#figured this would be relevant p soon...
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thatguywrites · 2 months ago
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Drivers with reader who faints
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Inspired by the events of my day yesterday :P
I figured the fernando pic was slightly relevant 🤷‍♂️
Piastri, Tsunoda, Hamilton, Alonso
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Oscar Piastri
Does any work that would make you dizzy, like hanging things up, or unpacking boxes
Makes sure Mclaren has medics that will be able to take care of yourself in the event of you fainting
As soon as you mention a headache or being lightheaded, he'll be glued next to you, ready to catch you
Or he'll pull you to a couch or seat to make sure you can sit or lay down
When you do faint
When Oscar got the call from the hospital that you were there, he dropped everything to get there
No matter how many times it happens, his heart drops to his stomach
Even if he's at work, you're more important
Once he's there he's fussing over you and making sure that nothing out of the norm happened
He makes you take the rest of the day and the next day off to rest
Hand delivers anything you need
Yuki Tsunoda
Always makes sure you take your medicine
Always has sugar, or salt, and water, and meds on him incase you go through a spell
Red bull/Visa RB have been intimidated into being very nice and cautious with you when it's hot out
Whenever you have to lie down he takes it as a chance to cuddle you so that you don't escape
He's basically just a cat
When you do faint
Any time he is away from you he spends pacing up and down halls, nothing but you on his mind
When he can see you he just instantly is glued to you
Just the cutest little koala
He refuses to let you out of his sight if you're not laying down
For the next week he'll be over protective, but he'll eventually relax
Until it happens again at least
Lewis Hamilton
Is always very cautious, going out while it's hot
He has a bag that is devoted to having things that help if you're dizzy
Always has it on him
Faint proofs his apartment to that if you fall and can't catch yourself, you shouldn't be too hurt
When you do faint
He prides himself on his ability to keep calm in situations like this
Instantly on the ground with you, making sure you didn't hit your head, and that you stay still until help arrives
He answers any questions that the EMTs ask, wanting to prioritize you're rest
He also makes you take the day off, and will pamper you to death
Fernando Alonso
Adopts you a service dog who can notify you when you're about to faint (if that's applicable)
Is always very aware of your state if it's hot, or you haven't eaten much that day
He fusses over you sometimes but it's always worth it
When you do faint
Unlike Lewis, Fernando does absolutely panic whenever you faint
No matter how common it is, or normal it is to you, it always scares him
He instantly makes sure that you didn't hit anything on your way down
He then throws himself into making sure that you can come home to a clean, comfortable home, and you'll have no work to do
He orders you your favorite food, and spends the night in bed with you to make sure that nothing else is bothering you
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Taglist: (Comment or DM to be added)
@koalapastries @justaf1girl @spoonfulofmilo @lokisen @op-81-lvr-reblogs
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sillied-too-hardxp · 2 months ago
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~D~e~s~p~a~i~r~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~♡⁠˖⁠꒰⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠⑅⁠꒱💖꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~(Alfred's Pov)~
You remember the first time you saw them.
A scared child who had just moved to Gotham… Only for their parents to die in a mugging gone wrong.
You remember them only speaking in their native language… Not understanding what happened. Not understanding that their parents are gone… Your heart bleeds for them.
Unfortunately, it seems that this scenario is more common than it should…
You remember the look on their face- 
You know it was the same one that Bruce had. 
You had simply thought that they happened to be another blood child of Bruce’s, you were correct, but their mother had been a distant friend of Bruce’s. Old childhood friends during the time Thomas and Martha were alive and well. Who sent her condolences when she heard the news… The one who also asked for Bruce to be their donor.
A friend who had only recently called quite a bit ago announced that she, her wife, and child would be moving to Gotham soon. That she hoped they could re-spark their once vibrant friendship…
. . .
Now laid dead, just had Bruce’s did. Leaving a grieving child behind in the aftermath… just like Bruce.
You had foolishly thought once Bruce came home he would help the child grieve. That they weren’t alone, that everything was going to be okay. But… 
He just…
Walked past them… Without a single glance…
. . .
You’ve never been more disappointed in your LIFE.
You’d never thought that this could ever occur… 
Bruce…. Like a drop of rain, adopted promising children, ignored the most promising one?
The one with the most compassionate eyes and tear-stricken cheeks, the one that shares the grief he has? That shares the now same traumatic memories he has??
You never felt the need to scream more in your life… How could Bruce just walk past them?? As if they weren’t there??? As if he hadn’t gotten that call Commissioner Gordan informed him of his friends’ passing? That he didn’t agree to look after the child if they were to suddenly pass??? That, as their Godfather, he would raise as his own(if blood wasn’t relevant)?
But in the end, you set up a room for them… helping them to bed. Sitting in a chair nearby, for the night terrors that eventually appeared throughout the night.
. . . .
You forced yourself to continue with the present, trying to find a way to contact [Name]. To figure out if they’re okay… If they are happy and alive. 
You usually trusted your gut instincts… But… This feeling? Was complete and absolute DREAD. That they were no longer there. That something downright horrifying happened. . . That they had d i e d. That you could no longer hear the melody of their laugh. The songs they would hum helping you around the manor… The hugs that could make you stop breathing. Their eyes that stare at you look at you as if YOU were the one who made the universe they resided in…. The one you missed the most out of anyone you’d once known.
You felt it before… Jason came into your mind. Yes, he was dead for an indeterminate amount of time, but he’s alive now. Visiting every once in a while. He still contacts you when he’s not.
But this?? This situation? Leaves you feeling like you could vomit… That you’re mourning once again… 
To take your mind off of the feeling. You use the Batcomputer to search more in-depth into {Hope’s Peak Academy}. 
Hoping to find answers to questions on why students haven’t been seen in a while. Why the students aren’t answering their parents’ phone calls and letters? Why the academy now looks barren? As if students and staff hadn’t been there in months…
You’ve looked into everything. The only news you found were about strange bears roaming around the school. About how bizarre the bears look… 
That feeling… 
.
.
.
.
Now feels even worse…
_____________________tags_____________________
@welpthisisboring @pialexx
sorry for the wait!! >< i didn't know how to write the many MANY ideas in my head (; > <) i hope the tags work cause im more used to mobile! also!! send asks if you want! cause i'll be checking in with this blog more often lol
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colorquest · 7 months ago
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~☆~
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...
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D(ebbie): HEYYYYYYY SAMANTHA!!!!!! V(ilmr): Hiiii!
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S(amantha): Hehe, hi Debbie, hi Vilmr. S: Can you see me alright? D: Yeah I can see you, and that smelly boy behind you too. V: I can smell him from here. D: YEAH bleuch! We can smell him from here!!! M(ichael): --Oh! M: Oh jeez, when you said you were gonna call I didn't think you meant like, right away-- D: SAMANTHA can you see us? S: Yes, we can see you too Debbie.
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M: Hey you two! M: What's up? D: Oh my gosh he doesn't even know what's up!!! D: Don't you know what day it is?! M: Oh, uh...! M: The... eleventh? V: The twelfth actually, on the other side of the world. D: Yeah DUH. M: I-- I didn't think that was relevant? D: Omfggggg nnnnnnnOTHING. D: You. D: Know. D: NOTHING............... V: It's the twelfth where it's happening right now! V: That's the whole reason we're calling! S: Michael, there's a full eclipse happening soon, remember? S: It's all we've been hearing about for weeks now. M: Oh! M: Shoot, that's tonight? D: Um, uh-durrrr? M: The sun's already setting though :/ M: Too bad we won't be able to see it... V: Aht! D: YEAH AHT AHT! D: That is where you are wrong! S: Michael, Debbie says she's found someone who's streaming the eclipse, all the way from Wootosh. M: Woah, what? M: How did you even manage to access something like that? D: Yeah I mean whatever, you know? D: Only took me all day to find but whatever, like, I have my sources, no big deal. S: It's very exciting, Debbie.
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M: Actually Vilmr, I'm surprised you aren't with Maja right now while this is going on. M: An eclipse definitely sounds like it'd be important to her, right? V: Guuuhhhhhh, don't remind me. V: She has been trying to get a hold of me for nearly an hour now. D: Yeah and she can live, it's not like you're the one who believes in that junk. D: Literally no reason for you to be over there. V: Yeah but... it could be one of those times where it's really serious for her. V: She is going to be sooo mad when I get home. V: Maybe I really should get back soon. D: UMMM??? D: No, you're basically an adult now, you're like 18 you can do what you want. S: I don't even think you could make it in time if you left now, Vilmr. S: That's a pretty long walk... D: Yeah it's a long walk! D: So literallyyyyyy, just stay here. D: Don't stress your head all up about what she might or might not be thinking. V: Buh... D: ANYWAY.
[[ Debbie sends a link to the livestream ]]
D: There's the stream Samantha. S: yey -v- S: Michael, are you gonna watch with us?
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M: Heck, why not. M: As long as this isn't illegal or anything, right? M: Haha... M: ...Right? S: I dunno about that. M: S: *yawn* S: Debbie? D: Okay Wootosh doesn't own the eclipse, first off. D: So freaking WHAT if it's an orc who set it up or whatever. D: And second, I dug deep to find this stream and NONE of you are gonna chicken out about it. D: And nobody's gonna FALL ASLEEP BEFORE IT HAPPENS EITHER, SMUMANTHA... S: Michael's here to make sure I stay awake, don't worry Debbie. M: Haha, yeah. D: yeah okay sure. V: Hey actually, it sort of doesn't make sense for me to even be here? V: I just realized this? D: Yes it does IT DOES MAKE IT SENSE. D: IT'S THE MOOD. D: IT'S THE VIBES. D: Even if you can't see it you still get to say you were there......... V: But... I'm literally not? D: FIGURATIVELY. D: Open your mind Vilmr. D: Or your third eye or whatever Maja would want you to have open-- whatever! D: You're STAYING HERE DOSH GARNIT. V: I don't plan on going anywhere, I'm just saying!!! V: Åh, Maja förlåt mig...
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M: So um, is it supposed to be so grainy? D: Yeah I guess. D: I dunno. D: That's just how I found it. S: It looks like it still has a little while before it starts. V: It starts at 7:15 tonight. D: Sooooo we got like half an hour to kill then. V: Killing the hours away is what we do best, is it not? D: So true. D: That being saiiiiiid...
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D: Samantha! D: Michael. D: What are you guys up to, huh? V: ...? D: What's up. D: Over at Michael's place to day huh? D: What's that about? D: Huh? M: Oh, I invited her over, she was home alone and...-- S: ......... M: Samantha, hey, don't fall asleep just yet, haha... D: Samantha I see you falling asleep. D: Samantha. D: MICHAEL WAKE HER UP BETTER SHE'S GONNA MISS THE-- S: *snort* S: mh-- S: Sorry, I'm here... S: What did you say, Debbie? D: Nevermindddddddd, just like-- D: BRRRBBRBTGGRRNGHBRRR....... D: Come on, let's just chat. D: Like let's just keep ourselves occupied, okay. D: Like we gotta see this, when is the next time we're ever gonna see something like this??? V: Uh like, four or five years from now I'm pretty sure. V: If I remember what Maja told me at least. D: And what about it??? D: That's like. FOREVER from now. D: WE COULD BE DEAD BY THEN. M: Oh jeez, I hope not...! D: LIVE IN THE NOW!!!!!! S: Debbie you're getting me so hyped up, hehe... D: GOOD! D: LET'S GET HYPE ABOUT IT AND STAY AWAKE ABOUT IT AND STUFF!
~☆~
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🔆
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yunazxxx · 5 months ago
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gp daniela x manon 🙏⁉️
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pairing ≫ meret manon x daniela avanzini
content warnings ≫ best friends to lovers trope , g!p daniela , unprotected sex , slight getting caught , manon has a situationship but hes hella irrelevant.. , drug usage (marijuana) ,, etc maybe??
word count ≫ 2.7k
author talks ≫ happy new years my lovessss !!! i would love to start off this year strong with this danon fic which i hope you all + my lovely anon here who requested it, will enjoy it. and yeah, enjoy the read !! — ps not very proofread so ntm.. — this has hella fillers that probably arent relevant but i dont care…
"he still hasn't responded" the brunette repeated for the sixth time within the last three hours, she was over at daniela's place for the month as they usually would just come live with one another. there were no issues with manon's current living situation, she just wanted to go over dani's for a while.
daniela sighed while she was tying her hair up, "put the phone down girl" and manon looked up at her, "come on, then he'll text once that happens" and daniela just looked at the brunette, "come onnn, at least have some fun."
and manon shut off her phone, putting her hands up, "phone's off" and daniela took her hand, "you won't be needing it today" and she slid the older's phone in her purse. she walked with her out of the room, leaving out to the garage to her car.
daniela had plans set with her friend, they actually had been together for a while but they failed to execute because of manon's boyfriend, or more so situationship/boytoy. daniela really had a distaste for him, he was, really fucking weird.. daniela couldn't figure out why though.
the more time daniela spent with manon and this guy, she began to think that maybe he wasn’t the only problem. this dawned on her when she would see them kiss or be affectionate towards each other, it made her sick to the stomach.
sometimes when she would be drunk at a club, or bar, with manon and the guy she’d be all over manon kissing her, and even when manon would be the one to initiate the kiss, daniela would pull the doler by her waist and grab at her.
it was then and there daniela realized she had feelings for her, but obviously she’d just have to play it off, never knowing how to exactly say it to the brunette.
after daniela started her car, she began blasting a random playlist she had been on for a while, a song coming on called “better than the boys” which she just let it play and acted like it wasn’t there for a obvious reason.
while the pair drove along the highway, daniela was speeding, literally fast enough that it could get her a ticket or in a accident but almost no one was out right now because it was business hours. the pair were making thier wway to this meet up thing that they were invited to an outing with their friend group.
while daniela drove down the empty roads, the windows were down while they blasted music. manon practically hung out the window while they sung along to this song, but as they reached their destination, she went back in.
daniela parked her car and manon got out, daniela sat inside and turned off the car, turning around and seeing her friend making funny faces in the car window. daniela laughed while she opened the door and got out, her and manon walked to the building together.
they walked inside and were imidiately met with their friends hugging them, it had been months since they last met up so finally having this time to just, have a breather out meant the world to them. they were at the mall, pretty much just shopping at random stores and joking with one another, as they usually do.
they went into a jewlery store, since they made customs and daniela and manon wanted to get somethng for one another. the group split into twos, daniela had a few of their friends with her while manon did too.
everyone had their own little job, but soon the girls got distracted and kind of forgot what they were supposed to be doing but daniela and manon were able to make the jewlery they knew the other would like, or more so love.
manon had purchased daniela a necklace with both of their initals and a heart between them, and even had a handwritten note for the blonde, while daniela also made manon a necklace with a special charm and had got her some extra things.
it was a new years tradition for their friend group, it worked like secret santa really, they'd be given paper inside of a box or bowl, even a hat with their names on it, and kinda similar to last year, they got each other.
after the mall trip, they headed to the second oldest in their friend groups house, sophia's. they all gathered in the living room and revealed who they had, they had the most random order, going from first letter in their last names.
daniela walked over to manon, giving her the bag and turning to go sit back in her seat, but manon pulled her shirt and handed her the bag, and winked at her. daniela went to sit, yoonchae stood up giving lara a heavy, ass box, which lara almost dropped.
"what the heck is in here?" lara asked, "oh my god" you could hear someone exclaimed, yoonchae giggled going back to her seat, sophia walked over to megan giving her another heavy ass box — which the ginger just laughed at but setting it on her lap.
lara put the box beside her, standing up and giving three different little boxes to sophia, confusing the black haired woman, and finally megan handed yoonchae a small, box? which she just kept smiling reallly big about.
daniela opened her bag first, seeing the necklace and screaming out of joy, running over to hug the brunette while also prompting her to open hers but manon shook her head, "there's more in yours" and daniela opened it more, and saw the paper, and read it almost tearing up, she looked at manon, "i'm gonna get you later"
making the group burst into laughter, "lets hurry it up we got stuff to do after thiss!!!" sophia yelled, and so all the girls opened their gifts, but yoonchae because megan told her to wait, that very heavy ass box that lara got from yoonchae not only had legos but also other things she wanted and had been talking about for months.
the other gifts were pretty much the same for the other girls, the tiny box yoonchae had still confused her, even asking megan "what could fit in here?" and when she opened it, it was a pair of keys which she just looked at megan, and they went outside together and thats when you could hear yoonchae scream.
the younger girl ran inside of the house, she looked so energetic. megan came back in, laughing her heart out but the two girls soon explained why she was reacting like that, it was pretty much after this were all the girls had a random energy burst and they were all playing around and just enjoying quality time.
daniela and manon broke off from the other girls, going upstairs together because they needed to "refresh" themselves, which was really just code for they needed to smoke. they were inside of sophia's room, and cracked a window, daniela pulled something from her jacket pocket, a blunt, handing it to manon.
since the brunette was sitting closest to the window, she took the first pull of it, daniela just watching her in awe. "why are you looking at me like that?" the brunette asked, "ah, um.. nothing" daniela softly whispered when manon passed her the blunt.
daniela took her pull, but moved closer to manon, grabbing her face and blowing the smoke in her mouth, after doing this daniela pulled her into a kiss, which manon responded to. but this kiss wasn't a small peck, or just a few seconds, the kiss grew deeper overtime and so did the need for each other.
manon broke off the kiss, looking into daniela's hooded eyes, and sheeh chuckeled, "that was crazy" she said before taliking another pull of the blunt, daniela licked her lips, looking at manon. "could we do something more, fun?" manon looked at the blonde, taking another pull of it before putting it out, "what's on your mind?"
daniela smiled before taking manon's hand and tackling her to the bed, she held the older's wrist together, using one of her hands while the other cupped manon's cheek while she kissed her, daniela's knee resting between manon's leg.
daniela's kisses quikly made manon feel enchated, like she was stuck under a spell by her friend. manon whined into the kiss, causing daniela to break it, "ah ah ah, stay quiet" and she kissed down the older's neck.
she left hickeys, even a special heart one where daniela loves to kiss her sometimes. the older woman tried moving her hands but failed, her body reacting to daniela's movements almost like she was perfectly made for daniela's touch.
manon whimpered and whined, almost getting loud enough that could bring someone to the room, which happened. a knock came at the door, since it was locked, "manon? are you okay?" you could hear sophia asking, and daniela didn't stop so manon could reply, she instead kept moving down.
she slowly removed pieces of manon's clothing, "a- yeah, i'm good soph" manon was able to get out before quietly moaning daniea's name, you could slight uncertainty in the black haired woman's voice when she replied, "okay .... uh is dani in there?"
daniela, again didn't reply nor stop, she made her way back up to manon's exposed chest, that's only covered by her bra, and she started back kissing, mumbling against her soft brown skin, "you're so perfect" she trailed her free hand up manon's thigh, caressing her.
"f-fu-ck, y-yeah, she's in here" manon got out between choked moans, "can i come in and grab my phone?" sophia asked and daniela got up, throwing her own hoodie on to hide her already messy hair, grabbing the filipino woman's phone and bringing it to her.
daniela opened the door sightly, only enough space so she could snake her arm out and give her the phone, sophia looked at daniela's eyes and noticed the redness while also smelling the marijuana.
"did you two smoke in my room?? oh my god" sophia asked while looking at daniela, "only a little! don't worry, we got the windo open and we'll spray it so it can go away" and sophia nodded, "come down soon, we'll be at the movies, just text when you're ready."
"mhm, byebye now" daniela said, shutting and locking the door, she turned around and saw manon's was squeezing her thighs together, biting her lip while her beautiful eyes were looking at her, you could hear a low "please" come from the brunette.
daniela walked over to her, “we have an hour at most so i'm gonna play with you a bit" daniela said while she pulled manon's panties down, she kissed her inner thighs while slowly inching closer to her aching heat.
"need you so bad" manon mumbled, "what was that?" daniela asked, she heard her the first time, she just wanted her louder. "i-i.." manon could barely get out feelin daniela's finger sliding deeper inside of her.
"uh huh?" daniela looked her inside of her brown eyes, watching them grow with need. daniela curled her fingers, pushing them in and out at a slow pace, manon's hips bucked, which made daniela chuckle, "so needy, aren't you" manon just nodded, making daniela stop.
"you were asked a question baby" daniela kissed her clit, before gently sucking on it, "w-wait.. dani" manon said, but daniela continued, pushing her fingers deep inside the brunette, "fuck fuck fuck fuck" manon moaned out, dani only sped up, loving how manon sounded.
daniela continued this same process until manon came, the brunette's thghs claming shut around daniela's face, the blonde forced them back opened and continued eating manon out, making the older grab at her hair.
daniela sighed against manon's clit, making the older shiver, and daniela finally broke off. she finally payed attention to the erection of hers, but manon had already pushed her on the bed, getting down to her knees.
she fondled with he drawstring for a bit, before just reaching her hands in and pulling daniela's dick from her boxers, watching the way her eyes filled with excitement, all the lust very evident.
she slowly stroked th blonde's cock, she glided her hand along the full length, stopping at her tip each time to caress it. soon she leaned down, staring slow, she took her tip in her mouth, with slow licks and small sucks soon turned to her taking more of her cock in her mouth, fully swallowing around dani.
she only broke off for some air, an adorable line of spit connected daniela's pink tip to her lips. she was only off for a few seconds, before trying to deep throat her again, the brunette drooling all over her cock, she held her head down, allowing her groans to finally spill out.
she let daniela use her throat, and while she thrusted into manon's mouth she could feel her tongue sliding along her entire length. she started to moan around it, bringing much more vibrations and pushing dani closer to her orgasm.
she sped her hips up, the girl held her mouth open, allowing daniela to have free access. soon she came down her throat, groans and small whimpers spilling from her.
daniela pulled out, wiping the access cum that dripped down her lips. she picked manon up, and put her back under, this time slowly slipping herself inside of the brunette.
she started off slow, easing her cock inside of her cunt, the girl felt like she was being torn in half. "tell me when to stop" the blonde gritted out, it was hard to penetrate the girl without the fear of hurting her by accident.
soon she tapped her, saying it was too much so she stopped, she was only an inch from being completely inside of the girl. she lifted her thighs, the bulge of her dick being seen through the older’s abdomen.
she couldn't help but find it adorable, and soon she began to thrust slowly, dragging her cock out of her just to slowly push it back in, this rhythm drove the girl insane, she wanted more but fuck she was so full. she was stretching her out so well but she was also able to reach her cervix, the girl completely lost it.
her once low moans turned louder, they filled the room, the lewd words that would spill from her throat all bounced off the four walls. daniela soon grew tired of this, slow ass pace.
so she forced manon’s thighs open again, and she fucked into the girl at an insanely fast pace. she held her hips as she pistoned into her, her walls clenched around her m way tighter than she'd expected, her orgasm catching up to her faster than she thought too. manon would bucked her hips each time daniela’s hips would meet hers.
soon her thrusts became sloppier, her moans picked up, while daniela’s did also, soon they came together. she continued to slowly thrust inside of the older, dragging the orgasm out much more, her load painting the girl's womb white with her seed, and she soon pulled out, her load leaking down onto the bed sheets.
daniela stood up, going to get something to clean manon up, but once her hair touched her back she could feel a sting, checking in the mirror and seeing that manon had scratched her back, it wasn't like she cared, she found it cute.
soon she returned with the warm towel and cleaned manon up and kissed her, she gently slipped manon back into her clothes and held her hand while they walked downstair only to see lara and sophia standing their with their mouths wide open.
"in my ROOM????" sophia yelled at them and went off on them about how they could've picked ANY other vacant room in her house but they chose her room, lara didn't even know how to react, just there frozen.
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fanby-fckry · 12 days ago
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If you could assign your oc(s) a Disney song, which one would you pick? 💙
Oooh, I like this ask.
I did immediately forget every disney song I’ve ever heard upon reading it, though, so I gotta go look some up to jog my memory.
Below the cut because this got way too long, lol.
OCs get more obscure as it goes on.
Raze: Oogie Boogie’s Song
I looked through… so many villain songs. Raze isn’t trying to tempt the hero into something, it’s not trying to rally a group of misfits. It’s just having fun being a little nightmare creature!
And Oogie’s song was the closest I could get, lmao.
Close runner up was Cruella de Vil, but it felt like misgendering Raze to choose that one.
Dual: Let It Go
Listen. Dual and Elsa’s arcs in regards to powers and emotions are very similar. Dual learning to let go of their fear of their own emotions, and to stop using repression and isolation as the only way to protect other people from their powers is a huge part of their story.
Also: in an earlier version of things, Dual had a younger sibling. Their relationship was kinda similar to Elsa and Ana. I cut that for a number of reasons, but I thought that it was kinda relevant here.
Fate Fortune: A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes
Fate has a heart motif and puts a lot of significance on things like dreams and manifestation.
There are also a few lines in this song that will hit a lot harder once I finally release Dual and Fate’s history together.
Inky Blott: When Will My Life Begin?
As soon as the existence of Tangled reappeared in my mind, I thought of this song for Inky.
Inky was disabled as a human, and still is as a demon. They were and are largely housebound due to not being able to walk long distances or afford transportation. They lagged behind their peers in terms of life milestones. They were set further back by a controlling mother figure, whom they still lived with into adulthood.
They wouldn’t be able to do half the physical stuff in this song, but they were (metaphorically) bouncing off the fucking walls wanting to Get! Out! And! Live!
They split their time between the sentiment “When will my life begin,” and “I don’t think it’s ever going to begin.” Then they die, and then it’s mostly, “Well, it’s already over. I guess I can just do this forever,” until the hotel gives them hope again.
Pixxie Styx: Bop to the Top
It counts. I will take no argument; it counts.
I can’t even explain this one that well, because I haven’t talked about Pixxie much here. But just trust me, this is her vibe. He would sing both parts, and find a way to fit pole dancing into the choreography. Just trust me.
Alternatively: Kiss the Girl, but Ashley Tisdale’s version from that CD of new disney stars covering old disney songs that came out in the early 2000s.
I’m also realizing that I might just want Ashley Tisdale as one of Pixxie’s voice claims. They’re a genderfluid shapeshifter, so I think it’d be fun to have more than one voice claim.
But back to the song. Pixxie is a cupid’s aro and loves romance! He would totally meddle in her friends’ love lives and try to play matchmaker.
Leona Ness: Be Prepared
A lot of things about Leona are still up in the air, but I couldn’t resist giving her a Lion King song. Her sin was pride, because lion pun :P
For extra immersion, have this version by RafScrap. Leona doesn’t have a voice claim yet, but this is the vibe I’m going for.
Thanks again so much for the ask! I had a lot of fun with this! <3
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asherlockstudy · 1 month ago
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I have some different reads on some of the same things that came up in that episode. The big one is I don't think he was sugar coating the couples therapy thing. Big difficult conflicts and vibrant exciting relationships are not at all mutually exclusive. However I actually think most of what he was talking about was just as much if not more about rhett. Specifying that he thinks that couples therapy is an amazing opportunity for "all kinds of relationships, including [his spouse]" really signalled that to me. Having the same conflict over and over and getting to the same point and having very different experiences does also sound a LOT like the stuff you have been saying about them, just saying :p. But I think he was totally right that it's not inherently about saving something that's on the brink, it's a tool to help fix aspects within that thing that are a real struggle to get past without it. That doesn't make it just a trend, I think it's a sign that he's developed a much healthier way of interacting with a helpful resource for his close relationships.
Maybe it's just me but I don't find not specifically checking in/letting people know you're safe that unusual or especially cause for concern. It sounded to me that he was relieved to hear from him, but relies on his network (friend groups, the wives) because that information WILL get to him without him having to (maybe in his perception) pester him. Maybe he's projecting his own feelings of liking to cut off onto rhett. Maybe rhett's half heartedly giving him a taste of his own medicine. Idk it all feels like total speculation. At most I think it's a communication issue not a deteriorating relationship one, and with all the therapy they are always going through I'm sure they'll figure that out if it's something that needs it.
The joni mitchell thing I just assumed was lando having strong feelings on social justice stuff, link probably mentioning it off hand because let's be real he is not the type of person who would have strong enough feelings on those sort of things to be super active about it beyond public image, imo. But that being enough to stir up some feelings of guilt and discomfort for him around something he enjoys. Stopping the conversation short I think was just about not oversharing for lando's sake. A rare moment of self control! haha
Horse/cowboy related-ish, I DID sense that he felt like he could be a little more open, less straight, more free with his wording without rhett there to stifle that energy. Not to say that same energy is never there with rhett, but they have to both be in the right mood for it.
Now this part isn't really relevant to analysis mostly, but is pretty funny considering the "positive associaltion with rhett's car" thing. I recently watched the roast on the society (part of which is gonna be released on gmmore channel soon! to entice people over to society) and TJ - who I believe works on their scripted content with them? and who also seemed to struggle through saying "you guys are.. are... uh.. you know, friends, partners" (genuinely listening back to it it's the least confident delivery of the word friends I have ever heard and seen lmfao) - let us know that rhett's car smells like ass, stinky feet and elon's musk. Link was in full agreement. So at least at whatever time that was recorded last year I don't think the feelings could be quite so positive. Unless "stink make me horny" goes REAL FAR
Answered in reverse.
About the car: Like I said in the original post, the video in which Link said he had positive feelings about Rhett's car was from 2021 and even then it was about past memories, so before 2021. Back then Rhett did not have the Tesla.
About Joni Mitchell: Yeah it could be the opposite. Whatever it was though, it seemed they have had some sort of exchange that Link regretted almost sharing.
About cutting off contact: It might not be something serious or it might be Rhett following the Link way and paying him back. My feelings about it not being very healthy is because Link is reportedly often avoiding contact with his loved ones to the point that they have to "chase" him or protest to him about it (i.e Charles' wife). And I get he's busy and has a lot in his mind but not answering your daughter's texts for days on end is a bit much. Personally I wouldn't like to feel like I have to pursue my father in order to communicate with him. So anyway the fact that he likes to limit contact when he's on vacation doesn't seem like a vacation-specific thing but rather just another symptom of his avoidance. Nobody said he has to talk with them for hours but just a simple text when landing from a flight to a different country should be the bare minimum of consideration, if you love your family and don't want them to be worried. Again, I am not saying he does not love his family but I think this behaviour - to the extent it is suggested to have - seems like a symptom of something bigger.
Going back to Rhett and Link in particular, sometimes I think a reason they avoid phone calls are because in the presence of others (i.e Rhett was with Shepherd at all times and Link with Christy probably most of the time) they wouldn't be able to communicate as they would like. For a time, some years ago, they would call each other when they were alone in their cars driving to work, so... minutes before they met! Maybe because there was complete privacy at those moments. (BTW this was said with a touch of humour so I am not sure it was definitely true or definitely happening regularly.) Then, as for texts, texts, especially if sensitive, should perhaps be cautious or deleted often and maybe this is a nuisance to them that's not worth it. So they limit communication instead of having a typical, disingenuous one. Maybe. I don't know. But where I focused on the original post is that Christy specifically told Link that she noticed his and Rhett's friendship has reached a point where they don't even inform each other they are safe after a long flight. So, if it's true, then it's Christy who wonders whether the friendship of the guys is deteriorating. I am mostly presenting this new piece of information we have.
About couple's therapy: While a lot of what he said also suits his dynamics with Rhett and I could tell that Rhett was in the back of his mind as well - I agree on that, the specifics he said about the issue that led to couple's therapy and the stagnation and not having progress and not hearing / seeing each other however were clearly about him and Christy. To me it totally seemed the case from the way his very statement is phrased. He said he and Christy benefited from couple's therapy because they had these issues.
As for whether he was sugar-coating, well, you know, I have believed something is not great in this relationship for years before the couple therapy reveal so... I will naturally gravitate towards it being as serious as this or even more serious and certainly not less. I know a lot of people don't like it at all when I imply this but it's just my impression, I won't lie. I might be wrong but this is how I feel about it.
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rougepancake · 2 years ago
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LOSERS (chapter 1)
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Ft. Yoshikage Kira x Serial Killer!F!Reader
LOSERS masterlist
WARNINGS: mentions of killing, soulmate au
SUMMARY: You hate your so called soulmate because the two of you are far from similar. Well- that’s what you originally thought.
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The red string of fate is commonly known as a myth that is told to hopeless romantics and small children. It is a myth that not very many people believe, simply because they are too selfish, or because they’d rather live life without a soulmate.
Soulmates. That is what two lovers who are destined to be together are often referred to as. Each and every person has a soulmate, but most never find them.
It is fate that brings them together. Every single time it is fate. And many people don’t believe in that either.
Now- the red string is said to connect lovers by their fingers, with it tied to the woman’s pinky finger and the man’s thumb. Your red string is only visible to you and your soulmate, and grows shorter the closer you are to them. No, it does not tighten and no, it will not cause you any form of injury if you ignore it.
Simply put, the red string of fate is a suggestion. One that says ‘you’ve got a potential lover out there, wanna look?’
There is no sure way to tell if it actually works, but one is allowed to dream, no?
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The world sure does work in mysterious ways. One moment you’re getting wasted at frat parties and the next you’re working at Kame Yu in Morioh. It seems like a cruel joke, in a way. Not that you can fight it, but you definitely would if you could.
Your job was a humble one, and you weren’t really anything but a simple office worker who dreamed big.
Everything about you was average, which was how you liked it. If people thought of you as their normal coworker, then they wouldn’t suspect that you were up to no good. You maintained healthy (but not too healthy) relationships with your fellow employees, and never showed up late to work. You run your day run based off of a strict schedule that you wouldn’t ever dream of diverting from, even if for a second. It’s perfect, and peaceful.
Simply ideal.
“Y/n.”
God damn that voice.
“Y/n. You’re spacing out again.” Your coworker, Yoshikage Kira, passed by, lightly tapping your shoulder with a file he was holding. The mere sound of his voice was enough to enrage you. That damn killjoy of a man. He’s simply insufferable, a result of his lack of social skills, you’ve concluded.
If you didn’t know any better, you’d think he was like you.
“My apologies, Mister Kira.” You bit your tongue and shot him a glare as he turned his back to you. There was nothing in the world that you hated more than a rich man with a stick up his ass. He never socialized with anyone, and when he did happen to go out with his coworkers, you could never tell if he was having fun or not. He never smiles, never laughs, hell he never even acknowledges when the interns hit on him.
It was as if he was trying to erase his existence, like trying to become a nobody before totally vanishing. But he was probably just trying to live out his life in peace, which you couldn’t hate him for. He was a mystery that you’d like to remain unsolved.
Mystery…
“Y/n another man went missing this weekend!” Your office-mate rushed in, her eyes wide as she pushed aside the door and ran over to you like a bat out of hell. “I can’t believe that it happened so soon!”
Her voice rang in your ears. Another? So soon? How interesting. You cleared your throat and put on your best look of concern, your tone matching hers.
“Oh my! Do you know if it has any sort of relevance to the other disappearances that have been happening around here?” You cocked your head to the side, your eyes wide in a display that you knew made you look repulsive. You hated it, but you figured you’d play along… for now, that is.
“That’s the thing.” She walked over and leaned against your desk. “The police still don’t know if any of them are remotely connected. But it seems to happen in some form of pattern.”
“A pattern?” You chuckle at the idea. “Now now, I think you’ve been reading too many true crime novels.” You tease her, and she huffs in response.
“Maybe. But don’t you think it’s odd? It’s just like those women who keep disappearing without a trace.” She sighed and you swear you heard something fall in the next room over. “Oh well. It’s time for my lunch break.” She waved and left the office, leaving you to your thoughts.
Great. If your officemate was able to notice the pattern, then you’d have to come up with something new. It didn’t matter how you did it, so long as you were able to continue your quaint lifestyle.
You felt a gentle tug from your pinky finger, and frowned when you saw the red string dangling off of it as your soulmate worked in his office. You had totally forgotten that your soulmate was working in the same building as you. Which wasn’t a bad thing, since you couldn’t stand him and all.
You remembered when you first found one another. It was right after you moved back to Morioh, and you had just been employed at Kame Yu. You had been delivering files to your coworkers when you ran into him.
Tall, blonde, and a total prick.
His eyes were glued to your hands, which you played off as ‘oh wow my soulmate works with me’, but he ignored it and continued on with his day like nothing happened.
Yoshikage Kira.
“Gross.” You scoffed and got up from your seat. You weren’t one for romance, but it always annoyed you that your literal soulmate had brushed you off so easily. In a way, it made you curious. Why didn’t he like you? Was he just as opposed to romance as you were? Or- and this was the big question- did he happen to have a similar hobby as you?
“Mister Kira.” You knocked on his office door, fighting the urge to cringe at the way his name rolled off your tongue.
He jumped, looking over his shoulder at you with wide eyes. He looked genuinely surprised, which was out of character for him. You saw him hide something in the pocket of his suit jacket before he fully turned around to meet your gaze.
“What do you want?” The question was laced with malice. It made you truly question what he was doing before you walked in. You thought about using your ability to get a better look at it, but you knew it was unwise. What if he was like you? Then you’d have to go through the trouble of getting your soulmate to keep your secret.
“I was wondering if you could help me out with the file you gave me yesterday, but it appears that you are quite busy.” Your tone showed off your suspicion like it was a trophy, and you could tell it made him nervous. “I apologize for the intrusion.” You bowed and left.
What was it with him? Was he plotting something??? Surely not. You were overthinking it. He was probably just a regular office worker who had gotten caught doing something other than work. It sounded reasonable, since he was doing his best to seem like a nobody.
You’ve got a lot of questions about why fate has set you up with someone as uninteresting as him, but there’s a few that stand out amongst the rest.
What was he hiding? And why was he going through such troubles to keep it hidden?
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xdemon-mage · 9 months ago
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Oh damn that's a long message :D Thx for reaching out Yeah, reblog is fine dw. Also YAY! A new gameplay! I haven't seen that one yet, I'll have to watch it whole after I answer your points here. Okay so-
Main character's backstory & motive I decided to make a pretty simple main character, because I wanted them to be easy for the player to identify with. I tried to limit the information to the a) Immersion b) Plot logic And while I do agree that providing information about mc's daily life and activities can be immersive and fun, I personally prefer to leave it similar as it is right now. In most visual novels that start the story from (for example) describing mc getting out of bed, standing up to dress up, preparing breakfast, getting mail, getting to work, coming out of work, I'm already starting to fall asleep by that point. (lurking for love bored me x"P) I planned to get into action as soon as possible, only providing needed context. I feel like adding more activities at the start would add unnecessary length which is not plot relevant. However, I do plan to add a small scene with ordering a package at the start!! So it is very possible that I'll write a bit more about mc's general plans and some more thoughts. (the package is needed for some cool scene) So now about the motive - It's very, very simple. Mc just wants to kidnap someone. That's pretty much it. It was a very conscious decision to make it like that, because if I were to set a specific backstory, it would limit the player and story from getting "customized". And because mc is feeling silly and just wants to kidnap a dude, the rest becomes the player's interpretation. Do you want a lover? You can try to seduce the crazy dude! Do you want to cause harm? Go for it (in Wade's path its way more difficult haha). Do you feel helpless? Panic and see what happens. Main character is just weird like that. I mean, Wade is too, he's there to have sadistic fun and fight. Now I remembered that you can even tell Wade your motive:
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Living alone deep in woods implies being a loner, so I felt like it was okay for the player to pick that info from the context, as I felt that describing mc saying they are alone and no one would look for them would be unnecessary edge xP
So yeah, thanks for telling me about your feelings on that part, even if I don't change much about it.
MC being a bit stupid That's on purpose! :D It's the premise of the game, that we felt like doing a crime, but then we get reckless, silly, and get in crazy situations! I try to keep it in the non-annoying space, so that it's more "recklessness" than "being braindead". But yeah, mc is.. a really awful... kidnapper *cough laugh* Wade knows from the start that mc is being weird (& He's the one who's lying more anyway, I don't feel like focusing on mc lying would improve anything here), but some of the mc's lies do have consequences. (like the lie about being a hunter, that will have a consequence later in the game) He'll mention that at some point. And no, I won't save u from the second hand embarrassment muahaha, I think it's funny
Fighting back It's a good thought! There will be opportunities to fight back and struggle more. There couldn't be more at the start tho, because the goal of day 1 is to get captured. However I see briefly that DeeGenerate didn't access the bonus scene with running outside the house :< I'll share how to access it because it's pretty easy: Don't hug > Choose Knife > Try to run
The rest of stuff Quick time events are cool! There will be more, even if not in the context you mentioned them in.
Personality system You got me there, it's my Achilles' heel... I'm still working on figuring that out, because not gonna lie, it's really hard to keep track of the story and branching it out, while simultaneously taking care of the player's behavior style and how it affects various choices x_x I plan to make some kind of "harder stop" that takes you into specific endings based of personality, or starts to block you from being aggressive after being scared shitless for too long for example, things like that. It's my first big piece of fiction so I'm taking a long time incorporating tiny things like this, but thanks for reminding me about it, I'll do my best. Thanks for writing that much, I tried providing context and thought process to things where I agreed more or less. It's helpful to hear a different perspective. //oof i had to edit it a bit because tumblr ate some random piece of text at some point wtf?
When would you accept beta's/people who give ideas and just commentary for stuff they'd like to see more of from the game and where would people be able to apply--that is if this is something you're willing to do at all /gen. I'm SUPER invested in the development /gen and I'd love to apply as a beta and give pointers on things I'd like to see improved on in the full release :)
I know you meant beta testers but I smiled for a second reading just the "beta" as a term from omegaverse xD For now I don't look for beta testers (I wouldn't even say the game is in the beta phase), but I do welcome any ideas, tips, critique at any time. I may not use every single advice, but I value different opinions. You can comment something under this post for example, and I might make a separate post asking about stuff in the future too. Story-wise I welcome ideas for Wade's path more, because the plot is more random and flexible, whereas for Kaleb I already have a story set from start to finish. But yeah, anything about game in general, UI, gameplay, audio, art, plot etc. I'm happy to hear.
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kxlinthesky · 3 years ago
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EPISODE 1+2 LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 1-3 English Translation
WARNING: This chapter contains Shaun, which means this chapter also contains mentioned/implied p*dophilia. I’ve done my best to translate the relevant dialogue as euphemistically as possible, but I couldn’t completely avoid the topic without butchering the translation seeing as it’s basically one of Shaun’s defining personality traits, and I really hate that I have to say that. I’ve taken the liberty of placing asterisks (*****) around the worst section for those who want to avoid it
“Oh my, our higher up’s daughter must enjoy quite a bit of freedom, bringing her boyfriend to the workplace like this.”
These were the first words the three heard after arriving at the museum that would serve as the auction site. They had stopped first at a room that had been set up to serve as the main security office. A massive table stood in the center of the room, bearing a detailed floor plan of the entire museum. The one who had spoken was a middle-aged man in a police uniform with a red face and a distinctly unpleasant smile hiding under his shaggy mustache. By the number of badges pinned to his lapel, he was Ritz’s superior officer.
He continued, “Or maybe you brought him here to have him buy one of the rings on sale tonight?” The other officers in the room burst out laughing at his words.
Ritz was unamused. “… That is not the case. This gentleman is a detective I personally asked to support our efforts tonight. I plan on having him assist the other detectives.”
“Hm? Isn’t that supposed to be your job?”
Ritz stood taller. “I will be participating in the security efforts. I have already received permission to do so.”
A muscle twitched in the man’s jaw. He let out an exaggerated sigh and said, “My oh my, you certainly do get away with whatever you want.” Glancing next to Owl and Nick, he scornfully laughed, “Rather young for a detective, aren’t you? You can play at being a private eye all you like, boy, but do you even know how to handle a pipe?”
As he said that, he made a gesture with his hand as if he was taking a drag of tobacco, and the other officers laughed again. Clearly, they didn’t think too highly of Owl. However, Owl simply replied, “I don’t smoke.”
That dampened the mood. “… Well, you’re a dull sort,” grumbled the superior. He strode up to Owl and lowered his voice, jabbing a finger at the detective’s chest. “The young lady is free to ask for help from whoever she wants, but don’t get in our way, greenhorn.”
“Of course.”
Owl’s easy acquiescence seemed to irritate the man further, if his deepening scowl and click of his tongue were any indication. “She may be the daughter of one of the higher ups, but she’s a real shrew with all her incessant chattering. It causes us a lot of trouble, y’know.”
Owl raised an eyebrow. The man was still speaking quietly so Ritz couldn’t hear. After a few seconds, Owl replied, also in a whisper, “The pasty was good, right?”
“Eh?”
“The Cornish pasty you bought at Iris, that little specialty shop on South Avenue. I go there sometimes, too.”
“Huh?”
“It might be best if you refrain from making any further advances on the girl working there, though. She’s with a rather frightening man.”
“Wha –?!”
“Also, there’s parsley in your mustache. You may want to look in a mirror.”
Owl gestured around his jaw. The man started and brushed at his mustache. His face flushed an even darker shade of crimson one moment, then lost all color completely the next. He shot Owl a pleasant smile, then switched his gaze to Ritz. “Ritz, where are the detectives I called in for support?”
“Eh – ah, yes, I will show them the way.”
Owl and his group left the security office. The exasperated officer yelled unintelligible nonsense after them, but all three ignored him. As soon as they were out of earshot, Ritz turned to Owl. “What was that all about?” she asked.
“‘That’ being?”
“Whatever you and he were whispering about.”
“Ah, it was nothing important. I just figured out where he’d had lunch.”
“Lunch? You mean that store ‘Iris’?”
“Oh, so you could hear us.”
“Yes, I have rather good hearing. Would you mind explaining how you knew he had been to Iris?”
“… It wasn’t that hard to figure out.” Owl’s tone was markedly detached as he explained, “With the calling card appearing out of nowhere, the police have probably been in overdrive – they couldn’t have had the time to enjoy a leisurely meal. Most people would get their food from a nearby food cart or a bakery, something simple and light. There was parsley in his mustache, and only three places nearby use parsley – Iris, Swan Bakery, and Mama Daisy’s. The huge tomato sauce stain on his sleeve eliminated Daisy’s, since they don’t use tomato sauce all that much, and with the stench of garlic all around him, I knew he had to have gotten Iris’ garlic pasty. That particular pasty is garnished with a lot of parsley, and it’s also covered pretty heavily in tomato sauce.”
Ritz gasped, recalling how her superior had looked a moment ago. Based on his attitude when Owl had been speaking to him, the detective had clearly hit the nail on the head. “You figured that out just from some parsley and sauce? Is that even possible? And before that, you can’t possibly be implying that you’re intimately familiar with every bakery in the city!” She was definitely surprised by Owl’s knowledge.
However, Nick chimed in, “Nah, Byron’s the one who knows all about the bakeries.”
“Byron? That was the pub’s bartender, yes?”
“The guy’s real enthusiastic about his research. We haven’t known him super-long, but he’s had us go around and try out new menu items a bunch of times at places all over town!”
“We had just recently tried Iris’ pasties, so the memory was still fresh,” Owl added.
“Exactly.”
“Unbelievable,” murmured Ritz, eyes widening as she stared at the chuckling pair. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “What about the girl? You knew he was pursuing a girl working at the shop. Was that true? Because he is a married man.”
Owl’s response was supremely unconcerned. “One of the workers is a regular at Byron’s, and they’ve let some things slip during conversation. ‘That mustache man who’s working security for the auction is real persistent,’ and the like. I didn’t know if that guy was the ‘mustache man’ in question, but I guess I was right.”
“And the ‘frightening man’ she’s with? He’s not related to the mafia, is he?”
“No, I was talking about the shop owner. He’s her dad. The guy’s always brandishing a huge rolling pin.”
“... Yes, I suppose that would be rather frightening.”
“Don’t go sympathizing with him just because he’s your superior officer. Your work environment’s downright vicious.”
“Thank you.” A smile rose to Ritz’s face. He understood her predicament. “Ah, this way.”
They turned down a passageway. They were now standing in the corridor connecting the rest of the museum to the entryway leading up to the hall that would serve as the auction venue that evening. Around five or six men were milling about in front of the entrance chatting with each other. They weren’t police – there was one man in a uniform, probably an employee of the museum, but the rest were middle-aged men wearing tailored suits or tailcoats. One of them had a curious device with him. It was, all in all, a strange gathering.
“These are the detectives the higher ups have hired to assist with the investigation,” Ritz told the other two in a low voice.
Owl glanced at each face in turn. He didn’t seem particularly impressed. “So, these are the distinguished men your bosses have acknowledged as being the best, huh. I’m supposed to support them, right?”
“That is correct.” Ritz approached the group of gentlemen and raised her voice. “Does anyone have a job that needs doing? If so, this gentleman can assist you.”
The assembled detectives broke off from their conversations to turn to Ritz, Owl, and Nick. “Assist?” one asked.
“Yes. This man is also a detective. I am sure he will be of immense help to you all.”
Ritz was going to continue, but she was cut off. “Nope.”
“Eh?”
“We don’t have time for that right now,” said one of the detectives, shooing them off with a wave of his hand. “Go somewhere else.”
“Um, but –"
A different detective interrupted this time, waving a document in his hand. “We’re busy over here. We don’t have time to deal with fans.”
“Fans...?” The curt dismissal perplexed Ritz. She was about to correct them, tell them that they were here to help, not as fans, but her two companions spoke first.
“Looks like there’s nothing for us to do here.”
“What a shame.☆”
Owl put a finger to his lips, silencing Ritz. Nick grabbed her by the arm and gently steered her away from the detectives and towards them. Once she was near, Owl pointed at the slips of paper every detective was holding and asked, “What do they have there?”
“That would be a copy of the calling card.”
“A copy....”
“They’ve all been discussing its contents for some time now.” Sure enough, all of the men were tracing the words on the page in their hands and conferring with each other… though by the looks of things, they weren’t “conferring” so much as “pushing their opinions on everyone else.”
Nick’s eyes glittered as he watched them. He rocked back and forth a bit, positively drooling at the wealth of information before his eyes. “… I kinda wanna hear what they’re saying,” he murmured. “Can I, Owl?”
“Of course.”
“Yes!”
Nick needed no further prompting; he crept silently towards the group of detectives, slipping into their company completely undetected. The boy tossed a wink Owl’s way and waved his hand around, silently telling his partner to leave things to him for now. Owl returned his wink, then turned his attention back to Ritz. “Ritz, where exactly was the calling card sent? Was it left somewhere in the museum?”
“Huh? Oh, yes, it was left in the curator’s office....”
“Take me there.”
“Huh?”
Owl nimbly sidestepped her and headed back the way they came. Ritz was forced to chase after him in a panic and yank on his coat, calling, “Not that way!”
■■■■■■■■■■
It took some time for the pair to reach the curator’s office on the third floor.
“I told you it was on the third floor, so why did you try to go to the fourth floor? Do you have no sense of direction?”
“I wouldn’t say that… I just have a talent for getting lost.”
“That is not a talent! That was stopping every five seconds saying ‘oh, that’s interesting,’ or ‘hey, what’s this?’ and walking off in the completely wrong direction until you’d utterly lost track of where you were!”
“I’ll do better from now on. Probably.”
“What do you mean ‘probably’?!”
Even with Ritz there to guide him, it took a painstaking amount of effort to make it to their destination. Thoroughly exhausted and annoyed, she flashed her police armband to the guard standing by the door to the office and had him open the door for them.
The curator’s office was a perfectly ordinary study. A single massive window took up much of the wall opposing the entryway, with a desk set in front of it. Bookcases occupied the left wall, and several framed certificates hung from the right. The center of the room contained a reception table and a sofa. Overall, it was a simple office.
“Apparently, the card was left on the curator’s desk,” Ritz told Owl. “The curator had been taking care of some documents pertaining to the auction in here all last night. When museum staff called him back to the venue early this morning, he came in and found the card.”
“Any idea on how the phantom thief got in?”
“According to the detectives, he likely came through the window.”
“The window? We’re three stories up.”
“Indeed. However, there was a guard posted just outside the door, and the door itself was locked. He simply could not have gotten inside that way.”
Owl strode up to the window and peered outside. From there, he could see a wide courtyard with several sculptures installed throughout it, but there was otherwise nothing of note. He muttered to himself, “No room to stand outside the window… and there are no neighboring buildings, either….”
He opened the window and leaned out, humming thoughtfully. As his gaze roved from the ground up, his body shifted further and further out until he was lying with his hips pressed against the sill.
“That’s dangerous!” cried Ritz.
“I’m fine.” Owl hooked his toes on the window frame and shifted around until he was dangling outside the window, with the tips of his toes the only visible part of him from inside. It almost looked like he was attempting a pull-up, albeit an extremely dangerous one. Ritz quite understandably shrieked as he slid out the window, and she shot forward to grab him by the legs and keep him from falling. “You don’t have to do that, you know,” remarked Owl.
“Don’t be absurd!” Ritz snapped. “What do you think would happen if you fell?! Return inside immediately!”
“I’m still investigating.”
“I-I-Investigating –! NO! Stop! Don’t move!”
“Don’t scream so much. The guard outside will think we’re up to something.”
“I really can’t help it in this situation!”
Ritz kept a firm grip on Owl’s legs, shouting all the while, as he continued his investigation. By the time he finished and slipped back inside, she could only slide to the floor in a crumpled heap.
“That is quite a stunt to pull on someone....” she panted.
“He didn’t come in through the window, Ritz.”
“Huh?”
“There’s nothing out there. No signs of a hook or a rope being used to rappel back down, and nothing to suggest a ladder set up at the bottom, either – though I suppose that’s only natural, given that using a ladder tall enough to reach this floor would have stood out.” Owl tilted his hand so Ritz could see the filthy state of his gloves. “The windowsill was coated in dust. If he had stepped on it or grabbed it, he would’ve wiped some of it away, but there were no signs of that, either. Besides, that courtyard is facing the shortest route to the industrial district, and there must’ve been a bunch of day laborers passing through this morning. With that many eyes around, surely someone would’ve noticed a person breaking in through the window.”
“Th-That’s true.”
“There must’ve been tons of people in the museum preparing for the auction, so even indoors he should’ve been easy to spot. Yet he purposely chose to leave the notice here, on the very day he intended to carry out his crime….” Brushing the dust from his gloves, his eyes slid from the window to the door, muttering, “Maybe he could only leave the card this morning…?”
“Then, by your deduction, the thief must have infiltrated the room through the door?” asked Ritz.
“Most likely.”
“But there was a guard out there, remember? When and how did he manage to sneak in here?”
“Probably several months ago.”
“What?”
“You might want to think about performing a background check on everyone associated with the museum… is what I would say, but there’s no time for that now. Besides, by this point he’s probably perfected his false identity.”
“Wait – you mean to say...?”
“Hude Lou has been in the building for months.”
With that declaration, Owl left the room.
Nick was waiting at the bottom of the stairs as Owl descended. “You made it without getting lost?” he asked playfully.
Ritz indignantly poked him. “You didn’t inform me of his terrible sense of direction on purpose, didn’t you? Why didn’t you tell me?!”
“’Cause it was funny.”
“Rude!” Ritz pinched Nick’s cheeks as he snickered.
Owl ignored their back and forth, choosing instead to question Nick. “And? What’d you find out?”
Ritz still had a firm grip on Nick’s cheek, so his reply was a little garbled. “Yeah, dose guys, dey were talkin’ about when the crime’s s’posed to happen.” He tugged himself out of Ritz’s grasp and pulled a notebook out of his pocket. “The calling card wasn’t super clear on when it’s gonna go down,” he continued as he flicked the book open. He was just about to read his notes out to Owl, but before he could, a new voice cut in.
*****
“Well now, there’s quite a cutie here.”
“Waah?!”
A hand seized Nick’s arm and yanked. His notebook fell to the floor from the force, where it was immediately trampled by a black dress shoe. It happened so quickly that Nick barely had time to raise the alarm.
“Not bad. A bit old for my tastes, though.”
A lascivious, leering face loomed in front of them. Nick went stiff as a board, dread coursing down his spine as a scream tore its way out of his throat. “L-Lemme go!” He ripped his arm out of the man’s grasp and flung himself away to hide behind Owl.
The instant Nick spoke, though, the man’s expression fell into boredom. “The hell, you’re a guy?” he grumbled, wiping his hands with a handkerchief as if he’d sullied himself.
He was a middle-aged man, stout and short. An ostentatious fur coat lay on top of an haute couture suit, perfectly tailored to fit his portly frame. Several gem-studded rings glittered on his fingers. His shoes were polished to a high sheen. A squadron of security guards in matching black suits and eye guards surrounded him at evenly spaced intervals. His gaudy sense of style coupled with the out-of-place swarm of bodyguards practically proclaimed the world that he was an insanely rich man.
As Nick’s face screwed up in revulsion from the thick stench of perfume wafting off the man, Ritz saluted. “Sir Shaun.”
“Well, if it isn’t Ritz. I thought I heard you were off duty today?”
“... I-I apologize. I was called rather suddenly.”
“Is that so? Well, whatever. Since you’re here, show me around. It’s a complete sausage fest around here, very uninteresting,” sighed the man rather dramatically. He reached out to stroke the back of Ritz’s hand in a distinctly slimy manner. “Even a lady past her prime like yourself would be better than nothing.”
Ritz’s face was slowly but surely losing all color. “Ah – no, I still have work to do, so….”
“Work? Is there a job in the world that’s more important than entertaining me?” was his overbearing reply.
Safely concealed behind Owl, Nick whispered, “That guy’s Baron Shaun.”
“Shaun... ah, that guy,” murmured Owl.
“Ugh – his taste in clothes and perfume is the worst.~” The sheer overwhelming unpleasantness of the situation had Nick feverishly scrubbing the place he’d been grabbed by the baron.
Quietly, Owl asked Nick, “Baron Shaun is one of the city’s most preeminently wealthy nobles, right?”
“That’s the one. The guy’s awful – super-greedy and super-stubborn.”
“All rich people are like that, though.”
“That’s not all, though!” Nick tugged Owl down so he could whisper directly in his ear. “Apparently his tastes skew… well, young.”
Owl’s eyebrows creased ever so slightly.
Nick continued, “He manages some legitimate brothels in the red-light district, but rumor has it he’s involved in some real nasty stuff behind closed doors. And did you hear how he called Ritz ‘past her prime?’ Major red flag if I’ve ever seen one.” He gave a full-bodied shudder, which was a perfectly justifiable reaction after being called “cute” by a man like that.
*****
Brows still furrowed, Owl took a single step forward, inserting himself between Ritz and Shaun. “Pardon me, Baron,” he said.
“Who the hell’re you? I won’t stand for a man laying a finger on me!”
Owl maintained a confident demeanor even as Shaun shouted at him. “Ritz is still required for the inquiry and security, so if you’ll excuse us,” he said smoothly, and he pulled Ritz’s hand away from the baron. Nick shifted to stand in front of Ritz as well, shielding the relieved girl from the noble.
Shaun cried, “The other officers can take care of that, can’t they? It’s not like a woman can do the job properly, anyway!”
Owl decided that further conversation was meaningless. He turned on his heel and steered Ritz away by the shoulders as quickly as he could, saying as he went, “Ritz, can we see the ‘statue of a young girl’ the thief is targeting?”
That elicited quite the strong reaction from Shaun. He chased after them, yelling, “Are you planning on going to see my Li’l D? If you leave even a single fingerprint on her, I’ll never forgive you! Li’l D is mine! Someone like you isn’t worthy of laying eyes on her!”
“Li’l D?”
“Move –!” The baron thrust past them and stormed off down the corridor.
Head tilted, Owl turned to Ritz. “Who’s Li’l D?”
“He means the statue. He’s the only one who refers to it by that name, though.”
“... Huh.”
“He’s quite enamored with it – he’s already made it quite clear that he intends to win it at the auction tonight. Apparently, he’s been coming to see it for days, leaving his business unattended. Protocol ordinarily dictates that items held for auction are not available for a presale exhibition… but the baron seems to have come to some sort of agreement with the museum curator.” Although Ritz said “agreement,” the way she rubbed her fingers together indicated that money had passed hands.
“That guy even looks at statues like that?” Nick sneered. “I don’t even wanna try and wrap my head around that.”
“Yeah, because you prefer older women,” Owl pointed out.
“Yup! Older ladies are the best.☆”
Nick’s assertion prompted a chuckle from Owl. The detective glanced in the direction Shaun had gone and offered, “Well, we’ve got a good opportunity here. Why don’t we also go sneak a peek at the statue early?”
“Ehh... I don’t really wanna be anywhere near that guy, though....”
“Grin and bear it, Nick.”
“I really hate his perfume.”
Owl strode off down the corridor, leaving Nick and Ritz to hurry after him. A moment later, Ritz’s voice could be heard echoing through the hall. “Not that way!”
 Much like with the curator’s office, it took the three a little while to reach the administrative building housing all the auction goods. The place was swarming with security guards when they arrived, with people posted at every doorway, on either side of every window, and against every wall. Their eyes roved around, closely monitoring every nook and cranny.
The door was shut as they approached, but Ritz flashed the guard a twitchy smile and said, “We were instructed to accompany the baron,” and the guard opened it for them with a sympathetic gleam in his eyes. Apparently, Shaun’s proclivities were an open secret.
The instant they stepped foot inside, all the security guards pinned them with sharp stares that caused Nick to shiver uncomfortably. “Sheesh.~ They’re really glaring at us.~”
“Oh my, you should be fine,” chuckled Ritz. “It’s not as though you have a guilty conscience, right?”
Nick laughed right back. He was gearing up for another verbal sparring match. “Sorry I’m so delicate. I’m not as brazen as a certain officer-in-training, you see.”
“My oh my~, perhaps that was why you were mistaken for a woman.”
“Ha-ha~, it’s hard being this cute and handsome. My specs are just too high!”
Owl proceeded further in, dutifully ignoring the sparks flying between the bickering pair.
The room held a number of huge shelves installed in rows, housing every piece up for auction that night. There were jewels, paintings, fine porcelain wares, even some masks and bronze statuettes that looked like junk at first glance. Each item had a numbered note affixed to it.
As they continued on, Ritz explained, “There are fifty lots in total, numbered in display order. The numbers are also printed in the sale catalog, so please refrain from touching the notes.”
“You heard her, Nick.”
“Ehh~? You’re way worse than me, though, Owl. You’re the one who always has to touch everything and drops stuff all the time.”
Nick’s frightful words prompted a further, firmer warning from Ritz. “Do NOT, under any circumstance, touch anything, understand?!” She then pointed further into the room, adding, “The statue is at the very back.”
“So by that, you mean....”
“Yes, it’s Lot No. 50. It will be revealed last, given that it’s the featured item this evening.”
The further they delved into the room, the more guards there were posted about. Two such guards stood directly between them and the statue they had come to see.
“Ahh, Li’l D, you truly are so lovely...!” And so was Baron Shaun, admiring the statue from up close, so deeply moved his entire body was quaking. His desires spilled uncontrollably from his lips. “I will surely make you mine. You will be mine! You belong to me and me alone!”
Owl kept his distance, observing the statue from behind the guards surrounding Shaun. It was roughly life-sized, depicting a girl around ten years old kneeling with her hands clasped in prayer. The motif was common enough in sculptures. The statue had been placed on a wooden base, but the statue itself….
“That’s plaster… or is it porcelain? Or even marble?”
Owl found himself sidling closer, unable to tell what the statue was made of at a glance. However, when he bent over to get a better look, a nearby guard stopped him. “Please do not come any closer.”
The material was a purer shade of white than any other piece on display. It looked like it had been carved, but it could have also been fired like pottery, transparent yet lustrous. Its surface was unmarred by any stains or cracks.
Noticing Owl’s close inspection, Ritz said, “Apparently, it’s made of silica.”
“Silica? As in the raw material for glass?”
“Indeed, though it must be said that it’s only registered as such.”
“Meaning?”
“That statue is shrouded in mystery in almost every conceivable way. No one knows who created it, where or when it was made, or even its title.”
“… Why’s something like that taking center stage at this auction?”
“I haven’t the foggiest. Though there is a rumor that it houses a mysterious power.”
“‘Mysterious power’ as in something in its components emits a strange energy, or…?”
“I couldn’t say… I’m not well-versed in such matters.” Meaning that Ritz hadn’t looked that far into it.
“How intriguing.” Owl bent forward again, his violet eyes glimmering. It was easy to picture him as a real owl, carefully watching its prey.
“Don’t even think about it, Owl.” Nick tugged on the detective’s sleeve. “I can see you wanting to deconstruct it, but you really can’t.”
“… I wasn’t thinking that.”
“Oh, really? ‘Cause I can read you like an open book, and your face says you’re itching to disassemble it and expose its mysteries.”
“Don’t say it like that, you make it sound like I’m obsessed. Besides, I always reconstruct anything I deconstruct.”
“You turned a fried egg into a scrambled egg the other day.”
Their whispered conversation was cut short when Shaun turned around and saw them all standing there. “You guys again? Don’t lay eyes on my Li’l D without my permission, you distasteful wretches!” His anger laid bare, he snapped at the surrounding guards, “Throw these people out at once!”
The guards turned to Owl’s group and took a step forward in unison. In the face of such aggression, the three turned and beat a hasty retreat out of the building.
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After being kicked out of the administrative building, Owl proposed that they see the venue itself next, and so the three headed that way. They returned to the entrance to find that the detectives were still gathered around in deep debate. As the trio passed by, Owl muttered, “They’re still going? What are they even talking about?”
Nick jolted. “Oh, right!” He pulled his notebook out again. The little book looked worse for wear from being stepped on, so he opened it with more care than usual before flipping it around to show Owl. “They’re talking about when Hude Lou’s going to strike.”
“‘Tonight, when the silver moon reaches the heavens, I will come to claim the statue of a young girl,’” read Owl. “This is…?”
“It’s what’s written on the calling card.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s all. Those old geezers have been having a deduction battle over exactly what time ‘the silver moon reaches the heavens’ is supposed to be.”
“… That’s it? Really?”
A smile rose to Nick’s face as he took his notebook back, an inflammatory glint in his eyes. “Well, when do you think it is, Owl?”
Owl was quiet for a moment, his steps slowing. “… There are several possibilities, but they can be broken down into two main groups.” As he came to a full stop, he whispered the word “moon” to himself, then raised his voice again to continue, “If we break it down to its absolute basics, ‘when the moon is in the sky’ points to nighttime, but that’s too broad a category. The keyword here is ‘heavens,’ meaning when the moon is at its highest: in other words, its upper culmination.”
“Oh, by the way, that’s going to be at a quarter past midnight tonight,” Nick chimed in.
“... That’ll be too late. The auction will have concluded by then.”
“Yeah.”
“If the keyword is ‘silver’ instead… silver’s atomic number is forty-seven, so let’s apply that to the moon’s altitude. What’s it supposed to reach tonight?”
“Fifty degrees,” Nick answered without missing a beat.
Owl drew back his shoulders and fell into dull, monotone calculations. “Fifty minus forty-seven is three, and the moon moves approximately fifteen degrees in an hour, so moving three degrees is… fifteen divided by three is five, sixty divided by five is twelve, so twelve minutes to move three degrees. Subtract twelve minutes from 12:15, so 12:03, and we’re probably okay rounding that to make it exactly midnight… meaning Hude Lou plans to steal the statue right after the auction has ended. I assumed he’d make his move while the auction’s underway, but I guess not.”
As Owl finished, Nick let out a whistle. “The other guys came up with the same idea!” He flipped to a different page in his notebook, ripped it out, and presented it to Owl. The numbers “12:15” and “12:03” were scrawled across the page.
“Figures.” Owl started walking again without even glancing at the page.
Ritz stared at him. “… Amazing,” she breathed. “D-Did you really deduce all of that in an instant?” His deduction had excited the girl; he hadn’t even seen the contents of the calling card until just a second ago.
“It wasn’t an instant,” Owl disagreed. “If Nick hadn’t known the upper culmination time and the angle of the moon, I would’ve needed to look it up, and that would’ve taken time.”
“Even so, that was still amazing! You really are a detective! So that’s why the police let the auction proceed as planned – the other esteemed detectives also deduced the two possible timeframes and determined that the guests would be safe since the thief will only arrive after everything has concluded!”
Ritz was deeply impressed, but Owl’s eyebrows wrinkled. “Something as simple as that could hardly be called a deduction,” he muttered bitterly. “And I’m not the only one who thinks so – those other guys are still talking about something, after all.” He turned right down the corridor. “Not that way!” Ritz and Nick chorused as they each grabbed a sleeve and dragged him in the opposite direction.
original written by Nagaya Kawaji here
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synchronousemma · 3 years ago
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25th February: Emma reads Frank Churchill’s letter
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Read: Vol. 2, ch. 13 (31); pp. 172–173 (“When his letter to Mrs. Weston arrived” through to “‘look forward to with pleasure’”).
Context
Emma reads Frank Churchill’s letter to Mrs. Weston and reflects on her feelings for him. She imagines that he may come to care for Harriet.
This letter, if written the day on which Frank arrived at Enscombe, would have arrived in Highbury on the 25th or 26th at the earliest. We know Enscombe to be in Yorkshire, “about 190 miles from London” (vol. 2, ch. 18; p. 200); I take the average speed of the post in the early 19th century to be 7 mph (see Brix, n.p.).
Note that the first section (“What’s in a Name?”) contains spoilers.
Readings and Interpretations
What’s in a Name?
Emma reflects that, in Frank’s letter, “The charm of her own name was not wanting. Miss Woodhouse appeared more than once, and never without a something of pleasing connection, either a compliment to her taste, or a remembrance of what she had said” (p. 172). I have written before about the kind of triangulation of meaning that occurs in Emma between a personage, that person’s name, and the social and literary contexts (conversation or letters) in which that name appears (see “Jane Fairfax, Jane Fairfax, Jane Fairfax”). Here, as earlier, this triangulation or slippage of meaning is emphasized by placing a name in a syntactic position where we might expect it to designate the physical personage, yet it does not.
Nicholas Royle discusses Derrida’s concept that a letter creates its own addressee as relevant to certain themes in Emma:
Derrida is not concerned with ‘a letter which would be the external occasion […] of an encounter between two identifiable subjects—and who would themselves already be determined’. Rather he focuses on what he describes as the ‘gentle and terrible decision’ by which the addressee says ‘It was I’, ‘“me” the unique addressee’. He focuses, that is, on the fact and some of the extraordinary implications of the fact that ‘one cannot say of the addressee that s/he exists before the letter.’ And the addressor or sender too.
[…] This question of whether it is ‘me’, the unique addressee, is at play throughout the novel, and figured at various moments in terms of erotic or romantic misidentification. For example: ‘“Me!” [Harriet] replied with a smile of astonishment, “are you imagining me to be Mr Elton’s object?”’ [vol. 1, ch. 13; p. 73). (pp. 48, 50)
Here we are not concerned with flesh-and-blood personages so much as the way that language, the address, creates new situations and relations between those people. Royle goes on to discuss mind-reading and names in the novel:
Emma is […] also pervaded by the telepathic—in particular by what might be conventionally moralized as the dangers of speculation and ‘reading thoughts’. Communication or interpretation would occupy a domain analogous to that described by Freud in Totem and Taboo—the domain where ‘the element of distance is disregarded; in other words, telepathy is taken for granted’ (TT, p. 81). A few familiar instances may suffice: when Emma ‘had no doubt of what Mr. Weston was often thinking about’ [vol. 2, ch. 5; p. 124]; […] or when Churchill ‘looked at her, as if wanting to read her thoughts […]’ [vol. 2, ch. 12; p. 169]. […]
But in this domain, attention seems to fall, most of all, on the idea of the name. Emma finds her own name irrepressibly important—for example, the day after having dinner with them, she feels that ‘she must delighted the Coles. . . And left a name behind her that would not soon die away’ [vol. 2, ch. 9; pp. 149–50). Or in her perusal of a letter from Frank Churchill to Mrs. Weston: ‘The charm of her own name was not wanting. Miss Woodhouse appeared more than once. . .’ [vol. 2, ch. 13; p. 172]). Emma assumes that the name has irresistible power for others too, for example when she tells Harriet: ‘At this moment, perhaps, Mr Elton is shewing your picture to his mother and sisters, telling how much more beautiful is the original, and after being asked for it five or six times, allowing them to hear your name, your own dear name’ [vol. 1, ch. 7; p. 35]).
Everything in the text depends on the foreseeing or anticipation of the name, of saying or hearing it, of misreading the silence apparently surrounding it. (p. 51)
But is Miss Woodhouse the intended addressee of Miss Woodhouse? Can a telepathic lack of distance be said to exist between Frank and Emma here? The frequency and tone with which Frank mentions Emma’s name are, no doubt, for the Westons’ benefit, as a cover for his engagement with Jane. We know, from his behavior on Tuesday and from the letter which he writes towards the end of the narrative, that he fancies Emma to be “not without suspicion” of his engagement (vol. 3, ch. 14 [50]; p. 287), and believes from her manner that she is “free from any tendency to being attached” to him (ibid., p. 288). We also know from being privy to Emma’s consciousness for the past weeks of their acquaintance that he is correct on one of these points (Emma, of course, is suspicious, but her suspicions are misguided). The Miss Woodhouse whom Frank addresses is thus a collaborator—his imagined Miss Woodhouse is in on the joke of the Westons’ hopes for the two of them, an actress in a shared scene—and may or may not be said to exist.
Emma’s ability to telepathically read Frank is also patchy. She observes that, in his letter, “the transition from Highbury to Enscombe, the contrast between the places in some of the first blessings of social life was just enough touched on to shew how keenly it was felt, and how much more might have been said but for the restraints of propriety” (p. 172). She is not wrong in the literal sense of these words (see also “Schrödinger’s Narrator”), which suggests that she has read Frank’s tone correctly, but she misinterprets the address—she makes the wrong decision in answering the “question of whether it is ‘me’, the unique addressee.”
Beautiful Little Friend
Emma, observing that a remembrance of Harriet as “Miss Woodhouse’s beautiful little friend” is “[c]ompressed into the very lowest vacant corner” of Frank’s letter, takes this as evidence of Frank’s love for herself: “Harriet was remembered only from being her friend” (p. 172). We may recall Emma misinterpreting similar signs from Mr. Elton, and being told as much (“‘I never thought of Miss Smith in the whole course of my existence—never paid her any attentions, but as your friend: never cared whether she were dead or alive, but as your friend,’” vol. 1, ch. 15; p. 85). Shortly thereafter, however, when it becomes desirable to fit this sign into a different schema, she is able to reinterpret it: “His recollection of Harriet, and the words which clothed it, the ‘beautiful little friend,’ suggested to her the idea of Harriet’s succeeding her in his affections” (p. 173).
Jérémie Grangé argues that this is not quite a satire at Emma’s expense:
A typical Austenian movement consists of narrating a situation in the voice of the heterodiegetic narrator, analyzing all aspects of it until the tableau is precise and forceful enough to justify the entrance into the scene of a subjectivity that is, in a way, its logical conclusion. Far from being contradictory, the two discourses corroborate each other. Emma’s phantasmagoria are not always derided by the heterodiegetic narrator: often, the description of a situation leads naturally to their irruption. This is the case with the reception of one of Frank’s letters, the tenor of which is studied minutely, and which provokes a new chimera in the heroine’s mind. The missive contains at once the suggestion of Frank’s love for Emma (“Miss Woodhouse appeared more than once, and never without a something of pleasing connection, either a compliment to her taste, or a remembrance of what she had said”) and an evocation of Harriet (“I had not a spare moment on Tuesday, as you know, for Miss Woodhouse’s beautiful little friend. Pray make my excuses and adieus to her” [p. 172]). Emma’s reaction is twofold: first described by the omniscient narrator (Emma understands that the affection Frank feels for her is not strong, as the rest of the novel confirms), it then gives way to a rapid incursion of free indirect style. [Quotes from “His recollection of Harriet” to “it would be delightful indeed”, p. 173]. The point of transition from objective narration to free indirect style is difficult to locate with precision. What Austen figures here is the legitimation of the utopias that Emma forges. The voices of the heroine and heterodiegetic narrator are tangled, and one appears as the consequence of the other, not as its opponent. The section of free indirect style, which suddenly appears and no less suddenly evaporates, seems as if suggested by the objective narration. The text does not aim to establish an antithesis between a rational language and one marked by the moment and by bias; it unites the two within the same rhetoric. This explains the major difficulties frequently encountered when trying to precisely qualify discourses that clash within the same narrative impetus. (pp. 555–6; my translation)
Here we may remember Mary Hong’s argument that Emma’s suspicions about Jane and Mr. Dixon were suggested to her by Miss Bates’s syntax (see “An Animating Suspicion”).
Belles-Lettres
For U. C. Knoepflmacher, who argues that letters in Emma are expected to stand in for character, this letter brings Emma’s love for Frank to an end:
Significantly enough, Emma’s discovery [that she cannot love Frank] stems from her perusal of the first letter written by Frank since his sudden recall by the Churchills. […] The letter […] makes a point of mentioning Emma’s name “more than once, and never without a something of pleasing connection” (II, ch. 13, [172]; italics added). And yet Emma feels strangely disappointed by its effect on her: “Gratifying, however, and stimulative as was the letter in the material part, its sentiments, [she yet] found, when it was folded up and returned to Mrs. Weston, that it had not added any lasting warmth, that she could still do without the writer” (II, ch. 13, [173]). (p. 648)
Discussion Questions
Why does Emma start considering the possibility of a match between Frank and Harriet? Is the joke on her here?
Why does Emma ultimately find herself uninspired by Frank’s letter?
Bibliography
Austen, Jane. Emma (Norton Critical Edition). 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, [1815] 2000.
Brix, Andrew C., et al. “Postal System.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. (2017). Accessed 22 February, 2022.
Grangé, Jérémie. “La destruction des genres : Jane Austen, Madame d’Epinay ou l’echec de la transgression.” Dissertation. Université Nancy 2, 2008.
Knoepflmacher, U.C. “The Importance of Being Frank: Character and Letter-Writing in Emma.” Studies in English Literature, 1500–1900 7.4 (Autumn 1967), pp. 639–58. DOI: 10.2307/449531.
Royle, Nicholas. “Telepathy: From Jane Austen and Henry James.” Oxford Literary Review 10.1/2 (1988), pp. 43–60.
Appendix
Un mouvement typiquement austenien consiste à narrer une situation par la voix du narrateur hétérodiégétique, à en décortiquer tous les aspects, jusqu’à ce que le tableau soit suffisamment précis et asséné pour justifier l’entrée en scène d’une subjectivité qui en est en quelque sorte la conclusion logique : loin de se contredire, les deux discours se corroborent. Les fantasmagories d’Emma ne sont pas uniquement tournées en dérision par le narrateur hétérodiégétique : souvent, la description d’une situation amène naturellement leur irruption. C’est le cas à la réception d’une lettre de Frank, dont la teneur est minutieusement étudiée, et qui provoque une nouvelle chimère dans l’esprit de l’héroïne. La missive contient à la fois la suggestion de l’amour de Frank pour Emma, « le nom de Miss Woodhouse y apparaissant à plusieurs reprises, systématiquement associé à de gentilles allusions aux agréments de sa compagnie, à des compliments sur son bon goût ou au rappel de propos qu’elle avait tenus devant lui », et une évocation d’Harriet : « Comme vous le savez, je n’ai pas eu mardi un seul moment de libre pour faire mes adieux à la belle amie de Miss Woodhouse, et je vous prierais donc de lui transmettre mes excuses et mon souvenir respectueux. », écrit Frank. La réaction d’Emma est double : tout d’abord décrite par le narrateur omniscient (elle comprend que l’attachement que Frank éprouve pour elle n’est pas fanatique, ce que le reste du roman confirme), elle laisse ensuite place à une rapide incursion du style indirect libre. [Quotes from “His recollection of Harriet” to “it would be delightful indeed”, p. 173]. Le passage de la narration objective au style indirect libre est malaisé à localiser avec exactitude. Ce qu’Austen échafaude ici, c’est une légitimation des utopies forgées par Emma. La voix de l’héroïne et celle du narrateur hétérodiégétique sont enchevêtrées, et l’une apparaît comme la conséquence de l’autre, non comme son antagoniste. Le discours indirect libre, qui procède par brusques floraisons suivies de non moins soudains évanouissements, est comme suggéré par la narration objective. Le texte ne vise pas à établir une antithèse entre un langage rationnel et un langage marqué par l’instant et la partialité, il réunit ces deux figures au sein d’une même rhétorique. C’est ce qui explique les difficultés majeures fréquemment rencontrées dans la qualification précise des discours qui s’entrechoquent dans un même élan narratif. (Grangé, pp. 555–6)
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thespoonisvictory · 4 years ago
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would love to hear your opinion on the future of the dteam career wise!
ok, this is going to get a bit critical at times (not too bad just my honest opinion), so read at your own risk bc I know some people don't like career speculation
first of all, the dteam isn't going anywhere for a hot minute. regardless of what I say here. this is all theoretical, years-down-the-line, nonsense rambling.
second of all, this probably isn't gonna be accurate lmao. this is just a guess based off what I've watched and seen, but people are unpredicatable.
third of all, this is kind of with the assumption that the dteam doesn't stick strictly together for all content and more analyzes them individually. not saying they're gonna stop being friends lmao
anyway.
sapnap immediately strikes me as the least sustainable content creator out of the three, sorry bb. he's struck me as someone who kind of stumbled into fame, is happy to ride it out, but hasn't really established a brand that's going to last. he doesn't have an identity out of the fandom like dream and even george do, nor has he really branched out and built friendships that are as marketable. yeah, there's karlnap, but that doesn't hold a candle to the marketability of dnf or even georgebur /p at this point. he has the feral boys, but they don't stream or make content consistently enough to really count. sapnap hasn't really innovated or made new content unlike others, and I think he's fine with that, but it doesn't bode well for when the dteam just as itself doesn't pull in as many viewers.
his failed attempt at rebranding and clear interest in games like csgo over minecraft show that his 'stan' audience isn't really compatible with the content he wants to make. when minecraft inevitably goes through a dip again, I think he's gonna dip with that. long term, he'll probably just be a chill smaller csgo-esque streamer, but that's a while off.
george immediately strikes me as the most sustainable cc. people just- really like him, because he's a likable guy lmao. he's bland enough to be really palatable and marketable for pretty much everyone (not a bad thing), but has enough personality and charm that people stick around. he's surprisingly funny, with a dry sense of humor, and does well in social situations as long as he's not being yelled over (@ feral boys)
not only that, but george is also branching out in his own content stuff in that his solo streams have been equally as well received. as shown by like every interaction with sbi and co, he has an amazing dynamic with them that I actually prefer to the dteam a lot of the time. he has a naturally good sense of humor that’s only improved with the time, and doesn’t rely on a game nearly as much.
dream... is a wildcard. obviously he’s gonna be able to retain popularity for a longggg time with that many young subscribers and viewers, so this is more about his relevancy.
first of all, if he’s gonna last, mans needs to stop getting himself involved in controversies. stop venting on the internet, stop responding to haters with no credibility, and stop employing teenagers for god’s sake. tommy is pulling more twitch viewers than him at this point and hasn’t had a tenth of his controversies; it’s not inherent to large creators to have this many problems.
also, he needs to stop relying on minecraft, or at least this avenue of minecraft. manhunt is already starting to dry out, as entertaining as it is, and dream hasn’t lined up anything new in its place, despite his efforts with stuff like the one where he just has to outlast. his reputation as one of The Best is also quickly fading as speedrunning drama has tarnished his reputation, and his mcc stats don’t hold a candle to people like pete. he needs a new niche, and I don’t know where he’s gonna get that from.
irl content is an obvious avenue, but unless he feels like face revealing anytime soon that’s pretty much done.
however.
dream, if nothing else, is innovative and calculating. he got popular so fast for a reason, he’s basically a picture perfect cc in terms of drive, personality, and editing. speaking of which, his editing is interesting enough that he can elevate most content with it tbh. essentially, he’s incredibly talented, and I think so long as something else doesn’t strike him down he’ll probably figure something out.
tl;dr: george is the fan favorite for finding success after the dteam dies down, but dream is innovative enough that I trust him to figure something out. sapnap’s lowkey screwed lmao
(send thoughts on this if you want)
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vannahfanfics · 4 years ago
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Fluff alphabet event request for Kiba Inuzuka please, thanks!
Ahh, my best boy! I love Kiba, I really wish we could have seen more of him later on in the manga and show :c
Fluff Alphabet: Kiba Inuzuka
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A- Activities: How do they spend their time with their s/o?
Walks! Kiba loves to go on walks with his s/o, bonus points if they bring their dog(s) along! There’s just something so refreshing about strolling down a walking trail or through the neighborhood, especially with his s/o by his side. He’ll hold their hand as they mosey along, and he’ll be unable to resist pecking their cheek or their lips every so often. 
Kiba also loves to take naps with his s/o! He’s a pretty energetic guy, but he does tire out. When he does, his favorite thing to do is to snuggle up to his s/o for a quick snooze! It doesn’t matter where, either. Kiba can fall asleep anywhere, so sometimes that means just passing out right there on the kitchen floor while his s/o was trying to enjoy a quick lunch! It’ll have to wait, though, because he will drag them out of their chair to snooze on the floor with them. 
B- Body: What does this character appreciate about their s/o? What part of their body are they most proud of, and in reverse, what body part are they ashamed of and how do they respond to their s/o gushing over it?
Kiba is a tummy guy, 100%. He loves just planting his face into his s/o’s stomach, littering it in kisses or holding his hands there when they’re seated on his lap. His favorite way to nap is with his head resting on his s/o’s stomach and their hands running through his hair. 
Kiba isn’t really self-conscious about any part of his body in particular, but if his s/o compliments any part of him, he’ll get all blushy and shy. After the initial surprise, however, he’ll definitely turn it around on his s/o, growing smug and flirtatious!
C- Cuddles: Is this character a cuddler? What is their favorite way to cuddle?
Kiba is definitely a cuddler! As I previously mentioned, he loves to cuddle into his s/o’s tummy. However, he also does love to spoon! If anyone asks, he’s the big spoon. But honestly? He loves to be the little spoon, too. The first time his s/o is the big spoon he gets a little emotional because he just feels so adored? He swears he didn’t cry, though. 
D- Dreams: How do they picture their future with their s/o?
Dogs. All the dogs. It is a must. Aside from having a whole lotta dogs, Kiba dreams of the ideal life-- getting married, sharing a home, having some kids, and growing old together. With their dogs, of course. 
E- Equivalence: Is this character the dominant force in the relationship, are they passive, or is the relationship more or less even?
The relationship is more or less even. Kiba’s a little dominant, but he is also whipped for his s/o, so it really depends on the situation. In most things, he’s content to do whatever keeps his s/o happy. Of course, every so often he has to put his foot down, and he’s not afraid to. Still, it’s a blissful arrangement, all things considered!
F- Fights: How does this character respond to arguments with their s/o? What would they fight about, and who would cave and apologize first?
In the moment, things will get heated. Kiba will yell, because his voice gets louder whenever he’s excited about something-- either in a good or bad way. However, as soon as his s/o starts to cry, he deflates. He can’t believe he broke his s/o’s heart like that! He instantly switches to comforting mode, and he’ll be able to talk it over with a more level head after that. He will definitely apologize first. 
As for things he would fight about with his s/o? Kiba gets a little bit irritable when he’s stressed, so most likely, he snapped at the wrong thing and made his s/o mad. He’ll own that once things have settled down, too. 
G- Gratitude: How does this character show their s/o that they are grateful?
Hugs! Kiba’s love language is very much physical affection, so anytime he’s in a grateful mood, he will grab his s/o and snuggle into their neck or belly while telling them how much he loves them! 
H- Honeymoon: If this character had a honeymoon with their s/o, where would they go?
Kiba loves the beach! He would definitely want a week of sand, surf, and sun. He will be in the water constantly, and will definitely drag his s/o out to play with him, but don’t worry! He’ll have plenty of romantic dinners, shows, and whatnot planned to enjoy with his s/o, too. 
I- Insecurity: What is this character insecure about? How do they deal with their insecurities with their s/o?
Kiba sometimes feels like he’s inferior to the other guys he knows, believe it or not. They’re just so awesome! He feels like a background character. He won’t admit it to his s/o at first, using brash declarations to try and make himself relevant; but when his s/o picks up on it, he will break down and spill out his poor little heart. He definitely needs to be reassured that he’s number one in his s/o’s eyes! Tell him he’s a big strong man! <3
J- Jealousy: Is this character the jealous type? How do they deal with being jealous?
Kiba doesn’t get jealous as much as he does insecure. If he sees someone else flirting with his s/o, he will get really moody and really clingy. Like, he will not leave his s/o alone after that point, hugging and kissing all over them to make the point known that they are off the market. He will also need to be reassured by his s/o too that they still love him and want him. Poor baby. :(
K- Kiss: What does the character want their first kiss to be like with their s/o? How does it end up happening?
Kiba wants the first kiss to be perfect, of course! He meticulously plans everything out, but when it comes down to it... He kind of bungles it, hits their nose on the way in and accidentally kisses the corner of their mouth instead. He is dying of embarrassment, so please just laugh it off and give him another chance, he promises he’ll do it right this time!
L- Love Confession: How does this character first profess their love to their s/o?
Kiba confesses totally on accident, haha. It just slips out in the middle of a conversation one day. Everyone around will just be like, “What?!” He’ll try to play it off, but the bright big blush on his face tells everyone exactly what they just heard. Poor baby boy, he’s trying his best.
M- Marriage: How does this character view marriage? What is their ideal wedding like?
Kiba definitely wants to get married! He dreams of settling down with his s/o. However, he doesn’t want it to be a big grand affair. He’d like a simple shrine wedding with just their parents, and then after, they can meet up with all their friends and have a nice time! In the moment, though, he would really just like to focus on his s/o and his love for them. 
N- Nicknames: What does this character like to call their s/o?
Kiba defaults to “babe” or “baby” most of the time. He’s not very creative when it comes to pet names, those two get the job done! But when he’s feeling extra soft, he’ll hit his s/o with a “sweetheart” or a “honey” that’ll just make them swoon!
O- On Cloud Nine: What is this character like when they’re in love? Is it obvious to others, or are they good at hiding it?
Oh, Kiba is so obvious it’s painful. He’s blushy, he’s stuttery, he’s over the moon. Everyone within a ten mile radius will know who he’s crushing on. It’s super cute, honestly, but he will 100% get ragged for it until he finally confesses because all his guy friends definitely know what’s up!
P- PDA: Does this character like PDA? If so, what kinds of things do they do in public to show off their s/o?
Kiba is so clingy! He loves PDA. He loves to hold hands with his s/o; if they are not holding hands while walking around he gets super mopey, haha. Surprise hugs and kisses are also a must! He just loves to shower his s/o in affection. He can’t help it! He has so much love to give!
Q- Quirks: What random traits or quirks does this character have that positively affect the relationship?
Kiba is a brutally honest guy, sometimes to a fault. As such, he would never dream of lying to his s/o, not ever! Even little white lies, he can’t stand the idea of lying to his s/o. Sometimes it’s not helpful, but most of the time it’s just a testament to strong communication. 
R- Romance: Is this character a hopeless romantic, or a bit on the low-key side? Are they cliché when it comes to romantic gestures, or can they get a little bit creative?
Oh, Kiba is hopelessly romantic when it comes to his s/o, but he’s actually kind of clueless when it comes to romantic gestures. He gets advice from his friends with... mixed results, haha. But he tries! He really does, and he hopes his s/o at least can get a laugh when things don’t quite go as intended. 
S- Secrets: Are there any secrets they hide from their s/o? If so, how do they deal with it when those secrets finally come out?
Aside from his insecurities, as I mentioned before, no secrets from his s/o! Kiba is an open book!
T- Thrill: Does this character prefer routine in their relationship, or do they like to shake things up every once in a while?
Kiba is very impulsive, so he definitely likes to shake things up! He will definitely drag his s/o off to do random things when the mood strikes him, but honestly, it just adds to the fun!
U- Understanding: Is this character level-headed and empathetic toward their partner, or do they sometimes have trouble figuring them out, which leads to some butting heads?
As I mentioned, Kiba can be a bit clueless, so bless his heart sometimes he does have trouble understanding his s/o. This can lead to frustration and he may butt heads with them, but after a bit, they’ll be able to talk it out. He tries to beas empathetic and understanding as he can most of the time, though, even if he has no idea what’s going on. 
V- Value: How does this character value their relationship with their s/o? How does it hold in comparison to their goals, ambitions, etc.?
Kiba adores his s/o, and after a long relationship, they will definitely become the centerpoint in his life. He doesn’t really have any goals or ambitions aside from just living a good and solid life, and so his s/o fits right in!
W- Wild Card: Any random fluff headcanon that does not fall within the other categories!
Kiba, unfortunately, is a wiggleworm in bed. I’m talking kicking around, flopping like a fish, falling off the bed without even waking up-- it’s bad! So, his poor s/o may find the blankets stolen, or even get an accidently hand in their face in the middle of the night!
X- XOXO: How does this character show affection?
95% of Kiba’s love language is physical affection. He just loves to snuggle up to his s/o, hold their hand, give them kisses, everything! However, he isn’t willing to hold back praise either; he loves to shower his s/o in praise and talk them up to whoever’s listening!
Y- Yearning: How does this character deal with time apart with their s/o?
Oh, he gets so mopey. He just walks around all depressed because he doesn’t get his daily dose of snuggles and lovin’. He is so sad that everyone hates being around him because all he can do is whine and cry about his s/o being there. As soon as his s/o returns, he will latch onto them like a koala and won’t let go for at least several hours. 
Z- Zeal: Is this character willing to great lengths for their relationship? If so, how far, and how long does it take to get to this point?
Absolutely! Kiba doesn’t take any slight to his s/o well, and he will do anything for them. It takes a while for Kiba to build up to a serious relationship, but when he’s there, he’s gonna be in his s/o’s corner no matter what. 
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nicolecossack · 4 years ago
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-Mini Story Part 2, i guess!-
Sense two or three weeks after the duel the girl had, she has gone missing with her parents putting up a missing person report to the local Sector Security, however still fruitless to find her. Unbeknown to anyone, she was taken away by a shadowy figure.
Sense that day the teen was sleeping and the person who kidnapped her has been preforming some adjustments to her. Slowly turning her into a Cyborg to fit the destiny she was driven towards.
Eventually she woke up in the sterile operation room she had spend a few weeks in. A large headache she felt pretty soon. She sat up and held her head, then she looked around.
"W-where am i . . .?", the teen asked.
She wanted to get up, but couldn't move her legs anywhere. She looked down to see her legs being held down to the metal table. She lets out a scream, trying to get her legs free. She stops when she hears the metal door open.
"Ah, good morning, little sunshine, you kept me waiting, i guess your first time summoning Wisel took a tool on your body. You will get better with time~", a man in a white cloak and white hair walked up to her, "Your father really thought he could hide you. He forgets you can't hide from destiny."
"Who are you and what the hell are you talking about!?", the girl asked.
"Ah, yes, my name isn't relevant to you now. However, your father knew you would eventually sync with the Meklord Emperor, so he tried to keep you away from it. He did a good job for sure, but we eventually found you. The duel disk you got, heh, was also manufactured here to help you awaken.", he picks up a mirror and hands it to her. "Now we finished the rest for you to control that power proper."
The girl looked into the mirror, then she lets out a scream seeing what she had in her face.
"This is a special type of duel gazer for you, allowing you to to quite a lot of things with Solid Vision, aside from dueling.", he explained.
"Get it off!!! NOW!!", she screamed trying to get it off.
The man chuckles darkly," you cannot remove this, its a implant, unless you want to rip out your own eye?~".
The girl freeze hearing that.
"I guess, i'll give you time to settle in with your new situation and i have a partner that will help you."
Another person entered, looking like a older Teen. He wore a black and red coat with blonde hair.
"This is Kevin, he is our best duelist here.", the man said.
"This is the girl who summoned Wisel? She looks weak.", Kevin said.
"She is better then you think." the man releases her from her bonds and hands her a card, "Take good care of her, you hear?"
"Yeah, yeah. Come along i'll show you around and take you to your room.", Kevin said.
"Do i look like i will do what you want!?", she replied.
The man pointed a injection gun to her neck, "Are you sure?".
She froze, a bit of fear gripping her," I-i get it, p-put it down.".
"Good girl. Behave and you stay will be pleasant."
The man leaves. "Ts, come now get up.", Kevin said to her.
She sighed and looks at the card she got, it was the Meklord Emperor Wisel. Looking at it made her feel strange inside. She puts it away into her deck box and gets up. Kevin nodded to the door, motioning her to go first. From there he showed her around the sterile lab like place.
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revcruz · 3 years ago
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I posted a few months ago an illustration of a "caveman" from the Lascaux caves (There were no depictions of humans in the Chauvet caves) and a figure drawn in the Binangonan-Angono petroglyph style in preparation for an art activity for my young students about the first artist in history - the caveman! We talked and looked at photographs of cave drawings, discussed how simple they looked yet still identifiable as the creatures the cavemen were trying to depict. We also read a children’s book about cave paintings to put them on the mood and mindset for the actual drawing activity. And then, I told them: Imagine you are a living in a cave somewhere in the Philippines twenty thousand years ago, during the time when animals that are considered endangered now were still plenty and thriving, how would you draw them? We started with a tarsier, learned to identify its distinguishing figures and practiced how to make shapes and lines to represent them, after which a pangolin, then another… For animals that were not familiar to the students, it was also an opportunity to learn more about them. Pretty soon, all the students were creating their own colorful menagerie. Here’s my preliminary set of demo “cave painting” animals I used during the class. I’m still developing the designs for other animals (let me know if you want a specific animal included in the menagerie), but I’m posting it here now as a “teaser” and a timely relevant post commemorating Earth Day 2022. #earthday2022 #earthday #art #artph #illustration #digitalillustration #digitalart #clipstudiopaint #doodle #drawing #clipstudiopaintillustration #timelapse #makeartlikethemasters #homeschool #artist #childrensbookillustration #characterdesign #artistsoninstagram #homeschoolglobal #caveman #cavepainting #lascaux https://www.instagram.com/p/CcqCKk2vI9h/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
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elizabethrobertajones · 5 years ago
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Hey! Feel free to ignore this long question but it was just something I was thinking about. I’m interacting with this fandom for the first time since about mid season 12-ish, I was an avowed deancas meta reader and I’m trying to catch up on some goings on. Something that’s really been bothering me since it went canon was something I was trying to figure out since I left: what happened during the carver era? Was he setting it up to be canon, because I can’t not see that when I watch s8 and 9, but post-Charlie dying it all seemed so disorganized, and bad. He set it up perfectly then lost the thread totally. Do you have any insight on what happened there? And 2, if I couldn’t stand the first half of season 12 but really liked 15x18, do you think I’d like the rest of the dabb era? How does it compare to peak carver era? Thanks for reading and no pressure! Forgot how much I love this meta stuff and now it’s all I think about again lol
Hi there! 
I think Carver era behind the scenes might end up being something we have to wait for tell-all interviews to understand... At least Dabb was there for all of it so maybe after the show is over, someone might grab him for a sit down to explain some shit and go over the old territory :P I’d guess that Carver was not committed to canon in the same way but he was open to exploring and expanding the relationships and Cas’s character just because he liked Cas and these dynamics, and definitely wasn’t adverse to at least ironically thinking of Dean n Cas in a certain way, hence the “jilted lover” thing. 
I think also there was generally less of a cohesive overall voice to the show from season 8 onwards, which is not a bad thing in that it meant we began to really see each individual writer putting their talents out there (or not-talents) but does mean the interpretation of Dean n Cas or gay subtext in general was an absolute rollercoaster, depending on who was writing, because combining looser control on the creative direction per episode along with a deeper focus on character overall... Bobo could roll right up in season 9 and immediately start serving Destiel but Dabb had been writing since season 4 and it was still season 8 where he first starts flexing any what would become shipper muscles :P 
Considering how Carver era fizzled out and Dabb took over with a stronger sense of what to DO with the dang show and what radical burn-it-all-down steps that involved to take it to a conclusion, including absolutely freewheeling the plot for a little while, throwing spaghetti at the wall and even letting Buckleming serve total curveballs and all, for the sake of really digging into character stuff instead, I do think the change is obvious again. I don’t even know if Dabb took over MEANING to make Destiel canon, but that he was absolutely of the mind that Cas was important and a TFW ending would be necessary. And then once he spent some time on that, the obvious answer that Destiel was integral hit at last through some sort of self-reflection on what the fuck they’d been writing all this time as it came to tying up loose ends. 
Honestly the writers he picked kinda do obviously compliment Destiel but maybe it was even just having so many fresh young voices at the table all at once that LATER shifted the conversation into “why the heck wouldn’t we do this?” after they settled in. 
Anyway, I’m not caught up on the current season, but I would say that Dabb era was as far as I watched, loosely written on the plot front and managing Buckleming nonsense about as deftly as a bunch of excellent writers who are trying to have a consistent vision but need to constantly work around someone lobbing bricks at the story can do. But it got better and better as it went on, because it was focussing more on the emotional stuff and the character dynamics, and taking them all seriously. Season 13 was an important shift in really taking Destiel seriously, and from the sounds of things Dabb was maybe considering Destiel by season 14 and ready to hit the ground running with 15? 
I personally think that Dabb era really started to be very very good as soon as Jack was properly introduced, especially as I spent a whole hiatus dreading him and convinced this was a terrible idea (he’s buckleming spawn, from one of their worst episodes overall behind their true classics like the racist truck) but Dabb wrote the first episode with Jack and it made him instantly endearing, and his whole story was well-handled from then on, making even some of the more garbage characters at least temporarily interesting or at least relevant or to make the scenes they were in easier to endure. 
So I’d say try again and power through until you’ve given Jack the 4 episodes at the beginning of season 13 they use to introduce and explore what he means to the show, and see how you’re feeling about those dynamics and storylines, as they really are where the show goes from then onwards. 
I also have to admit that season 9 is my favourite Carver era season, and overall I don’t like the seasons so much as loving certain episodes, and having a whole lot I don’t like in between. Dabb’s crack team of writers demonstrated what it was like to enjoy every single writer except Buckleming, and have a much more reliable run of episodes in a row consistently so if I was comparing them, especially with hindsight, Carver era is really left in the dust for me. My only regret is that Buckleming never retired early and left the show in the hands of competent adults for a full season.
To really emphasise how much I trust the writers these days, I’m pretty much assuming without watching them that the dozen episodes I haven’t watched will be good and I’ll have a great time watching them, and that Bobo’s last episode will be amazing quite apart from the bizarre mark it left on the historical record. 
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currywaifu · 5 years ago
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𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: hidden side 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: chigasaki itaru/reader 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: sfw 𝐰𝐜: 3.4k words
𝐚𝐧: Thank you for the request ♡ Lowkey based off similar experiences from school lol ~♪ I had so many different ideas, but I wanted to write this one for a while so here we go! P.S, happy belated birthday @starryneve​ :> ♡
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Normally he’d be able to withstand not opening his phone every few minutes— he’d always make sure to clear all his AP, LP, SP, BP, whatever P before heading to work. Stamina bonuses were never a problem too, either he’d head to the comfort room or log-in during lunch break.
However, events were simultaneously running right now and he’d be damned if he wasn’t gonna rank in the top 1%, no, 0.1%.
Itaru discreetly looked around the office, and as soon as the coast was clear he opened up his desk drawer. His phone was stored inside, his team of expensive waifus auto-battling against the enemies for this event.
They weren’t doing bad at all, but he trusted himself a little more than the AI.
As he went over the best skills to use on the final boss, he heard a knock against the divider separating his desk from his co-workers.
“Code red, Chigasaki-san.” You muttered, volume low enough so only he’d be able to hear you.
Yikes, a red so early in the day? His boss must want something done immediately.
He hastily shut the drawer, sighing in relief that the metal filing cabinet barely made any noise.
“Thank you,” he said gratefully as he watched his boss approach from the corner of his eye, already looking agitated with a word yet to be spoken.
“Chigasaki, I need you to work on a new project,” his boss drawled on with the details; Itaru’s ears somehow being able to pick up on the necessary information despite all the words blurring in his head. Something about a presentation being needed and closing a deal— he’ll just check his email for specifics.
He continued to nod, pretending to absorb everything when in reality he was just looking forward to finishing the battle and getting his rewards.
However, hearing your name halted his movements. As you peaked over from your desk, Itaru could tell even you looked a little caught off-guard at the sudden mention.
“Yes, sir?” you questioned, swiveling your chair to face the two men.
“Since you’ve dealt with GeneSys before, I’m assigning both you and Chigasaki as the heads,” he explained, “there shouldn’t be a problem with this arrangement, right?”
“No, sir,” you replied.
“Not at all. We’ll start on the project as soon as possible,” he sent off his boss with a polite smile as the both of you watched his back disappear.
The silence restored in the room, you let out a quiet laugh to break the tension. “Honestly, thank god I’m partnered with you,” you sighed in relief, before humming thoughtfully “although I might get some envious stares for a couple of days.”
He pursed his lips.
“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” he said, but by the twinkle in your eyes, he could tell you knew he wasn’t being truthful.
Not that he minded. It would be an understatement to say he was pleased you were the one assigned to help him; if he could set a favourite co-worker, it’d probably be you. Not only were you dependable with work, but you didn’t bother him needlessly either. Even so, the two of you weren’t exactly friends, at least not until a month ago.
“Thanks for saving me. If he found out I was using my phone…” he trailed off as you shook your head understandingly.
“It’s fine, Chigasaki-san. After all, you’ve saved me a bunch of times as well,” you reminded him, “so what were you doing this time?”
Oh crap, he probably should get back to the game. He shouldn’t keep his waifus waiting, right?
“Oh, just messaging my troupe mates. They wanted to know what time I’d be home for practice,” he lied, pulling the drawer open and quickly selecting the skills and moves to beat up the final boss.
After collecting his rewards, he saw the little red exclamation point by the bento box icon. Lunchtime stamina bonus time~
“I didn’t realise it was 12 already,” he mentioned off-handedly, missing the way you jolted up for a second before pulling open your file drawer as well.
“Should probably have lunch in a while,” you said, unknowingly opening the same game Itaru was playing. “Want to eat lunch together? I’ll go over my previous experience with GeneSys Tech Corp.”
“Sure. The faster we get this over with, the better.”
‘So I could get back to my games in peace,’ the both of you thought.
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Corporate slaves needed more rights. The project wasn’t so difficult that he’d collapse in exhaustion, but he was definitely frustrated with all the demands that needed fulfilling.
Should he game to destress? Ah, but he once he starts he might not be able to stop-
Itaru’s phone screen lit up, and he would have thought it was a game notification if it wasn’t for the ringtone blaring. As soon as he saw your name, he wondered if you somehow picked up on the fact that he was planning on slacking off taking a break.
“Good evening,” you greeted him, voice calm and not at all angry— right, he can strike off the ‘my co-worker has a 6th sense?’ theory. “Sorry to disturb you, just felt like checking in. How’s work going from your side?”
He looked at the graph currently shown on his desktop, already feeling a headache incoming. “Not too bad, could be better,” Itaru answered vaguely, not wanting to give you a bad impression.
He couldn’t figure out whether you believed him or not, the only tell being the hum you let out.
“Same boat, then. Seriously, for a company whose most relevant success is a video game in the 90s…”
Itaru immediately perked up, pressed at the mention of the game. “Right? Then again, what do you expect from them after that total disappointment of a sequel that-“ he suddenly stopped.
If he said any more he totally could’ve been in trouble just there.
“Oh, how’d you know about the video game? GeneSys rebranded themselves a couple years ago, so I didn’t think you’d know about it,” you questioned him, leaving Itaru to scramble for the best excuse he could think of.
Yeah, he’s not about to take the risk and assume you knew the game because you’ve played it before.
“Did some research on the company’s past endeavours,” he began, sounding as nonchalant as he possibly could, “I suppose I got a bit invested.”
That was one way to put it. He still remembered being upset as a teenager that the long-awaited sequel was a total cash-grab.
“Pfft,” you let out a small laugh, and for a moment Itaru felt frantic— did you somehow figure him out? He wouldn’t put it past the you who caught him using his phone, when no one else had, a month ago.
“This oddly passionate side to the princely Chigasaki Itaru-san is really nice.”
He was eternally grateful to whatever higher being (beings?) there was that this conversation was taking place over the phone. Despite the air conditioning, his face began to warm like his phone would overheat after playing for too long.
Seriously, all you said was that side of him was nice— not that you knew the full extent— so why did he feel like a cliche otome MC? Wasn’t he past the stage of getting flustered over stuff like this?
“Chigasaki-san, are you still there?” you called out, and Itaru calmed himself down to the best of his abilities before answering.
“Yeah, sorry. Connection got cut for a bit. You were saying?”
If a smile had a sound, he was definitely hearing it right now. “Oh nothing~ I was just thinking that your fans would be so jealous if I told them I got to see a hidden side of their prince just now,” you teased.
Probably not. It’s not exactly the definition of charming, not even urban dictionary worthy, but he’ll indulge you.
He didn’t even bother covering up the huff that escaped him. “And who knew my dependable and quiet project partner was so chatty? Keeping a guy up this late and distracting him from work?”
It was your turn to be silent, and before he could apologise you beat him to it.
“I didn’t realise it was so late! Sorry, I wanted to chat away the stress,” you explained, “should probably stop disturbing you, right?”
He looked at the time. He’s not sure what he’s doing exactly, but he doesn’t need to go in-game until the reset at midnight— might as well refill his irl stamina too, right? Well, if he could be the bento box that helped you refill your energy, why not?
… Yeah, that sounded better in his head.
“I mean, we could probably talk about work on call… or,” he paused for dramatic effect, “we could just talk.”
Itaru’s equally as relieved as you when you breathe a sigh of relief. Oh thank god, he didn’t want to actually talk about work. It was only the first day of the project, both of you had time to kill. Probably.
“Why do I have a feeling you’re gonna end up sniffing out my secrets?”
He snickered at your suggestion. “Then I’m not the co-worker you should be worried about then,” before you could question who he possibly meant, he continued, “though since you got to see a quote, hidden side of me, unquote, shouldn’t I know more about you?”
“Hmmm? Like what?” you asked.
“Like what you even do on your phone anyway? You’re on your phone just as much as me,” as he uttered those words you were voiceless for a split second, not unlike the momentary silence committed by Itaru minutes ago.
You tittered, your awkwardness not going unnoticed. “Mostly reading e-books, nothing too special.”
Okay, but the way you made it sound gave off the impression of it being fan fiction or something. Not that he’d judge, just a little surprising for you he guessed.
“Oh? What’s it about?”
His suspicion died down quickly enough as soon as you went off about the plot and characters of the story you were reading. He made a noise every now and then to let you know he was still listening, moving to his bed as he slipped on his headphones.
As you ranted about some complicated love triangle he figured would be popular in TV dramas and reverse harem routes, the more he found it undeniable that he enjoyed seeing this side of you, too.
He felt the tension of the workday slip off his system, your voice washing it away. Who knows? Maybe you’d consider a career in streaming or ASMR or something.
A couple of minutes pass by, and Itaru’s wordless responses died down after a while.
“Chigasaki-san?” you asked gently, not wanting to disrupt him should your suspicions be correct. When he didn’t respond, you smiled to yourself. Well, midnight just struck after all.
“Good night, sweet dreams,” you whispered before ending the call.
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Imagine finding out from a 17-year old brat that his ranking dipped because he fell asleep listening to his co-worker’s voice while waiting for the reset. He was a little upset at having to spend diamonds just to climb back up the leaderboard, but at least he’s in the top 0.1% again. It was nothing a bunch of grinding couldn’t fix.
What he was mortified about, however, was falling asleep in call. He was the one who suggested staying in the call in the first place, yet he dozed off on you. You didn’t send him an angry text or anything, but he was still prepared to press an f in the chat for himself.
Itaru found that you were already sat at your desk by the time he arrived, prodding at the phone inside your drawer. While it was mostly hidden, if he looked close enough he’d probably be able to see what you were doing.
… Not that he was going to, of course. You were mutuals in this we-secretly-use-our-phones-at-work tendency, he wasn’t going to betray you now! Still, he was a little curious. A peek over the shoulder wouldn’t hurt, right?
“Chigasaki-san, good morning! You looked like you rested well~”
Mission failed. We’ll get ‘em next time.
“Aha, my apologies. I suppose I was more tired than usual,” he paused, feeling something off— by the way you narrowed your eyes slightly at something behind him he could tell people were probably eavesdropping.
“Don’t worry! It was getting too late to discuss the upcoming project anyway,” you replied, putting emphasis to deter any rumours. Though you weren’t shouting by any means, the sudden volume definitely got you the response you wanted by the upwards pull of your lips. “We can continue working on it now that you’re here.”
As he sat down, turning his chair to face you, Itaru was unable to mask the small grin he sported on his face. “Very cool of you. So you have this side to you as well?”
“I’ve always wanted to try out a scene like that! Though I always imagined myself more on the MC’s side than the ML’s.”
“Hm? MC? ML?” he asked, feigning ignorance to the terms used. Not that those terms were limited to use in games, but still it was a teensy bit suspicious.
“Oh? Uh, MC for main character and ML for male lead,” you explained to him, not knowing that he already knew what they stood for. “Reviews for novels use those terms a lot, so I guess I picked up on them.”
… damn you right, though.
“Didn’t peg you for an office romance lover,” Itaru said, watching you shrug your shoulders.
“What can I say? I’m a versatile person with many interests~” you grinned, the sudden flash of your teeth a little blinding.
Unexpectedly all it took was one late-night phone call for you to be more comfortable around him; he finds himself feeling much of the same. Still, weren’t you getting a little bolder with your vague responses?
Well, if his dating simulators taught him anything, it was clear that you were begging for a response. For an unathletic man, his heart rate increased steadily like a man on a morning jog— the anticipation similar to what he felt when a game continued to throw him pleasant surprises.
“Really? What else are you interested in, then?” he asked, keeping his voice low so that only the two of you could hear each other. On the outside, the two of you probably (hopefully) looked like you were discussing work; at worst, conspiring a business scheme together— the glint in both of your eyes said otherwise.
“Wouldn’t you like to find out?” you laughed quietly, almost tricking Itaru into believing you wouldn’t say any more. “For starters, I’m interested in you,”
He’s, well, more than a little dumbfounded. Shellshocked might be the appropriate word for it. Seriously, who told you it was okay to be so direct? Illegal, absolutely illegal. Someone arrest you already.
Still, his face is as calm and relaxed as ever; you wouldn’t have noticed anything was wrong if not for the colour beginning to dust his cheeks.
“What specifically about me?” He could be digging himself a deeper hole, but all the same, he could use this to turn things around.
You rolled your eyes at him, as though the answer was obvious. “Everything, pretty much— though especially your, let’s call it the non-princely persona. I’m onto you, Chigasaki-san~”
He resisted the urge to laugh, pushing down the bubbling feelings of excitement that threatened to leave him.
“Not if I expose you first, sweetheart~” he threatened jokingly.
Thus began a game that would end sooner than both of you expected.
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“Chigasaki-san, is it alright if we end our planning session early today?” you asked him, picking up your mug and placing it between your lips. He found himself mirroring you, drinking his coffee as well before responding.
“Sure. You have something you need to do?” He asked curiously, the dip in his smile showing the slightest disappointment on his features.
Work was still stressful as always but your presence, especially over the past week, had made things bearable if not enjoyable at points.
“Yeah. I have to pick up something from a store and I don’t wanna rush before closing time,” you explained, setting the now-empty ceramic down. “Thank you for the drink, Chigasaki-san. It’s easier to work with no one to bother us, you know?”
“Don’t mention it. You treated me yesterday, so it’s my turn now,” he waved off, shutting his laptop to begin packing up his things. “Need me to drive you to… wherever?”
The two of you exited the coffee shop, the cool breeze hitting your faces as the two of you descended the stairs. As you turned to greet him farewell he fought to keep his hand still as he looked at your wind-blown hair, slightly unruly but endearing at the same time.
“If I didn’t know you better I’d say you just wanted to be around me a little longer,” a soft, airy laugh escaping your throat. A smile touched the corners of his mouth and played in the laugh lines beside his eyes.
“Who’s to say you’re wrong, though?” he watched the red creep from your cheeks to your neck, half reveling in his success and half wondering if it went any further. He’s only a little dismayed that you hastily wished him goodbye and ran off to who knows where, but there was always tomorrow.
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By the time you enter the game shop you’ve calmed down, for the most part, hair still a little disheveled but otherwise alright. Did playing around and teasing him finally come to bite you in the ass?
Ugh, that felt like a moment in otome games where the MC decides to tease the ML and the comeback has them all flustered and they run away.
Okay, that’s exactly what happened.
Seriously, you were an adult, what were you doing acting like a teenager? Did the dating simulators infect your brain or something?
You browsed through the new figurines to distract yourself, waiting for the inventory manager to retrieve the game you pre-ordered a while back. Once you and Itaru Chigasaki finished this deal with GeneSys you were going to immediately put in all your free hours into playing the game.
From the corner of your eye, you could see a familiar character, his figurine hidden a couple rows back.
“Damn, haven’t seen you in a while,” you muttered to yourself, grabbing the figurine. Shitty sequels aside, the OG game was totally fun. Maybe it was due for a replay of the game? You could probably dig up the cartridge somewhere in your room.
Distracted by your nostalgia, you wouldn’t have noticed him if it wasn’t for the narrow space causing you two to bump into each other.
“Ah, sorry…” you apologized for blocking the way, about to put back the figurine and move on until you heard your name.
Shit, you knew that voice all too well.
“Chigasaki-san?!” you exclaimed, taking in his widened eyes and knowing your expression wasn’t too far off from his own.
Once the initial wore off, rationality and relief took place. To think you were hiding the extent of your, uh, gaming obsession when in reality he wasn’t too far off, as far as you could tell by the sleek, limited-edition controller he was holding.
Yeah, he might even be worse than you.
“When I implied wanting to spend more time with you, I didn’t think it’d be like this,” he said, a good-natured laugh leaving him. Despite your original embarrassment, you followed suit soon enough.
“I guess we both ended up seeing each other’s secret pastimes at the same time, huh?” you replied, shaking your head at the ridiculousness of it all.
“I was right though,” you began, watching Itaru’s eyebrow quirk upwards.
“Right about what?”
“Liking this hidden side of you,” you smiled in delight as he looked at you uncontrollably fond, finally getting to fix your hair with his free hand.
He’ll ask you out properly some other time, but for now…
“Just the hidden side of me?” he teased, his hand sliding from the top of your head to poke your cheek. “Meanwhile here I am, liking all of you.”
You huffed, rolling your eyes in faux exasperation. “I like all of you, too.”
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want to order again?
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