#I feel like grim could use him as a role model

[knight-says-rollout]

Soundwave speaks in the 3rd person and no one blinks. He’s intelligent, respected even

But when Me, Grimlock-

[minzart]

[Vignette + rambling of the design bellow]

Will: Grim has been really interested in this museum, I thought he would whine more to be honest, but I guess not, the great seven are something he really is interested in....

Grim: HENCHMEN! Come take a look!

Will: hm? What is it?

Grim: are you seeing this guy, he was the thorn witch henchman! It says here he was the only capable being of her army, and he's just a raven!

Will: hm... he found someone she was looking for 16 years, her goons didn't take in consideration that said person ages as time goes on... so he got one more braincell than normal?

Grim: exactly! I heard from Tsunotarou he was extremely loyal too! He is a great role model to you

Will: me?!

Grim: if course! You are my henchman after all! You gotta step up and learn from good examples hehehe

Will: why does this feel like you are mocking me...

Grim: aw don't worry, you are already plenty smarter than one bird brain we know of :)

Will: .... the bar is that low to ya isn't it?

---

Grim: what a weird corridor.... it isn't as fancy as the rest of the museum

Will: I think we shouldn't be here

Grim: nahhh you are just scared! We are benefactors! We gotta see all that the museum has to offer right?! Comon' it's a special year! It's 100 anniversary don't be a scared kitty

Will: says the talking cat

Grim: I AM NOT A CAT! - ohhhh who's that?

Will: the plate says "the dark mountain demon, a being once said to rule over the night and it's spirits, he slept by day and reighned caos by night"

Grim: he looks like he's the size of that mountain! Do you think I'm gonna grow that big?

Will: I hope not or else not even a truck of tuna cans will satiate your hunger

---

Will: I think we should get back Grim, it doesn't look like we should be here

Grim: yeah... the lights are really week here... FUGNYA! WHO IS THAT!

Will: that's just a... ohhh... ok yeah the red eyes are kinda creepy, but it's just a painting... a... very old painting... and unkempt too....

Grim: no wonder they don't want to put it were everyone can see, he's ugly.... and scary- NOT THAT I'M SCARED OF COURSE!

Will: "the caudron king"-Deuce's rival got it- "once a powerful magician with a caudron that could rise the dead..." I can't read the rest the plate is too damaged

Grim: powerful magician? Do you think he was that strong? He's just bones

Will: Epel said the same thing of Vil's physical power and look were that got him

Grim: hey... will... doesn't the eyes of this paint look... that... they are following us....?

Will: .... WHAT A NICE PAITING OVER THERE IN A LIGHTER CORRIDOR I THINK IT'S THE QUEEN OF HEARTS LET'S GO OVER THERE

Grim: right behind you!

----------

Wil's pose was based on this scene of the official 100 year anniversary art were the characters are in a "disney" artstyle

Grim looks like he was tossed into the air and is looking at carter's camera like the heartslabyul crew, so one of Will's hand looks like it's tosing something up and the other a peace sigh

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

Mmmmmm thinking about Nine the fox walking around with his two bodyguards (Alpha Grim Sonic and Chaos Sonic) again

The fox and his most devoted halberds who are also possessive bitches

No but like but like I need you to understand

Chaos Sonic who was originally revived to take Sonic's place, to fill the hole in a frienship Nine came to believe as fake, and yet clearly held onto so dearly. Chaos Sonic, who was supposed to be the same as before, except made to be Nine's devoted best friend who would never betray him.

Alpha Grim Sonic who Nine reportedly modeled after the hedgehog he (foolishly) thought of as a friend. A robot copy of Sonic who would not talk back, who would not think, who was only made to serve and protect Nine.

Chaos Sonic, whose time spent with Nine turned programmed allegiance and care into some form of love (obsession and possessiveness)

Alpha Grim Sonic, who was not supposed to think and feel. And yet, with time spent serving Nine and opposing Shadow, he begins to feel and to think (a budding soul forming within his metal frame and existing beyond his programming). A robot created to protect and serve, whose feelings for his creator and master begin to grow over time.

When did his internal drive shift from playing the role of Nine's best friend? When did he begin to resent Sonic for what he did to Nine? When did he begin to want to see Nine happy and safe and accomplished (rather than just simply alive and able to complete his goals)? When did he begin to crave Nine's attention and to make him stop thinking about Sonic?

Wasn't he programmed to be no more than an unfeeling robot, a set of algorithms designed to allow him to fight, protect, serve, and strategize only as needed? Why does he want to hurt Shadow so much (is it really just out of the drive to protect Nine, or is it to make the hedgehog pay?)? He'd follow Nine's orders to the ends of the earth, but why does he worry about Nine when they’re separated? Why has he started to covet Nine's smiles and bouts of happiness? Why does he feel annoyance when Nine converses with Chaos Sonic like he's also not there? Why is he starting to understand why Chaos Sonic resents Sonic, beyond the fact that Chaos Sonic has always fancied replacing him? Alpha Grim Sonic has never wanted to replace the real thing, never understood why Chaos Sonic would, but he's starting to understand jealousy (in the way one begins to feel things they cannot put words to).

Chaos Sonic would tell you it's because he and Nine are best friends. Alpha Grim Sonic would tell you that it's because Nine is his master. Yet, deep down, the two have begun to want to be useful and important to Nine. They want to protect him and see his goals through past any loyalty programming. It does not matter whether such an outcome was inevitable or not (based upon their programming or the holes Nine made them fill in his life), only that they believe that they'd choose this even if Nine tried to let them go.

And Nine... Nine who creates distance between himself and the two robots almost instinctively, as if he's trying not to grow attached (ironic, given the roles he placed the two in, the holes in his life he made them fill after he believed that Sonic had backstabbed him). And yet, just as much as he insists that Alpha Grim Sonic is cold and unfeeling and programmed to serve or that Chaos Sonic is just like that (given the personality programmed into him and his similarities to Sonic) and was programmed to follow orders, he finds himself beginning to value the two as more. He should see them as tools, he tries to think of them as tools. And, yet, over time, the two become irreplaceable agents of his will. He can’t allow himself to believe they really care about them, but he wants them to know that he likes having them around, that no other robot can fill the roles he programmed them for, and no real mobian could be as effective as them (even if it's embarrassing to admit). They become...a comforting presence, especially when he's stuck in the Grim post canon, practically alone, closed off from being able to see Sonic again

Do you get me do you get me?

[dgttwisted]

Lilith!

art by @oriigirii​

name: Lilith

Birthday: December 25th

Floyd’s nickname: Shrimpy, krill

Rook’s nickname:  petite étoile

species: human?

age:Child (don’t fight me on this she is baby!)

dorm: Ramshackle

Lilith was an orphan she didn’t have any friends kids that were there thought she was creepy becuse of her snow white hair they thought she was cursed. many nights she would go to sleep hungry on some occasions she would go outside even though it was cold to look up at the stars in hopes of seeing a shooting star to make a wish on it. 

“i wish to no longer be alone” as soon as she whispered those words who shuold appear but the carriage to take her to NRC. 

“I’m Grim I’m the greatest mage ever!” Lilith with no frame of reference assumes that this must be true.

same song an dance as the opening ceremony except for the fact that Lilith is in fact a small child an can’t quite tell what this weird crow man wants with her she just knows he freaks her out.

i believe that certain things that happened in the game happened much differently due to the fact that Lilith aka Yuu is a tiny child.

The Rose-Red Tyrant

with Lilith being a child Riddle was a tad easier on her for not knowing all the rules he was not easier on Ace though. Ace made Lilith cry on her first day saying how lame she was for not having magic. everyone in the dorm collectively smacked him over the head for that one.

fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you look at it Duece an Lilith are on the same level of learning when it comes to a lot of things like math an spelling. Riddle has taken the role of there tutor with positive reinforcement  

“2+2= 4!!” Riddle hands her a lollipop “good job Lilith, Deuce whats 2x2?”

outside of studies Deuce( @forgottenxmuses​  ) refers to Lilith as boss he says it’s due to how straightforward she is. but as a child Lilith naturally doesn’t have a filter for what she says Deuce still finds it endearing.

Riddle points at the board “who knows the answer” Lilith raising her hand “yes Lilith?”

Duece was way to silent for Riddles liking “4?” riddle hands him a lollipop but he’s on thin fucking ice -3-

Trey spoils her he makes excuses to come over an give her cakes an pies she’s not complaining an neither is grim XD

Cater gives her a phone shows her how to use it an helps her set up a magi account.

Leona tolerates Lilith to an extent most times he’ll use her as a pillow so as a result Lilith Leona an Charlie(  @oriigirii​ ) take big naps together.

The Usurper from the Wilds 

during the section of the chapter where Leona forced them into the magic disc game Charlie put Lilith on the bench he wasn’t about to watch this little child get hurt especially sense she is close age wise to his own younger sister.

Charlie actually introduced Lilith to Asha so she could have a friend her age Charlie also with sam’s help gave Lilith a toy wand so she could feel included in class. looks like a magics pen an all lights up an makes that butterfly magic music that 90′s kids toys used to make as well as laser sound effects an all. 

much to Leona’s annoyance Lilith an Cheka became fast friends. Jack is very nice to Lilith after all he has a bunch of younger siblings as well.

Ruggie does to however he likes to think he’s doing an excellent job on being a role model “when you walk into a store go to the clearance section first”

“ok” she says

“then steal everything there an sell it at a higher price”

“whats stealing?”

she doesn’t understand what he says a lot but Lilith still thinks he’s cool

The Merchant from the Depths

Lilith isn’t old enough to sign legally/spell bound contracts nore does she understand how they work. Azul asked her to sign an she drew a picture of the 5 of them playing together an smiling.

“hay Azul can i keep this contract i want to hang it on mine an Jade’s fridge!” Floyd ask’s reaching for the contract to try an do just that. Azul holding it away from him “you most certainly can not do that!”

“the magic doesn’t seem to be activating maybe she is to young?” Jade states.

Lilith looks up at Jack “we got them on the ropes!” she says exactly hearing that quote from a movie. Jack is wondering how this child is still ok with the amount of crazy people at this school.

later down the line Floyd helps teach Lilith learn how to swim an has a blast playing games with his little shrimp.

Lilith always eager to lean an try new things which Jade takes full advantage up an slowly gets her to like mushrooms XD

like most eveyone here Lilith doesn’t understand most of what Azul says but thinks he’s cool an admires him also Wendy likes him so Lilith figures he must be a good person if the adult she trusts the most likes him to.

Schemer of the Scalding Sands

there is only one main difference in the story where Jamil overblots but it’s significant an terrifying for Lilith. When Jamil smacked everyone into the desert his tail missed Lilith by a few inches leaving her there with Jamil an the mindcontroled students.

Lilith runs down a hallway hides behind a vase next to large pillar not far behind is the sounds of large slithering snake coming down the hallway “to think there is a prefect more uselss then Kalim!” Jamil hissed looking for the little prefect as he spoke. A crash could be heard as he knocked down one of the pillers that was further away, then the next on, and the one after that till he arrived at the one Lilith was shaking behind. “come out little one i’ll make it hurt a lot less if you-” Lilith jumped out from where she was hiding and out window to the sands below running towards the courtyard for a place to hide.

she could hear Jamil’s yells to grab her an to not let her get away. Lilith had to think fast sense she knew the brain washed students were on her tail. she hid inside the water fountain even though it was deep and hard to move in she thought it would make a good hiding spot she however didn't account to the fact that she would be soaked to the bone with the frided air but she wasn’t sure where else to hide. She could hear footsteps and tried to crouch down low hoping not to be spotted. Said brainwashed student did in fact see her. However when he tried to grab her she ended up tripping into the fountain which gave Lilith a chance to escape someplace safe or at least someplace out of sight. She found a room it was dark and she couldn't see she ended up tripping and scraping her hands and knees. It took her everything she had not to cry out from the pain in fear that the students or worse Jamil would hear her. She was quietly sobbing on the ground when something brushed up against her she was frightened but then she realized it was the flying carpet from earlier it wrapped itself around Lilith doing it's best to keep her warm.

After Kalim an the others defeated Jamil Grim was mad as all hell despite Kalim’s tears “You can cry later where is my human where is LILITH!” despite how tired everyone was they had to so a search for Lilith an unfortanatly for Lilith the un overblotted Jamil found her first “Don’t touch me get away from me!!”

damage had been done she was terrified of Jamil the next day Lilith had a very bad fever Jade an Floyd an to nurse her back to health she was sick for a good week after the fact.

She is still afraid of Jamil that fear most likely won’t go away anytime soon. 

Kalim on the other hand she loves a lot Kalim like most of the guys at the school treats Lilith like his little sister. Kalim an Wendy will take Lilith on flies through the night to cheer her up when she is feeling down.

A Beautiful Tyrant

nothing makes Vil happier then spoiling the heck out of his new daughter friend after finding out she doesn’t have much in the way of cloths Vil bought her new dresses an shoes started teaching her how to dance an most importantly apply skin care an make up on. he participates in the custody battle that half the school is in to adopt Lilith.

Rook! Rook calls Lilith petite étoile which just means small star clamming that even on new moon cycle her hair still shimmers just like a small star. Lilith think that Rook is funny she doesn’t really understand hunting but she knows when Rook talks about it he’s happy.

Deuce respects Lilith so Epel tries to as well even though she’s an actual child.

Ignihyde

Lilith is fast friends with Ortho she’s always excited to see new upgrades that idia gives to him.

Lilith has never seen idia or even spoken to him but Ortho talks about how great he is so Lilith thinks he must be super cool to!

( during the ghost bride event Lilith enthusiastically asked to be the flower girl which Eliza said yes to. everyone thought she was trying to have an in on rescuing idia but she actually did want to be a flower girl. she saw it in a movie an it looked like fun. 

“what a sweet young girl you are when your are older I’m sure your wedding will be just as perfect as mine!”

“really?”

“truly i mean look at you. you’re even dressed like a princesses!” )

Diasomnia

of course Mal is her night time gargoyle buddy Hornton who Lilith invites to do things with all the time sense Lilith just assumed they were friends. 

Lilia ecstatic to have another child “her hair is similar to Silvers it’s fate!”

“you know she sort of has a strong similarity to that star fairy queen-never mind just my imagination” he clearly knows more then he lets on

silver Lilith an Matilda all nap on the same couch together Sebek holds in on his yelling sense Matilda is one of the ones thats sleeping.

Lilith at first was scared of Sebek’s yelling but now finds it funny even shouting back minor things like “I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A NICE DAY TODAY” an such things like that

Lostaria ( @oriigirii​ )

Wendy is the adult that Lilith has the most trust in period he takes her out on night flights doesn’t talk down to her always supportive on whatever she is doing. Lilith may have slipped up an called him dad once or twice.

Wendy sometimes takes her out on night flies for the purpose of giving some people small pranks. one such prank was with Ace they put a bucket of water on the edge of the door they were about to tie the rope when Ace walked in an a heavy bucket of water fell right on his head. 

Wendy grabbed Lilith an ran the next day the plan was to calmly explain an apologize but as soon as Lilith saw Ace she bursted into tears an apologized. Lilith doesn’t handle people getting hurt well at all.

[thehistoriangirl]

Hi how are you ? Can you please write an imagine with Jayce where he is in love with another councilor but who is quite different from the others, she is very intelligent she spends a lot of time reading, she is quite shy so she doesn’t speak much but every time she does it it’s to make a very specific remark that people hadn’t necessarily thought of

Hello! I'm fine, thank you <3 I hope you're alright too

Sorry I took a while. I was Googling what an imagine is (because I'm a boomer's soul), but I'm very bad at condensing information, so I made a fic aaand... I went a lil bit overboard.

It's my first request so I hope you like it :) [also warning because the title is terrible 💀💀 ]

Taciturn Artifice

Jayce x Fem!Reader----2.2K----SFW but a bit suggestive at the end

Tags: Crushes| Fluff| Canon divergence| I tried to make Reader as smart as my IQ makes it possible | Use of y/n| This is the most wholesome fic I've written lol|

Jayce saw you for the first time in his trial. It would have been a lie, however, to say he noticed you right away. In the dark room, his attention was focused on Councilor Medarda, his former role model, Professor Heimerdinger, and his patron, Councilor Kiramman. However, his eyes were driven to the figure leaning against her elbows, checking the papers in front of her with the dim light that framed him when you said, with a firm, as-a-matter-of-fact tone:

“I don’t consider banishment to be an appropriate punishment. Unless you wish to inflict a domino effect into every young inventor enrolled in the Academy that got an inclination for the unconventional.” She wasn't looking at any Councilor, nor the public, even if the rest were suddenly surprised by her intervention. "From what I understand, the accident that occurred in the Kiramman’s atelier wasn't caused directly by him. What drives us to assume we wouldn't be aware of his experimentations until…" her voice faded while she looked at the papers, "Mr. Talis, could present his breakthrough.”

“I don’t understand where you want to go with that argument, Councilor.”

You sighed, facing the Councilor that interrupted. "What I mean is that his experiments weren't dangerous until now. It was an accident. Banish him would only threaten other inventors in their desires to create something that could change radically the technological progress in our city.”

Jayce saw Mel press her eyebrows together slightly, considering your words.

“We can’t let this matter pass. Piltover was founded to escape the warmongering of mages.”

You shrugged. “We’re not Demacia." Did he hear you mumble that? Perhaps he was hearing things.

But you didn’t say anything out loud again before the Council voted for him to be expelled from the Academy or be banished, with your hand raised at last deciding his fate to a not-so-grim end.

Only when the trial ended, and Jayce was free to go with his mother, did you dare to look at him with dropped eyes and lips tighten on a fine line. Was that... sadness?

When he was leaving, he heard you saying: “Please evacuate the room, the trial is over. We call a private meeting with the Sheriff.”

Hours later, Mel Medarda and you discovered both Viktor and Jayce sneaking inside Heimerdinger’s lab. After Mel left to distract the guard, you lingered for just a few seconds.

“Good luck,” you muttered, voice cold and breathy. “You’re going to need it.”

After the breakthrough, with the blue light emanating from the laboratory, and even despite him floating in the air, the sight of your absence in such an important event made him feel like a tiny weight established inside his chest.

*~*~*~*

It was a long time before he could meet you again, even if sometimes Mel Medarda talked about you. Hextech was sponsored mainly by her, but sometimes your name was scribbled in the paperwork Jayce revised during lunchtime.

Jayce used the times Viktor and he were called to Council meetings to answer questions about prototypes and progress in Hextech to learn more about your reserved behavior. A notebook, scattered papers, or a book always was in front of your seat at the Council. In most of them you kept quiet until another Councilor—Mel Medarda, usually—asked you a question or your insight.

Only through her, Cassandra Kiramman, and Heimerdinger he could be familiar with a partial image of your life. You were the daughter of a merchant family lineage, just like Mel, you were designated to protect and enhance the family's fortune through sponsorships of new inventions and new commercial deals. But part of your fortune was poured into independent, personal research.

You were elected as a Councilor despite your young age because of your quick wit. Mel allied with you because both complemented perfectly. She, with her outspoken, charming personality convinced almost everybody in the room. You were her magic card, ending arguments with sharp ideas enveloped in a soft, distant voice.

“When you're a quiet person, the weight of your words becomes heavier once you said them," Mel confessed Jayce once. “Even if y/n doesn’t talk that much, when she does, everyone must listen, because she’s about to say something relevant.”

Every time he saw you again, he found himself waiting for you to speak. So, he began to pick on Mel's trick and ask you directly.

Jayce was waiting for the Councilors to leave the main room outside the hall, seeing you were ordering several pages covering your seat at the roundish meeting table. When you went out into the corridor, Jayce straightened his spine and approached you.

“Hello, Councilor. I was wondering if you could give me your insight about an urgent matter? I would appreciate it." The sudden attention made your eyes widen as if you never thought he would ask you something. He found it cute.

“Me?” He nodded, and you squeezed harder the papers in your hands. “If you wish to, then alright.”

“Professor Heimerdinger said it isn't safe to show the new prototypes of Hextech this Progress Day. He thinks it's necessary to wait more time to present them to the public, but I think we can solve the safety problem before Progress Day.”

“And?” you asked, peeking at how his hands flew, gesturing while talking.

“Do you mind if I ask you to see the prototypes and give us feedback? I think a second opinion would be highly desired.”

You blinked. “I didn’t enroll at the Academy. I’m afraid to say that I’m no expert in the matter.”

“Much better, then. You don’t have a bias that could sometimes cloud judgment."

You didn’t say anything during some seconds in which Jayce thought you were hearing his frenetic heartbeat in the middle of the empty hallway.

“Let’s go.”

In the lab, a doubtful Viktor and an overexcited Jayce gave you the same speech they prepared for Heimerdinger. When it was over, you tilted your head slightly, simply saying: “Why not put a lock in them?"

“Pardon?”

“Yes. The problem is that the gemstone could be used to power any artifact that could use a specific combination of runes. But if you built a closure spell within the runes that made the artifact work, then the gemstone could not be extracted, avoiding any misuse.”

Both scientists looked at each other, bobbing their heads, hands extended, and speechless.

“Well, I hope my insight was helpful.” You were already walking towards the door, with Jayce following close. “Have a good afternoon.”

"W-wait!" he called out, making you freeze at the door’s threshold. “I’m indebted to you. With these changes, Heimerdinger may allow us to present them to the public sooner than we first thought." He paused, which made you look at him with curiosity.

"I hope so, you both worked hard on those inventions. You deserve it."

“I… wanted to thank you for asking you out for dinner, perhaps?" He had his fingers interlaced tightly against his stomach.

The most minuscule of the smiles curved your lips.

“Maybe another day, when you finish fixing your prototypes first." With that, you turned and began to walk away.

*~*~*~*

When he became Councilor, the first thing that came to mind was that he would be able to spend more time with you. He made a list of things he could ask you about politics so you two could reunite every other afternoon and review some laws, consult some trials, and learn what a Councilor was supposed to do.

The days became weeks, and then a couple of months. Jayce grew familiar with your presence, chatting lazily when the rest of the Councilors were yet to arrive or were already left. You were much more outspoken alone, especially in the commodity of your home. Because that was where you spent most of your time. After you asked Jayce to have your scheduled reunions in there, he thought his blush would give away the feelings he tried to hide for the sake of not scaring you off, but you were focused on gathering your belongings to notice.

From that day on, Jayce showed up uninvited to your house, but surprisingly, you didn’t mind. Even if some days later, when Jayce mentioned it talking with Mel, she said that you preferred that any visit should be notified at least days prior.

The Councilor looked amused. “Make sure to assist to the party tomorrow, then. We will be celebrating Councilor y/n’s birthday. And I assume you don’t want to overlook this… opportunity.”

Jayce stood there with his eyes wide open. Was it that obvious?

There was no need to make such a fuss anyway. Jayce was already a ball of nervousness when he entered the reception hall in Mel Medarda’s house, an apartment that occupied the complete floor of one of the highest buildings in the city. When Jayce arrived, people were gathered in the place, talking and dancing around the open balcony. Fine liquor flowed freely in fancy glasses, he noted glances of shining gold and silver over the setting sun that painted the room red.

But where were you?

Scanning the room, he concluded that there were many people here for you to be comfortable. Jayce approached Mel, that was talking in a corner with Elora, her assistant, and right hand.

"Mel, Elora." He bowed. "By any chance, do you know where is Councilor y/n? I thought she would be here, but…”

“Ah, Jayce. You arrived a little late. She got tired of shaking hands and chatting, I believe she’s in the living room relaxing for a moment.” She looked at her companion. “Elora, could you lead him there, please?”

Such room was located in the heart of the apartment, far away from the chatter and music that in the vaulted alcove was a fading echo. It was filled with shelves containing books and other curiosities. An off chimney faced a pair of sofas and a table. You were occupying the largest couch, laying face up.

It looked as if you were napping. He was about to turn away when you said his name with a sleepy voice.

“Ah, I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“You don’t have to be.” You incorporated, patting the seat next to you for him to sit. “I was hoping Mel could send you here. I thought you wouldn’t come.”

“Of course, I would come! I wouldn’t miss your birthday.” Jayce’s cheeks were covered in a deep red while he was searching for something inside his pockets. “And speaking of, this is for you.”

It was a little wooden box, so little it would fit in his right hand. He opened with such care it seemed it was made with glass instead. Inside, a single necklace was wrapped gently in velvet.

Jayce looked at your eyes squint at the borders, such a wide smile parted your lips that he felt his heart flutter. "Do you like it?"

"You made it don't you?" Your fingers caressed the cold metal against your fingers when you picked it up. “I’ve never seen a design like this.”

“Yes… it’s a little sloppy—”

“No, not at all.” You chuckled. “It’s perfect, thank you. Can you… help me put it on?”

You were so close, and yet it wasn’t as intimate as when Jayce got even closer, his broad shoulders brushing yours as you pulled your hair to expose your neck. Even if the fireplace was off, the room felt on fire. His fingers were light against your neck, their texture rough for his inventor’s side, and his face was too close that you could feel his agitated breaths moving your hair.

He didn’t get to lock the necklace before you were inclined to him. But Jayce reacted quickly, with one of his hands holding your neck while the other reached for your cheek.

The necklace fell into your clothing neckline, and the cold metal sent shivers down your spine, chills that were augmented exponentially by Jayce’s lips against yours, his tongue gently asking you to part your lips to let him in.

Grasping him by the collar, you complied. Surprised by your action, he moaned against your mouth. His hands began to descend at the same time as yours.

After some moments, a pair of heels clicked against the marble floor, making their way to the living room. You pushed him away, trying to fix the wrinkles in his suit and to pretend your clothing was in a better state. You also had to accommodate the fallen necklace, so you took it from your chest and into your palms.

Mel was at the door, an empty glass in her hands. “It’s time for the toast.”

“Yes, it is.” Your legs shook a little when you took the first couple of steps. Looking back, Jayce was glued to the couch, eyes lost somewhere in the last minutes. Laughing, you passed alongside Mel. "I'll see you later, Jayce. You still have to give my gift.”

Mel gave them a raised brow, but she didn’t say anything while she took the lead, guiding you to the main hall. Jayce furrowed, but next to him was the necklace.

Trying to suppress a snort, he took it and put it inside his pocket, eager to have another opportunity he was about to take full advantage of.

[boricuacherry-blog]

Monday, July 30

To Dr. Ruth Beuscher:

I have been at a nadir, very grim, since my last letter to you. What, above all, does Ted think I am? His mother? A womb? What can I do to stop him seeing me as a puritanical warden?

Anyhow, Ted is on the rampage - writing letters and even radio broadcasts about the advantages of destruction, breaking one's life into bits every ten years, and damn the pieces.

I realize now he considered I might kill myself over this (as did the wife of someone we knew) and what he did was worth it to him. The real crux to me now is what do about the Other Woman business.

Am I an idiot to think that there is some purpose in being bodily faithful to the person you love? In riding through infatuations without always indulging yourself, if you know it hurts someone?

I mean, my pleasure in lovemaking is spoiled by thinking: is he comparing my hair to this one, my shape to that one, my talents to the other?

How can I have any self-respect? I hate the idea of living here in the country with the children & having Ted go off & sleep with various women & come back exhausted & refreshed to write, be fed, etc. It humiliates me. I simply can't laugh and blow smoke-rings.

He hates me to be tearful, but my god, the prospect of this makes me cry.

When I think he wants to follow every infatuation into bed, shall I just let him? This is what freedom, it seems, means to him.

He is handsome & fantastically virile & attractive. I am not beautiful. When I am happy, I can glow & burn, but what have I in this to make me happy?

I don't want to be sorrowful or bitter, men hate that, but what can I do in face of these prospects?

I at one point told him: I am saving you from ever getting mucked up with a wife & children again: you can have tarts & bastards, but if any other woman gets refrigerators & nappies in her eyes, you can say you have a really good old wife at home who is saving you to be free & not get stuck in the wallow of domesticity again.

And he does genuinely love us. He says now he dimly thought this would either kill me or make me, and I think it might make me. And him, too. I have been so hurt this week I feel like upchucking at the thought of his laying about with other women just this minute.

But I would like to be able to cope with this again, if it came up. If he needed to test his freedom, to test me.

I honestly don't ever, by cowardice, boringness, accusation, limitedness, ever want to give Ted the chance to think he should trade us in for a better family model. I have come to this country town because Ted said it was his dream - apples, fishing, peace, clean air, etc., etc.

I had wanted to stay in London, because I liked all the social life, movies, art exhibits & rush. Well now I love it here, & this is the first home I've had, very beautiful.

But I am damned if I want to sit here like a cow, milked by babies. I love my children, but want my own life. I want to write books, see people & travel. I want, eventually, to make over our separate cottage & hire a nanny.

So I've got to work hard. I refuse the role of passive, suffering wife. I think your advice about not having any more children for years a good one. I think I'd like a couple more someday, but only when I've got a nanny to free me.

I get a terrific sensual pleasure in being pregnant & nursing. But I must say, I get a terrific sensual pleasure in being light & slender & f***ing as well.

He says now he means travel, not tarts, but I feel naturally now the two go together.

What I don't want to be is an unf***ed wife. I get bitter then, & cross. And I feel wasted. And I don't just mean the token American what-is-it twice a week, front to front, 'thank you darling' either. It might simplify things if I could desire other men, but I need to admire them, too, & find them attractive, & there are very few of these, & I'm not likely to meet them in cow country.

-Sylvia Plath

[thegentlemansexcuseme]

BARRY LYNDON | 1975 | Kubrick

1756: A European Odyssey

When people say that any frame of a movie could be a painting, they usually mean that the film has visually appealing cinematography. In this instance, however, they have a case. This film looks incredible. Certain shots look like the work of one of the Old Masters. The painterly look is sumptuous helping give the film its lovely stately dignity, whether it's in the luminous natural light or in the candle-lit rooms. 

In addition, the first part of Barry Lyndon is set during the Seven Years' War, which, despite its length and scope (some historians consider it the true First World War), is mostly forgotten today. Which is a shame, as, from a cinematic standpoint, it is a great-looking war! The cannons, the cavalry, the Prussian tunics; this is the stuff! Give me this over the khaki and grey of WWII any day.

It could be said that Kubrick was so adept at evoking the period because his mind was well matched to Thackeray's droll, sardonic, and dispassionate humour. And Lyndon has Kubrick's preferred model of a lengthy, symmetrical story arc. The film feels considerably less like a clinical genre exercise than his subsequent films, and it's all the more tragic that his Napoleon concept was never realised.

As with Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut, some have speculated that Kubrick's decision to cast Ryan O'Neal as a shallow, uncharismatic lug was a sly joke on his reputation. Even if he is unlikable, the fate of his son and the final turn his life takes is nonetheless poignant. A once-promising existence tainted by random chance and fallible human nature. When it comes to films about impulse and violence, Barry Lyndon is far more astute and nuanced than say A Clockwork Orange.

And however blank and bland as O'Neal's performance appears, over the course of the film he somehow subtly makes the character appear enigmatic, impetuous and concealing a latent nobility.

And I like how O'Neal's Malibu tan is used to identify him as an imposter in the realm of the powdered-faced aristocrats. Barry Lyndon is one of Kubrick's better grim comedies.

But yes, it moves slowly, and despite being a picaresque story that takes its protagonist to numerous locations and situations, the film lacks a sense of movement, and despite how good it looks, there are few, if any, images, moments, or scenes that stand out or linger in the mind in comparison to his other films. And yet again, Kubrick's female characters are virtually nonexistent or are treated unfairly, such as Lyndon's lady wife, played by Vittoria Berenson, whose lot in life is to be played for a fool and have pipe smoke blown in her face.

In general, though, Lyndon is still a doom-laden biting critique of social mores that is delivered with an impish, caustic sense of humour.

And I'd completely forgotten that Kubrick brought Leonard Rossiter back after his small role in 2001, making him one of a select few returning performers in a Kubrick film. https://letterboxd.com/DavidM2000AD/

[wardenannie]

A lot of baby/pregnancy fic tends to focus on the end of pregnancy/the beginning of the baby’s life. But I wanted to do a little character study into Levi, so here he is over the course of 10 hours after learning Hange is preggo~  (mildly nsfw)

Ao3

10 Hours

Hour 0

 “So...” She faces away from him. Her single eye locked on the sky beyond her window. Hange Zoe, fourteenth Commander of the Survey Corps, will not turn to face him. She is sat at her desk, hands folded on its top. Levi cannot see her expression, but he expects that it is as grim as her tone. 

He braces himself for bad news. 

“I’m pregnant.” 

The birds beyond the window stop singing. The clouds cease their trek across the cerulean sky. Levi’s breath is stuck in his chest, a painful lump between his lungs. 

“Come again?”

This time she does look at him, pinning him to the floor with an emotionless glance over her shoulder. 

“Pregnant. Expecting. Vertically impaired bun in the proverbial oven.” 

The short joke is lost on him. He exhales sharply, like someone punched him in the gut, “Oh.” 

Hange sighs and resumes her staring out the window, “Just think on it. You don’t need to say anything right now.” 

Levi swallows thickly and gladly takes the excuse to exit the room. His head is spinning, heart thundering in his chest. Pregnant. It doesn’t feel real yet. 

He retreats to the relative safety of his quarters. 

Hour 1

Levi punches a hole in his wall with a snarl. Untoward anger radiating through his limbs. 

Sheetrock and plaster rain down, dirtying his pristine floor, further incensing him. He kicks a second hole in the wall, shouting with the impact of his booted heel. More debris falls. 

He paces back and forth, occasionally tugging a hand through his hair. He’s sweating, he feels filthy. 

But he knows that Hange isn’t lying. This is not the sort of sick joke she would pull. But they had been so careful, hadn’t they? 

He replays the penultimate moments of their last few encounters over in his head, and quickly realizes that they haven’t been as careful as he’d thought. There is nothing quite like losing himself in the depths of Hange... Commander Hange. 

Shit. He curses himself and perches on the foot of his bed, resting his head in his hands. 

What the fuck is he supposed to do now? 

Hour 2

Eventually he finds himself spread eagle across his bed. His eyes trace along the wooden grain of the ceiling. His head still spins when he thinks too deeply about anything, and a strange ache has settled into his chest, like a fist around his heart. 

Does he love Hange Zoe? Would it be fair to bring a child into the world if he didn’t? 

They’ve never said the words aloud to one another, but he knows in his heart-of-hearts that he does love her. She anchors him to reality, instills in him a drive to live where there might have only been despair. 

His fists clench and unclench rhythmically in his linens. Levi shuts his slate eyes and breathes deeply, trying to calm and steady himself. 

He is in love with Hange Zoe. He can admit that to himself now, in what feels like the most dire of circumstances. 

But can he love a child? Is there enough room in his heart? 

He rolls onto his side and covers his face with a pillow. 

It still feels unreal. A bad dream playing out before his waking eyes. 

Hour 3

He oscillates back into denial, then anger. 

Who are they to bring a child into this terrible, cruel world? An Eldian child, a scapegoat, a martyr for Marley to string up and burn. 

She has to be lying. Hange cannot possibly be telling him the truth. No Walls, no Gods, no omnipotent powers could be so terribly sordid as to bring an infant into the world now. Not while they are on the brink of war. 

Hour 4

He remembers his childhood; years spent wasting away in a whorehouse. Starving while his mother wasted her ill-gotten wages on booze. Levi was a bastard, fatherless. The only male role-model he’d ever had was Kenny, and look where that had gotten him. 

“I can’t be a father,” he whispers into the dying light of his quarters. 

He doesn’t know how. 

Hour 5

He takes his supper in the mess hall when he would normally eat within the privacy of his quarters. He hopes that the noise might distract, that interacting with his... his kids... might help him to better grasp his current situation. 

The irony of it isn’t lost on him as he sits in silence amongst his young comrades. In a way he has been a father to them where their own had become titan food. 

He watches Sasha scarf her food with abandon, Connie teasing her between his own hearty mouthfuls. He watches Jean roll his eyes at the two of them, then take a moment to proudly pet the patchy stubble that has begun to grow in around his chin. 

Levi listens to Armin excitedly pontificate to Mikasa and Eren about Marlean cuisine and meal customs. Mikasa listens on in contented silence, a small smile on her lips. Eren’s eyes are distant, like he isn’t listening at all. 

Levi wants to smack him on the back of his head. The twerp has been acting up a lot more as of late. Secretly, it worries him. 

His kids. 

Who needs a baby when they have it this good? 

He sighs and looks down to his tray, food untouched. 

They’re Hange’s kids, too. 

Their baby. Theirs. 

Hour 6

He returns to his quarters, stomach tied up in painful knots. He remembers Kenny, how the man had taught him the cruel, ruthless ways of the Underground. 

He remembers Isabel and Furlan. How he had allowed himself to love so selflessly only to be burned and brutalized in the end. What if that happened to Hange? Hange who he had come to rely on more than anything, anyone. Childbirth was a dangerous thing, everyone knew that. Even with the new, fancy anti-biotics being imported from the mainland the risks were high. 

What if he lost her? 

Her remembers Erwin who he had loved as a father, a brother, a martyr and a dear comrade. He remembers his Commander dying on that rooftop in Shiganshina. He remembers the blood. Icy blue eyes cold and dead as Hange peeled back his lids. 

Levi’s stomach rolls and he flips his upper half over the side of the bed and promptly vomits onto the floor. 

Behind his eyes an image has begun to take shape. Hange laid out in bed, naked from the waist down. Bloody, sweaty, weak and dying as a shapeless creatures squalls on her chest. 

“No,” Levi rasps, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

He feels so weak, so helpless in the face of this indominable thing. The sleep that takes him is unbidden and restless. 

Hour 7

Levi dreams of a cabin tucked away amongst the massive boles of the trees beyond wall Rose. Smoke rises from the chimney, filling the crisp forest air with a pleasant, homey smell. 

Sunlight breaks through the canopy and speckles the ground. Everything is bright and beautiful and alive. The simple wooden door of the cabin beckons to him, and he is helpless but to answer its call. 

Inside the space is cozy and quaint. The kitchen and living area inhabiting the same space. Hange is waiting for him, sitting on a small, plush sofa. She isn’t wearing her eye patch, revealing the milky iris and silvery scar she usually guards so carefully. 

“Levi,” she beams at him. For a moment he is stunned by her simple, unkempt beauty. 

He knows he is meant to be anxious over something, but suddenly he cannot remember what it is. 

He sits down beside her takes her face between his hands and kisses her. 

I love you, he wants to admit the truth. He’s ready. But his lips will not part. The words will not pass his tongue. 

When they part Hange’s expression darkens, long shadows falling over her hawkish features. 

“Levi...” she breathes. 

Shadows begin to creep in from the corners of the cabin. The walls suddenly feel as though they are caving in, and suddenly his peaceful dream has become a nightmare. 

“You’re pregnant,” The sound of his own voice is alien and distant in his ears. He feels small. Smaller than usual. Miniscule and helpless. Why can he speak now? 

Hange nods and then the pair of them are besieged by shadows. 

Hour 8

Levi sits bolt upright in his bed, sweat is gathered on his brow and sharp shivers wrack his limbs. He pants and wipes his face with his palm. 

“Fuck,” he curses. 

He’s used to nightmares, but more often than not Hange is in bed beside him waiting to soothe them away. 

Here, in his quarters, he is completely and utterly alone. 

Levi doesn’t want to be alone anymore. 

He tugs on his boots and stumbles out into the hallway, not caring how disheveled he must appear to any passers-by. He wants to be with Hange, he’s cursing himself for leaving her alone to begin with. 

How selfish does that make him? He’s not the one bearing the brunt of this burden. It isn’t his body and life that are at risk. What must she be feeling now? All alone because her lover left her in a fit of selfish upset. 

When he reaches her door he doesn’t bother to knock. It opens with a rush of air and he finds her where he left her; sitting at her desk, gazing out the window. Her elbows rest on the dry ink of a half finished letter. 

“Levi?” She spins sideways in her chair, facing him entirely. 

He shakes his head and closes the distance between them in two easy strides. He seizes her face between his hands and kisses her roughly, because he isn’t good with words, so he’ll show her how he feels. 

“Mmpf!” She makes a noise of surprise, but then she melts into him, hands lifting to rest on his chest, then caressing around to link behind his neck. 

When they part she gives a small, sad smile and says, “I didn’t think I’d see you again tonight.” 

“I was being an idiot,” Levi grunts, and he helps her to her feet. “A selfish idiot.” 

“No you weren’t, Levi. It’s a lot to take in, I know,” her thumb brushes his lower lip. “I love you.” 

Hour 9

The words are difficult to speak, so he shows her out he feels. He shows her in the reverent way he peels her clothes from her body, the rough, desperate caress of his touch, the slide of his thin lips over her chin and collarbones and breasts. 

He holds her hips and kisses from her navel to her abdomen, and he kisses her there too because despite everything he does want this baby. He loves this baby already, because it is him and it is Hange. The best of the both of them taking shape in her womb. 

Levi abandons all gentleness as he makes love to her. It is animal. Primal. His hands will leave bruises on her hips, and his lips suck hers swollen. 

When he finishes, just after her, he doesn’t bother to pull out. It doesn’t matter anymore. And as he pumps himself into her he whispers raspy and desperate into her sternum, “I love you.” 

The words hurt in such a sublime way. He’s never said them before, not once in his life. But here he is, speaking them, meaning them, bleeding them from his soul into hers. 

He loves her, and he’ll love this baby, too. 

Hour 10

They lay in bed, Hange’s fingers comb rhythmically through his hair, and she presses the occasional kiss to his crown. 

Levi has one arm wound around her waist, his cheek pressed into her sternum, his other hand cupping her abdomen, thumb caressing gentle circles into the skin there. 

“I know you’re afraid,” Hange finally speaks. Her voice is soft and loaded with emotion. “I am, too. But I think we deserve this, Levi. It’s a chance for a life beyond the Survey Corps, for a real family.” 

Levi tilts his head up and kisses her gently. She’s right, but he still cannot help but remember his vision and his nightmare. 

“There’s so much that could go wrong,” his voice is pained. He holds her tighter. 

Hange sighs and rests her cheek on his head, “You’re not wrong, but we’ve got eight months to figure things out, okay? For tonight, just hold me.” 

Levi sighs and melts into her, shutting his eyes. 

In Hange’s arms his sleep is dreamless. 

[lovee-infected]

hi! could i see your insights about ace? i saw a anon say from another blog that kinda has unrealistic expectations in a relationship and it kinda stuck with me. i mean in his ghost marriage he already knows the things he wants in a partner but he didn't show guilt about dumping his girlfriend, even. i think if you date him because he sees these quality in you and as the relationship last, he'll dump you if you get boring to him lol

I never thought that I'd say this but, wow, I'm impressed. I've been really curious about Ace since I get to see a variety of different content with different representations of his personality, so I decided to stick with his canon stories and lines. This analysis was so much fun to write and I'd assure you all that not only Ace but rather all of the first year characters are WAY more than they seem to be! Many just decide to ignore them and pass away, calling them good boys or precious stupid beanies at first.

Speaking of Ace, we've all seen how trending he's been recently. Many theories, thoughts and new arguments exist through the fandom as many want to get to know this boy better.

Theories like "Ace's betrayal theory" as well have been mentioned a lot lately, some agree and some disagree. While we aren't going to talk about that theory or any other theories in this analysis, I'd like to take time to talk about the reasons why those theories might seem appealing and accurate. In other words, we're going to talk about where they are coming from!

1) Ace is incredibly smart and brave

It's true that characters like Jade or Azul's remarkable genius often stands out as it's clearly visible through their presence in the game, from iconic decisions to stunning strategies. But what we need to realize is how characters like Ace can be just as inspiring while their true intelligence is often shallowed by extras and giving them much of a dumb picture in the game.

To begin with, let us note that Ace's brother himself was one of the considerably strong magicians in Heartslabyul's history and even his presence through the magicshift is still remarkable even though years has passed. As the second child of the family, Ace's change to achieve success is even higher than his brother's as he already has a role model he really looks up to, so in that point Ace isn't one to underestimate. But, let me point that his relationship with his brother also contains lots of jealousy and sometimes negativity. His brother was one to always trick Ace and he continues to do so even nowadays! Ace on the other hand doesn't enjoy being pissed off over and over even as he's used to it. Well, we can say that it's another reason for him to train his hardest and become a greater magician than his brother therefore he won't be the bully material of the Trappola household anymore.

Regardless of how effective his brother might've been on him, Ace himself has shown plenty of strong hints that reveal not only his high IQ but also EQ:

He can solve math problems in second, which is a rather important feature to note because the way you deal with math can directly effect the way you deal with life. Not saying that one has to be great at math to be great at something else but it's rather about the perspective and ability of logical thinking that it gives to one. I'd say that this effect is quite visible if you take a look at the way he speaks in serious situations; he's got much of an analytical brain. Let's not forget that Cater as well confirmed that he's much of a skill stealer, is pretty good at remembering things and is a quick thinker! These are go on to show how much of an underestimated genius he is.

Whenever something goes wrong, Ace would be the first one to notice it even if it's a silly matter. And it always begins with a seemingly childish argument, but ends incrucial matters that not a single soul had noticed before! Just take a look at chapter one, what would've happened if Ace hadn't spoken up? He was just one of the hundreds of students having to be severely punished under Riddle's strict rules and he surely wasn't the first one to go through this. Him taking the urge to fight Riddle sounded stupid and naïve at first, many even told him off because he was just acting like a pissed off child. But as he continued to argue and oppose toward Riddle's way as a leader, even Trey realized how he's been keeping his eye shut on all this problems for so long. The way Ace stood against Trey was iconic, he confidently defended his point not by his personal demands and feelings but with facts and logical comments on why Trey's way of threatening Riddle is wrong. He did the same thing again at he ghost marriage, just think of it! Not a single soul ever cared to tell the bride about true love but Ace was there, and he was the one and only to do this after more than 500 years of the bride's existence! This Ace, this serious and mature face of Ace is something that can surely fascinate anyone. His bravery, the way he puts all that strength through words, hisextremely logical point of view and his enthusiasm to solve the problems no matter how unimportant they seem to be is indeed appreciatble. Seriously though, what would've happened to Riddle is Ace wasn't there? When Ace firstly begun to oppose to him, everyone thought that is was just a childish argument. They had no idea how severe and destructive Riddle's temper issues were and how harmful they were down inside.

2) He's one of the dumbest characters in the whole game

You know what? He is dumb. Yes he's incredibly smart but this isn't going to change the fact that he is dumb as hell, so I'm never going to argue when someone's nagging on how much of an idiot he is. But most importantly, we need to know what's making him so dumb:

His presence through the stories has proved that Ace is eventually pretty good at detecting the main source of problems both on the mental and physical side. He was the first to realize Riddle's issues, Trey's huge mistake with Riddle, Ghost bride's unawareness and Epel's gloomy and sad aura in chapter 4. Ace's also one to easily tell whether what someone is doing is wrong or not, he can see through people and bring their mistakes to their attention. The problem is... he can't be quite the same with himself. That's what makes him awfully dumb.

Back in chapter one, he did have a point about Riddle's way of leadership being so unfair and messed up, but when he decided to challenge Riddle and even take his place as the dorm leader he was a total idiot who didn't how weak and unpractical his own magic was, he was being too dramatic. When he talked about his ex girlfriend, he just talked about how she held him back from doing what he wanted and was too uncool to spend time with, but he didn't mention a single thing about himself doing anything wrong in that relationship. He often fails to realize that he's got his own incompleteness and lacks just like anyone else, or prefers to put an blind eye to them most of the time (not all of the time)

Ace sets the perfect goals, but chooses the wrong path to achieve them. He needs to realize that just like everyone else, he can be sometimes wrong. He should take his time to get to know himself better; his abilities, his attitude, his faults and his mistakes and learn to be more patient and logical in order to achieve his goals. He's still young an inexperienced, by learning to put that brilliance of him into the perfect use he'd be able to become the great magician he wishes to be, and I'd say that in case that he continues to grow stronger and smarter, he'll have a high chance of being hesrtslabyul's next dorm leader!

3) He legit wants to be the "Ace"

This part's more of an attempt to do a name analyis and see how much it's been effective on Ace's personality. It actually makes a lot of snese since the word "Ace" itself has several meanings, and he used these different terms quite a few times in his personal stories. This point would also be explained in part (4) so for now, let's take a look at direct name definitions:

First of, remember what what an Ace is in a card game? "A playing card with a simple spot on it, ranked as the highest card in its suit" This goes on to tell us a lot, it's telling us what an Ace is. A loner yet the most powerful one of its own, just like how Ace wants to be.

Wanting to be an actuall Ace is definitely one of the things that sometimes makes Ace sound so jerky and he's aware of it! If you give it a closer look, you'll see that Ace doesn't really treat his friends like friends, especially with Deuce and Grim. He's often insulting or challenging them, and even during his birthday SSR when MC asked him about what he thinks of each of other first years (Who are basically his closest friends) he mainly criticized them and all, not a single word was said about things he likes about them and he didn't even call any of them his friend!

Well that's much of a jerky attitude to have toward people whom you spend almost all of your time with, especially your best of time.

He to play the role of the bad guy, the type to hang out with everyone without feeling any attached to them as even friends. Seems like our boy is trying to be a loner, a true Ace of cards and hearts. And he doesn't mind his friends calling him a bastard or jerk because of this. It's even confirmed that he's more of the popular guy type therefore he's mainly used to having people around!

On the other hand, he's trying his best to achieve success no matter what the obstacles are. It's true that he often messes up and fails, but we cannot say that he isn't trying. He almost lost his head for real during his SSR story where Riddle's favorite hedgehogs were lost because of Ace's impatience, but at last with the help of monsieur Rook and his own ability to imitate Rook's mole language skills Ace saved his neck one more time, and ended his story with a dramatic "Of course, I always Ace it!"

4) Ace does care, but pretends that he does not

In contrast to the fact that he wants to sound tricky,manipulative and mean, or how he's denying his friends' true worth to him like stated in part (3), Ace is probably one of the most caring and supportive characters in the game. Not saying that he's just as bright as someone like Kalim, but his way of seeing through people and wishing them to be better, wealthier and happier than they already are is surely something. This fact is often ignored because, well...everyone's too busy calling him either dumb or sus/ jk!

Just imagine having a friend or at least, a classmate you know like Ace. How's he supposed to be? He'd realize it when someone's bullying/bothering/ or intentionally harming you, and he isn't going to be silent about it. If you see that you're permanently sad, angry, rude or loud then again he'd speak up, he isn't going to just pull up with anyone's unhealthy habit like nothing's happened. He's got much of a big brain as well so you should expect him to say a bunch of helpful and meaningful stuff when he's using that brain, mainly in serious situations. He may not be a permanently mutual to have around, but when the troubles arrive, know that having Ace around is always an advantage.

To top it off, he's even shown sympathy toward people whom he seemed to like the least at first like Riddle; he wishes Riddle to be happier, to smile more, to be more open about his emotions with other students. At some point he even admits that he looks up to him, he used to overestimate his powers and challenged Riddle, but during the ghost marriage he said that he knows how powerful and strong Riddle is, therefore he should work his hardest to study and train to become strong just like him! He already seems to be more cheerful and bright when MC is talking to him, but when it comes to Grim and Deuce...it gets quite complicated. What we see the most is often Ace insulting them or saying that he's going to kick their asses, but they're also his closest friends all though he refuses to admit to it.

Just wait for Deuce or Grim to get in a serious danger or pain, and see how much of a protective one Ace can be! He isn't going to remain silent when one is in danger, but he's surely going to deny all that effort and affection he gave into action afterwards. When Ace can feel this cautious and understanding toward Riddle, someone who isn't even a friend of his then imagine how supportive and caring he would be toward his close friends like Deuce, MC and Grim!

In his ghost marriage as well, his words and the way he spoke of the meaning of true love left everyone, even Crowley, impressed (Crowley even said that he's fallen in love with this side of Ace's personality), but refused to admit that he was speaking of his true feelings after the ceremony. Someone like Grim is too bold to recognize how much of a different person Ace can be inside, so he claimed that Ace was just rambling nonsense without thinking of what he was saying back then, and Ace agreed with him! This is a continuation to part (3) where we talked about how he wants to be a loner, he doesn't want anyone to see how caring and sometimes, emotional he can be inside! Poor boy is quite shy showing his true feelings we can tell~

5) Ace can be quite tricky and manipulative

This part will also explain some of the main reasons behind famous theories like "Ace's betrayal theory", and I wanted to have a certain part to talk about this point specifically because it's been quite trending through the whole fandom, and many are wondering why theorizers are considering his betrayal a possibility, so here we go!

As said, one of the main factors the makes Ace seem suspicious would be his incredible intelligence. The fact that he can actually be that smart all the time but isn't openly showing his talents and abilities can be quite questionable, more details regarding his intelligence and most likely high IQ and EQ were discussed in part (1)!

Enough with intelligence, let's focus on his personality! This is mainly what this part is talking about, his trickiness. Just like his father and older brother, Ace is pretty good with magic tricks. Small and fun tricks are a convenient yet easy ways to inspire others and Ace doesn't mind showing the crowd what he's got up in sleeve when possible. But the thing is...this isn't just about fancy tricks.

This ability can be expanded into any other field such as mental terms and enable him to indirectly control and play with one's mind. That's more of a possibility though! He hasn't yet shown any signs of being any manipulative but, well, we can't say that it's beyond his abilities. Ace himself can be quite sarcastic and mean at the time, he doesn't seem to mind slightly tricking his friends either. Nothing about him seems to be serious, but the possibilities remain still.

The way he learnt those tricks as well is mentionable; no one ever teached himm any of those tricks, he learnt them through being repeatedly tricked, and learning to copy and redo what he saw. Both Rook and Cater so far have confirmed that Ace's ability to learn so quickly and learn and redo techniques just by watching them is fantastic.

His genius and ability to learn and memorize everything that he needs to learn pretty fast, along side his tricky and sometimes personality can make Ace quite dangerous. If someone like him decides to choose such a remarkable talent for evil purposes, that's surely going to be bad news. That's much and less of what makes Ace's betrayal theory make sense although there're still fans who find it quite questionable. I'm not a supporter of this theory myself as I hadn't seen any signs of Ace having any bad intentions so far, but I do get where the theorizers are coming from and that makes sense. Ace has been trying to put on much of a mean and lowkey evil face on through the story and no one can really say what's exactly going on in that brain. We'll that about this uncertainty in part (7)!

6) His past relationship was...uh

For now, Ace is the only character who is confirmed to have experience in love and relationships, and this was a rather effective factor since many have been talking about Ace's past relationship afterwards. The thing is...Ace did talk about how his girlfriend held him back from having fun and living the life he wanted to live. Well there's actually a lot we should say about this one so I'm not gonna rush to the end, let's think about all of the aspects of this situation logically:

First of, the relationship itself. I'd say that it was a wrong attempt for them to date each other in the first place because obviously, Ace and his girlfriend weren't made for each other. They were total opposites in interests and they couldn't even have fun together. If Ace chose to go on a wild roller coater ride, the girl would've freaked out and when she chose a small, childish ride that she liked Ace instead didn't enjoy it at all. It's surely an issue when you and your partner can't even watch a movie which both of you can enjoy together since their tastes were totally different, just jow was this relationship going to last? Ace wasn't happy, and if he was going to do what made him happy the girl in return would've been sad. They were two different people of two different points, dating at this point was nothing but a mistake.

On the other hand, Ace as well is guilty. First off, she shouldn't have dated the girl in the first place if he was aware of how different her tastes were. Second, from what he said he never showed any signs of dissatisfaction when he had to give up on what he liked to listen to what the girl friend liked. The girl friend obviously told him that she was scared of a horror movie, but Ace just kept his mouth shut and felt awfully annoyed as he watched a romance movie with her while he didn't like it at all. If he'd at least told her girlfriend about this, she wouldn't have felt as injured and cheated when Ace broke up with her. Ace shouldn't have bottled it up, he deserved to enjoy the relationship just as much as the girl did. He shouldn't have expected things to get any better if he wasn't going to solve anything about it in the first place. If he'd talked about his personal desires and favorites as well, and had his uncomfortableness with most of the girl's choices discussed before hand, there could've been a chance of them coming into a conclusion and even not breaking up! The girl could've tried to be braver for him, and Ace could've agreed to be softer because of her. There would've been a HUGE difference if they'd talked about it logically.

Also, keep this in mind that the girl had no idea about Ace's uncomfortableness which was low key naïve of her (It's not cool when you don't even realize that your boyfriend doesn't like something) but this also made him awfully unprepared for a break up! Ace should've st least talked about his feelings and how he was unable to continue that relationship with her instead of just dropping her out of nowhere. That would've also decreased the chance of having to deal with the girl's friends after wards!

Finally, let's say that this relationship was wrong in too many aspects. They weren't each other's type, and we can't really blame Ace for dropping someone whom he couldn't be happy with. The main of being in a relationship is spending time with someone whom you can enjoy your time with. He as well was guilty because he can't just drop the girl like he just didn't care and had gotten tired of her while he had his own reasons for dropping her, he should've let the girl know that it wasn't necessarily her fault, it was about Ace not being able to relate to her tastes and habits.

Also, let's be honest. Not much is expected when a 15 year old is dating. Being in a relationship is an awfully sensitive and important choice and someone like Ace hasn't reached that level of maturity to be ready to date someone, let alone doing it at his 15s! Honestly... they should've learnt a lot before dating each other because it isn't a silly thing. Dating like this is nothing but playing around for a while for fun, it's a childish game of spending some time together until they break up.

For now, Ace is finds love quite silly and meaningless so we can clearly see that his past relationship has pissed him off. Well Ace needs to realize that his relationship with his ex wasn't a serious one, so it's normal for it to seem unimportant and silly. He needs to learn a lot without dating someone again, such as knowing how crucial it is to make sure that his hobbies would match his partners, to make sure tjat they get along, and simply, he needs to find his own type! Not all people are made for each other, and he isn't supposed to fall for anyone with any possible personality that pops up on his way.

Also, I'd say that he still needs to focus on studying instead of dating. He needs to reach the required level of maturity to be ready to start a healthy and successful relationship again. Also, he might end up being totally different from what we've seen about him being in a relationship do far when he grows up! Idealistics do change a lot olin teenagehood.

7) We need to talk about our first years a lot more!!!

This point isn't just about him, but rather all of the first years! If I were to rate the most ignored and shallowed personalities of twst, the first years should've gone on the top of this list. Even when we're speaking of the mischaracterized characters of the game, many consider Ace and Deuce to be the least mischaracterized while they happen to be the most mischaracterized as no one evencares to see through them and feel like we aren't mischaracterizing them just because we're ignoring them! Come on guys, Ace's design and personality is a lot more complicated and harder to read than characters like Vil and even Leona!

Out of all first years Sebek was the only one to get some proper shout outs so far but why isn't anyone talking about Ace and Deuce the way they deserve to be talked about? Their presence through the game is even more important than the dorm leaders as they are the closest characters to MC, and their personality design is just incredible, no just because of how perfectly detailed it is, but also because of giving them this unpredictability and incompleteness which totally matches their age!

Studies have shown that judging one's personality based on how they're doing at the age of 16 or younger is prettyhard and impossible, and it's a totally serious fact. At the age of 16, human's personality is under severe effects and changes until reaching it's final-developed shape. That's accurate toward almost all of the first years except Jack since he seems to have more of a mature personality.

NRC's first years are really complicated, especially a character like Ace. That why I said that we can't yet tell if he's a good guy or not, because at this level of life he can choose to be anything. He can be good, he can be bad, he can be neutral. That's why he's showing too much of opposite actions at the moment. One second he's being the biggest idiot in the whole world, the other second he's planning like a 50 year old genius. One second he's being protective over his friends, the other second he sighs and tells MC how annoying they are.

That's why Ace is hard to read, we can't tell what his true feelings are until he reaches the required mental stability to be judged as a mature and complete personality. 18 year olds like Vil have already reached that level of maturity and completeness, finding their unique magics as well is another sign of it. But our first years still need to learn and experience until they find their real selves, to see who they are.

This is one of the most adorable facts about their design because they really gave him this young and wild and incomplete nature to show that they're still young! This is quite incredible how careful Yana was to remember that they all needed some this childishness in their design, their designs are just as accurate and realistic as a real 16 year old's! They still need to learn, and that's why they're the closest ones to MC.

MC needs to learn and get to see more and more of this world, and so do the first years! They're just as unexperienced and new to this world, and they can relate to MC better than anyone else can!

So please, from now on, let's remember to talk about not only Ace, but also all of the first years more often. Ace and Deuce's designs especially are the most detailed and beautiful ones if you take time to know them better. Remember that after the 7 dorm leaders, Ace and Deuce's roles as the protagonist's closest allies are the most crucial in the game, so let's not just decide to ignore all these creative features and pass by them without thinking how much they can mean.

Woah, this one was quite harder to write than I'd expected! There are way too many things to say about him which made me have to summarize this into just this 7 parts for now. Ace is surely and odd yet interesting one to study, even more interesting than usually famous characters like Leona and Azul, which is partly because of how unpredictable he is!

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

so i am back on the grima train and i was reading through your posts (absolutely quality, for which i can only thank you !! 💓) and you mentioned in one about his use of magic that you have a Lot of Feelings about grima in relation to gender and plz i need to hear them!! (if you want to share? 👀)

LOTR: Grima & Gender 

Oh man, so Grima and gender. My favourite topic. Other than Grima and magic - but they’re linked! So, that’s a bonus for us.

I want to thank you so much for asking this question. I have wanted to rant about this for Forever.

This became incredibly long, but the long and short of it is that Grima undermines social expectations of masculinity in Rohan through his disdain for martial achievements, his occupying a more private/passive role within the king’s household rather than the expected “masculine” public/active, his use of spells and potions being an “unmanly” and “cowardly” approach to problem solving, and his reliance on language and soft-power approaches to politics.

All of this works to position Grima within a more feminine role and character - at least within the context of Rohan’s hypermasculine performativity of manliness.

[It does allow us to read Grima as trans with greater ease in terms of fitting into the canon than the usual favourites, other than Eowyn. So, you know, do with that what you will. Eowyn and Grima both want to be queen. Let them be in charge! I’m going to get my ass bit for this.]

-

Grima’s gender performance needs to be quickly situated within the broader context of masculinity in Middle-Earth. Gondor’s ideal of masculinity is the gentler masculinity that everyone focuses on when they talk about men in middle earth being good models of what masculinity can look like. It’s a nurturing masculinity, it’s gentle, it’s healing-focused. Aragorn and others try and take the first off-ramp from violence or conflict whenever they can. There is no enjoyment in warfare or soldiering. It’s done because it’s necessary. Dick-swinging is limited to non-existent etc.

Rohan is different.

Faramir touches on this when he speaks to Frodo of how Boromir was more like the men of Rohan and how he thought that wasn’t a good thing as it meant he was seeking glory for glory’s sake, relishing war and soldiering as an occupation rather than an unfortunate necessity.

Of course, Faramir was also making (some very dubious) racial commentary, but race and gender are often bound up together (e.g. hyper-masculinization of black men and the feminization of East Asian men in the North America).

As R.W. Connell says, “masculinities are congurations of practice that are constructed, unfold, and change through time” — and, additionally, masculinity must be defined in opposition to femininity but, also, other masculinities.

For Rohan, there is a strong, militarized hyper-masculinity that threads through their culture. One of the reasons Theoden was seen as a failing king was his physical decline and inability to continue being a physically strong king. His aging emasculated him, more so when compared to Theodred and Eomer. (Something Theoden believed of himself and Grima capitalized on.)

For this, I’m going to speak of masculinity of the upper classes, since that’s what we see for Rohan. Masculinity, and how it’s to be performed, is contingent on social variables such as, but not limited to: age, appearance and size, bodily facility, care, economic class, ethnicity, fatherhood, relations to biological reproduction, leisure, martial and kinship status, occupation, sexuality etc. and as we never see lower class Rohirrim men it’s impossible to say what the “acceptable” and “expected” forms for a farmer or cooper would be.

Upper class men of Rohan are expected to be militarily capable - ready to ride and fight when called by their king or marshal. They are to be men of action over word, and when language is in play, it’s to be forthright and plain. No riddling. Marriage/Husband-ing is an expected part of manhood. Being strong minded, and capable of taking charge and making decisions is important. Fatherhood is also clearly prized, especially fatherhood that results in son(s).

(Theoden only having one child could be read as another “failure” in living up to Rohirrim ideals when compared to the older kings of his family who were far more prolific.)

The appearance of an “ideal” man is tall, fair, and handsome. Physically strong and capable in all ways (martially, sexually, fertile etc.).

Men should be able to demonstrate that they are capable of being in charge, taking control, defending and protecting families and homes. This slots in with more generalized expectations around bravery, honour and glory.

[Eomer: And that, in summation, is how you are to Be A Man.

Grima: Well that sounds utterly exhausting.]

-

So, with all of that in mind, let’s talk Grima.

First, let’s address the name and character construction as this is the least bound up in how he acts and its tension with Rohirrim ideals of Being a Man. It’s also interesting in that it can give a glimpse into Tolkien and the possible thoughts he had when constructing Grima.

Grima’s Name & Beowulf Stuff

Grima’s name is from old Icelandic Grimr, which is a name Odin takes during the Grimnismal saga.

Here are some lines from Odin in the saga:

I have called myself Grim,

I have called myself Wanderer,

Warrior and Helmet-Wearer,

[...]

Evildoer, Spellcaster,

Masked and Shadowed-Face,

Fool and Wise Man,

[...]

Rope-Rider and Hanged-God.

I have never been known

by just one name

since I first walked among men.

Not only is Grima’s name from Odin, more importantly, it’s the feminine version of that name. No man in the eddas or sagas goes by Grima. Only women. And most often they were seidr-workers or healers/magic practitioners of some kind.

"Other healers include Gríma from Fóstbræðra saga and Laxdæla saga and Heiðr from Biarmiland in Harald’s saga Hárfagra." 

- “Hostile Magic in the Icelandic Sagas,” Hilda Ellis-Davidson

And

"There was a man called Kotkel, who had only recently arrived in Iceland. His wife was called Grima. Their sons were Hallbjorn Sleekstone-Eye and Stigandi. These people had come from the Hebrides. They were all extremely skilled in witchcraft and were great sorcerers." 

- Laxdæla saga

This is most likely something Tolkien was aware of — I would be flabbergasted if he wasn’t. However, did he fully appreciate the implications in terms of gender and subversion of masculinity? Impossible to say, of course, but he certainly knew he was giving his male character a name that has only been used by women in historical texts.

It would be akin to naming your male character Henrietta instead of Henry. It’s a deliberate, explicit decision. And while I don’t think Tolkien expected most readers to track down the origin of Grima’s name, the --a ending, to most anglophone readers, signifies a feminine name, more often than not. At least, it rarely, if ever, signifies masculine.

So the name alone brings in, at a subconscious level to readers, feminine qualities.

Alongside this, Grima is loosely based on Unferth from Beowulf. The entrance of Gandalf et al into Meduseld directly mirrors Beowulf’s into Hrothgar’s hall (complete with Grima lounging at Theoden’s feet the same as Unferth at Hrothgar’s). Indeed, it was clearly Tolkien’s intention to make a call back to Beowulf with that scene. (He was being all “look how clever I am. Also these are Anglo-Saxons on horses. As a general fyi”).

Unferth is a fascinating character in his own right ,and there is much scholarly debate around his role within Hrothgar’s hall, as well as the text more broadly. While there isn’t enough time/space to get into Unferth, I will quickly note that he is another character who subverts his society’s ideas of manhood and masculinity — particularly with regards to expectations of heroism and bravery. Yet, at the same time, Unferth is noted for being very intelligent, cunning, good at riddling, and overall quick witted (also, a kin-slayer. Dude murdered his brothers for Reasons).

Unferth’s contrary behaviour that flies in the face of Anglo-Saxon norms and ideals of masculine bravery is clearly reflected in Grima. Particularly in Grima’s fear of battle and lack of interest in taking up his sword when called by his king.

This leaves us with a character who was given a woman’s name and who is loosely based on another character who is known for his inability to follow through on his society’s expectations for masculine behaviour. 

Grima, from the first moment we meet him, clearly reads more feminine than masculine - this is amplified when he’s contrasted with the likes of Theoden and Eomer. And, not only is his aligned with traditional femininity more than other male characters, he is specifically aligned with the more negative tropes of femininity (i.e. lack of bravery, unreliable, dubious morals etc.).

-

That is a brief overview of the bones of Grima’s construction: name and inspiration. Now for actions and characterization within the text. This will be subdivided into comments on his use of magic and how that interfaces with Rohirrim masculinity then we’ll get into power and language.

Grima’s key point of power is his ability to weave words in so powerful a way he could convince Theoden of his own infirmity and weakness thereby securing control over the king. Alongside this, we know that he was using certain “potions and poison” to further weaken Theoden. Most likely to amp up the king’s physical weakness so it coincided with Grima’s mental magic games.

Magic for Anglo-Saxon and early medieval Scandinavians was heavily rooted in the power of the spoken word. Runes were probably used but the historical support of this is vague. Which is to say, we know they were used, we’re just not certain how and to what extent.

We do know that rune staves were a thing. They were most often used to send your landwights after opponents or wreck havoc on enemies from afar. To make one, a magic-worker would carve the prescribed runes onto a large stave and position it in the ground facing the direction of their enemy. On top of the stave was added the head of a horse. (Lots of horse sacrifice happened for early medieval Scandinavians, alongside some human sacrifice.)

But, the brunt of magic for Anglo-Saxons and early medieval Scandinavians was spoken word. Which makes sense as their society was, like Rohan’s, predominantly illiterate or, at least, para-literate (though, there has been some recent archeological evidence that is starting to call that into question, for what that’s worth).

In particular, Grima’s spellwork aligns most closely with seidr, a fact I’ve gone about ad nausea. And, again, something we can assume Tolkien was aware of, which means he was also aware of the gendered implications of a man practicing the craft.

The mainstay of seidrcraft is, but not limited to, the following:

making illusions,

causing madness and/or forgetfulness,

brewing of potions and poisons,

prophesying,

channeling the dead,

channeling gods,

removal of elf-shot, and

recovering lost portions of someone’s soul.

The first three bullets are things Grima does to Theoden. That kind of magic — the kind that fucks with your mind and your sense of self, the kind that is subtle and quiet and lurks beneath the surface so you don’t know it’s happening, that’s cunning — that kind of magic is what women do.

It was considered unmanly/effeminate for a man to partake in it as it undermined the hypermasculine militarized culture of the time. Winning a battle or a fight through spells and poison was cowardly.

Therefore, in Rohan where we have this hypermasculine culture that so prizes military glory and grandeur and martial might, Grima pursuing his goals through spellcraft and potions/poisons is Grima pursuing distinctly unmasculine, effeminate modes of action.

Indeed, within Rohan it could call into question the entirety of his masculinity. It would make him ragr (adj. unmanly) because his actions are the epitome of ergi (noun. unmanliness).

"In the Viking Age, homosexual men were treated with extreme disdain and a complex kind of moral horror, especially those who allowed themselves to be penetrated. Such a man was ragr, not only homosexual by inclination and action, but also inhabiting a state of being that extended to ethical and social qualities. This complex of concepts has been extensively studied, and in the words of its leading scholar, "the unmanly man is everything that a man should not be with regard to morals and character. He is effeminate and he is a coward, and consequently devoid of honour". [...] What we would call sexual orientation was, in the viking age, completely bound up with much wider and deeper codes of behaviour and dignity, extending way beyond physical and emotional preference." -Neil Price, Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings

Though Price references specifically homosexuality in this passage, a man could be considered ragr for more than just that — and one of the other ways was through practicing seidr.

We see this with Odin, who learns how to do seidrcraft from Freyja, and is then mocked by Loki for how emasculating the practice is for Odin to undertake (as if Loki has any room to talk). Odin’s made himself effeminate, he’s made himself unmanly, he’s allowed himself to learn spells that could enable him to take a cowards way out of a situation, to be dishonourable etc.

Which is a neat tie-back to Grima’s name being one of Odin’s names, particularly when he is in disguise and using seidrcraft and wily ways to escape various unfortunate situations that he ends up in during the Grimnismal saga.

(As Odin says: I have been called Evildoer, Spellcaster, Masked and Shadowed-Face, Fool and Wise Man.)

It also mirrors him to Gandalf - another character who bears an Odinnic name. Gandalf very much represents the masculine, “acceptable” aspects of Odin. Grima embodies the darker, more dubious, and more effeminate, aspects of the god. As I’ve said in other posts, they are two sides of the Odin coin.

Though both are temperamental as fuck.

-

Alongside the spellcraft and potions, Grima’s performance of power does not align with Rohirrim traditions and ideals. He relies on his wits and his skill with language to navigate the world. Succinctly captured in the epithet bestowed upon him: Wormtongue. This is the modernization of Wyrmtunga, or, Dragon’s Tongue.

Wyrm can translate to worm, sure, and we see Saruman doing this on purpose when he refers to Grima as a worm, a creature that crawls in the dirt. But Wyrm, of course, is actually a form of dragon. And in Middle Earth, wyrm is used interchangeably with dragon (Smaug is called both wyrm and dragon), rather than denoting a specific species/categorization of dragon as it does in our world.

Grima’s approach to power is that of a gentle touch. He speaks softly, but doesn’t carry a large stick. He’s not Eomer or Theodred, who are much more traditionally martial, aggressive and forthright in their responses to a situation. Grima is clearly all about influencing those around him either through persuasion/use of words, or through spellcraft. He manipulates, he uses linguistic trickery.

-

Additionally, how he undertakes his role as advisor to the king places him more within the private world of Meduseld and the king’s household than the active, public world of marshals and thanes. And, of course, the private world of households was traditionally considered the woman’s domain while men were expected to occupy the public spaces of the world.

Of course, being involved in court politics is a public role as opposed to existing within a wholly private space (such as Eowyn. Who, in the books, takes a mostly private role until she is required to rule in her uncle’s stead while he and Eomer are off at war, and even then it is clearly considered a temporary situation and part of her duty as a woman). But the manner in which Grima occupies that public position is a more “feminine” one.

We can assume that if Eomer or Erkenbrand or Elfhelm occupied the role as advisor to Theoden, they would have a very different approach to the position. A much more aggressive, active and probably military-focused approach. Less carrot, more stick.

A quick note on his appearance in the film, aside from being entirely in black with black hair in a land full of blonds because he needed to be visually distinct as the Bad Guy. He is dressed in longer tunics and robes compared to Eomer and other Rohirrim men (aside from Theoden, but as soon as he is “healed” of his possession(?) he returns to the Proper Masculine shorter tunics than the Weak and Effeminate longer robes and tunics of before). Grima’s hair is longer than Eomer’s and Theoden’s, he wears only a dagger and not a sword, the furs and quilting of his clothes indicate wealth and status, of course, but also decadence and effeminacy.

-

All in all, Grima’s performance and actions undermine and subvert Rohirrim expectations of masculinity. If not outright transgressing gender norms. He uses spellcraft to achieve his ends which is cowardly and effeminate. When it’s not that, he relies on language and manipulation to ensure his position and rarely, if ever, willingly takes on an active, martial role that would be expected of a man who is in the king’s household and serves as an advisor and a quasi-second-in-command.

Here is a man, occupying a man’s role, but doing it like a woman. Subversive! Scandalous! Underappreciated by fandom!

Grima lives in a liminal, marginalized space that is at once gendered and ungendered but is absolutely Othered.

-

As for my note on Grima and being trans - absolutely a trans woman. Grima suffers from that thing of “I want to be you and sleep with you” re: Eowyn. That’s my hot take. (Similar to me and Alan Grant from Jurassic Park - I want to be him and sleep with him.)

But no, in all seriousness, a strong argument can absolutely be made for Grima being not-cis, however that might look for Grima. Grima and Eowyn are the two, within the trilogies, that have the strongest arguments to be made for not being cis.

(Grima is a bit of a foil for Eowyn, I think, while also being a foil for Gandalf.)

[dreaming-twist]

2. WEB

Some random oneshot for TwstOBer ~ Enjoy please xD

“Sebek, you need to find some other hobby. Do you want to try playing with my PC?”

“Human inventions that have nothing to do with magic? Hmpf! Sounds disappointing.”

“Well, well, at least give it a try, okay? It maybe surprises you.”

“... If you say so, Lilia-sama...”

That was how it all began. A simple proposal from Lilia had been his first and until now last contact with that world. And he still didn't know how he had gotten to the point where he was right now.

That day, in Lilia's PC, he found a program on the web that caught his attention. "Pass on your thoughts or knowledge!" It said. Sebek arched an eyebrow, and ended up creating an account outnof curiosuty with the first nickname that came to mind (Best Bolt) until he came across a recording function. Then he realized what this must be.

“I understand. It should be something like a journal, but instead of writing it by hand, you speak directly to it. Interesting invention, not bad for humans...”

And then, after clearing his throat and hitting the 'Record' button, he began to speak.

“... Hello? ... I don't know how this works, but I will try to adapt. This is my first time using one of these... inventions. It's interesting, but... Hm? Wait, why is there a light that is blinking on the side? Okay... I'll try to fix it. I don't know how the recording is turned off...”

Sebek began to investigate what happened to the computer, and in that time he wasn't seeing suddenly the counter of 0 that appeared on the side of the recording screen went up to 1, then to 2, and thus it began to rise. increasingly.

Once he finally fixed it, he returned to his starting position.

“Done. It was not a problem for me. What could I talk about today... Huh?”

As he was thinking, he suddenly saw an alert glow red on the screen, next to a speech bubble. Sebek brought the mouse to it and opened it, finding the words: "You can talk about anything you want."

“I understand. It even gives you suggestions... What a useful program... I'll talk a bit about myself in that case.” Despite this, Sebek decided not to speak the names of anyone he named... for his own sake. He didn't want to be embarrassed later if he listened to his own diary... “Right now I don't live with my family, so to speak. It's not that I get on badly with them at all; I went away to study and to fulfill my duties and my work. So now I'm living somewhere else, surrounded by... ahem, people. However, the ones I am closest to are... the family of a person I have known since childhood.”

He leaned back in the chair.

“One of them treats me almost as if I were his son, and sometimes I think he cares too much about me and pampers me too much. He has taught me so many things, and I feel that every day I learn a little more from him. I respect him a lot... although he sometimes takes advantage of me and plays practical jokes on me. I don't know if he wants me to feel comfortable and enjoy all of this despite being away from my family... or he just wants to play with me. He left me all this... equipment to test it and 'have fun'. Hum. I think once again he was right. His advice is always helpful.”

He made a mental note that he should thank Lilia.

“And then there is... the one who is the only person my age who has always been by my side. He is a very decisive... person, and too calm, I'll say. That is what makes him fail so much in many things. However... he is the person I have been with the most since children, and despite his failures and the fact that we argue so many times... he is very important to me. We do not consider ourselves nor have we called ourselves 'friends' before, rather it is that in addition to being one of the same rank as me, he is my rival and someone I like to continually surpass. I think he may feel the same way.”

For some reason he was saying things that surprised even him. He had never spoken so openly about Silver. How was this happening? Was he so comfortable talking to himself...?

“And there is someone else, who is who I am doing all this for and for whom I strive every day. He is the most incredible being I have ever met. Always correct, with the greatest power I have ever seen, diligent, perfect... It is directly my reason for being, I am SURE of it. I want to become stronger for him and be by his side to serve him whenever he needs me. I'm lucky that someone like him recognized my worth. He is my role model... Although...”

He bit his lip.

“... I think I'm not good enough to help him, protect him, and still be worthy. But I will be. Not because I started showing results later than others am I going to give up. That is something I am not going to do. I want to make the world see that I can become the best in my course... No; the best ever. And prove that he was not wrong with me. It doesn't matter where you come from, whose son you are, or if your power came to light sooner or later... WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS YOUR PASSION, AND STRIVE EVERY DAY TO KEEP WALKING!”

After blurting that out with a big smile and clenched fists, he soon realized that he had lost his composure a bit. He returned to his starting position, clearing his throat.

“... Ahem. For now I feel like I'm on the right track to achieve that goal. The first step is to be the best in my course. Or so I think. The people I... hang out with, from the same course as me are... peculiar. There is one who seems to be pursuing the same goal as me. But he still has a lot left. I notice conviction in his words but I don't see any improvement in his studies. However, he is stronger than I expected at first, and he excels at P.E. There's another... thing who wants to become the best too, but... I'm not even going to talk about him. That one is a lost case. There are two more who instead appear to be quite normal, but one only seems to have an interest in one thing, and the other... honestly, I don't know what to think of him, but he's very strong. And besides the four of them there is a... person who does not seem to want to improve on anything at all. Or rather, he doesn't seem to have an interest in it. But he is not an idiot, rather he seems like one, and I have learned from other sources that when he proposes it to him, he is capable of being the best student in his class. Perhaps he is the most suitable to call him a 'rival' among them. Although as long as he continues to seem so bored of everything that comes his way, there should be no problem... He also shouldn't like me too much. Although he keeps talking to me. He is an interesting guy.”

Sebek then took a breath to talk about the last person he was missing, after talking about Deuce, Grim, Epel, Jack and Ace.

“And lastly there is this… ahem, person, that came along all of a sudden. They doesn't have the capacity to be here, but they somehow got in and we're on the same course. When I learned of their existence, I felt that I had tried very hard to get here, while they had a special ability, although not the one that everyone else possesses, was able to enter without problems. It was unfair. I have ever thought that they were making fun of everyone.” He paused. For some reason, even though he had blurted it out, he didn't feel good about himself... Was that the whole truth...? It was then that he recalled certain moments that he spent with them from then on. “... But they are very clumsy. I feel like I have to be there to hold them if they falls. Studying with them is not unpleasant, they are capable to follow my advice and understand things quickly. I do not dislike those who strive to achieve their goals...”

Another notification appeared on the side of the screen. Sebek stopped speaking, a half smile adorning his face, and looked at the message, taking advantage of the stop in his monologue. Would it be another suggestion from the program...?

“How beautiful is love.”

The boy jumped.

“WHAT?! NO!!” He yelled at the screen, totally flushed. “H-How can a program say these things?! This is a joke?!”

The notifications came out again and Sebek managed to read some.

“Program? What are you talking about man?”

“Hey, there is nothing wrong with you liking someone, I support you!!!”

“Is Story Time over? I was really enjoying listening to you, Best Bolt”

“I have become a fan of yours! Will you talk about more things another day?”

“Your words are very inspiring!♡”

“Best Bolt u r the BEST!”

Sebek began to check the screen, and saw that next to a symbol that represented an eye appeared the number "5000".

5000... eyes?

WERE THERE 5000 PEOPLE LISTENING TO HIM AT THAT TIME ?!

“Hey. Did you listen to Best Bolt the other day on this popular app with podcasts that premier live?” Ace asked, as he ate his burger.

Sebek stopped eating when he heard that.

“No, but I have heard people talk about him to class people. He seemed interesting” Said Epel.

“I had listened to podcasts, but few that talked about personal life... And he spoke so calmly and in such a sincere and focused way... I wish I could do something like that” Deuce commented. Epel smiled at him, he felt the same way.

“I don't know who you're talking about” said Jack confused. (Y/n) and Grim were just like him.

“He cut the recording suddenly the other day, something may have happened to his PC... But hey, if he comes back I'll let you know for sure.”

Sebek ate without saying anything, next to them, who were talking so happily about Best Bolt, until...

“Sebek, youuuu... well, I don't even know why I ask, in Diasomnia you all are very old-fashioned, right? You don't use technology much... except Lilia-senpai.” Ace started to say, looking at him.

Sebek tried to avoid him as best he could.

“HUH?! A-Ah... No, n-no, I don't have interest in that kind of human-made things...”

“Heee... Well, I'll let you know when Best Bolt comes back anyway. Maybe it surprises you.”

“Y-Yes, okay, thank you” He replied, looking away... where he met the watchful gaze of (Y/n), quite close to his face.

“Sebek, are you okay?”

That was the last straw. Sebek quickly rose from his chair.

“PERFECTLY! AND NOW IF YOU ALL EXCUSE ME, I HAVE TO GO SEE HOW THE YOUNG MASTER IS!”

And with that said, the boy ran towards the exit, while everyone else looked at him.

“... Hey now that I think about it, doesn't Best Bolt look a bit like Sebek? That way of speaking, and everything he said...”

“Ha, ha. Good one, Deuce.”

[whatifyoulivelikethat]

any possibility that we get to read how that conversation with namjoon/jimin/jk went down??????? Like.. that final got me in tear from laughing so hard 😂😂😂 NAMJOON REALLY SUGGESTED THAT TO JK??!!! LIKE HOW???

I asked ‘calculated’ Jungkook about it and this is what he told me...

extension of part iv; 1k drabble

“You dropped your phone.”

Jeon Jungkook didn’t know how to feel about Kim Namjoon. He recognized him from that time before and, although his girlfriend had assured him that they were just friends, he had to slap her tits to get it out of her, so he wasn’t so sure.

Okay, he could have asked like a normal person, but he was upset, she was upset, and the moment was sexually charged. Also, she had great tits.

Those dimples were suspicious. Jungkook narrowed his eyes, inspecting Namjoon’s behavior as the older man’s eyes widened, full lips forming a small ‘o’. Namjoon had swept back brown hair, dark tan skin, wore a brown patterned sweater and khakis with cute sneakers. He looked like a nerd. Jungkook doubted they had anything in common. Also, Namjoon was taller than him, which annoyed Jungkook a little.

“Ah, shit, my bad, thanks man.”

Jungkook’s thumb touched the phone screen and it lit up, revealing Namjoon’s lock screen as Jungkook handed it over. The younger man’s eyes widened, recognizing the picture instantly.

Namjoon crammed his phone into his pocket.

“I know that comic.”

Namjoon looked up, tilting his head. “Huh?”

Jungkook ticked his chin to Namjoon’s pants pocket. “You phone background. I know the comic.”

There was a moment of hesitation as Namjoon shifted his eyes. Something changed in those brown orbs, darkening just a little, and it was a look that Jungkook recognized, because he himself had that gaze, especially when he looked at his girlfriend.

“Oh, really? It’s pretty obscure,” Namjoon commented casually, although there was nothing casual about the sudden devious smile that appeared.

“I have specific interests.”

It became a stare down. Namjoon raised an eyebrow and Jungkook lifted his chin, tense electricity sparking between them. Both of them were waiting on Park Jimin, who was supposed to be here any second now, but as usual, Jimin was dilly-dallying. It didn’t matter though, because the mood was different now, and suddenly the other became much more interesting. Because Kim Namjoon had a BDSM sex comic character as his phone background. Sure, the picture itself was innocent because the character was in everyday clothes hugging their partner, but Jungkook recognized it instantly.

Hey, Jungkook had to get ideas somewhere. It wasn’t like he had a role model.

Namjoon smirked. “Something tells me you’re not the sub.”

Jungkook chuckled darkly. “You’re not either.”

“Nope.”

That’s why you’ve been talking to her, Jungkook thought.

“Hey.”

Jungkook gave Namjoon a curious look. The older male reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object.

“You ever use one of these?”

Jungkook’s eyes flitted to the egg-shaped silicone vibrator. Cordless. It was royal blue. It must have an accompanying remote.

“No.”

He could have lied, but he didn’t. There was no reason to.

Namjoon pocketed it again, smiling innocently. “Maybe you should invest in one.”

Jungkook clicked his tongue. Namjoon seemed satisfied. It seemed like a random gesture, but Jungkook didn’t take it that way. He felt that the older man simply did that just to flex on him. Subtly asserting his dominance to another dom. Jungkook did not like being challenged. He was fiercely competitive.

“When did you know that was what you were into?”

Jungkook looked up. “What?”

Namjoon shrugged, looking somewhat embarrassed. “I’m just curious. I’ve never met someone who knew where my phone wallpaper was from.” Namjoon laughed sheepishly, dimples appearing. “Everyone just assumes it’s some nerdy comic.”

Jungkook blinked. He hadn’t expected that. “Uh… I don’t know. I guess I always was, but it wasn’t something my partners were into, so I never really got to do what I wanted.”

Namjoon nodded, sighing. “Yeah, I get you. It’s the same for me. You always have to compromise.”

“Not always.”

Namjoon turned his head to stare at Jungkook. The younger man smiled, mole under his lower lip appearing.

“Ah, sorry, guys! I had to hunt down the teacher to find Namjoon-hyung’s USB!”

Both men turned to see a pink-faced Jimin puffing his cheeks, holding up the blue USB drive triumphantly, hurrying to them as he shouldered his backpack.

“Oh, thank God, that’s my last USB,” Namjoon said with relief, gratefully accepting it from Jimin. “I keep losing them.”

Jimin shook his head. “For such a smart guy, you sure lose a lot of stuff.” The shorter man looked from Jungkook to Namjoon. He seemed to feel a sense of comradery between the two. “What were you guys talking about?”

Namjoon chuckled. “Nothing much. Gotta go!”

Jimin blinked as Namjoon bolted off at warp speed, ears pink. He tilted his head as Jungkook began to walk, the younger man humming to himself.

“You’re in a good mood,” Jimin commented. “Usually, you’re annoyed when I ask you to give me a ride.”

Jungkook grinned.

“I just got a good idea, that’s all.”

-

Later, something clicked in Jimin’s brain. He abruptly sat up in his bed, scrambling for his phone, and called Jungkook immediately. At first the younger man didn’t answer, but by the fifth phone call, Jimin heard it connect and Jungkook’s annoyed sigh.

“Why are you calling me, Jimin-ssi? I told you I was visiting noona today.”

“Was it about noona?” Jimin chirped excitedly.

Jimin heard the sound of metal on wood. Speedy, firm chops of a knife.

“Was what about noona?” Jungkook muttered.

“Your idea the other day. The idea you got him Namjoon-hyung. You must have got it from hyung, because you seemed so happy after talking to him and I thought you hated that guy because he’s definitely into noona.”

The knife stopped. Jimin heard Jungkook click his tongue. Ah! He was right. Jimin grinned to himself.

“What was it? Tell me.”

“Why do you wanna know?”

“Of course, I wanna know. Don’t forget, I was the one who gave you all the details of her schedule, kept watch for you during office hours, and suggested to Namjoon-hyung to ask noona for help during Career Week. And picked up her stuff and got Namjoon off her tail when you took too long. I wanna know. Tell me.”

He heard Jungkook grunt in annoyance.

“He had a remote-controlled vibrator with him.”

Jimin’s eyebrows shot up. He remembered Namjoon’s face, his grim expression as he patted her on the shoulder and told her good luck. Oh. So Namjoon must have been a little depressed that Jungkook got to her before him and also realized he had doomed his friend at the same time.

“So, is he like you or wha–”

“I gotta cook my woman dinner. Bye.”

Click.

Jimin yanked his phone away from his ear, glaring at it. That little shit. Never mind. He swiped around and found the number he wanted. Ring! Ring! Namjoon answered quickly.

“Hey Jimin, what’s–”

“Are you a dom or a sub, hyung?”

Jimin heard the sudden spitting of liquid everywhere. Namjoon’s tea was all over his desk now.

“WHAT?”

[genaleah]

ANSWERING WILDCARD QUESTIONS

For the first time in about a year maybe??? Some of these might be even older than that.

Yes, it is Korka! I definitely want her involved, she’s a wonderful character and there is a *lot* of fun paranormal stuff going on in this setting that she can help them research. Also, I’d just love for her and Nelson to become friends!

Thank you! I love him a lot, and it’s fun to picture him interacting with the other guys. They’d all make for some interesting uncle figures, but they might not be that great in terms of role models.

OHOHO. Devilish laugh. That’s a wonderful idea, and a good way to keep him occupied at some point. He’s a great character, but he’s incredibly powerful, and I want these dudes to solve their own problems whenever possible. 

A good question! I don’t remember most of my dreams, but there’s usually a consistent look to the vivid ones. Lots of water, mountains, creeks, and high, winding roads. There are also a lot of buildings that are closely integrated with nature, even though I have almost never seen construction like that. 

I had not, but now I have! Here’s a trailer, for anyone else that missed it:

https://youtu.be/33HXHaaagsw

I really like these new models! I’m looking forward to watching a playthrough when that’s available. Just like with Rhombus of Ruin, I don’t think I’ll be able to play this one myself.

DOUBLE FINE, I WISH TO SPEAK WITH YOU- no, I’m kidding! I think great minds think alike. But I’m really excited to learn more about that character and possibly involve them in this whole au eventually. 

I’ve actually tried to avoid almost any info about Psychonauts 2 so I can go in mostly-blind, and a lot of the characters are vague to me. It’s fun to look forward to, but it’s also a little harrowing because I don’t know how to anticipate for it!

N...NO..... I NEED TO... Honestly those are old enough that it might be a good idea for me to re-make them, as well as the playing cards I made for the mega playlist cover. I think it’d be nice to remake them as vectors... that might make for a nice art stream sometime. I’ll mention publicly if I start doing that, and sharing any of these conceptual Wildcards arts when they’re done. 

And if you’re just curious about what the tarot cards for the other characters are going to be, it’s this:

Eddie: Judgement, The Magician, The Emperor

Manny: Death, Justice, The World

Sam: The Chariot, The Tower, Strength

Max: The Devil, Wheel of Fortune, Joker

Although! I may actually give the Moon card to Max instead of the Devil, and replace the missing card from Nelson’s selection with the High Priestess?  🤔  I’ll decide when I get to it.

Could be! I’ve flip-flopped occasionally on if I want the split-a-cab gang to participate much in the story. I think they deserve a break, and splitting an apartment in New York seems like a good situation for the four of them.

Oh boy, that must be so disorienting for him. The Psychonauts deal with a lot of hippy-dippy weirdness in a seemingly organized way, but it seems like they’re not as paranoid about safety as a real federal organization would be. Not necessarily a good thing, considering one of their camp counselors went AWOL one day, and the head of the Psychonauts got kidnapped the next. They kinda need to get their act together.

Fun fact, in one of the earlier drafts of Chapter 3 I was actually going to make Nelson get scanned by the equivalent of a metal-detector for malevolent thoughts at the door and get really spooked by it, but I decided against it.

YEAH IT’S ON THE LIST

Honestly, a big bulk of the plot in this just regards characters having to face their mental health struggles... via facing it as literal internal demons, unstable powers, etc.  It’s going to take a little while for any of Eddie’s teammates to realize how MUCH he has going on under the surface because he does a pretty good job of hiding it. “Needing to help others above ever helping themselves” is a hard issue to notice if you’re not looking for it. But it’s a guarantee that once they find out he needs help, they’ll give it; whether that’s making sure he’s not working himself too hard, or fighting off demonic cultists. Care comes in many forms.

SHE NEEDS TO REST.... POOR SYBIL (on the upside, they don’t TECHNICALLY work there, so she might be fine most of the time.)

Strong Bad isn’t a Psychonaut! He’s just a vlogger and a petty (psychic) criminal. It’s honestly not very different from canon.

Free Country, USA is a smalltown hotbed of psychic activity. Nearly everyone there has some mild capacity for supernatural powers, but nobody really notices or cares. Strong Bad just pops the tops off of cold ones and.... sometimes alters reality, a tiny bit. But mostly just in regards to media. The cartoons, comics, etc, that he invents and talks about have a tendency to suddenly voip into existence and nobody knows how. I swear, there’s actually a line of him saying something to this effect, but I can’t find it anywhere.  Don’t worry about it! Nobody in town is ever going to do anything truly nefarious with their powers, so it’s not a high priority on the Psychonauts’ radar, just a weird footnote.

The only reason Homestar is an actual agent is because he seems like exactly the kind of guy to sign up for a job like that on accident and then stick with it. And he’s a talented telekinetic! None of his other friends know about his job or notice his absences.

And just for fun, here’s some weird instances of psychic overpowering that happened in the cartoon:

---

(Poor Strong Sad)

I’ve actually answered this one before! BAM  Pretty sure all of it is still accurate.

Nelson: He sees floating sheets of paper containing notes, questions, etc. Anything that he wants to know more about regarding that person. The notes are subject to edits, cross-outs, ripped pages, etc.

Guybrush: He sees the item that the person is carrying that he wants most. As he gets to know people better, he sees them for their useful skills first.

Manny: His view of most living people is not very kind...

The people he’s closest to will eventually look a lot less garish. More like a flattering, camera-ready versions of themselves.

Eddie: Sickass sketch drawings that look like they belong in the margins of a composition book. The illustrations improve as he gets a better picture of where they’d fit in the internal lore of his mental world.

Sam: A lot like Nelson; Sam pictures case files, though his are a bit more in-depth.

Max: Max’s visions of people are highly personal and uncomfortable for those who witness them. He sees Nelson as a puzzle with a piece missing. Guybrush is a ripped up voodoo doll. Manny is a forgotten ofrenda. Eddie is a powder keg with a long, lit fuse. Sam is Sam, but he’s the wrong one.

I also got two questions that were pretty big subjects, or that I didn’t want to repeat, so I’m gonna cover them pretty broadly:

REGARDING [X] CHARACTER OR SERIES INCLUDED IN THE AU

Sure, I support it! I’ve gotten this question a few times in regards to things that I haven’t had time to delve into yet, or I’m not interested in, so I’m not going to include it into the AU myself. But if you want to explore an idea like that, feel free! This AU is pretty dang collaborative.

My main focus is just on the main 6 properties: Psychonauts, Puzzle Agent, Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Brutal Legend, and Sam & Max.

But my general rule of thumb for “characters that exist somewhere within the background of this story” are any other properties owned by Telltale, Lucasarts, or Double Fine. And considering all of the licensed games that Telltale was getting into before it kicked the bucket, that includes some really weird characters, even up to the Venture Bros. I loved that series, but I’m not really interested in doing anything with them for this story! Partly for my sanity, the canon I’ve picked are already a lot of content to play with. 

ASSORTED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WILDCARD AU DISCORD

There’s no particular criteria needed to join the discord, and it’s not strictly on a need-to-know basis! Because it’s been a long while since anyone has joined, I've been hesitant about adding new people in... But I‘ve decided to try sending invitations again! Everyone who had asked about it in the past will be getting a ping by me in about a day or so, since I want to double-check if you’re still interested. If you’ve been nervous to ask you can reply to this post or message me privately.

Some things to keep in mind before asking or accepting the invite:

If you’re not a friend or a follower I recognize, I will likely double-check your tumblr along with some other current members before sending the invite. 

Here’s the Rules page, so you know what to expect before you join: 

Be Mindful - Respect other people's boundaries, don't do or say things that would cross the line. If your behavior makes other people feel uncomfortable or unsafe, I will remove you from the chat. In most cases I will try to resolve things with you and offer a chance to do better, but that will depend on the severity of the situation. And if you have any concerns regarding another member of the chat, you can contact me privately.

Health Boundaries - While discussions of mental health do occasionally pop up, do not rely on the chat for help. None of us are equipped to handle serious mental health concerns, and it will only cause distress for everyone. Please seek real help if it is needed! If you rely on people beyond the point that they have asked you to stop, I will remove you from the chat.

NSFW - Generally speaking, try to keep NSFW talk to a minimum. Swearing and humor is fine, but don't get too explicit please! Discussions should usually keep to a PG-13 / occasional R, but no NC-17.

Spoilers & Censorship - Please use the spoiler function to hide story spoilers, as well as discussions and graphic depictions of gore/excessive blood/body horror/severe psychological horror. Include a content warning so that people know what they could potentially be seeing when they click on the censored content. If the spoilered content is the subject of a back-and-forth discussion, please use another warning when you are switching to a different spoilered topic. (Note that these rules were added to the chat later, so be careful when using the search function or back reading.)

The canon series involved with the Wildcard AU are Psychonauts, Puzzle Agent, Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Brutal Legend, and Sam & Max. Please be mindful of story spoilers!

Channel Organization - Also be mindful of which channel you're in and move a discussion over if need be! That way they don't get too clogged with unrelated info.

Creative Criticism - When it comes to writing, art, or character creation; try to be open to suggestions from others! Nearly all of the creative work in the chat is collaborative, so input from others is important! Creative criticism is not the same as judgement, and is not a personal attack.

Have fun! - Discussions move quickly in this chat! Don't feel bad if you ever need to step back, whether it's because of the speed or a disinterest in whatever current topic we're focusing on. If you ever want to come back, we're happy to have you and can give quick explanations if you feel out of the loop! :thumbsup:

We’re a group of approx. a half dozen to a dozen people, either posting very very quickly in a span of a few hours or barely anything for a few days. We’ve been in an activity uptick lately and there’s about a year and half of back content, too. If it’s hard to keep up on, not that interesting to read through, or you just have a hard time gelling with the group that's already there, there’s no shame in just lurking or dipping out if you need to.

We also talk a lot about Psychonauts OCs, so anticipate that.

[settersloveletters]

MR. HOTSHOT CEO

— part nineteen; yui

prev | masterlist | next

⤷ y/n is an outgoing and bubbly girl who just landed a job as a secretary for bouncing ball corp. kenma kozume, ceo of bouncing ball corp, works secretly as a gaming youtuber and streamer under the name kodzuken. after a miscommunication and y/n learns the truth about kenma both their worlds collide. what does fate have in store for these two?

a/n: AND ITS HERE,, this is the final chapter for MHSCEO (chapter 20 is the epilogue) i decided ti make it a written part just bc there were too many things that needed to be explained. anyways thank you guys for reading this series and i’ll see you in the epilogue mwah !

oh! and pls make sure to stream OYA for clear skin !!

➳ word count: 3.2k

➳ warnings: workplace harassment/bullying; mentions of drinking and alcohol

➳ written by: kiri ♡

[ ! ] written part is under the cut

The thirty minutes passed by quickly, and soon (Y/N) found herself sitting in the passenger’s seat of her boss’ car. Now that she was actually with him, she had no idea what to say. She stole a glance at Kenma, wondering what he was thinking. So many things had happened within the span of 24 hours; she wasn’t watching how much alcohol she was consuming, which then led to a picture of her and Kuroo getting posted across the internet — she cursed herself for that — but when she learned that Kenma also had one too many drinks, and proceeded to film himself drunk on camera, (Y/N) couldn’t have blamed herself more for everything.

“Stop blaming yourself.” Kenma’s soft voice interrupted her thoughts. Her head turned to look at the blonde, who still had his head facing towards the road. Those were the first words he had uttered since (Y/N) got into his car.

“How can I not blame myself”

Kenma’s eyes glanced at her quickly, before refocusing on the road. “It was my choice to be careless and drink that much (Y/N).”

She watched the blonde carefully, one particular question sitting on the tip of her tongue. “Why’d you become so distant Kenma. Why did you keep avoiding me?”

The Youtuber pursed his lips, staying silent for a moment before opening up his mouth to reply. “I was...I was just hurt.” (Y/N)’s brows furrowed at his words.

“Hurt?” She gave him a confused look. “I hurt you? When did I— what did I say to you?” she had a panicked look in her eye.

“No— (Y/N), you’re not the one who hurt me. Well, I’m not saying that you didn’t hurt me, but I wasn’t in the right state of mind to really process anything, but when I say that I was hurt, I wasn’t talking about you, (Y/N).”

That made her even more confused. “Then who are you talking Kenma—”

BZZT! BZZ! BZZT!

(Y/N)’s phone buzzed in her lap, interrupting her question. She had gotten a text. Her eyes widened as she bit your lip, hesitating before lifting up her phone to unlock it. Kenma took note of that, and when the car reached a red light, he turned his head to study (Y/N)’s face. He watched as her eyes read over the text that she received, eyes starting to water a bit. Her expression turned grim, and she sniffled before turning off her phone and stared out the window. What could have made (Y/N)’s mood turn sour?

“(Y/N)?” he whispered, and placed a hand over hers which pulled away, bringing it to her chest.

“Please, just, not yet Kenma.”

The two of them remained in silence for the remainder of the ride to Kenma’s house. (Y/N)’s mind too focused on the text she received, and Kenma too focused on what made her upset.

---

Once they both arrived at his house, Kenma told (Y/N) the directions to the room he wanted her in before going down a different hallway, leaving her alone. She walked straight down the hallway she was currently in, smiling softly when she passed by his recording room. If it wasn’t for that same recording room, she would have never found out about Kenma’s double life as a young CEO and a famous Youtuber.

(Y/N) passed by two more rooms, before reaching the room Kenma said to wait for him in. Sliding the door open, she scanned the room before her. The floor was covered with tatami mats, a small table sitting on top of them right in the middle of the room. On one wall, a painting of a small tabby cat taking a nap in a flower bed was strung on one of the walls. Across the same wall, led to his backyard, which just so happened to be a garden.

“(Y/N),” she turned yourself around to see Kenma standing behind her, holding what seemed to be a tea set on a silver tray. “Come on.” he said, walking into the room.

(Y/N) followed him and sat crossed-legged on the tatami mats, gazing at the garden the room was beside. She didn’t know why, but the garden certainly calmed her down. Still staring at the garden, she heard something being placed in front of her on the table. Kenma had placed one of the teacups that was on the tray he was carrying in front of her.

“Tea?”

Kenma nodded, as he held the ceramic teapot and poured some into her cup. “Chamomile tea. It’s to calm you down a bit, you were shaking a little in the car, and even when you were coming into the house.”

The girl had barely noticed it. (Y/N) bit the bottom of your lip due to habit before asking, “I didn’t think you’d be the type to be knowledgeable on tea.”

“Oh he isn’t sweetie,” a voice said from the direction of the garden. (Y/N) looked over to see an elderly woman sweeping the floors outside. “I saw him in the kitchen looking at the various teas we had. He ended up asking me what tea was the best to relieve one’s stress and anxiety.” the little old lady smiled, before sweeping away from the room.

When she looked back at Kenma, she could see him avoiding her eyes, a small tint of red could be seen on the tips of his ears. ‘How cute.’ she thought to herself. That elderly woman must have been Kenma’s caretaker.

“So,” (Y/N) started off after taking a sip of her tea. “If I wasn’t the person you said ‘hurt’ you, who were you talking about then Kenma?” she asked, as she recalled their earlier conversation before you were interrupted by that text message.

Kenma sighed, “I don’t like bringing this up,” he gazed into his tea cup. “But this happened a few months before I had met you.”

(Y/N) focused her attention on the blonde that was seated in front of her, as he started to tell his story.

“I had already made a name for myself in the business world. Sealing business deals, coming up with new concepts and ideas that no other businessman had thought of yet. I didn’t have a secretary yet, since I seemed to handle everything already, but Kuroo suggested I hire one thinking I’d become too busy to look for one later on. I trusted him on that, so I ended up hiring a woman around your age. Her name was Yui.”

She couldn’t remember if Kuroo or Kenma spoke of this Yui, but she noticed how tense Kenma got when he mentioned her name. “What did she do?”

He crossed his arms, and rested them on the table before continuing. “Yui played her role as my secretary to a T. She handled and scheduled my meetings within the first hour of her shift. She didn’t need any supervising when it came to typing any sort of documents I needed. Her papers were written excellently. She was the model secretary.”

“If she was the model secretary, why is she gone?”

“About three months into her position, she started to get closer to me. She would try to start up conversations with me. She would text me outside of office hours, inviting me out to dinner or drinks. I didn’t know what game she was playing at, and when I had asked her about it, the only thing she said was that she wanted us to be friends. I didn’t see a problem with that, so we went out a few times for lunch and dinner. I had started to talk to her more often, even video-calling her sometimes. We had our little inside jokes and banter that made my day. I started to develop feelings for Yui.”

(Y/N)’s eyes widened at that. It sounded like Yui reciprocated Kenma’s feelings, so what went wrong?

“I was never the best when it came to dealing with my own feelings and emotions — you can ask Kuroo that — so I never acted on them. I didn’t wanna ruin the relationship I already had with Yui, so I just stayed quiet. I was perfectly fine with just being friends with her.”

Kenma’s mood started to turn grim, and (Y/N) could tell something bad had happened between the two.

“I had completely forgotten about a lunch Yui and I planned one day, because of the endless paperwork I had to go through. I was behind on a video for my youtube channel because of it, so I started to record a short one. It looked like Yui was waiting for a while at our usual restaurant, and when she tried calling me it had only gone to voicemail because I turned off my phone during the recording session. Yui came here looking for me. She told my caretaker that I had invited her over, and she walked in on me finishing up my recording. Just like you, she found out about Kodzuken.”

Another person found out about Kodzuken? And they were also a secretary for Kenma? ‘Huh, what are the odds.’ (Y/N) thought to herself.

“When she found out, Yui promised and said that she would keep it a secret. I trusted her words. On the way out, Kuroo stopped by and I introduced the two. A few weeks passed and I noticed that Yui had started to grow more distant. We started to talk less, she passed on any lunches or dinners I invited her too. I started to get confused, and hurt. I thought that we’d gotten pretty close. But it turns out that Yui was just playing me the whole time.”

(Y/N) and Kenma both finished their cups of tea, and she moved to pour both of them a second one. As she poured the tea in his cup (Y/N) asked, “How was she playing you?”

“I was heading towards my office, when Kuroo texted me saying that he was dropping off some stuff his father asked him to pass on to me. I noticed that Yui wasn’t at her desk, so I thought that she was just running late. Pretty dumb of me now that I think about it, since Yui was never late to a shift. I ended up walking in on Kuroo and Yui, who had her arms wrapped around his neck bringing him down to kiss her. The minute I opened the door, Kuroo pushed her off glaring at her. He passed by me and I already knew that Kuroo had no intention of kissing her. I asked Yui what she was doing, and instead of her kind smile, she wore a different expression. One that felt darker. Turns out that the Yui I thought I knew was just an act.”

Kenma recalled how he was feeling back then.

“I was so confused then, and Yui just laughed at me. When I asked her to explain what the hell she was doing, she just laughed at me. Apparently, she put on that nice girl facade to get closer to me. She never really wanted to be friends with me, nor did she want anything else to happen between us. She saw me as this young rich guy who had power in the business industry and thought she could have used that to her advantage. Turns out that Kuroo was more her type, and she thought that she could have won him over by asking him to team up with her to take over my business. Obviously, she didn’t know that Kuroo wanted nothing to do with the business industry. I told her that she was fired right on the spot, but she wouldn’t let me.”

“What?” (Y/N) asked. “What do you mean she wouldn’t let you fire her?”

“Exactly as it sounds. She threatened that if I fire her without giving her some sort of compensation, she would expose me as Kodzuken. I had just taken over as CEO, and even though I made a big name for myself, not everyone approved of me because of how young I was. I knew that if word got out that I was a Youtuber on the side, everyone would have said that I wasn’t focused on the business. I ended up paying Yui fifteen grand to keep her quiet about Kodzuken.”

Kenma’s eyes widened when he saw (Y/N) choke on the tea she was drinking. “(Y/N)!”

“I’m sorry, how much did you pay her Kenma?”

“Fifteen thousand.” (Y/N) stared at him. She couldn’t believe her ears when he told her that’s how much it took for Yui to stay silent.

“And she was quiet ever since?”

Kenma shook his head, “She started to bug me a few weeks back, but I told her that I didn’t care if Kodzuken’s secret identity got out. I already proved myself to be a good businessman and entrepreneur, if Kodzu got out, it wouldn’t have been the end of the world.”

(Y/N) didn’t know what to say after Kenma shared his story. Her thoughts were jumbling together going over his past once again, before her phone gave another buzz.

BZZT!

She grimaced when she heard the buzz, and lifted her phone to see yet another text message sent to her. (Y/N) didn’t expect to start getting these texts again. She placed her phone, face down on the table before staring straight into her cup, deep in thought.

“I told my story, now what’s going on with you (Y/N)?” Kenma questioned, watching her.

“Who keeps texting you?” (Y/N) stayed quiet, not answering him. Kenma opened his mouth to say something before (Y/N)’s phone buzzed again once more. Unlocking her phone, she barely got to read the newest text, before Kenma grabbed her phone out of her hands and read what was on her screen.

His eyes widened, “(Y/N)— these texts—”

“These weren’t the only messages I got,” she muttered. “I just deleted the others when they started coming up.”

Kenma couldn’t believe what he was reading. Why was (Y/N) getting these types of texts? He looked back up at his secretary, whose eyes started to get glassy. She sniffed, before wiping a tear that escaped the corner of her eye. “Guess it’s my turn huh?”

“You already know that I had a previous secretary position somewhere else. I told my friends I quit, but I didn’t exactly say why. You talked about how Yui was great at her job, well I guess I could say that I was the Yui of my company— minus the whole two faced thing— I actually worked hard to move my way up the employment ladder. I got along with my boss who was a sweet old man, just on the edge of retiring. He reminded me of my grandfather, so I was constantly in his office making sure he wasn’t over-working himself.”

Her eyes started to squint, brows furrowing as she recalled the next events that took place afterwards.

“Guess I started watching out for him too much, because rumors started to surface saying that I was sleeping with him so I could become the next CEO. When that was far from what I had wanted. Each time I walked into the room, all conversations quieted down, and hushed whispers followed. They were speaking as if I couldn’t hear them. They kept saying things like, ‘That’s the girl who’s sleeping with the boss’ ‘She thinks she can become CEO by giving herself up like that.’ It started to weigh me down.”

Kenma’s fist clenched at (Y/N)’s words. Those were her coworkers? Kenma guessed that none of them really got to know (Y/N) otherwise they wouldn’t have thought those things.

“I decided to quit once they started harassing me outside of work. I told my boss who wanted to do something about it, but I told him that saying anything would have made things worse. So, I packed up my things when I knew everyone was gone and left that place for good. I still check-up on my old boss from time to time though. I didn’t think that this harassment would start up again. It’s a shame that these people have no lives.”

“Stop that.” (Y/N) looked up at Kenma.

“Huh?”

“Stop doing that,” he glared at her. “You show how you're feeling for a quick second, before hiding them away again. Stop hiding them already.”

“Kenma— I’m fine—”

“No you’re not. You were about to break down in the car, you were shaking when you came into the house and you were tearing up again just now. Don’t say you’re fine when you’re not.”

“I don’t want to become a burden to anyone. They shouldn’t have to deal with my feelings and personal problems.” (Y/N) argued.

“This happened again back when we were at the beach house. When you didn’t tell anyone that you weren’t feeling well because you didn’t want to ruin the fun for everyone else.”

“I can’t help being so self-less.” (Y/N) huffed out. “Would you rather I just stop being self-less, and just not care about anyone else?”

“What— no!” Kenma let out a big sigh. “How can I ask you to stop being self-less when it’s one of the things that made me fall in lo—” Kenma stopped himself before saying anything else.

“Made you what Kenma?” the blonde kept his mouth shut, cursing himself in his head.

Everything started to become much more clear to her now. “So if what I heard was correct, the reason you got drunk…”

“When I saw that gossip account post a picture of Kuroo carrying you, and I got jealous.” Kenma muttered. “Is that what you want to hear?”

“Question is, why did you get jealous, Kenma?” (Y/N) poked at him. “Why did you seeing me in Kuroo’s arms get you that jealous, hm?”

“I’m not saying it.”

“Say it.”

“No.”

“Hm, you’ll say it again eventually.” (Y/N) chuckled. “By the way, I feel the same way”

The Youtuber looked at her, “What?”

“Anyways, now that your secret is out, what do you plan on doing?” (Y/N) smiled at him as she diverted the topic. But before Kenma had the chance to answer,

BAM!

(Y/N) and Kenma both flinched at the sound of the door being slammed open. The two looked up to see both Kuroo and Oikawa standing there. They were both wearing suits as they leaned against the doorframe. “Come on you two,” Oikawa sang. “We managed to get a press conference for Kenma so he could provide his statement and his story on everything that’s happening.”

“Oh yeah, sorry (Y/N) we overheard you telling your past—”

“I can’t believe my poor baby was accused of sleeping her way to the top! Do they have no shame?!” Oikawa interrupted.

“Alright, Mr. Dramatic calm down. (Y/N) you could probably set those ex-coworkers of yours straight considering your picture got taken off, with yours truly. Let’s go fix this mess that you two fell in.”

As Kuroo and Oikawa walked away from the door, Kenma and (Y/N) looked at each other.

“Well, what better way to end both of our problems than to face them head on?”

“Count me in.”

❝ TAGLIST❞

@yeehawnana​ | @spacevillain​ | @sugawsites​ | @pots-pans​ | @nekoma-hoe​ | @blackheartedspider​ | @daisukekanbesslut​ | @kei-kui​ | @tvwhoresblog​ | @asahiswaifu​ | @honestly-mentally-gone​ | @daedaep69​ | @beanst0ck​ | @wthyuta​ | @idiot-juice-enthusiast​ | @lumiriai​ | @sushimii​ | @morrrrigaan​ | @deadlordsupreme​ | @namyari​ | @haikyuuopalite​ | @nyx-nacks​ | @sakusakymi​ | @denkiwenki​ | @jaegersblogh​ | @yqshirov​ | @pleasemelafook-outta-ere​ | @cuddlesslut​ | @marifujioka​ | @toaster-stick​ | @heyimsad​ | @fangirling-25-8​ | @luvelyjjk​ | @angsty-microwave​ | @afuckingunicornn​ | @anhphunnnn​ | @michelepiekenma​ | @minaakira | @deathcab4daddy​ | @yumekoheichou​ | @lunabby010​ | @parisaanelia​ | @luna-barnes14​ | @ravioliplease​ | @daninaninani​ | @anime-imagines-blog​ | @oh-tapeworm​ | @24nah25​ | @nekomateammanager​ | @trxsmaii​ | @nikkipea​ [continuation in replies]

[fluffle-friends]

Hello hello~ Don't mind me asking some silly little questions about your characters!

Let's see~

1) How do your OCs fare in flying class? Is someone afraid of flying/heights? Is someone enthusiastic about it? Do any of them have a particular style or pose (like how Cater and Leona stand on the broom, Idia and Floyd hang off it, Jade hugs it, etc.)? Does anyone use something other than a broom to fly?

2) If you had to pick only one, which canon character do you see being your OC's closest friend?

How They Fare on a Broomstick & What Canon Characters Would They get Along With

Hehe (◍•ᴗ•◍) - I've been working on this today! I decided to write about 5 of my characters since my hand started getting all cramped while I was writing. (─.─||) (I should probably get a better pen to prevent that lmao.) Also a quick heads up - I struggled a bunch with the second question on Ranmaru so I ended up specifying what groups of characters he'd get along best with because I'm indecisive (✿☉-☉)

I wrote out answers for Ranmaru, Masayuki, Allegory, Silas, and Jo! I hope you enjoy!

Ranmaru Suzuki

1 - Ranmaru is one of my two 'Yuus' so-to-speak, so he's a magicless student at NRC in his story. When it comes to flying on a broom, like any other Phys. Ed class he struggles to get used to it at first. It definitely doesn't help him that he's paired for Grim during their first flying lesson...

After the feline monster got a bit overzealous during their first flight lesson and Ashton had to catch a shock-frozen Ranmaru out of the air it had been decided that he would be paired with more... Reliable partners for those lessons in future (such as Deuce or Jack.) Seeing as his first experience flying was less than stellar, and he already has the difficulty of his limited sight paired with the lack of stability whilst in the air - it's understandable that Ranmaru isn't fond of flying.

As for Ranmaru's pose - it'd be more than likely that he would cling onto whoever is directing the broom with his face pressed against his back (he just feels safer that way.)

2 - As for the Canon character he'd get along best with, I believe it would be potentially Ace or Deuce... I'm not too sure how to pick between those two (；^ω^）although there's also Epel - and the other two from Pomefiore who I can see taking an interest in Ranmaru... Plus the rest of the first year squad...

I guess my most solid answer would be the pomefiore and the braincell squad - Adeuce would be because they're kind of like Ranmaru's role models in a new world, Grim would be because he's the one sticking by Ranmaru's side through all of their experiences at NRC.

As for Vil and Rook - those two will end up taking Ranmaru under their wing at some point in the fic that I'm thinking about in my head but haven't actually written (shush)

Finally - Epel is someone who I'm considering to be a potential love interest of sorts for Ranmaru if I decide to pick that route with the story. I'm not sure how to explain it but I feel like their dynamic could be interesting - Ranmaru with his unbridled curiosity mixed with his appearance making others assume he was more 'fragile' would mirror Epel slightly, although he doesn't have as much of an issue with toxic masculinity like Epel does. I just think they'd be neat together.

Masayuki Jinja

1 - As the other magicless student in my group of OCs (albeit, in a slightly different version of the TWST story - Which I'm planning to write eventually) Masayuki would need to pair up with Grim for flight lessons and broomstick riding too. However, unlike Ranmaru, Masayuki would have both far more control over Grim's excitement and more confidence in his ability to fly and balance in the air.

To be honest, he has an absolute blast up in the air - looking up at the clouds that look even bigger when you're in the sky as well as down at the ground which makes everything seem way smaller. It feels like he has some breathing room up there - a chance to calm down from everything that may overwhelm him down on the ground.

His pose would be very confident - albeit unpractised. Perhaps something like him using no hands to fly before quickly needing to grab the broom before he completely loses his balance lol.

And hey, even if he does get reprimanded for being so reckless flying around so quickly - he's also probably going to be the recipient of a firm pat on the back from Vargas as the teacher acknowledges that Masayuki had a smile on his face that was brighter than any other smile that he'd had on his face since he woke up in that coffin at the entrance ceremony.

(he does get Ashton or another reliable person to babysit Aimi during flight lessons though)

2 - I can see Masayuki getting along best with Epel - seeing as he's on the stronger side and speaks somewhat similarly to Epel does I feel like they may be more likely to get along better compared to other characters. He'd feel a sense of familiarity with the way that Epel speaks, and as they're both quite sporty they'd probably be able to bond over enjoying physical activity. Epel could even show Masayuki some tricks when flying on brooms!

Allegory

1 - As a Merkin from Ignihyde, we already have a bad start regarding Mixing Al with broomstick riding. Between their preference for sitting down and working on whatever weapon of mass destruction they're trying to hide in their dorm room, and their terrible adjustment to heights as a merkin it's safe to assume that they're gonna try anything to keep their distance from a broom.

In fact, you're more likely to hear news of some type of paint explosion or sticky-toffee-shooting robot going rogue with the perpetrator (Allegory) being tasked with cleaning up the mess during that period instead of catching sight of them on a broom. Of course, their methods aren't infallible, and when you do eventually spot them in the air then chances are there's a stronger, more skilled classmate (or even Vargas himself) nearby and ready to catch them after the hijinks that occurred during their first few lessons at NRC...

When they do ride a broom, chances are that they've somehow managed to get it stuck upside-down and are hanging onto it for dear life... I suppose it's clear why they aren't fond of those classes.

2 - As for who they'd get along with best... Certainly not Idia or Ortho looking at Al's track record of wreaking havoc on the dorm (although they aren't half as bad as Silas.) I'd say that it might be... Possibly Rook or Floyd? I can see those two being some of the only two to put up with their BS sometimes, I suppose. I'm not too sure though xP

Silas Kamaka

1 - Ignihyde student No. 2! It's the demon, the chaos-bringer, the bane of Idia's life in the flesh - Silas Kamaka! To begin with, Silas definitely has a broom that's been customised somehow. Either by adding a flat section on the handle of the broom to make it easier to stand on, some charms from his home that are hung on the front, or even the whole thing being painted red like his big sister's favourite surfboard! And the best part is that he did the customisation himself!

And with that - I believe it's pretty clear that Silas loves to fly! I wouldn't be surprised if you could spot him careening around campus on his broom outside of Phys. Ed lessons whilst attempting to escape an Ortho on a warpath (who's more than likely trying to drag Silas back to the dorms to fix any mess he and Allegory may have made within the last half hour...)

His pose on the broom would be like that of a surfer - hence the altered broom to be easier to stand on rather than sit. He's incredibly confident on the broom, and he hasn't been witnessed falling from it whilst at the college (yet...)

2 - Similarly to Allegory, the Ignihyde duo are off the table (along with Rook seeing as my lad would hate him for all the stalking and threatening vibes) however I wouldn't be surprised if he got along with Ruggie! Silas is incredibly fond of taking scrap items and metal that most would throw out, and fix them up or make something new out of them - add on the fact that he likes to share food with someone once he starts caring about them and I can see him having a flourishing friendship with Ruggie! Especially when they cooperate to cause some mischief...

Jo Whitney

1 - He may not be a student at NRC (yet!) But I figured I'd also give you an answer for Jo seeing how much he loves riding on his mum's broomstick. Honestly, he loves all things about sports and exercise - flying being one of the best pastimes with his parents seeing as it has the exhilaration of being high up and flying around quickly together while still allowing for quieter or more calm moments like watching the sunset before they head home.

He's still learning to fly on his own; he's even managed to keep himself a few inches off of the ground for almost a minute! But the joy of feeling the air tousle his hair while he accompanies his father during his delivery route fills him with such joy that he finds to be incomparable with anything else!

Jo is very confident when flying on a broom (particularly with someone he trusts) either sat on it sideways as if he's sat on a ledge, or with his legs crossed and balanced on the broomstick.

2 - The canon character who Jo is best acquainted with has to be either Crewel, as his honourary botany and potion teacher as well as his penpal.

[unknown-saddened-user]

When I’m Watching You Watch Him

Jason X Reader

Mention of Dick X Reader

A/N: Got hit with an oldie but good song. Watching You Watch Him by Eric Hutchinson, just makes me feel all sorts of ways. Anywho, my friend was making me binge some of the animated DC films with her and this just kinda happened, my bad.

------------------------------------------------

I love you from the bottom of my heart

And that's not gonna change, but things look grim

Oh, Jason had it bad. Really, really bad. Just watching her do the simplest of things made him melt into a puddle. 

He had a slight crush on (y/n) before he died. And not to be dramatic or anything, but after all the care and time she had put into helping him recover he’s pretty sure she could hit him with a crowbar and he’d still put a ring on it. 

What did all those gen-z toddlers call it, simping? Yeah, he was kinda a simp for her at this point, and there was use trying to escape the reality of it. Everywhere his mind took him always brought him back to the same thought, (y/n). That’s fine though, he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

He was a man damned to eternal hell in the presence of a blessed angel from the highs of heaven. Well shit, this ain't gonna go well. 

When I'm watching you watch him

Christ, there she goes again looking at his goddamn brother. Dick fucking Grayson, golden boy himself, the first boy wonder. All eyes were only Dick as he told countless tails in remarkable detail at the large round table. She watched him from across the table, an unmistakable sparkle in those lively (e/c) eyes of hers. 

“C’mon (y/n) bring those pretty eyes this way,” Jason whispered quietly enough as to not be heard.

Both elbows of his elbows were on the table which was something that would drive Alfred insane. One hand tapped idly on the oak surface, and the palm of the other held his heavy head. His gaze focused on her, taking every feature, loving each and every bit of the angel before him. 

He knew he didn’t deserve her, but he couldn’t help but yearn for her anyways. Hell she deserved better than anyone in this damned family.

I give you the best a man can hope to give

He wants nothing more than to spoil her. And just when she thinks she’s seen it all he’ll surprise her with something new and filled with love. 

Jason would do anything for her, if only she would only let him. He could repay all the love she put into him at least ten fold.

But I'm not feeling brave

Chances are slim

Jason was a man of action, words were never really his forte. But, of course it was something his brother excelled at. Capturing every spot light within miles of his being, there never seemed to be a moment when attention strayed from the eldest.

Of course there was so much Jason wanted to say to (y/n). However, everytime he got the chance, her attention was always pulled somewhere else. And when she came back to ask him what he wanted to say, he would always brush it off, completely missing his shot. So all the things he wanted to say went unsaid. 

One would figure that literature would have maybe taught him something about wooing a lady, but alas, he is a hopeless romantic with no idea how to talk to his crush. 

When I'm watching you watch him

Today was the day of another gala Jason was forced to attend. That meant that he had to dress to impress, tux and all, much to his dismay. 

Jason of course arrives early to help Alfred prep with the rest of the boys. Which never ended well. When he opened the door he was greeted by the sadly normal sight of Damian attempting to choke Tim, and while most time he would have joined in the chaos, a dolled up damsel caught his gaze. 

(Y/n) was trying to persuade Damian to let Tim go. She offered him cookies, however, Damian was not fazed. 

God she was gorgeous, he thought. Lightly applied makeup on her already flawless complection, a dress complimenting her figure perfectly, hair topping it all off to complete the look. She was just, so her, and he loved it. 

Just as he was about to lend a helping hand in her efforts, Dick stepped in to physically separate the two boys. Jason could only watch as she blushed when that dumbass winked towards her. Damian, of course, ran to her glaring at Tim as he asked for the promised cookie. Dick laughed as she raised a questioning brow at the boy hugging her waist. Jason let out a sign, walking past them to the kitchen, occasionally glancing at her, desperate for her to return his stares.

Oh, what is left to learn

When he will let you crash and burn

Dick was quite the flirt, it wasn’t hard for anyone to figure out upon meeting him. He flirted with every single person, heck he would probably flirt with a dog. Jason shuttered at the thought. 

All Dick’s life he has been a player, toying around with others' feelings. A complete heartbreaker. It kills Jason to know that she could possibly become one of the many victims burned by his games. 

He never gives attention

But you still yearn

It's obvious to Jason that she was enraptured by Dick, falling for all his empty flirting. Or at least that’s how he saw it. If only she could see it the way Jason did. Maybe then her heart wouldn’t ache for someone who never who would never see her in a romantic way. 

Part of Jason is relieved that Dick isn’t into her. But still…. 

Where do I fit in

There she was sitting next to Damian who was fiddling with her fingers out of boredom. It was kinda sweet how motherly she was to him. And anyone could tell just how much that little demon spawn looked up to her. (Y/n) was someone Damian values above all others, even Dick. He was stuck to her side every moment he could be, only acting his real age around her. She just had that effect on him and Jason has no idea how she does it.

Every Wayne had a special place in her heart, just like she held a special place in theirs. The whole family was like her own, they were a family she never had growing up all alone in the streets of Gotham. 

The same exact streets he spent most of his childhood wonder around. Having a similar past made it easy for the two to bond. Exchanging memories of hardships and prosperities while laying on the roof of Wayne Enterprise, tracing out shapes made from glowing stars in the moonlit sky. 

When I’m watching you watch him  

Jason sat alone sipping whiskey from the canteen tucked in the inside of his coat pocket. He could just tell by the way she was looking at his older brother who was dancing between a crowd of ladies that it was going to be a very very long night.

God only knows why I still wait around

Except I hate to see you cry

He doesn’t understand how Dick could just ignore her loving gazes. Does Dick not understand that the woman Jason practically worshipped was crying out for his attention? What a dumbass, Jason thought.

And I need you 

But there are things I cannot do

If only Jason had the balls to go over there and ask her to dance. Steal her attention away from that play boy and focus it on the man who would die for her in a heartbeat. (Y/n) was his salvation, his savior from the twisted shadow that darkened all that good in his mind after being revived. 

Though his mind was screaming at him to comfort her, he physically could not approach her. Not even Jason himself understood what was holding him back, it was not pride, not masculinity, god knows he would scrap all of that for her.

Maybe it was fear, the fear of not being good enough. The fear of being rejected by her angelic self. 

Man, he sighed taking another swig of the bitter liquid, it was indeed going to be a long night.

And I want you

When he’s playing all his games

Jason watched her the whole night, even when she got her turn to dance with Dick. The sight really tore Jason to pieces. He would almost rather get beaten with a crowbar then watch that ever again. 

It was hard to pick between swooning over the smiles and giggles passing those luscious lips of her and punching the absolute shit out of Dick as he led her on. But, he chose to just let her be happy for the moment.

However that moment was short lived as people who stood idly on the side were pulling into the center of the room to dance. Every time someone tried to coax him over he would snap at them. That was until she held out both of her hands out to him, at first he shook her off. But, unfortunately for him, (y/n) was just as stubborn as he was and she was going to get him out on that floor even if it was the last thing she ever did. 

Puffing out her chest strut over to his isolated figure. Oh, how he wished she had not come over to him. Who the hell was he if he had denied the pouty expression on her face that was supposed to be a menacing glare. 

And it gets hard to tell who's the victim

Both of them danced the longest together which kinda pissed off the baby bat who wanted her attention oh so badly. Jason could give less of a shit thought, he was going to make the most of this moment. 

Two partner rotations had gone by as people swayed with the music, but he wasn’t quite ready to give her up. Life, like always, didn’t seem to want to comply with Jason’s wishes as she was swiped from him amongst the crowd as another person was thrown into him. 

The two youngest were quick to catch onto Jason’s dilemma. Tim felt kinda bad, the longing stares of a broken man really did a number on the sleep deprived boy’s heart strings. Damian pretended to not give two shits, he values Dick as an important role model, but even Damian knew that Dick was no good for his beloved Ummi. If Damian had to choose between the two, he would rather her go with Jason. 

When I’m watching you watch him

The cycle continued just as it had for months on end. Jason would look her way, but his gaze was never returned. 

Oh, what is left to learn to learn

When he would let you crash and burn

She would give her romantic affection to the eldest, just like she alway had. And in return Dick strung her along like a lovesick puppy on a loose leash. Never committing to her, but flirting just enough to keep her hooked on in his delusional version of love. 

He never gives attention 

But you still yearn

One day, Jason prays, one day she will look his way. Giving her even more love then she could ever hope for.

But, that day is not today, or the next day, or the day after that. All he can do is wait hopelessly from his spot.

Where do I fit 

Sometimes he wonders if she even sees him anymore. He feels as though he has become nothing but a forgotten memory filed in the back of that pretty head of hers. 

Jason can only hope that one day she will see him the same way he sees her.

When I’m watching you watch him

As of lately something seemed to be off. Her eyes weren’t as bright as they were. She carried herself in an anxious manner, constantly fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. 

It concerned Jason to no end. He had no idea why she was acting the way she was, and no matter how far he dug nothing came up. And it aggravated him that Dick ignored her strange behavior, it really wasn’t that hard for someone to tell something was off if they had been around her as long as the Wayne's have. 

Hell, even Damian took notice of her distressed figure. Her state caused the brat to cling to her hip even more than normal. Occasionally, Damian would send a glare the golden boy’s way as he approached the two.  Damian’s worried expression shifts to her face to Jason’s stares in a pleading manner. It was if he was asking Jason to do something. Fix her, help her, comfort her; do something dammit. 

God only known why I still wait around

Except I hate to see you cry

Imagine his surprise when the angel of his dreams shows up at his door in the middle of the night, tears staining the soft skin of her cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy, it's not hard to tell that she had been crying for a couple of hours.

One of Jason’s old oversized sweatshirts draped over her much smaller frame. She bunched up one of the giant sleeves, a heap of fabric gathered into the palm of her still covered hand. Using the sleeve she wiped her wet eyes making tiny splotches of the fabric darken from the salty liquid.

Oh God, he didn’t know what good he had done for her to show up at his doorstep, but he wasn’t going to question it. 

And I need you

But there are things I cannot do

(Y/n) was a sight for sore eyes, even in her grief stricken state.

Gathering her into his arms, Jason pulled her into the apartment quietly shutting the door behind her as to not startle her any further.

Jason had an idea as of why she was upset. Dick stood her up for their weekly coffee get together for the second time this month, opting to hang out with some whore he met at the gala the other month. 

It was pathetic really. Dick had no concern for (y/n)’s feelings and it made Jason’s blood boil dangerously close to the lip of the pot. 

And while this probably would have flustered him in any other scenario, leading to him awkwardly patting her back or something. But, there was only one thing going through his mind at this point. Comforting her. Making all her problems become nothing but a long forgotten memory. 

And I love you

Like a broken record plays 

But I’m a window pane

A phantom limb

No matter how much it hurt him to hold her so close, knowing that she didn’t return his fatal feeling, killed him all over again. However, he would suck it up to if it meant bringing a smile back to that gorgeous face of hers.

He’s a sucker for her, but at least he knows it. Jason might not be able to admit it in words, but he did his best to relay it through actions.

When I’m watching you watch him

“That woman was right, I’m just not worth it,” She whispered through hiccups. 

Jason’s eyes shot down to her in utter shock, his grip involuntary tightening on her frame, causing her to let out a small squeak. 

What did that filthy pig say to his angel? That gold digger didn’t have a clue what the word meant. Oh, Dick was in for it the next time he came around. 

“I don’t know what upsets me more,” Jason muttered gently, “the fact that she said that or the fact that you actually believe that bitch.”

Clearly his statement caught her attention. Glossy eyes pooling with salty tears threatening to spill over peered into his own. 

Fuck it, he thought, its now or never.

Taking a deep breath, exhaling hot air through his nose, he threw everything worry and doubt out the window and took his chances.

No matter how many times she tried to wipe her tears, they just kept coming as he spilled out all his thoughts about her. Telling her just how priceless she was to him. Jason made sure not to skip out on even the slightest of detail. His walls shattered, heart lying bare and utterly vulnerable before her. He, himself, couldn’t help but let a couple tears cascade down. 

Taking her other dry sleeve she brought it to his face, gently wiping the water droplets away as they fell. All this time she has been looking at the wrong man. Listening as Jason’s walls shattered rekindled those mushy feelings she had for him back before his Robin days. Back during the times when they could care less about the world as they fought the harsh world side by side. 

Those feelings she pushed down when he came back guns blazing. When he disregarded everything he once had, putting all his pain into the bullets in the barrels of his guns. Though she never gave up on him, it was hard for her. All he did back then was push her away, giving her the cold shoulder time after time again. Though all her efforts were kicked to the side and stomped on at the time.

Dick was the only one to comfort her back then. Maybe it was the comfort and reassurance that drew her to him all those times, but what does it matter anymore.

When I’m watching you watch him

Little did they know the two nosey pairs of eyes watching them through the window from a roof a couple buildings over. Binoculars peered into the living room where Jason and (y/n) rocked back and forth on their feet in each other's embrace. 

Smack!

Both Red Robin and Robin let of a high pitched yelp as the binoculars were swiped from their faces. They stared at each other with wide eyes of surprise, a heavy grunt brought them from their daze. Neither one of them wanted to look behind, acting like toddlers being caught doing something they knew they weren’t supposed to. 

To giant gloved hands extended palms up in front of their faces, a wordless demand to hand over the devices. Of course they did as they were told, but not without complaining and throwing a couple jabs at one another. The boys headed in the opposite direction to patrol the remainder of the city. 

Once they were out of sight, Batman put the binoculars to his eyes. A rare smile graced his rough feature at the sight of the two. Hooking the lenses to his belt he went after the bickering boys.

It was a start. It was their start. The start of something beautiful in the years to come. 

When I’m watching you watch him