#and when important information is kept from the audience just for a twist

[loving-barnes]

LOGAN HOWLETT - NEED

A/N: CHAPTER TEN is here! I'm sorry it took me so long. I just had a lot on my plate. Enjoy!

Pairing: Logan Howlett x mutant female reader

Warning: I have decided to not give any warnings. Please remember this story is 18+.

Summary: Things move forward between Logan and Y/N.

Please, do not read if you are under 18. This story is suitable for mature audience. MINORS DNI!

Words: 4300+

Important note: Again, Logan is a tall MF, because they fucked up in the movies. Also, Hugh Jackman!Wolverine. This is set in AU.

A TOUCH OF HOPE MASTERLIST | Chapter Nine

LOGAN HOWLETT - NEED

Jean stood next to a hospital bed, looking down at unconscious Y/N. She had a chart in her hands, checking the data she collected the past three days. Three days - that’s how long Y/N was out of the present. 

Logan didn’t want to leave her side once they removed the collar from his neck. The wounds immediately healed, and he became a new person. Jean managed to send Logan away. He insisted on staying by Y/N’s side until she’d open her eyes. Luckily, Jean persuaded him quickly. Even Storm wanted to remain by her side all the time. The friendship between her and Y/N blossomed fast. 

When Storm arrived with the rest of the team, she was horrified when she found Logan wounded and weak next to an unconscious body. There was a slight fear Logan wouldn’t be able to heal from the wounds. When Hank and Jean freed Logan from the collar, the healing happened quickly. No one would tell he was fighting for his life hours ago. 

Jean enjoyed the silence in the medical room. The only thing she heard was the beeping sound of a heart monitor. 

The door to the room opened. Charles wheeled in, followed by Hank, Logan and Storm. Before anyone could ask anything, Jean gave them an answer. “No change. She’s stable, well, but still out.” 

Charles was the first to approach the bed. His hands caressed Y/N’s exposed forearm, where he kept staring at the lightly radiating skin. It was fascinating. Charles didn’t have an exact answer for that. All they knew was that it had to do something with her mutation. 

“You said it happened before?” The question was for Logan. 

“Yes. It was the day we saved the boy and came back here. I noticed her eyes glowing.” 

Charles thought about it. “Mutations can evolve. It is one thing you get to master your powers and manipulate them. In some cases, more abilities can be developed. I think this could be the case. Y/N’s mutation is evolving. I believe ner powers will rise to the surface very soon.” 

“So, what? You will test her like a lab rat,” Logan scoffed, not fond of the idea. “Hadn’t she had enough of that?” 

“I’m not saying we will test on her. That will only happen if she’d want to,” Charles said. “We have to wait until she awakes. It can be minutes, hours, or even days. Her mind is locked. I can’t get inside, no matter how much I try.”

“You said she created a force field around the whole school,” Storm looked at Logan. “Her energy got drained to the last bit. No wonder she’s been out for three days now. She’s never done anything like that before. She could have died.” 

Jean approached the woman on the bed. She grabbed her hand, scanning the skin. “Why has this been happening for three days?” 

“I forgot to mention one thing,” Logan cleared his throat. He crossed his arms over his chest. It got everyone’s attention. “The leader of the Trask unit that came to school was Y/N’s mother.” 

“What?” they all said in unison. All eyes were on him.

Logan nodded. “After the accident with Y/N’s sister, her mother joined Trask Industries. She wanted revenge for her lost child. Turns out, she became a respected, high-ranked person there.” 

There was silence. The information about Y/N’s mother was shocking. “That is a plot twist,” Storm commented. 

“Y/N didn’t know about it, just to clarify,” Logan added strictly. 

“She had her eyes on me since I escaped the lab in Salem,” said Y/N’s voice from the bed. 

They all turned to the voice. Logan was the first by her side, staring at her face. Her eyes were open a crack. She was getting used to the light. Y/N blinked a few times before her eyes moved to look at Logan. He saw that her irises were glowing like the colours of the force field - silvery and blue. When she blinked again a few times, they turned back to normal. 

“JJ was a trap,” she continued. “It gave away my location.  Because of me, the children were in danger. Everything that happened was my fault.” 

“No,” Storm walked to her from the other side. She grabbed Y/N’s hand. “You couldn’t know that would happen. All you wanted was to save the boy. And you did it. How could you know it was a trap? Also, you protected the whole school. The building is standing still because of you.” 

A yawn escaped Y/N’s lips. “Is everyone okay?” 

“Yes,” Jean nodded. She had a gentle smile on her face. “They are all back in school. Colossus took them away just in time. The building is standing, and it is all thanks to you.” 

“Good,” Y/N closed her eyes. “I’m glad no one got hurt.” 

Charles opened his mouth, ready to ask a question. Quickly, he shut it, dismissing what he wanted to ask. “We’ll talk later. Rest,” he suggested. 

As they walked away, Y/N opened her eyes and found Logan staring at her. His face was filled with worry. She winked at him. It was a sign to stay. Everyone left while he remained by her bed. The door closed. They were officially alone. 

Slowly, she pushed her body up until she was sitting. She stretched her arms. Logan got closer to the bed. Her eyes traced over his body. She realised he wore a simple black T-shirt that perfectly showed his muscles. Her mouth opened, almost dropping down on her lap. Damn. There was an urge to touch his stomach, to feel the abs underneath her touch. She clenched the bedsheet tightly.

“How are you feeling?” Logan’s voice brought her back to reality. 

Y/N gulped. “Tired,” she replied. “It might be because I’ve been out for… how long?” 

“Three days.” 

“That long? Shit,” she shook her head in disbelief. Y/N moved her body. She sat at the edge of the bed, legs hanging in the air. “How are you? What did I miss?” 

“A stamp of approval from Scott,” Logan laughed when he said that. “And I’m fine.”

Y/N’s mouth dropped. “Wow, I was expecting everything but that. Wait ‘til he hears about my mother being a part of Trask Industries. He will hate my guts once again. If not more.” 

Logan’s eyes took in every detail of Y/N’s face. She had an amused smile on her face. Her eyes were shining with her natural colour. Her hair was all messy and tangled. And yet, she was the perfect thing he ever saw. Logan couldn’t believe he was able to kiss her that night. That dammed night when they were attacked. 

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. Y/N noticed it. She took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for what was about to come. She could feel it in the air. It got thicker and heavier with lust and something beautiful. She didn’t have the time to whisper his name. Logan’s lips found hers in a feverish kiss. One hand grabbed her by the neck to pull her body as close to his as possible. He had to lean down to reach for her lips. 

Y/N’s left hand was feeling the hard abs on his abdomen. The other hand pressed against his cheek. She could feel the beard scratching the skin of her palm. How come he was so hot with that mutton chops beard? He could pull it off.

Logan broke the kiss. He sighed, annoyed. Y/N raised a brow. It was a silent question. She wanted to know why he stopped. “You’ll have a visitor in a few seconds.” 

“Ah,” she chuckled. Y/N found it amusing. Logan was visibly unhappy someone had to interrupt them again. On the other hand, she admired his advanced hearing. No one needed to know something was happening between them. It was too soon to show. The first thing they needed to do was to talk about it and define what this thing was between them.

As he stepped back, the door opened. Kitty walked in with Jerome by her side. Y/N’s eyes lit up when she saw him. “Hi, JJ!” A smile spread across her face. 

“He wanted to see you,” Kitty said when they approached the bed. “He heard us when we talked in the hallway. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course it is,” Y/N nodded quickly. Her eyes trailed to Logan. He had his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at the child. Y/N wanted to laugh at him. It was funny he was jealous of a kid. When JJ sat on the bed next to her, she patted his head.

“Are you feeling okay?” JJ asked her. “I’ve heard what happened. Everyone knows what happened. You saved the school!” 

Y/N blinked a few times. She didn’t know what to say to that. “Yeah, she did,” Logan stepped in. “She got to warn us before the attackers came.”

“That’s badass,” Jerome said excitedly. “How did you know about it? Do you have a new mutation? My friends asked about you,” he kept talking fast. “You are like a celebrity among the students. You are a hero,” he explained. 

“Oh,” Y/N was not pleased with that information. She didn’t want to be a hero. “There are better heroes out there. Look at Professor Xavier or Storm, Kitty… they are the real heroes here. I just did what was necessary.”

“I wish I could see it,” JJ sighed, upset that he wasn’t there. Colossus took him and the children to a safe place before the soldiers marched in. 

“I’m glad you managed to get to a safe place with Colossus,” Y/N dishevelled his hair. 

“How are you feeling, Y/N?” Kitty used the silence to ask her. 

“Tired,” she gave her the same answer as she had said to Logan. “Thanks for bringing JJ here. At least I know he’s well,” and she pressed a gentle kiss on top of the boy’s head. He slowly became the little brother she never had.

When Kitty took Jerome away, Logan was relieved to be alone with Y/N again. This time, he sat next to her on the bed. His hand found the back of her neck. He started to massage it. Y/N’s eyes closed. She almost purred. A moan escaped her mouth. Logan’s eyes widened at that sound, and he grinned. “That was a pretty sound. You should make more.” 

She glared at him. “Dirty mind.” 

When he stopped, he leaned closer. “Let me take you back to your room,” he whispered. He kept breathing in Y/N’s scent.

“Again, dirty mind,” she chuckled. 

Logan pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. “You are the one with a dirty mind. I didn’t mean it like that, princess.” 

Y/N watched as he got closer, wanting to kiss her again. She pressed an index finger to his lips, stopping him. “I need to do one more thing before we leave,” she said, staring into his eyes. She reached for one of his hands and brushed her fingers against his knuckles. “Scratch me with your claws.” 

Logan raised his brows, pushing away a little. “What?” 

“Please, do it,” she begged. “I need you to scratch me with them. You’ll see why.” 

“No,” he shook his head and pulled away from her. His eyes focused on the floor, frowning. “I’m not going to hurt you.” 

Y/N rolled her eyes. “You will not hurt me, I promise you. I need to see something. Either you will scratch me with a claw, or I will find a knife and do it myself.” 

He growled like a wolf. When Logan clenched a fist, one of the claws slowly came out under his skin. He then turned his body to her. Y/N prepared her forearm. Before he could change his mind, Logan cut into her skin, making her bleed. A second later, the wound lit up like the colours of her forcefield and started closing in front of their eyes. 

“Shit,” she mumbled. “I didn’t know I could do that. That’s new.” 

“Damn,” Logan sighed. “That explains why we didn’t find any bullet wounds on your body. There was blood but no gashes. You can heal.” 

“I can heal,” she nodded. Y/N buried her face into her hands, sighing loudly. “Holy shit, I can heal. That might explain why I could remain alive all these years in the labs. I know it happened when they attacked us. I remember being shot. I remember the pain. When I looked a few seconds later, the wound wasn’t there. I just needed to be sure that it wasn’t a hallucination.” 

Logan grabbed one of her hands and pressed a soft kiss on top of it. It was a sweet, loving gesture. “Come on, princess. I’ll take you to your room.” 

“Aw, such a gentleman,” she patted his beard-covered cheek playfully. “I should get wounded more. You’ll treat me like a princess every second of my life,” she teased. 

“Very funny.”

They left the lowest level underground. Logan kept her close to him but didn’t touch her. They kept some distance between them in case someone decided to appear out of nowhere. He kept an eye on her in case she would show any sign of weakness. 

The atmosphere changed when they arrived at the main level. The students were walking around the hallways, chatting. None of them were holding books. It meant only one thing - it was already afternoon. 

One by one, they turned their attention to Logan and Y/N. When they found their teachers walking down the hallway, they stopped talking. The attention was now on them. Fingers were being pointed at them, as well as whispers spreading around. 

“That’s her,” someone said. 

“She saved the school.” 

“They protected us.” 

“She teaches English.” 

“I want to be as cool as them.” 

“Miss Y/L/N can make forcefields.”

All Y/N could hear in her mind was freak, weirdo, murderer. You killed her! You killed my baby!

Y/N closed her eyes and stopped walking. The attention was unpleasant. Logan noticed her face. His hand found Y/N’s lower back. It was a gentle gesture. He pressed his fingers lightly against her. Logan kept watching her face. He could see how her breath quickened. “You okay?” he asked. 

Y/N gave him one gentle nod. When she opened her eyes, they started to travel around the place. They captured every single child that was staring at her. Their looks were different. The thoughts that were screaming inside her mind eased. They were barely whispers. Before, she’d feel like the biggest weirdo on the entire planet. Now, the feeling was different. She didn’t want to run away from it. Y/N was aware that she and Logan protected the whole school. 

Y/N continued to walk through the crowd of students. She headed to the stairs with Logan close behind. No one asked a thing. No one wanted to talk to her. Y/N appreciated it all. 

“The kids look up to ya,” Logan said when they climbed all the stairs to the third floor. They stopped in front of Y/N’s room. “They always do when someone becomes a hero,” he made a face. 

“I’m no hero,” she shrugged. It made her feel uncomfortable. “I only did what was necessary.” 

Logan sighed. “You sure you’ll be fine?” 

She leaned against the closed door and smiled. “Yes, I will. Thank you, my knight in shining armour. I shall give you flowers for your bravery,” she bowed to him a little, laughing. 

“Text me if you need me, and I’ll come to you, princess,” he winked at her.

Y/N walked into her room. She closed the door, sighing. Logan left without a kiss. Why was she so upset about it? Rolling her eyes, Y/N walked to the bathroom. She needed to shower the last three unconscious days and a fight where she came face to face with her mother.

. . .

It was ten in the evening. The whole school was silent. The students were in their rooms, already asleep. During school days, they all had to be in their dorms before nine. 

Y/N was inside her room the whole time. After a long hot shower, she changed into fresh clothes. She then fell asleep on her bed for a few hours. Her body was tired. It called for a nap. Now, she was sitting on the bed, finishing a French braid. Y/N could smell the coconut shampoo on her body. Her mind kept wandering to Logan, her mother and back. 

How is it that when something nice was happening, a shit from the past had to appear at the exact moment? Shaking her head, she tied the end of the braid with a rubber band. 

There was a knock on the door. Before Y/N could open her mouth, the door slowly opened. Logan walked in, frowning. When he noticed her sitting on the bed, his face softened.

“What’s with the face?” she asked, grinning. 

He closed the door behind him and approached the bed. “I was worried, okay?” 

Y/N kneeled on the bed, laughing. “Aw, that is so sweet. The big bad Wolverine was worried about me.” Her eyes watched as he took a seat next to her. “I’m sorry for giving you wrinkles. I fell asleep after the shower.” 

Logan huffed, nodding. And then, in a mere second, Logan grabbed her into his arms. One held her by the waist while the other was behind her neck. Their lips connected in a sloppy, passionate kiss. At this point, Y/N wasn’t even surprised by his sudden action. All she could do was think about him - his lips, his touch. Their tongues pressed together, mouths sliding hungrily. They got lost in their passion. 

“I was worried about you,” said Logan when their lips disconnected. “I was going crazy watching you unconscious on that damn bed,” he admitted. “I’d be really pissed if something happened to you.”

Her finger gently stroked the bridge of his nose. “When I saw you with that collar, powerless, I knew I had to do anything to protect you. You became a simple mortal human being. It wasn’t nice to see you all wounded and defeated. I was worried that…”

Logan’s brows raised. “What?” he asked softly. 

“We wouldn’t be able to start whatever it is between us,” she looked away. 

Logan sat on the bed and brought her onto his lap. His hands held her by the hips, gripping them tightly. Y/N wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her breasts to his chest. “Oh, princess,” he sighed, staring into her eyes. They travelled to her lips. “Good thing we survived. We can now continue where we left off.”

Y/N felt the thrill rushing through her body. However, her face heated up. Suddenly, she was shy. Logan saw it all. One of his hands rested on her cheeks. “Don’t go shy on me now, sweetheart,” he chuckled. 

Y/N playfully rolled her eyes. “Well, the last time I had something with a guy was over five years ago,” she made a face. 

“We don’t have to…”

“But I want to,” she stopped him by pressing a finger to his lips. “I want to, Logan. I-” Her eyes scanned his green ones. There was something on her lips she wanted to say. It was too soon to confess. Y/N knew what she felt for him, but she didn’t allow herself to say it out loud. After she swallowed the truthful words, she said, “I want you.” 

The air changed in the room. With a gentle touch, Logan traced the curves of her body, feeling the tremble of excitement beneath his fingertips. As their lips met in a tender kiss, they both felt the rush of passion surge through them, melting away any lingering doubts or inhibitions. 

The first pieces of clothing were gone in mere seconds. Logan took off Y/N’s T-shirt, showing her exposed chest to his eyes. He licked his lips as his eyes observed her beautiful breasts. When Y/N took off Logan’s white tank top, her nails lightly scratched his chest, enjoying the feeling of him under her fingertips. Slowly, they undressed each other, savouring the unveiling of skin, each moment building the intensity of their connection.

Y/N expected that, at some point, Logan would become rougher and impatient. She was surprised when he took his time and didn’t rush things. His touches were gentle and loving as if she were a fragile doll that would break under his touch. 

“You smell so good, princess,” he growled. His mouth wrapped around her hardened nipple and sucked on it. He was rewarded with a moan. He sucked on it, circled it with a tongue. When he let it with a pop, Logan looked at her, grinning. “Next time, I will fuck ya like the naughty girl I know you are.” 

“Logan,” she whispered his name. 

He continued to lavish attention on her breasts. His mouth moved from one nipple to the other, alternating between bites and licks that sent shivers down her spine. He loved how she responded to his attention – it only fueled his passion further. 

The moans kept escaping Y/N’s lips after every touch, every stroke and lick. The sound of her moans and gasps filled the air, making Logan’s dick throb painfully.

He grabbed her by the waist and laid her down on the bed. He positioned himself between her legs. “What a beautiful view,” he commented, eyeing her naked upper body. 

Her hands reached for the big belt he wore. Y/N unfastened it, unbuttoned the jeans and pulled down the zipper. She realised he wasn’t wearing any underwear. Y/N’s brows raised up, and she grinned at him. She was met with his semi-hard length begging to be taken out of the jeans.“You like going commando?” 

“I was in a hurry,” he said, grinning. 

Y/N took him out, stroking him slowly from tip to base. She felt him twitch under her touch. He had a nice dick - perfect length, veiny, and he trimmed his pubic hair around his penis and balls.  She heard him moan and curse under his nose. 

“Fuck, baby girl,” his eyes rolled into the back of his head when she squeezed him harder. He stopped her movements.  Logan took her hand off his throbbing member. He brought the hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “I want to be inside of you.” 

Logan took off his jeans while his eyes remained on Y/N’s movements. He followed her hands - how they reached for the hem of her shorts. She took off the fabric with panties, and she exposed her pussy for his eyes to see. “Fuck,” he growled. 

Once they were both naked, Logan positioned himself at the entrance of her wet pussy, looking down at her face with a mix of determination and desire burning in his eyes. He ran his thumb along her clit, making her squirm. 

One last kiss before he positioned himself at her entrance and slowly pushed in. He watched Y/N’s reaction carefully, seeing the way her face contorted into a mixture of pleasure and anticipation. “Shit,” he cursed. “So tight.” 

He started to move slowly, allowing their bodies to become one. Logan didn’t want to hurt her. His eyes were locked with hers with every move he made. He wanted to take his time, to savour every moment of being inside her, feeling her surround him completely.

“Fuck,” she gasped. “Faster, Logan. Please.” 

Hearing her pleas, Logan's feral instincts kicked in, and he responded by increasing the pace of his thrusts, driving into her tight pussy with forceful strokes. He watched her breasts bounce with every snap of his hips. “You are so fucking pretty like this,” he praised her. 

Another loud moan escaped Y/N’s lips. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pressed him closer to her body, pressing her lips against his in a feverish kiss. It was sloppy and dirty, all tongue and teeth. One of his hands sneaked between their bodies. His thumb found her clit, and he started to toy with it. 

Her walls clenched around his length. “Ah, fuck!” she gasped. “I’m so close.” 

“Good, baby girl,” he said hoarsely. “Don’t hold up and come for me, pretty girl.” 

He heard her cry out and felt her body tense as she approached climax. Logan increased the tempo of his movements even further, driving himself into her. He watched as Y/N reached her peak. Her eyes closed, walled gripped his cock tightly as waves of pleasure ran through her body. 

Logan’s release followed a few seconds later. At the last moment, he pulled out and spilt his seed over her lower belly, grunting. “Ah, fuck, fuck,” he cursed. 

Logan’s chest heaved with each laboured breath. The scent of sex and sweat filled the air around them as they lay there, spent and satisfied. Y/N turned her head to look at him. She watched as he breathed heavily. A smile appeared on her lips. 

“Damn,” she whispered. 

He turned his head, catching her eyes. Logan grinned at her. “That’s it?” he teased. 

“I am speechless. Isn’t that enough?” Y/N winked at him. She rolled to her side, snuggling her naked body to his. Her fingers absentmindedly started to stroke his chest, brushing through some of the hairs. 

Logan managed to capture her lips in a gentle kiss. “How are you feeling?” 

Her eyes locked with his. “Happy,” she replied simply. 

“How about one more round?” he suggested.

Y/N smacked his chest playfully. “Insatiable man.” 

He grabbed her hand and led it down his body to his hard length. Y/N wrapped her fingers around his cock. “What can I say. I can’t get enough of you.” 

She giggled. “Cheezy. Fine, one more round.” 

“This time, you will ride me, pretty girl.” 

[queerfables]

The Rules of the Twist

Given the themes of deception and sleight of hand in Good Omens season 2, I think most of us agree it's at least possible there's some kind of twist waiting to be revealed in season 3. We're bouncing around a lot of theories, but I wanted to take a step back and look at the general shape of what we might expect.

The big twist we've seen before in Good Omens is Crowley and Aziraphale's body swap. (Okay, technically it was an appearance swap. But that just doesn't sound as pithy.) Rather than anticipate an exact repeat of this trick, I'm considering the swap as a sort of model. What does it tell us about the rules Neil plays by when he pulls a twist in this story? What clues can we expect, and what can we not count on? Sure, there's no guarantee that a season 2 twist is going to map exactly onto what we've seen in the past, but I think it's a reasonable place to start. Take these as guidelines and take them with a grain of salt, but if you're sorting through all our fascinating Good Omens theories and trying to decide what you think, you might find them helpful.

So then, what are the rules?

Broadly speaking, Neil plays fair with twists. He foreshadows and includes enough hints for the audience to make a reasonable guess at what's going on, or at least to look back after the reveal and go, "oh, of course". But he still keeps some cards close to the chest.

During the body swap, there are two big gaps in the information we're given:

Key events happen off screen The swap happened between scenes, during a time that it was only suggested, not confirmed, that Crowley and Aziraphale would be together. The transition between these scenes also used film and tv conventions to make that passage of time "invisible" - we see Crowley and Aziraphale get on the bus, and then we see them in the morning going about their days separately, and we're conditioned to think nothing important could have happened in between.

Key tools (eg abilities, items, information) haven't been shown before The swap was not something we'd ever seen Crowley and Aziraphale do, and it wasn't something they'd ever talked about either. It fit comfortably into the established world building but it hadn't been specifically signposted as a possibility.

The other big twist that Good Omens pulled was the romance between Gabriel and Beelzebub as the explanation for Gabriel's disappearance from heaven. Both of these information gaps are involved here too. The offscreen event is obviously the meetings between Gabriel and Beelzebub that lead to them falling in love - up until Gabriel's flashback sequence, the only indication they'd ever met each other was a brief conversation at the airbase during Armageddon. The tool that we haven't seen before is Beelzebub's ability to create a fly vessel for Gabriel's memories (protecting him in much the same way that Crowley and Aziraphale protected each other with their body swap, in fact).

These are pretty big gaps, really. And given that Neil knew there'd be years between seasons 2 and 3, I expect he would have leaned pretty heavily into them if he wanted to hide something. So how do we predict a twist if we can't know where it is and haven't seen what it might involve?

Unanswered questions

This is the big one. Looking at where the furniture isn't, you might say.

What's interesting is that the questions that point to a twist aren't usually subtle or ambiguous. For the body swap, the two converging questions were: what did Agnes' last prophecy mean, and how could Crowley and Aziraphale survive their executions? In season two, some of the unanswered questions signposting Gabriel/Beelzebub were: how did Gabriel lose his memory, why was he carrying a box, what was the significance of the song he kept singing, who was he at the Resurrectionist with...

I think guesses about upcoming twists are most convincing when they seek to tie up loose threads from the show. For this reason, I'm a little skeptical of theories proposing the kiss between Crowley and Aziraphale involved some kind of twist. It isn't impossible, I just don't see any unanswered questions there. (Savvy readers may note that I too have speculated about a twist hidden in the kiss. I do find the possibility fun, but it's not a theory I'm seriously committed to). If I was going to really buy into one of these theories, I'd want it to explain one of my big unanswered questions other than "but how could they get into a fight that hurts me so deep in my soul?" That's definitely a question I have, but not technically a mystery.

It's worth noting that in the case of the body swap, we were initially given a false answer to the question "how did they survive their executions?" The angels and demons watching attribute it to Crowley and Aziraphale having "gone native", believing that their natures had fundamentally changed, making them immune to holy water and hellfire. It might be the case, then, that some of the apparently resolved questions this season warrant further investigation. Is there more to the story of Gabriel's disappearance than we know, for example?

2. Unexplained details

If examining an unanswered question is looking at where the furniture isn't, then this is where we take all the pieces of furniture piled up in storage and see if we've got anything that fits. Everything is fair game here: script, acting, music, props, sets, costumes, editing, camera angles, audio effects, visual effects, everything. If it's on the screen or coming through the speakers, it was put there on purpose by multiple teams of highly skilled and attentive creators all working together to create the final product.

I think you could probably do an entire meta on all the little details pointing towards the season 1 body swap, but here are some of the big ones:

"Crowley" sees the restored Bentley, but takes a taxi instead of driving it

"Aziraphale" circles "Crowley" when they order their ice creams, the way Crowley more typically moves around Aziraphale

"Crowley" says "tickety boo", an extraordinarily Aziraphalean phrase

The collar on "Crowley's" jacket is a beige tartan rather than its usual red

There are general differences in the ways David Tennant and Michael Sheen embody the characters throughout the swap

Similarly, Gabriel and Beelzebub's romance has lots of small details pointing to it. The big one that keeps showing up is the connection between Gabriel and flies. He mentions them and interacts with them repeatedly, and although it isn't obvious at first glance, there's a fly in the box that he carries to the bookshop. This all culminates in the reveal that it's the same fly, Beelzebub's gift to him.

Here's the problem, of course: if everything in the show is intentional and crafted with meticulous attention to detail, how do we know what actually matters? This is why I think it's so important to look at the unanswered questions first. There's a joy in seeking out Easter eggs and connecting all the dots, and sometimes you might strike gold this way, but there's also a lot of noise in the signal. It's helpful to know the general shape of what you're looking for, so you'll know when you've found it.

You can reverse engineer this. Start with details that jump out at you and then look for a puzzle they might explain. This works, but it's a little easier to get lost in the weeds, struggling to sort out what's significant and what's a fun reference to another piece of media or a hint to a question that's already been resolved. Going back to the twists we've already seen on this show, the unanswered questions around them were really big and obvious, so I think it's a good idea to ask: if I hadn't noticed this detail, would I have thought this was a mystery that needed solving?

Okay, but what do we do with this?

Well, maybe nothing. These criteria can't confirm or rule out any theories, after all. I'm laying it out like a rubric but it isn't really, I'm just describing a few storytelling patterns we've seen before and making some rough guesses about how they might show up again. If I were really serious about this I'd probably take a look at other examples of Neil's work and see how well my model holds up there, but the truth is I'm not really familiar with enough of his other works to do this. (Confession time: I was always more of a Pratchett fan).

The main reason that I've laid everything out like this is it informs my thinking when I stress test my own theories, and I figured other people might be interested in it. I'm also hoping it will help me to be able to refer back to this when I write meta in the future. For my own purposes, I find a breakdown like this helpful because it gives me a sense of how a writer approaches their story, where they'll tip their hand and where they'll hold things close. It's no guarantee and it wouldn't be any fun if it was, but in a lot of cases we're not aware of our own patterns, so it can be surprisingly illuminating.

[pikahlua]

Fourteen Days of MHA: Day 3

Light Fades to Rain

Okay, let's gush. Here are my feelings about the anime adaptation of chapters 360-362: season 7 episode 11. This will quickly devolve from eloquent discussion to raging madness I promise.

The opening five minutes are the weakest part of the episode. This is the only section I will lodge any complaints about, and honestly they're not that serious.

The sadomasochism got toned down :P

I kind of expected it, and honestly I get why. Even though it was scaled back, the scene was effective enough for most viewers because there's just something about seeing it animated that makes it feel visceral anyways. The detail was always going to be reduced in the art when adapted to animation, and a lot of that art could've looked really bad without the necessary detail.

But it wouldn't be on brand for me if I didn't mention that it bummed me out lol.

The only other thing I can complain about isn't even an issue with the episode, it's an error in the subtitles.

"...you're just goldfish poop next to All For One."

a) It should be "One For All," not "All For One."

b) I don't think they should have kept it as "goldfish poop." Sorry to any language purists out there, but the idiomatic meaning of this phrase in Japanese will not get picked up by an English-speaking audience--and that idiom is important. It has an impact on how Katsuki behaves going forward. I think the subtitles should have changed that to something like "a minnow in One For All's wake" or "a tag-along weakling," ANYTHING to get the point across that Tomura is trying to inflict psychological damage by telling Katsuki he'll never amount to anything on the level of One For All. That message informs the rest of the episode!

Now, if that's the only complaint I have about this whole episode--a slightly too-fast-paced-under-detailed opening scene and a bad subtitle--then I'm a happy camper. And indeed that is the only complaint I have.

This episode is a masterpiece of adaptation.

The focus on the Big Three is so good because it does such a good job of masking where the episode is going but it's perfectly in-theme because of the parallels the three of them have with Izuku and Katsuki. IT JUST WORKS MAN. I LOVE IT.

The music that plays when Katsuki mutters is an excellent choice, though I wish they could have done something to hammer the point home more that he was indeed muttering and analyzing like Izuku does. Maybe the little "mutter" text would've been dissonant in tone lol but still I wish there was a way they could've done it. I do think the point does come across in the end still, but it's just more impactful when you get to see the little "mutter" text come full circle. Yeah yeah, manga vs anime and all that.

I didn't expect the tone they went with for Jeanist's reaction to Katsuki's muttering, but it was just different not like bad or anything. I kinda liked the whole "what the fuuuuck" vibe of it. I was thinking more like "Holy shit, I'm a proud dad" tone but this works XD

Jeanist is such a dad.

HE SPARKLE. KATSUKI, HE SPARKLE. IT SO PRETTY. AT LAST.

The animators were SOOOO trying to hide the twist this episode from the anime-only viewers, they didn't even put Katsuki on the commercial bumpers, they didn't want to SPOIL THE SURPRISE. IT'S SO GOOD.

Lost it at Tenko's freak out (damn voice actor wow) and Mirio's "g-gomen." I need the dub of this scene so bad.

JEANIST MY FIRST LOVE, DAD-ING SO HARD ALL OVER THIS EPISODE LOOK AT HIM GO.

Nejire is adorable as hell and everyone in MHA is so easily read as autistic it's remarkable actually.

They really put the typography behind the plasma cannon they actually did that.

UNF THAT PIANO. THE PIANO GOES OFF ALL OVER THE PLACE THIS EPISODE, DAMN.

Also good job on making the plasma cannon blast look small and precise to contrast Katsuki's attack last episode, because Katsuki definitely has more firepower but Tamaki has the finesse to concentrate the attack for a sustained period.

BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS BOOTS

Everything from BOOTS on is perfection I know you all already know that.

Jeanist's voice acting is underappreciated, I really loved him this episode.

The little special sound effect for his clusters now!!! IT MAKES ME SO EXCITED. I CAN'T WAIT TO SUPERIMPOSE IT OVER KATAMARI DAMACY NEXT SEASON

Present Mic with the La Brava's-Love-quirk soft narration omg [chef's kiss]

OKAMOTO. OKAMOTO OH MY GOD. YOU GIVING ME FEELINGS WITH YOUR VOICE CRACKS I CAN'T SLEEP

The slo-mo shots are so pretty ;_;

THEY GAVE US MORE KUDOU TOO AND IT WAS SO GOOD, THE CONNECTION WAS DRAWN SO WELL BETWEEN HIM AND KATSUKI I AM LOVING IT SO MUCH. IT ALSO HELPS THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING AUDIENCE UNDERSTAND THIS IS DEFINITELY THE AFO-DOMINANT PERSONALITY NOT TOMURA.

Even if this series ends without explaining it, I'm going to come up with my own explanation for that vestige world shit. That cannot just be symbolic afterlife bullcrap. IT MEANS SOMETHING.

He's just a boy ;_; He's just a baby boyyyyyy

GIVE HIM HIS AUTOGRAPH BY THE END OF THIS SERIES SO HELP ME--

he spin thru the air like a meme

It's time for Horikoshi's favorite character: Bakucorpse!

You wanted the blue sky gone, but at what cost?

YES I'M LOVING THE VIBE FROM THE THUNDER SOUND

Oh...oh it hurts a lot to see in color, oh he's so pale...ohhhh no

THAT ENDING SONG? NOW? HOW DARE.

That horrifying feeling of emptiness at the end :)

The joy of watching others cry over this 👀

Katsuki is the actual symbol of hope I don't care what anyone says. All hope of victory is lost with his death and the only chance of winning comes from reviving him with the literal power of hopes and prayers and wishes. He is Hope Incarnate. A very Sassy (Soft Precious) Hope Incarnate.

[sharathvannapur]

sharathvannapur.in

The Magic of Story Storytelling: Why We Love It

Story storytelling is something that has been around for as long as humans have been able to communicate. It’s in our nature to tell stories, whether we’re sitting around a campfire, chatting with friends, or reading a good book. There’s just something magical about it. You know that feeling when you’re completely engrossed in a story, hanging on every word, and imagining yourself in the characters’ shoes? That’s the power of storytelling at work. It has the ability to transport you to different worlds, evoke emotions, and connect you with others in a way that few other things can.

But what makes story storytelling so captivating? It’s not just the plot or the characters, though those are important. It’s the way the story is told that truly makes it come alive. A good storyteller knows how to weave together words, emotions, and imagery to create a narrative that feels real and meaningful. When done right, storytelling can make you laugh, cry, think, and even see the world in a new light. It’s like a little bit of magic, right there on the page or in the air.

The Art of Story Storytelling: More Than Just Words

When we talk about story storytelling, we’re not just talking about the words on a page or the dialogue in a movie. Storytelling is an art form that goes beyond language. It’s about creating a connection with your audience, drawing them in, and making them care about what happens next. Think about your favorite stories. What makes them so memorable? It’s probably not just the events that happen, but the way those events are presented. A great storyteller knows how to pace a story, build tension, and deliver a satisfying resolution.

One of the key elements of storytelling is the ability to create vivid imagery in the reader’s or listener’s mind. This doesn’t mean you need to describe every little detail, but rather, you should give just enough to spark the imagination. For example, instead of saying “the forest was scary,” you might describe the way the trees loomed overhead, their twisted branches reaching out like skeletal hands. By choosing your words carefully, you can create a picture that feels real and engaging, pulling your audience deeper into the story.

Connecting Through Stories: Why Story Storytelling Matters

Story storytelling isn’t just about entertainment—it’s also a powerful way to connect with others. When you tell a story, you’re sharing a part of yourself, whether it’s your experiences, your imagination, or your perspective on the world. This can create a bond between you and your audience, making them feel understood, inspired, or even comforted. It’s no wonder that stories have been used throughout history to teach lessons, pass down traditions, and bring people together.

In fact, storytelling is one of the oldest forms of communication. Long before we had written language, people were telling stories to share knowledge, entertain, and make sense of the world around them. These stories were passed down from generation to generation, evolving and changing along the way. This is where the phrase “oral tradition” comes from—the idea that stories were kept alive through the spoken word. Even today, storytelling remains a vital part of how we communicate and connect with each other, whether it’s through books, movies, podcasts, or just a good chat with a friend.

The Science Behind Storytelling: Why We’re Wired for Stories

You might be surprised to learn that there’s actual science behind why we love story storytelling so much. Our brains are wired to respond to stories in a way that’s different from how we process other types of information. When you hear a story, your brain lights up in the same way it would if you were actually experiencing the events being described. This is why a well-told story can make you feel like you’re right there in the moment, even if you’re just sitting on your couch with a book.

This connection is what makes storytelling such a powerful tool for communication. When you tell a story, you’re not just sharing information—you’re creating an experience for your audience. And because our brains are so attuned to stories, we’re more likely to remember and be influenced by them. This is why stories are often used in marketing, education, and even therapy. They have the power to change the way we think, feel, and act.

Bringing Your Own Stories to Life: Tips for Better Story Storytelling

Now that you know a bit more about the magic of story storytelling, you might be wondering how to bring your own stories to life. Whether you’re writing a novel, telling a story to a friend, or even giving a presentation at work, there are a few key tips that can help you become a better storyteller. First, focus on your characters. Make sure they’re relatable and that your audience can see themselves in their shoes. This doesn’t mean they need to be perfect—sometimes, the most memorable characters are the ones with flaws and challenges.

Next, pay attention to your pacing. A good story has a rhythm to it, with moments of tension, excitement, and resolution. Don’t rush through the important parts, but don’t drag them out either. Finally, remember to use vivid imagery and emotions to draw your audience in. The more you can make them feel like they’re part of the story, the more engaged they’ll be.

Story storytelling is a skill that anyone can develop with a little practice. And the best part? The more you do it, the better you’ll get. So, whether you’re crafting a tale of adventure, sharing a personal experience, or just spinning a fun yarn, remember that storytelling is all about connection, creativity, and a little bit of magic.

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copyright © 2024 Sharath V Annapur.

[sixty-silver-wishes]

so I finished the 7 1/2 deaths of evelyn hardcastle today and thought I'd share my thoughts since it's decently popular and I don't usually read modern fiction

overall, I liked the book a lot. the concept was original, and the prose was definitely a high point. as a writer myself, there were many moments where I had to put down the book because there were so many clever descriptions and turns of phrase that I kept feeling inspired to write. I thought it was interesting how each character was so layered, and as someone who loves fictional rich people family drama, the prospect of uncovering all the secrets of the hardcastles definitely kept me turning pages. for a first novel, I found it really impressive how turton was able to balance so many characters and plot points and keep a consistent story, although his editors of course deserve credit as well for that. I thought the hardcastles were the most interesting part of the book, and I wish we were able to spend more time with them, especially evelyn herself.

[spoilers ahead]

in terms of issues with the book, sometimes the story felt too complicated. I found myself constantly flipping back to the page at the beginning to remind myself who was who, and keeping track of every character's motivations could be a headache, as I was also trying to follow the complex plot. I felt that the final act could have been paced better; a lot of big twists were revealed, one after the other, without a lot of room for the characters to process them; for instance, I felt like the story should have dwelt on the fact that anna was originally aiden's nemesis much longer than it did. the part where evelyn reveals her motivations at the end also felt very unsatisfying; we just had this big dump of important information all in one high-stakes scene, and I wish it was something that could have been revealed more gradually, at least in the latter half. helena hardcastle was a very unconvincing red herring in my opinion, but I did like the twist where she was dead pretty much the entire time.

as for aiden himself, I found him to be the least interesting part of the book. I was intrigued by all the guests at blackheath and their secrets, but aiden just felt like a boring do-good protagonist, with little to no flaws (aside, as many people have criticized, his contempt for overweight people, which isn't really addressed by the story, and, if anything, only really served the plot in the sense that it illustrated how aiden underestimated ravencourt's usefulness as a host). If aiden was apparently corrupt enough to be trapped in blackheath, we never get an explanation why; he just seems like some guy who always does the right thing because it's the right thing, and he's not given a lot of depth beyond that. the opposite is true of the footman; he just came across as a bland villain who was evil for the sake of it. characters like anna, the plague doctor, and michael hardcastle were all very interesting to me because we saw how their unexpected actions were guided by their respective moral compasses, but we didn't really get a lot from aiden, which was a shame; I would have liked to see how his natural personality conflicted with each of his hosts, aside from him just wanting to do the right thing. I felt like there were times where either I missed details, or he'd just figure things out with no reasoning as to how he'd know those things, and I found myself a bit frustrated with him as a character and narrative device.

the twist with evelyn being the ultimate mastermind was unexpected, but again, it sort of felt frustrating. everything was rushed toward us at the very end, and I wish we were able to spend more time with her character before the reveal. pretty much the only hint we got that something was off about her was when she was dismissive of seeing gregory gold strung up, but I think I would have liked to see her build up a friendship with aiden and some of his hosts, but for the audience to increasingly become conflicted about her, and whether aiden was doing the right thing by trying to save her life. having her go from seeming kind and brave to Suddenly Very Evil felt disappointing, and I think more time with her would have made that reveal feel more earned.

tl;dr- I'd rate this book maybe a 7.5 out of 10. great prose and concept, and some strong characters, but rushed pacing when combined with a complex plot, as well as a bland protagonist, could sometimes make it a bit of a headache.

[bookswithsav]

The Sun Down Motel

Book Information 

Title : The Sun Down Motel 

Author : Simone St. James

Rating 

Was the story engaging? 

The story that Simone St. James creates within The Sun Down Motel was incredibly engaging, pulling the audience in with a murder mystery and keeping them ensnared with twists, deliberately hidden information, and the entanglement of two stories decades apart. The Sun Down Motel is a brilliant story that works to push readers to the edge with anticipation, leading to a story that is difficult to put down. 

Rating: 5/5 

Were the characters enjoyable/developed well? 

Due to the method of storytelling used in The Sun Down Motel - two separate but connected narratives - there were a lot of characters that were introduced. That being said, many of them seemed only to serve a purpose in moving the story along rather than being their own individual characters. In a story like The Sun Down Motel, this is almost needed to tell the story in full without simply adding too much extra to get distracted by, as there was a lot happening within the plot. However, it does need to be considered that many of the characters that were important in one of the narrator’s success were given either hollow backstories or their past did not impact them in a way that was truthfully meaningful to them as a character. 

Rating: 4/5 

Was the plot developed well? 

The plot of The Sun Down Motel was not only brilliant, but brilliantly executed. The interweaving of two different stories that are incredibly closely connected across decades worked to further amplify the overall plot that was already being told. Throughout the story, small details worked into the bigger picture, creating a horrible twisted mystery that both narrators have to solve in order to achieve their goals. Towards the end of the book, however, many of the ends seemed to have been quickly tied off, causing the end to feel rushed and not as well pieced together as the rest of the story. 

Rating: 4/5 

Was the audience kept in mind? 

The audience was kept in mind throughout The Sun Down Motel. Simone St. James does a stunning job at interweaving the two narratives to create a complete picture for the audience, leaving no stone unturned (or unexplained) when building up and eventually solving the mysteries that plague the narrators. Truthfully, the story of The Sun Down Motel was wonderfully told through the use of these entangled narratives, helping the audience to not only stay locked in, but to fully follow what was happening. 

Rating: 5/5

Would I recommend the book? 

I would absolutely recommend The Sun Down Motel. While reading the book, I found myself entranced with the story that was being woven together, constantly wanting to know the similarities and differences between the two narrators and desperately looking for an answer. As I mentioned before, the interweaving of different narrators in different decades creates a beautiful storytelling experience and further deepens the plot itself while creating a wonderfully intriguing experience for the audience. That being said, The Sun Down Motel is a bit of a spooky read, so if you’re not into that be cautious - although I would still recommend it. 

Rating: 5/5

Overall Rating: 4.6/5

Review 

Warning: Spoilers! 

This book truthfully had me locked in from start to finish. The Sun Down Motel contains a brilliantly told story that is also just… a brilliant story. The Sun Down Motel tells the story of Carly as she looks for answers surrounding her Aunt Viv’s mysterious disappearance 35 years ago, as well as the story of Aunt Viv herself as she falls into a mystery of her own. What connects them is the local motel, The Sun Down, which is just as creepy 35 years ago as it is presently, and shows them secrets that have been hidden from the rest of the world for years. 

Firstly, I want to talk about the way in which the story of The Sun Down Motel is told. I’ve read many books that have interlocking but separate narratives before (in fact, many of the books that I’ve read recently have this structure), but I have to say that this is one of the best executions of this that I’ve seen. Viv’s point of view lends the answers to the past that Carly so desperately is looking to find, and the similarities in their experiences adds an additionally eerie (but wonderful) element to the story. Each narrator is facing their own individual risks, and the knowledge of the past and present lend their hands in creating a complicated story that is still easy to consume as a reader. St. James truthfully does a stunning job at lending only the needed information to the audience throughout both narratives, pulling readers through two mysteries simultaneously while keeping them separated as their own. It’s truthfully a beautifully executed story. 

Now, I do have to note that I did find some faults within The Sun Down Hotel, and I could honestly also understand why others would not hold these same thoughts.

Let’s talk about the characters that are introduced to the audience throughout the story. As there are two different narratives taking place within The Sun Down Hotel, there are a lot of characters that we as the audience have to keep track of as the story continues. Carly and Viv are characterized very well, as they both serve as narrators for the overarching story being old. While they are similar to each other, this is done on purpose - they’re supposed to be similar, with their similarities in personality leading both of them to dip into the mysteries of Fell and identifying potential murders. That being said, they’re still their own person in their characterization, creating a divide between their characterizations. But we also have to consider all of the other characters, which is a lot. 

There are a couple of characters that are present in both narratives, such as Alma, Marine, and of course the ghosts of the discussed motel itself. These characters are also developed decently well, with each of them holding their own values and remaining important additions to the overarching plot in both narratives. For Carly, they hold the key to figuring out what happened to her Aunt Viv. For Viv, they are part of her support system in her adventures (Alma and Marine) and hold the key to figure out who the murder of the female victims is (the ghosts of Sun Down). Because of their importance to both plots, their characterizations are stable and we as the audience see more of them. 

Then there are the characters that are individual to a specific narrative. Before I continue, I have to recognize that Simon Hess does not fit in any of these categories. This is due to the nature of his character and the role that he serves within the story. I think that Hess was characterized incredibly well (although, ew, you know?) despite only truthfully seeing him in Viv’s point of view. The mentions of him - and his grandson, if we’re being honest - in Carly’s narrative only further place the characterizations assigned to him in Viv’s narrative, creating a well characterized character (although, again, ew). 

Back to it. Within both narratives, there are characters that are specific to a certain narrative. These are characters like Heather, Nick, and Callum. Notice that these characters are solely specific to Carly, and the reason for that is the separation of her and Viv’s characterization. Viv tended to stay to herself throughout the story, looking for answers more than companionship. Often, she became so locked in on solving the mysteries of the murdered women and girls that she turned others away. Carly on the other hand tends to lean into the different compansionships that she developed through her search for her Aunt, and consequently her own investigation into the murders. This leads to more characters that are important within Carly’s investigation and the support in which she has access to, but these characters seem to have less depth than the others. 

While Heather and Nick are given a decent amount of backstory, with Heather having experienced mental problems (which were partially influenced by her own investigation into the murders), and Nick almost being a victim of his father, in which his brother was the unfortunate casualty. We see hints of these previous events influencing these characters, such as Heather stepping back from helping Carly’s investigation to better preserve her mental health, but overall, they’re hardly addressed. Both of these characters have had previous events happen to them that had seriously impacted them mentally, but this is hardly addressed except for on a few occasions. When it is addressed, it’s often used as a means of explaining something - Nick, for example, is staying at the Sun Down due to his issues sleeping after the murder of his brother. This situation leads these characters to almost feel like an accessory to the plot instead of their own characters. Callum also falls into this situation, due to the lack of building his characterization experiences throughout The Sun Down Motel. With a story like the one being told in The Sun Down Motel, characters that assist in moving the plot along are bound to appear, as there’s too much going on to avoid it while also creating a well rounded plot. What’s strange about these characters is the fact that they do serve a purpose within Carly’s narrative, but they are developed like they’re just a means in pushing the story along. 

The ending of The Sun Down Motel is complex in a very strange way, and I’m going to be doing my best to explain. Towards the end of The Sun Down Motel, stress and anticipation are high within the audience as the answers to questions are beginning to come to light and danger is moving to become one of the forefront concerns. Because of these emotions, the ending reads appropriately quick, with everything happening at once. But once all of the questions have been answered and everyone is placed within their closing stances, the story begins to fall short. In the chaos of the ghosts truthfully being awoken in Carly’s narrative, Carly allows Hess to sign into a room out of fear of what he’s done and general stress about the events that are happening to her. This causes the ghosts, specifically Betty, to become enraged, and when Carly returns to the motel she finds that it has literally rotted. Betty has destroyed the motel due to her anger, but she’s also gone. All of the ghosts have left the Sun Down after this event, leaving behind nothing but rot and destruction. But why? Why did they leave after Hess’s ghost was allowed a room and after so long? They’ve been haunting the property since the beginning of its time there, fueled by Betty’s rage. By allowing Hess back into the motel, it doesn’t make sense that the ghosts would fade away with his presence. And it also can’t be soundly argued that they left due to the eventual demolition of the Sun Down, because Betty had been haunting the property since before the motel itself was built, due to it being where her body had been dumped. The ghosts themselves had such an impact on both Carly and Viv’s narratives and experiences with their individual investigations, and yet they disappear after a situation that has previously caused them to be even more present. Their disappearance from the Sun Down doesn’t fit the rest of the story and their involvement in it, leading the ending of The Sun Down Motel to stray from it’s smooth storytelling and cause a sense of displacement in the audience. 

Overall, The Sun Down Motel was an incredible read, and I would definitely recommend it. There were multiple times where I found my heartbeat beginning to pick up its pace with the intertwining of narratives, as well as the living and the ghost world, creating a suspenseful but enjoyable story. 

[zeta-in-de-walls]

Hey, so I think my fondness for Tommy’s style of lore might’ve made it a touch harder to enjoy Techno’s style of SMP content. I’m feeling like its a preference thing anyway... it’s hard to articulate the issue but I’m gonna try. xD

Techno’s latest stream didn’t feel immersive enough basically.

i think some people have complained about Techno’s tendency to joke and break the fourth wall even in tense moments but as a fan of Tommy ‘there’s a reason I gave up my discs and you spent £200 on Etsy for a suit’ Innit, I can’t say cracking self-aware jokes is a problem in itself. But I feel as if Techno’s stream lacked gravity for me, failing to create tension and uncertainty in scenes which needed them.

While Tommy jokes a lot, it feels like part of his character and his character’s use of humour as a shield when he feels scared means it can still help to display his character’s feelings so it doesn’t break immersion for me but helps to give him more character. Tommy’s character is openly vulnerable enough that I feel like the audience can always read into his feelings and the motivations behind his actions.

With Techno, I struggle more to read him. I find myself uncertain if his humour is part of his character or if its really the CC joking. To what extent is his humour a way to cope with stressful situations and hide his inner turmoil? Or is it more a way of showing he is relatively composed, able to joke about because he still feels in control of the situation.

I feel like there’s two ways to read this latest stream and I find myself slightly dissatisfied with both. Either the prison was a trap he was not prepared for and he’s out of his depth and is genuinely distressed. Or he’s not that worried because he had a plan all along and the developments were not outside his expectations. (Note that he doesn’t need to know exactly what might happen or be certain of everything, what’s important is that he is confident in a way to escape thus he’s still in control.)

Either option would be fine with me in terms of story and Techno’s arc. (I think him being genuinely out of his depth would be slightly preferred for me as I think it’d be cool but it also suits him to be ready for anything) What dissatisfies me is instead the execution. I’m not confident in my reading.

Techno’s performance - the way he joked around and gave indications of a plan - lead me to prefer the reading that he does indeed have a plan. The issue is then the structure of the stream. It felt like it was all leading up to a twist where Techno gets trapped in and things go wrong. If Techno has a plan, I would prefer he share it more with the audience, share that he’s suspicious, that he is really looking into thinks, that he’s here to gather information no matter what. I dislike it when the audience is more in the dark than the viewpoint character. Also, even if he has a plan, he can still show lots of doubt and worry and hope that his worst expectations won’t be realised. I want to really get into his head. Again, that’s probably my preference towards Tommy ‘chat if I was the traitor I’d tell you!’ Innit who very very rarely hides stuff from his audience. We get surprised along with his character when things go wrong.

I’m sure one might think it could spoil things, knowing to expect things to go wrong and the twist might be less thrilling. But the trade-off for really leaning into sharing what Techno’s thinking is more than worth it. Assuming Techno’s plan means relying on his friends to save him means that Techno is putting himself in a position of extreme vulnerability and is entirely dependent on someone else helping him. He’s never done anything like this before and it would be a big step for Techno who finds is hard to trust people because he’s been betrayed before. Surely if betrayals hurt him so much, he would struggle to come up with this sort of plan? I would love to dig into that more. This would really demonstrate what a huge sacrifice it is trying to help Dream. It’s just really, really interesting. But I’m not really given anything to work with here, I haven’t seen Techno display any conflict about this plan or what a big thing it would be to trust his friends. If there was a period between being betrayed and learning to trust others again, it happened off-screen. Which means its all theory, not canon.  

And if it was the other option - that Techno was genuinely caught off guard with the audience, then I’d really expect a little more expression of vulnerability. Just a little more panic and alarm to sell me on this being unexpected. Maybe some regret, some anger, there’s a lot he’d feel and I’d like it if more of it was displayed. It doesn’t need to be super extreme and jokes are still fine, but I would want to feel like he’s joking to hide his distress. (And gosh you know I’d really love to see his character display vulnerability - it would be such great development. My issue with Techno having a plan is that it means he’s not really being defeated and experiencing a low-moment here - which is something I’d love to see.)

[peachdoxie]

This wouldn't work because we already know that Phantom is Fenton, but imagine: a reboot from Valerie's perspective.

It's the same basic plot as the show but it's all about Valerie and her family's fall from grace and her being hired by Vlad and hunting ghosts and all that, balanced with her trying to keep up a social life and developing this crush on Danny, and all that stuff. And of course we see her deal with Phantom and how her hatred of him drives almost every decision she makes.

The show takes its course with Valerie hunting ghosts, hating Phantom, dating then breaking up with Danny, etc etc, but two things slowly become apparent to the audience: first, that Phantom is much more of an anti-villain than the villain Valerie thinks he is; and second, that Phantom has a massive secret. So as Valerie slowly starts to not view Phantom as evil so much as like, mischievous or something, she also starts to suspect something's up with him. A lot of this would be framed through Vlad's information and perspective on Phantom, so Valerie starts to suspect Vlad's meddling on something he shouldn't be.

Meanwhile, Danny's portrayed as this dorky kid who mostly tries to stay out of the spotlight and avoid ghost hunting as much as possible because he's embarrassed by his family, and he's portrayed as utterly terrified of ghosts, and maybe a little bit of a troublemaker, so he's never around when Phantom shows up. But the important thing is that these are seen by Valerie as just normal behavior from a D-student on the lowest tier of popularity and not suspicious of anything else. Maybe he's hunted down by ghosts but Valerie thinks it's revenge on his parents or something. Anything but that he's Phantom.

Because here's the kicker, and why this idea unfortunately wouldn't work: the show would need to present Danny as just some kid Valerie likes and make him 100% not suspicious of being Phantom or in any way involved in ghost hunting. None whatsoever. Valerie suspects nothing. She takes every excuse Danny makes if not at face value then of indicating something entirely else that's "obvious" to the audience. And Danny and Phantom are animated differently so they look similar but not the same and all the voice actors play multiple characters so it's not weird that they sound similar, and maybe Danny's not even that important of a character in the show compared to other teens in Valerie's life — all so the audience completely does not suspect Phantom is Fenton even on a meta level.

The big plot twist, of course, is that Phantom is Fenton. Like any really good plot twist, it's not suspected but also fits in perfectly with all the foreshadowing that's both obviously and not obviously until it's recontextualized by the reveal. Because here's the thing: no one in the actual show suspected Phantom is Fenton because no one outside of the trio, Vlad, and the ghosts knows that half-ghosts exist. So why would they suspect that Phantom is actually also Fenton? And no one in the audience realizes it either unless they make a very good guess just based on possible tropes and no actual indications in the canon.

Then the show progresses differently because forget season three it's not about Danny's story, but about Valerie's. And instead of her confronting Danny about his secret, she instead starts to look at Phantom differently and slowly changes her mind on ghosts, or at least him, all the while keeping it a secret from him that she knows because, well she's kept her secret from him, and so she can understand with very good reason why he would keep his from her. Obviously, Valerie eventually finds out, and she and Danny become good friends and she apologizes to Sam and Tucker and now the trio is a quartet who takes down Vlad, who is of course the actual antagonist.

Like I said, though, this kind of plot twist wouldn't actually work in a reboot because we already know that Phantom is Fenton. But idk I just think it would neat to watch the show from Valerie's perspective but have it be biased and unreliable for what's really going on and have the showrunners play the meta game for a very excellent plot twist.

[mmvalentine]

Pomegranate pt 4 | Feysand

Hades/ Persephone inspired AU. We gettin spicy now. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

Hybern have slipped into the mortal lands, and will any day now be at the wall.

The wall has always been the weak point of Pythian, and the Spring Court holds the south most border. After gathering as much information as he can, Rhys sends word to Tamlin.

The first attempt is a letter, which goes unanswered. Rhys waits for hours, until he cannot wait anymore. The second attempt is to send Mor, but by afternoon she returns. She was not granted an audience with the High Lord.

“Gods fucking damn it,” Rhys roars when she tells him. She doesn’t flinch, just looks worried. “Tamlin you stupid fucking prick,” Rhys mutters. He has started pacing. It is one thing for Hybern to attack another court. It is one thing for Hybern to breach Prythian. It is one thing for war to be on their doorstep.

It is another to endanger Feyre.

“I’ll go myself,” Rhys growls.

“Careful,” Mor says. “If you go in there all hot-headed, you’ll only give him a reason to start a fight.”

Rhys gnashes his teeth in frustration, but eventually nods his acknowledgement. Mor bites her lip, bows her head, then leaves him. Rhys takes a deep breath in through his nose, rolls his shoulders, and then winnows onto the steps of Tamlin’s manor.

It’s been a very long time since he has been on this doorstep.

Once, years ago, his father brought him, wanting him to have experience of a High Lords’ meeting. Rhys had known Tamlin had a daughter, but on that day she was nowhere to be seen. Rhys wonders idly how much of her life Feyre has spent locked in her room.

He strolls through the great doors, not bothering to wait for Tamlin to deny him entry. As he walks, he shoves his hands into his pockets, and listens to the chatter of the minds of the house residents. He does not look for Feyre’s. Doesn’t want the distraction.

Rhys finds Tamlin in the study, and leans against the doorframe.

“Afternoon,” he says in greeting. Tamlin’s face twists at the sight of him.

“Didn’t I tell you I’d grind your bones if you ever came back here?” he says. Rhys just looks at his nails.

“You did,” he said, “but I’m in an altruistic mood, for some reason.”

“What are you jabbering about, boy?” Tamlin snarls. Rhys pushes off the door frame and looks him in the eye.

“Hybern,” he says. Tamlin snorts.

“Not this again.”

“Tamlin. My spies are never wrong. Hybern is moving against Prythian as we speak, and you need to be ready.”

“I don’t take orders from whelps,” Tamlin growls.

“Fine,” Rhys says cooly. “Do what you want. I only thought you’d be interested in the preservation of your own lands, or your people, or your daughter for that matter. I shouldn’t be so presumptuous.” Tamlin growls again, but Rhys looks bored.

“You dare speak of her,” he begins.

“Calm down old man,” Rhys says. “I just wanted to come here in person, so that I could be assured that when Hybern attacks and the Spring Court falls, you knew it was happening and you let it.”

“What do you care?” Tamlin spits. “You only rule a savage court, you’ve never spared a thought for another in all your life.”

“Yes,” Rhys says simply. “And if we’re worried, so probably should you be.”

“Leave. Now.” Tamlin pounds the desk as he speaks. Rhys just shrugs.

“As you wish.” He sketches a bow from the waist, and exits the room.

But he doesn’t walk out of the manor.

Rhys folds himself into the shadows, and climbs the grand staircase without anyone noticing him. Feyre’s bedroom door is locked, of course, but he he shimmers through the wood without much effort.

“I know I should have knocked,” he says, “but I’m not looking I swear.”

“Rhys!”

“Can I come in?”

Feyre laughs, soft as eiderdown, and pulls his hands from his eyes.

“Yes,” she says. “Thank you for asking.”

“I would have asked from outside,” Rhys tells her, drawing her into his arms, “but that would have ruined the whole sneaking around thing I’ve got going here.”

Feyre stands up on her toes to kiss him. Rhys sighs over her lips, and the taste of her soothes his soul.

“Are you okay?” she asks. Rhys chuckles.

“I’m not the one being kept prisoner in my own bedroom.”

“You look tired.”

“I haven’t slept the last couple of days.”

Feyre touches his cheek and he leans into her palm. “Well come lie down then,” she says, and turns toward the bed by Rhys stops her.

“Feyre,” he says. “I have to tell you something. It’s important.”

Feyre’s eyes darken with concern, but she tugs him forward and he gets on the bed with her. They lie on their sides facing each other, and Feyre touches his chin.

“What is it?” she asks. Rhys folds her fingers into his.

“For a long time now, Hybern has been looking to expand its territory,” he tells her. “I have reason to believe- I am sure, they are now gathering in the mortal lands, and plan to attack Prythian from the south.”

“The south… is us,” Feyre says, eyes widening in understanding.

“Yes,” Rhys says. “I have tried to tell Tamlin but he won’t listen. I’m starting to think that if I told him the sky was blue he’d disagree, just because it was me saying it.”

“That’s probably true,” Feyre admitted. “So… what do we do?” Rhys lifted their entwined hands and kissed her fingers.

“I want you to know that I won’t let anything happen to you. The Night Court is ready and willing to send aid. Tamlin won’t hear me. Could you try to convince him to let us help?”

Feyre exhaled heavily. “Well, he doesn’t listen to me either. But of course, I’ll talk to him.”

Rhys kisses her knuckles again, on both hands. “Thank you,” he says.

“Rhys? What if doesn’t agree to it? What if he doesn’t listen?”

Rhys slides a hand under her hair, and his thumb strokes her jaw. “We’ll come anyway,” he says. “And I am finally going to get you out of here. Okay?”

“Okay,” Feyre says, and her voice is small with worry. Rhys kisses her until the tension slides from her shoulders.

“Rhys?” she says.

“Yeah honey?”

“I love you too.”

Rhys quirks a smile, and kisses both her cheeks and then her nose.

“I love you too, too.” He kisses her mouth then, and she wriggles closer to him. Rhys slides an arm under her and rubs his fingertips against the is of her skull.

It is so easy to forget wars and jailers when Feyre is touching him.

Feyre’s bare feet press into his ankles, and Rhys slides a hand down the outside of her thigh. The silk is cool beneath his fingers, and there’s a split in the fabric just above her knee. He catches her calf and hitches it over his hip as he keeps kissing her, and she squeezes him closer with her leg while his hand strokes her ankle.

“Are there flowers in the Night Court?” Feyre murmurs between kisses. Rhys smiles against her lips.

“Yes,” he says. “And the most wonderful fruits.”

Feyre’s hands are sliding up his chest now, fumbling with the fastenings in his shirt. She nips his bottom lip, and he licks the back of her teeth.

“Don’t they need sunlight to grow?”

Rhys laughs. “Feyre darling, we have just as much sunlight as you do.” His hand on her ankle has slid back up her calf, and is now curving around the underside of her thigh above her knee. The cream coloured dress is pushed further up her legs.

“But it’s always Spring here,” she says. She’s found the hem of his shirt and her hands have slipped beneath it. They are warm on his stomach.

“Well it’s not always night in the Night Court,” he assures her, and moves his lips to her throat. Feyre tips her head back to give him better access.

“Why?” she gasps.

“Because,” Rhys murmurs, trailing kisses down her neck, “things need to grow. And we need the warmth.” His hand on her leg is moving again, and cups her backside now. “And because no amount of power in the world stops the sun from rising.”

He kisses her mouth before she can ask any follow up questions, and the taste of her moan is so sweet it makes his head spin.

Rhys presses Feyre onto her back, and his hand on her ass slides around to her hip. His other arm is still behind her, and he massages his fingers in the back of her head. Feyre tugs at his hair, and he pushes her skirts further up so he can stroke her from knee to hip. Feyre shivers under his touch as his thumb skirts her inner thigh.

“Touch me,” she whispers, and Rhys’s hand tightens on her thigh before it dips between her legs.

Feyre’s hands fall from his neck and grab a hold of the sheets. Rhys watches her eyes flutter closed as he moves his fingers again, lightly over the cotton of her underwear. He slips beneath the waistband, and Feyre’s back arches up off the bed. He bites down on his own moan- Feyre is so wet on his fingers.

“Gods Feyre,” he breathes. He slides his hand down over her pussy before circling lightly against her clit. Feyre bites down on her lip and makes sure to stay quiet. Rhys thinks he’s never been so turned on as he is as he watches her writhe on his hand. He’s circling faster now, and sucks against her nipple through her dress. Never taking his eyes off her face.

“Don’t let anyone hear,” he reminds her softly, just as he pushes his index finger deep inside her. Feyre grabs the front of his shirt and kisses him hard, as she begins to fuck herself on his hand. Rhys grinds the heel of his palm against her clit as she does, and his other hand makes a fist in her hair.

“You are so fucking gorgeous,” he tells her. “I just wanna make you feel good.” He adds a second finger, and can’t help but imagine what she’d feel like if she was rocking on his cock like she was on his hand. Feyre’s nails scrabble at his chest, and her eyes meet his only momentarily before rolling back in her head.

“Do you feel good Feyre?” he asks her. She nods, mouthing words but not making any sound. “Can you come like this?” he whispers. Her hands tighten in his shirt and she’s struggling to draw breath. “That’s it,” he says. “Don’t make a sound, just come on my fingers.”

And she does. Her lips move silently, and her hips bow up off the bed. It takes Rhys a minute to realise she’s mouthing his name.

Feyre tightens around his hand as she climaxes, and when she finally comes down, she looks so peaceful. Rhys gives himself another moment to watch her, and then kisses her softly.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” he whispers. Feyre’s eyes open into his, and waves crash in her gaze. He put his fingers in his mouth, kisses her again, and then disappears like smoke.

****

MASTERLIST

TAGLIST: @ghostlyrose2 @highladysith @stardelia @feysand-loml @tillyrubes10 @ratabrasileira @live-the-fangirl-life @maybekindasortaace @annejulianneh111 @thebonecarver @rowaelinismyotp @loosingdreams @whythefuckdoiexist @inejsarrow @swankii-art-teacher @sjmships @courtofjurdan @teddytdr @positivewitch @thalia-2-rose @darling-archeron @rapunzel1523 @fairchildjace @philosophorumaurum02 @story-scribbler @allthecolorsneverseen @asteria-of-mars @fandomstalker27 @realbookloverproblems @dealfea @s-tormwitch @cretaceous-therapod @whenyadoesntcutit @scatterbrainedgirl @tanvee1231

[franniebanana]

CQL Rewatch - Ep 20

Iconic. Seeing Wei Wuxian back and better than ever is so satisfying! That flute playing that probably we’ve all forgotten about since the first two episodes becomes a repeating leitmotif throughout the series. It’s just as iconic as Wei Wuxian himself. And what I love about this shot here is how the light hits his eyes, and from this specific camera angle, it looks like a mask on his face! I just thought that was super cool. Whether it was intentional or not, I have no idea, but I like to think it was. I guess it’s like a reverse mask in this case—everything is hidden except his eyes.

It’s amazing how I only went without Wei Wuxian for like half an episode, yet it felt like so much longer. The emotional weight that he carries is so great that from all the characters searching for him, it feels like it’s actually been three months, instead of more like twenty-five minutes. And I think that’s something that we can feel in CQL but we can’t really feel in the book. Since the book is written in third person limited, we only see Wei Wuxian’s side of the story (I think that’s accurate, but it’s been a few months since I read it). That being the case, we never leave Wei Wuxian’s side, we never get to miss him being there. Of course the story is framed totally differently in the book and not in chronological order, even—lots of flip-flopping, which is fun but also a little confusing when you’re trying to keep track of a timeline.

I think part of what makes Wang Lingjao so creepy here is that her garish makeup is totally gone: her face is pale and ghoulish, with just the bright red blood trickling out of her nose, mouth, and cut on her cheek. I think they could have made her even more ghostly, but I like what they did for her apparition. It’s fun to see how fast Wen Chao cracks, though. He’s very much all bark and no bite—honestly, such a coward. On the one hand, it’s satisfying to watch him lose it, but on the other, it’s quite disturbing. I toe the line between enjoying it and being disgusted by it, but I love that CQL at least kept in this part of Wei Wuxian’s character. It’s like revenge, no matter how bloody, is okay in Chinese tv, but not the main character being kind of bad. I don’t get why they had to nerf his character to the point of absolving him of all guilt with everything that happened. I like a character who makes bad choices, but feels guilty for it, because that shows depth. Someone who bad things happen to because of the “real villain” aren’t as interesting to me. I think also that Xiao Zhan would have been amazing as the real Wei Wuxian from the book, had they adapted him that way. I also would have really, really loved to see the scene that is only really described to us (I think by Lan Xichen) where a distraught and delusional Wei Wuxian rejects Lan Wangji. Ugh, that would have been so heart-wrenching! Maybe in the donghua…sigh….

So this is important, I think. There was a point in the last episode where Jin Zixuan tells his cousin not to let the crows peck at the dead bodies of their enemies. In other words, don’t desecrate the bodies, even if they are the enemy. Of course, Jin Zixuan didn’t hold any personal grudges towards any of them, at least that we know of. Jiang Cheng certainly does. So even though Wang Lingjao is already dead by her own hand, he whips her with Zidian. Jiang Cheng is becoming more and more twisted by his anger and grief, which he never deals with in a healthy way. He wants revenge against those that have wronged him and his parents, and he really never stops seeking revenge throughout the story. First it’s against the Wens, and then it’s against Wei Wuxian. It’s a fairly slow descent, I think, over years, but I quite like watching him twist like this. While it’s fun and interesting watching someone repent and have a redemption arc, it’s also interesting watching them go the other way.

Lan Wangji seems to know, or at least suspect, that the person who has killed everyone in the Supervisory Office, including Wang Lingjao, is Wei Wuxian. A talent for using talismans (one of which Lan Wangji used himself to escape the Wens), someone who is seeking revenge against the Wen Clan—these things point to Wei Wuxian in his mind. He doesn’t want to say this to Jiang Cheng, he doesn’t even want to admit it himself, but he’s putting the pieces together. I think this is a frightening thought for him. On the one hand, he would be happy to find Wei Wuxian alive, but on the other, what state would they find him in? And what does it mean that he’s killed all these people singlehandedly? This isn’t the Wei Wuxian that Lan Wangji knows and cares so deeply about. This isn’t the man that Lan Wangji was ready to die for. I think his heart is very much filled with dread in this scene.

Jiang Cheng’s line is interesting too—basically, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Solid, really, but it does come with some problems in reality. The enemy of your enemy just might stab you in the back later. It’s a very simplistic view, but I think at this point, Jiang Cheng is just happy to see the Wens dead. There are a few he wants to kill himself, but he seems satisfied if they just die out, regardless of who does it.

I like seeing Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng team up for these few episodes, because it’s fun seeing how they each approach the situations. Jiang Cheng relies heavily on his heart and emotions, which I can totally identify with. He wants to find Wei Wuxian and he wants revenge on Wen Zhuliu and Wen Chao—those are his two priorities. And then Lan Wangji is definitely more of a logical person—he wants to get to the bottom of these deaths and find out who is the person with so much wicked energy that is doing all of it—and also, that person is probably Wei Wuxian, who he is very interested in finding. Here Jiang Cheng wants to rush after Wen Zhuiliu, just as he did when he went back to Lotus Pier. He’s very rash, while Lan Wangji is much more calm and collected. I mean, if it were me, I’d want to see if they would give up any information before I killed them.

And the reveal is…Wen Chao is fucking disgusting! I didn’t even want to screencap one of the close-ups, because I felt like I’d have to do a trigger warning for blood lol. Not really, though, because I never do, sorry. I love the looks on Jiang Cheng’s and Lan Wangji’s faces, though. Jiang Cheng is so horrified and Lan Wangji is just mildly shocked. I think the real thing is like, who are we dealing with here? Who is this monster who’s been murdering everyone in all these different ways? Who has made Wen Chao look like this? Is this friend or foe? Like I said, Jiang Cheng keeps saying that as long as the person is killing the Wens, he’s fine with it, but I think even he is bothered by this level of mutilation, even against someone he loathes.

It’s hilarious to me that Wen Zhuliu uses this tactic with Wen Chao. Oh, you’re going to insult me? I’m useless? Okay, bye! LOL. Also very amusing that this is really the last conversation they have with each other: this bickering that they’ve probably done over and over off screen. Wen Zhuliu stays by Wen Chao’s side, though, because he’s indebted to Wen Ruohan, of course. It would have been a neat twist to see Wen Zhuliu defect. And you still could have had a dramatic scene where Jiang Cheng chases him down.

I love it! I love it I love it I love it! The flute! This part is so well done (it’s still a little campy, of course, but that’s part of the charm)! I mean, as the audience, we all know who it is by now, but I love that they keep up the mystery because Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng still don’t know. They didn’t see him walk in. I just love this.

And shock. Jiang Cheng looks significantly more surprised. It had never crossed his mind that the person doing all this was actually Wei Wuxian, the very individual that he’s been searching for. Lan Wangji, on the other hand, doesn’t really look surprised. He looks a little surprised, okay—I’ll give you that. But I think most of what he’s feeling right now is the deep dread of being right. He wanted to be wrong, even when everything pointed to Wei Wuxian. I don’t think he wanted to believe that Wei Wuxian was capable of this, no matter how much he wanted to get revenge for what happened at Lotus Pier. I think there’s disappointment there too—how could he do such a thing? And I’ve giffed this scene with this quote: “He started to estrange her…And they became strangers who knew each other’s heart, so broken as they drifted apart” (Ana Claudia Antunes, Pierrot & Columbine). I think the realization here and a bit later for Lan Wangji that Wei Wuxian has become some other person is quite heartbreaking. He’s like a stranger to him, and that feeling of betrayal when you thought you knew a person inside and out—that hurts. It’s a deep-seated betrayal that Lan Wangji feels throughout this scene.

Oh, what I also like about this part is that when Wei Wuxian appears, neither one of them can look away. They are solely focused on him at this point.

He finally gets his revenge on Wen Zhuliu. And it’s great. They jump through the roof and he strings him up with Zidian. I can’t really say anything about it—Jiang Cheng needed to do this or he never would have been able to move on from Lotus Pier and his parents’ death.

WWX: Have I changed?

JC: No, not exactly.

I love that these lines are exchanged while the camera is on Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji already sees how Wei Wuxian has changed: the flute, the wicked energy, the almost senseless killing—none of these things are like the Wei Wuxian he’s come to love. And yes, I think love—and it hurts more because there is love. Lan Wangji wanted to walk the straight path with Wei Wuxian together, and he feels betrayed by what Wei Wuxian has done. Despite that, he still wants to help him. He implores Wei Wuxian to come back to Gusu with him so that they can help him and bring him back to the right path.

This whole scene feels like Lan Wangji isn’t even in the room, it’s like a private conversation between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji just happens to overhear. He says nothing. He lets Jiang Cheng ask a hundred questions while Wei Wuxian calmly answers them. Wei Wuxian smiles and laughs, he seems himself, and yet he isn’t. There’s something wrong and Lan Wangji grows more and more perturbed by it as the seconds pass by.

The tension in this scene is palpable. It’s painful, it’s sad, it’s really hard for me to watch. And yet, this is one of my favorite scenes. Lan Wangji is feeling a lot, and he’s held it all in until this moment here. He calls him Wei Ying, and then Wei Wuxian in turn addresses him first as Second Master Lan, and then as Hanguang-Jun, both very formal names. It’s not Lan Zhan anymore—there is no familiarity on Wei Wuxian’s part. I think part of that is his attempt to protect Lan Wangji from any association with him that might actually harm Lan Wangji and his reputation. He’s setting a boundary—a wall—between them. And then when Lan Wangji bites back, Wei Wuxian changes tack: he stars being informal with him again, he brings up how they were good friends, classmates, etc. But that’s not going to work because Lan Wangji is feeling pretty upset right now.

Lan Wangji is desperate, scared, and worried for Wei Wuxian. Sometimes when we’re feeling all that, it can come across as anger, and that becomes worse when someone is dismissive of those feelings. Wei Wuxian is definitely dismissive here. In their interactions, Lan Wangji rarely shows this much emotion, and instead of paying attention to that, Wei Wuxian brushes it off. Jiang Cheng shows that he cares by hugging Wei Wuxian, but Lan Wangji is different—he’s thinking ahead, he’s seeing what Wei Wuxian has started to mess with—demonic cultivation—which can destroy a person’s mind, and he’s terrified. His only thought is to take Wei Wuxian away and try to change him for the better. Of course, just like what his father did to his mother, this cannot work. Even if Lan Wangji manages to force Wei Wuxian to come with him, he won’t be able to control him. All Lan Wangji can really do is try to persuade him.

The intensity of Lan Wangji’s gaze here is something else. This is a man who is desperate to save the person he loves. He is really looking out for Wei Wuxian’s best interests here and is getting no support from Jiang Cheng. I don’t really know what’s going on in Jiang Cheng’s head right now, but he’s definitely finding Lan Wangji’s behavior offensive. He doesn’t understand that Wei Wuxian’s actions will lead to his ultimate destruction, while it is very clear to Lan Wangji. But all I can do here is bring up how they viewed the person who was killing all the Wens earlier, before they even knew who it was. Lan Wangji felt very unnerved by it: he was disturbed by the talismans and disturbed by the various manners of death, while Jiang Cheng’s stance always was that it didn’t matter because the person was clearly on the same side—a dead Wen is a dead Wen no matter who is behind it. And his opinion doesn’t change even after he finds out. It’s not important to him how Wei Wuxian was able to kill all those people. He asks the questions, but he isn’t interested in really hearing the answer. On the contrary, I think Lan Wangji is very interested in those answers, but he wants to hear about it in a controlled environment. He doesn’t want Wei Wuxian to go back to Yunmeng, where he will essentially live with free-rein without boundaries.

As for cinematography, I love how Wei Wuxian holds up his flute here, setting up a literal boundary between him and Lan Wangji. Not only do you have Jiang Cheng creating that wall with his sword, you also have Wei Wuxian. What I mean is, it’s not only Jiang Cheng who wants to keep Lan Wangji out. Wei Wuxian is drawing a line here too: he wants Lan Wangji to stay out of his business. And this morphs into, what happens at this place is not Gusu Lans’ business—it only concerns Yunmeng Jiang Sect.

We all know Wei Wuxian is an arrogant person, but his arrogance and ignorance here is truly stunning. Lan Wangji tells him point-blank that he won’t be able to control this energy if he uses demonic cultivation, and Wei Wuxian does everything but laugh at him. I enjoy this and I hate it at the same time, because Lan Wangji is just fucking worried, you know? And maybe he doesn’t express himself well, but he’s shocked to see Wei Wuxian here, shocked that he’s responsible for all this—he can’t stay calm and collected under these conditions.

In just a few minutes, Wei Wuxian says that he and Lan Wangji are good friends and that Lan Wangji should treat him better, as well as “Who do you think you are? What I do is none of your business.” I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the gist. This scene here, with their faces so close to each other, kills me. This is absolute betrayal for Lan Wangji. It’s as if everything they had built together—all the respect, the affection, the comradery—is gone. The Wei Wuxian that he knew is gone.

I love the way this shot is framed, with Wei Wuxian staring after Lan Wangji, and then Wen Chao pleading, “Forgive me, forgive me.” So apt, because I think Wei Wuxian does feel bad here, I think he feels guilty. I think part of him really missed Lan Wangji and wanted to see him. I think he even knows that what Lan Wangji is doing is out of concern for him over anything else. But I also think Wei Wuxian’s pride gets in the way of that, and his desire for revenge, and even his desire for things to go back to normal. More than anything, Wei Wuxian wants to return to Yunmeng, to his shijie, to be able to live normally again, whatever that really means, because of course everything has changed. Nothing will ever be as it was again. More importantly, he has changed, and can never go back to the person he was before, the person who played so hard, the person who shirked his responsibilities and fooled around in classes, the person who shamelessly teased and flirted with Lan Wangji. That Wei Wuxian is gone. I think Wei Wuxian knows he’s hurt Lan Wangji and does feel bad about it, but he knows he has to push him away to protect him. He doesn’t want to drag Lan Wangji down with him, he feels it’s better this way. And I think, even though CQL!Wei Wuxian does have feelings for Lan Wangji quite a bit earlier than in the book, you can see the one-sided love here, in Lan Wangji’s aggressive behavior as he attempts to save this person he loves. Lan Wangji isn’t willing to give up on him, whereas Wei Wuxian is more prepared to let him go—to push him away to protect him. That’s love too, I suppose, but it’s a love that is meant to be from afar—a sad love, not a passionate one, not a desperate one, not the one that Lan Wangji feels for him.

This is so heartbreaking for Lan Wangji, in part, because they had such a special relationship before. Prior to this, Wei Wuxian prided himself in that he and Lan Wangji went on night hunts together—the clan didn’t matter, whether that was unorthodox or not. And now to see him use his clan as a barrier between them…it’s quite a betrayal. Lan Wangji feels so hurt, so at a loss—he wonders what could he have done differently to prevent this, he blames himself.

This is one of my favorite episodes because of this reunion scene. What you expect is some great reunion, the hugging between Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, maybe a smile from Lan Wangji because he’s really happy to see him. But instead, you get pain. You get a Jiang Cheng hugging Wei Wuxian, but Wei Wuxian not even returning the hug (he only raises his arm to signal that he wants to break apart). You get a heated confrontation between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, one that is “fondly” thought of as their break-up scene. I love the drama, I love the pain, I love the angst, I love the dichotomy between Yunmeng Jiang and Gusu Lan, I love that this is the start of more tension between Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji, I love everything about it. The “us and them” dynamic that starts here is so great, and then to see it slowly unravel throughout the next ten episodes, to see Wei Wuxian’s and Jiang Cheng’s relationship fall apart, while Wei Wuxian’s and Lan Wangji’s relationship begins to strengthen again--I eat it up. It’s like my candy. Anyway, I’m excited for what’s to come, excited to talk more wangxian and how it compares to the book (from my dwindling knowledge, that is)! Happy that you all are coming along this ride with me!

Other episodes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |

[autumncomplexion]

Phil goes to the Museum (sounds like a kids movie title, lol)

Okay but. Idea. What if Phil does his research before seeing Wilbur again.

In Phil’s lore stream, he found out Wilbur had been lying to him in his letters. He doesn’t even know who Schlatt was. He didn’t know Wil lost the election and was cast out of his own country. He kept saying he had so many questions, that he had questions before, where it all went wrong, but now he has even more questions. What if, while he waits to be able to speak to Wilbur, who’s lied to him before, he tries to find out the real story he thought he knew. I think Phil should try and find out the history of this place. He should talk to Eret. Eret has been there since the beginning. They were the traitor the first time around, and they’re now ruler of the Greater SMP. Not only that, but Eret has been keeping the history of this place. Eret is building and curating the museum. Phil should request an audience with the king. It would be tense. An awkward meeting no doubt. But after Phil found out about the museum, and that his son had lied to him about the goings-on of the server, Phil needs to know the truth. And if Wilbur’s lied to him before, he might try to twist the truth again if Phil just asks him about it. But could you imagine, just, a tense meeting at the castle. And a quiet walk to the museum. With just, Phil explaining that he needs to know what really happened. From the beginning. And Eret has wanted to make amends for so long, they want to do good, and help, it’s all they want (that and power, power is pretty cool too). So the two walk around the museum. Starting at the beginning. And slowly, the intensity and awkwardness melts away because Phil is just listening to Eret as they go along. I don’t even think Phil would ask many questions, if any. Probably getting more and more quiet. At a loss of words once they get to the parts that Wil lied about. Finding out what happened at the Election/Inauguration. What Pogtopia really was. What really happened at the Festival. Who executed Tubbo. When they’re done, somehow Phil is even more quiet than when they started. Just, thinking. In his own head. Digesting the new information. When they started, it may have been tense and awkward but not completely silent. This would allow him to properly question Wil when he sees him again. Rather than just asking him what really happened, asking him why he lied. Asking him about events he lied about or just left out completely. Give us that angry confused angst Philza. Give us scrambling Wilbur trying to explain why he lied. Not only would this give us extra lore before he meets Wilbur again, gives us Eret in the lore, it also gives an in-story recap of events that have happened since the beginning for newer fans. It would be a cool way to go over past events for new fans as well as older ones, since sometimes it’s important to revisit because it’s easy to forget the significance of certain events.

[parvuls]

@missellewoods wrote this post, and i wanted to respond to it, but i also didn’t want to add a thesis-length response to their post. the post was about the complexity of the parse iii scene, and i highly encourage looking at it before reading this, because it’s a direct response. 

i wasn’t sure i was gonna do it, but i’m fascinated with jack’s pov, so.

(transcripts from parse i-iii, plus visual cues from lva@pvd i)

[jack turns around, obviously unhappy/startled] "kent." "hey, zimms. didja miss me?" [smirks]

so parse shows up at the haus for the second time, after jack’s seen him last in either freshman or sophomore year. jack is not happy to see him. this is probably the part the remains the most ambiguous to us as an audience, because it leads up to parse iii: shitty’s story about parse’s first appearance is supposed to make us think that jack is jealous, and that he’s holding a grudge because parse is living his dream while he’s at samwell. however, this story isn’t included to give us more information about jack’s psych -- it is, after all, what we expect from jack after his year 1 arc -- it’s there so the impact of parse iii is more significant. it’s the first time we’re given reason to doubt jack’s heterosexuality and are given an actual glimpse to jack’s past since ‘the hockey prince’.

so is shitty’s story true? obviously ngozi is playing with the narrative here: smh all claim parse is a modest, super nice bro, but then we hear how he talks to jack in parse iii. meaning, ngozi is telling us: believe no one. you can’t actually know what he’s like, or what jack and he are like.

so our scene begins with jack, 1) either upset because his former friend shows up and triggers his intense jealousy, or 2) is upset because his former flame shows up and triggers unresolved feelings. honestly, in my opinion, jack himself isn’t sure which one it is. which is a great set up for the unfolding of the next scene.

[jack and parse are talking about jack’s nhl plans]

"...you have no clue?" "i mean... it could be montreal, it could be l.a. okay? i don't know." "...what about las vegas?" "i... i don't know, okay?" "..." [parse probably moves closer/tries to kiss him] "pars---" "..." "..." [whispered] "--kenny... i can't do this." "...jack. come on."

their conversation starts out relatively neutrally. we’re given enough clues from this update and the future of omgcp to deduce that parse isn’t over what he and jack had. this is also the very reason they don’t work and why this conversation takes a sharp turn downwards from here: parse equates his feelings and whatever sexual/romantic connection they had to the chemistry they had on the ice. to him, jack leaving him and going to play for some obscure college is just as upsetting as their ‘thing’ ending. parse spends most of this scene trying to convince jack to come play with him in lv -- the only reason we even know it’s in some way romantic is because of his reaction to the Cup Kiss in year 3. otherwise, he makes it sound like he misses jack as a liney and best friend, maybe as a sexual partner.

but the catch is, jack was in a really bad place when they were playing together, and he doesn’t want that back. does parse know how bad things were? does parse know about jack’s anxiety? how well does parse know jack, really? this is all kept intentionally hidden from us. you could say that they were best friends, so it’s reasonable that parse knew all of this (thus painting his character in a much worse light), or you could say shitty is jack’s best friend and he still didn’t know major things about him. ngozi doesn’t want us to be able to tell how aware or not aware parse is.

so in the beginning of this scene, we’re on the edge of an inevitable cliff. parse wants jack back, as a friend/flame and as a teammate, and jack’s obviously torn. he doesn’t push parse away immediately, but he also doesn’t consent. my opinion is that jack is torn between his old dream (all his 18-year-old self wanted was to play in the nhl with parse, and win win win), and knowing this isn’t what he wants. but does not wanting that necessarily means he doesn’t want parse himself? jack’s obviously not sure, because he lets parse corner him/kiss him before he decides it isn’t right. 

if anyone here has ever met an old flame, especially someone who was bad for you but you cared for for a long time, you’ll know how easy it is to fall into patterns. for a moment the idea of having that all again is so enticing. but then the illusion shatters, and...

"no, i-- ...uh." [and then much louder] "kenny--" "--zimms, just fucking stop thinking for once and listen to me. i'll tell the gms you're on board and they can free up cap space. then you can be done with this shitty team. you and me --" "get out."

here is the most important part of this scene in my opinion. kent doesn’t know jack anymore. anyone on the face of the planet could tell you that jack is a hardass, that he’s tough on his teammates, that his dream is the nhl. but jack loves his team. he didn’t necessarily always know how to be their friend, but he certainly doesn’t think of them as a ‘shitty team’ he’s stuck with.

and parse makes the mistake of shattering the illusion he’s built (with the clever use of the wording ‘shitty’, which probably reminds jack of the friends he has now). jack wakes up from the dream he had when he was 18 and comes back to reality: he’s samwell men’s hockey team’s captain, he cares for his team, and his new dream is to win the ncaa championship and go to the nhl. he doesn’t want this thing parse is offering him, because the person he’s offering it to isn’t him anymore.

and here is the first twist of this scene that op is referring to: jack starts to get angry.

"--jack." "you can't-- you can't come to my fucking school unannounced --" "--because you shut me out--" "--and corner me in my room--" "--i'm trying to help--" "--and expect me to do whatever you want--" "FUCK -- JACK!!! what do yo want me to say? that i miss you?” [twists his fingers in jack’s shirt, crowding into jack’s space. jack turns away, frowning angrily] “i miss you, okay? ...i miss you."

does parse really miss jack, or is it a ploy? honestly, i think the facial expressions we’re privy to in year 3 hint that he really means that. he misses jack. he doesn’t necessarily miss the current jack (it’s likely that he’s stuck on the fantasy of what they had when they were younger), but he means what he says. he wants jack back.

but jack is angry, because parse is complicating things for him. they were talking about playing together, and then parse insulted his choices, and now parse is talking about being together, and jack -- who took A YEAR PLUS to figure out his feelings for bitty -- probably has a hard time handling all of these things at once. for parse there’s nothing complicated here: the jack he knows wouldn’t want to play for a college team (therefore, =shitty team), and playing with jack=being with jack. 

for jack none of these things work like that anymore. they’ve grown too far apart.

"...you always say that." "...huh. well, shit. okay. ...you know what, zimmermann? you think you're too fucked up to care about? that you're not good enough? everyone already knows what you are but it's people like me who still care."

and... okay. so things go south now, and quickly. if you’re a parse stan... honestly, i hope you’re a parse stan who’s aware parse needs a shit ton of therapy. 

jack insults parse, whether intentionally or unintentionally, by being casual about parse’s declarations of feelings. to be fair, jack thinks parse was playing dirty. but parse doesn’t see it like that, so he’s offended, and apparently when he’s offended he gets angry and lashes out.

now. the unfortunate thing about knowing someone at their most vulnerable time is that you also know exactly how to kick them down to their lowest. we all hurt our loved ones the most, because we know them the best. but parse doesn’t just hurt jack here: he goes for the jugular. he kicks jack and then makes sure he stays down. and this is actually the most we see parse say in the whole comic, so... we can’t judge parse as a whole person, but. i’m sorry. he’s definitely not a good friend to jack.

(how bad of a friend? depends on how aware he was of jack’s anxiety and thoughts and feelings. if he was aware, this is a highly emotionally abusive thing to do. if he wasn’t aware, he was just being a shitty friend. either way, parse needs therapy, because he’s holding on to a lot of anger and is expressing it in a really awful way. but we can’t analyze him any further as a character because parse is not the focus of this story and we don’t know anything more about him.)

[faintly] "--shut up--" "--you're scared everyone else is going to find out you're worthless, right? oh, don't worry, just give it a few seasons, jack. trust me." [probably begins shaking] "...g-get out of my room." "fine. shut me out again." "and stay-... stay away from my team." "why? afraid i'll tell them something?" [voice growing stronger] "leave, parse." [door opening; jack and parse are surprised to find bitty outside the door. jack is visibly shaking, holding the attack at bay]

op asked how jack’s anger turns into a full blown panic attack. the answer is parse goes for his weak points faster than jack can prepare himself, just when jack was open for an attack. he calls jack ‘worthless’, which is jack’s second worst fear, and then (probably) tries for the sexuality angle. it’s unclear whether he’s threatening to out jack or to tell the team about his substance problems, but more likely the former, because the latter was all over the news.

parse is clearly upset here. is he just angry for being rejected? is he humiliated? is he heartbroken? we don’t know. the only hint we have is ‘shut me out again’, which implies he’s at least still upset about jack cutting him off after the draft. what we do know is that jack, with the last shreds of his will power, tries to defend his team. tries to cling on to the idea that he knows there are people who believe in him (this is very hard under the cloud of anxiety).

either way, jack’s panic isn’t even about parse or what parse used to be -- it’s just that parse knows where to press.

[parse clears throat, putting his indifferent mask back on] "hey. well. call me if you reconsider or whatever. but good luck with the falconers." [lands the final blow] "...i'm sure that'll make your dad proud." [jack's panic attack takes over. he retreats to his room, slams the door, and slides down to curl into himself on the floor for an undetermined amount of time]

and then parse, in front of jack’s teammate, lands the worst punch he has in his arsenal. jack’s worst fear. disappointing his dad.

jack spent all of year 2 talking to nhl teams and being watched by scouts and negotiating contracts, and consulting with his dad and his teammates to make a decision. he’s not sure about the falconers until much later, but he obviously leans towards them. which is a whole essay in and of itself: jack leans towards the falconers, a smaller, younger team with no cups, but with a lot of potential and good people and something to prove. this is a metaphor for jack’s growth as a character. he could go for a more established team to look good in front of the world, or pick a winning-streak team like the aces to feed into his anxiety. parse is taunting him with his own growth, making him doubt himself: you think you can change? you think you can really be someone new after playing in some college team? if you’re not who you were when you were 18 and first-pick at the draft (before you ruined everything for yourself and ended up here), you’re no one. and your dad will never be proud of you.

[end scene.]

[dreamingsnowflake2013]

The reason behind Tharn doubts aren’t merely his character flaws, but also Type’s because trust goes both ways and Type has been hiding from Tharn and not sharing with him way too many important information since S1. It’s an issue that has appeared since the very first episode of S2, as well - Type being evasive about his problems and Tharn being at a lost what’s actually going on.

It has always taken Type a long time before he overcomes his shyness and insecurity and shares his thoughts and emotions with Tharn. Be it his childhood trauma, his feelings for Tharn, "I love you", the whole plan to take down Lhong, his work issues,... 

He keeps things from Tharn for too long it always eventually leads to some sort of argument because Tharn feels frustrated, left out and not good enough.

Type never had any ulterior motive in keeping some things away from Tharn. He has always been a very private person even in S1 as a result of his childhood trauma. He’s overcome the worst of it in S1 and got so much better in sharing his thoughts and emotions with Tharn in those 7 years,  but the tendency to keep things to himself or very private, avoiding public attention (hence his reluctance to marry Tharn), is still very much a part of him and it will never completely disappear. 

He doesn’t want to appear weak or incompetent or as a failure and doesn’t want to bother Tharn with his problems more than he already does. The fact that he overcame the worst of this shortcoming in S1 doesn’t make Type behaving like this inconsistent. That personality trait, this character flaw will always be a part of him and it reappears when he faces under stress and when he faces a new situation. And him being a working adult for the first time in his life and being bullied by his boss definitely counts as both of those things. 

On the other hand, there is Tharn who is very open and vocal about everything, every detail, he thinks, does and feels which gives Type the confidence that Tharn is irrevocably in love with him and would never cheat on him as his musician boyfriend couldn’t keep a secret from him even if his life depended on it.

A relationship consists of two people who are different in many things and these differences create misunderstandings, arguments and clashes. So this is not about putting blame on somebody about the rift in the relationship, because it always takes two to tango, it’s about understanding the reasons, motivations and context resulting in this altercation. The fact that Type keeps Tharn in a dark about certain important things leaves Than wondering what Type is thinking. Words are needed. If Type doesn't tell him, Tharn will never know.

What many people don’t realize is that Tharn isn’t omniscient, unlike us, the all-knowing audience. He doesn’t know everything Type does and that happens to him because Type does not tell him. Tharn knew Type had some problems at work with his demanding boss but Type was never specific about those problems with him. And not for the lack of Tharn trying. He kept asking Type but in the end he didn’t learn anything. 

Only when Type became so anxious and angry began to completely fall apart did Tharn decide to pry and investigate on his own. He literally had to spy on Type and ask Techno, Champ and Khun what is wrong with his own lover because each of them knew something he didn’t. The audience saw all of that but Tharn had to jump through hoops to get those important information and asks a virtual stranger to learn them. And only then, when Tharn confronted him with those information did Type admit all that happened and kept from Tharn for months. It’s no wonder Tharn was horrified when his lover had been suffering like this for almost half a year but didn’t tell him about it. 

Just imagine how Tharn must feel when his own boyfriend of almost 8 years doesn’t share something such a huge part of his life with him. 

So it’s only natural that when confronted with the sight of Type kissing another he begins to wonder and doubt what else Type hasn’t told him, what else he has kept from him. Tharn is deeply hurt, his heart is breaking, it’s like his worst nightmare coming true and history repeating itself all over again. And in this state of intense confusion and pain, a person is unable to think logically and be calm. 

Something inside Tharn twists and warps and he jumps to the worst possible conclusion because when he sees that kiss his mind blinded by pain, fear and jealousy connects it with all the things Type kept secret from him, how he saw them together at the mall, how he let him in in their condo, kept meeting him when Type has trouble forming new relationship, their photo upside down, the pen,... all of it in his mind paints a terrible picture of betrayal he is unable to unsee. This all leads Tharn to believe that Type doesn’t trust him and with the resurfacing of his abandonment trauma he thinks it’s because he himself is not good enough.

Finally, Tharn doesn’t know is how Type defended him against his boss in front of the whole hospital, how he told Teng that Tharn deserved to be shown off or how Type talks about him with others because, once again, Type doesn’t tell him any of those things out of shyness.

[fuchsiagrasshopper]

Contending the Flame V

Author’s Note: Chapter 5, things take a turn for the dramatic and a bit angsty here. I really am having fun getting reacquainted with this story, and I have a lot planned for future chapters and an ending. Thanks for being such a wonderful audience, your feedback is always appreciated!

Pairing: Ivar x Reader

Word count: 2307

Warnings: Master/Servant dynamic, mentions of suicide attempt, blood, angst

Ivar was exhausted as he propelled his way forward through the city streets. He had opted to stay up on the walls with his warriors through the cold night. It had served to enliven the men into a frenzy to have his presence, but he had only done so out of avoidance.

As the days went by, it seemed his little nun had less to say to him. The truth of the priest's death weighed heavily on you, and you carried it around like a sickness. You had lost your desire to argue or even to spare a simple word. Ivar was disappointed. He had given up trying to teach you his language when you had refused to repeat everything he taught you. The only way he could spurn a reaction out of you was to address you as Ólaug, but even that enjoyment had waned.

Thoughts of revenge against Lagertha were never far from his mind, nor was Kattegat. The heathen army was not destined to stay in York, but while Ubbe and Hvitserk were fixated on settling in on Saxon farmlands, Ivar had other ambitions. He was torn by the enticing idea to travel and become a conqueror, or return to Norway and have his revenge for his mother's death. His brothers looked to have abandoned that notion, leaving him alone and frustrated with his hatred. They would say it was because they did not want to fight with Bjorn, but Ivar knew it was that they didn't love their mother as much as he had.

Ivar did not like feeling so lost. It made him feel like a boy again, only now Floki wasn't there to give him guidance. He was certain he was fated to cross paths with the rangy lunatic one day, but what madness would lead them back together was not foretold. Without Helga, Floki had become as empty as a horn with no mead. Ragnar had vanished for ten years, yet Ivar could not recall his mother ever being heartsick over his absence. Not all love was meant to last.

The concept of love and marriage was something he had been considering more often as of late. As a leader to his people and a son of Ragnar, it would be expected of him to have a wife and heir. Ubbe was already married, and Hvitserk likely had fathered a brood of children he didn't know about. Where did that leave him? Even if he took a wife, it wouldn't be long before the people would speak about the lack of an heir. Ivar did not consider himself to be nurturing, but for his own children, he would have tried. Now it seemed impossible that they could ever exist.

"Ivar."

He was broken out of his dour thoughts by Hvitserk. It took half of his own stride for his brother to catch up to him. Even with the braces and crutch, his mobility was limited, but he chose to take the muscles he had built as a victory. Though his legs were useless, they no longer hung from his waist like gnarled tree branches. They almost appeared normal, except that they couldn't bear his weight. 

"You have news," Ivar guessed to Hvitserk, who had slowed to match his pace.

"Our scouting party has returned with word that the Saxons have made camp south of here. They don't appear to have a plan of attack yet. Maybe now is the best time to negotiate for land when we have the advantage."

Hvitserk's tone was pleading, and Ivar was sure he could get him to grovel with the right persuasion. 

"Yes, we have the advantage. So why compromise our position for negotiations that will end in rejection," Ivar said, and he delighted as Hvitserk's face fell. "The Christians do not want us here, brother. If we want land then we'll take it."

"At least let me or Ubbe go. We don't have to give up our position behind the walls, but we can send one of us to negotiate, as a son of Ragnar."

"And risk losing a brother to the enemy? No, that would be foolish and I would appear ill-advised," He said, rounding the corner towards his room with Hvitserk following. 

His intention hadn't been to return to his chamber, but with Hvitserk's desperation and his lethargy, fate had brought him back to the familiar door. Thoughts of sleep were welcome, even if he detested retiring during daylight. 

"This decision should be made with all three of us. We need to sit down with Ubbe first before anything is final," Hvitserk said, not abandoning his cause.

Ivar let out a sigh before casting a long look at his brother. This was important to him, and to Ubbe. He didn't want to continue to have strife with his brothers, even if they didn't share the same aspirations for the army. "I agree."

"Really?" Hvitserk's mouth hung half opened as if awaiting another argument. "Well...then let's do that."

"Yes, fine." Ivar waved his hand, hoping to banish him from his sight. 

Opening the door to his room, he had hoped Hvitserk would take the hint to leave, but instead, they were met with a startling sight. The air stung with the smell of copper, and there was Ólaug, on your knees weeping. The stone floor before you had a puddle of blood, enough to fill a large pitcher, and you were clutching your left wrist. A gash had been cut there, and lying on the ground next to the blood was the weapon. It was a broken piece of a clay plate.

Ivar threw his crutch to the side and dropped to the ground in a heap of twisted bones and metal. His braces were heavy, but he managed to crawl to you quicker than he would have walked. Ignoring any proper thoughts of decency, he pulled you to him to inspect the damage.

"Get a healer, now," He shouted to Hvitserk who had stuck to the doorway, disturbed by what he had witnessed. The order got him moving, and he disappeared to fetch a healer while Ivar tried to stanch the bleeding with his larger hand over yours.

"You stupid Christian, look what you've done," Ivar hissed. He was sitting in your blood, the warmth seeping through his trousers. Your back was held tight to his chest while he tried to keep from jostling you around.

"Forgive me," You uttered over again, and Ivar knew the words were not meant for him.

This was the closest you had been together since the first night you had spoken. You were still devoted to your weak God, and Ivar wasn't certain you had even taken heed of his proximity. To take one's own life was cowardice, and he couldn't understand what had driven you to act on such an impulse. You were pitiful, in need of comfort, and he was enraged. After the courtesy, he had shown you this was how you chose to escape him. His hand clenched tight on your arm, his nails biting into flesh until you whimpered.

Just as he contemplated finishing the work you had started, and it would have been simple to take the clay shard to your throat, Hvitserk returned with a healer.

"You need to move, Prince. I must see what I'm dealing with," said Audhild. She was their most senior healer, a broad woman with wiry blonde hair and shrewd green eyes. With skillful hands, she tended to battle wounds, not Christian thralls. If she had any grievances about being summoned, she hid them behind a stern face of practicality. 

Ivar passed you over to Audhild. You had grown cold and quiet, ceasing your own utterances to your God. Hvitserk was at his side with a hand and his crutch to lift him off the floor. The first thing Ivar sought once he got back on his feet was the bucket of tepid, clean water to wash up. He had been covered in the blood of his enemies before, but when his hands hit the water and darkened it to a murk, he felt a strange sadness.

"What happened to her hair?" Hvitserk questioned, coming to stand at Ivar's side.

"She did that to herself," mumbled Ivar. He wasn't in the mood to entertain all of Hvitserk's questions. "Just more Christian nonsense."

"It could have been worse," Hvitserk intoned in a low voice. "At least she didn't keep this hidden and try to kill you in your sleep."

Ivar looked at the jagged piece of clay in Hvitserk's hand before resuming his wash up. He couldn't make out his own reflection through the filth of the water, but he could feel the frown on his face. The thought had never crossed his mind, and he was certain it hadn't crossed his nun's either. 

"No, she would never risk the wrath of her God by murdering me," He said, drying his hands on a rag.

"You sound confident." Hvitserk's tone lacked the same strength. 

"Yes, here we are," He quipped, tossing the sodden rag at his brother. "This isn't my blood that was spilled."

Hvitserk set the rag aside, along with the makeshift knife. He seemed prepared to argue further but was interrupted by Audhild. She had far less blood on her hands and appeared satisfied with her work. 

"The cut was not deep enough to be fatal. A part of her must have wanted to live," said the healer.

"No, it was fear of her God. Sinners go to Hell." It was utter nonsense that kept you alive, he was certain of it.

Audhild's eyes crinkled to a squint, unsure what to make of this information. "Well, her wound will heal, but she'll need to eat and drink to replenish what she lost."

Ivar peered passed Audhild to his thrall. You were whiter than your old virginal robes, and your head was bowed. Except for the rise and fall of your chest, you were still like a statue. He had no kind thoughts towards you at that moment.

"Take her to the kitchen to be fed. She can remain there with the other thralls," said Ivar, turning away. 

Hvitserk perked up at the remark and came forward. "You aren't keeping her?"

"No, I have no use for a cowardly slave."

While Hvitserk looked alarmed by his callousness, Audhild appeared thoughtful. "Excuse me my Prince, but before you make that decision, might I inquire about her usefulness? If she was a nun prior to this, then she should have skills to aid me. They tend to their sick and dying, not to goats and pigs."

"Fine then, you take her," Ivar huffed. "Just get her away from me."

Audhild said nothing more, taking her dismissal as she went to collect you from the floor. 

You startled from the healer's touch on your shoulder but stood up when you understood you were being ordered away. Ivar fought the need to watch you depart but surrendered to the urge at the last moment. You were looking back at him also, curiosity alight in your sad eyes. And there was fear also. You broke the gaze that lingered between you both, following Audhild out of the room.

"Why did you do that?" Hvitserk asked the moment they were alone. 

"I already told you," Ivar bit back, in no mood to have to explain his rationale to his slow-witted brother. "Go and fetch Ubbe. I want to hear what plan you think you have to negotiate with the Saxons."

Hvitserk took on a concerned frown. He must have known there was little hope for their plan of a sit down with the Saxons now. Maybe he wasn't as stupid as Ivar assumed.

He trudged to the door, halting once he got to the entryway to get the last word in. "I have seen these nuns do this before. You shouldn't have been so quick to release her, brother. Something must have happened to make her act on impulse like that."

Maybe something had occurred to spurn such a reaction from you, but at the moment Ivar could not see through his fury to consider such possibilities. You had tried to use death as a means to escape him after he had shared parts of himself with you. He told you of his parents, and you had spoken in kind of your own. By granting you those stories, he had allowed you to know him. It was more than he had given to another in years, and this was how he was rewarded. The Gods were not smiling down on him today.

"I'm not like you, father," He said aloud, with the hope that his words would reach Ragnar in Valhalla. "I can't befriend a Christian."

He staggered over to the abandoned washbasin. It would need emptying by another thrall now. The broken clay shard remained atop the soiled cloth, and Ivar felt it in his hand. His rage had peaked, and he squeezed the piece of clay until it drew blood from his palm. When the sting of the blade ceased, he pitched it across the room, shattering it to pieces.

The silence in the room made it impossible to ignore that he was alone once again. Ivar collapsed onto his pallet of furs, braces still intact on his legs, and the exhaustion returning along with this new hurt squeezing his chest. He was tired of being let down by others. No one ever remained at his side. 

Hvitserk was wrong. He couldn't keep you after knowing you would rather die than be his thrall. Lying on his side, Ivar could see the dark stain of your blood on his floor, and he turned away. Yes, he was better off without you tearing everything he had built apart.

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[walpurga-nacht-academy]

Magical School Joint Cultural Festival Headcanons

Despite being one of the most prestigious magic schools in Twisted Wonderland, Walpurga Nacht’s participation in this event has only been established 35 years ago due to the intervention of Headmistress Lyra Merrion who was said to enjoy this sort of “spirited interaction between young people.” She made it a point to insist that her school attend every year, even if just in a perfunctory fashion. This tradition was upheld by her successor, Headmistress Ursa Astoria as well.

However, even though Walpurga Nacht is present at the Joint Cultural Festival every year they have no booths and don’t participate in any of the student competitions, occupying the position of prestigious guests more than anything. The reason behind this is that the traditional school cultural event for Walpurga Nacht takes place between April 30 and May 1 and is exclusive to invited guests only. Thus, the witches prefer to be mere observers during these events since it suits their secretive nature better. 

The most popular attraction for them is of course the Voice & Dance Competition, to which they make sure to acquire their tickets well in advance. They enjoy this particular part of the festival the most since there is no equivalent of it during Samhain Night, and the novelty endeared them to it. Now, the sight of Walpurga Nacht girls in their white uniforms sitting in the audience has been quite familiar to students from other schools. 

Individual HCs

Staff

As every year, Headmistress Ursa Astoria had led the procession of witches and teachers on the grounds of Night Raven College, where they were informed that they should behave in a most exemplary manner as to not besmirch the reputation of the school. On her shoulder, Stryx puffed up his chest in order to ensure that Ursa’s appearance was as intimidating and stern as possible, though it merely caused the girls to be amused by his attempts. Once the students were dismissed and each Prefect was leading her group through the campus grounds, along with one of the few teachers accompanying them in some cases, Ursa began to make her rounds as well. What interested her most were the presentations that would be delivered by the fourth years. It was always important to see just where the current research methodology in magic was headed towards. She felt Stryx bristle beside her when a hand was placed on her shoulder and turned around only to see the Headmaster of Royal Sword Academy smiling at her. Returning it with one of her own, she also offered her hand which he took graciously, and lightly brushed his lips atop her knuckles as he bowed.  

Ursa: Ambrose. It’s good to see you again. Even though you gave Professor Stryx here quite a fright it seems.

Ambrose: Oh? Is that so? My apologies. I certainly didn’t mean to do that.

Ursa: Then perhaps you should not be looking so amused as you say such things, shouldn’t you?

Ambrose: Ohohohohoho, indeed.

Stryx’s feathers stood on edge as the Headmaster of RSA continued to laugh. Reaching out with her hand, Ursa began to scratch the top of his head until he completely calmed down. Chirping happily Stryx seemingly forgot the surge of anger that just awakened for the Headmaster of Royal Sword.

Ambrose: It’s quite a surprise to see you here today, Ursa. I was led to believe you would be too busy with preparations for Samhain Night to join us this year.

Ursa: It almost came to that, but Professor Yaga has graciously offered to take over for the following two days, so that I may attend.

Ambrose: I see! How kind of her indeed. In this case, perhaps you’ll do me the honour of letting me accompany you as you visit the booths set up by the students? You are interested in the 4th years’ work especially, are you not?

Chuckling lightly, Ursa accepted the arm that was offered to her.

Ursa: I would say it is almost impressive how well you know me, if not for the fact that I check the same booths every year.

Ambrose: Hm? Have you now? I most certainly haven’t noticed that.

Ursa: Of course you haven’t. Let’s see what your competition has to offer.

Ursa spent most of her day in Ambrose’s company, exchanging quips and teasing remarks, as old friends tend to do when they meet each other again. Stryx was quite displeased by this because he hoped he’d get to spend the day only in her company. Though his dissatisfaction was quelled somewhat by the moments of affection that Ursa bestowed upon him.

At some point, she had run into Trein as well, and as usual, the two exchanged greetings and inquired about each other’s well-being, while Stryx and Lucius openly glared at one another. It was always a tense meeting between the two, not that their owners ever let it come to blows.

Trein: Ursa, about the Witch Dances this year-

Ursa: Let us not get into that. It is what it is.  

After the two departed, Ursa eventually reunited with Ambrose who had been gone for a while to do some sightseeing of his own. He was in a good mood which pleased Ursa as well, and once again he offered his arm to her as they made their way through the crowd.

Ambrose: I believe we’ve managed to hit almost all the booths - at the very least, the ones you were keen on inspecting, haven’t we?

Ursa: It was quite a fruitful day, indeed.

Ambrose: Then perhaps we should head to the Purple Stage as well.

Ursa: The Purple Stage?

Ambrose: Where the Vocal & Dance Competition will be held, of course. Don’t tell me you plan to skip it this year as well.

Ursa: You know that I don’t care very much for this sort of thing.

Ambrose: What a shame. I was looking forward to showing you just how wonderfully talented our student representatives are this year.

Ursa: I’m sure it will be quite a sight. But…

Ambrose: But?

Ursa: Only a fool underestimates his rival before the fight has even started. I’m sure Night Raven will provide quite the opposition this year as well in response.

Ambrose: Ohohohoho! This is what I’m counting on!

Then what will you attend if not the VDC?

Ursa: I believe Young Shroud is set to give a speech this very same day as well. Young Dies has spoken very highly of his research and it has piqued my interest as a result. It’s quite ambitious.

Thus Ursa did not attend the VDC and rather stood in at Idia’s speech which she did find quite interesting, having expressed as much during the Q&A afterward. It was truly more advanced than she expected of a third year student, though given it was Vita who praised him, she expected a solid performance regardless. Stryx on the other hand kept nodding off throughout the entire speech, only waking up when Ursa began to speak, and then proceeded to loudly praise her question and commentary until she asked him to refrain.

She later met with Crowley as well, just after he departed from his conversation with Ambrose.

Ursa: Dire.

Crowley: Ah! Headmistress Astoria! I hope you’ve enjoyed our efforts to make this school festival as entertaining for our guests as possible. It’s always such a pleasure to have the witches from Walpurga Nacht attend, of course.

Ursa scoffed in amusement at his flattery, and without missing a beat, simply offered her hand to Crowley, which he by reflex took and kissed.

Ursa: You’ve become more proficient at flattery, Dire.

Crowley: It’s because you always nag- I mean! It’s simply because you’re always kind when it comes to criticizing my unruly behaviour.

Ursa: Hm, is that so? Then perhaps I should come by for tea more often then. I’m sure Professor Yaga will be rather glad to join us too.

Crowley: Th-That! Ahem! It’s truly such a shame she could not attend today… isn’t that right?

Ursa: Indeed, she has kindly offered to cover for me while I’m gone.

Crowley: Ah, truly magnificent of her. Of course, of course.

Ursa: She’ll be quite amused to hear that Royal Sword has secured victory this year once again.

Crowley: Guh! It was merely a one vote difference! It is practically a draw, Headmistress! And regardless, I’m sure we’ll be victorious at the Inter-school Magift Tournament this year!

Ursa: I wonder… Well, Walpurga Nacht will be prepared in any case to provide moral support to the teams as always.

Crowley: I look forward to hearing the powerful and motivational cheers of your students. It’s always such a sight - especially for the first years. It’s sure to raise their spirits! Ah, what a kind man I am for letting my students experience such a wonderful performance, aren’t I?

Ursa: And how humble. However, Dire…

Crowley: Hm? Yes, what is it?

Ursa: You look much thinner than when I last saw you. Have you been eating well? Your feathers look rather unwell too.

Crowley: A-Ah? Most certainly! There’s no need for you to express concern, Headmistress! It must simply be my lack of sleep…

Ursa: Lack of sleep?

Crowley: Ah! Well, you see I’ve been rather busy this past month and…

Ursa: That is hardly an excuse, Dire. I expected you to be aware of what a healthy lifestyle consists of, but if you’ve become so lax, perhaps you require a reminder. Come, I will gladly lecture you about it.

Crowley: Ah, that is-

Ursa: It is customary for a host to accompany their guests when they request it, you are aware of it, I hope.

Crowley: Well, that is-

Without waiting for a response, Ursa merely held onto Crowley’s arm and began to lead him through the festival street, where people were still milling about and enjoying themselves. Soon, she’ll have to gather her girls and return to their school, but until that time comes she’ll spend the rest of her trip catching up with her colleague.    

Rosalia Morgainne

Rosa was the one who looked forward to the Inter-school Cultural Festival the most out of all the Prefects. For the past month she’d wake up every morning energized at the thought that the festival was drawing nearer. It was quite a sight for the rest of her dorm mates, who made various snide comments towards her during that time, but she barely paid them any mind. The mere idea that she’ll get to see Vil perform on stage was uplifting enough to put her in a good mood during that entire time.

So when the day of the festival came, it was her priority to seek him out for a small reunion. She’d instructed her girls to be mindful of how they behave, but as always, the older ones just rolled their eyes and set out to do as they wanted without even acknowledging her instructions. The first and the second years at least had the decency to nod before they took off on their own, and when she was finally alone, Rosa set out to look for him. The only issue was that the place was huge, and crowded, and she had no idea where he might even be right now. Probably doing warm-up before the rehearsals, which meant he would most likely be at the venue site.

Rosa: Alright, then that must mean the Purple Stage!

Cater: Hm? Rosa-chan, isn’t that you?

Rosa: Guh! Cater? What are you doing here?

Cater: What do you mean? I’m a student here. Remember~?

Rosa: Ugh, that’s right… What bad luck running into you.

Cater: Hey, hey, isn’t that a little too harsh? Don’t look so glum. Let’s take a selfie to cheer you up~!

Rosa: Absolutely not! How many times do I have to tell you I don’t want to be associated with that image anymore? But I don’t have time to waste on you! I’m going so don’t follow me!

Cater: Eh? Rosa-chan? Wait-

Taking off, Rosa made sure to blend amongst the crowd on her way to the Purple Stage so even if Cater were to follow, he’d be sure to lose her. Navigating the main street proved to be easier than she expected as people were too busy enjoying themselves and looking at the booths to spare a second glance at her. She’d avoided being spotted as she made her way to her destination, but upon reaching it another problem occurred to her: there was simply no way she was going to be let in without a staff pass. Which she definitely did not have.

Crossing her arms, Rosa eyed the two cameramen who were unloading the equipment that would be used for broadcasting the VDC to all the households in Twisted Wonderland. They groaned and yelled instructions at each other as they made sure the camera they were carrying would not be dropped by accident on the ground and smashed. She watched as another man, wearing the backstage pass around his neck, opened the door for them and all three disappeared inside the building. When they were gone she made sure to hide somewhere away from the eyes of strangers.

Rosa: Ugh, this is definitely going to get me into trouble if I get found out, but… I promised myself I’d do things for my own sake too from now on. So I can’t just back down before I even try.

Alright. Here goes nothing- Heart’s Desire!

Going in there without a staff pass was impossible, but that only meant she had to acquire one. Brushing her now short, black hair behind her ear, she tried her best to appear as casual as possible as she made her way to the backstage door, opened the door and stepped inside. If she had been a short, pink haired teenage girl in a school uniform, Rosa might have attracted some attention, but as a woman in her late 20s, with a staff pass and uniform on she blended right in. Anyone barely paid her any mind, too busy making sure all the last minute preparations before the rehearsals were taken care of. It was surprisingly easy to venture in deeper while keeping an eye out for Vil.

Rosa: Ah! Vil!

Down the hallway she spotted him as he walked alongside Rook, both holding water bottles in their hands, and with towels on their shoulders. Vil turned around and Rosa was taken aback by his stern expression.

Vil: Yes? Is something wrong?

Rosa: Huh?

Even his tone was far more distant than she remembered. Was he troubled by something? She didn’t have time to ask because the very next second Rook intervened loudly.

Rook: Ah! Reine de la Passion! That is you wearing that disguise, isn’t it?

Vil’s face betrayed his surprise, and Rosa let out a shout of realization. No wonder he’d acted so formal with her! She didn’t even look like herself, after all, but rather some desperate fan trying to get his attention.

Rosa: That’s right! It’s me! I’m sorry for the deception, but there wasn’t any way they’d let me in otherwise, so-

Vil: That’s fine. I’ve grasped the situation. So you used your Unique Magic to do something you’re not allowed to, just because you wanted to fulfill your desire, isn’t that right?

Rosa: Eh- Um, that’s… I mean… Still! Rook!

Rook: Hm?

Rosa: Th-The way you guessed it was me just from a glance! That’s really something else! Just how good is your sight?

Rook: Non, non. It’s merely that I’ve become rather accustomed to Reine de la Passion’s gait, so upon seeing the you in front of me it reminded me too much of that. I’ve merely been a good observer.

Rosa: Sti-Still, that’s impressive!

Rook: Hm, to be complimented by a budding rose grasping for light as she ascends. Oui! C’est tres bien!

Rosa: Eh? Ah, though I don’t really get it, you seem happy, so I guess that’s good.

In any case, I just wanted to say that I’ll be rooting for you guys! I can’t wait to see what kind of performance you prepared for today. Knowing you, Vil, it’s sure to be fantastic. I’m shaking with excitement at the mere thought!

Vil: Hmph, our hard work’s results are certain to leave an unforgettable mark upon the audience. However.

Rosa: However?

Vil: Even though you meant well, it does not erase the fact that you are currently trespassing.

Rosa: Guh!

Vil: … What’s with that displeased expression?

Rosa: N-No! It’s nothing, just… I came all this way to see you… Not to be scolded like this…

Vil: Are you saying that I should overlook this just because your intentions were good?

Rosa: Overlook? Well, not really, but… uh…

Vil: Not to mention that you most likely left your dorm members to wander around unsupervised?

Rosa: … It’s not like they even care…

Vil: And now you’re making excuses. You are a Prefect now, aren’t you? You must carry yourself with more dignity than that.

Rosa: Aaaah! I get it! If I’m such an eyesore then I’ll just leave!

Vil: That’s enou- That girl! She just took off while I was talking!

Rook: Aaah, Reine de la Passion is as wild and unrestrained as ever. Merveilleux!

By the time she reached the inside of the colosseum, Rosa had already calmed down considerably. But with that calm came a deep sense of shame. Stopping just out of sight of the students setting up the stage, she furiously wiped at the tears that threatened to leak out. It was humiliating to think of just how childish she’d acted back then. She knew Vil was completely right and that she’d been trespassing, but it’s not like she did it for any sinister purposes. Why did he have to go and make her feel bad for something that most people would have found touching? She just wanted to show him her support. He’d been awfully tense this past month. She’d noticed it even back at the Ball, and text conversations with him had completely stopped as well. She was worried for him and wanted to make sure he was doing alright. That’s what friends do, after all. But he had to go and scold her like she was a small child and make her feel awful for what was at best a minor offence.

Jack: Rosa-senpai. What are you doing here?

Rosa: Huh? Ah! Jack! No, I mean-

Wh-What are you talking about? Actually, who are you? I’m just an ordinary staff member passing through, so if you’ll excuse me-

Jack: It’s no use acting like that. You’ve already revealed yourself.

Rosa: Th-That’s true…

To think that you’d recognize me even like this...  

Jack: That’s natural, isn’t it? You have a very distinct smell after all.

Rosa: Distinct smell! I’ll have you know I wash myself every day!

Jack: Huh? Wha-

Rosa: And I use a really good shampoo and my body lotion smells nice too! So there’s no way I have a “distinct smell”! And furthermore, it’s very rude to just tell someone something like that, you know? Even if it’s true you should show more restraint and-

Jack: Huh? Why are you crying?

Rosa: Wha- I-I’m not crying! I’m not a kid anymore so why would I even need to cry, huh? You’re… You’re just imagining things!

Jack: …

Rosa: Seriously... I swear…    

Whipping at the tears that were beginning to fall, Rosa never felt more pathetic. Ever since quitting the show she’d sworn to herself that she’ll work hard at becoming a more mature person. And that included not crying at the drop of a hat just because she was frustrated. It wasn’t Vil’s fault that she built up expectations for today. He had his own things to worry about and that didn’t include her. She willed herself to stay stoic, to not act like Cherry would and just turn into a childish crybaby all over again, especially in front of Jack. But the more she told herself not to cry, the harder it was to abstain and before she knew it, her vision went blurry due to the amount of tears that had started to spill. Her breath hitched in her throat and she hid her face in her hands. It was the most humiliating experience of her life. So focused as she was on her current embarrassment, she was startled to feel a heavy hand at the top of her head. It rested there lightly for a few seconds, before it started moving up and down, almost as if it was petting her. She spread her fingers to peak between them, but wasn’t able to discern much behind the wall of tears. There was just Jack’s awkward face, looking down at her in concern. It dawned on Rosa that in his own tense way he was trying his best to comfort her through her small breakdown, even though he couldn’t understand what exactly it was.

Despite the tenseness in his stance, which was made obvious by his body language, his touch was as gentle as he could possibly get. Rosa waited for him to say something, anything, but he seemed to be deep in thought about just what the right words would be in this situation. It amused her slightly to see the overly determined but troubled expression on his usually frowning face. It was quite an adorable expression on him, and before she realized she was giggling while tears still streamed down her face. Jack’s ears twitched at this sudden shift, which only made Rosa laugh harder. Warmth spread throughout her chest and without even waiting for another second she burst out laughing as she stepped forward and buried her face in his chest. The action startled him and his arms were left hanging in the air, unsure of what he should do with them.

Rosa’s tears quickly dried, as she was overcome by a fit of giggles.

Rosa: I’m sorry - giggle - I just - giggle - I didn’t mean to - giggle -

Though confused by her sudden mood switch, he felt somewhat better to see the tears had stopped and that she seemed in a better mood. Though he asked her again what had happened and why she started crying, Rosa merely shook her head and told him that it didn’t matter anymore and it was silly in the first place. But she was happy that she ran into him of all people, even if he had to see her like this.

Jack: Haaa… I guess that’s good, but… seeing you like that had me wo-uh… Nevermind. But, could you not cling to me like this? It’s…

Rosa: Are you embarrassed?

Jack: !!!

After she calmed down, Rosa waited for Jack to finish with his duties and during the window of free time he had before the VDC started, they headed out to visit some of the booths. Neither really brought up the issue again, since Rosa seemed in much better spirits now and though she appeared a bit reluctant to return to the Purple Stage when it was time to go, she quickly picked up the pace. Regardless of what happened before, she still came here to see Vil perform and no feelings of awkwardness would stop her. They split up when they got to their destination - Rosa joining the rest of her girls, who barely paid any attention to her arrival, and Jack sitting with the seniors of his dorm. The performance of NRC was everything Rosa thought it would be and more. Watching Vil perform on stage was worth even the slight stiffness in her body as their conversation replayed in her mind after his group was done. Her behaviour was deplorable, but inspired by this surge of adrenaline she decided she would go apologize to Vil for it once their victory was declared. Neige’s performance, though cute, was far less impressive than Vil’s and Rosa felt certain that NRC would win this year based on the stark contrast they created.

Her surprise was immense when RSA was declared the winner by one vote difference. So much that she loudly complained about it all the way back to the meeting point as she criticized the clearly biased audience, missing completely the irony of her own statement. The talk with Vil had to wait until a later date, as that night Rosa sent him a message unprompted expressing her dissatisfaction with the result of the competition.      

Blanche Dion

The VDC had never been of much interest to Grimmaire students in general, and that was especially true when it came to Blanche. The quality level of crafts and art presented there were indeed that of a high schooler and as a result of almost no interest to her. She’d taken a look at the booths manned by the 4th year students, which showed more promise than anything else, but even those were rather few in number.

Grimmaire Girl A: Hm, there seems to be one a few meters ahead. It’s, hm, let me see...

Blanche heaved a sigh as she crossed her arms. The street was crowded and loud and all her senses were on edge due to the overwhelming level of noise. Massaging her temple she spared a look at the group of girls trailing behind her.

Blanche: If it’s this close then let us just walk in that direction and- Ugh!

Grimmaire Girl B: Pre-Prefect! Are you okay?

Trey: I’m sorry- Ah! Blanche!

Blanche: Trey. And… Riddle.

Riddle: Blanche. Are you alright? Here.

Holding out a hand to her, Riddle helped Blanche stand up from the ground where she was flung after she bumped into Trey. Usually she was far more aware of her surroundings than this, but the noise of the crowd threw her for a loop. It disoriented her enough that only when it was too late did she realize the impact was unavoidable. With her cheeks burning in embarrassment at being seen in such an undignified position, she dusted her skirt.

Trey: Sorry, Blanche. It’s my bad. I didn’t see you there and-

Blanche: No, it’s alright. I’m the one that should apologize. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was headed, you see. Still, thank you, Riddle.

Riddle: It’s nothing. But you should be more careful when walking around crowded places like this. Trey, you too. You should pay attention to your surroundings to avoid situations like this.

Trey: A-Ah, that’s true…

Blanche: Regardless, it’s fortunate we have bumped into you. You see…

Explaining the current issue to Riddle had him nod his head in understanding.

Riddle: I see, so you were hoping to reach that particular place, but the crowd made it difficult.

Blanche: Indeed. We do not experience this sort of thing normally at our school. Even during Samhain Night, there have never been so many people in one place at once. And I have hardly gotten accustomed to Night Raven’s… whimsical nature.

Riddle: Whimsical… I suppose you could call it that. In any case, let us accompany you there since we were heading in the same direction.

Blanche: Are you sure? We wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience to you. I remember you saying that you were the chairman of this year’s committee. I’m sure you must be extremely busy.

Riddle: I insist. You are our guests here and it would be in bad faith to ignore your distress. And in any case, we were headed in that direction as well.

Blanche: I see. Well, in that case please excuse our intrusion.

Bowing slightly in gratitude, Blanche motioned to her girls to follow as she was led by Riddle through the crowd. With a guide who was familiar with the surroundings, it made it much easier to wade through the people gathered there. True to his word, Riddle made sure to behave like a gentleman and went as far as to intercept one of the festival goers before she ended up bumping into Blanche. The girl, a young adult by the looks of it, looked flustered as she apologized to the two profusely.

Blanche: Thank you. I should have been able to foresee that, but…

Riddle: The noise is making it difficult for you to concentrate, I understand. Don’t worry, I will make sure to escort you to your destination safely. Still, it would have been better for people not to act so unruly…

Blanche: I suppose the excitement of participating at such an event is too much to bear.

Riddle: Perhaps. Are you enjoying yourself?

Blanche: Me? I suppose. I’ve never been the type to care about these sorts of things. But I guess that once in a while… they aren’t so bad.

More importantly, I heard that Ace and Deuce will be participating in the VDC this year.

Riddle: Hm, the Walpurga Nacht grapevine is something impressive. But yes, that is indeed so. I have warned them to do their best not to embarrass the school or our dorm. But if they’ll listen…

Blanche: Why wouldn’t they, especially since they might lose their heads over it otherwise?

Riddle: Th-That-

Blanche: I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be teasing you like this.

Blanche giggled softly, hiding her smile behind her hand. A small one appeared on Riddle’s face too as he watched her relaxed expression, the red in his cheeks dissipating slowly.

Blanche: I was not planning on attending this year either, but I feel like watching our underclassmen perform might be quite entertaining.

Riddle: Maybe so. But speaking of underclassmen - just where did yours disappear off to? And where is Trey?

Looking behind them, they were perplexed to notice that no sight of either could be found. Blanche sighed in frustration, while Riddle’s face was scrunched in irritation. They have somehow managed to lose them.

Meanwhile, a few paces behind a group of several girls were surrounding a tall, bespectacled boy and shrieking in excitement. When Riddle had motioned earlier for them to follow, Trey was just about to do that when several pairs of hands suddenly pulled on the back of his blazer and he found himself in the middle of a circle of Grimmaire girls.

Grimmaire Girl A: Wait just a second! Don’t you see what’s going on here?

The short girl looked at him with a slightly peeved expression, that was matched by that of her dorm mates. Scratching the back of his neck, Trey laughed cautiously as he looked from one girl to the other.

Trey: Hm? Sorry, I didn’t quite catch what you’re referring to.

The girls sighed in disappointment and it only increased his nervousness. Just what exactly did he do wrong?

Grimmaire Girl B: Can’t you see that this is the perfect set up for a romantic scene?

Trey: Romantic scene?

Grimmaire Girl C: Exactly! It’s the festival date from chapter 34 from volume sixteen in The Azure Witch series!

Trey: Huh? Wait, just what-

Grimmaire Girl A: That’s right! It’s the moving scene where Annalise, having recently realized that Frederick went off to pursue his calling of discovering the truth behind the appearance of the azure winged butterfly in his village 10 years ago without informing her, decides to attend the festival in order to dull the pain she felt in that moment.

Grimmaire Girl B: It was so heart wrenching! Especially because she goes there alone and unescorted and is then accosted by a boorish knight who wants revenge on her father for having foiled his plan of running off the Baron of the land from his castle!

Trey: Boorish? Isn’t that a bit too harsh-

Grimmaire Girl C: A most despicable man who knocks her to the ground and would have struck her if not for the interference of Baron Gribelin! Aaah, the moment where he helps off the ground and kneels before her to dust off the hem of her skirt was such a wonderful display of chivalry. Moreover, he makes sure to pick up her beloved purse and scold the rude knight for his behaviour!

Grimmaire Girl B: Yes, yes! My heart was pounding like crazy when I read that passage!

“How dare you display such uncouth behaviour towards a lady such as this. You are fortunate that I do not wish to incur shame upon her name, for else I would have cut your head off right here, right now! You wretch!”

Trey’s confusion only grew when the group let out a loud squeal at the end, and suddenly he felt like he was lost among a sea of unknown and incomprehensible creatures.

Grimmaire Girl A: To think that we’d witness such a romantic scene in real life as well is astounding!      

Grimmaire Girl B: Indeed! It was so touching! Prefect Dion is so fortunate!

Biting his tongue, Trey had to refrain from speaking out loud and correcting them as they gushed over the heart pounding scene that they all had apparently witnessed. Though he took offense at the implication of being a “boorish” man, he felt it would do little good to interfere then and there. They were clearly too caught up in their own discussion to care for his presence anymore, or so it seemed until they suddenly turned towards him.

Grimmaire Girl A: So, do you understand what we mean?

Trey: A-Ah, I guess so… Though I feel like we should not lose sight of them either-

Grimmaire Girl B: Didn’t you hear what we just said? This is a crucial part in the story!

Grimmaire Girl C: Yeah! It’s when Annalise realizes that even though she loved Frederick dearly, Baron Gribelin was truly the one she was in love with! It’s when she's able to properly witness his kindness and chivalrous behaviour that sets him apart from other nobles she has met until then! Do you get it now?

Trey: I-I guess… So this is like in that book series you all enjoy so much. The Blue Witch-

Grimmaire Girl A: The Azure Witch! Please do not make such mistakes!

Grimmaire Girl B: Sheesh, it’s like you haven’t… even… heard… of it…

Several pairs of eyes stared at him, and Trey felt like it had suddenly gotten very hot despite the chilly February weather. Their expressions were indescribable at first, until he saw the sparkle of excitement shine in their eyes. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a chorus of excited yelps and the clamor of voices rushing to explain to him every single detail regarding the series of 48 novels that had the entire Grimmaire dorm abuzz. It turned out to be a very long day for Trey in the end.

When Blanche and Riddle finally found them again, they were taken aback to see Trey’s exhausted expression. The girls stopped their chatter to salute the Prefects, but did not explain the reason behind Trey’s unusual behaviour.

(In the following months Riddle would find it quite usual to come across Trey reading a book that he took great pains not to show him the title of. Moreover his relationship with the Grimmaire seemed to have improved considerably too, much to Cater’s displeasure. Though he tried to approach them about the novel as well, they quickly saw through his insincere attitude and rejected his attempts.)

Blanche ended up attending the VDC and while it did prove to be everything she expected it to be - a music show that had girls like Rosa entirely invested - but not as obnoxious as it could have been. Except for RSA’s performance which she thought lacked direction and finesse. Seeing them win surprised her greatly, but didn’t mean much to her in the end. It only annoyed her because she had to hear Rosa complain about it for a month afterwards at every Prefect meeting.    

Marcia Pyroeis

If for most girls VDC was an opportunity to kick back and relax, enjoy the boys’ performance or even have fun at the booths, for Marcia it was an opportunity for business. Samhain Night was the time when Kriegskald would shine, of course - after all, nothing could beat restoration work or recreation of an old piece for current use. But she did not see why the Interschool Cultural Festival could not be used for such a venue either. Of course, WNA did not have a school-approved booth or even permission to promote themselves, but Marcia figured that as long as they did not attract the teacher’s attention, it would be fine. Opportunities like this did not happen everyday.

So, among the festival booths another one popped up unexpectedly. It was makeshift and did not match the style of the others nearby, but it was teeming with all sorts of devices and artifacts and odd trinkets that though clearly old, were in perfect shape otherwise. Gathered around, the Kriegskald students were showing off the items to all those who seemed interested in them while in the front, Marcia was busy talking up their ‘booth’ in the most entertaining fashion she could muster.

Marcia: Alright, alright, alright! C’mon folks! It’s a once-in-a-blue-moon type of opportunity! Not everyday you get to see 100% authentic, high quality, accurate reproductions like these! It’s the - chance - of - a - lifetime!

Energetic and friendly, Marcia managed to gather quite a few people’s attention, but even at a quick glance it was clear that none of them fit her profile. Attention was good, but what she needed was cash - and tons of it. And the only way to do that was to find people with lots of it and the willingness to spend it at a moment’s notice. The ones gathering around looked more akin to ordinary salarymen and people working hard to make a living for himself, and not the demographic she hoped for. But she wasn’t counting on them either way. Instead she kept her eyes peeled for a big prize, until she finally spotted one.

Marcia: Malleus Draconia! What a surprise!

He was hard to spot among the crowd, keeping to the margins and walking swiftly and with so much purpose that nobody dared to stop him. Nobody but Marcia at the very least, who with a great smile bounded over there at record speed. Not only was Malleus exactly the type of high-interest person she was looking for, but fortunately enough he was alone. That meant no screaming guard dog to keep her from striking a conversation with him and possibly even securing a sponsorship. But she shouldn't get ahead of herself. Malleus’ reception of her was less than welcome, as he took a few seconds to fully acknowledge her, perhaps not expecting anybody to approach him so boldly as she did.

Malleus: Hm. You are-

Marcia: Marcia Pyroeis! Kriegskald Prefect, broom racer prodigy in the making and at your service!

Malleus: Kriegskald. I see. You’re a Walpurga Nacht student then.

Marcia: That’s right~ You’re super sharp, Draconia! But that’s to be expected from geniuses like us.

Malleus: ….

Marcia: In any case - I heard you made quite the impression at the Inter-dorm Magift Tournament this year. Man, I wish I would have been there to see it in person.

Malleus: …

Marcia: You know, as fellow sports persons we really ought to build each other up and create a bond of solidarity! Camaraderie like this is hard to come by and it’s not good to throw it away. Sure, Magift and broom racing might look different on the surface but if you really look at it then-

Malleus: What is the purpose of this discussion? Or are you merely looking to ingrain yourself to me? Regardless, I don’t have time to waste on this if it’s not-

Marcia: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Don’t go like that!

Stepping in front of him, Marcia blocked his path the best way she could, though she was aware that if he so desired he could easily push past her. Still, Malleus stopped, awaiting to see her response. From the sidelines, the Kriegskald girls gave up looking after the prospective window-shoppers and took to observing the exchange between the two Prefects instead.  

Laughing, Marcia scratched the back of her head and offered an apologetic smile afterwards.

Marcia: Man, I got busted, so I guess I should come clean, right? Ya see, the thing is - I’ve been meaning to talk to you about your contribution to the field of athletics.

Malleus: My contribution?

Marcia: Well, your family’s rather high and mighty. You’re a prince so I guess you’re pretty loaded, right?

Malleus: …

Marcia: I know Kingscholar is, so I bet the same applies to you! Man, you rich people sure have it good and easy - just piles of money lying about, I bet. Hehe, how nice that must be…

Ah! I almost got distracted by my own fantasies! I can’t let this opportunity pass by, so I’ll just go ahead and say it now: How about being my sponsor, Draconia? Eh? Doesn’t that sound great?

Malleus: Sponsor… Whatever do you mean?

Marcia: Huh? What I mean by that? Well, you know… You give me money so I can take part in races and stuff! It’s to show appreciation!

Malleus: Appreciation… For what exactly?

Marcia: For the sport you love! And the people playing it! And to make sure they have something to put on their table at the end of the day!

Malleus: …

Marcia: It doesn’t have to start with a big one!  You could do something symbolical, like… How does 800,000 madol sound? Hm? I’m sure that’s little more than pocket change for a rich guy like you! So-

Eh? Are you mad? Your aura got super scary all of a sudden.

Malleus: Not at all. I’m merely considering your proposal.

Marcia: Hu-Huh? For real? Man, you’re a good guy, Dracon-

Malleus: Unfortunately, 800,000 is too little.

Marcia: Eh?

Malleus: As you said, it’s mere pocket change, but I do not carry any around with me.

Marcia: Ah, then 1,000,00 would work-

Malleus: Wouldn’t the symbolical aspect be lost in this case?

Marcia: Haha, Draconia, you sure are a funny guy! Let’s just forget that part!

Malleus: But then what is the meaning of making a first donation if there is no symbolism attached to it? Wouldn’t it just be the same to make a donation at a later date?

Marcia: Well- I mean- That’s- Uhhhhh…

Malleus: And there lies the answer. I’ll be off then.

Marcia: Off? No, wait-

Malleus: Indeed, I’ve lost enough time here already and I’m late.

Marcia: Draconia, just a- He disappeared! He was here a moment ago and now…

Staring at the spot where Malleus stood just moments ago, Marcia felt frustration grow inside her. He just slipped right through her fingers when she was so close to sealing the deal. Putting her head in her hands she let out a loud yell of irritation and fell to her knees. Behind her the Kriegskald girls watched apathetically and with a hint of amusement. Suddenly, one of the girls started shouting, voice imitating that of a sports announcer.

Kriegskald Girl A: And striiiiiiiiike ouuuuuut!

Kriegskald Girl B: After a mediocre performance Pyroeis gets served the slam dunk that costs her the game!

Kriegskald Girl A: You hate to see it, folks!

Marcia: Aaaaaah, will you stick to one sports analogy, please?!

Kriegskald Girl A: Looks like she is still in shock over the loss of her potential piggyba- I mean sponsor! Will she be able to recover from such severe humiliation? Stay tuned!

The rest of the festival was spent by Marcia in what could only be called a state of mourning. She lost all her energy and enthusiasm and simply slumped against the chair set by their makeshift table. Though the girls tried to cheer her up at first, it soon became obvious it wouldn’t be possible so they simply ignored her mood and continued to enjoy the festival, while carting an unresponsive Marcia around with them.

When the time for voting came, one of the Kriegskald girls simply took out Marcia’s phone and voted for her instead. They were quite disappointed by RSA’s victory since they preferred the performance put together by NRC, and had a spirited discussion on the topic as they made their way back to their school, Marcia dragged along with them, much as she was during the entirety of the festival.

The next day she started out fresh and energetic, and with renewed vigour swore that she’ll bump into Malleus again and this time, will convince him to sponsor her.        

June Himalia

The Inter-school Cultural Festival was not something June cared about at all. It was just fancy, posh kids showing off their fancy, posh crafts like they even mattered in the first place. She’d never really been good at “artistic expression” as her brother-in-law would call it, so it all just flew over her head most of the time. Coming here today was not something she actually planned on doing, but as head of the dorm it was her duty to oversee the girls who had bought tickets for the show that would take place later that day. A singing and dancing contest they held during every Cultural Festival which had students prancing around and belching out notes while June’s anger grew. It was all so pointless and stupid. Not the kind of stuff she’d ever participate in.

Reaching into the pouch tied to her belt, she brushes her fingers atop the thin piece of paper she’d received a while ago from Epel. The invitation baffled and irritated her at the time, and initially she just planned on declining it altogether, but after a few days spent considering it, she finally decided to just give it a shot after all. Even though the prospect of a bunch of posh kids dancing on stage wasn’t all that appealing to her.

Though Epel mentioned he was going to be part of the show as well, June didn’t expect that he would be busy rehearsing all day before the show itself. She was hoping to at least be able to retreat to a quieter place with somebody who did not completely infuriate her, and wait for the day to be over. Now, she was stuck walking around the festival grounds and trying to find something else to do. It occurred to her that even though Epel and Jamil would be busy with their show, Trey was not supposed to take part in any particular activities. With this realization in mind she took a look around her in hopes of spotting a NRC student. Luckily, it was not a hard task.  

The group of Pomefiore students milling about did not expect the presence of a tall girl towering above them and it showed in the way they jumped startled when June spoke.

June: Ya three.

Pomefiore Student A: Ah!

Pomefiore Student B: Th-The Amazon! How may we help you?

She was silent, staring at them with an unreadable expression, before her hand shot out and grabbed the middle one by the collar. Lifting him up slightly she leaned in as she hissed through her teeth.

June: The ‘ell that mean?

Pomefiore Student B: I-I’m sorry! I-I-I simply-

June: The ‘ell you called me? “Amazon’? What ‘hat supposed to mean?

Pomefiore Student A: I-It’s merely to show our admiration of you, Amazo- No, Prefect!

Pomefiore Student B: Th-That’s right! Like a flower blooming amidst the rocky cliffs who cares not for the harshness that she has to endure! The image of dignity and wildness combined in one - truly there are no better ways to- Ugh!

The student let out a loud grunt as June let go of him and he landed on the floor in a heap. Her head was abuzz with thoughts, trying to decipher just whether or not he was making fun of her. Though in the end, her frustration got the better of her and she realized that if she was to think on it any further, she’ll end up punching somebody out of reflex. The student seemed dismayed at the state of his uniform and tried his best to dust it off while June crossed her arms and watched.

June: Whatever. Where’s ‘hat Clover guy?

Pomefiore Student B: Clover… guy…?

June: Yeah. Are ya deaf or somethin’, huh?

Pomefiore Student A: N-No, it’s just… whoever could that be?

June: Haaaa? The ‘ell ya don’t know?

Pomefiore Student C: So-Sorry! The name isn’t familiar at all… So, um…

Che’nya: Hm~? If you’re looking for somebody, then I’m the one to ask~

For the second time that day, the Pomefiore students who had the misfortune of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, let out a yelp. Out of nowhere the head of a beastman materialized as he grinned at them. June almost bit her tongue when she heard the voice behind her and did her best not to let her surprise be obvious. The sight of a bodiless, floating head was enough to send shivers down her spine. Turning around she held his gaze stubbornly, as the three Pomefiore students behind her were silently putting distance between them, most likely aware of the possible confrontation that would take place.

June: Yer a Royal Sword student.

Che’nya: I’m Alchemi Alchemivich Pinkaa. Everyone just calls me Che’nya though.

I’ve got kitty magic, but also human magic. I’m a sorta weird guy.

June gritted her teeth as her thoughts spiraled inside her head. Just what the hell was this guy anyway?

June: Yeah, I saw ‘hat. The ‘ell you want?

Che’nya: Hm~ I heard you were looking for that glasses guy, so I got curious, nya.

June: That glasses guy… Ya mean Clover? Ya know ‘here he is?

Che’nya: I guess ya could say that, or ya could not~

June: … Are ya messin’ with me?

Che’nya: Why don’t nya try guessing the answer?

June’s arm shot out suddenly as she tried to grab the top of Che’nya’s head, but she missed by an inch as he moved out of the way. Expression furious, she turned towards him once again and squared up.

June: … Ya want to die, or somethin’? ‘Hat it?

Che’nya: I can’t say I do, but I can’t say I don’t either~

June: Haaaaaaaaaa? Are ya dumb or somethin’? Can’t ya give a straight answer, huh?

Che’nya: Who knows~

But if it’s directions nya looking for, that I can give that.

June: Piss off.

Che’nya: Hm~?

June: Piss off ‘fore I hit ya. ‘Hat’s yer warnin’. Ya hear me?

Che’nya: Mm, it’s not good to be in a bad mood like this all the time, ya know~

Lighting fast, she aimed a punch at his face, but missed again. Enraged by this, she turned around to try again only to find him completely gone. Blinking, June stood in the middle of the street feeling embarrassment washing over her.

Che’nya: And now it’s time time to say bye-bye~

Tricked. That’s what happened. She let that weirdo completely fool her and now she looked ridiculous. Letting out a frustrated yell, that startled many of the people in the crowd, she charged forward, with the sole purpose of finding Che’nya and teaching him a lesson. Unfortunately, given the latter’s penchant for invisibility, that proved to be impossible. No matter how hard she looked, the beastman student had somehow vanished, and before she knew it she wasted all her time in pursuit of him that she failed to come across Trey in the end. Around the time VDC was supposed to start she got called away by some of her girls, so her search had to be suspended.

The VDC was as incomprehensible to June as it always was - just a bunch of people looking ridiculous as they danced and sang. She really couldn’t wrap her head around it. Though, at the very least, Epel seemed to have fun on stage. When the time came for the vote, June looked confused by the QR code flashing on the screen. Just what exactly was she supposed to do with that? She noticed her girls opening their phone and seemingly taking a picture of it, but when she did the same nothing happened. She repeated the process a few times, and when the same thing occurred over and over again, she got frustrated and shut it off. It was way too much trouble.

RSA’s victory was of no concern to her, and she sighed in relief when it was time to go back to their school. Over the following week June would have to listen to Rosa go on and on about how unfair the result was, until she couldn’t take anymore and almost threw a table at her head. After that Rosa didn’t bring it up anywhere near her.    

Diana Arrow

The lack of beasts and monsters on the Night Raven campus has always meant that to the Monarchia dorm, the whole affair was of no importance whatsoever. Or rather, just a very particular part of it interested them in any degree.

Monarchia Girl A: Big Sister Diana we have put together the list of booths to visit during this Inter-School Cultural Festival!

Monarchia Girl B: They are ranked in order of proximity, popularity, visitor influx and, of course, tastiness! We have taken everything into account!

Monarchia Girl C: We hope you’re pleased with the result, Big Sister!

The map that Diana received was indeed as complex as the girls explained, with several notes scribbled across the paper. All in all it was a marvelous product, which she let them know calmly.

Diana: Mm. It’s good work.

Though her voice was monotone as always, and accompanied only by a nod of the head, it nevertheless caused the group of girls to smile widely as their face flushed with pride.

Monarchia Girl A: Ah! To hear Big Sister praise us like this is the best feeling in the world!

Monarchia Girl B: Thank you so much, Big Sister!  

All: Thank you! We’re so glad you’re happy with our work!

Diana nodded in acknowledgement as she took another look at it. The food booths were spaced out evenly throughout the campus street so visiting them all would take quite a while if they weren’t careful with the planning. This was something the girls had taken into account as well seeing that a route was highlighted along with the necessary stops and wait times. It would take them through the entire festival grounds while still allowing them to make it in time for the VDC. At the end, Mostro Lounge was circled in red and underline twice. It pleased Diana to see just how considerate they were. They were good kids after all.

Every year Monarchia faced the same problem: no matter how much they tried, it was impossible to visit all the food booths and make it in time for the VDC. One or the other had to be sacrificed. And given their priorities, it was usually VDC that got the short end of the stick. The allure of cheap but good food was too much for the girls to turn down given that the sight of boys dancing did not excite much interest from them, who were more keen on wild and passionate movements that disturbed rather than entertained. Yet, this year Diana wanted to partake in it merely because she saw it as the proper way to behave in another’s territory. They were guests here, and thus should by extension try and integrate themselves to their hosts, such as animals who mimic the lifestyle of others. If the goal of Monarchia was adaptation then this little effort had to be expanded. Thus, the need for the map. Now they could easily finish their traditional tasks and still make it in time for the VDC. It was the perfect strategy.

Just as Diana was about to give them permission to proceed, she felt a sinister presence behind her and her left hand shot out to grab the hand that was coming from her right. The girls gave out a shout of surprise as she turned around partially to raise her leg for a kick to the head of whoever was attempting to sneak up on her. But upon making eye contact with that person she immediately slowed down her strike. She wouldn’t be able to stop it now, but knowing his speed she was sure he’d easily catch it. And indeed he did, his left hand grabbing hold of her ankle just about as her foot was going to make contact with his face.

Squeezing it, Floyd gave out a short chuckle as his grin widened.

Diana: Ah, Floyd, it’s you.

She replied calmly as she let go of his right hand, even though he continued to hold her ankle harshly. With a short exhale through her nose, she wretched the leg out from his grasp and rotated it slightly to make sure he hadn’t broken anything. When she was satisfied to see everything was fine, she looked up at him just as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

Floyd: Eeeeh, saltwater crocodile-chan-senpai’s sharp as always.

Diana: Hm, not really...  

Floyd: Though you still figured out I was trying to grab you before I managed to do it. I’ve gotten closer this time too.

Diana: That’s true.

The noise of the crowd and the scents floating around made it much harder to single out distinct entities. It was very much a haze for her, so even somebody with a strong presence like Floyd was lost among a sea of indistinct shapes and sounds. He was probably aware of this too.

Monarchia Girl A: Oi, Floyd.

Behind her the pack of girls were glaring directly at him, without even trying to hide their annoyance. They had watched the whole exchange happen before their very eyes and gradually their shock transformed into confusion then admiration and finally rage towards the one who dared to treat their ‘big sister’ with such familiarity.

Floyd: Hm~? What now?

Monarchia Girl B: You sure got guts. Talking to Big Sister like that.

Monarchia Girl C: Yeah! How dare you try and attack her!

Monarchia Girl D: And you keep calling her by that nickname too! Don’t just add ‘-chan’ casually as you see fit! You and Big Sister aren’t cut from the same cloth so don’t presume that level of friendship!

Floyd’s smile held a tinge of mockery to it as he turned his attention to the furious girls in front of him.

Floyd: Eeeeh, why are you hissing like that when you’re just some hatchlings that still follow their mother around? Do you wanna get squeezed or something?

Monarchia Girl A: There it is! That same rudeness as always! Seriously! Just what kind of person talks like that to others, huh?

Monarchia Girl B: And hatchlings? What’s with that name?

Floyd: Hm~ You just snap and float around saltwater crocodile-chan-senpai like little babies.

Monarchia Girl C: You bastard-

Floyd: Haaaa, you’re so annoying when you shout. Can’t you just shut up?

Floyd let out a laugh as the sneer on the girl’s face deepened. Squaring up in front of the group, his frame towered over them all. The tension was palpable in the air.

Monarchia Girl A:... The hell you think you’re doing squaring up like this, huh? Are you looking for a fight or something?

Floyd: If you wanna get crushed just say so~

Diana: Enough.

The word was spoken with just enough force to startle the girls out of their tense and aggressive stances, and Floyd shifted his gaze over to her as well. Crossing her arms she continued.

Diana: We’re a pack in another’s territory. We can’t just bare our fangs as we will.

Though the Monarchia girls had averted their eyes to the ground as they realized her displeasure with their behaviour, Floyd continued to look as unperturbed as ever. Not that she expected anything else from him. The girls shifted in place and bowed their heads deeply before her.

Monarchia Girl A: Sorry, Big Sister! We didn’t mean to cause you problems!

All: Sorry, Big Sister!

Suddenly standing straight, the first girl turned towards Floyd and barked at him:

Monarchia Girl A: And you! Second-year! Don’t you have something to say too?

Floyd: Nope~

Monarchia Girl A: Guh. As expected of a delinquent like you.

Floyd: Hey, hey~ Little hatchling, do you wanna piss me off that badly?

Monarchia Girl A: As if I care what you think. I’m telling you to apologize to Big Sister properly! Even though you’re not part of our dorm you still presume that level of familiarity with her. It’s unforgivable.

Floyd seemed to think on this for a few moments, until he came to a sensible conclusion. Turning towards Diana he looked nonchalant as he gave his own apology, which was entirely affected and dishonest.

Floyd: Sorry~.... Sis~

Monarchia Girl A: You bastard!

Diana exhaled softly through her nose. The girls had at first seemed placated by at least the effort he put, even though they immediately recognized it as fake, but were angered again when they heard the second word that came out of his mouth. He most likely did it on purpose as he seemed a bit too happy to see them riled up at his provocation. As they growled up at him, he leaned forward slightly to try and goad them into starting a fight.

Diana: Floyd.

Floyd: Hm?

Diana: All of you.

Monarchia Girls: Ye-Yes?

Diana: Stop.

It was the second time she had to intervene and her girls knew that there should not be a third time. Even though they were still annoyed by Floyd’s behaviour they ignored him the best they could so they wouldn’t upset Diana anymore. Though he did not seem to be aware of this.

Casting a look around, she noticed that he was alone with neither his twin or Prefect around.

Diana: Floyd, where is Azul?

Floyd: Dunno~ He said something about club activities.

Diana: Ah.

Thinking it over for a few seconds, she realized that all the talking wasn’t doing much except waste precious time. She promised her girls a fun time at the Inter-School Cultural Festival and she had to deliver. Diana turned on her feet and signalled for her girls to follow. She attempted to cast a look back at Floyd too, but she could already feel him wrap his arm around her neck and squeeze slightly. She craned her head to have a better look at his grinning face.

Floyd: Hey~ Saltwater crocodile-chan-senpai-sis~ Where are you going?

His grip tightened and Diana could feel her body being forcibly bent forward. It bore a tinge of familiarity to it, since her brothers were quite the rambunctious bunch.

Diana: We’re going to check the booths together. Then I’ll find Azul.

Floyd: That sounds boring. Won’t you have more fun if you show me how to do that jumping trick you did during your Dance? I wanna try it out too~ It looked fun.

Diana: Hm, that? Later maybe. Now, let go.

Sighing in irritation, Floyd let go of her neck and immediately draped his arms over her shoulders. His body leaned forward and Diana could feel the entirety of his weight pushed onto her. It was a last ditch attempt to get her to entertain him instead of doing things he deemed as boring.

Diana: Should I carry you?

Floyd: Eh, saltwater crocodile-chan-senpai's gotta be strong if she wants to try that. Can you do it?

Diana: It’s no different than carrying my little brothers.

Floyd: So did your wound heal?

Diana: Mostly.

Floyd: Show me~ I wanna see the scar~ It really looked like it hurt when that talon pierced you. Me and Jade thought you were a goner, and Azul was as white as a sheet. It was funny to see him make that expression~

Diana: That won’t happen.

Floyd: Ha? Why not?

Diana: It would upset Azul.

Floyd: That again? Ugh, fine~

He sighed aloud this time, much noisier than necessary and let go of her entirely. Looking rather irritated he went to turn around, probably going to look for Jade or somebody else to harass, until Diana stopped him.

Diana: Floyd.

Floyd: What?

Diana: Come along.

Monarchia Girls: Huh? What? Big Sister, but why?

Diana wasn’t sure either, but she suspected that Floyd’s behaviour brought a certain feeling of homesickness. It didn’t dawn on her how different it was to be surrounded by girls when she grew up in a house where she and her mother were in the minority. There was a difference between the familial bonds experienced within the dorm and those at home, and being deprived of the latter did make her somewhat melancholic at times. She could for the most part ignore it, but spending time with someone like Floyd did bring out a certain tenderness in her. Having him tag along would ease a little that feeling of missing her little brothers. Though he proved quite stubborn.

Floyd: Don’t wanna.

Diana: Floyd.

Floyd: …

Diana: …

Floyd: …………

Diana: ……….

Floyd: ……………………… Ugh, fine. Saltwater crocodile-chan-senpai sometimes gets that look in her eyes that reminds me of my dad. It’s kinda creepy.

Diana: Hm. Is that so?

Floyd: Yeah~ It’s that top predator boss aura he’s got too~

Like a switch had been turned on, Floyd’s sour mood was immediately replaced by a more agreeable one. He hung around Diana during the entire time, much to the girls’ consternation and continued to provoke them into retaliating for his sheer amusement. But given that they were scolded for almost starting a fight they did their best to ignore him. They were somewhat comforted by the food that the booths were selling and with almost inhuman glee made sure to try all the recipes that had mushrooms in them when they realized Floyd’s disgust at the sight of such dishes.

The selection was quite large so they spent quite some time walking around, yet as they came close to the end Floyd suddenly took off in another direction without warning. The girls breathed a sigh of relief to see him gone, but were immediately alarmed when they saw Diana go after him. She signalled for them not to worry. Looking back Floyd frowned, but didn’t do much else when she finally caught up to him.

Floyd: You’re following me.

Diana: Mm. You’re going to Jade, aren’t you?

Floyd: Yeah. So?

Diana: I’m going to see Azul too.

Floyd: Haaa? Jade and Azul aren’t in the same club, y’know? So they won’t be in the same booth.

Diana: Mm. But they’re both cultural clubs, right? So most likely they’ll be in the same area given the way the festival grounds are set up.

Diana’s gait was steadfast, even as Floyd stopped walking. He was irritated by the unexpected turn of events and how he unwittingly played right in her hands. Diana looked behind her and took out a small, sealed bag containing some takoyaki. She tossed it to him and nodded.

Diana: Thanks. I’ll be on my way.

Even if he wouldn’t show her the rest of the way, she had figured out the general direction by that point. The crowd had thinned by that point so it was much easier to think now that she wasn’t accosted by a variety of sounds and smells. Silently, Floyd had followed her lead munching on the snack she gifted him.

Floyd: You’re really crafty, saltwater crocodile-chan-senpai.

Diana: You’re a good kid too.

Floyd: Eh~ I wonder what’s wrong with your head to say stuff like this?

Diana: Hm.

Walking side by side now, they finally reached the main hallway and split off to their respective destinations. The Board Game Club was easier to find now that she could track scents and soon enough she managed to find the exact room she was looking for.

Azul’s face betrayed his surprise at seeing the door open only to reveal her.

Azul: Ah, Diana?

Diana: Mm.

Azul: This is quite surprising. I didn’t expect to see you here today.

Diana: I came because I wanted to see you.

As always her complete adherence to honesty left him flustered. He tried to maintain his cool and look as detached as possible.

Azul: I see. Unfortunately, today I’m rather busy with my duties as a club member so I won’t be able to entertain you it seems.

Diana: That’s alright. I mostly came to drop off this.

Setting down the plastic bag she got from the booths, she turned to him again.

Diana: I was worried you’d be unable to get to eat since you were busy, so I got you this.

Azul:... That’s not necessary.

Diana: Consider it payment for making use of Floyd.

Azul: Making use of Floyd?

Diana: Mm. I might have tricked him into showing me where your booth is. Sorry for that.

Azul: Tricked… ? No. Nevermind that. I suppose that if it’s payment I’m obligated to accept it.

Diana: I would be happy if you did.

Azul: … Please don’t say such brazen things out loud.

Diana: Mm. Understood.

Ortho: Ah! Hello! Welcome to the Board Game Club’s booth!

Diana: You… The little one that hangs around the Ignihyde boss.

Ortho: Hm? You mean Big Brother? Do you know him? Even though I haven’t seen you around our dorm before...

Diana: No, it’s Vita.

Ortho: Ah? You’re Vita Dies’ friend?

Diana: … I wonder about that.

Ortho: I don’t think I understand.

Azul: Nevermind that, Ortho. Diana, as you can see we’re rather preoccupied here at the moment. And I’m afraid this might be quite boring for you.

Diana: It’s not a problem to me. But if you’re uncomfortable-

Azul: I did not say that. It’s of no concern to me if you stay.

Diana: I see.

Dragging out a chair towards the table she sat down and leaned back slightly. It would be a while until the VDC started, though she did not intend to wait for that long. Her main objective was merely to see Azul and share a meal with him, as they usually did whenever she was on campus. It was tradition at this point and he also seemed to be aware of it, as he simply pushed his glasses up and took a seat next to her.

Azul: There are many deep-fried foods in here.

Diana: It’s what they usually sell at this kind of festival.

Azul: Indeed.

Diana: It’s important to experience normal things too.

Azul: … I see.

Though Azul had mostly focused on the healthier options, Diana had seen him sneak in a few of the deep-fried when she started taking more of his stuff. He’d cast her a glance when he realised what she was doing, but didn’t say anything in return. When they were done, she stashed the containers away in the plastic bag and stood up dusting off her skirt. Azul raised an eyebrow as he watched her.

Diana: I’ll be off then.

Azul: Oh?

Diana: I’d like to stay more with you, but you said you were busy.

At her sudden confession, his face gained a pink tint. He frowned slightly to hide his embarrassment and crossed his arms.

Azul: As I said, it’s not an issue to me for you to be here. I was merely concerned that you would find it unpleasantly dull.

Diana: Mm. But I never dislike spending time with you.

Azul: Th-that! Diana, I have to ask you to cease such… such…

Diana: Mm. I understand. I will see you later.

Azul’s face was cold and composed as he watched her leave the room, though she could still see how the tips of his ears were red even now. When Ortho asked him if he was alright, since he was staring at the door for a few moments after it closed, he required a few moments to regain his cool. Diana’s promise was still ringing in his ears, but he refused to admit that it stirred any kind of emotion in him. It was after all just a regular meeting between them as it always was. No need to overreact to it or anything.

Ortho silently wondered if he should tell Azul that he’d been cleaning the lens of his glasses for at least 2.56 minutes by now, when the door opened again and somebody else stepped inside.

When Diana reunited with her girls, who had wandered around campus checking up on the animal nests that were scattered around, she let them know that she was done making her rounds and they could proceed to the VDC.

Diana remembered the two previous years where she was absent from the contest. None of the girls in the years above had cared for it at all, so it was only natural to skip it. It was Diana’s first instinct as well, but as she thought it over she decided it would be a good opportunity to learn a few more tricks and tips on how to be appealing towards the larger public. Samhain Night was coming up and she wanted her dorm to make a good impression not only for the sake of the girls who would then have the chance to be scouted by companies or organizations, but also for the beasts living there who still retained a bad reputation among the masses.

Unfortunately, as the show went on she quickly realized why the previous Prefects had mostly written off the show. It was exceedingly manufactured and artificial. All traces of wilderness or savagery were absent, and the sight of Rook on stage made her quite irritated. Though she tried her best to pay attention, Diana steadily felt herself slip away into unconsciousness. Later, when her girls had woken her up she realized that she fell asleep halfway through RSA’s performance and missed the entire show. According to her girls it was much of the same thing, so she did not have to regret anything.

The news of RSA’s victory merely had her nod in acknowledgement, and with the venue becoming slowly deserted due to crowd leaving, they made their way out too. Once outside Diana told them she’d like to stop by Mostro Lounge before going back to their own school which the girls accepted graciously. Though as they made their way through the campus, she spotted Azul and the twins in the distance as they gathered up their equipment and profits. Swiftly she changed course, her mood improving slightly when she saw Azul’s flustered face as they made eye contact. She wasn’t sure why he looked surprised, since after all she promised to meet with him afterwards anyway. She wanted to end her day on a good note.          

Cassandra Delphinne

As someone with a deep appreciation for music and dancing, Cass had looked forward to the VDC every year. It was really pleasant to see the groups from other schools compete between themselves and perform on stage their songs and choreography. Coming from a small village as she did, she never got to see this sort of thing before coming to WNA so for the foreseeable future she wanted to enjoy every chance she had of attending such events. This year as Prefect she took charge and made sure that everything was set in place so they would all be able to attend it peacefully and with little trouble. The tickets were bought ahead of time, she got a map that showed the entire campus and each important location and even managed to get everybody in line with minimal effort. All in all, it was a good start. Unfortunately, given that this was Oraluna, something was bound to go wrong. And it did.

Oraluna Girl A: Hahahahahaha, to think I would lose my ticket just so easily!

Oraluna Girl B: And to think that me helping you find your ticket would result in mine being stolen by a squirrel!

Oraluna Girl C: Indeed! The fact that mine was ripped by the tree branches as I was climbing to retrieve yours must surely be a sign of fate!

All: Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

Cass: Everybody… please don’t laugh about this…

She gave out a deep sigh as she heard the girls let out another rambunctious laugh. The other ticket buyers cast a glance in their direction and noticing just whose school their uniform belonged to, quickly began whispering among themselves. Their furtive glances and curious expressions made Cass fidget on the stop. She knew that Walpurga Nacht had quite the reputation among the masses so people were bound to stare and gossip. Still, to be the center of such attention was not a thing she really relished in. Especially after what happened during her Witch Dance this year. The girls did not seem to share her concerns as they continued their light banter. She was rather shocked when an hour after the Headmistress had dismissed everybody and they had taken to walking around the school grounds, the three approached her all of a sudden and proudly stated their issues. As if they somehow managed to achieve something important there, even though the situation was quite annoying to deal with. But she was a Prefect now and it was her duty to deal with such problems. So with just a frustrated sigh as means of showing her dissatisfaction, Cass joined them in the queue where people who hadn’t already purchased their tickets could still do so.

It was much, much longer than she expected it to be. Daring another glance at the people before them she wondered briefly if they’ll really be so lucky to actually get some last minute tickets.

Silver: Cassandra?

The startled scream she let out attracted quite a bit of attention and even Silver seemed a bit perturbed by the intensity of it.

Cass: Si-Si-Silver! Sorry! You just scared me and, um, you see… No, I don’t mean scared! You just surprised me, uh…

Silver: It’s alright. I just didn’t expect that kind of reaction from you either.

Cass: Um… Sorry...

Silver: What are you doing here though? Didn’t you have tickets for VDC already?

Cass: Eh? Oh! Y-Yes! I mean, I do! But my girls…

As she set out to explain the situation to him, she felt her face get more and more flustered. Even to her, who was already aware of the nature of Oraluna students, it sounded ridiculous. When she finished her short monologue she expected Silver to laugh or worse tell them they were idiots for behaving this way. But he merely nodded with the same stoic expression as always.

Silver: I see. That must be quite troublesome. So you’re standing in line to get new tickets.

Cass: Ye-Yeah… We were all looking forward to getting to watch it this year so this is a bit of a problem…

Silver: And you are staying with them in line to look after them?

Cass: It’s my duty as their Prefect to do this much… Um, but what are you doing here?

Silver: Ah, Riddle asked me to help keep everybody in line. That’s why…

Cass: O-Oh! I see! That makes sense… I-I mean! It makes sense because you’re very dependable and such! So, um, what I meant to say is…

Talking to Silver like this had for some reason started to prove extremely difficult a few months ago. She wasn’t exactly sure why, since nothing between them really changed, but she nevertheless felt a strange sort of sensation intervening between them. An awkwardness that wasn’t really there before suddenly took hold. She became much more careful about the way she presented herself to him, and it was now very important for her to know that he had a good impression of her. Stumbling over her words like that had become much more embarrassing.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted the three Oraluna students giving them an appreciative look.

Oraluna Girl A: Ohohohoho, what an unexpected twist!

Oraluna Girl B: A possible pairing in the making? Souls converging together for the bloom of passion?

Her face exploded, turning completely red as she motioned for them to be silent. The couple standing behind them coughed loudly and Cass realized it was time for them to move forward. Glancing over at Silver she hesitantly opened her mouth to say goodbye, when one of her girls suddenly thrust her arm forward in a stopping motion.

Oraluna Girl A: Worry not, Prefect! For the forces beyond this world have convened to inform you of your situation.

Oraluna Girl B: Indeed! We are to be witnesses to a most egregious event and we are loath to interrupt!

Oraluna Girl C: Go forth and have no fear, for we shall resolve to redeem ourselves in your eyes! Farewell!

The speech, as grandiose as it was and probably truly good-natured, did not excite much contentment from her. Rather it simply led to her covering her burning face with her hands. This however proved to be a bad idea since the sudden movement of the crowd led a few people to bump into her as they pushed their way forward. With no way to ascertain her surroundings and no way to stop her lack of balance, Cass would have tumbled to the ground if it hadn’t been for Silver quick reflexes. He caught her right before she hit the ground and helped her steady herself. Cass couldn’t help but be reminded of a fairytale princess being rescued by a knight in shining armour at that moment. Even as he ordered the crowd to be careful Cass realized that his hand was still on her shoulder, almost like he was making sure she would not fall over again. With his body between her and the crowd, she truly felt like had taken on a heroic image. It was really charming. So much that her heart was pounding in her chest.

Silver: Sorry for this. Are you ok?

Cass: E-Eh?

Silver: Cassandra?

Cass: Ye-Yes! I-I-I-I-I’m alright! You don’t have to worry, um…

Noticing the hand he kept on her, he calmly retracted it.

Silver: I’m sorry.

Cass: N-No! It’s alright! I-I-I-I don’t mind!

Silver: I see. The crowd is getting more erratic the closer we get to the VDC…

Cass: Um, isn’t it because everybody is looking forward to wonderful performances?

Silver: You think so?

Cass: Yes! At least I am, um… I’ve been looking forward to this since the start of the school year! It’s always such a nice event and I enjoy how everybody is so energetic and talented! I really like seeing them on stage! Th-This year Miss Morgainne said that Mister Schoenheit will most certainly win the contest!

Silver: Ah, that’s right. Lilia-senpai did say that this year the Light Music Club will be performing without Kalim…

Cass: Eh?! Mister Vanrouge is performing today too? I-I-I-I didn’t know! Um, I’ll be sure to be present there as well! Will it be the Red Stage, or the Blue or the Purple? Oh no! Do I need tickets for this too? Um, but what if they’re already all sold out-

Silver: Cassandra, wait a minute. You’re rambling.

Cass: Am I? I-I-I’m sorry! Um, that wasn’t my intention at all and um-

Silver: It’s alright. You don’t need to be so tense. You didn’t do anything wrong.

Cass: That’s true…

Silver: As for hearing him perform… I’m not sure it’s the kind of music you’d like…

Cass: Eh? Um, even if it’s something very complicated, I’ll try my best! I’m sure Mister Vanrouge’s music is beyond my capacity to understand, but it would be an insult to him if I didn’t at least try! I have much to learn from an esteemed person such as him!

Silver: … I see. But regarding his musical taste, I don’t think you have to worry too much.

Cass: Huh? What do you mean-

Sebek: CASSANDRA!

If she were to be honest, Cass would admit that she surprised even herself with the intensity of the scream that tore out from her as Sebek’s own loud voice was suddenly heard behind her. He tore through the crowd with alarming speeding and made a sharp stop right in front of her, startling her even further.

Cass: Mi-Mi-Mi-Mister Zigvolt! Um, i-i-i-is there a problem?

Sebek: CASSANDRA! FIND THE YOUNG MASTER IMMEDIATELY!

Cass: Hu-Huh?

Silver: Sebek. Stop shouting. You’re causing trouble for Cassandra.

Sebek: What?! Don’t lecture me, Silver! This is an emergency! The Young Master is in danger due to one of these witches!

Silver: What? What are you talking about?

Sebek: That unpleasant witch who always tries to bother him is here today too!

Silver: Unpleasant witch…

Cass: ...who always bothers him? Um, are you talking about Miss Pyroeis by any chance?

Sebek: EXACTLY!

Cass: Wah!

Silver: Sebek.

Sebek: That witch is smarter than she looks! She purposefully picked today to accost him since she knew we would be busy with other duties! And now the Young Master is left unprotected before her pestering!

Silver: … No, aren’t you making up ludicrous scenarios rather?

Sebek: So you’d let him fall prey to her wiles?!

Silver: I doubt there’s any danger of that. You’re too overprotective. It’s bothersome for Lord Malleus to have you hover like that all the time.

Sebek: HUH? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?

Nervously glancing between them, Cass felt dread wash over her. The constant barrage of noise, the glances of people who were bothered by this loud exchange and Sebek’s angry tone were stirring up memories that she’d rather never recall.

Cass: Um, I-I-I’m sorry but people are starting to stare… Um…

Her voice was faint and trembling, but Silver heard it nevertheless. When he turned to look at her, Sebek was also suddenly reminded of her presence.

Sebek: CASSANDRA! YOU MUST DIVINE THE YOUNG MASTER’S LOCATION AT ONCE!

Cass: Hu-Huh?!

Sebek’s hands landed heavily on her shoulders as she jumped in fear at the sudden action. She knew that he had no intention of actually hurting her, but it made the exchange all the more tense. In the back of her mind, the voice of a woman echoed distantly.

Cass: Um, I’m sorry, but I don’t think divination is really capable of doing something like this… The future is very broad and it would take quite a lot of time to narrow down just one scenario in this case, so, um…

Sebek: Then use your Unique Magic. You are capable of that, aren’t you?

Cass: My… Unique Magic… Wh-what…

She froze at the request, eyes wide and throat dry. The weight on her shoulders felt monumental all of a sudden as her vision went hazy. Sebek’s face seemed to disappear, morph into something both familiar and foreign at the same time. It was there and it wasn’t.

Sebek: I heard that your Unique Magic allows you to predict the future with 100% accuracy! Use that to reveal the location of the Young Master quickly!

Cass: N-No… I… I don’t think… I won’t be able to… Please…

Silver’s hand grabbed Sebek by the shoulder and pulled. Her ears were ringing, she couldn't hear anything anymore, but in the distance, as if they were hundreds of miles away from her, there were fragments of their argument. Sebek’s head was turned sideways and he was yelling at Silver who bore a strange expression on his face. Cass realized she’d never seen him look like this before. It was odd. And terrifying.

Then all of a sudden, she lost track of them. They didn’t disappear. She knew this because Sebek’s hands were still firmly grasping her shoulders. It was like a fog had descended upon her and the world was filtered through white haze. She had instead gone somewhere else: in a small room, with a dark wooden table and a woman with a desperate expression on her face. The smell of incense is heavy in the air, and it hurts her throat. The woman is holding her shoulders too, nails digging in her skin and leaving behind red, angry marks. She tried to break free, but the woman won’t let her, screaming and shaking her as if she was a ragdoll. Cass can’t hear her voice, it’s all a loud roaring, but she can feel the hatred and the anger leaking out. Her whole body is trembling. She’s so afraid she can’t even scream. Then the woman lets go of one shoulder as she raises her hand. She knows what comes next.

Cass: I’m sorry!

Her voice was filled with anguish as she wretched herself free from his hold. The intensity of her outburst was so great that Sebek let go of her shoulder almost immediately, his face betraying his shock with Silver’s being a perfect mirror. Neither had expected such a reaction. Nor did she, or the people around who had begun whispering among themselves. Stumbling backwards, Cass fell on the ground with a thud, her whole body trembling and breath coming out in short bursts. She felt dizzy, and hung her head in shame and embarrassment when she realized what just happened. With everyone’s stare trained on her, tears were already gathering in her eyes.

Her intertwined hands were pressed to her chest. Though her voice was barely above a whisper she continued to murmur apologies until she felt somebody’s presence next to her.

Silver: Cassandra. Are you alright?

Glancing over at him, Cass flinched at his proximity, but could do nothing but stare. His usual stoic expression was replaced by one of unease. Or so she thought. It made her feel guilty to see him worry like this about her, but in her panic she just wanted to get away from everybody. With shaking legs she tried to stand up and run, but merely tripped over herself and landed in a heap on the ground. Face pressed against the pavement she could barely breath from the influx of adrenaline, and when she felt a hand pat her back she let out a choked sound. Glancing up she saw Silver hovering over her. Gently he offered her his hand, which after a few moments of hesitation she accepted and let herself be pulled up. Her feet were still unsteady so she clung onto him until she found her balance. Next to them Sebek was silent as he stared in bewilderment.

Her head was reeling, and she wanted nothing more than to run away even as Silver’s soft voice tried to reach her. So when she heard the voices of her girls she finally let go of his arm and tried to resume a sliver of dignity.

Cass: Um.... I’m… I’m sorry…. Please excuse me… I’ll have to leave now… since…

She forcibly shut her mouth as she heard the first signs of hiccuping making their way through. She couldn’t fall apart now. Not in front of Silver or Sebek. It would only worry them more, and she’d already done enough to make them uncomfortable today. Without waiting for a reply she quickly bowed and made her way back to them just as they finally exited the line.

Oraluna Girl A: Prefect! Fate smiled down on us! We managed to procure the tickets- Eh? What’s wrong?

Oraluna Girl B: You don’t look well at all. Did the flowers of passion not bloom after all?

Oraluna Girl C: How disappointing!

Cass tried to offer them an encouraging smile and assure them she was fine, but it was too stiff and her voice wouldn’t come out. The girls shared a glance between them, before with great aplomb and cheerful attitudes they began to guide Cass through the crowd.

Oraluna Girl A: Don’t shed tears, Prefect! It’s such a wonderful day right now!

Oraluna Girl B: Indeed! Let us enjoy ourselves a bit at this cafe that’s open in the botanical garden!

Cass: But-

Oraluna Girl C: Ooooooh, I wonder if they have cakes!

Cass: Um-

Oraluna Girl B: Don’t be ridiculous! You only have biscuits with tea! Everyone knows that!

Cass: You three-

Oraluna Girl A: Now, now. There’s sense in what she says. Cakes are just as appropriate at teatime as cakes!

Cass: Wait-

Oraluna Girl B: Poppycock! That’s just slander!

As hard as she might have tried, it was impossible to get a hold of them so she ended up dragged to the little cafe. It was surprisingly quaint and they did have cakes much to their approval and despair. Surrounded by nature and the peaceful atmosphere, she gradually felt herself calm down. The girls didn’t press for any details and for that Cass was thankful. She didn’t feel like talking about her recent encounter, and would rather just focus on enjoying the festivities.

They made it to the Purple Stage in time, Cass having forgotten about the performance Lilia was supposed to take part in, and took their seats. NRC was first to present and while she found the whole performance beautiful and impressive, the harsh rhythm and musical tone only added to her anxiety. By the end of the song she was feeling restless and caged, and wanted nothing more than to leave. But she figured it would be rude, since the rest of the Prefects were standing there and her outburst could cost the school as well when it came to their reputation. So she stayed put and gripped the programme tighter in her hands and she tried to distract herself. When RSA’s turn came up she was shocked to hear a familiar tune resonate throughout the venue. It was the same song her grandmother used to sing to her as a child, a nursery rhyme that was quite popular in the Land of Pyroxene. She couldn’t believe she would hear it performed on a stage as big as the VDC.

Oraluna Girl A: Ohohohoho, this song is rather nostalgic!

Oraluna Girl B: Aaaah, I’m drowning in this feeling of comfort.

Watching Neige and his friends perform on stage, Cass couldn’t help but agree with them. There was something wonderfully reassuring in listening to an old familiar song being played when one was away from home. She thought back to all the times her grandmother would hold her in her arms and put her to sleep with it, and the comfort those memories brought her was so great that unshed tears began trickling down her cheeks. No sound made its way past her mouth, but when the song ended and they all bowed she felt like a huge burden was lifted off her shoulders. All the misfortunes today were forgotten, and all the fears and anxieties dissipated. She felt at peace again. Thus nobody was that surprised when Cass cast her vote for RSA or faulted her for being happy at their victory. Her girls were just glad she finally went back to her usual self.

On the way out of the venue, she bumped into an unexpected person. Or rather, bumped was not the appropriate word, since it was more akin to being startled by the sudden appearance of Lilia hanging upside down and right into her path.

Lilia: Cassandra.

The shock of seeing him almost made her scream, but she covered her mouth with her hands just in time to avoid such a thing. Out of all the people here today, Lilia was one of the two she didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of under any circumstances.

Cass: Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mister Vanrouge! What- What are you doing here, um…

I-I-Is about me missing your performance today? I’m so very sorry! I had planned on attending it but certain circumstances intervened and then it slipped my mind and, um… A-Ah, but I’m making excuses and um… I really should have made that effort. Please accept my apologies!

Lilia: Kufufufufu, to be young and energetic…

Cass: Um…?

Lilia: Don’t worry about that, it’s no issue. Rather, I’ve come to talk to you about something else. I heard Sebek had given you some trouble earlier this day.

Cass: Um… that… It was really my fault… So…

Lilia: Hm? How curious.

Cass: Eh?

Lilia: Silver said that it was all Sebek’s fault for acting uncouth. It’s truly unfitting for a guard of the future heir of the Valley of Thorns to behave as such. I have no choice but to punish him.

Cass: Pu-Punish him?!

Lilia: Indeed. It will be quite excruciating. He may perhaps never be able to use his hand again after this.

Cass: Ne-Never?! Mister Vanrouge!

Lilia: Hm?

Cass: Um, Mister Zigvolt… Um, he’s just really protective of Lord Draconia… and he was worried one of our students might bother him… I-I understand it a bit… Because I really admire Lord Draconia too… A-And it’s not like Mister Zigvolt meant to cause me trouble - No-Not that he did! But, please, could you at the very least lighten his punishment? I don’t think he deserves to lose his hand over something like this!

Lilia: Hm? Who said anything about losing his hand?

Cass: Eh?

Lilia: I am merely worried that all the letter writing he will have to do will leave his hand in quite an unfortunate state. Cramps are truly dangerous once you reach a certain age, you know?

Cass: Letters… But why…?

Lilia: Fufufufufu. I have ordered Sebek to write a hundred letters of apology by tonight and deliver them to you as his punishment. Silver is currently keeping watch over him to ensure that he does so. Did you think I meant something more gruesome? My, my, today’s youth does have quite the imagination.

Will this suffice?

Cass: Suffice…? For what exactly?

Lilia gave her an indulgent smile as he stood upside down.

Lilia: Silver has told me that you have a tendency to be anxious about others’ well being rather than your own. But behaviour like this must not be tolerated. Fae are said to be a proud and haughty kind, even among ourselves, and to be insulted like this would be a slight punishable by death in certain circles. It’s good to have a kind and forgiving heart, but one must not endure injury just to spare others’ feelings.

Do you understand?

Cass stared at him in deep contemplation for a while before bowing her head slightly. A smile was present on her face, and her eyes had gone a little teary, but she nodded eagerly and gave him a shy but determined grin.

Cass: Thank you, Mister Vanrouge!

Lilia: However if you’re feeling spiteful, it is traditional among our kind to put a bucket over one’s head and bang on it as harshly as possible to punish one who wronged you.

Cass: E-Eh? I-Is that so? I would rather not put a bucket over Mister Zigvolt’s head though…

Lilia: Kufufufufufu.

Just as Lilia said, a few hours later, as the girls were about to depart, she heard Sebek call her name loudly as he ran through the campus. When he spotted her, he charged forward and Cass was worried he was going to knock her down, but he stopped at the last moment and presented her with a satchel full of neatly written letters that were each about five pages long. She paled at the sight of them and worriedly asked him if his hand was already. He assured her that this was nothing he couldn’t handle, and that he was dutifully fulfilling his role as a loyal, but well-mannered guard. Without even meaning to, Cass found herself giggling at his earnest nature which also earned her a flustered and confused face from Sebek.

She brought the letters back to her dorm room, and dutifully spent that weekend composing a letter of forgiveness in response. At the end, in small writing she invited the four of them to Oraluna for tea next time they were on campus, and the thought of being so bold both excited and terrified her. Yet, it was only proper to show that there was to be no bad blood between them.            

Agatha Voisin

The Inter-School Cultural Festival had always been a headache Agatha was not looking forward to ever since she became a high school student. All that it amounted to was a lot of noise, people bumping into each other or staring at her as she tried to make her way through the crowd. Certainly not the type of activity she wanted to take part in. Especially since a large portion of those on-lookers thought it would be wise to make comments on her appearance.

Girl A: Hey. Did you see that girl?

Girl B: Hm? Woah! What’s with that creepy smile?

Girl C: This isn’t Halloween…

Girl A: Oh, but look at her uniform. Isn’t she from that prestigious school?

Girl B: You mean Walpurga Nacht? The one that had those Dances this year?

Girl A: Yeah. I watched them on TV!

Girl C: Me too! That first girl, um, I can’t remember her name-

Girl A: You mean Cherry? She was so cool!

Girl B: I know right?! It kinda made me want to transfer there, hehe.

Girl C: Ha? There’s no way you can do that. You gotta take the entrance exam.

Girl A: Oh yeah. They say it’s absolute hell and only a very small number of girls pass it.

Girl B: Still! How cool would it be to go to school with Cherry! Even with the recent scandals…

Agatha was at a fair distance from their group, so the girls were pretty sure that she couldn’t overhear them gossip, but she caught it all. The first comment made her angry and the conversation afterwards only irritated her further, which was quite an impressive feat given that she started out the day quite displeased. She charged directly at them, and the sudden presence behind them startled them so much the three girls ended up screaming. Pinning them down with a stare, Agatha was silent.

Girl B: U-Um, can… can we help you…?

Agatha: ……..

Girl B: …..

Agatha: ………………………………….

Girl B: ……………………………. Um…….

Agatha: I… was… cute…

Girl B: Hu-Huh? I-I’m sorry?

Agatha: During… the… Dance… I… was… cute… too… Cuter… than… the… stupid… amoeba…

Girl B: Amoeba? Wh-What? I-I don’t follow…

Agatha: ………………..

They huddled close together, waiting for her to reply, but when nothing but silence could be heard they began retreating slowly. They turned their back to her slightly, making their way through the crowd as Agatha followed them with her gaze. Even when they disappeared from sight, she continued to stare while contemplating just what exactly was the point of coming here today.

The school festival was always an annoyance, indeed, but at the very least she could spend it together with her Big Sis scouting the booths or with her Big Bro hiding in his shop. So, as soon as the Headmistress gave them the green light that was exactly what she tried to do: find her Big Sis and start touring. She left her group without a word, but the Eliksia girls were used to this sort of behaviour already, so it didn’t phase them much. Finding Vita was not a particularly difficult task since the girl tended to attract quite a lot of attention, especially when together with her dorm mates. But when she asked her where they should start off this year, Vita told her:

Vita: My apologies, my dear Agatha. My husband is to hold forth a discourse upon the subject of his research. ‘Tis my duty as his wife to ensure he does not engage in any navel-gazing before the due time. I am afraid I will not be able to escort you today.

That was disappointing, but she simply nodded in understanding. It was unfortunate though. Her Big Sis’ husband always struck Agatha as too much of a spineless coward, so that she would need to be there to encourage him was not all that surprising. She wasn’t angry at her, but at him rather, but since nothing could be done, she set forth to find her Big Bro. Reaching Sam’s shop was a bit difficult since due to her small size people would tend to bump into her by accident and she almost found herself on the ground a couple of times during the trip. When they turned to apologize she simply ignored them and went on her way. She didn’t care for their words in any case. Unfortunately, her luck took a turn for the worse, as once she was in front of the Mystery Shop she realized that a long line had formed outside. The festival was always a busy time of the year for him, but she hoped that she could at least try to sneak in and hide in her usual place. That did not happen, for as soon as she tried to cut in line she got yelled by some of the patrons and pushed aside. Unsteady on her feet as always, she fell down backwards with a thud.

Boy A: What the hell is your problem, huh? You can’t just cut in as you like!

Boy B: Ugh, dude, what’s with her mouth? It’s creepy…

Boy C: He-Hey… She can hear you, you know…

Boy A: Whatever. Listen, ugly, get back to the end of the line like everybody else. Seriously…

Agatha stared at them for a long while. So long that the boy who spoke first, and seemed to be the leader, began to look slightly disturbed as he returned her gaze. Eventually he scowled and looked away, trying to ignore her. She was still on the ground, not having moved an inch, and reached into her belt pouch to look for something. The other two boys watched her with light trepidation and confusion as they heard the sound of glass clicking. When she finally found what she was looking for, she let out a short laugh and pulled out a small vial. The substance inside was black and thick as it sloshed around, and the boys’ faces palled considerably.

Boy B: He-Hey, is that a joke?

Boy C: There’s no way you’re using that here, are you?! That’s a-

Toby: Oh! Where is this?

Just as Agatha was about to open the small bottle, a sudden shout stopped her. Looking over to her right she spotted the familiar sight of a RSA uniform and the even more familiar one of a young second year student. Toby’s big, doe eyes were scanning the surroundings carefully and with intense curiosity, until they finally landed on her. Then, as if a switch was flipped he seemed to remember just what was going on.

Toby: It’s you! Hello, hello~ How are you?

He approached her in his typical spacey but cheerful manner. Agatha merely continued to stare.

Toby: Are you here for… Hm? What is this place again?

Agatha: ………………….

Toby: Hm~ Hm~ Guess I got lost again, hehe!

Agatha: …………………..

Toby: This place is really big~ But I can’t remember what it's called at all.

Agatha: …………………

Toby: Oh? What’s in that bottle?

Even though she gave no acknowledgement that she heard or cared about what he had to say, Toby continued to prattle on and on without any signs of stopping. He asked about the black liquid inside, about why she was sitting on the ground, about why there was a line - any little thing that attracted his attention quickly came under scrutiny. It was far more than she could handle at the moment, Agatha realized soon enough, and promptly stood up. She stashed the little bottle of vial away and started making her way back to the main festival area. Which is how she ended up in another annoying situation.

Standing still, she wondered if it perhaps wasn’t easier to just crawl in some hidden place and wait for the day to come to an end. That would reduce the number of stupid people saying stupid things around her. However just as she was to turn around and head off after that disastrous situation, she was stopped by a very familiar and horribly cute voice.

Toby: What are you doing here, hm~? Did you get lost too?

Glancing down she realized that she had been followed. Looking up at her with his big doe eyes, there was Toby. She thought she lost him when the crowd seemed to swallow her, but seems like he was better at tailing her than she expected. He did have the most unusual talent of keeping track of her.

Agatha: …………………………………

Toby: ………………………………….

Agatha: ………………………………..

Toby: Hm~? What are we doing here again?

It was no use. Even if she spent her entire day glaring at him, he simply would be unable to recognize her irritation. But running away from him with her slow gait was not particularly possible. Neither was spending any amount of time with him. No matter how she looked at it, she was stuck in an unfavorable position.

Hop: Toby~ There you are~!

Just as she was contemplating whether she could use a potion to get out of this mess, another loud voice found its way onto the scene. Looking away from Toby, she stopped three more students about his height making their way towards them. Not only that, but they wore the exact same uniform as him, so it wasn’t much of an effort to figure out they were his classmates.

Agatha: ……………………. They’ve… multiplied….

Toby: Hm~?

Hop: Toby~ We looked everywhere for you~

Hm? Who’s that?

Suddenly Agatha realized that she was partially surrounded by the little dwarf students of RSA who looked at her with a variety of curious expressions. The blonde who was yelling seemed most at ease, and friendly, while the blue haired one was hiding partially while keeping the green haired, laid back boy in the front. The amount of cuteness that radiated from them was making her very irritated.

Toby: This is my friend~ Hm… what was your name again?

Hop: Eh? You have a friend without a name? That’s so weird, hahahaha!

Timmy: Um… Ma-Maybe we can… um… ask her....?

Toby: Hm~ But what if she doesn’t remember it either?

Hop: Hahahahahaha! There’s no way people don’t remember their own name!

Toby: Oh~ I guess you’re right!

Agatha: ………………………………………

Hop: Hello, hello~ What’s your name? I’m Hop! Yay~ Nice to meet you!

Timmy: I’m… I’m… Timmy… um…

Shelpy: …………………. Oh… Hm.... I’m Shelpy…

Toby: Hehe, and I’m- Hm~? Who was I again?

Hop: You’re Toby, hahahahahaha!

Toby: Oh~ That’s true! I guess I am! Hehehehe!

Agatha: …………………………………….

Toby: ……………………………………

Agatha: ……………………………………………..

Hop: ………………………………………….

Agatha: …………………………………………….

Timmy & Shelpy: ………………………………………

Today was simply not a day she could have any hope of enjoying. Even though she refused to tell them her name, and very pointedly began to walk away from them, this did not seem to dampen their enthusiasm at all. They stuck to her like glue, and no matter how hard she tried she simply couldn’t shake them off. Moreover, they did all kinds of weird things like ask her to play games with them, or eat some of the sweets they bought for themselves, take a picture together and many other such inane requests were slung her way until her mind was hazy with confusion. Why couldn’t they just let her be already? They were too shiny and cheerful for her taste, and the amount of attention they gathered with their loud voices was too much.

Hop: Hey~ Hey~ Let’s catch goldfish!

Toby: Hm~ They sell candy floss right over there~

Timmy: I-It looks tasty. Maybe we should get some, um…

Hop: Good idea~ Toby’s friend, do you like candy floss too? Let’s all get some!

She eventually was able to break from them, when three others showed up and one of the silver haired ones began to scold the other four for leaving without telling anybody. Too distracted by the commotion none of them noticed when she disappeared though Toby was on the verge of following after out of sheer reflex, and had to be stopped by Dominic who reminded him that they have to rehearse before they went on stage.

Now alone, Agatha began to wander through the festival grounds, trying to think of what she could do to pass the time. Looking into her belt pouch she spotted the VDC ticket Vita got for her a few weeks ago. It was surprisingly thin and she often worried that the thing would tear right off if she wasn’t careful enough. The thought was daunting - after all, her Big Sis didn’t have to buy her a ticket, but still did. For that Agatha was very grateful. But she would be lying if she didn’t admit that having somebody to watch it with, would have been far more entertaining. Kicking at the ground in irritation, she suddenly found the idea of her sister’s husband existing quite an annoying prospect.

Agatha: ……… Ugh….. stupid….. chowder….

Stuffing her ticket further into her pouch she set off to walk around the school grounds and waste her time until the show started. People continued to whisper and stare at her, but she was too downtrodden to really care about it anymore.

During the show, Agatha was rather surprised to see Toby and his friends performing as well. Not that she particularly cared about it or anything, but it did lead to her irritation increasing due to having to see the little dwarf students from RSA be adored for their cuteness by the whole world. That Neige Revanche kid was already too much, with his stupid hair, and stupid sparkling eyes, and stupid pretty smile - Agatha could go on for hours about the many things she found stupid about Neige, but in the end it all boiled down to the same issue: Neige was publicly recognized as cute. Much like the stupid amoeba that went to her school.

But there wasn’t much she could say about NRC’s team either, since with their shiny looks and energetic dance performances they didn’t make much of an impression on her. It was all the same. Just a bunch of popular kids showing off. It irritated her too much to even pay attention, so when it came to voting she simply refused to do it. She watched the girls of her dorm cast their votes, and the rest of the students and the audience, but she kept her arms crossed and expression sour. But it wasn’t like anybody was going to ask her about it anyway. RSA’s win meant nothing to her, and instead she was just glad that they could finally go back to their school. As everybody exited the venue and she found herself in the outside street she looked around wondering just what she was supposed to do before they left.

Finding her Big Sis would be nice, unless she was with the annoying chowder again. Agatha loved her dearly, but couldn’t wrap her head around why she insisted on spending time with that mollusk of a man. She laughed to herself at that thought. He really did seem like a mollusk now that she thought about it. From behind a pair of hands rested on her shoulders, and her sister’s long, white hair came into sight.

Vita: How fortunate to find you, my dear Agatha.

Agatha: Big…. Sis….

Vita: Hm? What be this? Are you perhaps displeased?

Agatha: …………………………

Vita: I see. My apologies, my dear Agatha. I have rather failed to keep to our tradition, have I not?

Agatha: ………………………..

Vita: It does not suit you to look so despondent, my dear.

Agatha: ……………………….

Reaching over into the belt pouch she carried around, Agatha produced a small bag of brightly coloured candy that she presented to Vita.

Vita: Hm? What might be now?

Agatha: Mint…. candy…

Vita: Oh?

Agatha: It’s…. Big… Sis…. punishment…. for….. running….. off….. with…. the…. chowder….

Vita: ‘Tis so?

There was an amused smile on her lips as she took the small bag, and opened it. Fishing out one of the pieces she laughed softly before putting it in her mind.  

Agatha: ……… Big…… Sis…. has…. to….. finish…… off…. the….. bag…… I….. have….. been…. through….. a…….. lot…… today…….. because…….. of….. Big……. Sis’…….. absence……….

Vita: My, my, how unfortunate. Very well then. I suppose I shall dutifully undertake my penance. Now, tell, just what had occurred while I had been away, my dear.

As Agatha set out to tell Vita about what happened away, she felt her irritation melt away slowly. Bantering like this with her Big Sis always put her in a good mood, and all her encounters today at the very least made for an entertaining story just like Vita liked it. True to her word, she did end up finishing the entire bag of mint candy that Agatha had bought for her. She didn’t show any indication that she found the experience unpleasant or disgusting, which is pretty much just what Agatha expected from her. It wasn’t like Vita to show her true emotions on her face anyway, but the thought that she might be mildly inconvenienced was enough for her to forgive her Big Sis.

They walked through the festival grounds, and had a look at a few of the booths Agatha had visited earlier. The boys who had made fun of her earlier had crossed paths with them again, but Vita’s mere presence had quickly taken out the fight out of them. Her Big Sis was a strong magician after all, and Agatha loved and admired that about her. She and Big Bro were accomplished and powerful, and thus her goal was to become just as amazing as the people she looked up to the most in the world.

But if Agatha had to be honest, she would have to admit that there were times when she simply couldn’t understand what went on in her Big Sis’ mind. There were some things that Vita never talked about and some reactions Agatha had never gotten from her. Her Big Sis was always smiling, sometimes she would be displeased, and there was always that tinge of superiority to it. But now, just for a split second, as they were lost among the crowds she could have sworn she sensed something new, something unusual and scary. For a brief moment Agatha felt a wave of rage emanating from her, like she’d never felt before. The intensity of it was so high that not even the big, dumb chowder that ran Galdtrea could replicate it in her worst moments. It was pure and unadulterated, and it sent a shiver down her spine.

But when she looked over at her, Vita was smiling serenely as always and with no trace of fury in her countenance.

Vita: Is there something that displeases you, my dear Agatha?

The younger girl stared for a while, before slowly shaking her head. Vita let out a small laugh again, and they continued their journey through the festival grounds. The odd sensation did not appear again all evening, and by the end of it Agatha had convinced herself it was merely a trick of the mind. It was for the better. After all, for all the love her sister bore her, revealing such things was out of the question.      

Vita Dies

Stretching her arms above her head, the girl to Vita’s right let out a loud yawn that was not in the slightest dignified or refined. She coughed slightly, and watched as her dorm mate reluctantly, but obediently, covered her mouth with her hand. Walking among the festival crowds was not exactly the sort of thing Noctasis students found all that exciting under normal circumstances, but when it was the festival grounds of another school, things could always take an unexpected turn. Not that they have until now, but they could still hope.

Noctasis Girl A: This is shit.

Noctasis Girl B: Hear, hear.

Noctasis Girl C: Thirded.

Their voice was devoid of any emotion - no trance of annoyance or even boredom. It was merely an indifferent remark upon the current state they found themselves in. Though they complained about having to be here, Vita was certain that if she proposed they should go they would start grumbling about that as well. At this point they were merely venting out their frustrations regarding the apparent lack of entertainment at this festivity.  

Noctasis Girl B: Hey, so you got your ticket for that VDC thing?

Noctasis Girl C: Yup. You?

Noctasis Girl A: Ugh, that’s gonna be shitty too.

Noctasis Girl B: Isn’t that what we’re counting on though?

Noctasis Girl A: Ha, that’s true. This year NRC’s got that Schoenheit dude, and RSA’s got the Revanche kiddo.

Noctasis Girl D: Who’s that?

Noctasis Girl A: Hell if I know. But Schoenheit is a Prefect here, you moron.

Noctasis Girl D: Oh yeah, that guy.

Noctasis Girl A: You have no idea who I’m talking about, are you?

Noctasis Girl D: It’s just some dude, what does it even matter?

Noctasis Girl A: Then why the hell did you even ask?

Noctasis Girl D: Screw you.

Noctasis Girl A: Oh, trust-

Vita: Hm? How peculiar.

Noctasis Girl A: What?

Vita: I have not realized I had taken clucking chickens for companionship today.

Noctasis Girl B: Huh? What are you on about now?

Vita: If I were to know this would be the case, I would have gladly just taken such a pet with me. It would certainly have had more dignity.

Noctasis Girl B: …

Noctasis Girl A: .... You know, Prefect. Sometimes I wonder just how you still got to keep your tongue from all that backtalk you’re giving. There ought to be somebody with scissors around.

The group let out a loud laugh at this, and Vita gave them a smirk as well.

Vita: Hm, I suppose that would not be so bad for you. After all, your barking is barely an inconvenience. Cutting your tongue would be as cutting at air.

Noctasis Girl A: ….. Screw you.

Another chorus of laughter was heard, and as they walked through the campus heads would turn and people would glance at them. They rarely stared however, since by just their uniforms alone they could already figure out what school they went to. The reputation of Walpurga Nacht was one that far exceeded just the academic sphere, so to see regular people take an interest in them was quite common. Though few ever really had the courage of striking a conversation with them. WNA girls just radiated an unapproachable aura that was apparent from both the way they behaved themselves and the general image of the school in public consciousness. This was doubly the case for the Noctasis dorm, whose sharp decline in members had led to many rumours and speculations circulating among many.

To Vita, it was not something new in the least. She’d grown accustomed over the years to the nosy stares and unabashed comments and being on the receiving end here at NRC was less than a sting. Besides it was not them that she came to the school to see, but rather a certain Prefect of Ignihyde who seemed to be hiding away from her at the moment.

The Inter-School Cultural Festival was not a thing Vita ever concerned herself much with. At best it was simply a distraction from her research, at worst a day wasted on inane matters. When Idia finally got admitted into NRC she began to pay more attention to it, whereas before she had skipped it on principle. But then again, during her first year she didn’t have Agatha either, which would have made things more bearable. She was sure to take the younger girl with her every year and together they’d explore the ground of the host school and indulge in some light mockery of whatever struck their fancy. This year it was supposed to be the same, and Agatha was quite looking forward to it as well, but that was before Vita found out that Idia was meant to give a speech at the festival.

He did not want to inform her of it at first, of course, so it was Ortho who had let her know instead. Though she’d made sure to contact her husband almost immediately afterwards and the shriek he let out when she revealed that she would most certainly be attending his speech was much more endearing than she could have imagined. Vita had been in a good mood for the rest of the week after that happened, and made preparations so she could comfortably attend his speech despite his protests. Her husband was much too modest. And much too naive to think that anything he said could change her mind. Her only regret was that she would have to leave Agatha to her own devices as the younger girl did not want to spend any time around the Ignihyde Prefect. It was unfortunate, but she couldn’t force her to do something she did not want. At the very least she ensured that Agatha would be occupied for a portion of the day, and if she managed to find Sam she would most likely not be as upset by this turn of events.

Noctasis Girl A: Hey. Where ya going, Prefect?

She had taken a sharp turn just as they were nearing the main street that led to the Coliseum, and the sudden shift made them stop in their tracks. Vita offered merely a wave in return, never once looking back and soon got lost among the crowd. The girls shared a look between them, but didn’t question it further. After all, they were used to this sort of behaviour from their Prefect. Going in the opposite direction from where she was heading to, they found their way back to the festival grounds and had another look around.

Vita was never a fan of human contact, especially when it came to strangers, so making her way through was far more unpleasant than she expected. Having to bump shoulders with people who did not seem to understand that they ought to get out of her way was rather grating, more so when two somehow managed to lose their footing and fall to the ground like fools. They called after her but she merely looked forward, unbothered. Ortho had been kind enough to let her know where the booth for the Boardgame Club would be located so it took her far less time than it would otherwise. NRC was a larger campus than WNA’s so walking around was always very much a chore for the witches that would visit.

She wished she could have taken Larna with her. The hellhound’s presence would have made this more bearable, but the familiar did not take well to large and noisy crowds. Especially those that presumed they were allowed to even touch her beloved companion. She herself did not mind breaking a few bones here and there, or slapping wandering hands away, but she was certain that it would have made Larna quite upset, so with a heavy heart she had to leave the hound behind and visit her husband by herself today. It would most likely make him disappointed, but there was no other choice.

When she finally reached the door to the room Ortho had guided her too, she threw it open with a willful carelessness and caused at least one of the occupants to scream in surprise. With wide eyes and a slightly panicked expression, her husband stared at her as she set foot inside. She was within three feet of him when he recovered and blinked away his shock.

Idia: Wh-Why the hell did you do that? It was way too showy. No normal person enters a room like that, you know?

Vita: Hm~ I suppose ‘tis be so. I merely wished to make my presence known to you, husband.

Idia grimaced at her explanation, expression clearly distrusting and exasperated.

Idia: Huh? What’s that even- actually, no. I shouldn’t even be asking you that. You’re bound to come up with some weirdo answer like usual.

Vita: Husband…

Idia: Hu-Huh? What’s with that expression on your face? It’s giving me the creeps…

Vita: I had simply not imagined that I have become such a prominent figure in your mind~.

Idia: Ha? What are you on about?  

Vita: My heart is aflutter. I must confess that I have spent many hours thinking about you too. ‘Tis a very pleasurable experience~

Idia sighed heavily as he watched the grin on her face expand. She was teasing him for sure now.

Idia: Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.

Vita: Do you doubt me, dear husband?

Idia: Doubt… I guess you can call it that too. In any case, if you’re only here to amuse yourself then go play with somebody else. I’m busy.

Vita: Hm? Whatever might you be doing now before your presentation, husband?

Idia: I’m doing the sound check again and… just making sure everything is in order… uh…

Vita: Have you not done this already for at least five times?

Idia: Eh? How did you know that…

Vita chuckled at his taken aback expression, and leaned forward slightly, so she could brush a few errant hair strands away from his face.

Vita: I would like to believe that I have a firm grasp on your psychology, my dear husband. After all, what kind of wife is that which cannot tell her beloved’s eccentricities?

Idia’s face turned pink, the closeness between them taking him by surprise. He leaned away as Vita tried to close the distance and almost fell backwards had she not pulled away at the very last minute. Letting out another chuckle she cleared out some of the papers thrown across the desk in front of him and sat on it. Once he noticed what she was doing, he immediately gathered them in one pile and away from her.

Vita: ‘Tis be your speech, husband?

Idia: Yeah, they’re the notes on my research up to now. Haa, can’t I just send these by e-mail and avoid the whole presentation?

Vita: Do not be ridiculous, husband. Any researcher must defend their labour from the ignorant masses that are certain to misunderstand it. I would be loath to see your hard work be dragged through the mud.

Idia: You’re the only one who cares about this whole thing.

Vita: Oh, are you not to be intimidated by the imbeciles then?

Idia: Aaah, don’t remind me. Just thinking about going on that stage to hold this speech… I can already hear everybody whispering about it.

“Hey is that guy’s hair on fire?”

“You think he’s from that Shroud family?”

“Ugh, he looks super creepy doesn’t he?”

It’s always the same, really.

Vita: Husband.

Idia: Hm?                  

Leaning over, Vita took some of the pages he was holding and began to arrange them properly. He watched her as he sat down in the chair next to the desk, and leaned back slightly, expression unreadable. As she was looking through the papers, Vita began to talk again.

Vita: ‘Tis truly remarkable, husband.

Idia: Huh? What is?

Vita: Your mind. I am to be left once more in awe of your genius.

Idia scoffed and reached over to take them away from her.

Vita: Hm? Is this your reaction?

Idia: Haaa, not that a wrapped woman like you would even understand the kind of worries that I have.

Vita: Oh? Is that so?

Idia: High spec characters like you have enough Charisma points not to worry about stuff like that. You’re the sort of antagonist character that gives out a noblewoman’s laugh when she steps on people’s heads and forces them into the mud.

Vita chuckled in amusement and smiled over at him.

Vita: My~ That is a rather flattering image you have of me, husband. I am touched. Would you desire to receive that sort of treatment, hm?

Idia: This is exactly what I’m talking about. Your thinking is too messed up. Haaa, seriously, introverts like me just don’t have any luck…

Vita: Then I shall strive to become more acquiantanced with some hexes that increase good luck. Would that not sound good?

Idia: Don’t ever get tired of that?

Vita: Whatever could you mean?

Idia: Of mocking others.

Vita laughed as she crossed one leg over the other.

Vita: Husband, you must have realised by now that my jests are merely meant to tease. And I shall never get tired of playing with you. You make the most adorable expression when you frown like that~

Idia exhaled loudly, face betraying both an exhausted kind of frustration as well as embarrassment. The tips of his ears turned red, and his hair flared up a little, the blue gaining a little crimson streak at the bottom. Vita’s grin grew bigger at the sight and she leaned in closer as she took in the sight. He did not turn away this time, but the pink that coated his face was unmistakable. They held each other’s gaze for a while, until Idia finally broke eye contact to glance around.

Vita: Our dear Larna could not come today, husband.

Idia: Ah.

His face fell slightly. His disappointment was more visible than Vita expected.

Vita: These mobs make him rather uncomfortable as you know.

Idia: Yeah… He’s really docile for a hellhound.

Vita: ‘Tis quite charming. Nevertheless, he was despondent when he was told that he may not come today. He misses you terribly.

Idia: Heh, I could say the same. But…

She watched with a certain degree of curiosity as he fiddled with the notes a little, looking quite bashful all of a sudden.

Idia: Ah, maybe next weekend when you’re supposed to visit… He could come along?

Vita: Hm, I wonder about that.

Idia: Huh?      

She avoided his befuddled gaze as she inspected her nails. In her pouch the letter she received a few days ago felt rather heavy all of a sudden. Idia waited for a response, or even a reaction from her, but when it became clear that she would not offer one he opened his mouth to ask for one. Unfortunately, before he could even utter a sound, Ortho came bounding and cheerfully called out to his sister-in-law.

Ortho: Vita Dies! Welcome! I am glad to see that you didn’t have any problems following the instructions I left for you!

Vita: Of course. They were rather detailed, after all.

Ortho: Mm! I wanted to make sure you found your way here quickly! Big Brother is also very happy to see you’re here at last!

Idia: O-Ortho…!

Ortho: Hm? Is there something you’re upset about, Big Brother?

Vita: I would not have missed his presentation for anything in the world.

Ortho: Hehehe!

Vita: Oh? Was that so amusing, little Ortho?

Ortho: Oh no! I was merely thinking how you’re always so supportive of Big Brother. It makes me really happy that you get along so well! I’ve never even seen you two fight before!

There was a certain drop in temperature all of a sudden as Ortho finished speaking. Vita’s smile got a little tighter, but nothing in her body posture or voice betrayed anything as she spoke. Beside her Idia tensed and stayed silent.

Vita: ‘Tis the duty of a wife to ensure her husband is never without aid when he most needs it. And her pleasure to bask in his success~

Ortho: Hehe, I guess that’s true.

She shifted slightly, as she switched legs. Idia set down the notes he was holding and stood up. Vita and Ortho’s eyes followed him as he moved.

Vita: There still be an hour until your presentation, husband.

Idia: I know, but I can’t concentrate with you here.

Vita: To think I was such distracting figure even in my uniform~

Idia: Th-That’s not what I meant! Ugh, you’re impossible…

Vita: On the contrary, husband. But I understand your desire quite well. I shall make myself scarce and let you return to your preparations. Ah, but before I depart…

Idia raised an eyebrow as she watched her slide off the table and come closer to him. His face turning red again, and hair flaring up slightly, he held his breath as she stood merely inches away from him. Seeing her without her usual amount of makeup was always a disquieting experience, but he could not deny that even so she was beautiful. She was so close that he could feel her body heat emanating from her and wondered just exactly she was planning. It couldn’t be what he was thinking, surely.

Vita: Husband.

Idia: Ye-Yeah?

Vita: Would you like a good luck kiss?

He blinked owlishly at her, and when he finally processed her question he turned away face completely red.

Idia: Haaaaaa! I knew you shouldn’t have come here today!

Vita merely giggled at his reaction and tried to step even closer, but out of embarrassment Idia continued to move away from her. Watching them confused, Ortho cocked his head to the side and quietly began a quick health scan.

Idia: Ah! If you have time to play, go play with Ortho!

Ortho: I am free if you need company, Vita Dies!

Vita: How kind of you.

Ortho: We could play board games, or if you’d like, you can try out the VR Magical Dice Game that Big Brother developed!

Vita: Oh?

Idia: Ah, it’s nothing to get excited about…

Vita: Modesty does not befit you, husband.

Idia: It’s not that. Any monkey could make something like this.

His mouth pulled into a vicious smirk as he peered at her.

Idia: Even you, I bet.

Vita: You are too kind husband~

Ortho: Would you like to try it, Vita Dies?

Vita: Perhaps.

Idia: I doubt you would like it. It’s got no support class.

Vita: Hm, indeed. That does sound rather discouraging.

Idia: You should diversify your skills, you know. Look into some DPS, maybe even a mage. Tank… Nah, that doesn’t suit you.

Vita: I must decline, husband. I am rather happy with my current class.

Idia: You just heal and buff. Couldn’t hurt to do some damage too.

Vita: Perhaps, yet I find it far more pleasurable to remain in the shadows and exercise control over the enemy monsters. Are you displeased by my performance?

Idia scoffed. His smirk turned into one of amusement.

Idia: Nah, the opposite. It’s scary how good you are at that stuff.

Vita: ‘Tis your praise that allows me to play so skillfully~

Idia: There you go saying creepy things again… Hehehehe, but the reaction I got when I cut down that guy’s PC thanks to your binding spell keeping him in one place… Hehehehehehe, that was really hilarious.

Vita: ‘Twas a most beguiling victory, indeed.

Idia: That reminds me. We’re going on that raid next month.

Vita: Ah, that be so indeed.

Idia: Yeah, so make sure you’re stocked up. You should level up too. They got some new features for your class, you know? I had a look through and some would really help optimize your build. Here, let me show you.

Ortho’s gaze switched from one to the other as he listened to them talk. Lost in their own world, they continued to debate over stats and builds and all sorts of other things related to matters of gaming and such that Ortho wasn’t entirely sure he could understand. But even so he could notice the sudden softness that appeared between them as they chatted. Though his Big Brother would never admit it, he always seemed to become more relaxed in Vita’s presence whenever she was with them. They traded barbs quite often, but there was rarely any true venom to them. It was almost as if they found pleasure in such a practice. He couldn’t exactly wrap his head around it, but as long as his Big Brother was happy, Ortho was content with the situation.

He and Vita continued like this for quite a while, until Idia was reminded about his speech and promptly sent her to play with Ortho while he made the final preparation. He expected her to object at least a little, but she was surprisingly obedient.

Vita: Hm? Do you consider me such an argumentative woman? I will merely delight in your calm disposition as you amaze those fools, husband.

He didn’t really get what she was saying, but it didn’t matter right now. He had a speech to give. Though, strangely enough he felt he was far less anxious about it than before. It could be that her endless pestering had alleviated some of his tension, but he didn’t dwell on it.

Vita spent the rest of the time talking to Ortho, with Azul occasionally interjecting when he seized the opportunity. Though they were not on the best of terms, he would have been a fool not to try and get some information out of her. Not that she was too eager to offer it, but Azul would not have let that stop him.

When the time came for the presentation to start, Vita accompanied Idia and Ortho to the venue and found a seat near to the front where she had a great view of the stage. She took out a pen and notebook and carefully noted down the information Idia offered. It was petty, but she felt herself swell with pride at the appreciative and admiring looks he received from the company representatives present there. They all murmured among themselves and nodded, their attention trained entirely on him. Glancing at him, Vita could see his tense posture - as well as the way his hands moved quickly across the keyboard. It seems that he decided to use a voice synthesizer after all, which she did not consider all that acceptable, but on this occasion she would hold her tongue. It was surprising enough that he would show up in person, so scolding him over it would not be a good idea at all.

The Q&A session went exceedingly well too, with many seizing the opportunity to ask about the details and mechanics of his research. Questions which Idia all answered proficiently and competently. Even the Headmistress of her academy had been present and from merely glancing at her expression, Vita could tell she was pleased. Indeed, it seemed that Idia had made quite the impression with his work. People were talking among themselves at the end of the session, and Vita couldn’t help but overhear their chatter and praises aimed at her husband. She joined a few of the conversations, aristocratic upbringing being rather helpful in such situations as she laughed and smiled and offered witty remarks and good points when it was appropriate and stood in silence at other times, letting these influential people praise the accomplishments of the Shroud heir. Who was of course nowhere to be seen.

Vita observed the room carefully and when she deduced that indeed Idia had disappeared without a word she calmly excused herself and left the venue as well. She had expected this much from him, if she were to be honest, so it did not bother her so much to make this change in plans. She was anything but inflexible when it came to him, after all. Walking through the NRC campus she headed towards a quite familiar location. It was in fact the one place she knew almost as well as the back of her hand mainly because it was where she spent most of her time when visiting the school. She was quite thankful for the transportation mirrors that acted as gateways to the dorms simply because using them was quite easier than the system in place at WNA. Though it also meant that it would be quite easy for anybody to sneak in, without much of a fuss.

The door to Idia’s room was closed, just as she thought, though with a mere flick of the wrist and a little spell it flew open to make a grand entrance. Her husband jumped in his chair as he turned around to look at her smiling face. Grimacing slightly he turned back to his computer and resumed typing what seemed to be some commands for a code Vita could not recognize.

Vita: You left quite swiftly, husband.

Idia: You know I don’t care for this crap anyway…

Vita: Hm, indeed. Yet I had hoped we could take a walk around campus.

Idia: Huh? What for?

Vita: ‘Tis romantic, husband. Lovers in the night, cloaked by the treacherous dark, always one step away from death and reminded of their mortality… Ah, I shiver at the mere notion of it~

Idia watched almost in amazement as her body did indeed shiver at that moment, and a wide smirk covered her face. She leaned against the desk he was working on and Idia was flustered by the sudden proximity.

Idia: NRC isn’t that kind of place, you know…

Vita: Yes, quite unfortunate.

Idia: Only you would say that.

Vita: Then shall we?

Idia: Shall we what?

Vita: Join together in eternity~

Idia: Haaa, not today, I’m pretty busy.

Vita: How cruel~

He sighed again, but his expression was amused. It set Vita at ease to see him in a slightly better mood. Her husband’s penchant for melancholy was quite worrisome at times so she desires if nothing else that he should at least be comfortable enough in her presence to relax. She watched him fondly as he resumed typing away, still somewhat distracted by how close her body was to him.

Vita: You were wonderful today.

Idia: Hehehehe, this sort of stuff is child’s play since I’m a genius.

Vita: I am supremely proud of you, husband.

His hands froze above the keyboard and he slowly turned pink. Glancing away in embarrassment, he grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck.

Idia: Haaa, you’re on that again?

Vita: Should I not be? Does my husband not deserve praise for all his effort? Perhaps even a kiss as a reward, hm?

Idia: How can you even say stuff like that with a straight face? SSR characters sure are something else…

Vita: ‘Tis merely how I feel~

She looked around the messy room, clothes and books thrown all around, half-filled bottles of water and empty cans of energy drinks placed in random spots and bed unmade - it was as pitiful as she always remembered it, but something was missing.

Vita: Husband.

Idia gave a distracted hum eyes still glued to the screen.

Vita: I cannot catch a single glimpse of little Ortho. Has he not returned with you?

Idia: Ah, that… He went to check out the booths.

Vita: And you did not accompany him?

Idia scoffed at this.

Idia: And waste my time with whatever some high schoolers have cropped up?

Vita: Or rather spend some time with the child.

There was a tense silence between them, neither daring to remark on her word choice though it was quite obvious what she was getting at.

Idia: Ah, I doubt he would have had much fun if I came along anyway.

Vita: Hm? Did you perhaps have a fight?

Idia: So you figured it out?

Vita: I know you quite well, husband.

She picked up one of the coffee cans sitting on the desk behind her and chucked it away in the trash with a flick of her wrist.

Idia: It wasn’t that big a deal anyway. Just ‘cause some big corps sent me a few offers, suddenly I need to reschedule my entire life... It’s too much of a hassle.

Vita: So you plan not to take them? Are you this much of a fool?

Idia withered slightly under her harsh, cool gaze. She was still not facing him directly, but even so he could sense the disapproving sentiment she was projecting. It always managed to intimidate and annoy him ever since they were children.

Idia: There’s no point in doing that, since it’s not like I can even go anywhere…

He mumbled the last part, but her ears still caught it. Turning to him fully, she crossed her arms and for the first time a slightly irritated expression came on her face.

Vita: So you plan to run away with your tail between your legs like a coward?

Idia: …

Vita: Is there no pride lurking inside you at all? Are you a mollusk with no will of your own?

Idia: …

Vita: You cannot possibly think of not taking at least one of those offers. That would be madness, husband.

Idia: …

Vita: Do you plan on saying anything? Or are you to stay silent until some boldness springs in you at last?

Idia: …

Vita: ‘Tis truly a shame you cannot call upon the same impulsive foolhardiness as you did that time-

Idia stood up with such ferocity that his chair toppled backwards, a snarl on his face and hair turning crimson. He towered over her slightly, but Vita did not move a single inch as her face betrayed no fear or surprise.

Idia: That’s rich coming from someone like you!

Vita: … What are you implying, my dear husband?

Idia: Tsk. You’re acting like you’re above all this, but you’re just as much of a mollusk too, aren’t you? That’s why you get pissed every time I tell you I’d rather not get involved in stuff like that, because you’re projecting your issues on me. Using other people to correct your own negligence… Please spare me of all that crap.

Vita: Hmph. To think you only get this fired up when it comes to such things.

Idia: And there it is! That “I’m better than everybody else and you’re all just worms beneath my feet” attitude of yours! Do you even know how much you sound like a brat when you talk like that? Aaah, it’s really frightening how oblivious you are to it, and yet go around happily criticizing others. Don’t you think it’s time you grew up too, huh?

Vita: Your agitation is pointless, husband. You must realize that I am indeed right in this matter.

Idia: Uuuuugh, there it is again! Talking with you is so frustrating at times like this! Why are you even asking me stuff if you will just do what you want?

Vita: If you are to make such disastrous choices, I wish to understand why. Or is that not allowed anymore?

Idia: You’ve got a funny way of asking for explanations!

Vita: You have yet to offer any, husband.

Idia let out a frustrated yell. His hair flared up higher than before, a deep, brilliant red that emanated a wave of heat around them. He grit his teeth, but did not say anything, and just turned around, picked up the fallen chair and set it in front of the desk. He exhaled harshly through his nose and tried counting to ten to calm down for a bit. When he got to four he heard Vita scoff, and suddenly all his rage returned tenfold.

Idia: … What the hell was that?

Vita: Hm, and here I thought you did not desire for me to criticize you any longer.

Idia: ...You’re impossible.

Vita: I am merely concerned for you-

Idia: Then why would you show it like this?!

Vita: Coddling you will only do you a disservice.

Idia: Haaaaa? Since when did I ask for that? Don’t just go assuming things on your own!

Vita: …

Idia: And since when was being understanding towards somebody coddling?!

Vita: Hmph, you say this as if I am not aware of your tendency to lose yourself in your games and cheap entertainment.

Idia: And you’re not the same with your research?!  

Vita: Those are different matters, as you are aware of, husband.  

Idia: Stop presuming things already! It’s getting on my nerves!

Vita: Then tell me, my dear husband.

Idia: Tell you what? Don’t you already know everything there is to know?

Vita: Do not be petulant. It does not suit you.

Idia scoffed and turned towards the desk. Throwing himself in his chair, he put on his headphones and resumed typing on the code. Vita watched him for a while, before reaching over and pulling them off.

Vita: Husband.

Idia: If you just want to nag me again, save your breath. Unlike you, I have a lot of work to do.

Vita: Hm, is that so?

Idia: Yeah.

Vita: And I am to be gallivanting around then?

Idia: Do whatever you want. You always do just that.

She was silent for a while, watching him with an expression he couldn’t truly make out entirely, but which unnerved him all the same. Then she spoke again.

Vita: Husband.

Idia: What?

Vita: Tell me this: Are you cowering away in your room from fear of others? Is that not what prevents you from joining that child tonight?

Idia: Stop calling him that!

Vita: Is that not what he is? Regardless, is that not what is happening? Is that not what is preventing you from accepting those offers?

Idia: You’re still on about those things?

Vita: I am loath to watch you waste away your genius like that, husband, when I know you can be greater than those maggots.

Idia: You’re projecting again.

Vita: … Is that so?

Idia: Just because your research isn’t going well, doesn’t mean you have to hound me about mine. If you’re unhappy with it just switch to something easier.

Vita: You know well that is not possible.

Idia: Haaaaaaa?!

The unplaceable tone in her voice sent him into a frenzy as he struggled not to grit his teeth.

Idia: It’s a subject you knew damn well had no finite prospects, and would bear little significance afterwards too! Nobody was asking you to do it! You picked it out on your own, didn’t you? So what’s that “it’s not possible” crap, huh?!

Vita: …

Idia: It’s just about your pride, isn’t it?! So don’t act so high and mighty! And don’t go lecturing people about being cowards or running away when you are doing nothing but chasing relics of a cult that’s well past any semblance of historical interest or even academic integrity just because you-

Vita: Enough.

Silence overtook the room in the next moment. The force with which Vita spoke surprised Idia to the point that his throat suddenly felt very dry. He wasn’t sure for long they had been arguing, or even what he said during it all, but he realized as he watched Vita’s hard and distant gaze that he went too far. He came too close to something far too intimate for either of their comfort and now Pandora's box was open. He waited to see how she’ll react, if she would get angry, or even scream at him - but deep down he knew none of that would happen. Vita exercised such control over herself that her face never betrayed anything she did not want to show. Though he had caught a glance of it before - the quiet rage that simmered inside her sometimes. He wondered, anxiously, if that was what was preventing her from speaking further.

After what seemed years, she opened her mouth.

Vita: I will be returning to the Dies manor for a while.

Of all the things he thought she might say, this was certainly the one he did not expect.

Idia: Huh? What?

Vita: Mother has called for me.

Idia: … And you’re just gonna go back there?

Vita: Indeed.

He stood up and reached out for her, but she pulled away.

Idia: Vit-

Vita: I merely sought to inform you. ‘Tis be all.

Idia: Wait-    

Vita: As you know quite well, the signal there is rather weak, so we will not be able to communicate too well.

Idia: That’s-

Vita: And as always, Mother heavily discourages visits.

Idia: Vita! About our fight just now, it is because-

Vita: Husband.

She was heading towards the door, expression blank and sure-footed, while he stood rooted to the spot. Turning around she looked over at him with neither mirth or amusement.

Vita: I have merely come here to inform you of this. I did not mean to disturb you.

Idia: Yo-You didn’t… uh, listen… about all this-

Vita: I have overstepped my boundaries. For that I must apologize. And I have had enough of this situation.

He froze. She had enough of this situation? The fight? But that was over already, wasn’t it? Then what could she mean? What was she done with? He gulped as another set of questions suddenly sprung to mind. Was it him? Was she done with him?

Vita: ‘Tis become bothersome, so I will ask you not to bring it up any further this evening.

He nodded dumbly, as he watched her reach out for the door handle. He wasn’t sure what he should be feeling at that moment, but he was not even able to utter a single word as he watched her open the door, and throw him a last glance backwards.

Vita: ‘Tis not necessary for you to accompany me. I am familiar with the way. Farewell.

And just like that, she left him alone in the room, with a million thoughts rushing through his head as he felt a certain feeling of dread slowly creep upon him. Thinking about what just happened was too much to handle - Was it over? Were they really done? Just like that? - so instead Idia merely turned back to his desk and almost roboticaly sat down in his chair. On the screen before him a series of numbers appeared and with slightly shaking fingers he closed the window, and reached out for his console nearby. Leaning back he threw himself in his game, concentrating on the images on screen and trying desperately to push away the events from before out of his mind. The soundtrack playing in the background was the only thing that could be heard in the room.

When she finally reached the Mirror Chamber again, Vita took a glance in the reflective surface and frowned. A strand of hair was out of place and her ribbon was slightly undone. That would not stand. She straightened her back, slightly combed her hair and adjusted her ribbon so that all looked perfect again. When she was satisfied with her grooming she smiled. She was once again in perfect control of herself and that’s all that mattered. She couldn’t allow herself to be seen as anything less after all, since she was still the esteemed heiress of the Dies family.

Fragments of her argument with Idia threatened to play again in her mind, but she simply pushed them away. She did not have time to worry about such matters now. She’d deal with them later. The letter in her pouch weighed heavy and she thought over the contents again as she made her way through the festival grounds, looking for Agatha, who she promised to meet up with afterwards.

The letter from her mother arrived, as it always did, on the third day of the last week of the month. It was short and succinct and it let her know that her grandfather had fallen ill to bed quite recently and prospects of his recovery did not look good. Though she felt herself grow antsy with anxiety as she went through it, not a shred of that showed on her face as the Kriegsklad Prefect, Marcia, who worked part-time for the school Post Office had been still there trying to make light conversation with her. She was in the middle of her usual sponsorship spiel when Vita declined her with a smile and turned away, walking off with a light step. Back in her room she went over the contents of it later again, with Larna laying across her legs, as it slowly dawned on her what the purpose of the letter was. The news of her grandfather’s health was grave indeed, but Vita recognized in her mother’s writing style a certain feeling of urgency and fatality - there were high chances he was not going to make it. This in itself did not bother Vita overly much - to any proper Dies, death was merely a part of existence, not a notion one ought to concern itself with all that often. But it was the issue of what would happen afterwards that mattered. Vita was perfectly aware that if her grandfather was to pass on, her mother would forgo the traditional Dies funeral in favour of a simple cremation. The notion filled her with dread. Her grandfather was the last practitioner of their family arts besides her. To be given anything but their proper death rites would cause him more grief than anything else in the world. Vita was aware of this. And so was her mother, but she didn’t care much for that.

Taking all this into account, Vita realized that the letter was sending one single message in fact: If her grandfather is to die and Vita is not around to take care of the family rites, he’ll be cremated as the rest of them. Just like her father. It was clear that her presence home was required immediately, so she set off to prepare for that. She had decided to inform Idia of her absence as well, since as her husband he had a right to know of such things, but she held off telling him the reason behind it all. It was not a matter he had to concern himself with after all. Vita alone was enough to handle it all, without burdening him with it at all. This fight they had was regrettable, but she would have to overlook it for the time being. Things will go back to normal when she returns home. She was certain of that.

Nevertheless, as she made her way through the grounds and met up with Agatha, she felt a certain shadow of rage slip in and out as they toured the place. The guilt of their fight, and the anger towards her mother were mixing together in a chaotic assemblage of emotions that threatened to spill out at any moment. But she held herself together, as always, and entertained her beloved little sister, collected her unruly girls and fulfilled her duty as a Prefect just as always. On the way back Agatha asked her if they could spend the next day together at the festival and Vita felt quite wretched to turn her down, but she would have to leave tonight since there was little time to spare.

Having gone back to the dorm, she collected her things, informed the domovoy of her absence, took Larna with her - whose excitement was boundless as he continued to ask about Father endlessly on the way to the Dies mansion and gotten rather downtrodden when Vita would not reveal all that much, so he just curled up on her lap, sensing perhaps her mood - and by the time clock struck twelve she was already on the threshold of her childhood home, where her mother waited for her with the same strict and unrelenting expression that Vita had grown accustomed to. They exchanged greetings, formally and coldly, and the ghouls working about took her bags from her and carried them upstairs.

Stepping further inside, Vita could hear as her mother closed the door behind her with a sharp thud.

[mala-sadas]

Thoughts about Spe!Hop’s endorsement

So, Yamamoto posted a couple of preview images for the next SwSh round on Twitter today, including one showing Hop in his gym challenge uniform. It’s identical to the one that he wears in the games, which shows nice attention to detail on Yamamoto’s part - except for one thing. 

In the games, most Gym Challengers have the symbol of a Gym on their challenge uniform, which is presumably the symbol of the Gym Leader who endorsed them. So, if Spe!Hop doesn’t have a symbol on his uniform, then he must’ve been endorsed by someone who wasn’t a Gym Leader. But there are only two non-Gym Leader people who can endorse Trainers that we know of, and the narrative so far doesn’t seem to suggest that either of them endorsed Hop. Let’s look at them in more detail:

Leon: This is the obvious choice for Hop’s endorser, right? He’s Hop’s older brother, he endorsed Hop in the games, he’s already been seen endorsing Trainers...but that’s where the problem lies. Leon endorses Sou and Schilly for the Gym Challenge, and like in the games, this news immediately spreads across the whole region because Leon rarely endorses challengers. But the news that spreads across the region is that “the unbeatable Champion endorsed two Trainers.” Not three. So if he endorsed Hop, he would’ve had to keep it a secret somehow. And even setting aside the question of how Leon would’ve kept this secret, why would Leon have endorsed his brother secretly in the first place? If they’re concerned about Hop about being in his brother’s shadow, Hop shouldn’t be trying to become Champion in the first place. If they’re worried that people will accuse Leon of playing favorites, they can just get someone else to endorse Hop instead. That seems way easier than trying to make sure Chairman Rose, Oleana, and any members of the League Staff that come across the information never say anything about Leon endorsing Hop.

Chairman Rose: Besides the fact that we know he can endorse Trainers, there’s really not much evidence to suggest Chairman Rose would endorse Hop. He supported Bede because Bede reminded him of himself, but coming from a loving family with a supportive older brother, Hop and Rose couldn’t be more different. And Bede’s endorsement came attached with the mission to collect Wishing Stars, which Hop definitely isn’t doing. The only reason Hop would be on Chairman Rose’s radar is through Leon, but Leon could just...endorse Hop himself. The only reasons I can think of why Rose would endorse Hop instead of Leon are that Leon asked him to - presumably to avoid the accusations of favoritism - or that Leon didn’t think Hop was ready for the Gym Challenge while Rose did. Now, if Leon’s worried about the favoritism thing...having his brother be endorsed by someone who’s equally selective about handing out endorsements really isn’t going to help Hop much. And considering how little attention Rose gives to the kid he actually endorsed, it’s hard to imagine Rose knowing enough about Hop to decide he’s ready for the Gym Challenge when his brother doesn’t think he is.

Other options: Beyond those two, it’s hard to make predictions about who Hop’s endorser could be because we don’t know if anyone else can actually give endorsements; when they’re explaining the concept of endorsements Sou and Schilly only mention Gym Leaders, the League Chairman, and the Champion. But since those all seem to be off the table, I’ll just take a look at some other important characters in Galar and determine how likely I think it is they’ll be Hop’s endorser, based on four criteria: what reason they would be able to give endorsements, what reason they would have to endorse Hop (instead of Leon), what I like about the concept of them endorsing Hop, and what problems I have with them endorsing Hop.

Sonia: No reason to be able to give endorsements; would endorse Hop to spite Leon or because she knows Hop well; a fun twist for Leon and the audience, parallels/foreshadows Hop becoming her assistant, adds a new layer to Hop’s line about “the endorser’s title has nothing to to with the Trainer’s ability”; she’s apparently so traumatized by what happened on her Gym Challenge that she can’t even watch Gym battles anymore, she and Leon haven’t seen each other in a long time, no canon confirmation that she knows Hop. Overall likelihood: not a chance

Professor Magnolia: Knows Chairman Rose and worked with him to develop the Dynamax Band; would endorse Hop because she thinks it’ll be a good way for him to grow; she convinces Leon to endorse Hop and the player in the games; no canon confirmation that she knows Hop, she would’ve endorsed Sou and Schilly as well if she could give endorsements. Overall likelihood: not a chance

Mustard: A former Champion; would endorse Hop if he demonstrates his skill as a Trainer; Hop getting an endorsement from Leon’s master is a fun concept, a good way to introduce the DLC characters into the narrative; in the games he’s stated to be retired from the League. Overall likelihood: decent

Peony: A former Champion; no reason to endorse Hop; a good way to introduce the DLC characters into the narrative; unlikely that he knows Hop or that Hop knows him, in the games he doesn’t want anything to do with the League when it’s run by his brother. Overall likelihood: unlikely

So, yeah, I guess out of all the possibilities, I’m leaning the most towards Mustard being the one who endorsed him. But we’ll just have to wait and see.