#Can’t wait to see people unpack and analyse everything

[shiversdownyourspleen]

SPOILERS FOR THE BAD BATCH PREMIERE

Okay non-spoilers first

so…

HOLY SH*T HAOSHPWPKWJSI

Each of the three episodes makes for an awesome start that really builds on its core cast with a really solid tone that pulls you in and Crosshair is a standout as always!

Okay so spoilers

Two words

Project. Necromancer.

That entire scene in the third episode with Palpatine’s visit to Tantiss was executed so well and seeing the labs open up to a straight up SITH CULT room absolutely FLOORED me

The entire reveal was amazing and Ian McDiarmid still being able to play perfectly evil Palpatine after literal decades is amazing I love that man

And a STAND OUT so far is the Omega and Crosshair duo, all their interactions and the dynamic between them feels so real and both Dee Bradley Baker and Michelle Ang are great VA’s

Seriously what a great start to the season gang, we did it

[mimssides]

One Spade for five Hearts: Chapter 3

Read on AO3

Masterpost | Taglist

First | Previous | Next

___

Short heads up: The dates that are written down follow the format day.month.year. Also the months all are 30 days long and have different names.

Now have fun!

___

With a sigh Logan walked up to the front door of his home and opened it. It was almost 18:30, he couldn’t dillydally any longer.

“Mother! I’m home!” Logan called and walked inside, taking his satchel off and setting it to the floor as he took off his shoes.

He heard harsh steps coming his way and looked to see his mother walking up to him with a stern look in her eyes. When Logan straightened up and, he noticed a little tremble in her look and watched her furrow her eyes.

“What on earth happened?” she asked and Logan felt his shoulders sink.

Maybe he should tell her. Maybe he should just straight out say that he had met his soulmates and get over with it. But should she know before them? And what even explain now?

“I am sorry for being late,” Logan said instead with a little waver in his voice. “I had to help Remus, who was in a predicament. It won’t happen again.”

His mother didn’t say anything for a minute. Then she stepped closer, looking at the grass and dirt stains on his shirt and looking him in the eyes with a deep frown.

“What happened Logan? Did you get hurt? Why are you so dirty?” she asked again in a tone that left no option to leave her questions unanswered.

Logan gulped and felt very small, despite being a few inches taller than his mother. Which wasn’t that unusual considering her steely gaze and the general air of authority she had about herself.

So, Logan tried to not gulp too obviously and answered: “We – I’m not hurt. No one is. I fell in the park in front of the K building. I helped kæm with some exercises we had in fencing class and we forgot the time. I should have paid more attention to the time passing. It won’t happen again, mother.”

Logan wasn’t a good liar by any means, which was mostly because he rather told the truth and had all the facts on the table just as they were instead of morphing them into something they were not. It never had made a lot of sense to him, why people insisted on lying until this very moment and he hoped that he had been convincing enough for his mother to believe him. As she continued looking at him with a frown, though, he got the impression that he had most likely failed to sound convincing enough, and mentally prepared himself to be scolded for lying to his mother.

“I hope it won’t happen again. If it happens nevertheless, please inform me as early as you notice that you will be late. Now, will you be able to do your homework for tomorrow in time?” his mother said sternly.

Logan nodded, inwardly relieved that this had somehow worked out: “Yes, I have finished everything for tomorrow. It won’t be a problem.”

“Very well.”

“May I take a shower before I join you at the table? I didn’t have the chance to-” Logan asked gingerly and his mother interrupted abruptly.

“Of course. We’ll wait for you. Just go and say hello to your father first. He was getting worried.”

“Understood,” Logan said and walked to the kitchen to greet his father.

As he stepped into the dining room, he saw him sitting at the top of the table, Avery to his left and Alessia on their left. Grey glimpsed towards him from the living room on the other side of the room and Logan felt his heart sink. His father looked over to him and his three siblings did so as well, badly masking the surprise from his unruly appearance. Naturally, he had chosen the worst day to come late. Everyone was here and now they would have to wait for him even longer.

“Good evening, father. I apologize for being late. I’ll be right back after showering,” Logan said and barely waited for his father to respond.

In a rush Logan got up to the second floor, got fresh clothes from his room and then went on to the bathroom to take his shower. He wished he could have taken a long one, one where he could just stare at the blurry tiles at the wall and musing over the sounds he had heard from the others. Maybe analyse his feelings for each one of them.

Instead, he made it quick, hastily got out of the shower, put on his clothes and went back down. He eyed the time on his watch and it had only been ten minutes. Of course, his hair was still wet, not terribly so, but at least he hadn’t made then wait much longer. With a bowed head he sat down at his usual place, on the right of his mother and thanked them all for waiting for him.

“It is alright, Logan. Now let’s eat,” him mother said and started filling all their plates with the goulash she had prepared.

They began eating and his father asked Grey how the training exam had turned out and Grey recounted how it had gone. Logan wasn’t surprised to hear that Grey had done outstandingly, even though he claimed he should have done better. Even so, Grey was a great apprentice in the protection section of the City Guard. Just like Avery was stellar doing the last year of their apprenticeship in the administrative section and Alessia was ingenious in her apprenticeship in the bookkeeping section of the City Guard.

Yes, his siblings were great at what they were doing and Logan was once more reminded of how high the standards were, he had to live up to.

“Logan?”

Logan looked up from his plate over to his father, who had called on him. With a short nod he showed that he was listening and his father continued: “Your mother said that you were helping out Remus after school. I can’t quite place him. Would you please elaborate?”

Of course not, you’re barely at home so I can’t tell you about my friends, Logan thought but didn’t say any of it.

Instead, he answered dutifully: “Kæ is a Club and due to kæs grades, kæ goes into some of the advanced classes I go to. Kæ’s in my Math course, Chemistry, PE and Fencing Training. And while kæ has still yet to beat me in a fencing match, kæ has managed to outdo me in the other classes.”

Remus was brilliant. In the most unusual way, sure, but it was intriguing and innovative. And apparently also attractive to Logan.

Logan shifted his look from his father over to Alessia, who sat vis-à-vis of him, and asked her: “You had Smith too in Math, right?”

As Alessia nodded with a curious look and Logan continued, after taking a little bite: “He scored a 100 in the last calculus exam in his class.”

“No!” Alessia exclaimed with her mouth wide open as Logan taking another spoon full of goulash. “No one ever gets a 100 in his classes. Like – How? You are lying!”

“I’m not. Kæ’s just that brilliant,” Logan answered with not a single ounce of sarcasm in his voice.

Alessia kept insisting that he was wrong until he got out his phone to and showed her a picture of the test together with Remus holding it up smugly. With that he had ended the debate easily and continued with his dinner. His father asked a few more questions about Remus, this time also using the correct pronouns, and Logan answered obediently.

He had almost finished his meal and was about to get up and put his plate and cutlery into the dishwasher, when his father asked one more question: “So, kæ has been a friend of yours for some time now, correct? I don’t recall you ever inviting kæm over. Kæ is welcome to visit.”

Logan felt his cheeks flush. The thought of Remus here in his house, making jokes and teasing Grey just because he could, was weird and – made him feel warm and excited and somehow embarrassed.

“Y-Yeah, I’ll tell him,” Logan stammered and put his cutlery into his plate before he stood up. “The goulash was delicious, mother. If you excuse me, I’ll go up and finish some homework for Friday.”

He already stood but waited for his mother to excuse him and rushed out of the room as soon as he had her allowance. Hurriedly, Logan picked up his satchel which he had forgotten to take up to his room before and went upstairs. Quietly, he got into his room and sat down on his bed, where he unpacked his homework. Bitterly, he looked at the notes he had taken form the text he had read for his and Virgil’s history project.

Their study session was supposed to be tomorrow after lunch. He could never just sit down next to Virgil while the Phu was humming next to him. There was no way that he could concentrate like that.

Logan sighed and put his head in his hands. This could not be happening to him. Maybe it was a mistake? Maybe he had misheard in the adrenaline rush from before?

Quickly he grabbed his phone and looked for the music app on his phone. He had never bothered uninstalling it, as it didn’t take much space on his memory card and didn’t clutter on his home screen. At once he saw the app symbol and opened it quickly.

And then he blanked. He didn’t know any song titles. He swallowed and tried to remember about which song Virgil had talked about yesterday at lunch. He had mentioned the title, Logan was sure of it.

Victorious.

Rapidly, Logan typed the word and a few results popped up. He looked over the covers and decided to go for a black one with a blue spot in the middle with a red car sinking into it. And then it started playing. A beat started playing and a choir of women started chanting. Logan stopped the music.

So, it wasn’t a mistake. He definitely was able to hear music now and his five friends, his only real friends, were his soulmates.

He gulped. Maybe they weren’t romantic soulmates but platonic? Yet, as far as he was aware of the family curse was specifically for romantic soulmates. Even though it has been generations since someone had fulfilled the curse, it had been said to be romantic.

And still, it didn’t make sense to Logan that he would be in lo- have romantic feelings for all of them. It couldn’t be the case, Logan thought and got up from his bed and sat down at his desk. Quickly, he started his computer and opened his note app. Quickly, he listed his friends, one after the other in order of how long he knew them from shortest to longest. And then he listed points of what he liked about them, so he could see for himself that he was in fact not romantically attracted to them.

 N Lucas Date of first meeting: 09.03.2432 – Study session with Patton ● Smart, charismatic, pragmatic ● Very eloquent way of speaking (rather enthralling) ● Able to stop Roman or Remus from doing dangerous activities ● Great discussions about history ● (endearing laugh, sounds “cute”) ● Confident in their abilities ● Doesn’t use sarcasm with me as often since they learnt that I don’t understand it well ● Immediately takes over the talking when they notice something is uncomfortable to talk ● Caring in a very weird way

 Roman Butkus Date of first meeting: 09.03.2432 – Study session with Patton (27.09.2431 – unofficial meeting when he brought Remus his backpack they had accidentally swapped at home) ● Brave, energetic, adaptive ● Incredibly creative ● Never backs away from a challenge (sometimes even to a fault) ● (Gives nice hugs) ● Strong and quick ● Strong sense of justice ● Unconventional reasoning lines ● Sees matters far more practical and thus is able to give new perspectives ● (The way he looks at N every time when he thinks they aren’t looking)

 Patton Gygax Date of first meeting: 24.02.2432 – First lunch after Remus got together with them ● Empathetic, tactful, responsible ● Optimistic outlook without dismissing real problems ● Is able to distract and support Virgil when he is spiralling into anxiety ● Great at magical theory and philosophy ● (They make Remus very happy) ● (How they explain their puns to people when they don’t laugh at them) ● Quick learner ● How they try to cheer everyone up

 Remus Butkus Date of first meeting: 02.01.2431 – First fencing lesson with Remus ● Brilliant, bold, unyielding ● A little crazy ● Curious about everything and unafraid to talk about taboo topics ● Likes murder mysteries ● Fencing with kæm is always a challenge and fun ● Always explains the jokes to me I don’t get ● Has never been condescending to anyone ● (Attractive back) ● Strong ● Surprisingly gentle when is with Patton ● Very caring of kæs twin

 Virgil Caron Date of first meeting: 03.01.2421 – First day of kindergarten ● Best friend ● Witty, snarky, night owl, grouchy in the mornings ● Quick ● Bobs his head when he listens to music ● Knows everything about me (sometimes annoying) ● (Knows how to console me best) ● The way he dresses now and how happy it makes him ● Was wary of our new friend because he was afraid, they were only hanging around us because they wanted to use me in a way (which was irrational) ● His birthday gifts ● Always tries to explain music to me ● Always stands behind me (figuratively and literally) ● Feels like home

Logan stopped typing. He didn’t need to reread what he had written down. Just thinking about the last point, he had jotted down, made him realize that had been in love with Virgil for a solid decade.

He felt like he had been slapped in the face. His chest hurt and his eyes burnt. They were all so dear to him and he didn’t know what to do. It had never been in his plans that his curse would be activated. That he would have to deal with all those feelings and the difficulties that committed relationships could bring with them.

Did he even want to be in a committed relationship? He didn’t have to. A soulmate curse didn’t require for him to be with his soulmates. He could let them know and not be in a relationship with them.

That thought somehow made Logan’s stomach turn even more.

A single knock on the door made him jump in his seat. Frantically, he looked up towards the door and said: “Yeah?”

“Can I come in for a sec, Starfish?”

Logan sighed at the nickname but told Avery: “Sure.”

With that Avery came inside, as Logan minimalized the note app on his screen. They didn’t need to see that. Quietly, Avery closed the door behind them and walked towards the bed where they sat down. Logan turned himself around in his swivel chair and looked towards his oldest sibling with a weird knot in his tummy.

“So,” Avery said and gave him this look that said I-just-want-the-best-for-you and Logan had to supress a groan, “Starfish, tonight’s dinner was a little tense, wasn’t it?”

“You can just say that you think I behaved weird, you know,” Logan pouted and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Avery sighed and gave him a come-on look.

“That is not what I would have said, but I got the impression that something was bothering you. Is it about father? I know you would like him to be home more-”

“It’s fine! He’s the head of the City Guard. He has responsibilities outside of the family and I understand that that is time consuming. I’m not a child anymore.”

That was always a good thing to say to make him look more mature; interrupting those who were speaking and insisting that he was not a child. A great move Logan, really.

“No, you’re not,” Avery agreed softly and Logan gave them a guilty look. “And I am sure you understand. You are smart after all. But I want you to know that it is okay if you miss him sometimes. It’s okay.”

Logan nodded slightly rolled back and forth on the chair. Avery remained sitting still on the bed and watched him closely for a few more moments.

“Aaand if you’re worried about Remus, I’m always there for advice,” they said and wiggled their eyebrows suggestively.

That was quite enough for Logan and he jumped up from his chair and decidedly pointed towards the door demanding: “Leave. Now.”

Avery snickered and got up from his bed. At least they when it was enough teasing, Logan thought to himself and watched as they closed the door and left him on his own. Tensely, he turned back to his computer and opened the list again. For a few minutes he looked over it and then decided that he couldn’t change anything tonight. He was emotionally compromised as much as he hated to admit it and would deal with it tomorrow.

So, he closed the list and looked over the homework he had. For an hour he managed to distract himself with his work and then got ready for bed. He also answered to a text from Virgil, reassuring his panicked friend that he was alright and that his mother hadn’t been too upset with him for being late for dinner.

And so, Logan went to bed. He hoped to get some sleep and being able to clear all of this up in the morning.

He did not expect his dreams to be about his friends. About Roman holding his hand, Patton kissing his cheek. N smiling at him as they smiled at Roman. Roman complimenting his fighting style. Virgil just holding him.

The rushing beat of his heart woke him up and at five in the morning Logan got up to write a plan on how to avoid the others for the next few days, so he could get himself under control.

That would surely work out well.

___

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[queenlokibeth]

Shall we talk about the songs on louis’ “28 songs” playlist?

(Massive observation of all 28 songs ahead. Yes it took me 2 hours to make this. Skip to the end after the keep reading if you want the TL;DR)

You’re not the only one - Sam Fender

“The song is in fact about his best mate and himself “coming out on the other end of a bad place” and going out to party. He told Virgin Radio that “It’s a celebratory song about loving your mate, really”. “ - Genius lyrics

“ The fabricated smiles so wide, they're of hope Your composure is so brittle, and you hold yourself so well Inside, you cling to pieces of a broken carousel “ well yes i am crying

“We'll have this place on lockdown, it's here for you to taste“

Call me out - Sea Girls (Nautical theme, anyone?)

“And I've changed a lot since then, ask my friends The crying stopped, on top of that, my eyes forgot An old flame who got her hips on a bucket list And times missed every night since we first kissed”

“ And I've changed a lot since then, ask my friends My clothes, my frame, I've spent enough but feel the same”

“And I'll be waiting when you come and call”

“ I can burn that bridge when we get to it “

The Runner - Foals

“... The narrator is done lamenting his fate now and Part 2 sees him picking himself up, dusting himself off, and moving forward... [A] call to find a sense of purpose and perseverance despite the odds and despite the troubles we may find inside or outside ourselves.” - Genius lyrics

Nightmares - Easy Life

“...topics of insomnia, anxiety, and peer pressure.... The major chords acting to cover up the emotions professed in the lyrics, turning the song itself into a perfect metaphor...” - About the song, Genius lyrics.

“ It's all a bit of fun until somebody gets hurt I’ll take it with a pinch of salt, another bridge is burned” Burning bridges, again, you say?

“ It's all a bit of fun until somebody gets hurt I'll take it with a pinch of salt, another lesson learned But I don't need to know what's real or not no more I don't need to know what's real or not no more “

My honest face - Inhaler (pretty self explanatory title there)

“ [The vocalist] fears being met with nitpicking or criticism of the lesser parts of his performance. He thinks of himself as skilled, but not perfect. “ - About the song, Genius lyrics.

“And honey, I could play the Joker My made up smile broke your heart last night No, no, no, I didn't want to hurt ya But there's just a certain culture when you're young When you're young “

“ And honey, I could play the hater Acting like I hated her last night No, no no, I didn't want to hurt you “

“ I'll take you to an honest place Darling, I just can't find my honest face It's all over the place, it's all over the place “ So he wants to show his audience who he really is, but he can’t.

Your girlfriend - Blossoms (oh? oH?)

This one is interesting. There are many pronoun changes through the song. It’s hard to figure out at which point the girl goes from being “a friend who is a girl” to “girlfriend” and who is the speaker, who is the friend, and who is the girl.

“ I'm a boy And she's a girl With more charm than most movie stars So we met Through a friend We rent a place and she comes round to stay “ The first ‘we’ is the speaker and the girl, the second we is the speaker and his friend. This is when the song starts sounding like a dialogue to me: one person sings everything until before the last line, and the last line is a reply from the friend.

“ And now your girlfriend is ringing in my ears again “ There is a change here from “we met through a friend” (telling the story to someone else) vs this line, where the speaker is talking TO said friend, or perhaps following up on the dialogue theory, this is the friend replying to the speaker.

“ What am I supposed to do? I can tell, they get along so well” Is this the speaker talking about his friend and the girl, no longer talking TO the friend? I feel like this is the (mutual)friend wondering about his girl friend and the speaker.

“Is it possible, she likes me too?

I'm not sure if I should read between those lines “ This could be the speaker wondering.

“I should be moving out but can't 'cause we've just signed a lease “ (Again with the renting? Princess park? Hmm?)

“Thought maybe we'd go out for a movie And we can forget friends who'll be fuming Then I could walk you home in the evening And that's just being friendly “ This can be analysed in so many different ways depending on who’s speakig and to whom.

“And now your girlfriend is ringing in my ears again And when she smiles, I can't hide my jealousy Oh I can't take it, boy I hope she's faking it I heard he bought a ring today

I heard they got engaged today “ This one is interesting, because she might have ended up together with either the friend or the speaker, and whichever one she did not end up with is referring FIRST to their buddy and then moving on to address someone else, telling the story. Also, it almost sounds as if whoever is saying this is jealous OF THE GIRL, not of the guy who is with her.

Overall there is a lot to unpack with this song, mainly because of the change in pronouns and who the singer has as their audience for each line.

Empty hands - Tors

“Too late to call I've been away left you alone”

“I didn't notice you're feeling hopeless So blue-ou-ou again”

“And I'm nothing more than just a man And it breaks my heart When I break your heart”

“And I promised more than I could give And it's not the life you thought you'd live”

“Saturday nights up on the roof Sundays in bed Coffee and sleep Head for a walk Down by the sea with you-ou-ou” (Again nautical theme? Eroda anyone? Lou’s MV? Harry’s MV?)

“When I come back home I see the lights That you left on for me every night When I see you standing at the door Everything i want for evermore “ (Lights up? met you at your doorstep?)

Restrospect - Vistas

“See you find comfort in small things Which she considers the wrong things And you find comfort in hellos Not goodbyes, not goodbye And you try not to have issues With the hate you, love you, and miss yous That all come out when she kissed you Goodbye, goodbye” This is basically saying “hey i know about the stuff you like and don’t, she doesn’t! also you were feeling great until she ruined it!”

“Singing Sweet Caroline with diamonds in her eyes” (diamonds will make sense with the next song)

“Throw my arms to the skies”

“ Let me go and I'll forget Happiness in retrospect” Letting go has been a big theme y’all.

“See you find comfort in tall things Which he considers the wrong things And you find comfort in things he can't Recognise, recognise”  OH HO HO HO WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT PRONOUN CHANGE? Now there’s a MAN who isn’t right for this person according to the singer.

“ And you want nothing but all this While he's stuck trying to solve it Nevertheless acquiesce till you feel those Butterflies, butterflies “

Lucy - Ten Tonnes (aHA! Lucy as in Lucy in the sky with diamonds, aka ANOTHER Beatles reference up in this bitch.)

“ Where you left your face “

“ Come away, from the window Haven't you learnt? That in dreams you can't get burned And I will meet you there Under purest skies It's where I'll be When they're finished with me” This gives me some SOTT vibes.

My Cheating Heart - Love Fame Tragedy (Pretty self explanatory song title, pretty self explanatory band name)

“Money, women, cars Leave my head among the stars 'Cause I want it all, yeah, yeah I want it all Puppet on a string is it such an evil thing”

“ So do I sink or do I float now?” The water scenes in the MVs????

Tears dry on their own - Amy Winehouse (ouch)

About the song: “She describes how a tarnished relationship has made her feel, and how she cries often. [Song] Samples Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” Interesting sampling there, since ANMHE literally goes “ain’t no mountain high enough... to keep me from getting to you babe. Remember the day I set you free...” and just great song overall i cannot copy the whole thing here but YO.

“Once it was so right When we were at our height Waiting for you in the hotel at night I knew I hadn't met my match But every moment we could snatch I don't know why I got so attached It's my responsibility And you don't owe nothing to me But to walk away I have no capacity “ Well i am crying this isn’t it THIS AINT IT

“He walks away The sun goes down He takes the day but I'm grown And in your way, in this blue shade My tears dry on their own” Letting go, your partner leaving you for someone else... there’s a lot to unpack here.

“We could a never had it all We had to hit a wall So this is inevitable withdrawal Even if I stop wanting you A perspective pushes through I'll be some next man's other woman soon” So, Walls? Hardship in the relationship? Not being the formal girlfriend/partner but the side-chick?

“ I wish I could say no regrets And no emotional debts Cause as we kiss goodbye the sun sets So we are history”

2all - Catfish and the Bottlemen

“Life got led By people who Just wanna flood your head

... But it fits you at the time To fall for every line “ As stated by Genius: “...life is often “led” or heavily influenced by those who can rally people to follow their thoughts and ideas, e.g. friends, employers... The “fall for every line” is referring to the ones who let the people that try to influence their lives into their head and let them take over. “

Also, About:  “ The song has a heavy emphasis on how you should hold the best people closest to your heart – the ones who are always there for you when you need them and the people you can count on all the time.”

“ Oh, they convinced me every time That I needed fooling So that I'd go and get it right Yeah, somewhere, they convinced me down the line When I needed fooling So that I'd go and get it right”

Reptilia - The Strokes

About the first lines:  “ A shot at journalists; The Strokes, especially Julian, have never been open with the press and want their music to do their talking.”

“"You sound so sleepy, just take this, now leave me" From Genius:  “Julian’s girl is talking to him, telling him that he looks “sleepy” but he probably is bored... his girl gets frustrated with him and eggs him on to ditch her.”

Honestly the whole analysis on Genius is pretty on point:

“He’s using sarcasm, the girl is trying as hard as she can to keep the relationship together, she’s thirsty as fuck and the night is barely over.... At this point Casablancas just wants to get out of the relationship. he sees this desperate need to leave, but she remains behind.... He’s waited long enough and it’s finally over between whom ever the girl is. She’s not having fun anymore and her happiness becomes sorrow, he just wants this night to be over....[About the title]   Reptiles are cold blooded creatures (and the girl in the song just doesn’t care about the guy.)”

Harmony Hall - Vampire Weekend

This song sort of refers to hate groups, keep that in mind.

“ We took a vow in summertime Now we find ourselves in late December”

“ I thought that I was free from all that questionin'”

“ I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die “

Runaway - KAWALA

“ Run away from the words unspoken Coast to coast going through the motions of Who'll be a better man, who'll do it better”

“ And I'll help you follow the line “

“ We're miles apart, closing up the distance I'm reaching out if you need assistance Who'll be a better man, who'll do it better”

“Today is the day I'll get on Awaiting the storm to move on I lie naked in wait to reform Let's try make it right this time now” I’m-- Bitch i’m---

“ Oh, it's all so emotional Oh, I hope that you're coping Oh, I won't let you lose it all “

Mr. Brightside - The Killers (Ah well we all know this one who are we even kidding)

Honestly this is where shit starts aligning.

About the song: “the song deals with issues of infidelity, paranoia, and jealousy”

“ Coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine Gotta gotta be down because I want it all It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?” Iconic, we all know it, wild.

More About:  “ The song is about the THOUGHT that one’s significant other is cheating”

And anyway, more paranoia and jealousy and fear of getting cheated on.

For now - DMA’S

“ All I need to know, she's dead to me” Well that is... harsh.

“ Quite like what I need to be, I'll send your bones to the sea “ You know the drill.

“ No, I won't be anymore, no, we won't be anymore “

“ Lately, we've lost control of everything you're biddin' for You keep me down, you set the score I've been impossible, only words are drowning out Take your head out of the clouds” There’s like 80 different meanings here.

Belter - Gerry Cinnamon

About the title: “ “belter” which is Scottish slang for an exceptional or outstanding example of something”

“ Diamonds oan' her finger and she always looks her best “ Diamonds again. Also allusion to rings ehem.

“ No happy endings, unless fairy-tales come true But she looks like a princess and there’s not much else to do I think I love her “ :(

“Is happiness an option, or has love just turned me blind?” Double :(

Dry your eyes - The Streets

The whole thing is about a breakup.

“In one single moment your whole life can turn around“

“ Please let me show you how we could only just be for us I can change and I can grow, or we could adjust The wicked thing about us is we always have trust”

“We can even have an open relationship if you must”

“Dry your eyes, mate I know it's hard to take but her mind has been made up There's plenty more fish in the sea Dry your eyes, mate I know you want to make her see how much this pain hurts But you've got to walk away now, it's over” It’s like he’s talking to his buddy who just went through a painful breakup telling him to n o t l e t i t b r e a k h i s h e a r t.

“ 'Cause I can't imagine my life without you and me There's things I can't imagine doing, things I can't imagine seeing “

“ 'Cause you said it'd be forever and that was your vow And you're gonna let our things simply crash and fall down? “ I didn’t include it before, but a few other songs also mention vows.

“ I know in the past I've found it hard to say Telling you things but not telling straight But the more I pull on your hand and say The more you pull away”

Confidence - Ocean Alley

(Random fact: I just noticed that this song is from an album called Chiarobscuro, and i didn’t include it but one of the previous songs also used that word)

“ Well, I should've said this, and I should've said that All that I know now”

Modern Love - Courteeners (quite the title)

“We got style and we got grace, we run wild and never dance alone In this town, she’s fucking famous But this town will never be her home” LA anyone?

“ But I don’t need this modern love This modern love Oh, it always lets me down”

“The popularity trap strikes again You don’t need these fools cause you’re incroyable“ Yeah not to be that larrie but the TPWK website has been telling people that they’re “incroyable” (incredible)

“ We found solace at The Star and Garter “ Oh, what is The Star and Garter? Oh you know, just “... a cult club located in their home town of, Manchester.” Anyways moving on

I am slowly losing my shit here:

“ A bare mattress, a lockless door Two Withington hearts on a pique assiette floor Give me back those awkward exchanges The fumbles In bathtubs When we were just strangers We talk about your graduation And the realisation that we might not be together forever and ever “ Withington is an area of south Manchester.

“ Wide-eyed and up all night This could be good” ANYWAYS...

Laurel Wreath - Bear’s Den

About the title: “refers to the Ancient Greek tradition of awarding Olympic victors laurel wreaths. The laurel wreath is also used in academia and as an architectural accent, for good luck.In this song the wreath is withering, and Andrew Davie uses this idea of athletic defeat as a symbol for his failures and relationship issues.”

“ Or the collapsing of a history “

“ But you found me in the morning, December in my eyes” December was mentioned in other songs, too.

“ Got your call, I needed it more than I could let on to you” WELL

Riot Van - Arctic Monkeys

About the song:  “[The people in the song] As long as they had some good laughs, they don’t care if they are rich or have a job or are poor or anything. They just want to exist. “

“ Got a chase last night From men with truncheons dressed in hats We didn't do that much wrong Still ran away though, for the laugh Just for the laugh“

“ Well, they won't catch me and you”

“ Is there a certain age you're supposed to be? 'Cause nobody told me"

“ They get their address and their names took But they couldn't care less” Genius says: “ This is the police’s main deterrent for underage offenders, but the parents of these boys have obviously had so many calls from them that the boys don’t care anymore.”

Ahhh but the fun comes with painful consequences:

“Thrown in the riot van And all the coppers kicked him in And there was no way he could win Just had to take it on the chin” Also from Genius: “ Throughout society, whatever he does is never good or acceptable enough. He always gets pushed further down and down, to the point where he’s given up. He’s never going to win, there are too many people with much more power going against him. He just has to ‘take it on the chin’, ie. he has to accept that this is his life, there’s not point fighting against it because nothing will ever change.”

Please, please, please let me get what I want - The Smiths (it doesn’t get more literal that this tbh)

About the song: “ This song is about the desperation to fulfill personal desires... He has lived a life full of disappointment and maybe despair... For once he is having a good time, which is a wonderful surprise...” Also, sidenote, in live shows the title lyric apparently gets changed to “let me get who i want”.

The Less I Know the Better - Tame Impala (buddy let me tell you, the amount of gay fics i’ve seen from different fandoms using part of this song as a title...)

About the song: “...describes the pain of a man feeling left out in a love triangle”

“ She was holding hands with Trevor Not the greatest feeling ever” Y’all remember the Trevor concert incident with Harry? also the singer’s name is Kevin... who’s feuding with Trevor in the song... maybe that doesn’t mean shit.

“ Then I heard they slept together Oh, the less I know the better The less I know the better” Oh perhaps you broke up with your love and now he’s with someone else and it hurts?

“ Oh my love, can't you see that you're on my mind”

“ She said, "It's not now or never Wait ten years, we'll be together" I said, "Better late than never Just don't make me wait forever" Don't make me wait forever Don't make me wait forever” Oh shit bruuuuuh oh SHIT.

“I was doing fine without ya Till I saw your face, now I can't erase Giving in to all his bullshit Is this what you want? Is this who you are?” BULLSHIT? DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?

“Oh, sweet darling, where he wants you Said, "Come on Superman, say your stupid line" “

Tomorrow never knows - The Beatles (AHHH WE LOVE A BEATLES REFERENCE)

Song is from the Revolver album (gunshot anyone?)

“Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream It is not dying, it is not dying “

“Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void It is shining, it is shining”

Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You) -  Bombay Bicycle Club

“ Eat, sleep, wake Nothing but you” Habit? I don’t know if I could ever go without?

“ I can see where you are, dream where you are Will the song never end? Us on the bed half a meter apart”

“ I may not say it outwardly So all I have are memories Those looks at the start, the words in the dark But never a flame, we just wanted the spark”

ANYWAYS CONCLUSION TIME, or TL;DR: There is A LOT to unpack here. All of these songs vaguely follow the same theme. There’s a lot of breaking up going on, as well as moving on and third parties being involved. There’s stuff about being controlled, not being enough, wanting to be yourself, There’s references to Louis’ songs, to Harry’s songs, to 1D tracks, to Larry, to Elounor, you name it. This playlist is definitely giving us a taste of what Walls will deal with and boy is it A LOT.

[allollipoppins]

Chapter 3: Yuuri/Georgi

Ch. 3 of the YoI villain AU is now up! Read it here on AO3

Georgi Popovich, head designer of Aurora House, somehow managed to juggle creating ten collections in both men and womenswear, and designing Yuuri's costume in the span of six months.

Though in fairness, he would have gone much faster if it hadn't been for the fact that, according to Yuuri and Eros, Georgi and he were close... friends.

“Georgi, you'll spoil the makeup.”

“It was already ruined in the first place.” the Russian man growled back, proceeding to wipe as much lipgloss off Yuuri's lips as he could – with his own lips and tongue.

Despite the awkwardness of the situation, Yuuri couldn't help but chuckle. “Don't let Eros hear you.” Though he was ready to bet he'd heard everything.

At least, the undignified scoff they both heard from the other side of the dressing room was enough of an answer to make them giggle. “Too late,” Georgi noted, sending him a wink as he turned to draw the curtains. “Come on, let me show you my latest creation.” He extended his open palm towards Yuuri, a clear invitation to follow and – in Yuuri's opinion – annoy Eros further.

As if it hadn't been enough of him to barge on them making out on the couch earlier, tv playing in the background and Vicchan being the only one happy to see him. The only reason why he hadn't bothered to kick him out was because he knew of the bond existing between his master and the designer.

The two of them had met while they were both in college completing their degrees, Yuuri double majoring in criminology and journalism while Georgi had elected design as his own. Which, at first sight, was as evident as the sun rose in the east. A single look at the designer-in-the-making and his questionable, self-taught-and-applied makeup techniques was enough to make people doubt him.

Yuuri, on the other hand, hadn't heard much about Georgi until the latter asked him firsthand to model for him. He hadn't believed him at first, and it took much prompting before Georgi could get him in his studio for test shoots and fittings. From there, they'd escalated from model and designer, to study pals, and to the one and only person the other could consider as a real friend, someone with whom to go to the cinema or have ice cream and shopping dates.

Though their relationship was … complicated to say the least. Not in the twisted way he shared with Eros, but not as innocent either.

Long before finding Phichit again in the headquarters of the crime magazine they both worked for now, Georgi had been there for him. The friend who always gave him a pep talk, the friend who talked him into going shopping or watching a movie, the friend who knew his favorite ice-cream flavor and bought him one without needing to ask, the friend who waited on Yuuri at 3AM whenever he felt under the weather.

The friend who slept with him to forget how his fiancée cheated on him with another guy.

“Let's get you out of these clothes, shall we?” Georgi's suggestion shook him of his reverie, and he nodded at the unrequited innuendo the words carried.

Eros stood obediently on the sidelines, intently watching as Georgi started to unbutton the tuxedo, enough for Yuuri to feel his eyes burning holes into his back... or rather,  Georgi's, who had somehow decided to check Yuuri's measurements again and analyse the clothing.

“Relax pup,” Georgi assured without looking at either of them, “just checking if the clothes are a good fit. Don't want you master wandering around looking like a trashcan, do you?”

Eros snorted. “As if I cared. Yuuri looks good in anything he wears.”

The latter was certain his cheeks were burning after that statement, a clear contrast with the crisp white shirt the stylist had dressed him in. Georgi huffed, but seemed to ponder his words. His analytical eyes wondered on Yuuri's form, taking him in wholly.

“Come to think of it, you're not completely wrong, Eros...”

“Guys, please.” Yuuri muttered, head lowered under the praise – or was it teasing? Hard to tell given both men's proclivity to shower him with compliments on occasion (meaning, on a regular-enough basis).

“Sorry,” they both echoed, one a little more honest than the other. Once Yuuri was down to his boxers and had a robe draped over his shoulders, Georgi stepped away to reach for a bag on the nearest table. With one flick of his hand, he beckoned both Eros and Yuuri to step closer to look at what was inside the bag.

Yuuri watched with bated breath as Georgi handed him its contents. “You go ahead. Think of it as an early birthday present.”

He tentatively unwrapped the garments out of their plastic and paper wraps, like a teenager warily unpacking his Christmas gifts, and laid each item on the table. He was so focused on the results he hadn't noticed Eros moving closer to him, standing behind his back. He mentally acknowledged the hand placed on his shoulder, as if in silent support.

Releasing the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Yuuri took in his newest costume.

Black, form-fitting and made of a fabric he'd never seen before. It had the brillance of silk, but the elasticity of spandex – which, thank God, wasn't what the entire costume was made of. The simplistic top and assorted pants were adorned with various belts, one tied high where his right tight would be underneath the clothes, and the others served to tighten a leather corset, the wide buckles at the front accentuating the curves of his chest and waist. The shoulder pads and gauntlets Georgi had given him were also made of leather, comfortable and snug enough to let him move at ease without straining his muscles, he observed as he rotated his shoulders back and forth in a circular motion. A dark hood attached to the top completed the outfit, its cowl hiding the bottom part of his face and leaving his chocolate eyes visible. Maybe he'd ask to have it removed, Yuuri mused, thinking that it would smear the makeup Georgi usually applied. He voiced his thought out loud.

"Actually, I'd rather you removed it halfway, if you don't mind. It's true that I should have thought about that earlier but ey, I just figured it would look cooler that way."

“Well yeah I get that, but you do realize that I'm going to wear a hood right? As in, there's no need for me to put makeup on?”

“The makeup's just for insurance. Besides, with my expert hands, it won't be removed so easily. You of all people should know that.” The underlying tone of knowledge lingering in his voice brought a blush to Yuuri's cheeks. Of course he'd know.

He silently turned back to his new acquisition, not quite sure what to make of it.

To say he was a little surprised by the costume was an understatement.

Georgi, the fantastic partner in crime that he was, had tried to convince him to go for something a little more excentric, but the (first) final result had reminded him more of the girl from The Ring than anything else, almost giving him a heart attack when he took a look at himself in a mirror. The next result had been an oddly elegant cross between Slappy the Puppet and a Japanase Noh-Theatre actor, but remained every bit as creepy as its fictional counterparts. Next had been the tuxedo he'd been wearing instants ago, a better fit but the makeup hadn't done him justice either. He hadn't quite seemed like the Saw puppet, but he'd looked the part.

So it was a surprise to see this final product come out as minimalistic and yet so beautifully crafted, plus it gave him enough anonymity to be unrecognizable and unidentifiable to the public eye.

In short, he loved it. Yuuri's disguise wasn't as intricate and complex as Georgi probably would have wished it to be, but it was for the better. Who knew, maybe one day he'd be able to put the dresses and kimonos Georgi had specially designed for him to good use.

Which reminded him.... “But I thought you wanted me to wear a kimono.”

Georgi shrugged. “That was before I realized how awkward it would be for you to move. Unless you want me to add a few touches to it, but in the end you don't have to don the entire outfit if you don't want to.” The statement took Yuuri off guard. He knew Georgi to be someone who never did things halfway; either he was fully involved in his work, mind body and soul, or he dropped it the second.

“But Georgi -” Yuuri started to protest.

“No won't do, Yuuri, I can't have you waltzing down Detroit streets when you trip on your own two feet, can I? That would be rude of me.”

Yuuri didn't have the gall to correct him or feel offended. Georgi, if not all of his acquaintances were aware of his legendary clumsiness. Years of ballet training could only do so much for his form. Besides, it was nice to know that in spite of all fashion codes currently taking over the world, Georgi was still considerate enough to keep in mind his particular … needs.

“Still,” he sighed, “you took so much time just to prepare this outfit, knowing that you also had your fashion show to plan, models to recruit, and God, don't even get me started on – ”

Yuuri didn't get time to go on. In fact it was Eros who cut him off, forgotten in the background while he'd been watching the exchange between his master and Georgi.

“Okay,” he sighed, “what was it this time? What made you decide to change the costume on a whim??”

Georgi ignored the fake tiredness but very much real annoyance seeping through his voice in favor of circling Yuuri in long strides, taking in the outfit under different angles.

“The problem wasn't so much that it didn't look good; it would've been be a little impractical, although according to my measurements and adjustments you could have easily pulled off a jetée in those tuxedo pants.”

“Why would he want to do a jetée while he's slitting someone's throat? That would be awesome, sure, but really.”

Yuuri rolled his eyes. “Eros, I think you have the wrong person here.”

“Anyway, let's try it on, then we'll see what to do with your makeup.” Georgi nudged him forward, gently removing the robe from his shoulders and letting it fall to the ground at Yuuri's feet.

To Yuuri's surprise, Eros turned to leave. “You're not staying, Eros?”

His shadow turned back at him to shrug. “I'm on patrol duty in a few minutes, and I don't want to miss anything out. Also,” he stopped before crossing the threshold, “I'd rather undress you by myself when I get back home to see you in that.” He winked at Yuuri and sent a smirk Georgi's way, who replied with one of his own, before stepping out of the studio.

Silence settled in as the sound of his companion's footsteps faded into the distance. Georgi seized the opportunity to grab Yuuri's clothes, stretching them enough to help him into the pants, which were as tight as he'd imagined them to be, but not uncomfortably so. For the top Yuuri bend down slightly, arms stretched up while Georgi let the fabric slide over his arms then onto the rest of his frame. He repressed the small giggle building in his throat when Georgi's fingers brushed his sides, tickling him lightly. He held his breath while the corset was adjusted, but to his surprise it didn't bring any discomfort. He slipped on the gloves and assorted leather belts, turning on himself to catch his reflection in the mirrors. But before he could, Georgi pivoted him so they were face to face.

“Last detail,” he explained, and Yuuri shivered when his fingers dug under the high collar, softly brushing his neck, and brought up the cowl to cover his mouth. For a moment, Yuuri was almost scared to lose his ability to breathe, but the knot that formed at the back of his throat dissolved as he realized he could easily take in breath, even with the cloth covering his mouth and nose.

When he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror behind him, he could hardly recognize himself. Not only due to the fact that this outfit covered most of his body and didn't appear to give away his identity. The garments clung to him like a second skin, but in a pleasant way that didn't make his skin itch. He wondered how it was possible, for him to manage to pull off such a look. His reflection brought back childhood memories of ninja cartoons and fictional assassins in the movies Mari would take him to see back when... back then.

“You're so beautiful.”

He twisted on his toes in time for Georgi to pull the cowl down, and place his hands on each side of his face.

This was so intimate. It didn't feel uncomfortable, not the way his own, first future interactions with Minami would be. Georgi was one of the few besides Eros allowed to see him like that. Bare, so vulnerable under the layers of clothes and makeup that hit his other self.

Georgi was always oh so gentle, never coaxing him into things he knew Yuuri would dislike. And even when he thought the Russian would pull off a nasty trick, he'd ended up having fun against his initial preconceptions.

“You're quite the challenge, Katsuki Yuuri, did you know that?” He asked, staring directly into Yuuri's eyes.

Yuuri raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “How so?”

“Always being so mean to me and to yourself, forcing me into whatever business it is you have with that other gigolo”, he leaned his forehead against Yuuri's. “I don't like this, Yuuri, whatever it is you do. You know what I think, don't you?”

Yuuri sighed, pressing back against Georgi, his own hands moving up to Georgi's chest and digging int the fabric of his crisp white shirt. “I know you don't approve of this, Georgi, but I couldn't picture myself doing anything else. And I could not think of anyone better to do the job.”

Gerogi frowned. “Are we even talking about the same person at this point?”

Yuuri snickered. “I meant you, silly, not Eros. I”m choosing you for this because I know you're the best at what you do. Besides,” Yuuri brought his hands up to circle them around Georgi's neck, pulling him closer to whisper in his ear, “what kind of best friend would I be, keeping you out of these things?”

Georgi sighed with finality, knowing he wouldn't be able to talk Yuuri into changing his mind, for one. “Ugh. Fine, I'll do it, but don't come crying when he stabs you in the back,” he emphatically insisted, Yuuri knowing without asking who exactly he was referring to.

Yuuri hummed as Georgi pulled away and guided him towards his vanity. Georgi motioned for him to sit, which he complied with Georgi still brushing his cheek.

“The stories are real, I see. Japanese truly have naturally soft skin.”

Yuuri felt the color rushing to his cheeks. “We – we do not! I don't where you got that from, but that's not true. At least I never heard of it.”

Georgi chuckled good-naturedly. “Well, now you know. But just in case, I'd rather have you moisturized before you go out there. After all, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't make sure your skin is properly treated?”

He sounded playful, but Yuuri knew him to be dead-serious, judging from Georgi's expression alone. He'd be damned if his personal makeup artist didn't follow his own rules.

Yuuri shrugged, but teased him back. “The kind of friend to whom I'd ask “who are you and what have you done to my Georgi?”, I guess.”

Georgi paused in the middle of blending the cream. “Your Georgi, huh?” he mused. He then extended his cream-coated fingers towards Yuuri's face, the other moving under his chin in a gentle but stable grip. “I like the sound of that. Although it's not like you to be territorial.”

“Not territorial,” Yuuri corrected, holding as still as possible while Georgi's expert fingertips deftly dabbed at his forehead and temples. “Just concerned.”

“You shouldn't be,” Georgi applied small batches on his cheeks in a freckle pattern, then booped Yuuri's nose with an additional spot of cream to distract him; the action made him smile. “I'm getting over An – I mean over her. Over it.” Georgi covered his light stumble by lowering his head, focusing on blending the product with his fingers.

Yuuri stilled. There was no denying Georgi was getting better at this: moving on was never an easy progress, and witnessing as he was taking steps forward was reassuring. Slow and steady wins the race, as the common saying went. Though Yuuri would have preferred him to get a grip earlier. His best friend didn't deserve to shed tears on such an undeserving woman.

He hummed, willing himself to go back to another subject. “You'll make me pretty then, won't you?”

“Oh honey, I don't need that do make you look nice, you already do a fine work on your own.” Georgi cups his face between his hands, looking him directly in the eyes. “Just ensuring that I'll be the only one seeing your real face.”

Yuuri laughed. “Now you're the one being territorial.”

Georgi grinned back. “Not territorial, no. Just concerned.” The Russian designer patted his cheeks, testing the texture of the finished product. He must have been satisfied, for he pulled away to reach for the rest of his supplies in his makeup case. Yuuri mourned the loss of the warm, gentle fingers on his skin. “Let's move to the real deal, then,” Georgi shot him a sideway smile that Yuuri corresponded. “Let's.”

Yuuri kept his eyes trained on Georgi, even though he knew the designer not to be paying attention to his surroundings. Right now, his sole focus was Yuuri, and Yuuri only. Knowing so pulled at something inside Yuuri.

The bastard was right. He sure could be possessive when he wanted to be.

He stayed as still as possible when Georgi started to apply the foundation, one that was far paler than the one he usually used but looked convenient enough. At least this time it wasn't face paint for clown makeup. He let his eyes close and his mind drift elsewhere as Georgi tapped on various spots on his face, applying small batches one at a time, the cool liquid losing its thickness when Georgi handily blended it on his skin, always with a light and gentle touch.

Yuuri opened his eyes as Georgi pulled away to grab the hightlighter. One glance at the mirror made him access that he definitely looked pale, almost white, his complexion looking closer to that of a Caucasian male save for his normal features. Georgi's fingers under his chin made him face him again.

“Pull your cheeks in,” he directed, and Yuuri sucked in a breath, pulling in and biting the insides of his cheeks. Georgi brushed each cheek with a powder that, if his eyes weren't failing him, was a few shades darker than the foundation, though still faint. Georgi added the finishing touches with blush, using his fingertips to spread the texture higher in a triangluar shape. Yuuri raised an eyebrow when he next took out a crayon.

“Freckles? Are you sure about that?”

“Absolutely! The makeup brought out your lovely cheekbones, it would be a shame not to highlight them further, even though they'll be hidden.” With this said, he delicately pecked Yuuri's cheeks with the crayon, before looking satisfied with his work and picking another crayon. Yuuri stole a few peeks: he did look cute with the tiny freckles painting near-invisible constellations on his face. One would have to come closer to see them. Clever boy.

“Eyes this time.”

Georgi followed the line of his eyebrows with a dark pencil the color of his hair, then grabbed a liner.

“Look up.” Yuuri did just so, his friend applying a thin line of khôl on each external lower eyelid. Once he could look down again, Georgi placed his thumb on a temple, silently motioning for him to close his eyes. He let himself be maneuvered, Georgi taking his time to run the liquid eyeliner along the lid directly above his lashes.

“Eyeshadow and mascara?” He heard the Russian ask from behind his closed eyes. Not knowing quite exactly how it was turning out, Yuuri shrugged. “You're the professional, you make the decision.”

“I'll take that as a yes, in that case.” Georgi remarked graciously, a beat passing until a spongy tool made contact with Yuuri's eyelid, spreading eyeshadow along the line previously drawn with eyeliner. Georgi made a quick work of the other eyelid too, then told him: “You can open your eyes now, I'll get the mascara.”

Feeling the bright light in his eyes again was a little painful, adding to the tiredness that was starting to weight down on him in addition to the thick mascara being applied on his lashes. It was getting late, after all. Georgi would probably have to give him a lift.

“Do you want to stay overnight?” Georgi's question caught him off guard, just as he was getting started on his lips. Had he absentmindedly voiced his thoughts out loud?

“No it's fine, I don't want to be a nuisance. Surely you must have a lot of work to do and I don't want to keep you busy.”

“That's not a problem.You could never be bothersome, even if you tried.” Georgi traced his lips with a red crayon – Yuuri guessed the shade as “Blood” - , then proceeded to coat them with a lipstick of a similar shade. Yuuri had to open up his mouth so Georgi could have an exact access to his lips, having decided long ago to only paint the middle so his puckered lips would form a heart. He pulled them together, rubbing before releasing them with a loud “pop” that resonated inside the otherwise quiet room. Realizing suddenly how obscene his action had been, Yuuri's cheeks colored, certain they were as red as his lips.

Georgi, thank God, hadn't seemed to notice nor mind. “Last touch,” he only concluded, grabbing a beige and brown pencils and tracing two parallel lines on Yuuri's chin, running from the bottom corner of each side of the red heart. He took turn using the pencils, coloring the lines alternatively and shading to have them burst, as if they were part of Yuuri's face.

He finally sighed, pushing back in his chair and away from Yuuri to watch him. “There, all done!”

“How do I look, then?” Yuuri asked, wincing a little when he sat up, having stayed in the comfortable chair for much too long.

Georgi grinned in response, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Why don't you see it for yourself?”

When he saw the transformation, Yuuri gasped. He had known Georgi to be capable of miracles and making some of the best illusions out of reality, but he hadn't thought him capable of transforming into a human-sized, realistic-looking puppet. Somehow, Georgi had managed to pull quite a feat: he'd transformed him into a ventriloquist dummy. The words alone, he thought as he stepped closer to the glass, didn't do it justice. The name, used on its own, appealed to a world Yuuri only associated with darkness and children's nightmares, and yet when he looked at him he felt none of the horror he'd expected to experience upon gazing at his final makeover. He didn't remind himself of a Goosebumps villain or a demonic clown straight out of a freak show. He reminded himself of the precious dolls one kept in glass cases in museums, for the sake of preserving their beauty from the outer world.

“And what do you think of the final result?” Georgi asked softly, his chest pressing against Yuuri's back.

Yuuri swallowed the lump in his throat. “These are my strings. Puppets are only free when they love their strings, aren't they?”

The kiss Georgi pressed to his neck made him shiver, though not enough to take his eyes off his reflection.

Georgi hummed appreciatively in his ear. “I guess so. I take it it is to your taste, Puppet Master?” Georgi murmured.

Yuuri shook his head. “I don't like it. I adore it.”

[ninjagoforever]

Playing DGS, Case 2, Investigation 1, Part 1

Wow, that’s a long title…

(Spoilers under the cut, obviously, and this is your daily reminder to try the game if you’re at all interested in visual novels/mystery games)

Now that we’ve filled our quota for being accused of murder, on to the main plot.

*opening cutscene plays*

Um, wow, there’s a lot to unpack here. We have, in no particular order:

1)     A (slightly revised) excerpt from the titular Sherlock Holmes adventure

2)     A locked-room murder of a Russian person on a ship

3)     Sherlock Holmes analysing the crime scene in typical Sherlock Holmes fashion

a.      Also, he has fancy zoom goggles

b.      The goggles can detect infrared/handprints

c.      They can also take pictures, I think?

d.      Also, a gun that sprays Crime Scene Forensics PowderTM

4)     Susato is here for some reason

5)     Apparently Holmes just showed up out of nowhere and started doing his thing because no one seems to understand why he’s here

a.      Maybe he just heard the sound of mystery like Phoenix seems to hear the sound of people who are unjustly accused of unnecessarily convoluted murders

6)     The killer is in the closet, which Holmes can see with his fancy zoom goggles

a.      (Which contradicts the idea that that’s actually the killer because 1) different handwriting between sign and obviously forged final message and 2) the sign is clearly over the crack between the doors. If the victim put it up how did the killer get in there? Did they phase through the wall or something after committing the murder?)

Phew. Where was I?

***

Ah, there you are Ryuu—why are you chained up?!

7)     We’re in an unfamiliar place after being knocked unconscious (I think) and handcuffed

***

Someone: Oh, you’re finally awake. You didn’t wake up even when we dragged you out of the wardrobe.

Me: Yes, I am, now please give me some answers—wait, wardrobe?

Ryuunosuke: Oops. Looks like I got caught.

Sailor: That’s right, you criminal!

Me: Wait, go back. What was that about me being in the wardrobe?

***

Susato: *appears*

Me: Oh, thank goodness, someone I know! Can you please tell me—

Susato: Why did you kill him?

Me: Dang it Ryuunosuke can’t you go one case without being accused of murder even your descendant managed that much

***

Ryuunosuke: Where’s Asougi?

Me: Good question. Where is Asougi? It’s probably his fault I’m in this mess.

Sailor: Don’t play dumb! You murdered him!

Me: Wait, what!?

8)     This music is way too awesome to be playing when I just found out my best friend is dead and I’ve been accused of killing him

***

Susato: I’ll ask you one more time. Why did you kill Asougi?

Me: But I didn’t! I wouldn’t! You of all people should know that! He saved my life!

***

*flashback*

9)     Asougi decided to smuggle Ryuunosuke to Britain for whatever reason

a.      He looks far too happy about this

b.      Ryuunosuke was stuffed in a trunk

c.      The cabin fever is very real

d.      Susato had no idea about any of this

e.      I knew this was his fault

Ryuunosuke: If they find me, they’ll tear my head off!

Asougi: Yep.

Me: For a guy who was willing to risk everything to save Ryuunosuke’s life a few months ago, you sure don’t seem very concerned over his well-being now…

10) Apparently Ryuunosuke wrote the DO NOT OPEN sign. That explains a lot

a.      (not really)

***

Sailor: Don’t try anything funny! I’m watching you, murderer!

Me: I’m handcuffed and in shock from being accused of murder and finding out my friend is dead. How much trouble do you honestly think I’m capable of causing right now?

Ryuunosuke: No wait, I didn’t kill him!

Sailor: You’re the only possible culprit. Just confess already!

Me: Not a chance! I didn’t do it!

Me: This is starting to sound familiar…

***

Susato: The only explanation is that the killer was in the cabin. You were the only one inside the cabin. Do you have any objections?

Me: Not at the moment, put please keep in mind that I’m gonna prove someone else was in here sooner or later.

***

Me: Susato, please stop being mad at me. I didn’t kill him!

Susato: You were here the entire time. You should already know what happened.

Ryuunosuke: Good point. But tell me anyway. I was asleep the whole time.

Susato: I don’t believe you.

Me: …that’s fair

***

Susato: Why did Asougi sneak you aboard?

Ryuunosuke: Good question. I don’t know either.

Me: And you went along with it anyway. You’re Phoenix Wright’s ancestor, all right…

***

*flashback*

Ryuunosuke: I thought you were joking when you said I was meant to be an attorney.

Asougi: You could absolutely do it.

Ryuunosuke: Well, I’m not doing it, whether I have the talent or not.

Me: Again, I have some bad news for you, Ryuunosuke…

11) Asougi knows (er, knew) what’s up

a.      I’m not saying Asougi wanted to be legal partners with Ryuunosuke, but Asougi really, really wanted to be legal partners with Ryuunosuke

b.      Susato agrees with me

Addendum to 9): Asougi is very cavalier about committing a crime that he won’t even let his assistant know about to save her from punishment if he’s caught

***

Susato: If you didn’t do it, what happened last night?

Ryuunosuke: Um…I don’t remember. I think I slept through it. I know how bad it sounds, but it’s the truth.

Me: Well, that’s conveniently inconvenient.

Susato: You slept through your best friend’s murder.

Me: Ooof. It sounds really bad when you say it like that.

Susato: *gives Ryuunosuke the stink-eye*

***

Susato: Don’t move an inch!

Me: …or what?

Ryuunosuke: My best friend was murdered! I can’t just sit here and do nothing! I’m going to investigate and find the real culprit!

Me: Um, Ryuunosuke—WHOA WHOA WHOA!

Me: Why is everything upside down?

Susato: That was the Susato Toss.

Me: Or you’ll throw me across the room. Got it.