( V4 ) ROTTEN ON THE OUTSIDE. - Tumblr Posts

Babygirl is going through a rough time

@actual-arrrchie

ITS SISTER LOCATION ANNIVERSARY (and also my birthday I guess 🙄)

IS IT ANY WONDER HE’D TAKEN ONE LOOK AT HIS SISTER AND DECIDED IMMEDIATELY THAT SOMETHING WAS HAPPENING ? There’s really no other option: other than binge - watching whatever shitty shows he can find on TV, the only person he has is Ollie, and staring at her now, it seems he barely even has her either. She’s not who he remembers. Maybe he’s remembering wrong ?

But he doesn’t think so. He’s certain something isn’t right; certain something has changed, and not for the better. He’s gazing at her now, an unusually hard look in his eye though it’s aimed at anyone but her. “ Oh yeah ? ” he says, though it comes out more abrasive than he means it. Wincing at his own idiocy, Michael starts over: “ I mean, that’s good. Obviously. But Jesus, Ollie, you look like death warmed up. And coming from me, that’s saying something. ” Decaying appearance hidden under layers of clothing, he doesn’t feel the need to cover up what little of him is visible when it’s only Ollie here. It serves as reminder of what their father is willing to sacrifice for his plans, beyond their shitty childhoods, beyond the horrendous upbringing. Serves as a promise neither of them will ever get mixed up in their dad’s shit again, right? It doesn’t even cross his mind that she would be forced into exactly that.

He’s tackling this all wrong. She’s always been stubborn, and clashing with her over this isn’t going to help anything. Mike sighs, shoulders slouching a little mulishly. He’s never been great at putting thoughts and feelings into words, and though the urge to snap at and fuss over her until she told him what was bothering her is strong, it’ll get him nowhere. So he switches gears, tries to go for a less confrontational approach:

“ How’s the band doing anyway? I feel like it’s been months since you spoke about them. Anything fun happening ? ” A quiet pry into her life as subtly as he can. Hey, at least he has a solid alibi for his questioning — other than heading out for essentials, Mike can’t remember the last time he’d left his apartment. Easier to be a living corpse when you don’t go outside. “ Give me something new. ”

@bitterborne: “You look like you haven’t slept in days.” [for glitchtrap verse 👀?!] protective prompts / accepting

Of course she hasn't told him what happened. How she's now been split in half between who she is and the loyal daughter. It seems the one united front between both sides is not wanting him to know. He wouldn't understand, he'd just try to stop it. Her and their father need time to show their work to Michael first. She doesn't want him to get caught in this, doesn't want him to end up like her. Is what's happening to her really so bad?

At least she has her old habits and reputations to use as excuses for her more strange behavior. Easy to claim she'd been out partying all night when she'd really been working. Easy to dismiss any strange behavior as just her typical strange behavior or the sort of erratic decisions she used to make before. If anything, sometimes she seems better than ever. Other times...well she seemed like a wreck. Right now she's somewhere between the two.

"What? Like that's rare for me?" She tries to seem casual about it, letting out a chuckle. "Been a string of cool shows recently, some of those bands were crazy good." She doesn't remember the last time she got to see or play at a show. She's past that now, time to grow up.

HE’D NEVER HAD THE LUXURY OF HATRED, ESPECIALLY NOT WHEN IT CAME TO HIS PARENTS. Michael can’t even hate his father despite the pain electrifying his every nerve and the knowledge of what he’d done to him. Old enough to remember her leaving, unmoved by his father’s lies to others after she’d left — never pushed to hatred for her despite wondering what his life might have been like if he’d chosen to go with her. His refusal had been simple. Not wanting to abandon the only parent who approved of his guilt over Evan, not daring to follow the parent who promised him he wasn’t a murderer. Growing up at his father’s side and thinking late at night: where is she ? Would life be better with her ?

Now he’s still not sure, but what he does know is that he would not look like this if he’d left with her. Swaying on feet that he’s unsure even belong to him anymore, or the machine that had taken his body as its own, Michael stretches his mouth in the facsimile of a smile. It feels false, but the soft look in his eyes is not. “ I should’a visited sooner, ” he tells her, and startles at the sound of his own voice: it sounds like him, quiet and accented slightly more like his father perhaps, but his own mind refuses to recognise it, “ I’m sorry. ”

Try as he might, the apology wobbles. He ducks his head, refusing to cry in front of anyone in front of her, specifically. Might not even be human enough to do so. How does he ask for comfort from a woman he realizes, belatedly, he doesn’t truly know since she left ? “ Can I — Can I come inside ? ” Michael chooses to say instead, avoiding her eyes. “ It’s real cold out here. ” He’d walked all the way here based on a simple memory of an address. Desperate to see his mother again, though uncertain if his rash action is one to regret yet or not.

@bitterborne   \   michael   :   “ i bet you weren’t expecting me , were you ? ” [ post-scooping :’) ]

𝐀   𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄   𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓   𝐖𝐀𝐒   𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄   𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓   with   all   the   prospects   of   growing   old   to   watch   her   children   give   her   grandchildren   ,    so   on    &*    so   forth   ,    ripped   away   from   her   violently   with   her   husband's   misdoings   .    being   as   awful   as   a   man   as   he   had   become   making   the   matriarch   grow   resentful   of   him   ,    horrified   he   was   her   husband   .    still   adoring   her   children   with   every   fibre   of   her   being   but   leaving   their   lives   to   protect   hers   .    a   mind   filled   to   the   brim   with   dark   thoughts   encircling   all   around   her   own   end    &*    demise   is   not   what   they   needed   in   a   mother   .    running   fast    &*    running   far   from   her   husband   all   in   the   name   of   self   preservation   .    an   incredibly   selfish   act   for   a   mother   .    though   the   day   she   lost   her   youngest   son   ,    she   was   no   longer   the   same   rosa   who   had   birthed   any   of   them   or   even   married   william   afton   .

wanting   them   all   in   her   lives    &*    even   offering   her   eldest   boy   the   choice   of   coming   with   her   ,    though   his   denial   was   one   that   she   respected   .    lost   contact   of   course   after   years   became   long   .    skin   remaining   taut    &*    eyes   while   dulling   still   vibrant   with   life   .    the   same   could   not   be   said   for   michael   .    for   a   moment   she   is   horrified   .    for   this   did   not   look   like   her   boy   .    how   flesh   looked   as   though   it   were   rotting    &*    becoming   more   pale   by   the   day   but   she   knew   michael   .    she   would   always   know   him   .    mouth   coming   to   open    &*    close   ,    shake   of   her   head   briefly   .     “   what   happened   to   him   ”     coming   to   cross   her   mind   though   that   would   be   answered   in   due   time   .    of   course   there   is   still   shock   in   her   gaze   as   mouth   remains   agape   for   the   moment   before   reminding   herself   to   close   it    &*    head   comes   to   shake   .     ‘   of   course   not   ,    but   i   can't   say   i   didn't   miss   you   ,    papa   .   ’     pet   names   for   her   children   rolling   off   her   tongue   with   ease   .    for   if   he   hated   her   ,    he   hasn't   told   her   outright   yet   .    expecting   it   if   she   were   frank   .