#re: collab events

[sanjiartcollab]

800 Outfits. 398 Artists. This is the Sanji Art Collab

Thank you to all our amazing artists for making this the most incredible event! I still cant believe this is real and that we finished all 800! Thank you thank you thank you all

See full res and see the individual submissions here!!

[bweirdart]

nearly oc-tober time again - time for some prompts for 2024

F.A.Q

do i have to draw?

not at all! you are free to participate with any medium that suits you... writing, artwork, free bases and templates, simple text posts, in-character-as-your-oc roleplay, whatever! (just no stealing or AI)

do i have to make new content?

nope! re-uploading old stuff that fits the prompts is allowed (and encouraged) ... old art that didn't get the appreciation it needed always deserves a chance to be shared again, it's a fun throwback!

do i have to post every day?

nope! only 10 days are mandatory (the ones in red with a star symbol) and everything else (yellow) is 100% optional! if you're busy or tired, please skip as many as you want

can i start early?

you can prep your posts in advance if you need to ... but please wait until the right day in october to share them!

can i re-upload your prompt list to another site?

i would prefer if you dont - i have accounts on most sites, so just reblog/retweet/share from me!

event tag?

#bweirdOCtober

have fun!

image desc/text version ↓under the cut↓ or on bweird.art/october

prompts:

WEEK 1: OC INTRODUCTIONS

⭐ 1: FAV OC

what makes them your fav?

2: NEW OC

how recently did you make them?

3: OLD OC

how long ago did you make them?

⭐ 4: UNDER-APPRECIATED OC

an oc you feel like you don't talk about enough, or you haven't fleshed out as much as you would like

5: RE-DESIGNED OC

an oc who has changed a lot (what changed about them?) or, if you haven't redesigned an oc: is there anything you might want to change about an existing oc?

WEEK 2: BUILDING BACKSTORY

⭐ 6: PAST

where is your oc from? what did they look like as a child?

7: LIKES

what do they like (and why?)

8: DISLIKES

what don't they like (and why?)

⭐ 9: RELATIONSHIPS

doesn't have to be romantic! can any kind of relationship (frienship, family, rivalry etc)

10: PERSONALITY

what are your oc's main personality traits

11: SYMBOLISM/THEMES

what represents your oc? is there a specific colour you associate them with, or a specific animal?

12: FUTURE

what will your oc look like in the future? do they have any plans or goals?

WEEK 3: FUN + GAMES

⭐13: MEMES

do any memes remind you of your oc? are there memes your oc would find funny? maybe you want to redraw your oc as one?

14: WHO/WHAT INSPIRED YOUR OC

are there existing characters that your oc looks like? was your oc based on yourself? is your oc originally from a specific fandom?

15: MUSIC

share a character playlist, write a songfic, post lyrics that remind you of them, etc

⭐16: EYES CLOSED or NON DOMINANT HAND

draw a picture of your oc with your eyes closed or with your non domminant hand, write or type a paragraph about them without your eyes closed, etc ... have fun, and don't worry about it looking "bad" -it's meant to!!

17: DnD ALIGNMENT CHART

put all your ocs into a DnD alignment chart, or any other similar chart if you prefer

i've compiled a few templates on my site, but you can find more easily if you google "oc alignment chart"

⭐18: SWAP

swap something between your ocs - their role in the story, hairstyles, personalities, fashion taste, species ... whatever you want! how would this difference change them?

19: PALETTE CHALLENGES

draw your ocs with as many of these colour palettes as you want (or just skip if you don't draw/don't like doing these!)

hex codes for the colours:

palette 1 - #3C1E81 #6D1EA2 #B059E8 #FE0876 #FE5284 #FE7C96 #E0CFE3 #FFD5C3

palette 2 - #352823 #673F28 #AB541C #BA8233 #897128 #A68B2F #F7BF6A #DAC3A4

palette 3 - #A42E25 #D7412B #E47C29 #F7A233 #FCC02D #FCE4A6 #486548 #FEFDE8

palette 4 - #2F4769 #39597E #53779C #94D1E7 #AADDE7 #D48DB7 #D498B5 #D2BABA

WEEK 4: COMMUNITY

20-26: A WHOLE WEEK OF SOCIAL STUFF

if you don't have the time/energy to do every day this week, ⭐ day 23 is the only one marked as mandatory! you can skip the rest!

some ideas for what you could do: talk about a friend's oc you like, make gift art/writing of them, collabs, trades, reblog/appreciate ocs in the event tag, make interactions between your ocs and other people's

WEEK 5: HALLOWEEN

⭐27: FEARS

is your oc scared of anything? do they have any phobias? are they startled easily? would any of your ocs try to scare ppl on purpose?

28: MONSTER

what would your oc be if they were a monster (eg: werewolf, vampire, eldritch beast.. whatever) or, do you have an oc who is already a monster?

29: PUMPKIN CARVING

your ocs carving pumpkins, a drawing of a pumpkin carved to look like your oc ... or even carve it in real life!

30: GHOST

this can be literally a ghost, or a concept that haunts your oc! up to you!

⭐ 31: COSTUMES

what are your ocs wearing for halloween?

[simmerianne93]

[Simmerianne93]Portrait_poses_18

 ---------

Hello everyone! How are you today? Are you enjoying the sims and the sims 2 or are you still playing the sims 4 above all? haha unfortunatelly I can't afford any of them haha so it'll have to wait, but I hope you are having a pretty good time!!

Here you have another "Memories" posepack!! Or that's what I would have called it if I were naming my packs with proper names xD but as I'm basic, this is a new "Portrait" posepack for you and your pixel families to create memories for the wall.

I was going to bring this pack on the 30th, to end January, but I decided to wait a couple of days because of the rerelease thing and all the hype. And actually, this was a pack that i was planning for december as part of the family collab but I was short of time and I couldn't do them.

Anyway, my idea now on is to bring one family portrait pack each month (or each two months), 'cause I received more ideas than expected when asking for them for the collab... I want to make all the suggestions (and my own ideas as well) 'cause I feel like there are a lot of "basic" poses with 1 or 2 children... sometimes 3... but variations are kind of missing.... so lets see how it goes and if I can make all the poses you suggested...

The poses that I made this time I made them for my own use... If you follow me on bsky (and even if you don't) you may know by now that I'm playing the events with my simself, and she already have a fam... I was looking poses for 2 toddlers and 1 infant / 2 children and 1 toddler to make some memories befor the little ones grow up... and I couldn't find ANY... so... it was time to work on them... and this is what i got.... now you have a family posepack for those cases when you have twins and then an unexpected (or not XD) infant... haha

Althought... now my simself is having a 4th child xD so maybe I'll need to make another pack with 2 children, 1 toddler and 1 infant.... it never ends.... hahahaha maybe that's the pack I''ll bring at the end of this month....

And... talking about the month... its february.... and you know what it means, isn't it?.... VALENTINE POSES!! I have a few ideas in mind... and I hope I can make them all... keep in touch to have all the next packs!! I don't know if I'll be able to share the "coming soon post" but I'm telling you already that there's a few interesting packs coming this month!!

Thank you for always being there!!

Enjoy these poses!!!

Dag, dag!!

----------

What is on it?

2 Trio poses (one with 2 toddlers and 1 infant/ one with 2 children and 1 toddler)

5 Groupal poses for 5 sims (2 adults, 2 toddlers and 1 infant)

5 Groupal poses for 5 sims (2 adults, 2children and 1 toddler)

--- What do you need?

Andrew poses player.

Teleport any sim by Scumbumbo or Mccc by deaderpool.

Invisible infant mat replacement  by mcrudd  (OPTIONAL FOR INFANTS WHO HAVEN'T LEARN HOW TO SIT YET)

"The hipster hugger" sofa from Basegame (or any 3sits-sofa or 2sits-sofa, tho it can glitch a little bit depending on wich sofa you choose and depending on the pose)

a double bed (I used a bed from Seasons EP but the poses may work with others)

a dinning chair (I used one from Cat and dogs EP but the pose may work with others)

———

Instructions in the original post.

——

TOU

Do not claim my creations as your own.

Do not re-upload or modify my creations.

Do not make money of my creations.

Do not include my creations in Mods folders to download.

Please follow my Term Of Use.

——

Download it now here — [FREE FOR EVERYONE]

——————

If you want to support me:  Patreon | Ko-fi

All my poses overview: Pinterest |  Wix | Tumblr

More in-game preview pics of all my poses: Instagram

My socials: Twitter | BlueSky | Instagram | Tumblr

Lives and videos: Youtube

——————

I really hope you like them and I will say in advance: Thank you so much for using them.

@ts4-poses

--

[fiamat12]

Re: Lukola relief - They got some, we need some 😉

I, for one, am glad Lukola didn't show at the Met Gala because it would've been ALOT. I think it's more likely they were regrouping, meeting w/ N's agent in Miami (let's hope N isn't in an industry echo chamber and understands how tenuous Lukola's position is w/ the fandom rn) and the boys got to enjoy some F1 time. (It's *your* Olympics, Nic, is it? Lol)

The husband of N's CAA agent posted a photo where they were enjoying dinner "with amazing company" (btw, that dude is an insane skydiver!) 😉. We know The Newtons love their pasta...

There was also speculation that if L was able to land a brand deal w/ Tag Heuer he could appear at the Monaco Grand Prix in late May. How glamorous! But either way, N did her celebrity sighting which I think was a good move to appeal to the husbands who could watch BTON (or any of hers or L's projects, tbf).

Anyhow, the BAFTAs are in 5 days and w/ their Carriage Scene recognized, as well as N's individual nod for BM, I think we'll see them both there. I hope they got to meet Pitbull while they were in the 305; who knows what footage they could've gotten w/ him for later use!

Lastly, I do think we can let ourselves feel some excitement about a Lukola sighting on Sunday. Will it be together? Probably not, but they aren't going to ignore one another either! And there's much evidence to support they don't let the adjacents interfere w/ a main event, although after parties are fair game 🤷🏼‍♀️

Last year's article about Pitbull loving the collab ⏬️⏬️⏬️

[tnbsecretsanta]

Welcome to the Advent Calendar 2024!

Didn't make it to Secret Santa due to lack of time? Don't worry! This year, there will be a complementary event called "Advent Calendar" where you can spread your love for the series without sticking to a schedule!

What is an Advent Calendar? Traditionally, an advent calendar is a special type of calendar that counts down the days until Christmas Day, starting from 1st December.

How do I participate? Simply create a Tumblr or Twitter post with the activity indicated for the day and use the tag #TnBAdvent24, and we'll reblog/retweet it!

Do I have to participate every day? No! The point of this side event is for you to spread your love for the series without the pressure of a schedule like in the Secret Santa! You can participate any day you want: one, two, ten, all of them! Your choice!

Can I participate in the side event if I joined the Secret Santa? Yes! This event is entirely free, so that you can participate at your leisure.

If I missed an activity from a previous day, can I still post it? Yes! Just use the tag we'll reblog/retweet it! We just suggest that you don't use an activity scheduled for a later date and wait until the indicated day to publish it.

Happy creating!

See below the cut for the text version of the activities indicated

1st - Start reading a Fanfic (emphasis on start, no need to finish it the same day)

2nd - Create a NEXT power

3rd - Which Proverb would make for a good episode title?

4th - Share your favorite piece of official art

5th - Post a WIP (This can be any work-in-progress related to T&B, a merch collection, a shrine, a cosplay, art, MMD video, ita bag, progress of your read-through of the manga, that stuff!)

6th - Share your Favorite Tiger & Bunny-related song (This means any song made for Tiger & Bunny specifically, including character songs and music used in the episodes and credits)

7th - Re-watch any episode of Tiger & Bunny (and then feel free to post a review of it)

8th - What do you want Tiger & Bunny to collab with next? (Collaboration in this context is a collab with another property, such as a company like Sanrio, a store chain like 7-11, restaurant/fast food chains, games, and similar)

9th - Make a fancast for a hypothetical Live Action Adaptation of Tiger & Bunny

10th - Share a headcanon - new or old - that you have

11th - Share an instance of "Tiger & Bunny Spotting" you've seen IRL (T&B Spotting is seeing things like their colours or associated animals-theming in unexpected places. Pets can count for this; If it's not your pet, ask for permission before posting.)

12th - Come up with a food or drink themed around a character. Actually making it is entirely optional!

13th - Come up with an 'Alternate Universe' (AU) plot. You don't have to write anything beyond a plot synopsis or roles.

14th - Ramble about your favorite character or pairing!

15th - Share either a "hidden Gem" fic, or your favourite fanfic! Maybe it's both?

16th - Pitch a Season 3 or Third Movie plot

17th - Post a meme you really like, or make a meme from scratch

18th - Share your favorite OR your most wanted piece of Tiger & Bunny Merchandise

19th - Tell us about your favorite Villain

20th - Picture/Write about yourself as if you lived in Sternbild

21st - Assign a song you like to a character or a pairing

22nd - Share your favorite piece of fanart! Make sure to credit the artist, or repost the art directly through reblog or retweet or similar features.

23rd - Share your favorite piece of trivia about any Tiger & Bunny character

24th - Tell us what Tiger & Bunny means to you

25th - Free Day! Happy Holidays!

[judesmoonbeauty]

Round1’s Collab Event: OG Story For Jude Jazza

This is a fan translation, so expect grammatical errors. Not 100% accurate. Cybird owns everything. This story was contributed to me by moots who attended the collab event. This is only attainable for attendees, so I’m very grateful for their kind sharing. They will remain anon for privacy purposes. Please do not repost my translation on other sites. Re-blogs are appreciated. Thank you for your support!

MC: Aww.

Through the plexiglass of the UFO catcher, I made eye contact with a plushie and stopped in my tracks.

(That plushie is so cute. But, it reminds me of someone……)

Jude: Gawkin’ at it. Ya want somethin’ like that.

MC: Kind of. I’ll give it a try.

I aimed and pressed the button, but the claw only grazed the stuffed toy.

Jude: Gimme that, you’re too slow.

He watched from the side of the machine as he started playing, but the moment he picked up the plushie, it fell between the gaps of the claw.

MC: Called it, it’s hard.

Jude, who’d been looking down, suddenly laughed and then glared at the plushie.

Jude: ……Bring it.

MC: Uhhh….where are you going?

He vanished somewhere while cracking his neck with hand, and returned with a container almost spilling over with coins.

MC: J-Jude.

Jude: Don’t care if it’s a lil stuffed toy, ain’t no way I ain’t snatchin’ it.

Jude: See that.

MC: T-Thanks!

After the umpteenth try, the plushie was in my arms.

Jude: I don’t get it. What’s so great ‘bout this grumpy guy.

He pulled at the plushie’s face with grumpy look……

(That’s it!)

MC: I thought it looked like someone, but it looks like you, Jude.

Feeling clear-minded. I carried the plushie in my arms.

MC: Where should we go next?

There was something tender in his look when he took my hand,

Jude: …..Really, you’re hopeless.

The fun has only just begun.

Tag List: @theimaginativelyreticent @sapphire-323 @sh0jun @letter-from-afar

Dividers: @/natimiles [Master List]

Please I was WHEEZING so hard. I could barely finish this translation. There’s so much I want to say, but the way he was staring down the nui….and the way he grabbed MC’s hand at the end. Not jelly over the doll, just happy that his love is hopelessly in love with him. Our Fun Is Just Beginning!!!

[falseren]

Rensymmetry post mid-2023

aka. how Rensymmetry rose in prominence as a duo, especially a Ren duo, and Blue River Raceway

Ren and False have always been a duo, and everyone kind of knew about them from HC6 neighbours and MCC (9 Blue Bats). But I think 2023 subtly altered the status quo and pushed False way up to the top of Ren duos. It was made obvious and in-your-face in a way it wasn’t before. Like, she’s his top streamer. All five of his top Twitch emotes are hers, which is absolutely insane considering he’s a regular streamer with his own set of commissioned emotes.

I mention Ren duos specifically because Ren always has dominant duos (usually gay ships) and that kind of overshadows his friendship with a woman. I personally feel like a lot of the status quo re: Ren duos is stuck pre-2023, which I know is a weird statement considering core Rensymmetry events happened before 2023, eg. Blue9, but it still gets a bit overshadowed. It’s been changing and people are acknowledging Rensymmetry (because they are kind of obnoxious LMFAO 😭) but at the same time… for a duo that is so blatantly in your face with a consistent stream of insane crumbs, they’re not getting the attention one might expect.

On several occasions Ren has talked about how False helped him/ was there to support him during his irl issues, and we as the audience can see how they got closer when Ren returned from his hiatus in mid 2023. Ren’s first stream back (with facecam) was him grinding False’s elytra course. Mid 2023 was also when False got involved in BRR.

Re: BRR, it’s a Ren-Etho collab with False joining in with the building, but to me it was quite obvious it was Ren’s baby, and it meant a lot to him. It’s the spiritual successor to his Speedy Pines. It’s something he always wanted to make. It’s a very Ren project — half infrastructure, half racing — and he envisioned a server event (the Grand Prix). It’s quintessential Rendog. He threw himself almost completely into BRR when he returned.

False also spent a lot of time on BRR. Ren mentioned in his HC9 finale that he was very grateful for her and how she helped to make his vision come to life. And since it was such an important project to Ren, I think the kind of support (emotional and creative) that she provided really touched him and snowballed into the devotion + admiration you see now. Like, she became so important to him that he’ll just do anything for her.

You can start to see bits from mid 2023. There’s the TCG stream in which Ren offered to take the heat in case the fans didn’t like that the stream torch (TCG cards) would go to False and not Grian. Ren was being dramatic, but it was also his “anything for you Falsie 🫡” mentality coming into play.

BRR became their playground in which they constantly streamed from there (although not at the same time). While the Lifers were doing Secret Life, Ren was BRRing. While people were at Twitchcon, False was BRRing. Perimeter prank? False and Ren just released their BRR racing episodes. While Decked Out mania was in full swing, they were BRRing. Decked Out open day? BRR. (And False had to act as Ren’s messenger owl because he was away getting food— they were talking about BRR on their own.) Even when Tango did his DO redstone stream, they were BRRing. It’s second nature to them because they love minigames and competing against each other (eg. MCC, the minigame stream they did with Cub in summer 2023).

And then on it went until the Grand Prix which left such a strong impression on Ren that not only did he utter “I cannot think of a more worthy winner” (insane line), he also spent one year planning an irl trophy gift for False (also insane). He really appreciates her in a way that feels like it can’t be undone. They were good buddies before this, but I think it’s quite clear they’ve gotten closer.

Other insane bits include the “Hermitcraft isn’t Hermitcraft without my friend False close by” (which imo is one of the most insane things a hermit can say about another hermit) and Ren ending his last stream on HC9 by playing False’s elytra race. And he said without hesitation that she’s his favourite hermit and one of his best friends. Don’t worry, this is just the beginning, he gets worse.

I was going to flash forward to HC10 but then I remember False popped in on Ren’s Xmas stream on her phone while with family so there’s that. Like don’t you dare her call her toxic and mean when she checks in with Ren even when she’s busy. And Plateup with Cleo.

HC10. Demise 2. Murals. Hats. Armour stands. Multipass.💥💥💥

During Demise 2, I remember False interpreted a message from chat as that chatter thinking her and Ren were “not normal”, and she got vaguely defensive and mentioned something about how you know someone a bit better now and people think you’re not normal (this was after twaddle). Not gonna lie, Demise 2 era twaddle isn’t even that bad. Not when compared to post charity stream twaddle or big business river twaddle.

Anyways you can see they clearly appreciate and adore each other from the random snippets they include in episodes/ FalseLive / False’s featured clips/ whatever Ren’s going on about on stream. They’ve always been sweet but not like this lmfao. Ren in particular is going to explode. “A piece of the puzzle is missing” “MCC isn’t the same without you” okay. False is less obvious about it (because Ren is flying off the handle) but also likeeeee the featured clips… the Instagram comment… being in Ren’s chat… when Ren was singing and she said in chat how can you be so talented… <3

Their friendships is so sweet. And I think it’s cute how it manifests in the way they create on Hermitcraft. Like you really understand why Ren thinks Hermitcraft isn’t Hermitcraft without False. You really understand why False goes to Ren’s base when she needs a creative break from her own base.

[notdefendingtaylor]

hi!! i saw u say smth about taylor's whole master thing being dishonest and im a little lost can u please explain? (ex swiftie here)

oh yes! well the basics are these:

she made statements when she started the re-record project about not being given a chance to buy her masters despite having "pleaded" for it, and that she "learn[ed] about Scooter Braun's purchase of [her] work when it was announced to the world" (x). the implication she made was that the ONLY offer she ever received was a one-for-one deal: she makes one new album, receives the rights to one old one in return. that's what most swifties seem to believe was her ONLY option to own her masters, and I did too initially.

but she was demonstrably in talks with BMR herself to own not just her music but every produced image of her - these discussions date back as far back as 2018. they are memorialized by contract notes between the two parties that were negotiating, Taylor's own company and Big Machine Records. I've seen the screens of those attorney responses in a few places, including the documentary that was released showing both sides of the story, but here is a good master list that includes them: https://www.reddit.com/r/SwiftlyNeutral/comments/1aiwj5s/a_complete_timeline_of_taylors_masters_situation/

This is extremely credible to my eye, as someone who works with contract terms and finalization of contracts. The typical formula is notes back and forth between parties, noting which terms are firm and not up for negotiation, and ideally the parties end up meeting closer to the middle on the items they are willing to budge on. If they can't meet in the middle, they walk away from the sale, which Taylor reportedly did.

If she was in talks to this extent to own her masters for a flat purchasing price, then she was not rug pulled by the sale of her work, especially since her dad was a non-majority shareholder in BMR. The sale to Scooter had to go to a vote with the shareholders and Scott either recused himself from the vote or may have had a proxy participate for him. He made a cool $15m on the sale of HER work to HER enemy.

In the timeline I linked, there is evidence of friendly texts back and forth with Taylor and Scott Borchetta, the record exec who had basically developed her as an emerging talent through BMR, and which Scott had invested his own money in through that non-majority share purchase when she started out. These texts occurred after her decision to move on without purchasing her catalogue and try her luck elsewhere with a new label.

It's entirely possible the 'they took it from me, I never had the chance to own my own words' narrative would never have taken that shape if it had been sold to anyone but Ithaca Holdings, owned by Scooter Braun, whom she detested over years of online spats involving him, Bieber and Kanye. I am not discrediting her feelings there, JB and Kanye have been online trolls throughout their careers, Scooter definitely had his own cult of personality going on when he was managing a huge chunk of the world's top popstars.

Taylor's outcry sounded righteous on its face, and she used the language of consent to describe how she felt about it, but the key points are these:

Most importantly, Taylor never owned her masters and therefore they were never taken from her. It's not typical for a brand new artist to own their masters right out the gate, for reasons I will make clearer below. But they could not be 'stolen' as they were never hers.

Borchetta essentially discovered, developed, promoted, and cultivated Taylor as an artist from the time she was playing small venues in Nashville to being the world's most talked-about star in the late 2010s. Given that image AND artistry are both crucial, promotion is crucial, and the funding for ads, release events and collabs (like her early Target special edition releases), photoshoots, album art, etc etc all have to come from somewhere- the artist typically doesn't foot that bill, the record label does. It's part of the production costs of an album. The record company's ability to retain rights to the album masters reflects that investment on their part.

Taylor wasn't looped in on Ithaca's bid to purchase her catalogue most likely due to an NDA binding the negotiating parties. Not being included does not mean being deliberately deceived.

Taylor's contract starting out was fairly standard if not slightly better for her than is standard for brand new talent because her dad owned shares in the record label. That doesn't mean she had tons of leverage, but certainly more than most.

Just because Taylor FEELS something was unjust, doesn't mean it was a deliberate insult or sabotage or theft, and she appears to give BMR virtually no credit for their massive investment in developing her talents. Even if all the words were hers to every song (...lol), a completed album doesn't emerge fully formed from one person's mind. There are so many other factors involved like production, logistics, arranging promotion including interviews and ads, distribution, tie-in products. I don't know everything about that side of the business but I know Taylor couldn't have done things on the scale she did working out of her house like an indie artist doing their own promotion and self-publishing.

In conclusion- Taylor DID have the chance to outright buy her masters, but the deal fell through due to disagreements between her and BMR on terms. Scooter had the ability to bid for her music and he succeeded, but AFTER she had already decided to start at another label and say goodbye to her masters anyway. She exchanged cordial words with Scott Borchetta before the sale to Scooter, but her attitude soured simply because of WHO bought her masters. Then, she had the opportunity to shape a new narrative...

[t4tails]

you can tell me to shove this suggestion up my ass, but i suggest you refrain from playing re5 and re6 in your re games crusade. not just for the “5 is racist and 6 is a mess” reasons but also bc literally everyone agrees that the multiplayer games are a nightmare to play solo. if you’re playing them with your sister then go ahead but gdspeed and try not to rip each other apart when someone fucks up the gameplay and quick time events (ik me and my sister did)

i already bought them since theyre $5 each until 6/19 😭 but this is the first time im hearing re5&6 are coop or ai reliant 😭 erm we only have one controller. i will power through having to collab with an ai if i must

[menherasy]

original callout post is by @menheratic !! if you want more info, please ask them. i am merely reuploading the original callout post of ezaki. please do check out the link of the jp community calling him out in 2019 ^^ https://togetter.com/li/1327770

! The following post talks about the various bad things that Menhera-chan's creator, Ezaki Bisuko, has done.

Here a japanese summary of all the shit he did so far, including but not limited to:

• registering Yamikawaii as trademark

• sending his fans after gyaru YouTuber Usatani to harass her into a suicide attempt over unknowingly buying a shirt with stolen PPG fanart he drew

• himself buying products with stolen art, even promoting their sales, because it’s totally ok when he does it

• the reason why Usatan’s original design was changed aka it was a ripoff of Cult Party’s iconic rabbit mascot that was designed by their artist Maromika-chan

• wrote a whole guide on how to legally get away with sex work as child

• proof of him tracing art for the more detailed MCH artworks

• how he attended the Menhera Exhibit only to smear misogynist bullshit with blood on maxipads

• complaining about how anime for little girls are evil feminist agenda TM because ain’t nobody need men to be saved anymore

• boasting about being a fashion designer only selecting the finest fabrics for his merch when it’s actually made by the japanese equivalent of Redbubble

• “parody” works featuring child characters like Chibi Maruko-chan prostituting themself, the message being all women are whores regardless of age for the right amount of money

• the small “terms and conditions” shield he has at his con booths where you agree that you need to buy anything you touch

• how he setup an earthquake victim fundraiser only to keep the money

• telling his english fans they are not allowed to use any of his art for private use, like as icon, unless they pay him

• how he wants to move to the US when he turns 30 because of all the evil haters TM in Japan

• copyright claiming everyone left and right

• japanese Menhera speaking out about he keeps hurting the community

In regards of the maxi pads:

TW, CW // nooses, misogynistic text in red on maxipads

Our favorite being the second row second one, “Abortion is murder”.

Some more recent event: When he started harassing and hating on disabled people after Tokyo Fashion translated a Tweet of his because being disabled is discriminating yourself.

It’s like a trainwreck that refuses to end, now with 100% more crypto on NFT while shitting on those who warn about the dangers.

His NFT sales can be found here: https://foundation.app/@bisuko_ezaki

For some reason, after 7 years, he also decided to re-release the infamous wrist-cut bracelet to sell at events. The leader of the Neo-Decora group bought one for example:

TW // Bracelet that imitates sh, includes blood

Also keeps doing collabs with “Tokyo Uragawa” under Yamiko so Seigi (Mental illness is justice), which focuses on self-harming girls as fetish objects.

TW, CW // drawn sh

Recently, he also wrote a long-article on his definition of Yamikawaii:

https://harajuku-pop.com/67775/

Still not sure where overseas people got “this is about mental health awareness” from, might be based on mistranslations because the word for mental health and illness is one in the same, and his definition is about glorifying mental illness. In fact, this is why he was banned from Tumblr because he kept posting other people’s self-harm photos to his aesthetic blog Menherabusu.

Next up: Made suicide baiting posts over his following decreasing in the hopes of getting attention, fans sent him photos of cute animals to cheer him up, and he decided to post about destroying the pictures.

Tbh, this list could go on forever as he does this kind of bs on an almost daily basis now, but apparently people don’t care enough to stop throwing money at him.

Meanwhile the Japanese community made a whole Wiki for tracking all of his drama considering how much it is by now.

https://ezabisumatome.wiki.fc2.com/

TW // mention of shotacon

Decided to nickname himself Shotabi, the name being a combination of Shotacon and Bisuko, while using nsfw anime edits of male child characters in sexual situations as decor for his selfies.

𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝:

Is it ok to still like Menhera-chan?

𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫:

Sure, the problem is really only Ezaki himself and his increasing problematic remarks fueled by his ego, the manga is a lot older than him being like that.

Fun fact: Ezaki actually hates Menhera-chan because it's the only thing he ever gets approached for by the media, he constantly rants about this on Twitter. If you have noticed, he barely makes new MCH content anymore (unless he gets paid for it) and mainly reposts old artworks and fanart (without permission) instead because it's the only way he can still get attention as his other works, like the misogynist Manapisu, which is just him hating on women as "dumb wh*res" as a manga, flopped badly.

Just try to not fund his bs by buying new goods.

[vergil-losing-archive]

episode 6 notes...

edit: please keep in mind these are just notes and thoughts I'm writing down while I'm watching the show. So I may criticize something that gets "fixed" or explained in a later episode.

edit2: these were written in the "heat of the moment" and what I wrote is, of course, influenced by emotions. I don't feel like re-reading and checking what I wrote but note that I may, or may not, have changed my mind on some things. As I'm writing this I feel "meh" on the show and very negatively on its creator.

Now, what I'm about to say is criticism of some artistic choices, so this is more subjective compared to other criticism I have for this show. Keep this in mind.

I'm not a fan of the artstyle change for when the other kid enters hell, as it doesn't seem fitting for the moment at all?

I should be afraid for the kid that is in danger but I'm not because my brain is stuck on "why am I suddently watching a kids show?" no offense of course to the artists, but the artstyle is visually very similar to media for that target.

I get wanting to switch styles because he is in a different world, it's an interesting idea if done right, but how they did it here is a no for me.

The back and forth from Lady's memories to this kid in hell feels like some multi-animator collab project you'd see on youtube rather than part of the same show.

I thought I'd give my two cents on this as it's kind of "my field" of study.

Now, back to the non-artistic criticism.

If hell is another world, and demons have naturally evolved to adapt to its conditions, at least to some extent as we were told that the conditions are too harsh even for some demons, how can this human kid just live there with no health consequences? Normally I'm not at all nitpicky about this sort of stuff, but since this show likes being all "science-y", this is a huge oversight from them.

Also they were obviously trying some political commentary with the juxtaposition of the demon kids being sick and oppressed and Lady playing "demon hunter" with her friend, just like american kids playing "cowboys and "indians"", but it just doesn't work here in this context. Because she LITERALLY witnessed a demon attack her family before, and shortly after she sees her own father turning in a demon and eating her mom.

If you wanted to make demons a symbol of oppressed groups, constantly alternating between depicting them as animalistic, cruel, stereotypical, murderous by nature and then innocent, human-like is shooting yourself in the foot as a writer.

a HUGE writing oversight I noticed, is in the final scenes, when Lady is shooting up all those refugee demons with her squad, because then her earlier change of mind makes NO sense. Let me explain: her suddent change of mind in earlier episode was made believable by the impression that this was the first time she saw something that challenged her worldview: a normal demon family that didn't want to harm anyone. But now with the end of episode 6, we discover that she has met civilian demons before! And they were even accompanied by a HUMAN. How come this event didn't arise any doubt in her head? And how come she was surprised by that demony family before, if she in fact has met similar demons earlier in her life?

Also I really want to know how the White Rabbit dude managed to change from a Saviour of demons leading them to their "promised land", to someone openly threathening the same people he wanted to help (as we saw earlier in the series).

[scr-ppup]

Survorecoin

— (surv)ivor + g(ore) + re(co)vry + in

Survorecoin: a Survagotor neogender related to being the final survivor, sprained ankles, gutted corpses, gore, watching your friends/the other survivors die out one by one in gruesome ways. It srelated to hiding from the killer in cramped spaces & outsmarting the killer in different situations. Survivor's guilt, recovery, running, adrenaline, bloody screaming, horror media, forth wall breaking, and shitty analogy with an unrealible narrator that calls the survivor (who is able to hear them) as the lucky one. Generally just being referred to as the lucky one after surviving such a horror shit show. May be both Slasherval-in-nature and Whump-in-nature.

IDs in alt text + undercut

Design/term notes: Survagotor is to be posted later on. A Neogender umbrella, under Whumpous. <3

Day 4 entry of @francicide & @inhisbedroom's event collab!

Taglist # @radiomogai @obscurian @horrormogai @rwuffles @smilepilled @catonliine (feel free to ignore)

~ Ta—Da ! Graveyard's Stray & Koiri.

IDs

ID: a rectangular flag of 7 uneven horizontal stripes, the stripe sizes go as follows; two medium thick stripes with a three point curved edge with smaller more compact curves on the far left and right while the center curve is stretched out and mellower, the center stripe is straight and regular sized. There are two extra smoke-like shapes around the center stripe, the first bigger and thicker one is connected and mirrored on the other side and the smaller and thinner is only a sliver of a smoke shape on the top side of the flag they're respectively orange and pastel orange colored. There are 15 unevenly curved pinkish red and pink-purple color stars on the top and bottom of the flag overlaid on the second top and bottom stripe, while there are six additional pastel orange stars on the center with a space in-between them that has a symbol of a open Swiss tool knife on it in black color. The colors of the flag go from top to bottom as dark purple, dark medium red, red-pink, light yellow, purple-pink, purple, and dark purple./end ID

ID: a rectangular flag of 7 uneven horizontal stripes, the stripe sizes go as follows; two medium thick stripes with a three point curved edge with smaller more compact curves on the far left and right while the center curve is stretched out and mellower, the center stripe is straight and regular sized. There are two extra smoke-like shapes around the center stripe, the first bigger and thicker one is connected and mirrored on the other side and the smaller and thinner is only a sliver of a smoke shape on the top side of the flag they're respectively orange and pastel orange colored. There are 15 unevenly curved pinkish red and pink-purple color stars on the top and bottom of the flag overlaid on the second top and bottom stripe, while there are six additional pastel orange stars on the center with an empty space in-between them. The colors of the flag go from top to bottom as dark purple, dark medium red, red-pink, light yellow, purple-pink, purple, and dark purple./end ID

archive.today link

[linkemon]

Dura lex, sed lex (Neuvillette x Reader)

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you're interested.

Other oneshots can be found here. This oneshot was a collab with Agusia Szczygieł as a co-creator.

ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴘʜᴇᴄʏ ᴡᴀꜱ ꜰᴜʟꜰɪʟʟᴇᴅ, ᴄʜᴀɴɢɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄɪᴛʏ'ꜱ ʀᴇꜱɪᴅᴇɴᴛꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀɪꜱɪꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴀɴᴇᴡ. ᴛᴏ ᴄᴇʟᴇʙʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ, ʟᴀᴅʏ ꜰᴜʀɪɴᴀ ɪɴᴠɪᴛᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʟɪᴛᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ʙᴀʟʟ, ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɪɴ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴇᴀ: ᴡʜɪᴛᴇ ꜰᴏᴀᴍ, ꜱʜɪᴍᴍᴇʀɪɴɢ ꜱʜᴇʟʟꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀɴᴄɪɴɢ ꜰɪꜱʜ ꜱʏᴍʙᴏʟɪᴢɪɴɢ ᴊᴏʏ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰʀᴇᴇᴅᴏᴍ. ʜᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀɪʀʏ-ᴛᴀʟᴇ ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʟɪᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴇ ᴍᴏᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴠ���ɴɪɴɢ – ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ. [ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ] ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴜᴠɪʟʟᴇᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʟʟᴇɴɢᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴜɴᴄᴏᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀɪᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ, ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ʟᴀᴡ ᴄʟᴀꜱʜᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴇᴀʀꜱ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛꜱ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴅɪꜰꜰɪᴄᴜʟᴛ ᴅɪʟᴇᴍᴍᴀꜱ. “ᴅᴜʀᴀ ʟᴇx, ꜱᴇᴅ ʟᴇx” – ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀʀꜱʜ ʟᴀᴡ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ᴜɴʏɪᴇʟᴅɪɴɢ, ᴇᴄʜᴏᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴘᴀꜱꜱɪᴏɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴀɪɴꜰᴜʟ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇꜱ.

[Reader] listened carefully to the sounds coming from the main hall. The melody of the string quartet signaled that the right moment had arrived. The golden frame of the mirror reflected the glow of several chandeliers. The woman glanced one last time at her reflection in the massive mirror. Chiori would never forgive her if she didn’t look absolutely flawless.

She adjusted a loose strand of hair and slowly began descending the stairs. She had to admit, though the preparations took a long time, it was worth it. Just as her persistent effort to have Clorinde assign her the role of an unusual countess – the sister of the palace's owner – had been. She appreciated her efforts even more when, gliding down the stairs covered in a navy carpet, she saw the guests’ expressions. She had no doubt her silhouette stood out perfectly against the background.

Furina, playing the hostess, descended first and joined the pair of eyes staring at her. She gave her a discreet signal by releasing a water bubble – meaning it was her moment.

– Together with my sister, we warmly welcome all of you. It is an honor to see such a large and distinguished gathering. We encourage you to dance to the baton of our magnificent conductor. – She pointed to the musicians. – We also invite you to the tables. We promise nothing will be missing and we hope this ball will provide you with unforgettable experiences! – She winked at the guests.

The assembled guests laughed, with the true motive of the event in mind.

[Reader] flowed down the stairs – at least that’s the impression everyone present had, if Chiori was to be believed. Her blue gown resembled the stormy sea; the fabric shimmered in shades from light to dark, and it seemed to sway involuntarily. Here and there, shells and imitations of seaweed glimmered, winding around a sheer netting above her thigh, resembling fishing nets from a distance. Cascades of tulle enveloped the whole, concealing leather slippers.

She blew a persistent curl off her forehead. The updo held her hair firmly but the strands she left loose lived their own life.

The scene at the bottom made her pause a second longer than she should have.

– Mademoiselle [Reader] – a familiar, deep voice greeted her at the foot of the stairs.

– Monsieur Neuvillette – she replied.

There was no mistake. The judicial regalia had been replaced with a specially tailored outfit for the occasion. The white shirt resembled restless sea foam, while the dark, shimmering pants and corset looked strikingly similar to her gown – as if he had immersed himself in the depths. His hair was neatly tied with a clever bow.

[Reader] would have sworn his outfit was made from the exact same fabric as hers. This could not be a coincidence.

Neuvillette extended his hand. [Reader] placed hers on it, feeling the gentle brush of his lips. He slowly lifted his head, his gaze once again sweeping over her figure.

– You look stunning, Countess.

– Thank you. – [Reader] curtseyed gracefully.

– It’s a pleasure to see my creations on the right people.

Chiori squeezed her way through the crowd surrounding her guests. She looked like a treasure chest resting on a sandy bottom. Her golden gown, adorned with crystal imitations, radiated an aura of power and wealth – the role she had been assigned required an appropriate image. After all, she was the owner of a luxurious silk industry.

– I wanted to thank you again. – [Reader] turned in her creation. – Placing an order with the countess has always been my dream.

– I won’t say I was skeptical but I admit, I wasn’t sure I could manage to fulfill another order in such a short time. You can thank a certain count in this room. He convinced me to give it a try.

Chiori gave the judge a meaningful look. She rarely saw him at the threshold of her boutique, let alone asking her to consider making a dress in record time when she was overwhelmed with orders. She was known for her strictness and treating all customers equally, regardless of their status. However, when she heard about [Reader]'s dream – to become a fairy tale princess for just one night instead of being Arpenteur des Crimes – her heart softened. Every girl wanted this at least once in her life...

Clorinde agreed to assign [Reader] the appropriate role and Furina promised to cover the costs of the outfits for all the important guests. How could she refuse?

Chiori wasn’t sure if the fabric would be enough but Neuvillette had announced that he was willing to give up some of his. So, for the past week, she had sewn nonstop until the ball. To this day, she didn’t know how she managed to make two creations from a single roll of silk. She had to admit, however, the end result was breathtaking.

Firstly, the whole hall turned to look at the people dressed in her creations. Secondly – Neuvillette looked at [Reader] as if she had hung stars in the sky. And that wasn’t a gaze she saw often.

– Then, thank you both. – A sincere smile appeared on [Reader]'s face.

– You must show it while dancing. – Chiori threw a meaningful glance at the judge.

But before Neuvillette could react, a new guest joined their group.

– Did someone mention dancing? Then I invite you to dance. – The newly arrived man extended his hand towards [Reader].

The woman hesitated. She had quietly hoped to have her first dance with someone else but refusal in this situation would be rude – especially since she had agreed to play a part of the hostess for the evening.

In the end, she accepted Count Soleil’s invitation and headed to the center of the dance floor, sending Neuvillette one last glance. He watched her.

– She won’t wait forever – Chiori remarked as her true, direct nature came to the surface.

– She won’t have to – Neuvillette replied with calm determination.

He then invited the wealthy countess to dance. Chiori wasn’t here for the dancing but she could endure this one. For the greater good.

They slowly moved across the ballroom, trying to get closer to [Reader] and her partner. Chiori had to admit, watching the interactions between the young detective and the judge was quite amusing.

Meanwhile, [Reader] was circling the dance floor with Count Soleil, who held her at the waist. She didn’t know him well; she could only say she recognized him. His picture had flashed before her a few times when she reviewed the guest list and their roles. She hadn’t memorized them. According to Clorinde, it was enough to know who was who.

Count Soleil, unlike the character played by Chiori, was genuinely wealthy. [Reader] had heard he owned an apartment in one of the most luxurious districts of Fontaine. How he made his fortune? She had no idea. However, his manners and way of speaking gave off an air of superiority.

– …excellent caviar but of course…

His words blurred somewhere between the lines. Maybe it would be easier for her to focus on the conversation if Count Soleil hadn’t been constantly stepping on her feet. She looked at his large shoes and concluded that he wasn’t a very good dancer.

That’s why Neuvillette was such a blessing. Even standing across the room, he didn’t take his eyes off her. And when the song finally came to an end, he was the first to invite her to the next dance; she greeted him with immense relief.

What a different experience this was! Neuvillette seemed to fulfill her dream – he looked like a fairy tale prince. She felt that this evening belonged to her.

She allowed herself to weave a story. It was hard not to when Neuvillette spun her around to the music and the world turned into a cascade of light from crystal chandeliers. Through the noise of conversations, the clinking of glasses and the tapping of slippers stood out.

[Reader] took step by step, gliding among the tulle expanses and the deep blue hues. The melody played by the quartet slowed. Neuvillette squeezed her hand a little tighter. She allowed her waist to come closer to him. She also dared to tilt her head up. The judge sent her a soft smile, as if they were sharing an unspoken secret. He radiated calm, yet made the butterflies in her stomach flutter.

Suddenly, his violet eyes lingered on her lips a fraction of a second longer than they should have. The distance between them dangerously diminished. [Reader] felt the scent of sea breeze. Surprised, she blinked several times, and then, when the strings touched the notes one last time, she saw disappointment on his familiar face.

With regret, she slipped out of his warm, strong arms.

That’s when she spotted Navia, standing near one of the tables. The blonde woman waved energetically at her. The queen of social gossip had clearly immersed herself in her role. [Reader] had no choice but to head towards her. However, she was glad when Neuvillette offered her his arm.

The elegant table was decorated with draped fabric that flowed lightly over mahogany wood. On it, a pile of delicacies towered, and in the center stood a chocolate fountain – with a hint of sea salt flavour, in line with the event's theme.

Between the culinary frenzy and the dancing, waiters circulated with glasses of champagne and wine; the guests standing next to Navia reached for the red drink.

– Baron Étoile and Countess Luna – Navia introduced them.

Her outfit resembled a ship. The brown fabric looked like wooden planking, and the golden embellishments, focused in the center, suggested a hidden interior. For the woman, like a ship in its hold, carried secrets – hidden from unwanted guests.

– A pleasure to meet you – Neuvillette remarked.

– How do you find the party? – [Reader] winked conspiratorially.

– Oh, to be honest, I haven’t focused on the entertainment so far – the tall woman replied, glancing at her companion. – But of course, we are both waiting for the murd... umm...

– For the surprise – Étoile smoothly corrected her.

The main theme of the party, aside from the treacherous ocean waters, was supposed to be a murder. Clorinde initially feared it might be too dramatic of a season opener but Lady Furina had given her no choice. She considered the idea absolutely, divinely tragic and believed the guests would eagerly throw themselves into the investigation, especially when they themselves became participants and witnesses. A theatrical move – in Lady Furina’s opinion. She couldn’t have dreamed of a better one, so she spared no expense on the organization.

– You absolutely must join the dance floor – Neuvillette remarked, addressing the woman dressed in a moon-white gown.

– I beg your pardon but I already have a partner – Lady Luna replied shyly, concealing her face behind a fan.

– Of course – he nodded, wanting to show that he meant something else. – I, too, have a partner for the evening. The only one I wish to dance with – he added, glancing at [Reader].

The young detective smiled at him but suddenly her attention was caught by one of the guests. She hadn’t expected to see Count Soleil so soon but the man skillfully pushed his way through the crowd – only to whisper a few words and take the countess away from before their eyes. Brown locks disappeared in a flurry. Despite earlier assurances of her one, ideal dancer, Lady Luna didn’t even look back.

Meanwhile, the baron stared at her in horror. Once she was out of their sight, he nervously adjusted his suit.

– Trouble in paradise? – Navia remarked, glancing meaningfully over her glass.

– I beg your pardon – Étoile said, rushing towards the dancing pairs.

– They are in love but he doesn’t have enough wealth. – Navia looked longingly towards the dance floor. – Romantic and tragic at the same time but how very life-like, don’t you think?

– What exactly are you suggesting, master of gossip? – [Reader] asked, coming to the conclusion that, despite the theatrical backdrop, she was indeed intrigued by the story of the two.

– Luna currently holds her title only for the sake of our game but it doesn’t stray far from her family’s desires. Some years ago, her father made a fortune in foreign trade. Naturally, the tight-knit aristocratic circle, steeped in luxury, had no intention of inviting this nouveau riche into their ranks. Luna’s father put in considerable effort to ensure that the doors to mansions and palaces would open to him. To complete his success, all he needed was a noble title. He tried to buy it through various means, though of course, you didn’t hear this from me. – Navia smiled conspiratorially. – However, he didn’t succeed. Ultimately, he concluded that the only path to it was marriage. Divorce wasn’t an option, as his wife is in good health, and besides, in certain circles, he would surely be condemned for that. So he had one last hope – his only daughter. Over the years, he prepared her to enter the highest salons through an arranged marriage. The perfect, flawless wife with boundless fortune – ideal for a wealthy man who possesses what Luna’s father could never acquire: noble blood.

Sympathy appeared on [Reader]’s face.

– And what about Étoile?

– He works as a clerk in the Palais Mermonia. I’ve never heard any complaints about him from his superiors. However, I suspect that for a family striving to reach the highest echelons, a man without fortune, a brilliant career or a noble title doesn’t make a good match – Neuvillette replied. The wine in his glass swirled as he took a sip.

Navia placed a tartlet on her plate, then bit into the flaky pastry.

– I heard they met when he gave her private law lessons.

– How tragic. They love each other but they can’t be together. All because of family. – This whole story reminded [Reader] of one of the romantic novels Lady Furina once staged. – Romantic, yet so sad…

Her sympathy must have become visible, for she felt a warm, soothing touch on her hand; Neuvillette’s fingers – cold, yet so gentle – rested on her skin, lingering there for a moment as brief as the flutter of a butterfly’s wings.

– Everyone seems to be scattered – Clorinde’s voice cut through the atmosphere like the edge of a blade. She didn’t look pleased.

Her task was to ensure that all key points of the evening were properly ticked off. Her experience as the Game Master was unmatched throughout Fontaine. Therefore, dressed in a dark uniform – playing the role of a palace guard – she moved among the guests, checking if everything was proceeding according to plan.

– Lyney and Lynette are about to start their performance – Clorinde announced urgently. – Countess Navia should move closer to the crowd. May I escort you? – she offered, extending her arm.

The string quartet stopped playing, heading for their well-deserved break. The dancing couples slowly parted to create space for the magical performance of the twins. Many guests headed toward the tables. The break brought a subtle change in the atmosphere.

Neuvillette seemed as though he was about to say something but he was not given the chance. [Reader] didn’t notice the moment she lost her balance. She was unexpectedly shoved, and before she could understand what was happening, something cold and wet splashed over her.

– My deepest apologies – came Luna’s apologetic voice. Unaware of what she had done, the woman quickly moved away toward the stairs. Her heels clicked behind her, filling the room with a hollow echo.

[Reader] looked down, her heart freezing. On her beautiful, intricately chosen gown bloomed a stain. The dark red wine contrasted mercilessly against the blue fabric.

– Oh no – she groaned quietly.

The people around her glanced at the commotion. They looked for a moment at her misfortune, before quickly looking away, embarrassed by their ungraceful behaviour and pretending indifference. However, it was not their gazes that hurt the most but the fact that the evening of her dreams had been ruined. How was she supposed to play the role of the hostess now and stand in the spotlight, announcing the twins’ performance alongside Lady Furina?

Neuvillette regretted not bringing his jacket. The one he wore every day. At least he could have tried to cover the stain. He glanced once more critically at [Reader]’s gown. He had no other choice…

– Huh? – [Reader] didn’t immediately register that she had been lifted. – What is the Count doing? – She hesitantly wrapped her arms around his neck.

– Improvising – he whispered softly, carrying her in his arms. – The Countess will return soon… after a scandalous abduction – he finished uncertainly, glancing at the guests pretending not to care. From afar, he spotted Chiori’s approving gaze, Navia’s shocked face, Furina’s euphoric smile and Clorinde’s murderous expression.

The stain was carefully hidden between the folds of the material at [Reader]’s hem. She had no idea what to do with it now or what she should focus on but the gentle swaying and the familiar scent of the sea gave her a sense of security. Maybe for this one evening, she didn’t have to worry about anything? Neuvillette not only looked like a fairytale prince but practically was one, when determined to play his role, he swept her away from trouble.

After a while, she nestled into him, feeling his white hair tips brush against her face.

– What am I going to do now? I’ll be ruined in the eyes of the entire society – [Reader] joked.

– Hmmm… Let’s think about how to remedy this scandal… I think the most sensible thing would be a quick marriage – Neuvillette replied with a twinkle in his eye.

– An impertinent proposal! Is the Count suggesting that he would be a worthy candidate?

– In my eyes, no one is worthy of the Countess but I’d like to believe that I surpass the others.

– Oh, really? – [Reader] asked with a teasing tone. – Well… the Count is not far from the truth – she whispered, still nestled against his chest.

When Neuvillette gently set her down on the stone bench beneath the marble pavilion, it crossed her mind how much she regretted how short that moment had felt. The night was pleasantly warm. The sweet scent of flowers hung in the air and the white-blue petals occasionally drifted just behind Neuvillette, who knelt before her puffy gown. With the help of hydro, he cleaned the stain; tiny water molecules climbed up the decorative fabric, gathering the red wine. His power gently brightened the surrounding darkness, giving it an unusual appearance.

The judge lifted his head and met [Reader]’s gaze full of admiration. He had no doubt that the blush on her cheeks was his doing. If any doubts had lingered about the mutuality of her feelings, they were dispelled at that moment. He gently tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. [Reader] caught his hand, which had frozen on her cheek.

It was to this woman that Neuvillette had given his heart. A dragon’s heart, which had fallen slowly, but faithfully. He gathered his thoughts. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He opened his mouth but the silence was cut through by a horrifying scream, which interrupted their intimate moment with cruel mercilessness. Neuvillette and [Reader] froze for a moment.

– We should check this out. It’s better not to disrupt the game with further improvisation – [Reader] said, convinced that the scream was part of the script devised by Clorinde and Furina.

Neuvillette accepted this argument and nodded, offering her his arm.

– Let’s go then. It seems to me the scream came from the garden.

[Reader] adjusted her gown one last time before leaning on the strong arm of her companion, more out of a need of the heart than an actual necessity.

Without further delay, they left their secluded corner, heading for the exit to the terrace as suggested by Neuvillette. The air around them seemed palpably tense but this time not because of suppressed emotions but because of the circumstances they found themselves in.

Murder. That was the true motive behind the party. It was no secret to any of the invited guests, yet [Reader] felt an inner, difficult-to-rationalize unease. The scream they had heard sounded particularly realistic. So much so that she still got chills on her back at the mere thought of it.

But perhaps she was overthinking it? The role of the crime victim could have been given to someone from Lady Furina’s theater troupe and such a person wouldn’t find it difficult to authentically perform a scene like that, right?

Yes, surely that was it – she reassured herself, involuntarily squeezing Neuvillette’s arm. He caught her gaze and smiled slightly, as if assuring her she wasn’t alone in all of this. She didn’t know how he did it but in every situation, he could calm her nerves with even the smallest gesture. She wanted to believe that she affected him in a similar way.

When they finally reached the hall, they noticed that the garden doors were wide open. They stepped outside, meeting the moonlight that had managed to break through the granite clouds for a moment. The surroundings, which [Reader] would have previously described as cozy, now filled her with unease. The harmony and peace that the lush animal-shaped bushes and beautiful, colourful flowers had brought were now subdued by an ominous silence, broken only by the rustling of leaves.

Suddenly, she shifted her gaze to a spot more gently illuminated by the pale moonlight, where beneath the great oak tree lay Count Soleil. Motionless, with closed eyes and not even the slightest twitch at any sound.

Here it was — the awaited murder.

Though they weren’t the first to find the body…

– Ah, monsieur Neuvillette and mademoiselle [Reader]! Please see what I’ve found!

Albert was pacing near the motionless body of Count Soleil, gesturing energetically. [Reader] had never seen her colleague from Palais Mermonia so excited, even when she had bought him his dream tea set. At least that was how she had wanted to repay him for recommending her to monsieur Neuvillette two years ago. The memories were still vivid, though they had passed since then, yet [Reader] didn’t let them resurface behind her eyelids. After all, they were at the crime scene, involved in a game they should treat seriously.

– A very tragic discovery – Neuvillette replied in a tone perfectly familiar to the citizens of Fontaine, quite different from the soft voice [Reader] had heard whenever they were alone in a room. – You will undoubtedly be an important witness in this case.

– Exactly! Isn’t it exciting? I didn’t think my role would be so important!

– You will certainly provide many key pieces of information. I’m afraid, however, that you will also be the first suspect in this matter.

– What? – Albert stopped mid-third round around the body. – No, it wasn’t me. I swear!

As Albert tried to explain, more guests started arriving in the garden. [Reader] observed the faces of the gathered, carefully noting how each person reacted to the discovered body. In the game, she might have gotten the role of a simple countess but in real life, she worked as an Arpenteur des Crimes, and looking for clues was second nature to her. She immediately noticed Furina’s flushed face, Navia’s pensive expression and Clorinde’s furrowed brow, but it was the latter’s reaction that gave [Reader] the most significant clue, almost confirming her own suspicions.

The prolonged silence was as thick as the fog enveloping the garden until Neuvillette’s voice – firm yet full of care – interrupted the growing unease:

– Before we begin questioning, I suggest we move inside. The more people on the crime scene, the greater the chance that some evidence will be destroyed or overlooked. I will personally examine everything and share my observations with you in the hall, if you have no objections.

A quiet murmur of approval passed through the crowd; no one was keen to stay out in the cold or argue with the judge, who was considered a symbol of justice even during a game.

As the rest of the guests returned inside, [Reader] stayed by Neuvillette’s side. They hadn’t agreed on this. They didn’t need to. It was as natural as the stars accompanying the moon at night.

– You noticed it too, didn’t you? – She gathered the material of her voluminous skirt to kneel beside him on the grass. This time, she didn’t care if any stains appeared on the blue fabric, as they were dealing with something far more serious than an innocent murder mystery game. – This is a real corpse.

– Unfortunately… The scream we heard was probably the last sound he made.

They both looked up. The balcony with its intricately decorated railing was empty but they didn’t doubt for a second that it was from there that Count Soleil had fallen.

[Reader] glanced once more at the aristocrat’s body. His stillness contrasted with the violent scream and almost intrusive mannerisms from earlier. Yet no one deserved to become the true victim of a game that was supposed to relax them after the recent crisis and the tragic fate of their Hydro Archon.

– Do you think it was an accident?

Neuvillette’s voice snapped [Reader] out of her thoughts. She cast one last glance at the body before standing up, brushing the grass off her dress.

– If it was, you wouldn’t have arranged it so we’d be left alone in the garden – she replied, unable to stop herself from giving a slight smile. – Though I do think it was an accident. I doubt anyone would have planned such a clumsy murder.

– So we agree on both points. Fortunately, we managed to prevent the guests from getting too close to the body. They didn’t trample the evidence, though it’s obvious that the smaller tracks belong to Albert: they are fresh and distinct. The larger ones lead to the door beneath the balcony.

[Reader] nodded. That was the first detail she had noticed.

– Did the count have anything in his pockets?

– Only the party brochure from Lady Furina and a leather wallet.

– And his left hand? It looks like he’s holding something.

Neuvillette frowned slightly. He leaned over the body again and opened the count’s clenched fist, in which something white was clenched.

– It’s a piece of torn fabric. It looks like silk.

– Maybe Chiori can tell us more about this – [Reader] suggested.

They discussed the rest of the potential clues but none were solid enough to point to the culprit. They then decided how much of the information they would share with the others before returning to the ballroom. Every moment of delay posed a risk that one of the guests might become suspicious. They couldn't risk a panic breaking out, as it would reduce the chances of catching the real murderer.

– Let’s establish a few facts – Neuvillette began once he finished presenting the information they had gathered in the garden. – Surely each of us has seen something that could shed new light on this tragedy. I’ll speak to each of you individually in a private room, so please, don’t hesitate to share your observations.

Naturally, Albert was the first to be questioned. With a slight tremor in his voice, he still tried to explain his presence near the body:

– I swear, I have nothing to hide, monsieur Neuvillette. I’m a terrible liar, you know that. I wouldn’t want us to lose this game because of me.

– Nothing like that will happen if we look at the whole… game carefully – Neuvillette agreed.

[Reader] sat beside him, shifting her gaze from one man to the other. She had no doubt about Albert’s innocence and could say the same about her companion. Even if they didn’t know Albert personally, their experience would not suggest that the culprit would remain at the scene of an unplanned crime.

– Tell us everything you saw or heard – she asked, noticing that Albert seemed to relax a bit when he focused on her.

– Honestly, there’s not much… I was standing near the garden entrance. I wanted to get some fresh air and clear my mind before the show began. Now that I think about it… I think I heard an argument. I’m not sure… The music was quite loud, but that’s when I heard the scream. Did you hear it too? It was short but sharp. Count Soleil played his part perfectly. It sounded so real that you might believe he really fell from the balcony.

– Did you notice anything else? Anything that caught your attention when you entered the garden?

– No, I don’t think so… I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have thought it was murder if it hadn’t been for the theme of the party. Count Soleil was completely still the entire time. I didn’t know if I was allowed to touch him… I thought about it and then I saw you. That’s all.

– Thank you, Albert.

Once the man left, [Reader] leaned back and rested on the cushions, trying to sort her thoughts. Although Albert’s testimony shed new light on the mysterious incident in the garden, the picture of the murder remained unclear.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she barely noticed when Neuvillette extended his hand, gently touching her shoulder.

– Don’t worry. Together, we’ll find the culprit – he whispered.

[Reader] looked at him, and the corners of her lips lifted involuntarily. She wasn’t afraid that the mystery would be too difficult to solve; she had dealt with worse cases in her career. The real reason for her concern was having to question colleagues and friends, whose innocence she didn’t want to undermine, which conflicted with the nature of her job. She greatly appreciated Neuvillette’s support, without which she would feel much worse about the situation.

The next person to be questioned was Clorinde, whose face, though composed, betrayed some unease. She sat on the sofa opposite [Reader] and Neuvillette, where the soft light of the lamp illuminated the lines of her furrowed brows.

– Is something wrong, Clorinde? – [Reader] began politely. – Is the game not going according to plan?

– You don’t have to pretend with me. I’m the game master, and I know who was supposed to play the role of the murdered guest: it wasn’t Count Soleil, and it shouldn’t have happened in the garden. We’re dealing with a real murder. I understand your intentions but I’m still not entirely convinced that withholding the truth is a good decision.

Neuvillette and [Reader] exchanged a knowing look. For a brief moment, there was silence in the room until Neuvillette moved slowly, clasping his hands on his lap.

– We haven’t tried to hide the truth. We simply don’t want to cause panic among the guests.

– Or scare off the culprit before we gather enough evidence – [Reader] added.

Clorinde fixed them with a sharp gaze, as if evaluating whether they were truly being reasonable or hiding desperation. [Reader] knew her too well not to notice the tension in her posture.

– Of course, that’s understandable – Clorinde finally replied, relaxing slightly. – I’ll help you.

– Thank you. Can you start by telling us who was actually supposed to be the victim and who the murderer was?

– The murderer was supposed to be Lady Furina, and the victim was Ginette – the actress from the theater troupe. Lady Furina asked me to assign them those roles before I started designing the structure of the game, so they also need to know that something went wrong. Especially since the murder was supposed to take place in the library. Count Soleil was just another guest.

The case was beginning to take on an even darker tone. [Reader] felt an uncomfortable chill creeping from her neck to the base of her spine. Someone among them had committed a real murder, fully aware that everyone would assume it was part of the game. Still, she leaned toward the assumption that the crime in the garden hadn’t been planned. Too many clues pointed to that.

She glanced discreetly at Neuvillette, who had slightly reclined on the couch. The light from the lamp danced in his violet eyes as he pondered the new information.

– Someone must have been with him on the balcony – he said at last, his piercing and clear amethyst eyes returning to Clorinde. – Were you in the library before the scream? Did you start your plan according to the game?

– No, we didn’t manage to. I was there, waiting for the first signal but before I heard it, the scream reached us. So, I didn’t have a chance to see anything, just like Lady Furina and Ginette.

– That means the murderer took advantage of the moment just before the game started. Everyone was busy waiting for the first event and didn’t pay attention to something that looked like part of the performance.

– If the murderer had been with us from the start, they had to act quickly and precisely. Which means they not only had a motive but also a plan.

– Or they improvised – [Reader] interrupted, reaching for the glass of wine that was next to her. However, she didn’t drink it; she only swirled the liquid in the glass, contemplating the scent of the alcohol that clung to the Count. – The crime scene is messy and full of traces. The culprit is either very confident or killed in a fit of rage. Personally, I lean more toward the second option… But it’s all a matter of time. Chiori might help us clarify a few things. Will you invite her to join us?

Clorinde nodded, and soon after, Chiori arrived in the study. She gave a delicate nod and sat opposite Neuvillette and [Reader]. She fixed her dark eyes on them, immediately cutting off any unnecessary explanations.

– You don’t need to explain everything to me. If I understand correctly, there’s been a murder. A real murder. However, I must warn you that I didn’t see much and I heard the scream while I was in the bathroom.

– We called you for a different reason than to give testimony – Neuvillette quickly replied, adjusting to Chiori’s specific tone. – The Count was holding a piece of fabric in his hand. Clearly belonging to someone else but we can’t say much more. Maybe you can shed some light on this part of the mystery?

Chiori reached for the fabric. [Reader] hastily passed it to her, deeply convinced that the seamstress would provide them with crucial information. Her body was tense as she watched Chiori’s careful inspection, who examined the fabric from all sides, checking its colour under the light and feeling the smoothness of the silk between her fingers.

– I recognize this fabric – she finally announced, sparking the first spark under the pile of the culprit. – The last time I used it was two weeks ago. I remember perfectly because I made a matching set for a couple. The same as for you.

– Could you check the register for whom the set was made? – Neuvillette asked.

– I could but it won’t be necessary. I remember perfectly who I made that set for. The suit is on the corpse in the garden and the dress was for his fiancée – Luna de La Rocque.

– That… is an unexpected turn of events. It looks like Lady Luna was a witness to the murder or even the murderer herself.

– I don’t think so. The fabric is torn – [Reader] interrupted, pointing to the piece of white fabric that Chiori was holding. – If Lady Luna was the one who pushed the Count off the balcony, she should have fallen with him. It’s quite unlikely that a woman of such a delicate frame could have escaped from the grasp of a fully capable man. Not to mention that there were traces of men’s shoes leading from the body to the balcony. Lady Luna was certainly a witness to the crime but I suspect that this mysterious man is the real culprit.

– Then let us call Lady Luna for questioning. We know enough to present the evidence and convince her to testify.

Neuvillette fixed his gaze on [Reader], as if waiting for her confirmation. When she nodded, he escorted Chiori and asked Clorinde, who was standing by the door, to bring Lady Luna. Just like before the duels, Clorinde did not hesitate to follow the judge’s order: unwavering, swift, and confident in every action. After just a few breaths, they heard the sound of approaching footsteps, followed by the clink of the doorknob.

Lady Luna entered slowly, with the expression of someone walking to the guillotine. Her long, white gown fluttered with each step but it didn’t escape [Reader]’s notice that the fabric was somewhat wrinkled. Had the woman not had time to fix it, or perhaps, amidst the overwhelming emotions, she hadn’t even noticed? But what caused the most confusion was the men’s jacket that covered the upper part of Lady Luna’s dress.

The late Count Soleil’s attire had no missing elements, so whose jacket was Lady Luna wearing?

– You called for me – she said in a quiet, barely audible voice.

[Reader] noticed the tension in the aristocrat's muscles and the trembling of her hands, which instinctively stirred a thread of sympathy within her. Remembering the story Navia had told her, she couldn’t ignore the obvious motives and the final explanation of the case.

– Thank you for coming, Lady Luna – Neuvillette began in a calm tone as the woman sat in the same place as all the previously questioned individuals. – We would like to discuss the events of that night.

Lady Luna’s gaze briefly scanned the table where a scrap of fabric lay, then met [Reader]'s eyes. The young detective tried to show compassion and offer Luna comfort but at the same time, she couldn’t ignore the flash of panic, perhaps even fear, she noticed in her hazel eyes before she quickly turned her gaze away.

– Of course – she replied softly. – If I can help in any way…

Neuvillette leaned slightly forward, his voice calm and matter-of-fact, offering no reason to assume he was accusing the woman of anything. With respect and grace, he gave her the space to freely answer.

– Let’s start with your fiancé. When was the last time you saw him?

– In the garden, monsieur. That’s when it became clear he was playing the role of the victim.

– I meant, when did you last see him alive? Was it not when he tore a piece of your dress?

Luna raised her eyes, her slender fingers tightening around her knees.

– What are you talking about, monsieur?

– We found it in your fiancé’s hand – [Reader] spoke, carefully observing the woman’s reaction to the snow-white fabric in her hand. – Lady Chiori confirmed that it belongs to you.

– That’s impossible. Count Soleil… I mean… my fiancé had no reason to attack me.

– Really? – Neuvillette rested his hands on the table. – Lady Luna, we know you were on the balcony with the Count that night. We know he didn’t fall by himself.

Luna flinched as though slapped. Her breath quickened, her pupils slightly dilated.

After a brief moment of shock, she shook her head.

– I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t hurt him.

– But someone you know did, didn’t they? – [Reader] asked.

Lady Luna froze. Tears began to gather in her eyes. She trembled as if struck by the sudden thought that everything was over and turned her gaze away, clenching her hands into fists.

– It was an accident…

– Tell us everything – [Reader] gently urged.

Luna took a shaky breath. When she looked at them, her eyes – shiny with tears–  were filled with pain.

– My fiancé… Count Soleil… he wasn’t a good man – she began quietly. – I agreed to the marriage but under duress. I had no real choice. My family has debts. Very, very large debts… Count Soleil was aware of our situation and was willing to take me without a dowry if we married this month. But I never loved him and frankly, I never even tried to love him. I already had a lover but unfortunately, not as wealthy as the Count, so my parents didn’t allow us to be together. And Ètoile… this may sound naïve, like I’ve read too many books but I feel that he is the love of my life. We have been in love with each other for years. That feeling is too strong for it to be overshadowed by common sense. I knew what my family expected from me and what the situation with the Count was, and yet I couldn’t stop meeting with Ètoile. I realized that if the Count found out, he would take revenge on Ètoile. But it’s like expecting us to stop breathing. You can cover your mouth but sooner or later your lungs will start burning and screaming for the next breath.

A brief silence followed as Luna, overwhelmed by her own confession, fixed her gaze on the table. Her hands began to nervously clutch the edge of her gown.

[Reader] paused for a moment. Luna and Ètoile’s dramatic story sounded like a love between stars, shining toward each other from a distance but unable to meet. Full of sympathy, she leaned toward Luna and took her trembling hands in hers, smiling gently. Comforted by this gesture, the woman continued her dramatic tale.

– After the last dance, Count Soleil found me on the balcony. He was… furious. He said he saw us. He knew about Ètoile. That if I ever looked at him that way again, he would destroy him. – Crystal-clear tears streamed down her pale cheeks. – Then he started grabbed me. I couldn’t break free; his fingers dug into my arm… it hurt so much… I begged him to stop but he just laughed. And then Ètoile saw it… I don’t know where he came from. Maybe he was looking for me, maybe he sensed something… but suddenly, he was just there, by my side. Just like always… He grabbed the Count and yelled at him to let me go but Soleil wouldn’t listen. He told him not to interfere. He said no one would dare oppose him, that Ètoile had no power and then… Ètoile pushed him. He didn’t want to kill him, I swear! He just tried to free me! But he shoved him too hard and Soleil staggered… he tried to grab onto something but the force was too much and… he fell. We didn’t plan this – Luna sobbed, rubbing her tear-streaked face with her hands, as if wanting to erase the memory from her mind. – It wasn’t supposed to end this way…

Luna’s words hung heavily in the air: they carried grief, despair, and the echo of a love that had no right to survive in a world full of obligations and conventions, yet somehow managed to sprout and bloom. But fate still tried to destroy it, separating them by sentencing Ètoile to murder and banishing him to the Fortress of Meropide. Everyone in the room knew this but they collectively stayed silent, listening only to Luna’s broken breaths.

Finally, Neuvillette’s deep sigh broke the silence.

– Thank you, Lady Luna – he said in a serious tone, offering her a comforting smile. – It’s impossible not to notice the pain that torments you, and I assure you, I will not underestimate the significance of this tragedy. Love, especially the kind that has to fight against fate, is both the strongest and most fragile. I understand how great a blow this is for you. However, duty forces me to remind you that truth and justice cannot be overlooked, no matter how great the suffering of those affected. We must conduct a full investigation and judge Monsieur Ètoile according to the law. I will, however, do everything in my power to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.

Luna lifted her tear-filled eyes to Neuvillette. Her gaze expressed something between hope and resignation. She sighed quietly and lowered her gaze.

– I understand… – she whispered after a moment. Every subsequent word seemed like she was battling within her heart: – I know you must remain impartial, Monsieur Neuvillette, and that justice cannot be swayed by emotions. But… – she trembled, taking a broken breath – if love truly means nothing in the face of the law, then what is our humanity worth?

Silence once again filled the room. Neuvillette remained quiet for a long moment, but [Reader] noticed his gaze soften, as though Lady Luna’s question had affected him more deeply than he wanted to admit.

– Sometimes I wonder about that too… – he replied softly, looking toward the tall window, behind which dark clouds were gathering. – Where does the law end and the heart begin? Can human feelings be weighed on the scale of justice without falsifying its weight? I would like to believe that these matters do not have to be mutually exclusive. – He turned back to look at the tear-streaked face of the woman. – I understand your pain, Lady Luna, and although I cannot change the verdict, I can assure you that your story will not be reduced to a single line in the court records.

The judge’s words left behind a dramatic weight that was difficult to bear. Only the crackling of the flames in the fireplace brought the gathered back to reality.

Neuvillette adjusted his cuffs and slowly nodded, as if he himself needed to confirm what he had just said. He stood up to finally inform the guests of the true course of events that night and call for the guards.

Meanwhile, Clorinde brought Ètoile into the room. As soon as the man saw his tearful lover, he rushed to her, gently cupping her face and kissing her forehead. Luna grabbed his sleeve, pressing her cheek against his hand – tears still trembling on her lashes.

[Reader] turned her gaze away. Explanations were unnecessary, given how clearly the situation was laid out, and – to her own surprise – she began to regret having contributed to the suffering of the two lovers. In her career, she had seen many human dramas, some more or less unjust, and she tried not to undermine the validity of the law too much. After all, everyone should face the consequences of their actions and be treated as anyone of a different status or gender would be. She also knew what Neuvillette would say if he heard her concerns and she would certainly agree with him but…

She still felt that this wasn’t right.

Count Ètoile was only defending his beloved. The death of Count Soleil was the result of an unfortunate accident. He didn’t deserve to die but [Reader] couldn’t sympathize with him, given that he had acted like a complete scoundrel and even after death, made others’ lives miserable.

Everyone knew that Ètoile – at best – would be sentenced to several years in the Fortress of Meropide and during that time, Luna would be forced to marry another corrupted aristocrat.

Was this really how justice should look?

[Reader] pondered this intensely. Even if she stood up for the pair during the trial, would anyone believe that a penniless nobleman defended his beloved? The Count’s influential allies could show Luna’s family debts, the marriage contract, and present Ètoile’s motives as execution of a rival. Then, not just one life would be ruined…

Crushed by guilt, [Reader] couldn’t bear this knowledge. Especially since the fate of the pair would be sealed with the return of the man she herself loved above all.

– Lady Luna, Monsieur Ètoile – she spoke hastily before reason could stop her. – Please listen to me very carefully…

[Reader] took a deep breath as the boat carrying the couple, chased by the shadow of wickedness and justice, managed to pull away from the shore. She had sent them off safely; the rest was in the hands of fate. However, she hoped deeply that they would reach Liyue before the storm began.

It was only after the first wave of emotions had settled – or rather, after the sound of the opening door – that it dawned on her that the hardest task remained. Although she felt fully justified, she doubted whether Neuvillette would share her perspective…

What was worse, however, was the fact that she had devised the entire escape plan and no one could relieve her of the responsibility of delivering this news to the judge.

– The guards are already here but… where is mademoiselle Luna and monsieur Ètoile?

[Reader]'s heart clenched at the sight of the faint furrow on his forehead. He suspected nothing. He trusted her so deeply that it never occurred to him that she might betray him.

[Reader] took a deep breath and turned away from the window. There was no turning back.

– They're gone – she confessed. – I helped them escape.

Neuvillette didn’t answer immediately. The silence that followed was thicker than the fog over Fontaine. The air seemed to stiffen, as if it, too, feared to move in the face of the judge's silence.

– I understand – he finally replied, though his tone gave no hint of emotion.

It was even worse than the yelling and condemnation she had expected. She would have preferred an outburst of emotion rather than this indifference.

Who would have thought that her wish would come true so quickly…

– As I understand it, you decided to administer your own justice.

[Reader] shuddered under his gaze, which had suddenly turned cold and turbulent like the ocean in a storm. She clenched her fists, feeling the weight of her decision pressing against her chest. Still, she didn’t look away.

– I know it wasn't right. I know I betrayed your trust but I swear, this was an exception. The law should protect the weak, and in this case, it would bring misfortune to people who have already suffered enough.

Neuvillette turned and took a few steps, as if he needed physical distance to prevent himself from saying something he might later regret.

– You don't understand what you've done. – His voice carried a severity she had never heard before. – It's not just about the law, [Reader]. It's about trust. About the fact that you acted behind my back instead of talking to me about it.

– It wasn't personal. I would never stand against you…

Neuvillette turned on his heel, his mask finally cracking. Something flashed in his eyes. Something on the edge of anger and sadness.

– Yet you did. – This time, she didn't try to deny it. – You know you'll be treated as an accomplice?

– I know.

– Then you also know that I'll bring them to trial.

– I expect nothing less from you, Neuvillette.

Neuvillette shook his head, as if battling with himself. For a moment, [Reader] thought he would leave. That he would turn away and leave her alone. That he would sever the bond between them.

Instead, he sighed heavily and then stepped closer. He gently touched her hand – just for a moment, as if that single gesture was meant to convey more than words.

– Sometimes, you're like justice. When I think I understand you perfectly, you prove me wrong.

– Does this mean… you're not angry with me?

Neuvillette gave a slight smile, though there was still a shadow of sadness in his eyes.

– Rather disappointed – he admitted. – I wish you hadn’t been afraid to tell me your feelings. This secretive action wasn’t necessary but I understand why you did it. And although I don’t agree with your decision, it doesn’t change my feelings for you.

A gentle flush spread across [Reader]'s cheeks. Neuvillette’s words echoed in her ears.

As the first rays of the morning sun began to slip through the tall windows, the shadows of the night gave way to a warm, golden glow. [Reader] and Neuvillette stood close to each other in silence, a silence that needed no further words, even though the weight of the decisions they had made still hung in the air.

There was no full understanding between them. Neuvillette had made it clear: he wasn’t going to ignore the law. He planned to bring Luna and Ètoile back to Fontaine to stand trial. Still, [Reader] didn’t feel anger.

She could disagree with him. She could feel a touch of regret in her heart but ultimately, looking at his calm face, she didn’t see a harsh executioner, but someone who truly believed in justice. Someone who carried the weight of the law not because he was blindly devoted to it, but because he trusted that it was the only thing that could save Fontaine from chaos.

She knew that even if their paths diverged in this moment and their hearts beat to a different rhythm, she still loved him.

Fate had tested them and subjected their feelings to the hardest trial imaginable but [Reader] did not regret her decision, just as Neuvillette did not regret his. She didn’t know where this night would lead them. She didn’t know if they would ever find a shared definition of justice.

But she knew that whatever happened, that love would always remain in her.

And that was enough for her.

[onyxsboxes]

Ninth and last card I got from @mota-collab's birthday even. I had such a great time filling them in throughout the event.

Bookshop/library -> He May Be The Reason by @c-goldthorn. Gaaah, I love this fic. I must confess I've never seen Notting Hill but it doesn't matter because you're hooked from the start with this beautiful writing.

Standing up for someone -> Three Times A Lieutenant Got His Ass Kicked (And One Time He Didn’t) by @crubblessnowglobe is such a badass Crosby's fic as we like him 🥰

Touch-starved -> When the bones are good by @aramblingjay A beautiful post-war fic where Buck and Bucky help each other through love and care, love it soooo much

Share your favourite quote from a fic -> This chat between Marge and the Buckies @sweaterkittensahoy not really fic but this one always cracks me up 🤭

Stealing clothes -> 100th founds out self rec with this one and especially chapter 5 with Wolf!Gale hugging his emotional support sheepskin (it's Bucky's one 😉).

Soulmate au -> Nothing But Blue Skies Do I See by featherwords I'm still reading this one, but it's so damn good. Poor Bucky is going through a hard loop (🤭) in this one.

Re-read a favourite and comment again -> Sous Le Ciel de Paris by @rambleonwaywardson I love this fiction so much, it gives me such a warm and comforting feeling. I remember reading it just before the Olympics and it felt so real (a bit like we were going to see Bucky and Buck during the Games 🤭). Rereading it makes me love it even more 💕

Tattoos and flowers -> the heart is a muscle by @swifty-fox Beautiful au, full of feeling, with details that make you feel like you're there with the characters and beautifully written. You get so many feelings, it's a real experience to read this fic (or any other Swifty fic) 💜

Breakfast in bed -> Bubbles taking care of Croz after his top surgery by @trashbag-baby666. They are so sweet, love how Bubbles takes care of Harry and Harry's happiness

Comment on a fic with more than 5k words -> gossamer by @mercyedes ("crosby suffers from crush on hot blonde guy syndrome <3"). Croz's POV is a delight to read, his thoughts are spot on and just feel so real (love this ship)

Reblog/comment on a gifset -> Meatball and Buck dancing by @cloudyfacewithjam The beautiful gifset that introduced me to mota 🥳🥰, thank you for this 🫶

Theater/actor au -> Such stuff as dreams are made on by @amiserableseriesofevents It's such a beautiful fic, it takes you straight on stage with the characters, you follow them and it's like you're right there next to them. Once the story begins, you're sucked in and it's an incredible experience, and the details added make the reading even more enjoyable 🤩

Send an ask to a creator you love highlighting your favourite works of theirs -> Ask about What else should I be? (all apologies) by @heretoobsessstuff Sam's writing is so beautiful, it conveys so much emotion and makes you feel like you're in the characters' shoes. And this fic is so freaking good, it lives rent-free in my head. Gale's guilt and pain are so well written and perfectly balanced by Bucky's comfort and care 🤗

Read and comment on a fic in your "to read" list -> Packages and Pet Names by @recmeidareya A lovely story full of fluff, sweetness and beautiful moments between the Buckies. I love this author, sweet, cute, fluff, hurt/comfort or angst they have a beautiful writing style that works for all 💕

Sharing food/drinks -> since we've no place to go by @rangerelizabeth Sweet, comforting fic with soft meals shared between the Buckies 🥰

Comment on a fic an artwork posted a year ago -> This Betting on Us AMV by @bucking-mustangs-with-wings It's not fic but a beautiful amv that captivates you, the song and clip used paint such a gorgeous picture of their relationship, I could (I have) watched this for hours 😍

[goodnightoilcountry]

you must like me for me - quinn hughes (a sneak peek !)

a/n: another fic idea i've had in my head for ages ! i started writing it the other day when i was sick and it's currently at 3k words. i'm CONFIDENT that i'll smash this one out quicker than my aho fic so it's the only reason i feel like i can post a sneak peak. but also let me know if you have any requests or ideas you'd like me to write about - i'd love to hear from you 🤍

summary: twelve months since the incident and you're ready to let yourself re-emerge into the public eye in the form of a hockey game. the plan was simple: appear, smile, leave unscathed. easy, right?

The theory of fight or flight has always fascinated you. In the face of adversity, no matter how complex the situation, millions of years of evolution still dictate that humanity will always revert to its oldest survival mechanism: to either assert and neutralize, or: evade and withdraw. 

What you’ve come to learn is that there’s a third strategy nestled between fight or flight, often overlooked because of its passiveness in comparison to its overt counterparts: to freeze. 

And that’s the instinct you’ve found yourself falling back on time and time again. As if you’re hoping to blend into the very fabric of the environment where you can pause amid the chaos, weigh the risks, and soundly determine the best course of action. 

The downturn? 

You’re left vulnerable and exposed the longer you wait. 

But it’s a tactic that you’ve grown familiar with, and it’s the one that’s currently in motion. 

“You can’t do this to her, she isn’t ready.”

“It’s been over a year, we can’t let her hide forever.” 

The commotion of voices being thrown around surrounds you but you’re too swept up with the memories and emotions battling out in your head. They’re leaving you dizzy and disorientated. 

One year. Had it really been that long? God. It feels like one month since you first signed your contract in front of a roomful of lawyers and high-powered executives. Back then, you were too naively charmed by the golden promises of stardom and fame that they were selling you. Promising that your talent for lyricism, bordering on poetry, would resonate with the hearts of girls who all seemed to unanimously share the parallel experiences of all things love and girlhood. That you needed a team that could provide you with the right connections and the right opportunities to get you there. 

And to their credit, they didn’t fail you. As soon as you signed your contract, the label had you in the studio effective immediately with the release of “your” song debuting four weeks later. 

“But I didn’t write this and it doesn’t really sound like me…” 

“Don’t worry about it, honey. We just need to get you on the charts and then you can write about anything you want. Trust us - this is how it all works.” 

And trust them you did.

Your song topped the charts for twelve consecutive weeks. The events that took place after your overnight success were a whirlwind. You released a music video. You did media interviews. You collabed with DJs to release remixes. You performed as a guest on endless TV shows. And when you were done, you thought that you would finally be able to sit down with your producers to start developing the library of ideas and single-line lyrics you had swimming around in your head. 

But they had other plans for you in the form of a studio album, and then rinse and repeat. You felt like you were a human cannonball: shot out, forced to perform carefully curated tricks, and to always stick the landing. 

Your team had done everything they could to meticulously craft your image; selectively allowing journalists to access certain stories whether it be about your work or your life. You were America’s Darling. Until you weren’t. 

A sharp trill of your name grounds you back into reality. You blink and recompose yourself, finding the same four people you entered the boardroom with, staring expectantly back at you. Your mom, your manager, Megan, your publicist, Bec, and sat opposite you across the insanely large table is the VP of your label, Joe. Their expressions are ones you’ve grown used to: sympathetic and slightly defeated.  

“Sorry, what was the question?” 

Megan sighs and shifts slightly in her chair to meet your front. “Darling, I know how hard this year has been for you,” 

Do you? 

“But it’s time for us to come back out. We need to face this.” 

In all the years you’ve worked with Megan, she has never offered you such softness in her voice as she has now. As a manager, a female manager in this industry nonetheless, she had been nothing short of headstrong, sharp, and commanding. Her confidence and demeanour never wavered and, if you were being honest, you were thankful that she held you to the same standard as the rest of your team. It equipped you with a thick skin, something that you wouldn’t have survived your young career without. And it leaves you to wonder where you would be now without her to guide you through this situation. 

“Megan is right,” Joe says. “The world hasn’t forgotten, you know.” 

It comes out so matter-of-factly that it feels almost accusatory. 

“You’re not the first celebrity to be wrapped up in a scandal and you certainly won’t be the last.” 

That line is enough to make your mom snap into a fury again. 

“A scandal? She did nothing wrong,” she chastises. “What that boy did is not her fault.” 

Joe’s impatience is growing evident with every turn of the conversation. As warranted as your mother’s protectiveness is for this particular circumstance, her resistance was stopping one of his biggest artists from bringing in the label money. You can tell he's trying his best to level his demeanour but you also know that the higher-ups are breathing down his neck. He's balancing it as well as anyone could.

“This wasn’t just any boy. And your daughter is not just any girl. The reality of the situation is that just because she wasn’t responsible for what happened, doesn’t mean we can simply erase her from it,” Joe breaks, voice raising ever so slightly.

“She cannot keep silent on this anymore and the longer we stretch this out, the more intense the backlash will be upon her,” he presses on. “With all due respect, we have been extremely patient and have afforded your daughter twelve months. But this is a business first and there is a contract to be upheld. We are giving you the opportunity to write the narrative or have it forced to be written for you.” 

“He’s right,” Bec interjects. She’s always had a good gauge of when to step in when tensions start rising. It’s what makes her such a great publicist - always mediating at the right time. 

“But we don’t have to rush either. We can take it slowly. Start off with a public appearance in a controlled environment. 

The juxtaposition of that sentence could have made you laugh. Controlled environment? If the last few years had taught you anything, it was that no public appearance was ever fully in your control. Your phone number had been leaked more times than you could remember; the media showed up at your house at all hours of the night; private family events were invaded by obsessed “fans”. 

Your mom was quick to make the same connection, “where could we possibly let her go that guarantees her safety?” 

“The suite at MSG has their security system locked down to a tee. We could place her in there with a few friends and guise it as a quiet night out to show their support. Maybe work with the organisation to show her on the scoreboard during a break, totally candid of course, and maybe meet with their guest of the night for some fan engagement. We don’t want the public to misconstrue the appearance as a total cover-up.” Bec rattles off like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

Megan and Joe start nodding in agreeance, chiming in with additional tweaks to the plan that’s now been laid out, and it becomes apparent to you that they’ve had this meeting before without you. Your requested input and presence on the matter was just an act of courtesy. But as vexed as you are with this realisation, you know it makes sense. You were tired of the pitied looks your family and friends gave you, afraid to broach the subject as if it would send you into a spiral. You felt like the public owned you; shunning you into silence with all your actions picked apart and psychoanalyzed everywhere you turned. 

You missed your fans who called for you every day, writing sweet notes of encouragement and rebuffing shallow attempts of hate accounts concocting false stories. You wouldn’t be half the artist you are today without them and they deserved more than just radio silence. And it’s this last thought that makes you believe it’s the only reason you say:

“Just tell me when.” 

[judesmoonbeauty]

𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕖 𝕁𝕒𝕫𝕫𝕒'𝕤 𝕄𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪: ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟞

This is a fan translation only. Please expect grammatical errors and translation inaccuracies. This is a full translation. Creative liberties are taken for characterization and smoother translation process. Cybird owns everything. Re-blogs are appreciated, but please do not post my translation elsewhere. Thank you for your support! ☾.

Both chapters 6 & 7 discuss snippets of Jude's past records. If you'd like to read the event in full, then please check out my collab translation here.

Jude: I’ll take on any challenge. I’ll do as the princess commands.

The outcome of the contest was left up to me.

(I think I should choose a contest that would be beneficial for Jude. But….it should be a fair match.)

(And this might be a chance to get to know Jude better….)

Kate: All right then, please choose a drink that I would enjoy the most from this establishment.

Number One Gentleman: Okay, sounds good!

The number one gentleman winked and presented me with the most expensive drink the venue had to offer.

Meanwhile, Jude poured something into a glass —

Number One Gentleman: Just water? What, is it some sort of special gimmick?

Jude: There’s no gimmick.

Jude: The lady doesn’t appear to be used to drinking, so I served her this.

Kate: How did you know that I’m not used to drinking?

When I asked, Jude gently moved closer to me.

The soft sofa sank and the distance narrowed between us.

Jude: Reading facial expressions are the basics of negotiation skills — No, it’s because I was interested in you.

(…....)

Jude: ………….It’s perfect for birdies. Drink it, 'fore ya collapse.

After dropping a cheap line, he whispered this into my ear so that only I could hear.

Seeing me turn red while within Jude’s arms, the noblewoman who suggested the contest smiled.

Curvy Noblewoman: ….Seems like the victor has been decided. Young lady, whom do you choose?

Kate: I choose…..

—Right at that moment, the door busted open.

Noblewoman’s Husband: You’re fooling around with young men again!

Curvy Noblewoman: Oh, you!

Noblewoman’s Husband: Damn it all, even though we’ve been married for years…!

(Um? What…?)

While staring the abrupt scene of chaos Jude leaned in close to me.

Jude: Let’s get outta here ‘fore it gets troublesome.

Kate: …….

Blushing at the sight of Jude right in front of me, I nodded firmly.

Kate: Haa, Haa…..Wh-what about Ellis?

Jude: Don’t worry, he’ll make it out easy.

Kate: But is that all right, you missed your chance to claim the land deed…..

Jude: Pretty sure that noble lady’s in the habit of cheatin’ ‘n other things.

Jude: Got loads t’shake her down with, I’ll just take it later on.

Now that I think about it, I feel like I gained something from what I saw tonight.

Kate: I see. What can I say, that’s cunning of you….Heh, hehe….

Jude: Ha, what? Yer laughin’ outta the blue’s creepin’ me out.

Kate: I mean, I never expected my first Crown mission in a while to end like this.

Kate: Plus….Pff…..Jude your fake personality’s something you’d see in a dream!

Him acting like a gentleman to the lady clients may be the best thing I’ve seen tonight.

Dying of laughter, I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth trying to contain it…..

Jude: Huh…..so ya can laugh like that?

Kate: That’s because you’re usually saying things that make me angry, Jude.

Jude: ‘Cause ya ain’t a bit hateful it’s cute.

[Answer: Turn Red +4/+4]

Kate: C-Cute….?

I was so shocked that my cheeks felt like they were on fire.

Seeing me that way, Jude’s lips twisted into a mocking smile.

Jude: Ha, so foolish. Yer a damned fool if yer pleased with that rubbish.

Jude: Ya got flowers for brains, so time to stop goin’ to places like that.

Jude: You’ll end up losin’ everythin’, lookin’ all kinds of pitiful ‘n humiliated.

(But I want that thrill back even for a moment….)

Kate: Thanks for the advice, but don’t worry, I won’t be going back!

I spewed my pent-up feelings.

Kate: Anyway, the club turned up clean, so Crown doesn’t need to condemn it, right?

Jude: Yeah it’ll be left alone, whether that stupid place’s ‘round or not, it ain’t for better or worse.

Jude: ‘Sides….it’s better than buyin’ ’n playin’ with women for their bodies, innit?

— The moonlight shone on him as he grumbled.

Something I couldn’t put into words made my heart shake, but it was just for a moment…..

Jude: Oh, forgot to ask ya somethin’ important.

Kate: Something important? What is it?

Jude: Which one was the lady gonna choose in the end?

Kate: That’s….

(I didn’t expect to be asked that now….)

Darting my eyes around, Jude laughs.

Jude: Woman’s so easy t’read it ain’t even funny.

Kate: I haven’t told you the answer yet!

Jude: Yeah, yeah, yer foolish ‘n cuuute. I’m goin’ home.

Here Jude repeats kawaii twice emphasizing her cuteness.

Jude mercilessly quickens his pace, and I follow after him almost running just to keep up.

(There’s no doubt that I was going to choose Jude at the time…..)

But—

(I definitely DON’T want to tell Jude that!)

The following day, after the let down of a mission —

Jude: Oh - I forgot some documents in the room. Hold this briefcase while I go get ‘em.

Kate: Sure….whoa, it’s heavy.

While being toiled away by Jude since that morning, a refreshing smile happened to pass by.

Roger: Hey, Jude. Can I borrow your lil lady for the day?

Jude: She ain’t mine, so do whatever ya want.

Roger: Hm? Well then, I’ll just take ya up on your offer and snatch her away.

(Umm…So, does that mean I won’t be helping Jude with work today?)

As I was confused between their two gazes, Roger took the briefcase from my hands and returned to Jude.

Roger: C’mon, Kate.

Kate: Whoa, hey, Roger!

Even though I was being tugged along, I turned around and saw Jude walking toward his room disinterested.

Then I got into the carriage with Roger.

Kate: Is there something going on?

Roger: Yeah. There’s a British Medical Association conference today. Hm, even if I say that I’m not sure if you’ll understand.

Roger: Basically, doctors and students who aspire to become doctors, come together to present their academic research and interact with each other.

Kate: That’s right.

(I understand that much about the British Medical Association, but why would Roger want to bring me along?)

In the middle of pondering over that, Roger’s lip pulled into a smiled like he could see what was happening in my head.

Roger: There’s a man named Oswald Simmons who’s taking to the podium today.

Roger: It seems like that man was Jude’s benefactor who once looked after him.

Roger: Maybe you can learn something by speaking with him. You’re having a rough time finding “something to like” about him, aren’t you?

(Jude’s benefactor?!)

I couldn’t help but lean forward at the unexpected good luck.

Kate: I was definitely going to become his prey, thank you!

Roger: Haha, it’s fine. I’ll ask that you be my secretary for a day in exchange.

Kate: Yes, of course!

Roger: All right then, I’ll be in your care.

What he handed to me was a notebook so thick, that I thought it was a bit much…..

Roger: Look over the medical presentations from the first half of last year.

Roger: It’s fairly specialized research, so it’s best to know some of the fundamentals.

Kate: ………….

Nothing free comes cheap.

—This guy is probably a scoundrel too.

The British Medical Association conference started right on time —

Oswald: You there, tell me the year and place that ether anesthesia was first utilized.

Black-Haired Student: Huh, me? Let’s see 18……

Oswald: Too slow, Boston, USA, 1846. William T. G. Morton was the first to use ether in public surgery.

Oswald: Young lad there, explain the difference between chloroform and ether anesthesia.

Freckled Student: Uh, well chloroform is more powerful than ether, and……

The doctor who was Jude’s benefactor - Oswald Simmons - was outstanding at the podium.

Oswald: You lot all need to start over from your mum’s womb. Gits.

(I feel like he and Jude have something in common.)

The students leave the lecture room teary-eyed and exhausted.

(I’m a little scared to speak to him…)

But then there’s no point in coming this far.

Gathering my courage, I approached Oswald who was tidying up the podium.

Roger: My name’s Roger Barel. That was quite an interesting lecture.

Oswald: Barel? Ah, the eldest son of the Barel family. Your father assisted me the other day.

Oswald shook Roger’s hand and then turned his attention to me.

Oswald: Hm? And who is this young lady?

Kate: Nice to meet you. My name’s Kate.

Kate: Um, you know Jude Jazza, don’t you? We’re Jude’s friends.

Oswald smiled meaningfully at that remark.

Oswald: Haha, I suppose there’s something you want to ask about him.

Oswald: What’s the point in standing around and talking, come along.

Kate: Okay….!

People in the dining hall were scarce, probably because it was well past noon.

Oswald: You’re “looking for something to like about Jude.” Well, I never expected to asked such a cute question.

After listening to my story attentively, Oswald smiled pleasantly.

Kate: Cute…..?

Oswald: He’s the got the kind of personality that makes people hate him, doesn’t he?

Oswald: I thought for sure you’d say, “Tell me about Jude Jazza’s weaknesses!”

(Jude has a lot of enemies. I think that’s probably normal…..)

Kate: Heehee, I would like to know Jude’s weaknesses though?

Oswald: Haha, you’re such a frank young lady. Very well, I’ll tell you everything I know.

Kate: Huh, are you sure?

Oswald: Yes, because it seems amusing.

Roger: I get the feeling Jude’s like his benefactor.

Then Oswald started to tell us about

— His first meeting with Jude.

Oswald: That was more than 20 years ago now.

Oswald: I was doing charity by treating the workers at the port, Jude brought his younger sister and came to speak directly with me.

(Jude has a younger sister….)

This is the first I’ve heard anything about Jude’s family.

And I’ve noticed one more thing……

Kate: What do you mean by speak to you directly?

It seemed worded that way for a reason.

Oswald: He asked me to heal his sister’s illness.

Oswald: Even though Jude himself suffered from poor bronchial issues and severe asthma.

Roger: Both of them? Then it’s highly likely environmental factors were the cause of the illness?

Oswald: Yes, undoubtedly. It was plain as day they were living in terrible conditions.

Oswald could tell at a glance their condition was abnormal, so he gave them a free exam.

However, their symptoms were severe—

Oswald: Continuous administration of medication is needed to treat the illnesses.

Jude: Medication…..means it’s gonna cost money, yeah?

Jude: Money again. It’s all ‘bout money.

Jude’s Sister: Big brother, let’s go home? [Cough], I’m fine.

Jude: …….Ya ain’t fine.

Jude looked at his younger sister with concern —

Jude: …………

That’s when Jude picked up a fallen liquor bottle, smashed it, pointed it at Oswald and threatened him.

Jude: I’ll pay ya back double. So, lend me the medicine!

Technically, the line translates to, “Go ahead and invest in me.” 投資 “Toshi” meaning to 'invest capital' or 'investment' in general. However, at the start of Past Records, Jude is five years old. So, I felt “lend” would be a more appropriate term for baby Jude, and added the word medicine to clarify what Jude was asking for.

[Main Story Master List] [His Side Story - Chapter 6] Dividers: @.natimiles

GAHHH I love them together so so much! They way he loves teasing her and how she WANTS exciting missions - QUEEN. And the way he switches back to his to his normal speech as he whispers in her ear!!!!

Tags list: @sh0jun @theimaginativelyreticent @sapphire-323 @velisle @nateko @greatwitchsongsinger @injudescoat @aeyumicore @complexivelovely @cosmowgyral @lunaaka @rosalyne08 @8the-perfect-lie8 @voydsoul @goustmilk @kraiyne

If you wish to be added (+18 YO), or removed from my translations tag list, please let me know!