#i can read the play as a love story when it suits me ok

[raayllum]

if callum uses rayla’s sword for the blood oath spell i will literally never stop screaming

[magics-neptunes-things]

Collide (2)

Hello everyone!

Here is the rest of Collide, you can find the first part here, I obviously advise you to read it if you come across this part first… Otherwise you will surely not understand much!

A big thank you for your support, this story is longer and more thoughtful than the ones I have written so far, so it takes me much more time.

I really hope that all of you are having or will have a wonderfull Christmas. Take care of yourself and your loved ones ❤️

I hope you'll enjoy this part :)

TW : Alcohol, Angst and I think it’s ok like that!

World : 5.4K

PART 1 I PART 3 I PART 4 I PART 5 I PART 6 | PART 7

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Time has gone by nicely since you arrived in London and your integration into the Arsenal team is no longer in doubt. You get along well with everyone, you participate willingly in the parties organized by your teammates and you even managed to make yourself appreciated quickly by the fans. Which is not a difficult thing as long as you play well. And without wanting to throw yourself flowers or play the presumptuous, you are more than satisfied with your performance on the field right now.

Alessia has become a very close friend and the fact that she’s your neighbor probably helps a lot too. You often go to the training ground together and it happens regularly that one finishes at the other apartment in the evening. You have become a bit of an essential element of each other’s apartment decor. You are also close to Manuela, your goalkeeper, and Viv makes you die laughing. You also enjoy spending time with Lia, even if she is very close to Leah who continues to torment your thoughts. Katie and Caitlin are great mates too.

After some time of tension between Leah and you following your defection during your kiss, you managed to find a cordial relationship. You can’t help but look at her when she doesn’t see you, you still feel very attracted to her. And it’s not just about physics, you find her funny, interesting and you have the impression that your souls are made to get along. But you’ve never been alone with her since the party. And you feel like it suits Leah like that.

You were getting ready for practice when your phone rings, somewhere in your apartment. After a few long seconds of research, you end up finding it under a cushion of your sofa and answers without taking the time to look who may try to contact you.

"Y/N, hi!" makes a joyful voice.

"Wally, what’s going on?" you ask, sitting on your couch.

You hear from the noise around her that she’s definitely driving somewhere noisy.

"I had to pick up Leah to take her to practice but I’m stuck in traffic and I don’t think I’ll be on time myself. Could you go get her, please?"

No? Out of question to find myself with my crush in the same space clot for twenty minutes without interruption miss Wälti, I am not sure to survive. Have you see this girl? The way her face light up when she smile make me want to...

"Oh, yes, of course" you answer, pinching your nose. "You’re telling her I’m coming?"

"Yeah, yeah, no worries. Thank you very much Y/N, see you later."

"Drive carefully. See you"

Your voice is just a mumble at the end of your sentence and you hang up before Lia has time to say something else. You always go early when you drive alone like today, Alessia having an appointment before training. You have plenty of time to get Leah, but you’re still very worried.

So you nervously take the wheel, driving to the blonde's house where you’ve already been to for one of your evenings. Before the kiss. When you park in front of her house, you take a few seconds to take a big breath before getting out of the car.

You press the doorbell a first time before sliding your hands in the pockets of your sweatshirt and you press a second time after a few minutes, when you realize that no one comes to open. You know Leah lives alone so maybe she just didn’t hear the doorbell the first time.

But your ear is drawn to a piano melody that makes you frown. Since when has Leah been playing the piano? You don’t have time to question yourself any longer, though, since your captain’s voice ends up in your ears.

"Come on in Wally, it’s open!" Leah screams

Ouch. So either she didn’t get Lia’s messages, or Lia just forgot to warn her. Whatever it is, you’re hoping Leah won’t take your presence at her place badly. You end up slowly entering inside, carefully closing the door behind you. Leah’s home is different in the daylight and you mechanically follow the melody of the piano that resounds in the house.

You end up finding Leah in a room that probably serves as her office, actually installed behind a piano. This woman is full of surprises. You don’t dare interrupt her, so you cross your arms and lean on the door frame until she’s done. You recognize a song by Shania Twain, but you can't remember the title of it.

When she’s done, Leah turns in your direction with a satisfied little smile. That quickly turns into a surprised frown when she sees you there. "Hi" you say before clearing your throat. "Lia is stuck somewhere in London with her car and asked if I could pick you up. She was supposed to warn you. Sorry, I guess she forgot to" "Oh, okay" Leah replies, getting up "It’s been a while since I looked at my phone, I may not have seen her message" You nod thoughtfully, tightening your arms around yourself mechanically while waiting for Leah to check her phone. You see a new smile lightening her face and you imagine that it is by seeing the message of the Swiss woman. You’re kind of jealous about the ease of their relationship, to have a friendship as strong as they both have... No, actually, it’s not a friendship you’d like to have with Leah. But you have to stay wise. Anyway, you doubt it’s what the blonde wants on her side. She’s not one to be in a long relationship. "Shall we go?" Leah’s voice cuts you off in your thoughts and you simply nod, taking off against the wood you were always leaning on. You pick up Leah’s bag mechanically as you pass the front door, which seems to both surprise and amuse her. "I can carry my bag, you know?" "Oh... I just thought with your leg... sorry" Leah does not answer, content to laugh gently closing the door of her home with a key. You mask your red cheeks by storing her bag in the trunk of your car and you hope to have found a casual face when you sit next to her. "I didn’t know you played the piano" you say after a few minutes of silence. Leah looks at you briefly and you feel like she’s holding back from saying "There’s a lot you don’t know about me," which is probably true. "I started it during the lockdown. I’m not really good, but I like it."

"What I heard was very good" you countered, looking at it in the corner of your eyes.

"Well thanks" Leah laughs and you feel your belly make a somersault "But I’ve been repeating this song for a long time. I have no right to tell you why for the moment"

"It’s a piece by Shania Twain, isn’t it?"

"Yes. You’re still the one"

This time, you see her turning in your direction to be able to better observe you. Is it done voluntarily or not, you do not know. What you do know is that you’re happy to have started a conversation that allows you to exchange without having disturbing silence in the car.

"Do you like country music?" asks the blonde

"Not really. All I know about country is that Miley Cyrus has a father who does. Does it count?" you ask with a laugh.

"I could hit you right now"

Leah has a smile when she says that, and it makes you laugh again. A new silence comes between you, but this one is nice. You are finally relaxed with each other since your party and you feel you can breathe more easily.

"We’re going to a Luke Combs concert next weekend. You could come with us, it would open you up to the country world?"

You bite your lip thoughtfully. You know many of them are going. Leah, Lia, Alessia, and so on.

"Less offered it to me a few days ago but I refused saying that I didn’t like to go to concerts if I could not sing the lyrics" you admit thoughtfully.

Your gaze clinging to the dense traffic in London doesn’t allow you to see the disappointment read for a few seconds on Leah’s face.

"I guess I’ll have to revise quickly"

To be honest, what also made you turn down that offer was not to make Leah’s evening unpleasant. You quickly understood how she can’t stand being away from others on the field and how these shared moments with your teammates are important to her. But that she still wants you to come also makes you exceedingly happy.

During the rest of the trip, Leah asks you about your own musical preferences and you tell her that you got stuck with the old rock and pop-rock bands you used to listen to when you were a teenager. A little Norwegian variety also thanks to your parents, whom she has never heard of but that doesn’t surprise you particularly.

********

"Looks good, your integration into Arsenal" Leila’s voice says from your phone as you cook yourself something for dinner.

"Frankly, I have nothing to complain about. They are all adorable" you answer sincerely.

"Adorable is not a term I would use for Katie McCabe"

You laugh softly and shake your head. You know perfectly well the reputation that Katie has outside the field, you have heard about it since your arrival in the English champion.

"She’s like a bulldozer on the ground, but outside she’s really nice. A hell of a character maybe, but I’ve never seen someone as loyal as her"

"Look at her, completely on the enemy’s side"

Leila laughs and you smile, rolling your eyes. Sometimes keeping friendships isn’t easy when you’re away or playing on opposing teams, but you’re glad to see that you seem to be keeping your bond with Leila for now. You obviously hope it lasts.

Two shots are taking at your front door before Alessia comes inside to drop on your couch. It’s become such a habit between you that you don’t even react to her presence.

"How was the concert?" asks Leila.

"It was good, sincerely. It’s not the music I used to listen to, but I liked it."

That’s the truth. You honestly didn’t expect to have such a great time. The good relationship between Arsenal players also exists outside the field and this spirit makes you feel like part of a family. From someone so far from yours like you, it’s more than pleasant. And that night you spent gave you an opportunity to spend some time with Leah too. Like a child who tests his own limits, you try to determine where the line is that you must not exceed. As if she were reading your thoughts, Leila resumes speaking as you mix what you cook in your pan. "What about Williamson?" "What about Leah?" You ask, taking a quick look at Alessia to see if she’s listening to what you’re saying. "Huh? Since you kissed, is..." You don’t hear the end of the sentence, jumping on your phone to cut the microphone. But it’s too late and you see Alessia’s face turning into a surprise. The amazement, rather. "I call you back Lei" you mumble to your friend before hanging up. "You kissed Leah?" Wide-eyed, Alessia has made her way to you. A big smile appeared on his face, but you startled when you heard him scream half. "Shh!" you tell her, as if you were afraid someone else would listen to you. "Why didn’t you tell me? When was that?" Alessia put her two hands on your shoulders and she shakes you gently, apparently more than willing to have answers to her questions. "At my moving-in party" you end up sighing. "And she kissed me." Well, you didn’t reject it to be honest. Well, at the beginning anyway. The rest, no need to remind. "Do you know how many girls would kill to be in your place?" laughs Alessia. "Why does it look like you killed someone when you talk about it?" "Because nothing has happened since then, we are probably not looking for the same thing. Not many people know, Lessi, you have to keep it to yourself please"

"Of course I will. But maybe Lia knows too, Leah say her everything."

"Maybe" you shrug.

"But still. You kissed Leah Williamson"

********

The break for international competitions arrive at à great time. You were able to see your family again, especially your parents and seeing your friends from the national team also make you happy. Your reunion with Ingrid was filmed and posted on social media, your embrace being visible to everyone. You don’t know what makes people not think there’s something going on between you, but you’re grateful that it’s going on like this. You like Ingrid as a friend and you don’t want to have to think about how to behave with her so you don’t hurt her girlfriend.

The results of your national team didn’t live up to your expectations however, despite the goals you were able to score. The disappointment must have been visible in the message that you tried to shoot positively on Instagram. You got some messages of encouragement from your friends, from Arsenal or not. You also received a message from Leah, the first one she addresses you directly on a Whatsapp band.

If you were sad to have to say goodbye to your best friend again, finding your Arsenal teammates is a pleasure. This feeling of being at home warms your heart.

"Hi Frozen" tease Katie at you when you see her for the first time, making you roll your eyes with fun.

This time again, the hug that you exchange with Leah lasts a little longer than the others and you smile at her when she pinches you affectionately the cheek. Maybe you missed her too much.

In the next game, against Aston Villa, you feel like Leah’s mind is somewhere else, but yours too. This is the first time in a long time that you will find yourself facing your ex and you know that Leah will also have to live with the fact that Jordan will be around.

Even though the blonde is still not playing, Leah participates in the briefings and is always around when you play at home.

No wonder, her love for the team and the club is now known to everyone. You haven’t been thinking particularly about Alina lately, Leah taking a lot of time in your thoughts. But you have to admit that to see her again, even from the back, training with her teammates, it does you something. You no longer have the slightest feeling of love for her, of course. Everything magically disappeared the day you learned about her infidelities. But you still have trouble swallowing betrayal.

"Are you okay here?"

You recognize Leah’s voice easily, but the hand on your shoulder makes you jump. Crossing her eyes, you quickly understand that she understood and you just shrug your shoulders.

"Yeah, I know. Come on, let’s go."

Leah’s hand slips on your back as she takes you to the small group forming by Alessia, Katie and Kyra. You find yourself regretting the feeling of her hand in your back when Alessia puts her arm around your shoulders in a comforting embrace. You nevertheless let yourself go against her, looking over Leah’s shoulder. From a distance, you have the impression that Jordan Nobbs was looking in your direction.

The game was hard, Aston Villa scored first and your team have trouble to find the back of the net. It last almost until the end of the game, until you caught Leah’s eye in the bleachers. From there to say that it’s her who gave you the impulse to go and score the goal, there is a world. But still, it’s only a few seconds later that you score. And a few minutes later, Alessia scored the winning goal, allowing Arsenal to win the match.

It’s probably cruel for the other team, but honestly you don’t care. You don’t get asked to show your joy, celebrating with Wally, Kyra and Alessia. You watch while a smiling Leah jumping into Alessia’s arms just before Katie comes to offer you a hug in her own way, passing an arm around your neck while strocking your hair with the other hand.

"Manu’s organising a party for tonight, are you coming?" says you a happy Katie.

When she gets your positive answer she releases you, literally pounding up to Caitlin. It’s by following her with your eyes that your eyes cling to a silhouette that you know very well despite yourself. Alina, standing in the middle of the field with her hands on her hips, looking disgusted. As you said, seen from the other side, the defeat must be bitter.

When she looks at you too, you hurry to turn your heels, only to rush straight into Jordan Nobbs.

"Oh… sorry mate" you mumble by rushing to run away.

You are relieved to see that the person who pulls you by the arm right after is Alessia, carrying you away from this situation. An amused smile is visible on her face, and you feel that she restrains herself from saying something.

"Don’t"

Alessia laughs and can only smile when hearing it, gently shaking your head. The fans in front of which Alessia trains you claiming photos and autographs, that make you forget easily what has just happened.

********

A few hours later, you’re in a nightclub with almost the entire team. Although we have to admit that everyone was a little scattered throughout the nightclub. Maybe you drank too much, too. Leah is here, of course. When she came to sit next to you with her big smile and her sexy outfit, you almost fainted. You feel like she’s doing it on purpose. But it’s nothing compared to the wave of chills that runs through you when she looks at you to say "Pretty goal, superstar". The ambient music forces her to have this behavior, but still.

It’s not the ambient music that will make her invite you to dance with her. If you refused at first, claiming not to know how to dance, you couldn’t resist her any longer. And you also noticed that others girls don’t seem against keeping Leah company. Of course, you have absolutely no right to be jealous, but that definitely tilts the scales.

You’ve been dancing with Leah for a long time now, to be honest, you’ve completely lost track of time. Your teammates are far too drunk around you to pay attention to you and none seem to have realized how your body seems unable to detach from Leah’s. Your body is attracted with the strength of a magnet by hers and as long as you had your back against her, you managed to fight against yourself and keep an almost clear mind. But when the last song changed, you stupidly turned around and you were hypnotized by the captain’s gaze. Your heart rate is faster, your breathing is more complicated and you have to fight with all your strength not to lean in her direction a few centimeters more to be able to kiss her. Her hands on your hip and in the hollow of your back hold you all against her and the arms you tied around her neck may not help either. It’s as if your mind and your body wanted two things and you were pulled from two sides at the same time. You’ve obviously noticed Leah’s eyes slipping regularly on your lips, seemingly wishing nothing but to kiss you. The message is very clear, it would be for anyone. But when Leah tries an approach and touches your lips with hers, you step back. You obviously realized that Leah didn’t even look at a girl other than you tonight, but the fear of getting screwed again is stronger than the rest. You only stepped back a few inches so you could look into Leah’s. If you haven't saw Alina today, maybe you would have kiss her. You certainly read a part of disappointment, perhaps even a little rejection, but also uncertainty. Does she think that she misinterpreted the signals you send her? That is not the case, of course. You are undeniably attracted to her, you don't want to lie to her either. Or worse, let her start thinking that you’re the one playing with her feelings.

"I’m sorry. I don’t want to be an extra number on your hunting board, Leah."

By your position, you feel Leah’s breath against your lips and it makes you half crazy. When you gently detach you from her, she lets you. You can see her jaw is tight, but you don’t feel like it’s anger. You can’t take the time to figure out what it is, before you decide to get out of there. You pick up your jacket and bag and go out, even unintentionally bumping into someone who hasn’t asked for anything on your way.

"Are you alright?"

A voice next to you makes you jump and you raise your eyes on a couple that was probably out smoking. The girl looks at you with special attention and you realize at this moment that your hands are shaking.

"Yes, yes, it’s okay" you mumble taking a deep breath.

"Sure?"

You nod again, both surprised and touched by so much soliscitude. Maybe there is still some hope in the human being?

"Do you know where I can get a cab?"

The one you imagine being her boyfriend points at you the end of the street. You thank and greet them, walking quickly going in the right direction. It only take you twenty minutes to return home, your mind haunted by the image of Leah, the sensations felt when your face was only a few inches from you. Regrets mix with relief and you still don’t know if you made the right decision.

You don’t even take the time to remove your makeup before hiding under your duvet. You want to call Leah, but this is the second time you’ve pushed her away in a short time. You will never dare to return to the training ground without having a terrible fear of running into her. You were wondering if you are going to contact your agent to ask him to propose you for a loan with another team when you hear someone knocking on the door of your apartment. "Y/N?" It’s Alessia’s voice and you realize no one saw you leave, except maybe Leah. You hiss when you feel the cold ground under your bare feet when you answer, finding yourself facing an Alessia who seems both relieved and annoyed. Her phone in hand, she seems to finish reading a message when she reports her attention to you. "Why didn’t you say you were going home?" Her tone is accusing and you pout, feeling like you’re being scolded by your older sister. But you can understand the worry. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you." Alessia still looks at you for a few seconds while squinting before sighing and slipping into your apartment. She hugs you before she lets you go. "You and Leah were missing, we were worried" she explains before going for a glass of water. "Leah too?" In spite of yourself, you feel the anxiety rise suddenly. If something happened to her because of your behavior, you will never forgive yourself. Worry is easily detectable in your voice, as Less hurries to comfort you. "Yes, but she’s home. Lia found her there. What happened?" "What do you mean?" You mumble looking at your feet. "Well you both disappear, you’re closer than you’ve ever been... But you don’t have the face of someone who had a nice evening"

"I screwed up" you sigh softly as you cross your arms on your chest.

Your gaze is always fixed on your feet and you frown, trying to remember the meaning of your memories and thoughts. Alessia knows what happened with Alina, the deception and everything, it’s not for nothing that she remained close to you physically speaking today. In the field, at least.

Alessia doesn’t answer anything, waiting patiently to see if you want to continue to explain yourself or not.

'I panicked. There’s this kind of attraction I’ve had for her from the beginning and the more I try to fight it, the bigger it gets. It’s like every thing she did or said is what I expect her to do, without me even knowing it."

You looked up at the blonde this time and she watches you talking, holding her half-empty glass of water in her hand. Her eyebrows are ruffled, but she looks more pensive than upset this time.

"We managed to catch up with the bond we had after I pushed her back. But tonight… I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about what happened with Alina all day and… I panicked. I don’t want to be heartbroken again."

This time it’s a compassionate smile that appears on Alessia’s face, which is content to extend your arms as the very first answer. You accepted and snuggled up against her, sighing softly. She didn’t steal her nickname of Lessi Bear.

"I think you should talk to Leah" Alessia says after a few seconds.

"I doubt she’ll want to talk to me again"

********

You were right. You don’t know if it’s voluntary or not on Leah’s part, but you haven’t seen her since the nightclub. She seems to have changed her physiotherapy and training schedules so she won’t run into you again. And you have to admit that it hurt your heart. But again this reaction is probably very selfish, if you are both there it is only your fault.

Your mood has deteriorated throught the days when you feel someone sitting next to you in the locker room. You look up expecting to find yourself in front of Caitlin who has her locker next to yours, but instead it’s Lia who addresses you one of her famous smiles.

"Are you okay?" she asks and you ask yourself in the first place if she’s not making fun of you.

But it would mean not knowing Lia at all.

"Good. What about you?"

Lia nods, still armed with her smile, while you finish putting on your sneakers. The training session has just ended, you are showered and changed and ready to go home.

"I was wondering if we could talk together?"

"Of course."

You get up and follow her, wondering what it is. Lia trains you with her in the cafeteria of the team, currently completely deserted. After having caught yourself drinking and sitting at a table, you look at her with an undisguised curiosity. If you really like the Swiss woman, you’ve never really exchanged one-on-one.

"Is everything okay?" You can’t help but ask her, afraid she’s in trouble.

"Oh, yes. It’s not me I wanted to talk to you about, it’s Leah."

You make a slight grimace but nods gently, your look staying on the cup of coffee you ordered yourself.

"I’m sorry if I intervene in a way that is not my business and you will have the right to scold me later, but I think it’s time someone did"

You look at her again a little surprised. Faithful to her country of origin, Lia is far from wanting to conflict with anyone. However, the fact that she wants to take the risk of doing so is a testament to the importance of what she will say.

"Leah told me what happened between you two"

Lia gives you an apology smile, but you told Alessia and Ingrid about it so you just nod. It would be rather inappropriate for you to resent Leah for needing to confide to someone.

"I don’t know who told you things about her, but what I do know is that Leah has been my friend since I came to Arsenal. She was always loyal and honest with me. When my ex and I broke up and I was lower than earth, she came home every night to try to cheer me up. She is sincere, kind and much sweeter and more tender than what people want her to be."

You know, you’re uncomfortable. You are one of those people who preferred to listen to what people was saying about Leah at the worst time, when she showed you during all these weeks that she is the girl that Lia has just described to you.

"I don’t know your past Y/N and I’m not judging you. But I really believe that Leah is genuinely interested in you. If it were just for one night, she would have moved on for a long time especially after you told her you don’t want a one time thing"

You remain silent for a few seconds, during which you assimilate what Lia has just told you. Passing a hand through your hair, you end up looking up at her.

"Anyway, it’s too late now. She must hate me, right?"

"I think you should talk to her about all this"

You bite your lip, realizing this is the second time you’ve been advised to do this in a few days. Unfortunately, this could be complicated.

"How? She doesn’t even want to see me here anymore"

Your desperate look seems to amuse Lia, or at least she smiles while rolling her eyes.

"By extraordinary luck we’re in the 21st century. You can either contact her via your phone or go to her house to talk to her"

Lia’s amused tone makes you smile slightly. She’s right, but it’s not so much your style to impose your presence somewhere. Your interlocutor must understand your reticence, since she puts her hand on your arm, making you look at her again.

"I will not speak for her, but she also suffered in her past. The only thing holding you both back is a lack of communication. I’m sure it can be fixed."

********

Right in front of Leah’s house, you don’t remember being so nervous for a long time. After thinking long and hard about the conversation you had with Lia, you then had to think about how to approach Leah. The blond continues to flee you like the plague and even if contacting her by message would probably be easier, you are not sure if she answers you. If the blonde has many qualities that have made you fall under her spell, she is still atrociously stubborn and resentful.

You turned in your head several scenarios, again and again until you became half crazy. Then you had enough. Sitting on Alessia’s couch in front of a particularly lame reality TV, you suddenly got up. Alessia gave you a worried look but you just threw at her while leaving her apartment

“I’m going to see Leah”

Your voice was clear and determined, making her understand that your decision was made. After shrugging her shoulders, Alessia lay down again in front of the television.

“Okay. But maybe change your pajamas first.”

Interrupted in your way, your hand freezes on the doorknob of the stricker’s apartment. Your eyes slide on your polar pajama bottoms with avocados drawn on them.

A grommet escapes from your lips as you open the door, triggering Alessia’s laughter behind you.

_____________________________________________________________

Merry Christmas you all 🎄❤️

[saintsenara]

On a slightly more serious note, this is an opinion that will have me eaten alive (ha!) in a blog followed by so many die-hard Snape fans... and I do also consider myself to be a die-hard Snape fan... But I do think that the whole "Lupin endangered students, Snape had no choice but to out him and his fate was justifed" kinda overplayed. The magic world is dangerous: we come across many wizards with who lost limbs to magical accidents, creatures, or duels, Luna's mum died performing experimental spells, everyone's favourite sport involves flinging boulders at people flying 20 meters above the ground. Sure, werewolves are another danger to add to the pile, but if there was no stigma, would it have been so unforgivable that in an extremely eventful and emotional night this guy just forgot to take his potion?

If werewolves were not shunned from society, it could have been just another magical accident. I know it's still a painful and irreversible condition, but people add a lot shame and guilt to Lupin's responsibility plate by perpetuating this idea that it was the most dangerous and despicable thing that could have happened, and being publicly outed was a suited punishment.

I just find it quite dishonest to act like Snape's attitude was not malicious, when he's always excelled at being the biggest bitch in the castle, and we love him for that?

Ok I'm out byeeeeee

i think several things are at play at once, tbh.

lupin forgetting to take the wolfsbane potion as a one-time slip-of-the mind which would - absolutely - be an accident, which could [and probably has!] happened to any of us who take medication regularly? relatable.

lupin forgetting to take the wolfsbane potion because he's too busy trying to murder his treacherous former friend in cold blood in front of three children...? well, sure, i'd do the same in his place, i fear.

but... i do think it's important to point out that snape's outing of lupin clearly isn't just connected to his failure to take his potion once, but to a run of behaviour by lupin which - on the basis of the information snape has in his possession - intentionally places students in danger throughout the school year - above all, lupin's failure to inform dumbledore that sirius is an animagus and that this is how he's entering hogwarts undetected.

i think this often gets forgotten, but lupin doesn't know that sirius is innocent until the same point in the story that harry does. while sirius wasn't coming to hogwarts to try and harm harry, lupin doesn't actually know this - he's not withholding information from dumbledore because he possesses the facts of sirius' innocence, he's withholding information from him because he's a coward.

this makes perfect sense from a characterisation angle - lupin being completely unable to speak ill of the friends who took him in and loved him unconditionally, even when he thinks that one of those friends annihilated two of the others is such a fundamental encapsulation of his personality - but it's unforgivable from a safeguarding one.

[and it would be grounds for a sacking in most jobs which involve working with children, let's be real, no matter the fact that lupin is accidentally vindicated.]

since the information that snape has at the end of prisoner of azkaban is that his suspicions that lupin was aiding and abetting a murderer in his quest to enter the school have been proven correct, and that - because lupin was so keen to help this murderer - he failed to take the potion which prevents him from biting someone... him backing lupin's instant dismissal doesn't seem that unreasonable...

because another thing i think it's worth pointing out is that snape clearly doesn't know that sirius is innocent until after lupin has resigned his post - indeed, you can read his behaviour towards sirius at the end of goblet of fire as evidence that he doesn't know until then [and i'm sure that he verified that pettigrew was the traitor very carefully with voldemort...].

and this is important.

because - yes - snape is petty. he clearly delights in the misfortune of others, and he's someone who tends to approach any conversation he ever has with anyone else through a win-lose lens - which means that he goes out of his way to humiliate other people so that he can "win" the interaction.

but - in the case of his involvement in lupin's dismissal - his pettiness is a red herring, which we're forced to recontextualise after the conclusion of the series...

lupin tells us that snape leaked that he's a werewolf because he's furious over losing his order of merlin.

but - just like when he tells us that snape hated james because he was jealous of his quidditch talent - lupin is wrong.

snape is furious - literally deranged with anger - at the end of prisoner of azkaban because he believes that the man who led voldemort to the potters' doorstep has escaped from justice, that lupin helped him to do so, and that dumbledore - despite admonishing lily for "putting her trust in the wrong person" [by which he means sirius! he doesn't know he's innocent before harry does either!] immediately after her death - has also decided to put his trust in the wrong person [harry's] nonsensical story, believe that sirius is innocent, and believe that lupin hasn't done anything wrong.

[we also get hints in canon that dumbledore's hiring of lupin without forcing him to disclose his condition might be... legally dodgy. the law is clearly unjust - and dumbledore is morally right to disregard it - but i think it's another thing worth bearing in mind when situating snape's decision to turn not only on lupin, but on dumbledore within context.]

snape's attitude is malicious - in that he lashes out at lupin because he's the only person he can realistically hurt in response - but it's not petty or him choosing to be a little bitch for fun. it's anguish.

[equalseleventhirds]

well instead of going to bed at a normal time like a normal person, i made a very basic bare-bones canva pdf of my fun new ttrpg supplement, you already know how this story ends, aka 'so, you're doomed by the narrative,' aka 'my blorbo my blorbo and me my blorbo,' aka 'algie read a few too many villainess isekai manga probably but we deal'

it's system agnostic (but best suited for gmed games of dramatic adventure probably, particularly with a resolution mechanic u can have a bonus/minus of some sort on), loosely based on trophy dark, and entails being Normal People suddenly reborn in the bodies of characters in a book they love. ah. well. doomed characters in a book they love.

grab it free now when it is 1:30 in the mornign for me and i've just thrown it up on google drive, and not in a few days when i've cleaned it up enough to post it on itchio for like, a dollar or whatever to help me pay for this poison ivy thing i got going on.

[ejzah]

A/N: Well, the time has finally come. Thank you to each and every one of you who has read and followed this story that originally started out as a silly tumblr post. See you for the next one!

***

In Miss Blye’s Class, Epilogue

Deeks popped his head into the bathroom, frowning at Caleb, who stood in front of the mirror, toothbrush still in his mouth.

“Hey, what’s taking so long? Usually I have to beg you to make it to two minutes and you’ve been in here for ten.”

“I think I’m getting sick,” Caleb mumbled around his toothbrush.

Deeks reached out, feeling his forehead. “Hm, are you really?” he asked, not surprised when Caleb’s eyes danced to the side, looking extremely guilty. “Ok, what’s going on?”

“Why can’t Kensi be my teacher again? If she can teach people in college, then she should know enough to teach first grade,” Caleb sighed finally.

“Caleb, we’ve gone over this all summer. You know why,” Deeks answered, starting to lose his patience just a tiny bit. He bumped Caleb’s butt with his knee. “C’mon, scoot.”

“Daaaad.” Hunching his shoulders, Caleb gave him a pleading look. “I just want to stay with you or Kensi.” There was a slight tremble in his voice underneath the whine, and Deeks sighed.

Putting aside his irritation and the need to leave, Deeks squatted in front of him. He gestured at Caleb until he came closer, leaning into his chest. Sometimes it was easy to forget that even though he’d grown in so many ways, both physically and maturity-wise, Caleb was still a little boy.

“Hey, I know that it’s scary to start new things sometimes. It’s true you probably won’t have all the same classmates and Kensi won’t be your teacher, and that’s going to be hard for a little bit. Soon, you’ll be too busy learning all kinds of amazing things and playing with all your friends, that you won’t have time to think about everything that’s changed.”

“I guess,” Caleb mumbled.

“You met Mrs. Craig and she was nice, right?” Deeks asked, and Caleb gave a one-shouldered shrug.

“She gave you a new book, which you’ve read no less that ten times since then, and you liked the classroom pet.”

“The lizard was pretty cool,” he admitted. Deeks could tell his protests were starting to peter out, so he hugged him a little closer, and reminded him,

“If you are having a really tough time, Kensi said you can come see her during lunch, but I bet you won’t have to.”

“And you’ll pick me up?” he checked.

“Absolutely. As soon as they let you out.” He paused, giving Caleb a minute to process everything. “You good now?”

“Yeah.”

“Awesome. Now we gotta leave before all three of us are late. Go get your shoes and backpack,” he said, kissing the top of his head, and nudging him towards the door. “Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you, dad.”

He walked into the master bedroom checkin his watch; they had approximately five minutes before they needed to leave. Kensi stood in front of the floor length mirror in one of her sundresses, and he momentarily forgot about the time.

“You look amazing,” he told her, coming up behind her and kissing her neck.

“Thank you.” Kensi eyed his reflection. “You better not change out of that suit before I get home.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Caleb was acting a little odd at breakfast. Is everything ok? Kensi asked as she reached back to put on a necklace.

“Just first day jitters,” he assured her, automatically closing the necklace clasp for her. “He’s worried the new teacher won’t measure up to his last one.”

“Oh, well, I heard she was pretty good.”

“Mm, extremely good. She’s taught me all kinds of things.” Deeks lowered his eyes suggestively, and Kensi leaned back slightly so she brushed again his chest, and he settled his hands on her hips. They stayed there for half a minute until he sighed in regret.

“School sucks,” he said in a fair approximation of Caleb. Kensi snorted, turning to kiss him before she wandered off to get shoes.

When they reached the living room, Caleb balanced on the back of the couch, Captain America backpack on, a Lego figure in one hand, and a book tucked under his other arm.

“You ready to go?” Deeks asked, holding out his hand.

“Yeah.” Hopping off the couch, Caleb ran to them, slipping between Kensi and Deeks to take each other their hands in his.

“I think I’m gonna give Matthew my Star Wars Lego,” Caleb said, looking up at Kensi. “Do you think I’ll see him at recess?”

“I’m sure you will. And after school, you get to hang out with me until it’s time to leave,” Kensi informed him.

“Yes!” Caleb pumped released Deeks’ hand to pump his hand in the air.

As Caleb chattered away, his fears forgotten for the moment, Deeks shared a look with Kensi.

Yeah, this was going to be a good year.

[footballfanficwriter]

Le Capitaine

Summary:The reader gets a call from Kylian telling her important news

A/N: This can be part 2 to "suprise" the previous Kylian Fan fic I wrote or it can be it's own part it's up too you how you wanna read it

Also don't play the song yet I'll let you know when though

Kylian just left for the International break and he's meeting the rest of the French team today for the first time after the world cup, I'm sitting in the living room scrolling on my phone while eating my chocolate chip cookies,that rest on top of my bump

Kylian was so happy to leave the house and meet his teammates, he wouldn't shut up about how excited he is to see them again

As I'm scrolling on my phone I see that the FFF has posted on their Instagram story

I see the reel of the players arriving

That's until I see Kylian

Wearing, his Jean's, turtle neck ,shades and nikes with a long coat

I'm so glad I picked the look out for him because he looks more handsome than he usually looks, instead he wanted to wear sweatpants and a hoodie

Before Kylian left (play song above)

"Put those back in the closet"

"No, I'm putting them on"

"Kylian"

"Fine"

He puts the clothes in the closet and walks out asking

"What must I wear then?"

"Here I already picked out your outfit while you were in the shower"

"Ooh this looks nice"

"I know, now go get dressed"

He grabs the clothes and starts walking to bathroom until he stops in his tracks

"What, what is it"

He turns around and runs towards me, grabs my face and starts kissing my face,then he bends down,lifts my shirt up and kisses my belly

He looks me in the eyes and says

"J t'aime"

"J t'aime Aussi,what was that for?

"I'm just thinking how lucky I am to have you in my life"

"You're so corny" I say with a bright smile that can't resist giving

"Whatever"

"Now go get dressed" I say and I push him to the bathroom"

I finish packing his clothes and zip his bag up and putting it on the floor

Then I feel my stomach get kicked from the inside

"Ooh" I say putting my hand on my stomach

"What is it?" Kylian asks

"She's kicking" I say

"Can I feel"

"Yeah"

I sit on the edge of the bed and Kylian goes on his knees and in between my legs , then slightly lifts my shirt up"

He puts his hand on my belly and the baby starts kicking where is hand is

Kylian slightly laughs and looks at me

I smile at him and he does the same

"Hey little one, are you giving your mom trouble? Huh, I can already tell you're gonna be a hand full when you get here"

"I can't wait for you to be here, you're gonna have the best mom in the whole entire world, she's gonna love you to death, and I'll be here to protect you from the dangers of the world, I promise, to always try to keep you happy and love you no matter what happens, and we promise to support you and your dreams and wishes no matter what they are"

As I hear Kylian speaking I end up crying,I don't know what it is but I think it's my hormones

It warms my heart to hear him speak like that

I know it won't be easy being a mother and all but I know that if I have Kylian, it'll be manageable

He stands up and towers over me and looks me in the eyes

He wipes my tears away and pulls me up, and kisses me

"Don't cry, you're suppose to be happy"

"It's tears of joy"

He kisses me again and wipes my tears

I pull away and sniff a little

"Ok,come on you're gonna be late"

He grabs his bags and rolls them downstairs

"J t'aime"

"J t'aime mon Amour"

He kisses me one last time and with that he's out the door

Present Time

I get off the couch and head to the room to take an afternoon nap

2 hours later

My phone ringing wakes me up

I see that it's Kylian face timing me

"Amour?"

"Oui, what happened is everything fine"

"Yeah everything's fine, everything is great"

"Oh then what is it then"

"I have very big news"

"What is it"

"Wait are you ok you sound down"

"Yeah I'm fine I was just sleeping"

"Oh, sorry"

"It's fine, now tell me the big news"

" ok I didn't want you to hear it from Social Media, so I wanna tell you now"

"Ok?"

" so I just got out of a meeting with the coach and he said I'm gonna be the Captain of the Team"

"What?, are you joking?"

"No I'm being serious they're announcing it in a few hours"

"Babe I'm so happy for you and I'm proud of you as well"

"Merci, I miss you so much"

"I miss you too but we'll be together again, I promise"

"Yeah, I know"

"Kylian, come on bro we gotta go" I hear someone in the background say

"Ok babe I gotta go, but I love you and I'll see you soon, ok"

"Ok"

"Give the baby a kiss for me"

"Love you"

And he hangs up

I sigh again and go to the kitchen to go make food for myself

The rest of the day is spent watching movies and serial Killer documentaries

The next day Fayza comes and picks me up and we head to the airport

We're suprising Kylian at his match tomorrow

"So hows my gran baby" she ask when we're on the plane

"She's fine she's been kicking a lot recently"

"That means she's healthy"

"Have you been ok though, I know how all this can strain you, I don't want you to be stressed it's not good for you and the baby"

"Yeah I'm fine, I don't know honestly, I'm really scared though"

"Of what?"

"Being a mother, and Kylian is not going to be there most of the time he's going to be training and playing matches and I don't blame him, and I know he's gonna want to spend as much time with her but still, I don't want to be alone"

"You won't be alone, you'll have me and I'll be there for you every step of the way"

I look at her with tears my eyes and she pulls me into a hug

"Thank you Fay"

"No problem sweety"

After we arive we head to the hotel and I immediately want to sleep

"Get some rest I'll see you in the morning ok?:

"Ok, goodnight Fay"

"Night sweetheart"

I head to my room and fall asleep the minute my head touches the pillow

The next morning Fay and I are watching our favorite series because the game is only tonight so we'll only get ready a bit later

In the meantime Fay and I are having a girls day in the hotel

"Are you excited to see him playing"

"More than excited, I can't believe he got picked to be captain"

"Yeah me too"

Later in the day

"Are you ready to go"

"Yeah, let's go"

We had to car and and drive to the Stadium

When we get there we find them warming up and doing they're warm up routine

I take my seat next to Hugo

"Bonjour"

"Salut, Hugo, ça va"

"Tres bien et toi"

"Bien"

"Salut Fay" he greets Fay

"Bonsoir ,ça va"

"Bien"

We hug everyone else and we watch them carry on with their routine

"They were just here like 30 minutes ago, they came to say hi

"Oh it's fine we wanted to suprise Kylian anyway and we don't want him to see us yet"

"Aww how sweet of you"

"Yeah"

"He's lucky to have you in his life"

" so am I"

The match starts and we watch with our full attention nobody saying a word

But half time We're 2 point up and the Netherlands haven't scored

At the end of the match we won 0-4

To say I was proud of Kylian would be an understatement

His first debut as Captain of France and he's scored 2 out of 4 of the goals for France

I see him celebrating with his teammates

He faces Hugo and Raphaël and gives them a Wave

Until he spots me at first he looks like he can't believe it then reality sets in and he runs towards us and I run towards him to give him a hug

"DON'T RUN YOU'LL HURT YHE BABY" he says with a smile o his face

But I don't care u just run even faster into his arms

"You're here, you're here, you're here, how are you here"

"You didn't think I'd miss your first Match as Captain did you?"

"I thought you were at home"

"Nope I came to support my husband"

"I love you so much"

"I love you more"

"I really am lucky yo have you in my life y/n"

"And I'm happy I'm in it"

[idrellegames]

This isn’t a question as much as it is an agreement with your last ask (talking about how romance is both looked for and expected from IFs). I’m personally pansexual and love a good harem, but it is growing more and more evident that that is what readers/players are expecting from our stories/games. Maybe it’s a maturity issue with the fans begging for more romance options and the anger when a plot point doesn’t play out the way they want; but you also see that with grown adults in other fandoms—namely Star Wars or A Song of Ice and Fire.

I enjoy writing romance and I do write it, but that is not the only thing my stories are about. It gives me anxiety when my readers expect more than what I’ve promised. And I always gaslight myself into thinking that I should be giving them what exactly they want instead of writing for myself.

I suppose I do have a question: how do you maintain fan expectations in your IF and stay true to your vision with/without worrying about their opinions? <3

Unfortunately, there is no way to stop your audience from having expectations that don't match up with the story you want to tell or where you want to take your characters. This is a normal part of writing fiction--everyone is going to have an opinion, everyone is going to want different things, and some people are going to be disappointed when you don't follow through with the thing they imagined in their head.

And, as an author, it can be a lot to handle.

Managing feedback--whether it's criticism, wildly off the charts expectations and assumptions, hate messages, or actual constructive critique--is a skill. It takes time to learn how to manage it without feeling like you're attacked and need to go on the defensive. It can also be really hard not to sit with all of this feedback and want to change your whole story to fit your audience's demands.

There's no easy way to get used to this. I think a good starting place is to have a dedicated beta group--either your playtesters, an editor, a few trusted friends with whom you share in-development things--so you can get genuine feedback before you put it into the public eye. It's really easy for writers to isolate themselves because it's a one-person job, but you need to have people with whom you can safely share the unpublished stages. Once something gets published, it's a free-for-all and you can't control how people react to your work, positive or negative. You cannot rely on that for the kind of feedback you would get from a beta group.

Furthermore, you are not writing for one person, regardless of how many times they ask (if they want something personalized, they can commission you). A lesson that was stressed to me in grad school is how fragile a playwright's new work can be when it is in the workshop/staged reading stage. People are giving you their opinion constantly. You make changes, you make edits, you come back one day with a whole new draft of Act 2 and the actors have to adjust. It's really easy to want to make changes to the characters so they better suit the actors originating them. Sometimes actors make demands because they had an idea about the character they are playing and they were really excited about it and they come to you with questions. The fate of a play is that it will be performed multiple times by many actors, not just the first one.

My supervisor told me: "Don't write the role for the actor--their job is to play the character you wrote, not the other way around."

And I think this can be applied to IF. Be clear about the direction of your game from the beginning. If players want something that isn't part of your vision, it's OK for them to voice that--but they may also have to accept that this isn't the type of game for what they want.

At the end of the day, you need to let your audience have their opinions on your work. That doesn't mean you're obligated to listen to them.

[funishment-time]

🔵 Kodaka BlueSky Q&As: Misc Rain Code & Other Questions

⚠️ DISCLAIMER: Please be advised! Translations of all Japanese answers derive from a combination of Google Translate and my manager's three-quarters-remembered Japanese. We've tried our best to work out what he's saying, but there will be mistakes here and there. Do not take this as gospel!

To avoid spreading too much misinfo, where we're completely boggled about an answer, we've decided not to even make an attempt. We'll still list the post, but mark it accordingly.

💕 FEBRUARY 2024:

Q: While I'm at it, could you please tell me where to send fan mail for Rain Code and Danganronpa?

A: Please send it to Spike Chunsoft.

/////

Q: What's your favorite furikake?

A: The ashes of the dead.

NOTE: Furikake is a type of Japanese seasoning. Kodaka is a weird guy.

/////

Q: Is it okay to send a New Year's card to Too Kyo [Games] as a fan letter to you?

A: That's fine. I'll watch for it.

/////

Q: Can I send a birthday present for a character to the company?

A: Please send it to Spike Chunsoft!

/////

Q: Please tell us what games you've played! What movies and shows have you watched? What books, manga, and comics have you read? What media have you consumed?Please tell us! We want to know what are your inspirations. I don't know what media I should consume. And we all want to know more about you!

A: I am inspired by all kinds of games, comics, novels and movies. I used to work part-time in a video game store. I love Tarantino.

/////

Q: Do you have a favorite line or phrase from Danganronpa or Rain Code?

A: When I search for "Danganronpa quotes" and look back at the lines that come up, I think, "This is a great line!" For Rain Code, it's any line that Shinigami-chan says that helps Yuma get back on his feet!

/////

Q: Sorry for the second question! I have a lot of questions about Rain Code, but I'm hesitant to ask them here because it would be a total spoiler for the main story... I'd love to have the opportunity someday to ask questions with full spoilers OK. Are there any plans for that at the moment?

A: That sounds great. I'd love to do it. But I don't think I'd be able to reveal spoilers openly unless it's a real event.

/////

Q: Excuse me for the second question!! Previously, there was a Danganronpa collaboration with Identity V, but are there plans for a Rain Code collaboration...!!!!!

A: We would really appreciate it if you could send a persistent message to Identity V!

/////

Q: I'm sorry it's not Danganronpa or Raincode... I love both series, and I'm really looking forward to the release of Tribe Nine. I have a question about Tribe Nine. Sonoda from the Oota Tribe could kill Haneda at any time, even though he has murderous intent towards him, so why does he keep him alive by just beating him up until he's on the verge of death? Also, why is Sonoda the only one who is a little better dressed (in a suit and tie) than the other members?

A: When it comes to Tribe Nine, to be honest, Akatsuki has a much higher weight than Too Kyo Games, so only Akatsuki can answer that question...!

NOTE: Akatsuki is the company publishing the upcoming Tribe Nine game.

/////

Q: Are there any other Rain Code characters besides Dr. Robot that are favorites of Mr. Komatsuzaki? Also, I would like to know more about Mr. Komatsuzaki and would like to see more media exposure for him.

A: Basically, I think they are all my favorites. I'm very particular about it, and I've made many drafts over the years. But I'm sure ramen store owners would love him [Akira].

NOTE: We're pretty sure "Dr. Robot" is the character listed as "Akira" in the credits, but we're not 100% certain. Also, Komatsuzaki is the artist behind Danganronpa and Rain Code.

/////

Q: What is your favorite foreign movie?

A: Tarantino!!

/////

Q: Is there ever a character that you liked so much that you thought it would be a shame to kill them off, but you still ended up killing them anyway?

A: On one hand, I want to get to know them better. If the character isn't well-defined enough to the point where I want to get to know him or her better, there's no point in letting him or her die… So, I let them die while wishing I could depict more of them.

/////

Q: Mr Kodaka, can I please ask another question? Persona 3 RELOAD came out recently. Have you played it yet? Did you play the original Persona 3, including Persona 3 FES and Persona 3 Portable? Have you played all of the Persona games, including the spinoffs? Are you a fan of the Persona series?

A: i have played all the persona series, from 1 to 5. I haven't played any of the spin-offs though, I'm waiting for the release of 6.

🍀 MARCH 2024:

Q: How did you and Mr. Komatsuzaki meet and start working together?

A: We met in the smoking area at work.

/////

Q: Please tell me how to cook delicious rice🍚

A: Mannan rice is great for dieting.

NOTE: Mannan rice is a (usually) microwavable kind of rice that's part konjac (you know, the thing Kirumi has trouble cutting). It's low-calorie. The joke here is probably that Kodaka doesn't cook, he makes things in the microwave. Relatable, really.

/////

Q: What are your favorite indie games? Have any indie games inspired and/or influenced your own games and works? If so, what are those indie games that inspired you as a creator? Are there any indie games that you recommend we should play? Or what indie games should more people play in general? 🙏 🙏 🙏

A: If Hotline Miami is an indie game, it is Hotline Miami. I love it the best.

/////

Q: Can I please ask another question?🙏 I really enjoyed watching Akudama Drive, so I would like to see the concept art and character and setting materials, but I don't know where to find them. I especially want to see drawings by Rui Komatsuzaki, Cindy H. YAMAUCHI and the staff. Is there a book? 📖

A: The artwork for Akdamadrive has not been released. Maybe not much is made in the case of the animation. Please submit a request to Studio Piero for Komatsuzaki and Cindy's designs, as well as Kansai's designs, which are awesome!

/////

Q: i'll ask another! piggybacking off another question on here, what games have you been playing recently? what games are you excited for coming out in the future?

A: I've been too busy lately to play games. I want to play cruel games.

/////

Q: I love games with interesting stories like Danganronpa and Raincode, but Mr. Kodaka, who writes the scenarios for such interesting games, is there a game whose story you thought "this wowed me!"?

A: Resident Evil Code Veronica, FF7, and Killer 7 are fun. When I first played Persona 3, I thought that Megaten [Megami Tensei] killed it.

/////

Q: if you had a forte which would you want to have? i want to have desuhiko’s disguise

A: me too!!!!!!

🥬 APRIL 2024:

n/a

🌺 MAY 2024:

Q: Are there any plans to make a Happy Rain Code where the train incident never happened?

A: I'm sure Melami would solve the first clock tower case. No, she won't wear those clothes…

NOTE: A reference to Melami's forte, which allows her to summon the soul of a deceased person by wearing their clothes.

/////

Q: Mr. Kodaka, you often respond to illustrations drawn by your fans on Twitter, but do you also watch the hand-drawn videos that your fans post on YouTube?

A: I don't watch YouTube because it takes a long time. I can see the pictures right away [on Twitter], so I just respond to the pictures and hope that people who like them will follow me.

/////

Q: Which do you prefer, liberal arts girls or science girls?

A: I like both!

/////

Q: Was Mr. Kodaka a super high school level film director when he was in high school?

A: During my time at university and as a part-time worker afterwards, I was a really low-achieving film director.

☀️ JUNE 2024:

Q: I have a question about the world of Rain Code. I heard that there are about 1000 super detectives in the world of Rain Code, but are there detectives with the same abilities and titles?

A: There are similarities, but no exact matches.

/////

Q: Regarding Raincode's special detective abilities. In the story, it was stated that if one acquired special detective abilities during his two-year training period, one would be registered as a super detective. If one were to express an ability that could be considered a special detective ability while working as a regular detective, would one be re-registered as a super detective?

A: Abilities often depend on innate talent, but that's a possibility.

/////

Q: Is it decided how old the characters in works such as Danganronpa and Raincode are? If so, how old are they?

A: Of course, Danganronpa is mostly in their teens. Raincode has a wide range, but even Yakou is in his 30s.

NOTE: This is kind-of hilarious, because I'm pretty sure it's canonically stated Yakou is actually in his late 20s...in something that Kodaka himself wrote. I'll have to go find evidence.

/////

Q: Why do you have so many cats in your work?

A: Because Komatsuzaki likes cats. I like dogs.

NOTE: Komatsuzaki is Kodaka's usual artist. He's worked on Danganronpa, Rain Code, and the upcoming The Hundred Line.

/////

Q: There have been various spinoffs for Raincode and Danganronpa, but can we assume that the interpretations and character settings discussed in these spinoffs are official?

A: I'm not sure about the official take [from Spikechun], but if you enjoy it, enjoy it, and if you don't want to accept it, don't accept it. I think it's all up to the player's freedom.

NOTE: By "spinoff," this probably means the anthology mangas, light novels, audio dramas, etc.

🎇 JULY 2024:

Q: Do Rain Code and Danganronpa take place in the same world? Do any of your games and works have a shared universe with another? Or are they all separate? 🤔 💭 I'm asking because I just had a dream about Rain Code today!

A: I won't make a clear statement. I am not sure what will happen in the future. Anyway, please spread the Rain Code around the world.

/////

Q: Can I change my clothes before changing into the Final Defense Academy uniform in Hundred Line? I like the original clothes because they are so unique... Or do you wear uniforms only during battles?

A: We'll give you more details later, but they usually wear casual clothes and change into their uniforms when they fight!

NOTE: I'll start a Hundred Line section when the game comes out next year. For now, I'll put Hundred Line questions in here or in Game Development.

[louisisalarrie]

Why do I feel like Louis will be ok with these stories of Mexican female conquests circulating? He seems keen to project a het, laddy image so this plays nicely into this narrative for him.

Do I believe it, nope but I think it probably suits him for this to be out there. It doesn’t paint him in a very favourable light but it does imply he likes women. I really hope there’s not more to this though…for lovely Louis’ sake. His fan base is very young, under age impressionable girls. I do not for one minute think L would ever hit on young girls - not what I’m saying - but I hope these stories dont turn out to be from some silly teens…and that there’s absolutely no truth to it which then does make its way into the media. Off the back of an amazing world tour, he doesn’t need rubbish press!

I meaaaaaaan, if it keeps him out of stunting? Sure. I think the most hurtful thing there for him would be about the way they portrayed him as a very uncaring and yucky person.

A lot of his fanbase have grown up with him, so a majority of us are (hopefully) at an age where we can see through this bullshit, but yes. He does have a lot of young fans who are impressionable to his image, that certainly doesn’t portray him in a very nice light sometimes.

A lot of it does come with the territory, with the way he dresses, and stereotypes around sexuality that another lovely anon just inboxed me about, but it’s turned into one hell of a tarnished image over the years. The dad thing particularly doesn’t help, and yep. It’s all just hot fuckboy hetty straight lad at the moment, but so many of us see through that.

The good thing about this though, is that it has been contained within our fandom. The media arent gonna do anything about it, because it’s not true, obviously (I’ll get SC’s face tattooed on my leg if it is, that’s how sure I am). But this only goes so far, when Twitter is a public platform and louis does see this shit. So. He’ll probably roll his eyes and see our responses and know he’s got good people on his side that don’t believe that rubbish, but any bad press that comes out about him to the GP at this time of his career, straight after FITFWT and just before festival season, will be really detrimental for him. It’s a delicate balance.

And I guess we just have to ensure that we’re here as a resource and a guiding light for newer fans, younger fans, and people who need a little assistance to navigate the shit show that is our fandom/fandoms. To shut this down immediately. Because without having a good read on louis, stories like this (but not this bc it’s literally so fake) will indeed form an idea in a new fan’s mind of who louis is straight away. And in a time now where an artist’s values and morals and actions are so heavily watched and considered, and people will cancel/leave artists hung out to dry if they are, or seem to be, shitty people, his image could do with a bit of a makeover. Starting with the end of bbg.

I’m telling you, truly, that ending this shit in a way that paints louis in a positive light and gets GP to sympathise with him, will be the absolute best way to go. But the longer it’s here, it’ll always be a festering reminder of his poor image, and will continue to be used against him as excuses why people think he’s a shit dude.

Speaking of which, he’s left LA prior to Father’s Day… which just warms the cockles of my heart hahahah. a lot of folks are saying it’s another warning selfie tho, but I do expect somewhat of a stunt-ish thing to happen to get the GP involved with him for festival season anyway.

Anyway, thank you for the chats, anon! Lovely to have you here xx

[greyghoulette]

my notes on the reckoning of new york demo (spoilers of course)

new character redesigns -

•D’Angelo with the vape pen my beloved

•Thomas wearing RED and that COAT, they did that for me thank you for everything draw distance.

•Ok Qadir I see the vision with the outfit, love his redesign. Miss his suit though, but I guess it’s chilly outside so.

•Aisling looks really young, younger than she was. She was 25 when she was embraced and to me she now looks around 20. I don’t want to come across as nitpicky I just wasn’t expecting it.

•I’m kinda glad they’ve went with a natural skin tone with Panhard, her face to me is unique! Her outfit is cool

•Julia in JEANS, she looks so fuckingn cool I love my loser gf so much

•Payne and his servant p much the same

•So glad they gave Torque his hat back, I missed it

•Valerie…. is Valerie not much to say on that

new characters -

•Kali is already a fav, love her inner dialogue yet with the trailer I have SO many questions about the similarities in outfit and accessories with the character appearing to feature in Padraic’s route

•Very intruiged for Padraic’s route, esp with him being a mediator and on Torque’s side. From the trailer there is another chatacter who is quite important to him who I think we won’t see at all (apart from being mentioned) until Padraic’s route

•Love Padraic’s fashion (also more Irish rep? We love to see it)

•It seems we’re going to be getting a lot out of this game, esp with the additional route where we play as Padraic. Maybe there will also be a third route that wraps things up?

•The hunters are interesting, don’t really have much to say about them as of right now

•Hound’s character description saying he just wants to play video games he’s so me

•No name for him yet but the guy basically cosplaying Blade, I respect that

•The menu music and the trailer music is so fucking good I can’t wait to obsess over the soundtrack when we hear more of it

•The backgrounds we’ve seen so far in the demo and the trailer are STUNNING, I can’t wait for an art book release

story notes -

•We are in 2024 now, going into 2025. The last game was in 2020, we can assume a lot of shit has went down but Panhard is still prince

•Kali attempting to use Awe in Elysium. Kali my sweet summer child.

•I’ve seen multiple ppl mention that Padraic could be a Malkavian caitiff which I find very intriguing.

•Also Padraic is apparently a mediator and he’s an anarch seemingly? If Torque is bringing around Padraic and not Mia then that seems odd but time has passed maybe something happened

•Where is SAMIRA GAME WHERE IS SHE WHERE IS SAMIRA WHERE IS SAMIRA

•Thomas yap yap yapping we are so back

•We love to see more of Panhard, but I feel it will not end well for my girl this game

•The Shadows of New York good ending being canon, again thank you for everything draw distance

•So they mention that two duskborn have been killed and another kindred, from the Ventrue Clan “Just last night, two Duskborn and a fledgling from your clan were reduced to ashes”

•Are Hunters the main threat here? Knowing this franchise I doubt that’s the case. It sounds like there’s been an issue of multiple kindred dying over the past couple years

•…Is Larson alive? He was completely absent in Shadows, and in Coteries he COULD seemingly die depending on what choice you made in D’Angelo’s route on how to deal with Sana

•I just love the Christmas setting, going into new year. It’s like they’ve read my mind.

•The art style initially put me off, but it definitely matches the tone their going for, which I feel we would lose with the previous games style

•The trailer showed clan symbols in different territories and I don’t know much about the geography of New York, but the Tzimisce symbol was on Ellis Island right ??? (interesting because in New York By Night, Isaac’s sire Vaclav resides there)

•So that was definitely Reyner with Aisling at the very end of the demo right? Looking at it, the silhouette doesn’t match with anyone else

In conclusion, I am so hype for this game. Yet with it being the final one I’m also so nervous for how it’s going to end, like I’ve been way too invested in these set of games and sometimes I feel embarrassed about it, but these games really helped me through a horribly shitty time in my life so their a comfort for me (even though there is no comfort in them but y’know)

[shatcey]

15ch Yoshitsune's main route

It was a very emotionally draining chapter. So I decided to express my impression. I will try to avoid specifics, but I doubt that this is even possible at the point. So… most likely there will be spoilers.

If you don't need them, don't read it.

It all started when Kurama decided to share a simple fact with MC (who knows why).

Yes, I knew my boy was a matchmaker on this route. It was pretty obvious…

MC went to Yoichi and asked him directly…

No! No! No! NO! He is NOT a love rival in this route! No! It's too much. I can't choose between them. It hurts to even think about it. Please… Don't be a love rival… (whine)

He actually tormented me for a while… Like, "I don't think there's any point in telling you" and "it just makes you worry.".. It already creeps me out! Just say it!

I was so happy at the first… Hooray! Yoichi is still too calculating to fall in love with a random girl. But then the meaning of his words sink in, and I… what?

Yoshitsune… He's absolutely sure that he will die in next battle, and he is ready to die for his goal. I've seen this before. But the way he recklessly behaves gives the impression that he is not just ready to die, he wants to die…

OK. Don't panic. I've already been through saving Licht and Jean. They both have a strong desire to die, but somehow we managed to change the course of their thoughts… (I still don't think that Dazai wanted to die, there is no aura of hopelessness around him).

So… it's possible…

Yeah… You're my beloved smart boy! It always works!

And that's why you're playing the matchmaker… You're just trying to make him wanna live in any way possible. Oh… You're so devoted… I'm a little jealous of Yoshitsune… just a bit.

And then there was an additional story after the avatar challenge. And it was so sad and sweet… Yoshitsune, why do you have to be straightforward and sweet at the same time? That's the best combination ever!

I agree with you, girl…

How did they do that? How can I… a non-native English speaker who reads a very bad auto-translation feel the tension and very strong love between these two characters? How? In fact, it's the strongest emotion I've detect so far.

With Silvio, it was just a compatibility. They really suite each other so well, and you can feel it. But here… so much love, so much tenderness, so much deep desire to help and understand each other… How?

I have to think of it as my wild imagination and desire to see it at least in games.. Or I'll go mad…

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🔝 Start page 🔝

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[knoxious-overstreet]

Saw your post! Hmmm…can I ask a few?

Who’s your favourite superhero? Who’s your favourite vigilante? How about villain?

Any foods you like/dislike?

How do you feel about Scott Pilgrim?

What classic books have you read?

What’s your favourite Shakespeare play?

What’s your favourite game and favourite genre?

Ok! That’s all (ish)! Hopefully that wasn’t too overwhelming 😅

Of course!

Anyone can ask me questions, I love talking to all of you!

My favorite superhero is Iron Man. If I could build a cool robot suit and fly around fighting bad guys I would jump at the chance!

My favorite vigilante is Spiderman. I relate very much to his personality, and I feel like Peter Parker and I would be great friends.

My favorite villain is Mr. Freeze. He loved his wife so much and I understand why he couldn’t let go of her and tried to the point of madness to save her.

As for foods, my favorite is pizza or burgers! But I hate olives and licorice.

Scott Pilgrim is really cool! I’d love to meet him. He’s another guy I relate to. If I had to (I mean really had to, I’m not much of a fighter) I’d fight seven evil exes to get the girl! (or guy maybe haha)

I’ve read a few classics but my favorite is Sherlock Holmes! I grew up reading those and it was always so much fun to ride along for the mystery.

My favorite Shakespeare play is either Romeo & Juliet (I’m sure you’re very surprised on that one!) Or, Twelfth Night because I really enjoyed the story of that one.

For games, I assume you mean video games? If I’m not in the mood to think much about what I’m doing I love racing games like Need for Speed or Forza or Mario Kart. If I want a good storyline and characters that feel like family, I like Red Dead Redemption II but god that one made me cry. The Last of Us had an amazing story and characters as well. When I feel like having a calm time I like The Sims 4, Animal Crossing, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Mario Party.

Thank you so much for all the questions! Send more anytime!

[tennessoui]

i really like your take on padme in mermay au, she is straight up vicious, it somehow suits her better than her canonical persona? i don't know i never saw her as particularly, overly kind in canon, more like someone who definitely cares but is downright manipulative? idk if i'm making sense, long story short, this version of padme scratched an itch in my brain i didn't know i had

i think padme is always fun to write because versions of her can be very complex and when i write her i like to focus on her capacity for anger (in fics where she and anakin are still together when the fic starts) i'm sure that gets a bit tiring to read for people but i just can't see her character just being calm and placid and ok with losing anakin immediately. she seems too fiery in canon, and she seems to love anakin too much to just let him go

and when im writing padmé in canon fics, i want to balance that part of her with her other parts, like her kindness and a sense of justice and empathy ('a more perfect union' padmé for example is all of those things), but i think all those parts are important.

so i've really liked how easy it's been to lean into padmé's viciousness in the mer au!! it's been super fun for me, because one of my favorite parts of writing different aus is playing with how much a character is of a particular trait (ie., how much of a bitch obi-wan is, how much of a brat anakin is, how much of a good jedi is anakin, how much infinite sadness does obi-wan have etc etc) so i've liked dragging padmé's viciousness all the way up to the top of the scale here

she's a mermaid queen who is queen of a vicious and vain society and being queen means different things in this au than it does in star wars canon, a lot of which boils down to never really hearing the word no and maybe being a bit callous and naive because of it. she's also the most mer in the au because anakin was human for 21 years and obi-wan was human for likeee ~15 years (?) but padmé has been mer all her life and would never want to be human - she's fascinated by anakin, but not in the same way obi-wan was by the humans when he first discovered them and i love trying to distinguish that

[shutupandplayasong]

Ok ok ok time to talk about the show!!!!

(Warning this going to be beyond hectic I'm quite literally shaking with excitement and also it's 1 am)

Justin's floofy little hyena mohawk gives me LIFE it looks so good

Instead of the ukulele being tossed onto stage by someone below, the funeral director guy tosses it to Beej

After the sad puppet show BJ screams out "I'm burning! I'm burning! I thought this only happened to books that make kids gay!" And I literally gasped. I don't know if that was written into the script or if it was improv but holy shit

During TWBDT Part 2, when BJ tries to spell his name a second time, he pulls his sleeve back to read a little cheatsheet to spell it correctly. My illiterate little himbo ❤

Instead of "Sadness is like kale salad, no one likes it, throw it out" Delia says "Sadness is like a third nipple, it's a part of you but no one wants to see it"

During Charles and Lydia's dead mom argument, Delia is just waggling her triangle around and slow motion dancing. No thoughts, just vibes

When Charles and Delia are making out on the table, Charles is full on sniffing her foot and rubbing his face against it like a cat..... Chuck has a foot fetish confirmed.

Someone already posted about the guacamole story and jesus fucking christ man

When Barb gives her "best primal screams" she gives a very half hearted "blehhh" and then hits a fucking opera note on her second attempt?? I'm love ??

BJ'S MIC IS BEDAZZLED

It's also small enough to fit up his sleeve. Big spooky demon with this dinky tiny glittery microphone. I love it.

I swear to god in Charles' room there's this big ass sculpture that looks like a giant butt plug. I did an actual double take. I couldn't focus on anything else during that scene.

Except the fact that Delia had a juul pod im pretty sure?

After Say My Name, when the curtain drops, Adam is all like "We should bring the sheets" "No" "Well we should bring the sheets just in case" "Adam, no, come on!" "Ok I won't bring the sheets :("

After Beej is pushed off the roof a little puff of smoke is blown onto the stage like a cartoon

When Beej crawls out of the table when Lydia calls him there's this god awful squelching sound

After That Beautiful Sound, when BJ is explaining his plan to his clones, one of the women is stood there wiggling her fingers and popping her hips out and she's so cute!!

I never really cared about Otho but the man who played is a whole ass Shane Madej caricature and I kind of love him now

We unfortunately do not get red Beetlejuice, but for a split second the lights give him a similar effect and while it's not the same, I will take it. It's better than nothing I suppose

I love the yellow and blue suit on Justin he's so hampsome 🥺💞😭🥺💘😢💖💗😭

To fill in the awkward silence after the "we both have dead moms" joke, BJ fucking bounces on Juno's severed leg like a pogo stick????? It literally sucked the air out of my body and I had to force myself to breath so I didn't start wheezing and disrupting the whole auditorium

We got confetti'd after the curtain call and I grabbed 3 handfuls :) That's not really a note on the show, I just felt like sharing

Ok on to my feelings about the cast:

Justin:

Listen, no one can ever top Alex, but I'll be damned if Justin isn't a close second.

Just constantly screaming and doing his little dancy dance, even if it's during normal dialogue that does not call for screaming or dancy dancing.

Not much in the feral behavior department, but he sticks his tongue out so. much. A lot of sarcastic gasping too like sir close your mouth before bugs start crawling inside

He takes his sweet time finishing dialogue. There were several times where there would be a good 30 seconds of dead air, and every time the laughter died down it would start up and fill the silence again. I don't know what spell he cast to make the audience do that but it was a good one.

I'll be honest I wasn't so sure about him when the casting was announced but god damn it he just has so much charisma I want to get on all fours and bark for him

Im not taking that back btw you're gonna have to live with me saying that

Isabella:

My favorite Lydia hands down.

Her Lydia has so much attitude she's almost a bit of a bully. There's so much sarcasm and angst and anger in her delivery. She plays the moody teenage girl character well.

Not really an acting not but Isabella has such big, expressive eyes. Granted, I had pretty close seats, but you can still see her eye rolls and quirked eyebrows from the stage it's amazing.

Overall she's a fantastic Lydia and again, my absolute favorite. No shade to Sophie, but I feel like her Lydia was... a bit whiny and immature. Isabella is truly grieving her mother and you can see how much of a toll all these changes are having on her. I absolutely love the edge and the bite she brings to Lydia.

Britney and Will:

These two.

These two are out of fucking control for real.

Take the goof factor from the original Maitlands and crank that shit up to 11.

Gonna have to agree with Beetlejuice though, Will's Adam is quite sexy...

"Adam... You're boring. But! You're sexy. You should own that." *cue Will doing a full body roll*

I dont know if it's his height or voice or line delivery but he just seems a lot less... idk pathetic? than the original Adam. It's a nice change of pace. I always wished they did more to develop his character.

Britney brings a lot of spunk to Barbara. Like Barbara has always been the slightly more adventurous one in the relationship but Britney really makes her shine.

OG Barbara is a bit more subdued but Britney's body language is so big? I guess is the right word? So many big gestures and so much movement. Im always a big fan of when actors use their whole bodies to deliver their lines instead of just standing pin straight and talking.

Kate:

I've noticed a lot of people don't really like her Delia and while she isn't my number one favorite either, I still think she does a good job

OG Delia, I feel, is out of touch with the times and trying to be "hip" while still being old school. Kate's Delia is very much aware of "kids these days" and is an obnoxious try hard. I kind of like her take on the character in that sense.

Delia has absolutely no concept of personal space. She stands wayyyy to close to Lydia and whenever Lydia gets fed up, she gets in Delia's face to give her a taste of her own medicine. I LOVE the dynamic between them.

Also Kate's Delia is lowkey kind of bullied by Lydia? Like Lydia is actually pretty mean to her. Again, I love how Kate and Isabella interact with each other. There's a lot more turmoil and strain between these two that I feel was lacking in the original production (at least from what I've seen in the bootlegs I've watched).

Jesse:

Not as imposing or strict as OG Charles, but I like it. I don't prefer it, but I like it.

I feel like Jesse's Charles wears his heart on his sleeve? You can really hear how tired and lost and confused he is when he's struggling to communicate with Lydia.

I never cried while watching bootlegs but damn it, their performance of Home almost made me cry...

Also if anyone would like to drop me off at the theater tomorrow so I can snag those remaining $30 single seat tickets my address is-

[eleni-cherie]

among thieves ✨ || bts • pjm

- chapter 1.2

"what even am I to you? your rival, your lover, an obstacle or am I supposed to be your coffin?"

about two thieves who can't live with nor without each other. and a joint past that comes back to threaten them.

© 2023 | eleni_cherie

»»»

masterlist: here

— genre: thief au, gangster comedy, adventure, romcom, humour, angst, fluff, very flirty jimin, friends/rivals/exes to lovers (it's complicated, ok?!) f2l e2l ex2l all members play a role in this story!

ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE. CHARACTERS NOT NECESSARILY LIKE THE REAL PERSONS. ALSO VERY UNREALISTIC PLOT LOL - JUST PRETEND READING A MANGA/COMIC OR WATCHING A FILM, REALLY.

SUGGESTIVE THEMES. MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE & BLOOD (BUT NOTHING TOO GRAPHIC, IT'S STILL A COMEDY!)

»»»

Rhodos, Greece

Taking a sip from her martini, Arabella's eyes glided through the crowded room. Eyeing every guest carefully before putting her drink down. Smiling to herself.

The stairs around the corner were guarded by one security guard only. It'd be easy.

"Another vodka martini, please. Shaken, not stirred," she ordered at the bartender.

A party of european millionaires in an old medieval castle had sounded more excited then it really was. It was like any other rich people party after all. The ones who had their millions inheritated, the old money therefore, was chatting about their latest vacations or newest luxury purchase. The new money millionaires were exchanging the latest gossip of their industries or taking cringy photos and videos of themselves. And somewhere in between they drank and danced and ate way too small portions of overly expensive food.

Her gaze went back to the guard, thinking of ways to distract or sidle past him, when she suddenly felt a hand on her hip.

Her eyes widened and she was ready to make whoever it was, regret it. Her firsts already clenching when a familiar chuckle rang in her ears. His hot breath tickling her neck.

"Nice hair, is it a wig?" He brushed one of the pink curls back. His fingers against her shoulder making her hinch a breath

.

A dry laugh escaped her lips then as she unintentionally leaned into his touch. "None of your business."

"Feisty as always, I missed that," Jimin smirked and let go abrubtly, appearing from behind her. He leaned against the marble counter next to her. Not even try hiding how he shamelessy checked her out in that long black dress with the deep slit on the side of her leg. Allowing it to peek through whenever she moved. 

She huffed when noticing, crossing her arms in front of her.

"What are you even doing here? Trying to kill me again?"

His brows rose, a puzzled expression on his soft features. "But Bella, love, you know I'd never do that."

He drew closer then, grabbing her chin gently between his fingers. Forcing her to look at him. And for a moment she was about to melt under his gaze. "I'm here to get you back."

A frown spread on her pretty face. "Get me back?" She slapped his hand away. "There's no need to get me back. I'm totally fine on my own." She pointed behind him then.

He followed her finger across the open bar to a guy in a white suit and slicked back hair, talking and laughing with a group of others at a table in the back. Chunking down champagne like it was water. Jimin could spot the golden watch and rings all the way from where they were standing.

"See Stelios there? He's my new boyfriend. I'm accompanying him here on Rhodos."

Jimin couldn't help but roll his eyes annoyed. He knew by 'boyfriend' she meant 'rich guy who owned something she wanted', however, it still bugged him she used that term.

"But your 'Stelios' can't protect you from them."

"I'm pretty sure he got enough security."

He sighed dramatically. "But Bella-baby, you should know I'm the only man in this world who can do that."

Arabella remained unimpressed, looking him dead in the eye. Slowly getting fed up with his attitude.

They hadn't seen each in over two weeks, last time they had him pushing her away as if she meant nothing to him and now he randomly showed up out of nowhere, pretending being her prince in shining armour? A prince she definitely neither needed nor asked for?

"Honestly, Jimin, what even am I to you?" Her voice unintentionally rose out of frustration. "Your rival, your lover, an obstacle or am I supposed to be your coffin?"

There was a hint of sorrow in her eyes, he could tell. He heaved a sigh, taking her hand in his gently as he stepped forward. His face close to hers as his lips ghosted over her cheek. "Obviously all of it."

He pulled back, seeing her stunned face. A grin spreading over his plum lips. "And now come," he said excitedly and drank the second martini she had ordered in one go. Pulling her along with him into the crowd then. "It'd be suspicious if we didn't dance at a party!"

She hesitated first, pretending being unfazed by his words, but eventually rested her hands on his shoulder as his own glided to her waist. Both swaying to the rhythm of the mellow melody.

"So when did you snap out of it?" she curiously asked then, "And if you tell me it was on that rainy day then I swear to god-"

"N-no, no, it wasn't!" he quickly objected.

Arabella's eyes narrowed. "Not sure I'm buying that."

Jimin exhaled deeply, shaking his head. "Trust me. I still hadn't gained my memories back at this point. It was a muddled mess and I struggled putting an order to them."

She hummed, looking over her shoulder to check if her 'boyfriend' had noticed her dancing with someone else. Other people dancing between them blocked his view however. Not that he was paying attention anyway. He was still talking with his rich friends.

"So tell me," Jimin smiled then, "Why are you really here? And don't start with that 'boyfriend' of yours again."

Arabella couldn't help but giggle at his jealousy. Even if he was trying downplaying it, he wasn't really doing a good job and it still shone through. And she couldn't deny that she liked it. Because it meant that perhaps he did care after all. 

"What makes you think there'd be any other reason?" She blinked confused, acting innocent. But Jimin knew her too well to fall for that. So he turned her swiftly, pressing her body against his while his one hand travelled down her hips and to her thigh. Lifting it against his. The silk fabric flowing over her skin, exposing her leg through the slid. Along with her berretta held by a black lacy garter.

"Because normal party guests usually don't hide guns under their clothes," he smirked.

Arabella felt her breath becoming heavier the longer they remained in this position, with his dark eyes piercing hers. She lowered her arms from around his neck, letting them slide over his chest. "Let go," she mouthed, not wanting anyone noticing her gun. And his hand slowly did as he was told. Sliding over her thigh and hips. Taking its previous position on her waist. 

"Fine, I'll tell you," she eventually sighed and stepped back. Grabbing his wrist. "But first you gotta help me pass that stupid guard to get upstairs."

She dragged him through the crowd until they reached the other end, near the staircase. The guard standing right at the corner, looking sternly at the direction they had come from. "Distract him so I can climb behind him over the railing and scurry upstairs."

Jimin's brows rose, his eyes going from her to the guard and back to her. Eventually shrugging. "You need help for that?" he chuckled smugly, making her audibly huff.

"No, obviously not. I'd have found a way without you as well. I didn't even know you'd be here after all. But since you are.." She grabbed his tie, pulling him closer to her level. A seductive smirk on her lips. ".. you'll make it easier for me. Won't you?"

He nodded vigorously and leaned in, trying stealing a kiss as the temtation was quite compelling, but she pushed him lightly away. "Maybe after the job's done."

He whined "You're such a tease, Bella-baby."

"And you love it."

"I do, I really do," he smiled. Managing pecking her cheek at least, to which her eyes widened startled. Making him chuckle. She looked quite adorable when being dumbfounded. "Alright, let's do this," he said then and briefly rubbed his hands before making his way to the guard. Starting a casual conversation with him, to which the guard didn't seem to bulge in first. 

However, Arabella knew no one could resist Jimin's charm and sooner or later everyone would give in. So she eased her way to the side of the stairs. Waiting for his sign. And as soon as she saw the guard's head turn to the side and Jimin giving her a quick wink, she grabbed the artful bars and heaved herself up, climbing over the railing. And she rushed upstairs, no one spotting her from downstairs. 

Reaching the top, she carefully made her way through the long corridors. Flower bouquetes on commodes and paintings decorating them. When she reached a corner, she carefully peeked behind. Spotting another guard in front of a door.

That must've been it, she thought.

According to the blueprint she had memorized, this room was supposed to be a storage. Which was obviously bullshit because why would a simple storage need guards? And besides, the room next to it was the security room. That was no coincidence.

She reached behind her neck, fiddling a little before her dress got taken down, replaced by the maid uniform she had prepared. After taking a deep breath to get into character, she walked out of her stash and confidently made her way towards the guard.

He eyed her suspiciously, which left her unimpressed, as she went past him and into the security room.

"Hey, what do you want in there?" the guard called out, leaving his post to check on her.

"What I want?" she scoffed dramatically, "I was sent here because of some annoyingly beeping noise outside. As if I got any clue how to use all these things!" She pointed at the screens and computers. Pretending being a poor clueless and overwhelmed girl would surely help. "I mean, look at all this! And I'm just a simple maid! How am I supposed to know! But my supervisor sent me here to check what it is and take care of it! And I don't know if you know her, but she's a total witch, so I couldn't just object!" She continued her rambling. A deep frown on her face along with frustration written all over it. And she saw the guard's face softening at this as he seemingly pitied her. He had falled for it and she felt accomplished. "Do you maybe have any clue how all this works? I could really need some help or she might tell the master and let him fire me! And I can't get fired! I really depend on this job! Oh god, what if-"

She was ready to shed some fake tears when the guard cut her off, holding his hands up. "Okay, okay, calm down! We'll figure this out," he said and headed to the computers. Typing in something on the keyboard and sliding his ID card through a scanner. "Where did you say this weird sound was located at?"

"Right here." And with that she hit his neck with the back of her gun, making him faint. Hs heavy body fell on the ground and she dragged him to a corner, tearing off her apron and tying him down, in case he woke up too early. She went to the monitors then, deactivating the alarm system inside the fake storage room next door. Thankfully he had already typed in his security key, so it wasn't any problem, because despite her acting dumb, she did know how to navigate through the system.

She left the room, glancing around to make sure the the coast was clear before locking the door behind her. Bumping into Jimin as soon as she entered the fake storage.

He had already been waiting for her inside. "Took you long enough, darling."

"As if," she said and wiggled her way out of his embrace. Heading straight to the persian carpet in the middle of the room and lifting it. Revealing a safe underneath it.

"How did you get past the guard?"

"Oh, not at all," he chuckled, "He allowed me going upstairs. Told him I really needed to pee and the only bathroom downstairs was packed."

She hummed, not being surprised that actually worked. It probably wouldn't have with anyone else, but of course it did for Jimin. 

She pressed her ear on the safe then. Rotating the knob until hearing it click. With the security system being deactivated, it was nothing but a normal safe. The only difficulty left was that it had three knobs, not just one. The first one was done after a minute, another two left.

"What is inside there anyway?" Jimin asked and took a seat on one of the puffy velvet armchairs. Observing her with a raising warmth as she was on her knees, her perfect little bum high in the air. The maid skirt almost riding up enough for it to be revealed.

"A very pretty ruby necklace," she smiled as the second knob clicked.

"That's all?"

"And maybe a few other pretty things," she giggled, concentrating on the last knob.

Jimin sighed, propping his chin on the palm of his hand. "And that's why you're with that sleazy nepo baby? Because he could bring you to this party?"

"Hm, maybe. But maybe he also treats me nicely."

Snorting, he straightened himself again. "Nicer than me?"

"Perhaps," she shrugged. Knowing exactly she was teasing him. "At least he didn't want me dead."

He sighed. "You ain't letting go of that, are you?"

The third knob clicked open and she sat back on her legs, looking at him with a sad smile. "It hurt my feelings, you know." Her gaze fell on the safe then, opening it. 

His lips slightly parted, not having expected this. After all, he wasn't used to this kind of honesty from her unless they were in serious danger with the possibility of them not making it out alive. This didn't apply now, however, astonishing even more. And he finally began to understand how deeply the whole incident really offended her feelings. The whole real reason she was there, on this greek island with some millionaire, being to run away and distract herself from her broken heart and ego. He finally got it.

Before he could react properly though, she had already got up. The ruby necklace decorating her neck and a fitting bracelet placed around her wrist.

She went to the window then, pushing it open and looking down. It wasn't too high. She could jump on that tree and then climb down. However, she remembered a guard roaming around the garden with a dog when arriving earlier there. There didn't seem anyone around now though as the garden was quite broadly spread. She had to take advantage of the security sensors around the mansion being deactivated.

"You coming?" She looked over her shoulder, seeing him shake his head.

"I'll better head back down before the guard gets suspicious. Don't wanna ruin your escape," he smiled then, "I'll meet you at the entrance gate."

She nodded and climbed out on the nearest branch then. Carefully getting down the tree, not wanting any scratches in case she bumped into anyone and they'd get alarmed by them.

She lended in the darkness of the shrubbery and quickly changed back to her party dress when a flashlight appeared further away.

Arabella cursed internally and pressed herself against the wall. Slowly moving to the front of the building. She looked over the corner, the other guard with the flashlight and dog coming closer.

There was also a guard at the entrance who was luckily guiding a drunk party guest and his young company to their car in that moment. Giving her a perfect opportunity to rush out and towards the gate while the guard was putting the guest inside the car.

She was casually walking towards the exit over the forecourt, pretending having just come out of the party when a deep voice was suddenly heard right behind her. "Stop you little thief."

She paused in her tracks and without hesitating, rammed her elbow backwards, towards the person. Hearing a high-pitched yelp and a groan. She slowly turned around, seeing Jimin grinning at her mischieviously. Holding his belly. "You almost hit my wound, love."

"I'll try not to miss next time." She tried slapping him for using his voice mimicking to mess with her, but he successfully dodged every one of her attempts. He grabbed her hand then and tucked her out of the gate before anyone took notice of them.

"Sorry, sorry, but I couldn't resist," he laughed. Holding his hands up in a defensive manner. "You're too cute when getting surprised."

"I hate you!" she whined- Her voice loud, causing Jimin to quickly press a finger on her lips to sush her in case they might get heard. He stopped in front of his car then, unlocking it and opened the passenger door for her to enter. She rolled her eyes and climbed in, slamming the door shut. He sighed and got behind the steering wheel. Starting the engine and driving off before any security noticed her little theft. 

The cool night breeze from the lowered windows tousled their hair as the car rushed down the road through the dense forest.

Jimin's eyes briefly glanced at her absentmindedly staring out into the dark woods. The rubies on her skin glistening brightly whenever they passed a street lamp. Contrasting her smooth skin.

"Bella?" She hummed, not averting her eyes from the scenary outside. The dark sea peeking between trees. "You know I'd never hurt you. I wasn't myself back then."

She exhaled deeply, finally looking at him as well. "I know it wasn't your fault." She paused, her eyes wandering back outside. "It's.. whatever, really. No big deal." Despite her trying downplaying it, it did still hurt a little when thinking about his cold, emotionless stare from back then. As if she was nobody to him.

The car slowly came to an halt at the side of the road, interrupting her train of thoughts. And Arabella frowned, glancing up at Jimin. "Why di-"

She didn't finish her sentence, cutting herself off when seeing his expression. His eyes gleaming with sorrow. "I'm sorry, Arabella. I truly am."

Her lips parted. Not having expected him to feel genuinely remorse because of her silly remark. And she placed her hand over his. Giving him a small lopsided smile. "It's okay, I'm not mad."

They stayed like this for a moment more. Holding each other's gaze while smiling. Until sirens echoed in the distance, breaking the silence. And both their eyes widened. His lips breaking into a laugh then. "Guess your little theft didn't go unnoticed after all."

She giggled, taking her small gun from underneath her dress as he pulled out his own from the glovebox.

"Ready?"

"Always."

»»»

next chapter: 1.3 here

[4town4lyfe]

feelings in the cabin chapter 3 - reflections in the tracks

clarifying things, this story is in imanis pov

my age 4 the band

jesse - 26

aaron z - 23

aaron t - 22

robaire - 21

imani - 21 (ignore the 22 in ch 1 LOL little mess there)

tae young - 18 ( he is also lack toes intallerants T-T)

Aaron Z is referred to as 'Z'

Aaron T is referred to as 'T'

i decided to just use t and z bc i was scared it would be confusing and i also got confused XD

SEVENTEEN is a kpop group and so is SHINee

spoiler translationnnn "por favor fale comigo" means please talk to me

i am definitely not finishing this b4 the end of the month LOL

ok plz read and leave comments k bye

After driving for a bit and accidentally getting Robaire and Z into SHINee and SEVENTEEN, we make it back to the cabin. I get out of the van first, followed by Robaire, then Z. 

Robaire grabs the drinks that he talked about before, he must have bought them when me and Z were shopping. My mind suddenly reminds me of that flustering moment we shared, making me feel frustrated with myself. I'm in a loving relationship, I shouldn’t be feeling how I am about this. 

But, wouldn’t anyone feel flustered if that happened to them? That’s my justification. As Robaire goes inside, assumingly to put the drinks away and hopefully tell the guys to come and help, me and Z grab our fair share of groceries before heading inside as Jesse opens the front door for us, only wearing a jacket, although I can’t scold him, this stuff is getting heavy. 

Me and Z make our way to the kitchen to place the bags down as Taeyoung and T head outside, thankfully bundled up. The two of them, along with Jesse, come back inside with the rest of the groceries, joining us in the kitchen. 

The six of us put everything away in the fridge, cupboards, and pantry. With all of us, it’s a fairly easy task, and we finish rather quickly. I grab the big bag of Doritos that I got for myself, and head to the living room as everyone else grabs their own snacks and follows suit. T stands in front of me, no snacks in hand. 

I assume he wants some of my chips, but then I remember him telling me he wanted to talk before we left, and he looked oddly serious. “Imani, can you come here?” He asks, and I unflatteringly shove some chips in my mouth before getting up. He gently grabs my hand, leading me to our room. 

“Ey! What are y’all ‘bout to do?” Robaire shouts out in a suggestive tone, making me shake my head. 

“Just start the movie!” T responds back as we turn the corner to the hallway and disappear from their sight. He pushes our bedroom door open, letting me go in first before cutting the light on. I sit down on the bed as he shuts the door and he sits beside me, the radio I brought playing nonstop Christmas music saving us from an awkward silence.

“What’s up? Are you okay?” I tilt my head, turning to him with a slightly concerned expression.

He sighs, shaking his head. “I’m okay, but are you?” Okay… what’s going on?

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” I ask, my voice laced with confusion as he grabs my hands, holding them in his own. “On the way here, when you came back from the gas station, you… were crying.” He reminds me.

Oh, that. “Uhm, yeah. Uh, it was just these two fans, they thought I was Robaire at first, they didn’t seem to like me much.”  I half explain.

“What did they do?” He asks, concern etched on his face, making my heart melt. Gosh, I love him. “Uhhh..” I begin fiddling with his ring. 

“They didn’t really do much. They were just kinda mean, and…” I stop, genuinely trying to recall, but then I remember the event, making me grimace, I don’t really want to bring it up to him.

“They… just said some mean stuff. You know I’m sensitive. They just wanted to see Robaire, that’s all.” I try to explain without saying too much, but he obviously knows that isn’t the full story.

“Meu amor. Por favor fale comigo.” He pleads, making me look away. He just had to switch to Portuguese, just to make me give up, but I won’t.

“I-I am! They just thought I was Robaire and they were a little upset that he wasn’t with me. Apparently I shouldn’t be in the band because I’m a girl.” I say with a chuckle, beginning to find it a bit amusing.

“And maybe they brought up what happened on my birthday for some reason.” I mutter under my breath, but he, with his super hearing, heard every word.

“They what?” He exclaims, letting my hands go to throw his hands in the air in annoyance. “It’s not a big deal. I was just feeling a bit emotional that day anyways. It’s in the past, babe.” I try to make him see that the memory doesn’t affect me anymore, although it does, in ways more than one.

“Imani, you know I’d never do anything to hurt you, right?” He asks, referring to the non consensual kiss he received from our ex manager. I know it wasn’t his fault, he just naturally attracts people, it’s his silliness and charm. I know he loves me. I know that.

So why did it hurt so bad? I saw it with my own eyes, I saw her kiss him, and he pushed her away just as quick as everything went down.

“Yeah, I know.” I simply respond as he pulls me in for a tight hug. He gives the best hugs, he’s just the best. He pulls away, giving me a peck on the lips before we hear a knock on the door. We both stand up and walk to the door, it’s Z. His gaze goes to me, staring for a bit before looking at T.

“We’re watching Home Alone. Are yall okay?” He asks, his trademark stoic voice barely  showing emotion, although we’ve known him long enough to know that he’s not some heartless robot, so don’t worry, he’s concerned, just on the inside.

“Yup, we were just talking.” T nods, his usual cheerful demeanor coming back, although a flicker of… something in his eye as he looks at Z, I can’t put my finger on it, doesn’t go unnoticed by me as the three of us walk back out to the living room. 

I grab, well, snatch my chip bag from Robaire's hands, that little heckler stole my spot, before sitting down on the spot on the couch that Jesse was lounging on, pushing his legs away to make space, earning a glare from him. “Sorry grandpa!” I say with a grin, plopping down in the empty spot, before T sits to my left, and Z joins, sitting on my right.

Me and Z haven’t said much since the whole thing at the store, so it’s a tiny bit awkward at the moment. He leans back, crossing his arms, seeming intrigued by the classic movie we watch all the time each year, but lowkey, I am too. I catch him glancing at me every once in a while, so I assume he wants some chips.

“You want some?” I ask, tilting the bag toward him, but he turns his head to me, simply shaking his head no before turning back to watch the movie. “I want some, I want some!” T jokingly whines, and I happily tilt the bag in his direction, though I end up just leaving the bag between our legs, just in case he wants more.

“Man, I wish I was in that family.” We hear Taeyoung say, making us chuckle. “Why?” Jesse asks with a grin. “Just look at that house! All that food! I’d be like,” He makes a cute face, puppy eyes and all. “Omma! Can I please stay at cousin Kevin's house tonight?”

“Dude, we can make that here! We just have frozen stuff.” Robaire chimes in, making Taeyoung remember that we just majorly stocked up, and since they brought me along to shop, I may or may not have bought a bunch of junk.

“Oh. Em. Gee. You’re totally right!” Taeyoung practically jumps off the couch and heads to the kitchen, and I decide to come along with him, suddenly having a taste for that ice cream that Kevin is chowing down on. “Tae, look.” I bring him over to the freezer, opening it and showing him the multiple options of ice cream. I may have gotten a lot but, there are six of us, it’ll run out quickly. Vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, mint chocolate chip, moose tracks, coffee, cherry, so many more. We have a big sized freezer, so it’ll be okay.

As he excitedly pulls out the moose tracks, I head over to a cupboard and grab chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and mini marshmallows, setting them down on the counter. He brings the ice cream over and sets it beside our ingredients for sweetness galore. I grab two bowls, setting them down as Taeyoung gets a scooper and puts it down.

Jesse comes in, wanting to join in. He grabs the pista ice cream, making me grimace.

“Pista… I got that for you, by the way.” He's the only one who actually enjoys it. “Yep, thanks pookie.” He says, making me wheeze. 

“Did you just call me pookie?” I clutch my stomach, trying not to laugh. “Yes I did. Everyone keeps saying it so I’m joining in.” He walks over to me and Taeyoung, grabbing another bowl and the scooper from the counter, giving himself two scoops and going to rinse the scooper off for us, putting it back down and getting a spoon.

“Bye, pookies!” He calls out before walking out. “Bye…” Me and Taeyoung say in unison, looking at each other and laughing. “I didn’t teach him that word!” Taeyoung exclaims, putting his hands up before scooping us up some moose tracks, two scoops each. I grab the chocolate sauce, being generous with it, a big helping for both as Taeyoung gives us caramel sauce, being equally generous.

I open up the bag of marshmallows, pouring them into our bowls, making our dreams complete. “Wow.” I step back, putting my hands on my hips and admiring our work.

“This is gonna be so good!” Taeyoung grabs two spoons, giving me the smaller one, aw, little bro knows me well.

We grab our bowls and walk back into the living room, sitting back down in our seats. I immediately slam down on my sweet treat, but also taking my time and savoring it. I can see Z side eyeing me as if he wouldn’t scarf this down, and he so would. Well, maybe not with all the extraness. 

The movie goes on, the vanilla ice cream runs out very quickly. We get to the point of the movie where Kevin hears his mother, runs out and sees no one. Then, he finally gets to her. They hug, how cute. The moment just… makes me feel bittersweet.

Yeah, his mom seems a little harsh in the beginning, and even forgets him at home. Okay, this isn’t sounding too good. But, she tried to get home as soon as possible and was so happy that he was safe. She apologized too. For everything. She meant it.

She truly cares about her child.

“Oh my gosh, Imani! No way you’re crying at Home Alone!” I hear Jesse shout out, and I realize I’m full on sobbing. I quickly wipe my tears away, feeling a little embarrassed. I can hear everyone chuckling, well, all except Z.

“Ah, she will cry at every movie, cut her some slack!” Robaire says, hopefully knowing why I’m really crying. I feel a hand patting my back, the hand of Z. I look over at him with a small but grateful smile. 

“Ha ha, yeah.” I try to play off as I don’t care as I stand up, getting Taeyoungs bowl with my own as he is now in the bathroom and will definitely be a while. I head to the kitchen, rinsing our bowls and putting them in the dishwasher, shutting it with a sigh.

It’s late now, not late enough for me to sleep but I’m not really feeling like staying up. I walk back into the living room to grab my bag of chips, and I notice that T and Z are gone. Robaire is on his phone and Jesse is somehow knocked out cold despite me being gone for like two minutes. 

Maybe T is in our room… I head to the bedroom, pushing open the door and fully expecting to see him in bed or whatever, but he’s not there?

“Why didn’t Imani tell me?” I hear T… from Z's room?