#DiU is baby :')

[thefreakyval]

nephewdad uncleson. araki was too much of a pussy to expand on their father son relationship. SO I WILLLLLLLLLLLLL.

[starry-blue-echoes]

Manifesting Shizuka as the Part 9 protag 🙏🙏🙏

[porunareff]

Crying because I’m rewatching Stardust 😭

You have inspired me to compile the ultimate JOJO tearjerker marathon challenge for all the legends out there who want to exercise their tear ducts:

Phantom Blood ep. 9, The Final Ripple

Battle Tendency ep. 11, Caesar: A Lonely Youth

Stardust Crusaders ep. 44, Miasma of the Void, Vanilla Ice p.3

Stardust Crusaders ep. 46, DIO's World p.2

Stardust Crusaders ep. 48, The Distant Journey - Farewell Friends

Vento Aureo ep. 28, Beneath a Falling Sky

Vento Aureo ep. 33, His Name is Diavolo

Vento Aureo ep. 35, The Requiem Plays Quietly

Vento Aureo ep. 37, The King of Kings

Stone Ocean ep. 22, Time for Heaven, New Moon!

Stone Ocean ep. 37, Made in Heaven p.2

Stone Ocean ep. 38, What a Wonderful World

By successfully completing this challenge, you'll unlock a very cool secret super power (puffy eyes and runny nose)

[unkindhands]

Can you imagine if we lived in the world where Araki went through his art style development in the middle of part 3 instead of part 4 and Keicho went through the whole manga looking like this

would that be fucked up or what

[w4rigari]

I did a Christmas art trade with @scootsaboot !!! Here’s Josuyasu being all cute and cuddly 🥹💝❄️

[minglana]

btw all of this? all this shit abt being melancholic and me being melodramatic? has been typed out ahile having barras warras stuck in my head

[heatwa-ves]

For someone who knows nothing about jolyne I have so many thoughts about her

[theophagie]

I love you Josuke I love you my darling boy the most majestic boy of all..........

[silenthill2ps2]

steel ball run was so close to being the best jojo part like araki peaked with his plot/character writing but no he had to throw in some weird ableism and racism

[woainiaini]

back with trying to draw my OCs for their birthday until i improve so here's Miran ♡

[nosferatufaggot]

The gang could've been watching Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure that summer. They could've been. Don't boo me I'm right.

[fatuismooches]

fabulam diu oblitus - prelude.

synopsis: The tale of the raven and the sparrow has long been forgotten by most, but some will always remember.

includes: dottore w/ gn! reader

notes: This is the first part of a multi-chaptered fic that became too long to put into one post. It is a telling of your and Dottore's life as a fairytale, with fragile reader because yes. Thank you to all of my followers and anons who helped me figure out the animals that should be used and especially my lovely moot @kaixserzz!

prelude. first interlude. second interlude. postlude. sequel.

“Once upon a time, there was a baby raven. The raven was an inquisitive and curious hatchling who wanted to explore things that no one else had ever dared of. But because of his ideas, the raven was beaten, shunned, and cursed for the entirety of his childhood. Eventually, as soon as he reached adulthood, he was chased away from his nest, and from that day on, the raven swore to never trust a single soul ever again. But one day, the raven came across a sparrow, who seemed to love to challenge and test him at every possible moment.”

When Zandik was exiled from his hometown, he thought that he was prepared for what was to come, for he had experienced the worst of what humanity had to offer. He knew better than to give any other person the time of day and resolved himself to be cold and closed off. And he didn’t mind being that way, as everyone at the Akademiya was a sore, shallow disappointment. He wondered if anything of substance ever went through those brains of theirs. Ignoring his classmates had garnered him a poor reputation, but it didn’t bother Zandik too much as he was far more interested in his personal research.

That was until he met you.

You had barged into his life out of nowhere, much to his dismay, and invaded his space, now occupying one of the beds in the dorm. You had greatly sabotaged his workspace and time, as now he had to be conscious of what he worked on in your presence. He had to be careful in his own bedroom because of you. It was positively infuriating. But perhaps the most confusing and annoying thing was your attitude towards him. 

You were… kind. You would smile at him. You would inquire into his studies and research with supposedly genuine interest (he had yet to deduce whether you were being real or not.) You would cook for him and continued to do so even though he had yet to thank you for it. You would run errands for him willingly without any protest. You would shut down anyone talking shit about him immediately.

Zandik didn’t like it.

—

“Despite the sparrow’s kind nature, the raven couldn’t bring himself to accept it. It wasn’t unheard of for ravens to prey on sparrows, and at some moments, sometimes the raven wanted nothing more than to swallow up the sparrow so they wouldn’t be in his hair anymore. But there were no opportunities for the raven to do that, so he was forced to endure the sparrow’s presence. However, he came to realize that the sparrow had far more strengths than he initially gave them credit for. Over time, it blossomed into a most unique relationship, one that should have never been possible.”

Zandik wanted you gone. Your behavior didn���t sit quite right with him, for reasons that weren’t hard to guess. But there was nothing he could do. No amount of harsh words or bickering could seem to deter you. Surely you heard of the rumors? Of what he possibly could have done? Of what he could possibly do to you? And yet you insisted on sticking around, despite his vehement denial of your presence.

Although Zandik didn’t like you, that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate your usefulness. And more recently, your intelligence as well. You didn’t think like the other scholars at the Akademiya. You weren’t short-sighted or close-minded, you were always open to new ideas and discussions. You were willing to listen to him even while he was being rude and made zero sense, always having a notepad handy to write down his words. At first, Zandik thought you were mocking him, but a quick investigation into your notes made it clear that you were one hundred percent serious. 

Naturally, you didn’t think exactly like him either for obvious reasons, but it was… refreshing. That made you far more intelligent in his eyes than any other brain-dead scholar. Yet at the same time, your excessive kindness made him think you were painfully stupid. Especially when his cruel insults and ignorance didn’t drive you away, and at some point you had the audacity to start giggling at him whenever he did so. Very strange, stupid, and smart.

He had dubbed you an enigma. Indeed, you were puzzling and difficult to understand. Normally, he enjoyed the challenge when it came to stuff like ancient texts or questions that arrived from his research, however, he wasn’t sure if he liked these qualities in a person. He liked your curiosity but your personality made him feel things he didn’t want to. But much to his dread, even this scholar wasn’t totally immune to your sweet charms, and he was slowly but surely beginning to warm up to you.

—

“Against all odds, the raven and sparrow became one and the same. It seemed as though the two could not be separated.”

You were always sure it was going to be a long and arduous journey, becoming Zandik’s friend, but you were well aware of what you were getting yourself into. Though even you could not have anticipated how much Zandik would like you, despite it always being your goal. It started off gradually, and it took you a bit to realize his small changes toward you. 

Something you realized was that Zandik enjoyed being genuinely listened to. Perhaps because no one had lent him an ear, or even then never took what he said seriously. Perhaps he was mocked and shut down. So you listened. And he told you more, and more, and more every time. You could be doing your own thing, and Zandik would drag you away from it, under the premise that his work was far more important. The audacity! But you didn’t really mind, except the times he woke you up in the middle of the night to check over his conclusions. 

Even still, it was hard not to find his bursts of excitement and passion cute. It was hard not to find how he inhaled your cooking cute. It was hard not to find his little grunts of approval at your work or the reluctant compliment of “Good, I guess” cute. And oh, and don’t get you started on the way he blushed when you got a little too close, and then promptly told you to fuck off. Zandik was so cute. Unhinged. Not a good or nice person. Mean. But cute. 

Eventually came a time when Zandik stopped trying to get rid of you. He stopped locking you out of the dorm and he stopped throwing insults at you for merely existing with him. Instead came times when you two would “hang out” as you would put it. You’d teach him how to cook but uncharacteristically gave up after one lesson because he was truly that bad. You would do group projects together and then snicker to one another about how the other groups’ work paled in comparison. You two would go out together, initially for the purpose of research, but end up spending some time relaxing in the soft plush of the forest together. No words were said, but perhaps fingers and legs accidentally brushed each other every now and then.

These were good times, Zandik admitted to himself.

—

“Despite their blatant differences, the raven and sparrow seemed to fit together perfectly, wings and beaks tucked into each other effortlessly. Both had accepted each other for who they were, something no one else had done for either of them. Many years passed, and the two developed feelings for each other. However, neither of them was sure how to express their love.”

The good times lasted far, far longer than Zandik could have ever dreamed of. You had remained a constant in his life for many years. He could have never imagined you’d stick around nor would he tolerate your presence for so long. It was now that he realized that there would always be a vast amount of possibilities in this world, ones that he would never believe existed, but they certainly did. You were an example of that.

Another thing he realized was how differently his body and mind could react around you.

Zandik realized, that sometimes his palms could get hot around you. Not sweaty, but hot and tingly. It was a strange sensation. He realized, that when your skin came into contact with his, instead of feeling like he had just been scalded, he simply felt… warmth. Not the overbearing or underwhelming kind. It was just warm. The worst part was, he realized that on very few and rare occasions, his heart would speed up a bit and get stuck in his throat. It was horrible. Zandik despised it.

And his mind, his mind would unconsciously favor you. He would wonder, what time were you coming home? Did anyone bother you? When you didn’t understand something, his mind automatically went to the idea of explaining again (begrudgingly?) instead of leaving you hanging. He hated group projects even more now when they weren’t with you because his mind instinctively knew that other people simply could not hope to compare to you in the slightest. His mind grew in various ways over the years, but this particular aspect… he was confused. This part wasn’t necessarily a hindrance, but it was odd and he couldn’t control it. Zandik preferred to be in control, especially of his own body, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t understand. 

You, on the other hand, completely understood your own feelings as well as Zandik’s. There was no doubt about it. You were in love with Zandik. Zandik was in love with you. This was the irrefutable truth. You couldn’t determine exactly at what point he began to like you romantically, but you knew you had liked him for years. You were just glad the pining was mutual now because the feelings were starting to weigh heavy on your heart. But now, you found yourself in a plight.

How to finally confess to Zandik.

You really had no idea how to do it. If it was any normal person, you’d probably have an easier time. But no, this was Zandik, which made everything complicated. You had gone through multiple different scenarios in your head, and none of them seemed right. You thought about it, in the morning, during class, while eating, on expeditions, before bed. Yes, the procedure of making Zandik your boyfriend was occupying your mind far more than it should be, embarrassingly enough.

Zandik noticed your continuous contemplative state of mind as well. He wasn’t much of a fan. No, not at all. Did you realize how much of a nuisance it was to be explaining or giving instructions to you and then find out you’re staring into space (which coincidentally happens to be his face) instead? And then he has to snap at you to pay attention and instead, you just give him a silly smile? It was nonsensical. At some point, Zandik had decided this had gone on far too long and demanded you tell him what had occupied your mind so much that it turned you into an airhead. Unfortunately, it was mostly unsuccessful as you two only had a little back-and-forth, with you defending that you were just tired lately and Zandik calling you out on that bullshit. But he let it go.

Was he worried? No, of course not. It was just that having his assistant’s mind not focused on him was entirely bothersome.

… Alright perhaps he was a little worried. Just a little. He didn’t like it when you were troubled.

—

“But thankfully, the sparrow found a moment to show their true feelings. Was it the perfect moment? No, perhaps not. But it became one. And amazingly enough, the odd duo had become an odd couple.”

It was the most average of nights. Really, incredibly average. The two of you were stuck on the floor doing a group project for the past few nights. It was a lot of work, meant for a group of people, but of course, you and Zandik refused to add anyone else to the group, so now you two had been grinding the work together for a while. But neither of you minded. It really was much easier with the two of you anyway.

Right now, Zandik was rambling on about what to add and what to do next and the comparisons and contrasting of the data and a variety of other things. Normal Zandik things, as he pointed and waved his hands to make his point. But all of his words entered one ear and came out the next for you. You were far too busy admiring his beauty.

Zandik didn’t notice your adoring stare, no, of course, he was too caught up in his rambling, but that was okay. You didn’t know what came over you, but an impulsive thought to just make him see came over you. To taste him. To let him taste you. To let him realize the depth of your feelings. To let him realize the extent of his own feelings too.

And so for the first time ever, you cupped Zandik’s cheek, to which his words came to an abrupt stop. He practically swiveled his head around to give you one of those signature looks of his, and he had your hand that was on his cheek in a tight grip around your wrist, nails digging into your skin as an automatic response to such blatant physical touch. It hurt, but that was when you took the opportunity.

After all, it was hard to focus on the pain when his lips were on yours. 

You were kissing Zandik, who was immediately practically screaming into your lips, along the muffled lines of “whadahelareyodoigmph?” And you would have chuckled at his reaction, were it not for how entranced you were by kissing him. It seemed, that after the initial shock, Zandik piped down and also began to process what was happening. He didn’t fight back. He didn’t move away. His grip on your wrist loosened, and you took the chance to intertwine your fingers with his instead before pulling away in satisfaction. Zandik’s face was red and his lip quivered in a half-hearted scowl, probably cursing both you and himself because of the fact he enjoyed a mere kiss that much. But he wasn’t the only one affected. Your own heart was hammering out of your chest as you tried to stop yourself from smiling too widely.

“You know, I’ve…” you paused, trying to control your heartbeat, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.” So this was what was occupying that idiot mind of yours, Zandik thinks. How stupid.

Zandik's eyes flickered to yours, bearing a half-hearted glare, and they only said one thing: oh, he hated how easily you made him feel disgustingly weak, and how his fingers tremble in anticipation when you’re near, and how his heart beats far too much for what’s to come next, but oh, he demands that you do it again right now before he goes mad. So you did. You kissed Zandik again, and this time he kissed back.

His pointy teeth grazed your lip as he awkwardly kissed back, clearly unsure of what he was doing. But that was okay. You were probably his first kiss, after all, the idea of doing such a thing with anyone was revolting to him. Before he fell in love with you, of course. Well, this was your first kiss too, but you had read enough books to know what you were doing. You caressed his hair, gently rubbed his arms, and perhaps pushed him down on the bed a bit. It was very nice, to have years of feelings condensed into these kisses.

Neither of you said anything for the rest of the night after the kissing session, the group project now long forgotten. Except when you squeaked in pain since he had the gall to bite down on your lip, then swipe your bloody lip with his tongue deviously. You should have known that Zandik being inexperienced in something only lasts for a short time.

When you two finally went to sleep, Zandik allowed it when you climbed into his bed and delicately placed a hand on his chest, cuddling into him.

—

“The sparrow and raven’s romantic partnership began just like that. Nothing else needed to be said. In all honesty, nothing had changed much between the two who had been friends for years, except for the addition of an overwhelming amount of affection from the sparrow towards the raven.”

You and Zandik were dating now. It was truly a dream come true. Truly a dreamlike moment to randomly kiss his cheek and then watch him become a mixture of flustered and angry at you for doing such things. Truly a dreamlike moment to be able to squeeze his hand under the table when people were talking about him. Truly a dreamlike moment to be able to hold him and caress him all over, to watch his face as he received the love he never received as a child. And truly a… laughable moment as he familiarized himself with holding you, which took much work and effort. 

It was fine though. You were positive your relationship would endure throughout any kind of struggle.

—

“Though, like any kind of relationship, the two sometimes encountered a few bumps and turns that would perhaps set them back. But, these problems never lasted too long because… the sparrow and the raven had unusual ways of solving their problems sometimes.”

Zandik wasn’t very strong. Smart, a definite yes, but his physical abilities weren’t anything special, which was why you took it upon yourself to fight whenever the need arose. So when he came back to the dorms one day with hastily wrapped bandages and cuts and bruises, naturally you were extremely worried.

“Who did this?” He didn’t respond to you as he made his way to the bathroom and you quickly followed after. Zandik was digging through the cabinet for more medical supplies, the previous bandages now lying on the floor.

“Zandik,” you murmured. You knew that people didn’t like him, but you didn’t think it would go to such a physical extent. Most people had the common sense to leave him alone or merely talk about him instead. But now that you thought about it, you had an idea of who it could be. Ugh, those fools from the recent expedition. When Zandik exposed their faulty and false research in front of everyone with ease, they seemed to grow some kind of grudge against him. 

“Zandik, let me see.”

“There’s no need.” You watched as he roughly treated the wounds, his emotions clearly showing in his actions.

“Zandik, I can-”

“I said no,” your lover harshly snapped, gritting his teeth. He was trying to stop himself from saying anything else because he could say things he didn’t mean when he was in this kind of mood.

“Okay then,” you acquiesced and let him be. As much as you wanted to comfort him, it wasn’t a good time now. You needed to give him some space first. But at least when you left the dorm, you had a goal in mind.

You didn’t return until it was pitch black outside, and similarly, all the lights in the dorm’s building were off, so you wandered through the darkness until you reached your room. Ah, the door was unlocked too. Zandik must have left it open for you. You just hoped you didn’t get any blood on the doorknob.

The room was dark. Zandik probably went to sleep early. You went straight to the bathroom to clean up. After all, your hands and clothes were all icky with the blood of your classmates. Flipping on the light and looking at yourself in the mirror, you examined yourself. Good thing you weren’t wearing a nice outfit. And your face, not a single scratch of course. They couldn’t lay a hand on you and they wouldn’t be laying a hand on Zandik ever again.

“Where were you?” The sudden voice nearly made you jump. Zandik was at the doorway. So he was awake.

“Oh, Zandik. Hello. I was simply out with my friends, you know?” You gave him a reassuring smile. Obviously, the scholar knew that was a complete lie. He knew what you had done, he just had trouble understanding why. And how too.

Zandik came up to you and grabbed your hands, surprising you. His watchful eyes checked them thoroughly, the blood not bothering him in the slightest. You were truly unharmed. If you weren’t, he would have done something a lot worse than what you did.

“What, are you worried?” You teased. He seemed to be feeling better. Zandik only huffed in response.

“Why would you do that? Now the Akademiya is going to be behind your back.” Classic Zandik, using negativity to mask his appreciation.

“No, they won’t. Our little friends got beaten up by some Eremites instead. They told me so themselves,” you giggled almost a little crazily at his expression. “You’re not the only one with tricks up your sleeve, Zandik.”

“Even so, it was,” he paused for a quick second to think, “a fruitless waste of time. You could have been helping me instead.” Again, you couldn’t help but laugh at his words. It would really kill him to be truthful for once, huh?

“Look,” you placed both your bloody hands over his own. “You are my boyfriend, are you not?” You cocked your head to the side, waiting for a response to which he nodded. “Precisely. So by that logic, I am yours, and you are mine. And naturally, I like to take care of things that are mine. Especially if that happens to be my brilliant blue-haired scholar,” you smiled. Perhaps you seemed a touch bit possessive. But this wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, no, you two belonged to each other after all. Zandik didn’t respond but he unconsciously gripped your hands a little bit tighter.

“Just make sure no one sees you doing the laundry,” he huffed.

“Yes, love~,” you pressed a kiss on his cheek to which he made another grumble but made no effort to stop you. After you two got cleaned up, a restful and peaceful sleep came naturally.

—

“Underneath the moon and stars, the two shared years' worth of memories, touches, and love. Though even the moon couldn’t quite understand this seemingly impossible couple, it still bore witness to their endeavors every night without fail. But one day, tragedy struck. The sparrow fell sick to a terrible illness.”

Your relationship with Zandik had become one of the highlights of your life. Perhaps it seemed like you were too crazed for the man, but what was love if you two weren’t a bit crazy for each other? Your life was truly a joy with this grouchy and easily irritable scholar who went a wee bit soft at affection. Well, that was if you excluded the few ailments you had come down with recently.

It started small at first. 

Seemingly minor things affected you. Perhaps a painful throb in your head that wouldn’t seem to go away, but you passed it off as the stresses of exams and school. Aches and pains when you moved your body, but maybe it was just from sleeping in awkward positions because you kept passing out in the middle of the night after pulling yet another all-nighter with Zandik. Sometimes you felt unusually cold, or perhaps hotter than normal. But you thought it was nothing too big, maybe something was going around in the Akademiya.

That’s what Zandik thought too… at first. You were a strong person, no stranger to fighting whether it was people or Ruin Drakes. You would bounce back. In fact, in the beginning, he thought you were overdramatizing your pain. Groaning and whining and clinging to him in an attempt to convince him to stay in the dorms today instead of going out on this expedition. Of course, he shook you off and rolled his eyes, telling you to hurry up. He didn’t miss the tiny sigh you let out, and the slight twinge in his chest but that was quickly washed over by the thought that you were simply milking your unwell condition in an effort to gain more of his attention. 

He didn’t miss how you were much quieter than usual, leaving his voice to fill the silence as you two walked. He didn’t miss your slow and tired steps, to which you had to ask for him to slow down which he begrudgingly did. And he certainly did not miss when you tripped and nearly fell were it not for him catching you in time.

Zandik was about to scold you for your carelessness but the words died on his tongue at your expression. Dulled eyes and pants, your chest heaving up and down due to the strain. You swallowed before your eyes sparked back to life again, seemingly recovering from that little fall. 

“Sorry,” you smiled at him with a hint of nervousness. “Guess I didn’t get enough sleep.” Yeah, you went to sleep a bit late last night, but it wasn’t a three AM kind of night. It was rather earlier than usual, to be honest. So you really weren’t sure why your body was acting like this. Zandik looked at you, silent and unimpressed, but you think he bought it. After that, you tried to return to your normal chirpy self despite the throbbing of your head. You were saved by the fact that this expedition was only examining plants and fauna for a class instead of the normal expeditions you and Zandik carry out.

It did not get better from then. Zandik surely noticed from the way his usual rude comments gradually turned into silence and quiet help at your genuine condition. He wasn’t stupid. He could tell that you were being real. But it all boiled over one afternoon.

You wanted to ignore your deteriorating state badly. You wanted to pretend that it didn’t exist. If you admitted it to yourself, then everything would be over. For what good were you when you were stuck in bed all day? Not just to yourself, but to Zandik as well? You knew he would never leave you, wouldn’t ever hate you but… still, it bothered and worried you more than you liked to admit. So whenever it was possible, you did some tasks for your lover.

Today’s errand was simple. You’d done it multiple times before. You just had to retrieve some parts Zandik ordered (legally, this time) and bring them back to the dorm. And you had done just that… only with a minor hiccup. Yes, it was only a small setback, being pushed and shoved by some of your classmates who didn’t like you or Zandik. Yes, it was just an insignificant occurrence, your body too weak to fight back and put them in their place like you normally did. And since it was so trivial, you didn’t want Zandik to know. So when you got back to the dorm, you put on your smiling face and acted oblivious, handing your boyfriend the purchase and then scurrying to the bathroom. 

Not to mention, there were some scuffs and marks on your uniform. They looked to be only minor, but Zandik still noticed them immediately. Your uniform was crisp and pristine before you left, after all. And whenever you got into an altercation, you’d tell him every time. This time, however, seemed different. Now that you looked back, you were pretty damn obvious, but your knees were hurting really bad.

The scholar waited a few moments before waiting outside the bathroom door, listening in. What he heard were whines and grunts of pains, and then something falling supposedly from the cabinet, and then a string of curses from you. You were definitely hurt.

“[Name].” His tone was flat and serious, and immediately all noise from the bathroom became nonexistent.

“…Yes?” That tone of voice. You were guilty of something.

“I’m coming in,” he didn’t bother giving you a grace period despite your sputters of protest. Zandik found you near the sink, only in your undergarments, Akademiya uniform discarded to the hamper, now stained with small patches of blood. Knees and elbows scraped and bloody. Instinctively you moved your heads to cover your elbows at least, in an attempt to minimize the severity of the situation… which didn’t really work.

“Oh… hey Zandik!” You smiled nervously. “See this,” you motioned to your injuries, “I just tripped and fell again. No big deal!” You had a good and believable excuse. It was just that your execution of it was really bad and your boyfriend could see through you easily. But he didn’t need you to tell the truth, he already had a hunch as to what happened. Plus, if you truly had fell, the gashes wouldn’t have been so deep.

“...” Zandik seemed expressionless as he went behind you and grabbed the bandages and the necessary supplies to disinfect it, before grabbing your hand and pulling you to the bed. You opened your mouth to argue but closed it again, probably realizing there was no getting out of this. It was eerily quiet as Zandik uncharacteristically treated your wounds with more care than usual. Most of the time, he was rough with it as he scolded you for being dumb, rolling his eyes as you chastised him for being so mean. This time, however, most of the sting was from the liquid cleaning the wound. He finally wrapped the bandage neatly around your knees and elbows, before he broke the silence.

“You’re not leaving the dorm tomorrow.” You snapped your head up at this statement.

“Excuse me? Yes, I-”

“No, you’re not. You’re staying in bed.”

“You can’t decide that for me. I can go where I-”

“Not when you’re like this,” he bluntly stated. It was harsh, but it was the truth, and you knew it. But hearing it like that hurt, even though you knew this was Zandik’s way of looking out for you.

The room was quiet again since you couldn’t argue any further.

And so, you had decided to take a break from going to classes for a while. Well, it was more like Zandik had decided that for you, his words being that it would be a great inconvenience for both of you if you continued to act like this, and so he confined you to bed rest and refused to let you leave. Sure, his expeditions would have to be delayed, he lamented, but it would be a waste of time to go when you weren’t in tip-top shape. So stop being an idiot and fighting him and rest already. You know, Zandik’s typical way of being worried. He even took the time to teach you everything, and of course, keep you updated on how shitty the professors were.

So now, your days consisted of resting in the dorm, sometimes doing homework that Zandik brought home, or your own hobbies. But you did feel bad. You didn’t like sitting around and doing nothing all day long when Zandik had to be by himself now. If you were going to be stuck in the dorm all day, the least you could do is tidy up a bit. And of course, cook for the two of you.

Cooking and sometimes even baking were things you liked, but it became one of your favorite things because of Zandik. It sounded strange, but you liked seeing him well-fed and not living off of his inedible cooking. Today you would make… shawarma wraps. Yes, you were in the mood for that today. And so you got to work preparing and cutting the ingredients. The only problem was… your hands were far more shaky than you wanted them to be. The knife quivered in your hands and now the vegetables were being cut weirdly.

Indeed, it had been harder to steady your hands nowadays, so you tried to go for easier food to prepare. But you really wanted to eat some shawarma wraps today,  so you continued on. If you just focus your hand, then surely the knife would just-

…And now, there was blood spurting onto the countertop and dripping on the floor. Just great. It was like nothing would go your way ever again once you came down with this mysterious illness. You blinked back tears the whole time you clumsily wrapped the cut and cleaned the kitchen. 

It was a horrible feeling really, to suddenly be unable to do things that were once so easy. To have things you once loved doing feel like a daunting chore now. No matter how hard you tried to avoid thinking about your illness, it felt like it was consuming your life now. You didn’t want it to start defining you… but it hurt. So badly, that you didn’t even bother putting up your usual cheerful front that evening. Zandik took one look at your hand and could deduce what happened. He would have scolded you, were it not for your terribly gloomy expression.

Once again, in pure silence, he redressed your wound (which was poorly wrapped by your unsteady hands.) You didn’t want to speak, nor did you want Zandik to speak. You didn’t want any pity or reprimanding right now. You quietly rested your head on his shoulder, requesting nothing more.

—

“From then on, the little sparrow’s condition only went on a downward spiral. It seemed like no amount of rest and medication could hope to help them recover. Slowly, it seemed like they were becoming a shell of their former self… quiet, tired, and closed off. The raven could only watch as his beloved grew farther… and farther… and more distant from him in more ways than one. In fact, it would be more fitting to call the sparrow a butterfly now. Butterflies are beautiful, but transient. They are truly a joy to admire, but if one gets attached, they will only end up in a world of pain as the butterfly leaves them far too soon.”

You had long given up on classes and work. The assignments Zandik brought home were piled up in a corner. Just looking at them made you feel exhausted. You tried to do some every now and then, but how could you focus on school when you felt like you were physically and mentally deteriorating with every passing day? Though, many had no sympathy for your current predicament which was why you found yourself in your current predicament.

Kicked out of the Akademiya. How embarrassing. Yes, you were not joking. They had a letter of expulsion delivered right to your door for being absent and missing too many assignments, and an order to pack all your belongings and leave within a week. You were not very surprised and kind of accepted it. Zandik on the other hand, had a few choice words for the messenger, before slamming the door with a bang. He was much more wildly upset about this than you were, a spew of curses directed towards a multitude of people in the Akademiya came flying out his mouth. He wouldn’t accept this, he said. But both you and him knew there was nothing to be done, especially since they would never listen to an outcast such as himself. So in due time, you found yourself admitted to Sumeru’s local hospital. Zandik’s expression was grim, which you tried to change.

“I know you’re going to miss cuddling up to me at night, dearest,” you teased in an effort to lighten up the mood. “Don’t miss me too much!” Zandik, however, did not have the slightest reaction, which made your smile dim.

“Hey,” your tone dropped a bit. “Don’t look so glum. Otherwise, you’re really going to make me think you can’t live without me.” This particular tease made his eye twitch.

Zandik scoffed, “You overestimate yourself. I am not so helpless that I would need you to be near me at all times. Furthermore, I suggest you be ready for when you come back. We have a lot of work to catch up on.” You couldn’t help but laugh at that. Oh, how perfect it was, despite all the changes in your life, Zandik never changes, does he? With his harsh words veiled with some kindness underneath, a silent promise to you that he will make you better and you will be healthy again in no time.

“Of course, of course, love. I promise I’ll be ready to be worked to the bone by you after all of this,” you smiled softly. Zandik rolled his eyes, but at that moment, everything felt like it was going to be okay.

And it… kind of was, for a while. If you ignore the whole context of the situation. You were surprised to see Zandik make time for you every day to visit you in your dreary hospital room, but he did. He would bring you things sometimes, books or puzzles so that your brain wouldn’t get bored. The hospital staff were initially on guard at his presence every day, for his reputation had spread even beyond the Akademiya, but they got used to him after many repeated visits. 

Zandik, on the other hand, didn’t realize how much different you made his life until you were actually gone. He told himself that he could deal with it, that he had done it long before he ever met you, so he would be fine.

He wasn’t.

No longer could he bask in you and everything that came with you. Your brains, your intelligence, your strength, your efficiency, your productivity, your voice, your smile, your laughs, your horrible jokes, your touch, your cuddles, your body - you, you, you. No longer could he call for you and you would be there in an instant, arms swung around his shoulders. No longer could he fall victim to being the taste tester for your new recipes. No longer could he consume your very being… it was driving him mad. He despised how you weren’t at your rightful place at his side.

And he despised how dull your eyes had gotten. For the first few weeks, it was “normal” at least. You’d still be excited to see him. Listen to him. Converse with him. Beg him to stop trying to cook again and just buy takeout. “Normal” things. But now, it was very different. You never outright ignored his presence but, you were far more distant. Barely speaking full sentences, save for the “mhm” and “uh huh” that sounded more forced than anything. Not even mustering the energy to reach out to him or brush your fingers against his You had asked for your bed to be placed right next to a window, and every time he visited, you were in the same position. Staring out the window longingly, gazing down at the city.

And there was nothing Zandik could do. There were no words he could say, no amount of comfort he could provide that would somehow make things better. No, the only thing he could do was solve the issue itself. He was best at that anyway, the scholar and researcher in him paying off. The Akademiya’s libraries were overtaken by him, day and night. No medical text went unread by him. He looked for answers during class lectures. During meals, during the early hours of the morning, and depths of the night. He looked and looked and looked without rest.

But one day, Zandik realized that perhaps he hadn’t taken things seriously enough.

He arrived at your hospital room like any other day, only to see a few nurses crowded around you, fussing and worrying to each other until they saw him, visibly stiffening. It was then his eyes flicked down to your body, which looked… oddly lifeless and unmoving. His brain figured out what this meant before his heart did. One already knew what happened while the other didn’t want to accept it.

“Err…” The nurse fiddled with her clipboard, not wanting to be the bearer of bad news, especially to one such as Zandik, “As of today, [Name] has fallen into a coma…” He couldn’t pay attention to the rest of her words. 

The whole world went silent to him at that moment. Everything around him did, as he could only focus on your figure.

—

“With the sparrow now asleep with no signs of waking up, the raven uncharacteristically found himself at a loss.”

Zandik decided it was time to occupy himself with other activities. Like the hospital in the desert he worked at, treating, or rather experimenting on the patients there. It was for a number of reasons. Staying in the empty dorm room without you bothering him every couple of minutes was beginning to drive him more than just mad. Going to the hospital to be greeted by your sleeping body provided nothing but a flurry of negative emotions in him. To curve his growing curiosity and thirst for knowledge. And although Eleazar wasn’t what you were afflicted with, perhaps studying it could provide some insight. 

It was entirely morbid, cruel, and unethical, whatever word one wanted to say would probably fit the bill. Using corpses as material for “medicine”, driving his last remaining patient mad. Yet there was no part of him that felt guilty. That felt bothered. In the end, all he could think about was how satisfying the results of this experiment were. He cured Eleazar. Perhaps he could cure your illness too. Zandik was, in fact, excited.

Zandik continued to visit you every single day to check on you. It wasn’t like the staff cared much at this point. It was then he started keeping dedicated notes on your condition. He wasn’t much of a doctor nor was he experienced in the medical field, but the Akademiya’s library had proven to be more useful than he thought.

He took your vitals. Your heart rate. Temperature. Everything. Everyday. This time he injected you with what he hoped would cure and wake you up. Nothing. There was zero reaction internally and externally. It was a failure. It was frustrating.

Zandik, as a child, was used to being rejected. He never got what he wanted. Which was why as an adult, he made sure he acquired everything he wanted. Regardless of what, why, or how, nothing would stop him. And now that he was hitting that same block again, no matter how hard he tried, he was starting to seriously get irritated. Not at you, but at himself. This happened before, but this time there was also the fact he didn’t have your inquisitive mind or soothing presence to make him feel better.

Not to mention there was also Sohreh. Initially, he managed to tolerate her thanks to your coaching, but now that he had so many things to deal it, he found it harder and harder to deal with the Amurta. She was also the only one who had the decency to send condolences for your current situation, though he brushed her off before she could even get the words out. Yet by some annoying twist of fate, the girl kept popping up randomly around him, whether that was expeditions or group projects together.

When Zandik found his hands around her neck, he wasn’t surprised at himself. He didn’t feel anything at all, actually. On the same day, he went to visit your sleeping body and traced your veins with the same hands that killed your classmate. He wondered if you would feel any different to him if you knew what he’d done. If you would perhaps leave him. From how deeply you were sleeping, it seemed like he would never receive that answer though.

The days that followed were nothing noteworthy unless Zandik’s further spiral into madness and experimentation for both your sake and his innate desire were to be described in-depthly. Soon enough, he was banished from the Akademiya and into the desert. Despite his dislike for that place, it was a hindrance as he still needed somewhere to conduct research… and your body was still in a Sumerian hospital. But no matter, he’d make do.

It was then he met a gray-haired Khaenri’ahn man who offered him something that was too good to pass up and bestowed a name upon him.

Doctor? He was obviously no doctor. At least not one that helps people. Quite the opposite. If you were here, surely you would be laughing and cackling along with him at the irony of that name. But Zandik liked the ring of it.

And so Il Dottore was born. He just wished you were here to see it.

—

“Many, many centuries went by, and the raven progressed with his research in all areas and became akin to a God himself. However, his sparrow remained in a deep sleep and he could only watch as he failed to help his slumbering beloved.”

Dottore was now a man of many feats. To list them all would take a large amount of time, and the only person who would be willing to sit and listen was you. And you kind of did in a way, because for centuries, your sleeping body would be the first one to know about anything. Dottore would tell you of his accomplishments, his failures and successes, his useless co-workers, and how no one could ever compare to the assistant you were to him. And how despite the fact there was no doubt that his research and progress were entirely fulfilling, there was still a distinct emptiness and boredom in his life that only a certain someone could satisfy.

He wasn’t the only one who felt that way. The same conversation was exchanged between him and a segment every day:

“Are there any updates on [Name]’s condition?”

“No, nothing to report, Prime.”

The segments too would bemoan about the situation and wonder when you would wake up. Yet there was nothing that could be done. Countless resources and time had been exhausted on you, yet he had nothing to show for it. The only solution was to wait for you to open your eyes on your own, however long that may take. Dottore would undoubtedly wait though, what was a few more centuries, after all?

—

“But one day, a miracle happened. The bird woke up from their eternal rest, utterly confused and lost.”

Nahida rubbed her eyes and stretched out her body. To think that was only the beginning part of the fairytale! It was truly a long tale, yes, the one of Zandik and [Name]. Yet every part of it was intriguing and left her on the edge of her seat. And what better storytelling was it than to leave it on a cliffhanger?

[beneathashadytree]

FAMILY - JOTARO KUJO X READER

Warnings : semi-nudity, first-time parents, this is set between SDC and DIU, reader is gender-neutral!

Genre : domestic fluff <3

Word count : 0.7K words

Additional notes : Been rewatching JJBA and yearning for a family with this man.

Tip jar if you’d like to buy me a Ko-Fi!

Masterlist

“She’s so small.”

Jotaro’s voice was just as small; quiet enough that they barely heard him through the thin walls separating the bathroom from their bedroom. After having washed up a little in the middle of the night (something they rather enjoyed, amidst all the fuss of waking up at ungodly hours to feed their daughter), they made their way back to their room.

The scene they walked in on was something that must’ve come straight out of their most personal dreams, one that a younger version of them would’ve been pining after every single day and blushing furiously as their imagination ran with them.

There was Jotaro, lying back in bed with his legs crossed as he always was—only this time, his shirt was pulled off and strewn to the side somewhere. Jolyne’s tiny body was nestled against his naked chest, her clean skin a little flushed and all endearing. Her entire fist was curled around just one of her father’s fingers, while his other hand cradling her head was carefully brushing through her dark tufts of hair.

It was that sight alone that sent their heart pounding in their chest and threatening to burst through their ribcage with sheer adoration. “You’re really keen on listening to the nurse’s advice for skin-to-skin contact, huh?”

His response wasn’t verbal; just a nod of his head and a mesmerized look on his face as he watched their daughter coo a little at the soothing motions he did. She seemed to be just as attached as he was, half-asleep and blinking up drowsily at him, while still leaning into his every touch in the way that endearingly clingy babies did.

“Jolyne likes it,” Jotaro simply said, his teal eyes softer than they’d ever seen as he regarded Jolyne with that same rare adoration that he bestowed upon the very few people he adored, undeniably so. He only tore his gaze away from her to look at them as they crawled into bed beside their spouse and daughter. “It’s late, and you’re tired. You should sleep.”

“So should you.” Their hand came to rest on the left side of his chest, palm settling against the warm skin and feeling every reassuring thump of his heart beating. A soft caress only helped his heart to pick up the pace, and a small, almost-imperceptible blush to rise up the tips of his ears. “You’ve been getting up almost every single night, and even feeding her on the days I’m too exhausted. You need rest too, darling.”

Jotaro stilled for a few moments, before turning his attention back to little Jolyne, who seemed to be close to slipping back into her dreamless slumber. He didn’t utter a word for a bit; long enough for them to start doubting he’d say anything at all.

Until, that is, he broke the silence with six little words, softly spoken with all the yearning in the world, and with his eyes looking so tenderly at her; like he was cradling the entire world in his hands, despite being calloused hands that had—for a heart-achingly long time—only ever been used for violence and bloodshed.

“I don’t want to miss anything.”

It dug deep into their heart and nestled there, right with all of the millions of reasons they’d already had and learnt as to why they love him so wholly; that keenness of his that branded him as someone so fiercely devoted to the few he let inside his impossibly high walls. And it was a privilege that they wanted to cherish forever.

“You won’t miss out on anything if you just let yourself relax.” They leaned in to press a soft kiss to his slightly-stubbled cheek. “We’ll still be here in the morning, I promise you. We’re not going anywhere.”

All they got was a grunt to show that he was listening, and nothing more. Jotaro remained fixated on the sight of Jolyne’s chubby cheeks smooshed against his skin, and rosy with the happiness of a good feed.

But they could see how their words seemed to settle into his mind, as the tension unwound between his shoulders, and his body sunk deeper into the pillows he’d nestled against. The small furrow between his thick eyebrows had slowly melted away, and the ever-so-gentle quirk of his lips into a half-smile brought their heart to a near-stop.

He huffed out what sounded like a quiet chuckle. “I’ll hold you to your word, then.”

Taglist: @blondeboyfriend @boorishbrambling @mrsgiovanna

[silbeni]

Dante Aguilar 🧬 🧠 🌀

(Namesake: Dante Alighieri)

Stand: GHOST TRAIN

Pronouns: He/xe/they

Labels: Xenogender transmasc panromantic asexual!

Uses Masculine/neutral gendered words.

Age: 24 (Stone ocean)

Height: 4'11"

Nationality: Puerto rican 🇵🇷

Notable characteristics: Glossy black eyes, spike piercings, black lipstick, sharp metal teeth, small, upturned button nose, ear gauges.

Build: Short with a twiggy frame. Xe has top surgery scars.

Pairings: Electricplankton (Dante/F.F.)

Voiceclaim: 🎙️Alcryst FE!!

PERSONALITY

Dante’s biggest flaw is their cowardice, and the most prominent aspect of their personality. Simply put, he is the wettest beast - xir confidence has the constitution of wet 1-ply toilet paper. However, they will do anything if it means helping someone they love. Xe deeply values the few connections xe's got, so he is incredibly loyal. He loves fully and attaches easily.

Besides lacking bravery, they are also sensitive. They feel emotions with the wholeness of their being. When they are happy, anyone can tell. When they are sad, everyone will hear them bawling in the next room over.

On the flipside, it wouldn't seem so, but Dante is actually very competent. When xe needs to, he can be quite formidable. He may not be strong, or brave, but he proves to be a valuable asset where intellect and strategy is involved. Xe's a clever one under all of the anxiety.

Likes: Videogames, energy drinks, manga/comics, sour candy, junk food, cryptids, internet forums.

Representative animal: White-tailed deer.

MISC

Motifs: Intersecting lines like DNA strands, metal spikes, balaclava masks, spirals (brain symbology)

Particularities: Strongly believes in superstitions of bad luck. Likes horror media despite being easily scared. He struggles with spelling.

Skills: Computer/tech skills. Black hat hacking. Puzzle solving. Incredible Tetris and Minesweeper skills. Can name the list of 151 Pokemon. An absolute fiend for cyphers.

Education: Full highschool education. A tattoo artist apprenticeship that was never followed up on.

OCCUPATION

Was previously a pizza delivery person prior to conviction. Held several low paying jobs before that.

CANON CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS

F.F. Quick friends who then became lovers. They are so sappy and corny that they make Jolyne and Ermes gag. Truly the silliest couple ever.

Ermes/Jolyne. They couldn't tolerate him at first, but they eventually developed a strong friendship through the events of Stone Ocean.

Emporio. They have a really sweet relationship. Dante is like an older brother to him.

Weather Report. Consider each other good friends. Weather cools Dante’s anxiety with his chill disposition.

Anasui. They don't get along. He is very rude to xem and xe is too afraid to stand up for xemself.

Jotaro. They don't really know him, but they admire his strength.

ORIGINAL CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS

(Alt!DIU) Romeh. Xe thinks he is so cool and intimidating. Romeh feels responsible for looking after xem, which is sometimes exasperating - but he does it anyway. It's pretty clear to see he cares about the little guy.

(DIU) Ryoma. Friends with sibling energy! They are very sweet together. Despite Ryoma being younger, they are like an older sibling to them.

(Jojolion) Kyouka. They exploit Dante’s gullible nature for amusement. They keep convincing him of silly things to scare him. Dante is wary of them, but he can't help but believe everything they say when they say it with such confidence.

(Battle Tendency) Nocera. She coddles him because she thinks of him as a baby. He generally doesn't mind this, but it gets a little tired sometimes.

BACKGROUND

-Brief mention of recreational drugs-

Dante’s life before moving out of their homeland was pretty uneventful. They didn't have a good relationship with their parents, their sense of self and choices were incredibly limited, but they stuck though it all until adulthood. He was sent off to the US to study dentistry, to which he attended for about a month before dropping out, unbeknownst to their parents. He began living wrecklessly. Couch surfing and chasing highs. Xe found friendship with a couple of black hat hackers, who taught xem their skills. He began breaching government databases, doing nothing with the information - he just wanted to see if he could do it. It was exhilarating, and the most fun they had ever had. They had hardships still, but this was one of the happiest times in their life.

Then, one night, they place they were staying at was seized by the cops. All their electronics were taken. As it turns out, one of their casual friends, who they trusted too much, had outed them to the police. Dante was been smart and no tangible evidence was found, but they had been sloppy otherwise. Since they were unable to be charged for cybercrimes, they were imprisoned for possession of weed with a sentence of 5 years.

Their hacker friends that were also snitched on, blamed them for everything. Especially since Dante received a much lighter sentence. They carried a lot of guilt because of that. His parents were notified of his imprisonment and he would be completely shut out of their family. The rest of their friends on the outside cut communication, either scared of being persecuted by the law, mutual friends wanting nothing to do with them, or simply not wanting to continue the friendship due to the circumstances. Xe made the news, and civilians rallied in favor of a heavier sentence for xem. Their peak was followed by what felt like an age of darkness. They were so alone.

Inside the prison, things were worse. They were routinely pushed around and taken advantage of. The absolute bottom of the food chain. They, again, were out of control of their life, powerless. That was until he acquired his stand. Ghost Train would retroactively help them navigate their day to day. Soon, a rumour would spread - that Dante was under the protection of a real life ghost, and the harassment would dwindle. The arrival of their stand would turn things around for them. Xe was still sad and lonely, but after that, xe had a much easier time behind bars. The string of fate that draws stand users together would eventually cause Dante’s and Jolyne’s paths to cross and thus their involvement with the plot begins.

[needcake]

@hetaberia-week

Day 1: historical .

.

1539,

Lisbon

A man in his crew had made a comment that had stayed with him hours after they had reached the capital. In fact, Portugal was still thinking about it when he finally left the Casa da Índia and crossed the short distance to the Ribeira Palace, walking up the stone steps in the winding staircases, nodding at the palace staff that passed him by and greeted him demurely, and, being himself clad in black, it had taken him a moment to realize everyone was too.

No bad news ever comes unaccompanied, his crewmate had said, and Portugal was still thinking of that when he opened the door to the King’s private drawing room, finding him with his eyes red-rimmed, clutching a letter to his chest in anguish. The Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, his younger sister, had died in May, he said, her last pregnancy had robbed her much of her strength, the child had not survived either. Portugal still smelled of gunpowder and ash, he could still feel grains of Indian sand inside his boots, but his eyes were lost on some unidentifiable corner of the King’s private drawing room as he sat down before his desk. They never lived long, did they. He had held her as a baby in his arms, had seen her learn her first words of his language, had attended her wedding, had visited her children. Their lives went by so fast, not like his.

There would be a funeral and the King wanted him to accompany him, Portugal did not think to say no. He was tired, battered, hurting, ears still ringing from cannon blasts shot across the Indian coast by Ottoman ships into his fortress in Diu, wearing months of a siege they had at great pains finally won. No bad news ever comes unaccompanied, and he found himself on a carriage a few days later bound to Granada, crossing the border with his shoulders heavy with padded fabric, his hair combed and clean, golden rings on his fingers.

The husband, the Holy Roman Emperor, was not there when they reached the church. Unable to bring himself to say the final good-bye to his beloved wife, he had instead sent his son in his place, his first-born and only surviving son and heir, and the boy stood, stone-faced and ashen, accompanying his mother’s coffin into the small, packed full church alone.

How small he seemed at that moment. And Portugal would never forget that image, of the boy entering the church behind his mother’s casket, his posture stiff with grief, dark clothes too heavy, golden fleece too garish. It would be the last time he ever saw him as a child. Once the ceremony was over and the body was buried, the son would leave the marble grounds of that church forever changed. No bad news ever came unaccompanied.

From across the entrance to the church while the crowd dispersed, surrounded by a group of nobles and high-ranking clergymen, Spain spotted him and excused himself to come to him, the pull on the bottom of his stomach becoming stronger the closer he came, recognizing him as an old soul like himself, despite him being so much younger.

“We did everything we could to save her,” Spain said, taking Portugal’s numb hand between both of his in a comforting gesture.

It should be the other way around, Portugal thought, looking at his young face and red-rimmed eyes. It was Spain who had just lost a Queen and an Empress, Portugal had lost her long ago, the moment they had sent her away to be married in a political alliance, but Spain had just lost a companion, an advisor, a friend. Portugal should be the one comforting him.

What an odd creature this boy was, he thought, observing the brown curls that framed his youthful face, feeling the calluses on his fingers from handling sword and quill, looking into his olive green eyes that so reminded him of someone else.

Portugal laid his other hand on top of theirs.

“I’m very sorry for your loss,” he said, earnestly, and Spain’s composure cracked, his chin trembling as he turned his eyes down to nod at the ground, sniffling.

And how odd, he thought, how so very odd, that his first instinct had been to pull him into his arms, even though he didn’t.

--

Notes: Portugal is coming home from the Battle of Diu (1538), only to discover the Holy Roman Empress, Isabella of Portugal, had died in May, 1539.

[silent-sanctum]

A Slice of Morioh: Gifts for You

♡ I said I'll be doing 4taro's birthday fic so here we are ^^ Oh and since it takes place during DIU, might as well add it to the ASoM au ♡

word count: 2.1k

With some stroke of luck, 2 remarkable moments so happened to coincide on the same date—you found out that you were expecting, and that the results just so happened to come out on the day of your husband’s birthday.

Fortunately, Jotaro woke earlier in the day and was either holed in his office doing his thesis or out attending to Stand user matters when you got up feeling nauseated and ended throwing up all your dinner into the toilet.

“I’m gonna be a big sister?!” Jolyne, still in her pajamas, exclaimed in enthusiasm.

You shushed her quick and tossed a quick glance towards the office and the front door where her father could possibly enter from. “That’s right pearl, but I’m going to need you to be quiet for the entire day and not tell papa. I’ll be surprising him with the news after dinner,” you said with a wink that the child caught onto fast.

She giggled and grinned, placing an index finger over her mouth to mimic shushing.

“I’ll be telling Grandpa Joestar about this in a bit so he can watch you while I prepare everything for the dinner date. So, I need you to help him be quiet about mama’s gift for papa. You know how he tends to be in his elderly chatter self at times around his grandson.”

The little girl saluted with a puffed-out chest and cheeks. “Will do!”  

And so, with the secret exchanged between mother and daughter, as well as granddaughter-in-law to grandfather-in-law, your day turned busy juggling between setting up the necessary stuff for the surprise while making sure your spouse doesn’t notice anything suspicious.

You made sure to greet Jotaro both a good morning and a loving “happy birthday” as he walked out of his workplace with a coffee mug in hand, hair still a bit of a mess from waking up. He smiled and mumbled a quiet “thanks” at the gesture, mood doubling up when his daughter ran up to him with a more eager birthday greeting.

Under the pretense of helping Koichi with dating life, added with the celebrant’s schedule being focused on academia, you left Jolyne with Mr. Joestar as you headed out to prepare.

By 10 in the morning, you bought a small gift box and a bunch of filler paper from an available store. By lunch, you stopped by Koichi’s place and readied the present after breaking the news to the kid. At the same time, you phoned your husband to check-up what they were doing at the hotel.

You panicked a bit at Jotaro’s mention of Jolyne being a bit too chatty when the old man’s trying to talk about something, though he did tell you that it was she was probably just a bit too excited for her father’s special day. Damn him and his keen observation skills.

By 3 in the afternoon, you dropped by Tonio’s restaurant and told the chef about the dinner date and that you wanted to book the place for the event. Naturally supportive, he agreed with a hearty “yes” and without further hustle, you two began discussing the menu to be served for later...

Without including Pearl Jam’s ability infused in the dish. The last thing you wanted in a romantic evening is for someone’s body part to warp or for an organ to burst out of the body.

You also managed to rope in Josuke, Koichi, and Okuyasu into helping setting up the restaurant’s walls and interior to set the atmosphere.

By 5, the venue was set and reserved, ready to welcome Morioh’s power couple with open arms. All that remained was to get ready and bring the birthday celebrant to the place.

You came back to the hotel and immediately informed your husband and daughter that they’ll be dining out at Tonio’s. Jolyne sprung into action and dashed to her room to get changed, while Jotaro nodded and joined you in your room to change as well.

He had asked whether Mr. Joestar and the baby were coming and you reassured him that the elderly-baby duo would be dining with Josuke and his mother while the family was celebrating elsewhere.

By 6, everyone was dressed to impress—your daughter in her favorite mint green dress that balloons at the skirt, you in a simple beige dress overlaying a white turtleneck and black leggings, and your husband in a white unbuttoned suit over his black turtleneck, changing from his usual go-to long coats and leaving behind the hat.

And by 7, your family arrived at the venue with Tonio greeting you by the front doors and welcoming you in just as a good host is to his guests.

The night went on smoothly according to plan, with the chef impressing both of you with a menu composing of a caprese salad as the appetizer, chicken cacciatore and spaghetti alla carbonara as the main dishes, with sweet tiramisu as dessert to finish of the meal, all of which were accompanied with a glass of red wine for Jotaro and sparkling water for yourself.

He was also kind enough to give Jolyne a separate menu consisting of roasted potatoes, lasagna, and chocolate gelato, with sparkling water as her complementary drink.

Throughout dinner, you couldn’t help but keep throwing glances at Jotaro with every bite of his dish, taken aback at how he’s able to look so poised and stunning when all he’s doing was slicing a piece of meat. Back then during your youth, you recalled the same man being the image depicting the antithesis of formality, walking out of overpriced restaurants with rude mannerisms and crass words.

Blink back to reality and the same teenager now sat in front of you, dressed sharp in semi-formal wear and slicked back hair, calmly enjoying an expensive-looking dinner with a certain class in him as he used his knife and fork. How he closes his eyes as he bit into his meal, a subtle hum indicating he was savoring the flavor of Tonio’s well-made dishes.

God, he’s so charming. Eventually, he caught you staring and with a cocked brow, you immediately looked away, focusing on your dish rather than admiring your husband. Though through the corner of your eyes, the latter smiled and a faint pink bloomed on his cheeks, finding your admiration to him endearing.

You found a piece of chicken on your pasta a minute later, recognizing this as your spouse’s way of telling you that he appreciated you. In return, you twirled a decent amount of creamy spaghetti around your fork before offering it to him.

The latter cocked his head and accepted the offer with no hesitation, leaning forward to take the pasta into his mouth.

You two ended up sharing bits of your dinner to your daughter as well once she started to pout at the growing lovey-dovey air the both of you were exuding.

By 8, your heart raced in anticipation, knowing it was time to give him his present and break the news. Jolyne, having told what to do beforehand, excused herself to go the restroom, leaving you with Jotaro on the table.

“Tonight, was great.” You watched your husband pat his mouth clean, his dinner course finished. “I’m glad you prepared all of this for me. Thank you,” he said with a smile clear on his face. “Though, I had a feeling you were going to surprise me with a romantic night out with Jolyne coming.”

That’s not all of the surprises though. You pouted despite the growing weight of his last gift hidden inside your bag. “Oh? What gave it away?”

“I know my wife would go out of her way to prepare me something nice and sweet every time it’s a special occasion,” he huffed, crossing his arms. “It’s predictable… but in a good way.”

“Does her interrupting Mr. Joestar constantly contribute to your hunches?”

He nodded. “Knew you two were up to something, though I still thought what Jolyne did was cute so I paid no attention.”

Deep down, you let out a sigh of relief. Good thing I planned this entire night-out event. At least his suspicions would be leaning more onto that rather than—

“Oh! One more thing!” You reached down to get your back, fumbling inside until you grasped the familiar small box among your things. “I have one more gift for you.”

“Two surprise presents for one birthday?” Jotaro tilted his head, intrigued. “Did I do something special without me realizing?”

Immediately, your cheeks fumed as your mind went to… naughtier places but you shook your head. “Nope. I just felt like I wanted to give you a tiny bonus for your hard work Mr. Kujo.”

He chuckled. “Alright. I’m curious.”

Okay… this is it. Deep breaths. You withdrew the box out of your bag and brought it over to the birthday celebrant with two hands. “Here you go~” Your husband cocked his brow and took it off your hold. You leaned back and took another deep breath, anticipating for whatever his reaction’s going to be towards your gift.

There was no reason to be nervous. Even before Jolyne had been conceived, Jotaro reassured you that no matter the results, he would provide unconditional support the best way he can. And after knowing you were pregnant with your daughter; surprise was the first reaction he had that slowly melted into happiness.

He was anxious back then but was willing to learn for the both of you.

Years later and he’s now more experienced as a 28-year-old father to a happy and healthy 7-year-old little girl.

Your fingers fidgeted with each other as he untied the silk ribbon holding it close, and you paused when he lifted the lid away, revealing the content inside—a positive pregnancy test amidst a pool of white filler paper.

His eyes widened, setting down the box and pulling out the stick to view it closer as if in disbelief. When he turned to you with the same stunned expression, you smiled. “Surprise~”

Silence. And then a grate of steel against the floor tiles.

You watched Jotaro stand and walk over to you with stride. All of a sudden, you had hands cup your cheeks as a pair of lips kissed your forehead followed by your smaller figure engulfed in his warm embrace. “Love?”

He said nothing, opting to nuzzle his face on the crook of your neck. You huffed and wrapped your arms around him, patting his back from time to time. “I’m taking this reaction as a good thing, yeah?”

He nodded.

You pulled back by a bit to hold his face in your palms, and seeing his shining aquamarine eyes and flushed cheeks, you could tell he was genuinely happy about the news. You cooed and bumped your forehead with his. “Are you happy with the gift?”

Jotaro overlaid his hand over yours, closing his eyes to spare him from tearing up further at the sight of you. “Very much.” He grasped both your hands and brought them over to your abdomen. “Thank you.”

You responded to his words with a quick kiss on his lips.

“Happy birthday papa!” Both of you turned to see Jolyne bolting out of the kitchen door with another gift box in her arms while Tonio stood by watching the scene unfold before him. Stopping beside her father, she lifted her present to him.

Jotaro huffed and set her gift on the table. He brought his chair over before picking her up and letting his daughter sit on his lap. Together, he opened her gift to reveal a rolled-up drawing of her family and a couple of golden pins for him to add onto his coats.

He thanked Jolyne and got a hug and a happy giggle from her in return.

“So,” you said with a cheeky smile. “Boy or girl?”

“You know I’m fine with either,” he said.

“No~ I know you have a slight preference. Come on, tell me love~”

Jotaro grumbled and raised his hand to supposedly tip his hat over his flushed face, only to realize he left it at home. He cleared his throat and awkwardly placed his hand down on his lap. “Uh… girl…”

The little girl gasped in delight. “I’d like a sister too papa!”

You rose a brow and scooted closer to your spouse. “What’s this? My husband wants to have another daughter?” You leaned your head on his shoulder and poked his cheek. “A 3 woman and 1 man family? What a surprise~”

Jolyne leaned her head on his other shoulder, laughing. “Papa’s a big softie for us!”

“You two--” Jotaro sighed, smiling endearingly at the two of you. “Ah good grief.”