#also sorry it’s longer than usual

[anywaymuahahahaha]

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Chapter Four: Let Me Explain Everything About Magolor…

Elfilin and Magolor were getting closer to Kirby's house. Magolor cast an anxious glance over at Elfilin. He began to slow down, and then they came to a halt. Kirby’s house was just below.

“Hey… So, you know that stuff I said about Kirby back there? Let's uh… Let’s keep that to ourselves, okay?” Magolor said with a smile.

Elfilin grew anxious as he looked down. He seemed to have forgotten about the lies back in town. It might be difficult to explain to Kirby how they managed to bring back so much fruit.

“Magolor…You lied about Kirby...Why would you do that?”

Magolor took a deep breath then looked down below.

“Kirby has saved Planet Popstar many times. I’m sure you’re aware of that. You’ve seen Kirby in action; isn’t he amazing?…Well, that fool seems to have forgotten just how important he is. Kirby isn’t just some ordinary citizen. He’s a hero and he deserves to be treated as such! Wouldn’t you agree, Little Dude?”

“Well…yeah! Of course, I do! But…What will Kirby say when he finds we stole everything?” Elfilin asked.

“Kirby’s not going to find out!” Magolor winked.

“W-what do you mean by that? You’re gonna lie to Kirby?!”

“What!? Of course not! I'd never lie to my dearest friend!” Magolor said, almost outraged by the remark. “...Besides, he'll be so completely thrilled about all this food we’ve brought him that he won't care a bit where it came from!”

“But Magolor, stealing is just wrong!…I…I can’t go through with this. I’m sorry, but I’m taking everything back!” Elfilin turned around and prepared to fly back but Magolor quickly appeared right in front of him and held up his hand, preventing him from doing so.

“No way, Little Dude! Kirby’s waiting on us! We can’t let him down!” Elfilin anxiously tried to move past him, but Magolor wouldn’t budge.

“Calm down! To be honest…we technically didn’t steal anything because…Well, I’m gonna go back and pay for it all tomorrow!”

“…You are?”

“Of course!…I do it all the time.” He smirked.

“But…Aren’t you banned from that place?”

“…Oh… That obnoxious jerk has such a nasty temper. He’s never liked me, and I don't know why; I’ve never done a thing to him. He’s always blaming me when things go wrong for him because, well, he’s just bad at his job. It can’t be helped. He's a pathetic old fool.”

“Are you sure?…or is this another lie?” Elfilin asked.

“Okay…fine. I'll admit...I occasionally tell a little, white lie to some of the folks around here…but to Kirby? Or you? I don't lie to my friends anymore!” Magolor said, smiling and nodding.

Anymore?…

“Aw, don't give me that look.” Magolor said with a pout. “I only lied about Kirby like that because I was in a hurry! Normally, I wouldn’t do something that drastic, but I had no choice. He was taking way too long, you know?”

“I wonder if he’s okay after what happened with that Black Hole-”

“Like I said, Little Dude, it’s no big deal! No one got hurt! No harm done!” Magolor snickered. He seemed to have no regret at all for what they had done. He seemed like he might have enjoyed it even. He pointed below to Kirby’s house and smiled.

“Well, let’s go!” As Magolor tightened his grip on the hefty sack of fruit, he noticed Elfilin still appeared to be a bit hesitant to return. He jabbed him on the shoulder with a lighthearted punch.

“Remember, Little Dude! I’m going back tomorrow to pay for everything we took today…and then some, even!” He said with a wink.

Regardless of how horrible he felt about the situation, Elfilin couldn't help but believe Magolor. He just brimmed with sincerity. So kind and friendly. He certainly had a mischievous side, as Elfilin could see, but was it really such a bad thing? He clearly took a lot of pride in his friendship with Kirby and valued it above all else. Elfilin was impressed and inspired by his dedication to being such a good friend, but was also a little concerned and somewhat curious about the obscure and dark past he seemed to be hiding.

“Hmm. In fact, I'll throw in a little extra to help repair the damage caused by that nasty black hole!” Magolor continued.

“Really!? Wow…That’s very…cool of you!”

“What can I say? I’m a pretty cool dude…And so are you! Nice work back there!”

“You really think I’m cool!?” Elfilin exclaimed, his eyes wide with awe.

“Of course, and you'll be even cooler if you remember what I said about keeping what happened back there a secret! Just follow my lead, Little Dude. Remember, we're not lying; We’re simply keeping it between us. I’ll handle everything and you won’t have to say a word! Now, let’s get down there and show Kirby all this delicious fruit! Last one there’s a rotten egg!”

Magolor sped off flying down below to Kirby’s house. Elfilin quickly caught up to him and even surpassed him. Just as he thought he would make it to Kirby’s door first, Magolor emerged directly in front of him. He twirled about, giggling.

“You almost beat me! Looks like you'll have to pick up your pace juuuust a bit, there, heeheehee!” Magolor winked. Elfilin blushed, humiliated at yet another defeat.

“Don't worry, I won't tell Kirby about it..heehee!” Magolor opened the door and they went inside to see Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee continuing their chess game from earlier.

“Yo! We’re back! We brought lots of good stuff too! I made sure to get plenty of apples, just as you wanted, Kirby!” Magolor tossed him a bright red apple.

“The most delicious apple in the universe!…Just for you!” He smiled.

Kirby's eyes sparkled as he gazed at the apple. Then he inhaled it all in one go.

“Wow, that was delicious! The best apple I’ve ever had! Thank you, Magolor! Thank you, Elfilin!” Kirby jumped around happily.

Magolor bounced around joyously with Kirby, while Elfilin chuckled nervously. Magolor then took both sacks of fruit and poured them out on the floor. Kirby's eyes grew wide as he gazed at the mountain of fruit surrounding them.

“Alright, Kirby! Dig in!” Magolor smiled. Kirby was practically drooling on himself from his excitement.

“Wow! Look at all of this!! Apples, peaches, and even strawberries! Imagine what we could do with all of this! We could make cobblers, pies, fruit tarts, even parfaits!! The possibilities are endless!!”

Kirby frantically rummaged through all of the fruit grabbing every piece he could possibly fit in his hands.

“That's right, Kirby! I made sure to get only the best! I know just how hungry you get, so we made sure to grab plenty!”

Magolor smiled as he sat down next to Kirby.

Bandana Waddle Dee was amazed by how much fruit they brought back. It almost seemed too good to be true that Magolor could bring back this much. Kirby, of course, was so eager to devour everything that he didn't seem to care where it all came from. He was just happy to eat. Bandana Waddle Dee then spotted Elfilin standing alone. He quietly took a few steps towards him.

“Pssst…Elfilin!” He called out. Elfilin turned to see Bandana Waddle Dee motioning for him to come closer. While Magolor and Kirby were preoccupied, they met in another corner of the room.

“Hey, Elfilin…how did it go?…” he asked, speaking softly.

Elfilin sighed and glanced down. He then turned towards Magolor, still beaming with happiness as he sat with Kirby.

“…It’s Magolor, isn’t it!? What did he do this time!?” Bandana Waddle Dee said angrily.

“I just knew he was up to no good! He did something horrible again didn’t he!?”

“What? No!” Elfilin said hastily. “Magolor is…Well, he’s great! He showed me the sights, introduced me to some new people, and helped get all this food for Kirby!”

“Yeah, about all this food…” Bandana Waddle Dee said as he looked around the room. “How did you guys pay for all this?…”

Elfilin froze in panic. He remembered Magolor’s plea to keep everything between them. He couldn’t tell Bandana Waddle Dee about what really happened. But he couldn’t lie either. He took another uneasy glimpse around.

“Well…you see…” Elfilin stammered. “Um…Magolor…”

Bandana Waddle Dee shook his head in defeat as Elfilin stumbled over his words.

“…He handled everything like a total pro! It’s all been taken care of! There’s no need to worry Bandana Waddle Dee!”

“Are you sure? You seem anxious…”

Elfilin was determined to keep his promise to Magolor but…he wasn’t quite as good at lying as Magolor seemed to be.

“…Yep!…he…” Elfilin sighed. “Paid for everything…”

“Oh, Elfilin…you can be honest with me. I won’t tell Magolor anything you say…It’s not like I ever wanna talk to him anyway.”

“I don’t know why you seem to hate him so much…He really is nice, you know? He’s awesome! Ooooh, and I think he wants to be my friend! Isn’t that cool!?”

Bandana Waddle Dee exhaled deeply. He was well aware of Magolor's ways. Using his charm to win over anybody he wants and get whatever he desires. He watched him do it to Kirby and now he was doing the same to Elfilin.

“Elfilin…” Bandana Waddle Dee said.

“Look, I know you seem to like Magolor a lot…and I really hate to have to tell you this…but he’s not this super cool guy you think he is.”

Elfilin frowned. Bandana Waddle Dee leaned in closer and spoke quietly.

“He tries really, REALLY hard to make you think he wants to be your friend…He plays it off like he’s a real nice guy…but the truth is..he’s a lying, backstabbing, TRAITOR!!”

“…A traitor?!” Elfilin was taken aback. “Magolor!? There’s no way!”

“He’s a liar and a wizard!! Believe me, Elfilin! Stay away from Magolor if you know what’s good for you!”

Elfilin glanced over at Magolor and Kirby. Still talking and laughing it up. Could he really be this lying, backstabbing traitor!? Elfilin couldn't picture Magolor doing such a thing to anyone, let alone Kirby.

“He might look friendly and nice now-but it’s all an act!- Listen! When he first arrived on Planet Popstar…He told us he was a lost traveler in need of help. Kirby, of course helped him. We all did! You know what happened after that!?”

“…What?”

“HE BETRAYED US! He betrayed Kirby!”

“He..betrayed Kirby??” Elfilin was in disbelief.

“Yep! And he’ll betray you too, Elfilin!…Once Magolor has you right where he wants you, that’s when he gets you! He tricked us into helping him steal something that didn’t belong to him and once he had it- he ATTACKED US!!”

“Magolor attacked you!?” Elfilin still couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew Magolor was hiding something…but he never imagined he was hiding something quite like this…

“Yeah! And that’s not all!…He put on this thing called the Master Crown which made him transform into a big hideous looking monster! He had piercing red eyes, long, scary horns and big, freaky hands!”

Hearing this left Elfilin in pure shock. Magolor, a monster who betrays his friends? The very same Magolor who has been so kind to him and Kirby��It couldn’t be true…

“Magolor…turned into a monster?”

“That’s right! After he attacked us, he abandoned us on a strange planet far away from home! We were lucky to make it out alive!”

“What happened after Magolor…attacked you?…”

“Well, we managed to catch up to him thanks to a dragon named Landia. But he was determined to get what he wanted and wasn’t going down without a fight. Kirby had no choice but to face him in battle.”

“You mean Kirby and Magolor actually fought each other?”

“Yeah... Magolor was strong and very powerful but Kirby put up a good fight and ultimately had the upper hand. It was a pretty intense battle but Kirby was able to take him down.”

“…Take him down? You mean like…”

“Yep. Kirby defeated him.”

Elfilin was rendered speechless. Magolor seemed friendly, funny..a bit of a liar maybe, but a monster?…He couldn’t wrap his head around it. And to think they once fought each other in a vicious battle…When you looked at the two of them now, it seemed unbelievable.

“What happened to him after that?”

“Well, he just sort of…vanished…and that was the end of it.”

Elfilin kept his gaze on Magolor as Bandana Waddle Dee spoke, still struggling to process everything he was hearing.

“Kirby took it pretty hard at first but…after a while he finally managed to moved on…Magolor was gone for a really long time but then…one day he just showed back up on Planet Popstar acting as if nothing ever happened. We were all a little confused…But Kirby was really happy to see him again. Magolor has been living here in Dream Land ever since. He claims he’s changed but he still causes all kinds of trouble around here and he’s still a big, fat, liar. I’ll never understand him. But…for some reason…he and Kirby are still friends…” Bandana Waddle Dee sighed.

Elfilin could clearly see the two of them had a very special bond. He could tell they really enjoyed each other's company. Elfilin knew Kirby wouldn’t forgive someone who wasn’t deserving of it. If he was willing to forgive Magolor even after all that, it had to mean something, right?

“Bandana Waddle Dee…maybe you’re being a little too hard on Magolor…” Elfilin said softly. “If Kirby is willing to forgive him, then…maybe you could too.”

Bandana Waddle Dee was admittedly, a little shocked at Elfilin’s remark.

“Elfilin…you heard what I said, right? He turned into a MONSTER!”

While Elfilin could obviously see that Magolor was far from perfect, the more he learned about him the more sympathy he felt for him. While Elfilin’s circumstances might have been a little different he found himself relating more and more to his seemingly tragic past.

“Magolor doesn’t seem like a monster to me…In fact, he is one of coolest people I’ve ever met. I know I don’t know him as well as you and Kirby do, but if he says he’s changed then I think he means it! He just wants to be a good friend! Look at all this fruit he got for Kirby! Don’t you see how happy they are! You really ought to give Magolor another chance, Bandana Waddle Dee. Once you get to know him, he’s really a pretty nice guy!”

“NICE!? Elfilin…are you sure we’re talking about the same guy here?-“

“Yo, Little Dude!” Magolor suddenly appeared right in front of him, his attention to Elfilin. He was beaming with delight. He pulled out a bright red apple and handed it to Elfilin.

“I promised to give Kirby the best apple, but here’s the SECOND best apple…just for you! Heehee!”

Magolor bounced with excitement as he awaited Elfilin to take it. Elfilin was still slightly caught off guard by Magolor’s sudden appearances but still found himself completely starstruck when he had his full attention. Bandana Waddle Dee watched with slight frustration as Elfilin was completely frozen in awe of Magolor’s presence, his eyes sparkling as if he were about to cry.

Oh, give me a break!…

“Go on, take it!” Magolor handed over the apple to Elfilin. He took a careful look at it. It was much larger than all the others ones and noticeably redder too. It looked delicious! Elfilin held it tightly and smiled at Magolor.

“You’re giving this to me!?” He said, choking back tears.

“Of course! It’s the least I can do! You were so incredibly helpful back there! I couldn’t have done it without you!” Magolor said with a wink.

“Thank you, Magolor! Wow! It looks delicious! Are you sure I can have this?”

“Yep! It’s all yours, my friend! Enjoy it!” Magolor said with a nod. “In fact, why don’t the two of you come over here and sit with us! We were just discussing all the fun we’re going to have tonight!”

“Sure!” Elfilin spun around joyously and floated over to where Kirby was sitting. As Bandana Waddle Dee prepared to follow, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“Oh, and Bandana Waddle Dee…” Magolor began, his voice low.

He leaned in closer to Bandana Waddle Dee, who was frozen in fear.

“You should know it’s very rude to talk about people behind their back…” he whispered. He took a few steps forward then turned his face slightly towards him.

“Especially when the person you’re talking about hasn’t had a chance to tell their side of the story.”

Magolor smirked at Bandana Waddle Dee for a moment before returning to Kirby and Elfilin, leaving him completely stunned.

Did…Did he hear everything?….

Bandana Waddle Dee nervously approached them. Magolor intensely looked him in the eye as he headed over. He happily pat his hand on the ground next to him.

“Yo! There’s an open seat right next to me, Bandana Waddle Dee!” He giggled.

Bandana Waddle Dee hesitated for a moment. Kirby gave him a puzzled look.

“What’s wrong?” He said.

“Yeah, what’s wrong?” Magolor said slightly giggling.

“N-nothing…sorry…” Bandana Waddle Dee slowly sat down next to Magolor. He gave him a cheeky smile and scooted slightly closer to him.

“You know, We really should talk more, Bandana Waddle Dee.” He said giggling.

Bandana Waddle Dee sighed and turned away from him.

“Alright, then!” Kirby announced with a beaming smile. “Now that Magolor and Elfilin are back, what do you say we-“

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!!

The room went silent at the sound of a loud knocking at Kirby’s door.

“Oh, another visitor!? I wonder who it could be!!”

Magolor and Elfilin froze in panic. Elfilin began to tremble anxiously as Kirby approached the door. He looked across to Magolor, who was looking around the room frantically, and then disappeared with his dimensional vanish. Elfilin hunched down and covered his face with his big ears. Bandana Waddle Dee observed them with perplexity.

Kirby opened the door and smiled big.

“Meta Knight! You made it, after all!”

Meta Knight, the mysterious, masked swordsman and longtime friend to Kirby had shown up.

“Good afternoon, Kirby. Can I come in?”

“Of course! Hey, everyone! Meta Knights here for the party!”

“Party?…” Meta Knight looked around the messy room and noticed Bandana Waddle Dee and Elfilin sitting together. Finally Magolor returned from his dimensional vanish appearing next to Kirby. He looked at Meta Knight and groaned.

“Oh, it’s just you. Now the real fun can start. Yippie…” Magolor sulked over to Elfilin and plopped down next to him. Elfilin stared in awe at Meta Knight, his eyes shining brightly.

“Oh, Magolor. You’re here as well.” Meta Knight said.

Magolor gave him an unenthusiastic hand wave.

“Well, I suppose that answers my first question…” He said glaring at him.

“Hey, Meta Knight!” Bandana Waddle Dee said cheerfully.

“Bandana Waddle Dee.” Meta Knight greeted him with a nod.

“It’s great you were able to make it considering Magolor stole your invitat-“

Magolor quickly jabbed Bandana Waddle Dee in the gut, cutting him off before he could finish his sentence.

“Meta Knight! We’re so happy you made it to the party! We’re gonna have lots of fun! Come on, come on!!” Kirby took Meta Knights hand and led him over to where Elfilin was sitting.

“Kirby, I’m not here for any party-“

“Meta Knight, you remember Elfilin, right?”

Elfilin was suddenly face to face with Meta Knight.

“Elfilin. It’s been a while, how have you been?” Meta Knight extended his hand out to Elfilin for a handshake.

“M-Meta Knight!” He stuttered. “Wow! It’s great to see you again!” Elfilin said happily shaking his hand.

“Likewise.” Meta Knight nodded at him then turned his attention to Kirby.

“I apologize for the intrusion but I am not here to hang out. I’m sorry to interrupt the…party, but I just need a quick word then I’ll be on my way.”

“Is everything all right, Meta Knight?” Kirby asked.

“Kirby…I was just in the village and there seemed to be a disturbance at the Farmers Market. Magolor…you were just there. Would you know anything about that?”

Magolor turned away from him, ignoring his question.

Meta Knight then turned to Elfilin. He began to tremble anxiously.

“Elfilin, I believe you were there with Magolor, correct?”

“Y-yes.” Elfilin stammered.

“Did you see anything…strange happen while you were there?”

Elfilin glanced over at Magolor, who was eyeing him intensely. Magolor very subtly shook his head ‘no’ and gave a small ‘thumbs up’ gesture with his hand.

“No, sir. I didn’t see anything strange…it must have happened after we left!”

Bandana Waddle Dee shook his head in anguish.

Oh, Elfilin. Not you, too…

Meta Knight nodded at Elfilin then took a few steps toward Magolor.

“Kirby, the shopkeeper who runs the Fruit Stand was robbed today.”

“What!? Robbed!?” Kirby said with a gasp.

“What happened!? Is anyone hurt!?”

“No one is hurt, thankfully. But it could have gotten ugly had I not been there to clean up the mess after the culprits fled the scene.” He glared angrily at Magolor. 

Elfilin sunk lower and lower with every word.

“Oh, when I find out who’s responsible for this!…they’re gonna be sorry!” Kirby said, viciously punching the air.

“Magolor…” Meta Knight began, his voice stern.

“Two sacks of fruit were stolen today. Curious…How many sacks did you take off with, again? It was quite difficult to see, given how fast the two of you were going.”

Magolor continued to ignore him. Kirby approached him angrily.

“Magolor…Don’t tell me you stole everything!” He said.

Elfilin panicked.

“Magolor, I know we’ve discussed this before but if you wish to continue living here in Dream Land you must behave yourself.”

Kirby frowned and glared disappointingly at Magolor. He looked over at Elfilin.

“And don’t be getting Elfilin here caught up in your antics either.”

“Elfilin, is it true? Did you guys steal everything?” Kirby asked.

Elfilin found himself in the hot seat. He swallowed nervously and attempted to speak.

“Kirby, don’t bother questioning Elfilin.” Meta Knight said. “This was all Magolor’s doing... As for the stolen fruit… I took care of the bill.”

He shot Magolor a disapproving look.

“You can pay back me back later.”

“Didn’t you just say you were leaving?” Magolor remarked.

Wow…Magolor and Meta Knight sure don’t seem to like each other very much…

Elfilin observed the tension between the two of them.

In fact…A lot of the folks around here don’t seem to get along with him…Was Bandana Waddle Dee right about him after all?…

Kirby sighed deeply and shook his head in remorse.

“Magolor…Why would you do this?! And to drag Elfilin into it?…”

“It’s not like anyone got hurt. That shopkeeper is such a crybaby. Listen, the only reason why I took off with everything was because I simply forgot my money! I was gonna go back and pay for it, tomorrow! I’ve done it before. He knows I’m good for it.”

“Magolor, if I’m not mistaken the shopkeeper has made it very clear that you are forbidden from his stand.” Meta Knight continued. “Perhaps I could show you the poster in case you’ve forgotten-”

“Hey! Magolor promised to pay for everything, right!? Um… You’re sorry, right? You didn’t mean to do it, did you, Magolor?” Elfilin chimed in.

“That’s right! Desperate times call for desperate measures. Kirby, you know I am always, ALWAYS, more than happy to clean up whatever messes I make. I was gonna tell you the truth eventually…but sadly, I wasn’t given the chance! Thanks, Meta Knight.”

“Oh, You’re quite welcome…And I’ll be seeing you soon to collect what you owe me.” Meta Knight nodded at Magolor and then to Kirby.

“Again, sorry for the interruption, Kirby. I’ll be on my way now so you can return to your party.” Meta Knight approached the door. He turned around once more.

“It was good to see you again, Elfilin. Enjoy your stay here in Dream Land. Magolor…” his voice took on a more serious tone. “Behave yourself.”

Magolor smirked, floated over to him and gently nudged him closer to the door.

“Well, here’s the door, my friend. You’re certainly a busy dude, right?” Magolor opened the front door and smiled. Bandana Waddle Dee, Elfilin and Kirby ran up to the door and waved goodbye.

“See ya around, Meta Knight!” Bandana Waddle Dee called out.

“Thanks for dropping by Meta Knight! Sorry again for all the trouble Magolor caused…” Kirby shot him a look of disdain once again.

Meta Knight approached the door but then stopped again and turned towards Kirby.

“Oh, Kirby…One last thing before I go…”

Magolor groaned in annoyance.

“Tell me…How are you feeling?…” Meta Knight asked.

“Me?…Oh, well…I feel just fine! Why do you ask?”

Meta Knight eyed Magolor.

“No reason. Well, I’ll be on my way then. Enjoy your party.” Meta Knight waved goodbye one last time and walked out the door.

“Bye, Meta Knight!” Elfilin waved.

“Yes, good-BYE!” Magolor slammed the front door shut.

Kirby stomped over to Magolor in a furious rage. To Elfilin's surprise, Magolor sank low onto the ground hiding his face behind hands.

“Magolor! How could you?! What were you thinking doing something like that!?” Kirby yelled.

Magolor peeked one watery eye out from behind his hands.

“Kirby, please forgive me! I promise I meant no harm by any of it! You know me! I wouldn’t just steal something if it wasn’t for a good reason!”

“There’s never a good reason to steal anything, Magolor!”

“Sure, there is! Truth be told, he deserved it. You should have heard the lies he told about you.”

“Oh, knock it off already!” Bandana Waddle Dee said angrily. “You’ve done nothing but cause problems since you got here! Kirby, just make him leave already!”

“No!” Elfilin yelled rushing to Magolor’s side.

“Kirby! He said he’s sorry! Please don’t make him leave!”

Magolor smiled at Elfilin who returned a friendly nod at him.

“Magolor…you can stay…but please, don’t cause any more trouble! We’re just trying to have fun! Promise me you’ll behave yourself?”

“Of course, Kirby! In fact, I’ll be so good, you’ll forget I’m even here. Heeheehee!” He winked.

Of course Kirby’s giving him another chance…

Bandana Waddle Dee sighed.

Elfilin smiled at Magolor and twirled around joyfully.

“That was a close one, huh?!” Elfilin whispered.

“Too close…Thanks for having my back, Little Dude!” Magolor held up his fist. Elfilin looked at it in confusion.

“Come on, don’t leave me hanging!” Magolor took Elfilin’s hand and demonstrated to him how to do a proper “fist-bump”.

“Got it? Now, let’s try it again.” Magolor once again held up his fist. Elfilin smiled and bumped fists with him.

Bandana Waddle Dee shook his head in disappointment.

Oh, Elfilin…I hope you don’t find out who Magolor really is the hard way…

Kirby frantically rummaged around the room, seeming eager to move on to the next activity.

“Well, Kirby, what’s next!?” Magolor said happily.

“Well, it looks like we’ll have to stick around here for the night! But I have a great idea! Why don’t we go for a swim in the lake right outside!” Kirby gathered a bunch of pool toys and excitedly rushed to the door.

Bandana Waddle Dee was slightly irritated that Magolor’s misdeeds in town were seemingly so easily forgiven, but he was also relieved to finally move on from the situation.

Magolor didn’t seem very thrilled at Kirby’s suggestion. Elfilin noticed his apprehension as everyone rushed out the door.

“What’s wrong, Magolor?” He asked.

“Oh, I’m fine. Just…lost in thought, that’s all.” he stared nervously out of Kirby’s window at the lake.

“Well, are you coming?” Elfilin said as he waited at the door for him.

Magolor took a breath breath and turned to him with a big smile.

“Of course! Let’s go!”

Magolor floated happily towards Elfilin, and together, the two of them set out for the lake with Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee.

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[previous chapter]

[table of contents]

[next chapter]

[faaun]

last night i got home kind of tipsy and very much in tears and my mother told me the force you exert to keep someone in your life is proportional to the force with which they will leave your life. if you have to fight tooth and claw to keep them, their leaving will be just as hard, just as harsh, and just as definite.

[buwheal]

Unexpected but fair.

How long were we disconnected?

[kusanagihaku]

don't mind this too much I'm just typing out my thoughts but I feel like Haku carries around a lot of emotional baggage and this might be because of his issues with his family and maybe--if there are any--unresolved issues with Frostheim?? I know him and Tohma aren't on the best terms fs.

Anyway, I feel like whenever Haku brings up any issues from the past he talks about them so... casually? When Haku brings up Tohma in his home screen voice lines, it doesn't seem like he holds any grudges toward Tohma--if anything I read it thinking they were almost friendly with each other before I saw his campus convo w/ Tohma. It's also silly to me how when Haku brought up his family being "happy to see him gone" he didn't seem like he was bothered by it at all. I don't mean to say he was actually unbothered by it ofc I just feel like he definitely has a lot of baggage and I want to assume he tries not to ponder on it too much for his own mental health and to maybe not be a burden on others?? lowkey relatable but my take on Haku is that he definitely doesn't like to bring up his past unless it's relevant to the conversation 😭 and even then he gives a vague amount of details and doesn't really seem to state his opinions on them.

I feel like his affinity 19 line kinda just reaffirmed this for me? it just seems like he bottles up a lot of his emotions so when you get really close to him he feels comfortable enough to just vent a little bit... but even so he still apologizes. it's also interesting to me how when you get closer to him with affinity he lets you in on his life a little more (his poor sleep habits, his kind of ominous level 25 line, also his mini rant about how much it must suck to have a curse. his input on that is interesting to me given that he's so close to Rui and he tells mc that he knows how to get around a curse but I digress)

my affinity with Haku is like 5 right now so I can't really speak but he's definitely one of my favorites so far so I wanted to ask an actual Haku fan what they thought!!!

regarding haku bottling things up: i agree with you that haku seems like he's carrying around a lot but tries not to think about it too much? i don't think he bottles it up on purpose, but haku does seem like he has a 'if i don't think too much about it i can pretend it didn't happen' kind of vibe. which is also what happened when we go to ask him about the clash - he doesn't want to talk about it since it brings up pretty bad memories for the ghouls.

but more so, i think he might also be a 'it already happened, so why bother thinking about it so much?' kind of person. he brings up his family being "happy to see him gone" and how they think he's an "irresponsible heir" in a pretty flippant way, which makes me think he's either refusing to think about it too much because he'll actually need to think about what will happen after he graduates from darkwick, or he's already finished processing it and is all like it is what it is, what can i do?

i'm leaning more towards the latter because of how casually he treats it and how he just drops it into conversation. it's not big enough of an issue to him that he has to keep himself from dumping it all on you. it doesn't read like a shameful secret either, just more like a part of him and his history that just is - it just slips out whenever it comes up in conversation. after all, there's nothing he can do to change it, right?

sidenote: it also makes me wonder if haku is putting in so much effort in hotarubi missions not only to make up for subaru and zenji (given that subaru has limited firepower and zenji is... zenji...) but also to prove (to who? to himself? to whoever is watching?) that he can be responsible, he can take care of his house... after all, it's not as if subaru and mc can go talk to his family and show them how responsible he actually is in taking care of hotarubi... right?

regarding higher affinity lines 19 to 23: i agree!! it seems like the closer you get to him, the more relaxed and open he seems around you. although the higher affinity lines do just read like you're just spending a lot more time in hotarubi in general - you're awake / maybe i'll take a nap / i'm going to bed... you're around hotarubi and spending so much time together with him in his room your hours start blurring together. it's really cute also when i think about him hinting in his chat he wants to take a nap with you on the veranda. haku, rest!!!!! i say, ignoring my own massive sleep debt.

regarding his affinity 24 line about being cursed: the more i read it, the more i wonder if it's not just him being sympathetic to rui and mc being cursed... what if haku has also been cursed? that's why he's so clear about the helplessness and the "why me?" that accompanies the curse... either that or he's just a really great listener and really empathetic and kind. which, given what we've seen of him, is also a very real possibility. he has a really big heart i'm gna beat his entire family up please he needs someone on his side and to see the good in him beyond what he does for others for ONCE

regarding affinity 25 line: i've been thinking about this also!! why does he want you to forget about him, and why does he think that's selfish!!!! you want to remember him and your time together because no matter what happens in the end / if you're hurt by him or your curse, these memories are precious to you - even if you lose him, at least he was yours to lose.

he wants you to forget because somehow, he thinks the memories you have of him will cause you pain. he doesn't want to see you suffer through the process of losing him as you succumb to your curse. if you just forgot him, maybe you could go a lot easier. to him, it's selfish because you clearly don't want to forget and they're your memories and it's your prerogative, but for his own sake, he wants you to forget because he wants to see you go without pain. if you forget about him, the only one who suffers will be him.

or: haku knows memories make a person. he knows this from subaru's stigma, and he knows this from how ghosts are just memories of people who live on. once the anomaly in you takes over, if you'd just forget about him, as long as it doesn't carry any memories of your life together, it means that you're well and truly gone and he can now kill the anomaly with the knowledge that there is nothing left of you, without any sort of guilt.

regarding the haku-tohma relationship: i think also in light of the theory that haku was a frostheimer who transferred out to hotarubi (and perhaps even transferred out alongside yuri) and left a big gap for tohma to fill, it makes sense that tohma doesn't see him in a good light. tohma seems like the kind who values loyalty a lot (given how he maintains his friendship with alan), and as a result might see haku as a traitor to jin/frostheim. which also explains why when they met in ep7 ch19 tohma was all like, "our wheelhouse?" when haku used 'our' to refer to himself as part of hotarubi, as if something about haku treating himself as part of hotarubi rubs tohma the wrong way. maybe he's bitter haku doesn't think of himself as frostheim anymore? which doesn't make too much sense to me since tohma transferred out of vagastrom... unless he also thinks of himself as vagastrom at heart? maybe his frostheim identity is stored in his monocle

at the same time, haku just treats tohma sort of coolly ("if you've got something to say to me, just say it.") - he doesn't want to play politics like tohma does. which i think is very much in line with what you said about him not holding any grudges towards tohma - if anything, the tension seems very one-sided and something haku wants to leave behind.

(that one theory going around also makes sense to me... that haku would transfer out of frostheim not because of anything major but because he couldn't stand the rich people politics going on in there... he's too lazy for that sort of shit... which is why he enjoys hotarubi a lot more, since subaru is a really sincere person and zenji is just... zenji...)

anyway tldr; sorry this was a massive word vomit and idk if i even answered anything but i think haku just needs someone on his side for once and mc needs to stop second-guessing him because i, for one, will follow him wherever he goes,,,

[artfartt]

I discovered a website that allows you to marry fictional characters but it got shut down so I found the next best thing

[celticbotanart]

Been thinking about Bandori again lately, so I dug up some sketches I've done months ago; mostly because I didn't want to draw anything from scratch, but the sketches were good enough and I really liked them a lot already. The only one I drew from scratch is the one on the bottom right corner, to fill up that empty space and make the panel full~

I've noticed I really like to draw these two idiots interacting, which is kinda rare, lol. Interactions are hard for me to draw and I admit I kinda avoid it a lot. They're comfortable and fun for me to draw, especially in random wholesome shenanigans! I guess it's the platonic aspect, I'm not super fan of drawing/writing romantic stuff; I tend to enhance the sisterly relationship the characters already have canonically.

The main drawing here was inspired by an actual picture of Raychell and Risa (their VAs, to those unfamiliar) <3

Another thing I do is making Rei wear shirts of real bands, bands that I like. It's usually Within Temptation, because they are totally a band that would exist in the Bandori-verse; this time though, I made Rei wear a Yuki Kajiura / FictionJunction shirt, I LOVE that cover art so much!! It's another band/project I see existing in that universe!

commission info | patreon | kofi | twitter | bluesky

[thefunniestguy]

"i feel like i could eat the world raw."

[neptunesailing]

mayoi (enstars x hnk au)

[merwynsartblog]

Not me thinking whetehr or not Mercury dies first or Fylass does due to age shenanigans, since I dunno Mercury's life span :(

mercury is around king dededes age and i like to think ages are different. so for example king dededes age for me is 360. which rounds about 36 for our age. (ik its weird and i dont have a damn reason for this) and same thing with everyone else like mercury is probably around...320 so around 32 so it just depends but i hc our ages and their ages are different- they live for wayyyy longer than humans

but since fylass is 12 mercury will probably die first sadly BUT. he would leave alot of stuff to his found family (fylass is a part of it) and make sure everyone he cares for is safe off without him

[dailydemonspotlight]

Camazotz - Day 63

Race: Raptor

ATMA Avatar of Bat

Alignment: Dark-Law

July 3rd, 2024

I've been playing Digital Devil Saga lately, and combined with my erratic mood swings, what else would be more fitting for today's DDS than a blood-draining bat who leaves those in its wake feeling hollow? This also marks the second demon in a row to originate from South American mythology, though this one is its own can of worms- or, maybe, bucket of blood...? No, that's stupid. Regardless, though, today's Demon of the Day is a curious fellow originating from very specific Mayan cults, and a personal favorite of mine- Guatemala's own lord of the night, patron of giant vampire bats, and a terrifying blood-sucking deity, Camazotz!

A lot relating to Camazotz is hard to dig into, let alone digest- purportedly worshipped as a central deity in ancient Mayan culture, this great-winged bat appears scantly, yet its influence cannot go understated. This is made even more confusing by evident conflation between Camazotz and a completely different concept, that of 'The Camazotz,' a race of giant bats found in the underworld in the Polpol Vuh, a chronicle going into the creation myth of humanity itself in Mayan mythology. As is purported in it, the Camazotz weren't actually a single, unified deity, and instead were an entire separate race of giant bats found in the Mayan afterlife, known as Xibalba.

People also often purport that this race may have been a mythological explanation for the extinct, but then-present giant race of vampire bats called Desmodus draculae. This, of course, makes things a mite more complicated- the death bat may have been conflated with recollections regarding a completely separate bat god that is left unnamed, as there is evidence of worship to a single, unified bat deity in ancient Mayan culture. Camazotz itself is also purported as being a single, great bat spirit in the underworld, not quite a god but still immensely powerful in its own right. And, well, let's get into that.

The main appearance of the Camazotz comes in the Polpol Vuh, as is to be expected, and they have quite an interesting role- in one of the trials the two protagonists, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, have to survive during their expedition into Xibalba, they're challenged with staying the night in Zotzilaha- the House of Bats. The legend tells of how they had hid away within their blowguns to last the night, but eventually, perturbed by the lack of the wings flapping from the bats outside, one of the brothers dared to stick his head out. This is when Camazotz, who was watching, striked. In an instant, the brother was decapitated, and his head used as a ball for the deities to use in their next ballgame. As morbidly hilarious as this story is, it does give us some insight into Camazotz's role- as a spirit of the night, he clearly showed both trickery and strength.

Of course, this origin is hard to pinpoint, and I'm honestly unsure as to if there was a single Camazotz or an entire race of them who were attacking the brothers, as a lot of things surrounding this great vampire bat are frustratingly murky. Of course, as it comes down to a lot of the time with these demon spotlights, a lot is left up in the air due to the loss of primary sources through history, but with the connection to the long-dead Desmodus draculae species of vampire bats, it's possible to come to several interesting conclusions. There are even beliefs that the traditional blood sacrifices that the Mayans were known for were partly inspired by Camazotz, but that's a rabbit hole I'll leave you to dig into.

Now, as for how Camazotz is depicted in the series, the design has grown on me a lot. While originally seeming to just be a giant bat with sickles, the strange, wrapping hands, the ornaments, and the skulls all paint it in a uniquely Mayan light that I'm really quite fond of. Of course, it also appears in Digital Devil Saga, but frankly I'm not quite sure what to make of a lot of ATMA avatars, and Camazotz is no real exception. As much as I love DDS, the avatars definitely need to grow on me a bit more for me to really appreciate them.

Overall, though, the design works wonders, and I really do enjoy it. Too bad the sprite compression in SMT IV makes it almost completely incomprehensible, but... well, alas, that's what happens to games on the 3DS.

[perilegs]

i cut several inchess of my hair off (it reached past my shoulders now its back at like. chin/neck length) and no one at work has said anything bc it still looks the exact same

[iknaenmal]

okay. today i will go on a difficult mission. i might not come back (will ask i friend if they want to hang out)

[coldvampire]

.

[whileyoureinschoolidothisallday]

so I need to tell y'all how this week with my mom went because goddamn if I wrote this into a story with my typical Mommy Issues characters I would be told it was too heavy-handed.

Me: Hey mom I see you're really into Bridgerton lately and want someone to talk to about it. I've only heard good things and we rarely ever have interests in common, so I'd be down to watch it with you!

Mom: OMG REALLY? =D I'd love that! Let's do that next time I'm here!

-Next day-

Me: Alrighty mom let's get started on this show!!!!

Mom: Oh, I'm not gonna rewatch the old ones. I only wanna watch the latest season together, cause the second half comes out in a few days. Just catch up and then we'll watch the newest ones on Saturday!!

Me: Oh. Well okay! I can binge by then easy.

-Saturday-

Me: Alright I only have two episodes left of the second season and then we can get started on ✨season 3✨!

Mom: Oh, I already watched it.

Me: ...what?

Mom: Yeah, I couldn't wait ^^;

Me: ??????? Ma, you were complaining for weeks that you wanted to watch this with someone and then I do it and you finish it yourself?????

Mom: It's fine just finish the rest of it and then we can talk about the whole thing!!!!!!

Me: 🤷🏽‍♀️ okay I guess

-This last Wednesday-

Me: I finished ✨Bridgerton✨What did you like about it?

Mom: Meh. I didn't really like the 3rd season. I thought it was boring.

Me: It was definitely more plot-driven than the other ones. Is that...all you're gonna say about it? After all this time?

Mom: I have other things my mind is focusing on right now.

Me, still trying to stoke healthier, diverse interests other than Conspiracy Theories, the Apocalypse, and Fake "Health" advice on tiktok: Oh! Like what?

Mom: Like being a better stewardess for the abundance God has already brought into my life

Me, completely unsure how to continue this conversation: ...Oh...!

And then, today, she sends me this tiktok which I didn't watch but you can see plainly what it's about from the screenshot!

[butchlifeguard]

attention spans dont real lmao. nothing about the condition or support needs of yr adhd can be measured by measuring yr attention span because the nature of adhd is that attention span is incredibly variable. this is bc adhd is characterized by dopamine seeking behavior and not just a timer until we get bored and go on our phones

[trashlie]

FP 224

First things first, if you read this episode when it initially dropped and had no music, please do yourself a favor and go back and reread it again. The music has been uploaded and it is BEAUTIFUL, just.... idk it’s a little haunting, a little playful, but a lot of melancholy! Please go re-read it with your sound on! 

To no one’s surprise, I cried a lot, again, and in the subsequent few times I’ve reread it, I keep crying LMAO ;~; The feelings, okay. We’re having a lot of them. I want to shout about so many things but first I gotta protect everyone from spoilers, so let’s go!

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. The absence of Nana thus far was glaring, but until she showed up, I didn’t realize how MUCH Nol - and even we as readers - needed her. Shinae does such a beautiful job of trying to nudge Nol to opening up and trying to talk about his problems, but one of the main issues is that, of course, she just doesn’t get it. She doesn’t understand what Nol’s experience is, and doesn’t know just how deep the darkness goes. But Nana does. And she’s everything Nol needs in a guardian: someone who calls him out on his shit, someone who fiercely loves him, someone who can be honest with him, and someone who can apologize. 

This is, by far, the most they’ve ever talked about Nessa, and his surprise that the Lochlain’s had a strained relationship goes to show how little they’ve really talked about her (and how it’s so easy for him to believe that Nana could have been a paid actor). And now that we know about their strained past, it’s understandable why she doesn’t come up more than she has, how difficult it must be to talk about it. This is where I just sobbed and sobbed lol and like!!!! Even trying to write about it!!!!!! 

Nana was a single mother (confirmed on a patreon stream) so of course the last things he wanted was for Nessa to continue the cycle, to endure the same hardship. Of course from her view Rand was a terrible partner (if we can even call him that) given his circumstances (y’know, his marriage and living in a different country). Of course she would view this as a terrible idea, so it’s not a surprise that they argued and things left off in a bad way. But to know that there was never any reconciliation, that they never got to make any peace? That hurts SO MUCH. To know that Nessa spent the next years of her life raising Nol alone, with no family contact, before she decided to move to The United States of Asia (lol). There’s just so much grief for what could have been, what should have been, and what never got to be. 

It’s no wonder she loves Nol so fiercely, despite everything. Even if she didn’t approve of the way he was brought into this world, the circumstances surrounding his creation, she loves him so much. I think a lot about her line, that not all “mistakes” are terrible - that yes, perhaps Nol was a mistake, that he wasn’t planned, that he was an accident between a married man and his lover, but that doesn’t demean who he is, or make him lesser. She still welcomes and loves him. In a way, she’s his opportunity at a do-over. To Nana, she failed her daughter; she should have tried harder to find her, to get in touch, to make peace instead of be angry. We can assume, too, she was only so angry because she loved her daughter so much and she didn’t want her to go through what she did to raise her. And now they are each others’ only connection to her. 

It’s even worse that they live with this knowledge that she took her own life, that they have no reason to suspect otherwise. And frankly, the more I think about it, the more I wonder if finding out otherwise will reopen that wound? Nana has made her own kind of peace - she says Nessa didn’t strike her as the sort to do that, but that it shows we don’t always know what goes on inside someone’s head (does she wonder about Nol, about those darkest corners of his mind?) and in a way, she seems to understand how Nessa would arrive to the decision. She believes it’s something she could have talked her out of it, thus, like Nol, she carries her own burden of guilt, her own belief that by losing contact with her daughter and not trying hard enough to find her, she blew her only chance to save her, lost out on the opportunity to help her find comfort she needed. 

So how will they feel if/when they find out that it may not have been suicide at all, that it may have been drugs or murder staged as suicide? When you’ve made a sense of peace, what do you do with all this new grief, when you realize it’s not that she reached such a dark point, but instead, that a witch worked her dark, ugly magic (yes, I saw the How to Banish Witches book [but only after it was pointed out to me lmao])? 

Listen it just. It hurts lol it hurts a lot and it’s such a very real thing. Was Nana wrong for being upset with Nessa? Of course not. But unfortunately, none of them are fortune tellers, no one could see what future awaited Nessa should nothing change. There’s so many what if’s and what about’s and none of them matter because the future cannot change, the past has been set in stone, and if you dwell in a pool of what if’s too long, you will surely drown. 

Idk, the grief is just. So heavy. And we can see how, in their own ways, they both carry that weight of guilt, but only Nana seems to have found a way to live with t. In Nol she has the opportunity to redo what she failed to, to stay at his side and not let him run away. Even though he doesn’t open up, she knows his past, she knows his awful relationship with his father, she’s watched the way he isolates himself and how he refuses to open up. She knows enough to know that Nol needs her at his side, that he, too, is bound to leave and run away, and it’s her goal to try to stop him. And goddamn, I love her so much for it. I love her so much for her unconditional love of him, for how fiercely defensive she is, for how much she continues to love him even when she can tell he tries to fight it. Where would he be without her? ;~; 

Nana also paints us a pretty decent image of who Nessa was, not only in how she describes her, but her own personality. If Nessa was anything like Nana, and I imagine she must have been, she surely was tenacious and headstrong. Nana describes her as a good and honest woman, and while, sure, a mother would very likely talk only highly of her daughter and not describe her in negative ways, we can still see that from Nol, too. After all, he at least spent his formative years with her. He didn’t get his sense of goodness from nowhere. Even though he makes up justifications for why he’s done the things he has - like befriending people he could tell needed help, to put a little joy into their lives - it still stems from his own perceptions of the world, and what it takes to be a good person. After all, his efforts wouldn’t be penance if they didn’t have good intentions. 

I think this leaves us with enough to confirm what I’ve felt all along - that Rand and Nessa must have truly loved each other. Nana herself basically says that Nessa wouldn’t fall for someone so cold and stoic as the Rand we know, that she wasn’t chasing money, but instead she saw something no one else has ever seen. Rand is haunted by his mistakes - by his marriage to Yui, by who seems to be an accidental baby, by the loss of Nessa. While he obviously shut down long before her loss, as an effort to give Yui nothing to use against him, keeping his cool so she wouldn’t have the satisfaction of rankling him, I do think the part of Rand Nessa knew and loved died with her. There’s something so profoundly sad about how his two sons are affected by this - one who cannot reconcile with not being good enough, the other who simply believes that man never existed - and how the only person who has ever experienced him is gone. 

Not to get on our cycles and parallels, but I think Nessa was able to provide that comfort and safety to Rand, to give him a place where he could let down his walls. Even outside of his marriage, business is a harsh environment, with no room for a goofy clown. But I think away from all of that, in their own little bubble, Nessa was able to draw out that part of Rand, able to love and appreciate him for who he was. To some degree, it makes sense that he turned out this way. It stands to see yet if he met Nessa before or after his marriage, and how that alters my perception of events, but I do think it’s deeply sad that Rand found comfort where he wasn’t supposed to, that his choices haunt him the ways they do. I imagine when he entered his marriage with Yui, he had no idea how she would “turn on him” (I say this loosely because were they ever really on “the same side”?) and had no idea what a prison he was making for himself. Would he have chosen differently if he knew otherwise? Or would hubris have made him believe he could have endured it, that it was worth it for the fortune he’d amass? 

Again, what it’s don’t matter, though, because he made his choices and here we are with his incredibly broken (mentally AND now physically) son and the shared grief between a boy and his nana. 

When I tell you this shit HURTS me lmao ;A; 

But, speaking of family resemblances, I love that panel of Nana musing that maybe she should break Nol’s legs, because it reminded me SO MUCH of that panel in 219 where Nol was talking about mistreating the meat before it became a hamburger. Just. So much family resemblance in those moments! 

I could probably talk all night about how much this part of the episode hurt me but, frankly, it’s an episode full of pain so let’s get to it all ;~; lmao 

Sigh. Sweet, sweet Dieter ;A; As always, I am proven wrong lmao which is so funny to me somehow. Like, I continue to make guesses that are never right, but in some way, I really enjoy that. Although, well... 

I do think that yes, Dieter is very frustrated and upset about finally facing what I think he’s suspected all along, but I don’t think that’s the whole of it, if that makes sense? Like, of course he’s going to be upset, right? Even though he knew better, I’m sure he got his hopes up. Shinae wasn’t just spending time with him as a strictly platonic friend - the whole of their amusement park date, the hand-holding, the way she’s come to start relying on him, the way she was seeking comfort in him. He can’t help but hope it meant that maybe she was starting to like him the way he likes her. Even if he kept telling himself not to get his hopes up, that’s just the nature of feelings. We can’t kept control them, or else life would be so much smoother. And despite his hopes, I think at the back of his mind he knew. Remember when he was asking Minhyuk for tips on how to talk to Shinae, how to have that easy breezy kind of conversation she has with Nol. Dieter was picking up on their chemistry. When he and Soushi found her in the rain, the way he looked at her confirmed that he realized she was so much more torn up about this - not to downplay his own feelings at all, just that there was a reason she was so torn up, it affected her in a different way than it did him, because while Dieter also loves Nol, his feelings don’t border on something else like Shinae’s did. 

And in that painful (but honestly, I’m sorry, really hauntingly beautiful) panel of him waking up in the shadows, looking on and watching Shinae and Nol tuck their heads close while listening to the music from her phone, Dieter confirmed something he didn’t want to be true. 

And it DOES suck, it DOES hurt, he has every right to be upset about it. But I don’t think he’s upset AT Nol or Nol and Shinae. Not for that, at least. He knows just as well that you can’t control your feelings, because he was the one getting his hopes up after being rejected so cleanly. He was the one who couldn’t help but feel the sparks of hope when Shinae started to get to know him, to rely on him. And that’s what makes it hurt so much. Because she DOES. She says it herself - he’s always there for her, he’s so dependable and comforting, she has no problem seeking solace in him. The way she hugs him when he finds her in the waiting room - Shinae from before would never let anyone see such a vulnerable side of her, and certainly not face-on. But that’s the sum of it. He is the dependable friend, the comforting friend. When Shinae says she can always rely on him, we see Nol’s back - someone she hasn’t been able to rely on, and yet, he’s the one where her feelings have gone to. 

It’s not a diss to him by any means. Those ARE things to cherish in a friend, those are things that make someone special. But Dieter wants to be more than that, and it hurts to be relegated into that role. Shinae doesn’t mean to hurt him, either; I think she’s so deep in her feelings she doesn’t realize the way they affect others. There’s no room right now for her to pause and realize that maybe it hurts Dieter, to rely on him this way. That’s not to say I don’t think there’s room for that comfort in their friendship at all - it’s just that he’s going to need that space to heal, to confront his feelings and make peace. Nol noted before that Shiane doesn’t always realize how her words and actions affect Dieter, that even if he said he wanted to be friends, it didn’t mean those feelings had gone away. 

Something really interesting to me, actually, is how neither Shinae nor Dieter really address anything - but there’s a mutual understanding about something. Does Shinae realize that Dieter was awake? She must assume he knows something, because she immediately starts in about how stupid she feels about planning anything for Nol, that he’s so stubborn, so she must have some expectation that Dieter understands that Shinae left - and why she did. But it also feels like they’re dancing around it. There’s no acknowledgement that he overheard anything, that he has come to any realizations - and frankly I don’t think Shinae has come to any realizations herself. When she admits she does care, and she wishes that caring alone was enough, I don’t think she’s aware of the difference in how she cares vs how Dieter does. 

This is also the most we’ve ever seen this side of Dieter - the closed eyes of deceit, how serious he is, how frustrated he looks. Again, very understandably lol. I feel for him, I really do. Just because I ship what I ship doesn’t mean I don’t have a soft spot for them - and it really hurts! I think it’s ESPECIALLY painful because yes, he HAS gotten his hopes up, YES as he and Shinae grew closer he couldn’t help but become hopeful, but also HE ALSO LOVES NOL. That’s his friend, that’s someone who reached out to him when he was so alone and homesick. He understands what anyone would have seen in Yeonggi, and he understands why, even after Nol hurt them, Shinae can’t let go. Thus, he understands how she would fall for him. But I think what hurts even more is that it’s mutual - that even if he only saw them for that moment, if he went back to pretending to sleep, to trying to ignore them even as he had to sit and listen, he still saw in that moment that same tender intimacy we did. When you consider the version of Yeonggi Dieter has always known, he’s always been a little stand-off-ish, that as open and friendly as he comes across, there’s always been that distance. And to see this very different version of him, the two of them caught in this moment of closeness and shared space, of Nol closing the distance he so often keeps around him. If I were Dieter, I think I’d feel sick to my stomach lol just with the sheer ache of it. 

But I think what really has Dieter upset isn’t that he’s “just a friend” and it isn’t that his best friend seems to like the girl he likes and it’s mutual (we cannot forget the sting, that Nol has played wingman to Dieter from the get-go, that he sought every opportunity to help Shinae see something more in Dieter, that it was his every intention truly to draw them together), but rather, I think Dieter is upset about Nol hurting her. 

I was originally thinking last episode he was frustrated to see Nol back to the lies, but even Dieter saves face in this episode - and don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that’s part of it, but I think it’s a lot more like.... he knows how hard Shinae is trying. He’s been the one who watched her fall apart, the mess that she became, he’s the one whose been consoling her when Nol continued to ghost them when he wouldn’t offer any explanation. He watched Shinae after they found Nol and sent him off, and the way she, too, took off. How she orchestrated this entire birthday party for him. Dieter is SO aware of HOW MUCH Shinae cares about Nol, the way she reaches out over and over, even though the version of him Dieter knew was a stand-offish girl who kept her guard up high. And despite how much she cares, despite how much she’s reached out, despite how much she’s anguished, Nol still hurts her. 

Again, don’t get me wrong. I fully understand Nol, and I especially understand how his growing feelings for Shinae are even scarier for him because of his circumstances - because of not only his past but the truth that everything Nol cares about has been used against him. But Dieter doesn’t know any of this. He just knows that Shinae cares so much about him, and that Nol cannot (or will not) open up, that for whatever reason, he still pushes her (and them) away. And every time he does, it’s him cleaning up the mess, picking up the pieces, offering comfort that doesn’t really put an end to the pain. 

And especially now that Dieter’s hopes are dashed, especially now that he sees something that has been under his nose the whole time, it feels a little more bitter, to be the one cleaning up those messes. Shinae wasn’t there to hear Nol’s apology, but she deserves to. 

I do think Nol feels regret about what he did - I think he acted out of his need for safety, so I don’t fault for him for it. What I do fault him for is that he is, essentially, playing with Shinae’s feelings, even if he doesn’t men to. He opens up a little, he draws into her a little, but he can’t follow through. And that’s fine! I get it! But she doesn’t. The least he can do is apologize. She probably won’t really understand why he doesn’t want her to see him like this, why it’s so hard for him, and how his weaknesses have always been used against him. But the least he can do is apologize to her face. I think he probably didn’t expect her to leave, either, because when he finally takes off the mask and there’s no one there, he just seems... idk, defeated? Like he expected it but maybe he had hoped JUST A TINY BIT? When he’s playing with Shinae’s headband the entire time he’s talking to Nana, fidgeting with it and doesn’t even realize what he’s doing. When he hangs his head when Dieter returns and reassures him that she’s okay. I think Nol is aware that he’s crossed a different line - that he’s hurt her in a different way. And I can’t blame her, either. Again, she as enjoying that moment so much, and I can’t imagine how much it hurt to realize how alone she was in what she was feeling, how he said he didn’t want to look, didn’t need to.

And I think we can infer that he wasn’t being entirely truthful. He had a literal mask on lol. Of course he must’ve wanted to see, but he couldn’t find the way to explain to her it was that he didn’t want to be seen like this. It’s just such a tragic situation all around, because I fully understand and empathize with everyone. If it was easy, there wouldn’t be a story. 

But I can’t help but feel with the three day extension, we’ll see something come of it. Now, again, we know my predictions are rarely right lol, but IDEALLY I’d like to see Nol approach her this time, because he seems to feel some kind of remorse, and I think he acknowledges that Dieter is lying (on Shinae’s behalf) based on the way he hung his head and the sweatdrop. I don’t know if he’s in the headspace or the mental place that he could, but I’d like to see him reach out, if ONLY to apologize that he’s idk what??? too broken to let her see his pieces? Too afraid to be that open? That it’s something he is incapable of doing right now? I don’t think it would solve anything lol I just think he owes it to her, you know? And as much as she’s been the one to reach out to him over and over, I think he owes it to her do to the same, to reassure her that even though it’s difficult for him, she’s still important, it’s just something he needs to work on. I just.... given his circumstances idk if he’s up to it, you know? In his mind, isn’t it better to push her away, safer? Isn’t it better to hurt her a little than for something worse to come?

But at the same time, the emphasis on his feelings remains really heavy. Like, LMAO my guy LITERALLY thought of Shinae and her mouth and just flustered so hard even Nana caught on LMAOOOOOOOOO. When Dieter returned, he hid!!! the bandana AND YET he didn’t even say hey what’s up welcome back or anything just immediately asked him if he bumped into her like. LKAJFKJAFJK MY GUY. PLS. PLS BE MORE OBVIOUS HUH? It’s funny because they are both so concerned about her, and Nol at least has the decency to hang his head, to feel bad that he’s hurt her yet again, after everything she’s done. 

Also, again, I just find it so... funny? Maybe in a sardonic way, that Nol is hiding the bandana, acting like he didn’t have a disagreement with Shinae that caused her to leave, but still!!!! Acknowledges it! By asking if he bumped into her!!!! He’s trying to downplay it but in the same breath bringing it up. 

So, I just can’t help but feel like they will meet again within the three days. Considering this is now December 22, that time extends to Christmas, and like... idk lol IT JUST FEELS LIKE SOMETHING, RIGHT? I think it would be utterly depressing to end on this note, before he goes away, right? Especially with everything that transpired this night - does Nol really intend to undo everything, to ghost them? I know I am naively hopeful but.... it just feels like there’s some emphasis there?

Of course, people have pointed out that Shinae is surrounded by exit signs, so maybe she will make that choice, but idk, she seemed so resigned to stick with him, to find another way to get through to him, and with that reoccurring emphasis on his feelings (I AM SORRY, I CANNOT GET OVER HIM PICTURING HER AND BLUSHING OVER HER MOUTH LIKE he literally pushed her away and hurt her again and he’s STILL getting flustered over her, she is STILL making a mess of him and SHE DOESN’T EVEN KNOW IT) I wonder if we’ll get to see some kind of.... idk I don’t think they can fully resolve things but just leave on a better note? 

Alsonglthere’sthischeesypartofmethatislikegodwouldweactuallygetacheesychristmaskisswouldtheyreallykissbeforethetimeskipisthatpossible?! LKFJKAFJKAFJKAFJKAFJKAFJ LMAOOOO PLS i’m sorry I try to separate the shippy feels and my commentary BUT IT’S  JUST RIGHT THERE, ISN’T IT?! 

What I DO fully expect is a Nana and Shinae run-in, at long last. I feel like seeing Deter and Soushi leaving is so pointed, with Shinae remaining yet, and we’ve seen twice now Nana clocking his feelings. She knows that there’s another friend she hasn’t met, and she can probably tell based on that short exchange that something happened. Look, Nana is a headstrong woman and I think she’s done a great job of respecting Nol’s privacy, but if she goes out and finds Shinae, I won’t be surprised if she digs in a little, you know? I think, or maybe again this is just what I’d like to see, but I like the idea of Nana being aware that Nol is not an easy boy to be friends with. She knows how he walls himself off, how he shoves himself away. She especially knows that every time his birthday rolls around, he locks himself away, and this is the FIRST TIME he’s ever celebrated his birthday. If nothing else, I think Nana would like to say thank you, because it’s so hard to show Nol how much they care, because it’s so difficult to prove to him that their love is genuine. So many times she’s urged him to be with his friends, to spend time with people who care, so I think she would want to know the people who care so much about him as she does. It’s so hard to care about someone who pushes you away at every turn, but those kinds of people are important. 

I also think Nana would just like the kind of person Shinae is - how she’s someone who is so understanding and empathetic, and that even though she’s been hurt over and over, she still tries, she still cares. In the same way she needed a friend so persistent as Nol, he needs that, too, even if in a different way. I just feel like it would be so wonderful for Shinae’s efforts to be acknowledged, because again, it’s just so difficult, but all Nana has wanted is for him to be surrounded by people who care about him ;~; And even though Shinae has made up her mind and decided to stick with him, it would be reassuring to hear it from someone else who loves him and has struggled with being pushed away, who has had to pushback against his efforts to thwart her affection lol. 

Maybe it would be the encouragement Shinae needs, and maybe we’d get to see them make up before he leaves. I can hope, okay! I am nothing if full of pointless hope lmao ;~; I just want Nol to apologize! I don’t hope for too much more, because I understand what kind of place he’s in. But I just hope that the emphasis on his feelings is that realization that while he thinks it would be safer to push her away - does he REALLY want to? Does he really want to lose everything? He doesn’t know that Shinae has made up her mind to continue to get through to him, so the fear must exist at the back of his mind - that what if he pushes and one day she decides she’s had enough? Even if it’s what he thinks he wants, could he live with that? Could he bear to lose that? 

Something this arc has highlighted is just how much comfort Shinae brings to Nol, through how much she cares about him, through the ways she reaches out to him. Every time he tried to grow that distance between them, she reached out and he faltered. “That won’t stop me from caring.” In the end, he always caves. He always angles back to her, always returns to her. In the end, he continues to care, because of how much she has cared about him. 

Shinae showed him what it felt like to be noticed, to be cared about, to have someone reach out to him. Her persistence brought him a sense of peace he didn’t know possible. Before he realized why, he found himself letting his guard down - just a little. And I think he stands at that crossroad: that in his heart he feels like he should push her away and keep that distance, but at the same time, he doesn’t want to, because he wants to indulge in that. It scares him to care about her, because of the danger it puts her in, but I think likewise it scares him to push her away, and lose that. 

In this way, they are one and the same. After everything they went through, after all the ways they struggled together and she leaned on him, she doesn’t want to throw away those experiences. Even knowing that he had lied to her, even after feeling betrayal, even when he hurt her and tried to sever those ties, she still couldn’t bear to throw it away, would regret not trying, would regret letting him win. And I think that must be how he feels, too. How do you get a taste of that - of comfort and solace, of feeling those choppy waters calmed, of what it’s like to be cared about, for someone to make you feel special - and go back to what it was before? Doesn’t it hurt more, to have experienced that and have to turn away? 

It’s been such a short time, but their relationship is so profound. Anyone can see that. Dieter certainly does. I think Minhyuk is all too aware of it, even if he doesn’t understand it. I’m sure Nana is starting to get the sense of it, too. Can he really continue to turn his back, and to throw it all away to protect her? 

GODDDDD I TOLD YOU I JUST HAVE SO MANY FEEEELIIIIIIIIIIINGSSSSSSSSSS and I just feel like the three day extension Means Something. If not, he’d be going right to prison like he’s supposed to. Nana’s arrival, Shinae lingering, the freaking holidays approaching lmao IT MEANS SOMETHING!!!!!!!!

But before we get back to that aaahhhhhhh I’m so excited (and a little nervous) for Hansuke to run the tests he wants! I hope that this is a real friend he can trust, because LOOK his career is LITERALLY ont he line here, and I worry how many people Yui has in her pockets. It’s not just that Hansuke is running tests he was never given practice to do, but this is KOUSUKE HIRAHARA. Whatever they uncover could be HUGE news and if it was leaked back to Yui or they run their mouths..... ugh. I just feel nervous about this one and I’m dying for next week to roll around faster and see if I can put my nerves at ease. Hansuke is a sweet and trusting person, but because he knows how much rides on this, and how important this is to him, I hope that means this is a person who is safe. 

But there’s still the question of what do they do with whatever they find out? I have no doubts Yui is going to box Hansuke out, lest he be a reminder to Kousuke of what transpired that night, and also in effort to further make him reliant on her. And in that effort, I’m sure she’ll try to further play up what she started, paint Hansuke as seeing weakness in Kousuke, that he thinks something is wrong with him and that it doesn’t come from a good place. If Hansuke were to tell him the truth, would Kousuke even be able to see it for what it is, or fall for his mother’s set up and think Hansuke is trying to undermine him? How can they get through to Kousuke when Yui has such a tight hold on him? That’s the issue. 

I guess there’s an angle that if they do discover that Kousuke’s being drugged, is there a way they can expose it? But I can’t come up with any clever ideas, here. Supposing he’s being drugged, how do you cut him off? And even if you do, would he see the difference in himself? I doubt it - the entirety of the Christmas party we watched Kousuke spiral more and more as his paranoia was heightened, and I don’t think it changed that much. But I like to hope that whatever they discover, they CAN use it to help him - or at least start. Because just as with Nol, this isn’t something that can change over night, and Kousuke, too, needs someone at his side who is persistent in their efforts to reach them and get through. Hansuke is the ONLY person who really has Kousuke’s well-being in mind (let’s not pretend that Yujing cares that much; I’m sure she’s still into this for the scoop, for how it will play into her story. She has a journalistic dedication to the truth, after all). 

Every episode is just so FULL, there’s always so much to get into, so many feelings to dissect. I haven’t even touched on the continued insinuation that Rand might have a heart attack (although I do wonder if it was just a simple call back to Rand telling Nol he’s going to give him a heart attack, thus he’s so surprised~ it hasn’t happened). That one just..... ugh stresses me out because as shitty a father as Rand has been, without closure, it would be terrible for him to go, for Nol AND Kousuke. But also, Nol has already lost his mom, there’s already worry that he’ll lose Nana, he can’t lose all his living relatives, that’s just so depressing and dark (though what an interesting parallel to Rand who was an orphan himself and had no family). I just... I can’t fathom that one. I have to hope that if Rand does have a heart attack, it won’t be fatal, because Nol already carries the burden of guilt towards one parent, he can’t bear the weight of another one! 

(I also found the callback of Nana talking about breaking Nol’s legs back to Shinae saying something similar back in the day lol. Again, I can’t help but think they will get along SO well and that Nana will love her. Shinae, like Nana described Nessa, is also a really good and honest woman, with so much love and empathy, so spunky and tenacious. I’m not a huge fan of the “Nol is drawn to Shinae because she reminds him of his mother” theories because yelch especially as we see Nol’s feelings for Shinae developing, but I do like the idea that Shinae is the kind of girl Nana would be fond of, that she has the traits she tried to instill in her own daughter, and into Nol. That her goodness and pluckiness would stand out as something so special. We love strong, tenacious women!!!!!!!) 

Other things people have pointed out is how much orange is pervasive in this episode, but as we know, that’s not really my realm lmao. I just enjoy what others say about color and its use, and try to nod along lol. 

At any rate, this episode absolutely broke my heart in a number of ways, but that sense of hope just remains weirdly persistent, whether it’s just because i am a hopeful person who desperately wants it or because that sense of hope is really there, we’ll have to see next week. I just... idk I can’t help but feel like Nol’s three-day extension will be a benefit to them, that we were all set to think that their one step forward three steps back is how they’d go off. Quimchee likes to keep us on our toes, and I feel like this might be one of those cases - expecting them to part on such sad terms and surprise, that might not be? 

AAAHHHHHHHHH WE’LL SEEEEEEE ;A; 

Also, hey, if you want to further rip your heart out: on Patreon, Quimchee posted this song as a song she’s had on repeat while working on this episode and initially I’d thought it might be Stalkyoo-related (the whole let you break my heart again) but in retrospect and after talking to @bittrbuttr it definitely feels like Dieter and ;~; MAN THAT HURTS ;~; SOME DAY YOU’LL FIND SOMEONE WHO LIKES YOU AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE HER, DIETER, I PROMISE ;~; YOU’RE A GOOD BEAN AND ONE DAY SOMEONE WILL SEE IT ;~; AAaaaahhhhhhh 

ALSO ONE LAST SILLY THOUGHT: I love how Nana also called him Nolan Oliver T. Lochlain? LIKE? DIDN’T SAY WHAT THE T IS. HE DIDN’T SAY WHAT THE T IS. WHAT IS THE T?! WHY DOES NO ONE SAY IT?! LMAO