Mark S Balloon

I dunno, it all feels bad. I don't want people stealing my work but I also don't want to direct people to someone to harass. I also feel bad because when people take my art and redraw it with "corrections", or use AI on it, it does make my work feel inferior. It just all feels bad.

When Mark is at the door hands hovering over the pushbar it's like he is paralyzed. He's not choosing to stay and not making a grand romantic decision to turn away from Gemma toward Helly before she shows up. His body simply won't move toward the pushbar. Gemma is screaming. His name is filling the hallway and he looks at her through the window and then at the pushbar and his hands won't go there. Like his body already knows even if his brain fully doesn't.

And then Helly says his name and suddenly his body works again. So telling because names are one things innies have and there is something specific about what his name in Helly's mouth does to him physiologically that his name in Gemma's doesn't. His nervous system is almost wired to Helly. And also due to what the severed floor does to them as people and their existences as innies. Gemma saying Mark is calling to someone else. With Helly saying his name his body becomes available to motion again. The paralysis lifts. And the direction his body moves is toward the thing that made it feel real most recently....

And then Helly says his name once and suddenly he can move

it’s such a rich scene to analyze. here’s a portion of that scene from the script that i really like

i like what you said “like his body already knows even if he brain fully doesn’t.” feels so similar to the script saying “he’s torn, conflicted— but deep down knows what he wants.”

these kinds of bodily knowledge and muscle memory are so interesting when it comes to severed people. logically, mark knows that gemma must mean something to him. that she’s his wife out there. he’s been taught to be loyal to his outies decisions and respect them above all. but his heart calls for helly! it reverberates throughout his whole body, that feeling, that love. it’s so strong that it reached outie mark at the chinese restaurant. and it helps innie mark make this decision. he just physically can’t go through the door, his body won’t go.

“the paralysis lifts” that’s so good. such a great way to put it. maybe you should write a little character study on this scene. you have such a deep understanding and notice great things!!

a bit late, but I finally got back in the doc last week. Freshly written? or one I have been toiling away at? either way it's for a 2x10 fic :)

He had never seen her in that shade of green before.

and

There’d been a point, before the OTC, when a glimpse of Helly disappearing around the corner toward the restroom in one had sent such an immediate and inappropriate urge to follow her that he’d nearly dropped his mug of freshly poured, and more importantly very hot coffee, down the front of his white shirt.