THE LORD GAVE, AND THE LORD HATH TAKEN AWAY.

affiliated with citta alveare. maggie greene.

[lostatbat]

enigmasoldiier:

Well, now. That explained her behavior. It was another thing entirely if he believed her, but her words seemed to speak to something more than base superstition. At the same time, it just didn’t add up. A body without quintessence climbing and moving of its own accord sounded like a mere legend. He doubted that simply no one in this establishment had died and left the brain intact- and yet he has seen none of these living human corpses.

He’ll bite his tongue on skepticism for the time being, though certainly a thread of it escapes as he speaks. “I wasn’t aware your species had such a fearsome defense mechanism.”

She shifts, and he notices it. This isn’t a standoff he expects waiting out- this is the species that produced the Champion, after all. Tenacity seems to be a gift of theirs. A contemplative rumble escapes his throat- quietly. Species that don’t growl have a tendency to take that as a threat.

“I would like to move away from the body. If you would allow me as far as the mouth of the alley without shooting me, that would be appreciated.” She doesn’t trust him, which is entirely sensible of her- but the smell is starting to be a genuine irritation.  

Face hardens at the other’s curious choice of words; who is the man at the other end of the alley? Some kind of freak? Still, she holds her position, toy gun aimed directly between the two glowing eyes in the darkness. If only there were a real bullet in there, and not a useless pellet. After a moment, she takes a step back, aim unwavering. “ Go, ” she orders, cocking her head in gesture for him to move. 

Though she doesn’t let him go without a warning, a firm, “ I won’t hesitate to shoot. ”

She’s no vigilante. Besides, murderer or not, it isn’t as though she has a real gun in her hands. If she pulls the trigger, even once, her bluff is shot-- so she continues distancing herself, all whilst remaining at the ready to abandon her useless pistol and clutch her knife if need be. “ You go your way, I go mine. You come near me, I will pull the trigger. ” A pause. “ And I’m a real good shot. ”

[lostatbat]

“ The Hell is wrong with you people? Attackin’ some harmless old man in a costume-- leave him alone! ”

[lostatbat]

wingheadcaptain:

★— Her reply seems to hit home – not just the latter of it, but the start of the response that was uttered with such tension about it. Spoken with a GRIT that Steve picked up on and caused him to raise his chin slightly with an increased interest. 

                 He’d been living in this place so long that he was starting to accept it as reality, though he knew life wasn’t as happy-go-lucky as it had been here, ironically. This place was supposed to be a dark experiment that they were thrown into  but he’d managed to establish some semblance of a LIFE here. The bonds he had made were strong, if few. 

                ❛ Playin’ a game?— What kinda game we talkin’? And about that NORMAL life – sometimes, after everything that others have faced, that may be best thing to give and receive… As much of an illusion as it may seem. A fleeting touch of normality can be the reprieve we all seek.  ❜

A stiffness creeps into her spine, but discomfort doesn’t register upon her face. “ Pretendin’ that everything is gonna be okay, ” she replies, bluntly, before dropping to her haunches to brush her fingers along a bottom rack of miscellaneous merchandise. “ That this place is as safe as everyone here thinks it is. The list goes on. ”

There’s an itch to retrieve the knife from her bag for defence, for comfort, but she stays it-- this man doesn’t ring any particular warning bells, and she knows the clerk wouldn’t appreciate an armed woman in her shop. Absent-mindedly, she reaches for the first thing that catches her eye on the shelf. It’s a perfume bottle with a pale yellow teddy bear clinging to the bottle cap. Beth surfaces in the back of her mind.

“ Maybe you just answered your own question, then. ” Maggie muses aloud as she returns the perfume to the shelf, “ Your billionaire friend can’t build himself that normal life, can he? ” A pause before she adds, “ None of us can. ”

[lostatbat]

wingheadcaptain:

★— Shopping was most definitely Steve’s forte – considering he was a man that once lived on RATIONS. A hand skimmed down the back of his short, neatly trimmed hair and he glanced over at the voice, surprised that SOMEONE was responding.

              Strangely enough it was quite pleasant to hear a southern drawl in her accent – though he wasn’t from the south, it reminded him of home. 

              ❛ Somethin’ from the heart? I– usually go for sketching, give out some of my art but somethin’ tells me he’s getting sick of sticking my work up on the fridge. Though– if I may ask ma’am, what are you plannin’ on giving whoever you’re givin’ a gift to?  ❜

She regrets initiating conversation, though how she wishes she didn’t. Her stance is tense, and there is something distant in the way she looks at the rack of hats before her. All of this feels like make-believe, pretending to be the version of herself who used to go shopping and tend to the farm when nothing was wrong with the world. Hats and necklaces and belts... what kind of person does she think she is? Inhaling quietly through her nostrils, she glances over and responds tersely: “ A normal life. I think that’s the best thing I can give anymore. ”

She looks away, then adds after a moment: “ Again, don’t think I’ll be much help... unless you want to get yourself a tree and some string lights and play the same game that I’m playin’ with myself. ”

[wingheadcaptain]

★— ❛ Now what sort of Christmas present do ya get for a billionaire that could probably build anythin’ they ever wanted – asides from another tool kit?  ❜

[lostatbat]

She looks up, lowering the baseball cap in her hands (tastefully labelled Hive City Swarmers)-- the price tag is too much for her, anyway. “ Never knew a billionaire, ” she murmurs, looking from the stranger, then back to the store shelves. “ Guess I’m not much help. ” 

Gingerly she returns the hat to its place among its several identical peers, then folds her arms awkwardly over her chest. “ Could always go for somethin’ from the heart... that’s what I’ll be doin’ this year, I think. ”

[lostatbat]

Sits and watches this mistletoe nonsense from afar. Y’all kids are wack.

[love-the-walking-dead]

The Walking Dead - Season 5 - Cast Portraits

½

[lostatbat]

melodiespassed:

The sound of approaching footsteps is the first thing that causes the blonde to pause, but the real thing that catches her attention is the voice; a voice that she hadn’t heard in so long. The familiarity was so overwhelming that it nearly hurt, and Beth almost didn’t turn around for fear of it all being an illusion.

But she does.

The light catches her eyes first, and Beth has to bring a hand up to block out the most of it. Despite the darkness she can still vaguely make out the figure just a short ways away from her. Perhaps she should be more cautious after all she’s been through, but she would know that voice anywhere.

“Maggie…?”

And she’s off. Beth darts in the direction of her older sister as her wooden knife clatters to the ground, forgotten in favor of her beloved sibling. It takes little time for her to close the distance, and as soon as she’s close enough Beth crashes into her sister and envelopes her in a tight hug. “Maggie … Maggie – oh my god.. I didn’t think you’d actually be here…”

The phone is abandoned, clattering to the ground in favor for her beloved sister-- as Beth moves towards her, Maggie starts over as well, and the two collide as they wrap their arms around each other, a laugh breaking from Maggie’s throat. “ Neither did I, ” she says, slightly choking on her words, clasping a hand on the back of Beth’s head to pull her even closer.

It takes her a moment to find her voice again. The frog in her throat only seems to grow bigger and bigger, a swollen obstruction hellbent on silencing the elder sister. “ Glenn-- Glenn’s here, too, ” she manages at last, “ That means daddy could be here. All of ‘em could be here. ”

Her heart tightens in her chest. It’s more than she ever could have asked for, knowing that both Glenn and Beth are safe and sound, that she doesn’t need to go to bed at night fearing for their lives. Eyes squeezed shut, she reaches to wipe away the tear that leaks from her eye with the bottom of her sleeve, sniffs, then wraps the arm around Beth once again.

What a relief it is to know her prayers haven’t gone unanswered. That in spite of everything-- the walkers, the death, the destruction and the loss, there are still blessings in this cold and cruel world. So Maggie holds her sister closer, feeling her heartbeat against her skin, and whispers under her breath, “ Thank God. ”

[lostatbat]

Anonymous said: “It will get better.”

Cold air hangs from her lips in a visible cloud as she stands in front of the window display of a hardware store, arms crossed over her chest for warmth. Strange, how in the span of a year, a pine tree goes from a symbol of Christmas cheer to a source of firewood. Even as she stares down the finely decorated, artificial specimen tucked behind the window, the joyfulness of the season is lost on her.

She supposes it could be worse. Glenn and Beth could be gone, but she has them now. Her heart pangs for her father, for the others, but a beggar cannot be a chooser-- and thus she continues to stare in silence at the illuminated boughs before her, mind working to ignore all that she has lost to focus on what she has gained.

Two faces are burnt into her skull as she pushes open the door to the shop, and promptly exits with a box almost her size, struggling to get a solid grip on it as snowflakes caress her body and decorate her hair. With a huff, she lifts it off the ground-- only to stop short as she catches movement from the corner of her eye, head jolting up at once to look at a stranger seeking to enter the door behind her.

“ I’ll get this out of your way, ” she murmurs, fumbling once more with the awkward shape without even thinking of asking for help.

[lostatbat]

“Shh, it was just a bad dream. Just a dream, okay? None of it was real.”

nightmare starters.

The train rattles her bones as she looks about, clutching the straps of her bag as she breathes deep breaths. Barry’s words barely register in her mind as she looks about, trying to sift through reality and illusion, dream and a simple train car as it circles the city to get them to where they need to go.

It was the baby, this time. Baby Judith screaming for her mother, for safety, as her sister runs from approaching walkers with a broken knife and an empty gun. And her brain– damn her brain– forced her to watch it all, listen to the howls of a dying child as the horde took them down and tore them apart, piece by piece by piece.

Her posture is stiff as a board, fingers clenching the underside of her seat for dear life. “ I know, ” she says at last, staring distantly at the floor. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Barry move his hand, perhaps in an attempt to make a comforting gesture, but she holds up her own hand before he has a chance to go anywhere near her. “ It happens. I’m used to it. ”

She can feel the train car slowing down beneath her feet, approaching the next station. A voice coos out the name of their destination, Sector 001, and Maggie closes her eyes as she waits to hear the hiss of the doors opening. When the sound comes, she rises quickly to her feet– and without sparing Barry a backwards glance, she adds in a hardened voice: 

 “ Shouldn’t have fallen asleep here in the first place. ”

[geniussage]

memeroundups:

Questions/Comments to be sent anonymously!

(though off anon is fine too!)

“Is there someone you hold dear?”

“Don’t you feel any guilt?”

“You’re actually afraid to be alone, aren’t you?”

“There must be something you fear.”

“Do you have a home?”

“Is there someone you like?”

“Are you really expecting a positive outcome out of this?”

“Aren’t you ashamed?”

“Aren’t you happy?”

“Who do you despise?” 

“How do you sleep at night?”

“What do you think of kindness?”

“What do you think of hatred?”

“Why do you fight?”

“Why do you live?”

“How much blood have you spilled?”

“How much death have you seen?”

“Don’t you think your actions are reckless?”

“Don’t you know how much good you’ve done for others?”

“Can’t you tell they love you?”

“Can’t you see he/she would die for you?”

“Can’t you tell the truth for once?”

“You’re not tainted.”

“You’re not alone.”

“You’re awful.”

“You don’t think of anyone but yourself.”

“You’re an emotionless robot.”

“You’re just a lap dog.”

“It’s not over.”

“He/she needs you.”

“Stop lying.”

“Stop fighting.”

“Stop pushing others away.”

“You’re cruel.”

“You’re far too kind. Too kind for your own good.”

“You depend on him/her too often.”

“You’re overprotective, it’s stifling.”

“He/she is bringing you down.”

“You’re too timid, it’s easy to see you as a target.”

“You need to listen.”

“You need to speak up more often.”

“You’re weak.”

“You’re too proud.”

“Quit blaming others for your mistakes.”

“You won’t always be around to save him/her.”

“One day, he/she won’t need you anymore.”

“You can’t cheat death.”

“You can’t hide forever.”

“They’ll find out the truth eventually.”

“That person is only holding you back.”

“They’re too good for you.”

“You’ll be rewarded for your efforts if you keep trying.”

“It will get better.”

“You look lonely.”

“You look bitter.”

“You look tired.”

“You’re hiding a painful burden.”

“You’re perfect.”

“You’re beautiful.”

“You will always be worthless.”

“Your hands are too dirty, too tainted to be clean.”

“You’re lost in this world. Wandering without a purpose.”

“You’ll rise above them all.” 

“You’ll find your place in this world.”

“Eventually, someone will knock you off your pedestal.” 

[angstmemes]

nightmare starters

“Wake up! Wake up! It’s just a dream!” “What were you dreaming about…? You were shouting…” “I woke up because you were screaming so loudly.” “Shh– No, no, don’t panic, love. You’re safe now.” “It was so real! I swear! He/she was here!” “I don’t ever want to sleep again. What if– what if I dream about that again?” “If you tell me, it’ll go away. That’s what my mum/dad always told me and it’s never failed me.” “Do you want to go back to sleep, or shall I make you a cup of tea?” “I don’t want to go back to sleep…” “I’m so scared… I can’t stop seeing what I just saw. It was so vivid!” “There’s really nobody here, okay? Do you need me to show you around to prove that to you?” “How do I know I’m not still dreaming? You’re acting really strangely.” “Let’s get you to the shower, you’re covered in sweat.” “There’s really nobody else here.” “You’ve got a really bad fever. That must have caused those weird dreams.” “I don’t even know what a peaceful night’s sleep is like anymore.” “I can’t do this anymore. These nightmares have to stop…” “Shh, it was just a bad dream. Just a dream, okay? None of it was real.” “I can’t go back to sleep after that. I need coffee– no, I need a drink, a stiff one.” “How long have you been having these nightmares?” “I’ve had nightmares all my life, but they’ve been really bad recently.” “You get so worked up before you go to sleep, maybe you should try to relax a bit more. Maybe then you’ll get some rest?” “I’d kill for a peaceful night’s sleep.” “A dream catcher? Honestly? I’m not a child.” “Nothing’s ever helped this. I just need to learn to live with the fact that sleeping will always be a nightmare, literally.” “I’m so tired… but there’s no way I’m going back to sleep after that.”

[sidestuiff]

Tell me what you think about my portrayal!

[lostatbat]

enigmasoldiier:

“I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood me.” He keeps his tone level, but obeys her command. Putting distance between them puts the situation in her favor, and he still doesn’t know what that weapon is capable of, and yet, having the odds stacked against him might put her more at ease. He would rather they talked, rather than the alternatives- though that doesn’t stop him from sizing up the distance between them when she actually stops moving. 

Certainly, she seems more inclined to talk than put a charge in him, but her words are something interesting to mull over. “I didn’t put the body there, nor did I see who, or what, did. Though perhaps, you can explain something to me, considering what you did to it.” Being relatively close to the body, the smell of blood hits him powerfully- and not at all positive.

He considers it safe to lower his hands, but does so carefully, still keeping his focus intently on both the woman and her brandished weapon.

“What is a walker? You seem to suggest they’re quite a threat.” If he had to guess, something indigenous to humanity’s home planet. 

It wouldn’t suit her to assume the man’s words are true. Lies are the bread and butter of her world-- and for half a heartbeat, she remembers H I M, his filthy words, the kind facade, dropped the instant he knew she wasn’t going to give him what he wanted. Her skin crawls, but she only tightens her grip around the knife and gun. Whether or not the man committed this crime, oddly enough, is but one of her concerns...

The other being his ignorance toward the walkers. No one in this place knows what they are, and it is beyond unbelievable-- how anyone could avoid their wrath is beyond her. Still, in firm, cold voice, she explains: “ If you leave the brains alone and leave ‘em alone long enough, they turn. Come back. They start walkin’, start hungerin’, and they’ll consume any human being that comes close enough for ‘em to grab. ” Maggie grits her teeth. “ Callin’ them a threat is puttin’ it mildly. This one right here... you can’t even begin to imagine the destruction she could’ve caused if I hadn’t been at the right place at the right time. ”

She adjusts her grip on the gun again, staring the other down. Were she smart, she’d run right then and there, given how convinced she is that the man in front of her is a murderer. Then again, with all the troubles that she’s faced, she also finds herself staring him down with conviction, ready to sprint if he charges for her, but otherwise standing her ground.

[lostatbat]

headmastering:

“Grew up on a farm, mm,” Ozpin says barely loud enough for Maggie to catch it due to their distance. It’s almost wistful the way he said it and how he zones out momentarily, but he shakes it off quickly. “Yes I imagine you do. The farm life isn’t for everyone, but.. I’ve always admired it in a way. Of course if your farm wasn’t optimally placed you had…. a very bad pest problem to say the least. Still the skills you can learn from a farm can prove to be invaluable over time.”

He glances over to see a smaller smile, but it’s still progress in his eyes.

“Well that is true. I suppose this sort of thing isn’t for everyone. I myself may even be pushing it for some people but they are warm, amusing, and spark interesting conversations like this one, and frankly, that’s all the excuse I need for wearing them.” Her next few words complex him a little bit but he nods.

“Yes, here they do. Thankfully they do provide you with some necessities to get started in your apartment or district, but it is very minimal, which I suppose is the point. Jobs of all types aren’t too hard to come by, however, and with your doubtlessly multifaceted skill set I’m sure you can find something.”

“ Strange, bein’ in a real, functional city again. ” Maggie folds her arms across her chest, looking about her surroundings. Blatant discomfort flashes in her eyes-- this conversation serves as an audible reminder that she is an outsider in functional society. “ You said your name was Professor Ozpin... you work at some kind of school by the sounds of it. ” She laughs a breathless, dry laugh. “ Place really does have everything. ”

There is a pause, and she rubs her arms before turning her glance back to the professor. “ You... been here a while? No one I’ve spoken to has really talked about the city like you do... well, I mean, besides... ” Barry. She remembers all that nonsense he spoke, of multiverses and grids, and chooses to block it all out and her lips stretch into a thin lipped grimace. “ ‘Sides someone else I met early on. ”

She shouldn’t be getting so cozy with a stranger. Yet the words spill forth before she can stop herself. “ Should be easy, gettin’ myself a job, but... I don’t know. I... haven’t gotten used to this yet. Bein’ so... relaxed. ”

[lostatbat]

starshell:

     “Rabid…people?” Okay, he’s got about ten questions based on her saying that alone. It’s unheard of, something that only happens in video games as far as he knows. “No, no! They’re not people or anything like that. I’m like….100% sure that they were animals! Wolves, even! Like…big wolves. Really big wolves.” Just remembering how big they were makes him shudder. “Sheesh…and if that’s still not enough for you, don’t think for a second that I’m lettin’ you go out there by yourself. Tellin’ you right now that they’re more than any normal person can handle!”

The sirens in her head fizzle as the other insists that the beasts were really and truly animals, though her stance remains alert, jaw taut and eyes narrowed into fine slits. “ ...good, ” she says after a moment of silence, “ Then that’s all I needed to know. ”

Inhaling a deep breath, she turns to the nearest table and seats herself once more, folding her arms across the table. There is another pause before she looks back up at the other, continuing in bold tone, “ And by the way, you don’t need to play the hero with me. I can handle myself perfectly fine, especially when it’s only just a wolf. ” Maggie shakes her head as she adds, “ ‘Sides, I’m not sure I’m too confident havin’ a bodyguard who’s afraid of some wild animal. ”

[lostatbat]

enigmasoldiier:

“Easy with that.”

What would be visible in the darkness first would be a pair of bright yellow eyes in a tall silhouette, rising smoothly from a crouched position.

There was trouble on the streets at night in this city, he’d discovered- the one disadvantage of the Scientists’ relative lawlessness, he supposed. As a result he’d been generally inclined to keeping to the rooftops where he could. What had coaxed him down here in the first place- a human woman, approaching a corpse and almost ritually desecrating it.

Perhaps he’d had too much good fortune lately and it was making him reckless, but something encouraged him to seek an answer. And it saw him staring down an unfamiliar weapon- from its crude shape, he could guess something like a primitive blaster.

Moving slowly, Thace raised his hands in what he could only hope was a universally disarming gesture. At the same time, he took the moment to study her- if he had to guess, she couldn’t see him nearly as well as he could her. Not a good situation, given the other lifeform’s tenseness and brandished weapon- especially not without even his replacement knife. 

The knot in her intestines loosens up when she realizes that the other is buying her ruse-- the way they move slowly, stiffly, the raising of their hands-- they must really believe the toy in her hands is a real gun. Still, her hardened expression doesn’t give in the slightest; with narrowed eyes and tense shoulders she holds the gun toward them, knife just beneath it in case she needs to resort to using a real weapon.

Shadows mask the other’s appearance, aside from bold, bright golden eyes that she can only assume is some sort of fancy costume contact lens. “ Stay where you are, ” she orders, stepping out from the alley and into the street-- though when her feet hit sidewalk, she comes to a momentary halt. 

“ Havin’ a safe place not good enough for you? ” She barks, abruptly, “ Why the hell would you go around tryin’ to unleash walkers in here when you know there’s no way out? ”