#the problem came up in one of them where you can’t go trials but I forgot which one

[doozypear]

Might start playing dislyte on my pc because my phone can’t handle it anymore and I prefer playing in high quality. I know the link on the website takes you to LDplayer but are there any other options that people prefer more or is that the best one? I know people say bluestacks is good and I saw Noxplayer get mentioned

[createserenity]

I won’t leave you on your own.

Right, this might be controversial, or I might be the only one who sees this moment in this way, but I need to talk about this now. It’s really sweet when Crowley says this, except what happens afterwards isn’t sweet at all. And can I just add right now that I love both Azirpahale and Crowley, they’re both wonderful and also brillianty flawed, I don’t hate either of them. But as far as I’m concerned Crowley behaves really stupidly here.

GIF by ladybokatankryze

C: I’m going to get the humans out of here and then I’m coming back. I won’t leave you on your own. A: I know.

Oh dear, Crowley. Why did you leave him on his own after saying this? Why did you let Aziraphale down? Why does no one talk about the fact that you did? You walked out that bookshop and Aziraphale was so confident you would come back that he expressed this confidence to the humans and then defended his reliance on you, “Crowley will have a plan,” “Rescuing me makes him so happy.”

But you didn’t come back, Crowley! Why? You left the bookshop, spotted Muriel and then in some super weird ADHD* move just left Aziraphale to sort out the demon problem on his own whilst you went off to heaven. Whyyyyy?

Now okay. I admit, Crowley was working towards the ultimate goal of finding out what the heck had happened to Gabriel, which was something that needed to be done. He spotted the opportunity, knew it probably wouldn’t come up again and so took it. He did what probably needed to be done. He also did it expecting that the demons wouldn’t ever be able to enter the bookshop because Aziraphale was never going to say they could come in. It’s not his fault Maggie is an idiot. I still love him and so does Aziraphale. Also Aziraphale is perfectly capable of defending himself in some ways and we see this after Crowley leaves…

BUT. What a mistake.

He basically left Aziraphale on his own to fight the demons. An Aziraphale who trusted so absolutely that Crowley would come back, and that Crowley would know what to do, that he hadn’t bothered to come up with the whole plan himself. He didn’t have to. Aziraphale and Crowley are a team, they work together and they don’t let each other down.

Except this time Crowley did.

It’s unclear exactly how long Crowley spent in heaven watching the trial etc but since the ball starts at 6.30pm and the demons seem to turn up not that long into the evening, we can assume it’s a really long time. By the time he comes back it’s very clearly morning again, the entire night has passed. Maybe Crowley didn’t intend to be away that long, maybe he expected his jaunt to heaven to be quicker, or maybe this is because time passes differently in heaven and Crowley had no way of knowing exactly what time he’d return to earth, but whatever the reason, he leaves Aziraphale alone for a really long time, after explicitly stating that he won’t leave him on his own.

By the time he does turn up it’s long after the battle is over and long after Aziraphale has been forced to take an action he really didn’t want to take in order to defend himself and the bookshop.

Just look at Aziraphale’s face when Crowley returns, he isn’t super delighted to see him, he's sort of happy, but more looks like he can’t believe Crowley is actually there.

When he says, “You came back!” he sounds kind of surprised and also perhaps relieved. Why? Because he’s given up on Crowley coming back by that point. He has no idea what has happened to him or why he let him down so badly.

I think we can fairly safely assume that Aziraphale and Crowley can sense at least to some extent where the other one is when they are both on earth if they try to do so, and it’s probable that at some point after sorting out the demon problem Aziraphale had wondered where Crowley had gone and tried to sense him, so likely he knows Crowley has been away from the earth. What he doesn’t know is where he’s been or whether he went there willingly (at least until he turns up with a bunch of angels, at which point he’s intelligent enough to work it out).**

So now he knows where Crowley went, but he doesn’t know why or what he discovered. He’s still in the “Crowley let me down,” space at this point. Then Crowley asks what happened to the demons and Aziraphale has to tell him he blew up his halo. Crowley finds this delightful and he laughs, but for once they aren’t laughing together. This is only the second time that we have seen Crowley laugh at Aziraphale (the first is when he mocks him about thinking he’s a demon after the Job thing, which he quickly stops doing and switches to being kind when he realises how upset Aziraphale is). When he laughs about the halo he doesn’t mean it to be mocking, it’s actually the same disbelieving reaction that he does on the walls of Eden about the flaming sword, except magnified, he doesn’t just do a single “you what?” of disbelief and amusement as he does in Eden, he properly laughs because he knows Aziraphale better and thinks their relationship can take the laughter.

Usually he’d be right, but the problem is he’s just let Aziraphale down. So while he isn’t really mocking Aziraphale, because he loves that Aziraphale does these unexpected and wonderful things, Aziraphale doesn’t like the laugh at all. Look at his face. He glares at Crowley and his look very much is one of, “if you’d come back like you said you would, if you hadn’t let me down, I probably wouldn’t have had to do it at all.”

Then since Crowley rather stupidly doesn’t read the reaction and stop laughing the look changes more to, “I’m really upset about all this, please, please don’t laugh at me, you’re hurting me.”*** It's only shown briefly so it's difficult to capture, but you can just catch this in his expression before the camera cuts back to Crowley, and then again for a second when it recuts to Aziraphale, just before he reacts to the arrival of the demons.

Basically, Aziraphale is really fucking pissed off and upset with Crowley at this point. (Side note, Maggie and Nina look less than impressed by the laughter too – even they know it’s not the right reaction.)

If you need anymore evidence of how annoyed he is, look at how far away he stays from Crowley whilst he’s laughing. Aziraphale never stands that far away from him!

Luckily for Crowley Aziraphale is very good at forgiveness, and also very much likes it when Crowley takes charge of a situation and thankfully Crowley finally steps up. Whilst Aziraphale worries about what he’s done (look at the tension in his hands) Crowley categorically declares there will be no war and the demons react by listening to him. You can see Aziraphale start to reconnect with Crowley, his eyes flick back to him and then once Shax is up and awake his hands relax and he closes the distance between him and Crowley, angling his body towards him and standing close to him again.

Crowley is going to sort things out and Aziraphale’s faith in him is easily restored, although without doubt it’s suffered some damage underneath.

So what does this all mean? Well, firstly Crowley hurts Aziraphale deeply here and doesn’t realise he’s done it (and this is the second hurt he’s caused him within the space of a few days). Aziraphale forgives him pretty quickly, because Crowley unknowingly repairs things and Aziraphale is so full of love that it will take more than this one transgression to break their bond.

What it does mean though is that Aziraphale has just had a reminder of the demonic nature of demons shoved in his face. Crowley has just hurt him in several different ways in the space of a very short time. I doubt he consciously sees this as demonic because by this point I don’t think he really even thinks of Crowley as a demon on a day to day basis, but I do think he is responding to that hurt in a very human way.

Look, if your partner left you in a sticky situation and told you they would be back immediately and then didn’t turn back up for hours wouldn’t you be pissed off? Even if nothing happened (if Maggie had never let the demons in for example) you’d still have a few things to say about your partner’s hours of absence – yes, even if they had just unveiled a huge clue about why the whole situation was happening in the first place. That wouldn’t undo all your thoughts about how they let you down really badly and left you on your own in a terrible situation.

Another issue is Shax’s demonic nature – specifically how Shax has hurt him during the attack on the bookshop. If Crowley had been there there’s no way Shax would have had even half a second to get in her jibes to Aziraphale, but he’s not there and Shax gets her chance. What she does is play on Aziraphale’s fears about Crowley’s feelings for him (right at a time when Crowley is letting him down) and also remind Aziraphale of some of the ways in which he is a less-than-stella angel (as a side note I find it really interesting that Shax seems to have this ability to look at people and see their worst fears about themselves – do all demons have that or does every demon have a slightly different ‘power’?) So now Aziraphale has been let down by Crowley, which has directly led to Shax hurting him, and had his worst fears about his own nature brought to the forefront of his mind.

He’s been let down, mocked and emotionally wounded, and he goes into the conversation with the Metatron carrying that hurt, only to hear the Metatron singing his praises and telling him he’s, “the perfect angel for the job”. The Metatron deliberately soothes Aziraphale’s worst fears about himself in order to manipulate him. I’m not saying Aziraphale doesn’t see through it or that he is completely taken in by it or that this is his motivation for accepting the job, I think there’s more to it than that, but well… something to think about?

Mainly though, Crowley acts in a bit of a daft way here. His jaunt to heaven is funny and useful for moving the mystery along, but in terms of his relationship with Aziraphale it's an absolute disaster of a move. I'd want the "I was wrong" dance as an apology for that one if it was me. Just saying.

[blouisparadise]

Today we are excited to bring you the second part to our rec list of exes to lovers fics. You can find the first part to this rec list here. Please note that in some of these fics, they’re broken up before the story begins, and in some of these fics, they break up over the course of the story and then reunite. Happy reading!

1) The Prints Of Your Hands Are Still On My Canvas | Explicit | 4,563 words

Harry and Louis broke up not long ago. Everything was fine until then, problems started with Louis’ heat just around the corner, an important presentation that he could not miss, and a very visible (or more like invisible) alpha that could help him go through his heat. And then Harry shows up. (Again.)

2) Unspoken | Explicit | 5,175 words

Harry and Louis broke up when they were nineteen. They see each other after six years.

3) The Writing On the Wall | Explicit | 6,705 words

When BookToker Louis receives a gift basket filled with all his favorite sweets, wines, and stuffed animals alongside the new Harry Styles book, he’s shocked at the story he finds in the pages.

4) Can I Stand In Your Light, Just For A While? | Mature | 11,875 words

“But like, if they offered you that much money it means they really really want your works.” Niall continued. “I mean I guess, I still don’t get why,” he shrugged. “It's because you’re an amazing artist Lou.” Niall squeezed Louis’ arm. “Also, maybe the CEO guy has some sort of crush on you, and that's why.” “I really hope that's not true.” The man paid for his tomatoes and put them into his tote bag. “Why? Is the guy ugly? Bald?” Niall babbled. “No, Niall…” “Old? I bet he’s old.” “Niall! It's Harry, he’s the CEO guy.” Louis sighed. “What?!” Niall shrieked, probably startling the whole block.

5) Wedding Bells Will Never Ring For Me | Explicit | 14,807 words

After a failed proposal a few years back, Louis gets an unexpected invitation to his ex - Harry’s – wedding.

6) Nothing’s Scarier Than Losing You | Explicit | 15,463 words

When Louis and Harry run into each other at a Halloween party two months after their breakup, they’re reminded of how rude, infuriating, and utterly perfect for each other they are.

7) How You Sleep At Night | Mature | 15,568 words

“-And…this is Louis.” And just that. ‘This is Louis.’ Louis feels like throwing up out of nowhere. So, that’s it then? Is he just a ‘Louis’ to him now?

8) Silk Chiffon | Explicit | 20,122 words

Louis gets a message from his ex making fun of him for pretending to know how to cook on Instagram. They settle on a simple bet, Louis had to be Harry's perfect little housewife for an entire month.

9) Under The Rain Or Under The Snow | Explicit | 20,667 words

Christmas AU where they broke up a month ago but Harry shows up at Louis’ childhood home for the holidays. Louis didn’t tell his mum about their breakup so staying with them is not ideal. Harry stays.

10) My Waves Meet Your Shore | Mature | 23,873 words

When Louis gets an email from his ex - Harry - it shouldn't surprise him as much as it does; they're parents now and it isn't rare to communicate with each other. But this? He wasn't expecting it at all.

11) Your Heart Is Dangled In Front Of Me | Explicit | 27,085 words

Harry Styles prides himself in being one of the best detectives in The 28th Precinct. But if there’s one case he can’t solve, it’s his marriage. At least not on his own. Joining forces with his five-year-old son and a free-spirited murderer-on-trial, Harry does whatever it takes to bring Louis back.

12) Somebody's Got Your Trainers On (It's You) | Explicit | 28,000 words

Louis hasn't thought about Harry since half an hour after the shift started, when Krystle told him that she was binging Gogglebox last night and therefore didn't get enough sleep - a sure reminder of Harry’s temporary Gogglebox obsession. Five hours isn't much without thinking about someone, but that's as long as it gets. Louis came to terms with that two years ago. When Harry walked out the door with his stupid New Balance trainers and never looked back.

13) Last Blues For Bloody Knuckles | Explicit | 34,293 words

Styles was a name everyone knew. It had evolved into something of a fairy tale, a far away problem that normal people didn’t have to deal with. Louis never thought he’d find himself falling in love with him. When he finds himself pregnant with Harry’s child, he knows he has to leave the life, and Harry, behind. For her sake. He never expected Harry to show back up on his doorstep five years later.

14) The Wounds That Scarred Our Souls | Explicit | 35,910 words

Forever was nothing but a lie, Forever was just a ruse for the human heart, it gave you hope and then killed you. Forever was just a myth.

15) Stay Until Tomorrow | Explicit | 36,766 words

There’s a dull ache seeping through Louis’ body as he wakes up; a mild headache from last night’s alcohol intake, a cramp in his right arm from sleeping on it weird and a familiar soreness between his arse cheeks that Louis fully blames on his lousy one night stand.

16) Borrow The Moonlight | Explicit | 37,738 words

Louis and Harry broke up three years ago. The last thing Louis expects to see when he’s sent to help a guest is Harry, 3000 miles away from where he’s supposed to be.

17) The Space Between | Explicit | 39,917 words

Harry Styles is the alpha rockstar who can’t sleep and doesn’t know why. Louis Tomlinson is the omega PhD student who helps him figure it out.

18) Just A Flicker In The Dark | Explicit | 57,204 words

Louis is a struggling witch desperate to prove himself after yet another magic disaster and finds a calling in the haunted house of client Niall Horan. Things get more complicated when he’s assigned a case partner: acclaimed medium and ex-boyfriend, Harry S

19) Dark Doom, Honey | Explicit | 57,801 words

Note: There is also an AU version of this fic, which is also an exes to lovers fic.

Louis lifted one shoulder, lips slightly pursed. “You are acting like an asshole.” Harry’s mouth pressed into a thin line, eyebrows knitting together. “I wasn’t being an asshole, I was following my own rules. The ones I always follow when I’m about to start an arrangement with a new submissive. If you don’t want this or are having doubts, we should stop now. But if we do this, I do want to make something clear, I’ll never do anything you don’t want to, but you have to be aware that I’ll never be sweet, I don’t do sweet, you already saw what I do. If you want something different you can go on dates, this is not that. Are we clear?” It was the perfect way out. Louis could simply say no and their lives would keep on going as they were. So far, nothing was changed beyond repair. But he wanted to be. At some point in his life, way before Harry and the betrayals, Louis lost a little of himself, and had never felt closer to getting it back than in Lair, with Harry. “Crystal.”

20) Men of Steel, Men of Power | Explicit | 58,849 words

“You’ve been watching me,” Styles said. Louis swallowed around nothing. He tried for light. “You’re the newest addition, people are bound to be curious,” he said. “Sure,” said Styles, in a somewhat condescending tone. “I’m not that daft, I do notice the curiosity regarding my clothes. That’s not what you’re doing though, hm?” Styles’ gaze was intense, and Louis could feel it burn on the side of his face, but kept his eyes stubbornly on the coffee cup. “I,” he said, licked his lips. Took a deep breath, tried to look open, confident, dominant. Alpha.

21) It’s Golden, Like Daylight | Explicit | 61,496 words

"I actually think you might be onto something.” Harry’s eyes widened. “You mean…” Louis nodded. “As crazy and insane as this, this might just solve both of our problems.” “Are you saying you’re in?” Harry asked. “I’m in.”

22) Feeling Borrowed, Always Blue | Explicit | 68,214 words

Louis has been dreaming of his wedding since he was young - he just never expected it to happen like this. words

23) Violent Delights | Not Rated | 76,174 words

Prince Harry is arranged to mate Princess Charlotte, but first he must spend a month completing courting traditions which ends in a mating ceremony. When he arrives to the Tomlinson castle, he finds the forbidden North wing holds that which the family has worked hard to keep secret. Mainly: the sickly sweet Prince Louis, who’s rare gender has forced his family to keep him locked away for his own protection.

24) Sink Into Your Sunlight | Explicit | 79,562 words

In the grand scheme of things Louis did believe in love, what he didn’t believe was that he would ever find it in his life time for himself. Low and behold he would find it with someone he didn’t anticipate, now it was just a matter of having it work out the way he dreamed of.

25) Halfway Home | Mature | 103,158 words

Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson were improbable childhood friends, much to Harry’s dismay. They were thrown together each summer when Harry was forced to visit Louis’ grandfathers’ ranch in Black Hills, South Dakota. With each passing year, their friendship blossomed into something more. When trail rides turned to stolen kisses, and tragedies turned to confessions until they could no longer deny the inevitable draw they felt for one another. Though life and their future plans soon set them on different paths. Ten years later, Louis is the proud owner of Halfway Home Wildlife Refuge. Harry returns to the ranch to escape the perils of his past in London, and though their memories still haunt Louis, he won’t let that deter him from his goals. However, someone has been keeping a close eye on the refuge, and possibly Louis specifically, and Harry’s return may have unleashed more than just old passions. There’s a hunter lurking in the Hills, someone who’s decided they’ve bided their time long enough.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[dapandapod]

Particular with nicknames

Why hello there! This was written last september (2023) and has since been sitting in my draft, making me rewatch streams because no pathetic reasons at all i swear. Anyway, here is Jaskier having a Moment TM when Geralt uses a very specific nickname. Thank you @ahh-fxck for helping me beta read <3 much appreciated! Please enjoy streamer!Geralt and Pathetic!Jaskier! <3 On Ao3 here

For all the love Jaskier has of words and language, he is strangely picky with nicknames.

It’s not that he dislikes them, he is just strangely neutral. Alright, that’s not true.

His famously ill-advised and stormy relationship with Valdo came to mind. Jaskier had fallen promptly out of love with him when he was called ‘Snugglebutt’ in front of all of their friends. They were together for another month or so past that, because Jaskier thought himself cruel and wanted it to work.

Well, it did not.

Nowadays he shares a flat with his long time best friend Geralt, one of the few constants in his life and the one who just might own about two thirds of his heart.

It’s not a big flat, but they have a room each, a small kitchen, and a shared living room. That is also where Geralt has his small streaming corner set up, back against the wall and facing the room.

Easier that way to keep it clean if he streams with the camera on, no accidental flashing unsuspecting viewers that way. Something learned by trial and error, as Jaskier tends to run warm and just forgo pants. And shirts. And socks.

They also share their flat with a terrible little cat named Roach, who has never quite warmed up to Jaskier. Took to Geralt the instant she saw him, however, and the two are inseparable whenever Geralt is home.

All of this in itself is not an issue. Oh no, all of this is more than fine.

Watching Geralt be sweet with the terrible little furball makes Jaskier’s heart ache pleasantly, listen to him coo about her fur being so shiny and smooth, what a good girl she is, wow look at that yawn!

No, the problem came up the first time as Geralt was lazily watching TV on the couch, back to their little kitchen where Jaskier had just served her royal highness some very expensive cat food.

Roach does as she always does when Jaskier is involved, and simply walks out. It’s routine by now, and the food is usually gone by morning. It’s more about Jaskier knowing his place at the bottom of the list than not liking the food.

But as she returns to the living room with Jaskier trailing after, considering plopping down on the couch too instead of working on his doctoral thesis, Jaskier finds himself fundamentally changed.

“Hi baby.” Geralt says, voice all sweet and dark and gravelly, and fuck.

It is very much aimed at Roach, who is being a cutie, begging pets from under the table. But Jaskier’s insides do a kickflip, his brain short circuits.

Flushing deeply, Jaskier can’t control the little HRK sound escaping his throat.

He is frozen in his tracks, tongue tied and feeling absolutely pathetic. Geralt turns around to look at him with a questioning frown.

“You ok there?” he asks, Roach climbing the couch and up to the backrest, demanding attention.

“Just peachy,” Jaskier squeaks out, and then flees to his room.

Holy fucking shit and mother of turds.

Baby?? Of all the nicknames in the entire world, that is the one Jaskier is going to have a meltdown about?

Just, the lazy way Geralt said it, Jaskier feels like an old maid, clutching his pearls.

It’s fine. He will be fine.

It was meant for Roach, of course, it’s fine.

It is not fine.

Geralt is streaming, talking with some other players. He is not a big name, but he does have a following, and sometimes gets invited to other streams if it's a multiplayer game.

Jaskier is moving around the living room, untangling the nest that their couch has become recently, blankets and hoodies and socks thrown everywhere. He is also holding a banana, somewhat forgotten in his new mission to make the couch sittable.

Part of his distraction comes from listening to Geralt talking, there is a lilt to his voice when he is on stream. It is unclear if Geralt is aware of doing it, but Jaskier can listen to it forever.

While in the process of moving one blanket over to the footrest, Geralt laughs at something said in his headphones.

“Oh baby, I didn’t know you cared!”

Jaskier drops the banana.

Feeling like a deer caught in headlight, Jaskier is unable to do anything but staring, feeling heat climbing his neck, up to his cheek.

Then Geralt’s eyes meet his over his screen, his face is neutral but his eyes are knowing.

Fuck fuck fuck he is in so much trouble.

Maybe it’s fine to have that many blankets. Perfect for hiding, perfect for pretending the way Geralt says ‘Baby’ doesn’t go on loop in his head, and will be for days.

Jaskier is in a constant state of fear.

Ever since the Stream Incident, as he has come to call it, there is this new tension whenever they are in a room together. Where Geralt will look at him consideringly, where Jaskier will pretend everything is as per usual.

He has gotten better at not freezing, but a thrill runs through him every time Geralt uses That Word, making very unsubtle eye contact as he does.

How is his poor heart to cope?

Sometimes, late at night, when Jaskier is unable to sleep and he knows Geralt is still streaming, Jaskier joins in to watch. It is uncertain if Geralt has figured out it’s him or not yet, he has sneakily named his account to Bardelicious, and doesn’t usually join the chat.

Tonight, Geralt is playing a fantasy game. A monster hunter and his bard, fittingly enough, and he makes light commentary about things in the game.

Until there is a scene where the bard does something noble, stupid and somewhat foolish.

“Oh, baby.” Geralt says sadly, shaking his head.

The chat goes absolutely wild, more than one asking him to say it again, to call them baby, which is a little weird and also absolutely fucking valid.

“Why are people so weird about that?” Geralt says, chuckling. The replies roll in, and his eyebrows climb up his forehead. Jaskier’s heart is beating hard, because this could either be really good or really bad.

“Sexy? Doubt that.”

Jaskier regrets it as soon as he presses send, and by then it’s too late.

‘It is when you say it.’ was all he wrote, but it was the first thing he had written in there. Geralt doesn’t know it’s him.

It should be fine. He is fine.

Some more responses follow, but Geralt is strangely quiet. The game scene plays out, the monster hunter and his bard having a nice bonding moment.

It’s soothing to watch, to hear Geralt’s commentary every now and then. He falls asleep with his phone in his hand, earbuds still in.

The next morning, Jaskier is woken up by the scent of coffee and a hungry Roach yowling in the kitchen. She only does that when Geralt is around, so it is safe to assume he is up.

Which is a little odd, because Jaskier fell asleep before the stream was over, and he feels like death warmed over.

His jaw cracks when he yawns. Lured by the scent of coffee, he manages to get out of bed.

Geralt is indeed up and about, Roach winding affectionately around his legs as he prepares her breakfast.

“Morn,” Jaskier rasps, scratching his stomach and giving another yawn.

Roach doesn’t even look at him, fully focused on her man and her meal. The bowl is placed on the floor for the queen herself, and like the gremlin she is, she eats it without a fuss. Little bastard.

Jaskier joins Geralt at the bench, seeking coffee like a flower seeks the sun. He can stop when he wants, coffee is not an addiction, it is a way of life.

“Were you up all night? Hand me a cup, will you?” he says, reaching for the fruit bowl that Geralt for some reason keeps religiously stocked.

In reply, he gets one of the typical hums, which could mean absolutely anything, and two cups. Jaskier pours for them both and Geralt adds the usual unholy amount of sugar to Jaskier’s, which makes him smile.

“Any plans for today? I really should be working on my thesis, but I can’t be arsed.”Jaskier leans back against the counter and sips at his coffee, which is still a little too hot.

Geralt is watching him over the rim of his mug, sipping on the steaming coffee.

“I have a thing I thought to try,” he says, voice gravelly, eyes locked on him.

It makes Jaskier’s stomach flip, and he takes a too big sip, the drink burning his tongue and all the way down his throat unpleasantly.

“Yeah? Anything you want help with?” Jaskier asks nervously, realizing he is still holding his chosen fruit without eating it, so he puts it down on the counter.

The corner of Geralt’s mouth ticks up into a crooked smile, and yeah, Jaskier is in danger. It is way too early in the morning for Geralt to be such an absolute heart throb.

“If you are willing.” Geralt says, and Jaskier finds himself nodding despite himself. If Geralt asks him if he is willing, the answer will probably always be yes.

“Sure! Uh… What is it?”

Geralt takes a step towards him and puts his cup on the side of the counter. Then he grabs Jaskier’s cup out of his hand and puts that down too.

His heart is beating so hard he can feel it in his throat, his hands now clammy and gripping the counter behind him.

Geralt inches forward, the space between them shrinking fast. He stops just shy of touching him, and tilts his head, white hair falling over his shoulder.

“So I was streaming last night,” Geralt begins, and oh dear, oh no. “And there were some interesting comments that I couldn’t get out of my head.”

“Uh… Oh?” Jaskier says dumbly, and Geralt huffs a soft laugh, breath hitting Jaskier’s face.

“You're particular with nicknames, right? I mean, you are still mad at Valdo.”

With growing worry, Jaskier is starting to realize where this is going.

“He called me snugglebutt. In front of people. That’s embarrassing!” Jaskier defends himself faintly. Geralt leans in an inch more, leaning against the countertop and crowding Jaskier against it. Fuck.

“But that’s not what you think when I say ‘Baby’, is it?” Geralt’s eyes are trained on him, and smiles when he notices Jaskier’s flustered little sound, the way heat climbs up his cheeks.

In a weak attempt to save face, Jaskier looks down, anywhere but meeting the intensity of Geralt’s gaze.

It has the unfortunate effect of noticing how close they are, how Geralt’s t-shirt rides down just enough to reveal collarbones, how his hands flex against the counter.

“Tell me if I’m reading this wrong, Jaskier,” Geralt mumbles, leaning close enough for his nose to drag against Jaskier’s cheekbone.

Jaskier pulls in a breath, tilting his head in a way he hopes is invitingly.

“You’re not.” Jaskier whispers, and is rewarded with Geralt putting a hand on his hip, letting his nose drag along Jaskier’s neck. “You really, really not.”

“Is it the nickname? You look so startled whenever you hear me say it.” Geralt asks, one finger finding skin under the hem of Jaskier’s t-shirt.

“Just you. Pretty sure you could call me snugglebutt and I’d thank you.” Jaskier confesses, blurts really, when the rest of Geralt’s hand sneaks under his shirt to find his lower back, playing with the soft hairs there.

“Good to know,” Geralt smiles against his skin and Jaskier braves turning his head, their cheeks brushing together.

“Are you going to kiss me anytime soon, or are you gonna let me keep suffering?” Jaskier breathes, his hands finding Geralt’s and tracing them up his arms slowly.

“Hmm,” Geralt says, considering with a cheeky grin, the absolute bastard, so Jaskier takes matters into his own hands. Quite literally.

Geralt’s face is warm, rough stubble and barely visible scars and imperfections brush against his fingers. Geralt must have turned into it, because their lips slide together, coffee and morning breath mingling as Jaskier finds himself now properly pressed against the bench and Geralt’s body.

Then he is being kissed harder, deeper, and Geralt hoists Jaskier up on the counter, using Jaskier’s thighs to pull him closer, closer still, and presses open mouthed kisses against his neck. With a gasp, Jaskier scrambles to find a grip, to get some control of himself, but it is very, very hard to focus.

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me, baby?” Geralt murmurs against his skin, and Jaskier full body shivers. “I can feel you watching me, you are even in my streams.”

“You knew about that?” Jaskier asks breathlessly, stealing a kiss when Geralt shifts to look at him.

“If you wanted to be discreet, maybe you should have chosen something else than ‘Bardelicious’.” Geralt smiles, and Jaskier pouts and pinches his side in revenge.

“Why didn’t you say anything then?”

“Why didn’t you?” Geralt counters, and well, this won’t go anywhere.

“I like listening to you. I like listening to your voice as I go to sleep,” Jaskier says quietly, and Geralt hides his face in the crook of Jaskier's neck.

“Did you get any sleep at all last night?” Jaskier asks when Geralt stays there, melting into his body.

He doesn’t get anything but a muttering grumble in reply, and Jaskier smiles and strokes his hair.

“I need to find a nickname for you too. I refuse to be the only one being absolutely useless as soon as you open your mouth.” Jaskier murmurs into Geralt’s hair.

“Gmmrmgmg.”

“What’s that?”

“I said, ‘like it when you say my name.” Geralt says, and Jaskier is melting all over again.

“Well then, Geralt,” Jaskier purrs. “Let me finish my coffee, and then we’ll take a nap.”

Reaching for coffee without really letting go turns out to be hard, and when Jaskier with some struggle finally gets a hold of his cup, the coffee is still unreasonably hot.

They nap in Jaskier’s bed, both of them crawling in under the blankets and curling up together. Jaskier’s chin resting on top of Geralt’s head, Geralt’s arm slung over Jaskier’s chest.

When Geralt wakes up and press Jaskier into the mattress, it doesn’t take long for Geralt to discover exactly how to fluster Jaskier enough to splutter broken syllables.

It’s alright.

When Jaskier has recovered from being melted goo, he will return the favor.

[beebopboom]

If Gabriel can leave Heaven and be with Beelzebub, why can’t Aziraphale do the same with Crowley?

That’s a general question right? Something along those lines? How Gabriel did the “good” thing and how Aziraphale did the “bad” one, yeah?

Well I have a few thoughts on this so let’s go through it real quick on why Gabriel could and why it shouldn’t immediately be equated as the “good” choice - especially in comparison with Aziraphale’s

Also none of this is a slight against Gabriel/Beelzebub - it’s just a different relationship, different circumstances.

and this is just my interpretation obviously so yeah - do with it what you will

ok actual rant time go-

Gabriel and Beelzebub meeting how they did would not have happened without Armageddon being adverted.

They would have been on opposite sides of the battlefield but instead they ended up actually talking and in the process finding someone they could relate to. Their spark had been ignited and they continued to flame it.

To put it simply-

Gabriel and Beelzebub’s relationship is that of one between an Angel and a Demon. Aziraphale and Crowley’s is a relationship between two beings that happen to be an Angel and a Demon.

And that is a very big difference

Gabriel and Beelzebub are each other’s Heaven and Hell - they said so themselves. They may not be choosing sides but those two are the only ones they see, Heaven vs. Hell.

Even at the very end of every thing they are still an Angel and Demon - and in the case of Gabriel at least still holds those same opinions of the other side with the exception of Beelzebub of course

They don’t really see the third side that Aziraphale and Crowley have placed themselves on - they don’t have that connection to humanity not really.

For most of their existence pretty much every interaction with humans has been strictly professional and by the book. Sure Gabriel likes the clothes and his statue - and they have their song but that’s it.

They don’t have that history - that need to do the right thing by humanity not just themselves. As long as they got to be together they could care less about the rest of it.

Earth just happened to be the place they met up as it was the easiest. Not moving forward with Armageddon was not in the interests of keeping humanity around - it was in the interests of this being the place where they meet up and hey it has some vaguely interesting things about it - nothing has to change for them if they keep it around

Also they are both coming from very high positions of power on their respective sides - positions that are hard to touch. They are the ones making decisions and ordering people about. They were the ones to play judge and executioner. 

No one in that bookshop at that moment was really in the position to stop them from leaving. The one being that really had that power, The Metatron, came later and really just benefited from all this.

and The Fear that is ever present throughout Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship is barely there for Gabriel and Beelzebub really.

Heaven and Hell’s relationship particularly between the higher ups is so fascinating. The “backchannels” are practically an open secret and getting the other side to do their bidding is a running trend.

What did Gabriel and Beelzebub have to fear? Any meet up they were caught at could very easily be explained away. And honestly both sides have been fumbling trying to come up with plans - they weren’t paying attention.

At no point in his trial does Gabriel look nervous - he is very nonchalant about the whole thing because it’s whatever, they had a plan in place for this. He is no longer obligated to hold his position of power and oh? they aren’t going to send him to hell? welp he’s still leaving anyway.

Him leaving was just not acknowledging the problem, the system. He didn’t benefit from it anymore as he found something better, Beelzebub. So what was the point of staying and being demoted when he could just leave?

And the biggest and most important thing about all of this is-

They weren’t the first

no no no that goes to Aziraphale and Crowley.

Making choices and picking sides - things they were not made to do

6000 years of hiding their friendship - thousands of years spent worrying about being watched, about the other being hurt - thousands of years of living among humanity somewhat doing their jobs, mainly just enjoying being there and interfering where they could.

They didn’t get the privilege of knowing the loopholes between the two establishments so they made their own

Coming up with guidelines and routines so they weren’t discovered - that were then shattered after they helped advert Armageddon and were discovered.

and when they survived execution no one knew what they were - they had gone native

Completely intertwined with history and the fate of humanity - Earth was their home

They became each other’s World

they protected each other from Death

but all those routines and structures going away is jarring - difficult to work through

they are each their own character - with their own way of processing and doing things - thrust into a space that they may have wanted but never truly thought they would get. This is all a lot

All the things that Aziraphale has had to deal with are things that have never even crossed Gabriel’s mind - the guilt, the doubt, the uncertainty

4 years is not a lot of time to work through that really - not to them (not to anyone really)

4 years where they both knew it wasn’t over for them, for humanity - that eventually there was going to be another Big Event.

Fear that has never went away for either of them.

this is not a case of “oh Aziraphale and Crowley had over six thousand years to work on their relationship and failed, yet Gabriel and Beelzebub were able to work it out in four”

this is “they both had four years - Aziraphale and Crowley just had an added six thousand years of fear and repression to dig through”

Aziraphale went back to Heaven because everything is at a higher stake for him than it has been or will ever be for Gabriel - Gabriel gets the trial and Aziraphale gets the execution

Because the thing about Aziraphale is he cares - he cares so much about the future of humanity and his own future - which is not a bad thing

If there is two things to never doubt about Aziraphale it is his love for humanity and Crowley

But there was no choice in The Metatron’s “offer”however it was an opportunity

and he has just been “offered” the same position he just seen the previous holder get to go off together with his demon partner and no punishment.

Aziraphale knows what “big plans” means for Heaven, even if he didn’t know exactly what it was - he’s been on Earth watching them play out for 6000 years.

His goal up there is not whatever these big plans are the Metatron was talking about - he is going up there to change it (and is that such a bad thing? I mean we saw how he was with Muriel)

He is making the best out of getting backed into a corner - unfortunately it resulted in both of them him getting hurt in the process

but if there is one thing to take away from their last look is that although they may be hurt there, there is understanding and trust - and love between them

Going off was what Gabriel wanted and Going back was never Aziraphale’s choice to make.

so can they really be compared as the right and wrong when the circumstances around the situations were vastly different?

————————————————————————

ok I ran out of steam towards the end there and it might be a little incoherent but have a fun little headcanon to make up for it

you cannot convince me otherwise that Gabriel and Beelzebub don’t bitch about Aziraphale and Crowley - at the very least one of their meeting was just dedicated to bitching about the two of them

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

now & forever

cw. olnf week 2024, pre!release, step 2, day 3, pre!relationship, slight angst with a healthy dose of comfort

pairing. qiu lin/hash browns (ft. sparkling leaves)

notes. day 3 of @olnfweek2024. me? writing for qiu lin? i know, check and see if it is hailing in summer i can't believe this is happening either. my good friend @hash-slinging-slasher-trash recently got done with their final exams for their summer semester so this is a treat for them. surprise! (even if i am sure this was obvious considering my questions from yesterday lmao)

“You can roll your neck and stomp your feet but this black girl you sure won’t beat!” Nyla and Serenity chant in audible unison from across campus, moving in accordance to the words. From where they sit, Hash can see Tamarack giggling at the antics. Black Kid Solidarity, Nyla calls it. She finds it where she can. While not a member of that particular duo, Hash’s lips curl into an instinctive smile. The energy is contagious.

Dark raspberry eyes catch blue eyes observing the scene.

“Hi,” Tamarack mouths, her smile small but courteous as she waves.

Hash waves back with a small smile of her own, balancing her tray carefully with one hand. “Hey,” they mouthed back.

Hash remembers Tamarack’s squeals as they climbed atop the tire swing her grandfather set up. The cool autumn wind scratching their cheeks and lifting their laughs and giggles to the heavens.

When was it those times playing in that tire became infrequent? Hash can’t recall; four years is four centuries in teenage years.

Tamarack shuffles to the side on the grass with a hopeful expression, thin eyebrows knit carefully. When did Tamarack start plucking them again? When did I start noticing in the first place? Hash wonders what it says about her that she can’t remember that either when a long time ago it felt like her and Tamarack’s friendship was tighter than gorilla glue. Slowly but surely, that bond had been weathered by the rain.

There were no storms that attacked their friendship. No trials.

Just the passage of time.

Hash sees the spread of trays on the grass, like it’s a picnic. “Sorry,” Hash mouths and Tamarack nods in unsurprised understanding.

Hash and Tamarack were friends; they’re still friends. Standing across a ways from one another during lunch hour, however, the physical distance feels representative of their state of affairs.

Hash, Nyla, Tamarackー The new kids.

Four years ago, it felt like the three of them against the world as fellow newcomers to Acorn Rd. Golden Grove, Oregon.

“You ever stop to think how we’re like a reverse oreo?” Nyla, age 11, noted from where she lazily laid back against the Browns porch step. Summer was the worst season in Golden Grove and not even the chilled watermelon pieces in the bowl split between them could completely fight the heat. “Y’all are the vanilla whites, I’m the chocolate filling.”

Hash choked on their piece, “Nyla, shut up!”

“Hey I’m the one who said it, y’all can laugh,” Nyla stuck out her tongue with a snicker. “Quit smiling if you don’t think it’s funny, Lord Hashington!”

Tamarack’s small hands covered her face, unable to contain her laughter. There hadn’t been an attempt to stop it in the first place. The two of them were always the blunt new kid trio members, saying most anything that came to their mind.

Four years later, the world has split a world with the three of them distinctly in different sects. Friends… but not best friends.

Four years in the past, the kids of the cul-de-sac were a quartet.

Four years in the present, there’s a line. A distinct one.

We’re all still friends, Hash tells themself. Most of us. 

Qiu and Tamarack’s relationship had fallen off compared to the rest. The two of them aside, things aren’t the same anymore and Hash has come to accept that. Tamarack is going to leave one day, tugged down a path by her parents. Qiu sinks more and more into themselves, outsiders unable to penetrate their newfound icy fortress. Nyla’s problems are harder to look into when she keeps them hidden behind bad jokes and laidback nonchalance.

Of their original friend group, everyone has a favorite.

Nyla and Tamarack’s eyes have always been reserved for each other.

Qiu has Hash and Hash has Qiu.

Nyla’s lunch hour is reserved for Tamarack and Hash’s hour has always been reserved for Qiu. Speaking of Qiu, Hash knew they were waiting for them in Mr. Murray’s class. “See you,” they wave one last time before turning towards the building the professor’s class is located in.

Things might have changed with Nyla and Tamarack, simultaneously grand and minute the changes have been, but things have never and will never change with Mx. Qiu Lin.

Hash finds them as they always do, draped over a desk lazily with their brown hair spread across their shoulders haphazardly. “Qiulet,” Hash calls playfully and a brown eye opens unamused. “I’ve finally returned from the battlefield. Looks like you don’t need to come down from your balcony, after all.”

“It was never a balcony in the first place, you weirdo,” Qiu murmurs, leaning back to sit properly in their chair as Hash placed their tray between them.

“Not-so-secret hideout, Juliet’s balcony,” Hash rolls their eyes in mock irritation. “What’s the difference?”

Qiu smirks, resting their chin on their palm, “sounds like plenty to me.”

Hash sits down with their nose in the air pointedly smug, “well it’s a good thing you’re not the one in charge of my allusions.” Qiu’s response is to take one of Hash’s fries. For someone who said they weren’t hungry, that never stops Qiu from suddenly desiring food when someone else provides it. Regardless, there’s little that isn’t shared between them now. Hash feels no reason to make a fuss. “You gonna go to ballet practice for once?”

“That depends, who’s asking?” Qiu raises a brow lazily.

Your mother, technically. Mrs. Lin knew it’d be a pointless endeavor in bringing it up herself, however, so she relied on you, the Qiu Whisperer. “Me,” Hash replies smoothly. “I wanna have a post-lunch show after school. I haven’t seen you practice in a while, so I guess I felt like going. Only if you want though.”

Qiu shrugs, taking another fry thoughtfully before eventually relenting, “I guess.”

That’s as much of a ‘yes’ as one will get in the language of apathetic Qiu Lin.

“Good because I have your leotard in my backpack,” Hash grins giggling when Qiu flicks her forehead lightly. “What? I had to be prepared just in case you said ‘yeah’, otherwise we’d be late!”

“Yeah, yeah, if you say so,” Qiu rolls their eyes but Hash can see amusement swimming in them. Sees their lips quirk into a playful smirk and how light and airy their movements are. It’s a shame people like Vianca and Serenity don’t get to see this side of them but you can’t help relishing in how you’re one of the coveted few that do. “You’re not slick.”

Hash bats their eyelashes adoringly, “I know not to what you are referring.”

“Mhmm,” Qiu hums in disbelief but unbothered as they are, they let it go. If they truly hated it, after all, Qiu would have let you know expeditiously. Pretty as a rose Qiu may be, they have their thorns. They never seem to brandish them against Hash, however. Any pushback they have are small pricks, soft. This isn’t anything that has them pressed. “But the next time you decide to beat me into going to ballet practice, I demand compensation.”

“Is my charming personality not enough?” Hash gasps, clutching their chest in imagined pain.

“It is most of the time, but I like to shake things up from time to time,” Qiu chuckles.

Hash isn’t sure if it’s the joy they got them to smile that has them flushed or the comment. Probably both. It’s just them joking around, Hash reminds themself. Just a joke. Nothing serious. “Well what will satisfy you, Mx. Qiu Lin? Your humble servant will provide the goods tomorrow.”

“Mom’s making dumplings tomorrow and is forcing me and Dad to help,” Qiu sighs painfully. Hash’s mouth waters at just the thought of it. Dumplings are a long but rewarding affair in the Lin household. “You’re suffering with me.”

“That isn’t even a punishment,” Hash smirks, moving a stray lock of dirty blonde hair from their vision.

Qiu smirks in return, closing their eyes in satisfaction, “glad to know you’ll be there then.”

i was really trying to keep in mind the hash lore they developed from their playthrough of the ol2 demo and our discord chats fjnfkjsdnf. things get a bit angsty TmT. still homies with tamarack but because tam might be leaving, there's a bit of distance between them and they've gotten real close to qiu because of the insurance their not going anywhere. i wanted to play with that concept with a mixture of the day 3 prompts with crossing our verses together and hash looking back on the memories

[accirax]

Attempting to Debunk the Arei Dress Up Theory

(CW: death, a mention of blackface, and discussion of the BMI system. Spoilers through Chapter 2 of Trigger Happy Havoc and through Chapter 2 Part 1 of Danganronpa: Despair Time.)

As most of you are likely aware, it’s a popular theory that, for one reason or another, the killer of Danganronpa Despair Time Chapter 2 dressed up as the victim, Arei, and that you can see them doing so in this conversation.

Because Veronika brings up Teruko’s prosopagnosia (face blindness) later in the episode, because Arei unusually says nothing throughout this conversation, and because the Dress-Up Room was oh-so-conveniently introduced this chapter, at first glance, it seems very plausible that this could be the twist the Class Trial is heading towards. I, too, liked this theory at first, but then I got to thinking. And the more I thought about all the risk factors, the more I became convinced it was nearly impossible that anybody would have chosen to dress up as Arei.

So, that’s what I’m trying to prove today: no possible killer amongst this cast could have been dressing up as Arei at this exact moment. And, my method is the most fair thing I could think of: bringing up a bunch of points of contention that could trip up anybody, and giving each character either an X or a pass based on their own traits and skills.

Given that there are 14 points that I came up with, I think it’s fair to say that if the character in question receives seven Xs or more (AKA 50%), it would be basically impossible for their disguise to have fooled anyone for this long. I will be giving out double Xs (XX) on some occasions where I think that someone would have a particularly bad problem.

That is based on my discretion, but, uh… so is this entire theory. The good news is that, with this one, it’s particularly easy to play along at home! If you disagree with any of my points, you could run this experiment and change the boundaries or participants to your liking. I’d love to see it if you do!

For this theory, I will be tackling any important character that I think could be dressing up as Arei at this moment. However, that isn’t everybody. Here’s who I eliminated and why:

Because we’re looking at this particular conversation, no one who is present in the Cafeteria could be pretending to be Arei at this point. I mean, I guess if Arei was in on it, then the eventual killer could be dressing up as Arei, and Arei could be dressing up as them. But, if Arei is willing to cooperate… why wouldn’t Arei and the killer just act as themselves? So, Teruko, Hu, Ace, Nico, Veronika, and Levi cannot be dressing up as Arei.

Xander and Min are dead, so I’m excluding them from this conversation.

If Arei is dressing up as Arei, she’s just being Arei. That’s nothing unusual, so we’re not talking about it.

If you genuinely think MonoTV dressed up as Arei and is the Chapter 2 killer, I have many concerns for you.

…Please don’t make me speculate even further about Mai, my heart can’t take it. More seriously, I think that the odds of this huge Mai twist resulting in her being the Chapter 2 killer (and thusly getting executed) are low enough that I can excuse her. I guess it could be that Arei was already dead at this time due to someone else’s hand, and then Mai stepped in from who knows where to impersonate Arei for reasons unknown, but… that’s so speculative that, again, I’m not going to bother. It'd really freak out the killer, too; can you imagine?

Cool! So that leaves us with Arturo, Charles, David, Eden, J, Rose, and Whit as people who could theoretically be dressing up as Arei, likely as her killer.

Before we really get started, I just want to clearly state that, for the most part, I’m not relating this to the actual theories of the timing or method of Arei’s murder. I think it makes the most sense if the person dressing up as Arei then became the blackened, but I’m not actually going to tie anyone’s culprit feasibility into how well they could dress up. There’s no category based on “do they have an alibi for Arei’s time of death” or “could they overpower Arei in a fight.” It’s just an objective look at how good everyone would be at impersonating Arei. I'm going to address the hypothetical person dressing up as Arei as the killer for the remainder of the analysis, though, so keep that in mind.

Let’s get started with issue #1!

Issue #1: Arei’s Hair Color

One factor that even Teruko could notice is if the killer didn’t have the same hair color as Arei. The girl is super blue (Arei even claims so herself in the Chapter 2 Part 1 Q&A), so the killer missing her distinctive hue would be a definite misstep. Out of the characters we have left, I think that David or Arturo would be the best at matching her hair color naturally.

Thankfully, though, they don’t have to.

A point frequently brought up is that we’ve seen these wigs in the Dress-Up Room already. If the killer simply put this on as part of their Arei disguise, it doesn’t matter what their original hair color is. Now, this wig is a lighter color than Arei’s hair, and it’s a little curly, and you’d have to style it, and the white wig being so similar to Sora from SDRA2’s hair makes me think that this wig is meant to parody an existing fangan character… but I’m willing to ignore all that for the sake of theorizing. Plus on that last point, just because the wig may be referencing somebody else doesn’t mean it couldn’t have been used by the killer.

So, no Xs given out this time! A round of applause for all our contestants.

Issue #2: Arei’s Eyes

Similarly, if you showed up dressed as Arei without her beautiful cerulean orbs, a lot of people would probably notice that something was up. J, Whit, and debatably Arturo pass this one for having blue eyes themselves.

The frequent counterpoint to this is similar to the wigs– the Dress-Up Room could easily contain colored contacts which could allow anybody to make their eyes blue. So, let’s talk about the Dress-Up Room.

This is what it looks like in full. As you can see, it’s mostly clothes. Teruko calls it “a boutique,” and Whit and Hu only mention getting “new clothes,” implying that there’s mostly only clothes in this room. However, it’s not only clothes, because Teruko has this to say:

Teruko mentions things besides clothes in this room, but has nothing to say about contacts or makeup. If they do exist, I think it would have to be in this dresser area, either in the drawers or in the pink box.

Now, I don’t think it’s impossible that there could be contacts in either of these places, which is why I’m giving people who don’t have blue eyes a pass here. I’m also ignoring the specific iris/pupil designs that people have here (such as David’s stars or Whit’s heart-shaped pupils) for the sake of the benefit of the doubt. Nobody has patterns on their irises or heart shaped pupils in real life (even after eye surgery), so that could just be a fun design quirk the creator ignored.

However, I will be giving our first X of the game to Eden, because of her glasses. If Eden was dressing up as Arei, she couldn’t wear her usual glasses, which she presumably needs to see. She could remedy her vision impairment with contacts, except that she would have to be wearing colored contacts to have blue eyes.

I did look it up, and it is possible to make colored contacts with a prescription. However, they would have to be customly made for Eden, which would mean that either A) she had to already have them on her at the start of the game (highly unlikely) or B) whoever created this killing game’s set specifically made colored contacts with Eden’s prescription on the off chance that Eden both decided to kill someone AND decided to dress up as someone to do it. They’d have to do it in several colors, too, because they would have no idea who Eden was planning to kill/dress up as. That seems implausible enough to me to discredit her on this one count.

You could also argue that Eden decided to chance just not wearing her glasses here. However, that would raise the obvious problem that she wouldn’t be able to see either what’s in front of her or who’s far away from her, which are both bad for someone trying to go undercover. It would be really hard for her to get through the day without accidentally scrunching her eyes trying to see something, which would start giving her away. Additionally, if Eden’s vision requires a double prescription (such as needing bifocals), you cannot make contacts for that kind of vision impairment.

So, yeah. TL;DR, it’s still an X for Eden only here.

Issue #3: Arei’s Skin Color

Arei has light skin, which you can see on her face and other various body parts in her typical clothing. Thus, anybody with dark skin would struggle impersonating Arei, because they would need to put paint/makeup on their face, neck, arms, hands, and thighs to avoid suspicion.

My point about the Dress-Up Room also comes back here. We haven’t seen any evidence that there is makeup in the Dress-Up Room, and other than potentially in Storage, I don’t think there’s a great alternate place to get it. I would believe that both Whit and Hu might wear makeup, so it would have been easy for one of them to comment about the cosmetics present in this room if they existed, and particularly if they would later be murder relevant.

However again, for the sake of theorizing, I’ll say that there is light skin paint/makeup in one of the drawers that a darker skinned person could use to cover themselves up. It would still be a time consuming plan with a high chance of failure, though, so I’m giving Charles, Eden, and Rose an X for impracticality here.

Issue #4: Arei’s Ethnicity

(This section has been edited since its original posting. Thank you to @another-danganronpa-fan and @xmicrophonyx for drawing my attention to the August 6th Q&A and more importantly the March 6th Q&A!)

Although Google says that the last name “Nageishi” is most common in Brazil (???), given that it’s Japanese in origin (as are Arei, Fuyuko, and Natusko’s names), I’m pretty sure that Arei is Japanese. And many of the other students… are not.

Look, I don’t want to bring real world politics into silly anime murder theory, but I really, really doubt that the creator would want to have a person of one race dress up as someone of another race, especially for characters who would have to change their skin tone. It’s not as obviously bad as a character straight up doing blackface, but it’s close enough that I think the creator would know to avoid putting that beat into their story. I’m tempted to give characters that fail here a double X, but since it’s technically only my opinion, I’ll leave it at one.

Now, I am assuming characters’ ethnicities here based on last names, which isn’t a foolproof plan. It doesn’t account for characters who are adopted, or who have a mixed race lineage. Still, I think that, combined with their designs, it’s the best we have to go off of.

Therefore, I’m giving an X to Arturo (likely caucasian), Charles (confirmed Hispanic), J (confirmed Hispanic), and Rose (French last name, but given that she is obviously black I would say likely Afro-French/potentially Creole?). Because David (likely Vietnamese) is still East Asian, I’m letting him slide; same with Whit (confirmed caucasian/asian). Although Eden's skin tone still troubles me, I try not to penalize or benefit characters multiple times for the same trait. Thus, because Eden is canonically half black and half Japanese, she will also not get an X.

I truly hope that I did not offend anybody with this section. If I said something incorrect, please let me know so that I can apologize and either correct it or remove this section as quickly as possible.

Issue #5: Arei’s Height

Arei is 5’7” (170 cm), so for the killer to impersonate her, they’d have to be somewhere around her height. I know that the Arei we saw was probably sitting down, but like… the killer would still have to walk to and away from the table to get there, which means people could have seen them standing. Not to mention, your height still shows when you’re sitting down if it’s off enough.

I think that being one inch (2.5 cm) off in either direction would be enough to bypass most people (we’ll get to that), so anyone in the 5’6”-5’8” (167-173 cm) range could pull it off. Therefore, J passes at a perfect 5’7” (170 cm), and so does Whit (5’6”/167 cm). Arturo (6’3”/190 cm) gets our first XX here for being literally over half a foot (15 cm) off. Eden just barely avoids being half a foot off at 5’2” (157 cm), so she gets an X. So do Charles (5’9”/175 cm), David (5’9”/175 cm), and Rose (5’4”/162 cm).

Issue #6: Arei’s Weight

I bring in this point mostly to communicate how likely it is that the killer could properly fit into Arei’s clothes. If the killer weighed too much more than Arei, then the clothes would be too tight, and if they weighed too much less than Arei, the clothes would be super baggy.

The best way I figured I could analyze this is to use a Body Mass Index (BMI) chart, which, if you didn’t know, is a ratio doctors use to compare people’s heights to their weights to determine whether or not they may be over- or underweight. Now, there have been several critiques of the BMI system, particularly regarding athletes– muscle is more dense than fat, so some of the fittest people in the world classify as morbidly obese under the system. It also wasn’t designed for anime characters with unrealistic weight expectations (seriously how tf was Mukuro 5’7”/169 cm and 97 lbs/44 kg she should've been DEAD long before the Spears of Gungir).

Because of how unreliable this method is, I won’t be giving any characters XX on this one no matter how far off they are. However, I will be giving one X to anybody who is more than two points off of Arei’s BMI. Because Arei clocks in at 19.5, that means anyone in the range of 17.5-21.5 would be safe.

Weirdly enough, with that range, the only two people who get an X in the weight category are the same people who passed the height category, J (22) and Whit (22). Arturo (21.5), Charles (21), David (21), Eden (20), and Rose (20) all have fairly similar proportions to Arei.

Issue #7: Arei’s Build

Speaking of muscles, Arei’s the Ultimate Bowler, dammit! She’s a professional athlete, and Rose even points out her strength during the arm wrestling contest.

Although I don’t think that the killer would need to expect to demonstrate Arei’s strength (or especially her bowling skills) when in disguise, you can still gauge how muscular someone is just from looking at them. For example, were Levi an option, he would be way too muscular to pass off as Arei.

This point becomes a lot easier to score with the official strength chart that the creator released in the Chapter 2 Part 1 Q&A!

I know that the creator warned us to not take this diagram too seriously, but for the sake of fun speculation, I think that this semi-canon material is the best we have to go off of. Not to mention, each section is only one point out of fourteen overall. If we're a little off here, it'll be okay.

Besides, I suspect that they put in that warning more so for people who do intense math about crime theories (like people who calculate that anyone who lifted Arei’s body using a single pulley system would have to be able to lift approximately 64 lbs/29 kg what who said that). It's understandable if they didn’t complete a physics thesis paper on exactly how a drop of blood would fall on a cashmere sweater when it’s a humid July day and the victim ate sauerkraut ice cream earlier.

Jokes aside, I’ll say that anyone in the fit to average range would be able to pass as Arei at a glance. That means that David and J are a-okay. Arturo, Charles, Rose, and Whit all get one X for being out of shape. Eden gets XX for being even more out of shape than the out of shape people.

Issue #8: Arei’s Voice

Out of all the voices in the cast, I think that Arei has one of the highest pitches. Thus, if the killer was suddenly called upon to speak as Arei, they would need to possess the ability to speak in a high pitched voice to even have a chance of mimicking Arei.

You could argue that the killer would go in with the intention of not ever speaking as Arei, but you have to remember that this killer was intentionally going out and being around people so that their disguise could be seen. A simple “how are you this morning?” or “did you get enough to eat?” could ruin your plans. You could choose to not respond, but part of the reason why people suspect that the Arei in this conversation isn’t Arei is because she doesn’t speak. AKA, Arei being quiet is out of character for her, and not speaking would immediately raise suspicion!

I’m giving David a XX because his voice is deep enough that I think he would seriously struggle to reach Arei’s pitch. Arturo, Charles, and Whit have deep enough voices that I think that they could easily be caught, but it wouldn't be so unreasonable that they couldn't give it a try. So, they get a regular X. Eden and Rose pass this test with flying colors. J has a lower voice among the girls, but I think she could speak in a higher pitch if she wasn’t so concerned with sounding girly, and her experience with actors might give her an edge.

Issue #9: Arei’s Wit

If “Arei” is forced to talk, then “she” also needs to sound like Arei when she does. Therefore, the killer needs to be someone who could mimic Arei’s personality to a certain degree– AKA, they need to bring the savage energy that Arei brings to her bullying roasts. After all, responding rudely is probably the best way to make sure that your interrogator shuts up and leaves you alone.

I’m just gonna run through this one in alphabetical order. Arturo insults people on the reg, so other than the fact that “Arei’s” insults might be a little more appearance-based than normal, he’d be fine. Charles has been seen trading verbal blows with Teruko, so I believe he could pull it off. David radiates so much theater kid energy that I’m sure he could pull Arei off as if it were the role of his life. Eden… is the first character here that I think might get an X. Her general personality is super nice, and even when she does oppose someone, it’s either out of sad desperation (like when she defends Arei in the second Class Trial) or in a silly way (like when she blackmails Teruko). Even if she decided to be mean for the sake of her murder scheme, I just don’t know if she has the killer instinct to come up with ruthless burns as quickly Arei does. While not as much as Arei, J is pretty blunt and rude, plus she’s had plenty of target practice with Arturo. Although Rose is very good at replicating paintings, I don’t think she’d have the energy or present-mindedness to replicate Arei’s personality, so she gets an X too. Whit has made jokes that come off as rude to others in the past (like Xander in the prologue, or Charles in the laundry scene), and he’s hung out with Arei a couple of times, so I think he could do it.

Issue #10: Arei’s Relationships

We’ve discussed somebody talking to Arei in the abstract, but now I want to get more specific. Right before the Class Trial occurred, Arei made some very notable relationships with people that were not made public knowledge– namely, her emotional reliance on David, her unwavering loyalty to Eden, and her defensive feud with Arturo.

The Arturo one isn’t really a problem, as just being normally mean to Arturo would probably suffice. But what if David came up to her at lunch, put a hand on her shoulder, and asked her how she was doing? If “Arei” started insulting him or manipulating him, he would immediately suspect something was up.

Considering that, as the evidence stands, I’m pretty sure no one character (other than Arei) definitely knew about all three of these relationships prior to the Class Trial, I could give everyone an X. However, there is a way you can bypass this– if the killer was confident that they knew about the way Arei felt about everyone, even if they were actually wrong.

I was already going to give Eden, David, and Arturo a pass for knowing about at least some of the relationships, but under this lens, it’s even more believable. Eden is in the best position, given that she knows about herself and Arturo, and at least saw David there when she ran away. Given that Arei thought of her as a friend, it’s also possible that Arei would have mentioned to Eden that David was the one who motivated her to defend Eden. David knew about Arei’s relationship with himself, and knew that she planned to patch things up with Eden. He didn’t have any reason to suspect anything weird with Arturo, but again, the relationship didn’t change all that much. Arturo would have struggled with David, but he at least knew about himself and Eden. I believe he could have been overly confident in assuming that Arei hated everyone other than Eden, so I’ll let him slide.

However, I think Charles, Whit, Rose, and J would all get an X. Charles is a smart guy who I can’t remember ever talking to Arei one on one, so I find it hard to believe that he believed he knew everything there was to know about Arei’s relationships. Whit spent more time with Arei, but he’s also more emotionally aware– he knows how complex people are, and therefore probably wouldn’t bank on nailing how Arei feels when he’s spent so much time off with Charles. Rose is often asleep and therefore misses out on a lot of the daily life. She sometimes can’t even remember who people are period, so I doubt she’d have the confidence to believe she understood Arei’s relationships. J is definitely the closest on this point, given that she’s interacted with Arei a decent amount and is pretty confident in herself. However, she’s pretty practical (just like her effects), so it’s still enough of a stretch that I’d give her the X.

Issue #11: The Killer’s Skill

This category asks, “how much does this plan rely on the talents included in the killer’s own Ultimate ability?” Don’t get me wrong– not every case, canon or fanon, needs to utilize part of the killer’s Ultimate talent. For instance, Mondo didn’t use any skills involved in being the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader when he killed Chihiro, unless you count his overall strength and attitude.

I’m actually asking this because I think that the disguise plan makes a lot of sense with J’s talent, the Ultimate Effects Artist. As I’ve explained before, J specializes in practical theater effects, which would make her far and away the best at pulling off the visual magic needed to make herself look like Arei. So, what of everyone else?

Think about it this way: imagine if you were playing the first case of Trigger Happy Havoc, and you learn that the blackened threw Hiro’s crystal ball at the buttons to make the Trash Room open. Then, you deduce, aha! Taka must be the culprit! In this universe, you’re right, and Taka is executed. But, wouldn’t it be weird if Taka committed the crime doing something that lined up exactly with Leon’s skill, and there was no focus given to it at all?

If someone was killing Arei and using J’s talent to do it, I would expect that they would be doing it with the intention of framing J. And I don’t think that anything else in this case purposefully makes it look like J did it, even if J actually did do it. Thus, I feel justified in giving Arturo, Charles, David, Eden, Rose, and Whit Xs for this category.

Issue #12: The Killer’s Absence

In my mind, the theoretical point of dressing up as Arei is so that, if you killed or otherwise incapacitated Arei earlier in the murder process, nobody would find it suspicious that she was gone. That, of course, raises another question– what if people find it suspicious that you are gone? Because of that, I think that the killer is someone who would have to be able to slip away from the group relatively unnoticed.

Charles and Whit are giving each other Xs here. Since the beginning of Chapter 2, it seems like these two hang out with each other pretty much 24/7. If one of them was gone, the other would certainly notice. (I’m excluding the possibility of one of them being an accomplice for the other because I find it incredibly implausible for actual murder- and character-related reasons.) Not to mention the incredibly gay funny sequence of events in the second Class Trial where David questions if anybody could really have a solid alibi for the entire day, then Charles says that he was with Whit for the entire day, and David doesn’t even bat an eye. In theory, this also means that Charles and Whit were actually together for the entire day, which means that it probably should be impossible for either of them to have been Arei during the scene at lunch. ...Oops?. Speaking of spending the day together, though…

J and Arturo are also exchanging Xs. If J was busy dressing up as Arei all day, Arturo would have been roaming the halls calling her name. And even if J would enjoy Arturo being gone for a day, she would certainly remember it. She even says as much in the Class Trial:

Given that the “that time period” J is talking about is around 7:30 PM, it’s not fully impossible that either of them could have been Arei at lunch. However, they would still both generally notice the absence of the other, so they get an X.

I think Eden, David, and Rose all get passes, though. Eden is a generally sociable person who likes to talk to others, but she doesn’t have one particular person she’s attached to as much as Charles and Whit/J and Arturo are. The person who would probably be most likely to notice would either be Arei, but she would be dead/incapacitated, or Hu, who was dealing with Nico and Ace at the time. Plus, if she was absent from one conversation, people would probably just assume she was talking to someone else somewhere else. David also generally seemed to get along with people, but also seemed to spend a lot of time alone. Rose… really doesn’t have a lot of close friends, and also isn’t much of a talker. If she was gone, people would probably just assume she was off sleeping somewhere.

Issue #13: The Arturo Pass

Arturo is a plastic surgeon, a profession which looks at the smallest details of a person’s face and tweaks them, even in slight ways, to make them look their conventional best. Or, essentially, if something is even the slightest bit off about Arei’s face, Arturo could probably pick it up from a mile away.

Now, I know that Arturo did not appear in the specific conversation in which Teruko saw “Arei” being quiet. However, there’s no reason that the killer would have to believe that they couldn’t run into Arturo unless they were Arturo, right? Anybody could come into the Cafeteria, so unless the killer did something to stop him, Arturo could have come, too. Since we can’t prove that Arturo and the killer meeting did or didn’t happen, I think we have to assume it was a possibility.

Therefore, I think that all candidates except Arturo fail here because it’s unlikely that they could stand up to Arturo’s scrutiny. Additionally, I would say that J doubly fails because Arturo has spent so much time staring at her face specifically. It’s possible that he could have forgotten what the rest of the casts’ ugly mugs look like, throwing them all into the pile of disgusting rejection. But there’s no way that he wouldn’t be able to recognize Julia’s glowing beauty under the makeup and clothing that makes her look horrifying.

To summarize, Arturo passes his own check because he would have no reason to call himself out, J gets a XX because of how tuned in Arturo is to how she looks, and everybody else (Charles, David, Eden, Rose, Whit) gets a regular X for being ugly in their own unique ways.

Issue #14: The Rose Pass

Same as before, except even worse. Remember when I said we were coming back to the “one inch in either direction could fool most people” thing? We know that Rose can canonically notice 1/16th in (0.16 cm) growths in people, so having literally anything off here could spell death.

I am aware that Rose is sleepy, forgets what people look like sometimes, and is somewhat absent minded. So, let me address those concerns as best I can.

For the first, recall that this is the day where Teruko wakes up four hours late. Therefore, when she enters the Cafeteria, it’s actually closer to noon than it is to morning. Even if the killer was only dressed up as Arei around the time of that meal, we already know that she was awake at that time– Teruko leaves the Cafeteria and runs into Rose around the Gym directly afterward.

For the second and third, we only know that she only forgot about who J was before the first Class Trial. I would expect that after a murder actually occurred, she would be much more aware of her surroundings, and more likely to remember what people look like. She has nightmares about the trial and execution, which every student (except Xander) attended. With her photographic memory, I would expect that she would remember exactly what they looked like at that time. Not to mention that, under my system, everybody has at least one unrelated X. Those are all things that would stick out, which Rose is much more likely to notice than something that’s normal.

That’s my longwinded way to explain that pretty much everyone (Arturo, Charles, David, Eden, J, Whit) is getting an X here. Rose doesn’t because she, again, would not have to worry about running into herself.

The Grand Summary!

So, in the end, we see that (drumroll please…)

DAVID COULD FUCKING PASS AS AREI ARE YOU KIDDING ME–

Ahem. Well, with my analysis today, we have proven that nobody in the cast could have been dressing up as Arei at the time of that lunch conversation… other than David fucking Chiem, apparently. Now, keep in mind that he is just barely hitting under fifty percent here, and that he double failed on the voice.

But, uh, there you go, swap theorists. If anybody was going to swap with Arei, it would have been David. I look forward to seeing everybody’s theories about how David is the true killer of Chapter 2 via crossdressing.

Tip: I am so fucking mad. See ya, everybody– thanks for reading!

[diaboliklove]

modern day au where yui cannot catch a break, and things only get worse when her house gets broken into by an angry red headed robber — but instead of taking her things, he takes her heart

yui was having the worst year of her life.

even worse than in 2013 when her father wouldn’t let her go to that taylor swift concert since it was deemed ‘unholy.’

she really thought only taylor could understand her.

but now its 2024, and she’s begun to have adult problems. she’s broke, her heater is broken, her apartment has started to fall apart, she stained her favorite pink skirt with coffee, her phone screen shattered when she dropped it on the train, she ran out of her favorite lip gloss, college bills keep stacking up, her upstairs neighbors never stop engaging in fornication, strawberries are out of season so she can no longer afford them and most importantly —

her father just passed away.

and all she wanted now was to rot in her apartment and ask god for mercy on her poor heart.

“it’ll be okay,” she sniffled back a tear. “father used to say the lord puts us through trials to test our faith.”

yeah, used to.

it was now late night, coming back from her fathers funeral she felt more empty than when she first got the news. her feet hurt from the black heels she now had to walk home in, the black dress did little to give her warmth, her cheeks were numb from the cold weather and having to comfort people with a smile that she’ll be okay, that there was nothing to worry about.

… but yui was already worrying about dinner. also how she’d have to shiver herself to sleep again. she couldn’t allow herself to cry herself to sleep again, her face would be frozen when she woke up, and what if she finds another hole in the walls? tape didn’t work last time, and she’s running out of rags to stuff in between them. and what about her job? she can’t buy more rags without it. they granted her a leave of absence due to her fathers passing, but what if they replaced her? if she lost her job she couldn’t pay rent — and she couldn’t ask for another extension on rent, her landlord was fed up enough with her pleading, she wouldn’t get lucky again. and also —

“no, lets just take it one day at a time. thats right,” she neared the steps to her apartment. “deep breath in, and then out. lets have some canned soup for dinner, and then pair it with rewatching the kardashians. yeah. thats a great plan.”

she turned the corner to her door.

“everything will get better,”

she put the key in the lock.

“as long as i stay positive.”

and she swung her door open —

“shit!”

“AH!”

— right into a mans back.

at first she thought she opened the wrong door. but the faint smell of her candles hit her nose, and her eyes fell on the very TV she watched shitty TV on in the mans arms — and then her eyes landed on a fucking sword on his waist.

her eyes followed it as he dropped her TV from his arms, and unsheathed it from his waist —

— and directed it right in between her eyes.

“empty your fucking purse! ill fucking kill you!”

Oh wow. wooooow.

now you would think the right action would be to do as he said. anyone would listen to a manic man with hair as red as blood, especially when they pointed a sword at you that looked like it came from the 1800’s. its not like yui wanted to die, so maybe she should save her life and sacrifice her beloved tv and the few pennies she had in her wallet.

but instead. her face twisted, and yui broke out in the most ugly open mouthed sob she’s ever done.

it wasn’t out of fear. it didn’t even register how this man genuinely had bloodlust leaking out of him. it was out of absolute frustration and sadness that this was becoming her life — and that she couldn’t even have her dream of watching the kardashians.

she fell to her knees. because, seriously, what the hell did she do to deserve all of this? she was a good kid. never acted out to her father and attended mass even when she had the flu. she never wished bad on anyone. but why does everything always have to end bad? on her 11th birthday her goldfish frank died, when she wanted a coffee last week, her card declined and now she couldn’t even sob into her blankets while she heard kim talking about how rich she was. can’t she have one good day? can’t she —

“holy shit, are you crying?” the red haired man didn’t even move.

yui looked up to him, and just stared at the man’s flabbergasted expression. through her tears, she tried to inhale through her nose, but it came out in little stutters. she extended her purse towards him.

“take it. take everything if you want.” yui spoke through her sobs. its not like anything she really wanted was here anymore.

yui curled up into her knees and rocked herself, continuing to cry hysterically at the thought of just her life. she wouldn’t mind if that man stole everything in her house — material objects could be replaced… eventually. when her eyes started to burn by the amount of tears flooding out, she noticed she couldn’t hear the familiar floorboards creak from movement and her purse was still in her hands. lifting her head to see what was going on, she noticed that the man hadn’t moved from his spot, and just was gawking at her sitting on the floor. they held eye contact for a while, like they were both afraid to move.

sure, yui thought he was a manic. but he probably thought yui was a suicidal manic.

while she held eye contact, she finally really looked at him.

he was fit. wearing a black shirt and a ripped jean jacket, yui could tell he wasn’t bulky, but instead quite lean. his pecs were defined and his muscular abdomen and biceps were flexed against the fabric from welding the heavy sword. his joggers looked worn down, and black nikes seemed like they seen better days. his face was … nice. well sculpted and he had a well defined jaw. his lips were plump and chapped from the chill outside.

what threw yui off was the cacophony that was his hair and eye color. bright firetruck red for hair that looked like he hadn’t brushed it in days, and green eyes fit for only a predator. regardless of the situation, yui could tell he honestly was… beautiful. dangerous. probably looked more attractive if he didn’t have his mouth wide open in awe.

his eyebrows furrowed, and he closed his mouth. he placed his sword back in his sheath, and leaned down to grab the tv from the floor. he looked towards yui again, with a face she could only describe as disappointment. clicking his tongue, he began to drag the tv … not towards the door but towards the tv cabinet.

“this isn’t fun anymore. you can have your shitty shit back.”

placing the tv back in its rightful throne, he squatted down and went through a worn down black backpack — that had some random pins of a band she never heard of — that was on the floor. within it, he took out her favorite necklace, her jewelry box, a couple of her wool sweaters and her damn smart toaster she picked up extra shifts for.

“this is yours. ill be back when you’re mentally stable, you deranged bitch.” he motioned to the items on the floor.

“really?”

the robber rolled his eyes. “of course I will be! do you know how much your toaster —“

“— no i mean. you’ll give it back?”

“you want me to take it?”

“well… i’d like it if you didn’t.”

“then! shut the fuck up.”

he grabbed his backpack and swung it around his shoulder. he started making his way towards the door right beside yui. as he took two steps past her, he paused.

“you’re really broke, you know.”

yui sniffled. “i know.”

“like, broke broke. i don’t think ive ever broke into a house that had so much of nothing. what are you, a level one sim? do you have no hobbies? do you even eat? i see nothing to even munch on here.”

“… i have soup.”

“you literally have two cans of spaghetti-os and tomato soup.”

yui sniffled louder. “i know.”

things were silent for a while. yui was sure the robber was still there, probably reconsidering his decision. she expected him to march back in to take her things again while flipping her off. this entire situation seemed too good to be true… but maybe this could end with her losing nothing... no. she wouldn’t let herself hope for something that was next to impossible in a situation like this.

but something even more unlikely happened.

the robber spoke again.

“do you like dennys?”

“w…what?” yui turned her head towards him.

“dennys. the best restaurant in the world. do you like it?” his face stayed neutral, but somehow the question felt like a threat.

yui feared the honest answer, ‘ive never been’ would end in her getting decapitated. so, she said, “i do.”

“do you want to go get some pancakes?”

it was yuis turn to gawk at him. he looked bored, and slid his hands in his pockets. now, maybe a normal person would say ‘fuck no, its 10pm and you just broke into my home somehow and then tried to steal my beloved tv and lovely toaster then pointed a fucking sword at me… also, i don’t even know your name you creep.’

but yui wasn’t a normal person experiencing normal things right now.

“pancakes sound nice.”

aka, the alternative universe in which two cold hearts find warmth within each other.

[swallowerofdharma]

Yashiro’s Cruel God part two

Intermission: romanticizing trauma or Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate.

Most people looking at someone like Yashiro would feel deeply sorry and they would make a wish for him to find something or someone good in life. But when we start talking about healing we forget or we don’t know what trauma is. Manga can actually help us understand much better in what terms trauma really works: the word we use in several european languages comes from the Greek word for wound τραῦμα. I don’t have the same linguistics insights for the Japanese words - it would be great to have that insight if someone can provide it - but I have access to visual representations, because a number of mangaka associated traumatic events/memories with physical injuries, and the very severe ones with a lost limb, a lost eye. I have talked about this briefly here. The earliest in life or the most severe or prolonged or repeated traumatic events or experiences - the deeper the injury is registered, written in the brain. In the case of a lost limb, there isn’t much healing to do, that part of the body is forever changed, but there are other things to do: relearning how to do things in different ways according to the changes and forgetting about what you could do before or what other people can do with their limbs intact and fully functioning. Of course you can get a prosthetic, an aid, you work around the injured parts. But they ache, they give you phantom pain, they don’t grow back, and the healing is only possible in the parts that are left. Thinking about trauma like this is how we don’t romanticize it. I really think that Yoneda-san is intentionally making a point to show how difficult this process of adaptation is and also how common is for the people around Yashiro to not fully understand or care or know what can be done and what can’t be done. Only Yashiro knows himself that well, can properly determine his boundaries. First he went through a long phase of trial and error and he progressively learned to regulate his impulses quite successfully I must say, because we see that he was alone, lacking guidance, and he did end up naked in an alley, but at least he was sober and drug free. That is when Misumi came in and, although he had also his selfish motives and interests, he cared enough and offered Yashiro some guidance and most importantly conditions so that Yashiro needed to learn how to restrain himself and only indulge his sex drive more safely and more intentionally, setting new rules and adapting to a life full of other responsibilities and commitments. Remember that the premise here isn’t to assign blame or make moral judgments or excuses, but to understand how these characters grew, matured or changed or how they developed their expectations and interpretations of the world around them.

There were areas where Yashiro, as a full formed adult, still refused to be challenged, mostly because he had adapted and learned how to be self reliant, but unfortunately also because he interiorized an image of himself as someone unlovable, as a consequence of his parents’ behavior and later his unrequited feelings for Kageyama. Yashiro can absolutely find love. He fell in love twice, other people have fallen in love with him before, he doesn’t want to hurt others, he generally cares, he has gained much better social skills than those he had as a teenager, he is still an eccentric but not unreasonable or crazy. The problem is that he doesn’t know how to accept romantic love because he doesn’t recognize the feelings of being loved. The new experience is confusing, disorienting and scary, nauseating, because he lacks points of reference. He can’t go back to a foundation in love, an original self that is pure and secure and healthy, because his parents didn’t help him build it or deliberately destroyed and reshaped it with fear. Romanticism poses love as a good, natural, inevitable human thing, implies an ideal world where everyone has that pure healthy self and if pain and hardship are inevitable in life and each person is wounded, they must get to heal normally or simply by reaching back and restoring that pure and secure and healthy self as much as possible. If it was parental love/care and responsibility to offer the best condition for the self to be that way, then it will be the love/passion and commitment of a romantic partner to help healing the inevitability wounded self later in life.

I don’t think it was pure coincidence that in the same chapter you have these two different scenes not far from each other. Doumeki has been left behind and he is reminiscing about the events that brought him to this point. I am still focusing on Yashiro now, so that I haven’t properly talked about Doumeki, who has his own wounds within him, but as I mentioned last time, Doumeki experienced betrayal, especially regarding his father, after he already had a foundation in a family with a sufficient amount of care. Even if his parents weren’t especially doting or his experience was so much at odds with his sister’s experience inside the same family, he still developed normally, if not very reserved or able to express himself only through controlled physical aggression at kendo practice. We see in this memory another element, Doumeki playing normally with other boys and having fun. When the chapter goes on showing Yashiro in a flashback, we see him spying on Kurobane’s nephew on Misumi’s order. But we also see him as this uncomfortable nineteen years old who is an outsider and feels like one when confronted with normal children playing normal games.

I’d really like to write a proper analysis of the confrontation between Yashiro and Doumeki in the car in chapter 32, because I think that conversation is a very good example of two people coming from completely different places and confronting each other without reaching a solution that would work for both of them, because of lack of understanding and the extreme difficulty to communicate. We see very well here how the dynamics older/younger and realist/romantic play out. Scenes like these, where they talk, get to know each other, they are there and they were frequent even.

For now, I just want to underline another example of Yashiro looking at children with a foundation in love/safety from the outside and having to wrangle with that feeling of alienation. How can he take part in that same world as these people, how can he be part of the same world Doumeki lives in? Since he is going to meet Hirata and he doesn’t know what might happen there, his only choice is to leave Doumeki behind, but since he doesn’t obey anymore, Yashiro has to push him away and, if necessary, intentionally hurt him. Doumeki tries different strategies to stay, and Yashiro seems to relent on occasions, but when the time comes, he takes the gun and shoots.

Again a long post, and I don’t know how much I have accomplished with this. Between phone calls and my cat giving me the stinky eye because I am two minutes late to feed her, although I had mentally prepared to tackle the part about Doumeki, I recon I am going to leave this part as it is and continue the analysis later. Hope you don’t mind, I am not great at planning things out. So this is again to be continued…

[calliopeslyrics]

watching the Percy Jackson show makes me so emotional and nostalgic on a whole other level. It’s almost as if I’m recounting my own childhood memories but the way everything is handled with love and care for the material, the way the trio is so young and small and yet the gods see them as nothing but their own personal problem solvers whenever it’s convenient (looking at you, Poseidon) makes me tear up unironically because I never would’ve imagined seeing the books come to life with such precision that the pjo brainrot returned.

Like I cannot imagine being 12 and having to go across the country within a week to stop some family drama that could result in another war among gods and mortals. Where monsters and gods alike are trying to kill you because of your parentage when you don’t even know what your father looked like.

I remember reading Percy Jackson in middle school and loving the fact that he was my age and with every book, I grew up with him. I remember talking to my friends about the latest chapter we had read during recess and we would write about our own little demigod adventures. We would read those imagines about percabeth on instagram and conspire about how our music teacher was probably a monster like Mrs. Dodds because of how mean he was. My friend was a daughter of Poseidon and I was a daughter of apollo and we absolutely freaked out when trials of apollo first came out because of the little cameo Percy made in one of the chapters.

And now that I’m older than walker, leah and aryan and I’m seeing their characters go through all these challenges against gods and monsters and even their own extended family at CHB, I’m like omg they’re literal children. They did not have to go through all of this trauma year after year, fighting for their parent’s attention and approval.

At the end of the day, all the demigods are just kids with major mommy and/or daddy issues trying to be claimed by the very godly parent that left without a trace before they were even born. They can’t live in the mortal world without having to fight for their lives and they’re practically stuck at camp if they’re not claimed by a particularly strong or important god to even go on quests. Middle school me did not understand the layers of lore and significance of Percy’s unwavering loyalty to his mother and his friends that have fought alongside him countless times in a world where it’s eat or be eaten.

anyway I’m feeling completely normal about the series :)

[everlasting-rainfall]

Hi again👋🥰 I'm the one who sent Figarland Garling's request for PAGES AU and after Reading your Headcanons about the Figarland Family I came up with another idea for our dear Red Crescent 🌛❤️ Like what if the reader was sentenced to death for some reason (perhaps she was an escaped slave or a member of the revolutionaries) She proposed a duel to escape the execution, and of course she lost, but somehow it aroused Garling's interest, and he decided that instead of completing the execution, she now belonged to him alone, and no one could look or talk to her except him I bet his superiority complex will make him see his girlfriend as a perfect goddess whose attention no one deserves but him (I really don't mind if he decides to kidnap me or protest at his house. I will actually tie myself up and hand him over and I might turn into a simp or bimbo for him 🤤🤤)

I hope things get better and you are well 💋 (no matter what problems you are facing)

Hey! Sorry that it took me so long to get to this as like I’ve said, I’ve been dealing with some personal issues that I’d rather not go into detail about but I’m working on it now and I sincerely hope that you enjoy this!

Here’s hoping that I hear more from you in the future so before I get too distracted, let’s get right into it!

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

Celestial Dragon Bullshit, Slavery, Execution, Violence, Isolation, Implied Noncon, Delusions, Kidnapping

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

Also Keep in Mind that I do not support or condone the actions of any Celestial Dragon, they are disgusting creatures who are barely even human and don’t deserve the time of day

So as you said, you are someone whose about to be judged and executed but of course there needs to be a reason so let’s imagine that you were like someone who had ties to the revolutionary army like you weren’t a full on revolutionary yourself but you did provide aid to them

Now of course, this is dangerous like in the eyes of the world government. You might as well have just stepped all over their flag and let’s say that you got into some serious trouble as a result of this, you were originally going to be killed outright but lucky you! Or rather unlucky you in a bad way, a celestial dragon just so happened to spot you and what do you know? You’re kinda cute… 🤢

Narrowly escaping execution, you’re now a slave to a random ass celestial dragon which in all honesty? Probably way better to have been killed in all honesty as bitchass celestial dragon gonna be a bitchass celestial dragon and they’re awful to you

You’re moreso treated like some kind of doll or pet to be commanded than an actual person like legitimately, they’ve tried to show you off to fellow dragons like you’re some kind of cool toy they got, not even a trophy

Anyways with the constant dealing with the bitchass celestial dragon who has you like the daily abuse and the fact that they never see you as human like legitimately they probably see an actual bug as more human, something was bound to happen

And suddenly you’re on trial for trying to kill the person who was your “master”, whether you succeeded or just severely injured the fucker is completely up to you but either way. Let’s say you practically butchered the fucker

As you’re standing there before the judge, the red haired man reads off the crimes that you committed and the evidence against you is damning to the point where it’s clear the death sentence is coming

You can’t let this be where you perish though so just before Garling sentences you to a very painful execution befitting of someone like you (His words, not mine), you interrupt him much to the pearl clutching gasps of the dragons and shout out that you want to duel

Duel for your freedom against Figarland Garling himself? It sounds absolutely crazy but he’s clearly interested so he rises from his chair and tells you the rules that if you can beat him then you go free but if he wins then the sentence continues

No sort of armor is provided to you but luckily, you’re at least given a weapon although it’s not one of your choosing and he doesn’t seem to be wearing armor either so maybe you can do this?

The duel is begun via a starting pistol from one of the holy knights and you barely have enough time to dodge Garling’s first strike as he moves so fast that it’s terrifying

While you’re scrambling to get to a safe distance away, Garling is pleasantly surprised as not many dodge his first strike but no matter. Probably an accident so he strikes again and wouldn’t you know it? Another narrow dodge!

Man’s honestly starting to have fun as you can’t hit him and your attacks can’t even be called attacks so much as they’re desperate swings of a weapon but somehow, you’re dodging his attacks quite well (although they’re all just based on luck) and by the time that the duel has finally ended

You’re lying on the ground with a deep slash across your chest and his sword in your face, you’ve lost but Garling doesn’t intend to get rid of you as you’re quite interesting. Not only did you dodge his attacks but with those dodges, you became the person whose last against him the longest

Honestly you’re too good to execute so once he’s declared the winner and the applause has died down, he sheaths his sword and reads out your sentence as it’s no longer death but you will be taken to his home and serve him

Some dragons probably are murmuring as what is he thinking? But Garling doesn’t care as he demands you to be taken away and have your wounds treated, there’s a little bit of hesitation but soon you find yourself passing out as you’re carried off

When you wake up, you’re now living in Garling’s home as one of his servants which is probably like a “God fucking dammit” moment for you but oddly enough. Garling doesn’t treat you as poorly as the other guy did

Like yes, you are still a servant but Garling never really has much for you to do for him and most of the time. He simply wants to speak with you as you work on whatever small thing that he’s making you do or have you accompany him on a walk around the property

It’s so weird to you especially as you’ve never seen another servant around Garling’s home like you’re aware that they exist but you’ve never seen them and when you decide to ask him? He tells you that when you’re stuck in your quarters is when they’re in the house

You might try to ask why you’re not out then as you’re just like them but he’d more than likely tell you to not compare yourself to them, it’s so weird

Part of you thinks that Garling simply keeps you in this position because he wants to be able to show you and specifically you off like you’re a toy or trophy later but when the day does come that he meets up with other nobles, he goes alone like he doesn’t even indicate that he wants to bring you with him

So you aren’t being treated different for the purpose of being shown off but could it possibly be for then?

It seems like the answer comes when he wants to take you to meet the guard dogs one day, those giant Tibetan Mastiff’s that you’ve heard about having ripped any intruder or enemy to shreds if they so much as feel like the Figarland Family is threatened

Maybe you were being well cared for so you could be fed to them? Possibly… But that answer quickly dies when you’re taken to them only to not be fed to them but to be introduced to them as Garling makes you hold out your hand to be sniffed by them

Honestly the worst thing that they all do is lick your hand once, the Pomeranian Leader of the Guard Dogs doesn’t even touch you and simply yips at you like some kind of greeting

After this, Garling’s odd behavior is taken up a few notches as he barely asks you to do anything for him now and rarely gets mad at you like seriously… You once broke a vase just to see how he would react and he simply told you to be more careful… He didn’t even tell you to clean it up when he’s told you that he’s made other servants clean up broken objects only to execute them afterwards…

When the day comes that Garling starts to buy you outfits and refer to you as “Dearest one” and “Star” alongside touch you just a little bit too long, that’s when you start to realize what might be happening as he appears to be trying to ease you into a life as his partner

It all makes sense now to you… This is the only reason that he would be treating you differently…

You need to get out of here…

Avoiding Garling while you make a plan of escape isn’t easy as this man can read you like a book and it’s not like you can just stay in your room all day as the man will come and let himself in when he lets you out of your quarters

It takes such a long time of careful planning and on a night where he told you that starting tomorrow night, you would be sharing beds with him. You put your plan into action as you left your room and walked silently through the halls once you were sure that he went to sleep

You snuck outside and only made it halfway across the property before the loud howls of the guard dogs started to ring out, you started to slap yourself internally as you didn’t account for the possibility that he would get up to check on you or to make it so that you would start sharing beds that night

Running across the property hoping to find a wall that you could vault yourself over or an exit that you could rush through and escape the red haired man through was pointless as within minutes, you had the guard dogs rushing at you from the darkness

Their teeth sunk into your ankles causing you to scream as you were dragged back to the main house where Garling is waiting for you dressed in his pajamas sitting in a chair looking less than pleased

It kind of feels like you’re back at what was supposed to be your execution in all honesty and when Garling speaks, his voice is cold to the point where it sends a chill down your spine like you’ve seen the reaper in the flesh

He’s angry and he demands to know why you’ve run away from him after all that he’s done for you and when you hesitate to speak, he impatiently slams his fist against the arm of the chair and commands you to respond

“I… I just want to go home! I want to go home and forget about all of this! I want to go back to my old life!”

“Why on earth would you want something like that? I can make you so much more happier here with me… I can make all of your troubles go away if you’d just embrace me instead of leaning away…”

“Please… You’ve done so many nice things for me but I don’t want this… I want my life back, I want to live in my old town with all the people…”

“You want them instead of me? When they don’t even deserve to lay eyes on you, let alone stand in your presence? Disgusting… Don’t you realize how perfect you are?”

It’s after this that Garling winds up going into a long speech about how you’re some kind of goddess and beautiful thing that no one deserves to lay eyes on except him, you are the most beautiful thing that he has ever seen and clearly he must keep you away from those who are unworthy

The entire thing freaks you out so much more than the thought of him killing you does especially when he starts to talk about the life that he has all planned out for the two of you that apparently he’s been planning since the very moment that you somehow managed to last as long against him as you did back at your execution

Which now in hindsight to him was just an awful, awful thing that never should have happened as clearly the bastard who you attacked had it coming but not because he was a Disgusting Celestial Dragon but because he kept you from meeting him

He pulls you into his lap at some point during this and although you try to struggle briefly against him, you know that there’s no escape when you hear a low growl from the guard dogs that threatens you to try to run and Garling’s arms tighten around you in his embrace

Once you’re in his arms, he tells you about his desire to come home to you after a long day, he would find you untainted by the gaze of those who are unworthy and you would greet him with a beaming smile

Your outfit would look absolutely lovely on you and hug you in all the right places to show off every inch of your perfect body no matter what sort of body type you may have, he would approach and you would welcome him home with a kiss as he caressed you

The two of you would enjoy your dinner together and retire to your bedroom for the night where he would slip your outfit from your shoulders and make love to you as you moaned out his name and begged for him to impregnate you

Garling almost looks happy as he describes all of this like it’s his dream come true that he’s telling you about, he looks into your scared eyes and chuckles just a little

He pulls you ever so closer to him to where you can feel his nice smelling breath fanning across your face…

“You look so scared, darling… But don’t be afraid and don’t run either… I’d find you anywhere that you ran from me and drag you home even if a million eyes had been laid upon you… This is where you belong now…”

“I…”

“Shhhh… No need for words… Just lean into me and allow me to bind us together…”

And with that, Garling leaned in and pressed his lips onto yours in a kiss that felt as cold as ice… You wanted to run, you wanted to scream and push him away, you wanted to get far away from here…

But none of that was going to happen and as you felt one of his hands starting to slip underneath your clothing…

You knew that you weren’t going anywhere…

[justalia]

Hello Alia!

I must express my admiration for your work here on social media. I like the way you are direct with conscious creation. You simplify everything to make it easy to understand! I'm seeking guidance in my situation because I don’t know what to do, or if I should even take action. I like how you come across things, so In asking for advice in here. This might be a bit lengthy, I apologize in advance.

How can I reset my manifesting journey?

I've been into manifesting since middle school, and now I’m in college. Most of my life, I’ve desired a life I could achieve most of the time. In middle school/high school, I wanted to be popular and admired (I was an insecure weird kid) and tried absurd methods like “writing letters to the Universe to get your SP” and things like that. Obviously, I didn’t achieve anything. When it came to partners, I became fixated, creating scenarios in my head to materialize (to get) things in my life

Of course, I spent years, YEARS, trying to obtain things. Not one thing specifically , it was me chasing the perfect idea of how my life should look like. Throughout those years, I discovered many manifestation teachers; Neville, Edward, etc., but none led me to a stable point, because I had this pattern of overconsumption and obsession.

I think it's pretty embarrassing to admit that I spent a lot of time in my teenage years desiring a life that I couldn’t have. I was always lost in my own mind. I was nothing. I yearned to be loved. I was imagining and hoping but nothing changed

It was a cycle of terrible punishment to myself because I couldn’t materialize what I wanted. I fell into a state of limerence and, for my own mental well-being, I sort of gave up trying to get things.

My life became normal, but deep down, a part of me desired that successful, wealthy, and fulfilled life. I've tried to return to this journey, but it seems like I'm so burned out that it isn’t (somehow) available to me anymore. It's like a blockage. I think I resent myself for putting myself through this.

I know manifesting works; there have been times in my life where I’ve imagined things and they just appeared, but it was never the things I wanted.

I'm crying while typing this because, sincerely: this makes me feel so pathetic. Tons of material, tons of information, and applied incorrectly causing a mental burnout for me. I know that I should apply it, but my brain doesn't let me. (I hope I'm explaining myself well) I'm really afraid that if I try to manifest something, I'll fall into this state of limerence and madness. When I say I'm burned out, I'm burned out. Every time I think about this topic, my head hurts. I seem to know everything about this but nothing.

The main problem is that sort of, this way of hoping trying to get things it’s so engraved in my mind that I can’t seem to even start to “manifest” small things without feeling like I’m manifesting them. I know you become one in imagination, but how can I make my brain understand this? 😔

What should I do? How can I reset? If not, what is the best that I can do?

Have a good day. Keep doing what you do. And thank u anyway.

hi!

i couldn’t leave this ask unanswered so i’m gonna try my best.

first of all thank you so much for your kind words and i’m glad you could find my words helpful and knowledgeable.

i really understand where you are coming from and my greatest advice would be to drop all the knowledge you have on this and look into non dualism. i advice you do it only when you feel like you can go into it with a completely open mind and without any expectations so that you can find yourself. the real Self.

non dualism has been for me a way of understanding the way the “world” actually operates better and look at “manifestation” in a completely different way.

when it comes to how you’re feeling regarding your journey i’d like to give you this insight: that was never you. the character you’ve built has been through so many trials and tribulations and it feels “pathetic” for that. that was never you. believe me when i tell you this. all the labels you put on yourself are simply that: labels.

find your true self, stop manifesting anything and realize who you are. really realize it and feel the peace coming with this realization.

let me add this: the thing you think you have to free yourself from never really happened.

[nejibaby]

only ever you

Pairings: Haitani Ran x Reader, mentions of Sanzu Haruchiyo x Reader

Description: In this lifetime, it was only ever you.

Word count: 1.5k

this is, dare i say, a spin off for between animosity and blurred lines. and it’s technically part of the friends storyline.

Haitani Ran is a lot of things. Simply put, he’s an ace. He excels at a lot of things with minimal effort. He gets high grades despite the fact that he sleeps in class, if he even came to school, that is. He’s a good fighter. He’s a people person too, a perk of his charismatic nature, he supposes.

Rumor says he’s a playboy too, and sure he’s a big flirt, but the truth is he’s actually awfully loyal. So much so, that even when his partner broke up with him, he continues to love the said person with all that he has.

In Rindou’s eyes, it’s quite pitiful. Ran could have anyone he wanted. He could have someone better than you, although he too is well aware of the fact that there’s probably only a handful of people who are, but still.

Ran deserves better than this. He deserves better than yearning for you for years on end. But no matter how much Rindou tries to tell him this, Haitani Ran is as stubborn as one can be — another fact added to the list of things that Ran is.

And perhaps that’s the problem with amicable breakups, the lack of antipathy and bitterness only leaves more space for more what if’s and longing.

In Ran’s defense, it’s quite impossible to forget you — partly because you’re his first (and only, for that matter) love, and partly because you’re nothing but perfect for him and to him. Someone like you is just hard to come by.

But young love rarely ever works out in the long run. One way or another, life’s going to fuck things up.

And fuck things up it did.

In the case of your relationship with Ran, it came in the form of juvie. And while you both wished you could say nothing’s changed during and after that trial, you both know that’s a big fat lie.

So by the time he got out, he already knew what to expect. And because Ran has never mastered the art of refusing you, he accepts your proposal to break up, even when he doesn’t want to part with you at all.

Fortunately — or unfortunately for him— you both remain in contact even after that. It almost seems like you didn’t break up. You would tell him about your day and he tells you his. He would ask you to hangout with him and Rindou, and you would agree without a second thought. You would ask for his help in picking clothes, and he would rush over to your place with food and drinks in hand. He would sometimes come over battered and bruised, and you wouldn’t hesitate to patch him up.

Everything is all too familiar, minus the fact that Ran tries so hard to not let the I love you’s slip from his mouth, and the way he resists the urge to hold your hand, to kiss your lips, and to embrace you.

Ran hopes you’d come back to your senses and run back to him, to where you belong.

But he fears it’s too late. He realizes this when another name is integrated in your stories. Someone all too familiar to him. Sanzu Haruchiyo.

And while you claim to loathe the man, he’s all you’ve ever really talked about these days, all rude remarks of course, but still... Ran could tell that Sanzu has infiltrated your mind.

Ran has no other choice than to up his game. He becomes more forward with his words and actions. And he’s eternally grateful that you welcome his advances and sometimes even return them, although sometimes he catches your mind drifting.

And then he fuels your anger for Sanzu by supplying you with information about his wrongdoings and gang activities, in hopes that you stay away from him for good.

But you don’t. Or at least you tell Ran you can’t, because he’s your best friend’s childhood friend, and now that they’ve reconnected, it was simply impossible to tear them apart.

“I’m your best friend,” Ran argues light-heartedly, or at least he tries to play it that way. “You don’t need her.”

“That you are,” you try to placate him with a kiss on his cheek. “But she’s important to me. When you were…” you clear your throat, “away—”

Ran frowns, he doesn’t like where you’re going with this.

“—she was there for me. She was all I had then. And she’s really really nice! Like an angel! You’ll like her, I swear.”

Ran sighs. He’s glad you have someone nice to lean on. And he knows your best friend is a great person, judging from your previous narratives about her. But, she’s the reason you met Sanzu in the first place, so he’s not really that fond of her.

Then again, Haitani Ran also believes that ultimately, this is his fault. If he hadn’t gone to juvie, all of this could have been prevented.

“She must be a fucking saint if she’s friends with Sanzu,” Ran says, and you couldn’t help but tear up from laughing because of that.

Ran’s love for you blossoms when he sees you as happy as you are now, even more so because he’s the reason behind it. You’re just too precious to him that he finds himself vowing he’d always protect you and your smile.

So when your laughter dies down, Ran doesn’t even try to stop himself from saying “But if Sanzu ever dares to hurt you, I’m going to kill him.”

You lean on his shoulder so he misses the sadness in your eyes. “I know, Ran, I know,” you tell him wistfully.

With Ran’s vow comes a shift — nothing too obvious, yet he still notices it anyway. It starts small, with you coming to hang out smelling like smoke. And while Ran and Rindou themselves smoke, no one had ever thought you’d pick up a stick yourself.

Naturally, Ran inquires why and how you’ve picked up such a habit. It takes you longer than necessary to respond, and even then, you’ve only given him a smile and told him, “I’ll tell you next time, but you have to promise not to get mad.”

Ran doesn’t promise, because he knows it must’ve been something big if you’re asking him not to get mad. And even then, your “next time” doesn’t really come, much to Ran’s dismay, but he won’t probe further just yet.

Following that incident comes the realization that you rarely ever go to Haitani’s clubs anymore. And so he goes out of his way to find the club you’re recently frequenting and decides to pay you a visit. He doesn’t approach you though, he only waits in his corner until you see him.

“Ran! What are you doing here?”

“Hello to you too, darling,” he grins. “Just wondering what this club has that mine doesn’t, you know? ‘Cause you don’t really come by anymore.”

“‘M sorry,” you pout, all apologetic and guilty. “It’s just, my friends, uh, wanted a new scene.”

“Huh,” he huffs, then he places his hands on your waist, “You do know, we still own a couple of other clubs near here, right?”

You sigh and melt into his touch. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry,” you mumble, placing a tender kiss on his throat.

“So is your best friend here? Am I finally going to meet her?”

“Yeah, she’s here somewhere with her boyfriend.”

“Oh? Did that fucker Sanzu finally grow a pair? Did he ask her out or something?”

At the mention of Sanzu’s name, the older Haitani couldn’t help but notice the way you suddenly stiffen. “No, it isn’t him. I introduced her to a friend and they hit it off.”

Ran hums. Now he isn’t interested in meeting your best friend anymore, what he wants to know at the moment is if Sanzu has been bothering you lately. But he doesn’t ask right away, basing from your reaction, you’d most likely shift the subject or ignore his question altogether. So instead he says, “Well aren’t you the cutest matchmaker.”

His single line easily makes you bashful, and he couldn’t help but grin because of your reaction.

But the moment is short lived because the next thing he knows, you’re being snatched away by none other than Sanzu Haruchiyo himself.

Ran scowls and Sanzu glares at him. But before anything else could happen, you’re pulling Sanzu away and telling Ran that you have to go and that you’ll talk to him later.

Sanzu is displeased, and it’s only a matter of seconds before he starts cursing out loud, but intertwining your fingers with his when you’re tugging him towards the exit momentarily shifts his focus to it.

The sight leaves a bitter taste on Ran’s tongue.

Now that he’s seen the way you look at Sanzu, he could tell you’ve caught feelings for the man. And judging by his reaction, there are some feelings involved on his side too, although he’s not sure if it’s actually love.

However, Ran is certain you’ve never stopped looking at him that way too. He knows and feels that you still love him.

This begs the question, is it even possible for you to love two people at the same time? Ran certainly doesn’t know. In this lifetime, it was only ever you. And all he could do now is hope that what you have with Sanzu is a temporary thing.

Because Ran is positive that whatever the hell happens, he’d always wait for you.

a/n: i wrote this on a whim, no plot in mind sjdjxjjs so i’m not sure if this turned out good??? pls lmk your thoughts~

[jimblejamblewritings]

i saw you were asking for hurt/comfort requests

Could you do a Sirius black x poc reader where they’re married and she finds out Bellatrix killed him and like Harry comforting her and her doing the same,maybe her even sharing story’s of their past.

thank you🫶🏾

Hi! So it's the way this isn't a one-shot once I started writing this lol. I'm warning you I'm a sucker for happy endings so this will kind of go off the rails a bit.

I'll Always Come Back

Summary: It doesn't matter what happens in life. Sirius always comes back.

Warnings for the Series: violence, character death

Pairing: sirius black x reader, sirius black x black!reader

Word Count: 3.8k

“Mrs. Black, we cann—”

“Like hell. I won’t allow my godson to be with them any longer!” you yelled at Fudge. “I agreed to not contact him until he was a wizard and the first thing I find out is he lives in an abusive household.”

“But Petunia is Lily’s family, the magic extends to her blood for Lily’s protection spell.” 

“No one has found Grimmauld in years. Moony and I have lived there with no problem.” 

Barty Crouch Sr. scoffed. “You still visit your husband.” 

“Because he’s innocent.” 

“Mrs. Bl—”

“He is. And if you want to argue with me, Mr. Crouch, you’ll use my proper title. The Black Household is still one of the most prestigious households to date.”

“Fine. Lady Black, You’ve been saying that for eleven years.” 

“We just need a case you can’t ignore. We’ll be ready for trial soon.”

“La—”

“Barty. You locked him up without a trial, I haven’t forgotten that. That’s enough to get him out of jail and get you fired. We want his name cleared too, that’s the only reason you still have a job. Don’t try me.” 

Barty turned and sat back down. The Ministry members looked at your custody papers and the clause where you agreed to give Harry to the Dursleys unless he turned out to be a wizard. They could only keep custody if you didn’t want him, they really wanted him, or you were in no position to take care of a child. 

Eleven years and you lived in the same house. Grimmauld never had an encounter with Death Eaters or Voldemort himself. You had all of Sirius’ money, not to mention your own job. A wizard bakery on a muggle street made a lot more money than people might think. Why wouldn’t it? After filling out an application, the Ministry approved of your business using magic in the presence of muggles. The Lady’s Bakery not only made the most delicious treats around but people felt literally sucked into books. Of course, muggles didn’t realize that they actually were. But every review that stated reading books just felt better in your bakery was an extra customer the next day.  

Plus you were in charge of managing Lily and James’ funds for Harry until he was of age. So you had the funds to take care of a child. You weren’t letting this go without a fight. The Ministry realized they weren’t going to win and reluctantly agreed to let you take Harry. You weren’t the problem. It was your connection to Sirius Black that was. You maintained your husband was innocent. That made them concerned about Harry being near you, Sirius might use your naivety to get to Harry and finish the job of killing the Potters. 

“Thank you,” you said with a sigh. “I won’t be informing the Dursleys, someone can do that on my behalf. I might hurt them if I see them. You said Harry was where again?”

~~

You coughed as you exited the fireplace. The Weasleys’ must use their fireplace quite a lot or you came before it had been cleaned for the week. Multiple redheads stared at you in surprise. The letter from Fudge came only moments after you in the form of a Howler.

Harry’s mouth slowly dropped open as the letter continued. You stood there awkwardly as Fudge tried to convince Harry to say no. He mentioned Sirius’ supposed crimes more than once. The boy thought. He remembered the photo album that Hagrid gave him towards the end of first year. There were lots of pictures of his parents. But, there were also pictures of the Potters’ friends. 

Harry already knew about Sirius when he asked Professor McGonagall if she had known all the people in one of the pictures. She told him rather reluctantly about Sirius and very enthusiastically about you. Sure, Harry didn’t understand how his godfather could be innocent— McGonagall’s story was good enough proof for him— but he didn’t think you were a bad person for thinking so. Wasn’t that what couples did anyway? See the best in each other until there’s absolute proof. 

He liked you. He liked hearing all the stories McGonagall had of you. You had taken care of Lily the entire time she was pregnant, after scolding James for not using protection. Honestly, everyone thought you and Sirius would be the accidental pregnancy of the group. James forgetting protection was expected. But Lily not remembering was an absolute shock. You took every opportunity up until her birth to make fun of her for it. Even after Harry was born, you were always around. You took your duties as godmother very seriously. 

You smiled when Harry agreed even after hearing Fudge’s letter. Mr. Weasley ushered you over to the table to have breakfast with the rest of them. While you enjoyed the food, you were all about business. Harry looked over the document folder you handed him. It held all the legal documents regarding your custody and what that entails. 

“Oh,” you said after taking another bite of bacon. “I have this for you.” 

“What is it?” Harry asked as he took the bundle of letters. 

“Lily got a little carried away with parenting books at the beginning. She made James write a bunch of letters with her throughout the pregnancy. Two letters for your birthday until you're an adult. She went with muggle age instead of wizard age so you’ll have eighteen sets of letters instead of seventeen.”

Harry stuttered through a thank you. His fingers ran over the ink on the envelope. The difference in his mom and dad’s handwriting was pretty obvious on the letters. He wasn’t ready to open them yet but he was just happy to have them. And now he had something to look forward to on his birthdays, more letters. 

“Have you bought your supplies yet?” 

“We were all going after breakfast,” Mrs. Weasley said. 

You nodded. “Perfect. Polaris is running the bakery for me all day so I can come with you… If that’s okay?” 

You weren’t sure what was pushy or not. Harry wanted to live with you but neither one of you really knew each other yet so you didn’t want to be overbearing. You went with everyone to the fireplace to head to Diagon Alley. Your mouth dropped open when it was Harry’s turn. Whatever he said, it definitely wasn’t Diagon Alley. A huff left your mouth when you finally found him being led out of Knockturn Alley by Hagrid. Your godson was going to be a handful. 

“Textbooks first,” Mrs. Weasley said. You agreed. 

Harry handed you the shopping list. You couldn’t help the eye roll when you saw who the books were by. Each one for Defense Against the Dark Arts was by Gilderoy Lockhart. You remembered him in school. You took a deep breath and braced yourself for entering the bookstore. Most of the women and some of the men were swooning over the blonde wizard in light blue robes.

The only people that weren’t entranced with him were the people not attracted to men and you. You shook your head as Harry’s friend, Hermione, was swooning with who you could only assume was another Hogwarts student. Oh, if only they knew the man. 

You watched Gilderoy smile at every single camera and talk about himself. The main photographer, who you could only assume was hired by Lockhart himself, kept shoving people out of the way. You looked down in annoyance when he pushed Ron into you. The children just wanted their textbooks. There was no need for him to be rude. 

“Out of the way. This is for the Daily Prophet!” 

Lockhart looked up from the book he was signing. A large smile broke out when his eyes locked on Harry. 

“Here we go,” you muttered under your breath. 

Gilderoy practically ran around the table to reach Harry. He shook your godson’s hand rather aggressively. He posed for pictures and reveled in the applause that got even louder in the bookstore. You watched with disinterest as he went on a speech about giving the textbooks to Harry for free and signed. You already knew that you would actually buy the books and give the free ones to the Weasleys. You didn’t know much about them but when you guys had gone to get Ginny’s wand, they had been concerned about the cost.  

“Enjoy those books, Potter. Have a gr— Y/N.” Lockhart dropped his hold on Harry’s hand. He slicked back his hair and got closer to you. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.” 

“Because you haven’t. Let’s go, Harry.” 

“Wait, wait.” Gilderoy grabbed your arm. “Let’s go on a date, this Saturday. I’ll le—”

“Gilderoy. I’m still married.” 

“Oh, please. You two didn’t even have a proper wedding and he’s a criminal.” 

You ripped your arm from his grasp. “Sirius is innocent. And may I remind you that you and I have been over for years. You broke up with me. Remember?” 

You guided Harry and the others out the store before Gilderoy could say another word. You were in such a rush that you didn’t even have a response to Lucius who sneered at you as you walked past. The rest of shopping went by smoothly. You stopped right in front of the Public Floo Network and turned to face your godson. 

“There’s only a few weeks of summer left. If you want to stay with your friends, you can,” You said, scratching the back of your head. 

“Can Ron and Hermione come over?” 

“Yeah, kid.” 

“Then I think I want to go with you.” 

“Okay. Let’s send your stuff home and then we can go.” 

Harry had no clue where he was going after you two left the Burrow. You could have taken the Floo right back to your house but you thought it was important for him to know how to get to it on the street. His mouth dropped open as the veiling charm disappeared and he saw a door appear between 11 and 13 Grimmauld. You couldn’t help but chuckle.

You remembered having that exact expression the very first time you showed up to Grimmauld. Both you and Harry held your ears as a portrait started screaming. You apologized while covering it back up. You had never figured out how to unstick Walburga’s painting from the foyer. All her moving sometimes opened the curtain that kept her covered up.  

“Moony!” You yelled into the house as you took off your shoes. “The kid’s here!” 

A lanky man that towered over literally everyone he met came downstairs. His slipper covered feet shuffled across the floor and met you just as you and Harry reached the living room. Cup of tea in one hand, he gave you a sideways hug before giving you a kiss on the cheek. Harry looked a bit confused while Remus just laughed. You and him were childhood friends. Cheek kisses meant absolutely nothing between the two of you. 

“Harry’s here?” a voice from upstairs called. 

Quick footsteps thudded down the stairs. Regulus was putting up his wet hair in a bun before giving you a hug. You and Regulus had grown to have a decent relationship. It took a while and a lot of yelling on Sirius’ end but the younger Black brother had changed into a good person. He even came over once a week to help clean the house, especially taking care of everything when it was a Moony Night.  

“Reg! When did you get here?” 

“Not too long ago. I’ve been clearing out my old room for Harry.” 

“Are you sta— Reg, is that cologne? Merlin, do you have a date?”

He rolled his eyes. “I figured it was time to try again. I got tired of being a pitiful divorcee.”  

Despite having his own flat, Regulus was over constantly. By that extension, Kreacher was over almost all the time. The little house elf appeared. Harry was very reluctant to take his hand, not enjoying house elves after his meeting with Dobby. Kreacher didn’t care and led him up to his new room. He had only been there for a few minutes but Harry already felt like Grimmauld was better than the Dursleys. He had his own room to start with… and it only had a lock on the inside. 

“Alright. Time to go.” 

Harry shoved his trunks into the fireplace and watched them disappear. While he was excited to go back to school, he was actually going to miss Grimmauld. The few weeks he had been there were amazing. You counted that he had all his trunks before continuing towards the platforms at King’s Cross Station. You, Remus, and Regulus gave Harry hugs before leaving him with the Weasleys so he could get on the train. 

The three of you went in your own directions. Regulus had his own job to get to. Beauxbatons was starting school on the same day that Hogwarts did so he could only spare so many minutes. He initially ran to France because he had to go into hiding after switching sides. Nowadays, he stayed because he liked it and had a nice job. 

Remus, stubborn as ever, refused to let you hire him and struggled to keep up various jobs. It was unfair. He was the most brilliant person you knew and being a werewolf never stopped him from working. While he was stubborn about jobs, at least he didn’t complain when you refused to let him live in a rundown house. Remus had saved enough money for a house a while ago but without Sirius around he decided to stay at Grimmauld for you. It felt wrong to leave you alone in the big house. 

You had to get in to open the bakery for the day. Your days were rather monotonous but you liked it. You would prep the bakery, then sit at the window counter and try to put together a waterproof case for Sirius, only getting up when you needed to serve customers. With a flick of your wand, the batters started stirring. You attached your buzzer— so you would know if a customer needed you— to your jeans and moved to sit at the counter.

It was a rather slow morning, only having a few customers come through. You set down the bacon and egg panini as well as a cup of Purple Lotus tea in front of the customer. He was the only one who hadn’t ordered to go, sitting down two seats away from you at the counter. He looked over when you sighed. 

“Tough morning?” 

“Sorry. I’m working on a case and it is seeming impossible.” 

The man sat up. “A case? Law?” 

“Yeah.” 

“I’m actually a lawyer.” 

You almost fell out of your chair. Not a single lawyer in the wizarding world had wanted to take Sirius’ case no matter how much money you offered them. You didn’t trust a Ministry assigned lawyer either. So you had gone back to school. No one in your grade got much of a higher education considering there was a war. But when you weren’t helping the Order, you did take culinary lessons because you always wanted to run a bakery. After your husband was arrested, you started studying law on your own. You had even gone to some classes for it but quickly left when none of them covered your situation. Sirius didn’t mind you studying when you came to visit him. As long as he could see someone, he didn’t care what they talked about. 

You raised an eyebrow. “I don’t suppose you know who Sirius Black is, do you?”

“Who?” 

The man had to be a muggle. You sighed. “Nevermind. I don’t think I could possibly explain it to you.” 

“Try me.” 

You looked around. This was breaking the Statue of Secrecy on so many levels. At the same time, if it could help Sirius then you would do it. You locked the door to the bakery and put up the closed sign before pulling out your wand. The lawyer— Ben— looked in awe as you pulled out your wand and performed magic. It didn’t take very long to convince him. You tucked your wand back into your sleeve. 

“I am going to have to obliviate you when this is all over.” 

Ben shrugged. “This is still the coolest thing ever.” 

“Okay. I mean I won’t if you don’t consent to that.” You moved over to sit closer to him. “This is Sirius… my husband.” 

Ben took in a breath. 

“I know. He’s, uh, he’s in jail for murder. But he’s innocent,” you added quickly. 

“How many counts?” 

“Thirteen.” 

“Are you sure he’s innocent because this is an uphill battle?” 

“He is. I know it.” 

“Okay. Let me see the trial papers. We’ll start from there.” 

“There are none.” 

Ben was appalled to hear about the lack of trial. He became more invested as you told him everything. You had just given Harry back to Lily so she and James could leave for the night. Ever since they went into hiding, they only came to your house. You had never been to their place. Not once. Sirius had been gone the entire day on Order missions. Remus was gone too because it was a Moony Night. You gave a final wave to your friends and your godson before closing the door to Grimmauld. 

It was early in the morning when there was lots of knocking on your door. You had been so confused when Dumbledore shoved Harry into your arms. Sleep-deprived and scared was how you found out your best friends had just died. You had no clue what Dumbledore meant when he asked you to notify him as soon as Sirius got home. You never got the chance to find out. Three days later, Aurors stormed your bakery and took your godson away from you. 

“What you need is something to prove innocence. Even the smallest piece of information would clear him with a case this extreme,” Ben said as he packed up to head over to his office. “I’ll be by whenever I’m free to help you until it’s solved.” 

“Thank you so much.”

“Not a problem. Solving a wizard case is the peak of my career, even if no one else knows about it.” 

The man left without another word. You packed up the case file and went back to work. The entire time you were thinking about how you could find evidence. Sirius had told you about that night more times than you could count. There was no evidence that wasn’t anecdotal. It was all that was on your mind, even as you closed up the shop. You blinked as a letter hit you in the face when you got home. 

“Leave my child alone, Severus!” You said as you marched into his office. 

“Mr. Potter isn’t your child.” 

“I’m his legal guardian and you’re testing my patience.” 

You and Severus were cut off by McGonagall coming in. You took Harry’s face in your hands, looking at him and Ron with so much concern in your eyes. 

“Are you two okay?” 

They nodded. 

“Good. What were you possibly thinking? Why didn’t you come home? Send a letter?” 

Harry scratched at his face. “I guess we panicked. I didn’t really think of that.” 

You sighed and turned him over to McGonagall. So Harry wasn’t just similar to James in looks but also dumbass personality. While you were mortified, Sirius was laughing when you told him the story. Every Sunday, you were at Azkaban. You frowned as you looked at your husband. 

“You’re even thinner than last month.” 

“Love, I promise I’m eating everything they give me.” 

“It’s not enough.” 

“Stop worrying about me. How are you?” 

“The same as ever. I’m a very routine person you know.” 

He chuckled and nodded. The year was pleasant for Sirius but not for you. He got life from hearing you read the letters that Harry sent to you. You just got more upset at not finding a single bit of evidence to support your husband. Sirius clapped as you stood up after you told him why you had to leave early. 

“Always knew teaching suited Moons.” 

“He’s worried out of his mind. Harry kept offering all summer to be a practice student but that just made him more nervous.” 

“Tell them I said hi.” 

“I will. I love you.” 

“Love you too.” 

It broke your heart when it was time to leave. You never told the others that Sirius thought of them. They still thought he was guilty. Or they were unsure of his innocence and didn’t want to set themselves up to be disappointed. So you said nothing when you made it to Platform 9 and ¾ and found Harry and Remus. You gave them both hugs. 

“Rem, I put the first supply in your trunk. I’ll send more before your nights each month.” 

“Thank you, Y/N.” 

“Harry, dear, try not to get in trouble this year.” 

“It always finds me.” 

“Harry.” 

“Alright, alright. I promise I’ll try, Mum.” 

You both paused. It was the first time he ever called you by anything and you certainly weren’t expecting him to say that. It had taken Harry all of four weeks to call Remus ‘Uncle’ when he first came to live with you. He still hadn’t called you anything. Harry had been trying to process it on his own. He wanted to know how he felt about you. Mum just felt right. He gave you one final hug before boarding the train. 

Harry’s promise of keeping out of trouble lasted all of three seconds. You didn’t understand how it was possible to get detention before the second month was even over. It was supposed to be a calm year. Harry was supposed to go to Hogsmeade with his friends, do homework, and have fun. 

Remus came back home late one night. He shook his head as he exited the fireplace, holding up a piece of folded up parchment. 

“You won’t believe what I just busted your son for having.” 

You set down your book. “Rem, aren’t you on chaperone duties? It’s midnight. Merlin, it’s midnight. Was he out of bed?” 

“Yep,” Remus said, popping the ‘p’. He placed the parchment in your hand. “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” 

You scoffed as Remus left. James had hidden the map in a library book that was never checked out when you guys had graduated. There was no need for it since it only showed Hogwarts. How Harry managed to come across it was beyond you. For old times sake you laid out the entire map across the coffee table. You were shocked it still worked. You found Remus heading back to his room.

The map even had Harry’s name. So it did actually update itself. James and Sirius were brilliant at Charms but to create an enchantment like this was actually amazing. You started to fold the map back when a name caught your eye. You jumped off of the couch and pulled the map to your face. Peter Pettigrew’s name was staring right back at you.         

(part 2)

PERMANENT TAGLIST:

@venomsvl @peaches-n-sunscreen @summerellaz @supernaturallover2002 @sambucky8 @9daykrisr @thebitchinleo @23victoria @scarlets-widow @pagetpagetpagetpaget @lovexnatasha @awesomebooklover17 @1234-angelika @imatrisk @blackreaderatrisk @princess-jules47 @alexloveskili @a-marie-a @siriuslysirius1107​ @i-have-no-life-charlie

[hollowwrites]

It is Weasley Wednesday My Dudes

I have a Garreth x MC story in the works but for now have this…trash.

No one can convince me otherwise but Garreth has a nickname for everyone…do not question me!!

Imelda - Broomelda or Impy

He read a book once about Norse Mythology and found the Germanic Warrior Brunhild. Something about the powerful Valkyrie and shield maiden reminded him of Imelda and once he’d found a way of shoehorning her name into it that was it:

Imelda: (taking off her flying gear after running another time trial)

Garreth: How are we this fine Thursday afternoon, Broomelda?

Imelda: (turns to stare at Garreth)

Garreth: You know…like Brunhild the-

Imelda: I know who she is

Garreth: See you have a Broom, not a sword…and your name is Imelda…Broom…Imelda…Broomelda

Imelda: …No

After that went badly he started calling her Impy, short and fiesty…could kill you. She likes that nickname

Sebastian - Brother (occasionally Shortie)

Sebastian is an inch shorter than Garreth, if that. Only breaks it out if Sebastian is being bratty or he really wants to wind him up. Started calling Sebastian ‘Brother’ in their second year after he got mildly upset at Anne and Garreth hanging out after Potions.

Now they just call each other brothers out of habit. Anne still gets a little red faced when she hears it and Garreth will never admit he still has a thing for Sebastians sister. Will joke about it constantly though.

Garreth: Please tell me you took notes in Potions

Sebastian: I did

Garreth: Oh thank you Brother!!

Sebastian: (Chuckles) Anytime

Ominis: Is that still happening? This brother ordeal I have to listen to?

Garreth: Well I have to practise for when me and my beloved are betrothed

Sebastian: Yeah yeah, take your notes and be gone

Garreth: (Sighing affectionately) I can’t wait to be Garreth Sallow

Sebastian: Enough thank you!

Garreth: Calm down Shortie (ruffles Sebastian’s hair)

Sebastian: (Sighs)

Poppy - Bumbles

Found Poppy sat amongst the beehives doing homework. She laughed at him when he jumped out of his skin rounding the corner, her Hufflepuff Uniform blending in with the hives around her. Once said the way she flits around the school chasing after beasts reminded him of a Bumblebee. Too much of a coincidence!

Poppy: (Bumping into Garreth in the hallways dropping her books) Ooof Sorry Garreth, can’t see past these books.

Garreth: No problem, Bumbles. Where are we going? I’ll help you carry some

Poppy: Just back to the dorms

Garreth: After you (following after Poppy quietly humming) bzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Poppy: (Giggles) Stop it you!!

Amit - Stargazer

Pretty obvious one. I imagine Amit and Garreth don’t speak very often, Garreth head down in a cauldron and Amit staring off into the sky, their interests don’t always align but he likes to make people feel included.

Amit: Ah Garreth, Professor Weasley, er…your Aunt is looking for you

Garreth: Ugh, Thank you Stargazer. You are My Knight in Shining Armour. (Turns on his heels and walks in the direction he just came, away from his Aunt)

Ominis - Opal Eyes

Another obvious one. Got caught staring into Ominis’ eyes once and blurted out that he thought they were beautiful like Opals. Rolled with it.

Ominis: Bloody Wiggenweld, AGAIN. I hate that blasted potion

Garreth: Oh, Opal Eyes (throwing an arm around his shoulder) How many times have I told you? Sit next to me and I’ll smuggle you some of mine.

Ominis: I’m already blind I don’t want to lose my sense of smell too

MC - Sparkles, Sparkler, Sparks ETC (Modern AU would deffo call them Palpatine)

Have you seen anyone else shoot lightning from their fingers? Didn’t think so. Immediately came up with the name as soon as he witnessed their Ancient Magic for the first time. Teases them every Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night) for hogging all the fireworks in their fingers.

Garreth: Hey I’ve run out of Sparklers, can I borrow you…Sparkler?

MC: Har Har very funny Weasley

Garreth: (stands behind them scooping their hands in his, waving them around as if they were alight)

Bonus:

Leander - Tabby

Thinks his nickname is because he’s ginger. Garreth doesn’t have the heart to tell him; 1) Tabbies aren’t ginger and 2) it’s because he prances around acting like a lion when in actuality he’s a pussy cat.

[imtooscaredforthis]

Tethered

Part III- Chapter 29: Weird

Mentions of: Anxiety, Discussion of substance use, smoking, and Frank being delulu

A/N: Just got to college and my classes started!! I also am doing a fall sport so I���m busy ash atm…

Tags: @prettycutebunny @dead-bxxxtch-walking @mama-miya @vandeaad @moonshineinasippycup

Lately, things have been different. Jake was acting strange ever since that trial. You tried to talk to him, not just about the trial, but about things in general, and he’d hardly respond. If he did, it would only be one or two word answers.

You tried to not get too bothered by it, even though it still hurt quite a bit. Instead you spent more of your time hanging with Susie and Joey.

After a while, Joey managed to warm up to you. He was fun to be around. He was competitive and funny, and watching him and Susie banter was quite interesting. You were also pretty sure Susie had a bit of a crush on him.

One afternoon, the three of you were just playing games like you usually did, when Frank came. After what happened with Jake…you couldn’t help but wonder what he did. He made you uncomfortable. Not to mention, whenever he and/or Julie were around, you weren’t allowed to be there.

“Uh, well, I’ll see you guys later.” You murmured nervously, practically shooting up to your feet, preparing to bolt.

“Wait.” Frank stopped you. “You can stay.”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.” You replied. Your eyes darted to Susie and Joey, trying to get a read on their expressions. They seemed just as tense as you were.

“It’s fine. Stay.” Was all he said, so you settled back on the couch. It was awkward and quiet for a bit, before Susie spoke. “Oh my god, I’m really sorry about this, but I have to go to a trial.”

“Me too, actually.” Joey added. You looked at them in shock. No. No way this was happening. You could not do this alone.

“Are you sure you can’t just ignore it or something?” You couldn’t help but ask. They both shook their heads.

Susie gave you an apology hug before she left, and you swear if you don’t die, you’ll kill her yourself when she gets back.

Relax. Maybe he just had a bad day that time. He did spare you after all, and he’s being nice by letting you stay. He won’t hurt you…hopefully.

So, the others left, leaving you and Frank alone together.

—

Frank couldn’t believe you were sitting with him. He tried to act casual about it, but he could tell you were freaked out, especially after your last encounter. But he needed you to stay. Maybe if he just talked to you or something, Maybe he can find a way to let this all go.

He could have some closure, like you used to tell him. He didn’t know what he was doing, just that he had to make these feelings go away, and maybe this could be it.

There was just one problem. Your memory. Susie had mentioned you lost it a while back, but maybe you would recognize him. There was something about the way you looked at him when he first saw you again, some sort of feeling of familiarity in your eyes. He hoped you would recognize him, but he was also terrified.

This was a horrible idea, but he didn’t know what else to do.

It had been so much easier to hate you when he didn’t see you. When he had an idea of you in his head of you as that perfect uptight rich bitch in college, all priveleged and apathetic, just like the rest of them. But how could he hate you when he knew that was all a lie? How could he hate you when he had you so close? God, you were beautiful. You always have been, but you’ve grown and matured into..something else. He couldn’t put words into it, really. You just left him in complete awe.

You cleared your throat, snapping him out of his trance. He realized where he was and what he was doing. “So, uh, why do you want me here?”

“Just felt like it.” Frank shrugged, acting aloof. You fidgeted with your fingers, a nervous tic you’ve had since you were young, a tell that would let him know you were uncomfortable. Back then, he would’ve grabbed your hands and told you it was going to be okay. He kind of wanted to do that now, but he knew he couldn’t.

Instead, he slipped his mask off, revealing his face. Maybe if you got a good look, you would remember. You glanced at him a couple of times, before looking away…Nothing? Seriously?

Frustrated, he popped a cigarette between his lips, lighting it. He noticed you staring, and offered you one. You shook your head. There was a slight twitch of your brow. You never liked smokers, or alcoholics, or anyone who abused substances. You were such a goody two shoes, always rambling about how it was unhealthy, and you made him promise not to do it unless it was appropriate. Judging by the way you looked now, he had a feeling the real you was somewhere in there.

He blew smoke into the air above him, sighing. “So, am I just here to watch you smoke or….?”

“Relax, I’m not gonna hurt you.” He told you. Your lips quirked slightly. “I didn’t think you were.”

“Really? Cause you seem pretty nervous to me.” He teased. If he didn’t know any better, he would say you were flustered.

You scoffed in response. “The only reason why I’m nervous is because I don’t know what you want me to stay for. You didn’t seem very happy the last time I was here, and Susie says you’re pretty exclusive with your group.”

“The only reason why I was like that was because you caught me off guard. I didn’t expect you to be here. But now I know, and I want you to stay.” He told you.

“But why? Why are you being so nice to me? I don’t get it.”

“Can’t I just be nice?” He asked, and you grinned, shrugging. “I guess so, yeah.”

“You guess so?” He repeated in mock offense. God he missed talking to you. He missed joking around with you. He wished you could remember him. “What? Do I look mean to you?”

He was staring you in your eyes now, turning to face you, his face mere inches from yours. A shy smile crossed your lips. “Maybe a little. But, you did tear my friend out of the locker and scared the shit out of both of us.”

“Yeah, but he had it coming.” Frank let slip, making you frown. “What? What did he do?”

He tried to take what’s not his.

“I had my reasons.” You went quiet at that, reaching down and fidgeting with the locket around your neck. The locket he had given you all those years ago. The one he found you still wearing when he first saw you in that trial.

“I do want to ask one thing, though. What do you know about-” Before you could finish your sentence, Julie came in through the door, spotting you sitting on the couch beside him. “Frank? What are you doing?”

“You need to go, now.”