darlene alderson

" i'm not special. i'm not a leader. it's elliot, he's the one with the plan. "

[notaleader]

“ 𝕪𝕠𝕦'𝕣𝕖 𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥. 𝕚'𝕞 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝. 𝕚𝕥'𝕤 𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕥, 𝕙𝕖'𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕟. ”

- independent and selective DARLENE ALDERSON

- promo by @behindaccents

[notaleader]

like for a starter from darlene!

[raelynnnix]

audience: *deep gay breathing*

[bell-rosella]

[notaleader]

    “That’s real funny but I think you’re forgetting one major thing, I’m more likely to die before them. Not that I expect you to remember that, I’ve told you five times but each day you forget…story of my life.” Nothing was remembered when these days were repeating but at least she had met Darlene briefly a few days earlier, they didn’t need to be complete strangers each repeated day. “And I know you think I’m crazy every time I tell you I’m going to die but yeah, I’m gonna die by ten tonight. Cue you giving me a ‘are you fucking insane’ look … go ahead, ask me if I’m on something. I’m not. And love is overrated. I don’t know who died to make you feel this way but I avoid love at all costs — guess that makes me a little heartless and could be why I’m being punished with the whole live die repeat bullshit.”

       darlene had seen and lived through some crazy shit, but she’d never heard anything as crazy has that. being caught in a loop of live, die, repeat. it sounds like a badass idea for a horror movie... or a fucked up reality. “ okay.. let’s say, HYPOTHETICALLY, that you’re telling the truth. how do you fucking stop it? collect gemstones? find a troll under a bridge or some shit? ” she wasn’t sure if she should even entertain the notion of a normal conversation with tree. could she really be telling the truth? it sounded bat shit crazy, but life is strange that way.

[notaleader]

@mrf34r

          HEARING HER IMPLY THAT he was incapable of pulling off something like stage ii by himself made his blood boil.

          “ I WAS INCLUDING THEM for insurance, darlene! just like i included you, for fucking family’s sake… ” he knew that’d probably get an outburst from her. It always did, with everyone. they only saw him as a ghost, as a nuisance, a thing to be 60773N R1D 0F, but he’d been here almost as much as elliot had been. this was his life too, and everybody was always trying to DESTROY him.

          “ YEAH, yeah fuck you, too… ” mr robot rubbed beneath his glasses at his eyes, his anger twisting into that far off feeling he always got whenever darlene was around. “ elliot’s not fucking here right now, unless you know some, ” what had krista been talking about a few weekends ago. he’d sat down on the couch and elliot hadn’t even seen him. “ some fucking positiv/e trigge/r that’ll bring him out here and talk with you…” a cog. A COG? IN ELLIOT’S REVOLUTION?

          “ YOU’RE TRYING TO GET THE shit beat out of you, and i am more than happy to fucking oblige. Sometimes, you need to LEARN that the SHIT you say has FUCKING consequences! ” he took a step toward her, and his breath left him all at once.

         and his head hurt. and his vision was blurry and elliot hiccuped and then he was crying.

         darlene is here. what the fuck did he say? what did he do? did you see him? fuck. i’m sorry you have to see this.

         elliot managed to stutter in a breath, trying to keep his quiet sobs to himself. he was just so fucking tired of this shit…of hurting people and not fucking knowing about it…

         “ i’m sorry. i’m…i’m sorry, darlene. i’m sorry….” he tried to step back from her as much as he could, until his back hit his front door.

             everything started to blur together... his words, the colors of the room started to mix together. she had never truly fought mr robot like this before. they exchanged words here and there. hell, most of the time she probably didn’t realize it was him instead of elliot. he’d gotten good at hiding it, but she could always tell it was him when he threatened physical violence, or raised his voice loud enough. 

             each rise she’d gotten out of mr robot carried information with it. ‘for family’s sake’... he is not a part of their fucking family. she let the insults fly, her plan being set into motion before her eyes. if this didn’t work, she would most likely end up on the floor, bloodied and beaten. that was a risk she was willing to take to get elliot back. darlene could tell he was getting angrier by the second, and she begun to unconsciously take small steps backwards. the back of her legs were against the couch when he lunged toward her. she fell backwards in a heap, her arms instinctively flying up to protect her head. 

                                                                                   then there was a pause.

               a few tears found their way down her slender cheeks when she removed her hands to meet elliot’s gaze. a sigh of relief came after... she suddenly felt weak. the adrenaline coursing through her veins was finally catching up to her. after taking a moment to catch her breath, she rose to her feet. she was halfway between elliot and the couch when she said, “ we’ve gotten figure this shit out. ”

               realizing her words didn’t inspire much confidence in the situation she added, “ and we will... together. okay elliot? ”  she would never blame elliot for something he couldn’t control, but she placed full fucking blame on the alter himself. walking the rest of the way over to him, she attempted to wrap elliot up in a hug. at the time, she wasn’t sure who needed it more. 

                                                                       “ hey ---- none of this shit is your fault. ”

[notaleader]

mrf34r

        THE HANDS AT his wrists gave him pause. he glanced down at them, feeling that burning rage still coiling low in his gut. and then she said she had no idea about any of it, and he managed to say,

       “ BULLSHIT… ” before she keeps talking. his plan? his?

       “ ONE GODDAMN IMPORTANT building was all I signed up for, a fucking evacuated one at that. he just had to make sure it was evacuated… ” elliot had. he’d made sure to save all the ants that went along with this stupid civilization’s regimes. and now elliot was obviously bleeding into him for him to be this shaken up.

       DARLENE really hadn’t fucking known? well…

      “ CAN’T EVER TELL WITH YOU nowadays, can I? selling yourself out to the highest bidder, always keeping shit from me. ” his harsh grip on her hands was unraveling, slowly. “ can’t fucking trust anybody, nowadays, not even the fuckers you change the world with… ”

       THE DARK ARMY had shut him out for this, and part of him was more than happy to raise hell, no matter the body count, but the other part of him had been sweating and breathing too quickly all night, freaking out and just in general being a fucking pussy, so much to the point where he almost wished elliot would take it from him. elliot cried all the time. he knew how to deal with it…

       MR ROBOT LET GO of darlene’s jacket, feeling his heart thump away in his chest. he hated being a person, sometimes. he stepped back, standing tall and still watching her.

       “ WHY THE FUCK are you here, then? if not to rub this shit in my face? ”

         they’d been through tough times before, but things didn’t seem to be getting any better. things were plummeting at a high rate of speed, and she could tell elliot was losing any control he had over mr. robot. his lose of control was almost synonymous with her own. eventually she’d have to choose a side instead of being stuck directly in the middle. 

          “ you of all people should know if you want something done... you have to do it your fucking self. ”  maybe she was losing it, i mean was she seriously talking to him like they were friends? old college buddies catching up? she wasn’t here to speak to anyone but elliot and she intended to do just that. 

            the insult shouldn’t have hit her as hard as it did. she should’ve been able to brush it off. it wasn’t elliot talking, and she couldn’t care less about robot’s fucking opinions. it was the fact that she was looking into elliot’s eyes as he said it. of course, there was some truth to it as well. she knew what she was signing up for... immunity to become a traitor to her cause. with one motion she expelled his hands from her reach and walked over to the couch before she did something she would regret. her ultimate goal was to hide the tears that were fighting to escape her eyes. 

                                                                                         “  fuck you. ” 

             she could feel the heat rush to her cheeks, the anger. she only tried to do what was best for her family, for elliot and romero and trenton and mobly. but she was no leader... she definitely wasn’t a hero. “ i came to talk to my brother. i don’t give a shit what you think or what you do. i’m done talking to you. elliot tried to do the right thing... he’s the reason for this revolution... not you. you’re merely just a cog in the machine. ”

[notaleader]

@behindaccents didn’t like for a stater but is getting one anyway!

            “ i know that love is supposed to be forever and shit, but that’s not the way the world works. everybody fucking dies... and you will be alone at some point. ” misery really did love company. she had become quite the pessimist lately for reasons she didn’t feel like sharing with the person in front of her. she wasn’t trying to blow smoke up tree’s ass either. the world sucked, and they were living in it. ultimately, she was trying to get a sense for the other. maybe she could be useful down the road. it’s good to have allies.

[typocist]

elliot & darlene // s01e02

[textsfromthe-hackers]

[k3rnelpan1c]

-I’m sorry, by the way. -For what? -I should be more open with you, you’re family.

[notaleader]

@kiincaid

[ohhmuses]

studio portrait session.

[notaleader]

@irvingscenter liked for a starter!

      darlene followed elliot to this location before. when he asked her to follow him. she was never good at letting things go. plus, she felt obligated to protect her brother... especially when he couldn’t protect himself. she took the subway, all the while looking over her shoulder for any potential threat. being attached to the fbi was a huge target on her back and it was getting larger by the minute. 

       she reached the stairs that led down to a door. she figured she would pick a lock on any door she needed to. she wasn’t exactly sure what she would find on the other side. the thought alone should’ve been enough to make her turn around and forget what she was about to do, but her feet only lead her forward. one step at a time. she reached her hand out to grab the decaying knob. it was unlocked. she let herself in and was greeted by man wearing a sterile white smock. he stared at her, so she stared back. he only took bites of his sandwich until darlene spoke, “ i’m here about stage 2. ”  

      without hesitation, the man ended the staring contest to show her to an elevator. if she wanted to keep up this facade, there was no room for fear. not now. when they arrived at their designated floor, he flung the rusty metal cage open and ushered her in. the room was bare, except for a few computer stations set up in the back of the room. she continued to walk in as she cautiously looked around. would she be able to find what she needed in this room without any interference? this thought was immediately squashed as she heard a whistle from across the room. shit... she continued to walk around one of the computer set ups and found a man sitting at one of the chairs. someone she didn’t recognize. 

                                                                  “ who the fuck are you? ”

[warkept-arc]

              @notaleader // starter call.

               “ Are you going to tell me why those people were chasing you, or are you going to play dumb? ” Ashley grunts, rolling his shoulders. All three of the pursuers were out cold, so asking them was out of the question. It was probably unwarranted for Ashley to step in, but three-to-one was usually an unfair fight. If someone is being hunted, it should at least be fair. “ You some kind of criminal, kid? ” 

[notaleader]

           “ is there a third option? ” it was complicated to say the least. definitely not something to go into with a total stranger. she looked back at the unconscious men and back at the man who ultimately might have saved her life. who knows what they would’ve done if they got a hold of her. 

           “ are you a cop... or do you just like to play cop? is it a kink? ”  the question might have sounded like a joke, but she needed to know if she was on their radar. to her, he seemed more like a vigilante type than slaving away for corporate society. maybe he’d find himself on her side eventually... “ look i don’t judge... i’ve seen some freaky shit. ”

[uratanu-moving-deactivated20190]

Send ✘ for a ‘the morning after’ starter with our muses!

[notaleader]

mrf34r .

      IT WASN’T LIKE picking a lock was silent. she was always working herself into places she wasn’t given permission to enter, like some sort of malware chasing its own tail, repeating previous pathways because it wasn’t programmed to do anything else. he didn’t want to fucking talk to anybody unless it was a member of the dark army, and maybe that was just who’d fucking dropped by.

     ED GRABBED HOLD OF darlene’s jacket and slammed her back, intent on keeping her here and making her talk. just thinking about the attack right now was making him jittery, and he hated feeling jittery. made everything feel even more off-kilter.

     “ did you know ? ” she didn’t say anything, just checked the back of her head for blunt force trauma, so ed shook her again and shouted. who cared if some fuck in the hallway heard? they wouldn’t understand a word of it, anyway.

     “ are you still in with the dark army ? did you know about the fucking buildings ? ”  darlene had her hands in too many cookie jars, by now. maybe her mincemeat-for-brains fucking boyfriend had left her a back door and she’d fucking known about this and hadn’t thought to share with the goddamn class.

       it wasn’t a secret what events had transpired over the past month. her working with the fbi kind of fucked over any chance at a relationship with her brother, or anyone else for that matter. she knew too much, about fsociety, the hack. she wasn’t telling them everything... she couldn’t. too many lives have already been lost, and she would do anything she could to protect the ones she cared about. 

       as elliot mr. robot shook her down for information she couldn’t release, she wondered how he didn’t know anything about this. she knew mr. robot was working with tyrell and angela on stage 2, shouldn’t he have known exactly what was going to happen? trying to gain some control back, she placed her hands lightly on her assailant’s wrists. a peace offering. she knew elliot was in there somewhere, but she was focused on the man who had taken control. 

       “  i had no fucking idea they would blow up all those buildings. my dark army contact is radio silence, okay? i don’t know anything. ”  a faint ringing started in her ears. she tried to turn the questions back on him. “ wasn’t this your plan? ”  as it falls out of her mouth, she realized provoking probably wasn’t the best tactic, but she keeps barreling forward, “ it looks like the dark army is working behind your back too. ”  not a year ago they were the leaders of a revolution. now, they were fighting for information.

[chelseaperetti]