#alan barnes

[anendangeredspecies]

The Barnes giving Taylor the stink eye after Emma died is so funny to me. Like yeah they're grieving, but that shit is almost entirely on them.

I've always thought they knew about the bullying from pretty early on. Emma's parents were active in her life in a way Taylor's dad just wasn't. I don't buy them not noticing Emma cutting Taylor out and occasionally overhearing how she'd talk about her. I don't think they knew immediately or the full extent of it, but I don't think they wanted to either.

They were happy to have her leaving her room again, grateful the problem seemed to have solved itself. They could have forced her to see a therapist, they could have given her miraculous recovery a second look, and they could have paid more attention to her changes in behavior. But why make a problem out of nothing.

Little by little they let things get worse. Emma's completely flipped on Taylor? Kid's friendships don't always last, it's no big deal. Emma's saying increasingly nasty things? Schoolyard taunting isn't the end of the world, the other students will get over it. Every step pushed out of mind by their desire to not worry or interfere.

It's hard to believe they didn't know what Emma thought of Taylor. Kids aren't nearly as subtle as they think they are, and it's impossible for them to not pick up on some of the things she said or did over the past year and a half. But hey, kids can be cruel and they don't need to fuss about what Emma gets up to as long as she's ok.

When Taylor was in the psych ward and Danny called Alan to see if Emma knew anything about what had happened, I don't think he bothered to check. Just hung up the phone, waited a few minutes, and called back to say she didn't. He knew better than to ask questions he might not want the answers to.

[blindingasylumwhisper]

[angelobadalamenti]

Whistle Down the Wind (1961) dir. Bryan Forbes

[saphronethaleph]

AvP

Alan closed the door to his office, sat down, and shuffled through some papers.

After that unfortunate incident at the school, he was going to need to get back to work. There was… not the Biron case, that had been placed on hold, it would be the Jones one…

“Mr. Barnes,” said the most awful voice he’d ever heard, and Alan jumped in his chair before looking around.

“Who said that?” he asked. “Who’s there?”

Nothing.

“Are you a cape?” he added.

“I am not,” the awful voice said, sounding like gravel being gargled. “I am nothing to do with your unfortunate ui’stbi infection. No, this is… a courtesy, you would call it.”

A chuckle, and Alan looked around again – more carefully, this time.

There was the faintest ripple in the air…

“What do you mean, a courtesy?” he asked, trying to reach for his phone without making it obvious.

“Since your daughter is probably going to be dead by tomorrow,” the voice told him, and Alan froze.

“...what?” he asked.

“Your younger daughter, of course,” the voice added. “Surely you don’t mind?”

“...what?” Alan repeated, more loudly. “What are you talking about – how could you – I don’t care who you are, but you can’t get away with that!”

“She is the friend of the one called halkrath vor’mekta, Shadow Stalker,” the voice pointed out. “I have been watching. They accompany one another. You help her out. The one called Shadow Stalker treats others as prey because they are weaker than her… it is what makes her ideal prey in her own right. She will understand, I am sure.”

The voice sounded… amused, more than anything.

That was the terrible thing about it.

“Understand – you’re saying you’re going to try and kill Shadow Stalker?” Alan asked. “And my daughter?”

“You should be honoured,” the voice said, chuckling, and that was an even worse sound. “Haven’t you made it clear by your actions? You see nothing wrong in hunting prey. You see nothing wrong in even those close to you being treated as prey. You defend those who hunt them.”

The shimmer… was moving, Alan thought.

It was hard to tell for sure.

If he shouted, then could he get Carol in here quick enough? It was…

...no, probably not.

“It’s – that’s-” he tried, trying to come up with a way to explain.

A way to get across that Emma had to be safe, that – that he hadn’t meant… a way he could tell this monster, this whatever-it-was, to leave his daughter alone.

A way he could protect her.

It had always, only, been about protecting her.

No matter what.

“Nothing, then,” the voice said, with finality, and the window opened. A moment later, something jumped out of the window, and was gone.

Alan ran to the window, looking outside to see if he could spot something – anything – to tell him what had just happened.

But there was no sign.

“...what the fuck do I tell the PRT?” he asked, out loud, as he pulled the window closed.

Because… the PRT had to know. That monster, whatever it was, had to be stopped before it went after his daughter and her friend.

But he couldn’t think of a way to explain what had just happened that didn’t mean… explaining what it had said.

[coverpanelarchive]

Doctor Who Magazine #226 (1995)

[someguyofficial]

“The Doctor has a plan?”

Leela: “Of course he has a plan. He does not know what it is yet, that is all.”

Doctor Who: White Ghosts (The Fourth Doctor Adventures 3.2)

by Alan Barnes

[seroquelfan]

This is what Alan Barnes looks like to me in my head

[il3x]

I think military history buff is my new favourite Sophia Hess headcanon. Imagine, if you will, Emma inviting 14yo Sophia over only to lose her to animated discussion of WWI tactics and strategy with Alan Barnes after she sees his basement minifigure dioramas. POV: you're slowly realising that your super cool and totally not codependent friend-saviour-rolemodel-partnerincrimefighting-maybecrush has been poached by your very own dad.