They were your best friend, your comrade, or even someone you simply owed a debt to. Or maybe, unfortunately, you were the one that put them in danger that lead to their demise. No matter what they were to you in life, in their death, you feel as if you have one duty to them. They left behind someone, someone they loved more than anything. This was their significant other, yet you promised your dying companion (or you discerned yourself) that you would look after them. Take care of them, maybe, but at least look after them; it's the least you can do.
It will not be easy, especially not at first. The one left behind will be grieving, of course, and, so, perhaps, will you. There may be some contention, depending on the situation, and, if you did not know each other well before, some awkwardness. Still, in this time where there is nothing and no one to cling to, when the world has been thrown off its axis for them, both of you may find a sort of comfort and solace in this new routine.
That will not last, either.
Soon, feelings begin to change towards each other. Edges soften, people are seen in a new light. A small warmth blossoms between the two of you in this cold world. It takes root and grows, and grows, and grows...
Until you're left with questions and possibly even guilt at this arrangement. How much of this is real and how much is the grieving process? Are you just a replacement for the one they lost?
Is this what their lost love would have wanted?
✖ Comment with your character, canon, and preferences, including preferred role.
✖ Reply to others and use the RNG.
✖ Feel free to be as liberal with the interpretations of pretty much anything in this meme. Make it AU. Make up somebody they both know. Have them be total strangers. There's options for everything.
- Promise ✖ You told them you would take care of their lover, no matter what. You intend to follow through with that.
- Close ✖ What are friends for if not taking care of unfinished business?
- Debt Owed ✖ Kindness or favor has to be repaid, even if it's an investment in someone else.
- Atonement ✖ Whether or not you particularly cared for the person who's gone is irrelevant. You just need to make up for past sins.
- No Good ✖ You're taking care of the one left behind, but not out of good intentions. There may be ulterior motives here - no, there are definitely ulterior motives here. Or maybe this is the one good thing you've done in your life.
- Guilt ✖ It's your fault that you're here and their significant other isn't. It's a paltry repayment.
- Bearer of Bad News ✖ You can't blame them for wanting to shoot the messenger. You are telling them their lover is dead.
- Related ✖ In days past, the living partner would be cared for by their dead partner's family. As a sibling or cousin of the deceased, you want to continue that tradition and take care of "family."
- Wo/man Up ✖ Actually, their lover isn't dead, they're just dead to you, unable or unwilling to take care of business. You're stepping up.
- Friends ✖ You were all friends before, so it's only natural for you to want to look out for them now.
- Derisive ✖ ...this is the person they loved so much? This is who you're supposed to protect? Pathetic.
- Resentful ✖ You can never forgive them. They're the reason your lover is dead, no matter how they treat you.
- What They Saw in You ✖ You're beginning to see why someone would love them, how they'd want to give up their old ways and change. It's almost...nice.
- Warming Up ✖ If you didn't get along at first, the claws are being put away now. It's better to at least be civil, isn't it?
- Still in Danger ✖ Whatever killed one half of the pair is still out there, and the other half is in danger themselves.
- Other Complications ✖ Not only did your mutual acquaintance leave behind a lover, but also children. You find yourself getting closer and closer to them, too, even if they aren't yours.
- Compromised ✖ You can't look after them with a level head. You love them.
- Can't Love Again ✖ You've lost before. You can't risk losing again, can you?
- Out of the Dark ✖ One or both of you find yourselves in a hole. You can barely eat, hardly sleep, and depression has taken hold of you. Together, though, you may find the light and a way out of despair.
- First Time ✖ Simply what it says. You two have taken your relationship to the next level.
- Changed ✖ Before, you were bitter. Hard. Jaded. Now, helping someone - specifically, helping this person - has brought a new kind of joy into your life. You could get used to it. Easily and dangerously used to it, to be brutally honest. You shouldn't allow it.
- Living Together ✖ You can take care of them more throughly if you're in the same place as they are, obviously.
- Hidden Jealousy ✖ When their lover was alive, you were jealous of everything they had - including the fact that they had the person you're looking after now. Admitting this may make you feel like the most awful person in the world.
- Secrets Revealed ✖ Eventually, your involvement with the death of their beloved will come out, and they will never be able to look at you the same way.
- Dependent ✖ Replacing one unhealthy habit with another, you've become utterly dependent on your relationship with your caretaker, your guardian, your lover.
- Won't Be a Replacement ✖ You can't help but feel as if you're merely serving as a stand in for what they've lost. It's understandable, yet you still can't allow yourself to be that and only that.
- Not Really Gone ✖ What is dead should stay dead, but what if who you thought was gone isn't really out of the picture? Will they be happy with finding someone else so cozy and in love with their special someone?
- The Same Mistakes ✖ You're falling into the same patterns that lead to their death. Will you meet the same fate?
- Who's Helping Who ✖ You think you're taking care of them and helping them through their loss. Is that the case? But who's never been this happy before in their life?
- Move On ✖ It's time to put ghosts to rest and let old demons go. You can't let your life become a graveyard.
- Tragedy ✖ The ending is unhappy or even deadly for both of you.
- Happy Ending ✖ In contrast to the above, you're both able to live as together as happily as you possibly can, whatever can be allowed.
- WILDCARD
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bakerstreet2014-11-15 08:31 pm
Briony Tallis | Atonement
Bucky Barnes | CA: TWS
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1. TFA-era: Steve dies; Bucky survives. (Either Steve falls instead, or Bucky doesn't and Steve still ends up having to put the plan down.) After they finish taking down HYDRA the two of them fall into a mutual 'I'm taking care of you because Steve would have wanted to know that somebody was'. (Possible numbers: 14/19, 15 for something during the war/taking down HYDRA, 4/6 (particularly if it's 'Steve fell instead'), maybe 13ish for something more actively shippy.)
2. TWS-era: Steve and Peggy both received the super-soldier treatment, and Peggy's the one who ended up on the plane instead. When she wakes up in the future, she takes up the mantle of Captain America. Cue TWS happening and Peggy deciding that someone has to get Bucky out of this situation, and since Steve's not here to do it and they were at least allies before, she's going to have to do it. (Probably could go for a lot of the same numbers, honestly, and a lot of options -- either Peggy's active attempts to break the programming, or what happens in the aftermath when she manages to get through to him and maybe catch up to him again, etc.)
If neither of these strike you, I'm happy to work out something else. Or if none of this holds any interest, well, I'm sorry for taking up your time with this horribly long comment!]]
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Sarah Manning || BBC || Orphan Black || F/M
Rich Rider - AU (Taken care of)
Just gonna wing it.
Now there was just the younger looking guy, and he had a little girl with him. Was it theirs? He hoped he wouldn't come off as a creep as he decided to just- give away the drawing. He approached easily; he could play calm even if he was nervous as all hell. He had the drawing sitting loose in his notebook, ready for him to pull out quickly and dash off if he had to. Always prepared.
The blond called out from a distance, just to- not be alarming. Having a mom and a dad as involved in personal safety as his were, he'd learned how to avoid scaring people off if he could. ]
Hey. Sorry if this sounds odd, but I remember you from about a year ago. You were with someone and well- you guys kind of stood out. [ He was drawing closer, getting the drawing out of his sketchbook. ]
I just- wanted to give you this, since I saw you here. Hopefully your friend doesn't mind? [ He held out the sketch, showing Pete and Rich huddled up close on a bench, grins on their faces. James wasn't as great as his dad, but, he wasn't bad either. ]
Yes, good!
Hey.
[ back. Before the younger man mentioned remembering him with Peter, at least. The smile sort of froze, though it wasn't tension or mistrust that did it, just pain that was still far too raw. ]
Richard, you're squeezing my hand too hard!
[ The girl's voice wasn't haughty, with the full name - they were still trying to figure out what to have her call him, but, that aside, she loved spending time with him, rather than her grandfather's domain. The house was pretty great, even if not palatial, and there was a distinct lack of people ready to do what she whimmed, but Richard was the only one other than Grandfather who cared about her, and Grandfather didn't have enough time for her, so she was kind of glad of the difference. But this was - unexpected. She didn't understand what was going on, but she just had to let him know. ]
[ Rich made a face at that, loosening his hold. ]
I'm sorry, princess. Want to get started on the swings without me? I'll be right over.
Sure!
[ The small hand slipped out of his, and she ran over to the other kids, light on her feet and beautiful, and having some of that unconscious grace that Peter was never aware of-- ]
[ Rich swallowed, and turned his attention back to the - artist? ]
I'm sorry. [ Softly. ] I - don't think he'd have minded.
[ After a moment more, he reached out to take the proffered drawing, eyes taking in the two figures, so, so obviously in love... ]
[ His vision blurred, and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Breathed deeply, to try and keep his voice steady, though that was only partially successful. ]
It's very good. [ It was. By Rich's standards. ] Do you study art? Or... sell your work, here?
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His eyes shifted back to Rich and it clicked with a simple thing like tense. I don't think he'd have minded. Oh.
Well, he wasn't expecting that, and he suddenly felt bad for doing this. James didn't shrink or anything under this revelation; he drew himself up a little taller, serious and somber being another thing he learned from his parents in appropriate moments. ]
I- learned from my dad. It's more a hobby than anything, but I take commissions from people if they like what I do. This- it's free, obviously. [ His hands immediately went behind his back. ] I'm James. James Rogers.
[ A beat. ]
I'm sorry.
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Thank you.
[ Softly. For the condolences. ]
Rich, Rich Rider. [ Deep breath. ] And thanks again.
[ His eyes went once more to the sketch, drinking in the corner of a smile that could be seen on Peter's face, the line of his arm... ]
It's always good to be reminded of the good times.
[ Looking up again, he managed a small smile. Then his eyes widened, the name registering. He was not exactly an art connoisseur, but Steve Rogers was a name he'd heard. The distraction made the smile actually more sincere, more focused in the present. ]
And I see. If you spend time here, I might come follow this up with an actual commission. If you wouldn't mind?
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I... don't mind, but you don't have to pay me for anything. I'd be glad to do drawings for you. [ Which was true, possibly stupid, but true. He managed a small smile. It wasn't like this was his career or anything - and that first drawing had just been something he did because he felt inspired. ]
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[ Then his eyes returned to James. ]
Take it from me - don't sell your work for free. Even if that's not what supports you, value your labor. And, especially, value your art. For the time when other people won't. Okay?
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Okay, fine. But you're still gonna get the Friend of the Artist Discount. [ The smile sharpened more into his usual smirk, feeling emboldened. But this still begged the question: ]
Sounds like you've got some experience with it, though. What's your specialty?
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[ Rich was smiling back, wider than he had in months. Many months. It wasn't the simple smile of before, though, the grief eating at him wasn't going away. But it was real, all the same. He liked what he saw, what he heard. ]
[ Then his eyes widened a little, flicked to check on the girl, returned to James. Darker, sadder again. ]
I... used to dance.
[ Because he hasn't even considered going back, at this point. He's too busy learning how to be
singlea father. How to breathe and eat and drink around the gaping hole in his life and in his heart. Going back to work? Not high on his list of priorities. And he could afford it, between Peter's generosity with the house, and the support money he did get for trying to raise a princess. Actual, verified princess... ]... most of the way to naked, [ he finished, yanking his thoughts back to the present. ]
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Oh.
So there was a touch of color rushing to his cheeks, but maybe it would be taken as an effect of the cold. ]
Cool. [ Smooth. ]
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[ There was a smirk, and, yes he was enjoying the reaction, just a little bit. It also, he thought, would explain why he hadn't minded the attention that required the drawing, either. ]
[ The next words slipped up before he thought about them. ]
It's really how he and I met...
[ ... and the memory slammed down on him, flaying apart the fragile layer of ease and enjoyment. Rich squeezed his eyes and bit his tongue, just for a moment, before he started crying again. Ducked his head, and made himself not squeeze the fight he'd received, such a frail memory of happiness. Which meant the world to him, just now. He made himself look up, look for the girl, again. Then back to the younger man. ]
Sorry, I'm... sorry. Thanks again for this, and -
[ do you do other things than draw in the park? He took a sharp breath, his words were getting disconnected. Focus, kid. It was almost as though he could here Peter's voice again. Focus. ]
I'll be seeing you around here, maybe?
Ted Grant | Arrow | OTA
Marie "Rogue" D'Ancanto | X-Men movies | f/m
Clara Oswald | Doctor Who
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21- post Death in Heaven. obviously AU because :I
Right now, his thoughts turned from nearly dying to Clara. He wanted to spend more time with his girlfriend. Time that was precious, when she often went travelling with the Doctor for weeks at a time. He had gotten used to her travelling with the Time Lord. At first, he missed her a lot. But now, he was used to it.]
Hey. Do you fancy going for a Chinese tonight? Or a pizza?
Annabeth Chase | PJO/HoO
Gamzee Makara (4chords/humanstuck) | Homestuck | OTA