to finally notice her, tossing a quick look of sympathy in her general direction.

Once she’s certain she can speak without her voice quivering, she does so. “Does…that happen often?”

Her voice really gets his attention. He whips his head around so fast she almost worries his little hat will come flying off like a frisbee. He blinks at her once, then twice, as if processing the fact that she is addressing him. For a split second, it looks like he’s going to say something.

Then, remembering himself, he simply shrugs bashfully. Emma lets out a breath she doesn’t realize she’s been holding.

She notices the decorative red flower adorning his lapel, one of those prop flowers that’s actually a tiny water gun. Smiling in a way that she hopes is charming instead of ill-at-ease, she points to it. “I, uh…I like your flower. It’s very pretty.”

The clown tilts his head curiously. After a beat, he wordlessly reaches up and into his bright plaid coat, holding said flower slightly out toward her. Offering for her to come closer, to lean in and smell it.

Emboldened, she grins, shaking her head at him. “No way, mister. I know how that trick ends.” She’s kidding around with him, but she really can’t afford to get her clothes wet right now; she only has the ones on her back, after all.

Still, his lips at last curl upward, a real smile that reaches the lights of his eyes. And it’s then that Emma can see the color in them, an enchanting seafoam green that inexplicably draws her in, pulling her away from the corner and toward his side. He watches her carefully and intensely with an expression she can’t quite read. When he turns to face the doors once more, it’s not without keeping her settled in his periphery.

Most people would probably be a bit nervous being…examined so thoroughly. However, Emma finds his mannerisms endearing in an odd way. She’s never cared much for clowns before, but this one doesn’t seem so bad.

They ride in comfortable silence for another few moments. When they reach their destination, Emma is the first to exit.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely taking the stairs from now on,” she says.

The clown nods in response as he exits behind her, giant red and blue shoes flopping comically over the threshold.

The hallway is a bit noisy, voices of the residents drifting through the paper-thin walls like a mist, creating a fine haze over everything. The walls are just a touch too close together, making Emma claustrophobic and urging her to get to 8B as quickly as possible.

Not wanting to come off as rude, she introduces herself. “I’m new to the building, by the way - my name’s Emma. It’s a pleasure.” She extends a hand to shake.

The clown does return the gesture, but not before staring her hand down for an abnormally long period of time. And his grip through the rough material of his gloves is so soft and careful, it’s as if it’s barely there.

She’d honestly like to chat with this fascinating new neighbor of hers a bit longer, but instead, she pulls her hand away, settling for a polite nod and a cheerful “good night”.

She does not look back to see that the clown’s unwavering gaze follows her all the way down the hall.

#joker 2019 #Joker (2019)#joker #arthur fleck #sophie dumond #harley quinn #my fic #joaquin phoenix joker

14 notes · View notes

frenchtoastpanda · 5 years

Text

The Leverage finale

Gonna rant in public because @rainaramsay expressed interest. I have no theme this is just my thoughts as I rewatch this episode. Idk why I’m doing this. (Also I don’t know how to format, so sorry about that)

Oh right I forgot that this is a fucking sad episode why am I doing this to myself

Ooh the return of the Steranko! I am very glad they brought that back

I just love when they bring things back in general, like in the white rabbit job all of the companies looking to buy dogson are previous marks and how they have like three brand names for safes that they reuse a lot. It just makes it feel like a real world that people live in.

The theater! Perfect for Sophie! And the mentioned the tunnels, which I believe we encountered in the gold job

Sophie says “I have just the thing” and my immediate response is always “the play’s the thing” even though I know it’s from a different play than the one they are doing

And can we talk about how they are doing the same play as the pilot? Actually I will probably yell about that closer to the end

Parker being all emotionally cognizant and Nate just reciting physics formulas in response

God I love this bit (and I love that they are still including references to Nate’s alcoholism)

Just, Parker, the new mastermind, who doesn’t “let feelings get in the way” (like Hardison - this is the reason he can’t be the mastermind, much to his chagrin. He’s too much of a cinnamon roll)

Nate says she spins problems like puzzle pieces until they click, but I think it’s more like juggling all the fiddly bits inside a lock until it clicks open

HE TRUSTS HER HE TRUSTS HER HE TRUSTS HER!!!!!!!

Zachary is the lead! Love him!

Sophie saying she doesn’t miss acting at all 😏

She is a good director, though

"I'm exactly where I belong" I'm gonna die I am so happy for all of them

Oh no here we go

Cut right to Nate covered in cuts being interrogated about the mistakes he made

"Mr. Ford, how did your friends die?" CUT TO COMMERCIAL

This must have killed me the first time around

I do love this investigator though. I think I remember from the commentary that it wasn't originally supposed to be her, but it worked out really well

Nate looking around like he's confused (and trapped) while not being able to put together a full sentence (I'm not sure if I ever developed a solid headcannon for how much of this scene was him faking and how much was actual injuries from the actual crash) (I'm open to ideas!)

Ellen giving a vicious predatory little smile when she says that she's here to help him

I wish I could do gifs or screencaps or something. This is one of my absolute favorite callbacks! Parker in that little black bonnet thing jumping off a building having the time of her life and the boys do their "twenty pounds of crazy in a five pound bag" thing (whuch my autocorrect recognized as a phrase for some reason? Do I really yell about that but enough for it to suggest those words in that order? Fantastic)

But this time their faces and voices are full of affection. She may be an insane thief/mastermind, but she's OUR insane thief/mastermind

And coming after the white rabbit job where we had that line about how she's not and never has been crazy, the fact that you can tell they are saying this as a callback without meaning the crazy part is just perfect

It makes me wonder how many other times they have repeated this, because you can't convince me they haven't

Aah Sophie's horrible rendition of Lady Macbeth! Same speech, different ways of doing it just as badly (props to Gina Bellman)

Is this the same outfit? Hold on I need to check.

Y'know, I didn't think they changed that much physically over the years, given that they are adults, but going back to the pilot, I keep going awww look how tiny they were! (Especially Aldis. Like I know they had problems because he was getting too hot and ripped, but Damn)

Anyway, the dress is very very similar, same color and pattern, but it very slightly different. I will maybe post my very very horrible pictures after I finish this

Parker is so good at computers now that she has this adorably bored face when hacking! I love that they taught each other their stuff!

Using chaos as a distraction and co-opting the expected response as a cover! One of my favorite tricks!

Parker changing in the elevator! And the boys turning to give her privacy! And this isn't even the first time they did a callback to this! I love my respectful boys! Remember when Hardison turned the David around? So pure!

Ah, we are setting up for competency porn and then it all goes bad! Aah!

I love Eliot's little "wassup?" Before fighting the guy. Points for intimidation, Spencer

My stronk babies opening an elevator with their fingertips

And Hardison's recurrent fear of heights combined with Parker's love of them

She says "I got you" (twice)

Oh god Beth's acting in the elevator shafts

Oh I'm gonna cry

Oh and a "dammit Hardison"

Oh Gina's face

Even in a situation as tense as this, Eliot still takes the time to empty the gus and toss it away

I don't think I've ever seen him check for an ankle piece, actually. How has that not come up before now?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Age of the geek, brother" I'm sobbing

I mean, so is everybody

Look at this acting!

I love that they didn't go for the clichéd established couple dying in each other's arms, but instead put Eliot in the middle, giving us our yummy hurt ot3 goodness

And Parker sitting up so she sees the other two go

Ugh. Where's that poetic cinéma image when you need it?

Anyone remember the perfectly timed bridge from the pilot?

What number Lucille are they on?

I love that they actually stop in from of the barrier at the bridge, then take a moment to decide before just going for the crazy impossible stunt because why the hell not at this point

Ah Nate and Sophie are holding hands on the way to death too!!

And cut the scene before they reach the top of the bridge. Time to see Tim show us why he's an academy award winner

Ooh and here's where we find out she was lying! (Should this be the part where I started wondering if Nate knew? Probably. Did I? Not even a little)

There was a big twist where the person Nate was facing off against was playing him in the pilot too

But John fucking Rogers didn't play ME in the pilot. I take that personally.

Ooh hints at the true story are being dropped

Ellen is almost adequately suspicious

JUST WALK TWO FEET FORWARD ELLEN! LOOK AT THE STAGE! COME ON!

"You loved them very much" Yeah he did. They all did! Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!

She knows he's lying, I love that (just like Dubenich knew Sophie was manipulating him)

"The only thing I ever had"? That's intense, Nate

God Tim is a good actor

(Like I low-key don't like Nate at all, but Damn he is well acted)

And he just turns it off, just like that

Wow

I am really into her little impressed face when he goes all Sherlock and explains how he knows they are at interpol

The glass! Of course Sterling brings him the glass! Not a pilot callback, but a good callback nontheless. The commentary says it's literally the same exact glass every time. I will have to go back and verify that at some point. I swear it didn't have those ridges around the bottom in at least one episode, but I also trust John Rogers, so idk

I love how sterling knows everything from the moment he appears, and Ellen doesn't even know what the black book is

"That's why you joined Interpol? Screw justice. You're the order guy?" What a good line for Nate and Sterling's relationship

Nate's not even interested in hearing Sterling's evil speech of evil about the bailouts

I actually really love the little exposition flashbacks

Her look of horror and dawning comphrension when he explains why he is there is fantastic. If we bring this show back, can we have more of this lady?

Yeah, Ellen, why IS he still lying to you??

Sterling remembered to be cautious about the coroner's van, but not cautious enough!

That's some timing. How did Nate arrange that ? Oh right, this was triggered by the arrival of the van, which he probably set the timing of

Nate's face after "Parker's still in the server room." Yes, sell that fear to Sterling! Make him believe he's right! I wouldn't have thought to fake a reaction to that. But that's why I'm not a griffer

And he trusted sterling to have a snark remark so that he could have an attention-stealing reaction to distract him

I try every time to see the kids going in, and I never manage to catch all of them

Why does Nate turn away here?

God, that really is a terrifyingly lifelike Hardison face

I gotta say, the first time I saw sterling shoot the Hardison corpse, I was really convinced that he was right and he was really killing Hardison for the first time

"Second question... No, Nate, why don't you tell her what my second question is?"

Honestly, the first time around, I had forgotten about that secret meeting between Nate and Hardison

"The plan's the thing" A callback to earlier in this episode. I'm dying. I love this show so much

And they can do that without being annoying because every leverage episode is like three or four episodes rolled into one. Sometimes more!

That's one of my favorite parts, but also one of the very few downsides

I get so excited watching the flashbacks that show how it all happened

Omg I love the thing where they stack! Parker crouching, Eliot just above her head, Hardison looming tall! It reminds me of the princess bride for some reason

Sterling is the Trojan horse, the way out is the way in...wait, didn't they do that with at least one other episode, where the floor was a horrible way in, but last minute they used it as a way out?

Are these callbacks or parallels at this point?

Sophie taught Nate how to act! "She found her calling." Yeah she did! So proud of her!

"Your ride to a life sentence in a secret prison has arrived" So dramatic for someone who knows Sophie is behind the wheel

Ooooooohhh he called him James!

"You and I are not the same" okay sterling

"Justice is always easy" YES GO STERLING wait that's a callback to the justice vs order thing earlier in this episode. I just got that

I have seen this so many times and I still notice something new every time I watch it

Does John Rogers have a tumblr? I want to tag him but I don't think he does

What is Parker wearing? Why is one sleeve randomly yellow?

I can't believe Nate is proposing in a hoodie

I love how the kids pop in with insults and Nate just agrees. He knows it's true

That's a huge fucking rock

"Did you steal it?" "No." "Oh, cause that would have been more romantic"

"I'll steal the first anniversary ring" lol I love these guys

Parker insists he follow the proper procedure

Oh wait, the ot3 are gonna branch out with other crews?

Y'know, in an alternate universe I could have shipped Eliot and Sophie

GOD

I'M CRYING AGAIN

"You're the smartest man I know" where have we heard that before?

Parker recognizing her feelings! (And they've been preparing her for this the longest)

Aah, the circle shot from above and the breakaway, but this time not everyone breaks away!!!!!!!!!!

"You do know that Laura is not my real name, don't you?" Sophie I'm gonna kill you

And then the big obvious callback to the pilot, where Beth meticulously studied Tim's acting to recreate it

Loving the look of this scene. The costumes, the blocking, all of it

And they made sure to switch which parent was crying

Very excited for leverage international. Gimme!

#leverage #the long goodbye job #meta #leverage meta #it's less a meta and more me screaming #but whatever #hopefully my autocorrect didn't renter this unreadable

53 notes · View notes

lenaglittleus · 6 years

Text

The BEST of THM 2017 + What’s Coming Up in 2018

It’s crazy to think that this is the last post of 2017! It’s been a wonderful year and a tumultuous year. It’s gone by at lightening speed and crawled by at times. It’s been deliciously sweet and scarily overwhelming. But all in all, it’s been another year for the record books!

In case you’re unfamiliar, each year I do a recap of the top posts of the year based on your favorites and my favorites. For past year’s posts check out: 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016.

This year I decided to break it up into two posts: travel and everything else! My Best of THM Travel 2017 went up last week and today’s post is a recap of everything else + what’s coming up in 2018. If you’re also curious to see the behind-the-scenes of blogging as a business, check out my THM Business Recap as well.

I’m also sharing my Top Favorites of 2017 on my YouTube channel. Every month (with the exception of one!) I shared my favorite health, wellness and green beauty products so I decided to round-out the year with the best of the best. It was so fun putting this together!

youtube

,?center>More thoughts on everything below so let’s just jump into the post. Here is The Best of THM 2017!

YOUR FAVORITES

1. How To Make a London Fog – This was your favorite post of 2017! I love this recipe and it also reminds me of home even though I still don’t have confirmation if the London Fog is a Canadian thing?!

2. The Engagement – No surprises here…besides my own surprise! This was such a special moment for me and C and while we didn’t capture it while it was happening (I love that it’s special to just us!), I was thrilled we could share in the celebrations with you.

3. Easy Veggie Egg Bake -My go-to potluck dish! It’s literally the easiest thing to make and especially great for big holiday gatherings…Christmas breakfast anyone?!

4. The Best All-Natural Products for Acne-Prone Skin – Lots of green beauty and skincare talk went down this year! To all my falks struggling with acne, I feel ya! Plenty more skincare talk to come in 2018.

5. Vanilla Bean Chia Pudding – Simple recipes were the name of the game this year, and this easy vanilla bean chia pudding was no exception.

6. What I Wish You Knew About Sponsored Posts – Besides our engagement post, this was actually my favorite post of 2017! It certainly ruffled some feathers, but it also provided a level of transparency that is so needed in the blogging/influencer space.

7. 8 Healthier Store-Bought Snack Bars – I cheated on balls in 2017 and shared my favorite store-bought snack bars. Yo girl doesn’t always have the time or the desire to make everything from scratch so sometimes store-bought is best!

8. To The Woman Addicted to Working Out – In many ways, my history of overexercising and disordered eating feels like a thing of the past, but this year I explored what it actually means to be recovered and to thrive!

Top Podcast Episodes of 2017:

Episode 22: How to Find Your Set Point and Stop Fighting Your Weight with Robyn Nohling from The Real Life RD

Episode 18: How to Quit the Dieting Cycle and Manage our Blood Sugar with Kelly LeVeque from Be Well By Kelly

Episode 28: Self-Acceptance and Manifesting the Life of Your Dreams with Sophie Gray from Way of Gray